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Until now the altitudinal factor has not been taken into account to estimate tropical arthropod diversity. The ultimate aim of the terrestrial biodiversity survey "Our Planet Reviewed – Papua New Guinea" was to estimate biological diversity generated by altitudinal turnover of arthropod species. It took place on Mount Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea highest peak (4509 m a.s.l.), and one of the few equatorial mountains outside the Andes left with a continuous undisturbed forest from the sea level all the way to the timber line limit. An unprecedented sampling effort was concentrated over 16 days in 2012 with a semi-simultaneous sampling at eight different elevations (every 500 m from 200 m to 3700 m a.s.l.). Arthropods were collected with various methods: flight interception traps (targeting Coleoptera), Malaise traps (targeting Hymenoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera), Steiner traps (targeting tephritid flies), beating of the understorey vegetation, and insecticide spraying on tree barks (various groups targeted). A botany survey was conducted at each elevation to characterize vegetation. An additional site, Wanang, was sampled according to the same protocol, as replicated lowland site. Our team combined international experts with local postgraduate students, para-ecologists and villagers. Arthropod samples collected during the biotic survey were pre-sorted in Papua New Guinea and forwarded to taxonomists worldwide. The current book presents the first taxonomic results of the biotic survey. Project outputs included not only species discovery, but also direct financial benefits to landowner communities, raised profile of conservation areas, training of paraecologists and postgraduate students, education programmes and, finally, crucial biodiversity information needed for ecological analyses and conservation management.

We assessed and compared patterns of biodiversity and the composition of two soil invertebrate communities (Collembola and Lumbricidae) in three slightly managed plots in a beech forest of the French Pyrenees. The plots were managed in three different ways : an even-aged (REG), a closed unevenaged stand (NAT), and an open uneven-aged full-grown stand (IRR). At each sampling point, earthworms and Collembola from litter, soil, and pitfall traps were collected, and nine edaphic and environmental parameters were measured. The fauna collected was rich in species, and endemic and rare taxa. No clear-cut differences in species richness appeared between plots. Nevertheless, (1) the less disturbed plot, i. e. NAT , hosted a slightly larger number of endemic and rare species than IRR and REG ; (2) the structure of both communities in NAT, REG and IRR differed significantly depending on the site elevation and organic nitrogen content (higher in NAT), soil surface temperature and soil pH level (higher in IRR), and humus index and soil water content (higher in REG). Those factors, except elevation, may be explained by the canopy opening partly controlled by management practices ; (3) a side aspect of the study was to show that sampling exhaustiveness required more sampling effort for soil than for litter, and more for Lumbricidae than for Collembola. In a broader context, the case documented in this study suggests that management practices with limited clearing of forest cover affect soil biodiversity only slightly, which is in sharp contrast with the collapse in endemic biodiversity induced by reafforestation., Diversité, structure et endémicité des communautés de vers de terre et de collemboles dans une hêtraie peu aménagée des Pyrénées (France).— Nous avons évalué et comparé les patrons de biodiversité et la composition de deux communautés d’invertébrés du sol (collemboles et lombrics) dans trois parcelles peu aménagées d’une hêtraie-sapinière dans les Pyrénées françaises. Ces parcelles sont gérées selon trois modalités différentes : une futaie régulière (REG), une futaie irrégulière fermée (NAT) et une futaie irrégulière ouverte (IRR). À chaque point d’échantillonnage les vers de terre et les collemboles ont été collectés dans la litière, le sol et au moyen de pièges Barber, et neuf paramètres édaphiques et environnementaux ont été mesurés. La faune récoltée était riche en espèces ainsi qu’en taxons rares et endémiques. Aucune différence marquée de la richesse spécifique n’est apparue entre les parcelles. Néanmoins (1) le site le moins perturbé, i. e. NAT , hébergeait un nombre légèrement plus élevé d’espèces endémiques et rares que IRR et REG ; (2) la structure des deux communautés différait significativement entre NAT, REG et IRR selon l’altitude du site et la teneur en azote organique (plus forte dans NAT), la température à la surface du sol et le pH du sol (plus élevés dans IRR), ainsi que l’indice d’humus et la teneur en eau du sol (plus élevés en REG). Ces facteurs, à l’exception de l’altitude, peuvent s’expliquer par l’ouverture de la canopée partiellement contrôlée par les pratiques de gestion ; (3) un à-côté de cette étude est d’avoir montré que l’exhaustivité de l’échantillonnage requiert plus d’efforts pour le sol que pour la litière, et plus pour les lombrics que pour les collemboles. Dans un contexte plus large, le cas traité dans cette étude suggère que des pratiques de gestion avec un éclaircissement limité du couvert forestier n’affectent que légèrement la biodiversité du sol, ce qui contraste fortement avec l’effondrement de la biodiversité endémique qu’induit la reforestation., Salmon Sandrine,Bedos Anne,Villemant Claire,Rome Quentin,Daugeron Christophe,Deharveng Louis. Diversity, structure and endemicity of earthworm and springtail communities of a softly managed beech forest in the Pyrenees (France).. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 65, n°1, 2010. pp. 45-62.

We report the characterization of fifteen microsatellite markers in Vespa velutina, an invasive hornet from Asia that has been unintentionally introduced in France before 2005. It is expanding rapidly, covering one third of the French territory and northern Spain, and causes severe losses to honeybee colonies. An enrichment protocol was used to isolate microsatellite loci, and polymorphism was explored in an invasive population from France and in a population from the native mainland location in China. These markers showed a number of alleles per locus and per population ranging from 1 to 11, and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.151 to 0.891. These polymorphic markers will be useful to identify the source of the invading population and to discover the invasion pathways.

Premier bilan de l'invasion de Vespa velutina Lepeletier en France (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Typhlomyrmex meire Lacau, Villemant & Delabie, new species (Plates 1-5) Type Material. Holotype worker from Brazil, labeled: "Bahia state, Ilheus, Fazenda Recreio, alt. 36 m, 14°45'21"S - 39°13'34"W, 14.vi.2002, S. Lacau & B. Jahyny coll.", in [CPCC].Paratypes: 61 nidoparatypical specimens (21 workers, 27 winged queens and 13 males), same data as the holotype, 9 workers, 15 winged queens and 4 males in [CPCC];5 workers, 5 winged queens and 2 males in [MZUSP];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [MPEG];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [INPA];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [MNHN];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [BMNH];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [LACM];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [AMNH];1 worker, 1 winged queen and 1 male in [MCZC]. Other material examined: 4 workers and 1 winged queen, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, Area da Zoologia, CEPEC, alt. 15 m, 14°15'S - 39°13'W, x.1986, J.H.C. Delabie coll. in [CPCC]; 1 worker, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, 1986- 1987, J.H.C. Delabie coll., N°42 in [CPCC]; 1 winged queen, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, 21.v.1987, P. Terra coll., N°4587 in [CPCC]; 1 male, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, 29.ix.1987, P. Terra coll., N°4587 in [CPCC]; 1 male, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, 03.v.1988, P. Terra coll., N°4587 in [CPCC]; 2 queens winged, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, Q. G', 08.iii.1991, M. R. Smith coll. in [CPCC]; 1 worker and 1 winged queen, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, Q. G', 08.vii.1992, J. C. Soares do Carmo coll. in [CPCC]; 1 worker, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC/CEPLAC, Q. G', 21.vii.1992, J.C. Soares do Carmo coll. in [CPCC]; 1 worker, 1 winged queen, 1 male, Brazil, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPEC, 03.x.1995, J. Assis coll. in [CPCC]; 1 dealate queen, Brazil, Bahia, near Una, 260 II CO 22, projeto RestaUna coll. in [CPCC]; 1 worker, Brazil, Bahia, Canavieiras, Oiticica, 14°24'43"S - 39°01'00'W, 30.iii.1998, J. R. M. Santos coll. in [CPCC]. Etymology. Named in honor of Mrs. Lucimeire de Souza Ramos Lacau. Diagnosis. Medium-sized species, easily identified by the following characters: worker and queen both with 10-segmented antennae, including a 2-segmented apical club; male with 12 segmented antennae; queen and worker with subtriangular mandibles, bearing5 to 7 large teeth varying in size and bluntness among individuals of the same colony; anterior face of the clypeal dome vertical in females. Worker (Plate 1). Measurements (mm) and indices: data for holotype given in [brackets]; means with standard deviations for paratypes (n=10) given in (parenthesis); maximum range for paratypes (n=10) given in {}: CivW [0.42] (0.44±0.02) {0.41-0.46}; DPeW [0.25] (0.24±0.01) {0.24-0.26}; HeW [0.17] (0.17±0) {0.17-0.18}; HL [0.52] (0.54±0.01) {0.52-0.56}; HW [0.50] (0.5±0.02) {0.47-0.53}; ML [0.33] (0.33±0.02) {0.28-0.37}; SL [0.33] (0.33±0.02) {0.32-0.36}; PW [0.35] (0.35±0.01) {0.33-0.38}; PeL (0.23±0.01) {0.21-0.24}; WL [0.73] (0.75±0.01) {0.72-0.77}; CI [96.4] (93.9±1.8) {90.9-96.4}; MI [63.6] (61±4.69) {58.3-69.6}; PrI [69.81] (69.65±2.94) {64.29-75.47}; SI1 [66] (68.68±4.07) {62.5-76}; SI2 [63.6] (62.54±3.13) {58.3-69.1}. Head: subquadrate, weakly elongated; holotype CI 96.4; average CI 94.1 (n= 11, holotype+ 10 paratypes); CI range 90.9-96.4; head distinctly wider than alitrunk; average PrI 69.65 (n=10 paratypes); range PrI 64.29-75.47; maximal head width occurs at 2/3 distance from anterior clypeal margin to vertexal margin; vertexal margin weakly concave; posterolateral corners rounded; sides of head weakly convex and slightly converging anteriorly; clypeus medially dome-shaped, the dome conspicuously protruding from the lateral clypeal margins and with a vertical anterior face; clypeal margin medially convex and partially concealed by the dome in dorsal view; anterior clypeal lamella narrow, without a medial lobe; tentorial pits well separated from toruli and located in a weakly impressed depression at the basal clypeal margin; eyes minute with 4 or 5 poorly defined ommatidia situated just before the middle of the capsule sides; frontal lobes well developed, weakly inclined, close together, but conspicuously separated by a short frontal groove limited anteriorly by the clypeal dome and posteriorly by the convergence of frontal striae and rugosities; antennal sockets partially concealed by the frontal lobes frontal carinae slightly diverging and softening posteriorly; toruli circular and definitely separated, visible by transparency through the frontal groove integument, their internal rim rising and fused with frontal lobes base; antenna 10-segmented; scape robust, as wide as the pedicel length, and lacking a longitudinal carina at its anterior margin; it appears conspicuously bent ventrally at one third of its length in frontal view and is sharply enlarged at its midlength in dorsal view, the maximal width being more or less equal to the pedicel length; when folded backward, its apex does not reach the vertexal margin; pedicel about twice as long as wide, and about as long as the 3 following segments together; segments A3-A8 much wider than long; segment 3 longer than each one of the 5 following segments; segment 9 much wider at its base than segment 8 in dorsal view, and forming with segment 10 a club conspicuously larger than the rest of funicle; segment 10 approximately 3.5 times longer than segment8, and about 3 times longer than segment 9; apical club approximately 1.5 times longer than segments 3 to 8 together; mandible shape elongated-subtriangular, the apical margin joining basal margin at an obtuse angle; mandibles ventrally curved, crossed when closed, their basal margins weakly convex and not reaching the anterior clypeal margin; outer margin of mandible almost straight basally and curved at the level of apical tooth; masticatory margin toothed from base to apex as follows: four or five large teeth of increasing size, more or less spaced and variably shaped, often large and blunted (occasionally flattened), but sometimes small and acute, as well as an elongate apical tooth; mandible falciform and more or less acute while strongly enlarged basally; maxillary and labial palps 1-segmented (2 specimens dissected); hypostomal bridge well developed, its extremities greatly enlarged and ending in a small rounded tooth which weakly emerges under the base of the mandible; genal bridge distinct, its extremities enlarged and in contact with the hypostomal bridge; occipital carina lacking. Mesosoma: sub-rectangular in lateral view; pronotum anteriorly rounded in dorsal view, a little wider than long, and strongly sloping anteriorly in lateral view, its posterior part horizontal; promesonotal suture underlined by a weak furrow, forming an arch widely concave posteriorly; mesonotum almost flat dorsally; ventral parts of anterior and posterior margins of mesopleura straight and dorsal parts inclined; mesothoracic spiracle very small and partially concealed; metanotal groove distinct but weak; sides of the propodeum weakly converging posteriorly in dorsal view; meso-metapleural suture almost straight, underlined by a narrow groove bordered laterally by two thin carinae; metapleural gland orifice in profile as a short oblique slit, bounded below by a convex rim of cuticle that directs the orifice posterodorsally; the swollen bulla of the gland is visible by transparency through the integument, its anterior margin placed slightly before the propodeal spiracle; dorsal face of the propodeum weakly inclined and almost flat, gradually rounding beyond the spiracle towards the sloping posterior face; propodeal spiracle opened laterally and slightly downward, its large and somewhat elliptic orifice bordered by a thin cuticular ring; propodeal lobes lacking; dorsal margin of the propodeal foramen surrounded by a strong horizontal crest preceded by a narrow horizontal groove. Pro- and mesothoracic legs slightly shorter and more robust than the metathoracic legs; femora ventrally thickened, with the distal half of their ventral face weakly concave and sometimes bordered posteriorly by a discrete carina; pro- and metafemora conspicuously compressed basally, their axes bent forward and backward respectively; tibial spurs 1, 1, 1; meso- and metatibial spurs simple, very small and barely visible; strigile curved and enlarged basally; probasitarsus curved, slightly longer than two thirds of the protibia length; mesotibia and metabasitarsus about 3 times longer than the mesobasitarsus, and metatibia about 2 times longer than the metabasitarsus; protarsal claws acute, with a small tooth behind the apical point; meso- and metatarsal claws acute and simple; arolia small. Metasoma: petiole short, weakly pedunculate and broadly constricted between abdominal pre- and postsegment; the posterior foramen of the postsclerite higher than the anterior foramen of the presclerite in relation to the horizontal body axis; petiolar node broad, scale shaped and strongly rounded apically with a very short and almost flat posterior face; anterior face of node weakly concave basally and its posterior half vertical; anterodorsal margin rounded; dorsal face of node sub-rectangular to trapezoidal with well rounded angles in dorsal view; node about 1.5 times wider than long, its lateral faces convex and slightly converging forward in dorsal view; spiracles on lateral protuberances near anterolateral base of node, their orifices circular, opening laterally and slightly posteriorly; laterosclerite lacking, the tergite and sternite fused but the suture visible over its entire length, opened posteriorly where the tergal crests of the helcium fit; node narrowed ventrally as on fig. G of Plate 1; sternite with a short medial carina lengthened anteriorly by a medium sized smoothed tooth, translucent but lacking a fenestra; the sternal carina divided posteriorly into a "V" which encloses a weakly concave area; petiole well separated from gaster in side view, its articulation with abdominal segment III relatively wide (HeW Holotype 0.17) but perfectly mobile; gaster elongated, its maximal width at the level of abdominal segment IV; abdominal tergite III with a short anterior vertical face; spiracle small but well sclerotized, circular and open laterally; abdominal sternite III with two thin converging carinae rising from the tergal crests of the helcium and enclosing a weakly concave ventral area which receives the posteroventral face of petiole when the gaster folds down; carinae laterally visible and forming small protuberances at their base, but not representing a crest; constriction present between pre- and postsegments of abdominal segment IV; spiracle diameters decreasing from segments III to V, the last one very small yet distinct without artificial distension of the gaster; spiracles VI and VII not visible; pygidium conspicuously rounded in lateral view; sting short, slightly curved at the apex. Sculpture: cephalic sculpture typical of the genus. Capsule wholly sculptured with a combination of striae, rugosities and punctuations; frons and vertex medially impressed by a narrow longitudinal band of 4 to 6 long parallel striae, rising from the base of the frontal lobes and diverging just before the vertexal margin; the lateral margins of frons and vertex and the genae entirely covered by weakly sinuous aligned rugosities, the anterior two thirds of the head capsule seems uniformly striate; the rugosities appear coarser in the anterior one third because of their broader size and lack of punctuation and pilosity; frontal lobes rugo-striated; a small, smooth and shiny depression, not concealed by the scrobe, is obvious behind the external margin of toruli; ventral face of cephalic capsule with weak rugosities, diverging forward from both the sides of the genal carinae; almost all the dorsum of capsule is covered by scattered piliferous punctuations more or less aligned except on genae at the level of the antennal sockets, on the medial part of the frons and the vertex as well as on an area behind the hypostomal carina; punctuations denser dorsally than ventrally, conspicuously more impressed on the posterior two third of the capsule and especially dense at the transition between vertex and genae; clypeal dome smooth and shiny at its median third, dull and longitudinally striate laterally; mandibles smooth and shiny; pronotum and mesonotum with a dense piliferous punctuation except on a narrow median band and on anterolateral margins of the pronotum which are smooth and shiny; anterior margin of mesonotum lacking transverse striation; anepisternum smooth and katepisternum with sparse and weak longitudinal striae; metapleura conspicuously striated longitudinally; propodeum finely striated and punctuated laterally but medially smooth on its dorsal and posterior face, except several thin transverse apical striae on the dorsal rim of the propodeal foramen; petiole node dull with fine punctuations denser anteriorly and laterally; gaster and femora entirely covered by a sparse piliferous punctuation, weaker than on head and thorax; tibiae dull with denser punctuation. Pilosity: abundant on head and body, including at least five types of setae of variable size and location: (1) long simple setae scattered on head as follows: 1 erect pair on each side of the clypeal dome, their length equal to the distance separating their bases, 1 erect pair conspicuously curved forward at the base of the mentum, 5-6 suberect and curved ventral setae, aligned on the external margin of mandibles, their length increasing towards the mandible apex; (2) setae slightly shorter than the previous ones, sparsely distributed on the body as follows: several setae bent apically on each side of the clypeal dome, 1 upward inclined pair on the anterior margin of the pronotum, 2-3 pairs on the lateral margins of the mesonotum, 5-6 aligned pairs on the lateral margins of the propodeum, 1 almost vertical and curved pair on each protuberance below the orifices of the metapleural glands, 3-4 pairs on the laterodorsal margins of the petiole node and several other very sparse erect setae on the tergites or inclined on the sternites of the gaster (including a row of setae at the posterior margin of the sternites and numerous very dense setae on pygidium and hypopygium; (3) appressed pubescence formed by dense setae, slightly shorter than the previous ones, rising from piliferous punctuation and distributed on most of the body as follows: several curved and very dense setae on the posterodorsal half of the head dorsum, several more or less curved setae sparser on the antennae but denser on their apical segment(sensillae), some appressed setae very sparsely distributed on the dorsal face of the mandible (including one seta inserted at the base of each tooth), many very dense setae on procoxae, 4-5 setae emerging at posterior margin of the ventral tooth of petiole; (4) setae conspicuously shorter than the previous ones, forming small fringe above the clypeal lamella; (5) erect setae, very thick and denticuliform, slightly shorter than the previous ones and distributed as follows: 10 setae on the anterior face of mesotibiae, one basal seta on the posterior face of the probasitarsus, inserted basally in the concavity in front of the strigile comb, several setae inserted at the apex of the four tarsomeres, as follows: prothoracic legs: 4, 2, 2, 0, meso- and metathoracic legs: 5, 4, 2, 0; in addition, a row of intermediate sized setae, from type (3) to type (4), are present on each side of vertex. Color: body yellow-reddish, but cephalic capsule and antennae more reddish-brown; anterior and internal margins of toruli dark brown to reddish-brown visible through cuticle between frontal lobes; clypeal lamella margin with a fine reddish-brown border; mandibles yellowish to reddish, hardly clearer than cephalic capsule, its apical margin underlined by a wide dark brown-reddish border; teeth dark brownish to reddish, the apical tooth entirely black; outer margins of mandibles with a fine dark-brown border; ring of propodeal spiracle more reddish than remainder of propodeum; legs more yellowish than remainder of mesosoma; denticuliform setae of mesotibia conspicuously reddish. Queen (plate 2). Measurements (mm) and indices: means with standard deviations for the paratypes (n=10) given in (parenthesis); maximum range for the paratypes (n=10) given in {}: CivW (0.53±0,02) {0.51-0.56}; DPeW (0.31±0.02) {0.29-0.34}; HeW (0.22±0.02) {0.21-0.27}; HL (0.58±0.01) {0.57-0.60}; HW (0.55±0.01) {0.54-0.56}; ML (0.40±0.02) {0.38-0.42}; PW (0.54±0.02) {0.51-0.56}; PeL (0.32±0.02) {0.29-0.34}; SL (0.35±0.02) {0.33-0.38}; WL (0.94±0.02) {0.90-0.97}; CI (94.4±1.1) {93.4-96.7}; MI (68.3±3.51) {64.5-73.8}; SI1 (64.32±2.63) {59.3-67.8}; SI2 (60.69±2.53) {57.4- 63.5}; PrI (97.44±2.93) {93.22-101.72}. Head: similar to worker but with well developed compound eyes and ocelli; average CI 94.4 (n=10 paratypes); CI range 93.4-96.7; head proportionally less broad in comparison with thorax, average PrI 97.44 (n=10 paratypes); PrI range 93.22-101.72; head sides not converging anteriorly; maximal width of head capsule at three-fourths distance from anterior clypeal margin to vertexal margin; ocelli well developed; eyes subcircular and globular, inserted slightly before the middle of head side, consisting of about 18 well defined ommatidia in its length and 13 in its width; antennae 10-segmented; scape very robust, conspicuously enlarged at three-fourths of its length; mandibles with stronger and acute apical and subapical teeth; maxillary and labial palps 1-segmented (2 dissected specimens). Mesosoma: clearly broader than in worker, with typical pterosclerites of ectatommine queens, subrectangular in side view; dorsal faces of mesoscutum and scutellum weakly convex, separated by a quite visible suture; dorsal sclerite margin underlined by more or less developed bordering carinae; sides of mesothorax weakly convex and slightly converging posteriorly; posterior edge of mesoscutum with a clear median notch, prolonged anteriorly by a short superficial furrow, probably homologous, but in a very attenuated form, with the medial furrow that posteriorly prolongs the medially converging notauli in the male; parapsides parallel and weakly impressed, merely reaching the midlength of the sclerite; tegulae well developed; scutellum in the same plane as mesoscutum; mesoscutoscutellar suture rather broad; axillae well developed and laterally compressed, forming a large and deep depression near the bases of wing articulations; metanotum slightly compressed medially; suture between anepisternum and katepisternum well impressed and straight, reaching about the posterior three-fourths of the mesopleura length; mesospiracle barely visible with a very small elliptical orifice; propodeum short and rounded with a high subvertical posterior face; propodeal spiracle large, subcircular and opened posterolaterally; a weak depression is visible beyond. Wings normally developed; length of mesothoracic wing about 2.88 mm (n=1 paratype), its venation typical of the genus: cells R, 1R1, 1M and 1Cu closed; base of Rs and cu-a interrupted by a bulla; 2R1 opened, Rs not reaching the costal margin; 1Rs lacking; claval lobe depigmented and transparent; length of metathoracic wing about 2.15 mm (n=1 paratype); its venation very reduced: cell R long and closed, 1Cu opened (vein cu-a lacking), C lacking; 3 hamuli present at the level of a little sclerotized spot, not far beyond the middle of anterior wing margin; no juga, Published as part of Lacau, S., Villemant, C. & Delabie, J. H. C., 2004, Typhlomyrmex meire, a remarkable new species endemic to Southern Bahia, Brazil (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)., pp. 1-23 in Zootaxa 678 on pages 5-16

[[Genus Typhlomyrmex Mayr]] Typhlomyrmex Mayr, 1862 (Formicidae: Ectatomminae: Typhlomyrmecini) is a small genus of Neotropical ants, which included six valid species and one nomen nudum prior to this report (Brown, 1965; Kempf, 1972; Brandao 1991; Bolton, 1995 and 2003). It is today the single genus of the tribe Typhlomyrmecini Emery, 1911, since Prionopelta Mayr, 1866 and Rhopalopone Emery, 1897 (junior synonym of Gnamptogenys) have been combined in the Amblyoponini (Brown, 1960) and Ectatommini (Brown, 1958), respectively. In his Typhlomyrmex revision, Brown (1965) described a new species, T. prolatus, and suggested that the taxon pusillus certainly included several species. The genus is morphologically homogenous, but there is interspecific variation in petiole shape, head shape, and body size (Brown, 1965; Lacau et al., unpublished data). The terricolous species are the smallest. Bolton (2003: 46) proposed the following potential autapomorphies for the genus: "workers eyes vestigial to absent," and "male hypopygium with an elongate upcurved and median digitiform process." The first character has been reported as homoplasic for the entire family by Baroni Urbani et al. (1992): the eye reduction occurs in many other ant genera with hypogaeic habits, in several subfamilies (Hoelldobler & Wilson, 1990). All Typhlomyrmex species share a cryptic ecology and reduced eyes, but it is unknown if this character represents an autapomorphy for the genus in the clade Ectatomminae and/or a convergent adaptation between different Typhlomyrmex species. The digitiform process on the male hypopygium, proposed as autapomorphic by Bolton, is uniformly present in Typhlomyrmex but also occurs in some Gnamptogenys. The digitiform process is possibly homologous in the two taxa (Lacau, unpub.) and should be considered homoplasic. Thus, no clear autapomorphy distinguishes Typhlomyrmex from other ectatommine genera and its position in this subfamily remains unclear. According to Brown (1965), a range of characters position the Typhlomyrmecini nearer to the Amblyoponinae (formerly Amblyoponini), while another brings them nearer the Ectatommini. The cladistic analyses of Lattke (1994) and Keller (2000) showed a close phylogenetic relationship between Typhlomyrmecini and Ectatommini, but these results cannot be corroborated as long as the monophyly of the Ponerinae sensu Bolton (1990) remains uncertain inside the poneroid group (Ward, 1994; Grimaldi et al, 1997; Keller, 2000; Ward & Brady, 2003; Lattke, 2003). Recently, Bolton (2003) reclassified the whole family Formicidae, combining Ectatommini and Typhlomyrmecini in the new subfamily Ectatomminae, which has been recently confirmed by Saux et al. (2004, in press) based on nuclear 28S rDNA sequences. Compared to other poneromorph genera (sensu Bolton, 2003), Typhlomyrmex biology remains largely unknown but the rare available data reveal a strong ecological diversity between species. Although the distributions of individual species are highly variable, the genus has one of the largest distributions among the New World endemic poneromorph genera (Kempf, 1972). For example, the type species, T. rogenhoferi Mayr, 1862, which was described from Amazonas State (Brazil), is spread from northern Argentina to southern Mexico (Kempf, 1972; Longino, 1999; Lattke, 2003; Lacau et al, in progress). In contrast, others species have a much more reduced distribution and several are known only from a single locality. The new species described here is only found in a narrow part of the cocoa producing region of southern Bahia (Brazil). Typhlomyrmex prolatus Brown, 1965 and Typhlomyrmex foreli Santschi, 1924 are two other endemic species respectively described from San Jose (Costa Rica) and Rio Negro (Brazil, Parana State) regions (Brown, 1965). These restricted geographic ranges must be considered with circumspection owing to the scarcity and the disparity of the data concerning the diversity and the distribution of the Neotropical Formicidae according to the regions (Kempf, 1972). In fact, ants remain undersampled in large areas of South and Central America. Many species currently regarded as rare or endemic could be relatively common in poorly known regions. This is particularly true for Typhlomyrmex species because they are all cryptobiotic, nesting and foraging within soil or rotting wood. The autoecology of Typhlomyrmex species appears as variable as their distribution. Typhlomyrmex rogenhoferi is an epigaeic species that colonizes large dead trunks lying on the rain forest floor (Lacau et al., 2001), while the others species are subterranean and terricolous. In particular, the small colonies of T. pusillus nest in minute soil chambers (Brown, 1965; Lacau, pers. obs.); its biological cycle remains almost completely subterranean and only the winged gynes and males periodically emerge for mating. The genus Typhlomyrmex is generally considered to be rare (Brown, 1965) because these ants are very difficult to find in the field. The terricolous species are rarely collected with extraction traps such as Winkler or Berlese-Tullgren eclectors because workers only occasionally forage in the litter (Ward, 2000; Lacau, pers. obs.). Also they are not found in woody macro-elements of litter, such as little branches or dried fruits, nor in logs (see Carvalho& Vasconcelos, 2002; Delabie et al. 1997; Lacau, pers. obs.). The best technique to find living colonies is to look for individuals by careful hand fragmentation of soil elements. Such laborious field collecting explains the scarcity of Typhlomyrmex specimens in museum collections, especially when compared with those of other poneromorph genera such as Pachycondyla and Hypoponera (Lacau et al., unpublished data). Furthermore, the morphology of the different castes is rarely known. For example, T. prolatus and T. foreli are only known from their winged queen holotype. In the other taxa, the castes were frequently described separately, from material collected in different localities so that complete series including workers, queens and males coming from the same colony or even from a single location are extremely rare in collections (Lacau et al., unpublished data)., Published as part of Lacau, S., Villemant, C. & Delabie, J. H. C., 2004, Typhlomyrmex meire, a remarkable new species endemic to Southern Bahia, Brazil (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)., pp. 1-23 in Zootaxa 678 on pages 1-3

The genus Mama Belokobylskij, 2000 (Braconidae; Euphorinae) is re-assessed and the type species is compared with three similar species: Microctonus cephalicus Provancher, 1886, Microctonus reclinator Ruthe, 1856, and Euphorus spiniscapus Muesebeck, 1936. The results are discussed in relation to the use of taxa based on one specimen (“monotype taxa”). Problems concerning our knowledge of important groups of Euphorinae are outlined. The context of the peculiarly tangled taxonomical situation, which this paper deals with, is considered to be widespread in parasitoid taxonomy, and should be borne in m

The steroid 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is the primary regulatory hormone that mediates developmental transitions in insects and other arthropods. 20E is produced from ecdysone (E) by the action of a P450 monooxygenase that hydroxylates E at carbon 20. The gene coding for this key enzyme of ecdysteroidogenesis has not been identified definitively in any insect. We show here that the Drosophila E-20-monooxygenase (E20MO) is the product of the shade (shd) locus (cytochrome p450, CYP314a1). When shd is transfected into Drosophila S2 cells, extensive conversion of E to 20E is observed, whereas in sorted homozygous shd embryos, no E20MO activity is apparent either in vivo or in vitro. Mutations in shd lead to severe disruptions in late embryonic morphogenesis and exhibit phenotypes identical to those seen in disembodied (dib) and shadow (sad) mutants, two other genes of the Halloween class that code for P450 enzymes that catalyze the final two steps in the synthesis of E from 2,22-dideoxyecdysone. Unlike dib and sad, shd is not expressed in the ring gland but is expressed in peripheral tissues such as the epidermis, midgut, Malpighian tubules, and fat body, i.e., tissues known to be major sites of E20MO activity in a variety of insects. However, the tissue in which shd is expressed does not appear to be important for developmental function because misexpression of shd in the embryonic mesoderm instead of the epidermis, the normal embryonic tissue in which shd is expressed, rescues embryonic lethality.

Five different enzymatic activities, catalyzed by both microsomal and mitochondrial cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), are strongly implicated in the biosynthesis of ecdysone (E) from cholesterol. However, none of these enzymes have been characterized completely. The present data show that the wild-type genes of two members of the Halloween family of embryonic lethals, disembodied (dib) and shadow (sad), code for mitochondrial cytochromes P450 that mediate the last two hydroxylation reactions in the ecdysteroidogenic pathway in Drosophila, namely the C22- and C2-hydroxylases. When sad (CYP315A1) is transfected into Drosophila S2 cells, the cells metabolize 2-deoxyecdysone (2dE) to E and the [3H]ketotriol (2,22-dideoxyecdysone) to 22-deoxyecdysone. In contrast, dib (CYP302A1) is responsible for the conversion of the [3H]ketotriol to [3H]2dE. When cells are transfected with both dib and sad, they metabolize the [3H]ketotriol to [3H]E in high yield. The expression of sad and dib is concentrated within the individual segments of the developing epidermis when there is a surge of ecdysteroid midway through embryogenesis. This result occurs before the ring gland has developed and suggests that the embryonic epidermis is a site of ecdysteroid biosynthesis. This pattern then diminishes, and, during late embryogenesis, expression of both genes is concentrated in the prothoracic gland cells of the developing ring gland. Expression of dib and sad continues to be localized in this endocrine compartment during larval development, being maximal in both the late second and third instar larvae, about the time of the premolt peaks in the ecdysteroid titer.