Selected representatives of Cucujoidea, Cleroidea, Tenebrionoidea, Chrysomelidae, and Lymexylidae were examined. External and internal head structures of larvae of Sphindus americanus and Ericmodes spp. are described in detail. The data were analyzed cladistically. A sister group relationship between Sphindidae and Protocucujidae is suggested by the vertical position of the labrum. The monophyly of Cucujiformia is supported by the reduced dorsal and anterior tentorial arms, fusion of galea and lacinia, and the presence of tube-like salivary glands. Absence of M. tentoriopraementalis inferior and presence of a short prepharyngeal tube are potential synapomorphies of Cleroidea, Cucujoidea and Tenebrionoidea. The monophyly of Cleroidea and Cucujoidea is suggested by the unusual attachment of the M. tentoriostipitalis to the ventral side of the posterior hypopharynx. Cucujoidea are paraphyletic. The families Endomychidae, Coccinellidae and Nitidulidae are more closely related to the monophyletic Cleroidea, than to other cucujoid groups. Separation of the posterior tentorial arms from the tentorial bridge and presence of a maxillolabial complex are synapomorphic features of Cleroidea and these cucujoid families. For a reliable reconstruction of cucujoid interrelationships, further characters and taxa need to be studied.
External and internal head structures and external structures of the thorax and abdomen of larval representatives of Melandryidae (Orchesia), Ulodidae (Meryx), Oedemeridae (Pseudolycus) and Pythidae (Pytho) are described. The obtained data were compared to characters of other tenebrionoid larvae and to larval characters of other representatives of Cucujiformia. Characters potentially relevant for phylogenetic reconstruction are listed and were analysed cladistically. The data set is characterised by a high degree of homoplasy and the resolution of the strict consensus trees of 2650 or 815 (second analysis) minimal length trees is low. The monophyly of Tenebrionoidea is supported by several larval autapomorphies, e.g. posteriorly diverging gula, anteriorly shifted posterior tentorial arms, asymmetric mandibles and the origin of several bundles of M. tentoriopharyngalis from the well-developed gular ridges. Several features of the larval head are plesiomorphic compared to the cleroid-cucujoid lineage. The interrelationships of most tenebrionoid families not belonging to the pythid-salpingid and anthicid-scraptiid groups were not resolved. Synchroidae were placed as sister group of a clade comprising these two lineages and Prostomidae. A sistergroup relationship between Trictenotomidae and Pythidae seems to be well supported and the monophyly of the anthicid-scraptiid lineage was also confirmed. Another potential clade comprises Prostomidae, Mycteridae and Boridae, and possibly Pyrochroidae (s.str.) and Inopeplinae. The monophyly of Salpingidae (incl. Othniinae and Inopelinae) and Pyrochroidae (incl. Pedilinae) was not supported. Many features such as the shape of the head and body, sutures and ridges of the head capsule, the endocarina, the mandibles, the maxillary apex, and also characters of the terminal abdominal apex are highly variable, even within families. Especially the families Tetratomidae, Melandryidae, Colydiidae and Zopheridae show a high degree of variation in the larval stages. Several taxa appear isolated in terms of larval morphology within the families they are assigned to, e.g. Orchesia within Melandryidae, Sphindocis (Sphindocinae) within Ciidae, Calopus (Calopinae) within Oedemeridae and Penthe (Penthinae) within Tetratomidae. A broader spectrum of characters and a stepwise approach will be needed for a reliable clarification of the relationships within a very complex group like Tenebrionoidea.
External and internal head structures of the larva of Neohermes are described in detail. The results are compared to conditions found in other representatives of Corydalidae, in Sialidae, and in Raphidioptera and Neuroptera. Corydalidae and Sialidae are mainly characterised by plesiomorphic features such as distinct frontal and coronal sutures, six stemmata, a movable labrum with a full set of muscles, a thin tentoriomandibular muscle, a distinct maxillary groove, 4-segmented maxillary palps, an oblique arrangement of the extrinsic maxillary muscles, a labium with all components except for the glossae and paraglossae, 3-segmented labial palps, and a largely complete muscle system. The partly reduced maxillary groove, the strongly elongated stipes, the apical membranous stipital collar, the close connection of the palp and galea, the subdivision of the galea, the strongly shortened palp, the bipartite tentoriocardinal and tentoriostipital muscles, the anterolateral submental notch, the lateral tentoriopharyngeal muscle, and the postgular plate are autapomorphies of Corydalidae. An additional antennomere is present in large corydalid species. The monophyly of the subfamilies Corydalinae and Chauliodinae is not supported by features of the larval head. The reduced condition of the anterior and dorsal tentorial arms and the antennal muscles, the transverse labial muscle, the loss of muscles of the salivary duct, and possibly the lateral origin of M. frontopharyngalis posterior are autapomorphies of Sialidae. The monophyly of Megaloptera is suggested by the insertion of a peg-like or spine-shaped sensillum on the antepenultimate antennomere, the vestigial salivary duct, and a verticopharyngeal muscle composed of several bundles. The distinct neck region, the parietal ridge, and the anterior position of the posterior tentorial grooves are features shared by Corydalidae and Raphidioptera. Arguments in favour of a clade comprising Megaloptera and Raphidioptera are the presence of a circular ridge anterad of the neck region, an increased number of Semper cells and retinula cells in the stemmata, the presence of a gula in adults, a similar cleaning behaviour, and molecular data. Potential autapomorphies of Neuropterida are the prognathism of the larvae and the absence of a mandibular mola. However, the polarity of these characters is unclear. A derived condition found in most groups of Endopterygota, but not in Hymenoptera, is the presence of one or two sensorial appendages on one of the intermediate antennomeres, usually the penultimate. Larval autapomorphies of Endopterygota suggested in earlier studies are confirmed for Corydalidae.
Two new microleafhopper genera of Empoascini within the subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Condensella Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species C. filamenta Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., and Endogena Xu, Dietrich & Qin gen. n., based on the type species E. flava Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. n., are described from southern China and Thailand. Male habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia of the two new species are provided. Comparative notes on related genera are provided. Phylogenetic relationships and the status of genus groups within the tribe are also discussed., Ye Xu, Christopher H. Dietrich, Wenhui Zhao, Daozheng Qin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Pseudorhabdosynochus seabassi sp. n. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from the gill filaments of Lates calcarifer Bloch, a marine teleost fish held in floating sea cages in Guangdong Province, China, is described based on morphological observations and molecular data. The shapes of the male copulatory organs (MCO) of Pseudorhabdosynochus spp. were the focus of this study. The typical proximal part of the MCO in most species of Pseudorhabdosynochus is reniform, heavily sclerotized, and divided into four chambers. However, the new species from L. calcarifer has a bulbous proximal region with four concentric layers of apparent muscular origin, instead of a reniform structure with four compartments. This organ is also different in Diplectanum grouperi Bu, Leong, Wong, Woo et Foo, 1999, being sclerotized, cup-shaped, wide proximally with four concentric muscular layers and tubular distally. The 3' terminal portion of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (ssrDNA) and the 5' terminal region (domains C1-D2) of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (lsrDNA) were used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of P. seabassi and D. grouperi with related taxa utilizing maximum-parsimony and neighbour-joining methods. Phylogenetic analyses unequivocally placed D. grouperi amongst Pseudorhabdosynochus using either ssrDNA or lsrDNA data. All species of Pseudorhabdosynochus (including D. grouperi) used in this study clustered together, inferring monophyly. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, we propose that D. grouperi from Epinephelus coioides Hamilton be transferred to Pseudorhabdosynochus as P. grouperi comb. n.
A morphological type of Sarcocystis cysts found in one of two examined great black-backed gull, Larus marinus (Linnaeus) (Laridae), is considered to represent a new species for which the name Sarcocystis lari sp. n. is proposed and its description is provided. The cysts are ribbon-shaped, very long (the largest fragment found was 6 mm long) and relatively narrow (up to 75 μm). Under a light microscope the cyst wall reaches up to 1 μm and seems to be smooth. Using a computerized image analysis system, knolls, which resemble protrusions on the wall surface, are visible. Lancet-shaped cystozoites measure in average 6.9 × 1.4 μm (range 6.3-7.9 μm × 1.2-1.5 μm) in length. Observed using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the cyst wall is wavy and measures up to 1.2 μm in thickness. The parasitophorous vacuolar membrane has regularly arranged small invaginations. Cyst content is divided into large chambers by septa. Sarcocystis lari sp. n. has type-1 tissue cyst wall and is morphologically indistinguishable from other bird Sarcocystis species characterized by the same type of the wall. On the basis of 18S rRNA gene, 28S rRNA gene and ITS-1 region sequences, S. lari is a genetically distinct species, being most closely related to avian Sarcocystis species whose definitive hosts are predatory birds.
This paper describes the first-instar larva of Geocharidius Jeannel, a species from Mexico, which is the second record of an Anillina (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechitae) larva; previously described was a species of the European genus Typhlocharis. Larvae of these two genera share ten synapomorphic characters, which support the monophyletic origin of Anillina. Sister-group relationships of Anillina with Tachyina + Xystosomina are proposed on the basis of three shared larval synapomorphies: seta LA5 of ligula absent; coronal suture in first-instar larvae very short or absent; second- third-instar larvae have none or one secondary seta on lateral sides of stipes and labium and none on mandibles.
Larvae of Rhipsideigma raffrayi are described in detail and those of Distocupes varians are re-examined. Their morphological structures are evaluated with respect to their functional and phylogenetic significance. Larvae of Rhipsideigma are wood-borers with a straight body and a wedge-shaped head capsule. Most of their apomorphic features are correlated with their xylobiontic habits. The strong mandibles, the sclerotized ligula and the wedge-shaped head enable the larvae to penetrate rotting wood. The broadened prothorax, prosternal asperities, tergal ampullae, the short legs, and eversible lobes of segment IX play an important role in locomotion in galleries within rotting wood. Leg muscles are weakly developed, whereas the dorsal, pleural and ventral musculature is complex. The larval features allow Rhipsideigma to be placed in the clades Archostemata, Cupedidae + Micromalthidae, Cupedidae, Cupedidae excl. Priacma, and Cupedidae excl. Priacma and Distocupes. The monophyly of Cupedidae and Cupedidae, excluding Priacma, so far is only supported by apomorphies of the adults. However, the presence of glabrous patches on the prosternum and of a medially divided field of asperities may be larval apomorphies of the family. A clade, which comprises Rhipsideigma, Tenomerga and probably other genera of Cupedidae with hitherto unknown larvae, is well supported by larval apomorphies such as the broadened prothorax, the presence of coxal asperities and the presence of a distinct lateral longitudinal bulge. Increased numbers of antennomeres and labial palpomeres are apomorphies only found in larvae of Distocupes.
The three larval instars of Gymnochthebius jensenhaarupi (Knisch, 1924) are described and illustrated, including a detailed analysis of their chaetotaxy and porotaxy. The specimens used in this study were collected with adults of G. jensenhaarupi and have been identified as such by association. Comparative notes on the morphology of these larvae with other species of the subfamily Ochthebiinae are given. A hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships between G. jensenhaarupi and other members of Ochthebiinae with thoroughly described larvae is presented. The monophyly of Ochthebiinae is supported by additional larval features. On the other hand Ochthebius, as currently composed, seems to by paraphyletic. Gymnochthebius Orchymont, 1943 is confirmed as the sister group of Aulacochthebius Kuwert, 1887.
The African continent has a rich diversity of fish and amphibians in its inland water systems that serve as hosts for monogeneans of seven genera of the Gyrodactylidae van Beneden et Hesse, 1832. In August 2011, eight gyrodactylid parasites were collected from the gills of two specimens of bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters), from Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Morphometric evaluation and sequencing of 18S rDNA confirmed that the specimens represented a species of a new viviparous genus, Tresuncinidactylus wilmienae gen. et sp. n. The attachment apparatus consists of a single pair of large slender hamuli with prominently flattened roots that are connected by a simple, narrow dorsal bar. The ventral bar is small and possesses a thin lingulate membrane but no evident anterolateral processes. There are 16 marginal hooks of one morphological type, but of three different sizes, with large falculate sickles that are proportionaly equal in length to the length of their handles. The two largest pairs of marginal hooks are positioned closest to the opisthaptoral peduncle, the neighbouring two pairs of medium-sized marginal hook sickles are situated along the lateral margins of the opisthaptor. Four pairs of smallest marginal hooks are positioned along the posterior margin of the opisthaptor. The male copulatory organ consists of a muscular pouch armed with approximately 30 gracile spines. Phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of the 18S rDNA using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference placed the new genus within the lineage of solely African genera and suggests Afrogyrodactylus Paperna, 1968, Citharodactylus Přikrylová, Shinn et Paladini, 2017 and Mormyrogyrodactylus Luus-Powell, Mashego et Khalil, 2003 as genera most closely related to the new genus., Iva Přikrylová, Maxwell Barson, Andrew P. Shinn., and Obsahuje bibliografii