Despite the small sample size the diversity of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905 from anurans in the Afrotropical region was found to be high. Four species were collected from four localities, one in South Africa, two on Cameroonese mountains and one in Madagascar: Rhabdias picardiae sp. n. from the bufonid Amietophrynus gutturalis (Power); Rhabdias ohlerae sp. n. and Rhabdias tanyai sp. n. from the arthroleptids Leptopelis brevirostris (Werner) and Astylosternus rheophilus Amiet, respectively; and Rhabdias vencesi sp. n. from the mantellid Boophis madagascariensis (Peters). Distinctive characters between these species are numerous and obvious, based on body size, shape and size of the buccal capsule, arrangement of head papillae, and shape and size of the oesophagus and intestinal apex. Molecular data based on 500 bp of 12S rDNA and 600 bp of coxI of three of the four species are presented. Rhabdias vencesi resembles Rhabdias madagascariensis Chabaud, Brygoo et Petter, 1961 from an African ptychadenid introduced on Madagascar, but differs in body size and head morphology. The remaining new species are clearly distinct from those previously known from Afrotropical anurans. Outside the Afrotropics, some Rhabdias species present characters similar to those observed in the new species, but they all differ in various other characters. No clear correlation was seen between Rhabdias species and families of anuran hosts in this region. However, the narrow buccal capsule seen in Rhabdias species from Afrotropical lissamphibians opposes them to the majority of Rhabdias parasitic in chamaeleonids. Furthermore, the infective larva of R. vencesi has a conical pointed tail, while those of Rhabdias from chameleons have a rounded tail tip ornated with a few buds.
Rubus perpedatus Žíla et H. E. Weber (sect. Rubus ser. Radula Focke) is described as a new species. It differs from R. radula Weihe in having distinctly pedate leaves, terminal leaflets with an emarginate base, longer pedicels with longer stalked glands and with many more prickles. It is distributed in the Bavarian Forest, the Bohemian Forest and in Upper Austria. An illustration, a list of herbarium specimens and a map showing the distribution of this new species are provided.
We describe a new species of Scincella similar to Sphenomorphus tridigitus based on a single specimen from Lang Son Province, northeastern Vietnam. The new species differs from the latter by presence of lower eyelids with undivided opaque window, forelimbs with fi ve digits, and by absence of prefrontals. Scincella apraefrontalis sp. n. is distinguished from all other species of Scincella and all other Asian limbreduced lygosomines by a combination of the following characters: no supranasals; no prefrontals; nasal and fi rst supralabial fused; six supralabials; lower eyelid with undivided opaque disc; no external ear openings; 18 midbody scale rows; and pentadactyl limbs.
Examples of Taraxacum species (sect. Ruderalia) that have a well-known main distribution area and, a few rather isolated, obviously introduced occurrences, are given. The lack of a long tradition of specific knowledge and collection of Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia specimens have impeded our understanding of the origin of the present distributions. Some views are presented. Taraxacum ancistratum, T. crassum, T. deltoidifrons, T. infuscatum, T. jugiferum, and T. lundense, all belonging to Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia, are described as new species. Three or four of these species were first found as introductions far away from their supposed main distribution area.
Three new myxosporean species are described from Tetraodon fluviatilis (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae) imported from Southeast Asia to the Czech Republic. Zschokkella tetrafluvi sp. n. lives in the gall bladder. Di- or monosporic plasmodia produce ellipsoidal spores averaging 11.3 x 7.2 pm. Zschokkella pleomorpha sp. n. infects renal tubules and renal corpuscles; mono- to polysporic plasmodia produce spores averaging 15.7 x 7.1 pm. In the process of maturation, immature subspherical spores assume elongated shape. In both species, extremely curved suture line does not bisect poles of the spore. Ortholinea tetrafluvi sp. n. occurs as a rule in mixed infections with Z. pleomorpha sp. n. in the renal tubules. Mono- to polysporic plasmodia produce spores with a wide anterior and a narrow posterior end, averaging 8.3 x 7.8 pm. Both Z. pleomorpha sp. n. and O. tetrafluvi sp. n. have also limited number of stages located within the renal tubule epithelium, where they can complete sporogony. In one of the fish specimens, a myxosporean tentatively identified with Sinuolinea tetraodoni El-Matbou)i et Hoffmann, 1994 was found. A new genus is proposed for Ortholinea alata Kent et Moser, 1990 - Kentmoseria gen. n., and its diagnosis is presented.
A comparative study of material of Sempervivum marmoreum Griseb. from the type locality (Mt Athos, Greece) and the northern part of its distribution revealed a distinct morphotype occurring in an isolated enclave along the Slovak–Hungarian border. As its karyotype differs it is formally described here as a new species – Sempervivum matricum Letz. The name Sempervivum assimile Schott, formerly considered as a possible name for this species is here critically examined. A morphological characterization of the new species, photographs of the plant and a distribution map based on revised herbarium specimens are provided.
Adjacivena rasnitsyni gen. n., sp. n., from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation (Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia,
China), is described based on a set of well-preserved specimens, interpreted as two females and a male of the same species. The new
taxon is assigned to the family Susumaniidae, i.e. is a candidate stem-Phasmatodea. This ordinal assignment is supported by genital
elements, chiefly a putative operculum concealing the ovipositor observed in one female specimen and a putative extension of the
10th tergum with a thorn pad in the male specimen. Variation in the venation of the forewing is appreciated based on more or less
complete pairs of wings and a comparison with that in the forewings of male Heteropteryx dilatata (Parkinson, 1798). This material
offers new perspectives on the primary homologies of the hind wing venation of stick-insects.