Specimens of the type species of the ascaridoid genus Iheringascaris Pereira, 1935, I. inquies (Linton, 1901) (Anisakidae), were collected from the digestive tract and mesentery of its type host Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus) (Rachycentridae, Perciformes) from off the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, USA, during May of 2011. Scanning electron microscopical examination, used for the first time for specimens originating from the West Atlantic, made it possible to study in detail some taxonomically important morphological features, such as the number and distribution of male caudal papillae, cephalic and cuticular structures, deirids and cloacal (anal) lips. The allocation of other, poorly described, species from different hosts in Indian waters to this genus needs to be confirmed.
Protomyrmeleon daohugouensis sp. n. and Protomyrmeleon lini sp. n., two new species of Protomyrmeleontidae from the Middle Jurassic of Jiulongshan Formation are the first Chinese representatives of this Mesozoic odonatopteran family. The type specimen of P. lini is exceptionally well preserved, showing several particular wing and body structures that were unknown, viz. unique shape of tarsal claws, extreme thoracic skewness, presence of three pairs of long spurs on all femora and tibiae. The type "A" (sensu Nel et al., 2005) of wing venation (i.e. with a very long bridge between IR2 and RP3/4) corresponds to that of the protomyrmeleontid fore wing. The nearly complete absence of the meso-metathoracic interpleural suture, newly discovered in the Protomyrmeleontidae, can be considered as a synapomorphy of the clade Protozygoptera + Odonata.
We encountered two cases of infection with large female nematodes of the genus Philometra Costa, 1845 in the body cavity of a map puffer Arothron mappa (Lesson) caught off Okinawa, Japan, and a blackspotted puffer Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch et Schneider) caught off Queensland, Australia, both reared in aquariums in Japan. No morphological difference was observed between the nematodes from A. mappa and A. nigropunctatus. We identified the nematodes as Philometra pellucida (Jägerskiöld, 1893) based on their morphology. The sequences of the nematodes from both hosts were identical to each other (1,643 bp) and formed a clade with other 17 nematodes belonging to the genera Philometra and Philometroides Yamaguti, 1935 with high bootstrap value (bp = 100). It is the first time that the genetic data on P. pellucida are provided. Philometra robusta Moravec, Möller et Heeger, 1992 is synonymised with the former species.
Specimens representing two new species of Guidus Ivanov, 2006 were collected from the Magellan skate (Bathyraja magellanica [Philippi]) in the Patagonian Continental Shelf of Argentina, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Guidus francoi sp. n. and Guidus magellanicus sp. n. differ from their congeners by a particular combination of features, including type of bothridia, worm length, number of testes, and distribution of vitelline follicles. Guidus francoi sp. n. is distinguished from G. magellanicus sp. n. by having fewer proglottids, fewer testes and a higher ratio between the cirrus sac length and the proglottid width. The microthrix pattern of species of Guidus from the Southwestern Atlantic is described, based on specimens of G. francoi sp. n., Guidus magellanicus sp. n., and newly collected specimens of Guidus argentinense Ivanov, 2006. These three species share the presence of wide aristate gladiate spinitriches on the proximal bothridial surface, narrow gladiate spinitriches on the bothridial rim, and filitriches on the distal bothridial surface. The diagnosis of Guidus is revised to include several features exhibited by the new species (i.e., presence of bothridial indentations and bothridial stalks, distribution of vitelline follicles, and eggs grouped in cocoons). The discovery of G. francoi sp. n. and G. magellanicus sp. n. from B. magellanica increases the number of species of Guidus collected from batoids in the Southwestern Atlantic from one to three. The specificity exhibited by the species herein described reinforces the tight association between rays in the genera Guidus and Bathyraja.
A new species of Nybelinia Poche, 1926, N. queenslandensis sp. n. (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) is described from sharks, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824) from the coast of northeastern Queensland, Australia. Morphological features of the 46 known species of Nybelinia Poche, 1926 are tabulated and the new species is differentiated from all known taxa that are adequately described on the basis of having a homcomorphous armature, metabasal hooks 20-25 pm long, tentacles 0.07-0.09 mm in diameter, short bulbs (0.38-0.45 mm) and craspedote segments with the testes encircling the female genital complex. The fine structure of the scolex microtriches, frontal and rhynchodeal glands, tentacles and hooks, sheath and retractor muscle is described and compared with that of other trypanorhynchs.
Cephalic chaetotaxy of nymphal and adult stages of species from all the subfamilies of Cydnidae s. str. (sensu Froeschner, 1960 and Lis, 1994), namely Garsauriinae, Cephalocteinae, Cydninae, Sehirinae, and Amnestinae, was studied. Two types of setae, primary and secondary, are described, and changes they undergo during ontogeny reviewed. The adaptive, taxonomic and phylogenetic significance of the cephalic setae in the Cydnidae s. str. is discussed. A ground-plan of the original cephalic chaetotaxy of the family, and its evolution within the family Cydnidae s. str. are proposed.
Unfed nymphs of Ixodes ricinus (L.) can be divided into two morphological groups according to the length of idioso-ma, scutum, hypostome and palpal segment III, and the number of dorsal alloscutal setae. Specimens of greater body dimensions and more numerous dorsal alloscutal setae moulted predominantly into females. The frequency of different nymphal length categories in field-collected ticks followed a normal distribution. The length of unfed nymphs correlates well with the length (r = 0.7248 ± 0.0711, P < 0.001) and weight (r = 0.6519 ± 0.0782, P < 0.001) of engorged nymphs, however, it varies in ticks of different origin. In field-collected ticks, freshly engorged female nymphs were 2.30-2.94 mm long, male nymphs 2.14-2.46 mm long. Feeding period (P < 0.05) and premoulting period (P < 0,001 ) were significantly longer in female nymphs both in field-collected and laboratory-derived I. ricinus. The engorgement weight was found to be the best criterion for differentiation of male and female nymphs of ixodid ticks. In field-collected nymphs engorged on BALB/c mice, 98.6 % of females moulted from nymphs weighting more than 3.60 mg, while in laboratory-derived ticks, 98.4 % of females emerged from nymphs of 3.42 mg body mass or more.
Larvae of three genera representing the staphylinid subfamily Pseudopsinae are described for the first time and illustrated with 33 morphological drawings: Pseudopsis Newman, Zalobius LeConte and Nanobius Herman. Thirty-six characters (mainly of larval morphology) were scored for representatives of six staphylinid subfamilies and a phylogenetic analysis was carried out. The monophyly of the subfamily Pseudopsinae is supported by the presence of a short oblique ridge on ventral side of larval head capsule laterad of maxillary foramina. The monophyly of each of the subfamilies Paederinae and Staphylininae is discussed based on the characters of the immature stages. The subfamily Pseudopsinae is confirmed to be a sister-group of the subfamilies Paederinae + Staphylininae on the basis of six larval synapomorphies. The latter clade is confirmed to be monophyletic on the basis of five larval synapomorphies. A larval identification key to the studied Pseudopsinae genera is provided.
The study of the bulla from 18 lemaeopodid copepod species collected on 15 marine fish species and one freshwater fish species taken mainly from the Gulf of Lions in the Mediterranean Sea reveals a great morphological and structural variability. It is however possible to bring forth three general remarks: - the bulla of Lernaeopodidae parasites of Selachii have a remarkably constant structure probably due to the tegument nature of the attachment substratum; - the bulla of Lernaeopodidae parasites of Teleostei has a morphology influenced by the nature of the attachment tissue; - when species of a same genus (i.e. Clavellotis) are attached on a same organ, the shape of the bulla can constitute a taxonomic characteristic.
Ophidascaris wangi sp. n. collected from the king rat snake Elaphe carinata (Günther) (Serpentes: Colubridae) in China is described using both light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species differs from its congeners in the presence of narrow lateral alae originating a short distance posterior to the base of the ventrolateral lips, its relatively long oesophagus (3.57-4.54 mm long, representing 6.6-7.6% of body length), its short spicules (1.89-2.14 mm long, representing 3.9-4.3% of body length), the number and arrangement of caudal papillae (49-57 pairs in total, arranged as follows: 43-51 pairs precloacal, 2 pairs joined paracloacal and 4 pairs postcloacal), the presence of a particular papilliform medioventral, postcloacal ornamentation and the morphology of the eggs and tip of the female tail. In addition, Ophidascaris najae (Gedoelst, 1916), collected from the king cobra Ophiophagus hannah Cantor (Serpentes: Elapidae) in China, is also redescribed. The morphology of the cervical papillae, labial denticles and phasmids of the female is described for the first time.