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.
A Potamogeton hybrid found growing in the absence of parental species in a South Bohemian stream, Czech Republic, was subjected to molecular analyses to identify its exact identity. RFLP of the ITS region confirmed its previous morphological identification as P. natans × P. nodosus (= P. ×schreberi). A comparison of its RFLP pattern with those of P. gramineus, P. lucens and P. polygonifolius unambiguously excluded the possibility that the investigated plants are specimens of other similar hybrids (P. ×fluitans, P. ×sparganiifolius, P. ×gessnacensis). The discovery of P. ×schreberi in South Bohemia is the first record of this hybrid for the Czech Republic. So far, it is known only from five countries and the Czech clone is one of a few extant clones of this hybrid in Central Europe. Chloroplast DNA sequencing identified P. nodosus as the maternal parent although at present this species neither occurs at the locality, nor upstream, nor in the entire drainage basin. The other species, P. natans, only occurs downstream of the locality in isolated side pools in a former stream bed and fishponds in an adjacent drainage basin. The available data indicate that this hybrid has persisted vegetatively at this locality for some time in the absence of its parents.
Selected populations of five closely related species of the genus Cicada L. were collected mainly on the Portuguese, Greek and Turkish mainland, as well as on several Aegean islands. Ten morphometric traits of external structures and seven of male genitalia were analysed and the results revealed patterns in morphometric variation for each species. Only C. lodosi was always completely discriminated by both character sets and C. barbara by the male genitalia analysis. For the remaining species there was great overlap between the clusters. Body length, of the external morphological structures, and measurements of the pygophore, of the male genitalia, were the best variables for identifying C. lodosi and C. barbara. The present morphometric analyses revealed that divergence in morphology is much less pronounced than the divergence in acoustic signals and DNA. Thus, the congruence between morphological divergence, namely at the level of the external structures, and both behavioural (acoustic) and genetic divergence is quite low.
Sensillar structures of the antennal pedicel are investigated in Reduviidae and Pachynomidae. The cave organ, a presumably chemoreceptive structure, previously reported only for haematophagous Triatominae, is described here also for representatives of Peiratinae, Reduviinae and Stenopodainae. The systematic implication of the occurrence of this sensillar structure is discussed. Further, four sclerites located in the membrane between pedicel and preflagelloid are described and used as landmarks for the recognition of individual trichobothria in Reduviidae and Pachynomidae. Characters of the trichobothrial socket are studied and discussed systematically. Homology of the distalmost trichobothrium of Reduviidae with the single trichobothrium in Pachynomidae is proposed. This hypothesis is based on the structure of the cuticle surrounding the trichobothria and on the trichobothrial position relative to the four sclerites of the pedicello-flagellar articulation. The single trichobothrium present in most nymphs corresponds to the distalmost trichobothrium in adult Reduviidae in position and structural detail. A reasonable hypotheses on the homology of individual trichobothria of the proximal row or field seen in most Reduviidae can so far only be formulated for Peiratinae.