The type species of the genus Glossocercus Chandler, 1935, G. cyprinodontis Chandler, 1935, was described as metacestode (larval stage) from the mesentery of the sheepshead minnow fish (Cyprinodon variegatus Lacépède) from Galveston Bay, Texas. The description was based on the morphology of the rostellar hooks; however, the features of the internal morphology of the proglottides could no be provided. In the present study we describe for the first time the features of the adult G. cyprinodontis from the intestine of Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, Nycticorax nycticorax Linnaeus and Egretta rufescens Gmelin in Mexico. Glossocercus cyprinodontis possesses similar strobilar morphology with the two other congeneric species, both distributed in the Neartic and Neotropical regions, i.e. Glossocercus caribaensis (Rysavy et Macko, 1971) and Glossocercus auritus (Rudolphi, 1819). However, G. cyprinodontis differs mainly in the shape of the rostellar hooks (those of G. cyprinodontis possess the handle and the guard strongly sclerified compared to those of G. auritus and G. caribaensis) and their size (total length of 175-203 mm in G. cyprinodontis compared to 189-211 mm in G. caribaensis and 220-285 mm in G. auritus). Generic diagnosis of Glossocercus is emended: rostellar hooks in two rows with ten hooks of different shape and length in each, scolex large and globular, proglottides craspedote, wider than long, genital pores irregularly alternating, vagina transverse, surrounded by epithelial cells, ventral to cirrus-sac, uterus bar-shaped in mature proglottides, occupies all space between osmoregulatory ducts with eggs in gravid proglottides, ovary lobed in middle of proglottis, cirrus-sac elongate, between osmoregulatory canals, cirrus armed with spinitriches and apical tuft of slender spinitriches.
Three new species of dicyemid mesozoans are described for the first time from Australian octopus and cuttlefish species. Dicyemennea floscephalum sp. n. is described from Octopus berrima Stranks et Norman (southern keeled octopus) collected from Spencer Gulf and Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia, Australia and represents the first description of a species of Dicyemennea Whitman, 1883 from Australian waters. Dicyema papuceum sp. n. and D. furuyi sp. n. are described from Sepia papuensis Hoyle (Papuan cuttlefish) collected from Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia. Dicyemennea floscephalum sp. n. is a medium to large species that reaches approximately 4.9 mm in length. The vermiform stages are characterised by having 23-28 peripheral cells, and a disc-shaped, flower-like calotte in larger individuals. An anterior abortive axial cell is absent in vermiform embryos and verruciform cells were not observed in nematogens and rhombogens. Infusoriform embryos comprise 37 cells; one nucleus is present in each urn cell. Dicyema papuceum sp. n. is a small species that reaches approximately 1.1 mm in length. The vermiform stages are characterised by having 30-33 peripheral cells and a relatively small, cap-shaped calotte. An anterior abortive axial cell is absent in vermiform embryos and verruciform cells were occasionally observed in nematogens. Infusoriform embryos comprise 37 cells; two nuclei are present in each urn cell. Dicyema furuyi sp. n. is a large species that reaches approximately 5.3 mm in length. The vermiform stages are characterised by having 22-24 peripheral cells and an elongate calotte. An anterior abortive axial cell is absent in vermiform embryos and verruciform cells were not observed in nematogens and rhombogens. Infusoriform embryos comprise 37 cells; one nucleus is present in each urn cell. Three secondary nematogens were also observed in the right renal appendages of two host individuals, confirming the occurrence of this form.
Potorolepis gulyaevi sp. n. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) is described from the Chinese horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus sinicus Andersen (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae), from southern China. The new species differs from known species of the genus by the shape, number and size of rostellar hooks, the relative position and length of the cirrus-sac and the morphology of gravid uterus. This is the first report of a member of the genus from non-marsupial mammals and the first record of a Potorolepis Spassky, 1994 from eastern Asia. The generic diagnosis of Potorolepis is amended.
Ophiotaenia georgievi sp. n. (Proteocephalidea: Proteocephalinae) is described from the intestine of endemic colubrid snake Leioheterodon geayi Mocquard (Colubridae) from Antananarivo in Madagascar. The new species is the first species of Ophiotaenia La Rue, 1911 reported from Madagascar. It differs from all Ophiotaenia species parasitic in African snakes in the possession of a three-layered embryophore of eggs (other African species have two-layered embryophore). Furthermore, O. georgievi can be distinguished by the number of testes (92-140), width of the scolex (225-235 µm), total body length (57 mm), cirrus-sac length/proglottis width ratio (19-32%), and number of lateral uterine diverticula (23-28 on each side). Ophiotaenia georgievi represents the second proteocephalidean cestode reported from Madagascar, the first one being Deblocktaenia ventosaloculata (Deblock, Rosé et Broussart, 1962), a parasite from Ithycyphus miniatus. A list of Ophiotaenia species parasitic in venomous and non-venomous snakes is provided and possible existence of other new congeneric species in snakes from Madagascar is discussed.
Based on morphological and molecular characterisation, four amoeba strains isolated from organs of freshwater fish were identified as Hartmannella vermiformis Page, 1967. Small subunit rRNA gene sequences of these strains expand the set of corresponding complete and almost complete sequences of this species to twelve. A new species-specific oligonucleotide probe inferred from recently available SSU rRNA gene sequences was designed and successfully tested in tissue lesions produced by one strain of H. vermiformis in experimentally infected fish.
Five flightless species of Micromus are known from the Hawaiian Archipelago; only one, the rare Micromus usingeri, is reported from the Island of Hawai'i. Herein, we report the natural occurrence of intermediates between this brachypterous species and its near relative, the macropterous Micromus longispinosus. We compare some morphological and life-history characteristics of the two species and the intermediates. Our study shows that: (1) The two closely related species are broadly distributed on Hawai'i, but they appear to be allopatric altitudinally. (2) M. usingeri is associated with a cool, misty, high-altitude environment, M. longispinosus with warmer, rainy conditions at lower elevations. The intermediates occur in both types of situations and generally at intermediate elevations. (3) The macropterous M. longispinosus has large, oblong, flexible, membranous forewings and hind wings. In contrast, the brachypterous M. usingeri has convex, shortened, elytra-like forewings with reticulate venation, and very small, thick, triangular, stub-like hind wings with greatly reduced venation. The wings of intermediate specimens exhibit a broad range of variation between the two species. (4) Several characteristics of wing venation are highly correlated with reduced wing size; others are not. (5) Aside from the wings, adults of M. usingeri and M. longispinosus differ in relatively few morphological features, most notably the antennal and metatibial length, prothoracic length, mesothoracic length and width, and the length of the spine-covered process on the posteroventral margin of the male T9+ectoproct. The intermediate specimens are variable in adult characteristics, but they generally fall between the two species. (6) Egg size and larval characteristics (except the body length of the fully-fed first and third instars) do not differ between the two species. (7) The evolution of the wing variation is discussed.
The mouthparts of the spoon-winged lacewing Nemoptera sinuata are adapted for the uptake of pollen and nectar. Form and function of the mouthparts are described, and the technique of food uptake is discussed in context with flower-visiting behaviour and floral architecture of the preferred flowers. The maxillae are the main organs for food uptake. The brush-shaped laciniae, galeae and maxillary palpi form a functional unit which can be extended by the action of the cardo-stipes joint. Video analyses of the mouthpart movements distinguished different patterns of maxillary motions which occur in nectar feeding or pollen collecting. The flower-visiting behaviour and the specialised mouthparts of the Nemopteridae are derived traits which probably evolved from predatory and biting/chewing mouthparts within the Neuroptera.
Multivalvulid myxosporeans of the genera Kudoa Meglitsch, 1947 and Unicapsula Davis, 1924 (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) are often the cause of unsightly cyst formation or postmortem myoliquefaction in the trunk muscle of commercial marine fish, which reduces the market value of infected individuals. Twenty species (18 Kudoa spp. and two Unicapsula spp.) have been recorded from carangid fish, although the majority of them, excluding polyxenous species, such as K. amamiensis Egusa et Nakajima, 1980, K. iwatai Egusa et Shiomitsu, 1983, K. nova Naidenova, 1975, K. quadratum (Thélohan, 1895) and K. yasunagai (Hsieh et Chen, 1984), are limited to a single or a few fish species. We report the occurrence of macroscopic cysts of Kudoa trachuri Matsukane, Sato, Tanaka, Kamata et Sugita-Konishi, 2011 in the trunk muscle of four new host fish species, i.e., Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch et Schneider), Decapterus akaadsi Abe, D. muroadsi (Temminck et Schlegel) and Decapterus tabl Berry, fished from the Philippine Sea (Northwest Pacific Ocean), off southwestern of Japan. Myxospore morphology and genetic characteristics of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) of these isolates were consistent with previous records of K. trachuri from Trachurus japonicus (Temminck et Schlegel) from around Japan. In addition, a new species of Kudoa that forms long filamentous pseudocysts in trunk myofibres was found in four of the six D. tabl collected in this study. We describe Kudoa longichorda sp. n. for this new isolate, based on its morphology of subquadrate myxospores with four shell valves and polar capsules and with small dimensions (length 4.3-5.5 µm, width 6.0-6.8 µm, thickness 4.8-6.3 µm, polar capsule length 2.3-3.1 µm, polar capsule width 1.1-1.7 µm), as well as 18S and 28S rDNA sequences distinct from those of known species.
Haematophagous larvae of a gnathiid isopod were collected from the gills, nares and buccal cavity of a single leopard catshark Poroderma pantherinum (Smith, 1838) at Jeffreys Bay and five puffadder shysharks Haploblepharus edwardsii (Voight, 1832) and one blackspotted electric ray Torpedo fuscomaculata Peters, 1855, at the De Hoop Nature Reserve on the South African south coast. Larvae were kept in fresh seawater until their moult into adult stages. The morphology of the adult males did not conform to that of any known species and they are therefore described as Gnathia pantherina sp. n. The descriptions of the adult male, female and praniza larva are based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations. Characteristic features of this species include the large size of all the final life-cycle stages, the deeply divided mediofrontal process of the male, the morphology of the pylopods and maxillipedes of the female, and the number of teeth on the mandibles (eight) and maxillules (seven) of the praniza larvae.
Ant-like stone beetles (Coleoptera: Scydmaenidae) include more than 4,850 described species in about 90 genera maintained as a separate cosmopolitan family since 1815. Recent authors have hypothesised that Scydmaenidae might be rooted deep inside rove-beetles (Staphylinidae). To test this hypothesis we analysed 206 parsimoniously informative larval and adult morphological characters scored for 38 taxa. Strict consensus topologies from the shortest trees in all 12 analyses consistently placed Scydmaenidae as sister to (Steninae + Euaesthetinae) in a monophyletic Staphylinine Group (with or without Oxyporinae). The single fully resolved and most consistently supported topology maintains a monophyletic Staphylinine Group consisting of Oxyporinae + (Megalopsidiinae + (("Scydmaenidae" + (Steninae + Euaesthetinae)) + (Leptotyphlinae + (Pseudopsinae + (Paederinae + Staphylininae))))); Solierius lacks larval data and is ambiguously placed within the Group. Eight analyses of variably aligned 18S rDNA data for 93 members of Staphylinoidea under parsimony, neighbour-joining and Bayesian approaches were markedly inconsistent, although partly congruent with the Scydmaenidae + (Steninae + Euaesthetinae) hypothesis. Our results strongly suggest that ant-like stone beetles do not form an independent family, but are morphologically modified members of Staphylinidae and, consequently, should be treated as a 32nd recent subfamily within the megadiverse Staphylinidae sensu latissimo. Formal taxonomic acts are: Scydmaeninae Leach, 1815, status novus (= Scydmaenidae Leach, 1815); Scydmaenitae Leach, 1815, status novus (= Scydmaeninae Leach, 1815); Mastigitae Fleming, 1821, status novus (= Mastiginae Fleming, 1821); Hapsomelitae Poinar & Brown, 2004, status novus (= Hapsomelinae Poinar & Brown, 2004). The family Staphylinidae sensu latissimo becomes the largest in Coleoptera and in the whole of the Animal Kingdom, with 55,440 described species (extant plus extinct), thus surpassing Curculionidae with an estimated 51,000 described species.