The occurrence in the Mediterranean part of Europe of the African species Potamogeton schweinfurthii is recorded for the first time. So far, this native but overlooked species has been found on five major Mediterranean islands: Corsica, Sardinia, Malta, Kefallinía (Ionian Islands, Greece) and Crete. The species is most similar and presumably closely related to the mainly Eurasian P. lucens, with which it has been partly confused. The nomenclature and a description of P. schweinfurthii are provided, and its taxonomy and how it differs from similar taxa discussed. All known localities are listed, together with voucher specimens preserved in the major European herbaria. A distribution map of P. schweinfurthii in the Mediterranean region is presented.
The recognition of hybrids of linear-leaved taxa of Potamogeton (sect. Graminifolii;) based on morphology is difficult and often debatable. As a consequence, currently only a few hybrid taxa are considered valid and many linear-leaved hybrids described in the past are not now recognized. On the other hand, the use of molecular tools has recently allowed more efficient tests of the origin of morphological forms and the tracking of hybridization events in Potamogeton systematics. In this paper, Potamogeton ×maëmetsiae Zalewska-Gałosz et M. Ronikier nothosp. nov. (Potamogetonaceae), a hybrid between two linear-leaved species, P. friesii and P. rutilus, is described and illustrated. Hybrid plants were collected from two Central-European populations growing in Lake Skaidrys (Lithuania) and Soitsjärv (Estonia). The hybrid origin of the new entity was identified based on a morphological survey and independently confirmed using nuclear (ITS, 5S-NTS) and chloroplast (rpl32-trnL intergenic spacer) DNA sequence data and AFLP analysis of genetic structure. Differences between P. ×maëmetsiae and similar taxa are outlined and other relevant details of the new hybrid discussed.
A new species of Prochristianella Dollfus, 1946 is described from the spiral intestine of the wedgenose skate, Dipturus whitleyi (Iredale) (Rajiformes: Rajidae), off the north-western coast of Tasmania (Australia). Prochristianella mattisi sp. n. is characterised by an acraspedote scolex, two oval bothria, elongate, bent bulbs, a retractor muscle inserting at the base of each bulb and the presence of gland-cells within the bulbs and prebulbar organs. The tentacular armature is typical heteroacanthous, heteromorphous, with a characteristic basal oncotaxy and a metabasal armature with hooks first increasing and then decreasing in size along each principle row. It can be differentiated from other species of Prochristianella by a combination of morphological characters, such as the metabasal tentacular armature with eight hooks per principle row, a unique basal armature without enlarged hooks on the basal swelling and genital pores slightly posterior to the mid-line of the segment. The description of P. mattisi sp. n. increases the number of known species within Prochristianella to 20, eight of which occur in Australian waters. A key for the identification to species within Prochristianella is provided.
Pseudocapillaria moraveci sp. n. (Nematoda, Capillariidae) is described from the stomach of Gobius paganellus Linnaeus (Perciformes, Gobiidae) from rocky shores of the Vigo estuary (Northwest Atlantic coast of Spain). Scanning electron microscopy reveals the absence of a dorsal cuticular membrane interconnecting the caudal lobes of male, thus confirming the assignment of this new species to the nominotypical subgenus Pseudocapillaria Freitas, 1959. Pseudocapillaria moraveci can be easily differentiated from other marine congeneric species belonging to subgenera Pseudocapillaria and Ichthyocapillaria Moravec, 1982 by its muscular oesophagus, which is distinctly thickened at the distal third, the terminal or almost terminal anus in female, the presence of a basal internal papilla on each ventrolateral caudal lobe in male, and its exclusive site preference for the stomach. In addition, the spicule, which measures 0.180-0.292 mm in length (4.9-7.9% of body length) and possesses a proximal end expanded and oblique in lateral view, a narrowed middle part, and a distal end almost pointed, also distinguishes this species. Pseudocapillaria moraveci is, together with P. tomentosa (Dujardin, 1843) Moravec, 1987, the only species in the genus Pseudocapillaria that has been reported to infect members of the family Gobiidae.
A new species of lamproglenine copepods, Pseudolamproglena boxshalli sp. n., is described from gills of the cyprinid fish Cyprinion macrostomum Heckel from the Tigris River in Tikreet, north of Baghdad, Iraq. This is the second species of Pseudolamproglena from Iraq and the fourth in the world. It differs from its three congeners mainly in the armature of antennule, maxilla, maxilliped, legs 1-4 and caudal ramus.
Quametopia gen. n. is established on the basis of recent phylogenetic analysis of taxa formerly assembled under the genus Mumetopia Melander, 1913 to include M. terminalis (Loew, 1863) and two new closely related Nearctic species of Anthomyzidae. The new genus is diagnosed and its phylogenetic relationships discussed. Quametopia terminalis (Loew, 1863) comb. n. is transferred from Mumetopia and redescribed based on revision of the type material (lectotypes of Anthophilina terminalis Loew, 1863 and its synonym Mumetopia nitens Melander, 1913 are designated) and other extensive material. Quametopia clintonia sp. n. and Q. amplistylus sp. n. (both from Canada, USA) are described and relationships of all three Quametopia species discussed. Immature stages of Q. terminalis and Q. clintonia sp. n. obtained by means of adult-to-adult rearing are described (1st- and 2nd-instar larvae for the first time in the family Anthomyzidae) and illustrated. Keys to adults, eggs, larvae and puparia of Quametopia species are presented. Biology (habitat and host-plant associations, life history) of Q. terminalis and Q. clintonia sp. n. are studied in detail and their ecological separation demonstrated. Distribution of all Quametopia species is reviewed. and Jindřich Roháček, Kevin N. Barber.
Seven mite species belonging to the genus Syringophilopsis Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are recorded from 10 passeriform host species from the USA. Three new species are described and illustrated: Syringophilopsis polioptilus sp. n. from Polioptila caerulea (Linnaeus) (Polioptilidae); S. empidonax sp. n. from Empidonax hammondii (Vesey) and Empidonax wrightii Baird (Tyrannidae); and S. sialiae sp. n. from Sialia mexicana Swainson (Turdidae). In addition, records of new hosts are given: Turdus migratorius Linnaeus (Turdidae) for Syringophilopsis turdus (Fritsch, 1958); three tyrannid species (Tyrannidae), Myiarchus crinitus (Linnaeus), M. cinerascens (Lawrence) and Tyrannus verticalis Say for S. tyranni Bochkov et Galloway, 2004; Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler) (Icteridae) for S. elongatus (Ewing, 1911); and two parulid species (Parulidae), Dendroica graciae Baird and Wilsonia pusilla (Wilson) for S. dendroicae Bochkov et Galloway, 2001. All known species of the genus Syringophilopsis from the Nearctic Region are summarized in tabular form. Syringophilopsis porzanae Bochkov et Galloway, 2004 is reassigned to the genus Ascetomylla Kethley, 1970.
Two new species of the subfamily Picobiinae (Acari: Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) are described: Picobia ploceus sp. n. from Ploceus ocularis Smith (Passeriformes: Ploceidae) and Picobia lamprotornis sp. n. from Lamprotornis superbus (Rüppell) (Passeriformes: Sturnidae), both from Kenya. Additionally, new hosts are recorded: Turdoides jardineii (Smith) (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae) from Kenya and Tanzania, T. rubiginosa (Rüppell) from Kenya, T. leucopygia (Rüppell) from Zambia and Namibia, for Picobia dziabaszewskii Glowska, Dragun-Damian et Dabert, 2012; Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines) (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae) from Kenya, for Picobia pycnonoti Glowska, Skoracki et Khourly, 2007; Dendropicos griseocephalus (Boddaert) (Piciformes: Picidae) from Tanzania and D. goertae (St. Müller) from Kenya, for Neopicobia freya Skoracki et Unsoeld, 2014; Dendropicos fuscescens (Vieillot) from Zambia and Campethera nubica (Boddaert) from Kenya, for Picobia dryobatis (Fritsch, 1958).
Soricinia tripartita Żarnowski, 1955 is redescribed on the basis of specimens from the type host Sorex araneus Linnaeus from Lithuania, Latvia and Russia (Republic of Karelia and Republic of Komi - a new geographical record) as well as from Sorex satunini Ognev and Sorex volnuchini Ognev from Russia (Nalchik Area in the Caucasus Mountains). The strobilar morphology of S. tripartita is compared with that of other hymenolepidid cestodes of shrews with an unarmed scolex and serial development of proglottides in the strobila, i.e. species of Mathevolepis Spassky, 1948, Ditestolepis Soltys, 1952, Spasskylepis Schaldybin, 1964, Ecrinolepis Spassky et Karpenko, 1983 and Diorchilepis Lykova, Gulyaev, Melnikova et Karpenko, 2006. It was noted that S. tripartita does not correspond to any of the known genera. The following unique characters are found for S. tripartita: heteronomous serial strobilation with one or two sterile proglottides at the end of each series in the strobila and the whole copulatory part of the vagina covered with numerous, fine spines. Therefore, the new genus Gulyaevilepis is erected, with Gulyaevilepis tripartita (Żarnowski, 1955) comb. n. as its type and only species. Since the type material of Soricinia tripartita is not known to exist, a neotype from the same host species and from a locality close to the type locality is designated.
We collected specimens of Paramecops sinaitus (Pic, 1930) (Curculionidae: Molytinae) from south Sinai in Egypt, which enabled us to make the first complete description of this species. We also include some taxonomic remarks on the genus. Paramecops solenostemmatis (Peyerimhoff, 1930) is a synonym of Paramecops sinaitus. We propose the new combination Paramecops sogdianus (Nasreddinov, 1978), based on Perihylobius sogdianus Nasreddinov, 1978, which would make Perihylobius and Paramecops synonymous. Like other Paramecops species, P. sinaitus appears to share a close interaction with Asclepiads, in this case the Sinai milkweed Asclepias sinaica (Boiss.) Muschl., 1912 (Asclepiadaceae). We investigated the oviposition behaviour of female weevils to test whether it is linked to larval performance, as predicted by coevolutionary theory. We found that female oviposition preference was positively related to plant size and to the volume of the seed follicles in which the eggs were laid. The survival of eggs was negatively related to plant size, perhaps due to plant differences in the production of defensive cardenolides. Larval survival was not related to plant size but increased with follicle volume, probably as a result of competition for food. Paramecops is relatively sedentary and nocturnal in its behaviour. Night-time observations of behaviour showed that weevils were more active at lower temperatures.