Dinemoura discrepans Cressey, 1967 (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Pandaridae) is redescribed based on the specimens taken from four species of sharks caught off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The four species of sharks are: pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus Nakamura; bigeye thresher, A. superciliosus Lowe; blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller et Henle); and oceanic whitetip shark, C. longimanus (Poey). Although our redescription shows certain differences from the original description, after re-examination of the museum specimens studied by R. F. Cressey in making the original description, it was confirmed that the specimens from off Taiwan are identifiable with D. discrepans. Carcharhinus limbatus is currently known to host 19 species of parasitic copepods, of which D. discrepans is the first one of this copepod genus.
Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) nycticebi (Mönnig, 1920) (Nematoda: Spirurida: Rictulariidae) is redescribed based on immature and mature adults collected from the stomach and small intestine at autopsy of a slow loris, Nycticebus coucang (Boddaert, 1785) (Mammalia: Primates), in a zoological garden in Japan. It is first demonstrated that male possesses a minute telamon and a left lateral pore in the preanal part of body. The cause of death of the slow loris is strongly surmised to be related to the nematode infection, which was apparently acquired under captivity in the zoological garden.
A redescription of the female of the temporary fish parasite, Gnathia africana Barnard, 1914 is provided from specimens reared from final-stage G. africana praniza larvae collected from their intertidal fish hosts along the south coast of southern Africa. It differs from other known gnathiid females in the shape of the frontal border and the number and basic form of pylopod articles. This redescription aims to establish a format for future descriptions and redescriptions of gnathiid females.
The fauna of Turkey lists the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) as the only species of the genus Gazella, but older records reported another species of gazelle in Anatolia (either G. dorcas or G. gazella). However, the species status and the distribution of the second gazelle species have never been confirmed, and the species has been regarded as extirpated. We studied the nucleotide differences in a 400 bp region of cytochrome-b gene for Şanlıurfa population and a recently discovered gazelle population in Hatay. A total of 36 sequences were found with 23 variable sites. All individuals from Hatay and the Golan Heights, Israel (G. gazella) revealed an identical monophyletic lineage and the results of phylogenetic analyses suggest that the population in Hatay belongs to G. g. gazella. Şanlıurfa individuals were grouped with Genbank sequences of G. subgutturosa marica, which a recent study has suggested to be a distinct species, G. marica. Our findings have resolved an ongoing debate on the taxonomic status of the Gazella in Turkey and call for the urgent need of improved conservation efforts for the wild gazelles.
The Afrotropical subgenus Disneyempis Smith of the genus Empis L. is redescribed and redefined on the basis of three synapomorphies, namely labrum lengthened, male eyes more or less broadly separated on frons with all ommatidia of equal size, female abdomen with bluish to purplish metallic reflections on terga 2-5. At present, the subgenus comprises six species: E. (D.) hirsutipennis Smith as type species, E. (D.) jacksoni Smith, E. (D.) argentea sp, n., E. (D.) spinifemorata sp. n., E. (D.) proboprocera sp. n. and one unnamed species E. (D.) sp. 1. All species are described [except E. (D.) sp. 1] and keyed. The subgenus has a tropical African geographical range including Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Republic of Congo and Gabon.
The family Rhopalothylacidae (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) is reviewed. The type species, Rhopalothylax gymnorhynchoides Guiart, 1935, is redescribed from the type specimens and belongs within the genus Pintneriella Yamaguti, 1934, previously described only from the plerocercus. Rhopalothylax therefore becomes a junior synonym of Pintneriella. The adult of Pintneriella musculicola Yamaguti, 1934 is described for the first time, from the shark Carcharias taurus Rafinesque from Australia. Pintneriella is characterised by two bothridia, a typical heteroacanthous armature, a unique, bipartite external seminal vesicle and a uterus deviated porally, terminating at a uterine pore. It belongs within the Heteracanthoidea but is distinguishable both from the Eutetrarhynchidae and the Gilquiniidae, the two families which it most closely resembles. Cladistic analyses align Pintneriella within the clade containing the families Gilquiniidae, Gymnorhynchidae and Molicolidae rather than with the Eutetrarhynchidae. The family Rhopalothylacidae is therefore retained provisionally to accommodate Pintneriella within the Heteracanthoidea. The second genus of the Rhopalothylacidae, Clujia Guiart, 1935, is unrecognisable from its description and cannot be redescribed from its holotype. It is therefore considered a genus inquirendum.
In the present study, we critically revised the recently proposed classification of the subfamily Leishmaniinae Maslov et Lukeš in Jirků et al., 2012. Agreeing with erection of the genus Zelonia Shaw, Camargo et Teixeira in Espinosa et al., 2017 and the subgenus Mundinia Shaw, Camargo et Teixeira in Espinosa et al., 2017 within the genus Leishmania Ross, 1908, we argue that other changes are not well justified. We propose to: (i) raise Paraleishmania Cupolillo, Medina-Acosta, Noyes, Momen et Grimaldi, 2000 to generic rank; (ii) create a new genus Borovskyia gen. n. to accommodate the former Leptomonas barvae Maslov et Lukeš, 2010 as its type and only species; (iii) leave the subfamily Leishmaniinae as originally defined, but establish two infrafamilies within it: Leishmaniatae infrafam. n. and Crithidiatae infrafam. n., Alexei Y. Kostygov, Vyacheslav Yurchenko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The New World genus Ataeniopsis Petrovitz, 1973 is revised. Fifteen species are recognized including three new species: Ataeniopsis carupanoi sp. n. from Venezuela, A. jaltipani sp. n. from Mexico and A. vinacoensis sp. n. from Argentina. Lectotype of A. haroldi (Steinheil, 1872) is designated, the name of type species A. notabilis Petrovitz, 1973 is reestablished, five species are given in a new combination. The taxa are diagnosed, keyed and illustrated, and biological information and distribution data summarized following the species descriptions. A hypothetical phylogenetic analysis of Ataeniopsis based on cladistic analysis is presented.
Genus-group taxa of Platerodinae are revised and valid taxa are redescribed. The validity of Plateros Bourgeois, 1879 is reinstated. Libnetomimus Kleine, 1927 is made a junior synonym of Libnetis Waterhouse, 1878. Calleros Gorham, 1881, Calloplateros Pic, 1923, Costatoplateros Pic, 1949, Ditoneces Waterhouse, 1879, Libnetomorphus Pic, 1921, Microplateros Pic, 1921, Planeteros Gorham, 1883, Tolianus Pic, 1921, Melampyrus Waterhouse, 1879, and the subgenus Cautirodes Pic, 1921 are considered to be junior synonyms of Plateros Bourgeois, 1879. The subgenus Pseudeuplectus Pic, 1922 is synonymized to Cavoplateros Pic, 1913, and Pseudoplateros Green, 1951 is made a junior synonym of Falsocalleros Pic, 1933. Macrolibnetis Pic, 1938 formerly classified with Platerodini is synonymized to Platerodrilus Pic, 1921. Samoaneros Blair, 1928 is considered to be a junior objective synonym of Melaneros Fairmaire, 1877, which is excluded from Platerodinae and is kept incertae sedis in Lycidae. Fernandum Pic, 1924 and Subdihammatus Kleine, 1926 are transferred to the subfamily Leptolycinae. Teroplas oculatus sp. n. and Microlycus mexicanus sp. n. are described. Neotype of Plateros brasiliensis (Lucas, 1857) and lectotype of Microlycus minutus Pic, 1922 are designated. In order to understand relationships within the subfamily, included genus-group taxa were cladistically analysed.
Material of Afrotropical Afrocrania Hincks, 1949 (= Pseudocrania Weise, 1892, not Pseudocrania M'Coy, 1851) is revised, and a redescription of the genus is given. This publication is on Afrocrania species in which males have head cavities or extended elytral extrusions. Species without those sexual dimorphic organs will be revised in a subsequent paper. Material of Pseudocrania latifrons Weise, 1892, Pseudocrania foveolata (Karsch, 1882) (= Monolepta africana Jacoby, 1894, = Pseudocrania nigricornis Weise, 1895), and Pseudocrania assimilis Weise, 1903 was examined; Pseudocrania basalis Jacoby, 1907 is excluded from Afrocrania; Afrocrania kaethae sp. n., A. luciae sp. n., A. kakamegaensis sp. n., A. longicornis sp. n., and A. ubatubae sp. n. are newly described species.