Revision of the Australian bee fly genus Comptosia (Diptera : Bombyliidae)

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Yeates

The Australian bee fly genus Comptosia is revised. Alyosia Rondani, Epidosia Hull, Opsonia Hull, Paradosia Hull and Anthocolon Hull are synonymised with Comptosia Macquart. There are 138 species of Comptosia in collections, of which 58 are treated here. The genus is divided into 19 species-groups that encompass the range of variation found in the described and undescribed species. Characters found most useful in forming the species-groups include: distance between the eyes of males, integumental colour, shape of the antenna1 flagellum, form of the labium and subcranial cavity, and shape of the loop in wing vein R2+3;. Keys to species-groups and to species in each group are provided. All, or almost all, of the species in eight of the species-groups are described. In the remaining species-groups, described species are redescribed, or a single representative species described. The number of recognised, but undescribed, species is given for each species-group. Seven new synonymies are proposed at species level: fenestrata Hull = gemina Hardy; aurifrons Macquart and edwardsi Hardy = praeargentata (Macleay); sobricula (Walker) and anthracina (Thomson) = prosimplex (Hardy); fasciafa (Fabricius) = stria (Walker); duofasciata Hull = tendens (Walker). Lectotypes are designated for the following: C. fascipennis Macquart, C. albofasciata (Thomson), C. tendens (Walker), C. duofasciata Hull, C. fenestrata Hull, C. rnaculipennis Macquart, Anthrax inclusa (Walker) and C. casimira Hull. Twenty-six species are redescribed and 32 species (C. paucispina, C. tutela, C. pitereka, C. pilosa, C. caesariata, C. capillata, C. magna, C. speciosa, C. heliophila, C. neosobria, C. kuranda, C. flava, C. sandaraca, C. xanthobasis, C. aurescens, C. paramonovi, C. nitella, C. flexuosa, C. flavipenna, C. insula, C. neobiguttata, C. mackerrasi, C. soror, C. neoapicalis, C. zona, C. thyris, C. calignea, C. lactea, C. mallota, C. scitula, C. acantha and C. microrhynchus) are described as new. Pupal exuviae of five species are described and illustrated.

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2213 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW J. COLLOFF

The morphology of the genus Scapheremaeus Berlese, 1910 is reviewed and characters of taxonomic utility delineated. Based on the morphological review, some 13 species-groups are outlined based on major morphotypes. There are two main categories: i) species that have a complete circumdorsal scissure with plicate microsculpture on the circumnotogastral plate and strongly contrasting microsculpture (foveolae, ridges or tubercles) on the centrodorsal plate (plicate species-groups), and ii) species with the circumdorsal scissure complete, incomplete or absent but with little or no contrast in microsculpture between the central and lateral regions: typically both regions foveolate or reticulate (non- plicate species-groups). A catalogue of world species of Scapheremaeus is provided. Scapheremaeus petrophagus (Banks, 1906) is not a Scapheremaeus but belongs to an undetermined genus in the Ameronothroidea. Cymbaeremaeus cyclops Oudemans, 1915 is recombined to Scapheremaeus. Five new species are described (S. angusi sp. nov., S. cheloniella sp. nov., S. ewani sp. nov., S. lambieae sp. nov., and S. pulleni sp. nov.) from soil and litter habitats in semi-arid Mallee eucalypt vegetation at Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, South Australia. These are the first members of the genus Scapheremaeus to be described from Australia, though undescribed species have been recorded previously. All the new species are morphologically closely-related and belong to a single species-group: Carinatus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4340 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
LINDSAY W. POPPLE

The genus Myopsalta Moulds is distributed throughout much of Australia. Previous studies have associated several undescribed species with the Myopsalta crucifera (Ashton) species complex. The present study informally divides the cicadas in the genus Myopsalta into two species groups. It provides a revision of the M. crucifera species group, which includes redescriptions of M. crucifera s. str. and M. mackinlayi (Distant). The identity of the latter species is further refined and attributed to material formerly presented under the name Myopsalta atrata (Goding & Froggatt). In addition to the redescriptions, 14 new species belonging to the M. crucifera species group are described, including M. albiventris n. sp., M. bassiana n. sp., M. chrysopedia n. sp., M. gordoni n. sp., M. leona n. sp., M. longicauda n. sp., M. majurae n. sp., M. melanobasis n. sp., M. parvula n. sp., M. platyptera n. sp., M. riverina n. sp., M. septa n. sp., M. umbra n. sp. and M. xerograsidia n. sp. A key to species in the genus Myopsalta is provided. Standard morphological descriptions and descriptions of calling songs unique to each species are included along with a discussion on different song types in the M. crucifera species group. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M Baca ◽  
Andrew E Z Short

Abstract Notomicrinae (Coleoptera: Noteridae) is a subfamily of minute and ecologically diverse aquatic beetles distributed across the Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. We investigate the evolution of Notomicrinae and construct the first species-level phylogeny within Noteridae using five nuclear and mitochondrial gene fragments. We focus on the genus Notomicrus Sharp (Coleoptera: Noteridae), sampling 13 of the 17 known Notomicrus species and an additional 11 putative undescribed species. We also include Phreatodytes haibaraensis Uéno (Coleoptera: Noteridae). Datasets are analyzed in Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian frameworks. With these, we 1) estimate divergence times among notomicrine taxa and reconstruct the biogeographical history of the group, particularly testing the hypothesis of Gondwanan vicariance between Old World and New World Notomicrus; 2) additionally, we assess ecological plasticity within Notomicrinae in the context of the phylogeny; and 3) finally, we test the monophyly of tentative species groups within Notomicrus and place putative new taxa. We recover a monophyletic Notomicrinae, with Phreatodytes sister to Notomicrus. We estimate the crown age of Notomicrinae to be ca. 110 Mya. The crown age of Notomicrus is recovered as ca. 75 Mya, there diverging into reciprocally monophyletic Old and New World clades, suggesting Gondwanan vicariance. Our phylogenetic estimate indicates a strong degree of ecological plasticity within Notomicrinae, with habitat switching occurring in recently diverging taxa. Finally, we recover five main species groups in Notomicrus, one Old World, Four New World, with tentative affirmation of the placement of undescribed species.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 949 ◽  
pp. 1-185
Author(s):  
Sebastian Salata ◽  
Brian L. Fisher

The present study represents a taxonomic revision of the Pheidole sikorae species group from Madagascar. Forty-four members of this group are recognised and described, and an illustrated identification key to this group is also presented. One species is raised to species level: P. litigiosa Forel, 1892 stat. nov.Pheidole veteratrix angustinoda Forel, 1892 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of Pheidole veteratrix Forel, 1891. Worker castes are also described and lectotypes designated for P. litigiosa Forel, 1892, P. sikorae Forel, 1891, and P. veteratrix Forel, 1891. The following 41 new species are described: P. alinasp. nov., P. ambohimangasp. nov., P. analavelonasp. nov., P. andohahelasp. nov., P. anomalasp. nov., P. anosyennesp. nov., P. antranohofasp. nov., P. beankasp. nov., P. befotakasp. nov., P. dasossp. nov., P. flavominutasp. nov., P. gracilissp. nov., P. habokasp. nov., P. havoanasp. nov., P. hazosp. nov., P. itremosp. nov., P. joffrevillesp. nov., P. kelysp. nov., P. lavasoasp. nov., P. mahamavosp. nov., P. maintysp. nov., P. mamiratrasp. nov., P. mananteninasp. nov., P. masoandrosp. nov., P. mavohavoanasp. nov., P. midongysp. nov., P. mikrossp. nov., P. mivorysp. nov., P. nitidobrunasp. nov., P. parvulasp. nov., P. parvulogibbasp. nov., P. reniranosp. nov., P. savasp. nov., P. sofiasp. nov., P. sparsasp. nov., P. tamponysp. nov., P. trichotossp. nov., P. tsaravonianasp. nov., P. vadumsp. nov., P. volontanysp. nov., and P. vonysp. nov. At present, there are 109 valid species and subspecies of Pheidole known from Madagascar, but this number is expected to increase with upcoming taxonomic revisions of the species groups not revised in this study.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4971 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-74
Author(s):  
OWEN D. SEEMAN

Eutarsopolipus (Acari: Podapolipidae) is a large genus of mites parasitic in the subelytral space of carabid beetles. Herein, I explore the species radiations of Eutarsopolipus on the pterostichine genera Castelnaudia and Notonomus found in the rainforests of eastern Australia. Castelnaudia has an extraordinary radiation of podapolipid mite species, with most beetle species carrying multiple species of mites unique to each host. In contrast, each Notonomus species had just one species of Eutarsopolipus (with the exception of a single male mite of another species), and in four of the five host species examined, the single mite species could not be distinguished from each other. The host beetles and their new mite species are: Castelnaudia cordata with E. hebronae sp. nov., E. osculum sp. nov. and E. umbonatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia eungella with E. savatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia marginifera with E. labiatus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia mixta with E. mixtus sp. nov.; Castelnaudia porphyriaca with E. basiatus sp. nov., E. despoticus sp. nov. and E. teuceri sp. nov.; Castelnaudia septemcostata with E. nahmani sp. nov. and E. raveni sp. nov.; Castelnaudia setosiceps with E. hadros sp. nov.; Notonomus aurifer, N. dimorphicus, N. flos and N. spurgeoni with E. janus sp. nov.; and Notonomus transitus with E. biuncatus sp. nov.  All the described species from Castelnaudia were from the ochoai species group, and the species on Notonomus were from the leytei species group. Ten additional undescribed species were also found on these hosts, all in numbers insufficient for description: nine from Castelnaudia (ochoai and pterostichi species groups) and one from Notonomus (undetermined species group). Synhospitality was common on Castelnaudia, with four species of Eutarsopolipus on C. cordata, C. eungella, C. porphyriaca and three on C. septemcostata. Co-infestation was also common, with one-third of infested beetles hosting two or more species of Eutarsopolipus. I speculate that the greater longevity and slower speciation rates of Castelnaudia have permitted more successful host-switching and speciation of its parasites. 


ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1031 ◽  
pp. 85-124
Author(s):  
Ante Vujić ◽  
Snežana Radenković ◽  
Laura Likov ◽  
Sanja Veselić

The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions. The present work summarizes the knowledge from recent taxonomic and systematic revisions and includes an identification key for the five monophyletic lineages (namely albifrons, aureus, avidus-nigritarsis, desuturinus and natans), 24 species groups, two species subgroups and 10 unplaced species, along with diagnosis and illustrations. A list of 234 taxa, including 194 described and 40 undescribed species, is appended. Most of the species are distributed in the Palaearctic (209 taxa, 181 described), while 27 species (14 described) are known from the Afrotropical Region. Three lineages (aureus, desuturinus and natans) are present in the Afrotropical Region, as well as in the Palaearctic. The Afrotropical melanocerus species group of the desuturinus lineage and the bombiformis species group of the aureus lineage are endemic to the Afrotropical Region, and all other species groups belong to the Palaearctic fauna. The albifrons lineage contains six species groups (albifrons, constans, equestris, geniculatus, ruficornis and rufus) and two unplaced taxa. The aureus lineage includes five species groups (aureus, bombiformis, funestus, nanus and spinitarsis). The avidus-nigritarsis lineage is divided into 10 species groups (aberrans, aurifer, avidus, clavipes, fulcratus, italicus, nigritarsis, pruni, serrulatus and tarsatus) and eight unplaced taxa. The desuturinus lineage contains two species groups: the Afrotropical melanocerus group, with the melanocerus and planifacies subgroups plus the species M. cuthbertsoni Curran, 1939, and the Palaearctic murorum species group. The natans lineage consists of the natans species group plus the species M. segetum Fabricius, 1794.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2929 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-58
Author(s):  
IGOR L. KAEFER ◽  
LUCIANA K. ERDTMANN ◽  
ALBERTINA P. LIMA

Physalaemus is recognized as an important system for the study of mechanisms and evolution of animal communication, especially because of studies involving the P. pustulosus species group. Physalaemus ephippifer is considered, together with P. fischeri (enesefae) and an undescribed species, to be the most similar species to the P. pustulosus group in external morphology, osteology, and characteristics of the call. Because of this, P. ephippifer has been included as an outgroup in studies to interpret patterns of signal-receiver evolution in the genus. Whereas details of the advertisement call structure of P. fischeri have been described (Tárano 2001), information (e.g., detailed graphic representation and range of variation) on P. ephippifer calls remains unavailable.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2949 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
LILY BERNIKER ◽  
SIGURD SZERLIP ◽  
DIMITRI FORERO ◽  
CHRISTIANE WEIRAUCH

Within the genus Apiomerus Hahn, 1831, the crassipes and the pictipes species groups are described. In the crassipes species group, three species are redescribed: Apiomerus crassipes (Fabricius, 1803), Apiomerus rufipennis (Fallou, 1889) and Apiomerus spissipes (Say, 1825); one subspecies is raised to species level and redescribed: Apiomerus cooremani Costa Lima, Campos Seabra & Hathaway, 1951; and six species are described as new: Apiomerus californicus Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov., Apiomerus cazieri Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov., Apiomerus floridensis Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov., Apiomerus montanus Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov., Apiomerus peninsularis Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov. and Apiomerus wygodzinskyi Berniker & Szerlip, sp. nov. In the pictipes species group, two species are redescribed, Apiomerus flaviventris Herrich-Schaeffer, 1846 and Apiomerus pictipes Herrich-Schaeffer, 1846, and one subspecies, Apiomerus pictipes pittieri Costa Lima, Campos Seabra, & Hathaway, 1951 is synonymized with Apiomerus pictipes. Neotypes are designated for Apiomerus flaviventris, Apiomerus pictipes, and Apiomerus spissipes. Lectotypes are designated for Apiomerus cooremani and Apiomerus crassipes. The composition of the species groups are different from those originally proposed by Sigurd Szerlip in his PhD dissertation. The crassipes group has one additional member, Apiomerus rufipennis. Furthermore, Apiomerus barrocoloradoi Forero, Berniker & Szerlip, 2010 and the two manuscript names “Apiomerus panther” and “Apiomerus tigris” were removed from the pictipes group. A key to the species is provided, as well as photographs of habitus and diagnostic features for both males and females. Intraspecific polychromatism is discussed as it relates to species identification and species delimitation.


2004 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne T. Howden

AbstractFauna of the genus Pandeleteius Schoenherr of Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, and the Lesser Antilles are revised in part. Six new species of Pandeleteius are described: P. trinidadensissp. nov. (P. angustirostris species group); P. sabanaensissp. nov. and P. bolivarisp. nov. (P. campestris species group, new concept); P. guriensissp. nov. and P. ductilissp. nov. (P. candidus species group, new concept); and P. clarkisp. nov. (P. modestus species group). The P. kirschi species group (new concept) is redefined based on male and female genitalia, and P. testaceipes Hustache is added to the species group. The other sex is described for three species formerly known from only one sex: the male of P. candidus Howden, male of P. arcanus Howden, and female of P. liberalis Howden. New findings on the post-pupal growth and morphology of the male and female genitalia are applied to the group- and species-level taxonomy. The key to the Pandeleteius species of Venezuela and Colombia is revised to include all the original species groups and subsequent changes, as well as all new taxa.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt A. M. Renner ◽  
Nicolas Devos ◽  
Elizabeth A. Brown ◽  
Matt J. von Konrat

Various published hypotheses regarding circumscription and relationships of species within the Radula parvitexta and R. ventricosa species groups were tested using molecular data from three chloroplast markers. The phylogeny resolves five clades within the R. parvitexta species group in Australia, which proves polyphyletic across two subgenera, or three subgenera if R. madagascariensis is included. One clade represents an undescribed species, R. psychosis sp. nov., one corresponds to R. madagascariensis, a new record for Australia, the others to R. ratkowskiana, R. tasmanica and R. robinsonii. R. ratkowskiana is reinstated from synonymy of R. tasmanica, and R. parvitexta is placed into synonymy of R. robinsonii. A second new species belonging to the R. parvitexta species group, R. kilgourii sp. nov., is described; however, it was not included in the phylogeny. Three clades were resolved within the R. ventricosa species group in Australia, which is nested within subg. Metaradula. These clades corresponded to R. jovetiana, R. loriana, which is reinstated from synonymy of R. ventricosa, and two new species, namely, R. myriopoda sp. nov. and R. forficata sp. nov. R. ventricosa is excluded from the Australian flora, because all material is referrable to R. loriana. R. forficata and R. kilgourii had not been collected before the present study. R. myriopoda and R. jovetiana exhibit overlap in morphology of the sterile gametophyte and can be reliably separated only on characters associated with the perianth mouth. They can be considered semicryptic species, and would not have been recognised independent of fieldwork and molecular investigations conducted as part of the present study.


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