A review of the genus Asca (Acarina : Ascidae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new leaf-inhabiting species

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
DE Walter ◽  
RB Halliday ◽  
EE Lindquist

Australian mites in the genus Asca were last reviewed in 1956 when the first three Australian species were described. We here provide diagnoses for those species, describe three new species (Asca macromela, A. grostali and A. mindi) from the leaves of rainforest trees, and report on the occurrence in Australia of a species described from New Zealand (A. porosa Wood) and of a cosmopolitan thelytokous species (A. garmani Hurlbutt). Keys to the eight species and the three species-groups they represent are provided. Examination of 13 266 leaves from 193 species of woody plants in eastern Australian forests indicated that Asca mites are abundant and diverse inhabitants of tropical rainforest canopies, but decline in both diversity and abundance with increasing latitude.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4347 (3) ◽  
pp. 511
Author(s):  
CHRIS H.S. WATTS ◽  
STEVEN J.B. COOPER ◽  
KATHLEEN M. SAINT

The phylogenetic relationships of 26 Australian species of Scirtes Illiger, Ora Clark and Exochomoscirtes Pic (Scirtidae) were investigated using adult morphology, particularly male and female genitalia, larval morphology and molecular data from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the nuclear genes elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1- a) and topoisomerase I (TOP1). Four species of Scirtes and one of Ora from Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan were included. The genus Scirtes is shown to be paraphyletic with respect to the genera Ora and Exochomoscirtes. Australian Scirtes were shown to belong to four species groups: Scirtes elegans group (Yoshitomi 2009); S. helmsi group (Watts 2004); S. japonicus group (Nyholm 2002); and S. haemisphaericus group (Yoshitomi 2005). The prehensor and bursal sclerite of 15 species are illustrated as well as habitus illustrations of S. zwicki sp. nov. and S. albamaculatus Watts. Three new species from Australia are described: Scirtes lynnae, S. zwicki and S. serratus spp. nov. Scirtes nehouensis Ruta & Yoshitomi 2010 is synonymised with S. emmaae Watts 2004. Scirtes pygmaeus Watts, 2004 is synonymised with S. pinjarraensis Watts, 2006. Scirtes rutai nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement name for S. beccus Ruta, Kiałka & Yoshitomi, 2014 from Sabah as it is preoccupied by S. beccus Watts, 2004 from Australia. 



Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4923 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-66
Author(s):  
NICOLE L. GUNTER ◽  
THOMAS A. WEIR

This publication is the third part of an ongoing revision of Australian species of the genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) and revises three species groups. Keys to species within the L. ustulatus, L. storeyi, and L. nitidus species groups are provided and eight new species are described. Within the L. ustulatus species group, L. ustulatus (Lansberge, 1874) and L. globulus (Macleay, 1887) are redescribed and three new species are described: Lepanus cameroni new species from Cape York Peninsula, far north Queensland; Lepanus cardwellensis new species from the Australian Wet Tropics, northern Queensland; and Lepanus lemannae new species from the Australian Wet Tropics to the Central Mackay Coast, Queensland. Within the L. storeyi species group, L. storeyi Weir & Monteith, 2010 is redescribed and two new species are described: Lepanus meierae new species from southeastern Queensland to Wollongong, New South Wales and Lepanus williamsi new species from eastern New South Wales. Within the L. nitidus species group, L. nitidus Matthews 1974 and L. dichrous Gillet, 1925 are redescribed and three new species are described: Lepanus vangerweni new species, Lepanus carbinensis new species, and Lepanus kulki new species from the Australian Wet Tropics, northern Queensland. Following these descriptions, a total of 50 Lepanus species are now described from Australia. 



1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 823 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Evans Walter ◽  
Jennifer J. Beard

We revise the Australian Phytoseiinae (Acari : Mesostigmata : Phytoseiidae) based on a study of over 1000 slide-mounted specimens. Of the three currently recognised genera in the subfamily, onlyPhytoseius is known from Australia, but endemic species occur in each of its three species-groups. We describe 11 new species, including P. bunya, the first Australian representative of the purseglovei-group. The plumifer-group is represented by five species including P. danutae, sp. nov. and P. improcerus Corpuz, a Philippine mite newly reported from Australia; in addition, P. leaki Schicha is newly reported from New Zealand. In Australia, the horridus-group contains two oceanic-island species, P. hawaiiensis Prasad and P. mayottae Schicha (newly reported), and two complexes of Australasian endemics. The fotheringhamiae-complex has seven species, including three new species from tropical rainforests in far north Queensland – P. paluma,P. camelot and P. devildevil; in addition, P. fotheringhamiae is newly reported from New Zealand. The douglasensis-complex also has seven species, including six new species from Queensland and the Northern Territory: P. oreillyi, P. acaciae, P. brigalow, P. mantoni, P. darwin and P. litchfieldensis. All 22 species of Phytoseiusknown from Australia are keyed and diagnosed, and their distributions are detailed.



2018 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-196
Author(s):  
Michael Darby

Some 2,000 Ptiliidae collected in the North and South Islands of New Zealand in 1983/1984 by Peter Hammond of the Natural History Museum, London, are determined to 34 species, four of which are new to the country. As there are very few previous records, most from the Auckland district of North Island, the Hammond collection provides much new distributional data. The three new species: Nellosana insperatus sp. n., Notoptenidium flavum sp. n., and Notoptenidium johnsoni sp. n., are described and figured; the genus Ptiliodes is moved from Acrotrichinae to Ptiliinae, and Ptenidium formicetorum Kraatz recorded as a new introduction. Information is provided to aid separation of the new species from those previously recorded.



2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-195
Author(s):  
Charlotte M. Taylor

Psychotria subg. Heteropsychotria Steyerm. has been shown by morphological and molecular analyses to be polyphyletic. Most of its species, including its type, belong to Palicourea Aubl. (“Pal.”). Thirty-two species of this group are reviewed here, and 17 species in Psychotria L. are transferred to Palicourea and one to Rudgea Salisb. Two replacement names, Pal. agudeloana C. M. Taylor and Pal. tabayensis C. M. Taylor, are published. Taxonomic studies here clarify circumscriptions of similar, often-confused species for several distinctive species groups found variously in Mesoamerica and the Andes: the Palicourea aschersonianoides group, the Palicourea galeottiana group, the Palicourea sulphurea group, and the Palicourea tristis group. Three new species of Palicourea are described: Pal. aschersonianula C. M. Taylor, Pal. gonzaleziana C. M. Taylor, and Pal. wachterae C. M. Taylor. Nineteen names are newly typified, and infrageneric classifications are noted for the species of Palicourea studied.



Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5061 (2) ◽  
pp. 340-352
Author(s):  
MARCOS FIANCO ◽  
OSCAR J. CADENA-CASTAÑEDA ◽  
NEUCIR SZINWELSKI ◽  
LUIZ R. R. FARIA

Three new species of Anaulacomera are described, Anaulacomera (Anaulacomera) mariellae sp. n. and Anaulacomera (Anallomes) arlindoi sp. n., belonging respectively to the Inermis and Lanceolata species group, and Anaulacomera angelinae sp. n., placed as incertae sedis. The individuals were collected at the Iguaçu National Park and adjacent small fragments of Atlantic Forest, in southwestern Paraná state, Brazil. The description was based on external morphology of males. We also present distribution maps for the species of the Inermis and the Lanceolata species groups.  





Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2238 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZENG QI ZHAO

Tripylina contains six accepted species. Morphologically, five new species can be briefly characterized as follows: T. tearoha sp. nov., T. manurewa sp. nov. and T. tamaki sp. nov. each have a single ventromedian seta and two pairs of lateral setae in the cervical region; T. tearoha sp. nov. differs from T. tamaki sp. nov. by de Man’s Index a (25–30 vs 20– 23), and differs from T. manurewa sp. nov. by the distance of the ventromedian cervical seta from the head end (62–77 vs 78–86 μ m). T. manurewa sp. nov. differs from T. tamaki sp. nov. by de Man’s Index a (24–29 vs 20–23). Molecularly, these three new species can be differentiated by SSU & LSU analysis. Tripylina yeatesi sp. nov. and T. kaikoura sp. nov. are characterised by relatively long bodies, and the absence of ventromedian cervical setae; Tripylina yeatesi sp. nov. differs from T. kaikoura sp. nov. by de Man’s Indices: a (29–30 vs 22–23), b (5.8–6.0 vs 6.0–6.2), c (18–26 vs 14–16) and c’ (2.0–2.6 vs 2.7–3.0), respectively. Among the six previously described species, the main distinguishing features for T. arenicola and T. ursulae are their subventral stoma denticles lying posterior to the dorsal tooth, which differentiates them from T. longa, T. macroseta, T. sheri and T. stramenti. All published species also can be differentiated by: body length; values of De Man’s Indices a, b, c, c’ and V; presence or absence of setae and setal positions. A key is provided for all eleven species of the genus.



Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4623 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-484
Author(s):  
SABINE MELZER ◽  
ROD A. HITCHMOUGH ◽  
TRENT BELL ◽  
DAVID G. CHAPPLE ◽  
GEOFF B. PATTERSON

New Zealand has a diverse skink fauna, comprising 45 described native species, and at least 15 undescribed taxa, within the single genus Oligosoma Girard, 1857. One of the earliest described, and best known, species is the speckled skink, Oligosoma infrapunctatum (Boulenger 1887). Despite a relatively stable taxonomic history for nearly 114 years, recent molecular work has indicated that O. infrapunctatum represents a species complex, comprising numerous genetically divergent, range restricted taxa. We completed the first stage of a taxonomic revision of O. infrapunctatum, conducting a morphological re-evaluation of existing voucher material, and newly collected specimens, and generated a molecular phylogeny for the species complex. This allowed us to distinguish six species: O. infrapunctatum, two species resurrected from synonymy (O. newmani, O. robinsoni), and three new species (O. salmo sp. nov., O. albornense sp. nov. O. auroraensis sp. nov.). The name bearing type population of O. infrapunctatum has not been located again for at least 130 years: it remains to be rediscovered and may already be extinct. Two of the six species here are considered ‘Nationally Critical’ (O. albornense sp. nov., O. salmo sp. nov.) under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, the others are Nationally Vulnerable (O. auroraensis sp. nov.) and At Risk—Relict (O. newmani, O. robinsoni). Further taxonomic work will be required to determine the taxonomy of other speckled skink genetic lineages in the South Island, particularly O. aff. infrapunctatum “cobble”, O. “Hokitika”, O. “Southern North Island” and O. “Westport”. 



Zootaxa ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 1075 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIA GRAZIA BINDA ◽  
GIOVANNI PILATO ◽  
OSCAR LISI

Macrobiotus furciger Murray, has been considered a probable cosmopolitan species. The authors examined specimens named M. furciger from two subantarctic areas from New Zealand, and from South Africa and noted that in the subantarctic area two species are present: M. furciger and a new species here described and named Macrobiotus aradasi sp. nov. The specimens from New Zealand belong to a different species here described and named Macrobiotus divergens sp. nov., and the specimens from South Africa belong to a third new species here described and named Macrobiotus sicheli sp. nov. The authors also hypothesize that the records of Macrobiotus furciger from Andamane Islands and from Europe may refer to different species.



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