Comparative morphology and species-groups of the oribatid mite genus Scapheremaeus (Acari: Oribatida: Cymbaeremaeidae), with new species from South Australia

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 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2217 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
MATTHEW COLLOFF ◽  
GISELLE PERDOMO

Six new species of oribatid mite belonging to the genus Crotonia are described from wet forests in Victoria, Australia. Crotonia alpina sp. nov., C. cornuta sp. nov. and C. victoriae sp. nov. belong to the Capistrata species-group, having the full complement of notogastral setae in the c series; whilst C. momitoi sp. nov., C. blacki sp. nov. and C. gadubanudi sp. nov. are members of the Cophinaria species-group, lacking setae c 2 . The fossil species Crotonia ramus (Womersley, 1957), also a member of the Cophinaria group, is redescribed from Tertiary Kauri pine resin (Agathis yallournensis). The new members of the Capistrata group share an unique combination of characters, including long flagelliform setae c 3 , shorter setiform c 2 and with setae c 3 the shortest of the c series; lateral strips of the notogastral shield ornamented with fields of tubercles; narrow, blunt bothridial auriculae and elongate parallel apophyses of setae h 2 projecting horizontally. The morphological homogeneity of this cluster of species is mirrored by the members of the Cophinaria species-group described herein which, together with C. pyemaireneri Colloff, 2009 and C. tasmanica Łochyńska, 2008 from Tasmania, plus C. jethurmerae Lee, 1985 from South Australia, share relatively well-developed setae d 2 , a porose notogastral shield with narrow lateral tuberculate strips; elongate, acute bothridial auriculae; long, flagelliform setae p 1 and relatively short apophyses of setae h 2 , divergent apically, and projecting posteriodorsally. The Victorian members of the Capistrata andCophinaria species-groups represent two homogeneous clusters of species associated with temperate rainforest refugia and wet sclerophyll forest in high-rainfall zones. An identification key is provided to the Australian species of Crotonia.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4942 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-591
Author(s):  
FABIANO STEFANELLO

The giant water bug fauna from tropical South America remains poorly known. Three species of Belostoma Latreille (Belostoma fittkaui De Carlo, B. sayagoi De Carlo and B. hirsutum Roback & Nieser) have been cited only a few times in the literature. These three species are remarkable since they represent an extreme variation for the genus, with article II of the labium distinctly shorter than article III. Here, the synonymy of B. hirsutum with B. sayagoi is proposed based on examination of type material and additional specimens. Further, B. fittkaui and B. sayagoi are redescribed, including discussion about comparative morphology with congeners. A new species group is proposed for these species and a key to the Belostoma species groups is provided. Distribution records are also updated. 


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. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2081 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW J. COLLOFF

Five new species of oribatid mite belonging to the Gondwanan genus Crotonia are described from South and Central America: C. macfadyeni sp. nov. from the Falkland Islands, C. carioca sp. nov. from Brazil, C. valdivia sp. nov. and C. wallworki sp. nov. both from Chile, and C. aculeata sp. nov. from Guatemala. The nymphal stages of C. macfadyeni are also described. The species-groups of Crotonia delineated by Luxton (1982) are redefined in relation to these new species and a re-evaluation of characters. Previously, the primary character for defining species-groups was the arrangement of the caudal apophyses. Greater emphasis is placed herein on the fusion of the dorsal shield with the rest of the notogaster and the presence or absence of a lateral hyaline region. The Nukuhivae group is merged into the Unguifera group (containing C. carioca sp. nov., C. cervicornia, C. melanesiae, C. nukuhivae and C. unguifera) and the Caudalis group into the Obtecta group (containing C. blaszaki, C. obtecta, C. pulchra, C. caudalis, C. cupulata, C. longibulba and C. tuberculata). The biogeography of Crotonia is re-assessed based on 43 recognised species. The redefined Obtecta group has a disjunct trans-Pacific distribution. The Unguifera group, present in the Neotropics, is also found in an arc from New Zealand to the Philippines and has also dispersed to the mid-Pacific Marquesas Islands. Three new speciesgroups are established. The Flagellata group, containing C. flagellata and C. reticulata, also has a disjunct trans-Pacific distribution. The Lanceolata group is dominated by species from oceanic islands and contains C. brassicae, C. lanceolata and C. perforata from St. Helena, C. brevicornuta from Campbell Island, and C. ovata from Tasmania. The Capistrata group contains those species which possess the full complement of setae in the c series (C. alluaudi, C. americana, C. ardala, C. borbora, C. capistrata, C. dicella, C. ecphyla, C. pauropelor, C. tasmaniana and C. tryjanowskii). It has a disjunct continental distribution represented in the Neotropical, Afrotropical and Australasian regions. The Cophinaria group (C. aculeata sp. nov., C. brachyrostrum, C. chiloensis, C. cophinaria, C. jethurmerae, C. lyrata, C. macfadyeni sp. nov., C. marlenae, C. pyemaireneri, C. ramus, C. rothschildi, C. valdivia sp. nov. and C. wallworki sp. nov.) has a similar distribution to the Capistrata group. The Afrotropical region has lowest diversity (two species-groups, six


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4413 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. EWART

Moulds (2012) established the genus Mugadina for two small cicadas, M. marshalli (Distant) and M. emma (Goding and Froggatt), both grass inhabiting species known from Queensland and New South Wales. Both species are notable for their relatively simple 'ticking' songs. Moulds further noted that there were at least two superficially similar genera of cicadas, but each with different genitalia. This paper describes two new genera of small (9–15 mm body lengths) and distinctive grass cicadas with genitalia that are very similar to those of Mugadina, but possess clear morphological, colour and calling song differences. The new genera are: Heremusina n. gen. with two known species namely H. udeoecetes n. sp. and H. pipatio n. sp.; the second new genus is Xeropsalta n. gen., containing four known species, X. thomsoni n. sp., X. aridula n. sp., X. rattrayi n. sp., and X. festiva n. comb. Heremusina n. gen. species are described from the Alice Springs area of Northern Territory and the Cloncurry area of northwest Queensland, from arid to semi arid habitats. The Xeropsalta n. gen. species are described from western, southwest and central Queensland, and from the Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts in northeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales, respectively, all locations in very arid to arid habitats, but close to seasonal (often irregular) rivers and lakes. X. festiva n. comb. occurs in semi arid habitats in southern and southeastern Australia.        Detailed taxonomic descriptions are provided of the new species, together with distributions, habitats, and the calling songs. The Heremusina species emit songs with short repetitive buzzing echemes, the echeme durations differing between each species. The Xeropsalta songs are notable for their complexity, containing multiple elements with rapid changes of amplitudes and temporal structures, rather atypical of the songs of most small grass dwelling cicadas. Detailed song structures distinguishing each of the species are illustrated and interpreted in each case in light of their respective taxonomic status. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2475 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW J. COLLOFF

This paper contains descriptions of thirteen new Australian species of Scapheremaeus Berlese, 1910, belonging to the species groups Carinatus from New South Wales and Victoria (S. alisonae sp. nov., S. allmani sp. nov., S. nivalis sp. nov., S. tuberculosus sp. nov. and S. zephyrus sp. nov.), Patella from Western Australia and Tasmania (S. baylyi sp. nov. and S. tegulatus sp. nov.), Petrosus from New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia (S. bulbosensillatus sp. nov., S. euthemellus sp. nov., S. minjambuta sp. nov., S. notoverrucatus sp. nov. and S. truncatus sp. nov.) and Emarginatus from Queensland (S. walteri sp. nov.), Only members of the predominantly Neotropical and Australasian Carinatus species-group have been described from Australia hitherto, and Australian species constitute a third of this group. The Patella species-group is mostly Afrotropical (four spp.), with one Palaearctic and three Australasian species, including the two new species described herein. The Petrosus species-group, previously known from three Palaearctic, two Oriental and one Neotropical species, is now dominated by five new Australian species described herein. The Emarginatus species-group contains one species each from Australia, New Zealand, Java and Cuba. A key to Australian species is provided. The genus Scapheremaeus contains some 112 species, and can beconsidered hyperdiverse by oribatid standards. Morphological traits are considered that may relate to the ecological diversification and adaptive radiation of Scapheremaeus, particularly those related to species living on leaves and stems within rainforest canopies.


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.


Acarologia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-98
Author(s):  
Maria L. Moraza ◽  
Evert E. Lindquist

A new species-group of Lasioseius is described from adults and immatures of four newly described and one undescribed species associated with hispine beetles of the genera Cephaloleia and Chelobasis and other gamasine mites in the furled leaf habitat of Heliconia and related Zingiberales plants. The species-group presents a suite of apomorphic attributes placing it in the subgenus L. (Lasioseius). Adults and immatures were found moving freely on and off the beetles when the latter were exposed from their habitat. Larviparity is indicated by adult females gravid with fully developed larvae. Limited data suggest considerable host specificity between mites and their beetle hosts, indicating that there may be a vast diversity of these mites associated with hundreds of species of hispine beetles in the Neotropical Region. Keys are provided to currently accepted species-groups of Lasioseius and to the species within the new species-group.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 968 ◽  
pp. 127-141
Author(s):  
Run-Jie Jiao ◽  
Li-Hong Bai ◽  
Jian-Jun Gao

The genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere (Diptera, Drosophilidae) is known to include 30 described and nearly 60 undescribed species classified into six species groups. Among these, the C. gigantea group of seven known species (two Southeast Asian and five Chinese) proved to be peculiar for its specificity on monsteroid (subfamily Monsteroideae, family Araceae) host plants. In this paper, two new species, C. todai Jiao & Gao, sp. nov. and C. liae Jiao & Gao, sp. nov., are described as members of the C. gigantea group with specimens collected from inflorescences of the monsteroid host species Rhaphidophora peepla (Roxb.) Schott and R. crassicaulis Engl. & Krause, respectively, in Yunnan, China. The two new species are delimitated, in comparison with all known species, based on not only morphological but also DNA barcode (partial sequence of the mitochondrial COI, i.e., cytochrome c oxydase subunit I, gene) data. A revised key to all the nine species of the C. gigantea species group is provided.


Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Yoshitomi

The endophallic structure of the genus Laius is studied and discussed based on the examination of 19 species from Asia to the Indian Ocean. The structure contains two primary sclerites (named gonoporal piece and ligula), a secondary sclerite on the basal part of the gonoporal piece (named additional sclerite) in some species, and a membranous basal area closely covered with many spines (named spinous area). Five species groups are recognized based on the morphology of the endophallic sclerites. The sympatric species have different body sizes and quite distinguishable endophallic sclerites (= different species group), while the allopatric species have overlapping body sizes and similar endophallic sclerites (= same species group). Three new species are described and six previously known species are redescribed with endophallic sclerites, and the descriptions of endophallic sclerites of the remaining ten species are added. The larva of Laius rodriguesensis sp. nov. is also described. The genus Nossibeus Evers, 1994 is synonymised with Laius Guérin-Méneville, 1830.


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