scholarly journals On the diagnostic characters of the genus Stygonitocrella (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), with descriptions of seven new species from Australian subterranean waters

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2324 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOMISLAV KARANOVIC ◽  
PETER HANCOCK

Seven new freshwater ameirids were discovered in the Australian subterranean habitats, six of which would fit into the present unsatisfactory diagnosis of the genus Stygonitocrella Reid, Hunt & Stanley, 2003. Two of them were discovered in Pioneer Valley, Queensland, representing the first record of this genus in eastern Australia. Four other species were collected from the Pilbara region in Western Australia, the same region in Australia where the first three representatives of this genus were reported. An additional new species was collected in the Kimberley region in Western Australia and could not be assigned to the revised genus Stygonitocrella, but has some remarkable similarities with species that were in the past considered to be members of this genus. In order to assess the most natural allocation of these ameirid taxa, a revision of the genus Stygonitocrella was made, based on a cladistic approach by using 57 phylogenetically informative morphological characters. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of six monophyletic groups, giving ground for the establishment of six new genera, three of them created to accommodate a single new Australian species: Kimberleynitocrella billhumphreysi gen. et sp. nov. from several bores in the Argyle Diamond Mine and Ord River in the Kimberley region in Western Australia, Gordanitocrella trajani gen. et sp. nov. from three different localities in the Pilbara region in Western Australia, and Lucionitocrella yalleenensis gen. et sp. nov. from a single bore on the Yalleen Station, also in the Pilbara region in Western Australia. All three new Australian genera have a basal position on the phylogenetic tree, because they share several plesiomorphic characters; nevertheless they are well defined by the combination of apomorphic and plesiomorphic features. The generic diagnosis of Stygonitocrella is emended and the genus redefined to include only four species: S. montana (Noodt, 1965) from Argentina (the type species), S. dubia (Chappuis, 1937) and S. guadalfensis Rouch, 1985 from Spain and S. sequoyahi Reid, Hunt & Stanley, 2003 from the United States. The Cuban S. orghidani (Petkovski, 1973) was left as incertae sedis in this genus. The subgenus Fiersiella Huys, 2009 is established as a junior subjective synonym of Stygonitocrella. Generic diagnoses are emended for the monospecific Australian genus Inermipes Lee & Huys, 2002, the monospecific Japanese genus Neonitocrella Lee & Huys, 2002 and the North American genus Psammonitocrella Huys, 2009, that contains two species. The genus Reidnitocrella gen. nov. is erected to accommodate three closely related central Asian species: R. tianschanica (Borutzky, 1972) comb. nov., R. pseudotianschanica (Sterba, 1973) comb. nov., and R. djirgalanica (Borutzky, 1978) comb. nov. Also, after carefully examining the available published information on R. tianschanica another new species is recognized in this genus: R. borutzkyi sp. nov. The genus Eduardonitocrella gen. nov. is erected for the Mexican E. mexicana (Suárez-Morales & Iliffe, 2005) comb. nov. The newly established genus Megastygonitocrella gen. nov. is the largest one in this group of freshwater ameirids, containing the following 11 species: M. trispinosa (Karanovic, 2006) comb. nov. (type species), M. bispinosa (Karanovic, 2006) comb. nov., M. unispinosa (Karanovic, 2006) comb. nov., M. ecowisei sp. nov., M. dec sp. nov., M. pagusregalis sp. nov., M. kryptos sp. nov., M. karamani (Petkovski, 1959) comb. nov., M. petkovskii (Pesce, 1985) comb. nov., M. ljovuschkini (Borutzky, 1967) comb. nov. and M. colchica (Borutzky & Michailova-Neikova, 1970) comb. nov. The first five species are endemic to the Pilbara region in Western Australia, the next two are described from Queensland, M. karamani is known from Slovenia, M. petkovskii from Greece, while the last two species are endemic to the Caucasus. A Tethyan origin for this genus is here hypothesized. New locality data is presented for the first three species, which revealed that M. trispinosa is the most common and widely distributed member of this group (although restricted to a single Australian region), while M. bispinosa and M. unispinosa are short range endemics. A key to species is provided for each polytypic genus, as well as a key to genera of Stygonitocrella s. l.

2021 ◽  
pp. SP521-2021-127
Author(s):  
Tingting Yu

AbstractThe genus Hirsuticyclus Neubauer, Xing & Jochum, 2019 was the first record of an exceptionally preserved land snail with dense periostracal hairs from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Here we document four newly-discovered shells from Kachin amber, one belonging to the type species Hirsuticyclus electrum Neubauer, Xing & Jochum, 2019 and the remaining three shells belonging to a new species, Hirsuticyclus canaliculatus sp. nov. Well-preserved morphological characteristics of these two species could be clearly demonstrated under light microscopy combined with modern micro-CT scans with computer 3D reconstructions. Our new material of the type species amends the generic diagnosis based on a better-preserved shell including the peristome and operculum. The new species shows distinctive shell characteristics such as numerous spiral keels and a flaring, folded peristome interrupted by two canals. These excellently preserved fossils contribute to our understanding of the morphological diversity and evolution of these ancient members of cyclophoroids.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1810 (1) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
YENUMULA RANGA REDDY ◽  
DANIELLE DEFAYE

Rybocyclops Dussart, 1982 is a little-known stygobitic genus, hitherto represented by its type and only species, R. pauliani (Lindberg, 1954), from Madagascar. A second species, named Rybocyclops dussarti sp. nov., is described herein from an agricultural bore-well in southeastern India. The new species has a unique combination of morphological characters, which, inter alia, include: genital double-somite enlarged; anal operculum moderately large; furcal rami somewhat outcurved and about twice as long as wide; female antennules 11-segmented; legs 1–4 with spine formula 2.2.2.2, and setal formula 5.5.5.4; legs 1 and 4 without seta on inner margin of coxa and basis; leg 4 male with one seta more than in female on second endopodal segment; leg 5 fused to somite and represented by vague protuberance, bearing three setae; and leg 6 reduced to two setae. The generic diagnosis is partially amended for accommodating the new species. The discovery of R. dussarti sp. nov. is of much biogeographic interest because it is the first record of Rybocyclops from Asia and only the second freshwater stygobitic cyclopoid taxon from India, with apparent Gondwanan distribution.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4410 (1) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
M. B. MALIPATIL

The assassin bugs of the genus Ptilocerus Gray, 1831 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Holoptilinae) occurring in the Australian Region are reviewed for the first time, resulting in the description of two new species, viz., P. spangenbergi sp. nov. (Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia) and P. papuensis sp. nov. (Papua New Guinea). The latter species differs from P. fuscus Gray, 1831 (the type-species of genus Ptilocerus) in a couple of major external morphological characters, hence its tentative placement in the genus Ptilocerus is discussed. A key for the separation of the two new species is provided. 


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Rix

The Pararchaeidae, a family of cryptic spiders known only from Australia and New Zealand, is revised. Six new genera: Anarchaea, gen. nov., Flavarchaea, gen. nov., Forstrarchaea, gen. nov., Nanarchaea, gen. nov., Ozarchaea, gen. nov., Westrarchaea, gen. nov., and 24 new species are described, 23 from mainland Australia and one from New Zealand. Anarchaea, gen. nov. from eastern Australia contains four species: A. corticola (Hickman, 1969), comb. nov. (type species), A. falcata, sp. nov., A. raveni, sp. nov. and A. robusta (Rix, 2005), comb. nov. Flavarchaea from eastern, southern and south-western Australia contains seven species: F. anzac, sp. nov., F. badja, sp. nov., F. barmah, sp. nov., F. hickmani (Rix, 2005), comb. nov., F. lofty, sp. nov., F. lulu (Rix, 2005), comb. nov. (type species) and F. stirlingensis, sp. nov. Forstrarchaea is represented only by the type species F. rubra (Forster, 1949), comb. nov. from New Zealand. Nanarchaea from eastern Australia contains two species: N. bryophila (Hickman, 1969), comb. nov. and N. binnaburra (Forster, 1955), comb. nov. (type species). Ozarchaea from Australia and New Zealand contains 16 species: O. bodalla, sp. nov., O. bondi, sp. nov., O. daviesae, sp. nov., O. forsteri, sp. nov., O. harveyi, sp. nov., O. janineae, sp. nov., O. ornata (Hickman, 1969), comb. nov. (type species), O. platnicki, sp. nov., O. saxicola (Hickman, 1969), comb. nov., O. spurgeon, sp. nov., O. stradbroke, sp. nov., O. valida, sp. nov., O. waldockae, sp. nov., O. werrikimbe, sp. nov., O. westraliensis, sp. nov. and O. wiangarie, sp. nov. Pararchaea Forster, 1955 is represented only by the type species P. alba Forster, 1955 from New Zealand. Westrarchaea, endemic to south-western Western Australia, contains three species: W. pusilla, sp. nov., W. sinuosa, sp. nov. (type species) and W. spinosa, sp. nov. A morphological cladistic analysis of the Pararchaeidae supported monophyly of the genera. Natural history information is summarised for each species where known, and the moulting behaviour, mating behaviour and egg sac of a pararchaeid species are described for the first time.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4291 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
BRIAN V. TIMMS ◽  
MARTIN SCHWENTNER

The original type species of Australimnadia is made a junior synonym of A. grobbeni, originally described as Limnadia grobbeni Daday, 1925. A second species of Australimnadia is described from Onslow, Western Australia; it differs in having unique egg morphology and is distinct in many morphological characters, including those of the telson and cercopod, but also of the thoracopods. Its validity is confirmed by molecular differences between the two species in COI and EF1α. A third species from southwestern Western Australia is separated morphologically by unique spination of the telson and setation of the cercopod, and by its egg morphology. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2271 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
HISASHI IMAMURA ◽  
LESLIE W. KNAPP

A new plataycephalid, Platycephalus orbitalis, is described on the basis of specimens collected in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia at depths of 50–144 m. The new species had been mistakenly identified as P. marmoratus, which is now known to be restricted to eastern Australia. Several morphological characters (e.g, 65–68 pored scales in lateral line, snout and interorbit naked, and caudal fin blackish with white posterior margin) can separate Platycephalus orbitalis sp. nov. and P. marmoratus from the other 14 congeners. In addition, Platycephalus orbitalis sp. nov. differs from P. marmoratus in having the margin of the interopercle scalloped, skinny sensory tubes on the infraorbitals, the preopercle well developed and mostly covering the cheek region, and the body and head lacking distinct large spots and bands dorsally.


2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Roelofs ◽  
Ted Playton ◽  
Milo Barham ◽  
Kate Trinajstic

Abstract A diverse microvertebrate fauna is described from the Virgin Hills and Napier formations, Bugle Gap Limestone Canning Basin, Western Australia. Measured sections at Horse Spring and Casey Falls (Virgin Hills Formation) and South Oscar Range (Napier Formation) comprise proximal to distal slope carbonates ranging in age from the Late Devonian Frasnian to middle Famennian. A total of 18 chondrichthyan taxa are identified based on teeth, including the first record of Thrinacodus tranquillus, Cladoides wildungensis, Protacrodus serra and Lissodus lusavorichi from the Canning Basin. A new species, Diademodus dominicus sp. nov. is also described and provides the first record of this genus outside of Laurussia. In addition, the upper range of Australolepis seddoni has been extended to Late Devonian conodont Zone 11, making it the youngest known occurrence for this species. The Virgin Hills and Napier formations microvertebrate faunas show close affinities to faunas recovered from other areas of Gondwana, including eastern Australia, Iran, Morocco and South China, which is consistent with known conodont and trilobite faunas of the same age.


Author(s):  
Stuart A. Halse ◽  
Koen Martens

Five new species in four new genera from Western Australia are described. All species have valve characters that are reminiscent of the genus Heterocypris Claus, 1892 and also have similar valve outlines, with highly arched valves. However, all species have a hemipenis morphology that is totally different from the typical form in Heterocypris. In Patcypris gen. nov. (with type species P. outback gen. et sp. nov.), the lateral lobe is large and shaped as a pickaxe, while the medial lobe is divided into two distal lobes. Trilocypris gen. nov. (with type species T. horwitzi gen. et sp. nov.) is characterised by a hemipenis that has three, instead of two, distal lobes. In Bilocypris gen. nov. (with type species B. fortescuensis gen. et sp. nov. and a second species, B. mandoraensis gen. et sp. nov.), the lateral lobe of the hemipenis is spatulate, rather than boot-shaped, and the medial lobe is bilobed. Billcypris gen. nov. (with type species B. davisae gen. et sp. nov.) has a large and sub-rectangular lateral lobe and a pointed medial lobe. We discuss the taxonomic value of the traditional and new morphological characters and speculate that the diversity of this cluster of genera and species may be greater than currently known.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Kealley ◽  
Paul Doughty ◽  
Mitzy Pepper ◽  
J. Scott Keogh ◽  
Mia Hillyer ◽  
...  

The methods used to detect and describe morphologically cryptic species have advanced in recent years, owing to the integrative nature of molecular and morphological techniques required to elucidate them. Here we integrate recent phylogenomic work that sequenced many genes but few individuals, with new data from mtDNA and morphology from hundreds of gecko specimens of theGehyra variegatagroup from the Australian arid zone. To better understand morphological and geographical boundaries among cryptic forms, we generated new sequences from 656Gehyraindividuals, largely assigned toG. variegatagroup members over a wide area in Western Australia, with especially dense sampling in the Pilbara region, and combined them with 566Gehyrasequences from GenBank, resulting in a dataset of 1,222 specimens. Results indicated the existence of several cryptic species, from new species with diagnostic morphological characters, to cases when there were no useful characters to discriminate among genetically distinctive species. In addition, the cryptic species often showed counter-intuitive distributions, including broad sympatry among some forms and short range endemism in other cases. Two new species were on long branches in the phylogram and restricted to the northern Pilbara region: most records of the moderately sizedG. incognitasp. nov. are near the coast with isolated inland records, whereas the small-bodied saxicolineG. unguiculatasp. nov. is only known from a small area in the extreme north of the Pilbara. Three new species were on shorter branches in the phylogram and allied toG. montium. The moderately sizedG. cryptasp. nov. occurs in the western and southern Pilbara and extends south through the Murchison region; this species was distinctive genetically, but with wide overlap of characters with its sister species,G. montium. Accordingly, we provide a table of diagnostic nucleotides for this species as well as for all other species treated here. Two small-bodied species occur in isolated coastal regions:G. capensissp. nov. is restricted to the North West Cape andG. ocellatasp. nov. occurs on Barrow Island and other neighbouring islands. The latter species showed evidence of introgression with the mtDNA ofG. cryptasp. nov., possibly due to recent connectivity with the mainland owing to fluctuating sea levels. However,G. ocellatasp. nov. was more closely related toG. capensissp. nov. in the phylogenomic data and in morphology. Our study illustrates the benefits of combining phylogenomic data with extensive screens of mtDNA to identify large numbers of individuals to the correct cryptic species. This approach was able to provide sufficient samples with which to assess morphological variation. Furthermore, determination of geographic distributions of the new cryptic species should greatly assist with identification in the field, demonstrating the utility of sampling large numbers of specimens across wide areas.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Taylor

AbstractA new genus of Monoscutidae (Arachnida: Opiliones), Australiscutum, containing three new species, A. hunti (type species), A. graciliforceps and A. triplodaemon, is described from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Australiscutum triplodaemon differs from all other Opiliones described to date in possessing noticeably asymmetrical chelicerae, with the right chelicera much larger than the left.


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