Adamastoraltica humicola, new genus and new species: the first example of possible moss-inhabiting flea beetle genus from sub-Saharan Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4763 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAURIZIO BIONDI ◽  
MATTIA IANNELLA ◽  
PAOLA D’ALESSANDRO
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Flea Beetle ◽  
Extensor Tendon ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Western Cape Province ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
External Characteristics

Adamastoraltica humicola gen. nov. and sp. nov. from the Republic of South Africa (Western Cape Province) is described. The new genus, collected in the humus, shows external characteristics typical of the moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera, mainly: very small size, very convex and subglobose body, antennae with enlarged apical antennomeres, strongly reduced hind wings, greatly simplified and shortened mesothorax and metathorax, and elytra lacking humeral calli. Adamastoraltica gen. nov. shows some similarities with the Asian genus Cangshanaltica Konstantinov, Chamorro, Prathapan, Ge & Yang. However, the absence of the scutellum brings this new genus close to Stegnaspea Baly, also occurring in Western Cape Province. For the new flea beetle genus, data on distribution are supplied, along with preliminary ecological notes. Photomicrographs of main morphological characters, including male and female genitalia, and metafemoral extensor tendon are also provided. Finally, the updated distribution of the moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera described so far, excluding the subtribe Monoplatina, is supplied. 

scholarly journals Hesperoides, a new “hairy” flea beetle genus from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

2017 ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Biondi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Flea Beetle ◽  
Extensor Tendon ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic

Hesperoides afromeridionalis gen. nov. and sp. nov. from the Republic of South Africa (Western and Eastern Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal) is described. Despite some similarities with Hespera Weise, it exhibits major affinities with the genera attributed to the subtribe Aphthonini, especially with Aphthona Chevrolat and Montiaphthona Scherer. Data on distribution are supplied, along with preliminary ecological notes. Photomicrographs of main morphological characters, including male and female genitalia, and metafemoral extensor tendon are provided. Key to the six “hairy” flea beetle genera occurring in sub-Saharan African and their habitus photos are also given.

Supraspecific taxonomy of the flea beetle genus Blepharida Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Afrotropical Region and description of Afroblepharida subgen. nov.

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Biondi ◽  
Roberta Frasca ◽  
Elizabeth Grobbelaar ◽  
Paola D’Alessandro
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Flea Beetle ◽  
Cladistic Analysis ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
New Name ◽  
New Subgenus ◽  
Afrotropical Region ◽  
Sub Saharan

The supraspecific taxonomy of the species traditionally attributed to the flea beetle genusBlepharidaChevrolat, 1836 is discussed. A cladistic analysis, based on 30 morphological characters of traditionalBlepharidaspecies, has revealed that two genera occur in Sub-Saharan Africa:CalothecaHeyden, 1887 andBlepharidinaBechyné, 1968. The latter genus is known from Africa, and probably also Madagascar, and has two subgenera:Blepharidinas.str. andAfroblepharidasubgen. nov. Twenty-seven traditionalBlepharidaspecies are here attributed to the genusCalothecaHeyden, while eighteen species are assigned to the genusBlepharidinaBechyné. FourBlepharidinaspecies,antinorii(Chapuis, 1879),gedyei(Bryant, 1948),scripta(Weise, 1904) andsomaliensis(Bryant, 1948), belong to the new subgenusAfroblepharida. The following new synonymies are established:Eutheca conradsiWeise, 1906= Eutheca erlangeriWeise, 1907 syn. nov. =Blepharidella irregularisBryant, 1945 syn. nov.;Blepharida marginalisWeise, 1902 =Blepharida monticolaWeise, 1926 syn. nov. =Blepharida ugandaeBryant, 1944 syn. nov.;Blepharida inornataJacoby, 1895 =Blepharida semisulcataAchard, 1922 syn. nov.;Blepharidella lewiniWeise in Lewin, 1912 =Blepharidella picticollisBryant, 1945 syn. nov.;Podontia nigrotessellataBaly, 1865= Blepharidella rubrosignataBryant, 1945 syn. nov.= Blepharidella variabilisBryant, 1945 syn. nov.;Blepharida ornataBaly, 1881= Blepharida freyiBechyné, 1954 syn. nov.;Podontia reticulataBaly, 1865= Blepharida guttulaBryant, 1944 syn. nov.;Blepharida antinoriiChapuis, 1879 =Blepharida sudanicaBryant, 1944 syn. nov.;Blepharida scriptaWeise, 1904= Blepharida geminataBryant, 1944 syn. nov. In addition:Blepharida plagipennisAchard, 1922, its locality certainly mislabeled, is transferred to the New World genusNotozonaChevrolat, 1837;Calotheca thunbergiis proposed as the new name forBlepharida stolida(Thunberg, 1808). Finally, an updated catalogue of the known species ofCalothecaandBlepharidinais also supplied, including new synonymies, material examined, new faunistic records, distributions and chorotypes.

scholarly journals Congolius, a new genus of African reed frog endemic to the central Congo: A potential case of convergent evolution

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadeáš Nečas ◽  
Gabriel Badjedjea ◽  
Michal Vopálenský ◽  
Václav Gvoždík
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Potential Case ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe reed frog genus Hyperolius (Afrobatrachia, Hyperoliidae) is a speciose genus containing over 140 species of mostly small to medium-sized frogs distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Its high level of colour polymorphism, together with in anurans relatively rare sexual dichromatism, make systematic studies more difficult. As a result, the knowledge of the diversity and taxonomy of this genus is still limited. Hyperolius robustus known only from a handful of localities in rain forests of the central Congo Basin is one of the least known species. Here, we have used molecular methods for the first time to study the phylogenetic position of this taxon, accompanied by an analysis of phenotype based on external (morphometric) and internal (osteological) morphological characters. Our phylogenetic results undoubtedly placed H. robustus out of Hyperolius into a common clade with sympatric Cryptothylax and West African Morerella. To prevent the uncovered paraphyly, we place H. robustus into a new genus, Congolius. The review of all available data suggests that the new genus is endemic to the central Congolian lowland rain forests. The analysis of phenotype underlined morphological similarity of the new genus to some Hyperolius species. This uniformity of body shape (including cranial shape) indicates that the two genera have either retained ancestral morphology or evolved through convergent evolution under similar ecological pressures in the African rain forests.

Conflicts in Biafra, Katanga and Cabinda as a result of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (10-3) ◽  
pp. 238-246
Author(s):  
Olga Dzhenchakova
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Economic Factor ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

The article considers the impact of the colonial past of some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its effect on their development during the post-colonial period. The negative consequences of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism are shown on the example of three countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Angola, expressed in the emergence of conflicts in these countries based on ethno-cultural, religious and socio-economic contradictions. At the same time, the focus is made on the economic factor and the consequences of the consumer policy of the former metropolises pursuing their mercantile interests were mixed.

Cymatosirella Dąbek, Witkowski & Sabbe gen. nov., a new marine benthic diatom genus (Bacillariophyta) belonging to the family Cymatosiraceae

Phytotaxa ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 183 (2) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
PRZEMYSŁAW DĄBEK ◽  
KOEN SABBE ◽  
ANDRZEJ WITKOWSKI ◽  
COLIN ARCHIBALD ◽  
KRZYSZOF J. KURZYDŁOWSKI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Benthic Diatom ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Western Cape Province ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
The Family ◽  
Diatom Genus ◽  
Electron Microscopical ◽  
First Time

We present a new marine benthic diatom genus Cymatosirella gen. nov. The genus belongs to the family Cymatosiraceae and has been assigned to the subfamily Extubocelluloideae on the basis of ultrastructural cell wall features. It has isovalvate cells with undulate valves and is characterized by the absence of tubular processes and the occurrence of hollow spines which are observed for the first time in the Cymatosiraceae. The new genus contains four species, two of which are transferred from the genus Cymatosira, viz. Cymatosirella capensis comb. nov. and Cymatosirella minutissima comb. nov., and two which are new to science, viz. Cymatosirella benguelensis sp. nov. and Cymatosirella taylorii sp. nov. Cymatosirella capensis is chosen as the generitype. The new genus includes a group of very small taxa inhabiting the intertidal zone of the Atlantic Ocean with three species in South Africa and one in Europe. C. capensis was originally described by Giffen from Langebaan Lagoon (a shallow marine inlet in the southern part of Saldanha Bay, Western Cape Province), on the basis of light microscopy only, and has to date only been illustrated by line drawings. C. minutissima, so far only known from the Westerschelde estuary (The Netherlands), has previously been documented in more detail using both light and electron microscopy. Here, we present the results of detailed light and electron microscopical investigations of C. capensis, both from its original type material and from recently collected samples from the type locality and neighboring littoral areas in the Western Cape Province, and of the new species C. benguelensis and C. taylorii, also from Western Cape localities. All species are compared with similar small taxa belonging to the Cymatosiraceae, subfamily Extubocelluloideae.

scholarly journals COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND ADULT MOTHERS TREATED IN A PUBLIC HOSPITAL, THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA: A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-146
Author(s):  
Siti Khuzaimah Ahmad Sharoni ◽  
Alieu Sekou Konneh
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Pregnancy Complications ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Retrospective Comparative Study

Complications of pregnancy remain a serious threat in Sub-Saharan Africa despite efforts to minimise maternal mortality due to pregnancy complications, and achieve the Millennium Development Goal 5. This is a retrospective study to determine the most common pregnancy complications among adolescents compared to adults treated in a public hospital from 2015 to 2018. The researcher applied a convenience sampling method in selecting the medical records. The instrument used was adapted from previous studies and data were analysed with descriptive and chi-square test for the inferential statistics. A total of 1,265 patients met the eligibility criteria and 540 (42.7%) were adolescents. Low birth weight (n=478, 88.5%) and preterm delivery (n=496, 91.9%) were common among babies born to adolescent mothers. Pregnancy-related complications among adolescent mothers showing the prevalence of anaemia, hypertension, and malaria were 494 (84.9%), 149 (56.2%) and 193 (62.1%) respectively. Gestational diabetes was found to be high among adult mothers (n=98, 74.8%). Among adolescent mothers, the prevalence of eclampsia was 62 (78.5%) and hemorrhage 61 (53.0%). The prevalence of Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was high among adolescent mothers (n=252, 80.5%). Comprehensive strategies are needed to keep girls in schools and to raise awareness and develop campaigns about using contraception properly to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy as well as to minimise the incidence of pregnancy-related complications.

Thesmophora, a new genus of Stilbaceae from South Africa

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Rourke
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
Western Cape Province

Thesmophora scopulosa Rourke (Stilbaceae) a monotypic genus endemic to the Ceres mountains, South Western Cape Province, South Africa, is described. It is characterized particularly by its pendulous ovules and 4-lobed corolla.

Law Reform in a Developing Country: A New Code of Obligations for Senegal

1964 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-19
Author(s):  
E. Allan Farnsworth
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Legal Profession ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Private Law ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic

The Republic of Senegal has embarked upon a project to reform its private law. This fact, of itself, might not seem worthy of the attention of the legal profession in the United States, since Senegal is a country of only about 3,250,000 inhabitants, less than the population of the state of Alabama, covering only 76,000 square miles, less than the area of the state of Kansas, and having a total of exports and imports to the dollar zone of less than twelve million dollars in 1962. With twenty per cent of its population in its six largest cities of more than 30,000 inhabitants, it is the most urban, most literate, and most Europeanized of the francophonic countries of sub-Saharan Africa, but this alone would evoke little interest abroad in its attempts at law reform.

scholarly journals Impacts of Covid-19 on Migration Dynamics and Remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 126-139
Author(s):  
Abejide L.E.O. ◽  
Alaba S.
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Demographic Dynamics ◽  
Migration Dynamics ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Ssa Countries

The paper therefore x-rays the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration dynamics by analyzing types and trends dynamics of migrants’ movement, demographic dynamics of migration as related to the inflow of remittances (both cash and in-kind) to SSA countries prior to the pandemic. Also discusses the constraints of transferring cash remittances and subsequent decline posed by the COVID-19 outbreak during and beyond the pandemics. Secondary evidence from Somali and Nigeria were analyzed on the constraints of remitting cash, while in-kind remittance from the Republic of Chad was evaluated. The importance of remittances to the home communities was established. Measures to safeguard SSA migrants’ mobility and their remittances, citing some selected countries of destination, were exploited. The paper concludes that COVID-19 impacts on migration should be opportunities for policymakers (both home and destination countries) to reset their efforts towards protecting migrants and their future activities.

scholarly journals New and interesting Campylopus records from South Africa

2004 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Peter Frahm ◽  
Terry Hedderson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Records ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Western Cape Province ◽  
The Republic ◽  
First Time

New records are presented based on a collection of Campylopus specimens made by the second author in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. . The austral species Campylopus clavatus (R. Brown) Wils. in Hook. and Campylopus vesticaulis Mitt. are reported for the first time for Africa, and Campylopus acuminatus Mitt. var. kirkii (Mitt.) J.-P. Frahm is recorded for the second time for Africa. Campylopus arctocarpus (Hornsch.) Mitt. ssp. madegassus (Besch.) J.-P. Frahm is reported for the first time for the Republic of South Africa, and this is the southernmost record of this species. Campylopus simii Schelpe is not synonymous with C. julaceus Jaeg. ssp. arbogastii (Ren. & Card.) J.-P. Frahm but combined here as new as a variety of C. pilifer Brid.

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