Two New Species of Parastenocaris (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from a Hyporheic Zone and Overview of the Present Knowledge on Stygobiotic Copepoda in Vietnam

The number of freshwater species belonging to the genus Parastenocaris reported from ten countries of Southeast Asia is quite limited. Only two species have been reported so far from freshwater habitats there, compared to over 290 described species of the family Parastenocarididae worldwide. During the first study of the hyporheic zone of two small rivers in central Vietnam, two new species of the family Parastenocarididae were collected, Parastenocaris sontraensis sp. nov. and Parastencaris vugiaensis sp. nov. Both were collected from the gravel bar along the rivers (Suoi Da and Vu Gia river) using the Karaman–Chappuis method. Both the new species belong to the brevipes group of the genus Parastenocaris Kessler, 1913 sensu Lang (1948), and Reid (1995). Parastenocaris sontraensis sp. nov. is similar to P. hinumaensis Kikuchi, 1970 and Parastenocaris jane Karanovic, 2006 in the brevipes-group. Parastenocaris sontraensis sp. nov. differs from both Parastenocaris species by (i) Exp P3 with three segments in the male, (ii) caudal rami with seven setae, and (iii) caudal rami about 2.4 times as long as wide. Parastencaris vugiaensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: (i) the elliptical shape of caudal rami, (ii) apical seta (V) with bulbous base, and (iii) anal operculum extends beyond the end of anal somite. Until now, 14 stygobiotic species of Copepoda have been recorded in Vietnam (including two new species in this paper), which is relatively few compared with nearby Thailand with 25 species. Short comments on other stygobiotic Copepoda from Vietnam are added.

Two new species of the problematic harpacticoid genus Itunella (Copepoda, Canthocamptidae)

The genus Itunella Brady, 1896 has a troubled taxonomic past, partly because of paucity of its members, but mostly because of inadequate research. A lack of detail in species descriptions and redescriptions, absence of alternative methods for testing species hypotheses, combined with a notion that most marine and estuarine animals have wide distributions and enormous intraspecific variability, all resulted in blurring of some interspecific boundaries, synonymizing without examination of the type material, and founding species diagnoses on dubious characters. Itunella yeondeokensis sp. nov. is described here in great detail from a small sandy beach on the east coast of Korea. It differs from all reported and illustrated congeners by an extremely long inner apical seta on the third exopodal segment of second to fourth swimming legs. This is the second member of this genus from Korea, the first one being described from three estuaries also on the east coast. All other congeners are European species. An overview of all published species and records of this genus is provided, as well as a dichotomous key to valid species to aid in their identification. Itunella kieferi sp. nov. is a new name for a single female from Germany, previously reported as a member of a widely distributed and polymorphic species.

A new species of Psammonitocrella Huys, 2009 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Ameiridae) from California (USA), with a discussion of the relationship between Psammonitocrella and Parastenocarididae

The freshwater harpacticoid Psammonitocrella kumeyaayisp. nov. from the Nearctic Region (California; USA) is proposed. The position of the genus within Harpacticoida and its relationship with the Parastenocarididae is discussed. The new species can be included within Psammonitocrella on account of a) the cylindrical furca, longer than the telson, b) the unmodified inner spine on the basis of the male first leg, c) loss of the outer spine on the second exopodal segment of the first leg, d) loss of the outer spine of the third exopodal segment of the second, third, and fourth legs, e) loss of the inner apical seta on the third exopodal segment of the second and third legs, f) transformation of the inner apical seta of the third exopodal segment of the fourth leg into a spine, and g) loss of the endopodite of the fourth leg. The new species differs remarkably from P. boultoni, and P. longifurcata in the loss of the outer spine of the second exopodal segment of the fourth leg, in the presence of a one-segmented fifth leg exopodite, and in the presence of an outer seta on the basis of the first and second legs. Both Psammonitocrella and the known species of Parastenocarididae have a one-segmented endopod on the fourth leg, and the endopods of the second and third legs are reduced to one or two segments. Psammonitocrella is currently allocated into the Ameiridae, and evidence suggesting a sister-group relationship with Parastenocarididae—both share the loss of the inner seta on the first endopodal segment of the first leg—indicates that the Parastenocarididae should be included into the Ameiridae. In an evolutionary context, Parastenocarididae could have evolved from a lineage of freshwater ameirids that became interstitial in continental waters and colonized aquifers and groundwaters.

Two new species of Hydroptilidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Serra dos Carajás, Pará state, northern Brazil

Two new species of Hydroptilidae from Pará, Brazil, are described and illustrated: Costatrichia inaequalis sp. nov. is a distinctive species characterized principally by the lateral processes on tergum IX rounded and each bearing a long dorsal seta. Oxyethira carajas sp. nov. is characterized by the inferior appendages fused, incised mesally, narrowing posterolaterally, and each bearing a stout apical seta and having its ventral process blade-like. New distributional records are given for a species of Neotrichia for which the name is unpublished.

Tricorythodes tragoedia sp. nov. (Ephemeroptera: Leptohyphidae), a new species from Rio Doce and surrounding areas, southeastern Brazil

A new species of Tricorythodes Ulmer (Ephemeroptera: Leptohyphidae) is described and illustrated based on nymphs and adults from the Doce River and surrounding areas in southeastern Brazil. Tricorythodes tragoedia sp. nov. is related to T. arequita Traver, T. mirca Molineri and T. sallesi Dias, Cabette & De Sousa, but its nymphs can be distinguished from these species by having a three-segmented maxillary palp with apical seta and one pair of submarginal denticles on the tarsal claws. Nymphs were collected from small to large rivers at altitudes of less than 100 m where they inhabit submersed substrates in areas with slow current. Nymphs and adults were found throughout the year.

Three new species of Nilothauma Kieffer (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Brazil

Three new species of Nilothauma from Brazil are described and illustrated based on adult males. Nilothauma paucisetis sp. nov. is similar to Nilothauma aripuanense Mendes & Andersen, 2009, but can be distinguished by the number of dorsal setae on tergite IX and by the shape of anal point. Nilothauma anamariae sp. nov. is easily recognized by having the inferior volsella L-shaped, with a long simple lateral bristle and an apical lobe directed inwards, bearing 10–12 apically split setae. Nilothauma jaquei sp. nov. is distinguished from all others congeneric species by the superior volsella without microtrichia, with one apical seta and a lateral spine.

Three new endangered species of Trembleya DC. (Melastomataceae: Microlicieae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil

During the preparation of a monograph of Trembleya DC. (Melastomataceae) three new species were found that are here described and illustrated: Trembleya acuminata can be recognized by its ovate and vernicose leaves with an acuminate-cuspidate apex, 6-merous flowers, and 4-locular ovary. Trembleya botaensis and Trembleya thomazii are closely related, differing by the indumentum with only sessile glands, white/purple colored petals, calyx lobes without a glandular apical seta, and by the apically rounded connective of the antesepalous stamens in Trembleya thomazii.

Topography and ultrastructure of the tegument of Aphallus tubarium (Rodolphi, 1819) Poche, 1926 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae), intestinal parasite of the common Dentex dentex (Linnaeus 1758) from Valinco Gulf

The tegument ultrastructure of the intestinal fluke Aphallus tubarium was studied for the first time with the use of scanning and transmission electron microscopy. New details on morphology were recorded. The ultrastructural study revealed that the tegument of A. tubarium had a syncytial organization with a distal cytoplasm lying over a basal matrix and cytons. The surface of the tegument is covered with pectinate spines arranged quincuncially. As anterior-posterior differences were observed, particular attention was given to spines. Spines decrease in size and density from the anterior part of body to posterior part. Two types of sensory structures were identified, uniciliated and dome-shaped. Type 1 sensory receptors were outgrowths bearing groups of papillae with shorter and rigid apical seta visible on the anterior part of body surface, encircling the worm. Type 2 sensory receptors was dome-shaped papillae devoid of cilia, found mainly around the oral sucker. Diagrams of spines and sensory receptors were made to help in understanding the nature of these structures. Surface morphology may prove to be useful in distinguishing Aphallus spp with other Cryptogonimidae.

Jururumberus, a new genus of Orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Brazil

Jururumberus n. gen. is erected based on the males of J. arapuca n. sp. from São Paulo State, in southeastern Brazil and J. uatuma n. sp. from the Amazonas in northern Brazil. The genus can be separated from other Orthocladiinae based on the combination of bare eyes, wing, and squama; frons U-shaped, extended ventrally; AR ≤ 0.3, antenna without apical seta; palp short, five-segmented, with sensilla clavata in subapical sensillum coeloconicum; no acrostichals; costa strongly extended; R4+5 ending proximal to M3+4; anal point narrowly triangular with microtrichia only, sitting high on tergite IX; and virga composed of two spines.

Archeolourinia shermani, a new genus and species of Louriniidae (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from a Caribbean mesophotic zone

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are found on the insular and continental slopes of Caribbean islands and comprise mainly scleractinian corals, sponges and macroalgae. These species provide habitat for a highly diverse and specialized crustacean fauna. A new genus and species of the family Louriniidae is described from samples taken from an MCE in south-west Puerto Rico. The new taxa can be diagnosed by: body elongate, almost cylindrical and with inconspicuous podoplean boundary between prosome and urosome; double genital somite with a discontinuous chitinized cuticular ridge; telson short with rectangular anal operculum; furca short; rostrum sinusoidal, well defined at the base; antennules 7-segmented with aesthetasc on the fourth segment; antenna with a brush-like basal seta and an abexopodal seta, exopod 1-segmented with 2 setae; endopod with 7 elements (1 geniculate seta and 1 modified inner spine); maxilliped well developed, prehensile, composed of syncoxa, basis, one segmented endopod and one claw-like apical seta; leg 1 endopod 3-segmented, first segment with a modified inner seta; legs 2, 3 and 4 with 2-segmented endopod with inner seta on the first segment; leg 5 basendopod fused, well developed with 4 setae, exopod well developed, with 5 setae; leg 6 represented by a single seta; and genital slits wide apart. The new genus and species can be confidently assigned to the family Louriniidae on the basis of the following synapomorphies: rostrum well-developed with rounded tip; antennule of female 7-segmented; mandible palp reduced; maxillule endopod and exopod absent; maxillae endopodite 2 represented by 3 setae; leg 5 basoendopod of female confluent, intercoxal sclerite absent, exopod 1-segmented; eggs retained in a single ventral egg sac; telson shorter than last urosomite; and furca short and with 6 setae.