Lithobius (Monotarsobius) tetrasulcus sp. n., a new species of centipede from China (Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)

The myriapod fauna of China is still poorly known and very little attention has been paid to the study of Lithobiomorpha, with only 100 species and subspecies known from the country. Altogether, 11 species of subgenus Monotarsobius have been recorded from China, but only two of them have been reported from Hebei Province. Herein, a new species recently discovered in the Hebei Province, China, is described and illustrated. A new lithobiids species Lithobius (Monotarsobius) tetrasulcus sp. n. is described and illustrated from Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, Hebei Province, China. The new species is compared with Lithobius (Monotarsobius) crassipes Koch, 1862 from Taiwan, China. It can be easily distinguished from congeners by having a longitudinal groove on the dorsal side of the femur and tibia of the male legs 14 and 15, only having a posterior spine on the dorsal side of femur of legs 12–15, lacking robust spines lying dorsally on the external margin on the second article of the female gonopods and the third article of the female gonopods having a bidentate apical claw.

Analysis of Aeroacoustic Generated From a Rotating Tire With a Longitudinal Groove Using Large-Eddy Simulation

Flow fields obtained by large-eddy simulations around a rotating tire with the longitudinal groove are investigated to clarify the relationships between the shape parameters of the grooves and the directivity of aeroacoustic noise and to clarify noise sources. To obtain acoustic field around the rotating tire, the large-eddy simulations using the sixth-order compact finite difference scheme and the tridiagonal filter are performed. The four computational cases including the case without groove are considered in the present study. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis revealed the distribution of bipolar modes that spread from the tire to the left and right. This result indicates two symmetrical sound sources near the front of the tire side surface regardless of the presence or absence of the groove shape. It is also found that the presence of grooves in the tire weakens the amplitude of the POD mode that spreads to the left and right. This fact is consistent with the fact that the sound pressure level on the lateral side of the tire weakens as the groove width widens. Based on the observation of the instantaneous field and these analyzes, the following is found. The noise-induced by the flow around the tire considered in the present study is emitted when the turbulent flow generated in front of the tire collides with the tire and flows along the tire’s side surface. Besides, when the tire has a groove, a part of the flow that collides with the tire flows into the groove so that the flow rate flowing on the side surface of the tire decreases and the noise itself also decreases. Therefore, the wider the tire’s groove width, the less noise is emitted from the tire’s lateral side.

Morphometrical Studies on the Exterior of the Heart of Pre-natal Non-descript Sheep

Background: Heart is the principal organ of circulatory system that pumps blood into the blood vessels and performs many vital functions. Its development before birth must be studied to safeguard the animal from the occurrence and consequences of various developmental anomalies. The detailed morphometry of different external parameters of heart especially in pre-natal sheep has not yet been reported.Methods: The foeti of sheep were divided into three age groups viz. early prenatal (up to 50 days), mid prenatal (51-100 days) and late prenatal (101 to 150 days) with fifteen animals in each age group. The various external parameters were recorded by using digital weighing machine, graduated measuring cylinder, digital Vernier’s calliper, non-stretchable nylon thread and graduated scale. The data recorded was statistically analysed by one way ANOVA with IBM SPSS 25.0 version software. Result: It was revealed that the average width of heart at its base was 4.82±0.22mm, 10.52±0.72mm and 21.57±1.03mm in early prenatal, mid prenatal and late prenatal stages respectively. The average dorso-ventral length of left ventricle of heart was measured as 4.82±0.14mm, 12.07±1.16mm and 25.58±0.88mm in early prenatal, mid prenatal and late prenatal stages respectively. The average distance between the left longitudinal groove and cranial border of heart at base was measured as 2.93±0.11mm, 6.38±0.39mm and 9.78±0.41mm in early prenatal, mid prenatal and late prenatal stages respectively. Similarly, the average distance between the right longitudinal groove and cranial border of heart at middle was measured as 1.96±0.09mm, 5.01±0.34mm and 8.31±0.50mm in early prenatal, mid prenatal and late prenatal stages respectively. All these parameters recorded showed significant (p ≤ 0.01) differences among the ages.

A new fossil record of Lymexylidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar

The fossil ship-timber beetle, Adamas hukawngensis gen. et sp.n., is described and defined based on one well preserved specimen in mid-Cretaceous amber from the Hukawng Valley in Northern Myanmar. The new species can be readily distinguished from all other extinct and recent members of the family due to the presence of a lozenge-shaped scutellum with a meso-longitudinal groove. Modifications of lymexylid metathoracic wing venation and palaeobiomigratory significance are briefly discussed.

Dental anatomy of the apex predator Sinraptor dongi (Theropoda: Allosauroidea) from the Late Jurassic of China

The dental morphology of the holotype of the theropod Sinraptor dongi from the Jurassic Shishugou Formation of China is comprehensively described. We highlight a combination of dental features that appear to be restricted to Sinraptor: (i) crowns with denticulated mesial and distal carinae extending from the root and an irregular surface texture on the enamel; (ii) a D- to salinon-shaped cross-sectional outline at the crown base in mesialmost teeth; (iii) mesial crowns with mesial carinae spiraling mesiolingually and lingually positioned longitudinal groove adjacent to the mesial carina; and (iv) particularly labiolingually compressed lateral teeth with weakly labially deflected distal carinae, flat to concave basocentral surfaces of the labial margins of the crowns, and horizontally elongated distal denticles showing short to well-developed interdenticular sulci. Using cladistic, multivariate, discriminant, and cluster analyses, we demonstrate that the dentition of Sinraptor is relatively similar to that of ceratosaurids, megalosauroids, and other allosauroids and is particularly close to that of Allosaurus. The dental anatomy of Sinraptor and Allosaurus, which differs mainly in the labiolingual compression of the lateral crowns and in the number of premaxillary teeth, shows adaptations towards a predatory lifestyle, including premaxillary teeth capable of enduring tooth-to-bone contact and crowns with widely separated mesial and distal carinae capable of inflicting widely open wounds.

Aenigmaphes gen. n., a new glandulariine genus of the Australian region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

Aenigmaphes gen. n. is described for a New Guinean Aenigmaphes papuanus sp. n. The new genus is characterized by several unique features, among others, by the pronotum with one pair of adjacent antebasal pits at middle, both situated in a deep median longitudinal groove, and the posterior margin of each mesocoxal rest demarcated by a step-wise ridge, which extends laterad and is bent posterad to connect with the lateral metaventral margin far behind the mesocoxae. The adult of the new species is minute, wingless and microphthalmous, which may be adaptations to subterranean life. Females of an undescribed species of Aenigmaphes are also recorded from Sulawesi. Relationships of the new genus within Glandulariini remain unclear.

Bulbophyllum reflexipetalum (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae, Malaxideae), a new species from Xizang, China

Bulbophyllum reflexipetalum, a new species from Motuo County, Southeast Xizang, China, is described and illustrated here. This new species belongs to Bulbophyllum sect. Umbellata Bentham & J. D. Hooker, and it is morphologically similar to B. umbellatum Lindley, B. guttulatum (J. D. Hooker) N. P. Balakrishnan and B. salweenensis X.H. Jin, but is distinguished from them by having reflexed petals, base of dorsal sepal with 1 dentate on each side, lip with significantly revolute margin, adaxially with dark brown spots or patches and one longitudinal groove.

A new species of the genus Microhyla (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from Guizhou Province, China

A new species of the microhylid frog genus Microhyla is described from the Fanjing Mountain of Guizhou Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of the the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI genes supported the new species as an independent lineage, closely related to M. beilunensis, M. mixtura and M. okinavensis. The uncorrected genetic distance on 16S rRNA gene between the new species and its closest congeners M. beilunensis, M. mixtura and M. okinavensis are 3.5%, 4.6% and 4.6% respectively. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) body of medium size (SVL 19.0–22.7 mm in males and 22.5–23.0 mm in females); (2) disk and dorsal median longitudinal groove on finger tips absent; (3) toe with rudimentary webbing at base; (4) disk with dorsal median longitudinal groove present at toe tips except for the toe I; (5) two metatarsal tubercles on palm; (6) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level between eye to nostril when leg stretched forward; (7) a distinct V-shaped white stripe on the upper midsection. The new species is known only from the type locality, and thus the finding of it has contributed to the endemic species diversity of China. It is needed to take strategy to protect the species and habitats due to the increased threats of environmental changes.