Descriptions of Deontolaimus holovachovi sp. nov. and Campylaimus zhoui sp. nov. from Chinese sea areas

Two new species of free-living marine nematode discovered from an intertidal sandy beach in the Bohai Sea and from a sublittoral region in the East China Sea are described. Deontolaimus holovachovi sp. nov. is characterized by short cephalic setae (2.5–3 μm long); ventrally-unispiral amphidial fovea; excretory pore located at the level with nerve ring; lateral alae present; two pairs of lateral cervical setae present; arcuate spicules 1.5–1.6 cloacal body diameter long, with the proximal half swollen and proximal end hooked, the distal half narrow; gubernaculum with dorso-caudal apophysis; postcloacal sensilla present in males; a midventral caudal papilla with a short seta situated at posterior third of tail length. Campylaimus zhoui sp. nov. is characterized by loop-shaped amphid with very long ventral limb extending along pharyngeal region to level of anterior part of intestine, 4.7–5.2 times the length of dorsal limb; excretory pore opening posterior to the pharyngo-intestinal junction; spicules symmetrical, slightly arcuate without proximal capitulum; gubernaculum with small dorsal apophysis; precloacal supplements absent.

Morphological ontogeny of Achipteria punctata (Acari: Oribatida: Achipteriidae)

The morphological ontogeny of Achipteria punctata (Nicolet, 1855) is redescribed and illustrated. The adult of this species has genu IV approximately as long as tibia IV, seta bv’’ on femur II is as long as seta d, with short seta l’ on femur III and smooth claws of all legs. The juveniles of A. punctata are stocky, with most prodorsal setae short and smooth, except for slightly longer and barbed seta ro, and gentle reticulation of cuticle between the bothridia and in the posterior part of prodorsum. In the larva, most gastronotal setae are short, thick and barbed, except for smooth c2, c3 and h2; in the nymphs the gastronotal setae are short, thin and finely barbed. In the juveniles of A. punctata, setae of l-series on legs are not thickened.

The new synonymy of Horikawaea with Cryptogonium and a proposal of Pseudocryptogonium, gen. nov. (Musci, Pterobryaceae)

Male organs and mature sporophytes of a calciphilous moss previously known as Horikawaea dubia are newly reported and described in detail based on a single specimen collected in Guangxi Province, southern China. Sporophytic features, such as the immersed and cylindrical capsule on a very short seta (ca. 1.2 mm long) and reduced peristome with 16 smooth and almost linear exostome teeth, as well as the gametophytic resemblance to Cryptogonium phyllogonioides in having complanate foliation, highly differentiated alar region of the stem and branch leaves, and more or less cucullate leaf apices, suggest a new synonymy of Horikawaea in Cryptogonium. Two new combinations, namely, C. dubia (Tixier) H.Akiyama & B.C.Tan comb. nov. and C. nitida (Nog.) H.Akiyama & B.C.Tan comb. nov. are made. Additionally, Pseudocryptogonium H.Akiyama & B.C.Tan gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate Horikawaea tjibodensis (syn. H. redfearnii).

The immature stages of Tropisternus (Pleurhomus) sahlbergi (Sharp) (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), with considerations on the primary chaetotaxy of Tropisternus Soliera

The preimaginal stages of Tropisternus (Pleurhomus) sahlbergi (Sharp, 1883) are described for the first time, including illustrations and photographs of the egg case, all larval instars and pupa. The descriptions emphasize on the morphometry and chaetotaxy, following current standards in larval descriptions within Hydrophilidae. Preliminary evidence is presented for a placement of Pleurhomus Sharp, 1833 within Tropisternus Solier, 1834, in agreement with a recent phylogenetic analysis based on adult characters. Tropisternus (P.) sahlbergi is characterized by a brown to dark brown head capsule without color pattern, mandibles with strongly serrated inner margins, a short seta PA11 in comparison to PA14, the absence of seta AN8, the absence of a distal secondary seta on the outer margin of the first maxillary palpomere and the dorsal surface of the mentum almost entirely covered by spinulae.

Morphology of the first instar larva in the tribe Clytrini, with two new descriptions in the subtribe Megalostomina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae)

Original descriptions and illustrations of the first instar larva of Megalostomis (Heterostomis) lacordairei Lacordaire and of Coscinoptera argentina Burmeister (Clytrini: Megalostomina) are provided. Based on the available information on first instar larvae, the tribe Clytrini is diagnosed. Unique of the larvae of clytrini is the antennal sensorium dome-like. Characters in common between Clytrini, Cryptocephalini, and Chlamisini (Cryptocephalinae) are highlighted, like the body J-shaped (in association with case-bearer habits); frons, clypeus, and labrum fused; spiracles with reticulate peritreme; egg-bursters present on mesoand metathorax, each situated anterior to a very long seta and a short seta ventral to these.

Syntrichia boliviana (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta), a New Species from the Tropical Andes

A moss from the puna of Urmiri, Department of La Paz in Bolivia, is described and illustrated as the new species Syntrichia boliviana. This species is characterized by its keeled and lanceolate leaves with bistratose to tristratose laminae, plane or weakly recurved bordered margins, acute apex, dorsal surface costal cells in the upper third like those of the lamina, and costa ending a few cells below the apex, sporophytes with a short seta, and a peristome membrane hardly projecting above the urn. Detailed light and scanning electron microscope photographs of the main characters are presented. The principal characters that separate this from similar species are briefly discussed. Syntrichia napoana, previously only known from Ecuador, is reported from Bolivia. A key to the species of Syntrichia in Bolivia is provided.

A new species of Dactylopusioides (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Thalestridae) infesting brown algae, and its life history

A new species of harpacticoid copepod, Dactylopusioides malleus sp. nov., belonging to the family Thalestridae is described from central Japan. The species is obligately endophagous in dictyotalean brown algae (Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux, Dictyota maxima Zanardini and Dictyopteris undulata Holmes). The species nests by burrowing into the algal tissue during the copepod naupliar stages, while copepodids and adults reside in a dome-shaped, transparent capsule made of mucus and formed on the algal tissue. In laboratory experiments, the new species progressed through its complete life cycle (i.e. from egg to adult) while feeding only on unialgal dictyotalean tissues; this confirmed the obligate relationship with the host. The new species shares the following morphological characters with other species of Dactylopusioides: 1) antennary exopod 1-segmented; 2) first segment of P1 endopod in female elongated with a long seta on the inner proximal margin; 3) baseoendopod and exopod of P5 in female with five setae. It differs from other species in the following ways: 1) antennary exopod with six setae; 2) a stout hammer-shaped inner spine on the basis of P1 in male; 3) terminal short seta on third segment of P2 endopod in male is plumose.

Coconut mite, Acathrix trymatus (Keifer)

Acathrix trymatus was originally described by Keifer (1962b) from specimens collected in the folds of newly emerging coconut fronds in the Philippines. Keifer's generic name, Acathrix, means "short seta" for the minute scapular setae on the prodorsal sclerite of this species (Keifer 1962b). Briones (1963) investigated A. trymatus and three other eriophyid species on Philippine coconut palms and found their feeding did little damage and did not transmit cadang-cadang disease. This document is EENY-194 (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 383), one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: January 2001. EENY-194/IN351: Coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis (Keifer) (ufl.edu)

NEW SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN SCARABAEIDAE II (COLEOP.)

Oval, slightly oblong, moderately robust, rufocastaneous to brown, dull,Clypeus feebly emarginate, the margin narrowly reflexed, coarsely and deeply punctured, frontal suture not deeply impressed. front more coarsely punctured and with short erect setae. Pronotum obtusely angulate, the lateral margins coarsely crenate and with rather long ciliae, punctures moderate in size separated by 2 to 3 times their own diameters slightly denser near margins, each puncture bearing a short semi-erect seta, median smooth line indistinct to absent in some specimens. Scutellum wider than long, punctures fine and shallow each bearing a short seta, evenly distributed. Elytra with punctures finer than on pronotum separated by 2 to 3 times their onn diameters, each puncture with short semierect setae, longer setae arising from punctures on each side of the scutellum and along the sutural costae and lateral margins, sutural costae well defined, others obsolete.