One New Species and Two New Host Records of Apiospora from Bamboo and Maize in Northern Thailand with Thirteen New Combinations

The genus Apiospora is known as a cosmopolitan genus, found across various substrates. In this study, four Apiospora taxa were obtained from the decaying stems of bamboo and maize in northern Thailand. Apiospora collections were compared with known species based on the morphological characteristics and the DNA sequence data of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the partial large subunit nuclear rDNA (LSU), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1-α) and beta-tubulins (TUB2). Apiospora chiangraiense sp. nov. and two new host records (Ap. intestini and Ap. rasikravindra) are introduced here based on the morphological characteristics and multi-locus analyses. Additionally, thirteen species previously identified as Arthrinium are introduced as new combinations in Apiospora, viz., Ap. acutiapica, Ap. bambusicola, Ap. biserialis, Ap. cordylines, Ap. cyclobalanopsidis, Ap. euphorbiae, Ap. gelatinosa, Ap. locuta-pollinis, Ap. minutispora, Ap. pseudorasikravindrae, Ap. septate, Ap. setariae and Ap. sorghi.

Gastrointestinal helminths in Amietia sp. (Anura: Pyxicephalidae) from the Albertine Rift of Central Africa

Summary Fourteen Amietia sp. (Pyxicephalidae), from the Albertine Rift of Democratic Republic of the Congo were examined for helminths. Five species of Nematoda were found: Amphibiophilus chabaudi, Aplectana praeputialis, Falcaustra congoensis, Foleyellides duboisi and Orneoascaris chrysanthemoides. Amphibiophilus chabaudi was the most numerous nematode (n = 40) with the highest prevalence (57 %). Five new host records are reported.

Additions to the microfungi in Taiwan: introducing Pseudorobillarda camelliae-sinensis sp. nov., (Pseudorobillardaceae) and new host records of pleosporalean taxa in mountainous habitats

A novel taxon, Pseudorobillarda camelliae-sinensis (Pseudorobillardaceae) and new host records of pleosporalean taxa viz. Neopyrenochaeta triseptatispora (Neopyrenochaetaceae), Ramusculicola thailandica (Teichosporaceae) and Vaginatispora palmae (Lophiostomataceae) resulted from our investigation of plant-associated microfungi in Alishan and Fenghuang Mountain ranges in Taiwan. These taxa were isolated from dicotyledonous hosts of Bignoniaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Meliaceae and Moraceae. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses were performed using combined SSU, LSU, ITS, tef1-α and rpb2 sequence data to clarify the phylogenetic affinities of taxa. The newly described taxa of the current study are accompanied by comprehensive descriptions, micrographs and comparisons with similar species. In addition, the importance of exploiting fungi from mountain habitats in Taiwan is discussed.

Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Phthiraptera: Amblycera) – a unique host generalist among highly host-specific chewing lice

Ten species of the louse genus Myrsidea belonging to the “serini-species-group” have been reviewed. A redescription of Myrsidea quadrifasciata (Piaget, 1880), the earliest described and valid species of this species complex, is given and a neotype for this species is designated. Nine new junior synonymies of M. quadrifasciata are proposed and discussed. The new synonyms and their respective type hosts are: Myrsidea anoxanthi Price and Dalgleish, 2007 from Loxipasser anoxanthus (Gosse, 1847), Myrsidea argentina (Kellogg, 1906) from Spinus magellanicus (Vieillot, 1805), Myrsidea balati Macháček, 1977 from Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea darwini Palma and Price, 2010 from Geospiza fuliginosa Gould, 1837, Myrsidea major (Piaget, 1880) from Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Myrsidea serini (Séguy, 1944) from Serinus serinus (Linnaeus, 1766), Myrsidea queleae Tendeiro, 1964 from Quelea quelea lathami (Smith, A., 1836), Myrsidea textoris Klockenhoff, 1984 from Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus (Müller, 1776), and Myrsidea viduae Tendeiro, 1993 from Vidua macroura (Pallas, 1764). Intraspecific morphometric variability, relative genetic divergence (based on a 379 bp portion of the mitochondrial COI gene and a 347 bp portion of the nuclear EF-1α gene), geographical distribution, and host associations, including 8 new host records for these lice, are discussed. Taking into consideration these parameters we suggest that the only way to deal with these taxa is to follow concept of subspecies with the following taxa and their geographic distributon: Palearctic Region: M. q. quadrifasciata and M. q. serini, Neotropical Region: M. q. anoxanthi, M. q. argentina, M. q. darwini, Paleotropic Region: M. q. queleae, M. q. textoris and M. q. viduae.

Manual of North American Agromyzidae (Diptera, Schizophora), with revision of the fauna of the “Delmarva” states

Тhe agromyzid (Diptera: Schizophora: Agromyzidae) fauna of America north of Mexico is described in the first part of this publication, including a genus key and discussions on morphology, life history and classification. The second part is a species-level revision of the family in the “Delmarva” states of the United States of America, that is, of the District of Columbia and the surrounding states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. The fauna of this region includes 156 species. This study presents 346 new state and provincial records and 23 new country records, two of which are new continental records (Agromyza abiens Zetterstedt and A. apfelbecki Strobl). Liriomyza endiviae Hering is no longer considered to occur in North America. Fifteen species are newly described: Agromyza echinalissp. nov., Melanagromyza brunkeisp. nov., M. eoflacensissp. nov., M. glyptossp. nov., M. rutellasp. nov., Ophiomyia capitoliasp. nov., O. cupreasp. nov., O. galiodessp. nov., O. heleiossp. nov., O. kaliasp. nov., O. laticolissp. nov., Cerodontha (Poemyza) ungulasp. nov., Phytomyza avicursasp. nov., P. catenulasp. nov., and P. winklerisp. nov. Four new species-level synonyms and one genus-level synonym are provided: Agromyza marmorensis Spencer syn. nov. is included as a synonym of A. aristata Malloch; Melanagromyza fastosa Spencer, syn. nov. is included as a junior synonym of Ophiomyia tiliae (Couden); Melanagromyza verbesinae Spencer is considered a synonym of M. vernoniana Steyskal; Phytomyza ranunculoides Spencer, syn. nov. is included as a junior synonym of Phytomyza loewii Hendel; the genus Liomycina Enderlein, syn. nov. is included as a junior synonym of Phytobia Lioy. Ophiomyia ultima (Spencer), comb. nov. is recombined from Melanagromyza. Euhexomyza albicula Spencer, stat. reinst., comb. nov. is resurrected from synonymy with E. winnemanae (Malloch). New host records are given.

New host and distributional records for Camarosporidiella in Italy, Russia, and Ukraine

Camarosporidiella specimens collected from woody plants in central Italy, eastern Ukraine, and southeastern Russia were identified based on morphology and multi-gene (LSU, SSU, ITS, and TEF) sequence analyses. Camarosporidiella caraganicola on Amorpha fruticosa, C. celtidis on Ulmus pumila, C. elaeagnicola on Cytisus ruthenicus are described with new host records and as new fungal records for Ukraine. Camarosporidiella moricola on Morus nigra is newly reported for Italy, and C. robiniicola on Robinia pseudoacacia is new for Ukraine. Camarosporidiella elaeagnicola on Elaeagnus angustifolia is re-described to facilitate identification. Notes on host distribution of Camarosporidiellaceae are also provided.

An Annotated Checklist of the Family Cymothoidae (Isopoda: Cymothooidea) Infesting Marine Fishes from Malaysian Waters, with New Host and Geographical Records

A checklist of parasitic cymothoids from Malaysian waters is presented based on available literature and material collected from 2010 to 2020. Most of the collected specimens were recorded from waters of Terengganu, east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (facing South China Sea), whereas literature records were represented from Sarawak, along the Miri coast of northwest Borneo. The checklist comprises 18 species under 10 genera, seven of which are new records from Malaysia, which includes Anilocra nemipteri Bruce, 1987; Ceratothoa barracuda Martin, Bruce and Nowak, 2015; Ceratothoa carinata (Bianconi, 1869); Cymothoa epimerica Avdeev, 1979; Elthusa sigani Bruce, 1990; Joryma engraulidis (Barnard, 1936) and Renocila richardsonae Williams and Bunkley-Williams, 1992. Eight new host records are based on collected specimens: Anilocra nemipteri was dorsally attached on Nemipterus nemurus (Bleeker 1857), Nemipterus nematophorus (Bleeker 1854), Nemipterus tambuloides (Bleeker 1853), and Nemipterus thosaporni Russell 1991 (family Nemipteridae); Ceratothoa carinata was found in the buccal cavity of Decapterus macrosoma Bleeker 1851 (family Carangidae); Cymothoa eremita (Brunnich, 1783) was attached in the buccal cavity of Nemipterus tambuloides and Nemipterus furcosus (Valenciennes 1830); Elthusa sigani was found attached on Pterois russelli Bennett 1831 (family Scorpaenidae); and Renocila richardsonae was attached on the caudal fin of Upeneus japonicus (Houttuyn 1782) (family Mullidae). All cymothoid species listed here are known to have a Central Indo Pacific distribution, with some ranging as far as the western Indian Ocean. The cymothoid-host association is here listed from 28 fish families, with the most common reported from Carangidae (pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, scads), Engraulidae (anchovies) and Leiognathidae (ponyfishes, slipmouths). This paper is the first comprehensive treatment to update both verified literature data and deposited specimens, with a key for the family Cymothoidae in Malaysian waters.

Three new host records of endophytic Neofusicoccum species reported from Dendrobium orchid

Neofusicoccum species are endophytes, saprobes and opportunistic pathogens of many economic and ornamental plants. There are few reports of Neofusicoccum species are available to be associated with orchids worldwide. In this study, five endophytic Neofusicoccum strains were isolated from Dendrobium orchid leaves and stems in southwestern China and northern Thailand. Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the combined partial nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial RNA polymerase Ⅱ second largest subunit (RPB2), part of the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) and beta-tubulin (TUB2) dataset revealed that these isolates belong to two species Neofusicoccum occulatum and N. parvum. This is the first record of Neofusicoccum occulatum associated with Dendrobium chrysanthum while N. parvum associated with D. harveyanum and D. moschatum.

New host records of Lepidoptera, defoliating Himalayan silver oak, Quercus leucotrichophora A.Camus and ring-cupped oak, Q. glauca Thunb. (Fagaceae) in Uttarakhand, Western Himalayas, India

Survey on the lepidopteran insects attacking oak trees Quercus leucotrichophora and Q. glauca in forest areas revealed 65 species which are mostly polyphagus in habit. The study reports 13 species of lepidopteran belonging to Limacodidae, Erebidae, Geometridae, Pyralidae and Limacodidae as new host for Q. leucotrichophora and four species belonging to Arctiidae and Limacodidae on Q. glauca from both Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand state, India.