Male Holotype Research Articles

A new species of the genusDirphia(Lepidoptera: Saturniidae, Hemileucinae) from Ecuador

A new species, D. rengei sp. nov. of the genus Dirphia Hubner, 1819 (1816) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae, Hemileucinae) is described from Zamora Chinchipe and Napo provinces of Ecuador. The male holotype is stored in the scientific collections of the Estonian Museum of Natural History, Tallinn. The new species is compared with its (probably) nearest relatives, D. radiata Dognin, 1916 and D. irradians Lemaire, 1972.

Rediscovery of Pristepyris Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), a new synonym of Acrepyris Kieffer

The Epyrinae genus Pristepyris Kieffer is revised. The genus has four species. Pristepyris rugicollis Kieffer from Malaysia and P. levicollis Kieffer from Madagascar are rediscovered. Their adult male holotypes are redescribed and illustrated. Specimens of Pristepyris agraensis Kurian and P. flavicornis Kieffer were unavailable and reassigned based on their original descriptions. All species are considered to be Pristocerinae, because they have the metanotum well developed medially. Pristepyris rugicollis is transferred to Acrepyris Westwood because it has the aedeagus divided in three valvae, P. agraensis is transferred to Acrepyris, because it has an undivided hypopygium; and P. levicollis and P. flavicornis are transferred to Pristocera Klug, because they have a hypopygium that is deeply divided into two lobes. Pristepyris is considered junior synonym of Acrepyris, because Pristepyris rugicollis is its type-species.

Threatened fishes of the world: Cyprinodon bifasciatus Miller 1968 (Cyprinodontidae)

Common Names: Cuatrociengas pupfish, cachoritto de Cuatrociengas. Conservation Status: Listed as Threatened (SEMARNAT 2002). Current IUCN Red List status: Lower Risk/least concern. Identification: Morphologically streamlined. Mature males are chalky blue, have yellow eyes, and a thin, terminal black band on the caudal fin. Females and juveniles have two dark brown lateral lines, with a light blue to pale brown base color. Juveniles and adults have no ocellus on dorsal or anal fin. Mature males range from 30.9 to 51.4 mm SL, mature females from 29.5 to 41.3 mm SL (Miller 1968). Image: modification of mature male holotype in Miller (1968). Distribution: Endemic to the Cuatrociengas basin, Coahuila, Mexico. Abundance: Abundant, with generally large and stable populations throughout its range. Habitat and ecology: Inhabits stable, physicochemically benign thermal springs, outflows, and rivers (Miller 1968; Minckley 1969). Young are omnivorous, but diet is largely plant/ sediment based after 24–29 mm SL (Arnold 1972). Co-occurs with many fish species (Miller 1968) and is stenoplastic (Carson et al. 2008). Often sympatric with C. atrorus in intermediate environments, where natural hybridization is extensive. Ancient hybridization led to complete replacement of C. bifasciatus mitochondrial genome by that of C. atrorus, but nuclear gene introgression from C. atrorus appears minor to absent (Carson and Dowling 2006). Reproduction: Mature males breed and feed in leks in shallow water. Mature females school and feed in deeper water, entering leks to spawn. Breeding occurs year-round, though is reduced in winter (Arnold 1972). Threats: Groundwater extraction is primary. Expanded eco-tourism and introduction of non-native species are also of concern. Conservation action: In 1994 the Cuatrociengas basin was declared a Natural Protected Area by the Mexican government. Conservation efforts since have been weakly-effective (Figueroa and Sanchez-Cordero 2008). Conservation recommendations: Elimination of groundwater extraction is urgently needed. Effective conservation strategies need to be devised and implemented. Environ Biol Fish (2009) 86:445–446 DOI 10.1007/s10641-009-9546-8

Long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in the collection of the Natal Museum: A review of C.H. Curran’s types, new synonyms, and new combinations

C.H. Curran’s Dolichopodidae types in the collection of the Natal Museum are reviewed. Campsicnemoides Curran, 1927, is placed here in synonymy to Acropsilus Mik, 1878 (syn. nov.; male holotype of Campsicnemoides vorax Curran, 1927, has been examined in the collection of NMSA, redescribed and illustrated, and a new combination is here proposed, Acropsilus vorax (Curran, 1927), comb. nov.). The following recombinations are also proposed (comb. nov.): Trigonocera munroi (Curran, 1926c) [Diaphorus], Micromorphus aristalis (Curran, 1926a) [Sympycnus], Peloropeodes niger (Curran, 1926a) [Sympycnus]. The following synonyms are proposed in this paper (syn. nov.): Sympycnus discrepans Parent, 1934, S. rusticus Parent, 1935, and S. allotarsis Meuffels & Grootaert, 2007, are placed in synonymy to Sympycnus basilaris (Curran, 1924); Diaphorus inversus Curran, 1924, is placed in synonymy to Diaphorus dasycnemus Loew, 1858; Medetera longitarsis Curran, 1924, and M. afra Curran, 1927, are placed in synonymy with Medetera simplicis Curran, 1924.

Rediscovery and redescription of Hystrichophora loricana (Grote) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae)

Here we provide information on the recently rediscovered Hystrichophora loricana (Grote) (Fig. 1). Previously known only from the male Holotype (Fig. 2), H. loricana was brought to the attention of the second author after a brief description of the species was published in “Olethreutine moths of the Midwestern United States” (Gilligan et al., 2008). The second author has observed and collected H. loricana over the last 15 years at two locations in Coles County, Illinois, usually in association with Orbexilum onobrychis (Nuttall) Rydberg (Fabaceae). Subsequent searches for stands of this plant in Kentucky by the third author led to discovery of a colony of H. loricana and collection of the first female. This paper provides the first biological notes on this species, as well as the first complete description of the adult and male and female genitalia.

Phrictopyga holmgreni (Muir): New Record for Argentina and Description of a New Parasitoid, Gonatopus concinnus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae and Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)

The genus Phrictopyga Caldwell (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) was discovered for the first time in Argentina. Phrictopyga holmgreni (Muir) was collected in Corrientes and Misiones Provinces on Graminaceae. The male holotype of P. holmgreni was reviewed and redescribed; the female was described and illustrated for the first time. A new parasitoid species, Gonatopus concinnus new species (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) was reared from P. holmgreni in the above provinces. The new species is the first dryinid found to parasitize Phrictopyga.

Description of the female of Tehuacania howdeni Endrödi (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini), with a key to the genera of Oryctini from Mexico

Tehuacania Endrödi is a monotypic genus endemic to Mexico (Endrödi 1975, 1985; Morón et al. 1997). The only species known in the genus, T. howdeni Endrödi, has a restricted distribution and represents the rarest of the Oryctini from Mexico. For more than 30 years the female remained unknown. Recently, three female specimens were collected in arid lands in the vicinity of Santa Maria Coapan and Santa Maria La Alta in the Valley of Tehuacan, near the site where the holotype and paratype males were collected in 1961.Studied specimens are deposited in the entomological collections of the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMNC), Ottawa; Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria (ITCV), Tamaulipas, Mexico; and the private collections of A. Bitar (CABS) Mexico City and M. A. Morón (MXAL) Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

Redescription of Paccius quadridentatus Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Trachelinae) based on the holotype

Paccius is a small genus of tracheline spiders with only eight species described from Madagascar (seven species) and Seychelles (one species) (Platnick, 2008). However, the genus is likely more diverse and may include as many as 25 species from Madagascar and adjacent islands such as Comoro, La Réunion, and Mauritius (Platnick, 2000). Only five species of this genus were properly illustrated and diagnosed by Platnick (2000). None of the three species described by Simon, including P. madagascariensis Simon, 1898, the type species, have ever been illustrated. The figures of P. quadridentatus in Benoit (1978) refer to Oedignatha mogamoga Marples, 1955 (Platnick, 2000). The only work with the first illustrations of Paccius species was published by Platnick (2000), who illustrated the copulatory organs of five species. The general habitus of Paccius has never been illustrated. While organizing the spider specimens remaining after the late Michael I. Saaristo, I found a vial with the holotype male of Paccius quadridentatus Simon, obviously borrowed from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris. As I realized that this species was never thoroughly described, and the habitus of Paccius has never been depicted, I decided to provide a detailed redescription of P. quadridentatus, and provide figures of its habitus. Specimens were photographed using an Olympus SZX12 stereomicroscope and Olympus Camedia C-5050 camera. The images have been montaged using “CombineZM” image stacking software. The palp was macerated with lactic acid to make the passage of the seminal duct visible. All measurements are given in millimeters.

A New Species ofSenaWalker, 1862 (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae) from Oman

Sena augustasi sp. n. belonging to the S. cardinally Tams, 1931-group is described from southern Oman (locus typicus: West of Salalah, Al Mughsayl env.). The new species is distinctly distinguished from all hitherto known species of the genus, however it has some external similarity with S. cardinally Tams, 1931 or S. donaldsoni Holland & Smith 1901. The male holotype of the described species is deposited in the Museum Witt, Munich.

Redescription of Pinnixa Arenicola Rathbun, 1922 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae), With New Observations on Its Range and Host

Abstract Pinnixa arenicola is redescribed and illustrated on the basis of new collections and reexamined type material. Its occurrence in the burrows of Upogebia vasquezi Ngoc-Ho is reported, along with range extensions that include Florida, Puerto Rico, Aruba, and the Cayman Islands. New collections represent the first reports of P. arenicola since original discoveries in Curacao and suggest a potentially wide distribution of the species in the tropical western Atlantic. Following publication of the unillustrated original description for the holotype male, females were also noted to occur in Curacao, but illustrations with limited detail were provided by Rathbun for only the male holotype specimen. Prior to our work, no illustrations have depicted female morphology, unique male gonopods, or some pereopod features of potential value in defining phylogenetic relationships.

Types of Flatidae XIII, lectotype designations and taxonomic notes on African species in the Zoological Museum of the Humboldt-University Berlin (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea)

Type specimens of 31 African species of Flatidae named by Jacobi, Karsch, Melichar, and Schmidt, were examined. The genital characters of 25 holotype, lectotype or plesiotype males were illustrated. New combinations: Gyariella cuspidata (Melichar), from Gyaria; Cryptoflata obsoletus (Melichar), from Paranotus; Flatida ochreata (Melichar), from Flatina; Phylliana praetextus (Melichar), from Paranotus. New synonymies: Flatina chloris Melichar, a junior synonym of Flatidissa furcigera (Haglund); Ormenis fuscula Melichar, a junior synonym of Ulundia madagascariensis (Signoret).

Species of <I>Megamelus</I> (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Associated with Pontederiaceae in South America

The genus Megamelus Fieber (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), frequently associated with aquatic plants, includes four species in South America. One of these species, Megamelus scutellaris Berg, was the only species previously recorded in Argentina. In recent explorations in wetlands of South America (northeastern Argentina, eastern Peru, and southeastern Brazil), five species on Pontederiaceae were studied: Megamelus electrae Muir, Megamelus iphigeniae Muir, M. scutellaris, Megamelus timehri Muir, and Megamelus bellicus Remes Lenicov & Sosa sp. nov. Male holotypes of M. electrae, M. iphigeniae, and M. timehri were redescribed; females of both winged forms and brachypterous males of M. electrae and M. iphigeniae, and the female allotype of M. timehri, were described for the first time. M. bellicus is new for science, and it is described based on the following pattern combination: front coloration, anal segment with asymmetrical spine-like processes, shape of pygofer and aedeagus processes in the male, length of the ovipositor, and shape of the valvifer VIII. A key to distinguish the five South American species, based on male and female genitalia and the external morphology, is presented. This work is an update of knowledge on this genus, incorporating new specific diagnostic characters such as the length of ovipositor, shape and position of valvifer VIII, shape and denticulation of the first and second valvulae, and coloration pattern. Further information on host plants, geographical distribution, and biological data are reported.

Redescription of <i>Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) elliptica</i> (Koch, 1844), an old taxon of the <i>Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) leachi</i> group from East and southern Africa, and of <i>Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) leachi</i> (Audouin, 1826) (Ixodida, Ixodidae

Koch originally described only the male of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) elliptica (Koch, 1844), which he named Rhipistoma ellipticum. For the past century, however, this name has been considered a junior synonym of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) leachi (Audouin, 1826), or a nomen nudum. We redescribe here the male and larva of H. (R.) elliptica and describe the female and nymph for the first time. Our redescription is based on the male holotype, plus numerous specimens from southern and East Africa. The adults of this tick parasitize domestic and wild carnivores, and the immature stages infest rodents in these regions. For comparative purposes redescriptions of all parasitic stages of H. (R.) leachi are provided. It parasitizes the same hosts as H. (R.) elliptica in Egypt, and in northeastern, Central, West and East Africa.

Una nueva especie de Pero Herrich-Schäffer (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) del Norte de Chile

Pero rodriguezi sp. nov. is described from Socoroma, at 3000 m of altitude in northern Chile, based on male holotype. This is the first species of Pero described from Chile.

Coryphopterus kuna, a new goby (Perciformes: Gobiidae: Gobiinae) from the western Caribbean, with the identification of the late larval stage and an estimate of the pelagic larval duration

A new goby, Coryphopterus kuna, is described from the Atlantic coasts of Panama and Mexico. The species is distinguished from other Coryphopterus spp. by the low median fin and pectoral fin ray counts and the morphology of the pelvic fin. The pelvic fins are fully joined with a rounded outline and have branched and longer innermost pelvic fin rays. There is no frenum connecting the two pelvic fin spines and the fin is heavily speckled with black spots in the male holotype. The late larval stage of C. kuna is identified by DNA sequence matching and is morphologically similar to other larval Coryphopterus spp. but has a distinct melanophore pattern. Examination of the otolith microstructure reveals a relatively long pelagic larval duration of 63 days with a narrowing of the later daily increments suggesting delayed metamorphosis. The species is the first vertebrate to include gene sequence barcoding under the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) in the species description.

Leptagrion afonsoi sp.n. from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Leptagrion afonsoi sp.n. is described and illustrated from a single male (holotype; Caraça, Belo Horizonte, Santa Bárbara). It is close to L. dispar Selys, 1876 and L. elongatum Selys but differ from them by having bifid cercus.

Notes on the Neurigona Rondani (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Chinese Mainland

The following seven new species of the genus Neurigona are described and illustrated: Neurigona guangdongensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert sp. nov., N. guizhouensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. henana Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. jiangsuensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. wui Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. xiaolongmensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov. and N. yunnana Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov. We examined the male holotype of N. grisea Parent and female holotype of N. chetitarsa deposited in Muséum National d’Historie Naturelle, Paris. Also, the new data on distribution are reported for four known species. A key to the species of the genus from Chinese mainland is presented.

Description de la femelle d'Heteroclita digennaroi (Legrand, 2004) et remarques sur l'espèce (Coleoptera, Cetoniidae)

Description of the female of Heteroclita digennaroi (Legrand, 2004) and comments on the species. A series of specimens of Heteroclita digennaroi (Legrand, 2004), a species so far known only from the male holotype, has been collected at Mount Entoto in September, 2006, by the author and Karl Werner during a trip to Ethiopia. The female is here described, illustrated, and comments are added about the male morphology and the biology of the species. A correction is made regarding the data of the holotype. A female is designated as an alloreferent.

A Re-Description of Chalarostylis Elegans (Cumacea: Lampropidae)

Abstract Chalarostylis elegans Norman 1879 was described in 1879 from a single adult male specimen collected in the Porcupine Bight off the coast of Ireland. Recent collections in this area retrieved an additional specimen, a sub-adult female. The original specimen is in poor shape, soft with the first and second pereiopods broken. The original description (Norman, 1879) did not include any figures, although the holotype was deposited in the British Museum of Natural History. Chalarostylis elegans is redescribed and illustrated based on the new female material and reexamination of the male holotype. The new female specimen is entire with a robust first pereiopod (missing on the holotype) with a group of long setae terminally, identical to the first pereiopod in Dasylamprops Reyss 1978. Based on these observations Dasylamprops is considered a junior synonym of Chalarostylis. Dasylamprops guanchi is transferred to Chalarostylis becoming the second species within the genus.

Papuacocelus papuanus n. gen., n. sp. - a new Eurycanthinae from Papua New Guinea, with notes on the genus Dryococelus Gurney, 1947 and description of the egg (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae: Eurycanthinae)

The new genus Papuacocelus n. gen. (Type-species: Papuacocelus papuanus n. sp.) is described from Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province) and is related to Dryococelus Gurney, 1947, Thaumatobactron Günther, 1929 and Eurycantha Boisduval, 1835. The type-species Papuacocelus papuanus n. sp. is described and illustrated from both sexes. The male holotype is deposited in BMNH, the female paratype in the first author’s collection (FH). The monotypic genus Dryococelus Gurney, 1947 (Type-species: Karabidion australe Montrouzier, 1855) is briefly discussed and the eggs are described and illustrated for the first time. Keys and a table are presented to distinguish Dryococelus Gurney, 1947, Papuacocelus n. gen., Thaumatobactron Günther, 1929 and Eurycantha Boisduval, 1835. The beak-like ovipositor possessed by most females of Eurycanthinae is found to be formed by elongation of the anal segment and subgenital plate, and not as stated by former authors, by the subgenital plate and an elongated supraanal plate. A brief survey is provided of the beak-like ovipositors in Phasmatodea.