Monospecific Genus Research Articles

A New Coral Genus with Prominent, Ramified Main Septum (Aptian, Tanzania)

The new coral Heteroamphiastrea loeseri gen. et sp. nov., Family Carolastraeidae, Superfamily Heterocoenioidea, is described from the lower Aptian of the Lindi Region (Tendaguru area) in southeast Tanzania. The new genus is characterised by a cerioid colony type, an underdeveloped septal system with bilateral symmetry defined by a strong main septum with secondary outgrowths and the presence of a marginarium. Overall, this monospecific genus shows skeletal features of the family Carolastraeidae, but like other genera of the family, it shares some morphological features with the families Heterocoeniidae (Heterocoenioidea) and Amphiastreidae (Amphiastreoidea). Heteroamphiastrea gen. nov. exemplifies corals with relatively rare morphology. They are the most controversial Mesozoic corals without consensus on high-rank taxonomy. Heterocoenioidea and Amphiastreoidea have been recently classified into the suborder Heterocoeniina, Amphiastreina or Pachythecaliina, separately or together. Further, they were classified into the Order Scleractinia or into the extinct Order Hexanthiniaria.

A lichenized family yields another renegade lineage: Papilionovela albothallina is the first non-lichenized, saprobic member of Graphidaceae subfam. Graphidoideae

The non-lichenized, monospecific genus Papilionovela Aptroot, originally described from rain forest in Papua New Guinea, is reported here from several locations in Caatinga vegetation in Sergipe, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of the nuLSU marker within a three-locus phylogeny, as well as separate analysis of the fungal ITS barcoding marker, place Papilionovela in the Graphidaceae, subfamily Graphidoideae, with strong support. Within that subfamily, the genus clusters within tribe Wirthiotremateae, close to the Acanthothecis peplophora group and Carbacanthographis, albeit without support. We also reanalyzed the phylogenetic placement of two other, non-lichenized fungi previously associated with Graphidaceae, namely Furcaspora eucalypti and Rubikia evansii, and found them to form a separate, early diverging lineage in the family, here formally described as a new subfamily, Rubikioideae. Papilionovela is thus the first non-lichenized, saprobic lineage within the core Graphidaceae (subfamily Graphidoideae), providing a further independent, unequivocal case of delichenization within the order Ostropales.

<p><strong>An assessment of the local endemism of flowering plants in the northern Western Ghats and Konkan regions of India: checklist, habitat characteristics, distribution, and conservation</strong></p>

The Western Ghats of India support a significant amount of biodiversity despite heavy habitat loss. The northern part of this biodiversity hot-spot, along with Konkan, is considerably different from its southern and central counterparts on account of lesser precipitation and extended dry season. Though this region has been floristically surveyed well, there was a long need for a synthesis on local endemism of the flowering plants. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to produce an updated list of the local endemic plant species of the region with an analysis of habitat characteristics and their survival strategies. An extensive review of literature, herbarium records, and field studies yielded a checklist of 181 taxa including four monospecific genera which were examined for their distribution across their latitudinal spread and habitat specificity. A majority of the endemics are therophytes with their predominance, especially on rock outcrops. Northern Western Ghats seems to be the center of rapid diversification of certain herbaceous endemic genera like Ceropegia, Glyphochloa, Dipcadi, Eriocaulon and a few others. Despite being declared as a biodiversity hot-spot and having a higher concentration of endemic taxa, the region is underrepresented in global IUCN threat status assessments. The implication of effective conservation measures is necessary and the data presented in the manuscript can be used as a proxy for conservation planning.

Late Miocene biota from the Abad Member of the Carboneras-Nijar Basin (Spain, Andalusia): A bathyal fossil assemblage pre-dating the Messinian salinity crisis

Marly sediments of the early Messinian Abad Member of the Turre Formation from the northeastern sector of the Carboneras-Nijar Basin (southern Spain) have yielded a rich fossil assemblage, of which 60 taxa are documented herein. Besides nannoflora and microfauna, this assemblage includes the first autochthonous macrofauna described from the Abad Member. Based on the calcareous nannofossil assemblage, in particular the occurrence of the zonal index taxon Amaurolithus primus, the sediments are assigned to the Mediterranean calcareous nannofossil zone CNM17, corresponding to the latest Tortonian to earliest Messinian interval. This matches the age range generally reported for the Abad Member. Palaeoecological evidence from calcareous nannofossils (20 autochthonous taxa), planktic and benthic foraminifera (12 taxa), Porifera (3 taxa), Octocorallia (Keratoisis), Serpulidae (4 taxa), Bivalvia (5 taxa), Gastropoda (2 taxa), Brachiopoda (7 taxa), Cirripedia (Faxelepas) and Vertebrata (5 taxa) indicates an upper bathyal environment with an influx of neritic elements for the Abad Member near Carboneras. Additionally, several faunal components may represent allochthonous/parautochthonous elements from adjacent habitats, which were transported into the deep marine setting by turbiditic mass flows. Although similarities exist, the fossil assemblage from the marls is compositionally significantly different from the biota previously documented from a nearby exposed olistostrome, the ‘red breccia’. Similar fossil assemblages from the Mediterranean have so far mainly been reported from the Pliocene-Pleistocene of southern Italy and Greece. The Carboneras fauna thus adds to our knowledge of the development of these habitats and their biota prior to the Messinian salinity crisis. Beyond the novel palaeoenvironmental data, the range of the dyscoliid brachiopod Ceramisia meneghiniana, previously known only from the Pliocene of Italy, is extended to the Miocene of Spain. The cirripede crustacean Pycnolepas paronai De Alessandri, 1895 is transferred to the hitherto monospecific genus Faxelepas Gale, 2015, whereby the range of the latter (previously Maastrichtian to Danian) is extended to the late Miocene.

Linnaeocaninella nomen novum for the Middle Permian fossil Caninella Liang, 1990 (Brachiopoda: Productida: Richthofenidae), preoccupied by Caninella Gorsky, 1938 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Bothrophyllidae).

Liang (1990) erected the monospecific genus Caninella for a Middle Permian fossil brachiopod species, Caninella zhinanensis, from the Lengwu Formation, Tonglu, Zhejiang, in China. This genus was included within the family Richthofenidae Waagen, 1885. Thus, Caninella zhinanensis, Liang, 1990, collected in strata of Middle Permian (Capitanian) age, was the type species by monotypy. Subsequently, Williams, Harper Grant (2000) placed Caninella Liang, 1990 in the superfamily Permianelloidea, family Uncertain, subfamily Loczyellinae, but expressed doubt about the validity of Caninella since it was based on three poorly preserved specimens. Nevertheless, Shen et al. (2017) retain the placement in Richthofenidae on the basis of its somewhat bilobate outline and deep incisive sulcus in anterior or posterior views, but suggest that the genus is "highly likely a subjective synonym of either Richthofenia Kayser, 1881 or Permianella He Zhu, 1979".

A new genus and species of foliicolous lichen in a new family of Strigulales (Ascomycota: Dothideomycetes) reveals remarkable class-level homoplasy

Phylogenetic analysis of some foliicolous lichens collected in Hainan Province, China, revealed a new lineage morphologically similar to Porina but phylogenetically related to Strigulaceae (Dothideomycetes), differing from the latter in ascus type. The monospecific genus Tenuitholiascus gen. nov. is introduced for the single species, T. porinoides sp. nov., which is placed in the new, monogeneric family Tenuitholiascaceae, sister to Strigulaceae in Strigulales. The new taxon closely resembles the genus Porina in external morphology and ascospore type, as well as the thin-walled asci and unbranched paraphyses. Yet, it is entirely unrelated to the latter, which belongs in class Lecanoromycetes in the order Gyalectales.

A taxonomic revision of the Early Devonian dalmanitid trilobite Kasachstania Maksimova, 1972 from central Kazakhstan

AbstractThe dalmanitid trilobite Kasachstania Maksimova, 1972, previously reported from the Lower Devonian of Kazakhstan and North America (USA) and the upper Silurian–Lower Devonian of South America (Bolivia and Argentina), is revised. Kasachstania kasachstanica (Balashova in Maksimova,1968) and K. septicostata (Maksimova, 1968) are regarded as junior synonyms of the type species K. saryarkensis (Maksimova, 1960), all from the Lower Devonian of the type locality in central Kazakhstan (northern Balkhash). On the basis of a new diagnosis, K. ulrichi ulrichi (Delo, 1940) from the Emsian of the United States, K. ulrichi asiatica (Maksimova, 1968), K. pristina (Maksimova, 1968), and K. alperovichi Pour et al., 2019, from the Lower Devonian of Kazakhstan, K. andii (Kozłowski, 1923) from the upper Silurian–Lower Devonian of Bolivia, and K. gerardoi Edgecombe and Ramsköld, 1994, from the upper Silurian–Lower Devonian of Bolivia and Argentina are excluded from Kasachstania. This genus, represented only by K. saryarkensis and K. kiikbaica (Maksimova, 1968), is restricted to the Lower Devonian of central Kazakhstan, corresponding to the Balkhash–Mongolo–Okhotsk province in the paleobiogeographic context of the Old World Realm, instead of being nearly cosmopolitan as previously considered. In addition, we provide some remarks about Saryarkella Maksimova, 1978b, a monospecific dalmanitid genus largely overlooked although valid from the Emsian of the same area in central Kazakhstan.

Description of female adult and praniza larva of Tenerognathia visus Tanaka, 2005 (Crustacea; Isopoda; Gnathiidae) with notes on mating behavior.

Male adults of gnathiid isopods (Crustacea; Isopoda; Gnathiidae) have remarkably developed rectangular-shaped cephalosomes and mandibles in most species. Tenerognathia visus Tanaka, 2005 belongs to a monospecific genus having remarkable characters in male morphology; reduced mandibles and large eyes occupying the whole of an elliptical cephalosome. The original description of T. visus is based on male adult specimens from coral rubble. This study found adult males and their larvae of T. visus attracted by light. Furthermore, specimens of female adults were observed by laboratory rearing of praniza larvae. In this study, morphologies of larvae and female adults of T. visus are described and notes on mating behavior in a laboratory aquarium are provided.

Taxonomic revision of Dictyoconus? vercorii Arnaud-Vanneau, 1980 (Foraminifera, Orbitolinidae) from the Lower Cretaceous (lowermost Barremian–lower Aptian) of southeastern France, Switzerland and Spain

The new genus Vanneauina belonging to the family Orbitolinidae is described herein from Lower Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates of southeastern France. Its type-species, here referred to as Vanneauina vercorii (Arnaud-Vanneau, 1980) comb. nov., has been described originally as belonging with some reservations to Dictyoconus Blanckenhorn. Vanneauina gen. nov. differs from Dicytoconus above all by its simple exoskeleton (lacking rafters), triangular-shaped primary beams, pillars laterally fusing at the base and top, and a simple and slightly eccentric embryo. So far, Vanneauina is a monospecific genus. In its type-area, it is reported from the lowermost Barremian (upper part of the hugii zone) to the lower Aptian (lower part of the weissi zone). After the present taxonomic revision, there is no representative of Dictyoconus in the orbitolinid assemblages from the upper Hauterivian to lower Aptian interval in the Urgonian type area of southeastern France and Switzerland.

<p><strong><em>Cupressaccus </em></strong><strong>nomen novum: a replacement name for the illegitimate Middle Jurassic coniferous pollen genus <em>Cupressacites </em>Reyre</strong></p>

Reyre (1973) erected the monospecific genus Cupressacites Reyre (1973: 156) for a Middle Jurassic fossil gymnosperm pollen, Cupressacites oxycedroides Reyre (1973: 157), from the southern Tunisia. This genus was included within the informal pollen group Inaperturatae. Thus, Cupressacites oxycedroides Reyre (1973: 157) collected in the strata of Callovian-Kimmeridgian age was the type species by monotypy.

Phylogenetic relationships between genera Dorcadion, Lamia, Morimus, Herophila and some other Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) based on chromosome and CO1 gene sequence comparison.

A dual molecular and cytogenetic study was performed with the aim to improve the controversial systematic classification of some species of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The karyotypes of species belonging to genera Morimus, Herophila, Dorcadion, Neodorcadion and Lamia share a number of characters, which differentiate them from other species, belonging to genera Phytoecia, Parmena and Monochamus. The karyotypes of the last three species comprise 20 chromosomes, mostly metacentric or sub-metacentric, as in the presumed Cerambycidae ancestors. The karyotypes of the former species share many characters derived from the Lamiinae ancestors by a number of chromosome fissions and inversions indicating their monophyly. Comparisons of the CO1 gene sequence also show the monophyly of Morimus, Lamia, Herophila and Dorcadion and their distant relationship with others. These convergent results allow us to propose a phylogenetic classification of these genera, which places the monospecific genus Lamia close to Dorcadion, clearly separates Dorcadion and Neodorcadion and places Herophila closer to Morimus than to Dorcadion/Lamia. The genus Morimus is the most derived. CO1 mutations loosely separate the forms M. asper and M. funereus, which have similar karyotypes and behaviour and copulate in captivity. The form M. ganglebaueri may have a funereus X asper hybrid origin.

<p><strong>Notes on taxonomy and distribution of some liverworts of tropical Asia</strong></p>

Eleven noteworthy liverworts are reported from Brunei, Indonesia (Seram), and Malaysia (Sabah). Cololejeunea koponenii and Allorgella zantenii previously endemic to New Guinea are newly reported for Indonesia. The poorly known monospecific genus (Cephalolejeunea) is new to Brunei. Cololejeunea streimannii previously known only from Papua New Guinea is newly found in Borneo. Cheilolejeunea obcordata is discovered for the first time except for the type locality. Porella geheebii is new to Seram. Oil bodies of Cephalolejeunea parvilobula, Cheilolejeunea obcordata, Cololejeunea koponenii, C. streimannii, Leptolejeunea spinistipula, and Pictolejeunea mizutanii are reported for the first time. The photographs of Allorgella zantenii, Cephalolejeunea parvilobula, Cheilolejeunea obcordata, Cololejeunea koponenii, Drepanolejeunea blumei., and Porella geheebii are provided.

Description of two deep-water copepods of the genus Leptotachidia Becker from the northwestern Pacific (Harpacticoida, Pseudotachidiidae).

The monospecific genus Leptotachidia Becker, 1974 (Pseudotachidiidae Lang, 1936) was previously known only from the deep Atlantic. Female specimens of two unknown species of this genus were collected from abyssal sediments during an expedition to the northwestern Pacific on board research vessel ISABU (Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology) in November 2017. In this paper we describe the females of two new species, L. senariasp. nov. and L. apousiasp. nov. The new species were attributed to the genus Leptotachidia by the combination of the five-segmented female antennule, presence of the Brodskaya organ on the distal antennulary segment, and the second exopodal segments of second to fourth legs without inner setae. An outstanding character of both Pacific species is the reduced armature of thoracic legs in contrast to the type species, L. iberica Becker, 1974. In addition, the setal armature of L. senariasp. nov. and L. apousiasp. nov. is unique within the genus in that the female leg 5 of L. senariasp. nov. has six elements instead of five; and the antennary exopod of L. apousiasp. nov. bears a single seta on the proximal segment instead of two. This is the first record of Leptotachidia from the Pacific. A key to all three species of Leptotachidia is provided.

Archaeospora ecuadoriana sp. nov. from a mountainous biodiversity hotspot area in Ecuador, and transfer of Palaeospora spainiae to Archaeospora, as A. spainiae comb. nov.

A new glomeromycotan fungus, Archaeospora ecuadoriana sp. nov., was found in the south Ecuadorian mountain rainforest region, a global plant biodiversity hotspot. It was cultivated as single spore isolate originating from nursery-grown native tree seedlings inoculated with mixed soil from pristine forest and agricultural fields. The new species is known from the Loja area, southern Ecuador, at about 2100m above mean sea level (mamsl) and has been detected in potato roots from an Andean region in Peru at 2658 mamsl by previous molecular data. The fungus forms small, colourless to frosted white, mainly globose spores, averaging 61 × 60μm, formed singly or very rarely in clusters. There is no reaction to Melzer's reagent, other than a slight unspecific overall yellow iodine staining. The spores are very similar to those of Archaeospora trappei and A. schenckii. However, molecular phylogenetic analysis shows the species to be clearly separate from all other described Archaeospora species. The analysis of the available Archaeospora sequence data shows that sequences of Palaeospora spainiae, of the monospecific genus Palaeospora, cluster within the genus Archaeospora. Palaeospora therefore is synonymised with Archaeospora and P. spainiae is transferred to Archaeospora, as A. spainiae comb. nov.

A biogeographic and evolutionary analysis of the flora of the North-eastern cerrado, Brazil

ABSTRACTBackground: The forest-savanna habitat switching is thought to have been a recurrent event in evolutionary history. Notwithstanding, the centre of the Cerrado, a large biogeographic domain, may be hypothesised to be a region with historical climatic stability and thus is predicted to contain high richness of cerrado species and the presence of few species from adjacents domains.Aims: We tested if today’s flora of the north-eastern cerrado (NC), a peripheral province of the domain, demonstrated an observable gradient in their distribution from centre of the Cerrado towards adjacents domains.Methods: We compiled vegetation survey data for 178 sites in the cerrado of north-eastern Brazil. Distribution patterns of plant taxa were assessed using multivariate techniques.Results: We recorded 1071 species in 390 genera and 85 families. Almost 40% were monogeneric families and ca. 50% were monospecific genera. The species composition in the NC followed a gradient related to the distance from the centre of the Cerrado towards its periphery.Conclusions: We show that the NC flora is unique and much richer than previously thought and that it is likely to be an outcome of evolutionary processes and of today’s intermixing of species from adjacent formations.

The most remarkable cave-specialized trechine beetles from China

Limestone areas of China host remarkable radiations of cave animals. The subterranean trechine beetles (Carabidae: Trechini), the most diverse and modified group of subterranean beetles in the world, are extremely diverse in southern China. The first aphaenopsian trechine beetle, Sinaphaenops mirabilissimus Uéno & Wang, 1991 was reported from a limestone cave in Guizhou province. Up to now, 146 species within 48 genera of aphaenopsian trechine have been described in China after almost three decades. Among them, the genera Giraffaphaenops, Xuedytes, Dongodytes, Sinaphaenops and Pilosaphaenops from northwest Guangxi and south Guizhou are the most modified troglobitic trechine beetles known so far in the world. They are remarkable by their morphology combining extremely slender body and elongated appendages. Some of them are diversified or quite widespread, which is not the case of Xuedytes Tian & Huang, 2017, a remarkable monospecific genus known from a single locality so far. In addition to the surveys and collection of specimens, an integrative approach combining the study of systematics, phylogeny, diversification and biogeography patterns of the cave trechine beetles in China is on the way, in order to understand the origin of the remarkable biodiversity and evolutionary success of this group.

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Artoviridae.

The family Artoviridae was created in 2018 for the established monospecific genus Peropuvirus and six new species of invertebrate viruses that had all been discovered by high-throughput sequencing. Artoviruses have negative-sense RNA genomes of about 12 kb and produce enveloped, spherical particles that are 100–130 nm in diameter. Hosts include parasitoid wasps, barnacles, pillworms, woodlice, copepods and odonates. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Artoviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/artoviridae.

Validation of the name Asterosiphon dichotomus (Xanthophyceae)

Asterosiphon Dangeard (1940: 720) presents a monospecific genus of xanthophytes, which can be easily distinguished from other genera in having filamentous siphons and exclusively asexual reproduction. Asterosiphon species forms macroscopic rosette of a few millimeters in diameter consisting of green procumbent and dichotomously branched siphons which are attached to wet soil by scarcely branched colorless rhizoids. The green filaments normally form the chains of akinetes germinating into the new siphons instantly or produce numerous aplanospores. Both ways of reproduction have been thoroughly investigated by Dangeard (1940, 1942) and subsequently by Rieth (1962a, b), who established identity of Asterosiphon siphons with Gongrosira-like stage of thalli ascribed previously to some representatives of the genus Vaucheria de Candolle (1801: 20) (Stahl 1879). The published records of Asterosiphon species are very scarce and concern to a few countries of Europe (Dangeard 1942, Rieth 1962b, Christensen 1986, Langangen 1994, Kusel-Fetzmann 1999, Cambra-Sánchez 2010, Carter & John 2012), Algeria (Gauthier-Lièvre 1954), India (Gupta 2012), China (Liu et al. 1994), and Argentina (Lacoste de Díaz 1981, cit. ex Cambra-Sánchez 2010).

Two new species and a new combination in the genus Pauridiantha Hook.f. (Rubiaceae) from tropical Africa

A morphological study of the monospecific genus Rhipidantha Bremek. from Tanzania leads to its inclusion in Pauridiantha Hook.f.; a new combination, Pauridiantha chlorantha (K.Schum.) Ntore & O.Lachenaud, sp. nov., is therefore published, and a full description of this hitherto little-known species is provided. Two new Pauridiantha species from Atlantic Central Africa are also described and illustrated: Pauridiantha gracilipes O.Lachenaud & Ntore, sp. nov. and Pauridiantha principensis Ntore & O.Lachenaud, sp. nov. The former species is endemic to the Ogooue delta in Gabon, and resembles P. liebrechtsiana (De Wild. & T.Durand) Ntore & Dessein, but differs by the 2-locular ovary, the very long fruiting pedicels (12-18 mm) and the frequent presence of spines on the older stems – the last two characters being unique in the genus. The second species is endemic to Principe island, and differs from P. insularis (Hiern) Bremek., from the neighbouring island of Sao Tome, by the more ascending secondary leaf veins lacking domatia in their axils, longer pedicels, and glabrous stipules. The conservation status of all three species is evaluated acccording to IUCN criteria: P. chlorantha (K.Schum.) Ntore & O.Lachenaud, comb. nov. is assessed as Endangered, P. gracilipes O.Lachenaud & Ntore, sp. nov. as Critically Endangered, and P. principensis Ntore & O.Lachenaud, sp. nov. as Near-threatened. Finally, Pauridiantha microphylla R.D.Good is placed into synonymy of P. canthiiflora Hook.f.

Molecular study supports the position of the New Zealand endemic genus Lamellomorpha in the family Vulcanellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae, Tetractinellida), with the description of three new species

Due to the possession of huge contort strongyles, and a lack of triaenes in an otherwise ‘astrophorine’ spicule complement, the phylogenetic position of the endemic, monospecific New Zealand sponge genus, Lamellomorpha Bergquist, 1968, has remained enigmatic. The genus was established within Jaspidae de Laubenfels, 1968 (in the abandoned order Epipolasida Sollas, 1888), but it was not until 2002 that the genus was transferred formally to Astrophorina Sollas, 1887, albeit incertae sedis, by Hooper & Maldonado (2002). In this study, we recognise specimens of Lamellomorpha from the Subantarctic New Zealand region and Chatham Rise, considered by Bergquist to be conspecific with the type species, L. strongylata Bergquist, 1968, first described from the Three Kings-Spirits Bay region of Northland, as the new species, L. australis Kelly & Cárdenas sp. nov. These two species of Lamellomorpha have differences in external morphology and colour, skeletal architecture and spicules, natural products, geographical distribution, and depth ranges. Sequencing of the COI Folmer barcode/mini-barcode and of 28S (C1–C2 domains) of these two species suggests phylogenetic affinities of Lamellomorpha with the tetractinellid suborder Astrophorina and the family Vulcanellidae Cárdenas et al., 2011. Two Subantarctic New Zealand species of the vulcanellid genus Poecillastra Sollas, 1888, P. ducitriaena Kelly & Cárdenas sp. nov. and P. macquariensis Kelly & Cárdenas sp. nov., provide further support for the close relationship of Lamellomorpha and Poecillastra.