Morphological Phylogeny Research Articles

Uncovering the relationships among herring-like fossils (Clupei: Teleostei): a phylogenetic analysis

Abstract Research interest in the diversity and evolutionary history of herring-like fossils (subcohort Clupei) has increased in recent decades. However, little is known about the relationships between fossils assigned to Clupei, particularly those that are demonstrably related to extant herring-like members of the order Clupeiformes. To help bridge this gap, we present a new morphological phylogeny that includes representatives of all major clupeiform lineages. The data matrix consists of 192 characters, drawn from 79 extant and 37 fossil taxa and selected to be readily identifiable in fossils. Most clupeiform families are recovered as monophyletic, and their interrelationships are generally compatible with previous morphological hypotheses. The phylogenetic positions of six fossil clupeiform taxa are resolved, as the results of all analyses (unconstrained/constrained parsimony and Bayesian inference) are consistent. Twenty-one fossil taxa are incertae sedis, including two species of Ellimmichtyiformes, which are recovered as Clupeoidei in the parsimony analyses. The relationships of the rest of the fossils are interpreted with varying degrees of certainty. The evolution of key morphological characters is discussed in light of the new results, and four fossil taxa are proposed as calibration points for future dating studies.

Sensillar Ultrastructure of the Antennae and Maxillary Palps of the Warble Fly Oestromyia leporina (Pallas, 1778) (Diptera: Oestridae).

Despite the development of molecular techniques, morphological phylogeny still remains integral in underpinning the relationship between some clades of Calyptratae, especially the ones with fast radiation, such as those in Oestridae (Diptera: Brachycera), yet few synapomorphy has been proposed for adults in this family. Using scanning electron microscopy, we investigated the morphological structure and ultrastructure of the antennae and maxillary palps of adult Oestromyia leporina (Hypodermatinae, Oestridae). One type of trichoid sensillum (Tr), three types of basiconic sensilla (Ba I, Ba II, and Ba III), one type of coeloconic sensillum (Co I), and one type of clavate sensillum (Cl) were found on the antennal postpedicel. Surprisingly, this species has the most complex types of sensilla on the maxillary palps that have been reported in Calyptratae so far, with two types of coeloconic sensilla (Co II and Co III) and two types of mechanoreceptors. We then identified three common characteristics on the arista of Oestridae (Hypodermatinae, Oestrinae, Gasterophilinae and Cuterebrinae) that are potential synapomorphies. These characteristics indicate the value of the morphology of maxillary palps and aristae in taxonomy studies of Calyptratae.

Comparative analyses of complete mitochondrial genomes of four sillaginids fish (Perciformes: Sillaginidae) and phylogenetic implications

Sillago muktijoddhai, S. mengjialensis, S. sihama and Sillaginops macrolepis (Perciformes, Sillaginidae) are common coastal sand borers. The first three species are found in the Northeastern Indian Ocean, and the fourth one is located in the Western Central Pacific Ocean only. Molecular data applying in the prior investigations on systematics and phylogenetic relationships were not only incomplete but also uncertain for these fishes. This study sequenced their complete mitochondrial genomes using Sanger Dideoxy DNA sequencing for the first time. Their complete mitochondrial genome was a circular molecule of 17,022, 16,624, 16,825 and 16,502bp in length for S. muktijoddhai, S. mengjialensis, S. sihama and Sillaginops macrolepis, respectively. Most protein-coding genes (PCGs) were initiated with the typical ATG codon and terminated with the TAA or TAG codon and the incomplete termination codon T/TA could be detected in the four species. The majority of AT-skew and GC-skew values of the entire mitogenomes among the four species were negative. The Ka/Ks ratio analyses indicated 13 PCGs were suffering strong purifying selection. In the phylogenetic analysis, S. muktijoddhai, S. mengjialensis, and S. sihama were placed with relative species of the genus Sillago supporting morphological phylogeny. However, S. macrolepis was situated in the clade of genus Sillago that contrasted to morphological phylogeny. Divergence time analysis showed that Sillaginidae species diverged around 61 million years ago. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 59(2), 87-104, 2024

Updating the morphological phylogenetics of Nopinae (Araneae: Caponiidae): novel terminals and characters, with two new species

A re-analysis of the morphological phylogeny of the Nopinae is made, based on an update in the description of Aamunops Galán-Sánchez & Álvarez-Padilla, 2022 and the addition of the recently described genera Nopsma Sánchez-Ruiz, Brescovit & Bonaldo, 2020 and Roddemberryus Sánchez-Ruiz & Bonaldo, 2023. Two new species, Aamunops hoof sp. nov. (male) and Aamunops yiselae sp. nov. (male and female), are also described, which allows a better understanding of the genus morphology and resulted in an emended diagnosis. The description of Aamunops has been updated to include several characteristics of the ultrastructural morphology, legs, chelicerae, palps and female genitalia. The inclusion of these new characters of Aamunops along with those of Nopsma and Roddemberryus in the previous data matrix resulted in a new, completely different hypothesis of the relationships of the nopine genera: Nopsma is part of a group formed by Cubanops and Nyetnops, while Aamunops and Roddemberryus are grouped with representatives of Tarsonops. The four-eyed Nopsides ceralbonus Chamberlin, 1924 was recovered as the most basal species of Nopinae. The relationships among genera of Nopinae and the phylogenetic position of three species, whose taxonomic position is doubtful (Cubanops luquillo Sánchez-Ruiz, Brescovit & Alayón, 2015, Orthonops confuso Galán-Sánchez & Álvarez-Padilla, 2022 and Tarsonops irataylori Bond & Taylor, 2013), is also discussed.

Description of the Male Caste of Leptogenys borneensis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with Its First Discovery in Sumatra

Males of Leptogenys (Lobopelta) borneensis Wheeler, 1919 are described, including their genital morphology, which is important for diagnostics and morphological phylogeny of the genus Leptogenys Roger, 1861. The mtDNA COI barcoding sequence of 607 bp obtained and uploaded to GenBank and BOLD. The species was previously known from Borneo (Malaysia: Sarawak — type locality), Thailand and Vietnam and is recorded for the first time from Sumatra (Indonesia)

Neuroanatomy and pneumaticity of the extinct Malagasy "horned" crocodile Voay robustus and its implications for crocodylid phylogeny and palaeoecology.

Voay robustus, the extinct Malagasy "horned" crocodile, was originally considered to be the only crocodylian representative in Madagascar during most part of the Holocene. However, Malagasy crocodylian remains have had confused taxonomic attributions and recent studies have underlined that Crocodylus and Voay populations coexisted on the island for at least 7500 years. Here, we describe the inner braincase anatomy of Voay robustus using x-ray computed tomography on four specimens, to provide new anatomical information that distinguishes Voay from Crocodylus, especially features of the brain endocast and the paratympanic sinuses. Geometric morphometric analyses are performed on 3D models of the internal organs to compare statistically Voay with a subset of extant Crocodylidae. Following these comparisons, we build an endocranial morphological matrix to discuss the proposed phylogenetic affinities of Voay with Osteolaeminae from an endocranial point of view. Additionally, we discuss the use of internal characters in systematic studies and find that they can have a major impact on morphological analyses. Finally, new radiocarbon data on Voay and subfossil Crocodylus specimens are recovered between 2010 and 2750 cal BP, which confirm the cohabitation of the two species in the same area for a long period of time. We thus assess several extinction scenarios, and propose a slightly different ecology of Voay compared to Crocodylus, which could have allowed habitat partitioning on the island. Our approach complements information obtained from previous molecular and morphological phylogenies, as well as previous radiocarbon dating, together revealing past diversity and faunal turnovers in Madagascar.

He genus Epanycles (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Ctenuchina): 145 years of monotypy

The genus Epanycles Butler (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Ctenuchina) has been considered as monotypical for 145 years, including only Epanycles imperialis (Walker). Herein, we propose a new combination: E. satania new. comb. based on external morphology, genital morphology of males and females, morphological phylogeny, DNA barcoding, and geographical distribution. Epanycles satania was originally described for the genus Episcepsis Butler.

Revision of the New World Ceratoculicoides Wirth & Ratanaworabhan (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae, Ceratopogonini)

The New World species of the genus Ceratoculicoides Wirth & Ratanaworabhan are described, illustrated and keyed in both sexes. Ceratoculicoides borkenti sp. nov., C. confusus sp. nov., C. grogani sp. nov., C. pacificus sp. nov. and C. propinquus sp. nov. are described, with C. confusus being the first record of the genus from South America (Colombia). Ceratoculicoides blantoni is a junior synonym of C. virginianus and the identity of C. longipennis remains unclear as the male morphospecies associated in taxonomic literature with the female type series is not conspecific. A morphological phylogeny of all extant species in the genus is presented and characters discussed. The moravicus species group is recognized for a clade of species with the lateral margins of the aedeagus straight or concave.

Phylogenomics, evolution of trophic traits and divergence times of hemiodontid fishes (Ostariophysi: Characiformes)

The South American characiform family Hemiodontidae comprises five genera and 34 species. The family lacks comprehensive phylogenetic hypotheses resolving its species relationships. The studies that addressed these questions exhibited a narrow taxon sampling or used single-locus markers. Herein we surveyed hundreds of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) loci to provide the first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis and divergence time estimates for hemiodontids encompassing all its genera and most species (27 of the 34 valid species). We also tracked the history of the protractile upper jaw in the genera Argonectes and Bivibranchia across the recovered phylogenies through ancestral state reconstruction. Our results corroborate the monophyly of Hemiodontidae and the genera Argonectes and Bivibranchia in all phylogenetic methods with maximum clade support. The genera Anodus and Hemiodus were not monophyletic because Anodus elongatus was sister to the monotypic Micromischodus instead of A. orinocensis, and H. immaculatus did not form a clade with its other congeners, but instead was sister to the clade including Anodus and Micromischodus. All remaining species of Hemiodus were placed together into a monophyletic group, where they were arranged into four major subclades. The relationship in the family is summarised as: (Bivibranchia, (Argonectes, ((H. immaculatus, (Anodus, Micromischodus)), Hemiodus clade))), in discordance with the morphological phylogeny that placed all genera monophyletic and resolved the family as: ((Anodus, Micromischodus), (Hemiodus, (Argonectes, Bivibranchia))). The origin of Hemiodontidae was estimated from the Late Cretaceous to the Middle Paleogene, with the mean age in the Paleocene, while the origin of most hemiodontid genera except Bivibranchia occurred in the Miocene. Unordered parsimony and likelihood reconstruction indicates that Argonectes and Bivibranchia developed their protractile upper jaw independently.

Observations on heterodonty within the dentition of the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae (Richardson, 1836), from the north-central Gulf of Mexico, USA, with implications on the fossil record.

The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae (Richardson, 1836), is the most common small coastal requiem shark in the north-central Gulf of Mexico, USA. Despite this fact, little is known about the dental variation within this taxon. To help rectify this shortcoming, we examined 126 male and female R. terraenovae jaws sets across all maturity stages to document the various types of heterodonty occurring in the dentition of this taxon. Quantitative data gathered from a subset of our sample allowed for us to place teeth within the dentition of R. terraenovae into standardized upper and lower parasymphyseal/symphyseal, anterior lateral, and posterior tooth groups. As with all carcharhinid sharks, the dentition of R. terraenovae exhibits monognathic and dignathic heterodonty. We also observed significant ontogenetic heterodonty in the species, as the teeth and dentition progress through five generalized developmental stages as the shark matures. The ontogenetic development of serrations on the teeth appears to be closely related to documented dietary changes as the shark matures. Initial diets are comprised of high percentages of invertebrate prey like shrimp, crabs, and squid, but this transitions through ontogeny to a diet that is more reliant on fishes. We also provide the first documentation of gynandric heterodonty in mature male R. terraenovae, with development of these seasonal teeth likely enabling a male to grasp female sharks during copulation. Our analysis revealed a tremendous amount of variation in the dentition of R. terraenovae, which has direct implications on the taxonomy of fossil Rhizoprionodon. A comparison of the jaws in our sample to those of the extant species of Rhizoprionodon and the morphologically similar Loxodon, Scoliodon, and Sphyrna allowed us to formulate a list of generic-level characteristics to assist with the identification of isolated teeth. When applied to the fossil record, it is shown that some species previously assigned to Rhizoprionodon likely belong to one of the other aforementioned genera. The earliest occurrence of unequivocal Rhizoprionodon teeth in the fossil record are those of the Eocene †R. ganntourensis (Arambourg, 1952), the oldest records of which occur in early Ypresian deposits in Alabama and Mississippi, USA. The early Eocene occurrence of unequivocal fossil Rhizoprionodon teeth in Alabama predates the first occurrence of Negaprion, Galeocerdo, and Carcharhinus teeth in the state, supporting published molecular and morphological phylogenies positing a basal position for Rhizoprionodon within the Carcharhinidae.

First fossil record of Perameles fasciata from New South Wales and Queensland: reassessment of Perameles sobbei

The first fossil record of the Liverpool Plains striped bandicoot, Perameles fasciata, is presented. Since this species was split from its west coast counterpart, Perameles bougainville, no fossil record had been reported. Perameles fasciata is found in five fossil sites in Queensland and New South Wales, all Pleistocene in age. Perameles sobbei, described from the Darling Downs in Queensland, is found to be a junior synonym of P. fasciata, based on morphometrics and diagnostic morphological features. A morphological phylogeny finds that P. fasciata is more closely related to Perameles nasuta, Perameles pallescens and Perameles gunnii than P. bougainville. Perameles fasciata was likely more widespread in the Pleistocene, but by the Holocene had only survived on the Liverpool Plains in New South Wales until its extinction in the 1860s, probably as a result of land clearing and the introduction of foxes. While P. bougainville has been translocated in New South Wales, P. gunnii, which co-occurred with P. fasciata, is a better ecological analogue because of it is similar size, morphology and phylogenetic affinity.Kenny J. Travouillon [Kenny.Travouillon@museum.wa.gov.au], Collections and Research Centre, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia.

A revision of the Australian species of Howickia Richards (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Limosininae)

Howickia Richards, 1951, the largest genus of Sphaeroceridae in Australia, is revised to include 43 species, including all wingless Australian species of the family. The following new species are described: H. acicula (TAS), H. auricoma (VIC), H. biantenna (TAS), H. cruspica (VIC), H. erythrocephala (NSW), H. flagella (TAS), H. grandisterna (TAS), H. holti (NSW), H. irwini (NSW), H. loligo (TAS), H. notechis (TAS), H. nuda (NSW), H. pertusa (TAS), H. pinnula (TAS), H. pseudovittata (NSW, QLD), H. robustaseta (NSW), H. tricolor (NSW), H. truemani (TAS), H. wamini (NSW, QLD, TAS, WA), and H. xanthocephala (QLD, NSW). The genera Apterobiroina Papp, 1979, Australimosina Papp, 2008, Bentrovata Richards, 1973, Monteithiana Richards, 1973, Popondetta Richards, 1973, and Otwayia Richards, 1973 are treated as new synonyms of Howickia. Howickia is redefined and placed in the context of a key to genera of Sphaeroceridae in Australia, the Australian species of Howickia are keyed, and a morphological phylogeny is given for the Australian species. The following new combinations are given: Howickia australis (Papp, 1979) comb. nov., Howickia cynthia (Richards, 1973) comb. nov., Howickia dealata (Richards, 1973) comb. nov., Howickia flavipes (Papp, 2021) comb. nov., Howickia flaviterga (Richards, 1973) comb. nov., Howickia flavithorax (Papp, 2021) comb. nov., Howickia regalis (Richards, 1973) comb. nov., Howickia sabina (Richards, 1973) comb. nov., Howickia truncata (Papp, 2021) comb. nov., Paralimosina nasalis (Richards, 1973) comb. nov. (formerly in Pseudocollinella Duda, 1924), Pseudopterogramma fenestrata (Richards, 1973) comb. nov. (originally as Leptocera (Limosina) Macquart, 1835, transferred to Biroina Richards, 1973 by Marshall in Roháček et al. (2001)), and Pleuroseta dorrigonis (Richards, 1973) comb. nov. (formerly in Biroina). A new name, Howickia neoregalis nom. nov. is proposed for H. regalis Marshall, 2014, junior homonym of H. regalis (Richards, 1973). The following genera are newly recorded from Australia: Chaetopodella Duda, 1920, Paralimosina Papp, 1973, Pachytarsella Richards, 1963, Parapterogramma Papp, 2008, Philocoprella Richards, 1929, Piliterga Papp, 2008, Pterogrammoides Papp, 1972, Spelobia Spuler, 1924, and Spinilimosina Roháček, 1983.

Morphological Phylogeny of New Cretaceous Fossils Elucidates the Early History of Soil Dwelling Among Bugs

Burrowing bugs are distinctive, beetle-like insects of the pentatomoid family Cydnidae, noteworthy for their morphological specializations for digging and a hemiedaphic life history. However, less is known about their biological significance and the early origin of soil dwelling. Direct fossil evidence illuminating the evolutionary history of soil dwelling in cydnids is extremely rare. In this study, we report four new species of the burrowing bug subfamily Amnestinae from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, including two exhibiting specialized bulldozing and digging morphological traits on the anterior of the head and forelegs. Associated morphological features and phylogenetic placement indicate thatAcanthamnestusrepresents the earliest unequivocal soil-dwelling cydnids and pushes back the geological record of hemiedaphic true bugs to 99 Ma. Environmental evidence, the distribution of host plants, and the fossils provide a new window for understanding the early origin of soil habits in Amnestinae and may be linked to the appearance of Moraceae.

Woody Canker and Shoot Blight Caused by Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae on Mango and Litchi in Italy

In recent years, the cultivation of tropical fruit crops has increased in the Mediterranean basin, especially in southern Italy. In surveys conducted from 2014 to 2019 woody canker and shoot blight were observed on mango plants (cvs. Kent, Keitt, Sensation, Osteen, and Kensington Pride) and litchi plants (cvs. Way Chee and Kwai Mai Pink) cultivated in Sicily. Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthaceae were consistently isolated from symptomatic samples. Morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenies using three genomic loci (a portion of translation elongation factor 1-α gene, a portion of the β-tubulin gene, and an internal transcribed spacer) identified these fungi as Neofusicoccum parvum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Diaporthe foeniculina, and Diaporthe baccae on mango and Diaporthe foeniculina and Diaporthe rudis on litchi. Pathogenicity tests on healthy mango (cv. Kensington Pride) and litchi (cv. Way Chee) plants demonstrated the pathogenicity of the isolates used in the study, and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled for all pathogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae, B. dothidea, and Diaporthe species on mango in Italy and the first report worldwide of woody canker and shoot blight caused by D. foeniculina and D. rudis on litchi plants.

Depth as a driver of evolution and diversification of ancient squat lobsters (Decapoda, Galatheoidea, Phylladiorhynchus)

The exceptional hidden diversity included in the squat lobster genus Phylladiorhynchus and its wide bathymetric and geographic range make it an interesting group to thoroughly study its evolutionary history. Here we have analyzed the entire currently known species diversity of Phylladiorhynchus using an integrative approach that includes morphological and molecular characters. The aim was to establish whether depth range (bathymetry) has played a role in their morphological and molecular evolution and in their diversification pathways. Phylogenetic analyses recovered the genus as monophyletic and as the sister group of Coralliogalathea, conforming with current systematic hypotheses, although their placement in a monophyletic Galatheidae is doubted. All the analyzed species represent well-supported lineages, structured in ten clades, correlated in most part with the morphological phylogeny. The reconstruction of ancestral habitat showed that the most recent common ancestor of Phylladiorhynchus most likely lived in shallow water environments. The divergence time estimation analyses dated the origin of the genus back to the Upper Jurassic, preceding the origin of all the other galatheoid lineages. Morphological analyses suggested that species from deeper waters exhibit greater morphological divergences and lower genetic divergences in comparison to species from shallower waters. In Phylladiorhynchus, the colonization of deeper waters has taken place independently multiple times since the Lower-Cretaceous. Our reconstruction of ancestral habitat suggests that shallow water ancestors might show an acceleration in the molecular rate of evolution and a slowdown in the rates of morphological evolution in comparison to deep sea lineages. However, although lineages from shallow and deep sea habitats show slight differences in diversification trends, bathymetry does not significantly affect the diversification rate in Phylladiorhynchus according to our diversification analyses.

Phylogenomics of the Aphididae: Deep relationships between subfamilies clouded by gene tree discordance, introgression and the gene tree anomaly zone

AbstractAphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are a lineage of ~5200 plant‐feeding insects most abundant in temperate regions. The diversification of aphids is thought to be a rapid radiation, whereas abiotic and biotic factors heavily influence the morphologies. These factors have clouded the taxonomy at all taxonomic ranks, and the effect can be viewed in many incongruent molecular and morphological phylogenies. In this study, we address this problem using both genome and transcriptome data to estimate the phylogenomic relationships between 12 subfamilies with 48 ingroup taxa. We predicted a novel well‐curated dataset of phylogenetically consistent orthologues that included 3162 genes to estimate a concatenated maximum likelihood and multi‐species coalescent species trees. Our results suggest that there are three main clades of Aphididae subfamilies, which are congruent with a previous Sanger sequencing‐based phylogenetic study. However, the relationship between the three clades of subfamilies is clouded by gene tree discordance, introgression and parent–child branches along the backbone that fall within the gene tree anomaly zone. In addition, our results suggest an introgression event between two agriculturally important species of aphids within the subfamily Aphidinae. Our research provides the first phylogenomic study of the Aphididae subfamilies and a foundation for future molecular and morphological studies into this adaptive radiation of insects.

Total-evidence dating and morphological partitioning: a novel approach to understand the phylogeny and biogeography of augochlorine bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Abstract Augochlorini comprise 646 described bee species primarily distributed in the Neotropical region. According to molecular and morphological phylogenies, the tribe is monophyletic and subdivided into seven genus groups. Our main objective is to propose a revised phylogeny of Augochlorini based on a comprehensive data set including fossil species as terminals and new characters from the internal skeleton. We also aim to develop a total-evidence framework incorporating a morphological-partitioned homoplasy approach and molecular data and propose a detailed biogeographic and evolutionary scenario based on ancestor range estimation. Our results recovered Augochlorini and most genus groups as monophyletic, despite some uncertainties about monophyly of the Megalopta and Neocorynura groups. The position of the cleptoparasite Temonosoma is still uncertain. All analyses recovered Augochloropsis s.l. as related to the Megaloptidia group. Internal characters from the head, mesosoma and sting apparatus provided important synapomorphies for most internal nodes, genus groups and genera. Augochlorini diversification occurred in the uplands of the Neotropical region, especially the Brazilian Plateau. Multiple dispersals to Amazonia, Central America and North America with returns to the Atlantic endemism area were recovered in our analysis. Total evidence, including morphological partitioning, was shown to be a reliable approach for phylogenetic reconstruction.

Phylogeny and biogeography of the unique snakefly genus Alena Navás, 1916 (Raphidioptera: Raphidiidae)

The genus Alena Navás, 1916, is considered the most distinct genus of Raphidiidae, because of the uncommon shape of its male genital sclerites and its geographic distribution restricted to the southwestern U.S.A. and western Mexico. Herein, we present a new species of the subgenus Aztekoraphidia U. Aspöck and H. Aspöck, 1970, – Alena (Aztekoraphidia) alanaesp. nov. Based on this discovery we present a detailed morphological study and the first morphological phylogeny of Alena. Our results recover this genus as monophyletic, including the subgenus Aztekoraphidia as sister to a clade composed by the other two monotypic subgenera, Alenas.s. Navás, 1916, and Mexicoraphidia U. Aspöck and H. Aspöck, 1970. We also provide a hypothesis about the biogeographic history of the group, which advocates that species of Alena are strongly associated with central Mexico and their ancestors were probably widely distributed through western North America in the past, of which only a few small groups survived in glacial refuges.

Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. (Myxozoa: Sphaeromyxidae) infecting the gall bladder of Gobioides grahamae (Perciformes: Gobiidae) in the Amazon region.

Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. is described from the gall bladder of the goby Gobioides grahamae (Gobiidae) captured on the Paracauari River in Salvaterra, on Marajó Island, northern Brazil. A total of 50 G. grahamae specimens were analysed, and 15 (30%) were parasitised by the plasmodia and myxospore of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. Large plasmodia were observed floating in the bile. These plasmodia were flat, rounded, oval or elongated, and of varying sizes. The mature myxospores, found singly or in pairs, were 27.1 ± 2.7 (20.5-30.1) μmLength and 3.8 ± 0.2 (3.5-4.4) μmWidth in the valvular view. The myxospore has two polar capsules of equal size, 8.1 ± 0.6 (7.4-9.4) μm in length and 2.9 ± 0.2 (2.3-3.3) μm in width. A polar tubule was observed in each capsule, arranged perpendicularly to the principal axis, with three or four coils. The histological analysis showed that the plasmodia and myxospore are located in the lumen of the gall bladder, arranged in pairs, and the epithelium of the gall bladder presented multifocal necrosis. The SSU rDNA of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. clusters in the 'balbianii' group of the Sphaeromyxa clade. The morphological characteristics and molecular phylogeny of Sphaeromyxa azevedoi n. sp. support its classification as a new species of the genus Sphaeromyxa, which represents an important advancement in the understanding of the diversity of the myxozoan parasite fauna of Brazilian fishes, especially considering that the new species may be detrimental to the host, a commercially important Brazilian fish species.

New and interesting species of Agaricomycetes from Panama

Panama forms part of the Central American biodiversity hotspot, one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world. While plants are relatively well studied in Panama, the documentation of fungal diversity is still in a pioneer phase. In this publication, four species of Agaricomycetes recently collected in Panama are described as new to science, two in Agaricales, namely Gliophorus roseus and Humidicutis roseorubra, a lichenised species in Cantharellales, called Multiclavula caput-serpentis, and a species in Gomphales, called Gloeocantharellus salmonicolor. These species are described and illustrated. Their phylogenetic affinities are discussed based on morphological characters and molecular phylogenies. Further six species of Agaricales, which have not been reported from Panama before, are presented as new records for the country, along with data on their morphology, ecology and taxonomy.