Pair Of Long Spines Research Articles

Pheidole praehistorica sp. nov., a new addition to spiny ants of the genus Pheidole Westwood, 1839 (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from Oligo–Miocene Mexican amber

A fossil species of ant, Pheidole praehistorica sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae), is described and illustrated from the late Oligocene and early Miocene amber-bearing beds of Mexico. The type material comprises five amber inclusions from the Simojovel site in Chiapas. Pheidole praehistorica is recognized by having compound eyes positioned mesad on the head and protruded laterally from the head’s margins; pronotum long, forming a neck, with a pair of spines directed dorsolaterally; mesonotal groove deep forming a more or less U-shape concavity in lateral view; dorsal and declivitous faces of the propodeum well differentiated, comprising an approximately 90 degrees angle; propodeum with a pair of long spines; peduncle of the petiole long, as long as the spines of the propodeum. A phylogenetic analysis was also performed using Formica integroides, Camponotus chartifex, Dolichoderus spurius, Cephalotes minutus and Atta mexicana to assess the relationships of P. praehistorica with its fossil spiny congeners from Dominican amber and closely related extant species. The results show close morphological and phylogenetic affinities between the fossil ant P. praehistorica with P. primigenia and P. tethepa from Dominican amber, which may suggest that the shared spinescence character in Pheidole has a probable New World ancestry. The new record of P. praehistorica in the Oligo–Miocene strata of southernmost North America provides further evidence for the ancient distribution of spiny ants of the genus Pheidole in the New World.

A New Genus, New Species and New Records of Ulidiidae (Diptera, Tephritoidea) from Colombia

Abstract A preliminary list of the picture-winged flies known from Columbia is supplemented by 15 species based predominantly on the materials from the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA and now contains 28 species, including Xycores igniceps gen. & sp. n. from Venezuela and Colombia. The new genus belongs to the subfamily Otitinae and is preliminarily assigned to the tribe Cephaliini by the combination of the high clypeus, strongly widened palp, setulose vein R1, and ejaculator with short sperm pump and long fan-like apodeme. It clearly differs from other members of the tribe by the combination of elongate, narrow, apically truncated flagellomere 1, robust, mainly shining thorax with pair of microtrichose vittae, well developed proepisternal, postpronotal, acrostichal, 2 pairs of dorsocentral and scutellar setae, wing with entirely setulose vein R1 abdominal tergites devoid of microtrichia, sternites and abdominal pleura narrow, male genitalia with short epandrium, numerous (7–8) prensisetae arranged into a row along posterior margin, shallow hypandrium with pair of setulose pregonites, no postgonites or epiphallus, and an almost bare phallus with a pair of long spines submedially.

Two new species of the genus Anisomysis (Anisomysis) (Crustacea, Mysida, Mysidae) from coral reef waters in Thailand.

Two new species of Anisomysis Hansen, 1910 (Mysida, Mysidae), Anisomysis (Anisomysis) spinaintus sp. n. and Anisomysis (Anisomysis) phuketensis sp. n., from coral-reef waters in Thailand are described. Anisomysis (Anisomysis) spinaintus, collected in the Chaolao Beach, Chanthaburi Province, is distinguished from the closely allied species Anisomysis (Anisomysis) incisa Tattersall, 1936, and Anisomysis (Anisomysis) hawaiiensis Murano, 1995, by the presence of 6–9 spines on the apical cleft of telson, which are absent in the latter two allied species. The new species can also be distinguished from Anisomysis (Anisomysis) aikawai Ii, 1964, by the presence of a deep telson cleft and a large number of spines on the lateral margin of telson. Anisomysis (Anisomysis) phuketensis sp. n., collected in Ko Lon, Phuket, is distinguished from the allied species Anisomysis (Anisomysis) robustispina Panampunnayil, 1984, by having a short telson and a pair of long spines on the apical part of the telson. Keys to the subgenera and species of Anisomysis, including the two new species, are presented.

A New Helmetiid Arthropod from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte, Southwest China

A new arthropod, Haifengella corona new genus new species is described from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte (Series 2, Stage 3), Yunnan Province, southwest China. It is readily assignable to helmetiida based on gross morphology of the tergum. The new helmetiid is unique in having the marginal spines extending over one-third of the total body width. The weakly sclerotized tergum consists of six thoracic tergites with edge-to-edge tergite articulations. The sub-trapezoidal cephalic shield has a pair of long spines projecting from each posterolateral corner. A prehypostomal sclerite (anterior sclerite) recesses in the anterior margin of the cephalic shield, and a pair of bulges that are close to the prehypostomal sclerite in the cephalic shield are presumed to be the position of ventral eyes. Each of the thoracic tergites exhibits a pair of long spines projecting from the posterolateral corners. The semicircular pygidium carries one terminal spine and two pairs of lateral spines.

A new genus of apterous scelionid from Lord Howe Island (Hymenoptera; Scelionidae)

Abstract. Psyllobaeus pecki gen. and sp.n., is described from Lord Howe Island, Australia. This genus is unique in the Baeini in that both sexes (not just the female) are apterous, have a sessile metasoma and have a pair of long spines on the apex of the hind femur. The relationships of Psyllobaeus and its biology are discussed.