Pair Of Eyespots Research Articles

A NEW SPECIES OF THE BRISTLETAIL GENUS MACHILINUS SILVESTRI, 1905 (MICROCORYPHIA: MEINERTELLIDAE) FROM CRIMEA

A new species Machilinus crimaeus Kaplin, sp. n. is described from Leninsky district of Crimea. The new species differs from its closest congeners by color, ratios of length to width, contact line length to length of compound eyes, distance between inner margins of paired ocelli to total width of eyes.

First description study on molecular characterization of Hemiclepsis khankiana (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) in China

BackgroundLeeches are an integral component of aquatic biocenosis and can be found in a wide range of ecosystems such as freshwater, saltwater, flowing, and still-water ecosystems. It especially plays an important role in the freshwater benthic community and is an important part of the food web. In this study, a leech species was found in the mantle cavity of wild freshwater mussels in Zigong City, Sichuan Province, China, and its identity was determined through morphological analysis and molecular biological analysis.ResultsThe leech is Hemiclepsis khankiana, a new species of Hemiclepsis that has been discovered in Russia in recent years. Through morphological analysis, the current survey observed that the morphological characteristics of Hemiclepsis khankiana eyespots were significantly different from the first reported description. The first pair of eyespots on the leech were separated and clear, while it had been reduced to unclear shadows in the previous report. The phylogenetic tree based on the COI gene showed that the COI gene sequence obtained in this study was in the same evolutionary branch as Hemiclepsis khankiana (MN295420, MN295421). Genetically, it was most closely related to Hemiclepsis kasmiana (mean COI p-distance = 3.98%).ConclusionsThe current study reported on the new distribution range of Hemiclepsis khankiana, which was initially discovered in China. This study indicates that the distribution range of the leech species has expanded, laying a foundation for further studies in China.

NEW SPECIES OF BRISTLETAILS OF THE FAMILY MACHILIDAE (MICROCORYPHIA) FROM TAJIKISTAN

Two new species from the bristletai family Machilidae are described from Tajikistan, Central Asia: Allopsontus sogdianus sp. n. and Silvestrichilis perfectus sp. n. Allopsontus sogdianus sp. n. seems to be particularly similar to A. pulchellus (Kaplin 1982), a species of the subgenus Anisopsontus from the Dzhungarsky Alatau Mountains, southeastern Kazakhstan, as their males share many small, dark, specialized bristles on the ventral surface of articles 2–7 of the maxillary palps. Allopsontus sogdianus sp. n. differs from A. pulchellus by the length of the body, the structure of the antennae, the number of articles in the distal parts of the antennae, the color and structure of the eyes and paired ocelli, the maxillary palps, the sensory field on the femora of the male forelegs, the relative length of the styli on the males and females urites VIII and IX, the number of articles of the ovipositor and male parameres. Males of Silvestrichilis perfectus sp. n. are with 4–5 almost vertical, thickened, needle-like bristles on the second articles of the fore, middle and hind tarsi, this being one of the main morphological features of this genus. Silvestrichilis perfectus sp. n. differs from other species of the genus first of all by the presence of sensory fields on the fore and middle femora of males.

TWO NEW SPECIES OF BRISTLETAILS OF THE FAMILY MACHILIDAE (MICROCORYPHIA) FROM THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS

Two new species of the bristletail family Machilidae are described: Ditrigoniophthalmus ongudaensis sp. n. and Allopsontus altaicus sp. n. The former, D. ongudaensis sp. n., differs from the known species of the genus Ditrigoniophthalmus Kaplin 1979 by the club-shaped paired ocelli, the relative lengths of the abdominal styli and urocoxites VIII and IX, and the basal and terminal portions of the penis in the male. Allopsontus altaicus sp. n. belongs to the subgenus Anisopsontus Mendes 1990 and is especially similar to the following four consubgeners: A. ciliatus (Wygodzinsky 1970), A. tekelensis Kaplin 2015, A. lineatus Kaplin 2002 and A. zinchenkoi Kaplin 2019. Yet, A. altaicus sp. n. differs in the number of articles of the ovipositor, the number of digging spines on its anterior and posterior gonapophyses, the number of rosette-shaped sensilla on the anterior femora of the male, the width to length ratios of paired ocelli in both sexes, the length to width ratios of the last article of the labial palps.

Resurrection and redescription of Clepsinepallida Verrill, 1872 (Hirudinida, Glossiphoniidae) with a phylogeny of the genus Alboglossiphonia.

Alboglossiphoniapallida (Verrill, 1872) comb. nov. is resurrected and redescribed based on morphological and molecular data from specimens of the type locality (New Haven County, Connecticut, USA) that demonstrate it is distinct from North American Alboglossiphoniaheteroclita, European Alboglossiphoniaheteroclita, and Alboglossiphoniapapillosa. Alboglossiphoniapallida is characterized by having dark chromatophores on the dorsal surface arranged lateral to patrilaterally and medially as a thin line or interrupted thin line along with three pairs of eye spots (with the first pair closest together), six pairs of crop ceca, and a united gonopore. Additional sampling of specimens of the genus Alboglossiphonia is needed to understand its phylogeny especially as many species have not been collected since their description.

New species of bristletails of the family Machilidae (Microcoryphia) from caves in Abkhazia and Ukraine.

Two new species of bristletails of the family Machilidae are described from caves in the Western Caucasus (troglophile Coryphophthalmus troglophilus sp. nov.) and in the Eastern Carpathians (trogloxene Trigoniophthalmus ukrainensis sp. nov.). The main morphological adaptations of C. troglophilus sp. nov. to life in caves include green eye color; weak body pigmentation; well-developed arolium and claws; relatively long cerci, tarsae and tibiae of the hind legs; long apical needles of the urostyli; large sublateral spines on urocoxites IX. C. troglophilus sp. nov. resembles C. abchasicus (Kaplin, 2017), but they are distinguishable in color of eyes, ratio of eye contact to length, length of cerci, structures of the labial palps, legs, urocoxites IX, ovipositor, and parameres. Trigoniophthalmus ukrainensis sp. nov. has no recognized morphological adaptations to life in caves. This species resembles T. alternatus (Silvestri, 1910), but they are easily distinguished in the number of annuli in distal chains of flagellum, ratio of width to length of paired ocelli, chaetotaxy of male maxillary and labial palps.

A new species of bristletails of the genus Petrobiellus (Microcoryphia: Machilidae) from Sakhalin

Petrobiellus sachalinensis sp. nov. from the northwest of Sakhalin Island (Russia) is described and illustrated. It is compared with the three other known species of the genus, P. takunagae Silvestri, 1943 from Honshu Island (Japan), P. curvistylis Uchida, 1954 from Hachijo-jima Island (Japan), and P. kusakini Kaplin, 1980 from Simushir Island (Russia). The new species can be distinguished from the congeners by the colour of body and scales, by distribution of pigment, by colour and shape of paired ocelli, and by structure of compound eyes, maxillary palps, legs, urites, and ovipositor.

Taxonomic review of the genera Trigoniophthalmus Verhoeff and Coryphophthalmus Verhoeff (Archaeognatha, Machilidae) with descriptions of two new species of the genus Coryphophthalmus from Serbia.

A redescription of Trigoniophthalmus Verhoeff, 1910 and descriptions of its subgenera Trigoniophthalmus s. str. and Silvestrius subgen. nov., along with revalidation and redescription of the genus Coryphophthalmus Verhoeff, 1910, and descriptions of its subgenera, Coryphophtalmus s. str. and Verhoeffius subgen. nov., are given on the basis of comparative analysis of the main morphological features and distribution of 33 described species. Coryphophthalmus obscurus sp. nov. and C. serbicus sp. nov., in the subgenus Verhoeffius subgen. nov., are described from Serbia. Coryphophthalmus obscurus sp. nov. differs from other species of this subgenus in the relatively short body and antennae, elongated compound eyes, tarsus with numerous spine-like setae and ovipositor with more divisions than other species. Coryphophthalmus serbicus sp. nov. is most similar to C. longitarsus (Kaplin) from Abkhazia. The main differences between these species consist in the line of eye contact, structure of the paired ocelli, labial palps, legs, urocoxites IX, ovipositor and male parameres.

New Species of the Genus Allopsontus Silv. (Archaeognatha, Machilidae) from the Caucasus and Tajikistan

Two new bristletail species of the family Machilidae are described: Allopsontus tyrnyauzi sp. n. from the Caucasus and A. zinchenkoi sp. n. from the Pamir-Alai Mountain system. The former species belongs to the subgenus Kaplinilis Mendes, 1990. Among the species described within this subgenus, numerous short, pigmented, appressed setulae on the underside of the 5-7th maxillary palpomeres and the 3rd labial palpomere in males are found only in A. tyrnyauzi sp. n. and A. bifarius (Wygodzinsky, 1970), the latter known from western Mongolia and Tuva. Allopsontus tyrnyauzi sp. n. differs from A. bifarius in the relatively short eye contact line, more dilated paired ocelli, urosternites with a right apical angle, the narrower sensory fields on the fore femora in males, and fewer paramere segments. Allopsontus zinchenkoi sp. n. belongs to the subgenus Anisopsontus Mendes, 1990 and differs from the other consubgeners in the color of the compound eyes, the width to length ratio of the paired ocelli, longer abdominal styli, larger sensory fields on the fore femora in males, and the relatively short ovipositor.

Anterior sense organs in Sabellaria alveolata (Annelida, Sedentaria, Spionida) with special reference to ultrastructure of photoreceptor elements presumably involved in shadow reflex

The reef-building sedentary polychaete, Sabellaria alveolata, is well known for its specialized anterior end, the operculum, which is exposed to the environment during vital activities, such as feeding or as it seals its tube when the animal withdraws. This region represents the most important sensory structure in Sabellariidae. It comprises two lobes, tentacular filaments, protective chaetae (paleae), a median organ, and a median ridge, and bears various pigmented spots. Worms swiftly withdraw into tubes triggered by abrupt light change (shadow reflex). We suspected that the pigmented spots were photoreceptive and responsible for the shadow response. To test this hypothesis, the median organ and median ridge of S. alveolata were investigated by applying light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Besides unciliated supportive cells, these organs consist of numerous multiciliated and glandular cells on their ventral surfaces. The multiciliated cells are of two types: epidermal supportive and receptor cells. The median organ is innervated directly from the brain by two longitudinal basiepithelial nerves. The presence of multiciliated cells and mucocytes suggests that the organ is sensory, involved in both feeding and tube-building behavior. Furthermore, we found two pairs of eyespots on the lateral posterior part of the median ridge, situated close to the neurite bundles anterior to the brain. These eyes are simple in structure and resemble larval-type eyes. They are composed of only two cells each, one rhabdomeric photoreceptor cell and one pigmented supportive cell. The pigmented eyes on the median ridge are clearly involved in photoreception and very likely involved in shadow reflex.

A new species of the genus Allopsontus Silvestri (Archaeognatha: Machilidae) from the Eastern Kazakhstan.

A new bristletail species, Allopsontus ilyai sp. nov., is described from Eastern Kazakhstan. It is most similar to A. smelyanskii Kaplin described from Orenburg Region (Russia). The main differences between these species consist in the color of the eyes, structure of the paired ocelli, legs, urosternites, urocoxites VIII and IX. A key to the subgenera and species of the genus Allopsontus from Kazakhstan is given.

New species of bristletails of the genus Lepismachilis (Archaeognatha: Machilidae) from Serbia and Montenegro

Abstract The fauna of bristletails of the genus Lepismachilis Verhoeff, 1910 in Montenegro and Serbia includes only one species L. (Berlesilis) targionii (Grassi, 1887) with 2 + 2 eversible vesicles on abdominal urocoxites II–VI. Three new species of this genus are described: L. (Lepismachilis) prijepolja sp. nov., L. (Lepismachilis) limensa sp. nov. from Serbia, and L. (Lepismachilis) alexandrae sp. nov. from Montenegro. All described new species belong to the species group of the subgenus Lepismachilis s. str. with 2 + 2 eversible vesicles on abdominal urocoxites II–V. Lepismachilis prijepolja sp. nov. differs from L. y-signata Kratochvíl, 1945 and L. notata Stach, 1919 by the color, drawings and ratios of the compound eyes; ratios of sensory field on fore femur of male, number of divisions of ovipositor. Lepismachilis limensa sp. nov. differs from L. hauseri Bitsch, 1974 and L. abchasica Kaplin, 2017 by ratios of paired ocelli, sensory field on fore femur of male; ratios and chaetotaxy of maxillary and labial palps. Lepismachilis alexandrae sp. nov. differs from L. abchasica by the drawings of the compound eyes; ratios of paired ocelli, sensory field on fore femur of male; number of divisions of the parameres and gonapophyses. A list of the Machilidae occurring in Balkan Peninsula is also provided.

A new genus of leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

A new genus and species of Cretaceous leafhopper, Priscacutius denticulatus n. gen., n. sp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is described from Myanmar amber. Diagnostic characters include rows of spines on the hind tibiae, paired ocelli positioned on the crown adjacent to the anterior margin of pronotum, aristate antennae, a tuberculate sensillium adjacent to the base of the antenna, a basal metatarsus with a series of 7 short teeth and 5 terminal elongate spines, and brochosomes on the forewings. This is the first member of the Cicadellidae described from Myanmar amber.

New species of the bristletail genus Allopsontus Silv. (Microcoryphia, Machilidae) from Southeastern Kazakhstan and Abkhazia

Two new bristletail species, Allopsontus (Anisoptinus) nigrus sp. n. from Southeastern Kazakhstan and A. (Kaplinilis) abkhazicus sp. n. from Abkhazia, are described. A. nigrus sp. n. differs from the only other known species of the subgenus Anisoptinus, A. borgustani Kaplin 2015, in a number of characters, namely, in more rounded paired ocelli, an extended apical segment of the labial palpus, a long articulated ovipositor, and in the absence of short appressed pigmented setulae on the maxillary and labial palpi in males. A. abkhazicus sp. n. can be easily distinguished from all the other known species of the subgenus Kaplinilis by the absence of short appressed pigmented setulae on the maxillary and labial palpi in the males, the absence of a projection with numerous spiniform setae on the male fore femur, and in shorter male genital appendages. The ocellus of the male and female is 2.8-2.9 times as wide as long; the length to width ratio of the eye is 0.9-1.0; the ovipositor consists of 60 divisions.

An exotic insect Aethiocarenus burmanicus gen. et sp. nov. (Aethiocarenodea ord. nov., Aethiocarenidae fam. nov.) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

An exotic wingless female insect in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber is described as Aethiocarenus burmanicus sp. et gen. nov. in the order Aethiocarenodea ord. nov. and family Aethiocarenidae fam. nov. The distinguishing feature of Aethiocarenus burmanicus sp. et gen. nov. is its unique head, the dorsum of which is shaped like an isosceles right triangle with the hypotenuse at the top and vertex positioned at the base of the neck. While insects with triangular-shaped heads are common today, the hypotenuse of the triangle is always located at the base of the head and attached to the neck, with the vertex at the apex of the head. Other features of the fossil are the long narrow, flat body, long slender legs, especially the hind pair that are twice the length of the abdomen, lack of wings, protruding eyes, paired ocelli, secretory glands located on the dorsum of the neck and swollen abdomen bearing paired segmented cerci.

Toad bugs (Hemiptera: Gelastocoridae) in Myanmar amber

Two new species of toad bugs (Nerthra bichelata sp. n. and Gelastocoris curiosus sp. n.) (Hemiptera: Gelastocoridae) are described from Myanmar amber. Diagnostic characters of N. bichelata sp. n. are the large paired ocelli, subequal claws on protarsus that is fused with the protibia, slender profemur bearing two short, prominent ventral teeth, a large spherical terminal antennal segment and an elongate terminal segment of the rostrum. Diagnostic characters for G. curiosus sp. n. are paired, equal claws on the single-segmented, articulated protarsus, lateral margin of pronotum with a triangular protrusion and relatively narrow profemora with a series of broad transverse thickenings on the apical half of the ventral surface. These are the first descriptions of Gelastocoridae in amber and the first record of Gelastocorinae in Asia.

A new species of Diaphorocleidus (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalinae) from the gills of Argonectes robertsi (Characiformes) and new records of dactylogyrids parasitic on fishes from the Xingu River, Amazon Basin, Brazil

Diaphorocleidus altamirensis sp. nov., parasitic on the gills of Argonectes robertsi Langeani, 1999 from the Xingu River, northern Brazil, is described. The new species differs from its six congeners by the morphology of the male copulatory organ (which comprises a coil of six rings), by the midventral vagina, and by the presence of only one pair of eyespots. It is the first species of Diaphorocleidus Jogunoori, Kritsky & Venkatanarasaiah, 2004 described from hemiodontid fishes. In addition, new host and geographical records of seven species of dactylogyrids found on fish from the Xingu River are reported.

Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802

Diversity in Peru: 17 subfamilies, 221 genera, 877 species (confirmed). Recognition: Staphylinidae or rove beetles range in size from 1–35 mm (most are 2–8 mm) and vary greatly in shape from very compact to extremely slender or even antlike, but most may be recognized by having more or less truncate elytra (exposing one to many abdominal tergites), six or seven visible abdominal sternites, and contiguous procoxae which vary in shape but are often prominent and conical. The antennae are usually 11–segmented and filiform to weakly clavate (rarely with a loose to compact antennal club or reduced segmentation), and tarsi are often five– segmented but may have only four, three or two segments or various heteromerous combinations. Some members possess paired ocelli dorsally on the head. Habitat: Rove beetles can be found almost everywhere beetles occur, from seashore to alpine grasslands (e.g., Thayer, 2005). They are especially abundant in forest habitats, including in leaf litter and rotting logs, on fungi and vegetation, and attracted to dung and other decaying materials, and in non-forested moist habitats such as marine beaches and near lakes, rivers and bogs. They tend to be scarce in arid and curtivated or other highly disturbed habitats. A majority of species are predators of other invertebrates as adults and larvae, but many are saprophages or mycophages, and some feed on algae or pollen, but virtually none feed on living green plants. Many species are inquilines of social insects, especially ants and termites, and these are often well integrated with their host societies (e.g., Kistner, 1982), but some species are found in vertebrate nests or even, in one group, are commensals living on the bodies of small mammals (Seevers, 1955). Some species of the genus Paederus Fabricius in Peru (and elsewhere) have a toxic chemical, pederin, in their haemolymph that can cause severe dermatitis or lesions in humans (known locally as “dermatitis purulenta”, internationally as “Paederus dermatitis” or “linear dermatitis”) and thus are of medical and even economic importance (e.g., Ojeda

What makes eyespots intimidating-the importance of pairedness.

BackgroundMany butterflies possess striking structures called eyespots on their wings, and several studies have sought to understand the selective forces that have shaped their evolution. Work over the last decade has shown that a major function of eyespots is their ability to reduce predation by being intimidating to attacking predators. Two competing hypotheses seek to explain the cause of intimidation, one suggesting ‘eye-mimicry’ and the other their ‘conspicuousness’ as the reason. There is an on-going debate about which of these better explains the effectiveness of eyespots against predation. We undertook a series of indoor experiments to understand the relative importance of conspicuousness and eye-mimicry, and therefore how predator perception may have influenced the evolution of eyespots. We conducted choice tests where artificial paper models mimicking Junonia almana butterflies were presented to chickens and their preference of attack recorded.ResultsWe first established that birds avoided models with a pair of eyespots. However, contrary to previous, outdoor experiments, we found that the total area of eyespots did not affect their effectiveness. Non-eye-like, fan shaped patterns derived from eyespots were found to be just as effective as eye-like circular patterns. Furthermore, we did not find a significant effect of symmetry of patterns, again in discordance with previous work. However, across all experiments, models with a pair of patterns, symmetric or asymmetric, eyelike or non-eye-like, suffered from fewer attacks compared with other models.ConclusionsThe study highlights the importance of pairedness of eyespots, and supports the hypothesis that two is a biologically significant number that is important in prey–predator signalling. We discuss the implications of our results for the understanding of eyespot evolution.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0307-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Description of a new species of the bristletail genus Pedetontinus Silv. (Thysanura, Machilidae) from China with a review of species of this genus

A new bristletail species, Pedetontinus kabaki sp. n., is described from Sichuan Province, China. It possess faceted eyes clearly longer than wide, with the contact line shorter than 0.5, paired ocelli relatively closer to each other, and fore femur swollen. A key to 18 described species of the world fauna is given. The plesiomorphic and apomorphic states of 13 characters of Pedetontinus are considered; the phylogenetic relationships of species are discussed.