Setal Patches Research Articles

The thoracic anatomy of Pselaphus heisei (Pselaphinae, Staphylinidae, Coleoptera).

We document external and internal thoracic structures of the free-living pselaphine beetle Pselaphus heisei (Pselaphitae) using a set of traditional and modern techniques. Like in the specialized myrmecophile Claviger testaceus (Clavigeritae), the skeletal elements of the pro- and pterothorax are highly compact, with largely reduced inter- and intrasegmental sutures. Features previously listed as synapomorphies of staphylinid subgroups, to which Pselaphinae belong, are confirmed for P. heisei. The only previously proposed thoracic synapomorphy of Pselaphinae, the mesoventral foveae, is likely transformed in P. heisei: we assume that the concavities are directed mesad and internally fused, thus forming a broad channel ("perforation") extending through the keel-like median region of the mesoventrite. The prothoracic foveal system is strongly reduced, with only one pair of pits present in front of the procoxae. Their internal invaginations form a transverse ventral endoskeletal bar that stabilizes the prothorax. The condition observed in the free-living P. heisei is in contrast with previous hypotheses linking the reduction of the foveal system with myrmecophily. Moreover, traces of the mesoventral foveae are even preserved in the highly specialized inquiline C. testaceus. Gland cells are associated with areas of hyaline squamose setae on different body regions, suggesting release of secretions on the ventral side of the head, pro- and mesothorax, and abdominal base. Similar specialized setal patches are common in Pselaphini and related groups within Pselaphitae. The prothoracic musculature in P. heisei is more complex than that in the myrmecophilous C. testaceus and the free-living, unspecialized Creophilus maxillosus (Staphylininae). The metathoracic muscle system is strongly simplified, demonstrating that P. heisei cannot fly, even though wings, some skeletal elements of the flight apparatus, and some small direct flight muscles are preserved. It cannot be fully excluded that indirect flight muscles and thus a functional flight apparatus is preserved in a certain percentage of individuals.

Euconnus (Tetramelus) melkei sp. n., a bizarre South African ant-like stone beetle (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae).

Euconnus (Tetramelus) melkei sp. n. is described, based on a male specimen collected in the Eastern Cape province of the Republic of South Africa. This species is characterized by the most elaborate and extensive male sexual dimorphic features known in Euconnus, comprising glandular projections and impressions that cover most of the head dorsum, strongly modified scapes, long projections on protrochanters, and thickened profemora with glandular porous and setal patches. The most similar species, Euconnus nasicornis Franz and E. paranasicornis Franz, previously treated as incertae sedis within Euconnus, are placed in Tetramelus. The E. nasicornis species group of Tetramelus that includes the abovementioned species is defined by an extremely elongate adult body, multiple dimorphic features in males, and a pair of lateral longitudinal sulci on the pronotum. The current state of knowledge of South African Euconnus is discussed, and a checklist of the currently known 159 nominal species that inhabit RSA is given.

Setal morphology of grooming appendages in blue crabs Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 and stone crabs Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae, Menippidae)

AbstractRespiration, sensory input, movement, and molting rely on crustacean body regions being free of fouling. While the grooming appendages of shrimps have been described, few studies have documented the functional morphology of grooming appendages in brachyuran crabs. Because shrimps and brachyurans have very different body morphology and grooming behaviors, their grooming setae may vary. The morphology of grooming appendages of blue (Callinectes sapidusRathbun, 1896) and stone (Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818)) crabs were investigated to gain better insight into their efficiencies in decreasing fouling. Callinectes sapidus is an active swimmer, migrates through currents across estuaries, spends less time grooming, and is exposed to more environmental variants in contrast to M. mercenaria, which has a lower activity level and spends more time grooming. To compensate for this higher activity level and lower grooming time budget, C. sapidus was predicted to have more setal types on its grooming appendages as compared to M. mercenaria. Thirteen different body appendages/regions involved in grooming are described in both species by using scanning electron and light microscopy. We documented the morphology, presence or absence of setal patches, and types of setae in 104 different grooming appendages and groomed body regions. Of 25 types of setae, nine are unique to C. sapidus, rejecting the hypothesis that C. sapidus have more diverse grooming setae. Menippe mercenaria has denser setal patches and less fouling than C. sapidus. Nine new setal types are described. Fouling, setal diversities, and functions that correspond to grooming behaviors are discussed.

New genera of meliturguline bees from Saudi Arabia and Persia, with notes on related genera and a key to the Arabian fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

A new genus of melitturgine bees (Panurginae: Melitturgini) is described and figured from central Saudi Arabia.BelliturgulanajdicaEngel,gen. et sp. n., is similar in several respects to the genusFlavomeliturgulaPatiny in that both have a greatly elongate glossa that is longer than the face and is truncate apically. The former differs in the greatly elongate and flattened first labial palpomere, the remaining palpomeres unmodified, the greatly protuberant clypeus, and long labrum lacking dense setal patches, among other traits. In addition, remarks are made on the composition ofFlavomeliturgula, withMeliturguladesertaWarncke (Iran, Pakistan), removed toKhuzimelissaEngel,gen. n., resulting in the new combinationKhuzimelissadeserta(Warncke),comb. n.Khuzimelissadiffers fromFlavomeliturgulaby the unmodified labial palpomeres (lacking the elongate first three labial palpomeres of the latter genus), the acute glossa (broadly truncate in the latter), glossa shorter than head length (greater than head length in the latter), the abundant, white, squamiform setae of the mesoscutum (sparse, erect setae in the latter), cleft pretarsal claws (simple in the latter), presence of metasomal setal bands (lacking in the latter), and apically emarginate pygidial plate (acutely rounded in the latter). The species ofFlavomeliturgulaare organized into three subgenera, includingKoreshomelissaEngel,subgen. n., andFreyamelissaEngel,subgen. n., and these may eventually warrant generic status once phylogenetic work on the tribe has been completed. A key to the Arabian genera of Panurginae is provided, along with an augmented key to the genera of subtribe Meliturgulina.

Ontogenetic variation in the sensory structures on the pedipalps of cosmetid harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Laniatores).

In arachnids, pedipalps are highly variable appendages that may be used in feeding, courtship, defense, and agonistic encounters. In cosmetid harvestmen, adults have pedipalps that feature flattened femora, spoon-shaped tibiae, and robust tarsal claws. In contrast, the pedipalps of nymphs are elongate with cylindrical podomeres and are adorned with delicate pretarsi. In this study, we used scanning electron microscopy to examine the distribution of cuticular structures (e.g., sensilla chaetica, pores) on the elements of the pedipalps of adults and nymphs of three species of cosmetid harvestmen. Our results indicate that there is considerable ontogenetic variation in the morphology of the trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, and tarsus. The pretarsus of the nymph has a ventral patch of setae that is absent from the adult tarsal claw. We observed this structure on all three cosmetid species as well as on the pedipalps of an additional seven morphospecies of nymphs collected in Belize and Costa Rica. This structure may represent a previously unrecognized autapomorphy for Cosmetidae. Examinations of the pedipalps of antepenultimate nymphs of additional gonyleptoidean harvestmen representing the families Ampycidae, Cranaidae, Manaosbiidae, and Stygnidae revealed the occurrence of unusual, plumose tarsal setae, but no setal patches on the tarsal claw.

Description of a new Oriental stonefly species, Phanoperla constanspina (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Mindanao, Philippines and association of life stages using DNA barcoding.

A new perlid stonefly, Phanoperla constanspina sp. nov. is described from Mt. Malindang, northern Mindanao, Philippines. The male of the new species is distinguished by lacking lobes on penial sac and large black spines at the penial apex. The female is distinguished by the egg. DNA barcoding was used to associate male, female, and nymphal specimens with 0% divergence. Morphological variation was observed in the shape of the hemitergal anterior processes and the 9th tergal setal patches of male adult and body pigmentation of the nymph. A key to the Philippine Phanoperla species and a checklist of Oriental Phanoperla are also provided.

Is the Setal Patch on the Chelae of Hemigrapsus takanoi and Hemigrapsus sinensis (Crustacea, Brachyura, Varunidae) Advantageous in Fighting and Mating?

AbstractMany animals have unique morphological characters that function in social behavior. Sexual selection can affect the expression of such traits in males and females, leading to sexual dimorphism. We investigated the social function of setal patches on the chelae of two species of varunid crabs, one in which males, but not females, have setal patches (Hemigrapsus takanoi), and one in which both sexes have setal patches (Hemigrapsus sinensis). We experimentally removed setal patches and compared fighting and mating behavior of individuals with and without setal patches. In H. sinensis, males with setal patches removed were inferior fighters compared to intact males. In male H. takanoi and female H. sinensis, setal removal did not influence the outcome of fights. In mating, males lacking setal patches had a similar ability to copulate with females as intact males in both species. However, male H. takanoi with their setae removed tended to take more time to initiate copulation than did intact males. When females were given the opportunity to choose intact males or males without setal patches, females of H. takanoi did not discriminate between the two. Female H. sinensis, however, copulated with intact males more frequently compared to males lacking setal patches. Male H. sinensis showed no preferences for the presence of setal patches or the body size of females. Thus, our results indicate that setal patches have a social function in male H. takanoi and male H. sinensis, but not in female H. sinensis, suggesting that the setal patches of male crabs are a sexually selected trait in both species. However, the social function of male setal patches was more prominent in the species in which both sexes possess setal patches than in the species in which only males bear setal patches.

Description of the Larva of Onthophagusorpheusorpheus(Panzer) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Onthophagini)

The larva of Onthophagus orpheus orpheus (Panzer) is described here for the first time. Larvae were reared from adults collected in dung baited traps from central Wisconsin. The larva will key to the current couplet of O. oklahomensis Brown, O. pennsylvanicus Harold, and O. landolti Harold in Ritcher's (1966) key to U.S. Onthophagus. It can be separated from them by the amount of setae present on the gibbosity of the 3rd abdominal segment, amount of setae and shape of setal patches on the ventral pygidium, and the size of the head capsule of the mature larva.

Hemigrapsus Takanoi, New Species, a Sibling Species of the Common Japanese Intertidal Crab H. Penicillatus (Decapoda: Brachyura: Grapsoidea)

Abstract The two forms of Hemigrapsus penicillatus (de Haan, 1835), recently distinguished on the basis of electrophoresis and differences in the size of the setal patches on the male chelae, are here recognized as two distinct species. The individuals having smaller setal patches are H. penicillatus, whereas those with larger setal patches are described herein as a new species. Living and fresh material of the two species are also clearly separated by the size and distribution of dark spots on the cephalothorax, abdomen, third maxillipeds, and chelipeds. Morphology of the male first pleopod is different between the two species. Females of the two species are morphologically identical and cannot be easily separated once colour has faded.

Acanthagrion aepiolumsp. nov. from South America (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Abstract The new species - holotype ♂, Bolivia, Department of Santa Cruz, Nuflo de Chavez Prov., stream 11.8 km E of San Javier (16°17′S, 62°37′W), 16 November 1998, leg. K.J. Tennessen; deposited in El Museo de Historia Natural “Noel Kempff Mercado”, Santa Cruz, Bolivia - has been confused with Acanthagrion ascendens. Abdominal segment 10 in males is higher than in A. ascendens and the second segment of the genital ligula lacks the two setal patches distinctive of A. ascendens. A. luteum is synonymized with A. ascendens [new synonymy].

New genus and species of brachyuran crab from the southern East Pacific Rise (Crustacea Decapoda Brachyura Bythograeidae)

A new genus and species of a brachyuran crab, Allograea tomentosa n. gen. and n. sp., of the family Bythograeidae, collected at a hydrothermal vent locality south of the Easter Microplate (31°09’S) on the southern East Pacific Rise, is described. The genus Allograea is distinguished by lacking modifications of the fronto-orbital region, and by the absence of coloured fields and setal patches on the carapace and chelipeds. The body and legs are smooth but densely covered by a brown tomentum, the eyestalks are not reduced, but the cornea is unfaceted and unpigmented. Comparison of mitochondrial DNA sequences among all known bythograeid genera confirms the novelty of this taxon.

Ultrastructure and formation of the hooked setae in Owenia fusiformis delle Chiaje, 1842: implications for annelid phylogeny

Several members of the Annelida bear apically curved or hooked setae that are aligned in a transverse row inside the neuropodial rim. Based on the hypothesis that these specific setae characterize a monophyletic group within the Annelida, the structure and development of the hooked seta in Owenia fusiformis are analysed and compared with data from other annelids with such setae. The neuropodial hooks of O. fusiformis are arranged in multiple transversal rows or setal patches on each side of the body from the fourth setiger onwards. The setae are curved distally and consist of two identical spines lying side by side at the same level. Their tips generally point ventrofrontally. Within each patch, the setae lie inside a setal follicle that consists of a basal chaetoblast, at least one follicle cell, and varying numbers of epidermal cells. Each setal patch is basally surrounded by an extracellular matrix that is continuous with the subepidermal basal lamina. An additional discontinuous extracellular matrix lies between the epidermis and the follicle cells. It is of functional significance for the attachment of the epidermal cells and seems to be related to the special organization of the setal patches, because it is absent in juveniles; they have single neuropodial rows of hooked setae per segment. New setae are formed at the dorsal and caudal edges of each patch, whereas the degeneration of setae is observed at the frontal edge of each patch. Microvilli project from the apex of the chaetoblast into canals within the fully differentiated setae. These canals remain when the microvilli are withdrawn from the seta during formation. Each hook is formed by a single large microvillus. The results of the present paper substantiate the hypothesis of a homology of the hooked setae in the Oweniida and other Annelida. These results and data from the literature support the hypothesis that the Oweniida is the sister-group of a monophylum which consists of the Terebellida, Pogonophora, and Sabellida.

Review of the Tropical Asian Genus Pyrrhopeplus (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae)

Tropical Asian genus Pyrrhopeplus Stal, 1870, and its two species, P. carduelis (Stal, 1863) and P. posthumus Horvath, 1892, are redescribed, measurements are given, and the parameres figured; also described is the male fifth instar of P. carduelis . A synapomorphy, paired setal patches on the male's genital capsule, may ally this genus with several other genera.

Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae), a Tick Parasitizing the Tiger, Boar, and Sambar Deer in Indonesia

Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. is described from adults parasitizing the Sumatran tiger, Felis tigris sumatrae Pocock, wild boar, Sus scrofa vittatus Boie, and sambar deer, Cervus unicolor equinus Cuvier, and swept from vegetation in lowland forests of southern Sumatra. This member of the H. (H.) obesa group of the Oriental Faunal Region is related to H. (H.) obesa Larrousse (NE India to Vietnam, Thailand, N Malaya) and H. (H.) hirsuta Hoogstraal, Trapido, and Kohls (Java, Sumatra), but lacks the unusual setal patches characterizing the related species. The structure of the female external genital area is unique in each species. These species also appear to be related to H. (H.) turturis Nuttall and Warburton of the Indian Subregion, which lacks specialized female genital structure and unusual setae. H. (H.) hirsuta, previously known only by two adult specimens from Java, is recorded from numerous adults, nymphs, and a larva from forest vegetation in western Java and from adults parasitizing a wild boar and nymphs from forest vegetation and a sambar deer in the same localities as H. (H.) sumatraensis in southern Sumatra. Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n., described from adults parasitizing the tiger, wild boar, and sambar deer, and swept from lowland forest vegetation in Lampong District, southern Sumatra, is a relatively unspecialized member of the H. (H.) obesa group of the Oriental Faunal Region (Hoogstraal et al., 1971) and appears also to be related to H. (H.) turturis Nuttall and Warburton (Trapido, Hoogstraal, and Varma, 1963) of the Indian Subregion. The subgeneric position of these species is tentative. Haemaphysalis (H.) sumatraensis sp. n. Sumatran forest haemaphysalid