Taxonomic Synonymy Research Articles

Morphological and molecular assessment of Lithophyllum okamurae with the description of L. neo-okamurae sp. nov. (Corallinales, Rhodophyta)

ABSTRACT Lithophyllum okamurae has been widely reported in the Pacific Ocean with identification based on morpho-anatomical observations. Two infraspecific taxa, L. okamurae f. okamurae and f. angulare, described from Japan, have been recorded in the temperate region of Japan. We assessed branched Lithophyllum samples morphologically referable to L. okamurae using morpho-anatomical data and DNA sequences (psbA, rbcL and partial LSU rDNA) obtained from herbarium specimens, including type material, as well as recently field-collected material in Japan. The molecular analyses showed that these ‘L. okamurae’ samples contained two species: L. okamurae and a cryptic new species which we describe as L. neo-okamurae sp. nov. Because the holotype of L. okamurae f. angulare was conspecific with original material cited in the protologue of L. okamurae, it is a heterotypic synonym of L. okamurae f. okamurae. Lithophyllum okamurae and L. neo-okamurae were morphologically similar in having warty, lumpy and fruticose thalli and in often forming rhodoliths. Lithophyllum okamurae can be morpho-anatomically distinguished from L. neo-okamurae by the thallus with tapering or plate-like protuberances (knobby protuberances in the latter) and by having smaller tetrasporangial conceptacle chambers (167–314 µm; 248–380 µm in L. neo-okamurae). Our LSU rDNA sequence data from L. okamurae f. angulare (=L. okamurae f. okamurae) was identical to that of the type of L. margaritae, which has nomenclatural priority over L. okamurae. However, considering that psbA and rbcL sequences of L. margaritae type material could not be generated in the present study, we refrain, for the moment, from proposing the taxonomic synonymy between these two taxa until the status of L. margaritae and its synonyms from the type locality (Gulf of California) are clarified.

New data on species diversity of Annelida (Oligochaeta, Hirudinea) in the Kharbey lakes system, Bolshezemelskaya tundra (Russia)

One of the features of the tundra zone is the diversity of freshwater bodies, where, among benthic invertebrates, representatives of Annelida are the most significant component in terms of ecological and species diversity. The oligochaete and leech faunas have previously been studied in two of the three largest lake ecosystems of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra (the Vashutkiny Lakes system, Lake Ambarty and some other lakes in the Korotaikha River basin). This article provides current data on annelid fauna from the third lake ecosystem in the region, Kharbey Lakes and adjacent water bodies. The annelid fauna includes 68 species, including 51 oligochaete species, and 17 species of leeches. For each species, we give information on currently recognised classification, taxonomic synonymy, geographical distribution, findings of the species within the Russian tundra, and brief ecological characteristics.

Phylogenetic and geographic distribution of nickel hyperaccumulation in neotropical Psychotria

Hyperaccumulation of heavy metals in plants has never been documented from Central America or Mexico. Psychotria grandis, P. costivenia, and P. glomerata (Rubiaceae) have been reported to hyperaccumulate nickel in the Greater Antilles, but they also occur widely across the neotropics. The goals of this research were to investigate the geographic distribution of hyperaccumulation in these species and explore the phylogenetic distribution of hyperaccumulation in this clade by testing related species. Portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was used to analyze 565 specimens representing eight species of Psychotria from the Missouri Botanical Garden herbarium. Nickelhyperaccumulation was found in specimens of Psychotria costivenia ranging from Mexico to Costa Rica and in specimens of P. grandis from Guatemala to Ecuador and Venezuela. Among related species, nickel hyperaccumulation is reported for the first time in P. lorenciana and P. papantlensis, but no evidence of hyperaccumulation was found in P. clivorum, P. flava, or P. pleuropoda. Previous reports of hyperaccumulation in P. glomerata appear to be erroneous, resulting from taxonomic synonymy and specimen misidentification. Hyperaccumulation of nickel by Psychotria is now known to occur widely from southern Mexico through Central America to northwestern South America, including some areas not known to have ultramafic soils. Novel aspects of this research include the successful prediction of new hyperaccumulator species based on molecular phylogeny, use of XRF technology to nondestructively obtain elemental data from herbarium specimens, and documentation of previously unknown areas of ultramafic or nickel-rich soil based on such data.

Biodiversity Map Project – an integrative approach to biodiversity data and related scientific sources

The Biodiversity Map is a long-term project of the Polish Biodiversity Information Network (KSIB) aimed at integration, presentation and management of comprehensive scientific data about species. The website (www.biomap.pl) was launched in 2012, following a period of extensive digitization work, covering bibliographic information, specimen collections, research notes and other sources of data. Initially, the project was focused on aggregating data about three insect orders: Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera, reported from Poland. Having achieved this goal, the geographic limits were removed and taxonomic scope is being gradually widened, currently including Araneae, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Odonata, Orthoptera and some other minor insect orders, intended to have a checklist of Polish fauna as a starting point. So far, it covers ca. 21,000 species concepts, including their taxonomic hierarchy and synonymy; and more than 1.1 million occurrence records with 19,000 bibliographic sources. The key functionality of the toolset supports visualization and management of links between different types of data and related underlying sources of the information, like scientific collections, literature, taxonomy, and occurrence records. The database can be accessed with a number of views, called "perspectives" and also by spatial queries through the map server, as an additional interface. This enables users to discover connections between information entities, e.g. publications based on studies from areas adjacent to a chosen locality on a map, or collections containing species covered in a publication. This approach is not common in existing systems and we trust it supports a wide range of potential scientific uses. The project database uses PostgreSQL with PostGIS for spatial queries. Two web applications are used for data presentation: the main text-based PHP browser (baza.biomap.pl) and the dynamic map, relying on JQuery, OpenLayers and MapServer (gis.biomap.pl). The latter provides users with an additional spatial dimension of interaction with the database and direct links to the main application. Recently, a third tool was built, making it possible for users to add and edit occurrence records, taxa, publications and authors. The solution is based on PHP and JavaScript combination. The data held within the system are planned to be connected to Global Biodiversity Information Facility and thus opened for a broad international community. The main obstacle hindering this step is limited resources to improve and scale up the database and software, as well as efforts to mobilize and organize the data. We need to ascertain the optimal method for dealing with numerous datasets derived from publications, and resolve the dilemma of whether to keep them separated or to merge them. The publications as a source of the scientific information and occurrence records have also been one of the main drivers for building the project software as an independent solution. Existing generic software packages popular in the GBIF community do not provide a direct way to link occurrence records with scientific literature, which is essential for scientific communities, at least in Poland.

<strong>Why are so many species based on a single specimen?</strong>

A considerable number of insect species, including Trichoptera, are described from a single specimen, also known as a 'unique' or a 'singleton'. We ask the question of whether this reflects failure to consider variation and related species, lack of collecting effort, or true rarity. In an attempt to answer this question we examine the available literature and data on the Trichoptera of Tasmania and New Caledonia. We note a low level of taxonomic synonymy among species in these faunas. Moreover, a significant proportion of species from Tasmania that were based originally on singletons have been re-collected subsequently, but this is not true for New Caledonia. The possible significance of these figures is considered following examination of data on diversity and abundance of Hydroptilidae collected by regular, standardised light trapping over almost two years at a northern Australian tropical stream. We conclude that quite a large proportion of the Trichoptera species based on singletons are rare, valid species, but for others the appearance of rarity may be a consequence of inadequate collecting, particular behavioural attributes of the species, including seasonality, and failure to consider fully the structural diversity of related species. Lastly, we discuss briefly the consequences of rarity, apparent or real, on conservation management.

Taxonomic Treatment of the Tillandsia utriculata Complex (Bromeliaceae)

The taxonomic treatment of the 18 species composing the Tillandsia utriculata L. complex s.l. is presented. A description and a diagnosis of the group are provided, as well as two artificial keys to species, each emphasizing characters from living plants or from exsiccatae, respectively. Complete taxonomic information is given, including taxonomic citation, synonymy, etymology or eponimy, description, specimens examined, phenology, nomenclatural notes, relationships and diagnostic characters, variation, ecology and distribution, together with plates of living plants and vegetative and reproductive structures, as well as maps of distribution.

The present state of the leech fauna (Annelida, Hirudinea) in the Upper Irtysh cascade of water reservoirs.

Hirudinea is a small and ecologically important group of aquatic organisms. However, up to date, the leech fauna of Kazakhstan is poorly studied. The presence of large under-collected areas, such as the Upper Irtysh basin, makes biodiversity studies concerning these invertebrates from Kazakhstan relevant. In this paper, the latest information on species diversity of the freshwater hirudofauna of the Upper Irtysh cascade of water reservoirs, the Kazakhstan part of Irtysh River, is presented. It includes 10 free-living and parasitic species, of which 7 and 9 inhabit the Shulbinsk and the Bukhtarma reservoirs, respectively. These species belong to 2 orders, 3 families and 6 genera. The faunal list highlights four potentially new morphological species (Alboglossiphonia sp., Erpobdella sp., Piscicola sp. 1 and Piscicola sp. 2). Besides them, another three species Erpobdella vilnensis, Helobdella stagnalis and Theromyzon tessulatum recorded for the first time in the area. The exact systematic position is stated for all leech taxa. Each species from the list accompanied with information on taxonomic synonymy, data on its geographic distribution, and brief summary of morphological and ecological characteristics.

Towards a more reproducible ecology

Towards a more reproducible ecology

Annotated checklist of the leech species diversity in the Maloe More Strait of Lake Baikal, Russia.

In this paper, the very first checklist of the freshwater leeches of Maloe More Strait, a special part of Lake Baikal, is presented. It includes 14 free-living and parasitic species, of which four species belong to endemic Baikal genera – two species from Baicalobdella and one species each from Baicaloclepsis and Codonobdella. The checklist highlights six potentially new morphological species recorded for the first time in the area. The exact systematic position is stated for all leech species. Each species from the list is provided with information on taxonomic synonymy, data on its geographic distribution, and ecological characteristics. New species records are additionally provided with brief morphological characteristics and photos of their external morphology.

Taxonomy and ecology of Bombus pyrosoma MORAWITZ (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the North-west Indian Himalaya

Abstract Bombus pyrosoma MORAWITZ is an Oriental species. In the Indian Himalaya it is widely distributed in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim with a long seasonal activity period. Queens and males were examined from the Kashmir Himalaya during June, August and September with altitudinal distribution ranges from 2300 to 4200 m. The species is abundant from 3000 to 4000 m in the Kashmir Himalayan belt and was found foraging on large wild flowers in open areas of the mountains. It has a preference for some species of Lamiaceae, as well as Taraxacum officinale and Cirsium spp. (Asteraceae), and Trifolium spp. (Fabaceae). The queens are very large, whereas males are medium-sized. Both have very different colour patterns. Due emphasis has been laid on its thorough taxonomic descriptions, food plants, synonymy, distribution pattern and illustration.

Taxonomy and food plants of Bombus simillimus SMITH (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the Indian Himalaya

Abstract Bombus simillimus SMITH is a west Himalayan species, known only from Pakistan and India. In the Indian Himalaya this species is restricted to Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. So far, it has never been recorded from other regions. Its females (workers) can be recognized by the chocolate brown pubescence of the metasomal terga 1 and 2. The colour pattern of the queen is very distinct, with the whole body coloured black except for the last two metasomal terga, which are brick-red. In Kashmir Himalaya it is widespread around the lower mountain coniferous forest and was found foraging heavily on Trifolium pratense, Lavatera cashmeriana, Carduus spp. and Cirsium spp. Being very common and having a very wide distributional range, it is associated with a sizeable number of host plants. Due emphasis has been laid on its detailed taxonomic descriptions, synonymy, host plants, distribution pattern and illustration. Thirty-five food plants of this species have been recorded from the study areas.

TREATISE ON INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY: A WORK IN PROGRESS

No article on the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology would be complete without first discussing its founder and longest-serving Editor: Raymond Cecil Moore. R.C. Moore was a cofounder of the Society for Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists (SEPM), which was formally established in 1927 (Moore, 1940), and he served as one of its first Presidents in 1928. In 1944, a committee of the Paleontological Society, chaired by Benjamin F. Howell of Princeton University, invited Moore to lead a project to develop a textbook on invertebrate paleontology that would update and replace volume 1 of the old Textbook of Palaeontology by Zittel and Eastman (1913) (Moore, 1952). Moore brought together SEPM, The Paleontological Society, and the Palaeontographical Society (founded in England in 1847) to further the project. Moore's vision for the Treatise was for a three-volume work of about 3000 pages, following the pattern of another, now-classic, textbook he was working on: Invertebrate Paleontology (Moore, Lalicker, and Fischer, 1952). The Treatise was to “… summarize compactly, but with reasonable completeness, the state of knowledge concerning invertebrate fossils as of about the middle of the present century” (Moore, 1952). Rather than approaching a publishing house, Moore arranged for the Geological Society of America to underwrite the cost of illustrations, in an attempt to keep costs down and thus make the Treatise affordable to paleontologists all around the world. The Treatise is, thus, a compendium of all invertebrate fossil genera, together with their taxonomic synonymy, stratigraphic ranges, geographic occurrence, and illustrations of the type specimens. Introductory material to each volume provides the current state of knowledge of the paleobiology of the group, commonly including comprehensive essays on morphology (including that of modern relatives, if appropriate), paleoecology, ontogeny, geological history, classification, and molecular systematics, and genetics, if available. Written by the foremost experts in the field, to …

Phylogenetic utility of five genes for dipteran phylogeny: A test case in the Chironomidae leads to generic synonymies

In this study we examine the utility of three mitochondrial (COI, COII, 16S) and two nuclear (CAD and EF-1a) markers for estimating lower-level phylogenetic relationships within the dipteran family Chironomidae. As a test case we use species of the genus Micropsectra and the putatively closely related genera Krenopsectra, Parapsectra and Paratanytarsus. We also examine the phylogenetic evidence for the currently accepted species groups within the genus Micropsectra. In our results, highly variable EF-1a sequences within some species indicate the first find of paralogous gene copies in nematocerous Diptera. Among the other genes, COI is found to have the weakest while CAD contains the strongest phylogenetic signal. The resulting phylogeny displays a well-supported, but paraphyletic Micropsectra with regard to Krenopsectra acuta and five Parapsectra species, indicating taxonomic synonymy of these genera with 100% posterior probability. The genus Parapsectra is polyphyletic within Micropsectra while Paratanytarsus remains monophyletic although with low posterior probability. Micropsectra acuta, M. bumasta, M. fallax, M. nohedensis, M. mendli, M. uliginosa, M. chionophila, M. nana, M. styriaca and M. wagneri will all be new combinations as a consequence of the synonymy.

Taxonomic deflation: molecular evidence places Membranella nitens in taxonomic synonymy with Smithora naiadum (Erythropeltidales, Compsopogonophyceae, Rhodophyta)

West J.A. and Zuccarello G.C. 2009. Taxonomic deflation: molecular evidence places Membranella nitens in taxonomic synonymy with Smithora naiadum (Erythropeltidales, Compsopogonophyceae, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 48: 543–546. DOI: 10.2216/09-16.1.Molecular analyses of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the psbA gene of Membranella nitens and Smithora naiadum from Pacific North America show that both taxa are genetically identical. The variability of the characters distinguishing these two genera has not been well documented. The generic name Smithora Hollenberg has priority over Membranella Hollenberg & Abbott; therefore, M. nitens is placed in taxonomic synonymy as S. naiadum.

A revision of the African species of Odontolochini Stebnicka & Howden, 1996 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae)

The taxonomic position and synonymy of 11 native afrotropical species of Odontolochini Stebnicka & Howden, 1996 are discussed and re-descriptions are provided. Lectotypes are here designated for Odontolochus sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979. The genus Loeblietus Endrödi, 1973 is formally synonymized with Odontolochus Schmidt, 1916 and seven new species level synonyms are proposed: Odontolochus chevalieri Paulian, 1942 syn. n., O. parcepunctatus Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n., O. sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 syn. n., and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979 syn. n. are found to be junior synonyms of O. raffrayi Paulian, 1942. Odontolochus granulipennis Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n. and O. heyrovskyi Balthasar, 1963 syn. n. are considered conspecific with O. spinicollis (Harold, 1871) and Odontolochus elgonensis Balthasar, 1961 syn. n. conspecific with O. oberthueri (Clouët, 1900). The name Anodontolochus Paulian, 1942 is determined to be unavailable as no type species was designated with the original description. A key to the 11 species of Odontolochus is provided, sexual dimorphic characters are described and illustrated for the first time, and a general diagnosis of the tribe on the world basis is included.

Sialis navasi, a new alderfly species from China (Megaloptera: Sialidae)

The taxonomic position and synonymy of 11 native afrotropical species of Odontolochini Stebnicka & Howden, 1996 are discussed and re-descriptions are provided. Lectotypes are here designated for Odontolochus sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979. The genus Loeblietus Endrödi, 1973 is formally synonymized with Odontolochus Schmidt, 1916 and seven new species level synonyms are proposed: Odontolochus chevalieri Paulian, 1942 syn. n., O. parcepunctatus Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n., O. sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 syn. n., and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979 syn. n. are found to be junior synonyms of O. raffrayi Paulian, 1942. Odontolochus granulipennis Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n. and O. heyrovskyi Balthasar, 1963 syn. n. are considered conspecific with O. spinicollis (Harold, 1871) and Odontolochus elgonensis Balthasar, 1961 syn. n. conspecific with O. oberthueri (Clouët, 1900). The name Anodontolochus Paulian, 1942 is determined to be unavailable as no type species was designated with the original description. A key to the 11 species of Odontolochus is provided, sexual dimorphic characters are described and illustrated for the first time, and a general diagnosis of the tribe on the world basis is included.

PanTHERIA: a species‐level database of life history, ecology, and geography of extant and recently extinct mammals

Analyses of life‐history, ecological, and geographic trait differences among species, their causes, correlates, and likely consequences are increasingly important for understanding and conserving biodiversity in the face of rapid global change. Assembling multispecies trait data from diverse literature sources into a single comprehensive data set requires detailed consideration of methods to reliably compile data for particular species, and to derive single estimates from multiple sources based on different techniques and definitions. Here we describe PanTHERIA, a species‐level data set compiled for analysis of life history, ecology, and geography of all known extant and recently extinct mammals. PanTHERIA is derived from a database capable of holding multiple geo‐referenced values for variables within a species containing 100 740 lines of biological data for extant and recently extinct mammalian species, collected over a period of three years by 20 individuals. PanTHERIA also includes spatial databases of mammalian geographic ranges and global climatic and anthropogenic variables. Here we detail how the data fields are extracted and defined for PanTHERIA using a customized data input format (MammalForm); how data were collected from the literature, species names and sources tracked, error‐checking and validation procedures applied, and how data were consolidated into species‐level values for each variable. Tables of the consolidated species‐level values are made available for each of two recent species‐level taxonomic classifications of mammals, as well as associated taxonomic synonymy conversion and data‐input files. This study provides a useful guide to prospective researchers on how to structure and codify life‐history, ecological, geographic, and taxonomic data and methods to extract meaningful species‐level traits. It also provides comprehensive information on traits like size, diet, environmental conditions, and ecology to permit macroecological and macroevolutionary analyses of this important clade.The complete data sets corresponding to abstracts published in the Data Papers section of the journal are published electronically in Ecological Archives at 〈http://esapubs.org/archive〉. (The accession number for each Data Paper is given directly beneath the title.)

The recognition of Caulerpa integerrima (Zanardini) comb. et stat. nov. (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from the Red Sea

Wynne M.J., Verbruggen H. and Angel D.L. 2009. The recognition of Caulerpa integerrima (Zanardini) comb. et stat. nov. (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from the Red Sea. Phycologia 48: 291–301. DOI: 10.2216/08-78.1.Evidence based on both morphological and molecular data is presented to demonstrate that Caulerpa freycinetii C. Agardh var. integerrima Zanardini, a name that has long been treated within the taxonomic synonymy of C. serrulata (Forsskål) J. Agardh, is to be resurrected and recognised at the level of species, C. integerrima (Zanardini) comb. nov., for an alga thought to be endemic to the Red Sea. Three species in the genus with which it is superficially similar, C. bartoniae, C. brachypus and C. serrulata, are separated from it using the tufA gene, complemented by morphological characters, including the entire margins and the 1.5–2.0-mm thickness of the assimilators. Another species also described originally from the Red Sea, Herpochaeta (Caulerpa) requienii Montagne, is also discussed and eliminated from consideration. Weber-van Bosse's assignment of this species as a forma within C. racemosa is accepted, namely, C. racemosa var. lamourouxii (Turner) Weber-van Bosse f. requienii (Montagne) Weber-van Bosse.

Catalogue of squat lobsters of the world (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura—families Chirostylidae, Galatheidae and Kiwaidae)

Taxonomic and ecological interest in squat lobsters has grown considerably over the last two decades. A checklist of the 870 current valid species of squat lobsters of the world (families Chirostylidae, Galatheidae and Kiwaidae) is presented. The compilation includes the complete taxonomic synonymy and geographical distribution of each species plus type information (type locality, repository and registration number). The numbers of described species in the world’s major ocean basins are summarised.

The identity and typification of Guarea hoffmanniana C. DC. (Meliaceae)

Morphological evaluation of a previously overlooked isotype, together with an improved comprehension of its Costa Rican type locality, permit the definitive application of the long‐misunderstood name Guarea hoffmanniana C. DC. to the species known most recently as Guarea macropetala T. D. Penn. The former name is lectotypified on the newly found isotype, and the latter name is formally relegated to taxonomic synonymy. All collections examined for this study are cited.