Granthamdamsgaard8271

The leucotela species-group of Conura Spinola (Hymenoptera Chalcididae) was initially proposed to include C. leucotela (Walker 1862) within the subgenus Spilochalcis Thomson. Despite this treatment, the accurate identification of C. leucotela is not possible based on the literature. In this paper, C. leucotela is redescribed and two new species, C. paraleucotela sp. nov. and C. pseudoleucotela sp. nov., are described within the leucotela group, with all the species based on female singletons. Additionally, diagnoses and illustrations are presented for two other unnamed species based on males. The taxonomic concept of the species group is discussed, and new diagnostic characters are proposed. An identification key and illustration of species are provided. The morphology of the coupling mechanism of the propodeum and gaster of some species of the leucotela group and its relation with possible hosts is discussed. A short discussion of rarity of the leucotela group is presented.The Itarinae includes two genera and 60 species world-wide. Ten species are recorded from China. All Chinese species were reviewed in this study. Females of the most species were described and illustrated. Keys based on characters of male and female for Chinese species were provided respectively. As well as, a new species and revised species distribution of Itara Walker, 1869 were reported. Two types of coloration (dark and light colors) of Parapentacentrus fuscus Gorochov, 1988 were discovered and taxonomic problem of the genus Parapentacentrus Shiraki, 1930 were discussed.A new species of genus Megophrys from Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province, China is described. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA all clustered the new species as an independent clade nested into the subgenus Panophrys. The smallest genetic distance based on 16S rRNA gene between the new species and its congeners was 3.0%. The new species could be identified from its congeners by a combination of following characters moderate body size (SVL 31.0-34.8 mm in males); vomerine ridge weak, vomerine teeth absent; dorsal skin relatively smooth; tongue slightly notched behind; tympanum rounded and relatively large, 0.54 times of eye length; a horn-like tubercle on edge of each upper eyelid small; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches middle eye when leg stretched forward; finger tips rounded, not expanded to small pad; toes with narrow fringes and rudimentary webbing; ventral hindlimbs semitransparent purplish with greyish white pigments; ventral body scattered with distinct dark patches in the middle.Gamelia bennetti sp. Z-DEVD-FMK nov. is described from Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, and compared with members of the Gamelia abas species group G. abas (Cramer, [1775]), G. berliozi Lemaire, 1967, G. lichyi Lemaire, 1973, G. rubriluna (Walker, 1862) and G. septentrionalis (Bouvier, 1936). A photographic record suggests G. bennetti sp. nov. may also occur in Tobago.Centropomus Lacépède, 1802 comprises 13 species of the fishes popularly knows as snooks, distributed in both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America. Despite several studies on the group, conflicting taxonomic classifications still exist, including overlapping diagnostic characters, rendering species diagnoses extremely difficult. Herein, we review the taxonomy of Centropomus to elucidate species identities, redefine their diagnoses and to assess interspecific relationships based on the examination of 376 specimens. The study included complementary approaches, as analyses of external morphologic characters, linear and geometric morphometrics, and molecular analyses. Forty-nine characters were used for external morphology, 17 discrete plus 32 linear measurements. Shape and size were analyzed through geometric morphometrics of 185 specimens in lateral view. Partial sequences of the gene cytochrome c oxidase I were obtained for 129 specimens representing 11 species. Based on the consistent results retrieved from the morphologic and molecular analyses, we recognized six species of Centropomus from the Atlantic coast (C. ensiferus, C. irae, C. parallelus, C. pectinatus, C. poeyi and C. undecimalis). Centropomus mexicanus is treated as a junior synonym of C. parallelus. Six species from the Pacific coast are also tentatively recognized (C. armatus, C. medius, C. nigrescens, C. robalito, C. unionensis, and C. viridis), however further studies on the Pacific species are still needed. Information on type material, diagnosis, distribution, and taxonomic comments are provided for each species. An identification key to the species of Centropomus is presented.A new genus and species of the pselaphine tribe Tyrini, Klimaszewskia punctata gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Java, Indonesia. Klimaszewskia gen. nov. differs from all other genera of Tyrini primarily by the long, extended maxillary palpus having the fourth palpomere that is mesally expanded near the base, and has an elongate and narrowed apical region, combined with the presence of an antebasal sulcus of the pronotum, and the long first visible tergite. A single female with much larger body size from Nepal, representing a second species of the new genus, is briefly characterized but left unnamed.The giant water bug fauna from tropical South America remains poorly known. Three species of Belostoma Latreille (Belostoma fittkaui De Carlo, B. sayagoi De Carlo and B. hirsutum Roback Nieser) have been cited only a few times in the literature. These three species are remarkable since they represent an extreme variation for the genus, with article II of the labium distinctly shorter than article III. Here, the synonymy of B. hirsutum with B. sayagoi is proposed based on examination of type material and additional specimens. Further, B. fittkaui and B. sayagoi are redescribed, including discussion about comparative morphology with congeners. A new species group is proposed for these species and a key to the Belostoma species groups is provided. Distribution records are also updated.Two new species are described Cobelura prenai, from Costa Rica, included in a new key to species of the genus; and Paranisopodus thalassinus, from Costa Rica, included in a previous key to species of the genus. Notes on Cobelura peruviana (Aurivillius, 1920) are provided and the holotype of Cobelura vermicularis Kirsch, 1889 is illustrated for the first time. Also, new geographical records are provided Leptostylus orbiculus Bates, 1880, new country record for Costa Rica; Leptostylus quintalbus Bates, 1885, new country record for Mexico; and Anisopodus scriptipennis Bates, 1872, new state record in Mexico, and new province records in Costa Rica and Panama.