Eleven species of jumping spiders from Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, China (Araneae, Salticidae)

Ten new species of jumping spiders are described from China, including Attulusjimanisp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan, Colaxescibagousp. nov. (♂♀), Epeuspengisp. nov. (♂♀), Evarchazayusp. nov. (♂♀), Iciuszangsp. nov. (♂♀), Pancoriusnyingchisp. nov. (♂♀), Stertiniusliqingaesp. nov. (♂♀), and Synagelidesmedogsp. nov. (♀) from Xizang, S.tianquansp. nov. (♂♀), and Yaginumaellaerlangsp. nov. (♂♀) from Sichuan. The hitherto unknown female of Phintellalongapophysis Lei & Peng, 2013 is described for the first time. Diagnostic photos and the distributional maps for all species are provided. Four new combinations are proposed: Epeusdilucidus (Próchniewicz, 1990), comb. nov., and E.guangxi (Peng & Li, 2002), comb. nov. transferred from Plexippoides Prószyński, 1984, Phintellasufflava (Jastrzębski, 2009), comb. nov. transferred from Carrhotus Thorell, 1891, and Yaginumaellaarmata (Jastrzębski, 2011), comb. nov. transferred from Pancorius Simon, 1902.

Redisposition of apiosporous genera Induratia and Muscodor in the Xylariales, following the discovery of an authentic strain of Induratia apiospora

BACKGROUND

The genus Induratia is based on Induratia apiospora, a xylarialean pyrenomycete from New Zealand with clypeate uniperitheciate stromata, hyaline apiospores and a nodulisporium-like anamorph. However, because of the lack of DNA data from the generic type, its phylogenetic affinities have remained unresolved. Recently, two fungal species with teleomorphs strikingly similar to Induratia were discovered in Thailand. However, they did not produce an anamorph and were found to be phylogenetically close to the species classified within the hyphomycete genus Muscodor, which was described after Induratia. Therefore, in 2020 the species of Muscodor were transferred to Induratia, and a new family Induratiaceae was proposed.

RESULTS

We have encountered an unpublished ex-holotype strain of Induratia apiospora among the holdings of the ATCC collection, enabling detailed morphological and molecular phylogenetic investigations. We observed the characteristic nodulisporium-like anamorph described in the original publication. Phylogenetic analyses of multigene sequence data revealed a close relationship of Induratia apiospora to the Barrmaeliaceae, while a close relationship to the Induratia species formerly classified within Muscodor was rejected.

CONCLUSIONS

We here classify Induratia apiospora within the Barrmaeliaceae and consider Induratiaceae to be synonymous with the former. As the holotype specimen of Induratia apiospora is apparently lost, an isotype specimen from WSP is selected as lectotype. We also propose that the genus Muscodor is resurrected within the Xylariaceae, and formally transfer several Induratia species to Muscodor.

The Identity of Homoioplax haswelli (Miers, 1884) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura)

The brachyuran crab Pseudorhombila haswelli Miers, 1884, described on the basis of two juveniles from the Arafura Sea, is a poorly known species of uncertain systematic position. It was made the type and only species of Homoioplax Rathbun, 1914, and assigned to the Prionoplacinae (Goneplacidae). Subsequent revisions of the goneplacids showed Prionoplacinae to be a junior synonym of Eucratopsinae Stimpson, 1871, as a member of the Panopeidae Ortmann, 1893, but no one has re-evaluated the position of Homoioplax. As a result, Homoioplax has remained in the Panopeidae as the only Indo-West Pacific representative of the family. This study assesses the systematic status of Homoioplax haswelli based on a re-examination of the type and other material of the species. Homoioplax haswelli is here attributed to Carcinoplax H. Milne Edwards, 1852 (Goneplacidae), justifying the recognition of the species described by Miers as C. haswelli. Moreover, Carcinoplax haswelli is shown to be a senior synonym of C. sinica Chen, 1984, described from the South China Sea. Therefore, C. haswelli is now known to range from southern Taiwan and the Philippines, through the South China Sea, northern Vietnam, the eastern waters of Singapore to the Madura Straits in eastern Java and Arafura Sea, northern Australia, at 25-187 m, but usually less than 100 m depth.

Taxonomy and systematics of a new pleurostomatid ciliate, Pseudolitonotus spirelis gen. et sp. n. (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Haptoria)

Recent studies have revealed a high diversity of pleurostomatid ciliates in brackish habitats. Here, a novel species, Pseudolitonotus spirelis gen. et sp. n., isolated from a mangrove wetland of southern China, was investigated based on living observation, protargol staining, and molecular analyses. The new genus Pseudolitonotus gen. n. is characterized by the last left somatic kinety (LKn) being shortened and none of the right somatic kineties extending to the anterior end of the cell, thus distinguishing it from all known pleurostomatid genera. The type species, Pseudolitonotus spirelis sp. n., is characterized by the possession of two macronuclear nodules, 11-15 right and 7-9 left kineties, a single contractile vacuole subterminally located, extrusomes evenly spaced along the entire ventral margin and some forming an "apical group", two types of cortical granules, and the bottom of the oral slit invariably being twisted. Litonotus gracilis (Pan et al. Eur J Protistol 51:494-506, 2015) is believed to be another member of this new genus as its LKn and right somatic kineties are all shortened. Hence, a new combination, Pseudolitonotus gracilis (Pan et al., 2015) comb. n., is suggested and its diagnosis is improved. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequence data reveal that Pseudolitonotus gen. n. is monophyletic and groups with Apolitonotus (Pan et al. J Eukaryot Microbiol 67:252-262, 2020) of the family Protolitonotidae (Wu et al. Zool Scr 46:245-253, 2017). However, the familial assignment of this new genus is uncertain based on current data.

Morphological and Molecular Phylogenetic Data of the Chinese Medicinal Fungus Cordyceps liangshanensis Reveal Its New Systematic Position in the Family Ophiocordycipitaceae

A cordycipitoid fungus infecting Hepialidae sp. in Nepal was supposed to be identical to Cordyceps liangshanensis, originally described from southwestern China, and thus, transferred to the genus Metacordyceps or Papiliomyces in previous studies. However, our multi-gene (nrSSU-nrLSU-tef-1α-rpb1-rpb2) phylogenetic and morphological studies based on the type specimen and additional collections of C. liangshanensis revealed that the fungus belongs to the genus Ophiocordyceps (Ophiocordycipitaceae). Therefore, a new combination O. liangshanensis was made, and a detailed description of this species was provided.

New insights into the identity of Discolaimium dubium Das, Khan and Loof, 1969 (Dorylaimida) as derived from its morphological and molecular characterization, with the proposal of its transference to Aporcella Andrássy, 2002

Three Iranian populations of Discolaimium dubium are studied, including their morphological and morphometric characterization, molecular analysis (LSU-rDNA) and the description of the male for the first time. For comparative purposes, this species is distinguished by its 1.10 to 1.40 mm long body, lip region offset by constriction and 8 to 10 µm wide, odontostyle 7.5 to 10.5 µm long with aperture occupying 59 to 76% of total length, neck 300 to 362 µm, pharyngeal expansion 127 to 181 µm long or 44 to 46% of the total neck length, uterus simple and 38 to 53 µm or 1.2 to 1.5 times the body diameter long, V = 52 to 58, tail conical (32-38 µm, c = 32-43, c' = 1.6-2.0) with rounded tip and a hyaline portion occupying 14 to 15% of tail length, spicules 30 to 32 µm long, and two or three widely space ventromedian supplements with hiatus. Both morphological and molecular data support its belonging to the genus Aporcella, whose monophyly is confirmed and to which the species is formally transferred as A. dubia (Das et al., 1969) comb. n.

Taxonomic notes on Leptonetidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from China, with descriptions of one new genus and eight new species

Species of the spider family Leptonetidae Simon, 1890 from China are revised based on molecular and morphological data analyses. A new genus, Jingneta Wang & Li gen. nov., is erected, with Leptoneta cornea Tong & Li, 2008 as the type species. Twenty-two Chinese species previously assigned to the genus Leptoneta Simon, 1872 are revised, with eight transferred to Falcileptoneta Komatsu, 1970, seven transferred to Jingneta gen. nov., five transferred to Leptonetela Kratochvíl, 1978, and one species each transferred to Longileptoneta Seo, 2015 and Masirana Kishida, 1942. Eight new species are described: i.e., Falcileptoneta shuanglong Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂), Jingneta caoxian Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), J. jingdong Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), Longileptoneta gutan Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), L. huangshan Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), L. shenxian Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), L. yeren Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂), and L. zhuxian Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀). In total, 127 leptonetid species from six genera are documented from China: nine species of Falcileptoneta, nine species of Jingneta gen. nov., 101 species of Leptonetela, six species of Longileptoneta, one species of Masirana, and one species of Rhyssoleptoneta Tong & Li, 2007.

Pontopolycope orientalis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Polycopidae), the First Report of a Living Species of the Genus from the Indo-Pacific Region

The present study describes Pontopolycope orientalis sp. nov. (Polycopidae), which was collected from the shallow sandy bottom off of Nagannu Island, Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. This new species is the first living representative of Pontopolycope from the Indo-Pacific region. We also provided a key to identifying five living congeners throughout the world's oceans. Since Pontopolycope is defined by the morphological characteristics of the carapace, the following five fossil and subfossil (empty valve) species of Polycope (Polycopidae) are moved to Pontopolycope: Pontopolycope luxuriosa (Herrig, 1964) comb. nov., P. sanctacatherinae (Whatley and Downing, 1983) comb. nov., P. krauseae (Herrig, 1994) comb. nov., P. proboscidea (Herrig, 1994) comb. nov., and P. isolata (Whatley, Jones and Wouters, 2000) comb. nov. Finally, the nucleotide sequence data of three genes (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) of the new species are provided for future systematic and phylogenetic studies.

Asianopis gen. nov., a new genus of the spider family Deinopidae from Asia

A new genus of the spider family Deinopidae C.L. Koch, 1850 is described from Asia: Asianopis Lin & Li gen. nov., with A. zhuanghaoyuni Lin & Li sp. nov. as the type species. The new genus is divided into two species groups, of which the liukuensis-group includes two species: A. dumogae (Merian, 1911) sp. reval. comb. nov. (♀) and A. liukuensis (Yin, Griswold & Yan, 2002) comb. nov. (♂♀); and the zhuanghaoyuni-group comprises five species: A. celebensis (Merian, 1911) comb. nov. (♂), A. konplong (Logunov, 2018) comb. nov. (♂), A. wangi Lin & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), A. wuchaoi Lin & Li sp. nov. (♂♀), and A. zhuanghaoyuni Lin & Li sp. nov. All previously described species are transferred from Deinopis MacLeay, 1839. Deinopis scrubjunglei Caleb & Mathai, 2014 is treated as a junior synonym of Asianopis liukuensis comb. nov.

New island record and conservation status of Puerto Rican Bank endemic plant species, Ruehssia woodburyana (Acev.-Rodr.) Goyder, comb. nov., formally transferred from Marsdenia

Background

Thought to be endemic to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Ruehssiawoodburyana (Apocynaceae) was recently discovered at a single location on Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. Despite an increase in the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, this species meta-population is very limited with a total of 37 individuals known in the wild. The largest subpopulation, on Mona Island, has only 26 individuals. The species suitable habitat is experiencing a continuing decline due to urban development, grazing by feral ungulates and human-induced forest fires. Conservation action is urgently needed and should be directed towards establishing genetically representative ex situ collections, such as seed for long term storage and live material for propagation. This species is evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR), based on Criteria C2a(i)+D, according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (version 3.1) and guidelines (Subcommittee IUCN Standards and Petitions 2016).

New information

Extensive and regular surveys to the region enable the discovery of new plant records for different countries and islands. In this paper, we record a new island record for Ruehssiawoodburyana on Norman Island, in the British Virgin Islands and discuss the species conservation status. Marsdeniawoodburyana is transferred to the genus Ruehssia to reflect the resurrection of that genus for species of Marsdenia native to the New World.

tenue), for the fine root endophyte, Glomus tenue (basionym Rhizophagus tenuis)

In 1977, the fine root endophyte, originally named Rhizophagus tenuis, was transferred into the genus Glomus as G. tenue, thus positioning the species with all other known arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota, Glomeromycotina). Recent molecular evidence, however, places it in a different subphylum, Mucoromycotina in the Mucoromycota. No suitable genus exists in the Mucoromycotina to accommodate G. tenue, so it is moved to Planticonsortium gen. nov. as P. tenue comb. nov.

New synonyms in the highly diverse caddisfly genus Smicridea (Trichoptera, Hydropsychidae)

In this paper, Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) repula Oláh & Johanson, 2012 is synonymized with Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) lobata (Ulmer, 1909), and the species Leptonemaislamarga Botosaneanu, 2002 is transferred to Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) as a synonym of Smicridealobata. Additionally, we present more detailed illustrations of the male genitalia of Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) lobata and Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) signata (Banks, 1903), and include notes on their distributions to aid in the identification of these two, often-confused species.