The sea skaters, genus Halobates Eschscholtz (Hemiptera : Gerridae), of Australia: Taxonomy, phylogeny and zoogeography

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 861 ◽  
Author(s):  
NM Andersen ◽  
TA Weir
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Ecological Diversity ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Male Genital

The sea skaters, genus Halobates Eschscholtz, include the only known oceanic insects, although most species of Halobates are found in sheltered coastal waters. The present paper deals with the 11 species known from Australian waters, divided into two subgenera, Hilliella China and Halobates s. str., and the latter into 5 species-groups. Characters found useful in forming these species-groups include: interocular width of head, head colour markings, relative lengths of fore tarsal segments, mesotibio-tarsal hair fringe, structure of male genital segments, and vesical armature. The cladistic relationships among species and species-groups are analysed and discussed. A key to the species of Australian Halobates is provided. All species endemic to Australia are redescribed and their distribution recorded and mapped. Taxonomic and distributional notes are given for the remaining species. H. (Hilliella) lannae is described as new from the Northern Territory, and the synonymies H. australiensis Malipatil (= H. hayanus White) and H. ashrnorensis Malipatil (= H. princeps White) are verified. Finally, we discuss the ecological diversity and zoogeography of Australian sea skaters.

Revision of the genus Parvimysis (Mysida, Mysidae) with descriptions of five new species from coastal waters of the Caribbean

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4742 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
KARL J. WITTMANN
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Maxillary Palpus ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
The Caribbean

Detection of previously unknown, dimorphic setal patterns on the carpus of the fifth thoracic endopod in types of Parvimysis bahamensis Brattegard, 1969, representing the type species of the genus Parvimysis Brattegard, 1969, required revision of this genus together with taxonomic verification of materials previously assigned to this species from all around the Caribbean. Study of this material together with new samples from marine waters of Curaçao led to the detection of five new species. Four of these species have a dimorphic carpus of the fifth endopod and are here described as P. pricei sp. nov., P. laminata sp. nov., P. brattegardi sp. nov., and P. ornata sp. nov. One species with non-dimorphic setal patterns is described as P. nuda sp. nov. Two species groups are defined based on structural differences of the carapace, mandibular and maxillary palpus, oostegites and telson: the P. bahamensis group with six species from marine waters of the Caribbean and an additional one from brackish-freshwaters of Surinam, versus the P. amazonica group with seven species from freshwaters of Amazonia. A key to the 14 species currently known from the genus Parvimysis is provided. 

Factors Affecting Aerial Surveys of Marine Fauna, and Their Relationship to a Census of Dugongs in the Coastal Waters of the Northern-Territory

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Bayliss
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Surface Condition ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Correction Factors ◽  
Marine Fauna ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Similar Range

Some factors that may affect the aerial counts of dugongs, dolphins and turtles were examined experimentally. Tidal influence did not affect the counts of dugongs or dolphins, but those of turtles increased around high tide. A combined doubling of survey altitude and transect width reduced observed density of all three classes of animals by 50%. The counts of four observers did not differ significantly, but further data counsel caution. Overcast weather depressed counts of dugongs and turtles. Dolphin counts were affected by water surface condition, counts being lowest in choppy seas. A mark-recapture model was used on tandem observations to derive correction factors for groups of animals missed on the surface of a transect. Observers missed between 33% and 75% of dugong groups on the surface, the probability of detection decreasing with increased survey altitude and transect width. A similar range and pattern of probabilities was found for dolphins and turtles. Dugongs were censused in the coastal waters of the Northern Territory between the Daly River and Millingimbi in December 1983, an area of 28 746 km*2. Sampling intensity was 7.6%. A minimum population of 2953 � 530 (standard error) was estimated, an overall relative density of 0.11 � 0.02 km-2. A theoretical correction for submerged dugongs not seen yielded a total population estimate of 38 000, an overall density of 1.46 km-2. The distribution of dugongs in the survey area was patchy, the highest densities being associated with shallow coastal waters, sheltered bays, and large islands.

The Accanthodrile earthworm genus Microscolex (Diplotrema) (Megascolecidae : Oligochaeta) in the Northern Territory of Australia

1976 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 455 ◽  
Author(s):  
BGM Jamieson ◽  
GR Dyne
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
First Report ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
Species Groups

Diplotrema is redefined to include Australian species formerly assigned to the subgenus Microscolex (Notiodrilus) and thus now contains species with or without spermathecal genital setae, presence of which formerly was considered diagnostic of Diplotrema. The presence of similar spermathecal setae in the related North American genus Diplocardia is noted. Nine species of Diplotrema are described from the Northern Territory, of which eight are new, and a key to these species is provided. One of these, D. ridei, sp. nov., has a subspecies on Melville I. the first report of an insular subspecies of a mainland oligochaete species for Australia. Three species-groups are tentatively recognized for the species of the Northern Territory. New taxonomic notes are given for D. australis, D. dameli, D. fragilis, D, queenslandica and D. cornigravei, species occurring outside the Territory. It is suggested that Diplotrema is a relict of a Gondwanaland acanthodrile fauna.

Mercury concentrations in four carcharhinid and three hammerhead sharkes from coastal waters of the Northern Territory

1984 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Lyle
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Muscle Tissue ◽  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
High Concentrations

Analysis of mercury in muscle tissue of four species of carcharhinid shark (genus Carcharhinus) and three species of hammerhead shark (genus Sphyrna) from coastal waters of the Northern Territory has indicated that each of the species studied accumulates relatively high concentrations of mercury. Maximum observed concentrations in all species except C. sorrah (Valenciennes) exceeded 1.5 mg kg-1. Concentrations greater than 4 mg kg-1 were recorded in C. amblyrhynchoides (Whitley), S. lewini (Griffith & Smith) and S. mokarran (Ruppell). Mercury concentration was highly dependent on shark size and increased more or less exponentially with length. Apart from S. lewini and S. mokarran, there were significant differences between length-mercury relationships for males and females of each species. At a given length, males tended to have accumulated higher concentrations of mercury than females. With the exception of C. sorrah, weighted mean concentrations of mercury for each species exceeded the current National Health and Medical Research Council standard for mercury of 0.5 mg kg-1. Implications of possible management based on mercury standards are considered using information available for C. limbatus (Valenciennes) and C. sorrah.

Revision of Australian species of the dung beetle genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): description of 10 new species from the L. australis, L. monteithi, and L. villosus species groups

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4695 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-252
Author(s):  
NICOLE L. GUNTER ◽  
THOMAS A. WEIR
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Far North ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
Wet Tropics ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Torres Strait

This publication is part in an ongoing revision of the Australian species of the genus Lepanus Balthasar, 1966 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) and revises the three species groups with simple pygidia. Keys to species within the L. australis Matthews, 1974, L. monteithi Matthews, 1974, and L. villosus Matthews, 1974 species groups are provided and a total of 10 new species are described. Within the L. australis species group, L. australis Matthews, 1974 and L. latheticus Matthews, 1974 are redescribed and four new species are described: Lepanus burnetti new species and Lepanus oxleyi new species from southeastern Queensland; Lepanus eungella new species from coastal, central Queensland; and Lepanus dukungarri new species from Australian Wet Tropics, northern Queensland. Within the L. monteithi species group, L. monteithi Matthews, 1974 is redescribed and four new species are described: Lepanus geoffi new species from Cape York Peninsula, far north Queensland; Lepanus yorkensis new species from Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula, far north Queensland; Lepanus reidi new species from the Australian Wet Tropics and Lepanus topend new species from the northern Northern Territory. Within the L. villosus species group, L. villosus Matthews, 1974 and L. vestitus Matthews, 1974 are redescribed and two new species are described: Lepanus pseudovillosus new species and Lepanus reticulatus new species from the Australian Wet Tropics, northern Queensland. Including these descriptions a total of 43 Lepanus species are now described from Australia. 

Biogeography of the ant fauna of the Tiwi Islands, in northern Australia's monsoonal tropics

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan N. Andersen ◽  
John C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
Ben D. Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Northern Territory ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Exotic Invasive Species ◽  
Exotic Invasive ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
North Western

This paper describes the biogeography at the species level of ants from the Tiwi Islands, and represents the first such analysis for any region in Australia. The Tiwi Islands are located 20 km off the mainland coast near Darwin in northern Northern Territory, and include Australia's second largest insular landmass after Tasmania. The islands receive the highest mean annual rainfall (up to 2000 mm) in monsoonal northern Australia, and they are the closest part of the Australian landmass to south-east Asia. On the basis of ~1300 species records, we list 154 species (including nine introduced) from 34 genera. The richest genera are Polyrhachis (20 species), Monomorium (15), Camponotus (14), Pheidole (12), and Iridomyrmex (11). In all, 66% of the native Tiwi species belong to Torresian (tropical) species groups, which is considerably higher than the 44% for Australia's monsoonal ant fauna as a whole. Fifteen Tiwi ant species are not known from mainland Australia. These include a species of Anonychomyrma, which is the only record of the genus in monsoonal Australia, Polyrhachis debilis, the only representative of the sub-genus Cyrtomyrma known from north-western Australia, and the only species of the araneoides group of Rhytidoponera known from the Northern Territory. Unfortunately, the Tiwi ant fauna also includes the exotic invasive species Pheidole megacephala, which represents a serious conservation threat.

An analysis of species-groups of the genus Plinthisus Stephens (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae) in the Ethiopian Region with the description of eight new species

Zootaxa ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 533 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MERRILL H. SWEET ◽  
JAMES A. SLATER
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Scent Gland ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Specific Rank ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Ethiopian Region ◽  
Male Genital

An analysis of the known Ethiopian Plinthisus fauna shows that there are at least 12 species-groups. Two groups, the subgenera Locutius and Isioscytus, have Old World Palearctic and tropicopolitan distributions that extend into Australia. The other 10 species-groups are endemic to Africa, nine having a center of endemicity in the Cape Region of South Africa with apparent relationships to the Australian fauna. Eight new species of Plinthisus are described, each as a representative of a distinct species-group, seven from South Africa: P. (Isioscytus) pulchellus n. sp, P. (Nanoplinthisus) ericae n. sp, P. (N.) fynbosi n. sp, P. (N.) peninsularis n. sp., P. (N.) lamprus n. sp., P. (N) zuurb- ergi n. sp., and P. (N.) drakensbergensis n. sp,; and one, P. (Plinthisus) brachyoccus n. sp., from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. P. beniamaricus Linnavuori, 1978 stat. nov. and P. kilimensis Horv th, 1906 stat. nov. are raised from subspecies of P. himyaritus Linnavuori, 1978 and P.afer Horv th, 1906, respectively to specific rank. Plinthisus hirsutus Slater, 1964 is placed in a species-group distinct from the subgenus Dasythisus. The Nearctic species Plinthisus americanus Van Duzee, 1910, P. compactus Uhler, 1904 and P. indentatus Barber, 1918 are placed in the subgenus Dasythisus. Included are 123 figures illustrating dorsal views, heads, metathoracic scent gland areas, metathoracic wing stridulitra, abdominal structure, male genital capsules, claspers, phalli, spermathecae, and prothoracic legs.

Australian states and Northern Territory acreage update at APPEA 2008

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Bill Tinapple
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Land Access ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Seismic Acquisition ◽  
Data Provision

This is the annual presentation of what’s happening in onshore and coastal waters exploration in Australia’s states and the Northern Territory. The main focus of these jurisdictions’ annual report at the APPEA conference is upstream petroleum acreage opportunities. Exploration for geothermal energy resources will also be covered. There are many and diverse exploration opportunities in onshore frontier and producing Australian basins available for explorers in 2008, including geothermal energy exploration opportunities. The number of onshore Australian acreage applications has been steadily increasing in recent years and this has resulted in higher levels of drilling and seismic acquisition, but large areas remain untouched by modern exploration. Australian state governments continue initiatives to encourage exploration to realise their natural resource endowments including: pre-competitive basin studies; speedy and cost-effective provision of digital exploration data; provision of effective land access regimes; transparent regulatory regimes; internationally competitive royalty regimes; and, promotion of acreage releases nationally and internationally.

Australian States and Northern Territory acreage update at APPEA 2009

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
Richard Sellers
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Executive Director ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Primary Industry ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Indigenous Groups ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Exploration Activity

Richard Sellers is the executive director of minerals and energy in the Northern Territory and has extensive experience with the management of natural resources and working specifically with business, regional and Indigenous groups on development programs. He has previously held roles as Executive Director—Fisheries and Director—Legal and Policy in the former Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries. This paper covers the annual presentation of exploration activity in onshore and coastal waters in Australia’s states and the Northern Territory. Included is a summary of upstream petroleum acreage opportunities for 2009 in the states and Northern Territory as well as geothermal energy exploration opportunities. While there have been increasing levels of exploration in recent years, there are large areas that remain under explored and the opportunity for future discoveries remains. State and the Northern Territory Governments have continued to undertake initiatives to attract and facilitate accelerated exploration and promote nationally and internationally these opportunities in frontier and production areas.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document