Cucullanus marajoara n. sp. (Nematoda: Cucullanidae), a parasite of Colomesus psittacus (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontiformes) in the Marajó, Brazil

Cucullanus marajoara n. sp. (Cucullanidae) is reported to parasitize Colomesus psittacus (Tetraodontiformes), which is a fish species from the Marajó Archipelago, state of Pará, estuarine region of the Brazilian Amazon. The new species differs from similar species by the presence of a protruding upper lip on the cloacal opening, the distribution of the cloacal papillae: five pre-cloacal papillae pairs and 5 are ventral and located posteriorly to the pre-cloacal sucker and an unpaired papilla is located on the upper cloacal lip and five post-cloacal pairs, and a pair of lateral phasmids located between papillae pairs. Additionally, Cucullanus marajoara n. sp. is compared to other species of this genus described in Brazil, particularly Cucullanus ageneiosus and Cucullanus oswaldocruzi, which both occur in the same zoogeographic region of this study but parasitize fish of a different order (Siluriformes). Cucullanus dodsworthi and Cucullanus brevicaudatus are the only described species parasitizing fish of the order Tetradontiformes in Brazil, and the new species differs from these species by the distribution of the cloacal papillae and the host habitat. The description of Cucullanus marajoara n. sp. adds data to the biodiversity of described parasites that parasitize Tetradontiformes of the estuarine ichthyofauna in the Brazilian Amazon.

A new Amazonian species of Rhaebo (Anura: Bufonidae) with comments on Rhaebo glaberrimus (Günther, 1869) and Rhaebo guttatus (Schneider, 1799)

We describe a new species of toad of the genus Rhaebo from the Amazonian lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador. The newspecies is characterized by have a large-size (SVL 156.7 mm in adult female, 92.8–127.0 mm in adult males), lacking apreocular ridge and most cephalic crests except for the low parietals crests; having the cloacal opening towards the middlelevel of thighs; rounded to slightly oval parotoids; and dark to cream brown groin. The new species was previouslyconfused with Rhaebo glaberrimus, but the latter differs by having the cloacal opening at the ventral level of the thighs,small body size, skin texture mainly smooth, and a pink or yellowish color in the groin. The new species is also similar toRhaebo guttatus that differs by having a preocular ridge and a different ventral coloration (throat, chest and belly withcream round spots). We also comment on the identity of R. glaberrimus and R. guttatus, correct some reports published in the literature, and present new information on their natural history and distribution.

Re-description of Oscheius chongmingensis (Zhang et al., 2008) (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) and its entomopathogenicity

A population of Oscheius chongmingensis was isolated from a soil sample collected from an alfalfa field in the vicinity of Hailar, Inner Mongolia, and was designated as the Tumian strain. This nematode has a facultative entomopathogenic activity and reproduces on the Galleria mellonella larvae. We compared our isolate with the original description of O. chongmingensis, checked several paratype slides of this species and compared it with cultures of the original Shanghai strain. Poor morphology, morphometrics and some errors in the original description of O. chongmingensis encouraged us to re-describe this species. The species is characterised by having five distinct ridges in the lateral field in adults.. The stoma of O. chongmingensis is long and narrow, in adults approximately 3.5-4.5 times as long as wide, whereas in dauer juveniles it may be 6-7 times longer than wide. Males possess a ventral pair of small bristle-like sensilla posterior to the cloacal opening. Both the Tumian and original strain are amphimictic with a higher proportion of females, but males are not rare (ca 2.5:1).

One hundred million years of skin feeding? Extended parental care in a Neotropical caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)

Maternal dermatophagy, the eating of maternal skin by offspring, is an unusual form of parental investment involving co-evolved specializations of both maternal skin and offspring dentition, which has been recently discovered in an African caecilian amphibian. Here we report the discovery of this form of parental care in a second, distantly related Neotropical species Siphonops annulatus, where it is characterized by the same syndrome of maternal and offspring specializations. The detailed similarities of skin feeding in different caecilian species provide strong evidence of its homology, implying its presence in the last common ancestor of these species. Biogeographic considerations, the separation of Africa and South American land masses and inferred timescales of amphibian diversification all suggest that skin feeding is an ancient form of parental care in caecilians, which has probably persisted in multiple lineages for more than 100 Myr. These inferences support the hypotheses that (i) maternal dermatophagy is widespread in oviparous direct-developing caecilians, and (ii) that viviparous caecilians that feed on the hypertrophied maternal oviduct evolved from skin-feeding ancestors. In addition to skin-feeding, young S. annulatus were observed to congregate around, and imbibe liquid exuded from, the maternal cloacal opening.

Advances in methodologies of sexing and marking less dimorphic gekkonid lizards: the study case of the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica

Novelties in systems of sexing and marking less dimorphic species of gekkonid lizards are described and first results are presented on the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, used as target and model species. Inspection of cloacal opening and tail basis to detect hemipenes has been done with a small probe and with laser light. Behavioural response to tail basis touch was typical of adult males. Permanent marking has been performed along with the removal of some subdigital scales. Sexing was suitable and feasible on all individuals larger than 45 mm snout to vent length.

SEM studies on the copulatory apparatus of male Oesophagostomum columbianum

SEM studies on the cloacal opening of Oesophagostomum columbianum indicate that it is located on a raised conical structure called the “genital cone”. The genital cone is provided with a ventral lip and a pair of subdorsal gential appendages. The vental lip is a triangular structure having a single papilla on it and the genital appendages are covered with wrinkled cuticle with a nerve process projecting to the exterior in center. The bursa is supported by muscular rays which end up as knob-like sessile genital papillae. The inner surface of the bursa is porous. Spicules are two, equal, each provided with an ala which decreases in height distally and end up much prior to the spicular tip.

Description of two new species of Iotonchium Cobb, 1920 (Tylenchida: Iotonchiidae) from Japan

Two new Iotonchium species are described from Japan. These species possesses four adult forms; mycetophagous female, infective female, male and insect-parasitic female. Iotonchium laccariae n. sp. is characterised by short body length of all adult forms, right-angled L-shaped spicule with beak-like distal arm, a pair of large papillae anterior to the cloacal opening, the dorso-ventrally flattened head of male and the reproductive features of the parasitic female. The mycetophagous females of I. laccariae n. sp. inhabit the fruiting bodies of four Laccaria spp. Males and infective females were also obtained from the fruiting bodies. The insect-parasitic females of I. laccariae n. sp. inhabit the haemocoel of a fungus gnat, Allodia laccariae. Iotonchium russulae n. sp. is characterised by the long body length of the infective female, parasitic female and mycetophagous female, obtuse-angled L-shaped spicule with dorsally curved slender distal arm, a pair of bifid postcloacal papillae, presence of a mid-ventral postcloacal papilla in the male and reproductive features of the parasitic female. The mycetophagous females, males and infective females of I. russulae n. sp. were obtained from the fruiting bodies of three Russula spp. and two Lactarius spp. The insect-parasitic females of I. russulae n. sp. inhabit the haemocoel of A. bipexa, a species of fungus gnat.

Scanning electron microscopy and intraspecific variation in Euchordodes nigromaculatus from New Zealand

Taxonomic characters of the male posterior end and the body cuticle of Euchordodes nigromaculatus (Nematomorpha) were described by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared with the original description by Poinar (1991a) and with other Euchordodes species. Intraspecific variation was found in the body length, the distance between the cloacal opening and the posterior end and especially in the form of the male posterior end. The latter either possesses two short lobelike structures and a ventral groove or lacks these structures. The importance of SEM investigations and observations of intraspecific variation is stressed for the taxonomy of nematomorph species.