Alcyonidium kuklinskii sp. nov., a new species of Antarctic ctenostome bryozoan with a key to all Antarctic species of the genus.

Recent surveys of Antarctic waters in the Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) revealed numerous bryozoan species including ctenostome bryozoans. Whereas cheilostome bryozoans are well-studied in these latitudes, ctenostomes remain highly neglected. Large ctenostomes are easily recognized by their lack of calcified skeletons, but this lack also renders them difficult and tedious to identify. As a result, histology and reconstructions of internal soft tissues are required to classify this group of bryozoans. Thanks to the availability of new specimens from Terra Nova Bay, a detailed analysis of growth form, gut morphology and tentacle number of two colonies, initially ascribed to the ctenostome bryozoan genus Alcyonidum Lamouroux, 1813, turned out to be a new species, Alcyonidium kuklinskii sp. nov., which we described in this study. These specimens were also barcoded (COI) and sequences compared to available ones. Together with the new species described here, a total of ten species of Alcyonidium is now known for the Southern Ocean, accounting for one eighth of the entire genus diversity. All Southern Ocean species appear to be endemic. In order to speed the identification of the Antarctic Alcyonidium species, we provide an identification key and a distribution map of all type species. In brief, colony morphology, zooidal size and, in particular tentacle number represent the most suitable characters for identifying species within this genus. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13127-023-00629-4.

Worldwide revision of synanthropic silverfish (Insecta: Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) combining morphological and molecular data.

Synanthropic silverfish are the best-known and most widely distributed insects of the order Zygentoma. However, there is a great gap in the knowledge and confusion about the geographic distribution and the diagnostic characteristics that allow their identification. In this work, we provide an exhaustive and deep analysis of the most common 9 synanthropic silverfish of the world, combining previously published and newly derived morphological and molecular data. Updated descriptions of Ctenolepisma calvum (Ritter, 1910) and Ctenolepisma (Sceletolepisma) villosum (Fabricius, 1775) are included, and morphological remarks, illustrations, and photographs of the remaining synanthropic species are provided to clarify their diagnosis and differentiation among them and from other free-living species. In addition, Ctenolepisma targionii (Grassi and Rovelli, 1889) is synonymized with C. villosum. A molecular phylogeny is presented based on the COI sequences of all the synanthropic species deposited in BOLD and GenBank, with 15 new sequences provided by this study. This has allowed us to detect and correct a series of identification errors based on the lack of morphological knowledge of several species. Moreover, 2 different lineages of Ctenolepisma longicaudatumEscherich, 1905 have also been detected. To help future studies, we also provide a taxonomic interpretation guide for the most important diagnostic characters of the order Zygentoma, as well as an identification key for all the Synanthropic studied species. Finally, an approximation of the global distribution of synanthropic silverfish is discussed. Several new records indicate that the expansion of these species, generally associated with the transport of goods and people, is still far from over.

Comparative ontogeny and phylogenetic relationships of eight lizardfish species (Synodontidae) from the Northwest Pacific, with a focus on Trachinocephalus monophyly.

Lizardfish (Aulopiforms: Synodontidae), distributed broadly in temperate to tropical waters, are represented globally by 83 species across four genera, with 10 species in Korea. Despite these numbers, few studies have been conducted on the early life history of lizardfishes compared to their adult counterparts. Thus, we conducted molecular identification of 123 Synodontidae larvae collected from the Northwest Pacific (Korea Strait, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and East Sea) between June 2017 and July 2021, using mitochondrial DNA COI and 16S rRNA sequences. Significant morphological differences were observed in the larvae and juvenile, including variation in melanophore, count, morphometric characteristics, and body shape. The morphological traits of eight species (Harpadon nehereus, Saurida macrolepis, Saurida wanieso, Saurida sp., Synodus hoshinonis, Synodus kaianus, Synodus macrops, and Trachinocephalus trachinus) served as vital data for interpreting the phylogenetic relationships within the Northwest Pacific Synodontidae. Ultimately, the identification key revealed by this study will enable accurate identification of Synodontid larvae and juveniles, and further facilitate our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within this family.

Neoskrjabinolepis paradoxa n. sp. from shrews on Sakhalin Island, Russia, with an amended diagnosis of Neoskrjabinolepis Spassky, 1947 (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae), a key, and a review on geographical distribution of the species.

A taxonomic review was performed on cestodes of the genus Neoskrjabinolepis Spassky, 1947 that parasitize different species of Sorex shrews in different regions of the northern Palearctic and in the Nearctic (Alaska, USA). Information on Palearctic Neoskrjabinolepis cestodes published in various articles is summarized. An overview of the geographical distribution of the Neoskrjabinolepis species is also presented. Currently, the genus includes 17 species. In the European part of the Palearctic, four species of the genus are registered; in the Asian part, 13 species; and on the American continent (Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA), two species. Descriptions, illustrations, and differential diagnoses are given for a new species of Neoskrjabinolepis, i.e. N. paradoxa n. sp., which was found in shrews Sorex unguiculatus Dobson and S. caecutiens Laxmann on Sakhalin Island. A unique feature of the new species is irregularly alternating genital pores in the uterus series in the strobila. Amended new differential features (positioning of the uterus relative to osmoregulatory canals and alternation of genital pores) of genus diagnosis and an identification key for Neoskrjabinolepis spp. are presented.

High species richness in the lichen genus Peltigera (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes): 34 species in the dolichorhizoid and scabrosoid clades of section Polydactylon, including 24 new to science.

Applying molecular methods to fungi establishing lichenized associations with green algae or cyanobacteria has repeatedly revealed the existence of numerous phylogenetic taxa overlooked by classical taxonomic approaches. Here, we report taxonomical conclusions based on multiple species delimitation and validation analyses performed on an eight-locus dataset that includes world-wide representatives of the dolichorhizoid and scabrosoid clades in section Polydactylon of the genus Peltigera. Following the recommendations resulting from a consensus species delimitation approach and additional species validation analysis (BPP) performed in this study, we present a total of 25 species in the dolichorhizoid clade and nine in the scabrosoid clade, including respectively 18 and six species that are new to science and formally described. Additionally, one combination and three varieties (including two new to science) are proposed in the dolichorhizoid clade. The following 24 new species are described: P. appalachiensis, P. asiatica, P. borealis, P. borinquensis, P. chabanenkoae, P. clathrata, P. elixii, P. esslingeri, P. flabellae, P. gallowayi, P. hawaiiensis, P. holtanhartwigii, P. itatiaiae, P. hokkaidoensis, P. kukwae, P. massonii, P. mikado, P. nigriventris, P. orientalis, P. rangiferina, P. sipmanii, P. stanleyensis, P. vitikainenii and P. willdenowii; the following new varieties are introduced: P. kukwae var. phyllidiata and P. truculenta var. austroscabrosa; and the following new combination is introduced: P. hymenina var. dissecta. Each species from the dolichorhizoid and scabrosoid clades is morphologically and chemically described, illustrated, and characterised with ITS sequences. Identification keys are provided for the main biogeographic regions where species from the two clades occur. Morphological and chemical characters that are commonly used for species identification in the genus Peltigera cannot be applied to unambiguously recognise most molecularly circumscribed species, due to high variation of thalli formed by individuals within a fungal species, including the presence of distinct morphs in some cases, or low interspecific variation in others. The four commonly recognised morphospecies: P. dolichorhiza, P. neopolydactyla, P. pulverulenta and P. scabrosa in the dolichorhizoid and scabrosoid clades represent species complexes spread across multiple and often phylogenetically distantly related lineages. Geographic origin of specimens is often helpful for species recognition; however, ITS sequences are frequently required for a reliable identification. Citation: Magain N, Miadlikowska J, Goffinet B, et al. 2023. High species richness in the lichen genus Peltigera (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes): 34 species in the dolichorhizoid and scabrosoid clades of section Polydactylon, including 24 new to science. Persoonia 51: 1-88. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.01.

Weed Classification Using Explainable Multi-Resolution Slot Attention.

In agriculture, explainable deep neural networks (DNNs) can be used to pinpoint the discriminative part of weeds for an imagery classification task, albeit at a low resolution, to control the weed population. This paper proposes the use of a multi-layer attention procedure based on a transformer combined with a fusion rule to present an interpretation of the DNN decision through a high-resolution attention map. The fusion rule is a weighted average method that is used to combine attention maps from different layers based on saliency. Attention maps with an explanation for why a weed is or is not classified as a certain class help agronomists to shape the high-resolution weed identification keys (WIK) that the model perceives. The model is trained and evaluated on two agricultural datasets that contain plants grown under different conditions: the Plant Seedlings Dataset (PSD) and the Open Plant Phenotyping Dataset (OPPD). The model represents attention maps with highlighted requirements and information about misclassification to enable cross-dataset evaluations. State-of-the-art comparisons represent classification developments after applying attention maps. Average accuracies of 95.42% and 96% are gained for the negative and positive explanations of the PSD test sets, respectively. In OPPD evaluations, accuracies of 97.78% and 97.83% are obtained for negative and positive explanations, respectively. The visual comparison between attention maps also shows high-resolution information.

Descriptions of two new and one known species of Parkellus Jairajpuri, Tahseen and Choi, 2001 (Nematoda: Mononchidae) and their phylogenetic position among Mononchida.

Two new species of Parkellus (Jairajpuri et al., 2001) from Vietnam and a population of Parkellus zschokkei (Ahmad and Jairajpuri, 2010; Menzel, 1913) from Ukraine are described, illustrated and their phylogenetic position among the Mononchida is presented. The molecular data (18S and 28S rDNA) are given for the three investigated species - first time for the genus Parkellus. Parkellus hagiangensis sp. nov. is characterized by a medium-sized buccal cavity, posterior position of the dorsal tooth located below the beginning of the pharynx, males having the ventromedian cuticular pores above and below the excretory pore, short spicules with conical proximal part; females with very faint pars refringens vaginae and small teardrop-shaped pieces, short pars distalis vaginae, the presence of small ventromedian vulval papillae. Parkellus tuyenquangensis sp. nov. is characterized by a medium-sized buccal cavity, posterior position of the dorsal tooth located above the beginning of the pharynx, males having the ventromedian cuticular pores above and below the excretory pore, medium-sized spicules with a cylindrical proximal part, very short lateral guiding pieces, females with very strongly sclerotized pars refringens vaginae, medium size teardrop-shaped pieces, short pars distalis vaginae thickened at the junction with pars refringens vaginae. The newly described species are morphologically most similar to P. parkus and P. zschokkei. An identification key to Parkellus species is presented.

Taxonomical considerations and molecular phylogeny of the closely related genera Bitylenchus, Sauertylenchus and Tylenchorhynchus (Nematoda: Telotylenchinae), with one new and four known species from Iran.

During several nematological surveys in cultivated and natural habitats in Khuzestan and Zanjan provinces of Iran, a new species, Bitylenchus parvulus n. sp., two new records for Iran - namely, Tylenchorhynchus agri and Tylenchorhynchus graciliformis - and a population of Bitylenchus parvus and one of Sauertylenchus maximus were recovered and characterized based upon morphological and molecular approaches. The new species is characterized by lip region with five to seven annuli, stylet 17.7 (17.0-18.5) µm long, sub-cylindrical tail narrowing abruptly near terminus giving a bluntly digitate shape to the tail tip, cuticle near anterior part of vulva wrinkled and post-rectal sac occupies whole of tail cavity. The phylogenetic analyses were carried out using molecular data from D2-D3 expansion segments of large ribosomal subunit (28S rRNA) for all studied species and the partial small ribosomal subunit (18S rRNA) for the new species. The representatives of Bitylenchus and Sauertylenchus formed distinct clades from Tylenchorhynchus members, supporting the hypothesis in which Bitylenchus and Sauertylenchus could be considered as valid genera, but rejecting the 'large-genus' concept for Tylenchorhynchus. Also, Sauertylenchus ibericus was proposed as a junior synonym of S. maximus based on the results from morphological and phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, an identification key for all known species included in the three genera Bitylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus and Sauertylenchus is presented herein. The number of transverse annuli on the lip region and presence/absence of post-rectal sac were considered as the main diagnostic characters for classifying the species into seven groups, and other morphological and morphometric characters were subsequently used for distinguishing species in each group.

Comparative morphology and scaling of the femur in yangochiropteran bats.

Better known by their remarkable forelimb morphology, bats are also unique among mammals with respect to their hindlimbs. Their legs are rotated through 180°, generally reduced in size, and in some extant taxa particular bones (e.g. fibula) can even be absent. The femur is the main leg bone, but to date few bat studies have considered its morphology in detail, none in a wide-scale comparative study. Yangochiroptera is the largest bat taxon, spans nearly three orders of magnitude in body mass, and is highly diverse both in ecology and behavior, representing a good model for comparative analyses. Here, we describe the anatomy of the femur in a large sample of yangochiropteran bats (125 species, 70 genera, and 12 families), and explore major trends of morphological variation and scaling patterns in this bone. We used 13 categorical characters in the anatomical description and five linear dimensions in the quantitative analyses. Based on the categorical data, each family studied here was diagnosed, and those from the Neotropical region were included in an identification key. From the phylogenetic principal component analysis (pPCA) we showed that, in addition to size, major axes of variation in bat femur are related to robusticity and head morphology, features that are clearly distinct among some families. We also generated a phylomorphospace based on pPCA scores, highlighting convergences in femur shape. Molossidae, Mystacinidae, and Desmodontinae were grouped based on their greater robusticity, a pattern that was also recovered from categorical data. In these families, we found anatomical features (e.g. presence of tubercles and posterior ridges on the greater trochanter, long or medially/distally displaced lateral ridges on the shaft) that are well-known from their functional link with quadrupedal locomotion. Using phylogenetic regressions, we found out that compared with body mass, femur length scaled with negative allometry, as expected, but that femur width scaled isometrically, counter to expectations. As a result, robusticity index (the ratio of width to length), scaled with positive allometry - larger bats tended to have more robust hindlimbs. At species level, our most remarkable finding was related to Myotis simus, which presented the most robust femur (for its size) among yangochiropterans. Our results reinforce the informative potential of the chiropteran femur from both taxonomic and functional perspectives. Furthermore, the allometric trends seen in this bone may help understand the strategies adopted by flying vertebrates to deal with the high energetic cost of flight and, at the same time, evolve diversified foraging behaviors.

Species Identification of Fragmented or Faded Shed Snake Skins by Light Microscopy.

Few convenient/expeditious methods for identifying the species of shed snake skins in specific areas have been developed. The scales on shed snake skins are permeable to light and can be examined by light microscopy (LM), which is of higher availability-especially for wild animal researchers and citizen scientists-than conventional approach which examines the scale microstructures by scanning electron microscopy. We collected and examined a total of 801 shed samples or scale specimens from 53 snake species in Taiwan and adjacent islands, and developed the first guide to identify the fragmented or faded shed skins of most snake species by LM. Morphological characters of scales can be examined by LM include the apical notch, apical pits, apical lobes, keels, scale symmetry, unpigmented spots (mechanoreceptor-like organs), interscale follicles, cross/longitudinal micro-ridge, oberhautchen cells, rows of spines, light/tiny dots, and other microstructures. The microstructures on the scale specimens prepared by the stripped method and the impression method were similar to those on shed skins when examined by LM. We investigated the variations of scale morphology associated with ontogeny, body region, and position on scales, discussed the character evolution of snake scale morphology, and certified that the interscale follicles and the unpigmented spots could also be useful characters for shed skin identification. The methods and results of this study could be applied to identify squamate skins/sloughs and even fecal remnants.

A synoptic review of Caryophyllaeus Gmelin, 1790 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of cyprinid fishes.

Tapeworms of the genus Caryophyllaeus Gmelin, 1790 (Caryophyllidea: Caryophyllaeidae), common parasites of cyprinid fishes, are reviewed and taxonomic status of 42 nominal taxa that have been placed in the genus during its long history is clarified. The following seven species occurring in the Palaearctic Region are recognised as valid: C. laticeps (Pallas, 1781), C. auriculatus (Kulakovskaya, 1961), C. balticus (Szidat, 1941) comb. n. (syn. Khawia baltica Szidat, 1941), C. brachycollis Janiszewska, 1953, C. fimbriceps Annenkova-Chlopina, 1919, C. syrdarjensis Skrjabin, 1913, and newly described Caryophyllaeus chondrostomi sp. n. (= C. laticeps morphotype 4 of Bazsalovicsová et al., 2014) from common nase, Chondrostoma nasus (Linnaeus), found in Austria and Slovakia. The new species differs by the paramuscular or cortical position of preovarian vitelline follicles, a large, robust body (up to 64 mm long), conspicuously long vas deferens, flabellate scolex with small wrinkles on the anterior margin, and anteriormost testes located in a relatively short distance from the anterior extremity. Caryophyllaeus kashmirenses Mehra, 1930 and Caryophyllaeus prussicus (Szidat, 1937) comb. n. are considered to be species inquirendae, C. truncatus von Siebold in Baird, 1853 and C. tuba von Siebold in Baird, 1853 are nomina nuda. Data on the morphology, host spectra, distribution and known life-cycles of valid species are provided. Phylogenetic interrelations of four species of the genus including its type species and newly described C. chondrostomi were assessed based on an analysis of sequences of lsrDNA and cox1. A key to identification of all valid species of Caryophyllaeus is also provided.

A new species of Chrysobrycon (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from the Amazon River basin in Colombia, with a new diagnostic characteristic for the genus.

Chrysobrycon mojicai sp. nov. is described from forest streams that are part of the Amazon River basin in Colombia. It is distinguished from all congeners by having most of the maxillary teeth with distal tips lateroventrally curved (v. teeth straight along their lengths) and a greater number of dentary teeth (20-27 v. 11-19, except in Chrysobrycon yoliae). The posterior margin of the ventral process of the quadrate does not reach the vertical through the posterior margin of the symplectic and these features differentiate C. mojicai from Chrysobrycon myersi and C. yoliae (v. posterior margin of ventral process of quadrate reaching vertical through posterior margin of symplectic). In species of Chrysobrycon, the frontals are extensively contacting each other along the midline, resulting in an absent frontal fontanel and a reduced parietal fontanel. This extensive contact between the frontals modifying the fontanels is a condition rarely found within the Stevardiinae and hence is proposed as an additional diagnostic characteristic for the genus. An updated identification key for all Chrysobrycon species is provided.

Schindleria elongata, a new species of paedomorphic gobioid from the Red Sea (Teleostei: Schindleriidae).

A new species of paedomorphic gobioid, Schindleria elongata, from the Red Sea, is described on the basis of five specimens. The new species is characterized by its lack of body pigmentation; the body depth at pectoral-fin origin 4-5% of standard length (LS ) and at anal-fin origin 5-7% LS ; the predorsal length 66-70% LS ; pre-anal length 66-71% LS ; dorsal-fin rays 13 or 14; anal-fin rays 10 or 11; first dorsal-fin ray at myomere 20 or 21; first anal-fin ray below second to fourth dorsal-fin rays; myomeres 19 or 20 + 13 or 14 = 33 or 34 total; premaxillae and dentaries with small teeth; gas bladder located posteriorly at 56-60% LS ; males with a rod-like, flexible urogenital papilla lacking lobes, projections or accessory papillae, with distal half tapering to a broad, angular point and usually posteriorly directed. A key to the species of Schindleriidae is presented.

Species richness in the African pike genus Hepsetus: a perfect match between genetics and morphology.

In this study, morphological differences were found that corroborate earlier results that showed the existence of six species within the previously monospecific African pike genus Hepsetus. Additional genetic data (coI, mtDNA and rag1, nDNA) confirm the morphology-based species delineations. Deep genetic divergences imply a relatively old age for diversification within the genus. An identification key for the six species is provided in the present study.

Egg cases of the graytail skate Bathyraja griseocauda and the cuphead skate Bathyraja scaphiops from the south-west Atlantic Ocean.

Egg cases of Bathyraja griseocauda were larger (140-142 mm in length) than those of Bathyraja scaphiops (88-90 mm in length) and their surface was relatively smooth, without denticles, prickles or any ornamentation. Egg cases of B. scaphiops had a relative coarse surface, covered with prickles of similar size. An identification key for the all described egg cases from Bathyraja occurring in the south-west Atlantic Ocean is provided.

The genus Elaphomyces (Ascomycota, Eurotiales): a ribosomal DNA-based phylogeny and revised systematics of European 'deer truffles'.

Elaphomyces ('deer truffles') is one of the most important ectomycorrhizal fungal genera in temperate and subarctic forest ecosystems, but also one of the least documented in public databases. The current systematics are mainly based on macromorphology, and is not significantly different from that proposed by Vittadini (1831). Within the 49 species recognised worldwide, 23 were originally described from Europe and 17 of these were described before the 20th century. Moreover, very recent phylogenetic treatments of the genus are mainly based on a few extra-European species and most common European species are still poorly documented. Based on an extensive taxonomic sampling mainly made in the biogeographically rich Cantabrian area (Spain), complemented with collections from France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, all currently recognized species in Europe have been sequenced at the ITS and 28S of the rDNA. Combined phylogenetic analyses yielded molecular support to sections Elaphomyces and Ceratogaster (here emended), while a third, basal lineage encompasses the sections Malacodermei and Ascoscleroderma as well as the tropical genus Pseudotulostoma. Species limits are discussed and some taxa formerly proposed as genuine species based on morphology and biogeography are re-evaluated as varieties or forms. Spore size and ornamentation, features of the peridial surface, structure of the peridium, and the presence of mycelium patches attached to the peridial surface emerge as the most significant systematic characters. Four new species: E. barrioi, E. quercicola, E. roseolus and E. violaceoniger, one new variety: E. papillatus var. sulphureopallidus, and two new forms: E. granulatus forma pallidosporus and E. anthracinus forma talosporus are introduced, as well as four new combinations in the genus: E. muricatus var. reticulatus, E. muricatus var. variegatus, E. papillatus var. striatosporus and E. morettii var. cantabricus. Lectotypes and epitypes are designated for most recognised species. For systematic purposes, new infrageneric taxa are introduced: E. sect. Ascoscleroderma stat. nov., E. subsect. Sclerodermei stat. nov., E. subsect. Maculati subsect. nov., E. subsect. Muricati subsect. nov., and E. subsect. Papillati subsect. nov. Lastly, E.laevigatus, E. sapidus, E. sulphureopallidus and E. trappei are excluded from the genus and referred to Rhizopogon roseolus, Astraeus sapidus comb. nov., Astraeus hygrometricus and Terfezia trappei comb. nov. (syn.: Terfezia cistophila), respectively.

sandflyDST: a dynamic web-based decision support tool for the morphological identification of sandflies present in Anatolia and mainland Europe, and user study.

Species identification of sandflies is mainly performed according to morphological characters using classical written identification keys. This study introduces a new web-based decision support tool (sandflyDST) for guiding the morphological identification of sandfly species present in Anatolia and mainland Europe and classified in the Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia genera (both: Diptera: Psychodidae). The current version of the tool consists of 111 questions and 36 drawings obtained from classical written keys, and 107 photographs for the quick and easy identification of 26 species of the genus Phlebotomus and four species of the genus Sergentomyia. The tool guides users through a decision tree using yes/no questions about the morphological characters of the specimen. The tool was applied by 30 individuals, who then completed study questionnaires. The results of subsequent analyses indicated that the usability (x‾SUSScore=75.4) and users' level of appreciation (86.6%) of the tool were quite high; almost all of the participants considered recommending the tool to others. The tool may also be useful in training new entomologists and maintaining their level of expertise. This is a dynamic tool and can be improved or upgraded according to feedback. The tool is now available online at http://parasitology.ege.edu.tr/sandflyDST/index.php.

Morphological leaf variability in natural populations of Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica along climatic gradient: new features to update Pistacia atlantica subsp. atlantica key.

The effect of bioclimate range on the variation in Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica leaf morphology was studied on 16 sites in Northwest Algeria. The study examined biometrically mature leaves totaling 3520 compound leaves. Fifteen characters (10 quantitative and 5 qualitative) were assessed on each leaf. For each quantitative character, the nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine relative magnitude of variation at each level of the nested hierarchy. The correlation between the climatic parameters and the leaf morphology was examined. The statistical analysis applied on the quantitative leaf characters showed highly significant variation at the within-site level and between-site variation. The correlation coefficient (r) showed also an important correlation between climatic parameters and leaf morphology. The results of this study exhibited several values reported for the first time on the species, such as the length and the width of the leaf (reaching up to 24.5 cm/21.9 cm), the number of leaflets (up to 18 leaflets/leaf), and the petiole length of the terminal leaflet (reaching up to 3.4 cm). The original findings of this study are used to update the P. atlantica subsp. atlantica identification key.

A synoptic review of Promonobothrium Mackiewicz, 1968 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of suckers (Catostomidae) in North America, with description of two new species.

Monozoic cestodes of the recently amended genus Promonobothrium Mackiewicz, 1968 (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of suckers (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in North America, are reviewed, with information on their host specificity, distribution and data on the scolex morphology of seven species studied for the first time using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Evaluation of type and voucher specimens from museum collections and newly collected material of most species indicated the following valid nominal species: Promonobothrium minytremi Mackiewicz, 1968 (type species); P. ingens (Hunter, 1927); P. hunteri (Mackiewicz, 1963); P. ulmeri (Calentine et Mackiewicz, 1966); P. fossae (Williams, 1974) and P. mackiewiczi (Williams, 1974). Rogersus Williams, 1980 with its only species R. rogersi is transferred to Promonobothrium based on morphological and molecular data. Promonobothrium currani sp. n. and P. papiliovarium sp. n. are described from Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque) and Ictiobus niger (Rafinesque), and Erimyzon oblongus (Mitchill), respectively. The newly described species can be distinguished from the other congeners by the morphology of the scolex, the position of the anteriormost vitelline follicles and testes, the presence of postovarian vitelline follicles and the shape of the ovary. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of six species based on sequences of the small and large subunits of the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (ssrDNA, lsrDNA) confirmed the monophyletic status of the genus and supported the validity of the species analysed. A key to identification of all species of Promonobothrium based on morphological characteristics is provided.

Revision of Palearctic species of the genus Dimorphaphorura (Collembola: Onychiuridae: Onychiurinae: Oligaphorurini) with description of new species.

In this paper, the Palearctic genus Dimorphaphorura Bagnall, 1949 (Collembola: Onychiuridae), is revised. The diagnosis of the genus is defined within the tribe Oligaphorurini based on the development of the furcal area, shape of furcal rudiment, and furcal chaetotaxy. Six new species are described: D. olenae sp n. from Ukraine, D. inya sp n., D. pseudoinya sp n., D. sibirica sp n., D. caucasica sp n., and D. sophyae sp n. from Russia. The type species of the genus, D. differens Bagnall, 1949 is redescribed, and the lectotype and paralectotypes are designated. All previously known species are redescribed or with additional characters complemented: D. alnus (Fjellberg, 1987) comb n., D. chatyrdagi (Kaprus', Weiner & Pomorski, 2002) comb n., D. daii (Pomorski, Skarzynski & Kaprus', 1998) comb n., Dimorphaphorura eremia (Kaprus',Weiner & Pomorski, 2002) comb n., D. hackeri (Christian, 1986) comb n., D. irinae (Thibaud & Taraschuk, 1997) comb n., D. melittae (Christian, 1993) comb n., D. pseudoraxensis (Nosek & Christian, 1983) comb n., D. raxensis (Gisin, 1961) comb n., D. steposa (Kaprus', Weiner & Pomorski, 2002). An identification key to all Dimorphaphorura species is provided.