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New family of bats from the Eocene of Egypt.
No full text43 pages : illustrations (some color), color map ; 26 cm.A new fossil from the late Eocene BQ-2 locality in the Birket Qarun Formation in the Fayum Depression of northern Egypt (dated to ~37 mybp) does not fit within the diagnosis of any previously described family of bats from Africa or any other continent. Known from a partial maxilla, this taxon has dilambdodont tribosphenic molars with a well-developed, symmetrical, W-shaped ectoloph lacking a distinct mesostyle but with a strong parastyle and shallow U-shaped ectoflexus--all traits that are found in most archaic bat families and that are probably plesiomorphic for bats. However, this taxon also has an M2 with a large metaconule cusp and a large, bulbous hypocone set low on the posterolingual corner of the tooth, neither of which occur in any known bat family, living or extinct. Also notable is the size of the new BQ-2 bat, which appears to have been approximately the same size as the largest extant bats with dilambdodont dentitions, falling well within the size range of plant-eating megabats and carnivorous bats from several extant lineages. The combination of traits in the new BQ-2 bat suggests that it was omnivorous, probably including insects, small vertebrates, and plant material [in] its diet. In this regard it represents an ecological niche previously unknown among archaic Eocene bats, which are otherwise thought to have been strictly animalivorous. Because extinct Eocene bat families exhibit considerable mosaic evolution in morphological traits, do not seem to have inhabited a uniform ecological niche, and do not form a monophyletic group, we argue against use of the name "Eochiroptera" to collectively refer to these taxa
Supplemental Material for American Museum novitates, no. 3856 : Portion of unpublished, undated ms. by Gerald I. Stage (numbered pp. 14–96 and pp. 406–410), on the biology of the bee genus Hesperapis
No full textIntroductory note by Jerome G. Rozen, Jr., author of NOVITATES 3856 (http://hdl.handle.net/2246/6646):
“More than quarter century ago, Gerry I. Stage sent me a part of a preliminary manuscript
treating 11 species of the bee genus Hesperapis that he had drafted and intended to publish under
his name and that of Roy Snelling as part of a major work entitled “A revision of Nearctic
Melittidae: the subfamily Dasypodinae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).” The part sent, pages 14–96,
pertains to various aspect of the nests, nesting biology, and immature stages of these species
about which little had been known. In addition, he included pages 406–410, which are tables
providing additional data about the biology of the species. This work was never published, and
both Stage and Snelling have died. Because most the information is rich, detailed, and valuable
but still unknown, it is offered below.
“WARNING: Users of this information should be aware that the following species
names are invalid: “hermosa,” “kayella,” and “peninsularis.” Descriptions of the taxa were
never published.
Millipede assassin bug fauna.
No full text152 pages : color illustrations, maps ; 26 cm.Madagascar is one of the world's most recognized biodiversity hotspots and has a diverse assassin bug (Reduviidae) fauna that is still incompletely known, especially for the Ectrichodiinae, or millipede assassin bugs. Ectrichodiinae are a speciose (673 described species, 118 genera), worldwide group of assassin bugs that is most diverse in the Old and New World tropics, but so far only six genera and 10 species have been described from Madagascar. Based on examination of 1981 ectrichodiine specimens mostly from the California Academy of Sciences, as well as a few other collections, dramatic undescribed species-level diversity is revealed. The island's Ectrichodiinae fauna is taxonomically revised with the description of three new genera (Marojejycoris, Tanindrazanus, and Toliarus) and 63 new species: Gibbosella andasibe, Gibbosella betampona, Gibbosella brunalvus, Gibbosella conisimilis, Gibbosella fulva, Gibbosella mantella, Gibbosella megafrons, Gibbosella nitida, Gibbosella notoconica, Gibbosella pallidacorium, Gibbosella pallidalata, Gibbosella planiscutum, Gibbosella quadocris, Gibbosella vangocris, Glymmatophora (Glymmatophora) carolae, Marojejycoris auranticorium, Marojejycoris brevifrons, Marojejycoris francais, Marojejycoris notadichroa, Marojejycoris ranomafana, Tanindrazanus amboasaricus, Tanindrazanus andohahela, Tanindrazanus anjozorobeus, Tanindrazanus antananarivo, Tanindrazanus bemaraha, Tanindrazanus brunneus, Tanindrazanus hannajagodae, Tanindrazanus harinhali, Tanindrazanus irwini, Tanindrazanus joffrevillus, Tanindrazanus kathrynae, Tanindrazanus mahafaly, Tanindrazanus marginatus, Tanindrazanus marojejy, Tanindrazanus nigripes, Tanindrazanus notatus, Tanindrazanus simulans, Tanindrazanus tenebricus, Tanindrazanus varicolor, Tanindrazanus vohiparara, Toliarus karinae, Toliarus trichrous, Toxopus ambohitantely, Toxopus ampitavananima, Toxopus antsiranana, Toxopus basalis, Toxopus brucei, Toxopus farafangana, Toxopus fisheri, Toxopus griswoldi, Toxopus insignis, Toxopus italaviana, Toxopus melobrunneus, Toxopus miandritsara, Toxopus namoroka, Toxopus pallidus, Toxopus parkeri, Toxopus simulans, Toxopus steineri, Toxopus tibialis, Toxopus toamasina, Toxopus toliara, and Toxopus vazimba. Toxopus Bergroth, 1905, is redescribed, with the first description of males in the genus, and Cleptria signoretii Reuter, 1887, is transferred to Toxopus. Gibbosella Chłond, 2010, is also redescribed and includes description of males for the first time. Gibbosella elongata Chłond, 2010, Glymmatophora crassipes Horváth, 1914, and Maraenaspis bidens (Reuter), 1887, are redescribed, with the first description of males for each species. Habitus images, documentation of male and female genitalic features, identification keys, and distribution maps are provided. Males and females are associated based on morphology, geographic information, and, when available, molecular data. The newly discovered species diversity constitutes a sixfold increase over the previously documented millipede assassin bug fauna in Madagascar
Two new species of Pulvillophylus from Western Australia (Insecta, Hemiptera, Miridae, Phylinae, Cremnorrhinini). (American Museum novitates, no. 3860)
No full text12 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 26 cm.Two new species of phyline Miridae were collected from unique localities in Kadji Kadji and Lochada Reserves of Western Australia during the Avon Wheatbelt Bush Blitz survey of September 2009. Based on head shape and male genitalic structure, P. cuneomaculatus, n. sp., and P. ecdeiocoleae, n. sp., are members of Pulvillophylus Schuh and Schwartz, 2016. The latter species was taken on the flower spikes of Ecdeiocolea monostachya F. Muell. (Ecdeiocoleaceae) and provides the first confirmed host-plant record for the genus Pulvillophylus. Documentation for both species is provided by diagnoses, descriptions, color habitus images of males, a distributional map, illustrations of male genitalic structures, and images of the endosoma. Digital images of the dorsal habitus and female genitalic structures of P. ecdeiocoleae are provided as well as digital images and a distribution map for the plant host
Felisacus Distant.
No full text168 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 26 cm.The fern-feeding genus Felisacus (Miridae: Bryocoronae) was revised. The genus contains 55 species, 29 are new to science, they are: Felisacus albus, F. australicus, F. bau, F. bismarckiensis, F. bradi, F. caledonicus, F. ceylonicus, F. cristobalus, F. fedori, F. indicus, F. lamkinae, F. linae, F. lindbergae, F. liui, F. lordhowensis, F. luzonus, F. malayensis, F. meilingae, F. myersi, F. ovalau, F. schuhi, F. senaru, F. solomonicus, F. tanna, F. vitilevu, F. wangae, F. webbi, F. yasunagai, F. zuparkoi. Felisacus capitatus is synonymized with F. magnificus; F. okinawanus is synonimized with F. longiceps F. carpenterae is synonymized with F. javanus. Felisacus jacobsoni, previously synonymized with F. javanus, is treated as a separated species. The status of F. signis, described as a subspecies of F. carpenterae, is raised to a separate species. Genus Felisacoris is synonymized with Felisacus. The diagnosis and key are provided for all species and descriptions are provided for the species, where the specimens were available. The drawings of male genitalia are provided where available, and drawings of female genitalia are given for some species. Phylogenetic analysis with inclusion of most of the species has been performed and discussed
Supplemental Material for 'Revision and phylogeny of the fern-inhabiting genus Felisacus Distant (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Bryocorinae). (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 403)'
No full textSupplemental Material for 'Revision and phylogeny of the fern-inhabiting genus Felisacus Distant (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Bryocorinae). (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 403)' - http://hdl.handle.net/2246/665
Revision of Maaykuyak, Syntropis, and Vizcaino.
No full text67 pages, 1 unnumbered page : illustrations (some color), maps ; 26 cm.Four distinct genera, forming two monophyletic groups, are basal in the phylogeny of the North American vaejovid scorpion subfamily Syntropinae Kraepelin, 1905: Konetontli González-Santillán and Prendini, 2013; Maaykuyak González-Santillán and Prendini, 2013; Syntropis Kraepelin, 1900; and Vizcaino González-Santillán and Prendini, 2013. All except the species of Konetontli, treated elsewhere, are revised in the present contribution. The two species of Maaykuyak, three species of Syntropis, and monotypic Vizcaino are redescribed; the adults of Syntropis williamsi Soleglad et al., 2007, described for the first time; keys to identification of the species of Maaykuyak and Syntropis presented; and new locality records and updated distribution maps provided for all species covered
Basicranial anatomy of extant Artiodactyla.
No full text55 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm.Comparative data from the ear region has played an important role in recent combined-data phylogenetic analyses of the relationships of living and extinct Artiodactyla and the position of that clade among Euungulata. These studies have also been important for establishing the phylogenetic position of Cetacea and for understanding the relationships of a diversity of euungulate species to their fossil relatives. Detailed and standardized descriptive reference works of the basicranium for a range of living artiodactylans are not, however, readily available. Here I describe exemplar species from the four major extant terrestrial and semiaquatic artiodactylan clades (Hippopotamidae, Ruminantia, Suina, and Camelidae) and illustrate the anatomy of the ear region with the auditory bulla both in place and removed. Terrestrial artiodactyls exhibit varying degrees of expansion of the bony external acoustic meatus laterally relative to the mediolateral dimensions of the rounded, medial aspect of the auditory bulla, a characteristic that is least developed in Tragulidae. A relatively elongate external acoustic meatus has previously been described as entirely absent in living and fossil cetaceans and in some fossil species such as Diacodexis pakistanensis. Variation also exists in the proximity of the petrosal-bullar complex to midline basicranial bones. Isolation of these bones from other basicranial structures has been previously interpreted as functionally important for underwater hearing in Cetacea. Many artiodactylans have contact between the auditory bulla and the basioccipital but no contact between the deeper pars cochlearis of the petrosal bone and the basioccipital/basisphenoid. Exceptions are species of Hippopotamidae in which both the bulla and the petrosal are separated from midline bones. The functional interpretation of this separation has previously been linked to aquatic hearing, but this association may be more complex than originally thought. Other features observed in the basicrania of terrestrial artiodactylans described here are a general coalescence of basicranial foramina (i.e., the basicapsular fissure, carotid foramen, piriform fenestra, and sometimes the foramen ovale), the development of large and ornate styliform processes in species of Ruminantia, and widespread contact between the auditory bulla and the paracondylar process of the exoccipital