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Melanocryptus Cameron (Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae).
No full text55 pages : color illustrations, maps (1 color) ; 26 cm.The Neotropical genus Melanocryptus Cameron is revised, with a new defense for the genus based on an entirely new redescription. The genus is characterized mainly by the following characters: apical half of female flagellum with a ventral stripe formed by dense, short pilosity; clypeus with a central pointy tooth; areolet large, pentagonal, about as long as wide, sides converging anteriorly; and ovipositor blade shaped, about 2.0-3.0x higher than wide. Eleven valid species are recognized: M. cyaneus (Schmiedeknecht), M. niger (Szépligeti), M. violaceipennis Cameron, M. whartoni Kasparyan et Ruíz, and seven new taxa, M. aurantius, sp. nov., M. delos Aguiar, sp. nov., M. dnopheros, sp. nov., M. hadroglyptus Aguiar, sp. nov., M. rufigladius, sp. nov., M. tesselatus Aguiar, sp. nov., and M. tupan, sp. nov. The complex morphological variation of male specimens, particularly for M. hadroglyptus, was cladistically investigated in order to objectively delimit and demonstrate the range of morphological variation of the involved species. The first host record is reported for the genus, an unidentified pyralid moth (Lepidoptera), attacked by M. whartoni. The males of M. cyaneus and M. niger are reported for the first time. Photographic illustrations and distribution maps are provided for all valid species, with several new distribution records for previously known taxa. Keys for the species are presented separately for females and males
Cheliceral morphology in Solifugae (Arachnida) : primary homology, terminology, and character survey. (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 394)
Get PDF355 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.Arachnids of the order Solifugae (solifuges, false spiders, sun spiders, camel spiders, Walzenspinne, wind spiders) possess the largest jaws for body size among the Chelicerata. The chelicerae provide the most important character systems for solifuge systematics, including dentition and the male cheliceral flagellum, both used extensively for species delimitation and diagnosis. However, the terminology used for cheliceral characters is not standardized and often contradictory, in part because it fails to represent homologous structures among taxa. Misinterpretation of character homology may introduce errors in phylogenetic analyses concerning relationships within Solifugae and among the orders of Chelicerata. This contribution presents the first comprehensive analysis of cheliceral morphology across the order Solifugae, the aims of which were to provide a broad survey of cheliceral characters for solifuge systematics, to identify and reinterpret structures based on primary homology, to revise the terminology to be consistent with homology hypotheses, and to provide a guide to terminological synonyms and character interpretations in the literature. Chelicerae were studied in 188 exemplar species (17% of the total), representing all 12 solifuge families, 17 of the 19 subfamilies, 64 genera (46% of the total), and the full range of variation in cheliceral morphology across the order. In total, 157 species representing 49 genera and 17 subfamilies are illustrated. Hypotheses of character transformation, particularly concerning the male flagellum, and a standardized terminology, are presented. The functional morphology of the chelicerae is discussed and the role of sexually dimorphic modifications to the male chelicerae in mating behavior emphasized. The revised terminology, based on hypotheses of primary homology, will facilitate solifuge revisionary systematics and provide a stronger basis for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships within the order Solifugae and testing the phylogenetic position of the order within Chelicerata
Chelostoma (Prochelostoma) philadelphi.
No full text7 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm.The egg of Chelostoma (Prochelostoma) philadelphi (Robertson) and its last larval instar, which had been preserved while defecating, are described and illustrated. The egg was collected from nests constructed in frass-filled burrows of the beetle Xylobiops basilaris (Say) in a dead branch of Ficus carica L. Nests consisting of a short linear arrangement of cells are described as is the provisioning behavior of the bee. Although distinguishable, the last stage larva is similar to that of another species belonging to a different subgenus of Chelostoma. The two larvae will be compared in a subsequent publication
High resolution images for 'Postcranial osteology of Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis (?Middle to Upper Triassic, Isalo Group, Madagascar) and its systematic position among stem archosaur reptiles. (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 398)'
No full textHigh resolution images for 'Postcranial osteology of Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis (?Middle to Upper Triassic, Isalo Group, Madagascar) and its systematic position among stem archosaur reptiles. (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 398)' - http://hdl.handle.net/2246/662
Climate change and Caribbean bats.
No full text32 pages : color illustrations, maps (some color) ; 26 cm.The bat family Mormoopidae includes three species with distributions in the Caribbean. These taxa--Mormoops blainvillei, Pteronotus parnellii, and P. quadridens--roost predominantly in hot cave chambers where temperatures may reach 40° C and humidity is close to 100%. We tested the hypothesis that mormoopid bat extirpations in this region were due to climatic changes and the loss of suitable cave environments due to flooding caused by sea level rise associated with the late Pleistocene to Holocene (ca. 10 ka) climate change transition. Ecological niche models (ENMs) were developed to estimate the current, mid-Holocene, and Last Glacial Maximum distributions of these three bat species and to assess whether suitable climatic habitat for these taxa had been stable across time in the Caribbean. Additionally, we examined the importance of karst formations (where hot caves typically form) as a predictor for the distributions of Caribbean mormoopid bats. Our results show that mormoopid bat distributions in the Caribbean have remained relatively stable over time with climate ENMs indicating up to a 19% expansion in the amount of suitable habitat from late Pleistocene to the present. Presence of karst was a good predictor when used alone or when combined as karst-climate ENMs. Fossil evidence shows that some populations of mormoopids became extirpated as recently as 3.6 ka. These data, taken together with our conclusion that suitable climate habitat for mormoopid bats existed in the Caribbean beyond late Pleistocene to Holocene transition, suggest that these bats may have survived this climate change event by roosting outside their characteristic hot cave environment
Revision of Aphelonotus Uhler (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pachynomidae), with description of six new species and documentation of nymphal morphology for three species. (American Museum novitates, no. 3829)
Get PDF43 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 26 cm.Aphelonotus Uhler is revised with the recognition of 14 species, six of them described as new: A, alvarengai, A. elongatus, A. minutus, A. paramedius, A. taino, and A. xenos. Aphelonotus brevirostris Carayon and Villiers is treated as a junior synonym of A. fraterculus Harris. Color habitus images and illustrations of the male parameres are provided for all species; morphology for the adult female of A. major is documented through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Measurements of male and female specimens are presented and analyzed, documenting a strong correlation between total length and the length of the proximal portion of the antennal pedicel and the consequent utility of either of these measurements in species discrimination. Nymphs are described for the first time for the genus, for the species A. fraterculus, A. major, and A. xenos; their morphology is documented by SEM and color images. Distributional maps show a pattern of occurrence restricted primarily to the New World tropics, including Cuba, with a single species known from the Congo Basin and East Africa. All specimens were provided with unique specimen identifiers and their associated data are now available on the Internet
Khamisia.
No full text66 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm. Part of the oonopid PBI project. (Acknowledgments)The goblin spider genus Khamisia Saaristo and van Harten was based on a single female from Yemen characterized by large lateral extensions of the sternum that widely separate coxae II and III. Three new species, including the first known males of the genus, are described: K. hayer from the United Arab Emirates, K. atlit from Israel, and K. holmi from Kenya. All these species are united by having only two trichobothria on the palpal tibia; K. hayer has apparently been introduced into Cape Verde. Other specimens with a similarly modified sternum have been found in Africa, Madagascar, and the Virgin Islands, but differ in having the normal set of three trichobothria on the palpal tibia. The new genus Khamisina is established for three new species that also differ in having an abdominal color pattern, a punctate sternum, and uniquely shaped cheliceral setae: K. kivu from DR Congo, K. kilifi from Kenya, and K. ibadan from Nigeria. A second new genus, Khamiscar, is established for six new species from Madagascar in which the sternum is widened posteriorly and bears marginal radiating ridges, and the tarsal organs have only a single raised receptor: K. anta, K. maro, K. tola, K. kiri, K. baly, and K. ambi. A third new genus, Khamisoides, is established for three bizarre new species from the Virgin Islands (K. muchmorei from St. Croix; K. edwardsi and K. calabash from St. John) that differ in having only two eyes, fused posterior median spinnerets, and female genitalia with a pair of lateral receptacula and anteriorly directed apodemes
Diversification of malaria and pinworm parasites in Caribbean Anolis lizards.
No full textix, 151 leavesAmerican Museum of Natural History. Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History
Fluorescent sea turtles.
Get PDF7 pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm.In recent years, biofluorescence has been observed in an increasing diversity of animals. Biofluorescence has been primarily examined in cnidarians, and it is also known to occur in other marine animal phyla, including Ctenophora, Annelida, Arthropoda, and Chordata. Most recently, the phenomenon has been shown to be phylogenetically widespread and phenotypically variable in cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes. Here we report on the first observation of fluorescence in a marine tetrapod, sea turtles