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Biodiversity Journal 2016, Monograph: 389-952

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 389-894 - MONOGRAPH

    Arnaldo Bordoni
    Revision of the Afrotropical Xantholinini (Coleoptera Staphylinidae)

    ABSTRACT
    A revision of the staphylinids Xantholinini (Coleoptera) of the Afrotropical Region is presented including a historical review, a discussion of diagnostic characters, morphology and techniques and some conclusive remarks mostly on the zoogeography of this group in Africa south Sahara. Twenty-nine genera and 425 species are recognized, 14 genera and 273 species are described as new. Linosomus Kraatz, 1857 sensu nov. and Notolinopsis Casey, 1906 sensu nov. are redescribed. Pedinolinus Bernhauer, 1912 is placed in synonymy with Nudobius Thomson, 1860; Elgonia Bordoni, 2001 and Echdisia Bordoni, 2007 (n. g. for Elgonia, n. preoc.) with Notolinopsis Casey, 1906 sensu nov., and Notolinus Casey, 1907 with Linosomus Kraatz, 1857 sensu nov. On the specific level, Leptacinus cephalotes Coiffait, 1968 is placed in synonymy with Microafra minutissima (Cameron, 1959); Xantholinus microphthalmus Bernhauer, 1939 with Nudobius micropterus (Bernhauer, 1939); Nudobius magnus Cameron, 1956 with N. nigrocyaneus Chapman, 1939; N. pulcher Tottenham, 1956 with N. burgeoni Bernhauer, 1934; N. opacinus Tottenham, 1956 with N. abessinus Bernhauer, 1915; N. concinnus Tottenham, 1956, N. meruensis Cameron, 1951, N. cinctipennis Scheerpeltz, 1956 with N. quadriceps Cameron, 1929; Pedinolinus subviridipennis Bernhauer, 1912 with Nudobius pictipennis (Fauvel, 1904); Gauropterus methneri Bernhauer, 1908 with G. nasutus (Harold, 1879); G. adjacens Tottenham, 1939 with G. hauseri Bernhauer, 1937; Xantholinus abessinus Bernhauer, 1931, X. aeneipennis Bernhauer, 1934, X. tripunctatus Tottenham, 1951 with Gyrohypnus remotus (Eppelsheim, 1895); Mitomorphus dubitans Tottenham, 1956, M. evanescens Tottenham, 1956, M. angolensis Cameron, 1959, M. gabonicus Coiffait, 1968 with Belinga africana (Bernhauer, 1929); Pachycorynus conradsi Bernhauer, 1937 with Aleutia marginella (Fauvel, 1905); Xantholinus capensis Boheman, 1858 with Notolinopsis fallax Sachse, 1852; Notolinopsis diligens Casey, 1906 with N. capensis Casey, 1906; Xantholinus bicoloripennis Scheerpeltz, 1974 with Linosomus tenuicornis (Nordman, 1837); Notolinus parvus Casey, 1906, Notolinopsis incultus Casey, 1906, Leptacinus caffer Scheerpeltz, 1074, L. natalensis Scheerpeltz, 1974, L. brincki Scheerpeltz, 1974 with Linosomus socius (Fauvel, 1877); Leptacinus aethiopicus Bernhauer, 1931 with Balchis abessina (Bernhauer, 1931); Leptacinus macropterus Bernhauer, 1939 with Agaporina elgonensis Bernhauer, 1939; Leptacinus luofuensis Cameron, 1950 with Byziniella abacta (Tottenham, 1956); Leptacinus pholeobius Jeannel et Paulian, 1945 with Byziniella hypsibatha (Bernhauer, 1939); Leptacinus parvus Cameron, 1950 with Byziniella debilis (Cameron, 1950); Leptacinus irritans Tottenham, 1956, L. pallescens Tottenham, 1956 with Byziniella shoutedeni (Cameron, 1929); Xantholinus longipennis Cameron, 1950 with Byziniella wittei (Cameron, 1950); Leptacinus vicinus Coiffait, 1968 with Leptacinus oculatus (Coiffait, 1968). Lectotypes and sometimes paralectotypes are designed for Pachycorynus pallidipennis Fauvel, Leptacinus minutissimus Cameron, Leptolinus congoensis Bernhauer, Metoponcus superbus Bernhauer, Homorocerus rufipennis Boheman, Xantholinus abessinus Bernhauer, X. arambourgi Bernhauer, X. apterus Bernhauer, X. capensis Boheman, X. fallax Sachse, X. jeanneli Bernhauer, X. microps Fauvel, X. pictipennis Fauvel, Nudobius burgeoni Bernhauer, N. schlueteri Scheerpeltz, N. praecellens Bernhauer, N. abessinus Bernhauer, N. proximus Bernhauer, N. bipustulatus Bernhauer, Pedinolinus subviridipennis Bernhauer, Xantholinus nasutus Harold, Gauropterus evansi Bernhauer, G. pustulatus Bernhauer, Mitomorphus africanus Bernhauer, M. angolensis Bernhauer, Pachycorynus marginellus Fauvel, Leptacinus tenuis Cameron, L. mandibularis Cameron, L. abessinus Bernhauer, L. aethiops Bernhauer, L. micropterus Bernhauer, L. elgonensis Bernhauer, L. macropterus Bernhauer, L. basipennis Bernhauer, L. cooperi Bernhauer, L. hypsibathus Bernhauer, L. machadoi Cameron, L. schoutedeni Cameron, L. testaceipennis Bernhauer, L. gerardi Bernhauer, L. aethiops Cameron, L. anommatophilus Cameron, L. niger Cameron, L. congoensis Bernhauer, L. spectabilis Bernhauer. A key of the Xantholinini and a key of the species of all the genera of this Tribe of the Afrotropical Region are provided. Each species is described and originally illustred, all distributional and available bionomic data are presented and distributional records are mapped.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 897-900 - MONOGRAPH

    Muddula Krishna Naranji, Govinda Rao Velamala & Kandula Sujatha
    Pterois paucispinula Matsunuma et Motomura, 2015 (Actinopteri Scorpaenidae) a new distributional record from Indian waters

    ABSTRACT
    Pterois paucispinula Matsunuma et Motomura, 2015 - a turkey lionfish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae (Actinopteri) with a worldwide distribution - is reported from Indian waters for the first time, its earlier record being from western Pacific Ocean. This species, collected during April 2016, was found to be one of the rare scorpaenids from India. This species is distinguished by its meristic and morphometric characters such as dorsal spines and rays, black blotches on the pectoral fin membrane, head depth, post orbital distance, lateral line scale rows; percentage of preorbital distance difference.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 901-906 - MONOGRAPH

    Rudi Alek Wahyudin, Agus Alim Hakim, Mennofatria Boer, Achmad Farajallah & Yusli Wardiatno
    New records of Panulirus femoristriga Von Martens, 1872 (Crustacea Achelata Palinuridae) from Celebes and Seram Islands, Indonesia

    ABSTRACT
    The spiny lobster, Panulirus femoristriga Von Martens, 1872 (Crustacea Achelata Palinuridae), is reported for the first time from Celebes and Seram Islands, Indonesia. Three specimens were captured by hand by local fishermen on coral reefs in June 2016. Its morphological characters, habitat and distribution are reported.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 907-912 - MONOGRAPH

    Anna Maria Mannino, Stefano Donati & Paolo Balistreri
    The Project “Caulerpa cylindracea in the Egadi Islands”: citizens and scientists working together to monitor marine alien species

    ABSTRACT
    The creation of early-warning systems is crucial for preventing and reducing the risk of invasive species introduction. In this respect, the contribution of citizen-scientists (tourists, students, teachers, divers and fishermen) in providing information and data (validated by taxonomic experts) on the occurrence of marine invasive species that would otherwise be impossible to collect, is crucial in understanding the phenomenon of biological invasions. The Citizen Science Project “Caulerpa cylindracea - Egadi Islands”, launched in 2014 and ended in 2016, aimed at creating a database on the spread dynamics and the levels of threat of the invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea within the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area (MPA). The Project registered numerous followers and different groups of volunteers (students, tourists, divers, underwater photographers, amateurs and fishermen) were involved. In all 156 sightings (18 Divers, 9 Researchers, 91 Citizens, 38 Scientific Team) were collected. The alga was reported from all the three main Islands even though the majority of the records were from Favignana Island. Useful information on the behaviour strategies of the alga was also gathered.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 913-922 - MONOGRAPH

    Farah Bano & Mohammad Serajuddin
    Biodiversity, Threat Status and Conservation Priority of Icthyo-fauna of River Gomti at Lucknow Region, India

    ABSTRACT
    The present study was carried out to know the current status of vanishing icthyo-faunal biodiversity in river Gomti, a tributary of river Ganga at Lucknow region covering a stretch of about 940 km. The results of this study revealed the occurrence of 56 species belonging to 41 genera, 9 orders and 21 families. Among the collected species the maximum number of species recorded was under the Order Cypriniformes (33.91%) followed by Siluriformes (30.32%), Perciformes (17.85%), Ophiocephaliformes (5.37%), Mastacembeliformes (3.59%), Clupeiformes (3.59%), Mugiliformes (1.79%), Beloniformes (1.79%) and Tetraodontiformes (1.79%). According to IUCN most of the species (46) are under Least Count, while some others including Ompok bimaculatus, Ompok pabda, Wallago attu, Bagarius bagarius, and Ailia coila are in Near Threatened category. Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Oreochromis mossambicus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are not counted because exotic species and Anabas testudines falls into data-deficient category. Simpson diversity index, fish species richness and abundance assessed for the fishes of three different sampling sites of river Gomti, at Lucknow Region were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 923-934 - MONOGRAPH

    Iswarya Bhagyaraj & Vijaya Ramesh Kunchithapatham
    Diversity and distribution of seaweeds in the shores and water lagoons of Chennai and Rameshwaram coastal areas, South-Eastern coast of India

    ABSTRACT
    Seaweeds are floating and submerged plants of shallow marine meadows. Seaweeds belong to a group of plants known as algae. Seaweeds are classified as Rhodophyta (red algae), Phaeophyta (brown algae) or Chlorophyta (green algae) depending on their mode of nutrients, pigments and chemical composition. Many of the rocky beaches, mudflats, estuaries, coral reefs and lagoons along the Indian coast provide ideal habitats for the growth of seaweeds. The present study was conducted at shores and water lagoons of Chennai and in Rameshwaram, formed of different inter-tidal rock shores with algal vegetation. A total of 25 algal taxa were collected during the study period (Dec 2014–Feb 2016), including 10 Chlorophyta, 8 Phaeophyta and 7 Rhodophyta. Among them, Enteromorpha compressa L., Ulva lactuca L., Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh, Padina pavonica L. were the commonly occurring seaweeds in all the monsoon periods. Interestingly, Ectocarpus siluculosus (L.) Kjellman belonging to the family Phaeophyceae was found in the post monsoon period–Oct 2015 at Pulicat lake, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This study is the first report of macro algal diversity along Ennore, Thiruvottiyur and Royapuram coasts.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 935-944 - MONOGRAPH

    Yaser Fatemi, Gilan Attaran-Fariman & Paolo Stara
    Sculpsitechinus iraniensis n. sp. (Clypeasteroida Astriclypeidae), from Chabahar Bay, southeast coast of Iran

    ABSTRACT
    In the past, the practice of giving more weight to the outer shape of echinoderms than the structural characters, has led to misinterpretations in the systematics within the family Astriclypeidae Stefanini, 1912 (Clypeasteroida). We do not know, often, what the previous researchers were referring to when they refer to Echinodiscus, since many of these, in fact, belong to the genus Sculpsitechinus (at present including two species: S. auritus and S. tenuissimus). Every sand dollar that had two posterior ambulacral slots opens on the rear edge, was always classified as “E. auritus” now accepted as S. auritus. In fact, this general form, common across the Indian Ocean and spread to Indonesian Archipelago, until the Western Pacific, shows, locally, strong differences that justify a change in the specific allocation. A new form of living Sculpsitechinus was found from the sediments at low tide of Chabahar Bay, located along the Iranian coast of the Gulf of Oman. The analysis of morphometric and structural data, allowed us to establish this form as a new species: S. iraniensis n. sp. This new species differs from the type species of S. auritus mainly by the considerable size of the petalodium, that reaches the mean of 55% of test length, in comparison to the mean of 40% of the type test length. Moreover, the studied population shows considerable variability in the plating scheme of the adoral face, which will give rise to future insights.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 945-950 - MONOGRAPH

    Roberto Viviano & Arturo Viviano
    New data on Coleoptera species in Nature Reserve “Torre Salsa” (Sicily, Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    In this paper we report on the presence of some Coleoptera species, new or interesting for Nature Reserve “R.N.O. Torre Salsa” located in the territory of Siculiana (Agrigento province, Sicily, Italy) including: Eurynebria complanata (Linnaeus, 1767) (Carabidae), Bolbelasmus vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Geotrupidae), Zonitis (Zonitis) bellieri Reiche, 1860 (Meloidae), Probaticus (Helopotrichus) tomentosus Reitter, 1906 (Tenebrionidae), Parmena subpubescens Hellrigl, 1971 (Cerambycidae), and Chrysolina (Centoptera) bicolor (Fabricius, 1775) (Chrysomelidae). Additional biological, faunistic and taxonomic notes are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (4): 951-952 - MONOGRAPH
    NEW TAXA PUBLISHED IN THE BIODIVERSITY JOURNAL 6, 2015