in order to identify the species of the family lauxaniidae, a study was conducted in horand region located in northern part of east azerbaijan province, iran, during 2011-2013. a total of six species belonging to three genera were identified, including calliopum caucasicum (shatalkin, 1995) and minettia lupulina (fabricius, 1787) newly reported from iran. the diagnostic characters, geographical...

the parasitoid wasps of the genera leiophron nees and euphorus nees were studied in northern iran (guilan, mazandaran and alborz provinces). the specimens were collected using malaise traps from different habitats during 2010-2011. four species of both genera were collected and identified, of which three species, euphorus pallidistigma (curtis), e. similis (curtis) and leiophron fascipennis (ru...

The discovery of an unusual specimen of Psorophora in Mississippi led to a search for new diagnostic characters on the seven United States species of Psorophora (Janthinosoma): Psorophora cyanescens, Ps. ferox, Ps. horrida, Ps. johnstonii, Ps. longipalpus, Ps. mathesoni, and Ps. mexicana. New characters were found and diagnostic descriptions and a new key are provided for identifying female spe...

Euphorbia otjipembana was hitherto only known from the type locality within the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, northwestern Namibia. Subsequently several additional populations were discovered, allowing for an amplified description of the species and the recognition of two subspecies. Euphorbia otjipembana subsp. okakoraensis, here described as a new subspecies, is only known from a small area w...

The present redescription of Diplodonta portesiana (d'Orbigny, 1846) is the first part of the revision of this genus in the East Atlantic. This species, despite being common in the Atlantic coast, remains poorly known. A detailed shell and anatomical study was conducted based not only on specimens from the type locality's vicinities but also on samples from other regions. Diagnostic characters ...

Desmostylia is a clade of marine mammals belonging to either Tethytheria or Perissodactyla. Rich fossil records of Desmostylia were found in the Oligocene to Miocene strata of the Northern Pacific Rim, especially in the northwestern region, which includes the Japanese archipelago. Fossils in many shapes and forms, including whole or partial skeletons, skulls, teeth, and fragmentary bones have b...

A new species of echinoderid kinorhynch, Echinoderes sensibilis, is described and illustrated using light and electron microscopy. The specimens were collected from masses of the red algae Corallina pilulifera growing in intertidal pools in Tanabe Bay, Honshu Island, Japan. Diagnostic characters of E. sensibilis include the presence of middorsal spines on segments 6-10; lateral spines/tubules o...

Bogidiellidae is the most diverse and cosmopolitan family of stygobiotic amphipods, and inhabits a variety of subterranean biotopes, especially interstitial habitats. While the family is characterized by considerable sexual dimorphism, this dimorphism has adversely affected our understanding of the systematics of the group. Most species have restricted geographic ranges and occur in difficult t...

The mature larvae of the rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Lathrobium lineatocolle Scriba and Tetartopeus quadratus (Paykull) are described for the first time, and the larva of Paederus littoralis Gravenhorst is redescribed. Detailed illustrations of their structural features are provided. The description of T. quadratus is the first for that genus. Diagnostic larval, morphological chara...

OrthologID (http://nypg.bio.nyu.edu/orthologid/) allows for the rapid and accurate identification of gene orthology within a character-based phylogenetic framework. The Web application has two functions - an orthologous group search and a query orthology classification. The former determines orthologous gene sets for complete genomes and identifies diagnostic characters that define each ortholo...