Three new tachinid flies: Ametadoria spp.

Ametadoria karolramosae

These may look like houseflies but they very much are not.  They are integral parts of the very wild tri-trophic webs that keep this place together.

Tachinid fly larvae are parasitoids and their hosts are almost exclusively insects although for many tachinid species the hosts are unknown. They may glue their eggs to their host or lay their eggs on foliage where the host larvae will eat them. Some have ovipositors with which they inject their eggs directly into the unsuspecting host’s body. The true diversity of the family Tachinidae is likely many thousands of species higher than the 10,000 currently described, making this family perhaps the most speciose family of Diptera and without question the most successful with a parasitic way of life.

The vast majority of hosts of tachinid flies are plant-feeding insects. As a result, tachinid parasitism has two major effects at the community level: a reduction of host populations, and as a consequence a reduction in feeding damage to plants which makes these flies a prime example of the many beneficial, but mostly unseen, creatures. 

All three new species (Ametadoria karolramosae, Ametadoria leticiamartinezae, and Ametadoria mauriciogurdiani) are named after members of the accounting team for the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, to honor their invaluable work.

For the experts: We describe three new species in the genus Ametadoria Townsend from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica. All three were reared from wild-caught Zygaenidae and Lacturidae caterpillars. We provide a concise description of each species using morphology, life history and molecular data, with photographic documentation. The new species are authored and described by Fleming and Wood: Ametadoria karolramosae sp. nov., Ametadoria leticiamartinezae sp. nov., and Ametadoria mauriciogurdiani sp. nov. The following are proposed by Wood as new synonyms of Ametadoria Townsend: Adidyma Townsend syn. nov., and Abolodoria Townsend syn. nov. The following new combinations occur as a result of these new synonymies: Ametadoria abdominalis (Townsend) comb. nov., Ametadoria austrina (Coquillett) comb. nov., Ametadoria humilis (Wulp) comb. nov., Ametadoria misella (Wulp) comb. nov. Ametadoria adversa (Townsend) is proposed as a junior synonym of ​Ametadoria unispinosa Townsend, syn. nov​.

A new landsnail: Plekocheilus cecepeus

Credit: Dr. Abraham S. H. Breure; CC-BY 4.0

Having been collected back in the 19th century during an expedition in South America, a rather small snail species has been sitting around on the shelves of Madrid's National Museum of Natural Sciences ever since. Covered in more than a century-old dust, it was described as new only recently when an obscure specimen placed in the long tail of a historical collection drew the attention of two researchers.

Other than its moderately small size, Plekocheilus cecepeus has been characterised with an irregular shape and narrow reddish-brown streaks running vertically across the shell. The surface is rather glossy and coloured in light chestnut-brown.

The specific name refers to the abbreviation for the ‘Comisión Científica del Pacífico’ (CCP) to honor the members of the expedition from 1862–1865, during which this new species was found. 

For the experts: Among the historical collection gathered by the ‘Comisión Científica del Pacífico’ during 1862–1865, type material was found of one of the species described on the basis of the material collected shortly afterwards. Inspection of the types revealed that only one specimen may be considered as type material of Bulimus aristaceus Crosse, 1869; this specimen is now designated as the lectotype. The other specimens are described as a new species, Plekocheilus (P.) cecepeus.

A new frogfish: Porophryne erythrodactylus

 (photo by D. Harasti)

Frogfish are small, stocky creatures found in most tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. They belong to the group of anglerfishes and are often covered in spinules and other appendages to aid in camouflage. The camouflage serves two purposes: protection from predators and luring prey. Many species can change colour, others are covered with other organisms such as algae or hydrozoa. Frogfishes typically move slowly, lying in wait for prey, and then striking extremely rapidly.

The fish was first seen and collected in Australia in 1980, but the sole specimen disappeared soon after, leaving researchers no option but to shelve the discovery. Divers again saw the fish in 2005, and researchers worked with an Australian museum to collect three specimens. The fish had two different color patterns, leading scientists to believe there were two different species under the new genus. But only after they sequenced DNA from each, they realized they were the same species that have the capability to change from a grayish color to one that varies from reddish-pink to orange for camouflage.

The new species has a distinct red coloration on the tips of its pectoral fins. Its dorsal fins have a unique shape, allowing the fish to dart quickly over rocks. Other frogfish instead amble or "walk" across the seafloor. The colleagues named the new species Porophryne erythrodactylus - or Red-fingered anglerfish.

For the experts: A new genus and species of the frogfish family Antennariidae, subfamily Histiophryninae, is described on the basis of three specimens collected near Kurnell and Bare Island in Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. It differs from all other antennariid genera in having a combination of features that includes a unique morphology of the first and second dorsal-fin spines, some or all fins fringed with red, and a unique combination of fin-ray and vertebral counts. The new genus is diagnosed, described, and compared to its sister genus, Kuiterichthys, using both molecular and morphological data. Notes on habitat and sponge mimicry, locomotion and defense, and reproduction and parental care are also provided as well as a diagnosis and a revised key to the known genera of the Histiophryninae.

Two new amphipods: Paracallisoma idioxenos and Haptocallisoma lemarete

Amphipods are incredibly diverse and adaptable; there are currently around 10, 000 species known to science. They live in all marine environments, from shallow waters to the ocean's deepest trenches, on land and in fresh water.

These new 3 mm long scavenging amphipods, live in depths of up to 4500 metres in the North Atlantic Ocean. The new species were first discovered by researchers off the coast of south-west Ireland, which is the nearest deep water to the UK. The animals act in swarms to strip the carcasses of dead marine animals, including whales, fish and seabirds. In order to catch these new species, the colleagues put mackerel bait in a trap and let it descend into the deep waters. When the traps were retrieved they contained up to 40,000 individuals. Here is a video showing amphipods eating a pig carcass, an experiment ran by the VENUS Coastal Network here in Canada:

The new amphipod species have been named in honour of the late, great taxonomist, Roger Bamber, who passed away in February this year. I gave the species name 'lemarete' to one of the amphipods because it translates from Greek to 'Bold and Excellent', which is the motto on Roger Bamber's coat of arms. I chose this name because it is an accurate description of Roger, as well as being a little cryptic. Roger always put a lot of thought into the names he gave species, such as the tanaid species he named after a many-legged creature in Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

For the experts: The genus Paracallisoma (Crustacea: Amphipoda) is revised and the type species, Paracallisoma alberti is redescribed based on holotype material supplemented with new material from the region of the type locality. This revision results in the establishment of two new genera, Pseudocallisoma gen. nov. and Haptocallisoma gen. nov., and the description of a new species of Haptocallisoma and a new species of Paracallisoma from the North Atlantic Ocean. An account of all known species within the three genera is given and updated keys to the genera and species are provided.

A new anglerfish: Lasiognathus dinema

It took a Pixar movie to make them famous. If you ever seen Finding Nemo you will know what an anglerfish looks like and what they do to lure in their prey but I'd be happy to refresh your memory:

At the ocean depths this fish lives in, there is no sunlight. The only light is that from creatures that produce bioluminescence, which means they generate their own light source (with some help of symbiotic bacteria). Also, at these depths, the pressure is immense - over one ton per square cm. And the fight for food is never-ending. That's why these fish have developed their unique way of attracting prey - from the appendage at the top of their head, which resembles a fishing pole of sorts. And, like its human counterparts, this fish dangles the appendage until an unsuspecting fish swims up thinking they found a meal, only to quickly learn that they are, in fact, a meal themselves.

The new species, Lasiognathus dinema which, was found between 1,000-1,500 meters depth. The colleagues found three females specimens which ranged from 30 to 95 mm in length. The name dinema, is derived from the Greek, di, a prefix meaning “two,” and nema, “thread,” referring to two hook-like appendages on the fish's lure.

For the experts: A new species of the deep-sea ceratioid anglerfish genus Lasiognathus Regan (family Oneirodidae) is described on the basis of three female specimens collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Not especially similar to any of the five previously described members of the genus, the new species is unique in having a cylindrical, internally pigmented, anterior escal appendage and a pair of elongate distal escal appendages. The new species is diagnosed and described, and a revised key to the species of the genus is provided.

A new sea spider: Cheilopallene ogasawarensis

Pycnogonids are strange looking creatures which live in the seas and oceans of the world and normally have 4 pairs of walking legs although some species may have 5 or even 6 pairs. The typical pycnogonid looks like a malnourished spider walking backwards, which is why they are called Sea Spiders. Their body is greatly reduced to a point were it seems to be little more than a place for the legs to be attached.

Sea spiders are found all over the world, from coastal tropical waters to the poles. They are also found at depths as great as 7,000 m, though they are far more common in shallower waters. They range in size from a few millimetres leg-span to giants with a leg-span of 75 cm. 

The new species described here (Cheilopallene ogasawarensis) is of the smaller kind, with a body length of about a mm. The species name refers to the location it was found, the Ogasawara Islands in Japan.

For the experts: A new species of pycnogonid recorded from the shallow waters of Ogasawara (Bonin) Island, Japan, Cheilopallene ogasawarensis n. sp. is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. Cheilopallene ogasawarensis is only the third pycnogonid species recorded from these islands. Morphological characters clearly distinguish the new species from its geographically closest congener C. nodulosa Hong and Kim, 1987, also recorded from Japanese waters.

A new shrimp: Periclimenes macrorhynchia

Today's new species belongs to a rather large genus of shrimp. All the 150 species of Periclimenes live symbiotically with other animals, such as sea anemones, corals, sea stars, sea cucumbers and in some cases even sea slugs.

The name of the new species refers to the feathery hydroid of the host genus Macrorhynchia. Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of the class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish. Some hydroids such as the famous freshwater Hydra are solitary, but the majority are colonial. The original polyp is anchored to a solid substrate and forms a bud which remains attached to its parent. It will turn into buds and form a branched stem, which is the characteristic arrangement of polyps of the species.

For the experts: A new species of pontoniine shrimp belonging to the ‘Periclimenes obscurus species group’ is described from the Berau Islands, North East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Specimens were obtained from aglaopheniid hydrozoans of the genus Macrorhynchia. The new species is here described and figured. Its affinities with related species are discussed and a DNA-barcode is provided.