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The macroscopic Priapulus caudatus Lamarck, 1816 is one of the most investigated priapulids, yet, the adult morphology warrants detailed characterization and analyses of potential priapulid homologies. Using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and histology, we examine adult specimens of P. caudatus from three localities in the Northeast Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans (Gullmarsfjord, North Sea, White Sea). Our examinations show ring papillae on the posterior trunk of P. caudatus for the first time in detail and describe previously overlooked structures on the circumoral field (hemispherical papillae, ring 0 scalids and circular folds). In addition, we add new information on pharyngeal teeth, scalids, trunk papillae, posterior warts, and on spinulets of the caudal appendage. The new collected data of P. caudatus allows us to compare structures across species of the macroscopic Priapulidae (Acanthopriapulus, Priapulopsis, Priapulus, Halicryptus) in detail and to build hypotheses on their homology within this clade.

Species of the potter wasp genus Apodynerus Giordani Soika (Eumeninae: Odynerini) occurring in Vietnam are reviewed. Eight species have been collected from the study area, with four species new to science: Apodynerus angulus Nguyen & Engel sp. nov., A. gracilis Nguyen & AD Nguyen sp. nov., A. puteus Nguyen & Tran sp. nov., and A. securis Nguyen sp. nov. The new species are described and figured along with their male genitalia. Apodynerus indicus Giordani Soika, 1994 is recorded from Vietnam for the first time. The male genitalia of A. indicus, A. formosensis (von Schulthess, 1934), and A. troglodytes (de Saussure, 1855) are redescribed in detail with added characters. Apodynerus formosensis continentalis Giordani Soika, 1994 is synonymized under A. formosensis (syn. nov.). One species is removed from Apodynerus and placed elsewhere in the tribe: Paraleptomenes nitidiclypeus (Gusenleitner, 2013), comb. nov. Keys are provided to the species of the genus.

Sericoidini is a tribe of Melolonthinae (Sericoidinae) with five genera (Apterodemidea, Blepharotoma, Manonychus, Ovomanonychus and Sericoides) distributed throughout the neotropical region. All these genera, with the exception of Ovomanonychus, are in need of taxonomic reassessment. Blepharotoma Blanchard is the second largest genus of the tribe, and due to undergoing several new descriptions and transferences over the years has its intern limits become uncertain. Geometric morphometrics has been helping identify patterns among groups of organisms with uncertain limits. This method enables the identification of variations in shape among specimens through comparisons of landmarks coordinates. The aim of the present study was to test the existence of significant morphometric variation among the genera of Sericoidini and species of Blepharotoma that could enable identifying taxa. We analyzed the clypeus, pronotum and elytra of species of each genus of Sericoidini and 18 valid species of Blepharotoma. A photographic matrix was created with images of the structures and a set of landmarks was plotted in each image. Procrustes superimposition was performed, and the data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), Procrustes ANOVA and canonical variate analysis (CVA). Groups for CVA were classified by genera, species and collection site. The results showed that genera of Sericoidini have a shape pattern. In contrast, species of Blepharotoma do not have any specific pattern, except for the population from Buenos Aires (unidentified species). In conclusion, geometric morphometrics seems to be a good support tool for the taxonomic classification of genera of Sericoidini.

A survey of the kinorhynch fauna in the Oki Islands revealed six species of kinorhynchs in three families and four genera. Among these, one species in the genus Echinoderes was described as a new species, Echinoderes okiensis sp. nov., based on the following characteristics: presence of middorsal acicular spines on segments 4–8; ventrolateral tubes on segment 2; lateroventral tubes on segment 5; lateroventral acicular spines on segments 6–9; midlateral tubes on segment 10; type-1 glandular cell outlets present middorsally on segments 1–3, 5, and 7, two middorsally on segments 10 and 11, one pair paradorsally on segments 4, 6, 8, and 9, sublaterally on segment 1, and ventromedially on segments 2–10; type-2 glandular cell outlets absent; tergal extension narrowing abruptly into long acicular tips, constituting 5–7% of trunk length; males with three pairs of penile spines, the middle pair being very short; females with papillae in ventrolateral position on segment 7 and ventromedial position on segment 8, as well as with lateral terminal accessory spines. This species was also found to inhabit off Iejima Island in Okinawa, more than 1000 km away from the Oki Islands. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S and 28S rDNA sequences suggested that this species is closely related to Echinoderes aureus Adrianov et al., 2002 in the family Echinoderidae. These two species, along with the Echinoderes dujardinii species group, the Echinoderes spinifurca species group, Echinoderes truncates Higgins, 1983, and Cephalorhyncha, compose one of the two major clades detected in Echinoderidae.

A revision of the species cited in the genus Leucosyrinx from Argentine waters is conducted. Leucosyrinx argentina sp. nov. is described after material collected off Argentina in: the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon (528–2212 m depth), at 39°53.381′S, 55°52.197′W off Buenos Aires province (772 m depth), and in the Burdwood Bank (approximately 54°S in 187 and 642 m depth). Radulae, penis, operculum, ornamentation and ultrastructure of the shell are described. In addition, partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) are provided. After a review of the species previously described in the genus Leucosyrinx from Argentine waters, we concluded that L. argentina sp. nov. is the only living species truly recognized as belonging in this genus from the Southwestern Atlantic. This is the first study of the genus Leucosyrinx from this region that revises both morphological and molecular characters.

Halicryptus includes two priapulid species with highly different adult body sizes, small-sized Halicryptus spinulosus von Siebold, 1849 and large-sized Halicryptus higginsi Shirley and Storch, 1999. Due to ambiguity of diagnostic characters from juvenile to adult size and between species, a detailed morphological and molecular comparison is needed to resolve the distribution and characteristics of each species. We investigate an adult paratype specimen of H. higginsi, and young adult specimens of H. spinulosus from the Beaufort Sea and H. spinulosus from Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial CO1 gene confirm the existence of two species of Halicryptus, a wide distribution of H. spinulosus across the Northern Hemisphere and the co-occurrence of both species in the Beaufort Sea. Our morphological analyses reveal undocumented characters for Halicryptus, such as the presence of three different sizes of buccal papillae, scattered small trunk papillae, and a loose ring of flosculus-tubulus-complexes on the posterior trunk. For both species, we revise characters, such as the number of long introvert retractors, pharynx protractors and lateral cusps of anterior teeth, and the maximum number of scalids in a row in H. spinulosus. We propose a total of ten reliable and potential diagnostic characters distinguishing the two species and revise the terminology of Halicryptus-specific characters due to inconsistency in the literature. In addition, we discuss the effect of body size on selected morphological traits.

A catalogue of aphid species associated with Lactuca (Asteraceae) in Iran is presented. Information has been gathered on 24 aphid species from nine genera collected on three Lactuca host plant species, including two new aphid species: Aphis lactucariae sp. nov. and Uroleucon favreti sp. nov. Additionally, 37 specific associations between aphid species and Lactuca plants were identified, including one new record for Iran and two new global records. Modifications to the key provided by Blackman & Eastop for aphid species living on Lactuca, and an identification key to the aphids associated with Lactuca in Iran are also provided.

A new species of meiobenthic sipunculan, Phascolion kamchatikus sp. nov. collected from coarse sand and shell hash in shallow waters in the northwestern Pacific, is described and illustrated using light and electron microscopy. This new species is well distinguished from all other congeners by a unique combination of main taxonomic characters. This is the only sipunculan having only two primary tentacles in both juvenile and sexually mature worms. There are no hooks and holdfast papillae in the adult stages. Because of the presence of three nearly equal in size retractor muscles forming a retractor column divided for most of its length, this species is assigned to the subgenus Isomya of the genus Phascolion. Unlike most other species of the genus Phascolion, P. kamchatikus sp. nov. has an interstitial mode of life moving among the coarse sand grains and shell hash accumulated between rocks and stones in shallow water areas alongside the Pacific coast of Kamchatka, Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula. Phascolion kamchatikus sp. nov. constitutes the only third interstitial species of the phylum Sipuncula. This is also the ninth species of Phascolion in the northwestern Pacific and the first interstitial representative of this genus in the Pacific Ocean.

Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 is the most diverse subterranean amphipod genus in the West Palearctic, distributed between Ireland and Iran. The exploration of Niphargus diversity in the Zagros Mountains in Iran has begun a decade ago, and the number of newly described species is increasing fast. Recently, we collected several specimens of Niphargus from springs located in the northern parts of the Zagros Mountains in Iran. Detailed morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analyses using 28S rDNA and COI markers revealed that these animals comprise two taxonomic units distinct from all hitherto described species. We hypothesize they should be treated as new species, named as Niphargus qalatianensis sp. nov. and Niphargus arasbaranensis sp. nov. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that N. qalatianensis sp. nov. is nested within a monophyletic Middle Eastern clade known from previous studies. By contrast N. arasbaranensis sp. nov., is with low support associated to European species and suggests that the Iranian karst was not colonized two but three times. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate biogeographical history of the genus Niphargus in the Middle East, additional sampling in the region is imperative.

Ctenomys Blainville, 1826 (known as tuco-tucos) is considered one of the most diverse genus within mammals; however, its taxonomy is far from resolved. In recent years, new species have been described, and many other forms have been synonymized, while other lineages remain as candidate species. In this work, based on molecular and morphological evidence, we proposed that C. “rosendopascuali”, a taxon considered as a nomen nudum, is in fact a synonym of C. bergi Thomas, 1902. The molecular phylogeny based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene showed that individuals from populations a priori assigned to C. bergi and C. “rosendopascuali” were not reciprocally monophyletic. Additionally, geometric morphometric analyses based on cranial morphology showed significant overlap in the morphospace of these two taxa. Our results also show a high genetic similarity among C. bergi, C. “yolandae”, and C. bonettoi Contreras and Berry, 1982, questioning the taxonomic status of the latter two taxa and highlighting the need for exhaustive comparison with C. bergi. We also identified a second locality for a highly divergent lineage within the Mendocinus group (Quijadas lineage). Our study confirms the divergence of this lineage and highlights the need to further taxonomic studies in order to evaluate whether it represents a possible undescribed Ctenomys species.