Dasineura banksiae: a new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on Banksia coccinea (Proteaceae) in Australia

Banksia coccinea is a shrub with large red flower heads, grown commercially as a cut flower plant in Western Australia and South Australia. Dasineura banksiae Kolesik, a gall midge species new to science and formally described here, was found inducing galls on leaves of B. coccinea in natural populations and in commercial plantations in Western Australia. White, globular, hairy galls occur on the leaf underside, each containing larvae of D. banksiae. The presence of galls decreases commercial value of the infested flower stalks and the gall midge is considered a horticultural pest. Descriptions of the male, female, pupa, larva and gall of the new species are given. Nucleotide sequence of 488-bp-long segment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene of D. banksiae sp. n. is lodged with GenBank under the accession number DQ480722

Taxonomy and biology of two new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) infesting Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Chenopodiaceae) in Australian salt marshes

Two new species of gall midge associated with two distinct galls on the succulent creeping shrub Sarcocornia quinqueflora are described from salt marshes in south-eastern Australia. The infestations caused by the new species hinder the growth of S. quinqueflora, the seeds of which are the major food of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster. Asphondylia floriformis sp. n. Veenstra-Quah &amp; Kolesik transforms leaf segments into flower-like galls, whereas Asphondylia sarcocorniae sp. n. Veenstra-Quah &amp; Kolesik produces simple swellings on branches. Both galls have fungal mycelium growing in the apoplast of the gall tissue and lining the inner surface of the larval chamber where it is presumably grazed by the larva. Descriptions of the larvae, pupae, males, females and the geographical distribution of the two gall midges in south-eastern Australia are given.<br /

Characterization of the Fishing Lines in Titiwai (=Arachnocampa luminosa Skuse, 1890) from New Zealand and Australia

Animals use adhesive secretions in a plethora of ways, either for attachment, egg anchorage, mating or as either active or passive defence. The most interesting function, however, is the use of adhesive threads to capture prey, as the bonding must be performed within milliseconds and under unsuitable conditions (movement of prey, variable environmental conditions, unfavourable attack angle, etc.) to be nonetheless successful. In the following study a detailed characterization of the prey capture system of the world-renowned glowworm group Arachnocampa from the macroscopic to the ultrastructural level is performed. The data reveal that the adhesive droplets consist mostly of water and display hygroscopic properties at varying humidity levels. The droplet core of Arachnocampa luminosa includes a certain amount of the elements sodium, sulphur and potassium (beside carbon, oxygen and nitrogen), while a different element composition is found in the two related species A. richardsae and A. tasmaniensis. Evidence for lipids, carbohydrates and proteins was negative on the histochemical level, however X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the presence of peptides within the droplet content. Different to earlier assumptions, the present study indicates that rather than oxalic acid, urea or uric acid are present in the adhesive droplets, presumably originating from the gut. Comparing the capture system in Arachnocampa with those of orb-spiders, large differences appear not only regarding the silky threads, but also, in the composition, hygroscopic properties and size of the mucous droplets