A contribution to the knowledge of the species Rafalskia olympica (KULCZYNSKI, 1903) (Opiliones, Phalangiidae, Phalangiinae)

Balkan populations of Rafalskia olympica (KULCZYNSKI, 1903) are distinguished as separate subspecies Rafalskia olympica bulgarica ST ARI::GA, 1963 novo stat. Certain novel details of the R. olympica female body structure are presented. It is stated that Metaplatybunus drenskii SILHAVY, 1965 is not a synonym of R. olympica

Nova troglobiontska vrsta Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. (Crustacea: Oniscidea: Trichoniscidae) iz Like (Hrvatska)

Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. is described and illustrated. Representing the 14th nominal species of the subgenus Illyrionethes from the Dinaric karst, it is a troglobiotic species collected from the caves in the central part of the Lika region, Croatia. The new species belongs to the strasseri group. Morphological characters differentiating A. iapodicus from other strasseri group representatives are discussed.U radu se opisuje i ilustrira nova vrsta Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. Radi se o troglobiontnoj vrsti prikupljenoj u špiljama središnjeg dijela Like, i predstavlja četrnaestu nominalnu vrstu podroda Illyrionethes iz Dinarskog krša. Nova vrsta pripada grupi strasseri. Raspravlja se o morfološkim obilježjima koji razlikuju A. iapodicus od ostalih predstavnika te grupe

Parasironidae fam. nov., a Cimmerian lineage of Mediterranean Cyphophthalmi (Opiliones), with the description of three new genera and four new species

A new family of Cyphophthalmi with disjunct Mediterranean distribution, Parasironidae fam. nov., is proposed. The new family comprises four genera and seven species. Cimmerosiro gen. nov., Tirrenosiro gen. nov. and Ebrosiro gen. nov. are described as new genera, and Tirrenosiro axeli gen. et sp. nov., Cimmerosiro krivolutskyi gen. et sp. nov., C. juberthiei gen. et sp. nov. and C. rhodiensis gen. et sp. nov. as new species. Parasironidae stands out by a set of characteristics that we recognize as predominantly plesiomorphic. These characteristics and the present distribution indicate the great age of the family, probably early Mesosoic. We attribute its origin to the western part of the Cimmerian terrane, and its current distribution and diversification of the major clades to geotectonic events during the Mesozoic. Additionally, a new sensory organ (sensilla) has been discovered in Cyphophthalmi. This organ is located on the pedipalp coxae and is believed to have a potential hygroreceptive function

In vitro Radioprotective Activity of the Bryozoan Hyalinella punctata

The objective of the present study was in vitro evaluation of radioprotective activity of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata on cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes after irradiation with 2 gy of Co-60 gamma-rays. Since its water extract at concentration 0.001 mg/mL reduced the incidence of radiation-induced micronuclei for almost 30 %, it could be considered as a promising source of new natural products with the aforementined activity. Both the content of sulphur (1.17%) determined by gravimetric method and infrared absorption frequences (76 % similarity with those of bacitracin) of the investigated extract indicate the presence of organic sulphur compound(s) such as cyclic peptides and polypeptides which might be responsible for the observed radioprotectio

A contribution to the knowledge of the species Rafalskia olympica (Kulczyński, 1903)

Balkan populations of Rafalskia olympica (Kulczyński, 1903) are distinguished as separate subspecies Rafalskia olympica bulgarica Staręga, 1963 nov. stat.. Certain novel details of the R. olympica female body structure are presented. It is stated that Metaplatybunus drenskii Šilhavý, 1965 in not a synonym of R. olympica

Cyphophthalmus corfuanus Karaman 2009, STAT. NOV.

<i>CYPHOPHTHALMUS CORFUANUS</i> (KRATOCHVÍL, 1937) STAT. NOV. (FIGS 3A–B, 4E, 6A, 29, 30) <p> <i>Siro duricorius corfuanus</i> Kratochvíl, 1938: 66–68.</p> <p> <i>Siro duricorius corfuanus</i>: Rosas Costa, 1950: Rafalski, 1958: 522; Gruber, 1969: 77; Juberthie, 1970: 1386; Giribet, 2000: 58.</p> <p> <i>Cyphophthalmus duricorius corfuanus</i>: Boyer <i>et al.</i>, 2005: 564.</p> <p> <i>Material examined:</i> Corfu, Greece, 1926, leg. M. Beier, 1 ♀; <i>ibid.</i>, 1932, leg. M. Beier, 17 ♂, 11 ♀; S Kavos, Corfu, Greece, 13./ 14.iv.1981, leg. W. Schawaller & J. Scheuern, 10 ♂, 29 ♀; E Filiates, Epirus, Greece, 67 m a.s.l., 26.iii.2006, leg. A. Schönhofer, 10 ♂, 7 ♀; 1 juv.</p> <p> <i>Diagnosis:</i> Medium sized endogean species with short appendages. Integument of dorsal scutum covered with large elongated convex tubercles. Spermatopositor terminal lobe broadly rounded, with equally distant setae terminales. Receptacles saccate with bifurcated bottom. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part); coxal lobes III in males shorter than coxal lobes IV. Telotarsi I and IV are somewhat more than 2.5 times as long as wide in their median part. Adenostyle tubular. Pores of anal glands situated next to each other, ventrally orientated. Longitudinal carina on male anal plate markedly pronounced. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds in females absent.</p> <p> <i>Description:</i> Male body length 1.70 mm (1.56– 1.74 mm). Body uniformly brown to light brown in colour.</p> <p>Scutum: anterior margin of dorsal scutum (Fig. 30E) with closely situated terminal bristles. Ozophores as long as wide in their bases, laterally orientated. Granulation of opisthosomal part of dorsal scutum (medial area) as in Figure 30C and D. The convex tubercles are large, elongated, uniformly and relatively densely distributed; granules of second rank small.</p> <p>Anal plate with laterally compressed, high, crestshaped longitudinal carina (Fig. 3A, B); posterior margin of dorsal scutum rounded. Pores of anal glands situated next to each other (Fig. 30E, see arrow), ventrally orientated; followed dorsally by two transverse folds.</p> <p>Chelicerae short (Fig. 29F): basal article 0.72 mm long; second article 0.65 mm long.</p> <p>Pedipalps short (Fig. 29E), 1.25 mm long (without coxa and apotele).</p> <p>Legs short. Tarsus I on ventral side gradually tapering toward the tip (Fig. 29C). Telotarsus I l: w (at the midpoint of its length) ratio – somewhat more than 2.5. Telotarsus IV (l: w ratio – about 2.5) with adenostyle on the first third of its length (Fig. 29D); adenostyle tubular, short with widened base (Fig. 29G); sensory seta (positioned on proximal basal part of the adenostyle) somewhat shorter than adenostyle.</p> <p>Measurements of legs (without coxae and claws, in mm): I = 1.86; II = 1.55; III = 1.39; IV = 1.74.</p> <p>Ventral prosomal complex (Fig. 29B): coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide at their narrowest part; abruptly narrowing posteriorly over the first half of their length. Coxal lobes III somewhat shorter than coxal lobes IV; conical processes of the coxal lobes IV close to the posterior margin of the coxal lobes III, distance from the anterior margin of the gonostome about one-quarter of the whole length of coxal lobes II–IV.</p> <p>Spermatopositor (Fig. 29A) – terminal lobe broadly rounded, terminally widened. Median pair of setae terminales somewhat longer than lateral pair. Median setae ventrales narrower in their basal parts than lateral setae ventrales. Median movable fingers short, not reaching in their length the most terminal parts of the lateral movable fingers; lateral movable fingers strong, elongated and slightly denticulated.</p> <p>Description of the female: 1.68–1.92 mm body length. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part). Ovipositor apical lobes with elongated (more than four times as long as wide) receptacles (Fig. 4E); receptacles are saccate with bifurcate bottom, opening on at the midpoint of the length of apical lobes. Each apical lobe bearing one multibranched and 13 simple setae. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds absent.</p> <p> <i>Distribution and habitat:</i> Endogean on Corfu Island in Ionian sea and neighbouring inland area in Epirus, Greece (Fig. 35B).</p> <p> <i>Remarks:</i> A whole range of characters makes this species clearly related to the Aegean phyletic line, and not to the Dinaric line to which <i>C. duricorius</i> belongs. On Lefkas Island in the Ionian Sea there is another yet unidentified species that is closely related to the inland species <i>C. eratoae</i>, and not to <i>C. corfuanus</i>.</p> <p> CYPHOPHTHALMUS ZETAE <b>SP. NOV.</b></p> <p>(FIGS 4F, 6B, 31, 32)</p> <p> <i>Material examined:</i> Milovićka vrela, Tunjevo, Danilovgrad, Montenegro, 26.iv.1997, leg. I. Karaman, 1 ♂ holotype, 39 ♂, 45 ♀, 2 juv.; <i>ibid.</i>, 11.iv.1997, 7 ♂, 6 ♀, 1 juv.; <i>ibid.</i>, 1.viii.1989, 6 ♀, 1 juv.; <i>ibid.</i>, 6.v.2003, 4 ♂, 7 ♀, 1 juv.</p> <p>Holotype (inv. no. 1228/2) and paratype specimens are deposited in the author’s collection at the Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad (Serbia).</p> <p> <i>Etymology:</i> After the name of Zeta river, in which valley is the locus typicus.</p> <p> <i>Diagnosis:</i> Small endogean species with short appendages. Integument of dorsal scutum uniformly covered with densely distributed, markedly elongated convex tubercles. Spermatopositor terminal lobe short, terminally truncated. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part). Coxal lobes III in males are shorter than coxal lobes IV. Telotarsi I and IV are somewhat more than three times as long as wide in their medial part. Adenostyle spiniform. Pores of anal glands slightly distant from each other and ventrally orientated. Longitudinal carina on male anal plate narrow and pronounced. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds in females absent.</p> <p> <i>Description:</i> Male holotype body length 1.70 mm (male paratypes 1.60–1.80 mm); body uniformly brown in colour.</p> <p>Scutum: anterior margin of dorsal scutum (Fig. 32F) with closely paired terminal bristles. Ozophores as long as wide (in their base), laterally orientated. Granulation of opisthosomal part of dorsal scutum (medial area) as in Figure 32C and D; convex tubercles are markedly elongated and densely distributed. Granules of second rank small and relatively densely distributed.</p> <p>Anal plate with narrow, pronounced longitudinal carina; posterior margin of dorsal scutum rounded. Pores of anal glands slightly distant from each other, situated on short transversal tubercle (Fig. 32E), ventrally orientated.</p> <p>Chelicerae short (Fig. 33F): basal article 0.74 mm long; second article 0.65 mm long.</p> <p>Pedipalps short (Fig. 33E), 1.27 mm long (without coxa and apotele).</p> <p>Legs short. Tarsus I shape as in Figure 33C. Telotarsus I l: w (at the midpoint of its length) ratio – somewhat more than 3. Telotarsus IV (l: w ratio – somewhat more than 3) with adenostyle on the first third of its length (Fig. 33D); Adenostyle with widened basal part, spiniform (Fig. 33G); sensory seta (positioned on proximal basal part of the adenostyle) somewhat longer than adenostyle. Claws short.</p> <p>Measurements of legs (without coxae and claws, in mm): I = 1.90; II = 1.55; III = 1.39; IV = 1.68.</p> <p>Ventral prosomal complex (Fig. 33B): coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part); abruptly narrowing posteriorly over the first half of their length. Coxal lobes III shorter than coxal lobes IV; conical processes of the coxal lobes IV close to the posterior margin of the coxal lobes III, distance from the anterior margin of the gonostome about onequarter of the whole length of coxal lobes II–IV.</p> <p>Spermatopositor (Fig. 33A) – terminal lobe short, almost rectangular in shape, terminally truncated. Lateral pair of setae terminales positioned on ventral side of terminal lobe. Median setae ventrales narrower in their basal parts than lateral setae ventrales. Median movable fingers short, not reaching in their length the most terminal parts of the lateral movable fingers; lateral movable fingers short, stout, with widened basal parts.</p> <p>Description of the female: 1.66–1.88 mm body length. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part). Ovipositor apical lobes slender, receptacles are saccate with bifurcate bottom, openings at the midpoint of the length of the apical lobes (Fig. 4F). Each apical lobe bearing one multibranched and 13 simple setae. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds absent.</p> <p> <i>Distribution and habitat:</i> Known only from the type locality (Fig. 36B).</p> <p> <i>Remarks:</i> Populations related to this species collected in five separate and remote localities, to the northeast, east, and south of the type species locality (Fig. 36B), show certain characteristics indicating that they may be members of a separate taxon or species complex, which is supported by molecular data (Boyer <i>et al.</i>, 2005). The definitive status can be determined only after a thorough study of endogean Cyphophthalmi in the wider area of Lake Skadar.</p> <p> Compared with all other known <i>Cyphophthalmus</i> species from the Aegean phyletic line, this species and the related species complex are unique because the anal pores are situated away from each other.</p> <p> CYPHOPHTHALMUS HLAVACI <b>SP. NOV.</b></p> <p>(FIGS 2B, 4G, 33, 34)</p> <p> <i>Material examined:</i> North of Bast, Biokovo Mountain, 400–500 m a.s.l., Dalmatia, Croatia, 20.x.2005, leg. P. Hlavácˇ: 1 ♂ holotype, 138 ♂, 109 ♀, 36 juv. paratypes; south-west Kozica, Mount Biokovo, 800 m a.s.l., Dalmatia, Croatia, 19.x.2005, leg. P. Hlavácˇ, 46 ♂, 38 ♀, 40 juv. paratypes; Gornja Brela Canyon, Makarska, Mount Biokovo, Dalmatia, Croatia, 21.x.2005, leg. P. Hlavácˇ: 41 ♂, 23 ♀, 7 juv. paratypes.</p> <p>Holotype (inv. no. 1413) and paratypes are deposited in the author’s collection at the Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad (Serbia).</p> <p> <i>Etymology:</i> Named after its collector, entomologist Peter Hlaváč from Košice (Slovakia).</p> <p> <i>Diagnosis:</i> Large endogean species with short appendages. Integument of dorsal scutum uniformly covered with densely distributed large convex tubercles. Spermatopositor terminal lobe slightly elongated, widely conical in shape. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part). Coxal lobes III in males are shorter than coxal lobes IV. Telotarsi I somewhat fewer than three times as long as wide in their median part. Adenostyle tubular. Pores of anal glands situated close to each other and ventrally orientated. Longitudinal carina on male anal plate narrow and pronounced. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds in females absent.</p> <p> <i>Description:</i> Male holotype body length 1.81 mm (male paratypes 1.74–2.00 mm); body uniformly dark brown in colour.</p> <p>Scutum: anterior margin of dorsal scutum (Fig. 34F) with widely separated terminal bristles. Ozophores short, shorter than wide (at their base), laterally orientated. Granulation of opisthosomal part of dorsal scutum (medial area) as in Figure 34C and D; convex tubercles oval and large, densely distributed. Granules of second rank small and densely distributed. Posterior margin of dorsal scutum rounded.</p> <p>Anal plate with narrow, markedly pronounced longitudinal carina. Pores of anal glands close to each other situated on short protuberance, ventrally orientated (Fig. 34E).</p> <p>Chelicerae short (Fig. 33F): basal article 0.70 mm long; second article 0.66 mm long.</p> <p>Pedipalps short (Fig. 33E), 1.26 mm long (without coxa and apotele); apotele slightly elongated.</p> <p>Legs short. Tarsus I shape as in Figure 33C. Telotarsus I l: w (at the midpoint of its length) ratio – somewhat less than 3. Telotarsus IV (l: w ratio – 3.5) with adenostyle on the first third of its length (Fig. 33D); Adenostyle tubular (Fig. 33G); sensory seta (positioned on proximal basal part of the adenostyle) longer than adenostyle. Claws short.</p> <p>Measurements of legs (without coxae and claws, in mm): I = 1.86; II = 1.56; III = 1.42; IV = 1.75.</p> <p>Ventral prosomal complex (Fig. 33B): coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part); abruptly narrowing posteriorly over the first third of their length. Coxal lobes III shorter than coxal lobes IV; conical processes of the coxal lobes IV close to the posterior margin of the coxal lobes III, distance from the anterior margin of the gonostome about one-quarter of the whole length of coxal lobes II–IV.</p> <p>Spermatopositor (Fig. 33A) – terminal lobe slightly elongated, widely conical in shape with protruding bases of medial pair of setae terminales. Median pair of setae terminales longer than lateral pair. Median movable fingers short, not reaching in their length the most terminal parts of the lateral movable fingers; lateral movable fingers elongated, slender, and falciform.</p> <p>Description of the female: 1.70–2.10 mm body length. Coxal lobes II somewhat longer than wide (at their narrowest part). Ovipositor apical lobes slender, receptacles are saccate with bifurcate bottom, openings at the midpoint of the length of the apical lobes (Fig. 4G). Each apical lobe bearing one multibranched and 13 simple setae. Opisthosomal laterodorsal folds absent.</p> <p> <i>Distribution and habitat:</i> Known from three localities on Mount Biokovo in middle Dalmatia (Fig. 36B), a region where a troglobite species complex (still undescribed) from the Dinaric phyletic line is widely present.</p> <p> <i>Remarks:</i> The westernmost distribution amongst the Aegean phyletic line, with wide interrupted area toward its geographically closest related species <i>C. zetae</i> sp. nov., and its appearance in the middle of the primary distribution area of the Dinaric phyletic line make this species zoogeographically particularly interesting.</p>Published as part of <i>Karaman, Ivo M., 2009, The taxonomical status and diversity of Balkan sironids (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) with descriptions of twelve new species, pp. 260-318 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (2)</i> on pages 279-282, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00446.x, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5443820">http://zenodo.org/record/5443820</a&gt

FIGURES 16–17. Mladenoniscus belavodae n. g., n in Mladenoniscus belavodae n. g., n. sp., a troglobitic oniscid (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Trichoniscidae) from Macedonia

FIGURES 16–17. Mladenoniscus belavodae n. g., n. sp. 16, Details of the integument ornamentic. 17, Paratype male, propodus and dactylus of pereopod 7

Parasironidae fam. nov., a Cimmerian lineage of Mediterranean Cyphophthalmi (Opiliones), with the description of three new genera and four new species

A new family of Cyphophthalmi with disjunct Mediterranean distribution, Parasironidae fam. nov., is proposed. The new family comprises four genera and seven species. Cimmerosiro gen. nov., Tirrenosiro gen. nov. and Ebrosiro gen. nov. are described as new genera, and Tirrenosiro axeli gen. et sp. nov., Cimmerosiro krivolutskyi gen. et sp. nov., C. juberthiei gen. et sp. nov. and C. rhodiensis gen. et sp. nov. as new species. Parasironidae stands out by a set of characteristics that we recognize as predominantly plesiomorphic. These characteristics and the present distribution indicate the great age of the family, probably early Mesosoic. We attribute its origin to the western part of the Cimmerian terrane, and its current distribution and diversification of the major clades to geotectonic events during the Mesozoic. Additionally, a new sensory organ (sensilla) has been discovered in Cyphophthalmi. This organ is located on the pedipalp coxae and is believed to have a potential hygroreceptive function

In vitro Radioprotective Activity of the Bryozoan Hyalinella punctata

The objective of the present study was in vitro evaluation of radioprotective activity of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata on cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes after irradiation with 2 gy of Co-60 gamma-rays. Since its water extract at concentration 0.001 mg/mL reduced the incidence of radiation-induced micronuclei for almost 30 %, it could be considered as a promising source of new natural products with the aforementined activity. Both the content of sulphur (1.17%) determined by gravimetric method and infrared absorption frequences (76 % similarity with those of bacitracin) of the investigated extract indicate the presence of organic sulphur compound(s) such as cyclic peptides and polypeptides which might be responsible for the observed radioprotectio