Jumping plant-lice of the Paurocephalinae (Insecta, Hemiptera, Psylloidea): systematics and phylogeny

Much confusion exists with respect to the content and definition of the psyUid subfamily Paurocephalinae. Based on a cladistic analysis of 22 morphological characters (16 adult and 6 larval), the subfamily is redefined to comprise the following five valid genera: Aphorma (3 species), Camarotoscena (12 valid species, with 1 new synonymy), DiC/idophlebia (= Aconopsylla, Haplaphalara, Paraphalaroida, Sinuonemopsylla and Woldaia; 24 species), Paurocephala (52 species) and Syntomoza (= Anomoterga and Homalocephata; 7 species). The tribe Diclidophlebiini is synonymised with the subfamily Paurocephalinae. The seven new generic synonymies produce 25 new species combinations. A key to genera for adults and fifth instar larvae is presented. In their revised definitions the genera exhibit relatively restricted distributions and host ranges: Aphorma: Palaearctic, Oriental - Ranunculaceae; Camarotoscena: Palaearctic - Salicaceae; Diclidophtebia: pantropical - Tiliaceae, Malvaceae, Sterculiaceae, Melastomataceae, Rhamnaceae, Ulmaceae and Euphorbiaceae; Paurocephala: Old World tropics - Moraceae, Urticaceae. Ulmaceae (all Urticales), Malvaceae. Sterculiaceae (all Malvales) and Clusiaceae (rheales); Syntomoza: Oriental, Afrotropical, Palaearctic - Flacourtiaceae, Salicaceae. The following taxa which have been referred to the Paurocephalinae are transferred to other taxa: Atmetocranium to the Calophyidae and Primascena to the Aphalaroidinae; Pseudaphorma is symonymised with Aphatara, and P. astigma with A. polygoni; the position of Strophingia is confirmed in the Strophingiinae.peer-reviewe

Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Old World jumping plant-louse genus Paurocephala (Insecta, Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

Fifty-one species are recognized in the genus Paurocephala, with an additional 14 species which remain unnamed. Thirty-five species are described as new, and five species are synonymized: P. pumilae and P. zhejiangensis with P. chonchaiensis, P. debregeasiae with P. sauteri, and P. guangxiensis and P. tremae with P. trematos. Two varieties, P. psylloptera maculipennis and P. psylloptera setifera, are raised to species level. P. bifasciata is reinstated from former synonymy with P. chonchaiensis, and Anomoterga kleinhofiae is transferred back to Paurocephala. Lectotypes are designated for P. brevicephala, P. chonchaiensis, P. psylloptera, P. sauteri, P. seti/era and P. wilderi. The four New World species of Paurocephala are not considered to be congeneric with the Old World species and will be transferred to Diclidophlebia. Two South African species, P. bicarinata and P. hottentotti, are removed from Paurocephala and have to be accommodated in a new genus in the Diaphorininae. Thus Paurocephala is an Old World genus with nine Afrotropical and 42 Indo-Australian described species. Keys for the identification of adults and fifth instar larvae are provided. All 51 named species are diagnosed and illustrated, and information is given on distribution and host plants. Based on two cladistic analyses, one using adult characters only, and one using both adult and larval characters, four monophyletic species groups are recognized. In both analyses a basal group of 10 species, the brevicephala-group, forms the sister group to all other Paurocephala spp. The Afrotropical species are monophyletic and, together with one Oriental species constitute the gossypiigroup. In the analysis with adult characters only, the gossypii-group is the sister taxon of the kleinhofiae-group and, both together, are the sister group of the psylloptera-group, the largest species group with 27 species. In the analysis of adult and larval characters, the relationships between the last three species groups are not resolved. The result of the phylogenetic analysis confirms the synonymy of the subgenus Thoracocorna with Paurocephala. Known host plants of Paurocephala spp. belong to the Malvifiorae with the exception of the Afrotropical P. insolita which develops on Theifiorae (Theales, Clusiaceae). The brevicephala-, kleinhofiae- and gossypii-groups are associated with hosts of the order Malvales (Malvaceae and Sterculiaceae), whereas the psylloptera-group is with Urticales (Urticaceae, Moraceae and Ulmaceae).peer-reviewe

Psylloidea (Insecta : Hemiptera) of the Arabian Peninsula

The jumping plant-louse fauna of the Arabian Peninsula is reviewed based on published records and material from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, the latter being particularly rich. Fifty-two species, nine of which remain unnamed, of 19 genera are recorded. Ten species are described as new, one species is synonymised and two new combinations are proposed. Keys are provided for the identification of the adults and, where known, of the fifth instar larvae. Diaphorina is the most species-rich genus followed by Acizzia, both being widely distributed in the Old World. The Fabaceae bear the largest number of psylloids followed by Chenopodiaceae and Tamaricaceae.peer-reviewe

The sodium-dependent di- and tricarboxylate transporter, NaCT, is not responsible for the uptake of D-, L-2-hydroxyglutarate and 3-hydroxyglutarate into neurons

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have become increasingly popular as multi-objective problem solving techniques. Most studies of MOEAs are empirical. Only recently, a few theoretical results have appeared. It is acknowledged that more theoretical research is needed. An important open problem is to understand the role of populations in MOEAs. We present a simple bi-objective problem which emphasizes when populations are needed. Rigorous runtime analysis point out an exponential runtime gap between a population-based algorithm (SEMO) and several single individual-based algorithms on this problem. This means that among the algorithms considered, only the populationbased MOEA is successful and all other algorithms fail

II.—Note on certain Impressions of Echinoderms observed on the Sandstone Slabs in which the Skeletons of Hyperodapedon Gordoni and Rhynchosaurus are preserved

When searching for traces of the dermal structure preserved in the specimen of Hyperodapedon in the British Museum (Natural History) in London, my attention was drawn to certain spots where the matrix showed projections and pits of a polygonal shape, which I detected when I took the photographs of this Triassic reptile. Primarily occupying myself with the matrix of the principal slab, in which the skeleton is enclosed, I quite thought I had only to deal with dermal structures similar to those discovered in Rhynchosauru

Die Wunschmaschinen sind tot.\ud Es leben die Wunschmaschinen!

In den Zeiten der Revolution, so sagt man, genüge ein Funke, um einen Flächenbrand auszulösen. Und in der Tat, schaut man zurück, so könnte man der Meinung sein, daß es die Geistfunken der 68er waren, die etwas Tieferliegendes freigesetzt haben: eine Art Magma, das aus der Tiefe her­ausgeschleudert worden ist und nun, langsam erkaltend, als neue Grund­lage des Gesellschaftlichen in Erscheinung tritt. Möglicherweise aber ha­ben Zündholz und Eruption gar nichts miteinander zu tun. Ebensogut wäre es denkbar, daß man hier einer bloßen Koinzidenz gegenübersteht – so daß das Zündholz weniger Auslöser, als vielmehr Epiphänomen wäre, und ein solches zumal, das Anlaß gibt, Ursache und Wirkung miteinander zu ver­wechseln (so wie der Gläubige, der ein Zeichen des Himmels erfleht und in genau diesem Augenblick einen Blitz vom Himmel herabfahren sieht, darin eine Antwort des Herrn sehen wird). Daß eine solche Deutung keinesfalls auszuschließen ist, erweist sich schon daran, daß das, was sich damals mit größter Selbstverständlichkeit das Feuer der Revolution wähnte, heutzuta­ge nur über einen beträchtlichen psychologischen Entzifferungsaufwand verständlich wird. Das Amalgam aus Paranoia, Megalomanie und begriff­loser Geste (pop!) ist ein Beleg mehr, daß man es mit einem Zündholz, nicht aber mit dem Vulkan, dem eigentlichen Beweggrund zu tun hat

II.—On Hyperodapedon Gordoni

The fossil to be discussed in the present memoir is the specimen which formed part of the classical material used in the discussion which was carried on amongst British geologists during the second half of the present century. So important a controversy could hardly be restricted to the geographical limits of England alon