A new cicada genus and a new species, Miniterpnosia chorus n. gen., n. sp., is described from Laos. Miniterpnosia n. gen. is closely related to Yezoterpnosia Matsumura, 1917 and Euterpnosia Matsumura, 1917, and therefore it is placed in the subtribe Leptopsaltriina Moulton, 1923 of the tribe Cicadini Latreille, 1802. A species of Terpnosia Distant, 1892 is transferred to Miniterpnosia n. gen. to become Miniterpnosia mega (Chou & Lei, 1997) n. comb.

A pelagic record of a rare deep-water shark, the velvet dogfish Zameus squamulosus (Günther, 1877), is described from the southwestern Indian Ocean. This is the first pelagic record from the western Indian Ocean and the eleventh published record of this species from the entire basin. Together with non-published records from museums and online databases the number of verified Indian Ocean records of this species currently exceeds 50 individuals. Zameus squamulosus is a benthopelagic species usually occurring on the slopes of the continents and in mid-ocean oceanic ridges, between 400 and 1450 m depth, but it makes rare incursions in open water to the limits of the epipelagic zone.

Three new species and illustrated, Kuangella eurycorymbus n. sp. infesting Eurycorymbus cavaleriei (Levi.) Rehd. & Hand. (Sapindaceae), Disella eyrei n. sp. infesting Castanopsis eyrei (Champ.) Tutch. (Fagaceae) and Disella itea n. sp. infesting Itea chinensis Hook. & Arn. var. oblonga (Hand.-Mazz.) Wu (Escalloniaceae) are described. The genus Kuangella Wei, 2002 is discussed in this paper.

More than 100 years after the studies of G. Seguenza, sediment samples from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean) were examined in order to study their ostracod faunas. Two new species, Anchistrocheles seguenzai n. sp. and Phlyctocythere sicula n. sp., were found, both in thanatocoenoses from the Bathyal zone, at a depth of 545 m. Anchistrocheles seguenzai n. sp. is distinguishable from A. tenera (Breman, 1975), the only living species of the genus in Recent Mediterranean, and from the other species of the genus because of the more reniform-subquadrangular outline of its carapace and the different height/length ratio values. In the same way, Phlyctocythere sicula n. sp. can be distinguished from P. pellucida (Müller, 1894) the only living species of the genus in Recent Mediterranean, because of its more rounded outline, less marked caudal process which is more obtuse and more shifted to the median side of the posterior end, the inflated postero-ventral area, the more acute anterior margin and the narrower marginal zone and vestibula. The stratigraphic and geographic distribution of some species of both genera is indicated.

Biological and anatomical data, feeding habits and taxonomy of a new species of an afrotropical Fulvius (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Cylapinae, Fulviini).

Fulvius carayoni n. sp. is described on the basis of abundant material mainly from Cameroon and Ghana. Adults can be easily distinguished among the Afrotropical Fulvius Stål, 1862 by the longitudinal strips arising from the base of the hemelytra, by the colouration of the second antennal segment and of the scutellum, and by the male genital structures, particularly by the concomitant presence on the phallus of a hair-like apical filamentous structure and a pair of spiculi with bases posterior to the secondary gonopore. The egg and nymphal instars are briefly described. The presence of a pair of ventral cephalic trichobothria is documented for the immature stages as well as for the imago. Information about the internal anatomy of the male reproductive and digestive systems is supplied, as well as data concerning feeding habits, breeding and mating. Laboratory breeding of F. carayoni n. sp. shows that the species is predatory: for four years, it fed exclusively on eggs and neonate larvae of the pyralid Lepidoptera, Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879). The anatomy, clearly of the mirid type, does not reveal any peculiarity except the fact that testes are each composed of a single follicle. In contrast, the modalities of the mating are peculiar, never observed within the Miridae. The intromission of the male organ is not performed by the usual genital route, i.e. at the base of the ovipositor via the vulva and the vestibulum. The phallus is introduced into the ovipositor itself, at its distal extremity, and when inserted it extends up to the genital chamber.

The genera Diplomphalus Crosse & Fischer, 1872 and Pseudomphalus Ancey, 1882 from New Caledonia are revised based on extensive new samples. Three Diplomphalus species occur on the main island of New Caledonia. Diplomphalus mariei (Crosse, 1867) is characterised by a callus which forms an arcuate lamella that projects from ofthe body whorl. Helix seberti Marie, 1881 and Diplomphalus fischeri Franc, 1953 are placed in the synonymy of D. mariei. Diplomphalus solidulaTryon, 1885 is separated from D. mariei for the first time as a distinct species. It differs in its callus being only slightly detached from the body whorl at its margin. Diplomphalus vaysseti (Marie, 1871) differs from D. solidula and D. mariei in possessing a weak callus which is not detached from the body whorl. Helix volutella Gassies, 1858 (not L. Pfeiffer, 1856) is placed in the synonymy of D. vaysseti. The two species from the Île Art (Îles Belep), Diplomphalus cabriti (Gassies, 1863) and Diplomphalus montrouzieri (Souverbie, 1858), differ from the species ofthe main island in their larger size. Relative to D. cabriti, D. montrouzieri is smaller and whitish without a brownish pattern and has weaker sculpture on the teleoconch. Pseudomphalus megei (Lambert, 1873) differs from the Diplomphalus species in its larger shell with rounded, widely overlapping whorls, a weaker sculpture and a narrower umbilicus and a short penis with a large conic flagellum and a fusiform vas deferens. Diplomphalus fabrei Crosse, 1875 is placed in the synonymy of P. megei. The distribution of all species is shown on maps.

A new record is provided for the rarely collected hexapodid crab Paeduma cylindraceum (Bell, 1859), extending its distributional range to the southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico. The specimen, a large mature male of 13.7 mm carapace width, is the third ever collected since the male holotype was described. The male first gonopods are illustrated for the first time. The appendage shows unique features for the family, including a row of strong, marginal conical spine on the distal section of the shaft, and a crown of concentric series of strong, conical spines near tip.

The first report of the sea urchin (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) species, Temnopleurus decipiens (de Meijere, 1904) is given from Indian waters (Goa, west coast of India). A complete redescription of the species has been made based on test morphology using 27 phenotypic parameters. This species differs from the original description in that “the ocular plates do not reach the periproct margin.” A detailed comparison with another congener, namely Temnopleurus toreumaticus (Leske, 1778) revealed that apart from the position of the anus and the presence of a suranal plate, notable differences were also observed in the diameter of the apical system, plan of sutural pits, pore-pairs structure, ratio of spine length to maximum test diameter, and colour banding of the spines. Further, the paper provides a modified taxonomic key to all the seven extant species of the genus Temnopleurus L. Agassiz, 1841 with two additional characters.

The apparent absence of the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1758, in Ireland has been noted for over 150 years. Furthermore, not a single native Irish specimen has been preserved to prove its existence. The status of the Irish medicinal leech has been subject to several retrospective interpretations which need to be put into perspective in view of new thinking and research. The predominant view that this leech was never indigenous to Ireland is based predominantly on the assumption that Ireland was once totally glaciated, and this leech did not naturally colonise the island in the post-glacial period. Recent genetic evidence that the common frog survived in an Irish glacial refugium invites re-examination of some of this argument. Another widely held view is that within historic times, leeches imported into Ireland for medicine established itself in the wild but disappeared in the 19th century. In fact, Hirudo medicinalis was notoriously difficult to transplant (hence its threatened status). In spite of the millions of leeches imported into the British Isles and North America in the 19th century not a single example of an escaped population has been demonstrated. A third interpretation that the medicinal leech was indeed indigenous to Ireland is, in the author's view, most compatible with a re-assessment of the historical and more recent evidence detailed in this paper. The author leaves open as a real biological possibility that the medicinal leech may be rediscovered in Ireland, but points out the historical precedent in mainland Britain that premature proclamation of extinction may delay potential rediscovery by decades.