The goal of this study was to investigate type materials of 22 Navicula species described by Ruth Patrick in 1959. Type specimens of two species could not be found on the holotype slides. The holotypes of 20 other taxa were located and imaged. Specimens of 11 taxa from type materials or from the type localities were investigated with electron microscopy and the details of their ultrastructure were described. On the basis of this examination, six Navicula species were transferred to other genera. The following new combinations were made: Hippodonta dulcis Potapova nom. nov., H. gravistriata (Patrick) Potapova comb, nov., Fallacia latelolongitudinalis (Patrick) Potapova comb, nov., F. duomedia (Patrick) Potapova comb, nov., Selllaphora subfasciata Potapova nom. nov., and S. secura (Patrick) Potapova comb. nov. Based on the available data, nine species described by Patrick were found to be taxonomic synonyms of taxa described earlier by other authors. Future studies of more abundant populations of Patrick's species and type materials of the taxa assumed to be synonymous, may, however, reveal differences between them and prove some of Patrick's taxa to be separate species.

Type material of the diatom species Eunotia arcuoides Foged, housed at the ANSP Diatom Herbarium and at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, is investigated with light and electron microscopy, and a lectotype specimen of this species is designated. Eunotia arcuoides is a poorly known species that shares a number of morphological characters with a few Eunotia taxa known from alkaline waters. Among other characters of this species, we describe an unusual “epithemioid” or “amphoroid” shape of the frustule and a unique round helictoglossa. Eunotia arcuoides has equally wide dorsal and ventral parts of the mantle, and the valve faces in recently formed frustules are parallel The girdle bands are, however, wider in their dorsal parts compared to ventral parts, so that the cells become progressively more amphoroid as they grow and more girdle bands are added.

The first articulated phyllolepid placoderm from North America (outside of Greenland) is described from the Upper Devonian Catskill Formation in north-central Pennsylvania. Phyllolepis rossimontina Lane and Cuffey 2005, from the same formation, and the genus Phyllolepis are reviewed based on the new Catskill Formation material and data from a range of recently described Southern Hemisphere taxa. Phyllolepids can be a valuable tool for biostratigraphic correlation due to their narrow age range within the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian in the Euramerican Province (Northern Hemisphere). Faunal exchange between Euramerica and Gondwana during the Late Devonian and the association of Phyllolepis with early tetrapods are discussed in the context of early tetrapod biogeography.

New material from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) Fram Formation of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, represents the second holoptychiid (Porolepiformes) species to be described from the formation. The quality of preservation and preparation of the material enables description of underrepresented anatomy for Holoptychius including the braincase (ethmosphenoid and otico-occipital). The new species of Holoptychius is diagnosed by, a quadrate articulation positioned on the lingual surface of the lower jaw, the presence of a marginal tooth field on all three coronoids, and the presence of a third mandibular sensory canal located dorsal to the infradentary foramina. Traditional use of the name Holoptychius has resulted in an overabundance of species. In recent years, efforts have been made to re-diagnose Holoptychius according to discrete cranial features rather than more widely distributed aspects of scale morphology. The new species is diagnosed as Holoptychius without any scales attributed to it With this new description, the recent Nunavut Paleontological Expeditions continue to expand the Fram Formation's diverse vertebrate fauna, one that additionally includes the elpistostegalian Tiktaalik roseae.

Natural history collections contain historical records that present snapshots of organisms and communities, and are now more important than ever in the face of rapidly changing environments. The world's largest collection of fishes from The Bahamas is housed at The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. These vast Bahamas holdings primarily resulted from the collecting efforts of James Böhlke and Charles Chaplin in the 1950s–1970s. One of the many ways these historical records have been used since their collection is as baseline data for coral reef sites that were revisited decades later to answer questions about changes in coral reef fish community structure through time. Analyses of data collected from resurveys conducted in 2006 and 2010 provided evidence for a relative increase in the abundance of individuals belonging to different trophic groups and families; particularly, a relative increase in herbivores (mainly parrotfishes) and a relative decrease in planktivores. Furthermore, an interesting inverse trend was detected between two nocturnal groups of fishes, where the larger-bodied sqnirrelfishes increased while the smaller-bodied cardinalfishes decreased in relative abundance. These significant differences across trophic groups and families are consistent with the effects of a degraded reef habitat characterized by increased algal cover and fewer shelter spaces. Overall, these resurvey results suggest that neither the coral nor reef-fish communities reflect ‘baseline’ conditions. Continued monitoring of these assemblages using comparative data from multiple replicate samples across time periods will be needed to detect their further change or stabilization.

We present a molecular phylogenetic study of the major lineages of the Pimelodoidea, the second largest and most widespread clade of Neotropical catfishes, in which we examine the affinities of two incertae sedis genera, Conorhynchos and Phreatobius with respect to 24 pimelodoid terminals within the families Pimelodidae, Pseudopimelodidae and Heptapteridae. We include Diplomystes mesembrinus and 11 siluroid, non-pimelodoid taxa as outgroups. Data are more than six kilobases of aligned sequence from the rag1 and rag2 nuclear genes and 12S and 16S rDNA from the mitochondrial genome. Results provide strong support for the monophyly of Pimelodoidea, for the families Pimelodidae, Pseudopimelodidae and Heptapteridae individually, and for the interrelationships described in parenthetical notation as ((Conorhynchos, Heptapteridae), (Phreatobius, Pseudopimelodidae, Pimelodidae)). Within this latter group, analysis of the data using parsimony favors ((Phreatobius, Pseudopimelodidae), Pimelodidae), while Bayesian favors (Phreatobius, (Pseudopimelodidae, Pimelodidae)). However, comparison of tree length in parsimony and Bayes Factor comparisons shows that no resolution of this three-taxon statement is significantly better supported. We added the rag1 and rag2 sequences of taxa newly sequenced for this study to a previously published dataset of 111 catfish terminals. Fossil-calibrated, Bayesian relaxed clock analysis of divergence times indicate that pimelodoids are likely to have originated between 110 and 95 Ma in the Albian or Cenomanian and that the five major lines of pimelodoids split off soon afterward during a period of explosive diversification for siluroid catfishes.

The investigation of crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) in the current territory of Mongolia started in 1880 with specimens collected by G. N. Potanin in north-central Mongolia. The most productive period has been during the last 17 years with the sampling and research fostered by the joint American-Mongolian Lake Hovsgol Survey in 1995–1997 and the Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey (2003–2011). Since 1995, among the true crane flies, the families Cylindrotomidae (4 species) and Trichoceridae (5 species) have been newly discovered in Mongolia, the number of Tipulidae has doubled (now 136 species), the number of Limoniidae tripled (140 species), and nearly eight times more Pediciidae (15 species). In addition, two species of Tanyderidae (primitive crane flies), and one species of Ptychopteridae (phantom crane flies) are known from Mongolia.

Most Mongolian species have Palaearctic (29.0%), Eastern Palaearctic (28.7%), or Mongolian Plateau (14.0%) distribution ranges. The peak flight period for adult crane flies is during the first 20 days of July and with highest diversity at altitudes from 1,000 through 1,800 m. Most crane fly species in Mongolia have larvae developing in aquatic habitats (50.8% of species with known larvae). Those species whose larvae develop in terrestrial habitats develop in leaf litter or soil (31.6%), decaying wood (9.9%), fungi (5.8%), or in dung (2.9%).

Description, illustrations and habitat characteristics are given for the previously unknown larva of the eastern palaearctic species Protanyderus stackelbergi (Diptera: Tanyderidae). The larva was found in a Populus leaf “pack”, a habitat not reported previously for the family, in a small stream (braid) of a larger river in Mongolia. Characters of the larval stages of Protanyderus stackelbergi and Protoplasa fitchii are compared and differences between these two genera are discussed.

Routine examination of gas bladders uncovered a new species of Hassar from the upper Tapajós basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil The new species, Hassar shewellkeimi, is distinguished from all congeners by its relatively long snout and narrow interorbital, distance from snout to anterior naris 2.2–3.1 times interorbital width (vs. 1.1–2.2 in congeners). Hassar shewellkeimi most closely resembles H. orestis, but is further distinguished from that species by having gas bladder with few, weakly developed peripheral diverticula restricted to anterolateral shoulder and posterolateral face of anterior chamber, and sometimes anterolateral face of posterior chamber (vs. diverticula well developed, with multiple branches and grouped into fascicles encircling horizontal periphery of gas bladder in H. orestis), and posterior face of gas bladder smooth, broadly to narrowly rounded (vs. posterior chambers expanded posteriorly into medially conjoined terminal diverticula, effecting acutely subtriangular, cone-shaped posterior face). Characteristics for distinguishing the five valid species of Hassar are summarized, and their known ranges are expanded. In addition, all four specimens in the original syntype series of Hassar wilderi Kindle 1895 are located, and dueling lectotype designations are clarified with CAS 60711 [ex CU 1703 or 1705, ex IUM 5120; 139.5 mm SL, 167 mm TL] recognized as the valid lectotype established by Eigenmann (1925:364, Plate XXII, fig. 2).

New species: Hassar shewellkeimi Sabaj Perez & Birindelli

A new species of apteronotid electric fish is described from the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon. Sternarchella calhamazon sp. n. conspicuously differs from its congeners in caudal peduncle shape, electric organ size and shape, hemal spine elongation above the anal fin, and arrangement of intermuscular bones adjacent to the electric organ. Sternarchella calhamazon is among the most common gymnotiform species living in the principal channels of the lowland Amazon River and its large tributaries.

The nominal apteronotid Sternarchus capanemae Steindachner is an earlier published, objective synonym of Sternarchella schotti Steindachner, both names appearing in 1868. Because S. capanemae was never used as a valid name after its first use, it should be considered a nomen oblitum and Sternarchella schotti should be considered a nomen protectum and the valid name of this species.

Murex salmo Wood, 1828 and Fasciolaria granosa Broderip, 1832 are shown to be conspecific. The first available name for a different species often identified as Pleuroploca or Fasciolaria salmo is Fasciolaria valenciennesii Kiener, 1840, which Deshayes (1843) incorrectly treated as a synonym of P. salmo. In the last several decades, authors who presumably intended to use the name Pleuroploca salmo sensu Deshayes have inadvertently illustrated true P. salmo. Since usage of the names is not consistent, we follow strict priority and synonymize Fasciolaria granosa with Murex salmo. The currently valid names for these species are Granolaria salmo (Wood, 1828) and Granolaria valenciennesii (Kiener, 1840).

Two 18^th Century fragmentary specimens of butterflies housed in the ANSP Archives provide a glimpse into a method of preservation of Lepidoptera evident in Europe in the 1740s, and may represent the oldest entomological specimens in the Americas.