A new species of shrew tenrec, Microgale macpheei, is described from subfossil deposits in Andrahomana Cave, extreme southeastern Madagascar. This species is distinguished from all named taxa of Microgale by a variety of osteological, dental, and mensural characters. It is presumed to be the sister taxon to the extant species M. brevicaudata, which is not known to occur in southeastern Madagascar. Although the genus contains well over 20 living species, M. macpheei is the first known extinct shrew tenrec in the Quaternary fauna of Madagascar.

New information is presented concerning the systematics and biogeography of the islands of the Pacific coast of western Panama. Sporophila angolensis fractor, new subspecies, characterized by a larger bill than S. a. ochrogyne, is described from Isla de Coiba, Panama. Recent doubt cast on the validity of the Coiba endemic subspecies Polioptila plumbea cinericia is unfounded. The first specimen records are given for Islas Secas and Isla Jicarón, including a specimen of Contopus cinereus from the latter that is referable to the Coiba subspecies C. c. aithalodes. Tyrannus melancholicus and Elaenia flavogaster are added to the avifauna of Isla Brincanco.

The gull Larus smithsonianus Coues, 1862 was based on specimens in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, but no type material has been identified and the type locality was never restricted beyond the eastern and western coasts of North America. We here designate USNM 18216 as lectotype, and the restricted type locality thus becomes Henley Harbour, Strait of Belle Isle, Newfoundland Labrador, Canada. It is proposed that Larus smithsonianus be treated as specifically distinct from the Old World Herring Gull Larus argentatus and take the English name Smithsonian Gull.

Species of Canacidae sensu lato, including the subfamilies Canacinae, Pelomyiinae, and Tethininae, from the Delmarva states are revised. Included are nine species in six genera. Taxonomic categories from family to species are diagnosed and appropriate synonymy, illustrations, maps, and information on the natural history are provided for each species. A lectotype is designated for Rhicnoessa parvula Loew. Anthomyza cinerea Williston, 1896 and Rhicnoessa bermudaensis Melander, 1952 are determined to be conspecific with Rhicnoessa willistoni Melander, 1913 with the latter being the senior synonym.

Four new species of valviferans are described: Arcturinoides angulata, Astacilla mccaini and Astacilla spinicutis (family Arcturidae), and Neoarcturus obesopleon (family Holidoteidae). Amesopous richardsonae (Arcturidae) is redescribed and reported from widely separate localities throughout the Indian Ocean, tropical Australia and Japan.

A new species of Uristes Dana, 1849 (Uristidae) collected from shallow waters in the Beagle Channel, Argentina, is described and illustrated. Uristes yamana n. sp., the third species of this genus reported for the Magellan area, is closely related to U. serratus Schellenberg 1931, principally by the possession of an unusual stout gnathopod 1 propodus. Both species can be separated by telson shape and relative setosity of uropod 3. The geographical distribution of U. gigas Dana, 1849 is also emended.

The type species of the genus Mesokalliapseudes Lang 1956, M. crassus (Menzies 1953), which was originally incompletely described and illustrated, is redescribed and a key to the species of the genus is provided. A study of type and non-type material indicates that M. crassus is a protandric hermaphrodite. All of the adult specimens of M. crassus examined, including presumptive males and preincubatory and incubatory females, had a male genital cone. In all other aspects, except for the development of oostegites in the female phase, this species expresses no marked sexual dimorphism.

Neuston samples collected from the Charleston Bump region off the coast of South Carolina, U.S.A., during the summers of 2002 and 2003 consistently included a decapod species of undetermined identity with a large brachyuran megalopa. Despite their resemblance to some calappids, it was impossible to make a definitive identification based solely on general morphology. Therefore, additional neuston tows were taken on the continental shelf near Charleston, during the summer of 2004 to obtain these living megalopae. These were raised successfully through five juvenile stages at the Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center (SERTC) laboratory. The morphology of the juveniles provided evidence that they are megalopae of Calappa tortugae Rathbun, 1933. Comparisons with megalopae of Hepatus epheliticus (Linnaeus, 1763), H. pudibundus (Herbst, 1785), Calappa flammea (Herbst, 1794) and Cryptosoma balguerii (Desbonne, 1867) are presented here. This is the first complete description of the megalopa morphology of a member of the genus Calappa Weber, 1795 from the Western Atlantic, and it is helpful for taxonomic, systematic and ecological purposes.