Two new species of gall midge associated with two distinct galls on the succulent creeping shrub Sarcocornia quinqueflora are described from salt marshes in south-eastern Australia. The infestations caused by the new species hinder the growth of S. quinqueflora, the seeds of which are the major food of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster. Asphondylia floriformis sp. n. Veenstra-Quah & Kolesik transforms leaf segments into flower-like galls, whereas Asphondylia sarcocorniae sp. n. Veenstra-Quah & Kolesik produces simple swellings on branches. Both galls have fungal mycelium growing in the apoplast of the gall tissue and lining the inner surface of the larval chamber where it is presumably grazed by the larva. Descriptions of the larvae, pupae, males, females and the geographical distribution of the two gall midges in south-eastern Australia are given.

Five new species and a new genus of gall midge are described from flower galls on native chenopod plants in Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Asphondylia vesicaria sp. n. induces galls on Atriplex vesicaria; A. mcneilli sp. n. on Sclerolaena diacantha; and A. tonsura sp. n. on Enchylaena tomentosa. Infested flowers develop into galls and produce no seeds. DNA analysis of part of the cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene supported the morphological and biological differences between each of the new species and the previously described A. floriformis (Veenstra-Quah & Kolesik) and A. sarcocorniae (Veenstra-Quah & Kolesik) that induce galls on leaves and branches, respectively, of Sarcocornia quinqueflora (Chenopodiaceae) in Australian salt marshes. A new genus, Dactylasioptera gen. n. and two new species of Lasiopterini, D. adentata sp. n. and D. dentata sp. n. are described -both were reared from galls of A. mcneilli and A. tonsura.

No abstract

Noncultivable viruses have been associated with diarrhea affecting newborn babies in obstetric hospital nurseries. Persisting infection in a special care nursery in Melbourne, Australia, permitted a study of the pattern of excretion of these viruses. Ten babies admitted to the nursery within 2 hr of birth were randomly selected for prospective study. Feces were collected daily for 14 days and were examined by electron microscopy. All ten babies excreted detectable amounts of duovirus (rotavirus, HRVL agent, IGV) for at least 1 day. Age at onset of excretion varied from 2 to 13 days. Eight of the ten babies developed diarrhea. Excretion of duovirus preceded the onset of diarrhea by 12--72 hr and persisted for at least 3 days. Seven of the ten babies also excreted detectable amounts of 28-nm virus-like particle for 3--8 days. The identity of this particle is unknown. Morphologically it resembles Norwalk agent and "astrovirus." Excretion of this 28-nm particle coincided with symptoms of diarrhea in four babies, all of whom were also excreting duovirus. It is concluded that most newborn babies admitted to a nursery where duovirus infection is endemic will excrete this virus at least once during the first 2 weeks of life. Excretion of virus particles will either precede development of diarrhea or be asymptomatic. Selective isolation of babies with diarrhea is thus unlikely to control spread of duovirus infection within a hospital nursery.

Monographis queenslandicus n. sp. is described from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The genus Monographis may be divided into two groups based on the arrangement of sensilla on the 6 th antennal article. Species with a crescent-shape arrangement are M. kraepelini, M. annandalei, M. baihualingensis, M. demangei and M. mirus; species with a triangular arrangement are M. tamoyensis, M. yunnanensis and M. queenslandicus n. sp.

A new species of penicillate millipede, from genus Monographis (Diplopoda: Polyxenidae), was collected from Trang Bom and Dinh Quan, within the Dong Nai province, southern Vietnam. Taxonomic characteristics of the genus Monographis Attems, 1907, were used to formally describe this new species. Sensilla of the 6^th antennal article and claw structures of Monographis dongnaiensis were compared with those of M. tamoyoensis, M. yunnanensis and M. queenslandicus. Genomic DNA of M. dongnaiensis was compared with the DNA of other species within the genus Monographis. Monographis dongnaiensis is confirmed as the ninth member of the genus Monographis and named Monographis dongnaiensis after the collection site Dong Nai province in Vietnam.

Lophoproctid and synxenid millipede species observed in this study showed clear differences in their sexual reproduction, including sperm web structure, egg morphology and development compared with species from Polyxenidae. Male Lophoturus queenslandicus (Lophoproctidae) produce a single spermatophore on a sperm web without signal threads due to their lack of silk-producing coxal glands. Females of this species lay fewer eggs and differ in their egg cluster arrangement, which includes nest trichomes for protection. Lophoproctid chorion has a thin protective membrane and the pupoid has fused papillae covering the entire anterior region and an aperture bordered by protective papillate sensilla is present at the apex of the pupoid. Lophoproctid millipedes have a comparatively short intermoult period between stadia. In contrast, male Phryssonotus novaehollandiae (Synxenidae) produce two spermatophores separated by a large gap on their sperm web, with signal threads that are less obvious. Synxenid chorion and pupoid stages were unique; the chorion was tough and thick and the pupoid had anterior projections without an aperture bordered by sensilla, unlike those observed in lophoproctid and polyxenid millipedes. This study extends knowledge of the reproduction of species from three major millipede families from the Suborder Polyxenida (Penicillata: Diplopoda). Additionally, the results indicate that the reproductive strategies of Australian lophoproctid and synxenid species are adapted to their harsh environment.

Two new species of gall midges of the genus Dactylasioptera Kolesik & Veenstra‐Quah, (Lasiopteridi: Lasiopterini) are described from hairy stem tip galls on Maireana (Chenopodiaceae) in southern Australia. Dactylasioptera lebelae sp. nov. Veenstra & Kolesik, 2018 causes galls on Maireana pyramidata ranging from filamentous to spheroid. Dactylasioptera milnae sp. nov. Veenstra & Kolesik, 2018 causes rosette shaped, leafy galls on Maireana brevifolia. Descriptions of larvae, pupae, male and female adults, as well as geographical distributions of the new gall midges are given. The two species differ from each other in the larval, pupal and adult morphology as well as in mtDNA sequence data (COI). Galls of both species contained fungal mycelium and inquiline wasps Megastigmus sp. (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) and Aprostocetus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae). The new species are the first confirmed gall makers from the Australian genus Dactylasioptera that contained previously two described species: Dactylasioptera adentata Kolesik & Veenstra‐Quah, and Dactylasioptera dentata Kolesik & Veenstra‐Quah, 2018, both of which are likely inquilines reared from galls induced by Asphondylia spp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on chenopod host plants. A matrix of morphological characters of Dactylasioptera species is given.