The 100 most-cited articles in Zootaxa, 2021

New methods in taxonomy and systematics can influence the overall practice of formally naming and describing biodiversity. DNA barcoding has been controversial since its emergence, but now, large scale species descriptions exclusively based on barcodes have created what can be called a 'new quality of performance. Its limitations are discussed from different perspectives: nomenclature, general pragmatism, and problems of DNA-based species delimitation in the light of the central aim of achieving a robust and stable nomenclature of organisms, essential for all applications of biodiversity research. This issue needs to be addressed to prevent restraining the progress of taxonomy and its ability to contribute to modern science.

The superfamily Trombiculoidea is a large and diverse group of acarines that comprises six families; of these, the families Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae are characterized by larvae commonly known as chiggers that are parasites of terrestrial vertebrates, including humans, and some species are of medical importance as vectors of chigger-borne rickettsiosis (scrub typhus), caused by the rickettsia Orientia tsutsugamushi. This paper presents an annotated checklist of 3,013 generally accepted chigger species, together with their distribution by zoogeographic region, and a non-comprehensive list of synonyms. A total of 58 new combinations are proposed by transferring species to different genera, treating some subgenera as genera, or updating current generic names. The checklist updates earlier catalogs of the world chigger fauna, but because the literature on chigger taxonomy is voluminous and scattered, similar, regional monographs were utilized in constructing the classificatory foundation. This list may not contain every species, synonym or taxonomic rearrangement that has been…

Although body size correction and inferential statistics have been used in morphological studies for many decades, their applications are far from being ubiquitous. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the extent of taxonomic papers that performed body size correction and implemented a statistical hypothesis testing framework during the analysis of morphological data. Our results indicate that in most papers, neither of these analyses were performed but instead, cursory comparisons of descriptive statistics were presented. With the development of numerous freely available and powerful statistical programs such as R, we find it prudent to outline a standardized and statistically defensible framework to enhance the workflow of morphological analyses in taxonomic studies. This 5-step approach can be applied to meristic and mensural data across a wide range of taxonomic groups. We include an easy-to-use companion R script to facilitate the implementation of this workflow. Our proposed framework is not rooted in phylogenetic or evolutionary theory and hence, should not be used in…

This paper is a checklist of the fishes that have been documented, through both published and unpublished sources, in marine and estuarine waters, and out 200 miles, from the United States-Canadian border on the Beaufort Sea to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. A minimum of 241 families and 1,644 species are known within this range, including both native and nonnative species. For each of these species, we include maximum size, geographic and depth ranges, whether it is native or nonnative, as well as a brief mention of any taxonomic issues.

We provide a preliminary nomenclatural proposal and a digital map of the Nearctic region, based on published regionalizations, especially Dice (1943), and applying the International Code of Area Nomenclature. The Nearctic region is comprised of three subregions (one of them with two dominions), one transition zone and 29 provinces. The Arctic subregion, in northern North America and Greenland, includes the Eskimoan, Hudsonian, Aleutian and Sitkan provinces. The Western subregion, in western North America, includes the Californian dominion, with the Californian and Oregonian provinces; and the Rocky Mountain dominion, including the Montanian, Saskatchewan, Palusian, Artemisian, Coloradan, Kansan, Mohavian, Navahonian, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Comanche, and Baja California provinces. The Alleghany subregion, in eastern North America, includes the Illinoian, Canadian, Carolinian, Texan, Austroriparian, and Tamaulipan provinces. The Mexican Transition Zone, situated in the area of overlap with the Neotropical region, includes the Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Transmexican…

Six species of harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones) are documented from the Eocene Rovno amber in Ukraine. From the suborder Eupnoi we record Caddo dentipalpus (C. L. Koch Berendt, 1854) (Caddidae), Amilenus deltshevi Dunlop Mitov, 2009 (Phalangiidae) and Dicranopalpus ramiger (C. L. Koch Berendt, 1854) (family incertae sedis). To these we add a new phalangiid, Metaphalangium martensi sp. n., which is the oldest representative of the Recent genus Metaphalangium Roewer, 1911 and new genus for the amber fauna. From Dyspnoi we record Sabacon claviger (Menge, 1854) (Sabaconidae) and propose Parahistricostoma gen. n. (Nemastomatidae), to accommodate Nemastoma tuberculatum C. L. Koch Berendt, 1854, yielding Parahistricostoma tuberculatum (C. L. Koch Berendt, 1854) comb. n. The Rovno harvestman fauna is briefly compared to both Baltic and Bitterfeld amber. The fossil species, C. dentipalpus, A. deltshevi, D. ramiger and P. tuberculatum occur in all three ambers, and S. claviger is found in Baltic and Rovno amber. The only genus and species unique to Rovno amber is thus our new taxon M.…

An annotated checklist of chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, batoids, and chimaeras) occurring in South African waters is presented. The checklist is the result of decades of research and on-going systematic revisions of the regional fauna. The chondrichthyan fauna of South Africa is one of the richest in the world with 191 species, comprising 50 families and 103 genera. It consists of 30 families, 64 genera, and 111 species of sharks; 17 families, 36 genera, and 72 species of batoids; and, 3 families, 5 genera, and 8 species of chimaeras. The most species-rich shark families are the whaler sharks Carcharhinidae with 20 species followed by the deepwater catsharks Pentanchidae with 13 species. The most species-rich batoid families are the hardnose stakes Rajidae with at least 21 species followed by the stingrays Dasyatidae with 13 species. This monograph represents the first detailed annotated checklist of chondrichthyans from South Africa in over 30 years.

A substantial number of changes to the composition of the herpetofauna of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, including taxonomic additions and deletions, have occurred in the five years since our original assessment of this region. These changes now establish a herpetofauna of 480 species for the state. A number of taxonomic and nomenclatural changes involving the Oaxacan herpetofauna also are discussed. Updated patterns of physiographic distribution, endemism, and conservation status of the members of the state herpetofauna are examined.

An updated and evidence-based checklist of Mediterranean Sea fishes is provided. Each of the fish species in the Mediterranean Sea listed here was either listed in the last published checklist of the Mediterranean fishes or in other articles, reports or new records, and the checklist is critically assessed. Out of the assessed 791 species previously reported from the Mediterranean, the presence of 759 species is confirmed while 32 species are excluded from the new checklist, by lacking evidence of presence or representing obvious taxonomic confusions. The net increase in known Mediterranean fish species richness since the last checklist is 11%. The non-native Mediterranean species now represent 22.1% (168 species) of the known Mediterranean fish diversity. The evidence-based protocol applied here provides a reliable checklist of marine fishes, for which each of the included species has indeed been recorded at least once within the discussed geographic area in the Mediterranean Sea.

Zootaxa has been the leading journal on invertebrate systematics especially within Annelida. Our current estimates indicate annelids include approximately 20,200 valid species of polychaetes, oligochaetes, leeches, sipunculans and echiurans. We include herein the impact of Zootaxa on the description of new annelid species in the last two decades. Since 2001, there have been over 1,300 new annelid taxa published in about 630 papers. The majority of these are polychaetes (921 new species and 40 new genera) followed by oligochaetes (308 new species and 10 new genera) and leeches (21 new species). The numerous papers dealing with new polychaete species have provided us a clear picture on which polychaete families have had the most taxonomic effort and which authors and countries have been the most prolific of descriptions of new taxa. An estimated additional 10,000+ species remain to be described in the phylum, thus we urge annelid workers to continue their efforts and aid in training a new generation of taxonomists focused on this ecologically important group.

Cabassous comprises armadillos lacking a full osteoderm cover in the tail, justifying its common name naked-tailed armadillos. In the only taxonomic revision of the genus, in 1980, four living species were recognized, including a polytypic taxon with two subspecies. Recent studies have questioned this classification, but a comprehensive taxonomic review is lacking. Here, we revise the taxonomy of the genus Cabassous using complementary morphological approaches and clarify the geographical limits of naked-tailed armadillo species. Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses, we recognize five living species: C. centralis, C. chacoensis, C. squamicaudis, C. unicinctus, and C. tatouay. Most of the species can be easily differentiated using external or cranial traits, except C. centralis and C. unicinctus, which share several morphological features. The scutes pattern on the cephalic shield is an important diagnostic feature in naked-tailed armadillos and can be easily applied in field studies. Cabassous squamicaudis and C. unicinctus were previously treated as subspecies but we show…

In a moss and lichen sample collected on the Polish coast, a new population of Macrobiotus sottilei was found. Given that the original description of M. sottilei was based solely on the morphology observed under light microscopy and measurements of a few individuals, we provide, by means of integrative taxonomy, a revisional note on this species. We present a comprehensive set of morphometric and morphological data from light and scanning electron microscopy analysis together with nucleotide sequences of three nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2) and one mitochondrial (COI) DNA fragments. We also provide the same set of DNA sequences for Macrobiotus glebkai from a population recently found in Eastern Ukraine and elucidate the phylogenetic position of these two taxa within the family Macrobiotidae. Moreover, the terminology of cuticular bars in macrobiotid legs, and pillars within the egg chorion ornamentation in the Macrobiotus hufelandi morphogroup, are also discussed.

The diversity of Panophrys horned toads is considered highly underestimated with a large number of undescribed cryptic species. In this work, we describe four Panophrys species from eastern China which were proposed as cryptic species by molecular data in previous study, additionally provide new information on the biogeography of these four species. Panophrys daiyunensis sp. nov. from southern Fujian, Panophrys daoji sp. nov. from eastern Zhejiang, Panophrys sanmingensis sp. nov. from the hilly area among Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong, and Panophrys tongboensis sp. nov. from northeastern Jiangxi, can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics. The descriptions of these four new species take the recognized species of Panophrys to 51, which is the largest genus within the Asian horned toads subfamily Megophryinae. Considered as an appropriate arrangement for the Asian horned toads currently and applied in this study to describe the new species, the generic recognition of Panophrys is also discussed.

The model organism Pristionchus pacificus and the genus Pristionchus, Kreis, 1932 have been intensively studied in the last decade with contemporary work focusing on the development, evolution, ecology, behavior, neurobiology, and genomics of this group of organisms. In particular, mechanistic studies on the development and evolution of mouth-form plasticity, predation and associated self-recognition processes enabled unique insight into life history strategies and the evolution of novelty. These studies include a comparative research agenda making use of the 39 available species of Pristionchus, all of which can be studied in living cultures. Sampling efforts revealed that Asia represents a biodiversity hotspot for Pristionchus worms. However, previous samplings have a bias towards northern and island areas, largely for logistic reasons. Here, we report on two extensive sampling trips to the Yunnan and Shaanxi provinces in Mainland China. We report the isolation of nine new Pristionchus species by morphology, morphometrics, mating experiments and genome-wide sequence analysis.

This comprehensive checklist of aphids presents a total of 591 species, including 26 subspecies, from 147 genera belonging to 15 subfamilies in three families distributed over three superfamilies of Aphidomorpha recorded from 1903 to 2020 in Turkey. In the current list, the systematic positions with the genus and species names of some taxa have been revised, and some species have been downgraded to subspecies in accordance with recent changes in nomenclature. Seven species have been removed from the Turkish fauna and four species that were not included in the previous checklist have been added to the list. Also, 59 of the listed species (about 10% of Aphidomorpha) are evaluated as alien to the Turkish fauna, and the distribution of all species in Turkey is given.

A new fossil tiger beetle species, Goriresina fungifora gen. n., sp. n. (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae), is described from Eocene Rovno amber. The new genus belongs to the subtribe Iresiina, tribe Cicindelini, due to the glabrous head, the labrum with six submarginal setae (latero-basal setae very long) and two apical teeth with notch between them, the glabrous and globular pronotum, the lack of setae on the metepisternum and metepimeron, as well as on the visible parts of abdominal sternites, the single long seta each on the fore- and mesotrochanter. The new species is characterized by the long and moderately convex labrum, two clypeal setae, the elongate and apicad converging elytra with an angularly, but smoothly rounded apex, the small and sharp sutural spine, the probable presence of an apical portion of the elytral humeral spot, a slightly sinuate, transverse medial fascia with an extended and downward directed apical portion, and a slightly transverse basal portion of the apical spot. This is the first record of a tiger beetle in Rovno amber and only a fourth well-preserved…

The study of wild bees has markedly increased in recent years due to their importance as pollinators of crops and wild plants, and this interest has been accentuated by increasing evidence of global declines in their abundance and species richness. Though best studied in Europe and North America, knowledge on the current state of wild bees is scarce in regions where they are particularly diversified, such as the Mediterranean basin. The eastern Mediterranean country of Lebanon, located at the heart of the Levant in a biodiversity hotspot, is particularly poorly studied. The aim of this paper is to produce a first annotated checklist of the wild bees of Lebanon from new and museum collections, literature records, and verified occurrences from online databases. The present list totals 573 species for Lebanon of which 289 are reported for the first time, but the estimated diversity is likely to be closer to 700. Preliminary information on local distributions and flower records are also presented. The local species assemblages indicate affinities with montane habitats of the…

Megascops is the most species-rich owl genus in the New World, with 21 species currently recognized. Phylogenetic relationships within this genus are notoriously difficult to establish due to the considerable plumage similarity among species and polymorphism within species. Previous studies have suggested that the widespread lowland Amazonian M. watsonii might include more than one species, and that the Atlantic Forest endemic M. atricapilla is closely related to the M. watsonii complex, but these relationships are as yet poorly understood. A recently published phylogeny of Megascops demonstrated that M. watsonii is paraphyletic with respect to M. atricapilla and that genetic divergences among some populations of M. watsonii are equal to or surpass the degree of differentiation between some M. watsonii and M. atricapilla. To shed light on the taxonomic status of these species and populations within them, we conducted a multi-character study based on molecular, morphological, and vocal characters. We sequenced three mitochondrial (cytb, CO1 and ND2) and three nuclear genes (BF5, CHD…

Bamboo corals are distinguished from most other octocorals by an articulated skeleton. The nodes are proteinaceous and sclerite-free while the internodes are composed of non-scleritic calcium carbonate. This articulation of the skeleton was thought to be unique and a strong synapomorphy for the family Isididae. Our phylogeny, based on the amplification of mtMutS and 18S, shows an articulating skeleton with sclerite-free nodes has arisen independently at least five times during the evolutionary history of Octocorallia rather than being a synapomorphy characteristic of a monophyletic bamboo coral clade. The family Isididae is currently composed of four subfamilies (Circinisidinae, Isidinae, Keratoisidinae, and Mopseinae). Not only is the family polyphyletic, but our genetic analyses suggest also the subfamily Isidinae is polyphyletic based on current taxonomic classifications, and Mopseinae is not monophyletic. The type, Isis, is found outside of the well-supported Calcaxonia Pennatulacea clade where the other members of Isididae cluster. The current classification of the family…

We present a catalogue of 673 species and nine subspecies of Indian Arctiinae in 175 genera which represents 6.11% of the global Arctiinae. Out of 673 species, a monogeneric tribe Amerilini is represented by four species (0.59 % of Indian Arctiinae and 6.06 % of global Amerilini), Arctiini are known by 180 species in 38 genera (26.74 % of Indian Arctiinae and 2.73% of global Arctiini), Lithosiini comprise 419 species in 128 genera (62.25% of Indian Arctiinae and 13.30% of global Lithosiini), and Syntomini account for 70 species in eight genera (10.40 % of Indian Arctiinae and 5.83% of global Syntomini). Information related to type localities, records from India with respective literature references, and the genus/ species synonyms is provided. Brief summaries for the four tribes of Indian Arctiinae, stating their Indian genus and species diversities, diagnostic characters of imagines are also provided. Furthermore, we present data on the distribution of the Arctiinae within the biogeographic zones of India. In addition, a brief analysis of the research history of Indian Arctiinae…

This short account is an invited contribution to the Zootaxa special volume 'Twenty years of Zootaxa.' Zootaxa was first published on 28 May 2001. Between this date and December 2020, 116 papers were published in Zootaxa that mention Bryozoa, comprising mostly descriptions of new species and higher taxa, but also including molecular sequencing (e.g. Fehlauer-Ale et al. 2011; Taylor et al. 2011; Franjevic et al. 2015), invasive-species research (e.g. Ryland et al. 2014; Vieira et al. 2014), checklists (e.g. Vieira et al. 2008), classification (e.g. Bock Gordon 2013), bryozoans as associates of other organisms (e.g. Rudman 2007; Chatterjee Dovgal 2020; Chatterjee et al. 2020), metazoan phylogeny (e.g. Giribet et al. 2013), biographies of historical figures who worked on bryozoans (e.g. Calder Brinkmann-Voss 2011; Calder 2015) and a catalogue of the fossil invertebrate taxa described by William Gabb (including 67 bryozoan species) (Groves Squires 2018). Of the 116 papers, 15 (13%) were open-access.

Chigger mites (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have been revised based on reference data and examination of type materials in European collections of chiggers. For 450 species of 49 genera synonymy, collection data on types, lists of known host species and lists of countries are given. The lists of hosts include in total 649 valid species and subspecies of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods. Two new synonyms were established: Doloisia (Doloisia) Oudemans, 1910 (= Doloisia (Trisetoisia) Vercammen-Grandjean, 1968, syn. nov.) and Gahrliepia lui Chen and Hsu, 1955 (= Gahrliepia (Gateria) octosetosa Chen, Hsu and Wang, 1956, syn. nov.). Twenty-seven new combinations were proposed: Walchia (Ripiaspichia) biliranensis (Brown, 1997), comb. nov., Walchia (Ripiaspichia) huberti (Upham and Nadchatram, 1968), comb. nov., Walchia (Ripiaspichia) parmulaseta (Brown, 1997), comb. nov., and Walchia (Ripiaspichia) serrata (Brown and Goff, 1988), comb. nov.,…

Adult external morphology of the extant raptorial Mantispoidea (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae and Rhachiberothidae) is compared emphasizing the morphology of the subfamily Symphrasinae as a key group to understand the phylogenetic relationships among the members of the superfamily. Plega dactylota Rehn, 1939 is thoroughly characterized in order to exemplify the morphology of the Symphrasinae. Additionally, following a review of the literature and examination of comparative material of Dilaridae, Berothidae, Rhachiberothidae and all Mantispidae subfamilies, a new interpretation of the components of the raptorial apparatus (i.e., head, prothorax, grasping forelegs, as well as integumentary specializations) is presented. Also, wing venation for these groups is reinterpreted, and new homology hypotheses for wing venation are proposed based on tracheation and comparative analyses. Given the high morphological divergence on the genital sclerites within the Mantispoidea, plus the confusing previous usage of neutral terminology and terms referring to appendages across taxonomic and…

Scientific illustration continues to remain a critical part of taxonomy. Illustrations often require lots of time and, in many cases, the results are not as expected. At present, taxonomy journals only accept high quality digital illustrations; thus, image manipulation programs using vector or bitmap graphics have become the new focus of attention. This paper provides a step-by-step guide to making illustrations using bitmap graphics in Autodesk SketchBook. This application provides an alternative to other known tools by allowing: 1) faster illustrations; 2) direct drawing with a wide range of tools that simulate traditional drawing; 3) more detailed illustrations; and 4) an easy interface and work-flow for novice illustrators, all while being completely free and compatible with multiple operating systems.

The amphipod genus Jassa Leach, 1814 now comprises 24 species that occur in temperate regions of both hemispheres on solid substrates from the lower intertidal zone to 500 m depth. The propensity for some species to form dense colonies in water intake structures and offshore platforms has brought them to attention as an unwanted pest. Based on the examination of ~25,000 specimens from ~1,100 museum and private collections, it is evident that some species of Jassa have been transported by human vectors since at least the 19th century and now occur widely. Their colonial, tube-living habit enables such transport, and collection records document them on ships, buoys and portable water systems as well as on natural movable substrates such as logs, drift algae and larger crustaceans. Because Jassa can be so readily found, but species discrimination has had a problematic history, the purpose of this monograph is to assist researchers to identify species through illustrations, descriptions, keys and habitat summaries. Seven species which were named in the 19th century but whose names have…

The diversity of Asian horned toads is considered highly underestimated and to contain a large number of undescribed cryptic species. In this work, we describe three new species of Boulenophrys from south China, namely, Boulenophrys yaoshanensis sp. nov. from central Guangxi, Boulenophrys yingdeensis sp. nov. from northern Guangdong, and Boulenophrys yunkaiensis sp. nov. from western Guangdong. These three new species can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics and significant genetic divergences. These descriptions increase the number of recognized species of Boulenophrys to 61. In addition, an updated checklist of the Asian horned toads of the subfamily Megophryinae is provided in this study.

Until now, 127 species of marine sponges have been recorded in the southern Gulf of Mexico (SGoM). In this study, we describe the sponge fauna recorded on 16 coral reefs of the SGoM, defined as the Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), during a period from 2005 to 2019. We report 80 sponge species, including 34 first geographic records for the southern GoM region. The latter are fully described and illustrated, taking into account 24 that represent new records for the GoM: Agelas conifera, Agelas sventres, Agelas wiedenmayeri, Prosuberites carriebowensis, Desmanthus meandroides, Cliona aprica, Cliona dioryssa, Placospongia ruetzleri, Haliclona (Gellius) megasclera, Haliclona (Reniera) aff. portroyalensis, Neopetrosia proxima, Xestospongia arenosa, Calyx podatypa, Shiphonodictyon xamaycaense, Acarnus innominatus, Iotrochota arenosa, Polymastia tenax, Svenzea cristinae, Svenzea flava, Svenzea tubulosa, Svenzea zeai, Timea stenosclera, Stellettinopsis megastylifera, Suberea flavolivescens. The present work highlights the understimated and remarkable diversity of reef-associated…

This checklist of the Mediterranean fishes of Israel enumerates 469 species which is an addition of 62 species since the previous checklist of 2005. This new checklist includes 58 Condrichthys and 411 Osteicthys species. Most newly-recorded species are of Red Sea origin (Lessepsian migrants)-38 species, 25 species are from previously poorly investigated habitats, mainly deep water, while two species reached the Mediterranean most likely by ballast water and two are aquaculture escapees. The dramatic increase in the number of Lessepsian migrants (an average of 2.5 species per year) is most likely due to the increased water influx between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, following the recent opening of the new parallel, 72 km, "new canal" and the enlargement of other parts of the Suez Canal.

The second species of the genus Typhonoya Prozorov 2011T. kravchenkoi Prozorov, Mller Zolotuhin sp. n. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is described. A previously monotypic genus becomes bitypic. One paratype specimen was collected in the buffer zone of the southern part of the Salonga National Park during a one year-long stationary expedition (June 2017June 2018). Spread imagoes, heads, legs, venations and genitalia of both species are figured and compared. Additional notes on the genus description and previously known species are added.

The Hoang Lien Range in northwest Vietnam is known to harbour five species of Leptobrachella, a specious genus of terrestrial frogs. We collected specimens of Leptobrachella from Mount Pu Ta Leng on the second highest peak in the Hoang Lien Range and use morphological and molecular data to show that this population represents a previously undescribed species which we name Leptobrachella graminicola sp. nov. after the abundance of calling males on sedge-like plants. This new species is closely related to L. bourreti but the new species is distinguished from L. bourreti and other congeneric species by a combination of the following characters: (1) a body size range of 23.124.6 mm in six adult males and 28.632.9 mm in five adult females; (2) skin on dorsum smooth, with many tubercles and lacking dermal ridges; (3) toes with rudimentary webbing and broad lateral fringes; (4) belly white with brown spots; (5) throat dark brown with light grey-brown flecks and spots; (6) a row of large white spots on the outer edge of the tarsus extending from the heel to the inner metatarsal tubercle,…

Integrative approach of taxonomy drives us to the discovery of three new species of the genus Eutyphoeus Michaelsen 1900, namely Eutyphoeus phawngpuiensis sp. nov., Eutyphoeus serei sp. nov. and Eutyphoeus tawi sp. nov. from protected forests of Mizoram, India. E. phawngpuiensis sp. nov. belongs to the Eutyphoeus hastatus group, and is characterized by holandric male organs, having spermathecal pores at a or ab, bidiverticulate spermathecae, and lack of genital marking glands. While, E. tawi sp. nov. has spermathecal pores at b or lateral to b, without lateral intestinal caeca. E. serei sp. nov. belongs to the Eutyphoeus gigas group, and is distinguished by having metandric male organs, lacking female pore of right side, and having spoon shaped tip of penial setae without ornamentation. Molecular characterization using coi gene marker also supports the findings. The maximum intraspecific distances and distance to the nearest neighbour of E. phawngpuiensis sp. nov., E. serei sp. nov. and E. tawi sp. nov. were recorded 3.5%, 9.37%; 2.35%, 14.83%; and 2.28%, 12.86% respectively. The…

We describe the Cephalozygoptera, a new, extinct suborder of Odonata, composed of the families Dysagrionidae and Sieblosiidae, previously assigned to the Zygoptera, and possibly the Whetwhetaksidae n. fam. The Cephalozygoptera is close to the Zygoptera, but differs most notably by distinctive head morphology. It includes 59 to 64 species in at least 19 genera and one genus-level parataxon. One species is known from the Early Cretaceous (Congqingia rhora Zhang), possibly three from the Paleocene, and the rest from the early Eocene through late Miocene. We describe new taxa from the Ypresian Okanagan Highlands of British Columbia, Canada and Washington, United States of America: 16 new species of Dysagrionidae of the existing genus Dysagrion (D. pruettae); the new genera Okanagrion (O. threadgillae, O. hobani, O. beardi, O. lochmum, O. angustum, O. dorrellae, O. liquetoalatum, O. worleyae, all new species); Okanopteryx (O. jeppesenorum, O. fraseri, O. macabeensis, all new species); Stenodiafanus (S. westersidei, new species); the new genus-level parataxon Dysagrionites (D. delinei new…

Culex ekaterinae sp. nov. is described based on an adult male embedded in amber from the Rovno region, northwestern Ukraine. The new species is compared with its presumed closest known relative, i.e. Culex erikae Szadziewski et Szadziewska, 1985 described from adults in Baltic amber. The two species exhibit distinct differences in the size of the main body parts, including the antenna, maxillary palpus and proboscis, as well as in the venation of the wing, the structure of the ungues and male genitaliacharacters crucial in the diagnosis of adult mosquitoes. A redescription of Culiseta gedanica Szadziewski et Gika, 2011, to date known from a single adult male, is presented based on a male in amber from Voronki, Rovno region. A tabulation of fossil Culicidae with their geological ages is provided.

The land flatworm Platydemus manokwari (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) is recorded from the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Martin in the Caribbean arc. Photographs and records were obtained mainly from citizen science and ranged from the end of 2018 to February 2021; several specimens were deposited in the collections of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France. Thirty records were from Guadeloupe, but only one from Martinique and from Saint Martin, respectively. The COI sequences of 3 specimens from Guadeloupe show that they belong to the World haplotype also found in many countries. We also report P. manokwari from Fort Myers, Florida, USA, with molecular characterization, which was also the World haplotype. This is the first published record of P. manokwari for Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin and the second for islands in the Caribbean, after Puerto Rico.

Three new species of Moniligaster Perrier, 1872, namely M. bahli Narayanan Julka, sp. nov., M. blakemorei Narayanan Julka, sp. nov. and M. keralensis Narayanan Julka, sp. nov. are described from materials collected from the Indian state of Kerala. Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962, Moniligaster horsti Gates, 1940, Moniligaster michaelseni Gates, 1940 and Moniligaster stephensoni Gates, 1940 are recorded for the first time from the state. With the new findings, a total of 10 Moniligaster species are known from Kerala. Moniligaster species are restricted to southern peninsular India, except Moniligaster ivaniosi Manazhy, 2011, decribed from the Andaman Islands, outside the currently known distributional range of the genus. Hence we critically reviewed the original description and reinvestigated the holotype. As a result, Moniligaster ivaniosi is considered a junior synonym of Drawida nepalensis Michaelsen, 1907.

A new species of genus Megophrys from Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province, China is described. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA all clustered the new species as an independent clade nested into the subgenus Panophrys. The smallest genetic distance based on 16S rRNA gene between the new species and its congeners was 3.0%. The new species could be identified from its congeners by a combination of following characters: moderate body size (SVL 31.0-34.8 mm in males); vomerine ridge weak, vomerine teeth absent; dorsal skin relatively smooth; tongue slightly notched behind; tympanum rounded and relatively large, 0.54 times of eye length; a horn-like tubercle on edge of each upper eyelid small; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches middle eye when leg stretched forward; finger tips rounded, not expanded to small pad; toes with narrow fringes and rudimentary webbing; ventral hindlimbs semitransparent purplish with greyish white pigments; ventral body scattered with distinct dark patches in the middle.

Twenty nine new species of cynipid oak gall wasps from the Nearctic region (America north of Mexico) are described: Andricus archboldi Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. catalinensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. chapmanii Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. chiricahuensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. columbiensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. cooki Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. fitzpatricki Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. highlandensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. mellificus Nicholls, Stone Melika, sp. nov., A. menkei Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. mogollonensis Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A. nichollsi Melika Stone, sp. nov., A. schickae Nicholls, Melika Stone, sp. nov., A. torreyaensis Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. williami Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., A.tomkursari Melika, Nicholls Stone, sp. nov., Dryocosmus archboldi Melika Abrahamson, sp. nov., Loxaulus virginianae Melika Buss, sp. nov., Neuroterus alexandrae Nicholls Melika, sp. nov.,…

O'Brien, Caitlin E., Bennice, Chelsea O., Leite, Tatiana (2021): A field guide to distinguishing Octopus insularis and Octopus americanus (Octopoda: Octopodidae). Zootaxa 5060 (4): 589-594, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5060.4.8

Nephelomys albigularis is a sigmodontine rodent of the tribe Oryzomyini distributed in the Andean forests from central Ecuador to central Peru. Although several studies recognize this species as monotypic, significant morphological variation has been reported in Peruvian populations that were not properly assessed by direct comparisons with the type series from central Ecuador. We present a preliminary review of N. albigularis with an integrative approach and emphasis on Peruvian populations. We analyzed specimens using morphological and morphometric methods, complemented with phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation using sequence data from the cytochrome-b gene. Our results reveal that N. albigularis (sensu lato) comprises two taxa: N. albigularis s.s., from the montane forests in central and southern Ecuador and northwestern Peru, and Nephelomys sp. nov. from montane forest east of the Maran River. These taxa are morphologically distinct and are separated by a genetic distance of 5.90 1.01%. Nephelomys sp. nov. differs from N. albigularis s.s. by longer rump hairs, narrow…

Investigation of the diversity and taxonomy of feather mites of the subfamily Pterodectinae (Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae) on passerines (Passeriformes) and kingfishers (Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae) in Manitoba revealed 19 species in 5 genera. Of them, eight new species are described, seven of these from passerines and one from a kingfisher: Alaudicola eremophila sp. n. from Eremophila alpestris (Alaudidae), Amerodectes icteri sp. n. from Icterus galbula (Icteridae), A. pheucticus sp. n. from Pheucticus ludovicianus (Cardinalidae), A. tiffanyluiae sp. n. from Oporornis agilis (Parulidae), A. tretiakae sp. n. from Molothrus ater (Icteridae), Tyrannidectes sealyi sp. n. from Tyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus, 1758) (type host) and Tyrannus verticalis Say, and T. empidonicus sp. n. from Empidonax minimus (Tyrannidae), and Proterothrix megaceryle sp. n. from Megaceryle alcyon (Alcedinidae). Additionally, nine pterodectine species are reported for the first time in the fauna of Canada. Based on re-evaluation of diagnostic charcters, new diagnoses are proposed for the genera Amerodectes,…

We here revise the genus Pyropteron Newman, 1832 using molecular and morphological analyses. Our data support the monophyly of Pyropteron with Synansphecia Căpușe, 1973 (syn. rev.) being its junior subjective synonym. Four taxa are described as new to science, Pyropteron minianiformis xerxes Bartsch, Pühringer, Lingenhöle Kallies ssp. nov., Pyropteron hellenicum Bartsch, Pühringer, Lingenhöle Kallies sp. nov., Pyropteron jordanicum Bartsch, Pühringer, Lingenhöle Kallies sp. nov. and Pyropteron leucomelaena blaesii Bartsch, Pühringer, Lingenhöle Kallies ssp. nov., and 4 species are raised to species rank, Pyropteron nigrobarbata (Rebel, 1916) stat. nov., Pyropteron icteropus (Zeller, 1847) stat. rev., Pyropteron euglossaeformis (Lucas, 1849) stat. rev. and Pyropteron erodiiphaga (Dumont, 1922) stat. rev. To stabilize the taxonomy, we designate neotypes for Pyropteron euglossaeformis stat. rev. and Pyropteron ceriaeformis (Lucas, 1849). Pyropteron pipiziformis (Lederer, 1855) comb. nov., is combined with Pyropteron for the first time. The identity of Pyropteron atlantis…

This paper lists all known Chinese Raspy Crickets (Gryllacrididae) following the scheme proposed by Cadena-Castañeda. A total of 23 genera, 104 species, 3 new combinations, 4 new synonyms, and 1 new replacement name are recorded. Based on these known species, keys to genera (or subgenera) and species with the diagnosis of each genus are also given. Also we provide the Chinese name of all categories.

The nemertean order Monostilifera consists of 594 species in 127 genera and is distributed worldwide. Within the Monostilifera, two suborders have been recognized, Cratenemertea and Eumonostilifera. Within the latter, two, unranked clade names, Oerstediina and Amphiporina, were recently proposed without formal taxonomic definition. In this article, I give morphological circumscriptions and clade definitions for Cratenemertea, Eumonostilifera, Oerstediina, Plectonemertidae, Oerstediidae, and Amphiporina. Oerstediina and Amphiporina are placed on the Linnaean rank of infraorder. Constituent genera and species for each higher taxon are tabulated. The genus Amphiporella Friedrich, 1939 is herein replaced with Germanemertes nom. nov. to avoid homonymy with the Carboniferous fossil bryozoan genus Amphiporella Girty, 1910. Loxorrhochmidae Diesing, 1862 is declared a nomen oblitum relative to Tetrastemmatidae Hubrecht, 1897, a nomen protectum under Article 23.9 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. There remain 308 species of eumonostiliferans whose infraorder affiliation is…

Based on two male and two female individuals, we describe a new genus and species of mud snake, Myanophis thanlyinensis gen. nov., sp. nov., from the vicinity of the campus of East Yangon University, Yangon, Thanlyin, Myanmar. This species differs from every other homalopsid species by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsal scales smooth, row formula 21-21-19 or 21-21-17; (2) tail short, ratio tail length/SVL 0.185-0.204 in males, 0.160-0.167 in females; (3) nasal scales separated; (4) 125-126 ventral scales in males, 120-122 in females; (5) 38-39 subcaudal scales in males, 32-34 in females; and (6) hemipenis bilobed. Its matrilineal genealogy (based on analyses of 16S and cytochrome b sequences), associates Myanophis thanlyinensis gen. nov., sp. nov. most closely with species of the genera Myrrophis and Gyiophis. The new taxon differs from the species of Myrrophis and Gyiophis by having a bilobed hemipenis (vs. unilobed). Myanophis thanlyinensis gen. nov., sp. nov. differs further from the species of Myrrophis by having 125-126 ventral scales in males and 120-122 in…

A new genus of Chamaemyiidae (Diptera: Lauxanioidea) is described, namely Leucotaraxis gen. nov. (type species Leucopis atrifacies Aldrich; other included species Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Zetterstedt), comb. nov., Leucotaraxis piniperda (Malloch), comb. nov., and Leucotaraxis sepiola sp. nov.). These species are predators of Adelgidae (Hemiptera) infesting Pinaceae. Leucotaraxis argenticollis is Holarctic, while the other three species are Nearctic. The phylogeny of Leucotaraxis with other representatives of Chamaemyiidae was elucidated using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences and the genus was found to be monophyletic. Egg and puparial stages are discussed or described and illustrated for all species except Leucotaraxis sepiola. A key is provided to all species of Chamaemyiidae known to attack Pinaceae-infesting Sternorrhyncha, an annotated list of these taxa is provided, and a habitus photograph is provided for each genus with such species. In addition, a lectotype is designated for Leucopis olivacea Meijere, and it is synonymized under Neoleucopis obscura (Haliday), syn.…

A new species of malachite beetles, Protomauroania mikhailovi Tshernyshev Perkovsky, sp. n. is described from late Eocene Rovno amber. The new beetle is the second species of the Eocene fossil genus Protomauroania Tshernyshev, 2021 that was first recorded in Rovno amber and shows fauna similarity of dasytids in Baltic and Rovno amber. The new species is typical owing to the following characters: antennae with 5-segmented wide club, surface covered with dark-brown long semi-erect thin setae, and the ultimate ventrite (apical sternite) simple, narrow, not depressed. Digital high resolution pictures of the beetle are provided.

Polychaete worms of the Polydora-complex (commonly referred to as polydorins) include some of the most common pests of cultured molluscs. Modern culture of molluscs, particularly oysters, is associated with large-scale movement of stock which facilitates movement of polydorins either as "hitchhikers" on the transported molluscs or in the packaging. In 2009, a species identified as Polydora cf. ciliata Johnston, 1838 was reported from oysters in a culture facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Since then, more specimens of this species were recorded on farmed oysters from Namibia, Kleinzee and Paternoster on the west coast of South Africa, but tentatively reidentified as Polydora cf. websteri Hartman in Loosanoff and Engle, 1943 based on morphology and limited genetic evidence. The main aim of this study is therefore to clarify the identity of these specimens by integrating morphological and genetic (mitochondrial COI, Cyt b and nuclear 18S rRNA) evidence. Specimens from South Africa match the morphology of the lectotype of P. websteri and are morphologically and genetically very…

Combining the results from morphological and molecular analyses, we explore the taxonomy of the genus Achalinus from Southwest China. As a result, we describe two new species, A. panzhihuaensis sp. nov. and A. yangdatongi sp. nov. from southern Sichuan and southern Yunnan provinces, respectively, and we record a new country record, A. emilyae, from Guangxi Zhuang A. R.. The mitochondrial genealogy suggests that A. panzhihuaensis sp. nov. is sister to A. meiguensis, while A. yangdatongi sp. nov. clusters with the sister species A. juliani and A. ater. Both new species show considerable genetic divergence from their recognized congeners (uncorrected p-distance 6.2 % in COI gene). Furthermore, both new species can be diagnosed from closely related congeners by a combination of pholidosis characters. With our discovery, we provide a revised key to the 13 species from China and discuss some of the remaining issues regarding the taxonomy of the genus in China.

To date, 9 species of Schistosomatidae have been found parasitizing the nasal tissues of mammal and bird hosts in the Eastern Hemisphere, 5 species in Rwanda (Africa), 2 in Australia (Oceania) and 2 in Eurasia. During a parasitological survey of black necked swans, Cygnus melancoryphus, an anatid endemic to South America, schistosome worms in the nasal tissue were found; the first in the Americas. Morphological results based on male worms and in isolated eggs. The worms have a spiny tegument, filiform body with rounded posterior end, two muscular suckers, a robust gynaecophoric channel with thickened cross bands, and around 130 testes. The eggs are elongate with an asymmetrical bulge, with a slender process at one end and a longer curved process at the other. Diagnostic morphological characteristics do not match with any schistosome genus. Part of the mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear DNA 28S partial genes were sequenced and compared to Schistosomatidae in GenBank. The genetic results confirm the distinctiveness of the specimens since they do not group with any described genus or…

Species of the genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 with 17 or 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody and an overall dark venter are reviewed, including the two species previously known as Parahelicops annamensis Bourret, 1934 and Pararhabdophis chapaensis Bourret, 1934. Specimens with 17 scale rows are morphologically similar to Hebius venningi (Wall, 1910), which is here redefined based on external morphological characters such as scalation, and dorsal and ventral patterns. Consequently, Natrix nigriventer Wall, 1925 is resurrected from its synonymy with Hebius venningi, whereas Natrix taronensis Smith, 1940, previously considered a subspecies of H. venningi or a full species by some authors but without justification, is here confirmed to full species status. Another group of species, mostly similar in coloration and pattern to the H. venningi group but with 19 dorsal scale rows, includes H. modestus (Günther, 1875), H. deschauenseei (Taylor, 1934) and a new species which is described herein based on specimens from northern Vietnam, southern China and north-eastern Thailand due to distinct…

The Chinese-Myanmar border area forms part of a long-acknowledged biodiversity hotspot. This region is characterised by dramatic topography and diverse landscapes, which support a high degree of biodiversity and endemism that remains largely understudied. Based on recent survey efforts we here describe a new frog species of the genus Odorrana from this area. Found in Dulongjiang village, Yunnan, China, the new species differs from a morphological perspective from its congeners through the combination of a grass-green dorsum with black posterior spots, absence of dorsolateral folds, a distinct pineal body, presence of supratympanic folds, absence of outer metacarpal, metatarsal and supernumerary tubercles, and a pair of external subgular vocal sacs. From a molecular perspective, pairwise genetic distances of 4.8% to 11.6% for DNA sequences of the mitochondrial gene for 16S ribosomal RNA differentiate the new species from other Odorrana. Our mitochondrial phylogeny suggests that the new species is a deeply divergent genetic lineage clustering with the clade including Odorrana…

A taxonomic revision of the Iranian species of the family Cossidae is conducted. Sixthy-nine species and 16 subspecies in 26 genera and five subfamilies, namely Catoptinae, Mehariinae, Stygiinae, Cossinae and Zeuzerinae, are identified. Meharia baluchestana Alipanah Yakovlev, sp. n. and Cossulus kopetdaghensis Yakovlev Alipanah, sp. n. are described. Dyspessa elbursensis derbenti Daniel, 1964 is raised to the species level, Dyspessa derbenti Daniel, 1964, stat. n.; Dieida ledereri (Staudinger, 1817) is considered as the senior synonym of D. persa Strand in Stichel, 1911, syn. n.; Cossus coccus araraticus Teich, 1896 is considered as a senior synonym of C. c. armeniaca Rothschild, 1912, syn. n.; C c. kossai Wiltshire, 1957 as a senior synonym of C. c. omrana Wiltshire, 1957, syn. n.; and Deserticossus arenicola iranica (Austaut, 1897), syn. n. and D. arenicola transcaucasicus (Zukowsky, 1936), syn. n. are newly synonymized with D. arenicola arenicola (Staudinger, 1879). Additionally, the genus Mormogystia Schoorl, 1990, and 15 species, namely Dyspessa alpherakyi (Christoph in…

A new Octopus Cuvier, 1797 species, Octopus djinda Amor, 2021 (previously treated as O. cf. tetricus and O. aff. tetricus), is described from the shallow waters off southwest Australia. This species was classified as conspecific with O. tetricus Gould, 1852 from Australias east coast and New Zealand but is shown here to be morphologically and genetically distinct. This description is based on 25 individuals across three localities in southwest Australia, encompassing most of its distribution. Greater and non-overlapping sucker counts on the males hectocotylised arm delimit east and west coast forms. DNA barcoding using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I also successfully differentiates between these taxa; 13 polymorphisms along a 349 bp partial fragment (3.7% sequence divergence). A close relative of the O. vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 species-group, O. djinda, sp. nov. supports a highly productive fishery and is currently one of two octopod fisheries worldwide to have received sustainable certification from the Marine Stewardship Council. The taxonomic description presented here provides…

The purpose of our contribution is to propose a robust and practical order-level classification of the families of Oligochaeta, that is, non-leech Clitellata. The order level is mandatory in Linnaean rank-based classification and is also required in many internet-based biodiversity databases. However, it has received little attention in oligochaete systematics, and the few available order-level classifications of Oligochaeta no longer represent phylogenetic relationships adequately. Our proposal is based on corroborated molecular phylogenetic evidence and takes as benchmarks class level for Clitellata, subclass level for Oligochaeta and Hirudinea, and order level for Crassiclitellata, the monophylum that includes most of the earthworm taxa. As a result, eleven orders are proposed: Alluroidida Timm Martin, 2015; Capilloventrida Timm, n. ordo; Crassiclitellata Jamieson, 1988; Enchytraeida Kasprzak, 1984; Haplotaxida Brinkhurst Jamieson, 1971; Lumbriculida Brinkhurst Jamieson, 1971; Moniligastrida Brinkhurst Jamieson, 1971; Narapida Timm, n. ordo; Parvidrilida Timm, n. ordo;…

A new species of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus is described from forested karst hills near Zhutangxiang town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Yunnan, China. Hemiphyllodactylus zhutangxiangensis sp. nov. is distinguished from all other congeners in morphology and an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of greater than 14% based on 1039 base pairs of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). The new species is defined by the following characters: a maximum SVL of 44.42 mm; 79 chin scales; enlarged postmentals; five circumnasal scales; 24 internasal scales; 811 supralabial scales; 811 infralabial scales; subdigital lamellae on fingers IIV (35)-(46)-(4 or 5)-(4 or 5); subdigital lamellae on toes IIV (4 or 5)-(4 or 5)-(46)-(4 or 5); dorsal scales 1115; ventral scales 57; 2023 continuous femoroprecloacal pores; having pale-grey base color on the body with various darker transverse dorsal blotches; a dark postorbital stripe extending to at least to the base of the neck; no dark dorsolateral or ventrolateral stripe on trunk; and postsacral marking bearing a dark…

Syrphidae, more commonly known as flower flies, are considered one of the most important Diptera families worldwide because of their critical role in pollination, biological control and decomposition of organic matter. The study of these flies in Chile has stagnated due to a lack of local experts as well as the absence of an updated catalog of species. This study is an attempt to remedy the latter of these issues by providing an illustrated and updated catalog to the Syrphidae of Chile. Species are presented under currently accepted names, with synonyms and previous combinations listed and original references. Type localities, world and Chilean distribution by geopolitical Chilean regions, taxonomic and biological notes, a complete record of bibliographic references and extinction risk under IUCN Red List criteria are provided. This catalog recognizes 132 species of Syrphidae, belonging to four subfamilies (Eristalinae, Microdontinae, Pipizinae and Syrphinae), 13 tribes and 47 genera. A total of 46 species (34.84 %) is restricted to the geopolitical territory of Chile. Eight species…

Urocleidoides spp. are reported from the gills of 20 specimens of Parodon nasus (standard length 8.512 cm), from the Indiana stream, Tiet River, Upper Paran River basin, municipality of Botucatu, So Paulo State, Brazil. Urocleoidoides tenuis and two new species were found. Urocleidoides indianensis n. sp. differs from its congeners mainly by the morphology of the vaginal sclerite that is robust, sickle-shaped, and forked at the distal end; and by the bulbous-shaped accessory piece of the male copulatory complex. Urocleidoides parodoni n. sp. resembles U. tenuis by presenting male copulatory organ with approximately 7 counterclockwise rings, but differs by the morphology of the accessory piece (lobate with a small hook-like projection versus pincer-shaped), vaginal sclerite (thumb-like subterminal projection vs. presence of a distal hook), vaginal tube (conspicuously sclerotized vs. slightly sclerotized), shape of the ventral bar (bowed vs. wide V-shaped), ventral and dorsal anchors (robust base and short shaft vs. considerably less robust base and long shaft), and hooks (slender…

Two new species of Rhinogobius found in streams on central part of Palawan Island, Philippines are described. The two new species, Rhinogobius estrellae and Rhinogobius tandikan share unique transverse rows of sensory papillae on the cheek with Rhinogobius similis Gill, 1859, but differ from the latter in fin ray counts, arrangement of the scales, etc. The two new species are distinguished from each other by the pectoral-fin ray count, the longitudinal- and predorsal-scale counts, and colouration of the body. Rhinogobius estrellae new species and R. tandikan new species have been found allopatrically in a stream within Malatgao River system flowing into the Sulu Sea and in the Cayulo River flowing into the South China Sea, respectively. The Malatgao River system is the southernmost habitat of the genus Rhinogobius. Rhinogobius similis had been considered as the only member of the most basal lineage of this genus, but our mitochondrial genome analysis suggested that the two new species are additional members of this lineage. They are considered to be relicts of their common ancestor…

The modern classification of skinks is based on a nomenclature that dates to the 1970s. However, there are a number of earlier names in the family group that have been overlooked by recent workers. These names are identified and their validity with respect to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature investigated, along with their type genera. In most cases, use of these names to supplant junior synonyms in modern day use is avoidable by use of the Reversal of Precedence articles of the Code, but the names remain available in case of future divisions at the tribe and subtribe level. Other names are unavailable due to homonymy, either of their type genera or the stems from similar but non-homonymous type genera. However, the name Egerniini is replaced by Tiliquini, due to a limited timespan of use of Egerniini. A new classification of the Family Scincidae is proposed, providing a more extensive use of Code-regulated levels of classification, including tribes and subtribes, and a detailed synonymy provided for each taxonomic unit.

A new species of the xenodermid snake genus Achalinus Peters, 1869 is described from Fujian Province, China, based on six specimens. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses based on a mitochondrial DNA fragment (CO1) indicated the new taxon is different from its congeners (pdistance ≥ 18.5%). Morphologically, the new species can be diagnosed from the other species by a combination of following characters: (1) dorsal scales 23 rows throughout, strongly keeled, the most outer rows on both sides also keeled and slightly enlarged; (2) tail relatively longer, TaL/TL ratio 0.260.29 in males, 0.210.22 in females; (3) maxillary teeth 3033; (4) length of suture between internasals significantly longer than that between prefrontals; (5) nasal divided into two sections by nasal cleft; (6) a single loreal; (7) SPO 1, seldom 2; (8) SPL 6, the fourth and fifth contacting eye; (9) IFL5, rarely 6, the first three touching the first pair of chin shields; (10) TMP 79, arranged in three rows; (11) VS 142149 in males, VS 152154 in females; (12) SC 7481 in males, SC 6365 in females, arranged…

A new caddisfly species Plectrocnemia kirmikhia sp. nov. (Polycentropodidae) is described from Priabonian Rovno amber (Upper Eocene, 33.937.8 million years old). Now the family Polycentropodidae is represented in Rovno amber by 16 named species, and the genus Plectrocnemia includes 5 described species in this locality.

We describe three new genera of cynipid oak gall wasps from the Nearctic: Burnettweldia Pujade-Villar, Melika Nicholls, gen. nov., Nichollsiella Melika, Pujade-Villar Stone, gen. nov., and Disholandricus Melika, Pujade-Villar Nicholls, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Burnettweldia includes five species, B. californicordazi Cuesta-Porta, Melika Pujade-Villar, sp. nov., B. conalis (Weld), comb. nov., B. corallina (Bassett), comb. nov., B. plumbella (Kinsey), comb. nov., B. washingtonensis (Gillette), comb. nov.. Nichollsiella includes three species, N. arizonica (Cockerell), comb. nov., N. sulcata (Ashmead), comb. nov., and N. puigi Melika, Cuesta-Porta Pujade-Villar, sp. nov.. Disholandricus includes four species, D. chrysolepidis (Ashmead), comb. nov., D. lasius (Ashmead), comb. nov., D. reniformis (McCracken Egbert), comb. nov., D. truckeensis (Ashmead), comb. nov. The genus Paracraspis Weld, comb. rev. is re-established with three species, P. guadaloupensis (Fullaway), P. insolens (Weld), and P. patelloides (Trotter). Descriptions, re-descriptions, diagnoses, keys to…

Species known from China in the praying mantis subfamily Hierodulinae are revised. A new species, Titanodula menglaensis sp. nov. is described. Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 and Dracomantis mirofraternus Shcherbakov Vermeersch, 2020 are newly recorded from China. Two new synonyms are proposed: Titanodula formosana (Giglio-Tos, 1912) = Titanodula fruhstorferi (Werner, 1916), syn. nov. and Hierodula macrodentata Wang, Zhou Zhang, 2020 = Hierodula latipennis Brunner de Wattenwyl, 1893. Ootheca and male genitalia of the Chinese species are described and photographed. An identification key to genera and species of Hierodulinae from China is also provided. The current Chinese checklist contains 21 species.

In the present monograph, the taxonomy of the species of the genus Maladera Mulsant Rey, 1871 from China is revised. We recorded 224 valid species for China, including 152 species new to science: Maladera allonitens Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. anhuiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. apicalis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. aptera Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baii Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baishaoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bansongchana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baoxingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bawanglingana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bawanglingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. beibengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. beidouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bikouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. breviclava Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bubengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. businskyorum Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. chenzhouana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. constellata Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. crenatotibialis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. crenolatipes Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. daanensis Ahrens,…

This work is the last of four papers of the Spaghetti Project, aiming to revise the species of terebellids, a.k.a. spaghetti worms, present in the European French waters. In this last paper the Terebellidae, sensu stricto, from French waters are revised based, on material available in the French marine stations, type materials stored in the MNHN collection and newly collected specimens. Nine new species are described using both morphological and molecular tools: Eupolymnia gili n. sp., E. lacazei n. sp., E. meissnerae n. sp., Lanice kellyslateri n. sp., Paramphitrite dragovabeci n. sp., Pista labruneae n. sp., P. miosseci n. sp., P. sauriaui n. sp., and Terebella banksyi n. sp. European species of Eupolymnia are distinguished mainly by the shape of the lateral lobes and the size of the branchial stems. The two species belonging to Lanice genus are distinguished by the fusion of the first ventral shields, the shape of both noto- and neuropodia, and the pigmentation of the upper lip. The two species of Paramphitrite are distinguished by the presence or absence of a medial dorsal gap…

Despite being among the most species-rich extant animal genera, Euconnus Thomson is rare in fossil record. Merely six species found in relatively young, Eocene and Oligocene ambers have been placed in this genus, which currently includes over 2,600 extant nominal species distributed worldwide. We describe †Euconnus nathani sp. n., the first extinct, unambiguously placed member of the broadly distributed, extant Palaearctic subgenus Cladoconnus Reitter, based on a unique male specimen in Upper Eocene Rovno amber, Ukraine. The male of the new species has monstrously modified antennae, in general structure showing close similarities to those of extant congeners, but the modification of antennomere 8 is so profound and bizarre that this one antennal segment alone is sufficient to identify adults of E. nathani.

Centropomus Lacépède, 1802 comprises 13 species of the fishes popularly knows as snooks, distributed in both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America. Despite several studies on the group, conflicting taxonomic classifications still exist, including overlapping diagnostic characters, rendering species diagnoses extremely difficult. Herein, we review the taxonomy of Centropomus to elucidate species identities, redefine their diagnoses and to assess interspecific relationships based on the examination of 376 specimens. The study included complementary approaches, as analyses of external morphologic characters, linear and geometric morphometrics, and molecular analyses. Forty-nine characters were used for external morphology, 17 discrete plus 32 linear measurements. Shape and size were analyzed through geometric morphometrics of 185 specimens in lateral view. Partial sequences of the gene cytochrome c oxidase I were obtained for 129 specimens representing 11 species. Based on the consistent results retrieved from the morphologic and molecular analyses, we recognized six species of…

The bathyal serpulid Laminatubus alvini ten Hove Zibrowius, 1986 was described from the periphery of hydrothermal vents of the Galapagos Rift and has been recorded from other vent communities of the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Here we assessed the biodiversity of serpulids collected from eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents and methane seeps using DNA sequences and morphology. Laminatubus alvini showed little genetic variation over a wide geographic range from the Alarcon Rise vents in southern Gulf of California (~23°N), to at least a point at 38°S on the EPR. Specimens from several methane seeps off Costa Rica and the Gulf of California (Mexico) differed markedly from those of Laminatubus alvini on DNA sequence data and in having seven thoracic chaetigers and lacking Spirobranchus-type special collar chaetae, thus fitting the diagnosis of Neovermilia. However, phylogenetic analysis of molecular data showed that L. alvini and the seep specimens form a well-supported clade. Moreover, among the seep specimens there was minimally a ~7% distance in mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences…

The "World Catalogue of Opiliones" (WCO) is a collaborative effort to comprehensively index the Earth's species of harvestmen. This paper announces one component of the WCO, "WCO-Lite" a website available at https://wcolite.com/. WCO-Lite provides a graphic user interface for a second component of the WCO, "Opiliones of the World", a database on the taxonomy of the harvestmen curated in TaxonWorks (TW). WCO-Lite interfaces include: (1) a checklist of all valid taxa of the arachnid Opiliones, exhaustive up to December 2018; (2) a taxonomic tree; (3) a search engine comprising two modules; and (4) a counter of species diversity for each taxon. An e-Book companion was launched simultaneously with WCO-Lite version 1.1 on September 12, 2020 to account for the formal publication of mandatory nomenclatural changes and availability of taxonomic names. The collective components of the WCO are also being summarized in a forthcoming conventional paper-form catalogue, currently in manuscript stage.

Seventeen new species of Anastrepha, primarily from Suriname, French Guiana and Par, Brazil, are described and illustrated: A. aithogaster Norrbom from Brazil (Par), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. aliesae Norrbom from Suriname; A. brownsbergiensis Norrbom from Suriname; A. crassaculeus Norrbom Rodriguez Clavijo from Colombia (Magdalena, Norte de Santander) and Suriname; A. curvivenis Norrbom from Brazil (Amazonas), Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (San Martn), and Suriname; A. fuscoalata Norrbom from Brazil (Par), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. gangadini Norrbom from Suriname; A. juxtalanceola Norrbom from Brazil (Par) and Suriname; A. microstrepha Norrbom from Brazil (Bahia) and Suriname; A. mitaraka Norrbom from French Guiana; A. neptis Norrbom from Brazil (Par), Ecuador (Orellana), Peru (Loreto) and Suriname; A. sobrina Norrbom from Brazil (Par), French Guiana, and Suriname; A. surinamensis Norrbom from Suriname; A. tenebrosa Norrbom from Brazil (Par) and Peru (Loreto); A. triangularis Norrbom from Suriname; A. wachiperi Norrbom from French Guiana and Peru (Cusco); and A.…

The Oriental species belonging to genus Brachycerocoris Costa, 1863 (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea: Pentatomidae: Podopinae s.l.) are revised with description of two new species, B. petrii sp. nov. and B. davidii sp. nov. from India and Philippines respectively. Brachycerocoris camelus Costa, 1863 is diagnosed and illustrated for female genitalia and B. dromedarius (Vollenhoven, 1863) is diagnosed and illustrated for both male and female genitalia. Additionally, host record, bionomics of B. petrii sp. nov. and a key to the Oriental species are provided.

An updated checklist of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Algeria based on records published from 1903 to 2021 is presented. Fifty-three species belonging to seven genera are known with reasonable confidence to occur in the country, including Aedes (15 species), Anopheles (15), Coquillettidia (2), Culex (14), Culiseta (5), Orthopodomyia (1) and Uranotaenia (1). Two additional species, Culex simpsoni Theobald, 1905 and Uranotaenia balfouri Theobald, 1904, are provisionally regarded as present in Algeria. Published records are listed for each species, with indication of synonymous usage and variant spelling of names where applicable. The type locality of Aedes biskraensis Brunhes, 1999 is restricted to Seriana in Sidi Okba District in Biskra Province. Problematic species and doubtful occurrence records based on apparently misidentified specimens and confused taxonomy are discussed. Notes on taxonomy and medical importance are provided for the more important species.

Parasinalda sukachevae sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae: Tinginae: Phatnomini) is described based on one specimen from Eocene amber of the Rovno region (Ukraine). Similarities and differences to closely related species Parasinalda baltica (Drake, 1950), P. froeschneri (Golub Popov, 1998), and P. groehni Heiss Golub, 2013 are discussed, and a key to the four known species of the genus is provided.

Flatworms of the Order Polycladida are a group of free-living invertebrates found in a diversity of marine habitats, with over 800 species described worldwide. Marine flatworms are a conspicuous component of Australias marine fauna yet have received little attention. Less than 30 scientific articles have been published on Australian marine flatworms since 1855, of which only nine include species from southeastern Australia. Here, the biodiversity and distribution of species belonging to the Order Polycladida inhabiting intertidal rocky beaches in southeastern Australian waters were identified and analysed. Sampling was conducted at low tide along the coasts of New South Wales and Victoria. Collected samples were serially sectioned for comparative anatomical studies, and tissue was removed from each individual for molecular sequencing and analyses. Both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences were obtained and used as an additional source of evidence for the description of new species as well as providing further insight into the phylogenetic relationships between them. A total of 20…

This catalog lists all 1226 nominal species introduced by Rondani within Diptera (1174 available and 52 unavailable), providing for each available name data on the type locality, type material, current taxonomic status and with remarks on both the collectors and the specialists who have studied this material. The following new synonymies are proposed: Panops aeneus Philippi, 1865 [Acroceridae] under Lasia aenea Rondani, 1863, n. syn.; Panops nigripes Philippi, 1865 [Acroceridae] under Lasia cuprea Rondani, 1863, n. syn.; Tabanus brasiliensis Rondani, 1850 [Tabanidae] under Dichelacera fasciata Walker, 1850, n. syn.; Petagnia subpetiolata Rondani, 1859 [Tachinidae] under Petagnia occlusa Rondani, 1856, n. syn.; Tephritis siderata Rondani, 1868 [Tephritidae] under Hexacinia radiosa (Rondani, 1868), n. syn. Mallophora macquartii Rondani 1851 [Asilidae] is considered as a senior (but invalid) synonym of Mallophora scopipeda Rondani, 1863, n. syn. Paragus mundus Wollaston, 1858 [Syrphidae] is proposed as the valid name for Paragus coadunatus sensu Goeldlin de Tiefenau (1976); Paragus…

The twentieth anniversary of the first issue of Zootaxa (De Moraes Freire, 2001) provides an appropriate opportunity to reflect on some trends in global Ephemeroptera taxonomy publishing over the last two decades, with a focus on the description of new species and the outsized role of the journals Zootaxa and ZooKeys, in particular. Detailed reviews of world Ephemeroptera knowledge up to about 2000 were collected in a series of nine papers from a symposium on the subject, published together in the proceedings of the ninth International Conference on Ephemeroptera (Domínguez 2001). Domínguez Dos Santos (2014) provided updates and analysis for South America up to the year 2012. More recent detailed accounts of regional and taxonomic diversity, and other aspects of mayfly biology and ecology, were reviewed by Jacobus et al. (2019), while Ogden et al. (2019) discussed current issues involving higher classification.

Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) (Col.: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is an ambrosia beetle species native to subtropical Eastern Asia, with great concern due to its high invasive ability. This species has invaded 54 countries worldwide, including 4 European countries (Italy, France, Greece, and Spain); it was detected in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) in October 2019. In the present work, X. compactus is recorded for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula (Girona province, NE Spain); specimens were collected in Banyoles (August 2020, attacking twigs of Laurus nobilis and Liquidambar styraciflua) and Platja d'Aro (October 2020, attacking twigs of L. nobilis). Up-to-date information is presented about its geographical distribution, host plants, biology, symptoms, associate damages, and the possible origin of this species in Europe.

The gecko species Gekko (Japonigekko) subpalmatus was previously recorded with a relatively wide distribution from eastern, southern, and southeastern China. However, the populations in southern China are currently recognized as another valid species G. (J.) melli. In this study, we conduct a detailed morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis of the populations currently treated as G. (J.) subpalmatus or G. (J.) melli, which are collectively designated as the G. (J.) subpalmatus complex. Our results reveal that the G. (J.) subpalmatus complex comprises three evolutionarily independent taxa. The populations from Zhejiang, eastern China are G. (J.) subpalmatus, those from southern China are G. (J.) melli, while those from the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China represent a cryptic species, Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov.. Gekko (Japonigekko) cib sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners, by its divergence from other complex members in the CYTB and 16S genes, and a combination of morphological characteristics, especially in hemipenial morphology. Historic records of G.…

Approximately half of the species in speciose genus Raorchestes were described during the past 10 years, yet only 11 species are known from Southeast Asia and southern China (SEA-SC), adjacent Himalayas, and northeastern India. Field work in northwestern Yunnan province, China resulted in the discovery of one new species in the genus based on morphological and molecular analyses. The new species is diagnosed by small size with 15.0-19.0 mm SVL in adult males (n=3); tongue pyriform, notched posteriorly; rudimentary webbing between toes; fingers and toes with narrow lateral dermal fringes; tibiotarsal articulation reaching anterior of the eye when hindlimb is stretched along the side of the body; relative finger lengths: I < II < IV < III, relative toe lengths: I < II < V < III < IV; inner metatarsal tubercle oval, outer metatarsal tubercle absent; finger discs and toe discs greyish or orange; flank near the crotch with a distinct black region between two creamy white patches, and the thigh having a similar black patch near the groin, proximal to another creamy white patch; a distinct…

The Old World genus Mesocomys Cameron (1905) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae: Eupelminae) is revised. Eleven species, including two newly described species, are recognized and keyed in two previously established species groups, the albitarsis and the pulchriceps species groups sensu Gibson (1995), but with additional features provided to distinguish members of the two groups. Five species are recognized in the pulchriceps group-Mesocomys anelliformis n. sp., M. longiscapus n. sp., M. orientalis Ferrière, 1935, M. pauliani Ferrière, 1951, and M. pulchriceps Cameron, 1905. Seven species are assigned to the albitarsis group, but one, M. aegeriae Sheng, 1996 is treated as a nomen dubium; the six recognized and keyed species in the albitarsis group are M. albitarsis (Ashmead, 1904), M. breviscapis Yao, Yang Zhao, 2009, M. menzeli (Ferrière, 1930b), M. obscurus (Ferrière, 1930b) revised stat., M. superansi Yao, Yang Zhao, 2009, and M. trabalae Yao, Yang Zhao, 2009. Within the albitarsis group, the species are further discussed relative to two newly established species subgroups, the albitarsis…

Based on a critical analysis of scientific publications for the last 200 years and on the collected specimens, a complete annotated list of both typical freshwater ichthyofauna of Sakhalin Island, with the inclusion of marine species that can be found in brackish coastal waters, is reported for the first time. The annotated list includes 226 species classified in three classes, 26 orders, 68 families, 29 subfamilies, and 148 genera. For 160 species, information is provided on collection samples deposited in various museums around the world, 36 of which are type specimens. For each species, conservation status (according to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Red Book of the Sakhalin region), zoogeographic characteristics (distribution within Sakhalin Island and globally), abundance and commercial value are given. For a number of species, more detailed information on synonymy and nomenclature is provided. The study area is located in the western North Pacific and includes the entire coast of Sakhalin Island in the Sea of Okhotsk and the northern Sea of Japan, as well as the…

The present catalogue is the first rsum of the family Nolidae Bruand, 1846 recorded in India comprising 354 species under 98 genera of 6 subfamilies, including four new records to India: Casminola seminigra (Hampson, 1896), Evonima ronkaygabori Han Hu, 2019, Meganola suffusata (Wileman West, 1929) and Nola euryzonata (Hampson, 1900). The Indian Nolidae represents 16.2 % of the global species (2,179 species) of Nolidae. The information on the type locality, type depository, sex of the type (wherever available), first reference, synonymy, host plants (wherever available) and distribution within as well as outside India for each of the included species is provided. Some clarifications regarding type locality, type depository along with new distributional records within Indian states are also given with 72 images of adults.

We described a new species of the genus Leptobrachella from Southern Guangxi, China, based on morphological characteristics, molecular analyses and bioacoustics. This new species, Leptobrachella shiwandashanensis sp. nov., occurs in sympatry with Leptobrachella shangsiensis. However, phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S gene fragment revealed that the new species was clustered in a monophyletic group and a considerable genetic divergence existed between the new species and L. shangsiensis (p-distance: 7.9%) as well as its congeners (minimum p-distance: 7.0%). The new species also differed from its congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: (1) small size (SVL 26.829.7 mm in males; 33.735.9 mm in females); (2) pale brown dorsal surfaces, with a brown inverse-triangle-shaped marking between the eyes; (3) creamy white ventral surface with brown spots on the lateral margin, with a near immaculate creamy white throat and chest; (4) without webbing and lateral fringes on toes; (5) flanks with irregular black spots; (6) tibia-tarsal articulation reaching…

The genus Phylladiorhynchus Baba, 1969 currently contains 11 species, all occurring in the shallow waters and on the continental shelf of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Recent expeditions in these oceans have resulted in the collection of numerous new specimens in need of analysis. We have studied this material using an integrative approach analysing both morphological and molecular (COI and 16S) characters. We describe 41 new species and resurrect three old names: P. integrus (Benedict, 1902) and P. lenzi (Rathbun, 1907), previously synonymized with P. pusillus (Henderson, 1885), and P. serrirostris (Melin, 1939), previously synonymized with P. integrirostris (Dana, 1852). Most species of the genus are described and illustrated. Some species are barely discernible on the basis of morphological characters but are highly divergent genetically. Species of Phylladiorhynchus are mainly distinguishable by the number of epigastric spines and lateral spines of the carapace, the shape and the armature of the rostrum, the number and pattern of the ridges on the carapace and pleon, the shape…

Four new species of the Palaearctic crangonyctid amphipod genus Lyurella Derzhavin, 1939 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae), L. mikhailovi sp. n., L. fanagorica sp. n., L. fontinalis sp. n. and L. asheensis sp. n., are described based on an integrative approach from the subterranean habitats of the southwestern foothills of the Greater Caucasian Ridge (the north-eastern Black Sea coast). Despite the relative proximity of the habitats, the interspecific genetic divergence (by COI mtDNA gene marker) between the newly outlined Caucasian species of the genus varied from 11 to 21%, demonstrating a long-term isolation and lack of gene flow for at least 37Mya, starting from the Pliocene. The lowest genetic divergence between L. shepsiensis Sidorov, 2015 and L. asheensis sp. n., estimated as 4%, is also considered species-specific due to the presence of distinct morphological differences. We discuss the phylogeny, morphology, and distribution and provide a key for all known species of Lyurella. DNA barcoding data for all species, including the type species of the genus, Lyurella hyrcana…

The state of Par in northern Brazil is located entirely within the Amazon Basin and harbors a great diversity of landscape and vegetation types that support high levels of biodiversity. Here, we provide a comprehensive inventory of ant species and their distribution in Par. This regional list is based on an extensive review of species records from published and unpublished sources covering a period of 134 years (18862020) and includes the five most representative ant collections in Brazil. In total, we documented 12 subfamilies, 90 genera and 753 ant species, including 97 species recorded for the first time in Par and 12 species newly reported in Brazil. Sampling effort across the state is highly uneven, and most records may be associated with research areas near the state capital, mining areas, hydroelectric dams, and research field stations run by the state or universities. In addition, our results suggest a strong bias in ant collection in Par in terms of proximity of sampled sites to access routes, such as roads and rivers. We also found that species records were highly unevenly…

This paper reports on 13 species of Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from West Bengal, India. Eight species, namely Euseius alstoniae (Gupta, 1975), Paraphytoseius orientalis (Narayanan, Kaur Ghai, 1960), Amblyseiulella heveae (Oudemans, 1930), Gynaeseius ricini (Ghai Menon, 1969), Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans, 1952), Neoseiulus imbricatus (Corpuz Rimando, 1966), Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes, 1948 and Phytoseius kapuri Gupta, 1969 are re-described, and five species, Typhlodromips jhilimiliensis sp. nov, Typhlodromips neosyzygii sp. nov, Proprioseiopsis amari sp. nov, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) bolpurensis sp. nov, and Phytoseius mauritiana sp. nov. are described as new. Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes, 1948 is reported from India for the first time.

The taxonomy of the poorly known pilumnid crab, Pseudolitochira integra (Miers, 1884), has been confused because the original description and figures of the type female have inaccuracies, and the specimen has not been examined in detail since the original publication. Consequently, numerous specimens from the Indo-West Pacific have been incorrectly assigned to P. integra, suggesting that this species is widely distributed. The type female was micro-CT scanned in order to provide video and accurate figures of this rare pilumnid. The female possesses a suite of carapace and pereopodal characters that distinctly distinguish it from other pilumnoid taxa. The species is redescribed, refigured and formally designated as the type species of Pseudolitochira Ward, 1942. The identities of the numerous specimens assigned to P. integra are discussed and the distribution of the species is restricted to the western Indian Ocean for the time being.

A new species of the genus Niphargus is described from the Gelendzhik-Tuapse area of the Russian southwestern Caucasus. It belongs to the "puteanus" species group and phylogenetically related to Caucasian N. ciscaucasicus and N. talikadzei, separating from other Caucasian species of the genus by the presence of 2 hooks in retinacules on pleopods, different rami of uropod I both in males and females, and relatively large inner ramus of uropod III. Molecular study has revealed that Niphargus bzhidik sp. nov. and related N. ciscaucasicus are relicts of the Late Miocene speciation, associated with the Messinian crisis (5.96-5.33Mya) separated widespread Paratethys species, which survived in long-term genetic isolation for a long time. The new species is blind and epigean, and probably unable to spread over long distances, but this way of life probably allowed surviving in refugee during the Quaternary period with a colder climate. Analysis of stable isotopes (δ13C/δ15N) revealed that the new species is carnivorous, in contrast to another studied stygobiotic herbivorous Niphargus species…

The integrated results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses, principal component analyses (PCA), and a multiple factor analysis (MFA) recover a new, widely allopatric species of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius species group. Cyrtodactylus kulenensis sp. nov is endemic to the Phnom Kulen sandstone massif of the Phnom Kulen National Park, Siem Reap Province, in the lowlands of northwestern Cambodia. A phylogenetic analysis from a short read (275 base pairs) of the mitochondrial gene NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) from C. kulenensis sp. nov. was aligned with 1449 base pairs from all other species in the intermedius group. The analysis recovered C. kulenensis sp. nov. as the sister species to a lineage composed of populations from the widely separated hilly regions of Sa Keao and Sakaerat in eastern Thailand. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate analyses (ANOVA) using combinations of meristic (scale counts), mensural (morphometric), and categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 52 specimens encompassing all species of the…

The monophyly and taxonomic validity of some currently accepted genera of gall wasps in the Cynipini (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) are being challenged by recent systematic studies. Here we used morphological and molecular data to re-describe and revise the taxonomic limits of the monotypic genus Kokkocynips Pujade-Villar Melika, previously recorded only from Mexico. We describe a new species from Panama, Kokkocynips panamensis Medianero Nieves-Aldrey, reared from galls on Quercus salicifolia Neé, and add new records from Mexico for the type species of the genus K. doctorrosae Pujade-Villar. Six Nearctic species, Dryocosmus rileyi (Ashmead, 1896), D. imbricariae (Ashmead, 1896), D. coxii (Basset, 1881), D. deciduus (Beutenmueller, 1913), Callirhytis difficilis (Ashmead, 1887) and C. attractans (Kinsey, 1922) are transferred to Kokkocynips. Species of Kokkocynips are associated only with red oaks (Quercus section Lobatae (Fagaceae)) and are distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, from Canada through Mexico and Panama. Taxonomic limits of Kokkocynips are discussed in light of…

We describe two new Kukri snakes of the genus Oligodon from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Mountain Range, southern peninsular Thailand. Oligodon phangan sp. nov., endemic to Pha-Ngan Island, Surat Thani Province, is characterized by a maximal known SVL of 369.1 mm; 12 maxillary teeth, the posterior three enlarged; 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; 163-166 ventrals; 33-42 divided subcaudals; a single anal; dorsal color brown with a pair of discreet paravertebral and lateral stripes; no dorsal or supracaudal bands, blotches or crossbars; background color of belly pinkish-orange; underside of tail immaculate. Oligodon promsombuti sp. nov., whose type-locality is Khao Phanom Wang, Surat Thani Province, is also found in Trang Province, and is characterized by a maximal known SVL of 552.7 mm; 12 maxillary teeth, the posterior three enlarged; 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; 177 ventrals; 40 divided subcaudals; a single anal; deeply forked hemipenes lacking spines; dorsal color blackish brown with nearly indistinct paravertebral stripes; no dorsal or supracaudal blotches or crossbars; background color of…

In this study, based on morphology and DNA barcodes, new records of water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) collected in August 2017 in North Iran are presented. Hydrodroma golestanica n. sp. (Hydrodromidae) is described as new for science. We also resurrect three previously synonymized species: Sperchon amuzgari Bader Sepasgosarian, 1979 (Sperchontidae), Monatractides persicus Pei Saboori, 2004 and Torrenticola baueri Bader Sepasgozarian, 1987 (Torrenticolidae).

Four Atlantic species of the flustrid genus Hincksina Norman, 1903, which were introduced during the 19th and early 20th century, are redescribed and imaged: Hincksina flustroides (Hincks, 1877) from Great Britain, Hincksina sceletos (Busk, 1858) from Madeira as well as Hincksina neptuni (Jullien in Jullien Calvet, 1903) n. comb. and Hincksina alice (Jullien in Jullien Calvet, 1903) n. comb. from the Azores, the latter two of which were hitherto placed in the cribrilinid genus Membraniporella Smitt, 1873. Lectotypes are designated for all species. A new species, Hincksina synchysia n. sp., is introduced for the Mediterranean taxon previously referred to as Hincksina flustroides f. crassispinata Gautier, 1962. In contrast to species from the continental shelf, which have simple cylindrical or flattened spines, some of the species from the oceanic islands of Madeira and the Azores are particularly characterised by falciform and variably formed palmicorn spines. Moreover, whilst most Hincksina species have avicularia with a relatively short, (sub)rounded rostrum and mandible, the two…

The St. Cassian Formation, Italy, has yielded the most diverse marine invertebrate fauna known from the Triassic. A quarter of all described Triassic gastropod species has been reported from this formation. Most of the gastropod species from the St. Cassian Formation were erected in the 19th century and many of them are known only from their original figures and descriptions. The failure to study type specimens resulted in many erroneous identifications by subsequent authors. Here, we revise the slit band gastropods (Pleurotomariida) from the St. Cassian Formationone of the major groups present in this formation. A total of 77 nominate Pleurotomariida species belonging to 29 genera and 11 families are present in the St. Cassian Formation which comprises approximately 14% of the total nominate gastropod species of that formation. In addition, we revise several taxa that had been wrongly assigned to Pleurotomariida. As other gastropod clades, Pleurotomariida experienced a major extinction at the end-Permian mass extinction event. As in the Late Palaeozoic, their relative abundance in…

The South American species of Pseudocanthon Bates, 1887 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Deltochilini) are reviewed. In this work, 10 valid species and two subspecies are recognized for the genus. Among these species, five are recorded in South America, including three new species: P. perplexus (LeConte, 1847), P. xanthurus (Blanchard, 1847), P. vazdemelloi new species, P. pantanensis new species, and P. chaquensis new species. A lectotype is designated for P. xanthurus (Blanchard, 1847). In this revision, each species is analyzed as follows: a detailed literature review, an identification key for the South American species, a diagnosis, descriptions, illustrations of key morphological characters, list of examined material, and geographic distribution.

We address the phylogenetic relationships of pimoid spiders (Pimoidae) using a standard target-gene approach with an extensive taxonomic sample, which includes representatives of the four currently recognized pimoid genera, 26 linyphiid genera, a sample of Physoglenidae, Cyatholipidae and one Tetragnathidae species. We test the monophyly of Pimoidae and Linyphiidae and explore the biogeographic history of the group. Nanoa Hormiga, Buckle and Scharff, 2005 and Pimoa Chamberlin Ivie, 1943 form a clade which is the sister group of a lineage that includes all Linyphiidae, Weintrauboa Hormiga, 2003 and Putaoa Hormiga and Tu, 2008. Weintrauboa, Putaoa, Pecado and Stemonyphantes form a clade (Stemonyphantinae) sister to all remaining linyphiids. We use the resulting optimal molecular phylogenetic tree to assess hypotheses on the male palp sclerite homologies of pimoids and linyphiids. Pimoidae is redelimited to only include Pimoa and Nanoa. We formalize the transfer from Pimoidae of the genera Weintrauboa and Putaoa to Linyphiidae, re-circumscribe the linyphiid subfamily Stemonyphantinae,…

A new species, Dorytomus mikhailovi sp. n., from late Eocene Rovno amber is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to D. groehni Bukejs et Legalov, 2019 from Baltic amber but differs in the shorter rostrum, dorsum covered with denser decumbent hairs and erect to semierect scale-like setae, and smaller body sizes. It is distinguished from D. bukejsi Legalov, 2020 from Baltic amber by the densely punctate pronotum, longer rostrum and wide elytral interstriae. The new species differs from D. vlaskini Legalov et al., 2019 from Rovno amber by the elytral interstriae covered with decumbent hairs and erect to semierect scale-like setae, shorter rostrum and coarsely punctuate pronotum. It is the first named curculionid beetle from the Olevsk amber locality, and the eleventh amber species reported from the Zhitomyr region. The presence of seven species of Dorytomus suggests a rather high diversity of Salicaceae in the late Eocene amber forests of Europe. It corresponds well with other principal Holarctic species in European amber biotas.

The widespread parthenogenetic gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris is comprised of several clonal lineages, at least one of which has been known for some time to have originated from hybridization between its maternal ancestor, Lepidodactylus moestus, and a putatively undescribed paternal ancestor previously known only from remote islands in the Central Pacific. By integrating new genetic sequences from multiple studies on Lepidodactylus and incorporating new genetic sequences from previously sampled populations, we recovered a phylogenetic tree that shows a close genetic similarity between the generally hypothesized paternal hybrid ancestor and a recently described species from Maluku (Indonesia), Lepidodactylus pantai. Our results suggest that the paternal hybrid ancestor of at least one parthenogenetic clone of L. lugubris is conspecific with L. pantai and that the range of this species extends to Palau, the Caroline Islands, the Kei Islands, Wagabu, and potentially other small islands near New Guinea. Deeper genetic structure in the western (Palau, Maluku) versus eastern (eastern…

The superfamily Eriophyoidea constitute a group of phytophagous mites of particular economic and evolutionary interest due to their intimate association with host plants and their agricultural importance as harmful or beneficial organisms. Studies on the Eriophyoidea fauna in Brazil started in the early 1900s with botanical works on cecidias and were continued with researchers looking for and reporting on eriophyid mites causing damage to agricultural crops. Therefore, in this annotated checklist, we compile information from just over a century on eriophyid mites reported or described from Brazil. Its purpose is to facilitate plant protection strategies and guide future work on this important group of phytophagous mites. In addition to taxonomy, we present information on host plants and general aspects of cecidia attributed to eriophyoid mites but without genus/species identification. Compilation was based on: i) literature, including papers, books, theses and congress/symposium publications; ii) specimens deposited in mite collections in Brazil. On each species we present: i)…