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Two new species of giant pill-millipedes, Zephronia viridisoma Rosenmejer & Wesener sp. nov. and Sphaerobelum aesculus Rosenmejer & Wesener sp. nov., are described based on museum samples from southern Thailand. Zephronia viridisoma sp. nov. comes from Khao Lak, while the type locality of S. aesculus sp. nov. is on Phuket Island. Both species are described integratively, combining light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, multi-layer photography, micro-CT scans and genetic barcoding. Genetic barcoding was successfully conducted for holotypes of both new species, which could be added to a dataset of all published sequences of the family Zephroniidae, including all described species from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia up to 2020. Genetic barcoding of the COI gene revealed another female of S. aesculus sp. nov., 160 km east of the type locality. Both new species are genetically distant from all other Zephroniidae from Thailand and surrounding countries, showing uncorrected p-distances of 16.8–23.1%. A virtual cybertype of a paratype of Z. viridisoma sp. nov. was created and made publically accessible.
A rare fairyfly (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) genus, Ganomymar De Santis, 1972, is revised and rediagnosed based on both sexes; its males were previously unknown. This genus, which has remarkable structures on the propodeum and peculiar fore wings in females, is known only from Madagascar in the Afrotropical region. Its type species, Ganomymar dessarti De Santis, 1972, is redescribed and illustrated based on a non-type female specimen. Three new species of Ganomymar are described: G. caslot sp. nov., G. libertatium sp. nov., and G. zuparkoi sp. nov. The species are placed in two distinct species groups. A key to females of the four species is provided.
Integrative taxonomy was employed to exploit the differences between the known Metaphire anomala (Michaelsen, 1907) and other specimens collected in Vietnam. The results brought to light two new species, namely Metaphire iranomala sp. nov. and Metaphire decemtheca sp. nov. The former is easily recognised by having male pores on xix and four pairs of spermathecal pores on 5/6/7/8/9 while the latter is distinguished by having five pairs of spermathecal pores on 4/5/6/7/8/9. The K2P distances of the fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene are 13.1% between M. iranomala sp. nov. and M. anomala (Michaelsen, 1907) and 18% between M. decemtheca sp. nov. and Metaphire grandiverticulata Nguyen & Lam, 2017. The intraspecific divergences are 1.5%–10.6% for M. iranomala sp. nov. and 2.1%–11.4% for M. decemtheca sp. nov.
In the Indo-West Pacific, intertidal slugs of the genus Platevindex Baker, 1938 are common in mangrove forests, where they typically live on the roots and trunks of mangrove trees. These slugs are easily distinguished from most onchidiids by their hard notum and narrow foot, but despite their large size and abundance, species diversity and geographic distributions have remained a mystery. With the aid of new collections from across the entire Indo-West Pacific, the taxonomy of Platevindex is revised using an integrative approach (natural history field observations, re-examination of type specimens, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, and comparative anatomy). In this monograph, nine species of Platevindex are recognized, including one new to science: P. amboinae (Plate, 1893), P. applanatus (Simroth, 1920) comb. nov., P. aptei Goulding & Dayrat sp. nov., P. burnupi (Collinge, 1902) comb. nov., P. coriaceus (Semper, 1880), P. latus (Plate, 1893), P. luteus (Semper, 1880), P. martensi (Plate, 1893) and P. tigrinus (Stoliczka, 1869) comb. nov. Five species names are recognized as junior synonyms, four of which are new, and two Platevindex names are regarded as nomina dubia. One new subspecies is also recognized: P. coriaceus darwinensis Goulding & Dayrat subsp. nov. Most species were previously known only from the type material and many new geographic records are provided across the Indo-West Pacific, from South Africa to the West Pacific (Japan, New Ireland and New Caledonia).
Two new species of the subfamily Cypricercinae McKenzie, 1971 are described from the Western part of Thailand: Pseudostrandesia ratchaburiensis sp. nov. and Strandesia prachuapensis sp. nov. Pseudostrandesia ratchaburiensis sp. nov. is mainly characterized by a flange on the antero-ventral part of the left valve (LV), a markedly large β seta on the mandibular (Md) palp, serrated bristles on the third endite of the maxillula (Mx1), a slender caudal ramus (CR) with a long claw Ga (length ca half that of the ramus) and a relatively low number (13) of spiny whorls in the Zenker’s organ. The discovery of both males and females of Pseudostrandesia ratchaburiensis sp. nov. in the present study constitutes the first report of a sexual population in this genus, thereby allowing for a comparison of the male reproductive organs (hemipenis and Zenker’s organ) from a new species with those of other genera of Cypricercinae. Strandesia prachuapensis sp. nov. is most closely related to Strandesia odiosa (Moniez, 1892) and Strandesia flavescens Klie, 1932 as they bear similar anterior flanges on the right valve (RV). The key diagnostic features of the new Strandesia species are a large carapace (ca 1.5 mm), an angulated antero-ventral part of the LV, a weak and small anterior inner list on the LV, an anterior flange on the RV, a markedly small aesthetasc Y on the second antenna, a large β seta on the Md-palp, smooth bristles on the third endite of the Mx1 and a slender CR with a short claw Ga (length ca ⅓ of the ramus). In addition, Pseudostrandesia complexa (Victor & Fernando, 1981) comb. nov. is here proposed.
We report on fourteen species and four genera of Tischeriidae recorded from Las Cuevas, a single tropical forest locality in Belize, Central America. This is the highest number of species of Tischeriidae recorded from a single locality worldwide, exceeding the species and generic diversity of the entire Tischeriidae fauna of Europe and accounting for about 9% of the documented global fauna for this family. We describe and name six new species: Astrotischeria papilloma Diškus & Stonis sp. nov., mining on Lasianthaea fruticosa (L.) K.M.Becker (Asteraceae); A. scutifera Diškus & Stonis sp. nov., mining on Sida glabra Mill. (Malvaceae); A. basilobata Remeikis & Stonis sp. nov., mining on Lasianthaea fruticosa; Paratischeria robinsoni Diškus & Stonis sp. nov., mining on Otopappus verbesinoides Benth. (Asteraceae); P. tubifex Diškus & Stonis sp. nov., mining on Lasianthaea fruticosa; and P. belizensis Remeikis & Stonis sp. nov. (host plant unknown). Additionally, we review eight previously described species from the same period of collecting at Las Cuevas in 1997–1998: A. selvica Diškus, Carvalho-Filho & Stonis, 2018, mining on Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski and Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae); A. casila Diškus & Stonis, 2018, mining on Montanoa atriplicifolia (Pers.) Sch.Bip. (Asteraceae); A. furcata Diškus & Stonis, 2018 (host plant unknown); Paratischeria neotropicana (Diškus & Stonis, 2015), mining on Sida L. (Malvaceae), including S. rhombifolia L.; Dishkeya gouaniae (Stonis & Diškus, 2007), mining on Gouania polygama (Jacq.) Urb. (Rhamnaceae); Coptotriche pulverea (Walsingham, 1897), mining on Terminalia amazonia (J.F.Gmel.) Exell (Combretaceae); C. forsteroniae Stonis & Diškus, 2008, mining on Forsteronia myriantha Donn Sm. (Apocynaceae); and C. singularis Stonis & Diškus, 2008 (host plant unknown). All taxa, except for C. singularis, are illustrated with photographs of the adults and their genitalia. We also briefly discuss the discovery of some novel characters for Astrotischeria Puplesis & Diškus, 2003 and Paratischeria Diškus & Stonis, 2017, Tischeriidae, and provide the first photographic documentation of Coptotriche pulverea and C. forsteroniae.
The Chinese fauna of the pselaphine genus Sathytes Westwood (Batrisitae: Batrisini) currently includes 20 species. In this paper, 15 new species from various provinces of the country are described: S. alpicola sp. nov. (Xizang), S. australis sp. nov. (Guangdong, Guangxi), S. chayuensis sp. nov. (Xizang), S. chengzhifeii sp. nov. (Yunnan), S. huapingensis sp. nov. (Guangxi), S. linzhiensis sp. nov. (Xizang), S. maoershanus sp. nov. (Guangxi), S. nujiangensis sp. nov. (Yunnan), S. panzhaohuii sp. nov. (Xizang), S. shennong sp. nov. (Hubei), S. tianquanus sp. nov. (Sichuan), S. transversus sp. nov. (Xizang), S. valentulus sp. nov. (Guangxi), S. xingdoumontis sp. nov. (Hubei) and S. xizangensis sp. nov. (Xizang). New collection records are provided for S. longitrabis Yin & Li, 2012, S. tangliangi Yin & Li, 2012 and S. yunnanicus Yin & Li, 2012. Maps showing the distribution of the genus in China, and an updated checklist of the world species are provided.
Aim: Predicting future changes in species richness in response to climate change is one of the key challenges in biogeography and conservation ecology. Stacked species distribution models (S‐SDMs) are a commonly used tool to predict current and future species richness. Macroecological models (MEMs), regression models with species richness as response variable, are a less computationally intensive alternative to S‐SDMs. Here, we aim to compare the results of two model types (S‐SDMS and MEMs), for the first time for more than 14,000 species across multiple taxa globally, and to trace the uncertainty in future predictions back to the input data and modelling approach used.
Location: Global land, excluding Antarctica.
Taxon: Amphibians, birds and mammals.
Methods: We fitted S‐SDMs and MEMs using a consistent set of bioclimatic variables and model algorithms and conducted species richness predictions under current and future conditions. For the latter, we used four general circulation models (GCMs) under two representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP6.0). Predicted species richness was compared between S‐SDMs and MEMs and for current conditions also to extent‐of‐occurrence (EOO) species richness patterns. For future predictions, we quantified the variance in predicted species richness patterns explained by the choice of model type, model algorithm and GCM using hierarchical cluster analysis and variance partitioning.
Results: Under current conditions, species richness predictions from MEMs and S‐SDMs were strongly correlated with EOO‐based species richness. However, both model types over‐predicted areas with low and under‐predicted areas with high species richness. Outputs from MEMs and S‐SDMs were also highly correlated among each other under current and future conditions. The variance between future predictions was mostly explained by model type.
Main conclusions: Both model types were able to reproduce EOO‐based patterns in global terrestrial vertebrate richness, but produce less collinear predictions of future species richness. Model type by far contributes to most of the variation in the different future species richness predictions, indicating that the two model types should not be used interchangeably. Nevertheless, both model types have their justification, as MEMs can also include species with a restricted range, whereas S‐SDMs are useful for looking at potential species‐specific responses.
Sea pens (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) constitute a distinctive group of colonial marine invertebrates. They inhabit the world`s oceans, from shallow to deep waters. Studies about this group in Argentina are scarce, and no species have been described in the area in over a decade. Based on samples collected in Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon at about 3000 m deep we describe a new species of sea pen, Umbellula pomona Risaro, Williams & Lauretta sp. nov. This is a spiculate Umbellula that differs from other species of Umbellula with sclerites, by the number, development and distribution of the autozooids in its terminal cluster, as well as the shape of its axis. Molecular data also distinguishes it from other known species. Of the forty-three described species approximately ten are considered valid for the genus Umbellula, four of them are registered for the South Atlantic Ocean and only three are described for the Antarctic region. Since sampling efforts in this area have been scarce, the number of species of sea pens from the region is likely to increase substantially in the coming years.