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The species of the Eastern Mediterranean genus Dichorrhinus Desbrochers, 1875 are reviewed. D. geiseri sp. nov. is described from Samos Island (Greece) and Western Turkey, and D. alziari sp. nov. is described from Cyprus. Dichorrhinus korbi Schilsky, 1911 is redescribed. An illustrated key to the species of Dichorrhinus is provided, and new records are presented.
The classification of the largest subfamily of leafhoppers, Deltocephalinae, including 38 tribes, 923 genera, and 6683 valid species, is reviewed and revised. An updated phylogeny of the subfamily based on molecular (28S, Histone H3) and morphological data and an expanded taxon sample (37 taxa not included in previous analyses) is presented. Based on the results of these analyses and on the morphological examination of many representatives of the subfamily, the classification of the tribes and subtribes of Deltocephalinae is revised. Complete morphological descriptions, illustrations, lists of the included genera, and notes on their distribution, ecology, and important vector species are provided for the 38 recognized tribes and 18 subtribes. A dichotomous key to the tribes is provided. All names in the taxonomic treatments are hyperlinked to online resources for individual taxa which are supported by a comprehensive database for Deltocephalinae compiled using the taxonomic database software package 3I. The online functionality includes an interactive key to tribes and subtribes and advanced database searching options. Each taxon (subspecies through subfamily) has a unique taxon webpage providing nomenclatural information, lists of included taxa, an automated description (if available), images (if available), distributional information, bibliographic references and links to outside resources. Some observations and trends regarding the history of taxonomic descriptions in Deltocephalinae are reported. Four new tribes are described: Bahitini tribe nov. (25 genera), Bonsapeiini tribe nov. (21 genera), Phlepsiini tribe nov. (4 genera), and Vartini tribe nov. (7 genera). The circumscription and morphological characterization of Scaphoideini Oman, 1943 (61 genera) is substantially revised. Eleven new species are described: Acostemma stilleri sp. nov., Arrugada linnavuorii sp. nov., Drabescus zhangi sp. nov., Parabolopona webbi sp. nov., Goniagnathus emeljanovi sp. nov., Hecalus hamiltoni sp. nov., Scaphoideus omani sp. nov., Dwightla delongi sp. nov., Abimwa knighti sp. nov., Gannia viraktamathi sp. nov., and Doratulina dmitrievi sp. nov. Some family-group level taxonomic changes are made: Platymetopiini Haupt, 1929, Anoterostemmini Haupt, 1929, and Allygidiina Dmitriev, 2006 are synonymized with Athysanini Van Duzee, 1892, syn. nov.; Procepitini Dmitriev, 2002 is synonymized with Cicadulini Van Duzee, 1892, syn. nov.; Listrophorini Boulard, 1971 is synonymized with Chiasmini Distant, 1908, syn. nov.; Adamini Linnavuori & Al-Ne’amy, 1983, Dwightlini McKamey, 2003, and Ianeirini Linnavuori, 1978 are synonymized with Selenocephalini Fieber, 1872 syn.nov., and all three are now recognized as valid subtribes in their parent tribe. New placements of many genera to tribe and subtribe are made, and these are described in individual taxon treatments.
Based on newly designated type material, four poorly known NE Atlantic cheilostome bryozoan species are redescribed and imaged: Cellaria harmelini d’Hondt from the northern Bay of Biscay, Hippomenella mucronelliformis (Waters) from Madeira, Myriapora bugei d’Hondt from the Azores, and Characodoma strangulatum, occurring from Mauritania to southern Portugal. Moreover, Notoplites saojorgensis sp. nov. from the Azores, formerly reported as Notoplites marsupiatus (Jullien), is newly described. The genus Hippomenella Canu & Bassler is transferred from the lepraliomorph family Escharinidae Tilbrook to the umbonulomorph family Romancheinidae Jullien.
We report the rediscovery of the Pied Butterfl y Bat, Glauconycteris superba Hayman, 1939, 40 years after this species was last recorded. The new specimen from Mbiye Island, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is compared with the type specimens of G. s. superba and G. superba sheila Hayman, 1947 and a specimen from Matonguiné, Ivory Coast. The variation in the striking colouration of the pelage as well as in morphometric data is considered to be individual rather than geographic variation and we tentatively regard G. s. sheila as a synonym of the nominate form. Despite the wide distribution of this species in the tropical forest zone of West and Central Africa, only four specimens from four localities are known to date, which might indicate very specific habitat preferences. Contemporary land cover information around historic collection sites shows degraded landscapes. Given the highly uncertain area of occupancy of this species, we suggest changing the status of G. superba in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from “Least Concern” to “Data Defi cient”.
The South African endemic bee genus Redivivoides Michener, 1981 is revised and redefined. The genus comprises seven species, six of which are described here as new: Redivivoides capensis sp. nov. ♀♂, R. eardleyi sp. nov. ♀, R. kamieskroonensis sp. nov. ♀, R. karooensis sp. nov. ♀♂, R. namaquaensis sp. nov. ♀♂ and R. variabilis sp. nov. ♀♂. A key to species is provided.
The genus Candobrasilopsis gen. nov. is here described, with C. rochai gen. nov. sp. nov. as type species, from the alluvial valley of the Upper Paraná River. The enigmatic Candonopsis brasiliensis Sars, 1901 is here redescribed and transferred to this new genus, the new combination being Candobrasilopsis brasiliensis (Sars, 1901). The new candonid genus belongs to the tribe Candonopsini, because of the absence of the proximal seta on the caudal ramus. It is closely related to Latinopsis Karanovic & Datry, 2009, because of the relatively short terminal segment of the mandibular palp (length less than 1.5 times the basal width, while this segment is longer than three times the basal width in Candonopsis) and the large and stout b-seta on the T1. However, it differs markedly from Latinopsis in the size and shape of the calcified inner lamellae of both valves and in the type of hemipenis. We also discuss the doubtful allocation of several other genera to the Candonopsini, raise Abcandonopsis Karanovic, 2004 to generic status and reassess the uncertain position of Candonopsis anisitsi Daday, 1905 within Latinopsis.
This paper summarizes current knowledge about East African pholcids. East Africa is defined as the area from 12°S to 5°N and from 28° to 42°E, including all of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. An annotated list of the 15 genera and 87 species recorded from this area is given, together with distribution maps and an identification key to genera. Most East African species (90%) belong to one of only six genera: Buitinga Huber, 2003 (21 species); Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (18); Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (17); Spermophora Hentz, 1841 (12); Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 (5) and Quamtana Huber, 2003 (4). Eight species for which DNA sequence data have been published recently are newly described: Buitinga batwa sp. nov., B. wataita sp. nov., Spermophora mau sp. nov., S. maathaiae sp. nov., S. bukusu sp. nov., S. kirinyaga sp. nov., S. kyambura sp. nov. and Quamtana nyahururu sp. nov. Crossopriza johncloudsleyi Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001, previously only known from Yemen, is redescribed based on specimens from Kenya. Additional new records are given for 21 previously described species.
Capalictus, a new subgenus of Lasioglossum Curtis, 1833 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae), endemic to the South African Cape Province, is described. The type species is Halictus mosselinus Cockerell, 1945. Evylaeus (Sellalictus) fynbosensis (Pauly et al., 2008) is a new junior synonym of L. (C.) mosselinum. Three new species are described: Lasioglossum (Capalictus) hantamense sp. nov., L. (C.) tigrinum sp. nov. and L. (C.) timmermanni sp. nov. DNA sequence data from three nuclear genes support morphologically-determined species limits. Capalictus is a basal clade of the Hemihalictus series of Lasioglossum.
A revision of the known African species of Psammoecus is given, including redescriptions and illustrations of diagnostic characters. Extensive material from the Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale (Tervuren) is studied. Two new species are described: Psammoecus leleupi sp. nov., and Ps. luchti sp. nov. Four specific names are synonymized: Psammoecus excellens Grouvelle, 1908 = Ps. trimaculatus Motschulsky, 1858; Ps. alluaudi Grouvelle, 1912 = Ps. trimaculatus Motschulsky, 1858; Ps. longulus Grouvelle, 1878 = Ps. longicornis Schaufuss, 1872; Ps. nitescens Grouvelle, 1914 = Ps. laetulus Grouvelle, 1914. A key to the African species is provided.
No Name, No Game
(2012)
In an interesting contribution Joppa et al. (2011) revisit some aspects of the taxonomic impediment (Evenhuis 2007; http://www.cbd.int/gti/) and come to the conclusion that, contrary to the generally accepted idea, both the rates of species description and the number of taxonomists have increased exponentially since the 1950’s. Joppa et al. (2011) also note a marked decline in the number of species described per taxonomist which they attribute to the difficulty of finding new species in an ever declining ‘missing species pool’. Therefore, their results might be interpreted that today’s taxonomic workforce is sufficient to describe the remaining (shallow) ‘pool of missing species’. In this contribution, we question if this is indeed the case and propose a solution for speeding up taxonomic descriptions.