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Mittelasien (Kasachstan, Kirgistan, Tadschikistan, Turkmenistan, Usbekistan) ist neben dem Mediterranraum das bedeutendste paläarkische Bienen-Diversitätszentrum (MICHENER 1979). POPOV (1957) schätzt für den Raum 1.200 Arten aus 70 Gattungen, die Gesamtzahl dürfte jedoch bei über 2.000 Arten liegen. Über die innere biogeographische Gliederung der Region und die Lage von Endemiezentren ist bei den Bienen jedoch kaum etwas bekannt (POPOV 1958, MARIKOVSKAYA 1999). Am Beispiel der Seidenbienengattung Colletes, die hier aufgrund ihres Artenreichtums sowie des breiten Spektrums besiedelter Lebensraumtypen und Klimagebiete repräsentativ für andere Bienengruppen behandelt wird, werden Verbreitungsbilder analysiert und Endemiezentren identifiziert. Faunistisches und biogeographisches Arbeiten in Mittelasien ist bis heute ein aufwändiges Unternehmen. Die Größe des Raumes – mit 4 Mio. km² fast halb so groß wie Europa –, die in vielen Regionen unterentwickelte Infrastruktur sowie die in vergangenen und gegenwärtigen bürokratischen Hemmnissen begründete schwierige Zugänglichkeit vieler Gebiete ist ursächlich für den unzureichenden Bearbeitungsstand vieler Taxa. Durch uneinheitliche Transliteration, Schreibfehler bei der Etikettierung und Umbenennung von Orten ist die Identifikation von Fundorten häufig schwierig und in einigen Fällen selbst unter Zuhilfenahme historischen Kartenmaterials unmöglich. Die begrenzte Verfügbarkeit lokalfaunistischer Literatur in deutschen Bibliotheken und die Sprachbarriere bei der Nutzung kyrillisch geschriebener Arbeiten sind ein weiteres Hindernis. Aufgrund dieser Schwierigkeiten und dem daraus resultierenden niedrigen Erfassungsgrad in weiten Teilen Mittelasien haben die hier vorgelegten Ergebnisse vorläufigen Charakter.
The study of the Portuguese marine ichthyofauna has a long historical tradition, rooted back in the 18th Century. Here we present an annotated checklist of the marine fishes from Portuguese waters, including the area encompassed by the proposed extension of the Portuguese continental shelf and the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The list is based on historical literature records and taxon occurrence data obtained from natural history collections, together with new revisions and occurrences. It comprises a total of 1191 species, distributed among 3 superclasses, 4 classes, 42 orders, 212 families and 617 genera. If considering only the EEZ and present territorial waters, this list represents an increase of 230 species (27.8%) and of 238 species (29.0%), when compared to the information available in FishBase (2012) and in the last checklist of marine and estuarine fishes of Portugal (1993), respectively. The order Perciformes shows the highest diversity, with 54 families, 162 genera and 299 species. Stomiidae (80 species), Myctophidae (71 species) and Macrouridae (37 species) are the richest families. From the listed species, 734 are present off mainland Portugal, 857 off the Azores and 766 off Madeira. Within the limits of the examined area, three species are reported for the first time in mainland Portugal and twenty-nine records are identified as doubtful. A total of 133 species have been recorded from the extended Portuguese continental shelf (2 off mainland Portugal, 117 off the Azores and 14 off Madeira), two of which are common to the Azores and Madeira extensions. Biogeographically, the Atlantic group is the most important (548 species – 46.01%), followed by the Lusitanian group (256 species – 21.49%), the African group (71 species – 5.96%), the Boreal group (34 species – 2.85%), the Mediterranean group (31 species – 2.60%), the Macaronesian group (21 species – 1.76%), the Atlantic/African group (19 species – 1.60%) and the Mediterranean/African and the Arctic groups, each with only 1 species (0.08%). Regarding the preferences for vertical habitat, the demersal fishes are the most important group (305 species – 25.61%), followed by the mesopelagic group (228 species – 19.14%), the bathypelagic group (164 species – 13.77%), the benthopelagic group (147 species – 12.34%), the bathydemersal group (115 species – 9.66%), the reef-associated group (88 species – 7.39%), the pelagic group (74 species – 6.21%), the epipelagic group (58 species – 4.87%) and 1 species (0.08%) of the benthic group. The oceanic habitat is the best represented group comprising 446 species (37.45%), followed by the shelf group (199 species – 16.71%), the slope group (164 species – 13.77%), the inner shelf group (89 species – 7.47%), the coastal group (70 species – 5.88%), the outer shelf group (29 species – 2.43%) and the oceanic/shelf group (7 species – 0.59%).
Tortonian teleost otoliths from northern Italy: taxonomic synthesis and stratigraphic significance
(2017)
The Tortonian fish otoliths of northern Italy have been studied for more than a century and represent one of the best known otolith-based teleost faunas in the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin. Yet with the growing knowledge on Recent otoliths, an updated taxonomic overview of this fauna is needed. Moreover, new material from hemipelagic Tortonian marls sampled at nine localities is described herein, revealing 109 taxa of which 88 are recognised at species level. Four of these are new: Coryphaenoides biobtusus sp. nov., “Merluccius” rattazzii sp. nov., Neobythites auriculatus sp. nov. and Lesueurigobius stironensis sp. nov. The compilation of previously studied and newly acquired material revealed a total of 118 nominal Tortonian species. At generic level, the fauna is characterised by many modern forms; more than 90% can be assigned to present day genera. At species level, however, more than half of the represented taxa are extinct. Based on the fossil otolith record, the Tortonian fauna of the Mediterranean is most similar to that of the Langhian (Badenian) of the Central Paratethys by sharing many extinct Miocene species, but it is also very close to that of the Pliocene Mediterranean, by sharing many modern Atlantic-Mediterranean forms. The Tortonian fauna is further characterised by many species that are apparently confined to the upper Miocene, resulting in a unique combination of its taxonomic composition.
The existing literature on the Odonata inhabiting the three large divisions of the Pacific Ocean (Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia) is revised taking into consideration earlier discussions on the species origin, historical faunistic records, various palaeogeographical models proposed for the area, general data on the biology and ecology of this insect order. Special emphasis is paid on the incomplete data set for the region and inconsistency of the exploration of this vast area. The taxonomy and fauna of the Pacific Odonata is far from complete which makes it very difficult to provide any plausible hypothesis on the biogeographical pattern that we observe today.
The widely accepted view of long distance dispersal from a centre of origin as the only possible means for species to occupy remote oceanic island archipelagos is critically reviewed. There are seven phenomena in the current Odonata distribution that cannot be explained only by random gene transfer mediated by wind dispersal.
Those are called “oddities”, however, they are believed to be regularities of past geological events and modern day human associated activities within the Pacific.
The rationale for each of them is explained in details and illustrated with distribution maps following the current taxonomy of the group.
A new approach is suggested to tackle the question of the origin of the Pacific Odonata by relating the higher taxa distribution to the geological events and palaeontology of the families. It is not intended to be a new hypothesis yet before more systematic studies of the taxonomy and fauna of the group. Therefore, it is believed that the new method suggested here will increase the attention of the scientific community and will boost studies on this insect order within the Pacific Ocean. Discussion on its applicability is provided with attention to details that are difficult to be explained with the Pacific Odonata palaeontology as we know it for the moment.
We revise the Panjange nigrifrons group in Borneo and document an unexpected diversity in western Sarawak forests. Five species occur within 80 km from Kuching, each species being known from its type locality only. Further species occur east until Niah, but the genus seems to be absent from Sabah. We contrast this with another pholcid genus (Aetana Huber, 2005), which is diverse in Sabah and westward until Niah, but does not seem to occur in central and western Sarawak. Five species are newly described: Panjange kapit Huber, sp. nov., Panjange kubah Huber, sp. nov., Panjange niah Huber, sp. nov., Panjange pueh Huber, sp. nov., Panjange seowi Huber, sp. nov.; Panjange tahai (Huber, 2011) comb. nov. is transferred from Pholcus.
Taxonomic, systematic, and biogeography knowledge on the Palaearctic species of Pristaulacus Kieffer 1900 is summarized. Twenty-one valid species are recognized. The most important morphological characters taken into consideration are: shape, cuticular sculpture, and pubescence of head; index length/width of antennomeres; shape, sculpture and cuticular processes of mesosoma, especially of pronotum and mesonotum; number and shape of teeth on claw; shape and sculpture of metasoma; ovipositor length compared with wing and antenna length; and colour pattern (e.g., the dark spots on fore wing, and the colour of hind tarsus). Several characters of the genital capsule of the male were proved to be very useful for species identification, e.g., the shape of the paramere, volsella, cuspis, and digitus. Based on analysis of twenty-five morphological characters, eight species groups are recognized. The critical revision of the chorological data, including many new records, introduced relevant changes of the geographical distribution pattern of most species. Twelve species are restricted to the western part of the Palaearctic Region and eight species are restricted to its eastern part; only one species, P. gibbator, has a wider distribution, including both western and eastern parts of the Palaearctics.
The species of the genus Enicospilus Stephens, 1835 in Saudi Arabia are reviewed. Six species have previously been recorded from Saudi Arabia: E. brevicornis (Masi, 1939), E. capensis (Thunberg, 1822), E. nervellator Aubert, 1966, E. perlatus Shestakov, 1926, E. psammus Gauld & Mitchell, 1978 and E. oculator Seyrig, 1935. Five new species are described and illustrated in this paper: Enicospilus arabicus Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov., E. mirabilis Soliman & Gadallah sp. nov., E. pseudoculator Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov., E. shadaensis Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov. and E. splendidus Rousse, Soliman & Gadallah sp. nov. Twelve species are newly recorded for the fauna of Saudi Arabia, thus raising the total number to 23 species: E. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912, E. divisus (Seyrig, 1935), E. dubius (Tosquinet, 1896), E. grandiflavus Townes & Townes, 1973, E. odax Gauld & Mitchell, 1978, E. oweni Gauld & Mitchell, 1976, E. pacificus (Holmgren, 1868), E. pallidus (Taschenberg, 1875), E. rundiensis Bischoff, 1915, E. senescens (Tosquinet, 1896), Enicospilus sp. 1 and Enicospilus sp. 2 cf. bicoloratus Cameron, 1912. The unknown male of E. odax is described for the first time. The COI barcodes of 17 specimens were sequenced, compared to the existing data and uploaded to the BOLD Systems database. An illustrated key and an annotated faunistic list of all species of Enicospilus in Saudi Arabia are also provided. Finally, we discuss the biogeographical and ecological significance of the Enicospilus fauna in Saudi Arabia.
Oligoptilomera luberonensis gen. et sp. nov., first fossil representative of the gerrid subfamily Ptilomerinae, is described and figured from the Oligocene of Murs (Vaucluse, Southern France). Extant Ptilomerinae live in streams in warm climates, of the Indo-Malaysian, eastern Palaearctic, and Papouan regions. The discovery of this Oligocene French Ptilomerinae is in accordance with the putative age of the subfamily, at least older than the Eocene, and with the Indo-Malaysian affinities previously recorded for some other insects from the Oligocene of France. The two insect assemblages of Murs and Céreste are compared and the differences discussed. Although of similar ages, that from Murs was possibly corresponding to a more shallow water paleolake than that of Céreste.
Thirteen new fossil eucnemid taxa (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) are described from amber deposits excavated from the vicinity of Santiago, Dominican Republic. Two new genera, Mioxylobius and Paleoquirsfeldia are described. The following 13 new species are described from Dominican amber: Mioxylobius bicolor, Balistica serrulata, Paleoquirsfeldia epicrana, Dyscharachthis dominicana, Idiotarsus poinari, Euryptychus antilliensis, Euryptychus hispaniolus, Plesiofornax caribica, Fornax dominicensis, Fornax serropalpoides, Dromaeolus argenteus, Nematodes miocenensis and Nematodes thoracicus. Each new species are both diagnosed and illustrated. Calyptocerus Guérin-Méneville and Lissantauga Poinar are shown to be congeneic, resulting in a new combination: Calyptocerus epicranis (Poinar, 2013). Summaries of fossil eucnemid discoveries, highlighting differing hypothesis of prehistoric Caribbean island formations/speciation, accounts of ancient Dominican Republic environmental conditions and Dominican Republic amber are provided.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:48A76A23-E48B-46B5-8A35-A27DD6134B6D
The Chimarra lehibemavo species-group, new and endemic to Madagascar (Trichoptera, Philopotamidae)
(2017)
The Chimarra lehibemavo group is described to include thirteen new species: Chimarra lehibemavo sp. nov., C. cebegepi sp. nov., C. fenoevo sp. nov., C. forcellinii sp. nov., C. fotobohitra sp. nov., C. gattolliati sp. nov., C. gensonae sp. nov., C. jejyorum sp. nov., C. hamatra sp. nov., C. makiorum sp. nov., C. moramanga sp. nov., C. saha sp. nov. and C. tamara sp. nov. The adults are easily recognizable by their large size, yellow colour and the structure of the male genitalia. The membranous tergum IX and the absence of the mesal lobe of tergum X are observed in other lineages, but the strong asymmetrical deformation of the phallotheca is apomorphic. The group is monophyletic with unknown affinities, but a preliminary phylogenetic placement is suggested following genetic analysis of two specimens. With one exception, the species have restricted geographical distributions in Madagascar and inhabit rivers in eastern pristine rainforests.
The island arc of the Lesser Antilles lies at the eastern margin of the Caribbean Sea in the Western Hemisphere, and stretches from the eastern end of the islands of the Greater Antilles (at the Virgin Islands), south to a position near the continental islands of Trinidad and Tobago at the north eastern corner of South America. The islands are a part of the West Indian Islands biodiversity “hotspot” and have been available for terrestrial colonization for about the past 15 million years. This is a status report on present knowledge of the beetle faunas of these islands, which is composed of 90 families, 1210 genera, and 2612 recognized species. Many additional species are not yet identified, or are unnamed, or remain to be discovered. Reported for the first time from the Lesser Antilles are four families, 49 genera, 105 species, and 1253 new island records. The largest families are Curculionidae (588 species), Staphylinidae (389 species), Chrysomelidae (181 species), Tenebrionidae (142 species), Cerambycidae (138 species), Scarabaeidae (127 species), and Carabidae (126 species). There are differing patterns of species distributions: 154 species are probably introduced by human activities; 985 are endemic species (limited to a single island); 465 are species endemic to more than one island of the Lesser Antilles; 212 are species limited to just islands of the West Indies; and 800 are native (naturally occurring) species which also have part of their distributional range in North, Central, or South America. Most of the widely distributed beetle fauna has probably come from South America by over-water dispersal. There is no compelling evidence for a vicariance origin of any part of the beetle fauna. Earlier colonists have had more time to form endemic genera (18) and endemic species. The more widely distributed species probably represent distributions achieved in and since the Pleistocene.
Taxonomy of fourteen very little known species of Nodosariinae Ehrenberg, 1838 in Icelandic waters is revised. Knowledge of these species in the North Atlantic relies mainly on studies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, using large volume samplers. Later studies have emphasized quantitative samples of a few cm3 where the Nodosariinae are very rare. This study analysed 879 dredging samples where Nodosariinae occurred in 492 samples, comprising 7598 specimens of about 415 000 of all picked foraminifera. Ordination analysis of species distributions reflects prominent temperature and salinity differences that exist in the sampling area (753 000 km2) north and south of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge (GSR). Eight species are restricted to southern temperate waters (> 2°C): Dentalina mutabilis (Costa, 1855), Dentalina antarctica Parr, 1950, Dentalina antennula d’Orbigny, 1846, Dentalina filiformis (d’Orbigny, 1826), Grigelis pyrula (d’Orbigny, 1826), Grigelis guttifera (d’Orbigny, 1846) comb. nov., Grigelis semirugosus ? (d’Orbigny, 1846) and Nodosaria subsoluta Cushman, 1923. Four species (Nodosaria haliensis Eiland & Guðmundsson, 2004, Nodosaria incerta Neugeboren, 1856, Dentalina elegans d’Orbigny, 1846 and Dentalina frobisherensis Loeblich & Tappan, 1953) occur mainly north of Iceland. Two species, Dentalina obliqua (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pseudonodosaria subannulata (Cushman, 1923), have wide tolerance ranges for physical variables.
Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae)
(2020)
The leafhopper tribe Platyjassini, endemic to Madagascar, is revised, largely based on specimens obtained in a recent bioinventory project led by the California Academy of Sciences. Platyjassini was previously known based on the type genus, Platyjassus Evans, 1953, and four described species. Betsileonas marmorata (Blanchard, 1840), the largest leafhopper recorded from Madagascar, presently known from a few specimens collected > 100 years ago and recently considered a genus and species incertae sedis within Cicadellidae, is newly placed in Platyjassini. Fourteen new genera and 54 new species are described and illustrated, and three new combinations are proposed. Pachyjassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov., Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. and Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. Pallijassus gen. nov. is erected to include two species previously placed in Platyjassus, Pallijassus reticulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. and Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. Petalojassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. Phaiojassus gen. nov. includes seven new species: Phaiojassus acutus sp. nov., Phaiojassus bispinosus sp. nov., Phaiojassus constrictus sp. nov., Phaiojassus grandis sp. nov., Phaiojassus spatulatus sp. nov., Phaiojassus undulatus sp. nov. and Phaiojassus unispinosus sp. nov. Pictojassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pictojassus kirindiensis sp. nov., Pictojassus productus sp. nov. and Pictojassus tulearensis sp. nov. Platyjassella gen. nov. includes six new species: Platyjassella ancora sp. nov., Platyjassella andohahelensis sp. nov., Platyjassella attenuata sp. nov., Platyjassella cormorana sp. nov., Platyjassella emarginata sp. nov. and Platyjassella immaculata sp. nov. Platyjassula gen. nov. includes four new species: Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov., Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov., Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. and Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. In addition to the type species, Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953, Platyjassus includes 11 new species: Platyjassus acutus sp. nov., Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov., Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov., Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov., Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov., Platyjassus irwini sp. nov., Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov., Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov., Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov., Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov. and Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov. Plerujassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plerujassus brunnescens sp. nov., in addition to Plerujassus appendiculatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov., previously placed in Platyjassus. Plexijassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plexijassus caliginosus sp. nov. Pseudocurtara gen. nov. includes three new species: Pseudocurtara minima sp. nov., Pseudocurtara nigripicta sp. nov. and Pseudocurtara quadrata sp. nov. Pseudocyrta gen. nov. includes one new species, Pseudocyrta hyalina sp. nov. Pseudomarganana gen. nov. includes two new species: Pseudomarganana olivacea sp. nov. and Pseudomarganana rosea sp. nov. Pulchrijassus gen. nov. includes eight new species: Pulchrijassus anjozorobensis sp. nov., Pulchrijassus eunsunae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus pallescens sp. nov., Pulchrijassus roseus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus rubrilineatus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus sindhuae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus talatakelyensis sp. nov. and Pulchrijassus toamasinensis sp. nov. Punctijassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Punctijassus circularis sp. nov., Punctijassus compressus sp. nov. and Punctijassus ivohibensis sp. nov. Illustrated keys to genera and species are provided.
The genus Dadagulella gen. nov. is described to include 16 species of small, dentate, ovateacuminate Afrotropical snails. An identification key is provided and biogeography, anatomy and systematics are discussed. The type species is the Kenyan D. radius (Preston, 1910) comb. nov., whose name has informally been used for part of the group in the past. Substantial intraspecific variation occurs in three species: D. radius itself, D. browni (van Bruggen, 1969) comb. nov. and D. minuscula (Morelet, 1877) comb. nov. (= Ennea fi scheriana Morelet, 1881) (non Gulella minuscula Emberton & Pearce, 2000) . We recognise subspecies within each of these: D.radius radius (Preston, 1910) comb. nov., D. r. calva (Connolly, 1922) comb. et stat. nov., D. browni browni (van Bruggen, 1969) comb. nov., D. b. mafi ensis subsp. nov., D. b. semulikiensis subsp. nov., D. minuscula minuscula (Morelet, 1877) comb. nov., D. m. mahorana subsp. nov. Six new Tanzanian species are described: D. cresswelli sp. nov., D. delta sp. nov., D. ecclesiola sp. nov., D. frontierarum sp. nov., D. minareta sp. nov., and D. pembensis sp. nov. The genus includes seven other previously described species: D. cuspidata (Verdcourt, 1962) comb. nov.; D. rondoensis (Verdcourt, 1994) comb. nov.; D. conoidea (Verdcourt, 1996) comb. nov.; D. selene (van Bruggen & Van Goethem, 1999) comb. nov.; D. meredithae (van Bruggen, 2000) comb. nov.; D. nictitans (Rowson & Lange, 2007) comb. nov.; and D. delgada (Muratov, 2010) comb. nov.
We re-examined the type material of five of the seven described species of the marine tardigrade genus Angursa Pollock, 1979, namely, A. abyssalis Renaud-Mornant, 1981, A. bicuspis Pollock, 1979 (type species), A. capsula Bussau, 1992, A. lanceolata Renaud-Mornant, 1981, and A. lingua Bussau, 1992. In addition, we describe A. seisuimaruae sp. nov. from the Sea of Kumano, Japan. Based on new data obtained, we amend the diagnosis of this genus, provide a taxonomic key to species, and discuss their geographical distributions.
The genus Paharia Distant, 1905 is reviewed based on the description of a new species, Paharia oorschoti sp. nov., and redescription of the allied Paharia putoni (Distant, 1892), both from Turkey. The relationships among Paharia, Subpsaltria Chen, 1943 and Tibicina Kolenati, 1857 of the tribe Tibicinini Distant, 1905 are discussed. The morphology of the exuviae of Pa. oorschoti sp. nov. and S. yangi Chen 1943 is described and compared. Tibicina insidiosa Boulard, 1977 is transferred to Paharia to become Paharia insidiosa comb. nov. A key to all species of Paharia is provided.
Cloeon perkinsi was described from South Africa in 1932 by Barnard. Despite being relatively common in Africa, it was mentioned in the literature quite rarely, and its known distribution to date includes most of sub-Saharan Africa. Material collected recently in Ethiopia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen extends its distribution in East Africa, Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. We examined this material, and provide a re-description of adults (females and males) and nymphs of the species. It represents a much-needed urge mainly due to inconsistencies in literature reports regarding colouration, and sometimes incomplete morphological description of all stages. We demonstrate the intraspecific morphological variability that we have witnessed, and provide information regarding the range of habitats colonised by C. perkinsi. Based on geological and climatic history of the studied region, taken together with among countries genetic distances of the mitochondrial barcoding gene COI, we propose colonisation mechanisms for the north-easternmost limit of distribution. The fragmented distribution pattern of the species highlights the conservation importance of isolated aquatic habitats in the region, as well as current knowledge gaps.
Umborotula bogorensis (Weber, 1890) is a freshwater sponge species that is recorded occasionally, mainly on islands and peninsulas of Australasia. Less than 10 records with morphological descriptions and illustrations have been published so far, and the most recent record is dated 1978. A list of the few voucher specimens from museum collections is provided here together with the rich unpublished Sasaki collection from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, recently deposited in a Japanese museum. The present new record from Northeast Thailand enlarges the geographic range of U. bogorensis to the Indochina mainland. A comparison of historical data vs present Thai records is performed by morpho-analysis(SEM) as well as biogeographic, ecological and climatic data. Results show low variability in shape and size of the diagnostic morphotraits in populations scattered over the wide geographic range. Here we also formally accept the new taxonomic status (rank elevation) of the previous suborder Spongillina as a new order Spongillida. The presence of this potentially threatened species in the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, together with its possible long-term persistence in the Bogor Botanical Garden, may support its conservation. Only a census of the known, extremely scattered populations will define the status of this species.
The Sri Lankan species of the genus Carrhotus Thorell,1891 have remained taxonomically unrevised. The present study reviews all species of the genus in the island. Here we describe and diagnose three new species: Carrhotus albosetosus sp. nov. (♀), C. atratus sp. nov. (♂♀) and C. lobatus sp. nov. (♂). Further, C. silanthi Caleb, 2020 is reported in Sri Lanka for the first time. Carrhotus taprobanicus Simon, 1902 and C. viduus (C.L. Koch, 1846) are redescribed based on material from Sri Lanka. A key to the Carrhotus species in Sri Lanka is given.
Ichneumonidae are incredibly diverse, yet there have been few Guatemalan ichneumonid studies. We studied the phenology of 215 specimens of Zagryphus zulaya Gauld (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Tryphoninae), most captured in a light trap and two Malaise traps in a montane (1850m) forest from 2002 to 2014. One of the Malaise traps caught over 95% of the specimens. The results suggest that Z. zulaya is most abundant in May, June, July, and August, the rainy season. Zagryphus vegai Gauld is newly recorded from Guatemala; it was previously known only from Costa Rica. It was found at an altitude of 1850m, though its previous known range was 700m to 1500m.
Dorvilleids belonging to Ophryotrocha Claparède & Mecznikow, 1869 are known from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Southern Oceans. However, how they colonized and diversified in these ecosystems has not been assessed in detail. Here, a collection of Pacific hydrothermal vent Ophryotrocha was examined using morphology and DNA markers (COI, 16S and H3). Five new species were revealed, largely expanding the diversity of the group at this habitat type. They are Ophryotrocha charlottae sp. nov., O. kailae sp. nov., O. marinae sp. nov., O. pruittae sp. nov. from eastern Pacific, and O. bohnorum sp. nov. from the western Pacific. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated alignments of all three genes suggest vent habitants have been colonized several times independently within Ophryotrocha. One clade of six vent species was recovered, indicative of diversification following a colonization of hydrothermal vents, likely in the eastern Pacific. An Indian Ocean species, O. jiaolongi, was nested inside this clade and was closely related to one of the new species from the Gulf of California, diverging from it by less than 4% on COI.
Ten new species belonging to three new genera (Atlantisina gen. nov., Bathycyclopora gen. nov., Calvetopora gen. nov.) of umbonulomorph bryozoans from northeastern Atlantic seamounts, islands, and the continental slope are introduced. We furthermore erect the new family Atlantisinidae fam. nov. for these genera. Eight new species belong to the new genus Atlantisina: Atlantisina atlantis gen. et sp. nov. (type species), A. acantha gen. et sp. nov., A. gorringensis gen. et sp. nov., A. inarmata gen. et sp. nov., A. lionensis gen. et sp. nov., A. meteor gen. et sp. nov., A. seinensis gen. et sp. nov., and A. tricornis gen. et sp. nov. The genus Bathycyclopora gen. nov. is introduced for ?Phylactella vibraculata Calvet from the Azores, and also includes Bathycyclopora suroiti gen. et sp. nov. The type species of Calvetopora gen. nov. is Lepralia inflata Calvet from the Gulf of Cadiz; this genus also includes Calvetopora otapostasis gen. et sp. nov. and another species left in open nomenclature. Of the 13 species described herein, 11 occur on seamounts and islands, and nine species are endemic to a single seamount, island or station. The present results show that bryozoans provide striking examples of the function of seamounts as areas of endemism, most likely intrinsically linked to the low dispersal abilities of bryozoan larvae.
The genus Thlaspi has been variously subdivided since its description by Linnaeus in 1753, but due to similarities in fruit shape several segregates have still not gained broad recognition, despite the fact that they are not directly related to Thlaspi. This applies especially to segregates now considered to belong to the tribe Coluteocarpeae, which includes several well-studied taxa, e.g., Noccaea caerulescens (syn. Thlaspi caerulescens), and the widespread Microthlaspi perfoliatum (syn. Thlaspi perfoliatum). The taxonomy of this tribe is still debated, as a series of detailed monographs on Coluteocarpeae was not published in English and a lack of phylogenetic resolution within this tribe was found in previous studies. The current study presents detailed phylogenetic investigations and a critical review of morphological features, with focus on taxa previously placed in Microthlaspi. Based on one nuclear (ITS) and two chloroplast (matK, trnL-F) loci, four strongly supported major groups were recovered among the Coluteocarpeae genera included, corresponding to Ihsanalshehbazia gen. nov., Friedrichkarlmeyeria gen. nov., Microthlaspi s.str., and Noccaea s.l. In addition, two new species of Microthlaspi, M. sylvarum-cedri sp. nov. and M. mediterraneo-orientale sp. nov., were discovered, which are well supported by both morphological and molecular data. Furthermore, M. erraticum comb. nov. (diploid) and M. perfoliatum s.str. (polyploid) were shown to be distinct species, phylogenetically widely separate, but with some overlap in several morphological characters. Detailed descriptions, notes on taxonomy, geographical distribution, and line drawings for the new species and each species previously included in Microthlaspi are provided. In addition, the current taxonomic state of the tribe Coluteocarpeae is briefly discussed and it is concluded that while several annual taxa are clearly distinct from Noccaea, many perennial taxa, after thorough phylogenetic and morphological investigations, may have to be merged with this genus.
Here, we report on 33 molluscan species from Miocene ’Calcari a Lucina’ hydrocarbon-seep deposits in northern Italy. Three new species are described: the chilodontaid gastropod Putzeysia diversii sp. nov., the lucinid bivalve Miltha (sensu lato) romaniae sp. nov., and Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov., a heterodont bivalve of uncertain taxonomic affinity. Fourteen species are described in open nomenclature. The common but enigmatic gastropod species Phasianema taurocrassa is here suggested to belong to the seguenzioid genus Cataegis. Most gastropod species are inhabitants of the deep-sea floor in general, and are not restricted (obligate) to sites of hydrocarbon-seepage. The gastropod Putzeysia diversii sp. nov. and the bivalve Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov. are the geologically oldest members of their genera known to date. While the genus Putzeysia is geographically restricted to the NE Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov. represents another link of the Miocene Mediterranean seep fauna to that of the central Indo-West Pacific Ocean.
Three species of Lophogastrida and eight Mysida are documented for samples from 5161–5497 m bottom depth in the Angola Basin. Previously known latitudinal ranges are extended southward for five species, and bathymetric ranges extended beyond 5000 m for six species. Upon revision of the subfamily Petalophthalminae (Mysidae), four species previously attributed to the genus Petalophthalmus are integrated into Ipirophthalmus gen. nov. as I. liui gen. et comb. nov., I. caribbeanus gen. et comb. nov., I. oculatus gen. et comb. nov., and I. macrops gen. et comb. nov., mainly based on the structure of eyes and presence of setae on the telson. Petalophthalmus cristatus sp. nov. is described based on its reduced cornea and the structure of eyestalks, rostrum, mandibles, and telson. The structure of mouthparts, foregut and maxillipeds suggests an omnivorous mode of life. The diagnosis of the tribe Calyptommini (Mysidae: Erythropinae) is widened to cover the 3-segmented, uniramous fourth male pleopod and the non-incised eyeplate with horn-like rudiments of eyestalks in Abyssomysis cornuta gen. et sp. nov. The structure of mandibles, foregut, and second maxilliped suggest detritus feeding in this species. Keys to the Calyptommini and Petalophthalminae are given.
Few species of Japygidae (Diplura) have been discovered in cave ecosystems despite their importance as large predators. A small collection of rare specimens of this hexapod group has allowed to explore the taxonomy of japygids from caves in New Zealand, Morocco and South Africa, and to describe one new genus: Imazighenjapyx Sendra & Sánchez-García gen. nov., as well as four new species: Austrjapyx wynbergensis Sendra & Sánchez-García sp. nov., Imazighenjapyx marocanus Sendra & Sánchez-García gen. et sp. nov., Opisthjapyx naledi Sendra & Sánchez-García sp. nov. and Teljapyx aotearoa Sendra & Sánchez-García sp. nov. For each of the new taxa we give a comprehensive description of their habitats. These new findings resulted in a revision of the distribution and allowed to re-evaluate the morphological traits of the fifteen cave-adapted japygids species already known worldwide. The functional morphology of the remarkable abdominal pincers of Japygidae and their adaptation to predation are discussed, as well as their potential role in mating behaviour.
A new species of Apseudidae is described from a submarine canyon in the Mediterranean Sea, Leviapseudes tethys sp. nov. The species was sampled at 600 m depth on deep muddy sand. The new species is characterized by the presence of processes on both sides of the rostrum, a pinnate seta on the inner distal margin of the maxillipedal endite, smooth distal spines of the labium palp, two spines on the cheliped basis, three ventral spines on pereopod 1 basis and an unarticulated pleopod exopod. This is the second species and the third record of the genus in the Mediterranean Sea, and raises the number of tanaid species known from the deep Mediterranean Sea to a total of 16. The diagnosis of the genus is amended in light of the new data and re-evaluation of previous works. The new species presents a set of characters that provide novel insights to understanding the diversity and taxonomy of the Leviapseudinae, as well as their geographic distribution. Finally, a list of all deep-sea Tanaidacea known in the Mediterranean Sea is provided.
Es wird das isolierte Vorkommen einer Acalles micros-Population in einem Buchenwald des Niederbergischen Landes ("Vogelsangbachtal": Deutschland / Kreis Mettmann, NRW) beschrieben. Die Nordgrenze dieser vor allem aus dem nördlichen Mittelmeeraum bekannten, wärmeliebenden Art lag bisher 300 km weiter südlich (Rheinland-Pfalz, Taben-Rodt). Neben einer Differentialdiagnose der Arten Acalles micros, Acalles lemur und Acalles commutatus werden alle Funddaten und eine westpaläarktische Verbreitungskarte von Acalles micros vorgestellt. [Fig. 1] Das nördlichste, isolierte Reliktvorkommen von Acalles micros, das aufgrund der Nähe zum Rhein "fluvial" und wahrscheinlich "postglazial" (warmzeitlich) entstanden ist, war ursprünglich zweifellos bedeutend größer. Vor allem infolge flächenintensiver Rodungen in historischer Zeit wurde der Lebensraum dieser Buchenwaldart erheblich eingeschränkt.
Aim: Biological invasions are likely determined by species dispersal strategies as well as environmental characteristics of a recipient region, especially climate and human impact. However, the contribution of climatic factors, human impact, and dispersal strategies in driving invasion processes is still controversial and not well embedded in the existing theoretical considerations. Here, we study how climate, species dispersal strategies, and human impact determine plant invasion processes on islands distributed in all major oceans in the context of directional ecological filtering.
Location: Six mountainous, tropical, and subtropical islands in three major oceans: Island of Hawai'i and Maui (Pacific), Tenerife and La Palma (Atlantic), and La Réunion and Socotra (Indian Ocean).
Taxon: Vascular Plants.
Methods: We recorded 360 non-native species in 218 plots along roadside elevational transects covering the major temperature, precipitation and human impact (i.e., road density) gradients of the islands. We collected dispersal strategies for a majority of the recorded species and calculated the environmental niche per species using a hypervolume approach.
Results: Non-native species’ generalism (i.e., mean community niche width) increased with precipitation, elevation and human impact but showed no relationship with temperature. Increasing precipitation led to environmental filtering of non-native species resulting in more generalist species under high precipitation conditions. We found no directional filtering for temperature but an optimum range of most species between 10 and 20°C. Niche widths of non-native species increased with the prevalence of certain dispersal strategies, particularly anemochory and anthropochory.
Main conclusions: Plant invasion on tropical and subtropical islands seems to be mainly driven by precipitation and human impact, while temperature seems to be of little importance. Furthermore, anemochory and anthropochory are dispersal strategies associated with large niche widths of non-native species. Our study allows a more detailed look at the mechanisms behind directional ecological filtering of non-native plant species in non-temperature-limited ecosystems.
The bee fauna of Taiwan was studied intensively in the first half of last century and was based in large parts on the extensive material collected by Hans Sauter between 1902 and 1914. Subsequent studies on bees of Taiwan have only been sporadic. Within a cooperation between the above mentioned institutions the bee fauna was reinvestigated. It was shown how insufficiently the bee fauna of Taiwan had been investigated so far, in particular, the higher mountain regions. Now about 150 species of bees, belonging to 32 different genera, are known from Taiwan, ten of which have been described or recognized as new for science by the recent cooperation.
Three different male and female super-specific types are distinguished according to variations in the morphology of the bulb and spermathecae within the genus Nemesia Audouin, 1826. Plotting the distributions of these sexual types on a map of the Mediterranean indicates the existence of geography-related sub-generic diversity in which the Nemesia fauna of the eastern Mediterranean differs markedly from that of the western Mediterranean. While the eastern Mediterranean Nemesia fauna is highly homogeneous, the fauna of the western Mediterranean is very diverse. The eastern and western Nemesia faunae appear to overlap in the central Mediterranean. Efforts to relate the specific bulb types to the particular types of spermathecae described here were only partly successful.
The geographical range of the typically host-specific species of chewing lice (Phthiraptera) is often assumed to be similar to that of their hosts. We tested this assumption by reviewing the published records of twelve species of chewing lice parasitizing wild and domestic chicken, one of few bird species that occurs globally. We found that of the twelve species reviewed, eight appear to occur throughout the range of the host. This includes all the species considered to be native to wild chicken, except Oxylipeurus dentatus (Sugimoto, 1934). This species has only been reported from the native range of wild chicken in Southeast Asia and from parts of Central America and the Caribbean, where the host is introduced. Potentially, this discontinuous distribution is due to a low tolerance for dry environments, possibly exacerbated by competitive exclusion by Cuclotogaster heterographus (Nitzsch, 1866). Our examinations of O. dentatus also revealed that this species differs significantly from other species of Oxylipeurus in the male and female genitalia, head structure and chaetotaxy, and other morphological characters. We therefore here erect the monotypic genus Gallancyra gen. nov. for O. dentatus, and redescribe the type species.
Four monoraphid taxa belonging to the genera Achnanthes, Psammothidium and Planothidium were found during the ongoing taxonomic revision of the freshwater and limno-terrestrial diatoms of the Maritime Antarctic region. The present paper describes these four taxa as new based on detailed light and scanning electron microscopy observations: Achnanthes kohleriana Kopalová, Zidarova & Van de Vijver sp. nov., Planothidium wetzelectorianum Kopalová, Zidarova & Van de Vijver sp. nov., Psammothidium confusoneglectum Kopalová, Zidarova & Van de Vijver sp. nov. and Psammothidium superpapilio Kopalová, Zidarova & Van de Vijver sp. nov. The morphology and ecology of all four taxa are discussed and the species are compared with morphologically similar taxa.
Four taxa belonging to the complex of species around Achnanthidium minutissimum were found during the ongoing taxonomic revision of the Antarctic freshwater and limno-terrestrial diatom flora. Two taxa were previously described as Achnanthidium lailae and A. sieminskae. Two others were formerly identified as A. minutissimum but detailed light and scanning electron microscopical observations revealed sufficient morphological differences compared to the type of A. minutissimum, to justify their separation and description as new taxa: Achnanthidium indistinctum and A. maritimo-antarcticum. The morphology and ecology of all four taxa are discussed comparing the species with morphologically similar taxa. The biogeographical consequences of the splitting of the former A. minutissimum complex in the Antarctic Region are discussed.
Our knowledge of early evolution of snakes is improving, but all that we can infer about the evolution of modern clades of snakes such as boas (Booidea) is still based on isolated bones. Here, we resolve the phylogenetic relationships of Eoconstrictor fischeri comb. nov. and other booids from the early-middle Eocene of Messel (Germany), the best-known fossil snake assemblage yet discovered. Our combined analyses demonstrate an affinity of Eoconstrictor with Neotropical boas, thus entailing a South America-to-Europe dispersal event. Other booid species from Messel are related to different New World clades, reinforcing the cosmopolitan nature of the Messel booid fauna. Our analyses indicate that Eoconstrictor was a terrestrial, medium- to large-bodied snake that bore labial pit organs in the upper jaw, the earliest evidence that the visual system in snakes incorporated the infrared spectrum. Evaluation of the known palaeobiology of Eoconstrictor provides no evidence that pit organs played a role in the predator–prey relations of this stem boid. At the same time, the morphological diversity of Messel booids reflects the occupation of several terrestrial macrohabitats, and even in the earliest booid community the relation between pit organs and body size is similar to that seen in booids today.
We provide the current holdings of Meropeidae in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA). To date, FSCA holds a well-curated collection of extant meropeids representing 17 U.S. states and Western Australia (n = 316 Merope tuber Newman, fi ve Austromerope poultoni Killington). Merope tuber records from Vermont, Texas, and South Carolina are published here for the fi rst time. A total of 298 pinned M. tuber and four pinned
A. poultoni; six M. tuber specimens preserved in 95% ethanol; and 12 M. tuber and one A. poultoni sputter-coated with gold-palladium for SEM are available for researchers interested in studying this unique family of insects.
In Southeast Asia, bats of the genus Tylonycteris Peters, 1872 have traditionally been classified into two wide-ranging species, T. pachypus (Temminck, 1840) and T. robustula Thomas, 1915. Our comparative phylogeographic analyses based on two mitochondrial and seven nuclear genes, combined with our multivariate morphological analyses, show that these species actually represent cryptic species complexes that share a similar biogeographic history in three major regions, i.e., Sundaland, southern Indochina, and northern Indochina. Our molecular dating estimates suggest that Pleistocene climatic oscillations and sea level changes have repeatedly isolated ancestral populations of Tylonycteris spp. in distant bamboo forest refugia. The analyses indicate, however, that populations of the T. pachypus complex were less affected by forest fragmentation in mainland Southeast Asia than those of the T. robustula complex. Accordingly, we propose several taxonomic changes within the genus Tylonycteris: the species T. fulvida and T. malayana are revalidated, and a new species, T. tonkinensis Tu, Csorba, Ruedi & Hassanin sp. nov., endemic to northern Indochina, is described.
Climatic and biogeographical drivers of functional diversity in the flora of the Canary Islands
(2022)
Aim: Functional traits can help us to elucidate biogeographical and ecological processes driving assemblage structure. We analysed the functional diversity of plant species of different evolutionary origins across an island archipelago, along environmental gradients and across geological age, to assess functional aspects of island biogeographical theory.
Location: Canary Islands, Spain.
Major taxa studied: Spermatophytes.
Time period: Present day.
Methods: We collected data for four traits (plant height, leaf length, flower length and fruit length) associated with resource acquisition, competitive ability, reproduction and dispersal ability of 893 endemic, non-endemic native and alien plant species (c. 43% of the Canary Island flora) from the literature. Linking these traits to species occurrences and composition across a 500 m × 500 m grid, we calculated functional diversity for endemic, non-endemic native and alien assemblages using multidimensional functional hypervolumes and related the resulting patterns to climatic (humidity) and island biogeographical (geographical isolation, topographic complexity and geological age) gradients.
Results: Trait space of endemic and non-endemic native species overlapped considerably, and alien species added novel trait combinations, expanding the overall functional space of the Canary Islands. We found that functional diversity of endemic plant assemblages was highest in geographically isolated and humid grid cells. Functional diversity of non-endemic native assemblages was highest in less isolated and humid grid cells. In contrast, functional diversity of alien assemblages was highest in arid ecosystems. Topographic complexity and geological age had only a subordinate effect on functional diversity across floristic groups.
Main conclusions: We found that endemic and non-endemic native island species possess similar traits, whereas alien species tend to expand functional space in ecosystems where they have been introduced. The spatial distribution of the functional diversity of floristic groups is very distinct across environmental gradients, indicating that species assemblages of different evolutionary origins thrive functionally in dissimilar habitats.
Bumblebees (Bombus Latreille, 1802), because of their large body size, bright colours and activity at times and places that coincide with biologists, are an example of a group of insects that is particularly well represented in museum collections. This is important if taxonomic revisions are to achieve greater comparability among species. Bumblebees have also attracted particular attention because they are especially ecologically and economically valuable for pollination in north temperate regions, where they are now becoming increasingly threatened. I argue that the what, the where, and the how of effective conservation management may be informed by understanding the divergent characteristics that have affected their biogeographical past: by helping us to see ‘the woods’, not just ‘the trees’, of their habitat needs. Identifying suitable habitat should be part of reconstructing historical biogeography within taxonomic revisions. For bumblebees, for example, biogeographical analysis associates major taxonomic groups either with flower-rich lowland grasslands or with flower-rich montane grasslands, highlighting their contrasting requirements for: nest sites, flowers of different depths, pollen-plant families, and especially the differing importance of early spring and late summer flowers for breeding success. This broad view of species groups helps filter the less important idiosyncrasies from local case studies in order to focus conservation actions.
Samples collected in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, have revealed a hitherto unknown diversity of Campodeidae (Diplura) in soil and cave habitats, including a new genus and species, Kyrgyzstancampa sanare Sendra & Ferreira gen. et sp. nov., Turkmenocampa edaphica Sendra & Sánchez-García sp. nov. and a previously recognized soil-dwelling species, Campodea (Dicampa) catalana Denis, 1930. Kyrgyzstancampa sanare Sendra & Ferreira gen. et sp. nov. was collected in the deep zone of an interesting geological and cultural cave, Ak-Turpak Cave, located near the western margin of Kadamjay District, Batken Province. This genus belongs to the subfamily Campodeinae, sharing the morphology of the pretarsus with Eutrichocampa and other related genera, but differing from them in the shape of the claws and the laminar lateral processes, in addition to its unique cupuliform organ and the macrosetal pattern on the thorax and abdomen. Turkmenocampa edaphica Sendra & Sánchez-García sp. nov. was found in humid edaphic habitats, under stones or near roots, and is morphologically and geographically very similar to the cave-dwelling species Turkmenicampa mirabilis Sendra #38; Stoev, 2017, which occurs in an isolated cave in the nearby country of Turkmenistan.
Our recent surveys of the herpetological diversity of the West African Togo Hills documented a total of 65 reptile and amphibian species, making Kyabobo National Park one of the most diverse sites surveyed in Ghana. We provide accounts for all species recorded along with photographs to aid in identification. We recorded 26 amphibians, including six new records for Kyabobo N. P., one of which is a record for the Togo Hills. Our collection of reptile species (22 lizards, 16 snakes, and one crocodile) also provides new records and range extensions for Kyabobo N. P., such as the first observation of the dwarf crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis. Amphibian species still lacking from our surveys in the Togo Hills include several species that are adapted to fast running water or large closed forests, like the Togo toad, Bufo togoensis and the slippery frog, Conraua derooi. Appropriate habitat for such species still remains in Kyabobo, highlighting the need for additional survey work. We draw attention to the importance of conserving forest stream habitats, which will in turn help ensure the persistence of forest-restricted species. We also highlight those species that may prove most useful for evolutionary studies of West African rain forest biogeography.
The biogeographic significance of Diplopoda is substantiated by 50 maps documenting indigenous occurrences of the 16 orders, the three Spirostreptida s. l. suborders – Cambalidea, Epinannolenidea, Spirostreptidea – and all higher taxa including Diplopoda itself. The class is indigenous to all continents except Antarctica and islands/archipelagos in all temperate and tropical seas and oceans except the Arctic; it ranges from Kodiak Island and the northern Alaskan Panhandle, United States (USA), southern Hudson Bay, Canada, and near or north of the Arctic Circle in Iceland, continental Scandinavia, and Siberia to southern “mainland” Argentina, the southern tips of Africa and Tasmania, and Campbell Island, subantarctic New Zealand. The vast, global distribution is interrupted by sizeable, poorly- or unsampled areas including the Great Basin, USA; the Atacama Desert region of Chile and neighboring countries; southern South American islands; the central Kalahari and Sahara deserts; the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, and all of north-central and western China; from north of the Caspian Sea, Russia, to central Kazakhstan; and the “Outback” of central Australia. Five Arabian countries lack both samples and published records of indigenous diplopods – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates – as do Turks and Caicos, in the New World, and Mauritania and possibly Egypt, Africa. New records, including the first for Chilognatha from Botswana and the first specific localities from Northern Territory, Australia, are cited in the Appendix. Increased emphasis on mappings in taxonomic research is warranted along with investigations of insular “species swarms” that constitute a microcosm of the early evolution of the class. The largest “species swarm” in the Diplopoda is Diplopoda itself!
Twenty-nine specimens of Diplura collected from eight caves in China and Myanmar contain two new genera, Hubeicampa Sendra & Lips gen. nov. and Mueggejapyx Sendra & Komerički gen. nov., as well as four new species, Anisuracampa ywangana Sendra & Komerički sp. nov., Hubeicampa melissa Sendra & Lips gen. et sp. nov., Pacificampa wudonghuii Sendra sp. nov. and Mueggejapyx brehieri Sendra & Komerički gen. et sp. nov. These cave-adapted taxa showcase an impressive diversity in morphological adaptation (troglomorphy) to cave ecosystems. Their sensorial equipment, setae and receptors in the cupuliform organ have unique forms (H. melissa gen. et sp. nov.), as well as the pretarsus sticky surface (A. ywangana sp. nov. and H. melissa gen. et sp. nov.). Recent contributions on Asian diplurans, together with the taxonomic novelties shown in the present study, highlight the biogeographical importance of the Asian biodiversity. Asia is revealed as a continent with vast karst regions still waiting to be explored and new dipluran species waiting to be discovered.
We review the genus Cyclargus Nabokov (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) based on detailed comparative analyses of wing patterns, genitalia, and mitochondrial COI DNA barcode sequences, and suggest that Cyclargus is composed of four species: C. thomasi (Clench), C. woodruffi (W. Comstock and Huntington), C. ammon (Lucas), and C. dominica (Möschler). The following new subjective synonyms are proposed: C. erembis Nabokov syn. n. and C. kathleena K. Johnson and Matusik syn. n. are C. thomasi noeli (W. Comstock and Huntington); C. sorpresus K. Johnson and Matusik syn. n. and C. shuturn K. Johnson and Bálint syn. n. are C. ammon; and Cyclargus oualiri Brevignon syn. n. is C. woodruffi. Additionally, we report the discovery of C. thomasi noeli in Cuba (where this taxon was previously confused with C. ammon), report C. ammon from Hispaniola for the first time, and document the widespread sympatry of C. thomasi and C. ammon in the northern Caribbean (including south Florida, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, Lucayan Archipelago). Finally, we provide a provisional synonymic list of Cyclargus taxa, which may serve as a taxonomic framework to assist efforts to conserve the Miami blue (C. thomasi bethunebakeri (W. Comstock and Huntington)), a taxon listed as "Endangered" under the Endangered Species Act in the United States.
Features of the Maechidiini (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) genera Maechidius Macleay, 1819, Epholcis Waterhouse, 1875 and Paramaechidius Frey, 1969 are critically revised and a new synonymy is proposed: Maechidius = Epholcis syn. nov. = Paramaechidius syn. nov. A key to and an annotated checklist of Maechidiini from the Indo-Australian transition zone are presented for the first time. Thirty-five new species are described, namely Maechidius aiyura sp. nov., M. alesbezdeki sp. nov., M. awu sp. nov., M. babyrousa sp. nov., M. bintang sp. nov., M. boessnecki sp. nov., M. brocki sp. nov., M. caperatus sp. nov., M. ciliatus sp. nov., M. crypticus sp. nov., M. dani sp. nov., M. deltouri sp. nov., M. dendrolagus sp. nov., M. hamatus sp. nov., M. kazantsevi sp. nov., M. konjo sp. nov., M. lapsus sp. nov., M. legalovi sp. nov., M. leucopsar sp. nov., M. longipes sp. nov., M. mailu sp. nov., M. maleo sp. nov., M. merdeka sp. nov., M. miklouhomaclayi sp. nov., M. nepenthephilus sp. nov., M. owenstanleyi sp. nov., M. riedeli sp. nov., M. similis sp. nov., M. skalei sp. nov., M. sougb sp. nov., M. suwawa sp. nov., M. trivialis sp. nov., M. ursus sp. nov., M. weigeli sp. nov. and M. yamdena sp. nov. Six new synonyms are proposed: Maechidius Macleay, 1819 = Epholcis Waterhouse, 1875 syn. nov. = Paramaechidius Frey, 1969 syn. nov., Maechidius esau Heller, 1914 = M. setosus Moser, 1920 syn. nov. = M. setosellus Frey, 1969 syn. nov., Maechidius heterosquamosus Heller, 1910 comb. rest. = Paramaechidius clypeatus Frey, 1969 syn. nov. and Maechidius paupianus Heller, 1910 = M. arrowi Frey, 1969 syn. nov. The first records of Maechidiini from the Tanimbar Islands (Yamdena), Sangihe Islands (Sangir) and Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali) are documented, of which the latter two are the northern- and westernmost known records of Maechidius and of the tribe Maechidiini. Lectotypes are designated for 23 species. Fifteen new combinations are proposed and the original combination to Maechidius is restored for four species. Ecological data are presented for the first time for selected Papuan and Wallacean species. Type material of Wallacean and Papuan Maechidiini is depicted for the first time. A key to species is given. In total, 78 species of Maechidiini are confirmed for the Indo-Australian transition zone.
Acantholeberis smirnovi Paggi & Herrera-Martinez, 2020 (Cladocera: Acantholeberidae) was recently described from Andean habitats in South America. The presence of a population on the eastern coast of the continent brought the hypothesis of a new Neotropical species different from A. smirnovi. This hypothesis was confirmed from morphological, ecological and biogeographic evidence. Acantholeberis accolismaris Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Álvarez-Silva sp. nov. differs from A. smirnovi in the morphology of the head, the valves and the limbs (especially the second and third limbs). Species of Acantholeberis are adapted to live in acid water bodies, with A. accolismaris sp. nov. presenting the same ecological requirements. However, the new species is adapted to live in temporary ponds near the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil in altitudes ranging between 4 and 15 meters above sea level. Considering that Acantholeberidae is an ancient taxon with a pre-Mesozoic origin, geological and environmental changes may have been relevant to speciation and to the observed biogeographic pattern of species of Acantholeberis in Neotropics.
Bujurquina is the most widely distributed and species-rich genus of cichlids in the western Amazon of South America. In this study we describe a new species from Peru from a hypothesized reverse flowing river system. Prior to the origin of the modern Amazon River at 4.5 Ma, this river system had its headwaters on the Iquitos arch, one of several main structural arches (swells) in the Amazon. Prior to the origin of the modern Amazon these arches formed topographic barriers of drainage basins in lowland Amazonia. For our analyses we use morphological and molecular data, analyzed through multivariate statistics and molecular phylogenies, respectivelly. For all valid species in the genus (except B. cordemadi and B. pardus) we additionally for the first time provide photographs of live specimens. Based on DNA phylogeny and coloration patterns we demonstrate that Bujurquina is divided into two main clades and based on this we provide a dichotomous key for all the species.
A new dipluran species, Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) imereti Sendra & Barjadze sp. nov., from the deep zone in three caves in the Imereti region, Georgia, is described. This new troglobitic Plusiocampa is an addition to four others known Diplura from around the Black Sea region, two Dydimocampa and two Plusiocampa s. str. The present study also provides the first CO1 sequences for the Plusiocampinae taxa and the first molecular data for cave-dwelling Plusiocampa species. Although bootstrap values were low, the maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree grouped Plusiocampa (P.) imereti Sendra & Barjadze sp. nov. with two Plusiocampa s. str. species from Eastern Europe. Morphologically, P. (P.) imereti Sendra & Barjadze sp. nov. is closely related to two cave-dwelling species: Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) glabra Condé, 1984 and Plusiocampa (P.) chiosensis Sendra & Gasparo, 2020. The new species can be distinguished by the presence of lateral anterior macrosetae on metanotum, more uneven claws, and the presence of 2+2 lateral anterior macrosetae on middle urotergites. The five species currently known for the Black Sea region inhabit caves located at low altitude but with no influence from former glacial or permafrost processes.
The use of phylogenies in ecology is increasingly common and has broadened our understanding of biological diversity. Ecological sub-disciplines, particularly conservation, community ecology and macroecology, all recognize the value of evolutionary relationships but the resulting development of phylogenetic approaches has led to a proliferation of phylogenetic diversity metrics. The use of many metrics across the sub-disciplines hampers potential meta-analyses, syntheses, and generalizations of existing results. Further, there is no guide for selecting the appropriate metric for a given question, and different metrics are frequently used to address similar questions. To improve the choice, application, and interpretation of phylo-diversity metrics, we organize existing metrics by expanding on a unifying framework for phylogenetic information.
Generally, questions about phylogenetic relationships within or between assemblages tend to ask three types of question: how much; how different; or how regular? We show that these questions reflect three dimensions of a phylogenetic tree: richness, divergence, and regularity. We classify 70 existing phylo-diversity metrics based on their mathematical form within these three dimensions and identify ‘anchor’ representatives: for α-diversity metrics these are PD (Faith's phylogenetic diversity), MPD (mean pairwise distance), and VPD (variation of pairwise distances). By analysing mathematical formulae and using simulations, we use this framework to identify metrics that mix dimensions, and we provide a guide to choosing and using the most appropriate metrics. We show that metric choice requires connecting the research question with the correct dimension of the framework and that there are logical approaches to selecting and interpreting metrics. The guide outlined herein will help researchers navigate the current jungle of indices.
Despite being generally distributed and common on Cuba, Hispaniola, and in south Florida, species of Pyrgus Hübner (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), commonly known as checkered skippers, are very poorly known from The Bahamas. Previous records indicated the presence only of Pyrgus oileus (Linnaeus, 1767), just from Great Inagua Island, although its status on that island remains unclear. Herein we document P. oileus for the first time from Grand Bahama Island, suggesting an independent dispersal of this species to the northern Bahamas from south Florida. Furthermore, we document Pyrgus albescens Plötz, 1884 from Grand Bahama and Abaco islands, representing the first Caribbean records for this rapidly dispersing species. We suggest that both P. oileus and P. albescens arrived on Grand Bahama sometime between 2010 and 2014, most likely from south Florida, and that P. albescens has subsequently dispersed to Abaco. Careful study of Pyrgus species in The Bahamas is needed to document future colonization events.
As a preliminary step towards a more intensive research on the diversity of macromycetes in Greece, an updated check-list of the Greek mycoflora is presented together with information on the host-substrates and geographic occurrence. The data originated from a thorough literature search and the authors' field observations. In total, 58 families, 214 genera and 811 species of fungi are recorded belonging to Basidiomycetes. The systematics and nomenclature of the relative bibliography have been updated and suitably revised. The large gaps in our knowledge on the existence and distribution of higher fungi in Greece are emphasized.