New World species of the histerid beetle genus Xestipyge Marseul (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Dendrophilinae: Paromalini) are reviewed, and X. skelleyi, new species, is described. A dichotomous key and illustrations are provided as identification means for the now five included species from the Western Hemisphere.
A world catalogue and bibliography of the family Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) is presented. The catalogue contains 207 species within 16 genera. Each taxon is accompanied by a complete taxonomic history, including a full annotated synonymy with original references cited. The reversal of the recent synonymy of Cybocephalus brevis Grouvelle over Cybocephalus minimus Grouvelle is proposed. Cybocephalus aeneus Reiche is removed from synonymy with Cybocephalus micans Reitter and considered incertae sedis....
The genus Afronurus has several very common mayfly species in China and they are widely distributed in this country. Some of them are quite similar to each other in both imaginal and nymphal stages. However, these species have not been systematically compared and reviewed so far. In this study, six species are recognized. All nymphs of them share the following characters: gills V–VI with additional arrow-like accessory lobes, branched dentisetae, two rows of bristles and setae on hindtibiae and spotted abdominal terga. The males have divergent penes and clearly expressed titillators. The nymphs of the new species A. drepanophyllus sp. nov. have sickle-like gills I, spotted and striped body color, and males have unique genitalia. The nymphal stages of A. furcatus and A. hunanensis, which are associated and described for the first time, have similar body color to A. drepanophyllus sp. nov., but their pale dots on the head capsules and the shape of the hypopharynx are different. Keys to males and nymphs of the six species are provided....
The ambersnails (Succineidae), found nearly worldwide, are considered a very challenging group to classify and identify with even genus-level identifications requiring dissection. In this study, we use mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, shell morphometrics, and anatomical dissection to examine fresh material collected from the type localities of two nominal species in Oxyloma (Neoxyloma). We conclude from these evidence that Oxyloma salleanum (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) and Oxyloma effusum (L. Pfeiffer, 1853) are conspecific, and accordingly reduce O. effusum to the status of junior synonymy. We present a redescription of O. salleanum....
The genus Goniurosaurus (tiger geckos) currently consists of 23 species distributed in China, Japan and Vietnam. Several species complexes and recent discoveries of cryptic species pose challenges to the species identification, which is crucial to effectively implement the recent listing of the species from China and Vietnam in CITES Appendix II and the species from Japan in CITES Appendix III. Based on the results of our field work in northern Vietnam and data compiled from literature, we herein provide a taxonomic review of the genus Goniurosaurus. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that all recorded populations of tiger geckos from Vietnam, which were found to be monophyletic with low intra-specific genetic divergences, are assigned to one of the four species: G. catbaensis, G. huuliensis, G. lichtenfelderi or G. luii. Both genetic and morphological analyses confirm that the species from China and Vietnam can be split into three major groups. Based on the newly collected data, we provide an extended morphological description of the Vietnamese species. In addition, we provide an identification key for all Goniurosaurus species from China, Japan and Vietnam in order to assist authorities in the enforcement of the recent CITES listing....
A remarkable new apterous genus of Xanthopygina beetles is described here as Ikaros gen. nov. The new genus includes three new species, I. apteros gen. et sp. nov. from Colombia, I. paramo gen. et sp. nov. from Colombia and I. polygonos gen. et sp. nov. from Venezuela. Phylogenetic analyses using molecular and morphological data were performed to assess the phylogenetic position of Ikaros gen. nov. and whether the three new taxa formed a monophyletic group. All analyses, including those with aptery-associated characters removed, strongly supported the monophyly of Ikaros gen. nov. The genus could not be confidently resolved as a member of any of the existing genus-group lineages, likely due to a lack of morphological signal in the backbone of the tree. Further analyses, ideally with molecular data, are needed to determine the position of Ikaros gen. nov....
We describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus on the basis of two specimens collected from Ta Kou Nature Reserve, Binh Thuan Province, southern Vietnam. Cyrtodactylus chungi sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos by a combination of the following characters: relatively small body size (SVL up to 68.5 mm); a continuous neckband; 5 or 6 irregular transverse dorsal bands; 11 or 12 bands on original tail; keeled tubercles present on dorsum, posterior limbs and tail; 17 or 18 irregular dorsal tubercle rows; 30 or 31 ventral scale rows; ventrolateral skin folds indistinct; an angular series of seven precloacal pores in male and six pitted, enlarged precloacal scales in female, each series separated by a diastema of undifferentiated scales from 4–6 enlarged, poreless femoral scales; median subcaudals slightly enlarged; 17–20 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe. Based on molecular analyses of the fragment of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), the new species is recovered as the sister taxon to Cyrtodactylus cattienensis s. str. with a genetic divergence of more than 9%. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species is recovered as a member of the Cyrtodactylus irregularis species group....
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....
A new Brazilian leafhopper genus of the subfamily Neocoelidiinae is proposed: Takiyaella gen. nov. based on T. sexguttata (Chiamolera & Cavichioli, 2003) gen. et comb. nov. and five new species: T. anomala gen. et sp. nov., T. coelhomarquesae gen. et sp. nov., and T. daniela gen. et sp. nov. from the state of Rio de Janeiro; T. cavichiolii gen. et sp. nov. from the state of Paraná, and T. mejdalanii gen. et sp. nov. from the state of Minas Gerais. A distribution map and identification key to Takiyaella species are provided....
A new genus Higginsarctus gen. nov. in the subfamily Florarctinae Renaud-Mornant, 1982 (Arthrotardigrada) is established on the basis of the type species H. signeae gen. et sp. nov. described from carbonated sand habitats from Faroe Bank, North Atlantic Ocean. Three other Atlantic species H. laurae gen. et sp. nov., H. martini gen. et sp. nov. and H. shintai gen. et sp. nov. are described from Dentalium sand, Roscoff, France and finally H. lassei gen. et sp. nov. is described from the deep sea in the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile. The recently described species Ligiarctus alatus Gomes-Júnior, E. Santos, da Rocha, P.J.P. Santos & Fontoura, 2018 is investigated and compared with the type species Ligiarctus eastwardi Renaud-Mornant, 1982. New and additional information to the original description of L. alatus is provided and this species is moved to Higginsarctus gen. nov. as H. alatus comb. nov....