DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.204153

Authors: J. Wolfgang Wägele, Nani I. J. Undap, Adelfia Papu

Abstract: From a collection of Isopoda Anthuroidea the new species Eisothistos minahasaensis sp. nov., Mesanthura ratulangii sp. nov., Mesanthura heliolatra sp. nov., Haliophasma annaclericiae sp. nov., Apanthuretta markuslasuti sp. nov., Apanthuretta pinchans sp. nov., Amakusanthura mamuajae sp. nov., and Apanthurella cuspidobtusa gen. nov. et sp. nov. are described. The species were found in near-shore samples of coral rubble and sediment in North Sulawesi (Indonesia). The genus Haliophasma Haswell, 1881 is compared with Malacanthura Barnard, 1925 and the genus Exanthura Barnard, 1914 is reinstalled to accommodate species with a basal hook on the A1. Nemanthura Wägele, 1981 is synonymized with Exanthura Barnard, 1914. A new classification of the Apanthura group, including the diagnosis of the new genus Apanthurella gen. nov., is provided together with lists of hitherto described species. Diagnoses for the genera Haliophasma, Malacanthura, Exanthura, Apanthura, Apanthuretta, Apanthuropsis, Amakusanthura, and Apanthurella are presented.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.204851

Authors: Marcelo Domingos de Santis, Alexssandro Camargo

Abstract: A new species of the Neotropical genus Prophorostoma Townsend, 1927 (Diptera, Tachinidae, Dexiinae) is described based on specimens collected by the famed Austrian naturalist Johann Natterer during his expedition to Brazil (1817–1835) and housed at the Natural History Museum Vienna (NHMW). Prophorostoma nattereri sp. nov. is the first Dexiinae species to be identified among Natterer’s vast Brazilian collections. The remarkable history of the specimens, which survived over 200 years after being collected in Brazil, is highlighted to emphasize the unique scientific value of historical museum collections. Illustrations of the holotype and an updated identification key for Prophorostoma species are included.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.210478

Authors: Ximo Mengual, Katsuyoshi Ichige

Abstract: The Palaearctic species of the hoverfly genus Ferdinandea Rondani, 1844 are revised and a new species, Ferdinandea harusawai Ichige, sp. nov., is described from Japan. For a long time, the new taxon was known as Ferdinandea nigrifrons (Egger, 1860). We studied the type material of Chrysochlamys nigrifrons Egger, 1861, designated a lectotype for it and synonymized it with Ferdinandea cuprea (Scopoli, 1763). A full description of the new species, together with available DNA barcodes and images for all the Palaearctic species, is given. Moreover, we provide an identification key to all the Ferdinandea species in the Palaearctic Realm.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.210468

Authors: Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa

Abstract: Six specimens of Nephasoma constricticervix are reported from the Guinea Basin from 5141–5171 m depth, collected during the Diva II expedition. This species was reported earlier from this region as “unpublished record”. Most characteristic are the long introvert hooks (up to 123 µm in our specimens), which decrease in size posteriorly and a constriction between introvert and trunk. An SEM investigation of the hooks shows their fine structure and the presence of papillae associated with the hooks.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.208449

Authors: Achintya Mahato, Poulami Hui, Niladri Hazra

Abstract: The chironomid genus Heleniella Gowin, 1943 is recorded from India for the first time based on an integrative taxonomic study of adult males from the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, West Bengal. The specimens are identified as Heleniella nebulosa Andersen & Wang, 1997 based on morphological characters and redescribed with a COI barcode. We include an identification key to the males of all Heleniella species, which provides a concise framework for distinguishing all known species globally. Morphological cladistic analysis based on 38 discrete morphological characters of adult males recovered Heleniella as monophyletic and placed H. nebulosa within the spotted-wing species group. COI-based phylogenetic and species-delimitation analyses (ABGD, ASAP) revealed the Indian population as a distinct evolutionary lineage, showing 12.29% sequence divergence from East Asian populations, suggesting a candidate cryptic lineage and extending the genus’ known distribution.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.206592

Authors: David Schimrosczyk, Marcin Jan Kamiński, Luana Machado Barros

Abstract: An illustrated catalogue of the type material of Richardiidae (Diptera) described by Günther Enderlein and preserved in the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MiIZ PAS), Warsaw, is presented. The study is based on a comprehensive examination of the historical Stettin collection and includes photographs, label data, and an assessment of the nomenclatural status of all available type specimens. A total of 76 Richardiidae specimens were located, originally assigned to 31 species and subspecies, together with two specimens identified as Melanoloma sp. The material includes primary types of 15 species described by Enderlein in 1912–1913. No type specimens attributable to species described by Enderlein in 1927 were found. A lectotype is designated for Megalothoraca hendeli Enderlein, 1912 to fix its taxonomic status. A checklist of Richardiidae species represented in the MiIZ PAS collection is provided. In addition, a brief biographical note on Günther Enderlein is included. This catalogue contributes to the documentation and stabilization of Richardiidae nomenclature and facilitates future taxonomic research on the family.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.206974

Authors: Yoan Camilo Guzman Sarmiento, Dagmara Żyła

Abstract: We revise the Neotropical paederine genera Lypeticus Sharp, 1886 and Leiporaphes Bernhauer, 1912, the latter being a monotypic genus. Examination of the type material demonstrates that Leiporaphes is congeneric with Lypeticus and is therefore placed in synonymy with the latter, resulting in the new combination Lypeticus attarum (Bernhauer, 1912), comb. nov. The revision includes redescriptions of all previously known species, the description of three new species, Lypeticus nori sp. nov., L. paraguayensis sp. nov., and L. plaumanni sp. nov., and an identification key. We also report the first records of the genus from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Paraguay, considerably expanding its known distribution in the Neotropical region. In addition, we provide a revised generic diagnosis, detailed morphological documentation, including male genital and thoracic characters, and new distributional and habitat data that facilitate the identification of species and improve our understanding of the diversity and distribution of this uncommon genus.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.204482

Authors: Águeda Verónica Isa-Miranda, Marcela A. Peralta, Carolina Nieto

Abstract: The peatlands of the Puna and High Andes of northwestern Argentina harbor a poorly known diversity of freshwater amphipods of the genus Hyalella. Using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological and molecular evidence, we describe two new species, Hyalella portaesolis sp. nov. and Hyalella rodriguezi sp. nov. Molecular analyses based on the mitochondrial COI gene support the distinctiveness of both taxa and confirm the usefulness of this marker for species delimitation within South American Hyalellidae. We also provide ecological and distributional information for the new species, including habitat characteristics and the presence of epibionts. Additionally, we report other Hyalella species occurring in the study area, contributing to a better understanding of amphipod diversity in Andean peatlands. Our results highlight the high and still underestimated biodiversity of these unique wetlands and reinforce the importance of integrative studies for documenting and conserving freshwater fauna in a region increasingly affected by human activities.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.199967

Authors: Bernhard Hausdorf, Marijn T. Roosen, Elicio Tapia

Abstract: Three new species of the genus Habeastrum (Gastropoda, Diplommatinidae), which was known only from Brazil until now, are described from the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador. Habeastrum striolatum Hausdorf & Tapia, sp. nov. from Pastaza province is characterised by a minute, elongated conical shell with dense riblets. Habeastrum tayos Hausdorf, Roosen & Tapia, sp. nov. from Pastaza, Morona-Santiago, and Napo provinces is characterised by an elongated conical, coarsely ribbed shell. Habeastrum decussatum Hausdorf & Tapia, sp. nov. from Sucumbios province is characterised by a wide, elongated conical shell with fine ribs crossed by spiral lines.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.204098

Authors: Edilson Caron, Lígia Maria Saback Moreira Dornellas, Pedro Giovâni da Silva, Augusto Sarreiro Auler, Fernando Willyan Trevisan Leivas

Abstract: Beetles are recognized for their ability to inhabit a wide range of environments, including subterranean habitats, where they have achieved notable ecological success. In Brazil, research on beetle fauna has increased substantially, however this trend does not extend to cave-dwelling species. Staphyliniform beetles are no exception, and current knowledge of their subterranean representatives remains limited. To address this gap, the present study describes two new taxa from the same Brazilian cave. One of these is a new species of Plagiogramma Tarsia in Curia, 1935 (Histeridae, Tribalinae), while the second taxon is the second species of the genus Tavakilianidia Orousset, 1985 (Staphylinidae, Osoriinae). For both taxa, this study represents the first record of these genera in cave environments and, for Tavakilianidia, the first record in Brazil. Plagiogramma unicum Leivas, sp. nov., resembles P. amplistria Kovarik & Dégallier, 2021, but differs in its smaller size, light brown coloration, body dorsally and ventrally finely and sparsely punctate, reduced eyes, fronto-clypeal region strongly concave, a carinal striae of the prosternal keel that divergent anteriorly and subparallel posteriorly, and an indistinct median metaventral suture. Tavakilianidia flava Caron, sp. nov. differs from T. anophtalma Orousset, 1985 in having a lighter body, antennomeres 4–6 not pedicellate, and a perfectly globose spermatheca. These findings increase the known diversity of these previously neglected beetle groups in Brazil and provide new insights into the biology of their genera.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.205134

Authors: Jan Philip Oeyen, Leif Moritz, Thomas Wesener

Abstract: Catastrophic events like climatic changes can lead to a drastic decline and loss of populations in widespread species. Small refugia can shield relict populations from extinction and are of great importance for maintaining genetic diversity and for recolonization events. In the giant centipede Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829, widely distributed along the Mediterranean Sea, the northern-most populations occur in isolated microrefugia in Austria and Hungary. The origin and relationships of these populations remain largely unknown. Here we describe a second, previously unknown, microrefugial population of S. cingulata from Austria and provide insights into the evolutionary history of the northern-most populations of the species based on molecular analyses (COI) of 16 populations. Our results show that the Austrian and Croatian populations are closely related, while genetically distinct from the Hungarian and Romanian representatives. Therefore, we conclude that the northern-most populations of S. cingulata are relicts from multiple independent post-glacial recolonization events from southern refugia.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.199765

Authors: Kyung-Hoon Jeong, Jaeseok Oh, Rio Shida, Jithin Johnson, Danilo Harms, Sora Kim

Abstract: Species of the pseudoscorpion genus Mundochthonius (Chthoniidae) are difficult to distinguish using traditional morphology, as diagnostic traits exhibit limited variation despite substantial genetic divergence. Here, we used publicly available sequence data to reconstruct the phylogeny of Japanese Mundochthonius and applied multiple species-delimitation methods to assess diversity and biogeographic patterns. Phylogenetic analyses recovered seven major genetic clades consistent with previous studies, while five delimitation approaches indicated substantially higher species diversity than currently recognized. These clades exhibit strong geographic structuring: clades 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 are restricted to eastern Japan, whereas clade 4 is broadly distributed in western Japan, a pattern corresponding to the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line, which demarcates the western boundary of the Fossa Magna region. We describe Mundochthonius tsushimaensis sp. nov., a genetically distinct lineage endemic to Tsushima Island, which is situated between the Korean peninsula and Kyushu island of the Japanese Archipelago. Although the new species lacks clear morphological differentiation from other members of the clade, it displays a COI p-distance of 14% from all congeners, indicating substantial genetic divergence that is further corroborated by the geographical isolation of the island. Additionally, we elevate Mundochthonius japonicus scolytidis to species rank (Mundochthonius scolytidis stat. nov.) based on genetic distinctiveness. We propose that the phylogeographic structure of Japanese Mundochthonius reflects a refugial model, where deeply divergent, range-restricted eastern clades originated on the complex geological history of the Japanese Archipelago. These findings underscore the importance of integrating molecular and biogeographic data for resolving taxonomy in morphologically conserved groups.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.196576

Authors: Nadine Dupérré, Elicio Tapia, David Salazar-Valenzuela

Abstract: A review of specimens from the subfamily Theraphosinae in Ecuador resulted in the identification of five new species across three genera; from the genus Romopelma Peñaherrera-R et al., 2024, Romopelma chirapa sp. nov. (♂♀); from the genus Homoeomma, Homoeomma josti sp. nov. (♂♀). The female of Romopelma barrigae Peñaherrera-R et al., 2024, the type species of the genus, is described for the first time. The proposed synonymy of Homoeomma strabo (Simon, 1892) from Colombia with H. familiare Bertkau, 1880, from Brazil, is rejected. Additionally, one new genus is established, and three species are described: Yunka gen. nov., Y. suenos sp. nov. (♂♀), Y. guasaganda sp. nov. (♂♀), and Y. baboso sp. nov. (♂♀). SEM images of palpal bulb, and urticating setae are presented, and morphological nomenclature of palpal bulb keels is updated.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.189744

Authors: Dirk Ahrens, Phu V. Pham

Abstract: In the current study we describe four new species from China and Vietnam belonging to the genera Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 and Trioserica Moser, 1922: Tetraserica dietzi sp. nov. (Vietnam), T. mingzhii sp. nov. (China), T. xinba sp. nov. (China), and Trioserica bidoupnuiba sp. nov. (Vietnam). The keys of the respective genera are updated, diagnostic characters of the new species illustrated, and new records of other, already known species are presented.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.187593

Authors: Nancy F. Mercado-Salas, Ute Mühlenhardt-Siegel, Emanuel Pereira, Cristina Garilao

Abstract: In this contribution, we present the first annotated catalogue of type material deposited at the Crustacea collection of the Museum of Nature Hamburg, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change. This catalogue covers the entire type collection (525 lots, 10,493 specimens) of the order Cumacea, representing 139 nominal species and subspecies, including holotypes, allotypes, paratypes, and syntypes. The type material includes members of the families Bodotriidae, Diastylidae, Gynodiastylidae, Lampropidae, Leuconidae, and Nannastacidae. Species are listed in alphabetical order, with references to the original descriptions, accepted names, remarks, a brief diagnosis, and the current distribution of the species. In addition to the types, we provide a concise overview of all Cumacea material (2,250 lots) deposited in the Crustacea collection, comprising 67 genera and 341 species and subspecies from the aforementioned families, as well as material belonging to the Ceratocumatidae and Pseudocumatidae. This fully validated, publicly available collection (https://collections.leibniz-lib.de) is offered to the scientific community by the Leibniz Association and the LIB collections as part of our long-term research infrastructure.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.195813

Authors: Bradley J. Sinclair, Toyohei Saigusa

Abstract: The species of Acanthocnema Becker, 1894 from Nepal, Myanmar and Yunnan, China are revised, including new illustrations of A. himalaica Suwa, 1986 and the description of two new species: A. malaisei sp. nov. and A. pictipennis sp. nov. All species are illustrated, distributions mapped and an identification key to species is presented. In addition, Lubomyia Šifner, 2010 is proposed as a junior synonym of Acerocnema Becker, 1894, syn. nov., giving the new combination Acerocnema orientalis (Šifner), comb. nov. This species is redescribed and illustrated.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.190431

Authors: Liliya Štarhová Serbina, Ulrich Kotthoff, Daniel Burckhardt

Abstract: Caillardia sueva Burckhardt, Serbina & Kotthoff, sp. nov., a new species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), is described from the Early/Middle Miocene deposits of the Randeck Maar (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) based on the imprints of a single male specimen. It represents the first Miocene record of the subfamily Aphalarinae (Aphalaridae) from Europe. The fossil is assigned to the genus Caillardia, based on the absence of genal processes, the transversely rectangular pronotum (in dorsal view), the shape, venation and pattern of the forewings, as well as the comparatively large male subgenital plate. This discovery draws attention to this neglected and often overlooked insect group and it is hoped that more fossils may be discovered in European Miocene deposits.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.197944

Authors: Bradley J. Sinclair, Rui Andrade

Abstract: Iteaphilidae (Diptera, Empidoidea) is recorded from the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, with the description of a new species of Paraiteaphila Sinclair & Shamshev, 2021, P. petrella sp. nov., from Portugal. Information on the flowering plant genera visited by this species is also provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.190572

Authors: Lena Anke Willmott, Ulrich Kotthoff, Danilo Harms

Abstract: Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) are amongst the oldest terrestrial lineages but their fossil record is still very sparse. In recent years, Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber has emerged as an important source for fossil pseudoscorpions. In this study, we extend the fossil record of the family Chernetidae Menge, 1855 – one of the most diverse pseudoscorpion families – by at least 20 million years through the description of a new genus and species, †Burmachernes gen. nov. for the new species †Burmachernes cenomanium sp. nov. from this amber deposit. Although †Burmachernes exhibits the principle synapomorphy of Chernetidae, namely venom glands in the movable chelal finger, it is distinguished from all 121 extant genera as well as the Eocene fossil genus †Oligochernes Beier, 1937 by a unique combination of characters, including trichobothrial arrangement, chaetotaxy, and cheliceral morphology. This fossil represents a significant discovery that fills an important gap in the evolutionary history of Chernetidae, extends the temporal range of the family further back into the Mesozoic, and demonstrates that chernetid pseudoscorpions had already evolved morphological features closely resembling those of their extant relatives.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.188012

Authors: Nimród Varga, Áron Horváth, Botond Balogh

Abstract: Psilidae Macquart, 1835 is reported from Albania for the first time based on voucher specimens. A unique new species, Chamaepsila gropensis sp. nov., characterized by blackish-tinged wings, is described, and Chamaepsila homochroa Freidberg & Shatalkin, 2008 is newly recorded from the country. The latter record represents the westernmost known occurrence of the species and its second record in Europe.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.188735

Authors: Shuo Liu, Mian Hou, Dingqi Rao

Abstract: A new species of the genus Plagiopholis is described based on a single specimen collected from Wenshan Prefecture, southeastern Yunnan Province, China. Compared with other species of the genus, it has a unique combination of morphological characteristics: one loreal, six supralabials, 2+2 temporals, smooth anterior dorsal scales and feebly keeled posterior dorsal scales, 116 ventral scales, 32 subcaudal scales, some subcaudal scales being paired and some being unpaired, an inverted “V” shaped nuchal blotch, and a yellowish white ventral surface with many small dark spots. Phylogenetically, the new species formed a distinct clade in the genus and diverged from other species of the genus by 8.6%–16.6% in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This study increases the number of valid species of the genus Plagiopholis to eight.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.174338

Authors: Ashirwad Tripathy, Devi Priyadarshini

Abstract: A new species of Theridion is reported here from Uttarakhand, India which resembles and exhibits polymorphism like the Happy-face spiders reported from the Hawaiian Islands, Theridion grallator. The species is polymorphic in both sexes and exhibits patterns of a smiling face with dots in colours of red, black and white arranged differently. 32 different morphs of the species have been reported here which have been collected from three different locations in the northwestern state of India, Uttarakhand. This Theridion species also builds webs to hang upside down like the other polymorphic spiders T. californicum and T. grallator. The phylogenetic position of the species is also reported here which was compared against some of the Asian and Neotropical species across the world using the COI marker. A genetic variation of around 8.5% is observed from the Hawaiian Happy-face spider which indicates a separately evolved species in Asia where several morphs have been found. Despite moderate overall divergence, T. himalayana appears to be phylogenetically isolated from both its Palearctic and Nearctic congeners. This supports its distinctiveness within the genus and raises broader questions about lineage dispersal, parallel evolution of colour polymorphism and independent evolution of species in montane forests. A dichotomous key to the Theridion species described form India is also presented here.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.185722

Authors: Menno Reemer, Ximo Mengual

Abstract: A new species of Ubristes Walker, 1852, U. mirabilissimus sp. nov., is described from the Napo Province in the Amazonian part of Ecuador. A key is given to distinguish this species from the other four known species in this genus. Moreover, DNA barcodes were obtained, which constitute the first molecular data for the genus Ubristes.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.183485

Authors: Mehrdad Parchami-Araghi, George Japoshvili

Abstract: A total of 407 drosophilid specimens from the Lagodekhi and Vashlovani Protected Areas are examined, for the first time, and 17 species are reported here, including two new records for Georgia [Hirtodrosophila confusa (Staeger) and Lordiphosa fenestrarum (Fallén)] and two new records from Transcaucasia [Scaptomyza flava (Fallén) and Stegana (Steganina) nigrithorax Strobl]. A list of 35 drosophilid species now known from Transcaucasia is given.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.172168

Authors: Fiorella Signorotto, Nelson Ferretti

Abstract: A new species of Pycnothelidae Chamberlin, 1917 from the Pampean mountain ranges, Córdoba, Argentina is described and illustrated: Acanthogonatus monicae sp. nov. Here, we combine morphological analyses, molecular phylogeny based on the COI gene, species delimitation methods (bPTP, ABGD), and ecological niche modeling. These approaches consistently support two independent evolutionary lineages previously assigned to A. centralis Goloboff, 1995. The new species is morphologically similar to A. centralis and A. parana Goloboff, 1995, but differs from both by genitalic characters in males and females. Additionally, an updated identification key for Argentine species of Acanthogonatus is provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.178055

Authors: Áron Székely, Levente Kollár, Ádám Mészáros

Abstract: Northward range expansion has become increasingly common among European arthropods in recent decades. As global temperatures rise and the spread of artificial habitats alters ecological conditions, many species are establishing breeding populations outside their native ranges. The Black Pennant Selysiothemis nigra (Vander Linden, 1825), considered native to the Iranoeremian region, has shown a rapid range expansion across Europe, reaching several new countries since the 2000s. As part of this process, the species was recorded in Hungary as well as in the Carpathian Basin in 2020 for the first time, when a single female specimen was observed during a field survey. In this study, we examined the species at the northern edge of its current European distribution in Hungary, using both traditional field observations collected between 2020 and 2025 and citizen science data. We documented 39 new occurrences, including multiple swarms consisting of more than one hundred individuals. At one of these sites, where copulating adults had previously been observed, larval sampling revealed the presence of immature stages. A total of 11 naiads were found in two gravel pit lakes, providing direct evidence of successful reproduction at 47.3262°N. This represents the first known autochthonous population in the Carpathian Basin and the northernmost breeding population of the species worldwide. Our results demonstrate that the Black Pennant is established and increasingly widespread in the Carpathian Basin, highlighting the importance of confirmed breeding populations in assessing range dynamics while emphasizing the growing value of citizen science platforms for tracking distributional changes in arthropods.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.181089

Authors: Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Martin V. Sørensen, Jörg Ott, Jan Raeker

Abstract: Two specimens of the genus Tubiluchus (Priapulida) are reported from Cabo Verde, this is the southernmost record in the Eastern Atlantic for this genus. Specimens likely belong to T. lemburgi, a species known from the Canary Islands. There are some minor differences between Cabo Verde and Canary Island populations. For better comparison, the species T. lemburgi and T. corallicola are reinvestigated and characters insufficiently documented in the literature are described. Some taxonomically important characters are clarified, because they have been described using various terms in the literature. A comparison of characters between all described Tubiluchus species identifies several differences, especially in the structure of scalids, buccal papillae and pharyngeal teeth.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.175041

Authors: Jakob Hallermann

Abstract: In this second addition to the herpetological type catalogue of the Zoological Museum of Hamburg (ZMH), Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, 53 additional newly discovered or newly described type specimens are presented, to expand upon the previously published type catalogues of 1998 and 2006. The species are listed in alphabetical order by family and original binomen or trinomen. References to original descriptions, currently accepted names, and remarks detailing additional information about type status are included. Lectotypes are designated for Leptodactylus kreffti, Epicrates monensis and Hemidactylus brookii haitianus. Currently, the collection contains 397 type specimens of 176 nominal species. Corrections of spelling mistakes and changes of status for some types listed in the previous two type catalogues are given here, in addition to some lost and missing type specimens, which were not recorded in the previous type catalogues.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.174833

Authors: Carl R. Hutter, Zo F. Andriampenomanana, Shea M. Lambert, Miguel Vences

Abstract: We scientifically name and describe two new species of spiny frog (Mantellidae: Spinomantis) from moderately high elevations in Ranomafana National Park, in south-east Madagascar. This region has been surveyed extensively and has a remarkably high anuran diversity with many undocumented species still being regularly discovered. We describe a previously identified candidate species, S. sp. Ca07, as Spinomantis lavabato sp. nov. and a previously undiscovered species from this region as Spinomantis lakolosy sp. nov.. The new species are morphologically cryptic within the S. bertini complex but can be recognized by a combination of subtle differences in coloration such as a lack or weak expression of sharp dorsolateral color border in both species. Bioacoustically, the new species are quite different from other species in the complex: Spinomantis lakolosy sp. nov. has the longest note duration with a powerful-sounding call that rings like a bell, which can be heard over the sound of rushing water in nearby streams; while S. lavabato sp. nov. differs by having the shortest note duration that is quiet and sounds like a trill. Furthermore, both species are substantially diverged in mitochondrial DNA, with pairwise distances in a fragment of the 16S rRNA marker of 7–9% to all other related species. Furthermore, we identify a lineage for future study in the complex from the nearby high-elevation site Andemaka within Ranomafana National Park that has an intermediate sounding advertisement call between the newly described species; although we cannot formally describe this lineage herein due to unavailability of voucher specimens, this lineage emphasizes the unexpectedly high diversity of sympatric species of the S. bertini complex in the Ranomafana area. Additionally, we identify another lineage from Ambahavala in the Anosy Chain with strong mitochondrial divergence for future study. Our findings also highlight the need for continued inventory work in high elevation rainforests of Madagascar, even in relatively well-studied regions such as Ranomafana National Park.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.168533

Authors: U. G. S. L. Ranasinghe, Suresh. P. Benjamin

Abstract: Sri Lanka harbours an exceptionally high diversity of goblin spiders (family Oonopidae), with 45 currently recognised species across 13 genera, of which 38 are endemic. In this study, we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on two nuclear ribosomal markers (18S and 28S rRNA), incorporating 28 species from eight genera: Aprusia, Brignolia, Ischnothyreus, Opopaea, Orchestina, Pelicinus, Silhouettella, and Xestaspis. These taxa were analysed in the context of the existing global phylogeny, enabling both regional and broader evolutionary comparisons. Our results reveal that several genera, particularly Brignolia, Opopaea, and Ischnothyreus, are paraphyletic, highlighting the need for taxonomic revision. Endemic clades such as Aprusia, Brignolia, and Xestaspis show strong evidence of recent, within-island speciation and microendemism. The genus Orchestina is recovered as monophyletic, with Sri Lankan species forming a distinct clade. The findings support the hypothesis that reduced body sclerotisation is a plesiomorphic trait in oonopids. Overall, the study underscores the exceptional microendemism and evolutionary distinctiveness of Sri Lanka’s oonopid fauna, likely driven by both ecological isolation and in situ speciation. However, given the incomplete representation of Indian and Southeast Asian taxa, and limited molecular sampling, further studies incorporating broader taxon and gene sampling are needed to fully resolve the origins and diversification of this ecologically important spider family.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.162251

Authors: Hiranya Sudasinghe, Rohan Pethiyagoda, Madhava Meegaskumbura

Abstract: The five species of Devario in Sri Lanka form a monophyletic insular diversification. Devario memorialis, D. micronema and D. pathirana are specialists that inhabit rainforest foothill streams, while D. altus sp. nov., is confined to a single montane site (1580 m asl). Finally, D. malabaricus, a generalist species associated with open lentic and lotic habitats, is widely distributed from ~0–1500 m asl. The taxonomy of these species has been handicapped by a high degree of intraspecific phenetic variation. Here we construct a phylogeny of, and haplotype networks for, Sri Lankan Devario using a molecular dataset derived from the cox1 and cytb mitochondrial DNA markers and the rag1 and irdp nuclear DNA markers representative of all five species. We compare the mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies for evidence of discordance, showing that D. malabaricus appears to have hybridized with all the other species, except D. memorialis, in their contact zones. The phenotype of D. malabaricus varies with elevation as a cline, partly converging on the phenotype of D. altus sp. nov., possibly through introgression with D. altus sp. nov. or adaptation to hill-stream habitats. Through a morphological analysis of 363 voucher specimens representative of all five species, we characterize the species, thereby stabilizing their taxonomy.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.170645

Authors: R. S. Naveen, Zeeshan A. Mirza, Girish Choure, S. R. Chandramouli

Abstract: The Nicobar Archipelago, a biodiversity hotspot in the Bay of Bengal, harbours several poorly studied and endemic reptile lineages. Several species of snakes from these islands are known to science with just one or a handful of specimens. One such taxon, historically identified as Lycodon subcinctus Boie, 1827, has remained taxonomically unresolved, known only from a single sighting on Great Nicobar Island to date. Recent taxonomic revisions of the L. subcinctus complex enabled us to reassess the status of the population from the Nicobar Islands. Studies suggested that the species is distinct, and a re-examination of museum material and newly collected specimens, combined with molecular analyses, confirms the distinctiveness of the species and is here described as a new species, Lycodon irwini sp. nov. Given its rarity and restriction to Great Nicobar Island, and taking into account potential threats we recommend that the new species be classified as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List criteria.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.162623

Authors: Naufal Urfi Dhiya’ulhaq, Damayanti Buchori, Purnama Hidayat, Stefan Scheu, Jochen Drescher

Abstract: Two new species of spiders of the genus Platnickina Koçak & Kemal, 2008 are described from Sumatra, Indonesia: Platnickina harapan Dhiya’ulhaq, sp. nov. (♂♀) and Platnickina debu Dhiya’ulhaq, sp. nov. (♂♀). Three species are recorded for the first time from Indonesia: Platnickina adamsoni (Berland, 1934), Platnickina fritilla Gao & Li, 2014, and Platnickina xianfengensis (Zhu & Song, 1992). Detailed diagnoses, descriptions and high-quality photographs are provided for the newly recorded species.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.150536

Authors: Vivek Philip Cyriac, P. K. Umesh, N. S. Achyuthan, Vidisha Kulkarni, S. R. Ganesh

Abstract: We describe a new species of uropeltid snake of the genus Rhinophis based on a series of three specimens collected from the Siruvani Hills, which is part of the Central Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of Peninsular India. Rhinophis siruvaniensis sp. nov. is diagnosed from other Indian and Sri Lankan congeners by a combination of 17 dorsal scale rows at (or well beyond) mid-body, 202–205 ventral scales, 4–8 paired subcaudals, and dark brownish-black dorsal and pale whitish blotched lateral and ventral colouration. Phylogenetic reconstructions using mitochondrial markers indicate that the new species is most closely related to R. melanoleucus, but the two species can be distinguished by their unique external morphology and geographic separation. The discovery of this species from outside protected areas in the Attappadi Plateau highlights the need for improved protection of the remaining forests in the Siruvani Hills.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.153102

Authors: Qaisar Jamal, Muhammad Riaz, Moeen Uddin, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa

Abstract: Gordius nixus sp. nov. is described as a new species from Pakistan. It is the first record of a gordiid nematomorph from Pakistan. It was found on snow, which is unusual for nematomorphs. So far, no further life cycle data or host records can be given. The new species resembles other Gordius species, but is characterized by a dense covering of spines in the anterior body region, which is unique among the genus Gordius.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.154534

Authors: Ole-Kristian Odin Schall, Sam W. Heads, Martin Husemann

Abstract: Two new genera and species of Tridactyloidea Brullé, 1835 from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber are described. Abaddonella nwarrngaal gen. et sp. nov. is based on a well-preserved male specimen. It is assigned to Ripipterygidae Ander, 1939 due to its one-segemented cercus and the mesotibia not being significantly wider than mesofemur. The new genus is similar to Burmaripipteryx Zhao, Xu, Jarzembowski, Fang & Xiao, 2023 in regard to its abdominal and external genitalia morphology, but it differs from the latter genus (as well as other Ripipterygidae) by two small bumps on the vertex in front of the eyes. The second new taxon described is named Naginipteryx pinna gen. et sp. nov. Despite exhibiting a distinct ripipterygid-like morphology of the external genitalia, it shows a very inflated mesotibia with a marked triangular shape. This feature is usually considered to be diagnostic of Tridactylidae Brullé, 1835. The taxonomic position of N. pinna, therefore, is difficult. For now, the species is placed outside both families (Ripipterygidae and Tridactylidae) and is suggested to be an ancestor of both lineages, prior to the evolutionary separation being completed. An identification key to the genera of Ripipterygidae from Burmese amber is provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.165936

Authors: Bradley J. Sinclair, Rui Andrade, Ana Rita Gonçalves

Abstract: A new species of Chillcottomyia Saigusa, 1986 is described from Portugal, C. ovaticornis sp. nov. This species represents the first record of Chillcottomyia from Europe.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.148522

Authors: Germán Chávez, Wilmar Aznaran, Ivan Wong, Karen Y. Victoriano-Cigüeñas, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Juan D. Valencia-Málaga, Jesús R. Ormeño, Michael Gulman, Ronal Sumiano-Mejía, Michelle E. Thompson, Alessandro Catenazzi

Abstract: We describe three new species of Pristimantis frogs from northwestern Peru on the basis of morphological and genetic differences. Pristimantis chinguelas sp. nov. is similar in appearance to P. wagteri but it differs by having a longer supratympanic fold, head rounded in profile, groins and posterior surfaces of thighs in a different color pattern. Pristimantis nunezcortezi sp. nov. may be confused with P. cryptomelas, but it is differentiable by having heels with a single low tubercle, skin on flanks areolate, and by lacking prominent postorbital ridges. Pristimantis yonke sp. nov. is externally similar to P. morlaco from Ecuador, but can be distinguished by being smaller, having an acuminate snout, oval palmar tubercle and lacking dentigerous processes of vomers. All species inhabit the paramos and adjacent elfin forests of the mountain ridges north of Abra de Porcuya, the lowest east-west pass in the Peruvian Andes. Despite habitat loss being evident in the area, we do not have enough data to assess their conservation status. We suggest all the new species should be placed in the Data Deficient category of the IUCN Red List.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.153695

Authors: João Marcelo S. Abreu, Wellington Silva Pedroza, Osvaldo T. Oyakawa, Solange de Araújo Melo, Ligia Tchaicka, Nivaldo Magalhães Piorski

Abstract: A new species of Hoplias malabaricus species complex is herein described from the Munim River Basin, Maranhão state, Northeastern of Brazil. Hoplias cazumba differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: 19–22 scales around caudal peduncle, 40–42 lateral-line scales, 39–41 vertebrae, 11–13 dorsal-fin rays and, always 15 caudal-fin rays.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.150930

Authors: Simeão de Souza Moraes, André Victor Lucci Freitas, Karina Lucas Silva-Brandão

Abstract: Revisionary studies and taxonomic catalogues are valuable resources for compiling biodiversity knowledge because they offer essential information for the identification and use of scientific names, enabling a biological system to be convincingly described in detail and with clear scientific nomenclature. In addition to the updated and standardized use of scientific names, data on geographic distribution, ecological relationships, host plant use, and other topics may be included in taxonomic catalogues to assist in closing knowledge gaps. Here, we offer an illustrated inventory of the pericopine tiger moths that have been deposited in the Lepidoptera collection at the Museum of Nature Hamburg - Zoology. The classification of the group has undergone significant changes in recent decades, and these updates are reflected in this catalogue. Additionally, it provides information regarding the geographical range of the moths, their associations with specific host plants, the differences between males and females in terms of physical characteristics, and their participation in mimetic rings.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.146107

Authors: Roberto Leonan M. Novaes, Vinícius C. Cláudio, Natasha A. Bertocchi, Edson F. Abreu, Don E. Wilson, Jesús E. Maldonado, Ricardo Moratelli

Abstract: Myotis attenboroughi was recently described based on specimens from Tobago Island and considered an endemic species until now. Based on morphological and molecular data, we extended its occurrence to Grenada and Suriname. The presence of M. attenboroughi in Grenada, Tobago and mainland South America can be explained by the intermittent connections between these islands and the continent during the Plio-Pleistocene glaciations. However, our analyses recovered an Myotis individual from Grenada phylogenetically related to Myotis nyctor from Barbados, although it is morphologically like the other specimens of M. attenboroughi, revealing a surprising incongruence between genotype and phenotype. Barbados is a geologically recent island and historically unconnected with other Caribbean islands or with South America. We hypothesized that the invasion of the M. nyctor lineage from Barbados to Grenada was the result of an extreme overwater dispersal, perhaps driven by wind streams during tropical storms. Subsequently, introgression of lineages may have occurred through hybridization, which can explain the discordance between the phenotype (like M. attenboroughi) and the genotype (like M. nyctor) of this specimen. Additional comments on the formation of the Caribbean Myotis assemblage are presented from the perspective of new evolutionary discoveries for this genus.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.146658

Authors: Áron Székely, Márk László, Ádám Mészáros, Bence Péter Schlitt

Abstract: Biological invasions driven by climate change are one of the major challenges of today’s native ecosystems. One species that undergoes such a phenomenon is Ameles spallanzania Rossi, 1792 (Insecta, Mantodea, Amelidae), a Mediterranean mantid with an extensive range expansion over the last few years. Although several studies mention this northward shift, only one occurrence has been published from Hungary until now. We present all the 27 new localities and data on this allochthonous species, concluding that it has established breeding populations in Hungary, with a growing number of observations suggesting continued expansion towards Central Europe.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.143758

Authors: Hector Baruch Pereira Schinelli, André Wanderley do Prado, Renner Luiz Cerqueira Baptista, Daniela Maeda Takiya

Abstract: Gephyrellula Strand, 1932 is a genus of small flat pale spiders from the running crab spider family Philodromidae, which currently includes the type-species Gephyrellula violacea (Mello-Leitão, 1918), and the recently described G. lavidabonita Galvis et al., 2024. The genus has appeared in phylogenetic analyses as a member of the subfamily Philodrominae, but there are conflicting hypotheses regarding its closest relatives. One analysis placed Gephyrellula among the Hawaiian genera Pedinopistha Karsch, 1880 and Pagiopalus Simon, 1900, whereas the other placed it among species of Philodromus Walckenaer, 1826. To further investigate the topic, we conducted new phylogenetic analyses using four molecular markers and including two terminals of Gephyrellula. The resulting trees support the division of the family into two subfamilies Thanatinae and Philodrominae, with Gephyrellula as a member of the latter. Our results place Gephyrellula neither as a member of the Hawaiian clade nor among the genus Philodromus, but instead as a separated lineage. In addition to the phylogenetic analysis, we describe a new species of the genus named Gephyrellula condeuba sp. nov., and provide new records of G. violacea, expanding the known distribution of the genus.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.147291

Authors: Leif Moritz, Benjamin Wipfler, Thomas Wesener

Abstract: Millipedes (Diplopoda) are an abundant group of fossilized terrestrial arthropods throughout the Palaeozoic Era. However, there is a gap in the Mesozoic Period with only slightly more than a dozen fossils known, until more recent fossil records – mainly from Cenozoic Dominican and Baltic ambers – became available. Here, we describe a millipede of the family Siphonorhinidae from Myanmar amber, a species-poor group, comprising just six extant genera, disjunctly distributed in Southeast Asia, South Africa, Madagascar, Chile and California. Micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) enabled detailed visualizations of essential elements for description, including the tergites, legs, head, antenna, and notably the gonopods. The new genus shares some characteristics with species of the extant genus Siphonorhinus Pocock, 1894. Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri gen. et sp. nov. differs from extant species of the family mainly in the shape of the antenna, tergites, and anterior gonopods. A recently described fossil species of Siphonophorida from Myanmar amber was erroneously assigned to the family Siphonorhinidae. We transfer it to the family Siphonophoridae, as Siphonophora globosa (Su, Cai & Huang, 2024) comb. nov. The description of the new genus and the reinterpretation of the previously described fossil Siphonorhinidae allows for a rejection of a hypothesis of bradytely within the Siphonorhinidae from the mid-Cretaceous to the present day.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.137759

Authors: Jenna M. Moore, Cristina Garilao, Alexandra Kerbl

Abstract: We present Part I of an annotated catalog of types in the Annelida collection of the Museum of Nature Hamburg, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change. Part I includes the type specimens of 148 nominal species and subspecies belonging to Errantia incertae sedis and the Errantia clades Eunicida, Myzostomida, and Protodriliformia. The species are listed under these four groupings in alphabetical order by family and original binomen or trinomen. References to original descriptions, current accepted names, and remarks detailing additional information about type status and specimen condition are included.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.145184

Authors: Toyohei Saigusa, Bradley J. Sinclair

Abstract: The Trichoclinocera systenognatha species subgroup from eastern Asia is newly recognized on the basis of the long triangular projection from the ventral margin of the labellum and includes three new species, which are described here: T. elongata sp. nov., T. subelongata sp. nov. and T. systenognatha sp. nov. An identification key to species is provided and their distributions mapped.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.138575

Authors: Lipika Ghosh, Gouri Sankar Pal, Niladri Hazra

Abstract: Leptoconops (Holoconops) beccus sp. nov. is described from India after molecular and morphological data. Both sexes of the new species were fetched from Digha, the coastal region of West Bengal. A revised key to the Oriental species of the subgenus Holoconops Kieffer is also designed.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.135431

Authors: P. Doménica Aguirre, Katherine Apunte, Santiago R. Ron

Abstract: The Dendropsophus leucophyllatus group is composed by 19 species distributed from Central America to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Only one species is known from the Chocó region, D. ebraccatus, which is also distributed in Central America. Previous studies suggested the existence of two species masked under “D. ebraccatus”. The only other species of Dendropsophus in the Chocó lowlands of Ecuador is D. gryllatus, an elusive species never included in phylogenetic analyses. In the present study, we review the systematics of both species based on morphological, genetic, and bioacoustic data. For phylogenetic analyses, we sequenced four mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, COI, ND1, including flanking tRNAs) and two nuclear genes (TYR, POMC). Our results indicate that the populations of “D. ebraccatus” from the Chocó of Ecuador represent a new species, not most closely related to D. ebraccatus from Central America, but to D. gryllatus. The new species inhabits tropical rainforest and piedmont evergreen forest of NW Ecuador and SW Colombia. Populations of the new species differ from D. gryllatus by having larger body size and by the presence of an hourglass-shaped dorsal mark. The new species differs from D. ebraccatus from Central America by the absence of a clear band under the eye, by having well defined dorsal spots and by having a distinct advertisement call. Both species appear to be allopatric and, according to our time-tree, diverged from each other during the late Pliocene.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.142771

Authors: Piotr Gąsiorek

Abstract: The recent paper of Gąsiorek et al. (2024a), containing integrative redescriptions of several taxonomically important hypsibiid species, provided necessary discriminative criteria used in modern eutardigrade identification. Herein, I present first DNA-backed, reliable record of a rare species Platicrista angustata from the German Taunus mountains. I also indicate that statements of Scheirer et al. (2024) are completely unfounded and result from the general lack of understanding what Gąsiorek et al. (2024a) wrote. Moreover, Scheirer et al. (2024) introduced new mistakes and misconceptions regarding Platicrista. Consequently, I provide a concise and full diagnosis of the genus Platicrista.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.132970

Authors: Dwi Sendi Priyono, Dedy Duryadi Solihin, Achmad Farajallah, Bambang Purwantara

Abstract: The Anoa, including the Mountain Anoa (Bubalus quarlesi) and the Lowland Anoa (Bubalus depressicornis) according to current taxonomy, are endangered bovid species endemic to the tropical island of Sulawesi. They are grouped in their own subgenus Anoa. The historical biogeography and phylogeny of this subgenus have not been well characterized. There are two hypotheses describing the colonization routes of large mammals in Southeast Asia: land-bridges and insular route. The present study aimed to understand the molecular phylogeny and test the historical colonization route of Anoa. A total of 71 mitochondrial DNA (cyt b gene and control region) sequence datasets from Anoa and other related species were analyzed. Molecular phylogeny reconstruction was done using a Bayesian inference model. Calibration points were used to estimate divergence time in Anoa based on a Bayesian phylogeny tree. Estimation of ancestral areas in Anoa ancestors using Reconstruct Ancestral State in Phylogenies was carried out to test the Anoa colonization route. The phylogenetic tree revealed the existence of two groups of Anoa, lowland and mountain Anoa, which diverged during the Middle Pleistocene 1.42 Mya (highest posterior density interval: 1.14–1.71 Mya). The Sundaland area is the most probable (P > 0.7) ancestral area for the Bubalus spp. in the Indonesian archipelago. The most probable Anoa colonization route appears to be through land-bridges, which geological records indicate formed between Sundaland and Sulawesi during the Pleistocene.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.139468

Authors: Yander L. Diez, Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa

Abstract: Free-living flatworms, also known as turbellarians, are abundant and key components of aquatic habitats. They play vital roles in food webs and contribute to ecosystem health. However, our understanding of their diversity remains limited, even from comparably well-studied regions of Europe. In this work, we summarise the available records on aquatic turbellarians from Hamburg, Germany, provide new records based on material obtained during exploratory collecting, and place selected species in a molecular phylogenetic context. We sampled four localities in Hamburg, two urban and two suburban, and three other localities in Germany and Switzerland, collecting submerged vegetation, litter, and mosses. Prior to our investigation, Hamburg had documented 26 species of aquatic turbellarians. Our collections have led to the first recorded instances of Stenostomum gotlandense and Castrella alba in Germany, along with four new species for Hamburg: Macrostomum rostratum, Microdalyellia schmidtii, Krumbachia hiemalis, and Polycelis tenuis. Additionally, we provide updated information for five species previously recorded from Hamburg: S. leucops, Prorhynchus stagnalis, Microdalyellia armigera, Gyratrix hermaphroditus, and Planaria torva. The phylogenetic analysis revealed cryptic diversity within S. grande and S. leucops, with S. grande comprising two distinct clades (Brazil and Japan + Germany), and S. leucops consisting of four clades (Sweden + Germany, two from Finland, and Brazil). One of the Finnish clades, S. leucops aquariorum, is both morphologically and molecularly distinct, and we recognise it as a valid species, now S. aquariorum. Future research is needed to further clarify the relationships of the remaining clades of these two species, particularly with material from their type localities in the United States. Among rhabdocoel microturbellarians, we identified cryptic diversity within Castrella truncata (with European and North American lineages) and Microdalyellia armigera (encompassing Finnish and Spanish lineages). We also provided the first molecular evidence supporting the monophyly of Krumbachia following the sequencing of K. hiemalis. Conversely, species of Bothromesostoma were found to be nested within a clade containing species of Mesostoma, leading us to propose synonymising these genera. Overall, our study underscores the rich biodiversity potential of urban and suburban ecosystems for detecting freshwater turbellarian species, while highlighting the need for further research in Hamburg and across Germany to clarify species distributions. Moreover, molecular phylogenetic analyses have uncovered cryptic diversity in several species of catenulids and rhabdocoels, emphasizing the importance of future efforts to describe potential new species.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.129984

Authors: Henrique C. Costa

Abstract: For almost 60 years, a specimen of Amphisbaena collected in the 19th century by the Danish zoologist Johannes Theodor Reinhardt in southeastern Brazil has been identified as Amphisbaena prunicolor. Here I present a reidentification of this specimen (NHMD R4448) as A. hogei, together with a review of known records of this small worm lizard species, endemic to Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This represents the first record of A. hogei for the state of Minas Gerais. Most known records of A. hogei are based on specimens collected more than half a century ago and urbanization could have led to local extinction in some localities, triggering an alert regarding its conservation status.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.141847

Authors: Gabriel Wermelinger-Moreira, Pedro de Souza Castanheira, Renner Luiz Cerqueira Baptista

Abstract: A new species of Harmonicon F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896, is described from the Cerrado biome in Central-West Brazil, representing the first non-Amazonian and the southernmost record for the genus. Furthermore, we present a new diagnosis of the genus, expanding its original diagnosis, and redescribe its type species, Harmonicon rufescens F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896, based on an adult female specimen from the same biogeographical area of its type locality.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.131002

Authors: Yuta Katayama, Naoto Sawada

Abstract: Eight-barbel loaches belonging to the genus Lefua have diverged into seven species in freshwaters of East Asia. Recent studies have discovered a new population in the Kuzuryu River drainage system of Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. Based on the results of the genetic analyses and morphological comparisons, we describe this population as a new species, Lefua nishimurai sp. nov. Body width, interorbital width, orbit diameter, preanal length, snout length, and the newly examined head width greatly contributed to the discrimination between L. torrentis, L. tokaiensis and L. nishimurai sp. nov. The new species can be distinguished from other congeners by combining the following characteristics: 1) eyes positioned dorsally on the head; 2) a narrow conspicuous longitudinal mark between the base of the outer rostral barbel and the eye; 3) small dark spots on the body, dorsal, and caudal fins; 4) a small dorsal fin and eye diameter; and 5) black spots above and below the base of the caudal fin. Based on the phylogenetic relationships of the genus, L. nishimurai sp. nov. is estimated to have diverged early from its common ancestor in central Japan. Understanding the natural history of this new species and implementing conservation measures are crucial because of its narrow, fragmented distribution and presence in vulnerable habitats.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.121149

Authors: Momoko Kubota, Jakob Hallermann, André Beerlink, Alexander Haas

Abstract: This study reports the cranial skeletal morphology of Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912. Employing a high-resolution CT scan with subsequent use of 3D data visualization and analysis software, we generated a comprehensive 3D representation of the skull. Reconstruction of the osteoderm and 30 paired and unpaired bones was undertaken, and a detailed examination, comparison, and discussion of these structures were conducted in the context of existing literature. Special attention was given to morphological adaptations and phylogenetic relationships. The cranial morphology of V. komodoensis exhibits a pronounced adaptation to feeding behavior, characterized by a highly fenestrated skull and sharp ziphodont teeth, presumably optimized for the species’ distinctive hold-and-pull feeding technique. Several anatomical indicators of cranial kinesis were identified in the skull of V. komodoensis. The absence of the lower temporal bar is linked to the evolution of streptostyly, enabling the free oscillation of the quadrate. The lack of an osteoderm at the frontoparietal suture and the disruption of the postorbital bar provide evidence of mesokinesis. Additionally, loose connections in various cranial segments and the long mandible were interpreted as mobile connections, possibly facilitating the adaptation for swallowing large prey objects. A review of character states from existing literature reveals synapomorphies between the skull of Varanus komodoensis and the extinct V. priscus (Megalania) Owen, 1859, and also complemented the autapomorphic character states characteristic of the genus Varanus.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.126393

Authors: Wilson J. E. M. Costa, Caio R. M. Feltrin, José Leonardo O. Mattos, Axel M. Katz

Abstract: Mountainous regions typically host a great diversity of small-ranged species, often contributing for delineating world biodiversity hotspots. Species of trichomycterine catfishes have been recorded for several high-altitude areas of tropical South America, but field inventories in top mountains of southern Brazil are still rare. Here we report four new small-ranged species collected in streams of the Rio Iguaçu at Serra do Espigão (RISE) in altitudes between about 970 and 1020 m asl, one in the eastern portion of RISE and three in the western portion. A molecular phylogenetic analysis indicated that these species belong to the Cambeva beta-clade, which comprises all species endemic to the Rio Iguaçu drainage, but together not forming a monophyletic group. The analysis also indicated that species endemic to high altitudes are variably related to species from lower altitudes. The only eastern RISE species appears in a basal position of a well-supported clade (Cambeva beta1-clade), with the western RISE species appearing in a subclade of the Cambeva beta1-clade with species occurring in a vast area of southern Brazil. New species are diagnosed by combinations of morphological character states, including meristic, colouration, latero-sensory system, and osteological data.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.124557

Authors: Sándor Csősz, Enrico Schifani, Bernhard Seifert, Antonio Alicata, Matthew M. Prebus

Abstract: The Mediterranean, a global hotspot for rare ant species, hosts a significant representation of the global diversity of the mainly Holarctic ant genus Temnothorax. However, several groups still require significant taxonomic efforts. The taxonomy of the T. luteus complex species was revised in 2014 when morphometrics allowed distinguishing two valid species and two synonyms out of four taxa that had been originally described from France. The two species recognized since then are T. luteus, distributed from Iberia to the Alps, and the largely sympatric but much more xerothermophilic T. racovitzai. In Italy, only a few records of the complex were ever published, and the identity of the Italian population was never thoroughly assessed. We combined morphometrics with phylogenomic data to assess the identity of the T. luteus populations that spanned from Sicily to the Italian Alps and discovered that all Italian samples belong to a new cryptic species, which we describe as T. apenninicus sp. nov. whose glacial refugium was probably in the southern Apennines.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.121103

Authors: Mariana P. Marques, Diogo Parrinha, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Arthur Tiutenko, Aaron M. Bauer, Luis M. P. Ceríaco

Abstract: Four species of the genus Panaspis – P. cabindae, P. wahlbergii, P. maculicollis and P. mocamedensis – are currently known from Angola. The analysis of recently collected specimens from Serra da Neve Inselberg, an isolated mountain located in northern Namibe Province, revealed unexpected taxonomic diversity in the group. Using an integrative taxonomy approach based on morphological and DNA sequence data, with both mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (RAG-1) genes, we were able to distinguish two distinct populations, described here as two new species, Panaspis ericae sp. nov. and P. mundavambo sp. nov. Both species are assumed to be endemic to the inselberg. This reinforces our notion of southwestern Angola as a hotspot of skink diversity, and highlights the urgent need for the conservation of Serra da Neve.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.127773

Authors: Kees Rookmaaker

Abstract: There was a considerable gap of 21 years between the illustrated description of a specimen of the Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) by William Bell in 1793 and the proposal to accept it as a named new species by Gotthelf Fischer in 1814. In the meantime some 17 authors reported the possibility that the animal should be regarded as a new species. Hitherto overlooked, the German writer Friedrich Justin Bertuch used a new name in the caption to a reproduction of Bell’s plate, as Rhinoceros bicornis Sumatricus. This was published in 1805 in a second edition of his “Bilderbuch für Kinder”, a serial magazine aimed at young people. This work has an extremely complex bibliography through many re-issues and translations, which is only partly resolved. The same name in the combination Rhinoceros Sumatricus was included by Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm in a companion to the “Bilderbuch” available in 1808. The complicated circumstances of Bertuch’s proposal in 1805 and his unusual usage of a trinomen lead to the suggestion that his book might not be consistently binominal, making the name unavailable. The naming by Wilhelm in 1808 is straightforward and correct, hence Rhinoceros sumatricus Wilhelm, 1808 is an available name and a senior objective synonym of Rhinoceros sumatrensis G. Fischer, 1814. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature allows the suggestion that Wilhelm’s name was a nomen oblitum (forgotten name). The various plates of the rhinoceros found in the “Bilderbuch” by Bertuch and the “Unterhaltungen aus der Naturgeschichte” are figured and explained.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.124213

Authors: Santiago Jaume-Schinkel

Abstract: The genus Armillipora Quate is recorded for the first time in Brazil and Venezuela, based on the description of Armillipora bifida sp. nov. Additionally, a second new species, Armillipora nawak sp. nov., is described from Costa Rica. Detailed illustrations and photographs of the new species are provided. Based on these findings and the existing knowledge of the genus, two species groups are proposed within Armillipora. Furthermore, the identification key to the males of the genus is updated.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.124491

Authors: Naoto Sawada, Yusuke Fuke, Osamu Miura, Haruhiko Toyohara, Takafumi Nakano

Abstract: Semisulcospira Boettger, 1886 is a freshwater snail genus divergent in Lake Biwa, Japan. Although recent taxonomic studies of the genus have arranged taxonomic accounts of many species in the lake, our knowledge of morphological traits has still been insufficient in S. reticulata Kajiyama & Habe, 1961, which belongs to the S. niponica-group in the genus. Among the various habitats of the lacustrine species, in addition, the species richness of this group in coastal sandy mud areas of the lake has not been completely clarified. In this study, we revisited the taxonomic account of S. reticulata and described a new S. niponica-group species, S. nishimurai sp. nov., from Lake Biwa by evaluating the genetic and morphological relationships within the group. The reconstructed maximum likelihood and singular value decomposition quartets trees, and ADMIXTURE analyses using genome-wide SNP data strongly supported the genetic distinctiveness of most S. niponica-group species. The Random Forest classification showed that S. reticulata possesses a unique, large protoconch without distinct keels, and that S. nishimurai sp. nov. is characterized by a small, less elongated teleoconch and tiny protoconch. The large protoconch of S. reticulata and the narrow radulae of S. reticulata and S. nishimurai sp. nov. suggest their specialization in life history and feeding habits, respectively. The discovery of the new species from sandy mud substrates highlights niche differentiation among Semisulcospira species, and provides new insights into the diversification of the genus in ancient lakes.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.124285

Authors: Niko Kasalo, Martin Husemann, Thomas van de Kamp, Josip Skejo

Abstract: Lophotettiginae Hancock, 1909, endemic to the Neotropics, is one of the most ill-known subfamilies of Tetrigidae. Until now, there have not been any hypothesis on its relationship with other subfamilies. Lophotettiginae comprise only two genera, Lophotettix Hancock, 1909 and Phelene Bolívar, 1906, both with an arduous taxonomic history. Here, we describe a new species, Phelene reinschmidti from Ecuador, and compare it with its congeners: P. turgida from Peru and P. maroon from French Guiana. We found the subfamily Lophotettiginae to most closely resemble the Neotropical subfamily Metrodorinae, meaning that the two are likely related. We also provide a 3D scan of the holotype, a first for Tetrigidae. The 3D model contains all the important taxonomic characters and much more data could be extracted in the future using artificial intelligence-assisted approaches.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.118855

Authors: Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig, Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz, Zane Libke, Patricio Vinueza, Julio C. Carrión-Olmedo

Abstract: Continuous field work on mountains in the upper Pastaza watershed, showed an unexpected cryptic diversity in the recently described Pristimantis anaiae species group. Based on molecular and morphological characters we describe a new frog species from the central region of the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. We present an updated phylogeny for the Pristimantis anaiae species group, based on widely used, ubiquitous, and available genes, three mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ND1) and RAG1 nuclear gene. Our phylogenetic hypothesis increases genetic diversity of the species group and shows two well-supported subclades. We show the relationships of the new species and include for the first time Pristimantis maryanneae, belonging to a clade related to P. resistencia + P. glendae. Our phylogeny shows that new species, from Cerro Candelaria, is more closely related to P. kunam from Sangay National Park and differs from it by having a less conspicuous dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles, and sacral oval marks surrounded by thin white pale lines. The new species and two additional undescribed species occur on the south side of the Rio Pastaza Valley, at Cerro Candelaria within the Llanganates – Sangay Ecological Corridor, reflecting the high importance of this area for conservation and understanding of evolution processes in the area, suggesting a probably adaptive radiation zone for the P. anaiae species group.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.123108

Authors: Kyung-Hoon Jeong, Danilo Harms, Jung-Sun Yoo

Abstract: Two new species of the pseudoscorpion genus Pararoncus Chamberlin, 1938 are described from Korea. Detailed descriptions, habitus pictures, and illustrations of Pararoncus leonardi sp. nov. and P. taeyoungi sp. nov. are provided. The current distribution of the genus Pararoncus is mapped and a taxonomic key for all species is provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.117735

Authors: Daniela Matenaar

Abstract: Discovering and handling cryptic diversity among species challenges taxonomists around the world. This is particularly true for the most diverse animal class – the insects – with cryptic diversity, apart from vast species numbers, being one of the main factors that hamper the description of new species. The biodiversity hotspot Cape Floristic Region of South Africa harbors many endemic and yet undescribed insect species, inter alia, Orthoptera. In this study, extended depth of field and 3D imagery enabled for a novel assessment of the external morphological characteristics used for defining and describing the genetically highly diverse genus Betiscoides Sjösdtedt, 1924, leading to a new definition of the genus’ characteristics as well as a revision of character traits of the known species. Two new species are described and a key to all five recognized Betiscoides species is provided. Application standards are derived to enable replicable and reliable image acquisition and measuring. These findings shall contribute to promote efforts being made to establish image based taxonomic identification for researchers worldwide. High-resolution images provide the basis to train deep learning algorithms/ tools, to detect the smallest differences in highly morphologically alike species, and to implement this knowledge in global species monitoring and conservation action to prevent further species loss.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.114527

Authors: Alejandro Arteaga, R. Alexander Pyron, Abel Batista, Jose Vieira, Elson Meneses Pelayo, Eric N. Smith, César L. Barrio Amorós, Claudia Koch, Stefanie Agne, Jorge H. Valencia, Lucas Bustamante, Kyle J. Harris

Abstract: We present a taxonomic review and systematic revision of the Eyelash Palm-Pitviper Bothriechis schlegelii (Berthold, 1846) based on examination of 400 museum specimens, a phylogeographic analysis of 818 locality records, and 80 individuals sampled for molecular characters. We find morphological and phylogenetic support for five new species of Bothriechis Peters, 1859, which we describe here based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, hemipenial, and color pattern characteristics. They are: B. klebbai sp. nov., B. rasikusumorum sp. nov., B. khwargi sp. nov., B. rahimi sp. nov., and B. hussaini sp. nov. Finally, we revalidate the names B. nigroadspersus (Steindachner, 1870), B. nitidus (Günther, 1859), and B. torvus (Posada Arango, 1889a), and provide a redescription of B. schlegelii.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.107213

Authors: Nadine Dupérré, Danilo Harms, Verónica Crespo-Pérez, Elicio Tapia

Abstract: Two new species of the spider genus Loxosceles (Araneae: Sicariidae) from the Ecuadorian Andes are described: Loxosceles guayllabamba sp. nov. (male, female) and Loxosceles binfordae sp. nov. (male, female). Both species are part of the second most speciose “laeta” group, which include twenty-four described species. Only three species are known to occur on mainland Ecuador, and one species in the Galapagos. The synonymy of L. alicea under L. rufescens is rejected, detailed SEM of the female internal genitalia and a map of all the species from mainland Ecuador are presented.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.112476

Authors: Alejandro Arteaga, Kyle J. Harris

Abstract: We describe a new species of Ninia Baird & Girard, 1853 endemic to the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador. The new species has previously been confused with N. atrata (Hallowell, 1845) and N. teresitae (Angarita-Sierra and Lynch 2017) but is genetically most closely related to a third species of Ninia endemic to the Chocoan–Tumbesian transition area of western Ecuador. We revalidate the name N. schmidti (Jan, 1862), designate a neotype, and provide a diagnosis of the taxon and a description of its hemipenial morphology based on new material. The new and revalidated species can easily be identified from one another and from other trans-Andean South American Ninia based on ventral and subcaudal scale counts, hemipenial morphology, and coloration of the supralabials, throat, and belly. Finally, we remove N. atrata from the herpetofaunal list of Ecuador.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.107847

Authors: Thanaporn Wongpim, Jirayus Komsuwan, Chanyanuch Janmanee, Piyawan Thongchot, Sukhonta Limsampan, Nattarinee Wichiannarat, Wiyada Chaowatut, Saranphat Suwanrat, Wivitchuta Dechruksa, Nuanpan Veeravechsukij, Matthias Glaubrecht, Duangduen Krailas

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the pulmonate snail species in the vicinity of the cercarial dermatitis outbreak area in southern Thailand. In 2020, an outbreak of cercarial dermatitis was reported in Chana district, Songkhla Province, caused by the ruminant schistosome Schistosoma indicum and its snail intermediate host Indoplanorbis exustus. In the present study, 1,175 pulmonate snails were collected between October 2021 and October 2022 from five provinces covering 34 locations in southern Thailand. Seven pulmonate snail species were identified based on shell morphology, including Amerianna carinata, Gyraulus bakeri, G. convexiusculus, G. hubendicki, Physella acuta, Indoplanorbis exustus, and Radix rubiginosa. Among these snails, eight species, and five types of cercariae were identified, viz. type (i) Echinostome cercariae consisted of Echinoparyphium recurvatum, Echinostoma spiniferum, and E. revolutum, type (ii) Brevifurcate-apharyngeate cercariae consisted of Schistosoma indicum and S. spindale, type (iii) Brevifurcate-pharyngeate-clinostomatoid-cercariae was represented by Clinostomum giganticum, type (iv) Longifurcate–pharyngeate cercariae (strigea cercaria) was Diplostomum baeri eucaliae, and type (v) Ophthalmoxiphidiocercaria. Among the seven pulmonated snail species, three were found to be infected, viz. G. convexiusculus, I. exustus, and R. rubiginosa, with infection rates of 1.14% (2/176), 0.25% (2/802), and 4.02% (7/174), respectively.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.110022

Authors: Giullia de F. Rossi, Pedro de S. Castanheira, Renner L. C. Baptista, Volker W. Framenau

Abstract: A new monotypic Australian genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described, Venomius gen. nov., with V. tomhardyi sp. nov. as type species. Somatically, Venomius gen. nov. is similar to the typical leaf-curling orb-weaving spiders, such as Phonognatha Simon, 1894 or Leviana Framenau & Kuntner, 2022, due to a similar elongate cylindrical abdomen and colouration; however, the genital morphology of the new genus is very different. Most unusual are the presence of two strong macrosetae on the male pedipalp tibia. Male pedipalp sclerites are complex, with diagnostic characters including the tibial macrosetae and a keeled median and a rounded basal process on the stipes. The epigyne of females is wholly covered by the scape that has a short median process. Venomius tomhardyi gen. nov. et sp. nov. has been collected in southern Australia, from Tasmania to Western Australia, where it builds a circular, vertical orb-web. Spiders often hide in silk-lined hollows in branches of trees when disturbed during the day.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.105850

Authors: Vinh Quang Luu, Jesse L. Grismer, Tuoi Thi Hoang, Matthew L. Murdoch, L. Lee Grismer

Abstract: Another new species of Dixonius, D. fulbrighti sp. nov., is described from Gia Lai Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, using an integrated approach based on morphological, categorical (color pattern), and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2) and its flanking tRNAs data. Phylogenetic analyses recovered Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. as closely related to D. gialaiensis from Gia Lai Province and part of a clade that includes D. minhlei, D. siamensis, and D. somchanhae. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate (ANOVA) analyses of 15 meristic (scale counts), six morphometric (mensural), and five categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 44 specimens of all eight species of Dixonius from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia clearly demonstrated that Dixonius fulbrighti sp. nov. is statistically different and diagnostically distinct from all closely related species of Dixonius. This new species discovery highlights the underestimated gecko diversity and the importance of continued fieldwork in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102578

Authors: Paulo R. Melo-Sampaio, Pablo J. Venegas

Abstract: Based on an exhaustive revision of external morphological characters we describe a new species of Atractus from the humid montane forest of the Andes of northern Peru, Cajamarca department, occurring at elevations of 1641 to 2161 m. This new species was misidentified as A. gigas in the literature and for more than a decade represented the southernmost record of the that species. In the absence of molecular data and limited by a small sample, we use some underreported characters in the genus Atractus such as the presence of apical pits. Thus, the combination of apical pits as well as other characters mentioned in the literature (i.e., head scutellation and number of subcaudals) distinguishes the Peruvian population from A. gigas, and strongly supports the morphological separation of this taxon from the rest of its congeners.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.105423

Authors: Gerhard Wagner

Abstract: A new species of darkling beetle Thraustocolus (Prothraustocola) clypealis sp. nov. with the new subspecies T. (P.) clypealis minor ssp. nov. are described from Oman and distinguished from other species of the genus. Images of important characters are provided for easier identification and discrimination of the new species.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102360

Authors: Pablo J. Venegas, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Eduardo Toral, José Malqui, Santiago R. Ron

Abstract: We describe a new species of Osteocephalus Fitzinger, 1843 using morphological traits of adult frogs and its larvae, as well as molecular evidence. The new species occurs in the premontane forest of the Cordillera del Yanachaga in the Andes of central Peru, at elevations between 1000 and 1150 m a.s.l. It belongs to the Osteocephalus mimeticus species group and is the sister species of O. mimeticus. It is most similar to three species with predominantly dark irises, tuberculate dorsal skin, and brown dorsal coloration: O. festae Peracca, 1904, O. mimeticus Melin, 1941, and O. verruciger Werner, 1901. Of these three species, the most similar is O. mimeticus. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from O. mimeticus by having a cream or creamy-tan venter with a well-defined pattern of brown chocolate blotches and flecks (venter cream, tan, or brown without marks in O. mimeticus). The tadpoles of O. vasquezi sp. nov. are strikingly different from the tadpoles of O. mimeticus by having a larger oral disk with nine lower labial tooth rows (only six in O. mimeticus). Tadpoles of the new species and those of O. festae are unique among Osteocephalus by belonging to the suctorial ecomorphological guild as shown by their large oral disks. Our time tree suggest that the new species diverged from its sister species at the beginning of the Pleistocene, ~2.5 million years ago.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.104597

Authors: Shûhei Yamamoto

Abstract: The fossil record of stag beetles (Lucanidae), especially in Mesozoic amber, is sparse. Four additional fossil lucanids preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar are here reported. All of these species are included in the primitive subfamily Aesalinae, and have been identified as: Protonicagus mandibularis sp. nov. (tribe Nicagini); Cretognathus minutissimus gen. et sp. nov. (tribe Ceratognathini); Ceratognathini gen. et sp. indet. 1 (provisional assignment); and Ceratognathini gen. et sp. indet. 2 (provisional assignment). Except for Protonicagus mandibularis sp. nov., the stag beetles appear to be connected to the continent of Gondwana, as with the Kachin amber paleofauna. More interestingly, these species have significantly smaller bodies than the extant species, with three of them measuring less than 3 mm, which makes them the smallest known species of Lucanidae. This finding is congruent with a trend toward miniaturization in several unrelated lineages of Kachin amber beetles, and it shows hidden paleodiversity of stag beetles during the Cretaceous.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102950

Authors: Jörn Köhler, Pablo J. Venegas, Ernesto Castillo-Urbina, Frank Glaw, César Aguilar-Puntriano, Miguel Vences

Abstract: We studied the taxonomic status of glassfrogs collected in Departamento Huánuco, central Peru, which in the field were tentatively allocated to Chimerella, one of the twelve genera currently recognized in the family Centrolenidae. Detailed analyses of their morphology, bioacoustics, and molecular genetics supported their generic allocation and provided evidence for them representing a divergent and unnamed evolutionary lineage within Chimerella. We herein describe this lineage as a new species, being mainly distinguished from the two other known congeners, C. corleone and C. mariaelenae, by details of colouration in life and preservative, substantial differences in advertisement call, and differentiation in mitochondrial markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, cytochrome b) and a nuclear-encoded marker (Rag-1). The new species is the southernmost distributed species in the genus and was found in a swampy habitat at the bank of the Río Patay Rondos, a tributary of the Río Monzon, in rainforest at the Andean-Amazon foothills at 798 m above sea level. Aspects of species delimitation within Chimerella and related future research are briefly addressed and discussed.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102425

Authors: Germán Chávez, Wilmar Aznaran, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Alessandro Catenazzi

Abstract: We describe a new species of tree frog from the middle Ucayali River, Peru. Scinax pyroinguinis sp. nov. is known from two males found in a patch of Amazon rainforest at 160 masl. Externally, the new species is similar to those in the Scinax rostratus group but it differs from all members by having a rounded head from dorsal view without proboscis or pointed tubercle on the tip of the snout, large conical tubercles on upper eyelids and heels, and bright orange blotches and spots on groins, posterior surface of thighs, and shanks. Genetic analysis supports our morphological study and confirms S. pyroinguinis sp nov as a new species, being tentatively the most basal member of the S. rostratus group. The new species is only known from the type locality that is currently threatened by habitat loss caused by wildfires.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.85204

Authors: Ingo Lehmann, Thure Dalsgaard

Abstract: This is the first publication of any genus of Metarbelidae Strand, 1909 for Madagascar since 1891. Here, the genus Saalmulleria Mabille, 1891 is revised comprising three species including descriptions of two new species. Three new genera are presented: first, an African-Madagascan sister genus-group, namely Shimbania gen. nov. and Morondavania gen. nov. The genus Morondavania is monotypic and comprises one new species, while Shimbania comprises 13 species, of which 11 species are new to science. Lebedodes wichgrafi (Grünberg, 1910) and L. durbanica Hampson, 1910 are treated as valid species and are moved to the new genus Shimbania. Secondly, the monotypic Eberhardfischeria gen. nov. that shares one synapomorphy with Saalmulleria. The species S. dubiefi (Viette, 1974) is excluded from Saalmulleria, since it most probably represents another undescribed genus. Species of Shimbania occur along the eastern coast of the African mainland up to about 540 km inland from the Indian Ocean, with one record from the Atlantic Ocean coast in Nigeria (Central Africa). The other three genera are endemic to Madagascar.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.99118

Authors: Germán Chávez, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Alessandro Catenazzi

Abstract: We describe a new species of Selvasaura lizard from the western slopes of the eastern Andes of central Peru. Among other characters, the new species differs from congeners in having keeled dorsal scales and more transverse rows of scales on dorsum. We present a phylogeny as additional evidence supporting delimitation of the new species.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.100968

Authors: Pablo M. Dellapé, María C. Melo

Abstract: The new monotypic genus Malleusocoris is described to accommodate the new species M. minimus sp. nov. from Argentina and Brazil. Its relationship with other genera of the tribe Myodochini (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae) is discussed. Moreover, the taxonomic allocation of Ptochiomera chilensis Spinola, 1852 and Plociomera annulicollis Berg, 1894 are discussed. Ptochiomera chilensis Spinola, 1852 is considered a junior synonym of Bergidia polychroma (Spinola, 1852) (Ozophorini); and Plociomera annulicollis Berg, 1894 is transferred to the genus Neopamera Harrington, 1980.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.96258

Authors: Germán Chávez, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Alessandro Catenazzi

Abstract: We describe a new terrestrial frog from the puna grasslands adjacent to the Mantaro dry valley in southern Peru. Phrynopus apumantarum sp. nov. is similar in appearence to P. bufoides but is differentiable by lacking discoidal fold and enlarged warts on dorsum, lacking a prominent post ocular fold and having canthal and post ocular stripe. Lastly, we propose to place the new species under the Vulnerable (VU) category of the IUCN Red List, due its small distribution and habitat loss recorded at the type locality.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.97026

Authors: Zeeshan A. Mirza, H. T. Lalremsanga, Harshal Bhosale, Gaurang Gowande, Harshil Patel, Sabira S. Idiatullina, Nikolay A. Poyarkov

Abstract: The pit viper snake genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 sensu lato, is a diverse group of nocturnal serpents comprising over 61 species. The genus is morphologically heterogeneous and has been divided into several subgenera. We present an updated phylogeny of Asian pitvipers and propose a revised classification. Additionally, we revise the taxonomy of T. popeiorum Smith, 1937 and propose taxonomic changes with support from molecular and morphological data. We restrict T. popeiorum sensu stricto to northeastern India, Bangladesh, southern China, and northern Myanmar; populations beyond these areas require further assessment. We also synonymize T. yingjiangensis Chen et al., 2019 with T. popeiorum based on overlapping morphological characters, molecular data, and distribution. The findings shed new light on the taxonomy of T. popeiorum, warranting the need for assessing the population of T. popeiorum from southeast Asia.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.97331

Authors: Gouri Sankar Pal, Shubhranil Brahma, Niladri Hazra

Abstract: Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) hispida, a new species from the Dooars region of West Bengal, is described and illustrated here based on morphological and molecular data. Among the three newly recorded species, Forcipomyia (Dycea) hamoni de Meillon was known from the Eastern Himalayas while F. (Euprojoannisia) calamistrata Debenham & Wirth and F. (E.) fuscimana (Kieffer) were from the Gangetic plains of West Bengal. The supplementary descriptions and illustrations of the known species are also presented here. DNA barcoding of two newly recorded species of the subgenus Euprojoannisia Brèthes is also obtained for the first time.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.98015

Authors: Pedro de S. Castanheira, Volker W. Framenau

Abstract: A new monotypic genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described from Australia: Abba gen. nov., with Abba transversa (Rainbow, 1912) comb. nov. as the type species. It differs from all other genera in the family by somatic characters, specifically a patch of approximately five long spines on the prolateral surface of the first leg in males and an abdominal colouration with a pair of two central spots dorsally on a creamy-white surface. Specimens of A. transversa comb. nov. have been collected in Queensland and New South Wales, where the species is largely summer-mature. We also provide a genus level summary of all Australian Araneidae, currently consisting of 230 described species and eight subspecies in 46 genera.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.89662

Authors: Daniel Jablonski, Marika Asztalos, Can Yılmaz, Aziz Avcı

Abstract: Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) is a common species distributed from Central Europe to Central Asia. In this range, it forms four subspecies that include several mitochondrial evolutionary lineages. One of the lineages, the so-called mtDNA lineage 8, has a wide distribution from the Baltic area to Anatolia and Kazakhstan. In Anatolia, this lineage meets several others, however, their occurrence is unclear, especially in the south-eastern Türkiye where the species is uncommon. Obtaining one specimen from the poorly studied Hakkâri Province (Zagros part of Türkiye), we investigated its genetic affiliation (mitochondrial DNA) and basic morphology. The specimen represents a unique haplotype of the mtDNA lineage 8, closely related to populations from Georgia and northern and north-eastern Türkiye. It thus extends the occurrence of this mitochondrial lineage representing subspecies Natrix natrix scutata (Pallas, 1771) southward to the northern edge of the Zagros Mountains. Despite the phenotype polymorphism of this species, the morphological comparison also confirmed that selected characters are similar to other populations of the region.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.90973

Authors: Shubhranil Brahma, Somnath Chatterjee, Niladri Hazra

Abstract: Five new species of biting midges, Dasyhelea (Dasyhelea) incisura sp. nov., D. (D.) quasifulcillata sp. nov., D. (D.) trigona sp. nov., D. (Sebessia) falxa sp. nov. and D. (S.) folia sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on adult males. The new species are compared and contrasted to their congeners; important morphological characters are displayed. All specimens were collected from the Deltaic Proper of Gangetic West Bengal, India. An illustrated key to the adult males of the subgenera Dasyhelea s.str. and Sebessia from India is presented. Short accounts on ecological notes of the midges are also provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.94403

Authors: Leonela Olivera, María Cecilia Melo, Pablo M. Dellapé

Abstract: The family Coreidae is composed of some of the larger terrestrial Heteroptera, with showy colors and expansions on the legs, the antenna or the pronotum. Among the Neotropical fauna, the tribe Acanthocephalini Stål, including 18 genera, is recognized by the strongly deflexed juga, and the conspicuously projecting tylus. In the same work in which Stål established the tribe, he described two new subgenera to the genus Acanthocephala Laporte (currently synonymized under it): A. (Metapodius) (replaced for Metapodiessa Kirkaldy) and A. (Spilopleura). In the present work, the subgeneric name Spilopleura is removed from synonymy under Acanthocephala and elevated to generic rank, and the species A. parensis (Dallas) and A. ochracea Montandon are transferred therein. The genus Spilopleura status nov. and both included species are redescribed and illustrated, including characters from male and female genitalia; and a distributional map is given with the first records of the species from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.94507

Authors: Uwe Jueg

Abstract: Two new leech species from Africa are presented. The position of the eyes, the number of crop caeca and the gonopores separated by two annuli indicate that both belong to the genus Alboglossiphonia. Alboglossiphonia afroalpina sp. nov. differs from the other African species in its elongated body shape, the shape and size of the suckers and above all by the unique spotting on the dorsal side, which is not found in any other species of the genus. Alboglossiphonia afroalpina sp. nov. inhabits the alpine zones of the Mt. Kenya and Mt. Elgon massifs and represents the highest record of a leech in Africa to date, approx 4,500 m above sea level. Alboglossiphonia buniana sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by its completely fused pairs of eyes, the shape and size of the cranial sucker and the head area and a jagged outer margin. The species is only known from Bunia in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Eleven species of the genus Alboglossiphonia are known from Africa, belonging to different zoogeographical areas. Northwest Africa is home to Alboglossiphonia hyalina (O.F. Müller, 1774) and A. iberica Jueg, 2008 as Palaearctic species. Alboglossiphonia polypompholyx Oosthuizen, Hussein & El-Shimy, 1988, A. disuqi El-Shimy, 1990 and A. levis Gouda, 2010 are restricted to the lower reaches of the Nile in Egypt. Six species exist south of the Sahara: Alboglossiphonia namaquaensis (Augener, 1936), A. disjuncta (Moore, 1939), A. conjugata (Oosthuizen, 1978), A. macrorhyncha (Oosthuizen, 1978) as well as those described here, A. afroalpina sp. nov. and A. buniana sp. nov. The examination of the three syntypes of Alboglossiphonia namaquaensis (Augener, 1936) showed that this species is identical to A. cheili (Oosthuizen 1978) and that the latter must be used as a synonym in future. Historical evidence from the Central Africa Museum in Tervuren (Belgium) from the Sciacchitano Collection and the British Museum of Natural History was examined. The systematic position of Glossiphonia verrucata Sciacchitano, 1939 was also clarified. Almost all species were photographed for the first time, most of them including their holotype. Distribution maps are presented for all species. All African Alboglossiphonia species are compared in terms of their characteristics in tabular form.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.91418

Authors: Pedro de Souza Castanheira, Renner Luiz Cerqueira Baptista, Francisca Sâmia Martins Oliveira

Abstract: Five new species in the long-jawed orb-weaving spider genus Tetragnatha Latreille, 1804 are described from South America: Tetragnatha amazonica sp. nov. (Venezuela); T. cristata sp. nov. (Argentina and Brazil); T. didorata sp. nov. (Brazil); T. oncognatha sp. nov. (Brazil); and T. pradoi sp. nov. (Argentina and Brazil). A key to the 21 species of Tetragnatha from Argentina and Brazil is provided, completing the revision of the genus for these countries. The female of T. cladognatha Bertkau, 1880 is redescribed and a neotype is proposed, and its male is described for the first time. Additionally, we update the taxonomic status of the following six South American species: Tetragnatha labialis Nicolet, 1849 and T. americana Simon, 1896 are considered new junior synonymies of T. nitens (Audouin, 1826); and Tetragnatha bishopi Caporiacco, 1947, T. linearis Nicolet, 1849, T. similis Nicolet, 1849 and T. sternalis Nicolet, 1849 are proposed as nomina dubia due to missing or juvenile type-material.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.87670

Authors: Duangduen Krailas, Suluck Namchote, Jirayus Komsuwan, Thanaporn Wongpim, Kitja Apiraksena, Matthias Glaubrecht, Pichaya Sonthiporn, Choopong Sansawang, Sirirat Suwanrit

Abstract: A cercarial dermatitis outbreak occurred in Chana district, Songkhla Province, South Thailand, between August and October 2020. A total of 359 cases with cercarial dermatitis were confirmed with three cases of skin biopsy. The species of potential trematodes from infected snails were investigated, and the prevalence of infestation with schistosomes was described. As part of our ongoing studies of trematode diversity in freshwater systems, using morphological traits and sequence data to differentiate species, this study aimed to provide insights into the parasite species that cause cercarial dermatitis in the outbreak area and improve our understanding of parasite species distribution. Snail samples were collected in December 2020 and September and October 2021. Five main areas of outbreaks were investigated, and snails were collected by scooping and examined for infection with cercariae. The cercariae were characterized on the basis of morphological features. We found two species of snails to be infected, viz. Indoplanorbis exustus and Bithynia siamensis siamensis, with infection rates of 2.05% (12/586) and 7.93% (23/290), respectively. Three species of trematodes were found in B. s. siamensis, viz. Gastrothylax crumenifer, Astiotrema monticellii, and Loxogenes liberum. Moreover, three species of trematodes were found in Indoplanorbis exustus, viz. Clinostomum giganticum, Echinostoma spiniferum, and Schistosoma indicum. The latter is a ruminant schistosome, which causes the outbreak of cercarial dermatitis in the area. They were genetically analyzed using the internal transcribed spacer subunit II region to confirm the species identity at generic and infrageneric levels.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.87158

Authors: Alireza Zamani, Ghassan A. Ali Al-Yacoub, Shurooq Abdullah Najim

Abstract: New faunistic data are provided on the ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) of Iraq. Three genera (Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922; Minosiella Dalmas, 1921; Odontodrassus Jézéquel, 1965) and six species (Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866); Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958; Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999; Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872); Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929; Zelotes fagei Denis, 1955) are reported in Iraq for the first time, and the previously unknown female of Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 is described. In addition, a list of all gnaphosids reported from Iraq (16 spp.) is provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.86308

Authors: Takafumi Nakano

Abstract: A large-type sexannulate leech species, Orobdella ibukifukuyamai sp. nov., from Kii-Oshima Island, Japan, is described based on morphologic and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone H3, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, tRNACys, tRNAMet, 12S rRNA, tRNAVal, 16S rRNA, tRNALeu and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 markers showed that O. ibukifukuyamai formed a clade with the sexannulate O. okanoi Nakano, 2016 and O. yamaneae Nakano, 2016 and octannulate O. nakahamai Nakano, 2016, which are endemic to Shikoku island, Japan.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.83573

Authors: Volker W. Framenau, Matjaž Kuntner

Abstract: The new Australian orb-weaving spider genus Leviana gen. nov. is described to include five species, all known from both sexes: Leviana dimidiata (L. Koch, 1871) comb. nov. (type species) (= Epeira sylvicola Rainbow, 1897 syn. nov.), L. cincinnata sp. nov., L. folium sp. nov., L. minima sp. nov. and L. mulieraria (Keyserling, 1887) comb. nov. Male pedipalp morphology, specifically the presence of a single patella spine and the median apophysis forming an arch over the radix, place Leviana gen. nov. in the informal Australian ‘backobourkiine’ clade; however, the genus differs from all other genera of this group by the presence of a spine inside the basal median apophysis arch of the male pedipalp, an epigyne that is wider than long with a scape that is approximately as long as the epigyne (but often broken off) and a lack of humeral humps on the elongate ovoid abdomen. In addition, unlike any other backobourkiine, Leviana gen. nov. incorporate a rolled leaf as retreat into the periphery of their web. Leviana gen. nov. species exhibit only a moderate sexual size dimorphism with female to male ratios between 1.3 and 1.7. Leviana gen. nov. occurs in eastern Australia from northern Queensland in the north to Victoria in the south, with a single tropical species, L. mulieraria comb. nov., spreading into northern Western Australia.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.84170

Authors: Somnath Chatterjee, Gouri Sankar Pal, Niladri Hazra

Abstract: Two new species of biting midges, Culicoides cornatus sp. nov. and Culicoides pileus sp. nov. are described based on adults. The new species are compared to their congeners with close similarity. All specimens were collected from the Indian Sundarban Mangrove Forests, few specimens were mounted in glass slides and few were prepared for SEM study. Total 78 species under the genus Culicoides Latreille including the two new ones (6 species from ornatus species group) are described from India. An adult key of the ornatus species group from the Oriental Region is provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.83290

Authors: Zeeshan A. Mirza, Chandrashekaruni Gnaneswar

Abstract: A recent molecular phylogenetic study of the genus Eublepharis Gray, 1827 revealed the presence of a genetically divergent lineage sister to Eublepharis hardwickii Gray, 1827. We re-assessed the taxonomy of Eublepharis hardwickii based on museum material in light of the molecular phylogenetic study and the results support the recognization of two species distributed on either sides of the Brahmani River. A redescription of E. hardwickii is presented based on the holotype and additional museum material along-with the description of a new species, Eublepharis pictus sp. nov. from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The presence of yet another distinct lineage in such close geographical proximity in the northern Eastern Ghats highlights the significance of these relic forests and advocates the need for conservation prioritization.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.81752

Authors: Oleksandra Oskyrko, Roman Lysenko, Daniel Jablonski

Abstract: We provide data on the historical record of Pseudopus apodus (Anguidae) from Odesa, Ukraine based on the specimen re-discovered in the museum collection of the National Science and Natural History Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv (NMNH) in 2021. The data show that the specimen belongs most likely to the nominotypical subspecies, P. a. apodus (Pallas, 1775). We discussed the possible origin of the record and we concluded that the specimen was introduced to Odesa most probably from its native range (Crimea or Caucasus). The uniqueness of the record and the past human-mediated interactions thus suggest an allochthonous origin rather than the historical sign of the relict population. Thus, our data clarify the situation on species distribution in the north-western Black Sea region from where we have still limited knowledge.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.81259

Authors: Rajesh V. Sanap, John T.D. Caleb

Abstract: A new jumping spider species, Langelurillus tertius sp. nov. (♂♀), is described from the Ajanta and Sathmala hill ranges of the Deccan plateau in Maharashtra (India). Detailed description, illustrations, and a map showing the distribution of all known Indian congeners are provided.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.80744

Authors: Viktor Hartung, Martin Heller, Martin Husemann

Abstract: The invasive pentatomid true bug Halyomorpha halys is reported for the first time from the German state of Hamburg, along with records from several other locations in Northern Germany. Specimens collected by scientists were evaluated along with records from citizen science platforms. DNA barcode sequences of several H. halys specimens from Hamburg were evaluated along with 42 sequences of the species from across the world in a haplotype network analysis demonstrating that all specimens studied from Hamburg had the haplotype H3. The present state of distribution of H. halys in Germany, patterns of range extension, invasiveness, and possible economic impacts are discussed.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.76879

Authors: Jorge Brito, Claudia Koch, Nicolás Tinoco, Ulyses F. J. Pardiñas

Abstract: The diversity of the oryzomyine rat Mindomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae, Oryzomyini), is doubled here with the description of a new species from the remote Cordillera de Kutukú (Ecuador). The novel form can be easily differentiated from Mindomys hammondi –type species of the genus– by a large set of anatomical traits including, among others, larger jugals, parietal “wings” extending to zygomatic roots, larger otic capsules, well-exposed petrosals, narrow zygomatic plates almost without upper free borders, foramen magnum caudally oriented, larger molars, and accessory root of first upper molar present. Until now, the records of Mindomys were restricted to western Andean foothills. The material from Kutukú highlights an Amazonian species and reinforces the valuable biological significance of isolated mountain ranges in eastern Ecuador. Since Mindomys shows some external traits classically related to arboreal life, here we present a brief reappraisal of this poorly explored topic. A partially neglected anatomical system in sigmodontine studies, the fore feet, encloses crucial information reflecting arboreality.

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DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.76382

Authors: Andolalao Rakotoarison, Frank Glaw, Safidy M. Rasolonjatovo, Jary H. Razafindraibe, Miguel Vences, Mark D. Scherz

Abstract: The stump-toed frogs of the Madagascar-endemic genus Stumpffia are mostly diminutive in size, but there is one group of comparatively large frogs within the genus, which we herein refer to as the Stumpffia hara species group. Each of the four known members of this species group is endemic to a single location of deciduous dry forest with exposed karstic limestone rock. Here, we report on the discovery of members of this species group on Montagne d’Ambre, a rainforest-covered extinct volcano in the North of Madagascar that has a rich Stumpffia fauna but has been thought to lack members of the S. hara species group until now. We found two members of the species group, one at the peak, and one in transitional and dry deciduous forest on the west and northern slopes of the mountain. The high-elevation species is new to science, and we here describe it as Stumpffia bishopi sp. nov. It occupies a highly distinct position in the phylogeny of these frogs, characterized by ≥ 9.8% uncorrected pairwise distance from all other nominal Stumpffia in a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. It is also the smallest of the members of the S. hara species group. Our genetic results show that the low-elevation species is Stumpffia megsoni, constituting a range expansion of that species and considerably expanding our understanding of its morphology and ecology. We report its advertisement call for the first time. Our results highlight the importance of continued surveys of even well-sampled localities, with special attention on the high elevation sites of northern massifs and collection of voucher specimens, and how much there still remains to understand about even the largest of Madagascar’s small frogs.

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