A review of the subgenus Euprepiosaurus of Varanus (Squamata: Varanidae): morphological and molecular phylogeny, distribution and zoogeography,  with an identification key for the members of the V. indicus and  the V. prasinus species groups

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1472 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS ZIEGLER ◽  
ANDREAS SCHMITZ ◽  
ANDRÉ KOCH ◽  
WOLFGANG BÖHME

We provide a synopsis of the currently recognized taxa within the subgenus Euprepiosaurus of Varanus, consisting of the V. indicus species group (in chronological order, V. indicus, V. doreanus, V. jobiensis, V. finschi, V. melinus, V. yuwonoi, V. caerulivirens, V. cerambonensis, V. juxtindicus, V. zugorum) and the V. prasinus species group (accordingly, V. prasinus, V. beccarii, V. kordensis, V. bogerti, V. keithhornei, V. telenesetes, V. macraei, V. boehmei, V. reisingeri). We summarize the taxonomic history of the species groups and highlight the morphology and distribution of the species in detail. Molecular genetic analyses confirm Euprepiosaurus and also the two contained species groups as monophyla. Our molecular (mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene) data further reinforce that V. beccarii, V. boehmei, V. keithhornei, and V. macraei are distinct species within the V. prasinus group. V. kordensis consistently proves to be a sister species to all remaining members of the V. prasinus species group studied by us. Comparatively low genetic distances argue for relatively recent speciation processes within the V. indicus group. The species status of V. caerulivirens and V. finschi is again corroborated. The analyses consistently place V. cerambonensis and V. melinus as sister species. It is further evident that both species groups within Euprepiosaurus still contain distinct unrecognized taxa. Finally, we discuss the phylogeny and zoogeography of Euprepiosaurus in the light of our data and provide an identification key for the species of this subgenus.

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4413 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
DAVIDE SASSI

The genus Metallactus has been controversial since its introduction due to the ambiguous nature of the original diagnosis. This has caused some confusion in the taxonomy of Neotropical Pachybrachina. In this work the morphology of endophallus, which is useful for the characterization of species groups in several groups of Coleoptera, including Cryptocephalinae, has been analyzed. This has proven to be a good resource also in the taxonomic treatment of the species belonging to the genus Metallactus. After a careful survey on most of the species described so far, the endophallus shape in Metallactus turned out to be remarkably distinctive and very promising in the delimitation of species groups. The present work includes: a) a new diagnosis of the genus Metallactus on the basis of the aedeagal anatomy; b) the designation of the type species of the nominal genus; c) the revision of a first species-group of the genus, including the type species, hereinafter called Metallactus kollari species-group. Before this revision, catalogues had been reporting 13 species attributable to this group, in the present work three species have been synonymized and seven have been described as new to science. Therefore, the group includes 17 species. The species described as new are: Metallactus rileyi n. sp., M. bellatrix n. sp., M. longicornis n. sp.; M. londonpridei n. sp., M. regalini n. sp., M. bezoar n. sp., M. guarani n. sp. The new synonymies are as follows: Metallactus albipes Suffrian, 1866 (= M. nigrofasciatus Suffrian, 1866 n. syn.), M. albifrons Suffrian, 1866 (= M. flavofrontalis Jacoby, 1907 n. syn.), M. dodecastictus Suffrian, 1866 (= Griburius nigritarsis Jacoby, 1907 n. syn.). The lectotypes of all previously described species have been designated. The new synonymies, the name-bearing type fixations and designations and the nomenclatural acts have been critically discussed. An identification key for the species-group is also provided. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4926 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-244
Author(s):  
ROBB BENNETT ◽  
CLAUDIA COPLEY ◽  
DARREN COPLEY

Species of North American Cybaeus L. Koch (Araneae: RTA clade: Cybaeidae) are common moist-forest spiders classified in Holarctic and Californian clades. Here, in the second paper in a planned series reviewing the six Californian clade species groups, we review the species of the aspenicolens group. We recognize five species in two subgroups: the aspenicolens subgroup (Cybaeus aspenicolens Chamberlin & Ivie, C. blasbes Chamberlin & Ivie, and C. coylei Bennett spec. nov.) and the fraxineus subgroup (C. fraxineus Bennett spec. nov. and C. thermydrinos Bennett). The species of the aspenicolens group have very restricted distributions on the western slopes of the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountain range from Tuolumne County south to northern Kern County in east central California, U.S.A. Descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and an identification key are provided for the five species as well as a discussion of conservation issues of relevance to the group. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4965 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-436
Author(s):  
ROBB BENNETT ◽  
CLAUDIA COPLEY ◽  
DARREN COPLEY

Species of North American Cybaeus L. Koch (Araneae: RTA clade: Cybaeidae) are common moist-forest spiders classified in Holarctic and Californian clades. Here, in the third paper in a planned series reviewing the six Californian clade species groups, we review the species of the consocius group. We recognize nine species: Cybaeus consocius Chamberlin & Ivie, C. hesper Chamberlin & Ivie, C. hummeli Bennett spec. nov., C. opulentus spec. nov., C. pan Bennett spec. nov., C. penedentatus Bennett, C. simplex Roth, C. ubicki Bennett spec. nov., and C. vulpinus Bennett. Eight of these species have restricted distributions in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California, U.S.A (C. opulentus, C. pan spec. nov., and C. vulpinus) or the central coast of western California (C. consocius, C. hesper, C. hummeli spec. nov., C. penedentatus, and C. ubicki spec. nov.); a single species (C. simplex), is relatively widely distributed in western Oregon, U.S.A. Descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and an identification key are provided as well as a discussion of conservation issues of relevance to the group. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2096 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOMAS CEDHAGEN ◽  
ANDREW J. GOODAY ◽  
JAN PAWLOWSKI

We describe two new species of spherical single-chambered ('saccamminid') foraminifera from the bathyal and abyssal Weddell Sea (Southern Ocean), collected in epibenthic sledge and Agassiz trawl samples obtained during the 2005 ANDEEP III campaign. Both are assigned to Leptammina gen. nov. The new genus is similar in overall test morphology to Saccammina Carpenter, 1869; it is distinguished mainly by its test wall, which is delicate, flexible and composed of fine mineral grains, rather than being rigid and coarsely agglutinated. In Leptammina grisea gen. et sp. nov., the test wall is relatively thick, grayish with a violet tinge and a dull surface; the cytoplasm is dark greenish. In Leptammina flavofusca gen. et sp. nov., the test is yellowish brown, with a very finely, almost transluscent agglutinated wall; the cytoplasm is pale yellowish. Both species have prominent circular apertures. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis of SSU rRNA gene data showed that both species group together with an undescribed shallow-water Antarctic species (“silver saccamminid”) in a very strongly supported clade (100 %). Leptammina grisea gen. et sp. nov. is a relatively uncommon species (29 specimens from 3 stations), found at 1580–4822 m depth in the central and north–western Weddell Sea; Leptammina flavofusca gen. et sp. nov. is common (398 specimens from 4 stations) at depths of 3138–4795 m in the central Weddell Sea and off Kapp Norvegia. Both species are presently known only from ANDEEP III samples.


ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 949 ◽  
pp. 1-185
Author(s):  
Sebastian Salata ◽  
Brian L. Fisher

The present study represents a taxonomic revision of the Pheidole sikorae species group from Madagascar. Forty-four members of this group are recognised and described, and an illustrated identification key to this group is also presented. One species is raised to species level: P. litigiosa Forel, 1892 stat. nov.Pheidole veteratrix angustinoda Forel, 1892 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of Pheidole veteratrix Forel, 1891. Worker castes are also described and lectotypes designated for P. litigiosa Forel, 1892, P. sikorae Forel, 1891, and P. veteratrix Forel, 1891. The following 41 new species are described: P. alinasp. nov., P. ambohimangasp. nov., P. analavelonasp. nov., P. andohahelasp. nov., P. anomalasp. nov., P. anosyennesp. nov., P. antranohofasp. nov., P. beankasp. nov., P. befotakasp. nov., P. dasossp. nov., P. flavominutasp. nov., P. gracilissp. nov., P. habokasp. nov., P. havoanasp. nov., P. hazosp. nov., P. itremosp. nov., P. joffrevillesp. nov., P. kelysp. nov., P. lavasoasp. nov., P. mahamavosp. nov., P. maintysp. nov., P. mamiratrasp. nov., P. mananteninasp. nov., P. masoandrosp. nov., P. mavohavoanasp. nov., P. midongysp. nov., P. mikrossp. nov., P. mivorysp. nov., P. nitidobrunasp. nov., P. parvulasp. nov., P. parvulogibbasp. nov., P. reniranosp. nov., P. savasp. nov., P. sofiasp. nov., P. sparsasp. nov., P. tamponysp. nov., P. trichotossp. nov., P. tsaravonianasp. nov., P. vadumsp. nov., P. volontanysp. nov., and P. vonysp. nov. At present, there are 109 valid species and subspecies of Pheidole known from Madagascar, but this number is expected to increase with upcoming taxonomic revisions of the species groups not revised in this study.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ante Vujić ◽  
Snežana Radenković ◽  
Laura Likov ◽  
Andrijana Andrić ◽  
Marina Janković ◽  
...  

We revise the Merodon constans species group of the genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Syrphidae), provide morphological diagnosesand descriptions, as well as an illustrated key and a discussion on the different taxonomic characters used. In total, 15 species were studied, their geographic distributions are presented on maps, and nine new species are described. Two species are redefined and neotypes are designated, lectotypes are designated for five species, and onespeciesis reinstated as valid. Following a detailed study of type material in different entomological collections, the status of several species is revised and three new synonymies are proposed. The M. constans species group was resolved as being monophyletic within the M. albifrons lineage based on molecular analyses using COI and 28S rRNA gene sequences. Three species morphologically similar to M. constans (Rossi, 1794) but occurring outside its distributional rangewere supported as being valid and distinct species on the basis of molecular data, but they were not distinguishable based on morphological characters. By contrast, continental populations of M. analis Meigen, 1822 could not be separated from Mediterranean M. constans based on differences in COI or 28S rRNA genes. The same molecular markers could not discriminate between two other species pairs. We conclude that these molecular markers only partially resolve species within the M. constans group. Geometric morphometry of wing shape successfully separated M. analis and M. constans, as well as M. spineus Vujić, Šašić Zorić & Likov, sp. nov. in both species and population analyses.


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2372 (1) ◽  
pp. 206-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIEN-HUI YANG ◽  
TIN-YAM CHAN ◽  
KA HOU CHU

The widely distributed deep-sea caridean shrimp Heterocarpus gibbosus Bate, 1888 was previously believed to exhibit considerable variations in the development of the basal rostral crest. Based on the comparison of abundant material from the western Pacific, combined with a molecular genetic analysis using partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes, three distinct species could be recognized. The true H. gibbosus has a moderately high basal rostral crest and appears to have a more eastern distribution from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. Both forms with a very low or very high basal rostral crest are currently undescribed and mainly distributed along the western coast of the Pacific from Japan to Fiji. The low basal rostral crest form, H. abulbus sp. nov., is unique in the genus by lacking a distinct abdominal boss and appears to be restricted to Japan, Taiwan and NE Philippines. The very high basal rostral crest form, H. corona sp. nov., occurs in the western Pacific down to NW Australia.


Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3035 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTOINE FOUQUET ◽  
BRICE P. NOONAN ◽  
MICHEL BLANC ◽  
VICTOR GOYANNES DILL ORRICO

Dendropsophus gaucheri is a recently described species which inhabits open areas of the eastern part of the Guiana Shield and is currently assigned to the D. parviceps species group based on the presence of a subocular cream spot. Herein we investigate its phylogenetic position including material from the type locality and newly documented populations from Suriname and Brazil based on mtDNA sequences. The species, as well as D. riveroi which is assigned to the D. minimus species group, were recovered nested within the D. microcephalus species group which implies the paraphyly of the three Dendropsophus species groups. Such result, along with other evidences, highlights the need for a thorough revision of the genus. The genetic distances among D. gaucheri samples studied are low confirming their conspecificity and suggesting recent connections among populations from open areas currently isolated by rainforest in the lowlands of the Guiana Shield.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0244195
Author(s):  
Sebastian Salata ◽  
Brian L. Fisher

Madagascar, one of the top megadiversity regions, hosts one of the highest numbers of endemic and threatened organisms on earth. One of the most spectacular examples of ant radiation on the island has occurred in the hyperdiverse genus Pheidole. To this date, there are 117 described Madagascan Pheidole divided into 16 species-groups, and 97% of them are endemic to the island. Only two of these species-groups contain widely distributed invasive species in addition to native, endemic taxa: megacephala, and fervens species-groups. Here we revise the fervens species-group and discuss updated distribution records of its introduced members on Madagascar. We recognize six species belonging to this group, including five new to science: Pheidole ampangabe sp. nov., P. arivo sp. nov., P. comosa sp. nov., P. indica Mayr, P. mamirapiratra sp. nov., and P. mena sp. nov. Detailed descriptions are supplemented with measurements, diagnoses, identification key, high-resolution images for major and minor worker, and comments on distribution and biology.


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