Review of the systematics, morphology and distribution of Asian Clawed Salamanders, genus Onychodactylus (Amphibia, Caudata: Hynobiidae), with the description of four new species

Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3465 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
NIKOLAY A. POYARKOV, JR. ◽  
JING CHE ◽  
MI-SOOK MIN ◽  
MASAKI KURO-O ◽  
FANG YAN ◽  
...  

We describe four new species of Asian Clawed salamanders of the genus Onychodactylus (Caudata: Hynobiidae), basedon fresh material collected during fieldwork in Japan, Korea, the Russian Far East and northeastern China between 2003and 2010, as well as older voucher specimens deposited in several museums. Our analyses comprise all species currentlyrecognized within this genus across its entire distribution range. We follow an integrative taxonomic approach bycombining detailed morphological comparative analyses with molecular phylogenetic analyses. We find significantdifferences among species in this genus, based on morphological and molecular data, which resulted in the recognitionand description of four new species within this genus. The new species have uncorrected molecular divergences of over4.5–7.4% and 1.9–4.1% to their closest relatives in the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes respectively. In themolecular analyses, we found two very divergent lineages in Korea and Japan that need further investigation, as detailedmorphological data are not available for them. We also discuss our approach to delimit species on salamanders. For thenew species described in this group we evaluate their threat status according to IUCN criteria: O. koreanus sp. nov. Min,Poyarkov & Vieites and O. nipponoborealis sp. nov. Kuro-o, Poyarkov & Vieites are classified as Least Concern, whileO. zhaoermii sp. nov. Che, Poyarkov & Yan and O. zhangyapingi sp. nov. Che, Poyarkov, Li & Yan are classified as Vulnerable (Vu2a).

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4974 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-360
Author(s):  
KOJI TOJO ◽  
KEN MIYAIRI ◽  
YUTO KATO ◽  
AYANA SAKANO ◽  
TOMOYA SUZUKI

A new mayfly species, Bleptus michinokuensis sp. nov. (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) is described on the basis of specimens of male and female adults and mature nymphs collected at a seepage zone of a small freshwater branch of the ‘Tachiya-zawa-gawa’ River located amongst the northern foothills of Mt. Gassan (Shonai-machi Town, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan). This new Bleptus species is characterized by its clear fore and hind wings. That is, they neither exhibit the distinct black band on the fore wings, nor the characteristic darkened margins along the edges of both the fore and hind wings. Rather it has a blackish colored terminal half of its fore legs (i.e., tibial, tarsal and pretarsal segments). These features differ clearly when comparing them to the other known species, Bleptus fasciatus Eaton. The information and data describing the habitat and distribution range of this new species are also noted. We also examined and discussed the genetic relationship of two Bleptus mayflies to settle the taxonomic status, inferred from the partially sequenced cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and large mitochondrial ribosomal subunit (16S rRNA) genes, and also the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) gene sequences. Consequently, phenetic and molecular phylogenetic analyses agreed well in terms of clustering. 


Nematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 1045-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Razieh Ghaemi ◽  
Ebrahim Pourjam ◽  
Sergio Álvarez-Ortega ◽  
Majid Pedram ◽  
Mohammad Reza Atighi

Diploscapteroides persicus n. sp. is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. The new species is mainly characterised by female body length of 469-673 μm, female tail length of 51-99 μm, shape of gubernaculum and spicules and arrangement of male genital papillae. Also, the arrangement of male genital papillae of the new species shows the presence of precloacal papillae, a feature that has not been previously described for the genus. The new species is comparable with all valid species of the genus, namely D. boettgeri, D. brevicauda, D. chitinolabiatus, D. coroniger, D. dacchensis and D. flexuosus, from which the morphological comparisons of the new species with aforementioned species are discussed. Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of SSU and LSU rRNA genes were performed for the new species, being the first representative of the genus to be phylogenetically studied using both Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods, and revealed that D. persicus n. sp. formed a clade with a species of Cephaloboides.


2020 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-209
Author(s):  
Yutaro Oku ◽  
Kenji Iwao ◽  
Bert W. Hoeksema ◽  
Naoko Dewa ◽  
Hiroyuki Tachikawa ◽  
...  

Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of scleractinian corals have resulted in the discovery of cryptic lineages. To understand species diversity in corals, these lineages need to be taxonomically defined. In the present study, we report the discovery of a distinct lineage obscured by the traditional morphological variation of Fungia fungites. This taxon exists as two distinct morphs: attached and unattached. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS markers as well as morphological comparisons were performed to clarify their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic positions. Molecular data revealed that F. fungites consists of two genetically distinct clades (A and B). Clade A is sister to a lineage including Danafungia scruposa and Halomitra pileus, while clade B formed an independent lineage genetically distant from these three species. The two morphs were also found to be included in both clades, although the attached morph was predominantly found in clade A. Morphologically, both clades were statistically different in density of septal dentation, septal number, and septal teeth shape. These results indicate that F. fungites as presently recognized is actually a species complex including at least two species. After checking type specimens, we conclude that specimens in clade A represent true F. fungites with two morphs (unattached and attached) and that all of those in clade B represent an unknown species and genus comprising an unattached morph with only one exception. These findings suggest that more unrecognized taxa with hitherto unnoticed morphological differences can be present among scleractinian corals.


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4683 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. LEE GRISMER ◽  
PERRY L., JR. WOOD ◽  
EVAN S. H. QUAH ◽  
SHAHRUL ANUAR ◽  
NIKOLAY A. POYARKOV ◽  
...  

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the sister species Sphenomorphus stellatus and S. praesignis based on the mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S rRNA recover the former as paraphyletic with respect to the latter in that a specimen of S. stellatus from the type locality in Peninsular Malaysia is more closely related to S. praesignis than to Indochinese populations of S. stellatus. Furthermore, the phylogeny indicates that the Indochinese populations represent two species, thus resulting in four major lineages within this clade. These relationships are consistent with multivariate and univariate analyses of morphological and discrete color pattern data which statistically define and diagnose the four lineages and together with the molecular data, provide the foundation for robust, testable, species-level hypotheses. As such, S. stellatus is herein restricted to Peninsular Malaysia; S. annamiticus is resurrected for the circum-continental populations ranging through southeastern Thailand, southern Cambodia, and southern Vietnam; a new species—S. preylangensis sp. nov.—is described from an isolated mountain, Phnom Chi, from the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in central Cambodia; and the taxonomy of S. praesignis remains unchanged. The description of S. preylangensis sp. nov. underscores the necessity to conserve this remnant of lowland evergreen rainforest in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4679 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-352
Author(s):  
TATIANA M. TIUNOVA ◽  
ALEXANDER A. SEMENCHENKO

A new species, Baetis pentaphyllus sp. nov., is described on the basis of larvae from the Far East of Russia (type locality Bolshoi Garmakan River). Larvae of Baetis pentaphyllus sp. nov. may be distinguished from other Baetis species by the presence of only five pairs of tergalii on segments III–VII. The mitochondrial COI sequence obtained from the described species was compared with the data present in GeneBank and BOLD. The DNA barcodes allowed discrimination of B. pentaphyllus sp. nov. from other species of Baetis with available sequence data. The average interspecific K2P distances were 10–15%, which are values well above those associated with intraspecific variation. COI sequences as well as 36 morphological larval characters were analysed using Bayesian inference to relate the described species to the recognized species-groups of the Baetis genus. B. pentaphyllus sp. nov formed a sister clade to B. vardarensis + B. lutheri which belong to the Baetis lutheri species-group. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Maldonado ◽  
R.O. Simões ◽  
J. São Luiz ◽  
S.F. Costa-Neto ◽  
R.V. Vilela

Abstract Nematodes of the genus Physaloptera are globally distributed and more than 100 species are known. Their life cycle involves insects, including beetles, cockroaches and crickets, as intermediate hosts. This study describes a new species of Physaloptera and reports molecular phylogenetic analyses to determine its relationships within the family Physalopteridae. Physaloptera amazonica n. sp. is described from the stomach of the caviomorph rodent Proechimys gardneri collected in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Acre, Brazil. The species is characterized by the male having the first and second pair of sessile papillae asymmetrically placed, lacking a median papilla-like protuberance between the third pairs of sessile papillae, differentiated by size and shape of the spicules, while females have four uterine branches. For both nuclear 18S rRNA and MT-CO1 gene-based phylogenies, we recovered Turgida sequences forming a clade nested within Physaloptera, thus making Physaloptera paraphyletic to the exclusion of Turgida, suggesting that the latter may have evolved from the former monodelphic ancestral state to a derived polydelphic state, or that some species of Physaloptera may belong to different genera. Relationships between most taxa within Physaloptera were poorly resolved in our phylogenies, producing multifurcations or a star phylogeny. The star-like pattern may be attributed to evolutionary processes where past simultaneous species diversification events took place. Physaloptera amazonica n. sp. formed an independent lineage, separately from the other species of Physaloptera, thus supporting the status of a new species. However, all molecular data suggested a closer relationship with other Neotropical species. In conclusion, we added a new species to this already largely diverse genus Physaloptera, bringing new insights to its phylogenetic relationships. Further analyses, adding more species and markers, should provide a better understanding of the evolutionary history of physalopterids.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3250 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHUNDE CHEN ◽  
SHAOYING LIU ◽  
YANG LIU ◽  
KAI HE ◽  
WEICAI CHEN ◽  
...  

The classification and phylogenetic relationships of the genus Blarinella have been traditionally based on morphologicalcharacteristics, and there have been no studies published about the molecular phylogenetic relationships and biogeographyfor this genus. Here, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Blarinella based on one nuclear (ApoB)and two mitochondrial (cyt-b, 16S rRNA) genes. Our results supported the monophyly of the genus Blarinella and thevalid species status of Blarinella wardi. Nevertheless, two morphologically defined Blarinella species, B. quadraticaudaand B. griselda, were poorly differentiated by molecular data; B. quadraticauda was found embedded within B. griseldamaking the latter a paraphyletic group. These results indicate that B. quadraticauda might be under a budding speciationscenario or is a restricted geographical subspecies of B. griselda. Phylogeographic analyses suggest that diversificationand speciation of Blarinella might have been promoted by vicariance events associated to the complex topography of Southwest China. Further morphological, genetic and ecological studies are necessary to examine these hypotheses.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4952 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-494
Author(s):  
SHO TSUKAMOTO ◽  
SHIMPEI F. HIRUTA ◽  
KATSUYUKI EGUCHI ◽  
JHIH-RONG LIAO ◽  
SATOSHI SHIMANO

In Japan and Taiwan, five valid species of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 have been described: S. morsitans Linnaeus, 1758, S. subspinipes Leach, 1816, S. mutilans Koch, 1878, S. japonica Koch, 1878, and S. multidens Newport, 1844. Recently, an undetermined species was found in the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan. Using molecular phylogenetic analyses with mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA and nuclear 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes as well as conventional morphological examination, we successfully discriminated this sixth species as an independent lineage from S. subspinipes, S. mutilans, and other named congeners from East and Southeast Asia. Therefore, the species was described as S. alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano, sp. nov. Several situational evidences suggest that this species prefers streamside environments and exhibits amphibious behavior. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4952 (3) ◽  
pp. 540-550
Author(s):  
MITALI DAS ◽  
PRITI RANJAN PAHARI ◽  
TANMAY BHATTACHARYA

A new species Macrobrachium ramae is described from Rupnarayana river, West Bengal, India along with its molecular characterization and Scanning electron microscopy. The species shares certain characters with M.gurudeve, M.jayasreei, M.kunjuramani and M.saengphani but differs remarkably from these species in the structure and shape of rostrum, telson, appendix masculina and in the size of the proximal segment of the antennular peduncle. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of M.ramae with mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes reinforce the morphological conclusion and supports the view that it is a new species. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3931 (1) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
ATEFEH TALEZARI ◽  
EBRAHIM POURJAM ◽  
AHMAD KHEIRI ◽  
GRACIA LIÉBANAS ◽  
FARZAD ALIRAMAJI ◽  
...  

Rotylenchus castilloi n. sp., a new bisexual species is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. The new species is characterised by having a hemispherical, continuous lip region with an irregular corncob-like appearance under SEM, very long stylet (62–68 µm), vulva located at 49.7–62.2% of body length from anterior end, with a protruding double epiptygma, a rounded to convex-conoid (rarely bi-lobed) tail with 8–12 annuli and specific sequences of D2-D3 segments of 28S and ITS1-rRNA genes. Differences between the new species and four other species of the genus (R. mesorobustus, R. cazorlaensis, R. magnus and R. jaeni) are discussed. Morphologically, the new species can be separated from these species mostly by its body length, lip region characters, stylet length and location of phasmid. Phylogenetic analyses using 721 bp partial sequences of D2-D3 expansion segments of the 28S and 590 bp ITS1-rRNA genes revealed the new species forming a clade with two isolates of R. eximius and two isolates of R. unisexus, two morphologically unrelated species. 


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