Revisionary systematics of the endemic soft coral fauna (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Alcyoniina) of the Agulhas Bioregion, South Africa

The Agulhas Bioregion of southern South Africa supports a unique octocoral fauna that is entirely endemic to the region. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that this endemism extends to deeper taxonomic levels than had previously been recognized, and that most of these endemic species belong to genera and families that are also endemic to South Africa. Here we revise the taxonomy of soft corals (subordinal group Alcyoniina) that were previously assigned to the cosmopolitan families Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae and Nidaliidae, describing three new families endemic to South Africa, along with four new genera and four new species. We reassign the endemic genera Acrophytum, Pieterfaurea and Lampophyton to Acrophytidae n. fam, and describe a new species of Lampophyton, L. spinatum n. sp. The endemic species Protodendron bruuni is reassigned to a new, monotypic genus, Corymbophyton bruuni n. comb., and family, Corymbophytidae n. fam. The endemic genus Leptophyton is placed in a third new family, Leptophytidae n. fam., along with three new genera that are established for species previously assigned to Alcyonium: Circularius wilsoni n. comb., Porphyrophyton distinctum n. comb., and Tenerodus fallax n. comb. In addition, we describe new species of Leptophyton, L. fustis n. sp.; Tenerodus, T. pollex n. gen. n. sp.; and Alcyonium, A. dolium n. sp.; reassign Protodendron verseveldti to Tenerodus verseveldti n. comb.; and reassign the endemic genus Dimorphophyton to family Paralcyoniidae. Although molecular phylogenetic analyses unite Acrophytidae, Corymbophytidae and Leptophytidae within a well-supported monophyletic group, both morphological and molecular distinctions support maintaining them as three separate families. These revisions increase the number of endemic species of shallow-water soft corals known from the Agulhas Bioregion to 40, and the number of endemic genera to 13.

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A revision of dragon millipedes I: genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, with the description of eight new species (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.761.24214 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 761 ◽

pp. 1-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ruttapon Srisonchai ◽

Henrik Enghoff ◽

Natdanai Likhitrakarn ◽

Somsak Panha

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Southeast Asia ◽

Present Article ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

New Genera ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

New Synonyms ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

First Time

The dragon millipede genusDesmoxytess.l. is split into five genera, based on morphological characters and preliminary molecular phylogenetic analyses. The present article includes a review ofDesmoxytess.s., while future articles will deal withHylomusCook and Loomis, 1924 and three new genera which preliminarily are referred to as the ‘acantherpestes’, ‘gigas’, and ‘spiny’ groups. Diagnostic morphological characters of each group are discussed.Hylomusis resurrected as a valid genus and the following 33 species are assigned to it:H.asper(Attems, 1937),comb. n.,H.cattienensis(Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005),comb. n.,H.cervarius(Attems, 1953),comb. n.,H.cornutus(Zhang & Li, 1982),comb. n.,H.dracoCook & Loomis, 1924,stat. rev.,H.enghoffi(Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005),comb. n.,H.eupterygotus(Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012),comb. n.,H.getuhensis(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014),comb. n.,H.grandis(Golovatch, VandenSpiegel & Semenyuk, 2016),comb. n.,H.hostilis(Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994),comb. n.,H.jeekeli(Golovatch & Enghoff, 1994),comb. n.,H.lingulatus(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014),comb. n.,H.laticollis(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.,H.longispinus(Loksa, 1960),comb. n.,H.lui(Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012),comb. n.,H.minutuberculus(Zhang, 1986),comb. n.,H.nodulosus(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014),comb. n.,H.parvulus(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2014),comb. n.,H.phasmoides(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.,H.pilosus(Attems, 1937),comb. n.,H.proximus(Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005),comb. n.,H.rhinoceros(Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha, 2015),comb. n.,H.rhinoparvus(Likhitrakarn, Golovatch & Panha, 2015),comb. n.,H.scolopendroides(Golovatch, Geoffroy & Mauriès, 2010),comb. n.,H.scutigeroides(Golovatch, Geoffroy & Mauriès, 2010),comb. n.,H.similis(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.,H.simplex(Golovatch, VandenSpiegel & Semenyuk, 2016),comb. n.,H.simplipodus(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.,H.specialis(Nguyen, Golovatch & Anichkin, 2005),comb. n.,H.spectabilis(Attems, 1937),comb. n.,H.spinitergus(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.,H.spinissimus(Golovatch, Li, Liu & Geoffroy, 2012),comb. n.andH.variabilis(Liu, Golovatch & Tian, 2016),comb. n.Desmoxytess.s. includes the following species:D.breviverpaSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016;D.cervina(Pocock,1895);D.delfae(Jeekel, 1964);D.desSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016;D.pinnasqualiSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016;D.planata(Pocock, 1895);D.purpuroseaEnghoff, Sutcharit & Panha, 2007;D.takensisSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha, 2016;D.taurina(Pocock, 1895);D.terae(Jeekel, 1964), all of which are re-described based mainly on type material. Two new synonyms are proposed:DesmoxytespterygotaGolovatch & Enghoff, 1994,syn. n.(=Desmoxytescervina(Pocock, 1895)),DesmoxytesrubraGolovatch & Enghoff, 1994,syn. n.(=Desmoxytesdelfae(Jeekel, 1964)). Six new species are described from Thailand:D.aurataSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.,D.corythosaurusSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.,D.eurosSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.,D.flabellaSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.,D.golovatchiSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.,D.octoconigeraSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n., as well as one from Malaysia:D.perakensisSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n., and one from Myanmar:D.waepyanensisSrisonchai, Enghoff & Panha,sp. n.The species can mostly be easily distinguished by gonopod structure in combination with other external characters; some cases of particularly similar congeners are discussed. All species ofDesmoxytess.s. seem to be endemic to continental Southeast Asia (except the ‘tramp’ speciesD.planata). Some biological observations (relationship with mites, moulting) are recorded for the first time. Complete illustrations of external morphological characters, an identification key, and distribution maps of all species are provided.

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A revision of the soft coral genus, Eunephthya Verrill, 1869 (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Nephtheidae), with a description of four new species from South Africa

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.3485.1.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3485 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

CATHERINE S. MCFADDEN ◽

LEEN P. VAN OFWEGEN

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

New Species ◽

Type Species ◽

Molecular Phylogenetics ◽

Soft Coral ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

28S Rdna ◽

New Combination ◽

Coral Genus ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic

Based on the results of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of newly collected material, we reinstate thesoft coral genus Eunephthya Verrill, 1869 for a group of species endemic to South Africa. Eunephthya is morphologicallyand phylogenetically distinct from the zooxanthellate, tropical genus Capnella Gray, 1869 with which it had been synon-ymized. In Eunephthya the polyp sclerites include unilaterally spinose or leaf spindles, and the sclerites of the stalk surfaceand interior (when present) are small radiates and spheroids. In contrast, C. imbricata, the type species of Capnella, hasleaf clubs and leaf-capstans in the polyps and stalk surface, and large ovals and irregular forms in the interior. We describefour new species of Eunephthya from Algoa Bay, South Africa—E. celata, E. ericius, E. granulata, and E. shirleyae— and propose a new combination, E. susanae.Keywords. Molecular phylogenetics, Capnella, mtMutS, COI, 28S rDNA, endemism

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The Mediterranean species of genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 (Araneae: Sicariidae): Loxosceles imazighen sp. n. from Morocco and first description of the female of L. mrazig Ribera & Planas, 2009 from Tunisia

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.5071.3.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5071 (3) ◽

pp. 326-348

Author(s):

MARC MASSA ◽

CARLES RIBERA

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Canary Islands ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Morphological Variability ◽

Mediterranean Species ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Different Populations ◽

First Time ◽

A New Species

The aim of this paper is to describe a new species of the genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe, 1832 from Morocco, Loxosceles imazighen sp. n., and to describe for the first time a female of Loxoxceles mrazig Ribera & Planas, 2009 from Tunisia. Both species live in xeric and desert environments and are located in southern Atlas Range. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, using mitochondrial (cox1, 16S) and nuclear (H3, 28S) markers, revel that these species are closely related and that they constitute a separate evolutionary lineage of L. rufescens (Dufour, 1820) and of the set of endemic species of the Canary Islands. L. imazighen sp. n. differs from L. mrazig, the closest species morphologically and geographically, in the shapes and proportions of the male palpal tibia and the shapes and dispositions of the female seminal receptacles. In addition, L. mrazig females show morphological variability in their genitalia, mainly in the inner and outer lobes. Although that variability cannot be associated with different populations, since it also appears within individual populations, and is not related to genetic or geographic distances.

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Diversity, phylogenetic relationships and host associations of Calliobothrium and Symcallio (Cestoda: ‘Tetraphyllidea') parasitising triakid sharks

Invertebrate Systematics ◽

10.1071/is15040 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 616 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

James P. Bernot ◽

Janine N. Caira ◽

Maria Pickering

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

New Species ◽

Host Species ◽

Phylogenetic Relationships ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Host Genus ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Mustelus Canis

The laciniate, relatively large-bodied tetraphyllidean tapeworm genus Calliobothrium van Beneden, 1850 parasitises triakid sharks with all but one species found parasitising sharks of the genus Mustelus Linck, 1790. Historically, species of this genus were thought to exhibit a relaxed degree of host specificity relative to species of their sister genus Symcallio Bernot, Caira, & Pickering, 2015. However, several more recent studies have begun to question this difference and, in particular, the conspecificity of specimens identified as the types species, C. verticillatum (Rudolphi, 1819) van Beneden, 1850, from multiple host species. Our results suggest that diversity in the genus Calliobothrium has been under-reported. To explore this situation, specimens previously identified as C. verticillatum were collected from Mustelus asterias Cloquet, 1819 off the United Kingdom and Mustelus canis (Mitchell, 1815) off Connecticut, USA; these sharks each were found to host distinct species both of which are described here. Mustelus asterias was also confirmed to host Symcallio leuckarti (van Beneden, 1850) Bernot, Caira & Pickering, 2015, which is redescribed. In combination with newly collected material from Mustelus palumbes Smith, 1957 off South Africa and data available from GenBank, molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 28S rDNA data for four of the seven known species of Calliobothrium, including both new species and five of the 11 known species of Symcallio, were conducted. The resulting phylogeny supports the mutual monophyly of the two genera, which are readily distinguished based on whether they exhibit proglottid laciniations, and supports subclades of Symcallio with and without hook accessory pieces. These subclades of Symcallio appear to exhibit an intriguing congruence with two known subclades of their host genus, Mustelus.

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Thesium nautimontanum, a new species of Thesiaceae (Santalales) from South Africa

PhytoKeys ◽

10.3897/phytokeys.109.28607 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 109 ◽

pp. 41-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Miguel Angel García ◽

Daniel L. Nickrent ◽

Ladislav Mucina

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

South American ◽

Western Cape ◽

Western Cape Province ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequences ◽

Conservation Concern ◽

A New Species

ThesiumnautimontanumM.A. García, Nickrent & Mucina, a new species from the Matroosberg Mt. of Western Cape Province of South Africa, is described and illustrated. This species shows several morphological features unusual for the genus including stem sympodial branching, indeterminate spicate inflorescences subtended by numerous bracts and fleshy, non-trichome tissue lining the inside of the corolla lobes. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequences place this taxon as sister to all African, Madagascan and South AmericanThesiumspecies. Given that only two proximal populations are known, this species is of conservation concern.

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Asian Betylobraconinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with description of a new genus and phylogenetic affinities of the tribe Facitorini

Insect Systematics & Evolution ◽

10.1163/187631208788784110 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 133-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alberto Sáez ◽

Kaoru Maeto ◽

Alejandro Zaldivar-Riverón ◽

Sergey Belokobylskij

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Type Species ◽

New Genus ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

28S Rrna ◽

Asian Region ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Phylogenetic Affinities ◽

One New Species ◽

Rrna Sequences

AbstractThe taxonomy of the Asian genera of the subfamily Betylobraconinae, a small and understudied group within the hymenopteran family Braconidae, is revised. A new genus exclusively from the Asian region, Asiabregma gen. nov., containing three species (A. ryukyuensis sp. nov. (type species, Japan and Malaya), A. makiharai sp. nov. (Japan) and A. sulaensis (van Achterberg), comb. nov. (Indonesia)) is described. One new species of Aulosaphobracon, A. striatus sp. nov. from Vietnam, and one of Facitorus, F. amamioshimus sp. nov. from Japan, are also described. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses using COI mtDNA and 28S rRNA sequences, the three genera previously placed in the tribe Facitorini, Facitorus, Conobregma and Jannya, together with Asiabregma gen. nov., are transferred to the rogadine tribe Yeliconini.

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Stellarioides littoralis (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a distinct new species from eastern South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.177.5.2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 177 (5) ◽

pp. 261 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Neil R. Crouch ◽

Mario Martínez-Azorín ◽

Angela J. Beaumont ◽

David Styles

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

New Species ◽

South African ◽

Endemic Species ◽

New South ◽

Morphological Features

A new South African endemic species, Stellarioides littoralis is described and illustrated, with data provided on morphology, ecology and distribution. The species appears to be closely related to S. longibracteata and whilst it shares in common an epigeal habit of the bulb with the latter species, several reproductive and vegetative morphological features clearly distinguish it. The affinities and divergences with other close allies are also discussed.

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Description of Ditylenchus acantholimonis n. sp. (Rhabditida: Anguinidae) from Iran, a morphological and molecular phylogenetic study

Nematology ◽

10.1163/15685411-bja10115 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Samira Aliverdi ◽

Ebrahim Pourjam ◽

Majid Pedram

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Rhizosphere Soil ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Phylogenetic Study ◽

Pharyngeal Bulb ◽

Lateral Field ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic Study ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Golestan Province ◽

Tail Tip

Summary Ditylenchus acantholimonis n. sp. is described based on morphological, morphometric and molecular characters. It was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Acantholimon sp. in Golestan province, Iran, and is mainly characterised by having four lines in the lateral field, a pyriform to bottle-shaped offset pharyngeal bulb, post-vulval uterine sac 36.6-56.1% of the vulva to anus distance long, and a subcylindrical to conical tail with widely rounded tip. It is further characterised by short to medium-sized females, 480-617 μm long, with a fine stylet having small rounded knobs, V = 80.8-83.6, c = 11.0-13.8, c′ = 3.3-4.6, and males with 16.0-17.0 μm long spicules. The new species was morphologically compared with six species having four lines in their lateral field, rounded tail tip and comparable morphometric data namely: D. dipsacoideus, D. emus, D. exilis, D. paraparvus, D. sturhani, and D. solani. It was also compared with two species, D. ferepolitor and D. angustus, forming a maximally supported clade in the 18S tree. The phylogenetic analyses using the maximal number of Anguinidae and several Sphaerularioidea genera based upon partial 18S and 28S rDNA D2-D3 sequences revealed that Ditylenchus is polyphyletic. In the 18S tree, the new species formed a clade with D. ferepolitor (KJ636374) and D. angustus (AJ966483); in the 28S tree it formed a poorly supported clade with D. phyllobios (KT192618) and Ditylenchus sp. (MG865719).

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New Species of Tomentella (Thelephorales, Basidiomycota) from Temperate Continental Mountain Climate of China (Xinjiang Region)

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12111531 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1531

Author(s):

Xu Lu ◽

Haisheng Yuan

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Large Subunit ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Northwest China ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Mountain Climate ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Three New Species ◽

Xinjiang Autonomous Region

Species in the genus Tomentella are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical regions worldwide, but few studies associated with the taxonomy and phylogeny of this genus had been reported from Northwest China. In this paper, molecular phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear ribosomal ITS (internal transcribed spacer: ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and LSU (large subunit: 28S) sequences combined with morphological characteristics identified three new species from Xinjiang Autonomous Region in Northwest China, which were named T. aurantispora, T. kanasensis, and T. schrenkiana. Similar macromorphological and anatomical characteristics are shared by these new species: arachnoid basidiocarps; byssoid sterile margins; utriform basidia with a clamp connection at the base; the absence of rhizomorphs and cystidia; and slightly thick-walled, subglobose to globose basidiospores. Among these new species, the color of the hymenophoral surface, the size of the basidiospores, and some other features can be used for species delimitation. The new species and closely related species in the phylogenetic tree were discussed, and a key to the identified species of Tomentella from China was provided.

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Taxonomic revision of Russula subsection Amoeninae from South Korea

MycoKeys ◽

10.3897/mycokeys.75.53673 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 1-29

Author(s):

Komsit Wisitrassameewong ◽

Myung Soo Park ◽

Hyun Lee ◽

Aniket Ghosh ◽

Kanad Das ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

South Korea ◽

Central America ◽

North American ◽

Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Pileus Surface ◽

A New Species

Russula subsection Amoeninae is morphologically defined by a dry velvety pileus surface, a complete absence of cystidia with heteromorphous contents in all tissues, and spores without amyloid suprahilar spot. Thirty-four species within subsection Amoeninae have been published worldwide. Although most Russula species in South Korea have been assigned European or North American names, recent molecular studies have shown that Russula species from different continents are not conspecific. Therefore, the present study aims to: 1) define which species of Russula subsection Amoeninae occur on each continent using molecular phylogenetic analyses; 2) revise the taxonomy of Korean Amoeninae. The phylogenetic analyses using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and multilocus sequences showed that subsection Amoeninae is monophyletic within subgenus Heterophyllidiae section Heterophyllae. A total of 21 Russula subsection Amoeninae species were confirmed from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and Central America, and species from different continents formed separate clades. Three species were recognized from South Korea and were clearly separated from the European and North American species. These species are R. bella, also reported from Japan, a new species described herein, Russula orientipurpurea, and a new species undescribed due to insufficient material.

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