First description of the male and DNA barcode of Euphyia vallantinaria (Oberthür, 1890) from the Iberian Peninsula (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae)

The male of Euphyia vallantinaria (Oberthür, 1890) has been recorded for the first time from the Iberian Peninsula and its genital morphology has been described and illustrated. DNA barcode data are presented and compared with the other European Euphyia species.

A new genus of bamboo culm tarantula from Thailand (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae)

Bamboo plays an important role in the animal world, including providing a nutritious food source, shelter, and habitat. Inside of bamboo culm, we discovered a new genus of tarantula, which we describe here as Taksinusgen. nov. (♂♀). Specimens of this new tarantula were collected from Mae Tho, Mueang Tak district, Tak province, in Thailand, making it geographically distant from any other arboreal genera. Genital morphology was used to diagnose its genus, which is supported by distributional data, natural history, morphological characters, and photographic illustrations of the male and female. Diagnosis of the new genus was determined by distinguishing its different characters from those of other arboreal theraphosid spiders distributed throughout Southeast Asia. This tarantula’s specialization is that it lives in the stalks of the Asian bamboo Gigantochloa sp.

Description of Nola estonica sp. nov., with comparison to N. aerugula and N. atomosa stat. rev. (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae)

Nola estonica Õunap sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae) is described based on type material from Estonia. The lectotype is designated for Glaphyra atomosa Bremer, 1861, which is reinstated from a subspecies of Nola aerugula (Hübner, [1793]) to a full species: Nola atomosa (Bremer, 1861) stat. rev. The status of these three taxa as separate species is supported by the results of phylogenetic analysis of DNA barcodes, as well as external and genital morphology of adult specimens. Two new synonyms are established as follows: Nola atomosa (Bremer, 1861) = Nola candidalis Staudinger, 1892 syn. nov. and Nola shin Inoue, 1982 syn. nov. N. estonica occurs sympatrically with N. aerugula in Estonia, and with N. atomosa in South Korea and easternmost Russia. While the available data suggest a disjunct distribution of N. estonica (eastern Europe and the temperate Far East), it appears highly possible that the species has a wide transpalaearctic distribution.

The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche

The Phanaeus tridens species group is revised and found to consist of twelve species: P. tridens Castelnau, 1840, P. moroni Arnaud, 2001 stat. rev., P. balthasari Arnaud, 2001 stat. rev., P. daphnis Harold, 1863, P. coeruleus Bates, 1887 stat. rev., P. herbeus Bates, 1887 stat. rev., P. substriolatus Balthasar, 1939 stat. rev., P. furiosus Bates, 1887, P. pseudofurcosus Balthasar, 1939 stat. rev., P. nimrod Harold, 1863, P. victoriae Moctezuma sp. nov., and P. eximius Bates, 1887. The majority of the name-bearing types of the group were revised. The neotype for P. tridens is suggested herein. The following junior subjective synonymies are recognized: P. frankenbergeri Balthasar, 1939 = P. tridens Castelnau, 1840, P. tricornis Olsoufieff, 1924 = P. herbeus Bates, 1887, and P. babori Balthasar, 1939 = P. nimrod Harold, 1863; while P. furcosus Felsche, 1901 = P. furiosus Bates, 1887 is recognized as a junior objective synonymy. The species within the P. tridens species group are diagnosed by the morphology of the pronotum and elytra, while the genital morphology of males is found to be homogeneous and uninformative for species delimitation. Most species within the group show a wide diversity of colouration (showing green, red, and blue chromatic phases). This probably led to taxonomical confusion by previous authors. Here, we present a new identification key, species distribution models. Habitus photographs and character illustrations for all the species within the group are provided. The climatic niches overlap widely in P. herbeus and P. daphnis, but the other species within the group show a reduced overlap in their climatic niches. Consequently, the P. tridens species group is proposed as a case of morphological stasis that might be explained by a trade-off between the evolution of pronotal structures and genitalia, while differences in the ecological niche might promote speciation.

From the Atlantic Coast to Lake Tanganyika: Gill-Infecting Flatworms of Freshwater Pellonuline Clupeid Fishes in West and Central Africa, with Description of Eleven New Species and Key to Kapentagyrus (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae)

Unlike their marine counterparts, tropical freshwater clupeids receive little scientific attention. However, they sustain important fisheries that may be of (inter)national commercial interest. Africa harbours over 20 freshwater clupeid species within Pellonulini. Recent research suggests their most abundant parasites are gill-infecting monogenean flatworms within Kapentagyrus. After inspecting specimens of 12 freshwater clupeids from West and Central Africa, mainly sourced in biodiversity collections, we propose 11 new species of Kapentagyrus, which we describe using their haptoral and genital morphology. Because of their high morphological similarity, species delineation relies mostly on the morphometrics of anchors and hooks. Specifically, earlier, molecular taxonomic work indicated that the proportion between the length of the anchor roots, and between the hook and anchor length, is diagnostic. On average, about one species of Kapentagyrus exists per pellonuline species, although Pellonula leonensis harbours four species and Microthrissa congica two, while Microthrissa moeruensis and Potamothrissa acutirostris share a gill monogenean species. This study more than quadruples the number of known species of Kapentagyrus, also almost quadrupling the number of pellonuline species of which monogeneans are known. Since members of Kapentagyrus are informative about their hosts’ ecology, evolutionary history, and introduction routes, this enables a parasitological perspective on several data-poor African fisheries.

First report of an invasive pest, Phyllonorycter populifoliella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from Ladakh

<p><em>Phyllonorycter populifoliella</em> (Treitschke 1883), is an invasive pest and is first reported on poplar trees, from the eastern region of Ladakh, India. The details of the taxonomic identification based on genital morphology are presented. Besides, host range, feeding habits and level of infestation in different hamlets of Ladakh are also presented. This study is important for further understanding the pest biology, its diversity and management by adopting control strategies. It is also important to restrict its dispersal to other states of the Indian union and to devise pest management strategies for this pest.</p><p> </p>

From the Atlantic Coast to Lake Tanganyika: Gill-Infecting Flatworms of Freshwater Pellonuline Clupeid Fishes in West and Central Africa, With Description of Eleven New Species and Key to Kapentagyrus (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae)

Unlike their marine counterparts, tropical freshwater clupeids receive little scientific attention. However, they sustain important fisheries that may be of (inter)national commercial interest. Africa harbours over 20 freshwater clupeid species within Pellonulini. Recent research suggests their most abundant parasites are gill-infecting monogenean flatworms within Kapentagyrus. After inspecting specimens of 12 freshwater clupeids from West and Central Africa, mainly sourced in biodiversity collections, we propose 11 new species of Kapentagyrus which we describe using their haptoral and genital morphology. Because of their high morphological similarity, species delineation relies mostly on morphometrics of anchors and hooks. Specifically, earlier, molecular taxonomic work indicated that the proportion between the length of the anchor roots, and between hook and anchor length, are diagnostic. On average, about one species of Kapentagyrus exists per pellonuline species, although Pellonula leonensis harbours four species and Microthrissa congica two, while Microthrissa moeruensis and Potamothrissa acutirostris share a gill monogenean species. This study more than quadruples the number of known species of Kapentagyrus, also almost quadrupling the number of pellonuline species of which monogeneans are known. Since members of Kapentagyrus are informative about their hosts&rsquo; ecology, evolutionary history, and introduction routes, this enables a parasitological perspective on several data-poor African fisheries.