A novel approach of using shed skins of the green tree python, Morelia viridis, for forensic purposes

Green tree python (Morelia viridis, Schlegel 1872) is a highly sought-after Indonesian/Papuan NG/Australian species in terms of the international trade in reptile pets. As the trade in wild animals is mostly prohibited nowadays, captive breeding supplies the international pet trade. There is evidence that captive breeding might be used as a cover for specimen’s illegally sourced from the wild, as there are very few possibilities of distinguishing wild from captive-bred animals. These rely on invasive sampling (cutting off the end of the tail in order to obtain a sample of blood/muscle/bone tissues) or presence of ecto- and/or endoparasites (method overcome by breeders housing animals in semi wild conditions). Therefore, we examined the possibility of using stable isotope analysis for determining: either the place of origin or diet as a means of defining whether they are captive bred or illegally sourced from the wild. We also review the use of non-invasive samples of shed (moulted) skins. We conclude that shed skins that are currently not used for identifying the source of green tree python could be used as forensic evidence, subject to the development of a viable method.

Julmarichardiidae, a new apseudoidean family (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Apseudomorpha) with the description of a new species of Julmarichardia Guţu, 1995 from the Northwest Australian Shelf

A new tanaidacean family Julmarichardiidae is designated to receive the Indo-Pacific genus Julmarichardia Guţu. The new family is characterized by having a prominent rostrum, a strongly developed coxal process of pereopod-1 with plumose setae and sometimes spines, and the presence of mucus glands and packets throughout its body. The latter appear to be involved in the construction of a mucus domicile. Based on distinctive antennal and pereopodal characters, the South China Sea species, J. bajau Bamber & Sheader, is placed in a new monotypic genus. A second Australian species is described from specimens collected on the northwestern continental shelf from depths of 37 to 83 m. The new species can be distinguished from its sympatric congener J. gutui Ritger & Heard by a variety of characters, including the lack of setulose setae on the rostral margin and the posterior margin of pereopod-1 having three or fewer setulate setae. It differs from J. alinati Guţu, by the shape and/or spination of the rostrum, antennule, and antenna. Julmarichardia dollfusi (Guţu) is removed from Julmarichardia and designated as Metapseudidae incertae sedis. A key to the six species comprising the genus Julmarichardia is presented.

The taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the New Zealand Thomisidae (Arachnida: Araneae)

<p>The New Zealand Thomisidae (crab spiders) are represented in New Zealand by two subfamilies (Stephanopinae and Thomisinae) and were used as a model group to test two competing theories on the origins of the New Zealand spider fauna. The New Zealand thomisids are also given their first full taxonomic revision. The two origin models essentially represent species radiations following recent dispersal or ancient vicariance events. Modern distribution data suggested that the stephanopines are poor dispersers and may provide evidence demonstrating a long period of separation from Australia; while in contrast, thomisines are known to be excellent dispersers. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of cytochrome c suboxidase subunit I (COI), 28S ribosomal RNA (28S), histone H3 (H3), NADH dehyrogenase 1 (ND1) data and a combined genetic dataset was undertaken. Results indicate New Zealand stephanopines and thomisines form distinct endemic groups separate from sampled Australian species and appear to have separated from them around 5-6 million years ago. Additionally, genetic data from this study showed i) colour variations are not indicative of cryptic species; ii) previously described species are genetically distinct; iii) several suspected new species are also genetically distinct; iv) the relatively recent establishment of two Australian stephanopines and the occurrence of similar COI haplotypes in disjunct locations suggest that the dispersal ability of stephanopines is greater than previously thought and that radiation following colonization from Australia is a plausible explanation for the current diversity of the New Zealand thomisid biota. The taxonomic revision raises the number of described species from eight to eleven based on a combination of morphological and genetic data. In the stephanopines, Bryantymella Gen. nov. is erected to contain the type species Bryantymella angularis (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov. as well as B. angulata (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov., B. thorini sp. nov. and B. brevirostris sp. nov. Two Australian species, Sidymella longipes (Koch, 1874) and S. trapezia (Koch, 1874), are also recorded for New Zealand. Sidymella benhami (Hogg, 1910) is considered to be a junior synonym of Bryantymella angulata (Urquhart, 1885). In the thomisines, all species are now included in the previously monotypic genus Cymbachina Bryant, 1933. The genus now encompasses the type species C. albobrunnea (Urquhart, 1893), C. ambara (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov., C. albolimbata (L. Koch, 1893) comb. nov., C. sphaeroides (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov. and D. urquharti sp. nov. Synema suteri Dahl, 1907 is regarded as a junior synonym of C. ambara (L. Koch 1893). All previously described species are redescribed to a modern standard and sexes for some species are described for the first time. Three new species are described. Photographs of adults and diagnostic genitalic characters are included, as are diagnostic keys and updated synonymic, geographic and biological information. Overall, this study indicates that New Zealand thomisids appear to have split from their Australian relatives some 5-6 million years ago and taken in concert with the recent establishment of two Australian stephanopine species, it appears that dispersal to New Zealand by Australian colonists and subsequent radiation into endemic New Zealand forms is a plausible explanation for the current state of the fauna. Genetic and morphological data are mutually supporting and in concert have helped inform the first taxonomic revision ever undertaken for this family in New Zealand.</p>

A reference genome for the critically endangered woylie, Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi

Biodiversity is declining globally, and Australia has one of the worst extinction records for mammals. The development of sequencing technologies means that genomic approaches are now available as important tools for wildlife conservation and management. Despite this, genome sequences are available for only 5% of threatened Australian species. Here we report the first reference genome for the woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi), a critically endangered marsupial from Western Australia, and the first genome within the Potoroidae family. The woylie reference genome was generated using Pacific Biosciences HiFi long-reads, resulting in a 3.39 Gbp assembly with a scaffold N50 of 6.49 Mbp and 86.5% complete mammalian BUSCOs. Assembly of a global transcriptome from pouch skin, tongue, heart and blood RNA-seq reads was used to guide annotation with Fgenesh++, resulting in the annotation of 24,655 genes. The woylie reference genome is a valuable resource for conservation, management and investigations into disease-induced decline of this critically endangered marsupial.

The taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the New Zealand Thomisidae (Arachnida: Araneae)

<p>The New Zealand Thomisidae (crab spiders) are represented in New Zealand by two subfamilies (Stephanopinae and Thomisinae) and were used as a model group to test two competing theories on the origins of the New Zealand spider fauna. The New Zealand thomisids are also given their first full taxonomic revision. The two origin models essentially represent species radiations following recent dispersal or ancient vicariance events. Modern distribution data suggested that the stephanopines are poor dispersers and may provide evidence demonstrating a long period of separation from Australia; while in contrast, thomisines are known to be excellent dispersers. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of cytochrome c suboxidase subunit I (COI), 28S ribosomal RNA (28S), histone H3 (H3), NADH dehyrogenase 1 (ND1) data and a combined genetic dataset was undertaken. Results indicate New Zealand stephanopines and thomisines form distinct endemic groups separate from sampled Australian species and appear to have separated from them around 5-6 million years ago. Additionally, genetic data from this study showed i) colour variations are not indicative of cryptic species; ii) previously described species are genetically distinct; iii) several suspected new species are also genetically distinct; iv) the relatively recent establishment of two Australian stephanopines and the occurrence of similar COI haplotypes in disjunct locations suggest that the dispersal ability of stephanopines is greater than previously thought and that radiation following colonization from Australia is a plausible explanation for the current diversity of the New Zealand thomisid biota. The taxonomic revision raises the number of described species from eight to eleven based on a combination of morphological and genetic data. In the stephanopines, Bryantymella Gen. nov. is erected to contain the type species Bryantymella angularis (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov. as well as B. angulata (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov., B. thorini sp. nov. and B. brevirostris sp. nov. Two Australian species, Sidymella longipes (Koch, 1874) and S. trapezia (Koch, 1874), are also recorded for New Zealand. Sidymella benhami (Hogg, 1910) is considered to be a junior synonym of Bryantymella angulata (Urquhart, 1885). In the thomisines, all species are now included in the previously monotypic genus Cymbachina Bryant, 1933. The genus now encompasses the type species C. albobrunnea (Urquhart, 1893), C. ambara (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov., C. albolimbata (L. Koch, 1893) comb. nov., C. sphaeroides (Urquhart, 1885) comb. nov. and D. urquharti sp. nov. Synema suteri Dahl, 1907 is regarded as a junior synonym of C. ambara (L. Koch 1893). All previously described species are redescribed to a modern standard and sexes for some species are described for the first time. Three new species are described. Photographs of adults and diagnostic genitalic characters are included, as are diagnostic keys and updated synonymic, geographic and biological information. Overall, this study indicates that New Zealand thomisids appear to have split from their Australian relatives some 5-6 million years ago and taken in concert with the recent establishment of two Australian stephanopine species, it appears that dispersal to New Zealand by Australian colonists and subsequent radiation into endemic New Zealand forms is a plausible explanation for the current state of the fauna. Genetic and morphological data are mutually supporting and in concert have helped inform the first taxonomic revision ever undertaken for this family in New Zealand.</p>

Studies in Canarium urceus (Linné, 1758) Part 4: Canarium (Canarium) orrae (Abbott, 1960) (Gastropoda: Neostromboidae: Strombidae) and a new species from the Northern Territory, Australia

This part of the Canarium (Canarium) urceus (Linné, 1758) after Abbott (1960) revision examines the Australian species of that complex. Currently, there is one recognised species, Canarium (Canarium) orrae (Abbott, 1960), which is divided herein into two species, with the description of Canarium (Canarium) darwinense n. sp. from the Van Diemen Gulf and Darwin surrounds. The C. (C.) darwinense is distinguished from C. (C.) orrae in morphological form. The southern range of C. (C.) orrae is extended to Monkey Mia, Shark Bay. Examples of C. (C.) orrae were also noted from the North Coast of Sumbawa, Indonesia, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. While there is a geographic break in the distribution of C. (C.) orrae creating two populations, Western Australian and Gulf of Carpentaria, populations from these two ranges could not be distinguished using morphology. Future research will likely show genetic differences as a consequence of drift caused by isolation, thus leading to the potential recognition of two cryptic subspecies.

Integrative taxonomy reveals remarkable diversity in Australian Protomiltogramma (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

Protomiltogramma Townsend is the largest and most diverse genus of miltogrammine flesh flies in Australia. However, no comprehensive taxonomic work had been completed on the Australian members of this genus in almost a century. This study presents the first taxonomic revision of all Australian species of Protomiltogramma (Sarcophagidae: Miltogramminae), completed using an integrative approach combining molecular and morphological data. Eight new species endemic to Australia are described: P. dalbiensis sp. n., P. grandis sp. n., P. incana sp. n., P. kapnos sp. n., P. nigrisensa sp. n., P. popularis sp. n., P. rubra sp. n. and P. subtilis sp. n. In addition, P. australis Malloch, 1930 is synonymised with P. cincta Townsend, 1916, syn. n. and P. mallochi Verves, 1987 is synonymised with P. laticeps Malloch, 1930, syn. n. Molecular phylogenetics is used to place the Australian Protomiltogramma among the miltogrammine genera of the world.

Revision of Australian Parathyginus with description of two new species, along with first detailed description of aedeagus in the family Heterogastridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea)

The Australian species of the small heterogastrid genus Parathyginus Scudder, 1957 have been reviewed, resulting in the establishment of the junior subjective synonymy of P. doddi (Distant, 1918) with P. signifer (Walker, 1872), and the description of two new species, P. australis sp. nov. and P. acuminatus sp. nov. A redescription of the genus is provided with emphasis on male and female genitalia characters, along with a key to all included Australian species. Male genitalia, particularly the details of the aedeagus, have been rarely studied in this genus or for that matter the family Heterogastridae particularly due to the difficulty in inflating the inflatable sections. In this study, therefore, an attempt was made to fully inflate and describe the aedeagus of all the species included in this contribution, as well as of Heterogaster urticae (Fabricius, 1775), the type species of the oldest genus Heterogaster Schilling, 1829, of the family Heterogastridae.