Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia)

Ten new species of water mites are described from Ghana, i.e. Limnesia (Limnesia) stagnalis n. sp. (Limnesiidae), Hygrobatopsis (?) convexipalpis n. sp., Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosa n. sp., Hygrobates (Hygrobates) dentipalpis n. sp., Hygrobates (Hygrobates) pseudoniloticus n. sp. (Hygrobatidae), Neumania (Soarella) fusiformis n. sp., Neumania (Soarella) ghanaensis n. sp., Unionicola heversi n. sp. (Unionicolidae), Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) chutteri ankasa n. sp. and Arrenurus (Micruracarus) circulodorsalis n. sp. (Arrenuridae). Three subspecies are raised to full species, i.e. Mamersa expansa Cook, 1979 nov. stat. (Hydryphantidae), H. coriaceus (Lundblad, 1952) nov. stat. (Hygrobatidae) and Nyangalla (Ecpolopella) acuticaudata K. Viets, 1916 nov. stat. (Unionicolidae). Ecpolus dorsofenestratus Lundblad, 1949 is synonymized with Neumania (Alloneumania) marginata (K. Viets, 1916). The adults of Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsella) inflatus (K. Viets, 1925), a species know thus far as deutonymph only, the females of Tubophora limnesioides Walter, 1935, Hygrobates niloticus Walter, 1922, Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) geniculatus Koenike 1898 and Momonides ghanaensis Smit, 2012, and the male of Piona damasiella Cook, 1966 are described for the first time. Many new records are presented for Ghana and the Gambia.

On the Taxonomy of Atretium yunnanensis Anderson, 1879 (Squamata: Natricidae), with Redescriptions and Natural History Data of the Poorly Known Species

Atretium yunnanensis was originally recognized as a variant of Atretium schistosum. It was subsequently elevated to full species status and has long been assigned to the natricine genus Atretium. However, the taxonomic status of A. yunnanensis still remained unevaluated by a polyphasic taxonomic approach. In the present study, the generic assignment of A. yunnanensis was re-evaluated based on both morphological and genetic evidences from newly collected specimens (including topotypes). The genus Atretium was recovered as polyphyletic with reference to A. yunnanensis, whereas A. yunnanensis was nested within the genus Fowlea Theobald, 1868. Moreover, Atretium yunnanensis is morphologically closer to the members of Fowlea rather than the genus Atretium. Since the continuous recognition of A. yunnanensis in the genus Atretium will preclude the monophyly of genus Atretium, we transfer A. yunnanensis to the genus Fowlea. In addition, we provided detailed descriptions of Fowlea yunnanensis, including hemipenial description, colored photos, distribution map, and natural history.

A review of the status of some Ptinomorphus species (Coleoptera: Ptinidae, Eucradinae) described by M. Pic, with the description of a new species

The Western Palaearctic species of Ptinomorphus Mulsant & Rey, 1868 (Coleoptera: Ptinidae, Eucradinae) described by M. Pic and synonymized under P.imperialis (Linnaeus, 1767) and P. magnificus (Reitter, 1880) are reviewed. A new species P. janae sp. nov. is described. P. tauricolus (Pic, 1906) and P. caucasicus (Pic, 1901) are removed from synonymy with P. magnificus; the status of P. perpulchrus (Obenberger, 1917) is clarified and P. angustior (Pic, 1896) is reinstated as a full species. P. angustior var. maculatus (Pic, 1922), which is currently treated as a synonym of P. imperialis is synonymised with P. magnificus. A key is provided to the Western Palaearctic species of Ptinomorphus.

Review of Indian Dasyproctus Lepeletier & Brullé 1835 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with description of four new species

The Indian species of the genus Dasyproctus Lepeletier & Brullé (Crabroninae: Crabronini: Crabronina) are reviewed resulting in the descriptions of four new species viz., D. attenboroughi, D. leclercqi, D. niger, and D. tsunekii. Keys to both sexes of Indian Dasyproctus are provided. Comparisons within D. buddha (Cameron) and D. agilis species groups allowed the withdrawing of Crabro (=Dasyproctus) idrieus Cameron from synonymy and raising D. agilis orientalis (Cameron) to full species status. Dasyproctus amplicarinalis Yue & Ma, 2021 is synonymized with D. idrieus (Cameron, 1901) and D. hainanensis Yue & Li, 2021 with D. geethae Binoy & Girish Kumar, 2021.

Genetic, but Not Behavioral, Evidence Supports the Distinctiveness of the Mealy Amazon Parrot in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The presence of unidentified cryptic species within a species complex can obscure demographic trends of vulnerable species, impacting potential species conservation and management decisions. Previous work identified a taxonomic split between Central and South American populations of the mealy amazon (Amazona farinosa) that subsequently resulted in the elevation of these two populations to full species status (Amazona guatemalae and A. farinosa, respectively). In that study, however, a third, geographically disjunct population from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest was insufficiently sampled, limiting the ability of researchers to fully evaluate its genetic distinctiveness. Given that significant levels of biodiversity and endemism are found in this region, we aimed to use genetic and behavioral data to determine if the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa represents a third cryptic species within the complex. We sequenced 6 genes (4 mitochondrial and 2 nuclear introns) from the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa to measure the genetic relationships between this population and all other recognized species and subspecies of the mealy amazon. In addition, we use spectrographic cross-correlation and an analysis of 29 acoustic parameters to determine whether the taxa diverge in their learned contact call structure and if the degree of vocal differentiation correlates to genetic structure. We found that the Atlantic Forest population of A. f. farinosa was genetically distinct from that of the greater Amazon basin, but the degree of differentiation was less than that separating the Central and South American taxa. Acoustic analysis revealed substantial variation in contact call structure within each clade. This variation created substantial overlap in acoustic space between the clades. In all, the degree of call divergence between clades did not correspond to the degree of genetic divergence between the same clades. The results suggest that in taxa with substantial geographic variation in learned calls, such as the mealy amazon, vocalizations may not be a useful tool in the identification of cryptic species that are lifelong vocal learners. While these results do not support the elevation of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest population of the mealy amazon to full species status, given current trends of habitat loss in the Atlantic Forest as well as the imperiled status of large parrot species globally, we argue that this population nonetheless warrants special conservation and management consideration as a pool of unique genetic diversity within the southern mealy amazon species.

On the validity and taxonomic status of Crypturellus obsoletus griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895) and C. o. hypochraceus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1938) (Aves, Tinamidae)

The nine currently recognized subspecies in the Brown Tinamou (Crypturellus obsoletus) complex are disjunctly widespread in South America, and at least three of them occur in Brazil. Morphological diagnosis of most of these taxa is imprecise, in contrast with consistent vocal differences described in the literature. We conducted a taxonomic review of two Amazonian taxa, C. o. griseiventris and C. o. hypochraceus, using morphological, morphometric, and vocal characters. Our results indicate that C. o. hypochraceus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1938) is a junior synonym of C. o. griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895), and that Crypturellus griseiventris (Salvadori, 1895) must be treated as a full species, based on unique and fully diagnosable plumage and vocal patterns.

A revision of the dark-bellied, stream-dwelling snakes of the genus Hebius (Reptilia: Squamata: Natricidae) with the description of a new species from China, Vietnam and Thailand

Species of the genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 with 17 or 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody and an overall dark venter are reviewed, including the two species previously known as Parahelicops annamensis Bourret, 1934 and Pararhabdophis chapaensis Bourret, 1934. Specimens with 17 scale rows are morphologically similar to Hebius venningi (Wall, 1910), which is here redefined based on external morphological characters such as scalation, and dorsal and ventral patterns. Consequently, Natrix nigriventer Wall, 1925 is resurrected from its synonymy with Hebius venningi, whereas Natrix taronensis Smith, 1940, previously considered a subspecies of H. venningi or a full species by some authors but without justification, is here confirmed to full species status. Another group of species, mostly similar in coloration and pattern to the H. venningi group but with 19 dorsal scale rows, includes H. modestus (Günther, 1875), H. deschauenseei (Taylor, 1934) and a new species which is described herein based on specimens from northern Vietnam, southern China and north-eastern Thailand due to distinct morphological differences. We also provide updated taxonomic accounts for the species of this group, including an identification key and distribution maps.

Few and far apart: integrative taxonomy of Australian species of Gladiobela and Pagodibela (Conoidea : Raphitomidae) reveals patterns of wide distributions and low abundance

The deep-sea malacofauna of temperate Australia remains comparatively poorly known. However, a recent influx of DNA-suitable material obtained from a series of deep-sea cruises has facilitated integrative taxonomic study on the Conoidea (Caenogastropoda:Neogastropoda). Building on a recent molecular phylogeny of the conoidean family Raphitomidae, this study focussed on the genera Gladiobela and Pagodibela (both Criscione, Hallan, Puillandre & Fedosov, 2020). We subjected a representative mtDNA cox1 dataset of deep-sea raphitomids to ABGD, which recognised 14 primary species hypotheses (PSHs), 9 of which were converted to secondary species hypotheses (SSHs). Following the additional examination of the shell and hypodermic radula features, as well as consideration of bathymetric and geographic data, seven of these SSHs were recognised as new to science and given full species rank. Subsequently, systematic descriptions are provided herein. Of these, five are attributed to Gladiobela (three of which are endemic to Australia and two more widely distributed) and two are placed in Pagodibela (one endemic to southern Australia and one widespread in the Pacific). The rarity of many ‘turrids’ reported in previous studies is confirmed herein, as particularly indicated by highly disjunct geographic records for two taxa. Additionally, several of the studied taxa exhibit wide Indo-Pacific distributions, suggesting that wide geographic ranges in deep-sea ‘turrids’ may be more common than previously assumed. Finally, impediments to deep-sea ‘turrid’ taxonomy in light of such comparative rarity and unexpectedly wide distributions are discussed.

Taxonomic assessment of two pygopodoid gecko subspecies from Western Australia

Subspecies designations for herpetofauna in Western Australia were largely coined in the 20th century where rigorous evolutionary concepts to species were not consistently applied. Rather, subspecies tended to designate geographic populations of similar-looking taxa to nominate forms, usually differing in size, pattern or colour and, at best, a few scalation differences. Here we re-evaluate two pygopodoid taxa from Western Australia using a combination of published and original genetic data coupled with a reassessment of morphology. We review these differences in light of an integrative taxonomic approach that looks to find multiple independent lines of evidence to establish the evolutionary independence of populations. For the pygopod species Pletholax gracilis, we found consistent diagnostic characters (e.g. body size, visibility of ear opening, scalation) and a deep genetic divergence between the two subspecies. We therefore raise each subspecies to full species: P. gracilis and P. edelensis. The two subspecies of the carphodactylid gecko Nephrurus wheeleri were also assessed, and we found strong genetic and morphological evidence (e.g. body size, scalation, pattern) to raise these to full species: N. wheeleri and N. cinctus. By revisiting Storr’s morphological insights and newly acquired genetic evidence, in addition to a thorough re-examination of morphological traits, our study provides a robust foundation to raise Storr’s morphological subspecies into full species based upon multiple lines of evidence. Such an approach applied to other subspecies in the Australian herpetofauna also may result in revised taxonomies.

Where the interesting species grow – remarkable records of lichens and lichenicolous fungi found during a Nordic Lichen Society meeting in Estonia

In August 2019, the Nordic Lichen Society held its bi-annual meeting and excursion in south-western Estonia. The most remarkable findings of lichenized and lichenicolous fungi are recorded herewith, including nine new species (of them two lichenicolous), and one new intraspecific taxon for the country. Full species lists are provided for two notable locations, sandstone outcrop at the river Pärnu and an oak woodland in the Naissoo Nature Reserve, for which no previous data were available, to illustrate the importance of collective survey effort. 2019. a augustis toimus Eestis korraline, iga kahe aasta järel korraldatav Põhjamaade Lihhenoloogide Ühingu kokkutulek ja ekskursioon. Artiklis anname ülevaate huvitavatest lihheniseerunud ja lihhenikoolsete liikide leidudest, sealhulgas üheksa (neist kahe lihhenikoolse) liigi esmaleiust Eestis ja ühe liigisisese taksoni esmaleiust. Lisaks esitatakse lihheniseerunud, lihhenikoolsete ja neile lähedaste seente täisnimekirjad, mis koostati kahe elupaiga – Tori Põrgu Maastikukaitseala liivakivipaljandi ning Naissoo Looduskaitseala koosseisu jääva Naissoo tammiku – kohta.