Hoya gaoligongensis (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a new species from Yunnan, SW China

We describe and illustrate Hoya gaoligongensis M.X. Zhao & Y.H. Tan (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae), a new species native to mid-elevation moist evergreen broadleaved forests of Longling, Yunnan, SW China. We further compare the primary diagnostic morphological characters of H. gaoligongensis to its close relatives, H. yuennanensis Hand.-Mazz. and H. globulosa Hook.f. Compared with these two species, H. gaoligongensis has narrower long-oblanceolate leaves, much smaller lateral vein branch angles, and inconspicuous lateral veins. Although the corolla is similar in all three species, the relative positions of outer and inner corona lobe processes serve as a key character distinguishing these species. A side view of the corona of H. gaoligongensis shows that the outer lobe process is only slightly higher than the inner process, while the corresponding parts of H. yuennanensis are much higher, and those of H. globulosa are at almost equal heights. In addition, the glabrescent leaves and stems of both H. gaoligongensis and H. yuennanensis separate these taxa from H. globulosa.

A new species of Protonemura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from China and new images of three other species of the genus

A new nemourid species, Protonemura longispina sp. nov. from Sichuan Province of southwestern China is described. The outer lobe of the paraprocts with numerous long spines and the basal portion divided into two lobes, distinguishes the new species from all congeners. New images of three other species, P. bidigitata Du & Wang, P. biintrans Li & Yang, and P. macrodactyla Du & Zhou are given. Additionally, a key to the adult males of Protonemura known from China is provided.

Four new species of Plumachaetas Salmon (Collembola: Entomobryoidea) from Oceania with comments on the genus and a key to species

Plumachaetas Salmon is a genus of Entomobryoidea with 11 valid species, all from Oceania. The genus is characterised by the presence of lanceolate scales, the subapical chaeta of the maxillary outer lobe thick and blunt, dental spines absent and a short mucro. In this paper we describe four new species of Plumachaetas from Oceania: P. belae sp. nov., P. loriensis sp. nov., P. mamuensis sp. nov. and P. wanangensis sp. nov. Plumachaetas belae sp. nov. and P. mamuensis sp. nov. are similar to each other, and to P. queenslandica (Schött) and P. yoshii Zhang & Deharveng, but are unique in the combination of dorsal and labial chaetotaxy. Plumachaetas loriensis sp. nov. resembles P. halmaherae (Yoshii & Suhardjono) and P. sunae Zhang & Deharveng but differs in labial, dorsal chaetotaxy and unguiculus shape. Plumachaetas wanangensis sp. nov. is similar to other taxa bearing a mucro with four teeth, but presents a unique combination of macrochaetae on thoracic and abdominal segments. All species are arboreal and were collected in Malaise traps set in humid rainforests. A map of the geographic distribution and ecological remarks on the genus are provided and a key to species with a table summarising the main morphological features of all described taxa in the genus.

Two Hexapleomera species from Japan, with a new species description and discussion of phylogenetic relationships within Hexapleomera (Crustacea: Tanaidacea)

We describe Hexapleomera sasuke sp. nov. and provide a supplemental redescription of Hexapleomera urashima Tanabe et al., both of which are based on specimens collected in Japan. Hexapleomera sasuke closely resembles H. urashima, sharing a uropod with four articles, maxillipedal endites with two tiny dorso-subdistal and two distal spiniform setae, a labium with the palp fused to the outer lobe, and the pereopod-1 propodus with an inner subdistal plumose seta. The new species differs from H. urashima in having the basal article of pleopod 3 with three outer plumose setae, the chelipedal carpus with three or four dorsodistal simple setae, the region between the bases of the chelipedal dactylus and fixed finger with three or four simple setae, and deeply pigmented pleopodal rami. We determined partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (655 nt) from H. sasuke, which proved to be 15.0–15.3% divergent from H. urashima in Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) distance; also in partial sequences of 18S rRNA gene (1888 nt after alignment), 0.8% divergent (K2P distance) was detected between two species. Based on morphology and molecular data, we discuss phylogenetic relationships within Hexapleomera, and propose two morphologically distinct groups, the robusta group and the wombat group.

A new data of freshwater amphipod of genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 from Lorestan Province in Iran

Niphargus lorestanensis sp.nov., a new species from west of Iran, is described and illustrated based on the analysis of morphological characters. Previous studies supported new species status using the phylogenetic analyses based on CO1, 28srDNA and H3 data in Esmaeili-Rineh et al., 2015. This species can be distinguished from other Iranian species by the equal length of palpus to outer lobe in maxilla I, the presence of multiple supporting robust setae in palmar corner of gnathopods I–II, not reaching dactyli to posterior margin of propodi in gnathopods I to II and trapezoid shape of propodi in gnathopods I–II. The Iranian fauna of Niphargus is currently represented by 18 described species.

Hexapleomera urashima sp. nov. (Crustacea: Tanaidacea), a tanaidid epibiotic on loggerhead sea turtles at Yakushima Island, Japan

We describe Hexapleomera urashima sp. nov. from the carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) on Yakushi-ma Island, southwestern Japan, the primary nesting site for the North Pacific population of this turtle. Hexapleomera urashima closely resembles H. edgari Bamber collected from Australian loggerheads (South Pacific population), sharing a uropod with four articles and maxillipedal endites with distal spiniform setae, but differs in having the maxillipedal coxa with two simple setae, the maxillipedal endite with two tiny dorsosubdistal and two distal spiniform setae, the labial palp fused to the outer lobe of the labium, and the basal article of pleopod 3 without inner setae. Several characters (e.g., size or presence/absence of a dorsal triangular process on the male fixed finger; number of inner setae on the pleopodal endopod), assumed to be diagnostic for species in Hexapleomera, actually vary within H. urashima, indicating that reassessment of species diagnoses is warranted. Hexapleomera urashima showed two COI haplotypes differing by one substitution, but separated from representatives of four other genera by 32.2–48.4% K2P distance. Indices of saturation substitution indicated that COI is not useful for phylogeny reconstruction within Tanaididae.

A new genus and species of Ingolfiellidae (Crustacea, Ingolfiellida) from the hyporheic zone in the Sierra de la Ventana, and its biogeographic relevance

With the purpose of collecting macroinvertebrates for benthic studies of hill streams of the Argentinean Pampean ecoregion, a sampling program was performed in different seasons during 2015. The ingolfiellid crustaceans described in this paper were found only in May 2015 in a sector of the rithron of the Ventana Stream located below the point of the upwelling of hyporheic water, 50 m upstream where the stream is covered by larger conglomerates. The specimens (5 females and 4 males) were measured and photographed, and some were dissected and mounted in Euparal. Appendages of head, pereion and pleon were illustrated. The analysis of the examined material allowed us to conclude that it constitutes a new taxon, Yacana ventania n. gen. n. sp., enlarging the distribution of the family Ingolfiellidae in South America. Characteristics: body long and thin; without eyes; short antennae; inner seta of the outer lobe of maxilla1 is bi-dentate, vestigial molar process and serrations on one side, three spine row elements decreasing in size and the last one toothed; labium present; gnathopod 1 and 2 with a notch on the inner side of the carpus, the carpus of gnathopod 1 has three spines, the proximal one is on the top of a finger-shaped process, while the carpus of gnathopod 2 presents just two spines, propodus in both gnathopods with finger-shaped process at its distal end, a tiny spine and a seta; pereiopods dissimilar, with seta and terminal claw; pereiopod 7 differs from the others in size, number and arrangement of its setae. Uropod 2 longer than uropod 1, uropod 3 small and uniramous; sexual dimorphism clearly present in pleopods and uropod 2 because the females present more rows of setae than males, and probably in the setation of pereiopod 7. Sizes of specimens varied between 3–8.8 mm. The cladistic analysis (TNT) demonstrates that Yacana ventania n. gen. n. sp. is closely related to South African genera because of the vestigial mandibular palp, also the new taxon here described shared the sexual dimorphism with Stygobarnardia and Trogloleleupia, its discovery gaining relevance on biogeographical aspects and providing new evidence to the theory of continental drift. Type specimens are deposited in the Carcinology Collection of the División Zoología Invertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Argentina.

Three new species of Coecobrya (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from caves in the Thai Peninsula

Three new species of the genus Coecobrya are described from caves in the Thai Peninsula for the first time: C. cavicta sp. nov. and C. polychaeta sp. nov. from Satun Province, and C. chumphonensis sp. nov. from Chumphon Province. These species differ in antennal length, clypeal chaetae, labial palp, sublobal chaetae of maxillary outer lobe, labial and postlabial chaetae, claw, ventral tube, manubrial plaque, and dorsal cephalic and tergal chaetotaxy. They are similar to C. annulata Zhang, Bedos & Deharveng, 2016 but differ from the latter in the combination of antennal length, claw and dorsal chaetotaxy. DNA barcoding COI sequences are provided for two species and three populations and key to the Thai species is also given. One population, which exhibits a great genetic distance (0.219–0.239) and minor but stable morphological differences from C. polychaeta sp. nov., cannot be accepted as a full species as the evidence is insufficient.

A new species of Nemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Jiangsu Province, China, with new illustrations for Nemoura nankinensis Wu

A new species of Nemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae), N. fusiformis sp. nov. from Jiangsu Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by a strongly sclerotized large hook formed by outer margin of the outer lobe of the paraproct and by the outer sclerite of cercus with a sub-triangular medial process. The new species is compared with similar taxa. Additionally, supplementary illustrations for N. nankinensis Wu, 1926 are also provided.

A new species of Lucasioides Kwon (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Agnaridae) from China

Lucasioides nudus sp. n. is described from Jiangxi Province, China. The new species can be diagnosed by the cephalon having a well-developed median lobe, the pereonite 1 with acutely postero-lateral corners and sinuous posterior margin of epimeron, the male pleopod 1 endopod without setules, and the bilobed exopod with the outer lobe much shorter and broader than the acute triangular inner lobe.