Halyomorpha halys fixed as the type species of the genus Halyomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

The genus Halyomorpha Mayr, 1864 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Cappaeini) was established based on a single species, Halys timorensis Westwood, 1837 (currently a junior subjective synonym of Halyomorpha picus (Fabricius, 1794)). The examination of the voucher specimens identifi ed as Halyomorpha timorensis by Mayr, a syntype of Halys timorensis, and syntypes of Pentatoma halys Stål, 1855 revealed that: i) Halyomorpha timorensis (Westwood), stat. restit., must be reinstated as a valid species, and not considered as a junior subjective synonym of H. picus; ii) Mayr’s specimens belong to two different species, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) and H. picus. The problem of double misidentification of the type species of Halyomorpha is resolved by action of the first revising author(s) according to the Article 70.3 of the ICZN (1999): we fi x here Pentatoma halys Stål, 1855 (= Halys timorensis sensu Mayr, nec Westwood) as the type species of Halyomorpha Mayr, 1864. A list of 36 valid species currently placed in Halyomorpha and their synonyms is compiled. We also issue a warning concerning the use of the citizen science approach for monitoring H. halys in Southeast Asia (which may also apply to other taxa): It is necessary to keep in mind that H. halys belongs to a group of habitually similar species (distributed from Pakistan and southern China to Indonesia and the Philippines) which cannot be identified with certainty without examination of their male genitalia; records merely based on observations or habitus photographs cannot be accepted as reliable.

Additional comments on the types and nomina of several North American ratsnakes (Pantherophis obsoletus complex, Colubridae, Serpentes)

Here, we provide updates to our recent paper reviewing the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Eastern ratsnakes (Pantherophis obsoletus complex, Colubridae, Serpentes). Specifically, we clarify that Coluber alleghaniensis Holbrook, 1836 is a subjective, rather than objective, senior synonym of Elaphis holbrookii Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854. Contrary to our statement that USNM 1733–4 were syntypes of Scotophis lindheimerii Baird & Girard, 1853, the former is the holotype and the latter is the paratype. The holotype is lost and the paratype is in poor condition, but no neotype designation is warranted at present. We note that USNM 248870, which we designated as the lectotype of Coluber obsoletus lemniscatus Cope, 1888, was originally cataloged as USNM 4710. This catalog number was shared with the type of the salamander Amblystoma tenebrosum Baird & Girard, 1852, and the snake was re-cataloged as USNM 248870 in 1985. Finally, we originally treated C. reticulatus La Cépède, 1789 and C. reticularis Daudin, 1803 as senior subjective synonyms of C. corais Boie, 1827, but here corroborate recent authors in designating it a senior subjective synonym of C. obsoletus Say in James, 1823. As the Commission suppressed C. reticulatus La Cépède, 1789 (an exoplonym), this subsequently rendered C. reticularis Daudin, 1803 (an exoploneonym) unavailable as well.

A review of the fossil taxa originally assigned to Pyrrhocoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

The four described fossil taxa originally assigned to Pyrrhocoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) are reviewed. Mesopyrrhocoris fasciatus Hong & Wang, 1990 (correction of gender agreement) from the Lower Cretaceous of Laiyang Basin, Shandong, China, was reclassified as Cimicomorpha incertae sedis by Shcherbakov (2008), an opinion confirmed here. The status of ‘Dysdercus’ cinctus Scudder, 1890 and ‘Dysdercus’ unicolor Scudder, 1890 from the Eocene of Florissant, Colorado, USA, and their placement in Pyrrhocoridae, are doubtful. ‘Pyrrhocoris’ rottensis nom nov. (= Pyrrhocoris tibialis Statz & Wagner, 1950) from the Upper Oligocene of Rott, Germany, is reclassified here as Lygaeoidea incertae sedis due to the presence of ocelli in the fossil. As a result, currently there is no fossil taxon which can be placed in Pyrrhocoroidea with certainty. The extant Pyrrhocoris tibialis Stål, 1874 is confirmed as junior subjective synonym of P. sibiricus Kuschakewitsch, 1866.

Additional mislabeling in African Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): the case of Onthophagus viviensis and Onthophagus laevatus

The study of the type material of Onthophagus viviensis d’Orbigny, 1905 and Onthophagus laevatus d’Orbigny, 1902 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) revealed that these two species described from Africa are instead two South American Onthophagus Latreille, 1802. The male of O. viviensis is described for the first time and its systematic position within the O. curvicornis species complex of American Onthophagus is discussed. In addition, Onthophagus laevatus new synonym is established as junior subjective synonym of Onthophagus curvicornis Latreille, 1812. Photographs of the type material examined, pictures of the body and male genitalia of O. viviensis and O. curvicornis, and an updated map of the geographic distribution of these two South American species is provided. A neotype is designated for O. curvicornis and lectotypes are designated for O. laevatus, O. minax Kirsch, 1866 and O. viviensis.

The millipede tribe Brachyiulini in the Caucasus (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

The diplopod tribe Brachyiulini is represented in the fauna of the Caucasus by eight genera and 32 species, of which one genus and 14 species are described as new: Colchiobrachyiulus montanus Vagalinski, sp. nov., Iraniulus tricornis Vagalinski, sp. nov., Omobrachyiulus armatus Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. fasciatus Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. faxifer Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. kvavadzei Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. lazanyiae Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. ponticus Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. pristis Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. trochiloides Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. unugulis Vagalinski, sp. nov., O. zuevi Vagalinski, sp. nov., Svaniulus ryvkini Vagalinski, gen. nov., sp. nov., and S. waltheri Vagalinski, gen. nov., sp. nov.Colchiobrachyiulus Lohmander, 1936, a former subgenus of Megaphyllum, is here elevated to a full genus, and the genus Grusiniulus Lohmander, 1936 is downgraded to a subgenus of the genus Cyphobrachyiulus Verhoeff, 1900, both stat. nov., with their previously described species, Colchiobrachyiulus dioscoriadis (Lignau, 1915) and Cyphobrachyiulus redikorzevi (Lohmander, 1936), respectively, listed as comb. nov.Omobrachyiulus brachyurus (Attems, 1899) is formally established as a junior subjective synonym of O. caucasicus (Karsch, 1881), syn. nov., and Omobrachyiulus implicitus ritsensis (Golovatch, 1981) is formally synonymised with the typical Omobrachyiulus implicitus (Lohmander, 1936), syn. nov.Omobrachyiulus sevangensis (Lohmander, 1932), originally described in the genus Megaphyllum, is here transferred to the former genus, comb. nov. The diagnoses and descriptions of some genera and subgenera are refined and complemented. A key is given to all genera and species of Brachyiulini that occur in the Caucasus, and their distributions are mapped. Several species are recorded as new to the faunas of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or Russia. The distribution patterns of the Caucasian Brachyiulini and their biogeographic implications are discussed.

Redescriptions of North American Epidamaeus (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae) species proposed by N. Banks, H.E. Ewing, A.P. Jacot, and J.W. Wilson

Early American acarologists proposed several species that have been recombined to the oribatid mite genus Epidamaeus (Damaeidae), but none has been redescribed to modern standards. These include E. puritanicus (Banks, 1906), E. michaeli (Ewing, 1909), E. globifer (Ewing, 1913), E. florida (Wilson, 1936), E. olitor (Jacot, 1937), and E. craigheadi (Jacot, 1939). We redescribe and illustrate these species, based on available type specimens and other material in various collections, and give an indication of their overall distributions. Juvenile instars are at least partly described for all except E. florida and E. olitor. Since these six collectively include the most encountered Epidamaeus species in the eastern USA, a diagnostic key is presented that also includes E. arcticola (Hammer, 1952), which is reliably recorded from eastern North America (New Hampshire) for the first time. A neotype is selected for E. michaeli, which is considered a senior subjective synonym of E. canadensis (Banks, 1909) [new syn.]. Synonymy of E. puritanicus with E. grandjeani (Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1957) is rejected.

Identification and safety assessment of Enterococcus thailandicus TC1 isolated from healthy pigs

Enterococci have the dual characteristics of being opportunistic pathogens and promising probiotics. The isolation from patients of CDC PNS-E2, a newly described Enterococcus species Enterococcus sanguinicola, may pose potential hazards. Enterococcus thailandicus from fermented sausage is a senior subjective synonym of E. sanguinicola. In this study, Enterococcus thailandicus TC1 was first isolated in healthy pigs in Tongcheng, China and identified by phenotypic analysis and 16S rRNA-based techniques. To evaluate the strain safety, an approach including virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and animal experiments was adopted. The results show that cylA, gelE, esp, agg, ace, efaAfm, efaAfs, ptsD genes were undetected, and that the strain was sensitive or poorly resistant to some clinically relevant antibiotics. However, the isolated strain demonstrated β-hemolytic activity in rabbit blood agar plates. Analysis of animal experiments revealed that the isolated strain had no adverse effect on translocation and the internal organ indices, though significant differences in histology (villi height, crypts height) of ileum were observed. The data acquired suggest that E. thailandicus TC1 may be associated with a potential health risk.

Sea lice (Copepoda: Caligidae) from South Africa, with descriptions of two new species of Caligus

Thirteen species of sea lice (family Caligidae) are reported from a range of elasmobranch and actinopterygian fishes caught off South Africa or obtained from public aquaria in South Africa. Two new species of Caligus Müller, 1785 are described: C. linearisn. sp. from Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus) and C. tumulusn. sp. from Chrysoblephus cristiceps (Valenciennes). A supplementary description is provided for both sexes of Caligus tetrodontis Barnard, 1948 taken from Amblyrhynchotes honckenii (Bloch) and previous records of this parasite from South African fishes are critically reviewed. It is concluded that Caligus material from Arothron hispidus Linnaeus was previously misidentified as C. tetrodontis and is in urgent need of re-examination. Morphological and molecular observations on Caligus furcisetifer Redkar, Rangnekar & Murti, 1949 indicate that this copepod is phenotypically and genetically identical to Lepeophtheirus natalensis Kensley & Grindley, 1973, and the latter becomes a junior subjective synonym of C. furcisetifer. We include new geographical distribution records for Caligus longipedis Bassett-Smith, 1898, C. rufimaculatus Wilson, 1905 and Lepeophtheirus spinifer Kirtisinghe, 1937, extending into South African waters, as well as both new distribution and host records for Alebion gracilis Wilson, 1905, Caligus dakari van Beneden, 1892 and Lepeophtheirus acutus Heegaard, 1943. The molecular analysis confirmed the monophyly of the genus Caligus. The South African species of Caligus did not cluster together, but the two included South African species of Lepeophtheirus were recovered as sister taxa.

Liogenys Guerin-Méneville, 1831 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Diplotaxini) of northern South America and Central America: taxonomic overview with four new species

The biodiversity of northern South American and Central American Liogenys Guérin-Méneville, 1831 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Diplotaxini) is reviewed. Four new species are described: L. clipeosetosa Cherman, new species; L. genieri Smith & Cherman, new species; L. granadina Cherman, new species; and L. schneiderae Cherman, new species. The male of L. quadridens (Fabricius, 1798) and the female of L. quadridentata Blanchard, 1851 are described for the first time. Liogenys gebieni Moser, 1921 is a new junior subjective synonym of L. macropelma Bates, 1887. The northernmost record of Liogenys is emended to Trinidad and Tobago for L. granadina Cherman, new species and L. schneiderae new species. Diplotaxis puberea cuprascens (Bates, 1887) new combination, Diplotaxis puberea puberea (Bates, 1887) new combination, and Diplotaxis pubisternis (Bates, 1887) new combination are all transferred from Liogenys to Diplotaxis Kirby, 1837. Lectotypes are designated for Liogenys gebieni Moser, 1921; Melolontha quadridens Fabricius, 1798; and Liogenys quadridentatus Blanchard, 1851. An identification key to northern South American Liogenys is presented.

Taxonomic revision of Australasian diving beetles in the genus Leiodytes Guignot, 1936 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Bidessini)

Bidessus migrator Sharp, 1882, so far assigned to Clypeodytes Régimbart, 1894, and widely distributed in Australia and New Guinea, is re-described. Based on morphological and molecular evidence, it is here transferred to Leiodytes Guignot, 1936. Bidessus loriae Régimbart, 1892 is found to be a junior subjective synonym of L. migrator. We describe the following new species: Leiodytes surianiae sp. nov. (eastern New Guinea, northeast coast of Queensland), and Leiodytes wattsi sp. nov. (southern New Guinea and Darwin area to northern Queensland). We delineate the species using characters such as male genital structure and beetle size, shape and color pattern. Mitochondrial Cox1 data for 27 individuals, representing all three Australasian species, were generated and revealed clusters congruent with the morphological evidence. In Australia Leiodytes only occurs in the tropical and subtropical northern part of the continent. None of the species is endemic to Australia. The species are mainly lentic, occurring in seasonal swamps, flooded meadows and pools of intermittent rivers and temporary creeks.