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A new species ofBauhinia from the Brazilian Cerrado is described. Based on floral morphology, it can be assigned toBauhinia sect.Pauletia ser.Cansenia, but its vegetative characters distinguish it from all other known members of the group. To elucidate its [...] Read more.

A new species ofBauhinia from the Brazilian Cerrado is described. Based on floral morphology, it can be assigned toBauhinia sect.Pauletia ser.Cansenia, but its vegetative characters distinguish it from all other known members of the group. To elucidate its taxonomic position, we conducted detailed morphological comparisons, and molecular phylogenetic analyses using the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and two plastid markers (matK andtrnL–F). Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses were performed. Our results support (both PP from BI and BP from ML) the placement of this new species withinBauhinia ser.Cansenia. The new species namedB. latistipulata sp. nov. is easily distinguished from other species ofBauhinia ser.Cansenia by its reniform stipules and cymbiform bracts. The species shows morphological similarities toB. ungulata, sharing elliptic to ovate leaf blades with obtuse apices, tomentose ovaries, and clavate stigmas. However, it differs by its hirsute abaxial leaf surface (vs. tomentose), tubular and ribbed flower buds (vs. clavate or subclavate and smooth), tomentose staminal tube (vs. pubescent), and distinct color of the ovary indumentum (whitevs. ferruginous).Full article

With over 300 species, the genusEumerus Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest in the Syrphidae family. Regarding its immature stages, information is scarce, since they are described for only 22 species. The known larvae ofEumerus can be phytophagous on the [...] Read more.

With over 300 species, the genusEumerus Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest in the Syrphidae family. Regarding its immature stages, information is scarce, since they are described for only 22 species. The known larvae ofEumerus can be phytophagous on the underground parts of live plants or saprophagous in decaying plant materials of many sorts.Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912 is a widely distributed species with records in the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Palearctic Regions. In the Palaearctic,E. vestitus is present in the Arabian Peninsula, Cyprus, Greece, Israel/Palestinian Authority, North Africa, and Syria. It is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN European Red List of Hoverflies due to the destruction of its habitat. Several puparia ofE. vestitus were obtained from larvae collected in supermarket plums in Israel. In this work, theE. vestitus puparium is described in detail using a scanning electron microscope and stereomicroscope and compared with those of other members of theEumerus obliquus (Fabricius, 1805) group, whichE. vestitus belongs, and with members of other species groups. Our work also confirms a long-standing and broad occurrence ofE. vestitus in Israel and records plum fruit as a new host plant for the species.Full article

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A new species from western Sicily (Italy),Vicia barbatoi, is described and illustrated in this paper. This taxon belongs to the wideV. cracca L. group, specifically within theV. tenuifolia complex. It is related toV. elegans, which is generally [...] Read more.

A new species from western Sicily (Italy),Vicia barbatoi, is described and illustrated in this paper. This taxon belongs to the wideV. cracca L. group, specifically within theV. tenuifolia complex. It is related toV. elegans, which is generally treated as an endemic species of the central–southern Italian peninsula and Sicily, whose distribution and taxonomic position are discussed. The morphological features ofV. barbatoi are analyzed, and its more relevant characters are highlighted in comparison with the most closely related taxa through morphometric and statistical analyses. Besides seed micromorphology, karyology (2n = 12), ecology, distribution, and the conservation status of the new species are examined.Full article

Benchmarking in taxonomy is viewed both as establishing a specimen as a standard of reference and as a process for optimizing that process. Here, it is founded on vision theory that recognition of specimens, as for all objects, is personal to the observer [...] Read more.

Benchmarking in taxonomy is viewed both as establishing a specimen as a standard of reference and as a process for optimizing that process. Here, it is founded on vision theory that recognition of specimens, as for all objects, is personal to the observer and is based on stored exemplars (benchmark images) in their memory. A special feature of a holotype as a scientific benchmark is that it has been published with a Linnaean name permanently attached. This concept is generalized to include all specimens published by subsequent taxonomists with that name attached (a labeled specimen knowledge base). As a record of usage, it integrates all published images with a Linnaean name. It promotes an inquiry into processes for the selection of such specimens. In the conventional model of practice, taxonomists categorize specimens using their stored representations of already identified individuals; the process is immediate, acute, and autonomous, but is largely concealed; a specimen may be selected as a benchmark, but its typicality is not revealed. As a remedy, a population model of practice is advocated wherein the basic autonomous visual process is supplemented by objective data about a specimen and the probability of its position within a potential source population.Full article

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In Yucatán state, Mexico,Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) is the primary vector ofTrypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The vector population presents diverse forms and colorations. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the morphotypes ofT. dimidiata based [...] Read more.

In Yucatán state, Mexico,Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) is the primary vector ofTrypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The vector population presents diverse forms and colorations. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the morphotypes ofT. dimidiata based on the taxonomy of the body and external genitalia. Between March 2023 and April 2025, 902 triatomines from 15 municipalities were examined. Three main morphotypes were characterized (I to III). Morphotype II was the most abundant (62.86%) and most distributed in the study area (12 of 15 municipalities), with a notable presence in forests and caves. Morphotypes I and III were found primarily outside houses and in chicken coops. Within the characterized specimens ofT. dimidiata sensu lato, morphotype II displays more prominent morphological and structural characteristics. They are smaller compared to morphotypes I and III. In morphotype II, the spiracles are covered by a black spot that extends from the connexival plate to the urosternites. Males had short and robust parameres. The median process of the pygophore is long and slender compared to morphotypes I and III. The female tergite VIII has six sides. The taxonomy should be complemented by a study of the life cycle of each morphotype and analysis of its genome.Full article

The Philippines and the Papuan archipelagos harbor a vast diversity of pygmy grasshoppers, including the pygmy devils of the generaXistra andTegotettix, as well as visually similar taxa reviewed in this study. A new tribe, two new genera, a new subgenus, [...] Read more.

The Philippines and the Papuan archipelagos harbor a vast diversity of pygmy grasshoppers, including the pygmy devils of the generaXistra andTegotettix, as well as visually similar taxa reviewed in this study. A new tribe, two new genera, a new subgenus, three new species, and 24 new or resurrected taxonomic combinations are proposed in this study. A new colorful wingless genus and species,Almacris alleochroa gen. et sp. nov., is described from Mindanao. Taxonomic reshuffling of the genusXistra is performed—a new subgenus is described,Tegoxistra subgen. nov., to includeX. derijei,X. corniculata, andX. cristifera, while the nominotypical subgenus becomes restricted toX. gogorzae andX. sagittaria. All other species previously assigned toXistra are herewith moved toXistrella, resulting in 20 new combinations. The genusGinixistra gen. nov. (Exanimini)—whose members show remarkable similarity to Fiji-endemicFijixistra—is described forG. novaeguineae,G. davorkae sp. nov., andG. novaebritanniae sp. nov. from New Guinea and New Britain. The new tribe Xistrellini trib. nov. is established to accommodateAfrosystolederus,Bannatettix,Kanakacris,Phaesticus,Pseudoparatettix,Pseudosystolederus,Pseudoxistrella,Synalibas, Systolederus,Teredorus, andXistrella. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed Xistrellini monophyly and suggested that the ancestor of this tribe may have originated during the Cretaceous period, approximately 127–100 million years ago (mya).Full article

Heliaster has long been considered to comprise seven nominal species of starfish distributed across the Eastern Pacific, from Baja California (Mexico) southward to central Chile. Along the southeastern Pacific coast, three taxa have been traditionally recognized:H. helianthus (Paita, northern Peru, to Concepción, [...] Read more.

Heliaster has long been considered to comprise seven nominal species of starfish distributed across the Eastern Pacific, from Baja California (Mexico) southward to central Chile. Along the southeastern Pacific coast, three taxa have been traditionally recognized:H. helianthus (Paita, northern Peru, to Concepción, central-southern Chile),H. polybrachius (Mexico to Perú), andH. canopus (Juan Fernández Archipelago and Desventuradas Islands). However, extensive morphological overlap among these forms has cast doubt on the validity ofH. canopus, with some authors treating it as a synonym forH. helianthus. To clarify this ambiguity, we applied an integrative framework combining detailed morphometrics, phylogenetic inference from mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (H3) markers, and two species delimitation approaches (bPTP and ASAP). Our sampling spanned Peru, continental Chile, and the oceanic islands of Juan Fernández and Desventuradas. Variation in ray number and relative arm length amongH. helianthus,H. canopus, andH. polybrachius proved allometric, scaling strongly with body diameter rather than indicating discrete species boundaries. Molecular data show >95% sequence similarity across all nominal taxa and recover a single, well-supported clade; bPTP and ASAP likewise support oneHeliaster lineage throughout the southeastern Pacific, corresponding toH. helianthus. Accordingly, we redescribeH. helianthus, designate a neotype from Quintay, Chile, and formally synonymizeH. canopus andH. polybrachius underH. helianthus. Our results indicate that a single species spans the Eastern Pacific from Ecuador and Peru to central-southern Chile, including offshore islands, underscoring the value of integrative taxonomy for robust delimitation and accurate biodiversity assessments in marine invertebrates.Full article

Based on external morphology, genital anatomy, and a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, we identified two veronicellid slug species from Chiapas, Mexico:Simrothula prismatica (Simroth, 1914) andDiplosolenodes occidentalis (Guilding, 1824), both newly recorded in the country. The available molecular data [...] Read more.

Based on external morphology, genital anatomy, and a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, we identified two veronicellid slug species from Chiapas, Mexico:Simrothula prismatica (Simroth, 1914) andDiplosolenodes occidentalis (Guilding, 1824), both newly recorded in the country. The available molecular data supported the identification ofD. occidentalis, a species with a documented invasive history in various tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Although no sequences were available forS. prismatica, the genital anatomy of the specimens was consistent with the original species description. These findings underscore the need for more comprehensive molecular reference databases and continued biomonitoring of veronicellid slugs in Mexico, given their potential ecological and agricultural impacts. These new records increase the known diversity of the group to five species in the country.Full article

A remarkable new pholcid spider species is described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:Smeringopina polychila sp. nov. The male is distinguished by a unique and previously undocumented structure, here termed the “parachila”, which has not been observed in any other spider [...] Read more.

A remarkable new pholcid spider species is described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo:Smeringopina polychila sp. nov. The male is distinguished by a unique and previously undocumented structure, here termed the “parachila”, which has not been observed in any other spider to date. The description is complemented by high-quality illustrations, including detailed drawings, photographs, micro-CT scans, and 3D reconstructions of the genitalia and the newly discovered male structure. Remarkable intraspecific variations, both somatic and genitalic, in males are also highlighted and discussed. A phylogenetic analysis based on the cytochromec oxidase subunit I, 16S ribosomal RNA and histone H3 gene fragments is presented to tentatively place the new species into an existing phylogenetic framework. The results of the molecular analyses confirm that the new species belongs to the subfamily Smeringopinae and is nested within the genusSmeringopina Kraus, 1957.Full article

A new species of Choreutidae,Tebenna acanthophallus sp. nov., from the Huasco Province, Chile, is described. Diagnostic characters, photographs of adults and illustrations of wing venation and genital structures are provided. The new species is supported by morphological and molecular analyses. This finding [...] Read more.

A new species of Choreutidae,Tebenna acanthophallus sp. nov., from the Huasco Province, Chile, is described. Diagnostic characters, photographs of adults and illustrations of wing venation and genital structures are provided. The new species is supported by morphological and molecular analyses. This finding provides evidence that the family Choreutidae has species native to Chile, and its presence is not the result of introductions from other countries.Full article

The Neotropical region is recognized as the center of diversification of Phalangopsidae. The true extent of this diversity, however, remains understudied, reinforcing the need for further taxonomic investigations. In this study, we describeIgatuia cavernicola gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and [...] Read more.

The Neotropical region is recognized as the center of diversification of Phalangopsidae. The true extent of this diversity, however, remains understudied, reinforcing the need for further taxonomic investigations. In this study, we describeIgatuia cavernicola gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species from caves in Igatu village, Chapada Diamantina, central Bahia state, Brazil. The genus is distinguished by unique morphological traits, including ectophallic apodemes with an expanded apex, bearing a ring of minute pores and an inner canal that opens into the ectophallic arc. This description advances our knowledge of subterranean fauna in the region and contributes to a broader understanding of Phalangopsidae cricket diversity in the Neotropics. We also report new records ofSishiniheia, including the first occurrence of the genus in a cave.Full article

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The recent update to the list of European herpetofauna species, published in 2020, includes 206 non-avian reptile species. The steppe ribbon racer,Psammophis lineolatus, is a snake species widely distributed across the deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia and neighboring regions. Previously [...] Read more.

The recent update to the list of European herpetofauna species, published in 2020, includes 206 non-avian reptile species. The steppe ribbon racer,Psammophis lineolatus, is a snake species widely distributed across the deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia and neighboring regions. Previously unrecorded in Europe, two specimens were discovered west of the Ural River during surveys in western Kazakhstan’s northeastern Caspian region. This is the first record of the species in Europe and marks its most northwestern distribution. DNA barcoding analysis revealed substantial mitochondrial diversity in the region, with European specimens having distinct haplotypes (0.73%p-distance), indicating colonization by two different phylogenetic lineages. This discovery highlights the need for further research on theP. lineolatus intraspecific diversity, phylogeography, and taxonomy.Full article

One new species of Laboulbeniaceae,Peyritschiella styngeti, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by appendages with a black constriction at the base, perithecia with four papillae on the apical zone, cruciform bilateral symmetry, and an extremely melanized receptacle. This species was [...] Read more.

One new species of Laboulbeniaceae,Peyritschiella styngeti, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by appendages with a black constriction at the base, perithecia with four papillae on the apical zone, cruciform bilateral symmetry, and an extremely melanized receptacle. This species was observed on the stylus of the staphylinidStyngetus deyrollei, which is distributed in tropical montane cloud forests in Mexico. Currently, the Laboulbeniales mycobiota in Mexico comprises 82 species, with 11 described growing on species of the Staphylinidae family. Additionally, a compilation of the Laboulbeniales species reported for Mexico and for Staphylinidae species is presented.Full article

Heptophylla gongshana Bezděk & Král, n. sp. from Yunnan, China, is described. The new species, conspicuous in the genusHeptophylla Motschulsky, 1858, by its black body and octomerous antennal club in males, is compared with similar congeners. An iconography including the male genitalia [...] Read more.

Heptophylla gongshana Bezděk & Král, n. sp. from Yunnan, China, is described. The new species, conspicuous in the genusHeptophylla Motschulsky, 1858, by its black body and octomerous antennal club in males, is compared with similar congeners. An iconography including the male genitalia of the new species and the type material of the Heptophyllini taxa described by You-Wei Zhang and found in the Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, is provided. An updated checklist of Heptophyllini (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) is presented, and the validity of the tribe is discussed.Full article

The Order Polycladida comprises a diverse yet understudied group of free-living flatworms, traditionally divided into Cotylea and Acotylea based on the presence or absence of a ventral adhesive organ known as a cotyl. Species identification, particularly within Acotylea, is often challenging due to [...] Read more.

The Order Polycladida comprises a diverse yet understudied group of free-living flatworms, traditionally divided into Cotylea and Acotylea based on the presence or absence of a ventral adhesive organ known as a cotyl. Species identification, particularly within Acotylea, is often challenging due to the need for histological examination of reproductive structures and the scarcity of molecular data. The Tropical Western Atlantic, especially the Caribbean Sea, hosts high polyclad diversity but remains poorly surveyed. This study updates the checklist of Acotylea from the Colombian Caribbean, combining new collections from Santa Marta with the literature records. Field work yielded 22 acotylean species from 14 genera and 10 families, with DNA sequences (28S rDNA and/or COI mtDNA) obtained for 20 species. 11 species are new records for Colombia, and five for the Caribbean Sea:Latocestus brasiliensis Hyman, 1953,Notocomplana martae (Marcus, 1948),Interplana evelinae (Marcus, 1952),Triadomma curvum Marcus, 1949, andAdenoplana evelinae Marcus, 1950. In total, 29 species are now documented from the region. We provide photographs of live specimens, whole mounts, and histological sections; DNA barcodes for most species; and the first dichotomous key for Colombian Caribbean acotyleans, based primarily on external traits, providing a practical tool to support further taxonomic, ecological, and biodiversity research.Full article

Mascagnia (Malpighiaceae) is the lianescent genus with the most convoluted taxonomic history and polyphyly of Malpighiaceae, formerly comprising eight unrelated accepted genera and over 300 species. This genus currently encompasses 48 accepted Neotropical species, of which 20 are reported for Brazil in the [...] Read more.

Mascagnia (Malpighiaceae) is the lianescent genus with the most convoluted taxonomic history and polyphyly of Malpighiaceae, formerly comprising eight unrelated accepted genera and over 300 species. This genus currently encompasses 48 accepted Neotropical species, of which 20 are reported for Brazil in the taxonomic treatment presented herein. This synopsis was based on the morphological study of specimens deposited in over 80 herbaria using a stereomicroscope, the specialized literature, and consulting type specimens for all accepted species. A total of 20 species ofMascagnia are found in all biomes of Brazil. A taxonomic synopsis is presented for these species, including an identification key, notes on distribution, conservation and taxonomy, and photographic plates for 12 species. Two main morphological groups were identified based on the inflorescence architecture and petal color, and four species were identified as under a conservation threat.Full article

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Tetrigidae is a caeliferan family of Orthoptera constituting a diverse and relatively ancient lineage of small Orthopterans, which has its greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical areas. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on the identification and description of Tetrigidae species [...] Read more.

Tetrigidae is a caeliferan family of Orthoptera constituting a diverse and relatively ancient lineage of small Orthopterans, which has its greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical areas. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on the identification and description of Tetrigidae species in Ethiopia, and even fewer molecular data are available. Hence, we performed the first species delimitation study via DNA barcoding of species belonging to the generaParatettix,Leptacrydium,Dasyleurotettix, andMorphopoides from Ethiopia. We provide 35 new sequences of the COI gene belonging to six species of these genera. We show that Ethiopian Tetrigidae can be successfully delineated using DNA barcodes, even in cryptic genera such asParatettix: species delimitation on the basis of this gene was strongly congruent with the phylogenetic tree and morphological assignments. We report three species:Dasyleurotettix infaustus (Walker, 1871),Morphopoides tessmanni (Günther, 1939), andM. folipes (Hancock, 1908) from Ethiopia for the first time. In addition, we describe three new species, which were confirmed with morphological, phylogenetic, and species delimitation methods:Paratettix tanai sp. nov.,Paratettix geminus sp. nov., andLeptacrydium naqamteensis sp. nov. Further, we studiedParatettix macrostenus, which is considered a new synonym ofP. subpustulatus. Future integrative taxonomic studies, including more material from diverse regions, additional genetic loci and more comprehensive taxon sampling, need to be performed to understand the diversity of Tetrigidae across Africa.Full article

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In specific altitude ranges, biotic and abiotic factors can impact vector mosquitoes’ adaptation capacity, affecting their population differentiation. This study analyses if there exist morphological and genetic differences in fourAnopheles (Kerteszia) populations in specific altitude ranges from the Colombian pacific [...] Read more.

In specific altitude ranges, biotic and abiotic factors can impact vector mosquitoes’ adaptation capacity, affecting their population differentiation. This study analyses if there exist morphological and genetic differences in fourAnopheles (Kerteszia) populations in specific altitude ranges from the Colombian pacific coast to the premontane humid forests in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Likewise, it is compared if the vector mosquito groups analyzed were genetically similar to the ones available in the region. Traditional and geometric morphometric analysis and the molecular marker CO-I were used. The research found that vector mosquitoes’ littoral populations differentiated morphologically according to their cross veins wing shapes compared to the other three groups in higher altitudes. Their genetic distances fluctuate between 4.95% and 6.84%, indicating that vector mosquitoes’ littoral populations belong toAnopheles neivai s.s. while the ones of higher altitudes are related toAn. neivai 8—a lineage previously proposed based solely on molecular data. The study concludes that vector mosquitoes at the pacific Colombian coast from the littoral area in lower altitudes maintain a vast genetic variability with uniform populations; however, in higher altitudes, vector mosquitoes acquire molecular and morphological differences that may include the settlement of other lineages.Full article

Tabanid species of the Andean genusAgelanius Rondani are revised herein based on an examination of the external morphology of the type material of ten species and specimens from Argentina and Chile. A new species,A. augustus sp. nov., is described, and a [...] Read more.

Tabanid species of the Andean genusAgelanius Rondani are revised herein based on an examination of the external morphology of the type material of ten species and specimens from Argentina and Chile. A new species,A. augustus sp. nov., is described, and a new key to the known species is provided. Diagnoses, detailed distributional data for the species ofAgelanius, and photographs are included to facilitate species identification.Full article