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During a study of predatory mites in Urmia, Northwestern Iran, the female and male of a new species, Stigmaeus dokerisp. nov. (Acari: Stigmaeidae), were collected from soil under oak trees. The specimens of the following species, S. malekiiHaddad Irani-Nejad, Bagheri & Khanjani, 2006, S. boshroyehensisKhanjani, Izadi, Asali-Fayaz, Raisi, Rostami & Doğan, 2010, S. miandoabiensisBagheri & Zarei, 2012 and S. marandiensis Bagheri & Ueckermann, 2011, were re-examined. We propose that S. boshroyehensissyn. nov. is a junior synonym of S. malekii. We also found S. miandoabiensis and S. marandiensis having bifurcate terminal eupathidium on palptarsus instead of tridentate in the original descriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There are two predominant sources of taxonomically useful morphological variability in the diverse tardigrade family Echiniscidae: the internal structure and surface sculpture of the cuticular plates covering the dorsum (sculpturing) and the arrangement and morphology of the trunk appendages (chaetotaxy). However, since the appendages often exhibit intraspecific variation (they can be reduced or can develop asymmetrically), sculpturing has been considered more stable at the species level and descriptions of new echiniscid species based solely on morphology are still being published. Here, we present a case study in which a detailed analysis of the morphology and multiple genetic markers of several species of the genus Viridiscus shows that cuticular sculpture may also exhibit considerable intraspecific variation and lead to false taxonomic conclusions. In a population collected from the eastern Nearctic, in the type locality of the recently described species V. miraviridis, individuals with transitional morphotypes between those reported for V. viridissimus and V. miraviridis were found. Importantly, all morphotypes within the viridissimus–miraviridis spectrum were grouped in a single monospecific clade according to rapidly evolving markers (ITS-1, ITS-2 and COI). Given the morphological and genetic evidence, we establish V. miraviridis as a junior synonym of V. viridissimus. This study explicitly demonstrates that a lack of DNA data associated with morphological descriptions of new taxa jeopardizes the efforts to unclutter tardigrade systematics. Additionally, V. perviridis and V. viridissimus are reported from Lâm Đồng Province in southern Vietnam, which considerably broadens their known geographic ranges.

Tubuliferan Thysanoptera are extremely uncommon in the fossil record, thus little is our knowledge of their geological history. Here, we describe the first apterous Phlaeothripidae, and the eighth species of Tubulifera, for the entire Mesozoic. It corresponds to a small female preserved in Upper Albian amber of Peñacerrada II outcrop (Álava amber) in Spain. The specimen, described as Alavathrips moralesi nov. gen. et sp., has some critical well-preserved morphological features, as antennae, tarsi, female genital structures and the tube including its crown of apical setae. The Mesozoic tubuliferan family Rohrthripidae, known from the Barremian amber from Lebanon and the Cenomanian amber from Myanmar, is herein considered a junior synonym of Phlaeothripidae. The most relevant, 'plesiomorphic' feature of the new taxon is the proximal extreme of the tube not closed, but without a suture along the rest of the tube. The present discovery gives new insights into the origins and evolution of the species-rich extant family Phlaeothripidae, and the suborder Tubulifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Revision of the Merodon aurifer species group with a description of one new species. • Morphological differences between M. aurifer and M. nudicorpus sp.n. illustrated. • Type material of relevant taxa studied and three new synonyms proposed. The hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), which comprises more than 200 species is distributed in the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Region, but one species, Merodon equestris, is a pest of flower bulbs and has been invasive into New Zealand and North America. In this work, the Merodon aurifer species group, a member of the M. avidus-nigritarsis lineage, is revised. The diagnostic characters of the M. aurifer species group, and the morphological differences between M. aurifer Loew, 1862 and M. nudicorpus sp. n. are explained and illustrated, as well as their distribution map. A detailed study of the type material resulted in three new synonyms: M. distinctus Palma, 1863 is a junior synonym of M. aurifer ; M. manicatus (Sack, 1938) and M. testacoides Hurkmans, 1993 are junior synonyms of M. testaceus. Lectotypes are designated for two taxa M. aurifer and M. manicatus instead of the erroneously designated types for these species in Hurkmans (1993). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two predominant sources of taxonomically useful morphological variability in the diverse tardigrade family Echiniscidae: the internal structure and surface sculpture of the cuticular plates covering the dorsum (sculpturing) and the arrangement and morphology of the trunk appendages (chaetotaxy). However, since the appendages often exhibit intraspecific variation (they can be reduced or can develop asymmetrically), sculpturing has been considered more stable at the species level and descriptions of new echiniscid species based solely on morphology are still being published. Here, we present a case study in which a detailed analysis of the morphology and multiple genetic markers of several species of the genus Viridiscus shows that cuticular sculpture may also exhibit considerable intraspecific variation and lead to false taxonomic conclusions. In a population collected from the eastern Nearctic, in the type locality of the recently described species V. miraviridis, individuals with transitional morphotypes between those reported for V. viridissimus and V. miraviridis were found. Importantly, all morphotypes within the viridissimus–miraviridis spectrum were grouped in a single monospecific clade according to rapidly evolving markers (ITS-1, ITS-2 and COI). Given the morphological and genetic evidence, we establish V. miraviridis as a junior synonym of V. viridissimus. This study explicitly demonstrates that a lack of DNA data associated with morphological descriptions of new taxa jeopardizes the efforts to unclutter tardigrade systematics. Additionally, V. perviridis and V. viridissimus are reported from Lâm Đồng Province in southern Vietnam, which considerably broadens their known geographic ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Cymbacephalus staigeri (Castelnau 1875) has been regarded as a valid species, several authors have suggested that it may be a junior synonym of Cymbacephalus nematophthalmus (Günther 1860). Because the whereabouts of the holotype of C. staigeri is unknown, this study compared the original description of C. staigeri with two syntypes and 18 non-type specimens of C. nematophthalmus. It was confirmed that C. staigeri is conspecific with C. nematophthalmus, with the latter name having priority. Accordingly, Cymbacephalus parilis (McCulloch 1914), having been treated as a junior synonym of C. staigeri, becomes the valid name of the species, because no species having priority over C. parilis exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Three new species of Compsilura are described from Southeast and East Asia. • Compsilura samoaensis is treated as a junior synonym of C. concinnata. • The genetic differences in the COI gene of four Compsilura species are examined. • The piercing female postabdomens are compared to consider the alliances to Compsilura. Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) is one of the most famous, most polyphagous and most widely distributed tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) in the world. This species is well known as a biocontrol agent of some injurious pests of cultural and wild plants and has been introduced from Europe to the United States to control mainly the gypsy moth. Recently we found three new species very closely resembling C. concinnata from Southeast and East Asia: C. lobata sp. nov. (Japan and Thailand), C. malayana sp. nov. (Malaysia) and C. pauciseta sp. nov. (Japan and Taiwan). Additionally, C. samoaensis Malloch is treated as a junior synonym of C. concinnata based on the examination of the type specimen. The genetic differences in the mitochondrial COI gene data are examined to assess the accuracy of species delimitation of Compsilura. The male postabdominal characters of these species are illustrated. The piercing female postabdomen of C. concinnata is illustrated and compared to those of other members belonging to the Blondelia group including Blondelia Robineau-Desvoidy , Celatoria Coquillett, Eucelatoria Townsend and Vibrissina Rondani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two haemogregarine "species" names, Haemogregarina tarentannulari and Haemogregarina rawashi, were cited by Saoud et al. (1995) as having been described by Mohammed and Ramadan (1996, in press). However, the paper by Mohammed and Ramadan (1996) was never published and, therefore, these names and their authorities must be suppressed because they violate Chapter 3 (Criteria for Publication), Article 8 (What Constitutes Published Work) of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The following new names are introduced to replace them based on the Principle of Priority (Chapter 6, Article 23, 23.1, and Chapter 11, Article 51, Recommendation 51E): Hepatozoon rawashi (Mohammed and Ramadan in Saoud, Ramadan, Mohammed and Fawzi, 1995) n. comb., with gamonts in the erythrocytes and meronts in the lungs and liver of the fan-footed gecko, Ptyodactylus hasselquisiti (Donndorff, 1798) from Egypt, and Haemogregarina tarentannulari (Mohammed and Ramadan in Saoud, Ramadan, Mohammed and Fawzi, 1995), with gamonts in the erythrocytes and meronts in the lungs and liver of the white-spotted wall gecko, Tarentola annularis (St. Hilaire, 1827) also from Egypt. This latter species was determined to be a junior synonym of Haemogregarina annularis El-Naffar, Mandour, and Mohammed 1991, which was later reassigned to the genus Hepatozoon based on their phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA gene sequences., (© American Society of Parasitologists 2024.)

As the species Haploclastus devamatha Prasanth & Jose, 2014 is indistinguishable from Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus Sanap & Mirza, 2014, the latter is herein considered junior synonym of the former. Occurrence of polychromatism in H. devamatha is noted, and two distinct colour morphs of the species are recognised, a pink form and a blue form. The natural history and conservation of the species are discussed and its known distribution is updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se propone considerar las especies H. solimani e H. triangula como sinónimos de H. alata e H. rotundilobata, respectivamente. Se afirma que las diferencias morfológicas a) del primer gonopodo, del tercer maxilipedo y de la quela mayor entre H. alata e H. solimani y b) las diferencias del primer gonopodo entre H. rotundilobata e H. triangula, no son significativas y se originan en variaciones naturales propias de las poblaciones.A proposal to synonymize the freshwater crab species Hypolobocera solimani and Hypolobocera triangula from Colombia. It is proposed that Hypolobocera solimani and H. triangula be considered junior synonyms of H. alata and H. rotundilobata, respectively. We state that the following morphological differences represent natural variations within the population: a) first male gonopod, third maxilliped and larger cheliped between H. alata and H. solimani, and b) the differences of the first male gonopod between H. rotundilobata and H. triangula. Rev. Biol. Trop. 56 (3): 987-994. Epub 2008 September 30.

The coral-inhabiting barnacle Pyrgopsella annandalei was collected in 1888 off the reefs of the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, diagnosed in 1906, and described in full in 1907. Since then, this barnacle has not been recorded. In 2006, several specimens of Pyrgopsella were found embedded in the hermatypic coral Symphyllia radians. Based on morphological differences between this material and the drawings and written description of P. annandalei, the specimens from Symphyllia were assigned to a new species, P. youngi. The discovery of a single individual of Pyrgopsella in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London, labeled "cotype and its comparison to the recent material from Symphyllia, revealed that the differences between P. annandalei and P. youngi represent no more than intraspecific morphological variation. This conclusion is supported by a comparison of the DNA sequences of the COl and 12S rRNA genes from specimens representing both morphological varieties. It is concluded that P. youngi is a junior synonym of P. annandalei, and the latter name should be used in its place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identity of Platycephalus mortoni Macleay was investigated. This species was originally described based on a single specimen from salt water of the lower Burdekin River, Queensland, and has been regarded to be a junior synonym of Platycephalus richardsoni Castelnau . However, the latter is known from southeastern Australia, ranging from Investigator Strait, South Australia to off Clarence River, New South Wales, but not recorded from the type locality of P. mortoni. Because the whereabouts of the holotype of P. mortoni, the sole known specimen of the species, is unknown, the original description of P. mortoni was compared with five species ( Platycephalus angustus Staeindachner 1866, Platycephalus endrachtensis Quoy and Gaimard , Platycephalus fuscus Cuvier 1829, Platycephalus indicus Linnaeus and Platycephalus westraliae Whitley ) known from near the Burdekin River, as well as with P. richardsoni. Because the color of the caudal fin, relative dimensions of the orbital diameter and interorbital width, and number of anal fin rays in the holotype mostly agree with P. fuscus, it was concluded P. mortoni is a junior synonym of P. fuscus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present evidence that the name Natalus espiritosantensis (Ruschi, 1951) is not the oldest available name for the single species of Natalus occurring in South America south of the Amazon River. The oldest name available, Spectrellum macrourum (Gervais, 1856), has priority over Myotis espiritosantensis (Ruschi, 1951) and is restored based on Gervais' original description that included a drawing of part of the skull of the specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holo and paratypes of the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann, 1988 and M. enterolobii Yang & Eisenback, 1983 were morphometrically and morphologically compared. All observed female, male and second-stage juvenile morphometrical and morphological characters are identical for the two studied species. Additionally, contradictions between the original species descriptions were unravelled. The present study of holo- and paratypes confirms the taxonomical status of Meloidogyne mayaguensis as a junior synonym for M. enterolobii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Achrysocharoides Girault is here reported for the first time from tropical America. Included are ten species, eight newly described: A. asperulus, A. callisetosus, A. cuspidatus, A. foveatus, A. infuscus, A. mediocarinatus, A. purpureus, A. sulcatus, and two already known: A. ecuadorensis (Hansson) and A. gliricidiae (Hansson & Cave). All species are included in an identification key, diagnosed, described and illustrated. Only one of the species, A. gliricidiae, has a host record, an endoparasitoid in a leafmining Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on Gliricidia sepium (Fabaceae), thus conforming to the biology of extralimital Achrysocharoides species. The genus Kratoysma Bouček is here established as a junior synonym of Achrysocharoides, and the following species previously in Kratoysma are here recombined to Achrysocharoides: K. citri Bouček, K. ecuadorensis Hansson, K. gliricidiae Hansson & Cave, K. longifacies Hansson, K. nepalensis Hansson, Derostenus usticrus Erdös. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteobrama bhimensis (Singh & Yazdani) was described from the Ujani wetland on Bhima River in Maharashtra, India, about 100 km downstream of the type locality of O. vigorsii (Sykes). Based on examination of the type material of O. bhimensis and comparison with O. vigorsii collected from different localities in the Krishna and Godavari River systems, we show that O. bhimensis is conspecific with O. vigorsii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is proposed that Hypolobocera solimani and H. triangula be considered junior synonyms of H. alata and H. rotundilobata, respectively. We state that the following morphological differences represent natural variations within the population: a) first male gonopod, third maxilliped and larger cheliped between H. alata and H. solimani, and b) the differences of the first male gonopod between H. rotundilobata and H. triangula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]