Search

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., a deciduous shrub of the family Rosaceae, is usually used as food and medicinal materials and also cultivated as an ornamental. Plant endophytic fungi are a large class of microbial resources not fully researched, with great potential applications. Two strains of Ascodesmis and Talaromyces were isolated during a survey of biodiversity on endophytic fungi of R. roxburghii in China. Multigene phylogenetic analyses showed that each of the two fungi formed a distinct lineage and separated from known congeneric species and they are proposed as two novel taxa. Ascodesmis rosicola sp. nov. usually has one or two conspicuous simple or branched ridges extending to the majority of the ascospore surface and remarkably small asci, distinguishing it from the previously-described species in the genus Ascodesmis. Talaromyces rosarhiza sp. nov., of the section Talaromyces, is closely related to T. francoae. It differs from the latter by having both monoverticillate and biverticillate conidiophores, while those of T. francoae are biverticillate. Both novel endophytes are illustrated and described.

Freshwater fungi, growing on submerged wood, can promote the degradation of organisms and the reuse of rotten wood energy and play key roles in freshwater ecosystems. Here, a new hyphomycetous fungus, Sporidesmiella lignicola, was isolated and identified from submerged wood samples collected in a small stream in Jiangxi Province, south-eastern China. The new taxon was studied, based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses combined with LSU, ITS, TEF1α and RPB2 sequences data. Sporidesmiella lignicola was morphologically characterised by its pink colonies on PDA medium in prophase, macronematous, mononematous, solitary, brown, septate, unbranched, straight or slightly flexuous conidiophores with holoblastic, polyblastic, integrated, terminal, pale brown conidiogenous cells and cylindrical, narrowly clavate, broadly obovoid to cuneiform, 3–4-distoseptate, olivaceous brown or brown conidia with rounded apex. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, based on the combination of LSU, ITS, TEF1α and RPB2 sequences data.

Thysanoptera is amongst the most predominant orders of insects in different ecological zones with worldwide distribution. Due to their small size, there is a large gap in their distribution and host range data. To the best of our knowledge, there is no investigation on the thrips distribution and their host range in Xishuangbanna. Currently, a total of 566 species in 155 genera are listed in China, of which 313 species represent Terebrantia. In this study, a list of 116 species representing 55 genera within the families Aeolothripidae and Thripidae is provided. Two of these, Dichromomothrips nakahari Moud, 1976 (subfamily Thripinae) and Phibalothrips rugosus Kudo, 1979 (subfamily Panchaetothripinae) are recorded for the first time in China. Thrips species with their host ranges, habits and habitats are provided. Our study aims to contribute to the global biodiversity distribution data-gap of Thysanoptera for conservation purposes, as well as pest species targetting Integrated Pest Management tactics.

Background There have been several recent checklists, books and publications about Indian moths; however, much of this work has focused on biodiversity hotspots such as North-east India, Western Ghats and Western Himalayas. There is a lack of published literature on urban centres in India, despite the increased need to monitor insects at sites with high levels of human disturbance. In this study, we examine the moths of Delhi, the national capital region of India, one of the fastest growing mega-metropolitan cities. We present a comprehensive checklist of 338 moths species using 8 years of light trapping data (2012-2020) and examining about 2000 specimens from historical collections at the National Pusa Collection of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (NPC-IARI) spanning over 100 years (1907-2020). The checklist comprises moths from 32 families spanning 14 superfamilies with Noctuoidea (48.5%) and Pyraloidea (20.4%) being the the two most dominant superfamilies. We provide links to images of live individuals and pinned specimens for all moths and provide detailed distribution records and an updated taxonomic treatment. New information This is the first comprehensive annotated checklist of the moths of Delhi. The present study adds 234 species to the biodiversity of moths from Delhi that were not reported previously, along with illustrations for 195 species.

The complex of longhorn beetles in Rila Mt. in Bulgaria was studied by literature data and original biological materials. As a result, 126 taxa from six subfamilies were established, as follows: Prioninae (four taxa), Lepturinae (43 taxa), Necydalinae (two taxa), Spondylidinae (seven taxa), Cerambycinae (31 taxa) and Lamiinae (39 taxa). In this study, two new records for Rila Mt. (Stenurella nigra nigra and Xylosteus spinolae) and new localities or additional information for 24 cerambycid taxa were reported. The longhorn beetles belong to 18 zoogeographical categories and seven complexes. The European complex occupies a dominant position (37.3%), followed by the Palaearctic (23.8%), Eurosiberian (13.5%), Mediterranean (11.1%), European-Iranoturanian (7.1%), Balkan endemic (4.0%) and Holarctic (3.2%) complexes.

Very little is known about the chewing lice fauna of Saudi Arabia especially from swifts (Apodidae). Swifts are common resident and migratory birds throughout Saudi Arabia. Two chewing lice genera are known for parasitising swifts throughout the world:DennyusNeumann, 1906 andEureumNitzsch, 1818, none of which have been recorded from the Kingdom before.Two species of resident wild swifts were examined for chewing lice for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Two rare lice species were identified: D. (Dennyus) hirundinis (Linnaeus, 1761) andDennyussp. (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) infesting the common swiftApus apus(Linnaeus, 1758) and African palm swiftCypsiurus parvus(Lichtenstein, 1823), respectively. The described chewing lice species are considered as new country records. They will be added to the Saudi Arabia parasitic fauna. Taxonomical and ecological remarks were provided for the identified chewing lice through this work, along with notes on swift/chewing lice interaction.

The myriapod fauna of China is still poorly known and very little attention had been paid to the study of Lithobiomorpha, with only 100 species/subspecies hitherto known from the country, among which are only seven species of Hessebius. Here we are describing a new species of the genus Hessebius. A new lithobiid species, Hessebius crassifemoralis sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, Hebei Province, China. The new species is compared with H. luquensis Qiao, Qin, Ma, Su & Zhang, 2018 from Gansu Province, China. A key to Chinese species, based on adult specimens, is provided. Type specimens and other material are deposited in the School of Life Sciences, Hengshui University, Hengshui, China.

The family Nymphalidae is the largest group of butterflies with high species richeness. Rhinopalpa polynice (Cramer, [1779]), a forest species, was discovered in the mid-stream of the Yuanjiang-Red River Valley of Yunnan Province for the first time, which represents the first record of the genus Rhinopalpa in China. The species R. polynice (Cramer, [1779]) is the first record of the genus Rhinopalpa from China. The specimen was collected in the mid-stream of the Yuanjiang-Red River Valley of Yunnan Province. The female genitalia are described for the first time.

Pestalotiopsis-like fungi are widely distributed in many plants and include endophytes, pathogens and saprobes. Five strains of Neopestalotiopsis were isolated from diseased leaves of Rhapis excelsa (Principes, Palmae), Rhododendron simsii and Rho. championiae (Ericales, Ericaceae) and Erythropalum scandens (Santalales, Olacaceae) in southern China. Based on morphology and multi-gene (ITS, tub2, tef1) phylogeny, our five strains of Neopestalotiopsis represent two new species and one extant species. Descriptions, illustrations and notes are also provided for the new species.

Marine invertebrates are a group of animals characterized by the absence of a backbone, living in the oceanic zone around the world, being remarkably common associated with rhodolith/maërl beds (non-geniculated red corallinaceous algae). A total of 59 species were identified, belonging to six phyla (Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Sipuncula, Mollusca, Arthropoda, and Echinodermata), of which 52 are considered here as new records. The annelids (Class Polychaeta) were the most representative taxa in Miramar and Seixas beaches, while molluscs were mostly found in Maceió Beach.This is the first study that include an identification guide, diagnostic features and distribution patterns worldwide and local (including new records) of the marine invertebrate fauna associated with rhodolith beds in Northeast Brazil (State of Paraíba). Sampling were performed in 2018, at low tide in the intertidal to shallow subtidal zones (1.5 and 4.0m depth), in the Miramar, Seixas and Maceió beaches. Of all the identified species, 18 are new records for the Seixas, and all identified species for Miramar and Maceió beaches are new occurrences. This work proposes to contribute to the knowledge of marine invertebrates in Northeast Brazil, providing support for future environmental studies.

The taxonomic status of the Thai populations belonging to the Limnonectes kuhlii species complex is controversial, due to phenotypic similarity in the cryptic species complex. Recently, some studies on this group in Thailand have discovered four new species: L. taylori, L. megastomias, L. jarujini and L. isanensis. Even so, the diversity of this group is still incomplete. Based on an integrative approach encompassing genetic and morphological analyses, we conclude that the Limnonectes populations from Nan Province (northern) and Yala Province (southern) of Thailand are conspecific with L. bannaensis Ye, Fei & Jiang, 2007 and L. utara Matsui, Belabut & Ahmad, 2014, respectively. These are the first records of these species in Thailand. Our study highlights the importance of using DNA sequence data in combination with morphological data to accurately document species identity and diversity. This is especially important for morphologically cryptic species complexes and sympatrically occurring congeners.

During taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of fungi on pteridophytes in Thailand, Monilochaetes pteridophytophila sp. nov. was collected from the frond stalks of a tree fern (Alsophila costularis, Cyatheaceae). The new species is introduced, based on evidence from morphology and phylogenetic analyses of a concatenated dataset of LSU, ITS, SSU and RPB2 sequences. Monilochaetes pteridophytophila differs from extant species of Monilochaetes in having darker conidiophores with fewer septae (1–4-septate). Monilochaetes pteridophytophila forms a distinct clade, basal from other species of Monilochaetes in Australiascaceae. A detailed description and illustrations of the new species are provided. We also provided a synopsis of accepted species of Monilochaetes.

Ants (Formicidae) in Mexico have usually been undersampled despite their ecological significance and their utility as environmental service providers and bioindicators. This study estimates the species richness and the narrow endemic species number of ants across Mexico. It also documents the presence of one species newly recorded in Mexico and 19 new state-based records of 14 species from central and north Mexico. No surveys have been performed in most of the localities where we report those records, suggesting the need for a higher sampling effort across the country. We present an ant species richness estimation and a narrow endemic ant species estimation in a grid of 0.5 degrees in Mexico. Stenamma schmitii is recorded for the first time from Mexico. Additionally, new state-based records of Azteca velox, Dorymyrmex insanus, Camponotus coruscus, Camponotus striatus, Formica propatula, Lasius latipes, Neivamyrmex melanocephalus, Neivamyrmex rugulosus, Syscia augustae, Atta texana, Cephalotes scutulatus, Crematogaster crinosa and Temnothorax andrei are recorded.

The bat fly genus Ascodipteron Adensamer, 1896 currently contains 15 species, all of which occur in tropical and subtropical areas of the Eastern Hemisphere. A new species of endoparasitic bat fly, Ascodipteron sanmingensis sp. nov., was collected from the Great Himalayan Leaf-nosed Bat, Hipposideros armiger (Hodgson, 1853), during ecological studies on bats in Fujian, China. A new species, Ascodipteron sanmingensis sp. nov., is described, based on dealate neosomic females and is supported by molecular data from a 368 bp fragment of the cytochrome B (Cytb) gene. Habitus and diagnostic details, as well as the attachment sites on the host, are documented with photographs. A detailed comparison of the new species with related species is provided and the new species is accommodated in the most recent key to the world species of Ascodipteron.

Background During the investigation of forest insects in Guilin, Guangxi, encyrtid parasitoid wasps belonging to the genus Psyllaephagus were reared from Macrohomotoma sinica ( Hemiptera : Homotomidae ) feeding on Ficus concinna . New information A new species of Psyllaephagus Howard ( Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae ), P. guangxiensis Zu sp. nov., is described from Guangxi, China as a parasitoid of Macrohomotoma sinica Yang & Li ( Hemiptera : Homotomidae ) on Ficus concinna (Miq.) Miq. ( Urticales : Moraceae ).

Two hyphomycetous species were collected from leaves of Smilax china (Liliales, Smilacaceae) and Cremastra appendiculata (Asparagales, Orchidaceae). ITS barcoding indicated that they belong to the genus Zasmidium. Morphological data in combination with molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU and rpb2 confirmed that our Chinese strains represented a new species, Zasmidium liboense and a new record of Z. citri-griseum.

Southern Africa hosts a high diversity of ecosystems and habitats with a tremendous diversity of Lepidoptera. Although it is one of the most studied parts of the Afrotropics, the knowledge on diversity and distribution of south African moth fauna remains insufficient. To partly fill this gap, we surveyed macromoths by automatic light traps in five localities in two relatively less sampled south African countries. We reported six species and one genus (Remigioides) of moths which had not yet been recorded in Namibia or Zimbabwe. Although none of these records broadened the known distribution of individual species to a new biogeographical region, they still fill important gaps in their distributions. The known distributional ranges of two species have been substantially extended, although they are still within the same biogeographical regions: ca. 800 km southwards for Remigioides remigina (Mabille, 1884) and ca. 600 km westwards for Haplopacha cinerea Aurivillius, 1905.

Sonneratia apetala Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (Sonneratiaceae, Myrtales), is a woody species with high adaptability and seed production capacity. S. apetala is widely cultivated worldwide as the main species for mangrove construction. However, the study of diseases affecting S. apetala is limitted, with only a few fungal pathogens being recorded. Cryphonectriaceae (Diaporthales) species are the main pathogens of plants. They can cause canker diseases to several trees and thereby seriously threaten the health of the hosts. These pathogens include Cryphonectria parasitica (Cryphonectriaceae) causing chestnut blight on Castanea (Rigling and Prospero 2017) and Cytospora chrysosperma (Cytosporaceae) causing polar and willow canker to Populus and Salix (Wang et al. 2015) . Therefore, the timely detection of of Cryphonectriaceae canker pathogens on S. apetala is extremely important for protecting the mangrove forests. Two diaporthalean fungi, Celoporthe guangdongensis and Cytospora rhizophorae have been reported for the first time to cause canker on the branches of S. apetala. C. guangdongensis is significantly pathogenic and C. rhizophorae is saprophytic on S. apetala.

Thermosbaenaceans (Thermosbaenacea: Halosbaenidae) are crustaceans, widespread, and occur in various habitats, including oligohaline or anchialine caves, freshwater, thermal springs, or cold waters. Currently, four families, seven genera, and 45 species are recognized worldwide. During the observation in an isolated limestone of Tham Loko (Loko Cave), Khao Chiason District, Phatthalung Province, the Theosbaena loko n. sp. were found. Theosbaena is the only genus reported in the oriental region. There are only two known species, namely Theosbaena cambodjiana Cals & Boutin 1985 from Kampot province, southern Cambodia, and T. kiatwongchai Rogers & Sanoamuang 2016 discovered in a cave of Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan province, central Thailand. Theosbaena loko n. sp. is the third species recorded in the oriental region.A new species Theosbaena loko n. sp. is described from a limestone cave in Phatthalung province, southern Thailand. The new species differs from its congener by having a telson, 1.8 longer than its breadth, maxilla 1 palp distal segment 4 times longer than the proximal palpomere, and the maxillopodal exopod twice as long as its basal width. This micro shrimp is the third described species of the genus known from Thailand and the Oriental region. A key to the species is given and suggestions for the conservation status of the new species are discussed.

Cixiidae are small strictly phytophagous hemipteran insects worldwide distributed. Ecology and systematics of Chinese fauna remains poorly investigated. For instance, does their distribution follows the patterns of biogeogaphical distribution established for their host plants or other related-taxa because they are all obligatory phytophagous taxa? Do they follow the usual distributional Chinese realms and boundaries already recognized? Which zoogeographical Chinese regions and connections between them do they depict. To investigate these issues, we provide here a referenced and comprehensive checklist of the 250 cixiid species currently reported from China (77 new records), with their precise distribution at the regional level. In the 8 Chinese main zoogeographical regions usually recognized and 2 adjacent areas, we analyzed further their diversity at the tribal, generic, and specific levels using a non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group analysis using an arithmetic mean cluster analyses. The observed distribution patterns shown that an intercalary Sino-Japanese realm is recognisable between the Palaearctic and Oriental realms. At the regional level, the South China region clusters more closely with the Southwest, Central and North China regions. Taiwan, clearly separated from the South China region and mainland China, is more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. Although Central and South China regions remain close to each other, the Qinghai-Tibet region appears singularly different. An updated checklist of the 250 Cixiidae species, known to occur in China and counting for 10% of the Chinese planthopper fauna, is presented based on literature, recent collections, and museum records. More than 400 records distributed among the 28 provinces and 8 regions in China are extensively provided, including 77 new records. Of these, more than 80% of the species (205 species, 82%) have been only reported from China, and most of them are endemic species, which could reflects the great diversity degree of the Chinese regions and local biotypes highlights the uniqueness of this fauna. These species are found in 8 Chinese zoogeographical regions: The Taiwan region is the most diversified with 161 species and the highest rate of endemic species (69.57%), followed by South China (78 species, 17.95%), Central China (60 species, 33.33%), Southwest China (43 species, 39.53%), North China (29 species, 34.48%), Qinghai-Tibet region (10 species, 20%), Northeast China (8 species, 12.5%), and 5 species found in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang region that are not endemic ones. Endemism was analyzed for each region and repeated for species distribution patterns across them, 9 being bi-regionally and tri-regionally distributed. The South China-Taiwan pattern is the most richest one, followed by the Central-South China-Taiwan pattern. Semonini and Pentastirini tribes are widespread among all the zoological regions, representing respectively 21.20% and 17.20% of all the species, while Cixiini being is the most common tribe with 45.20%, remains absent from the North-Eastern China region. Andini with only 5.20% of the species is distributed in the Sino-Japanese - Oriental Region; Eucarpini (6.40%) and Borysthenini (2.00%) are mainly concentrated in the south of the Qingling Mountain-Huai River. The remaining four tribes, Bennini (0.40%), Briixini (0.80%), Oecleini (1.20%) and Stenophlepsiini (0.40%) are relatively rare and restricted to Taiwan. At the generic level, Kuvera (7.2%) is the most widely distributed genus in China while Cixius, Betacixius, Kuvera, Oecleopsis and Andes are the more diversified. One genus (Oliparisca) is distributed only in the Tibet region, while 10 genera are distributed only in the Taiwan region. In addition, nearly half of the genera (16 genera, 48.48%) are distributed south of the Palearctic/Oriental boundary. A non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group method analysis using arithmetic mean clustering based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient matrix support a Palaearctic/Sino-Japanese boundary and a South China region closer to the Southwest, Central and North China regions. The Taiwan region appears clearly separated from the South China region and to mainland China, and more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. The Central and South China regions appear close to each other, but the Qinghai-Tibet region is singularly isolated.

The spider family Leptonetidae Simon, 1890 includes 20 genera and 366 species from North America, the Mediterranean Region and Asia. Currently, 132 species belonging to six genera have been recorded in China. A new genus and species of leptonetid spiders, Yueleptoneta dongxing gen. et sp. n., is described from Guangdong Province, China. Yueleptoneta gen. n. is distinct from the other genera in the chelicerae having the stridulatory file on the lateral margin and the male palp having a tarsal spur, lacking strong spines or apophyses on the femur and tibia.

The non-native vascular plants of Murmansk Region (European Russia) are under active investigation towards the compilation of the first complete checklist. This work is part of the project 'Flora of Russian Lapland', which ultimately aims at the complete inventory of the taxonomy, distribution and status of vascular plant species in Murmansk Region, based on the comprehensive database of herbarium specimens, field observations and literature.New territory-level records of non-native vascular plants emerged during our inventory of herbarium collections and recent fieldwork. Fourteen species (Anthemis ruthenica, Aruncus dioicus, Bromus commutatus, Chaerophyllum hirsutum, Galega orientalis, Geum aleppicum, Leonurus quinquelobatus, Lepidium densiflorum, Levisticum officinale, Myrrhis odorata, Phleum phleoides, Prunus armeniaca, Rorippa sylvestris, Senecio vernalis) are reported as new to Murmansk Region. The historical occurrences of alien plants appeared in the territory largely as contaminants (of seed or forage). In particular, Rorippa sylvestris and Senecio vernalis arrived with the forage imported during the Second World War. All recent occurrences originated by escape from confinement (ornamental purposes, horticulture, agriculture), reflecting a high diversity of the modern assortment of cultivated plants in commerce and private gardens. Regarding the invasion status, five alien species are considered casual and eight species are treated as locally established or persisting (for uncertain time). Only one species, Galega orientalis, is considered naturalised and capable of further spreading in the territory, although without invasive potential.

Background The W National Park and its two hunting zones represent a unique ecosystem in Burkina Faso for biodiversity conservation. This study aims at providing a detailed view of the current state of the floristic diversity as a baseline for future projects aiming at protecting and managing its resources. We combined intensive inventories and distribution records from vegetation plots, photo records and herbarium collections. New information This is the first comprehensive checklist of vascular plants of the Burkina Faso part of the transborder W National Park. With 721 documented species including 19 species new to Burkina Faso, the Burkina Faso part of the W National Park is, so far, the nature reserve with most plant species in Burkina Faso. To a large extent, this may be assigned to its high habitat diversity and moderate degree of disturbance, but also to a relatively large area within an even larger complex of neighbouring protected areas, as well as comprehensive spatial, ecological and seasonal sampling efforts. However, as a World Heritage Site and regarding the current general context of insecurity, the W National Park and the entire WAP Complex require more international attention in order to ensure its conservation.

Bamboo is a widespread plant with medicinal value. During our taxonomic study on medicinal plants, three collections of Distoseptispora were made from China and Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS and RPB2 sequence data showed that two collections represented a new species, phylogenetically distinct from other described species in Distoseptispora. This new species has macronematous, mononematous conidiophores, polyblastic or monoblastic conidiogenous cells and acrogenous, solitary, straight, obclavate, multi-septate, thick-walled conidia. Distoseptispora bambusae sp. nov. is introduced with illustrations and a comprehensive description. The third collection on dead wood from Thailand was identified as D. tectona with newly-generated molecular data for this taxon.

Background The subfamily Geometrinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), commonly known as emerald moths, is an ecologically diverse group of moths with over 2,500 described species. Many taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Geometrinae have been undertaken in the past decade, resulting in hundreds of new taxonomic changes since online publication of the most recent checklist in December 2007. New information This review synthesises the last 12 years of alpha-taxonomic research in Geometrinae. A comprehensive list of Geometrinae genus- and species-group descriptions, synonymies, combinations and other taxonomic changes, made since 2007, is provided. Since 2007, the known species richness of Geometrinae has increased from 2,529 to 2,642 species; an updated list of all these species is presented in a supplementary spreadsheet.

We describe one new genus and its one new species from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. Our study provides a concise description of this new species using morphology, life history, molecular data and photographic documentation. Chorotegamyiagen. n. is described, along with its type species, Chorotegamyia aureofacies sp. n. A modified key to the Uramyini is given to further elucidate the tribe.

Ophiocordyceps is the largest genus in the family Ophiocordicipitaceae, including many entomopathogenic species. In recent years, many species have been described in this genus, with a wide range of host insects. Entomopathogenic fungi include ecologically, economically and medicinally important species, but a large portion of their diversity remains to be discovered and described. In this study, a new species, Ophiocordyceps aphrophoridarum sp. nov, parasitising Aphrophoridae sp. (Hemiptera) is proposed from China, based on evidence from morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses. This species is characterised by fibrous, pigmented stromata, cylindrical asci and filiform ascospores. Compared to its closest relative, O. tricentri, the new species has wider perithecia and longer asci. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of a multilocus dataset (consisting of SSU, ITS, LSU, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2) confirm its placement in Ophiocordyceps. Ophiocordyceps aphrophoridarum is morphologically described and illustrated with colour photographs. Morphological comparisons with closely-related species are also presented in tabulated format.

Background The genus Cyclocosmia Ausserer, 1871 of the spider family Halonoproctidae Pocock, 1901 includes ten known species from North America and Asia. Since Cyclocosmiaricketti was described by Pocock in 1901, no males of this species have ever been reported. New information The male of Cyclocosmiaricketti is described for the first time, based on a specimen collected near the type locality in Fujian Province, China. A morphological description and illustrations are given.

The genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Halonoproctidae: Ummidiinae) includes 21 species and 1 subspecies occurring in southeast Eurasia. Just like other trapdoor spiders, the specimens of Latouchia are rare in collections, unless from targeted collecting. Two new species of mygalomorph spiders, Latouchia rufa sp. n. from Guangdong, China and L. yejiei sp. n. from Hainan, China, are described and illustrated from both sexes. Diagnostic characters of the two species are provided.

Background Despite their ecological and economic importance, hymenopteran parasitoids are severely understudied. Even in countries with a long taxonomic history such as Germany, dating back to the 18th century and including prolific figures like Christian Gottfired Nees von Esenbeck and Otto Schmiedeknecht, those species-rich groups are seldom the subject of comprehensive research efforts, leaving their true diversity unknown. This is often due to their small size of a few millimetres on average, leading to difficulties in their identification and examination. The chalcidoid family Pteromalidae is no exception to this neglect. So far, 735 species have been reported from Germany. Estimating the diversity of this group is not possible, but it has to be assumed that many more species are still to be discovered in Germany. New information With this study, we improve the knowledge on pteromalid diversity and present new records of 17 genera and 41 species, previously unknown to occur in Germany. We also match and describe previously unknown sexes of two species, based on DNA barcode data. The results of this study were generated as part of the German Barcode of Life Project. The newly-recorded species are illustrated and notes on the biology and distribution are given. The ecological significance of Pteromalidae and potential value as indicators for nature conservation efforts are briefly discussed.

Chilocorus Leach, 1815 the largest genus of Chilocorini, contains more than 80 species, mainly preying on Coccoidea. Many species of Chilocorus are economically important as they are widely used as biological control agents. In this study, two new species of the genus Chilocorus Leach are described from Laos: C. toulakhomianus Li & Wang, sp. n. and C. vientianicus Li & Wang, sp. n. Diagnoses and detailed descriptions of the new species are given. Each species is illustrated in detail, including genitalia. Distribution maps are presented.

In Morocco, many uncertainties surround the current diversity and distribution of the bivalve family Sphaeriidae. Such information, including taxonomy and conservation status, are vital for further studies to improve the knowledge of this family in Morocco and represents the first step towards the development of a national conservation plan for all freshwater bivalves.Between 2016 and 2019, several investigations were carried out to assess the diversity and distribution of Sphaeriidae in the different basins of Morocco, covering different types of habitat (lakes, springs, rivers and small ponds). The identification of specimens and their morpho-ecological features was based on morphological and morphometric analyses. The data on the general distribution of the collected species allowed the evaluation of their conservation status as well.The shell morphology and morphometric analyses revealed the existence of five species belonging to the genus Pisidium [P. casertanum (Poli, 1791), P. (cf.) personatum Malm, 1855, P. subtruncatum Malm, 1855, P. amnicum (O. F. Müller, 1774) and Pisidium sp.] and one species to the genus of Musculium [M. lacustre (O. F. Müller, 1774)]. Sphaeriidae were found in all Moroccan basins, except Bouregreg and Sakia El Hamra-Oued Eddahab Basins. The results showed that Sebou Basin was the species richest with the occurrence of the five species, while Loukkos and Sous-Massa Basins had the lowest-species richness with one species only. The conservation status of sphaeriids in Morocco was evaluated for the first time and resulted in P. (cf.) personatum and P. subtruncatum being proposed as Least Concern and Vulnerable, respectively, while the status of Regionally Extinct is suggested for both species P. amnicum and M. lacustre.First evaluation of the diversity and species richness of the family Sphaeriidae in Morocco with an assignment of an updated conservation status of the recorded species.

Tylocinum Y.C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2016 is a Boletaceae genus belonging in subfamily Leccinoideae. It was described in 2016 from China and, prior to this study, it contained only one species, T. griseolum Y.C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2016. During our survey of Boletaceae from Thailand, we collected some specimens that could be identified as a Tylocinum species, different from T. griseolum. The bolete specimens, collected in forests dominated by Dipterocarpaceae and Fagaceae in northern Thailand, are described as Tylocinum brevisporum Raghoonundon & Raspé sp. nov. Macroscopic and microscopic descriptions with illustrations are provided, as well as a 3-gene phylogeny, which confirms the new taxon’s position in Tylocinum. Tylocinum brevisporum differs from the only other known Tylocinum species (T. griseolum) by its brownish-grey colour, greyish-orange to brownish-orange colour change in the hymenophore when bruised, smaller pores (≤ 0.5 mm), longer tubes (up to 6 mm long), shorter and narrower basidiospores, longer and broader basidia and longer pleurocystidia relative to cheilocystidia. T. brevisporum is the second species from the genus Tylocinum and the only one to be found outside China thus far.

Background The genus Andropromachus (Lonchodidae: Necrosciinae: Necrosciini) is a small genus of stick insects including four species with a distribution in northern Vietnam and south-western China. New information A new species of stick insects Andropromachusgulinqingensis sp. n. is described from Yunnan Province of China. Diagnostic characters of the new species are illustrated and an identification key to male and female Andropromachus is provided along with a checklist for all described species.

The crab spider genus Bassaniana Strand, 1928 consists of six species mainly distributed in North America and Far East Asia. Two species of them, Bassaniana decorata (Karsch, 1879) and Bassaniana ora Seo, 1992, are known in Korea so far. A new crab spider, Bassaniana birudis sp. nov. is described, based on a male collected from Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. Distribution records are provided, as well as photos of habitus and illustrations of the male copulatory organ. The type specimens of this study are deposited in the collection of the Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR) and Konkuk University (KKU), South Korea.

Background During the survey of pathogenic fungi on medicinal plant leaves in Yunnan Province, China, two Cladosporium-like taxa were isolated from leaf spots of Parispolyphylla. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, TEF1-α and ACT genes, two new species were discovered. New information Two new species Cladosporiumyunnanensis and C.paris are introduced, the detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided. Morphology of the two new species is compared with other related Cladosporium species. This study widens the host diversity of the genus Cladosporium.

The gastromyzontid genus Vanmanenia was established by Hora in 1932, based on the type species Vanmanenia stenosoma. The genus is a loach group adapted to running waters of streams from southern China, northern Vietnam and Laos. Currently, 19 valid species of the genus have been recognised. The northernmost distribution of the genus is the Yangtze River (= Chang-Jiang in Chinese) Basin and five species (V. maculata, V. intermedia, V. stenosoma, V. pseudostriata and V. gymnetrus) have been reported from the Basin. Vanmanenia marmorata, a new hillstream species of loach, is here described from the middle Chang-Jiang Basin in Guizhou Province, south China. It is distinguished from its congeners by having a combination of the following characters: three triangular-shaped rostral lobules; postdorsal saddles wider than interspaces; a more backwards-placed anus (the vent to anal distance 30.5–36.9% of the pelvic to anal distance); a larger gill opening with its upper extremity reaching the level of the middle of the orbit; anal-fin base length 5.6–6.4% of SL; caudal-peduncle length 11.6–12.9% of SL; prepelvic length 51.1–53.4% of SL. Its validity is also affirmed by its distinct cyt b gene sequence divergence with all sampled congeners and its monophyly recovered in a cyt b gene-based phylogenetic analysis.

Freshwater shrimp of the family Atyidae De Haan, 1849 have been studied in Vietnam for more than a century. A total of 24 species of atyid shrimps from the generaCaridinaH. Milne Edwards, 1837,NeocaridinaKubo, 1938,AtyopsisChace, 1983 have been recorded from Vietnam. With 22 species, the majority are from the genusCaridina. In 2013, Karge and Klotz mentioned the occurrence of four yet undescribed species belonging toParacaridinaLiang, Guo & Tang, 1999 in Vietnam without taxonomic details.In general, studies of freshwater atyids in Vietnam are limited and most Vietnamese taxa await a taxonomic revision. The available data do not fully reflect their estimated species diversity in the country and distribution data are deficient. Here, we focus on four species of atyid shrimps from two genera, viz.Caridina cantonensisYu, 1938,C. lanceifronsYu, 1936,C. serrataStimpson, 1860 andNeocaridina palmata(Shen, 1948), all described from China and have been reported to occur in Vietnam. The previous reports on the occurrence of these species in Vietnam are largely unreliable due to taxonomic confusion. To contribute to the knowledge of these taxa, we provide the first verified distribution records of the four species in the country with some taxonomic remarks.This study shows the first taxonomically-verified distribution data of four atyid shrimp species originally described from China, but also reported from Vietnam, albeit under various species names and, in some cases, erroneously. These data allow the first meaningful discussion of the distribution in light of the reproductive strategy of these four species and, in conjunction with the taxonomic remarks, will contribute to the knowledge of these taxa. As a result of this research and data from previous studies, we now consider all four species as widespread and non-endemic, but land-locked (with a complete freshwater life cycle). In Vietnam, all four species are confined to the northern half of the country. Beyond Vietnam, we provide the first records forCaridina lanceifronsfrom southern Thailand, which suggests a major sampling gap in Indochina.

The genusCharaeaBaly is distributed in the eastern Palaearctic, Himalayas, China and adjacent countries of the Oriental Region. Currently, 59 species of the genusCharaeahave been recorded. The species ofCharaeais characterised with a robust tubular aedeagus that terminates with a more or less distinct apical process with theCharaea coomanigroup having an internal sac with long sharp lateral sclerites. Up to now, 13 species of this group have been described in the Oriental Region, four of which are found in Vietnam.Charaea dinhcuongisp. nov.is described as a new species, based on specimens collected from Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam. Colour photographs of habitus and body details and DNA barcode sequences are presented. An identification key is provided for all Vietnamese species from theCharaea coomanigroup.

Background Pleosporales is the largest order of Dothideomycetes. In recent years, systematics of Pleosporales have undergone considerable revisions. Dictyosporiaceae is one of the newly established families within this order proposed to accommodate holomorphic saprobic Dothideomycetes. Currently 18 genera are recognised in Dictyosporiaceae. New information The new species, Jalapriyaaquaticum sp. nov. and J.apicalivaginatum sp. nov. were collected from freshwater habitats in Gansu and Yunnan Provinces, China, respectively and are introduced, based on morphology and molecular analysis of combined ITS, LSU, SSU and TEF1-α sequence data. We also recovered one fresh collection of Dictyocheirosporavinaya D’souza, Bhat & K.D. Hyde, which is a new record for China. Jalapriyaaquaticum differs from extant species of Jalapriya in rows converging at the apex and apical cells with spherical-like appendages. Jalapriyaapicalivaginatum differs from extant species of Jalapriya in having the rows of conidia mostly arranged in a plane. The phylogenetic analysis place the new collections within Dictyosporiaceae (Pleosporales). Descriptions and illustrations of Jalapriyaaquaticum, J.apicalivaginatum and Dictyocheirosporavinaya are provided. A synopsis of characters of species of Jalapriya is also provided.

Scelionid wasps are arthropod egg parasitoids, many of which are relevant to global biosecurity. However, the scelionid fauna of Germany has not received much attention from professional taxonomists. Eleven species and four genera are recorded for the first time from Germany, including species of interest to agriculture and biological control. First genus records include Baryconus Förster, Macroteleia Westwood, Paratelenomus Dodd and Probaryconus Kieffer. First species records include B. europaeus (Kieffer), Idris nigroclavatus (Kieffer), Idris semiflavus (Kieffer), M. bicolora Kieffer, M. pannonica Szabo, Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd), Trimorus varicornis (Walker), Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), Trissolcus belenus (Walker), Trissolcus colemani (Crawford) and Trissolcus flavipes (Thompson). COI barcodes are identified for the first time from B. europaeus and M. bicolora. Each species is illustrated and updated world distributions are provided. Implications for agriculture are discussed.

Background Thailand is considered a global biodiversity hotspot that is known to harbour a striking diversity of endemic species. However, several research studies have determined that the level of amphibian diversity in the country has been significantly underestimated. The megophryid genus Leptobrachella Smith, 1925 is currently known to include 89 species that are primarily distributed throughout southern China and Southeast Asia; however, only seven species have been found in Thailand. New information Based on an integrative approach encompassing genetic and morphological analyses, we have concluded that the population identified from Chiang Rai Province of Thailand is conspecific with Leptobrachellaventripunctata (Fei, Ye, and Li, 1990). Importantly, this is the first confirmation record of this species, based on molecular and morphological evidence in Thailand. The discovery of this species reaffirms that the diversity within the genus has been underestimated with many species yet to be discovered. In addition, the findings of our study further highlight the lack of existing knowledge on amphibian taxonomy and an underestimation of the biodiversity that exists along these national border areas.

Exechia is a diverse genus of small fungus gnats, widespread in the Holarctic Region, while the fauna is largely unknown elsewhere, such as in the Afrotropical and Oriental Region. Members of Exechia can be arranged into several species groups, based on homologies in the male and female terminalia. The Exechia parva group is delimited, based on male terminalia possessing a pair of gonocoxal lobes on the apicoventral gonocoxal margin. Eight previously-described species can be placed in this group, of which six are from the Holarctic Region, while one is recorded each from the Oriental and the Afrotropical Regions. The Exechia parva group was reviewed and found to include 33 species, of which 24 were described as new to science and six were re-described. Identification keys to 32 species for males and nine species for females are provided together with illustrations and photos of male and female terminalia. Species delimitations were based on morphological examination of 94 male and female specimens, as well as DNA barcodes obtained from 124 specimens. Molecular and morphological species delimitations were mostly congruent, except in two cases where two species were delimited within a single Barcode Index Number (BIN). We found that each species is only known from a single zoogeographical region and that several species complexes are largely congruent with zoogeographical divisions, indicating that intercontinental barriers may have a strong impact on the species diversity of the group.

Micronecta (Micronecta) griseola Horvath, 1899 is a representative of water bugs of the family Corixidae. It is expanding its range eastwards according to our observations in Russia. In the last decade, the species has become more common in Western Siberia. The article presents the first records of M. griseola from the territory of the Middle Urals (Russia). The distribution of the species and the features of its biology are considered.

Este artículo contiene 258 páginas, 8 tablas, 219 figuras., Background The growing interest in mineral resources of the deep sea, such as seafloor massive sulphide deposits, has led to an increasing number of exploration licences issued by the International Seabed Authority. In the Indian Ocean, four licence areas exist, resulting in an increasing number of new hydrothermal vent fields and the discovery of new species. Most studies focus on active venting areas including their ecology, but the non-vent megafauna of the Central Indian Ridge and South East Indian Ridge remains poorly known. In the framework of the Indian Ocean Exploration project in the German license area for seafloor massive sulphides, baseline imagery and sampling surveys were conducted yearly during research expeditions from 2013 to 2018, using video sledges and Remotely Operated Vehicles. New information This is the first report of an imagery collection of megafauna from the southern Central Indian- and South East Indian Ridge, reporting the taxonomic richness and their distribution. A total of 218 taxa were recorded and identified, based on imagery, with additional morphological and molecular confirmed identifications of 20 taxa from 89 sampled specimens. The compiled fauna catalogue is a synthesis of megafauna occurrences aiming at a consistent morphological identification of taxa and showing their regional distribution. The imagery data were collected during multiple research cruises in different exploration clusters of the German licence area, located 500 km north of the Rodriguez Triple Junction along the Central Indian Ridge and 500 km southeast of it along the Southeast Indian Ridge., This study was funded by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.

Two decades have passed since the publishing of the last checklist of the millipedes of Slovakia. During this time, several new faunistic records have been added and taxonomic revisions have occurred. The present updated checklist summarises data on all millipede species recorded in Slovakia, including altogether 93 species. For each species, general habitat characteristics, ecological classification and distributional pattern are provided. Ecological classification is presented for the first time for the millipede species occurring in Slovakia and is proposed as a tool for ecological studies and for the nature protection purposes. Special remarks are given to the species newly found for Slovakia, Geoglomeris subterranea Verhoeff, 1908, Brachyiulus lusitanus Verhoeff, 1898, Cylindroiulus britannicus (Verhoeff, 1891), C. parisiorum (Brölemann & Verhoeff, 1896) and Polydesmus burzenlandicus Verhoeff, 1925, as well as to C. arborum Verhoeff, 1928, the species newly confirmed for Slovakia after more than 70 years.

The largest number of species of the widespread and highly diverse micromoth genus Ypsolopha Latreille, 1796 (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutoidea, Ypsolophidae) is known from the Northern Hemisphere. Only seven species have been described from the Neotropical Region, two of which occur in Chile. The adult stage of Ypsolopha chicoi sp. n. from the arid highlands of the western slopes of the Andes of northern Chile is described and illustrated. Its larvae feed on the native shrub Muehlenbeckia fruticulosa (Walp.) Standl. (Polygonaceae). The morphology of the genitalia of Y. chicoi sp. n. resembles that of the only congeneric known to occur in the same geographic area, Y. moltenii Vargas, 2018, whose larvae feed on Adesmia verrucosa Meyen (Fabaceae). Besides using different host plants, the two species can be accurately separated, based on morphological differences in female and male genitalia.

Background During the 2019 First Descent: Seychelles Expedition, shallow and deep reef ecosystems of the Seychelles Outer Islands were studied by deploying a variety of underwater technologies to survey their benthic flora and fauna. Submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA diving teams used stereo-video camera systems to record benthic communities during transect surveys conducted at 10 m, 30 m, 60 m, 120 m, 250 m and 350 m depths. In total, ~ 45 h of video footage was collected during benthic transect surveys, which was subsequently processed using annotation software in order to assess reef biodiversity and community composition. Here, we present a photographic guide for the visual identification of the marine macrophytes, corals, sponges and other common invertebrates that inhabit Seychelles’ reefs. It is hoped that the resulting guide will aid marine biologists, conservationists, managers, divers and naturalists with the coarse identification of organisms as seen in underwater footage or live in the field. New information A total of 184 morphotypes (= morphologically similar individuals) were identified belonging to Octocorallia (47), Porifera (35), Scleractinia (32), Asteroidea (19), Echinoidea (10), Actiniaria (9), Chlorophyta (8), Antipatharia (6), Hydrozoa (6), Holothuroidea (5), Mollusca (2), Rhodophyta (2), Tracheophyta (2), Annelida (1), Crinoidea (1), Ctenophora (1), Ochrophyta (1) and Zoantharia (1). Out of these, we identified one to phylum level, eight to class, 14 to order, 27 to family, 110 to genus and 24 to species. This represents the first attempt to catalogue the benthic diversity from shallow reefs and up to 350 m depth in Seychelles.

Background The genus Falsonannocerus Pic, 1947 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Stenochiinae, Cnodalonini) includes 13 known species occurring in West Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The bionomics of species in this genus are unknown. New information The genus Falsonnannocerus Pic, 1947 is recorded for the first time from China, including two species: F.thailandicus Masumoto, 1986 from Yunnan and F.haizhuensis sp. n. from Guangdong. Morphological characters of the two species are illustrated and compared. The photographs of female reproductive system, which were never shown for this genus before, are also presented.

Southern Ocean ecosystems are currently experiencing increased environmental changes and anthropogenic pressures, urging scientists to report on their biodiversity and biogeography. One major marine taxonomically diverse and trophically important group that has, however, stayed largely understudied until now is the gelatinous zooplankton, including cnidarians, ctenophores and tunicates. This data scarcity is predominantly due to many of these fragile, soft-bodied organisms being easily fragmented and/or destroyed with traditional net sampling methods. Progress in alternative survey methods including, for instance, optics-based methods is slowly starting to overcome these obstacles. As video annotation by human observers is both time-consuming and financially costly, machine learning techniques should be developed for the analysis of in-situ image-based datasets. This requires taxonomically accurate training sets for correct species identification and the present paper is the first to provide such data.In this study, we twice conducted three week-long in situ optics-based surveys of gelatinous zooplankton found under the ice in the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Our study constitutes the first optics-based survey of gelatinous zooplankton in the Ross Sea and the first study to use in situ observations to describe taxonomic, trophic, and behavioral characteristics of gelatinous zooplankton from the Southern Ocean. Despite the small geographic and temporal scales of our study, we provided new undescribed morphological traits for all observed gelatinous zooplankton species (eight cnidarian and four ctenophore species). Three ctenophores and one leptomedusa likely represent undescribed species. Furthermore, along with the photography and videography, we prepared a Common Objects in Context (COCO) dataset, so that this study is the first to provide a taxonomist-ratified image training set for future machine learning algorithm development concerning Southern Ocean gelatinous zooplankton species.