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This study presents data on woody plant species richness and diversity of an inaccessible dry forest of Tula Mountains Woodland (TMW) located in the northeast of Nigeria. TMW supports a minimally disturbed mosaic of dry forest‐woodland. We sampled woody species in 190 plots of size 0.01‐ha, spaced 50 m apart on series of line transects. We found a total of 133 woody species belonging to 88 genera and 39 families in 1.9 ha area sampled in total. Out of 133 species, 120 were identified to species level, and 113 were recorded as trees, shrubs and lianas with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 5 cm. Species accumulation curve was non‐asymptotic. Fisher's logseries model suggests that the plots sampled in the dry forest communities of TMW are represented by a high number of rare species. Of 120 identified species, 46 (38%) lacked evaluation on conservation status by IUCN. Out of 74 (62%) evaluated species, 2 were listed as critically endangered, 3 were vulnerable, and 69 were of least concern. In the TMW, 27% of woody species were restricted to Sudanian savannah biome, 61% occurred in Sudanian and Zambezian savannah biome. TMW serves as refugia for native plant species and plant communities in northeastern Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spider genus Ikuma Lawrence, 1938, endemic to Namibia, is rediagnosed and redescribed based on the characters both species originally included in the genus and of the newly described I. larseni sp. nov. A new synonymy is proposed: I. squamata Lawrence, 1938, described from a sole female is recognized a junior synonym of the type species I. spiculosa (Lawrence, 1927), based on a single juvenile. The currently described I. larseni sp. nov. differs from the generotype in the eye arrangement, structure of the abdominal scuta, and details of the colouration. The copulatory organs of both males and females belonging to Ikuma are studied, described and depicted for the first time. The previously known genus range confined to the far north of Namibia extends to the mid-western part of this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Afrotropical species of the sphecid genus Sphex are revised. Forty-six taxa are recognized, of which fifteen are newly described: Sphex abbotti nivarius subsp. nov., S. comorensis sp. nov., S. hades sp. nov., S. nefrens sp. nov., S. occidentalis sp. nov., S. pseudopraedator sp. nov., S. pseudosatanas sp. nov., S. pulawskii sp. nov., S. rufoclypeatus sp. nov., S. satanas memnon subsp. nov., S. schmideggeri sp. nov., S. schoutedeni malawicus subsp. nov., S. socotrensis sp. nov., S. stadelmanni rufus subsp. nov. and S. victoria sp. nov. A new subgenus, Menkeella subgen. nov., is proposed for S. paulinierii Guérin Méneville, 1843. Four former synonyms are resurrected: Sphex pruinosus var. haemorrhoidalis Magretti, 1898, for which the replacement name of S. feijeni nom. nov. is proposed, S. camerunicus Strand, 1916, S. cinerascens Dahlbom, 1843 and S. abbotti W. Fox, 1891. Nine of the previously valid names are shown to be junior synonyms: Sphex haemorrhoidalis basuto (Arnold, 1947) and S. haemorrhoidalis kobrowi (Arnold, 1928) = S. umtalicus Strand, 1916; S. incomptus anonymus Leclercq, 1955 = S. nigrohirtus Kohl, 1895; S. neavei (Arnold, 1928) = S. abbotti W. Fox, 1891; S. observabilis (R. Turner, 1918) = S. ahasverus Kohl, 1890; S. rufiscutis (R. Turner, 1918) and S. mochii Giordani Soika, 1942 = S. jansei Cameron, 1910; S. rufiscutis laevigatus Arnold, 1951 = S. gaullei Berland, 1927; and S. stadelmanni integer (Arnold, 1928) = S. stadelmanni Kohl, 1895. Three previously synonymized species are transferred as new synonyms to different species: Sphex conradti Berland, 1927 = S. camerunicus Strand, 1916; S. kilimandjaroensis Cameron, 1908 = S. abbotti W. Fox, 1891; and S. nigripes var. pachyderma Strand, 1916 = S. umtalicus Strand, 1916. For three species, the actual type localities are on different continents than their labels indicate: Sphex ahasverus Kohl, 1890, S. castaneipes Dahlbom, 1843 and S. optimus F. Smith, 1856, with the first occuring in Africa instead of Australia and the other two presumably occuring in South America instead of Africa. The occurrence of the argentatus group in Sub-Saharan Africa is confirmed, and seven additional species groups are established, with all but one of them based on apomorphic morphological traits. A hypothesis on the phylogenetic relationships among the subgenera and species groups of Sphex is presented, and an identification key for both sexes as well as a placoid-based identification table for males are presented. Using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis on mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data generated from thirty-one of the recognized taxa, the monophyly of the proposed species groups is corroborated.

A new monotypic genus of flatid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Flatidae), Selizitapia gen. nov., is described for Selizitapia pennyi gen. et sp. nov. (type species) from the island of Madagascar. Habitus, male and female external and internal genital structures of the new species are illustrated and compared with similar taxa. Selizitapia pennyi gen. et sp. nov. is endemic to Madagascar where it is known to date only from one locality in the Central Plateau and is associated with tapia woodland formation.

A new monotypic genus of flatid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Flatidae), Medleria gen. nov., is described for Medleria caudata gen. et sp. nov. (type species) from the island of Socotra (Yemen). Habitus, male and female external and internal genital structures of the new species are illustrated and compared with similar taxa. Medleria caudata gen. et sp. nov. is probably endemic to Socotra where it is known to date from a small area of the Dixam mountain plateau only

On the base of data collected during four expeditions in Gabon (West Africa) from 2012 to 2016, the authors provide new information on trophic activity and reproductive behaviour of Paratomapoderus brachypterus (Voss, 1926) (Attelabidae: Apoderinae, Hoplapoderini), with emphasis on leaf-roll realisation; host plant, leaf roll, larva and pupa are illustrated for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Afrotropical planthopper genus Centromeriana Melichar, 1912 (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Dictyopharidae, Dictyopharinae, Orthopagini) is revised. Four species are included: C. jocosa (Gerstaecker, 1895) (the type species, with confirmed records from Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon), C. lindbergae sp. nov. (described from Sierra Leone), C. rhinoceros sp. nov. (described from Togo) and C. simplex Melichar, 1912 (so far only known from Equatorial Guinea, Bioko island). Lectotypes are designated for C. jocosa and C. simplex and both species are redescribed including habitus photographs and detailed illustrations of the male and female genitalia which are published for the first time. A key for identification of the species of Centromeriana is provided. As far as known, the genus is endemic to the (Guineo-)Congolian region of western Africa.

Aim Investigation of the geographical origin of Senecio and the colonization of the Palaearctic including the relationship of life-history strategy and elevational distribution in the source area and the colonized area. Location Worldwide with a focus on the Afrotropic and the Palaearctic. Methods Sampling focused on adding species from the Afrotropic to existing datasets of Senecio. Two nuclear markers and three chloroplast markers were amplified and sequenced. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference were used to infer phylogeny, divergence times, biogeographical history and life-history strategy evolution. Results Senecio originated most likely during the Mid to Late Miocene in western southern Africa ( WSA). Colonization of the Palaearctic probably started from two different areas. One lineage of mostly annual lowland species seems to have originated in WSA, whereas the other lineage of perennial mountain species originated in mountainous areas of eastern southern Africa or tropical/subtropical East Africa. Main conclusions Senecio evolved in arid or semi-arid regions in WSA during a period of ongoing aridification and broad-scale biome changes at the onset of a winter rainfall regime in the Greater Cape Floristic Region. Life-history strategy and elevational distribution of the two Palaearctic lineages did not change between the source areas and the colonized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microhabitats may be crucial in buffering organisms from temperature extremes, particularly given increases in maximum temperature associated with global climate change. For example, thermoregulation in termite mounds is influenced by prevailing ambient conditions, and plant canopies may reduce external temperatures, in turn lowering internal temperatures. This buffering may be crucial during heat waves. Whether this happens, and to what extent, remains equivocal, however. We tracked internal temperatures in eight inhabited and six uninhabited Trinervitermes trinervoides mounds, half of each group of which were shaded by vegetation. T. trinervoides seek to maintain internal mound temperatures at c. 20 °C in winter and c. 30 °C in summer. Temperatures were logged for 72 h in winter, and again in summer. Internal temperatures of uninhabited mounds mirrored those of external temperatures, with temperatures varying by c. 15 °C, although shading was associated with some buffering of internal temperatures. Internal temperatures within inhabited mounds were far less variable, varying by c. 6 °C over the course of our study. In summer, exposed inhabited mounds maintained temperatures c. 29.5 °C, whilst shaded inhabited mounds were c. 27.5 °C. In winter, mean internal temperatures of exposed and shaded inhabited mounds were very similar, at 21.8 and 22.0 °C, respectively. Internal mound temperature varied significantly with external (ambient) temperature, mound activity, temperature, shading, and to a small extent, mound volume. The buffering effect of shade was evident in summer (c. 2 °C) but not in winter, suggesting that the benefit of such temperature modulation may be most important when ambient temperatures reach heat extremes, e.g. during heat waves. • Thermoregulation inside termite mounds is influenced by ambient conditions. • We tracked internal temperatures of Trinervitermes trinervoides mounds. • Internal mound temperatures were tracked over 72 h in summer and in winter. • Uninhabited mounds tracked external temperatures, inhabited mounds were less variable. • The buffering effect of shade was evident in summer (c. 2 °C) but not in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]