European Journal of Taxonomy

A review of the genus Tyrannochthonius (Pseudoscorpiones: Chthoniidae) from Guangxi, China, with the description of eleven new species

Jianzhou Sun — 2026-05-21

Eleven new species of Tyrannochthonius from Guangxi Province in southern China are described, including detailed diagnosis and illustrations: T. baiseensis sp. nov. from Dayan Cave (Lingyun County), T. fenghuangensis sp. nov. from Unnamed Cave 3 (Bama Yao Autonomous County), T. laqiuensis sp. nov. from Laqiu Cave (Donglan County), T. longulimembrum sp. nov. from Guangyang Cave (Tiandong County), T. miridentatus sp. nov. from Xi’an Cave (Fengshan County), T. shenlongensis sp. nov. from Shenlong Cave (Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County), T. xianguensis sp. nov. from Xiangu Cave (Yizhou District), T. xiannvyanensis sp. nov. from Xiannvyan Cave (Yizhou District), T. xiaoi sp. nov. from Unnamed Cave 1 (Xing’an County), T. yilingyanensis sp. nov. from Yilingyan Cave (Wuming District) and T. yui sp. nov. from Unnamed Cave 2 (Yufeng District). An identification key to all known species of Tyrannochthonius from China is also provided.

Taxonomic revision of the genus Capparis (Capparaceae, Brassicales) in Vietnam

Silvio Fici — 2026-05-20

A taxonomic revision of the genus Capparis L. has been carried out in Vietnam. Based on the examination of 552 herbarium specimens and on field surveys, 38 species, 11 subspecies and 3 varieties, all belonging to Capparis sect. Monostichocalyx Radlk., are recognized in the study area. Among these, a new subspecies, C. acutifolia subsp. macrophylla Fici & Sy subsp. nov., is described from northern and central Vietnam (Quang Binh, Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh provinces), while C. sikkimensis subsp. sikkimensis Kurz is reported from Vietnam for the first time, based on material from Hoa Binh Province. Vietnam, with 11 endemic species occurring mainly in the central provinces, is confirmed as one of the hotspots of the genus. A key to the species is provided, along with descriptions, synonyms, distribution ranges, and ecological and phenological data. Furthermore, the provisional conservation status of the treated taxa is assessed. When available, vernacular names and their uses are also reported, based on bibliographic sources and herbarium labels.

Overlooked brachiopods from the Karubenthos & Madibenthos expeditions (French Caribbean) – biodiversity and ecology

Danièle Gaspard — 2026-05-19

Several marine expeditions by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Karubenthos and Madibenthos) with the RV “L’Antea” around the French Caribbean Islands, allow for the first time to highlight, among benthic faunas, the presence and diversity of representatives of the phylum Brachiopoda. Thirty species, including two new ones: Tichosina madininensis sp. nov. and Argyrotheca beaumalei sp. nov., and one never recorded before from the Caribbean Sea (Amphithyris aff. buckmanni Thomson, 1918) were recognised, belonging to the three subphyla composing the phylum. The diversity of the fauna, its morphological and microstructural characteristics, geographical distribution, and ecology are taken into consideration when comparing it with similar fauna from elsewhere in the Caribbean Sea and all over the world when available. Among genera, Gryphus Megerle von Mühlfeldt, 1871, Tichosina Cooper, 1977 with several species, and Erymnia Cooper, 1977 are the largest forms, while some of the smallest collected were Cryptopora Jeffreys, 1869, and Argyrotheca Dall, 1890. The latter genus has representatives with bright colours that should be considered as jewels of the benthos there. The pigments involved in their colouration deserve attention (analyses using Raman Spectroscopy are in progress). The commonest species collected, Terebratulina cailleti Crosse, 1865, is found attached to various substrates. All these brachiopods, as attached benthic organisms but overlooked for such a long time, are reliable archives of the local environment. Some of these brachiopods are living attached to or beneath corals, and to sponges, and are now considered to be in danger as a consequence of coral bleaching due to climate change and also to pollution.

Integrative taxonomy reveals four new species in the superdiverse genus Macrobiotus (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae)

Daniel Stec — 2026-05-18

Four new species of the genus Macrobiotus are described from Asia and Africa: Macrobiotus witalinskii sp. nov., M. dalaticus sp. nov., M. surmaczi sp. nov., and M. hoianicus sp. nov. Species delimitation is based on detailed morphological and morphometric analyses using phase-contrast light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, complemented by molecular data from four commonly used genetic markers. Phylogenetic analyses consistently place all four species within Macrobiotus clade C, each forming a distinct, well-supported monophyletic lineage. The newly described taxa expand the known morphological and ecological diversity of clade C and show that egg and body coloration characters previously considered diagnostic for this lineage are not evolutionarily conserved. These results further emphasize the value of integrative taxonomy for documenting hidden diversity and for supporting future biodiversity assessments, including large-scale DNA barcoding and metabarcoding surveys of tardigrades.

Ninetine spiders in Brazilian Caatinga and Cerrado: revision of Kambiwa and description of Sertana gen. nov. (Araneae, Pholcidae), with analyses of predicted range shifts due to climate change

Bernhard A. Huber — 2026-05-14

Among daddy long-legs spiders (Pholcidae), Ninetinae is a distinctive subfamily that comprises short-legged, fast-running spiders. Most species are small or tiny, lead reclusive lives, and are largely restricted to semiarid regions, which together has made them poorly collected and poorly known. Here, we build on focused recent collections in the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, two of the World’s richest tropical savanna, xeric shrubland and thorn forest regions. Our focus is on the taxonomy of the genus Kambiwa Huber, 2000 that previously contained only two nominal species, each known from a single locality. Combining morphological and molecular (CO1 barcode) data, we describe six new species in Kambiwa (K. brumado Huber sp. nov.; K. coribe Huber sp. nov.; K. ibo Huber sp. nov.; K. itacarambi Huber sp. nov.; K. maracas Huber sp. nov.; K. mucuge Huber sp. nov.), redescribe the type species K. neotropica (Kraus, 1957), and synonymize the monotypic genus Pemona Huber, 2019 with Kambiwa, resulting in the new combination K. sapo (Huber, 2019) comb. nov. In addition, we describe a new genus of superficially Kambiwa-like spiders from the same geographic region: Sertana Huber gen. nov., with five new species (S. bumba Huber gen. et sp. nov.; S. capivara Huber gen. et sp. nov.; S. igapora Huber gen. et sp. nov.; S. lapa Huber gen. et sp. nov.; S. sagarana Huber gen. et sp. nov.). In line with previous efforts to explore the processes underlying the geographical distribution of Ninetinae, we also evaluate the potential effects of future climate change on the environmental niche occupied by three selected species of Kambiwa. Our results corroborate previous findings that demonstrate an altitude-mediated response to climate change. For a highland species, areas of high habitat suitability almost disappear under more severe climate change scenarios. For two species with lowland records, the areas with high habitat suitability increase significantly. Finally, we analyze the male karyotype of K. ibo which consists of 28 chromosomes including a X₁X₂X₃Y system. All chromosomes are biarmed except for the Y chromosome. This contribution concludes a series of publications on the subfamily Ninetinae. We use this opportunity to summarize current knowledge about the subfamily, to discuss open questions and knowledge gaps, and to suggest further research topics focusing on these tiny but exceptional pholcids.

Descriptions of two new species and a new record of the giant pill-millipede genus Zephronia Gray, 1832 from Thailand (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae)

Nirun Srimongkol — 2026-05-13

Two new species of the millipede genus Zephronia Gray, 1832 are described from Thailand, viz., Z. sukhothaiensis Srimongkol & Srisonchai sp. nov. and Z. tratensis Srimongkol & Srisonchai sp. nov., based on an integrative taxonomic approach. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by a combination of characters, especially the length of the bristles on the endotergum of the midbody tergite and the shape of the telopods. Mitochondrial COI gene divergences between the two new species and the closely related species are more than 11% for Z. sukhothaiensis sp. nov. and 12% for Z. tratensis sp. nov., which supports their recognition as separate species. The species Zephronia ovalis Gray, 1832 is recorded from Thailand for the first time and is redescribed based on newly collected specimens from Sisaket Province. This new record indicates a transboundary distribution for Z. ovalis and highlights the biogeographical connectivity between Thailand and Vietnam. Furthermore, morphological characters of a newly discovered population of Zephronia macula Srisonchai & Wesener, 2024 are also updated and discussed, and compared to the type material. The variation observed in this newly discovered population reveals an extreme colour plasticity within Z. macula and provides a cautionary example regarding the unreliability of colouration for species delimitation. Morphological illustrations of Z. macula, Z. ovalis, Z. sukhothaiensis sp. nov., Z. tratensis sp. nov., an identification key, and a distribution map of all species of Zephronia occurring in Thailand are also provided.

A new epyrine wasp (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from the late Eocene of Europe

Manuel Brazidec — 2026-05-04

The aculeate family Bethylidae is represented in Baltic amber by about 40 species. We here describe and figure a new species in the subfamily Epyrinae from this late Eocene deposit: †Gracilepyris carsteni sp. nov., based on a complete male specimen. This is the first fossil species of Gracilepyris Colombo, Tribull & Azevedo, 2022, a recently discovered genus, comprising five extant species from the northern Neotropical, Nearctic, and Palaearctic regions. Gracilepyris is characteristic of the Epyris complex, a group of genera possessing individualized foveae at the mesoscuto-mesoscutellar suture. The finding of †Gracilepyris carsteni sp. nov. in Baltic amber is consistent with the estimated Late Cretaceous–Paleogene radiation of this derived group. Finally, we revive the name Risepyris dubius (Kieffer, 1904) for an extant European bethylid species which was unnecessarily renamed Holepyris neodubius Azevedo, 2018; we also propose the new name †Risepyris bruesi Brazidec nom. nov. for the Eocene fossil †Risepyris dubius (Brues, 1933), which was objectively invalid as a junior homonym.

Taxonomic studies on Psammoecus Latreille (Coleoptera, Silvanidae, Brontinae) from the Indian subcontinent and new records from adjacent regions

Michael Karner — 2026-04-30

Diagnoses for species of the genus Psammoecus Latreille, 1829 known from the Indian subcontinent are provided. Three new species of Psammoecus are described: Psammoecus convexicollis sp. nov., P. pandu sp. nov., and P. rahu sp. nov. Psammoecus incommodus (Walker, 1859), formerly synonymised with P. trimaculatus Motschulsky, 1858, is restituted. Six new synonyms are discovered: Psammoecus convexus Grouvelle, 1888 = P. khasia Pal, 1985 syn. nov.; Psammoecus hirsutus Olliff, 1883 = P. tereticollis Grouvelle, 1919 syn. nov.; Psammoecus incommodus (Walker, 1859) = P. gratiosus Grouvelle, 1908 syn. nov. and = P. labyrinthicus Yoshida & Hirowatari, 2014 syn. nov.; Psammoecus nitidus Grouvelle, 1908 = P. impressicollis Grouvelle, 1908 syn. nov. and = P. personatus Grouvelle, 1919 syn. nov. Faunistic data, including numerous new records for the Indian subcontinent and adjacent areas, are provided.

Two new species of Copelatus Erichson, 1832 from urban low mountains of eastern China, with new province records of the other Copelatinae in China (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)

Zhuo-yin Jiang — 2026-04-29

Two new species of Copelatus Erichson, 1832 from eastern China are described: C. jinlingensis sp. nov. from Zijinshan Mt. (Jiangsu) and C. lankeensis sp. nov. from Lankeshan Mt. (Zhejiang). Based on the oblong-oval body shape, elytral striation consisting of six dorsal and a submarginal stria with sutural stria complete, and the median lobe of aedeagus without a distinct process, both species are assigned to the Copelatus japonicus complex of the C. irinus species group. They are compared with similar Chinese species, including the co-occuring ones. Their important morphological characters are photographed. Copelatus chinensis Régimbart, 1899, C. japonicus Sharp, 1884, and Austrelatus parallelus (Zimmermann, 1920) are recorded for the first time from Jiangsu and C. weymarni Balfour-Browne, 1947 for the first time from Heilongjiang and Jilin. Data on the ecology and distribution of the species are provided and illustrated.

New genus and species of Philippine spittlebug (Cercopidae: Hemiptera), with notes on subtribal placement of Trigonoschema

Elorde S. Jr Crispolon — 2026-04-28

A new genus and two new species are described from the Philippines: Miosterpa Crispolon & Yap gen. nov., with two new species, M. flammarubra Crispolon & Soulier-Perkins gen. et sp. nov., and M. kalanguya Crispolon & Yap gen. et sp. nov. Male genitalia are described and illustrated. Identification keys to Philippine species of Miosterpa and key to the Philippine genera of Poeciloterpina Schmidt, 1920 are provided. Molecular data support the description of Miosterpa as a genus distinct from Mioscarta Breddin, 1901 and Poeciloterpa Stål, 1870. A short note on the subtribal classification of the genus Trigonoschema Crispolon & Soulier-Perkins, 2021 is also included.