European Journal of Taxonomy

Two new species of the Neoperla (Formosita) lushana-group (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from China, supported by morphological and mitochondrial COI data

Yingying Wang, Guoquan Wang, Dávid Murányi, Weihai Li — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:07:15 +0200

The Neoperla (Formosita) lushana-group is revised using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological and molecular evidence. Two new species of this group are described and illustrated: Neoperla foping Wang, Wang & Li sp. nov. from Shaanxi Province and Neoperla huangi Wang, Wang & Li sp. nov. from Hunan Province. Diagnostic features are compared with those of related congeners. DNA barcode sequences (COI) were generated for both species, and their species boundaries were supported by morphological differentiation, phylogenetic analyses, and interspecific genetic distances. Phylogenetic reconstruction further corroborated the monophyly and distinctiveness of the two new species within the N. (F.) lushana-group.

Unravelling the phylogenetic complexities of Ischyropsalis (Opiliones: Dyspnoi: Ischyropsalididae) in the North Iberian Peninsula, with the description of three new species

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:11:20 +0200

Ischyropsalis C.L. Koch, 1839 is a genus of harvestmen inhabiting both terrestrial surface habitats and caves in central and southern Europe. The accepted number of species is controversial due to feature similarities and their strong sexual dimorphism. The northern part of the Iberian Peninsula harbours 16 accepted species, seven of which are epigean, while the other nine exclusively live in caves. Some of these species have not been included in the only phylogenetic study conducted on this genus, so their taxonomic status has not yet been evaluated within a phylogenetic framework. In this context, we aim to unravel the phylogenetic relationships among the taxa within this genus, from the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, by conducting morphological and phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (EF1-α) molecular markers. Our results revealed three previously undescribed species from karstic caves in Cantabria and Asturias, herein described as I. damiani sp. nov., I. impressa Luque & Labrada sp. nov. and I. aguerana Luque & Labrada sp. nov. and a new designation, nodifera-group, for those Iberian species related with I. nodifera.

Six new species of Kelita Sandhouse, 1943 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae) from Northern Chile

Laurence Packer — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:42:35 +0200

Six new species of the cleptoparasitic nomadine genus Kelita Sandhouse, 1943 are described from Chile, north of the Tropic of Capricorn, an area where no species of the genus were previously known. All are from the nominate subgenus. The new species are: Kelita cephalalgia sp. nov., K. tignamar sp. nov., K. cocai sp. nov., K. fontis sp. nov., K. keithsheldoni sp. nov. and K. chugchug sp. nov. These are rare bees, known only from one to five specimens despite this area having been surveyed for bees intensively between 1998 and 2017. I diagnose, describe and illustrate each species and provide a key for their identification. A Chilean occurrence of K. (Spinokelita) argentina Rozen, 1997 is noted.

Two new cryptic species of Hemidactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) allied to H. treutleri from Telangana, India

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:37:23 +0200

We describe two new species of the genus Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820, namely Hemidactylus cairnicola sp. nov. and H. koyaorum sp. nov., from Nalgonda and Warangal districts of Telangana State, India, respectively, based on an integrative assessment of external morphology and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene sequences. Both taxa are assigned to the Hemidactylus brookii group and belong to the murrayi clade, within which they show closest affinity to H. treutleri Mahony, 2009. Mitochondrial sequence divergence reveals substantial genetic differentiation from H. treutleri, with the species of Nalgonda exhibiting an uncorrected pairwise distance of 9.5–14.5%, and the species of Warangal differing by 7.0–13.5%. The two newly described species are also genetically distinct from each other, showing an uncorrected p-distance of 9.5–10.0%. These levels of divergence, in conjunction with consistent morphological differences, support the recognition of both taxa as distinct species.

Two new species of Pseudomiopteryx Saussure, 1870 from the Brazilian Amazon, with an updated key to the species and complementary records (Mantodea: Thespidae)

Bernardo R. Ferraz, Julio Rivera — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:05:48 +0200

We describe two new species of Pseudomiopteryx Saussure, 1870 from the western Brazilian Amazon: Pseudomiopteryx akuntsu sp. nov., recorded from Rondônia and Amazonas states, and P. chicomendesi sp. nov. from Acre. These additions raise the total number of recognized species in the genus to 13. We also report new taxonomic and distributional data for P. decipiens Giglio-Tos, 1915 and P. gorgonae Ariza & Salazar, 2005. An updated species checklist and an identification key to all known species, based on males, are provided.

First record of the genus Orthocentrus Gravenhorst, 1829 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of nineteen new species

Oleksandr Varga — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:23:54 +0200

In this paper the orthocentrine genus Orthocentrus Gravenhorst, 1829 is reported from Vietnam for the first time. Twenty two species are recognized, with three Eastern Palaearctic species, O. brachycerus Humala & Lee, 2020, O. leucostomus Humala & Lee, 2020 and O. pulchellus Humala & Lee, 2020, recorded from the Indomalayan region for the first time, and nineteen species are described as new: O. dalatensis sp. nov., O. dissidens sp. nov., O. excisus sp. nov., O. fossatus sp. nov., O. lamdongensis sp. nov., O. languidus sp. nov., O. lineatus sp. nov., O. mandibularis sp. nov., O. mystacinus sp. nov., O. nitidus sp. nov., O. papillosus sp. nov., O. pectoralis sp. nov., O. pilosus sp. nov., O. punctatus sp. nov., O. remotus sp. nov., O. sulcatus sp. nov., O. taeniatus sp. nov., O. tonkinensis sp. nov., and O. vietnamensis sp. nov. An identification key to females of Vietnamese Orthocentrus is provided.

Molluscs associated with a cold seep on the Mtwara Mud Volcano off Tanzania (Mollusca: Gastropoda and Bivalvia)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:13:46 +0200

Molluscs living in cold seep habitats often exhibit adaptations to extreme environmental conditions like high concentrations of oil, methane, hydrogen sulphide, heavy metals, and high acidity. This paper reports on the mollusc fauna encountered on the Mtwara Mud Volcano (MV) with a crestal cold seep, which was discovered off Tanzania during the cruise SO306 by the German RV Sonne in 2024. Living specimens of the cold seep fauna include the bivalve Gigantidas tanzaniensis Hoffman, Westbeek & Kihara sp. nov., and the gastropods Bathyacmaea nipponica Okutani, Tsuchida & Fujikura, 1992, Eatoniella kahawa Hoffman sp. nov., Provanna castanea Hoffman & Kihara sp. nov., Provanna mzunguko Hoffman sp. nov., and Enigmaticolus nipponensis (Okutani & Fujiwara, 2000). Empty shells of species belonging to cold seep fauna include the bivalves Gigantidas komekahawia Hoffman, Pfennings & Freiwald sp. nov., Lucinoma mviringo Hoffman sp. nov., Calyptogena pemba Hoffman, Pfennings & Freiwald sp. nov., Isorropodon mtwaraense Hoffman sp. nov., and Isorropodon cowioae Hoffman sp. nov. A number of gastropods with, most likely, a large distribution along the east African margin were found as well: Puncturella mrembo Hoffman sp. nov., P. alternata Hoffman sp. nov., Fissurisepta kilimanjaro Hoffman sp. nov., Cornisepta infundibulus Hoffman sp. nov., Anatoma agulhasensis (Thiele, 1925), A. japonica (Adams, 1862), A. chaki Hoffman sp. nov., Satondella goudi Geiger, 2012, Sinezona macleani Geiger, 2006, Toroidia marisindica Hoffman sp. nov., Skenea kitovu Hoffman sp. nov., Seamountiella laini Hoffman sp. nov., Cerithiella kupamba Hoffman sp. nov., and Pedicypraedia stylasteriophila Hoffman, Pfennings & Freiwald sp. nov. At species level, most of the molluscan taxa at the Mtwara MV are different from those reported from other cold seep locations. Two exceptions are the gastropods Bathyacmaea nipponica and Enigmaticolus nipponensis, both were originally described from cold seeps off Japan and their distributions are herein extended to the continental slope off Tanzania.

Austrelatus zimmermanni (Gschwendtner, 1934) comb. nov. (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae) with two new subspecies from Japan, and notes on the species biology and ecology

Kohei Watanabe, Masaya Kato, Shouhei Ueda, Helena Shaverdo — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:59:09 +0200

Museum specimens and the newly collected material of the species known so far as Copelatus zimmermanni Gschwendtner, 1934 from Japan were examined, and based on our molecular analysis and morphological study, the species is recognised to belong to the genus Austrelatus Shaverdo, Hájek, Hendrich, Surbakti, Panjaitan & Balke, 2023: Austrelatus zimmermanni (Gschwendtner, 1934) comb. nov. Although showing almost no differences in the shape of the male genitalia, specimens from the Minamidaitô-jima and Miyako-jima islands have a very distinct external morphology from those of other localities and, therefore, are described here as two new subspecies: A. zimmermanni daitoensis Watanabe, Kato & Shaverdo subsp. nov. and A. zimmermanni miyakoensis Watanabe, Kato & Shaverdo subsp. nov., which is also supported by the received molecular data. Their important diagnostic characters are compared with those of the nominotypical subspecies and illustrated. In comparison with the Chinese and Korean material, a taxonomic problem of A. zimmermanni is postulated and discussed. Data on the species ecology and distribution, including its two subspecies, are provided as well as the newly received data on its biology and phenology.

Two new species of Afrithelphusa Bott, 1969, from Sierra Leone, West Africa (Brachyura: Deckeniidae: Deckeniinae)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:45:50 +0200

This work focuses on two new species of freshwater crabs from Sierra Leone, West Africa: Afrithelphusa outamba sp. nov., and A. mano sp. nov. These taxa are described based on newly collected material. Diagnoses, illustrations, and a distribution map are provided, and their conservation status is discussed. These new taxa raise the number of species of Afrithelphusa from four (A. afzelii (Colosi, 1924), A. gerhildae Bott, 1969, A. leonensis (Cumberlidge, 1987), and A. monodosa (Bott, 1959)) to six. An identification key is provided to distinguish between the six species of Afrithelphusa, and a tree of phylogenetic relationships based on two mtDNA loci (COI and 16S RNA) is provided, which supports the recognition of the species assigned to this genus.

Revision of the genus Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 from China (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Grylloidea: Gryllidae: Gryllinae: Gryllini)

Mi Di, Tian-Hao Hu, Lu Zhou, Zi-Heng Zhang, Kai Li, Zhu-Qing He — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:44:34 +0200

The genus Velarifictorus Randell, 1964 comprises 113 species worldwide, including 19 species or subspecies recorded from China prior to this study. In this study, we systematically revise the taxonomy of 13 species from China based on morphology. We redescribe nine species (V. agitatus Ma, 2019, V. aspersus (Walker, 1869), V. bannaensis Zhang, Liu & Shi, 2017, V. beybienkoi Gorochov, 1985, V. dianxiensis He, 2018, V. flavifrons Chopard, 1966, V. micado (Saussure, 1877), V. ornatus (Shiraki, 1911), V. zhengi Zheng & Ma, 2022), report two new species records to China, V. brunneri (Chopard, 1969), V. triangularis Ingrisch, 1998, and propose the synonymization of two species or subspecies, V. agitatus minutus Ma, 2019 syn. nov. and V. ryukyuensis Oshiro, 1990 syn. nov. A key to the Chinese species of Velarifictorus is provided.