European Journal of Taxonomy

Embidobia Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Scelionidae) of the Indian region with descriptions of new species

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:46:37 +0100

Embidobia (Platygastroidea: Scelionidae) are known to be egg parasitoids of Embioptera. The type species Embidobia urichi was described by Ashmead in 1896. In the last 127 years, eleven species of Embidobia were described worldwide of which two (Embidobia brittanica Girault, 1917 and E. orientalis Dodd, 1939) are from the Oriental region. While the former was described from India, the latter was from Sri Lanka. In this paper we describe 13 new species from India – Embidobia agastya Veenakumari sp. nov., E. barbarika Veenakumari sp. nov., E. dooranetra Veenakumari sp. nov., E. gauriputra Veenakumari sp. nov., E. hiranya Veenakumari sp. nov., E. hrdaya Veenakumari sp. nov., E. jatayu Veenakumari sp. nov., E. mahabali Veenakumari sp. nov., E. omkara Veenakumari sp. nov., E. procera Veenakumari sp. nov., E. sankirna Veenakumari sp. nov., E. saroma Veenakumari sp. nov. and E. yuyutsu Veenakumari sp. nov. The two previously known species, E. orientalis and E. brittanica, are redescribed. A key to the females of all Oriental species is provided along with illustrations.

Two new species and a new record of Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia (Agaricales) from India

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 08:32:15 +0100

The genus Cortinarius (Pers.) Gray is one of the dominating mushroom-forming ectomycorrhizal genera in the Indian Himalaya. Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia (Fr.) Trog is the most species-rich group within this genus. In this subgenus, two novel species, namely C. thindii A.Bose & K.Das sp. nov. and C. dhakuricus A.Bose & K.Das sp. nov. (under C. section Hinnulei Melot), and one new record for Indian mycobiota, namely C. pseudotorvus A.Naseer, J.Khan, & A.N.Khalid (under C. section Telamonia (Fr.) Gillot & Lucand), collected from the state of Uttarakhand are presented here with morphological descriptions, illustrations and nrITS-based molecular phylogenetic inferences. Additionally, Cortinarius parvisporus Vizzini is here proposed as nom. nov., for C. brunneocarpus var. microsporus J.Khan.

The Afrotropical and West-Palaearctic species of Ecrizotes Förster (Hymenoptera: Pirenidae)

Mircea-Dan Mitroiu, Ionel Andriescu, Gheorghe Manic — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:30:51 +0100

The Afrotropical and West-Palaearctic species of Ecrizotes Förster, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Pirenidae) are reviewed. The genera Ecrizotomorpha Mani, 1939 syn. nov. and Spathopus Ashmead, 1904 syn. nov. are treated as junior synonyms of Ecrizotes based on morphological evidence. Eighteen world species of Ecrizotes are recognized, including six described as new: E. acer Mitroiu sp. nov., E. alternativa (Xiao & Huang, 1999) comb. nov., E. anomalipes (Ashmead, 1904) comb. nov., E. brevicauda Mitroiu sp. nov., E. caudatus (Thomson, 1876), E. filicornis (Thomson, 1876), E. hofferi (Bouček, 1964) comb. nov., E. incisus Mitroiu sp. nov., E. longicauda Mitroiu sp. nov., E. longicornis (Walker, 1848), E. longus Mitroiu sp. nov., E. montanus (Huggert, 1976) comb. nov., E. monticola Förster, 1861, E. nasalis (Springate & Noyes, 1990) comb. nov., E. rovumae Mitroiu sp. nov., E. taskhiri (Mani, 1939) comb. nov., and E. tenkasiensis (Jamal Ahmad & Shafee, 1993) comb. nov. All world species, except for the three East-Palearctic ones (E. alternativa, E. taskhiri, and E. tenkasiensis), and the single Nearctic species (E. anomalipes), are diagnosed, illustrated and keyed; Ecrizotes is newly reported from the Afrotropical region and new country records are given for several European species.

Taxonomic revision of the antlion tribe Myrmeleontini (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) of Taiwan

Yu-Hsiu Hugh Lin, Chiun-Cheng Ko, Hui-Yun Tseng — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 01:50:41 +0100

The species of the antlion tribe Myrmeleontini from Taiwan are revised. In total, nine species from two genera Baliga (2 spp.) and Myrmeleon (7 spp.) are redescribed and an identification key is provided. One new combination, B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913) comb. nov., and one new synonymy, M. alticolus Miller & Stange, 1999 syn. nov. = B. brunneipennis (Esben-Petersen, 1913), are proposed. Myrmeleon wangi Miller & Stange, 1999 stat. rev. is resurrected from the synonymy as a valid species under M. trivialis Gerstaecker, 1885. In addition, four species groups are proposed for Myrmeleon: the M. tenuipennis, M. littoralis, M. wangi and M. punctinervis groups. A phylogenetic analysis of the COI gene of the Taiwanese Myrmeleontini species is also provided.

A revision of the Afrotropical hover fly genus Afroxanthandrus Kassebeer, 2000 (Diptera, Syrphidae), with the description of two new species and one new synonymy – Corrigendum

John M. Midgley, Georg Goergen, Kurt Jordaens — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 02:47:27 +0100

The present corrigendum corrects figure numbers that were incorrect in Midgley et al. (2024).

A new genus and species of spring snails (Caenogastropoda, Tateidae) from the ultramafic South of New Caledonia

Ove Schröder, Peter M. Schächinger, Philippe Bouchet, Martin Haase — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0100

During an expedition in 2016, a rich fauna of freshwater gastropods of the family Tateidae Thiele, 1925 was discovered on the ultramafic terrains of the Southeast of New Caledonia (NC). Hitherto, only three of the 62 known NC family members were reported from this type of bedrock. With less than 1.5 mm in length, many of the new species are particularly small. In order to establish a methodological setup for the description and phylogenetic analyses of these new species, we here describe Viriiella touaouroua gen. et sp. nov. and assess its relationships based on three gene fragments. Viriiella is morphologically well defined and resembles Fluviopupa Pilsbry, 1911 not present in NC. In the phylogenetic analyses, though, Viriiella appeared as a member of the Hemistomia-clade, the NC tateids occurring on non-ultramafic terrain. However, Viriiella had the longest branch and, sister group to different genera in maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, its position was unstable, probably an artifact due to long-branch attraction. Considering that Viriiella does not share the defining character states of Hemistomia s. lat., it may well be possible that inclusion of more related genera will show that the new taxa share a most recent common ancestor with the Hemistomia-clade, but as sister group.

A second species of Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897 (Isopoda, Stenasellidae) from sulfidic groundwater of Iran described using morphological and molecular methods

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:11:54 +0100

We report on a new species of Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897 (Isopoda, Stenasellidae) from groundwater of Iran. Stenasellus stygopersicus Jugovic, Malek-Hosseini & Issartel sp. nov. inhabits the Chah Kabootari Cave that is adjacent to the Tashan Cave, the type locality of the first recorded species of Stenasellidae from Iran, Stenasellus tashanicus Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Fatemi, Malek-Hosseini & Kuntner, 2018. Both caves are fed by sulfidic groundwater and belong to the Tashan-Chah Kabootari species-rich aquifer on the Zagros Mountains. Both species are characterized by a large body size (≥ 20 mm), a female-biased sexual size dimorphism, and a distinct black-pigmented Bellonci’s organ. Stenasellus stygopersicus differs from S. tashanicus by a short and wide protopodite of pleopod I, setae set essentially along the apical margin of pleopod I exopodite, the subequal length and width of the male pleopod II protopodite, and deeply bilobed endopodites of pleopods III–V. Molecular evidence suggests that while Stenasellus stygopersicus is sister to S. tashanicus, the species are genetically distinguishable, with divergence time estimates ranging from 23 to 39.8 Ma.

Two fancy spines and a collar: a taxonomic review of the myrmecomorphic spider genus Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) in South America

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 02:03:26 +0100

The South American species of the myrmecomorphic spider genus Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 (Castianeirinae, Corinnidae) are revised for the first time, increasing the number of known species from South America from two to six and the number of species in the genus from seven to 11. Here, we reevaluate the identity of Apochinomma acanthaspis Simon, 1896, propose its transfer to Mazax, and consider M. akephaloi Perger & Pett, 2022 as a junior synonym of M. acanthaspis comb. nov. Additional documentation of M. ramirezi Rubio & Danişman, 2014 is provided. The species M. pax Reiskind, 1969 and M. spinosa (Simon, 1898) are recorded from South America for the first time. Three new species are proposed, all based on both sexes: Mazax mokana sp. nov. and M. leonidas sp. nov. from Colombia, and M. tembe sp. nov. from Brazil. Emended diagnoses of the genus and of all six known South American species, as well as a key to males and females for all 11 species in the genus, are provided.

New species and new combination in Calotelea Westwood, 1837 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) from India

Rupam Debnath, Keloth Rajmohana, Abhilash Peter — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:29:33 +0100

Four new species under the genus Calotelea Westwood, 1837 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) namely, C. acuta Rajmohana & Debnath sp. nov., C. chitraka Rajmohana & Debnath sp. nov., C. foveata Rajmohana & Debnath sp. nov. and C. fulva Rajmohana & Debnath sp. nov., are described from India. Calotelea malabarica (Narendran & Ramesh Babu, 1999) comb. nov. is transferred from Calliscelio Ashmead. In addition, a checklist and key to the Oriental species of Calotelea are provided.

Resurrection of Painjunirmus Ansari, 1947 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) as a subgenus of Brueelia Kéler, 1936, with description of one new species

Daniel R. Gustafsson, Sarah E. Bush — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:15:23 +0100

The genus Painjunirmus Ansari, 1947 is resurrected from synonymy with Brueelia Kéler, 1936, and considered a subgenus of Brueelia Kéler, 1936. A formal redescription and diagnosis for Painjunirmus is given. Four of the five previously described species of Painjunirmus are redescribed and illustrated: Brueelia (Painjunirmus) brevipennis Ansari, 1956, from Argya squamiceps squamiceps (Cretzschmar, 1826); Brueelia (Painjunirmus) chilchil Ansari, 1955, from Argya caudata eclipes (Hume, 1877); Brueelia (Painjunirmus) magnini Ansari, 1956a, from Argya fulva acaciae (Lichtenstein, 1823); Brueelia (Painjunirmus) pengya (Ansari, 1947) from Argya striata sindiana (Ticehurst, 1920) and A. s. striata (Dumont, 1823). The species Brueelia (Painjunirmus) parvus (Mey, 2017) is discussed. The species Brueelia (Painjunirmus) alba sp. nov. is described from a Nepalese population of Argya striata striata (Dumont, 1823). A neotype is designated for Brueelia chilchil Ansari, 1956. A key to almost all species of the subgenus Painjunirmus is provided.