[Botany • 2020] Epidendrum katarun-yariku (Orchidaceae) • A New Species of the Schistochilum group from the Tepuis of the Guiana Highlands in South America

November 21, 2020, 2:33 am

≫ Next: [Crustacea • 2020] Why do Shrimps leave the Water? Mechanisms and Functions of Parading Behaviour in Freshwater Shrimps

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Epidendrum katarun-yariku Hágsater & Wrazidlo in Hágsater & Wrazidlo, 2020. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.472.1.4  facebook.com/MateuszWr

Abstract

Epidendrum katarun-yariku is hereby described and illustrated as a new species of Orchidaceae native to the summits and upper slopes of the sandstone tabletop mountains (tepuis) in the Guiana Highlands in South America.

Keywords: Monocots, Guiana Shield, Secundum subgroup, Venezuela, Brazil, Guayana, tepuy, Acopán-tepuí, Arekuna

Plate of  Epidendrum katarun-yariku Hágsater & Wrazidlo. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Flower, frontal view. D. Flower, longitudinal section. E. Column. F. Dissected perianth. G. Anther and pollinia.  Photographs by Mateusz Wrazidlo.  Edited by Anaís Cisneros.

Epidendrum katarun-yariku Hágsater & Wrazidlo.  A. Plant in its natural habitat on Abacapá-tepuí, Chimantá Massif, Venezuela (photographed by Brad Wilson).  B. Inflorescence photographed on a wild plant on Amurí-tepuí, Chimantá Massif, Venezuela (photographed by Martin Hingst).  C. Flower on a specimen from Acopán-tepuí  (photographed by Mateusz Wrazidlo).

Epidendrum katarun-yariku Hágsater & Wrazidlo, sp. nov. 

Epidendrum katarun-yariku is similar to E. secundum Jacq. but the sepals and petals yellow, the lip white, callus massive, deep yellow (vs. flowers entirely pink with a massive callus, pale yellow at the base center, the apical 2/3 white). 

Etymology:— From the indigenous Pemón Arekuna language, katarun (high), and yariku (flower), meaning high flower, in reference to this species being found only on the summits and upper foothills of the tepuis. The name was chosen in consultation with members of the Pemón Arekuna community of Paruima, to honor the indigenous heritage of the Guiana Highlands. 

 Distribution and habitat:— Known currently from the “high-tepui belt”, especially summit plateaus and upper talus slopes of the tepuis in the southwestern part of the states of Bolívar and Amazonas, Venezuela: Chimantá Massif (Acopán-tepuí, Amurí-tepuí, Apacará-tepuí, Abacapá-tepuí), Auyán-tepuí, Ptari-tepuí, Camarcaibarai-tepuí, Meseta del Jaua, Sierra de la Neblina and Cerro Duida (Fig. 3) as well as the neighboring area around Pico da Neblina in Brazil. Terrestrial in wet savanna; “praderas húmedas y arbustales enanos sobre turberas, bosquecillos ribereños y vegetación sobre rocas abiertas”, at 1380 to 2400 m altitude, with the lowest occurrences recorded on Cerro Sarisariñama. Flowering throughout the year. From records in Reflora and AMO-DATA, it does not appear to be present in Serra do Aracá in Brazil. The plates by Barbosa-Silva & Forzza (2016: fig. 73) only show a white flowered species of this group. None of the specimens mentioned in the Appendix 1 of Barbosa-Silva et al. (2020, Appendix 1), correspond to this entity. 

Epidendrum katarun-yariku.  A. Plant in its natural habitat on Abacapá-tepuí, Chimantá Massif, Venezuela (photographed by Brad Wilson). B. Inflorescence photographed on a wild plant on Amurí-tepuí, Chimantá Massif, Venezuela (photographed by Martin Hingst). C. Flower on a specimen from Acopán-tepuí (photographed by Mateusz Wrazidlo).

Eric Hágsater and Mateusz Wrazidlo. 2020. Epidendrum katarun-yariku (Orchidaceae), A New Species of the Schistochilum group from the Tepuis of the Guiana Highlands in South America. Phytotaxa. 472(1); 33–40. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.472.1.4

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[Crustacea • 2020] Why do Shrimps leave the Water? Mechanisms and Functions of Parading Behaviour in Freshwater Shrimps

November 22, 2020, 12:54 am

≫ Next: [Entomology • 2020] Delicate and Diverse: A Taxonomic Monograph with A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Neotropical Genus Ghilianella Spinola (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae)

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Macrobrachium dienbienphuense Dang & Nguyen, 1972 Parading shrimps synchronously walking on land at night at the Lamduan Rapids, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.  in Hongjamrassilp, Maiphrom et Blumstein, 2020.   DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12841  Photos: Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp  Researchgate.net/publication/345661173

Abstract

An understanding of the mechanisms and functions of animal migratory behaviour may provide insights into its evolution. Furthermore, knowledge about migration may be important for conservation of rare species and may help to manage species in a rapidly changing world. Upstream migration is common in riverine animals, but little is known about proximate cues and functions of the upstream migration in aquatic macroinvertebrates. In Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, locals have observed a synchronous mass migration of freshwater shrimps on land. This so‐called ‘parading behaviour' occurs annually during the rainy season and has become a large ecotourism event. Yet, we know little about the natural history, proximate causation and function of this extraordinary behaviour. Here we describe the natural history of parading behaviour and report the results from a series of experiments and observations to address its mechanisms and functions. Parading behaviour is not associated with breeding and spawning; rather, shrimps leave the water to escape strong currents. Conditions promoting shrimps to leave the water include low light, high water velocity and low air temperature. In addition, there is variation explained the specific location. River topology that creates hydrological variability and turbulence plays a role in triggering the shrimps to move out of water. Furthermore, turbidity and water chemistry were associated with shrimp activity. Finally, our results support that parading behaviour in freshwater shrimps is a mass movement upstream due to hydrological displacement. This study highlights the mechanisms that stimulate parading behaviour; a common activity in Macrobrachium and other decapod crustaceans.

Keywords: collective movement, freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium dienbienphuense, migration, Southeast Asia

Parading shrimps synchronously walking on land at night at the Lamduan Rapids, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.  Photo: Watcharapong Hongjamrassilp.

 

W. Hongjamrassilp, W. Maiphrom and D. T. Blumstein. 2020. Why do Shrimps leave the Water? Mechanisms and Functions of Parading Behaviour in Freshwater Shrimps. Journal of Zoology. DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12841

Researchgate.net/publication/345661173_Why_do_shrimps_leave_the_water_Mechanisms_and_functions_of_parading_behaviour_in_freshwater_shrimps

These Shrimp Leave the Safety of Water and Walk on Land. But Why?

A biologist decided to investigate a shrimp parade that attracts thousands of tourists in a province of Thailand.

 NYTimes.com/2020/11/18/science/shrimp-parade-thailand.html

[Entomology • 2020] Delicate and Diverse: A Taxonomic Monograph with A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Neotropical Genus Ghilianella Spinola (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae)

November 22, 2020, 1:25 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology • 2020] Careproctus ambustus • A New Species of Snailfish (Cottiformes: Liparidae) Closely Related to Careproctus melanurus of the Eastern North Pacific

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Ghilianella strigata McAtee & Malloch, 1925 in Castro-Huertas, Forero & Grazia, 2020.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4879.1.1  twitter.com/DimitriForero

 

Abstract

The Neotropical thread-legged bug genus Ghilianella Spinola, 1850 is the most diversified within Metapterini. A taxonomic revision of Ghilianella is presented, in which seventy seven species are recognized as valid, with twenty-one described as new: Ghilianella berengeri sp. nov.; Ghilianella bifurcata sp. nov.; Ghilianella bolivari sp. nov.; Ghilianella caldensis sp. nov.; Ghilianella dilatata sp. nov.; Ghilianella embera sp. nov.; Ghilianella fernandezi sp. nov.; Ghilianella ferruginosa sp. nov.; Ghilianella gilsantanai sp. nov.; Ghilianella goliath sp. nov.; Ghilianella gracilis sp. nov.; Ghilianella huaorani sp. nov.; Ghilianella jaguar sp. nov.; Ghilianella laticauda sp. nov.; Ghilianella maricruzae sp. nov.; Ghilianella quimbaya sp. nov.; Ghilianella scimitarra sp. nov.; Ghilianella tica sp. nov.; Ghilianella urbanoi sp. nov.; Ghilianella ventrimaculata sp. nov.; and Ghilianella weirauchae sp. nov. For the first time a female specimen is described for Ghilianella atriclava Bergroth, 1911, Ghilianella colona McAtee & Malloch, 1925 and Ghilianella pachitea McAtee & Malloch, 1925. Three new synonyms are recognized: Ghilianella bulbifera Champion, 1898 (=Ghilianella pendula McAtee & Malloch, 1925 syn. nov.; Ghilianella inflata Maldonado, 1981 syn. nov.) and Ghilianella strigata McAtee & Malloch, 1925 (=Ghilianella fenestrata Maldonado, 1960 syn. nov.). Eleven species are considered nomina dubia and one species nomen nudum. A key to species and digital images of the external morphology and genitalic structures for each species are provided. Additionally, we offer the first phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships within Ghilianella, using cladistic methods. Based on the phylogenetic results we dismiss all subgenera in Ghilianella and discuss the complex evolution of the abdominal expansions.

Keywords: Taxonomic revision, phylogeny, Ghilianella, Ghinallelia, Metapterini, Neotropical region

Ghilianella strigata McAtee & Malloch, 1925

Valentina Castro-Huertas, Dimitri Forero and Jocelia Grazia. 2020. Delicate and Diverse: A Taxonomic Monograph with A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Neotropical Genus Ghilianella Spinola (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae). Zootaxa. 4879(1); 1-194. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4879.1.1

𝘎𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢

twitter.com/DimitriForero/status/1329409463091126273

[Ichthyology • 2020] Careproctus ambustus • A New Species of Snailfish (Cottiformes: Liparidae) Closely Related to Careproctus melanurus of the Eastern North Pacific

November 22, 2020, 1:45 am

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2020] Adelophryne amapaensis • A New Amazonian Species of the Diminutive Frog Genus Adelophryne (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Eleutherodactylidae) from the State of Amapá, Northern Brazil

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Careproctus ambustus Orr in Orr, Pitruk, Manning, et al., 2020. DOI: 10.1643/CI2020008   twitter.com/IchsAndHerps

Abstract

A new species, Careproctus ambustus, is described from 64 specimens based on evidence from morphological and molecular data. Specimens of Careproctus ambustus, new species, have been historically misidentified as the common Blacktail Snailfish, C. melanurus. The new species is distinguished from C. melanurus by its higher numbers of vertebrae (62–66 vs. 56–62 in C. melanurus), dorsal-fin rays (57–63 vs. 53–58), and anal-fin rays (51–55 vs. 46–51), and longer pelvic disc (14.1–21.2 vs. 12.6–20.7 % HL). In addition, the new species differs from C. melanurus by seven base pairs within a 492-base-pair region of the cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 region, a 1.4% sequence divergence. Careproctus ambustus, new species, is found at depths of 58–1,172 m and ranges from Japan, through Alaska, to the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where its distribution overlaps with C. melanurus, which ranges from southern Alaska and British Columbia to Baja California.

(A) Careproctus ambustus, new species, UW 152101, 323 mm, holotype, Aleutian Islands, 51.8402°N, 173.886°W, 330 m depth, photographed before fixation and preservation;  (B) Careproctus melanurus, UW 47264, 205 mm, Oregon, 44.3993°N, 124.8355°W, 447 m depth, photographed before fixation and preservation.

Careproctus (Allochir) ambustus, new species, Orr

Scorched Snailfish

Diagnosis.— Careproctus ambustus is distinguished from all other North Pacific species of Careproctus except C. melanurus by the combination of the shape of its pelvic disc, which is oval, longer than wide (vs. round or wider than long in other species of Careproctus), shallowly cupped (vs. flat or deeply cupped), and somewhat smaller than the orbit (vs. minute or large); shallowly notched pectoral fin with elongate rays in the lower lobe (vs. deeply notched with elongate or short rays, or shallowly notched with short rays in other species of Careproctus); and unique COI haplotypes (Orr et al., 2019). It is further distinguished morphologically from C. melanurus, with which it has been historically confused, by its higher vertebral and median fin-ray counts (vertebrae 61–67 vs. 56–62, dorsal-fin rays 57–63 vs. 53–59, anal-fin rays 51–57 vs. 46–52 in C. melanurus), in combination with its longer pelvic disc (14.1–21.2 vs. 12.6–20.7 % HL in C. melanurus).

...

Distribution.—Careproctus ambustus is known in the North Pacific Ocean from British Columbia, Alaska, Russia, and Japan (Fig. 3) at depths of 58 to 1,172 m, based on material examined and confirmed field identifications (Tokranov, 2000; Orr et al., 2014a, 2014b; G. R. Hoff, pers. comm., 2016). In the eastern North Pacific, it ranges from British Columbia off central Vancouver Island, throughout the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands, and into the eastern Bering Sea to at least 60.3°N (Hoff, 2016) and off Cape Navarin in the western Bering Sea (Parin et al., 2014). In the western North Pacific, it ranges from Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, Russia (Orlov, 1998, 1999, 2001; Sheiko and Fedorov, 2000; Orlov and Tokranov, 2011), to the northwestern coast of Honshu, Japan (Kido and Shinohara, 1997).

Etymology.—The specific epithet of Careproctus ambustus is taken from the Latin ambusti, meaning “scorched,” referring to the black tail that contrasts with the pink to red anterior part of the body.

Distribution of Careproctus ambustus, new species (black), and C. melanurus (white) in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean based on material examined. Each symbol may represent more than one capture. Bottom contour illustrated is 200 m.

 

James W. Orr, Dmitry L. Pitruk, Rachel Manning, Duane E. Stevenson, Jennifer R. Gardner and Ingrid Spies. 2020. A New Species of Snailfish (Cottiformes: Liparidae) Closely Related to Careproctus melanurus of the Eastern North Pacific. Copeia. 108(4); 711-726. DOI: 10.1643/CI2020008

  twitter.com/IchsAndHerps/status/1329905499484065792

[Herpetology • 2020] Adelophryne amapaensis • A New Amazonian Species of the Diminutive Frog Genus Adelophryne (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Eleutherodactylidae) from the State of Amapá, Northern Brazil

November 22, 2020, 2:03 am

≫ Next: [Entomology • 2020] Hiding in Plain Sight: DNA Barcoding suggests Cryptic Species in All ‘well-known’ Australian Flower Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

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Adelophryne amapaensis Taucce, Costa-Campos, Haddad & de Carvalho, 2020 DOI: 10.1643/CH-19-254      twitter.com/PedroTaucce

Abstract

During recent field expeditions to an Amazonian region in eastern Guiana Shield (Serra do Navio, state of Amapá, northern Brazil), we collected and recorded calls of a species of Adelophryne, a diminutive leaf-litter-dwelling, direct-developing frog genus. After a careful integrative taxonomic evaluation using morphological, molecular, and bioacoustic data, we concluded that the series of specimens collected represent a new taxon, which we describe herein. The new species of Adelophryne is distinguished from all ten congeners by the following combination of character states: (1) male SVL = 12.5 mm; female SVL = 13.0–14.4 mm; (2) tympanic membrane present; (3) tympanic annulus present, incomplete; (4) vomerine teeth absent; (5) finger terminal discs absent; (6) tips of Fingers I–IV mucronate; (7) finger pads present (formula 1–1–2–1); (8) three phalanges in Finger IV; (9) dorsum smooth; (10) cloacal flap absent; (11) multi-note advertisement call composed of non-pulsed notes; (12) the call dominant frequency (4,802–5,706 Hz) coincides with the fundamental harmonic. Our study describes the eleventh species of Adelophryne, and, despite the increase in taxonomic knowledge within the past few years, there are still some species in the genus lacking a formal taxonomic description.

the holotype of Adelophryne amapaensis (CFBH 43257; SVL = 12.5 mm) in life.

Adelophryne amapaensis, new species

Etymology.—The species is named after the Brazilian state of Amapá, from which all known specimens come. The specific epithet is used here as a noun in apposition.

 

Fig. 6. Type locality of Adelophryne amapaensis (black square): Parque Natural Municipal do Canca˜o, municipality of Serra do Navio, state of Amapá, Brazil. Elevation 100 m above sea level.

Pedro P. G. Taucce, Carlos E. Costa-Campos, Célio F. B. Haddad and Thiago R. de Carvalho. 2020. A New Amazonian Species of the Diminutive Frog Genus Adelophryne (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Eleutherodactylidae) from the State of Amapá, Northern Brazil. Copeia. 108(4); 746-757. DOI: 10.1643/CH-19-254    

 twitter.com/PedroTaucce/status/1329897963901104132 

      

[Entomology • 2020] Hiding in Plain Sight: DNA Barcoding suggests Cryptic Species in All ‘well-known’ Australian Flower Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

November 22, 2020, 1:14 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology • 2020] Stigmatopora harastii • A New Species of Pipefish (Syngnathiformes, Syngnathidae) in Facultative Associations with Finger Sponges and Red Algae from New South Wales, Australia

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2020] Adelophryne amapaensis • A New Amazonian Species of the Diminutive Frog Genus Adelophryne (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Eleutherodactylidae) from the State of Amapá, Northern Brazil

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in Mitchell​, Moeseneder & Hutchinson, 2020 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9348   twitter.com/AustmusResearch photo: Christian H. Moeseneder

Abstract
DNA barcode data is presented for Australian cetoniine flower beetles to aid with species discovery and guide revisionary taxonomy. Sequences of the COI gene’s DNA barcode region were acquired from 284 cetoniine specimens, covering 68 described species and 33 genera. This equates to 48% of the known species and 83% of the genera which occur in Australia. Results suggest up to 27 putative undescribed species in our sample, only 11 of which were suspected to be undescribed before this study, leaving 16 unexpected (“cryptic”) species. The Australian cetoniine fauna may hence be increased by up to 19%. An unanticipated result of the work is that each of the five most visible and commonly collected Australian cetoniine species, Eupoecila australasiae (Donovan, 1805), Neorrhina punctatum (Donovan, 1805), Glycyphana (Glycyphaniola) stolata (Fabricius, 1781), Chondropyga dorsalis (Donovan, 1805) and Bisallardiana gymnopleura (Fischer, 1823), have unexpectedly high diversity in DNA barcode sequences and were consequently split into multiple clusters, possibly indicating the presence of cryptic species.

Conclusions: 

We produced a DNA barcode dataset for Australian flower beetles that includes approximately half of the country’s species. We found that DNA barcodes provide species-level resolution in almost all cases. The high levels of DNA diversity were unexpected within many species, and preliminary morphological investigations suggest that there may be as many as 27 undescribed species in our dataset. Further integrative taxonomic work, incorporating COI-based DNA barcoding, nuclear gene data and detailed morphological investigations, are needed to better understand the diversity of Australian Cetoniinae and to document and describe numerous undescribed species.


Andrew Mitchell​, Christian H. Moeseneder and Paul M. Hutchinson. 2020. Hiding in Plain Sight: DNA Barcoding suggests Cryptic Species in All ‘well-known’ Australian Flower Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). PeerJ. 8:e9348. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9348

  twitter.com/AustmusResearch/status/1273830359017254912

[Ichthyology • 2020] Stigmatopora harastii • A New Species of Pipefish (Syngnathiformes, Syngnathidae) in Facultative Associations with Finger Sponges and Red Algae from New South Wales, Australia

November 22, 2020, 7:00 am

≫ Next: [Arachnida • 2020] Sympolymnia gen. nov. • A New Genus of Neotropical Ant-like Spider (Araneae, Salticidae, Simonellini), with Description of Two New Species and Indirect Evidence for Transformational Mimicry

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Stigmatopora harastii  Short & Trevor-Jones, 2020 Harasti’s Pipefish or Red Wide-bodied Pipefish || DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.994.57160

Abstract

A new species of pipefish, Stigmatopora harastii sp. nov., is described based on the male holotype and two female paratypes, 136.3–145.5 mm SL, collected from red algae (sp.?) at 12 meters depth in Botany Bay, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The new taxon shares morphological synapomorphies with the previously described members of Stigmatopora, including principle body ridges, fin placement, slender tail, and absence of a caudal fin. It is morphologically and meristically similar to Stigmatopora nigra, including snout length and shape, dorsal-fin origin on 6th–7th trunk ring, and lateral trunk ridge terminating on the first tail ring. Stigmatopora harastii sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners, however, by characters of the head and first trunk ring, distinct sexual dimorphic markings on sides and venter of anterior trunk rings, and red background coloration in life. The new taxon can be further differentiated by genetic divergence in the mitochondrial COI gene (uncorrected p-distances of 9.8%, 10.1%, 10.7%, and 14.6%, from S. argus, S. macropterygia, S. narinosa, and S. nigra, respectively). The type locality is characterised by semi-exposed deep-water sandy areas interspersed with boulders, flat reefs, and an absence of seagrass beds, in which S. harastii has been observed living in facultative associations with a finger sponge and red algae at depths of 10–25 meters, compared to the shallow coastal and estuarine habitats preferred by the fucoid algae and seagrass-associating members of Stigmatopora. Stigmatopora harastii sp. nov. represents the fourth species of Stigmatopora recorded in temperate southern Australia.

Keywords: Botany Bay, COI, cryptobenthic, ichthyology, Jervis Bay, marine fish, morphology, South Pacific, Sydney, systematics, taxonomy

Figure 3. Stigmatopora harastii in situ, AMS I. 49510-001, holotype, male A (right individual) B (left individual); The Steps, Kurnell, Botany Bay, NSW, Australia, 13.5 meters depth, 18 June 2020. The male holotype was photographed with a paired female individual, which was not collected. Note the large cluster of distinct red spots extending posteriad on venter of anterior trunk rings in the male (photographs: Andrew Trevor-Jones).

Figure 4. Stigmatopora harastii in situ, AMS I.47267 paratypes, female, The Steps, Kurnell, Botany Bay, NSW, Australia at 11–12 meters depth, 06 June 2017 (photographs: David Harasti).

Figure 1. Stigmatopora harastii, preserved directly after collection, AMS I. 49510-001, holotype male, 145.5 mm SL A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view; Australia: NSW, Botany Bay, Kurnell (photograph: Kerryn Parkinson). Figure 2. Stigmatopora harastii, preserved directly after collection, paratypes, female A AMS I.47267-001, 136.3 mm SL B AMS I.47267-002, 138.2 mm SL; Australia: NSW, Botany Bay, Kurnell (photograph: Kerryn Parkinson).

Stigmatopora harastii sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Stigmatopora harastii differs from its congeners by the following combination of morphological characters: median ridge, distinct, low, present on dorsum of head and first trunk ring starting from the posterior third of the frontal, over the supraoccipital, to the anterior and posterior nuchal plates; opercular ridge prominent, complete, not angled dorsad; lateromedial ridge, distinct, low, present between opercle and pectoral fin base; dorsal-fin origin on 6th–7th trunk rings, subdorsal rings 19–20 (12 trunk rings + 7 or 8 tail rings); lateral trunk ridge ends on first tail ring. Colouration: red background colour; dorsum of snout with large, irregular pale white spots; sides of head and anterior trunk rings with large, irregular pale white spots or with diffuse pale white stripe; venter of first trunk ring with distinct red elongated spots in longitudinal row, almost forming a stripe, on midline present in male (AMS I. 49510-001); venter of anterior trunk rings pale red with a large cluster of distinct red spots extending posteriad from second trunk ring in male (AMS I. 49510-001), few scattered small red spots in females (AMS I.1.47267).

Etymology: This species is named after David Harasti, one of the first to recognize S. harastii as being a new species, for recognition of his efforts towards conservation of Syngnathidae in Australia, and for being an aficionado extraordinaire of his beloved genus Stigmatopora. David has stated he counts green pipefish to fall asleep. Harasti’s Pipefish and the Red Wide-bodied Pipefish are proposed here as the common names for S. harastii.

Figure 6. Aerial view of the scuba dive site The Steps, Kurnell, Botany Bay, NSW, Australia A shore and entrance B inshore boulders (photographs: Michael McFadyen).

Figure 8. Stigmatopora harastii in situ, male-female pair A lateral view B anterior view, Minmi Trench, Botany Bay, NSW, Australia, 18 meters depth, 17 February 2019 (photographs: Duncan Heuer).

Figure 9. Stigmatopora harastii in situ A–C male D female, The Gutter, Bass Point, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia, 18 meters depth, 17 Feb 2017 (photographs: Craig Taylor).

 Graham Short and Andrew Trevor-Jones. 2020. Stigmatopora harastii, A New Species of Pipefish in Facultative Associations with Finger Sponges and Red Algae from New South Wales, Australia (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys. 994: 105-123. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.994.57160

 

Meet the spectacular Red Wide-bodied Pipefish: Australia's newest endemic fish species

 australian.museum/blog/amri-news/meet-the-spectacular-red-wide-bodied-pipefish-australias-newest-endemic-fish-species

[Arachnida • 2020] Sympolymnia gen. nov. • A New Genus of Neotropical Ant-like Spider (Araneae, Salticidae, Simonellini), with Description of Two New Species and Indirect Evidence for Transformational Mimicry

November 22, 2020, 7:46 am

≫ Next: [Entomology • 2020] Two Genera Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) in China, with the Descriptions of Fourteen New Species

≪ Previous: [Ichthyology • 2020] Stigmatopora harastii • A New Species of Pipefish (Syngnathiformes, Syngnathidae) in Facultative Associations with Finger Sponges and Red Algae from New South Wales, Australia

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Figure 8. Live habitus of Sympolymnia spp. and potential ant models. Please note the ontogenetic shift of shine and abdomen shape in the spiders.  Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov.: A. Juvenile female, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. (please note the shiny, pointed abdomen); B, C. Adult females, same location; D. Holotype female, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.;  E. Pseudomyrmex ethicus, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.;  F. Crematogaster sp., Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.;  G. Camponotus sanctaefidei, La Guardia, Santa Cruz Dept.;  H. C. latangulus, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.  Perger & Rubio, 2020   DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.55210

Abstract

Sympolymnia, a new genus of myrmecomorph jumping spider belonging to the tribe Simonellini Peckham, Peckham & Wheeler, 1889, is described. It comprises five species: the type species, Sympolymnia lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871), comb. nov., Sympolymnia lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892), comb. nov., Sympolymnia edwardsi (Cutler, 1985), comb. nov. and Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov. and S. cutleri sp. nov. Sympolymnia lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) is recorded from Bolivia for the first time. Ontogenetic shifts of ant-resemblance are observed: Juveniles of S. cutleri sp. nov. and S. lauretta mimic black ants of the genus Crematogaster Lund, 1831, but those of S. shinahota sp. nov. most closely resemble Pseudomyrmex ethicus (Forel, 1911). Adults of S. cutleri sp. nov., S. lauretta and S. shinahota sp. nov. resemble the ant Camponotus sanctaefidei Dalla Torre, 1892 and orange adults of S. shinahota sp. nov. are putative mimics of Camponotus latangulus Roger, 1863.

Key Words: Bolivia, jumping spider, mimicry complex, myrmecomorph, polymorphism, South America

Tribe Simonellini Peckham, Peckham & Wheeler, 1889

Sympolymnia gen. nov.

 Type species: Janus lucasii Taczanowski, 1871

 (by original designation)

Diagnosis: This genus can be distinguished from the other four genera of Simonellini (Cylistella Simon, 1901, Erica Peckham & Peckham, 1892, Fluda Peckham & Peckham, 1892 and Synemosyna) by the presence of two translucent white patches between the cephalic and thoracic areas (Figs 4 and 10B) and the presence of large, lung-shaped spermathecae (Fig. 6B, G). Additional characters to separate Sympolymnia gen. nov. from Erica, Fluda or Synemosyna are shown in Table 1.

Composition: This new genus comprises the species Sympolymnia edwardsi (Cutler, 1985), comb. nov., S. lauretta (Peckham & Peckham, 1892), comb. nov., S. lucasi (Taczanowski, 1871), comb. nov., S. cutleri sp. nov. and S. shinahota sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet, Sympolymnia, is a combination of “sym”, meaning “with” in Greek and “Polymnia”, one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne and the protector of the divine hymns and mimic arts. The gender of the name is feminine.

Figure 8. Live habitus of Sympolymnia spp. and potential ant models. Please note the ontogenetic shift of shine and abdomen shape in the spiders.  Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov.: A. Juvenile female, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. (please note the shiny, pointed abdomen); B, C. Adult females, same location; D. Holotype female, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.;  E. Pseudomyrmex ethicus, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; F. Crematogaster sp., Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; G. Camponotus sanctaefidei, La Guardia, Santa Cruz Dept.; H. C. latangulus, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.;  Sympolymnia lauretta: I. Juvenile, Bermejo, Santa Cruz Dept. (please note the shiny and pointed abdomen); J. Sub-adult male, Santiago de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz Dept.; K. Adult female, Santa Rosa de la Mina, Santa Cruz Dept.; L. Sympolymnia cutleri sp. nov.: adult female, Chairo, La Paz Dept.

Conclusion and outlook: 

The presence of Sympolymnia throughout South America and the sympatry with Synemosyna species in many locations (e.g. Galiano 1966; Podgaiski et al. 2007; Rodrigues et al. 2016) suggests an early split and the subsequent radiation of the two lineages, accompanied by the selection for Pseudomyrmecinae-resemblance in adult Synemosyna and Myrmicinae-, Formicinae- and Dolichoderinae-resemblance in adult Sympolymnia.

In addition to similarity, sympatry of models and mimics is considered a critical factor in the selection for mimicry (de Jager and Anderson 2019). A more detailed analysis of co-occurrence patterns is needed to investigate the importance of polychromatism, transformational mimicry and mimicry complexes for ant mimicry in Sympolymnia. Additionally, the influence of macro-environmental conditions should be considered, as the distributional patterns of Sympolymnia species suggest that such factors may have contributed to generating divergent selection pressures in this genus.

Figure 8. Live habitus of Sympolymnia spp. and potential ant models. Please note the ontogenetic shift of shine and abdomen shape in the spiders.  Sympolymnia shinahota sp. nov.: A. Juvenile female, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept. (please note the shiny, pointed abdomen); B, C. Adult females, same location; D. Holotype female, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.;  E. Pseudomyrmex ethicus, Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; F. Crematogaster sp., Villa Tunari, Cochabamba Dept.; G. Camponotus sanctaefidei, La Guardia, Santa Cruz Dept.; H. C. latangulus, Buena Vista, Santa Cruz Dept.

Robert Perger and Gonzalo D. Rubio. 2020. Sympolymnia, A New Genus of Neotropical Ant-like Spider, with Description of Two New Species and Indirect Evidence for Transformational Mimicry (Araneae, Salticidae, Simonellini). Zoosystematics and Evolution. 96(2): 781-795. DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.55210

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[Entomology • 2020] Two Genera Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) in China, with the Descriptions of Fourteen New Species

November 22, 2020, 7:36 pm

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2020] The First Dinosaur Egg was Soft

≪ Previous: [Arachnida • 2020] Sympolymnia gen. nov. • A New Genus of Neotropical Ant-like Spider (Araneae, Salticidae, Simonellini), with Description of Two New Species and Indirect Evidence for Transformational Mimicry

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Campyloneurus micromacularis  Li, van Achterberg & Chen, 2020 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4884.1.1

Abstract

The species of the genus Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) from China are revised and 32 species are recognized, including 14 new species (Campyloneurus brachyurus sp. nov., C. lasiofacialis sp. nov., C. longitergum sp. nov., C. longitudinalis sp. nov., C. micromacularis sp. nov., C. nigriventris sp. nov., C. promiscuus sp. nov., C. pachypus sp. nov., C. quadraticeps sp. nov., C. robusticella sp. nov., C. rugifacialis sp. nov., C.stigmosus sp. nov., C. tergipunctatus sp. nov. and Iphiaulax longinervis sp. nov.), which are described and fully illustrated. Campyloneurus kirbyi (Cameron, 1905) is reported from China for the first time. A key to taxonomically similar genera, Campyloneurus, Craspedolcus Enderlein, Cyanopterus Haliday, Iphiaulax and Maculibracon Li, van Achterberg & Chen), and a key to the Chinese species of the genera Campyloneurus and Iphiaulax are provided.

Keywords: Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae, Aphrastobraconini, new record

Yang Li, Cornelis van Achterberg and Xue-Xin Chen. 2020. Two Genera Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster in China, with the Descriptions of Fourteen New Species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae). Zootaxa. 4884(1); 1-67. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4884.1.1

 

[Paleontology • 2020] The First Dinosaur Egg was Soft

November 22, 2020, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: [Fungi • 2020] Roridomyces phyllostachydis • A New Bioluminescent Fungus (Agaricales, Mycenaceae) from Northeast India

≪ Previous: [Entomology • 2020] Two Genera Campyloneurus Szépligeti and Iphiaulax Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) in China, with the Descriptions of Fourteen New Species

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Mussaurus patagonicus Bonaparte & Vince, 1979 in Norell, Wiemann, Fabbri, et al., 2020.    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2412-8 Illustration: Jorge González

Abstract

Calcified eggshells protect developing embryos against environmental stress and contribute to reproductive success. As modern crocodilians and birds lay hard-shelled eggs, this eggshell type has been inferred for non-avian dinosaurs. Known dinosaur eggshells are characterized by an innermost membrane, an overlying protein matrix containing calcite, and an outermost waxy cuticle. The calcitic eggshell consists of one or more ultrastructural layers that differ markedly among the three major dinosaur clades, as do the configurations of respiratory pores. So far, only hadrosaurid, a few sauropodomorph and tetanuran eggshells have been discovered; the paucity of the fossil record and the lack of intermediate eggshell types challenge efforts to homologize eggshell structures across all dinosaurs. Here we present mineralogical, organochemical and ultrastructural evidence for an originally non-biomineralized, soft-shelled nature of exceptionally preserved ornithischian Protoceratops and basal sauropodomorph Mussaurus eggs. Statistical evaluation of in situ Raman spectra obtained for a representative set of hard- and soft-shelled, fossil and extant diapsid eggshells clusters the originally organic but secondarily phosphatized Protoceratops and the organic Mussaurus eggshells with soft, non-biomineralized eggshells. Histology corroborates the organic composition of these soft-shelled dinosaur eggs, revealing a stratified arrangement resembling turtle soft eggshell. Through an ancestral-state reconstruction of composition and ultrastructure, we compare eggshells from Protoceratops and Mussaurus with those from other diapsids, revealing that the first dinosaur egg was soft-shelled. The calcified, hard-shelled dinosaur egg evolved independently at least three times throughout the Mesozoic era, explaining the bias towards eggshells of derived dinosaurs in the fossil record.

 

Mark A. Norell, Jasmina Wiemann, Matteo Fabbri, Congyu Yu, Claudia A. Marsicano, Anita Moore-Nall, David J. Varricchio, Diego Pol and Darla K. Zelenitsky. 2020.  The First Dinosaur Egg was Soft.

Nature. 583; 406–410. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2412-8

   twitter.com/fedkukso/status/1273279238037278720

¿Blandos o duros? El enigma de los huevos de dinosaurios

Un estudio publicado por un equipo internacional de científicos sugiere que los primeros dinosaurios ponían huevos con cáscara blanda, un hallazgo que disputa la opinión predominante y permite especular sobre cómo estos animales cuidaban a sus crías.

 agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Blandos-o-duros-El-enigma-de-los-huevos-de-dinosaurios

  

[Fungi • 2020] Roridomyces phyllostachydis • A New Bioluminescent Fungus (Agaricales, Mycenaceae) from Northeast India

November 23, 2020, 2:38 am

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2020] Four New Species of Stenocercus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Squamata, Iguania) from the Department of Amazonas in northeastern Peru

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Roridomyces phyllostachydis   in Karunarathna, Mortimer, Tibpromma, Dutta, et al., 2020.  DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.459.2.6

Abstract

An interesting bioluminescent fungus growing on dead bamboo stems was collected from bamboo forests in the East Khasi and West Jayantia Hills Districts of Meghalaya, Northeast India. Both morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of nrITS and nrLSU regions showed that the bioluminescent fungus belongs to the genus Roridomyces and is a new species to science, as well as the first report of the genus, Roridomyces, in India. Full descriptions, colour photographs, phylogenetic trees to show the position of the novel bioluminescent taxon, and comparisons with its morphologically and phylogenetically similar species are provided.

Keywords: Mycenaceae, new species, Phyllostachys mannii, phylogenetic analyses, Fungi

Figure 1. Roridomyces phyllostachydis (MFLU19-2825, holotype). a-e, g-k Different stages of fruiting bodies. b,d,e,g,h Bright luminous green light emitting stipes in the dark f bioluminescent mycelia on bamboo substrate. (a-c) Photos: Stephen Axford.

Samantha C. Karunarathna, Peter E. Mortimer, Saowaluck Tibpromma, Arun Kumar Dutta, Soumitra Paloi, Yuwei Hu, Gautam Baurah, Stephen Axford, Catherine Marciniak, Thatsanee Luangharn, Sumedha Madawala , Chang Lin, Jun-Zhu Chen, Krishnendu Achary, Noppol Kobmoo, Milan C. Samarakoon, Anuruddha Karunarathna, Shuyi Gao, Jianchu Xu and Saisamorn Lumyong. 2020. Roridomyces phyllostachydis (Agaricales, Mycenaceae), A New Bioluminescent Fungus from Northeast India. Phytotaxa. 459(2); 155–167. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.459.2.6

Researchgate.net/publication/344217579_Roridomyces_phyllostachydis_a_new_bioluminescent_fungus_from_Northeast_India

 

Mysterious new bioluminescent mushroom glows in the forests of Meghalaya

india.mongabay.com/2020/11/mysterious-new-bioluminescent-mushroom-glows-in-the-forests-of-meghalaya

Scientists Discover New Luminous Fungus

english.cas.cn/newsroom/cas_media/202009/t20200914_243034.shtml

[Herpetology • 2020] Four New Species of Stenocercus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Squamata, Iguania) from the Department of Amazonas in northeastern Peru

November 23, 2020, 6:34 am

≫ Next: [Invertebrate • 2020] Duobrachium sparksae • A New Genus and Species of Benthopelagic Ctenophore (Ctenophora: Tentaculata: Cydippida) seen at 3,910 m Depth off the Coast of Puerto Rico

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Stenocercus dracopennatus   Venegas, García-Ayachi, Chávez-Arribasplata, Chávez, Wong & García-Bravo, 2020 DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.4.57578

Abstract

The tropical Andes are known to be the richest and most diverse place on earth. This mountainous region covers almost one third of the Peruvian territory, and its herpetofauna remains poorly known. The lizard genus Stenocercus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 contains 69 species and most of them occur in the tropical Andes, although some exist as high as 4000 m a.s.l. The examination of newly collected material from the Andes of northern Peru in the Department of Amazonas reveals four new species of Stenocercus which we describe below. Of these four new species, three inhabit the ecoregion of Peruvian Yungas at elevations of 1460 to 2370 m a.s.l., and one the Marañón dry forest ecoregion at elevations of 1340 to 1470 m a.s.l. Additionally, we provide new data about coloration, natural history and distribution of the poorly known S. aculeatus O’Shaughnessy, 1879; and discuss the identity of some populations of S. prionotus Cadle, 2001 and S. scapularis Boulenger, 1901.

Key Words: Andes, herpetofauna, Marañón dry forests, montane forest, morphology, Peruvian Yungas

Figure 7. Dorsolateral and ventral views of Stenocercus dracopennatus sp. nov. in life:  (A, B) holotype, adult male, SVL 79 mm (CORBIDI 18875);  (C, D) adult male, SVL 88 mm (CORBIDI 18868);  (E, F) juvenile male, SVL 56 mm (CORBIDI 18876).  Photographs by Pablo J. Venegas.

Stenocercus dracopennatus sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet “dracopennatus” is a noun derived from two words in Latin, “draco” that means dragon, the mythological being, and “pennatus” that means feathered. The specific name is a noun in apposition and refers to the similarity between lizards and dragons, which in both Western and Chinese cultures are beings similar to reptiles like crocodiles or serpents. Moreover, due to the big scales of this new species that give it the appearance of being covered by feathers, we decided to name S. dracopennatus sp. nov. for its resemblance to an imaginary feathered dragon.

Stenocercus catherineae sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for Catherine Dupont, a Peruvian veterinary specialist in One Health, who is actively working searching and monitoring viruses and other zoonotic pathogens. The specific name of this lizard is in recognition of her passion for the natural world and its creatures, and her selfless support of the herpetological division of CORBIDI.

Stenocercus flagracanthus sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet “flagracanthus” is a noun in apposition derived from the Latin words “flagrum” (= whip, derived from “flagellum”) and the Greek “acanthos” (= spine or thorn). It refers to the spiny tail of this new species of lizard that resembles the ancient Roman torture tool, the “flagrum”, a whip-like instrument with accessories for inflicting damage.

Figure 14. Dorsolateral and ventral views ofStenocercus philmayi sp. nov. in life:  (A, B) holotype, adult male, SVL 95 mm (CORBIDI 21092); (C, D) adult male, SVL 86.0 mm (CORBIDI 21077);  (E, F) adult female, SVL 74 mm (CORBIDI 21090); (G) juvenile male, SVL 55 mm (CORBIDI 21075); and (H) hatchling, SVL 33 mm (CORBIDI 21093).  Photographs by Iván Wong.

Stenocercus philmayi sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific epithet philmayi is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for Philip May (1946–2017), an American lichenologist and philanthropist, who was passionate about protecting biological diversity. During his life-time, his generous support of Nature and Culture International was instrumental to the protection of endangered ecosystems and endemic species in the Amazonas, Cajamarca, and La Libertad departments of Peru. Even after his death in 2018, his generosity has continued to protect Latin America’s biodiversity through charitable bequests. This new species was discovered in one of the departments that May supported during his life, and naming it after him, honors May’s enduring legacy as a champion of biodiversity.

  

 Pablo J. Venegas, Luis A. García-Ayachi, Juan C. Chávez-Arribasplata, Germán Chávez, Iván Wong and Antonio García-Bravo. 2020. Four New Species of Stenocercus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Squamata, Iguania) from the Department of Amazonas in northeastern Peru. Evolutionary Systematics. 4(2): 79-108. DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.4.57578

[Invertebrate • 2020] Duobrachium sparksae • A New Genus and Species of Benthopelagic Ctenophore (Ctenophora: Tentaculata: Cydippida) seen at 3,910 m Depth off the Coast of Puerto Rico

November 23, 2020, 7:30 pm

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2020] Bagualia alba • Extinction of Herbivorous Dinosaurs linked to Early Jurassic Global Warming Event

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2020] Four New Species of Stenocercus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Squamata, Iguania) from the Department of Amazonas in northeastern Peru

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Duobrachium sparksae   Ford, Bezio & Collins, 2020  DOI 10.3800/pbr.15.296   fisheries.noaa.gov

 

Abstract

On April 10, 2015, three individuals of an undescribed species of ctenophore were observed moving just above the seafloor in the Arecibo Amphitheater inside the Guajataca Canyon, north-northwest of Puerto Rico at a depth of approximately 3,900 m. The ctenophore is distinctive; having two prominent tentacle arms, a body that is rectangular when observed laterally along the tentacular plane, and rounded when observed laterally along the stomodeal plane. The tentacle arms each give rise to an extensible tentacle bearing short tentilla of uniform length and distribution. One ctenophore appeared to be anchored to the seafloor by its two long flexible tentacles, as well as by two filaments exiting its oral end. The overall form of the ctenophore suggests classification within the problematic, non-monophyletic order Cydippida, but the robust tentacle arms are more reminiscent of benthic species of Platyctenida, particularly those of families Lyroctenidae and Ctenoplanidae. Whereas most platyctenid ctenophores do not possess ctene rows in their adult forms, features that are possessed by the new species described herein, species of Ctenoplanidae retain comb rows as adults and are capable of limited swimming. The species described herein is easily distinguishable from all other known species of Ctenophora and may trace its origin to a lineage diverging near the origin of Platyctenida.

Keywords: Aricebo Amphitheater, Ctenophora, Duobrachium sparksae gen nov. & spec. nov., Puerto Rico, Cydippida

Still captured from video observation of  Duobrachium sparksae n. gen. n. sp.   Second sighting (USNM 1607332) showing regular tentilla of tentacles and large embryos/eggs within gonads, highlighting the quality of the HD video. 17:37:36 UTC.

Digital illustration of the habit of  Duobrachium sparksae n. gen. n. sp.  A. tentacular view B. stomodeal view. Illustrations by Nicholas Bezio.

Phylum Ctenophora Eschscholtz, 1829 

Class Tentaculata Eschscholtz, 1825 

Order Cydippida Gegenbaur, 1856 

Family Cydippida incertae sedis 

Genus Duobrachium gen. nov. 

Diagnosis. Tentaculate cydippid ctenophores with two thick, aboral, conical tentacle arms. Tentacle arms emerge from the center of the body and extend aborally. Body rectangular in the tentacular plane, oblong in the stomodeal plane. The tentacle arms are as long as the body is tall. Tentacles retractile, with simple tentilla of uniform length. Filaments can exit orally, anchoring it to the sediment. Stomodeum darkly pigmented. Gonads globular, not extending the length of the meridional canals. 

 

Etymology. From the Latin “two-arms”, a name reflecting the two prominent arms. The Latin “brachium” is of common gender, but shall be treated as feminine, in accordance with ICZN article 30.1.4.2.

Line drawing schematic ofDuobrachium sparksae n. gen. n. sp.  A. Tentacular view of the main body of the animal. B. Oral view. C. Aboral view. ct - ctene row, g - gonads, m - mouth, ta - tentillum, tent - tentacle, stat - statocyst, sto - stomodeum.  Illustrations by Nicholas Bezio.

 Duobrachium sparksae spec. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet “sparksae” honors Elizabeth Ann Sparks, the wife of Michael Ford. Common name. Sparks’ two-armed ctenophore. 

Distribution. Only known from Guajataca Canyon, north-northwest of Puerto Rico at a depth of approximately 3,900 m, within meters of the seafloor 

 

Michael Ford, Nicholas Bezio and Allen Collins. 2020. Duobrachium sparksae (incertae sedis; Ctenophora: Tentaculata: Cydippida): A New Genus and Species of Benthopelagic Ctenophore seen at 3,910 m Depth off the Coast of Puerto Rico. Plankton and Benthos Research. 15(4); 296-305. DOI 10.3800/pbr.15.296  

 

NOAA Scientists Virtually Discover New Species of Comb Jelly Near Puerto Rico

fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-scientists-virtually-discover-new-species-comb-jelly-near-puerto-rico

twitter.com/RebeccaRHelm/status/1330927733677895681

[Paleontology • 2020] Bagualia alba • Extinction of Herbivorous Dinosaurs linked to Early Jurassic Global Warming Event

November 24, 2020, 3:47 am

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2020] Atlantihyla melissa • A Critically Endangered New Species of Polymorphic Stream Frog (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla) from the Montane Rainforest of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, Honduras

≪ Previous: [Invertebrate • 2020] Duobrachium sparksae • A New Genus and Species of Benthopelagic Ctenophore (Ctenophora: Tentaculata: Cydippida) seen at 3,910 m Depth off the Coast of Puerto Rico

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Bagualia alba  Pol, Ramezani, Gomez, Carballido, Carabajal, Rauhut, Escapa & Cúneo, 2020 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2310  Illustration:  Jorge Gonzales  twitter.com/PolDiego MEF.org.ar

Abstract

Sauropods, the giant long-necked dinosaurs, became the dominant group of large herbivores in terrestrial ecosystems after multiple related lineages became extinct towards the end of the Early Jurassic (190–174 Ma). The causes and precise timing of this key faunal change, as well as the origin of eusauropods (true sauropods), have remained ambiguous mainly due to the scarce dinosaurian fossil record of this time. The terrestrial sedimentary successions of the Cañadón Asfalto Basin in central Patagonia (Argentina) document this critical interval of dinosaur evolution. Here, we report a new dinosaur with a nearly complete skull that is the oldest eusauropod known to date and provide high-precision U–Pb geochronology that constrains in time the rise of eusauropods in Patagonia. We show that eusauropod dominance was established after a massive magmatic event impacting southern Gondwana (180–184 Ma) and coincided with severe perturbations to the climate and a drastic decrease in the floral diversity characterized by the rise of conifers with small scaly leaves. Floral and faunal records from other regions suggest these were global changes that impacted the terrestrial ecosystems during the Toarcian warming event and formed part of a second-order mass extinction event.

Keywords: Eusauropoda, Toarcian, Pliensbachian, Sauropoda

  Systematic palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842; 

Sauropoda Marsh, 1878; 

Eusauropoda Upchurch, 1995

Bagualia alba gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology: bagual, wild horse (Spanish), for the type locality; alba, dawn (Spanish) in allusion to its early age.

Holotype: MPEF-PV 3301, posterior half of skull articulated with seven cervical vertebrae (Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew, Argentina).

Locality and Horizon: Bagual Canyon, 5 km south of Cerro Cóndor, Chubut, Argentina. Lower levels of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation dated at 179.17 ± 0.12 Ma (see below and electronic supplementary material), Early Jurassic, Toarcian.

Referred specimens: MPEF-PV 3305–3348 representing remains of at least three individuals (based on repeated elements) found at the same site. The specimens are similar sized (repeated humeri varying up to 15% in length) and include craniomandibular remains (premaxilla, maxilla, nasal, dentary, surangular), multiple isolated teeth, cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebrae, and limb elements (see electronic supplementary material).

Diagnosis: basal eusauropod diagnosed by the following characters (autapomorphies indicated with *): pointed process on the anteroventral end of the premaxilla and anterodorsal end of the dentary*; anterior margin of the premaxilla without a marked step*; orbital margin of the frontal with a close V-shape pointed medially*, resulting in a short contribution to the orbit; supratemporal fenestra about as anteroposteriorly long as lateromedially wide*; strongly marked proatlantal facets on the laterodorsal margin of the foramen magnum; concave ventral margin of the distal portion of the cultriform process*; axis with the anterior process in the dorsal part of neural spine (convergent in Jobaria and Europasaurus); accessory lamina below the PCDL in middle cervical vertebrae*; EPRL present in middle cervical vertebrae. See electronic supplementary material for further details on diagnostic features.

     

 

D. Pol, J. Ramezani, K. Gomez, J. L. Carballido, A. Paulina Carabajal, O. W. M. Rauhut, I. H. Escapa and N. R. Cúneo. 2020. Extinction of Herbivorous Dinosaurs linked to Early Jurassic Global Warming Event. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2310

  twitter.com/PolDiego/status/1328856821755506689

 MEF.org.ar/blog/2020/11/18/estudian-como-el-calentamiento-global-ayudo-a-los-dinosaurios-gigantes 

  

        

Global warming triggered the evolution of giant dinosaurs

phys.org/news/2020-11-global-triggered-evolution-giant-dinosaurs.html

[Herpetology • 2020] Atlantihyla melissa • A Critically Endangered New Species of Polymorphic Stream Frog (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla) from the Montane Rainforest of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, Honduras

November 24, 2020, 8:17 pm

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2020] Rhinophis karinthandani • A New Indian Species of Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 closely related to R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India

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Atlantihyla melissa Townsend, Herrera-B., Hofmann, Luque-Montes, Ross, Dudek, Krygeris, Duchamp & Wilson, 2020  DOI: 10.26049/VZ70-4-2020-12   facebook.com/JosiahTownsend     twitter.com/ErichPHofmann

The Chortís Highlands of Mesoamerica exhibit a high degree of in situ evolutionary diversification, exemplified by numerous endemic radiations of stream-dwelling treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla, Duellmanohyla, and Ptychohyla), which have been a source of ongoing taxonomic uncertainty. Recent evidence suggests that one species, Atlantihyla spinipollex, may conceal an unrecognized sister species found in Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat. We applied an iterative integrative taxonomic framework to assess this population within the context of Chortís Highlands populations of Atlantihyla spinipollex sensu stricto, Duellmanohyla salvadorensis, D. salvavida, D. soralia, and Ptychohyla hypomykter, using both a single locus (mtDNA: 16S) and multilocus (mtDNA: 12S, 16S; nDNA: POMC, RAG-1, Rhodopsin) datasets accompanied by distance- and tree-based species delimitation methods to inform our taxonomy. Samples of A. spinipollex sensu lato formed two deeply divergent monophyletic lineages, suggesting that populations from the central and eastern Cordillera Nombre de Dios are conspecific, while the population from Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat represents a previously undescribed species. We analyzed morphological and bioacoustic variation within and between the two lineages of A. spinipollex sensu lato and found support for recognition of two distinct taxa. We restricted the name A. spinipollex to populations in the central and eastern Cordillera Nombre de Dios, and formally describe the Texiguat population as a new species. We recommend the new species be considered Critically Endangered due to ongoing habitat loss within what remains of its highly restricted natural distribution. This new species joins 26 other endemic species of amphibians and reptiles at Texiguat.

Key words: Atlantihyla melissa sp. nov., Atlantihyla spinipollex, Chortís Block Highlands, Cordillera Nombre de Dios, Ptychohyla hypomykter, Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat.

The known distribution of focal taxa in the Chortís Block. Filled shapes indicate localities with molecular (at least 16S) sequence data generated or utilized herein; additional historical records (with no sequence data) are indicated by white shapes. Numbers and grayshaded areas refer to relevant localities within the Cordillera Nombre de Dios as follows: 1 = Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat; 2 = Parque Nacional Pico Bonito; 3 = Parque Nacional Nombre de Dios; 4 = Cerro Corre Viento; 5 = Parque Nacional Capiro y Calentura. TL = type locality.

Fig. 3. Multilocus Bayesian phylogram based on combined mtDNA (12S, 16S) + nDNA (POMC, RAG-1, RHO) dataset; maximum likelihood bootstrap support values (0– 100) and Bayesian posterior probabilities (0– 1.0) shown above corresponding branches. Photos from top to bottom: D. salvavida from Río Jilamito, Dept. Atlántida, Honduras © JHT; D. soralia from Merendón, Dept. Cortés, Honduras © JHT; holotype of Atlantihyla melissa © JHT; A. spinipollex from Cerro Corre Viento, Dept. Colón, Honduras © Jason M. Butler; Ptychohyla hypomykter from Rio Negro de Comayagua, Dept. Comayagua, Honduras (© JHT).

Adult male holotype of Atlantihyla melissa (USNM 578679; SVL = 34.4 mm), shown in life (left) and in dorsal (top right) and ventral (bottom right) aspects after eight years in preservation (photos: Josiah H. Townsend).

Paratypes of Atlantihyla melissa in life:  (a) adult female (USNM 578676), (b) adult female (USNM 578672), (c) adult female (USNM 578665), (d) adult female (USNM 578686), (e) adult male (USNM 578674), (f) adult female (USNM 578668) (photographs: Josiah H. Townsend).

Atlantihyla melissa sp. nov.

Etymology. We name this species in honor of our friend and collaborator, Isis Melissa Medina-Flores, a feld biologist originally from Mangulile in the Department of Olancho, Honduras. Melissa participated in the discovery and description of this new species, two other Texiguat endemics: the palm-pitviper Bothriechis guifarroi Townsend, Medina-Flores, Wilson, Jadin & Austin, 2013, and the centipede snake Tantilla olympiaTownsend, Wilson, Medina-Flores & Herrera-B., 2013; and two salamanders endemic to the Department of Olancho: Nototriton mime Townsend, Medina-Flores, Reyes-Calderón & Austin, 2013, and N. picuchaTownsend, Medina-Flores, Murillo, and Austin, 2011. Melissa disappeared without a trace on 5 November 2016, after becoming separated from her companions while descending from the summit of the highest peak in Honduras, Cerro de Las Minas in Parque Nacional Celaque. Despite over a month of continuous searching by military and volunteer rescue teams supported by search dogs and aircraft, no evidence of Melissa’s fate has been found.

Fig. 9. a) Type locality of Atlantihyla melissa, the Río Jilamito, Departamento de Atlántida, Honduras, 1,030 m a.s.l.; holotype was collected on a palm frond in the vegetation on the left side of the image. b) Adult male Atlantihyla melissa (not collected) photographed in situ on vegetation directly overhanging a small tributary of the Río Jilamito, 1,060 m a.s.l. (photographs: Josiah H. Townsend).

 

     

Large pool in the Río Jilamito, just above the type locality; tadpoles of Atlantihyla melissa. Duellmanohyla salvavida, and Plectrohyla chrysopleura were found here in April 2017, June 2010, and July 2010.

Josiah H. Townsend, Luis A. Herrera-B., Erich P. Hofmann, Ileana R. LuqueMontes, Ayla N. Ross, Daniel Dudek, Jr., Catherine Krygeris, Joseph E. Duchamp and Larry David Wilson. 2020. A Critically Endangered New Species of Polymorphic Stream Frog (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla) from the Montane Rainforest of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, Honduras.  Vertebrate Zoology. 70(4): 731-756. DOI: 10.26049/VZ70-4-2020-12

facebook.com/JosiahTownsend/posts/10118862257032521

 facebook.com/groups/83723428145/permalink/10160389405868146

 twitter.com/ErichPHofmann/status/1329811198053937153

Description (es): Las tierras altas Chortís en Centro América presentan un alto grado de diversificación evolutiva in situ, demostrado por un numero de radiaciones endémicas de ranas arborícolas asociadas con ecosistemas lóticos (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla, Duellmanohyla y Ptychohyla), y previamente han sido fuente de incertidumbre. Evidencia reciente sugiere que una especie, Atlantihyla spinipollex, podría ocultar un especie hermana no reconocida, en el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat. Aplicamos un modelo iterativo taxonómico integrativo para evaluar esta población dentro del contexto de las poblaciones de las Tierras Altas Chortís de Atlantihyla spinipollex sensu stricto, Duellmanohyla salvadorensis, D. salvavida, D. soralia, y Ptychohyla hypomykter, utilizando ambos, conjuntos de datos con locus génicos individuales (mtDNA: 16S) y conjuntos de datos con múltiple loci (mtDNA: 12S, 16S; nDNA: POMC, RAG-1, Rhodopsin), acompañados por métodos de delimitación de especies basados en distancia y arboles filogenéticos. Las muestras de A. spinipollex sensu lato formaron dos linajes monofiléticos profundamente divergentes, sugiriendo que las poblaciones del centro y Este de la Cordillera Nombre de Dios son conspecíficas, mientras que la población del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat representa un linaje a nivel de especie no descrito previamente. Analizamos la variación morfológica y bioacústica dentro y entre los dos linajes de A. spinipollexsensu lato y encontramos un fuerte soporte estadístico para el reconocimiento de dos taxones distintos. Restringimos el nombre A. spinipollex a las poblaciónes del centro y el Este de la Cordillera Nombre de Dios, y formalmente describimos la población del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat como una especie nueva. Recomendamos que la nueva especies sea considerada En Peligro Critico debido a la amenaza inmediata y continua de pérdida de hábitat dentro de su distribución natural altamente restringida. Esta nueva especie se une a otras 26 especies endémicas de anfibios y reptiles en Texiguat.

      

     

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[Herpetology • 2020] Rhinophis karinthandani • A New Indian Species of Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 closely related to R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India

November 25, 2020, 12:20 am

≫ Next: [Entomology • 2021] Eucorydia donanensis & E. tokaraensis • Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2020] Atlantihyla melissa • A Critically Endangered New Species of Polymorphic Stream Frog (Anura: Hylidae: Atlantihyla) from the Montane Rainforest of Refugio de Vida Silvestre Texiguat, Honduras

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Rhinophis karinthandani Sampaio, Narayanan, Cyriac, Venu & Gower, 2020  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4881.1.1

Abstract

A new species of the uropeltid (shieldtail snake) genus Rhinophis is described based on a type series of seven specimens from the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats of peninsular India. The holotype was collected before 1880 but had been misidentified as the phenotypically similar and parapatric (possibly partly sympatric) R. sanguineus. Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. is diagnosed by a combination of 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody, 4–8 pairs of subcaudal scales, colour pattern (uniformly dark above, whitish below with extensive dark mottling), and by its distinct mitochondrial DNA sequences (e.g. >7.6% uncorrected p-distance for nd4). Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data indicates that the new species is most closely related to R. sanguineus among currently recognised species, with this pair most closely related to the partly sympatric R. melanoleucus. The new species description brings the number of currently recognised species in the genus to 24, six of which are endemic to India and 18 endemic to Sri Lanka. A new key to the identification of Indian species of Rhinophis is provided.

Keywords: identification key, Rhinophis microlepis, shieldtail, snakes, Wayanad, Western Ghats, Reptilia

Photographs of live Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. (A–D) and R. sanguineus (E–F). A, B. dorsal and ventral views of BNHS 3541; C, D. dorsal and ventral views of BNHS 3542; E, F. dorsal and ventral views of VPRS0918093.

 Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov.

 

 Chresonymy: Rhinophis sanguineus Beddome, 1863: 

Cyriac et al. 2020, in part (see Appendix 1)

Diagnosis. Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. differs from all other species of Rhinophis except R. fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896, R. melanoleucus, and R. sanguineus in having 15 dorsal scale rows at (or just behind) midbody (versus 17 or 19 in other congeners). Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. differs from R. fergusonianus and R. melanoleucus in having a reduction from 17 to 15 dorsal scale rows that occurs anterior to the 80th ventral (versus posterior to the 90th ventral in R. fergusonianus and posterior to the 99th ventral in R. melanoleucus: Cyriac et al. 2020), and in having dark spots or speckles ventrally (versus dark blotches). Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. differs from R. melanoleucus also in having fewer ventrals (< 206 versus > 217) and fewer subcaudals (in males: 4–5 versus 6–7). The new species is most similar superficially to the parapatric (possibly partly sympatric) R. sanguineus, but the two species can be distinguished on the basis of the former having fewer subcaudals (left-right means of 4–5 in females and 6.5–8 in males versus 5–7 and 8.5–10.5, respectively), having a reduction from 19 to 17 dorsal scale rows that occurs anterior to the 34th ventral (mean 28th ventral [n = 18 sides]; versus posterior to the 26th ventral, mean 34 [n = 28]) and a reduction from 17 to 15 dorsal scale rows that occurs anteriorly to the 78th ventral (mean 68th ventral [n = 18 sides]; versus posterior to the 67th ventral, mean 79th [n = 28]) (Appendix 4; Cyriac et al. 2020), in mitochondrial DNA sequences (e.g. >7.6% uncorrected p-distance for nd4: Table 1), and in colour pattern. In terms of colour pattern, both species have a dark dorsum and generally pale venter, but R. karinthandani sp. nov. has an extensively darkly mottled or speckled or spotted venter, except for a narrow (approximately one scale wide, generally across second and third and/or third and fourth dorsal scale rows), longitudinal, ventrolateral pale line along each side, immediately below the dark dorsum (and sometimes other, subparallel pale lines further ventrally), whereas R. sanguineus has a less mottled venter with the paler colour below the darker dorsum being much more extensive than a narrow regular line. In life, the paler venter of R. karinthandani sp. nov. is whitish (to pale pinkish more anteriorly), but in R. sanguineus is a vivid red (paler in smaller specimens, see Discussion). The colour pattern differences in preservation hold well for almost all specimens we have identified, although in R. sanguineus specimen VPRS0918093, many of the mostly pale scales in the broad pale areas below the darker dorsum have small blackish dots. At least in life, the dorsal colour of R. sanguineus appears to be darker, more blackish than in R. karinthandani sp. nov. Photographs of the type specimens of R. sanguineus and its junior synonym R. microlepis are presented in Figs. 4 and 5.

BNHS paratypes of Rhinophis karinthandani sp. nov. Heads and tails shown in (from left to right) dorsal, ventral, right lateral and left lateral views. A. BNHS 3540; B. BNHS 3542; C. BNHS 3544; D. BNHS 3545; E. BNHS 3546. Scale bars 10 mm.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Karinthandan, a member of the Paniya (also Paniyar, Paniyan) tribe indigenous primarily to the tri-state region of Kerala-Karnataka-Tamil Nadu. Karinthandan is believed to have been a chieftain (= moopan) who was murdered in the 1700s by colonial British after he showed them the Thamarassery churam mountain pass between the Adivaram (foothills) and Wayanad plateau. Legend has it that Karinthandan’s spirit is today chained to a banyan tree at Lakkidi (a paratype locality of the new species), which has become a place of worship. In addition, Karinthandan in Malayalam is from “kari” meaning black and “thandan” (thandu) meaning stem or backbone, which also seems appropriate given the blackish dorsal colour of the newly described species. For nomenclatural purposes, the species epithet is considered a noun in apposition. 

 

 Filipa L. Sampaio, Surya Narayanan, Vivek P. Cyriac, Govindappa Venu and David J. Gower. 2020. A New Indian Species of Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 closely related to R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae). Zootaxa. 4881(1); 1–24. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4881.1.1

     

[Entomology • 2021] Eucorydia donanensis & E. tokaraensis • Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan

November 25, 2020, 2:03 am

≫ Next: [Entomology • 2020] The Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Ecuador including the Description of Five New Species, A New Subtribe, Four New Synonymies, and Fifteen New Records

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2020] Rhinophis karinthandani • A New Indian Species of Rhinophis Hemprich, 1820 closely related to R. sanguineus Beddome, 1863 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India

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Eucorydia sp.  Yanagisawa, Hiruta, Sakamaki, Liao & Shimano, 2021 DOI: 10.2108/zs200048   twitter.com/yokoyama_070821   twitter.com/freeliving_mite

 

Abstract

Two new species of the cockroach genus Eucorydia Hebard, 1929 from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan were compared to two closely related congeners, Eucorydia yasumatsui Asahina, 1971 and Eucorydia dasytoides (Walker, 1868). Eucorydia donanensis Yanagisawa, Sakamaki, and Shimano sp. nov. from Yonaguni-jima Island was characterized by an overall length of 12.5–14.5 mm in males. The dorsal side of the male abdomen was entirely dark purple and there was an obscure orange band running down the middle of the tegmen. Eucorydia tokaraensis Yanagisawa, Sakamaki, and Shimano sp. nov. was characterized by an overall length of 12.0–13.0 mm in males and a distinct orange band running down the middle of the tegmen. Eucorydia yasumatsui, E. donanensis, E. tokaraensis and the zonata population of E. dasytoides were divided into four lineages in a maximum-likelihood tree generated from a dataset concatenated from five (two nuclear, 28S rRNA, histone H3, and three mitochondrial, COII, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA) genes. We recognized the three Japanese lineages E. yasumatsui, E. donanensis, and E. tokaraensis as distinct species, which were also supported by the pairwise genetic distances (5.4–7.8%, K2P) of the COI sequences. Morphometric analysis was performed on the genitalia. A principal component analysis plot revealed that the sizes of the genitalia in the three Japanese species were similar to each other and smaller than that of the zonata population of E. dasytoides. The analysis also revealed that the three Japanese species were distinguished from each other by combinations of the sizes of L3 and L7 sclerites and the shape of R2 sclerite, with some overlapping exceptions.

Shizuma Yanagisawa, Shimpei F. Hiruta, Yositaka Sakamaki, Jhih-Rong Liao and Satoshi Shimano. 2020. Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan. Zoological Science. 38(1) DOI: 10.2108/zs200048  

twitter.com/yokoyama_070821/status/1331436782995402755

twitter.com/freeliving_mite/status/1331223528088031233

 

[Entomology • 2020] The Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Ecuador including the Description of Five New Species, A New Subtribe, Four New Synonymies, and Fifteen New Records

November 25, 2020, 2:38 am

≫ Next: [PaleoOrnithology • 2020] Falcatakely forsterae • Late Cretaceous Bird from Madagascar reveals Unique Development of Beaks

≪ Previous: [Entomology • 2021] Eucorydia donanensis & E. tokaraensis • Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan

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Calyria xiphion   Sanborn, 2020   DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4880.1.1

Abstract

The known cicada fauna of Ecuador is identified. Durangona exechopyga n. sp., Calyria chaetoacontia n. sp., Calyria xiphion n. sp., Carineta coronida n. sp., and Carineta tiarata n. sp. are described as new. The subtribe Plautillina Distant, 1905h rev. stat. is formed for the genera Plautilla Stål, 1865 and Onoralna Boulard, 1996 within the Zammarini Distant, 1905b. Zammara erna Schmidt, 1919 n. syn., Orellanabrunneipennis Goding, 1925 n. syn. and Orellana pulla Goding, 1925 n. syn. are reported to be junior synonyms of Zammara intricata Walker, 1850 and Coata facialis var. Jacobi 1907a n. syn. is shown to be unavailable and a junior synonym of Coata facialis Distant 1906b. The first records of Fidicinoides besti Boulard & Martinelli, 1996, Fidicinoides brunnea Boulard & Martinelli, 1996, Fidicinoides descampsi Boulard & Martinelli, 1996, Fidicinoides ptychodiropeda Sanborn 2020b, Ariasa bilaqueata (Uhler, 1903), Guyalna bicolor (Olivier, 1790), Guyalna dyticamazona Sanborn, 2020b, Calyria fenestrata (Fabricius, 1803), Taphura boulardi Sanborn, 2011a, Carineta lichiana Boulard, 1986a, Carineta peruviana Distant, 1905c, Carineta producta Walker, 1858b, Carineta rufescens (Fabricius, 1803), Herrera concolor Sanborn, 2019b and Toulgoetalna tavakiliani Boulard, 1982 are provided. The new records represent the first records for Ariasa Distant 1905d, Calyria Stål, 1862, the tribe Parnisini Distant, 1905e, and Toulgoetalna Boulard, 1982, in Ecuador. The record for Calyria fenestrata is the first known specific locality for the species. An additional first record of Fidicinoides besti is provided for Colombia to expand the known distribution of this species. Previous records of Zammara calochroma Walker, 1858a, Dorisiana semilata (Walker, 1850), Carineta bilineosa Walker, 1858b, Carineta fasciculata (Germar, 1821), and Selymbria stigmatica (Germar, 1834) are considered to be misidentifications of Dorisiana metcalfi Sanborn & Heath, 2014 (= Cicada viridis Olivier, 1790), C. maculosa Torres, 1848, C. pilifera Walker, 1858a, and S. ecuadorensis Sanborn, 2019a, respectively, so that Z. calochroma, D. semilata, C. bilineosa, C. fasciculata, and S. stigmatica are removed from the cicada fauna of Ecuador. In addition, Chilecicada occidentis (Walker, 1850) is removed from the Ecuadorian cicada fauna as the species is restricted to Chile. The currently known Ecuadorian cicada fauna is comprised of 98 species from 24 genera, nine tribes and three subfamilies.

Keywords: Taxonomy, new species, diversity, Neotropics, South America

Calyria xiphion n. sp.

Allen F. Sanborn. 2020.  The Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Ecuador including the Description of Five New Species, A New Subtribe, Four New Synonymies, and Fifteen New Records. Zootaxa.  4880(1); 1-80. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4880.1.1

[PaleoOrnithology • 2020] Falcatakely forsterae • Late Cretaceous Bird from Madagascar reveals Unique Development of Beaks

November 25, 2020, 6:31 pm

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2020] Functional Adaptive Landscapes Predict Terrestrial Capacity at the Origin of Limbs

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Falcatakely forsterae O’Connor, Turner, Groenke, Felice, Rogers, Krause & Rahantarisoa, 2020  DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2945-x    twitter.com/deeptimescience   twitter.com/rfelice

Abstract

Mesozoic birds display considerable diversity in size, flight adaptations and feather organization, but exhibit relatively conserved patterns of beak shape and development. Although Neornithine (that is, crown group) birds also exhibit constraint on facial development, they have comparatively diverse beak morphologies associated with a range of feeding and behavioural ecologies, in contrast to Mesozoic birds. Here we describe a crow-sized stem bird, Falcatakely forsterae gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous epoch of Madagascar that possesses a long and deep rostrum, an expression of beak morphology that was previously unknown among Mesozoic birds and is superficially similar to that of a variety of crown-group birds (for example, toucans). The rostrum of Falcatakely is composed of an expansive edentulous maxilla and a small tooth-bearing premaxilla. Morphometric analyses of individual bony elements and three-dimensional rostrum shape reveal the development of a neornithine-like facial anatomy despite the retention of a maxilla–premaxilla organization that is similar to that of nonavialan theropods. The patterning and increased height of the rostrum in Falcatakely reveals a degree of developmental lability and increased morphological disparity that was previously unknown in early branching avialans. Expression of this phenotype (and presumed ecology) in a stem bird underscores that consolidation to the neornithine-like, premaxilla-dominated rostrum was not an evolutionary prerequisite for beak enlargement.

  Falcatakely forsterae gen. et sp. nov.

 

Patrick M. O’Connor, Alan H. Turner, Joseph R. Groenke, Ryan N. Felice, Raymond R. Rogers, David W. Krause and Lydia J. Rahantarisoa. 2020. Late Cretaceous Bird from Madagascar reveals Unique Development of Beaks. Nature.  DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2945-x

   twitter.com/deeptimescience/status/1331653787816132608

  twitter.com/rfelice/status/1331642756469547009

[Paleontology • 2020] Functional Adaptive Landscapes Predict Terrestrial Capacity at the Origin of Limbs

November 26, 2020, 3:42 am

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2020] Cnemaspis ranganaensis • A New Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

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two Late Devonian early tetrapods - Ichthyostega and Acanthostega - coming out of the water to move on land. Footprints trail behind the animals to show a sense of movement.  in Dickson, Clack, et al., 2020.  DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2974-5 Artwork by Davide Bonadonna.

Abstract

The acquisition of terrestrial, limb-based locomotion during tetrapod evolution has remained a subject of debate for more than a century. Our current understanding of the locomotor transition from water to land is largely based on a few exemplar fossils such as Tiktaalik, Acanthostega, Ichthyostega and Pederpes. However, isolated bony elements may reveal hidden functional diversity, providing a more comprehensive evolutionary perspective. Here we analyse 40 three-dimensionally preserved humeri from extinct tetrapodomorphs that span the fin-to-limb transition and use functionally informed ecological adaptive landscapes to reconstruct the evolution of terrestrial locomotion. We show that evolutionary changes in the shape of the humerus are driven by ecology and phylogeny and are associated with functional trade-offs related to locomotor performance. Two divergent adaptive landscapes are recovered for aquatic fishes and terrestrial crown tetrapods, each of which is defined by a different combination of functional specializations. Humeri of stem tetrapods share a unique suite of functional adaptations, but do not conform to their own predicted adaptive peak. Instead, humeri of stem tetrapods fall at the base of the crown tetrapod landscape, indicating that the capacity for terrestrial locomotion occurred with the origin of limbs. Our results suggest that stem tetrapods may have used transitional gaits during the initial stages of land exploration, stabilized by the opposing selective pressures of their amphibious habits. Effective limb-based locomotion did not arise until loss of the ancestral ‘L-shaped’ humerus in the crown group, setting the stage for the diversification of terrestrial tetrapods and the establishment of modern ecological niches.

The aerial scene depicts two Late Devonian early tetrapods - Ichthyostega and Acanthostega - coming out of the water to move on land. Footprints trail behind the animals to show a sense of movement.  Original artwork created by Davide Bonadonna.

 

Blake V. Dickson, Jennifer A. Clack, Timothy R. Smithson and Stephanie E. Pierce. 2020. Functional Adaptive Landscapes Predict Terrestrial Capacity at the Origin of Limbs. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2974-5

Water-to-land transition in early tetrapods

A new study answers the debate: how terrestrial were early tetrapods?

 eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/hudo-wti112320.php