Anomalopsychidae Flint, 1981, is a small family of caddisflies comprising two genera: the monotypic Anomalopsyche Flint, 1967, and Contulma Flint, 1969, including 31 described species grouped into the cranifer and spinosa species groups. The genus Contulma is distributed across Costa Rica, the Andes, and the mountainous areas of Brazil and Chile, with six species recorded in Brazil, primarily from the Atlantic Forest biome in the southeastern region. In this study, we describe and illustrate a new species of Contulma from the Cerrado biome of São Paulo State, representing the first record of the genus in this biome. Male specimens were collected using Malaise traps in a stream within a protected area. The new species is distinguished by the presence of both a strongly sclerotized dorsomesal process and a strongly dorsolateral process on tergum IX and by an extremely deep cleft in the posteromesal process of sternum IX, dividing it into two narrow, digitated lobes. Based on its unique combination of characters, the new species cannot be placed unambiguously in either of the species groups. Consequently, C. assisensis sp. nov. is here treated as incertae sedis within Contulma. With this addition, seven species of Contulma are now known from Brazil, most of which are recorded from the Atlantic Forest (6 spp.), especially in the mountainous areas of southeastern Brazil. The discovery of this new species in the Cerrado highlights the underestimated diversity of the genus in Brazil and underscores the importance of regional taxonomic studies for addressing biogeographic and diversity knowledge gaps. The identification key provided enables the differentiation of the seven Contulma species now known from Brazil.

Marasmius neooreades sp. nov. from Japan is described. This species produces fleshy, medium-sized basidiomata that are macromorphologically similar to M. oreades, with a pileus ranging from wheat-colored to dark brown and a tough stipe covered with brownish tomentose squamules. The gill edges bear cheilocystidia that are clavate to diverticulate. The pileipellis is hymeniform and composed of Globulares-type elements containing brown pigments. The species typically occurs gregariously in grasslands and occasionally forms fairy rings. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and LSU sequences indicated that M. neooreades forms a well-supported, independent clade distinct from previously described species of Marasmius. In addition, a combination of morphological characters clearly differentiates this species from all described taxa. An illustrated description and the phylogenetic placement of the new species are provided.

Astigmata is a diverse lineage of mites with significant ecological, medical, and economic importance, yet higher-level relationships within the group remain contentious due to incongruent morphological and molecular data. Here, we integrate multigene data with comparative morphology and ecological traits to reassess phylogenetic relationships, with a focus on the newly described family Lycoglyphidae fam. nov. associated with puffball fungi. Phylogenetic analyses recover Lycoglyphidae within a well-supported cluster—the AR cluster—comprising Acaridae sensu novo, Rhizoglyphidae sensu novo, and several additional related lineages. Within this framework, previously unrecognized lineages such as Pontoppidaniidae (intertidal seaweed habitats) and Cerophagidae (bee-associated) are supported as monophyletic, showing ecological conservatism. Our phylogeny indicates that mating position is phylogenetically structured, with retroconjugate mating prevalent in the AR cluster (except Histiostomatoidea) and many other lineages, while proconjugate mating is present only in two lineages, Hemisarcoptoidea+Glycyphagidae and Rosensteiniidae+Aeroglyphidae. Finally, to facilitate identification and future research, we provide a taxonomic description of new taxa (Lycoglyphidae with Lycoglyphus gen. nov., Obelacarus gen. nov., and Viedebanttia) and a comprehensive key to the families and genera of Acaroidea based on both adults and deutonymphs. Our results clarify some higher-level relationships within Astigmata, indicate the importance of integrating molecular, morphological, and ecological evidence, and provide a practical resource for identification and comparative studies.

In the original publication [...]

The family Grapsidae is composed of 39 species belonging to seven genera. Currently, larval data are known for 24 out of the 39 species, but the megalopa stage remains unknown for the genera Goniopsis, Grapsus, Leptograpsus, and Planes, although megalopae collected in the plankton have been tentatively attributed to Grapsus and Planes. Thanks to the MALASPINA and MAF research projects, a significant number of megalopae were collected from open-ocean plankton worldwide, and, using DNA barcoding (16S and/or COI genes), a high percentage of them were identified. At the molecular level, Grapsidae have been widely studied, so the availability of barcode sequences in public databases has allowed us to identify the megalopa of Goniopsis pulchra, Grapsus grapsus, Leptograpsus aff. variegatus, Pachygrapsus socius, P. transversus, and Planes minutus. In the present work, these megalopae are described in detail and compared with those previously known. Consequently, for the first time, the morphology of the megalopa stage can be compared across all grapsid genera, and a set of characteristics is defined to identify the grapsid megalopa from the rest of the brachyuran megalopae.

In an age of gene editing and artificial intelligence, taxonomy—the science of naming, describing, and classifying living organisms—can seem old-fashioned, even quaint [...]

Two new endemic species from the Atlantic Forest, Philodendron baumgratzii and Philodendron waenglerae, are described herein. Both species belong to the subgenus Philodendron, assigned to sections Schizophyllum and Macrobelium, respectively. Detailed taxonomic descriptions, nomenclatural notes, and geographic distribution data are provided.

Ten new species of Lonchaeidae in the genera Lonchaea Fallen and Silba Macquart are described, nine from the Australasia–Oceania realm—Papua New Guinea (7 species), Solomon Islands (1 species), and Sulawesi (1 species)—and one from Sumatra in the Indo-Malayan realm. The new species are Lonchaea bacchusi sp. nov., Lonchaea herzogi sp. nov., Lonchaea morobe sp. nov., Lonchaea spenceri sp. nov., Lonchaea sulawesi sp. nov., Silba guineai sp. nov., Silba honiara sp. nov., Silba ismayi sp. nov., Silba kokoda sp. nov., and Silba papua sp. nov. The male genitalia are illustrated, and the diagnostic features that distinguish these species are presented. The male genitalia of Lonchaea uniseta Malloch, 1930, from Samoa are described and illustrated for the first time, and the male genitalia of two species from Micronesia, Lonchaea belua McAlpine, 1964, and Lonchaea sabroski McAlpine, 1964, are illustrated for the first time. A checklist of the Lonchaeidae of Papua New Guinea is provided.

Fungal diversity has been well explored worldwide, but such knowledge in special environments remains limited. Here, we focus on the soil from Ngari Prefecture with high altitude in the northwestern part of Xizang, China. Among the 514 fungal strains isolated from the soil samples, two strains are newly described as Cymostachys pangongensis and Emericellopsis rutogensis in the Hypocreales on the basis of both morphological and phylogenetic evidence. Cymostachys pangongensis exhibits typical characteristics of Cymostachys, viz., irregularly cymosely branched conidiophores and olivaceous brown to dark brown, fabiform conidia. It represents the sixth known species of Cymostachys and the first species isolated from soils in this genus. Emericellopsis rutogensis has typical chlamydospores and conidia of Emericellopsis, although its sexual ascomata and ascospores were not observed. Notably, these two new species belong to interesting fungal genera, whose members are well known for rich medicinal natural products. In summary, this study enriches the knowledge of fungal diversity in special environments, and the isolated strains may provide important bioresources for future applications.

Although an isosporan coccidian has been reported from the broad-headed skink, Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider), no acroeimerians are known from this reptile. A single fecal sample was collected by hand in June 2025 from a female P. laticeps from Nevada County, Arkansas, USA. The sample was placed in a vial containing 2.5% potassium dichromate. It was examined for sporulated oocysts after flotation in Sheather’s sugar solution, measured, and photographed. The skink was found to be passing a new species of Acroeimeria Paperna and Landsberg, 1989. Oocysts of Acroeimeria nevadaensis sp. n. were spheroidal with a smooth bi-layered wall, measured (L × W) 15.6 × 13.7 µm, and had a length/width (L/W) (shape index) average ratio of 1.1; micropyle and oocyst residuum were absent but one to two polar granule(s) were present. Sporocysts are ovoidal and measured 7.7 × 5.9 µm, L/W ratio of 1.3; Stieda, sub-Stieda, and para-Stieda bodies were absent. The sporocyst residuum was composed of a loose aggregate of various-sized granules between and across the sporozoites but sometimes a compact, rounded, or irregular mass. In addition, new data on oocysts matching the description of Choleoeimeria fasciatus from the same host are provided. Here, we document a description of a new species of Acroeimeria as well as provide a new host and geographic distribution record, photomicrographs, and mensural and morphological data for a choleoeimerian from this skink. This is the first acroeimerian reported to be from P. laticeps and, more importantly, the second known to be from members of the family Scincidae of the world.