Identification Of Specimens Research Articles

Ethnobotany of the Useful Native Species in Linares, Nuevo León, México

In Linares, Nuevo León, Mexico, there is no record of the total number of species or the uses that people make of native plants. The purpose of this study was to know the species and their uses in the municipality of Linares, Nuevo León, Mexico. Based on 180 semi-structured interviews, collection, identification, and storage of botanical specimens, the regional ethnobotanical knowledge was assessed. The ethnobotanical information and significant use of plants in Linares was studied. To identify the cultural importance of the ethnobotanical uses of the plants, three indices were calculated: the Use Value Index (UVI), the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and the Fidelity Level (FL). We recorded 59 plant families, 151 genera, and 152 species. The families with the largest number of genera and species with uses registered are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Cactaceae, Araceae, and Euphorbiaceae. The most common uses recorded are ornamental, medicinal, food, and forage. The highest values for ICF were for the circulatory, endocrine, and digestive systems. At least 20 species had 100% FL index values. The species with the highest UVI values were Equisetum laevigatum, Persea ameriana, Amaranthus palmeri, Lophophora williamsii, and Artemisia ludoviciana. A wide use of native flora is recognized in Linares, Nuevo León, which directly influences the livelihood of people in the area.

Conservation of vCJD Strain Properties After Extraction and In Vitro Propagation of PrPSc from Archived Formalin-Fixed Brain and Appendix Tissues Using Highly Sensitive Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification.

Three retrospective lymphoreticular tissue studies (Appendix I, II, and III) aimed to estimate the UK prevalence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), following exposure of the population to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent, in the late 1980s and 1990s. These studies evaluated the presence of abnormal prion protein aggregates, in archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) appendectomy samples, by immunohistochemical detection. Although there was concordance in the estimated prevalence of vCJD from these studies, the identification of positive specimens from pre- and post-BSE-exposure periods in Appendix III study has raised questions regarding the nature and origin of the detected abnormal prion protein. We applied a robust and novel approach in the extraction of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc) present in frozen and FFPE samples of brain and appendix from a patient with pathologically confirmed vCJD. The extracted material was used to seed the highly sensitive protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay (hsPMCA) to investigate the in vitro and in vivo propagation properties of the extracted abnormal prion protein. We demonstrate that PrPSc can be successfully extracted from FFPE appendix tissue and propagated in vitro. Bioassay in wild-type and gene-targeted mouse models confirmed that the extracted and amplified product is infectious and retains strain properties consistent with vCJD. This provides a highly sensitive and reliable platform for subsequent analysis of the archived FFPE appendix tissue derived from the Appendix II and III surveys, to further evaluate the nature of the abnormal PrP detected in the positive samples.

Molecular Taxonomy of South Africa’s Catsharks: How Far Have We Come?

The ability to correctly identify specimens at the species level is crucial for assessing and conserving biodiversity. Despite this, species-specific data are lacking for many of South Africa’s catsharks due to a high level of morphological stasis. As comprehensive and curated DNA reference libraries are required for the reliable identification of specimens from morphologically similar species, this study reviewed and contributed to the availability of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nicotinamide adenine dehydrogenase subunit 2 (NADH2) sequences for South Africa’s catsharks. A molecular taxonomic approach, implementing species delimitation and specimen assignment methods, was used to assess and highlight any taxonomic uncertainties and/or errors in public databases. The investigated species were summarised into 47 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), with some conflicting specimen assignments. Two Apristurus specimens sampled in this study remained unidentified, revealing the presence of previously undocumented genetic diversity. In contrast, haplotype sharing within Haploblepharus—attributed to nucleotide ambiguities—resulted in the delimitation of three congeners into a single MOTU. This study reveals that molecular taxonomy has the potential to flag undocumented species and/or misidentified specimens, and further highlights the need to implement integrated taxonomic assessments on catsharks that represent an irreplaceable component of biodiversity in the region.

Inference of Ploidy Level in 19th-Century Historical Herbarium Specimens Reveals the Identity of Five Acorus Species Described by Schott

Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (1794–1865) was one of the pioneering researchers in the taxonomy of the species-rich monocot family Araceae. He described numerous new plant species in various genera, including Acorus, which is currently segregated as a monogeneric family and order occupying a position sister to the rest of the monocots. While describing his new species of Acorus, Schott mostly used characters that are currently considered of low, if any, taxonomic value. His descriptions lack some key characters including, for obvious reasons, chromosome numbers. Therefore, Schott’s species concepts cannot be properly interpreted according to the current understanding of the taxonomic diversity of Acorus, even though his species names must be examined for implementation of the principle of nomenclatural priority. The only way of resolving the taxonomic identity of Schott’s species names is through the identification of type specimens among historical herbarium collections, by inferring taxonomically significant characters that are missing in Schott’s descriptions. On the basis of herbarium collections of the Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg (LE), we were able to infer ploidy levels of the materials used by Schott to describe Acorus triqueter (diploid, Siberia), A. tatarinowii (tetraploid, China), A. nilaghirensis (tetraploid, India), A. griffithii (tetraploid, Bhutan), and A. commutatus (tetraploid, Bhutan). Leaf anatomy and pollen stainability were used as cytotype markers. All five species belong to the polymorphic Acorus calamus complex that comprises important medicinal plants. Detailed historical and nomenclatural analyses of Schott’s species names and herbarium collections are provided.

Community structure of soil mites under different crops and its response to environmental factors in the buffer zone of Shibing Karst World Natural Heritage

To reveal the differences in the community structure of soil mites under different crop environments in the buffer zone of the Shibing Karst World Natural Heritage Site, soil mites from corn fields (CF), pear tree lands (PL), tobacco fields (TF), grape fields (GF), and plum gardens (PG) were collected in the buffer zone in January 2022. Through the identification of mite specimens and data analysis, differences in the number of families, genera, individuals, individual density, diversity, similarity of communities, ecological groups of oribatid mites, and responses to environmental factors of soil mites under different crop environments were determined. The results showed that: (1) A total of 6941 soil mites were captured in the study area, belonging to 130 genera, 75 families, and 3 orders. The number of soil mite genera (CF and TF > PL > PG > GF) and number of soil mite individuals (PG > PL > GF > TF > CF) showed characteristics of differential distribution and surface soil aggregation in the five habitats. (2) Scheloribates, Protorobotritia, and Tectocepheus were the dominant genera in the study area. Lohmannia, Scheloribates, and Tectocepheus, representative species that indicate a good soil environment, were distributed in the sample plots of CF, PL, and PG to varying degrees, indicating that the ecological environment of these three crops was healthy. (3) The diversity index of PG was the highest, and similarity analysis of the five habitats revealed that they were at a medium level of similarity. (4) The ecological groups of oribatid mites in the different crop environments were dominated by the overall (O) type, which is a combination of Macropylina, Gymnonota, and Poronota. (5) The community structure of soil mites was sensitive to bulk density (BD), natural water content (NWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), available potassium (AK), and soil organic matter (SOM). Based on the above results, there were differences in the community structures of soil mites under different crop environments in the study area. The identification of the dominant mite genera can preliminarily indicate the environmental conditions of different crops, and a special correlation exists between the community structure of mites and environmental factors. Studying the community structure of mites in different crop environments in the Shibing Karst World Natural Heritage Site buffer zone is important in ensuring the ecological protection and sustainable development of the buffer zone. Furthermore, the results of this study support the role of the buffer zone as an ecological protection barrier for the heritage site.

Sow Wild! Effective Methods and Identification Bias in Pollinator-Focused Experimental Citizen Science

A common debate on the value of citizen science projects is the accuracy of data collected and the validity of conclusions drawn. Sow Wild! was a hypothesis-driven citizen science project that investigated the benefits of sowing a 4 m2 mini-meadow in private gardens and allotments to attract beneficial insects. The use of researcher-verified specimen-based methods (pan traps, yellow sticky traps) and observational insect watches allowed investigation of potential bias in identification skills and sampling methods conducted by citizen scientists. For bumblebees and honeybees, identification of pan trap insect specimens was similar between researchers and citizen scientists, but solitary bees were possibly misidentified as social wasps or hoverflies. Key results of the Sow Wild! project differed between specimen-based and observation-only data sets, probably due to unconscious bias, such that incorrect conclusions may have been drawn if we had relied solely on observations made by citizen scientists without detailed training. Comparing the efficiency of sampling methods, insect watches produced the most insect observations overall. Yellow sticky traps collected more solitary wasps, social wasps, hoverflies and honeybees than pan traps. There was also variation in the abundance of insects caught according to the four pan trap colours. While all of these sampling methods can be successfully incorporated into citizen science projects to monitor a range of flying insects in urban landscapes, we recommend that verification of data by taxonomic experts is a valuable component of hypothesis-led citizen science projects, and increased training is required if target taxa include less conspicuous insect groups.

Rapid collagen peptide mass fingerprinting as a tool to authenticate Pleuronectiformes in the food industry

Reliable species identification of specimens in the food chain is crucial for detecting mislabelling fraud. While visual identification, DNA-analyses, and proteomic approaches have been used in the past, this research provides an alternative proteomic technique that has been trialled here to identify tissue samples from species within the order Pleuronectiformes (flatfish). Previously, archaeological research has used peptide mass fingerprinting to identify fish remains to species by extracting collagen Type I preserved in bones. As this type of collagen can also be found in the fins, skin and muscle of fishes (types of tissue that can be found throughout the food chain), collagen peptide mass fingerprinting has been applied here to identify modern fish specimens to species. In this study, MALDI-ToF MS peptide fingerprints are obtained from enzymatic digestion of collagen Type I from fin (or skin if fin was not available) and muscle tissues from six specimens of Pleuronectiformes. Using the already available diagnostic collagen peptide biomarkers for flatfish, all six specimens could be identified to the correct species for each of the tissue types. We recommend using this rapid approach for future screenings of modern flatfish in the food chain to detect mislabelling fraud, and also in more general applications of modern ecological studies of this order. It is likely that the methods can be applied to other Actinopterygian fishes.

Identification of Acrossocheilus fasciatus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Three Different Phylogeographic Sources using Morphology and COI DNA Barcoding

Background: Accurate species delimitation is essential for phylogenetic, phylogeographic, ecological, conservation and biogeographic investigations. Acrossocheilus species classification has long been contentious, owing to their uncertain evolutionary relationships, high levels of morphological homoplasy and a lack of knowledge of the taxonomic validity of conventionally utilized morphological characters. Methods: A final data set consisting of 102 mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences was analysed for K2P intraspecific and interspecific divergence in the current study, using reconstruction methods (maximum likelihood) and various models (ABGD, PTP, GMYC) to divide the sequences according to the pattern of genetic variation. We used landmark-based geometric morphometrics to identify specimens. Result: Two taxa were identified according to the phylogenetic tree (maximum likelihood method) and three different models (ABGD, PTP, GMYC). The molecular taxonomy of Acrossocheilus agreed with the morphological identification of specimens from the same collection locality. Therefore, the COI gene and geometric morphometrics were effective in species identification of A. fasciatus.

Applications of Microct Imaging to Archaeobotanical Research.

The potential applications of microCT scanning in the field of archaeobotany are only just beginning to be explored. The imaging technique can extract new archaeobotanical information from existing archaeobotanical collections as well as create new archaeobotanical assemblages within ancient ceramics and other artefact types. The technique could aid in answering archaeobotanical questions about the early histories of some of the world's most important food crops from geographical regions with amongst the poorest rates of archaeobotanical preservation and where ancient plant exploitation remains poorly understood. This paper reviews current uses of microCT imaging in the investigation of archaeobotanical questions, as well as in cognate fields of geosciences, geoarchaeology, botany and palaeobotany. The technique has to date been used in a small number of novel methodological studies to extract internal anatomical morphologies and three-dimensional quantitative data from a range of food crops, which includes sexually-propagated cereals and legumes, and asexually-propagated underground storage organs (USOs). The large three-dimensional, digital datasets produced by microCT scanning have been shown to aid in taxonomic identification of archaeobotanical specimens, as well as robustly assess domestication status. In the future, as scanning technology, computer processing power and data storage capacities continue to improve, the possible applications of microCT scanning to archaeobotanical studies will only increase with the development of machine and deep learning networks enabling the automation of analyses of large archaeobotanical assemblages.

Simplified COI barcoding of blow, flesh, and scuttle flies encountered in medicolegal investigations.

Accurate insect identification is critical to the estimation of time of colonization (TOC) and post-mortem interval (PMI) in medicolegal death investigations. DNA testing is advantageous because it enables the identification of immature specimens that may not be identified based on morphology alone. We describe here a simplified DNA barcoding method for identifying relevant species that may be implemented by forensic genetics laboratories. A cytochrome oxidase (COI) fragment is analyzed after PCR amplification with a single primer set. The method is effective for many species commonly encountered in death investigations in the USA: members of blowfly genera Calliphora, Chrysomya, Cochliomyia, Lucilia, and Phormia; members of the flesh fly genera Blaesoxipha, Oxysarcodexia, Ravinia, and Sarcophaga; and the scuttle fly Megaselia scalaris. We tested the method on specimens with verified identifications and used it to build a collection of reference sequences from specimens collected in Harris County, Texas. We show here the correct identification of larvae, pupae, and pupal exuviae from the medicolegal casework.

DNA Barcodes of Mansonia (Mansonia) Blanchard, 1901 (Diptera, Culicidae).

Females of the genus Mansonia feed on the blood of humans, livestock, and other vertebrates to develop their eggs. The females' biting behavior may cause severe disturbance to blood hosts, with a negative impact on public health and economics. Certain species have been identified as potential or effective disease vectors. The accurate species identification of field-collected specimens is of paramount importance for the success of monitoring and control strategies. Mansonia (Mansonia) morphological species boundaries are blurred by patterns of intraspecific heteromorphism and interspecific isomorphism. DNA barcodes can help to solve taxonomic controversies, especially if combined with other molecular tools. We used cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene 5' end (DNA barcode) sequences to identify 327 field-collected specimens of Mansonia (Mansonia) spp. The sampling encompassed males and females collected from three Brazilian regions and previously assigned to species based on their morphological characteristics. Eleven GenBank and BOLD sequences were added to the DNA barcode analyses. Initial morphospecies assignments were mostly corroborated by the results of five clustering methods based on Kimura two-parameter distance and maximum likelihood phylogeny. Five to eight molecular operational taxonomic units may represent taxonomically unknown species. The first DNA barcode records for Mansonia fonsecai, Mansonia iguassuensis, and Mansonia pseudotitillans are presented.

Description of the male of Erromyrma Bolton & Fisher, 2016 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

The male of the myrmicine genus Erromyrma is described for the first time on the basis of two specimens of Erromyrmalatinodis (Mayr, 1872) collected in northern Madagascar. We used COI barcoding to confirm the identification of the male specimens as conspecific with Erromyrmalatinodis. We provide an illustrated male-based key to the four Myrmicinae tribes (Attini, Crematogastrini, Solenopsidini, Stenammini) and to the Solenopsidini genera (Adelomyrmex, Erromyrma, Solenopsis, Syllophopsis and Monomorium) for the Malagasy region.

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection in a Chinese tertiary-care hospital: A single-center retrospective study.

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection in a Chinese tertiary-care hospital: A single-center retrospective study.

Development and Validation of a High-Throughput Sequencing Test for Mitogenome and rDNA Assembly and Annotation, and Its Use in Support of Nematode Identification of Regulatory Concern

Nematoda is a diverse phylum, and representatives are found in most habitats, including in and on animals and plants. Nematodes are regarded as the most abundant group in terms of individuals in marine and terrestrial sediments. Plant-parasitic nematodes are globally responsible for an annual yield loss of $125 billion. Reliable species identification is essential to take appropriate phytosanitary measures. The introduction of validated Sanger sequencing of 18S, 28S, and cox1 barcode loci represented a powerful tool in support of nematode identification. However, technical challenges associated with PCR and Sanger sequencing and the need for additional loci for identification hamper the efficient use of sequence data. To overcome these challenges, we developed an automated bioinformatic pipeline for the assembly and annotation of mitochondrial genomes and ribosomal DNAs, and we defined and validated a standardized test protocol including controls for routine diagnostics (i.e., high-throughput sequencing [HTS] test). The HTS test can be performed on single nematode specimens and outperforms the Sanger-based sequencing by producing less ambiguous consensus sequences and by yielding additional sequence data offering additional diagnostic resolution when needed. Compared with Sanger sequencing, the HTS test represents a reduction in hands-on time. The HTS test is regarded as fit for the purpose of the molecular identification of single nematode specimens in support of nematode diagnostics of regulatory concern. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

Application of Rapid Detection Method Based on NG-Test® CARBA 5 in Bloodstream Infections Associated With Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales

To compare the consistency and accuracy of a rapid test method and a traditional test method for pathogen identification, antimicrobial susceptibility and carbapenemase type identification of positive blood culture samples. A total of 51 positive blood culture samples of bloodstream infection (BSI) were collected between March 2022 and May 2022. All samples were found to be "positive for Gram-negative bacilli" according to the blood smear results. The rapid method was adopted to perform rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test (RAST) and analysis of the positive blood culture samples. According to the RAST result interpretation standards, NG-Test® CARBA 5 was used for rapid carbapenemase detection of the imipenem-resistant strains and the results were confirmed by PCR. In addition, mass spectrometry, VITEK 2 Compact drug sensitivity analysis, and carbapenemase type identification were performed with the colonies cultured with positive samples according to the traditional method. In the identification of bacteria, the rapid method and the traditional method had 100% consistency rate in the identification results of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, the consistency rate between the results of the two methods was high and the consistency rate for results for susceptibility to imipenem was 100%. In the identification of carbapenemase type, 18 serinase-producing strains and 3 metal-β-lactamase-producing strains of Enterobacterales were detected by the traditional method. With the rapid method, 18 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing strains, 2 New Delhi metallo-betalactamase (NDM)-producing strains, and 1 imipenem enzyme (IMP)-producing strain were identified in the blood culture samples by using a testing kit. Compared with the PCR results, the sensitivity and specificity of the rapid test for determining carbapenemase types were 100%. In this study, we investigated a rapid method for bacteria and carbapenemase type identification of positive blood culture specimens and found that the turnaround time (TAT) of the rapid method was reduced by 1.94 days on average in comparison with the TAT of the traditional method. The rapid method established in the study can effectively shorten the TAT for pathogenic microorganism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test of blood culture samples, and the joint report of colloidal gold carbapenemase type identification results can provide a reference for clinicians to use antibiotics appropriately and accurately manage multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

The giant clam commensal shrimp Anchistus miersi (de Man, 1888) (Decapoda: Palaemonoidae) new to Lakshadweep Sea, India

The genus Anchistus Borradaile, 1898 is a colourful shrimp from the commensal group. In this study, we are reporting a new occurrence of Giant Clam commensal shrimp Anchistus miersi (de Man, 1888 [in de Man, 1887–1888]) caught from Agatti Island, Lakshadweep Sea during February 2020. The present specimens (one each matured male and female) were collected from the mantle cavity of the Giant Clam, Tridacna maxima (Roding, 1798) in the coral lagoon at a depth of 4 m. Anchistus miersi is morphologically very similar to Anchistus demani, which is easily distinguished by the presence of a strong antennal spine and conspicuous accessory spinules in the third─fifth pereopods and presence of small blue spots all over the body. The molecular analysis confirms that, the morphological identification of the present Indian specimens displays an intraspecific genetic divergence of 0.3─1.2%. Besides, the remarkable taxonomic features and colour patterns, distributional ranges are also attested with the report of the species from the present area.

The female of Megacraspedus peslieri Huemer & Karsholt, 2018 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), a new case of brachyptery in alpine Lepidoptera

Megacraspedus peslieri was described from the Pyrenees in 2018 and subsequently also discovered at a few localities in the northern Cottian Alps (Italy). The hitherto unknown female was collected in these localities after a targeted search. As with some other representatives of the genus, the female is flightless and shows a strikingly strong reduction of the wings (brachyptery). Whereas the forewings are significantly shortened and narrowed, the hindwings are strongly reduced. Both the external morphology and the genitalia of the female are described and illustrated in detail, together with previously unpublished photographs of live adults of both sexes. The identification of specimens from the Alps as well as of the male and female were determined by means of a DNA barcode comparison with the holotype.

Jamestown Canyon virus (Bunyavirales: Peribunyaviridae) vector ecology in a focus of human transmission in New Hampshire, USA.

Jamestown Canyon virus disease (JCVD) is a potentially neuroinvasive condition caused by the arbovirus Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV). Human cases of JCVD have increased in New Hampshire (NH) over the past decade, but vector surveillance is limited by funding and person power. We conducted mosquito surveillance with a focus on human JCVD cases south central NH during 2021. Routine surveillance with CDC miniature traps baited with CO2 (lights removed) was supplemented by a paired trapping design to test the collection efficiency of octenol, and New Jersey light traps. We performed virus testing, blood meal analysis, and compared morphological identification with DNA barcoding. Over 50,000 mosquitoes were collected representing 28 species. Twelve JCV-positive pools were derived from 6 species of more than 1,600 pools tested. Of those, Aedes excrucians/stimulans (MLE 4.95, Diptera: Culicidae, Walker, 1856, 1848), and Aedes sticticus (MLE 2.02, Meigen, 1838) had the highest JCV infection rates, and Aedes canadensis (MLE 0.13, Theobold, 1901) and Coquillettidia perturbans (0.10, Diptera: Culicidae, Walker, 1856) had the lowest infection rates. One hundred and fifty-one blood meals were matched to a vertebrate host. All putative vectors fed on the amplifying host of JCV, white-tailed deer (36-100% of bloodmeals). Putative vectors that fed on human hosts included Aedes excrucians (8%), Anopheles punctipennis (25%, Diptera: Culicidae, Say, 1823), and Coquillettidia perturbans (51%). CDC traps baited with CO2 were effective for collecting putative vectors. DNA barcoding enhanced morphological identifications of damaged specimens. We present the first ecological overview of JCV vectors in NH.

Molecular identification of Cerodontha australis (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and its associated pupal endoparasitoids (Hymenoptera)

AbstractThe wheat sheath miner, Cerodontha australis, is widespread and abundant in New Zealand and also occurs in eastern Australia. Adult and larval C. australis feed on cereals and grasses, including the economically important perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne. There is little literature about C. australis, and much of the early work may relate to other species due to its initial misidentification. Morphology‐based identification can be challenging, and the absence of online barcode sequences from voucher specimens for C. australis has precluded diagnosis using molecular techniques. In this study, two individual adult leafminers collected from L. perenne plants in New Zealand were confirmed as C. australis morphologically. One has been retained as a voucher specimen and its mitochondrial barcode sequence submitted to online databases. Comparison with adult and larval specimens previously sequenced by the authors confirmed they were also C. australis. Molecular identification of 20 hymenopteran pupal endoparasitoids, and a subset of the puparia they emerged from, revealed Trichopria sp. (Diapriidae), Eupelmus messene (Eupelmidae) and three haplotypes (or closely related species) of Eulophidae. Sequences for all wasps were submitted to GenBank. All the puparia were visually identified as C. australis, and a subset that included a host pupa of each identified endoparasitoid species were confirmed as C. australis based on comparison with our barcode sequence. This work will aid future studies on C. australis and has allowed identification of unidentified sequences on public databases formerly submitted by other New Zealand researchers. It also provides new records of association between C. australis and its pupal endoparasitoids. More broadly, our study provides an example of the importance of authoritative morphological identification of specimens alongside molecular identification, and highlights the challenges in identifying species for which this has not been done.

A review of the subgenus Parapisa of Apisa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) with description of a remarkable species from Cameroonian Highlands

The subgenus Parapisa of the genus Apisa is reviewed based on the examination of 104 specimens. Apisa (P.) cinereocostata and A. (P.) subargentea are redescribed and their intraspecific variation is analysed in detail. A new species A. (P.) asipa, similar in the general coloration to other Apisa taxa, but very distinctive in the male genital morphology and the shape of the wing scales, is described from Cameroon and Nigeria. Apisa (P.) cinereocostata is hypothesized to be a widespread, but highly polymorphic taxon with significant variation in body size, intensity of grey coloration, and the proportions and shape of certain morphostructures of male genitalia. Determination keys and extensive illustrations of the variation are provided to enable proper identification of specimens.