Little-known Species Research Articles

New and little-known species of Ploiaria (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) from southeastern Asia

Summary Ploiaria hamulosa n. sp. is described and illustrated based on specimens from northern Laos. This new species is characterized by the relatively long anteocular region of the head, the presence of a long erect seta on the fore trochanters, the elongate pygophore, and the strongly curved and barb-bearing parameres. Based on the examination of the holotypes, Lhostella rondoni Dispons, 1965 and Ploiaria maldonadoi Baena, 1992 are considered as junior synonyms of Ploiaria mellea McAtee & Malloch, 1926. The genus Ploiaria Scopoli, 1786 is recorded from Laos for the first time.

Confirmation of the presence of Hestina persimilis zella Butler, 1869 from Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India after 110 years (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Two subspecies of the genus Hestina Westwood, 1850 are known to occur in India: H. persimilis persimilis (Westwood, [1850]) and H. persimilis zella Butler, 1869. Of these, H. persimilis persimilis, is widely distributed throughput the Himalayan Mountain range in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. In India, it is recorded from the northwestern (Jammu & Kashmir), eastern (Orrisa) and northeaster parts (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh). On the other hand, H. persimilis zella is a little-known species that is only reported from the northwestern parts (Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand) of India and northern areas of Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad). The present study provides the first confirmation of new locality data in Jammu and Kashmir after its original description, which dates back to 1912.

New and little-known species of the genus Cyclotoma from China (Coleoptera: Endomychidae)

Three new species of Cyclotoma Mulsant, 1851 from China, C. nigrithorax sp. nov., C. simianshanensis sp. nov. and C. yingjiangensis sp. nov., are described. These new species are compared with and separated from similar congeners and supported by illustrations of diagnostic characters. An updated key to the species of Cyclotoma from China is given.

Phylogenetics of two rhizomatous epiphytic species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae; Cymbidieae): evidence from analyses of nuclear and plastid DNA

The phylogenetic positions of two little-known species of Cymbidium (Cymbidiinae) with creeping rhizomatous habit, C. lii and C. repens, has previously been unclear. Here, we present a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the genus based on nuclear ribosomal ITS and seven plastid regions. All analyses showed that C. lii and C. repens are sister to C. dayanum, an epiphytic species, with high support. However, many topological conflicts in inter- and intra-sectional relationships were observed in other parts of the trees, supporting existence of hybridization in Cymbidium but not affecting the taxa of interest in this study.

New records of the Annamite striped rabbit in Ngoc Linh, Quang Nam and Kon Tum provinces, Vietnam

Abstract The Annamite striped rabbit Nesolagus timminsi is an Endangered lagomorph endemic to the Annamite mountain range in Vietnam and Laos. We report new records of the Annamite striped rabbit from the elevations of 967–1210 m (mean = 1097 m) in the Ngoc Linh Mountains in Quang Nam and Kon Tum provinces, central Vietnam, located south of the southernmost known records in the central Annamites part of the species’ range. We also document previously unreported incidents of Annamite striped rabbit being caught for the pet trade. Our findings provide additional information on the distribution and threats to this little-known species that can be used to inform conservation measures.

The Influences of Genotype and Year on Some Biologically Active Compounds in Honeysuckle Berries

Berries of three Romanian Lonicera caerulea cultivars ‘Cera’, ‘Kami’, and ‘Loni’, grown at the Research Institute for Fruit Growing, Pitesti, Romania, were analyzed between 2020 and 2022 in terms of chemical composition. The study aimed to determine the concentrations of some compounds with antioxidant activity, highlight the most valuable cultivar, encourage the consumption of honeysuckle berries, and indirectly stimulate growers’ interest in this little-known species in Romania. Some phenolic compounds—lycopene, β-carotene, and vitamin C—were quantified. As a result of the study, the ‘Loni’ cultivar’s high total phenolic content, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, lycopene, chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids, catechin, and rutin are to be noted. ‘Cera’ cultivar had the highest cryptochlorogenic acid content, and ‘Kami’ summarized the highest carotenoid level. These characteristics indicated that the three honeysuckle cultivars’ berries could have multiple uses, from fresh consumption, as part of a diet focused on maintaining human health, to being used as raw materials in the para-pharmaceutical industry, to obtain food supplements. The novelty characteristics and the nutritional value of its berries highlighted by this study have indicated that honeysuckle can become a crop of interest and profitability.

Novitates Gabonenses 93: a fresh look at Podostemaceae in Gabon following recent inventories, with a new combination for Ledermanniella nicolasii

Background and aims – Podostemaceae is a family of strictly aquatic plants found in rapids and waterfalls. Despite a recent treatment in the Flore du Gabon, the family remained poorly known, with no major studies including Gabonese collections, and almost no targeted inventories since 1966. We present the first large-scale inventory of this family in Gabon, targeting Podostemaceae throughout the country, providing new additions to the flora of Gabon and many new records of poorly known species. Material and methods – Fieldwork was conducted in Gabon between 2017 and 2021. The collected specimens were primarily preserved in ethanol with associated silica gel-preserved material and photographs. Material available at BR, BRLU, LBV, MO, P, WAG, and Z/ZT was examined. For each species, information on distribution and ecology is presented, as well as a distribution map in Gabon. Key results – The 500 newly collected specimens represent 91.4% of all known collections of Podostemaceae from Gabon. Three taxa are newly recorded for the country, including one genus (Inversodicraea tenax, Ledermanniella schlechteri, and Saxicolella nana). New distribution records are also presented for 13 little-known species. Four taxa are excluded from the Gabonese flora (the genus Dicraeanthus, Inversodicraea ledermannii, Ledermanniella sanagaensis, and Macropodiella garrettii). To date, 20 species belonging to five different genera are known to occur in Gabon. A new combination is proposed for Ledermanniella nicolasii, and Inversodicraea tanzaniensis is now considered as a synonym of Inversodicraea tenax.

A contribution to the spider fauna of the Dnister Canyon NNP and its environs

The research on the spider fauna of the Dnister Canyon National Nature Park, which is located on the territory of the Chortkiv district of the Ternopil oblast (Ukraine), is presented. The study area lies within the deciduous forest zone in the region of Roztochia-Opillian hill ridges and the West Podolian upland region. The history of the study of the spider fauna in the region is analyzed, including the one related to the works of famous naturalists of the 19th century: A. Wierzejski, M. Łomnicki, L. Wajgiel, M. Nowicki, and L. Koch. It was established that most of the clusters of the National Nature Park were not covered by the research, and its faunal list includes only about 85 spider species, and even then, a significant part of them was collected on the outskirts of the protected area. During the several-day expeditions in 2000 and 2016, 93 species belonging to 20 families were found. The species-rich families were Linyphiidae (15 species; 16.1% of species diversity), Araneidae (12 species; 12.9%), Lycosidae, Theridiidae, and Thomisidae (11 species each; 11.8%). Information on the distribution in the world and in Ukraine of two rare and little-known species of spiders, namely Tegenaria campestris (C. L. Koch, 1834) and Harpactea saeva (Herman, 1879), which were found in a rotten log in an oak-hornbeam forest, is given. Taking into account the literature-derided data, the fauna of the park currently includes 135 spider species from 21 families. During the research, 42 species of spiders were not confirmed. First of all, this is due to the very short period of expeditions and the lack of stationary study plots, and therefore of materials from pitfall traps or seasonal from spring to autumn collections. In particular, no tarantula (Lycosa singoriensis) was found. This species was typical and widespread in Podolia at the end of the 19th century, however, according to a survey of local residents, it is now very rare, and its records on the territory of the National nature park need confirmation. To supplement the fauna and understand the features of its formation in the region, further comprehensive research of zonal forests and steppe areas on the slopes of river canyons is necessary.

Redescription of a little-known species, Cryptocephalus surdus Rapilly, 1980 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae), with notes on new distribution localities and habitat preference in Türkiye

Cryptocephalus surdus Rapilly, 1980 is a little-known species which was described based on specimens collected from Iran. Due to the fact that the species was described very briefly in its original description, the taxonomic features of the species are redescribed in here. In addition, information about additional taxonomic characters, habitats and distribution in Türkiye of this little-known species are given for the first time in this study. Habitus and genital features of the species are photographed. Habitat preference and a map showing the previous and new distribution localities of the species are provided.

Cingulata of the Abismo Ponta de Flecha Cave (Pleistocene-Holocene), Ribeira de Iguape Valley, southeastern Brazil

The Ribeira de Iguape Valley, located in southeastern Brazil, is an important karstic region, presenting a large number of caves containing fossil and subfossil vertebrate materials. The Abismo Ponta de Flecha Cave is a complex vertical cave divided into galleries where a large amount of osteological material was collected. The cave acted as a natural trap for several taxa and possibly as a disposal site for ancient human communities. Osteoderms and appendicular bones assigned to two genera of Cingulata were identified in the faunal assemblage. The most abundant bone material belongs to the family Chlamyphoridae, genus Cabassous, represented by the living species C. tatouay and by remains of a larger, but little-known species, cf. C. antiquus. The other identified genus belongs to the family Dasypodidae: Dasypus sp. Evidence of human activity was characterized in only one C. tatouay bone, while the other specimens were considered as being of natural origin. Keywords: Quaternary, Chlamyphoridae, Dasypus, Cabassous, taxonomy.

Aplatophis zorro (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), a rare fish from the eastern Pacific: morphometric data and range extension

Ophichthid eel genus Aplatophis includes two species restricted to the New World, one distributed in the western Atlantic (A. chauliodus) and the other in the tropical eastern Pacific (A. zorro). Aplatophis zorro is a little-known species that was described in Panama, Gulf of San Miguel, from the collection of a single mature male. This work constitutes the first record of the species in Colombian waters and extends its geographical distribution to more than 483 km south on the American continent. In addition, some morphometric variation of the species, which was only known from the Panamanian holotype, is provided.

New and little-known species of dance flies the subgenus Euempis Frey (Diptera: Empididae) from Morocco and Spain

New and little-known species of dance flies the subgenus Euempis Frey (Diptera: Empididae) from Morocco and Spain

A Remarkable Record of Little-Known Parasitoid Wasp Helorus striolatus (Hymenoptera: Heloridae) from Türkiye with A Global Checklist of the this Family

The Heloridae (Hymenoptera: Proctorupoidea) is a family of parasitoid wasps composed of a single genus, Helorus with eighteen extant species. For Türkiye, only two species have been reported: Helorus anomalipes (from Ankara, Central Anatolia) and H. striolatus (from Bingöl, Eastern Anatolia). In this study, a new distribution record is given for H. striolatus from Kocaeli province (Marmara region), which is the second record of this relatively little-known species in this country. In addition, an updated checklist of the family Heloridae is presented.

Sasa guangdongensis, a new synonym of Acidosasa carinata (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

Sasa guangdongensis is a little-known species, which was not treated in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae or Flora of China. Based on examination of herbarium specimens and fresh material, it is confirmed that Sasa guangdongensis is conspecific with Acidosasa carinata. Thus, the former is treated as a synonym of the latter. The lectotypes for S. guangdongensis and A. carinata are designated. Taxonomic notes on this species are also provided.

Biology of the Most Widely Distributed Sugarcane Stem Borers, Diatraea spp. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), in Colombia.

Most studies on insect biology and ecology of sugarcane borers have focused on Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius),the most widely distributed species in the Americas. Little information is available on the biology of other borer species present in Colombia, such as D. indigenellaDyar & Heinrich, D. busckella Dyar & heinrich,and D. tabernellaDyar, that present greater expansion and damage in sugarcane-growing regions. The biology of all four species was accordingly studied under laboratory conditions. Diatraea saccharalis presented the shortest development time (39.4days) and D. busckella the longest (58.2days). Immature survival was higher for D. saccharalis (83%) and D. tabernella (77%), with the latter also presenting the highest pupal weight (256.6mg). Observations on reproduction indicate that D. tabernella develops a larger number of egg masses per female (67.3) as compared with D. saccharalis (28.7). All three species spent more time in the pupal stage and resulted in greater pupal size than D. saccharalis; in particular, D. indigenella showed longer female longevity than D. saccharalis. High immature survival rate and greater reproductive success in D. tabernella could potentially generate a larger population in the field, whereas D. busckella takes longer to complete its development, thus increasing the chances of causing greater injury to sugarcane plants. Discussion on biology, ecology, and pest management of these little-known species is done using as model the better-known D. saccharalis.

Eretes sticticus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) - A new record for the Romanian fauna, and new data regarding the distribution of two rare species - Acinopus ammophilus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Sphenoptera (Chilostetha) laportei (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) in Dobrogea (Romania)

The presence of Eretes sticticus in the Romanian fauna, unconfirmed until now, is for the first time accurately recorded and documented with photographs in this article. The presence of other two very rare and little-known species: Acinopus (Osimus) ammophilus and Sphenoptera (Chilostetha) laportei are reconfirmed for the Romanian fauna, in a different geographical area (North Dobrogea), other than that they were previously recorded last century.

Biological and morphological studies on the parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of Aprosthema tardum (Klug) (Hymenoptera, Argidae, Sterictiphorinae) in Var, southern France

Field surveys at four neighbouring but discrete sites in southern France revealed the presence of five ichneumonid parasitoids of the Lathyrus-feeding sterictiphorine argid sawfly Aprosthema tardum. Four of these parasitoids, Lathrolestes erythrocephalus, Ischyrocnemis goesi (both Ctenopelmatinae), Terozoa quadridens and Thibetoides aprosthemae (both Tryphoninae), could be identified and, by also incorporating laboratory studies, the developmental biology of each was elucidated and illustrated. A little supplementary information from a site in Italy is also presented. The fifth species was detected only once and failed to develop in its cocoon; it remains unidentified but the cephalic sclerites of its final instar larva are illustrated. The identified parasitoids are all more or less rare and little-known species and prior to this study only L. erythrocephalus had a known host; the others were biologically unknown even at the generic level and not recorded from France. The egg of L. erythrocephalus bears prominent hooked structures at its capital end, not reported in other studied Lathrolestes species. From its biology as an endoparasitoid of a sawfly and from larval characters, Ischyrocnemis is confidently assigned to Ctenopelmatinae. Both ctenopelmatines could successfully parasitise the host during any of its 2nd to 5th instars, but the tryphonines were less flexible. Terozoa monitors hosts until the moult to the final instar before ovipositing on them, usually affixing the egg to the head and often an eye (stemma), while Thibetoides parasitises much younger hosts, placing its strongly anchored egg behind a thoracic leg where it remains through successive host moults. Some characters used in the past to determine Terozoa species are discussed, and a new provisional key to the known species of Terozoa is presented. The very different developmental biology of Terozoa and Thibetoides may challenge views that they are closely related genera. Terozoa bituberculata (Constantineanu, 1973), stat. rev. is raised from synonymy with T. quadridens Perkins, 1962. Reinterpretations of several cephalic structures of final instar larvae as well as larval spiracles are discussed, and a new interpretation and terminology for describing the latter is introduced.

Taxonomy and conservation of the critically endangered shrew Cryptotis nelsoni (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), endemic to Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México

Abstract The Nelson’s small-eared shrew (Cryptotis nelsoni) is a mammal at high risk of extinction and endemic to the cloud forest in the mountains of Los Tuxtlas, an isolated volcanic field in eastern México. It is a little-known species that remained unrecorded for over a century. However, recent works have increased the number of museum specimens and tissue samples of C. nelsoni, which we studied here to improve our knowledge of their taxonomy and conservation status. We compared the morphology and DNA barcode sequences of C. nelsoni against its three most closely related species. We also evaluated the possible effect of anthropogenic climate change on this mountain species according to three general circulation models and two scenarios proposed for the year 2050. The results showed that the skull and postcranial variables could easily discriminate C. nelsoni from the other species in terms of body size, to which some distinctive qualitative characteristics related to the width of the snout and the curvature of the humerus also contribute. DNA barcoding also helped identify the shrew species accurately, with a genetic distance of more than 6% from its closest species. The morphological and genetic characteristics highlight the evolutionary distinctiveness of C. nelsoni. Unfortunately, warmer extremes and higher rainfall than today could pose a severe threat to the survival of this shrew for decades to come, even in the most optimistic scenarios.

Functional plasticity of Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum through multiple traits

The diversity of functional traits still has not been studied enough in model plant species, even less so in little-known species. This experiment was carried out under the extreme heat of Sonoran Desert, using shading nets and under conditions where the availability of water and nutrients was not a stress factor. We evaluated how the low, intermediate and high sunlight regimes impact survival and promote multiple alterations on phenological and ecophysiological response of cultivated Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum plants. Extremely warm temperatures promoted a high heat sum in degrees days throughout plants development. Most plants grown in high sunlight regimes did not survive; under intermediate sunlight regimes survival was high and plants developed vegetative and reproductively; but under low sunlight regimes plants survival was high; however, they developed just vegetatively. Photosynthetic response to light suggests that plants are physiologically acclimated to low and intermediate irradiance, whereas the CO2 assimilation curves suggest contrasting photosynthetic capacity traits. Under the intermediate sunlight regimes, plants strengthened their performance through multiple functional traits (e.g. CO2 and water diffusion traits, photosynthetic capacity, respiration, among others). Consequently, their biomass gain was faster and proportionally higher by 76 % with an investment of 14 % in fruits development. The principal components analysis extracted the main explanatory functional traits: photosynthetic nitrogen allocation, stomatal limitation, mesophyll conductance, Rubisco maximum carboxylation velocity, among others. In conclusion, phenological response and multiple functional traits determine plants acclimation to sunlight regimes and extremely warm temperatures in short term.

INaturalist as a tool in the study of tropical molluscs.

Although terrestrial gastropods are remarkably diverse, our knowledge of them is still lacking, especially for species from the Global South. As such, new tools to help researchers collect data on these organisms are very welcome. With this in mind, we investigated Brazilian observations on iNaturalist to assess the feasibility of the data available on the platform as a basis for studies on the tropical terrestrial gastropod fauna. The observations on iNaturalist were filtered by country, Brazil, and higher taxa, namely Eupulmonata, Cyclophoroidea and Helicinoidea, yielding a sample of 4,983 observations. These observations were then reviewed in search of records of rare or little-known species, species found outside their previously known range, and interesting ecological interactions. Exotic species made up 35% to 39% of the sampled iNaturalist records. The most commonly observed species were Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822), Bradybaena similaris (Férussac, 1822), Drymaeus papyraceus (Mawe, 1823), Drymaeus interpunctus (E. von Martens, 1887), Limacus flavus (Linnaeus, 1758), Meghimatium pictum (Stoliczka, 1873), Cornu aspersum (O. F. Müller, 1774), Vaginulus taunaisii (Férussac, 1821), Ovachlamys fulgens (Gude, 1900), and Bulimulus tenuissimus (Férussac, 1832). In total, 166 observations were deemed of interest to our purposes (e.g., rare species, range extensions, ecological interactions), totalling 46 identified species and 16 observations identified at genus level. Among the selected observations, we found pictures of live specimens of species that were previously known only from their shells, such as Megalobulimus pergranulatus (Pilsbry, 1901), bringing to light their appearances in life. Two potentially new species belonging to the genera Plekocheilus Guilding, 1827 and Megalobulimus K. Miller, 1878 were revealed. Additionally, we found records of living individuals of two species that were previously presumed to be possibly extinct, Leiostracus carnavalescus Simone & Salvador, 2016, and Gonyostomus egregius (Pfeiffer, 1845). We take the opportunity to discuss individual records of interest, evaluate the quality of the data and possible improvements, as well the potential and implications of the use of the iNaturalist platform for research in Brazil and other tropical countries. While iNaturalist has its limitations, it holds great potential to help document biodiversity in the tropics.