Museum Of Biology Research Articles

An annotated and illustrated catalog of the Peruvian specimens of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) housed in the Biological Museum at Lund University, Sweden

The Peruvian specimens of the family Cerambycidae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera) housed in the Biological Museum at Lund University in Sweden are cataloged and illustrated. Photographs of dorsal habitus, labels, and complete label data of all the specimens are provided. There are 81 specimens belonging to 38 species, 29 genera, three subfamilies, and 19 tribes. Anisopodus ligneus Bates, 1863 is a new country record. The presence of Aegomorphus nigricans (Lameere, 1884) in Peru is confirmed. Additionally, 22 species represent new regional records. Colobothea Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1825 and Taeniotes Audinet-Serville, 1835 are the genera with the greatest number of species, three species each. A note on the variation of elytral pubescence in Anisopodus prolixus (Erichson, 1847) is provided.

History of the Museum of Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, based on the collection, researches and sharing services of specimens

History of the Museum of Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, based on the collection, researches and sharing services of specimens

Distribution of the mysterious Chevron Crickets Melanabropsis Wang & Liu, 2020, with a remarkable new species from Hainan, China (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae: Anabropsini)

Melanabropsis is a rare genus of Chevron Crickets from East Asia. In this study, Melanabropsis nightfury sp. nov. is described from Hainan Island in China. The new species is the first macropterous species belonging to the genus Melanabropsis, distinctly different from other species of the genus, which are all micropterous. Based on the data of the new species and records on iNaturalist, a suitability distribution map of the genus is generated using the Maxent model. The results indicate that this genus is primarily distributed in islands and mountains with small temperature differences and high precipitation. Taiwan Island in China shows high potential for distribution. Type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University.

First record of the hippolytid shrimp Hippolyteaustraliensis (Stimpson, 1860) (Crustacea, Decapoda) from China.

Two specimens of the genus Hippolyte were examined from the caridean collections of the Marine Biological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences. These specimens were captured in the South China Sea in 1987. Detailed inspection revealed that their morphological features closely match the (re)descriptions of Hippolyteaustraliensis, especially in the presence of a long, distinct lateral carina on the rostrum, a dorsally unarmed rostral border, and four prominent terminal spines on the dactylus of the last three pereiopods. The discovery of Hippolyteaustraliensis in Chinese waters represents a significant expansion of its geographic distribution from the South Pacific to the North Pacific. Furthermore, an additional taxonomical report of H.australiensis is provided since its retrieval in 2001.

Scanning electron microscopy study of Lars Silns cheilostome bryozoan type specimens in the historical collections of natural history museums in Sweden.

The type specimens of 42 cheilostome bryozoan species introduced by Lars Siln between 1938 and 1954 and housed at three different Swedish institutions (the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, the Biological Museum in Lund and the Museum of Evolution in Uppsala) are here revised using scanning electron microscopy, with two exceptions, for the first time. As a result of this revision, new morphological observations were made for some species, such as ooecia in Antropora erecta, a costal pseudopore in Jullienula hippocrepis, intracolonial variation in the number of intracostal windows in Costaticella gisleni, and oral spines in Triphyllozoon mauritzoni. Some other observations confirmed the presence of structures/polymorphs in type material that had previously only been noted in non-type specimens, such as spinose interzooidal kenozooids in Retevirgula triangulata and putative brooding zooids in Bugulina kiuschiuensis. Structures originally interpreted as hydroid tube openings on the dorsal side of Triphyllozoon microstigmatum were confirmed to be avicularia, while the supposed kenozooidal attachment rootlet of Fedora nodosa might be the polypide tube of a coronate scyphozoan. In addition, the original combination Heliodoma goesi is here reinstated after Lagaaij assigned the species to Setosellina in 1963. The following new combinations are also proposed: Labioporella aviculifera for Siphonoporella aviculifera; Mangana canui and Mangana incrustata for Callopora canui and Tegella incrustata, respectively; Sphaerulobryozoon ovum for Fedora ovum. Lectotypes were selected when appropriate. This work clarifies the exact identity of some species that have never been recorded after their first description, such as Stylopoma magnovicellata and three species of Triphyllozoon, and contributes to the current increasing effort to digitize historical key specimens in natural history museum collections.

Early creative explorations by Vasily A. Vatagin: between the artistic and documentary directions of animal painting

Vasily А. Vatagin (1984–1969) is widely recognized as an animal artist. His early creative projects can be seen as a search for the golden mean between zoological illustration, which served purely utilitarian purposes as visual aids in biological museums, and genuine high art. At the same time, V.A. Vatagin was fascinated with exploring new artistic traditions that would allow him to integrate Russian animal painting into the artistic context of world culture.

The State Biology Museum Named after Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev as a Scientific and Educational Center

The State Biology Museum Named after Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev as a Scientific and Educational Center

FIELDWORK IN NORTHEAST INDIA: THE STATE OF TRIPURA

The author went on a fieldwork to the state of Tripura in September–October 2022. It was done as part of the Russian-Indian Anthropological Expedition of Paleoethnology Research Center and Timiryazev State Biology Museum. The main goal was to clarify and add to the data that had been collected during a bio-anthropological research of the Tripuri people in 2019. As a result, the author was able to conduct a questionnaire survey at various educational institutions in Agartala and Khumulwng, collecting a total of 405 questionnaires. The article gives a general summary of the work done to create the questionnaire and details how it was given to Indian students in a classroom environment. This article is based on a presentation given at a meeting of the Center for Indian Studies, RAS, on November 28, 2022.

ХРОНИКА. IX БУНАКОВСКИЕ ЧТЕНИЯ

The scientific conference «Evolutionary continuum of the genus Homo», dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of Viktor Valerianovich Bunak (IX Bunak’s Readings), was held on October 18–20, 2021 in Moscow. The organizers were the Center for Physical Anthropology of the IEA RAS, the K.A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum and D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Moscow State University. The article provides a brief overview of the conference. It is emphasized that V.V. Bunak creative thinking sets an extremely broad framework for discussing the problems of modern physical anthropology, and the topics of the reports during IX Bunak’s Readings demonstrated it.

A new species of the genus Larnaca from Guangxi, China (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae).

Larnaca (Larnaca) lieyongzhou sp. nov. is described from Guangxi, China. This species is characterized by the unique shape of the lobes on females 7th abdominal tergite. Types of the new species in this paper are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University.

Антропологические исследования в Северо-Восточной Индии в 2019 г. (предварительные результаты)

Introduction. Russian-Indian Anthropological expedition was organized in 2019 by Paleoethnology Research Center (Russia), Timiryazev State Museum of Biology (Russia) and Department of Anthropology University of Calcutta (India). The goal was to examine the peoples of Tripura state, North-East India. Data and methods. About 350 individuals from eight different locations next to Agartala were examined. Currently there are 19 tribes in Tripura, Tripuri being one of them. The most common Tripuri’s surname is Debbarma. During the research 254 Debbarmas were examined, among them 106 individuals were children and teenagers (58 male and 48 female), and 148 individuals were older than 17 years (76 male and 72 female). The Russian-Indian Anthropological expedition research consisted of a complex study of Tripuri including morphology of body, head and face, dermatoglyphics, and dental anthropology. Social questionnaire and anthropological photo were also obligatory. All data was hold according to bioethics and the Privacy law. For further examination the data was depersonificated. Results. During the survey, basic information about the individual, including tribal affiliation, was clarified. An extended questionnaire made it possible to study many aspects of social relationships and build a population-genetic network. According to somatometric characteristics, tripuri males from the Debbarma family have an average body length (162.1 cm), relatively broad shoulders and an average pelvic width. A cephalometric study of 19 features was carried out. The studied group can be characterized as brachycephalic, leptoprosopic according to the morphological facial index and mesorrhine according to the nasal index. The zygomatic diameter is large, and the mandibular diameter is above average (on the Indian scale of variability). A detailed fixation of cephaloscopic features in children and adults was carried out, which made it possible to describe tripuri as representatives of a large Asian-American branch (race) of humanity. According to the odontological program, 293 people were examined, 221 of which were tripuri. Anthropological photo-fixation was carried out, and based on these materials the first composite tripuri portraits were compiled, published in this article. Conclusion. In the second season of the Russian-Indian anthropological expedition, data were collected on one of the insufficiently studied peoples of Northeast India – the Tripuri tribe. The group was investigated according to the maximum number of anthropological methods available in the field. For the first time, somatometric, cephalometric and cephaloscopic materials have been obtained and preliminary presented.

A new species of whip spider, Sarax sinensis sp. nov., from Fujian, China (Arachnida: Amblypygi: Charinidae).

To date, only two whip spider species have been recorded in China. We describe a new species, Sarax sinensis sp. nov., from Fujian, China. This species is morphologically similar to S. ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959), S. israelensis (Miranda et al., 2016), and S. seychellarum (Kraepelin, 1898), but can be distinguished by the combination of the following characters: 35 segments in leg I tarsus, eight teeth on cheliceral claw, and four dorsal and ventral spines respectively on pedipalp femur. To examine the evolutionary history of S. sinensis sp. nov., we sequenced 12S, 16S, and COI gene regions of our specimens and inferred its phylogenetic position. The inferred phylogenetic trees placed the new species within Sarax, with its closest relative being distributed across the western Asia. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Russian scientific-animalistic images of the 20th century in the collection of biological museums. Their specific structure and meaning

The article dwells on scientific animalistic images of the XX century, which are stored in natural science museums of the country representing the special art of animal paintings. They are featured in the "scientific illustration" category with an emphasis on objectivity, accuracy of fixation of each form, what didn't exclude the spotting of the characteristic and the main thing in scientific works. Due to the fruitful interaction of animal painters with biologists, their common understanding of the goals of art, scientific illustration has acquired the quality of an artistic image, not ceasing to meet scientific interests. It is noted that from the sphere of strict protocol drawing of previous centuries ("cabinet of curiosities drawing" of the XVIII century), it has turned into a work of art with a set of its specific features. Among these features, a special visualization of the image is underlined, with its typical typification of forms and elaboration of details. The article analyzes the works of famous animal painters of the XX century by the example of exhibits of the State Darwin Museum in Moscow, representing a special visual and graphic version of scientific and artistic works. The concept of animalistic image in various types of art is considered: in graphics, in painting and sculpture. In each of these types, which have their expressive properties, the artists V. Vatagin, A. Komarov, V. Trofimov, and others managed to realize scientific ideas within the framework of their artistic way of thinking, specific scientific themes in artistic images. The uniqueness of this kind of art consisted of both scientific, cognitive and aesthetic features.

First report of a cricket with filiform hairs on foretibia (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae).

There are hundreds of filiform mechanosensory hairs on the cricket cercus, however, such sensory hairs have never been reported on cricket foretiba. In this study, we collected a new species from China, which possesses two long filiform hairs on foretibia. Combined with its burrowing habit, these hairs mainly contribute to detecting ground vibration. We describe a new genus for this new species Fodigryllus bisetus gen. et sp. nov. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PROJECTS OF THE BIOLOGICALMUSEUM IN 2010-2021

The article presents the museum projects of the State Biological Museum implemented in 2010-2021 in the fields of exposition, exhibition and excursion activities and scientific mediation, associated with various areas of physical anthropology. The article describes the exhibition projects “10 skulls that shook the world”, “Faces”, “One Hundred Years of Anthropology” and “Walking the Three Seas”, interactive excursions “Life in the Stone Age” and “What the Bones Talk About”, as well as virtual exhibitions “Portraits from skeletons” and “Captain Bering and its shore”. The article is accompanied by a list of scientific conferences and seminars, as well as popular science lectures in the field of physical anthropology, held from 2010 to 2021 at the State Biological Museum

New and little-known mute Trigonidiinae species from China (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae).

We provide a key to mute Trigonidiinae species from China, and provide morphological features of some nondescript species in brown color. We established a new genus, Zilingxi He gen. nov. with two new species Z. danmai He sp. nov. and Z. dian He sp. nov. from China. The new genus possesses a black line above clypeus; pseudepiphallic paramere of male genitalia possessing 23 branches; ovipositor shorter than other genera. Two new species are very similar in morphology, but different in the color pattern in frontal rostrum, and the shape of male genitalia. The type specimens are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

A new species of genus Phonarellus Gorochov, 1983 from Yunnan, China (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae).

Phonarellus Gorochov, 1983 is comprised of 11 extant species. We describe a new species, Phonarellus (Phonarellus) zebripes He sp. nov. from Yunnan province, China. It is different from other Phonarellus species in possessing black and white stripes on the hind femora. The type specimens are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Taxonomic revision of the genus Hemigyrus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae).

Hemigyrus was established by Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1893. In this study, we collected samples from Chongqing, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan of China, and reconstructed phylogenetic tree based on COI gene. The results supported the classification of dividing this genus into two subgenera: Tomomima and Hemigyrus. With larger size and evidently branched phylogenetic position, a new subspecies H. (T.) spinosus robustus subsp. nov. Xie, Wang He is described here. H. (H.) acutifolius is firstly reported from China. Males of H. (H.) amplus and H. (H.) acutifolius, females of H. (H.) minor are described for the first time. All materials were deposited in Biological History Museum of East China Normal University (ECNU) and the Shanghai Entomological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEM).

A new species of whip spider, Weygoldtia hainanensis sp. nov., from Hainan, China (Arachnida: Amblypygi: Charinidae).

To date, only one species of whip spider has been recorded in China. Here, we describe a new species, Weygoldtia hainanensis sp. nov., from Hainan, China. The new species is morphologically similar to W. davidovi (Fage, 1946) and W. consonensis Miranda et al. 2021, but can be distinguished with a combination of the following characters: 26 segments in tibia I, 6-7 teeth on chelicerae, distitibia IV trichobothria sc and sf series each with 10-11 trichobothria. To validate our morphological inferences and support the erection of W. hainanensis sp. nov. as a new species, we sequenced the COI gene region for two individuals and performed molecular phylogenetic analyses. The inferred phylogenetic trees placed the new species within Weygoldtia and highlighted the evolutionary distinction between W. hainanensis sp. nov. and currently described whip spiders. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Two new species of the genus Rhicnogryllus Chopard, 1925 from Hainan, China (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae: Trigonidiinae).

Rhicnogryllus Chopard, 1925 currently comprises 13 extant species from Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific. We describe two new species, R. xuandan He sp. nov. and R. fallax He sp. nov., from Hainan Island, China. The type specimens are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).