Nomenclatural Act Research Articles

×Sorbaronia fallax (C.K.Schneid.) C.K.Schneid. nothosubsp. mitschurinii (A.K.Skvortsov & Maitul.) nothosubsp. nov., with taxonomical notes on Aronia ×prunifolia ‘Floribunda’ sensu Cinovskis (Maleae, Amygdaloideae, Rosaceae)

For a while, two species were known—Aronia mitschurinii [known also under the names Aronia melanocarpa auctt., Aronia ×prunifolia auctt., and Aronia ×prunifolia ‘Floribunda’ sensu Cinovskis] and ×Sorbaronia fallax. Discoveries over the past 20 years led to the inclusion of A. mitschurinii in the genus ×Sorbaronia as ×S. mitschurinii in 2013, still recognizing it as a separate species. Since ×S. mitschurinii is a backcross between true Aronia melanocarpa and ×S. fallax, in 2021, the name ×S. mitschurinii was synonymized with ×S. fallax to follow the provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code). Unfortunately, ×Sorbaronia fallax s. str. and ×S. mitschurinii s. str. are morphologically very different taxa. Furthermore, ×S. mitschurinii s. str. is the first artificially created species that has for some time already become invasive in Europe. In order to ensure practical needs in horticulture and nature conservation, where both of these taxa have been separated as two different species for a long time, this paper makes a nomenclatural act to raise ×S. mitschurinii from synonyms to nothosubspecies status—×Sorbaronia fallax nothosubsp. mitschurinii nothosubsp. nov. The new taxonomic approach will make it possible to distinguish two morphologically different taxa in the future, henceforth invasive plants will respectively be called ×Sorbaronia fallax nothosubsp. mitschurinii and those cultivated only in gardens will be called ×Sorbaronia fallax nothosubsp. fallax. The name Aronia ×prunifolia ‘Floribunda’ sensu Cinovskis used by Latvian authors is nothing more than ×Sorbaronia fallax nothosubsp. mitschurinii.

Nomenclatural status of Orbitolina pileus Fossa-Mancini 1928 (Foraminifera) (junior synonym Palorbitolinoides orbiculatus Zhang 1986) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Himalaya (Ladakh, Tibet)

ABSTRACT The published literature concerning Lower to mid-Cretaceous (late Barremian–Albian, early Cenomanian) Tibetan Orbitolinidae suggests an apparent extreme high diversity with almost exclusive reference to taxa displaying a complex embryo (subfamily Orbitolininae). The majority of them, among Orbitolina pileus Fossa Mancini described in the late twenties from the border areas of Ladakh (India) and Tibet (China), however need taxonomic reconsideration. The original images of O. pileus are herein interpreted as a mixture of a high-conical mesorbitolinid (of unclear species identity) and a section of Palorbitolinoides orbiculatus Zhang described in the early 80ies from Tibet. The concluding new nomenclatural act considers P. orbiculatus a junior synonym of O. pileus validated herein as Palorbitolinoides pileus (Fossa-Mancini) comb. nov. with the designation of a lectotype. The present study refers to data from the literature and own material from the Albian Langshan Fm. of the northern Lhasa Block of Tibet.

Taxonomic review of Ctenodontina Enderlein, 1914 with the revalidation of Catostola Hull, 1958 (Diptera: Asilidae: Asilinae) and description of a new species.

A taxonomic review of Ctenodontina Enderlein, 1914, was performed and only two species are included: Ctenodontina mochica Lamas, 1973 and Ctenodontina pectinatipes Enderlein, 1914. Catostola Hull, 1958 stat. rev., a genus that was previously allocated as junior synonym of Ctenodontina has its status revalidated and justifications for this nomenclatural act are presented. Consequently, seven species previously allocated in Ctenodontina were transferred to Catostola stat. rev.: Catostola baleta (Walker, 1849) comb. nov., Catostola carrerai Hull, 1958 comb. rev., Catostola complicata (James, 1953) comb. nov., Catostola martini (Fisher, 1992) comb. nov., Catostola maya (Carrera & d'Andretta, 1953) comb. rev., Catostola nairae (Vieira, 2012) comb. nov., and Catostola sagta (Vieira, Ayala-Landa & Rafael, 2017) comb. nov. All species were redescribed and illustrated, except Catostola carrerai Hull, 1958 comb. rev., and Ctenodontina mochica Lamas, 1973, for which only diagnosis were provided. A new species Catostola indecisa sp. nov., was described and illustrated. In addition, new distribution records were provided for Catostola baleta comb. nov., Catostola martini comb. nov., Catostola maya comb. rev., Catostola nairae comb. nov., and Catostola sagta comb. nov. An identification key to all species is provided including distribution maps with previous and new records.

(206) Proposal to guide the choice among grammatical forms in epithets with uncertain grammatical status

(206) Proposal to guide the choice among grammatical forms in epithets with uncertain grammatical status

Nomenclatural acts in zoological nomenclature

The present work proposes a precise formal definition and an expansion of the concept of ‘nomenclatural act’ which is present in the Code but not clearly delimitated from other related concepts, and provides a list of the published statements that correspond to this concept, a terminology for this and related acts, as well as for information affecting zoological nomenclature. These technical terms will be useful for unambiguous designation of the concepts of zoological nomenclature related to this concept, which are denoted in the Code by ‘common language’ terms having often widely different meanings. They will also be of great help for a future computerisation of the Rules of the Code, which will be possible only if distinct concepts are identified and pointed to by distinct terms. An important outcome of the present work is that genuine nomenclatural acts (onomatergies), as well as statements about nomenclatural status (cataphasy), acquire nomenclatural availability (i.e., existence) only if promulgated in paper or electronic publications complying with Article 8 of the Code, but cannot be made available online in electronic databases or other labile documents failing to comply with these Rules as revised in 2012.

PhycoBank: Repository for algal novelties

The International Code of Nomenclature (ICN) for algae, fungi, and plants calls for indexing of names in nomenclatural repositories (Turland 2018, Art. 42). Scientific names, new combinations, validations, and typifications of algae are novelties tracked by PhycoBank, the registration system for algae. PhycoBank was established and institutionalized at the Botanic Garden Berlin as the repository for nomenclatural acts concerning algae. Since June 2018, PhycoBank staff have been operating the registration system permanently. All data entered into the system undergo a curatorial process to assure a high level of data quality. PhycoBank’s three main components comprise a user-friendly data entry web application available for all registered submitters (self-registration allowed) and curators, a public data access portal, and a search engine that integrates most of the larger online repositories for algae names. The latter is not only a prerequisite for reliable data curation during the registration process but also a valuable, publicly available online tool for algae names. A fourth component still under development is handling the tight integration of the registration system with the workflow of digital publishers. The resulting data are expected to be of high quality and to have been intensively checked against existing nomenclatural acts worldwide. A crucial requirement for the data entry application is thus an intensive support for data validation and curation. Besides the search index giving access to a huge number of existing external names, the data entry application offers a set of tools for quality assurance. It supports and requires the creation of mostly fully atomized data that strictly follow the rules of the ICN. Additionally, completeness for core data is mandatory. Both, atomization and completeness are a precondition to achieve the required uniqueness in the dataset. Completeness also implies that new combinations can only be registered after or together with their original name. The same applies to bi- or trinomials and the respective uni- and binomials they are built on. The publicly available data portal allows accessing published registrations by searching for scientific names, nomenclatural authors, higher ranks and for each part of a bibliographic reference (such as bibliographic author, journal, title, year) stored in PhycoBank. Being a name centric application PhycoBank is neutral with respect to taxonomic opinions. Therefore, only nomenclatural synonymies (basionym or replaced synonym relationships) are stored in the system and names are not attached to a unique classification. Instead, to facilitate search via higher ranks as required by users, classification information is stored as a directed graph of higher taxa with registered names linking to this graph. By this, searches can be performed on multiple classifications simultaneously and can return all possible matches. PhycoBank uses http-based persistent identifiers (e.g. http://phycobank.org/102170), which makes them resolvable and actionable. These identifiers link to nomenclatural acts only and not to the information in the act. That is, a PhycoBank identifier should not be used to refer to a scientific name even if this name was established in the nomenclatural act. PhycoBank makes use of the application stack offered by the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy (Kohlbecker 2017). However, as registration workflows essentially differ from other taxonomic workflows, a completely new user interface for editing has been developed, which provides the users with an intuitive and fluent user experience despite the high complexity of the data. The Common Data Model (Müller 2017) is the core data model for the Platform and already covered the vast majority of data types and fields required by the registration in terms of completeness and degree of atomization. For PhycoBank, it only needed to be extended by a single data type representing the registration/nomenclatural act itself. As of July 2022, PhycoBank includes 4,332 registrations, of which 4,202 are name novelties (1,523 in preparation or ready, 239 under curation, 2,407 published, and 33 rejected); 130 registrations refer to lectotypes or epitypes of existing names. PhycoBank will apply for recognition as a repository in 2022. This is a prerequisite for a proposal to make registration of nomenclatural acts for algae mandatory. This is possible before, at or after the 20th International Botanical Congress 2024.

Description of a new species and new faunistic records of the genus Anomala Samouelle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) from China and neighboring regions

Anomala xiongi Wang & Zorn spec. nov. is described from Yunnan, China. This new species can be distinguished from all other known Anomala species by conspicuous long erect setae rising from the primary costae of elytra. Additionally, ten new distributional records of Anomala species from China and neighboring countries are provided.
 Nomenclatural act
 Anomala xiongi Wang & Zorn spec. nov. – urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F10AD66D-BEF8-41E2-B22D-42D0492D9E95

Erratum: An annotated checklist of damselfishes, Family Pomacentridae Bonaparte, 1831

Correction After the publication of this article (Parenti, 2021) it came to my attention that I have missed out the LSID code mandatory to publish any new nomenclatural act. Then, that article has been registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) as [urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C2FD477B-1B9B-4F27-8E90-1F30B291E40C]

Revision of the Afrotropical genus Fainia Zumpt, 1958, with notes on the morphology of Rhiniidae subfamilies (Diptera, Oestroidea).

The taxonomy and diversity of Fainia Zumpt, 1958, an exclusive Afrotropical genus, had not been reviewed recently. The genus included six nominal species, but the status of several of them was debated. Identification of most Fainia species depends on characters of the male terminalia; females are poorly known and, in several cases, are not adequately diagnosed. We conducted a taxonomic revision of the genus and generated identification tools. Based on the study of type material and specimens available in entomological collections in Africa and Europe, we recognise here three of the six species as valid (F. albitarsis (Macquart, 1846), F. elongata (Bezzi, 1908) and F. inexpectata Zumpt, 1973). We also provide an identification key to both sexes, redescriptions of the species, updated distribution records and high resolution photographs of males’ and females’ habitus and male terminalia. The description of Fainia kagerana Lehrer, 2007a nom. nud. is an invalid nomenclatural act in terms of ICZN Article 13.1.1. Based on examinations of their holotypes, F. sambura Lehrer, 2008 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of F. albitarsis; F. kirinyaga Lehrer, 2007b syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of F. inexpectata; and Fainia giriama Lehrer, 2007b is moved from the genus Fainia to the genus Rhinia Robineau-Desvoidy, as Rhinia giriama (Lehrer, 2007b) comb. nov.. We propose two apomorphies that support the status of the subfamily Rhiniinae.

Otto Warburg and his contributions to the screw pine family (Pandanaceae)

Otto Warburg (1859–1938) had a great interest in tropical botany. He travelled in South-East Asia and the South Pacific between 1885 and 1889 and brought back a considerable collection of plant specimens from this expedition later donated to the Royal Botanical Museum in Berlin. Warburg published the first comprehensive monograph on the family Pandanaceae in 1900 in the third issue of Das Pflanzenreich established and edited by Adolf Engler (1844–1930). The aim of this article is to clarify the taxonomy, nomenclature and typification of Warburg's contributions to the Pandanaceae. Considerable parts of Warburg's original material was destroyed in Berlin during World War II but duplicates survived, shared by Engler and Warburg with Ugolino Martelli (1860–1934). Martelli was an expert on the family and he assembled a precious herbarium of Pandanaceae that was later donated to the Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze. Warburg published 86 new names in Pandanaceae between 1898 and 1909 (five new sections, 69 new species, five new varieties, two new combinations and five replacement names). A complete review of the material extant in B and FI led to the conclusion that 38 names needed a nomenclatural act: 34 lectotypes, three neotypes and one epitype are designated here. Twenty new synonyms are also proposed. One Freycinetia name and six Pandanus names are considered as incertae sedis. A total of 21 names published by Warburg are accepted: 11 in Freycinetia and ten in Pandanus. In addition, four names published in Pandanus by Warburg serve as the basionyms of accepted names in the genus Benstonea.Citation: Callmander M. W., Vogt R., Donatelli A., Buerki S. & Nepi C. 2021: Otto Warburg and his contributions to the screw pine family (Pandanaceae). – Willdenowia 51: 5–31.Version of record first published online on 15 February 2021 ahead of inclusion in April 2021 issue.

Corrigendum: The Collins’ monster, a spinous suspension‐feeding lobopodian from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia

In the recent publication by Caron & Aria (2020), the proposed new family-group name ‘Teratopodidae’ is not available because it is not formed from the stem of an available generic name (ICZN 1999; Art. 11.7.1.1). A replacement name is proposed here, along with corrected Remarks. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:41E7E111-B628-42DC-AE3A-0290D5F25DB3 After the type genus Collinsovermis. Acinocricus Conway Morris & Robison, 1988, unnamed form from Emu Bay Shale (García-Bellido et al. 2013), Collinsium Yang et al., 2015, Collinsovermis Caron & Aria, 2020. Luolishaniid lobopodians with stout bodies and paired spinules on anterior lobopods up to c. 2.5 times as long as lobopod diameter, and spaced apart c. 1/3 of lobopod diameter. Collinsovermidae differ from other luolishaniid lobopodians by the length and spacing of their appendicular spinules, as diagnosed above. The need to create a familial-level rank arises with the demonstrated cladistic grouping of Collinsovermis,Acinocricus and Collinsium, which is helpful in discussing diversity across an ever larger luolishaniid clade. The extent of the presence of long and elongate dorsal spines is another potential character that could inform the monophyly of this group or a sub-group within Collinsovermidae, since spines at least twice as long as body diameter in Luolishania are present only on a few post-frontal somites, possibly from somite 2 to somite 4, whereas they cover most of the body in Acinocricus,Collinsium and Collinsovermis. The seemingly shorter spine length in the EBS taxon and its incompleteness cast doubt on the validity of this character, although it may mean that the EBS form occupies a basal position within Collinsovermidae. Likewise, we identified that an antero-lateral change in spine number per set characterised Acinocricus,Collinsovermis and, less markedly, Collinsium, but we cannot be sure at present whether this trait is diagnostic of Collinsovermidae as a whole. This published work and the nomenclatural act it contains, have been registered in ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/D5551921-7DCA-4B7E-B8B1-85FF5EBD711D

A new early Miocene Mesotheriidae (Notoungulata) from the Mariño Formation (Argentina): Taxonomic and biostratigraphic implications

Old and new specimens from the early Miocene middle member of the Mariño Formation (Mendoza, Argentina) allow for a reinterpretation of a controversial Mesotheriidae taxon. Earlier known remains come from the Divisadero Largo locality and were, depending on the specimen, either previously described as Trachytherus? mendocensis or referred to a coeval taxon from Chile, Altitypotherium chucalensis. Based on new specimens, here described in detail for the first time, we propose that all mesotheriid material from Divisadero Largo, as well as new material from the Potrerillos locality belong to a new mesotheriid taxon. Recognition of the same taxon from these two localities establishes a sound biostratigraphic correlation. The combination of morphological characters leads to the proposal of a new generic name, Rusconitherium, for Trachytherus?mendocensis, establishing Rusconitherium mendocense New genus and New Combination. This nomenclatural act is due to the fact that T.? mendocensis, formerly thought as a Trachytheriinae from the Paleogene Divisadero Largo Formation, actually comes from the Mariño Formation and belongs to the same taxon as the new material. The missing holotype of T.? mendocensis prompts us to propose a neotype and a new diagnosis for this species, which better characterize the Santacrucian mesotheriids from Mendoza. A phylogenetic analysis does not support a close relationship between this species and Altitypotherium (or any other mesotheriine genus) counter to a previous hypothesis. An unnamed new taxon from the Chinches Formation (San Juan Province) could belong to Rusconitherium, but its full description is pending, as well as a thorough revision of most Mesotheriinae members. Sediments at Potrerillos reveal two paleoenvironmental scenarios: dune fields, influenced by volcanic events, and capillary water that provided humid conditions encouraging vegetation and fauna.

Article 23.9 of theCodecannot be used to reject the nomenHyla quoyiBory de Saint-Vincent, 1828 as anomen oblitum

Article 23.9 of the Code, introduced in its last 1999 version, allows the validation, in some cases, of a well known junior synonym or homonym as opposed to a senior synonym or homonym that had been ignored in the literature after 1899. In such cases, the junior nomen qualifies as a nomen protectum and the senior one as a nomen oblitum, a formula redefined in a new sense in this edition. The implementation of this Article requires one to follow strictly several conditions: the invalidation can concern only senior synonyms or homonyms (a junior one cannot be a nomen oblitum); it must have been published in the sense given to this term in the Code (i.e., it cannot have been proposed online in an unpublished electronic document); and evidence must be published that the junior synonym or homonym has been used as valid for the same taxon in at least 25 works published by at least 10 authors in the immediately preceding 50 years and encompassing a span of not less than 10 years. A nomen oblitum remains an available nomen and can be revalidated subsequently, for example in the case of re-evaluation of a subjective synonymy. Since the implementation of this new Article, some authors have used it without respecting these conditions or some of them: in such cases, the nomenclatural act supposed to have been effected under Article 23.9 is null and void, and the regular Rules of the Code must be applied (e.g., through validation of the senior synonym or homonym). A few examples concerning amphibian nomina of the family Hylidae illustrate these statements. The statuses of the nomina, spellings, emendations and combinations Hyla fulva, Hyla gaimardi, Hyla lesueurii,Hyla lesueuri, Hyla prasina, Hyla quoyi, Hyla septentrionalis, Hyla suerii, Hyla sueurii, Rana gaimardii,Istriurus lesueurii, Istriurus sueurii and Trachycephalus marmoratus are discussed. A lectophoront (lectotype) is designated for Hyla septentrionalis and Trachycephalus marmoratus and neophoronts (neotypes) are designated for Hyla fulva, Hyla gaimardi and Hyla sueurii.

Lectotypifications of Peperomia species (Piperaceae) from Veracruz, Mexico

Mathieu, G. & M.W. Callmander (2017). Lectotypifications of Peperomia species (Piperaceae) from Veracruz, Mexico. Candollea 72 : 333–338. In English, English abstract.An upcoming taxonomic treatment accepts 60 species of Peperomia Ruiz & Pavón (Piperaceae) from the state of Veracruz in Mexico. A total of 19 species needed a nomenclatural act. Lectotypes of four species were designated previously and the remaining 15 species are lectotypified here. Each of them is discussed in detail. Ten of these species were described by Casimir de Candolle (1836–1918) and some comments on the G herbaria, housing most of Candolle's types, are provided.Received: June 13, 2017; Accepted: July 4, 2017; First published online: July 20, 2017

A surprisingly derived hydrometrid (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) from the Crato Formation, Early Cretaceous of Brazil

In the present paper, we review the fossil record of the Hydrometridae (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) and present a new species from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Northeastern Brazil, Christometra paradoxa gen. et sp. nov. This species is based on a new specimen (a female), as well as a previously figured one (a male), providing a rare case of preservation of sexually dimorphic features in the fossil record. This is the third species coming from this deposit, which is Aptian-Albian in age and the oldest deposit to have yielded hydrometrids so far. Only five other Mesozoic species are known, being slightly younger in age (Cenomanian). So far, phylogenetic analyses have recovered Cretaceous hydrometrids as basal relative to Cenozoic genera but, Christometra paradoxa exhibits several advanced characteristics that unite it in a clade together with the extant genera Hydrometra and Bacillometroides, in a more derived position than any previously known fossil hydrometrid.The present publication is registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (Zoobank), under the registration number http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3CFA88AB-3CBC-4CCC-8196-698ECC863947. The registration number for the nomenclatural act of the genus is http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:84744426-1259-4864-8E3F-E43E0DAB2021, and that of the species is http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:23700AB2-F7AD-4F50-A5E7-CB28868079B2.

Corrigendum to “Description of Ganymedes yurii sp. n. (Ganymedidae), a New Gregarine Species from the Antarctic Amphipod Gondogeneia sp. (Crustacea) by Diakin et al

Journal of Eukaryotic MicrobiologyVolume 64, Issue 6 p. 903-903 CorrigendumFree Access Corrigendum to “Description of Ganymedes yurii sp. n. (Ganymedidae), a New Gregarine Species from the Antarctic Amphipod Gondogeneia sp. (Crustacea) by Diakin et al This article corrects the following: Description of Ganymedes yurii sp. n. (Ganymedidae), a New Gregarine Species from the Antarctic Amphipod Gondogeneia sp. (Crustacea) Andrei Diakin, Kevin C. Wakeman, Andrea Valigurová, Volume 64Issue 1Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology pages: 56-66 First Published online: July 8, 2016 First published: 20 June 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12433AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat In the article: Diakin, A., Wakeman, K. C. and Valigurová, A. (2017). Description of Ganymedes yurii sp. n. (Ganymedidae), a New Gregarine Species from the Antarctic Amphipod Gondogeneia sp. (Crustacea). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 64(1):56–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12336. This article and nomenclatural act (establishing of the new species) were registered at ZooBank.org. Page 56. After Keywords this information should be added: “This article is registered in ZooBank under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:66B69BD4-CDD3-4A4D-911B-F21878DB75E2” Page 63, column 1. After “Gene sequence. Sequence of SSU RNA GenBank accession number KU726617.” we would like to add the following information “ZooBank. The new species Ganymedes yurii Diakin, Wakeman & Valigurová, 2017 was registered under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A736E8EB-24D5-45B4-959D-A6866DD3A7B4” The corrections do not influence the main results, conclusions or nomenclatural act presented in the original publication. Literature Cited Diakin, A., Wakeman, K. C. & Valigurová, A. 2017. Description of Ganymedes yurii sp. n. (Ganymedidae), a new gregarine species from the Antarctic amphipod Gondogeneia sp. (Crustacea). J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 64(1): 56– 66. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12336 Volume64, Issue6November/December 2017Pages 903-903 ReferencesRelatedInformation

<p><strong>Unraveling a 150 years old controversy: <em>Calamoichthys</em> Smith, 1866 is the valid name for the African Reedfish (Cladistii: Polypteriformes), with comments about the availability of involuntarily proposed zoological names</strong></p>

We readdress the controversy about the valid generic name to be applied to the African Reedfish, a species from a monotypic genus that, along with the eleven valid species of Polypterus Lacepède, 1803, comprises the known extant diversity of the order Polypteriformes. The initial conflict was established due to the inadequate replacement of the name Erpetoichthys, wrongly assumed preoccupied, by Calamoichthys, combined with the desynchronization between the sequence in which Smith’s accounts with descriptions and nomenclatural acts about the Reedfish were written and submitted for publication, and the sequence in which they were actually published/distributed. The controversy seemed to be settled in the 1980s by the finding of an earlier report published in an Edinburgh’s newspaper in 1865, in which the name Erpetoichthys was used prior to all scientific accounts by Smith. However, we demonstrate that this report cannot be considered to contain a valid nomenclatural act according to the regulations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Therefore, we undertook a detailed study to reconstruct the sequence of publication of Smith’s accounts on the Reedfish, whose correct dates of publication/distribution had not been properly established yet, to settle down once and for all the dilemma about the precedence of these names. Our conclusion is that Calamoichthys Smith, 1866a is the valid generic name to be applied to the Reedfish, and Erpetoichthys Smith, 1866a, its junior synonym, represents a name published in synonymy but later made available by Smith himself. We use the nomenclatural example of the Reedfish, as well as other cases from the literature, to draw attention to the fact that, in agreement with Article 8.1.1 of the Code, zoological names are available only when there is an unequivocal intention by their authors to scientifically describe them, even if other requirements of the Code are met. When this Article is not met in a given situation, the name is considered unavailable and an available one should be set in place for the taxon, or a new name should be proposed.

More new records of spider wasps from Colombia (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae).

Aporinellus Banks, Austrochares Banks and Dicranoplius Haupt are new generic records for Colombia, as well as the species Dipogon ariel Banks, Evagetes peruana Banks, and Euplaniceps notabilis (Smith). Five new combinations are formally endorsed: Aimatocare argentinica (Banks), comb. n.; Aimatocare longula (Banks), comb. n.; Aimatocare imitator (Evans), comb. n.; Aimatocare impensa (Evans), comb. n.; Aimatocare vitrea (Fox), comb. n. Although these names have been used in Pompilidae, no formal nomenclatural act had been proposed. The presence of Chirodamus paramicola Roig-Alsina, previously reported with uncertainty, is confirmed. Finally, a new combination for Euplaniceps notabilis (Smith), comb. n. is proposed based on molecular phylogenetics and morphological data. The Colombian fauna of Pompilidae sums up to 38 genera and approximately 150 species.

The tale of the headless turtle.

Pelomedusoides is the most diverse clade of side-necked turtles and there is an extensive fossil record (de Broin, 1988; Lapparent de Broin, 2000; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011) that dates back at least to the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) (Romano et al., 2014). Its large fossil record evidences a greater diversity in the past, particularly at the end of the Mesozoic, and exhibits a good sampling of species that are represented by skull material (Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). As a consequence, the most complete and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for this clade (e.g. Romano et al., 2014; Cadena, 2015) are based on matrices comprising a great amount of cranial characters derived largely from Gaffney et al. (2006, 2011). In addition, it is well established that shell characters show a lot of phenotypic plasticity, even in the fossil species (Romano, 2008; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). In most cases it consequently is not justified to rely on "diagnostic features" of poorly informative shell-only material for describing a new species. Because of that, most authors remark new morphotypes in the literature when such aberrant specimens are recovered, but do not make any nomenclatural act by proposing a new yet poorly supported species (e.g. Romano et al., 2013; Ferreira & Langer, 2013; Menegazzo et al., 2015). Unfortunately, such a supposedly new bothremydid turtle (Pleurodira: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene of Brazil was recently described based on poorly diagnostic remains (Carvalho et al., 2016; hereafter CGB, for the authors initials) and a correction of this unfounded nomenclatural act is required. In addition I present some comments on shell only material from Brazil in order to guide splitter-taxonomists to stop describing poorly preserved fossil specimens as new species.

Six new Phytophthora species from ITS Clade 7a including two sexually functional heterothallic hybrid species detected in natural ecosystems in Taiwan.

During a survey of Phytophthora diversity in natural ecosystems in Taiwan six new species were detected. Multigene phylogeny based on the nuclear ITS, ß-tubulin and HSP90 and the mitochondrial cox1 and NADH1 gene sequences demonstrated that they belong to ITS Clade 7a with P. europaea, P. uniformis, P. rubi and P. cambivora being their closest relatives. All six new species differed from each other and from related species by a unique combination of morphological characters, the breeding system, cardinal temperatures and growth rates. Four homothallic species, P. attenuata, P. flexuosa, P. formosa and P. intricata, were isolated from rhizosphere soil of healthy forests of Fagus hayatae, Quercus glandulifera, Q. tarokoensis, Castanopsis carlesii, Chamaecyparis formosensis and Araucaria cunninghamii. Two heterothallic species, P. xheterohybrida and P. xincrassata, were exclusively detected in three forest streams. All P. xincrassata isolates belonged to the A2 mating type while isolates of P. xheterohybrida represented both mating types with oospore abortion rates according to Mendelian ratios (4-33 %). Multiple heterozygous positions in their ITS, ß-tubulin and HSP90 gene sequences indicate that P. xheterohybrida, P. xincrassata and P. cambivora are interspecific hybrids. Consequently, P. cambivora is re-described as P. xcambivora without nomenclatural act. Pathogenicity trials on seedlings of Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica and Q. suber indicate that all six new species might pose a potential threat to European forests.