Nominal Species Research Articles

Review of the large branchiopod crustacean fauna of Qatar (Anostraca, Notostraca, Spinicaudata) and adjacent countries

The large branchiopod crustaceans (Anostraca, Notostraca, and Spinicaudata) of Qatar have only been examined recently. Although 15 nominal species have been reported for the Arabian Peninsula, there is confusion surrounding the determinations of previously collected taxa from Qatar, and the validity of some spinicaudatan taxa is in question. Most spinicaudatan clam shrimp taxa are poorly described; some lack type material or the type material has been lost. We provide a review of the taxa from Qatar and some records from adjacent Saudi Arabia. We recognise five large branchiopod crustacean taxa from Qatar (two anostracans, one notostracan, and two spinicaudatans) and provide new locality records from Umm Alshkoot and correct some previous literature statements. In addition, we comment on the likelihood of another ten taxa to occur in or near Qatar.

Integrative taxonomy of the stick insect genus

Austrocarausius Brock, 2000 is a stick insect (Phasmatodea: Lonchodidae) genus containing two species restricted to the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland. Recent specimen collections between the two species’ type localities, Lizard Island and Rockhampton, have suggested that Austrocarausius might represent more than the two nominal species. Here, we apply morphological and molecular analyses to revise the taxonomy of this genus. Using both field-collected and historic museum samples, we developed morphological species hypotheses and descriptions. Genetic sequencing of mitochondrial COI and 16S were undertaken for species delimitation and phylogenetic analysis, including an estimate of the evolutionary timescale of the genus. Based on these results, we propose nine new Austrocarausius species, increasing the number of species in the genus to eleven: A. nigropunctatus (Kirby, 1896), A. mercurius (Stål, 1877), A. coronatus sp. nov., A. decorus sp. nov., A. eirmosus sp. nov., A. gasterbulla sp. nov., A. tuberosus sp. nov., A. macropunctatus sp. nov., A. truncatus sp. nov. A. waiben sp. nov. and A. walkeri sp. nov. Our results suggest Austrocarausius species diversified over the last c. 25–70 Ma, resulting in the now endemic distributions in the tropical rainforests of the central and northern Queensland coasts. This is the first integrative systematic study of an Australian phasmid genus, combining morphological, molecular and biogeographical methods. Additional species of Austrocarausius likely remain undescribed as can be inferred from methodical sampling of rainforest patches along the Queensland coast.

Identity of Species Assigned to the Genus Cephalia (Diptera, Tephritoidea)

The taxonomy of the genus Cephalia Meigen, 1826 has hitherto been confused. This paper comprises a review of the 13 nominal species assigned to the genus Cephalia to date. Of these, C. nigripes Meigen, 1826 has previously been considered a junior synonym of C. rufipes Meigen, 1826, which is here found to be apparently the only species which actually belongs in the genus Cephalia. Regarding the position of the other species: Cephalia fascipennis Wiedemann, 1830, C. femoralis Wiedemann, 1830 and C. marginata Wiedemann, 1830 was already transferred to Setellia (Richardiidae) and C. caloptera Bigot, 1886 synonymized with Euphranta connexa (Tephritidae); C. bicolor Bigot, 1886 synonymized with Elassogaster linearis (Walker, 1849) (Platystomatidae); and C. quadripunctata Gimmerthal, 1842 tentatively placed in the genus Sapromyza (Lauxaniidae). Cephalia myrmecoides Loew, 1860 and C. fenestrata Coquillett, 1900 have been transferred to the monotypic genera Myrmecothea Hendel and Myiomyrmica Steyskal respectively, forming a clearly monophyletic lineage together with C. rufipes within the tribe Cephaliini (Ulidiidae). The following synonymies are also established here for the remaining species: Acrosticta fulvicornis (Bigot, 1886) comb. n., = Cephalia fulvicornis Bigot, 1886 (Acrosticta fulvipes Coqullett, 1900 is possibly a junior synonym) (Ulidiidae); Herina flavoscutellata (Becker, 1900), comb. n. (Ulidiidae), = Cephalia flavoscutellata Becker, 1900; Rivellia maculipennis (Bigot, 1886) comb. n., = Cephalia maculipennis Bigot, 1886 = Rivellia brevifasciata Johnson, 1900 syn. n. (Platystomatidae). The taxonomic position of Cephalia within the subfamily Otitinae is discussed.

A checklist of helminths associated with reptiles (Tetrapoda: Reptilia) from Peru.

An annotated checklist of the helminth parasites associated with reptiles from Peru is provided, as the result of a compilation of parasitological papers published between 1963 and January 2022 and records of species deposited in national and international collections. The list provides data on hosts, developmental stage, sites of infection, geographical distribution in Peruvian territory, code of material deposited in helminthological collections, references and taxonomic notes. The database includes records of 106 different species of helminth parasites (82 nominal species and 24 taxa identified at the generic level), the majority in the adult stage. These helminth parasites come from 18 of the 25 official Peruvian regions. Nematodes have the highest richness in number of species (79 species), followed by trematodes (17 species) and cestodes (nine species). The acanthocephalans are represented by only one species. The parasites with the highest number of records were Physaloptera retusa Rudolphi, 1819 (11 hosts), Physalopteroides venancioi (Lent, Freitas & Proença, 1946) (nine hosts), Strongyluris oscari Travassos, 1923 (seven hosts), and Parapharyngodon scleratus Travassos, 1923 (five hosts), all of which are nematodes. The 106 taxa of helminth parasites have been reported infecting 55 species of reptiles in Peru, distributed in 34 genera and 14 families. The reptile species harbouring the highest number of helminth parasites are the yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulatus (Linnaeus) with 18 species (three trematodes and 15 nematodes), followed by the Peru desert tegu Dicrodon guttulatum Duméril & Bibron (Teiidae) with 11 species (three cestodes and eight nematodes) and the yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle Podocnemis unifilis Troschel (Podocnemididae) with 10 species (five trematodes and five nematodes). Of the 524 species of reptiles reported in Peru, only 55 (>10%) are reported as hosts of helminths representing a small proportion considering the great variety of reptile hosts that inhabit the various tropical and subtropical geographical areas of Peru.

Integrative Taxonomy, Distribution and Ontogenetic Colouration Change in Neotropical Mountain Catfishes of the Trichomycterus nigroauratus Group (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae).

Catfishes of the genus Trichomycterus comprise the most diverse fish group in mountain river basins crossing the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil, with a great concentration of species in the Rio Paraíba do Sul basin. The present study is directed to the T. nigroauratus group, endemic to the Rio Paraíba do Sul basin, comprising species commonly found associated with bottom leaf litter. Field studies revealed two sympatric, distinct colour morphs, one comprising small specimens with a black longitudinal stripe over a pale brown ground colour on the flank and another comprising a single larger specimen with small dark browns spots scattered over a pale-yellow ground colour. These specimens were found in the upper Rio Paraitinga drainage, an area disjunct from the area inhabited by the other species of the group. We performed coalescent single-locus analyses for species delimitation using a cytochrome b fragment (1088 bp) for specimens from eight localities, including sequences taken from specimens exhibiting different colouration morphs and topotypes of all the three nominal species of the T. nigroauratus group. The analyses supported the two colouration morphs as belonging to a single species that is herein described. It is distinguished from other congeners by its unique colour pattern, dorsal and anal fins fin more posteriorly placed, and by the morphology of the opercle, metapterygoid and pelvic bone. The Maximum Likelihood analysis indicated the new species as sister to a clade containing all other congeners of the group, which is corroborated by osteological data. The occurrence of different lineages in neighbouring areas of the upper Rio Paraíba do Sul basin is interpreted as a possible vestige of a past complex paleogeographical scenario during the Cenozoic. The present record of striking ontogenetic colouration change, revealed only after checking DNA sequences of individuals exhibiting different colouration phenotypes, again highlights the importance of combining morphological and molecular data in taxonomical studies.

A review of Tephritidae and Ulidiidae (Diptera, Tephritoidea) of Croatia

Started by G. R. von Frauenfeld, R. Schiner and G. Strobl over 120 years ago by collecting several species in “Dalmazien”, studies of the fruit flies (Tephritidae) and picture-winged flies (Ulidiidae) in Croatia to date have been casual and fragmentary. Regular collecting of these families in Modruš (Karlovac County) during 2021–2022 has resulted in a list of 85 species of Tephritidae and 15 species of Ulidiidae presented here, of which 21 Tephritidae and three Ulidiidae species, respectively, are recorded from Croatia for the first time. Examined material and references are listed, and the rare or newly recorded species are illustrated. The status of type specimens of some nominal species described by Frauenfeld and Schiner from Croatia is discussed.

Morphological and Molecular Evidence Reveals the Longnose Skate Zearaja brevicaudata (Marini, 1933) to be a Senior Synonym of Dipturus lamillai Concha, Caira, Ebert & Pompert 2019.

Longnose skates have great economic importance in South American fisheries, and in order to preserve them, it is important to have a well-defined taxonomic status of their species. Dipturus lamillai was recently described for Malvinas Islands waters based on morphological and molecular comparisons with Zearaja chilensis. Although D. lamillai has been compared with several congeneric species, it was not properly compared with the morphologically similar Zearaja brevicaudata, the most abundant longnose skate in the Southwest Atlantic. Here, these species were compared by morphological and molecular analyses in order to evaluate their conspecificity. Linear morphometric variables of holotype and paratypes of D. lamillai and 69 specimens of Z. brevicaudata were compared and investigated using Principal Component Analysis. In addition, thorn patterns, denticle distributions, color, and clasper morphology were compared. No body proportions or other single character that could differentiate D. lamillai from Z. brevicaudata were found. Molecular analyses comprised of the comparison of the Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2. The results of the Maximum Likelihood (ML) carried out for each molecular marker showed that sequences from D. lamillai clustered together with those of Z. brevicaudata, and the molecular distance determined by Kimura two-parameter were lower than the expected for different species. Additionally, the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery method and the Bayesian implementation of the Poisson tree processes were carried out with COI sequences to explore species limits, and their results were consistent with ML analyses. In summary, the results obtained showed that there are no morphological or molecular differences between these nominal species of the valid skate genus Zearaja, leading to the conclusion that they are conspecific. Therefore, we designated Z. brevicaudata as a senior synonym of D. lamillai.

Case 3829 – Halitherium Kaup, 1838 and Halitherium schinzii (Kaup, 1838) (Mammalia, Sirenia): proposed conservation of current usage by designation of a neotype for Halitherium schinzii

The purpose of this application, under Article 75.5 of the Code, is to conserve the current usage of the generic name Halitherium Kaup, 1838 and the specific name of its type species, Pugmeodon schinzii Kaup, 1838 (currently Halitherium schinzii), for a taxon of fossil sirenian from Europe by designating a neotype for this nominal species. This is in response to a recent contention that, as nomina dubia, these two names are inapplicable to the two sympatric species of this genus purported to occur around the type locality of H. schinzii in the Mainz Basin and elsewhere in Europe. The existing holotype is an isolated premolar that is not unambiguously determinable to species, but the name Halitherium schinzii has been used in a substantial body of literature extending over nearly two centuries, to the near exclusion of other names, and without taxonomic ambiguity because of reference to other specimens than the type. The desired ends can be attained without sacrificing stability of nomenclature by designating the most suitable reference specimen as the neotype of Pugmeodon schinzii Kaup, 1838 under the plenary power and continuing to use the name Kaupitherium bronni (Krauss, 1858), with its own, different name-bearing type, for the other species.

Large ants are not easy – the taxonomy of Dinoponera Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae)

The taxonomy of the giant ants of the genus Dinoponera is revised based on female and male morphology. Eight species are recognized. Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov., from Amazonas and Rondônia, Brazil, is described and D. grandis (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) is revived. The species D. australis Emery, 1901 and D. snellingi Lenhart, Dash & Mackay, 2013, plus the subspecies D. australis bucki Borgmeier, 1937 and D. australis nigricolor Borgmeier, 1937 are synonymized under D. grandis sp. rev. An unnamed and unidentified male is reported. In general, male morphology has greater and more discrete variation than in females, but they are scarce in museum collections. Species distributions are updated and illustrated, the genus ranging from southern Colombia to northern Argentina, with no reliable records from the Guiana Shield and all nominal species occurring in Brazil. Intraspecific variation and natural history are discussed. New illustrated identification keys are provided for both sexes. Future studies should address the collection of fresh specimens for molecular work and to assess the conservation status of several species and populations.

Review of the hyperiidean amphipod family Lycaeidae Claus, 1879 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea)

This is the first comprehensive taxonomic review of the family Lycaeidae. This study is based primarily on the extensive collections of the Natural History Museum, Denmark (NHMD, formerly ZMUC) and the US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA (USNM), and on additional material from the South African Museum (SAM) and in the South Australian Museum (SAMA). The two currently recognized genera in the family, Lycaea Dana, 1852 and Simorhynchotus Stebbing, 1888, are maintained with the latter still regarded monotypic with S. antennarius (Claus, 1871). Characters used to distinguish species in the past are re-evaluated in order to determine their validity. There are 15 nominal species of Lycaea in the literature, excluding Pseudolycaea pachypoda Claus, 1879 and Metalycaea globosa Stephensen, 1925. Pseudolycaea Claus, 1879 is regarded a synonym of Lycaea, as confirmed by this study, and M. globosa is a junior synonym of L. serrata Claus, 1879, as demonstrated by an examination of the type material. Of the remaining nominal species many have been synonymized with L. pulex Marion, 1874 in the past, often based on erroneous literature references. Thus, the taxonomic status of all nominal species was redetermined by the examination of type material or from the original literature reference if type material could not be found. In conclusion, ten species of Lycaea are recognized as valid, including three described as new. Lycaea bovallii Chevreux, 1900 is determined to be a valid species with the following as junior synonyms, L. gracilis Spandl, 1924, L. bajensis Shoemaker, 1925 and L. bovallioides Stephensen, 1925. It seems to be widely distributed and relatively common in the tropical regions of all the world’s oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea. The other species recognized as valid are L. lilia Volkov, 1982; L. nasuta Claus, 1879; L. pachypoda (Claus, 1879); L. pulex Marion, 1874 (L. robusta Claus, 1879, L. similis Claus, 1879 and L. pauli Stebbing, 1888 regarded junior synonyms); L. serrata Claus, 1879 and L. vincentii Stebbing, 1888 (Amphipronoe longicornuta Giles, 1888 a junior synonym). In addition, three species are described as new to science; L. intermedia sp. nov., L. proserrata sp. nov. and L. osbornae sp. nov. All were found in the tropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans; the former two are relatively common and widespread. All species are described and illustrated and a key is provided to facilitate their identification.

A new species of Nogunius Jaoszyski in Japan (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae).

The genus Nogunius Jaoszyski was proposed to accommodate four species distributed exclusively in Japan: N. sokani Jaoszyski (Okinawa Island), N. aogashimanus Jaoszyski (Aogashima, Izu Islands), N. kerri Jaoszyski (Ishigaki Island), and N. fukuuzanus Jaoszyski (Okinawa Island). A female of an undescribed species collected in mainland Japan, on Shikoku, was also recorded. In the present paper we provide evidence that this interesting and apparently very rare genus occurs also on Kyushu. Nogunius sagaensis sp. n. is described, based on a single male collected in Saga Prefecture, NW Kyushu. Diagnostic characters of all nominal species are compared, and a distribution of Nogunius is summarized.

Osteology-focused redescription and description of the blood-feeding candirus Paracanthopoma parva and Paravandellia alleynei sp.n. (Trichomycteridae: Vandelliinae).

This study resolves a significant impediment to the taxonomy of the Neotropical endemic hematophagous candirus by providing the first high-resolution, CT-based osteological descriptions of type and nontype specimens of Paracanthopoma parva, type species of the genus. We also describe the distinctive new species Paravandellia alleynei based on specimens that were previously misidentified as Parac. parva in the only taxonomic study of that species since its 1935 description. Paracanthopoma parva is distinguished from all nominal congeners by its parietosupraoccipital and caudal skeleton morphology and by various meristics, including numbers of teeth on median premaxilla, vertebrae, and procurrent and principal caudal-fin rays. Paravandellia alleynei differs from both nominal congeners (Paravandellia oxyptera and Paravandellia phaneronema) by the unique morphology of its maxilla, mesethmoid and opercular apparatus, relative position of the pelvic- and anal-fin origins, orientation of the opercular odontodes, and various meristics, including numbers of vertebrae, median premaxillary teeth, medial teeth on premaxilla, branchiostegal rays, opercular and interopercular odontodes, distal claw-like premaxillary teeth, dorsal-fin rays and dentary teeth. This is the first species of Paravandellia recognized from Guyana and the Essequibo River basin. It is currently known only from two type specimens from the lower Essequibo River basin and 43 nontype specimens from the upper Branco River basin. By providing the first skeletal observations for type specimens of the type species Parac. parva and for topotypic specimens of all three nominal species of Paravandellia, we clarify and confirm the diagnosis of Parac. parva and establish a robust foundation for ongoing taxonomic revisions of these two small-sized and species-poor, yet trans-continentally distributed genera, both of which contain considerable unrecognized diversity.

An assessment of the taxonomic validity of three species of marsupial frogs (Anura: Hemiphractidae: Gastrotheca) from the Yungas of Bolivia based on external morphology and cranial osteology.

The genus Gastrotheca (Anura: Hemiphractidae) is a group of marsupial frogs particularly diverse in Andean regions. Several taxonomic studies of this genus have been conducted in the humid cloud forestsor Yungasof the Andean eastern slopes of central Bolivia (departments of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Yet, the distinction among three species that occur sympatrically in these forests, G. lauzuricae (proposed as a junior synonym of G. coeruleomaculatus in 2015), G. piperata, and G. splendens, remains unclear since the morphological characters that purportedly support their differentiation are variable and partly shared among them. We have carried out external morphological studies, including multivariate morphometric analyses, to assess how they support the taxonomic status of these three species. We also evaluated characters of the cranial osteology of a sample of six individuals using micro CT-scanning. Principal component and linear discriminant analyses resulted in a great overlap among the putative species. Cranial osteological comparisons did not reveal highly significant differences among them, but suggested that different degrees of hyperossification could be related to the developmental state of individuals. Our results indicate that most morphological and osteological reported differences between the three species likely represent intraspecific variation. Thus, we propose that the three nominal species belong to a single biological entity, for which the name Gastrotheca splendens (Schmidt, 1857) has priority. We also restrict the name Gastrotheca coeruleomaculatus (Werner, 1899) to externally similar congeneric populations from the Yungas forests of department of La Paz, but highlighting the need of a detailed evaluation of their taxonomic identity.

Genetic structure in Louisiana Iris species reveals patterns of recent and historical admixture.

When divergent lineages come into secondary contact, reproductive isolation may be incomplete, thus providing an opportunity to investigate how speciation is manifested in the genome. The Louisiana Irises (Iris, series Hexagonae) comprise a group of three or more ecologically and reproductively divergent lineages that can produce hybrids where they come into contact. We estimated standing genetic variation to understand the current distribution of population structure in the Louisiana Irises. We used genotyping-by-sequencing techniques to sample the genomes of Louisiana Iris species across their ranges. We sampled 20 populations (n = 632 individuals) across 11,249 loci and used Entropy and PCA models to assess population genetic data. We discovered evidence for interspecific gene flow in parts of the range. Our analysis revealed patterns of population structure at odds with widely accepted nominal taxonomy. We discovered undescribed hybrid populations, designated as belonging to the I. brevicaulis lineage. Iris nelsonii shared significant ancestry with only one of the purported parent species, I. fulva, evidence inconsistent with a hybrid origin. This study provides several key findings important to the investigation of standing genetic variation in the Louisiana Iris species complex. Compared to the other nominal species, I. brevicaulis contains a large amount of genetic diversity. In addition, we discovered a previously unknown hybrid zone between I. brevicaulis and I. hexagona along the Texas coast. Finally, our results do not support the long-standing hypothesis that I. nelsonii has mixed ancestry from three parental taxa.

A new specimen ofSinopterus dongi(Pterosauria, Tapejaridae) from the Jiufotang Formation (Early Cretaceous, China)

The Tapejarinae are edentulous pterosaurs that are relatively common in Cretaceous continental deposits in South America, North Africa, Europe, and China (mostly Early Cretaceous). The Chinese Jiufotang Formation is particularly rich in tapejarine specimens, having yielded over 10 described specimens and dozens of undescribed ones. For the Jiufotang Formation, a total of seven nominal tapejarid species and two genera have been proposed. Some debate exists over how many of those are valid or, alternatively, sexual or ontogenetic morphs of fewer (or even a single) species. Despite the abundance of specimens and the relevant taxonomic problems involved, detailed revisions of the matter are still lacking. This is partly due to the relatively scarce knowledge on the comparative osteology of the Sinopterus complex, which is hampered by the fact that most specimens have been only preliminarily described. In this contribution, we present a new postcranial specimen, D3072, which we attribute to the type-species of the genus, Sinopterus dongi. This new specimen helps shed some new light in the osteology of Sinopterus dongi, hopefully serving as a basis for future comparative studies involving further specimens and other proposed species and, subsequently, taxonomic revisions.

A new species of Echinostoma (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) from the 'revolutum' group found in Brazil: refuting the occurrence of Echinostoma miyagawai (=E. robustum) in the Americas.

Although Echinostoma robustum (currently a synonym of E. miyagawai) was reported in the Americas based on molecular data, morphological support on adult parasites is still required. Herein, a new species of Echinostoma is described based on worms found in a chicken from Brazil. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 28S (1063 bp), ITS (947 bp) and Nad-1 (442 bp) datasets reveal the inclusion of the new species within Echinostoma ‘revolutum’ species complex. Moreover, it was verified the conspecificity between cercariae previously identified as E. robustum in Brazil [identical ITS and only 0.3% of divergence (1 nucleotide) in Nad-1]. Species discovery analyses show that these two isolates form an independent lineage (species) among Echinostoma spp. Compared to E. miyagawai, the new species presents relatively high divergence in Nad-1 (7.88–9.09%). Morphologically, the specimens are distinguished from all nominal species from the ‘revolutum’ species complex by the more posterior position of the testes (length of post-testicular field as a proportion of body length about 20%). They further differ from E. miyagawai and South American Echinostoma spp. by the higher proportion of forebody to the body length. Therefore, combined molecular and morphological evidence supports the proposal of the species named here as Echinostoma pseudorobustum sp. nov.

Ant crickets and their secrets:Myrmecophilus acervorumis not always parthenogenetic (Insecta: Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae)

AbstractPreviously considered as a thelytokous parthenogenetic species, the widespread ant cricket Myrmecophilus acervorum actually turns out to have a mixed reproductive system: our recent surveys in the central part of its distribution area has revealed the presence of both sexes. Detailed morphological and morphometric descriptions of the previously unknown males are here provided. New data on species distribution in south-eastern Europe are presented, including the first records of M. balcanicus in Bulgaria and of M. nonveilleri in Bulgaria and Hungary. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses have revealed several haplotypes of M. acervorum in Europe, with six of them forming a parthenogenetic clade in populations distributed west of the Carpathians. We tested our samples for bacterial infection by Wolbachia and, surprisingly, Wolbachia was identified only in populations with both sexes and no amplification was obtained from parthenogenetic populations. Phylogenetic analyses performed with sequences pertaining to five nominal species related to M. acervorum, yielded topological congruent trees with four well-supported groups: one group with M. acervorum samples, the second group with M. nonveilleri samples, the third group with M. fuscus and M. gallicus samples, and the fourth group with samples of M. balcanicus. We performed species delineation tests on our sequences, which delimited between four to seven putative species.

A new hip-pocket frog from mid-eastern Australia (Anura: Myobatrachidae: Assa).

The hip-pocket frog (Assa darlingtoni), a small terrestrial myobatrachid frog found in mid-eastern Australia, has a highly derived, unusual, reproductive mode involving a unique form of male parental care. Males have subcutaneous pouches that open near the hip, and the developing tadpoles are carried in these pouches to post metamorphosis. It is found on several isolated mountain ranges in closed forest habitats, associated with high rainfall and temperate or sub-tropical climates. We established genetic relationships among specimens sampled across the range using phylogenetic analyses of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the nuclear genome and mitochondrial ND2 gene nucleotide sequences. These analyses uncovered two lineages that are genetically distinct in both nDNA and mtDNA analyses and that have low levels of divergence in male advertisement calls and are morphologically cryptic. Our data support separate species status for each lineage, based on the molecular genetic data. The first, which we name as a new species, Assa wollumbin sp. nov., is restricted to a single mountain, Wollumbin (= Mount Warning), the eroded cone of an ancient shield volcanothe Tweed Volcano. The second, the nominal species A. darlingtoni, has a wider distribution in five geographically disjunct subpopulations along 430 km of the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. The distributions of the two species closely approach within 15 km of each other on the central plug and rim of the caldera of the Tweed Volcano. Assa wollumbin sp. nov. meets the conservation criteria for Critically Endangered [A3(e), B2(a,b)]. When all subpopulations of A. darlingtoni are combined the conservation assessment is Endangered [A3(e), B2(a,b)]. Because of the fragmented nature of the distribution of A. darlingtoni, combined with the genetic evidence of concordant sub-structuring, we also conducted a conservation assessment on the five subpopulations. Two were assessed as Critically Endangered (DAguilar Range and Conondale/Blackall Ranges), and the remainder as Endangered (Dorrigo Plateau, McPherson Ranges, and Gibraltar Ranges/Washpool).

Annotated catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta, Diptera) of Chile.

Annotated catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta, Diptera) of Chile.

Genetic and morphological characterization of the freshwater mussel clubshell species complex (Pleurobema clava and Pleurobema oviforme) to inform conservation planning.

The shell morphologies of the freshwater mussel species Pleurobema clava (federally endangered) and Pleurobema oviforme (species of concern) are similar, causing considerable taxonomic confusion between the two species over the last 100 years. While P. clava was historically widespread throughout the Ohio River basin and tributaries to the lower Laurentian Great Lakes, P. oviforme was confined to the Tennessee and the upper Cumberland River basins. We used two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes, 13 novel nuclear DNA microsatellite markers, and shell morphometrics to help resolve this taxonomic confusion. Evidence for a single species was apparent in phylogenetic analyses of each mtDNA gene, revealing monophyletic relationships with minimal differentiation and shared haplotypes. Analyses of microsatellites showed significant genetic structuring, with four main genetic clusters detected, respectively, in the upper Ohio River basin, the lower Ohio River and Great Lakes, and upper Tennessee River basin, and a fourth genetic cluster, which included geographically intermediate populations in the Ohio and Tennessee river basins. While principal components analysis (PCA) of morphometric variables (i.e., length, height, width, and weight) showed significant differences in shell shape, only 3% of the variance in shell shape was explained by nominal species. Using Linear Discriminant and Random Forest (RF) analyses, correct classification rates for the two species' shell forms were 65.5% and 83.2%, respectively. Random Forest classification rates for some populations were higher; for example, for North Fork Holston (HOLS), it was >90%. While nuclear DNA and shell morphology indicate that the HOLS population is strongly differentiated, perhaps indicative of cryptic biodiversity, we consider the presence of a single widespread species the most likely biological scenario for many of the investigated populations based on our mtDNA dataset. However, additional sampling of P. oviforme populations at nuclear loci is needed to corroborate this finding.