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Novel molecular resources for single-specimen barcoding of enigmatic crustacean y-larvae Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-08 Niklas Dreyer, Jørgen Olesen, Mark J. Grygier, Danny Eibye-Jacobsen, Alexandra S. Savchenko, Yoshihisa Fujita, Gregory A. Kolbasov, Ryuji J. Machida, Benny K. K. Chan, Ferran Palero
Despite discovery more than 100 years ago and documented global occurrence from shallow waters to the deep sea, the life cycle of the enigmatic crustacean y-larvae isincompletely understood and adult forms remain unknown. To date, only 2 of the 17 formally described species, all based on larval stages, have been investigated using an integrative taxonomic approach. This approach provided descriptions
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Phylogenomics of endemic Australian Ulopinae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadellidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Olivia Evangelista, Nikolai Tatarnic, Keith Bayless
Ulopinae is a distinctive subfamily of leafhoppers that is widely distributed across the Afrotropical, Palearctic, Indomalayan and Australasian regions. The ulopine fauna of Australia is entirely endemic and includes two tribes of striking appearance, the Ulopini and Cephalelini. Knowledge of these groups is fragmentary and in many instances, no information is available beyond original descriptions
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Sample design in biodiversity studies matters: a fine-scale study of Lawrence’s velvet worm, Peripatopsis lawrencei (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae), reveals hidden diversity Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Julian A. Nieto Lawrence, Savel R. Daniels
A fine-scale phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of Peripatopsis lawrencei s.l. was conducted with both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data, using both external morphology and scanning electron microscopy of taxonomically important characters. A total of 119 sequences were used for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) whereas a single representative specimen from each
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An integrative taxonomic approach to the Atlantic Hansarsia (formerly Nematoscelis) yields new krill taxa (Crustacea: Euphausiidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 D. N. Kulagin, U. V. Simakova, A. A. Lunina, A. L. Vereshchaka
A recent molecular phylogenetic and biogeographic study on the krill genus Hansarsia revealed undescribed cryptic diversity in the Atlantic. Each of four species analysed encompassed robust molecular clades that were linked to dimorphic males in H. microps, H. atlantica and H. tenella. We tested the robustness and divergence of the observed clades using an integrative approach including (1) three independent
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Lumping three nominal species into one: taxonomic revision of amphibian parasitic leeches of Torix in Far East Asia (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-07 Chiaki Kambayashi, Takafumi Nakano
Although most members of the freshwater leech family Glossiphoniidae have mid-body somites divided into three annuli, the genus Torix Blanchard, 1893 is distinguished by two-annuli somites. Torix has high species richness in Far East Asia, and three nominal species have been recognised in the Japanese Archipelago and adjacent regions that can be distinguished by a combination of both internal and external
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Genitalic morphology and phylogenomic placement of the Australian spider Paraplectanoides crassipes Keyserling, 1886 (Araneae, Araneidae) with a discussion on the classification of the family Araneidae Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-29 Gustavo Hormiga, Siddharth Kulkarni, Miquel Arnedo, Dimitar Dimitrov, Gonzalo Giribet, Robert J. Kallal, Nikolaj Scharff
We complement and expand the existing descriptions of the Australian araneid spider Paraplectanoides crassipes Keyserling, 1886, and provide the first detailed analysis of the male palpal homologies to include examination of the expanded organ and scanning electron micrographs of the palpal sclerites. We study the placement of Paraplectanoides and the classification of the family Araneidae by combining
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New hypothesis of the tribal placement puzzle of Enigmadiplosis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), with description of a new pest species on Rhododendron (Ericaceae) in Japan Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-24 Ayman Khamis Elsayed, Yasuko Kobayashi, Raymond J. Gagné, Makoto Tokuda
The monotypic genus Enigmadiplosis Harris (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) was placed in the tribe Clinodiplosini based on adult morphology, but the genus is somewhat puzzling because larvae are typical for the tribe Cecidomyiini. In this study, we describe Enigmadiplosis harrisi sp. nov., a pest species that damages young leaves of the ornamental shrub Rhododendron pulchrum in Mie Prefecture, Honshu, Japan
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Morphological and DNA analyses reveal cryptic diversity in Anentome wykoffi (Brandt, 1974) (Gastropoda: Nassariidae), with descriptions of two new species from Thailand Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-11-02 Nithinan Chomchoei, Thierry Backeljau, Piyatida Pimvichai, Ting Hui Ng, Nattawadee Nantarat
The assassin snail genus Anentome is widely distributed in South East Asia. In Thailand, the genus comprises at least six species, one of which is Anentome wykoffi, a species that may act as an intermediate host of parasitic trematodes. Recent fieldwork has shown that A. wykoffi is far more common and widespread in Thailand than has been assumed, yet the taxonomy remains poorly known. Therefore, this
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Hiding among the palms: the remarkable discovery of a new palm bug genus and species (Insecta: Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae: Xylastodorinae) from remote Norfolk Island; systematics, natural history, palm specialism and biogeography Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-10-25 Gerasimos Cassis, Geoff B. Monteith, Anthony Postle
The discovery of a remarkable new palm bug species on Norfolk Island brings into question its systematic position within the family Thaumastocoridae, and the validity and biogeography of the three extant subfamilies. Latebracoris norfolcensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is described from remote Norfolk Island in the Southwest Pacific. The species was found on the native Norfolk Island palm Rhopalostylis baueri
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A preliminary phylogeny for the pseudoscorpion family Garypinidae (Pseudoscorpiones: Garypinoidea), with new taxa and remarks on the Australasian fauna Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-26 Mark S. Harvey
The pseudoscorpion family Garypinidae is globally distributed with 79 species in 21 genera and several species represented by Mesozoic and Eocene fossils. This was recently included with the family Larcidae in a unique superfamily, Garypinoidea but there are no phylogenetic hypotheses for the group. Sequence data were obtained for 14 species in 8 genera and numerous outgroup taxa that formed the basis
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Molecular phylogeny of the land snail family Euconulidae in Thailand and its position in the superfamily Trochomorphoidea (Stylommatophora: Limacoidei), with description of a new genus Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-08 Arthit Pholyotha, Somsak Panha, Chirasak Sutcharit, Parin Jirapatrasilp, Teerapong Seesamut, Thor-Seng Liew, Piyoros Tongkerd
The Euconulidae is a globally distributed land snail family but there is no record of this family from Thailand. In this study, we describe a new genus, Siamoconus gen. nov., based on comparative studies of the shell characteristics, external morphology of animals, radula, genital and spermatophore structures, and molecular phylogeny. We performed phylogenetic analyses of two mitochondrial gene fragment
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Neolucia bollami Eastwood, Braby & Graham, sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): speciation of a new allochronic cryptic butterfly from south-western Western Australia Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-09-06 Rodney G. Eastwood, Michael F. Braby, Matthew R. Williams
South-western Western Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot renowned for exceptional diversity of plants and animals. The evolutionary processes that have generated this high biodiversity are not always clear, particularly for invertebrates, yet the area supports a very large number of endemic species that have diversified in situ. We use an integrative taxonomic approach based on adult and immature
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An unusual lineage of Helotidae in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Nitiduloidea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-22 Yan-Da Li, Zhenhua Liu, Diying Huang, Chenyang Cai
Helotidae is a small and morphologically uniform family in Nitiduloidea. In this study, we report an unusual form of helotids, represented by Lobatihelota lescheni Li, Liu & Cai gen. nov., sp. nov. and L. iridescens Li, Liu & Cai sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Lobatihelota is unique within the family in having a leg morphology typical of some Nitidulidae and Kateretidae (tibia widened
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Rare yet everywhere: phylogenetic position of the enigmatic deep-sea shrimp Physetocaris microphthalma Chace, 1940 (Decapoda, Caridea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-08-02 Pedro A. Peres, Heather Bracken-Grissom
The mysterious deep-sea shrimp Physetocaris microphthalma Chace, 1940 remains a challenge for the understanding of caridean shrimp systematics. Upon first description in 1940, the unique morphology in combination with lack of material made the allocation of P. microphthalma to any family or superfamily difficult, therefore the monotypic superfamily Physetocaridoidea and family Physetocarididae were
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Resolving the taxonomy of the Antarctic feather star species complex Promachocrinus ‘kerguelensis’ (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-07-14 Emily L. McLaughlin, Nerida G. Wilson, Greg W. Rouse
An increasing number of Antarctic invertebrate taxa have been revealed as cryptic species complexes following DNA-based assessments. This ultimately necessitates a morphological reassessment to find traits that will help identify these cryptic or pseudocryptic species without the need for sequencing every individual. This work concerns comatulid crinoid echinoderms long considered to represent a single
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Systematics of the Ogyris aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) complex (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): threatened Australian butterflies of national conservation significance Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-07-10 Ethan P. Beaver, Michael F. Braby, Alexander S. Mikheyev
The butterfly genus Ogyris Angas, 1847 consists of several striking but poorly resolved complexes endemic to Australia and New Guinea, many of which have an obligate association with ants. Here, we revise the systematics of the Ogyris aenone (Waterhouse, 1902) complex through an integrative taxonomic approach based on molecular phylogenetic analysis, morphological examination, life histories and ecology
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At the edge of the sea: the supralittoral nemertean, Acteonemertes orientalis sp. nov. (Nemertea: Eumonostilifera: Plectonemertidae) from Japan Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-06-16 Natsumi Hookabe, Yuma Fujino, Naoto Jimi, Rei Ueshima
Ribbon worms (phylum Nemertea) are found in oceans worldwide; however, only a few inhabit terrestrial, semiterrestrial and freshwater environments. In our study, we describe Acteonemertes orientalis sp. nov., a new species of Plectonemertidae Gibson, 1990 and the first plectonemertid discovered in Japan. The species was found in the supralittoral zone, from which nemerteans have rarely been reported
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Four new Solenogastres (Mollusca, Aplacophora) from the South China Sea and paraphyly of Proneomeniidae Simroth, 1893 Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-29 M. Carmen Cobo, Emily L. McLaughlin, Kevin M. Kocot
Solenogastres and Caudofoveata (Aplacophora) remain some of the least known molluscs, despite ubiquity in the marine environment and importance in understanding molluscan evolution. The use of new morphological techniques and development of DNA barcode libraries have helped make specimen identification easier. However, for solenogasters, using histology for identification and adequate description of
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Taxonomy of Antarctic Buccinoidea (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda) revisited based on molecular data Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-09 Yuri Kantor, Tina Molodtsova, Sofia Zvonareva, Alexander Fedosov
The superfamily Buccinoidea is the most speciose group of Neogastropoda within the Antarctic Convergence, with ~70 species classified in 21 genera, but is still poorly represented in molecular phylogenies. The first molecular data on the group presented in the recent phylogeny of the Buccinoidea (Kantor et al. 2022) lacked many important lineages, thereby limiting inference of the relationships of
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Description of a new thermal species of the genus Hyalella from Peru with molecular phylogeny of the family Hyalellidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-05-03 Ko Tomikawa, Yoshimi Kawasaki, Alfonso Miranda Leiva, Nilton Deza Arroyo
In recent years, the impact of rising water temperatures associated with global warming on cold-water freshwater organisms has become a major issue, and understanding the physiological and ecological elements that support temperature limits is essential for the conservation biology of freshwater organisms. We describe a new species of thermophilic hyalellid amphipod, Hyalella yashmara sp. nov. from
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‘Where is my family?’ Molecular and morphological data reveal the phylogenetic position and diversity of the enigmatic handsome fungus beetle genus Anamycetaea Strohecker, 1975 (Coleoptera, Coccinelloidea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-04-03 Wioletta Tomaszewska, Karol Szawaryn, Emmanuel Arriaga-Varela
The genus Anamycetaea Strohecker, 1975, established for Anamycetaea keralae, a single species from India, was originally placed in the diverse endomychid subfamily Mycetaeinae and has subsequently been considered a member of the subfamily Anamorphinae based on closed mesocoxal cavities, a postulated synapomorphy of this group. Recent molecular research resulted in raising Anamorphinae to family level
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Molecular phylogeny of the snorkel snail Rhiostoma housei, a species complex from Thailand with descriptions of three new species Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-03-31 Pongpun Prasankok, Chirasak Sutcharit, Ekgachai Jeratthitikul, Thierry Backeljau, Piyatida Pimvichai
Snorkel snails (genus Rhiostoma) are widely distributed in Indo-China and on the Malay Peninsula. The shell morphology is traditionally used for species identification yet in Thailand, the common snorkel snail, Rhiostoma housei, shows considerable variation in shell morphology within and between populations. Therefore species identifications and delimitations are difficult. We used two mitochondrial
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A tale of two tubeworms: taxonomy of vestimentiferans (Annelida: Siboglinidae) from the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-03-22 Magdalena N. Georgieva, Nadezhda N. Rimskaya-Korsakova, Varvara I. Krolenko, Cindy Lee Van Dover, Diva J. Amon, Jonathan T. Copley, Sophie Plouviez, Bernard Ball, Helena Wiklund, Adrian G. Glover
The vestimentiferan tubeworm genera Lamellibrachia and Escarpia inhabit deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, such as seeps, hydrothermal vents and organic falls, and have wide distributions across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In 2010–2012 during initial explorations of hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Cayman Spreading Centre (MCSC), both genera were found to co-occur at the Von Damm Vent
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Molecular phylogeny, systematics and biogeography of the subfamily Nemognathinae (Coleoptera, Meloidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-02-13 Alessandra Riccieri, Emilia Capogna, John D. Pinto, Marco A. Bologna
Nemognathinae is the most widespread subfamily of Meloidae, with ~600 species, and includes the only blister beetles distributed in Australia and on islands of the western Pacific. Four tribes are recognised based on morphology: Stenoderini, Palaestrini, Horiini and Nemognathini. Using two mitochondrial (16S, COI) and three nuclear markers (CAD, 28S, ITS2), and both maximum likelihood and Bayesian
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Recovery of the family status of Pericambalidae Silvestri, 1909, stat. nov. (Diplopoda: Spirostreptida: Cambalidea), with a revision of the genera and species from China Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-01-24 Xuan-Kong Jiang, William A. Shear, Li-Ping Ye, Hui-Ming Chen, Zhi-Cai Xie
The millipede subfamily Pericambalinae Silvestri, 1909 is poorly understood and the taxonomic status remains controversial. Pericambalinae was regarded as either a subfamily of Cambalopsidae or an independent family. To address this issue, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis and a morphological revision, and the genera and species from China are also revised. The results support the recovery
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Integrative taxonomy reveals that not all European reddish runcinids are the same: the case of the Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Runcinida) species-complex, with the description of a new genus Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-01-18 Ana Karla Araujo, Marta Pola, Manuel Antonio E. Malaquias, Fabio Vitale, Juan Lucas Cervera
Owing to the small size and cryptic morphology, runcinids are among the most difficult marine heterobranchs to study and consequently one of the groups about which little is known. Only recently were molecular tools and phylogenetics first employed to study the systematics. The charismatic European reddish-brown species Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977, first described from Plymouth, UK, is a paradigm
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Cosmopolitan abyssal lineages? A systematic study of East Pacific deep-sea squat lobsters (Decapoda: Galatheoidea: Munidopsidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-01-11 Paula C. Rodríguez-Flores, Charlotte A. Seid, Greg W. Rouse, Gonzalo Giribet
Munidopsid squat lobsters are among the most abundant decapods at abyssal depths and the most diverse squat lobster group in the East Pacific region. During recent cruises along the East Pacific, many deep-sea squat lobsters were collected. Among these, we described five new munidopsid species supported both by morphological characters and molecular phylogenetics: Munidopsis girguisi sp. nov., M. nautilus
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We don’t know the half of it: morphological and molecular evidence reveal dramatic underestimation of diversity in a key pollinator group (Nemestrinidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2023-01-05 Genevieve L. Theron, Bruce Anderson, Ruth J. Cozien, Allan G. Ellis, Florent Grenier, Steven D. Johnson, Ethan Newman, Anton Pauw, Timotheüs van der Niet
Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies) are important pollinators of numerous southern African plant species. Despite their known ecological importance, the family has received little taxonomic attention in recent years and the systematics of the group is poorly understood. In this study we aimed to assess the phylogenetic relationships and species diversity among three southern African nemestrinid genera
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Systematic revision of the Japanese freshwater snail Semisulcospira decipiens (Mollusca: Semisulcospiridae): implications for diversification in the ancient Lake Biwa Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-12-16 Naoto Sawada, Yusuke Fuke
Semisulcospira is a freshwater snail genus highly divergent in the ancient Lake Biwa, Japan, with a history of ~4 million years. Although the shell morphology, karyotype and molecular phylogeny of the genus have been well studied, the systematic status of several non-monophyletic species remains uncertain. In this study, we have evaluated the taxonomic accounts of the species previously identified
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A remarkable troglomorphic ant, Yavnella laventa sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae), identified as the first known worker of Yavnella Kugler by phylogenomic inference Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-12-05 Zachary Hayes Griebenow, Marco Isaia, Majid Moradmand
The ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) consists of minute soil-dwelling species, with several genera within this clade being based solely upon males, including Yavnella Kugler. The dissociation of males and workers has resulted in taxonomic confusion for the Leptanillinae. We here describe the worker caste of Yavnella, facilitated by maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference from
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Phylogeny of the asexual lineage Murrayidae (Macrobiotoidea, Eutardigrada) with the description of Paramurrayon gen. nov. and Paramurrayon meieri sp. nov. Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-11-28 Roberto Guidetti, Ilaria Giovannini, Valeria Del Papa, Torbjørn Ekrem, Diane R. Nelson, Lorena Rebecchi, Michele Cesari
The peculiar family Murrayidae, comprising the genera Murrayon, Dactylobiotus and Macroversum, contains relatively rare species living in hydrophilic and freshwater habitats on all continents, and contains two of the six exclusively freshwater tardigrade genera. This family probably represents an example of the evolution and persistence of an asexual lineage that differentiated into several taxa without
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Revisiting the morphological aspects of the Anomalodesmata (Mollusca: Bivalvia): a phylogenetic approach Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-11-21 Fabrizio Marcondes Machado, Flávio Dias Passos
The Anomalodesmata Dall, 1899 includes some of the rarest and most specialised species of marine bivalves. This rarity has consequently constituted the greatest obstacle for understanding the internal relationships due to the low representativeness of species present in any phylogenetic reconstructions. Therefore, with the primary purpose of creating a more comprehensive morphological analysis, data
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Closing a biogeographic gap: a new pettalid genus from South Australia (Arachnida : Opiliones : Cyphophthalmi : Pettalidae) with a UCE-based phylogeny of Cyphophthalmi Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-11-10 Gonzalo Giribet, Matthew Shaw, Arianna Lord, Shahan Derkarabetian
Pettalidae is a family of mite harvestmen that inhabits the former circum-Antarctic Gondwanan terranes, including southern South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. Australia is home to two pettalid genera, Austropurcellia, in northern New South Wales and Queensland, and Karripurcellia, in Western Australia, until now showing a large distributional gap between these
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Marine surf to freshwater: a molecular phylogeny of Donacidae (Bivalvia: Heterodonta) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-11-03 Elena Moncada, Arianna Lord, Luiz Ricardo L. Simone, Daniel Adjei-Boateng, Philippe Bouchet, Ellen E. Strong, Rüdiger Bieler, Gonzalo Giribet
Donacidae is a commercially important family of heterodont bivalves and one of the few bivalve lineages that has successfully colonised brackish and fresh waters. However, to date, no phylogenetic hypothesis exists for this widely distributed group. Here we turn to molecular data from the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and combine these with the extensive fossil record of donacids to propose an
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Multigene phylogeny of reef lobsters of the family Enoplometopidae (Decapoda: Crustacea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-10-28 Su-Ching Chang, Tin-Yam Chan
The reef lobsters of the family Enoplometopidae de Saint Laurent, 1988 are attractive marine aquarium pets but the generic assignments have been controversial. Molecular phylogeny using five genetic markers (three mitochondrial and two nuclear) on 11 of the 12 species known in the family successfully reconstructed a robust phylogenetic tree for the reef lobsters with two well-supported groups. The
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Deconstructing the crustacean squat lobster genus Munida to reconstruct the evolutionary history and systematics of the family Munididae (Decapoda, Anomura, Galatheoidea) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-10-06 Annie Machordom, Shane T. Ahyong, Nikos Andreakis, Keiji Baba, David Buckley, Ricardo García-Jiménez, Anna W. McCallum, Paula C. Rodríguez-Flores, Enrique Macpherson
Unravelling the evolutionary history of taxa requires solid delimitation of the traits characterising these. This can be challenging especially in groups with a highly complex taxonomy. The squat lobster family Munididae contains more than 450 species distributed among 21 genera, Munida being the most speciose (~300 species). Previous phylogenetic studies, based on a small part of the diversity of
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Integrative species delimitation reveals fine-scale allopatric speciation in a good-flying insect: a case study on Cylindera pseudocylindriformis complex (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-10-06 Ming-Hsun Chou, I-Hsuan Chu, Daniel Lau, Jen-Pan Huang
Alpha taxonomy is fundamental for many biological fields. Delineation of the species boundary, however, can be challenging in a species complex, where different species share a similar morphology and diagnostic characters may not be available. In this context, integrative approaches that incorporate molecular and morphological data sets, and account for speciation history can be helpful to alpha taxonomy
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Phylogenetic analysis and diversity of peculiar new lecanicephalidean tapeworms (Eniochobothriidae) from cownose rays across the globe Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-09-28 K. Jensen, J. N. Caira
The three members of the lecanicephalidean tapeworm family Eniochobothriidae are unusual among tapeworms in that they lack a vagina and possess a series of expanded proglottids forming a trough at the anterior end of their body. They exclusively parasitise cownose rays of the genus Rhinoptera (Myliobatiformes: Rhinopteridae). New collections from six of the nine known species of cownose rays from the
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Integrative taxonomy of the stick insect genus Austrocarausius Brock, 2000 (Phasmatodea: Lonchodidae) reveals cryptic species in remnant Queensland rainforests Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-09-21 Braxton R. Jones, Paul D. Brock, Barbara Mantovani, Perry Beasley-Hall, David K. Yeates, Nathan Lo
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
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Revision and phylogenetics of the Neotropical sheet weaving spider genus Diplothyron Millidge, 1991 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) and systematics of the MPME clade Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-09-05 Thiago Silva-Moreira, Gustavo Hormiga
The Mounded Posterior Median Eyes (MPME) clade is a group of linyphiid spiders characterized by having posterior median eyes (PME) on a mound. The species diversity of this lineage, especially in the Neotropical region, is still largely unknown. In this study, we tackled one of the MPME groups, the genus Diplothyron Millidge, 1991. We have studied numerous specimens from both museums and freshly collected
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Phylogeny of the Rhinocylapus complex (Heteroptera, Miridae, Cylapinae, Fulviini) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-08-29 Veronica D. Tyts, Anna A. Namyatova, Fedor V. Konstantinov
Cylapinae Kirkaldy, 1903 is a highly diverse lineage of the plant bug family Miridae Hahn, 1831, confined mainly to the tropics. Despite an increasing amount of recent studies on that group, many species remain undescribed and biological data are lacking for most of the taxa. To date, a molecular-based phylogeny has been published only for Rhinomirini Gorczyca, 2000, one out of five Cylapinae tribes
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Solving a taxonomic puzzle: integrative taxonomy reveals new cryptic and polymorphic species of Oscarella in south-eastern Brazil (Homoscleromorpha:Oscarellidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-08-18 Daniele Stillitani, Alexander V. Ereskovsky, Thierry Pérez, César Ruiz, Marinella S. Laport, Gabriela Puccinelli, Cristiane Cassiolato Pires Hardoim, Philippe Willenz, Guilherme Muricy
The sponge genus Oscarella is very important for the understanding of the early evolution of Metazoa, but the identification of its species is particularly difficult due to the absence of a skeleton and high polymorphism, leading to an underestimate of its diversity. The discovery of nine distinct morphotypes of Oscarella co-existing in cryptic habitats in south-east Brazil represents a taxonomic puzzle
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Notes on South American triaenonychids, with the description of a new genus from Chile (Opiliones: Laniatores: Triaenonychidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-08-10 Willians Porto, Shahan Derkarabetian, Martín Ramírez, Gonzalo Giribet, Abel Pérez-González
Triaenonychidae is a family of Opiliones with almost 500 described species distributed in the southern continents. Recent work has provided a solid phylogenetic foundation based on Sanger and ultraconserved element molecular sequence data that resulted in a global reorganisation of the family. In this study, we turn to the South American triaenonychids, aggregating sequences of three markers (18S rRNA
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Metagonia spiders of Galápagos: blind cave-dwellers and their epigean relatives (Araneae, Pholcidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-08-03 Bernhard A. Huber, Guanliang Meng, Andrea E. Acurio, Jonas J. Astrin, Diego J. Inclán, Matias Izquierdo, Alejandro Valdez-Mondragón
The spider genus Metagonia has been represented on the Galápagos Islands by two blind species inhabiting lava tubes on Isabela and Santa Cruz. Epigean relatives had not been found on Galápagos and were thus thought to be extinct. During a collecting trip in 2019 we found two epigean species and a third blind hypogean species. Here we describe these new species based on males and females, redescribe
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An integrative taxonomic study of the genus Theromyzon (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with description of a new North American species Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-27 Maddy Foote, Rafael Iwama, Danielle de Carle, Sebastian Kvist
Theromyzon Philippi, 1867 is a genus of sanguivorous, freshwater leeches in the family Glossiphoniidae. The genus is broadly distributed across the globe, possibly due to the frequent feeding in the nasopharyngeal cavities of migratory waterfowl that may allow for long distance dispersal. The genus has a history of taxonomic confusion resulting from mischaracterisations of key morphological features
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Molecular phylogeny and evolution of bioluminescence in Odontosyllis (Annelida, Syllidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-27 Aida Verdes, Patricia Álvarez-Campos, Arne Nygren, Guillermo San Martín, Dimitri D. Deheyn, David F. Gruber, Mandë Holford
Marine worms of the genus Odontosyllis (Syllidae, Annelida) are well known for spectacular bioluminescent courtship rituals. During the reproductive period, the benthic marine worms leave the ocean floor and swim to the surface to spawn, using bioluminescent light for mate attraction. The behavioural aspects of the courtship ritual have been extensively investigated but little is known about the origin
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Citizen science and integrative taxonomy reveal a great diversity within Caribbean Chaetopteridae (Annelida), with the description of one new species Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-26 Daniel Martin, Marika Mecca, Miguel A. Meca, Godfried van Moorsel, Chiara Romano
Chaetopteridae forms a monophyletic clade showing an uncertain position within Annelida. The family has 75 ubiquitous species within four genera that cluster in two well-supported clades (Chaetopterus–Mesochaetopterus and Spiochaetopterus–Phyllochaetopterus) and includes several cryptic species complexes. Based on integrative taxonomy and supported by citizen science, here we describe one new and two
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Morphology and geometric morphometrics unveil a new genus of Cantharidae (Coleoptera, Elateroidea) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, with a preliminary investigation on the phylogenetic position Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-26 Wei Zhao, Haoyu Liu, Michael Geiser, Yuxia Yang
Some fossil Cantharidae from the Burmese amber have been reported, but it is still a poorly investigated group and some unknown taxa remain to be discovered. In this study, we employed comparative morphology and geometric morphometrics to uncover a new catharid genus from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, and further investigate its phylogenetic position within Cantharidae by different cladistic methods
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Uncovering cryptic diversity in the enigmatic ant genus Overbeckia and insights into the phylogeny of Camponotini (Hymenoptera:Formicidae:Formicinae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-25 Petr Klimeš, Jochen Drescher, Damayanti Buchori, Purnama Hidayat, Rizky Nazarreta, Pavel Potocký, Maling Rimandai, Stefan Scheu, Pável Matos-Maraví
Many tropical insect species remain formally undescribed, and the validity of some rarely collected and poorly studied taxa is uncertain. Overbeckia Viehmeyer, 1916 is a monotypic ant genus and a rare member of the arboreal ant communities of tropical South East Asia and Australasia. Overbeckia subclavata Viehmeyer, 1916 was collected and described from Singapore more than a century ago and there have
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Integrative taxonomy increases biodiversity knowledge of Gusana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplanidae) with the description of four new Chilean species Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-07-18 Ana Laura Almeida, Marta Álvarez-Presas, Laura Bolonhezi, Fernando Carbayo
The Chilean land planarian genus Gusana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplaninae) currently comprises three species that were described in the 19th century. Four new species of the genus are described herein, namely G. hualpensis Carbayo, sp. nov., G. lujanae Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov., G. melipeucensis Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. and G. purensis Bolonhezi, Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. An integrative
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Two new genera of land snail from dry subtropical forests of eastern Australia: Brigaladra gen. nov. and Euryladra gen. nov. (Eupulmonata: Camaenidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-06-29 Lorelle Stanisic, Frank Köhler, Carmel McDougall
Figuladra is a poorly understood genus of camaenid land snail endemic to subtropical eastern Australia, comprising species that inhabit either dry rainforests in the coastal hinterland or dry sclerophyll forests further inland. Given that the genus occurs in areas that have seen extensive land clearing, such as the inland brigalow scrub (savannah) and coastal vine thickets (dry rainforest), resolution
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Rhytiphora: a phylogenetic and morphological study of Australia’s largest longhorn beetle genus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-06-16 Lauren G. Ashman, Diana Hartley, Mengjie Jin, David M. Rowell, Luisa Teasdale, Adam Slipinski, Andreas Zwick
Rhytiphora Audinet-Serville, 1835 is the most speciose longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae Latreille, 1802) genus in Australia, with ~200 species (from nearly 40 former genera, now synonymised into one) distributed across the entire continent. We used mitochondrial genome data from whole genome shotgun sequencing and COI barcoding of museum specimens to reconstruct the phylogeny of 68 Rhytiphora species
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Systematic revision of the Indo-West Pacific bubble-snails of the genus Haloa (Pilsbry, 1921) (Cephalaspidea : Haminoeidae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-06-08 Trond R. Oskars, Manuel António E. Malaquias
The genus Haloa includes dull-coloured species of haminoeid snails inhabiting tidal and shallow waters of the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-West Pacific. This paper reports on the diversity and systematics of Haloa based on the phylogenetic hypothesis generated by Oskars and Malaquias (2019) and on the morphological study of specimens. Shells, external features and anatomical characters from the jaws
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One Antarctic slug to confuse them all: the underestimated diversity of Doris kerguelenensis Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-06-01 Paige J. Maroni, Bill J. Baker, Amy L. Moran, H. Arthur Woods, Conxita Avila, Glenn J. Johnstone, Jonathan S. Stark, Kevin M. Kocot, Susanne Lockhart, Thomas Saucède, Greg W. Rouse, Nerida G. Wilson
The Antarctic marine environment, although rich in life, is predicted to experience rapid and significant effects from climate change. Despite a revolution in the approaches used to document biodiversity, less than one percent of Antarctic marine invertebrates are represented by DNA barcodes and we are at risk of losing biodiversity before discovery. The ease of sequencing mitochondrial DNA barcodes
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Integrative methods resolve taxonomy and relationships of snapping shrimps in the genus Synalpheus (Decapoda: Alpheidae) collected during the MNHN ‘Madibenthos’ expedition Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-06-01 Hossein Ashrafi, Kristin M. Hultgren
Extensive sampling around Martinique during the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle ‘Madibenthos’ expedition in 2016 resulted in a collection of hundreds of alpheid shrimps, of which 21 distinct species of Synalpheus Spence Bate, 1888 are studied herein. Combining results of a morphological analysis, a phylogenetic tree (combined 16S and COI) and species delimitation analyses (ABGD and PTP) indicates
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Diversity and distribution of the New Zealand endemic mite harvestman genus Aoraki (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Pettalidae), with the description of two new species Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-05-16 Sarah L. Boyer, Shannon R. Dohr, Madison S. Tuffield, Yoonjin Shu, Ciara D. Moore, Katherine M. Hahn, Rainah S. Ward, Phuong Nguyen, Rina Morisawa
New Zealand is home to 30 recognised endemic mite harvestman species and subspecies, 26 of which were described by Ray Forster in 1948 and 1952. These species comprise three genera: Rakaia Hirst, 1926, Neopurcellia Forster, 1948, and Aoraki Boyer & Giribet, 2007. Here, we focus on the diversity and distribution of Aoraki: we describe A. grandis Boyer, Tuffield & Dohr, sp. nov. and A. meridialis Boyer
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A multi-layered approach uncovers overlooked taxonomic and physiological diversity in Alpine subterranean spiders (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Troglohyphantes) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-05-05 Marco Isaia, Miquel A. Arnedo, Stefano Mammola
The integration of multiple lines of evidence in the delimitation of taxa is becoming the gold standard in modern taxonomy and systematics. However, multi-layered taxonomy is still incipient when it comes to species description within a mega-diverse group of organisms (e.g. arthropods), especially those inhabiting secluded environments such as caves. This may represent a significant shortcoming, because
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Taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis of the South American genus Petrichus Simon (Araneae: Philodromidae) provide new insights into the running crab spiders’ phylogeny Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-05-04 Mariana Griotti, Cristian J. Grismado, Sergio Roig-Juñent, Martín J. Ramírez
The systematics of Philodromidae is far from complete, especially for the Neotropical genera. Among these, Petrichus Simon, 1886 is a poorly known genus restricted to arid and semi-arid environments of South America. In this work, we performed a total-evidence analysis to assess the phylogenetic relationships of Petrichus and revised the taxonomy. Petrichus is monophyletic and closer to Titanebo and
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Evolutionary history of the Australasian Scirtinae (Scirtidae; Coleoptera) inferred from ultraconserved elements Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-05-04 Tessa M. Bradford, Rafał Ruta, Steven J. B. Cooper, María L. Libonatti, Chris H. S. Watts
The Scirtidae Fleming, 1821 has been identified as one of the earliest diverging groups of Polyphagan beetles and is particularly speciose in Australia. However, very little is known about the origin of the Australian scirtids and there is a need for a robust, well-supported phylogeny to guide the genus and species descriptions and understand the relationships among taxa. In this study we carried out
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Convergent evolution of Amphidromus-like colourful arboreal snails and phylogenetic relationship of East Asian camaenids, with description of a new Aegistohadra species (Helicoidei:Camaenidae:Bradybaeninae) Invertebr. Syst. (IF 2.2) Pub Date : 2022-04-08 Parin Jirapatrasilp, Chih-Wei Huang, Chung-Chi Hwang, Chirasak Sutcharit, Chi-Tse Lee
East Asian terrestrial snails of the family Camaenidae Pilsbry, 1895a are diverse in terms of genus and species numbers, shell morphology and mode of living. This family also includes colourful conical arboreal snails that traditionally have been assigned to the genus Amphidromus Albers, 1850. Yet, the present study shows that, despite their deceiving conchological similarity, some of these East Asian