Species New to Science's Journal
 
 [Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View]

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2018

    Time Event
    3:02a
    [Botany • 2018] Begonia medogensis • A New Species of Begoniaceae from Western China and Northern Myanmar

    Begonia medogensis JianW.Li, Y.H.Tan & X.H.Jin

    in Li, Tan, Wang, et al., 2018.

    Abstract
    Begonia medogensis JianW.Li, Y.H.Tan & X.H.Jin, a new species of Begoniaceae, is described and illustrated by colour photographs. Begonia medogensis is distributed in western China and northern Myanmar. It has erect stems, is tuberless, has many triangular to lanceolate leaves, base slightly asymmetric, margins remotely and irregularly denticulate; staminate flowers have 4 perianth segments, with outer 2 segments broadly ovate, inner 2 spathulate; pistillate flowers have 5 perianth segments, unequal, outer 4 broadly ovate, inner 1 spathulate. The new species is assigned to section Platycentrum and can easily be distinguished from the other species in the section.

    Keywords: Begonia, Begonia medogensis, sect. Platycentrum, new species, China, Myanmar


    Figure 1. Begonia medogensis JianW.Li, Y.H.Tan & X.H.Jin.
     A Habitat B–E Flowers F Pedicel and ovary (showing large wing) G Male flowers (face view) H Ovary (showing loculus) I Flowers J Dissection of female flower K Dissection of male flower L Leaves M Anther with filament (under dissection mirror, bar = 1 mm) N Female flower (face view).
    (photographed by Jian-Wu Li).

    Begonia medogensis JianW.Li, Y.H.Tan & X.H.Jin, sp. nov.

    Diagnosis: Begonia medogensis is morphologically similar to B. goniotis, B. griffithiana, B. nepalensis and B. sandalifolia, but can be easily distinguished from them by having leaves ovate-lanceolate, 6.0–8.0 × 1.5–2.5 mm, base slightly asymmetric, margins remotely and irregularly denticulate; triangular to lanceolate stipules; staminate flowers with outer 2 segments broadly ovate, inner 2 spathulate; pistillate flowers with perianth segments unequal, outer 4 larger, broadly ovate, inner 1 smallest, spathulate; cylindroid ovary, larger wing oblong, apex truncate.

    Type: CHINA. Tibet, Medog County, Beibeng town, semi-evergreen forest in a subtropical area, 29°15'09"N, 95°13'31"E. 1381 m a.s.l., 16 November 2017, flowering, Xiaohua Jin, Jianwu Li, Xilong Wang & Chengwang Wang 19331 (holotype: HITBC!, isotype: HITBC!, PE!, K!)


    Distribution and habitat: This new species grows in subtropical areas in Beibeng town, Medog County, Tibet, China, at an elevation of 700–1400 m and in Putao district, Kachin state, Myanmar, at an elevation of 600–1200 m.

    Etymology: The species is named after the holotype locality, Medog County, in Tibet, China.


     Jian-Wu Li, Yun-Hong Tan, Xi-Long Wang, Cheng-Wang Wang and Xiao-Hua Jin. 2018. Begonia medogensis, A New Species of Begoniaceae from Western China and Northern Myanmar. PhytoKeys.  103: 13-18.  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.103.25392


    7:44a
    [Entomology • 2018] Lepidotrigona satun • A New Species of Lepidotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Thailand with the Description of Males of L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis and Comments on Asymmetrical Genitalia in Bees

    Lepidotrigona satun Attasopa & Bänziger, 2018

    in Attasopa, Bänziger, Disayathanoowat & Packer, 2018.

    Abstract
    We describe Lepidotrigona satun Attasopa and Bänziger new species from southern Thailand based upon associated males and females (workers). The new species is a member of the L. ventralis species group, which is otherwise represented in Thailand only by L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis. We also describe the males of the latter two species, associated with nests from close to their type localities in northern Thailand. Lepidotrigona doipaensis Schwarz and L. flavibasis (Cockerell) had previously often been misidentified as L. ventralis (Smith), a species confirmed only from Borneo. Based upon differences in male morphology, especially of the metasomal sterna, we conclude that the male described from Vietnam by Sakagami (1975) as belonging to L. flavibasis represents an undescribed species. Our findings support previous taxonomic studies that highlight the importance of including males in the differentiation of closely related species of meliponines and their association with workers. The three species whose males we describe have asymmetric penis valves with the asymmetry differentially developed among the three. We compare this genitalic asymmetry with that known from a different apid genus, Tarsalia.

    Keywords: Hymenoptera, Asymmetry, Lepidotrigona satun n. sp., L. ventralis, stingless bees, taxonomy, Trigona


    FIGURE 4. Lepidotrigona satun n. sp., dorsal habitus. (A) male holotype and (B) worker paratype.

    Lepidotrigona satun Attasopa and Bänziger n. sp. 

    Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the province in Thailand where the species was collected; it is a noun in apposition.

     Diagnosis. Lepidotrigona satun is a member of the “ventralis” species group based primarily on size: body and forewing length each less than 5 mm. It is the only species in the group known from the lower peninsula of Thailand. Males can be differentiated from those of the other two species of the “ventralis” group confirmed as occurring in Thailand (L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis) based upon external morphology as follows: margin of mesoscutum of L. satun with plumose, scale-like, yellow hairs (Fig. 4: A) (no such hairs in the other two species). S4 of L. satun is angularly emarginate apicomedially (Fig. 2: A1) (convex medially and bisinuate laterally in L. flavibasis, slightly concave in L. doipaensis). The apicosubmedial lobes of S5 in L. satun are apically rounded each with 4–7 thick, long setae (Fig. 2: A2) (the lobes are pointed in the other two species and bear only 1–2 setae which are very short in L. flavibasis (Fig. 2: B2) or with one very long and, if present, a second much shorter in L. doipaensis (Fig. 2: C2)). S5 gradulus does not touch the antecosta in L. satun (Fig. 2: A2) whereas it does touch it in the other two species, briefly in L. flavibasis (Fig. 2: B2) and extensively in L. doipaensis (Fig. 2: C2).
    ....

    FIGURE 5. Lepidotrigona satun n. sp., lateral habitus. (A) male holotype and (B) worker paratype. 

     FIGURE 6. Lepidotrigona satun n. sp., head, frontal view. (A) male holotype and (B) worker paratype.

    ....


    Final Comments on the Lepidotrigona ventralis species group. 
    Our data clearly demonstrate that what has been considered by some to be a single (Ascher & Pickering 2017), albeit perhaps variable (Sakagami 1975), species termed L. ventralis, is a complex of species (as recognized by Rasmussen 2008) whose members are readily differentiable using pubescence coloration characteristics, morphological measurements and, where males are available, details of male metasomal sterna and genitalia. The male external metasomal sterna and the genital capsules of L. satun n. sp. provide excellent characters for species delimitation, and also permit the differentiation of other species in the L. ventralis group: L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis and the undescribed species thought to belong to the former by Sakagami (1975). We encourage others to make the, often considerable, effort required to find males of Meliponini from nests, as our data suggest they may often have more diagnostic species level characters than do the workers, as has been noted by others (Schwarz 1939; Sakagami 1975, 1978; Sakagami & Inoue 1978; Camargo & Moure 1994; Camargo et al. 2000; Gonzalez & Griswold 2011, 2012; Dollin et al. 2015; Halcroft et al. 2016; Engel et al. 2017b). However, we would argue against nest destruction in order to find them: all the males we describe here were collected as they left the nest entrance associated with conspecific nestmate workers. Lepidotrigona ventralis differs from the new species not only by morphology of the holotype as indicated in the original description by Smith (1857), Schwarz’s (1939) identification key (as L. ventralis s.s.), and the holotype examined by Rasmussen (2016, pers. comm. with H.B.), but also our examined museum specimens from the type locality and nearby areas, in which all the hairs on the dorsal surface of the metatibia are white. 

    There are biogeographic differences between the new species and the others in the L. ventralis species group in Thailand. The new species’ nests were discovered from a low altitude area, 100 m a.s.l. in Satun province, which is around 480 km away from the Isthmus of Kra to the South. Kra is a biogeographically important region; it is an ecotone between the evergreen forests south of it and the forests with a marked dry season north of it (van Steenis 1950; Woodruff 2003). In contrast, L. doipaensis and L. flavibasis, for which type material and our own specimens agree, come from higher altitudes, of at least 500–1100 and 925–1700 m a.s.l. respectively in northern Thailand, some 1,300 km north of Satun. Moreover, L. ventralis itself is known only from the island of Borneo which is at least 1,200 km across the South China Sea from the type locality of the new species. Although L. ventralis s.s. has been recorded from several other countries, including Thailand (as listed in Rasmussen 2008), Schwarz (1939) never verified this species from anywhere except the type locality. All supposed L. ventralis s.s. H.B. has seen from Thailand were misidentified.


    Korrawat Attasopa, Hans Bänziger, Terd Disayathanoowat and Laurence Packer. 2018. A New Species of Lepidotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Thailand with the Description of Males of L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis and Comments on Asymmetrical Genitalia in Bees. Zootaxa. 4442(1); 63–82. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4442.1.3

    9:15a
    [Botany • 2018] Manihot takape (Euphorbiaceae) • A New Tuberous Subshrub from the Paraguayan Chaco

    Manihot takape  De Egea & Peña-Chocarro 
    in De Egea Elsam, Carmen Peña-Chocarro, Mereles & Céspedes, 2018 

    Abstract
    Manihot takape De Egea & Peña-Chocarro, sp. nov. is described and illustrated as a new species from the Paraguayan Chaco. It was collected while carrying out fieldwork related to the study of the most important Wild Crop Relatives of the country’s flora. Morphological characteristics that differentiate this species from closely related taxa, as well as its habitat, geographical distribution and conservation status are provided.

    Keywords: Paraguay, dry Chaco, Manihotae, endemism

    Figure 1. Manihot takape.
    A Habit (Krapovickas & Cristóbal 44224) B Pistillate flower with calyx open (Krapovickas & Cristóbal 44224) C Staminate flower (Aquino & Quarti 470) D Staminate flower with calyx split and open (Aquino & Quarti 470) E Dried capsule (J. De Egea et al. 1793) F Seed, ventral side (J. De Egea et al. 1793). Drawn by Laura Simón.

    Manihot takape De Egea & Peña-Chocarro, sp. nov.
      
    Diagnosis: Subshrubs 0.5−0.8(−1) m tall, all parts glabrous; stems branched from base, suberect to decumbent; petiole attachment basal to occasionally narrowly peltate (less than 0.2 cm from lamina base), lamina unlobed or shallowly to deeply 3(−5)−lobed, several intermediate states found in the same plant; inflorescence a cluster of 2−6 subspicate racemes 14−33 cm long; flowers creamy-white, occasionally reddish, glabrous; pistillate flowers geminate, long pedicellate, sepals distinct, disc plicate; staminate flowers numerous, subsessile, sepals connate 1/4 their length, disc lobulate; capsules light green, unwinged, smooth when fresh, rough when dried.
    ....

    Figure 3. Manihot takape  (J. De Egea et al. 1793).
     A Habit B Uprooted plant C Roots in cross-section D–E Leaves - note the variability in leaf forms F Immature fruit.

    Distribution and ecology: This species has been collected in dry areas of the Paraguayan Chaco, more specifically within the Departments of Boquerón and Presidente Hayes (Fig. 4). These areas are characterised by sandy and loose soils (regosols) resulting from silted palaeo-riverbeds of the Pilcomayo river delta. The species is frequent in open wooded savannahs, locally called espartillares, dominated by the grass Elionurus muticus (Spreng.) Kuntze (espartillo) and scattered with tree species such as Schinopsis cornuta Loes. (Anacardiaceae), Astronium fraxinifolium Schott (Anacardiaceae), Jacaranda mimosifolia D.Don (Bignoniaceae) and Tabebuia aurea Benth. & Hook.f. ex S.Moore (Bignoniaceae). Based on the data available so far, the restricted distribution of Manihot takape could represent an endemism of the dry Chaco. However, more surveys and collections will be needed to confirm the extension of the species distribution range.

    Etymology: The specific epithet stems from the vernacular name takape (Guarani language). This word is used for a particular habitat characterised by a wooded savannah or open woodland (Bertoni 1940). The word is also applied to small woody plants (i.e. subshrubs). This is based on the word takã (twig or branch) and the suffix ‘pe’ (short or dwarf). Both meanings fit the newly described species of Manihot.


     Juana De Egea Elsam, María del Carmen Peña-Chocarro, Fátima Mereles and Gloria Céspedes. 2018. Manihot takape sp. nov. (Euphorbiaceae), A New Tuberous Subshrub from the Paraguayan Chaco. PhytoKeys. 103: 1-12. DOI:  10.3897/phytokeys.103.26307


    9:21a
    [Entomology • 2018] Rhumosa n. gen. • A New Genus and Five New Species of Anostostomatidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera) from the Lesser Antilles

    Rhumosa macoucheriei
    Hugel & Desutter-Grandcolas, 2018


    Abstract
    Most high volcanic islands of Lesser Antilles harbor one single genus of Anostostomatidae: Rhumosa n. gen: Rhumosa bolognei n. gen. n. sp. in Guadeloupe, Rhumosa macoucheriei n. gen. n. sp. in Dominica, Rhumosa depazei n. gen. n. sp. in Martinique, Rhumosa admiralrodneyei n. gen. n. sp. in Saint Lucia, Rhumosa captainblighei n. gen. n. sp., in Saint Vincent. These species are restricted to well preserved rainforests; species from northern islands apparently occurring at higher elevation than species of southern islands. The distribution and generic position of Rhumosa n. gen. species is discussed, as well as the generic position of Lutosa cubaensis (Haan, 1843).

    Keywords: Orthoptera, endemism, Caribbean, Windward islands, Leeward islands, latitudinal gradients


    Rhumosa macoucheriei n. gen. n. sp.  

    Genus Rhumosa n. gen.

    Type species. Rhumosa bolognei n. gen., n. sp, here designated.

    Distribution. Central America, Caribbean, Lesser Antilles.

    Derivatio nominis. This genus is named after the French word for rum, all species of the genus displaying the color of dark rum, and coming from a major rum-producing region. All species described in the present article are named after a rum produced near their respective type locality. We wish to emphasise that this is intended in the spirit of honouring local expertise in rum production, and the flavour of local rums, not the people after whom these rums are named (some of whom, paradoxically, may have been unsavoury characters).


    Sylvain Hugel and Laure Desutter-Grandcolas. 2018. A New Genus and Five New Species of Anostostomatidae from the Lesser Antilles (Orthoptera: Ensifera). Zootaxa. 4425(3); 511–526. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4425.3.5

    10:19a
    [Herpetology • 2018] Speciation in the Mountains and Dispersal by Rivers: Molecular Phylogeny of Eulamprus Water Skinks and the Biogeography of Eastern Australia

    Top left is a topographic map of the Australian continent (red = high, green = low, major drainage lines = white). 
    Bottom left map shows finer‐scale drainage lines (Global Map Australia 1M 2001, Geoscience Australia) overlain on to a digital elevation model image (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) where light grey equates to areas of high elevation, and dark grey equates to areas of low elevation. 

    Right panel shows the distribution of the five Eulamprus species; E. quoyii (A, purple), E. kosciuskoi and E. leuraensis (B, yellow and red, respectively), E. heatwolei (C, green) and E. tympanum (D, pink). 
    (Photos: Stephen Zozaya & Stewart Macdonald).

    in Pepperm, Sumner, Brennan, et al., 2018.
      DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13385  


    Abstract
    Aim: 
    To develop a robust phylogeny for the iconic Australian water skinks (Eulamprus) and to explore the influence of landscape evolution of eastern Australia on phylogeographic patterns.

    Location: Eastern and south‐eastern Australia.

    Methods: 
    We used Sanger methods to sequence a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus for 386 individuals across the five Eulamprus species to elucidate phylogeographic structure. We also sequenced a second mtDNA locus and four nuclear DNA (nDNA) loci for a subset of individuals to help inform our sampling strategy for next‐generation sequencing. Finally, we generated an anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) approach to sequence 378 loci for 25 individuals representing the major lineages identified in our Sanger dataset. These data were used to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among the species using coalescent‐based species tree inference in *BEAST and ASTRAL.

    Results: 
    The relationships between Eulamprus species were resolved with a high level of confidence using our AHE dataset. In addition, our extensive mtDNA sampling revealed substantial phylogeographic structure in all species, with the exception of the geographically highly restricted E. leuraensis. Ratios of patristic distances (mtDNA/nDNA) indicate on average a 30‐fold greater distance as estimated using the mtDNA locus ND4.

    Main conclusions: 
    The major divergences between lineages strongly support previously identified biogeographic barriers in eastern Australia based on studies of other taxa. These breaks appear to correlate with regions where the Great Escarpment is absent or obscure, suggesting topographic lowlands and the accompanying dry woodlands are a major barrier to dispersal for water skinks. While some river corridors, such as the Hunter Valley, were likely historically dry enough to inhibit the movement of Eulamprus populations, our data indicate that others, such as the Murray and Darling Rivers, are able to facilitate extensive gene flow through the vast arid and semi‐arid lowlands of New South Wales and South Australia. Comparing the patristic distances between the mitochondrial and AHE datasets highlights the continued value in analysing both types of data.

    Keywords: anchored hybrid enrichment, Eastern Australia, gene flow, great dividing range, Murray–Darling Basin, Newer Volcanics Province


    Figure 1: Phylogenomic analyses provide consistent support of interspecific relationships among Eulamprus water skinks, regardless of reconstruction method. Lizard images to the left depict the relative size and appearance of each species. The first and third trees in this figure were constructed using anchored phylogenomics data (nuclear exons—nDNA), resulting in identical topologies between the full (378) and filtered (281) datasets. On these two trees (nDNA starBEAST and nDNA ASTRAL), nodes labelled with a white circle denote fully supported relationships (posterior probability = 1, bootstrap = 100), with all other nodes labelled according to estimated support. Note terminal branch lengths in ASTRAL analysis are fixed, and not to scale. The middle phylogeny has been reconstructed using the mitochondrial locus ND4 (mtDNA), with nodes labelled by a red circle constrained to match the nuclear species tree topology. Intraspecific relationships of the mtDNA tree remained unconstrained, and are used to illustrate the sampling depth and relative diversity of each species. Labels on the far right of this figure match the nDNA ASTRAL tree, run on phased haplotype data, where each taxon is represented by two terminal tips representing the phased alleles. Sampling data for each individual can be found in Table S1. Colours designated for each species correspond to sampling maps in Figure 2, and intraspecific mtDNA phylogenies in supplemental materials (Figures S1–S4)

    Figure 2: Top left is a topographic map of the Australian continent (red = high, green = low, major drainage lines = white). Bottom left map shows finer‐scale drainage lines (Global Map Australia 1M 2001, Geoscience Australia) overlain on to a digital elevation model image (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) where light grey equates to areas of high elevation, and dark grey equates to areas of low elevation. Thick dark grey lines indicate biogeographic barriers mentioned in the text. Stippled blue lines indicate the major rivers; Darling River (DR), Lachlan River (LR), Murrumbidgee River (MBR) and Murray River (MR). Coloured symbols represent sampling localities for two clades that use rivers to facilitate long‐distance gene flow. Purple triangles indicate one of the E. quoyii clades, while green circles representing our sample localities for one of the E. heatwolei clades. State boundaries are shown by thin grey lines. QLD = Queensland, SA = South Australia, NSW = New South Wales, ACT = Australian Capital Territory, VIC = Victoria.

    Right panel shows the distribution of the five Eulamprus species; E. quoyii (A, purple), E. kosciuskoi and E. leuraensis (B, yellow and red, respectively), E. heatwolei (C, green) and E. tympanum (D, pink). Different coloured shapes on each map refer to major clades within each species, whereas small black + symbols refer to museum locality records. Relevant biogeographic barriers from the larger map to the left have been overlain 
    (Photo credit: Stephen Zozaya & Stewart Macdonald).


    Mitzy Pepperm, Joanna Sumner, Ian G. Brennan, Kate Hodges, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Garry Peterson, Daniel L. Rabosky, Lin Schwarzkopf, Ian A. W. Scott, Glenn Shea and J. Scott Keogh. 2018. Speciation in the Mountains and Dispersal by Rivers: Molecular Phylogeny of Eulamprus Water Skinks and the Biogeography of Eastern Australia. Journal of Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13385

    << Previous Day 2018/07/03
    [Calendar]     		Next Day >>

Species New to Science   About LJ.Rossia.org