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Wednesday, January 5th, 2022
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| 2:58a | [Entomology • 2022] Ischnura praematura • A Species (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from Yunnan (China) whose Females Mate in the Teneral State
Abstract Ischnura praematura sp. nov. (Holotype ♂, China, Yunnan, Lijiang, 26º31´03.54”N, 100º13’38.89”E, 2396 m, 04 xii 2015, I. Sanmartín-Villar & H. Zhang leg.) is morphologically described, illustrated and compared with close species of the genus. Ischnura praematura can be mainly distinguished from its congeners I. aurora, I. rubilio and I. asiatica by its abdominal and thoracic morphology and colouration. The posterior lobe of the prothorax is elevated in I. praematura and the mesostigmal plates possess dorsal triangular protuberances. Ischnura praematura shows pointed paraprocts, internalised wide cerci and lacks a dorsal tuberculum in the tenth abdominal segment. The blue abdominal colouration is present in the last three segments (incomplete for segment eight and ten in some individuals). No female polychromatism was detected and all females observed possessed different colouration than male (gynochrome). Morphological distinctiveness of the species is supported by genetic analyses, which show that I. praematura forms a well-supported, monophyletic clade, with I. asiatica, I. ezoin and I. pumilio as the most closely related species. In the field, mature females show strong reluctance to mate, and males were observed mating with newly emerged females. Key words: Asia, damselfly, integrative taxonomy, molecular markers, mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA
Ischnura praematura sp. nov. Sanmartín-Villar & Zhang Etymology. Specific name praematura (i.e. premature: occurring before a state of readiness or maturity has arrived) in reference to its reproductive behaviour, in which mature males mate with newly emerged females before they reach sexual maturity (see below). Iago Sanmartín-Villar, M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa, Haomiao Zhang and Adolfo Cordero-Rivera. 2021. Ischnura praematura sp. nov. (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae): A Species from Yunnan (China) whose Females Mate in the Teneral State. Zootaxa. 5087(1); 59-74. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5087.1.3  | ||||||||
| 3:53a | [Herpetology • 2022] Noblella mindo • A New Species of the Genus Noblella (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from Ecuador, with New Information for Noblella worleyae
Abstract We describe a new species of terrestrial-breeding frog of the genus Noblella from the northwestern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, in the province of Pichincha, Ecuador, and report a new locality for the recently described N. worleyae. We include a detailed description of the osteology of both species and discuss their phylogenetic relationships. The new species is differentiated from other species of Noblella by having discs of fingers rounded, without papillae; distal phalanges only slightly T-shaped; toes slightly expanded and rounded distally, without papillae; dorsum uniform brown with irregular suprainguinal dark brown marks; venter yellowish cream, ventral surfaces of legs and thighs reddish to brownish cream; and dark brown throat. The new locality for N. worleyae is located in Los Cedros Reserve, an area highly threatened by mining. We highlight the importance of protecting endemic species of small vertebrates in northwestern Ecuador. Keywords: Frog, Los Cedros Biological Reserve, endemism, Imbabura, Mindo, Pichincha, phylogeny 
Noblella mindo new species Etymology: The specific name “mindo” is a word of unknown meaning in Panzaleo, an extinct pre-Columbian language of northern Ecuador (Jijón y Caamaño 1940). It is used as a noun in apposition, and alludes to the valley of Mindo, where the type locality of the new species is located. The remnant forests of this emblematic valley protect several species of endemic amphibians and reptiles such as Pristimantis mindo, Noblella mindo, and Anolis proboscis.  Diagnosis: Noblella mindo sp. nov.(Figs. 3–8) presents the following characteristics: (1) skin of dorsum finely sha-green, skin on venter smooth, discoidal fold slightly defined, discoidal and thoracic folds absent; (2) tympanic annulus and membrane visible externally, supratympanic fold inconspicuous (Figs. 3, 4); (3) snout short (eye-to-nostril distance 57% of eye diameter), rounded in dorsal and lateral views (Fig. 3); (4) eyelids without tubercles; (5) dentigerous processes of vomers absent; (6) vocal slits and sac present, nuptial pads not visible; (7) fingers not expanded distally, finger tips rounded, without papillae (Fig. 3); Finger I shorter than Finger II (Fig. 3); (8) distal phalanges slightly T-shaped, phalangeal formula of hands: 2-2-3-3 (Fig. 7); (9) supernumerary pal-mar tubercles present (slightly visible) mostly at the base of the digits, .... Distribution and Natural History: Noblella mindo sp. nov. is only known from El Cinto (0.09022°S, 78.81858°W; 1,673 m), Mindo, province of Pichincha, Ecuador (Fig. 2). Noblella mindo sp. nov. inhabits secondary cloud forests, with the presence of palmito (Bactris gasipaes) plantations and trees that have emerged after the massive logging of forests in the area. These forests have a high humidity index, dense leaf litter layer, and abundant epiphytes. It has a restricted distribution; sampling activities were carried out in a range up to 3km around the type locality, and no individuals nor calls of N. mindo sp. nov. were recorded. The gecko Lepidoblepharis conolepis was found in sympatry. The locality is surrounded by livestock areas and within the type locality forest, there are trails used by farmers to move their livestock. The population of Noblella mindo sp. nov. could be impacted if livestock activity or deforestion expands. Three individuals (ZSFQ 049–051) were found active during the day between 10:00 and 11:00 am; all frogs were on the ground in a 2-meter depth hole.    Carolina Reyes-Puig, Juan M. Guayasamin, Claudia Koch, David Brito-Zapata, Matthijs Hollanders, Melissa Costales and Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia. 2022. A New Species of the Genus Noblella (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from Ecuador, with New Information for Noblella worleyae. Acta Herpetologica. 16(2); 63-87. DOI: 10.36253/a_h-10742  | ||||||||
| 7:35a | [PaleoEntomology • 2019] Corethrella patula • A New Species of Fossil Corethrella (Diptera, Corethrellidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber
Abstract Frog-biting midges (Diptera: Corethrellidae) are hematophagous flies in which females feed on anuran blood using the mating calls produced by calling male frogs. This family is of large ecological, evolutionary and ethological interest, but its geological history is poorly known. We describe a new species of frog-biting midge (Diptera, Corethrellidae), Corethrella patula sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma). This new species is distinct from Corethrella andersoni, known from the same deposit, differing in having more slender mid femora and a triangular bifid tarsal segment 5 without scales. These two species, however, share an apparent synapomorphy in the wing; R2 vein diverting from R2+3 at 75° angle in relation to R3. The well-preserved male genitalia of the new species suggest C. patula and C. andersoni are a distinct, early lineage not easily placeable within either of the described subgenera of Corethrella. Keywords: Eavesdropping, Fossil, Frog-biting midges, Micropredator, Taxonomy
Corethrella patula Baranov & Kvifte, sp. nov. Viktor Baranov, Gunnar M. Kvifte, Patrick Müller and Ximena E. Bernal. 2019. A New Species of Fossil Corethrella (Diptera, Corethrellidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber. Cretaceous Research. 101; 84-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.05.002 | ||||||||
| 10:00a | [Arachnida • 2022] Taksinus bambus • A New Genus of Bamboo Culm Tarantula (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) from Thailand
Abstract Bamboo plays an important role in the animal world, including providing a nutritious food source, shelter, and habitat. Inside of bamboo culm, we discovered a new genus of tarantula, which we describe here as Taksinus gen. nov. (♂♀). Specimens of this new tarantula were collected from Mae Tho, Mueang Tak district, Tak province, in Thailand, making it geographically distant from any other arboreal genera. Genital morphology was used to diagnose its genus, which is supported by distributional data, natural history, morphological characters, and photographic illustrations of the male and female. Diagnosis of the new genus was determined by distinguishing its different characters from those of other arboreal theraphosid spiders distributed throughout Southeast Asia. This tarantula’s specialization is that it lives in the stalks of the Asian bamboo Gigantochloa sp. Keywords: Arboreal theraphosid, Lampropelma, Melognathus, Omothymus, Phormingochilus, Taksinus Taxonomy: Mygalomorphae Pocock, 1892 Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869 Ornithoctoninae Pocock, 1895 Included genera: Citharognathus, Cyriopagopus, Lampropelma, Melognathus, Ornithoctonus, Phormingochilus, Taksinus gen. nov. Taksinus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, gen. nov. Type species: Taksinus bambus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, 2021 from Tak, Thailand. Diagnosis: The characteristics of Taksinus gen. nov. that differ from Ornithoctonus and Cyriopagopus are: a low caput, a clypeus that is less than the width of the median ocular quadrangle (Fig. 6A), and spermathecae with twin seminal receptacles (Fig. 7E, F) (Raven 1985; von Wirth and Striffler 2005; Smith and Jacobi 2015). The new genus differs from Citharognathus by the lack of incrassate tibia and metatarsus IV. Taksinus gen. nov. differs from Lampropelma by the absence of a dense brush of hair on the retrolateral side of the femora of the front limbs (von Wirth and Striffler 2005) and males by lack of apical embolus swelling (Fig. 5A–E; see Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 143, figs 17, 18). Taksinus gen. nov. can be distinguished from Omothymus by male palpal bulb with a gently curved embolus with rounded embolic apex (Fig. 5A–E) vs palpal bulb steep angle embolus and apex with a sharp point in Omothymus (Fig. 5F–J; see Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 139, figs 1–5). Taksinus gen. nov. differs from Phormingochilus by the lack of a single megaspine on the inside of the male tibial apophyses (Fig. 4A, B; see Smith and Jacobi 2015: 41, fig. 38; Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 142, figs 14–16), a short embolus compared to palpal bulb length (1:1) (Fig. 5A–E), and the geographic distribution of Phormingochilus currently restricted to Borneo. Etymology: The generic name was named Phraya Tak (governor of Tak province), which is in honor of Taksin the Great, king of the Thonburi Kingdom, in commemoration of his early career.
Taksinus bambus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, sp. nov. Etymology: The species name bambus refers to the species, which was discovered in a bamboo plantation and lives in Asian bamboo stalks. บึ้งปล้องไผ่พระเจ้าตากสิน  Distribution and natural history: Specimens were collected from villages surrounding Tak province at approximately 1,000 m elevation. The biotope consists of a mixed deciduous forest dominated by bamboo that is rarely disturbed by human activity (Fig. 8A). The new arboreal tarantula shows a surprising specialization in that it lives in the stalks of Asian bamboo (Gigantochloa sp.) (Fig. 8B–E). All specimens were collected from bamboo internodes in mature culms, having nest entrances approximately 2–3 cm within a silk-lined tubular burrow at the entrance located in the branch stub or at the middle of the bamboo culms. Some specimens had a secondary entrance without silk at the hole (Fig. 8B). Tarantulas do not bore bamboo stems; instead, they depend on the assistance of other animals. Bamboo is attacked by numerous animals, the most common of which are insects from the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera (Varma and Sajeev 2015). Furthermore, we hypothesized that the tarantula might occupy the empty nest of insects, such as the bamboo-nesting carpenter bee Xylocopa, which creates a large hole. All the tarantulas living in the bamboo culms build silken retreat tubes that cover the stem cavity (Fig. 8C–E). Chaowalit Songsangchote, Zongtum Sippawat, Wuttikrai Khaikaew and Narin Chomphuphuang. 2022. A New Genus of Bamboo Culm Tarantula from Thailand (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae). ZooKeys. 1080: 1-19. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1080.76876 | ||||||||
| 2:55p | [Botany • 2022] Globba philippinensis (Zingiberaceae) • A New Endemic Species from Western Visayas, Philippines
Abstract A new species, Globba philippinensis Naive, J.A.G. Dalisay, Bangcaya & Sangvir. from Antique Province, Philippines, is herein described and illustrated. A detailed description, colour plates, discussion of similar taxa, information on its distribution and habitat are provided. A preliminary conservation assessment is proposed and a key to the species of Globba section Nudae subsection Mediocalcaratae is amended. Keyword: Antique Province, Philippine flora, section Nudae, subsection Mediocalcaratae, Zingiberales   
Globba philippinensis Naive, J.A.G. Dalisay, Bangcaya & Sangvir., sp. nov. Diagnosis: Globba philippinensis Naive, J.A.G. Dalisay, Bangcaya & Sangvir. is similar to G. campsophylla K.Schum. (Fig. S1A) and G. argyrocycnosSangvir. & M.F.Newman (Fig. S1B) in floral structure and flower colour, respectively. Similar to Globba campsophylla K.Schum. in its decurrent labellum, base of filament with cornicula, and linear lateral staminodes but differs in its contrasting flower colour of yellowish orange (floral tube, corolla lobes, lateral staminodes, and labellum lobes) and white (filament and anther thecae) (versus flower pure white with yellow spot at labellum) and bulbils produced at peduncle (versus at tip of the inflorescence). Similar to Globba argyrocycnos Sangvir. & M.F.Newman in its contrasting flower colour of yellowish orange (floral tube, corolla lobes, lateral staminodes, and labellum lobes) and white (filament and anther thecae) but differs in its decurrent labellum base with cornicula (versus decurrent labellum base on filament without cornicula).
Ecology: This species found growing in the different type of habitats, such as in agroforestry plantations, along the trails and near creeks and streams from 10 to 100 m above sea level (Fig. S2). Etymology: Named after the country of origin, the Philippines, where the species was discovered and collected. Vernacular name: Known as “tabayag” by the local people of its type locality.
Jade Ann Grace P. Dalisay, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Porferio S. Bangcaya and Sunisa Sangvirotjanapat. 2022. Globba philippinensis (Zingiberaceae), A New Endemic Species from Western Visayas, Philippines. Taiwania. 67(1); 25 - 29. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2022.67.25  |
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