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Monday, July 11th, 2022
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| 9:27a | [Botany • 2022] Isotrema haimingii (Aristolochiaceae) • A New Species from Dayaoshan Mountain of Guangxi, China
Abstract Isotrema haimingii Y.S. Huang & Yan Liu, a new species from Dayaoshan Mountain of Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically most similar to I. championii and I. yachangense in the shape of leaf blade, lanceolate-ovate bracteoles, oblong anthers, 3-lobed gynostemium and ellipsoid capsules, but can be easily distinguished from them by length of the basal perianth tube, colour of calyx limb and the outside of perianth tube, surface texture of calyx limb and throat. Photos of this new species, as well as a table to distinguish it from other morphologically similar Isotrema species, are provided. The threatened status of the new species is also assessed. Keyword: Aristolochia, Dayaoshan Mountain, Flora of Guangxi, Isotrema championii, I. yachangense, new species, taxonomy
    Isotrema haimingii Y.S. Huang & Yan Liu, sp. nov. 海明關木通 Diagnosis: Isotrema haimingii Y.S. Huang & Yan Liu is morphologically similar to I. championii (Merr. & Chun) X.X. Zhu, S. Liao & J.S. Ma and I. yachangense (B.G. Huang, Yan Liu & Y.S. Huang) Luu, Q.B. Nguyen & H.C. Nguyen in the shape of leaf blade, lanceolateovate bracteoles, oblong anthers, 3-lobed gynostemium and ellipsoid capsules, but can be distinguished from the former by cyme on old woody stems or in the axils of leafy shoots (vs. on old woody stems only); bracteoles ca. 5 × 2 mm (vs. ca. 10 × 5 mm); perianth tube yellowish-green outside (vs. mauve), basal portion of tube 4–5 cm long (vs. 5–7 cm long); calyx limb yellowish-green, with dark purple mural-like stripes on the upper portion and mauve stripes on the lower portion (vs. purple reticulate stripes, papillate), and from the latter by cyme on old woody stems or in the axils of leafy shoots (vs. on old woody stems only); pedicel 2.5–4 cm long (vs. 1–2 cm long); perianth tube yellowish-green outside (vs. mauve); basal portion of tube 4–5 cm long, longer than the upper (vs. 2–2.5 cm long, shorter than the upper); calyx limb yellowish-green, with dark purple mural-like stripes on the upper portion and mauve stripes on the lower portion (vs. yellow, with dark purple mural-like stripes), capsules villous (vs. glabrous). The detailed morphological comparisons amongst the three species are summarized in Table 1. Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from Hai-Ming Tan, who has made important contributions to plant diversity conservation of Dayaoshan mountain in Guangxi, The Chinese name is given as “海明關木通” (pinyin: hǎi mǐng guān mū tōng).
Yu-Song Huang, Kun Qin, Chun-Yu Zou, Zhi-Ping Huang and Yan Liu. 2022. Isotrema haimingii, A New Species of Aristolochiaceae from Dayaoshan Mountain of Guangxi, China. Taiwania. 67(3); 380-385. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2022.67.380 | ||||||||
| 3:24p | [Paleontology • 2022] Balhuticaris voltae • Extreme Multisegmentation in A Giant Bivalved Arthropod (Mandibulata) from the Cambrian Burgess Shale
Highlights: • Balhuticaris voltae; a bivalved arthropod from the Cambrian Burgess Shale • It is the largest bivalved arthropod and one of the largest Cambrian arthropods • It was an agile nektobenthic swimmer with an extremely multisegmented body • This species increases the ecological and functional disparity of bivalved arthropods Summary The origin of mandibulate arthropods can be traced back to the Cambrian period to several carapace-bearing arthropod groups, but their morphological diversity is still not well characterized. Here, we describe Balhuticaris voltae, a bivalved arthropod from the 506-million-year-old Burgess Shale (Marble Canyon, British Columbia, Canada). This species has an extremely elongated and multisegmented body bearing ca. 110 pairs of homonomous biramous limbs, the highest number among Cambrian arthropods, and, at 245 mm, it represents one of the largest Cambrian arthropods known. Its unusual carapace resembles an arch; it covers only the frontalmost section of the body but extends ventrally beyond the legs. Balhuticaris had a complex sensory system and was probably an active swimmer thanks to its powerful paddle-shaped exopods and a long and flexible body. Balhuticaris increases the ecological and functional diversity of bivalved arthropods and suggests that cases of gigantism occurred in more arthropod groups than previously recognized.  
Phylum: Arthropoda von Siebold, 1848 (Hegna et al., 2013). Subphylum: Mandibulata Snodgrass (1938) (Snodgrass, 1938). Genus: Balhuticaris voltae gen. et sp. nov. Etymology: Balhuticaris, from Balhūt (Bahamut), a gigantic sea monster from several Persian cosmographies, and the Latin caris, crab. Species name voltae from the Catalan volta, meaning vault or arch-like structure, referring to the shape of the carapace in frontal view. Diagnosis for genus and species: Bivalved arthropod with a carapace sub-equal to or greater in height than length, covering the frontalmost section of the body and extending anteroventrally beyond the level of the longest cephalothoracic legs; stalked eyes laterally bilobate. Total number of post-cephalic segments ca. 110:10–12 thoracic segments and ca. 100 post-thoracic segments. Each thoracic segment is three times longer than a post-thoracic segment. Caudal rami tripartite, with pseudo-segments bearing elongated setae distally.   Alejandro Izquierdo-López and Jean-Bernard Caron. 2022. Extreme Multisegmentation in A Giant Bivalved Arthropod from the Cambrian Burgess Shale. iScience. 25(7); 104675. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104675 | ||||||||
| 3:35p | [Herpetology • 2022] Delma vescolineata • A New Species of Delma Gray 1831 (Squamata: Pygopodidae) from the Hunter Valley and Liverpool Plains of New South Wales
Abstract The Striped Legless Lizard Delma impar Fischer 1882 occurs in grasslands of south-eastern Australia where it is sometimes sympatric with several congeners. Previous molecular analyses have revealed mitochondrial divergence between the northern and southern lineages of D. impar, but the status of a recently detected population assigned to the species in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales (NSW), 250 km north of other populations, remains unknown. Via morphological and molecular analyses across the known distribution of D. impar, we distinguish the population from the Hunter Valley, Liverpool Plains region as a unique taxon and describe this species as Delma vescolineata sp. nov. The new species is divergent from D. impar in both nuclear and mitochondrial analysis, and differing facial scalation and colour patterning from the limited number of specimens available. The degree of mitochondrial and nuclear divergence between the previously identified northern and southern clades of D. impar is consistent with a single species. This is the first description of a Delma from south-eastern Australia since 1974, but the second new vertebrate taxon identified from the Hunter Valley region within a decade. Our research highlights our incomplete understanding of the biodiversity of the Hunter Valley region, despite its relative proximity to populous areas. The range of D. vescolineata sp. nov. is restricted and heavily overlaps with major habitat modification including mining and grazing, with no parks or reserves in this distribution protecting the species’ grassland habitat. Gathering more data to understand conservation status of this species should be a priority. Reptilia, Delma impar, Delma vescolineata sp. nov., mtDNA, single nucleotide polymorphisms, phylogenetic analysis, grasslands, Reptilia, Australia  Delma vescolineata sp. nov. Stephen Mahony, Timothy Cutajar and Jodi J. L. Rowley. 2022. A New Species of Delma Gray 1831 (Squamata: Pygopodidae) from the Hunter Valley and Liverpool Plains of New South Wales. Zootaxa. 5162(5); 541-556. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5162.5.5 A New South Wales first! New species of legless lizard discovered in the Hunter Valley |
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