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Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
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| 2:21a | [Herpetology • 2024] Pristimantis normaewingae • Phylogenetic Diversity of the Pristimantis anaiae species group, with A Description of A New Species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from Cerro Candelaria, Tungurahua, Ecuador
Abstract Continuous field work on mountains in the upper Pastaza watershed, showed an unexpected cryptic diversity in the recently described Pristimantis anaiae species group. Based on molecular and morphological characters we describe a new frog species from the central region of the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. We present an updated phylogeny for the Pristimantis anaiae species group, based on widely used, ubiquitous, and available genes, three mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ND1) and RAG1 nuclear gene. Our phylogenetic hypothesis increases genetic diversity of the species group and shows two well-supported subclades. We show the relationships of the new species and include for the first time Pristimantis maryanneae, belonging to a clade related to P. resistencia + P. glendae. Our phylogeny shows that new species, from Cerro Candelaria, is more closely related to P. kunam from Sangay National Park and differs from it by having a less conspicuous dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles, and sacral oval marks surrounded by thin white pale lines. The new species and two additional undescribed species occur on the south side of the Rio Pastaza Valley, at Cerro Candelaria within the Llanganates – Sangay Ecological Corridor, reflecting the high importance of this area for conservation and understanding of evolution processes in the area, suggesting a probably adaptive radiation zone for the P. anaiae species group. Key Words: Andes, amphibia, nanopore sequencing, upper Rio Pastaza watershed, Pristimantis normaewingae sp. nov. 
 Pristimantis normaewingae sp. nov. English Common name: Norma Ewing Rain Frog. Spanish Common name: Cutín de Norma Ewing. Etymology: The specific epithet normaewingae is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym in honor of Norma Ewing, a passionate conservationist and animal rescue volunteer from United States. Her belief that all species, and especially frogs, are interconnected, is rooted in her early childhood surrounded by nature living and working on a farm. She has always cared for animals of all shapes and sizes. As a volunteer with animal rescues, she was admired for her ability to nurture orphaned and injured animals. Juan Pablo Reyes-Puig, Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz, Zane Libke, Patricio Vinueza and Julio C. Carrión-Olmedo. 2024. Phylogenetic Diversity of the Pristimantis anaiae species group, with A Description of A New Species of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from Cerro Candelaria, Tungurahua, Ecuador. Evolutionary Systematics. 8(1): 101-118. DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.118855 | ||||||||
| 6:35a | [Botany • 2024] Praxelis cleggiae (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae: Praxeliinae) • A New Species from the Granite Inselbergs in the east of the Departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Summary Praxelis cleggiae (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Praxeliinae) is described and illustrated from the granite inselbergs (upon which it is most common), and on road crown chippings on old roads, in the Departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia; it has a disjunct distribution and is also found on the Serranía San Simón, in the San Ignacio Schist belt, Departamento de Beni. Material of this species was mostly determined as P. insignis (Malme) R.M.King & H.Rob., a Brazilian species, described from the metamorphosed sandstone of what is now the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães in Mato Grosso State. The two species have some superficial resemblance, but differ significantly in plant size, internode length (relative to leaf length), branching, leaf shape and size, phyllaries, achenes and pappus. The total number of species of Praxelis recognised in Bolivia is now seven, and 20 species in the genus worldwide. Key Words: Asteraceae, Chromolaena, Eupatoriopsis, Island-like Systems, Praxeliopsis
 Praxelis cleggiae D.J.N.Hind & S.L.Edwards, sp. nov. RECOGNITION. Praxelis cleggiae is similar to P. insignis in that both species are procumbent and spreading, commonly have a single capitulum per inflorescence (if terminal) or inflorescence branch, and possess inconspicuously bracteolate pedicels. Praxelis cleggiae is distinguished from P. insignis in possessing markedly longer internodes (c. 2 – 9 cm vs c. 0.3 – 0.8 cm), with leaves scarcely longer than internode (vs leaves c. 3 – 6+ times longer than ... ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after Rosemary (Rosie) Clegg, formerly TIPAs Bolivia Co-ordinator, at RBG, Kew, now a post graduate student being co-supervised by the first author of this paper. Rosie first brought the issue of this species to the attention of the first author when she began assessing the species for Red Data listing, at which point a critical assessment was made of the material. D. J. Nicholas Hind and Sara L. Edwards. 2024. Praxelis cleggiae (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Praxeliinae), A New Species from the Granite Inselbergs in the east of the Departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Kew Bulletin. DOI: s12225-024-10189-1 | ||||||||
| 2:31p | [Paleontology • 2023] Krommaster spinosus • Earliest Known ophiuroids (Ophiuroidea: Encrinasteridae) from high Palaeolatitude, southern Gondwana, recovered from the Pragian to earliest Emsian Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group, Cape Supergroup)
Abstract For the first time, ophiuroids have been found in South African strata predating the lowermost Bokkeveld Group. These comprise natural moulds and casts from two localities in the ‘upper unit’ of the Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group). As a Pragian to earliest Emsian age has been inferred for this member, the new taxa comprise the earliest high-palaeolatitude ophiuroid records from southern Gondwana. Morphological analysis of the specimens revealed the presence of two distinct taxa. One is here described as Krommaster spinosus gen. et sp. nov., a new encrinasterid characterised by very large spines on the dorsal side of the disc, the ventral interradial marginal plates and the arm midlines. The second taxon is a poorly preserved specimen of Hexuraster weitzi, a cheiropterasterid previously described from the slightly younger Bokkeveld Group. 
Systematic palaeontology Class– OPHIUROIDEA Gray, 1840 Order– OEGOPHIUROIDEA Matsumoto, 1915 Suborder– LYSOPHIURINA Gregory, 1897 Family– ENCRINASTERIDAE Schuchert, 1914 Subfamily– ENCRINASTERINAE Schuchert, 1914 Krommaster gen. nov. Diagnosis—Moderately large encrinasterid with disk covered by a mosaic of small, thin scales and extending to the 5th or 6th arm segment; interradii bound by relatively small marginal plates except for a single larger plate bearing a single very large, conical, pointed spine; similar but slightly smaller spines on dorsal disk and along the dorsal midline of the arms; ambulacrals with a very sharp transverse furrow close to the distal edge of the leg of the boot; adambulacral plates with two to three relatively large, short, conical, pointed lateral arm spines. Etmology—‘Kromm’ From Kromme River, in the canyon of which the ophiuroid lag deposit was recovered. Krom is the Afrikaans word for curve. ‘Aster’, latin meaning star. Krommaster spinosus sp. nov. Etymology—‘spinosus’, latin for spiny or spiky, referring to the presence of large spines on the central disk and arms. Type locality and stratum—Early Devonian, Pragian to earliest Emsian, ‘upper unit,’ Baviaanskloof Formation, Table Mountain Group, Cape Supergroup, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Caitlin Reddy, Ben Thuy, Mhairi Reid and Robert Gess. 2023. Earliest known ophiuroids from high palaeolatitude, southern Gondwana, recovered from the Pragian to earliest Emsian Baviaanskloof Formation (Table Mountain Group, Cape Supergroup) South Africa. PLoS ONE. 18(10): e0292636. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292636 phys.org/news/2023-11-oldest-samples-br | ||||||||
| 2:50p | [Entomology • 2024] Paraparatrechina neela • A Remarkable New Species of Paraparatrechina Donisthorpe (1947) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) from the Eastern Himalayas, India
Abstract A new ant species, Paraparatrechina neela sp. nov., with a captivating metallic-blue color is described based on the worker caste from the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. This discovery signifies the first new species of Paraparatrechina in 121 years, since the description of the sole previously known species, P. aseta (Forel, 1902), in the Indian subcontinent. Key words: Abor Expedition, Arunachal Pradesh, aspirator, East Siang, taxonomy
Paraparatrechina neela sp. nov. Diagnosis: Paraparatrechina neela sp. nov. has the following unique combination of characters: 1) body opaque and largely metallic blue, except antennae, mandibles, and legs; 2) total length < 2 mm; 3), eyes large relative to head length (REL > 22); 3) scape with appressed pubescence and scape surpasses posterior margin of head by approximately length of first 4 funicular segments; 4) propodeal dorsal face short and angular, with a long declivitous face. Etymology: The specific epithet neela is a noun in apposition, signifying the color blue in most Indian languages. It is used to describe the unique blue or sapphire color of this species. Ramakrishnaiah Sahanashree, Aswaj Punnath, Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan. 2024. A Remarkable New Species of Paraparatrechina Donisthorpe (1947) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae) from the Eastern Himalayas, India. ZooKeys. 1203: 159-172. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1203.114168 |
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