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Monday, June 9th, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 3:31p | [Entomology • 2023] Epithemis wayanadensis • A New Species of Epithemis Laidlaw, 1955 (Odonata: Libellulidae), from the Western Ghats, India
Abstract The monotypic genus Epithemis Laidlaw, 1955, is endemic to the Western Ghats and is represented by the nominate species Epithemis mariae (Laidlaw, 1915). Epithemis mariae is distributed across the Western Ghats, and as part of an ongoing study, we identified a distinct population from Wayanad. Morphological and molecular data for E. mariae and the population from the Wayanad plateau affirm that the two are distinct taxa and allow us to describe a new species. Epithemis wayanadensis sp. nov. is described based on male specimens collected from Wayanad, a part of the Western Ghats in Kerala state, southern India. Keywords: Anisoptera, barcode, biodiversity, dragonfly, endemic 
Epithemis wayanadensis sp. nov. Ayikkara Vivek Chandran, David Valiyaparambil Raju, Subin Kaniyamattathil Jose and Zeeshan Ayaz Mirza. 2023. A New Species of Epithemis Laidlaw, 1955 (Odonata: Libellulidae), from the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 16(4); 597-604. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2023.08.006 | ||||||
| 3:31p | [Entomology • 2025] Lento yaguar • A rare New Species of Lento Evans, 1955 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from the western Amazon Basin
Abstract A rare new species of skipper butterfly from the western Amazon Basin (Cuzco and Madre de Dios, Peru and Acre, Brazil) belonging to the subtribe Moncina (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) is herein described: Lento yaguar Medeiros & O. Mielke sp. nov. The new species can be easily recognized by the conspicuous yellow and black hind wing ventral pattern, that resembles the peculiar color of a jaguar’s skin. This interesting pattern is unique among Hesperiidae, and a similar pattern occurs only in a few species of Riodinidae. The presence of an unusual, modified scale patch on the male abdominal tergites III, IV, and V of L. yaguar sp. nov., is herein hypothesized as an androconial organ and represents the first record of this kind of structure on the abdominal tergum of a skipper species. Keywords: Lento yaguar, Morphology, New taxa, Skippers, Taxonomy
Adalberto Dantas de Medeiros and Olaf Hermann Hendrik Mielke. 2025. A rare New Species of Lento Evans, 1955 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from the western Amazon Basin. Papéis Avulsos De Zoologia. 65; e202565019. DOI: doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2025.65.019 | ||||||
| 3:31p | [Arachnida • 2025] Brachistosternus pehuenche • A New scorpion Species (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) from the upper Maule Valley, in the southern Chilean Andes
Abstract Brachistosternus pehuenche sp. nov. (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) is described from the Mauline Andean forests of the northern Chilean Patagonia, located within the upper basin of the Maule Valley. Its unique geography and the discovery of this partial isolation, as a result of the surrounding higher altitudes, support the role of this valley as a biodiversity hotspot, fostering a variety of endemic epigean arthropods. The discovery of this third endemic scorpion species highlights the area’s ecological uniqueness. The species is most similar to Brachistosternus negrei, a species found in the southern Chilean forests, but distinct morphological traits, such as pigmentation patterns and metasomal structures, clearly separate the two. This study underscores the ecological value of the Maule Valley, which, despite its high endemism, remains unprotected and is subject to significant anthropogenic pressures, including agriculture, hydropower projects, and international transit routes. The need for conservation initiatives in this region is critical to preserve its exceptional biodiversity. This work not only adds to the taxonomy of Brachistosternus but also raises fundamental questions about the processes driving endemism in the Andes and the broader implications for the conservation of montane ecosystems. Key Words: Area of endemism, Bothriuridae, Chile, Mauline woods, new species, Scorpiones
Brachistosternus pehuenche sp. nov. Diagnosis: Brachistosternus pehuenche sp. nov. is most similar to B. negrei, which is the only Brachistosternus species occurring in nearby areas of the south-central Chilean woods. Both species can be easily distinguished by several morphological characters. Brachistosternus pehuenche, on one hand, has tergites that bear two lateral spots, with pigment occupying most of the posterior lateral margins and leaving a median unpigmented stripe (Figs 4A, C, 5A); B. negrei, on the other hand, has five spots on each segment, one antero-median, two lateral, and two postero-submedian, in some cases connected by faint reticulate pigment (Fig. 5E). The metasomal segments I–IV of B. pehuenche bear two VL narrow stripes and a VM wide stripe (the VM stripe can be very faint or absent in segments I–III) (Fig. 5B), whereas in B. negrei there are two VL stripes and two VSM stripes (VSM stripes can be faint or absent in segments I–III) (Fig. 5F). The paired dorsal glands of metasomal segment V of males, or Androvestigia, are medium-sized in B. pehuenche, occupying from a third to almost the entire posterior half of the segment (Fig. 5C), whereas in B. negrei these glands are small, occupying between 10 to 25 percent of the dorsal surface of the segment (Fig. 5G). Metasomal segment V is more granular ventrally in B. pehuenche than in B. negrei, with some granules even forming a slight ventro-median carinae in the former (Fig. 5D), whereas in B. negrei there is no VM carina at all, and ventral granules are more sparse and smaller (Fig. 5H). Etymology: The specific epithet “pehuenche” is a noun in apposition referring to the Pehuenche International Pass between Argentina and Chile, in the northern Patagonia, where this and other endemic scorpion species have been collected. Pehuenche is also the name of the indigenous people of this area, belonging to the Mapuche cultural group. Andrés A. Ojanguren-Affilastro, Fermín M. Alfaro, Hernán A. Iuri, Bernardino Camousseigt-Montolivo and Jaime Pizarro-Araya. 2025. Description of Brachistosternus pehuenche sp. nov. (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae), A New scorpion Species from the upper Maule Valley, in the southern Chilean Andes. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 101(3): 969-981. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.146451 |
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