Papilio king cricket (Anabropsis papiliomaculata) and Dulongjiang king cricket (Anabropsis dulongjiangensis)

NEWS - Papilio king cricket (Anabropsis papiliomaculata sp. nov.) and Dulongjiang king cricket (Anabropsis dulongjiangensis sp. nov.) from Yunnan were described, while Anabropsis (Pseudapteranabropsis) nigrimaculatis Pang, Lu & Bian 2023 from a male was reported for the first time and this species was transferred to Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) Gorochov, 1988.

Up to now, Anabropsis is divided into 7 subgenera, excluding Anabropsis (Anabropsis), the other 6 subgenera with 27 species and one subspecies are distributed in China. The characters of the wings, tibial tympanum, metasternal processes, paraproctal growth of males and subgenital plates are important inter-subgeneric differences.

Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) papiliomaculata is named after the large black butterfly-shaped spots on the pronotal disc. Chinese name 蝶斑黯螽. The new species has dimensions (mm): BL ♂24.0, ♀22.0; PL ♂6.3, ♀6.2; HFL ♂23.2, ♀21.8; HT ♂22.0, ♀21.5; OvL 14.6. Examined material.

This species is similar to A. ailaoshanica Gorochov 2021, but the pronotal disc has large black butterfly-shaped spots, the external tympanic foretibia is reduced, the basal area of the male paraproctal process is connected, the male subgenital plate is short and wide, about 3/4 of its length, and the spiny apical area of the female subgenital plate is short, about 1/3 of its length.

Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) dulongjiangensis was given its epithet based on the type locality, Chinese name 独龙江黯螽. The new species has dimensions (mm): BL ♂20.5, ♀24.3–25.5; PL ♂6.0, ♀6.3–6.9; HFL ♂20.3, ♀20.0–21.8; HT ♂20.6, ♀19.0–20.8; OvL 8.1–9.3.

This species is similar to A. magnimaculatus (Bian & Shi, 2019), but the pronotum has incomplete longitudinal yellow lines on the disc, no black spots, the posterior edge of the male subgenital plate is concave.

Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) nigrimaculatis was originally described based on 3 females. This study is the first to describe a male. The subgenus Anabrospsis (Pseudapteranabropsis) has two branches at the apex of the paraproctal process which is clearly different from the description of the male.

This study proposes to move the species to the subgenus Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) based on the character of the unbranched apex of the paraproctal process of the male in lateral view and the armed ventral surface of the hind femur.

Original research

Hao Xu & Fuming Shi (2024). Two new species of the genus Anabropsis Rehn, 1901 (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) from Yunnan, China. Zootaxa 5523 (3): 387–395, DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.5523.3.7

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Javan broadhead planarian (Bipalium javanum)

Cacing palu or Javan broadhead planarian ( Bipalium javanum ) is a species of animal in Geoplanidae, hermaphrodite, living on the ground, predators, often called only hammerhead or broadhead or shovel worms because of wide heads and simple copulatory organs. B. javanum has a slim stature, up to 20 cm long, up to 0.5 cm wide, head wide up to 1 cm or less, small neck, widening in the middle and the back end is rounded, all black and shiny. Javan broadhead planarians walk above ground level by raising their heads and actively looking left, right and looking up using strong neck muscles. Move swiftly, track meander, climb to get through all obstacles or make a new path if the obstacle is too high. Cacing palu track and prey on earthworms and mollusks. They use muscles and sticky secretions to attach themselves to prey to lock in. The head and ends of the body are wrapped around and continue to close the body to stop prey reactions. They produce tetrodotoxins which are very strong...

Thomas Sutikna lives with Homo floresiensis

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Prof. Weiming Zhu ironwood (Xantolis weimingii) described with completely glabrous flower crowns

NEWS - Xantolis weimingii (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae) is described from Yunnan, southwest China and can be easily distinguished from its relatives by the combination of densely covered plants with ferruginous arachnoid-lanate, oblong or obovate leaves and pendulous staminodes at the base. Xantolis Raf. 1838 (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae) is a small genus of trees and shrubs containing about 14 species with a distribution from the eastern Himalayas to the Philippines in tropical Asia. The genus is morphologically characterized by distinct spines, a sharp anther appendage, lanceolate lobes on the calyx and corolla, and aristate staminodes. Molecular data suggest that the genus is sister to the entire subfamily Chrysophylloideae and is a very isolated and poorly understood genus. Specimens was first collected in the Luzhijiang Valley in August 2015, but only sterile or fruiting specimens were collected. In April 2022, a specimen with flowers was finally collected in Wadie, Yuanjiang...

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