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Showing posts from November, 2024

Guttulate freshwater fungus (Paramirandina guttulata) joins Paramirandina aquatica and Paramirandina cymbiformis

NEWS - Guttulate freshwater fungus ( Paramirandina guttulata H.W. Shen, K.D. Hyde & Z.L. Luo, sp. nov.) is a morphologically striking hyphomycete species collected from a freshwater habitat in Dujuanhu Lake in Yunnan Province, China, at an elevation of 2500 m as new to science based on unique morphological features and combined phylogenetic analysis of LSU and ITS sequences. Paramirandina was introduced by Liu et al. (2023) to accommodate two lignicolous freshwater fungi from lotic habitats in Guizhou Province, with Paramirandina aquatica as the type species. This genus is morphologically similar to Heliocephala and Mirandina, but can be distinguished by the morphology of conidia and conidiogenous cells. During the investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi from a highland lake in Yunnan Province, the researchers discovered the striking hyphomycete on submerged woody substrates. Detailed morphological descriptions and comprehensive phylogenetic analyses confirmed the distincti...

Socoroma leafminer (Cremastobombycia socoromaensis) from Chile with larvae mining leaves Baccharis tola

NEWS - Socoroma leafminer ( Cremastobombycia socoromaensis Vargas sp. nov. Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Lithocolletinae) from the dry highlands of the western slopes of the Andes in northern Chile with larvae mining leaves on the shrub Baccharis tola Phil. (Asteraceae) is the first record of Cremastobombycia Braun 1908 in South America. No Cremastobombycia species have been reported from South America. However, morphological examination revealed that a micromoth obtained from a leafminer collected in the arid Andean highlands of northern Chile was an undescribed species in this genus. C. socoromaensis was recognized based on wing pattern and genital morphology. The forewings of the male (3.6–3.7 mm long) are orange-brown and have indistinct creamy white markings: a short longitudinal subbasal line and three costal strigulae and two dorsal oblique strigulae. Although the female forewings (3.0–3.1 mm long) are also orange-brown with subbasal lines similar to those of the male, the fou...

Ralph Holzenthal caddisfly (Rhyacophila lignumvallis) from Corsica in Rhyacophila tristis (Schmid 1970) group

NEWS - Ralph Holzenthal caddisfly ( Rhyacophila lignumvallis Graf & Rázuri-Gonzales, sp. nov.) from the island of Corsica (France) was established as a new species in the Rhyacophila tristis (Schmid 1970) group based on morphological analysis and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI), including sequences from 16 of the 28 species in the group. Rhyacophila Pictet 1834 with 814 living and 30 fossil species is the largest genus of caddisflies in the world, distributed mainly in the northern hemisphere, but also in temperate and tropical India and Southeast Asia. One of the groups is the R. tristis group in the branch Rhyacophila invaria . R. lignumvallis is most similar to Rhyacophila pubescens Pictet 1834, Rhyacophila tsurakiana Malicky 1984, Rhyacophila ligurica Oláh & Vinçon 2021, Rhyacophila harmasa Oláh & Vinçon 2021 and Rhyacophila abruzzica Oláh & Vinçon 2021. However, R. lignumvallis differs in the shape of the X tergum, the dorsal arm ...

Beautiful wing long-horned moth (Torodora lichi), dense spine long-horned moth (Torodora mici) and Torodora silvatica from China

NEWS - Beautiful wing long-horned moth ( Torodora lichi Yu & Wang sp. nov.) similar to Torodora epicharis Park 2002, dense spine long-horned moth ( Torodora mici Yu & Wang sp. nov.) similar to Torodora reniformis Yu & Wang 2022 and Torodora silvatica Park 2007 were first reported from China. Torodora Meyrick 1894 is the largest and type genus of Torodorinae (Lecithoceridae). This genus is distributed in the Oriental, Palearctic, Ethiopia and Australia region containing more than 230 species with 88 species recorded in China. Now researchers describe two new species and the first report of T. silvatica from China. T. lichi has a distribution in Yunnan Province, China, externally similar to the Thai species, T. epicharis . It can be distinguished by the absence of a postmedian line on the forewings, in the male genitalia with a foot-shaped cucullus, and juxta with a triangular median process below the posterior margin. While T. epicharis has a postmedian line on the f...

Four new species of Tegenaria Latreille 1804 and one Maimuna Lehtinen 1967 from Turkey and Caucasus

NEWS - Antalya funnel weaver ( Maimuna antalyensis sp. nov. ♂♀; Turkish: Antalya), Francesco Ballarin funnel weaver ( Tegenaria ballarini sp. nov. ♂♀; Turkish: Antalya), small pale funnel weaver ( Tegenaria beyazcika sp. nov. ♂; Turkish: Antalya), Egrisi funnel weaver ( Tegenaria egrisiana sp. nov. ♂♀; Georgia: Imereti), and Hubert Höfer funnel weaver ( Tegenaria hoeferi sp. nov. ♂♀; Armenia: Kotayk) are reported as new to science. Agelenidae C.L. Koch 1837 is a large spider family comprising 1,405 species in 96 genera worldwide. In the Western Palearctic, Turkey has the highest diversity of Agelenids with 74 documented species. Other regions in the Western Palearctic are still largely understudied, for example in the Caucasus 36 species in 10 genera have been recorded, but only 3 species have been reported from Armenia and 18 from Georgia. Now the researchers present the description of 4 new species of Tegenaria Latreille 1804 and 1 new species of Maimuna Lehtinen 1967, the synon...

Blinstein ant-like beetle (Macrotomoderus blinsteini), hairy ant-like beetle (M. hirsutus) and ugly ant-like beetle (M. turpiculus) from China

NEWS - Blinstein ant-like beetle ( Macrotomoderus blinsteini Telnov sp. nov.), hairy ant-like beetle ( Macrotomoderus hirsutus Telnov sp. nov.) and ugly ant-like beetle ( Macrotomoderus turpiculus Telnov sp. nov.) from the Chinese plateau are expanding their geographical distribution. Macrotomoderus Pic 1901 is the second species-bearing genera among the six genera Tomoderinae Bonadona 1961. Its geographical distribution is very wide and extends from the Indo-Australian Archipelago (Greater Sunda Islands southward including Java), mainland Southeast Asia, the Philippine Islands to the Indian Subcontinent, China, Japan and the Taiwan archipelago. Currently 146 species are attributed to Macrotomoderus of which 96 are Oriental and 50 are Palaearctic. Additional species are described in this paper. Now Dmitry Telnov from Daugavpils University in Latvia reports the description of 3 new Macrotomoderus species from mainland China. Macrotomoderus blinsteini was found at an elevation of 170...

Brownish yellow false truffle (Truncocolumella pseudocolumella), new species for science from China

NEWS - Brownish yellow false truffle ( Truncocolumella pseudocolumella L. Li, S.H. Li & Y. Wang, sp. nov.) established as a new species for science based on specimens found during a survey of hypogeous fungi in the Hengduan Mountains, Sichuan Province, southwest China. Truncocolumella Zeller 1939 a small genus of false truffles with the type species Truncocolumella citrina Zeller 1939. To date only T. citrina and Truncocolumella occidentalis Malençon & Zeller 1940 have been recognized. T. citrina is a common ectomycorrhizal species found in coniferous forests in North America. However, T. occidentalis is rare and has only been found in Canada. A single specimen was found in the Yala Mountains in western Sichuan Province, China. Two additional collections were later found in the same area. Western Sichuan Province, part of the Hengduan Mountains, is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. T. pseudocolumella differs from other species in the genus Truncocolumella ...

Lemon-chrome porecrust (Luteoporia flavula) similar to Luteoporia straminea and pointing crust (Xylodon subpunctus) similar to Xylodon punctus

NEWS - Lemon-chrome porecrust ( Luteoporia flavula C.L. Zhao & H.M. Zhou, sp. nov.) similar to Luteoporia straminea and pointing crust ( Xylodon subpunctus C.L. Zhao & H.M. Zhou, sp. nov.) similar to Xylodon punctus , two new species of wood-dwelling fungi were described from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China. Luteoporia F. Wu, Jia J. Chen & S.H. He. (2016) with Luteoporia albomarginata F. Wu, Jia J. Chen & S.H. He as the type species showed a monomitic hyphal system with generative hyphae containing clamp connections, and hyaline and smooth basidiospores. Other species found in China are Luteoporia citriniporia Z.B. Liu & Yuan Yuan (2020), Luteoporia lutea (G. Cunn.) C.C. Chen & Sheng H. Wu (2021) and Luteoporia straminea C.L. Zhao (2023), while Luteoporia citriniporia is exclusively found in Europe, Luteoporia lutea is found in Oceania and the latter two species were originally described in southwest China. Xylodon (Pers.) Gray (1821) is c...

Revision of modest grasshopper (Agroecotettix Bruner 1908) with 16 new species from the United States and Mexico

NEWS - JoVonn Hill of Mississippi State University revised and established 16 new species of modest grasshopper (Agroecotettix Bruner 1908), a group of grasshoppers inhabiting open scrub, dry desert plains and scrub from central Texas to southeastern New Mexico, south to central Mexico. Bruner (1908) established the genus with the description of Agroecotettix modestus based on a female collected from Ciudad Lerdo, Coahuila, Mexico. Hebard (1922) added Agroecotettix aristus aristus and Agroecotettix aristus crypsidomus from Uvalde and Marathon, Texas, USA, respectively, resulting in three taxa. The new taxa described are Agroecotettix silverheelsi sp. nov., Agroecotettix xiphophorus sp. nov., Agroecotettix glochinos sp. nov., Agroecotettix texmex sp. nov., Agroecotettix cumbres sp. nov., Agroecotettix burtoni sp. nov., Agroecotettix moorei sp. nov., Agroecotettix chiantiensis sp. nov., Agroecotettix dorni sp. nov., Agroecotettix chisosensis sp. nov., Agroecotettix turneri ...

Guangzhou fungus beetle (Dichodontocis guangzhouensis) similar to Dichodontocis uncinatus and Dichodontocis queenslandicus

NEWS - Guangzhou fungus beetle ( Dichodontocis guangzhouensis sp. nov.) and larvae from Guangdong Province, China, were described as a new species to science similar to Dichodontocis uncinatus Kawanabe (1994) and Dichodontocis queenslandicus (Lawrence, 2016). Currently, only 3 species of Dichodontocis Kawanabe are known in the world. The type species, D. uncinatus is distributed in southwestern Japan (Yakushima Island). D. queenslandicus is found in the rainforests of Australia (Queensland). The new species is known from Guangzhou (Tianlu Lake Forest Park), China. D. guangzhouensis is similar to D. uncinatus with the elytral setae appearing more distinctly seriate and regular in that species than in D. guangzhouensis , both anal veins of the hindwing are absent, but in D. guangzhouensis the hindwing has apical color spots and the impression of the anterior margin of the pronotum of D. guangzhouensis is broad and deep and extends posteriorly, clearly beyond the base of the horn...

Hongkan phintella (Phintella hongkan) from China closely resembling Phintella arcuata and Phintella pygmaea

NEWS - Hongkan phintella ( Phintella hongkan Wang, Gan & Mi sp. nov. ♂♀) from Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, China, was established as a new species to science, closely resembling Phintella arcuata Huang, Wang & Peng 2015 and Phintella pygmaea (Wesołowska, 1981). The authors also described for the first time a female of Phintella liae Wang, Mi & Peng 2023 Phintella Strand 1906, one of the richest genera of Chrysillini Simon 1901, is represented by 82 species widely distributed mainly from the Oriental and Palearctic Regions. Like most salticid genera, taxonomic studies of the genus are limited by the high rate (over 34%) of single-sexed species known. In addition, the species are diverse in habitus and copulatory organs, indicating that the species should not be monophyletic and the current generic position of some members needs further revision. To date, 32 species have been recorded from China, 21 of which are endemic. The male P. hongkan resembles P. arcu...

Latias mayfly (Isonychia latias) from Guizhou, China, shows several characters uncommon in the genus

NEWS - Latias mayfly ( Isonychia latias sp. nov.) from Guizhou Province, southwest China, was established as a new species to science based on all developmental stages with adults showing some characters that are uncommon in Isonychia, such as brown middle and hind legs, and pale stripes on the thorax. Isonychiidae is a monogeneric mayfly family represented by the genus Isonychia Eaton 1871 that includes 16 species distributed in the Nearctic region and 21 species distributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Recently, researchers conducted a preliminary investigation of the mayfly fauna in Guizhou Province, southwest China, and found an undescribed specimen. This species shows some characters that are uncommon in the genus. Isonychia latias is named Latias after the red-and-white-winged Pokémon. The larvae have so far only been found in the Sanchahe River in Guizhou Province. The collection site was near the Danxia landform characterized by a large number of dark red rocks in...

Qiyunshan cellar spider (Khorata qiyunshanensis) from China found in the twilight zone of a cave

NEWS - Qiyunshan cellar spider ( Khorata qiyunshanensis Zhou, sp. nov.) from Jiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China, discovered during a spider survey conducted in June 2024 was confirmed as a new species to science based on morphological comparison. Khorata Huber 2005 contains 52 species distributed in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, of which about 34 species have been recorded from China. K. qiyunshanensis was found in the twilight zone of an unnamed artificially excavated cave or among Xiangluba cliffs (webs between rocks). The new species can be easily distinguished from all known congeners by bulb oval shape and fawn, embolus length equal to bulb; procursus proximal slightly curved, odontoid protuberance on the lateral distally bearing scales and three small angular apophyses. Chelicerae with pair of proximo-lateral apophyses, pair of distal apophyses on front-lateral surface middle, pair of strong frontal apophyses, inward bending hooked frontal a...

Four leptonetid spiders from China: Jingneta qishan, Jingneta wukuishan, Leptonetela jingde and Rhyssoleptoneta lishan

NEWS - Four species of leptonetid spiders have been established: Qishan cave spider ( Jingneta qishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀), Wukuishan cave spider ( Jingneta wukuishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂), Jingde cave spider ( Leptonetela jingde Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀) and Lishan cave spider ( Rhyssoleptoneta lishan Tong, sp. nov. ♂♀) from Anhui Province, China. Leptonetidae Simon 1890 are very small (1–3 mm) and usually have six eyes, with the posterior median eye displaced behind the anterior lateral eyes and posterior lateral eyes, and the anterior median eye is missing. Most species live in moist habitats, such as leaf litter, under rocks, and in caves. The family includes 22 genera and 392 species from North America, the Mediterranean, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Currently, 145 species in 8 genera have been recorded in China. Four species belonging to three genera have been recorded in Anhui Province: Jingneta maculosa (Song & Xu, 1986), Jingneta tunxiensis (Song & Xu, 1986), Leptonetela mic...

Liyang stonefly (Kamimuria liyangensis) from Jiangsu, China, which has penis similar to Kamimuria hainana

NEWS - Liyang stonefly ( Kamimuria liyangensis sp. nov.) from Jiangsu Province is located in the southeastern coast of China which has no mountains on the plateau with only a few hilly areas mostly distributed in the southern part has a penis similar to Kamimuria hainana Li, Wang & Yu 2012. Kamimuria Klapálek 1907 is the most species-rich genus in the subfamily Perlinae with about 93 species known worldwide, distributed in the Oriental and Palaearctic Realms, mainly in China. Over the past 30 years, the number of Kamimuria species recorded in China has increased dramatically to 60 species. Jiangsu Province is located in the southeastern coast of China and has no mountains on the plateau, with only a few hilly areas mostly distributed in its southern region. Recently researchers examined Kamimuria materials from Jiangsu and described a new species. Male K. liyangensis has a generally brown to dark brown colouration (Due to being preserved in alcohol, the colours in the specimens ...