Opistognathus evermanni (Jordan & Snyder, 1902), the first distributional record from Indian coastal waters

A single female specimen of jawfish Opistognathus evermanni (Perciformes: Opistognathidae) was recorded with the standard length of 73.17 mm from Mudasal Odai fish landing centre, along Parangipettai coast, Southeast coast of India. Opistognathus evermanni possesses X + 12 dorsal spine and rays by the head are large, its width greater than that of body and uniformly pigmented, gill rakers are very long and slender, 10 + 20 found on first arch. Spinous dorsal fin, Caudal and anal fins are which are also very dark in coloration and possess two white stripes. The species O. evermanni locality was previously known only from the coastal waters of Japan. The present study reports the first record of O. evermanni along the Southeast Coast of India that found a new addition to the Indian coastal ichthyofauna.     

Granite boulders act as deep-time climate refugia: A Miocene divergent clade of rupicolous Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Mysore Plateau,India, with descriptions of three new species

We describe a divergent clade and three new rupicolous species of dwarf geckos of the genus Cnemaspis from the Mysore Plateau, southern India. Cnemaspis bangarasp. nov., C. graniticola sp. nov., and C.yelagiriensis sp. nov. differ from each other by 9%–18% uncorrected ND2 sequence divergence and other South Asian Cnemaspis by 17%–33% and are morphologically distinguishable from all regional congeners and each other. The new species are known from only granite boulders in montane habitats (>1,000 m asl.), just 60–120 km straight-line distance apart from each other. A fossil-calibrated timetree and ancestral area reconstructions indicate South Asian Cnemaspis originated in Western Ghats forests with initial divergence in the Paleocene-Eocene making it perhaps the oldest Indian squamate clade. Cnemaspis that occur in Peninsular India in the dry zone outside the Western Ghats form three independently derived clades that occur in significantly warmer and drier habitats than those in the Western Ghats. The discovery of a Miocene divergent clade from rocky hills on the southern edge of the Mysore Plateau reveals these habitats as novel, long-term climate refugia. This adds to the body of work revealing ancient origins of taxa in the Indian dry zone and supports the Mysore Plateau as an important and overlooked hot spot of lizard biodiversity.     

First record of the bee genus Melitta from the Arabian Peninsula (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Melittidae)

The oligolectic bee genus Melitta Kirby, 1802 (Melittidae: Melittinae) is recorded from the Arabian Peninsula for the first time, and from Saudi Arabia in particular. A series of females of Melitta schmiedeknechti Friese, 1898 Friese, H. (1898): Beiträge zur Bienenfauna von Aegypten. Természetrajzi Füzetek, 21, 303–313. [Google Scholar] were captured near Jabal al Mashār, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, representing the first occurrence of this species, previously known across northern Africa and the southern Levant. Brief remarks and a key are provided for the two subspecific forms of M. schmiedeknechti.     

Description of a new genus and two new species of Corioxenidae from Jordan (Insecta: Strepsiptera)

Abstract

Two new species of twisted-wing insects (Strepsiptera) of the family Corioxenidae, Proceroxenos jordanicus n.gen., n.sp., and Dundoxenos breviphlebos n.sp., are described from Jordan. Identification keys to the subfamilies of the Corioxenidae, the genera of the subfamily Uniclavinae, and the species of the genus Dundoxenos are provided. A list of all described species of Corioxenidae is given, including information on geographic distribution, and host species when available.     

A new species of plume moth (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) from Jordan

The species Hellinsia jordanica Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. n. is newly described from Jordan.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EED698C9-1943-41BC-A503-13A2128A62C5     

Integration of cytochrome c oxidase I barcodes and geometric morphometrics to delimit species in the genus Gnopharmia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae,Ennominae)

We tested the hypothesis of species taxonomy in the genus Gnopharmia (Macariini, Ennominae) that was recently established in a review based on discrete morphological characters. For this objective we integrated both DNA‐based and morphometric approaches in order to infer species boundaries. A 658‐bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) (DNA barcode) was analysed from populations of five species distributed throughout the Middle East to assess their consistency with traditionally defined morphospecies. Signals in the morphological variation of the aedeagus of all relevant populations were evaluated using geometric landmarks. Consistent groupings compatible with the current taxonomic classification were found with both approaches. The results strongly support the distinction of seven closely related species. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Spiders of the genus Lachesana and a new storenoid genus from Israel (Araneae: Zodariidae)

Zodariid spiders of two genera in Israel are revised. The genus Lachesana is represented by two species. Only one male of these was ever depicted while the females of both and their hitherto unknown retreats were never described. Pax gen. nov. has been erected to accommodate five species, some of which have formerly been placed in Slorena, Selamia or Habronestes . Diagnostic characters of the West Mediterranean Selamia and the Australian Habronestes are newly illustrated. No drawings of Pax libani and P. islamita were ever published; the male of the latter is described here for the first time. Pax palmonii sp. nov. and P. engediensis sp. nov. are described and affinities of all taxa are discussed. Illustrations, records of distribution and keys to the species are provided.     

The first confirmed records of Omani Owl,Strix butleri (A. O. Hume, 1878) (Aves: Strigidae), from Iran

Although the Omani Owl Strix butleri (A. O. Hume, 1878) was previously reported from southern Iran, this note details the first confirmed records of this species from Mashhad (Khorasan) and Jam (Bushehr) in 2015, after recent revision of the taxonomy of this species in the Middle East.     

Identity and distribution of Agama stellio picea Parker (Sauria: Agamidae), endemic to the volcanic desert of Jordan

Abstract

Agama stellio picea Parker, 1935, was clearly defined as a black lizard, with the female dotted with orange, from the Transjordan lava desert. Three later collections confirmed this. While the subspecies appears to be endemic to Jordan, its name has been erroneously applied to other A. stellio populations in adjacent countries.     

Phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Ilyodon Eigenmann, 1907 (Teleostei: Goodeidae), based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

Taxonomy of the live‐bearing fish of the genus Ilyodon Eigenmann, 1907 (Goodeidae), in Mexico, is controversial, with morphology and mitochondrial genetic analyses in disagreement about the number of valid species. The present study accumulated a comprehensive DNA sequences dataset of 98 individuals of all Ilyodon species and mitochondrial and nuclear loci to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus. Phylogenetic inference produced five clades, one with two sub‐clades, and one clade including three recognized species. Genetic distances in mitochondrial genes (cytb: 0.5%–2.1%; coxI: 0.5%–1.1% and d‐loop: 2.3%–10.2%) were relatively high among main clades, while, as expected, nuclear genes showed low variation (0.0%–0.2%), with geographic concordance and few shared haplotypes among river basins. High genetic structure was observed among clades and within basins. Our genetic analyses, applying the priority principle, suggest the recognition only of Ilyodon whitei and Ilyodon furcidens, with I. cortesae relegated to an invalid species, the populations of which belong to I. whitei.     

Phylogenetic relationships between tuna species of the genus Thunnus (Scombridae: Teleostei): Inconsistent implications from morphology,nuclear and mitochondrial genomes

In order to infer phylogenetic relationships between tuna species of the genus Thunnus, partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and ATPase genes were determined in all eight species. Supplemental restriction analysis on the nuclear rRNA gene was also carried out. Pacific northern bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus orientalis) was found to have mtDNA distinct from that of the Atlantic subspecies (T. t. thynnus) but very similar to that from the species albacore (T. alaluga). In contrast, no differentiation in nuclear genome was observed between the Atlantic and Pacific northern bluefin tunas. The Atlantic northern bluefin and southern bluefin tunas possessed mtDNA sequences very similar to species of yellowfin tuna group and not so similar to albacore and bigeye tunas which were morphologically assigned to the bluefin tuna group. The molecular data indicate that (1) mtDNA from albacore has been incorporated into the Pacific population of northern bluefin tuna and has extensively displaced the original mtDNA, and (2) albacore is the earliest offshoot, followed by bigeye tuna in this genus, which is inconsistent with the phylogenetic relationships between these tuna species inferred from morphology. Correspondence to: S. Chow     

Phylogeny of the genus Aphis Linnaeus, 1758 (Homoptera: Aphididae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences

Aphis is the largest aphid genus in the world and contains several of the most injurious aphid pests. It is also the most reluctant aphid genus to any comprehensive taxonomic treatment: while most species are easily classified into "species groups" that form well defined entities, numerous species within these groups are difficult to tell apart morphologically and identification keys remain ambiguous and mostly rely on host plant affiliation. In this paper, we used partial sequences of COI/COII and CytB genes to reconstruct the first phylogeny of Aphis and discuss the present systematics. The monophyly of the subgenus Bursaphis and of the tree major species groups, Black aphid, Black backed aphid and frangulae-like species was recovered by all phylogenetic analyses. However our data suggested that the nominal subgenus was not monophyletic. Relationships between major species groups were often ambiguous but "Black" and "Black backed" species groups appeared as sister clades. The most striking result of this study was that our molecular data met the same limits as the morphological characters used in classifications: mitochondrial DNA did not allow the differentiation of species that are difficult to identify. Further, interspecies relationships within groups of species for which taxonomic treatment is difficult stayed unresolved. This suggests that species delineation in the genus Aphis is often ambiguous and that diversification might have been a rapid process.     

Taxonomy and biogeography of Bunopus spatalurus (Reptilia; Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula

In the last decade, taxonomic studies have drastically increased the number of species known to inhabit the Arabian deserts. While ongoing phylogenetic studies continue to identify new species and high levels of intraspecific genetic diversity, few studies have yet explored the biogeographic patterns in this arid region using an integrative approach. In the present work, we apply different phylogenetic methods to infer relationships within the Palearctic naked‐toed geckos. We specifically address for the first time the taxonomy and biogeography of Bunopus spatalurus Anderson, 1901, from Arabia using multilocus concatenated and species tree phylogenies, haplotype networks and morphology. We also use species distribution modelling and phylogeographic interpolation to explore the phylogeographic structure of Bunopus spatalurus hajarensis in the Hajar Mountains and the roles of climatic stability and possible biogeographic barriers on lineage occurrence and contact zones in this arid mountain endemism hot spot. According to the inferred topology recovered using concatenated and species tree methods, the genus ‘Bunopus’ is polyphyletic. Bunopus tuberculatus and B. blanfordii form a highly supported clade closely related to Crossobamon orientalis, while the two subspecies of ‘Bunopus’ spatalurus branch together as an independent highly supported clade that diverged during the Miocene according to our estimations. Within B. s. hajarensis, three geographically structured clades can be recognized that according to our estimations diverged during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. The paleodistribution models indicate climatic stability during the Late Pleistocene and the lineage occurrence, and predicted contact zones obtained from phylogeographic interpolation therefore probably result from the older splits of the groups when these lineages originated in allopatry. As demonstrated by the results of the multilocus molecular phylogenetic analyses and the topological test carried out in this study, the genus ‘Bunopus’ is not monophyletic. To resolve this, we resurrect the genus Trachydactylus Haas and Battersby, 1959; for the species formerly referred to as Bunopus spatalurus. Considering the morphological differences, the high level of genetic differentiation in the 12S mitochondrial gene and the results of the phylogenetic and the cmos haplotype network analysis, we elevate Trachydactylus spatalurus hajarensis to the species level Trachydactylus hajarensis (Arnold, 1980).     

First record of the beetle Osphranteria coerulescens Redtenbacher, 1850 (Coleoptera,Cerambycidae) from Turkey

Abstract

The beetle Osphranteria coerulescens, until now known only from a few places in Iran and in Syria is reported from four sites in Eastern Turkey.     

Cutting the Gordian Knot: Phylogenetic and ecological diversification of the Mesalina brevirostris species complex (Squamata,Lacertidae)

Mesalina are small lacertid lizards occurring in the Saharo‐Sindian deserts from North Africa to the east of the Iranian plateau. Earlier phylogenetic studies indicated that there are several species complexes within the genus and that thorough taxonomic revisions are needed. In this study, we aim at resolving the phylogeny and taxonomy of the M. brevirostris species complex distributed from the Middle East to the Arabian/Persian Gulf region and Pakistan. We sequenced three mitochondrial and three nuclear gene fragments, and in combination with species delimitation and species‐tree estimation, we infer a time‐calibrated phylogeny of the complex. The results of the genetic analyses support the presence of four clearly delimited species in the complex that diverged approximately between the middle Pliocene and the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary. Species distribution models of the four species show that the areas of suitable habitat are geographically well delineated and nearly allopatric, and that most of the species have rather divergent environmental niches. Morphological characters also confirm the differences between the species, although sometimes minute. As a result of all these lines of evidence, we revise the taxonomy of the Mesalina brevirostris species complex. We designate a lectotype for Mesalina brevirostris Blanford, 1874; resurrect the available name Eremias bernoullii Schenkel, 1901 from the synonymy of M. brevirostris; elevate M. brevirostris microlepis (Angel, 1936) to species status; and describe Mesalina saudiarabica, a new species from Saudi Arabia.