A review of the moth tribe Palyadini with the description of a new genus (Geometridae: Ennominae)

The tribe Palyadini Guenée is revised at the generic level. It includes about 115 described species, and occurs in tropical America with representatives from Florida to Argentina. There are six genera: Palyas Guenée, Phrygionis Hübner, Pityeja Herrich-Schäffer, Argyrotome Warren, Opisthoxia Hübner, and a new genus Ophthalmoblysis. Ophthalmophora Guenée and Argyroplutodes Warren are treated as junior synonyms of Opisthoxia. Checklists of the species-group names in each genus are included.     

Chronological analysis of the species of Conus described during the 18th century

The 339 species-group names in the gastropod genus Conus proposed between 1758 and 1800 have been analyzed in chronological order, in order to (1) identify each nominal species, and (2) determine the correct name of each valid species. Additions and corrections are given to the author's series of papers on type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus. A table listing the 339 species-group names alphabetically indicates the present locations of the 124 known type specimens and the status of each name. At present, 123 valid species are recognized (118 Recent, 5 Tertiary), 159 names are synonyms of previously or simultaneously described species, 35 are nomina dubia, 19 are assigned to infrasubspecific rank, and 3 have been trandferred to genera in other families. Problems involving homonymy of 44 names have been resolved. The proportion of valid species to described species remained quite constant (about 80%) between 1758 and 1786, but then declined sharply to 40%. By 1800, although only 13% of all known species-group names in Conus had been introduced, they probably account for 25% of the known valid Recent species. Extension of the chronological study to species described through 1840 may establish the correct names of half the valid Recent species of Conus.     

Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus.

During the third decade of the 19th century, 21 authors described 35 Recent and 11 fossil species of Conus , in 26 separate publications. This brought to 532 the number of species-group names in the genus introduced up to 1830. Only five fossil and seven Recent species are now considered valid. Two additional valid Recent species were described but were given preoccupied names. The remaining nominal species are concluded to be junior or contemporaneous synonyms (19), nomina dubia (11), of infrasubspecific rank (1), or not now considered Conus (1). At present 160 valid species of Conus are recognized from the species-group names described between 1758 and 1830. Of these, 138 are extant and 22 are known only as Tertiary fossils. Nine otherwise valid species, six Recent and three fossil, were described but were given preoccupied names.     

Type specimens and identity of the described species of Conus VII. The species described 1810–1820

During the second decade of the 19th century, eight authors described 24 recent and 26 fossil species of Conus , bringing to 486 the number of proposed species-group names in the genus through 1820. This study analyses these nominal species, as well as three described by Perry in 1810, and evaluates the status of each. Most of the European Tertiary species described by Brocchi in 1814 and some of those described by Borson and Schlotheim in 1820 are valid. Megerle von Mühlfeld in 1816 and Dillwyn in 1817 each described a valid recent species. All other Conus species names introduced during the period are synonyms of previously or contemporaneously described species or nomina dubia. Type specimens of 23 species, including one neotype, are known to exist today. At the present time 148 valid species of Conus are recognized from the species-group names introduced between 1758 and 1820. Of these, 131 are extant and 17 are known only as Tertiary fossils. In addition, six otherwise valid species, three recent and three fossil, were described but were given preoccupied names.     

Revision of the endemic Australian subfamily Trachypetinae Schulz s.l. (including Cercobarconinae Tobias) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract. The subfamily Cercobarconinae is synonymized with the Trachypetinae, the constituent genera ( Trachypetus Guérin de Méneville, Megalohelcon Turner and Cercobarcon Tobias) are rediagnosed and the species are revised and redescribed. Rhamphobarcon Tobias is synonymized with Megalohelcon Turner, R.mosaicus Tobias is synonymized with M.torresensis Turner, M.uptoni Tobias is synonymized with M.ichneumonoides Tobias, and four species are newly described: M.mouldsi, C.bilobatus, C.grossi and C.niger. Relationships within the subfamily are discussed, as are those of the Trachypetinae to other braconid subfamilies. Comments on the biology and distribution of species are provided, along with an illustrated key to genera and species.     

Common names for Australian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract Most insects do not have common names, and this is a significant barrier to public interest in them, and to their study by non-specialists. This holds for even highly familiar insect groups such as ants. Here, I propose common names for all major native Australian ant genera and species-groups, as well as for many of the most abundant and distinctive species. Sixty-two genera, 142 species-groups and 50 species are given names. The naming system closely follows taxonomic structure; typically a genus is given a general common name, under which species-group and species names are nested.     

Current status of the Drosophila melanogaster species-group (Diptera)

Abstract. The Drosphila melanogaster species-group, established by Sturtevant (1942) for fourteen species, is now known to contain 115 described species here divided into twelve named subgroups (including one newly proposed), as well as further undescribed species. Three of the species, melanogaster, simulans and ananassae , are cosmopolitan; two others, kikkawai and malerkotliana , are widespread in the southern hemisphere, the latter apparently a recent introduction to South America. The greatest numbers of species otherwise occur in the Oriental region with smaller numbers in the Ethiopian, eastern Palaearctic and Australian regions and in several islands of the South Pacific. D.rajasekari and D.raychaudhurii are synonymized with D.biamipes;also D.andamanensis Parshad & Singh is synonymized with D.andamanensis Gupta & Raychaudhuri.     

The African genera of Surinamellini (Heteroptera: Miridae) with the description of new species

Abstract The status of the African genera of the Surinamellini (Deraeocorinae) is reviewed, and keys are provided to the two genera and thirteen species now recognized. Makakix Odhiambo is synonymized with Opistocyclus Poppius, the synonymy of Tylopeltis Keuter with Glossopeltis Reuter by Linnavuori is upheld, and five new species of Glossopeltis are described.     

Improved tribal delimitation of the subfamily Dictyopharinae and description of new genera and new species (Homoptera,Fulgoroidea, Dictyopharidae)

Ten new genera, five new subgenera, and five new species are described in the family Dictyopharidae. Three generic names are synonymized. A new name is proposed for the generic homonym. Dictyophara kazeruna Dlabola is transferred to the genus Callodictya Melichar. The genus Sinodictya Matsumura, with the type species Sinodictya tukana Matsumura, is redescribed. A new key to the tribes of the subfamily Dictyopharinae is given. The composition and characters of the tribes Taosini and Lappidini are revised. All the genera of the subfamily Dictyopharinae are listed according to their tribal position. New records are given for some interesting species.     

Systematics of thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) associated with mosses

The systematic relationships between phlaeothripine Thysanoptera species suggest that moss-feeding is an uncommon and highly derived habit. It is restricted to a single sub-tribe, the Williamsiellina, which includes two genera, Lissothrips with 17 species and Williamsiella with 25 species. Although widely distributed, these genera are particularly common in the New World. Structural variation within and between populations of these small wingless insects is discussed and the conclusion reached that species cannot be defined satisfactorily in the common North American L. muscorum -group without experimental rearing. Trisclerothrips is synonymized with Lissothrips , and Prolissothrips, Microlissothrips and Phthirothrips are synonymized with Williamsiella . One specific synonym is established, and four new species are described: L. clayae from Trinidad, L. okajimai from Japan, W. tambopata from Peru and W. zaps from Fiji.     

A review of the Pterogeniidae (Goleoptera)

The Pterogeniidae, a family of beetles from Indoaustralia, are revised. They comprise five genera and 24 species. Three genera and 17 species are described as new and one species is synonymized. It is shown that the male and particularly the female genitalia provide useful means for species definition. The phylogenetic relationships are discussed based on a cladistic analysis of 23 morphological characters using PAUP. The analysis resulted in a single cladogram with following grouping: ( Kryptogenius + ( Tychogenius + ( Katagenius + ( Plerogenins + Histanocerus )))). For rooting the cladogram and polarizing the characters, Sivacrypticus indicus (Archeocrypticidae) was used as an outgroup. The majority of the species is restricted to insular tropical Asia and Oceania but four of them extend their range onto the Malayan Peninsula. Another four species are known only from continental Asia, i.e. two species from South India and one each from Malayan Peninsula and Vietnam respectively. Species of Kryptogenius, Pterogenius, Katagenius and Tychogenius are highly endemic and could therefore potentially be useful for analysing areas of endemism. For this, however, the cladistic relationships should be resolved at species level. Species of Histanocerus are more widely distributed but none is found on both sides of Wallace's line.     

A revision of the tribe Plectrothripini of fungus-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Phlaeothripinae)

Abstract The tribe Plectrothripini is redefined with examination of its systematic relationships. Keys are provided to the ten genera and forty-seven species in this tribe; one genus and eighteen species are newly described; one genus and two species are newly synonymized; two genera, Chiridothrips and Eurytrichothrips , are here removed from this tribe. The species of the tribe occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world; seventeen species are recorded from the Oriental Region, seventeen species from the Neotropical Region, ten species from the Afrotropical Region, two from Australia and one from the Pacific. They seem to be fungus-feeders, being found mainly under the bark of trees or on dead branches.     

Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: a molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs

Chromodorid nudibranchs (16 genera, 300+ species) are beautiful, brightly colored sea slugs found primarily in tropical coral reef habitats and subtropical coastal waters. The chromodorids are the most speciose family of opisthobranchs and one of the most diverse heterobranch clades. Chromodorids have the potential to be a model group with which to study diversification, color pattern evolution, are important source organisms in natural products chemistry and represent a stunning and widely compelling example of marine biodiversity. Here, we present the most complete molecular phylogeny of the chromodorid nudibranchs to date, with a broad sample of 244 specimens (142 new), representing 157 (106 new) chromodorid species, four actinocylcid species and four additional dorid species utilizing two mitochondrial markers (16s and COI). We confirmed the monophyly of the Chromodorididae and its sister group relationship with the Actinocyclidae. We were also able to, for the first time, test generic monophyly by including more than one member of all 14 of the non-monotypic chromodorid genera. Every one of these 14 traditional chromodorid genera are either non-monophyletic, or render another genus paraphyletic. Additionally, both the monotypic genera Verconia and Diversidoris are nested within clades. Based on data shown here, there are three individual species and five clades limited to the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (or just one of these ocean regions), while the majority of chromodorid clades and species are strictly Indo-Pacific in distribution. We present a new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. We use molecular data to untangle evolutionary relationships and retain a historical connection to traditional systematics by using generic names attached to type species as clade names.     

Phylogeny of the Gadidae (sensu Svetovidov, 1948) based on their morphology and two mitochondrial genes

Although Codfishes are probably one of the most studied groups of all teleost fishes worldwide owing to their great importance to fisheries, their phylogeny and classification are still far from being firmly established. In this study, we present phylogenetic relationships of 19 out of 22 genera traditionally included in the Gadidae based on the analysis of entire cytochrome b and partial cytochrome oxidase I genes (1530 bp). Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian analyses all recovered five main clades that correspond to traditionally recognized groupings within Gadoids. The same clades were recovered with MP analysis based on 30 morphological characters (collected from the literature). Given these findings, we propose a revised provisional classification of Gadoids: one suborder Gadoidei containing two families, the Merlucciidae (1 genus) and the Gadidae (21 genera) distributed into four subfamilies: the Gadinae (12 genera), the Lotinae (3 genera), the Gaidropsarinae (3 genera), and the Phycinae (3 genera). Lastly, nuclear inserts of mitochondrial DNA (Numts) were identified in two species, i.e., Gadiculus argenteus and Melanogrammus aeglefinus.     

种级异物同名处理及属名变动影响分析

讨论《国际动物命名法规》(简称《法规》)关于种级单元异物同名的处理及相关规定。以斧须隐翅虫亚科Oxyporinae的同名问题为例,笔者分析了属级单元名称变动对种级单元同名关系的影响。一些古老的属级单元有很长且比较复杂的分类历史,深入分析可将各类变化归纳为六类,其中三类与原同名有关,二类与后同名有关,余一类不再影响种级同名关系。文中讨论了第4版《法规》中与种级同名关系有关的若干重要变动,通过分析比较,说明《法规》的这类变动如何影响动物分类名称的稳定性与正确性。这些分析,可望有助于避免产生新的次同名,也有助于正确恰当地解决已有的同名问题。     

中国两栖、爬行动物更新名录

本文在2015年发表的爬行动物名录及同年《中国两栖类信息系统》发布的两栖动物名录的基础上, 通过整理新发表的分类学研究及先前名录遗漏的部分早期文献, 更新了截至2019年底中国现生本土两栖、爬行动物物种名录。2015-2019年间, 中国两栖动物新记录1科, 新描述2属, 恢复1属有效性, 新记录1属, 新描述或恢复有效种74种, 新增国家纪录18种; 另6属、8种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持(在此视为次定同物异名而未做收录, 后同)。同期, 中国爬行动物新恢复5科, 新描述1亚科, 新描述1属, 恢复3属有效性, 新记录3属, 新描述、恢复或提升有效种43个, 新增国家纪录10种; 另有5属、4种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持, 并移除1属、4种在我国的分布纪录。此外, 通过整理2015年前文献, 爬行动物增补3属, 提升3亚种至种级地位, 增补国家新纪录3种, 另有3属、2种的有效性未得到近年研究证据支持, 同时移除1种在我国的分布纪录。综上, 截至2019年底, 我国共记录现生本土两栖动物3目13科62属515种(蚓螈目1科1属1种, 有尾目3科14属82种, 无尾目9科47属431种), 爬行动物3目35科135属511种(鳄形目1科1属1种, 龟鳖目6科18属34种, 有鳞目蛇亚目18科73属265种、蜥蜴亚目10科43属211种)。此外, 本文还对先前名录中部分爬行动物的中文名提出了修改建议, 建议恢复部分物种的惯用中文名。2015-2019年, 新物种及新纪录已知物种数量占现两栖、爬行动物物种总数的17.1%和10.2%。近年来, 我国发表的两栖、爬行动物新物种和已知物种的新纪录数量持续增加, 分类体系也在研究中不断完善, 建议今后及时地进行阶段性总结, 同时对存在的问题提出讨论, 以推动中国两栖、爬行动物分类学研究工作的进一步开展。