Zootaxa

**Taxonomic review of the Neotropical genera Alvarinus Blanchard, 1850 and Corminus Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Macrodactylini), with remarks on related genera**

2026-04-07T11:48:47+12:00

The taxonomy of Alvarinus Blanchard, 1850 and Corminus Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Macrodactylini) is reviewed. Corminus, formerly a synonym of Alvarinus, is revalidated. With the new changes proposed here, Alvarinus now includes three species: A. fuscoviridis (Moser, 1918), comb. nov. (formerly in Plectris); A. submetallicus Blanchard, 1850 (type species); and A. viridifuscus (Moser, 1918), comb. nov. (formerly in Plectris). Corminus now includes 12 species, of which one is a new species: Corminus vazdemelloi Albuquerque, Fuhrmann, & Iannuzzi. Five species formerly included in Alvarinus are here transferred to other genera: Clavipalpus guayaquilanus (Moser, 1921), comb. nov.; Clavipalpus subsericeus (Blanchard, 1850), comb. nov.; Rhinaspis oblonga (Moser, 1919), comb. nov.; Rhinaspis parvula (Moser, 1919), comb. nov.; and Rhinaspis varians (Moser, 1921), comb. nov. Eighteen lectotypes are designated: Alvarinus hilarii Blanchard, 1850 (now in Corminus); A. pallidipennis Blanchard, 1850 (now in Corminus); Alvarinus submetallicus; A. subsericeus (now in Clavipalpus); Corminus bahianus Moser, 1919; Corminus brasiliensis Moser, 1919; Corminus guayaquilanus Moser, 1921 (now in Clavipalpus); Corminus luridipennis Burmeister, 1855 (a synonym of Corminus pallidipennis); Corminus maniculatus Burmeister, 1855 (a synonym of Corminus hilarii); Corminus oblongus Moser, 1919 (now in Rhinaspis); Corminus parvulus Moser, 1919 (now in Rhinaspis); Corminus rufofuscus Moser, 1924; Corminus setulosus Moser, 1919 (a synonym of Corminus brasiliensis); Corminus testaceipennis Moser, 1921; Corminus varians Moser, 1921 (now in Rhinaspis); Philochloenia aeneicollis Moser, 1921 (now in Corminus); Philochlaenia fuscoviridis Moser, 1918 (now in Alvarinus); and Philochlaenia viridifusca Moser, 1918 (now in Alvarinus). Five new synonymies are proposed: Corminus maniculatus Burmeister, 1855 and Plectris rectangula Frey, 1967 (formerly a synonym of Corminus pallidipenis) are synonyms of Corminus hilarii; Corminus luridipennis Burmeister, 1855 is synonym of Corminus pallidipennis; Corminus setulosus Moser, 1919 is synonym of Corminus brasiliensis; and Plectris curtisetis Frey, 1969 is synonym of A. submetallicus. Keys to Alvarinus and Corminus species, new geographic records, and upates to the classification of Clavipalpus Laporte, 1832 and Rhinaspis Perty, 1833 are also provided.

**A taxonomic revision of the genus Nothris Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Afrotropical region**

2026-04-07T11:52:20+12:00

The Afrotropical species of Nothris are revised, and the genus is re-described, incorporating the Afrotropical species. A total of twelve species are recognized as valid, of which seven are described as new based on morphological and molecular evidences: N. mediofasciata sp. nov. (South Africa and Lesotho), N. tornilineata sp. nov. (South Africa), N. basipunctella sp. nov. (South Africa), N. nigrovenata sp. nov. (South Africa), N. lativalva sp. nov. (South Africa), N. nyangensis sp. nov. (Zimbabwe and South Africa), N. nigrisparsus sp. nov. (South Africa). Additionally, the following taxonomic changes are proposed: Ptychovalva trimaculata Janse, 1960 is combined as Nothris trimaculata (Janse, 1960) comb. nov., Gelechia anagramma Meyrick, 1921 as Nothris anagramma (Meyrick, 1921) comb. nov., and Gelechia leucodoxa Meyrick, 1920 as Schizovalva leucodoxa (Meyrick, 1920) comb. nov. Gelechia (Brachmia) trigella Zeller, 1852 is transferred from family Gelechiidae to Autostichidae (under subfamily Symmocinae) and provisionally classified as Symmoca trigella (Zeller, 1852) comb. nov. Finally, the taxonomic status of Nothris dissidens Meyrick, 1913 is discussed, and the lectotype is designated for Gelechia obruta Meyrick, 1921.

**New species, hosts, and records of Aporobopyrus Nobili, 1906 (Isopoda: Bopyridae: Pseudioninae)**

2026-04-07T11:53:16+12:00

One new species and new records of four other species of the parasitic isopod genus Aporobopyrus Nobili, 1906 are reported, all with host records. Aporobopyrus asymmetricus sp. nov. is described infesting Petrolisthes teres Melin, 1939 in Australia, and it can be distinguished from congeners by the asymmetry lateral plates of pleomere 1 and having a pleotelson with distinct lateral plates. Aporobopyrus parvulus (Bourdon, 1983) is recorded from Kiribati, Line Islands, infesting Petrolisthes perdecorus Haig, 1981. Aporobopyrus aff. parvus Shiino, 1939 is recorded from the French Antilles, infesting Petrolisthes caribensis Werding, 1983; it is morphologically close to A. parvus from Japan. Aporobopyrus ryukyuensis Shiino, 1939 is reported from the Philippines infesting Petrolisthes tenkatei de Man, 1893. A new record of A. curtatus (Richardson, 1904) from Florida is also reported from Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850). We review hosts and distributions of all Aporobopyrus, and provide a key to its species.

**Reviving Plecoptera research in Pakistan after five decades: faunistic review and redescription of Mesonemoura skardui (Aubert, 1959)**

2026-04-07T11:54:08+12:00

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are vital bioindicators of freshwater health, playing a foundational role in stream ecosystems worldwide. Despite their ecological significance, Pakistan’s stonefly fauna remains largely unexplored, presenting an untapped frontier for biodiversity research. Positioned at the convergence of the Palearctic and Oriental realms, Pakistan’s diverse landscapes from the towering peaks of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram to the western Himalayas, offer rich, largely unstudied habitats for aquatic species. This study aims to revive interest in Plecoptera research by providing a comprehensive review of species distributions across Pakistan, including an extensive literature survey and the redescription of Mesonemoura skardui (Aubert, 1959). The study highlights the significance of local Plecoptera research while enhancing a global understanding of this country’s fauna. The Plecoptera fauna of Pakistan comprises six families, 10 genera, and 20 documented species. This research presents a species checklist, distribution map, and identification key for adult families and genera, with the Nemouridae family being the most species-rich, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which emerges as a hotspot for stonefly diversity. Beyond documenting current species, the study identifies research gaps and proposes strategies to further explore Pakistan’s Plecoptera fauna. As the first major study of its kind in > 50 years, this work revitalizes interest in the region’s stonefly diversity and lays a foundation for future research, offering a pathway for ongoing exploration and conservation of this essential insect group.

Discogobio acutusirostris, a new species of cyprinids (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from the middle Chang-Jiang basin in Guizhou Province, China

2026-04-07T11:55:03+12:00

Discogobio acutusirostris, a new species, is here described from the Yuanjiang River of the middle Chang-Jiang basin in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. It can be assigned to the species group of Discogobio diagnosed by having a large mental adhesive disc with its edge margin extending to or beyond the vertical through the anterior edge of eye and a snout covered with small tubercles. The new species is separated from all other species of this group by having many rows of dark brown spots along scale rows on the flank, an unscaled region of the abdomen adjacent to the ventral mid-line restricted only to the bases of pectoral fins, a shorter snout, a stout caudal peduncle and shorter pectoral fins. The validity of D. acutusirostris is also corroborated in a phylogenetic analysis based on the cytochrome b gene. A lectotype is here designated for D. brachyphysallidos.

The subfamily Haplophthalminae (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Trichoniscidae) from Georgian caves (Caucasus), with descriptions of a new genus and two new species

2026-04-07T11:55:55+12:00

Five species of troglobiotic terrestrial isopods belonging to the subfamily Haplophthalminae, family Trichoniscidae, are reported from caves in Georgia. A new species in the genus Colchidoniscus (Colchidoniscus fissus Taiti & Shavadze sp. nov.) and a new genus and species (Imeretioniscus tricostatus Taiti & Shavadze gen. et sp. nov.) are described. The subspecies Colchidoniscus kutaissianus motenae Borutzky, 1974 is raised to species rank. Diagnostic characters and affinities of all taxa are discussed. A key to the species is also provided.

Cryphodera lithocarpus sp. nov. (Nematoda: Heteroderidae), a new species of cystoid nematode from roots and surrounding soil of Lithocarpus uvariifolius in Guangdong, China

2026-04-07T11:56:51+12:00

Cryphodera lithocarpus sp. nov., collected from roots and rhizospheric soil of Lithocarpus uvariifolius in Guangdong province, China. The new species was characterized by having the female nearly spherical, labial region offset, stylet length 38.9 (37.4–40.3) μm, vulval lips protruding, area between vulva and anus concave, vulva–anus distance 52.3 (31.1–62.7) μm; second stage juvenile with 2 lip annules, stylet length 30.7 (28.4–32.4) μm, lateral field areolated with 3 incisures, tail 60.5 (49.6–68.0) μm long, with narrow rounded terminus, hyaline region 31.7 (24.0–39.2) μm long and hyaline region approximately equal to stylet. The new species was close to C. guangdongensis, C. sinensis and C. japonicum. The phylogenetic trees based on the ITS-rRNA, 28S-rRNA D2-D3 region and the partial COI gene sequences showed that the new species clustered with Cryphodera species but with separate species status. A key to the species of the genus Cryphodera is also provided in this study.

**New species of Homidia (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from Yunnan, China: morphology, DNA barcodes and first instar characteristics**

2026-04-07T11:57:50+12:00

This study formally describes a new species of Homidia Börner from Yunnan, China. Homidia quadripora sp. nov. is distinctly characterized by its purple body pigmentation, a V-shaped unpigmented area on the head, a lighter purple patch in the middle on the posterior half of the forth abdominal segment, four M-series mac-chaetae on the head, four pseudopores on the coxae of the mid leg, and a mac-chaeta m5 on the first abdominal segment. Comparative morphological and molecular analyses (using COI sequences) with phenotypically similar Homidia species corroborate its distinctiveness and support its designation as a new species. Furthermore, this research offers a crucial description of its first instar characteristics, comparing them with adult features and early stages of other Homidia species to illustrate developmental changes and differences.

Redescription of Austinixa leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae) and synonymy of A. roblesi Palacios Theil & Felder, 2020, with an updated identification key to the genus

2026-04-07T11:58:42+12:00

A comprehensive redescription of the pinnotherid crab, Austinixa leptodactyla (Coelho, 1997), is presented. The original description of this species is brief and supported by low-resolution illustrations, limiting its diagnostic utility. Here, we provide an updated and detailed redescription based on the holotype and additional material from Alagoas, Brazil. All diagnostic structures are fully illustrated. Examination of the holotype and paratypes of A. roblesi Palacios Theil & Felder, 2020, shows that these specimens agree with the holotype of A. leptodactyla in all key morphological traits. No consistent or diagnostic characters were detected that would support their separation as distinct taxa. Based on the currently available evidence, A. roblesi is here regarded as a junior synonym of A. leptodactyla. An updated identification key to the species of Austinixa is also provided.

**Three new species of Azana Walker (Diptera: Mycetophilidae: Sciophilinae) from South Korea**

2026-04-07T11:59:39+12:00

The genus Azana Walker is a small group within the family Mycetophilidae, comprising 17 described species globally. However, it has not been previously studied in Korea. This study describes three new species of the genus from South Korea: Azana dentata sp. nov., Azana lunulata sp. nov., and Azana tricona sp. nov. The material examined, detailed descriptions, photographs of diagnostic characters, taxonomic remarks, and habitat and ecological notes are provided.

**Larval morphology of Chimarra argax Malicky 1989 (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae) with molecular data from Tan stream, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand**

2026-04-07T12:00:28+12:00

The final-instar larva of Chimarra argax from southern Thailand is described and illustrated. The larva has a yellowish sclerotized head, pronotum, legs, and anal claws; the mesonotum, metanotum, and abdominal segments are membraneous. The anterior margin of the frontoclypeus in C. argax is slightly asymmetrical, featuring a central U-shaped incision flanked by two lump-like structures of unequal size, the left being slightly wider than the right. In addition, we analyzed the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the larva and confirmed adult material of C. argax, and compared the nucleotide sequences with those of closely related species. The resulting the COI Maximum Likelihood diagram supports the association of larval and adult C. argax as well as the assumption that C. argax is genetically distinct from C. shanorum, C. gether, and C. ariadne. Furthermore, C. argax and C. shanorum were assessed as being sister species forming a monophyletic clade.

**Erratum: RAFAŁ BERNARD & BOGUSŁAW DARAŻ (2026) Paragomphus sofiae sp. nov.—a new spotted species of Hooktail from Madagascar (Odonata: anisoptera: gomphidae). Zootaxa, 5757 (4): 357–368.**

2026-04-07T12:01:32+12:00