Zootaxa

**Revision of the Lygodactylus tolampyae complex, with descriptions of three additional new dwarf gecko species from Madagascar’s North West**

2025-07-22T11:40:31+12:00

The Lygodactylus tolampyae complex currently contains four nominal species of dwarf geckos from the North West and West of Madagascar. These four species are genetically distinct but have been flagged as morphologically cryptic, with only very subtle differences in scale counts between them. Based on new collections and extended molecular datasets, we here investigate the genetic and morphological differentiation of this species complex. We find seven deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages separated by 9.7–18.0% uncorrected pairwise distance in the 16S rRNA gene which correspond to the four recognized species and three further candidate species. Not a single instance of haplotype sharing between any of these lineages was found in four nuclear-encoded gene fragments, despite several of these lineages occurring in close geographic proximity or even syntopy. A Principal Component Analysis of morphometric measurements and meristic characters confirmed a wide overlap of most species in morphospace, but the new data also confirm statistically significant differences between numerous lineages in scale counts and morphometric ratios. We conclude that the three candidate species previously known only from very limited material and named Lygodactylus sp. 25, L. sp. 28 and L. sp. 29 correspond to distinct species which we formally name as L. andavambato sp. nov., L. anjajavy sp. nov., and L. arnei sp. nov. One of the new species, L. andavambato sp. nov. from the limestone karst of the Tsingy de Namoroka, has a peculiar phenotype with slender body and legs, and regular dark crossbands on the tail, differing from all other species in the L. tolampyae complex while superficially reminding L. rarus, a species from the limestone karst massif of Ankarana but belonging to another species group in Lygodactylus. The taxonomic progress, in only a few years, from a single species L. tolampyae to now seven species in this complex calls for further revisionary work, including more fieldwork to survey forest fragments and rocky outcrops across Madagascar which may host yet unknown locally endemic species of dwarf geckos.

On the Colombian longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): A new species and new distribution records

2025-07-22T11:41:56+12:00

A new species of Colobothea (Lamiinae: Colobotheini), Colobothea carlosi sp. nov. is described from Colombia. Five new country records for Colombia are provided: Callichroma gounellei Achard, 1910; Lagocheirus araneiformis parvulus Casey, 1913; Leptostylus batesi Casey, 1913; Steirastoma lituratum Bates, 1885 and Sangaris ordinale Monné & Monné, 2009. Additionally, 30 new departmental records are provided, expanding the geographical distribution knowledge for the department of Sucre on the Caribbean side of Colombia.

Species of Eupelmidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from the Fujian Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, China

2025-07-22T11:43:06+12:00

The Fujian Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, located in Fujian Province, southeastern China, has revealed a remarkable diversity of Eupelmidae (Hymenoptera) species through several years of investigation. Fourteen species are newly recorded from this reserve, including two new species, Australoodera chenghuang Li & Peng sp. nov. and Zaischnopsis tianbaoyanensis Li & Peng sp. nov. One genus, Australoodera Girault n. rec. and one species, Eupelmus iris Fusu & Gibson n. rec. are newly recorded for China, the other eleven species include Anastatus gansuensis Chen & Zang, A. gastropachae Ashmead, A. japonicus Ashmead, A. shichengensis Sheng & Wang, Coryptilus longicervix Kawano & Fusu, Eupelmus luteipes Fusu & Gibson, E. peculiaris Narendran, E. pini Taylor, E. testaceiventris Motschulsky, Zaischnopsis fumosa Peng & Xiang, and Z. pacis Jiang & Peng. All species are illustrated, with the two new species described and illustrated in detail. Additionally, COI sequences for the two new species and five other eupelmids from the reserve are provided.

**Three new species of the subgenus Tenuibaetis Kang & Yang, 1994 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from India**

2025-07-22T11:44:08+12:00

We morphologically describe three new species of the subgenus Tenuibaetis Kang & Yang, 1994 based on larvae recently collected from streams and rivers in different states of North India. Baetis (Tenuibaetis) dzulekensis sp. nov. is characterized by labrum rounded, dorsal submarginal arc of setae composed with 1+5 simple setae; dorsal margin of forefemora with 24–25 long, stout, spatulate 2-channel setae. Baetis (Tenuibaetis) jhargramensis sp. nov. is characterized by submarginal arc of labrum with 1+6 simple setae; dorsal margin of forefemur with 20–21 long, stout, apically rounded 2-channel setae. B. (T.) reasiensis sp. nov. is characterized by labrum with dorsal submarginal arc of 1+7 simple setae; dorsal margin of forefemur with row of 22–23 long, stout, apically rounded 2-channel setae; claw with a row of 12 denticles. Additionally, we provide ecological notes on the streams and rivers where these species were collected. A comparison of the morphological characters of all known species of Tenuibaetis from India is also provided.

Independent lineages from five zoogeographic realms: the mitochondrial genome of Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) gurneyi Warburton, 1926 (Acari: Argasidae) confirms paraphyly of the subgenus Pavlovskyella Pospelova-Shtrom, 1950

2025-07-22T11:45:08+12:00

Mitochondrial (mt) genomes have played a major role in elucidating evolutionary relationships in ticks (Ixodida), especially in soft ticks (Argasidae). Mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced for representatives of most of the genera and other major lineages. This includes members of the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical and Palearctic Pavlovskyella Pospelova-Shtrom, 1950, which is a subgenus of Ornithodoros Koch, 1844. These continent-associated lineages do not form a monophyletic group: rather, the subgenus Pavlovskyella is paraphyletic. The only zoogeographic region for which mt genomes are not available is the Australasian region. Here we report the first mt genome of an Australasian Pavlovskyella: Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) gurneyi Warburton, 1926, the kangaroo soft tick. [The companion paper to the present work, Barker et al. (2025), presents the mt genome, 18S and 28S rRNA of the only other known Australasian Pavlovskyella, McMillan’s Australian tree-hollow argasid, Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) macmillani Hoogstraal & Kohls, 1966.] Our phylogenetic trees reveal that the two Australasian Pavlovskyella have their own clade (i.e. are sister-taxa) which does not have a sister-group relationship with species of Pavlovskyella from any of the four other zoogeographic regions. We propose that the Pavlovskyella from the Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical and Palearctic zoogeographic regions have independent evolutionary histories and thus are best considered different genera. Molecular dating leads us to propose that continental drift may have caused the evolution of five different lineages of Pavlovskyella, each in a different zoogeographic region of the world.

**A new species, Dichomeris stellata sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), with a checklist of the genus from Korea**

2025-07-22T11:46:20+12:00

This study reports the discovery of a new species, Dichomeris stellata sp. nov., and provides a checklist of Dichomeris species from Korea. The description and diagnostic morphological characteristics of the new species are provided, along with detailed illustrations of the adults and genitalia. In addition, the NJ tree based on COI sequences of the new species and congeners also supports the novelty of the taxon presented here as D. stellata sp. nov.

**Vocalizations of three species of Plectrohyla (Hylidae: Hylinae), with comments on natural history**

2025-07-22T11:47:10+12:00

Vocalizations of many species in the genus Plectrohyla Brocchi, 1877 remain underexplored. This study provides a description of the vocalizations of P. catracha (Porras & Wilson, 1987) and P. insolita (McCranie et al., 1993) and the re-description of the call of P. ixil Stuart, 1942. The advertisement call of P. catracha is a short pulsed call with ascending amplitude modulation, duration of 41 ± 8 ms (20–80 ms), dominant frequency of 2,761 ± 151 Hz (2,411–3,100 Hz), and pulse rate of 101 ± 13 pulses/s (67–150 pulses/s). The territorial call consists of a repertoire of short trills emitted in brief series of 3–6 calls, each with a duration of 15 ± 6 ms (4–20 ms), dominant frequency of 2,725 ± 410 Hz (2,067–3,100 Hz), and pulse rate of 158 ± 55 pulses/s (100–250 pulses/s). The series of territorial calls last 650 ± 110 ms (480–840 ms). Plectrohyla catracha vocalizes from vegetation and water surfaces, with peak activity during the rainy season. The advertisement call of P. insolita is a short, “click” sound and consists of a single, pulsatile call with descending amplitude modulation, duration of 60 ± 10 ms (50–70 ms), and dominant frequency of 1,894 ± 172 Hz (1,722–2,067 Hz). Plectrohyla insolita is less frequently encountered, calling from elevated positions over streams while also displaying egg-attendance of multiple clutches. Plectrohyla ixil produces a long, single, pulsatile call with ascending amplitude modulation, duration of 244 ± 28 ms (220–280 ms), and dominant frequency of 1,274 ± 83 Hz (1,125–1,312 Hz). We assessed the variation within the known acoustics of the clade composed by Plectrohyla, Sarcohyla Duellman et al., 2016 and Exerodonta Brocchi, 1879, and discuss some patterns in call parameters among species of these genera and other Hylini.

**Notes on the genus Xizicus Gorochov, 1993 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) with one new species from Hunan, China**

2025-07-22T11:48:01+12:00

This paper reports one new species of the genus Xizicus Gorochov, 1993, i.e. Xizicus (Eoxizicus) mangshanensis sp. nov. We supplement the description of Xizicus (Eoxizicus) parallelus (Liu & Zhang, 2000) and describe the female of Xiphidiopsis (Euxiphidiopsis) quadridentata (Liu & Zhang, 2000) for the first time. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, P. R. China.

**A new species of Lamiogethes Audisio & Cline from Central China (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae)**

2025-07-22T11:48:55+12:00

A new species of Lamiogethes (L. acutus Liu, Wang & Audisio sp. nov.) is described based on a series of specimens recently collected in Shennongjia National Forest Park (Hubei Province, Central China). The habitus, and genitalia of this new species are described and figured. Genital characters of the new species are in both sexes markedly different from those of any other known Eastern Palaearctic or Oriental species of Lamiogethes, and its phylogenetic relationships with other members of this huge genus are thus far unclear, although its closer relationships with members of the SW Chinese L. conjungens/potanini species-complex are well supported on morphological base. The paper also discusses the unexpected evidence that specimens of the new species were collected from flowers of family Hydrangeaceae, a plant family unrelated to any other known host plant of Meligethinae, with high females/males’ ratio (ca. 7:1).

**Report of Loricophrya sivertseni (Ciliophora: Suctorea) as epibiont on nematodes (Nematoda) from oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean**

2025-07-22T11:49:55+12:00