Zootaxa

**Three new species of Philippine forest mice (Apomys, Muridae, Mammalia), members of a clade endemic to Mindoro Island**

2025-06-11T12:31:07+12:00

Apomys, a Philippine endemic genus of forest mice, occurs throughout most oceanic portions of the archipelago and is its most speciose mammal genus, with 18 species currently recognized. Recent extensive surveys of mammals on Mindoro Island have produced specimens that document the presence of three genetically and morphologically distinct candidate species of Apomys (subgenus Megapomys) previously unknown. These three, plus one previously described relative from Mindoro, constitute a clade of well-supported, reciprocally monophyletic units based on cytochrome b sequence data, all of which are strongly supported using BPP species delimitation. Data from three nuclear genes show less divergence, but species delimitation analyses are consistent with results from cytochrome b. These four taxa are easily diagnosed on the basis of pelage and cranial morphology. Each of the four species occurs allopatrically, though two occur along a single elevational gradient. In this paper, we formally describe the three new species. We estimate that the common ancestor of the four species arrived on Mindoro from Luzon roughly 4.7 Ma, with initial diversification beginning roughly 2.7 Ma, and increasing to the current four species about 1.3 Ma. The three new species increase the number of mammals currently recognized as endemics on Mindoro from nine to twelve. This is a remarkably high number of endemic mammals from an island of its size, and reflects Mindoro’s status as a geologically old island permanently isolated from other oceanic islands in the Philippines by deep water, while also corroborating Mindoro as the smallest island within which endemic speciation by small mammals is known to have occurred.

**Systematics of Ecuadorian anoles: Anolis bitectus Cope, 1864 and A. lemniscatus Boulenger, 1898, two junior synonyms of A. binotatus Peters, 1863 (Reptilia: Squamata: Anolidae)**

2025-06-11T12:32:42+12:00

More than a century ago, three species of lizard with similar morphology were described from Ecuador: Anolis binotatus Peters 1863, A. bitectus Cope 1864, and A. lemniscatus Boulenger 1898. We studied the genetics, type material and morphological variation throughout the range of these forms to evaluate the taxonomic status of these names. Our phylogenetic analyses, based on mitochondrial genes such as COI and ND2, and a nuclear gene such as RAG1 revealed three geographically structured clades (northern, central and southern) similar in morphology and coloration, that did not correspond to the three species in question. Similarly, we found no justification for recognizing all three species based on examination of type material and comparisons of morphology across the geographic range of specimens assigned to the three species. Although there were significant differences in snout length and the number of scales between the interparietal and supraorbital semicircles among recovered molecular clades, we do not consider these differences as diagnostic at the species level. Therefore, we propose that A. binotatus is a senior synonym of both A. bitectus and A. lemniscatus. We provide a new description and variation of A. binotatus, including hemipenis, natural history, geographic distribution and conservation status.

**A new species of hermit crab provisionally assigned to the genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae) from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan**

2025-06-11T12:34:02+12:00

A new pagurid hermit crab species, Pagurus inflatus sp. nov., has been provisionally assigned to the heterogeneous genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775. This new species is characteristic in its elongated right cheliped with a noticeably inflated and produced proximoventral surface of the carpus, while lacking secondary sexual modification. Two male specimens of the new species were collected from depths of 159–174 m off Amami-ohshima Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. While P. inflatus sp. nov. bears some resemblance to species of Goreopagurus McLaughlin, 1988 and of Spathapagurus Lemaitre & Felder, 2011, particularly in the structure of the right cheliped. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis using nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA gene did not support its close relationship to G. pearcei (Wass, 1963), the type species of Goreopagurus. Although no genetic data are available for species of Spathapagurus, the absence of short sexual tubes in males, as well as other features derived from the shield and ambulatory legs, set the new species apart from Spathapagurus.

A new species of sea cucumber, Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) serishae sp. nov., from southern Mozambique and two new southern African records (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Holothuriida: Holothuriidae)

2025-06-11T12:35:08+12:00

Thandar (2007) described two sea cucumber specimens taken from off the coast of southern Mozambique as Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) integra Koehler & Vaney, 1908. He suspected that these might represent a new species or subspecies but hesitated to describe them as such. Now, on more careful examination of that material and literature, it is clear that the Mozambique material is sufficiently distinct from that described from other parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean to warrant the establishment of a new species, herein named Holothuria (Vaneyothuria) serishae sp. nov. It is based collectively on the multiplicity of the Polian vesicles and stone canals, the prominent posteriorly displaced water ring, and the absence of Cuvierian tubules. In addition, two new southern African records and two others, overlooked by Thandar (2022) in his extensive monograph, are here briefly included to add to the total composition of the southern African holothuroid fauna, south of the tropic of Capricorn. The new records are Actinopyga crassa Panning, 1944 and Holothuria (Stauropora) cf. hawaiiensis Fisher, 1907, while the two overlooked by Thandar (2022) are Actinopyga obesa Selenka, 1867 and Holothuria (Stichothuria) coronopertusa Cherbonnier & Feral, 1981. The latter species, taken from Sodwana Bay, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, by Dr. Yves Samyn and his team, is still in the process of re-description and re-classification, but is here included to add to the total composition of the southern Africa sea cucumber fauna. These increase the number of southern African holothuroids recorded by Thandar (2022) from 171 to 175 nominal species and that of South Africa alone from 152 to 156 nominal species.

**Taxonomic revision of the rare Afrotropical genus Chortastus Schaufuss (Coleoptera: Scolytinae)**

2025-06-11T12:36:19+12:00

The Afrotropical genus Chortastus Schaufuss, 1905 is revised and contains five species: Chortastus camerunus Schaufuss, 1905, Chortastus minimus Hagedorn, 1909 (= Chortastus medius Eggers, 1924, syn. nov.), Chortastus schenklingi Hagedorn, 1909, and Chortastus verrucosus sp. nov., all distributed in the greater Congo Basin, and Chortastus orientalis Schedl, 1957 from Tanzania. All species are illustrated and a key to species is provided.

**New synonymies between Afrotropical Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Onthophagini)**

2025-06-11T12:37:44+12:00

Three new synonymies between Afrotropical species-group names in the genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 are proposed based on morphological evidence: Onthophagus mactatus Klug, 1855 = O. talpa Fåhræus in Boheman, 1857 new subjective synonymy = O. lamelliger Gerstaecker, 1871 new subjective synonymy, O. ganalensis Gestro, 1895 = O. omostigma d’Orbigny, 1902 new subjective synonymy. Lectotypes of O. ganalensis and O. omostigma are designated. The putative synonymy between O. talpa and Onthophagus guttatus Boheman, 1860 proposed by Péringuey is rejected. Types of all species are illustrated. Synonymies are shared on the web in the form of nanopublications.

**Resurrection of the dead: on the validity of the micro-endemic lizard Mediodactylus dehakroensis (Masroor, 2009) from Pakistan**

2025-06-11T12:40:52+12:00