Zootaxa

In memoriam of František Balát on the centenary of his birth

2025-09-16T11:28:09+12:00

This paper is dedicated to the memory of the prominent Czechoslovak ornithologist and phthirapterist František Balát (22 July 1925–20 April 1992), who would have celebrated his centenary this year. Both published and unpublished data, and memories from his colleagues and friends are included. In particular, we discuss his work in the field of chewing lice (Phthiraptera) as a leading world expert. His intensive louse collecting and knowledge of their avian hosts, made a great contribution to knowledge of distribution and biology of many European chewing louse species. The origins and a brief description of Balát’s louse collection is given.

Two new members of Tridactylidae (Orthoptera: Caelifera) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber

2025-09-16T11:29:08+12:00

Two new members of Tridactylidae Brullé, 1835 are described based on specimens found in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from Northern Myanmar. Duappendactylus melanocephalus gen. et sp. nov. is assigned to the family based on its two-segmented cerci and inflated mesotibia. It is similar to Birmitoxya Gorochov, 2010 by its lack of (visible) paraproctal processes and the presence of an elongated, upward-facing subgenital plate, but differs from that genus in several other aspects of its morphology. Additionally, we describe Hiemalidactylus eileenae gen. et sp. nov. based on a well preserved, presumably nymphal specimen. It is assigned to Tridactylidae based on the two-segmented cerci and the inflated mesotibia. Like the two aforementioned genera, Hiemalidactylus does not have cerciform paraproctal processes. However, this genus differs from Birmitoxya and Duappendactylus by not having an elongated subgenital plate. Instead, the paraproct is elongated and reaches almost the length of the basal segment of the cercus. These new species of Tridactylidae raise the diversity of this family known from Kachin amber to nine genera and eleven species.

**The Scopaeus decipiens species group from the East Palaearctic and the Oriental Regions, with redescription of S. velutinus Motschulsky, 1858**

2025-09-16T11:30:06+12:00

The Scopaeus decipiens species group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini) is established as a monophyletic group in the Oriental Zoogeographical Region. It includes the four species S. complex Sharp, 1874 (China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam), S. decipiens Kraatz, 1859 (Sri Lanka), S. kritschi spec. nov. (Cambodia, Laos), and S. saaberae spec. nov. (Indonesia, Malaysia). Scopaeus decipiens is revalidated from synonymy with S. velutinus Motschulsky, 1848, which does not belong to the S. decipiens species group. Scopaeus complex, S. decipiens, and S. velutinus are redescribed, and lectotypes designated for them.

**Revision of Indian Cyphochilus Waterhouse, 1867 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) with description of two new species**

2025-09-16T11:31:02+12:00

The genus Cyphochilus Waterhouse, 1867 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) comprises 62 species worldwide. A comprehensive examination of 260 specimens from India—including type material and additional specimens from institutional and private collections—confirms the presence of eight species in the country. This includes two new species, Cyphochilus kukriana Sreedevi, Sahoo & Sabatinelli, sp. nov. and C. pentaphysia Sreedevi, Sahoo & Sabatinelli, sp. nov., and the first Indian record of C. tenzingyatsoi Sabatinelli, 2020. The following synonymy is proposed: Cyphochilus niveosquamosus (Blanchard, 1851) = C. oberthueri Brenske, 1903. Based on the original descriptions and type localities, C. manipurensis Nonfried, 1893 and C. waterhousei Brenske, 1903 are also considered potentially referable to C. niveosquamosus. A systematic account, including detailed illustrations of the habitus and aedeagus for all species, along with an updated checklist of Indian Cyphochilus, is provided.

**A new species of seed-harvester ant in the genus Pogonomyrmex (P. brevibarbis group) with ergatoid queens and intercastes from the Andes of Argentina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)**

2025-09-16T11:32:54+12:00

South American species of seed-harvester ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex are interesting biologically because of their numerous queen phenotypes and life histories. This paper describes Pogonomyrmex eremicus n. sp., which belongs to the P. brevibarbis group. Pogonomyrmex eremicus is the first described species in the P. brevibarbis group to have ergatoid queens, and it also has intercastes with ergatoid queens, as opposed to alate queens. These intercastes all have similar morphology and none are intermediate to workers and ergatoid queens in size—rather they completely overlap with workers for four morphological measures (head width, head length, mesosoma length, pronotum width). Both ergatoid queens and intercastes are novel phenotypes that are assessed for fit to two prominent caste determination models—the standard and hourglass models. Both castes better fit the standard model of caste determination. Lastly, P. eremicus appears to be a narrow endemic that is restricted to a localized area of the Uspallata-Calingasta Valley that lies between the Precordillera and Andean Cordillera of Mendoza Province, Argentina.

**New species and new records of Renda Blackwelder, 1952 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Xantholinini) from Brazil, with an updated key to the species of the genus**

2025-09-16T11:33:41+12:00

We describe three new species of the genus Renda Blackwelder, 1952 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Xantholinini), R. aneba Klemann-Junior, Barroso & Márquez sp. nov., R. boiuna Klemann-Junior, Barroso & Márquez sp. nov., and R. carauariense Klemann-Junior, Barroso & Márquez sp. nov., from Amazonas state, in the north of Brazil. We illustrate major diagnostic features and include the new species in the key to Renda species published by Márquez (2010). In addition, we present new distribution records for R. brachyptera (Sharp, 1885), R. brasiliana (Bernhauer, 1927), R. cariniventris Márquez, 2010, R. clavicornis (Sharp, 1876), R. fimetaria (Sharp, 1876), R. formicaria (Laporte, 1835), R. minor (Sharp, 1876), and R. ophthalmica Márquez, 2010 from Brazil. Renda brachyptera and R. ophthalmica are recorded for the country for the first time.

**New taxonomic data on African Chironidae: Description of Chiron vignei Huchet sp. nov. from Tanzania (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)**

2025-09-16T11:34:48+12:00

A new species of the genus Chiron MacLeay, 1819, Chiron vignei Huchet sp. nov., is described from Tanzania and compared with morphologically similar species. This new taxon belongs to the cylindrus species group, defined by a quadridentate labrum and an aedeagus with long, apically acuminate parameres. A distribution map of Chiron vignei Huchet sp. nov. is provided, along with an identification key to Tanzanian species with a quadridentate labrum.

**Two new species and a new synonym of Oedignatha Thorell, 1881 from China (Araneae: Liocranidae)**

2025-09-16T11:35:48+12:00

Two new species of Oedignatha Thorell, 1881 are described from China: O. tongbiguan sp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan Province and O. zham sp. nov. (♂♀) from Xizang Autonomous Region. Images and detailed descriptions of the habitus and copulatory organs of both species are provided. Moreover, Koppe ninger Chu & Li, 2023 is proposed as a junior synonym of Oedignatha dian Lu & Li, 2023.

**First record of the Plebejus christophi (Staudinger, 1874) species group in Europe with description of a new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)**

2025-09-16T11:36:48+12:00

Previously unknown geographically isolated populations of recently described species from northwestern Kazakhstan, P. karinae Churkin & Krupitsky 2025, are discovered in Astrakhan Oblast, Lower Volga Region, Russia. A new subspecies, P. karinae artifex ssp. nov., is described, being the first record of the mostly Central Asian desert P. christophi (Staudinger, 1874) species group from Russia and Europe. Compared to the nominotypical subspecies, the new subspecies differs in grey ventral side of the wings, bright reddish elements of the submarginal pattern of the ventral side of the wings, darker dorsal side of the wings in males and brown dorsal side of the wings lacking blue colouration in females.

Tayninhon nuibaden, a new genus and new species of freshwater crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae) from Ba Den Mountain, Southeast Vietnam

2025-09-16T11:37:42+12:00

Recent surveys in Ba Den Mountain, Southeast Vietnam, found one new genus and species of the potamid, Tayninhon nuibaden gen. nov., sp. nov. The new genus is characterised by its medium adult carapace size, relatively flat, rugose and striae on the carapace dorsal surface, low epigastric, postorbital cristae and epibranchial tooth; the anterolateral margin is serrated; relatively wide thoracic sternum with smooth surface; sternopleonal cavity reaching to the imaginary line connecting anterior edges of cheliped coxae; relatively narrow telson; the male first gonopod is sinuous with relatively broad subterminal segment, and the terminal segment hook-shaped with a fold at the basal part, distal part curved inwards, tip sharp; and the male second gonopod is relatively short. The present study brings the total number of freshwater crab species belonging to Potamidae in Vietnam to 61.