Zootaxa

Annotated type catalogue of the leafhoppers and treehoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) deposited in the collection of Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Guanajuato, Mexico

2025-09-08T12:55:48+12:00

The Insect Collection of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (CNI-INIFAP) in Guanajuato state is one of the oldest collections in Mexico with remarkable and historical holding of 240,000 specimens primarily composed of insect orders of economic importance. With 14,500 specimens obtained over 70 years from most agricultural areas in Mexico, Auchenorrhyncha is well represented in the collection, but has received little attention and its value has been largely ignored in research. However, it holds a valuable stock of types designated by taxonomic authorities such as James P. Kramer, David Young Jr., Robert F. Ruppel, Dwight M. DeLong, and Charles. C. Plummer. Here, an annotated Auchenorrhyncha catalogue of the Insect Collection of the INIFAP is presented. Complete information for each species, including those designated as types, specialized references, labels data from original description, and high-quality photographs are given. A total of 28 types (one holotype and 27 paratypes) are listed, of which six species belong to Membracidae and 22 to Cicadellidae. A total of 147 Auchenorrhyncha species are retained into the INIFAP collection, 132 spp. of 68 genera for leafhoppers and 12 spp. of six genera for treehoppers. Three leafhopper species: Parallaxis ornata Osborn, 1928, Rhabdotalebra signata (McAtee, 1926), and Diceratalebra sanguinolinea (Baker, 1903), are presented as new records for Mexico.

**New species and records of Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 from Indochina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae)**

2025-09-08T12:58:16+12:00

An update to the taxonomy and distribution of species of Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from continental Southeast Asia is given. We present new records of 57 taxa and describe 14 new species: Tetraserica elargata Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. guidosabatinellii Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. haucki Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. konplong Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. lucieae Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. misofi Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. paraspinicrus Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. pseudospinicrus Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. quangnam Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. quangtri Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. schnelli Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. similis Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. sonla Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov., T. strbai Ahrens, Pacholátko & Pham, sp. nov. The name of Tetraserica semidamaidiensis Fabrizi, Dalstein & Ahrens, 2019 is emended in respect to its incorrect original spelling: Tetraserica semidamadiensis Fabrizi, Dalstein & Ahrens, 2019. The male genitalia of the new species are illustrated and diagnostic characters to related species are given. The key to species of Asian mainland is updated.

**A new species of flea-toad of the genus Brachycephalus Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the cloud forests of Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil**

2025-09-08T13:00:02+12:00

Species of the genus Brachycephalus are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where they inhabit amidst the leaf litter. Depending on their phenotypic traits, these small-sized amphibians are commonly referred to as either flea-toads or pumpkin toadlets. Among them, the pumpkin toadlets (with a bufoniform phenotype) have received more extensive research attention. These individuals are often conspicuous, and prevalent in their natural habitat. In contrast, the flea-toads (leptodactyliform species) are brownish, cryptic with the background. This scarcity has led to their reduced scientific attention, including in the realm of taxonomy. Thus, we herein describe a new species of the genus Brachycephalus from montane forests of the Estação Ecológica de Bananal, in the municipality of Bananal, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The new species is characterized by having a leptodactyliform body; adult SVL 6.9–9.0 mm for males and 9.2–9.6 mm for females; smooth skin lacking hyperossification; snout rounded in dorsal view; finger II with pointed tips; toe I absent (lacking phalanges), and toes II, III, IV and V distinct; toe II with rounded tips; brown background with few golden spots scattered aleatory in the general coloration of dorsal surfaces and cloacal region; presence of a dark brown stripe along the flanks and the thigh; yellow blotches on the ventral surfaces; presence of dark brown strips on the legs. Based on molecular phylogeny, we recognize the Brachycephalus puri species group, based on a clade composed by B. puri sister to the new species plus a candidate new species. The new species probably has a restricted geographic distribution, and its discovery reinforces the importance of deeper taxonomic effort with the brownish leptodactyliform species of the genus.

**Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology**

2025-09-08T13:02:04+12:00

Temnothorax is one of the largest ant genera, with most taxa described from the Mediterranean. The western Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) is a well-defined lineage of dark-reddish arboreal species, whose taxonomy has never been comprehensively addressed. We conducted a comprehensive taxonomic revision using quantitative morphological analysis complemented by qualitative observations to clarify the systematic relationships within this group. Our analysis of 13 previously described taxa reveals only three valid species: T. algiricus (Forel, 1894), T. atlantis (Santschi, 1911), and T. trabutii (Forel, 1894). We establish several new synonymies: Leptothorax angustulus brunea Santschi, 1918, Leptothorax gazella Santschi, 1932, Leptothorax gazella monticola Santschi, 1932, Temnothorax mediterraneus Ward, Brady, Fisher, & Schultz, 2014, and Temnothorax atlantis veneris Galkowski & Cagniant, 2017 are considered junior subjective synonyms of T. algiricus. Leptothorax kiudiria Espadaler, 1997, Leptothorax angustulus silvanus (Forel, 1907), Temnothorax atlantis suturalis Galkowski & Cagniant, 2017, and Temnothorax continentalis Galkowski & Cagniant, 2017 are synonymized under T. atlantis. Leptothorax lindbergi Santschi, 1931 is considered a synonym of T. trabutii. Leptothorax convexus timida Santschi, 1912 is a junior synonym of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894), and excluded from the complex. This revision resolves the oversplit nomenclature characteristic of North African myrmecology and establishes taxonomic consistency with European classifications. Our quantitative morphology-based framework provides the foundation for future integrative taxonomic studies investigating intraspecific variation and potential cryptic diversity within this ecologically important ant lineage.

A new genus and six new species of endemic landhopper in the family Arcitalitridae (Amphipoda: Talitroidea) from New Zealand

2025-09-08T13:03:02+12:00

Recently, the first representatives of endemic simplidactylate landhoppers in the ancient family Arcitalitridae were recognised from New Zealand. This study reveals the existence of a second endemic genus, Koekotroides gen. nov., from this family in New Zealand. Six new species of Koekotroides gen. nov. are described from native vegetation in the North Island of New Zealand and some of its offshore islands: K. moowhitihauuru sp. nov., K. taapinea sp. nov., K. tewhaarua sp. nov., K. maene sp. nov., K. pekehau sp. nov., and K. ngaokiroa sp. nov. Five of the six species were subjected to genetic investigation. There was generally good agreement between the taxon delineation determined from morphological analysis and that from sequence analysis of the mitochondrial 16S locus. The genus appears to have a centre of diversity in the northern North Island and the Three Kings and Poor Knights Islands each have their own species. Ancestors of Koekotroides presumably arrived in Zealandia before it rifted from Gondwana during the later Cretaceous. This brings the total number of described native landhopper species in New Zealand to 35 and increases the number of described arcitalitrids to nine.

**Three new species of Lernanthropus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from Vietnam**

2025-09-08T13:03:54+12:00

Three new species of copepods of the genus Lernanthropus de Blainville, 1822 (Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on marine fishes of Vietnam are described and illustrated: Lernanthropus hexodonis Kovaleva, sp. nov., L. kazachenkoi Kovaleva, sp. nov., and L. marginatus Kovaleva, sp. nov.

Rhizophagus atticus Tozer, 1968 in France: synonymy with R. diaboli Dodelin, 2021, distribution and ecology (Coleoptera: Monotomidae)

2025-09-08T13:04:44+12:00

As part of the pinewood nematode monitoring program implemented in 2021 and 2022, we collected abundant specimens of Rhizophagus diaboli Dodelin, 2021 (Coleoptera, Monotomidae), a species recently described from France within the subgenus Eurhizophagus Méquignon. Comparison of the 359 individuals with 1,886 specimens of R. depressus (Fabricius) caught in the same trapping system confirmed the existence of two distinct taxa. On the other hand, comparison with 3 type specimens of R. atticus Tozer, 1968, including study of aedeagi, showed that there were no morphological differences. A new synonymy is therefore established: Rhizophagus atticus Tozer, 1968 = Rhizophagus diaboli Dodelin, 2021, syn. nov. An updated identification key to species for this subgenus and photographs of type specimens are presented. Its distribution in France, which currently covers 43 communes and 30 administrative departments, is illustrated and commented. Its phenology and altitudinal distribution are analyzed and compared with those of R. depressus. Rhizophagus atticus appears to be a species associated with low-altitude pine forests, with highest activity in August.

**Two new species and one new country record for the Cryptocephalus parvulus group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae) from China**

2025-09-08T13:06:20+12:00

Two new species of the subgenus Cryptocephalus Geoffroy, 1762 are described from China: Cryptocephalus (s. str.) longwangshanus Duan, Wang & Zhou, sp. nov. from Zhejiang, Hunan, and Guangxi; C. (s. str.) yangae Duan, Wang & Zhou, sp. nov. from Sichuan and Yunnan. One species is a new country record from China, Cryptocephalus (s. str.) inhumeralis Pic, 1922. High quality color images and line drawings of adult habitus, aedeagus and other important structures are provided for the new species and the new country record species. All the types of the new species are deposited in the collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZ-CAS).

**A new species of the genus Ptochoryctis Meyrick, 1894 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from India**

2025-09-08T13:07:12+12:00

Ptochoryctis sundarbanica sp. nov. is described from two adult specimens found in degraded mangrove habitat in the Sundarbans, West Bengal, India.

**Taxonomic notes on a comb-footed spider, Yunohamella mneon (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), stat. rev. (Araneae: Theridiidae) in East Asia**

2025-09-08T13:07:59+12:00

Platnickina mneon (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) is a theridiid species originally described based on a female specimen collected in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Although P. mneon was recently considered a junior synonym of Yunohamella lyrica (Walckenaer, 1841), the two species can be clearly distinguished by body coloration and markings, genital morphology, and molecular data. Based on these findings, we reestablish P. mneon as a valid species under the genus Yunohamella, Yunohamella mneon stat. rev. Based on a partial mitochondrial COI gene sequence analysis, our study also revealed that the female of Y. mneon stat. rev. is conspecific to the male currently associated with Yunohamella varietas Lee & Kim, 2021 and we propose Y. mneon stat. rev. = Y. varietas syn. nov. The species is compared with Y. lyrica and Platnickina adamsoni Berland, 1934 and molecular data of Yunohamella species in East Asia are presented, with a summary of the taxonomic history of relevant species in Japan and Korea.