Zootaxa

**Morphological and taxonomic diversity of the bryozoan genus Chaperia (Cheilostomata: Chaperiidae) in the Aotearoa New Zealand EEZ and on the southern Norfolk Ridge**

2025-12-22T13:46:27+13:00

In extant literature, the bryozoan genus Chaperia Jullien, 1881 comprises 22 named species, seven of them solely fossil, with the two earliest temporal records dating from the New Zealand Oligocene. All but four of the putative extant species are confined to the Southern Hemisphere. A 2009 New Zealand checklist accepted three named indigenous Chaperia species (one of them misidentified), plus two yet-to-be named species and one other of uncertain identity. Restudy of this material, plus examination of Chaperia in new collections from throughout New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Norfolk Ridge, has yielded additional new species, such that 17 species of Chaperia are now recognised in the EEZ at the present day, 15 of them new to science. Vestigial ooecia have been found in all of the species and small, sparsely distributed adventitious avicularia have also been discovered in two of them. The taxonomic usefulness of the available morphological characters of Chaperia species is discussed, as is the status of all other putative extant species and their relationship to the Zealandian species. It is hypothesized that Chaperia evolved from an austral Chaperiopsis ancestor in the late Paleocene or Eocene.

A catalogue of the subfamily Orthotylinae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) of Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species

2025-12-22T13:47:09+13:00

This paper provides the first annotated catalogue of the plant bug subfamily Orthotylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae) from Vietnam. A total of three tribes, eight genera and 17 species are now recognized, including one tribe, three genera and four species reported as new to the country. For each species, brief information is provided on its distribution and host associations. Additionally, two new species, Latizanchius ficus sp. nov. and Zanchius hopkinsi sp. nov., are described. Further, a male of Coridromius testaceous Liu & Zhao, 1999 is reported and described for the first time.

**Four new species of Podagritus from Western Australia and redescription of Podagritus noongaris Leclercq (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)**

2025-12-22T13:47:55+13:00

Four new species of Podagritus Spinola, 1851 from Western Australia are described and illustrated: P. clypeatus, P. ferrugineus, P. pilosus, and P. propodealis. Podagritus noongaris Leclercq, 1998 is redescribed and its male first recognized.

**Morpho-molecular studies suggest a new species from a transboundary river of Turkiye: Gammarus arasensis sp. nov. (Amphipoda: Gammaridae)**

2025-12-22T13:48:35+13:00

A new amphipod species is described from the Aras River, a significant water body in the Caucasus Region. The description is based on comprehensive genetic and morphological analyses. Newly described species has the following character combination: antenna 1 bears 17–20 flagellar segments; the antennal gland cone reaches the distal tip of the third peduncular segment of antenna 2; pereopod 4 has short posterior setae; coxal plates 1–4 have a few long setae on their inner surfaces, and uropod 3 has an endopod/exopod ratio of approximately 0.64. Gammarus arasensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to Gammarus kischineffensis. Molecular analyses (COI and 28S) revealed genetic distances of 16.23% and 1.44% from G. kischineffensis, respectively, which exceed the widely accepted species-level thresholds. Phylogenetic analyses (ML, BI) supported the distinct lineage status of the new species, although ML support for relatedness to G. kischineffensis was low. Species delimitation methods (ASAP, PTP) confirmed that Gammarus arasensis sp. nov. is a distinct MOTU. Detailed illustrations and descriptions of the holotype (male) and allotype (female) are provided. The species’ diagnostic characteristics are discussed, highlighting its distinctions from closely related congeners.

**On Otxuruu, a new genus of Theridiosomatidae Simon, 1881 (Araneae: Araneoidea) from the Neotropical region**

2025-12-22T13:49:18+13:00

A new Theridiosomatidae genus of the subfamily Epeirotypinae is described to allocate a new species from the Brazilian and Ecuadorian Amazon, Otxuruu fallax gen. & sp. nov. The new genus/species can be distinguished from other Theridiosomatidae genera/species by the presence of multiple dorsolateral tubercles on the opisthosoma; the male palp bearing two embolic apophyses, a long, slender and coiled prolateral apophysis, and a flat, large, and subquadrate (in mesal view) retrolateral one; and female epigyne with a wider than long scape; spermathecae cylindrical, longer than wide; and distal sector of the copulatory duct robust and flat.

**Re-examination of the types of two poorly known species of Perlodinella Klapálek, 1912 (Plecoptera, Perlodidae) from China**

2025-12-22T13:50:05+13:00

The types of two poorly known species of Perlodinella Klapálek, 1912, P. fuliginosa Wu, 1973 and P. tatunga Wu, 1973, were reexamined in detail. Perlodinella fuliginosa and two species of Perlodes, P. truncata Wu & Claassen, 1934 and P. lobata Wu & Claassen, 1934, are placed as junior synonyms of P. kozlovi Klapálek, 1912.

**Four new species of leafhopper genus Bhatia Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini) from southern China with an updated checklist and key to Chinese fauna**

2025-12-22T13:50:49+13:00

Four new species of the leafhopper genus Bhatia Distant are described and illustrated from southern China, Bhatia bilateritra sp. nov. (Hainan Province), B. furcata sp. nov. (Yunnan Province), B. holodonta sp. nov. (Yunnan Province) and B. affinikoreana sp. nov. (Hainan Province). All type specimens are deposited in Institute of Entomology of Guizhou University (GUGC). Detailed morphological descriptions, diagnostic characters, and illustrations are provided for each species. Additionally, a comprehensive checklist of all known Bhatia species from China is presented, along with an updated key for their identification.

Catalogue of Thysanoptera (Insecta) type specimens in the collection of the Federal University of Rio Grande, southern Brazil

2025-12-22T13:51:35+13:00

**Generic reclassification and new species level synonymy of the fig associated wasp Ficobracon kallithi Binoy, van Achterberg & Sureshan, 2025 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)**

2025-12-22T13:52:20+13:00

**On the validity of Notocomplana Faubel, 1983 (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida), a widely used name within polyclad taxonomy**

2025-12-22T13:53:04+13:00