Zootaxa

Catalogue of type specimens of amphibians and reptiles in the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Spain

2026-04-08T11:43:42+12:00

We provide a first complete list of the amphibian and reptile type specimens preserved in the scientific collections of the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) in Spain (updated to 15 September 2025). The herpetological collection houses 195 type specimens (17 holotypes, 164 paratypes, and 14 syntypes), of 33 taxa (20 species and 13 subspecies). Twenty-three of these taxa are currently considered valid. Most of the anuran type specimens are from Bolivia and Venezuela, while reptile types are mainly from Spain. Photographs of all holotypes and also for some paratypes and syntypes are provided.

**Facing a slithery dragon: systematics of the Petracola ventrimaculata (Boulenger, 1900) species complex (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) with description of five new species**

2026-04-08T11:44:41+12:00

Nearly two decades ago, the gymnophthalmid lizard Petracola ventrimaculata was hypothesized to be a species complex based on dorsal and ventral color pattern differences among populations within a wide and disjunct geographical area in the northern Peruvian Andes. Here, we address this proposal using both molecular and morphological evidence. We analyzed a molecular matrix of Cercosaurinae, including 22 specimens and 78 DNA sequences of P. ventrimaculata sensu lato to study the phylogenetic relationships among its populations. We also conducted a detailed examination of the external morphology of 236 P. ventrimaculata specimens from several populations. Based on our analyses, we describe five new Petracola species, two of them previously assigned to P. ventrimaculata, from Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central in northern Peru. P. ventrimaculata sensu stricto is distributed across several localities in Cajamarca department in the northern part of the Cordillera Occidental in northwestern Peru. We hypothesize that the distribution patterns within the Petracola ventrimaculata species complex could be related to vicariant processes driven by the complex orogeny of the Huancabamba Depression and the Marañón River valley. Given its distinctive morphological traits and disjunct distribution, we recommend treating P. labioocularis as incertae sedis within Cercosaurinae, pending molecular data to resolve its phylogenetic placement. We present recommendations for future descriptions of new species of Petracola.

**Synonymization of subspecies within Anthroherpon cylindricollis complex (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Leptodirini).**

2026-04-08T11:45:50+12:00

The Anthroherpon cylindricollis complex, traditionally (Jeannel, 1924; Jeannel, 1930) divided into three subspecies, Anthroherpon cylindricollis cylindricollis Apfelbeck, 1889, Anthroherpon cylindricollis scaphium Reitter, 1908, and Anthroherpon cylindricollis thoracicum Apfelbeck, 1907, has long presented challenges in terms of taxonomy and subspecies delimitation. In this study, the taxonomic status of these taxa is re‒evaluated primarily on the basis of detailed morphological examination, with supplementary consideration of available molecular data. The analyses reveal only subtle and continuous differences among the three forms, which do not allow reliable separation at the subspecies level. Molecular evidence is consistent with low levels of genetic divergence among the examined populations. A redescription of Anthroherpon cylindricollis, incorporating all previously recognized subspecies and four known populations, is therefore provided. Two subspecies are synonymized herein, and the observed variation is interpreted as geographically structured intraspecific variability.

**Description of Apheledessa gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae) with two new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest**

2026-04-08T11:46:39+12:00

The new genus Apheledessa gen. nov., described here, comprises two new species: Apheledessa absens sp. nov. and Apheledessa inopia sp. nov. The genus is diagnosed based on a unique combination of characters, including well-developed, subrectangular, dorsoventrally flattened humeral angles, and a metasternal process with the anterior portion medially perforated and posteriorly sloping. Both species occur in the Atlantic Forest biome, with records from mountainous areas of the states of Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina, Brazil. Diagnoses, descriptions, and a distribution map are provided. Illustrations of the habitus in dorsal and ventral views, as well as of the male pygophore and female genital plates, are also provided.

**A new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Kokrajhar District, Assam, India**

2026-04-08T11:47:42+12:00

We herein describe a new species of Cyrtodactylus from Kachugaon, in the Kokrajhar District of Assam, India. Morphological characteristics combined with ND2 mitochondrial gene sequence data support its placement within the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group, identifying Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis sp. nov. as the sister lineage to Cyrtodactylus septentrionalis. It is characterised by a moderate adult size (maximum SVL 71.1 mm), rounded, bluntly conical, and weakly keeled dorsal tubercles arranged in 20 or 21 longitudinal rows, and 36–38 paravertebral tubercles between the axilla and groin. Other diagnostic features include 32–38 mid-ventral scale rows, 13 precloacal pores in male, 13 precloacal pits in females, 17–20 subdigital lamellae beneath the fourth toe, absence of a single row of transversely enlarged subcaudal scales, 7 or 8 pairs of dark dorsal blotches between the axilla and groin, and a tail bearing alternating dark and light bands.

**A new species and molecular phylogeny of the Platycerus bashanicus species group (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) endemic to China**

2026-04-08T11:48:57+12:00

A new species in the Platycerus bashanicus species group, Platycerus dabiemontanus Zhang & Kubota, sp. nov., is described from Anhui Province, China. The molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS2 sequences indicates a close relationship of this new species with P. yeren Imura, 2008 and P. canae Imura, 2010. Significant mito-nuclear discordance observed between populations suggests the occurrence of mitochondrial gene introgression. This study extends the eastern distribution limit of the P. bashanicus group by 500 km and represents the first record of the genus Platycerus Geoffroy, 1762 from Anhui Province.

Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826 is a nomen dubium: an historical analysis of its original description supports the prevailing usage of Bufo japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1838

2026-04-08T11:49:53+12:00

The nomenclatural status of Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826, described based on specimens collected by Jan Cock Blomhoff, has long been uncertain. Although this binomen has priority over the widely used B. japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1838, its application has been hindered by lost type material and misinterpretation of its original description. Through a detailed textual analysis of Boie’s work and corroboration from historical sources, we demonstrate that terms previously interpreted as type localities (“Vitikairu, Fikikojeru et Nakfudo”) are in fact phonetic transcriptions of vernacular Japanese names for toads. Furthermore, Boie’s description lists a broad distribution across Japan, not one restricted to Nagasaki. With Blomhoff’s collections including regions now known to be inhabited by three distinct, hybridizing species of Japanese Bufo (B. japonicus, B. formosus, B. torrenticola), it is impossible to determine which species Boie’s specimens represented. We therefore conclude that Bufo praetextatus Boie, 1826 must be considered a nomen dubium and that the prevailing use of B. japonicus should be maintained to ensure nomenclatural stability and accuracy.

Sexual dimorphism in wing shape of Dolichopus ungulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Hercostomus brevicornis (Staeger, 1842) with morphometric notes on wings of related species of Dolichopodinae (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

2026-04-08T11:50:44+12:00

Wing venation provides important characters for systematic and phylogenetic studies of Dolichopodidae and may exhibit sexual dimorphism shaped by underlying biological mechanisms. This study examines sexual dimorphism in wing shape of two Dolichopodinae species, Dolichopus ungulatus and Hercostomus brevicornis, and compares male wing venation with that of closely related species, D. popularis and H. celer. Wing shape was analysed morphometrically using 138 wing images of four species collected in Poland, allowing quantitative assessment of intra- and interspecific variation. The results indicate pronounced sexual dimorphism in both studied species, with partial separation in H. brevicornis, and show significant differentiation in wing venation among related species. These findings highlight the utility of morphometric analysis in detecting subtle morphological differences between sexes and closely related taxa. These morphometric data may provide a useful basis for future studies on wing shape evolution and phylogenetic relationships within Dolichopodinae.

**Occurrence and habitat association of Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852 in the artificial waterways of Kuwait, northwestern Arabian Gulf**

2026-04-08T11:51:39+12:00

Seahorses occurring in the Arabian Gulf remain incompletely documented despite extensive coastal modification and extreme physicochemical conditions. The yellow seahorse, Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852, has recently been genetically confirmed from Kuwaiti waters, establishing species identity in the region (Bishop et al. 2024). However, specimen-linked records integrating habitat context, morphology, and archived genetic reference sequences remain limited for engineered coastal systems. Opportunistic underwater visual surveys conducted between 2012 and 2015 within the artificial waterways of Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City (SAASC), Al-Khiran, southern Kuwait, documented three H. kuda individuals in naturally colonized shallow subtidal seagrass meadows at approximately 3 m depth. Individuals were observed clinging to leaf blades in a meadow dominated by Halodule uninervis with small patches of Halophila ovalis at 28°39'3.59"N, 48°22'55.74"E. Salinity was recorded in situ using a YSI 556 Multi-Probe System, and specimens were photographed alive prior to preservation. Morphometric and meristic data are presented for vouchered specimens, including ring counts, fin-ray counts, species-level indices, and proportional measurements (Tables 1–2). Partial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences are reported as archival genetic references linked to documented individuals and habitat observations rather than as analytical evidence (Supplementary File 1). This contribution documents the occurrence and habitat association of H. kuda within seagrass colonising an engineered coastal environment of the northwestern Arabian Gulf.

**One new species of the genus Shoveliteratura Shi, Bian & Chang, 2011 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from Xizang, China**

2026-04-08T11:52:37+12:00

**A new species of Megaulacobothrus Caudell (Orthoptera, Arcypteridae) from the Dabie Mountains area of China**

2026-04-08T11:53:25+12:00

Cryptamorpha desjardinsii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) is the available name (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)

2026-04-08T11:54:13+12:00