Zootaxa

Reassessing the centipede fauna of the Paiko–Pinovo–Tzena–Voras mountain range in the southern Balkans

2026-06-22T14:15:18+12:00

The first critically revised catalogue of the centipede fauna of the Paiko, Pinovo, Tzena and Voras mountains in northern Greece is presented. A total of 34 centipede species are listed, belonging to 13 genera, six families and four orders. The highest diversity was recorded within the order Lithobiomorpha (20 species), dominated by species of the genus Lithobius Leach, 1814 (14 species), followed by the order Geophilomorpha (10 species). The species Lithobius karamani Verhoeff, 1937 and Clinopodes skopljensis (Verhoeff, 1938) are here reported for the first time from Greece. The genera Scutigera, Cryptops, Himantarium, Bothriogaster, Henia and Geophilus were recorded for the first time in the fauna of the study area. Twenty-one out of the 34 species are newly reported from the studied mountainous area, including Scutigera coleoptrata, Eupolybothrus zeus, E. werneri, Lithobius forficatus, L. latro, L. lucifugus, L. muticus, L. peregrinus, L. crassipes, L. microps, Cryptops hortensis, C. parisi, Scolopendra cingulata, Himantarium gabrielis, Bothriogaster signata, Henia devia, H. illyrica, Clinopodes carinthiacus and Geophilus carpophagus. South European, European, Balkan, and endemic faunal elements predominate among the identified taxa. For each species, information is provided on distribution within the northern Greek mountain range, habitat preferences, altitudinal range, and relevant taxonomic notes. In addition, we assessed whether the sites where the species were recorded are included in the Natura 2000 Network; the conservation status of all species is reported, together with distribution maps for northwestern Greece.

**On an even keel: revision of Lerista planiventralis (Lucas & Frost, 1902; Squamata: Scincidae) in Western Australia, with synonymy of its subspecies**

2026-06-22T14:17:16+12:00

In reptile taxonomy, many subspecies have been described based on subtle variation in morphological traits like colour pattern and scalation. However, the subspecific rank itself has received increasing scrutiny on both conceptual and operational grounds. The species-rich (~100 species) and morphologically diverse Australian lizard genus Lerista Bell, 1833 provides opportunities to assess the evolutionary significance of subspecies taxa, given that subspecies throughout the genus were described before the widespread use of genetic-based assessments of divergence in taxonomy. Based on a combined analysis of patterns of genetic and morphological variation in Lerista planiventralis (Lucas & Frost, 1902), we found that partitioning of populations into subspecies, namely L. p. planiventralis (Lucas & Frost, 1902), L. p. decora Storr, 1978 and L. p. maryani Storr, 1991, is unwarranted. We found negligible molecular or phenotypic divergence corresponding to those names, revealing continuous, overlapping clinal variation rather than discrete, diagnosable units. Consequently, we synonymise all three subspecies under a single, morphologically variable L. planiventralis and present its revised species-level diagnosis.

The Silphinae (Staphylinidae) and Agyrtidae of Kentucky with an illustrated key to the fauna of eastern North America

2026-06-22T14:19:17+12:00

The carrion beetle fauna (Staphylinidae: Silphinae) of eastern North America has seen some recent changes and additions in the past decade. Two species of Silpha have been introduced and have become established and Nicrophorus vespilloides was discovered to be two species. In this paper, we present a fully illustrated key to the Silphinae of eastern North America (U.S. states entirely east of the Mississippi River and Canadian provinces east of the Ontario-Manitoba border) that reflects these faunal changes. We focus on the silphine fauna of Kentucky and include the single species of Agyrtidae (primitive carrion beetles), as common sampling methods will often pick up members of both groups. We include 22 species of Silphinae and one species of Agyrtidae in our key, and we report one species of Agyrtidae and 11 species of Silphinae from Kentucky, including one new state record (Nicrophorus defodiens). We present the following information for each eastern North American species in an annotated list: diagnostic characters, recent taxonomic changes (if applicable), life history information and more detailed information for Kentucky species including counties, collecting years and months, collections housing the specimens, and collecting methods. Distribution maps for Kentucky specimens are presented. Using this dataset, the bias-corrected iChao2 species richness estimator predicted that 12 species should be found in Kentucky, indicating that our sampling is likely complete.

**A new species of Eutyphoeus Michaelsen, 1900 (Clitellata: Acanthodrilidae) from the Eastern Himalaya, India**

2026-06-22T14:22:09+12:00

A new acanthodrilid earthworm, Eutyphoeus takchangensis sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from the biodiversity hotspot region of the North-eastern India, in the state of Sikkim, characterized by predominantly chemical-free agriculture practices. Eutyphoeus takchangensis sp. nov. is an avestibulate metandric species that lacks lateral intestinal caecae. The proposed species is distinguished from its congeners by the absence of genital markings and associated glands, the presence of a single female pore and penial setae, and by possessing unidiverticulate spermathecae.

Taxonomic notes on species of the genera Agelena Walckenaer, 1805, Tamgrinia Lehtinen, 1967 and Tegenaria Latreille, 1804 from India, with remarks on an allied species from Nepal (Araneae: Agelenidae)

2026-06-22T14:24:34+12:00

The species belonging to Agelena Walckenaer, 1805, Tamgrinia Lehtinen, 1967 and Tegenaria Latreille, 1804 described or recorded from India are reviewed. The following new synonymies are recognised: Agelena shillongensis Tikader, 1969 syn. nov. with Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1757), and Tegenaria comstocki Gajbe, 2004 syn. nov. with the titanoecid species Pandava laminata (Thorell, 1878). The synonymy of the Indian species Tegenaria chhanguensis Tikader, 1970 with the Chinese species Tamgrinia alveolifera (Schenkel, 1936) as proposed by Hu (2001), is confirmed based on an examination of the type specimen of the former one. The species Agelena satmila Tikader, 1970, Tegenaria hemanginiae Reddy & Patel, 1992, and T. shillongensis Barman, 1979 are considered species inquirendae. The Nepalese agelenid species Tegenaria lunakensis Tikader, 1964 is transferred to Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999: D. lunakensis (Tikader, 1964) comb. nov. Photographs of all the examined type material, and supplementary descriptions for Agelena barunae Tikader, 1970, A. gautami Tikader, 1962, A. satmila, and D. lunakensis comb. nov. are provided.

A new species of solitary Entoprocta (Loxosomatidae) from mangroves of Vietnam with close affinity to Loxomitra

2026-06-22T14:26:39+12:00

The new species of solitary entoproct, Loxosomella incurva sp. nov., is described from the Cần Giờ Mangrove Forest, located in the south coastal region of Vietnam. This is the first description of a member of the Loxosomatidae from Vietnamese waters and from the mangrove ecosystems. The specimens of Loxosomatidae were found on the polychaete of the family Acoetidae. Loxosomella incurva sp. nov. is a medium-sized species with a characteristically curved body—the calyx is inclined toward the short stalk. The calyx bears seven or eight tentacles. Four (or five) sensory papillae are located along the edge of the calyx. Specimens attach to the host’s body with an elongated narrow platform at the end of the stalk. Buds lack a pedal disc or a creeping foot and instead possess a unique annular bulge. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of two genetic markers, 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA, revealed a close relationship between L. incurva sp. nov. and two species of the subgenus Loxomitra, L. (L.) tetraorganon and L. (L.) mizugamaensis. Loxosomella incurva sp. nov. does not possess the diagnostic morphological features of Loxomitra: its buds lack the wings at the end of the stalk and attach to the maternal specimen by the base of the stalk, rather than by the back of the stalk or calyx as in Loxomitra. A common feature of all three species within this clade is the absence of a foot at the end of the stalk in the bud. The existing system of Loxosomatidae requires revision, since according to molecular genetic data, neither the genus Loxosoma nor the genus Loxosomella are monophyletic. The creeping foot was likely present in the common ancestor of all Loxosomatidae and has been retained in some lineages while modified in others; therefore, its presence cannot serve as a diagnostic generic character.

**The first species of Homaeotarsus Hochhuth, 1851 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) with remarkable sexual dimorphism**

2026-06-22T14:28:38+12:00

Homaeotarsus forceps sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from the Brazilian Amazon is described and illustrated. The new species is uniquely diagnosed by the male tergum IX, which is modified into a prominent forceps-like structure, a feature absent in all other known Homaeotarsus species. Specimens were collected via canopy fogging on Eschweilera atropetiolata (Lecythidaceae), a noteworthy record as most Homaeotarsus species are typically associated with leaf litter. Discovered in the Urucu petroleum province (Amazonas State), H. forceps sp. nov. brings the total number of species recorded from Brazil to three and becomes the third known representative of the genus in the Amazon Forest. Additionally, the first identification key to the Brazilian species and a distribution map for South America are provided.

**New species of earthworms from the genera Holoscolex and Glossodrilus (Crassiclitellata) in the Eastern Amazon**

2026-06-22T14:31:07+12:00

We describe two new species of the earthworm genera Holoscolex and Glossodrilus from the Gurupi Biological Reserve, Maranhão State, Brazil. This reserve represents one of the last wild refuges of the Belém Endemism Area, the most deforested and threatened region of the Brazilian Amazon. Holoscolex contractilis sp. nov. belongs to a selected group of this genus characterized by intraclitellar atrial glands, and it is unique in having two pairs of spermathecae in segments 7 and 8, with atrial glands adjacent in 8 and 9, and free testes in segment 11. Glossodrilus rubra sp. nov. remains among the Glossodrilus species with two pairs of spermathecae in segments 8 and 9, but differs from its congeners by the position of the spermathecal openings in CD line and aquadrangular body at tail.

**A new species and additional records of Domene Fauvel, 1873 from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)**

2026-06-22T14:33:52+12:00

Material of the genus Domene Fauvel, 1873 from the Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan is examined. Eleven species are identified, ten of them were described previously, one is newly described: D. assingi Tang & Peng, sp. nov. (Guangdong: Nanling). The female sexual characters of D. jini Peng & Li, 2017 are described and illustrated for the first time. New records are provided for D. cultrata Feldmann & Peng, 2014 from Chongqing Municipality, D. hui Lin & Peng, 2021 from Fujian Province, D. hybrida Assing, 2021 from Hunan Province, and D. procera Eppelsheim, 1886 from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province. A map of the Domene species from Chinese mainland is provided. Including the new taxon, 28 Domene species are currently known from China.

**A new species of Mesacturoides Manning, 1978 (Stomatopoda: Takuidae) from the Arabian Sea**

2026-06-22T14:36:54+12:00

This study describes Mesacturoides dewysea sp. nov., a new species of takuid mantis shrimp discovered in the coastal waters of Oman. The new species is characterized by a distinctive combination of morphological features, including numerous telson spiniform denticles (22–38 submedian and 8–27 intermediate denticles), a completely ovate telson median boss, and a large uropodal endopod bearing a dense patch of setae on the anterior margin of the ventral surface. Among the three known species of Mesacturoides, M. dewysea sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to M. fimbriatus (Lenz, 1905), sharing the aforementioned combination of characters and exhibiting an overlapping range in telson spiniform denticle number associated with growth. However, careful examination of specimens of comparable size demonstrates that the new species is consistently distinguished by the complete absence of accessory median carinae on the telson. As a result, the genus Mesacturoides currently comprises four species, including the new species described herein. Additionally, a key to the known species of the genus is provided.

New records of the water mite family Arrenuridae (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Türkiye, with the description of a new species

2026-06-22T14:38:47+12:00

Praepodothrips dianellae sp. nov. (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae): validation of this name

2026-06-22T14:40:27+12:00