Zootaxa

**Description of Tanytarsus binduensis sp. nov. and T. tamakutibasi Sasa (Diptera: Chironomidae) from India with their phylogenetic placement**

ARABINDA MONDAL, POULAMI HUI, NILADRI HAZRA — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

A new species, Tanytarsus binduensis of the ‘triangularis’ species group of the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874 is described based on the adult males from the Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot, West Bengal, India. This is the first record of this species group from the Oriental region. We also present a redescription of Tanytarsus tamakutibasi Sasa, 1983, along with its COI barcode, first record of this species from India. A world keys to the known adult males of both species groups are also provided. Based on known adult males, a tentative cladistic relationship and a molecular phylogeny using available COI sequences of all species of the ‘triangularis’ and ‘tamakutibasi’ species groups are also provided. The newly described species Tanytarsus binduensis (‘triangularis’ group) exhibits a minimum interspecific distance of 14.82% with Tanytarsus aboensis (‘triangularis’ group) (AM398774).

**A new species of Diplacanthopoma (Teleostei: Bythitidae) from the western Atlantic, with comments on the discovery and description of larval forms of two western Atlantic species**

MATTHEW G. GIRARD, TIMO MORITZ, WERNER SCHWARZHANS — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The tropical and subtropical genus of viviparous cusk-eels Diplacanthopoma (Teleostei: Bythitidae) is differentiated from other bythitids in having a naked head, a fleshy flap bearing a large sensory pore above the opercle, and a large sensory pore on the cheek. The sensory pore on the cheek (i.e., “Diplacanthopoma” pore) is only known from two genera of ophidiiforms, Diplacanthopoma and Hephthocara. Diplacanthopoma includes eight nominal species, with seven in the Indian or Pacific Oceans, and one, D. brachysoma, from the western Atlantic. Recently, blackwater SCUBA divers collected two elongate larval fishes off West Palm Beach, Florida. Fin-ray and vertebral/myomere counts and DNA sequence data support the identification of one of the larvae as D. brachysoma; the first time the larval form for this genus of fishes has been identified. The second larva has higher numbers of medial-fin rays (184 dorsal-fin rays, 140 anal-fin rays) than D. brachysoma (125–164 dorsal-fin rays and 88–127 anal-fin rays), and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 barcode divergence of >9%, indicating the presence of a second undescribed species of Diplacanthopoma from the western Atlantic Ocean. We found three specimens (one from southern Brazil and two from the Bay of Campeche) in the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History fish collections that overlap in fin-ray and vertebral/myomere counts with the larval specimen from Florida. We describe this new species of Diplacanthopoma based on larval and adult characters. We also highlight intraspecific variation in counts and measurements for D. brachysoma, emphasizing further study is needed to understand the taxonomic diversity of this genus of the Bythitidae.

**Description of a remarkable cricket from Cuba, establishing the genus Matildacris (Orthoptera, Phalangopsidae)**

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

A new genus and species of long-legged crickets (Grylloidea, Phalangopsidae) is described from Cuba, using characters of general morphology and male genitalia. Matildacris gageae Desutter-Grandcolas gen. nov., sp. nov. is characterized by the absence of glandular structures in male genitalia, the presence of a strong and acute pseudepiphallic ‘C-sclerite’, and two strong parts, equally developed, in the pseudepiphallic parameres, among other characters. Its forewings are devoid of a stridulum and the left forewing presents a strong diagonal desclerotized groove, a feature not previously observed in crickets; by analogy with other insect orders, this character could keep the wings in the closed position. We compare the genitalia structures of Matildacris Desutter-Grandcolas gen. nov. to other Neotropical Phalangopsidae taxa and discuss their diverse forewing conditions.

**Four Novel Earthworms of the Pheretima sangirensis group (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from Luzon Cordillera Mountains, Philippines**

YONG HONG, SAMUEL W. JAMES — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

Four novel species of the genus Pheretima from Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya Provinces, Luzon Island, Philippines, are described: Pheretima magdalaoensis sp. nov., Pheretima kalahanensis sp. nov., Pheretima akbabensis sp. nov., and Pheretima vizcayaensis sp. nov. These new species belong to the sangirensis group of Sims and Easton (1972), with one pair of spermathecal pores in 7/8. Pheretima magdalaoensis sp. nov. has spermathecal pores that are spaced 0.05–0.08 of a circumference apart and copulatory bursae openings that are 0.07–0.09 of a circumference apart, P. kalahanensis sp. nov. has spermathecal pores that are 0.11–0.15 of a circumference apart and copulatory bursae openings that are 0.19–0.21 of a circumference apart. Pheretima akbabensis sp. nov. has spermathecal pores that are 0.12–0.16 of a circumference apart and copulatory bursae openings that are 0.11–0.15 of a circumference apart. Pheretima vizcayaensis sp. nov. has spermathecal pores that are 0.07–0.15 of a circumference apart and copulatory bursae openings that are 0.07–0.17 of a circumference apart. A brief description of another putative taxon from Kalinga Province, for which only a single late juvenile was found, was included in the study. Descriptions of the new species include illustrations of the ventral view, representative spermathecae, intestinal caeca and prostate glands.

Revision of tribe Cyllodini Everts (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Korea with descriptions of two new species

MIN HYEUK LEE, SEUNGHYUN LEE, JINBAE SEUNG, INHONG JEONG, SEUNGHWAN LEE — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The Korean fauna of the tribe Cyllodini (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is reviewed, with 11 species of four genera recognized, including two newly described species (Cyllodes koreanus Lee sp. nov., and Pallodes pseudoumbratilis Lee sp. nov.), and two species newly recorded from Korea (Neopallodes vicinus Grouvelle and N. inermis Reitter). This study provides a key to Korean species, notes on their biology, and illustrations of diagnostic structures, including the male and female genitalia.

**Taxonomic revision of the Oriental dead-leaf mantis genus Parablepharis Saussure, 1870 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae), with description of a new species from the eastern Himalayas**

C. BINOY, P.M. SURESHAN — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The Oriental dead-leaf mantis genus Parablepharis Saussure, 1870 is revised. Previously treated as a single polytypic species, the genus is reassessed based on newly collected material from Arunachal Pradesh, India and a critical review of the Parablepharis kuhlii complex. The existing subspecies are herein elevated to species rank, accompanied by the description of Parablepharis indica sp. nov. from northeastern India representing the westernmost distribution of the genus. The three species—Parablepharis kuhlii (de Haan, 1842), Parablepharis asiatica Roy, 2008 stat. nov., and Parablepharis indica sp. nov.—are distinguished by stable configurations in prothoracic proportions (P/p ratio), subgenital plate morphology, and male genitalia. This study highlights the Eastern Himalayan corridor as a significant site of speciation for relictual Hymenopodidae. A revised key, updated morphological notes, and a discussion of the biogeographic significance of the eastern Himalayan corridor are provided.

**A critical review of records of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) in Algeria: Evidence, gaps and recommendations for surveillance**

BOUMAZA MOUNIR, MERABTI BRAHIM, OUAKID MOHAMED LAID — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

A review of all published records of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) in Algeria from 1849 to 2025 was conducted. Each record was evaluated using a four-level reliability scale based on methodological details, presence of diagnostic illustrations, availability of voucher specimens and molecular confirmation. Regional comparisons with Tunisia and Morocco were also undertaken. Nineteen records were identified over 176 years; however, none satisfied the high-reliability criteria. All reports relied solely on morphological identification, lacked diagnostic images and provided neither voucher specimens nor molecular evidence. The establishment of Ae. albopictus (Skuse, 1895) in Algeria complicates the interpretation of recent records attributed to Ae. aegypti, especially when based solely on morphological criteria. Consequently, although historical records indicate that Ae. aegypti was certainly present in Algeria in the past, there is currently no confirmed evidence supporting its contemporary presence.

**New species and records of Stenochironomus Kieffer (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Brazil and Colombia**

KAREN VERÇOSA, YARDANY RAMOS-PASTRANA, NEUSA HAMADA, GALILEU P.S. DANTAS — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

Two new species of Stenochironomus are described based on adult males, one from the Colombian Andes and the other from the Brazilian Amazon: Stenochironomus miraflores sp. nov. and Stenochironomus nukini sp. nov., respectively. Both species share diagnostic features with Stenochironomus impendens, suggesting a close affinity; however, they can be readily distinguished by differences in coloration patterns and hypopygial morphology. Additionally, two new country records for Colombia are reported, one from the Llanos biome and the other from a transitional area between the Amazon and the Andes. These findings increase the known diversity and distribution of Stenochironomus in Neotropics and reinforce the importance of expanding systematic sampling efforts in poorly explored and under-sampled areas across the Neotropical region.

**Revision of the Japanese species of Lygurus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Sisyrostolinae)**

KAZUHIKO KONISHI, YUJI OMATSU, SATOSHI AONO — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The ichneumonid genus Lygurus, currently distributed in East Asia, has been represented by two species, L. townesi Kasparyan, 1983 and L. marjoriae Chiu, 1984, with no prior records reported from Japan. A taxonomic review was conducted on specimens of this genus collected within Japan. This led to the recognition of four distinct species, comprising the two previously known species and two new species: L. japonicus sp. nov. and L. hokkaidensis sp. nov. This study clarifies the diversity of Lygurus, and a key to species is provided to facilitate identification.

**A new species of Rhagovelia (Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Sumba Island, Lesser Sunda Islands with notes on zoogeography**

DAN A. POLHEMUS — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The new species Rhagovelia sumbana is described from the island of Sumba in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The species possesses character states that place it in the R. sarawakensis group, whose members are otherwise known only from the Sundaland continental platform. The presence of this species on Sumba provides additional supporting evidence for the prevailing tectonic hypothesis that Sumba is a displaced continental fragment rifted from an original position on the southeast margin of Sundaland near Borneo, and the geological evidence for this is briefly reviewed. Photomicrographs of key morphological characters for R. sumbana, a map of its known distribution on Sumba, and a photograph of the type-locality habitat are provided.

New and little-known species of Pterophoridae (Lepidoptera) from Kazakhstan

PETR USTJUZHANIN, PAVEL GORBUNOV — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

The paper reports a list of 22 species of Lepidoptera of the family Pterophoridae collected in the Republic of Kazakhstan by P. Gorbunov in 2009–2025 and with S. F. Melyakh in 2018–2025. Two species from the list are new to the fauna of Kazakhstan: Agdistis gerasimovi Zagulajev & Blumental, 1994 and Capperia salanga Arenberger, 1995 (marked with * in the species list). Agdistis balchashensis Zagulajev, 1997 syn nov. is synonymized with the earlier described Agdistis rubasiensis Zagulajev, 1985. A new species of plume moth, Agdistis autumnalis Ustjuzhanin & P. Gorbunov sp. nov., is described.

**A new cave-dwelling Laemostenus (Pristonychus) species from central Anatolia (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini)**

EBRU CEREN FIDAN, MERT ELVERICI — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

Laemostenus (Pristonychus) violeta Fidan & Elverici, sp. nov., from Türkiye is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to the terricola species group of the subgenus Pristonychus. It is readily distinguished from congeners by the unique structure of the aedeagus (slender median lobe and distinct apical shape) and the vivid violaceous sheen of the elytra. The species was found in extremely high abundance in the guano-rich dark zone of Singildakli in (Hamambogazi) Cave, Central Anatolia, and was absent from a nearby guano-free cave. Its ecology indicates a guanophilic and troglophilic lifestyle, and it is currently known only from the type locality, suggesting a localized cave endemicity within the group.