Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Discoveries of the week

And yet another round of new species.

A new collembolan species is described, Spinonychiurus sinensis sp. n., which has seven chaetae in the distal row of the tibiotarsi. It is placed in the genus Spinonychiurus due to two important characters: the two subsegments on Abd. III sternum and the absence of d0 on the head. This is the first report of the genus Spinonychiurus in China. The diagnosis of Spinonychiurus is broadened and the key to the world species is provided.

Found in the coniferous forests of the Changbai Mountain Range in China.
no DNA barcode


Very little information is available regarding marine free-living flatworms not only from Iran, but throughout the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The present study first introduces a new euryleptid species, and then reports four pseudocerotid polyclads which inhabit Iranian shallow rocky shores of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Maritigrella makranica sp. nov. is characterized dorsally by a medial cream or white reticulated appearance containing pale orange spots in a honeycomb pattern, a distinct orange submarginal band around the entire body margin and between the marginal tentacles, black spots scattered around mid-dorsal surface, becoming more sparse on raised median region and towards body margin, surrounded by a dark-grey halo around the body midline and orange-black halo towards margin. Three of the four pseudocerotids species belonging to the genera Pseudobiceros Faubel, 1984; Pseudoceros Lang, 1884; and Thysanozoon Grube, 1840, are new records for the studied areas, while the other has been reported in the Persian Gulf previously. Comments on Iranian species are provided and associations of flatworms with ascidians and sponges were observed.

The species name refers to the Makran area in the Gulf of Oman where the specimens were collected. These beautiful little flatworms feed on ascidians, crustaceans, gorgonians and hard corals.
no DNA barcode


Mesitiinae include 203 species classified in 22 genera and four tribes. In this work we proposed a new genus. Moczariella centenaria Barbosa & Azevedo gen. et sp. nov. are described from United Arab Emirates. The main diagnostic characteristics is body wholly unfoveolate, clypeus without lateral lobes, post-occipital depression present, propodeum with discal carinae incomplete, and without posterior one, propodeal spiracle placed laterally, claws single, and genital basal ring with dorsal half distinctly longer than ventral one.

While sorting more than 40,000 specimens of flat wasps Bethylidae from United Arab Emirates, we found a sample containing a single unusual specimen which attracted our attention. I guess that says everything about the tedious work involved to surface this new species which was put in a new genus. The genus name Moczariella is in honor to László Móczár, the main contributor to the taxonomy of the subfamily this new group belongs to, Mesitiinae. The species epithet centenaria refers to the fact that in this year László Móczár is celebrating his hundredth birthday.
no DNA barcode




Three new species of Anteros Hübner, [1819] from south and southeastern Brazil are described: A. aliceae Dias & Siewert, sp. nov., A. zikani Siewert, Dias & Dolibaina, sp. nov. and A. ethani Dias, Dolibaina & Mielke, sp. nov. Habitus and genitalia of male and female specimens of the new species are illustrated, along with illustrations of the habitus and male genitalia of the most similar species for proper distinction. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: A. micon Druce, 1875, stat. rest., A. roratus Godman & Salvin, 1886, stat. rest., and A. theleia Stichel, 1910, stat. nov. Anteros formosus stramentarius Stichel, 1909, syn. nov. is sunk as a junior subjective synonym of A. formosus. Additionally, Ourocnemis axiochus (Hewitson, 1867), stat. rest., is recognized as a species distinct from O. archytas (Stoll, 1787); illustrations of the male genitalia and of the differential characters of the wing pattern of both species are provided. A male of the rare Ourocnemis boulleti Le Cerf, 1911, is reported from southeastern Peru. Distributional data and a map are provided for all
species studied.

Anteros aliceae was named after the first daughter of one of the authors and born about the same time the species was recognized as undescribed. Anteros zikani was named to honor the entomologist José Francisco Zikán, who lived and collected in the area were the holotype was found. Anteros ethani is named after the  the first son of another author.
no DNA barcode (which is a pity as I've noticed some specimens on BOLD with preliminary names. It would be great to be able to compare them)



Onuphis farensis sp. nov. (Annelida, Polychaeta) is described, based on a population inhabiting intertidal sandbanks in the mesotidal coastal lagoon of Ria Formosa (Southern Portugal). It can be distinguished from all other known species within the genus by having bi– and tridentate pseudocompound hooks on the first 4 chaetigers, single filament branchiae from chaetiger 5, and subacicular hooks from chaetiger 9. The species was previously collected in the Bay of Cádiz and Isla Cristina (SW Spain), in a similar habitat to Ria Formosa, but referred to O. geophiliformis Moore, 1903. The taxonomic status of other Onuphis species recorded in the European waters is also discussed. On the whole, O. pancerii Claparède, 1868, described from the Gulf of Naples, has been treated as a junior synonym of O. eremita Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1833, but taking the more restrictive definition of this species accepted today, should be considered as a valid Mediterranean species. Finally, O. opalina (Verrill, 1873) and O. rullieriana (Amoureux, 1977) may be synonymous, as both species are similar morphologically, occur at similar depths, and have partially overlapping geographical distributions. The different diagnostic characters utilised for the new species are analysed, with the number of chaetigers with postchaetal lobes determined to be a poor taxonomic character for the genus Onuphis, proving to be size-related. A synoptic table with all worldwide species of the genus Onuphis is provided, together with a dichotomic key for the species hitherto recorded in the European and nearby waters.

The species name refers to the type locality of the species, being near the town of Faro, in Portugal. 
no DNA barcode


Solanum cordicitum
A new species of Solanum from Texas is described here. Solanum cordicitum S. Stern is a member of Solanum section Androceras. It is similar to S. citrullifolium and S. davisense but differs from both in having white corollas, and differs from the latter in having inflorescences with a significantly longer axis and larger flowers. In addition to the new species, three new combinations are proposed for species in Solanum section Androceras, Solanum setigeroides (Whalen) S. Stern, Solanum novomexicanum (Bartlett) S. Stern, and Solanum knoblochii (Whalen) S. Stern.

The species name is taken from the Latin “cordicitus“ for “from the heart” referring to the type locality of Valentine, Texas. The species is not only new but possibly endangered.
no DNA barcode

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