[Herpetology • 2026] Acanthosaura aurantiogularis • A New Species of the Genus Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Lacertilia: Agamidae) from the China-Myanmar Border Region in southwestern Yunnan Province, China

Acanthosaura aurantiogularis Wang, Lu & Che, 

in Wang, Lu, Zhao, Shi, Wan, Zhu, Jin et Che, 2026

橙喉棘蜥 | Orange-throated Pricklenape  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1290.195408

Abstract

Using an integrative dataset of both mitochondrial DNA and morphological data, we describe a new species of the genus Acanthosaura from the China-Myanmar border region in Menglian County, Pu’er, Yunnan Province, China. The new species, Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov., is sister to A. tongbiguanensis, and it can be readily diagnosed from all recognized congeners by its bright orange gular coloration in the male, flesh colored oral cavity, moderate post-orbital spines and occipital spines, five or six well-developed nuchal crest scales, and a distinct dorsal coloration. We recommend further comprehensive phylogenetic studies of the genus and highlighted the understudied agamid diversity in northeastern Myanmar.

Key words: Agamid, Burma, cross-border, distribution, Draconinae, Pricklenape, taxonomy

Comparison between males (left column) and females (right column) of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (top row, A, B) and closely related A. tongbiguanensis (bottom row, C, D) in life.

Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu and Kai Wang.

Holotype male of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (KIZ 61664) in life,
showing lateral overview (A), lateral closeup of body and head (B), ventral overview (C), and closeup of oral cavity (D).

Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu.

Paratype female of Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. (KIZ 61665) in life,
showing lateral overview (A), lateral closeup of body and head (B), ventral overview (C), and closeup of oral cavity (D).

Photos by Zhuo-Yu Lu.

 

Acanthosaura aurantiogularis Wang, Lu & Che, sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Acanthosaura aurantiogularis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) tail short, TAL 167% SVL in female; (2) length of post-orbital and occipital spines moderate, LOPS 11.0–15.1% HL, LLOC 9.5–15.9% HL; (3) nuchal crest erected, 5 or 6, discontinuous from dorsal crests, TNCL 13.8–18.7% HL; (4) diastema short, composed of 6–8 small scales; (5) dorsal crest erected, anterior most one shorter than nuchal, decreasing in length posteriorly; (6) enlarged middorsal crest scales 41; (7) gular pouch moderately developed, transverse gular fold ...

Etymology. The specific epithet aurantiogularis is a compound Neo-Latin adjective derived from the Latin aurantius, meaning “orange-colored,” and gularis, meaning “the throat”. This nomenclature is a direct descriptor of the lizard’s most striking and diagnostic morphological feature: the vibrant, unmarked orange-yellow gular pouch in males. The suggested Chinese common name is “橙喉棘蜥” (Pinyin: Chéng Hóu Jí Xī), and the suggested English common name is Orange-throated Pricklenape.

 Kai WANG, Zhuo-Yu LU, Gui-Gang ZHAO, Wei SHI, Ru-Wen WAN, Na ZHU, Jie-Qiong JIN and Jing CHE. 2026. A New Species of the Genus Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Agamidae) from the China-Myanmar Border Region in southwestern Yunnan Province, China. ZooKeys. 1290: 319-337.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1290.195408 [27 Aug 2026]

[Paleontology • 2021] Priscaleclercera christae • Taxonomic Revision of Fossil Psilodercidae and Ochyroceratidae Spiders (Araneae: Synspermiata), with A New Species of Priscaleclercera from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber, northern Myanmar

 

Priscaleclercera christae

Magalhaes, Porta, Wunderlich, Proud, Ramírez & Pérez-González, 2021

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104751  

  x.com/6eyes8legs 

 Researchgate.net/publication/348281048

Highlights

• We revise the types of most known psilodercid and ochyroceratid spiders in amber.

• We describe a new Priscaleclercera species from Late Cretaceous Burmese amber.

• Priscaleclercera is a crown-group psilodercid, close to Althepus and Leclercera.

• Late Cretaceous Burmese amber contains 11 species of psilodercids.

• Arachnolithulus, preserved in Dominican amber, is an Ochyroceratinae.

Abstract

Psilodercidae contains some 200 known extant species of small spiders that live in tropical rainforests and caves and is mainly restricted to the Oriental biogeographic realm. Interestingly, at least ten different fossil species have been described from inclusions in Late Cretaceous Burmese amber. This suggests the family has been diversifying in the region for ∼100 million years. In this paper, we revise the taxonomy of fossil species of this family and the closely related Ochyroceratidae, based on the re-examination of type specimens of described species. We find that ten Cretaceous species described in the psilodercid genera Priscaleclercera and Aculeatosoma are valid, and present new illustrations of their type material. The genus Propterpsiloderces apparently does not belong to Psilodercidae, but rather to a family representing a stem lineage within Scytodoidea. Ochyroceratidae is represented in the fossil record by a single ochyroceratine genus from Miocene Dominican amber, Arachnolithulus. The original combination of the extant species Leclercera spinata Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 is reinstated by transferring it from Priscaleclercera, leaving this latter genus as a strictly fossil taxon. Finally, we present the description of a hitherto unknown species of Priscaleclercera from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Priscaleclercera christae sp. nov., bringing the total number of congeners to ten. By studying its morphological features, we argue that Priscaleclercera is a crown-group Psilodercidae, closely related to the Althepus–Leclercera lineage. The high species diversity of Priscaleclercera indicates that Psilodercidae was already a diverse component of the Oriental tropical forests during the Cretaceous.

Keywords: Aculeatosoma, Arachnolithulus, Cretaceous, Myanmar, Synspermiata

Priscaleclercera christae sp. nov.

 

 Ivan L.F. Magalhaes, Andrés O. Porta, Jörg Wunderlich, Daniel N. Proud, Martín J. Ramírez and Abel Pérez-González. 2021. Taxonomic Revision of Fossil Psilodercidae and Ochyroceratidae Spiders (Araneae: Synspermiata), with A New Species of Priscaleclercera from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber, northern Myanmar. Cretaceous Research. In Press, 104751. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104751 [5 January 2021]

 twitter.com/6eyes8legs/status/1346826645638946825 

 Researchgate.net/publication/348281048_Taxonomic_revision_of_fossil_Psilodercidae_and_Ochyroceratidae_spiders_with_a_new_species_of_Priscaleclercera_from_mid-Cretaceous_Burmese_amber

 

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Icaroramus perisi • A Firefly Relative that Smelled and Glowed: Evidence for Complex Signalling Systems in Cretaceous lampyroids

Icaroramus perisi Li, Kundrata & Cai 

in Li, Kundrata, Huang, Myint et Cai, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0295 

Artwork by Ding-Hua Yang

Abstract

The evolution of insect sensory and signalling systems has played a key role in arthropod diversification, yet direct fossil evidence illuminating their early history remains rare. Lampyroids, including fireflies and their relatives, are notable for their elaborately modified antennae and bioluminescence. These characteristics make them an exceptional model for understanding the coevolution of sensory and signalling modalities. Here we describe Icaroramus perisi gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, a lampyroid beetle tentatively placed within Cretophengodidae. Icaroramus is exceptional in possessing both extraordinarily elaborate antennae and a well-developed photic organ. Its 12-segmented quadriheteroramose antennae represent an antennal architecture unknown among extant and fossil beetles. Functionally, these antennae likely combined an expanded olfactory surface area with differentiated sensory fields, enhancing the detection of pheromonal cues. Mate location was therefore probably mediated primarily by pheromones, whereas bioluminescence may have retained its plesiomorphic role in aposematic defence. This discovery expands the known morphological and ecological diversity of Cretaceous lampyroids and provides new insight into the origins of complex signalling strategies in fireflies and their relatives.

Keywords: Cretophengodidae, Kachin amber, heteroramose antenna, mating strategy, bioluminescence  

  

Icaroramus perisi, holotype, NIGP209038.
(A, B) Habitus, dorsal and ventral views, under reflected illumination. (C) Schematic reconstruction of antenna (proportions approximate).

Scale bars: 2 mm in (A,B).

Systematic palaeontology

Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758

Superfamily Elateroidea Leach, 1815

Family (?) Cretophengodidae Li et al., 2021

Genus Icaroramus Li, Kundrata & Cai gen. nov.

 

Diagnosis. Antennae 12-segmented; antennomeres 4–11 quadriheteroramose, each with two morphologically different pairs of rami (figures 1C, 2A–C) (antennomeres 4–11 biramose in Cretophengodes Li et al.). Pronotum with posterior angles acute and shortly produced posteriorly (figure 1A) (posterior pronotal angles obtuse in Cretophengodes). Prosternum in front of coxae longer than longitudinal diameter of procoxal cavity; prosternal process extending well beyond procoxae and fitting into mesoventral cavity (figure 2D). Mesoventral cavity well developed (figure 2E). Abdomen with six ventrites; ventrite 6 with entire surface luminous (figure 1B) (possible luminous organ present on medial portions of abdominal ventrites 1–3 in Cretophengodes).

Etymology. The generic name is formed from Icarus, the mythological figure who flew too close to the Sun and fell into the sea, and ramus, referring to the multiple long rami on each antennomere. It metaphorically evokes an evolutionary ‘overreach’, a unique antennal elaboration that was lost and not inherited by extant lineages. The name is masculine in gender.

Icaroramus perisi Li, Kundrata, Cai sp. nov.  

Etymology. The species is named after the palaeoentomologist Dr David Peris.

 

Artistic reconstruction of Icaroramus perisi glowing in mid-Cretaceous forest.

 

Yan-Da Li; Robin Kundrata; Diying Huang; Tin Aung Myint; Chenyang Cai. 2026. A Firefly Relative that Smelled and Glowed: Evidence for Complex Signalling Systems in Cretaceous lampyroids. Proc. R. Soc. B (2026) 293 (2075): 20260295. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0295 [29 Jul 2026]

Cretaceous Beetle Fossil Reveals Early Evolution of Firefly Sensory and Signaling Systems

https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research-news/202607/t20260729_1179346.shtml

 

[Diplopoda • 2026] Enghoffosoma chiangmaiense, E. minutum, E. chanabunae • Integrative Taxonomy of the Millipede Genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 (Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae) in Thailand and Myanmar, with Descriptions of Three New Species

Enghoffosoma chiangmaiense Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn; 
E. minutum Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn; 
 E. chanabunae Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn, 
 

 in Srisonchai, Benchapong, Golovatch, Sutcharit, Panha et Likhitrakarn, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.37828/em.2026.99.4 

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Abstract

Although comprehensive studies on the Southeast Asian flat-backed millipede genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 in Thailand have begun quite recently, in 2014, continuous field surveys have since revealed a steadily increasing species diversity. Based on extensive new material collected from Thailand and Myanmar, three new species are described using an integrative taxonomic approach that combines morphological characters and mitochondrial COI DNA barcoding: Enghoffosoma chiangmaiense Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. from northern Thailand, Enghoffosoma minutum Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. from northeastern Thailand, and Enghoffosoma chanabunae Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. from the Tanintharyi Region, southern Myanmar. COI sequence comparisons, available for E. chanabunae Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. and E. chiangmaiense Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n., reveal significant interspecific genetic divergences (K2P distances) from their congeners, ranging from 13.53–16.75% and 13.53–18.14%, respectively. While DNA data were unavailable for E. minutum Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n., its distinctive morphological characters, particularly the gonopod structure, clearly support its status as a new species. To provide a clear morphological baseline for comparison, the type species, Enghoffosoma spinipleurum (Carl, 1941), from Myanmar, originally described as Sundanina spinipleura Carl, 1941, is redescribed and illustrated in detail based on the lectotype. With these additions, the genus Enghoffosoma now comprises 21 valid species, confirming its status as a highly diverse and widespread diplopod lineage in the Indochinese region. An updated identification key to all known species and a distribution map are provided.

Enghoffosoma chiangmaiense Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. 

 Enghoffosoma minutum Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. 

 Enghoffosoma chanabunae Srisonchai & Likhitrakarn sp. n. 

Ruttapon Srisonchai, Theemaporn Benchapong, Sergei I. Golovatch, Chirasak Sutcharit, Somsak Panha, Natdanai Likhitrakarn. 2026. Integrative Taxonomy of the Millipede Genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae) in Thailand and Myanmar, with Descriptions of Three New Species. Ecologica Montenegrina. 99; 40-71. DOI: doi.org/10.37828/em.2026.99.4 [2026-06-24] 

  facebook.com/ASRUChula/posts/1453689620109096

[Mollusca • 2022] Burmochlamys fasciola, B. albida, B. versicolor, ... • Uncovering local Endemism from southeastern Myanmar: Description of the New Karst-associated Terrestrial Snail Genus Burmochlamys (Eupulmonata: Helicarionidae)

 

Burmochlamys Pholyotha & Panha,
A Burmochlamys fasciola sp. nov. paratype showing left and right lateral views;  
D B. albida sp. nov. paratype; E B. moulmeinica sp. nov. paratype;
F B. versicolor sp. nov. paratype; G B. whitteni sp. nov. paratype 

in Pholyotha, Sutcharit, Lin et Panha, 2022.   

 DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1110.82461 

Abstract

Salween River basin’s karst ecosystems in southeastern Myanmar remain largely unexplored and are likely to harbour a high terrestrial snail diversity that are often associated with high levels of snail endemism. Here, an outstanding group of new karst-associated terrestrial snails, Burmochlamys gen. nov., are discovered. A study of the comparative morphological and anatomical data reveals that the reproductive tract and radula of this new genus are closely related to the helicarionid genus Sophina Benson, 1859 but shell morphology (shape, size, and sculpture) and mantle extensions are distinct from the latter genus. Burmochlamys gen. nov. now consists of four known nominal species, B. cassidula comb. nov., B. cauisa comb. nov., B. perpaula comb. nov., and B. poongee comb. nov., and five new species; B. albida sp. nov., B. fasciola sp. nov., B. moulmeinica sp. nov., B. versicolor sp. nov., and B. whitteni sp. nov. The highlight is that the members of the new genus show site-specific endemism, being restricted to karstic habitat islands of the Salween River basin. In addition, the discovery supports that the unique and complex structure of Salween River basin’s karst ecosystems are habitats in which the terrestrial malacofauna have speciated and become endemic.

Keywords: Diversity, endemic, Indochina, land snail, limestone, Salween River basin, taxonomy

Family Helicarionidae Bourguignat, 1877

Subfamily Durgellinae Godwin-Austen, 1888

Living snails of Burmochlamys species
A Burmochlamys fasciola sp. nov. paratype CUMZ 14214 showing left and right lateral views B B. cassidula specimen CUMZ 14209
C B. poongee specimen CUMZ 14210 D B. albida sp. nov. paratype CUMZ 14212
E B. moulmeinica sp. nov. paratype CUMZ 14217 F B. versicolor sp. nov. paratype CUMZ 14219 G B. whitteni sp. nov. paratype CUMZ 14222.

Genus Burmochlamys Pholyotha & Panha, gen. nov.

 

Type species: Burmochlamys fasciola sp. nov., by original designation.

Etymology: The name combines Burmo in reference to Burma, the historical name of Myanmar, and the Greek word chlamys meaning mantle or cloak in reference to land snail with well-developed mantle extensions. Therefore, the generic name means the Burmese land snail with the well-developed mantle extensions. The gender of the new generic name is feminine.

Diagnosis: Shell subglobose to globose, small size, little high spire, and sculptured with spiral furrows and undulating radial lines. Snail with five well-developed mantle extensions; caudal horn raised. Genitalia with penial retractor muscle attached at tip of epiphallic caecum; gametolytic organ with rather short to moderate cylindrical duct and bulbous sac; well-developed dart apparatus; flagellum absent. Radula with large monocuspid central tooth and attached by two smaller teeth; laterals and marginals undifferentiated, large monocuspid, and at base of each tooth on outer side attached by a smaller tooth.

B. cassidula comb. nov., B. cauisa comb. nov., 

B. perpaula comb. nov., and B. poongee comb. nov., 

and five new species; B. albida sp. nov., B. fasciola sp. nov., 

B. moulmeinica sp. nov., B. versicolor sp. nov., and B. whitteni sp. nov.

A adult of Burmochlamys moulmeinica sp. nov. while climbing slowly on the karst wall after raining at Lun Nya Pagoda B mating pairs of B. versicolor sp. nov. on the karst wall at Bayin Nyi Cave
C B. versicolor sp. nov. eaten by the carnivorous snail Carinartemis sp. on the karst wall at Bayin Nyi Cave D B. cassidula eaten by the carnivorous snail Haploptychius sp. on the karst wall at Kaw Gon Cave. 

 Arthit Pholyotha, Chirasak Sutcharit, Aung Lin and Somsak Panha. 2022. Uncovering local Endemism from southeastern Myanmar: Description of the New Karst-associated Terrestrial Snail Genus Burmochlamys (Eupulmonata, Helicarionidae).  ZooKeys. 1110: 1-37. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1110.82461 

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Cretolala kachinensis (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacoidea) • the First lalacid from mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber: Morphological and Taphonomic Implications

Cretolala kachinensis 

Tang, ŠMÍDOVÁ, Ding, BODERAU, Fabrikant, Mähler, Deng, Nyunt, Fu, Jouault, Tomaschek, Szwedo & Jiang, 2026

 

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.9.2.5

Abstract 

We report Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov., the first formally described representative of the family Lalacidae from mid-Cretaceous (~99 Ma) Kachin amber. The morphology and taphonomy of the specimen were studied using optical microscopy, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM‒EDS). Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov. exhibits a unique combination of forewing characters, including a strengthened, broad, and wrinkled costal margin; ScP+R fork proximal to both the Pcu+A1 fusion and the CuA fork; MP with five terminals; and CuA1 and CuA2 each with two terminals. Crossvein patterns differ between the left and right forewings, indicating that crossvein expression alone is not diagnostic. The forewing bears distinct maculation, with a face-like pattern dorsally and an extensive lateral pattern that may indicate aposematism, mimicry, or plant-like camouflage in an arboreal herbivore. Taphonomic analyses based on optical micrographs and material-dependent X-ray attenuation in micro-CT show that minerals are distributed throughout the fossil, coating anatomical surfaces and infilling pre-existing cavities and voids. These phases help stabilize morphology and influence the micro-CT reconstruction of soft-bodied structures. SEM–EDS analyses indicate that the body-coating and void-filling minerals are dominated by quartz and pyrite, with feldspars and aluminosilicate mixtures also present, locally enriched in K, Na, Mg, or Ca. This assemblage and its textures point to a polyphase paragenetic sequence, with early detrital infill and later authigenic mineralization. Our results suggest that minerals and some chemicals derived from the host sediments can be transported into and, in some cases, precipitated within amber inclusions, infilling voids and providing structural support that influences fossil preservation. Collectively, these phases occlude porosity, stabilize morphology, and enhance X-ray contrast, although they locally obscured primary tissue boundaries. Our results highlight multistage diagenesis in Kachin amber and underscore variability among inclusions in both mineral assemblages and the timing of mineralization/diagenetic events.

Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Delphacoidea, Mesozoic, Burmese amber, Planthopper, taxonomy, taphonomy, mineral infilling, wing maculation

Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov., holotype (HMJ–2016–019).
A–D, Reflected-light micrographs. A, Right lateral view. B, Left lateral view. C, Dorsal view. D, Ventral view. E, F, Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) reconstructions. E, Dorsal view. F, Ventral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Systematic palaeontology

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758

Suborder Fulgoromorpha Evans, 1946

Superfamily Delphacoidea Leach, 1815

Family Lalacidae Hamilton, 1990

Cretolala Jiang, Boderau, Jouault & Szwedo gen. nov.

  

Etymology. The generic name is formed from the combination of “Cretaceous” and generic name “Lalax”; the latter is derived from the Greek λάλαξ (“croaker”, “caller”), in reference to a lalacid planthopper from the Cretaceous. Gender is feminine.

Diagnosis (provisional, pending confirmation from additional specimens and in combination with specieslevel diagnostic characters). Tegmen with narrow base and distinctly widened apical portion; costal margin strengthened, broad and wrinkled. Pc+CP shifted away from anterior margin near tegmen base, parallel to CA, forming a narrow, sclerotized costal area. ScP+R forks basad both CuA fork and Pcu+A1 fusion. RA with two terminals; RP with three terminals; MP with five terminals; CuA1 and CuA2 with two terminals each. 

Cretolala kachinensis Jiang, Boderau, Jouault & Szwedo sp. nov.  

Material. Holotype: HMJ–2016–019, adult female in Kachin (Burmese) amber from northern Myanmar. Repository: Myanmar Gems Museum, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Condition: the specimen is incomplete, with the head and the dorsal part of the thorax missing. 

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from “Kachin”, the name of the state in northern Myanmar where the amber originates, and is Latinized with the adjectival suffix -ensis, meaning from “Kachin”. 

Diagnosis. As for the genus, due to monotypy. Additional features include forewing coloration and venation details: costal margin with a continuous dark band along costal area; membrane bearing nearly continuous aligned patches and short transverse bands; a discrete insular macula on ScP+RA; a sub-elliptical isolated macula near distal Pcu; distad of forks of RP and MP, pigment is vein-following, tracking adjacent longitudinal and crossveins; postnodal cell centers unpigmented, ...

 Life reconstruction of Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov.

 (illustrated by Lucia Šmídová).

Ya-Ni TANG, Lucia ŠMÍDOVÁ, Ying-Ying DING, Mathieu BODERAU, Dolev FABRIKANT, Bastian MÄHLER, Jun-Chen DENG, Thet Tin NYUNT, Yan-Zh FU, Corentin JOUAULT, Frank TOMASCHEK, Jacek SZWEDO, Hui JIANG. 2026. Cretolala kachinensis gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacoidea), the First lalacid from mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber: Morphological and Taphonomic implications. Palaeoentomology. 9(2); 125-138. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.9.2.5 [2026-04-29]

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Qiongqi multispurous • A New Cricket (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber in Northern Myanmar

Qiongqi multispurous 

Ji, Nel, Xiao & Xu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/29769

Abstract

A new species of Trigonidiidae, †Qiongqi multispurous sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. It can be definitely attributed to the family Trigonidiidae, but excluded from the two extant subfamilies. It also exhibits a different morphology from all reported trigonidiids genera and species from the Mesozoic, including subapical/apical spurs on the hind tibia and setae-like processes on the hind basitarsomere. This new discovery provides novel morphological information of Cretaceous Trigonidiidae, and highlights the potential of biodiversity of Cretaceous crickets.

Keywords: Trigonidiidae; mid-Cretaceous; new species; fossil; morphology

Qiongqi multispurous sp. nov., holotype NIGP210185.
A) Photograph of  habitus in dorsal view. B) Drawing of  habitus in dorsal view.
C) Drawing of  habitus in ventral view. D) Photograph of  habitus in ventral view.

Scale bars = 1 mm.

Qiongqi multispurous sp. nov.

XIA JI, ANDRÉ NEL, CHUANTAO XIAO and CHUNPENG XU. 2026. A NEW CRICKET (ORTHOPTERA: TRIGONIDIIDAE) FROM MID-CRETACEOUS KACHIN AMBER IN NORTHERN MYANMAR. RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA. 132(1); DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/29769 [06-03-2026]

[Herpetology • 2026] Trachischium lalremsangai • A New Species of Fossorial Snake of the Genus Trachischium Günther, 1858, from the Indo–Burma Biodiversity Hotspot

Trachischium lalremsangai 

Bhardwaj, Bal, Tluanga & Mirza, 2026

 DOI: doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.39.e187919  

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Abstract

A new species of fossorial natricine snake, Trachischium lalremsangai sp. nov., is described from the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. The holotype was collected from Murlen National Park, Mizoram, near the India–Myanmar border, while the paratype originated from Haka Township, Chin State, Myanmar. Based on morphological and molecular data, the new species is related to T. reticulata (Blyth); however, it can be diagnosed from members of the genus Trachischium by possessing 13 dorsal scale rows, two postoculars, one anterior temporal scale, and two posterior temporal scales, in addition to distinctive colouration and other scalation details. The discovery of several new snake species within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot underscores the need for increased research efforts and funding dedicated to this region in the near future.

Key Words: Blythia, Colubridae, Myanmar, Natricinae, northeast India, phylogeny, taxonomy

Trachischium lalremsangai sp. nov. holotype male MZMU 3757 in situ.

Trachischium lalremsangai sp. nov.

Diagnosis. A large-sized member of the genus reaching SVL of 351–432 mm. Dorsal scales smooth and iridescent, arranged in 13 rows throughout the body. Supralabials 5–6, 3rd and 4th in contact with orbit. Paired prefrontals; a pair of postoculars. Temporals 1+2. Ventrals 135 (+3–4 preventrals) and 28–29 subcaudals paired. Dorsum brown and ventrally, anterior one quarter of the snake is creamish white, while the rest is a shade of brown that has sparse white speckles.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honouring Prof. Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga of Mizoram University for his contributions to herpetology in Northeast India, his guidance to numerous students, and his facilitation of research throughout the region and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

 Virender K. Bhardwaj, Amit K. Bal, Chhangte L. Tluanga and Zeeshan A. Mirza. 2026. A New Species of Fossorial Snake of the Genus Trachischium Günther, 1858, from the Indo–Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. Herpetozoa. 39: 203-215. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.39.e187919 [19 May 2026]

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[Botany • 2026] Impatiens arakanensis & I. cirrosa (Balsaminaceae) • Two New Species from the Arakan Mountain Range of Myanmar [Contributions to the Flora of Myanmar X]

Impatiens cirrosa Nob.Tanaka & T.Sugaw.,

 

in Tanaka, Aung et Sugawara, 2026.  

 DOI: doi.org/10.51033/jjapbot.ID0361 

Photographed by T.Sugawara.

 

Abstract

Two new species, Impatiens arakanensis Nob.Tanaka & T.Sugaw. (Balsaminaceae) and I. cirrosa Nob.Tanaka & T.Sugaw., from the Arakan Mountain Range, Magway Region, southwestern Myanmar, are described here. Impatiens arakanensis is similar to I. decipiens Hook.f. in floral morphology and coloration, but differs in having axillary inflorescence (vs. terminal), smooth dorsal petals (vs. with horn-like appendage), and pubescent lower sepal (vs. glabrous). Impatiens cirrosa is similar to I. tripetala Roxb. in floral morphology, but differs in having purple lower sepals (vs. orange to pale orange) with filamentous cirrus at apex, connate lateral united petals (vs. free) and white ovary with red spots (vs. green). Both of the two new species likely belong to Impatiens subgenus Impatiens sect. Uniflorae.

Keywords: Arakan, balsam, Burma, new taxon, sect. Uniflorae, taxonomy

Impatiens arakanensis.
A. Habit. B. A diagonal front view of flower. C. A front view of flower. D. A side view of flower. E. Dissected flower, showing lower sepal, dorsal petal, and lateral united petals. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Photographed by T.Sugawara.

Impatiens arakanensis Nob.Tanaka & T.Sugaw., sp. nov.   

 Impatiens arakanensis is similar to I. decipiens in floral morphology and purplish coloration, but distinguished from it by having an axillary inflorescence (vs. terminal inflorescence), smooth dorsal petals (vs. with horn-like appendage), and pubescent lower sepal (vs. glabrous).

Etymology: The specific epithet “arakanensis” refers to the name of the Arakan Mountain Range in which its type locality is located. 

Impatiens cirrosa.
A. Habit. Arrows showing a filamentous cirrus. B, C. A diagonal front view of flower, showing a filamentous cirrus. D. A front view of flower. E. Dissected flower: a. Lower sepal. b. A young fruit with pedicel. c, d. Lateral united petals. e. Dorsal petal. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Photographed by T.Sugawara.

Impatiens cirrosa Nob.Tanaka & T.Sugaw., sp. nov.  

 Impatiens cirrosa is similar to I. tripetala in floral morphology, but distinguished from it by having purple lower sepals (vs. orange to pale orange) with filamentous cirrus at apex, connate lateral united petals (vs. free) and white ovary with red spots (vs. green).

Etymology: The specific epithet “cirrosa” refers to the most distinctive character of Impatiens cirrosa, which is a very distinct species with long filamentous cirrus at the apex of the lower sepal and lower margin of lamina (Figs. 3B, E, 5).

Nobuyuki Tanaka, Mu Mu Aung and Takashi Sugawara. 2026. Contributions to the Flora of Myanmar X: Two New Species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from the Arakan Mountain Range of Myanmar. J. Jap. Bot. 101(2); 88-96. DOI: doi.org/10.51033/jjapbot.ID0361 [April 20, 2026]

[Botany • 2026] Sadiria kachinensis (Primulaceae: Myrsinoideae) • A New Species from Myanmar

Sadiria kachinensis Utteridge & Nob.Tanaka,

in Utteridge, Armstrong, Yoneda et Tanaka. 2026.  

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.744.3.1

 

Abstract

Sadiria kachinensis from Kachin State, Myanmar is described and illustrated as a species new to science. It is morphologically similar to S. boweri and S. solanifolia but differs in several characters especially the smaller leaves on the vegetative shoots and the flowering branches, larger inflorescences and petals, and smaller sepals. In addition, this new species is compared to S. eugeniifolia var. burmanica, the only other member of Sadiria in Myanmar.

 Burma, Ericales, Indo-China, South-East Asia, taxonomy, Eudicots

Sadiria kachinensis Utteridge & Nob.Tanaka.
 A habit; B detail of leaf margin; C inflorescences; D flower; E single calyx lobe; F detail of overlapping corolla lobes; G flower opened to show stamens opposite the corolla lobes; H ovary and style (flower with corolla removed); I stamen abaxial view; J stamen adaxial view; K ovary; L fruit with persistent style.

Drawn from Armstrong et al. 4307 (TNS). Scale bars: A = 3 cm, C, D, G, H, L = 5 mm, E & F = 1 mm, I, J & K = 3 mm. Illustration by Kaoru Yoneda.

Sadiria kachinensis Utteridge & Nob.Tanaka.
A. habit; B. plagiotropic (flowering) branch with inflorescences and flowers pre-anthesis; C. plagiotropic branch with fruits; D. inflorescence/flower detail, note exserted styles in the flowers on the right hand side; E. fruit detail, note persistent style (dry and black).

 Photographed by Kate Armstrong.

Sadiria kachinensis Utteridge & Nob.Tanaka, sp. nov. 

 Recognised in the genus Sadiria by the leaves (ortho- and plagiotropic) drying greenish and the shorter plagiotropic reproductive branches, and unique amongst those species in the combination of the following characters: 3–4 leaves in pseudowhorls along the erect (orthotropic) stems, these orthotropic leaves, elliptic and 9.5–13 × 3.5–4.5 cm; the lateral plagiotropic (reproductive) flower-bearing branches (4–)6.5–11 cm long, with 3(–5) leaves along the length of the branch; orthotropic and reproductive shoots leaves drying green; pendulous inflorescences sessile or with a very short rachis to 2 mm long; the corolla fused for approximately three-quarters of its length; stamens with anthers 2 mm long; and the style conspicuously exserted at anthesis and extending ca. 3 mm beyond the apex of the corolla lobes.

Timothy UTTERIDGE, Kate E. ARMSTRONG, Kaoru YONEDA and Nobuyuki TANAKA. 2026. Sadiria kachinensis (Myrsinoideae, Primulaceae), A New Species from Myanmar.  Phytotaxa. 744(3); 205-211. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.744.3.1 [2026-03-10]

[Ichthyology • 2026] Magnischistura khaokrajom • A New Genus and Species of Loach (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) from the Pachi River drainage in Western Thailand

Magnischistura khaokrajom  Page, Pawangkhanant & Cagle,

in Page, Pawangkhant, Tangjitjaroen, Cagle, Williams et Randall, 2026. 

Krajom Mountain Stream Loach | ปลาค้อปิศาจ ||  DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5757.6.7 

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Abstract

Magnischistura khaokrajom, new genus and species, is described from a small tributary of the Pachi River in the Suan Phueng region of the Tenasserim Hills in western Thailand. Magnischistura shares with several recently described genera of nemacheilids a globulous suborbital flap with tubercles at its extremity and a highly modified pectoral fin on mature males, but molecular data failed to support a close relationship to any of them. Morphologically, the new genus is distinguished by the presence of a suborbital flap in the female. The highly modified pectoral fin of males is hypothesized to facilitate juxtaposition with a female during spawning.

Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Southeast Asia

(A-C) Magnischistura khaokrajom.
(A) UF 248549, paratype, 74.1 mm SL, female, live, (B) UF 248549, paratype, 68.4 mm SL male, live, (C) THNHM-F023975, holotype, 74.0 mm SL male, preserved,
(D) Mustura maepaiensis, UF 188267, 42.3 mm SL, live.

Magnischistura, Page, Pawangkhanant & Cagle, new genus 

Diagnosis. Magnischistura is distinguished from all other genera of Nemacheilidae by the combination of: (a) in adult males, a pectoral fin that is rigid, curved upward, and has a thick tuberculated pad on the dorsal surface and epidermal flanges on the narrow membranes (Figure 4B); a large, vertically oriented, globulous suborbital flap with tubercles on its underside and distal edge (Figure 4A); (b) in adult females, a pectoral fin with a thick pad on the dorsal surface and epidermal flanges on the membranes (Figure 4D), and a small suborbital flap (Figure 4C); and (c) large size—to at least 98 mm SL.

Etymology. Magni- refers to the large size of the type species relative to most species of nemacheilids in Indochina, and Schistura McClelland 1838 is a widespread genus of nemacheilids. Gender feminine.

Magnischistura khaokrajom, Page, Pawangkhanant, and Cagle, new species

Krajom Mountain Stream Loach

ปลาค้อปิศาจ [Pla Kor Pi Saad]

Etymology. Khaokrajom, meaning Krajom Mountain in Thai, where this species lives.

 

Lawrence M. PAGE, Parinya PAWANGKHANT, Weerapongse TANGJITJAROEN, David K. CAGLE, Basil R. WILLIAMS and Zachary S. RANDALL. 2026. Magnischistura khaokrajom, A New Genus and Species of Loach (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) from the Pachi River drainage in Western Thailand. Zootaxa. 5757(6); 583-599. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5757.6.7 [2026-02-11]

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