[Entomology • 2019] Amiga gen. n. • A Revision of the New Genus Amiga, described for Papilio arnaca Fabricius, 1776 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)

Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland

[upper] Amiga arnaca indianacristoi ssp. n. in nature, Altos de Pipe, Miranda, Venezuela

[lower] 

i A. arnaca adela from Costa Rica, male; j A. arnaca adela from Costa Rica, female; 

k A. arnaca adela from W Ecuador, holotype male; l A. arnaca adela from W Ecuador, female;

m A. arnaca sericeella, male from Mexico; n A. arnaca sericeella from Mexico, female; 

o A. arnaca indianacristoi from NW Venezuela, paratype male; p A. arnaca indianacristoi from N Venezuela, paratype female.

in Nakahara, Lamas, Tyler, Marín, Huertas, et al., 2019. 

 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.821.31782

Abstract

We here propose a new, monotypic genus, Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n., to harbor a common Neotropical butterfly, described as Papilio arnaca Fabricius, 1776, and hitherto placed in the genus Chloreuptychia Forster, 1964. Recent and ongoing molecular phylogenetic research has shown Chloreuptychia to be polyphyletic, with C. arnaca proving to be unrelated to remaining species and not readily placed in any other described genus. Amiga arnaca gen. n. et comb. n. as treated here is a widely distributed and very common species ranging from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. A neotype is designated for the names Papilio arnaca and its junior synonym, Papilio ebusa Cramer, 1780, resulting in the treatment of the latter name as a junior objective synonym of the former. A lectotype is designated for Euptychia sericeella Bates, 1865, which is treated as a subspecies, Amiga arnaca sericeella (Bates, 1865), comb. n. et stat. n., based on molecular and morphological evidence. We also describe two new taxa, Amiga arnaca adela Nakahara & Espeland, ssp. n. and Amiga arnaca indianacristoi Nakahara & Marín, ssp. n., new subspecies from the western Andes and eastern Central America, and northern Venezuela, respectively.

Keywords: DNA barcodes, Euptychiina, species delimitation, subspecies, systematics, taxonomy

Figure 2. Amiga arnaca spp. specimens spanning its range (dorsal on left, ventral on right):
a nominotypical subspecies from Suriname, neotype male (USNM) b nominotypical subspecies from Guyana, female (FLMNH-MGCL 263373) c nominotypical subspecies from E Ecuador, male (FLMNH-MGCL 257121) d nominotypical subspecies from Peru, female (FLMNH-MGCL 262953); e nominotypical subspecies from N Brazil, male (FLMNH-MGCL1036223) f Nominotypical subspecies from N Brazil, female (FLMNH-MGCL 207984) g Nominotypical subspecies from SE Brazil, male (FLMNH-MGCL 1036213); h nominotypical subspecies from SE Brazil, female (FLMNH-MGCL 1036218)

i A. arnaca adela from Costa Rica, male (FLMNH-MGCL 207991) j A. arnaca adela from Costa Rica, female (FLMNH-MGCL 207992) k A. arnaca adela from W Ecuador, holotype male (FLMNH-MGCL 151127) l A. arnaca adela from W Ecuador, female (FLMNH-MGCL 257087) m A. arnaca sericeella, male from Mexico (FLMNH-MGCL 207900) n A. arnaca sericeella from Mexico, female (FLMNH-MGCL 207896) o A. arnaca indianacristoi from NW Venezuela, paratype male (FLMNH-MGCL 263107) p A. arnaca indianacristoi from N Venezuela, paratype female (FLMNH-MGCL 1036235).

Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n.

Papilio arnaca Fabricius, 1776, 

by present designation

Systematic placement and diagnosis: 

Espeland et al. (2019) recovered Amiga arnaca comb. n. as sister to the “Pareuptychia clade”, whose composition partially corresponded to that found in Peña et al. (2010), with a high support (BS and PP > 0.95). The “Pareuptychia clade” itself was also well supported (BS and PP > 0.95), including Satyrotaygetis satyrina (Bates, 1865), Magneuptychia inani (Staudinger, [1886]), Euptychoides albofasciata (Hewitson, 1869), Neonympha areolatus (Smith, 1797), Erichthodes antonina (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867), Pareuptychia ocirrhoe (Fabricius, 1776), Megeuptychia antonoe (Cramer, 1775), Splendeuptychia doxes (Godart, [1824]), Nhambikuara mima (Butler, 1867), and Euptychoides eugenia (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867). Amiga gen. n. is distinguished from all members of the “Pareuptychia clade” by the presence of bluish-lilac coloration on the dorsal hindwing and by the purplish sheen in the tornal half of the VHW. Furthermore, the absence of cornuti and membranous lamella antevaginalis of Amiga gen. n. appear to be unusual character states among the clade. The type species of Chloreuptychia, Papilio chloris Cramer, 1780 (= Chloreuptychia chlorimene) was recovered as sister to a moderately supported (BS and PP > 0. 75 < 0. 95), clade including the “Pareuptychia clade”, “Taygetis clade”, “Splendeuptychia clade” and “Archeuptychia clade”.

Etymology: The new generic name is derived from the feminine Spanish noun “amiga”, meaning “a (female) friend”, alluding to the fact that this is a common, familiar butterfly. The generic name is regarded as feminine.

Distribution: This genus ranges from southern Mexico throughout virtually all of tropical Central and South America, where its southernmost distribution appears to be southern Brazil.

Taxonomy: 

Amiga gen. n. is regarded as monotypic, with total of four subspecies recognized, of which two are named and described herein.

Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n.

(– denotes a subspecies, – – denotes a synonym)

Amiga arnaca (Fabricius, 1776) comb. n.

– –ebusa (Cramer, 1780)

– –priamis (D’Almeida, 1922)

Amiga arnaca adela Nakahara & Espeland, ssp. n.

Amiga arnaca sericeella (Bates, 1865) comb. n. et stat. n.

Amiga arnaca indianacristoi Nakahara & Marín, ssp. n.

Figure 7. Amiga arnaca indianacristoi ssp. n. in nature, Altos de Pipe, Miranda, Venezuela

(photographed by Indiana Cristóbal Ríos-Málaver,

 on 11 September 2011). 

Amiga arnaca indianacristoi Nakahara & Marín, subsp. n.

Etymology: This new species-group name is proposed in recognition of our friend and colleague, Indiana Cristóbal Ríos-Málaver, known as “Indiana Cristo”, who studied the butterflies of the area where this taxon occurs. Indiana Cristo has contributed to Neotropical lepidopterology in various ways, especially through social media, where he is bringing lepidopterology to the public. This species-group name is treated as a latinized masculine noun in the genitive case.

Distribution: This taxon occurs in the Venezuelan Cordillera de la Costa and northwestern Cordillera de Mérida, and possibly also into the Serranía de Perijá.

 Shinichi Nakahara, Gerardo Lamas, Stephanie Tyler, Mario Alejandro Marín, Blanca Huertas, Keith R. Willmott, Olaf H. H. Mielke and Marianne Espeland. 2019. A Revision of the New Genus Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n., described for Papilio arnaca Fabricius, 1776 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). ZooKeys. 821: 85-152. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.821.31782

[Botany • 2018] On the Occurrence of Crotalaria uncinella subsp. elliptica (Fabaceae) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Crotalaria uncinella subsp. elliptica

in Nandikar, Kishor & Malpure, 2018.

 DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.379.1.7 
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Abstract

We present a first wild record of Crotalaria uncinella subsp. elliptica (Fabaceae) from Saddle Peak National Park, North Andaman, India with its comprehensive morphological description, illustration, photographs and lectotypification.

Keywords: Crotalarieae, subspecies, Roxburgh, India, new addition, Eudicots

Mayur D. Nandikar, K. C. Kishor and Nilesh V. Malpure. 2018. On the Occurrence of Crotalaria uncinella subsp. elliptica (Fabaceae) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Phytotaxa. 379(1); 73–77. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.379.1.7

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[Entomology • 2018] Cryptic Speciation associated with Geographic and Ecological Divergence in Two Amazonian Heliconius Butterflies

Rosser, Freitas, Huertas, Joron, Mérot, et al., 2018. 

DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly046 

Abstract

The evolution of reproductive isolation via a switch in mimetic wing coloration has become the paradigm for speciation in aposematic Heliconius butterflies. Here, we provide a counterexample to this, by documenting two cryptic species within the taxon formerly considered Heliconius demeter Staudinger, 1897. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms identify two sympatric genotypic clusters in northern Peru, corresponding to subspecies Heliconius demeter ucayalensis H. Holzinger & R. Holzinger, 1975 and Heliconius demeter joroni ssp. nov. These subspecies are reciprocally monophyletic for the mitochondrial genes COI and COII and the nuclear gene Ef1α, and exhibit marked differences in larval morphology and host plant use. COI sequences from 13 of the 15 currently recognized subspecies show that mtDNA differences are reflected across the range of H. demeter, with a deep phylogenetic split between the southern and northern Amazonian races. As such, our data suggest vicariant speciation driven by disruptive selection for larval performance on different host plants. We raise Heliconius demeter eratosignis (Joicey & Talbot, 1925) to Heliconius eratosignis based on nomenclatural priority, a species also comprising H. eratosignis ucayalensis comb. nov. and three other southern Amazonian races. Heliconius demeter joroni spp. nov. remains within H. demeter s.s., along with northern Amazonian and Guianan subspecies.

Keywords: butterflies, cryptic species, genotypic clusters, host plant shift, integrative taxonomy, mimicry, vicariant speciation

Figure 1. Distribution of races of H. demeter and H. eratosignis. Photos of type specimens are all males, except for H. e. ucayalensis. The inset shows fine-scale sympatry between H. d. joroni ssp. nov. and H. e. ucayalensis in the Tarapoto area of Peru. Heliconius demeter beebei Turner, 1966 and H. d. terrasanta appear to conform to the type specimens only around the type localities (in Terrasanta, Pará, and in Guyana). Between these, most populations appear to be either polymorphic or exhibit intermediate phenotypes (mixed square and cross symbols in the map). Heliconius demeter ssp. nov. refers to three males in the FLMNH recognized by W. Neukirchen as distinct from other described subspecies. These individuals may prove to have affinities to H. demeter titan. Distribution of races of H. demeter and H. eratosignis. Photos of type specimens are all males, except for H. e. ucayalensis. The inset shows fine-scale sympatry between H. d. joroni ssp. nov. and H. e. ucayalensis in the Tarapoto area of Peru. Heliconius demeter beebei Turner, 1966 and H. d. terrasanta appear to conform to the type specimens only around the type localities (in Terrasanta, Pará, and in Guyana). Between these, most populations appear to be either polymorphic or exhibit intermediate phenotypes (mixed square and cross symbols in the map). Heliconius demeter ssp. nov. refers to three males in the FLMNH recognized by W. Neukirchen as distinct from other described subspecies. These individuals may prove to have affinities to H. demeter titan.

Figure 3. Holotype ♂ of Heliconius demeter joroni Lamas and Rosser ssp. nov.
Upper photo: dorsal, lower photo: ventral. Scale bar = 10 mm. Holotype ♂ of Heliconius demeter joroni Lamas and Rosser ssp. nov. Upper photo: dorsal, lower photo: ventral.

Scale bar = 10 mm.

Heliconius demeter joroni Lamas & Rosser ssp. nov.  
Heliconius demeter [ssp. nov.] Lamas, MS: Lamas, 2004: 268. Lamas & Jiggins, 2017: 224.

Diagnosis: Heliconius demeter joroni ssp. nov. is similar to H. demeter demeter, but differs from Staudinger’s syntypes of H. demeter from Iquitos, Loreto, Peru (now in the MNB) in having a much narrower yellow postmedian band on the dorsal forewing. It is known only from the Cordillera Escalera, near Tarapoto, Peru (Fig. 1), where its co-mimics include Heliconius eratosignis ucayalensis, Heliconius elevatus pseudocupidineus Neustetter, 1931, Heliconius aoede cupidineus Stichel, 1906 and Eueides tales michaeli Zikán, 1937, among others. Males are easily distinguishable from all sympatric taxa through the fused rays on the hindwing dorsum and the yellow costal streak on the forewing underside. Females may be distinguished from co-mimics through the configuration of the rays (which radiate from the cell), small size, length of the antennae (longer than the forewing discal cell) and the presence of the forewing underside yellow costal streak. Both sexes usually exhibit a single row of white submarginal dots along the anal margin of the ventral hindwing, which can be used to help separate the females from H. erato emma and E. tales michaeli. This character can be faint or even missing in H. demeter joroni ssp. nov. and occasionally present in H. erato emma. However, the latter is confined to the Amazonian lowlands adjacent to the Cordillera Escalera, and at present there is no evidence to suggest that they regularly co-occur, barring occasional migrants.


Etymology: The subspecies name (a masculine noun in the genitive case) recognizes the contribution of the French evolutionary biologist Dr Mathieu Joron to the knowledge of the mimetic butterfly fauna of San Martín, Peru. Dr Joron is presently a Senior Scientist at the Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive in Montpellier. He began studying the butterflies of San Martín during his PhD and has continued to do so throughout his career, with a particular focus on Heliconius numata.

Geographic distribution: Subspecies of H. demeter and H. eratosignis are mapped in Fig. 1, with photos of a type specimen of each race. Races of H. demeter occupy the Guianas and much of the Amazon basin. H. eratosignis races occur in the west and south of the Amazon basin. In Tarapoto, the two species fly together at a number of sites in the Cordillera Escalera. Only H. eratosignis has been recorded from the adjacent Amazonian lowlands, despite considerable sampling in the area. Museum data and observations by Keith Brown (1979) suggest that the two overlap (at least broadly) in the extreme south of Pará and northern Mato Grosso, in Brazil. There may well also be a contact zone on the Juruá River, between Porto Walter and Eirunepé, as both H. demeter demeter and H. eratosignis tambopata are known to occur there. However, the exact position of contact in this very large area is unclear. In data published by Brown (1979) two additional contact zones are indicated, at Pucallpa, Peru and near Cobija on the Brazilian/Bolivian border. We were unable to locate the relevant specimens in museum collections; however, we consider these points unreliable and excluded them from the distribution map in Fig. 1. The first is probably a generalized locality, with the specimens potentially coming from a large area of northern Peru. The second is likely explained through the co-occurrence of both H. eratosignis ulysses and H. eratosignis tambopata, as the latter was not described at the time (Lamas, 1985).

Neil Rosser, André V. L. Freitas, Blanca Huertas, Mathieu Joron, Gerardo Lamas Claire Mérot, Fraser Simpson, Keith R. Willmott, James Mallet and Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra. 2018. Cryptic Speciation associated with Geographic and Ecological Divergence in Two Amazonian Heliconius Butterflies. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. zly046.  DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly046

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[Botany • 2018] Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Calendula (Asteraceae) in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands

Calendula suffruticosa Vahl (1791)

in Gonçalves, Castro, Paiva, et al., 2018.

DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.352.1.1 

Abstract

A taxonomic revision of the genus Calendula is presented, based on an extensive analysis of its morphological variation, which allowed a re-evaluation of the species delimitations in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Morphometric data based on field and herbarium material were gathered and analysed. Characters traditionally used to delimit taxa in the genus were re-evaluated, and the taxonomic value of new characters was explored. The variation between and within taxa was explored statistically. Morphological patterns were compared with chromosome numbers and genome size estimates. The results revealed that the achenes are particularly important to distinguish taxa, although, due to their variability, they should be used carefully. Four species are recognised in the area (C. arvensis, C. officinalis, C. tripterocarpa and C. suffruticosa), including nine subspecies of C. suffruticosa. Among these, two new subspecies (C. suffruticosa subsp. trialata and C. suffruticosa subsp. vejerensis) are described. Identification keys, descriptions, geographical distributions and conservation assessments are also provided for each taxon.

Keywords: Calenduleae, Compositae, Mediterranean, Portugal, Spain, systematic, Eudicots

Ana Carla Gonçalves, Sílvia Castro, Jorge Paiva, Conceição Santos and Paulo Silveira. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Calendula (Asteraceae) in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Phytotaxa. 352(1); 1–91. DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.352.1.1

[Entomology • 2018] Review of the Poecilimon (Poecilimon) zonatus Species Group (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae) and Description of New Species (Poecilimon (Poecilimon) salmani & P. (P) azizsancar) from Turkey with Data on Bioacoustics and Morphology

 Poecilimon (Poecilimon) salmani

 Sevgili, Şirin, Heller & Lemonnier-Darcemont, 2018

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4417.1.1 

Abstract

The aim of this study is to conduct a detailed taxonomic revision of the Poecilimon (Poecilimon) zonatus species-group (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae) using both morphology and bioacoustics. Two new species (Poecilimon (Poecilimon) salmani, P. (P) azizsancar) and one new subspecies (P. (P) zonatus datca) are described. Based on the data, we conclude that the species complex can be separated into two subgroups (P. tauricola and P. zonatus). Within the P. zonatus subgroup, song structures indicate P. variicercis as basal branch since producing two syllable types is possibly a derived character. From both, from bioacoustics and morphology, it is concluded that the relationships between species of the group are as follows: P. tauricola subgroup (P. tauricola + P. azizsancar) + P. zonatus subgroup (P. variicercis + (P. varicornis + (P. zonatus zonatus + P. zonatus datca)) + (P. salmani + P. vodnensis)))). Except for two species (P. vodnensis and P. varicornis), the other species of the group are all distributed in Anatolia. P. vodnensis is known only from Macedonia, whereas, P. varicornis has been recorded only from Syria and Lebanon. We assume that the group originated from an Anatolian ancestral stock and expanded its distribution to the Balkans through Taurus Way and Dardanelles. Other ancestral populations may have also spread in the north-south directions through the appropriate steppe corridors in the Anatolian Diagonal Mountains and in its vicinity.

Keywords: Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae, Poecilimon, P. zonatus zonatus, P. varicornis, P. variicercis, P. vodnensis, P. salmani sp. n., P. zonatus datca ssp. n., P. tauricola, P. azizsancar sp. n., Turkey, Anatolia, Macedonia, bioacoustics, biogeography

Hasan Sevgili, Deniz Şirin, Klaus-Gerhard Heller and Michèle Lemonnier-Darcemont. 2018. Review of the Poecilimon (Poecilimon) zonatus Species Group and Description of New Species from Turkey with Data on Bioacoustics and Morphology (Orthoptera: Phaneropterinae).  Zootaxa. 4417(1); 1–62. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4417.1.1

[Herpetology • 2018] Kaloula ghoshi • Taxonomic Status of the Endemic Andaman Bullfrog Kaloula baleata ghoshi Cherchi, 1954 (Anura: Microhylidae) with Notes on Distribution and Natural History

 Kaloula ghoshi Cherchi, 1954

 adult male from Little Andaman Island (type locality).

in Chandramouli & Devi Prasad, 2018.  tci-thaijo.org 

ABSTRACT

Taxonomic status of the Andamanese subspecies of Kaloula baleata i.e., Kaloula baleata ghoshi is re-evaluated based on a comparative analysis of morphological data from members of this species complex from different parts of Southeast Asia. The Andamanese population is shown to be a morphologically distinct, allopatric species deserving specific recognition similar to the recently recognized and named members of this species complex from other parts of Southeast Asia. Thus, the population in the Andaman Islands hitherto considered being a subspecies of Kaloula baleata is elevated to species status in the combination Kaloula ghoshi. Descriptive notes on morphology, distribution and natural history of this poorly known taxon are presented herein for the first time based on extensive field-surveys conducted in the Andaman Islands.

KEY WORDS: Kaloula, Andaman Islands, species complex, subspecies, elevation, allopatry, Java 

FIGURE 4. (A) a calling male Kaloula ghoshi Cherchi, 1954 (arrow points at the absence of a bright inguinal blotch); (B) pair of K. ghoshi in amplexus; (C) Eggs of K. ghoshi.

FIGURE 3. Lateral (A) and dorsal (B) views of an adult male Kaloula ghoshi Cherchi, 1954 from Little Andaman Island (type locality).

Kaloula ghoshi Cherchi, 1954 stat. nov. 

Kaloula baleata ghoshi Cherchi, 1954

Kaloula pulchra ghoshi (sic!) – Das (1994: 45)

Kaloula baleata (non Bombinator baleatus Müller, 1836) – Das et al. (2004: 105, 109) part

Kaloula baleata ghoshi – Das & Dutta (1998); Das (1999); Chandramouli et al. (2015: 49 –52)

Kaloula baleata goshi (sic!) – Chan et al. (2013: 329); Chan et al. (2014: 569)

....

Natural history: It is nocturnal, semi-arboreal in habits and can often be seen on the ground among leaf litter, surface of tree trunks and in tree holes in primary evergreen, secondary and littoral forests. To a certain extent, it also occurs close to human habitation. ....

Sumaithangi Rajagopalan Chandramouli and Venkataraman Kattuputhur Devi Prasad. 2018. Taxonomic Status of the Endemic Andaman Bullfrog Kaloula baleata ghoshi Cherchi, 1954 (Anura: Microhylidae) with Notes on Distribution and Natural History. Tropical Natural History. 18(1); 40-53.  tci-thaijo.org/index.php/tnh/article/view/117469

[Mammalogy • 2018] Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga • A New Subspecies of the Malayan Bamboo Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Andaman Islands, India

Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga

Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu & Jones, 2018

  DOI: 10.11609/jott.3906.10.1.11210-11217 

Abstract  

 The bamboo bats belonging to the genus Tylonycteris are unique due to their morphology and ecology, and are known from few locations in South Asia. We collected voucher specimens of Tylonycteris malayana from North Andaman Island, which forms the basis of the first specimen-based record of this species from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and the second record from India. Our analyses based on morphometrics, craniodental measurements, bacular morphology and molecular phylogeny based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene indicate that the insular population of T. malayana may have diversified in isolation to differ from the mainland forms, and could represent putative new subspecies, described herein. In light of the new findings, we discuss the importance of conducting detailed study on the specimens of the Lesser Bamboo Bat earlier reported from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to ascertain their taxonomic status.

Keywords: Bamboo Bat, cryptic diversity, molecular phylogeny, North Andaman Island, Tylonycteris pachypus.

Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga ssp. nov.

Andaman Bamboo Bat

Holotype: NHMOU.CHI.151.2015, adult male, 06.xi.2015, near Bamboo Tekri, Chipo Village, Diglipur, North Andaman Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India; coll. A. Gopi & Tauseef Hamid Dar.

Diagnosis: A small bat with a forearm length up to 23.3–26.25 mm. Dorsal pelage uniformly grey-brown, venter slightly paler; wings and interfemoral membrane dark brown. Although the new subspecies is essentially similar to nominotypic T. m. malayana (see Tu et al. 2017), it varies from the nominate form slightly in having smaller craniodental features (GTL: 11.5 in T. m. eremtaga ssp. nov. vs 11.73–12.90 in T. m. malayana). The rostrum is robust in T. m. eremtaga ssp. nov., shorter and broader than that of the nominate subspecies (CM3: 3.7–4.1 in T. m. eremtaga ssp. nov. vs 3.74–4.31 in T. m. malayana; RW: 5.7–6.1 in T. m. eremtaga ssp. nov. vs 5.3–5.6 in T. robustula sensu lato (see Bates & Harrison 1997). Externally, the fur color of T. m. eremtaga ssp. nov. appears to be uniform grey-brown while that of T. m. malayana is dark brown.

Description: A small bat with a forearm length up to 26.25mm. Head characteristically flat, projecting forwards and downwards (Image 1a). Ears roughly triangular with broadly rounded tips. Tragus short and broad. Base of the thumb and the soles of the feet have broad fleshy pads (Image 1b). Wings short with 3rd, 4th and 5th metacarpals roughly equal in length. Wing and interfemoral membranes dark brown (Image 1a,b), pelage fine and dense, uniformly grey-brown on the dorsum, slightly paler on the ventral surface. ....

Etymology: The subspecific epithet, ‘eremtaga,’ is a Latinized noun derived from the Aka-Kora dialect of the Great Andamanese language, meaning ‘forest-dweller’.

Ecological notes: The presence of multiple males in the area suggests the existence of a colony of these bats in the near vicinity of the village. The specimens collected from Chipo Village, Diglipur, North Andaman Island were found to share their habitat with other species such as the Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx, the Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus brachyotis, Tickell’s Bat Hesperoptenus tickellii, and the Andaman Intermediate Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus affinis andamanensis. This subspecies is currently known only from Chipo Village, Diglipur, North Andaman Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India.

Chelmala Srinivasulu, Aditya Srinivasulu, Bhargavi Srinivasulu and Gareth Jones. 2018. A New Subspecies of the Malayan Bamboo Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga) from the Andaman Islands, India.  Journal of Threatened Taxa. 10(1); 11210–11217.   DOI: 10.11609/jott.3906.10.1.11210-11217

[Ornithology • 2018] Recovering the Evolutionary History of Crowned Pigeons (Columbidae: Goura): implications for the Biogeography and Conservation of New Guinean Lowland Birds

Goura cristata 

Bruxaux, Gabrielli, Ashari, et al. 2018

  DOI:  10.1016/j.ympev.2017.11.022 

Highlights

• A phylogenetic analysis of crowned pigeons (Goura) is presented.

• Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses resolved Goura into 4 monophyletic groups.

• Species formerly considered as subspecies are not each other's closest relatives.

• Dating suggests diversification of Goura within New Guinea since the Late Miocene.

• The biogeographic origin of the Goura lineage remains elusive.

Abstract

Assessing the relative contributions of immigration and diversification into the buildup of species diversity is key to understanding the role of historical processes in driving biogeographical and diversification patterns in species-rich regions. Here, we investigated how colonization, in situ speciation, and extinction history may have generated the present-day distribution and diversity of Goura crowned pigeons (Columbidae), a group of large forest-dwelling pigeons comprising four recognized species that are all endemic to New Guinea. We used a comprehensive geographical and taxonomic sampling based mostly on historical museum samples, and shallow shotgun sequencing, to generate complete mitogenomes, nuclear ribosomal clusters and independent nuclear conserved DNA elements. We used these datasets independently to reconstruct molecular phylogenies. Divergence time estimates were obtained using mitochondrial data only. All analyses revealed similar genetic divisions within the genus Goura and recovered as monophyletic groups the four species currently recognized, providing support for recent taxonomic changes based on differences in plumage characters. These four species are grouped into two pairs of strongly supported sister species, which were previously not recognized as close relatives: Goura sclaterii with Goura cristata, and Goura victoria with Goura scheepmakeri. While the geographical origin of the Goura lineage remains elusive, the crown age of 5.73 Ma is consistent with present-day species diversity being the result of a recent diversification within New Guinea. Although the orogeny of New Guinea's central cordillera must have played a role in driving diversification in Goura, cross-barrier dispersal seems more likely than vicariance to explain the speciation events having led to the four current species. Our results also have important conservation implications. Future assessments of the conservation status of Goura species should consider threat levels following the taxonomic revision proposed by del Hoyo and Collar (HBW and BirdLife International illustrated checklist of the birds of the world 1: non-passerines, 2014), which we show to be fully supported by genomic data. In particular, distinguishing G. sclaterii from G. scheepmakeri seems to be particularly relevant.

Keywords: New Guinea; Goura; Crowned pigeons; Molecular phylogeny; Biogeography

Jade Bruxaux, Maëva Gabrielli, Hidayat Ashari, Robert Prŷs-Jones, Leo Joseph, Borja Milá, Guillaume Besnard and Christophe Thébaud. 2018. Recovering the Evolutionary History of Crowned Pigeons (Columbidae: Goura): implications for the Biogeography and Conservation of New Guinean Lowland Birds. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. In Press.  DOI:  10.1016/j.ympev.2017.11.022

[Entomology • 2017] New Taxa and New Records of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae) from Afghanistan

Karanasa pamira biocellata  Tshikolovets, 2017

   DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4358.1.4 

Abstract

Three new species Karanasa naumanni sp. nov., K. pardesi sp. nov. and K. pseudopamira sp. nov. (Nymphalidae), two new subspecies Karanasa pamira biocellata subsp. nov. (Nymphalidae) and Plebejus (Afarsia) sieversii albolunulatus subsp. nov. (Lycaenidae) are described from Afghanistan. First occurrence records for this country are presented for 26 species: one species of Pieridae (Colias thisoa), fifteen species of Lycaenidae (Deudoryx epijarbas, Everes dipora, Glaucopsyche charybdis, Hyrcanana evansii, Iolana gigantea, Lycaena kasyapa, Plebejus ferganus, Polyommatus amandus, P. dagmara, P. farazi, P. kogistanus, P. lehanus armatheus, P. miris, P. selma, and Turanana panaegides,) and ten species of Nymphalidae (Argynnis jainadeva, Coenonympha nolckeni, Hyponephele maureri, Melitaea balbina, Karanasa grumi, K. incerta, K. leechi, K. maureri, Satyrus alaica, and S. ferula)

Keywords: Lepidoptera, distribution, new species, new subspecies, Palaearctic region, Rhopalocera

Karanasa pamira biocellata

Vadim Tshikolovets. 2017. New Taxa and New Records of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae) from Afghanistan. Zootaxa.  4358(1); 107–124.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4358.1.4

[Mammalogy • 2017] Ia io peninsulata • The First Record of Ia io Thomas, 1902 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Sundaic Subregion, with A Description of A New Subspecies from peninsular Thailand

Ia io peninsulata  

Soisook, Sribuarod, Karapan, Safoowong, Billasoy, Thong, Chang, Gong, Lin, Sztencel-Jabłonka, Bogdanowicz & Bates, 2017  

ค้างคาวอีอาอีโอใต้ |  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4344.3.8 
facebook.com/BatsofThailand

Abstract

The Great evening bat Ia io Thomas, 1902, previously considered as an endemic to the Indochinese subregion, is reported from the Sundaic subregion for the first time based on specimens collected from three localities in Surat Thani Province and Phang Nga Province, peninsular Thailand. It is described herein as a new subspecies based on its substantially larger body and skull size. The mitochondrial COI and cytochrome b genes reveal that the new subspecies has a genetic distance of 1.89% and 1.65%, respectively, from the nominate subspecies. Echolocation calls comprise four harmonics, with the maximum energy in the first harmonic (fmaxe) of 23.6–27.4 kHz. Notes on the population size as well as roosting and foraging behaviour are also provided.

 Keywords:  Mammalia, new subspecies, peninsular Thailand, Southeast Asia, taxonomy, zoogeography

Pipat Soisook, Kriangsak Sribuarod, Sunate Karapan, Mongkol Safoowong, Sawwalak. Billasoy, Vu Dinh Thong, Yang Chang, Lixin Gong, Aiqing Lin , Anna Sztencel-Jabłonka, Wiesław Bogdanowicz and Paul J. J. Bates. 2017. The First Record of Ia io Thomas, 1902 (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Sundaic Subregion, with A Description of A New Subspecies from peninsular Thailand. Zootaxa. 4344(3); 573–588. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4344.3.8

[Mammalogy • 2017] Systematics and Taxonomy of Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) in Central Europe and the Balkans

Pipistrellus kuhlii lepidus  Blyth, 1845

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4306.1.2 

Abstract

We examined selected external characteristics and measurements of Pipistrellus k. kuhlii and P. k. lepidus representatives from the Balkans and Central Europe, whose ranges have rapidly expanded over the past few decades. We also sequenced and analysed two mitochondrial (16S and COI genes) and one nuclear (RAG2) markers of these two bat morphotypes to determine haplotype diversity and distribution patterns with a wider geographic perspective. We found that bats of the two taxa differed markedly with regard to the overall body coloration, size (P. k. lepidus is larger than P. k. kuhlii), extent and shape of the pale wing margin, and penis coloration, a finding which seems to be of diagnostic value, similarly to other Pipistrellus species. No polymorphism in RAG2 marker was found, but in both mtDNA markers we detected different haplotypes characteristic for both taxa, corresponding to morphological and morphometric patterns established in this study. Our genetic analysis results confirmed a clear division into two phylogenetic lineages and may indicate their allopatric speciation and a very recent simultaneous expansion to the Balkans and Central Europe from the Mediterranean region (P. kuhlii/deserti) and south-west Asia across eastern Europe (P. k. lepidus). We also show that P. k. lepidus distribution is wider than previously reported, and that the ranges of P. k. lepidus and P. k. kuhlii have already contacted in Central Europe.

Keywords: Mammalia, allopatric speciation, bats, biogeography, diagnostic features, P. k. lepidus

FIGURE 1. General appearance and coloration of Pipistrellus kuhlii lepidus, Przemyśl, Poland (A, D); light (typical) individual of P. k. kuhlii, Divjakë, Albania (B); and dark individual of P. k. kuhlii, Michalovce, Slovakia (C, E)

(photos: K. Sachanowicz). 

FIGURE 3A. Broadened and diffused pale wing margin of Pipistrellus kuhlii lepidus, Przemyśl, Poland

(photo: K. Sachanowicz).

Konrad Sachanowicz, Michał Piskorski and Anna Tereba. 2017. Systematics and Taxonomy of Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) in Central Europe and the Balkans.
 Zootaxa. 4306(1); 53–66. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4306.1.2
ResearchGate.net/publication/319129555_Systematics_and_taxonomy_of_Pipistrellus_kuhlii_Kuhl_1817_in_Central_Europe_and_the_Balkans

zenodo.org/record/843175

Barti, L. 2010. First Record of Pipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Transylvania and A Morphological Approach to the Lepidus Taxon. Acta Siculica. 155-168. sznm.ro/acta2010/155_168_barti.pdf

[Ichthyology • 2017] Revision of the Polytypic Electric fish Gymnotus carapo (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei), with Descriptions of Seven Subspecies

Gymnotus carapo australis, G. c. caatingaensis, G. c. carapo,
G. c. madeirensis, G. c. occidentalis, G. c. orientalis & G. c. septentrionalis 

Craig, Crampton & Albert, 2017

 DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4318.3.1 

 Abstract

The banded knife fish Gymnotus carapo is among the most widely distributed, broadly adapted (eurytopic), and phenotypically variable fish species in South America, with a geographic range of about 14 million sq.km., from the Llanos of Venezuela to the Pampas of northern Argentina. Here we assess the structure of phenotypic variation in G. carapo across this vast range from a study of 486 specimens representing the G. carapo clade, including 175 specimens of G. carapo collected from across the continental platform. We use multivariate statistics to quantify phenotypic differences within and among subspecies and species in aspects of pigmentation, caliper-based morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, meristics, and osteology. Our results demonstrate significant, but not diagnostic, differences among specimens representing seven new subspecies: G. c. australis from the La Plata (Paraná-Paraguay) basin, G. c. caatingaensis from the Parnaíba basin in the Brazilian state of Piauí, G. c. carapo from Suriname and French Guiana, G. c. madeirensis from the upper Madeira basin, G. c. occidentalis from the western Amazon, Negro, and Essequibo basins, G. c. orientalis from the eastern Amazon, Tocantins and Trombetas basins, and G. c. septentrionalis from the Orinoco basin and Trinidad Island. These results support the use of the subspecies, but not the species, rank to recognize and name these regionally delimited taxonomic entities.

Keywords: Pisces, Alpha taxonomy, biodiversity assessment, species delimitation, taxonomic inflation

FIGURE 3. Specimens illustrating variation in body shape and color pattern among seven subspecies of Gymnotus carapo A. G. c. australis, MLP 11222, 289 mm, Argentina, Misiones province, Río Iguazú basin, Arroyo Verde; B. G. c. caatingaensis, AUM 20624, 225 mm. Brazil, Piauí, Río Gurgueia aff. Río Parnaíba; C. G. c. carapo, UMMZ 190414, 146 mm. Suriname, Brokopondo, Marshal Kreek, aff. Suriname River; D. G. c. madeirensis, UMSS 06964, 178 mm. Brazil, Amazonas, Río Beni; E. G. c. occidentalis, UF 122820, 279 mm. Peru, Loreto, Iquitos; F. G. c. orientalis, MCZ 45189, 165 mm. Brazil, Para, Parauapebas, Río Arari, Ilha de Marajó; G. G. c. septentrionalis, ROM 83885, 233 mm. Guyana, Essequibo, Río Mazaruni. Scale bars=10 mm.

Jack M. Craig, William G. R. Crampton and James S. Albert. 2017. Revision of the Polytypic Electric fish Gymnotus carapo (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei), with Descriptions of Seven Subspecies. Zootaxa. 4318(3); 401–438.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4318.3.1

ResearchGate.net/publication/319535330_Revision_of_the_polytypic_electric_fish_Gymnotus_carapo_Gymnotiformes_Teleostei_with_descriptions_of_seven_subspecies 

[Mammalogy • 2017] Reconstructing the Molecular Phylogeny of Giant Sengis (Macroscelidea; Macroscelididae; Rhynchocyon)

Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni  Matschie, 1893

photo: Jabruson/NPL/Minden Pictures  calacademy.org

 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.012

Giant sengis (Macroscelidea; Macroscelididae; Rhynchocyon), also known as giant elephant-shrews, are small-bodied mammals that range from central through eastern Africa. Previous research on giant sengi systematics has relied primarily on pelage color and geographic distribution. Because some species have complex phenotypic variation and large geographic ranges, we used molecular markers to evaluate the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus, which currently includes four species: R. chrysopygus, R. cirnei (six subspecies), R. petersi (two subspecies), and R. udzungwensis. We extracted DNA from fresh and historical museum samples from all taxa except one R. cirnei subspecies, and we generated and analyzed approximately 4700 aligned nucleotides (2685 bases of mitochondrial DNA and 2019 bases of nuclear DNA) to reconstruct a molecular phylogeny. We genetically evaluate Rhynchocyon spp. sequences previously published on GenBank, propose that the captive R. petersi population in North American zoos is likely R. p. adersi, and suggest that hybridization among taxa is not widespread in Rhynchocyon. The DNA sample we have from the distinctive but undescribed giant sengi from the Boni forest of northern coastal Kenya is unexpectedly nearly identical to R. chrysopygus, which will require further study. Our analyses support the current morphology-based taxonomy, with each recognized species forming a monophyletic clade, but we propose elevating Rhynchocyon cirnei stuhlmanni to a full species [Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni].

Keywords: Rhynchocyon, Giant sengis, Elephant-shrews, Africa, Macroscelididae, Phylogenetics, Taxonomy

 Elizabeth J. Carlen, Galen B. Rathbun, Link E. Olson, Christopher A. Sabuni, William T. Stanley and John P. Dumbacher. 2017. Reconstructing the Molecular Phylogeny of Giant Sengis (Macroscelidea; Macroscelididae; Rhynchocyon). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 113; 150–160.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.012

Collections at the California Academy of Sciences [@calacademy] aid researchers in revising a mammal branch on tree of life http://phy.so/420885974 via @physorg_com

https://www.calacademy.org/press/releases/collections-at-the-california-academy-of-sciences-aid-researchers-in-revising-a

[Herpetology • 2017] Hydrophis platurus xanthos • A New Subspecies of Sea Snake from Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Hydrophis platurus xanthos 

Bessesen & Galbreath, 2017

ambush posture; floating at the sea surface at night in a sinusoidal shape, head below, mouth agape. 

  DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.686.12682 

Abstract

We describe a distinctive new subspecies of sea snake from the occasionally anoxic inner-basin waters of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, based on combined data garnered between 2010 and 2017 for 154 specimens, 123 free-ranging and 31 museum-held. The yellow sea snake, Hydrophis platurus xanthos Bessesen & Galbreath, subsp. n., is diagnosed by a notably smaller body size and nearly uniform yellow coloration, which contrasts with the black and yellow striae and tail spots or bands typical of the species. Within the modest geographic range (circa 320 km2), nearly all specimens possess both diagnostic character states. Bathymetrics appear to restrict genetic flow between this allopatric population and conspecifics in the broader Eastern Pacific. In perspicuous contrast to typical H. platurus, H. p. xanthos shows no association with drift lines, and feeds at night in turbulent waters, assuming a sinusoidal ambush posture never previously reported for the species. This evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) warrants taxonomic recognition and active protection.

Keywords: Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, sea snake, yellow color morph, platurus, type specimens, taxonomy

Figure 2: Hydrophis platurus xanthos sharply contrasts typical H. platurus in color, body size and behavior.
A Scaled size comparison of yellow sea snake, TL 43 cm (left), and yellow-bellied sea snake, TL 69 cm (right; note the use of Vetrap as a calming mask and sickly condition of the specimen) B ambush posture of H. p. xanthos; floating at the sea surface at night in a sinusoidal shape, head below, mouth agape C although predominantly yellow, xanthic individuals often possess black spots along the dorsum.

  

Hydrophis platurus xanthos subsp. n.

Diagnosis: Here we describe a new, allopatric subspecies, Hydrophis platurus xanthos subsp. n., or yellow sea snake, from the inner basin of Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce. The new subspecies is diagnosed based on a dramatic color character state, as well as by a marked difference in body size. Aspects of behavior also appear to be unique.

Etymology: From Greek xanthos, “yellow,” to highlight a diagnostic feature of this subspecies.

Geographic distribution: The breeding population of Hydrophis platurus xanthos appears confined to approximately 320 sq.km. in the northern half of the Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. A spatial gap up to 22 km separates the yellow sea snakes from the usually bi- or tricolored oceanic population, and appears to restrict genetic exchange (Bessesen 2012, Fig. 1).

Conclusions

Hydrophis platurus xanthos is a well-defined evolutionary subspecies inhabiting a small area of unusual geography. Given unique aspects of its behavioral ecology, it could well represent an intrinsically genetically isolated taxon of recent origin, in which case a species designation would be appropriate. We have been appropriately conservative here, in defining it at a subspecific level. This provides footing for protective strategies, while allowing future research to refine its taxonomic rank.

 Brooke L. Bessesen and Gary J. Galbreath. 2017. A New Subspecies of Sea Snake, Hydrophis platurus xanthos, from Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica.
 ZooKeys. 686: 109-123.  DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.686.12682