[Botany • 2026] Begonia mishmiorum (Begoniaceae, sect. Platycentrum) • A remarkable New Species from the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India

 

Begonia mishmiorum S.Chowdhury, B.Hajong & P.Bharali, 

in Chowdhury, Hajong et Bharali, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.758.3.7

 

Abstract

A remarkable new species, Begonia mishmiorum sp. nov. (sect. Platycentrum), from Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, India, is described and illustrated. The species is allied to Begonia persistens Y.H.Tan, M.B.Maw & H.B.Ding and Begonia dicressine Wahlsteen but is readily distinguished by a unique combination of characters, notably its conspicuous, persistent bracteoles that are pinkish-white, deltoid to broadly ovate, sparsely hairy, and completely enclosing the ovary, a feature rarely observed within the section. It further differs in having glabrous, terete petioles, asymmetric cordate leaves with a variegated adaxial surface. A detailed taxonomic description, colour photographs, and a comparison table with allied species are provided. The species is currently known only from a single locality Mithumna in Anjaw district, where its habitat is fragmented and declining due to road construction and landslides. Owing to insufficient data on its population size and distribution, it is provisionally assessed as Data Deficient (DD) following IUCN criteria. Further field studies are needed to clarify its conservation status.

Eudicots, Begoniaceae, Cucurbitales, Eastern Himalaya, Anjaw, endemic, new taxon

 Habitat of Begonia mishmiorum sp. nov. 

Begonia mishmiorum S.Chowdhury, B.Hajong & P.Bharali sp. nov. 

§ Platycentrum  

Etymology: The specific epithet “mishmiorum” honours the Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh recognizing their indigenous heritage and long-standing association with the forests where the species occurs.

 

Sambit CHOWDHURY, Bipankar HAJONG and Pankaj BHARALI. 2026. Begonia mishmiorum (Sect. Platycentrum), A remarkable New Species from the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India.  Phytotaxa. 758(3); 285-292. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.758.3.7 [2026-05-26]

[Ichthyology • 2026] Rakthamichthys anchi • A New Species of phreatobitic synbranchid eel (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) from Assam, India

 

Rakthamichthys anchi 

Britz, Pinion, Marak, Velentina & Lokeshwor, 2026 

 

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5857.3.3

Abstract

Rakthamichthys anchi, a new species of phreatobitic synbranchid is described from wells in a small village in Goalpara District, Assam, Northeast India. It is distinguished from the northeastern Indian R. rongsaw, and the Western Ghats congeners R. roseni, R. digressus, and R. mumba by absence of lateral-line canal pores in the frontal. From R. roseni, R. digressus, and R. mumba, it is further distinguished by more preanal vertebrae (90–100 vs. 76–88 in) and from R. indicus by more vertebrae (159 vs.162–169). It is also distinguished from the Western Ghats species by an uncorrected p-distance of ~15–20% in the barcoding gene. From R. roseni, the only Western Ghats species for which detailed osteological information is available, R. anchi is distinguished by several anatomical characters. The discovery of R. anchi from wells in the same village in which Gitchak nakana Britz et al. [2026] was recently described highlights the presence of a formerly unknown and highly dynamic subterranean habitat: the groundwater aquifers in alluvial deposits in northeast India.

Pisces, swamp eels, groundwater, well, subterranean fishes, micro-CT, skeleton

Ralf BRITZ, Amanda K. PINION, Wimarithy K. MARAK, Kangjam VELENTINA and Yumnam LOKESHWOR. 2026. Rakthamichthys anchi, A New Species of phreatobitic synbranchid eel from Assam.  Zootaxa. 5857(3); 462-482. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5857.3.3 [2026-07-30]

[Entomology • 2026] Hexacentrus bidentatus & H. nanlingensis • Two New Species of the Genus Hexacentrus Serville, 1831 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Hexacentrinae) from China

Hexacentrus nanlingensis  

Ren, Xiong, Zhang & Shi, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.8

 Abstract

This paper reports two new species of the genus Hexacentrus Serville, 1831 from Guangxi and Guangdong, China, i.e. Hexacentrus bidentatus sp. nov. and Hexacentrus nanlingensis sp. nov. In addition, morphological characters and ecological photographs are provided. The male calling songs are also presented for both new species and Hexacentrus expansus Wang & Shi, 2005 for the first time.

Orthoptera, Hexacentrus, new species, bioacoustics, Guangxi, Guangdong, China

Lateral habitus of Hexacentrus spp.:
A, C, E. H. bidentatus sp. nov.: A. female; C, E. male;
B, H. H. nanlingensis sp. nov.: B. female; H. male;
D. H. expansus Wang & Shi, 2005 (male); F. H. formosanus Chen & He, 2021(male). 

A–B. Hexacentrus expansus Wang & Shi, 2005;
C–D. Hexacentrus nanlingensis sp. nov.

(Photographed by Tao Zhang).

Hexacentrus bidentatus sp. nov. 

Hexacentrus nanlingensis sp. nov. 

 

BINGYU REN, ZIJIAN XIONG, TAO ZHANG and FUMING SHI. 2266. Two New Species of the genus Hexacentrus Serville, 1831 (Tettigoniidae: Hexacentrinae) from China.  Zootaxa. 5862(2); 347-358. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.8 [2026-08-05]

[Mollusca • 2022] Dendronotus shpataki • A New Species of the Genus Dendronotus (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) from the Sea of Japan: a contribution of citizen science to marine zoology

  

Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. in natural environment.

Ekimova, Mikhlina, Antokhina & Schepetov, 2022

 

DOI: 10.31610/zsr/2022.31.1.3 

  Researchgate.net/publication/358210579

Photos by Andrey Shpatak.

Abstract

 The nudibranch genus Dendronotus Alder et Hancock, 1845 is a common component of boreal and arctic ecosystems, which has recently received a considerable attention due to its high cryptic diversity. Here we describe a new species Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. from the northwestern Sea of Japan, using the material and observations provided by Andrey Shpatak, a local citizen, diver and underwater photographer. We studied morphological features of the new species, including external morphology, coloration, jaw and radular morphology, and configuration of the reproductive system, as well as its ecological traits including possible diet preferences. We obtained DNA sequences and reconstructed the phylogeny by Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood approaches using four molecular markers (mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA, and nuclear histone H3 and 28S rRNA), and tested the boundaries between the species by calculating the uncorrected p-distances and automatic species delimitation methods ABGD and GMYC. Our results show that D. shpataki sp. nov. differs both morphologically and genetically from all other Dendronotus species. The new species possibly represents a unique example of local endemism, being found in a single locality, while other local Dendronotus species demonstrate wide distribution in the North-West Pacific. We also report on a considerable wearing of the radular teeth during feeding, which is a remarkable case for the Dendronotus.

Key words: North-West Pacific, biodiversity, morphology, radula, molecular markers, phylogeny, Nudibranchia, Dendronotidae, Dendronotus, new species

Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov., general appearance of living specimens.
 Holotype: dorsal view (A), lateral view (B) and ventral view (C).
Paratypes, dorsal view: adult specimens MIMB42309 (D), MIMB42308 (E), MIMB42305 (F)
and juvenile MIMB42306 (G). 

Scale bar: 5 mm.

Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. in natural environment.
 Paratype MIMB42302 (A–C); the first documented finding of the new species in May 2015,
 the specimen was not collected (D); paratypes MIMB42303 (E, F).

Photos by Andrey Shpatak.

Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov.

I.A. Ekimova, A.L. Mikhlina, T.I. Antokhina and D.M. Schepetov. 2022. A Description of Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) from the Sea of Japan: a contribution of citizen science to marine zoology. Zoosystematica Rossica. 31(1); 3–19. DOI: 10.31610/zsr/2022.31.1.3 

  Researchgate.net/publication/358210579_A_description_of_Dendronotus_shpataki_from_the_Sea_of_Japan

[Botany • 2026] Sporoxeia furcillispinosa (Melastomataceae) • A New Species from North-western Vietnam

  

Sporoxeia furcillispinosa T.C. Hsu, T.V. Do & C.W. Lin, 

in Hsu, Do et Lin. 2026.  

DOI: doi.org/10.5735/085.063.0125  

 facebook.com/Darthvaderiana

Abstract

Sporoxeia furcillispinosa T.C. Hsu, T.V. Do & C.W. Lin (Melastomataceae) is described as a new species from Mt Fansipan in the Hoang Lien National Park on the Hoang Lien Son Range, north-western Vietnam. It resembles S. vietnamensis but can be distinguished from it by having stems that are sharply angled, quadrangular or narrowly 4-winged (vs. obtusely quadrangular); two inflorescences per axil (vs. one), which are short racemose to subumbellate (vs. umbellate); bracts that are ovate to broadly ovate, up to 15 mm long (vs. subulate, ca. 3 mm long); a hypanthium covered with multi-branched or unbranched, fleshy soft spines (vs. irregular thick spines); and anthers of the inner and outer whorls equal or subequal in size (vs. strongly unequal).

Sporoxeia furcillispinosa.
 A and B: Habit and habitat (photographed at the type locality on 14 July 2025). — C: Inflorescence, also showing bracts and a portion of stem. — D and E: Portions of leaf, adaxial surface. — F: Hypanthium and calyx lobes. — G: Flower, frontal and lateral views.

Sporoxeia furcillispinosa T.C. Hsu, T.V. Do & C.W. Lin, sp. nova 

 

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin furcilla (little fork) and spinosa (thorny), referring to the characteristic irregularly branched soft spines densely covering the surface of the hypanthium, which distinguish this species from its relatives.

Tian-Chuan Hsu, Truong Van Do and Che-Wei Lin. 2026. Sporoxeia furcillispinosa (Melastomataceae), A New Species from North-Western Vietnam. Annales Botanici Fennici. 63(1); 183-189 DOI: doi.org/10.5735/085.063.0125 [15 July 2026]

 facebook.com/Darthvaderiana/posts/10233862290442497

[Botany • 2026] Bryobium scutatum (Orchidaceae) • A New Species of Bryobium from Sumatra, Indonesia [Flora of Gayo Plateau IV]

 

Bryobium scutatum  Mustaqim, J.Champion & Schuit.,

in Schuiteman, Mustaqim et Champion, 2026.

DOI: doi.org/10.15517/hae3ah55 

  facebook.com: Jeffrey Champion 

Abstract

A new species of Bryobium Lindl. is described based on specimens collected in northern Gayo Plateau, Sumatra. It is provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) due to its narrow range and imminent threats to its habitat. A detailed description, photographs, an illustration, and a key to Sumatran Bryobium species are provided. 

Keywords: epiphyte, key, Red List, taxonomy, Indonesia

 Morphology of Bryobium scutatum.
 A. Sterile stem. B. Plant in flower. C. Inflorescence. D. Flowers. E. Flower, front view. F. Flower, lateral view. G. Dorsal sepals, abaxial and adaxial views. H. Lateral sepals, abaxial and adaxial views. I. Petals, adaxial and abaxial views. J. Column and lip, lateral view. K. Lip, adaxial view. L. Lip, adaxial view. M. Lip, lateral view. N. Lip, front view. O. Column and column-foot, ventral view. P. Anther cap, ventral views without and with the pollinarium. Q. Pollinia.

Photographs after Mustaqim et al. 4045 by Wendy A. Mustaqim (A-L and O-P) and after cult. J. Champion s.n. by Jeffrey Champion (M-N).

Bryobium scutatum Mustaqim, J.Champion & Schuit., sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: The new species is superficially similarto B. pullum from Sulawesi but differs in havinglarger floral parts (e.g., sepals 9.5–10.0 vs. 6 mm),a lip mid-lobe (epichile) with a central callus andtwo calli at the base (vs. mid-lobe without calli), lipnot constricted (vs. lip abruptly constricted near themiddle), basal calli of the lip shield-like ( vs. basalcalli ridge-like). The base of the lip is dark reddish ...

Etymology: From the Latin scutatus, ‘carrying ashield’, referring to the shield-like calli on the lip.

André Schuiteman, Wendy A. Mustaqim and Jeffrey Champion. 2026. Flora of Gayo Plateau IV: A New Species of Bryobium (Orchidaceae) from Gayo Plateau, Sumatra. LANKESTERIANA. 26(2); 93–100. DOI: doi.org/10.15517/hae3ah55 

  facebook.com/JeffreyChampion5/posts/27836172582738337

 Researchgate.net/publication/408315562_A_new_species_of_Bryobium_from_Gayo_Plateau_Sumatra

  

[Herpetology • 2026] Gracixalus damingshanensis • A New Species of Gracixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Damingshan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China

 

 Gracixalus damingshanensis 

Chen & Li, 2026  

大明山纤树蛙  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.186426 

 Photographs by Wei-Cai Chen.

Abstract

A new species of Gracixalus is described from central Guangxi, China. Gracixalus damingshanensis sp. nov. resembles G. jinxiuensis, G. huaping, and G. liusanjieae, but differs from all known congeners by a combination of morphological, molecular, and acoustic characters. Diagnostic characters include SVL 27.3–32.3 mm in males (n = 4) and 32.4–40.1 mm in females (n = 3); rough dorsal skin with scattered tubercles; grayish ventral surfaces with light brown spotting; fingers without webbing; white tubercles along the margins of the upper and lower jaws and on the limbs; absence of vomerine teeth; tibiotarsal articulation reaching the middle of the eye; granular skin on the throat, chest, and belly; heels not meeting when the thighs are held at right angles to the body; a distinct nuptial pad on Finger I; a single internal subgular vocal sac with paired oval openings bordered by gray rims; a golden-brown iris; and advertisement calls containing 2–5 notes. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences recovered the new species as a distinct lineage sister to the clade comprising G. jinxiuensis and G. huaping. The species is currently known only from evergreen and bamboo forests above 900 m a.s.l. in Damingshan National Nature Reserve.

Key Words: Bioacoustics, morphology, phylogeny, shrub frogs, taxonomy

 

Holotype (NNU202103010) of Gracixalus damingshanensis sp. nov.
 A. Dorsal view; B. Dorsolateral view; C. Ventral view; D. Ventral view of right hand; E. Nuptial pad on Finger I; F. Ventral view of left foot. Photographs by Wei-Cai Chen.

Color variation among paratypes of Gracixalus damingshanensis sp. nov. 
 A1, A2. Dorsal and ventral views of male NNU202103008;
B1, B2. Dorsal and ventral views of male NNU202103009;
C1, C2. Dorsal and ventral views of male NNU202103011;
D1, D2. Dorsal and ventral views of female NNU202103007.

 Photographs by Wei-Cai Chen.

Gracixalus damingshanensis sp. nov. 

Diagnosis. Gracixalus damingshanensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) SVL 27.3–32.3 mm in males (n = 4) and 32.4–40.1 mm in females (n = 3); (2) dorsal surface rough, with scattered tubercles; (3) throat, chest, and ventral surface grayish with light brown spotting; (4) fingers without webbing; (5) white tubercles along the margins of the upper and lower jaws and on limb surfaces; (6) vomerine teeth absent; (7) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the middle of the eye; (8) skin of throat, chest, and ...

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘damingshanensis’ refers to Damingshan National Nature Reserve in Nanning, Guangxi, China, where the species was discovered. We propose “Damingshan Tree Frog” as the English common name and “Dà Míng Shān Xiān Shù Wā“ (大明山纤树蛙) as the Chinese common name.

Wei-Cai Chen and Peng Li. 2026. A New Species of Gracixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Damingshan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 102(4): 989-1003. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.186426 

[Paleontology • 2026] Spea labreae • A New extinct Pleistocene Species of Spadefoot Toad (Anura: Scaphiopodidae) and comments on the Paleoecology and Paleobiogeography of Anurans from Rancho La Brea, California

Reconstruction of Spea labreae, (dark spadefoots, center) in La Brea Tar Pits compared with Spea hammondii (light spadefoot, left), the species currently present in the area, and the presence of the Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynidae, bottom). 

 Cruz & Lindsey, 2026

 DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2689465 

Artwork by Arturo Dávalos

ABSTRACT

Fossil amphibians hold great promise for paleoecological, paleoclimatological, and biogeographic studies because of their extreme sensitivity to environmental conditions. However, the study of fossil amphibians to date has been limited, because the fragility of frog, toad, and salamander skeletons means that diagnostic elements are rarely preserved in the fossil record. One unique locality that preserves a robust record of Quaternary amphibians is Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Here, we describe the amphibian fauna from the Hancock Collection of Rancho La Brea, which contains fossils from ∼45,000 years before present through the Holocene. We document previously unrecognized taxa from this locality, including the Mexican burrowing toad Rhinophrynus sp. and a new species of spadefoot toad, Spea labreae, sp. nov. Using osteological comparison material, we calculate the size of this new species of Spea, which is larger than the extant species in this genus. We analyze the current distribution and fossil record of the genus Spea and the family Rhinophrynidae, documenting changes in geographic ranges of these taxa during the Quaternary. These changes likely resulted from the interplay of deglacial climate changes and topographic complexity in the American Southwest, and may help to predict amphibian responses to climate changes impacting the region today.

Class AMPHIBIA, Linnaeus, 1767

Order ANURA Rafinesque, 1815

Family SCAPHIOPODIDAE Cope, 1865

Genus SPEA Cope, 1866

SPEA LABREAE, sp. nov.

Etymology—The specific epithet refers to La Brea, Spanish for ‘the tar’ which gave rise to the name of Rancho La Brea, the locality where this species is found.

 

Locality, Horizon, and Age—Pit A, Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California, Late Pleistocene–Holocene.

 

Reconstruction of Spea labreae, (dark spadefoots, center and right) in La Brea Tar Pits compared with Spea hammondii (light spadefoot, left), the species currently present in the area, and the presence of the Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynidae, bottom).

 Artwork by Arturo Dávalos.

 

J. Alberto Cruz and Emily L. Lindsey. 2026. A New extinct Pleistocene Species of Spadefoot Toad and comments on the Paleoecology and Paleobiogeography of Anurans from Rancho La Brea, California. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2689465. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2689465 [04 Aug 2026]

[Ichthyology • 2026] Hippocampus amandavincentae • A New Species of Spiny Seahorse (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) from Indian Ocean, with Redescription of H. histrix and H. jayakari

 

Hippocampus amandavincentae  

Shalu, Short, Raghavan, Ramvilas & Ranjeet, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.4  

 facebook.com/RajeevRAGHAVAN98

 

Abstract

The thorny seahorse, Hippocampus histrix Kaup, 1856, has long been treated as a single, widely distributed species ranging from the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. Morphological and molecular evidence now demonstrate that this broad concept encompasses at least three diagnosable species. Examination of Indian Ocean specimens combined with mitochondrial COI sequence analysis reveals a new lineage herein described as Hippocampus amandavincentae sp. nov., based on material from southeastern India and corroborated by published sequences from Madagascar, Mozambique, the Seychelles, and the northern Red Sea. The new species is diagnosed by a shorter snout, five coronet spines, and spines present on all principal trunk and tail ridges. A published COI sequence from the northern Red Sea places H. amandavincentae in apparent sympatry with Hippocampus jayakari Boulenger, 1900, in that region, indicating that the distributional boundary between these two species requires targeted field investigation. Hippocampus histrix sensu stricto is redescribed and its distribution restricted to the Pacific Ocean, including Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, based on direct examination of type material. Hippocampus jayakari, described from the Gulf of Oman, is confirmed as a distinct species of the northwestern Indian Ocean, readily distinguished by four cleithral spines with the ventral-most bifurcate, a shorter and deeper snout, and spines confined to alternating tail rings. Together, these three species represent geographically coherent lineages whose delineation resolves over a century of misidentification in museum collections and online databases, stabilises the application of long-used names, and provides a practical framework for regional conservation assessment and future systematic research on spiny seahorses across the Indo-Pacific.

Pisces, barcoding, India, species complex, taxonomy, thorny seahorse

Hippocampus amandavincentae sp. nov.

Hippocampus amandavincentae sp. nov.

Kannan SHALU, Graham SHORT, Rajeev RAGHAVAN, Ghosh RAMVILAS and Kutty RANJEET. 2026. A New Species of Spiny Seahorse, Hippocampus amandavincentae, with Redescription of H. histrix and H. jayakari (Teleostei: Syngnathidae).  Zootaxa. 5862(2); 271-292. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.4 [2026-08-05] 

  facebook.com/RajeevRAGHAVAN98/posts/10162487911550938

[Herpetology • 2026] Scincella gigas • A mountain giant: Description of The Largest known Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Yunnan Province, China

Scincella gigas Xu, Deng, Qi, Ma, Zhang, Cai, Nguyen, Poyarkov & Peng, 

in Xu, Deng, Qi, Ma, Zhang, Cai, Wang, Sun, Nguyen, Poyarkov et Peng, 2026.  

Giant Ground Skink | 巨滑蜥  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.204139 

 

Abstract

A remarkable new species of skink, Scincella gigas sp. nov., is described from Yunnan Province, China, based on integrative morphological and molecular evidence. The new species represents the largest known member of the genus Scincella, with the adult female holotype attaining a snout-vent length of 125 mm and a total length exceeding 316 mm despite possessing a partially regenerated tail. Scincella gigas sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters, including three prefrontal scales, relatively short limbs that fail to meet when adpressed, the third pair of chin shields separated by four small scales, 28 midbody scale rows, 80 paravertebral scale rows, and broad dorsolateral stripes with distinctly serrated margins. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated mitochondrial gene fragments (12S, 16S, CO1, and Cyt b) recovered the new taxon as a distinct lineage within Scincella, although its precise phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved. The new species exhibits substantial genetic divergence from all examined congeners (≥ 4.4% in 16S and ≥ 14.2% in CO1). Scincella gigas sp. nov. is currently known only from montane mixed forests and associated alpine meadows in Fengyi Town, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, at an elevation of 2,790 m a.s.l. The discovery of such a conspicuous and exceptionally large species suggests that the diversity of montane Scincella in southwestern China remains insufficiently documented.

Key Words: Integrative taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, morphology, Scincella gigas sp. nov., S. potanini–S. monticola complex, southwestern China

Holotype of Scincella gigas sp. nov. in life (QHU R2026003, adult female).

Photographs by J.D. Deng.

Head scalation of Scincella gigas sp. nov. (holotype, QHU R2026003, adult female).

A. Dorsal view; B. Lateral view; C. Ventral view.

Dorsal (A), lateral (B), and ventral (C) views of the body; 

D. Ventral view of the left hand; E. Ventral view of the left foot of  the holotype in preservation. 

Photographs by Y.H. Xu. Scale bars: 20 mm (A–C); 5 mm (D, E).

Notes: CS: chin shield; F: frontal; FrN: frontonasal; FrP: frontoparietal; IL: infralabials; IP: interparietal; L: loreals; LST: lower secondary temporal; M: mental; NU: nuchals; P: parietal; PF: prefrontal; PM: postmental; PT: primary temporal; R: rostral; SC: superciliaries; SL: supralabials; SO: supraoculars; UST: upper secondary temporal; * indicates the gulars separating the chin shields.

Photographs and drawings by Y.H. Xu. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Scincella gigas Xu, Deng, Qi, Ma, Zhang, Cai, Nguyen, Poyarkov & Peng, sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Scincella gigas sp. nov. represents the largest known member of the genus Scincella, with the adult female holotype attaining an SVL of 125 mm and TL exceeding 316 mm. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) exceptionally large body size, with the adult female holotype attaining an SVL of 125 mm; (2) three prefrontal scales; (3) six supraciliaries; (4) seven supralabials, separated from the eye by a row of small scales; (5) six infralabials; (6) tympanum deeply recessed and lacking lobules, with the tympanum diameter exceeding that of the palpebral disc (TD/PDD ratio 1.45); (7) three pairs of chin shields, with the third pair separated medially by four small scales; (8) 28 midbody scale rows; (9) total ventral + gular scale rows numbering 81; (10) 80 paravertebral scale rows; (11) relatively short limbs, with toes not in contact with fingers when the limbs are adpressed (FLL+HLL/AGD ratio 0.57); (12) 9–10 enlarged subdigital lamellae beneath Finger IV and 13 beneath Toe IV; and (13) in life, dorsum brown, with relatively broad dorsolateral stripes bearing distinctly serrated margins.

Etymology. The specific epithet “gigas” is derived from the Latinized form of the Greek noun γῐ́γᾱς (gígas), meaning “giant.” The name refers to the exceptional size of the new species, which represents the largest known member of the genus Scincella. 

In reference to this remarkable characteristic, “Giant Ground Skink” is proposed as the English common name, “гигантский малый сцинк” (gigantskiy malyi stsink) as the Russian common name, and “巨滑蜥” (Pinyin: jù huá xī) as the Chinese common name for the new species.

Habitat and field observations of Scincella gigas sp. nov.
 A. Microhabitat at Fengyi, Dali, Dali BAP, Yunnan, China; B. General habitat of the type locality; C. Holotype (QHU R2026003) found trapped in an artificial water reservoir.

Photographs by J.D. Deng (A, B) and H.Q. Wang (C).

 Yuhao Xu, Jundong Deng, Shuo Qi, Shun Ma, Tierui Zhang, Bo Cai, Haoquan Wang, Fanyue Sun, Tan Van Nguyen, Nikolay A. Poyarkov and Lifang Peng. 2026. A mountain giant: Description of The Largest known Species of the Genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata, Scincidae) from Yunnan Province, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 102(4): 1047-1063. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.204139 [2026-07-29]

[Entomology • 2024] Melanabropsis formosensis & M. guizhouensis • Macropterous Species of Genus Melanabropsis Wang & Liu, 2020 (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae: Anabropsini) from Taiwan and Guizhou

Melanabropsis formosensis   

 Chen, 2024 

    

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5538.5.5

 

Abstract

The genus Melanabropsis currently consists of four micropterous species and one macropterous species from continental Asia and west Pacific islands. Yin (2024) predicted several potential habitats suitable for Melanabropsis species including Taiwan and Guizhou. In this study two additional new species from Taiwan and Guizhou are described, confirming the distribution prediction proposed by Yin. The distribution pattern of seven Melanabropsis species is discussed.

Orthoptera, Taiwan, Melanabropsis, taxonomy, new species, tegmina, distribution

Melanabropsis formosensis & 

Melanabropsis guizhouensis

Po-Wei CHEN. 2024. Macropterous Species of Genus Melanabropsis Wang & Liu, 2020 (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae: Anabropsini) from the localities predicted in a previous study.  Zootaxa. 5538(5); 457-464. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5538.5.5 [2024-11-19]

 facebook.com/100011515621580/posts/2136055463454954

facebook.com/MGOrthoptera/posts/1142514841212225

[Mollusca • 2026] Fansipanica milae, Vinatachea porcellana, ... • New taxa of Camaenidae (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora) from northern Vietnam

Fansipanica milae Páll-Gergely & Dedov,

   

in Páll-Gergely, Gojšina et Dedov, 2026.

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1280.185160

 

Abstract

The following new taxa are described from northern Vietnam: Fansipanica milae Páll-Gergely & Dedov, gen et sp. nov., Ducanhia Páll-Gergely, gen. nov. (type species: Helix balansai Morlet, 1886), Vinatachea porcellana Páll-Gergely, sp. nov. The reproductive anatomy of all three species is described. Helix (Chloritis) gereti Bavay & Dautzenberg, 1900 is moved to Fansipanica gen nov., and Camaena delsaerdti Thach & F. Huber, 2018 is moved to Vinatachea.

Key words: Anatomy, Fansipan Mountains, new species, systematics, taxonomy

Fansipanica milae gen. et sp. nov. 
A–C. Living specimen, D. Habitat. 

 

Fansipanica milae Páll-Gergely & Dedov, gen et sp. nov., 

Ducanhia Páll-Gergely, gen. nov. 

(type species: Helix balansai Morlet, 1886), 

Vinatachea porcellana Páll-Gergely, sp. nov. 

Barna Páll-Gergely, Vukašin Gojšina and Ivailo Dedov. 2026. New taxa of Camaenidae from northern Vietnam (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora). ZooKeys. 1280: 365-392. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1280.185160 [28 May 2026]

[Botany • 2024] Meiogyne konkakinhensis (Annonaceae) • A New Species from the central highlands of Vietnam

 

Meiogyne konkakinhensis B.H.Quang & Tagane,

in Quang, Tagane, Nagahama, Fujiwara, Yoneoka, Binh et Oguri, 2024. 

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.652.1.7

Meiogyne Miquel (1865: 12; Annonaceae), with 33–39 species, are trees or shrubs characterised by distinctive corrugated grooved structure at the base of the adaxial surface of the inner petals, axillary or sometimes cauliflorous flowers and oblong multi-seeded indehiscent monocarps (van Heusden 1994, Johnson et al. 2019, Jaikhamseub et al. 2022). The species are collectively distributed in southern India, southern Central China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Melanesia and western Polynesia (van Heusden 1994, Thomas et al. 2012, POWO 2024). In Vietnam, six species of Meiogyne are known (Bân 2000, Jaikhamseub et al. 2022): M. monogyna (Merrill 1942: 163) Bân (1974: 1778), M. subsessilis (Ast 1938: 90) Sinclair (1956: 14), M. hainanensis (Merrill 1925: 131) Bân (1973: 1148), M. rubra Jaikhamseub, Damth. & Chaowasku in Jaikhamseub et al. (2022: 223), M. virgata (Blume 1825: 14) Miquel (1865: 12) and M. vietnamica Jaikhamseub, T.A.Le & Chaowasku in Jaikhamseub et al. (2022: 225), although Jaikhamseub et al. (2022) excluded M. virgata because they could not confirm any Vietnamese specimens. 

During our botanical expedition in Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai Province, Central Highland, Vietnam, in 2022, we encountered an unknown species of Meiogyne in primary broad-leaved evergreen forests. After a careful examination of the literature of the genus in Vietnam and surrounding countries (Ast 1938, Bân 2000, van Heusden 1994, Johnson et al. 2019, Jaikhamseub et al. 2022) and herbarium specimens including digitised images from FOF, FU, HN, K, KAG, MAK, P and VNM, we concluded that it was an undescribed species, and we here describe it as new to science.

Flora, Indochina, endemic species, Magnoliales, taxonomy, plant diversity, Magnoliids

Meiogyne konkakinhensis.
A. Flowering branch, view from underneath. B. Flowering branch after anthesis. C. Flower, front view. D. Flower after anthesis, side view. E, F. Fruiting branches, with one monocarp.

Photos of Oguri et al. Q362 when it was alive, taken by B.H. Quang.

Meiogyne konkakinhensis.
 A. Flowers, front view, at early stage of anthesis (left), late stage of anthesis (right). B. Outer petals, adaxial (right) and abaxial (left) surfaces. C. Inner petals, adaxial (left) and abaxial (right). D. Flower, bottom view. E. Flower with petals removed showing sepals, stamens and stigmas. F. Sepals, abaxial (left) and adaxial (right) sides. G. Stamens, carpels. H. Stamens. I. Carpels.

Photos of Oguri et al. Q362 when it was alive, taken by B.H. Quang.

Meiogyne konkakinhensis B.H.Quang & Tagane, sp. nov. 

The new species is similar to Meiogyne rubra in its relatively small leaf size and reddish purple petals at maturity, but it is easily distinguished by yellowish brown hairy midrib on the adaxial surface of lamina (glabrous in M. rubra), smaller petals (outer petals 8.0–18.0 × 5.0–8.0 mm, inner petals 7.0–16.0 × 3.1–7.0 mm vs. 30.0–33.0 × 7.5–10.0 mm and 26.5–30.5 × 7.0–8.0 mm), and fewer and smaller stamens (76–80, 1.0–1.4 mm long vs. ca. 118, 1.5–2.2 mm long), fewer carpels (7–9 vs. 10–11) and more ovules per ovary (7–8 vs. 4).

Etymology:—Named for the Kon Ka Kinh National Park.  

Vernacular name:—Thiểu nhụy kon ka kinh (Vietnamese).

Bui Hong Quang, Shuichiro Tagane, Ai Nagahama, Tao Fujiwara, Katsuhiro Yoneoka, Tran Duc Binh and Emiko Oguri. 2024. Meiogyne konkakinhensis (Annonaceae), A New Species from the central highlands of Vietnam.  Phytotaxa. 652(1); 78-82. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.652.1.7