Zootaxa

The state of the art of Ceramonematidae (Nematoda, Leptolaimida): a historical review, diagnoses and lists of valid genera and species

2026-04-01T12:17:27+13:00

Ceramonematidae is a family of exclusively free-living marine nematodes. This work addresses the state of the art and historical review of the group, providing lists of valid species, lists of species inquirendae and species nomina nuda, and updated diagnoses for each genus. Many species have only male or female specimens and some original illustrations are poorly detailed, making it difficult to compare species for new descriptions. Our review presents comparative tables of all species in each genus and ultimately recognizes 8 valid genera, 69 valid species, 2 species inquirendae, and 9 species nomina nuda.

**Bryozoa collected by the R.V. Falkor (too) during the 2025 cruise to the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon, Southwest Atlantic**

2026-04-01T12:18:13+13:00

Fourteen bryozoan species were collected during the 2025 cruise of R.V. Falkor (too) to the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon (37.883333° S, 53.933333° W), at depths ranging between 1018 and 2628 m. Six species are considered new to science: Buffonella plana sp. nov., B. profunda sp. nov., Fenestrulina crassa sp. nov., Smittina amatista sp. nov., Parasmittina symmetrica sp. nov. and Orthoporidra claviformis sp. nov. For comparison, Patagonian shelf material of Buffonella simplex, a poorly known species described in the 19^th century, is illustrated for the first time with scanning electron microscopy. The known geographic distributions of Microporella gappai and Smittoidea granulosa are expanded northwards. The bryozoan assemblage analysed in the present study has no species in common with the Magellanic bryozoan fauna inhabiting coastal and shelf areas of the Southwest Atlantic. On the contrary, the known distribution of most of these species is, so far, restricted to the continental slope off the Atlantic coast of southern South America. The bryozoan diversity of this Southwest Atlantic canyon is probably much higher than the assemblage documented in the present study.

**On the type specimens of Parazoanthus axinellae (Schmidt, 1862) (Hexacorallia: Zoanthidea) and its subspecies**

2026-04-01T12:19:01+13:00

Subspecies of Parazoanthus axinellae have been largely ignored since their inception and modern authors write of morphotypes rather than attempting to assign their specimens to these existing taxa. This hesitation to apply subspecies names is rooted in taxon definitions written to 19^th century standards coupled with failure to designate type specimens that could be reexamined for clarification. Revealing the types or verifying that they no longer exist so that topotypes may be designated as neotypes creates a path for clarification of existing taxonomic hypotheses and discovering which modern morphotypes or cryptic taxa lay outside those circumscriptions. Here we reconstructed the history and updated the diagnoses of the types of P. axinellae and its nominal subspecies by reviewing historic scientific and archival documents, verifying type existence with their current caretakers, and reexamining their microanatomy. We identified type specimens and designated lectotypes and paralectotypes from the syntype series of Parazoanthus axinellae and subspecies axinellae, liguricus, and muelleri, redescribed them from histology of their type material, and provide diagnostic traits for identification in the field or laboratory. Type material for brevitentacularis was not recovered and permission to resample the type location has been denied.

**Complementary description of Oithona (Paroithona) parvula (Farran, 1908), (Cyclopoida, Oithonidae) and its distribution in the Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean**

2026-04-01T12:20:14+13:00

The female of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona (Paroithona) parvula (Farran, 1908) is complementary described, and the male is described for the first time from samples collected in the Adriatic Sea. The Adriatic specimens differ from the original description in several morphological characteristics, such as; number of antennule segments and setae, number of setae on second antennary segment, the maxillule endopodite, in the maxilla, the first maxilliped segment, leg 5 and the numbers of spines on the exopodal segment of leg 4. A key to identify males and females of Adriatic species of Oithona is herein provided. As a glacial relic, the species O. parvula is permanently present in the northern Adriatic depression, and in the Jabuka Pit from a depth of 50 m to the bottom, with the presence of North Adriatic Dense Water. This water mass is an important habitat for O. parvula and plays a key role in its transport and distribution along the western Adriatic and southern Adriatic Pit.

Another step in unravelling Deronectina larval morphology: descriptions of Boreonectes griseostriatus griseostriatus (De Geer, 1774) and Nectoboreus aequinoctialis (Clark, 1862) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae) with phylogenetic considerations

2026-04-01T12:20:57+13:00

Larval morphology of the Holarctic Boreonectes griseostriatus griseostriatus (De Geer, 1774) and of the Nearctic endemic Nectoboreus aequinoctialis (Clark, 1862) is described based on ex ovo material. General morphology and chaetotaxy of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, terminal abdominal segment and urogomphi are described and illustrated for first and third instar. Phylogenetic comparison of Boreonectes Angus, 2010 and Nectoboreus Fery & Ribera, 2018 with nine other Deronectina genera was conducted in a cladistic context. Both genera are similar sharing several character states (e.g., presence of an elongate primary seta PA3, prementum non-sclerotized dorsally, presence of natatory setae on legs, elongate urogomphi, and presence of several non-sclerotized annuli on instar III urogomphomere 1) suggesting a closer relationship with Leconectes Fery & Ribera, 2018 and Mystonectes Fery & Ribera, 2018. Instar I larvae of Leconectes and Nectoboreus Fery & Ribera, 2018 share two unique character states: presence of additional setae on legs and presence of one non-sceloritized annulus on urogomphomere 1.

Two new termite species (Blattodea: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae and Mirocapritermitinae) from the Western Ghats, India

2026-04-01T12:21:47+13:00

Two new termite species, Speculitermes latalabrum sp. nov. from the subfamily Apicotermitinae Grassé and Noirot, 1955 and Labiocapritermes ghatensis sp. nov. belonging to the subfamily Mirocapritermitinae Kemner, 1934 are described and illustrated here based on the morphological characters of the soldiers and workers. Gut morphology of workers is also described. The genus Speculitermes Wasmann, 1902 is confined to the Oriental region, previously known from Kerala state in India by four species, S. emersoni Bose, 1984, S. sinhalensis Roonwal and Sen-Sarma, 1960, S. chadaensis Chatterjee and Thapa, 1964 and S. dharwarensis Roonwal and Chhotani, 1964. Among the total 12 species from the Oriental region, the soldier caste is hitherto known only for three species, S. dharwarensis, S. sinhalensis and S. macrodentatus Ahmad, 1965. Labiocapritermes Krishna 1968, previously monotypic and endemic to southern India is here expanded with the description of L. ghatensis sp. nov. This paper provides a dichotomous key for Speculitermes and Labiocapritermes of India and species distribution maps.

**A new skink of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam**

2026-04-01T12:25:42+13:00

A new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 is described from Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Scincella vuquangensis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by body size; number of primary temporals; the presence of external ear opening and the absence of lobules on anterior margin; head scalation (loreals, supralabials, infralabials, nuchals); number of midbody scale rows; number of smooth scales across the back; number and size of paravertebral; number of ventral scale rows; number of lamellae beneath finger IV and toe IV; length of toe finger; and color pattern. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species is recovered as a sister taxon to S. rufocaudata. The new species is separated from S. rufocaudata by 9.37–9.64% in pairwise genetic distance, based on a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene.

**First confirmed record of Scarus quoyi (Valenciennes, 1840) and Scarus zufar (Randall & Hoover, 1995) from the Gulf of Mannar, southeastern India**

2026-04-01T12:26:43+13:00

Parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) are keystone herbivores in coral reef ecosystems, regulating algal growth and facilitating coral recruitment through bioerosive feeding. We report the first confirmed records of Scarus quoyi (Valenciennes, 1840) and Scarus zufar (Randall & Hoover, 1995) from the Gulf of Mannar, southeastern India. Specimens (24.0 cm and 24.9 cm TL, respectively) were collected in April 2025 from artisanal fish traps operating at 10–15 m depth near Therespuram. Morphometric and meristic analyses confirmed species identity based on diagnostic features, including the characteristic dark green cheek blotch in S. quoyi and the yellow caudal base patch with irregular vertical bands in S. zufar. These records represent significant eastward range extensions: S. quoyi from the western Pacific into the Bay of Bengal, and S. zufar from its type locality in Oman through the Arabian Sea to India’s southeastern coast. The occurrence of S. zufar in mixed rocky-coral substrates may explain its previous absence from coral-focused surveys. These findings underscore the importance of continued systematic surveys and morphological documentation in biodiversity hotspots, particularly for taxonomically challenging groups exhibiting ontogenetic color variation.

A peculiar new Oriental genus of Drymini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae)

2026-04-01T12:27:29+13:00

Formidrymus malayus, gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae: Drymini) is described based upon specimens from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The systematic position of the genus and the potentially related genera are discussed, especially the superficially similar Fontejanus Breddin, 1903, a rhyparochromine genus of uncertain tribal placement.

**A peculiar new species of Tanytarsus van der Wulp (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Oriental China**

2026-04-01T12:28:14+13:00

Reply to Comment of Çıplak, Uluar & Chobanov (2026) to the recent monograph of Ünal 2025 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

2026-04-01T12:29:17+13:00

**Comments on Çıplak et al. 2026 on Orthoptera taxonomy**

2026-04-01T12:29:55+13:00