Zootaxa

**The species of the genus Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Panama**

2026-01-27T11:17:10+13:00

This review examines the taxonomy, distribution, natural history and scorpionism of the Centruroides species (Scorpiones: Buthidae) of Panama. A taxonomic key is provided to easily identify the five confirmed species from Panama, but also including Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) and Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804). The recently reported first record of C. edwardsii in Panama seems to be based on misidentified specimens that belong to Centruroides granosus (Thorell, 1876), a Panamanian endemic species, or Centruroides margaritatus (Gervais, 1841), an introduced synanthropic species. Centruroides gracilis may potentially be present in this country. Only C. granosus and Centruroides panamensis Quintero and Esposito, 2014 are Panamanian endemics, whereas C. granosus and C. bicolor (Pocock, 1898) are the most widely distributed species in this Central American country. Envenomations by these species are frequent in Panama, but generally cause mild symptoms. Maps showing the distribution of the Panamanian Centruroides species are presented.

Othniocryptus Sharp, 1900 (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Xenoscelinae): description of two new species from Brazil and lectotype designation for O. variegatus Sharp

2026-01-27T11:18:35+13:00

Two new species of Othniocryptus Sharp, 1900 are described from southeastern Brazil: Othniocryptus ypirangensis sp. nov. and Othniocryptus centromaculatus sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for O. variegatus Sharp, 1900, the type species of the genus from Panama. The male genitalia and mouthparts are described and illustrated for the first time in the genus. Diagnostic characters distinguishing the new species from O. variegatus and from each other are provided. A distribution map and an identification key for the species of the genus are also presented. The discovery of these taxa represents the first confirmed record of Xenoscelinae in Brazil. The findings highlight previously undocumented morphological variation within Othniocryptus and extend the known distribution of the genus southward into the Atlantic Forest.

Prosciara Frey (Diptera, Sciaridae) revisited: Remarks on classification and description of nineteen new Indomalayan species

2026-01-27T11:19:22+13:00

The following nineteen species of Prosciara Frey (Diptera, Sciaridae) from the Indomalayan region are newly described and illustrated: Prosciara aduncula sp. nov. (Thailand), P. aequilobata sp. nov. (Brunei), P. anguina sp. nov. (Nepal), P. bulbacea sp. nov. (Thailand), P. calvata sp. nov. (Thailand), P. clypeata sp. nov. (Thailand), P. cymosa sp. nov. (Brunei), P. devexa sp. nov. (Thailand), P. furculigera sp. nov. (India), P. horrifera sp. nov. (Thailand), P. mediana sp. nov. (Thailand), P. microceps sp. nov. (Thailand), P. minacis sp. nov. (Nepal), P. nudimana sp. nov. (Thailand), P. operta sp. nov. (Thailand), P. perfidiosa sp. nov. (Taiwan), P. pinnifera sp. nov. (Malaysia), P. substricta sp. nov. (Thailand) and P. tenebrosa sp. nov. (Thailand). Including the newly described ones, 114 species of Prosciara are known from the Indomalayan region. The classification of Prosciara and related taxa is discussed.

**Three new species of genus Drabescus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Drabescini) from Malaysia**

2026-01-27T11:20:11+13:00

Three new species of the leafhopper genus Drabescus Stål, D. digitolamellatus, D. dilatoconnexus and D. medidigitatus spp. nov., are described and illustrated from Malaysia. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and the sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) are provided for these three new species.

**Morphological assessment of the Common Barn Owl Tyto alba (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) supports three species**

2026-01-27T11:21:05+13:00

Barn owls (Tytonidae: Tyto) have long been considered a single species, despite their worldwide distribution and despite being highly geographically variable in morphology. Multiple genomic studies have now demonstrated that the Common Barn Owl Tyto alba sensu lato complex has at least three deeply genetically diverged evolutionary units: Tyto alba sensu stricto, occurring from southern Scandinavia to South Africa; Tyto furcata, of southern Canada to Patagonia; and Tyto javanica, of the Himalayan plateau to Tasmania and the tropical Pacific. Their extensive geographic variation, however, greatly complicates delineation of their taxonomy. With the aim of shedding further light on barn owl taxonomy, we conducted a comprehensive morphological analysis of the three major Tyto alba s.l. clades, measuring up to 21 different morphometrics on 192 live and 1271 museum barn owl specimens. Our results clearly demonstrated mensural differences between the three evolutionary species units of barn owls, primarily in that the several subspecies of Tyto furcata as a clade are, sex-for-sex, considerably larger than the other two clades, especially in wing length. Despite Tyto javanica being sister to the other two clades and being somewhat intermediate in size, its several subspecies are more similar in overall size to subspecies of Tyto alba s.s. (the smallest-bodied clade) than either is to Tyto furcata. Our research supports and supplements the genetic and vocal evidence that recently led to the now widely adopted subdivision of the Barn Owl Tyto alba s.l. into three separate species.

**New leafminers on Senegalia mellifera (formerly Acacia mellifera, Fabaceae) in Kenya (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae & Cemiostomidae) are some of Africa’s smallest moths**

2026-01-27T11:22:08+13:00

Two new species of leafminers, occurring on Senegalia mellifera (Vahl) Seigler & Ebinger in Kenya, are described: Acalyptris melliferae sp. nov. in Nepticulidae and Leucoptera aurantia sp. nov. in Cemiostomidae. Both were found in the Rift valley, near Lake Bogoria. These species represent the first known leafminers on the African ‘Acacia’ genus Senegalia. We also provide arguments from phylogenetic studies to consider Cemiostomidae as a separate family, rather than a subfamily in Lyonetiidae. A checklist of African species of Cemiostomidae is appended, the genera Crobylophora Meyrick, 1880 and Microthauma Walsingham, 1891 are synonymised with Leucoptera Hübner, 1825 and the following new combinations are proposed: Leucoptera byssinodes (Meyrick, 1914) comb. nov., L. speciosa (Ghesquière, 1940) comb. nov., and L. xanthochyta (Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov. from Crobylophora and L. metallifera (Walsingham, 1891) comb. nov. from Microthauma.

**A new dark-winged fungus gnat genus, Linana Shah & Huang gen. nov. (Diptera: Sciaridae), from China, with descriptions of two new species**

2026-01-27T11:22:58+13:00

A new genus of dark-winged fungus gnats, Linana Shah & Huang gen. nov. is described from China, with two newly described species: Linana primaria Shah & Huang gen. et sp. nov. as a type species, and Linana confusa Shah & Huang gen. et sp. nov. Morphologically, this genus combines the characters of different clades, by having long and bottleneck-shaped flagellomeres, an undifferentiated tibial organ and non-setose posterior wing veins, but unique male genitalia. DNA barcode data (COI) further support its genetic distinctiveness.

**Genus Oncopsis Burmeister (Cicadellidae: Eurymelinae) new to Korea with description of a new species**

2026-01-27T11:23:55+13:00

The genus Oncopsis Burmeister, 1838 is recorded for the first time from Korea with a new record, Oncopsis wagneri Knight, 1971 and a new species, Oncopsis alpinus sp. nov. Description of species, habitus, and illustration of male genitalia are provided.