Zootaxa

**Description of ten new species of Duta Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) from India**

RUPAM DEBNATH — 2026-05-11

In this study, ten species of Duta Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) are described from India: D. coriata Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. foveola Debnath, Rajmohana and Abitha sp. nov., D. microphleba Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. obscura Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. pallida Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. procera Debnath, Rajmohana and Abitha sp. nov., D. protuberata Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. semiannulata Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., D. succina Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov., and D. xantha Debnath and Rajmohana sp. nov. Detailed morphological descriptions are provided, supplemented with molecular characterization for a subset of the treated species. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was also constructed based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I data. The single gene phylogenetic analysis revealed an extended distribution for D. indica Mukerjee, 1994 from India to Bangladesh and Thailand; D. dissimilis Rajmohana, 2014 from India to China and Russia; and D. protuberata across India and Pakistan. An identification key and a checklist to the Indian species of Duta is also presented.

Leaf beetles of the volcanic oceanic archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): diversity, taxonomy, distribution, host-parasite associations, and two new species

ALINE SAMPAIO — 2026-05-11

The first comprehensive taxonomic survey of the leaf beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the oceanic volcanic Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil, is presented herein. A total of 17 taxa distributed across five subfamilies (Bruchinae, Cassidinae, Cryptocephalinae, Eumolpinae, and Galerucinae) are recorded, including the description of two new species of seed beetles: Megacerus ibiaiso Santos, Sampaio & Viana, sp. nov., and Sennius binotatus Viana & Ribeiro-Costa, sp. nov. In addition, 11 new distributional records are provided, along with corrections of previously misidentified specimens from the archipelago. For the taxa identified to the species level, information on host plant associations and natural enemies, when available, is included. The study also provides photographs of the external morphology of all taxa and the internal structures of the new species, as well as a map of the beaches and sampling trails.

**A new species of Aleiodes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) from Thailand**

WORAPONG ATSAWASIRAMANEE — 2026-05-11

Aleiodes kitanai Atsawasiramanee, Quicke and Butcher, sp. nov. (Braconidae: Rogadinae) from Doi Phu Kha National Park in northern Thailand is described and illustrated photographically. The new species belongs to a member of the A. apicalis species group formerly treated as the subgenus Chelonorhogas Enderlein, 1912. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows it to be the sister group to A. georgiae Quicke & Butcher, also from north Thailand. These two species share white-banded antennae but can be distinguished by differences in sculpturation, coloration and the modified metasomal tergite 3 of the female which is distinctly emarginate postero-medially in the new species. The new species increases the total number of Aleiodes species known from Thailand to 185. A modified key couplet is provided to facilitate its identification and a molecular phylogeny of the apicalis species group obtained is presented and discussed.

**Two new rain frogs of the Pristimantis leptolophus species group (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the high elevations of the Cordillera Occidental, Southwestern Colombia**

OSCAR MAURICIO CUELLAR-VALENCIA — 2026-05-11

The Colombian Tropical Andes constitute an important area in terms of diversity and endemism of amphibian species. However, some studies have documented gaps in taxonomic information in these regions due to a lack of exploration, especially in the highest areas. The Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali (PNN Farallones de Cali) is a protected area located in southwestern Colombia that brings together the Tropical Andes and Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspots. This protected area holds a historical record of 112 named amphibian species, of which 36 are threatened according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and 44 are endemic to Colombia. However, the highest peaks of this national park have remained unexplored due to the political instability of the country, the presence of illegal productive activities, and operational and logistical difficulties of access. Fortunately, owing to the combination of human and institutional efforts, possibilities for exploration and the development of scientific activities have become available in the last decade. During recent explorations of the high Andean forest and páramo ecosystems of the PNN Farallones de Cali, we discovered two new threatened species herein in the Pristimantis leptolophus species group based on molecular, bioacoustic, and morphological evidence. The first species is distinguished by its polymorphic coloring patterns, the small size of the males, the presence of a small papilla at the tip of the snout, and its advertisement call, which is composed of a stereotyped group of 3–10 tonal notes that are widely separated by intervals of silence. The second new species is distinguished by the presence of a small papilla at the tip of the snout, and by lacking dorsolateral folds. These findings emphasize the importance of preserving the Andean and páramo ecosystems, which are home to several amphibian species and numerous others that remain undiscovered, highlighting the need to continue to explore uncharted areas in the Colombian Andes for a better understanding of Colombian amphibian diversity.

**Rediscovery and re-description of Schistura chrysicristinae (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae)**

CÜNEYT KAYA — 2026-05-11

The Batman River loach, Schistura chrysicristinae, is rediscovered after 48 years, at two sites upstream of its type locality in southeastern Anatolia. Originally described based on four specimens, all of which are now presumably lost, S. chrysicristinae has remained poorly known. We provide a detailed redescription based on freshly-collected fish, including updated morphological data and documentation of colour pattern. In addition, we reassess its generic position using mitochondrial COI sequences within a broad comparative framework of Nemacheilidae. Phylogenetic analyses recover S. chrysicristinae in a clade comprising Schistura cf. rupecula, supporting its placement within Schistura and not Paraschistura, as previously suggested. The rediscovery of S. chrysicristinae clarifies the taxonomic status of this poorly-known Anatolian species, and contributes to an improved understanding of nemacheilid diversity and biogeography in western Asia.

**Taxonomic revision of two Indo-Pacific species of Valenciennea (Teleostei: Gobiidae) reveals two new species from the Indian Ocean**

FATAH ZAREI — 2026-05-11

The gobiid genus Valenciennea Bleeker, 1856 comprises 17 bottom-dwelling species distributed on shallow coral reefs throughout the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. Twelve species have Indo-Pacific distributions: within the Indian Ocean, six of these species are only found in the eastern part, while the other six occur in both eastern and western regions. Valenciennea persica is endemic to the northwestern Indian Ocean. Valenciennea puellaris (Tomiyama, 1956), originally described from Japan, and V. strigata (Broussonet, 1782), originally described from French Polynesia and long regarded as widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific, are each shown here to comprise two distinct species. Analysis of mitochondrial COI sequences, detailed re-examination of material from ichthyological collections, and comprehensive colour-pattern comparisons support recognition of the Indian Ocean population of V. puellaris as a new species for science, described herein as V. schlieweni sp. nov. Similarly, the southwestern Indian Ocean population of V. strigata has also been shown to represent a distinct species, herein described as V. zaboae sp. nov. Each of the two new species is readily distinguished from all congeners by a distinctive colour pattern in live specimens, as well as by a combination of meristic characters (second dorsal- and anal-fin rays, scale counts), first dorsal- and caudal-fin morphology, head and body proportions, and residual pigmentation in preserved specimens. Georeferenced photographic data from iNaturalist and GBIF (703 records of V. puellaris, 797 of V. strigata) were also used to characterise colour-pattern variation across the Indo-Pacific.

**Correction of the original spelling of Hydrobates matsudairae (Kuroda, 1922) (Aves: Procellariiformes: Hydrobatidae)**

RICHARD LITTAUER — 2026-05-11

**Second specimen and first record of Gerrhonotus farri (Squamata: Anguidae) from San Luis Potosí, Mexico**

JOSÉ DANIEL LARA-TUFIÑO — 2026-05-11