Zootaxa

Description of two new species of sponges (Demospongiae, Porifera) from the Nazca Desventuradas Marine Park and overview on diversity and biogeography of poriferans in oceanic islands of the SE Pacific

JULIO C.C. FERNANDEZ — 2025-07-04

The Desventuradas Islands Archipelago is located within the Nazca Desventuradas Marine Park (South East Pacific). The latter is the world’s second-largest no-take marine zone, but only two sponge species have been known from there, which somehow reflects the current low knowledge of the diversity about marine sponges in the southeast Pacific region. In this study, two new species from Desventuradas Islands (20 m depth) are described. Hemimycale smaragdina sp. nov. constitutes the fourth record of Hemimycale of the entire Pacific Ocean, while Spongia (Heterofibria) nazcaensis sp. nov. is the first record of this genus in the SE Pacific. The latter is also recorded in Rapa Nui (Easter Island, 9.7 m depth), nearly 3,000 km west of its type locality. Both new species are compared with their respective congeners and can be differentiated by the combination of external and internal characters. Sponges from Rapa Nui, the Juan Fernández and Desventuradas Islands Archipelagos, as well as other Pacific oceanic marine areas were compiled here. Although several species from distant areas such as Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific region, Antarctic, Atlantic and even the Mediterranean Sea are present in the evaluated oceanic areas, we observe high endemism in Rapa Nui and Juan Fernández, ca. 50%. Desventuradas Islands is still a locality with lower knowledge about its sponge diversity (currently four species) and a figure of its real endemism is hard to assess at this time. Most part of non-endemic species in Juan Fernández comes from the South American Pacific coast, but the ones in Rapa Nui come from the Indo-Pacific region / Indian Ocean and other distant areas. Although some patterns can be observed, the low knowledge about sponge diversity from these and other Pacific oceanic areas still limits comprehensive faunal affinities and biogeographical scenarios.

**A new millipede species of the genus Gnomognathus Attems, 1942 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Harpagophoridae) from South India**

NIKHILA SUDHAKARAN — 2025-07-04

A new species of the genus Gnomognathus Attems, 1942, is described from the Western Ghats regions of the state of Kerala, India. Gnomognathus dhoni sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the differences in overall gonopodal morphology and particularly by the shape and position of the tibial spines on the telopodite. Two other species, G. macracanthus (Carl, 1941), and G. interfectus (Carl, 1941), previously thought to be restricted to Tamil Nadu, have been recovered from Kerala. The genus now comprises nine species. A key is proposed for all species of the genus based on the gonopodal characters along with a concise comparison of contrasting characters and a distribution map.

**On the genus Lagenopolycystis Artois and Schockaert, 2000 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae)**

MARLIES MONNENS — 2025-07-04

A comprehensive and comparative overview of the taxon Lagenopolycystis Artois and Schockaert, 2000 (= Lagenorhynchus Brunet, 1965) is given, followed by comments on the two known species: Lagenopolycystis peresi (Brunet, 1965) Artois & Schockaert, 2000 and L. mandelai Willems & Artois, 2017, and the description of six new ones: L. articulata sp. nov., L. azorensis sp. nov., L. canariensis sp. nov., L. conglobata sp. nov., L. mutabilis sp. nov., and L. poena sp. nov. The species of this morphologically homogenous genus can be distinguished from each other based on the dimensions and morphology of the hard parts of the male copulatory organ. All species occur in sandy marine habitats and are described from the western Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula, and Macaronesia. One species (L. poena sp. nov.) also occurs on the Swedish west coast, while L. mutabilis sp. nov. and L. mandelai occur on the East and South African coast, respectively. The monophyly of the genus is briefly discussed.

**Two new luminous species of Neanuridae (Collembola) and the discovery of bioluminescence in the genus Crossodonthina Yosii**

ATSUKO OHIRA — 2025-07-04

This study describes two new luminous microarthoropod species, Crossodonthina leodeus sp. nov. and Lobella lucifera sp. nov., and reports the discovery of bioluminescence in two previously described species, Crossodonthina elegans Kasai, Tanaka & Sawahata and Crossodonthina laterisensillata Ohira, Kataoka, Tanooka & Nakamori, from the tribe Lobellini (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae) in Asia. Identification keys to the species of both genera have been updated and taxonomic remarks on the genus Cassagnaua Özdikmen are provided. This study represents the first description of bioluminescent Collembola as new species, and the first report of bioluminescence in the genus Crossodonthina Yosii.

**Additions to the family Caseyidae Verhoeff, 1909. V. The new genus Benlomondia and two new species (Diplopoda, Chordeumatida, Striariidea, Caseyoidea)**

WILLIAM A. SHEAR — 2025-07-04

The genus Benlomondia Shear & Marek, gen. nov., and two new species, Benlomondia benlomondensis Shear & Marek, sp. nov., and Benlomondia mateo Shear & Marek, sp. nov., are described from Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties, California, respectively. The new genus is similar to, but distinct from, Opiona Chamberlin, 1951.

**Revision of the subgenus Acanthosia Krüger, 2015 in the genus Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965, with a description of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)**

ANTONIO DURANTE — 2025-07-04

The subgenus Acanthosia Krüger, 2015 of the genus Archithosia Birket-Smith, 1965 is revised. two species are recorded for the first time in Gabon: A. flavifrontella (Strand, 1912) and A. similis Birket-Smith, 1965; two new species groups are proposed: A. flavifrontella (Strand, 1912) species group and A. tryphosa (Kiriakoff, 1958) species group; and three species are described as new: Archithosia (Acanthosia) oblonga sp. nov.; A. (A.) brevis sp. nov. and A. (A.) parva sp. nov. A teratological specimen of A. flavifrontella is also recorded.

Dyspessa sudoli sp. nov.—another new Armenian species (Lepidoptera, Cossidae, Cossinae, Endagriini)

AIDAS SALDAITIS — 2025-07-04

A new species from Armenia, Dyspessa sudoli sp. nov., is described in the present article. It is compared with the Armenian Dyspessa gayane Yakovlev et al., 2025 and Dyspessa daralagezi Yakovlev, 2008b, and occurring closely to Dyspessa stroehlei Yakovlev, 2008a described from Kars Province in northeastern Turkey. Adults of both sexes, their genitalia, map with collection localities, and habitat for the new species are illustrated.

**A new species of Batrisocenus Raffray (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from coastal Guangdong, South China**

TING FENG — 2025-07-04

Batrisocenus shantouensis Feng & Yin, sp. nov. is described from Shantou, Guangdong, South China, representing the first pselaphine species documented for the city. The new species is characterized primarily by its coarsely punctate elytra, the unique modification of male tergite 1 (IV), and configuration of the aedeagus.

**Taxonomic notes on Anacroneuria Klapálek, 1909 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) types of the Museum of Natural History of Berlin—Museum für Naturkunde des Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany**

RODRIGO BRAGA GASTALDO — 2025-07-04

**Synonymy of Metathelges Nierstrasz & Brender à Brandis, 1923 and Epicepon Boyko, 2024 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae)**

CHRISTOPHER B. BOYKO — 2025-07-04