Zootaxa

Eggs of twelve Siberian and Far Eastern Isoperlinae (Plecoptera: Perlodidae)

VALENTINA A. TESLENKO — 2025-05-29

Eggs of 12 Isoperlinae species from Siberia and the Russian Far East are examined, illustrated, and described using scanning electron microscopy images for the first time. Keys for their identification are proposed and included. East-Palaearctic Isoperla eximia Zapekina-Dulkeit, 1975 is recorded for Japan for the first time.

**Description of three new subspecies of Eisenia nordenskioldi (Annelida: Crassiclitellata) from Northeastern China**

MINGYAN QIN — 2025-05-29

The Eisenia nordenskioldi complex is known for its high karyotype diversity and morphological type, and there are many cryptic species present in this complex. The species is widely distributed in the Palearctic biogeographic region including Northeast China. However, the taxonomy of this species complex remains inadequately defined. In our study, we examined the morphological characters of the Eisenia nordenskioldi complex in Northeast China that have not been examined before and used mitochondrial marker COI and nuclear markers ITS2, AKAP17 and FLAD1 to analyze their genetic variation. We described three new subspecies namely, E. nordenskioldi shenzi ssp. nov. E. n. jilinensis ssp. nov. and E. n. chinensis ssp. nov., which show morphological distinction and supported with molecular data. Molecular phylogenetic analyses show that the Eisenia nordenskioldi species complex is not monophyletic, supporting previous works.

Pristolepis pentacantha Plamoottil 2015, and Catopra tetracanthus Günther 1862: two junior synonyms of Pristolepis marginata Jerdon 1849

ANJANA PREETHA PRAKASH — 2025-05-29

The identities of three species of Pristolepis described from the Western Ghats of India, Pristolepis marginata Jerdon 1849, Catopra tetracanthus Günther 1862, and Pristolepis pentacantha Plamoottil 2015, are resolved. Combined evidence from morphology and mitochondrial COI gene sequences reveals that Pristolepis pentacantha is a junior synonym of P. marginata, and comparison of morpho-meristic data from the two syntypes of C. tetracanthus and topotypic specimens of P. marginata demonstrate that they are conspecific. We show that P. marginata is restricted to tributaries of the east-flowing Cauvery River in the southern Western Ghats.

Potamophylax rilaensis sp. nov. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), a new species of the Potamophylax winneguthi Species Cluster from Bulgaria

HALIL IBRAHIMI — 2025-05-29

The Potamophylax winneguthi Species Cluster is recognized for its high diversity and microscale distribution across Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this paper, we describe Potamophylax rilaensis sp. nov., a new species within this cluster from Bulgaria, which is morphologically most similar to P. juliani Kumanski 1999 (in Kumanski & Malicky 1999) and P. kosovaensis Ibrahimi & Bilalli 2024 (in Ibrahimi et al. 2024). The males of P. rilaensis sp. nov. differ from closest congeners by distinct morphological features, particularly in the shape of the inferior appendages, parameres, and paramere spine pattern.

Potamophylax rilaensis sp. nov. was found at two localities in the Rila Mountains, at elevations ranging from 1462 to 1935 m above sea level. With the addition of P. rilaensis sp. nov., there are now eight known species within the P. winneguthi Species Cluster identified from the Balkan Peninsula. A comprehensive overview of species distribution, habitat preferences, and diagnostic features of male genitalia is also provided.

Cryptachaea pacoti, a new species of spider from Brazil (Araneae: Theridiidae), with notes on parasitoid-host interaction under the influence of abiotic factors

FLÁILDO DA SILVA ARAÚJO — 2025-05-29

The spider theridiid genus Cryptachaea Archer (1946) include today 112 species distributed in tropical and temperate regions worldwide. These spiders are attacked by Ichneumonidae parasitoids of the Polysphincta group of genera. In one of the remaining Atlantic Forest areas of the state of the Ceará, Brazil, we recorded the spider Cryptachaea pacoti sp. nov. (Theridiidae) being parasitized by the wasp Zatypota riverai Gauld, 1991 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). In this study we describe the new spider species C. pacoti. sp. nov. (Theridiidae); an unknown interaction between the parasitoid wasp Z. riverai (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and the spider C. pacoti sp. nov., and the correlation of abiotic factors (temperature and precipitation) on the temporal variation of the parasitism rate and total abundance of C. pacoti spiders. Our study reveals that parasitoidism is more frequent between the months of May and April and that the parasitoidism rate correlates negatively with temperature, but positively with precipitation. Although we quantified parasitized and non-parasitized spiders, we did not systematically record the life stages of all collected individuals. However, observations during the sampling period indicated that only adult and subadult spiders were parasitized, suggesting possible wasp selectivity for more developed stages of the host spider. These patterns may reflect a synchronization between the life cycles of the host and the parasitoid, influenced by the region’s humid microclimate in contrast to the surrounding semiarid environment. Precipitation did not correlate with the total abundance of spiders, but temperature negatively correlated with both spider abundance and parasitism rate, likely due to changes in microhabitat structure and wasp reproductive dynamics. The spiders likely exhibit seasonal abundance patterns related to forest formation type. While Ceará is largely characterized by the Caatinga biome's dry and hot climate, the Brejos de Altitude function as humid refuges with milder microclimates, greater vegetation cover, and high moisture retention, promoting more stable arthropod communities throughout the year.

Description of two mountain midges (Diptera, Chironomidae, Diamesinae) from China

ZEHAO WU — 2025-05-29

Two new species, Pagastia (s. str.) laojun sp. nov. and Pseudodiamesa (s. str.) neobranickii sp. nov. are described based on the males collected from Mt. Laojun, Yunnan Province, Oriental China. In addition, Pseudodiamesa (s. str.) branickii agg. collected from Mt. Tien is noted here. The first new species is characteristic by the anal point with round apical peg and gonostylus with distinct outer heel. While the latter is a typical member of Pseudodiamesa (s. str.) branickii group, distinguished from congeners by the prominent crista dorsalis in the middle of the gonostylus and a clear protuberance bearing several apical setae in the medio-outer surface of gonocoxite. This is the first report of the branickii-group species in China.

A nomenclature trilemma in naming the South American sea lion

CARL C. KINZE — 2025-05-29

Taxonomy in Trouble—An impediment to Life on Earth

NAVNEET SINGH — 2025-05-29