Zootaxa

**Shrimps of the genus Synalpheus Spence Bate, 1888 (Decapoda: Alpheidae) from Northeast Brazil region**

PEDRO HENRIQUE PAIXÃO — 2025-07-25

The aim of this study was to provide a commented catalogue of the snapping shrimp species belonging to the genus Synalpheus Spence Bate, 1888 from Northeast Brazil region, a 3,300 kilometers long tropical coast. The material examined was collected from various sites along the coast of the state of Pernambuco, as well as from the archipelagos of Fernando de Noronha and São Pedro e São Paulo. Additionally, specimens deposited in the crustacean collection of the Museu de Oceanografia Prof. Petrônio Alves Coelho (MOUFPE) were also examined. A total of 1010 individuals belonging to 26 species were analyzed. This study provides six new records for the southwestern Atlantic [Synalpheus barahonensis Armstrong, 1949, S. belizensis Anker & Tóth, 2008, S. brevidactylus Anker & Tóth, 2008, S. corallinus Macdonald, Hultgren & Duffy, 2009, S. hoetjesi Hultgren, Macdonald & Duffy, 2010, and S. kensleyi (Ríos & Duffy, 2007)] and 13 range extensions/new records [(S. agelas Pequegnat & Heard, 1979, S. androsi Coutière, 1909, S. antillensis Coutière, 1909, S. dardeaui (Ríos & Duffy, 2007), S. fritzmuelleri Coutière, 1909, S. hemphilli Coutière, 1909, S. herricki Coutière, 1909, S. pandionis Coutière, 1909, S. ruetzleri Macdonald & Duffy, 2006, S. tenuispina Coutière, 1909, S. townsendi Coutière, 1909, S. ubatuba Mantelatto, França, Cunha & Almeida, 2023, and S. yano (Ríos & Duffy, 2007)]) along the Brazilian coast. Some of these records were confirmed using molecular data (ribosomal 16S gene). Moreover, comments regarding doubtful records in the study area (S. filidigitus Armstrong, 1949, S. longicarpus (Herrick, 1891), S. paraneptunus Coutière, 1909, and S. rathbunae Coutière, 1909) are also provided. Taking into account the exclusion of the doubtful records, our data increases from 27 to 29, and from 29 to 31 species, recorded in the study area and along the Brazilian coast, respectively.

**Review of the genus Sperchon Kramer, 1877 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Sperchontidae) from Russia**

VASILIY B. KOLESNIKOV — 2025-07-25

A total of 33 species of the genus Sperchon (Sperchontidae) have been recorded from Russia, of which 18 species are endemic to Russia. A comprehensive checklist of Sperchon species from Russia is presented, including two species new to science: Sperchon (Sperchon) zhavoronkovae sp. nov. and S. (S.) uralensis sp. nov. from Western Siberia. Descriptions of these two new species and a redescription of Sperchon (Hispidosperchon) setiger from Russia are provided in this study, as well as an identification key to all Sperchon species from Russia.

**Flying in the canopy: taxonomic and ecological analysis with geometric morphometrics and distributional notes on Athis delecta and Athis jaliscana (Lepidoptera: Castniidae)**

JOSÉ DE JESÚS GARCÍA-DÍAZ — 2025-07-25

Athis Hübner, [1819] is the most diverse genus of diurnal moths of the family Castniidae distributed in America. Little is known about the biology and distribution of most species. Based on an exhaustive review of entomological collections and field work, we provide information on the ecology, behavior, distribution and variability of two rare and little-known species: A. delecta (Schaus, 1911) and A. jaliscana López-Godínez & Porion, 2012. We also illustrate for the first time the wing venation and male genitalia for both species. Athis delecta is reported for the first time in the Mexican state of Puebla. Findings in the field suggest that these two species have an atypical average flight height for Castniidae, being recorded between four and ten meters above the ground. Furthermore, since previous comparisons between Athis delecta and A. jaliscana were based solely on wing pattern, we conducted a geometric morphometric analysis to evaluate and illustrate potential differences in wing shape between males of both species. The present work expands the knowledge about the biology of the family and demonstrates that geometric morphometrics is an appropriate tool for future taxonomic studies of Castniidae.

**On some species of the genus Olophrum Erichson, 1839 (Coleoptera: Omaliinae) of the Eastern Palaearctic region**

ALEXEY V. SHAVRIN — 2025-07-25

Taxonomic and faunistic data for six species of the genus Olophrum Erichson, 1839 from China, Japan and Nepal are presented. Three species are redescribed and illustrated: O. mutatum Scheerpeltz, 1929 (China, Japan, South Korea), O. scheerpeltzi Bernhauer, 1938 (China: Fujian), and O. simplex Sharp, 1874 (Japan). Three new synonymies are proposed: O. consimile (Gyllenhal, 1810) = O. yasudai Watanabe, 1990 syn. nov., O. simplex = O. japonicum Scheerpeltz, 1929 syn. nov. = O. kawasei Hayashi, 2020 syn. nov. Lectotypes for O. simplex and O. vicinum are designated. The habitus and the aedeagus of O. vicinum are illustrated. Olophrum simplex is recorded from Hokkaido, and O. mutatum from China for the first time.

**Two new species of the genus Tmarus Simon, 1875 (Araneae: Thomisidae) from China**

YU-CHEN ZHOU — 2025-07-25

Two new species of the genus Tmarus Simon, 1875 are described and named as T. yueluensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and T. rostratus sp. nov. (♂♀) from Hunan Province. Detailed description, photographs of somatic features and copulatory organs, as well as a distribution map are provided. Nucleotide data for the barcoding gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of T. yueluensis. sp. nov. (♂♀) are provided.

**The first immature snail-eating soft-bodied click beetle (Elateridae: Agrypninae: Drilini) from the Oriental realm: A putative larva of Selasia Laporte from India**

HARSHAD PAREKAR — 2025-07-25

Larvae of the soft-bodied click-beetle tribe Drilini are obligatory predators of land snails. Larval stages are known only for several species from the West Palaearctic region and two species from the tropical Africa. In this study, for the first time we describe and illustrate the active larva of Drilini from the Oriental realm based on a single specimen from the western India. It is putatively identified as Selasia sp. as this is the only genus of Drilini known from the Indian subcontinent. We compare the Indian larva with other known active larvae of Drilini and add Tanychlamys sp. (Helicarionoidea: Ariophantidae) to the list of prey for the Drilini larvae. We would like to use this opportunity to encourage colleagues to share with us data on Drilini larvae and their prey from India to better understand their predator-prey interactions.

**Description of a new genus, Septsigilla gen. nov., with two new species from China (Araneae: Miturgidae: Systariinae)**

HAIBIN ZHANG — 2025-07-25

A new genus of the miturgid subfamily Systariinae Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 is described from China: Septsigilla Zhang & Zhang gen. nov. Two new species are assigned to the genus: S. tongbiguan Zhang & Zhang sp. nov. (♂♀; type species) from Yunnan, and S. zhongi Zhang & Zhang sp. nov. (♂♀) from Xizang.

**A new cryptic Phyllodonta Warren (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from Mexico City with documentation of its life history**

IVONNE J. GARZÓN-ORDUÑA — 2025-07-25

A new species of Phyllodonta is described and illustrated from Mexico: P. coztomatlivora sp. nov. The new species is superficially indistinguishable from others in the so-called latrata species group, from which three other cryptic species from Costa Rica were recently described. However, it differs from them in features of the female genitalia, caterpillar morphology, larval food plant choice and DNA barcode. The new entity may be restricted to high elevations of the Trans Mexican Volcanic Belt; in Mexico City, the species is found inside a protected natural area which should warrant some level of conservation.

**A new species of the genus Orthopelma (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthopelmatinae) from China**

CHUAN-XI ZHANG — 2025-07-25

This study describes Orthopelma chinensis sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthopelmatinae), a new species of Orthopelmatinae reported from China, which parasitizes cynipid gall wasps (Cynipidae). The larval stage overwinters within host galls. Phylogenetic relationships between the new species and O. brevicornis Morley and O. mediator (Kusigemati) were inferred using partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. A taxonomic key to East Asian Orthopelma species is provided to facilitate identification.