Zootaxa

Three New Species of Deep-Sea Wood-Associated Sea Stars (Asteroidea: Caymanostellidae) from the Eastern Pacific

ZIHUI SHEN — 2024-11-05

Caymanostellidae is a group of rarely collected and morphologically unusual sea stars that have been exclusively encountered on wood falls in the deep sea. There are currently three genera and seven species described, occurring in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans with a depth range between 418 and 6780 m. Three new species are here described from specimens collected from wood falls in multiple localities across the Pacific margin of Costa Rica and near the Gulf of California (Mexico): Caymanostella scrippscognaticausa sp. nov., Caymanostella davidalani sp. nov. and Caymanostella loresae sp. nov. These records expand the known geographical distribution of caymanostellids and constitute their first report from wood falls found at methane seeps. This study also includes the first descriptions of early-stage juvenile caymanostellids and reveals that traits previously considered useful for diagnosis might represent intraspecific and ontogenetic variability, with important consequences for caymanostellid taxonomy.

**Revision of the punctatus species-group of Dissomphalus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae)**

CHIRLEI D. DE BRITO — 2024-11-05

The Neotropical region is known for its high species diversity. Dissomphalus Ashmead exemplifies this phenomenon, being the most speciose genus within Bethylidae, with 34 species-groups and 287 species. Among these groups, punctatus is one of the smallest, comprising only seven species. The objective of this contribution is to conduct a taxonomic study of punctatus species-group in the Neotropical region. Our results are surprising by discovering forty-six species, thirty-nine of which are new to science: D. alexandrinae sp. nov., D. alzirae sp. nov., D. ameliae sp. nov., D. annae sp. nov., D. antonietae sp. nov., D. ashauerae sp. nov., D. beatrizae sp. nov., D. boriae sp. nov., D. carmenae sp. nov., D. carolinae sp. nov., D. dandarae sp. nov., D. deaneae sp. nov., D. elisae sp. nov., D. elzae sp. nov., D. enedinae sp. nov., D. eulaliae sp. nov., D. evaristoae sp. nov., D. grazielae sp. nov., D. guidonae sp. nov., D. jaquelineae sp. nov., D. johannae sp. nov., D. leliae sp. nov., D. limae sp. nov., D. lispectorae sp. nov., D. luisae sp. nov., D. lumae sp. nov., D. lutzae sp. nov., D. margarethae sp. nov., D. martae sp. nov., D. maryae sp. nov., D. meirelesae sp. nov., D. mirandae sp. nov., D. nisiae sp. nov., D. penhae sp. nov., D. ritae sp. nov., D. silveirae sp. nov., D. soniae sp. nov., D. sueliae sp. nov., D. vivianeae sp. nov. which are described and illustrated. The status of Dissomphalus montanus (Kieffer, 1910), stat. resurr. is resurrected from the synonymy of D. punctatus (Kieffer, 1910) seven are previously described: D. acutipupu Colombo & Azevedo, D. bahiensis Redighieri & Azevedo, D. cuca Colombo & Azevedo, D. montanus (Kieffer), D. napo Evans, D. punctatus (Kieffer) and D. tupinikim Colombo & Azevedo. A key to males of all species in this group is provided. Throughout this paper, we demonstrate the diversity found in the genitalia structures of this group and emphasize their importance in the taxonomy of Dissomphalus.

Trichomyia Haliday in Curtis (Diptera: Psychodidae) from southern Brazil: four new species and seven new records

LUCAS ROSSITO — 2024-11-05

The Neotropical region currently has the greatest richness of species in the genus Trichomyia Haliday in Curtis, but many regions, such as southern Brazil, have the fauna poorly explored. Here we describe four new species: Trichomyia brisolai sp. nov., T. aculeata sp. nov., T. marumbi sp. nov. and T. uncata sp. nov. and provide new records for seven brazilian species: T. inermis, T. brasiliensis, T. danieli, T. nocturna, T. riodocensis, T. truncata and T. mineira from the southern region of Brazil.

Dentispicotermes trapezia (Isoptera: Termitidae: Amitermitinae), a new termite species from the Pantanal-Chaco Region of South America

RUDOLF H. SCHEFFRAHN — 2024-11-05

Dentispicotermes trapezia sp. nov. is described from the soldier and worker castes of specimens collected in Pantanal-Chaco Region of Bolivia and Paraguay. The soldiers differ from its five congeners in having a trapezoidal frontal protuberance with in-line marginal teeth. A key to Dentispicotermes soldiers is provided.

Range extension of the Mexican-endemic killifish Profundulus chimalapensis (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae), with comments on its phylogenetic placement and possible intergeneric hybridization with Tlaloc Álvarez & Carranza 1951

JAIRO ARROYAVE — 2024-11-05

Recent ichthyological surveys in southern Mexico resulted in the unexpected discovery of populations of P. chimalapensis outside its distribution range, broadening its extent of occurrence to a total of three river basins (Coatzacoalcos [original], Grijalva, Ostuta) and two versants (Atlantic [original] and Pacific). The taxonomic nature of these populations was further investigated using comparative genetic data in a phylogenetic framework. Our results include the first assessment of the phylogenetic position of P. chimalapensis with respect to other Profundulus species and imply a sister-group relationship with P. oaxacae. Remarkably, our results also imply a close phylogenetic affinity of some P. chimalapensis samples with the genus Tlaloc, which we interpret as possible evidence of intergeneric hybridization, a phenomenon previously unreported in the family. If our interpretation in this regard is correct, it raises several broader evolutionary and taxonomic questions, such as the role that introgressive hybridization might be playing as a driver of speciation in profundulid fishes. From a historical biogeographic perspective, the proposed expanded geographic range could be explained by inter-basin dispersal enabled by recent or historical events (e.g., paleodrainage connections, headwaters stream capture, floodings) in the same fashion as these have been invoked to explain distribution patterns in other Middle American freshwater fishes.

**Six new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China**

XIAOJU ZHU — 2024-11-05

Six new species belonging to the malacobyrsa species group of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick (Autostichidae, Periacminae) are described from China: M. avicapitata sp. nov., M. bitaeniana sp. nov., M. dorsidentata sp. nov., M. hirsuta sp. nov., M. longibursoides sp. nov. and M. spiculata sp. nov. Images of adults and genitalia are provided.

**Revisiting the taxonomy of Pseudotiphia villosa (Fabricius, 1793) and notes on another Pseudotiphia Ashmead, 1903 species (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Tiphiinae)**

M. BONI BARTALUCCI — 2024-11-05

The splitting between Pseudotiphia villosa (Fabricius, 1793) and Pseudotiphia olcesei (Tournier, 1889) is examined with the resulting restoration of the latter as a good species. The synonymy of Tiphia beckeri Tournier, 1889 with Tiphia villosa is proposed together with the new combination of the name Tiphia arenicola Kohl, 1889 under Pseudotiphia and its synonymy with Pseudotiphia caspica Boni Bartalucci, 2010.

**The millipede genus Skleroprotopus Attems, 1901 (Diplopoda, Julida, Mongoliulidae) in China, with description of a new species**

ELENA V. MIKHALJOVA — 2024-11-05

The genus Skleroprotopus Attems, 1901 is represented in China by five species, all keyed and mapped, including Skleroprotopus securifer Mikhaljova sp. nov. Taxonomic and distributional remarks are provided for all of the species.

**A survey of the Sumatran Ctenidae (Araneae). 4. A new species of Acantheis Thorell, 1891 with unique copulatory organs morphology**

ALEXANDER A. FOMICHEV — 2024-11-05

A new species, Acantheis kazantsevae sp. nov., is described from Sumatra Island (Indonesia) on the basis of both sexes. The male of the new species possesses unusual palp with a twisted tegular apophysis having two arms: a large boomerang-shaped anterior one and a posterior one with a deep cavity. Diagnosis, description and illustrations are provided. Systematic placement of the new species within Acantheis Thorell, 1891 is discussed.