[Entomology • 2025] Malaxa chongzuoensis & M. longispina • Two New Species of the Genus Malaxa Melichar, 1914 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae) from China

 

 Malaxa chongzuoensis Lv & Chen, 

in Lv, Li, Yang, Zhang et Chen, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1229.143177 

Abstract

Two new species of the genus Malaxa Melichar, 1914 from Southwest China, M. chongzuoensis Lv & Chen, sp. nov. from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and M. longispina Lv & Chen, sp. nov. from Guangdong Province, are described and illustrated. These bring the total number of species in the genus to 13, with nine recorded from China. A checklist and map of all known species of Malaxa are provided, together with an identification key for Chinese species.

Key words: Bamboo host, checklist, Fulgoromorpha, identification key, Oriental region, planthopper, taxonomy, Tropidocephalini

 Malaxa chongzuoensis Lv & Chen, sp. nov., male 2 habitus, dorsal view 3 habitus, lateral view
 Malaxa longispina Lv & Chen, sp. nov., male 4 habitus, dorsal view 5 habitus, lateral view.

Scale bars: 0.5 mm (2–5).

 Malaxa chongzuoensis Lv & Chen, sp. nov.

Etymology. The new species is named after the city in which it was collected (Chongzuo) with the Latin adjectival suffix ‘-ensis’ meaning ‘from’.

Adult of Malaxa chongzuoensis Lv & Chen, sp. nov. resting on the leaf of Indocalamus tessellatus (Munro) P. C. Keng (Poales: Poaceae: Bambusoideae).

Photographed by Xiang-Sheng Chen.

 Malaxa longispina Lv & Chen, sp. nov.

Etymology. The species name is a combination of the Latin word “long-” and “spina” (with the connecting letter “i”, i.e., “long spine”), referring to the ventral margin of the aedeagus with a long spinous process medially. The name is intended to be feminine.

Sha-Sha Lv, Hong-Xing Li, Lin Yang, Yu-Bo Zhang and Xiang-Sheng Chen. 2025. Two New Species of the Genus Malaxa Melichar, 1914 from China (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Delphacidae, Tropidocephalini). ZooKeys. 1229: 275-287. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1229.143177 

[Herpetology • 2024] Rhacophorus dulongensis • Hidden in the Bamboo: A New Parachuting Frog (Anura: Rhacophoridae: Rhacophorus) from the borderlands of western China, with Comments on the Taxonomy of R. rhodopus

Rhacophorus dulongensis Chen, Lee & Yuan,

in Lee, B. Liu, Ouyang, Ai, X.-L. Liu, He, Huang, Li, Naveen, Yuan et Chen, 2024. 

 Dulongjiang Tree Frog  |  独龙江树蛙  ||  DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.120224

Abstract

The Gaoligong Mountains are characterized by large variations in elevation and topography, which support high levels of biodiversity and endemism that remain largely understudied. Herein, based on the integration of morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstruction, we describe a new species of Rhacophorus from the northern Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan Province, China. The new species, Rhacophorus dulongensis sp. nov., is morphologically distinguishable from its congeners based on the differences in body size, head length, tibia length, snout and tongue shape, toe webbing formula and coloration, ventral skin texture and coloration, dorsal pattern and coloration, body macroglands, iris coloration, and pattern of markings on flanks. Phylogenetically, it differs from its congeners by uncorrected p-distances of >4.8% for the 16S rRNA gene fragment. Rhacophorus dulongensis sp. nov. is likely to be found in Myanmar, considering its type locality lies close to the China-Myanmar border. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the “widespread” species, R. rhodopus, is a species complex and a composite of five distinct lineages. The results revealed that R. napoensis is also found in Vietnam, making it a new country record for Vietnam. Interestingly, R. dulongensis sp. nov. likely breeds in bamboo, a hidden behavioral characteristic that makes them easy to overlook. Given the ongoing habitat loss and degradation in the region, further biological exploration is urgently needed in the Gaoligong Mountains as a biodiversity reservoir.

Key Words: Biodiversity hotspot, frog, Gaoligong Mountains, new record species, new species, systematics

Holotype of Rhacophorus dulongensis sp. nov. (ANU010645) in life.
A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Dorso-lateral view; D. Ventral surface of the thigh and the cloacal region; E. Plantar view of the left foot; F. Thenar view of the right hand. The blue arrow in D points to large black warts.

Photos by Renda Ai.

 Rhacophorus dulongensis Chen, Lee & Yuan, sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis: Rhacophorus dulongensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of morphological characters: (1) body size small (SVL 31.7 mm in male; 35.3 mm in female); (2) head length longer than head width; (3) tibia length shorter than half of snout-vent length; (4) third finger disk smaller in diameter than tympanum; (5) snout pointed without a distinct bulge; (6) the tibiotarsal articulation reaches the eye when hindlimb is stretched along the side of the body; (7) dorsal surface of body uniformly green, and dorsal surface of limbs brown with irregular green patches; (8) belly mostly yellowish, rough, and granular (9) large black warts present on ventral surface of thigh near vent; (10) webs between toes red and webbing formula on toes: I10-12/3II1--21/2III1+-21/3IV21/3-11/3V; (11) black spots at axillary region absent; (12) vomerine teeth weakly developed; (13) iris darkgoldenrod; (14) maxillary teeth distinct; (15) tongue notably notched posteriorly.

Etymology: The specific epithet “dulongensis” is given as a noun in apposition and refers to the name of the Dulongjiang Village, where the new species occurs. We suggest the English common name “Dulongjiang tree frog” and the Chinese common name “独龙江树蛙” (dú lóng jiāng shù wā).

Habitat of Rhacophorus dulongensis sp. nov. at the type locality in Dulongjiang Village, Yunnan Province, China. B, C. show the native bamboo species, Cephalostachyum virulentum, where the new species inhabits.

Photos by Ying-Chun Li.

 

Ping-Shin Lee, Ben Liu, Meng Ouyang, Ren-Da Ai, Xiao-Long Liu, Yan-Hong He, Ping-Qian Huang, Ying-Chun Li, R. S. Naveen, Zhi-Yong Yuan and Jin-Min Chen. 2024. Hidden in the Bamboo: A New Parachuting Frog (Rhacophoridae, Rhacophorus) from the borderlands of western China, with Comments on the Taxonomy of R. rhodopus. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 100(3): 851-862. DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.120224

[Entomology • 2023] Subniganda bambusoides • A New Species of the Genus Subniganda Kiriakoff, 1962 (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) from India and Nepal

 

 Subniganda bambusoides Mazumder & Schintlmeister, 

in Mazumder, Schintlmeister, Irungbam & Chandra, 2023. 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5343.4.3  

 Researchgate.net/publication/373830644

 

Abstract

The present paper describes a new species of Notodontidae Subniganda bambusoides Mazumder & Schintlmeister sp. nov. from the Himalayan and northeastern landscapes of India and Nepal. It also provides a comparative diagnosis with its congeners S. tristan (Schintlmeister, 1997) and S. isolde (Schintlmeister, 1997) along with detailed morphological and genitalic illustrations.

Keywords: Lepidoptera, biodiversity, Heterocera, Himalayas, Northeast India, Oriental region, taxonomy

 Subniganda bambusoides Mazumder & Schintlmeister sp. nov.

 Habitats of the collection localities of Subniganda bambusoides sp. nov. in India:
 A-B: Type Locality in Tiger Hill of Darjeeling district, West Bengal; C-D: Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh; E-F: Shirui Hills, Manipur.

 Arna Mazumder, Alexander Schintlmeister, Jatishwor Singh Irungbam and Kailash Chandra. 2023. A New Species of the Genus Subniganda Kiriakoff, 1962 (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) from India and Nepal. Zootaxa. 5343(4); 353-363. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5343.4.3

   Researchgate.net/publication/373830644_A_new_species_of_Subniganda_from_India_and_Nepal

   

[Botany • 2023] Bambusa lituiformis (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) • A New Species and A New Record of Bambusa from Thailand

 Bambusa lituiformis  W.Arthan, Teerawat. & Sungkaew, 

in Arthan, Ohrnberger, Sungkaew, Phosi, Teerawatananon et Janloy. 2023. 

 ไผ่กนก  ||  DOI: 10.1007/s12225-023-10137-5 

Researchgate.net/publication/374841921

 

Summary

Thailand is situated in the region of high Bambusa biodiversity which extends from southern China to the Indochinese Peninsula. However, our understanding of Bambusa diversity and biogeography in this region remains incomplete, due to the lack of both local expertise and diagnostic characters on specimens, especially reproductive parts, which are relatively rare occurrences in the wild. Ongoing botanical surveys and flora projects in this region have led to the discovery of new Bambusa species in recent years. Here, a new species, B. lituiformis, and the first record from Thailand of B. nghiana, a Vietnamese species, are reported. The new species and record are described and illustrated from complete collections, using both vegetative and reproductive parts.

 

Key Words: Bamboo, Bambuseae, Bueng Kan, Gramineae, Indochinese Peninsula, southeast Asia, taxonomy.

Bambusa lituiformis.
A – D shoots from non-flowering clump, showing variation in indumentum of culm leaves; E flowering branch, showing pseudospikelets with purple stamens; F leafy branches, showing glaucous abaxial leaf surface; G habit, showing drooping culm tips; H shoot from flowering clump, showing hairs on abaxial surface of the culm leaf sheath; J culm leaf, showing bristly curve-shaped auricle contiguous with the base of the blade.

Photos: A. Teerawatananon.

Bambusa lituiformis W.Arthan, Teerawat. & Sungkaew sp. nov.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is derived from two Latin words ‘litui’ (singular ‘lituus’) and ‘formis’. The former refers to the curved trumpet or curved wand of an augur (priest), and the latter is from “forme” meaning having the shape of (Lewis & Short 1879). The term ‘lituiformis’, therefore, refers to the curvature of the culm blade auricles, which is a key diagnostic character of this species.

VERNACULAR NAME. Pai Kanok (ไผ่กนก) (suggested here), alternative spelling “Kranok” (Pai Kranok ไผ่กระหนก). The vernacular name refers to its distinctively curved oral setae (Figs 1B & 2J). “Kanok” is a traditional Thai pattern, derived from two geometric forms, curves and triangles, themselves derived from the shape of the lotus (Nakapan et al. 2017).

Watchara Arthan, Dieter Ohrnberger, Sarawood Sungkaew, Saranporn Phosi, Atchara Teerawatananon and Arnupap Janloy. 2023. A New Species and A New Record of Bambusa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Thailand. Kew Bulletin. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-023-10137-5

 Researchgate.net/publication/374841921_A_new_species_of_Bambusa_from_Thailand

[Entomology • 2023] Atherigona culicivora • A New Species of Bamboo Shoot-fly (Diptera: Muscidae) feeding on Mosquito Larvae

 

Atherigona culicivora, new species.
28, larval habitat: A stump of a young bamboo shoot of Gigantochloa scortechinii in Peninsular Malaysia with A. culicivora females and other flies breeding in the shoots, such as Tipulidae and Drosophilidae;
 29, a gravid A. culicivora female, feeding on the wall of a cut bamboo shoot, photographed in the field;
30, two larvae floating in the water, the black posterior spiracles are attached to the water surface, note mosquito larvae of different sizes; 31, larva feeding on a mosquito larva;
32, eggs deposited on the wet bamboo shoot sheath; 33, larva pupariating on the bamboo wall above the water surface, note the foam surrounding the anterior part of the body; 34, three puparia attached to the bamboo wall.

Kovac, Pont &  Deeming, 2023.

 RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71:

Abstract

 The male, female, egg, third instar larva, and puparium of Atherigona (Acritochaeta) culicivora, new species, are described from Peninsular Malaysia and northern Thailand. The saprophagous larvae of A. culicivora develop in water-filled stumps of freshly cut young bamboo shoots. They are subaquatic facultative predators of mosquito larvae, which is unique in the otherwise terrestrial genus Atherigona Rondani. Eggs are laid on the wet bamboo wall above the water surface. The larvae float upside down in the water, with their posterior spiracles attached to the water surface. When mosquito larvae approach, they quickly grab them and wrap themselves around the prey. Mature larvae crawl ashore and secrete a protective foam during pupariation. The development of A. culicivora from egg to adult takes only 13–14 days, which is an adaptation to the ephemeral nature of decaying bamboo shoots. Feeding on mosquito larvae may provide additional or complementary nutrients that could, for example, accelerate the rate of development of A. culicivora. The transition of A. culicivora from a terrestrial to an aquatic lifestyle was probably facilitated by the lack of aquatic predators in its habitat.

 Key words. life cycle, aquatic lifestyle, facultative predator, Culicidae, bamboo phytotelmata

Atherigona culicivora, new species:
 1, holotype male, lateral view, body length ca. 6 mm; 2, holotype male, dorsal view; 3, two males, lateral view, showing terminalia (Malaysia, Pahang state, Genting Highlands, 3.381°N 101.779°E, at 800 m, 1 to 7 December 2019; photos: E. Makovetskaya and N. Vikhrev).

Atherigona (Acritochaeta) culicivora, new species

Diagnosis. A large species of the subgenus Acritochaeta Grimshaw (Figs. 1–3), with shining fronto-orbital plates, mid femur with 2 posterior preapical setae, and hind femur without a dorsal preapical seta. Males are easily recognised by secondary sexual characters: wing-tip with a dark cloud (Fig. 7) and fore tarsomere 5 flattened and modified in structure and bristling (Fig. 6).

Etymology. The name of the species is derived from the Latin ‘culex’ (midge) and ‘vorare’ (to devour), and refers to the feeding habits of the larvae. 

Atherigona culicivora, new species. Habitat and life stages:
28, larval habitat: A stump of a young bamboo shoot of Gigantochloa scortechinii in Peninsular Malaysia with A. culicivora females and other flies breeding in the shoots, such as Tipulidae and Drosophilidae; 29, a gravid A. culicivora female, feeding on the wall of a cut bamboo shoot, photographed in the field;
30, two larvae floating in the water, the black posterior spiracles are attached to the water surface, note mosquito larvae of different sizes; 31, larva feeding on a mosquito larva;
32, eggs deposited on the wet bamboo shoot sheath; 33, larva pupariating on the bamboo wall above the water surface, note the foam surrounding the anterior part of the body; 34, three puparia attached to the bamboo wall.

Damir Kovac, Adrian C. Pont and John C. Deeming. 2023. Atherigona culicivora, New Species (Insecta: Diptera: Muscidae), A Bamboo Shoot-fly feeding on Mosquito Larvae. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 71: 583–595.

[Herpetology • 2023] Hynobius bambusicolus • An Isolated and Deeply Divergent Hynobius Species (Caudata: Hynobiidae) from Fujian, China

Hynobius bambusicolus  Wang, Othman, Qiu & Borzée, 

in Wang, Othman, Qiu, Lu, Prasad, Dong, Lu et Borzée, 2023.

虚竹小鲵  ||  DOI: 10.3390/ani13101661 

 AmaelBorzee.com

Abstract

It is important to describe lineages before they go extinct, as we can only protect what we know. This is especially important in the case of microendemic species likely to be relict populations, such as Hynobius salamanders in southern China. Here, we unexpectedly sampled Hynobius individuals in Fujian province, China, and then worked on determining their taxonomic status. We describe Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. based on molecular and morphological data. The lineage is deeply divergent and clusters with the other southern Chinese Hynobius species based on the concatenated mtDNA gene fragments (>1500 bp), being the sister group to H. amjiensis based on the COI gene fragment, despite their geographic distance. In terms of morphology, the species can be identified through discrete characters enabling identification in the field by eye, an unusual convenience in Hynobius species. In addition, we noted some interesting life history traits in the species, such as vocalization and cannibalism. The species is likely to be incredibly rare, over a massively restricted distribution, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered following several lines of criteria and categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Keywords: Hynobidae; species description; bamboo forest

Natural habitat and oviposition site for Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov.
The site is in Quxi village, Liancheng county, People’s Republic of China.

Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. Wang, Othman, Qiu and Borzée

Identity, diagnosis, and distribution:  To date, the species is known from its type locality only, Quxi village, Liancheng county (Figure 5). Larvae are typical of Hynobius larvae in shape and color and do not differ from other Hynobius species in the region in their development (Figure 10). The embryos develop in egg sacs (Figure 10A), larvae first swimming freely with balancers (Figure 10B; shown at day 16), then develop non-functional hind limbs (Figure 10C; shown at day 69), which slowly become functional (Figure 10D,E; shown at day 74 and 77), and the gills regress before metamorphosis (Figure 10F; shown at day 84). Juveniles are brown, darkening with age, with a large variation in blue speckles on their dorsum, which disappears as they age (Figure 9). Adults of the species are uniform dark chocolate, with light grey and bluish speckles on the venter (Figure 11). Identification is best assessed based on location, although discrete morphological characters include the combination of 10 or fewer costal grooves with a total length > 180 mm (Figure 6). To facilitate the identification and further study, the OBJ file of this model can be downloaded (Supplementary File S1). The visual representation of the model is provided in Appendix A (Figure A1).

Etymology: The species was first found in Quxi village, Liancheng county, in the west of Fujian province in China. The name H. bambusicolus sp. nov. comes from the habitat of the holotype and the only known habitat type for the species: bamboo forests. 

The vernacular name of the species, Fujian Bamboo Salamander, reflects the scientific name of the species, as does its Chinese name: 虚竹小鲵 (pronounced: Xū Zhú Xiǎo Ní). This salamander is named after a main character from Jin Yong’s swordsman fiction “The semi gods and semi devils”, with Xuzhu (虚竹) as the main character and where “虚” [xū] means humble, and “竹” [zhú] means bamboo. This character, Xuzhu, was an unknown Shaolin monk, but he inherited the powers of the leader of the Carefree by coincidence and started its legendary journey.

กิมย้ง: แปดเทพอสูรมังกรฟ้า - 天龙八部 - Semi-Gods and Semi-Devils 

(พ.ศ. 2506-2509)

 

 Zhenqi Wang, Siti N. Othman, Zhixin Qiu, Yiqiu Lu, Vishal Kumar Prasad, Yuran Dong, Chang-Hu Lu and Amaël Borzée. 2023. An Isolated and Deeply Divergent Hynobius Species from Fujian, China. Animals. 13(10); 1661. DOI: 10.3390/ani13101661

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation)

 

New salamander species from Southern China! 中国南方小鲵新种

  AmaelBorzee.com/2023/05/19/new-salamander-species-from-southern-china

 

Simple Summary: What does not have a name is difficult to understand and protect. Upon the unexpected discovery of an Hynobius salamander in Fujian province, China, we worked on understanding its relationship with other species and ultimately describing it. Please welcome the Fujian Bamboo Salamander to science, a segregated species based on genetics and morphology. While it is related to other southern mainland Chinese species, it may have diverged earlier and share some similarities with morphology and behavior with the Anji salamander. The Fujian Bamboo Salamander is special as it produces vocalization when under threat. The species is, however, incredibly rare, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

[Botany • 2022] Chusquea kochii • A New Species of Chusquea sect. Serpentes (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Chusqueinae) endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico

 Chusquea kochii   

in Ruiz-Sanchez, Mejia-Saulés & Clark, 2022. 

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.542.2.7  

 twitter.com/ruizlalo

 

Abstract

The most speciose bamboo genus worldwide is Chusquea with 195 described species, 24 of which occur in Mexico. Chusquea is classified into five subgenera, with two of them present in Mexico. Chusquea subg. Chusquea is classified into six sections, of which Chusquea sect. Serpentes has eight described species; one of them is present in Mexico. Forty-three years ago, S.D. Koch and P.A. Fryxell collected a vegetative Chusquea species from Suchixtepec, Oaxaca in the Sierra Madre del Sur with a circular central bud and the infravaginal branching pattern. The same unknown species was collected in 1993 by L.G. Clark, and again by E. Ruiz-Sanchez & L. Cervantes in 2013. Based on these collections and a morphological analysis, here we describe a new Chusquea species, C. kochii, in honor of the late agrostologist S.D. Koch. This species most closely resembles C. glauca. Here we present a geographical distribution map, illustrations, photographs, and a morphological comparison with C. glauca. Chusquea increases to a total of 196 described species, 25 of them present in Mexico, and sect. Serpentes now has nine species, two of them distributed in Mexico. The number of woody bamboo species native to Mexico increases to 58, with 41 of them, including C. kochii, endemic to Mexico.

Keywords: Monocots, Cloud forest, Chusquea subg. Chusquea, Sierra Madre del Sur, woody bamboos

 Chusquea kochii

Eduardo Ruiz-Sanchez, Ma. Teresa Mejia-Saulés and Lynn G. Clark. 2022. A New Species of Chusquea sect. Serpentes (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Chusqueinae) endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico. Phytotaxa. 542(2); 199–206. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.542.2.7 [2022-04-05]

  twitter.com/SocBotMex/status/1511149656646066180

  twitter.com/ruizlalo/status/1511145264874205184

[Botany • 2019] A Preliminary Revision of Chusquea sect. Swallenochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae) in Peru including the Description of Two New Species and the Resurrection of Two Other Species

in Fadrique, Pianissola, Feeley & Clark, 2019. 

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.418.2.3

 twitter.com/Belen_Fadrique 

Abstract

Bamboos of the Neotropical Chusquea subg. Swallenochloa are characteristic of high elevation grasslands from Mexico to Argentina and in Brazil, with a few species occurring in montane or other forests. The central Andean diversity of subg. Swallenochloa remains poorly studied, but recent field work revealed the existence of additional species diversity within sect. Swallenochloa of subg. Swallenochloa in Peru. We here present a preliminary revision of the eight named species of sect. Swallenochloa for Peru, including the description of two new endemic species, C. gamarrae and C. intipaqariy, and the resurrection of two other endemic species, C. simplicissima and C. weberbaueri, which were previously treated as synonyms of C. spicata, apparently another Peruvian endemic. This revision includes detailed descriptions (or re-descriptions) of the eight species of sect. Swallenochloa confirmed for Peru, morphological keys for their identification (vegetative vs. reproductive and vegetative), photographic images showing diagnostic features for all eight species, comparative tables and a distribution map. Previous identifications of some specimens are also discussed and, in some cases, modified, and a list of Incertae Sedis specimens from Peru with comments is included. A second-step lectotypification of the name C. weberbaueri is also proposed. The second collection of C. simplicissima, made 111 years after the type collection, is newly documented in this study. Two other species, C. smithii and C. weberbaueri, remain known only from their type collections, and the two newly described species are known from only a single population each, highlighting the need for additional field work and herbarium study of this ecologically important group.

Keywords: Andes, Chusqueinae, montane forests, paramo, puna, Monocots

Belén Fadrique, Evandro Machado Pianissola, Kenneth J. Feeley and Lynn G. Clark. 2019. A Preliminary Revision of Chusquea sect. Swallenochloa (Bambuseae, Bambusoideae, Poaceae) in Peru including the Description of Two New Species and the Resurrection of Two Other Species. Phytotaxa. 418(2); 171–194. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.418.2.3

 twitter.com/Belen_Fadrique/status/1176502200211656704

 twitter.com/KJFeeley/status/1176571089620746242

[Arachnida • 2022] Taksinus bambus • A New Genus of Bamboo Culm Tarantula (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) from Thailand

Taksinus bambus 

Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, 2022

บึ้งปล้องไผ่พระเจ้าตากสิน || DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1080.76876

 facebook.com/ChaowalitSongsangchote

Abstract

Bamboo plays an important role in the animal world, including providing a nutritious food source, shelter, and habitat. Inside of bamboo culm, we discovered a new genus of tarantula, which we describe here as Taksinus gen. nov. (♂♀). Specimens of this new tarantula were collected from Mae Tho, Mueang Tak district, Tak province, in Thailand, making it geographically distant from any other arboreal genera. Genital morphology was used to diagnose its genus, which is supported by distributional data, natural history, morphological characters, and photographic illustrations of the male and female. Diagnosis of the new genus was determined by distinguishing its different characters from those of other arboreal theraphosid spiders distributed throughout Southeast Asia. This tarantula’s specialization is that it lives in the stalks of the Asian bamboo Gigantochloa sp.

Keywords: Arboreal theraphosid, Lampropelma, Melognathus, Omothymus, Phormingochilus, Taksinus

Taxonomy: 

Mygalomorphae Pocock, 1892

Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869

Ornithoctoninae Pocock, 1895

Included genera: Citharognathus, Cyriopagopus, Lampropelma, Melognathus, Ornithoctonus, Phormingochilus, Taksinus gen. nov.

 Taksinus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, gen. nov.

 

Type species: Taksinus bambus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, 2021

 from Tak, Thailand.

Diagnosis: The characteristics of Taksinus gen. nov. that differ from Ornithoctonus and Cyriopagopus are: a low caput, a clypeus that is less than the width of the median ocular quadrangle (Fig. 6A), and spermathecae with twin seminal receptacles (Fig. 7E, F) (Raven 1985; von Wirth and Striffler 2005; Smith and Jacobi 2015). The new genus differs from Citharognathus by the lack of incrassate tibia and metatarsus IV. Taksinus gen. nov. differs from Lampropelma by the absence of a dense brush of hair on the retrolateral side of the femora of the front limbs (von Wirth and Striffler 2005) and males by lack of apical embolus swelling (Fig. 5A–E; see Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 143, figs 17, 18). Taksinus gen. nov. can be distinguished from Omothymus by male palpal bulb with a gently curved embolus with rounded embolic apex (Fig. 5A–E) vs palpal bulb steep angle embolus and apex with a sharp point in Omothymus (Fig. 5F–J; see Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 139, figs 1–5). Taksinus gen. nov. differs from Phormingochilus by the lack of a single megaspine on the inside of the male tibial apophyses (Fig. 4A, B; see Smith and Jacobi 2015: 41, fig. 38; Gabriel and Sherwood 2019: 142, figs 14–16), a short embolus compared to palpal bulb length (1:1) (Fig. 5A–E), and the geographic distribution of Phormingochilus currently restricted to Borneo.

Etymology: The generic name was named Phraya Tak (governor of Tak province), which is in honor of Taksin the Great, king of the Thonburi Kingdom, in commemoration of his early career.

Taksinus bambus sp. nov. paratype ♀, TAK2 A dorsal view

Taksinus bambus sp. nov. paratype ♀, TAK2
 habitat in bamboo culm.

Taksinus bambus sp. nov. from Tak province, Thailand
A biotope, bamboo forests in mountainous slope areas B tarantula habitat in bamboo culm with entrance hole (below) and secondary entrance (upper)
 C, D tarantula in bamboo culm
 E tarantula building silk tube retreats on the cover culm F paratype ♀, TAK3 T. bambus alive.

 Taksinus bambus Songsangchote, Sippawat, Khaikaew & Chomphuphuang, sp. nov.

Etymology: The species name bambus refers to the species, which was discovered in a bamboo plantation and lives in Asian bamboo stalks. บึ้งปล้องไผ่พระเจ้าตากสิน 

Distribution and natural history: 

Specimens were collected from villages surrounding Tak province at approximately 1,000 m elevation. The biotope consists of a mixed deciduous forest dominated by bamboo that is rarely disturbed by human activity (Fig. 8A). The new arboreal tarantula shows a surprising specialization in that it lives in the stalks of Asian bamboo (Gigantochloa sp.) (Fig. 8B–E). All specimens were collected from bamboo internodes in mature culms, having nest entrances approximately 2–3 cm within a silk-lined tubular burrow at the entrance located in the branch stub or at the middle of the bamboo culms. Some specimens had a secondary entrance without silk at the hole (Fig. 8B). Tarantulas do not bore bamboo stems; instead, they depend on the assistance of other animals. Bamboo is attacked by numerous animals, the most common of which are insects from the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera (Varma and Sajeev 2015). Furthermore, we hypothesized that the tarantula might occupy the empty nest of insects, such as the bamboo-nesting carpenter bee Xylocopa, which creates a large hole. All the tarantulas living in the bamboo culms build silken retreat tubes that cover the stem cavity (Fig. 8C–E).

Chaowalit Songsangchote, Zongtum Sippawat, Wuttikrai Khaikaew and Narin Chomphuphuang. 2022. A New Genus of Bamboo Culm Tarantula from Thailand (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae). ZooKeys. 1080: 1-19. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1080.76876

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[Entomology • 2020] Neobelocera biprocessa & N. russa • Two New Species of the Bamboo-feeding Planthopper Genus Neobelocera Ding & Yang, 1986 (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Delphacidae) from China

Neobelocera russa

 Li, Yang & Chen, 2020. 

  DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.641

Abstract

Two new species of the bamboo-feeding genus Neobelocera Ding & Yang, 1986, Neobelocera biprocessa sp. nov. and N. russa sp. nov., are described and illustrated from southwest China (Hainan and Guizhou), giving the genus nine species in total. A key is provided to separate all species.

Keywords: Fulgoromorpha; morphology; oriental region; taxonomy

Order Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758

Infraorder Fulgoromorpha Evans, 1946

Family Delphacidae Leach, 1815

Subfamily Delphacinae Muir, 1915

Tribe Tropidocephalini Muir, 1915

Genus Neobelocera Ding & Yang, 1986

Type species: Neobelocera asymmetrica Ding & Yang, 1986

 (original designation)

Neobelocera lanpingensis Chen, 2003 

Neobelocera biprocessa sp. nov.

Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the Latin words ‘bi-’ and ‘process’, referring to the inner margin of genital styles with two processes.

Neobelocera russa sp. nov. 

Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the Latin word ‘russa’, referring to the body with rust color. 

Hong-Xing Li, Lin Yang and Xiang-Sheng Chen. 2020. Two New Species of the Bamboo-feeding Planthopper Genus Neobelocera Ding & Yang, 1986 from China (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Delphacidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 641; 1–14. DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.641

[Entomology • 2018] Review of the Bamboo-feeding Genus Agrica Strand (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), with Description of Two New Species from China

Agrica bisubula

 Luo, Yang & Chen, 2018

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4418.1.4 

Abstract

The bamboo-feeding leafhopper genus Agrica Strand (Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) is reviewed. Two new species, Agrica bisubula sp. nov. and A. longispina sp. nov. from China (Guizhou), are described and illustrated. The male genitalia of A. arisana (Matsumura, 1914) are described for the first time. A key is provided to distinguish known species of the genus.

Keywords: leafhopper, morphology, taxonomy, distribution, Hemiptera

Qiang Luo, Lin Yang and Xiang-Sheng Chen. 2018. Review of the Bamboo-feeding Genus Agrica Strand (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae), with Description of Two New Species from China. Zootaxa. 4418(1); 75–84.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4418.1.4

[Entomology • 2019] Revision of the Bamboo Leafhopper Tribe Mukariini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian Subcontinent with Description of New Genera and Species

Buloria indica Viraktamath & Webb, 2019

 DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4547.1.1

Abstract

Leafhopper genera and species of the tribe Mukariini from the Indian subcontinent are revised. Nine genera and 22 species including two new genera, one new subgenus and 12 new species are dealt with. The new taxa described are Aalinga gen. nov. with its type species Aalinga brunoflava sp. nov. (India: Andaman Islands), Buloria indica sp. nov. (India: Karnataka). Buloria zeylanica sp. nov. (Sri Lanka), Flatfronta bella sp. nov. (India: Karnataka; Bangladesh), Mohunia bifurcata sp. nov. (Myanmar), Mukaria omani sp. nov. (India: Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh), Mukaria vakra sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), Mukariella gen. nov. with its type species Mukariella daii sp. nov. (India: Manipur), Myittana (Benglebra) cornuta sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), Myittana (Myittana) distincta sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), Myittana (Savasa) subgen. nov. with its type species Myittana (Savasa) constricta sp. nov. (India: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand) and Scaphotettix arcuatus sp. nov. (India: West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram). Genera Buloria Distant (new placement), Crispina Distant (new placement) and Myittana Distant (new placement) are placed in the tribe Mukariini. Genus Mohunia is redefined based on the study of its type species. Benglebra Mahmood & Ahmed 1969 is synonymised with Myittana Distant 1908 and considered as its subgenus. Myittana (Benglebra) alami (Mahmood & Ahmed) comb. nov., Myittana (Savasa) bipunctata (Mahmood & Ahmed) comb. nov.. Myittana (Benglebra) introspina (Chen & Yang 2007) comb. nov. and Mukariella bambusana (Li & Chen) comb. nov. are proposed; the first two species were earlier placed in the genus Benglebra, the third species in the genus Mohunia and the fourth in the genus Mukaria. Genera Flatfronta Chen & Li and Myittana are new records for India and Scaphotettix striata Dai & Zhang is a new record for the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. All taxa dealt with are described and illustrated and keys for genera and their species are also given.

Keywords: Hemiptera, Mukariinae, Buloria, Crispina, Myittana, bamboo, morphology

 C.A. Viraktamath and M.D. Webb. 2019. Revision of the Bamboo Leafhopper Tribe Mukariini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) from the Indian Subcontinent with Description of New Genera and Species. Zootaxa. 4547(1); 1–69. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4547.1.1

[Botany • 2018] Hsuehochloa calcarea (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Arundinarieae) • A New Genus of Temperate Woody Bamboos from A Limestone Montane Area of China

Hsuehochloa calcarea (C. D. Chu & C. S. Chao) D. Z. Li & Y. X. Zhang

in Zhang, Ma & Li, 2018.

  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.109.27566 

Abstract

Ampelocalamus calcareus is a climbing and slender bamboo, known from south Guizhou, China. This species grows in broadleaved forests of limestone montane areas. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that A. calcareus was sister to all other lineages of the tribe Arundinarieae rather than a member of Ampelocalamus. The morphological features and habitats of A. calcareus and related genera including Ampelocalamus, Drepanostachyum and Himalayacalamus were compared and discussed. The characteristics of the branch complements, nodes and foliage leaves distinguish A. calcareus from morphologically similar taxa. On the basis of molecular and morphological evidence, we propose to establish a new genus, Hsuehochloa, to accommodate A. calcareus and to honour the late Chinese bamboo taxonomist Chi-Ju Hsueh (Ji-Ru Xue). In addition, we describe the inflorescence of Hsuehochloa for the first time.

Keywords: Ampelocalamus, climbing bamboos, Hsuehochloa, new genus

Figure 1. Hsuehochloa calcarea.
A, B Habit and habitat C Clump D Young culm with white pubescence E, F Branch complement G Culm sheath H Leaves I Inflorescence J Floret

(A–D, G from P. F. Ma & Z. M. Cai 10050 E, F, H from seedlings introduced from Libo, Guizhou, China I, J from P. F. Ma s.n). Scale bars: 5 cm (A–C); 0.5 cm (D, G); 2 cm (E, F); 1 cm (H, I); 1mm (J).

  

Hsuehochloa D. Z. Li & Y. X. Zhang, gen. nov.

Diagnosis: Hsuehochloa resembles genera Ampelocalamus, Drepanostachyum and Himalayacalamus, but differs from those genera by its thin culms (4–5 mm), fewer branches in each branch complement (1, 3–7), inconspicuous nodal sheath scar, falcate auricles and leathery foliage leaves.

Type: Hsuehochloa calcarea (C. D. Chu & C. S. Chao) D. Z. Li & Y. X. Zhang, comb. nov.

Basionym. Ampelocalamus calcareus C. D. Chu & C. S. Chao, 

1983 Acta Phytotax. Sin. 21: 204–206. 

Type: CHINA, Guizhou, Libo, 500 m, C. D. Chu, C. S. Chao, J. Q. Zhang & K. M. Lan 81018 (holotype, NF!; isotype, PE!)

  

Etymology: Hsuehochloa was named in honour of the late Prof. Chi-Ju Hsueh (Ji-Ru Xue in Pinyin transliteration) (1921–1999), a pioneer Chinese botanist on bamboos of SW China and mentor of the senior author in 1983–1986. Hsueh stands for his family name and chloa means grass.

Distribution and habitat: Endemic to south Guizhou, China, under broadleaved forests in a limestone montane area at 500–950 m altitude.

 Yu-Xiao Zhang, Peng-Fei Ma and De-Zhu Li. 2018. A New Genus of Temperate Woody Bamboos (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Arundinarieae) from A Limestone Montane Area of China. PhytoKeys. 109: 67-76.  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.109.27566