[Arachnida • 2022] Nemesia shenlongi • A New Trapdoor Spider Species (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae) from southern Spain that exhibits an as yet unknown Defence Strategy

Nemesia shenlongi 

Pertegal, Sánchez García, Molero-Baltanás & Knapp, 2022 

   ZoologicalBulletin.de

Researchgate.net/publication/363588465

Abstract

 The description of the new trapdoor spider species Nemesia shenlongi sp. n. is provided, together with details of its habitat and burrow structure. The spider uses a round ball made of soil particles and saliva to plug part of its burrow and leave an isolated chamber for protection. The ball differs from all known ‘burrow-blocking structures’ produced by Nemesiidae, for example, Nemesia manderstjernae Koch, 1871, and N. fagei (Frade & Bacelar, 1931), in that it is not packed in silk and is not attached to the burrow wall. The new species is compared with morphologically similar Nemesia spp. as well as with N. fagei. 

Keywords. Ecology, Nemesiidae, phenology, taxonomy, trapdoor spiders, western Mediterranean. 

Nemesia shenlongi sp. n., ♀, paratype (MNCN 20.02/20441).
a. Living specimen. b. Carapace, dorsal. c. Maxillae; labiumand sternum, ventral. d. Spinnerets, ventral. e. Spermathecae, ventral.

 Scale bars: b = 5 mm; c–d = 1 mm; e = 0.5 mm. 

Nemesia shenlongi sp. n. 

Etymology. The species is named after the wish-granting mythological dragon, Shenlong, that can be summoned by collecting all seven Dragon Balls.

 

Cristian Pertegal, Iñigo Sánchez García, Rafael Molero-Baltanás & Stephen Knapp. 2022. Description of A New Trapdoor Spider Species from southern Spain that exhibits an as yet unknown Defence Strategy (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae). Bonn Zoological Bulletin. 71; 109-118. DOI: 10.20363/bzb-2022.71.2.109 

  ZoologicalBulletin.de/articles/online-first

Researchgate.net/publication/363588465_Description_of_a_new_trapdoor_spider_species_from_southern_Spain

 twitter.com/AracnidoTaxa/status/1574568433756282887

Descripción de una especie nueva de araña trampera del sur de España que presenta una estrategia de defensa hasta ahora desconocida (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae) Resumen. Se aporta la descripción morfológica de la nueva especie de araña trampera Nemesia shenlongi sp. n. junto a detalles de su hábitat y la estructura de su madriguera. Esta araña utiliza una bola que fabrica con partículas de suelo y saliva para bloquear parte de su madriguera y dejar una cámara aislada donde protegerse. La bola difiere de todas las ‘estructuras de bloqueo de madrigueras’ conocidas que la familia Nemesiidae fabrica, por ejemplo, Nemesia manderstjernae Koch, 1871, y N. fagei (Frade & Bacelar, 1931), en que no está envuelta en seda y no está unida a la pared de la madriguera. La nueva especie se compara con otras especies morfológicamente similares, así como con N. fagei, que muestra un comportamiento similar. 

Palabras clave. Arañas tramperas, ecología, fenología, Mediterráneo occidental, Nemesiidae, taxonomía.

[Ichthyology • 2022] Oryzias kalimpaaensis • A New Endemic Species of Pelvic-brooding Ricefish (Beloniformes: Adrianichthyidae: Oryzias) from Lake Kalimpa’a, Sulawesi, Indonesia

 Oryzias kalimpaaensis 

Gani, Suhendra, Herder, Schwarzer, Möhring, Montenegro, Herjayanto & Mokodongan, 2022

zoologicalbulletin.de 

Abstract

 Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. is a new species of the genus Oryzias Jordan & Snyder, 1906, endemic to Lake Kalimpa’a in Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The species is a pelvic-brooder, a non-monophyletic group of ricefishes in which females carry an egg cluster until hatching. Pelvic-brooding is known from only a few taxa, and the new species reported here is only the fifth pelvic-brooding species known so far. Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. differs from all others Oryzias species by the following combination of characters: 61–67 scales in lateral line, 11–13 dorsal-fin rays, 11–13 pectoral-fin rays, body depth 16.0–22.2% SL, and length of head 30.1–33.7% SL. It is distinguished from all species of the genus Adrianichthys Weber 1913, by its small size (max. 52.8 mm SL). A molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial ND2 sequences supports the distinctiveness of O. kalimpaaensis sp. nov. Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. is closely related to pelvic-brooding O. eversi Herder, Hadiaty & Nolte 2012 endemic to Tilanga Pond in Tana Toraja, and to the two species of Lake Lindu in Central Sulawesi, O. sarasinorum (Popta 1905) and O. bonneorum Parenti 2008. As Lake Kalimpa’a is a popular destination for nature tourism, anthropogenic pressure is high. The presence of invasive fish species in the lake and parasites on collected specimens support thiss assumption.

 Key words. Endemic, Oryzias, freshwater fish, Kalimpa’a, pelvic-brooder. 

Living specimens of  Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov.,
 ♂ (top) and ♀ (bottom)
from Lake Kalimpa’a, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. 

 Lake Kalimpa’a Ricefish

Diagnosis. Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. is a pelvic-brooding ricefish with pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females share with females of other pelvic-brooding ricefishes (O. eversi, O. sarasinorum, A. oophorus) morphological structures that enable the maternal fish to carry bundles of fertilized eggs. The eggs remain connected to the female by filaments, and are carried in a ventral concavity present in females but not in males. 

Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. differs from all other Oryzias species from Sulawesi by unique lateral line scale counts (60–67 in O. kalimpaaensis sp. nov. vs. 70–75 in O. sarasinorum, vs. <58 in all remaining Sulawesi Oryzias). It has a deeper body than O. sarasinorum (16.0–22.2% SL vs. 13–15% SL). Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov. has more dorsal-fin rays (11–13) than ...

Etymology. The species epithet, ‘kalimpaaensis’, denotes the occurrence of this species in Lake Kalimpa’a, Central Sulawesi, the type locality.

Lake Kalimpa’a: type locality of Oryzias kalimpaaensis sp. nov., in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Abdul Gani, Novian Suhendra, Fabian Herder, Julia Schwarzer, Jan Möhring, Javier Montenegro, Muh. Herjayanto and Daniel F. Mokodongan. 2022. A New Endemic Species of Pelvic-brooding Ricefish (Beloniformes: Adrianichthyidae: Oryzias) from Lake Kalimpa’a, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bonn Zoological Bulletin. 71(1); 77-85. DOI: 10.20363/bzb-2022.71.1.077

zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_71_1/077_mokodongan_20220630.pdf

https://zoologicalbulletin.de/articles/online-first

[Herpetology • 2017] Rediscovery and Range Extension of the Guinean Skink Trachylepis keroanensis (Chabanaud, 1921) (Squamata: Scincidae)

Trachylepis keroanensis  (Chabanaud, 1921)

zoologicalbulletin.de

  Abstract

 We report the rediscovery of the skink Trachylepis keroanensis (Chabanaud, 1921) 90 years after its description. For the first time pictures of live specimens are shown and the known, now extended, distribution is presented. The clear morphological differences (body shape, colouration and most notably ratio tail length to body length) towards Trachylepis perrotetii (Duméril & Bibron, 1839), which justify the species status, are confirmed.

Fig. 1. Photographs of live specimens Trachylepis perrotetii (ZMB 83362: A & B) and Trachylepis keroanensis (ZFMK 96261: C & D).

Photographs of live specimens Trachylepis keroanensis (ZFMK 96261: C & D; ZMB 82943: E & F).

 Johannes Penner, Joseph Doumbia, N’Goran Germain Kouamé, Laurent Chirio, Laura Sandberger-Loua, Wolfgang Böhme and Michael F. Barej. 2017 Rediscovery and Range Extension of the Guinean Skink Trachylepis keroanensis (Chabanaud, 1921) (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae).  
 Bonn zoological Bulletin. 66(1); 55–60. 

  http://zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_66_1/055_060_BzB66_1_Penner_J_et_al.pdf

   

[Herpetology • 2014] Description of Four New West African Forest Geckos of the Hemidactylus fasciatus Gray, 1842 complex, revealed by coalescent species delimitation

Fig. 1. [A] Living specimen of Hemidactylus fasciatus (not collected) from Liberia;
[B] Living specimen of Hemidactylus kyaboboensis sp. n. from the type locality.

Fig. 6. [A] Living specimen of Hemidactylus ituriensis (AMNH 10273) from Akenge;
[B] Living specimen of Hemidactylus coalescens sp. n. (ZFMK 87679, holotype) from the type locality;
and [C] uncollected living specimen of Hemidactylus biokoensis sp. n. from Bioko Island
(Reserva científica de la Caldera de San Carlos, 3°14’2.39”N, 8°37’38.60”E.).

Abstract

The gecko Hemidactylus fasciatus is widespread in rainforest regions of equatorial Africa, from Guinea to Cameroon. Recently, this taxon was identified as a cryptic complex of at least five species, using multilocus genetic data and coalescent models for species delimitation. Here, we provide the formal descriptions of four new species from tropical West and Central Africa. As typical for cryptic species, the new species are genetically distinct, but difficult to distinguish using external morphology. However, coloration, shape of the body crossbands, and body size, are important distinguishing characters for this complex.

We provide a new taxonomy for this complex that includes the following forest gecko species: H. fasciatus is now restricted to West Africa occurring eastwards to the Dahomey Gap, Hemidactylus kyaboboensis sp. n. is known only from within the Dahomey Gap, H. eniangii sp. n. is distributed from the Dahomey Gap to western Cameroon, H. coalescens sp. n. occurs from central Cameroon to southern Gabon, H. biokoensis sp. n. is restricted to Bioko Island, and H. ituriensis, herein recognized as full species, is known from several localities in eastern Africa.

Key words: Africa, rainforest, Sauria, Gekkonidae, Hemidactylus fasciatus complex, Hemidactylus ituriensis.

Fig. 7. Species tree for the Hemidactylus fasciatus species group based on a coalescent-based Bayesian analysis of 1,087 single nucleotide polymorphisms (Leaché et al. 2014). Posterior probabilities are shown on branches. Museum specimen records were downloaded from the HerpNET database, and geographic distribution was predicted using Maxent. Populations with uncertain taxonomic placement are indicated with “?”. Type localities are: [A]= H. kyaboboensis sp. n.; [B]= H. eniangii sp. n.; [C]= H. biokoensis sp. n.; and [D]= H. coalescens sp. n.

Philipp Wagner, Adam D. Leaché & Matthew K. Fujita. 2014. Description of Four New West African Forest Geckos of the Hemidactylus fasciatus Gray, 1842 complex, revealed by coalescent species delimitation. Bonn zoological Bulletin. 63 (1): 1–14

http://www.zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_63_1/001-014_BzB63_1_Wagner_et_al.pdf

[Mammalogy • 2014] Murine Rodents (Rodentia: Murinae) of the Myanmar-Thai-Malaysian peninsula and Singapore: Taxonomy, Distribution, Ecology, Conservation Status, and Illustrated Identification Keys

Fig. 51. Seven common murine genera in peninsular Myanmar-Thai-Malaysia.  (A): Maxomys (M. surifer); (B): Niviventer (N. cremoriventer); (C): Rattus (R. tanezumi); (D): Leopoldamys (L. sabanus); (E): Berylmys (B. bowersi); (F): Bandicota (B. indica); (G): Sundamys (S. muelleri).

Not to scale. | Pimsai, et al. 2014 [Fulltext] 

Abstract

Based on field surveys undertaken between 2010 and 2013, museum studies in Thailand and the UK, and an extensive literature review, this paper provides information on the 28 species and 12 genera of murine rodents currently known from peninsular Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia and Singapore. It incorporates a detailed summary of past research, 1851–2013, of the Murinae in the study area and includes descriptive characters of the external, cranial and dental morphology and measurements for each of the rodent species. It lists and maps the 93 murine taxa described from the peninsula, 84 of which are currently considered to be synonyms at species level. Each of the 389 different localities on the 28 distribution maps is numbered and linked to its source, either literature or museum specimen, and listed in the online gazetteer. The global conservation status of each species is obtained from the IUCN Red List. Remarks are made, where data are available, on the ecology, karyology, fossil history, sperm morphology, phylogeny, and taxonomic history and ambiguities. Recommendations are made for further research. A series of illustrated matrix keys is provided to assist with the identification of all the murine genera and species within the study area.

Key words: Taxonomy, distribution, identification keys, karyology, ecology, conservation status.

Fig. 1. Study area: peninsular Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, and Singapore. 

Uraiporn Pimsai, Malcolm J. Pearch, Chutamas Satasook, Sara Bumrungsri & Paul J.J. Bates. 2014. Murine Rodents (Rodentia: Murinae) of the Myanmar-Thai-Malaysian peninsula and Singapore: Taxonomy, Distribution, Ecology, Conservation Status, and Illustrated Identification Keys. Bonn zoological Bulletin. 63 (1): 15–114

http://www.zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_63_1/015-114_BzB63_1_Pimsai_et_al.pdf

[Herpetology • 2012] Report on the Life Colouration of the enigmatic Burrowing Skink Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata (Grandidier, 1869) from southwestern Madagascar

Fig. 1. Habitat of Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata: corn plantation (in foreground) near the village of Andranomaitso, Commune rurale de Sakaraha.  

Fig. 2. Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata individual (MRSN R3726) in life from Andranomaitso village, southwestern Madagascar, found on the 11 December 2009:
A. dorso-lateral overview; B. dorsal view; C. head close up; D. individual burrowing in the substrate.

Photos by Gonçalo M. Rosa.

Abstract

 Voeltzkowia is a monophyletic genus of burrowing skinks endemic to Madagascar. The fossorial habits of these species make them hard to see and study, and witness their life history traits. During two herpetological surveys in southwestern Madagascar (in 2009 and 2011) we found several Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata individuals in a corn plantation, a habitat that differs from the forested habitat reported in the literature. Life colouration for this shy scincid is described for the first time.

Key words. Southwestern Madagascar, corn plantation, Squamata, Scincidae.

Fig. 2. Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata individual (MRSN R3726) in life from Andranomaitso village, southwestern Madagascar, found on the 11 December 2009:
A. dorso-lateral overview; B. dorsal view; C. head close up; D. individual burrowing in the substrate.

 Photos by Gonçalo M. Rosa.

Gonçalo M. Rosa, Paolo Eusebio Bergò, Angelica Crottini & Franco Andreone. 2012. Report on the Life Colouration of the enigmatic Burrowing Skink Voeltzkowia rubrocaudata (Grandidier, 1869) from southwestern Madagascar. Bonn zoological Bulletin. 61 (1): 31–34

http://www.zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_61_1/031_034_BzB61_1_%20Rosa_GM_et_al.pdf