The genus Pedionis with its species Pedionis (Pedionis) rufoscutellata Huang & Viraktamath, 1993 is recorded for the first time from Malaysia. A new species Pedionis (Pedionis) spiculata sp. nov. is described and illustrated. An updated species checklist with distribution of the genus Pedionis is also provided.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Female; Malaysia; Male; Organ Size; Body Size*; Animal Distribution*
During field work on Hon Son Island, we discovered a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus inferred from genetic and morphological evidence. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial gene ND2, delimit Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum sp. nov. as a new species in the C. intermedius group and the strongly supported sister species of C. phuquocensis in both Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses. The new species is distinguished from all other members of the intermedius group by having the combination of 12 supralabials; 10 or 11 infralabials; 22 or 23 small, rounded, smooth, paravertebral tubercles; 12 rows of small, rounded, smooth, longitudinally arranged body tubercles; 35-39 ventrals; 8-10 expanded subdigital lamellae, 12 or 13 unexpanded subdigital lamellae, and 21 or 22 total subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 21 or 22 enlarged femorals; 8 or 9 enlarged precloacals; 8 or 9 precloacal pores in males; three rows of enlarged post-precloacals; postcloacal tubercles; enlarged femorals and enlarged precloacals not continuous; proximal femorals nearly same size of distal femorals; body tubercles smooth, greatly reduced; no pocketing between digits on the hands and feet; two dark-colored pigmented blotches on top of head; four dark-colored dorsal bands lacking lightened centers, thinner than light-colored interspaces between bands, bordered by prominent white tubercles; no dark body markings in light-colored interspaces between bands; limbs bearing white tubercles; and six dark-colored and light-colored caudal bands. Cyrtodactylus borgattaorum sp. nov. lives in syntopy with Cyrtodactylus eisenmanae which is the first record of syntopy between granite cave dwelling Cyrtodactylus.
A newly discovered sandstone-dwelling species of the rock gecko, genus Cnemaspis, is described from Santubong National Park, 25 km north of Kuching, southwestern Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Cnemaspis puterisantubongae sp. nov. is closely related to other Cnemaspis species in southwestern Sarawak, except for C. kendallii, although these relationships remain unclear. The new species differs from closely related species in having a moderate snout-vent length of up to 66.7 mm; 10-14 precloacal pores in males; 9-14 obviously-convex precloacal pore-bearing scales in females; enlarged, smooth, flat median subcaudal scales; sharp-edged, broad black markings on the trunk dorsum; and a black-gray banding pattern on the posterior part of the original tail, with white median subcaudal scales in males. This discovery of this new species from Santubong National Park, which is highly accessible due to its proximity to Kuching, highlights the need for extensive inventory surveys throughout the national parks of Sarawak.
During recent years, many taxa of water fleas (Crustacea: Cladocera) with wide distribution ranges were revised and finally accepted as groups of cryptic species. Here we provide a redescription of Ilyocryptus raridentatus Smirnov, 1989 (Anomopoda: Ilyocryptidae). Our study clearly confirms that I. raridentatus belongs to the sarsi-group based on incomplete moulting, absence of dorsal keel, structure of antennule, thoracic limb I and postabdomen. The species is widely distributed in Australia and East Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Central China, Japan, South Korea) and penetrates north to the Far East of Russia. A morphological variability among different populations of I. raridentatus does not exceed an intrapopulational level. I. raridentatus seems to be a relatively rare species with a benthic lifestyle similar to its congeners.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Australia; Far East; Female; Male; Organ Size; Cladocera/anatomy & histology; Cladocera/classification; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
The species of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are reviewed. Stasina nalandica Karsch, 1892 and S. paripes (Karsch, 1879) are re-transferred to the genus Thelcticopis. Thelcticopis ajax Pocock, 1901, T. bicornuta Pocock, 1901, T. birmanica Thorell, 1895 stat. rev., T. hercules Pocock, 1901, T. moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007, T. nalandica (Karsch, 1892) comb. rest., T. paripes (Karsch, 1879) comb. rest., T. picta (Thorell, 1887), T. rufula Pocock, 1901, T. serambiformis Strand, 1907, and T. virescens Pocock, 1901 are diagnosed, redescribed, and/or illustrated based on type and/or freshly collected material, and their current distributional records are mapped. The female of T. virescens is described for the first time. The type locality of Thelcticopis goramensis (Thorell, 1881) is situated in Indonesia, Maluku, not in Malaysia. Thelcticopis bifasciata (Thorell, 1891), and T. fasciata (Thorell, 1897) are proposed as nomina dubia as the holotypes are immature and their identity cannot be fully elucidated. Thelcticopis ancorum Dyal, 1935 and T. telonotata Dyal, 1935 from Lahore, Punjab are considered species incertae sedis, and the subfamily Sparianthinae is most likely not distributed in Pakistan.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Myanmar; Female; India; Male; Organ Size; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Ecosystem; Body Size*; Animal Distribution*
In the first comprehensive taxonomic study of the tanaidacean fauna of Singapore, a total of 23 species belonging to two suborders, three superfamilies, 13 families and 22 genera were identified from approximately 2,400 specimens, including 11 species that are possibly new to science. This material was collected from various localities in Singapore waters, from the intertidal zone to subtidal habitats up to 91 m in depth. Many species exhibited a narrow bathymetric distribution and strong affiliation to certain habitats or microhabitats such as mudflats, coral reefs, and barnacle shells on rocky shores. The Singapore Strait yielded 20 tanaidacean species, almost thrice the number of species (7) present in the Johor Straits. Three species were confined to the brackish waters in the inner parts of the Johor Straits and Sungei Pandan. Furthermore, a total of 153 tanaidacean species has now been recorded from Southeast Asia and the South China Sea. The presence of the family Numbakullidae in this region is also documented for the first time.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; China; Female; Male; Oceans and Seas; Organ Size; Singapore; Ecosystem*; Biodiversity*; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
A new species of Ovalona Van Damme & Dumont, 2008 (Cladocera: Anomopoda) related to the rare Australian species Ovalona archeri (Sars, 1888), is described from the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam. Ovalona garibiani sp. nov. differs from O. archeri in morphology of antenna, postabdomen, and proportions of setae on thoracic limbs II-III. Both species differ from other species of the genus Ovalona in the postabdomen with a narrow and sparsely spaced group of lateral setulae, the distance between the postanal groups being slightly greater than the width of the group. O. garibiani sp. nov. is a rare phytophilous species, known from a few localities in continental Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Vietnam.
A new genus Esexalata gen. n. and two new species (E. beljaevi sp. n., type species, and E. natalyae sp. n.) are described and illustrated from East Malaysia. Males of the new taxa possess unique metathoracic and abdominal androconial structures and wing-like structures on the metascutum. The taxonomic position of the new genus within the family Gelechiidae is discussed.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Female; Malaysia; Male; Organ Size; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang (PNKB National Park in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is a bastion for the protection and conservation of Vietnam's natural heritage. Thus, the discovery of yet another new species of Cyrtodactylus, C. hangvaensis sp. nov., within the PNKB continues to underscore the parks ever-growing importance. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. is a karst dwelling species of the angularis group that based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis, is most closely related to C. roesleri from the PNKB and C. sommerladi from karstic areas in nearby Laos. Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis sp. nov. occupies a unique position in morphospace where it is well separated from closely related species and other species within the PNKB. It is potentially diagnosable from all other members of the angularis by having a unique combination of morphological and color pattern characters and bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 9.5%-25.5%.
Loeblites is a small genus of Oriental Scydmaeninae, currently comprising only five species distributed in Thailand, Malaysia (Sabah), China (Yunnan), and the Philippines (Mindanao). Loeblites anaiensis sp. n. (Sumatra), L. umphangensis sp. n. (Thailand), L. pseudominor pseudominor sp. n. (Borneo, Thailand), and L. pseudominor sumatrensis subsp. n. (Sumatra) are described. New records for L. sabahensis Franz in Sarawak are reported, a species so far known to occur only in Sabah. Identification key to species of Loeblites is given.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; China; Female; Male; Organ Size; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
The genus Keratodegnathus Pace includes two species known to occur in Malaysia (Sabah and Pahang). A third species, Keratodegnathus javanicus sp. n. is described, based on a female specimen from Indonesia (West Java Province). As the morphology of Keratodegnathus was previously inadequately described, a detailed scanning electron microscopy examination was carried out to characterize the new species. Keratodegnathus mirabilis Pace, 2014 was transferred by Assing to Orphnebius Motschulsky, resulting in a secondary homonymy with Orphnebius mirabilis (Bernhauer, 1911). Orphnebius mirabilides nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for Orphnebius mirabilis (Pace).
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Female; Indonesia; Male; Organ Size; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
Taxonomic, diagnostic and faunistic data for 30 species of three genera (Agaricochara Kraatz, 1856 (one species), Gyrophaena Mannerheim, 1830 (27 species) and Sternotropa Cameron, 1920 (two species) of the subtribe Gyrophaenina Kraatz, 1856 of Kunashir Island (Kuril Islands, Far Eastern Russia) are provided. All these species are recorded from Kunashir and Kuril Islands, and the genera Agaricochara and Sternotropa from Russia, for the first time. Eleven new species are described and illustrated: Agaricochara verrucosa Enushchenko, sp. nov., G. (s.str.) ainuorum Enushchenko, sp. nov., G. (s.str.) rama Enushchenko, sp. nov., G. (s.str.) robertopacei Enushchenko, sp. nov., G. (s.str.) semenovi Enushchenko, sp. nov., G. (s.str.) volkeri Enushchenko, sp. nov., Sternotropa aiaia Enushchenko, sp. nov. and S. kamuy Enushchenko, sp. nov. from Kunashir Island, G. (s.str.) kerzhneri Enushchenko, sp. nov. and G. (s.str.) melanoceta Enushchenko, sp. nov. from Maritime Province and Kunashir Island, and G. (s.str.) rebrievi Enushchenko, sp. nov. from Khabarovsk Territory, Maritime Province and Kunashir Island. Three species of Gyrophaena are redescribed and illustrated: G. (s.str.) anastasiarum Glotov, 2022, G. (s.str.) bernhaueri Jakobson, 1909, and G. (s.str.) plutenkoi Glotov, 2014. Besides that, 18 species of the genus Gyrophaena were recorded from the mainland provinces of Far Eastern Russia, including description of G. (s.str.) frolovi Enushchenko, sp. nov. from Amur Area, Khabarovsk Territory and Maritime Province. Based on the study of the types and additional material, the following new synonymies are established: G. (s.str.) bihamata Thomson, 1867 = G. guttula Pace, 2010 syn. nov., G. (s.str.) cariniventris Cameron, 1933 = G. monospina Pace, 2003 syn. nov., G. (s.str.) gonggamontis Pace, 2010 = G. (s.str.) aedugena Enushchenko, 2011 syn. nov., G. (s.str.) harmandi Fauvel, 1901 = G. alexandrovi Bernhauer, 1939 syn. nov., G. (s.str.) taeniae Pace, 2007 = G. ashei Kim & Ahn, 2009 syn. nov., G. (s.str.) permixta Pace, 2003 = G. bifurcata Assing, 2005 syn. nov., and G. (s.str.) zhagaensis Pace, 2003 = G. peniculi Pace, 2007 syn. nov. Habitus, aedeagi, apical abdominal segments and spermathecae of several little-known species of Gyrophaenina are illustrated. A key to species of the bihamata group of Gyrophaena is presented. Several species are recorded for the first time from certain regions: G. (s.str.) bernhaueri, G. (s.str.) cariniventris, G. (s.str.) deprehendens Pace, 2007, G. (s.str.) discoidea Pace, 2003, G. (s.str.) harmandi, G. (s.str.) pasniki Assing, 2005, G. (s.str.) permixta, G. (s.str.) schuelkei Pace, 2003, G. (s.str.) taeniae, G. (s.str.) taiwanova Pace, 2007, G. (s.str.) torta Assing, 2005, G. (s.str.) triquetra Weise, 1877, G. (s.str.) williamsi A. Strand, 1935, G.(s.str.) yotsudeba Cameron, 1933, G. (s.str.) zhagaensis and G. (Phaenogyra) tetracuspidata Assing, 2005 from Russia, G. (s.str.) joyi Wendeler, 1924, G. (s.str.) obsoleta Ganglbauer, 1895, G. (s.str.) orientalis A. Strand, 1938, G. (s.str.) pseudonana A. Strand, 1939, G. (s.str.) pulchella Heer, 1839 and G. (Phaenogyra) strictula (Erichson, 1839) from Far Eastern Russia, G.(s.str.) gonggamontis from Zabaykalsky Krai, Jewish Autonomous Area, Sakhalin Area and Mongolia, G. (s.str.) rugipennis Mulsant & Rey, 1861 from Zabaykalsky Krai, Khabarovsk Territory and Sakhalin Area, G. (s.str.) congrua Erichson, 1837 from Amur Area, Khabarovsk Territory and Sakhalin Area, G. (s.str.) kaunshanchiensis Pace, 2007 from Khabarovsk Territory and Sakhalin Area, G. (s.str.) pseudonitidula Semenov, 2015 from Sverdlovsk, Irkutsk and Amur areas, G. (s.str.) affinis Mannerheim, 1830, G. (s.str.) congrua Erichson, 1837 and G. (s.str.) poweri Crotch, 1867 from Amur Area and Khabarovsk Territory, and G. (s.str.) anastasiarum and G. (s.str.) plutenkoi from Sakhalin Area. In general, based on the published and new data, 53 species of four genera of Gyrophaenina are known from Far Eastern Russia: Agaricochara (one species), Encephalus Stephens, 1832 (one species), Gyrophaena (49 species) and Sternotropa (two species). The composition of the fauna and zoogeographic and bionomical features of Gyrophaenina of Kunashir Island and Far Eastern Russia are briefly discussed. Besides that, we noted the richness of the fauna of Kunashir in comparison with adjacent territories.
MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Male; Organ Size; Russia; Ecosystem; Body Size; Islands*; Animal Distribution*
From the Malay Peninsula (West Malaysia) 18 species of the genus Laena Dejean, 1821 are known so far. Additional two species are described herein as new: L. johoria sp. nov. and L. ledangica sp. nov. They originate exclusively from the southernmost, hitherto less explored Malaysian Federal State of Johor. Some new records of known Malaysian species are also listed.
We here report on freshwater cave crabs of the families Potamidae and Gecarcinucidae in East Kalimantan, Sarawak, Indonesia in Borneo. A new genus and species of potamid crab, Ngan mayla, is described from Lubang Gedung Cave in the Merabu Karst. With its bullet-shaped eyes, Ngan mayla gen. et sp. nov. is totally blind and also displays the characters associated with an obligate cave-dwelling life, namely that it is dolichopod and fully depigmented. The closest genus and species is Cerberusa caeca Holthuis, 1979, from northern Sarawak. Highly modified, Ngan mayla gen. et sp. nov. proves to be among the most troglobitic of the known subterranean potamids, of which there were currently only seven in the Old World, with only four simultaneously being completely blind, entirely depigmented and dolichopod (Cerberusa caeca Holthuis, 1979, Diyutamon cereum Huang, Shih & Ng, 2017 and Phasmon typhlops Huang, Ahyong & Shih, 2020, to which must be added today Ngan mayla gen. et sp. nov.). Ngan mayla gen. et sp. nov. is easily distinguished from other potamid genera by its chelipeds bearing numerous acute teeth, spines (some horn-tipped) and short simple setae or spine-like setae on all articles. Two young female crabs collected in 2010 at the same area (Merabu Karst) but from a different cave, the Lubang Tebot Cave, could not be identified to specific level: an Isolapotamon sp., and a gecarcinucid with very long legs, pale colouration and slightly modified but black-pigmented eyes, close to Balssiathelphusa Bott, 1969, could possibly belong to a new genus. Some information on New World troglobitic crabs is provided.
The present study identified a new barnacle species from Malaysian waters, Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov., on morphological and molecular grounds. Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. is an intertidal species that is abundant on high shores, above the oyster zone. Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. has two morphotypes, based on shell colour. Brown morphs have brown shells with pale brown ridges and look similar to Microeuraphia withersi (Pilsbry, 1916). Chthamalus ngankeeae sp. nov. has four teeth on the mandible, while M. withersi has but three. White morphs of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. possess white shells with gray ridges. The white morph of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. is similar to C. moro Pilsbry, 1916, but a major morphological difference includes a more prominent articular ridge on the scutum of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. compared to C. moro. Molecular analyses of sequence divergence in the COI and NaK genes of C. ngankeeae sp. nov. with other chthamalids showed that it forms an individual monophyletic group and does not belong to any of the cryptic lineages of C. moro, supporting its designation as a new species.
The gekkonid lizard Cyrtodactylus intermedius was formerly considered to be a single widespread species in hilly areas across eastern Thailand through southern Vietnam but has recently been partitioned into a complex of 12 nominal species across its range. A population belonging to the C. intermedius group was recently found in an isolated limestone karst block in Kampot Province in southwestern Cambodia, part of which lies within the recently designated Phnom Preah Kuhear Loung Natural Heritage Site. Comparisons of morphometric, meristic, qualitative morphological and color pattern data, as well as a molecular analysis using the mitochondrial ND2 gene, revealed that this population differs from all other named members of the C. intermedius group, and so is described here as a new species. The karst-dwelling C. regicavernicolus sp. nov. was recovered as the sister species to C. laangensis, the most geographically proximate member of the complex and one that is also restricted to a small limestone karst habitat.
Specimens representing three genera of Phaloriinae-Borneloria Gorochov, 2018, Phaloria (Papuloria) Gorochov, 1996 and Trellius (Zatrellius) Gorochov, 1999-were collected from Peninsular and East Malaysia and examined here. We report a new locality record for Borneloria moorei (Chopard, 1940) in Johor, Peninsular Malaysia, the first record of this genus in Malay Peninsula. From Sandakan, East Malaysia, we discovered a new species of Trellius (Zatrellius) and describe here: Trellius (Zatrellius) puntung sp. nov. We also recorded the previously unknown calling songs of Phaloria (Papuloria) tristis Gorochov, 2014 and Trellius (Zatrellius) puntung sp. nov. and describe them here.
Recent fieldwork in eastern Sabah led to the discovery of new little-known crickets from the subfamily Pteroplistinae (Orthoptera, Grylloidea). Three new species are described: Tembelingiola biaculeata sp. nov. and Tembelingiola kabili sp. nov. from Sepilok; Pteroplistes silam sp. nov. from Mount Silam. Previously, the calling song of only one species of Pteroplistinae was known. Here, the calling songs of the three new species, as well as that of Pteroplistes lagrecai Gorochov, 2004, are also described for the first time. Therefore, distinctive calling songs for five species and three genera of Pteroplistinae are presently known.
Benthopanope indica (De Man, 1887) was originally described from the Mergui Archipelago and has subsequently been reported from many Indo-West Pacific localities. The identity of this species is herein clarified. The re-examination of the type female, fresh specimens collected from Chilika Lake, Odisha State, India, as well as material from other locations, revealed that B. indica is not a Benthopanope species but should be assigned to Pilumnopeus instead. Pilumnopeus indicus comb. nov. is now restricted to the Indian Ocean and is reported from the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia for the first time. Heteropanope pearsei Rathbun, 1932, described from East Asia, previously synonymised under P. indicus by Sakai (1965), is here shown to be valid species of Pilumnopeus, and all previous records of "B. indica" from Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea must be referred to this species. The two species can be differentiated by characters of the carapace, epistome, chelipeds and gonopods. Lectotypes are also designated for both species.
MeSH terms: Animals; Animal Structures/anatomy & histology; Animal Structures/growth & development; Female; India; Male; Organ Size; Indian Ocean; Body Size; Animal Distribution*
Model based integrative analyses supports the recognition of a new species of the Cyrtodactylus brevipalmatus group from Phuket Island, Thailand. Cyrtodactylus thalang sp. nov. is most closely related to the sister species C. brevipalmatus from the Thai-Malay Peninsula and C. cf. brevipalmatus from Langkawi Island, Kedah State, Peninsular Malaysia. Based on the mitochondrial gene ND2, C. thalang sp. nov. bears an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 14.7% and 15.1% from C. cf. brevipalmatus and C. brevipalmatus, respectively, significantly different (p<0.05) mean values of meristic and morphometric characters, and discrete categorical morphological differences. A multiple factor analysis morphospatially statistically placed C. thalang sp. nov. well outside all other species of the brevipalmatus group. The BAYAREALIKE model of a BioGeoBEARS analysis indicated the origin of the brevipalmatus group was in western Indochina with subsequent south to north speciation along the Tenasserim Mountains followed by a west to east invasion of northern Thailand, Laos, and northwestern Vietnam northeast of the Chao Phraya Basin and north of the Khorat Plateau.