Pycnotarsobrentus inuiae Maruyama & Bartolozzi, gen. nov. and sp. nov. (Brentinae: Eremoxenini) is described from the Lambir Hills National Park, Borneo (Sarawak, Malaysia) based on specimens collected from Crematogaster difformis F. Smith, 1857 ant nests in the myrmecophytic epiphytic ferns Platycerium crustacea Copel. and Lecanopteris ridleyi H. Christ. A second species of Pycnotarsobrentus is known from Malaysia but is represented by only one female and consequently not yet described pending discovery of a male. Pycnotarsobrentus belongs to the tribe Eremoxenini and shares some character states with the African genus Pericordus Kolbe, 1883. No species of Eremoxenini with similar morphological modifications are known from the Oriental region.
A new silvanid genus Dentirotacorimus gen. nov. is described based on specimens collected from Ulu Gombak (Malay Peninsula), Malaysia. Two new species, D. reticulatus sp. nov. and D. zigzag sp. nov., are described herein. A key to species of this genus and a table listing states of diagnostic characters of Corimus-like genera, including this new genus, are provided.
Pandanothrips gen. n. is described, with three new species inhabiting Pandanus: P. ryukyuensis sp. n. from Japan, P. wangi sp. n. from Malaysia, and P. hallingi sp. n. from Australia. This new genus shows no relationship to Projectothrips Moulton, the only other Thripinae genus known to be associated with Pandanus. Pandanothrips is superficially similar to Danothrips Bhatti, a genus of leaf feeding thrips. The morphological relationships among these genera are discussed, and an illustrated key to the species of Pandanothrips is provided.
A new, diminutive species of Rock Gecko Cnemaspis mahsuriae sp. nov. of the affinis group, is described from Gunung Raya on Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia and is differentiated from all other species in the affinis group by having a unique combination of characters including a maximum SVL of 36.6 mm; keeled subtibials and ventrals; 21-24 paravertebral tubercles; no tubercles in the lateral caudal furrows; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; no precloacal pores; 23-26 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; no white ocelli in the shoulder region; no yellow postscapular band; and faint yellow bars on the flanks. Cnemaspis mahsuriae sp. nov. is a forest-dwelling species living in close sympatry or paraptry with the insular endemic C. roticanai Grismer & Chan. The Langkawi Archipelago harbors a unique mix of Malaysian and Indochinese taxa and the frequency of new discoveries from this group of islands is increasing.
The nematode Pseudoplatycoma malaysianis n. gen. n. sp. is described from the Sulu Sea (Malaysia). The new genus is classified in the subfamily Platycominae Platonova 1976. Revision of the new genus and four other genera in Platycominae, resulted in four species from the genus Platycomopsis being transferred to other genera: P. dimorphica and P. mazjatzavi to the genus Platycoma; P. effilata to the genus Micoletzkyia; and P. gibbonensis to the genus Anticoma. Pilosinema is regarded as a asynonym of Platycomopsis and Platycomopsis paracobbi is regarded as a synonym for P. cobbi. A key for identification of the genera and species of Platycominae is presented.
Scoloposcelis seidaii sp. nov. is described from the Malay Peninsula based on a single specimen collected under the bark of a decaying tree. This discovery represents the first distribution record of the genus Scoloposcelis from Malaysia. Habitus photographs and diagnosis of S. parallela (Motschulsky, 1863) are provided for comparison with S. seidaii.
A new species of Philautus is described from western Sarawak. The new species was collected in lower montane forest in two national parks in Sarawak and recorded from another park. It differs from its congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters, including a long, acuminate snout, long legs, and comparatively extensive toe webbing. The advertisement call of the new species differs from all calls of other species that have been analyzed so far. Comparison of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequence corroborates its distinct specific status.
A survey of a limestone forest at Gunung Baling, Kedah, West Malaysia lead to the discovery of an undescribed species of Bent-toed Gecko from the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus complex. Cyrtodactylus evanquahi sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species in the C. pulchellus complex by a suite of morphological and color pattern characteristics: prominent tuberculation, higher number of dark body bands, and a smaller maximum SVL. It is further differentiated from all other species as follows; no tubercles on the ventral surface of the forelimbs, gular region, or in the ventrolateral folds; 31-34 paravetebral dorsal tubercles; 18-23 longitudinal rows of tubercles; 29-33 ventral scales; 22-23 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 32-36 femoroprecloacal pores; a shallow precloacal groove in males; body bands and nuchal loop edged with a thin white line bearing tubercles; no scattered white spots on the dorsum; six or seven dark body bands much thinner than interspaces; 9-11 dark caudal bands on original tail; bands on the original tail separated by immaculate white caudal bands. It is further differentiated by an uncorrected pairwise genetic divergence of 6.50-15.67% from all other congeners in the C. pulchellus complex. It is most closely related to C. pulchellus from Penang Island ∼76 km to the southwest. In addition to the new samples from Gunung Baling, we added four samples of C. bintangrendah from the new locality of Belukar Semang, Perak. The discovery of yet another new species of the C. pulchellus complex from a limestone habitat continues to underscore the high degree of endemism and the importance of these unique habitats for biodiversity, and the continued need for their conservation.
The genus Orientalicesa has six species, and all of them have been recorded in the Oriental region (including Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillippines, Laos, China). In this paper, the genus Orientalicesa is newly recorded from Vietnam, represented by one species O. confasciatus Tan and Carpenter. This species was mistakenly redescribed as Stenodyneriellus rangpocus Kumar, Carpenter Kishore, 2017. A new synonym of O. confasciatus is proposed, and that species is a new record for India.
An integrative taxonomic analysis of Subdoluseps herberti from southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia and S. samajaya from Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo) recovers the former as paraphyletic with respect to the latter. The analyses recover the three southernmost populations of S. herberti in Peninsular Malaysia as conspecific and the sister lineage of S. samajaya, whereas S. herberti from Thailand and northern Peninsular Malaysia constitute the sister species to S. samajaya plus the southern three Peninsular Malaysian populations. As such, the southern populations are described herein as S. malayana sp. nov. and all three species are referred to as the S. herberti group. Clade boundaries and breaks within this group on the Thai-Malay Peninsula occurring at the Isthmus of Kra, across the Kangar-Pattani line, and between the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Borneo are consistent with phylogeographic patterns of other Sundaic taxa. The discovery of S. malayana sp. nov. continues to underscore the fact that, despite the well-studied nature of the lizard fauna of Peninsular Malaysia, much of it still remains unrealized and for conservation efforts to move forward, field research followed by expeditiously revised taxonomies must continue.
Pseudopsyra is a genus of Phaneropterinae katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), currently comprising of four species - two species each from southern China and Peninsular Malaysia (Hebard, 1922; Liu & Kang, 2006; Tan & Kamaruddin, 2013, 2014). The revision of Pseudopsyra by Liu & Kang (2006) provided a redescription of the genus, a new diagnosis and a key to known species. Subsequently, more surveys were conducted in Peninsular Malaysia and yield another species, representing the lowest latitudinal limits of this genus thus far (Tan & Kamaruddin, 2013). Continued surveys between the upper and lower latitudinal limits of the genus yield a new species: Pseudopsyra taksini sp. nov. from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Thailand. The orthopteran diversity at Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve remains understudied with numerous new species described recently, including other genus of Phaneropterinae (Tan & Artchawakom, 2014; Tan et al., 2015). With emphasis of using sexual parts for evidence of reproductive isolation in species delimitation, the discovery of a new species of Pseudopsyra also represents the first record of the genus from Thailand. It is not surprising that more undescribed species of Pseudopsyra can be found across the Indo-China region.
A new species of the Oriental genus Elacatophora, E. euconnoides sp. n., is described from the Cameron Highlands, West Malaysia. Diagnostic characters, including the male genitalia, are illustrated and discussed. A new case of subjective synonymy was discovered: Elacatophora minae (Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011) is placed as syn. n. of E. soesilae (Makhan & Ezzatpanah, 2011).
Amalothrips noorazlani sp. n. is described from Malaysia based on both sexes, and a key is provided to the species of this genus. This is the first record of Amalothrips species outside India, and the first description of a male Amalothrips. The male has a pair of drepanae, the tergal posteromargin bears a toothed craspedum, but there are no sternal pore plates.
The crab spider genus Angaeus Thorell, 1881 currently contains 10 described species (Benjamin 2013; WSC 2017). All species of the genus are restricted to tropical Asia. The aim of this correspondence is to illustrate and describe a new species of the genus characterized by a number of features previously found in the genera Angaeus, Borboropactus Simon, 1884, Epidius Thorell, 1877 and Geraesta Simon, 1889. The most unusual feature is the elongated tibia of the male palp that was previously thought to be diagnostic of Epidius (Figs 1, 2, 8; character 1 in Benjamin 2011; Benjamin 2017). However, the new species lacks tibial macrosetae (Figs 1, 2, 8) and lacks a flexibly attached MA, both also being characteristics of Epidius (characters 2 and 18 in Benjamin 2011). Furthermore, this new species differs considerably in general appearance from all known species of Epidius.
All life stages (adult female and male, first-instar nymph, second-instar male and female nymphs, and prepupa and pupa) of a new species of Asterolecaniidae, Bambusaspis transversa Lagowska & Martin sp. n., from bamboo in Malaysia, are described and illustrated. The adult female and first-instar nymphs are compared with those Bambusaspis species considered to be closest to the new species.
A new species, Busoniomimus umbellatus sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Malaysia. In addition the female of B. hainanensis Zhang & Li is described from China. A key is provided to males of this genus.
Canon Solovyev is a small genus belonging to the Parasa-complex of Limacacodidae. It is distributed from northern India to the Malayan Peninsula. The genus previously included two species: C. punica (Herrich-Schäffer) from the Indian region and C. eos Solovyev from Nepal. Canon punica is recorded from China (Yunnan), northern Thailand and Malaysia, but specimens from northern Thailand and probably those from China (Yunnan) represent a new species that is described herein: C. sripanae Pellinen and Solovyev, new species. Externally, C. sripanae is similar to other Canon species, but it differs from punica and eos in hindwing color and male genitalia. The moths studied were collected at UV and mixed lights. Genitalia of the male holotype and a male and female paratypes are figured. Nomenclature of this study is based on Solovyev (2014).
The first representative of the genus Cerapus in Malaysian waters, Cerapus bumbumiensis sp. nov. is described from specimens sampled from Pulau Bum Bum, Sabah (east Malaysia). The main identifying characteristics of this new amphipod species are: pereonites 1, 2 with constriction; male gnathopod 2 carpochelate, carpus large with long defining posterior tooth and well-developed anterodistal tooth; pereopod 6 coxa with fine hair/fringe setae ventrally; and telson with deep cleft. An updated identification key for the 23 known species in the genus is also presented.
Chirothripoides brahmaputrai sp.n. is described based on a holotype female from Assam State, India, and a paratype female from Peninsular Malaysia. A key to the six species of Chirothripoides is provided, and partial sequence data of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (mtCOI) from the holotype of the new species is generated and submitted to Barcode of Life Database.
A new species of Clidicini ant-like stone beetles, Clidicus mawarensis sp. n., is described and illustrated. The holotype male was collected in East Malaysia (Borneo: Sabah); the new species belongs to a group of large-bodied Clidicus, and shows similarities to C. ganglbaueri Reitter; the male has unusually complex structures of the aedeagal apical region.