An annotated checklist of eels, orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes, occurring in Taiwanese waters is presented. The checklist is the result of a series of systematic studies conducted by the authors in the past few years. The eel fauna of Taiwan is one of the richest in the world with a total of 206 species in 74 genera and 13 families in Anguilliformes and a single species in Saccopharyngiformes. The most species-rich families are the Muraenidae with 71 species, followed by the Ophichthidae with 60 species, the Congridae with 29 species, and the Synaphobranchidae with 17 species. Moreover, three genera and 42 species have been described based on at least one type specimen collected from Taiwan. Of these, 36 species are recognized as valid and 23 species are known only from Taiwanese waters at present. Historical records of all Taiwanese eel species are reviewed by examining the original descriptions and figures, vouchers, as well as the recently collected specimens, where available. This represents the first detailed checklist of eels from Taiwanese waters.
The areolate Oriental family Heteropterygidae Kirby, 1893 is critically reviewed and the results of the present study contradict the arrangement suggested by Zompro (2004), but in most aspects agree with a molecular study presented by Whiting et al (2003) and a phylogenetic study presented by Bradler (2009). The family is critically discussed and new hypotheses are presented for the phylogeny and intra-familiar relationships, placing the subfamily Dataminae Rehn & Rehn, 1939 as the basalmost clade of Heteropterygidae. The subfamilies Obriminae Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 and Heteropteryginae Kirby, 1893 together represent the sister-group of Dataminae. Arguments and a tree are presented to support this hypothesis. New diagnoses and lists of genera are provided for all three subfamilies contained in Heteropterygidae, along with keys to distinguish between them. The subfamily Obriminae is critically reviewed and the distinction between the three tribes Obrimini Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893, Eubulidini Zompro, 2004 and Miroceramiini Zompro, 2004 introduced by Zompro (2004) is shown to be poorly supported. While Obrimini sensu Zompro, 2004 is generally accepted (but now also contains genera that were placed in Eubulidini or Miroceramiini by Zompro (2004)), the tribes Eubulidini and Miroceramiini are not supported. A new arrangement is introduced, which is based on morphological characters neglected or overlooked by Zompro (2004) but were partly discussed by Bradler (2009). The genus Mearnsiana Rehn & Rehn, 1939 is removed from Miroceramiini and transferred to Obrimini. The genera Eubulides Stål, 1877, Heterocopus Redtenbacher, 1906, Theramenes Stål, 1875 and Stenobrimus Redtenbacher, 1906 are removed from Eubulidini and also transferred to Obrimini. Consequently, Eubulidini is synonymised with Obrimini (n. syn.). Miroceramiini is a monotypical tribe and only includes the Wallacean genus Miroceramia Günther, 1934. The new tribe Tisamenini n. trib. is established for the three basal genera Tisamenus Stål, 1875, Ilocano Rehn & Rehn, 1939 and Hoploclonia Stål, 1875 all of which were placed in Eubulidini by Zompro (2004). The latter genus differs from the other two genera by the morphology of the female genitalia, which is unique amongst the entire family. Three generic groups are recognized within Obrimini, the Obrimus-group, Stenobrimus-group and Theramenes-group. Keys are presented to distinguish between the three tribes now contained in the Obriminae, i.e. Obrimini, Tisamenini n. trib. and Miroceramiini. The genus Hennobrimus Conle, 2006 is synonymised with Mearnsiana Rehn & Rehn, 1939, based on the fact that the type-species of both genera are conspecific (n. syn.). Hennobrimus hennemanni Conle, 2006, the type-species of Hennobrimus, and Trachyaretaon manobo Lit & Eusebio, 2005 are synonymised with Mearnsiana bullosa Rehn & Rehn, 1939, the type-species of Mearnsiana (n. syn.). Theramenes dromedarius Stål, 1877 from the Philippines is removed from synonymy with the Wallacean Theramenes olivaceus (Westwood, 1859) and re-established as a valid species (rev. stat.). The subfamily Heteropteryginae Kirby, 1896 is revised at the species-level and a new diagnosis is presented. Keys to the two genera and all 16 known species are provided along with new descriptions, differential diagnoses, lists of examined material, detailed information on the known distributions, measurements and illustrations of the insects and eggs. The intra-subfamiliar and intra-generic relationships are discussed and a cladogram is presented. Heteropteryginae contains two genera: Heteropteryx Gray, 1835 (Type-species: Phasma dilatatum Parkinson, 1798) and Haaniella Kirby, 1896 (Type-species: Phasma (Heteropteryx) muelleri de Haan, 1842). The distribution of this subfamily is restricted to Sundaland with the exception of a single species that is found in Vietnam. All other species are distributed in Borneo, Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. Heteropteryginae contains the largest and most striking members of the entire family Heteropteryginae, some of which are amongst the heaviest insects known. The subfamily is characterized by apomorphies such as the presence of wings, having a tympanal area (= stridulatory organ) in the basal portion of the alae, straight profemora, strongly shortened tarsi, lack of rough sensory-areas on the prosternum and typically X-shaped micropylar plate of the eggs. The sister-group of Heteropteryginae is represented by the Obriminae, with which it shares a beak-like secondary ovipositor in the females and presence of a medio-apical spine on the area apicalis. Both features are synapomorphies of Heteropteryginae + Obriminae. The genus Haaniella Kirby, 1904 contains 16 known species, five of which are newly described herein. The genus Miniopteryx Zompro, 2004 (Type-species: Haaniella parva Günther, 1944) is synonymised with Haaniella on the basis that the distinguishing feature mentioned in the original description is a character that is frequently found throughout the genus (n. syn.). The type-species H. parva Günther, 1944 is automatically retransferred to Haaniella (rev. stat.). Haaniella aculeata n. sp. from western Sumatra is described from the male. Haaniella macroptera n. sp. from Singapore and the Johor state in southern Peninsular Malaysia is described from both sexes and the eggs. Haaniella gintingi n. sp. from Central Sumatra is described from both sexes and the eggs and Haaniella kerincia n. sp. from Western Sumatra is described from the insects only, the eggs being still unknown. One new species, Haaniella gorochovi n. sp., is the only representative of the genus and subfamily Heteropteryginae known from Vietnam and both sexes as well as the eggs are described. Haaniella erringtoniae (Redtenbacher, 1906) is endemic in Peninsular Malaysia, here removed from synonymy with H. muelleri (de Haan, 1842) and re-established as a valid species (rev. stat.). The Sumatran Haaniella glaber (Redtenbacher, 1906) is removed from synonymy with H. muelleri (Haan, 1842) and re-established as a valid species (rev. stat.). Leocrates glaber Redtenbacher, 1906 and Haaniella muelleri simplex Günther, 1944 are removed from synonymy with H. muelleri (Haan, 1842) (rev. stat.) and synonymised with H. glaber. Haaniella mecheli (Redtenbacher, 1906) and H. rosenbergii (Kaup, 1871) are removed from synonymy with H. muelleri (Haan, 1842) and re-established as valid species (rev. stat.). Haaniella erringtoniae novaeguineae Günther, 1934 and Haaniella muelleri var. b. (Haan, 1842) are synonymized with H. rosenbergii (Kaup, 1871) (n. syn.). The type-species Haaniella muelleri (Haan, 1842) is shown to be a fairly rare species that is restricted to Sumatra. All subsequent records of H. muelleri from outside Sumatra and references to captive breeding of stock originating from Peninsular Malaysia in Europe relate to H. erringtoniae (Redtenbacher, 1906). The previously unknown males and eggs of H. rosenbergii (Kaup, 1871) as well as the previously unknown females and eggs of H. parva Günther, 1944 are described and illustrated for the first time. Based on morphological characters of the insects and eggs three distinct species-groups are recognized within Haaniella. The muelleri species-group contains nine species that are distributed throughout Sumatra, the Mentawei Islands, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. These are characterized by the smooth ventral surface of the meso- and metafemora and lemon-shaped eggs which entirely lack the setae seen in the two other species-groups. The grayii species-group comprises four species, two of which are endemic in Borneo, one endemic in Sumatra and the fourth species being the only known representative of the subfamily in Vietnam. These species are characteristic for the prominent pair of spines on the abdominal tergites II-IV of males and long apically multidentate epiproct of females. The echinata species-group contains three exceptionally Bornean species, which are characterized by the long and apically pointed subgenital plate of females, which clearly projects beyond the epiproct, as well as the sub-basal lateral tooth of the anal segment of males. The muelleri species-group is sister to the remainder two species-groups. Heteropteryx Gray, 1853 is a monotypical genus and only contains the type-species H. dilatata (Parkinson, 1798), which is found throughout Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra and Northeastern Borneo. This genus differs from Haaniella by the strongly conically elevated head, which posteriorly projects over the anterior margin of the pronotum, females being bright green or yellow in colour with plain and translucent pink alae and having distinct spines on the abdominal tergites, and males having a strongly shortened mesothorax and dull pink alae. Lectotypes are designated for Haaniella parva Günther, 1944, Heteropteryx echinata Redtenbacher, 1906, Heteropteryx saussurei Redtenbacher, 1906 and Heteropteryx scabra Redtenbacher, 1906 to guarantee stability of these names. Information on the habitats, host-plants, biology, life cycle, parasitism and captive breeding of the species of Heteropteryginae is presented and a list summarising all taxonomic changes presented herein.
New additions to the knowledge of the subfamily Eumeninae are provided. Eight new species of Eumeninae are described: Antepipona gibbosissima Selis, sp. nov. (Namibia: Warmbad); Antepipona tricolorata Selis, sp. nov. (India: Sikkim); Ectopioglossa luzonica Selis, sp. nov. (Philippines: Luzon); Lissodynerus unicus Selis, sp. nov. (India: Sikkim); Pararrhynchium aurigaster Selis, sp. nov. (Malaysia: Johor); Symmorphus (Symmorphus) incisus Selis, sp. nov. (India: Sikkim); Symmorphus (Symmorphus) palawanensis Selis, sp. nov. (Philippines: Palawan); Zethus (Zethus) intermedius Selis, sp. nov. (Burkina Faso). The male of Synagris (Paragris) biplagiata Gusenleitner, 2005 is described. New distributional data for other species are provided.
Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the sister species Sphenomorphus stellatus and S. praesignis based on the mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S rRNA recover the former as paraphyletic with respect to the latter in that a specimen of S. stellatus from the type locality in Peninsular Malaysia is more closely related to S. praesignis than to Indochinese populations of S. stellatus. Furthermore, the phylogeny indicates that the Indochinese populations represent two species, thus resulting in four major lineages within this clade. These relationships are consistent with multivariate and univariate analyses of morphological and discrete color pattern data which statistically define and diagnose the four lineages and together with the molecular data, provide the foundation for robust, testable, species-level hypotheses. As such, S. stellatus is herein restricted to Peninsular Malaysia; S. annamiticus is resurrected for the circum-continental populations ranging through southeastern Thailand, southern Cambodia, and southern Vietnam; a new species-S. preylangensis sp. nov.-is described from an isolated mountain, Phnom Chi, from the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in central Cambodia; and the taxonomy of S. praesignis remains unchanged. The description of S. preylangensis sp. nov. underscores the necessity to conserve this remnant of lowland evergreen rainforest in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.
The spider genus Glenognatha Simon, 1887 (Tetragnathidae) currently has 34 nominal species distributed in Afrotropical region, Indo-Malaya, Nearctic, Neotropics, Oceania and Palearctic regions (Cabra-García Brescovit 2016; World Spider Catalog 2020). It has one representative in India: Glenognatha dentata (Zhu Wen, 1978) (World Spider Catalog 2020). The genus Pachygnatha Sundevall, 1823 currently comprises 46 nominal species distributed in Africa, Holarctic, South and South-East Asia (World Spider Catalog 2020). Biswas and Roy (2004) recorded this genus in India, while they described Pachygnatha silentvalliensis Biswas Roy, 2004. The species is known from its original verbal description only since the genitalic illustrations were apparently not published along with the description (Biswas Roy 2004), thus leaving its identity obscured. To redescribe and illustrate this species, we examined its type material and found that Biswas and Roy (2004) had misidentified the species and in fact it belongs to Tylorida Simon, 1894. In this paper, we describe a new Glenognatha species from the southern Western Ghats of India, transfer Dyschiriognatha ganeshi Bodkhe, Manthen Tanikawa, 2014 to Glenognatha and synonymise P. silentvalliensis with Tylorida marmorea (Pocock, 1901).
White-bellied swiftlets of the Collocalia esculenta complex constitute a radiation of colony-breeding swifts distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Resolution of their taxonomy is challenging due to their morphological uniformity. To analyze the evolutionary history of this complex, we combine new biometric measurements and results from plumage assessment of museum specimens with novel as well as previously published molecular data. Together, this body of information constitutes the largest systematic dataset for white-bellied swiftlets yet compiled, drawn from 809 individuals belonging to 32 taxa for which new molecular, biometric, and/or plumage data are presented. We propose changing the classification of white-bellied swiftlets, for which two species are currently recognized, to elevate eight regional forms to species level, and we also describe two new subspecies. The ten taxa we recommend recognizing at the species level are: Collocalia linchi (Java to Lombok, Sumatran hills), C. dodgei (montane Borneo), C. natalis (Christmas Island), C. affinis (Greater Sundas, including the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Andaman-Nicobar Islands), C. marginata (Philippines), C. isonota (Philippines), C. sumbawae (west Lesser Sundas), C. neglecta (east Lesser Sundas), C. esculenta (Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands), and C. uropygialis (Vanuatu, New Caledonia). Future molecular and morphological work is needed to resolve questions of speciation and population affinities in the Philippines, Christmas Island, Wallacea and central Melanesia, and to shed light on historic diversification and patterns of gene flow in the complex.
This Special Volume of Zootaxa unites forty papers written in honor of the late András Zicsi (1928-2015), the eminent earthworm taxonomist. They deal with the taxonomy, systematics and distribution of earthworms and enchytraeids, the two major groups of soil-dwelling Oligochaeta. Altogether, 71 new species-group taxa are described, 60 species and subspecies of earthworms and 11 species of enchytraeids. They are from 15 countries all around the globe: Spain, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, Botswana, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In a meristic, morphometric and distributional study of Neolissochilus from Peninsular Malaysia, Khaironizam et al. (2015) subsumed Lissochilus tweediei Herre in Herre & Myers 1937 and a taxon they called "Tor soro Bishop 1973" into the synonymy of N. soroides (Duncker 1904) based on data collected from museum specimens. However, "Bishop 1973" is not the correct author citation for Tor soro. Instead, Tor (now placed in Neolissochilus) soro was originally described as Barbus soro by Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes (1842:191). Since "Tor soro Bishop 1973" is not a valid name/author combination, Neolissochilus soro, as treated by Khaironizam et al. (2015), cannot be considered a junior synonym of N. soroides.
The marine water strider Halobates sexualis Distant, 1903 was originally described from the estuary of Jambu River (Distant 1903). This species has been recorded from Malaysia (Cheng 1985, Zettel Tran 2009, Ikawa et al. 2012), Sri Lanka (Andersen Foster 1992, Ikawa et al. 2012) and Thailand (Román-Palacios et al. 2018). In the pioneering work by Herring (1961) on this genus, he mentioned the type locality to be "Estuary of the Jambu River, Malaya." Andersen and Foster (1992) provided notes on the whereabouts of the type locality of this species and mentioned that it was probably located in northern Malaya (Kuala Jambu) immediately south of the border of Thailand on the Gulf of Siam coast. Andersen and Cheng (2004) further backed this up by mentioning Malaysia in the range of H. sexualis, which was not recorded from Malaysia until 2009 (Zettel Tran 2009) but also stated that it was not verified personally. However, Distant (1903) mentioned the collection locality as "Estuary of the Jambu River, Jhering." According to the Map of the Malay Peninsula published around the same time period in 1898 by Stanford, London (RASGBI 1898), Jambu or Jering is located along the coast of Yaring (formerly Jhering/Jering) which is a District Town in Pattani Province of Thailand. This location is about 120 km northwest of the previously presumed location by Andersen Foster (1992; see fig. 24) and is most likely the site of collection, which is in present-day Thailand. The type locality of this species should thus be attributed to Thailand instead of Malaysia.
The phylogenetic relationships of 26 Australian species of Scirtes Illiger, Ora Clark and Exochomoscirtes Pic (Scirtidae) were investigated using adult morphology, particularly male and female genitalia, larval morphology and molecular data from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the nuclear genes elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1- a) and topoisomerase I (TOP1). Four species of Scirtes and one of Ora from Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan were included. The genus Scirtes is shown to be paraphyletic with respect to the genera Ora and Exochomoscirtes. Australian Scirtes were shown to belong to four species groups: Scirtes elegans group (Yoshitomi 2009); S. helmsi group (Watts 2004); S. japonicus group (Nyholm 2002); and S. haemisphaericus group (Yoshitomi 2005). The prehensor and bursal sclerite of 15 species are illustrated as well as habitus illustrations of S. zwicki sp. nov. and S. albamaculatus Watts. Three new species from Australia are described: Scirtes lynnae, S. zwicki and S. serratus spp. nov. Scirtes nehouensis Ruta & Yoshitomi 2010 is synonymised with S. emmaae Watts 2004. Scirtes pygmaeus Watts, 2004 is synonymised with S. pinjarraensis Watts, 2006. Scirtes rutai nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement name for S. beccus Ruta, Kiałka & Yoshitomi, 2014 from Sabah as it is preoccupied by S. beccus Watts, 2004 from Australia.
The taxonomic position of the rare Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) Gray to other species of homalopsids has remained uncertain due to the scarcity of specimens in collections and the lack of genetic material for comparison. Here we report the first molecular phylogenetic examination of this species based on recently acquired material. The study recovered R. indica nested within the clade of advanced, fanged homalopsids and the sister species to Erpeton tentaculatus Lácèpede. We also present notes on variation observed in the new specimens as well as range extensions for the species.
The mossy frogs of the genus Theloderma Tschudi comprise 28 described taxa (Sivongxay et al. 2016; Frost 2022), which are distributed from north-eastern India and Myanmar to southern China, across the peninsula of Indochina and Malaysia, to Indonesia (Poyarkov et al. 2015; Frost 2022). Theloderma albopunctatum is a small-sized taxon that is assigned to the T.-asperum species complex (Poyarkov et al. 2015, 2018; Sivongxay et al. 2016; Dever 2018). For long time, it has been believed to be a synonym of T. asperum. However, genetic analyses revealed that both taxa show significant differences. Currently, populations south of the Isthmus of Kra (southern Thailand, Malayan peninsular) are assigned to T. asperum, while populations north of it (southern China, northern and central Vietnam, adjacent Laos, south-eastern Cambodia) are assigned to T. albopunctatum. In addition, this species complex might contain further cryptic species (cf. Nguyen et al. 2015; Poyarkov et al. 2015) and according to Chunskul et al. (2021) four genetic groups do exist: group A comprises T. albopunctatum from southern and central Vietnam, Laos, central and north-eastern Thailand; group B is composed of populations from northern Vietnam and China; group C ranges from north-western Vietnam to northern Thailand and Myanmar; and group D is distributed in northern Vietnam (Thanh Hoa).
A revision of the genus Leopoldamys is presented, and both the species composition and distribution in Indochina and Sundaic regions is reinvestigated. The phylogeny of the genus is recovered based on Cyt b, COI, and IRBP gene analyses. Five basal and 16 secondary monophyletic phylogenetic lineages were identified. A taxonomic reassessment of the continental and Sundaic populations is performed based on morphological verification of the genetically defined clades. Six clades were recovered in the phylogenetic analyses and correspond to morphologically defined species: L. revertens (distributed in lowlands of eastern and central Indochina), L. herberti (western and central Indochina, northward to northern Vietnam), L. edwardsi (China and northern Vietnam, northward of 21 degrees N), L. milleti (endemic of Dalat Plateau, southern Vietnam), L. sabanus (Borneo), and L. vociferans (lowlands of the Malacca Peninsula, northward to southwestern Thailand). The absence of proper L. sabanus in continental Indochina is revealed. The substitute name for the species known from the majority of Indochina under the name of L. sabanus should be L. revertens. The name L. neilli, which has been ascribed to populations from Thailand and Vietnam, is a junior synonym of L. herberti. Two related but rather divergent clades are found in Sumatra and the Malacca Peninsula. Based on their considerable genetic distances, these forms should be regarded as separate species from the L. sabanus type-bearing populations of Borneo, or as the members of L. sabanus polytypic superspecies. The substitute name for the lineage-bearing taxon from Malacca should be L. vociferans. The continental populations of Leopoldamys can be distinguished from each other by external and cranial characters and may be subdivided into four species. Two of these species (L. revertens and L. milleti) are well distinguished by external and cranial morphology, whereas the other two species (L. herberti and L. edwardsi) may be treated as sibling species that are difficult to distinguish based on morphological characters.
We analyzed the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene and fragments of four nuclear loci: ApoB, RAG2, IRBP1 and BRCA1. These data allowed us to provide new insights into the diversity of the Asiatic water shrews of Indochina. A new, highly divergent genetic lineage of Chimarrogale was found in southern Vietnam, and this lineage included specimens from the provinces of Kon Tum, Dak Lak, and Lam Dong. Such finding represents the newest and southernmost records of Chimarrogale in Indochina. Morphological analysis classified the specimens from southern Vietnam as C. varennei proper, which is restricted to that region, whereas the polymorphic C. himalayica, which contained at least four cytochrome b haplogroups, occurred in central and northern Vietnam and southern China. This distinct C. varennei lineage closely related to the C. platycephalus + C. leander clade suggests the existence of an unknown glacial refuge in Tay Nguyen Plateau, southern Vietnam. Because the Bornean C. phaeura (i) was sister-group of the rest of Chimarrogale sensu lato and (ii) had a high genetic divergence (~15% for cytochrome b) and geographical isolation, we suggest that C. phaeura be placed into a separate genus, Crossogale Thomas, 1921. This genus should also include C. sumatrana (Sumatra) and C. hantu (Peninsular Malaysia). On those grounds, we propose a new classification system for Asiatic water shrews.
Two new species and one subspecies of the genus Cechetra Zolotuhin Ryabov, 2012 are described from South-East Asia. Cechetra bryki sp.n. is described from Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), southwestern China and northern Vietnam. This species is most closely related in habitus, male genitalia morphology and COI mtDNA to the sympatric species, C. lineosa (Walker, 1856) and C. scotti (Rothschild, 1920) in habitus, male genitalia morphology and COI mtDNA. Cechetra inconspicua sp.n. is described from Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. In habitus, it is closest to C. lineosa and C.subangustata (Rothschild, 1920), but its COI mtDNA (COI-5P "barcode region") is very different from all other species in the genus. Cechetra subangustata continentalis ssp.n. is described from continental Indochina and Taiwan. It differs from the nominotypical subspecies in habitus. Cechetra scotti comb. nov. is transferred to Cechetra from Cechenena Rothschild Jordan, 1903.
The Oriental, Australasian and Oceanian genus Caiusa Surcouf, 1920 is revised, species concepts being based on male and female genitalia. A key to males for all known species, and a key to females for all except one are given. All relevant types still in existence have been studied, complete synonymies given and the geographical distribution reconsidered. The eight species included in the genus are: Caiusa borneoensis sp. nov. (Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa coomani Séguy, 1948 (China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa indica Surcouf, 1920 (Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa karrakerae sp. nov. (Malaysia, Thailand); Caiusa kurahashii sp. nov. (Indonesia, Japan, Philippines); Caiusa pooae sp. nov. (Thailand); Caiusa testacea Senior-White, 1923 (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and Caiusa violacea Séguy, 1925, stat. rev. (Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam). A lectotype is designated for Caiusa indica to fix the interpretation of the name. Caiusa nigronitens Senior-White, 1923, syn. nov. and Caiusa surcoufi Bezzi, 1927, syn. nov. are established as junior synonyms of Caiusa indica. Caiusa violacea is correctly diagnosed and errors in the original description of the female holotype are pointed out. Caiusa dubiosa Villeneuve, 1927 is established as a junior synonym of C. violacea, syn. nov. Seven Caiusa species have been reared from the egg mass of various species of frogs. The reproductive mode of the eighth species, i.e., C. indica, is unknown. Five species, i.e., C. borneoensis, C. coomani, C. karrakerae, C. kurahashii and C. violacea have been reared from one or more of the foam nesting frog species Chiromantis nongkhorensis (Cochran, 1927), Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1927), Polypedates megacephalus Hallowell, 1861, Rhacophorus annamensis Smith, 1924, Rhacophorus dulitensis Boulenger, 1892, Rhacophorus kio Ohler & Delorme, 2005 and Rhacophorus owstoni (Stejneger, 1907) all belonging in the family Rhacophoridae in Anura. These five Caiusa species all have a specialised ovipositor tip, with small spine-like setae on the ST8 and the hypoproct, probably enabling the flies to oviposit on a foam nest with a hardened outer surface. They form a monophyletic group on account of these features of the ovipositor, unique in the Oestroidea. The sixth species, C. testacea, has been reared from a frog egg mass, the frog species being unknown. Its ovipositor structure is also unknown. The seventh species, C. pooae, has been reared once from the jelly-like egg mass of Feihyla hansenae (Cochran, 1927), also in Rhacophoridae. Caiusa pooae females do not have spine-like setae on the ovipositor, a fact correlated with the soft outer surface of the jelly-like egg mass on which a C. pooae female had oviposited. The extreme rarity of C. pooae oviposition on Feihyla hansenae egg masses may indicate that this fly perhaps has another, unknown, regular oviposition substrate. Caiusa pooae and C. indica make up a second monophyletic group within Caiusa. Caiusa indica, the most common and most widespread species of the genus, has an ovipositor structure similar to C. pooae. Its breeding substrate is unknown and it occurs both within and outside the distributional area of Rhacophoridae. Possibly both C. indica and C. pooae share a regular oviposition substrate that has still to be discovered. The holotype female of Plinthomyia emimelania Rondani, 1875 from Sarawak is established as a member of the genus Bengalia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, thus Plinthomyia Rondani, 1875 becomes a junior synonym of Bengalia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, syn. nov. It is removed from the synonymy of Phumosia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830.
The taxonomy of the little-known cricket genus Changiola from the subfamily Pteroplistinae is reviewed here. This genus consisted of three species, two from Malay Peninsula and one from Indochina. Here, we describe a new species from Borneo, the first from the island: Changiola sarawakensis n. sp. We also provide a key to the species, although it is likely that more species will be added to this genus with more sampling in the region.
Orthoptera from Sandakan, Sabah are relatively understudied compared to some other parts of Borneo, and lack of information of species there can impede our understanding of the origins and biodiversity of orthopterans in Borneo and, in general, Southeast Asia. Based on a recent orthopteran survey in Sandakan, one new species of Lebinthus Stål is described: Lebinthus sandakan sp. nov. The male calling song of this new species is also presented. The calling song of Cardiodactylus borneoe Robillard Gorochov, 2014 is also described for the first time.
A species of scaly cricket is described here: Ornebius lupus sp. nov. from the mangrove forests in Singapore. Ornebius pullus Ingrisch, 2006 is recorded in eastern Sabah for the first time. The calling songs of Cycloptiloides bimaculatus Tan et al., 2021 and Ornebius pullus from Sabah are described. We also revise the diagnosis of Ectatoderus nigrofasciatus Tan et al., 2021 from Brunei Darussalam.
In this taxonomical study, one new genus and 41 new species of the subfamily Mesochorinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) are described from Southeast Asia, namely from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The new genus is Orientochorus n. gen., the new species are Orientochorus tonkinensis n. sp., Astiphromma bicoloratus n. sp., Mesochorus achterbergi n. sp., Mesochorus anamnesis n. sp., Mesochorus brevipunctatus n. sp., Mesochorus cariniscuta n. sp., Mesochorus controversus n. sp., Mesochorus diversidens n. sp., Mesochorus flavator n. sp., Mesochorus flavopronotalis n. sp., Mesochorus fuscomaculatus n. sp., Mesochorus halmaherae n. sp., Mesochorus harlequinus n. sp., Mesochorus kinabaluensis n. sp., Mesochorus lamdongensis n. sp., Mesochorus longimurus n. sp., Mesochorus longistylus n. sp., Mesochorus longivalvator n. sp., Mesochorus malaysiacus n. sp., Mesochorus malucutus n. sp., Mesochorus nigripleuris n. sp., Mesochorus nigrofemur n. sp., Mesochorus nigromaculatus n. sp., Mesochorus paratenebris n. sp., Mesochorus pictiloides n. sp., Mesochorus pterostigmator n. sp., Mesochoprus rufator n. sp., Mesochorus sabahensis n. sp., Mesochorus sapaensis n. sp., Mesochorus semifuscus n. sp., Mesochorus semipunctatus n. sp., Mesochorus siamensis n. sp., Mesochorus stigmaticolor n. sp., Mesochorus striatofacies n. sp., Mesochorus sulaensis n. sp., Mesochorus sumaterae n. sp., Mesochorus templator n. sp., Mesochorus tenebris n. sp., Mesochorus tonkinensis n. sp., Mesochorus train n. sp., and Mesochorus vietnamensis n. sp. All species are illustrated and described in detail. In addition, a key for the females of the known Mesochorus species of Southeast Asia is presented.