The intertidal serpulid polychaete Spirobranchus kraussii was originally described from South Africa and has since been reported in numerous sub (tropical) localities around the world. Recently, however, S. kraussii was uncovered as a complex of morphologically similar and geographically restricted species, raising the need to revise S. cf. kraussii populations. We formally describe S. cf. kraussii from Singapore mangroves as Spirobranchus bakau sp. nov. based on morphological and molecular data. Despite their morphological similarities, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of 18S and Cyt b DNA sequence data confirm that S. bakau sp. nov. is genetically distinct from S. kraussii and other known species in the complex. Both analyses recovered S. bakau sp. nov. as part of a strongly supported clade (96% bootstrap, 1 posterior probability), comprising S. sinuspersicus, S. kraussii and S. cf. kraussii from Australia and Hawaii. Additionally, paratypes of S. kraussii var. manilensis, described from Manila Bay in the Philippines, were examined and elevated to the full species S. manilensis. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that fertilisation and embryonic development of S. bakau sp. nov. can occur under the wide range of salinities (19.630.9 psu) and temperatures (2531C) reported in the Johor Strait. Fertilisation success of ≥70% was achieved across a temperature range of 2532C and a salinity range of 2032 psu. Embryonic development, however, had a narrower salinity tolerance range of 2732 psu. Clarifying the taxonomic status of S. cf. kraussii populations reported from localities elsewhere in Singapore and Southeast Asia will be useful in establishing the geographical distribution of S. bakau sp. nov. and other members of the S. kraussii-complex.
Spiky pygmy devils (Tetrigidae: Discotettiginae) are, because of the spiky pronotal projections and widened subapical antennal segments, among the most unique pygmy grasshoppers in Southeast (SE) Asia. The taxonomy of the group was unclear in the past, so this study brings a taxonomic and biographical review of the genus Discotettix Costa, 1864. New terminology of the pronotal projections is proposed for Scelimeninae. All valid species hitherto included in the genus are redescribed; a new genus is established for Discotettix shelfordi Hancock, 1907, Disconius Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck gen. n., so a new combination is established for the species (Disconius shelfordi comb. n.). New synonymy is established: Discotettix selysi Bolívar, 1887 = Discotettix selangori Mahmood, Idris et Salmah, 2007 syn. n. Three new species are described and a key to Discotettix species is provided. The genus now includes seven species (1) Discotettix aruanus Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. from Aru; (2) D. belzebuth (Serville, 1838) from Borneo; (3) D. doriae Bolívar, 1898 stat. resurr. from the Mentawai islands; (4) D. kirscheyi Skejo, Pushkar, Tumbrinck et Tan sp. n. from Northeast (NE) Borneo; (5) D. scabridus (Stål, 1877) endemic to Mindanao and Samar; (6) D. selysi Bolívar, 1887 from Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia; (7) D. sumatrensis Skejo, Pushkar et Tumbrinck sp. n. endemic to southern Sumatra. Moreover, Discotettix is again subdivided into two subgenera: Mnesarchus Stål, 1877 stat. resurr. (D. scabridus) and nominotypical one (other species). Widened antennal segments are the only character common to all Discotettiginae genera, but this trait does not have great taxonomic importance, as it is homoplastic, meaning that it appeared in distant Tetrigidae groups independently. Discotettix is herewith transferred to the subfamily Scelimeninae and accordingly, the subfamily Discotettiginae Hancock, 1907 syn. n. becomes a junior synonym of the subfamily Scelimeninae Bolívar, 1887. The tribe Discotettigini stat. resurr., on the other hand, gathers corticolous genera of the Scelimeninae (Austrohancockia Günther, 1938, Bidentatettix Zheng, 1992, Disconius gen. n. Discotettix, Eufalconius Günther, 1938, Gibbotettix Zheng, 1992, Paragavialidium Zheng, 1994, Gavialidium Saussure, 1862, and Tegotettix Hancock, 1913), while the tribe Scelimenini becomes restricted to amphibious taxa. All taxa are described and amply depicted with both museum specimens and in situ photographs. An identification key is provided. The morphology and function of widened antennae in Discotettigini are discussed.
Azaleothrips, a phlaeothripine genus of fungus-feeding species, is presumably endemic to the Oriental Region between India and Japan. Although only 10 species have been known in this genus until now, a total of 35 species is recorded here, of which 26 are newly described: from Indonesia--A. bali sp.n., A. bulelengi sp.n., A. dentatus sp.n., A. dorsalis sp.n., A. floresi sp.n., A. inflavus sp.n., A. simulans sp.n., A. sulawesicus sp.n., from the Philippines--A. apoensis sp.n., A. bifidius sp.n., A. luzonensis sp.n., A. mindanaoensis sp.n., A. philippinensis sp.n., from Taiwan--A. atayal sp.n., A. formosae sp.n., A. taiwanus sp.n., from Thailand--A. flavicollis sp.n., A. phuketanus sp.n., A. pulcher sp.n., A. toshifumii sp.n., from Vietnam--A. laocai sp.n., A. vietnamensis sp.n., from W. Malaysia--A. malaya sp.n., A. reticulatus sp.n., A. richardi sp.n., A. templeri sp.n. In addition A. magnus Chen, described from Taiwan, is newly synonymized with A. moundi. Azaleothrips laevigatus, described from southern Japan, is newly recorded more widely in Southeast Asia. A key to 33 species is provided, but A. bhattii and A. lineus cannot be recognized because of the poor information in the original descriptions.
Ten species of the subgenus Cantotrella Gorochov, 2006 belonging to the genus Varitrella Gorochov, 2003 of the tribe Podoscirtini are recorded from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Eight of them are new and described here: V. (C.) orion sp. nov.; V. (C.) trusmadi sp. nov.; V. (C.) striata sp. nov.; V. (C.) robusta sp. nov., V. (C.) sukau sp. nov., V. (C.) tawau sp. nov., V. (C.) amoena sp. nov., V. (C.) manukan sp. nov.
Nine species of Thripinae that inhabit bamboo are recorded from Malaysia. Clypeothrips idrisi sp.n. is described as a second species in the genus, and Trichromothrips bruncurrum Reyes is considered a syn.n. of Neocorynothrips asiaticus Ramakrishna & Margabandhu. Six species are newly recorded from Malaysia: N. asiaticus, Okajimaella tubercula, Simulothrips banpoti, Stenchaetothrips bambusicola, S. bambusae and S. spinalis. Seven species of Stenchaetothrips are now known from Malaysia. Illustrations and descriptions of each species are provided.
Species of Apelaunothrips are fungus-feeders on dead leaves, particularly in leaf-litter, and they are recorded across the Old World tropics from Africa to northern Australia and southern Japan. All species in this genus have the maxillary stylets 4-6 microns in diameter, considerably broader than the 2-3 micron diameter that is typical among Phlaeothripinae. The species are largely uniform in structure, but in four species the larger males have fore femora enlarged with a conspicuous tubercle on the inner margin at the base. In one of these species, the males are dimorphic, with no intermediates between large and small individuals, in contrast to the continuous variation in structure found in many polymorphic Phlaeothripidae. A key is provided to the 37 recognised species of Apelaunothrips, including the following: A. desleyae sp.n. from northern Australia; A. bogor sp.n. from Java; A. gombak sp.n. from Peninsular Malaysia.
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.
A new species of small Hipposideros in the bicolor group is described based on specimens from Thailand and Malaysia. It can be distinguished from other small Hipposideros in Southeast Asia by a combination of external, craniodental, and bacular morphology, as well as echolocation call frequency. The new species has a distinct rounded swelling on the internarial septum of the noseleaf, with a forearm length of 35.3-42.6 mm, greatest skull length of 15.94-17.90 mm, and a call frequency of maximum energy of 132.3-144.0 kHz. Although clearly different in morphology, the new species forms a sister clade with H. kunzi and H. bicolor in the phylogenetic trees based on mitochondrial DNA. In addition, this study reports echolocation and genetic data, with a confirmed record of H. einnaythu from Thailand for the first time. The new species most closely resembles H. einnaythu. However, it differs in the details of the noseleaf and craniodental morphology, and it has a genetic distance of 9.6% and 10.4% based on mitochondrial COI and ND2, respectively. It is currently documented from five localities: two in peninsular Thailand, at Hala Forest in Yala Province, and Phru To Daeng Swamp Forest in Narathiwat Province, one from peninsular Malaysia at Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang, and another two in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo at Gunung Kinabalu, and near Madai Caves. However, it is likely that many previous records of "H. cineraceus" from Borneo refer to this species. Most records of the species are from lowland evergreen rainforest, though one record from Sabah was at 1800m. The roosting sites for this new species are currently unknown. Future research with a combination of data such as genetics, echolocation and morphology would be necessary to further determine the species geographic distribution in Southeast Asia.
A new genus and new species of the pselaphine tribe Batrisini, Smetanabatrus kinabalu gen. et sp. n., is described from Sabah, East Malaysia. Both sexes of the new species have securiform maxillary palpi, with the male exhibiting extreme abdominal modification. Illustrations of the habitus and major diagnostic features, as well as a discussion on the taxonomic placement of the new taxon is provided. A key to genera of the Batrisini from Borneo is provided.
Six new species belonging to Belisana Thorell, 1898 are described from Southeast Asia: Belisana bachma sp. nov. (Vietnam; male, female), B. cucphuong sp. nov. (Vietnam; male, female), B. jaegeri sp. nov. (Malaysia; male, female), B. kachin sp. nov. (Myanmar; male, female), B. putao sp. nov. (Myanmar; male) and B. tarang sp. nov. (Indonesia; male, female). These new species bring the total number of Belisana to 143 species worldwide.
Five new Althepus species and one new Psiloderces species of the family Ochyroceratidae are described from Southeast Asia: Althepus erectus spec. nov. (male) and A. nophaseudi spec. nov. (male, female) from Laos, A. flabellaris spec. nov. (male, female) from Thailand, A. reduncus spec. nov. (male) from Myanmar, A. spiralis spec. nov. (male) from Malaysia, and Psiloderces dicellocerus spec. nov. (male) from Indonesia. Primary types are deposited in the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany (SMF).
Six new species of the cephenniine genus Hlavaciellus Jałoszyński are described: H. cincinnalis sp. n. (Malaysia: Sabah); H. carinatus sp. n. (Malaysia: Pahang); H. microtuberculatus sp. n. (Malaysia: Pahang); H. diversipilosus sp. n. (Malaysia: Pahang); H. concavus sp. n. (Indonesia: Sumatra); and H. sumatranus sp. n. (Indonesia: Sumatra). An updated key to identification of males of all nominal species of Hlavaciellus is given.
Six genera with 35 species of fungal spore feeding idolothripine thrips included in the subtribe Macrothripina of the tribe Pygothripini are recognised from Southeast Asia to Taiwan. In which one genus and 21 species are newly described: Aesthesiothrips breviconus sp. n., A. elongatus sp. n., Celidothrips floresi, sp. n., Ethirothrips colossus, sp. n., E. conopygus sp. n., E. dalatae sp. n., E. duricaudus sp. n., E. kasetsarti sp. n., E. longiceps sp. n., E. malaya sp. n., E. oculus sp. n., E. ommatus sp. n., E. puiensis sp. n., E. quadratus sp. n., E. saigon sp. n., E. setosus sp. n., E. tenuis sp. n., E. terminalis sp. n., E. thai sp. n., Fernothrips femoralis gen. et sp. n., Polytrichothrips malayanus sp. n., and two species are redescribed: E. longisetis and E. rubeus. Moreover, five species of two genera are newly recorded from Southeast Asia: E. brevis from Indonesia and Thailand, E. longisetis from Laos, E. obscurus from Indonesia and Thailand, E. rubeus from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and Ischyrothrips crassus from Thailand. Generic definitions of two genera, Aesthesiothrips and Ethirothrips, are re-examined. Five keys are provided for: 12 Macrothripina genera from Asia, three Aestethiothrips species, two Celidothrips species from Southeast Asia, 26 Ethirothrips species from Southeast Asia to Taiwan, and three Polytrichothrips species.
Simulium (Nevermannia) ledangense sp. nov. is described from females, males, pupae and mature larvae from Peninsular Malaysia. This new species is assigned to the Simulium feuerborni species-group of the subgenus Nevermannia, and is characterized by the pupa having a very long stalk of the ventral paired gill filaments, which is almost five times longer than the interspiracular trunk and female tergites of segments 2 and 5 to 7 shiny. Taxonomic notes are given to distinguish this new species from three known species of the S. feuerborni species-group from Malaysia.
Simulium (Gomphostilbia) hiroyukii is described based on females, males, pupae and larvae collected in Mount Murud, Sarawak, Malaysia. This new species is assigned to the Simulium darjeelingense species-group of the subgenus Gomphostilbia, and is characterized by the darkened fore coxae and the pupal gill with eight long filaments, of which middle and dorsal triplets have elongated primary and secondary stalks, respectively.
Simulium (Nevermannia) khunklangense sp. nov. is described from females, males, pupae and larvae collected in Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand. This new species is placed in the vernum species-group of the subgenus Nevermannia and is similar to S. (N.) chomthongense Takaoka & Srisuka described from Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand, but is distinguished in the male by the number of enlarged upper-eye facets and the relative width of the hind basitarsus against the hind tibia and femur, and in the pupa by the short common basal stalk of the gill and the cocoon with an anterodorsal bulge or a short anterodorsal projection. Taxonomic notes are provided to separate this new species from five other known species of the vernum species-group, which share an accessory sclerite on the larval abdomen, a rare characteristics in this species-group.
Simulium (Gomphostilbia) lemborense sp. nov. is described based on adults, pupae and mature larvae from Flores, in the eastern part of the Sunda Archipelago, Indonesia. This new species is placed in the Simulium batoense species-group of the subgenus Gomphostilbia Enderlein, representing the most eastern distribution record for the group. This new species is characterized by a narrow female frons and pupal gill with eight filaments, of which two filaments of the ventral pair are three to four times as long as the six other filaments. Taxonomic notes are provided to distinguish this new species from related species.
The taxonomy of three genera of little-known Phaneropterinae from Malay Peninsula (Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia) is reviewed: Cesasundana Koçak & Kemal, 2009, Elbenia Stål, 1876 and Macedna Karsch, 1891. One new species each from the genera Cesasundana and Elbenia are described from Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia respectively: Cesasundana lorniensis sp. n. and Elbenia fraser sp. n. Keys to species of Cesasundana and Elbenia are also included. The taxonomic position of monotypic genus Macedna is validated, male is redescribed and the female is described for the first time.
Seven new species of the genus Deltoplastis Meyrick are described: D. acutangulata Wang et Yu, sp. nov., D. anatoliana Wang et Park, sp. nov., D. multidentalis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. similihoristis Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from China; D. aculeata Wang et Yu, sp. nov. and D. spatuliunca Wang et Yu, sp. nov. from Malaysian Borneo; and D. ovidiscalis Park et Wang, sp. nov. from Vietnam. Deltoplastis horistis (Meyrick, 1910) is newly recorded in China and its female is described for the first time. Images of adults and genitalia of the new species are provided.
Earthworm specimens collected from various parts of Thailand were found to contain seven new species of the genus Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972. These are M. songkhlaensis sp. n. in the octothecal pulauensis species group, M. trangensis sp. n. in the octothecal ignobilis species group, M. khaoluangensis sp. n. and M. khaochamao sp. n. in the sexthecal houlleti species group, M. doiphamon sp. n. in the sexthecal peguana species group, M. saxicalcis sp. n. in the quadrithecal planata species group, and the bithecal M. surinensis sp. n. Type material of some established species from Thailand or northern Malaysia was reinvestigated and illustrated to confirm the status of the new species and to facilitate species comparisons: M. pulauensis (Beddard, 1900), M. baruana (Stephenson, 1932), both with newly designated lectotypes, and M. planata (Gates, 1936), illustrated and redescribed.