Latest Articles from ZooKeys Latest 23 Articles from ZooKeys https://zookeys.pensoft.net/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:35:47 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://zookeys.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from ZooKeys https://zookeys.pensoft.net/ Three new species of Nautilus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) from the Coral Sea and South Pacific https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/84427/ ZooKeys 1143: 51-69

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1143.84427

Authors: Gregory J. Barord, David J. Combosch, Gonzalo Giribet, Neil Landman, Sarah Lemer, Job Veloso, Peter D. Ward

Abstract: Nautiloids are a charismatic group of marine molluscs best known for their rich fossil record, but today they are restricted to a handful of species in the family Nautilidae from around the Coral Triangle. Recent genetic work has shown a disconnect between traditional species, originally defined on shell characters, but now with new findings from genetic structure of various Nautilus populations. Here, three new species of Nautilus from the Coral Sea and South Pacific region are formally named using observations of shell and soft anatomical data augmented by genetic information: N. samoaensis sp. nov. (from American Samoa), N. vitiensis sp. nov. (from Fiji), and N. vanuatuensis sp. nov. (from Vanuatu). The formal naming of these three species is timely considering the new and recently published information on genetic structure, geographic occurrence, and new morphological characters, including color patterns of shell and soft part morphology of hood, and will aid in managing these possibly endangered animals. As recently proposed from genetic analyses, there is a strong geographic component affecting taxonomy, with the new species coming from larger island groups that are separated by at least 200 km of deep water (greater than 800 m) from other Nautilus populations and potential habitats. Nautilid shells implode at depths greater than 800 m and depth therefore acts as a biogeographical barrier separating these species. This isolation, coupled with the unique, endemic species in each locale, are important considerations for the conservation management of the extant Nautilus species and populations.

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Research Article Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:27:13 +0200
Hawaiian Paratachys Casey (Coleoptera, Carabidae): small beetles of sodden summits, stony streams, and stygian voids https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/59674/ ZooKeys 1044: 229-268

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1044.59674

Authors: James K. Liebherr

Abstract: Five Hawaiian species of Paratachys Casey are revised, including four newly described: Paratachys terryli from Kauai; P. perkinsi from Moloka‘i; P. haleakalae from Maui; and P. aaa from Hawai‘i Island. A lectotype is designated for the fifth Hawaiian species currently combined with Paratachys, Tachys arcanicola Blackburn, 1878 of Oahu. Hawaiian Paratachys spp. known from more than one specimen exhibit some degree of ocular polymorphism, that variation being extreme in P. terryli where individuals range in ocular development from macrophthalmic with broadly convex eyes to microphthalmic with small, flat eyes. All Hawaiian Paratachys species comprise individuals with vestigial wings, with the exception of P. terryli, where a single macropterous, macrophthalmic female complements the other 18 brachypterous specimens. Based on a transformation series of characters from the male aedeagus, the biogeographic history of Hawaiian Paratachys is consistent with progressive colonization of the Hawaiian Island chain. Three of the species do not appear to represent species of conservation concern, with P. terryli and P. haleakalae known from terrestrial deep soil, litter, and streamside microhabitats in montane wet rain forest, and the troglobitic P. aaa occupying the dark zone of numerous, recently developed lava tube caves within the Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanic massifs. The conservation status of the other two species is much more dire, with P. arcanicola of O‘ahu not seen in nature since the early 20th Century, and P. perkinsi known only from a single specimen fortuitously collected in 1894 near sea level on Moloka‘i.

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Research Article Wed, 16 Jun 2021 19:00:08 +0300
Overlooked but not forgotten: the first new extant species of Hawaiian land snail described in 60 years, Auriculella gagneorum sp. nov. (Achatinellidae, Auriculellinae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/50669/ ZooKeys 950: 1-31

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.950.50669

Authors: Norine W. Yeung, John Slapcinsky, Ellen E. Strong, Jaynee R. Kim, Kenneth A. Hayes

Abstract: Recent surveys of Oahu’s Waianae Mountains uncovered a small, previously undescribed species of Auriculella that is conchologically similar to the three members of the A. perpusilla group all of which are endemic to the Koolau Mountain Range. However, sequence data demonstrate that the perpusilla group is not monophyletic. Moreover, the new species is not closely related to A. perpusilla or A. perversa, the only extant members of the group, but instead is sister to A. tenella, a species from the high spired A. castanea group. A neotype is designated for A. auricula, the type species of Auriculella; all members of the conchologically similar perpusilla group are anatomically redescribed; and lectotypes designated for A. minuta, A. perversa, and A. tenella. The new species is described and compared to the type of the genus, members of the perpusilla group, and the genetically similar species A. tenella.

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Research Article Mon, 20 Jul 2020 12:22:30 +0300
Annotated checklist for stony corals of American Sāmoa with reference to mesophotic depth records https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/34763/ ZooKeys 849: 1-170

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.849.34763

Authors: Anthony D. Montgomery, Douglas Fenner, Robert J. Toonen

Abstract: An annotated checklist of the stony corals (Scleractinia, Milleporidae, Stylasteridae, and Helioporidae) of American Sāmoa is presented. A total of 377 valid species has been reported from American Sāmoa with 342 species considered either present (251) or possibly present (91). Of these 342 species, 66 have a recorded geographical range extension and 90 have been reported from mesophotic depths (30–150 m). Additionally, four new species records (Acanthastrea subechinata Veron, 2000, Favites paraflexuosus Veron, 2000, Echinophyllia echinoporoides Veron & Pichon, 1980, Turbinaria irregularis Bernard, 1896) are presented. Coral species of concern include species listed under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species. Approximately 17.5% of the species present or possibly present are categorized as threatened by IUCN compared to 27% of the species globally. American Sāmoa has seven ESA-listed or ESA candidate species, including Acropora globiceps (Dana, 1846), Acropora jacquelineae Wallace, 1994, Acropora retusa (Dana, 1846), Acropora speciosa (Quelch, 1886), Fimbriaphyllia paradivisa (Veron, 1990), Isopora crateriformis (Gardiner, 1898), and Pocillopora meandrina Dana, 1846. There are two additional species possibly present, i.e., Pavona diffluens (Lamarck, 1816) and Porites napopora Veron, 2000.

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Checklist Tue, 21 May 2019 11:48:29 +0300
A new species and new records of Engytatus from the Hawaiian Islands (Heteroptera, Miridae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/21054/ ZooKeys 796: 97-106

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.796.21054

Authors: Dan A. Polhemus

Abstract: Engytatus henryi sp. n. is described from the Waianae Mountains of Oahu. This new species feeds on Abutilon sandwicense (Malvaceae), an endangered understory plant in mesic forests. A dorsal habitus photograph and line drawings of key male genitalic structures are provided for E. henryi, accompanied by a photograph of the host plant. Cyrtopeltis kahakai Asquith is given a new generic assignment as Engytatus kahakai (Asquith) new combination, and additional locality and host-plant records are provided for four other Hawaiian endemic Engytatus species.

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Research Article Thu, 15 Nov 2018 07:08:08 +0200
Hawaiian Philodoria (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Ornixolinae) leaf mining moths on Myrsine (Primulaceae): two new species and biological data https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/21690/ ZooKeys 773: 109-141

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.773.21690

Authors: Shigeki Kobayashi, Chris A. Johns, Carlos Lopez-Vaamonde, Camiel Doorenweerd, Atsushi Kawakita, Issei Ohshima, David C. Lees, Sofia Hanabergh, Akito Y. Kawahara

Abstract: This paper provides new taxonomic and biological data on a complex of gracillariid moths in the endemic genus Philodoria Walsingham, 1907 that are associated with Myrsine (Primulaceae) in the Hawaiian Islands, United States. Two new species, Philodoria kauaulaensis Kobayashi, Johns & Kawahara, sp. n. (host: Myrsine lanaiensis, M. lessertiana, and M. sandwicensis) and P. kolea Kobayashi, Johns & Kawahara, sp. n. (host: M. lessertiana) are described. Biological data are provided for two previously described species that also feed on Myrsine: P. auromagnifica Walsingham, 1907 and P. succedanea Walsingham, 1907. For the first time we detail and illustrate genital structures, immature stages, biology, and host plants of P. auromagnifica and P. succedanea. Philodoria kolea, P. auromagnifica, and P. succedanea occur in sympatry on the island of Hawaii (Big Island), but each species differs in behavioral characters: P. kolea utilizes leaves of seedlings and forms a serpentine mine, whereas the latter two utilize leaves of larger plants, and form linear or serpentine to blotch mines. More broadly, leaf mine forms and diagnostic characteristics of the Myrsine-feeding species complex of Philodoria (as currently known) are reviewed and illustrated.

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Research Article Mon, 9 Jul 2018 21:22:29 +0300
Revision of the Hawaiian psyllid genus Swezeyana, with descriptions of seven new species (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Triozidae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/23019/ ZooKeys 758: 75-113

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.758.23019

Authors: Diana M. Percy

Abstract: The endemic Hawaiian genus Swezeyana Caldwell, 1940 is highly distinctive due to the extremely long genal processes. In addition, some of the immatures are ornamented with extraordinary tubercles and tentacles. Two Swezeyana species are redescribed, and seven new species are described, bringing the total number of species in the genus to nine. All species are hosted by a single, endemic host plant, Planchonella sandwicensis (Sapotaceae), which is distributed across all major islands in the archipelago. The majority of Swezeyana species are single island endemics. A sister taxon pair is found sympatrically on the same individual plants on Kauai, and putative sister or at least closely related species are also found sympatrically on Oahu and Hawaii, suggesting these taxa may have diversified in sympatry. However, there is no observed ecological niche partitioning, despite some striking morphological diversity, as all Swezeyana species have free-living immatures that are found on the leaf surface, and therefore no apparent biological shifts are coincident with occupying the same host plant. Two species groups are represented by strikingly different female terminalia structure and endoskeletal development, although ovipositor structure is very similar between the two groups. Mitochondrial DNA barcodes (COI and cytB) are provided for eight of the nine species. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial barcode regions indicates species relationships within Swezeyana and provides a comparison of genetic divergence with other Hawaiian endemic genera.

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Monograph Tue, 15 May 2018 12:04:07 +0300
The species of Haplothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) and related genera recorded from the Hawaiian Islands https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/12107/ ZooKeys 662: 79-92

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.662.12107

Authors: Laurence A. Mound, Janis N. Matsunaga

Abstract: An illustrated identification key is provided to 17 species of Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae from Hawaii that are members of the Tribe Haplothripini, together with a further species that is similar in general appearance to members of that Tribe. Of these 18 species, 13 are considered introduced from other parts of the world, but five appear to be endemics. Known only from Hawaii, Haplothrips fissus syn. n. is considered to have been based on a teratological specimen and is placed as a synonym of the Hawaiian endemic Haplothrips davisi. Both this species and two further endemics, Haplothrips rosai and Priesneria doliicornis, are possibly mycophagous rather than phytophagous. The Indonesian species Haplothrips sesuvii syn. n. is recognised as a synonym of Haplothrips robustus from Australia, although both names have been used in Hawaii. Two further species that are presumed to be Hawaiian endemics, Apterygothrips remotus and Haplothrips williamsi, remain known only from the original specimens.

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Research Article Tue, 21 Mar 2017 02:11:48 +0200
Making the most of your host: the Metrosideros-feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Hawaiian Islands https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/10213/ ZooKeys 649: 1-163

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.649.10213

Authors: Diana M. Percy

Abstract: The Hawaiian psyllids (Psylloidea, Triozidae) feeding on Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) constitute a remarkable radiation of more than 35 species. This monophyletic group has diversified on a single, highly polymorphic host plant species, Metrosideros polymorpha. Eleven Metrosideros-feeding species included in the Insects of Hawaii by Zimmerman are redescribed, and an additional 25 new species are described. Contrary to previous classifications that placed the Metrosideros-feeders in two genera, Trioza Foerster, 1848 and Kuwayama Crawford, 1911, all 36 named species are placed in Pariaconus Enderlein, 1926; and the relationship of this genus to other Pacific taxa within the family Triozidae, and other Austro-Pacific taxa feeding on host plants in Myrtaceae is clarified. The processes of diversification in Pariaconus include shifts in galling habit, geographic isolation within and between islands, and preferences for different morphotypes of the host plant. Four species groups are recognized: the bicoloratus and minutus groups are free-living or form pit galls, and together with the kamua group (composing all of the Kauai species) form a basal assemblage; the more derived closed gall species in the ohialoha group are found on all major islands except Kauai. The diversification of Pariaconus has likely occurred over several million years. Within island diversification is exemplified in the kamua group, and within species variation in the ohialoha group, but species discovery rates suggest this radiation remains undersampled. Mitochondrial DNA barcodes are provided for 28 of the 36 species. Genetic divergence, intraspecific genetic structure, and parallel evolution of different galling biologies and morphological traits are discussed within a phylogenetic framework. Outgroup analysis for the genus Pariaconus and ancestral character state reconstruction suggest pit-galling may be the ancestral state, and the closest outgroups are Palaearctic-Australasian taxa rather than other Pacific Metrosideros-feeders.

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Research Article Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:11:57 +0200
Tosanoides obama, a new basslet (Perciformes, Percoidei, Serranidae) from deep coral reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/11500/ ZooKeys 641: 165-181

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.641.11500

Authors: Richard L. Pyle, Brian D. Greene, Randall K. Kosaki

Abstract: The new species Tosanoides obama is described from two specimens collected at a depth of 90–92 m off Kure Atoll and Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It differs from the other two species of this genus in life color and in certain morphological characters, such as number of pored lateral-line scales, pectoral-fin rays, snout length, anterior three dorsal-fin spine lengths, dorsal-fin profile, and other characters. There are also substantial genetic differences from the other two species of Tosanoides (d ≈ 0.10 in mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I). The species is presently known only from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

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Research Article Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:34:31 +0200
Prognathodes basabei, a new species of butterflyfish (Perciformes, Chaetodontidae) from the Hawaiian Archipelago https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/10200/ ZooKeys 614: 137-152

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.614.10200

Authors: Richard L. Pyle, Randall K. Kosaki

Abstract: A new species of the butterflyfish genus Prognathodes is described from specimens collected at a depth of 55–61 m off Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This species has been observed by mixed-gas divers and from submersibles at depths ranging from 45–187 m throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, with shallower sightings in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and deeper in the Main Hawaiian Islands. It is similar to P. guezei (Maugé and Bauchot 1976) from the western Indian Ocean, and at least one other undescribed species of Prognathodes from Palau, differing from these species in the number of soft dorsal-fin rays, size of head, and body depth. There are also differences in the life color, and a substantial genetic difference from the Palauan species (d » .08 in mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I).

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Research Article Tue, 6 Sep 2016 09:53:13 +0300
The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Haleakala-, Maui: Keystone of a hyperdiverse Hawaiian radiation https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/6074/ ZooKeys 544: 1-407

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.544.6074

Authors: James K. Liebherr

Abstract: The Mecyclothorax carabid beetle fauna of Haleakalā volcano, Maui Island, Hawai‘i is taxonomically revised, with 116 species precinctive to Haleakalā recognized, 74 newly described. Species are classified into 14 species groups, with the newly described species arrayed as follows: 1, M. constrictus group with M. perseveratus sp. n.; 2, M. obscuricornis group with M. notobscuricornis sp. n., M. mordax sp. n., M. mordicus sp. n., M. manducus sp. n., M. ambulatus sp. n., M. montanus sp. n., M. waikamoi sp. n., M. poouli sp. n., and M. ahulili sp. n.; 3, M. robustus group with M. affinis sp. n., M. anchisteus sp. n., M. consanguineus sp. n., M. antaeus sp. n., M. cymindulus sp. n., and M. haydeni sp. n.; 4, M. interruptus group with M. bradycelloides sp. n., M. anthracinus sp. n., M. arthuri sp. n., M. medeirosi sp. n., M. inconscriptus sp. n., and M. foveolatus sp. n.; 5, M. sobrinus group with M. foveopunctatus sp. n.; 6, M. ovipennis group with M. subtilis Britton & Liebherr, sp. n., M. patulus sp. n., M. patagiatus sp. n., M. strigosus sp. n., M. takumiae sp. n., M. parapicalis sp. n., M. mauiae sp. n., M. subternus sp. n., M. flaviventris sp. n., M. cordaticollaris sp. n., and M. krushelnyckyi sp. n.; 7, M. argutor group with M. ommatoplax sp. n., M. semistriatus sp. n., M. refulgens sp. n., M. argutulus sp. n., M. planipennis sp. n., M. planatus sp. n., and M. argutuloides sp. n.; 8, M. microps group with M. major sp. n., M. xestos sp. n., M. orbiculus sp. n., and M. contractus sp. n.; 9, M. scaritoides group with M. scarites sp. n., M. timberlakei sp. n., M. crassuloides sp. n., M. crassulus sp. n., M. gracilicollis sp. n., and M. dispar sp. n.; 10, M. haleakalae group with M. reiteratus sp. n., M. splendidus sp. n., M. bacrionis sp. n., and M. simpulum sp. n.; 11, M. vitreus group with M. kipwilli sp. n., M. kipahulu sp. n., M. kaumakani sp. n., and M. kuiki sp. n.; 12, M. montivagus group with M. rex sp. n.; 13, M. ducalis group with M. aquilus sp. n., M. invisitatussp. n., M. longidux sp. n., and M. brevidux sp. n.; and 14, M. palustris group with M. hephaestoides sp. n., M. oculellus sp. n., M. bicoloris sp. n., M. bicoloratus sp. n., M. bilobatus sp. n., M. palustroides sp. n., M. filipoides sp. n., M. nanunctus sp. n., M. tauberorum sp. n., and M. pau sp. n. Mecyclothorax integer Sharp, stat. n. is recognized as a species distinct from M. interruptus Sharp. Because type series for species described by Blackburn, Karsch, and Sharp are most often divided among geographically remote collections, lectotypes are designated to stabilize the nomenclature. The radiation includes numerous cryptic sibling species best diagnosed using male genitalia, and photographs are used to represent the male genitalic variability observed among numerous dissected individuals. The large number of new species is based on substantial new collections made from all quarters of the mountain. The dense geographic sampling allows fine-scale discrimination of species boundaries, elucidating the geographic disjunctions that are associated with speciation within this hyperdiverse radiation. Disjunctions between closely related species precinctive to various areas of the mountain are not congruent across the different lineages of the radiation, indicating differential responses by the various lineages to past geological and geographical events. Of the 62 1’ latitude × 1’ longitude grid cells on Haleakalā that are occupied by Mecyclothorax beetles, 22 house 10 or more species, and 9 house 20 or more species. This substantial level of sympatry, associated with occupation of diverse microhabitats by these beetles, provides ample information useful for monitoring biodiversity of the natural areas of Haleakalā.

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Monograph Fri, 11 Dec 2015 03:26:39 +0200
The terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea, Oniscidea) of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), with descriptions of two new species https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/5765/ ZooKeys 515: 27-49

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.515.9477

Authors: Stefano Taiti, J. Judson Wynne

Abstract: Nine species of terrestrial isopods are reported for the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) based upon museum materials and recent collections from field sampling. Most of these animals are non-native species, but two are new to science: Styloniscus manuvaka sp. n. and Hawaiioscia rapui sp. n. Of these, the former is believed to be a Polynesian endemic as it has been recorded from Rapa Iti, Austral Islands, while the latter is identified as a Rapa Nui island endemic. Both of these new species are considered ‘disturbance relicts’ and appear restricted to the cave environment on Rapa Nui. A short key to all the oniscidean species presently recorded from Rapa Nui is provided. We also offered conservation and management recommendations for the two new isopod species.

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Research Article Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0300
A review of the primary types of the Hawaiian stag beetle genus Apterocyclus Waterhouse (Coleoptera, Lucanidae, Lucaninae), with the description of a new species https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3981/ ZooKeys 433: 77-88

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.433.8022

Authors: M.J. Paulsen, David Hawks

Abstract: The species of the Hawaiian stag beetle genus Apterocyclus Waterhouse (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) are reviewed following an examination of all primary types. Although the continued existence of the species is unknown and some possibly are extinct there are five recently extant species, including one species that is described here as new. The holotypes for all available names are pictured, and synonymies discussed and updated. Lectotypes are designated for Apterocyclus honoluluensis Waterhouse and A. munroi Sharp. A key to species and a revised catalog for the genus are provided.

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Research Article Wed, 13 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0300
Description and biology of two new species of Neotropical Liriomyza Mik (Diptera, Agromyzidae), mining leaves of Bocconia (Papaveraceae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3196/ ZooKeys 369: 79-97

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.369.6168

Authors: Stephanie Boucher, Kenji Nishida

Abstract: Liriomyza mystica Boucher & Nishida, sp. n., and Liriomyza prompta Boucher & Nishida, sp. n. are described from Costa Rica. Both species were reared from leaves of Bocconia frutescens L. (Papaveraceae). The latter species was also reared from B. arborea S. Watson. Larvae of L. mystica mine primary veins of large, relatively old, mature leaves, and L. prompta mine blades of small to large, mature leaves. These represent the first record of agromyzids feeding on Bocconia. Biological information is also given and illustrated.

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Research Article Mon, 13 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0200
First description of the male of Cryptothele verrucosa L. Koch, 1872 (Araneae), the type species of the genus https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3520/ ZooKeys 351: 31-36

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.351.6255

Authors: Yuri Marusik, Mikhail Omelko

Abstract: The male of Cryptothele verrucosa L. Koch, 1872, the type species of Cryptothele L. Koch, 1872, known from Fiji and Samoa, is described for the first time. It is compared with the male of C. alluaudi Simon, 1893, the single properly described species of the genus.

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Short Communication Fri, 15 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0200
The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3501/ ZooKeys 322: 1-170

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.322.5492

Authors: James Liebherr

Abstract: The 101 species of Mecyclothorax Sharp known to inhabit Tahiti Island, French Polynesia are taxonomically revised, including 28 species that are newly described: M. claridgeiae sp. n., M. jeanyvesi sp. n., M. poria sp. n., M. aano sp. n., M. papau sp. n., M. manina sp. n., M. everardi sp. n., M. ramagei sp. n., M. pitohitiensis sp. n., M. curtisi sp. n., M. hoeahiti sp. n., M. ninamu sp. n., M. kokone sp. n., M. paahonu sp. n., M. kayballae sp. n., M. ehu sp. n., M. papuhiti sp. n., M. tuea sp. n., M. taatitore sp. n., M. konemata sp. n., M. arboricola sp. n., M. rahimata sp. n., M. oaoa sp. n., M. maninapopoti sp. n., M. hunapopoti sp. n., M. fefemata sp. n., M. maninamata sp. n., and M. niho sp. n. Mecyclothorax muriauxioides Perrault, 1984 is newly synonymized with M. muriauxi Perrault, 1978. Lectotypes are designated for: Thriscothorax altiusculus Britton, 1938; T. bryobius Britton, 1938; Mecyclothorax globosus Britton, 1948: and M. sabulicola Britton, 1948. Dichotomous identification keys augmented by dorsal habitus and male aedeagal photographs are provided to the various species-groups and all included species. The spermatophore of M. papau sp. n. is described, with the ampulla and collar found to correspond dimensionally to the length of the internal sac flagellar plate. Variation among characters of the female reproductive tract is presented for all newly described plus other representative species comprising the radiation. Taxa are assigned to species groups, modified from the classification of G.G. Perrault, based on derived character states polarized using the Australian outgroup taxon Mecyclothorax punctipennis (MacLeay). Much of the species-level diversity on this small Pacific island is partitioned allopatrically over very small distributional ranges. No species is shared between Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, and nearly all species in Tahiti Nui are geographically restricted to one ridgelike massif of that volcano. Cladistically similar species are often distributed on different massifs suggesting that vicariance associated with erosional valley formation has facilitated speciation, however several instances in which sister species occupy sympatric distributions on the same ridge system demonstrate that speciation may also occur across extremely localized landscapes. Such localized differentiation is facilitated by the low vagility of these small-bodied, flightless predators whose fragmented populations can persist and diverge within spatially limited habitat patches. The intense philopatry of Tahitian Mecyclothorax spp. coupled with the highly dissected landscape has produced the geographically densest adaptive radiation on Earth. This radiation has occurred very rapidly, with species durations averaging 300,000 yr; a speciation rate similar to that observed in Hawaiian Oliarus planthoppers and Laupala crickets, and East African Rift lake cichlid fishes.

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Monograph Fri, 9 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0300
Oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) from riverine environments of some islands in Oceania https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3387/ ZooKeys 318: 47-57

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.318.5971

Authors: Sergey Ermilov, Andrey Tolstikov, Nathalie Mary, Heinrich Schatz

Abstract: A checklist of identified oribatid mite taxa from riverine freshwater environments from six islands in Polynesia (New Caledonia, Tahiti, Moorea, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raiatea) is presented; 18 species, 16 genera and eight families were recorded. Trhypochthoniellus longisetus (Berlese, 1904) and Trimalaconothrus albulus Hammer, 1972 prevailed on distribution. Fortuynia smiti sp. n. (Fortuyniidae) is described from New Caledonia. The new species is morphologically most similar to Fortuynia marina Hammen, 1960 from New Guinea, but it differs from the latter by the longer notogastral setae dm, lm, c2, p1, epimeral setae 3b and adanal setae ad1 and the presence of prodorsal lateral ridges.

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Research Article Thu, 25 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0300
Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia), a new reef coral species from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3380/ ZooKeys 318: 59-79

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.318.5351

Authors: Francesca Benzoni

Abstract: A new shallow water scleractinian coral species, Echinophyllia tarae sp. n., is described from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. It is characterized by an encrusting corallum, a few large and highly variable corallites with protruding walls, and distinctive costosepta. This coral was observed in muddy environments where several colonies showed partial mortality and re-growth. The new species has morphological affinities with both E. echinata and with Echinomorpha nishihirai, from which it can be distinguished on the basis of the diameter and the protrusion of the largest corallite, the thickness of the septa, and the development of the size of the crown of paliform lobes.

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Review Article Wed, 24 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0300
New Mecyclothorax spp. (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) define Mont Mauru, eastern Tahiti Nui, as a distinct area of endemism https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3159/ ZooKeys 227: 63-99

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.227.3797

Authors: James Liebherr

Abstract: Seven species of Mecyclothorax Sharp precinctive to Mont Mauru, Tahiti, Society Islands are newly described: M. tutei sp. n., M. tihotii sp. n., M. putaputa sp. n., M. toretore sp. n., M. anaana sp. n., M. pirihao sp. n., and M. poro sp. n. These seven constitute the first representative Mecyclothorax species recorded from Mauru, and their geographic restriction to this isolated massif defines it as a distinct area of endemism along the highly dissected eastern versant of the Tahiti Nui volcano. Each of the new species has a closest relative on another massif of Tahiti Nui, supporting speciation associated with vicariance caused by extensive erosional valley formation, especially the development of Papenoo Valley. Comparison of the known elevational distributions of the new discoveries on Mont Mauru to the elevational diversity profile of the comparatively well-sampled Mont Marau, northwest Tahiti Nui, suggests that numerous Mecyclothorax species remain to be discovered in higher-elevation habitats of Mont Mauru.

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Research Article Fri, 5 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0300
The first precinctive Carabidae from Moorea, Society Islands: new Mecyclothorax spp. (Coleoptera) from the summit of Mont Tohiea https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/3141/ ZooKeys 224: 37-80

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.224.3675

Authors: James Liebherr

Abstract: Seven species of Mecyclothorax Sharp from Moorea, Society Islands are newly described; M. perraulti sp. n., M. pahere sp. n., M. menemene sp. n., M. mahatahi sp. n., M. popotioaoa sp. n., M. mapo sp. n., and M. fatata sp. n. These constitute the first Mecyclothorax species described from Moorea, and the first carabid beetle species shown to be geographically restricted to that island. Each of the newly described species is most similar to a different species on the island of Tahiti, suggesting that none of the seven Moorean taxa are evolutionary end-products of autochthonous speciation within Moorea. The occurrence of precinctive Mecyclothorax species on both Moorea and Tahiti demonstrates that radiation of Mecyclothorax in the Society Islands has been facilitated by speciation events implicating both islands. Whether this speciation has been preceded by vicariance or dispersal is discussed, with the generality of a dispersal hypothesis tested using information from Society Island Nabidae (Hemiptera). Salient morphological characters for taxa in the Society and Hawaiian Islands are compared to those representing a broad survey of southwest Pacific Mecyclothorax spp. This comparison supports the independent founding of each radiation in the Societies and Hawaii from an Australian ancestral propagule, likely drawn from the ecologically general, geographically widespread M. punctipennis (Macleay).

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Research Article Sat, 29 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0300
Three new species of Fancy Case caterpillars from threatened forests of Hawaii (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Hyposmocoma) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/2467/ ZooKeys 170: 1-20

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.170.1428

Authors: Akito Kawahara, Daniel Rubinoff

Abstract: The endemic Hawaiian moth genus Hyposmocoma includes 348 described species and perhaps twice as many that remain undescribed. The genus is unusual within Lepidoptera in that its larvae create distinctive silk cases in which they perambulate while protected and camouflaged. An extraordinary diversity of case types exists, and to date more than ten different types have been identified, each corresponding roughly to a separate evolutionary lineage. In this study, we describe three new species of Hyposmocoma: H. ipohapuu sp. n. from Big Island, H. makawao sp. n. from Makawao Forest Reserve in Maui and H. tantala sp. n. from Mt. Tantalus, Oahu, all of which produce tubular purse cases during their larval stage. We also describe the female of H. inversella Walsingham, which was previously undescribed, and re-describe two closely related species, H. auropurpurea Walsingham and H. nebulifera Walsingham, neither which have been formally described in recent years. We present for the first time, the CAD primer sequences for Hyposmocoma and relatives. The molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial and nuclear loci demonstrates that all are distinct species. The discovery of a new, endemic species from Mt. Tantalus, an area with many invasive species, suggests that even relatively degraded areas in Hawaii would be worthy of active conservation efforts.

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Research Article Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200
A new species of Leucothoid Amphipod, Anamixis bananarama, sp. n., from Shallow Coral Reefs in French Polynesia (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Leucothoidae) https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/2294/ ZooKeys 92: 1-8

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.92.1036

Authors: James Thomas, Traudl Krapp

Abstract: Both leucomorph and anamorph developmental stages of Anamixis bananarama sp. n., are illustrated and described from shallow back reef environments of Moorea, French Polynesia. Distinguished by vestigial first gnathopods that persist in post-transformational adult males, this is the second species in the genus to exhibit this unusual character. In other features such as coxae and second gnathopods A. bananarama sp. n. resembles other Pacific Plate endemics of Anamixis known from the region. Specific host association is not documented but suspected to be small calcareous asconoid sponges associated with coral rubble.

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Research Article Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0300