ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-09eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.203456
Jincan Zhang, Zegang Feng, Jiahui Gan, Cheng Wang, Xiaoqi Mi
{"title":"<i>Yinanyphaena</i> gen. nov., a new ghost spider genus with descriptions of five new species and seven new combinations from China (Araneae, Anyphaenidae).","authors":"Jincan Zhang, Zegang Feng, Jiahui Gan, Cheng Wang, Xiaoqi Mi","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.203456","DOIUrl":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.203456","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new genus, <i>Yinanyphaena</i> Wang & Mi, <b>gen. nov</b>., of the family Anyphaenidae Bertkau, 1878, is proposed based on molecular phylogenetic results and morphological evidence. Five new species collected from the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China are described: <i>Y. haochuni</i> Wang & Mi, <b>sp. nov</b>. (♂♀), <i>Y. jinhuai</i> Wang & Mi, <b>sp. nov</b>. (♂♀), <i>Y. qomolangma</i> Wang & Mi, <b>sp. nov</b>. (♂♀), <i>Y. shikaii</i> Wang & Mi, <b>sp. nov</b>. (♀), and <i>Y. xufeii</i> Wang & Mi, <b>sp. nov</b>. (♀). In addition, seven new combinations transferred from <i>Anyphaena</i> Sundevall, 1833 are also proposed: <i>Y. cibagou</i> (Wang & Mi, 2024), <b>comb. nov</b>., <i>Y. linzhi</i> (Wang & Mi, 2024), <b>comb. nov</b>., <i>Y. rhynchophysa</i> (Feng, Ma & Yang, 2012), <b>comb. nov</b>., <i>Y. shufui</i> (Wang & Mi, 2024), <b>comb. nov</b>., <i>Y. tibet</i> (Lin & Li, 2021), <b>comb. nov</b>., <i>Y. wuyi</i> (Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2005), <b>comb. nov</b>., and <i>Y. yejiei</i> (Wang & Mi, 2024), <b>comb. nov</b>. Diagnostic photos of the new species and <i>Y. wuyi</i>, along with a distributional map for the genus are provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"205-228"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13675724/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-09eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.200001
Patricio Picón-Rentería, Henri W Herrera, José M Avendaño, María C Tocora-Protz, Andrés F Sánchez Restrepo, Fernando Fernández, John M Heraty, Ashley Y Bui, Stewart Peck, Carlos E Sarmiento
{"title":"Hymenoptera of Galápagos: diversity and distribution of one of the most species-rich insect orders in the archipelago.","authors":"Patricio Picón-Rentería, Henri W Herrera, José M Avendaño, María C Tocora-Protz, Andrés F Sánchez Restrepo, Fernando Fernández, John M Heraty, Ashley Y Bui, Stewart Peck, Carlos E Sarmiento","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.200001","DOIUrl":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.200001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite the importance of the Galápagos archipelago as a key site for the study of biodiversity and evolution, significant components of its invertebrate biodiversity, particularly Hymenoptera, remain insufficiently documented. Occurrence records of Hymenoptera from 1959-2025 were combined from structured surveys of non-formicid Hymenoptera, long-term ant sampling, museum collections, literature, and online sources to assess the richness, distribution, and species composition of hymenopterans across the archipelago. Based on 21,364 records, 524 species/morphospecies, including 137 species, one subspecies, and 386 morphospecies are documented. These records include 20 newly recorded species and 134 newly recorded genera for Galápagos, representing 11 previously unrecorded families. These records substantially increase previous estimates, with the greatest additions observed in Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea. Species accumulation curves and incidence-based richness estimators (Bootstrap = 595.47, Jackknife 1 = 673.38, Chao2 = 658.26) indicate that additional species/morphospecies may remain undocumented. Species/morphospecies richness was positively associated with island area after accounting for sampling effort. Species composition showed partial similarity among some islands and overlap among the littoral, dry, and transition zones; the humid zone contained the highest proportion of unique species/morphospecies. A considerable proportion of the named species were classified as introduced. Overall, this study establishes an updated baseline for future Hymenoptera research in Galápagos and provides a framework for evaluating biogeographic patterns in oceanic island systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"229-251"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13675722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-08eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.205145
Jun Souma, Naoyuki Nakahama
{"title":"Genome-wide SNP data reveal phylogenetic relationships and further new species of lace bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) endemic to the Japanese oceanic islands (the Ogasawara Islands), providing insight into their speciation.","authors":"Jun Souma, Naoyuki Nakahama","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.205145","DOIUrl":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.205145","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Ogasawara Islands of Japan are oceanic islands that are home to two endemic genera of lace bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae), namely, <i>Acanthomoplax</i> Souma & Kamitani, 2021 (Tinginae, Tingini) and <i>Omoplax</i> Horváth, 1912 (Tinginae, Tingini). In the present study, phylogenetic analysis, using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq), is conducted for the genus <i>Omoplax</i>, which is hypothesized to have undergone adaptive radiation in the Ogasawara Islands. Additionally, population genetic analysis using these data is conducted for <i>O. desecta</i>, for which two host races are known. Combining the results of these analyses with the morphological differences, <i>O. sandoru</i> Souma, <b>sp. nov</b>., previously identified as the population in Hahajima Group of <i>O. desecta</i>, is described as a new species. In conclusion, the following nine lace bug species are recognized in the Ogasawara Islands: <i>A. tomokunii</i> Souma & Kamitani, 2021, <i>O. desecta</i> (Horváth, 1912), <i>O. hisasuei</i> Souma, 2025, <i>O. inugusu</i> Souma, 2025, <i>O. karubei</i> Souma, 2022, <i>O. kobugashi</i> Souma, 2025, <i>O. majorcarinae</i> Guilbert, 2001, <i>O. mukojimensis</i> Souma, 2022, and <i>O. sandoru</i> Souma, <b>sp. nov</b>. An updated key for identifying all nine species of lace bugs occurring in the Ogasawara Islands is provided. Finally, insights into phylogenetic relationships and the mechanism of speciation within the genus <i>Omoplax</i> are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"175-203"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13673218/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.203393
Hoa Thi Ninh, Chung Van Hoang, Nikolai Orlov, Yukio Ichioka, Thomas Ziegler, Tao Thien Nguyen
{"title":"A new species of <i>Zhangixalus</i> (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Lao Cai Province, Vietnam.","authors":"Hoa Thi Ninh, Chung Van Hoang, Nikolai Orlov, Yukio Ichioka, Thomas Ziegler, Tao Thien Nguyen","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.203393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.203393","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new treefrog species, <i>Zhangixalus matsuii</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., is described from Y Ty Commune, Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is diagnosed by the following characteristics: size medium (SVL 35.5-37.6 mm in males); dorsum olive green with many brown spots; axilla and groin grey with cream spots along flank; throat cream with grey spots; belly and ventral surface of hind limbs red-orange. The genetic distance between the new species and other species of <i>Zhangixalus</i> ranges from 2.5% to 12.9% (16S rRNA gene fragment). The new discovery brings the species number of <i>Zhangixalus</i> in Vietnam to 11.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"109-130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662636/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149196639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.205360
Jakovos Demetriou, Bonnie B Blaimer, Christos Georgiadis, Jody H Voges, Benoit Guénard, Lech Borowiec, Sebastian Salata
{"title":"Losing a non-native, gaining an endemic: Description of Camponotus (Myrmentoma) limbouros sp. nov. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Cyprus.","authors":"Jakovos Demetriou, Bonnie B Blaimer, Christos Georgiadis, Jody H Voges, Benoit Guénard, Lech Borowiec, Sebastian Salata","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.205360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.205360","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ever-growing movement of people and goods across the world has resulted in the translocation of tens of thousands of species outside their native ranges, including more than 500 species of ants. However, the native ranges of some non-native species are still unclear and further research using molecular tools is needed. Situated in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus hosts a high percentage of both endemic and non-native ant taxa, with the latter species posing a threat to this native biodiversity, society, and the economy. The lack of up-to-date taxonomic revisions for many genera and knowledge gaps regarding the myrmecofauna of Western Asia and the Middle East pose challenges for the identification of some taxa, including a previously reported morphospecies labelled <i>Camponotus cf. vitiosus</i> from Cyprus and flagged as a potential non-native species. Here, we morphologically and molecularly (using COI barcoding) examine specimens of <i>C. cf. vitiosus</i>, comparing them with specimens of the nominal species from its native range as well as other <i>Camponotus</i> spp. Our re-examination reveals a new endemic species Camponotus (Myrmentoma) limbouros<b>sp. nov</b>., showing morphological and genetic affinities with the subgenus <i>Myrmentoma</i> Forel, 1912 in our COI barcode tree.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"151-174"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662622/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149196671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.201081
Meliana Gusti, Yoshitaka Kamimura, Bounsanong Chouangthavy, Chi-Feng Lee, Muhammad Silmi, Ali Amran I, Katsuyuki Eguchi
{"title":"Revised placement of <i>Epilandex</i> Hebard, 1927 in Anisolabididae (Insecta, Dermaptera) with a re-evaluation of <i>Carcinophora kawakamii</i> (Shiraki, 1928) and <i>Epilandex acuminata</i> Srivastava, 2003.","authors":"Meliana Gusti, Yoshitaka Kamimura, Bounsanong Chouangthavy, Chi-Feng Lee, Muhammad Silmi, Ali Amran I, Katsuyuki Eguchi","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.201081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.201081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The earwig genus <i>Epilandex</i> Hebard, 1927 (type species: <i>Landex burri</i> Borelli, 1921) consists of 14 named, small anisolabidid earwig species known from both the Old and New Worlds, and is characterized by long, acuminate parameres in the male genitalia. This study generated the first molecular data for newly obtained <i>Epilandex</i> specimens and evaluated its phylogenetic position within Anisolabididae. We analyzed combined mitochondrial and nuclear gene data, in conjunction with a re-examination of their external and genital morphology. Although this genus has traditionally been placed in Anisolabidinae, our results demonstrate that <i>Epilandex</i> should be recognized as a separate clade from other members of this subfamily. The name \"Landicinae,\" which had been used for such a treatment, is a synonym of Anisolabidinae, due to the misidentification of the type genus, and therefore we propose the new name Epilandicinae. Furthermore, based also on the examination of museum specimens, this study revises species delineations within <i>Epilandex</i>, including the proposal of <i>Ep. kawakamii</i> <b>comb. nov</b>. The female genitalia of this genus is also reported for the first time, together with new distribution records of two species in Asia.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"131-150"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662635/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149196618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.202010
István Urák, Andrei Ştefan, Rozalia Magda Motoc, Traian Brad, Andreea-Rebeka Zsigmond, Serban M Sarbu, Tamás Szűts
{"title":"A new <i>Cataleptoneta</i> species (Araneae, Leptonetidae) from sulfidic caves in Greece and Albania.","authors":"István Urák, Andrei Ştefan, Rozalia Magda Motoc, Traian Brad, Andreea-Rebeka Zsigmond, Serban M Sarbu, Tamás Szűts","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.202010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.202010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new species of the genus <i>Cataleptoneta</i> Denis, 1955, <i>Cataleptoneta sulfur</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., is described from caves in the Vromoner Canyon (Sarandaporo River Valley), on the Greek-Albanian border (northwestern Greece and southern Albania), on the basis of both sexes. Drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and digital images of diagnostic features are presented. Analysis of COI mitochondrial barcode sequences confirmed the species distinction from all the other sequences. Within the species two separate lineages, unique to each cave were found. The genus <i>Cataleptoneta</i> is not monophyletic as now circumscribed and confirmed also by the phylogenetic analysis of the sequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"89-107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662615/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149196637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-05eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1294.199712
Zhi Wan Tan, Van Tri Ngo, Boyang Shi
{"title":"A new genus of freshwater crab from Vietnam, with comments on the allied genera <i>Vietorientalia</i> Đặng, 2012, and <i>Hainanpotamon</i> Dai, 1995 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae).","authors":"Zhi Wan Tan, Van Tri Ngo, Boyang Shi","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.199712","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.199712","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The nomenclatural history and taxonomic problems associated with two poorly known Vietnamese potamid freshwater crab species assigned initially to <i>Hainanpotamon</i> Dai, 1995, and later to <i>Vietorientalia</i> Đặng, 2012, viz., <i>V. glabra</i> (Đặng, 1967) and <i>V. rubra</i> (Đặng & Trần, 1992), are addressed. Clear morphological and molecular evidence confirms the validity of <i>Vietorientalia</i>, and a neotype is herein designated for the type species, <i>V. glabra</i>, for which the type material is purportedly lost. Moreover, morphological and molecular evidence suggests that the two species currently assigned to <i>Vietorientalia</i> are non-congeneric. Accordingly, a new genus, <i>Dangmon</i> <b>gen. nov</b>., is herein erected to accommodate <i>V. rubra</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"61-87"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13659257/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ZooKeysPub Date : 2026-10-02eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1293.195366
Maria N Meshik, Tatiana I Antokhina, Yury V Deart, Olga V Chichvarkhina, Irina A Ekimova
{"title":"Dragons guard secrets: integrative systematics of <i>Pteraeolidia semperi</i> species complex (Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) from Vietnam.","authors":"Maria N Meshik, Tatiana I Antokhina, Yury V Deart, Olga V Chichvarkhina, Irina A Ekimova","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1293.195366","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1293.195366","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The nudibranch genus <i>Pteraeolidia</i> has traditionally been treated as taxonomically simple, but recent molecular studies suggest that it includes hidden species diversity across the Indo-Pacific. In this study, the <i>Pteraeolidia semperi</i> species complex was investigated from the coastal waters of Vietnam using an integrative approach. Thirty-five specimens from five localities were analysed using mitochondrial (COI, 16S rRNA) and nuclear (H3) markers, together with external and internal morphological data and haplotype network analysis. Our results revealed two deeply divergent clades (Clades A and B) occurring sympatrically in Vietnam. These clades correspond to several molecular operational taxonomic units and show strong geographic structure across the Indo-West Pacific. One of these units (MOTU20), which falls within Clade B, corresponds to <i>Pteraeolidia ianthina</i> (Angas, 1864), a valid species restricted to its type locality, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales; it is treated here as separate from the <i>P. semperi</i> complex. Nuclear data support the separation of the two clades as independent evolutionary lineages, whereas relationships among mitochondrial lineages within each clade remain unresolved. The two clades also differ in external morphology, especially in body colouration, pigmentation pattern, and ceratal arrangement, while internal anatomy is largely similar. Mitochondrial divergence in <i>Pteraeolidia</i> is exceptionally high, including within clades, and exceeds values usually reported between species. This unusual pattern may reflect accelerated mitochondrial evolution, possibly linked to the photosymbiotic lifestyle of these nudibranchs. Our data show that Vietnamese populations of <i>Pteraeolidia</i> include at least two species within a broader and highly diverse species complex. These findings confirm that <i>Pteraeolidia semperi</i> represents a complex of cryptic or semi-cryptic taxa and highlight the need for genomic data to resolve species limits more precisely.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1293 ","pages":"347-376"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653254/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149170033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Two new species and two new country records of the giant pill-millipede genus <i>Zephronia</i> Gray, 1832 from Thailand, based on integrative taxonomy (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae).","authors":"Chalintorn Wilaisorn, Ruttapon Srisonchai, Wibhu Kutanan, Nisarat Tungpairojwong","doi":"10.3897/zookeys.1294.205518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1294.205518","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An integrative taxonomic study combining morphological and molecular data revealed two new species of giant pill-millipedes of the genus <i>Zephronia</i> Gray, 1832: <i>Zephronia tamarindina</i> Wilaisorn & Srisonchai, <b>sp. nov</b>. and <i>Zephronia triforma</i> Wilaisorn & Srisonchai, <b>sp. nov</b>., both endemic to provinces in the upper central region of Thailand. In addition, <i>Zephronia dawydoffi</i> Attems, 1953 and <i>Zephronia laotica</i> Wesener, 2019 are recorded from Thailand for the first time. The new species exhibit distinctive colouration patterns, and scanning electron microscopy revealed unique morphological characters for each taxon. Analysis of the 658 bp DNA barcoding region of the mitochondrial <i>COI</i> gene showed interspecific genetic distances ranging from 8.68-21.92% for <i>Z. dawydoffi</i>, 12.79-22.98% for <i>Z. laotica</i>, 10.81-22.07% for <i>Z. tamarindina</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., and 10.81-22.83% for <i>Z. triforma</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., in comparison with closely related species from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Phylogenetic analyses placed all four species within the <i>Zephronia</i> s.s. clade, characterised by the Tömösváry's organ located outside the antennal groove. However, relationships among other clades remained unresolved due to interspersion with species of <i>Cryxus</i> Leach, 1814, <i>Prionobelum</i> Verhoeff, 1924, and <i>Sphaerobelum</i> Verhoeff, 1924. <i>Zephronia</i> was recovered as non-monophyletic, indicating that the current generic limits within Zephroniinae require reassessment using multi-locus data. These results expand our understanding of giant pill-millipede diversity and highlight the upper central Thai region and Southeast Asia more broadly as a significant biodiversity hotspot.</p>","PeriodicalId":24051,"journal":{"name":"ZooKeys","volume":"1294 ","pages":"1-59"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653255/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149169070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}