Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.005
Anastasia D. Lianguzova , Natalia A. Arbuzova , Nikita E. Lapshin , Ekaterina R. Petrova , Aleksei A. Miroliubov
{"title":"The return of Lernaeodiscidae? Morphology of Lernaeodiscus rybakovi points to a distinct clade","authors":"Anastasia D. Lianguzova , Natalia A. Arbuzova , Nikita E. Lapshin , Ekaterina R. Petrova , Aleksei A. Miroliubov","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adult parasitic barnacles significantly differ from their free-living relatives. This leads to uncertainty in the phylogenetic interrelationships even at the family-level, particularly for the former Lernaeodiscidae. This family was abolished based on molecular data, however, the morphological description for lernaeodiscids remains incomplete. Here we describe a morphology of <em>Lernaeodiscus rybakovi</em> parasitizing the porcelain crab <em>Pachycheles stevensii</em>, using a variety of methods. The externa's lacunar and muscular systems are “Kentrogonida”-type in general, but exhibit notable deviations, including an atypical mantle opening formed partly by the visceral mass and a distinct dorso-ventral bridge. The interna displays a previously undescribed organization: a prominent main trunk giving rise to flattened primary branches and tubular secondary rootlets. Muscular fibers are absent in the interna; only sparse actin filaments are present, suggesting alternative mechanisms of nutrient transport. Two invasive rootlet types—goblet-shaped organs and neuropil rootlets—interact with host nervous tissue, and their ultrastructure differs from that of other rhizocephalan families. Additionally, we describe an aberrant trophic rootlet filled with concentric extracellular matrix layers, likely reflecting localised misregulation of cuticle production. Our findings, together with molecular evidence, suggest that <em>Lernaeodiscus</em> may represent an independent lineage, warranting exclusion from Peltogastridae and possibly reinstatement of Lernaeodiscidae. Broader sampling and multigene phylogeny are needed to clarify its rank and composition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 198-212"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.008
Hongna Guo , Wenliang Li , Xuankun Li
{"title":"A revision of the Chinese species of Merodontina Enderlein, 1914 (Diptera, Asilidae, Ommatiini), with notes on the generic relationship to Pseudomerodontina Joseph and Parui, 1976","authors":"Hongna Guo , Wenliang Li , Xuankun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Five species of <em>Merodontina</em> have been recorded from China to date: <em>M. jianfenglingensis</em> Hua, <em>M. nigripes</em> Shi, <em>M. obliquata</em> Shi, <em>M. rectidensa</em> Shi, and <em>M. rufirostra</em> Shi. Since first described between 1987 and 1991, these species have not been redescribed or reported. Although 16 species were described in <em>Merodontina</em>, no molecular data have been available for this genus. We examined type specimens of all five previously described species from China, provided high-resolution images and redescriptions. We synonymized <em>M. rufirostra</em> Shi under <em>M. rectidensa</em> Shi, <em>M. bellicosa</em> Scarbrough and Costantino and <em>M. silvatica</em> Haupt and Azuma under <em>M. obliquata</em> Shi, and <em>M. vietnamensis</em> Tomasovic and Bartolozzi under <em>M. jianfenglingensis</em> Hua. The previously proposed name <em>M. abligueodentia</em> Shi, 1992 is formalized as a <em>nomen nudum</em> under <em>M. obliquata</em> Shi. We obtained DNA barcodes from multiple populations of <em>M. jianfenglingensis</em> and the widely distributed <em>M. obliquata</em>. Genetic analyses revealed distinct barcoding gaps, with interspecific distance of 15.7 %–16.8 % versus intraspecific distance of 0 %–2.6 %. An updated key to males of the Chinese species of <em>Merodontina</em> and a revised world catalogue are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 62-84"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.008
Anna V. Ratnovskaya, Tatyana V. Kuzmina
{"title":"Fine structure of the mantle epithelium and shell growth in rhynchonellide brachiopod Hemithiris psittacea","authors":"Anna V. Ratnovskaya, Tatyana V. Kuzmina","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Brachiopods are marine benthic invertebrates that secrete a calcitic bivalve shell via mantle epithelia. This study examines the shell and mantle structure of the rhynchonellide <em>Hemithiris psittacea.</em> The shell consists of an organic uppermost sheet, comprising mucopolysaccharide and periostracal layers, and a mineralized part composed of primary and secondary layers. The secondary layer is formed by fibers, enclosed in organic sheaths. We identified distinct mantle epithelial cell types: inner, columnar, oval, lobate, and vesicular cells, as well as two types of outer epithelial cells. Each cell type exhibits ultrastructural features that correspond to putative specialized functions: columnar and lobate cells secrete the mucopolysaccharide layer; the vesicular cells synthesize the periostracum; the first type of outer epithelial cells contributes to primary layer secretion; and the second type produces the fibers of the secondary layer. Oval cells in the mantle groove display undifferentiated morphology, supporting the existence of a putative generative zone in rhynchonellide brachiopods. Our analysis identifies three distinct morphological and functional zones of the shell. The primary zone is the marginal shell region, consisting only of the primary layer. The transitional zone exhibits progressive changes in both fiber morphology and epithelial cell dimensions without constant relative position of cells and fibers, while the stable pattern zone maintains regular cells and fibers arrangement. Based on these findings, we propose regional modifications to the classical conveyor belt model for mantle growth and shell thickening in rhynchonelliform brachiopods. In the transitional zone, several cells may cooperatively secrete fibers and translocate the fiber during synthesis, while in the stable pattern zone each cell produces two adjacent fibers throughout its lifespan. In the posterior zone shell secretion terminates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 371-384"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.006
Sabrina Portelli , Wilson Sebastián Serra Alanís , Luis Esteban Krause Lanés , Martin Miguel Montes , Guillermo Enrique Terán , Matheus Vieira Volcan , Felipe Alonso
{"title":"Historical biogeography of the diverse Neotropical seasonal killifishes of the Austrolebias Genus Group: potential environmental drivers of diversification","authors":"Sabrina Portelli , Wilson Sebastián Serra Alanís , Luis Esteban Krause Lanés , Martin Miguel Montes , Guillermo Enrique Terán , Matheus Vieira Volcan , Felipe Alonso","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The <em>Austrolebias</em> Genus Group (AGG), endemic to the southern portion of the Neotropics, comprises eleven genera of seasonal killifishes, characterized by small body size, restricted geographical ranges, and reliance on ephemeral aquatic habitats. In this study, we performed a comprehensive biogeographic analysis of the AGG, integrating a phylogeny based on 48 taxa that includes 90% of the species in this group with precise distribution data. The main objective was to identify the historical processes—particularly geological and climatic events—that shaped the diversification and current distribution of AGG species. To achieve this, we inferred a time-calibrated phylogeny, reconstructed ancestral area distributions, and analyzed patterns of dispersal and vicariance throughout the group's evolutionary history. Our results indicate that the AGG began its diversification approximately 13–10 million years ago during the Late Miocene, a period marked by significant geomorphological and climatic changes across the main basins of the La Plata system, including the Paraguay, Paraná, and Uruguay basins, as well as adjacent lowlands. Marine incursions together with tectonic activity and broader paleogeographic changes during this time reconfigured the drainage patterns of major basins, driving dispersal, isolation, and diversification within the group. These findings underscore the pivotal role of paleogeographic and environmental changes in shaping the evolutionary history and current distribution of Neotropical freshwater fishes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 345-358"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.006
Yuliia Guglya
{"title":"The Pseudonapomyza Hendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae: Phytomyzinae) of Ukraine with the description of two new species and updated world checklist","authors":"Yuliia Guglya","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eight species of <em>Pseudonapomyza</em> Hendel were previously listed for Ukraine including <em>Pseudonapomyza istrensis</em> Zlobin and <em>P. odessae</em> Černý which was described from S. Ukraine. During this investigation three species were added to the list and two new species, <em>P. conica</em> sp. nov. and <em>P. creta</em> sp. nov., were described. COI sequences of ten species was analyzed and posted in GenBank and BOLD Systems databases. Key to all thirteen Ukrainian species (including females) is composed and illustrated with heads, wings, male and female genitalia. Additionally updated checklist of all worldwide species with hosts and distribution data is provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 262-285"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.004
Francesco Saponi , Agata Cesaretti , Anush Kosakyan , Valentina Serra , M. Antonio Todaro
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Phylogenetic position of Setopus (Gastrotricha, Paucitubulatina) among planktonic Gastrotricha, with the description of a new species” [Zool. Anz. (2026) 248-261]","authors":"Francesco Saponi , Agata Cesaretti , Anush Kosakyan , Valentina Serra , M. Antonio Todaro","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Page 333"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.007
Guadalupe Rocío Sánchez-Sánchez , Fernando Carlos Galliari , Alfredo Armando Carlini
{"title":"Prenatal and perinatal cranial ontogeny in Dasypus hybridus (Xenarthra, Cingulata): a precocial armadillo?","authors":"Guadalupe Rocío Sánchez-Sánchez , Fernando Carlos Galliari , Alfredo Armando Carlini","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During cranial development, ossification centers appear sequentially, either through chondral or membranous processes. Birth represents a critical transition to life into a new environment, involving a progressive reduction in maternal dependence and exhibiting varying degrees of neonatal maturity, from altricial to precocial. Twenty-five prenatal and fourteen postnatal specimens of <em>Dasypus hybridus</em> (Xenarthra, Mammalia) were processed using an enzymatic clearing and double-staining technique, with Alcian Blue to identify cartilage and Alizarin Red to reveal ossifications. Using Total Cranial Length (TCL) as a proxy, eight prenatal cranial ontogenetic stages and three postnatal stages, spanning from two to thirty days of age, were identified. The first ossification centers to appear are those of the facial region, followed by the vault and the base of the skull, with the ethmoid complex being the last to ossify. The cranial, postcranial, and integumentary skeletal maturity data presented here suggest that <em>D. hybridus</em> is relatively precocial compared to other armadillos, such as <em>Chaetophractus villosus</em> and <em>Chaetophractus vellerosus</em>, which are positioned further along the altricial spectrum”</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 38-61"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-02-11DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.002
Leonid L. Voyta , Daniel A. Melnikov , Lyudmila Yu. Kryuchkova
{"title":"Micro-CT cranial anatomy and phylogenetic context of palatal characters in arvicoline rodents (Cricetidae)","authors":"Leonid L. Voyta , Daniel A. Melnikov , Lyudmila Yu. Kryuchkova","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2026.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study combines high-resolution micro-CT reconstructions with a phylogenetically explicit analysis of the palato-spheno-pterygoid (PSP) complex in 33 species from 19 arvicoline genera (ca. 60% of the recent generic diversity). We re-describe and re-homologise palatal and sphenoidal structures and formalise four topological morphotypes (AA, DC, DM, DL) that summarise the relationship between the posterior palatine margin and the perpendicular lamina of the palate. Discrete PSP characters alone prove insufficient for capturing intra- and inter-tribal variation. Mapping morphotypes onto a ddRADseq phylogeny and quantifying multivariate signal reveal a weak global signature (<em>K-mult</em> = 0.22) with heterogeneous, clade-specific distribution. To expose that heterogeneity we adapt P. David Polly's matrix formulation of Brownian-motion-weighted sums of squares (<em>SS</em>) and mean squares (<em>MS</em>), deriving a clade-centred index, <em>K-local-n</em>. This new measure pinpoints hotspots of elevated shape–phylogeny congruence (<em>K-local-n</em> ≤ 0.42), detects at least three independent origins of the ‘derived-microtin’ (DM) morphotype from disparate Pliocene ancestors, and clarifies the influence of long branches on phylogenetic signal intensity. Our framework quantitatively explains the clustering of disparate (odd) phenotypes within well-supported clades and provides a basis for integrative interpretations of cranial evolution in rapidly radiating mammals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 440-460"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The digestive system of the Arumatia dubia (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae): a morpho-histology characterization","authors":"Giovana Gomes Ferreira Matos , Matheus Froes Caetano de Castro , Elton Luiz Scudeler , Satiko Nanya , Bruno Vinícius Daquila , Helio Conte","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stick insects are herbivorous animals found in tropical, subtropical or temperate regions worldwide. Their digestive system is typically tubular, divided into regions with subregions that can vary among species. <em>Arumatia dubia</em> (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae) is a species that has undergone several taxonomic changes based on recent studies of external morphology, but morpho-histological analyses of internal organs, such as the digestive system, can contribute with identification to these and other Phasmatodea species. This study aimed to describe the digestive system of third instar <em>A. dubia</em> nymphs, using histochemical techniques and scanning electron microscopy. The digestive system of <em>A. dubia</em> consists of three regions and their subregions: foregut (esophagus and crop), midgut (anterior and posterior), and hindgut (ileum and rectum). The foregut has a simple epithelium covered by the tunica intima, and externally, surrounded by muscle fibers. The midgut features columnar cells with a brush border and regenerative cells. Malpighian tubules originate in the ileum (hindgut) and have an excretory function. This study provides detailed morpho-histological data on third instar <em>A. dubia</em> gut, contributing important information about the morphology and histology of the digestive system of this species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145771908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoologischer AnzeigerPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.003
Leonardo Polizeli , Ângelo Parise Pinto
{"title":"Revisiting the Brazilian giant cockroaches of the genus Bionoblatta (Blattodea: Blaberidae): taxonomic revision with description of Bionoblatta marcelli sp. nov. from Serra do Caraça, a mountain range in Minas Gerais State","authors":"Leonardo Polizeli , Ângelo Parise Pinto","doi":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcz.2025.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bionoblatta</em> Rehn, 1940 is allocated in the poorly known and intriguing Brachycolini, a Neotropical tribe with eight genera and 44 blaberid species. This outstanding genus of cockroaches encompasses mostly montane and brachypterous species, all endemic to Brazil. Nevertheless, they are moderate sized and noticeable species due to coloration, pronotum shape, and callosities on the abdomen, all taxonomic knowledge is based on a small number of males. In this study, we revisit the taxonomy of <em>Bionoblatta</em>, based on a comparative morphological analysis, providing a comprehensive overview of the genus. Our results support <em>Bionoblatta</em> as a taxonomically distinguishable genus comprising six species with a distribution range exclusively in southeastern Brazil. <em>Bionoblatta marcelli</em> <strong>sp. nov.</strong> is herein introduced (holotype male deposited in DZUP: Brazil, Minas Gerais State, Catas Altas) based on males, females, and nymphs. A diagnosis, notes on morphology and natural history, photographs of type and non-type specimens, a distribution map, and an identification key are provided for the species. We hope this study inspires further investigations into this fascinating group of cockroaches, deepening our understanding of their evolutionary history. Future research could explore their phylogeny and biogeography, habitat and social behavior, as well as intra- and interspecific morphological variations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49332,"journal":{"name":"Zoologischer Anzeiger","volume":"321 ","pages":"Pages 85-103"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}