Guizhou slug moth (Fignya qiana), triangle slug moth (Fignya trigonum) and Samkos slug moth (Fignya samkosa)

NEWS - Researchers have established the taxa Guizhou slug moth (Fignya qiana), triangle slug moth (Fignya trigonum) and Samkos slug moth (Fignya samkosa) from China and Cambodia as new species in the genus Fignya Solovyev & Witt, 2009.

Fignya is a small genus established in the family Limacodidae with two species F. melkaya Solovyev & Witt, 2009 and F. ravalba Wu, Solovyev & Han, 2022. The type species, F. melkaya, was first discovered in northern Vietnam on Mount Fan-si-pan and then F. ravalba in China.

Jun Wu and Huilin Han from Northeast Forestry University in Harbin proposed a slight extension of the definition of the genus with a focus primarily on the male genitalia. During examination of moths from southwest China and Cambodia several specimens were identified that morphologically resembled the two known relatives, but dissection revealed differences in the structure of the male genitalia.

F. qiana is not much different from F. melkaya, F. ravalba and F. trigonum, but the overall color is lighter. This species can be clearly distinguished from the other species by the characteristics of the male genitalia.

F. trigonum has a prominent inner cucullus, a well-developed thick and long horn-like cornutus at the base of the vesicle and triangular sclerites, while F. melkaya and F. ravalba have smooth inner cucullus and a well-developed horn-shaped basal cornutus and no triangular sclerites.

F. samkosa is most similar to the new combined species, F. brachygnatha comb. nov. but the male genitalia can be clearly distinguished. F. samkosa has a relatively straight valve, a small triangular hairy fold at the base of the valve, and a slender phallus, whereas F. brachygnatha has a slightly inward-curved valve, no hairy fold at the base of the valve, and a thicker phallus.

F. qiana was found in Guizhou (China) and the new name comes from the abbreviation of Guizhou Province, “Qian”, which is the type locality. F. trigonum is from Yunnan (China) and the name comes from the Latin “trigonum” meaning triangle, referring to the unique triangular sclerite at the base of the bladder. F. samkosa is from Cambodia and is named after the type locality, Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary.

Original research

Wu J, Han H (2024) A taxonomic review of the genus Fignya Solovyev & Witt, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae) with descriptions of three new species and one new combination. ZooKeys 1213: 225-235, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1213.132318

Dlium theDlium

Temulawak (Curcuma zanthorrhiza)

Temulawak or Java ginger or Javanese ginger or Javanese turmeric or Curcuma xanthorrhiza ( Curcuma zanthorrhiza ) is a plant species in Zingiberaceae, grows well in loose soil in tropical forests in the lowlands to an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level and tubers are used for medicinal herbs and drinks. C. zanthorrhiza has pseudo stems up to 2 m tall. The stem is a midrib of upright, overlapping leaves, green or dark brown in color. Rhizomes are perfectly formed, large, branched and reddish brown, dark yellow or dark green. Each bud forms 2-9 leaves with a circular shape extending to lancet, green or light purple to dark brown, leaves 31-84 cm long and 10-18 cm wide, stems 43-80 cm long and each strand is connected with a midrib. Flowers are dark yellow, uniquely shaped and clustered with lateral inflorescences. The stems and scales are in the form of lines, 9-23cm long and 4-6cm wide, having protectors with comparable crowns. Petals are white, hairy and 8-13mm long. The...

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Bright white flat-backed millipede (Trichopeltis jiyue) like moon emerging from behind dark rain clouds

NEWS - Bright white flat-backed millipede ( Trichopeltis jiyue sp. nov.) from Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, is the second recorded epigean species of Trichopeltis Pocock 1894 in China. Jiyue (Chinese spelling) refers to the bright white appearance of the animal, like the moon emerging from behind dark rain clouds. Polydesmida is one of the most diverse orders of Diplopoda (millipedes) with about 5000 species in 30 families and is widely distributed worldwide. All Polydesmida are blind, eyeless and metaterga usually show small to prominent lateral paranota or paraterga. Cryptodesmidae Karsch 1880 is a family Polydesmida with about 40 genera and 130 species distributed in the Neotropics (Mexico to Argentina), Afrotropics (continental sub-Saharan Africa) and Asia-Australasia (Central Asia and the Himalayas to Japan and Papua New Guinea). In tropical or subtropical Asia and Australasia, 12 genera and 36 species have been documented in Cryptodesmidae. Trichopeltis P...

Dlium