Dlium

NEWS - Kakizoe darkling beetle ( Microblattellus kakizoei sp. nov) collected from a mushroom-growing termite nest of Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen, 1858) in Cambodia was established as the second species in the enigmatic tenebrionid genus Microblattellus Ferrer 2006. Microblattellus was established by Ferrer in 2006 as consisting of a single morphologically peculiar species represented by Microblattellus lecongmani Ferrer 2006 from Vietnam. The genus is characterized by a very distinctive pronotum shape, in which the head is completely hidden beneath the anterior margin, and the absence of eyes. M. kakizoei is easily distinguished from M. lecongmani by its more elongate and less robust body, looser antennal segments, distinct and transverse scutellum, rather than the reduced and absent one in the latter, distinctly formed humeral angles of the elytra, finely arranged and irregular strial punctures on the elytra, and less prominent body surface. The holotype is taken from the fungus Ma...

NEWS - Sumbawa longhorn ( Nemophora sumbana Kozlov, sp. nov.), Timor longhorn ( Nemophora timorella Kozlov, sp. nov.), shining shade longhorn ( Nemophora umbronitidella Kozlov, sp. nov.), Wegner longhorn ( Nemophora wegneri Kozlov, sp. nov.), long brush longhorn ( Nemophora longipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.), and short brush longhorn ( Nemophora brevipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.) from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The Lesser Sunda Islands consist of two parallel, linear oceanic island chains, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Timor, Alor, and Tanimbar. The oldest of these islands have been continuously occurring for 10–12 million years. This long period of isolation has allowed significant in situ diversification, making the Lesser Sundas home to many endemic species. This island chain may act as a two-way filter for organisms migrating between the world's two great biogeographic regions, Asia and Australia-Papua. The recognition of a striking cli...

NEWS - Three-spot grass-veneer ( Glaucocharis triochellaris Matsui, Yagi & Hirowatari sp. nov.) and dull gray grass-veneer ( Glaucocharis plumbofascialis Matsui, Yagi & Hirowatari sp. nov.) from the Ogasawara Islands of Japan with adult, male and female genitalia and molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed a sister relationship between the two new species and the monophyly of Glaucocharis Meyrick 1938. G. triocellaris is easily distinguished from the other species by distinctive morphological features, such as three black spots on the margin, each enclosing a silvery white spot in the middle of the forewing; a valve with a strong hook-shaped protrusion emerging from the middle of the ventral valve margin and a phallus with hook-shaped apical spines curved ventrally on the male genitalia; and a circular spinous antevaginal lamella on the female genitalia. Although larvae were not found, adults emerged from various Bryopsida species collected on Hahajima Island. The larvae ma...

NEWS - Similis treehopper ( Smilidarnis similifasciatus McKamey sp. nov.) from Bolivia and French Guiana, closely resembles Smilidarnis fasciatus Andrade in being brightly colored but differs in metathoracic tibial chaetotaxy, male pygofer, first anal segment, aedeagus, and color pattern. Andrade (1989) assigned the genus Smilidarnis to the two new species without placing the genus in a higher taxon because both displayed features of Smiliinae and Darninae. The diagnosis was expanded slightly by McKamey (2023) to accommodate new variations found among the three new species. S. similifasciatus has a pronotum without suprahumeral spines; brightly colored with a mixture of orange, yellow, and black; most lateral yellow band bifurcates posteriorly, lower arm running nearly the entire length of the lateral margin. The specific name is a masculine Latin adjective based on the combination of “similis” (similar to) and the related species S. fasciatus . S. fasciatus and S. similifasciatus ...

NEWS - Dayaoshan leaf-litter toad ( Leptobrachella dayaoshanensis Chen, Yu, Meng & Qin sp. nov.) from Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve at elevations of 1000 and 1600 m in Jinxiu, Guangxi, China, was established as new to science based on phylogenetic analysis, morphology and bioacoustic data. L. dayaoshanensis was found in the evergreen forest of Dayaoshan Mountain. Adult males made calls near rocky streams between 19:00 and 24:00, but there were also instances where calls were heard during the day. Calls were heard from early March to late April. Currently, the new species is only found within Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve. The species name dayaoshanensis refers to the type locality, Dayaoshan Mountain. The researchers suggested the English name Dayaoshan Leaf Litter Toad and the Chinese name is Da Yao Shan Zhang Tu Chan (大瑶山掌突蟾). L. dayaoshanensis can be distinguished from its relatives by its medium size (mean SVL 27.9 ± 0.7 mm, range 26.6–28.9 mm in males; 34.4 mm in fe...

NEWS - Loong riffle beetle ( Grouvellinus loong sp. nov.), Chinese riffle beetle ( Grouvellinus buyi sp. nov.), Wangmo riffle beetle ( Grouvellinus wangmoensis sp. nov.), Hai-Tao Li riffle beetle ( Grouvellinus lihaitaoi sp. nov.), Yin-Lin Mu riffle beetle ( Grouvellinus muyinlini sp. nov.) from China live in small ravine streams where submerged rocks live. Grouvellinus Champion 1923 is widely distributed in the Eastern and Palearctic regions including 60 species with 28 species recorded from mainland China and only one species in Guizhou Province ( Grouvellinus huaxiensis Jiang, Huang & Chen 2023) found in the urban river of Guiyang City. Researchers conducted a survey of aquatic beetles in Guizhou Province in 2021 and collected more than 5000 specimens of riffle beetles, many of which belong to Grouvellinus. Now they report 5 new species. G. loong is placed in the Grouvellinus acutus group based on small body; elytra with yellowish brown markings; pronotum without longitu...

NEWS - Copaquilla moth ( Plutella copaquillaensis Vargas sp. nov.) newly recognized in the genus based on adult specimens raised from larvae collected on Neuontobotrys lanata (Walp.) Al-Shehbaz (Brassicaceae) in the arid Andean highlands of northern Chile. The new species resembles Plutella xylostella Linnaeus 1758 in wing pattern, but differs in genital morphology. Plutella Schrank 1802 (Lepidoptera, Plutellidae) is a widespread genus of moths containing 26 species. The larvae feed on plants in the Brassicaceae, except for a lineage endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, whose host plants are in the Capparaceae, a member of the Brassicales closely related to the Brassicaceae and Cleomaceae. The circumscription of Plutella is controversial because of the variation in genital morphology. Unlike the large number of studies on P. xylostella , many members of this genus are poorly known. Apart from the diamondback moth, only two species have previously been recorded in Chile, Plutella deltodo...

NEWS - Chengkou meshweaver ( Cicurina chengkou sp. nov. ♂♀), Daba Mountain meshweaver ( Cicurina dabashan sp. nov. ♂♀) and long hook meshweaver ( Cicurina longihamata sp. nov. ♂♀) from Daba Mountain National Nature Reserve in Chongqing, China, were added as new species to science in Cicurina Menge 1871. Daba Mountain National Nature Reserve is located in the southern Dabashan Mountains with many intersecting valleys. The heterogeneous habitats create conditions for independent evolution of species and have given rise to many endemic species such as ferns and flowering plants, including Botrychium sutchuenense , Asplenium humistratum , Primula phagosa , and the beetle Neobisnius chengkouensis . A comprehensive survey of the biological resource background of Chongqing Daba Mountain National Nature Reserve was conducted in 2011. A total of 181 macro fungi, 3572 tracheophytes, 884 insects, 68 mammals, 233 birds, 24 reptiles, 25 amphibians, and 44 fish species were recorded. However, onl...

NEWS - Fuwen Wei forester moth ( Thibetana weii Li & He, sp. nov.) was found in Galongla Snow Mountain, southeastern Xizang, China, becoming the seventh species in Thibetana Efetov & Tarmann 1995 which has distribution in southwest China and Indian Sikkim. Thibetana (Zygaenidae, Procridinae) was assigned to Artona sieversi Alphéraky, 1892. This genus includes 6 species with distribution in southwest China and Indian Sikkim. Three species are known from China. Now researchers report a new species to the genus based on specimens collected from Xizang, China. T. weii has forewing upperside with ovate yellow spot at base, two ovate spots near middle, and an 8-shaped yellow spot at distal part; hindwing upperside with subtriangular yellow spot and oblong yellow spot. In male genitalia, sacculus nearly rectangular, dentated on outer margin, ending with spine-like process on ventral margin. The new species is similar to Thibetana zebra (Elwes, 1890) in the pattern of the forewings...

NEWS - Socoroma leafminer ( Cremastobombycia socoromaensis Vargas sp. nov. Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Lithocolletinae) from the dry highlands of the western slopes of the Andes in northern Chile with larvae mining leaves on the shrub Baccharis tola Phil. (Asteraceae) is the first record of Cremastobombycia Braun 1908 in South America. No Cremastobombycia species have been reported from South America. However, morphological examination revealed that a micromoth obtained from a leafminer collected in the arid Andean highlands of northern Chile was an undescribed species in this genus. C. socoromaensis was recognized based on wing pattern and genital morphology. The forewings of the male (3.6–3.7 mm long) are orange-brown and have indistinct creamy white markings: a short longitudinal subbasal line and three costal strigulae and two dorsal oblique strigulae. Although the female forewings (3.0–3.1 mm long) are also orange-brown with subbasal lines similar to those of the male, the fou...