Taxonomy, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 15 articles

In this paper, Sedum yongkangense is described as a new species based on morphological and molecular analyses, and its taxonomic relationships are discussed. Morphological analysis indicates S. yongkangense should be classified in the genus Sedum L. sect. Sedum and is distinct from the related species S. ryukyuense, S. mukojimense and S. boninense in having the morphology of a biennial life form; spreading cymes with numerous flowers; unequal, linear, terete sepals; horizontally spreading follicles; and an inland habitat. Molecular analysis of sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) also demonstrates that S. yongkangense has a highest similarity of only 87.21% with any known species. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that S. yongkangense should be closely related to S. bulbiferum, but the latter differs in having the morphology of a perennial life form; a congested fertile stem; axillary bulbils of leaves; a spatulate-oblanceolate and flat leaf blade; lanceolate to oblanceolate and flat sepals; and deep yellow anthers and spreading follicles. Full article

The authors have completed the study of the genera Cervellaea Borovec & Meregalli, 2021, and Namaquania Borovec & Meregalli, 2021, two of the seven genera of the tribe Namaini Meregalli & Borovec, 2021. The type species of the two genera are re-described, to match their descriptions with that of the other species, and eight new species are described: Cervellaea acutifrons sp. n. (type locality: Western Cape, Cederberg Mts.); C. griseoscapa sp. n. (type locality: Northern Cape, near Botterkloof Pass); C. oberprieleri sp. n. (type locality: Northern Cape, SE of Nieuwoudtville); C. prima sp. n. (type locality: Western Cape, SW of Vanrhynsdorp); C. troetroe sp. n. (type locality: Western Cape, Vanrhynsdorp); Namaquania basteriana sp. n. (type locality: Northern Cape, W of Eksteenfontein); N. inopinata sp. n. (type locality: Northern Cape, N of Port Nolloth); and N. rotundiseta sp. n. (type locality: Northern Cape, Ploeberg Mt.). A key to the species of the genera Cervellaea and Namaquania is given. Full article

A new species of Solenopsis (Campanulaceae), S. gutermannii is described and illustrated. It is endemic to Kefalonia island, Greece, where it is very rare and localized in flat clay surfaces that are periodically submerged. This species is a very small annual hygrophyte, characterized by rosulate leaves or with slightly caulescent stems, long-pedunculated flowers, bilabiate corolla, and papillate near the throat. It exhibits close affinities primarily with S. minuta, with which it was previously identified, and additionally with S. antiphonitis, due to similarities in habit and certain flower traits. Nevertheless, several relevant morphological features serve to distinguish it from these species. Its morphology, seed coat and pollen SEM micro-sculpturing, ecology, phenology, distribution, conservation status, and taxonomic relationships are also examined. Full article

Based on several sources of evidence from morphology, the micromorphology of the abaxial leaf epidermis, and a phylogenetic analysis using complete chloroplast genome data, a new combination and two new synonyms are reported in the genus Indocalamus Nakai. Indocalamus cordatus T. H. Wen et Y. Zou is synonymized with I. tessellatus (Munro) P. C. Keng, and I. chebalingensis W. T. Lin is synonymized with I. multinerus (W. T. Lin et Z. M. Wu) W. T. Lin. As a new combination, I. mollis (H. R. Zhao et Y. L. Yang) L. Q. Gao, W. G. Zhang et G. Y. Yang was created and is supplementally described. In addition, the lectotype of I. multinerus is designated herein. Full article

The Canthon indigaceus species group represents a Typical Neotropical distributional pattern with wide penetration into the Mexican Transition Zone. This group consists of three species: C. (C.) indigaceus LeConte; C. (C.) chiapas Robinson; and C. (C.) chevrolati Harold. In this study, a new species for the group is described, C. (C.) cuixmala, collected along the tropical region of the Pacific coast and the Balsas River basin. The taxonomic status of members of the group were evaluated by comparing morphological characteristics and their biogeographic distributions. An updated dichotomous key is provided to separate members of this species group. Full article

Within the Rubiaceae family, the genus Randia comprises approximately 90 species, with significant morphological diversity in growth forms, leaf shapes, and floral sexuality. In particular, Randia aculeata is a taxonomically challenging species distributed from the southern United States to South America and the Antilles that exhibits high morphological variability and ecological adaptability. One of its synonyms is Randia tomatillo, originally described from coastal dunes in Veracruz, Mexico, and it has been inconsistently described in the taxonomic literature either as a distinct species or as a synonym for R. aculeata. This study aimed to resolve the taxonomic identity of R. tomatillo through morphological observations from herbarium specimens, and transverse sections from mature leaves were observed using SEM microscopy to explore crystal types. Morphological traits, such as lifeform, twig pubescence, stipule persistence, fruit size, and pericarp texture, are critical in distinguishing R. tomatillo from morphologically related species, such as R. aculeata and Randia thurberi. Anatomical features, particularly the presence of prisms in the leaf mesophyll and epidermis, are unique to R. tomatillo, suggesting their diagnostic value. Ecological adaptations, such as scandent growth and spongy pericarps for hydrochorous fruit dispersal, further support its distinction as a species adapted to coastal environments. These findings highlight the need for a comprehensive taxonomic reassessment of Randia, integrating morphological, anatomical, and ecological evidence. Full article

Freshwater oligochaetes, belonging to the class Oligochaeta, are vital components of aquatic ecosystems globally, contributing significantly to nutrient cycling, sediment dynamics, and overall ecosystem function. Despite their ecological importance, freshwater oligochaetes in Korea remain relatively understudied compared to other aquatic organisms. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the diversity and ecological roles of freshwater oligochaetes in Korean aquatic ecosystems. We identified nine species across six genera and two subfamilies from samples collected from various freshwater environments in Korea. This research contributes valuable taxonomic knowledge and highlights the ecological significance of freshwater oligochaetes in Korean aquatic ecosystems. Full article

Coloration patterns in polyclad flatworms of the Pseudocerotidae family are crucial for taxonomic identifications, often serving as key diagnostic character. In this study, we document two pseudocerotid species from the Mexican Pacific exhibiting remarkably similar coloration patterns yet belonging to distinct genera. Through detailed morphological analysis of both external and internal characters, we describe a new species, Pseudobiceros deliae sp. nov. Coria, Bolaños and Quiroga, and report Pseudoceros josei as a new record for Baja California Sur, Revillagigedo Archipelago and Guerrero. Additionally, we provide 28S ribosomal DNA sequences to support future research efforts. Our findings demonstrate that species identification cannot rely solely on distinctive coloration patterns but rather requires a combination of traits, including other external morphological characteristics such as the number of male gonopores, the type of pharynx and the shape of pseudotentacles. Furthermore, we propose that Pseudoceros bicuti is a junior synonym of Pseudoceros josei. Full article

Two new European species in Medetera (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) are described here. Medetera demirae sp. nov.—named after the Flemish minister for Justice and Enforcement, Environment, Energy and Tourism (2019–2024)—has been discovered at three localities in the eastern province of Limburg (Flanders, Belgium) and is thus far only known from this area. It can be easily recognized by a dentate hypandrium and phallus, a unique character not found in any other known Medetera species. M. nigrohalteralis sp. nov. had long been regarded as Medetera takagii Negrobov, 1970 by European dolichopodid workers but ultimately proved to represent a separate species. This species seems widespread in northwestern and central Europe. Morphologically, it is very similar to M. takagii and M. tristis (Zetterstedt, 1838) and shares an infuscate halter with both species. It differs from both by the shape of its hypandrium and surstylus. M. demirae sp. nov., large numbers of M. nigrohalteralis sp. nov., and other rarely seen Medetera species were collected in Belgium using a new type of tree trunk eclector. A widespread application of this trap might considerably change our view on the occurrence and rarity of tree trunk-dwelling invertebrates. Full article

Lotus, with about 120 species, is the largest genus of Leguminosae–Loteae. The last global classification recognized 14 sections, of which 13 were then sampled in molecular phylogenetic analyses. The section remaining unsampled is Lotus sect. Benedictella with one critically endangered and possibly extinct species, L. benoistii. This is an annual species known from Mediterranean-type vernal pools in the lowlands of northwestern Morocco that differs from other species of the genus in many-seeded indehiscent fruits with thin pericarp and pinnate leaves with 6–9 leaflets. This species was described in a monospecific genus and later transferred to Lotus on the basis of suggested morphological similarities with three mainly desert annuals from North Africa and Southwest Asia currently classified in Lotus sect. Chamaelotus. We provide the first molecular phylogenetic data on L. benoistii and show that it is far from L. sect. Chamaelotus. It is close to plants traditionally classified in Lotus sect. Lotus that have a center of diversity in Europe and temperate Asia. Phylogenetic analyses of plastid markers showed that L. sect. Chamaelotus belongs to a clade with major taxonomic diversity in Macaronesia, Africa, SW Asia, and Australia. Morphology does not provide arguments against the novel hypothesis on the relationships of L. benoistii. Its possible extinction is a great loss for the breeding programs of the pasture plant L. corniculatus. We provide the first anatomical data of L. benoistii, showing that its non-shattering condition has a peculiar nature that differs from all other instances of indehiscence in Loteae. Full article

Actinomycetes are known to produce a vast array of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential therapeutic applications, including antimicrobials, anticancer agents, and enzyme inhibitors. Among these, members of the genus Nonomuraea have received much attention due to their broad ecological importance in nutrient cycling in soil and their ability to produce new bioactive compounds. A novel actinomycetes, designated strain M3C6^T, was isolated from soil samples collected on Marmara Island, located in the Istanbul province, aiming to explore the microbial diversity of unexplored habitats, and characterized using a polyphasic approach. The isolate showed chemotaxonomic and morphological features consistent with members of the genus Nonomuraea. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain M3C6^T shared the highest similarity, at 98.7% sequence identity, to Nonomuraea basaltis 160415^T and Nonomuraea turkmeniaca DSM 43926^T. However, the ANI and dDDH values between strain M3C6^T and these reference strains were fairly low, ranging from 84.0 to 84.6% and 31.8 to 33.7%, respectively, below the generally accepted cutoffs for ANI and DDH that delineate different prokaryotic species. Genomic analysis of strain M3C6^T showed that it had a genome size of 10.38 Mbp and a DNA G+C content of 69.5 mol%. Based on these chemotaxonomic, phenotypic, and genomic data, strain M3C6^T is classified as a novel species within the genus Nonomuraea, for which the name Nonomuraea marmarensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M3C6^T (= KCTC 49983^T = CGMCC 4.8035^T). Genomic analyses confirmed the high potential of M3C6^T to produce specialized secondary metabolites. Full article

Torodorinae is the second largest subfamily of Lecithoceridae, comprising more than 600 species worldwide. In the Afrotropical Region, 116 species of the subfamily have been known, of which 90 species were described by the author and his co-authors since 2018. In this article, the generic synopsis of the subfamily Torodorinae in Afrotropical Region is discussed and reviewed, providing lists of all known species of each genus. Full article

Krameropteris is an extinct fern genus found in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber, assigned to the Dennstaedtiaceae, with only one previously described species, i.e., K. resinatus. This study describes a new species, K. calophyllum, also preserved in Myanmar amber. The new species is characterized by branched venation with free veinlets terminating in thickened tips, multicellular hairs along the pinnule margins, and submarginal or medial exindusiate sori at the ends of veinlets. Its sporangia are polypod-type, producing trilete spores. This new species represents the second record of an extinct fern genus of the early-diverging Dennstaedtiaceae lineage found in Myanmar amber. Krameropteris calophyllum differs from K. resinatus in its pinnule epidermal characteristics and spore morphology, with the latter exhibiting a conspicuously ornamented perine, covered with sparse tubercles and ridges. The new species provides insights into potential herbivory interactions and the relationship between mid-Cretaceous polypod ferns and the smallest mite ever recorded. These findings suggest that Dennstaedtiaceae exhibited species-level diversity by the mid-Cretaceous, indicating an earlier origin of the family, potentially as early as the Early Jurassic, consistent with recent DNA-based time divergence estimates. Full article

The genus Hypoglyptus Gerstaecker, 1855 is herein revised for the first time. Based on adult morphological characters, five species are recognized as valid: Hypoglyptus conspersus (Leonhard, 1912) (Greece), H. elegans (Brullé, 1832) (Greece, Albania), H. gracilis Kiesenwetter, 1864 (Greece), H. graecus (Pic, 1902) (Greece), H. heydeni Faust, 1889 (Greece, Syria, Turkey). For this last species a lectotype is designated. Hypoglyptus pictus Gerstaecker, 1855 is proposed as n. syn. of H. elegans (Brullé, 1832). Male and female genitalia have been examined and are illustrated for the first time. The five species are very similar to and separable from each other by a few subtle differences in the shape, the sculpture, and the vestiture of the pronotum and elytra and in the more or less toothed femora. On the basis of morphological characters, the genus Hypoglyptus, previously incertae sedis in Curculionidae, is here tentatively placed in the tribe Smicronychini of the subfamily Curculioninae. Full article