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1. Three new karst-dwelling Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata; Gekkoniade) from Peninsular Thailand and the phylogenetic placement of C. punctatonuchalis and C. vandeventeri

   https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2884  

   Wood Jr, Perry Lee ; Grismer, L. Lee ; Aowphol, Anchalee ; Aguilar, César A. ; Cota, Micheal ; Grismer, Marta S. ; Murdoch, Matthew L. ; Sites Jr, Jack W. ( January 2017 , PeerJ)

   Three new species of Rock GeckosCnemaspis lineogularissp. nov.,C. phangngaensissp. nov., andC. thachanaensissp. nov. of thechanthaburiensisandsiamensisgroups are described from the Thai portion of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. These new species are distinguished from all other species in their two respective groups based on a unique combination of morphological characteristics, which is further supported by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2).Cnemaspis lineogularissp. nov. is differentiated from all other species in thechanthaburiensisgroup by having a smaller maximum SVL 38 mm, 13 paravertebral tubercles, enlarged femoral scales, no caudal bands, and a 19.5–23.0% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2).Cnemaspis phangngaensissp. nov. is differentiated from all other species in the siamensis group by having the unique combination of 10 infralabial scales, four continuous pore-bearing precloacal scales, paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged, lacking tubercles on the lower flanks, having ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly present, caudal tubercles restricted to a single paraveterbral row on each side, a single median row of keeled subcaudals, and a 8.8–25.2% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2).Cnemaspis thachanaensissp. nov. is distinguished from all other species in the siamensis group by having 10 or 11 supralabial scales 9–11 infralabial scales, paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged, ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly, caudal tubercles restricted to a single paravertebral row on each side, a single median row of keeled subcaudal scales, lacking a single enlarged subcaudal scale row, lacking postcloaclal tubercles in males, the presence of an enlarged submetatarsal scale at the base if the 1st toe, and a 13.4–28.8% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2). The new phylogenetic analyses placeC. punctatonuchalisandC. vandeventeriin the siamensis group withC. punctatonuchalisas the sister species toC. huaseesomandC. vandeventerias the sister species toC. siamensis, corroborating previous hypotheses based on morphology. The discovery of three new karst-dwelling endemics brings the total number of nominal ThaiCnemaspisspecies to 15 and underscores the need for continued field research in poorly known areas of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, especially those that are threatened and often overlooked as biodiversity hot spots.

    

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2. Species delimitation and invasion history of the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges ( Dreyfusia ) piceae (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Adelgidae), species complex

   https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12456  

   Havill, Nathan P. ; Griffin, Brian P. ; Andersen, Jeremy C. ; Foottit, Robert G. ; Justesen, Mathias J. ; Caccone, Adalgisa ; D'Amico, Vincent ; Elkinton, Joseph S. ( October 2020 , Systematic Entomology)

   TheAdelges(Dreyfusia)piceae(Ratzeburg) species complex is a taxonomically unstable group of six species. Three of the species are cyclically parthenogenetic [Ad.nordmannianae(Eckstein),Ad.prelli(Grossmann), andAd.merkeri(Eichhorn)] and three are obligately asexual [Ad.piceae,Ad.schneideri(Börner), andAd.nebrodensis(Binazzi & Covassi)]. Some species are high‐impact pests of fir (Abies) trees, so stable species names are needed to communicate effectively about management. Therefore, to refine species delimitation, guided by a reconstruction of their biogeographic history, we genotyped adelgids from Europe, North America, and the Caucasus Mountains region with 19 microsatellite loci, sequenced the COI DNA barcoding region, and compared morphology. Discriminant analysis of principal components of microsatellite genotypes revealed four distinct genetic clusters. Two clusters were morphologically consistent withAd.nordmannianae. One of these clusters consisted of samples from the Caucasus Mountains and northern Turkey, and the other included samples from this region as well as from Europe and North America, whereAd.nordmannianaeis invasive. A third cluster was morphologically consistent withAd.piceae, and included individuals from Europe, where it is native, and North America, where it is invasive. In North America, the majority ofAd.piceaeindividuals were assigned to two geographically widespread clones, suggesting multiple introductions. The fourth cluster included individuals morphologically consistent withAd.prelliorAd.merkeri. However, based on genetic assignments, hybrid simulations, and approximate Bayesian computation, we find it likely that these are contemporary hybrids betweenAd.nordmannianaeandAd.piceaethat arose independently in Europe and North America, so we propose thatAd.prelliandAd.merkeriare invalid. Finally, we synonymiseAd.schneideri(syn.n.)withAd.nordmannianaeand designateAd.nebrodensisas subspeciesAd.piceae nebrodensis(stat.n.). Our revised taxonomy therefore recognises two species:Ad.nordmannianaeandAd.piceae, which we estimate to have diverged recently, during one of the last two interglacial periods. Finally, we comment on this species complex being in the midst of transition between sexual and asexual reproduction, a pattern that is probably common in Adelgidae.

    

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3. Endosymbiotic adaptations in three new bacterial species associated with Dictyostelium discoideum : Paraburkholderia agricolaris sp. nov., Paraburkholderia hayleyella sp. nov., and Paraburkholderia bonniea sp. nov

   https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9151  

   Brock, Debra A. ; Noh, Suegene ; Hubert, Alicia N.M. ; Haselkorn, Tamara S. ; DiSalvo, Susanne ; Suess, Melanie K. ; Bradley, Alexander S. ; Tavakoli-Nezhad, Mahboubeh ; Geist, Katherine S. ; Queller, David C. ; et al ( January 2020 , PeerJ)

   Here we give names to three new species of Paraburkholderia that can remain in symbiosis indefinitely in the spores of a soil dwelling eukaryote, Dictyostelium discoideum . The new species P. agricolaris sp. nov. , P. hayleyella sp. nov. , and P. bonniea sp. nov . are widespread across the eastern USA and were isolated as internal symbionts of wild-collected D. discoideum . We describe these sp. nov. using several approaches. Evidence that they are each a distinct new species comes from their phylogenetic position, average nucleotide identity, genome-genome distance, carbon usage, reduced length, cooler optimal growth temperature, metabolic tests, and their previously described ability to invade D. discoideum amoebae and form a symbiotic relationship . All three of these new species facilitate the prolonged carriage of food bacteria by D. discoideum, though they themselves are not food. Further studies of the interactions of these three new species with D. discoideum should be fruitful for understanding the ecology and evolution of symbioses. 

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4. Paludicola gen. nov. and Revision of the Species Formerly in Batrachospermum Section  Turfosa (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta)

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13001  

   Vis, Morgan L. ; Lee, Janina ; Eloranta, Pertti ; Chapuis, Iara S. ; Lam, Daryl W. ; Necchi, Jr., Orlando ; Oliveira, ed., M. C. ( May 2020 , Journal of Phycology)

   Since the first phylogenetic study of the order Batrachospermales,Batrachospermumwas shown to be paraphyletic. Subsequently, sections of the genus have been methodically investigated usingDNAsequences and morphology in order to propose new genera and delineate species.BatrachospermumsectionTurfosais the last section with multiple species yet to be examined. New sequence data of specimens from Europe and the United States were combined with the sparse sequence data already available. Phylogenetic analyses usingrbcL andCOI‐5P sequences showed this section to be a well‐supported clade, distinct fromBatrachospermumsectionBatrachospermumand its segregate genera. Section Turfosais raised to the generic rank asPaludicolagen. nov. Substantial genetic variation within the genus was discovered and 12 species are recognized based onDNAsequence data as well as morphological characters and geographic distribution. The following morphological characters were applied to distinguish species: branching pattern (pseudodichotomous or irregular), whorl size (reduced or well developed), primary fascicles (curved or straight), spermatangia origin (primary or secondary fascicles), and carposporophyte arrangement (loose or dense). Previously published species were transferred to the new genus:P. turfosa,P. keratophyta,P. orthosticha,P. phangiae,andP. periploca. Seven new species are proposed as follows:P. groenbladiifrom Europe;P. communis,P. johnhallii, andP. leafensisfrom North America; andP. aquanigra,P. diamantinensis, andP. turfosiformisfrom Brazil. In addition, three unsequenced species in the section,P. bakarensis,P. gombakensis, andP. tapirensis, were transferred to the new genus.

    

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5. Two new species of Phaeohelotium ( Leotiomycetes : Helotiaceae ) from Chile and their putative ectomycorrhizal status

   https://doi.org/10.3114/fuse.2022.10.10  

   Grupe, A.C. ; Smith, M.E. ; Weier, A. ; Healy, R. ; Caiafa, M.V. ; Pfister, D.H. ; Haelewaters, D. ; Quandt, C.A. ( December 2022 , Fungal Systematics and Evolution)

   Species of the genus Phaeohelotium ( Leotiomycetes : Helotiaceae ) are cup fungi that grow on decaying wood, leaves, litter, and directly on soil. Northern Hemisphere species are primarily found on litter and wood, whereas in the Southern Hemisphere the genus includes a mix of saprotrophs as well as taxa that grow on soil in association with ectomycorrhizal trees. The diversity of this genus has not been fully explored in southern South America. Here we describe two species from Chile, Phaeohelotium maiusaurantium sp. nov . and Ph. pallidum sp. nov ., found on soil in Patagonian Nothofagaceae -dominated forests. We present macro- and micromorphological descriptions, illustrations, and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The two new species are placed in Phaeohelotium with high support in our 15-locus phylogeny as well as phylogenetic reconstructions based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene. Our ITS phylogeny places both Ph. maiusaurantium and Ph. pallidum in a well-supported subclade that includes ectomycorrhizal root tip samples from Australasia. Similar species can be separated from these new taxa based on morphological characteristics, biogeography, substrate, and sequence data. In addition, two unnamed species from Chilean Nothofagaceae forests ( Phaeohelotium sp. 1 and Phaeohelotium sp. 2) are documented from scant collections and sequence data and await description until more material becomes available. 

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