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1. Redefinition of the cicada tribe Hemidictyini Distant, 1905, status of the tribe Iruanini Boulard, 1993 rev. stat., and the establishment of Hovanini n. tribe and Sapantangini n. tribe (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

   https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4747.1.5  

   SANBORN, ALLEN F.; MARSHALL, DAVID C.; MOULDS, MAXWELL S.; PUISSANT, STÉPHANE; SIMON, CHRIS (March 2020, Zootaxa)

   null (Ed.)

   A recent paper by Ruschel & Campos (2019) on “leaf-winged” cicadas proposed a significant reorganization of the cicada tribe Hemidictyini Distant, 1905g, including synonymization of the monogeneric tribe Lacetasini Moulds & Marshall, 2018 following the results of a cladistic parsimony analysis of morphological characters. In this study, we reconsider and revise the morphological analysis of Ruschel & Campos and obtain new genetic data for Hemidictya. We find that their study suffers from a limited taxon sample, inappropriate outgroup selection, and misinterpretation of genitalic characters (uncus vs. claspers). We show that Hemidictyini sensu Ruschel & Campos includes members of multiple tribes and subfamilies, and we conclude that some of the taxonomic transfers by Ruschel & Campos are not supported. The two most similar and leaf-like cicadas, Hemidictya Burmeister, 1835 (South America) and Hovana Distant, 1905g (Madagascar), are probably not closely related but rather an excellent example of convergent evolution. Lacetasini is not a junior synonym of the Hemidictyini but a distinct part of the Tettigomyiinae Distant, 1905g as originally classified. We return or transfer the genera Lacetas Karsch, 1890, Iruana Distant, 1905g, Bafutalna Boulard, 1993, and Murphyalna Boulard, 2012 to the Lacetasini. With the transfer of all genera of Iruanina Boulard, 1993 and Bafutalnina Boulard, 1993 to Lacetasini and with Lacetas transferred to the Iruanina, Lacetasini n. syn. becomes a subjective junior synonym of Iruanini rev. stat. in the Tettigomyiinae. We assign Hovana to Hovanini n. tribe in the Tettigomyiinae and Sapantanga Distant, 1905g to Sapantangini n. tribe in the Tibicininae Distant, 1905b. We propose that Hemidictyini sensu novo contains only the genus Hemidictya and we assign the tribe to Tibicininae with a revised diagnosis. 

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2. Colonial botany and the shifting identity of Balanostreblus ilicifolius Kurz (Moraceae)

   https://doi.org/10.26492/gbs73(1).2021-12  

   Gardner, E.M. (May 2021, Gardens' Bulletin Singapore)

   The protologue of Balanostreblus ilicifolius Kurz included the citation of specimens from Bangladesh and Myanmar of a plant now called Taxotrophis ilicifolia (Kurz) S.Vidal. However, the description in the protologue and the accompanying illustration were based largely on the Neotropical Sorocea guilleminiana Gaudich., which was cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta and has similar vegetative characters. This paper seeks to resolve a century of confusion over the identity of Balanostreblus ilicifolius and reviews its history in light of historical correspondence relating to its identity and the trans-continental exchange of plants under British colonialism. The paper concludes that a previous attempt to typify Balanostreblus ilicifolius with an uncited cultivated specimen of Sorocea guilleminiana should be superseded with material from Myanmar cited in the protologue. A lectotype is designated, fixing the application of the name, which can now serve as the basionym of Taxotrophis ilicifolia. 

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3. Phylogeny of Mesoamerican freshwater mussels and a revised tribe‐level classification of the Ambleminae

   https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12322  

   Pfeiffer, John_M; Atkinson, Carla_L; Sharpe, Ashley_E; Capps, Krista_A; Emery, Kitty_F; Page, Lawrence_M (November 2018, Zoologica Scripta)

   Abstract Evolutionary and ecological hypotheses of the freshwater mussel subfamily Ambleminae are intensely geographically biased—a consequence of the complete exclusion of Mesoamerican taxa in phylogenetic reconstructions of the clade. We set out to integrate a portion of the Mesoamerican freshwater mussel assemblage into existing hypotheses of amblemine classification and evolution by generating a molecular phylogeny that includes four previously unsampled Mesoamerican genera and nine species endemic to that region. Given the traditionally hypothesized affinity to Nearctic mussels and the understanding that classification should reflect common ancestry, we predicted that (a) Mesoamerican genera would be recovered as members of the recognized tribes of the Ambleminae, and (b) genera would be supported as monophyletic. The mutilocus phylogeny (COI + 28S + 16S) reported herein does not fully support either of those hypotheses. NeitherCyrtonaiasnorPsorulawere supported as monophyletic and we predict several other Mesoamerica genera are also non‐monophyletic. The reconstructed phylogeny recovered four independent lineages of Mesoamerican freshwater mussels and these clades are distributed across the phylogeny of the Ambleminae, including the tribe Quadrulini (Megalonaias), Lampsilini (two lineages:Cyrtonaias explicata/Sphenonaias microdon, andPachynaias), and a previously unrecognized, exclusively Mesoamerican and Rio Grande clade consisting of the generaPsoronaias,PsorulaandPopenaias. The latter clade possesses several morphological characteristics that distinguish it from its sister taxon, tribe Lampsilini, and we recognize this newly identified Mesoamerican clade as a fifth tribe of the Ambleminae attributable to the Popenaiadini Heard & Guckert, 1970. This revised classification more completely recognizes the suprageneric diversity of the Ambleminae. 

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4. A catalogue of the tribe Sepidiini Eschscholtz, 1829 (Tenebrionidae, Pimeliinae) of the world

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.844.34241  

   Kamiński, Marcin J.; Kanda, Kojun; Lumen, Ryan; Ulmer, Jonah M.; Wirth, Christopher C.; Bouchard, Patrice; Aalbu, Rolf; Mal, Noël; Smith, Aaron D. (May 2019, ZooKeys)

   This catalogue includes all valid family-group (six subtribes), genus-group (55 genera, 33 subgenera), and species-group names (1009 species and subspecies) of Sepidiini darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae), and their available synonyms. For each name, the author, year, and page number of the description are provided, with additional information (e.g., type species for genus-group names, author of synonymies for invalid taxa, notes) depending on the taxon rank. Verified distributional records (loci typici and data acquired from revisionary publications) for all the species are gathered. Distribution of the subtribes is illustrated and discussed. Several new nomenclatural acts are included. The generic names Phanerotomea Koch, 1958 [= Ocnodes Fåhraeus, 1870] and Parmularia Koch, 1955 [= Psammodes Kirby, 1819] are new synonyms (valid names in square brackets). The following new combinations are proposed: Ocnodesacuductusacuductus (Ancey, 1883), O. acuductusufipanus (Koch, 1952), O. adamantinus (Koch, 1952), O. argenteofasciatus (Koch, 1953), O. arnoldiarnoldi (Koch, 1952), O. arnoldisabianus (Koch, 1952), O.barbosai (Koch, 1952), O.basilewskyi (Koch, 1952), O.bellmarleyi (Koch, 1952), O. benguelensis (Koch, 1952), O. bertolonii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), O. blandus (Koch, 1952), O. brevicornis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1875), O. brunnescensbrunnescens (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. brunnescensmolestus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1875), O. buccinator (Koch, 1952), O. bushmanicus (Koch, 1952), O. carbonarius (Gerstaecker, 1854), O. cardiopterus (Fairmaire, 1888), O. cataractus (Koch, 1952), O. cinerarius (Koch, 1952), O. complanatus (Koch, 1952), O. confertus (Koch, 1952), O. congruens (Péringuey, 1899), O. cordiventris (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. crocodilinus (Koch, 1952), O. dimorphus (Koch, 1952), O. distinctus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. dolosus (Péringuey, 1899), O. dorsocostatus (Gebien, 1910), O. dubiosus (Péringuey, 1899), O. ejectus (Koch, 1952), O. epronoticus (Koch, 1952), O. erichsoni (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. ferreiraeferreirae (Koch, 1952), O. ferreiraezulu (Koch, 1952), O. fettingi (Haag-Rutenberg, 1875), O. fistucans (Koch, 1952), O. fraternus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1875), O. freyi (Koch, 1952), O. freudei (Koch, 1952), O. fulgidus (Koch, 1952), O. funestus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. gemmeulus (Koch, 1952), O. gibberosulus (Péringuey, 1908), O. gibbus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1879), O. globosus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. granisterna (Koch, 1952), O. granulosicollis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O.gridellii (Koch, 1960), O. gueriniguerini (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. guerinilawrencii (Koch, 1954), O. guerinimancus (Koch 1954), O. haemorrhoidalishaemorrhoidalis (Koch, 1952), O. haemorrhoidalissalubris (Koch, 1952), O. heydeni (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. humeralis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. humerangula (Koch, 1952), O. imbricatus (Koch, 1952), O.imitatorimitator (Péringuey, 1899), O. imitatorinvadens (Koch, 1952), O. inflatus (Koch, 1952), O. janssensi (Koch, 1952), O. javeti (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. junodi (Péringuey, 1899), O. kulzeri (Koch, 1952), O. lacustris (Koch, 1952), O. laevigatus (Olivier, 1795), O. lanceolatus (Koch, 1953), O. licitus (Peringey, 1899), O. luctuosus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. luxurosus (Koch, 1952), O. maputoensis (Koch, 1952), O. marginicollis (Koch, 1952), O. martinsi (Koch, 1952), O. melleus (Koch, 1952), O. mendicusestermanni (Koch, 1952), O. mendicusmendicus (Péringuey, 1899), O. miles (Péringuey, 1908), O. mimeticus (Koch, 1952), O. misolampoides (Fairmaire, 1888), O. mixtus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. monacha (Koch, 1952), O. montanus (Koch, 1952), O. mozambicus (Koch, 1952), O. muliebriscurtus (Koch, 1952), O. muliebrismuliebris (Koch, 1952), O. muliebrissilvestris (Koch, 1952), O. nervosus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O.notatum (Thunberg, 1787), O. notaticollis (Koch, 1952), O. odorans (Koch, 1952), O. opacus (Solier, 1843), O. osbecki (Billberg, 1815), O. overlaeti (Koch, 1952), O. ovulus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. pachysomaornata (Koch, 1952), O. pachysomapachysoma (Péringuey, 1892), O. papillosus (Koch, 1952), O. pedator (Fairmaire, 1888), O. perlucidus (Koch, 1952), O. planus (Koch, 1952), O. pretorianus (Koch, 1952), O. procursus (Péringuey, 1899), O. protectus (Koch, 1952), O. punctatissimus (Koch, 1952), O. puncticollis (Koch, 1952), O. punctipennisplanisculptus (Koch, 1952), O. punctipennispunctipennis (Harold, 1878), O. punctipleura (Koch, 1952), O. rhodesianus (Koch, 1952), O. roriferus (Koch, 1952), O. rufipes (Harold, 1878), O. saltuarius (Koch, 1952), O.scabricollis (Gerstaecker, 1854), O. scopulipes (Koch, 1952), O. scrobicollisgriqua (Koch, 1952), O. scrobicollissimulans (Koch, 1952), O. semirasus (Koch, 1952), O. semiscabrum (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. sericicollis (Koch, 1952), O.similis (Péringuey, 1899), O. sjoestedti (Gebien, 1910), O. spatulipes (Koch, 1952), O. specularis (Péringuey, 1899), O. spinigerus (Koch, 1952), O. stevensoni (Koch, 1952), O. tarsocnoides (Koch, 1952), O. temulentus (Koch, 1952), O. tenebrosusmelanarius (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. tenebrosustenebrosus (Erichson, 1843), O. tibialis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. torosus (Koch, 1952), O. transversicollis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1879), O. tumidus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1871), O. umvumanus (Koch, 1952), O. vagus (Péringuey, 1899), O. vaticinus (Péringuey, 1899), O. verecundus (Péringuey, 1899), O. vetustus (Koch, 1952), O. vexator (Péringuey, 1899), O. virago (Koch, 1952), O. warmeloi (Koch, 1953), O. zanzibaricus (Haag-Rutenberg, 1875), Psammophanesantinorii (Gridelli, 1939), and P.mirei (Pierre, 1979). The type species [placed in square brackets] of the following genus-group taxa are designated for the first time, Ocnodes Fåhraeus, 1870 [ Ocnodesscrobicollis Fåhraeus, 1870], Psammodophysis Péringuey, 1899 [ Psammodophysisprobes Péringuey, 1899], and Trachynotidus Péringuey, 1899 [ Psammodesthoreyi Haag-Rutenberg, 1871]. A lectotype is designated for Histrionotusomercooperi Koch, 1955 in order to fix its taxonomic status. Ulamus Kamiński is introduced here as a replacement name for Echinotus Marwick, 1935 [ Type species. Aviculaechinata Smith, 1817] (Mollusca: Pteriidae) to avoid homonymy with Echinotus Solier, 1843 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). 

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5. Revision of the endemic Malagasy leafhopper tribe Platyjassini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Iassinae)

   https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.695  

   Dietrich, Christopher H.; MAGALHÃES, Raysa Brito; Takiya, Daniela M. (August 2020, European Journal of Taxonomy)

   null (Ed.)

   The leafhopper tribe Platyjassini, endemic to Madagascar, is revised, largely based on specimens obtained in a recent bioinventory project led by the California Academy of Sciences. Platyjassini was previously known based on the type genus, Platyjassus Evans, 1953, and four described species. Betsileonas marmorata (Blanchard, 1840), the largest leafhopper recorded from Madagascar, presently known from a few specimens collected > 100 years ago and recently considered a genus and species incertae sedis within Cicadellidae, is newly placed in Platyjassini. Fourteen new genera and 54 new species are described and illustrated, and three new combinations are proposed. Pachyjassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pachyjassus alatus sp. nov., Pachyjassus basifurcatus sp. nov. and Pachyjassus ranomafanensis sp. nov. Pallijassus gen. nov. is erected to include two species previously placed in Platyjassus, Pallijassus reticulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. and Pallijassus stenospatulatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov. Petalojassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Petalojassus ochrescens sp. nov. Phaiojassus gen. nov. includes seven new species: Phaiojassus acutus sp. nov., Phaiojassus bispinosus sp. nov., Phaiojassus constrictus sp. nov., Phaiojassus grandis sp. nov., Phaiojassus spatulatus sp. nov., Phaiojassus undulatus sp. nov. and Phaiojassus unispinosus sp. nov. Pictojassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Pictojassus kirindiensis sp. nov., Pictojassus productus sp. nov. and Pictojassus tulearensis sp. nov. Platyjassella gen. nov. includes six new species: Platyjassella ancora sp. nov., Platyjassella andohahelensis sp. nov., Platyjassella attenuata sp. nov., Platyjassella cormorana sp. nov., Platyjassella emarginata sp. nov. and Platyjassella immaculata sp. nov. Platyjassula gen. nov. includes four new species: Platyjassula cyclura sp. nov., Platyjassula heterofurca sp. nov., Platyjassula isofurca sp. nov. and Platyjassula mahajangensis sp. nov. In addition to the type species, Platyjassus viridis Evans, 1953, Platyjassus includes 11 new species: Platyjassus acutus sp. nov., Platyjassus asymmetricus sp. nov., Platyjassus fisheri sp. nov., Platyjassus griswoldi sp. nov., Platyjassus harinhalai sp. nov., Platyjassus irwini sp. nov., Platyjassus pedistylus sp. nov., Platyjassus pennyi sp. nov., Platyjassus pictipennis sp. nov., Platyjassus symmetricus sp. nov. and Platyjassus vestigius sp. nov. Plerujassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plerujassus brunnescens sp. nov., in addition to Plerujassus appendiculatus (Evans, 1959) comb. nov., previously placed in Platyjassus. Plexijassus gen. nov. includes one new species, Plexijassus caliginosus sp. nov. Pseudocurtara gen. nov. includes three new species: Pseudocurtara minima sp. nov., Pseudocurtara nigripicta sp. nov. and Pseudocurtara quadrata sp. nov. Pseudocyrta gen. nov. includes one new species, Pseudocyrta hyalina sp. nov. Pseudomarganana gen. nov. includes two new species: Pseudomarganana olivacea sp. nov. and Pseudomarganana rosea sp. nov. Pulchrijassus gen. nov. includes eight new species: Pulchrijassus anjozorobensis sp. nov., Pulchrijassus eunsunae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus pallescens sp. nov., Pulchrijassus roseus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus rubrilineatus sp. nov., Pulchrijassus sindhuae sp. nov., Pulchrijassus talatakelyensis sp. nov. and Pulchrijassus toamasinensis sp. nov. Punctijassus gen. nov. includes three new species: Punctijassus circularis sp. nov., Punctijassus compressus sp. nov. and Punctijassus ivohibensis sp. nov. Illustrated keys to genera and species are provided. 

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