The findings address a notable gap in Mediterranean bee research. Although bees pollinate most wild and cultivated plant species, the conservation status of most bee species remains unknown because distributions, taxonomy and relationships with flowering plants are inadequately documented. The IUCN European Red List of Bees reported that 9.2% of assessed species were threatened with extinction and 5.2% were considered Near Threatened, while the status of 56.7% remained unknown because of insufficient information. Sardinia is no exception: a checklist of Italian wild bees reported 316 species from the island, yet additional island records have continued to appear. The Culuccia Peninsula, an area of roughly 3 square kilometres, had previously lacked a dedicated survey of its bee fauna.

The peninsula lies on the edge of the Maddalena Archipelago, between Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau, at elevations from sea level to 93 metres. It is protected as a Permanent Wildlife Protection and Capture Reserve and contains a mosaic of habitats. Mediterranean maquis is the dominant land-cover class, followed by transitional woodland and shrub, while smaller areas include wetlands, herbaceous dune vegetation, water bodies, bare rock, artificial surfaces, pasture, garigue, beach and vineyards. The vegetation includes Mediterranean scrub, thermophilous, psammophilous and xerophilous plants, coastal species and halophytes. Two small vineyards, roughly 100 beehives and some pastures add areas of relatively low human disturbance to the landscape.

To assemble the inventory, the team sampled bees from April to October across seven sessions in spring, summer and autumn in 2022 and 2023. Seven fixed transects, each 200 metres long and one metre wide, were located in the main land-cover classes and separated by at least 450 metres. Each transect was walked once per session by two people for 50 minutes of regular walking, at different times between 10:00 and 16:00 to capture species with different periods of activity. Sampling occurred only when temperatures were above 15°C, wind was light, there was no rain and vegetation was dry. Additional random sampling with nets was carried out across the peninsula, while two Malaise traps, separated by 1,000 metres, operated continuously from May to October 2022 and were emptied every two weeks.

Each collected specimen was assigned a unique identification code, date, WGS84 coordinates and Corine Land Cover class. For specimens collected on flowers, the researchers also recorded the associated plant taxa; the evidence does not indicate that every specimen had a flowering-plant association. Plants were photographed in the field and identified with published identification works and assistance from botanical specialists. Bees were prepared, stored dry in entomological boxes and preserved at the Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in the Department of Science at Roma Tre University in Rome. The distinction between specimen-level collection data and flower-visit observations is important because the latter form a separate ecological dataset used in the plant–bee network.

The two collection methods captured complementary portions of the fauna. Nets collected 383 bees and Malaise traps collected 86. Among the 76 species, 43.4% were sampled exclusively with nets, 42.1% with both methods and 14.5% only with Malaise traps. The survey recovered five taxa described as Sardo-Corsican endemics: Bombus terrestris sassaricus, B. xanthopus, Hoplitis legoffi, Panurgus corsicus and Megachile sicula corsica. Some of the six new Sardinian records may be related to the peninsula’s proximity to Corsica, where H. tridentata, H. praestans and B. xanthopus are known, but the study could not establish whether the species are restricted to northeastern Sardinia or occur elsewhere on the island.

For molecular analysis, the researchers extracted genomic DNA from one leg using a salting-out protocol. They amplified the mitochondrial COI barcode fragment with established primer sets, applying a nested protocol and, for some difficult taxa, an alternative pair previously used for Andrena, Hylaeus and Colletes. Amplification success was checked on agarose gels, and purified products were sequenced by Macrogen in Madrid and Milan. The resulting sequences were deposited in BOLD and GenBank under accession numbers PQ472941–PQ473152. Species assignments were initially based on Kimura two-parameter-corrected genetic distances with a 3% cut-off in the BOLD identification system. Sequences were aligned with MUSCLE, and distance-based neighbour-joining trees were constructed in MEGA 7 under the K2P model with 500 bootstrap replicates.

The final assignments combined molecular and morphological evidence rather than relying on one method alone. The researchers consulted dichotomous keys, taxonomic literature, the Meloni collection of Sardinian wild bees in Genoa, distribution references and online identification resources. They also sought specialist support for uncertain material, including specialists in Tetralonia, Andrena, Colletes, Hylaeus, Lasioglossum and Hoplitis. Final names were assigned on the basis of morphological identification, BOLD similarity and, when necessary, the position of the analysed specimen in phylogenetic trees. This integrative approach allowed every sample to be identified to the level the evidence supported, although three samples remained unnamed: two Andrena species and one Anthophora species.

Most genetic clusters corresponded to the species recognized morphologically, but several cases exposed unresolved taxonomic questions. The Sardinian B. terrestris sassaricus and B. xanthopus specimens clustered together and showed 99.83–100% similarity to BOLD sequences labelled B. terrestris xanthopus. Their treatment remains part of a wider debate: molecular and ecochemical evidence supported raising xanthopus to species status in 2015, while other analyses and reports of possible hybridization have questioned that status. The team therefore followed the morphological classification pending further work. Sequences assigned to Andrena afzeliella also grouped with sequences labelled A. ovatula, with 99.81–100% similarity, apparently because some older database identifications predated a revision that distinguished the two taxa using morphological and molecular evidence.

Other examples remained uncertain for different reasons. Two Andrena specimens provisionally assigned to A. clypella fell into distinct genetic clades, suggesting that morphologically similar individuals could represent different species; without public A. clypella reference sequences, the study could not establish their relationship. Another Andrena sequence grouped with nominal A. niveata specimens, although the support was below the researchers’ threshold. Colletes maidli showed 96.95% similarity to reference specimens of the same species but occupied an isolated position in the tree. Several Hoplitis sequences had relatively low similarity to public conspecifics, and the recently described H. legoffi matched H. adunca at 93.78% while forming a distinct lineage. In Lasioglossum, L. leucozonium appeared paraphyletic in four clades, while L. prasinum showed 93.50% similarity to a nominal conspecific. The authors also detected distinct Barcode Index Numbers within L. leucozonium and L. villosulum, indicating possible cryptic diversity in species complexes that recent integrative studies have divided into multiple candidate lineages.

Bee visitors formed a network involving 63 species and 20 flowering-plant families. Asteraceae was visited by the largest percentage of recorded bee species, at 46%, followed by Plumbaginaceae at 23.8%, Cistaceae at 20.6%, Fabaceae at 19%, Asphodelaceae at 17.4%, and Brassicaceae and Lamiaceae at 15.9% each. Apiaceae, Primulaceae and Scrophulariaceae were each visited by only one recorded bee species. The analysis grouped plants at family rather than species or genus level to simplify the visualization and mitigate bias associated with small sample sizes for some bees. It documented previously unreported floral associations, including Andrena antonellae on Cistaceae, A. morio on Plumbaginaceae, H. praestans on Asteraceae and A. afzeliella on Asphodelaceae and Caryophyllaceae. It also provided the first observed flower visits by the Sardo-Corsican endemic Panurgus corsicus, which was recorded only on Asteraceae in this survey.

The records connect local occurrence with several taxa of conservation concern. Colletes brevigena, Andrena sardoa, A. griseobalteata, Sphecodes crassanus, Panurgus corsicus, Hylaeus deceptorius, Hoplitis bihamata and H. fasciculata had previously been assessed as being at moderate risk of extinction, while Lasioglossum prasinum was classified as Near Threatened in European and Italian red lists. The study is a locality-based inventory rather than a population-trend analysis, and it did not test the causes of rarity or the effectiveness of any management measure. Its principal contributions are the first peninsula-level checklist, six additions to the documented Sardinian fauna, new Sardinian COI sequences deposited in international databases and an expanded record of plant–bee associations. The authors conclude that further field sampling, specialist morphological analysis, molecular studies and formal species delimitation are needed to resolve the taxonomic boundaries highlighted by the survey and to determine whether the newly recorded species have restricted Sardinian ranges or had been overlooked elsewhere on the island.

Subject of Research: Integrative inventory of wild-bee diversity, DNA barcodes and plant associations in northeastern Sardinia

Article Title: Integrating taxonomic, genetic and ecological data to explore the species richness of wild bees ( Hymenoptera , Apoidea , Anthophila ) of the Culuccia Peninsula (NE Sardinia, Italy)

Article References: Annessi, M., Riccieri, A., Marconi, M., Rossi, S., & Di Giulio, A. (2025). Integrating taxonomic, genetic and ecological data to explore the species richness of wild bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) of the Culuccia Peninsula (NE Sardinia, Italy). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 98, 117-145. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.138933

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/jhr.98.138933

Keywords: wild bees, Sardinia, Culuccia Peninsula, species richness, DNA barcoding, COI sequences, pollination, integrative taxonomy, flower visitation, Mediterranean ecology, Integrating, taxonomic

The researchers searched GenBank for ant sequences and retained 31 specimens that covered the cox1–tRNALeu–cox2 region, including leafcutting ants from the three genera and several myrmicine outgroups. Some records were complete mitochondrial genomes, while others were partial mitochondrial sequences or conventional Sanger-sequencing data. Alignment against a reference mitochondrial genome produced a matrix of 2,607 nucleotide sites. The targeted region comprises the cox1 protein-coding gene, a first intergenic spacer, the mitochondrial tRNALeu gene, a second intergenic spacer and cox2. Because more than 11,000 database records mentioning cytochrome c oxidase were found but relatively few covered the full target region, the complete structural analysis involved fewer taxa than the broader comparison of barcode sequences.

One of the clearest signals involved the end of the cox1 gene. Leafcutting ants had a complete TAA stop codon, whereas the outgroup Wasmannia auropunctata showed duplication of the final isoleucine codon and stop codon. Atta species consistently contained a three-nucleotide insertion immediately before the cox1 stop codon. This insertion added one codon and translated to an extra amino acid in the affected Atta sequences. Amoimyrmex and Acromyrmex lacked the insertion and instead matched the relevant outgroup state in that respect. Cox1 was also three nucleotides longer in Atta than in Amoimyrmex and Acromyrmex. The shared Atta feature was interpreted as a candidate genus-level character, but the authors emphasized that its evolutionary history and diagnostic reliability require further testing.

The second protein-coding gene revealed a different arrangement. Among the 11 taxa for which complete cox2 sequences were available, Amoimyrmex carried three additional codons before the stop codon compared with Atta and most sampled Acromyrmex. Acromyrmex versicolor was an exception, with two extra codons rather than the three-codon extension seen in Amoimyrmex. The same TAA stop codon occurred in every evaluated species. These contrasting extensions in cox1 and cox2 produced genus-level patterns consistent with the recognized phylogeny: Atta was distinguished by the cox1 insertion, while Amoimyrmex had the longer cox2 terminus. The reduced taxon count for cox2 means that this pattern was observed in a smaller subset than the overall alignment.

A particularly conspicuous feature appeared in the intergenic region between cox1 and tRNALeu. All sampled leafcutting ants had a spacer, unlike the no-spacer state in the Solenopsis outgroup and the four-nucleotide spacer in W. auropunctata. Atta and Acromyrmex shared a much longer spacer, reaching as many as 285 nucleotides, whereas the spacer in Amoimyrmex was as short as those of the outgroups. The distribution of this feature resembles a possible shared derived trait for the Atta-plus-Acrymyrmex clade, which is sister to Amoimyrmex in the study’s taxonomic framework. No comparable long spacer was found between tRNALeu and cox2, indicating that the extra sequence was not simply distributed throughout the mitochondrial genome.

The transfer RNA itself also displayed structural variation. Acromyrmex tRNALeu sequences were slightly longer than those of the other leafcutting-ant genera, and species within Acromyrmex possessed insertions in the TψC and DHU loops that were interpreted as a potentially novel feature. Predicted secondary structures differed in the lengths of the D-loop and TψC-loop by small amounts, ranging from one to eight nucleotides. The acceptor stem and anticodon loop were conserved, while the anticodon stem was shorter in Amoimyrmex and some Acromyrmex species than in Atta, where it was consistently longer. The authors did not claim that these small changes affect transfer-RNA function, but the variation in sequence length and fold contributed to the proposal that mitochondrial structure can convey systematic information.

Base composition supplied a further comparative trait rather than a clear genus by itself. The cox1 and cox2 genes were adenine-thymine rich in all three genera, as expected for insect mitochondrial DNA. Mean AT content for cox1 ranged from 65.44% in Amoimyrmex to 70.47% in Atta, while Acromyrmex fell between them at 68.88%. For cox2, the mean AT values were 69.12% in Amoimyrmex, 76.66% in Atta and 74.02% in Acromyrmex. Thus, the sister genera Atta and Acromyrmex had higher AT proportions than Amoimyrmex in both genes. Differences were also pronounced at the third codon position, reaching 86.24% AT in cox1 and 85.84% in cox2 for Atta. Mean uncorrected pairwise distances among the genera were low, generally between about 2% and 3% under the comparisons reported, underscoring the challenge of finding unequivocal sequence-based boundaries among these closely related groups.

The exploratory analysis is best understood as an extension of character-based barcoding into structural traits, not as a new phylogenetic analysis or a formal revision of the ants. Mitochondrial markers offer practical advantages because they mutate relatively rapidly, are maternally inherited and can be amplified and sequenced comparatively efficiently, but they represent only one genealogical history. A single mitochondrial tree can therefore fail to capture the full complexity of species relationships, and nuclear paralogues can complicate the interpretation of mitochondrial data. The sample was also modest, complete cox2 data were available for only 11 taxa, several records were partial, and the researchers did not test the candidate characters in populations broad enough to establish universality. Insertions and deletions were observed across leafcutting-ant lineages relative to outgroups, so their origins and stability require additional analysis.

Even with those limitations, the results add molecular support to an integrative classification built from phylogeny, morphology, karyotypes, colony characteristics and other biological evidence. Previously, Amoimyrmex species were placed in Acromyrmex before an integrative assessment moved them into a separate genus. The mitochondrial characters examined here broadly reproduced the resulting pattern: Amoimyrmex had a short cox1-to-tRNALeu spacer and a longer cox2 terminus, Acromyrmex had a long spacer and distinctive tRNALeu loop insertions, and Atta had the cox1 insertion and consistently long anticodon stem. The study therefore presents structural mitochondrial traits as an additional resource for circumscribing leafcutting-ant genera, comparable in purpose to cytogenetic evidence. Extending the approach to other ant groups would determine whether the same kinds of characters are informative beyond this model clade and may clarify the genomic processes responsible for the observed variation.

Subject of Research: Exploration of mitochondrial structural traits for genus-level taxonomy of leafcutting ants

Article Title: Exploratory analysis of molecular traits of the mitochondrial DNA of leafcutting ants to infer taxonomic characters towards an integrative taxonomy

Article References: Onyinyechi, P. N., Travenzoli, N. M., Cristiano, M. P., & Cardoso, D. C. (2025). Exploratory analysis of molecular traits of the mitochondrial DNA of leafcutting ants to infer taxonomic characters towards an integrative taxonomy. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 98, 147-163. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.133204

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/jhr.98.133204

Keywords: leafcutting ants, mitochondrial DNA, integrative taxonomy, molecular systematics, DNA barcoding, Atta, Acromyrmex, Amoimyrmex, mitogenome, ant evolution, Exploratory, analysis

The authors sampled sediments along China’s southern coast from Zhejiang Province in the east to Guangxi Province in the west between 2019 and 2026. They collected material with a 0.05-square-metre grab sampler during high tide, washed sediment through a 0.5-millimetre sieve and preserved the retained specimens in 100% ethanol.

Morphological examinations included stereomicroscopy, compound microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and methyl green staining to identify glandular areas. DNA analyses covered five partial gene fragments: the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes and the nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and H3 genes. Genetic distances were calculated with the Kimura 2-parameter model in MEGA X, and examined specimens were deposited at the Third Institute of Oceanography in Xiamen.

The complete holotype of B. multibranchia measured 47.78 millimetres long and 1.20 millimetres wide and had about 173 chaetigers. Diagnostic features included a short prostomial palpode, mixed chaetae in both rami of chaetiger 6 and numerous dorsal abdominal branchiae. The species was found in intertidal or shallow-water estuarine and inner-bay habitats containing mud, muddy sand or sandy mud.

Twelve B. multibranchia specimens from nine localities were sequenced. Within-species Kimura 2-parameter distances ranged from 0 to 4.3% for COI, 0 to 0.9% for 16S, 0% for 18S, 0 to 0.1% for 28S and 0 to 1.6% for H3. COI distances among specimens from Guangxi were substantially higher than those within the other sampled localities, suggesting possible population divergence that remains unconfirmed.

A sequence from Hainan was 1.3% from a paratype and fell within the observed within-species range, leading the researchers to assign that specimen to B. multibranchia. The new species differed from sequenced members of its genus by 22.3% to 44.6% based on COI. An 18S distance of 1.2% from B. lepte also exceeded the 0% within-species divergence recorded for B. multibranchia.

The complete holotype of P. simplex measured 20.11 millimetres long and 0.55 millimetres wide and had about 104 chaetigers. It lacked branchiae and differed from the previously described P. tenuis in having an areolated anterior thoracic epithelium and a clearly constricted transition between thorax and abdomen. The species is currently known from intertidal sites near Dadeng Island in Xiamen Bay and may occur in Fujian mangrove wetlands.

Two P. simplex specimens yielded all five gene markers, providing the first molecular data reported for the genus Parheteromastus. No within-species genetic variation was detected across the markers except for one nucleotide substitution in COI. The limited material available for this species restricts the extent of its documented geographic and genetic variation.

Detailed comparison with P. tenuis was also constrained because the earlier species had no published description or illustration of its abdominal hooks. In contrast, B. multibranchia was sampled across a wider geographic range and compared with available molecular sequences for other Barantolla species, although the higher COI distances among Guangxi specimens require further sampling to determine whether they represent a distinct population.

Subject of Research: Taxonomic description of two new Capitellidae species from southern China

Article Title: Two new species of Capitellidae ( Annelida , Polychaeta ) from the southern coasts of China

Article References: Lin, J.-H., García-Garza, M. E., Zhang, S.-Y., & Lin, H.-S. (2026). Two new species of Capitellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the southern coasts of China. ZooKeys, 1292, 227-241. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1292.203560

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1292.203560

Keywords: Capitellidae, taxonomy, marine annelids, Polychaeta, new species, integrative taxonomy, morphology, molecular analysis, southern China, species, Annelida, southern

The appeal of DNA-based taxonomy lies in its capacity to process many specimens rapidly, cluster sequences into operational units and standardize comparisons through apparently objective characters. These capabilities are especially attractive in extremely species-rich groups such as Chalcidoidea, Braconidae and Ichneumonidae, where the majority of species remain undescribed and the number of trained taxonomists is declining. The review says that increasingly accessible and inexpensive sequencing technologies have consequently encouraged taxonomic studies to incorporate molecular data, although it cautions against treating DNA-only taxonomy as a complete replacement for traditional examination of specimens.

Minimalist approaches have been influential but remain contested. Meierotto and colleagues proposed a 2019 protocol for initially describing species in hyperdiverse groups through DNA-barcode diagnoses with minimal morphological information, while a 2021 revision of Costa Rican Braconidae described 403 new species. The review notes the practical arguments supporting such strategies: tropical taxa may be too numerous for complete morphological treatments, examining historical types can require costly or impractical international travel, and molecular data may help associate life stages and host records. However, it describes a broad consensus that purely DNA-based descriptions are not a sufficient long-term solution when sound integrative methods are feasible.

One central limitation is the interpretation of mitochondrial COI barcodes. Citing a broad review by Emerson, the authors say that barcode and related delimitation approaches can generate putative species faster than they can be incorporated into coherent, evolutionarily meaningful taxonomy. COI-only delimitation may mistake population structure, introgression or sampling artefacts for species-level divergence, particularly in hyperdiverse arthropods. The review further identifies risks to nomenclatural stability: apparently distinct entities may later be synonymized after broader sampling, while names based only on sequence differences may lack morphological connections to historical taxa.

Museum constraints reinforce the problem. Primary type specimens in many Hymenoptera groups often cannot be sampled non-destructively, and numerous museum specimens are unsuitable for sequencing. For many parasitoid wasps, including Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea, species are represented only by historical type material and brief original descriptions with limited illustrations. In these circumstances, morphological diagnoses and illustrations may be the only practical means of connecting newly collected material to established names. The review also notes that biodiversity-rich regions may lack affordable sequencing facilities, while many field workers and students receive primarily morphological training, making a system that universally requires COI data less accessible and harder to integrate with museum collections.

Reference databases provide another constraint. Coverage in public resources such as BOLD and GenBank is incomplete and sometimes unreliable for hyperdiverse or poorly studied insect groups: sequences may be scarce, lack reliably identified vouchers or carry incorrect species names. In a study of Canadian Mymaridae, Hébert and Favret reported less than 1% correct species-level identification using existing DNA reference libraries. The authors present this measured result as evidence of limited reference coverage for minute parasitoid wasps, rather than as a general estimate of DNA identification performance across all taxa.

Integrative taxonomy can address these limitations by combining morphological evidence with mitochondrial and nuclear markers, ecological information and well-documented voucher specimens. The review cites Encyrtidae studies in which Samra and colleagues used COI, ITS2, detailed morphology and cross-breeding experiments to delimit cryptic species, while Triapitsyn and colleagues combined morphology, COI, 28S, ITS2 and morphometrics in revisions that resolved synonymies and stabilized species limits. It also cites work on Ceraphronoidea in which life-history information complements integrative taxonomic analysis. These are case studies of particular wasp groups, not evidence that one workflow will apply equally to every lineage.

For hyperdiverse Hymenoptera, the review proposes that COI sorting may provide an initial division of operational units, followed by explicit morphological diagnoses, high-quality imaging and targeted nuclear-marker analyses for problematic complexes. Specimen-level identifiers and publicly accessible vouchers deposited in collections are described as essential throughout. The proposed workflow also allows iterative revision as taxonomic and geographic coverage improves, acknowledging that molecular clusters remain hypotheses to be tested rather than self-sufficient species diagnoses.

The review ultimately emphasizes that technology alone cannot make taxonomy stable. It reports a rapid worldwide decline in the number of expert taxonomists able to work on diverse insect groups and warns that this creates a risk of losing the expertise needed to interpret molecular results, revise historical taxa and maintain continuity with the existing literature. Its proposed response is stronger education, mentorship and long-term support for taxonomists trained in morphology, comparative anatomy, nomenclature, life history and evolution. Within these limits, the authors’ conclusion is that molecular and morphological evidence should complement one another: DNA can increase the efficiency of biodiversity documentation, while morphology and deep taxonomic knowledge help preserve the scientific meaning of species names.

Subject of Research: Integrative taxonomy of hyperdiverse parasitoid wasps using DNA, morphology and nomenclatural expertise

Article Title: Parasitoid wasps and beyond: The need for DNA, morphology and deep taxonomic knowledge in modern biodiversity discovery

Article References: Japoshvili, G., & Peters, R. S. (2026). Parasitoid wasps and beyond: The need for DNA, morphology and deep taxonomic knowledge in modern biodiversity discovery. Evolutionary Systematics, 10(2), 469-473. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.10.214588

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.10.214588

Keywords: integrative taxonomy, parasitoid wasps, DNA barcoding, COI, species delimitation, morphological taxonomy, Hymenoptera, nomenclatural stability, biodiversity discovery, Parasitoid, wasps, beyond

The new taxon is a moderately robust, predominantly ocher katydid with black markings on the head and pronotum, black tegmina with yellow venation and greatly reduced wings. Males measured 21–30 millimetres in body length and females 34–36 millimetres. Morphological comparisons distinguished Dentotibium from superficially similar brachypterous genera, including Trichotettix , Nastonotus , Nannotettix and Natagaima .

Unlike Trichotettix , the new genus lacks dense hairs on the pronotum and legs, has ventral femoral spines and dorsal foretibial tubercles, and has one robust, downward-curving preapical spine on each male cercus. It differs from Nastonotus in lacking three black vertex stripes, a marked fronto-genal suture and a rugose face. Its male titillators are membranous rather than well sclerotized and peduncular.

The name Dentotibium refers to the teeth on the dorsal margins of the foretibiae, where each margin bears a row of four tubercles in the described species. The male stridulatory file contained 148–155 elongated, laterally flattened teeth. The species name ramucantoris combines Latin terms for branch and singer, referring to its habit of calling from burrows in branches and lianas.

DNA-barcode information previously published by Baena-Bejarano and colleagues was included for two paratypes, which shared the operational taxonomic unit and Barcode Index Number BOLD:AEI5327. In captive recordings, each calling syllable coincided with one complete opening and closing movement of the tegmina. For a male recorded at 13.7°C, syllable duration was 73.52 ± 6.80 milliseconds, syllable period was 485.60 ± 9.76 milliseconds and peak frequency was 20.46 ± 0.06 kilohertz; the −10-decibel bandwidth was 6.76 ± 0.28 kilohertz.

At 21.6°C, a second male produced syllables lasting 31.14 ± 2.60 milliseconds, with periods of 283.59 ± 8.39 milliseconds, peak frequencies of 20.36 ± 0.20 kilohertz and bandwidths of 3.97 ± 0.27 kilohertz. The recording made at 13.7°C contained three distinguishable syllable sections: an introductory section of three or four discrete pulses, a middle section containing overlapping pulse trains and a final section in which the amplitude faded and individual pulses could not be resolved. Pulse period did not differ significantly between the two recorded temperatures, although their standard-deviation ranges overlapped.

The authors said intraspecific variation may have masked a temperature effect and proposed that scraper speed might influence tooth contact and resonance, a hypothesis they described as untested. Passive monitoring at Reserva Natural y Cascada Los Tucanes supplied one-minute recordings every 30 minutes from 1 March 2020 to 22 January 2021, with gaps caused by COVID-19 restrictions. A spectrogram pattern-matching model evaluated 11,882 recordings and detected the species in 23%.

Manual annotation of 1,306 recordings indicated continuous activity from about 18:00 to 04:00, with a seasonal peak from October through April and fewer detections during the June–August dry season. An earlier analysis cited by the study found a negative association between acoustic activity and lunar phase. Field observations showed males singing from thin trunks, branches and hard vines, often exposing the front half of their bodies at burrow entrances.

Burrows occurred in the understory or midstory, sometimes near the ground, and extended from about 20 centimetres to more than 35 centimetres deep. Resident males emerged, raised their forelegs, opened their mandibles and produced a defensive call when another male approached, although that call was not recorded. Copulation occurred inside the burrow with the male and female facing opposite directions.

Researchers also observed bats flying toward burrows without catching a katydid. Field recordings also contained substantial background noise, limiting comparisons among individuals, while gaps interrupted the passive-monitoring schedule. The response of the katydids to bats and possible echolocation was not tested, so predator-related explanations were presented as hypotheses rather than established mechanisms.

The study nevertheless provides a combined morphological, acoustic, behavioral and genetic description intended as a foundation for systematics, evolution and monitoring research on the new taxon.

Subject of Research: Integrative description of a new branch-burrow katydid genus and species from the Colombian Eastern Andes

Article Title: Studies on Neotropical Pseudophyllinae : Integrative description of Dentotibium gen. nov., and of a toothed foretibia katydid ( Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae ) that sings from burrows in branches

Article References: Cadena-Castañeda, O. J., Gomez-Morales, D. A., Acevedo-Charry, O., & Benavides-López, J. L. (2024). Studies on Neotropical Pseudophyllinae: Integrative description of Dentotibium gen. nov., and of a toothed foretibia katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) that sings from burrows in branches. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 33(2), 267-280. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.33.116137

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/jor.33.116137

Keywords: Dentotibium ramucantoris, katydid, integrative taxonomy, bioacoustics, calling song, morphology, DNA barcoding, passive acoustic monitoring, Colombian Andes, Studies, Neotropical, Pseudophyllinae

The specimens were deposited at the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The holotype was collected at 27.5065° N, 111.4597° E at approximately 350 metres above sea level. All three animals were found on plant leaves near mountain streams with relatively torrential flow. Animal procedures were conducted under a permit from the Chengdu Institute of Biology’s Animal Care Advisory Committee.

For the molecular analysis, researchers extracted DNA from muscle tissue and sequenced fragments of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, or COI, genes. They combined these new sequences with available GenBank data for related species, aligned them in BioEdit and analysed the concatenated dataset using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference.

The concatenated dataset comprised 528 base pairs of 16S and 612 base pairs of COI. A GTR + G + I substitution model was selected using the Bayesian information criterion. Maximum-likelihood support was assessed with 1,000 bootstrap replicates. The Bayesian analysis used four Markov chains for 50 million generations, sampled every 1,000 generations, with the first 25% of sampled trees discarded as burn-in.

The maximum-likelihood and Bayesian trees had nearly consistent topologies, although relationships among many broader lineages remained unresolved. The Xinshao specimens formed a distinct lineage within Leptobrachella, with a Bayesian posterior probability of 1.00 and a maximum-likelihood bootstrap value of 100%. This lineage was sister to a clade containing L. wulingensis and L. yongshunensis.

Uncorrected sequence distances also distinguished the Xinshao population from its congeners. The smallest 16S divergence was 2.1% against L. wulingensis, while the minimum COI distance was 8.1% against L. yongshunensis. The authors reported that these values were equal to or greater than the differentiation observed between some recognized species pairs, including L. bijie and L. jinshaensis, and L. dong and L. dushanensis.

The diagnosis identifies L. xinshaoensis by a combination of characters. Males have a snout–vent length of 27.8–31.4 millimetres. Their toes have rudimentary webbing and narrow lateral fringes; the tympanum is distinct and surrounded by distinct tubercles; and the dorsal surface is shagreened with small, raised tubercles and longitudinal ridges. The ventral surface is creamy white with dark brown spots on the chest and margins, and black spots occur on the flanks. When the hindlimbs are flexed at right angles to the body axis, the heels do not meet.

Measurements and external features separate the new species from its closest relatives. Unlike L. wulingensis, whose heels meet when the hindlimbs are flexed, L. xinshaoensis has a tibia–tarsal articulation reaching between the eye and tympanum rather than the middle of the eye. In L. yongshunensis, the heels overlap, the tibia–tarsal articulation reaches the anterior edge of the eye, and the dorsal skin bears sparse large warts, dense small wart grains and, in some specimens, longitudinal ridges. Comparisons with 83 congeners north of the Isthmus of Kra and 27 species south of it also distinguished the new taxon by body size, glandular anatomy, coloration, toe webbing, limb proportions and skin texture.

The type specimens showed variation in preserved coloration. The holotype had a brown dorsum with an inverted triangular marking between the eyes and a W-shaped marking on the anterior mid-dorsum. Black flank spots occurred among two rows of large warts; the supra-axillary gland was orange; and the upper forelimbs were orange with black transverse bars below. Both paratypes were darker dorsally. One had a whiter abdomen, while the posterior abdominal margin of the other was pale purple. Adult males had subgular vocal sacs and femoral adipose glands, but no nuptial pads or spines.

The specific name xinshaoensis refers to Xinshao County, the type locality. The authors propose the English name “Xinshao Leaf-litter Toad” and the Chinese name “Xin Shao Zhang Tu Chan (新邵掌突蟾).” The species is currently known only from the type locality, and the survey found no females, eggs or tadpoles; late March is therefore described as a speculated breeding season rather than an observed one. Given its restricted known distribution and dependence on specific stream-side habitat, the authors recommend assessing its conservation status in future evaluations and advocate more intensive biodiversity surveys in central Hunan, where other cryptic species may occur.

Subject of Research: Description of Leptobrachella xinshaoensis from Xinshao County, Hunan, China, using integrative morphological and mitochondrial DNA analysis

Article Title: Morphological and molecular evidence support a new species of the genus Leptobrachella ( Anura , Megophryidae ) from central China

Article References: Jiang, L., Liu, J., Huang, Y., Zhang, H., & Wang, B. (2026). Morphological and molecular evidence support a new species of the genus Leptobrachella (Anura, Megophryidae) from central China. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 102(1), 253-269. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.175462

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.175462

Keywords: Leptobrachella xinshaoensis, new frog species, Hunan China, integrative taxonomy, morphological analysis, mitochondrial DNA, 16S rRNA, COI gene, cryptic species, amphibian diversity, Morphological, molecular

The study examined the New Guinea region from the northern and central Moluccas across New Guinea to the Bismarck and Solomon archipelagos. Researchers compiled 2,301 mitochondrial DNA sequences from six frog families, representing 1,537 specimens and 226 localities; 1,380 specimens had georeferenced locations. The dataset included 1,767 sequences obtained from public repositories and 534 newly generated sequences from specimens collected in western New Guinea during fieldwork conducted over the previous 20 years.

Because coverage differed among mitochondrial loci, the researchers used the 16Sb region of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene for species delimitation. They applied Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, Poisson Tree Processes and the Generalised Mixed Yule Coalescent approach. An operational taxonomic unit was defined by majority-rule consensus across the three partitions.

The individual methods delimited between 263 and 386 units, while consensus produced 372. Integration with acoustic evidence reduced the final total to 369. Acoustic data were available for 38 units arranged in 19 pairs.

The researchers compared published and newly acquired recordings using eight call features, including note duration, inter-note duration, repetition rate, notes per call, pulses per note, dominant frequency, amplitude modulation and frequency modulation. They did not treat slight differences in dominant frequency or note timing between allopatric units as diagnostic, but non-overlapping values for notes per call, amplitude modulation and frequency modulation supported the molecular delimitations. Thirty of the 38 units were supported as distinct, comprising 11 recognised species and 19 candidate species.

The 190 candidate species were not all treated as confirmed species. Mitochondrial DNA can cause either oversplitting or lumping, and the study did not include morphological analysis. Available acoustic data nevertheless strengthened the case for 19 candidate species.

Mean 16S genetic distance among units supported as distinct by acoustic evidence was 4.0% for Microhylidae, with a range of 1.0% to 13.0%, and 2.7% for Ceratobatrachidae, with a range of 2.0% to 3.0%. Limited call data prevented comparable acoustic tests in other families. Most candidates, 123 of 190, occurred in western New Guinea, where 215 species are currently recognised, compared with 416 in the eastern half.

The study’s higher extrapolation of 1,176 species was based on the ratio of 190 candidate species to 179 recognised species in the molecular dataset. It assumes that every candidate is valid, that the dataset represents taxonomic diversity evenly and that taxonomic gaps occur evenly across the region. The authors described the estimate as uncertain because mitochondrial oversplitting could inflate it, while missed lineages or overlooked high beta diversity could reduce it.

Sampling was uneven. Among georeferenced mitochondrial sequences available before the study, 81% originated in eastern New Guinea. In the complete compiled dataset, the Papuan Peninsula contained 367 sequences from 32 localities and the eastern central range 274 sequences from 37 localities.

Western New Guinea and its surrounding islands accounted for 963 sequences, including 393 from the Bird’s Neck and 312 from the Bird’s Head. The western central range had no 16Sb sequences, although it was represented by one 12S, two 16Sa and three cytb sequences. Comparisons with International Union for Conservation of Nature distribution data showed that the molecular inventory omitted many recognised species from the Papuan Peninsula and eastern central range, where 151 and 126 recognised species, respectively, were missing from the operational-unit dataset.

Bird’s Head, by contrast, contained 18 units more than the number of taxonomically known species in the IUCN data. Average estimated endemism was 85% for the molecular units, compared with 35% for recognised species in the IUCN dataset, although sparse sampling may inflate the molecular estimate, particularly for families whose members tend to have wider ranges. The study also compared its western New Guinea candidates with roughly 200 candidates identified in an earlier expert-based assessment by Oliver and colleagues.

Six of the 123 western New Guinea candidates from this study overlapped with that earlier set. Combining the two incomplete and patchily overlapping datasets produced a minimum estimate of 800 species, including about 240 currently undescribed. The authors considered a twofold increase in species diversity plausible in western New Guinea, where most of the study’s candidates occurred, but stressed that the regional total remains uncertain and that major areas, particularly parts of the central range, remain poorly sampled.

Subject of Research: Integrative assessment of frog diversity and taxonomic gaps across New Guinea and neighbouring islands

Article Title: Molecular and acoustic evidence for large-scale underestimation of frog species diversity on New Guinea

Article References: Ferreira, F., Oliver, P., Kraus, F., Günther, R., Richards, S., Tjaturadi, B., Arida, E., Hamidy, A., Riyanto, A., Trilaksono, W., Thébaud, C., & Fouquet, A. (2025). Molecular and acoustic evidence for large-scale underestimation of frog species diversity on New Guinea. Frontiers of Biogeography, 18, Article e137988. https://doi.org/10.21425/fob.18.137988

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.21425/fob.18.137988

Keywords: frog diversity, New Guinea, mitochondrial DNA, bioacoustics, species delimitation, taxonomic impediment, Microhylidae, biodiversity, candidate species, integrative taxonomy, Molecular, acoustic

The specimens were collected from the Macao River in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve, Yuexi County, Anqing City, Anhui Province, on 20 September 2017. The collection site is at 31.00°N, 116.08°E and 948 metres above sea level. The authors proposed the name A. yaoluopingensis for the type locality and suggested “Yaoluoping Giant Salamander” as its English common name. The holotype, adult male HSA25201, and paratype, adult female HSA25202, were deposited in the Anhui Normal University Museum.

Chinese giant salamanders were historically treated as one widespread species, but recent molecular and morphological studies have documented additional lineages and formally recognized species. Earlier work proposed several genetically distinct clusters, restored A. sligoi from the synonymy of A. davidianus, and described A. jiangxiensis in 2022 and A. cheni in 2023. The molecular data available for the Dabie Mountain region were described as poorly studied when the two Anhui specimens were examined in 2017.

The researchers made 25 external measurements on the two specimens using digital calipers and compared them with holotype data for A. sligoi, A. jiangxiensis and A. cheni. The holotype measured 650.69 mm in total length and 420.54 mm in snout-vent length; the female paratype measured 545.80 mm and 354.13 mm, respectively. The diagnosis includes a flat head and trunk, a head slightly longer than wide, few and irregularly distributed tubercles above the orbit, an eye diameter longer than the naris diameter, a discontinuous lateral neck fold, slight interdigital webbing and the finger-length sequence FIII > FII > FI > FIV. The dorsal surface is tan with darker trunk blotches, while the ventral surface is greyish-brown with darker patches.

For the molecular analysis, the team extracted genomic DNA from ethanol-preserved liver tissue and amplified two near-complete mitochondrial genomes measuring 14,751 and 14,271 base pairs. These sequences were combined with 30 mitochondrial genomes from other Chinese Andrias and one from the Japanese outgroup A. japonicus. Bayesian-inference and maximum-likelihood analyses produced identical tree topologies. The Anhui specimens formed a distinct, previously undescribed lineage, clade C, with a Bayesian posterior probability of 1.00 and 100% maximum-likelihood bootstrap support.

The analysis also identified 27 haplotypes across 393 sites, with haplotype diversity of 0.98. The haplotype network showed deep genetic separation between A. yaoluopingensis and the other Chinese giant salamanders. The new species was most closely related to A. sligoi, from which it differed in eye and naris proportions, finger-length sequence and the presence of slight interdigital webbing. Mean mitochondrial sequence divergence between the new species and A. sligoi was 1.31 in the table’s units of 0.01%.

Based on the phylogenetic results, the authors reported A. yaoluopingensis from the type locality in western Anhui, northern Guangxi and Hunan Province, although the newly described specimens themselves came only from the Anhui collection site. They estimated that clade C and A. sligoi diverged around the Pliocene or early Pleistocene, based on earlier work. The authors discussed the Twain-Hu Plain, which includes eastern and southern Hubei and eastern and northern Hunan, as a possible biogeographic setting. Dongting Lake lies in the middle of the plain, and the Yangtze River runs through the lake. Historical river capture and change, or possibly anthropogenic translocation, were proposed as possible explanations for the lineage’s present distribution, but the study did not establish which mechanism produced it.

The principal limitation was the absence of nuclear data. Mitochondrial introgression can occur in Andrias and could support a different taxonomic scenario. Nuclear data were also unavailable for important specimens, including the A. sligoi holotype and most populations, while a previous RAG2 analysis had revealed no obvious geographic patterns. Morphological comparisons were further constrained because pure A. davidianus and A. sligoi have not been genetically identified, and farm-bred animals can contain genetic material from translocated individuals or hybrids. The study therefore relied on a small series of specimens and available mitochondrial and morphological data.

Despite those constraints, the authors considered the agreement between the strongly supported mitochondrial topology and the morphological diagnosis sufficient for the formal description. They stated that wild populations in northeastern Hunan and eastern Hubei require further study, alongside additional field surveys, nuclear sampling and revision of the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Chinese Andrias. The study also noted that Chinese giant salamander populations have declined due primarily to overexploitation, habitat loss and degradation, making species-level classification important for conservation and genetic management.

Subject of Research: Taxonomic description of a new Andrias giant salamander from Anhui, China

Article Title: A new species of the Giant Salamander genus Andrias ( Amphibia , Urodela , Cryptobranchidae ) from Yuexi, Anhui, China

Article References: Jiang, Z., Huang, R., Yang, J., Zhao, K., Zhang, Y., Zhang, T., Zhang, Y., Chu, J., Chen, J., & Huang, S. (2026). A new species of the Giant Salamander genus Andrias (Amphibia, Urodela, Cryptobranchidae) from Yuexi, Anhui, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 102(2), 649-658. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.179377

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/zse.102.179377

Keywords: Andrias yaoluopingensis, giant salamander, new species, integrative taxonomy, Anhui, China, mitochondrial phylogeny, morphology, cryptic diversity, conservation, species, Giant

The newly described species are Caridina kuehnei, C. nangroma, C. srivijaya, C. takkola and C. tambralinga. Each showed morphological differences from its congeners and was distinguishable as a supported lineage in the phylogenetic analyses. The new species are formally documented alongside taxonomic descriptions, diagnoses, specimen records, colour information and DNA sequences generated by the study.

Freshwater shrimps were collected with dip nets near the banks of rivers and streams across southern Thailand, including Phetchaburi and Prachuab Khiri Khan provinces. Live colour was recorded before selected animals were photographed and preserved for examination. Morphological measurements were made under microscopes, principally from ovigerous females, while male characters were taken from the first and second pleopods. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Mahidol University Museum of Natural History in Salaya, Thailand, and the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.

For the molecular work, researchers extracted DNA from abdominal muscle tissue and amplified approximately 590 base pairs of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene and 861 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The phylogenetic dataset contained 208 sequences representing 46 Caridina species and seven outgroup sequences. Of these, 131 sequences represented newly sequenced individuals in the study and 77 came from GenBank. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses produced broadly concordant trees, with species groups defined only where molecular support was accompanied by congruent morphological characters.

Most species-level clades had high support, with maximum-likelihood bootstrap values of 85–100% and Bayesian posterior probabilities of 0.99–1.00. One notable exception was C. lanceifrons, for which support was moderate, at 51% bootstrap and 0.86 posterior probability. The authors stated that this result warrants further phylogenetic investigation using additional genes and a wider geographic sample. The newly sequenced topotypes of C. thai were recovered with full nodal support.

The review also revised the treatment of several named taxa and species groups. The authors proposed excluding C. turipi from the C. typus species group because it possesses dorsal rostral teeth, unlike the other members, while noting that its taxonomic position required further study. They retained the gracilirostris-group taxa within Caridina rather than transferring them to the newly proposed genus Gracidina, arguing that the broader genus still requires a comprehensive systematic revision based on comparative morphology and phylogenomic evidence.

Embryo measurements also revealed substantial interspecific variation among the southern Thai Caridina. Analyses separated the examined species into three broad statistical groups. The first carried numerous small embryos, measuring 0.35–0.52 by 0.20–0.34 mm and ranging from 195 to 1,483 embryos per female. The second carried intermediate numbers of medium-sized embryos, while the third generally carried fewer, larger embryos. Embryo number differed significantly among species, and Group I had significantly more embryos than Groups II and III after post-hoc comparison; the lower counts of Groups II and III did not differ significantly from one another.

Across the species examined, embryo size showed an inverse association with the number of embryos carried: species producing larger individual embryos tended to produce fewer embryos. This pattern was observed in the study data, but the analysis did not establish that embryo size causes changes in reproductive output. Other limitations were also evident. The researchers did not collect C. gracilirostris or C. thai at the previously reported southern Thai localities they revisited, and the molecular placement of C. lanceifrons remained weakly supported. The regional inventory may therefore remain incomplete despite the addition of five species and the first broadly integrative assessment of Caridina in southern Thailand.

Subject of Research: Taxonomic and phylogenetic review of Caridina freshwater shrimp diversity in southern Thailand

Article Title: A taxonomic review of the freshwater shrimp genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837 ( Decapoda , Atyidae ) from southern Thailand, with descriptions of five new species

Article References: Macharoenboon, K., von Rintelen, T., Klotz, W., Sutcharit, C., Siriwut, W., & Jeratthitikul, E. (2026). A taxonomic review of the freshwater shrimp genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Decapoda, Atyidae) from southern Thailand, with descriptions of five new species. ZooKeys, 1292, 1-126. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1292.193168

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1292.193168

Keywords: Caridina, freshwater shrimp, integrative taxonomy, species discovery, southern Thailand, molecular phylogeny, morphology, Atyidae, embryo size, taxonomic, review, freshwater

The researchers combined morphological examination of 91 Western Palearctic specimens with CO1 sequence data and additional museum material. The sequenced specimens represented five morphologically distinct species: Leptopilina clavipes, L. fimbriata, L. heterotoma, L. japonica and L. longipes. Three species-delimitation methods applied to the sequence data recognized the same five clusters, and those clusters corresponded to the authors’ morphological identifications. No specimen of the rarely collected L. australis was successfully sequenced, while L. boulardi was not included in the molecular analysis because the authors did not morphologically examine the corresponding specimens.

The resulting identification key uses features of the metapleuron, mesoscutellum, antennae, forewing venation, propodeal carinae and coloration. The authors deliberately avoided relying on rows of setae on the mesoscutum to separate L. clavipes from L. australis, because these setae can be lost during collection and handling. Mesoscutellar characters were retained but treated cautiously because their form varies and can overlap among species. The key applies to both sexes.

The revision documented a previously unrecognized diagnostic character for L. japonica: unlike most other Western Palearctic species, it has no distinct patch of setae at the base of the metacoxa, although a few isolated setae may be present. This feature, consistent in the authors’ material, helps distinguish the species from L. heterotoma, which is morphologically similar and is also frequently studied in laboratory and field research.

The study also summarized literature, museum-label information and major collecting projects to describe the habitats, adult flight periods, host records and population parameters of the seven regional species. The synthesis indicates ecological differences among them. L. boulardi, L. heterotoma and L. japonica are primarily associated with fruit, although L. heterotoma also uses plant detritus and fungi. L. australis and L. fimbriata are primarily associated with plant detritus, while L. clavipes and L. longipes are chiefly associated with fungi but also occur in decaying plant material.

Host records were separated into observations made in the field and records obtained through laboratory rearing, with additional distinctions for the quality of the host evidence. L. heterotoma was described as a generalist with a broad range of drosophilid hosts, whereas L. fimbriata had been found only from Scaptomyza pallida and Drosophila subobscura. L. boulardi attacks Drosophila suzukii but cannot develop in that host, whereas L. japonica can overcome its immune response. The authors noted that L. heterotoma eggs in D. suzukii are encapsulated and the wasp does not develop successfully.

The compiled distribution records document the continued presence and spread of the non-native L. japonica in Europe. The species has been recorded from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as Canada and the United States. The study included two previously unpublished 2022 records, from Bonn in Germany and Ypres in Belgium; the Ypres specimen represented a new country record. These observations are records of occurrence and do not by themselves establish changes in population size or the ecological effects of the species on native Leptopilina.

Beyond the Western Palearctic, the authors compiled species lists for the Eastern Palearctic, Oriental, Nearctic, Afrotropical, Oceanian/Australasian and Neotropical regions. They also made several taxonomic changes, including moving Leptopilina novicia to the genus Hexacola, placing Ditanyomeria and Hexarhoptra in synonymy with Leptopilina, and transferring additional names into the genus. The authors emphasized that knowledge remains uneven, with relatively few records from Eastern Europe, little information on L. australis, and potentially synonymous or undescribed species in several regions.

The revision is constrained by incomplete and unevenly distributed occurrence data, the absence of a CO1 sequence for L. australis, and the exclusion of L. boulardi from the new molecular analyses. Several barcode clusters in public databases also contain misidentified specimens and require taxonomic review. The study therefore provides a revised regional framework rather than a complete account of global diversity, with its identification key, biological synthesis and regional species lists intended to support subsequent taxonomic and field research.

Subject of Research: Taxonomic revision and identification of Western Palearctic Leptopilina parasitoid wasps

Article Title: The Leptopilina Förster, 1869 of the Western Palearctic, and an updated list of the world species ( Hymenoptera , Figitidae , Eucoilinae )

Article References: Vogel, J., Martin, J., Forshage, M., Salden, T., Staverløkk, A., Verheyde, F., Nordlander, G., Herz, A., & Peters, R. S. (2025). The Leptopilina Förster, 1869 of the Western Palearctic, and an updated list of the world species (Hymenoptera, Figitidae, Eucoilinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 98, 915-969. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.165583

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3897/jhr.98.165583

Keywords: Leptopilina, Figitidae, Eucoilinae, taxonomic revision, integrative taxonomy, CO1 barcoding, parasitoid wasps, Western Palearctic, species identification, Drosophilidae, rster, Western