In order to better understand the phylogenetic relationships among species in the genus Ravinia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863, we analysed data from two mitochondrial gene fragments: cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome oxidase II (COII). We used Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods to infer phylogenetic relationships. Our results indicate that the genera Ravinia and Chaetoravinia, previously synonymised into the genus Ravinia (sensu lato) are each likely to be monophyletic (posterior probability 1; bootstrap support 85%). We found highly supported paraphyletic relationships among species of Ravinia, with relatively deep splits in the phylogeny. This conflict between the morphological species definitions and the mtDNA phylogeny could be indicative of the presence of cryptic species in Ravinia anxia (Walker, 1849), Ravinia floridensis (Aldrich, 1916), Ravinia lherminieri (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830), and Ravinia querula (Walker, 1849).

We report for the first time the occurrence of Obama marmorata in the Iberian Peninsula as an introduced species from the Neotropical Region. The species is also reported for the first time in Argentina. The identification was made on the basis of morphological evidence. The divergence levels of a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene from Argentinean and Iberian samples were studied. The morphology of samples from the two regions was the same and matched the original description of the species. A DNA barcoding matrix was constructed using new sequences from O. marmorata and sequences of related species taken from GenBank. Among the Geoplanidae, interspecific divergence ranged between 3.3 and 14.4%, while intraspecific divergence percentages were 0–1.2%, signalling the presence of a DNA barcoding gap. All O. marmorata sequences, irrespective of their geographic origin, form a well supported clade with an intraspecific divergence of 0–0.9 (average = 0.4%). These results indicate the utility of DNA barcoding to discover allochthonous species in this group of organisms.

The genus Sphaerocetum Fikáček, 2010 is reviewed on the basis of specimens collected from mixed ant nests shared by Camponotus Mayr, 1861 and Crematogaster Lund, 1831 ants in Peninsular Malaysia. Two new species, S. arboreum, sp. nov. and S. hortulanum, sp. nov., are described. A larva of S. arboreum was collected in the same nest as the adults, implying that it is likely that the entire life cycle takes place inside the ant nest; its association with adults was confirmed by cox1 sequences. It is described in detail and represents the first known larva of the tribe Protosternini. Fragments of four genes (cox1, cox2, 18S and 28S) were amplified for S. arboreum and combined with previously generated data in order to test the position of the genus within the subfamily Sphaeridiinae. The analyses revealed Sphaerocetum as a sister taxon to Protosternum Sharp, 1890, corroborating the monophyly of the tribe Protosternini. Bayesian analysis revealed an alternative hypothesis of the phylogenetic position of the tribe, indicating that Protosternini is a sister-group to Omicrini. This position is supported by the chaetotaxy of the maxillary stipes of the larva, which lacks the increased number of stout setae on the inner face present in all other Sphaeridiinae larvae except Omicrini.

The Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia, represent the largest remaining fragment of vast rainforests that once covered the entire continent. Over the past few decades the Wet Tropics bioregion has received much attention from biologists interested in the effect of climate change on diversity and distribution of rainforest animals. However, most such studies have focused on vertebrates, and despite considerable interest in the biota of the area, the diversity of many of Wet Tropics invertebrate taxa remains poorly known. Here we describe six new species of mite harvestman from the area, identified using a combination of morphological and molecular data. Our study represents the first detailed phylogenetic study of the genus Austropurcellia, and provides insight into the historical biogeography of these dispersal-limited arachnids.

With discovery of four new Neotropical species, the New World shore-fly genus Rhysophora Cresson, 1924 is revised, including a phylogenetic reassessment of some generic relationships within Discomyzini and of species within Rhysophora. The reconstructed phylogenetic relationships are based on 43 adult morphological characters and resulted in the following discoveries, mostly based on the well-supported cladogram: (1) the monophyly of Rhysophora is corroborated; (2) its sister group is Helaeomyia Cresson, not Guttipsilopa Wirth, as previously proposed; (3) three species groups within Rhysophora are recognized; and (4) greater species diversity is in South America, where there is also greater diversity in host plants. We hypothesise that the two Nearctic species, R. robusta and R. laffooni, resulted from two independent dispersal and speciation events when their water lettuce and pickerel weed hosts also dispersed there from the Neotropics. All of these flies are associated with aquatic plants of the families Pontederiaceae (Pontederia, Eichhornia) and Araceae (Pistia stratiotes), with the exception of R. griseola. All species are redescribed and an identification key, distribution maps and illustrations of male terminalia are provided to assist identification of these species.