Amphipod crustaceans are dominant in subterranean habitats, and members of eight genera are endemic to groundwater environments in the Japanese Archipelago. The taxonomic status of two of these genera remains unclear, because their original descriptions were incomplete. The descriptions of the enigmatic subterranean monotypic genus Awacaris and its type species, A. kawasawai Uéno, 1971, are revisited here. Awacaris kawasawai was originally described based on specimens from a subterranean stream at Himise Cave, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan. Recently, a new population of A. kawasawai was found at Saruta Cave, Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku. Detailed observation of the newly collected specimens reveals the presence of sternal gills, which is the diagnostic character of the pontogeneiid genus Sternomoera, making the validity of Sternomoera open to question. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 28S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I markers demonstrate that A. kawasawai forms a well-supported clade with the subterranean S. morinoi Tomikawa and Ishimaru, 2014. In addition, phylogenetic analysis reveals cryptic diversity in epigean species of Sternomoera. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that catadromous Sternomoera species have evolved from freshwater ancestors. Based on our morphological and phylogenetic analysis of Awacaris and Sternomoera species, it is concluded here that Sternomoera should be treated as a subjective junior synonym of Awacaris.

The scleractinian coral Cyphastrea is a common and widespread genus throughout the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. Little is known about the phylogenetic relationships within this taxon and species identification is based mainly on traditional skeletal characters, such as the number of septa, septa cycles, growth form and corallite dimensions. Here we present the first focussed reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships among Cyphastrea species, analysing 57 colonies from the Red Sea, where five morphospecies live in sympatry. Analyses based on three loci (nuclear histone H3, 28S rDNA and a mitochondrial intergenic region) reveal the existence of three well-supported molecular lineages. None of the five previously defined morphospecies are monophyletic and they cluster into two clades, suggesting the need of a systematic revision in Cyphastrea. The third lineage is described as C. magna Benzoni & Arrigoni, sp. nov., a new reef coral species collected from the northern and central Red Sea. Cyphastrea magna Benzoni & Arrigoni, sp. nov. is characterised by the largest corallite diameter among known Cyphastrea species, a wide trabecular columella >1/4 of calice width, and 12 equal primary septa. This study suggests that morphology-based taxonomy in Cyphastrea may not identify monophyletic units and strengthens the application of genetics in coral systematics.

Mexican red-kneed tarantulas of the genus Brachypelma are regarded as some of the most desirable invertebrate pets, and although bred in captivity, they continue to be smuggled out of the wild in large numbers. Species are often difficult to identify based solely on morphology, therefore prompt and accurate identification is required for adequate protection. Thus, we explored the applicability of using COI-based DNA barcoding as a complementary identification tool. Brachypelma smithi (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) and Brachypelma hamorii Tesmongt, Cleton & Verdez, 1997 are redescribed, and their morphological differences defined. Brachypelma annitha is proposed as a new synonym of B. smithi. The current distribution of red-kneed tarantulas shows that the Balsas River basin may act as a geographical barrier. Morphological and molecular evidence are concordant and together provide robust hypotheses for delimiting Mexican red-kneed tarantula species. DNA barcoding of these tarantulas is further shown to be useful for species-level identification and for potentially preventing black market trade in these spiders. As a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listing does not protect habitat, or control wildlife management or human interactions with organisms, it is important to support environmental conservation activities to provide an alternative income for local communities and to avoid damage to wildlife populations.

Integrative taxonomy, including molecular, morphological, distributional and biological data, is applied in a review of the taxonomy of the Australian species of the pest termite genus Coptotermes. The validity of the previously described species is discussed, and two new species, Coptotermes nanus, sp. nov. and Coptotermes cooloola, sp. nov., are described from the Kimberley region of Western Australia and south-east Queensland respectively. Their delimitation is based on morphological and distributional data, and the results of generalised mixed Yule-coalescent analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Images of the external view of the two new species are provided, as well as a key, based on soldier characters, for all Australian species of Coptotermes.

Wing dimorphism occurs in many genera of Schizopteridae Reuter, 1891 and other litter bugs (Heteroptera : Dipsocoromorpha), in both males and females. In the largest litter bug genus, Schizoptera Fieber, and closely related taxa, sexual wing dimorphism is observed in several species whereby males are macropterous, but females possess elytra, or hardened forewings – a feature that is rare outside of beetles and that we here refer to as female-specific elytra. Phylogenetic hypotheses for Schizoptera are unavailable, but are essential to reveal if female-specific elytra evolved once or multiple times within the genus and to test if the presence of elytra can reverse states to macropterous wings. In addition, generic and subgeneric concepts of this speciose genus-group have not been tested in a phylogenetic framework, and relationships with other schizopterid genera remain largely unknown. Our molecular phylogeny of Schizoptera and related genera documents that this genus is currently polyphyletic, and we raise the subgenus Kophaegis to generic rank to render Schizoptera monophyletic (Orthorhagus was recently elevated to genus). Relationships within Schizoptera reveal several well supported clades, some of them corresponding to currently recognised subgenera. To examine the value of previously used diagnostic features, we optimise 11 morphological characters on the molecular phylogeny and update generic and subgeneric diagnoses. Tracing transitions between macropterous and elytrous wing types, we show that female-specific elytra evolved at least seven times within Schizopteridae, four of those times within the Schizoptera genus-group, and that elytra reversed to macropterous wings at least twice. We propose that Schizopteridae may be an excellent model to study the selective pressures that have given rise to sexually dimorphic traits.

A new genus and species in the family Parabathynellidae Noodt, 1965, Lockyerenella danschmidti, gen. et sp. nov., is described from Queensland, Australia. The species displays several distinctive character states within the Parabathynellidae, and a unique combination of character states. Interestingly, L. danschmidti is the only known species of Parabathynellidae in Australia (and in the world) to possess a long and robust seta on the last segment of the antenna, which is present in both males and females. The new genus is morphologically distinct from the known genera, but is more similar to Queensland species of Notobathynella Schminke, 1973 and Arkaroolabathynella Abrams & King, 2013 from South Australia, than to species from other areas of the continent. This is the first work to couple genetics to the morphological description of a stygofauna species in Queensland. Phylogenetic relationships between L. danschmidti and related genera from elsewhere on the continent were evaluated through the analysis of combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. This analysis revealed at least one new genus within the Parabathynellidae, confirming our morphological hypothesis.

The taxonomy of the freshwater shrimps Caridina (Atyidae) is very complex and confused mostly because the morphological characters that have traditionally been used for species delimitation and identification are highly plastic. There is thus a need for an integrative approach to their taxonomy. In total, 42 specimens belonging to either Caridina buehleri Roux, 1934 or Caridina gueryi Marquet, Keith & Kalfatak, 2009 were examined. We combined here morphological data from 12 specimens from the whole distributional range of the species, including type specimens with 16S mtDNA analyses from seven freshly sampled specimens, to verify the specific status of Caridina buehleri from Papua New-Guinea, Central Sulawesi, Western Samoa and the Solomon Islands, and C. gueryi from Vanuatu. The comparison of 24 morphological characters showed that morphological variations of character traits between C. gueryi and C. buehleri are widely overlapping and that no morphological feature can effectively split specimens into two clear groups. Molecular characters corroborated these results, as specimens from both groups were only separated by a 2% p-distance, a genetic distance that is coherent with their potentially high dispersal abilities. We thus consider C. gueryi as a junior synonym of C. buehleri. Finally, C. buehleri is characterised mainly by a styliform and characteristically indented rostrum and a long stylocerite. Detailed re-descriptions of the type specimens of C. buehleri and C. gueryi are given, as well as their geographical and ecological distribution.

(Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 1–7)

The authors wish to add the following author, who was inadvertently omitted, to The GIGA Community of Scientists (COS) on p. 7 in Appendix 1.

Iliana B. Baums (The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA)

(Vol. 28, Issue 2, pp. 145–173)