Nemestrinidae (tangle-veined flies) are important pollinators of numerous southern African plant species. Despite their known ecological importance, the family has received little taxonomic attention in recent years and the systematics of the group is poorly understood. In this study we aimed to assess the phylogenetic relationships and species diversity among three southern African nemestrinid genera from the Nemestrininae subfamily: Prosoeca, Moegistorhynchus and Stenobasipteron, with a specific focus on the largest among these, Prosoeca. We reconstructed a molecular phylogeny using both mitochondrial and nuclear (COI, 16S rRNA, 28S rRNA and CAD) DNA sequence data. Both morphology and molecular species delimitation methods (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and the Bayesian Poisson Tree Process) were used to estimate species diversity. The topology from the combined analysis places a monophyletic Moegistorhynchus as the sister group to a paraphyletic Prosoeca with Stenobasipteron nested inside Prosoeca. In all three genera, almost half of the putative species sampled did not match the concept of described species based on morphology. Analysis of phylogenetic diversity showed that undescribed putative species make a substantial contribution to the overall phylogenetic diversity among the sampled species. Comparisons among biogeographic regions suggested that diversity is concentrated in multiple biodiversity hotspots and biomes, particularly in Fynbos and Grassland biomes. The numerous undescribed species and paraphyly of Prosoeca both emphasise the need for increased taxonomic attention for this ecologically important group of flies in particular, and for southern African insect taxa in general.

Munidopsid squat lobsters are among the most abundant decapods at abyssal depths and the most diverse squat lobster group in the East Pacific region. During recent cruises along the East Pacific, many deep-sea squat lobsters were collected. Among these, we described five new munidopsid species supported both by morphological characters and molecular phylogenetics: Munidopsis girguisi sp. nov., M. nautilus sp. nov., M. testuda sp. nov., M. cortesi sp. nov. and M. hendrickxi sp. nov. We also report new records of several Munidopsis species across the East Pacific that increase the species distribution ranges. Here, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of the East Pacific species in relation to other Galatheoidea using one nuclear and two mitochondrial gene fragment(s); we also performed single locus species delimitation analyses to explore the species status of various East Pacific munidopsid taxa. The new taxa were photographed, illustrated and imaged with micro-computed tomography. The phylogenetic results show that: (1) Janetogalathea californiensis, previously included in the family Galatheidae, nests within Munidopsidae; (2) the phylogenetic position of Phylladiorhynchus and Coralliogalathea as belonging in Galatheidae is not supported; and (3) Munidopsis is paraphyletic, agreeing with recent systematic hypotheses. Short genetic distances and species delimitation analyses suggested that a clade mostly constituted by abyssal species might include fewer species than currently considered, as species show a wider geographic range than previously considered, conforming with traditional hypotheses of cosmopolitanisms in abyssal species.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CED9EB18-7061-47A7-B2FF-7F1DAFCC7B12.

Owing to the small size and cryptic morphology, runcinids are among the most difficult marine heterobranchs to study and consequently one of the groups about which little is known. Only recently were molecular tools and phylogenetics first employed to study the systematics. The charismatic European reddish-brown species Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977, first described from Plymouth, UK, is a paradigm of the challenges facing the taxonomy of these slugs. Due to similarities between R. ferruginea and the Croatian species R. zavodniki described by Thompson, 1980, the latter has been considered as a junior synonym. However, molecular phylogenetics revealed the occurrence of a complex of four species masked under the name R. ferruginea. Through an integrative approach, combining multi-locus (COI, 16S rRNA and histone H3) molecular phylogenetics and morpho-anatomical characters (shape and colouration of body, radula, gizzard plates and reproductive systems) based on specimens from south-western UK, and the central and western Mediterranean Sea (Spain, France, Italy and Croatia), we redescribe R. ferruginea proper and confirm R. zavodniki as a valid species. Also, two new species are described, one belonging to the genus Runcina (R. lupiaensis sp. nov.) and the other to the new genus Pseudoruncina gen. nov. (Pseudoruncina marinae gen. et sp. nov.). Our study exposes the occurrence of cryptic diversity among runcinids and stresses the need for additional work to understand the diversity of this group of minute molluscs.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2611EF7D-7762-40CE-BD04-B6D9AB70F2AA.

The millipede subfamily Pericambalinae Silvestri, 1909 is poorly understood and the taxonomic status remains controversial. Pericambalinae was regarded as either a subfamily of Cambalopsidae or an independent family. To address this issue, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis and a morphological revision, and the genera and species from China are also revised. The results support the recovery of the family status, Pericambalidae, stat. nov. The morphological differences between Bilingulus Zhang & Li, 1981 and Parabilingulus Zhang & Li, 1981 are shown to be caused by post-embryonic development (anamorphosis and non-systemic metamorphosis) and both of these should be junior synonyms of Pericambala Silvestri, 1909 (Pericambala = Bilingulus, syn. nov. = Parabilingulus, syn. nov.). Three new combinations are proposed: Pericambala simplicia (Mauriès & Nguyen Duy-Jacquemin, 1997), comb. nov., Pericambala aramula (Zhang & Li, 1981), comb. nov. and Pericambala sinica (Zhang & Li, 1981), comb. nov. The mature specimens of Pericambala simplicia, comb. nov. and Pericambala aramula, comb. nov. were collected from the type localities and are described for the first time. A new species, Pericambala cordata, sp. nov. is described. After revision, Pericambalidae contains two genera and six species with one genus and four species recorded from China. Due to a deficiency in outgroup sampling, the phylogenetic status of Pericambalidae in the suborder Cambalidea remains uncertain. Variation of the gnathochilarium in Cambalidea is discussed and a key to the species of Pericambala in China is also provided. This research lays a foundation for further revision of Cambalidea in the future.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BDA46BCE-102B-45FE-A963-47F029A09E76.