The Australian plant bug tribe Austromirini consists of ant-mimetic taxa which are poorly known, with no information of their phylogenetic relationships and ant-mimetic traits. In this study, we examined nearly 1000 ingroup specimens and developed a comprehensive morphological dataset comprising 37 characters, which was analysed both weighted and unweighted, using ‘Tree analysis using New Technology’ (TNT) software. A single minimal length phylogenetic tree was found, comprising a monophyletic group of ant-mimetic taxa, that included Myrmecoroides rufescens, Myrmecoridea sp., Kirkaldyella spp. and eight species of a new genus, Carenotus gen. nov. The myrmecomorphic traits of Carenotus and allied ant-mimetic taxa are documented and analysed phylogenetically, in conjunction with genitalic characters. Carenotus is defined by the myrmecomorphic colour patterning of the abdominal venter, whereas the ingroup species relationships are supported by genitalic characters alone. Carenotus is described as new with eight included species as follows: C. arltunga sp. nov., C. louthensis sp. nov., C. luritja sp. nov., C. pullabooka sp. nov., C. scaevolaphilus sp. nov., C. schwartzi sp. nov., C. tanami sp. nov. and C. yuendumu sp. nov. Host plant associations are also documented, ranging from host plant specificity and genus-group preferences to host plant generalism. The distribution of Carenotus species is documented with reference to phytogeographic subregions, with all species being semi-arid and arid dwelling. The male and female genitalia of Kirkaldyella pilosa and K. rugosa are described and illustrated, for comparative and phylogenetic purposes. This research expands our knowledge on the plant bug tribe Austromirini and has broader implications for myrmecomorphic research in the suborder Heteroptera.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2FF9BE23-38A6-42B4-8488-74F216D8237F

Species in the parasitic isopod family Cabiropidae are known to utilise various isopods as hosts but there are currently no records of members parasitising anthuroid hosts. We describe Anthuroniscus gen. nov. for three new cabiropid species, Anthuroniscus shimomurai sp. nov., Anthuroniscus dentatus sp. nov. and Anthuroniscus latus sp. nov., all of which are parasitic on anthuroid isopods. Anthuroniscus gen. nov. differs from the other 14 cabiropid genera and 10 genera treated as family incertae sedis in females having an elongate, dorsally compressed, posteriorly tapering body with six pairs of lateral bulges; and cryptoniscus larvae in the following combination of characters: (1) eyes lacking, (2) antennular article 1 with eight teeth on the posterior margin, (3) uropodal exopod and endopod rectangular rather than tapering, and endopod longer than exopod, and (4) pleotelson trapezoidal, 2× as wide as long. Anthuroniscus shimomurai sp. nov. was parasitic on Mesanthura sp. from Kaichu Doro, Uruma, Okinawa, south-western Japan; A. dentatus sp. nov. on Accalathura sp. from Irabu Island, Miyako Islands, Okinawa; and A. latus sp. nov. on Colanthura nigra from Kanagawa, central Japan. In pairwise comparisons, the three new species showed p-distances of 0.6–1.3% for the 18S rRNA gene (1440 positions); and A. shimomurai sp. nov. and A. latus sp. nov. showed a p-distance of 36.2% for the 16S rRNA gene (412 positions). In an 18S-based maximum-likelihood tree, an Anthuroniscus gen. nov. clade was the sister group to Cryptoniscoidea sp., parasitic on an ostracod species. This is the first study reporting Cabiropidae from Japan and anthuroids as hosts for Cryptoniscoidea.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2EE042E2-AE48-4B87-B495-8436462146B9

Species of the genus Eubranchus Forbes, 1838 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) are common faunistic elements of boreal benthic ecosystems, associated with hydroid communities. Recent studies have suggested that the widely distributed trans-Arctic E. rupium (Møller, 1842) constitutes a complex of at least three candidate species, but the detailed taxonomy of the complex remains unresolved. The purpose of the present paper is to conduct an integrative taxonomic study including molecular genetic methods (a phylogenetic analysis using COI, 16S rRNA and histone H3 with application of species delimitation methods) and morphological study (light and scanning electron microscopy) of E. rupium and closely related species. The specific aims of this study were to establish the species boundaries, morphological variability, and the phylogeographic structure within this group. The phylogeographic analysis included a TCS-based network analysis, an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), divergence time estimations, and ancestral area reconstructions. We demonstrate that specimens initially identified as E. rupium included three distinctive species: the nominal E. rupium with an amphiboreal range, the new species Eubranchus novik sp. nov. from the Sea of Japan, for which a taxonomic description is provided in this paper, and Eubranchus sp. from the northern Kuril Islands, which requires the collection and study of additional material for formal description. Our results confirm the amphiboreal distribution of E. rupium, as no geographic structure was found across Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic populations, and the results of the AMOVA analysis showed no differences between groups of samples from different geographic regions. The divergence of the ‘Eubrancus rupium species complex’ is estimated from the late Miocene or the Miocene–Pliocene boundary to the late Pliocene. It is hypothesised that the most probable ancestral region for the Eubranchus rupium species complex is the north-western Pacific, and the subsequent speciation likely occurred due to dispersal followed by allopatric speciation.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:228E0C46-0BF7-4DDD-9C00-67B50E298D65

During the past two decades, the phylogenetic relationships and higher-level classification of the subfamily Rogadinae have received relevant contributions based on Sanger, mitogenome and genome-wide nuclear DNA sequence data. These studies have helped to update the circumscription and tribal classification of this subfamily, with six tribes currently recognised (Aleiodini, Betylobraconini, Clinocentrini, Rogadini, Stiropiini and Yeliconini). The tribal relationships within Rogadinae, however, are yet to be fully resolved, including the status of tribe Facitorini, previously regarded as betylobraconine, with respect to the members of Yeliconini. We conducted a phylogenomic analysis among the tribes of Rogadinae based on genomic ultraconserved element (UCE) data and extensive taxon sampling including three undescribed genera of uncertain tribal placement. Our almost fully supported estimate of phylogeny confirmed the basal position of Rogadini within the subfamily and a Facitorini clade (Yeliconini + Aleiodini) that led us to propose the former group as a valid rogadine tribe (Facitorini stat. res.). Stiropiini, however, was recovered for the first time as sister to the remaining rogadine tribes except Rogadini, and Clinocentrini as sister to a clade with Betylobraconini + the three undescribed genera. The relationships recovered and morphological examination of the material included led us to place the latter three new genera and recently described genus Gondwanocentrus within a new rogadine tribe, Gondwanocentrini Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón trib. nov. We described these genera (Ghibli Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón gen. nov., Racionais Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón gen. nov. and Soraya Shimbori gen. nov.) with two or three new species each (G. miyazakii Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov., G. totoro Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov., R. brunus Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov., R. kaelejay Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov., R. superstes Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov., S. alencarae Shimbori sp. nov. and S. venus Shimbori & Zaldívar-Riverón sp. nov.). A new species of Facitorini, Jannya pasargadae Gadelha & Shimbori sp. nov., is also described. Our newly proposed classification expands the number of tribes and genera within Rogadinae to 8 and 66 respectively.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:51951C78-069A-4D8B-B5F0-7EBD4D9D21CE