The family Ropalomeridae Schiner, 1868 (Diptera, Acalyptratae) is recorded from French Guiana for the first time, with two species, Ropalomera clavipes (Fabricius, 1805) and R. tibialisWalker, 1852, collected in lowland rainforest in the southwesternmost part of French Guiana (Mitaraka Mountains).

Five species of the Neotropical genus Phalaecus Stål, 1862 were known up to now: P. lineatusGrazia, 1983, P. nigromaculatusGrazia, 1983, P. paraenseGrazia, 1983, P. pustulatus (De Geer, 1773), and P. ruckesiGrazia, 1983. Phalaecus pustulatus was the only species mentioned from French Guiana. We mention here the first records of P. lineatus, P. nigromaculatus, and P. ruckesi to French Guiana. The female of P. lineatus is described for the first time, and a new species, Phalaecus carmini n. sp., is described. An identification key of the five adult Phalaecus species found in French Guiana is proposed, and color pictures of the habitus are given for the first time.

Après un aperçu de l'historique des connaissances relatives aux mantes de la Guyane qui se montent actuellement aux environs de 90 espèces, les récoltes effectuées en 2015 dans le massif du Mitaraka sont inventoriées, avec 36 espèces dont une décrite comme nouvelle.

The “Our planet reviewed” expedition allowed to investigate the fish fauna from the Mitaraka Mountain Range (French Guiana). We sampled fishes at 14 sites using complementary sampling methods including rotenone, underwater observation, seine, cast nets, traps and hooks. We present the first detailed fish inventories from this region. Thirty eight species belonging to 16 families were observed, and at least one unknown species belonging to the genus Jupiaba Zanata, 1997 was collected. At two torrential sites we recorded an unusual fish assemblage made of a single Trichomycteridae species, Ituglanis nebulosus de Pinna & Keith, 2003. A few rare species were also recorded such as Pimelodella procera Mees, 1983 hereby extending its known distribution 100 km Southward. Anablepsoides gaucheri (Keith, Nandrin & Le Bail, 2006) was collected for the first time since its description in 2006. This species was collected in a stream located 15 km eastern from its type location, revealing its distribution might span over the entire Mitaraka range. Overall, the species turnover between sites was high even between sites with similar environmental conditions, suggesting that dispersal limitation is playing a significant role in fish assemblage composition. This indicates that complementary inventories in nearby areas may still provide new species and original information on the fish fauna inhabiting small streams of Southern French Guiana.

Ants constitute a substantial part of the arthropod biomass in rainforests. Most studies have focused on ground-dwelling ants, which constitute almost half of the diversity of the ant assemblage. We report here the results of the first survey of tree-dwelling ants in French Guiana on a plateau and in a swamp palm forest (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in the Mitaraka Mountains. We were interested in seeing the effect of topography and geographic distance on species richness and composition and to gather information on the species distribution on tree trunks. The fauna of Mitaraka was compared with one from a site 350 km distant (Petit Saut). In total 105 trees were sampled (30, 30, 45 in the plateau and the swamp forests of Mitaraka, and in Petit Saut plateau forest, respectively). Arboreal ants were attracted using tuna and honey baits spread along a rope reaching an upper branch, except for the palm swamp forest where the baits were only placed at 2 m high. A total of 34, 13 and 22 species were observed in these three respective sites. Six of these species are new records for French Guiana. In Mitaraka Camponotus femoratus (Fabricius, 1804) and Crematogaster leviorLongino, 2003 co-occurred on trees (parabiotic association) and were among the most common species, along with Crematogaster tenuiculaForel, 1904 which was found on other trees (species exclusion). The Mitaraka Mountains appeared more species rich and had a species composition distinct from Petit Saut. Topography also influenced ant species composition. Almost half of the species collected by the baitline method were exclusively foraging in the canopy.

The dipteran family Pipunculidae Walker, 1834 is recorded from French Guiana for the first time. It is represented by five genera, with four identified species (including a new species), and 13 females identified to genus level (including AmazunculusRafael, 1986). Cephalops amapaensisRafael, 1991, Cephalosphaera aurataSouza & Ale-Rocha, 2009, and Eudorylas fortisRafael, 1995 are recorded for the first time from French Guiana, and Clistoabdominalis mitarakensis Marques & Rafael, n. sp. is described and illustrated.

Two species of Eucocconotini Beier, 1960 were collected during the “Our Planet Revisited, Mitaraka 2015” survey in the Mitaraka Mountains belonging to Tumuc-Humac mountain chain in French Guiana: Gnathoclita vorax (Stoll, 1813) and Panoploscelis scudderi Beier, 1950. Calling songs of both species are described for the first time, as well as the mandibular and tegminal protest signals from P. scudderi males and females. The structures involved in these signals are described and illustrated. The peculiar acoustic and mate guarding behaviors of Gnathoclita vorax are described and illustrated. The synonymy of Panoploscelis scudderiBeier, 1950 and Panoploscelis angusticauda Beier 1950 n. syn. is discussed and proposed, based on specimens reared from samples collected in Mitaraka.

This article introduces the biodiversity survey “Our Planet Reviewed” in the south of French Guiana organized in February–March and August 2015. It has enabled more than 50 scientists to inventory the following groups: Actinopterygii, Amphibia, Annelida, Arachnida, Insecta, Mollusca and Squamata, with a particular effort on diverse and little-known orders, such as Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. The forested area under investigation presents a mosaic of hills and inselbergs, with a wide variety of ecosystems. The main objectives were to discover new species for science, report first records for French Guiana, and establish a baseline inventory for biogeographic studies. The organisation of the field trip and post-field phase are supported by coordinators of major taxonomic groups. Authorisations and associated commitments, including Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) are specified. The sampling effort, in terms of number and diversity of methods, is certainly the largest ever made in French Guiana over a short period of time. Thirteen different trap types were used including four types of interception traps and nine types of attraction-based traps. Active research methods (13 techniques) and extraction from the substrate (five techniques, including Winkler sieves, emergence from dead wood, etc.) completed the sampling array. The sample processing procedure describes the difference between active collecting and the longer and more complex process of processing massive samples of traps such as window pane flight intercept traps, Malaise traps, colored pan traps and automatic light traps. After a sorting phase that lasted less than a year for most groups, a network of 165 taxonomic experts was mobilized by the coordinators to study the sorted specimens. The data are stored and managed in an observations database and in the database of the collections of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris). Data are widely disseminated, notably in France via the Inventaire national du Patrimoine naturel (INPN) and internationally by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This introductory article will be supplemented by a second paper, which will analyse research results three years after the survey and assess the effectiveness of the expedition in advancing taxonomic knowledge.

A synopsis is proposed for all scorpion species collected, up to present, in the Mitaraka Massif in French Guiana, a site located near to the borders of French Guiana, Brazil and Suriname. One new species, Guyanochactas touroulti n. sp. (Chactidae) is described. The description of the new species brings further evidence to the biogeographic pattern of distribution presented by some elements of the family Chactidae endemic to the Tepuys or the Inselberg formations of South America.

Une nouvelle espèce du genre Callopistria Hübner, 1821, C. longipilosa n. sp., est décrite sur une série de cinq spécimens de Guyane. Elle est comparée à C. leucotoma (Druce, 1908) décrite du Pérou mais également présente en Guyane. L'habitus et les genitalia sont illustrés. Deux nouvelles combinaisons et deux nouvelles synonymies sont proposées: Phuphena plinthobaps (Zerny, 1916) n. comb., Elaphria carmioli (Schaus, 1911) n. comb., Callopistria orses (Schaus, 1914) mis en synonymie avec C. panamensisDruce, 1889, et Callopistria trinidensis (Hampson, 1908) mis en synonymie avec C. floridensis (Guenée, 1852).

Une liste des Brentidae Acratini récoltés durant une mission de terrain menée en 2015 dans le massif du Mitaraka (c. 2°14′N, 54°27′O), en Guyane, est donnée. Deux espèces sont nouvellement décrites: Parateramocerus teko n. sp. et Neacratus viridis n. sp. Une nouvelle mise en synonymie est effectuée: Proteramocerus affinisSoares & Dias, 1971, n. syn. de Proteramocerus enervatus Kleine, 1927. Ce dernier taxon est transféré dans le genre Parateramocerus Mantilleri, 2015, entraînant la nouvelle combinaison suivante: Parateramocerus enervatus (Kleine, 1927) n. comb. Sa découverte dans le massif du Mitaraka constitue un nouveau signalement pour la Guyane; il est aussi enregistré pour la première fois au Pérou. Fonteboanius lamellipesSenna, 1893 est aussi nouvellement cité de Guyane.

The genus CollarinaJullien, 1886 (Cribrilinidae Hincks, 1879) has until now been known from the Atlantic-Mediterranean region as just two species, C. balzaci (Audouin, 1826), synonym of Collarina cribrosaJullien, 1886, type species of the genus, considered to be widely distributed from the northern British Isles to the SE Mediterranean, and C. fayalensis Harmelin, 1978 from the Macaronesian Isles. Abundant material collected in the Mediterranean and the NE Atlantic, coupled with examination of museum specimens, allowed better definition of the species-specific morphological features in this genus and some generic traits (ooecium formation, avicularia with nested cystids). Besides the redescription of C. balzaci and C. fayalensis, this study led to the description of four new species: C. denticulata Harmelin, n. sp., recorded only in the Mediterranean, C. gautieri Harmelin, n. sp., present in both the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean, C. macaronensis Harmelin, n. sp., from Madeira, Azores and Galicia, and C. speluncola Harmelin, n. sp., from the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Cadiz. A seventh morphotype (Collarina sp., from the Mediterranean, seemingly close to C. speluncola Harmelin, n. sp., has been left unnamed pending the availability of more abundant material. It was proven that C. balzaci: 1) has often been confused with C. gautieri Harmelin, n. sp.; 2) is exclusively epiphytic (mainly on Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 and brown seaweeds), with life-cycle adapted to ephemeral hosts; 3) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean, but also present in the Canaries on seaweeds, and has probably been overlooked in similar habitats in other warm-temperate NE Atlantic localities; and 4) is able to proliferate dramatically on Posidonia leaves in association with diatoms under unusual environmental conditions (Gulf of Gabes, chemical disturbance). All Collarina species live in coastal areas, mostly at shallow depth, in shaded microhabitats: plants (C. balzaci), dark cave walls (C. speluncola Harmelin, n. sp.) and small hard substrates, e.g. shells, pebbles, and anthropogenic debris (all other species).

A checklist of the Collembola of the Collo massif in northeastern Algeria, the wettest region of northern Africa, is presented, based on the results of sampling campaigns carried out from 2011 to 2017. Before this work, only four species were reported from Collo in the literature. The Collembola of the massif include now a total of 74 species, in 53 genera and 17 families. Of the 74 recorded species, 26 are new for Algeria, and at least four are new to science and will be described in forthcoming papers. The most remarkable discoveries include an undescribed Pseudachorutinae Börner, 1906 provisionally assigned to the tropical genus Kenyura Salmon, 1954; Sensillanura austriaca (da Gama, 1963) a Neanurinae Börner, 1901, so far only known from the northern Alps; a second undescribed species of the so far monospecific Neanurinae genus EdoughnuraDeharveng, Hamra-Kroua & Bedos, 2007; the first record of the genus Subisotoma Börner, 1901 in Algeria (Isotomidae Börner, 1913); an undescribed species of the genus Pseudosinella Schäffer, 1897, close to the recently described P. najtae Jordana, Barranco, Amezcua & Baquero, 2017 from Spain and remarkable by the ciliation of all its labral chaetae (Entomobryidae Tömösvary, 1882). This inventory makes the Collo massif the richest spot of Collembolan diversity today in Algeria. It also illustrates how large are the geographical gaps in our knowledge of the Algerian fauna.

A new species of ThecomyiaPerty, 1833, T. diederiki Mortelmans n. sp., is described from French Guiana, with diagnostic characters being the absence of anteromedial setae on the midfemur; an illdefined, tripartite, greyish mesonotal stripe; absence of upper fronto-orbital bristles; completely yellow mid- and hind femora; typical distiphallus bearing two long, curved acrophalli; absence of male anterior gonostyli; and large, triangular posterior gonostyli. All specimens were collected during the Mitaraka (French Guiana) 2015 survey that investigated an array of habitat types; the new species was encountered only in swamp forests. This discovery raises the number of species in this exclusively Neotropical genus to 13. An update of the relevant couplets in the key to Thecomyia in Marinoni et al. (2003) is presented to include the new species. New records of other species of Thecomyia from Costa Rica, French Guiana, and Brazil are given, with first records of Thecomyia lateralis (Walker, 1858) from Costa Rica, and first records of T. diederiki Mortelmans n. sp. and T. longicornisPerty, 1833 from French Guiana.

Tenuous descriptions of many species and subspecies of mastiff bats make the taxonomy of MolossusE. Geoffroy, 1805 confusing and unstable. Molossus is one of the most diverse genera of free tailed bats in the pantropical family Molossidae Gervais, 1856. Given their impressive variation due to geography, sex, and ontogeny, and incomplete knowledge about species boundaries, a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus is needed. In addition, the level of genetic divergence, even among morphologically well-characterized species is low, often making diagnosis of groups difficult and likely resulting in an underestimation of the number of species. Brazil has a wide territory harboring many different physiognomies, but with no study focusing on the morphological variation and taxonomy of Molossus available. Therefore, we have analyzed qualitative and quantitative characters from 493 specimens belonging to nine species of Molossus, and conducted a wide comparative morphological analysis of the species occurring in Brazil. In addition, we propose a hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships within Molossus based on morphology, establishing the morphological characters for diagnosis and identification of species, and update the geographic distribution of Molossus species in Brazil, with range extensions for four taxa. Six species, Molossus rufusE. Geoffroy, 1805, Molossus molossus (Pallas, 1776), Molossus coibensisAllen, 1904, Molossus aztecusSaussure, 1860, Molossus currentiumThomas, 1901, and Molossus pretiosusMiller, 1902 occur in Brazil. We bring support for the synonymy of Molossus bondaeAllen, 1904 with M. currentium, as suggested by several authors.

This paper documents the robber fly fauna collected in lowland rainforest in the southwesternmost part of French Guiana (Mitaraka). A total number of 146 asilid specimens were collected during the Mitaraka 2015 survey. These asilids represent six subfamilies, 23 genera, 16 described species, 28 morphospecies, and first records of 12 genera and 29 species for French Guiana. The subfamily Laphriinae Macquart, 1838 is clearly best represented with 14 genera and 28 species (especially Atomosiini Lynch Arribálzaga, 1882 with nine genera and 18 species), followed by Leptogastrinae Schiner, 1862 with three genera and seven species, Asilinae Latreille, 1802 with three genera and four species, Ommatiinae Hardy, 1927 with one genus and three species and Dasypogoninae Macquart, 1838 and Trigonomiminae Enderlein, 1914 with one species each. Eighteen and 11 species were collected as singletons or doubletons respectively, accounting for about of all species observed. Pilica erythrogaster (Wiedemann, 1828) and Hybozelodes dispar (Hermann, 1912) (both Laphriinae) were collected in the largest numbers, but appeared to be restricted to a few sites. A six meter long Malaise trap yielded the largest diversity and highest numbers of asilids, accounting for over 2/5 of all species collected. Also the SLAM traps, the light trap and sweep netting were quite productive. A checklist of the French Guianan Asilidae is provided.

The genus EnliniaAldrich, 1933 is recorded from French Guiana for the first time and six new species are described: E. loboptera n. sp., E. bova n. sp., E. colossicornis n. sp., E. mitarakensis n. sp., E. touroulti n. sp., and E. dalensi n. sp. A seventh unnamed species belonging to the E. armataRobinson, 1969 species group, and represented by a single female specimen, is also reported. These species were collected as part of the 2015 “Our Planet Revisited” survey in the Mitaraka Mountain area in far southwestern French Guiana. A key to the seven species known from French Guiana is provided.

In this paper two new species of Dolichopoda Bolívar, 1880 from the Cyclades islands of Andros and Paros and one from the Dodecanissos island of Kinaros, are described, increasing the total number of Greek species to 32. The new species from Paros (D. kikladica Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp.) and Kinaros (D. margiolis Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp.) show strong similarities with D. naxia Boudou-Saltet, 1972 from Naxos forming an homogenous group limited to the central Aegean islands. On the other hand the species D. christos-nifoni Di Russo & Rampini, n. sp. from Andros shows a combination of morphological characters that partly resemble characters found in Evvian Dolichopoda, and partly in species from the Cyclades. Relationships among these three new taxa and the other adjacent Dolichopoda species are discussed on the basis of the paleogeological and paleoclimatic events that shaped the present geography of the Aegean area.

During the “Our Planet Reviewed” French Guiana 2014-2015 expedition, Diptera were collected in seven habitat types over an approximately 1 km² area in the Mitaraka Mountains of southwestern French Guiana. Sixteen collecting methods were used, seven of which yielded multiple samples containing Dolichopodidae. The survey produced a total of 4918 specimens of Dolichopodidae, belonging to 244 morphospecies, 31 genera including four new ones, and 10 recognized subfamilies. This is the highest dolichopodid species richness thus far recorded from a single location anywhere in the world. Three taxa could be identified to species level and all represent first records for French Guiana. Paraclius Loew, 1864, Chrysotus Meigen, 1824 and Medetera Fischer von Waldheim, 1819 were the most speciose genera. Paraclius represented by 50 species, exhibited an unprecedented species richness, mainly in the palm swamps. The three most productive methods in terms of numbers of specimens collected (68% of all specimens obtained using the three methods combined), SLAM traps, sweep nets, and a 6 m long Malaise trap, each yielded between 78 and 90 species, with approximately half of the species from each trap type unique to that method. Both blue, white or yellow pan traps, on the contrary, captured less than 20 species, and overall yellow traps were clearly the least efficient. Pan trap yields, however, were severely affected by repeated heavy rainfall. The highest species richness was recorded around the drop zone and in the base camp, on river banks and in river bank forests, with 40 to 60% of species unique to one of these habitat types. Forty-five species were collected on ‘savanes roches’, and 14 species on inselbergs, with four species shared by both types of rocky outcrops and uniquely found on them.

Ohler & Dubois (2018) argued that Article 23.9 of the Code cannot be used to reject the name HylaquoyiBory de Saint-Vincent, 1828 in favor of its junior synonym Hyla prasinaBurmeister, 1856. However, their statement was based on an insufficient literature search erroneously suggesting that H. prasina had been rarely used. We discuss this issue and give recommendations on searches in electronic bibliographical databases.

In the present paper, three new species of Lecteria (Lecteria) Osten Sacken,1888: Lecteria (Lecteria) mitarakanea n. sp., Lecteria (Lecteria) teko n. sp. and Lecteria (Lecteria) wayana n. sp., are described and illustrated, as a first step in the study of the Tipulidae Latreille, 1802 fauna from Mitaraka (French Guiana), collected during the “Our Planet Revisited” survey of 2015. The characteristics of the male genitalia allow to easily separate these three new species from the rest of the Neotropical species, in combination with the color pattern of legs, thorax and wings. The species are the first described in this genus from the Neotropics in almost half a century. Their discovery illustrates the significant contribution of this kind of scientific surveys in remote and isolated spots around the globe.

We recently stated that Article 23.9 of the Code could not be used to validate the nomen Hyla prasinaBurmeister, 1856 against its senior synonym Hyla quoyiBory de Saint-Vincent, 1828, but this statement was shown to be wrong by two teams of authors. The discrepancy between the analyses is due to the huge incompleteness of the database Web of Science. This suggests that the greatest care should be given to any search for references using scientific and bibliographic databases, especially if the recourse to Article 23.9 is contemplated. We agree that the nomen Hyla prasina should now be maintained for this species, which might require the intervention of the Commission under its plenary power. This unusual case prompted us to propose comments on the use of taxonomic and bibliographic databases, as well as modifications concerning Article 23.9 of the Code.

During past years different studies have attempted to describe the tetrapod fauna of Iran, most of which have focused on the herpetofauna. However there is no coherent study of the endemic species of Tetrapoda in Iran. In this study, we provide a list of endemic species of Tetrapoda in Iran, mention their habitat, distribution, their conservation status (IUCN) and important biological note. Eighty endemic species of Tetrapoda occur in Iran, of which 82.50% are reptiles. Thirty-eight species (47.50% of total endemic species of Tetrapoda) have no submitted data to IUCN; of which 35 species are reptiles. Additional studies are needed to provide data about the conservation status of tetrapod fauna of Iran, especially the endemic fauna.

The species of the South American genus SouzalopesmyiaAlbuquerque, 1951 (Diptera: Muscidae) are very similar externally, but can be distinguished by characters of the terminalia of the males. We describe Souzalopesmyia polleti n. sp. from French Guiana and provide diagnostic images for it. The new species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: male with two long pairs of frontal setae; one weak proepisternal seta, about ¾ length of upper anepisternal setae; upper postpronotal setae longer than half length of lower one; cercal plate with margins of the posterior incision divergent; sternite 5 with posterior depression and phallapodeme enlarged on distal region. An updated phylogenetic analysis based on morphological evidence, yielded a single most parsimonious tree (S. amazonicaAlbuquerque, 1951 + (S. cariocaAlbuquerque, 1951 + (S. paraensisde Carvalho, 1999 + S. polleti n. sp.) + (S. singularis (Stein, 1919) + S. sulinade Carvalho, 1999))). A new record of Souzalopesmyia paraensis from Peru, maps of the species' distribution, an updated distribution of S. singularis and an updated identification key are also presented.

A new family Leptograpsodidae n. fam. is erected to include an unusual genus of grapsoid crabs, LeptograpsodesMontgomery, 1931, represented by a burrowing species from South Australia L. octodentatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), with setal pouches on the coxae of pereiopods 2 to 4 that are evidence of a high degree of terrestrial adaptation. With nearly 600 extant species, the superfamily Grapsoidea MacLeay, 1838 encompasses a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies. Genetic data question its monophyly, whereas the inter- and intrarelationships of included taxa have not been recently examined through a morphological review using a reliable complex of characters (primarily, proepistome, thoracic sternum, male pleon, male genital region, male gonopore, and penis). The reevalution of the morphological characters of L. octodentatus in order to reappraise its proper taxonomical status has afforded us the opportunity to review most of grapsoids and, in particular, the Gecarcinidae H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (see Appendix), Grapsidae MacLeay, 1838, Varunidae H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (especially Cyclograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1837), and Xenograpsidae N. K. Ng, Davie, Schubart & Ng, 2007. The discovery that Leptograpsodes shares some characters with Gecarcinidae, especially a stridulatory apparatus similar to that of Discoplax A. Milne-Edwards, 1867, a feature not previously recorded in either genus, has revealed the need to re-examine the taxonomy of Gecarcinidae. This resulted in an unexpected outcome. Discoplax must be restricted to its three troglobitic species: D. longipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1867 (type species), D. gracilipesNg & Guinot, 2001, and D. michalisNg & Shih, 2015. Cardisoma Latreille, 1828 sensu stricto only accommodates C. guanhumi Latreille, in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville & Guérin, 1828 (type species), C. armatum Herklots, 1861, C. carnifex (Herbst, 1796), and C. crassum Smith, 1870. A new genus, Tuerkayana n. gen. is hereby established to include two species previously assigned to Cardisoma: T. rotundum (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) n. comb. (type species), T. hirtipes (Dana, 1851) n. comb., plus two others previously regarded as Discoplax: T. celeste (Ng & Davie, 2012) n. comb. and T. magnum (Ng & Shih, 2014) n. comb. Compared to Varunidae, Leptograpsodes bears a superficial resemblance to Cyclograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1837, a paraphyletic genus that must be restricted to its type species C. punctatus H. Milne Edwards, 1837 and only its closest congeners. The validity of the subfamilial taxon Heliceinae Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006 is recognised. The putative sister-group relationship of Leptograpsodes and Xenograpsus supported by molecular analyses of Schubart (2011) and Ip et al. (2015) is not confirmed by morphology, even if the two families share some traits. The synapomorphies of Leptograpsodes justify its separation from all grapsoid lineages as currently conceived. The use of previously overlooked traits, notably related to the thoracic sternum, proves to represent an optimal support for the brachyuran systematics and phylogeny, and presently to redefine the grapsoid taxonomical categories. The complete fusion of thoracic sternites 3 and 4 without any visible suture, even laterally, is proposed as a synapomorphy of Grapsoidea; this character state could be extented to other Thoracotremata in the future. Species of three genera Leptograpsodes, Discoplax and Epigrapsus are reported to exhibit stridulating structures (suborbital pars stridens and plectrum on inner margin of P1 merus). Some nomenclature issues, notably the authorship of the family-group name Gecarcinidae that is here credited to H. Milne Edwards, 1837, are addressed in the Appendix.

Based on male specimens a new species of the genus NavicorduliaMachado & Costa, 1995 is described from South French Guiana. This is the second species of the genus recorded for this country. The male of Navicordulia pascali n. sp. can be easily separated from all known males of the other species of the genus by the presence of a remarkable large ventral tooth at the base of the cerci. Navicordulia pascali n. sp. is a forest dwelling species inhabiting hilly landscape at low altitude. Adults seem to be on flight during the rainy season. The new species is most closely related to N. errans (Calvert, 1909) and N. leptostylaMachado & Costa, 1995, both from Cerrado of central Brazil. Affinities with the Venezuelan lowland N. vagans (De Marmels, 1989) are also probable. A differential diagnosis is given, and a key for Navicordulia species based on male characters is provided. The distributions are also given for all species of the genus. Aspects of ecology and biogeography are discussed.