scholarly journals Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance: Revealing Type Collections Down-Under.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e26280
Author(s):  
Wilma Blom

Auckland Museum’s Natural Science collections contain several thousands of biological primary types, some dating back to well over a 100 years. Biological type specimens are important for the recognition of new species, because they are the specimens on which species names and descriptions are based, and so they are the standards against which all potentially new species are measured. As by definition there can only ever be one primary type for each species, these are the unique specimens with highest scientific value. Fun fact one: More than almost any other country, New Zealand has a very high percentage of endemic fauna and flora, which means species that are found nowhere else. Fun fact two: In New Zealand we only know about 50% of our biodiversity, which means half of all our species are yet to be discovered and described. Therefore, our type collections are actively growing as more and more species are discovered and more and more type specimens are lodged in our collections. Because they are unique, types are of great interest to researchers. However, because of our remote position on the globemany researchers request loans of our type specimens rather than travel the long distance to Auckland. Although such practices were common in the past, we, like many other modern natural history institutions no longer allow the loan of many of these unique items. The risk of damage or loss en route to the recipient and back is considered too great. However, it is a disservice to science not to make types available for study. So in 2008 we launched a project to digitise our type collections. This talk will focus on how high resolution images of our primary types, and their online publication, has removed much of the need for loans and thereby lessened the risks to these important specimens. At the same time it has made our type collections more visible and accessible to a much greater audience.

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4806 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-144
Author(s):  
STEFFEN BAYER ◽  
HUBERT HÖFER ◽  
HEIKO METZNER

We propose a revision of the spider genus Corythalia C.L. Koch, 1850 (Salticidae: Euophryini) with a revised genus diagnosis based on examination of all species available to us. In this paper we redescribe all previously described species from South America with revised species diagnoses and describe 20 new species from South America (and the nearby islands). For C. latipes, the type species of the genus Corythalia, a neotype is designated. In total, 52 nominal species of the genus are herein treated, 46 species are recognized as valid. The females of C. waleckii Taczanowski, 1871, C. luctuosa Caporiacco, 1954 and C. latipes (C.L. Koch, 1846) are described for the first time. Corythalia sellata Simon, 1901, erroneously considered as nomen nudum in the present version of the World Spider Catalog, is here recognised as a valid species. Corythalia fulgipedia Crane, 1948 is also considered a valid species and is removed from the synonymy of C. tropica (Mello-Leitão, 1939). One name is considered a nomen dubium (Corythalia variegata Caporiacco, 1954), two are nomina nuda (C. major Simon, 1901; C. dimidiata Simon, 1901). Two species are transferred to other genera: C. argyrochrysos (Mello-Leitão, 1946) to Pachomius Peckham & Peckham, 1896 as Pachomius argyrochrysos (Mello-Leitão, 1946), comb. nov. and C. heliophanina (Taczanowski, 1871) to Neonella Gertsch, 1936, as Neonella heliophanina (Taczanowski, 1871), comb. nov. under incertae sedis. One species is synonymised: C. barbipes (Mello-Leitão, 1939) is a junior synonym of C. cincta (Badcock, 1932), syn. nov. The new Corythalia species are: C. conferta sp. nov. (♂♀, Brazil), C. concinna sp. nov. (♀, Brazil), C. drepane sp. nov. (♂♀, Brazil), C. drepanopsis sp. nov. (♀, Brazil), C. antepagmenti sp. nov. (♂♀, Brazil), C. ricti Bayer, sp. nov. (♂, Guyana), C. protensa sp. nov. (♂, Brazil), C. gasnieri sp. nov. (♂, Brazil), C. verhaaghi sp. nov. (♀, Brazil), C. scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov. (♂♀, Ecuador), C. dakryodes Bayer, sp. nov. (♀, Colombia), C. foelixi Bayer, sp. nov. (♂♀, French Guiana), C. longiducta sp. nov. (♀, Brazil), C. latior sp. nov. (♂, Bolivia), C. trochophora Bayer, sp. nov. (♂, Ecuador), C. lineata Bayer, sp. nov. (♂, Guyana), C. hamulifera Bayer, sp. nov. (♂, Ecuador), C. tribulosa sp. nov. (♂, Colombia), C. flagrans sp. nov. (♂, Brazil) and C. fragilis sp. nov. (♂♀, Brazil). Illustrations are provided for all of the new species and for all (primary) type specimens of the species re-described. Hypotheses of possible relationships among the different species of Corythalia are discussed. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4614 (2) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIA-WEI SHEN ◽  
RICHARD A. B. LESCHEN

A catalogue for the eight Goniaceritae genera that occur in New Zealand is presented, treating a total of 62 species. Seventeen holotypes are confirmed, 38 lectotypes and 99 paralectotypes are designated herein for all valid species but Eupines acceptus Broun, for which type material was not located. One synonymy is proposed: Anabaxis electrica (King, 1863) (= Rybaxis brevis Oke, 1928). Four species of Eupines known only by females are valid species, but without subgeneric assignment. Images of primary type specimens and their original labels are provided.


1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Lebel ◽  
Michael A. Castellano

Australian sequestrate macrofungi have not been studied extensively until recently, even though their presence in Australia was recognised over 120 years ago by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller in connection with mycophagy by marsupials. The early mycological history in Australia is linked to the first expeditions and collections of plant material by naturalists from 1790 to 1830. These collections were sent to, and described by, foreign mycologists such as the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, the Rev. C. Kalchbrenner and E. M. Fries. M. C. Cooke's (1892) Handbook of Australian Fungi was the first attempt at compiling an Australian mycoflora. D. McAlpine and L. Rodway were the first resident collectors to expand on the information collated by Cooke. Later, G. H. Cunningham (1944) wrote The Gasteromycetes of New Zealand and Australia, bringing together the taxonomy of all known sequestrate macrofungi in the region. By 1895 approximately 2000 species of fungi had been recorded from Australia, 32 of them sequestrate. Recent intensive efforts in limited habitats have expanded our knowledge considerably, with more than 600 new species of sequestrate fungi recorded over the past 7 years. Many more remain to be discovered in Australia and New Zealand and knowledge of their biology and ecology needs to be developed.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4281 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
CAMILO FLÓREZ-V ◽  
OLIVIA EVANGELISTA

Six new species of Bocydium Latreille are described, and life history notes are provided based on field data from the Central and Western Cordilleras of the Colombian Andes. Information on host plants, treehopper-ant mutualisms, and behavior of adults and nymphs are provided for most newly discovered species (B. bilobum Flórez-V sp. nov., B. hadronotum Flórez-V sp. nov., B. mae Flórez-V sp. nov., B. sakakibarai Flórez-V sp. nov., B. sanmiguelense Flórez-V sp. nov., and B. tatamaense Flórez-V sp. nov.) in addition to two previously known species of Bocydium. A key to species of the genus is presented, along with photographs of primary type specimens for all species described by Dr. Albino M. Sakakibara. A nomenclatural change is proposed for B. cubitale Richter, 1954 syn. nov., herein considered junior synonym of B. bullife-rum Goding, 1930. 


ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 811 ◽  
pp. 109-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remko Leijs ◽  
James Dorey ◽  
Katja Hogendoorn

Twenty six new species of Australian Leioproctus (subgenusColletellus) (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) are described: aberrans Leijs, sp. n., alatus Leijs, sp. n., albipilosus Leijs, sp. n., albiscopis Leijs, sp. n., aliceafontanus Leijs, sp. n., altispinosus Leijs, sp. n., aratus Leijs, sp. n., auricorneus Leijs, sp. n., bidentatus Leijs, sp. n., centralis Leijs, sp. n., ciliatus Leijs, sp. n., claviger Leijs, sp. n., consobrinus Leijs, sp. n., constrictus Leijs, sp. n., laciniosus Leijs, sp. n., longivultu Leijs, sp. n., lucidus Leijs, sp. n., nitidifuscus Leijs, sp. n., pectinatus Leijs, sp. n., pilotapilus Leijs, sp. n., quadripinnatus Leijs, sp. n., rubicundus Leijs, sp. n., rubricinctus Leijs, sp. n., similis Leijs, sp. n., splendens Leijs, sp. n., submetallicus Leijs, sp. n. High resolution images of diagnostic characters for all type specimens are included. Identification keys are provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 115-222
Author(s):  
Simon van Noort ◽  
Zachary Lahey ◽  
Elijah J. Talamas ◽  
Andrew D. Austin ◽  
Lubomir Masner ◽  
...  

The platygastrid subfamily Sceliotrachelinae, while represented globally by numerous biologically important taxa, is generally poorly known for the Afrotropical region. It contains a number of species of economic significance, including some that attack hemipteran pests of citrus. Here we review the taxonomy of the subfamily for the region. We revise two enigmatic, endemic South African genera, Afrisolia Masner and Huggert and Sceliotrachelus Brues, providing illustrated identification keys to the species. Afrisolia anyskop van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov., Afrisolia quagga van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. and Afrisolia robertsoni van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov. are described for this previously monotypic genus. Sceliotrachelus was previously known only from the two male type specimens of Sceliotrachelus braunsi Brues. Two new species, Sceliotrachelus midgleyi van Noort, sp. nov. and Sceliotrachelus karooensis van Noort, sp. nov., are described from the Eastern and Western Cape, respectively. The female of S. braunsi is described for the first time and additional distribution records for the species are documented. The putatively basal species, S. karooensis, exhibits less derived morphology than the highly apomorphic S. braunsi, necessitating reassessment of the limits of the genus. The exceptional morphology exhibited by species of Sceliotrachelus is hypothesized to be an adaptation to living in leaf-litter. We also revise the Old World species of Parabaeus Kieffer, describing a remarkable new species, Parabaeus nasutus van Noort, sp. nov., and provide an illustrated and updated key to the species. Fidiobia Ashmead is currently represented in Africa by seven described species to which we add Fidiobia celeritas van Noort & Lahey, sp. nov., a charismatic new species from South Africa. The distribution of the genus Isolia is expanded to include new country records for I. hispanica Buhl (Kenya) and an undescribed species from Madagascar. To facilitate the ongoing exploration and documentation of the African platygastrid fauna, an identification key to Afrotropical sceliotracheline genera and high resolution images of exemplar species for the remaining genera are provided. An overview of known species richness and biology is also included. All images presented here as well as additional images and interactive online Lucid identification keys are available on WaspWeb at http://www.waspweb.org.


Zootaxa ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 2650 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
MATTHEW J. COLLOFF

Three new species of oribatid mite belonging to the genus Crotonia are described: one from Lord Howe Island (C. gorgonia sp. nov.) and two (C. norfolkensis sp. nov. and C. utricularia sp. nov.) from Norfolk Island, South-west Pacific. Crotonia gorgonia sp. nov. belongs to the Capistrata species group which reaches its highest diversity in Australia but is absent from New Zealand. Crotonia norfolkensis sp. nov. is a member of the Cophinaria group, recorded from Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, but with closest morphological similarity to C. brachyrostrum (Hammer, 1966) from New Zealand. Crotonia utricularia sp. nov. belongs to the Unguifera group, which reaches its highest diversity in New Zealand, is absent from Australia, and is present on Vanuatu and the Marquesas. The distribution of members of the species-groups of Crotonia in the south-western Pacific indicates that the species from Lord Howe Island has affinities with species from Australia, while the species from Norfolk Island are both most similar to species from New Zealand, and represents further evidence of the capacity of Crotonia spp. for long-distance dispersal to oceanic islands.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4514 (2) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIE-CLAUDE LARIVIÈRE ◽  
ANDRÉ LAROCHELLE

Kiwisaldula cranshawi new species, K. januszkiewiczi new species, K. ryani new species, and K. yangae new species are described from the South Island of New Zealand. Morphological descriptions are provided together with illustrations emphasising the most important diagnostic features of external morphology and male genitalia. Information is given on synonymy, type specimens, material examined, geographic distribution and biology. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4247 (3) ◽  
pp. 246
Author(s):  
LI SHI ◽  
STEPHEN D. GAIMARI ◽  
DING YANG

Five species of the genus Tetroxyrhina Hendel from China are described as new to science: Tetr. dashahensis sp. nov., Tetr. dentata sp. nov., Tetr. jinpingensis sp. nov., Tetr. menglunensis sp. nov. and Tetr. tengchongensis sp. nov., and the species Tetr. sauteri (Hendel), also from China, is redescribed. The genitalia of these species are illustrated and described. Trigonometopus alboapicalis Shatalkin, is synonymized under Tetr. sauteri, syn. nov. A key to separate all species of the genus is provided, along with nomenclatural details for all species, and photographs of all primary type specimens. 


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