Two new species of asteroid-associated polychaete (Polynoidae: Macellicephalinae) belonging to a new genus were collected during deep-sea expeditions in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. Ovatocirra, new genus, is distinguished from other Macellicephalinae genera by the following combination of characters: 18-22 body segments; median antenna present; lateral antennae and frontal filament absent; pharynx with numerous papillae and lacking jaws; 9-10 pairs of elytra, smooth or with uneven texture on exposed, non-overlapping surfaces; and ovate to subovate ventral cirri from segment 3 onward. Ovatocirra flavida, new species, and Ovatocirra shinkaiae, new species, are distinguished based on morphology and molecular data from three genetic markers (COI, 16S, and 18S). In addition, Macellicephala grimaldii is transferred to Ovatocirra as Ovatocirra grimaldii (Fauvel, 1913), new combination. This study contributes to the knowledge of the biodiversity and biogeography of deep-water asteroid-associated polychaetes in the Indo-West Pacific, highlighting the importance of continued exploration and taxonomic research in these regions.
Two new species of the plant bug genus Ernestinus Distant, 1911 (Bryocorinae: Eccritotarsini), E. singaporensis, new species and E. windsor, new species, are described from Singapore. Findings of the new taxa also represent the first distributional record for the genus on this island nation. The host plant association was revealed for each new species; gregarious adults and every instar immature forms of both species were found to inhabit the leaves of Alocasia spp. (Araceae). An updated checklist is provided. Ernestinus nigriscutum Lin, 2001, described from Taiwan, is synonymised with E. tetrastigma Yasunaga, 2000, and E. pallidiscutum Poppius, 1915 is reported from Vietnam for the first time.
A new species of lowland semi-terrestrial crab, Sundathelphusa flores, new species, is described from Manggarai Barat Regency, a locality at the westernmost part of Flores Island, Indonesia. This new finding brings the number of species of the genus Sundathelphusa in Indonesia to eight. This new species is closely related to Sundathelphusa tuerkayi from Lombok Island. Sundathelphusa flores, however, can be distinguished from S. tuerkayi from the structure of the carapace and the shape of the male pleonal somite and gonopods.
The maroon oriole Oriolus traillii (Vigors, 1832) is a polytypic songbird found in South and Southeast Asia. It has traditionally comprised four subspecies (traillii, robinsoni, ardens, nigellicauda), but recent molecular data have found some of these to be paraphyletic with respect to the silver oriole O. mellianus Stresemann, 1922. Here, I review the morphological differences between the four taxa, and their respective distributions, using 66 museum specimens and 745 photographs. Significant plumage and mensural differences are congruent with molecular data and suggest that the maroon oriole should be considered three species: (i) maroon oriole O. traillii (Vigors, 1832), (ii) Dalat oriole O. robinsoni Delacour, 1927, and (iii) red oriole O. ardens (Swinhoe, 1862); in the absence of any consistent phenotypic differences, subspecies nigellicauda should be synonymised with ardens. Although previously considered to be more widespread in South-East Asia, O. robinsoni is found here to be restricted to the Dalat Plateau of Vietnam and adjacent south-east Cambodia. Oriolus ardens is common in Taiwan and nearly extinct on Hainan, but its status in continental Asia remains somewhat uncertain. Although other authors have suggested that O. ardens may be of conservation concern, I find no evidence that any of the three species are threatened.
Two new species of brachyuran crabs from the Indonesian part of the Arafura Sea are described. Doclea gemas, new species, of the family Epialtidae, is morphologically similar to D. ovis and D. canalifera but is distinguished by the unique shape of the male first gonopod that has the distal part prominently bifurcated, with one projection long and pointed, and the other short and rounded. Parapanope gesangi, new species, of the family Galenidae, differs from congeners by the shape of the carapace, presence of four longitudinal ridges of small tubercles on the surface of the palm of the chelipeds and the shape of the male first gonopod, which is slender and sinuous with the tip curved upwards. These are also the first records of Doclea and Parapanope in the Sahul Shelf, as these genera were previously unrecorded from the Moluccas and east of the Philippines, respectively. The two new species are described, illustrated, compared with congeners, and new keys for both genera are provided.
