A new species of vermicular chiton, Cryptoplax bella sp. nov., is described from a single specimen collected in the South China Sea, approximately 170 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, at a depth of 20 m. The new species is small for the genus (13 mm in body length) and is characterised by transverse colour bands on the girdle, nearly straight margins on the longitudinal ribs of the pleurolateral area, and blunt-topped large dorsal girdle spicules with fine longitudinal grooves. In these characters, C. bella sp. nov. resembles C. vittata Ang, 1967 and C. acerocostata Sirenko, Saito et Nguyen, 2024, but differs from C. vittata in having a shorter insertion plate in the head valve and wider apophyses with a well-sinuate jugal sinus in the tail valve, and from C. acerocostata in having more ribs on the pleurolateral area, a deeper jugal sinus in the tail valve, and a distinct sculpture of the large dorsal girdle spicules.
After examination of several collections and type specimens, here I propose some contributions to the taxonomy of the Chrysididae with discussion on 215 taxa and proposal of 212 new taxonomic and nomenclatural changes. The generic name Istiochrysis Rosa et Xu, 2016, syn. nov., is synonymised with Adscitis Linsenmaier, 1997, which is elevated to genus rank. Papuachrysis Linsenmaier, 1968 is elevated to genus rank. Other synonymisations are proposed for 50 taxa. Forty-seven species names are resurrected from previous synonymies; six subspecies are elevated to species rank, namely Chrysis papuana Mocsáry, 1899, stat. promotus, Chrysis violacea Bischoff, 1910, non Schrank, 1802, stat. promotus, Hedychridium mavromoustakisi Enslin, 1950, stat. promotus, Hedychridium sculpturatissimum Linsenmaier, 1959, stat. promotus, Hedychrum uniformis Trautmann, 1927, stat. promotus, and Holopyga proteus Balthasar, 1952, stat. promotus. Eight new replacement names are proposed: Chrysis angustamacula, nom. nov., for Chrysis violacea Bischoff, 1910, non Schrank, 1802; Chrysis basilisca, nom. nov., for Chrysis concinna Mocsáry, 1902, non Gribodo, 1884; Chrysis bonaespei, nom. nov., for Chrysis confluens Mocsáry, 1890, non Dahlbom, 1845; Chrysis eocenica, nom. nov., for Chrysis amoena Förster, 1891, non Eversmann, 1858; Chrysis paradisaea, nom. nov., for Chrysis lyncea var. papuana Mocsáry, 1899, non Chrysis papuana Mocsáry, 1899; Chrysis trinominata, nom. nov., for Chrysis dentiincisa Linsenmaier, 1999, non Chrysis dentaincisa Linsenmaier, 1968; Chrysis verecunda, nom. nov., for Chrysis modesta Mocsáry, 1904, non Tournier, 1878; and Chrysis wagyl, nom. nov., for Chrysis violacea (Smith, 1874, non Schrank, 1802). Papuachrysis alces (Linsenmaier, 1968), comb. nov., and Papuachrysis paradoxa (Linsenmaier, 1968), comb. nov., are transferred from the genus Primeuchroeus Linsenmaier, 1968; Praestochrysis antennata (Mocsáry, 1912), comb. nov., Praestochrysis brachyceras (Bischoff, 1910), comb. nov., and Praestochrysis benardi (du Buysson, 1908), comb. nov., are transferred from the genus Chrysis Linnaeus, 1761. Thirty-eight species are included for the first time in a species group or transferred to another species group. Thirty-one names are considered nomina dubia for different reasons, mostly because the types are lost and the descriptions are insufficient to compare them with any currently known species. Twelve taxa are recognised as nomina nuda because their descriptions did not comply with the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The lectotypes of Chrysis lativentris Tournier, 1879, Tetrachrysis benardi du Buysson, 1908, and Hedychridium minutissimum García Mercet, 1915 are designated. In total, discussions concern 215 species and subspecies: 126 taxa from the Palaearctic Region, 48 Afrotropical, 18 Australian, 17 Oriental taxa, and six taxa described from unknown localities. Images of 133 type specimens are provided.
The morphometric variability of the dhole, Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811), skull across its contemporary geographic range was analysed using univariate and multivariate statistical methods, based on measurements taken from 73 male and female specimens. No sexual dimorphism was detected in cranial measurements. Northern populations exhibited larger skulls than southern populations. Two distinct geographical patterns of variation were identified. The primary pattern divides specimens into three morphological clusters based on a set of metric characters: (1) northern continental populations (C. a. alpinus from the southern part of Eastern Siberia and C. a. hesperius (Afanasiev et Zolotarev, 1935) from Altai and Tien Shan); (2) other continental populations [C. a. primaevus (Hodgson, 1833), C. a. adustus Pocock, 1941, C. a. dukhunensis (Sykes, 1831)]; and (3) insular and peninsular populations [C. a. javanicus (Desmarest, 1820), C. a. sumatrensis (Hardwicke, 1821), C. a. infuscus Pocock, 1936 from Java, Sumatra, and southern Indochina]. The second pattern, independent of the first, reflects relatively weak differentiation within each of the three morphological groups. It is hypothesised that the primary pattern resulted from intraspecific differentiation during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, whereas the second pattern likely emerged independently within each group no earlier than the end of the Late Pleistocene, and possibly during the Holocene.
A new species of free-living marine nematode, Parodontophora gracilis sp. nov., found in the coral reefs of Vietnam, is described and illustrated. This new species is closely related to P. marisjaponici Platonova, 1971 and P. fluviatilis Gagarin et Nguyen Vu Thanh, 2008. It differs from the former species by having shorter cephalic setae, a longer stoma, a longer ventral branch of the amphidial fovea, and longer spicules. Compared to P. fluviatilis, it has longer cephalic setae, a longer stoma, a longer ventral branch of the amphidial fovea, and longer spicules.
Coleophora novisqualorella Li et Zheng, 1998 is transferred to the genus Carpochena Falkovitsh, 1972 and is recorded from Crimea and Europe for the first time. The male of Carpochena novisqualorella, comb. nov., including its genitalia, is described and illustrated for the first time. Additionally, the life cycle of this species is described for the first time, and the larval host plant, seepweed Suaeda acuminata (C.A. Mey) Moq., is identified.
