The assassin snail genus Anentome is widely distributed in South East Asia. In Thailand, the genus comprises at least six species, one of which is Anentome wykoffi, a species that may act as an intermediate host of parasitic trematodes. Recent fieldwork has shown that A. wykoffi is far more common and widespread in Thailand than has been assumed, yet the taxonomy remains poorly known. Therefore, this study explores morphological and DNA sequence (COI and 28S rRNA) variation in A. wykoffi to verify and finetune the taxonomic interpretation of this species. To this end, 12 populations of A. wykoffi were sampled in Thailand. This survey allowed us to preliminarily distinguish three putatively cryptic morphotypes. Shell shape measurements and geometric morphometric analyses revealed significant differences between these morphotypes, whereas SEM observations of the shell sculpture and radula confirmed the consistent separation of the three morphotypes. Finally, a combined phylogenetic and species delimitation analysis of COI and 28S rRNA sequence data showed that the three morphotypes represent three well-supported clades, one of which is sister group to A. cambojiensis. As such, the three morphotypes as defined by (1) the presence or absence of a carinated shoulder, (2) the number of spiral lines on the spira and (3) the pattern of the central cusps on the central radular tooth, are interpreted as three different species under the morphological and phylogenetic species concepts but also likely under the biological species concept, viz. A. wykoffi (sensu stricto), A. longispira sp. nov. and A. khelangensis sp. nov. The three cryptic species are (re)described and the implications of separation are briefly discussed.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B39722E6-C915-4FA4-B03B-C15836B0DCAE

The monotypic genus Enigmadiplosis Harris (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) was placed in the tribe Clinodiplosini based on adult morphology, but the genus is somewhat puzzling because larvae are typical for the tribe Cecidomyiini. In this study, we describe Enigmadiplosis harrisi sp. nov., a pest species that damages young leaves of the ornamental shrub Rhododendron pulchrum in Mie Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. We also conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis to confirm the tribal placement. The result clearly indicates that Enigmadiplosis belongs to Cecidomyiini and we therefore assign the genus to that tribe. In addition, we redescribe Clinodiplosis rhododendri (Felt) that forms leaf-roll galls on Rhododendron spp. in eastern North America to allay future questions as to the identity and show that this is unrelated to the new Japanese species.

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D2B4A731-271F-4A11-90BB-258725FB9F45

The pachychilid genus Brotia H. Adams, 1866, distributed across South and South-East Asia, comprises 46 currently accepted species. Although Brotia has recently been revised, the systematic treatment of the Indian species requires further scrutiny. This study aims to resolve the phylogenetic relationships between Brotia species from north-east India and estimate the divergence using two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S). Species delimitation analyses have revealed six to nine distinct species in north-east India instead of the single currently known species. We confirm the monophyly of Brotia from the entire distributional range in South and South-East Asia and show that all Indian species form a single clade nested within the South-East Asian radiation. We conclude that Brotia has a South-East Asian origin, with two independent dispersals into India since the early Eocene and through the Oligocene, eventually splitting from ancestors during the late Cretaceous. Further integrative taxonomic research is needed to resolve the taxonomic status of the candidate species delineated herein and reveal the exact number of species in north-east India. This is the first phylogenetic analysis of Brotia from India, significantly improving our understanding of Indian freshwater gastropod fauna.

Accurate taxonomy and descriptions of species are key to understanding biodiversity. The echinoid genus Tripneustes is an ecologically and commercially important taxon that includes the tropical Tripneustes gratilla gratilla and the recently described T. kermadecensis from Australia and New Zealand. While examining the Australian Museum collections to clarify the distributions of these two species in eastern Australia we found potential senior type material for T. kermadecensis. These specimens from Sydney Harbour were originally described in 1878 as Evechinus australiae by Tenison-Woods but neither illustrated nor redescribed in any subsequent report. We undertook molecular and morphological analysis of these specimens to determine whether T. kermadecensis and E. australiae represent two distinct taxa or not. This included micro-computed tomography, quantification of test traits and molecular genetic analysis. The COI sequence and morphology of Evechinus australiae matched that of Tripneustes kermadecensis. As such, T. kermadecensis is a junior synonym of Evechinus australiae. The correct designation of this taxon is therefore Tripneustes australiae (Tenison-Woods, 1878).

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9B9E685C‐9C1C‐4645‐A799‐D97969BAA033