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Article Reference Redescription of Teretoctopus alcocki Robson, 1932 (Cephalopoda: Enteroctopodidae), and comments on the nomenclature of “inkless octopus” genera
Two species have been attributed to the genus Teretoctopus Robson, 1929: T. indicus Robson, 1929, the type species of the genus, and T. alcocki Robson, 1932. Of the four original T. alcocki syntypes, we relocate and redescribe the remains of two of them, and designate one of them the lectotype. Of three original T.indicus syntypes, it is probable that one is lost permanently, but the whereabouts of two of them remains unknown. What we can discern from remaining T. alcocki type material, augmented with descriptions of these specimens by Anne Massy and Guy Robson, is compared with what is known of the type species of this genus, T. indicus. A rediagnosis of the genus Teretoctopus is proffered, and relationships between this genus and others historically referred to as “inkless octopuses” are evaluated. While Teretoctopus has nomenclatural priority over Vulcanoctopus González et Guerra, 1998 and Muusoctopus Gleadall, 2004, for which it is possibly the senior synonym, and shares many characters and states with Ameloctopus Norman, 1992, further taxonomic resolution of relationships among these genera must await description and molecular analyses of accurately identified Teretoctopus specimens from the Gulf of Oman and northern Arabian Sea.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2026 OA
Article Reference Recent Belgian records of the hornet rove-beetle Quedius (Velleius) dilatatus (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)
We report recent records of the rove beetle Quedius dilatatus (Fabricius, 1787) in Belgium. This beetle lives in nests of the European hornet Vespa crabro L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and possibly profits of the recent expansion of its host. However, it seems its recent distribution is also linked to the use of recently more often used trap types, baited with an ethanol, water, glycerol and acetic acid mixture, or baited with red wine with ethanol or even white or red wine vinegar, mimicking the smell of freshly decaying wood. These methods of trapping are discussed in this paper.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Host Traits Impact the Outcome of Metagenomic Library Preparation From Dental Calculus Samples Across Diverse Mammals
Dental calculus metagenomics has emerged as a valuable tool for studying the oral microbiomes of humans and a few select mammals. With increasing interest in wild animal microbiomes, it is important to understand how widely this material can be used across the mammalian tree of life, refine the related protocols and understand the expected outcomes and potential challenges of dental calculus sample processing. In this study, we significantly expand the breadth of studied host species, analysing laboratory and bioinformatics metadata of dental calculus samples from 32 ecologically and phylogenetically diverse mammals. Although we confirm the presence of an oral microbiome signature in the metagenomes of all studied mammals, the fraction recognised as oral varies between host species, possibly because of both biological differences and methodological biases. The overall success rate of dental calculus processing, from extractions to sequencing, was 74\%. Although input sample weight was positively associated with the number of produced library molecules, we identify a negative impact of enzymatic inhibition on the library preparation protocol. The inhibition was most prevalent in herbivores and frugivores and is likely diet-derived. In contrast, hosts with an animalivore diet posed fewer challenges during laboratory processing and yielded more DNA relative to sample weight. Our results translate into recommendations for future studies of dental calculus metagenomics from a variety of host species, identifying required sample amounts, and emphasising the utility of dental calculus in exploring the oral microbiome in relation to broader ecological and evolutionary questions.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference A new sandstone-dwelling leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius hinchangsi) from Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand
We describe Dixonius hinchangsi sp. nov. from a sandstone area near Hin Chang Si, Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 50.1 mm, 12 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 30 to 34 paravertebral tubercles; 23 to 27 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; six to eight precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; no canthal stripe; strongly barred lips; and a spotted to uniform dorsal pattern in males and females. We provide a cranial osteological description and a phylogenetic analysis of the new species. This discovery brings the number of recognized Dixonius species to 19, among them nine species endemic to Thailand.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference A new limestone-dwelling Four-clawed Gecko from Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand (Squamata, Gekkonidae: Gehyra)
We describe Gehyra shiva sp. nov. from limestone cave and hills in Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The new species differs from all currently recognized Southeast Asian Gehyra by the following combination of morphological characters and dorsal color pattern: maximal known snout–vent length of 53.8 mm, 8–10 supralabials, 54–67 dorsal and 46–56 ventral scale rows around midbody, absence of skin folds on limbs, 34–37 preanofemoral pores in males in a continuous series extending along the whole length of the femur (pores absent in females), tail not to moderately widened behind vent in adults, a single row of widened subcaudals, digits and toes unwebbed, 7 or 8 divided subdigital lamellae on 4th toe, and a dorsal pattern with five regular dark brown bands between limb insertions, separated or not by pairs of large, white round paravertebral spots.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Oligodon cicadophagus, a new kukri snake from southern peninsular Thailand (Squamata: Colubridae)
We describe a new kukri snake, Oligodon cicadophagus sp. nov., from the limestone reliefs of the Phuket Mountain Range in Krabi and Phang-Nga provinces in southern peninsular Thailand. A member of the Oligodon cinereus group, it can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by the combination of its maximal known snout-vent length of 537 mm; 11 maxillary teeth; eight supralabials; one preocular and one presubocular; 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; 159–168 ventrals, and 50 subcaudals in males; a single anal scale; hemipenes bilobed with large broad lobes, no distinct flounced calyces and unforked sulcus spermaticus; dorsal surface of head, body and tail uniformly olive-gray, without nuchal chevron, dorsal stripes, crossbands, blotches or reticulations; and a venter cream anteriorly turning to dark gray posteriorly.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Gekko (Gekko) emshiva, a new limestone-dwelling gecko from Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand (Squamata, Gekkonidae)
We describe Gekko shiva sp. nov. from limestone cave and hills in Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The new species, a member of the subgenus Gekko, differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 131.9 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 28 or 29 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 80–86 scale rows around midbody, 18 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 35–37 ventral scale rows at midbody, 9–12 precloacal pores in males, one or two postcloacal tubercles on each side of the base of the tail, 13–15 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 18 or 19 on 4th toe, no Y-shaped mark on head, white spots on head, brown dorsal background with irregular bands of white spots on dorsum, yellow venter, and greenish golden iris.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference The extraordinary diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of leaf litter in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, Tshopo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the highest diversity of ant species in the Afrotropical region, even though it remains largely understudied in the modern era. The aim of this study is to report on an inventory of the litter ants from the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve in the Tshopo Province, north of the Congo River. Three habitats (fallow, secondary forest and primary forest) were sampled at six localities. A total of 190 ant species belonging to 50 genera and 8 subfamilies, have been recorded in the Yangambi biosphere region. Besides, 96 species were added to Tshopo Province, bringing the total to 306, a 44% increase; and we added 55 species to the already diverse Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising the total record to 791 species, a 7% increase. At least 10% of the collected species are new to science.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference New distributional data and species records of Cypriot ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on museum collections
Specimens deposited in Natural History Museum collections are vital for the study of biodiversity, human drivers of biodiversity loss, and other environmental and socioeconomic problems. Despite recent advances in filling our knowledge gaps regarding the myrmecofauna of Cyprus, the island’s biodiversity is considered to be under-sampled. In this article, ant specimens from Cyprus deposited at the Natural History Museums of Crete, the Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève (Switzerland), the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (Belgium), and the Lund University Biological Museum (Sweden) are examined, presenting a total of 163 specimens belonging to 24 species examined. Stigmatomma denticulatum Roger, 1859 (Amblyoponinae), Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802), Stenamma debile (Foerster, 1850) (Myrmicinae), and Biogeographia 40 (1): a047 Demetriou et al., 20252 Cryptopone ochracea (Mayr, 1855) (Ponerinae) are reported for the first time for the island of Cyprus, raising its known ant diversity from 77 to 81 species, while additional distributional data are given for species with only a handful of distributional records, i.e. Tapinoma festae Emery, 1925 (Dolichoderinae), Aphaenogaster subterraneoides Emery, 1881 (Myrmicinae), and Hypoponera eduardi (Forel, 1894) (Ponerinae.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference First comprehensive catalogue of hibernating Darwin wasps in the Western Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)
Background In the Western Palaearctic, many species of Darwin wasps exhibit a form of diapause known as free-living adult diapause, similar to hibernation in certain beetle, bumblebee and butterfly species. This study provides a first comprehensive overview of all known hibernating species and aims to improve the current ecological knowledge. New information We reviewed 439 species, confirming free-living adult diapause in 340; 81 remain unverified and 18 are excluded, which have been incorrectly reported as hibernators in the past. The validated dataset includes 7443 records from 27567 specimens, spanning over 235 years of both published and unpublished observations. We report 29 species as hibernators for the first time. Amongst the records, 388 provide the first evidence of hibernation for a species in a given country, with 67 also representing the species' first national record. We highlight the value of field-based data and caution against relying solely on collection dates to study diapause. The observed variability in diapause strategies and hibernacula underscores the importance of nature management for biodiversity conservation, especially preservation of microhabitats.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025