Freshwater mussel species diagnosis is challenging due to intraspecific variation and limited morphological traits. The taxonomic status of Scabies longata and Scabies chinensis in China has long been debated, primarily owing to the absence of molecular data. Our molecular and species distribution data supported Scabies longata and Scabies chinensis as synonymous with Nodularia douglasiae and Nodularia nuxpersicae respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genomes elucidated relationships within Nodularia, highlighting the significance of an integrated taxonomic approach. (Image credit: Yu-Ting Dai and Shu-Ming Ma.)

Syllis prolifera is a putative cosmopolitan species with historically synonymised reports worldwide and variability among different populations. We conducted an integrative phylogenetic assessment of this species using morphological, ecological and molecular (16S rRNA and COI) data from five western Mediterranean populations. Our analysis identified five well-supported lineages suggesting that pseudocryptic speciation may be pervasive for this species and the true diversity within Syllidae is understimated. (Image credit: Irene del Olmo.)

We studied the phylogeny, biogeography and larval biology of sister genera Gatzara and Nepsalus (Myrmeleontidae: Dendroleontinae). We discovered new specimens and previously unknown larvae of rare species G. jubilaea Navás, 1915, N. insolitus (Walker, 1860) and N. decorosus (Yang, 1988). Nepsalus maclachlani Badano, Zheng & Liu, sp. nov. from Sri Lanka is described based on historical collections. (Image credit: Yuchen Zheng.)

We elucidate the evolutionary history of carabid beetle Cnemalobus species restricted to isolated northern Patagonian Steppe volcanoes. This system exhibits high endemism, but diversification and biogeographical patterns remain poorly understood. Our analyses suggest monophyly of the new species and that past climatic conditions could have shaped the allopatry related to high elevation–low latitude. Our findings significantly enrich the evolutionary knowledge of the extra-Andean Patagonian mountain endemic biota, emphasising the crucial role of these systems in speciation. (Photograph by Sergio Roig-Juñent.)