Guest blog post by Ying Wang, Qingzhen Meng, Yuri M. Marusik and Zhiyuan Yao
Prof. Shuqiang Li
In a recent paper published in ZooKeys, a new genus of Lynx spider from China was named after the given name of ZooKeys subject editor Shuqiang Li, to honour him for his contributions in spider taxonomy. It is worth noting that from the publication of the first article on the taxonomy of Chinese spiders in 1842 by Cantor to the release of The Spiders of China by Song et al in 1999, the number of known Chinese spider species was only 2,361 through 175 years of cumulative research. In the past 25 years, spider research in China has been led by Shuqiang and his colleagues. To date, the number of Chinese spider species has exceeded 7,000, increased by 4,639 species in 25 years. These taxonomic research achievements are the result of the silent dedication of Shuqiang and his colleagues, and have laid a solid foundation for understanding and conserving China’s biodiversity.
Shuqiang is also a prolific arachnologist. By early 2025, he is author or coauthor for 2 063 new spider species, establishing him as the second most prolific arachnologist in history and one of the foremost taxonomists of the 21st century.
“I am delighted that the authors have named a spider genus after me. I hold the view that taxonomy should never be underestimated. Balanced disciplinary development is the foundation of healthy scholarship, and an overemphasis on high-profile disciplines is detrimental to social progress,” Shuqiang Li commented.
Research article:
Wang Y, Meng Q, Marusik YM, Yao Z (2025) Shuqiangius gen. nov., a new genus of Oxyopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from China. ZooKeys 1261: 189-200. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1261.171511
Researchers in Malaysia have discovered a new endemic ‘fairy lantern’ species with fewer than 20 individuals known to exist in the wild.
Despite having only just being discovered, the ethereal plant is considered Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List due to its tiny population and threatened habitat.
Take a look at the incredible Thismia selangorensis below!
Thismia selangorensis. Credit: Gim Siew Tan.
Thismia selangorensis. Credit: Gim Siew Tan.
Thismia selangorensis. Credit: Gim Siew Tan.
Thismia selangorensis. Credit: Gim Siew Tan.
Described in the open-access journal PhytoKeys, the peach-to-pink Thismia selangorensis joins the expanding Thismia genus, which includes 120 known species of mycoheterotrophic plants. Unlike familiar phytosynthetic plants, mycoheterotrophic species lack chlorophyll and do not get their energy from the sun. Instead, they depend solely on a parasitic relationship with fungi in the soil for their nutrition.
Species from this genus are typically found in undisturbed forests rich in leaf litter, where moist and shaded soils allow them to remain hidden for much of their lives, making their discovery extremely difficult.
Thismia selangorensis was no exception. Standing at only around 10 cm tall, with coral‑like roots and a peach-to-pink flower that develops into a distinctive umbrella‑shaped “mitre” topped by three slender club‑shaped appendages, Thismia selangorensis had gone unnoticed despite decades of human activity in its habitat.
Among the earlier individuals found, one was located in a hole at the base of a tree, as if living in a cave. Later, a few more individuals were found in more open areas near tree buttresses along the riverbanks.
Thismiaselangorensis. A. Young flower that is not yet fully developed ; B. Mature flower living just beside the roots of a tree buttress; C. A clump of T.selangorensis at different stages in its natural habitat (FRI 79182); D. A clump of flowers showing a different stage of mitre. Credit: Gim Siew Tan (A–C) and Mohd Faizal (D).
“This discovery shows that significant scientific finds are not limited to remote jungles; they can also be made in ordinary environments where constant human activity leaves little room for expectation. Protecting Thismia selangorensis will require cooperation among researchers, the forest department, stakeholders, and the public, as its survival depends on how carefully we tread in its habitat.”
Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh (FRIM), lead author of the research paper.
Naturalist Tan Gim Siew first spotted the elusive species in November 2023 during a routine photography visit to Taman Eko Rimba Sungai Chongkak, part of the Hulu Langat Forest Reserve and a long‑established picnic and camping destination near Kuala Lumpur. A tiny plant was growing among moist leaf litter near the buttress roots of a riverside tree. Follow-up surveys revealed that fewer than 20 individuals were present, with an estimated occupied habitat of only four km².
Video showing the public nature of Thismia selangorensis‘s habitat. Credit: Gim Siew Tan.
The authors highlight that, although part of the Sungai Chongkak forest remains relatively intact, plants growing close to riverside campsites and picnic areas could easily be destroyed unintentionally by trampling or flooding. They recommend careful management of visitor access around known sites, continued monitoring of the population and further botanical surveys to clarify whether the species occurs beyond its currently known locality.
“The most important effort now is to raise awareness about this species so the public realises that it exists – right here, in this small corner of the world, and nowhere else, at least for now. Understanding its presence is the first step towards ensuring that this extraordinary plant is not lost before many people even know it exists.”
Siti-Munirah Mat Yunoh (FRIM), lead author of the research paper.
Original source
Siti-Munirah MY, Gim Siew T, Mat-Tahir MF, Azhar A (2025) Thismia selangorensis (Thismiaceae): a new mitriform fairy lantern species from Selangor, Malaysia. PhytoKeys 267: 9-21. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.267.157968
Recently, the discovery of the wasp Synopeas ruficoxum parasitizing soybean gall midge in Nebraska offers hope that it could be deployed in biological control efforts.
Tiny, squishy, and deceptively cute, bright orange maggots tucked inside soybean stems are causing big trouble. Resseliella maxima, better known as the soybean gall midge (SGM), has become a concern for soybean growers, chewing through stems and cutting into yields. Despite several years of efforts, there is still no reliable way to keep SGM populations in check. However, nature may already be offering reinforcements: parasitoid wasps that consume SGM maggots from the inside out.
As soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima) grows as a pest of concern, researchers are searching for ways to keep it in check. Recently, the discovery of the wasp Synopeas ruficoxum parasitizing soybean gall midge in Nebraska offers hope that it could be deployed in biological control efforts. Shown here are lateral views of the 2005 holotype of S. ruficoxum found in New Brunswick, Canada (A), a 2017 unidentified Synopeas found in Ontario, Canada (B), and 2021 Synopeas “Y” (C), illustrating the elongate metasoma. (Image originally published in von Gries et al. 2025, Journal of Hymenoptera Research)
A Lone “Oddball” Wasp
In 2021, Justin McMechan, Ph.D., and his lab team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln began rearing insects from SGM-infested soybean stems. Among the hundreds of midges and a handful of familiar soybean-associated insects, the team recovered an unusual wasp. It stood out, not just from the known insects, but also from another wasp species discovered around the same time in Minnesota.
This lone wasp was sent to Gloria Melotto, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota studying natural enemies of SGM. At the time, Melotto was working to identify a different wasp species associated with SGM in Minnesota, collaborating with two taxonomists, Elijah Talamas, Ph.D., of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods and Jessica Awad, Ph.D., at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands.
Tiny, bright orange maggots of Resseliella maxima, better known as the soybean gall midge are causing big trouble for soybean growers, chewing through stems and cutting into yields. Despite several years of efforts, there is still no reliable way to keep soybean gall midge populations in check. However, nature may be offering reinforcements: parasitoid wasps that consume soybean gall midge larvae from the inside out. (Adult soybean gall midge shown in inset.) (Image courtesy of Sarah von Gries)
Melotto forwarded the Nebraska specimen, along with her Minnesota parasitoids, to Talamas and Awad for identification. More specimens were available from Minnesota, so the team’s attention focused on that species, now known as Synopeas maximum (family Platygastridae, subfamily Platygastrinae). The Nebraska wasp remained unidentified, waiting patiently in a collection drawer for its time to shine.
By 2023, I had joined McMechan’s team as a graduate student, just in time for a new field season surveying Nebraska soybean fields for natural enemies. That same “oddball” wasp reappeared, only this time it was not alone. We collected 26 more wasps, scattered across multiple sites. Suddenly, the curious singleton revealed itself to be part of a much larger story. It was clear this wasp warranted closer attention, and we published the resulting discovery in August in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
The first page of the paper in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research.
The Mystery of Synopeas “Y”
Talamas and Awad identified the wasp as a second species in the genus Synopeas, and we began referring to it as Synopeas “Y.” Its elongate metasoma, or tail end of its abdomen, set it apart from most of the 400 described species in the genus, narrowing the possible matches to a subset of 34, which we later named the “craterum group.”
While Talamas and Awad combed the literature for descriptions that matched Synopeas “Y,” we generated genentic barcode sequences from the 26 fresh specimens and queried them against the Barcode of Life Database. Two matches surfaced: unidentified Synopeas specimens from Montreal and Guelph, Canada. Fortunately, voucher specimens were available for closer examination, so Talamas requested them to compare against Synopeas “Y.”
“The Canadian specimens had more brightly colored appendages [than those from the U.S.], but otherwise they appeared to be conspecific,” says Talamas. The morphological match and a genetic barcode similarity of 99.5% provided strong evidence that the Canadian and U.S. populations were the same species.
Then came a breakthrough. Awad found a potential match with a single female wasp collected in 2005 near Belleville, New Brunswick, Canada, Synopeas ruficoxum, which she had seen during a previous visit to the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen.
“I was about 90% confident that Synopeas “Y” was Synopeas ruficoxum,” Awad says. “The morphology was a very close match and the known distribution matched as well. I wanted to double-check the holotype, but I examined it closely when I was in Copenhagen and took detailed notes, so I had a pretty good idea of what it looked like.”
Identity Confirmed
Geographic distribution of soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima) and the parasitoid wasp Synopeas ruficoxum in the U.S. and Canada. (Figure originally published in von Gries et al. 2025, Journal of Hymenoptera Research)
After borrowing and comparing the museum specimen and two voucher specimens, Talamas and Awad confirmed Synopeas “Y” was indeed Synopeas ruficoxum, expanding the known geographic range of the species.
Using the genetic barcodes, we developed species-specific primers to screen field-collected SGM larvae for parasitism by S. ruficoxum. This method provided DNA evidence for the host-parasitoid relationship, confirming that S. ruficoxum parasitizes SGM.
Although all wasps in Platygastrinae are assumed to parasitize gall midges (family Cecidomyiidae), validated host-parasitoid relationships at the species level remain rare. “Something that’s kind of interesting,” Awad says, “is that other members of the Synopeas craterum group also parasitize species of Resseliella. This is only the third host association known for this group.” The function of the extra-long metasoma remains unknown, but more ecological data could help explain this unusual feature.
With S. ruficoxum now identified as a parasitoid of SGM, it opens the door to more questions. We still do not know much about its basic biology, like how long adults live, or even how they reproduce, since only females have been found. We also lack data on parasitism rates, which is key to evaluating its potential as a biological control agent in integrated pest management. And all of these questions need to be considered alongside the other known SGM parasitoid, S. maximum.
Molecular tools, including DNA barcoding, offer opportunities to advance our understanding of platygastrines and their gall midge hosts, especially in pest management. These techniques can reveal host-parasitoid associations, detect new species, and monitor population dynamics in agriculture. Broader implementation has the potential to enhance biological control strategies but is presently limited by major knowledge gaps about the diversity and life history of gall midges and their parasitoids.
Here, the agricultural significance of the insects helps to provide both the impetus and funding to advance our understanding of their biology, and the tools used to do it. These tools can now be used to study gall midge-parasitoid interactions more broadly, including those in both agricultural and natural ecosystems.
Research article:
von Gries SC, Awad J, Talamas EJ, McMechan AJ, Koch RL, Lindsey ARI (2025) Synopeas ruficoxum Buhl (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) is a natural enemy of soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98: 721-742. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.163211
A new species of wolf snake was discovered from the Great Nicobar Islands, India.
Photo by Girish Choure.
Researchers R. S. Naveen and S. R. Chandramouli of the Pondicherry University, Zeeshan A. Mirza of the Max Planck Institute for Biology and Girish Choure of Pune published the discovery in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics.
Photo by S. R. Chandramouli.
The team named the new species Irwin’s wolf snake, or Lycodon irwini, after the late Stephen Robert Irwin, the renowned Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, and wildlife educator. “His passion and dedication to wildlife education and conservation have inspired naturalists and conservationists worldwide, including the authors of the paper,” they write in their study.
Photo by Girish Choure.
The adults of the new species are glossy black and can grow to a meter in length. The snakes are non-venomous and likely feed on reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. Currently, the species appears to the endemic to the Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago. Based on the narrow distribution range and potential human threats to the species, the authors suggest that it should be considered Endangered.
“New species continue to be discovered, exemplified by Lycodon irwini, highlighting the ongoing progress in taxonomy and the incomplete understanding of herpetofaunal diversity and distribution in the region,” the researchers write in their paper.
Research article:
Naveen RS, Mirza ZA, Choure G, Chandramouli SR (2025) A ‘Crikey’ new snake: An insular Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata, Colubridae) from the Nicobar Archipelago, India. Evolutionary Systematics 9(2): 221-228. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.9.170645
A new native bee species with tiny devil-like “horns” named Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer has been discovered in Western Australia’s Goldfields, highlighting how much remains unknown about Australia’s native pollinators.
Dr Kit Prendergast
The striking new bee was found during surveys of a critically endangered wildflower Marianthus aquilonarius that grows only in the Bremer Range region, which is between the towns of Norseman and Hyden.
Lead author Curtin Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Kit Prendergast, from the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said the female bee’s unusual horned face inspired its name lucifer – Latin for “light-bringer,” but also a playful nod to the devilish look.
A female Megachile Lucifer.
“I discovered the species while surveying a rare plant in the Goldfields and noticed this bee visiting both the endangered wildflower and a nearby mallee tree,” Dr Prendergast said.
The two plants visited by Megachile Lucifer. Left: Marianthus aquilonaris. Right: Eucalyptus livida.
“The female had these incredible little horns on her face. When writing up the new species description I was watching the Netflix show Lucifer at the time, and the name just fit perfectly. I am also a huge fan of the Netflix character Lucifer so it was a no-brainer.
A female Megachile Lucifer.
“DNA barcoding confirmed the male and female were the same species and that it didn’t match any known bees in DNA databases, nor did the specimens I had collected morphologically match any in museum collections.
“It’s the first new member of this bee group to be described in more than 20 years, which really shows how much life we still have to discover – including in areas that are at risk of mining, such as the Goldfields.”
Dr Prendergast said the discovery highlighted the importance of understanding native bees before their habitats are disturbed.
“Because the new species was found in the same small area as the endangered wildflower, both could be at risk from habitat disturbance and other threatening processes like climate change,” Dr Prendergast said.
“Many mining companies still don’t survey for native bees, so we may be missing undescribed species, including those that play crucial roles in supporting threatened plants and ecosystems.
“Without knowing which native bees exist and what plants they depend on, we risk losing both before we even realise they’re there.”
Dr Kit Prendergast
The publication of the research coincides with Australian Pollinator Week, an annual celebration of the crucial role bees, butterflies and other insects play in maintaining healthy ecosystems and food production.
The research was supported by the Atlas of Living Australia, the Goldfields Environmental Management Group and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Research article:
Prendergast KS, Campbell JW (2025) Megachile (Hackeriapis) lucifer (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), a new megachilid with demon-like horns that visits the Critically Endangered Marianthus aquilonaris (Pittosporaceae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98: 1017-1030. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.166350
Researchers from Nantong University have announced the discovery of four new species belonging to the springtail genus Lepidosira in China, representing the first record of this genus in the country.
Led by researchers Xiaowei Qian, Meidong Jing, and Yitong Ma, the study involved extensive fieldwork in the Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve in Chongqing, a biodiversity hotspot in southwestern China.
Lepidosirawuxiensis sp. nov. A, B. Habitus (lateral view). Scale bars: 500 μm. Credit: Qian et al.
Through COI barcoding and meticulous examination of physical characteristics, the team identified and described four species new to science: Lepidosira apigmenta, L. similis, L. wuxiensis, and L. chongqingensis. These species expand scientific understanding of the diversity and evolution of springtails: tiny, soil-dwelling arthropods that play a critical role in ecosystem health and soil fertility.
In addition to introducing these new species, the study proposes taxonomic updates, including the transfer and renaming of two previously known Chinese species based on their true affinities to Lepidosira. The use of genetic barcoding was key to overcoming the limitations of identification methods based only on colouration, a common but unreliable trait in traditional Collembola taxonomy.
Lepidosirasimilis sp. nov. A, B. Habitus (lateral view). Scale bars: 500 μm. Credit: Qian et al.
The research team also provides an updated identification key for the scaled genera of the subfamily Entomobryinae, further facilitating future studies in the region.
This discovery highlights the richness of endemic species in China and the importance of continued exploration in under-studied habitats. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Large Instruments Open Foundation of Nantong University.
Original source Qian X, Jing M, Ma Y (2025) First report of Lepidosira (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from China, with description of four new species under the aid of COI barcoding. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72(2): 341-365. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.72.153961
Ostracolethe penevi, an endemic semi-slug, was described as a new species living in the leaves of northern Vietnam’s moisture-loving shrubs and grasses
Pensoft is delighted to announce that a new species of semi-slug was named after our CEO and founder, Prof. Lyubomir Penev.
Endemic to Vietnam,Ostracolethe penevi was described as new to science in a study in ZooKeys’1249th issue.
“The new species is named after Prof. Dr Lyubomir Penev for his incredible contribution to the reputation of Bulgarian science and his tireless, friendly support over the years,” the authors write in their paper, which was published in Pensoft’s flagship, open-access zoology journal.
ZooKeys’ 1249th issue
In 2023, Dr. Ivailo Dedov of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Quang Manh Vu of the Hoa Binh University in Hanoi, and Dr. Tuan Trieu Anh of Vietnam’s Hung Vuong University collected slugs and semi-slugs of the superfamily Helicarionoidea in northern Vietnam.
“About 15 km from Sa Pa town in northern Vietnam, a pure stream of water cascades down from a mountain cleft about 200 meters high. From a distance, the waterfall appears like a silver-white silk ribbon shimmering amid the immense greenery, which is why it is called the ‘Silver Waterfall.’ It marks the beginning of the Ô Quy Hồ Pass—a meeting place for nature lovers, adventurers, and creative spirits alike,” says prof. Vu.
The locality of Ostracolethe penevi Dedov in Vietnam’s Lào Cai Province.
“In my second expedition to Vietnam we managed to collect many slugs and semi-slugs (that have a reduced shell which can’t fit their entire body). Later, in Sofia, when we started identifying our specimens, two species grabbed our attention with their unusual anatomy,” Dr. Dedov explains.
Ostracolethe penevi’s net structure.
“I dissected a specimen that turned out to be a new species, probably of the genus Ostracolethe. In it, I found an unusual structure consisting of eight interconnected ‘Olympic rings’ in two rows whose functions for now remain unknown.”
“When I found out I had a new species, I had no hesitation on the name: Ostracolethepenevi. I had been looking forward to naming a curious species after my friend and PhD supervisor Prof. Lyubomir Penev, a man who made the world look up to Bulgarian science and also changed the way taxonomy and biodiversity information is published worldwide; someone who has helped me a lot through the years.”
“This newly described species deserves a name that reflects the generosity of nature, the advancement of science, and the enduring friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria,” Prof. Vu adds.
Ostracolethepenevi is about 4 cm long and lives in the leaves of moisture-loving shrubs and grasses. Its slender body is mostly light-yellowish-ocher in colour, with gray-blackish stripes on the neck and yellowish tentacles.
Ostracolethe penevi.
“An unusually structured species dedicated to an extraordinary personality!,” concludes Dr. Dedov.
The other semi-slug the research team explored in their ZooKeys study, Ostracolethe fruhstorfferi, can actually change colours, not unlike a chameleon.
“While I was trying to take a good photograph of a live specimen, placing it on different kinds of surfaces, I found the animal changed colouration depending on the substrate,” Dr. Dedov explains.
“When a specimen was photographed on a stone surface it looked whitish transparent, and only melanin kept the pattern of colouration. The very same specimen photographed on tree bark became more colourful, and pinkish, ocher, brownish, and yellowish colours appeared,” the team write in their paper.
The same specimen of Ostracolethe fruhstorfferi A. On rock surface, and B. On tree bark.
“It turned out that I was observing the first land snail with what is called metachrosis: changing colours for the purpose of blending in with the environment and passive protection,” says Dr. Dedov.
The research team suggests this might be possible thanks to a torus-toroid (doughnut-like) structure described in literature as “enigmatic and with unknown functions.”
“Congratulations on the discovery and formal description of a new species for science—Ostracolethe penevi—named in honor of Prof. Penev, a sincere and esteemed friend of Vietnam, as well as the Founder and CEO of Pensoft,” says Prof. Vu in conclusion.
Research article:
Dedov I, Manh Vu Q, Trieu Anh T (2025) Slugs and semi-slugs of the superfamily Helicarionoidea (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) collected in North Vietnam during the 2023 Bulgarian Zoological Expedition, with emphasis on the genus Ostracolethe. ZooKeys 1249: 317-338. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1249.155684
So, when researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) discovered a new limpet species deep below the northwestern Pacific Ocean, it should come as no surprise that they looked to a nautical manga series for inspiration.
Photograph of the new species with a clear feeding trail behind. Credit: Chen et al.
Published as a new species in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution (follow the journal on Bluesky here), the deep-sea limpet was found on hard volcanic rock 500 kilometres southeast of Tokyo at a depth of almost 6 km, the deepest known habitat for any true limpet (subclass Patellogastropoda).
The gastropod measures up to 40.5 mm in shell length, which is a remarkably large size for a true limpet from such depths and another source of inspiration for the species’ name.
So, what is that name?
The research team named the new species Bathylepeta wadatsumi, which is both a reference to Wadatsumi, the god of the sea in Japanese mythology, and the character “Large Monk” Wadatsumi, from the manga series ONE PIECE.
“Large Monk” Wadatsumi. Credit: One Piece Wiki.
In ONE PIECE,”Large Monk” Wadatsumi is a giant fish-man and a member of the Sun Pirates. To avoid spoilers, that’s all we will say about the character, but as far as the reference goes: Wadatsumi is big, the limpet is big, and the authors love ONE PIECE.
So much so, that they paid further homage to the world’s most popular manga series in the acknowledgements section of their paper, writing:
“We also take this opportunity to salute Eiichiro Oda for continuing to chart the epic voyage of ONE PIECE (1997–), which reminds us that the greatest voyages are driven by freedom, camaraderie, and an insatiable thirst for discovery.”
Their own discovery was made possible by access to sophisticated submersible technology.
The new species was collected using the crewed submersible DSV Shinkai 6500, making it the first time a member of the genus Bathylepeta has been observed and photographed live on its natural rocky substrate, rather than being dredged using a net. The use of submersibles is instrumental in accessing these habitats, allowing for direct observation and collection of previously overlooked organisms.
JAMSTEC’s DSV Shinkai 6500 submersible.
“Even in an age of sophisticated remotely operated vehicles, there’s often an edge to the human eye on the seafloor. Crewed submersibles like Shinkai 6500 let us explore with intention and nuance—spotting lifeforms like Bathylepeta wadatsumi that might otherwise be missed entirely.”
Dr Chong Chen, lead author.
Beyond its taxonomic significance, the study has broader ecological implications as B. wadatsumi appears to graze on sediment layers over rock, indicating a specialised role in processing organic matter in deep-sea ecosystems.
The findings underscore the need for more comprehensive explorations of rocky abyssal habitats using submersibles to reveal the true diversity and distribution of Bathylepeta and other animals relying on such habitats.
While it remains to be seen whether Luffy and co. will ever find the “One Piece,” we can be sure that their adventures will continue to inspire researchers in their own journies of discovery.
Original source
Chen C, Tsuda M, Ishitani Y (2025) A new large-sized lepetid limpet from the abyssal northwestern Pacific is the deepest known patellogastropod. Zoosystematics and Evolution 101(3): 1249-1058. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.156207
Cover image credit: Limpet photograph: Chen et al.; Illustration: ONE PIECE (TV series) Toei Animation.
High in the cloud-wrapped peaks of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, where the Andes dip and twist into isolated ridges, a team of Peruvian scientists has brought three secretive frogs out of obscurity and into the scientific record. The study, led by herpetologist Germán Chávez and published in Evolutionary Systematics, describes Pristimantis chinguelas, P. nunezcortezi, and P. yonke—three new species discovered in the rugged, misty highlands of northwestern Peru.
“They’re small and unassuming,” Chávez says, “but these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes.”
Between 2021 and 2024, the team carried out a series of tough expeditions, hiking steep trails and combing mossy forests and wet páramo for signs of amphibian life. It was in this setting—both harsh and enchanting—that they encountered the new species.
Each frog tells a different story:
P. chinguelas, discovered on a cliffside of Cerro Chinguelas, has a body dotted with prominent large tubercles on both sides. Its high-pitched “peep” can be heard on humid nights.
P. nunezcortezi lives near a cool mountain stream in a regenerating forest. With large black blotches on axillae and groins, it was named in honour of ornithologist Elio Nuñez-Cortez, a conservation trailblazer in the region.
P. yonke, the smallest of the three, was found nestled in bromeliads at nearly 3,000 meters. Its name nods to “yonque,” a sugarcane spirit consumed by locals to brave the highland chill.
“Exploring this area is more than fieldwork—it’s an immersion into wilderness, culture, and resilience,” says co-author Karen Victoriano-Cigüeñas.
“Many of these mountain ridges are isolated, with no roads and extreme terrain,” adds Ivan Wong. “The weather shifts within minutes, and the steep cliffs make every step a challenge. It’s no wonder so few scientists have worked here before. But that’s exactly why there’s still so much to find.”
Despite the thrill of discovery, the frogs’ future is uncertain. The team observed signs of habitat degradation, fire damage, and expanding farmland. For now, the species are listed as Data Deficient under IUCN criteria, but the call to action is clear.
“The Cordillera de Huancabamba is not just a remote range—it’s a living archive of biodiversity and cultural legacy,” says co-author Wilmar Aznaran. “And we’ve barely scratched the surface.”
Research article:
Chávez G, Aznaran W, Wong I, Victoriano-Cigüeñas KY, García-Ayachi LA, Valencia-Málaga JD, Ormeño JR, Gulman M, Sumiano-Mejía R, Thompson ME, Catenazzi A (2025) Over the top: Three new species of terrestrial breeding frogs (Anura, Terrarana, Pristimantis) from the highlands of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northwestern Peru. Evolutionary Systematics 9(1): 145-166. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.9.148522
Bermuda’s Walsingham cave system harbors a wide diversity of cave-dwelling animals not found anywhere else in the world; now, one more joins their ranks as researchers of the University of Cambridge, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Senckenberg am Meer German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research have discovered a new copepod species.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of Tetragoniceps bermudensis.
Copepods are some of the most diverse of all crustaceans, found everywhere from freshwater ponds to the open ocean. These tiny organisms are some of the most abundant animals in the marine plankton, and an essential component of food webs worldwide. However, their huge diversity remains rather poorly known, particularly in challenging environments like subterranean caves.
The new Bermudian copepod, Tetragoniceps bermudensis, was first collected in 2016 by Sahar Khodami, Pedro Martinez Arbizu, and Leocadio Blanco-Bercial from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the Senckenberg am Meer German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, who ventured into Roadside Cave through a narrow passageway in Bermuda’s ancient limestone bedrock. However, it was only when researchers analysed it in detail, in 2024, that T. bermudensis was confirmed to be an entirely new species. Like other members of Bermuda’s cave fauna, Tetragoniceps bermudensis – named after the country where it was discovered – might represent an ancient, early-diverging member of its evolutionary lineage, the research team say. Together with other ancient crustaceans inhabiting the island’s caverns, it persisted in a secluded, delicate underground ecosystem relatively free from competitors and predators.
Sahar KhodamiLeocadio Blanco-BercialPedro Martinez ArbizuThe team during the sampling expedition to Roadside Cave in 2016.
“The new species of copepod crustacean, Tetragoniceps bermudensis, is the first of its genus from Bermuda, as well as the first known cave-dwelling species of the genus anywhere in the world and only the second within its family, Tetragonicipitidae,” says lead author Giovanni Mussini of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences. “This finding from Roadside Cave adds to the great diversity of endemic crustaceans (and other cave fauna) found in the island’s network of limestone caves.”
The team during the sampling expedition to Roadside Cave in 2016.
The team only found one female egg-bearing individual at Roadside Cave, a small cavern in Bermuda. It is hard to estimate just how rare the new species is based on a single specimen, but the finding “suggests a correspondingly limited area and a probable endemic status, consistent with the high degree of endemism typical of Bermuda’s cave-dwelling fauna,” the researchers write in their paper in the journal ZooKeys.
Views of Roadside cave.
Roadside Cave, where the new species was found, may face threats from “urban development, vandalism, dumping, littering and pollution, and sediment disturbance due to unlawful access by humans and domesticated animals,” which makes protecting this small creature all the more urgent. The researchers call for formal protection of the cave and for robust enforcement of existing measures to protect its precious fauna.
“The discovery of this species highlights that there remains a cryptic diversity of cave-dwelling species still to be discovered even in a densely populated island like Bermuda, whose hidden, underground biodiversity is all too often overlooked,” Mussini says in conclusion.
Research article:
Mussini G, Niimi YJ, Khodami S, Kihara TC, Martinez Arbizu P, Blanco-Bercial L (2025) A new species of Tetragoniceps Brady, 1880 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Tetragonicipitidae) from an anchialine cave in Bermuda, with an updated key to the species of the genus. ZooKeys 1239: 1-19.https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1239.144436
