Species New to Science

Porcellanasteridae Sladen, 1883 is a family of mud-dwelling sea stars, living in bathyal and abyssal environments. Among the twelve currently recognized genera of this family, Benthogenia Fisher, 1911 is the only one known occurring at depth shallower than 1000 m. Benthogenia differs from all other porcellanasterids by having cribriform organs between all its marginals, from the disc to the tip of the arms. Benthogenia cribellosa Fisher, 1911 is reported from a locality as shallow as 111 m, and a new species, Benthogenia mahi n. sp., is described from material housed in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN). Benthogenia mahi n. sp. is represented by twelve specimens, collected at depth ranging from 400 to 1200 m during four different expeditions. Benthogenia cribellosa is represented by two specimens from the MNHN, plus the holotype and two specimens from the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution), Washington D.C. Benthogenia mahi n. sp. differs from B. cribellosa mostly by having more robust arms, fewer oral and adambulacral spines, and by the cribriform organs not covering the entire surface of the superomarginals of the disc. Molecular data (16S rDNA) were also used as an independent dataset to test for divergence between the two species. Benthogenia mahi n. sp. occurs in New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, whereas B. cribellosa is only known from the Philippines. Detailed descriptions of both species are provided, as well as a detailed description of the skeleton of the new species.

KEYWORDS: Porcellanasteridae, deep-sea fauna, systematics, anatomy, new species

With every molecular review involving Chitoniscus Stål, 1875 sensu lato samples from Fiji and New Caledonia revealing polyphyly, the morphology from these two distinct clades was extensively reviewed. Morphological results agree with all previously published molecular studies and therefore Trolicaphyllium gen. nov. is erected to accommodate the former Chitoniscus sensu lato species restricted to New Caledonia, leaving the type species Chitoniscus lobiventris (Blanchard, 1853) and all other Fijian species within Chitoniscus sensu stricto. Erection of this new genus for the New Caledonian species warrants the following new combinations: Trolicaphyllium brachysoma (Sharp, 1898), comb. nov., Trolicaphyllium erosus (Redtenbachher, 1906), comb. nov., and Trolicaphyllium sarrameaense (Größer, 2008a), comb. nov. Morphological details of the female, male, freshly hatched nymph, and egg are illustrated and discussed alongside the Chitoniscus sensu stricto in order to differentiate these two clades which have been mistaken as one for decades.

Keywords: Camouflage, Drehu, Grande Terre, Ile de Bélep, L’Île-des-Pins, Lifou, Lifu, Maré, mimicry, new combination, Phasmida, Tiga, walking leaf

Just a few months after the publication of the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie treatment for Asclepiadoideae, Periplocoideae and Secamonoideae, an unknown plant species obviously belonging to the genus Leichhardtia R.Br. was spotted while watching the local Wéari television programme on Caledonia channel and made available on YouTube. The focus of the TV programme was the remote and difficult to access Yandé island, in the extreme north of New Caledonia’s Grande Terre. Since few botanical investigations have been undertaken on this isolated island, the Wéari programme was an opportunity to get a better overview of its natural environment and plants. Here, we describe this Leichhardtia species and name it after this TV programme. Leichhardtia weari Gâteblé, Meve & Liede, sp. nov. is a narrowly endemic species with whitish flowers that is growing on serpentinite derived soils and known from less than ten individuals. Due to anthropogenic fire threat and its obvious rarity, we propose to consider it as Critically Endangered. In addition, a nomenclatural problem is fixed by proposing the new combination Leichhardtia guillauminiana (P.T.Li) Gâteblé, Meve & Liede, comb. nov; and a key for the now 20 species of Leichhardtia native to New Caledonia is presented.

Three endemic species of Xyris (Xyridaceae, Poales) are currently recognized in New Caledonia. A recent multivariate analysis of 18 morphological characters based on 129 specimens of Xyris from New Caledonia, supported by 10 anatomical and micromorphological observations, suggested that three species should be recognized in the New Caledonian archipelago. However, the three published names did not correspond to the three entities identified via the multivariate analyses. The results showed that Xyris neocaledonia Rendle was morphologically distinct but requires lectotypification, Xyris guillauminii Conert was indistinct from X. pancheri Rendle, and that a new morphologically distinct species required description. We therefore propose to clarify the taxonomy of the genus for New Caledonia, by designating a lectotype, making this synonymy and describing the new species. The new species, Xyris desquamatus J.R.Morel & Munzinger, sp. nov., has the remarkable feature of leaves that are shed as the plant senesces, and is reflected in the specific epithet for this new species. Line drawings are provided for the new species, along with colour photos for the three New Caledonian Xyris species and a distribution map. Three identification keys are provided, the first based on vegetative characters, the second on reproductive characters and the third on anatomical features of the leaf. Xyris desquamatus is preliminarily assigned an IUCN risk of extinction assessment of vulnerable.

Keywords: Taxonomy, anatomy, Flora of New Caledonia, lectotype, conservation, Monocots

A new genus of Gesneriaceae, Bopopia Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. nov., is described from New Caledonia. The genus is based on Bopopia parviflora Munzinger & J.R.Morel gen. et sp. nov., a new species collected during an expedition on Mt Katalupaik, in the North Province of New Caledonia’s main island. Originally considered as a species of Coronanthera, our phylogenetic analysis – including 19 species within Coronanthereae and two individuals of B. parviflora gen. et sp. nov., and using three molecular markers (nuclear rDNA ITS, and chloroplast regions trnL-trnF and trnE-trnT) – showed that the new species is not close to Coronanthera in subtribe Coronantherinae, but belongs to subtribe Negriinae where it is sister to Depanthus. From that genus Bopopia gen. nov. differs in floral symmetry (zygomorphic vs actinomorphic) and the number of stamens (4 vs 5). From the other genera of Negriinae the new genus differs in the white corolla and its indeterminate thyrse with 3 to 5 levels of branching. The morphological circumscription of the subtribe Negriinae is amended to include Bopopia gen. nov. Two keys are provided, one to the subtribes in the tribe Coronanthereae, and one to the genera in subtribe Negriinae. Following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, the conservation status of B. parviflora gen. et sp. nov. is provisionally assessed as Endangered (EN).

Keywords: Gesneriaceae, Gesnerioideae-Coronanthereae-Negriinae, La Planète Revisitée, New Caledonia, Grande Terre, Mt Katalupaik, molecular phylogeny, taxonomy

A second species of the recently established genus Madangella Frolová & Ďuriš is described from New Caledonia. Although the single available specimen lacks both second pereiopods, the new species distinctly differs from the only other representative of the genus, M. altirostris Frolová & Ďuriš, 2018 from Papua New Guinea, and can be easily distinguished from the latter by the more elongate and distally tapering rostrum, two subterminal ventral rostral teeth, the carpus of the first pereiopod being subequal to the merus length, and the sixth pleomere being short and stout, distinctly less than 2 times longer than deep. The examined specimen was confirmed as representative of a species separate from M. altirostris also by molecular comparisons of the 16S rRNA and COI mtDNA gene markers. The genus Madangella thus currently consists of two southwestern Pacific species.

Keywords: Caridea, Crustacea, Indo-West Pacific, taxonomy