Works in South Africa

Although a comprehensive guide to the South African echinoid fauna was published as recently as 2017, four notable additions to the fauna have emerged since that time and are repo…

The zodariine spider genus Mallinus Simon, 1893 is redescribed and diagnosed. The type species, M. nitidiventris Simon, 1893 from South Africa, was originally described from subad…

The praying mantis subgenus Syngalepsus Beier, 1954 occurs in sub-Saharan region and represents the least diverse subgenus of Galepsus in Africa (Ehrmann 2002). All species includ…

Macrotylus henryi is described as a new species from South Africa. This new taxon is recorded as feeding on species of Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) in the Western Cape. Documentation…

A new Afrotropical species of Polynema Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), Polynema (Polynema) sagittaria van Noort & Triapitsyn, sp. n., is described and illustrated based on…

Two new species and two new genera (Kuboesphasma, Minutophasma) of Mantophasmatodea that occur in the Richtersveld region of South Africa are described. Kuboesphasma compactum gen…

Recent data and material obtained from northern KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Maputo Bay (Mozambique) have provided support for the description of a new species of the genus La…

Faunistic studies in sublittoral and littoral marine habitats on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, have yielded three new species belonging to the genus Heteromysis, subgenus Hete…

The Eastern Cape redfin, Pseudobarbus afer, has long been considered to be a single widespread and variable species occurring in multiple isolated river systems in the Cape Fold E…

A new species of freshwater crab, Potamonautes danielsi sp. n., is described from the southern region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Potamonautes danielsi most close…

Water beetles belonging to the suborder Polyphaga vary greatly in larval and adult ecologies, and fulfil important functional roles in shallow-water ecosystems by processing plant…

The river sardine, Mesobola brevianalis (Boulenger, 1908), is the type species of Mesobola Howes, 1984. Standard phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of the cytochrome oxida…

The Afrotropical banchine fauna (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) comprises 12 genera. One of these, Cryptopimpla Taschenberg, 1863, is a predominately northern hemisphere genus repres…

Members of the family Siphonorhinidae Cook, 1895 are thread-like eyeless millipedes that possess an astounding number of legs, including one individual with 750. Due to their cryp…

Water beetles are one of the dominant macroinvertebrate groups in inland waters and are excellent ecological indicators, reflecting both the diversity and composition of the wider…

An updated checklist of Dryinidae, Embolemidae and Sclerogibbidae from Central African Republic and Uganda is presented. The following new species of Dryinidae are described: from…

The Tachinidae of the Afrotropical Region are catalogued and seven genera and eight species are newly described. There are 237 genera and 1126 species recognized, of which 101 gen…

Three females and one male specimen of a previously unconfirmed species of horsehair worms (Nematomorpha) from South Africa are described using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The f…

The original description of Afraustraloderes rassei Bouyer, 2012 included a female that is now recognized as a separate species belonging to the genus Pixodarus and here described…

The Afrotropical flea beetle genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 is reviewed. Notomela joliveti sp.n. from Principe Island is described. The following new synonymies are established: N. c…

The African species of the genus Laccophilus Leach, 1815, are revised, on the basis of study of adult specimens. In all, 105 species are now recognized. A phenetic character-analy…

The fruit fly Ceratitis cosyra is an important agricultural pest negatively affecting the mango crop production throughout Africa and also feeding on a variety of other wild and c…

Comparative analysis of development and survivorship of two geographically divergent populations of the Natal fruit fly Ceratitis rosa Karsch designated as C. rosa R1 and C. rosa …

Third instar larvae of members of the Ceratitis FAR complex, including Ceratitis fasciventris (Bezzi), Ceratitis anonae Graham, and Ceratitis rosa Karsch are described and compare…

A new bombyliid species Marleyimyia xylocopae Marshall & Evenhuis, sp. n., an apparent mimic of the carpenter bee Xylocopa flavicollis (De Geer), is described from South Africa on…

A new species of freshwater crab, Potamonautes isimangaliso sp. n., is described from the western shores of False Bay, Hluhluwe, within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa…

The genus Exaesiopus Reichardt, 1926 is revised herein. It now contains seven species; one new combination is proposed: Pachylopus glaucus = Exaesiopus glaucus (Bickhardt, 1914), …

The revision of the Afrotropical Ophioninae is updated, based on the examination of about 800–900 individuals in the South African and European museum collections. A robust intera…

Pseudobarbus verloreni, a new species, is described from material collected in the Verlorenvlei River system on the west coast of South Africa. It differs from its congeners (exce…

The cynipoid subfamily Figitinae is poorly represented in the Afrotropical region with two genera (Figites Latreille and Xyalophora Kieffer) and six species currently known. Here …

The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to th…

The recent dry phase experienced by the St Lucia estuarine system has led to unprecedented desiccation and hypersaline conditions through most of its surface area. This has change…

In this paper the genus Pheidologeton Mayr, 1862 is synonymized under Carebara Westwood, 1840 and the Carebara polita group is established and revised. This species group currentl…

A new high altitude montane species of Trichostetha Burmeister, 1842 is described from the Elandsberg range of the Western Cape interior. This represents the 14th species of the g…

Increasing livestock densities and more severe drought events challenge sustainable management in South Africa’s semi-arid savannas. Effective mitigation strategies require accura…

Discovering and handling cryptic diversity among species challenges taxonomists around the world. This is particularly true for the most diverse animal class – the insects – with …

Scorpions have always inspired fear and fascination because of the potency of their venoms. Although this ancient arachnid group is relatively small (ca. 2400 species) and has bee…

The first Orchesiini of South Africa, Parvapila lyncispinnae gen. nov. and sp. nov., is described. Specimens were collected at the foot of the Langeberg Range and of the Kogelberg…

The timing of breeding can strongly influence individual breeding performance and fitness. Seasonal declines in breeding parameters have been often documented in birds, particular…

Molecular analyses of soil and water commonly reveal large proportions of fungal taxa that cannot be assigned to any taxonomic or functional groups. Some of these so-called dark t…

Octospora conidiophora is described as a new species, based on collections from South Africa. It is characterised by apothecia with a distinct margin, smooth or finely warted elli…

Multilocus phylogenetic studies revealed a high level of cryptic diversity within the lichen-forming fungal genus Maronina (Protoparmelioideae, Parmeliaceae). Coalescent-based spe…

Trees in the genus Vachellia (previously Acacia) are commonly infected by the gall-inducing rusts Ravenelia macowaniana and R. evansii. Rust galls bearing aecial infections and re…

Three new Fusarium species, F. convolutans, F. fredkrugeri, and F. transvaalense (Ascomycota, Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) are described from soils collected in a catena landscape on…

Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Chlorophyllum were carried out on the basis of morphological differences and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Based on the phylogeny inferred…

The genus Carpobrotus N.E.Br. comprises between 12 and 25 species, most of which are native to South Africa. Some Carpobrotus species are considered among the most damaging invasi…

Austropuccinia psidii, the causal agent of myrtle rust, has emerged as a significant threat to Myrtaceae in planted and natural woody ecosystems. The first detection of A. puccini…

Acacia longifolia (Sydney golden wattle) is considered one of the most problematic plant invaders in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In this study, we investigate the species’ inva…

Quantifying the impacts of invasive species, relative to native analogues, is crucial for management and policy development. Two freshwater crayfish species of global concern, Che…

Cities are focal points of introduction for invasive species. Urban evolution might facilitate the success of invasive species in recipient urban habitats. Here we test this hypot…