A new species of spionid polychaete from the coastal waters of southwest India, Trochochaeta chakara sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Adults are common on Alappuzha mud banks (locally known as Chakara) off the coast of Kerala. They live in silty tubes in soft sediment and are characterized by the presence of two pairs of red eyes, caruncle extending to end of chaetiger 1, heavy falcate spines in neuropodia of chaetigers 2 and 3 (those in chaetiger 3 much stronger and darker), capillary chaetae in notopodia of chaetigers 1, 3–10, frayed heavy spines in neuropodia of chaetigers 4–13, hirsute capillaries in neuropodia from chaetiger 14, lateral interneuropodial membranes from chaetiger 14, one pair of ventral papillae on each chaetiger from chaetigers 14–16, bundles of acicular spines in notopodia from chaetigers 50–52, and small pygidium with up to six pairs of short cirri. This is the third species of Trochochaeta described and found in the Indian Ocean, including T. orissae (Fauvel, 1932) and T. cirrifera (Hartman, 1975).

The family Yoldiidae encompasses protobranch bivalves with notable diversity in deep-sea habitats, with Yoldiella Verrill and Bush (1897) as the most speciose genus. In Brazilian waters, 11 species of Yoldiella have been recorded, including Yoldiella lapernoi Benaim and Absalão (2011) and Yoldiella paranapuensis Benaim and Absalão (2011), two species with similar shell morphology and overlapping geographical distributions. This study re-evaluated the taxonomic distinction between these two Yoldiella species using a combination of morphometric approaches. Size and growth rate comparisons were conducted using analysis of covariance and Bayesian model selection. The shell outline was compared using elliptical Fourier descriptors. The results did not support the current separation of these taxa. Instead, they reveal that the observed morphological differences are attributable to ontogenetic variation, indicating Y. paranapuensis as a juvenile stage of Y. lapernoi. This finding supports the synonymy of these two nominal species and highlights the importance of ontogenetic context in taxonomy.

The first report of Ophiophragmus luetkeni occurred in the British Virgin Islands; however, it was also recorded in Brazil, the United States Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago, yet its occurrence in Colombia was previously lacking. Between 2023 and 2024, four specimens were collected from sandy and muddy substrates in Cispatá Bay, Colombian Caribbean. Taxonomic identification was conducted through morphological observations and microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy. A comparative table for Ophiophragmus species recorded in Colombia are also provided. This new record increases the number of Ophiophragmus species in Colombia to three, contributing to the country’s marine biodiversity and expanding the knowledge of O. luetkeni distribution.

After more than a decade of research the debate over social enterprise definitions and classifications continues. EMES network in Europe argues that there is an ideal type of social enterprise to which all ventures should aspire. The spectrum approach emphasizes the trade-off between pure profit-making and social impact, locating organizations on this continuum. The Schumpeterians take innovation as its central focus, arguing that the disruption of the status quo is an important differentiator. We argue that each falls short of providing an adequate framework for future research, policy, and practice. Instead we offer an alternative metaphor, that of a social enterprise zoo; many different “animals” combine social and market goals in substantially different ways and each species has distinct environments and needs. Using the metaphor we consider the important components of a meaningful research agenda and examine the place of social entrepreneurs within the social enterprise zoo.

This paper describes an exploratory study aiming to investigate the existence of distinct groups of social enterprises according to organisational identity dimensions. A taxonomy was developed with a two-step cluster analysis based on the importance attached to both social and market identity by 111 social enterprises acting in Portugal. ANOVA and Chi-square analyses were employed to investigate differences between groups. The taxonomy provides a parsimonious description of four groups of social enterprises and suggests the existence of a trade-off between the involvement and participation of clients/beneficiaries and the geographical scope. The combination of high levels of social identity and market identity is associated with more satisfactory levels of social and financial performance. However, giving prevalence to the social or the market identity seems to lead to lower levels of financial and social performance, respectively.

Through an integrative approach that combined microscopy and molecular analyses of the 18S rDNA gene, this study describes a novel haemococcidian species, Lankesterella nucleoflexa sp. nov., and presents data on another Lankesterella sp. Both parasites were found in the green iguana (Iguana iguana) from Eastern Amazonia, Brazil. Lankesterella nucleoflexa sp. nov. is characterized by a unique nuclear plasticity; its nucleus exhibits variable shapes and condensation states, appearing condensed and seemingly divided when adjacent to the host cell nucleus and elongated when positioned opposite. This species infects erythrocytes, monocytes and heterophils, inducing significant nuclear deformities. Phylogenetic analysis placed both Lankesterella sequences in a clade with other Lankesterella parasites from lizards, highlighting the genetic diversity of this genus within this host group. These findings expand the knowledge about parasitic biodiversity in Neotropical reptiles and underscore the necessity of integrating morphological and molecular methodologies to elucidate the taxonomy of understudied groups such as haemococcidians.

The finding of an incorrect non-Antarctic locality assigned to a specimen of Trematomus loennbergii at the Natural History Museum, London, led to the discovery of two (of three) syntype specimens, previously considered missing, of this species. The third syntype, a larger specimen in better condition, is designated as the lectotype of T. loennbergii; the two newly discovered specimens, re-identified as Trematomus pennellii, become paralectotypes.

Although venomous snakes from the family Viperidae, such as Bothrops atrox, are recognized for their medical importance due to snakebite accidents, few studies on parasitological aspects have been carried out with them, especially in the Amazonia region. Using morphological and molecular tools, we described a novel haemogregarine species infecting the common lancehead snake B. atrox from Eastern Amazonia, Brazil. Hepatozoon atrocis sp. nov. has mature gamonts that are morphologically distinct from those reported in the literature, which are often compact, with dispersed or encapsulated cytoplasm and chromatin. In the phylogeny recovered from the 18S rRNA gene, the Hepatozoon atrocis sp. nov. sequences formed a new clade, comprising a sister group to Hepatozoon spp. detected in other snakes, anurans, lizards and marsupials. This study reports the first Hepatozoon species described in the common lancehead snake. In addition, it provides a robust review of haemogregarine species infecting viperids from all over the world.

The genus Aphelenchoides Fischer, 1894, encompasses nearly 200 species with significant ecological and economic importance, yet its taxonomy remains complex due to morphological similarities among species and limited molecular data. In this study, we describe a new species, Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n., collected from the rhizosphere of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. The new species is distinguished by its morphological characteristics, including a slender stylet (9.6–12.7 μm), distinct lateral fields with four lines, a conical tail with a pointed mucro, and a well-developed post-uterine sac. Males feature three pairs of caudal papillae and arcuate spicules. Scanning electron microscopy provided detailed insights into surface features, complementing light microscopy observations. Molecular analyses of the D2-D3 regions of 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA supported the distinct phylogenetic placement of Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n., differentiating it from closely related species. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis confirmed its divergence, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity of the genus Aphelenchoides. This integrative approach highlights the importance of combining classical morphological methods with modern molecular tools for accurate species identification. The discovery of Aphelenchoides vinhphucensis sp. n. underscores the nematode diversity in Vietnam, especially those associated with rice cultivation.

The nematode genus Rhabdias comprises over 100 species of parasitic nematodes that infect amphibians and reptiles, with a wide geographical distribution. To date, 25 species have been reported from the Neotropical region. Despite this diversity, few integrative studies, combining morphological and molecular data have been conducted to characterize species within the genus. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to describe, through an integrative approach, a new species of Rhabdias found parasitizing the lungs of an anuran with a high concentration of skin toxins, Dendrobates tinctorius, from the Brazilian Amazon. The new species of Rhabdias is characterized by an elongated body, uniform cuticular inflation attenuated at the extremities, 4 submedian lips and 2 lateral lips, a cup-shaped buccal capsule, and an elongated tail. The morphology of the buccal capsule in Rhabdias camposi n. sp. is also unique among Rhabdias representatives, as this morphological character is known so far. Thus, we emphasize that a detailed study of this morphological trait for species of the genus will be crucial for species diagnosis. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses were performed using mitochondrial COI gene sequences. We observed that the new taxon is closely related to Rhabdias waiapi, a parasite of Pristimantis chiastonotus. Rhabdias camposi n. sp. represents the 26th species of the genus reported from the Neotropics in amphibians and the first described from a Dendrobates tinctorius host in Brazil.

The new genera Aurantiothallia and Hertelaria are proposed for species of saxicolous lichens known only from Tasmania. Aurantiothallia is erected for the species currently known as Poeltiaria tasmanica and the newly described A. riparia, both of which have an orange thallus lacking lichen products but with an amyloid medulla and black apothecia with only brown pigments internally. Hertelaria is based on the new species H. doleritica, which has an atrobrunnea-type thallus and large adnate, red-brown apothecia up to 2.4 mm diam. Phylogenetic analyses based on the markers ITS, mtSSU and RPB1 clearly support the morphological results, each genus forming a strongly supported clade. Also newly described are: Poeltiaria caeruleorubra, with a red-pigmented inner exciple that contrasts strongly with the adjacent bright blue hymenium; Porpidia lutulata, which has small apothecia and a granular thallus with an amyloid (I+ violet) medulla; and Porpidia umbonifera var. sanguinea, which differs from the typical variety in having a reddish pigment in the inner exciple. All the new taxa are known only from silicious rocks, mostly dolerite, in Tasmania. We also report Porpidia albocaerulescens var. polycarpiza and P. hydrophila for the first time from Tasmania, confirm the presence of P. umbonifera var. umbonifera on the island, and provide a provisional key to porpidioid lichens in Tasmania.

The lichen genus Lecanora is one of the largest genera of lichenized fungi. The core part of the genus is the L. subfusca group and within this group, Lecanora hybocarpa (Tuck.) Brodo, initially described from North America and thought to be endemic, has been reported from several European countries. However, the identity of these European specimens has been increasingly questioned. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between North American L. hybocarpa and European collections, including the morphologically similar L. sinuosa Herk & Aptroot. We performed morphological, chemical (TLC) and molecular analyses (nrITS and mtSSU) on a broad collection of specimens from Europe, Macaronesia and North America. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed that true L. hybocarpa has not yet been confirmed in Europe. Instead, several genetically distinct European taxa share the L. hybocarpa morphotype. Our findings resulted in the description of three new species: Lecanora cryptosinuosa (differing only genetically from L. sinuosa), L. macaronesica (characterized by quite large apothecia with constricted bases and a finely crenulate margin, and the presence of gangaleoidin) and L. subsinuosa (difficult to separate from L. sinuosa, but may sometimes be recognized by darker apothecial discs with inconsistent pigmentation, the occasional presence of a tiny pruina on young discs, and the usually thicker apothecial margin, dentate in the inner edge). Furthermore, we report L. pseudargentata as a new species for Europe. Due to the high morphological variability and cryptic speciation within this group, reliable identification often requires DNA analysis. Therefore, we propose using the name Lecanora hybocarpa agg. for all species sharing this particular morphotype. A key to the epiphytic esorediate species of the L. subfusca group in Europe and northern Africa is provided.

A redescription of Cloeosiphon aspergillus is presented based on the type material and additional specimens from Madagascar, South Africa, and New Caledonia. Cloeosiphon aspergillus is characterized by its pineapple-shaped anal shield, bidentate hooks arranged in rings, and a continuous longitudinal muscle layer. Additionally, a new species, Cloeosiphon mexicanus sp. nov. is described from the southern Mexican Pacific. This new species differs from C. aspergillus by having an inconspicuous secondary tooth on posterior hooks and the absence of spherical units along the basal margin of the anal shield. Furthermore, a discussion on the synonyms of C. aspergillus is included. This study expands the taxonomic knowledge of the genus Cloeosiphon and highlights the importance of the detailed description for accurate species recognition.

Freshwater parasitic copepods appear to exhibit great taxonomic diversity. However, little is known about gene flow between species or whether there is incongruence between morphological and phylogenetic species definitions. Additionally, little is known about what evolutionary factors may contribute to speciation across various lineages. The copepod genus Salmincola, which includes common ectoparasites of fishes in the family Salmonidae, is distributed throughout the northern hemisphere and is a good model to demonstrate limited taxonomic understanding. Much of the regular scholarly output regarding Salmincola copepods comes from fisheries management agencies, where they are considered a pest species. Within a geographic region, Salmincola copepods of the same species are often found infecting their hosts at substantially different rates across different water bodies. However, present taxonomic definitions of Salmincola are based on decades old morphological descriptions, which were limited in geographic scope and number of specimens examined. There is a strong possibility that traditional species definitions in this genus, based on host species along with morphology, are missing cryptic diversity that may explain differences in infection intensity across environments. This review outlines the current scientific limitations of understanding of this genus and provides suggestions for how adding genetic data could inform taxonomic revisions, as well as clarifying connections between genetic differentiation and infection dynamics across localities.

The genus Echinaster in Japanese waters was revised, resulting in the discovery of two new species, E. crystallus n. sp. and E. toyoshiomaruae n. sp., and one newly recorded species, E. stereosomus, from Japan. Molecular phylogenetic analyses including 22 echinasterid species indicate that another newly recorded species, Metrodira subulata, is grouped with the other Echinaster species. Since the revised diagnostic characteristics of the genus Echinaster are consistent with the morphology of Metrodira, we newly synonymize this genus with Echinaster. Consequently, the genus Echinaster includes six species in Japanese waters. Morphological descriptions of all Japanese Echinaster species were provided.