Integrated Taxonomic Information System - News

spacing image

Select one of the following news items:


  • December 11, 2023 - Global Brachypylina Updated, Completing Update in Collaboration with Global Oribatida Initiative and the University of Göttingen

    Mite suborder Oribatida Dugès, 1834 was previously updated in ITIS in a series of infraorder-based subsets, from Mixonomata in April 2020 to Brachypylina in December 2021, based on the comprehensive work "Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Oribatida) del Mundo" by Luis S. Subías.

    Specialists with the University of Göttingen and Global Oribatida Initiative have developed an efficient method to process Subías' PDF-based information into spreadsheet format, and contacted ITIS with an offer to collaborate.

    On ITIS' side, this collaboration resulted in a new update of global oribatid mite treatment for 2022, covering all infraorders with the exception of Brachypylina Hull, 1918. This current update covers Brachypylina, completing the update.

    This update comprises 11,916 new and edited names, 303 of which are new to ITIS. There are 8,495 valid and accepted species included, of which 849 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 11, 2023 - Cetaceans of the World Updated

    This update of global whales includes two species described since ITIS' previous update of Cetacea, in 2019: Ramari's beaked whale (Mesoplodon eueu Carroll, McGowen, McCarthy, Marx, Aguilar, Dalebout, Dreyer, Gaggiotti, Hansen et al., 2021), and Rice's whale.

    Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei Rosel, Wilcox, Yamada and Mullin, 2021) is critically endangered, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild (NOAA 2021). In November, 2023, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History hosted a symposium on whale research and conservation, centered on Rice's whale (Smithsonian Institution 2023).

    This update comprises 543 new and edited names, 7 of which are new to ITIS. There are 94 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 11, 2023 - Velvet Worms Updated

    This update was prompted by the publication of a new global checklist in November 2023 (Oliveira 2023), which resolved a number of nomenclatural issues that had been outstanding at the time of ITIS' previous update of Onychophora in July 2022.

    This update comprises 436 new and edited names, 38 of which are new to ITIS. There are 233 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 11, 2023 - Caeculoidea (Rake-legged Mites) of the World Added

    Superfamily Caeculoidea Berlese, 1883 contains just one family, Caeculidae Berlese, 1883. The group was first described in 1832, initially containing only one genus; the second genus, Procaeculus Jacot, 1936, was described after more than a century in 1936. Currently, the genus contains over 100 species in seven genera, and is found world-wide. This treatment is based largely on Beron's 2022 'Acarorum Catalogus X.'

    This update comprises 173 new and edited names, 171 of which are new to ITIS. There are 115 valid and accepted species included, of which 21 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .

  • November 21, 2023 - Selected Braconid Subfamilies Added

    Parasitic wasp family Braconidae Nees von Esenbeck, 1811 has traditionally been divided into cyclostomes and non-cyclostomes based on the shape of the clypeus relative to the labrum (Zaldivar-Riverón et al. 2006). This update adds the following cyclostome and undesignated subfamilies: Apozyginae Mason, 1978, Exothecinae Foerster, 1863, Hormiinae Foerster, 1863, Masoninae van Achterberg, 1995, Megalyrhyssalinae Belokobylskij and Joualt, 2021, Meteorideinae Tobias, 1967, Protobraconinae van Achterberg and Chen, 2021, Protorhyssaline Basibuyuk, Quicke and van Achterberg, 1999, Rhysipolinae Belokobylskij, 1984, Rhyssalinae Foerster, 1863 and Telengaiinae Tobias, 1962.

    This update comprises 1,064 new and edited names, 1,049 of which are new to ITIS. There are 658 valid and accepted species included, 71 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 21, 2023 - Fish Family Pangasiidae (Giant Catfishes) Updated

    Family Pangasiidae Bleeker, 1858 includes the largest freshwater fish in the world: the Mekong giant catfish, Pangasianodon gigas Chevey, 1931, which can grow to 650 lbs and almost 10 feet in length (National Geographic 2009). Mekong giant catfish are critically endangered because of dams and other habitat destruction, as well as overfishing (WWF n.d.). Efforts to save the species include an international project to raise endangered Cambodian fish in captivity, tag, and re-release them into Tonle Sap lake, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Wolterbeek 2022).

    The family also includes important food an aquaculture fish Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880, known as basa or swai.

    This update comprises 71 new and edited names, 31 of which are new to ITIS. There are 30 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 21, 2023 - Unionoidea of the World Updated

    This update covers superfamily Unionoidea Rafinesque, 1820 within freshwater mussel order Unionida, which was initially added to ITIS in 2015. One new species included is Alasmidonta uwharriensis Whelan, Perkins & Mays in Whelan et al., 2023, a cryptic species uncovered through phylogenetic analysis, which is endemic to the Uwharrie Mountains region of North Carolina (Whelan et al. 2023).

    This update comprises 5,805 new and edited names, 404 of which are new to ITIS. There are 804 valid and accepted species included, of which 309 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 1, 2023 - Global Anystoidea (Whirligig Mites) Added

    Anystoid mites are free-living and predaceous; their vernacular name refers to their fast movements. Because of their habit of preying on herbivorous mites, certain anystoid species, including Anystis baccarum (Linnaeus, 1758) and Anystis wallacei Otto, 1992, are used as agents of agricultural biocontrol (Michael 1995, Cuthbertson et al. 2014, Saito and Brownbridge 2022).

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is based largely on Beron's 2022 'Acarorum Catalogus X.'

    This update comprises 322 new and edited names, 317 of which are new to ITIS. There are 168 valid and accepted species included, 8 of which are extinct, and 10 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 1, 2023 - Fish Family Lutjanidae (Snappers) Updated

    Family Lutjanidae Gill, 1861 includes multiple commercially important fish. The Northern Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus (Poey, 1860)) is one of the most commercially valuable fish in the Gulf of Mexico, and is also popular among game fisherman. Overfishing depressed their populations to a low in the 1980s (Ocean Conservancy 2013), but catch limits are aiding in population recovery (NOAA 2023). The Cubera Snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1828)) which is the largest of Atlantic snapper and can grow to over 5 feet in length, is also popular with game fishers; however, it can cause a type of food poisoning called ciguatera because of a build up of dinoflagelate toxins in its tissues (sipos 2022).

    This update comprises 555 new and edited names, 369 of which are new to ITIS. There are 138 valid and accepted species included.

    PARAGRAPH

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 1, 2023 - Pteridophytes of the World: Hierarchy Updated and Hawaii Coverage Added

    This update to global ferns and lycophytes has two components: (1) updating hierarchy to follow the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification (PPG I 2016), and (2) ensuring that all native and introduced species in Hawaii, as listed by the Flora of the Hawaiian Islands checklist website, are included.

    This is the first of a series of updates that will complete ITIS coverage of plant species found in Hawaii, based on the Flora of the Hawaiian Islands checklist.

    This update comprises 2,773 new and edited names, 680 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,278 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2023 - Global Coccinellidae (Ladybird Beetles) Portions Added: Genus Rhizobius and Tribe Epilachnini

    Genus Rhyzobius Stephens, 1829 includes two species that have been introduced into the United States, Rhyzobius forestieri (Mulsant, 1853) and Rhyzobius lophanthae (Blaisdell, 1892). Both were introduced from Australia in the 1890s as a form of biological control, as they are voracious predators of scale insects in families Coccidae, Diaspididae, and Eriococcidae (UC IPM n.d., Kaspi et al. 2019).

    In contrast, species in tribe Epilachnini Mulsant, 1846 are phytophagous, and some are agricultural pests themselves (Szawaryn et al. 2015). Notably, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabricius, 1775) is a serious pest of crops in families Solanaceae (potato, tomato, eggplant) and Cucurbitaceae (melon, cucumber) throughout the world and especially across Asia and Australia (Naz et al. 2012). Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, 1850 infests Fabaceae crops in North America, soybeans in particular, and transmits multiple plant viruses (Smith et al. 2017).

    The Rhyzobius update comprises 174 new and edited names, 170 of which are new to ITIS. There are 113 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America.

    The Epilachnini update comprises 1,935 new and edited names, 1928 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,109 valid and accepted species included, of which 4 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2023 - Giant Land Crabs Added

    The small brachyuran genus Cardisoma Latreille in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville and Guérin, 1828 includes four species. One, the blue land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville and Guérin, 1828) lives on islands in the Caribbean as well as along Florida and Texas, USA coastlines, where they may be found up to 5 miles from the ocean (Hostetler et al. n.d.). Its carapace can be up to 6 inches (15 cm) wide. In Florida and Puerto Rico, laws passed to protect crab populations limit the dates during which these crabs can be harvested and limit the number that may be taken (Hostetler et al. n.d.)

    Along with the previous update of brachyuran genus Callinectes, these updates were made in response to a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    This update comprises 19 new and edited names, 7 of which are new to ITIS. There are 4 valid and accepted species included, of which 1 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .

  • September 01, 2023 - Global Scorpions Added

    Most scorpions fluoresce a blue-green color when exposed to ultraviolet light. Theories for this phenomenon include that it gives them protection from UV light, that it may help identify mates in dark and nocturnal environments, and that it might help protect them from parasites (ACS 2020).

    While over 100 species of scorpion are found in North America, and some may deliver a sting akin to a bee or wasp sting, only one scorpion found in the United States is considered dangerous to humans: the bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing, 1928. While Poison Control Centers in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Florida receive hundreds of calls annually because of scorpion stings, these are almost never fatal, especially because antivenom is available (Kang and Brooks 2017). Scorpion envenomation is a more severe problem outside the United States. It is estimated that 1.5 million people are stung by scorpions worldwide every year, resulting in over 2,500 deaths annually (Feola et al. 2020).

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and completed with the help of Jan Ove Rein, editor of The Scorpion Files.

    This update comprises 4,263 new and edited names, 4,233 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,833 valid and accepted species included, of which 118 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 01, 2023 - Mite Superfamilies Labidostommatoidea and Paratydeoidea Added

    Superfamily Labidostommatoidea Oudemans, 1904 consists of one family and 75 species. These are free-living mites that live in moss and leaf litter and feed on other small arthropods (Beron 2022).

    Superfamily Paratydeoidea Baker, 1949 consists of small, free-living mites that inhabit moss and leaf litter. Their chelicerae shape may indicate that they also prey on small arthropods, or some may feed on moss (Kun 2022).

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is based largely on Beron's 2022 'Acarorum Catalogus X.'

    The update of Labidostommatoidea comprises 119 new and edited names, 115 of which are new to ITIS. There are 75 valid and accepted species included, of which 8 are found in North America.

    The update of Paratydeoidea comprises 51 new and edited names, 48 of which are new to ITIS. There are 28 valid and accepted species included, of which 5 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 01, 2023 - Update of Decapod Infraorders Axiidea and Gebiidea

    Commonly known as mud or ghost shrimps and mud lobsters respectively, infraorders Axiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 and Gebiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 are burrowing crustaceans more closely related to crabs than to true shrimp (Wolfe et al. 2019). Previously grouped in infraorder Thalassinidea Latreille, 1831, in the 2000s genetic evidence confirmed that they are separate lineages, and resemble each other because of convergent evolution (de Grave et al. 2009). They are still sometimes collectively referred to as 'thalassinidean' taxa..

    Ghost shrimp are a source of food for fish, shorebirds, and whales. Their burrows, which can be multiple feet deep, mix nutrients and oxygen into the sediment, while bringing up nutrients that are used by other small animals such as marine worms, crabs, and snapping shrimp (Saunders 2022, Monterey Bay Aquarium n.d.).

    Ghost shrimp are used as bait by fishermen, both along coasts of North America and coasts of Australia (where they are also called 'yabbies' — a word borrowed from the Wemba Wemba language of Victoria, Australia) (ANU n.d.) - who collect them from their burrows using a plunger or 'yabby pump' (Monterey Bay Aquarium n.d.), National Park Service n.d., Taylor and Poore 2011).

    This update comprises 1,714 new and edited names, 1,308 of which are new to ITIS. There are 816 valid and accepted species included, of which 43 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 01, 2023 - Primates Update 2023

    Global coverage of primates has been updated, following previous updates in 2021 and 2018. Among the updates are a newly described species of macaque and a new tamarin (Ghosh 2022).

    Guidance and sources for the updates were generously supplied by Anthony Rylands, now Primate Conservation Director of Re:wild, and deputy chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group.

    This update comprises 556 new and edited names, 41 of which are new to ITIS. There are 526 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2023 - 'Clam Shrimp' Added

    This update includes the smaller groups within crustacean order Diplostraca - Laevicaudata Linder, 1945 and Spinicaudata Linder, 1945, along with the monotypic Cyclestheriidae G. O. Sars, 1899. It excludes Cladocera.

    Cyclestheriidae includes the single species Cyclestheria hislopi (Baird, 1859) which has circumtropical distribution, found in South America, Asia, and Australia. Its physical characteristics resemble both the clam shrimp of Spinicaudata and its sister taxa in Cladocera (Schwentner et al. 2013).

    Both Spinicaudata (clam shrimp) and Laevicaudata (smooth clam shrimp, flat-tailed clam shrimps) derive their vernacular name from their appearance; a flattened shrimp-like crustacean enclosed within a two-sided shell that resembles a clam shell and can be closed tightly with a ligament (Sigvardt et al. 2021). Lavicaudatans live only in ephemeral freshwater pools; spinicaudatans similarly live in variable freshwater and may also live in brackish inland bodies of water (Rogers 2020).

    This update comprises 590 new and edited names, 496 of which are new to ITIS. There are 259 valid and accepted species included, of which 23 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2023 - Mite Superfamily Eupodoidea Added

    This cosmopolitan mite family includes members that are fungivorous (BugGuide 2023a), predatory on smaller arthropods (BugGuide 2023b), and phytophagous (herbivorous). Some species in family Penthaleidae Oudemans, 1931 are crop pests, including Penthaleus major (Dugès, 1834) and Halotydeus destructor (R. W. Jack, 1908) (IDtools 2023).

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is based largely on Beron's 2022 Acarorum Catalogus X (Beron 2022).

    This update comprises 576 new and edited names, 548 of which are new to ITIS. There are 357 valid and accepted species included, of which 72 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 3, 2023 - Phylum Placozoa Updated

    Placozoans are very simple–amoeboid in form and lacking any distinct organs—and very old—over 500 million years old, as estimated by molecular data. Since the first species was described, Trichoplax adhaerens Schulze, 1883, the group was considered to be monotypic for over 100 years. In the 2000s, molecular data showed a surprising amount of diversity in the phylum. Finally, 2022 saw a major revision of the entire phylum, including publication of two new classes, four new orders, three new families, and one new genus, as well as one new species (Tessler et al., 2022).

    This update comprises 21 new and edited names, 16 of which are new to ITIS. There are 4 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 3, 2023 - Phylum Phoronida Updated

    Phoronids, also known as horseshoe worms, are sedentary marine animals. Most of their body is protected by a chitinous tube; the anterior structure that extends into the water is called the lophophore, which an oval–, horseshoe–, or U–shaped array of tentacles that surround the mouth and aid in feeding and respiration. Their digestive tract is curved into a U–shape that puts their anus near their mouth (Emig and de Mittelwihr 1999, Pensoft 2014).

    This update comprises 33 new and edited names, 4 of which are new to ITIS. There are 11 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 3, 2023 - Crabs of Genus Callinectes Added

    Genus Callinectes Stimpson, 1860, meaning 'beautiful swimmer', of crab family Portunidae, includes the culturally and commercially important blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896. Populations in the Chesapeake Bay had suffered a catastrophic drop to an estimated 227 million in 2022, marking a 33–year low. Numbers have since started to rebound, rising to 323 million in early spring of 2023 (Fletcher 2023). Threats to Chesapeake Bay blue crab populations include loss of underwater grass habitat, oxygen-depleted 'dead zones', the invasive predatory blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus (Valen-ciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1840)), and overfishing (Chesapeake Bay Foundation n.d.). Louisiana's blue crab fishery was declared a 'certified sustainable fishery' by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2012, the first blue crab fishery to be so designated (Alexander-Bloch 2012). It has maintained its sustainable status since, earning a 10–year certification anniversary award in 2022 (Marine Stewardship Council 2023).

    This update comprises 39 new and edited names, 27 of which are new to ITIS. There are 15 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 30, 2023 - Minute Litter Bugs of Dipsocoromorpha Added

    Bugs of infraorder Dipsocoromorpha were given the vernacular name 'minute litter bugs' because of their small size; they are typically 1–2 mm, and rarely up to 4 mm long. They may be the least–studied infraorder of true bugs, in part because of their small size and habit of living buried in soil and leaf litter. Also, some may be mistaken for beetles: some species in families Ceratocombidae Fieber, 1860 and Schizopteridae Reuter, 1891 have 'coleopteroid' wings which are shortened, hard, and convex (Weirauch and Fernandes 2015).

    This update comprises 688 new and edited names, 638 of which are new to ITIS. There are 538 valid and accepted species included, of which 17 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 30, 2023 - Taeniidae Tapeworms Added

    The tapeworms of family Taeniidae have medical and veterinary importance, with multiple species infecting humans and domestic animals. Three species in genus Taenia Linnaeus, 1758 infect humans (Flisser 2013). Taenia saginata Goeze, 1782 (the cattle or beef tapeworm) and Taenia suihominis Mathison, Bradbury & Pritt, 2021 (previously known as T. asiatica Eom and Rim, 1993 (Mathison et al. 2021)) cause taeniosis, which may be asymptomatic or may cause digestive issues like abdominal pain and loss of appetite. The pig or pork tapeworm, Taenia solium Linnaeus, 1758 causes cysticercosis, a severe infestation of cysts in muscle and/or brain tissue that can cause seizures (CDC 2023).

    Genus Echinococcus Rudolphi, 1801 also includes medically and economically significant species that infect cattle, sheep, and dogs as well as humans. A 2006 analysis of the global impact of infection by the hyper or dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786), estimated more than US$ 760 million in annual losses due to human infection, and annual livestock production losses of at least US$ 140 million (Budke et al. 2006, Tamarozzi et al. 2020)

    This update comprises 130 new and edited names, 122 of which are new to ITIS. There are 60 valid and accepted species included, of which 23 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 30, 2023 - Update of Global Varanoid Lizards

    Lizard superfamily Varanoidea includes the imposing Komodo Dragon, Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912. The largest living lizard in the world, an individual was once verified to measure 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weigh 366 pounds (166 kilograms) (National Zoo n.d.).

    Genus Varanus Merrem, 1820 also includes the fierce predatory goannas of Australia and Southeast Asia. Research in 2005 found that goannas have dental glands and may possess snake-like venom (Smith 2005); however, evidence as to whether goannas should be considered venomous is complex and inconclusive (Jackson 2020). Goannas are important in Aboriginal Australian culture, a source of food and bush medicine and appearing in Dreamtime stories and in art (Bush Heritage Australia n.d., Kate Owen Gallery n.d.).

    This update comprises 235 new and edited names, 167 of which are new to ITIS. There are 86 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 30, 2023 - Global Coverage of Small Mite Orders Adamystoidea and Pomerantzioidea Added

    Superfamily Adamystoidea Cunliffe, 1957 contains just one family of free-living mites, divided into two subfamilies: Adamystinae Cunliffe, 1957 are predatory, while Saxidrominae Coineau, 1974 are microphytophages, feeding by scraping algae, lichens, or moss off rocks (Fernandez et al. 2014).

    The first species in Pomerantzioidea to be described was found in peach orchard soil in the southern United States. Since then, more species have been found in clay, sandy, and grassland soil in the U.S. and under pine trees in China (Fan and Chen 2005).

    Taxonomy for both treatments was derived from Beron's (2022) Acarorum Catalogus X (Beron 2022).

    The update of Adamystoidea comprises 37 new and edited names, 35 of which are new to ITIS. There are 28 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    The update of Pomerantzioidea comprises 12 new and edited names, 10 of which are new to ITIS. There are 6 valid and accepted species included, of which 4 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Apr 28, 2023 - Update of Order Anomura Completed with Update of Squat Lobsters, Porcelain Crabs, and Allies

    While commonly referred to as squat lobsters (Galatheidae Samouelle, 1819) and porcelain crabs (Porcellanidae Haworth, 1825), both groups are anomuran decapods (Anomura MacLeay, 1838) rather than true lobsters (Nephropidae Dana, 1852) and crabs (Brachyura Latreille, 1802). Squat lobsters are named for their typical posture with a long tail held curled underneath the body. They live worldwide in habitats ranging from coral reefs to muddy seafloors to deep ocean hydrothermal vents (Deep Marine Scenes 2021). In parts of South America they are eaten as langostinos (Barrat 2014).

    Notable is the yeti crab, Kiwa hirsuta Macpherson, Jones & Segonzac, 2005, named for its furry-looking, setae-covered claws. Since its discovery in 2005 (Monterey Bay Aquarium 2006), three new species in the genus have been described.

    This update is the third of three updates (including Hippoidea Latreille, 1825 and Paguroidea Latreille, 1802) that have completed and updated worldwide coverage of all anomuran decapods in ITIS.

    This update comprises 2,684 new and edited names, 2,478 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,839 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Apr 28, 2023 - Global Coverage of Parholaspididae Mites Added

    Parholaspididae Evans, 1956 is a family of free-living, predatory mites that have been found living in decaying plant matter, soil, moss, animal nests, and caves (Quintero-Gutiérrez and Halliday 2021).

    This update comprises 245 new and edited names, 244 of which are new to ITIS. There are 164 valid and accepted species included, of which 21 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Apr 28, 2023 - Global Coverage of Ameroseiidae Mites Added

    Mites of family Ameroseiidae Evans in Hughes, 1961 are found worldwide in a variety of habitats, including decaying wood, humid soils, and flowers. Some eat decaying wood and the fungi found on said wood; some eat pollen and nectar (Mašán 2017). Others are predatory; Kleemannia kosi El-Badry, Nasr and Hafez, 1979 has been evaluated as a control measure for mite and insect pests on garlic crops (Elhalawany et al. 2021).

    With the addition of this family, as well as the tiny (containing only two species) family Antennochelidae Lindquist and Moraza, 2014, coverage of superfamily Ascoidea Voigts and Oudemans, 1905 is completed in ITIS.

    This update comprises 283 new and edited names, 282 of which are new to ITIS. There are 143 valid and accepted species included, of which 9 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Apr 04, 2023 - Global Leuciscidae Updated

    Fish of family Leuciscidae Bonaparte, 1835 are the true minnows; other common names applying to various genera within Leuciscidae include shiners, chubs, and dace. Minnows are edible by humans (PondInformer 2021) (cooked properly for safety, of course! (Narr et al. 1996)) and many species are popular bait fish (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife n.d.).

    Many other species are at risk because of limited ranges, dam-building, habitat degradation, and climate change; for example, the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, Hybognathus amarus (Girard, 1856) (New Mexico Department of Game and Fish n.d.). The genus Evarra Woolman, 1894 from the area of Mexico City went extinct decades ago because of habitat loss, and only one specimen now remains (Riley 2015). On the other hand, the Oregon Chub - Oregonichthys crameri (Snyder, 1908) - is a conservation success story, having been taken off the Endangered Species List in 2014 (Nuwer 2014).

    This update comprises 2,443 new and edited names, 1,606 of which are new to ITIS. There are 680 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Mar 06, 2023 - Update of Global Mites in Endeostigmata

    Suborder Endeostigmata Reuter, 1909 includes the unusual mites of family Nematalycidae Lindquist, Krantz and Walter, 2009. Members are vermiform, with elongated bodies that expand and contract using hydraulic pressure, as an adaptation for living among soil grains (Bolton et al., 2014). Species Nanorchestes antarcticus Strandtmann, 1963, which generally live on continental Antarctica, have been found living on glacier ice (Block 1976, Block 1980).

    This update comprises 187 new and edited names, 13 of which are new to ITIS. There are 122 valid and accepted species included, of which 27 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Mar 06, 2023 - Global Hippoidea (Sand Crabs and Mole Crabs) Updated

    Sand crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Anomura MacLeay, 1838, meaning 'varied tail' (as opposed to the true crabs of infraorder Brachyura Latreille, 1802, 'short tail'). Sand crab body structures are highly modified for digging; in gaining the ability to rapidly burrow backwards, they have lost the ability to walk (Faulkes and Paul, 1997).

    The update is based on a checklist published in 2010 (Boyko and McLaughlin, The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2010 Supplement No. 23), and has been updated with reference to subsequent published literature up until January 2023.

    This update comprises 156 new and edited names, 108 of which are new to ITIS. There are 88 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Mar 06, 2023 - Global Paguroidea, Lithodoidea and Lomisoidea (Hermit Crabs, King Crabs, and Relatives) Updated

    Anomuran decapod superfamily Paguroidea Latreille, 1802 includes the charismatic hermit crabs. A number of species have evolved adaptations for terrestrial life, including Birgus latro (Linnaeus, 1767), the largest terrestrial arthropod, which can grow as large as 9lb and a meter wide (Greenway 2003). Just one species, Clibanarius fonticola McLaughlin & Murray, 1990, spends its life in fresh water (McLaughlin and Murray 1990).

    A recent study (Greenshields et al., 2021) has found that the plastic additive oleamide stimulates activity and feeding in Pagurus bernhardus (Linnaeus, 1758), potentially causing the crabs to harmfully mistake microplastics for food.

    The update is based on a checklist published in 2010 (McLaughlin et al., The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 2010 Supplement No. 23), and has been updated with reference to subsequent published literature up until January 2023.

    This update comprises 2,240 new and edited names, 1,820 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,359 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Feb 01, 2023 - Global Dendrobranchiata (Penaeoid and Sergestoid Shrimp/Prawns) Updated

    Dendrobranchiata Spence Bate, 1888 contains species of commercial and subsistence importance worldwide and through history. European settlers on the Atlantic Coast of America learned shrimp fishing from the region's indigenous people, and commercial shrimping in the United States began in 1709, catching white shrimp, Penaeus setiferus (Linnaeus, 1767), in Penaeidae Rafinesque, 1815. It is still one of the most valuable fisheries along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the U.S.; in 2021, white shrimp harvests totaled 112 million pounds and were valued at $274 million (NOAA n.d.)

    The wild prawn species with the highest reported annual catch is the akiami paste shrimp, Acetes japonicus Kishinouye, 1905, in Sergestidae Dana, 1852. In 2019, 402 thousand tonnes (886 million pounds) were reported caught globally (FAO 2023).

    This update comprises 1,254 new and edited names, 385 of which are new to ITIS. There are 524 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Feb 01, 2023 - Global Enicocephalomorpha (Unique-headed Bugs) Added

    'Unique-headed bugs' are so named because their head shape is elongated and bisected by a constriction. Their clade is basal to other true bugs (Heteroptera Latreille, 1810). While it is rare for species of true bugs to swarm, the behavior is relatively common for bugs in Enicocephalomorpha; some swarms include multiple species of Enicocephalidae at once (Fernandes and Weirauch 2015).

    This update comprises 321 new and edited names, 15 of which are new to ITIS. There are 437 valid and accepted species included, of which 409 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Feb 01, 2023 - Addition of Global Ologamasidae Mites

    Mites of family Ologamasidae Ryke, 1962 are generalist predators that live in soil and decaying leaf litter. They are abundant in areas where they are found, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The treatment combines a 2016 catalogue (Castilho 2016) and more recent literature for an up-to-date and complete global treatment.

    This update comprises 786 new and edited names, 785 of which are new to ITIS. There are 496 valid and accepted species included, of which 9 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Feb 01, 2023 - Addition of Global Podocinidae Mites

    The Podocinidae Berlese, 1913 are a small family of free-living, soil-dwelling mites. They are presumed to be predatory on springtails, nematodes, and other mites, but their behavior is not well-studied. The treatment was based on a 2020 catalogue (Barros et al. 2020) and supplemented with more recent literature to bring it up-to-date.

    This update comprises 52 new and edited names, 51 of which are new to ITIS. There are 38 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Dec 30, 2022 - Global Tardigrades Updated

    Tardigrades (phylum Tardigrada), also known as water bears, are microinvertebrates (generally ˜1 mm in length) found in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats worldwide. Recently-described species have been found in wooded wilderness in Montana (Miller and Miller, 2021) and in ocean depths of the South China Sea (Bai et al., 2022). While they thrive only in wet conditions, tardigrades can endure a variety of extreme environmental conditions by entering states of cryptobiosis. They have been known to survive oven-hot and freezing-cold temperatures, high pressure exceeding ocean depths, and low pressure like the vacuum of space; as well as lack of water, lack of oxygen, and doses of X-ray radiation, among other stresses (Bordenstein, 2022).

    This update comprises 2,258 new and edited names, 870 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,461 valid and accepted species included, of which 265 are found in North America. It is largely based on Bertolani and Guidetti, 2019.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Dec 01, 2022 - Galliformes (Landfowl) Updated

    Name derived from the Latin word for rooster, 'gallus', Galliformes includes familiar poultry and domesticated gamebirds including chickens, turkeys, quail, and pheasant.

    While all galliform chicks are precocious, megapode chicks live independently from hatching (Göth and Vogel, 2022). Rather than sitting on a nest to warm their eggs, megapode parents will lay their eggs in a burrow in soil warmed by sunlight or geothermal energy (Video: Megapode Birds Laying Eggs and Their Predators, on Ash-Covered Islands, 2020), or may build a nest mound of plant compost to take advantage of the heat generated through its decomposition (Birks, 2015).

    This update comprises 1,946 new and edited names, 704 of which are new to ITIS. There are 302 valid and accepted species included, of which 25 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Dec 01, 2022 - Update to Oribatid Mites in Collaboration with Global Oribatida Initiative and the University of Göttingen

    Mite suborder Oribatida Dugès, 1834 was previously updated in ITIS in a series of infraorder-based subsets, from Mixonomata in April 2020 to Brachypylina in December 2021, based on the comprehensive work Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Ori-batida) del Mundo by Luis S. Subías.

    Specialists with the University of Göttingen and Global Oribatida Initiative have developed an efficient method to process Subías' PDF-based information into spreadsheet format, and contacted ITIS with an offer to collaborate. On ITIS' side, this collaboration has so far resulted in a new update of global oribatid mite treatment for 2022, covering all infraorders with the exception of Brachypylina Hull, 1918. A new update of Brachypylina is also in process.

    This update comprises 3,546 new and edited names, 113 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,601 valid and accepted species included, of which 260 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Nov 01, 2022 - Anseriformes (Ducks and Geese) and Charadriiformes (Shorebirds, Gulls and Related Birds) Updated

    Ducks are found on every continent in the world; the Yellow-billed Pintail, Anas georgica J. F. Gmelin, 1789 even visits coastal areas of Antarctica, though it breeds in South America and on sub-Antarctic islands like South Georgia (Askanaturalist.com, 2012).

    The world's most southern-dwelling bird is in order Charadriiformes: the South Polar Skua, Stercorarius maccormicki H. Saunders, 1893, which generally lives near the coast but has been sighted at the South Pole (British Antarctic Survey, 2022; National Science Foundation, 2006.

    This update comprises 2,284 new and edited names, 674 of which are new to ITIS. There are 570 valid and accepted species included, of which 240 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Nov 01, 2022 - Global Melicharidae Mites Added

    Mites of family Melicharidae Hirschmann, 1962 are generally associated with the soil, and some species have associations with insects, birds, and mammals as well as plants. Members of genera Proctolaelaps Berlese, 1923, Rhinoseius Baker and Yunker, 1964, and Tropicoseius Baker and Yunker, 1964 have been found associated with hummingbirds (Trochilidae) in Brazil and Colombia (Bassini-Silva et al., 2021; López-Orozco and Cañón-Franco, 2013).

    Proctolaelaps bickleyi (Bram, 1956), a predatory mite, has been investigated as a biological control agent for the coconut mite (Aceria guerreronis Keifer, 1965) in Brazil (Lima et al., 2012).

    This update comprises 439 new and edited names, 438 of which are new to ITIS. There are 250 valid and accepted species included, of which 39 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Sept 30, 2022 - Mammal Families Procyonidae (Raccoons and Allies) and Ailuridae (Red Pandas) Updated

    Family Procyonidae includes raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, and olingos, as well as the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina Helgen, Pinto, Kays, Helgen, Tsuchiya, Quinn, Wilson and Maldonado, 2013) which was identified as a separate species (and added to ITIS) in 2013 (AMNH, 2015).

    Red pandas were previously thought to be related to the raccoons of Procyonidae and the bears of Ursidae, but they belong to their own separate family, Ailuridae. In 2020, DNA evidence showed that the family contains two species: the eastern or Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani Thomas, 1902) and the western or Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens F. G. Cuvier, 1825). The taxonomic separation is significant for conservation strategies, as the Himalayan red panda faces lower numbers and less population diversity, and as interbreeding between the species in captivity is now discouraged (The Guardian, 2020).

    This update comprises 207 new and edited names, 91 of which are new to ITIS. There are 15 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Sept 30, 2022 - Mammal Families Ursidae (Bears) and Mephitidae (Skunks and Stink Badgers) Updated

    The only bear native to South America is the spectacled or Andean bear, (Tremarctos ornatus (F. G. Cuvier, 1825)). It is vulnerable because of hunting and habitat loss, and its remaining wild population size is difficult to determine, with estimates ranging between 6,000 and 16,000 individuals (National Geographic, 2016; World Wildlife Fund, 2022).

    Besides striped, spotted, and hog-nosed skunks, family Mephitidae also includes the stink badgers of genus Mydaus F. G. Cuvier, 1821, endemic to the Greater Sunda Islands and Philippines. While they superficially resemble badgers (family Mustelidae), lacking the long fluffy tails of skunks, stink badgers share with the skunks of the Americas the ability to spray noxious anal secretions (Crew, 2020).

    This update comprises 442 new and edited names, 295 of which are new to ITIS. There are 23 valid and accepted species included, of which 10 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Sept 30, 2022 - Global Palaemonoidea Shrimp Added

    Superfamily Palaemonoidea is the largest within order Caridea, containing more than 1,000 species. This update completes treatment of the Infraorder Caridea, along with previous updates completed in August and March of 2022 and May of 2021.

    The harlequin shrimp, (Hymenocera picta Dana, 1852), is a colorful denizen of Indo-Pacific waters, feeds exclusively on starfish, and has become popular with aquarium hobbyists (Waikiki Aquarium, 2022).

    Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879), the giant river prawn, is native to southeast Asia and is a major economic resource. It has also been cultivated in the continental United States and Hawaii, central and South America, and the Middle East. While it has been recorded as escaping cultivation in Mississippi, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, as well as other locations around the globe, it is considered to be a generally harmless nonindigenous species as it does not spread aggressively (Smithsonian, 2022). In fact, it has been proposed that all-male populations could be introduced as a biological control for harmful invasive freshwater apple snails (Pomacea spp.) (Savaya-Alkalay et al., 2017).

    This update comprises 2,158 new and edited names, 1,138 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,108 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 31, 2022 - Astigmata Mites: Four Superfamilies Added

    Towards a full global treatment of suborder Astigmata, this update adds four superfamilies: Canestrinioidea, Hemisarcoptoidea, Histiostomatoidea, and Schizoglyphoidea. Mites of Canestrinioidea live commensal with or parasitic on beetles; Hemisarcoptoidea in saline shore habitats or parasitic on leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) or ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae); Histiostomatoidea live in leaf litter, rotten plants, dung and fungi; and the single species in Schizoglyphoidea, Schizoglyphus biroi Mahunka, 1978, lives on tenebrionid beetles (Beron, 2021).

    This update comprises 1,823 new and edited names, 1,802 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,287 valid and accepted species included, of which 112 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is based largely on Beron's 2021 'Acarorum Catalogus IX'.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 31, 2022 - Buntings, Tanagers and Allies (Emberizidae s.l. and Thraupidae s.l.) Updated

    Covering families in or aligned with buntings and tanagers, this update includes Calyptophilidae, Emberizidae, Mitrospingidae, Nesospingidae, Passerellidae, Rhodinocichlidae, Spindalidae, and Thraupidae.

    Family Thraupidae includes 'Darwin's Finches', which includes 15-18 species in a handful of genera, mostly endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Their widely variable beak sizes and shapes inspired Darwin to develop theories of adaptive radiation (Marsh, 2015). While they are referred to as "finches" the true finches are in family Fringillidae.

    This update comprises 3,718 new and edited names, 1,284 of which are new to ITIS. There are 584 valid and accepted species included, of which 60 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 31, 2022 - Genus Procecidochares Updated in Anticipation of Future Diptera Updates

    Genus Procecidochares Hendel, 1914 belongs to the fruit fly family Tephritidae which includes multiple species that form galls in goldenrod plants Solidago spp. (BugGuide, 2021).

    The insect order Diptera (flies) makes up about 10% of animals. A new strategic focus for ITIS in the upcoming year will be updating, verifying and expanding our records for the order.

    This update comprises 24 new and edited names, 4 of which are new to ITIS. There are 19 valid and accepted species included, of which 17 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 02, 2022 - Ascidae Mites Added

    Predatory mites commonly found living on plants, family Ascidae sensu stricto used to be grouped with related mite families Blattisociidae and Melicharidae as Ascidae sensu lato (de Moraes et al., 2016).

    Genus Antennoseius Berlese, 1916 includes species with adult females that are free-living morphs and morphs that are phoretic on (riding on without harming) beetles. For example, Antennoseius perseus Beaulieu, Déchene and Walter, 2008 and A. pyrophilus Beaulieu, Déchene and Walter, 2008 include individuals that live under the wing elytra of carabid beetles Sericoda bembidioides Kirby, 1837 and Sericoda quadripunctata (De Geer, 1774), respectively (Beaulieu et al., 2008).

    This update comprises 597 new and edited names, 595 of which are new to ITIS. There are 387 valid and accepted species included, of which 35 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 02, 2022 - Global Caridea (True Shrimp) Continued Updates, with Procarididea

    Recent updates to ITIS coverage of global shrimp include family Alpheidae in May 2021 and the remainder of superfamily Alpheoidea along with superfamily Atyoidea in March 2022. This current global update covers superfamilies Bresilioidea, Campylonotoidea, Crangonoidea, Nematocarcinoidea, Oplophoroidea, Pandaloidea, Pasiphaeoidea, Physetocaridoidea, Processoidea, Psalidopodoidea, and Stylodactyloidea within infraorder Caridea; as well as treating subfamily Procaridoidea Chace & Manning, 1972 as distinct at the rank of infraorder, Procarididea.

    This update comprises 1,718 new and edited names, 1,182 of which are new to ITIS. There are 975 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 02, 2022 - Coreidae (Leaf-footed Bugs) Updated

    ITIS has maintained Coreidae Leach, 1815 since 2015 when a global species dataset of 2,480 valid species was added. A 2018 revision included 107 names new to ITIS, bringing the total to 2,564 accepted species worldwide with 100 found in North America.

    The current update adds, among others, a newly-described pair of micropterous (small-winged) species from the Fiji Islands and Solomon Islands, Monasavuhygia fodina Brailovsky and Barrera, 2022 and M. incola Brailovsky and Barrera, 2022 (Brailovsky and Barrera, 2022), and Turrana ejuncida Tatarnic and Cassis, 2022 described from specimens collected in Cape Range National Park, Western Australia, in 2019 and 2021 (Tatarnic and Cassis, 2022).

    Maintenance of the Coreidae global species dataset has been managed by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    This update comprises 565 new and edited names, 541 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,587 valid and accepted species included, of which 100 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 02, 2022 - Braconid Wasps: Three More Subfamilies Added

    The Braconidae Nees von Esenbeck, 1811 are the second-largest family in order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species; it has been estimated that described and undescribed species together total over 42,000 (Jones et al., 2009). A 2020 ITIS update added full and current global coverage for subfamily Microgastrinae, as well as the names of 40-plus braconid subfamilies in preparation for future additions and updates.

    This current update completes global coverage for three subfamilies: Aphidiinae, Maxfischeriinae, and Mesostoinae. Wasps of subfamily Aphidiinae (which has sometimes been treated as a separate family) are all endoparasitoids of aphids (feeding on a living aphid from the inside before eventually killing it), and have great potential as biological control agents both in fields and in greenhouses (Hågvar and Hofsvang, 1991).

    This update comprises 1,239 new and edited names, 1,235 of which are new to ITIS. There are 774 valid and accepted species included, of which 176 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • Aug 02, 2022 - Falconiformes (Falcons, Caracaras, Kestrels) Updated

    The current circumscription of Falconiformes is sensu stricto, excluding hawks, New World vultures, and the Secretary Bird (which are in order Accipitriformes) and including falcons, kestrels, and caracaras.

    What has been called the world's smartest bird of prey (Meiburg, 2021) the Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus (J. F. Miller, 1777)) ranges through central and South America and the Caribbean. Its northern range used to extend only to southern parts of Texas, but in recent years they been found more commonly farther north, the shift suspected to be a result of climate change and habitat destruction (Ferguson, 2020).

    This update comprises 323 new and edited names, 104 of which are new to ITIS. There are 65 valid and accepted species included, of which 10 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2022 - Channoidei (Snakeheads) Updated

    Suborder Channoidei comprises two families: Channidae ('true snakeheads') and Aenigmachannidae ('dragon snakeheads').

    Highly valued as food fishes in multiple Asian countries, as well as being available to hobbyists through the aquarium trade, multiple species of snakeheads have been introduced outside their native ranges (Courtenay Jr. and Williams, 2004). In the United States, species have become established in Hawaii, Florida, and Mid-Atlantic states (Benson, 2019). Mitochondrial sequence variation found multiple independent introductions of Northern Snakehead - Channa argus (Cantor, 1842) - into Mid-Atlantic waters, and a possible breeding population in the Potomac River (Orrell and Weigt, 2005). Voracious predators and prolific egg-layers (National Geographic, 2007), when introduced to new habitats they pose a high risk of out-competing native fish and over-consuming populations of native prey fish and frogs ("What Are the Potential Effects of Snakeheads to Our Waters? | U.S. Geological Survey." n.d.). They can also survive for up to four days on land, accessing oxygen through a special chamber beside their gills and propelling themselves over land by movements of their head and back fin ("Meet the Snakehead: A Fish That Can 'Walk' On Land." 2021).

    The first species of dragon snakehead was described in 2019 and named after Gollum, the Lord of the Rings character, for its subterranean lifestyle (Britz et al., 2019). Unlike the character Gollum, Aenigmachanna gollum Britz, Anoop, Dahanukar and Raghavan, 2019 shows few modifications to cave living, aside from pale coloration in comparison to other snakeheads, which suggests that the species may have adopted a troglodyte lifestyle relatively recently (Davis, 2019).

    This update comprises 167 new and edited names, 118 of which are new to ITIS. There are 58 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2022 - Onychophora (Velvet Worms) Updated

    Onychophorans (Phylum Onychophora Grube, 1853) are many-legged, predatory terrestrial invertebrates related to arthropods. The vernacular name derives from their worm-like or caterpillar-like body shape and their cuticle, which is covered with tiny papillae and scales which give it a velvety appearance (Cupul-Magaña and Navarrete-Heredia, 2008). To hunt, Onychophorans utilize paired slime papillae at their anterior end to shoot streams of sticky slime, entrapping prey (National Geographic, 2018).

    This update comprises 396 new and edited names, 83 of which are new to ITIS. There are 230 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2022 - Blattisociidae Mites Added

    The Blattisociidae Garman, 1948 are predaceous mites, multiple species of which have shown efficacy as biological control agents. In particular, Blattisocius mali (Oudemans, 1929) and Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese, 1918) devour the eggs of the Potato Tuber Moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873), a primary pest of stored potatoes worldwide (Granados et al., 2019, Solano-Rojas, 2022, and Gallego et al., 2020).

    This update comprises 539 new and edited names, 538 of which are new to ITIS. There are 407 valid and accepted species included, of which 36 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2022 - Dibamidae (Blind Lizards) Added

    Dibamidae are burrowing lizards with a worm-like appearance, mostly found in Southeast Asia, with one species in Mexico. Their reduced eyes are covered by scales, they have no external ear openings, and they are nearly limbless. Although males retain rudimentary hind limbs (Koppetsch et al., 2019).

    With the addition of this file, coverage of global Vertebrata in ITIS is complete. Efforts to update all vertebrate groups to recent currency are ongoing.

    This update comprises 36 new and edited names, 27 of which are new to ITIS. There are 25 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • June 06, 2022 - Galaxiidae (Galaxias, Mudfish) Updated

    Many species of galaxias are diadromous; spawning in freshwater or an estuary, then being washed out to sea, and returning to freshwater as an adult (McDowall, 2007). Their young are called whitebait (New Zealand Government, 2022). In places where salmonid fishes, e.g. Brown Trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) have been introduced, the native galaxias species are severely impacted (Minett et al., 2021). For example, 10 of the 11 galaxiid species endemic to Tasmania (of 16 species total) are listed under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act of 1995, four of which are endangered (Hardie, 2014).

    This update comprises 179 new and edited names, 114 of which are new to ITIS. There are 66 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • June 06, 2022 - Scincidae (Skinks) Updated

    Scincidae Oppel, 1811 is a large and highly diverse family of lizards, found nearly worldwide and representing approximately 25% of total lizard species. About 20% of skink species are currently threatened, near threatened, or endangered (Chapple et al., 2021).

    This update comprises 2,567 new and edited names, 2,439 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,745 valid and accepted species included, 17 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • June 06, 2022 - Apples (Malus) Updated

    More than one hundred names have been published for the species cultivated to produce the apples of the world. While the name Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh., published in 1803 (IPNI, 2022), was in widespread use in horticulture and botany, it was preceded by other validly-published species names, including Malus pumila Mill., published in 1768, which was previously treated as accepted in ITIS. A 2010 nomenclatural proposal to conserve M. domestica (Guan-Ze et al., 2010) was approved at the 2017 Botanical Congress.

    This update comprises 112 new and edited names, 6 of which are new to ITIS. There are 35 valid and accepted species included, 18 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 02, 2022 - Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae (Chigger Mites) Added

    Commonly known as chiggers, mite larvae of families Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae are temporary ectoparasites of humans and other animals, and can cause an itchy skin reaction known as trombiculiasis (AOCD, 2022). They are also vectors of the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi (Hayashi, 1920) Tamura et al., 1995 that causes scrub typhus, and have been hypothesized to also play a role in transmission of Lyme disease (Borrelia spp.), Bartonella spp. bacteria, and Hantaan virus (Silva-de la Fuente et al., 2021).

    This update comprises 3,372 new and edited names, 3,368 of which are new to ITIS. There are 3,027 valid and accepted species included, 232 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Bullhead Catfish (Ictaluridae) Updated

    Also known as channel catfish, ictalurids (in the family Ictaluridae Gill, 1861) are nocturnal, freshwater fish native to North America ("Ictaluridae", 2017). The family includes species popular in aquaculture and recreational fishing, including the Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque, 1818), the Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818), and the Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1840). Flathead Catfish have become invasive in the Chesapeake Bay and other regions outside their native range of the Mississippi River basin, oftentimes after being intentionally stocked by anglers (Fuller et al., 2022).

    The small catfish of genus Noturus Rafinesque, 1818, called madtoms, are known for their painful venomous stings, said to be akin to a bee or wasp sting (Illinois River Biological Station, 2020). A number of madtom species are restricted in range and rare; the Scioto Madtom, Noturus trautmani Taylor, 1969, is likely extinct, having not been seen since 1957 despite annual fish surveys (US FWS, n.d.).

    This update comprises 184 new and edited names, 118 of which are new to ITIS. There are 51 valid and accepted species included, 43 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Erythraeidae Mites Added

    Erythraeid mites (in the family Erythraeidae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1828) are parasitic on other arthropods as larvae, although they are free-living and predacious as adults (BugGuide, 2021). Species of the genus Leptus Latreille, 1796 are ectoparasitic on honey bees, and can transmit pathogenic Spiroplasma Saglio et al., 1973 bacteria (Martin and Correia-Oliveira, 2016; Entomology Today, 2015).

    This addition completes global coverage of superfamily Erythraeoidea, as the other family in it, Smarididae, was loaded in 2021.

    This update comprises 1,029 new and edited names, 1,027 of which are new to ITIS. There are 893 valid and accepted species included, 52 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2017) Acarorum Catalogus I and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Pachylaelapidae Mites Added

    Pachylaelapid mites (in the family Pachylaelapidae Berlese, 1913) are an important component of soil microhabitat fauna communities in the northern hemisphere, especially in the Palearctic. They also live in the nests of mammals, birds, and social insects. Many species are associated with scarab beetles (Mašán and Halliday, 2014).

    This update comprises 299 new and edited names, 297 of which are new to ITIS. There are 266 valid and accepted species included, found in the Palaearctic, Asia, and Africa.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Tenuipalpidae Mites Added

    Also known as 'flat mites' or 'false spider mites' (in the family Tenuipalpidae Berlese, 1913), are cosmopolitan, phytophagous mites. A few species may damage plants by feeding on epidermal cells, and have been known to spread plant viruses and fungal spores (Mesa et al., 2009). In particular, the Red Palm Mite, Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924, is a prominent pest of palm trees and other agricultural and ornamental tropical plants, and has been introduced into Florida and the Caribbean (Hoy et al., 2019).

    This update comprises 1,108 new and edited names, 1,107 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,028 valid and accepted species included, 143 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Mesa et al.'s 2009 Catalog and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Rhodacaridae Mites Added

    Rhodacarids are free-living, predatory mites (in the family Rhodacaridae Oudemans, 1902) that live in soil, dead organic matter, mosses and lichens, and rodent nests (Castilho, 2012).

    This update comprises 253 new and edited names, 251 of which are new to ITIS. There are 166 valid and accepted species included, 2 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Castilho et al.'s 2012 Catalogue and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 30, 2022 - Listropsoralgidae Mites Added

    Mites of family Listropsoralgidae Fain, 1965are permanent ectoparasites associated with Neotropical and Australian marsupials and with a neotropical spiny rat (Bochkov et al., 2013).

    This update comprises 19 new and edited names, all new to ITIS. There are 13 valid and accepted species included.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 1, 2022 - Amblypygi (Whip Scorpions) Updated

    Order Amblypygi Thorell, 1883 was last updated in January 2020, at which time it comprised 217 valid and accepted species. An abundance of taxonomic literature published in the years since then, including almost 40 new names published in 2021, prompted another update.

    There are now 266 valid and accepted species included, of which 5 are cited for North America. This update comprises 385 new and edited names, 385 of which are new to ITIS.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 1, 2022 - Freshwater Shrimp Global Coverage Additions

    Global coverage of family Alpheidae Rafinesque, 1815, the snapping shrimps, was added to ITIS in May of 2021. The current update adds global coverage for the rest of superfamily Alpheoidea Rafinesque, 1815. It includes the popular aquarium shrimp Thor amboinensis (De Man, 1888), commonly known as anemone shrimp, dancing shrimp, high-tailed shrimp, and sexy shrimp for their habits of living inside anemones and waving their brightly-colored tails (Shedd Aquarium, 2022).

    Atyoidea De Haan, 1849 includes the Pasadena shrimp, Syncaris pasadenae (Kingsley, 1897), an endemic Californian freshwater shrimp that is probably extinct, as it has not been seen since the 1930s. The remaining species in the genus, the California freshwater shrimp Syncaris pacifica (Holmes, 1895), was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1988 (Dickinson, 2008), and is undergoing a 5-year review as of May 2021.

    The update for Alpheoidea (excluding Alpheidae) comprises 805 new and edited names, 551 of which are new to ITIS. There are 400 valid and accepted species included.

    The update for Atyoidea comprises 767 new and edited names, 700 of which are new to ITIS. There are 526 valid and accepted species included (526 in Atyoidea), of which 5 are cited for North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 1, 2022 - Five Bird Orders (Trogoniformes, Coraciiformes, Bucerotiformes, Coliiformes, Leptosomiformes) Updated

    The five orders of birds updated this month include a wide variety of charismatic, iconic, or strikingly-plumaged birds. It includes trogons and quetzels (Trogoniformes); motmots, rollers, bee-eaters, and kingfishers (Coraciiformes); hornbills and hoopooes (Bucerotiformes); mousebirds (Coliiformes); and the cuckoo-roller (Leptosomiformes).

    Trogons (Trogoniformes) are the only birds - indeed, the only animals - to have heterodactyl feet, in which digits I and II are oriented backwards while digits III and IV are oriented forwards (though it is similar to the zygodactyl pattern of parrots and woodpeckers, in which digits I and II are oriented backwards while digits III and IV are oriented forwards) (Botelho, 2014). The resplendent quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno La Llave, 1832, is the national bird of Guatemala, and was considered sacred and symbolic of freedom, goodness, and wealth by the Aztecs and Mayans (American Bird Conservancy, 2022).

    Kingfishers (Coraciiformes) featured prominently in an ancient Greek myth: in the story of Alcyone and Ceyx, after death the couple were transformed into kingfisher birds, and were granted a period of calm seas and winds each year: the origin of the phrase 'halcyon days' (Greeka, 2022). Two genera of kingfisher bear the mythical names: Halcyon Swainson, 1821 and Ceyx Lacépède, 1799.

    Both males and females of the Turquoise-browed Motmot, Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach, 1837) (Coraciiformes) have long racketed tail feathers, which they wag in a display when they have spotted a predator. The display is directed towards the predator, and theoretically acts as an ambush-deterrent, a way of indicating that the bird is aware of the predator and ready to escape (Murphy, 2006).

    The Hoopoe, Upupa epops Linnaeus, 1758 (Bucerotiformes), was voted Israel's national bird in 2008 (Marom, 2019). The Hoopoe has a long history within literature, folklore, and art in eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, being associated with wisdom, magic, and filial devotion (Schum, 2019; Marshall, 2015).

    This update comprises 1,753 new and edited names, 737 of which are new to ITIS. There are 307 valid and accepted species included, of which 7 are cited for North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 1, 2022 - Three Lizard Families (Alopoglossidae, Gymnophthalmidae, Teiidae) Updated

    The 'spectacled lizards' of Gymnophthalmidae Fitzinger, 1826 are named for having a spectacle, or brille. The brille is a transparent and rigid structure that covers the eye, instead of the movable eyelids and nictitating membrane possessed by most squamates (Guerra-Fuentes et al., 2014).

    Species in genus Aspidoscelis Fitzinger, 1843 in family Teiidae reproduce by obligate parthenogenesis; these species have no male individuals. These species, which originated through hybridization, are able to maintain genetic richness by starting the reproductive process with double the number of chromosomes as their sexually-reproducing relatives (Harmon, 2010) .

    This update comprises 1,072 new and edited names, 948 of which are new to ITIS. There are 478 valid and accepted species included, of which 24 are cited for North America.

    The update is largely based on the 2021 version of Reptile Database (Uetz, 2022).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • February 1, 2022 - Meliphagidae (Honey-eaters) Updated

    Honey-eaters are nectar-feeding passerine birds native to Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the Pacific. They have a specialized, brush-like tongue (Hancock, 2014) and curved bill for feeding on nectar, a diet which they supplement with manna (sweet plant resins), honeydew, insects, and sometimes fresh fruits.

    ITIS primarily follows the IOC (the International Ornithological Congress' list) for current taxonomy. With this update, the taxonomic list was compared against Howard & Moore, HBW (Handbook of the Birds of the World, from Lynx & Bird Life International) and eBird. While IOC current taxonomy is still followed, all names accepted by any of the four sources are incorporated into the file, to facilitate comparison and support TSN retrieval (these names are treated in synonymy where they differ from the IOC's treatment). Going forward, all bird treatment updates in ITIS will incorporate this 'reconciliation' process.

    This update comprises 971 new and edited names, 422 of which are new to ITIS. There are 196 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • February 1, 2022 - Catostomidae (Suckers) Updated

    Suckers are freshwater fish mostly native to North America; their vernacular name refers to their subterminal (on the underside of the head) mouths with fleshy lips. They are important to the fishing industry, as their young provide forage for larger game fish, and suckers themselves can be caught using a variety of fishing methods. Suckers can be eaten in a variety of ways and provided a source of food for Indigenous Americans (FishBio, 2013). The Bigmouth Buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844) is the longest lived freshwater teleost fish species (in the infraclass Teleostei), as they can reach ages up to 112 years (Lackmann et al., 2019). It is also the largest species of catostomid (in the family Catostomidae), reaching 1.25 m (>4 ft) long and >36 kg (80 lbs).

    This update comprises 330 new and edited names, 198 of which are new to ITIS. There are 84 valid and accepted species included, 72 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2021 - Oribatid Mite Infraorder Brachypylina Updated

    Among the most dominant arthropod groups found in soils worldwide (see ITIS What's New, May 2020), oribatid mites generally feed on detritus and are beneficial to the environment and harmless to humans (Roczen-Karczmarz and Tomczuk, 2017). However, some species can serve as hosts for tapeworm eggs and larva, potentially acting as vectors for human and livestock disease (Schuster et al., 2000). This update completes ITIS' 2020-2021 project to fully update the oribatid mites.

    This update comprises 12,659 new and edited names, 3,706 of which are new to ITIS. There are 8,447 valid and accepted species included, 847 of which are found in North America. This update is primarily based on the comprehensive work Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Oribatida) del Mundo by Luis S. Subías.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2021 - Crocodilia Updated

    The category of crocodilians includes gavials, caimans, and alligators as well as crocodiles. The group was previously updated in ITIS in 2012. According to the IUCN, seven species are Critically Endangered, and another four are Vulnerable. American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin, 1802)) were once endangered because of overhunting and habitat destruction in the late 1800s and early half of the 1900s. A complete ban on alligator hunting in Florida and Louisiana in 1961/1962 allowed the population to begin a rebound. Subsequent restricted wild harvest and captive farming, as well as habitat protection and awareness programs, allowed further recovery. In 1986, the American Alligator was removed from the Endangered Species List (Moyle, 2013; US FWS, 2008).

    This update comprises 113 new and edited names, 60 of which are new to ITIS. There are 27 valid and accepted species included, 3 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2021 - Cloacaroidea Mites Added

    Mites of superfamily Cloacaroidea are highly specialized endoparasites (Bochkov and OConnor, 2008). Members of family Cloacaridae, subfamily Cloacarinae, live in the cloacas of turtles; mites of Epimyodicidae live in subcutaneous tissues of small mammals; and Pneumophagus bubonis Fain and Smiley, 1989 lives in the lungs of the Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)).

    This update comprises 33 new and edited names, 30 of which are new to ITIS. There are 19 valid and accepted species included, 9 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2021) Acarorum Catalogus VIII.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2021 - Cheyletoidea Mites Added

    Cheyletoidea includes the follicle mites of family Demodecidae Nicolet, 1855 and the quill mites of Syringophilidae Lavoipierre, 1953. Demodecidae includes two species commonly found living on the faces of humans, Demodex brevis Akbulatova, 1963 and Demodex folliculorum (Simon, 1842) (Cassidy, 2019). Almost all humans host at least some Demodex mites without any harm or symptoms, but it is possible for them to cause an infestation that requires medical intervention (Gutierrez, 2011). Quill mites infest a baby bird's developing feathers and live within the lumen (central space within the quill) of feathers throughout almost all of the mites' life cycle. A majority of species are host-specific, and some are feather-specific, living only within a specific type or location of feathers on a host bird's body (Barrat, 2014).

    This update comprises 1,889 new and edited names, 1,882 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,276 valid and accepted species included, 276 of which are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2021) Acarorum Catalogus VIII and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 02, 2021 - Bee Family Megachilidae Updated

    Megachilidae includes the leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.) that make solitary nests from pieces of leaf they trim and build into tubes, and mason bees (Osmia spp.) that use mud in constructing their nests (Serrano, 2005). Some species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other insects, even other megachilid bees; for example, in a 2019 study in New York state, Coelioxys modestus Smith, 1854 were found to have infested up to half of nests built by Megachile campanulae (Robertson, 1903) (O'Neill and O'Neill, 2016).

    The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787), native to Europe, was introduced to North America in the 1930s for its efficiency in pollinating alfalfa crops (USDA, 2018). Another introduced species, the giant resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis Smith, 1853, has become invasive throughout the east coast of the U.S. and Canada, as it outcompetes native bees for nesting spots (Keegan, 2019).

    The update is based upon the treatment in the Discover Life Bee Species Guide and World Checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) by Ascher and Pickering. John S. Ascher, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore provided taxonomic and nomenclatural guidance.

    This update comprises 10,335 new and edited names, 5,566 of which are new to ITIS. There are 4,211 valid and accepted species included, 632 of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 02, 2021 - Coral Family Meandrinidae Updated

    The stony corals of family Meandrinidae are colonial and contribute to coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean (aside from Ctenella, found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean). Pressures facing them include warming seas, disease, pollution and anthropogenic disturbances. The distinctive pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus Ehrenberg, 1834, has gone locally extinct in the waters around Florida because of thermal stress and disease (Adams 2021, Jones et al. 2021). Populations of Dichocoenia stokesii Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1848, commonly known as domed star coral or pineapple coral, around the northern Florida Keys were struck with an epidemic of the coral disease white plague in 1995, and did not recover (Richardson and Voss, 2005); however, the species is widespread, and still common in parts of its range (NatureServe, 2021). Maze coral, Meandrina meandrites (Linnaeus, 1758), is relatively stable, and listed as Least Concern by the IUCN (Aronson et al., 2008).

    This update comprises 29 new and edited names, 13 of which are new to ITIS. There are 7 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 02, 2021 - Fish Family Lampridae ('Opahs' and 'Moonfish') Updated

    In July, 2021, a 3 1/2-feet long, 100-pound opah, Lampris guttatus (Brünnich, 1788), washed up on a beach in northern Oregon; in excellent condition, it was photographed and then collected and frozen (Firozi, 2021). In October, it was dissected by seventh-graders and a representative from Columbia River Maritime Museum (Haskins, 2021). Opahs are rarely seen so far north, although their ranges have been expanding in recent years, possibly in response to warming waters caused by climate change (Francour, 2010). Their life history and behavior are not well-known, as they are mesopelagic fish, inhabiting the 'twilight zone' of the open ocean. Opah are the first fish found to exhibit whole-body endothermy: the muscle action of their pectoral fins generates heat that keeps their body temperature above that of the surrounding water (Wegner et al., 2015).

    This update comprises 22 new and edited names, 17 of which 123 are new to ITIS. There are 6 valid and accepted species included.

    The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalog of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Howard Jelks (Research Fish Biologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 02, 2021 - Mite Family Macronyssidae Added

    The northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877), is the primary ectoparasite on poultry in the U.S., a nuisance to poultry workers and a harmful stressor to the birds. In severe cases, the mites can drain up to 6% of a bird's blood daily, which can make them anemic or even kill them through exsanguination (Murillo, 2013).

    Macronyssidae also includes the tropical rat mite, Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst, 1913), which can cause dermatitis on humans as well as rodents and other small animals (Beck, 2007), as well as the tropical fowl mite, which carries Western equine encephalomyelitis virus although there is no evidence it transmits the virus (Murillo, 2021).

    This update comprises 602 new and edited names, of which 601 are new to ITIS. There are 246 valid and accepted species included, of which 28 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2014) Acarorum Catalogus III and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 02, 2021 - Beetle Family Cybocephalidae Added

    The Cybocephalidae are small predatory bark, sap, and fungus beetles. Their signature characteristic is the ability to contract their bodies; some can roll into a ball (Smith, 2021).

    This update comprises 335 new and edited names, of which 327 are new to ITIS. There are 207 valid and accepted species included, of which 5 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • November 02, 2021 - Fish Family Centrarchidae Updated

    Centrarchidae includes several popular game fishes (Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, n.d.): bluegills, sunfishes, crappies, rock bass, and black basses including the Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802)). All members of Centrarchidae are endemic to North America. When introduced elsewhere (i.e. several species have frequently been stocked in Europe for sportfishing (Elvira, 2001)) they have a high capacity to become invasive (Soes et al., 2010), out-competing and preying on indigenous fish and other native aquatic life (e.g. Woodford et al., 2010).

    This update comprises 206 new and edited names, of which 123 are new to ITIS. There are 40 valid and accepted species included, all of which are found in North America.

    The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalog of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Howard Jelks (Research Fish Biologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 06, 2021 - Mite family Rhinonyssidae Added

    Rhinonyssidae are hematophagous (blood-eating) parasites that live in the respiratory passages of various bird species. Most live in the nasal passages, but some, like Sternostoma tracheacolum Lawrence, 1948, descend into the trachea and lungs (Bell, 1996). They cause Rhinonyssidosis avium disease and are known to be vectors of encephalitis, and may also be reservoirs and/or vectors of other viruses Dimov and de Rojas, 2012). This is a human health concern as certain species parasitize birds that commonly live in close association with humans, such as domestic and feral pigeons (Veiga et al., 2020).

    This update comprises 781 new and edited names, of which 780 are new to ITIS. There are 468 valid and accepted species included, of which 100 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2020) Acarorum Catalogus VI and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 06, 2021 - Eight Parasitic Mite Families Added

    Dermanyssidae includes the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer 1778), a cosmopolitan pest of domestic poultry. It causes stress and anaemia and transmits disease among birds, and can also cause dermatitis in humans, especially poultry industry workers, urban residents, and military personnel (Di Palma et al., 2012). It also includes the house mouse mite, Liponyssoides sanguineus (Hirst, 1914), which is known to bite humans and cause itchy rashes (Merchant, 2018). This part of the update comprises 64 new and edited names, of which 62 are new to ITIS. There are 38 valid and accepted species included, of which 14 are found in North America.

    Five additional families in superfamily Dermanyssoidea are also added with this load: Dasyponyssidae, Entonyssidae, Hystrichonyssidae, Manitherionyssidae, and Raillietiidae. Mites of Dasyponyssidae parasitize armadillos (Dasypodidae). Species of Entonyssidae have been described from the lungs of snakes (for example, Entonyssus asiaticus Fain, 1960 (Stiller et al., 1977)). Hystrichonyssidae and Manitherionyssidae are monotypic families. Mites of Raillietiidae infest the ears of domestic ruminants, causing inflammation (Ferry et al., 2011). This part of the update comprises 75 new and edited names, of which 71 are new to ITIS. There are 35 valid and accepted species included, of which 10 are found in North America.

    Spelaeorhynchidae live on the wing membranes of bats in families Phyllostomatidae and Mormoopidae, and are found in the Caribbean and Middle and South America (Beron, 2014). This part of the update comprises 11 new and edited names, of which 10 are new to ITIS. There are 7 valid and accepted species included, of which none are found in North America.

    Halarachnidae includes respiratory parasites commonly infecting species of marine mammals (Pesapane, 2021). They can cause mild to severe infestations; nasopulmonary acariasis (mange) has been found to cause significant upper respiratory pathology in sea otters (Dent et al., 2019). This part of the update comprises 71 new and edited names, of which 70 are new to ITIS. There are 41 valid and accepted species included, of which 8 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2014) Acarorum Catalogus III and brought up-to-date with additional taxonomic literature.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 06, 2021 - Remainder of Bat Superfamily Vespertilionoidea Updated, Completing Bat Update Project

    Family Vespertilionidae was updated and loaded earlier this year. The remainder of the superfamily includes families Cistugidae (wing-gland bats), Miniopteridae (long-fingered bats), Molossidae (free-tailed bats), and Natalidae (funnel-eared bats).

    Updating Chiroptera (bats) was a priority for ITIS in fiscal year 2021, along with arthropods that are potential disease vectors, inspired by an increase in general interest in zoonotic diseases because of the novel coronavirus.

    Full ITIS treatment of Chiroptera was last updated in 2014, at which time it contained 1,299 accepted species. This year's update will result in Chiroptera containing 1,449 species, an increase of 11.5%.

    This update comprises 596 new and edited names, of which 56 are new to ITIS. There are 185 valid and accepted species included, of which 7 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 06, 2021 - Genus Bombus (Bumble bees) Updated

    Bumble bee taxonomy in ITIS was last updated in 2020, but recent changes involve species that are currently under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In particular, the western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis Greene, 1858, which was once common throughout western North America (Graves et al., 2020), is the focus of a Species Status Assessment (Under Review) by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

    This update comprises 117 new and edited names, of which 12 are new to ITIS. There are 292 valid and accepted species included, of which 66 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 06, 2021 - Mussel Genus Cyclonaias Updated

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently proposing to list six Central Texas mussel species as threatened or endangered (US FWS 2021). Following a request from the FWS Southwest Regional Office, ITIS made this narrow and limited update to reflect that the Texas pimpleback is currently not treated in genus Quadrula or Amphinaias, but as Cyclonaias petrina (Gould, 1855). We updated the genus Cyclonaias, synonymized the former genus Amphinaias (now a junior synonym of the genus Quadrula) and made the updates necessary to account for the other former species of Amphinaias.

    This update comprises 88 new and edited names, of which 8 are new to ITIS. There are 10 valid and accepted species included, all of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2021 - Fireflies (Lampyridae) Global Coverage Updated

    Fireflies, aka lightning bugs, are familiar and charismatic beetles because of their bioluminescence. But they are also objects of scientific research that has inspired light transmission technology (Kim et al., 2012), recovered defensive chemicals (Eisner et al., 1978), proposed a means of biological control for agricultural pest snails (Fu and Meyer-Rochow, 2013), and increased understanding of photic and pheromone signaling in beetles (Branham and Wenzel, 2005)

    A world list of Lampyridae was added to ITIS in 2014, at which time the treatment comprised 2,250 accepted species. Now there are 2,419 valid and accepted species included, of which 162 are found in North America. This update comprises 2,877 new and edited names, of which 357 are new to ITIS.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2021 - Mite Order Holothyrida Added

    Holothyrida is a small order of large mites (some grow to 7mm) distributed in Australasia, the Caribbean and northern South America, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are scavengers rather than predators or parasites (Klompen, 2010).

    This update comprises 79 new and edited names, of which 75 are new to ITIS. There are 30 valid and accepted species included, none of which are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2021 - Mite family Spinturnicidae Added

    Mites of family Spinturnicidae live as bloodfeeding parasites on the wing and tail membranes of bats (Chiroptera), and have been found on all continents (Gettinger, 2018).

    This update comprises 203 new and edited names, of which 202 are new to ITIS. There are 113 valid and accepted species included, of which 7 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It is primarily based on Beron's (2020) Acarorum Catalogus VI (Beron, 2020).

    PARAGRAPH

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2021 - Vespertilionidae (Vesper Bats, or Evening Bats) Updated

    Vespertilionidae is the most widely-distributed and species of bat families. Genus Myotis Kaup, 1829 alone comprises more than 120 species distributed worldwide; and molecular evidence indicates that its species richness is still underestimated (Novaes et al., 2021).

    Most vespertilionid bats are insectivorous. The Fish-eating Bat, Myotis vivesi Menegaux, 1901 however, which is distributed around the Gulf of California and Baja California in Mexico, dines mostly on marine fish and crustaceans (∼90% of its diet) (Wilcox, 2020).

    Species of Myotis, especially the Little Brown Bat, Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831), were once common across the United States and Canada. Between 2006 and 2012, White-nose Syndrome killed 5.5 million bats (Miller-Butterworth et al., 2014); a count in 2018 found that numbers of hibernating winter colonies of Myotis lucifugus, Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897), and Perimyotis subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) declined >90% within seven years of the detection of White-nose Syndrome (Cheng et al., 2021). The Little Brown Bat is now endangered (Solari, 2018).

    This update comprises 1,385 new and edited names, of which 236 are new to ITIS. There are 520 valid and accepted species included, of which 33 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2021 - Death's Head Hawkmoths (genus Acherontia, family Sphingidae) Added

    Prompted by Wildlife Inspectors with the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement noting an influx of Death's Head Hawksmoths entering the United States as dried, framed specimen displays (pers. Comm., 14 July 2021), ITIS has added the three species of genus Acherontia Laspeyres, 1809 - full worldwide coverage for this small genus.

    The death's head hawkmoths, especially Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758), have gained notoriety for their spooky skull-shaped markings, and were mentioned in the book: 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker; and featured in the poster for the movie: 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991) (Kitching, 2003).

    This update comprises 8 names new to ITIS. The genus comprises 3 accepted species, none of which are found living in North America; although, Acherontia lachesis (Fabricius, 1798) has been introduced and become established in Hawaii (Leong and D'Rozario, 2011).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2021 - Global Dytiscidae (Predaceous Diving Beetles) Updated

    As their vernacular name implies, predaceous diving beetles of family Dytiscidae are strong swimmers and fierce predators. They swim by kicking both hind legs simultaneously; they carry a bubble of air under their elytra (as seen here in this video: Smithsonian Channel, 2021) in order to breathe while under water. Their larvae, sometimes called 'water tigers' (Missouri Department of Conservation, 2021), prey on fish and tadpoles as well as other insect larvae and aquatic invertebrates.

    This update comprises 6,152 new and edited names, of which 842 are new to ITIS. There are 4,638 valid and accepted species included, of which 505 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. It was based on Nilsson and Hájek's 'A World Catalogue of the Family Dytiscidae, or the Diving Beetles (Coleoptera, Adephaga)', periodically updated on www.waterbeetles.eu.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2021 - US Forest Service Signs ITIS Memorandum of Understanding

    In support of Integrated Taxonomic Information System partnership, Valdis E. Mezainis, US Forest Service International Program Director, has signed the ITIS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create and continuously improve taxonomic information within the ITIS database. ITIS serves as a standardized reference of scientific names and their taxonomic hierarchy for use by signatory agencies and others. World wide ITIS technology and knowledge is relied upon to communicate, connect, associate, and organize information about biodiversity.

    ITIS now has 11 active MOU partners, working together to support a central cohesive source for collecting and distributing complete, current, and high-quality species checklists with taxonomic hierarchy and robust synonymy.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2021 - Global Coverage of Mosquitoes (Culicidae) Added

    "Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 1 million people and infect nearly 700 million each year - almost one out of every 10 people on Earth." (Kushner for the BBC, 2021). Mosquitoes serve as vectors for a variety of human diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Chikungunya virus (CDC, 2016). For example, Aedes vittatus (Bigot, 1861) may transmit any of a variety of mosquito-borne diseases (except malaria) and was recently found in Cuba, apparently in the process of spreading from the Eastern to the Western hemisphere (Kushner for the BBC, 2021). (Appropriately, Aedes is from the Greek, meaning distasteful, disagreeable, unpleasant, odious, or troublesome.)

    This update comprises 5,460 new and edited names, of which 4,767 are new to ITIS. There are 3,585 valid and accepted species included, of which 191 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. This update is based on the Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory website and the book 'Mosquitoes of the World' (Wilkerson et al., 2021).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2021 - Bird Order Apodiformes Updated

    The order's name derives from Greek words meaning 'footless', and the birds of Apodiformes–hummingbirds and swifts–do have small, weak feet in contrast with their long, narrow, strong wings. True swifts are unable to perch on branches or wires, and rest by clinging to a vertical surface or sitting on the nest (Parkes, 2021).

    The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird, Mellisuga helenae (Lembeye, 1850). This native of Cuba weighs only 1.6–2 g (0.056–0.071 oz) and is only 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) long (Simon, 2015). See this photo by Rockjumper Birding Tours for a human hand-to-bird size comparison.

    Nests of South-East Asia's Edible-nest Swiftlet, Aerodramus fuciphagus (Thunberg, 1812), which are made out of hardened salivary secretions and found affixed to cave walls, are the primary ingredient in bird's-nest soup, an expensive delicacy with historic trade dating back to the T'ang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.). (Thorburn, 2015). Most nests are colored white and translucent - see Chinese Bird's Nest Soup Delicacy (TravelFoodAtlas, 2021) - and a kilogram trades for $2,000 - $3,000 (Thorburn, 2015). Rare red nests (Avian Science Institute, 2018) can be five times the price (Thorburn, 2015). The total global trade in edible bird nests is about US$1.6 billion (Thorburn, 2015).

    This update comprises 2,456 new and edited names, of which 1,007 are new to ITIS. There are 487 valid and accepted species included, of which 34 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2021 - Lizard Family Lacertidae Added

    The majority of lacertid lizard species are found in Europe. The Jeweled Lizard or Ocellated Lizard, Timon lepidus (Daudin, 1802) (previously known as Lacerta lepida), is one of the largest species in the family, and may grow up to 2 feet long. In the past, it was a part of regional cuisine such as in this recipe for lizard in tomato sauce) (madrigaldelavera.net, 2018), and it is sometimes kept as a pet (snaketracks, 2019). The species it is currently under threat in Italy and France per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2013).

    Three species - Gallotia simonyi Steindachner, 1889, Podarcis lilfordi (Günther, 1874), and Podarcis pityusensis (Boscá, 1883) - are included in the list of species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

    This update comprises 866 new and edited names, of which 854 are new to ITIS. There are 357 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 01, 2021 - Spider Families Gallieniellidae and Sparassidae Updated

    Spiders of family Sparassidae are called giant crab spiders and/or huntsman spiders for their large size and predatory behavior. Male individuals of Heteropoda maxima Jäger, 2000 may have a body length of up to 4.6 cm (1.8 inches) and a leg span of almost 30 cm (1 foot) (Jaeger, 2001).

    The golden wheel spider, Carparachne aureoflava Lawrence, 1966, can escape from other animals that would harm it by cartwheeling down slopes as seen here on YouTube.

    This update comprises 1,711 new and edited names, of which 445 are new to ITIS. There are 1,352 valid and accepted species included, of which 8 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Global Coverage for Mite Superfamily Calyptostomatoidea Added

    Calyptostomatid mites are a very small family in the large and diverse order Trombidiformes. Some species in Calyptostoma are ectoparasites on crane flies (Tipulidae, Diptera) (Haitlinger and Sundic, 2015).

    This update comprises 32 new and edited names, of which 29 are new to ITIS. There are 15 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Global Coverage for Mite Family Smarididae Added

    Smarid mites are 1–3mm (BugGuide), predatory velvet mites (order Trombidiformes), found worldwide in leaf litter and grassland habitats (Ott and Ott, 2018). They have mouthparts inside their body, which they can vomit up (Hennen, 2013).

    This update comprises 104 new and edited names, of which 100 are new to ITIS. There are 57 valid and accepted species included, of which 7 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Bat Superfamily Emballonuroidea Updated

    Emballonuroidea comprises two families: Nycteridae (slit-faced bats) and Emballonuridae (sac-winged, sheath-tailed, and tomb bats). Slit-faced bats are so named for a slit structure that runs vertically down the center of their face and likely functions in echolocation. Most nycterid bats are insectivorous, although the Large Slit-faced Bat, Nycteris grandis Peters, 1865 regularly eats vertebrates, including other bats (Fenton et al., 1981). Research in 2013 suggested tomb bats, like Taphozous perforatus E. Geoffroy, 1818, may be a reservoir for the virus Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (Kupferschmidt, 2013) .

    This update comprises 248 new and edited names, of which 10 are new to ITIS. There are 70 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Global Stenopodidea (Coral Shrimps and Glass Sponge Shrimps) Added

    Glass Sponge Shrimps of family Spongicolidae have evolved a symbiotic relationship with the Venus' flower basket sponge (Euplectella spp.); the crustaceans keep the sponge clean, while the sponge protects the crustaceans and feeds on their waste. The crustaceans move into the sponge in male–female pairs when they are small; when they grow to adult size they can no longer fit through the mesh of spicules, and live out the rest of their lives inside the sponge, while their offspring leave to colonize new sponges (SciShow).

    This update comprises 133 new and edited names, of which 107 are new to ITIS. There are 92 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Arachnid order Opilioacarida Updated

    Opilioacarid mites are rare, comprise only 13 genera, and are considered primitive because they retain the plesiomorphic characteristics of six eyes and a segmented abdomen (Dunlop and Alberti, 2007). Some photos of Opilioacarid mites can be viewed here.

    This update comprises 85 new and edited names, of which 45 are new to ITIS. There are 53 valid and accepted species included, of which 1 is found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 28, 2021 - Fish Family Moronidae Updated

    The temperate basses are perciform fish native to North America, Europe, and northern Africa. The popular striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792) is a state fish of Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia (Wikipedia).

    This update comprises 50 new and edited names, of which 28 are new to ITIS. There are 6 valid and accepted species included, of which 4 are found in North America. The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalog of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for this ITIS update by Howard Jelks (Research Fish Biologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 03, 2021 - Worldwide Update for Select North American Genera in Percidae (Darters)

    This partial update within family Percidae covered the darter genera Ammocrypta, Etheostoma, Allohistium and Nothonotus (the last two of which are sometimes recognized under the second). While ITIS usually follows Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes, after a lot of work studying the literature (such as MacGuigan and Near, 2019), collaborating expert Howard Jelks (Research Fish Biologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center) has chosen to recognize Allohistium and Nothonotus as separate from Etheostoma.

    This update was conducted to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's work to protect threatened and endangered speciese. Most darters of these genera are endemic to the United States, and while darters in general are common (USFWS, 2018) over 20 species of Etheostoma are listed as threatened or endangered; for example, the Candy Darter Etheostoma osburni (Hubbs and Trautman, 1932) (USFWS, 2021). In 2012, five species of Etheostoma were named after Presidents and a Vice President to honor their contributions to environmental protection and conservation (CBD, 2012).

    This update comprises 372 new and edited names, of which 191 are new to ITIS. There are 177 valid and accepted species included, of which 173 are found in North American waters.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 03, 2021 - Alpheidae (Snapping Shrimps) Global Coverage Added

    Snapping shrimp or pistol shrimp are so named for their ability to create a loud sound and stunning shockwave by snapping a specialized claw (BBC, 2000). The sound is generated through creation of a cavitation bubble; the water's vaporization and subsequent bubble's collapse briefly generates a temperature of at least 5,000 K (= over 4,000 Celsius) and a flash of light (Lohse et al., 2001). (See video of the process here). Snapping shrimp are more active in warm water and rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change may make the oceans a louder place, affecting other sea life (Sommer, 2020).

    This family was last updated in ITIS in about 2004, at which time only species from 'North American' waters were covered. The Alpheidae family saw multiple additions in 2020: about one new species described per month!

    This update comprises 1,186 new and edited names, of which 978 are new to ITIS. There are 754 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 03, 2021 - Decapod Infraorders Achelata and Polychelida Get Global Coverage

    Achelata and Polychelida have traditionally been treated as comprising infraorder Palinura, but morphological and molecular phylogenies from the 1990s–2000s found Polychelida to be basal in the Reptantia (a clade of decapod crustaceans excluding shrimp and prawns) and recognized the groups as separate infraorders (Bracken-Grissom et al., 2014). Polychelida are known as deep-sea or blind lobsters, because all live in deep ocean waters and have reduced eyes. Achelata includes the 'spiny lobsters' or 'rock lobsters' of family Palinuridae, and the 'slipper lobsters' of Scyllaridae. Neither of these infraorders includes true lobsters (which are included in infraorder Astacidea, the ITIS treatment of which was updated earlier this year).

    The smallest species of 'slipper lobster' in the world is the pygmy locust lobster, Scyllarus pygmaeus (Bate, 1888), which typically grows to a full body length of only 4 cm (1.5 in) (Atlantis Gozo, 2015). Rock lobsters may be sold for human consumption as 'Florida lobster'.

    This update comprises 442 new and edited names, of which 245 are new to ITIS. There are 186 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 03, 2021 - Noctilionoidea (Including New World Leaf-nosed Bats) Updated

    Superfamily Noctilionoidea contains seven families: Furipteridae, Mormoopidae, Mystacinidae, Myzopodidae, Noctilionidae, Phyllostomidae, and Thyropteridae. Mystacinidae is endemic to New Zealand and contains two species, one of which was last seen in 1967 and is presumed extinct (Mystacina robusta Dwyer, 1962, the New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bat); the other of which is endangered (Mystacina tuberculata Gray, 1843, the New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat) (NZ DOC). Myzopodidae contains only two species, both of which are endemic to Madagascar (Goodman et al., 2006). The Greater Bulldog Bat, Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758), fishes in streams with its claws (see a video here). The New World Leaf-Nosed Bats, Phyllostomidae, are the most ecologically diverse family of bats. Besides insectivores, Phyllostomidae includes frugivores in subfamilies Stenodermatinae and Carolliniinae, the carnivorous Spectral Bat Vampyrum spectrum (Linnaeus, 1758), and the blood-drinking Vampire Bat Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810). It also includes the Honduran White Bat Ectophylla alba H. Allen, 1892, famous for its habit of constructing tents out of understory plant leaves (Shah, 2021).

    This update comprises 804 new and edited names, of which 77 are new to ITIS. There are 259 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 02, 2021 - Global Coverage Added for Megalopodidae

    Megalopodidae are a family of herbivorous beetles. The subfamilies are associated with various plant families, and the adult beetles and their larvae show specialist preference for feeding on certain genera or species of plants. Larvae are usually endophytic, and some are leaf miners (Rodríguez-Mirón, 2018).

    This update comprises 647 new and edited names, of which 631 are new to ITIS. There are 590 valid and accepted species included, of which 9 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 02, 2021 - Global Coverage Updated for Cupedidae

    The vernacular name 'reticulated beetles' refers to the distinct pattern of square punctures and ridges that characterizes the elongated elytra of members of Cupedidae. These beetles are generally found in rotten or fungus-infested wood, under bark or in dead stumps, and may bore into the wood of houses. They have been noted to be attracted to household bleach containing sodium hypochlorite (Evans and Hogue, 2006).

    This update comprises 93 new and edited names, of which 8 are new to ITIS. There are 37 valid and accepted species included, of which 4 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 02, 2021 - Global Coverage Updated for Aquatic Heteropteran Family Pleidae ('Pygmy Backswimmers')

    The pygmy backswimmers of family Pleidae (related to the backswimmers of family Notonectidae, of which global coverage was added to ITIS in 2018) swim belly-side up and live among thick aquatic vegetation (Nieser, 2004). Global coverage of Pleidae was also added to ITIS in 2018 but at the time the family contained 35 species; six new species were published in 2020. Both males and females of Pleidae can communicate by stridulation (BugLady, 2017).

    This update comprises 79 new and edited names, of which 8 are new to ITIS. There are 41 valid and accepted species included, of which 6 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 02, 2021 - Lophogastrida Global Coverage Added

    The Lophogastrida are an order of marine crustaceans related to the 'opossum shrimp' (Order Mysida), and are found worldwide in the pelagic zone or near the ocean floor (Price et al. in Felder and Camp [eds.], 2009). Neognathophausia ingens (Dohrn, 1870) is possibly the largest pelagic crustacean, as individuals may reach a length of 35 cm (14 in) (Cowles, 2006).

    This update comprises 86 new and edited names, of which 30 are new to ITIS. There are 53 valid and accepted species included, of which 14 are found in North American waters.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 02, 2021 - Primates Global Coverage Updated

    ITIS coverage of Primates was previously updated at the start of 2018. Four new taxa were described in 2019, and another four in 2020 (Mittermeier and Rylands, 2021); various other taxonomic updates were made as well. Recently-described species Presbytis johnaspinalli Nardelli, 2015 was placed in synonymy under Trachypithecus auratus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) when it was realized that its description had been based on individual monkeys whose fur had been partially bleached (Nijman, 2021)!

    This update comprises 2,403 new and edited names, of which 56 are new to ITIS. There are 520 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America. Anthony Rylands, Primate Conservation Director for Global Wildlife Conservation and Deputy Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, provided taxonomic and nomenclatural guidance.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 01, 2021 - Fish Superfamily Acanthuroidei (Surgeonfishes, Unicornfishes, and Related) Global Coverage Updated

    'Surgeonfish' are named for the scalpel-like spines borne at the base of their tails (Waikiki Aquarium). Superfamily Acanthuroidei also includes rabbitfishes, spadefishes, and the monotypic family Zanclidae, which contains Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758), a commonly-seen tropical species with widespread Indo-Pacific distribution (McGrouther (Australian Museum), 2018) that is notoriously difficult to keep in captivity (Hauter and Hauter, 2019).

    Fish in the Genus Naso Lacepède, 1801 are called unicornfishes because some species have a rostral protuberance, a hornlike extension between their eyes and mouth that can be longer than 10 centimeters (Unicorn Yard).

    The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalog of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Howard Jelks (Research Fish Biologist, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center).

    This update comprises 545 new and edited names, of which 331 are new to ITIS. There are 137 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 01, 2021 - Global Coverage Added for Four lizard Families (Anguidae, Diploglossidae, Shinisauridae and Xenosauridae)

    Anguidae includes the American legless lizards (subfamily Anniellinae; formerly treated in a separate family) and alligator lizards (subfamily Gerrhonotinae). Diploglossidae includes robust lizards commonly called galliwasps (Naish, 2015) as well as the worm lizards or glass snakes (Fauna Paraguay) of genus Ophiodes Wagler, 1828. Shinisauridae is a monotypic family, containing only the Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus Ahl, 1930 a semiaquatic lizard found only in China and Vietnam (Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute). Xenosauridae, the knob-scaled lizards (their skin texture is pebbly throughout), are native to Mexican uplands (with one species, Xenosaurus newmanorum Taylor, 1949 reaching Guatemala), and are sedentary sit-and-wait predators - the mean net daily movement of Xenosaurus newmanorum is 39 millimeters, and the daily activity radius of Xenosaurus grandis (Gray, 1856) is about 1 meter (Rodda, 2020).

    This update comprises 371 new and edited names, of which 264 are new to ITIS. There are 150 valid and accepted species included, of which 14 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 01, 2021 - Global Marine Astacidea (True Lobsters and Reef Lobsters) and Glypheidea (Glyphoid Lobsters) Added

    Glyphoid lobsters are a 'living fossil', thought to be extinct until a specimen was caught near the Philippines in 1975; this species was named Neoglyphea inopinata Forest and De Saint Laurent, 1975. A second glyphoid species, Laurentaeglyphea neocaledonica (Richer de Forges, 2006), was discovered near New Caledonia in 2005 (Boisselier-Dubayle et al, 2010).

    Enoplometopoidea includes the reef lobsters of genus Enoplometopus A. Milne-Edwards, 1862. Reef lobsters have only one pair of claws, on their foremost pair of limbs; in contrast, the true lobsters, also known as clawed lobsters, of Nephropoidea Dana, 1852 have three pairs of claws (though only the first pair may be prominent.) True lobsters and reef lobsters are marine; together with the freshwater crayfish of superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea (updated in ITIS in 2020), they make up a complete Infraorder Astacidea for ITIS.

    This update comprises 138 new and edited names, of which 58 are new to ITIS. There are 72 valid and accepted species included.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 01, 2021 - Regional Coverage for Seven Plant Families in the Orders Caryophyllales and Cucurbitales Updated

    Based on the Flora of North America North of Mexico, volume 6, along with the Flora of the Hawaiian Islands and Flora of the West Indies websites, this update addressed families Droseraceae, Frankeniaceae, and Tamaricaceae in Caryophyllales, and Apodanthaceae, Begoniaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Datiscaceae in Cucurbitales. Droseraceae is a family of carnivorous plants, including the sundews of genus Drosera L. and the Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis. Pilostyles thurberi A. Gray is an endoparasite; it lives out its life cycle on the inside of the stem of another plant, with only its blooming flowers visible on the outside (Hartwell, 2019).

    This update comprises 368 new and edited names, of which 78 are new to ITIS. There are 147 valid and accepted species included, of which 88 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • February 01, 2021 - Global Coverage for Cimicidae ('bed bugs') Added

    Bugs of the genus Cimex are infamous for sucking human blood at night; especially the common bed bug Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758 of Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus (Fabricius, 1803). With hard-to-eradicate infestations, they have become a major problem in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia (Berneger and Parola, 2017).

    Various cimicid bugs are known disease vectors, some possibly carrying zoonotic diseases: the swallow bug Cimex vicarius (Horváth, 1912) transmits Buggy Creek virus (BCRV) (Brown and Brown, 2005); Stricticimex parvus Ueshima, 1968 and Cimex insuetus Ueshima, 1968 transmit Kaeng Khoi virus (Williams et al., 1976); and multiple species are suspected vectors of Bartonella bacteria that cause bartonellosis (McKee et al. 2017). Subdivisions of bartonellosis include cat scratch disease, Carrion's disease, and trench fever (National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), 2020).

    This update comprises 150 new and edited names, of which 113 are new to ITIS. There are 99 valid and accepted species included, of which 15 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • February 01, 2021 - Global Coverage for Polyctenidae ('bat bugs') Added

    Bat bugs are obligate hematophagous (blood-eating) ectoparasites associated exclusively with bats (Chiroptera) (Amarga and Yap, 2017). They share a superfamily (Cimicoidea) with the bed bugs (Cimicidae; also updated in ITIS this month). Like bed bugs, bat bugs practice traumatic insemination (Tatarnic et al, 2014).

    This update comprises 54 new and edited names, of which 48 are new to ITIS. There are 32 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • February 01, 2021 - Enarthronota (an Infraorder of Oribatid Mite) Updated

    Three species of Enarthronota (Eniochthonius minutissimus, now recognized as Hypochthoniella minutissima (Berlese, 1903); Archoplophora rostralis (Willmann, 1930), and Prototritia major (Jacot, 1933)) deposit whewellite, a form of calcium oxalate (Norton and Behan-Pelletier, 1991).

    A species discovered in 2013, Psammochthonius kethleyi Fuangarworn & Norton, 2013, displays paedomorphy — juvenile traits retained in the adult — in that adults lack an anal segment and the setae (hair-like structures that can function like mechano- or chemoreceptors (Walter, 2005)) on their legs are regressed compared to what is normal for related mites. (Fuangarworn and Norton, 2013).

    This update comprises 909 new and edited names, 212 of which are new to ITIS. There are 627 valid and accepted species included, of which 80 are found in North America. This update is primarily based on the comprehensive work Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Oribatida) del Mundo by Luis S. Subías.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2020 - Piciformes (woodpeckers, toucans, barbets) Globally Updated

    Woodpeckers have a variety of adaptations to protect their brain from damage during repeated and rapid collisions with wood, including a thick and porous skull, a small brain housed in a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid, and a tongue so long that it wraps around the back of the skull and acts like a shock absorber when it contracts just before a strike (see The Science Monk video, 2017). The iconic large size and bright color of a toucan bill is less thoroughly understood (National Geographic, 2021); it is thought to play a role in courtship rituals, defensive display, or cooling the body.

    This update comprises 2,050 new and edited names, of which 447 are new to ITIS. There are 445 valid and accepted species included, of which 25 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2020 - Pteropodidae (fruit bats) and Rhinopomatidae Globally Updated

    Bats are an immensely diverse group of mammals, and family Pteropodidae itself includes widely divergent species worldwide. The Golden-capped Flying Fox, Acerodon jubatus (Eschscholtz, 1831), and the Large Flying Fox aka Giant Philippine Fruit Bat, Pteropus vampyrus lanensis Mearns, 1905, both of southern Asia, can have wingspans greater than 5 feet wide. The Common Tent-making Bat, Uroderma bilobatum Peters, 1866, of Central and South America, chews the midlines of leaves to make them fold over and then sleeps inside. Vampire bats, like Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810), practice altruism, sharing blood and co-parenting young (Malsbury, 2020).

    This update comprises 737 new and edited names, of which 76 are new to ITIS. There are 203 valid and accepted species included (197 in Pteropodidae and 6 in Rhinopomatidae), none of which are found in North America. It also completes the 2020 update of the bat suborder Yinpterochiroptera Springer, Teeling, Madsen, Stanhope and Jong, 2001, providing full and current coverage of the world. The suborder Yinpterochiroptera contains 415 species, representing almost one third of all bat species.

    Future updates will target groups such as the larger suborder Yangochiroptera Koopman, 1984. Note, bats were traditionally divided into two suborders, Microchiroptera and Megachiroptera, based on morphological cladistics. However, molecular studies suggested that rhinolophoid microbats are more closely related to the megabat family Pteropodidae than to other microbats, rendering Microchiroptera paraphyletic. A new taxonomy (Springer, 2013) divides bats into Yangochiroptera, including 12 microbat families, and Yinpterochiroptera, including six microbat families in Rhinolophoidea plus Old World fruit bats.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2020 - Braconid Wasp Subfamily Microgastrinae Added

    The Braconidae are the second-largest family in order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species; it has been estimated that described and undescribed species together total over 42,000 (Jones et al., 2009).

    Subfamily Microgastrinae are one of the principal groups of predators on herbivorous caterpillars; they are commonly used in biological control programs worldwide (Fernandez-Triana et al., 2020). They are koinobiont parasitoids, meaning that the caterpillars continue to live and grow even after they have become hosts for wasp eggs.

    This update adds full and current global coverage for subfamily Microgastrinae, and also adds the other 40-plus braconid subfamilies in preparation for future additions and updates. The Microgastrinae update is largely based on the 1,089 page monograph by Fernandez-Triana et al. 2020 and comprises 3,248 new and edited names, of which 3,207 are new to ITIS. There are 3,015 valid and accepted species included in Microgastrinae, of which 347 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2020 - Three Lizard Families Updated: Cordylidae, Gerrhosauridae, and Xantusiidae

    The Cordylidae, known as 'girdle-tailed lizards' or 'armored lizards', are named for the bony plates embedded in their skin. Herpetologists use CT scans to study the bony plates, as well as the skeletons, without having to harm museum specimens for future research. The Armadillo Girdled Lizard, Ouroborus cataphractus (Boie, 1828), is named 'ouroborus' for its defensive habit of rolling into a ball and biting its tail (see Science Today video, 2014).

    Some 'plated lizards' of family Gerrhosauridae are native to Africa. They are popular in the pet trade; those sold are often caught in the wild, as they are difficult to breed in captivity. Broadleysaurus major (Duméril, 1851) has been known to share its burrow in the wild with other animals, like snakes (Oakland Zoo, 2020).

    The type genus of family Xantusiidae - ('night lizards'), Xantusia Baird, 1859, honors naturalist János Xantus, who collected specimens for Spencer F. Baird and the Smithsonian in California and Mexico, 1857-1864.

    This update comprises 226 new and edited names, of which 190 are new to ITIS. There are 142 valid and accepted species included (70 in Cordylidae, 37 in Gerrhosauridae, and 35 Xantusiidae), of which 8 (all in Xantusia) are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 22, 2020 - Idiostoloidea Updated

    Idiostoloidea is a small heteropteran superfamily within infraorder Pentatomomorpha. It contains two families with just six valid species in total, four of which are distributed in Australia and two in South America. This update comprises 18 new and edited names, of which five are new to ITIS.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • December 01, 2020 - Acanthosomatidae Global Coverage Added

    Acanthosomatids are a cosmopolitan group that used to be considered part of shield bug family Pentatomidae. Multiple lineages within the family have evolved maternal care, that is, guarding eggs and nymphs. Other acanthosomatids do not attend their eggs after laying, but smear them with a protective secretion from a special organ called Pendergrast's organ (Tsai et al, 2015).

    The most recent world catalog that explicitly listed all the species of this family was Kirby's 1909 Catalogue of World Hemiptera (Heteroptera), although a world catalog (Kumar's Revision of World Acanthosomatidae) was published in 1974 (but did not always give all of the explicit name combinations). This file was compiled from these and many other publications and regional checklists by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 28, 2020 - Bat Families in Rhinolophoidea Updated

    Bat superfamily Rhinolophoidea Gray, 1825 comprises six families, including large Old World families Hipposideridae Lydekker, 1891 (leaf-nosed bats) and Rhinolophidae Gray, 1825 (horseshoe bats). Species of bats, especially in genus Rhinolophus Lacépède, 1799 and genus Hipposideros Gray, 1831, have been implicated as reservoirs for zoonotic disease, in particular, SARS-related coronaviruses (Hu et al., 2018), including the novel coronavirus that has caused the current COVID-19 global pandemic (Zhou et al., 2020).

    ITIS is in the process of reviewing and updating various animals that serve as vectors for zoonotic human diseases, with an intent to mobilize data on species across the entire pathway of zoonotic disease risk and spread. Up-to-date taxonomic data facilitates research and communication on pathogens, vectors, hosts, reservoirs, and species with ecological associations.

    A future follow-up will update the megabat family Pteropodidae Gray, 1821 along with a remaining small family within Rhinolophoidea Gray, 1825, completing a global coverage update of bat suborder Yinpterochiroptera Springer, Teeling, Madsen, Stanhope and Jong, 2001.

    This update comprises 736 new and edited names, 60 of which are new to ITIS. There are 212 valid and accepted species included, none of which are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 28, 2020 - Pauropoda Global Coverage Added

    Pauropods are small (0.5-2.0mm) myriapods (related to centipedes and millipedes) that live in soil and leaf litter around the world, especially in tropical areas. They have 8-11 body segments, each segment bearing a pair of legs; they have distinctive branched antennae; and they have no eyes (Scheller and Minor, 2010). (Macro photography images of pauropods from locations around the world can be seen on Andy Murray's "A Chaos of Delight: Exploring Life in the Soil" blog.)

    This update comprises 1,546 new and edited names, 1,540 of which are new to ITIS. There are 995 valid and accepted species included, of which 144 are found in North America.

    As there is not a comprehensive, current global data set of pauropod taxonomic names in existence, this update was synthesized from primary taxonomic literature. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • October 28, 2020 - Mite Suborder Endeostigmata Added

    Endeostigmata are primitive mites; as many reproduce through parthenogenesis, it has been suggested that some species extant today are identical to mites that lived in Gondwana, 180 million years ago (Walter, 2001).

    Endeostigmatids of family Nematalycidae have elongated bodies, and their locomotion methods are more akin to worms than to their fellow arachnids (Bolton et al., 2015). A new species in family Nematalycidae was discovered on a college campus in Ohio in 2014: Osperalycus tenerphagus Bolton and Klompen in Bolton et al., 2014.

    This update comprises 222 new and edited names, of which 190 are new to ITIS. There are 122 valid and accepted species included, of which 22 are found in North America.

    Because no modern global catalog exists, the ITIS treatment was compiled through literature research conducted by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, with assistance from Samuel J. Bolton, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Freshwater Crayfish (Infraorder Astacidea, Superfamilies Astacoidea & Parastacoidea) Updated

    Infraorder Astacidea contains the crayfish, or crawdads, of superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea (which inhabit freshwater). The infraorder also includes true lobsters and deep sea lobsters in other superfamilies (which inhabit saltwater), whose taxonomy will be addressed in a future update. Crayfish are smaller than lobsters, generally speaking, but the Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi Clark, 1936, can reach a size of over 5 kg (11 lb.) in weight and 80 cm (31 in.) in length. Crayfish can be used as biological indicators of pollution in waterways (Schilderman et al., 1999). In a unique case, a brewery in the Czech Republic raises crayfish in water taken from the same source that it uses to make its beer; equipping them with infrared bio-sensors, the brewery staff monitor the quality of the water by observing the behavior and heartbeat of the crayfish (Reuters, 2020).

    This update comprises 1,280 new and edited names, 756 of which are new to ITIS. There are 682 valid and accepted species included, of which 405 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Largidae ('bordered plant bugs') Global Coverage Added

    Largidae are called 'bordered plant bugs' because they feed on plant juices or seeds, and many species have hemelytra (forewings) with a colorful contrasting border. Some species—for example, Arhaphe carolina Herrich-Schaeffer, 1850 of the United States—are ant mimics.

    This update comprises 335 new and edited names, 297 of which are new to ITIS. There are 217 valid and accepted species included, of which 17 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Alydidae ('broad-headed bugs') Global Coverage Added

    Alydidae, or 'broad-headed bugs', are a phytophagous group that consume mostly flowers or seeds of leguminous (bean) or gramineous (grain) plants. It contains crop pests, including Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg, 1783), an economically significant pest of rice crops in Australian, Asian, Pacific, and Central American regions. It also contains ant mimic species; for example, Dulichius inflatus (Kirby, 1891).

    This update comprises 387 new and edited names, of which 315 are new to ITIS. There are 285 valid and accepted species included, of which 33 are found in North America.

    The update is largely based on the Coreoidea Species File by the CoreoideaSF Team. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Tessaratomidae Global Coverage Added

    Tessaratomids are true bugs found primarily in the Old World. A few species have been documented as providing maternal care, such as sitting on eggs and carrying larvae (Gogala et al., 1998 and Monteith, 2011). Some species are agricultural pests; including Tessaratoma papillosa (Drury, 1770), which infests litchi (lychee) and longan fruit crops in China (Zhao et al., 2012). Others are edible (Dzerefos et al., 2014). Like the related stink bugs of family Pentatomidae, tessaratomids produce a variety of noxious defense chemicals and pheromones.

    This update comprises 357 new and edited names, of which 350 are new to ITIS. There are 259 valid and accepted species included, none of which are found in North America.

    The update is largely based on the Illustrated catalog of TESSARATOMIDAE by Philippe Magnien. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Bryophyta (Mosses) of North America Updated

    The modern taxonomic division Bryophyta contains only mosses, even though mosses, hornworts, and liverworts were previously classified together—as nonvascular plants in which the haploid gametophyte generation is dominant—and may still informally be called bryophytes collectively. The current update was based on the Flora of North America, volumes 27 and 28, along with more recent literature, including two checklists (Staples et al., 2004 and Shevock et al., 2019) covering mosses of Hawaii.

    Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp. is used as a model organism to study plant biological processes, evolutionary history of land plants, and gene targeting (Schaefer and Zrÿd, 2001). In more recent years, it has also been used to produce commercial products and biopharmaceuticals (Reski et al., 2018).

    This update comprises 6,783 new and edited names, of which 2,601 are new to ITIS. There are 1,701 valid and accepted species included, of which 1,438 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • September 29, 2020 - Pycnogonida Global Coverage Updated

    Pycnogonids are marine arthropods, known as 'sea spiders', belonging to subphylum Chelicerata along with arachnids and horseshoe crabs. They are cosmopolitan, but most diverse in southern polar seas (Ballesteros et al., 2020). They have a highly modified body plan: their thorax and abdomen are so thin that their digestive system involves diverticula that extend into their legs. They absorb oxygen through osmosis through their legs; and peristaltic contractions of the gut in their legs aid their heart in pumping blood throughout their body (University of Hawai'i News, 2017).

    This update comprises 2,139 new and edited names, of which 1,989 are new to ITIS. There are 1,378 valid and accepted species included.

    The update is largely based on PycnoBase: World Pycnogonida Database by Roger N. Bamber, Aliya El Nagar, and Claudia P. Arango, with additional updates to cover recent taxonomy.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2020 - Bee Subfamily Apinae Updated

    Subfamily Apinae within family Apidae contains the familiar, and ecologically and economically important, corbiculate bees: tribe Apini (honey bees), Meliponini (stingless bees), Bombini (bumble bees), and Euglossini (orchid bees) (Smith-Pardo and Engel, 2011). 'Corbiculate' refers to bees having a 'pollen basket': a region on the hind tibia that is specialized for collecting and carrying pollen. While Apinae contains the famously eusocial honeybees, most species in the subfamily are solitary, and some are cleptoparasites - bees that lay their eggs in the nests of other bees - for example, Leiopodus singularis (Linsley and Michener, 1937).

    This update comprises 10,013 new and edited names, 6,012 of which are new to ITIS. There are 3,767 valid and accepted species included, of which 481 are found in North America.

    The update is based upon the treatment in the Discover Life Bee Species Guide and World Checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae : Apinae) by Ascher and Pickering. John S. Ascher, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore provided taxonomic and nomenclatural guidance, and Michael C. Orr, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing reviewed the Anthophorini.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2020 - Global Pinnipeds Updated

    The term 'pinniped', derived from Latin roots 'pinna' and 'pedis', means 'feather footed' and refers to the shape of the limbs of members of the group: Otariidae (fur seals and sea lions), Phocidae (earless seals), and Odobenidae (walruses). Pinnipeds belong to order Carnivora, and are most closely related either to Ursidae (bears) or Musteloidea (weasels, otters, procyonids, skunks, red panda) (Berta et al., 2018).

    Two species were driven to extinction by excessive hunting in the past century: the Caribbean Monk Seal (Neomonachus tropicalis (Gray, 1850)) and the Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus (Peters, 1866)) (Würsig et al., 2009). Seven species are considered Endangered by the IUCN, and another three are considered Vulnerable, and one Near Threatened.

    This update comprises 197 new and edited names, 86 of which are new to ITIS. There are 35 valid and accepted species included, of which 14 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2020 - Malvales of North America Updated

    Plants of order Malvales are often characterized by palmate and pulvinate (the base of the petiole is swollen) leaves, by stellate hairs, and by numerous stamens. Notable members of family Malvaceae (currently circumscribed more broadly than in the past) include the ornamental Hibiscus L. species, cotton of genus Gossypium L., baobabs of genus Adansonia L., and Theobroma cacao L. from which chocolate is made. Based on the treatment in the Flora of North America, vol. 6 (2016), this update comprised five additional families, including species native and introduced to the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For example, a dozen species of genus Wikstroemia Endl. in family Thymelaeaceae are native to Hawaii and have traditional uses as medicine, for construction and fibers, and as fish poison.

    This update comprises 1,365 new and edited names, 354 of which are new to ITIS. There are 586 valid and accepted species included, of which 328 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • August 31, 2020 - Freshwater Snails of North America Updated

    The category 'freshwater snails' is a widely polyphyletic grouping; even within the geographic bounds of the contiguous United States and Canada the category includes gastropods from five different orders. Approximately 75% of freshwater snail species in North America are threatened, endangered, of conservation concern, or are already thought to have been driven to extinction (Johnson, 2019). Notable families of freshwater snails include:

      - Snails of family Physidae have been used in studies of phenotypic plasticity; for example, studying how shell shape and thickness varies across generations because of interactions with predators (Bourdeau et al., 2015).
      - Taxonomy within family Pleuroceridae is especially difficult to resolve because taxa in it have a remarkably high level of mitochondrial genetic diversity (Whelan and Strong, 2016).
      - Ampullariidae includes the applesnails of genus Pomacea Perry, 1810, multiple species of which are highly invasive in the United States; they pose an especially high risk because they regularly lay clutches of over 100 eggs, and lay multiple clutches in a season (Keller at al., 2007).

    This update comprises 1,584 new and edited names, 331 of which are new to ITIS. There are 586 valid and accepted species included, of which 787 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2020 - Pseudoscorpions Updated

    Pseudoscorpions (order Pseudoscorpiones) are tiny arachnids (mostly less than 1 cm long) that superficially resemble scorpions without stinging tails. They live in a variety of habitats, such as soil, leaf litter, and between rocks, from tropical to cold regions worldwide. They may also live inside houses, where they may commonly be found preying on booklice, earning them the vernacular 'book scorpions'. Cave pseudoscorpions are often rare endemics. For example Tyrannochthonius aladdinensis Chamberlin, 1995 is only found in Aladdin Cave in Madison County, Alabama, USA. Pseudoscorpions practice phoresy: a travel strategy that involves hitching a ride on a larger arthropod.

    This update comprises 5,099 new and edited names, 718 of which are new to ITIS. There are 3,788 valid and accepted species included, of which 408 are found in North America. The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • July 28, 2020 - Amphisbaenia Updated

    Suborder Amphisbaenia comprises six families of burrowing lizards, most of which are limbless. The three species in genus Bipes Latreille in Sonnini and Latreille, 1801, the sole genus in family Bipedidae, retain forelimbs; their vernacular names identify them by number of toes (Three-toed Worm Lizard, Four-toed Worm Lizard, Five-toed Worm Lizard). While superficially similar to snakes, limbless lizards evolved independently. Snakes and amphisbaenians can be distinguished from each other in a number of ways; for example, snakes do not have eyelids or external ears, while lizards generally do.

    This update comprises 338 new and edited names, 314 of which are new to ITIS. There are 201 valid and accepted species included, of which one is found in North America (the Florida worm lizard, Rhineura floridana (Baird, 1858).

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • June 29, 2020 - Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves) Updated

    The terms pigeon and dove are essentially interchangeable. There are 344 species of pigeon and dove recognized worldwide, some with brightly colored and showy feathers, including the Nicobar Pigeon, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, and fruit-doves of the genus Ptilinopus Swainson, 1825 such as the Wompoo Fruit Dove. The domesticated fancy pigeons, homing pigeons, and feral pigeon of cities are descended from the wild Rock Dove (Columbia livia J. F. Gmelin, 1789), which genome was sequenced in 2013 (Shapiro et al., 2013). There are hundreds of recognized breeds of domesticated pigeons such as the Berliner Shortface Champ and the Dewlap Frillback, and Charles Darwin studied domesticated pigeons to gather information for his theories on artificial and natural selection (Secord, 1981).

    This update comprises 1,247 new and edited names, 201 of which are new to ITIS. There are 344 valid and accepted species included, of which 19 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 27, 2020 - Global Varroidae Added

    Varroidae may be a small family, containing only 6 accepted species worldwide, but it has a large global impact. Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman, 2000 has spread nearly worldwide since it began infesting managed European honey bee populations (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) in the 1970s, and is now believed to be one of the main parasitic stressors causing colony losses worldwide (Roth et al., 2020). Other stressors are poor nutrition and pesticides (Ramsey, 2020). The destructor epithet is fitting because this parasitic mite feeds on the lipids of larval, pupal, and adult bees, weakening them, and also acts as a vector for a variety of bee diseases, including deformed wing virus.

    This update comprises 9 new and edited names, 8 of which are new to ITIS. There are 6 valid and accepted species included, of which 1 is found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • May 27, 2020 - Three Infraorders of Oribatid Mite (Holosomata, Palaeosomata, and Parhyposomata) Updated

    Oribatid mites are one of the most dominant arthropod groups found in soils worldwide; they can reach densities of several hundred thousand individuals per square meter (BugGuide, 2020). Archegozetes magnus longisetosus Aoki, 1965 (Holosomata) is used as a model organism for chelicerates because of its relatively short life cycle and ability to thrive in a laboratory. It is a parthenogenic (asexually reproducing) species, and all of its laboratory lineages are descended from a single female collected in 1993 (Heethoff et al., 2007). Individuals of this species of mite have been observed pulling with 530 times their weight, exerting forces five times higher than theoretically expected for organisms of their size (<1 mm, 100 µg) (Heethoff and Koerner, 2007).

    This update comprises 904 new and edited names, 331 of which are new to ITIS. There are 557 valid and accepted species included, of which 73 are found in North America. This update is primarily based on the comprehensive work Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Oribatida) del Mundo by Luis S. Subías.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • April 30, 2020 - Mixonomata (oribatid mites) Updated

    Mixonomata is a large suborder within the chewing mite order Oribatida. Oribatid mites are not parasitic, but some species transmit parasitic tapeworms (Denegri, 1993). The few species of genus Collohmannia (the only genus in family Collohmanniidae) are among the largest oribatids, at approximately 1-2mm; they appear to be endemic in distribution; and they are the only mites outside suborder Brachyplina that exhibit sexual dimorphism and courtship behavior. Courtship behavior includes males producing and offering nuptial fluid to eat (Norton and Sidorchuk, 2014). Collohmannia gigantea Sellnick, 1922 secretes oils used as alarm pheromones (alerting other mites) and allomones (deterring predatory beetles) (Raspotnig, 2006).

    This update comprises 2,192 new and edited names, 951 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,364 valid and accepted species included, of which 109 are found in North America. This update is primarily based on the comprehensive work Listado Sistemático, Sinonímico y Biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes: Oribatida) del Mundo by Luis S. Subías.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 25, 2020 - Notostraca (tadpole shrimp) and Anostraca (brine or fairy shrimp) Updated

    Tadpole shrimp and brine or fairy shrimp are not true shrimp (which are groups of decapod crustaceans within class Malacostraca), but are orders within class Branchiopoda. Branchiopods are distinguished by having gills on their feet.

    Notostraca have near-worldwide distribution; and yet, the order contains only a single family containing 22 species within two genera. They are considered 'living fossils', as modern representatives of the order resemble late Permian and early Triassic fossils, meaning they have apparently remained virtually unchanged for 250 million years (Vanschoenwinkel et al. 2012). The vernacular 'tadpole shrimp' refers to their appearance, with a large, bluntly rounded carapace and thin tail-like abdomen; they also regularly live in temporary and/or shallow aquatic environments. This update comprises 105 new and edited names, 85 of which are new to ITIS. There are 22 valid and accepted species included, of which 8 are found in North America.

    Brine shrimp are notable for their ability to survive as cysts (hardy eggs) in a state of anhydrobiosis for many years. Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758) have been used by the NASA to assess the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation (Spooner et al., 1992); they have been flown to the Moon and back on the Apollo 16 and 17 missions; and they have been studied by NASA's Life Sciences programs as a potential source of food for astronauts and food fish during long-term space travel. Brine shrimp are an important source of food for wild birds and fish; they are also extensively used in aquaculture as food for farmed fish and shrimp. Sea-Monkeys, the novelty 'instant life' pet, is a laboratory-bred hybrid species of genus Artemia. This update comprises 705 new and edited names, 361 of which are new to ITIS. There are 353 valid and accepted species included, of which 62 are found in North America.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 3, 2020 - Three Arachnid Orders Updated: Schizomida (short-tailed whipscorpions), Solifugae (sun-spiders, wind-scorpions), and Uropygi (whip-scorpions)

    Schizomids (Schizomida) have a distinctive prosoma (aka cephalothorax): the dorsal surface is covered by plates. Like the Uropygi, they can secrete a chemical that smells of acetone (Harvey, 2003, p. 101). They are small, generally less than 1 cm long. The update comprises 520 new and edited names, 210 of which are new to ITIS. There are 358 valid and accepted species included, of which 12 are found in North America.

    Solifugae are often called sun spiders, for their diurnal activity, or wind-scorpions, for their speed in running. They have massive chelicera that are used for capturing prey, fighting with other sun spiders, and mating (Harvey, 2003, p. 197-198). This YouTube video lists and debunks several myths about them. The update comprises 1,495 new and edited names, 148 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,146 valid and accepted species included, of which 172 are found in North America.

    Uropygi (Whip Scorpions) have notably large pedipalps and a long flagellum. Their abdominal glands can spray a noxious fluid to deter predators (Harvey, 2003, p. 59), giving them the vernacular name Vinegaroon. In the United States, the largest species is Mastigoproctus giganteus (Lucas, 1835), which can grow to be 6 cm (almost 2.5 inches) long - excluding the tail. (A short video of a Mastigoproctus giganteus walking can be watched on YouTube.) The update comprises 192 new and edited names, 50 of which are new to ITIS. There are 120 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • March 3, 2020 - Two Spider Families Updated: Gnaphosidae (stealthy ground spiders) and Trochanteriidae (flat rock spiders)

    Stealthy Ground Spiders (Gnaphosidae) actively chase down and subdue their prey; they are able to tackle relatively large and dangerous prey, including other spiders. They may use their sticky silk to entangle the legs and mouth parts of their target; or grab the prey directly with their front legs (Wolff et al., 2017).

    Spiders in family Trochanteriidae are sometimes called flat rock spiders or flat-spiders for their dorsally-compressed form, especially members of the genus Plator Simon, 1880 (Lin and Zhu, 2016).

    Together, these two families include 2,692 species worldwide, of which 257 are found in North America. The update comprises 3,188 new and edited names, of which 286 are new to ITIS.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • January 31, 2020 - Three Arachnid Orders Updated: Amblypygi (Tail-Less Whip Scorpions), Palpigradi (Microscorpions), and Ricinulei (Hooded Tickspiders)

    Amblypygi, literally 'blunt-rump' arachnids, are so named because they lack the flagellum of related arachnid orders like Uropygi or Palpigradi. They are also called whip spiders (not to be confused with the whip scorpions, Uropygi). Their first pair of legs is modified into long, thin sensory appendages. They have no venom, and capture and immobilize prey with the use of large pedipalps (Seiter et al. 2019). The update comprises 288 new and edited names, 86 of which are new to ITIS. There are 217 valid and accepted species included, of which 4 are found in North America.

    Palpigradi (microscorpions) are rare, small, fragile, live only underground (i.e., in soil or caves), and so are difficult to study. They are assumed to be predatory but have been observed feeding on cyanobacteria (Smrž et al., 2013). The order includes 109 species, of which 3 are cited for North America. The update comprises 148 new and edited names, 36 of which are new to ITIS.

    Ricinulei are an enigmatic, cryptic, and highly endemic order of arachnids, comprising 89 species distributed in tropical Africa and the neotropics, and just one cited for North America. The vernacular "hooded tickspiders" refers to a distinctive cucullus (a hood-like hinged plate) that can cover the mouthparts (Fernández and Giribet, 2015 and García et al. 2015). The update comprises 99 new and edited names, 34 of which are new to ITIS.

    The update work was coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


  • January 31, 2020 - Three Spider Families Updated: Araneidae (Including Nephilidae), Arkyidae and Mimetidae

    Orb weaver spiders of family Araneidae build webs of the classic shape, with concentric circles and spokes radiating out from a central point. Females build and tend the webs, while males wander in search of a mate. The family includes 2984 species.

    Previously classified as part of family Araneidae, spiders of family Arkyidae do not build webs, but are ambush predators. They may be bright-colored, or camouflaged as bark or leaves, or even camouflaged as bird droppings as is Arkys curtulus (Simon, 1903). The family includes 38 species.

    Pirate spiders (Mimetidae) are so named because they invade other spiders' webs and eat their egg sacs, captured prey, and most of all, the other spiders themselves (they are also sometimes referred to as cannibal spiders). The family includes 150 species.

    Together, these three families include 3,172 species worldwide, of which 186 are found in North America. The update comprises 3,850 new and edited names, of which 365 are new to ITIS.

    Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .


Read About Other ITIS News Items

Return to Page Top

spacing image
spacing image spacing image   spacing image
spacing image