Integrated Taxonomic Information System - News Archive

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 .

December 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 .

December 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 .

November 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 .

November 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.

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

September 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 .

September 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 .

September 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 of 2022 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 .

August 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.

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

August 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 .

August 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 .

August 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.

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

August 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 .

August 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 .

August 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 .

August 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

March 01, 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.

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

March 01, 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 01, 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 01, 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 01, 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 01, 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.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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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 species. 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).

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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:

Lymnaeidae

Fasciola

Lu et al., 2018

Marszewska et al., 2018

Physidae

Bourdeau et al., 2015

Pleuroceridae

Whelan and Strong, 2016

Ampullariidae

Pomacea

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.

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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.

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.

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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 .

December 19, 2019 - Three Spider Families Updated (Agelenidae, Lycosidae, and Pisauridae)

The family Agelenidae, also known as funnel-web spiders, includes the grass spiders of North America that commonly build horizontal sheet webs on bushes and grass. It also includes the giant house spider Eratigena atrica (C. L. Koch, 1843), which can have a legspan of up to 4 inches, and the hobo spider Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802), which has been rumored to deliver necrotizing venom with its bite (though this is uncertain). Both species are native to Europe and have been introduced to North America.

Wolf spiders of the family Lycosidae do not spin webs, but hunt by running down their prey. Two of their eyes are distinctly larger than the other six, which distinguishes them from Pisauridae. They have excellent eyesight, and at night their eyes will reflect eyeshine. Females exhibit strong maternal care: a mother wolf spider will carry her egg sac in her spinnerets, and when the babies hatch they will ride on her back (the length of time varies between species, from several hours to a few days to more than two weeks (Eason, 1964)). In 2000, South Carolina designated the Carolina wolf spider, Hogna carolinensis (Walckenaer, 1805) as their state spider. They were the first state to designate a spider as an official state symbol.

Nursery web spiders of the family Pisauridae are named for their maternal care. A mother spider will carry her egg sac in her chelicerae, weave a protective tent of silk around it, and stand guard over the hatchlings. Pisaura mirabilis (Clerck, 1757) are notable for their courtship behavior: males dramatically increase their reproductive success by offering females a silk-wrapped gift of food, but will sometimes (6 out of 16 gifts in one study) try to deceive her with a nutritionally worthless gift (like a bit of plant or empty insect carcass). Males that offer worthless gifts mate about as often, but for less time, as males that offer nutritionally valuable gifts, disadvantaging the deceitful males in sperm competition (Albo et al., 2011).

Together, these three families include 4,110 species worldwide, of which 378 are found in North America. The update comprises 4,858 new and edited names, of which 855 are new to ITIS.

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

November 26, 2019 - Symphyla Global Coverage Added

Known as pseudocentipedes or garden centipedes, members of Class Symphyla are small (0.2-1.2 cm in length), soil-dwelling arthropods that have no pigment and no eyes. Species Scutigerella immaculata (Newport, 1845) is a common agricultural pest that feeds on seedlings, roots, and tubers; it has been introduced widely and is nearly cosmopolitan.

Class Symphyla includes 235 species, of which 28 are cited for North America; this update comprises 315 new and edited names. As no recent, comprehensive treatment existed, the current ITIS treatment is a synthesis of partial lists (over 100 publications, covering national lists, regional lists, revisions of particular genera, and so on) combined into a coherent whole. 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 26, 2019 - Fish Genus Percina Updated

Roughbelly darters (genus Percina Haldeman, 1842), some of which are known as logperches, are small freshwater fish native to North America. The genus includes 49 species. In 2018, the Chesapeake Logperch, Percina bimaculata Haldeman, 1844, was targeted for conservation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, with a team of other conservation agencies, will receive a two-year grant of nearly $40,000 to preserve its habitat in the Susquehanna River basin and hopefully save it from being listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalogue of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Dr. Thomas Orrell.

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

November 26, 2019 - Three Spider Families Updated (Pholcidae, Salticidae, and Theridiidae)

Spiders of family Pholcidae have extremely long and thin legs; they are commonly known as cellar spiders or daddylongleg spiders (not to be confused with arachnids of order Opiliones, which are sometimes also called daddy longlegs). The family includes 1,728 species worldwide, of which 44 are found in North America. The update comprises 1,901 new and edited names, of which 732 are new to ITIS.

Salticidae are the jumping spiders. The largest family of spiders, Salticidae contains 6,134 species worldwide (of which 342 are found in North America); about 13% of all spider species. Males of genus Maratus Karsch, 1878, known as peacock spiders, are known for bright colors and flashy courtship displays. Video of the courtship display of Maratus speciosus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) can be watched on YouTube. The update comprises 7,615 new and edited names, of which 1,709 are new to ITIS.

Family Theridiidae, known as cobweb spiders, are commonly found in human dwellings throughout the world. It includes the infamous black widow spiders of the United States: the Western Black Widow Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935, Southern Black Widow L. mactans (Fabricius, 1775), and Northern Black Widow L. variolus Walckenaer, 1837. The family includes 2,488 species worldwide, of which 246 are found in North America. The update comprises 2,775 new and edited names, of which 320 are new to ITIS.

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

November 06, 2019 - Tick Global Coverage Added

Ticks are among the most important vectors of disease affecting humans, livestock, and wildlife; they transmit a greater variety of infectious agents to humans and domestic animals than any other arthropod vector. Worldwide, ticks (Order Ixodida) encompass three families: the Ixodidae or 'hard ticks', the Argasidae or 'soft ticks', and the monotypic Nuttalliellidae. The current update adds 958 accepted species globally, 78 of which are found in North America.

The update was completed with the guidance and help of world tick expert Rich Robbins. He talks ticks in this recent article in the Smithsonian Torch (29 March 2019), entitled 'Everything you ever wanted to know about ticks, but were afraid to ask'.

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

November 06, 2019 - Cetacean (Whales and Dolphins) Global Coverage Updated

ITIS' worldwide update of the 90 species of whale and dolphin worldwide is based on two current sources: the Society for Marine Mammalogy's 2018 list, and the 2018 Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 3rd edition (Würsig et al. [eds,] 2018), with guidance and assistance from Smithsonian expert Jim Mead. The current update includes 539 edited names, 30 of which are new to ITIS. One newly added taxon is the recently described species of beaked whale Berardius minimus Yamada, Kitamura and Matsuishi in Yamada, Kitamura, Abe, Tajima, Matsuda, Mead and Matsuishi, 2019.

The baiji - Lipotes vexillifer Miller, 1918, a freshwater dolphin found in China - has likely gone extinct in the last couple of decades. The Society for Marine Mammalogy lists it as 'possibly extinct' to match its status as given by the IUCN Red List, but adds 'extinction seems a certainty.' It was declared extinct by an advocacy organization in 2007. A rumor of the species' survival surfaced in 2016, which was met with both joy and skepticism. Over a dozen other cetacean species are considered Endangered or Critically Endangered.

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

November 06, 2019 - Arachnid Hierarchy Updated

This update of hierarchy within Chelicerata, with focus on Arachnida, has three major aspects.

Addition of class Euchelicerata for Arachnida+Xiphosura (those names now accepted at subclass rank to accommodate it).
Addition of global hierarchy of Arachnida to family, following the ongoing work of Ruggiero et al.
Update of Oribatida (the order of beetle mites) to genus, following Subias' World Catalog for this group, which is hosted by Biología y Biodiversidad de Artrópodos. Further updates are underway to bring the species and subspecific rank names up to date as well.

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

September 30, 2019 - Amphibian Global Coverage Updated

Amphibians - including frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians - are the most threatened vertebrate class on earth: according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Amphibians form a vital part of many ecosystems (West, 2018), ingesting invertebrate pests, providing a source of food for predators, circulating matter and energy between aquatic and terrestrial environments. They have long been looked to as indicator species of ecosystem health; while they may not be the group most acutely sensitive to all pollutants, their "noted sensitivities to ultra-violet light, habitat destruction, disease, and climate change […] give a comprehensive picture of the global environment that we need to consider." (Kaplan, 2009). Potential medical benefits include insights into tissue regeneration, and potential production of pharmaceutically useful compounds.

The largest amphibians in the world are the Chinese Giant Salamander - Andrias davidianus (Blanchard, 1871) - and the Japanese Giant Salamander - Andrias japonicus (Temminck, 1836).

This update was made possible by Darrel Frost and the American Museum of Natural History, and based on a data set provided by Amphibian Species of the World. It includes 8,054 valid species (as well as 14,523 synonymous names at species and subspecies ranks). Of the valid species, 287 are found in North America. In total, the update comprises 24,069 new and/or edited names, 13,337 of which are new to ITIS.

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

September 30, 2019 - Marchantiophyta (Liverworts) Global Coverage Updated

Commonly known as liverworts or hepatics because of the flattened, lobed shape of some thalloid species, Marchantiophyta is a division of non-vascular land plants. A conspicuous component of many ecosystems worldwide, liverworts are distinguished from mosses by their dorsi-ventral orientation (perpendicular to sunlight), inoperculate (lidless) capsules, and unicellular rhizoids (root-like structures), among other characteristics (Glime, 2017).

The current update derives from a data set acquired from the Early Land Plants Today (ELPT) project in 2018, and was implemented with the help of experts Anders Hagborg, Lars Söderström, and Matt von Konrat. This update includes 7,466 accepted species, 629 of which are found in North America; and comprises 10,266 new and/or edited names, 8,239 of which are new to ITIS.

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

September 30, 2019 - Global Snakes Update Reaches Completion

Over the last few years, ITIS has undertaken a full global update of its coverage of suborder Serpentes (snakes). Progress included one family updated in 2014 (Boidae), one in 2016 (Homalopsidae), three in 2017 (Tropidophiidae, Elapidae, and Viperidae), one in 2018 (Colubridae, with subfamily Natricinae), and four previously in 2019 (Pythonidae, and three in superfamily Uropeltoidea).

This update provides global coverage for infraorder Scolecophidia, comprising five families of blind snakes (Anomalepididae, Gerrhopilidae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, and Xenotyphlopidae.)

Blind snakes are small, fossorial (adapted to digging) snakes that can typically grow up to a meter long. Some species lack eyes; other species' eyes may be rudimentary and appear to be pigment spots on the skin. Family Leptotyphlopidae contains what is believed to be the smallest species of snake in the world; at just four inches long, Leptotyphlops carlae Hedges, 2008 is thought to have reached the lower size boundary for snakes, as it is capable of producing only one egg and its offspring hatch at one-half the length of adults (Hedges, 2008).

In Scolecophidia there are 457 accepted species, 5 of which are found in North America. The Scolecophidia update is comprised of 1,120 new and/or edited names, 748 of which are new to ITIS.

To complete Serpentes this update also touches 11 valid/accepted species across six small families (<5 species per family): Acrochordidae (Wart Snakes), Aniliidae (False Coral Snakes), Bolyeriidae (Mauritius Snakes), Loxocemidae (Mexican Pythons), Xenopeltidae (Sunbeam Snakes), and Xenophidiidae (Spine-jawed Snakes). These families are comprised of 36 new and/or edited names, 9 of them new to ITIS.

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

August 28, 2019 - Insect Family Capniidae Global Coverage Added

Also known as 'small winter stoneflies' or 'snowflies', Capniidae is one of the largest families of Plecoptera, comprising 296 accepted species distributed through the Holarctic. Adults generally emerge in the winter or early spring, and are often seen walking across snow. Adult winter stoneflies possess the ability to supercool (cool to temperatures below the freezing point without crystallization and harm); nymphs survive winter temperatures by emerging in air pockets between water bodies and surface ice, where temperatures are more stable and do not reach much below freezing.

The update is largely based on the 2019 version of Plecoptera Species File database by DeWalt, Maehr, Hopkins, Nei-Becker and Stueber.

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

August 28, 2019 - Four Snake Families (Anomochilidae, Cylindrophiidae, Uropeltidae, Pythonidae) Updated

Snake superfamily Uropeltoidea comprises families Anomochilidae (Dwarf Pipe Snakes), Cylindrophiidae (Asian Pipe Snakes), and Family Uropeltidae (Shield-tailed Snakes). These enigmatic families of snakes are fossorial or semi-fossorial (burrowing) and are found in Southeast Asia. The three families comprise 73 accepted species. The current update includes 142 edited species, 63 of which are new to ITIS.

Family Pythonidae includes 40 accepted species, and is found in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia (Barker et al., 2015). It includes the longest species of snake on earth, the reticulated python, which can reach lengths of 33 feet. Various species are popular in the pet trade. The species Python bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 started out as a popular pet species but is now threatening the Florida Everglades ecosystem.

The update is largely based on the 2019 version of Reptile Database by Uetz and Hosek.

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

June 27, 2019 - Centipede Order Geophilomorpha Global Coverage Added, Completing Update of All Centipedes

Centipede order Geophilomorpha includes families Geophilidae (651 species), Gonibregmatidae (24 species), Himantariidae (63 species), Mecistocephalidae (174 species), Oryidae (47 species), Schendylidae (310 species), and Zelanophilidae (7 species); for a total of 1,276 valid species worldwide (making it the largest centipede order). Species in this order are long and slender, with 27 to 191 pairs of legs (always an odd number of pairs). Species of note include the troglomorphic Geophilus hadesi Stoev, Akkari, Komericki, Edgecombe and Bonato, 2015 and Geophilus persephones Foddai and Minelli, 1999, true troglobites that live exclusively in deep caves; a specimen of G. hadesi discovered in a vertical cave between -980 and -1,100 meters represents the world's deepest record of Chilopoda.

The update is largely based on the 2016 treatment in ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda), with additional updates to cover up to the present, and is part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of Chilopoda. 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 .

June 27, 2019 - Wasp Families Ampulicidae and Heterogynaidae Updated

Family Ampulicidae - known as cockroach wasps - comprises 204 accepted species worldwide, 4 of which are cited for North America. The family was initially added to ITIS in 2008; this update added the complete synonymy from Wojciech Pulawski's online 'Catalog of Sphecidae' as well as bringing the treatments up-to-date.

Wasp larvae often live as parasites on prey that eventually kill after feeding on the host little by little. Wasps of family Ampulicidae are entomophagous parasitoids, feeding their young on live cockroaches. One species in particular, the emerald cockroach wasp Ampulex compressa (Fabricius, 1781) is famous for turning its cockroach prey into a 'zombie' via injection of a stupefying neurotoxin directly into precise regions of the brain. A species newly added to ITIS with this update, Ampulex dementor Ohl, 2014, was named after the Dementors of 'Harry Potter' fame, by popular vote among 300 visitors at a 2012 museum event in Berlin.

Heterogynaidae is a small and enigmatic family of wasps, comprising only 9 species worldwide; the most recent was described in 2017.

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

May 30, 2019 - Centipede Order Scolopendromorpha Global Coverage Added

Centipede order Scolopendromorpha includes families Scolopendridae (397 species), Cryptopidae (189 species), Scolopocryptopidae (90 species), Plutoniumidae (7 species), and Mimopidae (2 species); for a total of 685 valid species worldwide, of which 24 are found in North America. Chilopods in this order are likely the centipedes that most members of the public would recognize as a 'centipede'. Scolopendra gigantea Linnaeus, 1758 is one of the largest centipedes in the world; it can grow up to 30 cm (12 inches) long, and has been known to feed on vertebrates like bats, frogs, and rats.

The update is based on the treatment in ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda), and is part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of Chilopoda. 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 30, 2019 - Horseshoe Crabs (Xiphosura) Global Coverage Updated

Xiphosurans (Xiphosura) - horseshoe crabs, in the vernacular - have a fossil record that extends back to the Ordovician geological period (about 450 million years ago). The four species of horseshoe crabs extant worldwide are marine inhabitants and have been called 'living fossils' for apparently exhibiting a low level of diversification across phylogenetic time (Obst et al., 2012). However, recent research has found that their evolutionary history is more complex than previously thought. For example, it is now known Xiphosurids have invaded non-marine environments at least five times before subsequent extinction (Lamsdell, 2015).

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

May 30, 2019 - Wasp Family Sphecidae Updated

Family Sphecidae - known as mud daubers, digger wasps, and sand wasps - comprises 783 species worldwide, 135 of which are cited for North America. The family was initially added to ITIS in 2008; this update added the complete synonymy from Wojciech Pulawski's online Catalog of Sphecidae as well as bringing the treatments up-to-date. The current update added 803 new names and verified an additional 2,000+ names. Sphecoid wasp larva feed on paralyzed arthropods (e.g., spiders, grasshoppers, or caterpillars) provided by an adult; adults feed on nectar and the bodily fluids of their prey.

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

April 30, 2019 - Centipede Family Henicopidae Global Coverage Added

Henicopidae includes 126 species worldwide, of which 19 are cited for North America. The type species of the genus, Lamyctes caeculus (Brölemann, 1889) is parthenogenetic (Edgecombe and Giribet, 2003).

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

April 30, 2019 - Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, and pikas) Global Coverage Updated

The order that contains rabbits, hares, and pikas comprises 99 species worldwide, 22 of which are found in North America. This update is based on the book 'Lagomorphs. Pikas, Rabbits, and Hares of the World' (Smith et al., 2018) with further updates from additional 2017-2019 publications. Videos of pikas calling to one another with loud squeaks can be viewed on YouTube.

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

April 30, 2019 - Pilosa (anteaters and sloths) Global Coverage Updated

The order Pilosa Flower, 1883, meaning 'hairy', currently includes 16 species of anteaters and sloths, and is found only in the Americas. The species count is significantly larger than just a few years ago, as a 2018 taxonomic review (Miranda et al., 2018) of the silky or pygmy anteater (genus Cyclopes Gray, 1821) found that the then-recognized single species in the genus, Cyclopes didactylus (Linnaeus, 1758) should be recognized as a complex of seven species.

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

April 24, 2019 - New Darwin Core Archive Download Capability from ITIS

We have added Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) download capability from the ITIS taxon standard report page. Now you can obtain a representation of ITIS data in a biodiversity informatics standard designed for sharing and integrating checklist data. The DwC-A terms used in the download can be found on the ITIS DwC-A File format page. For details on how ITIS derives the DwC-A values see the DwC-A Layout and Data Application document.

The download is obtained by clicking on the Download DwC-A button that appears on single name report pages. Your download will include all names below the selected taxon, the direct hierarchy above it up to kingdom, and all synonyms. A download that begins at an invalid/not accepted name will begin at that name's valid/accepted name or names, and provide the children and direct hierarchy of the associated valid/accepted names with synonymy.

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

March 31, 2019 - Global Superfamily Corixoidea Added: Worldwide Aquatic Heteropteran Coverage Completed

Superfamily Corixoidea (which includes families Corixidae or 'water boatmen', and Micronectidae or 'pygmy water boatmen') contains 630 valid species worldwide. This update to ITIS comprises 794 newly-added names, part of a total of 1,010 new and edited taxonomic names.

ITIS now offers a full global treatment of aquatic and semi-aquatic heteropterans—collectively 'water bugs', in infraorders Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha, and Leptopodomorpha. This is the first complete global treatment of this particular group, and comprises over 5,200 valid species across the three infraorders.

Expertise and data to make this project possible were contributed by specialists Dr. Herbert Zettel of the Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria and Dr. Dan Polhemus of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. 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 31, 2019 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Hydrometridae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of Hydrometridae (marsh treaders, water measurers). Hydrometridae was added to ITIS in August 2016, with 144 valid extant species. The current update includes 147 valid species (13 fossil, 134 extant), of which 8 (all extant) are found in North America.

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

March 31, 2019 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Mesoveliidae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of Mesoveliidae (pond treaders, pondweed bugs). Mesoveliidae was added to ITIS in August 2016, with 53 valid extant species. The current update includes 59 valid species (6 fossil, 53 extant), of which 3 are found in North America.

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

February 25, 2019 - Worldwide Lithobiidae Added

Lithobiidae, sometimes known as stone centipedes, accounts for almost 1/3 of known and named centipede species, with 1,019 accepted species distributed worldwide (320 are found in North America). Adults have 15 pairs of legs and 18 body segments. This video includes close-up and action shots of a common European centipede species, Lithobius forficatus (Linnaeus, 1758).

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

February 25, 2019 - Spider family Theraphosidae Updated

Spider family Theraphosidae includes most of the large, hairy spiders known as tarantulas, with 989 species currently recognized around the globe. This update, derived from data made available by the World Spider Catalog, adds 354 new names (accepted and synonymous) to ITIS' existing treatment and brings the treatment current to 2019. Certain species of tarantula are popular as pets. While they are not very venomous (capable of delivering a bite similar to a bee sting), some New World species have urticating hairs and are capable of throwing the hairs into the eyes or nose of a potential threat!

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

December 20, 2018 - Worldwide Notonectidae Added

As part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of aquatic Heteroptera ITIS added global coverage of Notonectidae. The cosmopolitan family of predatory aquatic heteropterans are commonly called 'backswimmers'… or 'water bees' or 'water wasps', because members can deliver a painful 'bite' by stabbing with their proboscis. With long hind legs modified for swimming, the Notonectidae superficially resemble Corixidae, the water boatman; however, Notonectidae often swim upside-down and do not have modified scoop-shaped front legs as Corixidae members do. Able to fly, inhabiting ponds and freshwater pools, and attracted to light, Notonectidae often invade swimming pools and may become a nuisance. Notonectidae comprises 405 species, 37 of which are found in North America. This data load added 502 new names to ITIS.

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

December 20, 2018 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Gerridae, Hebridae, and Naucoridae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of Gerridae, Hebridae, and Naucoridae. Gerridae was added to ITIS in January 2018, and this update adds 9 species to the 808 extant species recognized in January. Hebridae and Naucoridae were add to ITIS in July 2017. This update adds 1 species to the 233 extant species of Hebridae recognized in 2017, and 4 species to the 398 extant species of Naucoridae.

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

November 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Veliidae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of Veliidae (riffle bugs, and broad-shouldered water striders). Veliidae was added to ITIS in October 2016, with 1,152 valid extant species. The current update includes 1,164 valid extant species, of which 37 are found in North America, and 9 fossil species.

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

November 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Leptopodomorpha

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of infraorder Leptopodomorpha. Leptopodomorpha was added to ITIS in July 2016, with 358 valid species. The current update includes 349 valid extant species, and 17 fossil species.

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

November 29, 2018 - Worldwide Thaumastocoridae Added

The heteropteran family Thaumastocoridae includes the sap-sucking Bronze Bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus D. L. Carpintero and Dellapé, 2006. It is native to Australia, but is a globally spreading species that specializes on Eucalpytus trees. It was found in Los Angeles County in 2016, but may not be established yet.

There are 31 extant species worldwide, 1 of which are found in North America. This update comprises 59 new and edited names, of which 40 names are new to ITIS.

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

November 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Mustelids of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global dataset of Mustelidae, the family of carnivorous mammals that includes weasels, badgers, otters, martens, and wolverines, among other taxa. Within this family are several species of fierce midguild predators with conspicuously colored facial masks, such as the European Badger, Marbled Polecat, and Wolverine. The masks likely serve as a warning to deter larger carnivorous predators. Newman et al. noted that masks are confined to terrestrial mammals under predation risk, who do not hunt by stealth-and-chase, and do not escape predators by climbing trees, using burrows, or diving into water.

Mustelidae comprises 63 species, 13 of which are found in North America with almost 350 subspecies. This data load added 548 new names to ITIS.

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

October 29, 2018 - Worldwide Nepidae and Pleidae Added

As part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of aquatic Heteroptera ITIS added global coverage of Nepidae and Pleidae. Nepidae are commonly called 'waterscorpions' because members bear a caudal breathing tube or siphon, used to breathe while under water, as well as raptorial forelegs. Nepidae are found on all continents except Antarctica; of the 262 extant species, 14 are found in North America. This update adds 370 new names to ITIS.

Pleidae, or 'pygmy backswimmers', are small (less than 3mm long) aquatic bugs with a distinctly convex shape. There are 35 extant species worldwide, 6 of which are found in North America. This update comprises 77 new and edited names, of which 35 names are new to ITIS.

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

October 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Worldwide Coreidae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the insect family Coreidae (leaf-footed bugs). ITIS has maintained Coreidae since 2015 when the global species dataset of 2,480 valid species were added or updated. This revision includes 107 names new to ITIS, brings the currency of the group to this year, and includes 2,564 Coreidae accepted species worldwide with 100 found in North America.

Coreidae includes the destructive American pest Anasa tristis (De Geer, 1773), commonly known as the squash bug. It attacks cucurbits, especially squash and pumpkin, by secreting highly toxic saliva into the plant.

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

September 26, 2018 - Scolytinae (bark beetles, ambrosia beetles) of North America Added

Scolytinae includes two of the most destructive invasive pests in ornamental plant nurseries: the granulate ambrosia beetle, Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky, 1866), and the black stem borer, Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford, 1894). These insects are generalists; Xylosandrus germanus has been reported to infest over 200 species of plants in 52 families. Infestations are often marked by 'toothpicks': columns of chewed wood and sap that extrude behind a beetle as it bores into a tree.

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. The current data load covers North America and comprises 632 accepted species, 555 of which are cited for North America; the load adds 265 new TSNs to ITIS.

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

August 30, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Colubroid Snakes Added

About half of all extant snake species are considered to be colubrids, and members of the family Colubridae can be found on every continent except Antarctica. In the past, the category of 'colubroids' was used broadly, even as a 'wastebin taxon', to classify species that did not clearly fall under other more well-defined families. The current data load includes Colubridae and families previously included within it: Lamprophiidae, Paretidae, and Xenodermidae. Under its current monophyletic circumscription, the family Colubridae consists of eight subfamilies, including Natricinae. Most colubrids are not venomous to humans; those that are venomous are rear-fanged, rather than front-fanged like the vipers and elapids. Research into the properties of colubrid venom, in terms of both potential harm and biomedical properties, is ongoing.

The current data load adds 3,917 new (without TSNs) names to ITIS, and is comprised of 2,254 valid species of which 128 are cited for North America.

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

July 30, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Class Holothuroidea Added

Commonly known as sea cucumbers, echinoderm class Holothuroidea has cosmopolitan marine distribution and comprises over 1,700 accepted species. Sea cucumbers offer the ecosystem service of bioturbation, aerating the ocean floor in much the same way earthworms do terrestrial soil. Various species of crustacean, mollusks, and even fish live on, or in, sea cucumbers in symbiotic relationships. Sea cucumbers are eaten by humans in various cultures, especially in east and southeast Asia; edible sea cucumbers are known as trepan (Indonesian), bêche-de-mer (French), bicho do mar (Portuguese), namako (Japanese), and loli (Hawaiian), among other names. Some species are subject to illegal food trafficking, and steps have been taken to conserve them. The Brown Sea Cucumber, Isostichopus fuscus (Ludwig, 1875) was added to CITES Appendix III in 2003 by Ecuador to help thwart illegal trafficking of the high-value catch.

Gustav Paulay, Curator of Marine Malacology, University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, provided ITIS with source data from the World Register of Marine Species and gave guidance on taxonomic and nomenclatural issues. The current data load includes 1,709 accepted species, with 3,515 names newly added to ITIS.

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

June 29, 2018 - Worldwide Treatments of Melittidae and Stenotritidae (Bee Families) Updated

Stenotritidae are the smallest family of bees, comprising 21 species in two genera; all are restricted to Australia. This complete treatment of Stenotritidae adds 19 new names to ITIS. Melittidae, the second-smallest bee family, comprises 207 species, of which 31 are found in North America. Melittidae includes a high proportion of host-plant specialist, or 'oligolectic', species. Some practice oil-collecting (Michez et al. 2009); that is, using specialized finely-branched hairs on the fore- and mid-legs to take oils from flowers to use in nest-building and/or larval food.

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, and Denis Michez, PhD, reviewed the Melittidae update which added 228 new names to ITIS [subsequent to the 2007 World Bee Checklist] and edited an additional 236.

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

June 29, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Belostomatidae Added

Belostomatids, or 'giant water bugs', are among the largest insects in the world—some members of the genus Lethocerus can grow to over 12 cm long (nearly 5 inches). These fierce predators prey on aquatic invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish (earning them the vernacular 'fish killers'), and have been known to kill and eat amphibians and reptiles. They occasionally inflict their painful venomous bite on humans, earning them the name 'toe biters'. Also called 'electric light bugs' for their attraction to bright lights at night, some species are a delicacy in parts of south and southeast Asia. ITIS' global update of Belostomatidae comprises 145 species, of which 23 are cited for North America; the update adds 218 new accepted and synonymous names to ITIS.

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

June 29, 2018 - Worldwide Treatments of Caprimulgiformes, Nyctibiiformes, and Steatornithiformes Updated

The phylogeny of Strisores (a clade encompassing hummingbirds, swifts, owlet-nightjars, frogmouths, nightjars, potoos, and the oilbird) is contentious. While the IOC (version 8.2, 2018) "[Proposes] to merge Apodiformes, including owlet-nightjars as well as swifts and hummingbirds, with the Caprimulgiform nightbirds to define a spectacular basal adaptive radiation of Neoaves", in this update ITIS has followed Zoonomen (2018) in recognizing potoos and the oilbird at order rank, Nyctibiiformes and Steatornithiformes respectively. This approach was argued and adopted by the South American Classification Committee by Van Remsen (February, 2016) in Proposal 703.

The three orders in this update include 122 species worldwide, 10 of which are found in North America. This update comprises 585 edited names, 218 of which are new to ITIS.

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

May 25, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Andrenidae (bee family) Updated

Commonly known as mining bees, due to their ground-nesting habit, family Andrenidae is common and diverse in North America. Over 1,200 valid species are found in the US and Canada [1,234 are cited for North America in this ITIS treatment], 83% of which are in either genus Andrena or Perdita. Species in the genus Perdita, are diminutive in size (2-10 mm) and tend to have very specific or 'oligolectic' foraging requirements - consuming the pollen from only one or a few closely related species of plants. This worldwide update for ITIS encompasses 3,010 valid species worldwide.

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, and Sébastien Patiny, PhD, and Kelli Ramos, PhD, reviewed of subfamily Panurginae. Altogether, the update comprises 5,729 new or edited names, including synonyms, 2,670 of which are newly-added to ITIS [subsequent to the 2007 World Bee Checklist].

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

May 25, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Reduviidae Added

Reduviidae, known by the vernaculars 'assassin bugs,' 'ambush bugs,' or 'thread-legged bugs,' is the second-most numerous and morphologically diverse family of predatory bugs. Particularly infamous members are the 'kissing bugs' of subfamily Triatominae; they feed on vertebrate blood and may transmit Chagas disease to humans. This cosmopolitan family comprises 7,449 species in ITIS, 197 of which are cited for North America. This update adds 9,035 TSNs 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.

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

February 28, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Elmidae and Protelmidae Added

The aquatic 'riffle beetles' of families Elmidae and Protelmidae usually live in cool rapid streams, where they feed on decayed plants and algae. Protelmidae was formerly considered as a tribe of Elmidae, and was recently elevated to full family rank. These families include 1540 species worldwide, 105 of which are found in North America. The update comprises 1926 edited names, 1631 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.

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

January 29, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Gerridae Added

Known as water striders or pond skaters, insects in the family Gerridae are able to walk on the surface of ponds, streams, rivers or even saltwater; because of their widely- and evenly- distributed weight and specially adapted legs — having fine hydrophobic (water-repellent) hairs on the underside of their tarsi (feet) — water surface tension supports them. This family includes 808 extant species and 18 fossil species, 52 of which are found in North America. The update comprises 1,224 edited names, 1,119 of which are new to ITIS

With the addition of family Gerridae, ITIS now contains complete and current global coverage for the heteropteran infraorder Gerromorpha. 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, with guidance and input from expert Dan Polhemus.

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

January 29, 2018 - Worldwide Treatment of Anthocerotophyta (Hornworts) Added

Hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) are a nonvascular order of plants characterized by their elongated horn-like sporophyte and thalloid gametophyte body. ITIS' treatment is adapted from Söderström et al. 2016, the first-ever worldwide checklist for liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and hornworts. The update comprises 215 valid species; 449 edited names, 285 of which are new to ITIS.

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

January 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Primates of the World

This third annual update to ITIS' worldwide treatment of primates (see February 8, 2016 and April 1, 2017) includes 13 newly-added names or name combinations, part of a total 155 edited names. The ITIS Primate treatment now includes 508 species, of which three (including humans) are cited for North America. Notably, the current update includes the Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis Nurcahyo, Meijaard, Nowak, Fredriksson and Groves in Nater et al., 2017), the first new great ape species described since 1929. The current population of Tapanuli Orangutans is estimated to be fewer than 800 individuals. Anthony Rylands, of Conservation International and 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 .

January 29, 2018 - ITIS Updates Strigiformes (Owls) of the World

Order Strigiformes is one of the oldest groups of land birds, with lineages extending back 70-80 million years. Owls are found in every region of the world, with the exception of Antarctica. The order comprises 243 valid species, of which 22 are cited for North America. This update contains 1,380 edited names, 540 of which are new to ITIS.

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

December 20, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Cestoda (Tapeworms) Added

This worldwide treatment of class Cestoda (tapeworms) was adapted from 'Tapeworms from Vertebrate Bowels of the Earth' (University of Kansas, Natural History Museum, Special Publication No. 25; published July 2017), a comprehensive worldwide review capping eight years of dedicated research funded by the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory. The publication addresses current taxonomy, host associations, diversity, phylogeny, geographic distribution and more, accompanying full lists of valid species for each tapeworm order - with the exception of order Cyclophyllidea, treated only to generic level because of its size and complexity (it would comprise over 3,000 valid species).

The ITIS update added 2,984 new names to ITIS, and included 1,863 valid and accepted species.

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

November 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Viperidae Added

Vipers are remarkable for having long, needle-like fangs that fold backwards when not in use (solenoglyphous). The true vipers of subfamily Viperinae are found in Africa, Europe and Asia, while the vipers found in the Americas - including rattlesnakes, the Copperhead and Cottonmouth - are pit vipers, so named for their temperature-sensitive facial pit organs. Viperidae contains 341 species worldwide, 23 of which are found in the United States.

The update work was coordinated by Ted R. Kahn, Sara Alexander and David Nicolson of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, with guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid, Research Zoologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, who is Curator of North American Collections of Herpetology at the National Museum of Natural History.

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

November 30, 2017 - ITIS Updates Phyllostomidae

Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats, is one of the largest and most diverse families within Chiroptera, containing 207 extant species (Vespertilionidae contains over 450 species; Pteropodidae contains 195); 6 species of phyllostomid are found in North America. Family Phyllostomidae includes fruit-eating, nectar- and pollen-eating, insectivorous, carnivorous and vampire bats. The present update included, among other things, the addition of genus Gardnerycteris, named in honor of specialist Dr. Alfred L. Gardner.

The work was coordinated by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Taxonomic guidance was given by Dr. Alfred L. Gardner, Research Wildlife Biologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Curator of the National Collection of North American.

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

November 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Gelastocoridae Added

As part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of aquatic Heteroptera ITIS added global coverage of Gelastocoridae (Toadbugs or Toad Bugs). This hemipteran family of 115 extant and 5 extinct species, 8 of which are found in North America, have bulging eyes and rounded warty bodies. Their hopping movements earn them the comparison to toads.

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

November 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Dinidoridae Added

Dinidoridae are part of the superfamily Pentatomoidea, which are variously called shield bugs, chust bugs, and stink bugs. Dinidoridae comprises 109 species. Most species occur in the Afrotropical region, but the type genus Dinidor Latreille, 1829 occurs in Neotropical regions. None 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. The update was completed using Rolston et al.'s Catalog of Dinidoridae of the world published in 1996, and the most recent taxonomic literature

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

October 27, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Elapidae added

Family Elapidae includes some of the most dangerous venomous snakes in the world: Coral Snakes, Cobras, Sea Snakes, Kraits, and Death Adders. The Inland Taipan of Australia, aka Fierce Snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus (McCoy, 1879)) possesses the most toxic of all snake venoms as measured by LD50 tests on mice, but few people have ever been killed by Inland Taipans because of their reclusive nature and remote distribution, and thanks to quick and effective first aid treatment.

The update work was coordinated by Ted R. Kahn and David Nicolson of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, with guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid, Research Zoologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, who is Curator of North American Collections of Herpetology at the National Museum of Natural History.

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

October 27, 2017 - ITIS Updates Zoraptera and Mesoveliidae

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the insect order Zoraptera (angel insects) and insect family Mesoveliidae (pond treaders, pondweed bugs).

ITIS has maintained Zoraptera since 2004 when the global species dataset of 32 valid species were added to the ITIS database. Revisions in 2012, 2013, 2015, and now 2017 brings the currency of the group to this year and includes 52 species, 41 extant and 11 from ancient amber.

A complete global species dataset of Mesoveliidae with 53 species was added to ITIS in 2016. New species named since 2016 bring the total species count to 56.

Maintenance of the Zoraptera and Mesoveliidae 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.

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

October 27, 2017 - ITIS Updates Ragworts of North America

North American coverage for genus Packera Á. Löve & D. Löve (Asteraceae), commonly called ragworts, has been updated.

ITIS completed Asteraceae for North American and Hawaii in 2010, including just over 3,000 accepted species of which approximately 2,600 occur in North America. This update brings the currency of Packera to this year and includes 56 species. Revisions include, among other things, recognizing the full species status of Packera crawfordii (Britton) A.M. Mahoney & R.R. Kowal and three new varieties of Packera paupercula (Michx.) Á. Löve & D. Löve.

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

September 27, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Tropidophiidae and Iguania Added

Snake family Tropidophiidae, known as Dwarf Boas, contains 34 species worldwide, and are found from Mexico and the West Indies to Brazil. When threatened they will curl into a ball, and may spontaneously bleed (autohemorrhage) from the mouth and nose, as well as behind their spectacles (analogous to eyelids), temporarily turning their eyes bright red.

Suborder Iguania currently includes 14 families, including iguanas, anoles, chameleons, agamids, spiny lizards, and the flying dragons of genus Draco. The update comprises 1,853 species, of which 89 are cited for North America, and adds 2,166 new names to ITIS. As of 2017 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed that 11 species from families in Iguania are Critically Endangered and another 19 are Endangered.

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

August 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Curaliidae and Velocipedidae Added

Family Curaliidae is a monotypic family of true bugs, and was described in 2008. Its sole species, Curalium cronini Schuh et al., 2008, is found in Florida and Louisiana, and is bright ruby red. Velocipedidae, or "fast-footed bugs," comprises 29 species distributed through tropical Asia and southwards, from India to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Their head is distinctively elongated and their exocorium (the leathery, external part of their forewings) is broadly expanded. The ITIS update that incorporated both family Curaliidae and Velocipedidae comprised 53 new names. 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 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Tetraodontiformes Added

Fish order Tetraodontiformes includes various distinctively-shaped fish including pufferfishes, cowfishes, filefishes, and the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758)). It also includes the infamous fugu, source of one of the world's most dangerous foods and subject of a thorny nomenclatural problem that ichthyologists and the ITIS Data Development Coordinator are endeavoring to resolve (see comment on genus Takifugu Abe, 1949).

The order includes 434 species worldwide. This update added 921 new names to ITIS. The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalogue of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Howard Jelks.

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

July 27, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Hebridae Added

Hebridae are known as 'velvet water bugs' for their characteristic hydrofuge pile (water-shedding dense hairs), which supports them atop water's surface tension. Unlike other gerromorphans, hebrids prefer marginal aquatic habitats to open water surface. This aquatic heteropteran family includes 2 fossil and 233 extant valid species, 16 of which are found in North America. The treatment adds 275 new names 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 .

July 27, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Naucoridae Added

The addition of aquatic heteropteran family Naucoridae ('creeping water bugs') completes superfamily Naucoroidea (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha), and is another step towards a full treatment of all aquatic heteropterans worldwide. Family Naucoridae comprises 418 species (398 extant, 20 fossil), of which 24 are found in North America; this update adds 595 names to ITIS. They typically live in still, fresh water, where they prey on molluscs and the larvae of other insects. Be careful with them: they can give a painful bite!

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

June 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Sphecoid Wasps Completed

With the addition of subfamily Bembicinae (family Crabronidae) this month, ITIS has achieved full worldwide coverage of superfamily Apoidea (bees and sphecoid wasps). ITIS' treatment of sphecoid wasps is an adaptation of the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled by Wojciech J. Pulawski, who has been publishing on the group for over 60 years! This final installment comprised 4462 new/edited names, adding 4355 new names to ITIS; it includes 1681 accepted species, of which 267 are cited for North America. Updates to previously-added bee treatments are currently underway.

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

June 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Helotrephidae Added

The aquatic heteropteran family Helotrephidae (a "water bug" family) includes 188 valid species, none of which are found in North America. The treatment adds 247 new names to ITIS. These are small bugs, 1.0 to 4.0 mm, and their head and prothorax are fused (Schuh and Slater, 1995). They may live in open water or utilize plastron respiration to live underwater. Distributed around the world in tropical and neotropical areas, they can be found in habitats as disparate as rock pools, running water, hot springs, or discarded ceramic bowls. 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 .

June 30, 2017 - Native Common Reed Differentiated from Invasive Common Reed

After being prompted by an inquiry from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, ITIS added Phragmites australis subsp. americanus Saltonst., P.M. Peterson & Soreng, a small change with large meaning for conservation. While the typical subspecies of Phragmites australis are ecologically damaging invasive weeds in the United States, subspecies americanus is native.

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

June 30, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Abalone Added

Abalone are members of the genus Haliotidae; currently all are recognized as belonging to a single genus, Haliotis, Latin for "sea ears". ITIS' treatment is an adaptation of Daniel L. Geiger and Buzz Owen's 2012 book, "Abalone: Worldwide Haliotidae." Currently 55 valid species are accepted in the genus. The update comprised 263 edited names, of which 244 were new.

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

June 30, 2017 - Annelid Hierarchy Updated

The upper hierarchy for phylum Annelida (the segmented worms, from phylum Annelida down to family and including some genera) has been corrected and brought in line with Ruggiero et al.'s 2015 revisions to "A Higher Level Classification of All Living Things," in an update comprising 649 new/edited names of which 215 names are new to ITIS.

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

June 2, 2017 - Worldwide Treatment of Turbellarians Added

"Turbellaria" refers to all flatworms that are not exclusively parasitic. It is a paraphyletic group, including members of protostome phylum Platyhelminthes that are not obligate parasites (that is, excluding classes Monogenea, Trematoda, and Cestoda, now known as "Neodermata") and also including deuterostome phylum Xenacoelamorpha. Turbellarian species occur in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats, and include 1mm-long animals that live among sand grains, brightly-colored marine taxa that swim through reefs, and the planarium Planaria torva (O. F. Müller, 1774) whose regenerative abilities are so advanced that one individual can become over 200 if cut into pieces (el-Showk, 2014). In collaboration with Seth Tyler and Steve Schilling ITIS adapted data from the Turbellarian Taxonomic Database to add a worldwide treatment of Turbellaria, involving 12,308 new and edited names (including 11,657 names new to ITIS) and 5,721 valid species.

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

June 2, 2017 - ITIS Updates Wasp Subfamily Philanthinae

Full and current global coverage for sphecoid wasp subfamily Philanthinae was added. This treatment added 2,648 new names to ITIS, containing 1,141 valid species. The addition was derived from the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled and maintained by Wojciech Pulawski, and completed with his ongoing assistance in resolving questions. This update brings ITIS closer towards completing the full worldwide treatment of sphecoid wasps.

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

May 1, 2017 - ITIS updates the second-largest genus of flowering plants, Euphorbia

The spurge genus, Euphorbia, is the second-largest genus among flowering plants, with about 2,000 valid and accepted species (legume genus Astragalus is the largest). With generous help from experts Paul Berry and Riki Riina, ITIS has adapted data from the Euphorbia Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Project to add a worldwide treatment of Euphorbia; including 1,982 accepted species. Members of Euphorbia are characterized by having a cyathium, a specialized floral structure found in no other plant. The current treatment includes genera that have been previously segregated but are now in Euphorbia, e.g. Chamaesyce and Poinsettia. This update also includes a worldwide update of genus Croton, a complete treatment of New World genus Astraea, and a number of other genera in family Euphorbiaceae. In total, 8,952 names (accepted or synonymous) were added and nearly 1,000 names edited for an approximate total of 10,000 names in the update.

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

April 1, 2017 - ITIS Updates Lobe-finned Fish of the World

Although Sarcopterygii includes all tetrapods, it is commonly used to refer only to the fish group and not all the four limbed vertebrates that evolved from sarcopterygian fish.

Extant lobe-finned fish include eight species: two coelacanth species found in deep ocean along the coasts of Africa and Indonesia, and six lungfish species found in Australia, South America, and Africa. The ITIS update of the group comprised 22 newly-added names for a total of 50 new and edited names. The coelacanths are protected by CITES, and the Tanzanian population of the African Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) was listed under the US Endangered Species Act in 2016.

To accommodate the revision of Sarcopterygii, the hierarchy of neighboring superclass Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) was revised: Chondrostei, Cladistei, and Holostei have been updated from class to family rank.

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

April 1, 2017 - ITIS Updates Primates of the World

This month's update to the Primates builds upon last year's update (see February 8, 2016 - ITIS Updates Primates of the World) and includes 91 newly-added names/combinations, part of a total 1,125 edited names. The ITIS Primate treatment now includes 501 species, of which three (including humans) are cited for North America. The number of species is fewer than the previous total due to taxonomic revision. For example, Cercopithecus albogularis, C. doggetti and C. kandti are now considered subspecies of Cercopithecus mitis. Paragalago, a new genus of galagos, is the newest name in the update. Anthony Rylands of Conservation International and 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 6, 2017 - Brief ITIS Outage Scheduled for Wednesday, March 8

Maintenance to the ITIS website and web services may cause a brief service interruption on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

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

February 28, 2017 - ITIS Updates Crabronini of the World

Global coverage for tribe Crabronini (subfamily Crabroninae) added almost 1,500 species of crabronid wasp to ITIS (156 of which are found in North America); more progress towards full coverage of wasp family Crabronidae. This addition was derived from the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled and maintained by Wojciech Pulawski, and with his ongoing assistance in resolving questions. It was accompanied by an update of crabronid genus Pison and allied genera (Menke, 2016. A Re-evaluation of the Generic Limits of Pison Jurine, and a New Species of the Genus Aulacophilinus Lomholdt (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae: Trypoxylini). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, vol. 63, no. 11, pp. 333-340).

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

February 28, 2017 - ITIS Updates Whirligig Beetles of North America

North American coverage for family Gyrinidae, the whirligig beetles, has been added. The family includes 61 accepted species in North America; the update comprised 121 names. Their unique compound eyes are split into upper and lower halves of differing structure, allowing them to simultaneously see both overwater and underwater while swimming on the surface (Blagodatski et al., 2014). 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 13, 2017 - ITIS Updates Cosmopolitan Diatom Genus Navicula

Since it was described by Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1822, diatom genus Navicula has been assigned species that are now understood to belong to other genera, other families, and even other orders of diatoms! Research Collaborator and diatom expert Ling Ren performed extensive revision of ITIS existing records of Navicula (sensu lato) and built worldwide coverage for Navicula (sensu stricto). This update added 1,353 diatom names to ITIS; 2,185 names were edited in total.

Navicula are boat-shaped algae and, usually benthic, sometimes found in plankton. It is estimated that diatoms (including but not restricted to Navicula) produce 20-40% of the world's oxygen. Diatoms are generally particular about the qualities of their environment, and so are used in environmental assessment and monitoring.

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

December 22, 2016 - ITIS Data File Integrity Has Been Restored

On December 22, 2016 the file integrity of ITIS was corrected. This fixes the duplicate names that were introduced on November 30, 2016.

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

December 14, 2016 - ITIS Data File Integrity is Being Corrected

On November 30, 2016 an error occurred that created data integrity issues in the ITIS database, resulting in some names being duplicated. Until ITIS restores data integrity the download files will be unavailable.

We have a solution to restore integrity, and we believe corrected files will be available soon.

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

November 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Two Genera of Snakes, Chilabothrus and Drymarchon

Chilabothrus argentum Reynolds, Puente-Rolón, Geneva, Aviles-Rodriguez and Herrmann, 2016 (Conception Bank Silver Boa) is the first new West Indian Boa described in 73 years, and its description brings the number of West Indian boa species to 12. Based on IUCN Red List assessment criteria, it is one of the most critically endangered boid snakes (Boidae) globally (Reynolds et al. 2016).

Indigo Snakes, genus Drymarchon Fitzinger, 1843, are endemic to the U.S., central and South America. Of the six currently accepted species in the genus three are found in North America. They are nonvenomous and are not aggressive towards humans.

Update work for reptiles is coordinated by Ted R. Kahn with guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid.

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

November 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Wasp Subfamily Pemphredoninae

Full and current global coverage for sphecoid wasp subfamily Pemphredoninae was added; of 1,119 included valid species, 225 are found in North America. The addition was derived from the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled and maintained by Wojciech Pulawski, and completed with his ongoing assistance in resolving questions.

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

November 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Aquatic Heteroptera

As part of an ongoing project to provide worldwide coverage of aquatic Heteroptera two new species were added to our global treatments. The new species Aphelocheirus pemae Millán, L'mohdi and Carbonell, 2016 from Morocco brings the family Aphelocheiridae Fieber, 1851 up to 109 extant species. The new species Mesovelia tuberculata Floriano and Moreira in Floriano et al., 2016 from Venezuela brings the family up to 49 extant species globally. An additional five fossil species are covered in ITIS.

Update work for insects is coordinated by Daniel Perez-Gelabert.

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

November 30, 2016 - ITIS Adds New Species of Gopher Tortoise

In recognition of the distinctiveness of Gopherus morafkai Murphy, Berry, Edwards, Leviton, Lathrop and Riedle, 2011 in the southern part of its range a new species of Gopher Tortoise from Mexico, Gopherus evgoodei Edwards, Karl, Vaughn, Rosen, Meléndez Torres and Murphy, 2016 (Goode's Thornscrub Tortoise) was described earlier this year. The recognition of Gopherus evgoodei has conservation implications because it reduces the distribution of Gopherus morafkai by 34% in Mexico (Edwards et al., 2016).

Update work for reptiles is coordinated by Ted R. Kahn with guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid.

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

October 31, 2016 - ITIS Updates Three Families of Aquatic Heteropterans

ITIS has added global coverage for three families of aquatic heteropterans: Veliidae, Hermatobatidae, and Stenocephalidae. Veliidae are variously known as broad-shouldered bugs or broad-shouldered water striders (because their pronotum is wider than their abdomen), small water striders, ripple bugs, or riffle bugs. The family comprises 1152 extant species worldwide, of which 37 are found in North America. Hermatobatidae are obligatory surface-dwelling marine bugs, and so are called seabugs. They are thought to possibly represent the oldest extant group of marine Gerromorpha (Polhemus and Polhemus, 2012). All of the 12 species are found in Pacific or Indian Ocean regions; one species is native to Hawaii. Stenocephalidae contains a single genus of 25 species, Dicranocephalus, and all are found in the Eastern Hemisphere.

The updates were conducted by Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History).

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

October 31, 2016 - ITIS Updates Two Families of Aquatic Beetles

ITIS has added North American coverage of two aquatic beetle families. Ripiphoridae is a cosmopolitan family, with 44 species found in North America. Members undergo hypermetamorphosis: more than three normal stages of complete metamorphosis. All the members of Ripiphoridae are parasitic. The three subfamilies within the group target different prey. Ripiphorinae parasitize bees and wasps; Pelecotominae parasitize wood-boring beetle larvae; and Ripidiinae parasitize cockroaches (http://bugguide.net/node/view/4620). Scirtidae, or marsh beetles, have been noted as being in great need of taxonomic revision (http://bugguide.net/node/view/16991). There are about 800 species worldwide, of which 51 are found in North America.

The updates were conducted by Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History).

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

October 11, 2016 - ITIS has Transitioned to HTTPS

On October 11, 2016, ITIS began delivering its content over https. Now when you visit ITIS pages, you'll see a green lock and https:// in the address bar instead of http://. This lets you know you are really on an ITIS page — that our server identity is confirmed — and that your communication with our server is encrypted and private.

For users browsing ITIS we have temporarily established a redirect so links you have saved or shared prior to the https transition will be automatically directed to https://. However, the redirect will only be in effect until December 30, 2016. Please update your links to https:// to maintain working links.

ITIS has also redirected web services (http://www.itis.gov/web_service.html) from http to https until the end of the calendar year. Scripters should switch to https before December 30, 2016 to keep calls from failing. Our server side redirect was supposed to be seamless for our service users, but some clients have encountered problems. Please let us know if you have not been able to utilize our web services since the HTTPS transition.

ITIS Solr services (https://www.itis.gov/solr_documentation.html) will continue to use http for the immediate future. We'll keep you notified of any changes to Solr on this news page.

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

October 11, 2016 - Search Off-Site Resources Removal

The Search Off-Site Resources option at the bottom of the ITIS taxon standard report page has been removed. This feature, which allowed users to search for the taxon across multiple Web sites, received little use over the past year. It made sense to remove it and make room on the report page for new, more useful features.

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

October 11, 2016 - New Subordinate Taxa Table and Subordinate Taxa List Reports

We have added a table of valid or accepted taxa counts by rank and credibility rating at the bottom of the ITIS taxon standard report page. Now you can view the counts of valid/accepted taxa under the target name of the report. The counts are aggregated by rank, and are summed by three credibility values: verified standards met, verified minimum standards met, and unverified. The proportion of names across all three credibility values are also represented in an interactive pie chart.

The names summed in the report can be listed by clicking on the count-results in the table allowing you, for example, to list all the genera in the order Passeriformes.

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

October 11, 2016 - Now Download Results from ITIS Taxon Compare Tool

The results generated by Taxon Compare can now be downloaded in delimited text format. The Taxon Compare tool allows you to upload a text file of your scientific names to determine if one or more names in ITIS match. ITIS data displayed for matched names includes TSN, Scientific Name, Rank, and Author. The download includes the matched and non-matched results, and returns them in the same order in which they were submitted in the uploaded file. For more information about how to use Taxon Compare see the compare taxonomy guidelines.

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

September 30, 2016 - Harvestmen Update

The arachnid order Opiliones, or harvestmen, is represented by 249 species in North America; worldwide the order contains over 6,600 species (BugGuide, 2016). While sometimes also known as daddy longlegs, that common name also may refer to crane flies (Tipulidae) or cellar spiders (Pholcidae). Harvestmen can be easily differentiated from spiders because their body segments are fused rather than comprising a cephalothorax and abdomen connected by a constriction. Besides full regional coverage for North America, this ITIS update contains globally complete treatments of superfamilies Travunioidea, Triaenonychoidea, Samooidea, and Zalmoxoidea, and additional families and genera, for a total of 1280 valid species with 1916 new and edited names.

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

September 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Monotomidae, Agyrtidae and Silphinae of North America, and Aphelocheiridae and Potamocoridae of the World

Beetle family Monotomidae (root-eating beetles) contains 59 North American species, and this update includes 151 new and edited names.

Beetle family Agyrtidae (primitive carrion beetles) and subfamily Silphinae (of Silphidae, carrion beetles) together are represented by 27 species in North America; this regional update contained 55 new and edited names.

Aphelocheiridae and Potamocoridae are in superfamily Naucoroidea (creeping water bugs). There are 146 species in these two families worldwide, including 24 found in North America.

The updates for all of these groups were conducted by Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History).

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

September 30, 2016 - Giraffe Update

Following a study published this month (Fennessy et al, 26 September 2016), ITIS has updated its treatment of giraffes (genus Giraffa) from a single species to four species. In the words of the authors of the publication, their findings show that the genetic complexity of giraffes "has been underestimated, highlighting the need for greater conservation efforts for the world's tallest mammal."

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

August 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Homalopsid Snakes of the World

Snakes of the family Homalopsidae, sometimes known as Water Snakes or Mudsnakes, are found in southeastern Asia and northern Australia and are venomous. The family contains 53 valid species in 27 genera. Two species -- Gerarda prevostiana and Fordonia leucobalia - are notable for having been observed tearing their prey apart before eating it; snakes generally swallow their prey whole (Jayne et al. 2002).

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

August 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Four Families of Aquatic Heteroptera

This month's updates of bug families Hydrometridae (144 valid species; marsh treaders, water measurers), Macroveliidae (4 species; macroveliid shore bugs), Paraphrynoveliidae (2 species), and Mesoveliidae (53 species; pond treaders, pondweed bugs) are part of an ongoing project to provide full worldwide coverage for infraorder Gerromorpha (semiaquatic or shore-inhabiting bugs), conducted by Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History). The United States is home to nine species (in one genus) of Hydrometridae, two species (in two genera) of Macroveliidae, and three species (in one genus) of Mesoveliidae.

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

August 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Larrini of the World

The addition of tribe Larrini within wasp subfamily Crabroninae marked another milestone towards complete global coverage of crabronid wasps (family Crabronidae); this update, containing 1,321 valid species, comprised 3,205 new and edited names. The addition was derived from the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled and maintained by Wojciech Pulawski, and completed with his ongoing assistance in resolving questions.

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

July 29, 2016 - ITIS Updates Shore Bugs of the World

ITIS has added global coverage of order Leptopodomorpha, including shore bugs and spiny shore bugs, adding 371 new accepted and synonymous names for a total of 358 valid and accepted species. Of these, 85 are found in North America. Shore bug fossils in amber and rock from the Jurassic, Cretaceous, Oligocene, and Miocene epochs have been found. Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History) compiled the dataset.

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

July 29, 2016 - ITIS Updates Flatfish of the World

The global treatment of flatfishes (order Pleuronectiformes) has been updated, with the addition of 860 accepted and synonymous names; the order currently comprises 793 valid and accepted species. Flatfishes are named for the distinctive asymmetrical body form of adults. Some species are dextral - their eyes migrate to the right side of their body and they rest on their left side - some sinistral - vice-versa - and some species contain both dextral and sinistral individuals. Important food fishes, including flounder, sole, tubot, and halibut, belong to this order. The treatment is based on the work of Bill Eschmeyer, primary author of the Catalogue of Fishes, maintained as a website hosted by the California Academy of Sciences, and was adapted for the ITIS update by Howard Jelks.

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

July 29, 2016 - ITIS Updates Crabroninae of the World

Almost 2,000 species of crabronid wasp in subfamily Crabroninae were added to ITIS; this represents progress towards a proximal goal of full global coverage of the subfamily Crabroninae, and ultimately full coverage of wasp family Crabronidae. This addition was derived from the Catalogue of Sphecidae compiled and maintained by Wojciech Pulawski, and with his ongoing assistance in resolving questions.

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

July 29, 2016 - ITIS Updates Aloe of the World

Thirteen species of the succulent plant genus Aloe were added to existing global coverage. ITIS has maintained a global Aloe treatment since 2014. Many species of Aloe are cultivated almost worldwide as house plants and for pharmaceutical applications such as the well known Aloe vera extract. This update brings the treatment up to date as of the beginning of 2016.

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

June 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Velvety Shore Bugs of the World

ITIS has added global coverage of family Ochteridae, known as the Velvety Shore Bugs, adding 102 new accepted and synonymous names for a total of 86 valid and accepted species. These true bugs, found in damp areas around the edges of calm bodies of water, prey on small invertebrates. Five species are found in the United States. They are difficult to study because of their small size (generally 4 or 5 millimeters), inconspicuous appearance, tendency to group only in small numbers, and habit of jumping or flying away when disturbed. The update work was 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.

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

June 30, 2016 - ITIS Updates Chaetocerotaceae of the World

ITIS has added global coverage of the diatom family Chaetocerotaceae. These diatoms are centric (radially symmetrical); each individual's frustule (cell wall) has four long setae, which link together to form linear colonies. There are 185 extant accepted species worldwide; the update added 273 new accepted and synonymous names. While primarily marine, about twenty species inhabit fresh and brackish water in North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Because Chaetocerotaceae diatoms multiply quickly and contain a high percentage of lipids, during recent years they have been investigated as a potential source of biofuel by scientists in Malaysia, India, and Italy. The update work was conducted by Research Collaborator and diatom expert Ling Ren.

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

May 27, 2016 - ITIS Updates Tingidae of the World

ITIS developed and loaded a complete global species dataset of lacebugs (family Tingidae), that includes some related families with fossil species. These true bugs are named for their distinctive pronotum and forewings, which are divided into a fine network of subdivisions that resembles lace, and are often extended into a hood-like cover over the head. The Tingidae includes 2616 species (56 fossil, 2560 extant), of which 165 are cited for North America (6 of those are fossil, 159 extant). This update added 3262 names (valid and synonymous) to ITIS.

The inclusion of fossil Tingidae adds three other adjacent families (Ignotingidae, Hispanocaderidae, and Ebboidae), to give ITIS complete coverage to what used to be the superfamily Tingoidea; several papers over the last decade have concluded that this superfamily should be merged with the much larger superfamily Miroidea.

Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History) compiled the Tingidae global species dataset.

As with all ITIS data, the Tingidae data are freely and completely available to taxonomists maintaining specialized external datasets in the hope that they will find them useful.

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

May 27, 2016 - ITIS Updates Hydraenidae of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species database of minute moss beetles (family Hydraenidae). These beetles inhabit littoral zones and wet areas along the margins of streams, pools, and other bodies of water; they are generally herbivores or saprotrophs. Fossils from the lower Jurassic have been found, making them among the oldest beetle fossils.

ITIS has maintained Hydraenidae since 2011, when the global species dataset of 1,629 valid species was included in ITIS. This ITIS minute moss beetle update brings the currency of the group to 2016 and includes 1,927 species, with 95 species occurring in North America. This update added 1719 names (valid and synonymous) to ITIS.

Daniel Perez-Gelabert (Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History) compiled the Hydraenidae global species dataset.

As with all ITIS data, the Hydraenidae data are freely and completely available to taxonomists maintaining specialized external datasets in the hope that they will find them useful.

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

May 2, 2016 - ITIS Updates 10 Avian Orders

ITIS has updated its global coverage of 10 bird orders:

Apterygiformes - Kiwis
Casuariiformes - Cassowaries, Emus
Rheiformes - Rheas
Struthioniformes - Ostriches
Tinamiformes - Tinamous
Eurypygiformes - Sunbittern, Kagu
Mesitornithiformes - Mesites
Phaethontiformes - Tropicbirds
Phoenicopteriformes - Flamingos
Podicipediformes - Grebes

The update includes 97 species and 206 subspecies worldwide. One species of Grebe, the Junín Grebe Podiceps taczanowskii von Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1894, is flightless and found only on Lake Junín in the mountains of west-central Peru. It suffered a rapid decline starting in the 1960's when nesting habitat in the reedy marshes bordering the lake were negatively impacted by mining that altered the lake's water level. Conservation efforts to improve water quality and control water levels to the benefit of the Junín Grebe prevented the species from becoming extinct (Butchart et al., 2006). Conservation concern still exists for the species because of its low population size (100-300 individuals) and endemism. The Junín Grebe has been listed as an Endangered Species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 2012.

The update was completed by ITIS staff. Sara N. Alexander coordinated the update work and data development assistance came from David Mitchell. The source of the update was the IOC World Bird List (v 5.4). Managing Editors of the World Bird List David Donsker and Frank Gill provided taxonomic and nomenclatural guidance, and Alan Peterson of Zoonomen was a critical aid during the update.

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

April 6, 2016 - ITIS Updates Lizard Beetles of North America

ITIS has added full and current coverage of lizard beetles for North America. The update includes the following 5 subfamilies in beetle family Erotylidae, the pleasing fungus beetles:

Cryptophilinae
Languriinae
Loberinae
Pharaxonothinae
Xenoscelinae

The adults of lizard beetles feed on pollen and foliage of host plants. The larvae of most species are stem borers, tunneling inside the stems of host plants to feed on the inner portions of the stem. Other species in the family Erotylidae forage on fungus as larvae and adults, but lizard beetles transitioned from mycophagy to phytophagy over their evolutionary history (Robertson et al., 2004).

The ITIS lizard beetle update includes 53 species, with 38 species occurring 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 6, 2016 - ITIS Updates Checkered Beetles of North America

ITIS has added the full and current coverage of checkered beetles (family Cleridae) for North America. Checkered beetles are found worldwide and have a variety of feeding habits, but most genera are predacious.

In North America species in the genus Trichodes Herbst, 1792 are pollen feeders and pollinators. The larvae of most of these species are predators of solitary bees. The females lay their eggs in a bee nest and the larvae prey on the bee brood and eat the pollen provisions.

The ITIS checkered beetle update includes 296 species, with 276 species occurring 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 6, 2016 - ITIS Updates Clown Beetles of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the clown beetles (family Histeridae). Species in this family inhabit a wide variety of niches and exhibit a breadth of morphological diversity. There are species associated with rotting vegetation, carrion, or dung; and other species that live in positive association with ants and termites. The recently described Strigister tecolotito Caterino, Tishechkin and Proudfoot, 2013 has been found in the nest cavities of the Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio (Linnaeus, 1758) and the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum (Gmelin, 1788), where they presumably prey upon dipteran and other arthropods in the nest microhabitat (Caterino et al., 2013).

ITIS has maintained this family since 2010 when the global species dataset of 4,304 valid species were added to the ITIS database. This update brings the currency of the group to 2016 and includes 4,643 species, with 402 species occurring in North America.

Maintenance of the Histeridae 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.

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

April 6, 2016 - ITIS Updates Tuataras, Recognizing a Single Species Instead of Two

Tuataras are the only living members of the order Rhynchocephalia. These reptiles resemble lizards, but unlike lizards their internal anatomy shares features similar to turtles and crocodiles. Tuataras are endemic to New Zealand. They were once found on the New Zealand mainland but after the arrival of humans and other mammals tuataras were extirpated from the mainland 8,000-12,000 years ago. Now they are found on about 30 surrounding islands.

The Brothers Island tuatara Sphenodon guntheri Buller, 1877, confined to North Brother Island in Cook Strait, was once thought to be distinct from Sphenodon punctatus (Gray, 1842) in part because of its much smaller size. In a study examining the genetic diversity of tuataras Hay et al. (2010) synonymized guntheri with punctatus after concluding Sphenodon should be treated as a single species with distinctive geographic variants that evolved independently of each other on isolated islands.

The update work was coordinated by Ted R. Kahn and Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program.

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

February 29, 2016 - ITIS Updates Four Subfamilies of Crabronidae of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of four of the eight subfamilies in Crabronidae (sphecoid wasps): Astatinae, Dinetinae, Eremiaspheciinae, and Mellininae. Like all sphecoid wasps, crabronid wasps are predatory and provision their nest with paralyzed prey for their larvae to eat. Sphecoid wasps have long been recognized as being closely related to bees. Traditionally they have been treated as sister groups; some modern research indicates that bees arose from within the Crabronidae.

This update of four subfamilies includes 209 valid and accepted species - of which 43 are cited for North America. The update work was coordinated by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS Program. Data Development assistance came from Elizabeth A. Sellers of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and the USGS BISON program. The update was completed with taxonomic assistance from Wojciech J. Pulawski (California Academy of Sciences) and was based on his Catalog of Sphecidae.

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

February 8, 2016 - ITIS Updates Primates of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the mammal order Primates. The update includes the newly recognized white-cheeked macaque Macaca leucogenys Li, Zhao and Fan, 2015. The species is found in southeastern Tibet, China, and may extend to regions of Southeast Tibet controlled by India. Other recently described primate taxa from the same area include Macaca munzala Sinha, Datta, Madhusudan and Mishra, 2005, Hoolock hoolock mishmiensis Choudhury, 2013, and Rhinopithecus strykeri Geissmann, Ngwe Lwin, Saw Soe Aung, Thet Naing Aung, Zin Myo Aung, Tony Htin Hla et al., 2010 (Li et al., 2015).

The ITIS Primate treatment now includes 505 species, of which 3 are cited for North America. The update work was coordinated and completed by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, with data development assistance from Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Anthony Rylands, of Conservation International and 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 .

January 13, 2016 - ITIS Updates Dilaridae of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the pleasing lacewings (Dilaridae). This small family (89 species) consists of neuropterous insects that resemble small brown moths with rounded wings that are hairy and sometimes transparent. The first species described was from southern Spain near Granada. Now species have been described from other localities in Europe as well as Africa, Asia, and North and South America. Two species occur in the United States. Nallachius americanus (McLachlan, 1881) is widely distributed in the eastern United States. The type of Nallachius pulchellus (Banks, 1938) is from Cuba, and the species has a range extending from the southwestern United States to Honduras and Trinidad including some of the West Indies.

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. Data Development assistance came from Alicia Hodson and Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. The update was completed using the most recent taxonomic literature and the Neuropterida Species of the World database maintained by Professor John Oswald of Texas A&M University.

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

November 24, 2015 - ITIS Updates Zoraptera of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the insect order Zoraptera. Zorapterans resemble termites in appearance, and live in small colonies inside or under fallen and decomposing wood. They are typically tropical species, but Zorotypus hubbardi Caudell, 1918 is widespread in the United States and the range of Zorotypus snyderi Caudell, 1920 extends into Florida (USA) from islands of the Caribbean.

ITIS has maintained this small order of insects since 2004 when the global data species dataset of 32 valid species was first added to the ITIS database. Revisions in 2012, 2013, and now 2015 have updated the total valid species count to 49, with 40 of them extant and 9 described from fossils.

The maintenance of the Zoraptera 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.

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

November 24, 2015 - ITIS Updates Grylloblattodea of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the insect order Grylloblattodea. Grylloblattids are wingless, scavenging insects. They are also cryophilic, often occurring in high alpine regions at the edges of glaciers or snow fields foraging where wind-blown insects and organic detritus accumulate. In North America all species are restricted to western alpine areas with low annual temperatures and extensive snowfall. A recent conservation assessment ranked all North American taxa from near-threatened to endangered (Schoville and Graening, 2013). During unfavorable climatic conditions grylloblattids seek the refuge of subterranean retreats and wait for favorable conditions; the disappearance of snowpack and sustained increase in mean annual temperatures could lower their survival in these retreats if they aren't able to persist until cool, snowy conditions return (Schoville and Graening, 2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3737.4.2

ITIS has maintained this order of insects since 2005 when the global species dataset of 27 valid species was first added to the ITIS database. A revision in 2012 and now in 2015 brings the total valid species count to 33, with 15 occurring in North America.

Maintenance of the Grylloblattodea 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.

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

November 24, 2015 - ITIS Updates Mantophasmatodea of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the insect order Mantophasmatodea. Commonly called gladiators, mantophasmatids are wingless, predatory insects first described in 2002. Most extant species are found in South Africa and Namibia, with one species found in Tanzania.

ITIS has maintained this order of insects since 2002 when the global species dataset of 15 valid species was first added to the ITIS database. An update in 2012 brought the total valid species count to 24. No new species have been described since then. This update brings the currency of the group to 2015 and clarifies spelling of several names with nomenclatural comments.

Maintenance of the Mantophasmatodea 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.

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

November 24, 2015 - ITIS Updates Canidae of the World

ITIS has updated the complete global species dataset of the mammal family Canidae (wolves, coyotes, and jackals). The update includes the newly recognized African golden wolf Canis anthus F. Cuvier, 1820. The African golden wolf is the first new canid species discovered in 150 years. Formerly the species was recognized as Canis aureus anthus F. Cuvier, 1820, an African lineage of the golden jackal of Eurasia. The Eurasian golden jackal Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 appears very similar to the African golden wolf, but genetic evidence reveals they have been evolving separately but in parallel for millennia (Koepfli et al., 2015). https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.060

The ITIS Canidae update includes 36 species - of which 8 are cited for North America. The update work was coordinated and completed by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, with data development assistance from Alicia Hodson of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program.

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

November 24, 2015 - ITIS Updates Eumops species

ITIS has updated the completed global species dataset of the mammal order Chiroptera (bats). The update includes the newly described Chiribaya's Bonneted Bat Eumops chiribaya Medina, Gregorin, Zeballos, Zamora and Moras, 2014. Eumops chiribaya occurs in the coastal desert of southwestern Peru, an area noted for high bat diversity that includes insectivorous, frugivorous, and nectarivorous species (Medina et al., 2014).

The ITIS Eumops update includes 16 species - of which 3 are cited for North America. The update work was coordinated and completed by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program.

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

October 30, 2015 - ITIS Updates Mantidflies of the World

ITIS has just added a complete global species dataset of Mantispidae (mantidflies or mantisflies) to the ITIS database. These predatory insects are mantis-like in appearance, with raptorial forelegs and large eyes. Mantispid larvae in the subfamily Mantispinae are parasites of spiders or wasps. Larvae feed on spider eggs and gain access to spider egg sacs by finding and piercing the sac, or will board spiders and then leave the female and enter into the forming egg sac. Adults of Euclimacia Enderlein, 1910 mimic their wasp hosts, which presumably gives them some protection against predation. However, not much is known about the non-reproductive ecology and behavior of adult mantidflies.

The ITIS update of Mantispidae includes 401 species (with 13 species occurring 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. Data Development assistance came from Sara N. Alexander and Ted R. Kahn of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. The update was completed using Michael Ohl's Annotated Catalog of the Mantispidae of the World published in 2004, and the most recent taxonomic literature.

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

October 30, 2015 - ITIS Updates 7 Avian Families

ITIS has updated its global coverage of 7 bird families:

Calcariidae - Snow Buntings and Longspurs
Cardinalidae - Grosbeaks and Cardinals
Coerebidae - Bananaquits
Emberizidae - Towhees, New World Sparrows, and Buntings
Fringillidae - Finches and Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Thraupidae - Tanagers
Urocynchramidae - monotypic family of Przevalski's Finch, Urocynchramus pylzowi Przewalski, 1876

The update includes 857 species and 1,868 subspecies worldwide, including a new subspecies of Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs harterti Svensson, 2015. The update was completed by ITIS staff. Sara N. Alexander coordinated the update work and data development assistance came from David Mitchell. The source of the update was the IOC World Bird List (v 5.3). Managing Editors of the World Bird List David Donsker and Frank Gill provided taxonomic and nomenclatural guidance, and Alan Peterson of Zoonomen was a critical aid during the update.

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

September 18, 2015 - ITIS Updates Acanthocephala (spiny-headed worms)

ITIS has added a complete global dataset of Acanthocephala (spiny-headed worms or thorny-headed worms) to the ITIS database. These intestinal parasites have a spiny proboscis that they evert and embed into the mucosal lining of the gut of their host. Acanthocephalans lack a mouth and gut tract. Once a worm is secured within the intestines of their host, acanthocephalans absorb nutrients through their body surface.

Some species of Acanthocephala will alter the behavior of their host. Terrestrial isopods are an intermediate host of Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Goeze, 1782). This species of Acanthocephala reaches its definitive host, typically robins (Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766) or European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758), when the intermediate host is ingested and the parasite is released. When infected with Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus, isopods become more active and frequent uncovered, light-colored areas on the forest floor, making them more conspicuous to their avian predators. The acanthocephalan's life cycle is completed when the worm reproduces inside the bird, releasing eggs that are passed out in the bird's feces eventually to be consumed by isopods.

The ITIS Acanthocephala update includes 1,318 species - of which 132 are cited for North America. The update work was completed by Thomas M. Orrell, Sara N. Alexander, and Alicia Hodson of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Anna J. Phillips (Research Zoologist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) provided access to the Parasitology Reprint Library in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and provided advice for this news item.

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

September 4, 2015 - ITIS Updates Hemichordata of the World

ITIS has added a complete global dataset of Hemichordata to the ITIS database. Species in this phylum of marine worm-shaped invertebrates are often used to study the phylogeny and molecular development of the chordate body plan. Among invertebrates hemichordates are some of the closest living relatives to vertebrates. Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz, 1825, found in the shallow waters of the tropical Indian Ocean and waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, can restore large parts of their bodies when amputated and are noted for having the ability to regenerate extensive portions of their nervous systems. The robust regenerative attributes of this species and other hemichordates, and the phylogenetic closeness of chordates and hemichordates, make them model organisms for studying regenerative medicine.

The ITIS Hemichordata update includes 138 species. The update work was completed by Ted R. Kahn, Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, and Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Taxonomic guidance was provided by Dr. Karen J. Osborn (Research Zoologist, Curator of Polychaeta and Peracarida, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution).

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

July 31, 2015 - ITIS Updates Asteroidea of the World

ITIS has added a complete global dataset of Asteroidea (sea stars/starfish) to the ITIS database. Asteroids are marine invertebrates found from the intertidal zone down to depths of 6000m. Most are star-shaped, but some are pentagonal, spherical, or flat and paper-like. Along the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Coast populations of sea stars have suffered sudden mortality from 'Sea Star Wasting Disease', an epidemic researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and other institutions have linked to sea star associated densovirus (SSaDV) - a virus that impacts nearly 20 species.

Christopher Mah of the Department of Invertebrate Zooology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, is the steward for the group and provided ITIS with source data from the World Asteroidea Database. Thomas M. Orrell of the Smithsonian ITIS program worked with the steward to refine the data export, and Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian ITIS program helped proof the work. The ITIS Asteroidea includes 1,835 valid species including the newly described Evoplosoma watlingi Mah, 2015, a coral devouring sea star described by Christopher Mah and discovered by Dr. Les Watling in 2004 during an expedition to Bear Seamount in the North Atlantic.

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

June 29, 2015 - Freshwater Mussels

ITIS has added a complete global dataset of Unionoida (freshwater mussels) to the ITIS database. The freshwater mussels are considered exceptional indicators of aquatic ecosystems health as they are dependent on good water quality. Mussels are planktivores and live in a wide range of habitats but are most frequently associated with moving waters. They often serve as food for fishes and other vertebrates. The greatest diversity of Unionoida are found in North America, yet many species are imperiled due to habitat destruction and degradation associate with human activities.

Kevin S. Cummings of the Illinois Natural History Survey and Daniel L. Graf of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point are the stewards for the group and provided ITIS with source data from their excellent, NSF funded MUSSELp database (http://mussel-project.uwsp.edu/about.html). David Mitchell, a USGS ITIS Taxonomic Specialist worked with the stewards to refine their export, and Alicia Hodson and Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian ITIS program helped proof the files. The ITIS Unionoida includes 6,374 scientific names, with 887 valid species - of which 302 are cited for North America. Over 5,850 of the Unionoida names are new to ITIS.

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

June 29, 2015 - ITIS Updates Antlions of the World

ITIS has just added complete global species datasets of Myrmeleontidae (antlions) to the ITIS database. Myrmeleontid larvae typically have sickle-like jaws used when preying upon small arthropods, mainly ants. Antlions often occur in sandy habitats and have been called doodlebugs in North America because of the winding trails larvae leave in loose soil. Most species of antlions form sand pit traps by making a circular groove and crawling backwards to plow up and throw soil beyond the groove's perimeter until the pit is completed. The antlion larva settles underneath the soil at the bottom of the pit with only the jaws exposed waiting for prey to slip on the loose soil and down the walls of the pit.

The ITIS Myrmeleontidae update includes 1,666 species (with 99 species occurring 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. Data Development assistance came from Sara N. Alexander and Ted R. Kahn of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. The update was completed using Lionel Stange's Myrmeleontidae global catalog published in 2004, the most recent taxonomic literature, and with the guidance of the Neuropterida World Database put together by Professor John Oswald of Texas A&M University.

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

June 8, 2015 - ITIS Gets Worms

USGS and its partners in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) have added a substantial subset of the worms (oligochaetes & certain allies) of the world to the system. The update in total included 7,813 new and edited scientific names. The update is primarily based upon data sets provided by several cooperating specialists, combined and further vetted by United States Geological Survey (USGS) staff in ITIS. This remarkable list includes groups that are not typically compiled in a single project, with terrestrial, freshwater and marine coverage; most subgroups have global coverage, although a few have North American coverage. Taxonomic guidance was provided by the following experts:

Stuart Gelder - Branchiobdellida
Rüdiger Schmelz - Enchytraeidae
Sam James - Metagynophora
Mark J. Wetzel - freshwater oligochaetes of North America north of Mexico

Worms play major roles in promoting soil productivity, and by allowing air and moisture into the soil, they help minimize soil and nutrient runoff. The addition of these worms is a significant advance, pushing ITIS to over 690,000 scientific name records.

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

May 1, 2015 - ITIS Updates Muroidea of the World

ITIS has added a complete global species dataset of Muroidea (rats, gerbils, hamsters, and related rodents) to the ITIS database. This superfamily of mammals is classified into 6 families per Musser and Carleton's Muroidea treatment in Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3rd ed (MSW3). Muroidea is the final taxonomic group ITIS has updated from the second edition of Mammal Species of the World. ITIS also added 63 new species described after the 2003 publication deadline of MSW3. One example is Paucidentomys vermidax Esselstyn, Achmadi and Rowe, 2012, a shrew-rat from Sulawesi Island that appears to be a specialized earthworm predator; this species has only two teeth and unlike most rats lacks molars for gnawing hard food.

The ITIS Muroidea update includes 1,591 species, with 86 species occurring in North America. The update work was coordinated by Sara Alexandar of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Data Development assistance came from Alicia Hodson and Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program.

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

April 30, 2015 – New Higher Level Classification of Life

Drs. Michael Ruggiero and Thomas Orrell of ITIS are co-authors on the new PLOS ONE paper 'A Higher Level Classification of All Living Organisms', which presents a new consensus view for classification of life from Superkingdom to Order. This seven-kingdom classification is "valuable as a reference for taxonomic and biodiversity research, as a tool for societal communication, and as a classificatory 'backbone' for biodiversity databases, museum collections, libraries, and textbooks". This consensus view has been partially implemented in ITIS, and ITIS will be creating more updates between Kingdom and Order to reflect this new management hierarchy. The Catalogue of Life (Catalogueoflife.org) also plans to implement the new hierarchy.

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

April 9, 2015 – ITIS Updates Diatom Genera of the World

ITIS has added a complete global dataset of diatom genera to the ITIS database. Diatoms are algae with inorganic cell walls composed of hydrated silica. Abundant in almost every habitat where marine or freshwater is found, they form the base of aquatic food webs because they are a major food source for aquatic microorganisms.

The ITIS Diatom Genera update includes 373 accepted genera in Bacillariophyceae. The update work was coordinated by Dr. Ling Ren of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Data Development assistance came from Alicia Hodson and Sara Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program.

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

January 29, 2015 – ITIS Updates Strepsiptera of the World

ITIS has added a complete global species dataset of Strepsiptera (twisted-wing parasites) to the ITIS database. This order of insects parasitizes and grows within the abdomens of a variety of insects including bees, wasps, and leafhoppers. In total their hosts include insects in 7 orders and 34 families.

The ITIS Strepsiptera update includes 630 species, with 105 species occurring in North America. The update work was coordinated by Dr. Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Data Development assistance came from Alicia Hodson and Sara Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Taxonomic guidance was provided by Dr. Jeyaraney Kathirithamby (Oxford University, United Kingdom).

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

December 22, 2014 – ITIS Updates Fireflies of the World

ITIS has just added complete global species datasets of Lampyridae (fireflies, lightning bugs, glow worms) to the ITIS database. These conspicuous beetles are best known for their bioluminescence, which is the emission of light by a living organism. The flash patterns are part of their mating display that help male and females recognize each other. In southeastern Asia many species exhibit a synchronized flashing behavior, where males aggregate to create simultaneous flash patterns. In North America females of some species have a 'femme fatale' mimicry system. The female of one species will mimic the flash pattern of another species, luring males close enough to prey upon them and therefore acquiring defensive chemical compounds from the meal. Not all adult fireflies emit light. Some are diurnal and use chemical pheromones to communicate Fireflies are very susceptible to environmental degradation and are therefore excellent indicators of ecosystem health. Several citizen science projects, including the Vanishing Firefly Project and Firefly Watch, seek to monitor firefly populations in response to urbanization and pollution.

The ITIS Lampyridae update includes 2,250 species (with 127 species occurring in North America) and is one of the few unified world checklists of fireflies since Frank A. McDermott's catalog was published in 1966. The update work was coordinated by Dr. Daniel Perez-Gelabert of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program and Research Collaborator, Department of Entomology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Data Development assistance came from Alicia Hodson and Sara Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. Taxonomic guidance was also provided by:

Dr. Lesley A. Ballantyne (Charles Sturt University, Australia)
Dr. Santiago Zaragoza Caballero (Instituto de Biologia, UNAM, Mexico)
Dr. Marc Branham (University of Florida, Gainesville)
Dr. Sergey Kazantsev (Insect Centre, Moscow, Russia)
Dr. Ming-Luen Jeng (National Museum of Natural Sciences, Taiwan)
Dr. Milada Bocáková (Palacky University, Czech Republic)

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

October 28, 2014 – ITIS Updates Dormice and Boas of the World

ITIS has added complete global species datasets of Gliridae (dormice) and boas and boa allies (Boidae, Calabariidae, Candoiidae, Charinidae, Erycidae, and Sanziniidae) to the ITIS database. The Gliridae is a family of Old World rodents with 29 species. Like many rodents dormice have acute auditory senses. Researchers recently determined that one species, Muscardinus avellanarius (Linnaeus, 1758), uses ultrasonic vocalizations for social communication. The dormice update follows the chapter on Gliridae in Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed. by Mary Ellen Holden (Research Associate Vertebrate Zoology, Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History). Snakes in the family Boidae are of special conservation concern, and one species is an established US invasive. All species in Boidae are listed in Appendix I or II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and several species are listed as Threatened or Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. International pet trade has placed pressure on many wild populations, hence the listings. The Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 is one of the non-native, giant constrictors established in southern Florida that threaten native species and ecosystems primarily through predation. As a consequence, the U.S. Congress is expected to rule on legislation that would restrict the sale and possession of these large constrictors that are injurious wildlife. The boa update was coordinated by Ted R. Kahn of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program, and with guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid, Research Zoologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, who is Curator of North American Collections of Herpetology at the National Museum of Natural History. Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .

September 4, 2014 – ITIS Updates Turtles and Bats of the World

ITIS has just added complete global species datasets of Testudines (turtles) and Chiroptera (bats) to the ITIS database. The turtles, with just over 330 species are a reptile group with conservation efforts in marine and freshwater environments; numerous turtle species are Threatened, Endangered or Critically Endangered. The turtle update follows the 2014 checklist from the Turtle Taxonomy Working Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and with direct guidance from Dr. Roy W. McDiarmid, Research Zoologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, who is Curator of North American Collections of Herpetology at the National Museum of Natural History. The update work was coordinated by Ted R. Kahn of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program. There are approximately 1300 bat species, and some are important pollinators. Bats are the subject of increased conservation efforts, in part due to White-nose Syndrome, a fungus that is killing large numbers of bats in North America - at least 5.7 million since 2006. The bats were updated using Dr. Nancy Simmons' (Curator-in-Charge, Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History) chapter on bats in Mammal Species of the World, 3rd ed., and with substantial input from major regional taxonomic works. The update includes new species published as recently as August 2014. The work was coordinated by Sara N. Alexander of the Smithsonian Institution ITIS program with taxonomic guidance given by Dr. Al Gardner, Research Wildlife Biologist from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Curator of the National Collection of North American Mammals and Dr. Don Wilson, Curator Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution, Division of Mammals. Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .

August 11, 2014 – Support for 7 Kingdoms Added to ITIS

We have added support for 7 kingdoms by dividing Monera into Bacteria and Archaea. We have also added support for intermediate ranks in Protozoa (Infrakingdom, Infraphylum, and Parvphylum), and new intermediate ranks in Plantae and Chromista (Infrakingdom, Superdivision, Infradivision, Parvdivision, and Infraclass). In cooperation with the Species2000 Catalogue of Life, this work is being done to support a consensus management hierarchy being developed by a panel of specialists covering global taxa down to the level of orders. Please direct any questions you may have to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov .

June 11, 2013 – New Taxon Compare Tool

We have updated the ITIS Taxon Compare Tool to a completely new version and have now released it for use. It allows you to compare a list of taxon names to the scientific names in ITIS, producing a list of ITIS data for matching names. The ITIS data includes TSN, Scientific Name, Rank, and Author. This is a complete rewrite of the old tool featuring better performance and more comparison options. You can access the Taxon Compare Tool through the Data Access and Tools menu, or at www.itis.gov/taxmatch.html.

May 17, 2013 – New ITIS Database Formats

In response to user requests, we have added ITIS database download files in PostgreSql and SQLite database formats. These new files contain the same data as our existing downloads, but formatted for their respective databases. The downloads also contain short Readme files with instructions for getting started with the database download.

ITIS now provides download files for Microsoft SQL Server, Informix, MySql, PostGreSql and SQLite. You provide the database software, and we provide the data. All our database download files are available on our download page at www.itis.gov/downloads

Note: As with all our database downloads, support for these files is limited to download problems and problems with the file format. Due to limited resources, ITIS Staff can't provide support for obtaining, installing or using any of the database applications supported by our file downloads.

February 20, 2013 – ITIS Web Service Update Adds JSON-P!

We have updated the ITIS Web Services again, this time to fix some minor bugs and add more new features. Chief among these are:

A bug that prevented the service from returning a TSN with the results of Search for Scientific Name has been fixed.
The ITIS services now include the Author name anywhere a Scientific Name is returned.
The JSON output service has been enhanced to support JSON-P calls.

The JSON service provides access to all the Web Service APIs, returning data in JSON format. JSON-P wraps the data in a JavaScript function to make usage even easier and safer for cross-domain access. Even better, you can specify the JavaScript function name when you make the Web Service call, so the result can be customized to what makes sense to you.

For details about using the JSON and JSON-P calls, see the Web Service Documentation.

January 31, 2013 – ITIS Databse Gets New Columns

We have updated the ITIS Database tables to add a number of new columns. These columns were originally added to make some functionality changes in the ITIS programming, but we feel they are helpful enough to release for everyone's use. The new columns are:

Taxonomic_units.complete_name – This is the complete scientific name for this TSN. It consists of all the unit name and unit indicator parts combined in the correct order. Complete_name can be helpful when searching for taxa by scientific name.
Taxonomic_units.name_usage – This is a duplicate of the current "usage" column. We are moving to the name usage terminology because it is more descriptive of the column's content and because usage is a SQL reserved word, which sometimes causes issues with database code. Note that the "usage" column is deprecated and will be removed in the future.
Taxon_authors_lkp.short_author – This is a duplicate of the author name column with certain punctuation removed. It is helpful when you are searching for an author whose name contains a different punctuation for different taxon names. The punctuation characters removed are parenthesis, commas and periods.
Hierarchy.TSN – This new column in the Hierarchy table gives the TSN for the hierarchy entry.
Hierarchy.Parent_TSN – This new column in the Hierarchy table gives the Parent TSN for the hierarchy entry.
Hierarchy.level – The level column gives the distance down the hierarchy from the kingdom. For example, TSN 51 – Schizomycetes – which is a Monera Class, has a level of 3.
Hierarchy.ChildrenCount - This new column shows how many total children a particular TSN has, from its direct children to the bottom of the hierarchy.

All these columns have been added to the end of the affected tables, so positional access to the original columns will still work. This could change and you should consider accessing data using the column names in the future.

We hope these database updates will be as useful for you as they have been for us.

For full ITIS database downloads, see the ITIS Downloads page.

December 12, 2012 – ITIS Web Service Update Includes JSON!

We have updated the ITIS Web Services to fix some minor bugs and add new features. Chief among these are:

ITIS Scientific Name services now include the Author name.
All Hierarchy services now include Rank names.
A JSON output service has been added.

The JSON service provides access to all the Web Service APIs, but returns data in JSON format for use with machine parsing and applications such as AJAX web pages.

For details about using the JSON calls, see the Web Service Documentation. Please direct any questions to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov

September 14, 2012 – ITIS Hierarchy Table Changes

If you've been using our database downloads from the downloads page, you'll be interested to know the structure of the ITIS Hierarchy table has changed.

While updating our search we've added new columns to make hierarchy queries faster. These columns were added:

TSN - the TSN this hierarchy string relates to
Parent_TSN - the immediate parent of the TSN
level - the number of steps down the hierarchy this TSN is located
ChildrenCount - the number of children this TSN has.

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

September 12, 2012 – ITIS Adds RSS Feeds

ITIS news is now available through an RSS (Rich Site Summary) feed. This feed will provide announcements of ITIS news, such as items on this page, and new data loads.

To use the feed, you simple click on the RSS button at the top of this page or on the ITIS home page. Your browser will either show you the feed with instructions on how to subscribe, or will ask you to select the application (news reader) to use for RSS subscription. Please direct any questions to the ITIS team at itiswebmaster@itis.gov

May 21, 2009 – ITIS Web Services Available

ITIS data are now available through the newly implemented ITIS Web Services, which are now on line and publically accessible. These services connect to the data behind http://www.itis.gov, providing programmatic access to the data through an internet connection.

The ITIS Web Services provide the ability to search and retrieve data from ITIS. Each component of the web services is provided through a web service API, which defines the name, input to, and output from the service for a particular data request.

A description page lists all the ITIS Web Service APIs with a description that includes the information provided by the API, the input needed to get data from the API, and the data that are returned by the API.

The web services may be accessed at: http://www.itis.gov/ITISWebService/

Here are some sample links so you can see how the web services work:

Get the full taxonomic record for TSN 180543
Get the full taxonomic hierarchy for TSN 178265
Search for scientific names containing “ursidae”
Search for common names ending with “bear”

The full WSDL (Web Services Description Language) for the services can be obtained at:
http://www.itis.gov/ITISWebService/services/ITISService?wsdl

June 11, 2008 – Newly Compiled Online Bee Checklist Allows Biologists To Link Important Information About All Bee Species

In time for National Pollinator Week, June 22 through June 28, biologists have completed an online effort to compile a world checklist of bees. They have identified nearly 19,500 bee species worldwide, about 2,000 more than previously estimated. There is a current crisis known as "colony collapse disorder", an unexplained phenomenon that is wiping out colonies of honey bees throughout the United States. This has highlighted the need for more information about bee species and their interactions with the plants they pollinate.

"At a time when biological diversity is suspected to be declining at an alarming rate, it is important to have a solid baseline from which to measure future trends," said Michael Ruggiero, senior scientist for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System at the National Museum of Natural History, who led the recently completed project. "This is very exciting because bees are critical for pollinating flowering plants, including most non-cereal food crops."

"Honey bees are the most economically important pollinators and are currently in the news because of colony collapse disorder," said John S. Ascher, a collaborator on the project from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "Only about 500 bee species produce honey. Most species, however, do not produce honey or live in hives, yet they are crucial pollinators of crops and native plants."

Taxonomy is the science of species classification. The bee checklist includes currently accepted scientific names, synonyms and common names; a current, complete and authoritative taxonomic checklist is key to linking all information about species. The scientific name acts as the common denominator to connect like information. Taxonomic information is not fixed and throughout time biologists reclassify species as a result of new discoveries or new research.

"The bee checklist acts as a taxonomic 'Rosetta Stone' that will enhance communication, information exchange and data repatriation about bees. The completed checklist is a first step in modeling and forecasting future population trends," said Ruggiero.

Compiling the checklist has taken more than five years and the efforts of leading bee taxonomists on six continents. The checklist, coordinated by the staff of the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a public-private partnership hosted at the National Museum of Natural History, is available at www.itis.gov. Major supporters of the project were the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is dedicated to making global biodiversity data accessible anywhere in the world, and the U.S.-based National Biological Information Infrastructure, a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources.

Important scientific contributors to the World Bee Checklist project include John S. Ascher, American Museum of Natural History, United States; Connal Eardley, Plant Protection Research Institute, South Africa; Terry Griswold, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Gabriel Melo, Federal University of Parana, Brazil; David Nicolson, U.S. Geological Survey; David Remsen, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Denmark; Andrew Polaszek, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom; Osamu Tadauchi, University of Kyushu, Japan; Ken Walker, Museum Victoria, Australia; Natapot Warrit, Smithsonian Institution, United States; and Paul Williams, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom.

April 2, 2007 – Catalogue of Life Reaches One Million Species

The Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life has reached one million species - a major milestone in its quest to complete the first up-to-date comprehensive catalogue of all living organisms. The Catalogue of Life, available on CD and on the Internet (www.catalogueoflife.org), is the result of a worldwide collaboration involving so far about 50 contributing databases and the work of 3,000 biologists. The project plans to cover all estimated 1.75 million known species by 2011.

The project is led by Dr. Thomas Orrell, of the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) based at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, and by the University of Reading's Professor Frank Bisby of the Species 2000 organization, based at the University's Centre for Plant Diversity and Systematics.

Dr. Orrell said: "The catalogue will cover all known living organisms, such as plants, animals and fungi, and micro-organisms such as bacteria,chromista, protozoa, archaea and viruses."

Professor Bisby said: "This electronic checklist is the modern successor to the work started by Linnaeus whose 300th birthday is celebrated this year. It now delivers one million of the world's described species, from whales to bacteria, mosses to moths, seaweeds to viruses."

A joint biological and informatics team integrates information from individual databases in the taxonomic classification. Information on exactly which species should be recognized is validated by experts before being integrated, a vital difference compared to some other catalogues available on the Internet.

The project is on course to deliver the fundamental organism catalogue needed both by the present generation of international biodiversity programs and the next generation now in planning, such as the Global Species Information System proposed by the G8 Environment Ministers in Potsdam two weeks ago.

It is a keystone component in building the world's biodiversity knowledge systems of the future. It also facilitates analytical systems working on species, such as modeling and predicting climate change outcomes on a global scale.

July 28, 2004 – ITIS has been included in Thomson ISI's "Current Web Contents"

ITIS has been included in Thomson ISI's "Current Web Contents", a value added section of its Current Contents Connect product. The selection was based on meeting the rigorous standards of their editorial staff for: Authority, Accuracy, Currency, Navigation and Design, Applicability and Content, Scope, Audience Level, and Quality of Writing. Thomson ISI is now the owner of BIOSIS.

December 19, 2003 – ITIS Signs Agreement with Species 2000 and the
Global Biodiversity Information Facility to Build Catalog of Life

On December 19, 2003 — in Washington, DC; Reading, United Kingdom; and Copenhagen, Denmark — the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), Species 2000, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), respectively, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to build the Catalog of Life. The Memorandum provides a basis for mutual support, access, and use of the Catalog of Life, a collaborative effort to provide a coherent and authoritative view on the taxonomy of the 1.75 million known species of living organisms on Earth. The unified catalog is fundamental to such important tasks as developing worldwide conservation strategies and understanding invasive species. With its planned coverage of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, the program hopes to achieve one of the more elusive goals of modern biology, a total listing of all described species. ITIS and Species 2000 will develop, review, improve, and maintain the Catalog of Life and provide it through electronic networks and on CD-ROM. GBIF will use the Catalog of Life as an index to make the world's biodiversity data freely and universally available via the Internet and other international electronic networks. GBIF encourages, coordinates, and supports the development of worldwide capacity to access the vast amount of biodiversity data held in natural history museum collections, libraries, and biodiversity databases. ITIS is a partnership of several federal agencies (including the USGS), the Smithsonian Institution, NatureServe, Mexico, and Canada and is a vital component of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII).

This agreement follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding, signed by ITIS and Species 2000 representatives on October 6, 2003, for a cooperative operational framework to develop, scientifically review the content of, continuously improve, and maintain the Species 2000 and Integrated Taxonomic Information System Catalog of Life. The Catalog of Life is accessible at http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist.

April 10, 2003 – Mullidae of the World Added to ITIS

World species of Mullidae (goatfishes) have been added to or updated in ITIS based on W.N. Eschmeyer's (ed.) Catalog of Fishes version 13 March 2003.

April 10, 2003 – Modifications Made to the ITIS Database Schema and Data Element Definitions

As of April 2003, the ITIS database schema and/or data element definitions have been changed as follows:

The length of data element, unaccept_reason (unacceptability_reason), has been increased to 50. The unacceptability reasons defined in the ITIS Submittal Guidelines are now fully implemented.
The length of data element, origin, has been increased to 50. New origin values, Native and Extirpated, and Native and Extinct, are now included in the definition.
The data element, uncertain_prnt_ind (uncertain_parent_indicator), has been added to the taxonomic_units table. This element is defined as char(3) and is optional. It improves the ability to identify taxa whose positions in the hierarchy are uncertain.

March 26, 2003 – Prototype ITIS Metadata Tool Available

A prototype ITIS Metadata Tool has been added as an option to the Compare Taxonomy/Nomenclature functionality to enable generation of a component of the FGDC Biological Profile with SGML output. It is currently based on an input file of scientific names only. The prototype will be enhanced in the coming months. The tool is available at Compare Taxonomy/Nomenclature.

March 6, 2003 – Pleuronectiformes and Lampridiomorpha of the World Added to ITIS; World Scombridae and Clupeomorpha updated in ITIS.

World species of Pleuronectiformes (flatfishes, flounders, soles) and Lampridiomorpha (opahs, ribbonfishes) have been added to the ITIS database.
Clupeomorpha of the world (anchovies, herrings) have been updated in ITIS, and World Scombridae (albacores, bonitos, mackerels, tunas) have been updated based on:
- Collette, Bruce B., Carol Reeb, and Barbara A. Block. 2001. Systematics of the Tunas and Mackerels (Scombridae). In Barbara A. Block and E. Donald Stevens, eds. Fish Physiology, vol. 19: Tuna: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution. pp. 1-33.

August 20, 2002 – Actiniaria, Pontoniinae, Macrobrachium, and Cetaceans of the World, and the New Insect Order Mantophasmatodea Added to ITIS

A world list of sea anemones, Order Actiniaria, has been added to ITIS. This work by Dr. Daphne Fautin is supported by a National Science Foundation PEET Program (Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy) grant.
Two world lists of caridean shrimps, Subfamily Pontoniinae and Genus Macrobrachium, have been added to ITIS based on Chace and Bruce, 1993, with updates from a list maintained by Dr. Brian Kensley.
Cetaceans (species and subspecies) of the world have been added to ITIS based on Wilson and Reeder (eds.), 1993, and Rice, 1998, and newly described species through July 2002. Classification and synonymy changes have been provided by Dr. James Mead, ITIS data steward for cetaceans.
Mantophasmatodea, a new insect order with extant species in the Afrotropics has been added to ITIS based on Klass, Zompro, Kristensen, and Adis, 2002.

June 19, 2002 – Ceraphronoidea (parasitoid wasps) of the World Added to ITIS; and
Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes) and Pomacanthidae (angelfishes) of the World Updated.

Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes) and Pomacanthidae (angelfishes) of the world have been updated in ITIS based on W. N. Eschmeyer's (ed.) Catalog of Fishes of 2000.

A world list of parasitoid wasps of the superfamily Ceraphronoidea has been added to ITIS. This work by Norm Johnson is supported by a National Science Foundation PEET Program (Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy) grant.

February 25, 2002 – Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Terrestrial Isopoda, and Crangonyx Species Added to ITIS

In collaboration with Dr. W. P. McCafferty, Department of Entomology, Purdue University, ITIS has updated the Ephemeroptera for North and Central America based on the Mayfly Central database (version February 2001).
Plecoptera (stoneflies) have been updated in ITIS based on the North American Stonefly List (version 2/16/01) maintained by Dr. Bill P. Stark, Professor of Biology, Mississippi College, Clinton, MS.
Trichoptera have been added to ITIS based on the Trichoptera World Checklist of January 2001, coordinated by Dr. John Morse, Clemson University, Clemson, SC. John Morse is ITIS steward for caddisflies.
A world list of terrestrial Isopoda has been added to ITIS based on two checklists: the 1998 version of the World List of Terrestrial Crustacea Isopoda compiled by Dr. Brian Kensley, and Marilyn Schotte, Department of Systematic Biology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and Steve Schilling, U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; and, the 1999 Checklist of the Terrestrial Isopods of the New World (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) by Andreas Leistikow and Johann W. Wägele.
The Crangonyx (Amphipoda) species of the world have been added to ITIS based on the work of Dr. John Holsinger, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.

February 22, 2002 – ITIS Partnership Welcomes NatureServe

NatureServe, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing knowledge to protect the environment, has joined the ITIS partnership. Through an international network comprising natural heritage programs and conservation data centers in all U.S. states, Canada, and Latin America, NatureServe improves understanding of biodiversity by developing, analyzing, and distributing essential information about rare and endangered plants, animals, and threatened ecosystems. NatureServe can be reached at http://www.natureserve.org.

December 6, 2001 – A New Consolidated 'Standard' Report is Introduced

A new ITIS report has been developed that consolidates data attributes formerly available from several other, more targeted ITIS reports. The new ITIS Standard Report provides the general user a 'one stop' location to view ITIS taxon data. Data categories, (when data are available), include:

Taxonomic Serial No. (TSN)	Currency Rating
Taxonomic Rank	Taxonomic Hierarchy with Links
Synonym(s)	Reference Expert(s)
Common Name(s)	Reference Other Source(s)
Current Standing	Reference Publication(s)
Unacceptability Reason	Geographic Division
Taxonomic Credibility Rating	Jurisdiction/Origin
Taxonomic Completeness Rating	Comments

The search facility for the ITIS Standard Report is conveniently available directly from the ITIS Home Page as well as the ITIS Standard Report page. Older ITIS reports remain available from the ITIS Data Access menu.

Instructions for Linking Directly to the ITIS Standard Report from another website.

September 17, 2001 – Great Lakes Diatoms and New World Odonates Added to ITIS

In collaboration with Russell Kreis, US Environmental Protection Agency, and J. Patrick Kociolek, California Academy of Sciences, ITIS has added a list of diatoms of the Great Lakes. ITIS also has updated the Odonata based on the work of Rosser Garrison, L.A. County Agricultural Commissioner's Office.

July 31, 2001 – Ant Subspecies of the World Added to ITIS

In collaboration with Norm Johnson, Department of Entomology, Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, a complete list of ant subspecies was added to ITIS.

July 25, 2001 – ITIS North America Web Site Launched

Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. ITIS partners announced the availability of two new taxonomy websites at the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 22, 2001. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), and US ITIS jointly launched two new web sites for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): a Spanish version for Mexico (SIIT*^mx), and a trilingual (English, French, Spanish) version for North America (ITIS*na).

The ITIS North America web site provides basic scientific information on the nomenclature, taxonomy, and common names in English, French and Spanish, of large numbers of life forms. It also acts as a gateway to additional information by providing users with an innovative "Internet Search Portal". This portal automatically uses ITIS information to boost the relevance of specific queries in several major Internet search engines. It also facilitates access to other specialized databases in such areas as biotechnology, genomics, botany, entomology, bibliographies, or to numerous collections of biological specimen and observation data. The site has additional links to Species 2000 and Global Biodiversity information Facility (GBIF) web sites.

The ITIS North America web site is accessible at: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/itis/.

July 25, 2001 – ITIS and Species 2000 Challenge Scientists to complete the "Catalog of Life"

More than 30 scientists from North America, Europe, and Japan met during June 5-7, 2001 in Reading, England to plan the achievement of one of the more elusive goals in modern biology: the creation of a unified catalog of the 1.75 million known species of living organisms on earth. Such a catalog is fundamental to tasks such as developing worldwide conservation strategies or understanding invasive species from other continents. With its planned coverage of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, the programme has been dubbed the 'Catalog of Life'.

The two main organizations working on the task are North America's Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), and Species 2000, a global network based in the UK and Japan. The significance of the Reading workshop is that after the success of a CD-ROM prototype containing data from both organizations released in April, they are now joining forces to tackle the job together. The workshop was jointly funded by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Biological Resources Division of the US Geological Survey (USGS).

ITIS and the Species 2000 member organizations have already collated basic reference data on 250,000 species, and plan to reach 500,000 by 2003. The group now extends a public invitation to partner organizations in the scientific community and to appropriate funding sources to join the effort to complete the Catalog of Life within ten years.

The workshop produced a series of actions required to overcome the scientific and technological hurdles, notably in biodiversity informatics and in taxonomic knowledge management. "It's mostly a matter of disciplined organization and locating sufficient expertise on each group of organisms", said Michael Ruggiero, Director of ITIS, and zoologist with the USGS. Species 2000 Chair Frank Bisby, Professor of Botany at the University of Reading, likened the challenge to the recent mapping of the human genome, "Like the genome project, the Catalog of Life is becoming a flagship for the biodiversity community".

The biodiversity informatics tools to be developed include interoperative systems to bring together data from sources around the world, and database 'workbench' tools to speed up the creation of the catalog itself. Another priority is developing better ways of dealing with different classifications of the same groups of organisms. All of these tools have to be integrated with processes for keeping the system up-to-date as the taxonomy changes through time.

In his guest lecture Hannu Saarenmaa from the European Environment Agency stressed the need to make the Catalog of Life available as an infrastructure embedded within the Internet. Christoph Haeuser, chair of the newly formed Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Chris Lyal, programme officer of the Global Taxonomy Initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity, both emphasized the fundamental need for a global taxonomic framework and species catalog against which all biodiversity information can be referenced.

June 26, 2001 – ITIS Has a New Look

The US ITIS site has been updated with a new look and feel. The design update includes a new logo that is now in use among the ITIS international partners. The ITIS Query and Reports have been consolidated on a single page. Also many informational pages throughout the site have been updated. Take some time and explore the updated site.

June 12, 2001 – Herpetofauna of Mexico Added to ITIS

In collaboration with Mexico's Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, a complete list of Mexican amphibians and reptiles was added to ITIS.

March 2001 – Ant Species of the World Added to ITIS

In collaboration with Norman Johnson, Department of Entomology, Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, ITIS has added the complete list of ant species of the world. The complete list of subspecies will be added soon, followed by the synonymy.

March 2001 – ITIS joins Global Biodiversity Information Facility as founding member

On March 1, ITIS became a founding Associate Member of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and attended its inaugural Governing Board Meeting on March 9-11. The international consortium's goal is to provide worldwide access, via the Internet to information about the 1.8 million known species that inhabit the earth. For more information about GBIF, go to the GBIF website at http:www.gbif.org.

October 2000 – ITIS Customized Download Functionality Now Available

In response to requests from ITIS users, the ability to download data based upon selected search criteria is now available. The selected database items may be downloaded in the following formats:

XML
ITIS Taxonomic Workbench (TWB)
ASCII delimited.

September 1999 – ITIS*^ca Goes Public

On September 17, 1999, the ITIS*^ca web site went public. This new new bilingual (English/French) web site is a significant step forward in the advancement of the North American ITIS partnership, initiated in 1998. It provides alternative access to and views of the standardized taxonomic data managed within the Integrated Taxonomic Information System. The web site also symbolizes the successful collaboration, both on technology and data content, that has developed among the ITIS partners. To read the announcement of the new ITIS*^ca web site click the USGS newsrelease.

August 1999 – References Restructuring Information is Posted

Information about changes to the ITIS database to accommodate a restructuring of ITIS references have been posted on the ITIS Standards and Database Documentation page.

To News Topics

July 1999 – ITIS Director is Named

To our ITIS Partners, Collaborators, and Friends:

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Ruggiero has accepted the position as the USGS Program Director for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

As ITIS Program Director, Dr. Ruggiero will lead USGS participation in the ITIS partnership, as well as working with the many other US, Canadian, and Mexican agencies, organizations, and taxonomic specialists that participate in ITIS to coordinate its overall development and growth.

Since 1998, Mike has been the International Biodiversity Coordinator for the Department of the Interior, where he represented the Department and the US government on technical matters relating to biological diversity. From 1994 to 1998, he served as Leader of the National Biological Status and Trends Program of the US Geological Survey (and the former National Biological Service). In 1996, Mike worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology on environmental monitoring and biodiversity issues. He served in the National Park Service for 12 years --- the last five as the Chief of the NPS Wildlife and Vegetation Division in Washington, D.C. Mike earned a Ph.D. in zoology from George Washington University, specializing in insect ecology and evolution. He has published numerous professional and popular papers in ecology, entomology, and inventory and monitoring and has served as a scientific advisor for numerous national and international programs related to biodiversity and ecological research.

Mike will officially assume his new ITIS duties as of August 1. He will have an office in the National Museum of Natural History in downtown Washington.

This is a significant step in advancing the objectives of the ITIS partnership and we are fortunate to have someone with Mike's experience and expertise to take on this new coordinating role for ITIS. I know you will all join me in welcoming Mike to the ITIS Team and in working with him to help us enhance and strengthen our partnerships.

Gladys Cotter
Associate Chief Biologist for Information
US Geological Survey

November 1998 – ITIS is Highlighted in Government's AmericaAccess Online Magazine

ITIS is highlighted in a feature article in Access America Online Magazine. The article is entitled:
"Uncommon System for Naming Species Answers Common Need—and It's on the Internet."

June 1998 – US and Canada to Enhance ITIS

On June 15-18, 1998, several US participants in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) partnership met in Ottawa, Canada with taxonomists and information technology staff from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to discuss the future of an international ITIS.

ITIS meeting, Ottawa, June 15-17, 1998 Participants

Group photo of participants at ITIS meeting

Back Row (left to right): Tony Hernandez, Ben Moody, Roy McDiarmid , Steve Young, Derek Munro, Larry Speers, Don Lafontaine, Dave Vieglais.; Middle Row: Guy Baillargeon, Paula Ross, Suzanne Warwick, Wendall Oaks; Front Row: Barbara Lamborne, Gary Waggoner, Scott Petterson, Jim McKenzie; Not in photo(from Canada): Caroline Babcock, Yolande Dalpé, Hugh Dansk, Gary Gibson, Ole Hendrickson, John Huber, Janet Lamb, Scott Redhead, Ian Smith; (from the US): John Maret.

C A N A D A :

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC):  Guy Baillargeon, Derek Munro, Larry Speers, Jim McKenzie, Gary Gibson, Don Lafontaine, Ian Smith, Suzanne Warwick, Yolande Dalpé, Scott Redhead, and Caroline Babcock
Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN):  Hugh Dansk (June 15th only), also bringing the perspective of the Biological Survey of Canada and the Entomological Society of Canada
Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan):  John Huber, Ben Moody, and Ole Hendrickson
Environment Canada (EC):  Janet Lamb, Ben Moody, and Ole Hendrickson

U S A :

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):  Steve Young (Steering and DWG), and Barbara Lamborne (TWG)
United States Geological Survey (USGS):  Roy McDiarmid (TWG), and Gary Waggoner (DWG)
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH):  John Maret
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):  Wendall Oaks (DWG), Tony Hernandez (DWG), Paula Ross (DWG), and Scott Petterson (TWG)
Natural History Museum, University of Kansas:  Dave Vieglais

Both parties enthusiastically agreed to work together in a formal partnership to enhance ITIS for the future. This merger of credible taxonomic information from experts of both countries will further support a continually accessible, authoritative North American source of information on the presence or absence of species occurring on the continent and in adjacent oceans.

The Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre's (ECORC) Biological Resources Program which hosted the meetings, has Canada's largest concentration of taxonomists qualified to provide, interpret and manage these data. Dr. Jim McKenzie, Manager of the Biological Resources Program at ECORC, said "the partnership with ITIS-US will accelerate AAFC's ability to make information available to a wider range of user needs in a more cost effective manner and will ensure that Canada's particular interests are met."

May 1998 – ITIS Recognized in THE SCOUT REPORT

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System has been recognized in The Scout Report, a weekly electronic report of high quality websites of interest to researchers and educators. ITIS is recognized as being an "efficient system for naming and classifying all of nature's living organisms." It is further characterized as being an "extraordinary and ambitious effort" in the current issue of the Report (May 8, 1998;Volume 5 No. 2) in its review of websites in Research and Education.

Websites recognized in The Scout Report are identified and evaluated by a team of professional librarians and subject matter experts who select, research, and annotate each resource so recognized. The Scout Report is the "flagship publication" of the Internet Scout Project of the Department of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison and is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Published continuously for over three years, The Scout Report is one of the Internet's oldest and most respected publications.

April 1998 – Pounding Out Differences, ITIS Takes Hammer

ITIS, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System partnership, received a prestigious national award for successfully completing a major project aimed at providing easy access to the first credible database of scientific names of organisms in North America and its adjacent waters. The system also offers information on the origin and general distribution of these biological species.

Vice President Al Gore's Hammer Award was given to the ITIS partner agencies for bringing ITIS from concept to reality. The Hammer Award is the Vice President's special recognition for teams who have made significant contributions toward improving government's service to the American people. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt presented the award at a special ceremony in the Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street, NW, in Washington, DC, at 2:30 p.m., on Tuesday, April 21.

Six federal agencies worked together to foster and modernize the system for naming nature's living organisms: the US Geological Survey, the EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (including the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanographic Data Center), the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Agricultural Research Service and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet," said Juliet to Romeo in an impassioned speech. But Gary Waggoner, a pragmatic scientist, is quick to point out that not all roses are scented, so the Bard's sentiment was sweeter than his science. Waggoner, a scientist at the USGS Center for Biological Informatics in Denver, Colo., is one of the leaders of an award-winning interagency team that has been working on standardizing scientific names for several years. Other leaders were Roy McDiarmid of USGS, Barbara Lamborne and Steve Young with EPA, Scott Peterson and Wendell Oaks from NRCS and Bruce Collette and Linda Stathoplos of NOAA.

The Vice President's National Partnership for Reinventing Government identified ITIS as a program that will contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of government and its partnerships by reducing the confusion and misinformation that arise when people are unsure what each other is talking about -- or when they don't know that an animal or plant is known by several names. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt said it is hard to "exaggerate the importance of taxonomy to biologists and those who manage biological resources. The scientific names of organisms are the framework that allows us to connect all biological information. Taxonomy provides the foundation for understanding and integrating the similarities and differences among the world's organisms, both living and extinct."

Each partnering agency has a mission to inventory, monitor, research or manage biological resources. This creates a common need for a vocabulary shared through taxonomy, the science of describing, naming and classifying plants and animals. Taxonomic nomenclature provides the most fundamental building block for information sharing on biological resources: the scientific name.

ITIS, says Waggoner, is a grand new tool in the arsenal of environmental research, and for the first time is enabling the scientific community, resource managers, and the general public to have a common vocabulary of species at their fingertips in an online database."It is a deceptively simple notion," Waggoner said. "All we're aiming for is a unified way of naming the `things' of nature. Good science depends on every party in a discussion getting the message right."

There is a major effort being put forth among scientists and property managers to inventory plants and animals so that there is a reliable measure of existing populations. The need, said Lamborne, is to be able to document changes factually, not simply through speculation and guesswork. "Fundamental to this process is standardized terminology through which we can identify, describe and name what we are discussing," Lamborne said. "Taxonomy has an honored history in science," McDiarmid said, "but the time had come to make this technical specialty more accessible to a broad public and scientific audience. We are proud that we have been able to accomplish all that we have and believe it will make an important contribution in understanding the array of life forms that share our globe with us. Questions of taxonomy will help us define what is native and what has invaded and how numerous each are." Applying the ITIS system, said Peterson, can also help both crop and stock farmers identify hazards to their fields, the fishing industry to define the population dynamics of commercial species, and environmental managers to assess the health of natural systems.

Waggoner and his associates also provided the staff support and direction for the multi-agency development of ITIS.

July 1997 – The Taxonomic Resources Expertise Directory (TRED) is NOW AVAILABLE!

For more detailed information about the TRED, access the TRED now.

May 1997 – ITIS Name Change Reflects International Role

At its Spring 1997 meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Steering Committee of the Interagency Taxonomic Information System voted to change the name of the Interagency Taxonomic Information System to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, retaining the acronym ITIS. This change was determined to be necessary for several reasons:

ITIS relies on the full partnership involvement of the US taxonomic community, both in and out of government, and ITIS is intended to help meet the needs of all users of taxonomic nomenclature and identifiers, whether in or out of government. Thus, the word "Interagency" was misleading in that it could be interpreted as meaning that ITIS was an exclusively governmental project.
ITIS has been officially recognized in Vice President Gore's Access America -- Reengineering Through Information Technology. This is a report of the National Performance Review and the Government Information Technology Services Board. The report recommends, in part, that "The federal ITIS partners should continue to look for opportunities to enhance and expand the ITIS through partnerships with the non-federal sector and in the international community." This charge from the Administration further endorses ITIS' role in the international scientific community.
ITIS has been asked to allow Agriculture-Canada and CONABIO - Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (Mexico) to become partners in the development and maintenance of the ITIS database. The Steering Committee approved these requests and partnerships with these two international organizations will commence later this year.
ITIS relies on a strong relationship between sponsoring partner organizations and the world taxonomic community. The true partnership of ITIS, therefore, is significantly beyond a US federal agency partnership.

September 1996 – Efforts continue to establish partnerships with potential contributors and stewards

Inquiries by or references to potential collaborators are always welcome.

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