Why we shouldn’t blame women for gender disparity in academia : perspectives of women in zoology

The following letter, from a network of women zoologists, is a reply to the article of AlShebli et al. (2020), which suggests that female protégés reap more benefits when mentored by men and concludes that female mentors hinder the success of their female protégés and the quality of their impact. This contribution has two parts. First, we highlight the most relevant methodological flaws which, in our opinion, may have impacted the conclusions of AlShebli et al. (2020). Second, we discuss issues pertaining to women in science, bring a perspective of Women in Zoology and discuss how current diversity policies are positively changing our field

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Catalogue of Anisopodidae (Diptera, Bibionomorpha) types housed in the collection of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

ABSTRACT Following a recommendation of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, this paper provides a catalogue of the type specimens of Anisopodidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha) held in the collection of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP). Information on labels and type conditions, on 54 type specimens (including 21 primary types) of 24 Neotropical species are provided

Orfelia-type luciferin and its associated storage protein in the non-luminescent cave worm Neoditomyia sp. (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from the Atlantic rainforest: biological and evolutionary implications

Bioluminescence in Diptera is found in the family Keroplatidae, in the glowworms of the genera Arachnocampa, Orfelia and Keroplatus. Despite belonging to the same family, Arachnocampa spp. and Orfelia fultoni display morphologically and biochemically distinct bioluminescence systems: Arachnocampa spp. produce light by the terminal ends of Malpighian tubules using ATP, a luciferin and a luciferase, whereas Orfelia fultoni produces light by translucent areas associated with rows of black bodies in the anterior and posterior parts of the body, using a 140 kDa luciferase and a luciferin which do not cross-react with the Arachnocampa luciferin–luciferase system, and a substrate binding fraction (SBF) which apparently releases luciferin in the presence of reductants. While several other keroplatids are not luminescent, we recently discovered a non-luminescent web-constructing keroplatid larva living in the roofs of caves in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil, which noteworthily has a compound with Orfelia luciferin-like activity and its associated binding protein (SBF). Both the Neoditomyia luciferin-like compound and SBF cross-react with purified Orfelia luciferase to produce light in the same blue region of the Orfelia luciferin–luciferase system (479 nm). We also checked for the presence of Orfelia-type luciferin in Arachnocampa luminosa and Aedes aegytpi larval bodies, but no traces were found. Molecular studies indicate that Neoditomyia sp. is phylogenetically closer to Keroplatus and Orfelia than to Arachnocampa species. The presence of luciferin and its associated binding protein in this non-bioluminescent keroplatid larva indicates that luciferin may display another important biochemical function in keroplatid larvae and suggests that bioluminescence could be a recently evolved trait in Keroplatidae

Timeless standards for species delimitation

Amorim, Dalton S., Santos, Charles Morphy D., Krell, Frank-Thorsten, Dubois, Alain, Nihei, Silvio S., Oliveira, Otto M. P., Pont, Adrian, Song, Hojun, Verdade, Vanessa K., Fachin, Diego A., Klassa, Bruna, Lamas, Carlos José E., Oliveira, Sarah S., De Carvalho, Claudio J. B., Mello-Patiu, Cátia A., Hajdu, Eduardo, Couri, Márcia S., Silva, Vera C., Capellari, Renato S., Falaschi, Rafaela L., Feitosa, Rodrigo M., Prendini, Lorenzo, Pombal Jr, José P., Fernández, Fernando, Rocha, Rosana M., Lattke, John E., Caramaschi, Ulisses, Duarte, Marcelo, Marques, Antonio Carlos (2016): Timeless standards for species delimitation. Zootaxa 4137 (1): 121-128, DOI: http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4137.1.

Timeless standards for species delimitation

Recently a new species of bombyliid fly, Marleyimyia xylocopae, was described by Marshall & Evenhuis (2015) based on two photographs taken during fieldwork in the Republic of South Africa. This species has no preserved holotype. The paper generated some buzz, especially among dipterists, because in most cases photographs taken in the field provide insufficient information for properly diagnosing and documenting species of Diptera.Fil: Amorim, Dalton S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Santos, Charles Morphy D.. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Krell, Frank Thorsten. Denver Museum of Nature & Science; Estados UnidosFil: Dubois, Alain. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Nihei, Silvio S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Otto M.P.. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Pont, Adrian. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Song, Hojun. Texas A&M University; Estados UnidosFil: Verdade, Vanessa K.. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Fachin, Diego A.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Klassa, Bruna. Universidade Federal Do Abc; BrasilFil: Lamas, Carlos José E.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Sarah S.. Universidade Federal de Goiás; BrasilFil: De Carvalho, Claudio J. B.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Mello-Patiu, Cátia A.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Hajdu, Eduardo. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Couri, Márcia S.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Silva, Vera C.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Capellari, Renato S.. Federal Institute Of Triângulo Mineiro; BrasilFil: Falaschi, Rafaela L.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Feitosa, Rodrigo M.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Prendini, Lorenzo. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Pombal, José P.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Fernández, Fernando. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Rocha, Rosana M.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Lattke, John E.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Caramaschi, Ulisses. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Duarte, Marcelo. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Marques, Antonio Carlos. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Reis, Roberto E.. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Kurina, Olavi. Estonian University Of Life Sciences; EstoniaFil: Takiya, Daniela M.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Tavares, Marcos. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Fernandes, Daniel Silva. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Franco, Francisco Luís. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Cuezzo, Fabiana del Carmen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto Superior de Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Paulson, Dennis. University Of Puget Sound; Estados UnidosFil: Guénard, Benoit. The University Of Hong Kong; Hong KongFil: Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C.. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Arthofer, Wolfgang. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Steiner, Florian M.. Universidad de Innsbruck; AustriaFil: Fisher, Brian L.. California Academy Of Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Johnson, Robert A.. Arizona State University; Estados UnidosFil: Delsinne, Thibaut Dominique. Société d'Histoire Naturelle Alcide d'Orbigny; FranciaFil: Donoso, David A.. Escuela Politécnica Nacional; EcuadorFil: Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Patitucci, Luciano Damián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Carpenter, James M.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Herman, Lee. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Grimaldi, David. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unido