Description of eight new species of the traumatically inseminating plant bug genus Coridromius (Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae: Coridromini)

Eight new species of the plant bug genus Coridromius are described: C. basilanus sp. nov. from the Philippines, C. eremnos sp. nov. from Sabah, Malaysia, C. fomangsu sp. nov. and C. tafo sp. nov. from Ghana, C. norfolkensis sp. nov. from Norfolk Island, Australia, C. mulu sp. nov. from Sarawak, Malaysia, C. macchabeeus sp. nov. from Mauritius, and C. taravao sp. nov. from Tahiti, French Polynesia

Human Remains from the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition of Southwest China Suggest a Complex Evolutionary History for East Asians

BACKGROUND: Later Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia remains poorly understood owing to a scarcity of well described, reliably classified and accurately dated fossils. Southwest China has been identified from genetic research as a hotspot of human diversity, containing ancient mtDNA and Y-DNA lineages, and has yielded a number of human remains thought to derive from Pleistocene deposits. We have prepared, reconstructed, described and dated a new partial skull from a consolidated sediment block collected in 1979 from the site of Longlin Cave (Guangxi Province). We also undertook new excavations at Maludong (Yunnan Province) to clarify the stratigraphy and dating of a large sample of mostly undescribed human remains from the site. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We undertook a detailed comparison of cranial, including a virtual endocast for the Maludong calotte, mandibular and dental remains from these two localities. Both samples probably derive from the same population, exhibiting an unusual mixture of modern human traits, characters probably plesiomorphic for later Homo, and some unusual features. We dated charcoal with AMS radiocarbon dating and speleothem with the Uranium-series technique and the results show both samples to be from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition: ∼14.3-11.5 ka. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our analysis suggests two plausible explanations for the morphology sampled at Longlin Cave and Maludong. First, it may represent a late-surviving archaic population, perhaps paralleling the situation seen in North Africa as indicated by remains from Dar-es-Soltane and Temara, and maybe also in southern China at Zhirendong. Alternatively, East Asia may have been colonised during multiple waves during the Pleistocene, with the Longlin-Maludong morphology possibly reflecting deep population substructure in Africa prior to modern humans dispersing into Eurasia

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n., a minute halticine from the Philippines (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae, Orthotylinae)

Henryhalticus philippinensis gen. et sp. n. is described from a single location in the Negros Oriental Province of the Philippines. The male and female genitalia are described and illustrated. On the basis of the genitalic characters, external morphology, and size and color, the new species is erected as a monotypic genus

FIGURE 4 in A remarkable new plant bug genus and species (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae, Deraocorinae) from the Australian wet tropics

FIGURE 4. Scanning electron micrographs of Kalamemiris collessi sp. nov., (a) tarsal claw, (b) vestiture on male corium, (c) female antenna, scale are marked on photograph

Review of Australian species of Peritropis (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae)

Volume: 52Start Page: 171End Page: 18

Revision of the staphylinoid and ground-dwelling genus Carvalhoma Slater & Gross (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae) of Australia

The Australian endemic staphylinoid plant bug genus Carvalhoma Slater & Gross, 1977 is revised. The genus is redescribed and its systematic position within Cylapinae is discussed. Carvalhoma malcolmae Slater & Gross, 1977 and C. taplini Slater & Gross, 1977 are redescribed. Three species, C. ovatum sp. nov., C. parvum sp. nov., and C. weiri sp. nov., are described as new to science. A key to species, digital habitus images, SEM images, drawings of male and female genitalia and distribution map are provided

Megadrymus brigalow n. sp. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Drymini), a diminutive new species of seed bug from semi-evergreen vine thicket of the Queensland Brigalow Belt

Cassis, Gerasimos, Symonds, Celia L. (2014): Megadrymus brigalow n. sp. (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Drymini), a diminutive new species of seed bug from semi-evergreen vine thicket of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. Zootaxa 3774 (6): 596-600, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3774.6.