Integrated Taxonomic Information System - News
spacing image

Select one of the following news items:

  • February 27, 2026 - Opistognathidae (Jawfishes) Updated

    Jawfishes use their large mouths to hollow out burrows, which they guard as valuable territory and retreat into for safety. Most species are also mouth-brooders, with the male carrying a clutch of eggs inside his mouth until they hatch (Smith-Vaniz et al. 2018).

    This update comprises 164 new and edited names, 85 of which are new to ITIS. There are 108 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • February 27, 2026 - Newly Described Beetle Family Badmaateridae Added

    Badmaater chilensis Grebennikov, Kusy, Motyka, Andújar, Biffi and Bocak, 2026 is a new species that in itself represents a newly-described family of beetle whose lineage has apparently survived from the Triassic through the asteroid that ended the Cretaceous period to the present day, where its habit of dwelling in deep soil shielded it from discovery until now (Grebennikov et al. 2026).

    This update comprises 3 names new to ITIS, including just 1 valid and accepted species.

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

  • February 27, 2026 - Global Perissodactyla (Odd-toed Ungulates) Updated

    Perissodactyla are ungulates that bear their weight on one or three toes per foot, including horses, zebras, asses, rhinoceroses and tapirs.

    Przewalski's Horse (Equus przewalskii Poliakov, 1881), native to Mongolia, represents the last living wild (as opposed to feral) horses in the world and is critically endangered. Przewalski's Horse became extinct in the wild in the 1960, but after captive breeding programs the horse has been re-introduced into the wild in Mongolia, China, Russia and Ukraine. A pair of females can be found at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

    While Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates, updated in ITIS January 2026) use forestomach fermentation and rumination to increase the amount of nutrients they absorb from their diet of vegetation, perissodactyls use hindgut fermentation (Langer 1987). Hindgut fermentation involves an expanded region of the colon - 6 to 7 meters long in domestic horses - in which bacteria and archaea ferment fibrous plant food to produce volatile fatty acids for absorption (Santos et al. 2011, Warren 2015).

    This update comprises 233 new and edited names, 13 of which are new to ITIS. There are 19 valid and accepted species included (18 extant, 1 extinct), 2 of which are found in North America.

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

  • February 27, 2026 - Global Larks, Bulbuls, Swallows, and Related Families Updated

    Alaudidae (Larks) are a large family (24 genera, 101 species) distributed almost entirely in the Old World, with one species extending broadly into the Western Hemisphere: the Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758)). The specific epithet alpestris ('of high mountains') combined with Eremophila ('desert-loving') aptly reflects the species' remarkable ecological breadth, from sea-level deserts to alpine habitats of the Himalayas. Despite its extensive range and historical abundance, the Horned Lark has experienced substantial long-term declines. The Pacific Northwest subspecies, Eremophila alpestris strigata (Henshaw, 1884), is listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (Fish and Wildlife Service 2022). At the species level, North American Breeding Bird Survey data indicate an average decline of nearly 2% per year between 1966 and 2019, amounting to a cumulative reduction of approximately 64% over that period. It represents one of the steepest documented declines among formerly common North American grassland birds.

    Hirundinidae (Swallows and Martins) is a cosmopolitan family (21 genera, 92 species) occurring on every continent except Antarctica, with greatest diversity in the Old World tropics. Members of the family are highly specialized aerial insectivores, characterized by long, pointed wings, streamlined bodies, and broad gapes adapted for capturing flying insects. Several species undertake long-distance migrations spanning hemispheres, making them among the most conspicuous seasonal passerines. Prior to the scientific understanding of migration swallows were widely believed to overwinter underwater in a state of torpor, a view dating to classical antiquity - at least back to Aristotle who suggested swallows might hide or transform seasonally - and still considered plausible by early modern naturalists including Linnaeus (Lee 2020).

    The Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758)) is one of the most widely distributed members of Hirundinidae, breeding across North America, Europe, and Asia and wintering in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and southern Asia. It nests colonially in burrows excavated in vertical earthen banks along rivers, lakes, and coastal bluffs - a life history trait that closely ties its persistence to the availability of naturally eroding substrates. Despite its broad Holarctic range and historical abundance, the species has experienced sustained long-term declines in North America. North American Breeding Bird Survey analyses indicate their North American numbers have crashed an estimated 89% since 1970. Documented drivers include stabilization and loss of natural riverbanks, aggregate extraction, shoreline development, agricultural intensification, and broader reductions in aerial insect prey. Consequently, the Bank Swallow is now widely regarded as a species of conservation concern despite its extensive geographic distribution (NH Audubon n.d.).

    This update comprises 2,798 new and edited names, 1,452 of which are new to ITIS. There are 360 valid and accepted species included, 15 of which are found in North America.

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

  • February 27, 2026 - Exocoetidae (Flying Fish) Updated

    Exocoetidae are called flying fish in the vernacular for their remarkable gliding ability. The longest documented glide by a flying fish was 45 seconds, filmed near Japan in 2008. A 'flight' can be used to escape predators in the water, though it can conversely leave the flying fish vulnerable to predators from the air.

    Flying fish are prominent in the culture and iconography of Barbados, which is sometimes called 'land of the flying fish' - flying fish appear on one-dollar coins, in the logo for the Barbados Tourism Authority, and in the national dish, cou cou and flying fish (cou cou being a cornmeal-and-okra dish similar to polenta or grits). Flying fish migratory patterns have shifted over a hundred miles southwest during the 2000s in response to warming ocean temperatures, sparking fishing disputes between Barbados, where the fish formerly formed shoals, and Trinidad and Tobago, where they now aggregate (Blake and Campbell 2007, Fraser 2024).

    This update comprises 278 new and edited names, 169 of which are new to ITIS. There are 79 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • January 26, 2026 - Global Nuthatches, Creepers, and Related Families Updated

    This update comprises families Buphagidae, Certhiidae, Mimidae, Sittidae, Sturnidae, and Tichodromidae.

    Buphagidae (Oxpeckers) includes just two species, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. They are the world's only obligate mammal gleaners - that is, they feed on ectoparasites from large mammals. They will also pick at wounds and drink their hosts' blood. In 2016, 56 Yellow-billed Oxpeckers (Buphagus africanus Linnaeus, 1766) were documented feeding on a single giraffe (Veríssimo et al. 2017).

    Certhiidae (Treecreepers) spend their lives hopping up (but not down) (Moreno 1991) tree trunks and along large branches of trees throughout the north temperate zone forests, where they feed on small arthropods. They even make their nests underneath loose bark (Johnsgard 2009).

    Some song-birds learn their song and calls when young, and never learn more. The birds in Mimidae (Mockingbirds) are accomplished vocal mimics, and keep learning songs throughout life and can (probably) learn an unlimited number of vocalizations. Other birds that are life-long song learners include parrots (Psittaciformes) and lyrebirds (Menuridae).

    This update comprises 1024 new and edited names, 356 of which are new to ITIS. There are 204 valid and accepted species included (199 extant, 5 extinct), 18 of which are found in North America.

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

  • January 26, 2026 - Osmeridae (Smelts) and Plecoglossidae Updated

    Smelt are a culturally and economically important family throughout the northern hemisphere. They live in both the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as freshwater rivers and lakes in North America, Europe, and Asia. Many species are anadromous, and run up estuaries into freshwater in large schools.

    On the Pacific Northwest coast of North America up to Alaska, some First Nations refer to Euchalon (Thaleichthys pacificus (Richardson, 1836)) with the name 'salvation fish' because during seasonal lean times the run arrived with abundant fish having a high oil content (Aspens et al. 2020). On the Atlantic coast, Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax (Mitchill, 1814)) were so plentiful they were harvested by the barrel and used as fertilizer as well as food for humans and animals (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department n.d.). In Japanese cuisine, whole smelt are grilled or fried, and the eggs or roe of the Capelin (Mallotus villosus (Müller, 1776)) is eaten as masago.

    While some local festivals that celebrate the smelt run are going strong (Maloni 2025), others have had to adapt to declining smelt populations (Bruce 2018). Threats include modifications or reduced access to spawning grounds, high nutrient load from agricultural and other anthropogenic sources, overfishing, and competition from invasive mussels (Aspens et al. 2020, Riley and Robinson 2015).

    This update comprises 88 new and edited names, 50 of which are new to ITIS. There are 16 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • January 26, 2026 - Global Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates) Updated

    Artiodactyla are two-toed or cloved-hooved ungulates, including antelopes, cattle, goats and sheep, pigs and peccaries, deer and moose, and camels.

    Genus Bos Linnaeus, 1758 was updated in June 2025 to celebrate the American Bison's (Bos bison Linnaeus, 1758) recognition as the national mammal of the United States in 2016 and its importance to the history of the Smithsonian and the United States, as the first species conservation success story.

    The most recently-published taxon within Artiodactyla is a subspecies of Soemmerring's Gazelle, Nanger soemmerringii debeauxi Gippoliti, 2020. It was described after analysis of published and unpublished data from Italian taxonomic literature as well as museums, demonstrating the importance of historical data for taxonomy and conservation biology (Gippoliti 2020).

    Prior to that subspecies, the most recently-published new artiodactyl taxon was Verheyen's, or also known as, Walter's Duiker, Philantomba walteri Colyn et al., 2010. It was described from specimens found in a bushmeat market in 2010, but was not caught live on film until 2021 (Assou et al. 2021).

    This update comprises 1824 new and edited names, 541 of which are new to ITIS. There are 407 valid and accepted species included (400 extant, 7 extinct), 24 of which are found in North America.

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

  • December 30, 2025 - Hawaiian Monocots in Poales Updated

    This update of Hawaiian flora covered all of order Poales, excluding family Poaceae (grasses) itself. It is based on Wagner et al.'s 'Flora of the Hawaiian Islands' searchable database available online.

    Cyperaceae (sedges) are well-represented in Hawaii, with dozens of indigenous and endemic species. Several species are endangered, including the Oahu sedge (Carex wahuensis C.A. Mey.) (Hawaii Forest Institute n.d.) and sticky flatsedge (Cyperus trachysanthos Hook. & Arn.) (Native Plants of Hawaii n.d.).

    Joinvillea ascendens Gaudich. ex Brongn. & Gris, one of just four species worldwide in family Joinvilleaceae, is endemic to Hawaii and is also endangered (US FWS n.d.).

    This update comprises 1,531 new and edited names, 136 of which are new to ITIS. There are 118 valid and accepted species in this group now flagged for the jurisdiction of Hawaii.

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

  • December 30, 2025 - Hawaiian Dicots in Caryophyllales Updated

    This update covered Hawaiian plants in families Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Basellaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Frankeniaceae, Molluginaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Portulacaceae, and Talinaceae.

    A new and critically endangered Hawaiian species, Schiedea waiahuluensis W.L. Wagner, Weller, B. Nyberg & A.K. Sakai (Caryophyllaceae), was discovered and collected by using drones, in a first for the use of the technology in botany (Pensoft Publishers 2024).

    Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L., commonly called shoreline seapurslane, or Akulikuli in Hawaiian, is the only species in family Aizoaceae indigenous to Hawaii (though a handful of other species have been naturalized there). It is salt-tolerant and makes a robust ground cover. All fleshy parts of the plant are edible, and it was mentioned as a source of food in a World War II soldiers' manual titled 'Emergency Food Plants and Poisonous Plants of the Islands of the Pacific' (Native Plants of Hawaii n.d.).

    In family Nyctaginaceae, Ceodes brunoniana (Endl.) Scottsb. is commonly called the Australasian catchbirdtree, as its fruits have a sticky coating that can trap invertebrates, small reptiles, and birds; early Hawaiians used this property to capture birds to collect their feathers to decorate colorful cloaks and other items (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources n.d.).

    This update comprises 485 new and edited names, 81 of which are new to ITIS. There are 145 valid and accepted species in these families now flagged for the jurisdiction of Hawaii.

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

  • December 30, 2025 - Global Thrushes Updated

    Thrushes are plumpy songbirds, including Robins, Bluebirds, and Woodthrush, that tend to feed on the ground, looking for buried invertebrate prey. In temperate regions fruit, especially berries, are an important part of their diet in winter; for the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus (Pallas, 1811)) the ratio of invertebrates to fruit in their diets averages 90:10 in warm months, 40:60 in the winter (Pennsylvania Game Commission 2021). Thrushes contribute to ecological renewal through dispersal of seeds, and make a special contribution in urban and semi-urban areas because of their frequent visits to forest fragments (Gasperin and Pizo 2009).

    This update comprises 1,050 new and edited names, 409 of which are new to ITIS. There are 193 valid and accepted species included (188 extant, 5 extinct), 27 of which are found in North America.

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

  • December 30, 2025 - Global Corvids, Monarchs, and Related Bird Families Updated

    This update includes the following families: Corcoracidae, Corvidae, Ifritidae, Laniidae, Melampittidae, Monarchidae, Paradisaeidae, Platylophidae, and Rhipiduridae.

    Corvidae includes well-known species of crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, choughs, and nutcrackers.

    The Blue-capped Ifrit of New Guinea (Ifrita kowaldi (De Vis, 1890); Ifritidae) is one of only a handful of poisonous birds worldwide. Its feathers contain the neurotoxic compound batrachotoxin (BTX), otherwise only known from poison dart frogs (genus Phyllobates Duméril and Bibron, 1841), which it obtains by eating toxic beetles (from family Melyridae) (Bodawatta et al. 2023).

    Monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae) are found in Africa, Southern Asia, and occasionally in Northern Asia for some migratory species. Some males have long and showy tails. Monarch flycatchers are monogamous, and regardless of how showy their plumage, males care for their chicks alongside the females in all aspects (Birds of the World 2020).

    Birds of Paradise (Paradisaeidae), found in the forests of New Guinea and Australia, are famous for the males' extraordinary plumage and showy courtship dances. Studies of the species have informed theories of sexual selection (Irestedt et al. 2009). These birds are polygynous, and the males of most species do not participate in raising the young.

    This update comprises 1,776 new and edited names, 666 of which are new to ITIS. There are 329 valid and accepted species included (325 extant, 4 extinct), 24 of which are found in North America.

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

  • November 01, 2025 - Pseudococcidae Scales (Mealybugs) Added

    The vernacular 'mealybugs' refers to the waxy, powdery secretions made by many insects in this family (Miller et al. 2014).Various species of mealybug are agricultural pests worldwide; a 2002 survey found 158 species of mealybug to be a pest or a threat to agriculture in the United States (Miller et al. 2002). Hypogeococcus pungens Granara de Willink, 1981 and related species infest cacti in the Caribbean, Central and North America, posing a special threat to cactus diversity in Puerto Rico (Poveda-Martínez et al. 2020). Biological control agents used against mealybugs include green lacewings (family Chrysopidae) and the predatory beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1853, which has earned the common name 'mealybug destroyer' (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources n.d.). At the same time, in other regions Hypogeococcus pungens is used as a biological control agent itself, deployed against invasive cactus Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton in Australia (Ezeh et al. 2023).

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

    This update comprises 4,072 new and edited names, 3,979 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,052 valid and accepted species included (2 extinct, 2050 extant), 330 of which are found in North America.

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

  • September 29, 2025 - Amphibians of the World Updated

    Global amphibians were last updated in ITIS in 2019. Being a group of strong scientific, ecological, and conservation-related interest, amphibians receive a high level of taxonomic research, and a high rate of new species discoveries and taxonomic changes. In 2019, the global update for ITIS contained 8,045 valid/accepted species, so the current update represents an increase of 11% within 6 years. (And the ITIS global amphibians update prior to that, in 2009, included just 6,439 species.) A phylogenetic revision of Australo-Papuan treefrogs published in June 2025, described as 'massive' in the Amphibian Species of the World update diary, reallocated species into 35 genera where previously they had been recognized in only three (Donnellan 2025).

    The IUCN published an updated Conservation Action Plan in 2024 (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2024), which surveys 15 years of conservation research and current evidence-based approaches, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes strategies for progress.

    In a bit of good news, the endemic Andean mountain frog Telmatobius ceiorum Laurent, 1970, which had not been seen for 40 years, was rediscovered in 2022-2024. Surprisingly, the newly found individuals were 40 km outside of the species' historical range. While frogs in that area are under threat by chytrid fungi disease, analysis of historical museum specimens indicated that the greatest factor in this species' decline was the introduction of predatory rainbow trout as fishing stock (Barrionuevo et al. 2025).

    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 26,119 new and edited names, 2,062 of which are new to ITIS. There are 8,931 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • September 29, 2025 - Xenococcidae Scales Added

    While Xenococcidae is a relatively small family, it contains the mealybug Xenococcus annandalei Silvestri, 1924, which has been found infesting the roots of a wide variety of valuable crops, including coconut, grape, clove, coffee, tea, turmeric, and ginger (Deepthy et al. 2017). Mealybugs harm crops by sucking sap from the roots and new growth, exuding honeydew which grows mold, and may also inject toxins.

    This update comprises 47 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 34 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 .

  • September 29, 2025 - Global Mustelidae Updated

    Family Mustelidae includes weasels, minks, polecats, martens, badgers, honey badgers, otters, grisons, and wolverines. It was previously updated in ITIS in 2018.

    The taxonomic placement of the American Mink - now Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777) - had been in contention, having been classified in genus Mustela for decades before being placed in its own monotypic genus, Neovison, in 2000, and then reclassified again into Vison. Patterson et al. (2021) place the taxon in genus Neogale, the genus representing a New World lineage that is sister to the Old World lineage of Mustela.

    This update comprises 1,172 new and edited names, 79 of which are new to ITIS. There are 66 valid and accepted species included (65 extant, 1 extinct), 14 of which are found in North America.

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

  • September 29, 2025 - Global Canidae Updated

    Family Canidae (dogs, wolves, foxes, and hyenas) were last updated in 2015.

    Five of the 35 recognized canid species are listed as endangered by the IUCN, with two, Darwin's Fox (Lycalopex fulvipes (Martin, 1837)) and the Red Wolf (Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group n.d.). Darwin's Fox has recently been the subject of research using the genomic tool of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to collect enhanced information about its genetic diversity, geographic distribution, population structure, and pathogen exposure (Valenzuela-Turner et al. 2025).

    This update comprises 386 new and edited names, 81 of which are new to ITIS. There are 41 valid and accepted species included (39 extant, 2 extinct), 11 of which are found in North America.

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

  • August 29, 2025 - Global Remipedia Added

    Remipedia is a class of crustacean that was first described in 1981 (Yager 1981). All species live in submerged cave systems; many in the saltwater layer that underlies inland freshwater cave systems with underground connections to the sea. Their habitats are completely dark, and so, no remipedes have any type of eyes. They do have complex brains relative to other crustaceans, indicating that they are sister to crustacean lineages like Malacostraca rather than ancestral (Fanenbruck et al. 2004).

    This update comprises 68 new and edited names, 59 of which are new to ITIS. There are 32 valid and accepted species included (30 extant, 2 extinct), of which the 2 extinct species are found in North America.

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

  • August 29, 2025 - Fireflies (Lampyridae) of the World Updated

    Global Lampyridae were last updated in August, 2021, which was in turn an update of a global list first uploaded to ITIS in 2014. With this update, the number of species recognized grows by 185 over 2,419 (and also by 12 subspecies over 74) for an increase of over 7%, showing that robust taxonomic research in this group continues.

    Worldwide, firefly populations face threats including habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticide use (Lewis et al. 2020). You can help protect fireflies locally by planting native plants, leaving leaf litter, restricting use of pesticides, and turning off outdoor lights at night (US FWS Midwest Office of Communications n.d., Xerces Society n.d.).

    This update comprises 3,577 new and edited names, 414 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2,604 valid and accepted species included (2,590 extant, 6 extinct), 176 of which are found in North America.

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

  • August 29, 2025 - Bristlebirds and Some Related Bird Families Updated

    This update covers ten small passerine bird families, mostly distributed in Australasia: Acanthizidae, Cettiidae, Dasyornithidae, Erythrocercidae, Hyliidae, Macrosphenidae, Mohouidae, Pardalotidae, Pnoepygidae, and Scotocercidae.

    Bristlebirds (Dasyornithidae) are considered cover-dependent and fire-sensitive; that is, they stick to habitats with abundant low vegetation cover and shrubbery, and avoid areas that have been recently burned. These traits make them vulnerable to habitat loss, especially habitat loss by wildfire (Baker 2000). During the massive Australian Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020, an emergency conservation measure involved moving 15 Eastern Bristlebirds (Dasyornis brachypterus (Latham, 1801)) from a fire-threatened area into captivity, where they were held for two months before being re-released to an unburned area (Selwood et al. 2021).

    Pardalotes (family Pardalotidae) are endemic to Australia and Tasmania. They primarily feed on insects they glean from foliage, as well as lerps, which are starchy deposits made of honeydew that psyllid insect larvae (Psyllidae) excrete for protection (Tasmania Threatened Species Section n.d.). Lerps are also a favored food of honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) which compete with pardalotes for it; one study found that pardalotes may spend up to 5% of their waking hours and 9% of their energy fleeing from honeyeaters (Woinarski 1984).

    This update comprises 927 new and edited names, 361 of which are new to ITIS. There are 135 valid and accepted species included (134 extant, 1 extinct), found in many regions of the world but none in the Americas.

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

  • August 29, 2025 - Batises and Some Related Bird Families Updated

    This update covers six families: Machaerirhynchidae (Boatbills), Malaconotidae (Bushshrikes), Platysteiridae (Wattle-eyes and Batises), and Vangidae (Vangas) which now also includes Prionopidae and Tephrodornithidae.

    Batises, together with Wattle-eyes and Shrike-flycatchers, make up Platysteiridae. Some species participate in mixed-species flocks: when insectivorous birds of multiple species gather to hunt, all may benefit from the greater amount of insects stirred up and the greater number of individuals watching for predators (Chen et al. 2022). The Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor (Küster, 1836)) in particular was seen to enjoy a 20% improvement in feeding efficiency when in a mixed-species flock (Thomson and Ferguson 2009).

    Vangas originated in Madagascar and radiated into tropical mainland Africa and Asia. The more than 20 species that remain in Madagascar display dramatic adaptive radiation (much like the Galapagos finches), having evolved different bill, head, and foot shapes, as well as different behaviors, to fit different foraging niches (Auerbach et al. 2025).

    This update comprises 643 new and edited names, 249 of which are new to ITIS. There are 125 valid and accepted species included, mostly found in Africa and some in Australia or Southern Asia.

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

  • August 29, 2025 - Australian Babblers and Some Related Bird Families Updated

    This update covers nine families native to Australia and/or New Zealand: Callaeidae (New Zealand Wattlebirds), Cinclosomatidae (Jewel-babblers and Quail-thrushes), Cnemophilidae (Satinbirds), Melanocharitidae (Berrypeckers and Longbills), Notiomystidae (the Stitchbird), Orthonychidae (Logrunners), Paramythiidae (Painted Berrypeckers), Pomatostomidae (Australasian Babblers), and Psophodidae (Whipbirds).

    The Huia (in Callaeidae), Heteralocha acutirostris (Gould 1837),which was endemic to New Zealand, declined after the arrival of Polynesians (14th century) and Europeans (1800s) and went extinct in the 1920s (Lubbe et al. 2022). Male and female Huia were initially described as two separate species, as the species displays the most extreme sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any modern bird species (females have a long, thin and curved bill, while males' bills are much more short and blunt). These bill shapes likely reflect different foraging strategies that a bonded pair could use to cooperatively forage for insect larvae in the same piece of rotted wood: the male could tear away bark and bits of wood to improve access, while the female could probe for burrowing larvae deeper than the male could reach (Tomotani et al. 2022).

    Notiomystidae is a monotypic family, containing only the Hihi (Notiomystis cincta (Du Bus de Gisignies, 1839)), also known as the Stitchbird because its call sounds like 'stitch.' It is endemic to New Zealand, and was driven to extinction on the mainland by introduced species and diseases; by 1885 the only remaining population was on Little Barrier Island. Conservation efforts began in the 1980s, and in 2005, the ecosanctuary Zealandia in Wellington became the first location to welcome a population of wild Stitchbirds back to the mainland.

    This update comprises 256 new and edited names, 84 of which are new to ITIS. There are 49 valid and accepted species included (47 extant, 2 extinct), all from the Australasia region, including some Pacific islands.

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

  • August 5, 2025 - Lac Scales Family (Tachardiidae) Added

    Shellac is a versatile substance that is used as confectioner's glaze on candy and a preservative coating on fruit, was a popular sealant and polish for wood, has been used as an insulator for electrical wires, and was used to make records before vinyl (Raman 2014). Female lac scales secrete the raw material, called sticklac, leaving tube-like accretions that encrust the tree branches they live on. It takes about 300,000 lac scales to produce one kilogram of shellac.

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

    This update comprises 262 new and edited names, 261 of which are new to ITIS. There are 103 valid and accepted species included (all extant), 7 of which are found in North America.

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

  • August 5, 2025 - True Oysters (Ostreidae) of the World Added

    True oysters of family Ostreidae (as opposed to the pearl oysters of family Pteriidae) are filter feeders that purify water, form reef habitat with their accumulated shells, and are a food source for animals and humans. The family includes the popularly cultivated Pacific Oyster (Magallana gigas (Thunberg, 1793)) and the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791)) of the Chesapeake Bay (NOAA n.d.).

    A team led by Smithsonian scientist Torben Rick studied oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay through history: from the Pleistocene (0.781 Ma to 13,000 y ago) through prehistoric (3,200-400 y ago), historic (400-50 y ago), and modern (A.D. 2000-2014) times. They found that the Native American Chesapeake Bay oyster fishery from 3,500 to 400 years ago was sustainable, likely because it was limited to hand-harvesting near shore that preserved populations of larger oysters in deeper waters. Modern oyster populations are impacted by overfishing, introduced and native diseases, climate change, eutrophication, and sedimentation. Modern conservation strategies of oyster fisheries include no-take zones, which echoes this historical dynamic. Other modern conservation strategies in the Chesapeake Bay include adding new hard substrate and introducing hatchery seed oysters (Rick et al. 2016).

    This update comprises 391 new and edited names, 343 of which are new to ITIS. There are 78 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • August 5, 2025 - Riffle Beetles (Elmidae) Updated

    A global treatment of Elmidae was added to ITIS in 2018. The family is the subject of active research that expanded the number of species significantly in the meantime; while there were 1,535 species in the 2018 update, this most recent update has 2,041 species.

    Most riffle beetles breathe underwater using a plastron: fine hair-like setae that trap a layer of air next to the beetle's abdomen. When oxygen in this layer becomes depleted, it is replenished through diffusion from the surrounding water. Using this 'practical gill,' a riffle beetle can stay submerged in well-oxygenated water indefinitely (Elliott 2008).

    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.

    This update comprises 2041 new and edited names, 193 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1684 valid and accepted species included, 109 of which are found in North America.

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

  • August 5, 2025 - Antpittas and Some Related Bird Families Updated

    This update covers wordwide Formicariidae (antthrushes), Conopophagidae (gnateaters), Grallariidae (antpittas), Melanopareiidae (crescentchests), and Rhinocryptidae (tapaculos).

    The Giant Antpitta - Grallaria gigantea Lawrence, 1866 - played a brief but notable role in the 2025 Netflix series The Residence. The protagonist, Cordelia Cupp, is an avid birdwatcher as well as a detective. Her dedication and frustration in seeking the elusive antpitta echoes her grappling with the central case. Ornithologist Kenn Kaufman, a field editor and columnist for Audubon magazine, served as a consultant for the show to make sure its bird information was accurate (Kaufman 2025).

    This update comprises 522 new and edited names, 176 of which are new to ITIS. There are 163 valid and accepted species included (162 extant, 1 extinct), all of which are found in South America, Middle America, or the Caribbean.

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

  • June 27, 2025 - Global Cockroaches (In Order Blattodea) Added

    Roach-like insects appear in the fossil record as far back as the Carboniferous period, 320 million years ago (Garwood and Sutton, 2010). In modern times, their 5,000+ species are found on every continent on Earth; fewer than 25 have adapted to take advantage of human habitations. These few species - including Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758), Blatta orientalis Linnaeus, 1758, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus, 1767), and Supella longipalpa (Fabricius, 1798) (Nasirian 2017) - are physical vectors of pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli (Migula, 1895) Castellani and Chalmers, 1919, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter, 1872), Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum (Veillon and Zuber 1898) Yutin and Galperin 2013, and Staphylococcus Rosenbach, 1884 speices, and are a particular risk for nosocomial (hospital- or healthcare-related) infections (Schapheer et al. 2024, Memona et al. 2016, and Pechal et al. 2007).

    While not eusocial like the termites, roaches do exhibit social behavior. They will not grow and develop properly if raised in isolation (Lihoreau et al. 2012). Their drive to congregate is so strong that, while they normally seek the deepest darkness for hiding, in an experiment utilizing small robots that imitated roaches, they could be manipulated to gather in a less-dark hiding place (Lemonick 2007).

    The termites, formerly recognized in order Isoptera, are now considered a part of order Blattodea (Inward et al. 2007), but they will be addressed in a future update; this current update concerns only the roaches.

    This update comprises 5,988 new and edited names, 5,818 of which are new to ITIS. There are 5,108 valid and accepted species included (4,939 extant, 169 extinct), 105 of which are found in North America.

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

  • June 27, 2025 - Furnariidae (Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers) Updated

    Ovenbirds take their vernacular from the nests of birds in genus Furnarius Vieillot, 1816, also called horneros after a Spanish word meaning 'baker' (the genus name, likewise, comes from the Latin word furnus meaning 'oven.') The nests are made of mud, built large and chambered, and do resemble a wood-fired oven. The nest serves as an incubation chamber, offering the eggs a higher and more consistent temperature than outside the nest, allowing the parents to spend more time foraging (Shibuya et al. 2015).

    This update comprises 1,943 new and edited names, 788 of which are new to ITIS. There are 321 valid and accepted species included (as well as 714 subspecies), all of which are found in Central or South America or the Caribbean.

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

  • June 27, 2025 - Various Mammal Orders (Hyracoidea, Pholidota, Proboscidea, Sirenia, Tubulidentata) Updated

    This update addressed varied mammal orders: Hyracoidea Huxley, 1869 (hyraxes), Proboscidea Illiger, 1811 (elephants), Sirenia Illiger, 1811 (manatees and dugongs), Pholidota Weber, 1904 (pangolins), and Tubulidentata Huxley, 1872 (the aardvark).

    Elephants, hyraxes, and sirenians are related, comprising all extant members of clade Paenungulata (Kleinschmidt et al. 1986) within diverse superorder Afrotheria (Afrotheria also includes the aardvark, as well as tenrecs, golden moles, and elephant shrews).

    Pangolins were once thought to be related to the anteaters and armadillos they superficially resemble, but molecular analysis revealed they are more closely related to carnivores (Du Toit et al. 2014).

    Of the eight species of pangolin recognized, the IUCN ranks two as vulnerable, two as endangered, and two as critically endangered (IUCN n.d.).

    Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766)) colonies collectively urinate and defecate in one chosen area, called a midden, over time forming a petrified substance called hyraceum. Middens may persist for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, forming a paleoenvironmental record valuable to research (Chase et al. 2012).

    This update comprises 222 new and edited names, 70 of which are new to ITIS. There are 25 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 .

  • June 05, 2025 - Bos Genus Updated

    The American bison - often called buffalo - holds a singular place in the cultural and ecological history of the United States. In recognition of its significance the species was designated the national mammal in 2016, a symbol of the connection between the American people and the natural world.

    Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison were keystone species in North America's grassland ecosystems, shaping prairie biodiversity and sustaining Indigenous lifeways for millennia (Isenberg 2000). The near-eradication of bison in the late 19th century, driven by colonial expansion and commercial hunting, was both an ecological catastrophe and a deliberate attack on Indigenous societies (Mamers 2019). By the 1880s, fewer than 1,000 bison remained.

    A pivotal figure in bison conservation was William Temple Hornaday, chief taxidermist at the Smithsonian Institution. Witnessing the species' rapid decline, Hornaday organized one of the earliest efforts to preserve bison, collecting specimens for scientific study and public education, and publishing The Extermination of the American Bison (1889), a critical work that galvanized public awareness and garnered support to save the species. Hornaday used his platform to found the American Bison Society in 1905, which helped in the establishment of captive herds that would later be reintroduced to the wild (Freese et al. 2007).

    This update merges the genera Bos Linnaeus, 1758 and Bison C. H. Smith, 1827 into one (Bos). When the American Bison was described by Linnaeus (1758) it was placed in the genus Bos. Cuvier (1825) considered American bison as a group a distinct subgenus, and the subgenus Bos (Bison) was later described by Charles Hamilton Smith (1827). The species American bison was the type - Bos (Bison) bison Linnaeus, 1758. The subgenus was elevated to genus by Gray (1846), and was variously recognized at the rank of genus (Hodgson 1847, True 1885, Schulze 1897) or subgenus (Lydekker 1898) throughout the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century McDonald (1981) affirmed the elevation of Bison to genus based on anatomical differences such as skull shape, horn structure, and body proportions. In the twenty-first century full-genome analysis of species in Bison and Bos revealed they tend to hybridize. Hybridization between closely related mammalian species is common, but 'examples of introgressive hybridization based on whole genome sequence analyses between two distinct mammalian genera are rare' (Stroupe et al. 2022, 8). This provides taxonomic support that European bison and North American bison fall with the same genus, Bos, and are not separated into distinct genera (Wu et al. 2018). Now all cattle species, ten in total, are recognized in the genus Bos Linnaeus, 1758. Two species are found in North America - the bison and domestic cattle. In total the update comprises 51 new and edited names, 9 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • May 28, 2025 - Classification Hierarchy of Infraorder Cucujiformia (Within Beetles) Updated

    Updates are made to the upper hierarchy of beetle infraorder Cucujiformia, down to the rank of family for all groups, and subfamily and tribe for some. The revision is based on Bouchard et al.'s 2024 account of coleopteran family-group names and their type genera. Cucujiformia includes most plant-eating beetles, including longhorn and leaf beetles, ladybirds, blister beetles, weevils, and more.

    This update comprises 624 new and edited names, 86 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • May 28, 2025 - Bowerbirds, Australian Wrens, and Related Families Updated

    This update includes small bird families Atrichornithidae (scrubbirds), Climacteridae (Australasian treecreepers), Maluridae (Australasian wrens), Menuridae (lyrebirds), and Ptilonorhynchidae (bowerbirds). These families diverged early (about 40 MYA) in the radiation of oscine passerine birds out of Australia (Jønsson et al. 2011).

    Lyrebird are famous for their vocal mimicry. They can duplicate the sounds of other bird species, human speech, and inanimate objects like construction tools.

    Bowerbirds are famous for building ornate structures out of twigs and brush and decorating them with colorful objects, for courtship. These bowers come in two general types - vertically-oriented maypoles built around a central twig or sapling, and avenues with two parallel walls (Ericson et al. 2020). Some bowers even incorporate an optical illusion - forced perspective, achieved by arranging items small-to-large so all appear the same size to the viewer - to entice females to keep looking (Williams 2012).

    This update comprises 328 new and edited names, 121 of which are new to ITIS. There are 73 valid and accepted species included (72 extant, 1 extinct), all native to Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding areas.

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

  • May 28, 2025 - Pittas, Broadbills and Selected Other Small Passeriform Families Updated

    This update covers pittas (Pittidae), broadbills (Eurylaimidae and Calyptomenidae), asities (Philepittidae), the sapayoa (Sapayoidae), and New Zeland wrens (Acanthisittidae).

    The pittas have beautiful, brightly-colored plumage. They are the titular 'jewels' in a birding travelogue published in 2011, 'The Jewel Hunter' by Chris Gooddie, in which he travels through Asia, Africa, and Australia seeking to sight all 32 pitta species in the world (Gooddie et al. 2011) (a the time: the IOC and the current ITIS update recognize 46 accepted species).

    The sapayoa (Sapayoa aenigma Hartert, 1903) has been difficult to place in relation to other bird genera since its description, though it has always been considered a monotypic genus. It was initially placed in Pipridae, and then as the most basal of all New World suboscine passerines (Fjeldså et al. 2003). Recently it has been treated in its own family, but its precise phylogenetic placement is still in dispute: the IOC version 15.1 treats it directly between the New Zealand wrens and asities, eBird/Clements version 2024 places the broadbills (Eurylaimidae and Calyptomenidae) between the sapoya and the New Zealand wrens, and BirdLife International Checklist version 9.1 places the sapayoa between Eurylaimidae and Calyptomenidae.

    The New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae are endemic to New Zealand, and have also had a complicated taxonomic history. They appeared to be intermediate between oscine and suboscine passerines; they have since been considered to be sister to both, an ancient lineage that stayed on the New Zealand land mass when it separated from the rest of Gondwana 82-85 MYA (Ericson et al. 2002).

    This update comprises 380 new and edited names, 166 of which are new to ITIS. There are 71 valid and accepted species included (69 extant, 2 extinct), none of which are found in North America.

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

  • April 29, 2025 - Additional Scale Insect (Coccoidea) Families

    Eriococcidae, the felt scales, includes several species that are tree pests in North America. The invasive beech bark scale, Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger, 1936, was introduced from Europe to the Continental U.S. and spread beech bark disease from Canada to Appalachia over the course of the 20th Century (Gwiazdowski et al. 2006). The macadamia felted coccid, Acanthococcus ironsidei (Williams, 1973), caused severe infestations in Hawaiian macadamia nut orchards after its introduction from Australia in 2005 (Wright and Conant 2009).

    In family Stictococcidae the cassava root scale, Stictococcus vayssierei Richard, 1971, causes great damage to root crops like cassava and taro in its native range in the Congo Basin in central Africa (Doumtsop et al. 2020).

    This update includes the following scale insect families:

    Eriococcidae comprises 1768 new and edited names, 1762 of which are new to ITIS. There are 678 valid and accepted species included (6 extinct, 672 extant), 91 of which are found in North America.

    Cerococcidae comprises 203 new and edited names, 201 of which are new to ITIS. There are 81 valid and accepted species included, 5 of which are found in North America.

    Stigmacoccidae comprises 6 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 3 valid and accepted species included, all from Middle and South America.

    Stictococcidae comprises 36 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 17 valid and accepted species included, all of which are found in Africa.

    Xylococcidae comprises 30 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 11 valid and accepted species included (4 extinct, 7 extant), 3 of which are found in North America.

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

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

  • April 29, 2025 - Passerine Bird Families Pipridae and Icteridae Updated

    Most Pipridae (manakin) species use a lek mating system, in which males gather in groups to display their feathers and make sounds to attract females. In addition to bright feathers and specialized dances, some are able to use their wing feathers to make a complicated clapping sound. Wire-tailed manakins, Pipra filicauda Spix, 1825, cooperate on courtship displays, including a variation in which they pair up to dance dual-male displays (Dybas 2011, Ryder et al. 2008).

    Icteridae includes New World blackbirds, grackles, orioles, cowbirds, meadowlarks, and oropendolas. They share an adaptation called gaping, in which their beaks are stronger opening against pressure than closing. Gaping allows them to penetrate into soil and crack through bark to access insects (All things Birdie 2024). Some icterids band together in colonial nests; Tricolored Blackbirds (Agelaius tricolor (Audubon, 1837)) have been known to form breeding colonies of more than 35,000 individuals (Audubon California n.d.)

    This update comprises 913 new and edited names, 356 of which are new to ITIS. There are 163 valid and accepted species included (162 extant, 1 extinct), 24 of which are found in North America.

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

  • April 29, 2025 - Parulidae and Related Passerine Bird Families Updated

    This upload includes Parulidae (New World Warblers), Phaenicophilidae (Hispaniolan Palm-tanagers), Teretistridae (Cuban Warblers), Zeledoniidae (Wrenthrush), and Icteriidae (the Yellow-breasted Chat).

    Parulidae were first called 'warblers' by European naturalists in the 1700s and 1800s who likened them to Old World Warblers (Sylviidae Leach, 1820). By the late 1800s, it became clear that Old World and New World Warblers were unrelated and belonged in different families (Kaufman 2021).

    Icteriidae is a monotypic family, including only Icteria virens (Linnaeus, 1758) formerly included in Parulidae. It is not to be confused with New World blackbird family Icteridae.

    This update comprises 891 new and edited names, 198 of which are new to ITIS. There are 128 valid and accepted species included (127 extant, 1 extinct), 53 of which (including the extinct species) are found in North America.

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

  • April 02, 2025 - More Scale Insect (Coccoidea) Families Added

    The cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell, 1878 (Monophlebidae), is a commercial pest on citrus crops, as well as ornamental plants such as nandina (also known as heavenly bamboo, Nandina domestica Thunb.) and pittosporum (also known as cheesewoods, genus Pittosporum Banks ex Sol.). Since it was introduced to the United States from Australia in 1868, its population levels have been controlled through introduction of two of its natural predators from Australia: beetle Novius cardinalis Mulsant, 1850 and fly Lestophonus iceryae Williston, 1888 (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources 2012, Quezada and DeBach 1973).

    Mealybugs of family Rhizoecidae mostly live underground, and are called 'root mealybugs' or 'ground mealybugs.' Multiple species are pests in areas across the United States, feeding on the roots of ornamental grasses, flowers including yarrows (genus Achillea L.) and chrysanthemums, potted plants such as African violet (genus Saintpaulia H. Wendl.), and various species of palm (Baker 2022). No biological controls have been identified, and so cultural controls are recommended for infestations, such as discarding affected plants, sanitizing tools and pots, using fresh soil, and heating affected root balls (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources 2022).

    This update includes the following scale insect families:

    Monophlebidae comprises 605 new and edited names, 602 of which are new to ITIS. There are 261 valid and accepted species included (3 extinct, 258 extant), 8 of which are found in North America.

    Ortheziidae comprises 451 new and edited names, 434 of which are new to ITIS. There are 223 valid and accepted species included (212 extant, 11 extinct), 11 of which are found in North America.

    Rhizoecidae comprises 401 new and edited names, 395 of which are new to ITIS. There are 226 valid and accepted species included (3 extinct, 223 extant), 39 of which are found in North America.

    Steingeliidae comprises 22 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 10 valid and accepted species included (7 extant, 3 extinct), 4 of which are found in North America.

    An additional 21 small extinct families were also included in this load: Adocimycolidae, Albiococcidae, Apticoccidae, Arnoldidae, Burmacoccidae, Electrococcidae, Grimaldiellidae, Grohnidae, Hammanococcidae, Hodgsonicoccidae, Inkaidae, Jersicoccidae, Kozariidae, Kukaspididae, Labiococcidae, Lebanococcidae, Lithuanicoccidae, Macrodrilidae, Pennygullaniidae, Serafinidae, and Weitschatidae. This group of families comprises 33 species, 9 of which were scored for North America.

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

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

  • April 02, 2025 - Passerine Bird Families Sylviidae and Paradoxornithidae Updated

    The Ashy-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis alphonsianus (J. Verreaux, 1870) (Paradoxornithidae) is usually able to identify when a cuckoo (Cuculus canorus Linnaeus, 1758) has laid an egg in its nest, and reject the invading egg. A study has suggested that the parrotbill learns to recognize its own eggs after it has laid them, and perceives the cuckoo egg as different. However, if the cuckoo is able to insert its egg into the parrotbill nest before the parrotbill has laid its own eggs, the parrotbill has no basis for comparison and will accept the cuckoo egg. If cuckoo eggs outnumber parrotbill eggs in the nest, the parrotbill may even reject its own egg in favor of the egg that is more numerous (Yang et al. 2014).

    This update comprises 551 new and edited names, 275 of which are new to ITIS. There are 70 valid and accepted species included, one of which is found in North America.

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

  • April 02, 2025 - Global Storks (Ciconiiformes) and Various Seabirds (Procellariiformes and Suliformes) Updated

    The various genera of storks (Ciconiiformes) have different bills adapted to their food source. Marabou storks (Leptoptilos crumenifer (R. P. Lesson, 1831)) have a massive and sharp bill for feeding on carrion and catching prey such as fish and frogs (Smithsonian Channel n.d.). Wood storks, including the Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis (Linnaeus, 1766)), have a thin and sensitive bill for tactilocation - finding prey by feel in clouded water (Borkhataria et al. 2013). Openbill storks (genus Anastomus Bonnaterre, 1791) have a bill that meets only at its front and back and leaves a gap in the middle, for cracking snail shells and extracting mollusc meat (YouTube n.d.).

    Procellariiformes includes albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, and storm petrels. The oldest known bird in the world is a Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis (Rothschild, 1893)) named Wisdom, who was first banded in 1956. At 74 years old, she was seen brooding a new egg at her Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 2024 (Chappell 2024).

    Suliformes includes frigatebirds, boobies, cormorants, shags, and anhingas.

    This update comprises 877 new and edited names, 346 of which are new to ITIS. There are 229 valid and accepted species included (225 extant, 4 extinct), of which 24 are found in North America.

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

  • April 02, 2025 - Monotremes and Marsupials Updated

    Monotremes are the only mammals that lay eggs instead of bearing live young. The word 'monotreme' means 'single hole' and refers to the cloaca, which also sets monotremes apart from other mammals. Monotremes do feed their young with milk, but the milk is released through the skin rather than through teats, and - possibly because this method of feeding is less sanitary - contains a unique antimicrobial protein (Bisana et al. 2013).

    The term 'marsupial' comes from the technical term for their pouch, the marsupium. About 70% of marsupial species are found in Australia, Tasmania, or New Guinea; most of the remainder are found in South America, and just one, the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792), is found in North America north of Mexico.

    The update of monotremes comprises 33 new and edited names, 7 of which are new to ITIS. There are 5 valid and accepted species included, all of them are found only in Australia and New Guinea.

    The update of marsupials comprises 1,201 new and edited names, 477 of which are new to ITIS. There are 387 valid and accepted species included (367 extant, 20 extinct), of which one is found in North America.

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

  • February 25, 2025 - Various Scale Insect (Coccoidea) Families Added

    The gall-like scale insects of family Kermesidae feed only on oak trees, and some species have historically been used as a source of crimson dye in the Palaearctic (Spodek and Ben-Dov 2012).

    The giant pine scale Marchalina hellenica (Gennadius, 1883) feeds on conifer trees and produces honeydew that provides food for honey bees. Honeydew honey makes up over 70% of the annual honey production in Greece (Gounari et al. 2021).

    This update includes several small families of pine scales, mealybugs, and other scale insects, as follows:

    Kermesidae comprises 255 new and edited names, 274 of which are new to ITIS. There are 89 valid and accepted species included, 32 of which are found in North America.

    Marchalinidae comprises 8 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There is 1 valid and accepted species included.

    Matsucoccidae comprises 59 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 43 valid and accepted species included, 19 of which are found in North America (one of which is extinct).

    Micrococcidae comprises 15 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 10 valid and accepted species included.

    Phenacoleachiidae comprises 7 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 2 valid and accepted species included.

    Phoenicococcidae comprises 9 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There is just 1 species included and it is found in North America.

    Pityococcidae comprises 13 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 7 valid and accepted species included, of which 5 are found in North America and 2 are extinct from the Old World.

    Putoidae comprises 112 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 53 species included (3 of which are extinct) of which 21 are found in North America.

    Qinococcidae comprises 19 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 10 valid and accepted species included.

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

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

  • February 25, 2025 - Global Accipitriformes with Cariamiformes (Seriemas) and Opisthocomiformes (Hoatzin) Updated

    Accipitriformes currently comprises four families including eagles, hawks, and kites; New World vultures; the Osprey; and the Secretarybird.

    Cariamiformes is represented by just two extant species of seriema, but has existed since the Eocene, almost 50 million years ago (Hospitaleche and Jones 2024), when they formed a diverse group of apex predators known as 'terror birds' (Degrange 2021).

    Similarly, Opisthocomiformes is represented by just one extant species of Hoatzin, but its fossil record dates to the Eocene, about 34 million years ago (Cracraft 2022). The Hoatzin is unique among birds in that it has a modified crop that contains bacteria that ferment and break down its leafy diet, serving like the gut of ruminants (Grajal 1995).

    This treatment primarily follows the IOC list, but it also includes the names used as valid in the other global bird name sources (Howard and Moore, Handbook of the Birds of the World/Bird Life International, and eBird/Clements) in synonymy, where they differ from IOC's taxonomy.

    This update comprises 1471 new and edited names, 659 of which are new to ITIS. There are 267 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 .

  • January 27, 2025 - Global Halictidae (Sweat Bees) Updated

    Halictidae is the second-most speciose family of bees (after Apidae), with over 4,500 species worldwide and over 500 in North America north of Mexico. The vernacular 'sweat bees' refers to the tendency of some to drink human sweat as a source of moisture and salts (Missouri Department of Conservation n.d.). Some species play an important role in crop pollination, for example, the pollination of alfalfa crops by the alkali bee, Nomia melanderi Cockerell, 1906 (Moisset and Wojcik n.d.).

    The term 'eusocial' to describe insect behavior, 'in which the nest-founding parent survives to cooperate with a group of her mature daughters, with division of labor,' was coined by entomologist Suzanne Batra in 1966 (Batra 1995) to describe the behavior of halictine bees (Lacy and Kronauer 2023).

    This update comprises 12,149 new and edited names, 7,559 of which are new to ITIS. There are 4,518 valid and accepted species included, of which 534 are found in North America.

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

  • January 27, 2025 - Global Cotingidae (Cotingas) and Tityridae (Tityras, Becards, Sharpbill) Updated

    Family Tityridae was added to ITIS in the December 2024 load, as genera were split from Tyrannidae. This load completes Tityridae, as the remaining genera in it are split from Cotingidae.

    The Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola (Linnaeus, 1766) and Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus (Latham, 1790) gather in communal groups called leks, where males dance, play-fight, and show off their plumage to vie for females in attendance (American Bird Conservancy n.d., and Dallas World Aquarium n.d.).

    The update of Cotingidae and Tityridae comprises 504 new and edited names, 148 of which are new to ITIS. There are 111 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 .

  • January 27, 2025 - Spongy Moth Vernacular Update

    Lymantria dispar (Linnaeus, 1758) is a widespread invasive moth in the United States and Canada, introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s and now costing hundreds of millions of dollars each year in destruction and mitigation efforts. In 2022, the Entomological Society of America officially adopted a new vernacular for this pest - spongy moth - to replace the outdated name 'gypsy moth.' The current vernacular refers to the spongy-looking egg masses of the moths; scraping these egg masses off firewood and outdoor equipment is an essential part of controlling their spread. The name was proposed among 200 other potential vernaculars; recommended by a working group that included more than 50 scientists, research and forest management professionals, and Romani scholars; received over 1000 comments from a broad group of scientists, conservationists, pest control and natural resources professionals, and Romani people; and went through a two-week comment period, before finally receiving a unanimous vote from the Entomological Society of America governing board.

    'Through its addition to the ESA Common Names List, 'spongy moth' will now be adopted for use in articles published in ESA's scientific journals and in presentations and posters at ESA conferences, as well as in ESA's website, social media, and public policy documents.' (Entomological Society of America 2022).

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

  • December 17, 2024 - Global Regulidae (Kinglets) and Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers) Updated

    The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Corthylio calendula (Linnaeus, 1766) is one of North America's smallest songbirds, at 5.0-9.7g adult weight. Despite its small size, and a general migration pattern of wintering in southern US States and Mexico after breeding in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, some regularly winter north of 38° N latitude (American Bird Conservancy n.d.). Related species of kinglet have been documented keeping warm by huddling in communal groups and occasionally roosting in enclosed spaces; an abandoned nest or a hollow in snow. A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet was observed sheltering in a rock crevice in 2020. Generally, though, these small birds withstand the cold by being fluffy: their contour plumage weighs about 9-11% of their total body weight; among passerines, contour plumage weighs about 7.5% of body weight on average (Strauss and Swanson 2020).

    Tyrannidae is a large genus currently containing 446 species. They catch insects using a variety of methods, including aerial hawking or 'true flycatching' (flying from a perch to catch flying prey), sallying (leaving a perch to snatch prey off a surface and then returning to the perch), and gleaning (picking prey off a substrate when the bird is also on the substrate) (Fitzpatrick 1980). The smallest tyrant flycatcher in the United States, the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe P. L. Sclater, 1857) is called 'beardless' because most flycatchers have bristles at the base of their beaks which help them catch insects, which this species does not have (neither does its sister species in genus Camptostoma P. L. Sclater, 1857, the Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet). The two species of Camptostoma glean insect prey from leaves more often than hawking or sallying (Arizona-Sonoroa Desert Museum n.d).

    The update of Regulidae comprises 52 new and edited names, 14 of which are new to ITIS. There are 6 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America.

    The update of Tyrannidae comprises 2262 new and edited names, 792 of which are new to ITIS. There are 447 valid and accepted species included (446 extant, 1 extinct), of which 46 are found in North America.

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

  • December 17, 2024 - Loons, Penguins, Pelicans, Herons and Related Waterbirds Updated

    This update covers three bird orders: Gaviiformes (loons); Sphenisciformes (penguins); and Pelecaniformes (waterbirds including pelicans, herons, egrets, bitterns, ibises, and spoonbills).

    While the vernacular 'penguin' sounds like the genus name Pinguinus, and it is possible that the sailors who first used the name 'penguin' may have had Pinguinus in mind (Martin-Jones 2021), Pinguinus Bonnaterre, 1791 is actually the distantly-related (and now extinct) Great Auk, which is in family Alcidae in Order Charadriiformes (which was updated in ITIS in 2022).

    Scopus, a publication abstract and indexing database, was named after genus Scopus Brisson, 1760, a monotypic genus containing the Hamerkop, because the Hamerkop is said to have good navigation skills (Burnham 2006). The Hamerkop certainly has exceptional nest-building skills. The nest, which is big enough to hold a whole family of Hamerkops, or an adult human, is built from sticks and mud, with walls and a domed roof, and rests on a constructed stick-and-mud platform. The nesting chamber is reached through a basal entrance 13-18 cm (5.1-7.1 in) wide and a tunnel up to 60 cm long. Nesting pairs will build three to five nests a year, whether or not they are breeding (Wilson and Wilson 1986).

    This update comprises 634 new and edited names, 238 of which are new to ITIS. There are 143 valid and accepted species included, of which 32 are found in North America.

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

  • December 17, 2024 - Predatory Bacterium Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus (Class Vampirovibrionophyceae) Added

    Class Vampirovibrionophyceae corrig. Strunecký and Mares, 2023 contains just one species: Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus (Gromov and Mamkaeva, 1972) ex Gromov and Mamkayeva, 1980. It is a nonphotosynthetic bacterium, and the sister lineage to the blue-green algae class Cyanophyceae Schaffner (Strunecký et al. 2022), which was added to ITIS last month. Its addition completes ITIS coverage of phylum Cyanobacteriota Oren, Mares and Rippka.

    Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus is the only cyanobacterial species to be predatory rather than photosynthetic. It feeds on green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck, 1890. First it swims towards the algal cell and attaches to its surface; it opens vacuoles in the membrane of its target and secretes enzymes into it; then, over the course of five to seven days, it ingests the contents of the prey cell, leaving the outer membrane (Soo et al. 2015).

    This update comprises 5 new and edited names, 3 of which are new to ITIS, and 1 valid and accepted species.

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

  • December 17, 2024 - Amblypygi (Tail-Less Whip Scorpions) Updated

    Amblypygi world coverage was previously updated in ITIS in 2020 and 2022.

    This latest update follows the new World Amblypygi Catalog, plus literature. Like the previous updates, it 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 comprises 403 new and edited names, 31 of which are new to ITIS. There are 284 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • November 20, 2024 - Cyanobacteria of the World Added

    Class Cyanophyceae Schaffner includes, true, photosynthetic cyanobateria. Historically, they have variably been described under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICNafp) because of their photosynthetic nature, or under the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (formerly the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria) because they are prokaryotes. This nomenclatural conflict was resolved in 2021 (LPSN 2024), with a ruling for 'reciprocation of Article 45.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants' - that is, names of Cyanobacteria published under the ICNafp and in ICNafp format are accepted, and are considered valid under the ICNP (Oren et al. 2021).

    Cyanobacteria are still in a state of rapid taxonomic discovery and change. Between 2021 and 2023, at least 273 new species in 140 genera were described (Strunecký et al. 2022)

    This update was made possible by data generously provided by Dail Laughinghouse, Forrest Leffler, and David Berthold (University of Florida).

    This update comprises 7,236 new and edited names, 6,347 of which are new to ITIS. There are 4,828 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • November 20, 2024 - Global Cranes and Related Birds Updated

    Gruiformes includes cranes, rails, coots, waterhens, finfoots, and limpkins.

    The Gray-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus (Latham, 1801) and Western or 'Purple' Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio (Linnaeus, 1758) have been called 'poster children' for taxonomic confusion and discrepancy between bird lists covering North America (Pyle 2024).

    Most bird list makers outside the US split the 'purple swamphen complex' into seven or so species, while the American Ornithological Society / North American Classification Committee (AOS-NACC) do not recognize the split. So, when birders see an introduced Porphyrio in Florida, they mark it as Porphyrio poliocephalus in e-bird, but then can't find that name in the official North American list because it is listed as Porphyrio porphyrio. ITIS follows the IOC and recognizes 15 species of Swamphens, with the introduced species in Florida (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 2024) recognized as the Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus.

    This update comprises 1,053 new and edited names, 502 of which are new to ITIS. There are 193 valid and accepted species included (169 extant, 24 extinct), of which 23 are found in North America.

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

  • November 20, 2024 - Global Cuckoos and Related Orders Updated

    This updated includes Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Mesitornithiformes (mesites), Musophagiformes (turacos), Otidiformes (floricans and bustards), and Pterocliformes (sandgrouse).

    Cuckoos are famous for brood parasitism, that is, laying their eggs in the nest of another species of bird (Phillipsen 2020). Recent research has found that Oriental Reed Warblers, Acrocephalus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel, 1847), a common target for the Common Cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus Linnaeus, 1758), will continue to diligently raise cuckoo chicks even when those chicks take longer to mature than their own chicks would have (Yan et al. 2024).

    This update comprises 1,108 new and edited names, 468 of which are new to ITIS. There are 224 valid and accepted species included (222 extant, 2 extinct), of which 10 are found in North America.

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

  • November 20, 2024 - Global Owls (Strigiformes) Updated

    According to the IUCN, 16 species of owl are considered endangered worldwide (IUCN 2024).

    In the Pacific Northwest of the United States this past year (2024), a complex conservation puzzle has developed between two species of owl: the endangered Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina (Merriam, 1898) and the Barred Owl, Strix varia Barton, 1799). Barred Owls are larger and more robust than Northern Spotted Owls, and as, since the 1970s, they have expanded into areas that were previously the domain of Northern Spotted Owls, the smaller owls are being out-competed, putting their survival in jeopardy. A controversial plan to kill hundreds of thousands of Barred Owls over three decades has been proposed and debated (Brown 2024). Proponents of Barred Owl removal note that the Barred Owl Removal Experiment 'demonstrated success in reducing populations of barred owls and [had] a strong, positive effect on survival of northern spotted owls' (US FWS 2024). Opponents of removal challenge the role of ecological history in ecological restoration (Jackson and Hobbs 2009), and whether Barred Owls are indeed recent newcomers or, as genetic evidence suggests, historically resident in the west for thousands of years (Fujito et al. 2021). Owl conservation efforts in the region have also focused on reducing pesticide use by agriculture in the area (Cal Academy 2024).

    This update comprises 1,511 new and edited names, 131 of which are new to ITIS. There are 254 valid and accepted species included (249 extant, 5 extinct), of which 22 are found in North America.

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

  • October 23, 2024 - Update of Hawaiian Plants Continues

    ITIS is in the midst of a series of updates that will complete and update ITIS coverage of plant species found in Hawaii, based on the Flora of the Hawaiian Islands checklist. The updates started alongside a global update of pteridophytes in November 2023, and continued in January-February 2024 with update including order Pinales (conifers), order Zingiberales (gingers, bananas, heliconias and related plants), and assorted monocot orders (Alismatales, Arecales, Commelinales, Dioscoreales, Liliales, Pandanales.)

    Hawaiian monocots in order Asparagales were updated in September. That update comprised 759 new and edited names, 152 of which are new to ITIS. It included a total of 52 accepted species native to Hawaii, and 60 introduced.

    This month's update includes selected Hawaiian dicot families in orders Ceratophyllales (Ceratophyllaceae), Laurales (Lauraceae), Magnoliales (Annonaceae, Magnoliaceae), Piperales (Aristolochiaceae, Piperaceae), Nymphaeales (Nymphaeaceae), Ranunculales (Menispermaceae, Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae), Fagales (Betulaceae, Casuarinaceae, Fagaceae, Myricaceae), and Rosales (Cannabaceae, Moraceae, Urticaceae).

    This update comprises 530 new and edited names, 67 of which are new to ITIS. It includes a total of 15 accepted species native to Hawaii, and 42 introduced.

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

  • October 23, 2024 - Soft scale Insects (Coccidae) Added

    The Coccidae are commonly known as soft scales, wax scales or tortoise scales.

    Eulecanium cerasorum (Cockerell, 1900), the calico scale, is native to the United States and is considered a pest on multiple native trees, including elm (Ulmus L.), sweetgum (Liquidambar L.), maple (Acer L.), honeylocust (Gleditsia L.), dogwood (Cornus L.), cherry (Prunus L.), and crabapple (Mallus Mill.) (Talabac 2022). Adults feed by sucking liquid from tree phloem, metabolizing the amino acids while excreting the carbohydrate-rich waste in the form of honeydew. The honeydew often attracts colonies of sooty mold (Boggs 2024).

    Coccus viridis (Green, 1889), the green scale, is a pest on tree crops including tea, mango, cassava, and guava. It is also known as the coffee green scale, as it is an especially widespread and common threat to coffee crops (Murphy 1997). It has a mutualistic relationship with bigheaded ants (Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793)) - the ants feed on the sugary honeydew that the scales excrete, and in return the ants defend the scales from their natural predators, such as predatory coccinellid beetles (Bach 1991).

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

    This update comprises 2,860 new and edited names, 2,815 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,191 valid and accepted species included, of which 108 are found in North America.

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

  • October 23, 2024 - Botanical Congress Ruling Emends Species Epithets Based on a Slur

    According to a 2021 proposal (Smith and Figueiredo, 2021) to amend the ICNafp ('Botanical' Code), 'Article 51.1 of the Shenzhen Code (Turland et al. in Regnum Veg. 159. 2018) states that a legitimate name must not be rejected merely because it, or its epithet, is inappropriate or disagreeable. However, at present there are epithets used in validly published names, mostly dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, that are highly offensive because a derivative of them is a racial slur that goes well beyond being merely 'inappropriate or disagreeable.' The slur could be deftly avoided by omitting two letters, transforming the epithet into one based on a different root meaning 'of Africa' (e.g., afra/afer/afrum).' This proposal was accepted in 2024, and ITIS has updated affected names accordingly.

    The emended names have been added to ITIS, and the old names relegated to 'orthographic variant' synonyms, with this comment: 'Orthographic variant per ICN Article 61.6: 'Epithets with the root caf[f][e]r-, such as cafra, caffra, cafrorum, and cafrum, are not permitted in the nomenclature of organisms covered by this Code. Where these epithets were used in validly published names, they are to be treated as orthographical variants that are to be replaced by epithets with the root af[e]r-, such as afra, afrorum, and afrum, respectively. The resolution to approve Article 61.6 was accepted by the XX IBC on July 27, 2024, without any expressly given effective date, therefore per Article 13, Article 61.6 is effective July 27, 2024.'

    The emended names in this update include these basionyms and subsequent combinations:

    Frullania afraria Steph. (Frullaniaceae - a liverwort).

    Sclerocarya afra Sonder (Anacardiaceae).

    Citrullus afer Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae).

    Mimusops afra E. Mey. ex A. DC. (Sapotaceae).

    Erythrina afra Thunb. (Fabaceae).

    Erythrina afra Blanco (Fabaceae) [a homonym of Erythrina afra Thunb.].

    Panicum afrorum Retz. (Poaceae).

    Holcus afrorum Thunb. (Poaceae).

    Aberia afra Hook. f. and Harv. (Salicaceae).

    Talinum afrum (Thunb.) Eckl. and Zeyh. (Talinaceae).

    Cycas afra Thunb. (Zamiaceae).

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

  • September 09, 2024 - Coccoidea: More Scale Insect Families Added

    Scale insect family Beesoniidae Ferris, 1950 had its origins in 1926, when entomologist Edward Green described insects found in galls sent from Burma (Myanmar) as Beesonia dipterocarpi Green, 1926. The genus name honors Cyril Beeson, a forest entomologist who worked in India and published notable literature in the field, and Dipterocarpus, the genus of timber-bearing trees on which the galls were found. The family Beesoniidae was published later, in 1950 (Raman and Singh, 2014).

    Scale insects are updated primarily based on ScaleNet, with updates from published literature.

    Aclerdidae: This update comprises 91 new and edited names, 90 of which are new to ITIS. There are 61 valid and accepted species included, of which 18 are found in North America.

    Asterolecaniidae: This update comprises 480 new and edited names, 469 of which are new to ITIS. There are 248 valid and accepted species included, of which 19 are found in North America.

    Beesoniidae: This update comprises 37 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 16 valid and accepted species included.

    Conchaspididae (false armoured scales): This update comprises 43 new and edited names, 40 of which are new to ITIS. There are 30 valid and accepted species included, of which 3 are found in North America.

    Lecanodiaspididae: This update comprises 145 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 80 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 .

  • August 27, 2024 - Schizomida of the World Updated

    Schizomida was last updated in ITIS in early 2020. A number of changes since then (plus the recent emergence of the World Schizomida Catalog where the World Spider Catalog is hosted) inspired a new update for ITIS.

    This update comprises 772 new and edited names, 251 of which are new to ITIS. There are 396 valid and accepted species included (382 recent/extant, 14 extinct/fossil), of which 15 are found in North America (12 extant, 3 extinct/fossil).

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

  • August 27, 2024 - Turtles and Tortoises of the World Updated

    Testudines is one of the world's most endangered vertebrate groups, as over half of the species of turtle and tortoise worldwide are endangered (Stanford et al. 2020). Primary threats include illegal trade (eg. pet trade, medicine and shell products), hunting for food, and habitat destruction. Sea turtles, including the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii (Garman, 1880)) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus, 1766)), are under particular threat (IUCN n.d.).

    Around the world, conservation programs are working to protect turtle populations, including by establishing a preserve in Mexico that is home to 79 species of amphibian and reptile including the recently-described Sinaloan Thornscrub Tortoise (Gopherus evgoodei Edwards et al., 2016), and with 1,890 acres of protected freshwater habitat in the Philippines that supports the critically endangered Palawan Forest Turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis (Taylor, 1920)).

    This update comprises 1991 new and edited names, 357 of which are new to ITIS. There are 371 valid and accepted species included (364 extant, 7 extinct), of which 70 (69 extant, 1 extinct) are found in North America.

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

  • August 27, 2024 - Mite Family Teneriffiidae Updated

    Family Teneriffiidae Thor, 1911 is part of superfamily Anystoidea Oudemans, 1902, or whirligig mites, which was updated in ITIS in fall of 2023. A revision published at the very end of 2023 changed the family from 29 species in 9 genera to 27 species in just two genera, meriting an update in the ITIS treatment.

    This update comprises 68 new and edited names, 16 of which are new to ITIS. There are 27 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 .

  • August 27, 2024 - Coccoidea: Multiple Scale Insect Families Added

    Scale insect family Dactylopiidae Signoret, 1875 includes the cochineal scale that has yielded brilliant red dye for painting, textiles, and foods for centuries (Greenfield 2016). Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1829 is native to Mexico and Central America, and is parasitic on cacti of prickly pear genus Opuntia Mill.

    As it takes as much as 70,000 dried insects to make a pound of dye, in recent years scientists have been experimenting with ways to make the dye using metabolic engineering and microbes (Miller 2022).

    The following scale families have been updated this month:

    Callipappidae: This update comprises 18 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 8 valid and accepted species included, one from South America and the rest from Australia.

    Carayonemidae: This update comprises 12 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 4 valid and accepted species included, all from Middle America and South America.

    Coelostomidiidae: This update comprises 29 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 11 valid and accepted species included from Australia, Southern Asia and South America.

    Cryptococcidae: This update comprises 14 new and edited names, all of which are new to ITIS. There are 8 valid and accepted species included, of which 2 are found in North America.

    Dactylopiidae: This update comprises 44 new and edited names, 41 of which are new to ITIS. There are 11 valid and accepted species included, of which 5 are found in North America.

    The treatment of the scale families was largely based on ScaleNet (Morales et al. 2016) and more recent literature for an up-to-date and complete global treatment.

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

  • August 15, 2024 - Sigalphoid Braconid Wasps of the World Added

    In wasp family Braconidae, non-cyclostome wasps are grouped into the euphoroid, microgastroid, sigalphoid and helconoid complexes (Jasso-Martínez et al. 2022). (Several cyclostome and undesignated subfamilies were added to ITIS in November 2023, and previous updates in 2022 and 2020 added subfamilies Aphidiinae Haliday, 1833, Maxfischeriinae Papp, 1994, Mesostoinae van Achterberg, 1975, and Microgastrinae Foerster, 1862). The sigalphoid complex includes subfamilies Agathidinae Haliday, 1833, Ichneutinae Foerster, 1863, and Sigalphinae Haliday, 1833.

    Agathidines are parasitoid wasps that lay their eggs in butterfly or moth larvae. They are koinobionts, which means that the host dies after the parasitoid has matured rather than when the parasitoid eggs are laid (BugGuide 2007). Therophilus javanus Bhat and Gupta, 1977 has been researched as a potential biocontrol agent against the legume pod borer Maruca vitrata (Fabricius, 1787) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), an agricultural pest that feeds on crops like cowpea, mung bean, and soybean (Souna et al. 2021).

    This file was based on Taxapad 2016 - World Ichneumonoidea 2015: Taxonomy, Biology, Morphology and Distribution (Database on USB Flash Drive, www.taxapad.com) and further updates were made from the literature.

    This update comprises 2680 new and edited names, 2676 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1551 valid and accepted species included (11 extinct, 1540 extant), of which 151 are found in North America (6 extinct, 145 extant).

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Fish Order Amiiformes Updated

    The bowfins are a tiny and ancient order of fish, consisting of just two extant species (that were considered a single species until 2022) (Wright et al. 2022). The fossil record for Amiiformes begins in the Jurassic and extends across all continents except Antarctica. The current range of the extant species is North America, from southern Canada to Florida and west to Texas (Berrell et al. 2023).

    This update comprises 17 new and edited names, 13 of which are new to ITIS. There are 2 valid and accepted species included, of which both are found in North America.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Fish Superfamily Lophioidei Updated

    Known as monkfishes or anglerfishes, fish of family Lophiidae Rafinesque, 1810 are notable for their dramatically flattened body shape and wide mouth, and a dorsal spine modified into a lure which they use to tempt prey as they lay on the sea floor (Fariña et al. 2008). They are caught by commercial fisheries worldwide. In 2007, British supermarket chain Asda stopped selling monkfish in response to environmental damage caused by beam trawling (BBC 2007). In the U.S., NOAA and the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils maintain standards of equipment, method, and location for sustainable harvesting of monkfish (NOAA n.d.).

    This update comprises 78 new and edited names, 43 of which are new to ITIS. There are 30 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Fish Family Salangidae Updated

    Fish of family Salangidae Bleeker, 1859 are known as noodle fish or icefish because of their long, narrow, and translucent bodies. Males have few scales, and females have no scales. They live in brackish and coastal waters in Southeast Asia, and populations are vulnerable to dredging, dam-building, and fishing (Saruwatari 2003).

    This update comprises 54 new and edited names, 26 of which are new to ITIS. There are 19 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Fish Family Carangidae Updated

    Carangidae Rafinesque, 1815 are large, predatory, actively swimming marine fish. Multiple species, especially in the genera Scomberoides Lacepède, 1801, Megalaspis Bleeker, 1851, Parastromateus Bleeker, 1864, and Caranx Lacepède, 1801, are important for sport fishing and commercial sales (Qamar et al. 2016).

    Pampano is the vernacular name for fishes in the genus Trachinotus Lacepède, 1801. Three U.S. Navy ships have been named after this type of fish (National Maritime Historical Society n.d.).

    This update comprises 943 new and edited names, 613 of which are new to ITIS. There are 154 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - 'Insectivores' Update Completed with Order Eulipotyphla

    Eulipotyphla Waddell, Okada and Hasegawa, 1999 includes formerly-recognized orders Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures) and Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).

    In December 2023, Smithsonian scientists described five new species of gymnure, or soft-furred hedgehog, from tropical East Asia (Hinckley et al. 2023). These species were discerned using molecular genetic analysis of specimens in collections held by the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Drexel University's Academy of Natural Sciences; some of these specimens had been held in the collections for 84 and 62 years, respectively (Smithsonian 2023).

    Along with April 2024's update of orders Afrosoricida, Cingulata, Dermoptera, Macroscelidea, and Scandentia, this update of order Eulipotyphla completes a global update of the mammals previously grouped as 'Insectivora.'

    This update comprises 1379 new and edited names, 466 of which are new to ITIS. There are 593 valid and accepted species included, of which 49 are found in North America.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Feliformia (Cats and Cat-like Carnivores) of the World Updated

    Order Feliformia Kretzoi, 1945 comprises seven families: Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivores), Felidae (cats), Herpestidae (mongooses), Hyaenidae (hyaenas), Nandiniidae (the African Palm Civet), Prionodontidae (linsangs), and Viverridae (civets and genets).

    Despite the diversity in Malagasy carnivores, from the cougar-like Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox Bennett, 1833) to the small Narrow-striped Mongoose or Bokiboky (Mungotictis decemlineata (Grandidier, 1867)), phylogenetic analysis showed that they are all descended from a single introduction event to the island of Madagascar (Yoder et al. 2003).

    This update comprises 1143 new and edited names, 271 of which are new to ITIS. There are 130 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 .

  • July 09, 2024 - Coccinellidae (Ladybird Beetles) Classification Updated

    Hierarchy within beetle family Coccinellidae was updated and completed between the ranks of family and subgenus. Tribe Epilachnini Mulsant, 1846 and genus Rhyzobius Stephens, 1829 received a full update in September 2023. This update places those groups in their correct positions in the current classification and paves the way for global updates to the rest of the family.

    This update comprises 641 new and edited names, 476 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • July 09, 2024 - Arthropoda hierarchy

    Based on the fourth edition of Brusca et al.'s Invertebrates (2022), and some other recent works, this new update follows guidance from arachnid specialists (including Arachnida at class rank, and grouping Opilioacarida within Parasitiformes) and adopts significant shifts in Crustacea and Hexapoda.

    This update comprises 510 new and edited names, 134 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - Orchid Genera of the World Added

    Family Orchidaceae is protected under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in its entirety, with some species and genera listed in Appendix II and the remainder in Appendix I (Dhanda et al. 2022). It is the largest plant family covered, containing 30,000 species. This update of worldwide genera paves the way for completion of species coverage in later updates.

    In early 2024, Smithsonian Gardens collaborated with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery to host an exhibition of living orchids. Smithsonian Gardens cares for one of the largest collections of living orchids in the world, with over 4,000 species and hybrids represented (Scalera 2024).

    This update comprises 1185 new and edited names, 813 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - Global 'Velvet Worms' Updated Again

    Phylum Onychophora was updated in December 2023, and prior to that in July 2022. This update adds two additional species and brings the currency up-to-date again.

    This update comprises 59 new and edited names, 2 of which are new to ITIS. There are 235 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - Hepialidae ('Ghost Moths') of the World Added

    Ghost moths were given their vernacular name because of the appearance of the lek behavior practiced by multiple species, in which the silvery-white males form hovering swarms over fields at twilight (Kaaber et al. 2009). Not all of these species form typical leks in which a perched male attracts traveling females; in Phymatopus hecta (Linnaeus, 1758), both males and females use pheromones to signal, and either a male or a female may be perched, or both male and female may be on the search (Turner, 2015).

    This update is primarily based on Grehan et al.'s 2023 world catalogue of Ghost Moths, and ITIS is grateful to Donald Hobern and the Catalogue of Life for processing the taxonomic information in the publication and sharing the structured data.

    This update comprises 1596 new and edited names, 1594 of which are new to ITIS. There are 728 valid and accepted species included, of which 20 are found in North America.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - Global Mecoptera ('Scorpionflies') Updated

    Mecoptera have been used as a model of intraspecies sexual conflict. Sexual strategies range from coercive, including aggressive male behavior and a firm 'clamping' hold, to gift-giving, in which the male offers dead prey or edible salivary secretions (Soszyńska-Maj et al. 2022).

    Scorpionflies are also studied in the field of forensics. Scorpionflies are attracted to decaying bodies for a timeframe of about a day, so the presence of scorpionflies indicates a corpse is freshly deceased (Rutsch 2015).

    This update comprises 988 new and edited names, 249 of which are new to ITIS. There are 868 valid and accepted species included, of which 90 are found in North America.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - Global Phoronida ('Horseshoe Worms') Treatment Clarified

    Phylum Phoronida was updated in ITIS in July 2023. However, that update did not adequately take into account a unique situation for the Phoronida, in which adult forms have been treated in genera PhoronisWright, 1856 and Phoronopsis Gilchrist, 1907 while larval forms were placed in genus Actinotrocha Müller, 1846. Genus Actinotrocha was formally suppressed by the ICZN in 2015 (Opinion 2373). This update resolves that putative dual system of nomenclature, integrating larval names with adult to adhere to the Zoological Code.

    This update comprises 55 new and edited names, 21 of which are new to ITIS. There are 11 valid and accepted species included.

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

  • April 30, 2024 - 'Insectivora' Mammals Updated In Part

    Taxonomic changes have shifted the contents of formerly-recognized order Insectivora from a unified group (as in Wilson and Reeder, eds., 1993), to three orders (Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, and Soricomorpha, as in Wilson and Reeder, eds., 2005), and then to two orders (Afrosoricida and Eulipotyphla, as in Wilson and Mittermeier, eds., 2018). This update comprises orders Afrosoricida, Cingulata, Dermoptera, Macroscelidea, and Scandentia. An upcoming update will cover order Eulipotyphla, which includes formerly-recognized orders Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures) and Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons).

    Dermoptera Illiger, 1811, known as colugos, kubongs, or 'flying lemurs', are an ancient lineage of nocturnal mammals in Southeast Asia that glide from tree to tree using a furry skin membrane stretched between their limbs and tail (Smithsonian Channel 2016).

    This update comprises 451 new and edited names, 144 of which are new to ITIS. There are 121 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 .

  • March 01, 2024 - Global Raphignathoidea Added

    Most mites of superfamily Raphignathoidea Kramer, 1877, also known as stilt-legged mites, are free-living predators. They are used as biological control for spider mites (Tetranychidae), eriophyid mites, and scale insects (Fan and Zhang, 2005).

    This update comprises 1,562 new and edited names, 1,550 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,144 valid and accepted species included, of which 157 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 VII 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 01, 2024 - Global Update of Solifugae

    Solifugae were previously updated in ITIS in 2020. This update adds three new genera and over a dozen new species.

    This update comprises 194 new and edited names, 77 of which are new to ITIS. There are 1,158 valid and accepted species included, of which 172 are found in North America.

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

  • March 01, 2024 - Cicadoidea (Cicadas) of the World Added

    While there are over 3,300 species of cicada worldwide, periodical cicadas that emerge on a 13-year or 17-year cycle are native to the eastern and Midwest United States. The massive 17-year Brood X last emerged in 2021 (Wong and Sinnen 2021). The current year, 2024, will see an even larger cicada emergence, as the 17-year Brood XIII and the 13-year Brood XIX coincide (Periodical Cicada Information Pages, 2024).

    This update comprises 4,771 new and edited names, 3,914 of which are new to ITIS. There are 3,334 valid and accepted species included, of which 187 are found in North America.

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

  • March 01, 2024 - Global Psittaciformes (Parrots) Updated

    According to the IUCN, 53 species of parrot are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. The Golden-Shouldered Parrot (Psephotellus chrysopterygius (Gould, 1858)) of Australia faces survival challenges due to land use, as overgrazing and fire have transformed its native grasslands into shrubland and forest (Ham 2023). Meanwhile the Red-crowned Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis (Cassin, 1853)), originally from a small area in Mexico, has found new nesting lands in urban and suburban parts of southern Texas (Price 2023).

    As with other bird updates since the start of 2022, this treatment primarily follows the IOC list, but it also includes the names used as valid in the other global bird name sources (Howard and Moore, Handbook of the Birds of the World/Bird Life International, and eBird/Clements) in synonymy, where they differ from IOC's taxonomy.

    This update comprises 2,096 new and edited names, 886 of which are new to ITIS. There are 403 valid and accepted species included, of which 26 are found in North America.

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

  • March 01, 2024 - Global Update of Hystricomorph Rodents

    Suborder Hystricomorpha includes porcupines, chinchillas, nutrias, guinea pigs, mole-rats and comb-rats. The group is named for having a hystricomorphous zygomasseteric system, that is, a certain configuration of the jaw muscle and skull (Dantas et al. 2021).

    A half-dozen new species have been published in the genus Ctenomys Blainville, 1826 (vernacular: tuco-tuco) since 2020. This South American genus is 'one of the most speciose and rapidly diversifying mammal genera in the world (Verzi et al. 2023).'

    This update comprises 993 new and edited names, 278 of which are new to ITIS. There are 323 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 .

  • March 01, 2024 - Haliplidae (Crawling Water Beetles) of the World Added

    Crawling water beetles were given their vernacular for their clumsy swimming style and habit of crawling along the bottom of water bodies. To breathe underwater, they are able to store bubbles of air under their wings and under their coxal plates (a section of their hind legs expanded and covering the abdomen) (UNH Center for Freshwater Biology, 2024). They favor still water in temperate climates, where they mostly live on grazed algae and small invertebrates and invertebrate eggs (Durfee et al. 2005).

    This update comprises 322 new and edited names, 226 of which are new to ITIS. There are 233 valid and accepted species included, of which 59 are found in North America.

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

  • March 01, 2024 - Noteridae (Burrowing Water Beetles) of the World Added

    Noteridae are found almost worldwide in a variety of habitats. Their larvae burrow into the stems of aquatic vegetation, where they breathe trapped air. The adults have modified hind legs that make them strong swimmers, able catch prey while diving (UNH Center for Freshwater Biology, 2024)

    This update comprises 357 new and edited names, 16 of which are new to ITIS. There are 580 valid and accepted species included, of which 489 are found in North America.

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

  • March 01, 2024 - Flora of Hawaii Updates

    In collaboration with Smithsonian Botanist Warren Wager and utilizing a generous provision of data from his team, ITIS is updating its coverage of all Hawaiian plants. This update began last year as part of an update of global pteridophytes and continues with the current update including order Pinales (pines), order Zingiberales (gingers, bananas, heliconias and related plants), and assorted monocot orders (Alismatales, Arecales, Commelinales, Dioscoreales, Liliales, Pandanales). The update will continue this year with more monocots and into dicot orders.

    In an interview published by the Smithsonian last year, Dr. Wagner said, 'A lot of people think that taxonomy work is just building an inventory list, but I always like to say it's the pioneering exploration of life and the basis for countless other aspects of biological research. Species names are the currency of diversity (Saaty 2023).'

    The Pinales update comprises 114 new and edited names, 36 of which are new to ITIS.

    The Zingiberales update comprises 80 new and edited names, 28 of which are new to ITIS.

    The assorted monocot families update comprises 451 new and edited names, 141 of which are new to ITIS.

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

  • December 11, 2023 - Cetaceans of the World Updated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • December 11, 2023 - Velvet Worms Updated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • November 21, 2023 - Selected Braconid Subfamilies Added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • November 21, 2023 - Unionoidea of the World Updated

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

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

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

  • November 01, 2023 - Global Anystoidea (Whirligig Mites) Added

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

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

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

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

  • November 01, 2023 - Fish Family Lutjanidae (Snappers) Updated

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

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

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

  • November 01, 2023 - Pteridophytes of the World: Hierarchy Updated and Hawaii Coverage Added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • September 29, 2023 - Giant Land Crabs Added

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

    Along with the previous update (July 2023) of brachyuran genus Callinectes, these updates were made in response to a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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

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

  • September 01, 2023 - Global Scorpions Added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • September 01, 2023 - Primates Update 2023

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

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

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

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

  • July 28, 2023 - 'Clam Shrimp' Added

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

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

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

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

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

  • July 28, 2023 - Mite Superfamily Eupodoidea Added

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

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

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

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

  • July 03, 2023 - Phylum Placozoa Updated

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

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

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

  • July 03, 2023 - Phylum Phoronida Updated

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

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

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

  • July 03, 2023 - Crabs of Genus Callinectes Added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • May 30, 2023 - Taeniidae Tapeworms Added

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

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

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

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

  • May 30, 2023 - Update of Global Varanoid Lizards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • April 04, 2023 - Global Leuciscidae Updated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • February 01, 2023 - Addition of Global Ologamasidae Mites

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

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

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

  • February 01, 2023 - Addition of Global Podocinidae Mites

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

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

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

Read About Other ITIS News Items

Return to Page Top

 spacing image
spacing image spacing image   spacing image
spacing image