Amphibians

Hyperolius thomensis and Hyperolius molleri

Drewes, Robert C. and Wilkinson, Jeffery A. 2004. The Taxonomic Status of the Genus Nesionixalus Perret, 1976 (Anura: Hyperoliidae), Treefrogs of São Tomé and Príncipe, with Comments on the Genus Hyperolius. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 55(20):395–407.

Abstract

The endemic hyperoliid treefrogs of São Tomé and Príncipe currently recognized as Nesionixalus thomensis (Bocage, 1986) and N. molleri (Bedriaga, 1892) are re-examined. The results of two molecular analyses indicate that these taxa are closely related to each other (monophyletic) but nest within the genus Hyperolius. A comparison of the morphological character states used by Perret (1976; 1988) to erect the genus Nesionixalus from within Hyperolius Rapp with a broad range of Hyperolius species reveals that most of these are not unique to the island endemics; all except the characters of size and digital tip shape are distributed among a number of other species within the latter genus. Nesionixalus Perret, 1976 is returned to the synonymy of Hyperolius Rapp and Nesionixalus thomensis and N. molleri to Hyperolius thomensis Bocage and H. molleri Bedriaga, respectively.

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Insects

Straneoa seligmani

Kavanaugh, David H. 2005. The California Academy of Sciences Gulf of Guinea Expedition (2001) III. A New Species of the Endemic Genus Straneoa Basilewsky, 1953, from São Tomé (Insecta: Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 56(21): 275-283.

Abstract

A new species of the platynine genus Straneoa Basilewsky, S. seligmani Kavanaugh sp. nov., is described from the Gulf of Guinea , Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Ilha São Tomé (type locality: forest between Lagoa Amelia and Bom Sucesso, 1200–1500m, Parque Nacional Ôbó). Both this and the only previously known species, S. collatata (Karsch), apparently are endemic to Ilha São Tomé and microsympatric in geographical and habitat distributions. Adults of the two species differ in size, pronotal and elytral shape, pronotal, elytral, and tarsal chaetotaxy, and in characters of both male and female genitalia.

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