DNA barcoding and an updated key to the genus Hesperentomon (Protura: Acerentomata: Hesperentomidae), with a new species from Northwest China.

Hesperentomon bolense sp. n., described from Northwest China, is distinguished from other Hesperentomon spp. by having foretarsal sensillum b clearly shorter than c, a robust sensillum c broader than the other foretarsal sensilla, 18 posterior setae on the mesonotum and 16 posterior setae on the metanotum, 12 posterior setae on urotergites II-VI (P1a and P2a absent), 8 posterior setae on urosternites IV-VI (Pc absent), and absence of seta P2a on urotergite VII. The morphological characters of all described species of Hesperentomon are compared, and an updated identification key to species is given. The DNA barcodes of H. bolense sp. n. were compared to similar species of the genus; the K2P genetic divergences were 0-5.1% between individuals of H. bolense sp. n., but 21.4%-27.3% between H. bolense sp. n. and other congeneric species. The molecular data further confirmed H. bolense as a distinct species.

Study on the Pauropoda from Tibet, China. Part I. The genera Decapauropus and Hemipauropus (Myriapoda).

Three new species of family Pauropodidae: Decapauropus biconjugarus Qian & Bu, sp. n., D. tibeticus Qian & Bu, sp. n. and Hemipauropus quadrangulus Qian & Bu, sp. n. are described and illustrated from southeastern Tibet, China. The genus Hemipauropus is recorded for the first time from China. This is the second report of pauropods from Tibet.

Records of Pauropoda (Pauropodidae, Brachypauropodidae, Eurypauropodidae, Sphaeropauropodidae) from China, with a key to the species and descriptions of three new species of Decapauropus.

The arthropod class Pauropoda was not recognized from China until 1988, but currently 36 known species are now recorded from 27 sites in 18 provinces. This paper contains descriptions of three new species of Decapauropus Remy, 1931: D. biclavula sp. n., D. annulcordatus sp. n. and D. tribulosus sp. n. from Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangxi Provinces, respectively. These three new species bring the known pauropod fauna of China to 39 species in 11 genera and four families. In addition, Dasongius (Sun & Guo, 2010) nom. nov. is proposed to replace the invalid junior homonym of Songius Sun & Guo, 2010.

Four new species of Pauropoda (Brachypauropodidae, Eurypauropodidae, Pauropodidae) from the Sanqingshan Mountains, Jiangxi Province, China.

Among 46 pauropods collected from the Sanqingshan Mountains in southeastern China, four new species were identified: Borneopauropus acutifolius sp. n. in Brachypauropodidae, Samarangopus dilatare sp. n. in Eurypauropodidae, both families new to China, and two species in Pauropodidae, Decapauropus cutellatus sp. n. and D. biaristatus sp. n.

Pauropods (Myriapoda: Pauropoda) from Eastern China, descriptions of three new species and revision of Pauropus bifurcus Zhang & Chen, 1988.

Pauropods from Zhejiang and Jiangsu in eastern China were collected from the field. Among 23 specimens, four species assigned to two genera are identified. Three of these species are new and from the genus Decapauropus Remy, 1931: Decapauropus bifurcodicoccus Qian & Dong sp. nov., D. duomamillatus Qian & Dong sp. nov. and D. bidrepanoides Qian sp. nov. The status of Pauropus bifurcus Zhang & Chen, 1988 is reexamined and reallocated to the genus Stylopauropus Cook, 1896. A key to Decapauropus species of eastern China (including Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang province) is provided.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Pauropus longiramus (Myriapoda: Pauropoda): implications on early diversification of the myriapods revealed from comparative analysis.

Myriapods are among the earliest arthropods and may have evolved to become part of the terrestrial biota more than 400 million years ago. A noticeable lack of mitochondrial genome data from Pauropoda hampers phylogenetic and evolutionary studies within the subphylum Myriapoda. We sequenced the first complete mitochondrial genome of a microscopic pauropod, Pauropus longiramus (Arthropoda: Myriapoda), and conducted comprehensive mitogenomic analyses across the Myriapoda. The pauropod mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 14,487 bp long and contains the entire set of thirty-seven genes. Frequent intergenic overlaps occurred between adjacent tRNAs, and between tRNA and protein-coding genes. This is the first example of a mitochondrial genome with multiple intergenic overlaps and reveals a strategy for arthropods to effectively compact the mitochondrial genome by overlapping and truncating tRNA genes with neighbor genes, instead of only truncating tRNAs. Phylogenetic analyses based on protein-coding genes provide strong evidence that the sister group of Pauropoda is Symphyla. Additionally, approximately unbiased (AU) tests strongly support the Progoneata and confirm the basal position of Chilopoda in Myriapoda. This study provides an estimation of myriapod origins around 555 Ma (95% CI: 444-704 Ma) and this date is comparable with that of the Cambrian explosion and candidate myriapod-like fossils. A new time-scale suggests that deep radiations during early myriapod diversification occurred at least three times, not once as previously proposed. A Carboniferous origin of pauropods is congruent with the idea that these taxa are derived, rather than basal, progoneatans.

A new genus and two new species of the subfamily Pauropodinae (Myriapoda: Pauropoda: Pauropodidae) from China.

A new genus Songius is established and two new species--Songius rugosus from Qixia Mountain and Laoshan Forest Park, Jiangsu, and Tiantangzhai, Dabie Mountain, Anhui, and Songius bicruris from Tiantangzhai--are described. A novel surface structure of the pygidial tergum was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The genus is established on the basis of the distinctive appearance of the modification of the surface structure of the pygidial tergum.