Chromadorina communissp. nov. is described from Changdao Island at the confluence of the Yellow and the Bohai seas. The new species is characterized by its medium-sized body; finely striated cuticle with homogeneous punctations; absence of ocelli; buccal cavity with three equal-sized, solid teeth; four cephalic setae; oval amphidial fovea which is positioned between cephalic setae; curved spicules with tapered distal ends; simple, boat-shaped gubernaculums; five or six cup-shaped precloacal supplements; and conical tail with a very short spinneret. A phylogenetic analysis of small subunit rRNA gene sequences using maximum-likelihood and Bayesin inference confirmed the taxonomic position of Chromadorina communissp. nov. within Chromadorinae. Tree topology in Chromadorida shows six morphological families clustered into a monophyletic clade and verifies the taxonomic position of the family Neotonchidae based on morphological and molecular analysis.

In the search for natural reservoirs of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a broad diversity of non-human viruses within the Hepacivirus genus has been uncovered. However, the evolutionary dynamics that shaped the diversity and timescale of hepaciviruses evolution remain elusive. To gain further insights into the origins and evolution of this genus, we screened a large dataset of wild mammal samples ( n = 1,672) from Africa and Asia, and generated 34 full-length hepacivirus genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of these data together with publicly available genomes emphasizes the importance of rodents as hepacivirus hosts and we identify 13 rodent species and 3 rodent genera (in Cricetidae and Muridae families) as novel hosts of hepaciviruses. Through co-phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate that hepacivirus diversity has been affected by cross-species transmission events against the backdrop of detectable signal of virus-host co-divergence in the deep evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic multidimensional scaling approach, we explore the extent to which host relatedness and geographic distances have structured present-day hepacivirus diversity. Our results provide evidence for a substantial structuring of mammalian hepacivirus diversity by host as well as geography, with a somewhat more irregular diffusion process in geographic space. Finally, using a mechanistic model that accounts for substitution saturation, we provide the first formal estimates of the timescale of hepacivirus evolution and estimate the origin of the genus to be about 22 million years ago. Our results offer a comprehensive overview of the micro- and macroevolutionary processes that have shaped hepacivirus diversity and enhance our understanding of the long-term evolution of the Hepacivirus genus. Significance: Since the discovery of Hepatitis C virus, the search for animal virus homologues has gained significant traction, opening up new opportunities to study their origins and long-term evolutionary dynamics. Capitalizing on a large-scale screening of wild mammals, and genomic sequencing, we expand the novel rodent host range of hepaciviruses and document further virus diversity. We infer a significant influence of frequent cross-species transmission as well as some signal for virus-host co-divergence, and find comparative host and geographic structure. We also provide the first formal estimates of the timescale of hepaciviruses indicating an origin of about 22 million years ago. Our study offers new insights in hepacivirus evolutionary dynamics with broadly applicable methods that can support future research in virus evolution.

The conservation of morphology has resulted in considerable issues in the taxonomy of small mammals, especially for the identification of sibling species. Moreover, it is often difficult to completely solve such taxonomic problems by relying only on a single research method. The genus Crocidura is one of the genera with a conservative morphology and high species diversity. Among them, Crocidura attenuata has been considered in the field as the most widely distributed and common species. In fact, it is a species complex containing multiple species, and the classification and distribution of this species is controversial. In this study, the species and distribution of the Crocidura attenuata species complex experienced an integrated revision using three different levels of research methods: molecular, karyotype and morphology. The results show that (1) the C. attenuata species complex contains four known species (C. attenuata, C. tanakae, C. anhuiensis and C. dongyangjiangensis) and a cryptic species distributed in Guangxi, which may be the same undescribed species as the “C. attenuata” distributed in Vietnam. (2) C. attenuata is only distributed around the Sichuan Basin, C. tanakae is the most widely distributed throughout Southern China, and C. anhuiensis and C. dongyangjiangensis are almost sympatric in Southeast China. Furthermore, (3) although the molecular method lacks a unified threshold for species classification, it can rapidly and effectively identify the species of the C. attenuata species complex. Although karyotype and morphology methods cannot completely solve the species classification issues in respect of the C. attenuata species complex, they can provide supplemental information for taxonomic purposes. Therefore, the integrated taxonomic method can present the advantages of different methodological levels, and will provide further evidence for the taxonomy of sibling species with a conservative morphology.

Captive environments can have detrimental effects on the health of Equus species. However, due to the limitations of available databases, the types and abundance of pathogenic bacteria in Equus species remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore pathogenic gut bacteria in wild and captive Equus species. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a comprehensive multiple bacterial pathogen detection database, we compared the pathogenic gut bacterial profiles of three Equus species (Equus ferus przewalskii, E. hemionus, and E. kiang) across different captive and wild environments. The pheatmap revealed that the three Equus species living in different captive environments showed convergence in their pathogenic gut bacterial composition. Captive Equus species had significantly enriched zoonotic bacteria, whereas wild Equus species had significantly enriched animal pathogenic bacteria. These findings suggest that a captive environment may increase the risk of zoonotic bacterial transmission between Equus species and humans. We hope that this study can provide a reasonable scientific basis for the management and protection of captive Equus species.

In this study, we describe a new genus, Luciargentis Yu and Wang, gen. nov. based on the new species, Luciargentis obesa Yu and Wang, sp. nov. Additionally, the genus is placed within the subfamily Crocanthinae, satisfying the criteria of Crocanthinae. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the family Lecithoceridae using a concatenated dataset that includes one mitochondrial marker (COI) and six nuclear markers (EF-1α, GAPDH, RpS5, CAD, wingless, and MDH), incorporating 17 exemplars from NCBI and 7 newly sequenced exemplars from this study. The yield tree topologies showed that Luciargentis obesa forms a strongly supported monophyletic group with Crocanthes prasinopis, a species of Crocanthinae. Moreover, Luciargentis + Crocanthes were found to be sister groups to Torodorinae. Images of the adults, wing venation, and genitalia of the new species are provided.

In this study, we describe a new genus, Luciargentis Yu & Wang, gen. nov. based on the new species, Luciargentis obesa Yu & Wang, sp. nov. Additionally, the genus is placed within the subfamily Crocanthinae, satisfying the criteria of Crocanthinae. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the family Lecithoceridae using a concatenated dataset that includes one mitochondrial marker (COI) and six nuclear markers (EF-1α, GAPDH, RpS5, CAD, wingless, and MDH), incorporating 17 exemplars from NCBI and 7 newly sequenced exemplars from this study. The yield tree topologies showed that Luciargentis obesa forms a strongly supported monophyletic group with Crocanthes prasinopis, a species of Crocanthinae. Moreover, Luciargentis + Crocanthes were found to be sister groups to Torodorinae. Images of the adults, wing venation, and genitalia of the new species are provided.