New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby

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  New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby I am pleased to share the publication of my latest paper, “Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby: Ethical Boundaries and Biological Consequences,” in the Journal of the British Tarantula Society , Volume 41, No. 1, September 2026. The paper addresses an issue that deserves serious consideration within the tarantula community: hybridisation and its potential long-term effects on the integrity of captive lineages. More Than a Breeding Decision The tarantula hobby has changed considerably over the past several decades. What was once a relatively small community has grown into an international network of keepers, breeders, vendors, researchers, and societies. Captive breeding has contributed enormously to that growth, improving husbandry knowledge and increasing the availability of captive-bred animals. With that success comes responsibility for the lineages we maintain. Hybridisation may seem like an isolated breeding experiment,...

Multiple origins and complex evolutionary history of Cryptops centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Cryptopidae) inhabiting East Asian islands, with systematics of Japanese species

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Multiple origins and complex evolutionary history of Cryptops centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Cryptopidae) inhabiting East Asian islands, with systematics of Japanese species

Abstract

Cryptops Leach, 1814 is a genus of generally small, blind centipedes that mostly inhabit epigean habitats. With more than 150 species described worldwide, Cryptops is one of the most widespread and speciose genera within the class Chilopoda. Although previous studies have indicated a complex evolutionary history, the biogeography of Cryptops species largely remains unclear owing to a lack of molecular data from some regions such as the easternmost part of Asia. Moreover, the taxonomic status of several species from this region also remains uncertain. In this study, we addressed systematics and phylogeography of Cryptops species from East Asian islands, mainly the Japanese Archipelago and the Ryukyu Islands. Here, based on molecular phylogeny of nuclear and mitochondrial loci as well as morphology, we reexamined the taxonomic accounts of C. japonicus Takakuwa, 1934, C. navis Chamberlin, 1930, and C. striatus Takakuwa, 1936, and describe a new species, Cryptops dupliporussp. nov. Molecular phylogenetic and dating analyses showed that the East Asian species are non-monophyletic, originating from at least three independent lineages. The analyses also showed significant differences in the degree of intraspecific divergence among species, presumably reflecting different dispersal abilities and colonization histories to the East Asian islands. Our results indicate that the species richness of Cryptops on East Asian islands is an outcome of ancient relics of continental origin as well as recent radiation, possibly through colonization from southwestern Pacific islands by oceanic currents.

Cryptops is one of the most widespread and speciose genera of centipedes, but its evolutionary history remains unclear owing to insufficient biogeographic and systematic studies. This study clarifies the systematic status of four East Asian species of Cryptops, including a new species. Molecular analyses show that these species originated from at least three divergences, revealing both continental relict and recently colonized lineages. This study demonstrates complex spatial and temporal processes shaping species diversity and distributions, which may be common in centipedes.

Taro Jonishi, Takafumi Nakano "Multiple origins and complex evolutionary history of Cryptops centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Cryptopidae) inhabiting East Asian islands, with systematics of Japanese species," Invertebrate Systematics, 40(8), 1-32, (28 August 2026) https://doi.org/10.1071/IS26025