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The science of taxonomy, albeit being fundamental for all organismic research, has been underfunded and undervalued for about two generations. We analyze how this could happen, particularly in times of a biodiversity crisis, when we have increased awareness amongst the population and decision makers that knowledge about species we share the planet with is indispensable for finding solutions. We identify five major issues: the habit of holding taxonomy in low esteem; the focus on inappropriate publication metrics in evaluating scientific output; the excessive focus on innovative technology in evaluating scientific relevance; shifting priorities in natural history museums away from their traditional strengths; and changing attitudes towards specimen collecting and increasing legislation regulating collecting and international exchange of specimens. To transform taxonomy into a thriving science again, we urgently suggest significantly increasing baseline funding for permanent positions in taxonomy, particularly in natural history museums; reviving taxonomic research and teaching in universities at the tenured professor level; strongly increasing soft money for integrative taxonomy projects; refraining using journal-based metrics for evaluating individual researchers and scientific output and instead focusing on quality; installing governmental support for open access publishing; focusing digitizing efforts to the most useful parts of collections, freeing resources for improving data quality by improving identifications; requiring natural history museums to focus on collection-based research; and ending the trend of prohibitive legislation towards scientific collecting and international exchange of taxonomic specimens, and instead building legal frameworks supportive of biodiversity research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Three new species of the genus Scaphicoma Motschulsky, 1863 from Sulawesi, Indonesia are illustrated and described: Scaphicoma subflava Ogawa & Löbl, sp. n., S. bidentia Ogawa & Löbl, sp. n., and S. quadrifasciata Ogawa & Löbl, sp. n. Lepteroscapha pallens Achard, 1921 is designated as the type species of the genus Lepteroscapha Achard, 1921. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports an analysis of global species number in reference to the class Coleoptera of the animal kingdom. It states the primary task of taxonomist is the assessment of the species diversity that is present globally. Topics discussed include data mining, species and the taxonomic efforts.

The article provides information on a zoological study which observed the rove beetle subfamily Scaphidiinae of Taiwan. The study particularly investigated Taiwanese members of Baeocera Erichson. It examined collections of Taiwanese Scaphisomatini made by Ales Smetana and S. Vit that contain a number of Baeocera extracted from sifted samples of forest litter. The study recognized 12 species, 6 of which are recognized as new, and four of which are reported fro the first time from Taiwan. Species recognized include Baeocera alesi sp. nov, m B. aliena sp. nov. and B. alishana sp. nov.