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Theraphosidae is the most speciose mygalomorph family, and its species are usually fossorial, but arboreal species are known in various subfamilies. One of these subfamilies, Aviculariinae, is composed exclusively of arboreal forms and is distributed in the Americas and the Caribbean. Seven genera of this subfamily were described in 2017, including the monotypic genus Antillena Bertani, Huff & Fukushima, 2017, which is endemic to the Dominican Republic. It presents some remarkable features concerning genitalia shape both in male and female, distinct from all other aviculariine species. Herein, we describe the second species of Antillena, A. miguelangeli sp. nov., along with field-note observations and new records for Antillena rickwesti Bertani & Huff, 2013. Males of the new species have a longer and slender embolus on the bulb, and the keels are poorly developed. Females have the spermathecae plateau-shaped with its distal sclerotized half of an elliptical appearance. The new species also represents the first record of this genus from the northern region of Hispaniola.

A complete description of the cicada genus Chinaria Davis, 1934 is provided. The genus Heatharia n. gen. is described and illustrated for the Dominican species originally classified in Chinaria. The new genus is supported through morphological, biogeographical, and genetic evidence. Heatharia vivianae (Ramos, 1983) n. comb. is reassigned as the only species of the new genus. The first record of Odopoea suffusa (Walker, 1850) is provided for Haiti.

A new species of the planthopper genus Cheiloceps Uhler, 1895 (Issidae, Issinae, Thioniini), Cheiloceps magnifrons sp. nov., is described from the Dominican amber. Issidae fossils are briefly discussed.

Five new species of Stellifer are described from the Caribbean Sea and tropical southwestern Atlantic. Among the previously recognized stelliferine genera, Stellifer is unique by having a pair of variably developed appendages on the posterior margin of the anterior gas chamber, which is lacking in Bairdiella, Corvula, Elattarchus, Odontoscion and Ophioscion. However, recent genetic studies indicated that Stellifer and Ophioscion are not monophyletic. The genus Ophioscion Gill, 1863 is recognized herein as a junior synonym of Stellifer Oken, 1817. Of the five new species described, Stellifer cervigoni n. sp., S. collettei n. sp., and S. musicki n. sp. have a pair of knob-like diverticula along the posterior margin of the anterior gas chamber, which is absent in S. macallisteri n. sp., and S. menezesi n. sp. Stellifer cervigoni n. sp. is found along the southern Caribbean coast of Colombia and Venezuela; it can be distinguished from other species by having a jet-black roof of mouth and inner opercular lining. Stellifer collettei n. sp. is found from Surinam to southeastern Brazil, while S. musicki n. sp. is endemic to northern Brazil. Stellifer macallisteri n. sp. has an oblique, terminal mouth and it is found in Colombia, Venezuela and Dominican Republic. Stellifer menezesi n. sp. has a subterminal mouth and is found from northeastern to southeastern Brazil. These results bring the number of valid species of Stellifer in the Atlantic to 18, and a key to the identification of these species is included.

The thysanopteran genus Chiridurothrips Okajima is known from a single extant species, C. hisakoae Okajima, collected in Japan (ThripsWiki 2019). Occurring on dead leaves and branches of evergreen trees in the subtropical Ryukyu Islands, this species remains known from only five females (Okajima 1981, 2006; also pers. comm. 2018). Within Phlaeothripidae, Chiridurothrips is associated with the tribe Plectrothripini. Species of this sub-group feed on fungal hyphae or the break-down products of fungal attack on decaying plant material (Mound Ng 2018). They are found mainly under the bark of trees or on dead branches, and they do not seem to inhabit leaf-litter (Okajima 1981). At present, Plectrothripini comprises 60 extant species in 13 genera, with no fossils recorded. Of these species 32 are placed in the genus Plectrothrips Hood, ten in Streptothrips Priesner, and six in Chirothripoides Bagnall, whereas both Menothrips Hood and Mastigothrips Priesner each include only two species. The remaining eight species are all placed in separate monobasic genera (ThripsWiki 2019). Concerning this strongly asymmetric classification, Mound and Ng (2018) suggest that Plectrothripini might be particularly old, with the large number of monobasic genera each representing a relict lineage. An alternative possibility, however, might be an unusual instability in the genes controlling morphogenetic processes, and thus resulting in striking autapomorphies on which each one of these genera is diagnosed (Mound Ng 2018). Species associated with Plectrothripini share the following character states (Okajima 1981; Mound Tree 2017): antennae 8-segmented, segment II with the campaniform sensillum situated in the basal half, III-IV with stout sense cones, VIII slender with narrow base; head with posterior ocelli close to compound eyes; pronotum commonly with sclerotized plate eroded or reduced, prosternal basantra week or absent; legs with fore tarsal tooth large; mid and hind tibiae commonly with apical spur-like setae; macropterae with fore wings parallel-sided, usually with duplicated cilia; pelta broad at base, abdominal tergite II eroded laterally; abdominal sternites often with reticulate glandular areas. Regarding the fore wings, it seems worth mentioning that in some members of Plectrothripini the subbasal wing vein is reduced and thus the three subbasal wing setae are lacking (see Plectrothrips tenuis Okajima, Chiridurothrips [c.f. fig. 2], Chirothripoides, Lonchothrips Hood; Bhatti 1998; Okajima 1981). This short vein that is present in (almost all) other macropterous Phlaeothripidae has been interpreted as a plesiomorphic feature that resulted from the reduction of a former well-developed longitudinal first vein of ancestral Tubulifera, the Rohrthripidae (Ulitzka 2018, 2019).

Three new species of the genus Thaloe are described from Antillean region: Thaloe maricao n. sp., from Maricao, Puerto Rico and Virgin Island, Thaloe leboulet n. sp., from Le Boulet and Mariani, Haiti and Thaloe ebano n. sp., from the Dominican Republic. Females of species of this genus are described for the first time.

Notaepytus quisqueya sp. nov. (Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Tritomini), is described here from Dominican amber and is the second amber fossil description for the family from the West Indies (Hispaniola). An emended key and a checklist to all known species of Notaepytus are presented.

The genus Sicoderus Vanin is revised for the West Indies. A total of 32 species are known with 18 new species described herein as follows: Sicoderus aeneus (Haiti), S. alternatus (Dominican Republic), S. bautistai (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. beatyi (Cuba), S. bipunctiventris (Cuba), S. caladeler (Cuba), S. detonnancouri (Dominican Republic), S. franzi (Puerto Rico), S. guanyangi (Dominican Republic), S. humeralis (Dominican Republic), S. lucidus (Dominica), S. medranae (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. perezi (Dominican Republic), S. pseudostriatolateralis (Dominican Republic, Haiti), S. striatolateralis (Dominican Republic), S. thomasi (Haiti), S. turnbowi (Dominican Republic), and S. woodruffi (Grenada). All species are described or redescribed, natural history information is summarized and a listing of locality data from all specimens examined is included. A key is provided to all West Indian species of the genus. All species distributions are mapped and all (excepting S. propinquus Vanin) are represented by habitus images and images of male genitalia.

The Neotropical species of the diplurid subfamily Masteriinae are revised and redefined. Masteriinae now comprises four genera, Masteria L. Koch, 1893, Striamea Raven, 1981, a new genus, Siremata n. gen. and Edwa Raven, 2015, a fossil genus. The type species, Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1893, was used as basis for comparison and the knowledge of the genus has increased. Twelve species of Masteria are redescribed and eight new species are described: M. amarumayu n. sp. and M. mutum n. sp., from Brazil; M. yacambu n. sp., from Venezuela; M. sabrinae n. sp., from Martinique; M. tayrona n. sp., from Colombia; M. aguaruna n. sp., from Peru, M. soucouyant n. sp., from Trinidad and Tobago; and M. galipote n. sp., from the Dominican Republic. Females of Masteria aimeae (Alayón, 1995) and M. golovatchi Alayón, 1995 are described for the first time. Females of M. spinosa (Petrunkevitch, 1925), M. petrunkevitchi (Chickering, 1964), M. lewisi (Chickering, 1964), M. barona (Chickering, 1966), M. downeyi (Chickering, 1966), M. simla (Chickering, 1966), M. colombiensis Raven, 1981 and M. pecki Gertsch, 1982 are illustrated for the first time and rediagnosed. Masteria tovarensis (Simon, 1889) and M. cyclops (Simon, 1889) are synonymized with M. lucifuga (Simon, 1889). Masteria modesta (Simon, 1892) is considered as species inquirendae and M. emboaba Pedroso, Baptista Bertani, 2015 is considered as incertae sedis, as the type is lost. Both species of Striamea are revised and redescribed. A new genus, Siremata n. gen., is described and includes three Amazonian species: S. valteri n. sp., S. juruti n. sp., S. lucasae n. sp. Knowledge of the distribution ranges of the Neotropical Masteriinae are increased.

Two new species of Selenops, S. anacaona sp. nov. (♀) and S. caonabo sp. nov. (♀), are described from the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. These two new species increase the number of endemic Selenops on Hispaniola to 13, surpassing Cuba, which currently has 11 endemic species. Additionally, the male of S. pensilis Muma, 1953 from Hispaniola is described, as well as the male of S. petrunkevitchi Alayón, 2003 from Jamaica. Full distribution records are given for the new species and the newly described males, and new records are provided for the following species: S. aequalis Franganillo, 1935, S. bocacandensis Crews, 2011, S. candidus Muma, 1953, S. micropalpus Muma, 1953, S. morro Crews, 2011, S. simius Muma, 1953, S. souliga Crews, 2011, and S. submaculosus Bryant, 1940.

A new species of Charinus Simon, 1892 from the Dominican Republic is described. With the addition of Charinus magua sp. nov. from the Monseñor Nouel province, the number of known members of the genus Charinus occurring on the island Hispaniola is increased to three. The frontal process, the trichobothria on leg IV, the number and shape of the articles of leg I and the shape of the tarsomers of legs II-IV are often included in taxonomical descriptions of Charinus species. We present these characters in the detailed description of C. magua sp. nov. and illustrate these for the first time for the two other known Charinus from Hispaniola, Charinus dominicanus and Charinus bahoruco. Furthermore, we present and discuss the cerotegument ultrastructure of all three species.

Four new species of Syspira Simon, 1895 are described: Syspira cimitarra sp. nov., Syspira jimmyi sp. nov., Syspira medialuna sp. nov. and Syspira agujas sp. nov., all endemic in the Dominican Republic.

Insular giant tortoise diversity has been depleted by Late Quaternary extinctions, but the taxonomic status of many extinct populations remains poorly understood due to limited available fossil or subfossil material, hindering our ability to reconstruct Quaternary island biotas and environments. Giant tortoises are absent from current-day insular Caribbean ecosystems, but tortoise remains from Quaternary deposits indicate the former widespread occurrence of these animals across the northern Caribbean. We report new Quaternary giant tortoise material from several cave sites in Pedernales Province, southern Dominican Republic, Hispaniola, representing at least seven individuals, which we describe as Chelonoidis marcanoi sp. nov. Although giant tortoise material was first reported from the Quaternary record of Hispaniola almost 35 years ago, tortoises are absent from most Quaternary deposits on the island, which has been studied extensively over the past century. The surprising abundance of giant tortoise remains in both vertical and horizontal caves in Hispaniola's semi-arid ecoregion may indicate that this species was adapted to open dry habitats and became restricted to a habitat refugium in southeastern Hispaniola following climatic-driven environmental change at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Hispaniola's dry forest ecosystem may therefore have been shaped by giant tortoises for much of its evolutionary history.

The predominantly Greater Antillean endemic genus Calisto Hübner, 1823 is highly diversified on several islands being more species rich on Hispaniola. We conducted expeditions during five years in the Dominican Republic resulting in new findings related with lyceius species group. Material belonging to this group was examined following the traditional morphological characters employed in genus taxonomy, and the COI barcode sequences obtained were analyzed through different approaches: Neighbor Joining clustering, ABGD, Maximum Likelihood (ML), and Bayesian Inference (BI). Analysis yielded 12 groups representing putative species: eight corresponding to previously named ones and four new species which are described in the present work: C. mariposa sp. nov., C. azua sp. nov., C. victori sp. nov., and C. samana sp. nov. The results also confirmed a single taxonomic entity within C. pulchella Lathy and the conspecific nature of C. franciscoi Gali and C. hendersoni. A dichotomic key for identification of species within the group is also given. Both phylogenetic reconstruction methods (ML and BI) employing molecular data achieved similar results with the relationships among the majority of taxa being supported by some ecological and morphological features. The exceptions were C. zangis Fabricius, C. raburni Gali, and C. pulchella, grouped together in a weakly supported clade. These species possess a highly differentiated adult and immature morphology which indicates an earlier divergence.

We describe a new species of Leiocephalus from the coastal dunes of Bahía de las Calderas in the southwestern Dominican Republic. In external morphology, Leiocephalus sixtoi sp. nov. is most similar to L. schreibersii and L. inaguae. Leiocephalus sixtoi differs from L. inaguae in having a U-shaped bony parietal table (vs. V-shaped in L. inaguae), 3 or 4 enlarged postcloacal scales in males (vs. 2 in L. inaguae), most scales on snout posterior to internasal scales rugose to keeled scales (vs. smooth in L. inaguae), and a patternless throat in males, spots on the throat in females (vs. throat with dark streaks and bars in males and females of L. inaguae). Leiocephalus sixtoi differs from L. schreibersii in having the scales of the lateral fold only slightly smaller than adjacent scales (vs. scales of lateral fold distinctly smaller than adjacent scales), having prominent caudal crest scales in adult males (vs. caudal crest scales of moderate size, even in very large males in L. schreibersii), a pattern of dark gray bars on a grayish brown background in the region above the lateral body fold (vs. dense turquoise blue mottling with heavy suffusion of red pigment in L. schreibersii), a darker dorsal ground color (vs. paler in L. schreibersii), and a red iris in adult males (vs. pale grayish blue in adult male L. schreibersii). Leiocephalus sixtoi differs further from L. schreibersii in several osteological characters as follows: in L. sixtoi the nasal process of the premaxilla reaches to mid-level of the bony external nares (vs. to level of posterior margin of the bony external nares in L. schreibersii), lacking a constriction at the base of the nasal process of the premaxilla (vs. such a constriction present in L. schreibersii), and having a reduced nasal-prefrontal contact leaving the nasal processes of the frontal bone exposed (vs. nasal and prefrontal bones contact one another, thereby obscuring the nasal processes of the frontal bone in L. schreibersii). We designate SMF 26228, an adult male from Saint Marc, Province Artibonite, Haiti, as the neotype of L. schreibersii.

The genus Diplosmittia was erected by Sæther (1981) based on Diplosmittia harrisoni from St. Lucia and St. Vincent in the British West Indies. Prior to the present study the genus comprised nine species, all except D. carinata Sæther were known only from Neotropical Region (Ashe & O'Connor, 2012). During sampling in the surroundings of a highly organic polluted river, in the National Botanical Garden in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the present second author collected several imagines of Diplosmittia that did not fit any taxon treated in the recent review of the genus (Pinho et al. 2009). In the present paper, the male of this new species is described and illustrated.

Rhagoletotrypeta chapecensis Norrbom & Savaris, new species, and R. gelabertae Norrbom & Savaris, new species, are described and illustrated from specimens from southern Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina) and Paraguay, and from the Dominican Republic, respectively. The larvae of R. chapecensis develop in fruits of Celtis iguanaea (Jacq.) Sarg. (Ulmaceae). A key to the species of the xanthogastra species group is provided.

Neostasina gen. nov. is proposed to include the type species, Neostasina macleayi (Bryant, 1940) comb. nov., and four other described species: N. lucasi (Bryant, 1940) comb. nov. and N. saetosa (Bryant, 1948) comb. nov., transferred from Stasina Simon, 1877, N. bicolor (Banks, 1914) comb. nov., from Olios Walckenaer, 1837, and N. antiguensis (Bryant, 1923) comb. nov., from Pseudosparianthis Simon, 1887. Stasina portoricensis Petrunkevitch, 1930 and Olios darlingtoni Bryant, 1942 are considered junior synonyms of N. bicolor comb. nov. All species are redescribed and illustrated. Twenty-two new species are described, namely: N. baoruco sp. nov. (♀), N. bermudezi sp. nov. (♂, ♀) and N. cachote sp. nov. (♀) from the Dominican Republic, N. bryantae sp. nov. (♂, ♀), N. granpiedra sp. nov. (♂, ♀), N. iberia sp. nov. (♂, ♀), N. montegordo sp. nov. (♀), N. siempreverde sp. nov. (♂) and N. turquino sp. nov. (♀) from Cuba, N. croix sp. nov. (♂) from the Island of St. Croix and N. virginensis sp. nov. (♀) from the Island of St. John, both U.S. Virgin Islands, N. guanaboa sp. nov. (♂), N. gunboat sp. nov. (♂), N. jamaicana sp. nov. (♀), N. liguanea sp. nov. (♂, ♀), N. lucea sp. nov. (♀), N. mammee sp. nov. (♂, ♀), and N. maroon sp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Jamaica, N. ouali sp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Nevis Island, N. amalie sp. nov. (♂, ♀) from U.S. (St. John and St. Thomas Islands) and British Virgin Islands (Peter Island and Sandy Cay), and N. taino sp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. An identification key and distribution maps are provided for all known species.

Omalodes Dejean, 1833 is the largest genus of Omalodini, with approximately 63 species described in three subgenera with an exclusively Neotropical distribution. Currently there are only two described species for the Caribbean, both of the subgenus Omalodes, and among other species they are the only ones with complete apical stria on the elytra. Two new species of this subgenus: Omalodes angelo sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in FSCA: Dominican Republic, Monte Cristi Prov.) and Omalodes kovariki sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in USNM: Dominican Republic, Monte Cristi Prov.) are described. Both species present a complete apical stria on the elytra and a superficial sulcus or impression on the frons. The lateral pronotal punctures are more evident in O. angelo sp. nov. while in O. kovariki sp. nov. they are weaker, only slightly more evident than the ground punctures. Both species have the punctures of the propygidium somewhat sparse. However, in O. angelo sp. nov. the punctures are limited to the sides and slightly in the middle anteriorly. Omalodes kovariki sp. nov. have a wide glandular opening posterad to metacoxae, a character not registered before for the genus.

The monotypic linyphiid genus Lomaita Bryant 1948 is redescribed. We present an updated description of the male of L. darlingtoni, the first description of the female and data on its natural history and distribution in the Dominican Republic. We provide a hypothesis on the phylogenetic placement of Lomaita based on cladistic analyses of morphological characters.

We describe a new genus, Troctopsocoides, in the family Troctopsocidae with two new species, T. erwini n. sp. (Madre de Dios, Peru) and T. gracilis n. sp., a fossil in amber from the Dominican Republic. We include a diagnosis of the family Troctopsocidae following a recent important change in its status and a key to the known genera of the family.

Fourteen mite species of plant-associated mites of the suborder Prostigmata are reported from the Dominican Republic. Four of these refer to new findings for the country, including Petrobia (Tetranychina) hispaniola n. sp. Sánchez & Flechtmann, described from specimens collected from leaves of Citrus sp. (Rutaceae) and Rosa sp. (Rosaceae). A key for the separation of the world species of Petrobia (Tetranychina) is presented.

Westindia Vincent, a new genus, is proposed for W. haxairei Vincent, a new species of Neotropical tiger-moth described from Dominican Republic. Habitus, male and female genitalia are described and figured. The systematic position of the new genus within Arctiinae is discussed in light of a comparative morphology and a molecular phylogeny derived from the DNA barcode fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene and of the D2 region of the 28S rDNA gene.

Seven new species of Abbottella and related taxa are described from Hispaniola: Abbottella calliotropis n. sp., Abbottella diadema n. sp., Abbottella dichroa n. sp., Abbottella nitens n. sp., Abbottella paradoxa n. sp., Abbottella tenebrosa n. sp., and Leiabbottella thompsoni n. sp. Distributional and habitat notes are given for additional taxa.

Keroplatid fungus gnats (Diptera: Keroplatidae) were hitherto known from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from a single named species in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. Here we describe the new fossil species Proceroplatus preziosii Evenhuis & Penney based on a mature male specimen, which differs markedly from both fossil and extant taxa in the structure of its gonostyli and U-shaped wing pattern. We also document the first record of extant Keroplatidae, Proceroplatus pictipennis (Williston), from Hispaniola.