Taxonomic revision of Steganacarus (Steganacarus) magnus (Nicolet, 1855) (Acarida,Oribatida)

The classical taxon, Steganacarus (Steganacarus) magnus (Nicolet, 1855) is redescribed on the basis of topotypic material. The study and the comparison of many European and North African populations reveals a variation in the size of the anterior notogastral tectum and consequently enables another classic entity, S. (Steganacarus) anomalus (Berlese, 1883), to be put into synonymy. These two different ecophenotypes, in the authors' opinion, seem to be linked to the presence of xeric low-altitude southern environments (S. (S.) magnus f. anomala) or cool higher-altitude mid-northern environments (S. (S.) magnus f. magna).     

New species of Eretmocerus Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitizing Crenidorsum turpiniae (Takahashi) and Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from Taiwan

A key to females of 11 Eretmocerus species occurring in Taiwan is provided. Two new species, E. tongxiaoensis Shih & Polaszek, sp. nov. and E. lannae Shih & Polaszek, sp. nov. found infesting Crenidorsum turpiniae (Takahashi) and Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) respectively, are described. Five more Eretmocerus species are recorded here as new to Taiwan: E. bisetae Hayat, E. flavus Krishnan & David, E. queenslandensis Naumann & Schmidt, E. rui Zolnerowich & Rose and E. trialeurodis Hayat. New host records for four of these Eretmocerus species from five whitefly species are presented. The whitefly Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) is recorded for the first time from Taiwan.     

Cladistics and taxonomy of the Afrotropical Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera-group (Diptera,Empididae)

The Afrotropical Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera-group (Diptera: Empididae) is defined on the basis of two synapomorphies, namely epandrial lamellae connected anteriorly and male cerci made up of an anterior almost bare lobe and a posterior bristled lobe. This group includes 10 species: E. (C.) brazzavillensis sp. n., E. (C.) barbitos Smith, E. (C.) juxtaripa sp. n., E. (C.) lyra Smith, E. (C.) plumata sp. n., E. (C.) chrysocera Collin, E. (C.) cuthbertsoni Smith, E. (C.) machipandensis Smith, E. (C.) samaruensis sp. n. and E. (C.) singulare sp. n. All species are described and keyed. The relationships between these species are established and two complexes of species distinguished. The Empis (Coptophlebia) chrysocera-group apparently occurs everywhere in the Afrotropical region except South Africa.     

A study of the Exoprosopa busiris (Jaennicke) group of Bezzi (1924) in tropical Africa (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

The tropical African species of the genus Exoprosopa Macquart placed by Bezzi (1924) in his group 10, E. busiris are reviewed. A key, short diagnoses and outline distributions are provided for each species. E. albonigra Bezzi and E. saskae Szilády are shown to be synonyms of E. luteicosta Bezzi; E. engyoptera Hesse a synonym of E. brevinasis Bezzi; and E. ferrieri Hesse a synonym of E. decastroi Hesse. Two new species are described; E. selenops from Kenya and E. glossops from Nigeria.     

The taxonomy and ecology of Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) fuscimanus (Kieffer), a hygropetric chironomid (Diptera)

The immature stages of Chironomidae (non-biting midges) are important biotic components of the percolating filter beds of sewage works. Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) fuscimanus (Kieffer) is recorded from a sewage works for the first time, is described in all stages and a neotype designated. Considerable taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion concerning the species and subgenus was resolved by recognition of holotypes of Dactylocladius fuscitarsis Kieffer, D. olivaceus Kieffer, Orthocladius indivisus Kieffer and Eudactylocladius vagans Thienemann, by designation of neotypes for Dactylocladius adauctus Kieffer, D. fontium Kieffer and Orthocladius hygropetricus Kieffer and selection of a lectotype for Eudactylocladius bidenticulatus Thienemann. Orthocladius hygropetricus, O. indivisus, O. bidenticulatus, Dactylocladius adauctus, D. fuscitarsis and D. fontium are all newly synonymized with O. fuscimanus, and Eudactylocladius vagans synonymised with Orthocladius (Eudactylocladius) olivaceus (Kieffer).

The detection of numerous synonyms (and previous misidentifications) revealed a substantial amount of ecological information on the larva of O. fuscimanus. This information is reviewed and reveals that this is a frequent species of hygropetric (thin water film) habitats. A review of the fauna of percolating filters of sewage works indicates that this biotope is the ecological equivalent of naturally occurring hygropetric habitats.     

The preimaginal stages of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) and Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoids associated with Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae)

The biology and morphology of the early larval instars of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) are redescribed and the morphology of the preimaginal stages of Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are described in detail for the first time. Both species are larval-pupal parasitoids of Phyllonorycter issikii (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), which is associated with Tilia sp. The female of M. frontalis lays her egg beside the host larva and the newly hatched first instar larva moves and has to find the host larva. The larva of P. issikii tries to continue its feeding but never pupates after paralysis. The female of C. laomedon lays its egg inside the cuticle of the larva of P. issikii, but the newly hatched parasitoid larva vacates the host larva and develops externally on its surface as an ectoparasitoid. Such behaviour might be facilitated by the constant temperature and humidity inside the mine. Some peculiarities of parasitoid–host relationships are described and discussed.     

Larval development of the coronuloid barnacles Austrobalanus imperator (Darwin), Tetraclitella purpurascens (Wood) and Tesseropora rosea (Krauss) (Cirripedia,Tetraclitidae)

The presence of embryos in the mantle cavity of A. imperator, T. purpurascens and T. rosea was monitored over two years. Tesseropora rosea showed a clearly defined breeding season in summer and early autumn. Seasonal breeding in A. imperator and T. purpurascens was less well defined, a small number of gravid individuals being present during most of the year. Breeding increased during the late autumn and early winter in A. imperator and during winter, spring and early summer in T. purpurascens. The larval stages of A. imperator, T. purpurascens and T. rosea are described from larvae reared in the laboratory. Separation of the larval stages between these species depends on fine morphological detail. Distinctive larval features permit the separation of coronuloid larvae from those of the other balanomorph superfamilies, but coronuloid nauplii resemble balanoid nauplii more than chthamaloid nauplii.     

Japanese white-eyes (Aves: Zosteropidae) as potential pollinators of summer-flowering Taxillus kaempferi (Loranthaceae)

The pollination of summer-flowering plants by birds has rarely been reported in temperate Asia and Europe. However, we recorded the Japanese white-eye Zosterops japonicus (Passeriformes: Zosteropidae) visiting the flowers of the hemiparasitic plant Taxillus kaempferi (Loranthaceae) during mid-summer (July to August) in a temperate forest in central Japan. Field observations showed that Z. japonicus was an almost exclusive flower visitor of T. kaempferi. Specifically, Z. japonicus inserted their bills frequently into the flower tubes of T. kaempferi. The corollas of T. kaempferi were shorter than Z. japonicus bills, suggesting that Z. japonicus is able to obtain floral nectar from T. kaempferi. Close-up pictures of Z. japonicus visiting flowers showed that the upper bill and facial feathers of Z. japonicus came into contact with the reproductive organs of T. kaempferi, leading to the attachment of pollen to these body parts. Thus, Z. japonicus might act as an important pollinator of the summer-flowering plant T. kaempferi.?     

Parasitoids of larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Changbai Mountains

Eight parasitoids, Cleptes semiauratus (L.) (Chrysididae), Himerta impuncta Sheng, Polyblastus (Labroctonus) westringi Holmgren, Olesicampe erythropyga (Holmgren), Campodorus sp. and Mesochorus sp. (Ichneumonidae), Tritneptis lophyrorum (Ruschka) (Pteromalidae) and Myxexoristops sp. (Tachinidae), reared from cocoons of Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province in 2009–2010, are reported. Four hyperparasitoids of P. erichsonii, Phygadeuon bidentatus (Uchida) and Phygadeuon rugulosus Gravenhorst and Trichopria sp. (Diapriidae) reared from Myxexoristops sp., Phygadeuon sp. reared from C. semiauratus, are reported for the first time. The account ratio of Chrysididae, Ichneumonidae, Tachinidae and Pteromalidae was 59.5, 5.6, 32.4 and 2.4%, respectively. The parasitism rates of parasitoids of P. erichsonii were 31.5% in May 2009, 19.8% in October 2009 and 15.9% in June 2010. The emergence periods of parasitoids were from 16 May to 7 June 2009.     

Diagnoses,synonymies and occurrences of the pantropical millipeds,Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais) (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae: Trigoniulinae)

The trigoniuline millipeds, Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais), the latter apparently native to southeast Asia, have been introduced into Africa, Central and South America, and tropical islands throughout the world. Literature records are summarized, new localities are presented, and diagnostic statements and anatomical illustrations are provided. Full synonymies are presented, and the following new ones are proposed: under L. sorornus— Spirobolus suturalis Porat, S. sanctae-luciae Bollman, S. coquereli Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus ambonensis Attems, T. acolastus Silvestri, Glosselus musarum Cook, and nine names authored by R. V. Chamberlin— Cairibolus antonianus, T. frater, T. garmani, T. remotus and T. philippinus, Spirostrophus socius and S. javanus, Litobolus hanevavus, and Trucobolus townesi; under T. corallinus— Iulus sumatrensis Gervais, Spirobolus sanguineus Koch, S. goësi Porat, S. cinctipes Butler, S. rugosus Voges, six names by Karsch— S. detornatus, S. punctiplenus, S. signifer, S. decoratus, S. phranus and S. punctidives—S. dominicae Pocock, S. surinamensis Bollman, S. dorsopunctatus Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus sanguineus Tomosvary, T. tahitianus and T. amnestus, both by Chamberlin, and T. (Marshallbolus) takakuwai Verhoeff.     

The identity of Alcyonidium gelatinosum (Linnaeus, 1761) (Bryozoa: Ctenostomatida)

Since 1984, when Alcyonidium gelatinosum (Linnaeus, 1761) was shown not to be the free-growing species hitherto known by that name, it was assumed to be the valid name for A. polyoum (Hassall, 1841). We have established that its neotype is not a specimen of A. polyoum but of A. reticulum Ryland and Porter (2000) introduced for A. mytili auctt. non Dalyell (1848). A. reticulum must accordingly be relegated to the synonymy of A. gelatinosum. A. polyoum is a valid but different species and the provenance of Hassall's specimens is discussed. We deliberate the identity of the nominate species in Linnaeus' Fauna svecica (1761). While the occurrence of A. polyoum in the Kattegat-Mecklenburg Bight sea area cannot wholly be ruled out, the common species is A. reticulum (i.e. A. gelatinosum). The neotype does therefore represent the Swedish specimen(s) used by Linnaeus, and the identity of A. gelatinosum is at last correctly established.     

Encarsia (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitoids of Bemisia species in Taiwan (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

The whitefly genus Bemisia (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is represented by five species in Taiwan, including the notorious global pest Bemisia tabaci. A catalogue of Encarsia species attacking these whiteflies, based almost entirely on previously unpublished records, is provided. A key for the identification of the 17 Encarsia species known to parasitize Bemisia species in Taiwan is provided. Three new species, E. guangxingana Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov., E. lineolata Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov. and E. magnalata Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov., are described from Taiwan. These new species were all reared from Bemisia giffardi.     

Australian species of Sinella (Coecobrya) Yosii, 1956 (Collembola: Entomobryidae)

The Australian members of the subgenus, Sinella (Coecobrya) Yosii, are revised. A new species from Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, Sinella (Coecobrya) tropicalis sp. nov., is described, Sinella (Coecobrya) tenebricosa Folsom, 1902 is recorded from Australia for the first time, and new records of Sinella (Coecobrya) communis Chen and Christiansen, 1997 Chen, J‐X. and Christiansen, K. A. 1997. Subgenus Coecobrya of the genus Sinella (Collembola: Entomobryidae) with special reference to the species of China.. Annals of the American Society of Entomology, 90: 1–19.  [Google Scholar] are documented. Sinella (Coecobrya) caeca Schött, 1896 is considered a dubious record from Australia. A key is provided to the three known Australian species and a summary given of all dorsal and lateral chaetal patterns found on the fourth abdominal segment of subgenera Sinella Brook, 1882 Brook, G. 1882. On a new genus of Collembola (Sinella) allied to Degeeria Nicolet.. Journal of the Linnean Society of London (Zoology), 16: 541–545.  [Google Scholar] and Coecobrya Yosii, 1956 Yosii, R. 1956. Hohlencollembolen Japans II.. Japanese Journal of Zoology, 11(5): 609–627.  [Google Scholar]. The biogeography of the subgenus is described.     

A new genus and three new species of Phoridae (Diptera) parasitizing ants (Hymenoptera) in Sulawesi

Iridophora clarki gen. nov., sp. nov., Megaselia sembeli sp. nov. and M. kodongi sp. nov. are described. The females of I. clarki attack the workers of the ant Iridomyrmex cordatus (Smith). The same ant species is also attacked by M. sembeli, and the morphology of this species indicates that it is close to P. beirne Brues, the typespecies of the genus Plastophora. The loss of the type-material of the latter species prevented synonomy of the genus when it was re-evaluated (Disney, 1978). The detailed examination of M. sembeli now indicates that the genus Plastophora is a synonym of Megaselia (syn. nov.). A consequence is that P. dubitata Brues, 1935 becomes a homonym of M. dubitata (Malloch, 1912) and the replacement name M. bruesi nom. nov. is proposed. The females of M. kodongi attack workers of a species of Pheidologeton which forages on the forest floor. The habit of Iridomyrmex cordatus in using covered ways up trees appears to be related to its extreme vulnerability to attack by these two phorides.     

Superparasitism of Eoxenos laboulbenei De Peyerimhoff (Strepsiptera: Mengenillidae) by Idiomacromerus gregarius (Silvestri) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) in southern Spain

A female puparium of Eoxenos laboulbenei De Peyerimhoff (Strepsiptera: Insecta) found in Mula, Murcia, Spain was parasitized by five larvae of Idiomacromerus gregarius (Silvestri) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Torymidae). The parasitized puparium was kept in the laboratory until the following summer, when four I. gregarius adults emerged from it. This species of chalcidoid is rarely found. It was first described in 1943 from Italy by Silvestri and the present report is the first record from Spain. Here we re-examine and redescribe the newly discovered specimens of I. gregarius, add further details about its morphology and give a brief account of its biology including a new record (the mengenillid E. laboulbenei).     

Laboratory studies of a tettigoniid (Insecta: Orthoptera) Ruspolia differens (Serville): colour polymorphism

The occurrence of the siphonostomatoid copepod, Sphaeronella leuckartii Salensky, in the marsupium of the amphipod Aora gracilis (Bate) was studied in Lough Hyne, south-west Ireland. A maximum of 12·9% of A. gracilis females were infected in any monthly sample derived from the sponges Halichondria panicea (Pallas) and Hymeniacidon perleve (Montagu), but up to 42·9% per month from plastic-mesh substrata. The parasitism of Amphipoda by Sphaeronella species is reviewed.     

Two new species of the subgenus Cacoxenus (Nankangomyia) from the Oriental Region (Diptera,Drosophilidae)

Two new species of the subgenus Cacoxenus (Nankangomyia) Máca and Lin, 1993 Máca, J. and Lin, F. J. 1993. The Drosophilidae of Taiwan: genera Amiota (excluding subgenus Phortica) and Leucophenga (Nankangomyia subg. nov.).. Bulletin of the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, 32: 1–11.  [Google Scholar] are described: C. (N.) gani sp. nov. from southwest China and C. (N.) unipaxillus sp. nov. from Myanmar. The diagnosis of Nankangomyia is revised.     

New oriental aradid bugs in the collections of the British Museum (Natural History) (Insecta: Hemiptera)

Summary

The following new taxa of Oriental Aradidae are described: Acoryphocoris duodecimus sp. nov. (Sulawesi), A. minor sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Apaniocoris micropterus gen. and sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Aphelocoris minutissimus sp. nov. (Sarawak), Arictus gracilis sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Artabanus burmensis sp. nov. (Borneo), Chelonocoris tomentosus sp. nov. (Malaya), Chinessa kokodensis sp. nov. (New Guinea), C. major sp. nov. (New Guinea), Crimia tertia sp. nov. (Java), Magdalenia excelsa gen. and sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Mastigocoris insularis sp. nov. (Christmas Is, Indian Ocean), Mezira mekongensis sp. nov. (Laos), M. submontana sp. nov. (India), Mezira (Zimera) kachinensis sp. nov. (Burma), Neuroctenus perplexus sp. nov. (Bhutan), Notoplocaptera breviceps sp. nov. (N. Borneo), N. dollingi sp. nov. (N. Borneo), Overlaetiella elongata sp. nov. (Sulawesi), Parapictinus confusus sp. nov. (Sri Lanka), Proxius (Nesoproxius) malayensis sp. nov. (Malaya), Scironocoris malayensis sp. nov. (Malaya), and Usingerida longirostris sp. nov. (India).

Males of Artabanus magnificus Kormilev and Dimorphacantha luchti (Kiritshenko) are described for the first time. Brachyrhynchus lignicolus Kirby is transferred to the genus Neuroctenus as a new combination and redescribed. The following new synonymies are proposed: Melvertes Vásárhelyi, 1976=Notoplocaptera Usinger and Matsuda, 1959 syn. nov., and Chinessa furcella Vásárhelyi, 1976=C. bispiniceps Walker, 1873 syn. nov.     

Chinese psyllids in the genus Cacopsylla (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea) associated with Spiraea (Rosaceae)

The Chinese Cacopsylla species associated with Spiraea are revised. Three new species (Cacopsylla falcata sp. nov., C. nocturna sp. nov. and C. qilianensis sp. nov.) are described, and two [C. hyalinonemae Li and Yang, 1989 and C. spiraeicola (Li, 2011) comb. nov.] are redescribed. A new combination is also proposed for Cacopsylla tetrotaenialis (Li and Yang, 1989) comb. nov. Among the five species, C. falcata and C. qilianensis are affirmed to develop on Spiraea, as fifth instar immatures were found. The host plants of the other species remain uncertain. Based on morphological grounds, it is suggested that C. falcata and C. nocturna are closely related, but that the five species associated with Spiraea do not constitute a monophyletic group.