The pygmaeus-group of Euops Schoenherr (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea, Attelabidae), weevils associated with Nothofagus in New Guinea

A new species group of Euops Schoenherr from the highlands of New Guinea is described and referred to as the ‘pygmaeus-group’. It is comprised of 14 species which, except for E. singularis VOSS, are described as new: E. anggiensis sp. n., E. bicolor sp. n., E. convexus sp. n., E. fraterculus sp. n., E. ibelensis sp. n., E. kurulu sp. n., E. nothofagi sp. n., E. parvus sp. n., E. paraconvexus sp. n., E. platyrostris sp. n., E. porulosus sp. n., E. pygmaeus sp. n., and E. sedlaceki sp. n.. Most of the species are of relatively small body size. They form a monophyletic group characterized by the synapomorphic loss of the ventral suture between the galea and palpifer of the maxilla. Two other groups are recognized, the eucalypti-group and the quadrifasciculatus-group. They are believed to be closely related to the pygmaeus-group and all three species groups together are referred to as the ‘pygmaeus-complex’. A cladistic analysis of the pygmaeus-group is performed. All species with host records are reported to feed on the fresh leaf flush of Nothofagus. This is the first record of a group of leaf-chewing arthropods restricted to the subgenus Brassospora of Nothofagus.     

New findings of Hexalona-branch representatives in Brazil,with a description of Prenda gen. nov. (Crustacea: Anomopoda: Aloninae)

Altogether, Coronatella and Hexalona-branches are considered the main lineages of Aloninae – a subfamily of common bottom-dwelling microcrustaceans in freshwater environments. Although the taxonomic features of Brazilian members of the Hexalona-branch have been summarised for species from the costata-group and affinis-group, a revision of other widely distributed species in the world is still lacking in this country. The aim of this paper was to study the morphology of Brazilian populations from the guttata-group and intermedia-group, and to describe a new genus from the Hexalona-branch. The parthenogenetic females of Alona cf. guttata from Brazil have similar morphology when compared to data from the literature, but the armature of the terminal claw of its males seems to be different from those of Alona guttata sensu stricto, Alona barbulata and Alona werestschagini. The intermedia-group is formed by Alona elisae sp. nov., which seems to be endemic to the Cerrado of Brazil Central, and Alona isabellae sp. nov., which is widely distributed in Brazil; this species has a labral keel armed with 2–4 setulae, and postabdomen with setulae of lateral fascicles longer than the level of marginal denticles, morphological traits that differentiate it from Alona elisae sp. nov. Another endemic species from the Hexalona-branch is Prenda arvensis gen. nov. and sp. nov., which has two main head pores, a reduced seta on endite 1 of the first limb, sixth limb is a wide lobe. The potential of biodiversity from the Hexalona-branch from Brazil is still underestimated, and a global revision of the guttata-group and intermedia-group is very important for the progress of Aloninae taxonomy and systematics.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A2E4A30-0C9C-43E8-8E72-1DEDA6AFF3C3     

A new lacewing species of the Chrysoperla carnea species-group from central Asia associated with conifers (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

ABSTRACT

Chrysoperla duellii sp. nov. is discovered, associated with coniferous vegetation, in the Kyrgyz Republic in central Asia, co-occurring with two other cryptic species of the Chrysoperla carnea-group. It is distinguished by its courtship duetting song, which exhibits a uniquely complex multi-volleyed temporal and tonal structure but is nevertheless noticeably convergent on the species-specific song of another conifer-associated member of the carnea-group, C. downesi (Smith), from North America. The song of C. duellii also shows some superficial similarity to those of European/north African C. mediterranea (Hölzel) and southern Californian C. calocedrii Henry et al., both of which, like C. duellii, prefer conifers and exhibit dark-green adult body pigmentation. The new species is herein formally described as Chrysoperla duellii Henry, Taylor and Johnson and is shown to be diagnosable by song and morphology from all other known members of the Chrysoperla carnea-group. Results of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) of C. duellii and five other carnea-group species strongly reject the hypothesis that similar songs and dark-green body colour among the four conifer-associated species are due to common ancestry, instead supporting independent, parallel acquisition of such features.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4CA5BE5F-B4B9-4A7D-A801-C9AE1E895D0B     

Description of new Ceratitis MacLeay (Diptera,Tephritidae) species from Africa

As an addition to earlier published systematic revisions of the genus Ceratitis MacLeay, five new species are hereby described: Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) millicentae sp. n., C. (Ceratalaspis) oraria sp. n., C. (C.) perisae sp. n., and C. (C.) perseus, sp. n. all from Kenya, and C. (C.) ealensis sp. n. from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their relationship with closely allied species within the respective subgenera is discussed and differentiating characters given.     

Freshwater ostracods (Crustacea) from Tiantong National Forest Park and Dongqian Lake,eastern China,with descriptions of two new species

In this study, 192 samples were collected and analyzed from diverse water bodies in the Tiantong National Forest Park and Dongqian lake in Zhejiang Province, China. Twenty living ostracod species were identified, belonging to four families, eight subfamilies and 15 genera. Among them, two species are new, belonging to the genera Ilyocypris and Schellencandona; seven species, including Dolerocypris ikeyai Smith and Kamiya, 2006, Pseudocandona abei Smith and Janz, 2008, Stenocypris hirutai Smith and Kamiya, 2006, S. viridis Okubo, 1990, Tanycypris alfonsi Nagler et al., 2014, T. centa Chang et al., 2012 and Vestalenula cornelia Smith et al., 2006, are new records for China; nine species are reported only from Asia: Candonopsis (Candonopsis) transgrediens Brehm, 1923, Chrissia dongqianhuensis Kong et al., 2014, Dolerocypris ikeyai Smith and Kamiya, 2006, Ilyocypris dui n. sp., Pseudocandona abei Smith and Janz, 2008, Schellencandona dui n. sp., Stenocypris hirutai Smith and Kamiya, 2006, S. viridis Okubo, 1990 and Vestalenula cornelia Smith et al., 2006. Of the above species, the two new species, Schellencandona dui n. sp. and Ilyocypris dui n. sp., are described and illustrated, and Stenocypris viridis is re-described.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2D679051-CBA2-4B09-BCF0-E0152EBC2694     

A revision of Tachyphron Brown and description of two new genera within the Ariphron group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)

The Australasian genus Tachyphron Brown is revised, and two new New Guinean genera, Deuterothynnus gen. n. and Heligmothynnus gen. n., described. Fifteen species are included in Tachyphron of which seven are described as new (T. aculeatus sp. n., T. athertonensis sp. n., T. mantonensis sp. n., T. neosubfragilis sp. n., T. nigrisetatus sp. n., T. planus sp. n. and T. townsvillensis sp. n.), and a further two, Aelurus comatus Smith and Aelurus fragilis Smith, transferred from Tachynomyia. Thynnus insularis Smith is transferred from Tachynomyia Guérin to Deuterothynnus and a further three new species, D. fulvicentratus sp. n., D. fulvisetatus sp. n. and D. parallelus sp. n. described. Aelurus atratus Cameron and Takyomyia sabronensis Kimsey are transferred from Tachynomyia and Tachyphron, respectively, to Heligmothynnus and a further two new species, H. microspinus sp. n. and H. neoaratus sp. n. described. T. megacephala (Turner) is synonymized with Tachynoides flavopicta (Ritsema) and, therefore, removed from Tachyphron. A key to the Ariphron group of genera is provided, as well as keys to the males of Tachyphron, Deuterothynnus and Heligmothynnus, although the male of D. insularis is associated tentatively with the female holotype only on the basis of collection records. Only the females of D. insularis, T. armidalensis Brown and T. subtriangularus Brown are known, the latter two being described for the first time. Evidence is presented to suggest that T. subtriangularus may be bivoltine in northern Australia.     

Revision of Afrotropical Chonocephalus Wandolleck (Diptera: Phoridae)

Chonocephalus justini sp. nov., C. modestus sp. nov. and C. pudicus sp. nov. are described from the Seychelles; C. cummingae sp. nov. is described from Madagascar, South Africa and Zimbabwe; and C. cautus sp. nov. and C. steineri sp. nov. from Madagascar. C. dimakae Paulian is synonymized with C. depressus Meijere. A key to males and a partial key to the females of the 14 Afrotropical species are provided.     

Revision of the genus Erythracarus Berlese (Acarina: Anystidae: Erythracarinae)

The mite genus Erythracarus is revised and redefined and the new pyrrholeucus species group is described. The type species of Erythracarus is established as E. ruricola and the previous designation of Trombidium parietinum as the type is thus declared invalid. Bechsteinia and Chabrieria are newly synonymized with Erythracarus. Nine new species are described: Erythracarus amnicolus n. sp., E. avius n. sp., E. barbarus n. sp., E. ciliatus n. sp., E. decoris n. sp., E. elegans n. sp., E. flavipes n. sp., E. katherinae n. sp. and E. nasutus n. sp. The species E. parietinus, E. pyrrholeucus, E. festinus and E. grahami are redescribed and identification keys to known species and instars of Erythracarus are presented. E. cluozzai is made a junior synonym of Tarsolarkus articulosus, Bechsteinia solarii and Erythraeus spinatus are made junior synonyms of Erythracarus parietinus, while Bechsteinia californica, B. schneideri and Tarsotomus terminalis are all made junior synonyms of E. pyrrholeucus. E. simku is found to be a nomen nudum. E. pyrrholeucus is recorded for the first time from Australia, Iran and the Ukraine and E. parietinus for the first time from the western United States. The only record of E. parietinus from Australia is shown to be based on a misidentification. Observations on reproductive behaviour are made for five Erythracarus species. All of these reproduce sexually by means of stalked spermatophores, the shape of which is species specific. Spermatophores are often deposited on top of one another, possibly indicating sperm competition. Males of one species, E. pyrrholeucus, are unknown and this species is thus likely to be thelytokous. Some Erythracarus species are oviparous. E. ciliatus and E. parietinus are ovoviviparous or viviparous. Prelarvae that were studied were immotile except for those of E. ciliatus, which were able to move their legs. Immotility is a derived character state in Erythracarus and possibly an adaptation to more protected habitats.     

Systematics and phylogeny of Eodrepanus,a new Drepanocerine genus,with comments on biogeographical data (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Oniticellini)

We describe here Eodrepanus gen. nov., currently comprising nine species, six previously assigned to the genus Drepanocerus and three described as new (namely, E. morgani sp. nov., E. paolae sp. nov. and E. coopei sp. nov.). Two of the new species have an Afrotropical distribution, while the last is an Eemian fossil species from England. Maximum parsimony was used to analyse reciprocal relationships among the species of Eodrepanus gen. nov., and four of the 24 species remaining in Drepanocerus. Support for these phylogenies was evaluated using the Bootstrap method and Bayesian inference as implemented in MrBayes. The biogeography of Eodrepanus gen. nov. was analysed using several different methods, namely, analysis of similarity (Ochiai Index), dispersal–vicariance analysis and parsimony analysis of endemicity.     

Revision of Indian species of Baeus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelionidae)

ABSTRACT

Baeus senus Kozlov and Lê from Vietnam and B. primitus Rajmohana from India are the only two species of the genus known from the Oriental region. Thirty eight new species of Baeus are here described from India: B. acuminatus sp. n., B. agniparvathus sp. n., B. airavata sp. n., B. arachnophagus sp. n., B. bagheera sp. n., B. bharathiae sp. n., B. chakora sp. n., B. chitrasena sp. n., B. ciprianii sp. n., B. densipilosus sp. n., B. flaviscapus sp. n., B. gajakarna sp. n., B. giganteus sp. n., B. himalayanus sp. n., B. krishnareddyi sp. n., B. krumbiegeli sp. n., B. kubera sp. n., B. longiabdominalis sp. n., B. mahanetra sp. n., B. mareecha sp. n., B. menaka sp. n., B. nbairus sp. n., B. nicobarensis sp. n., B. pygmaeus sp. n., B. rachanae sp. n., B. rambha sp. n., B. ravana sp. n., B. reticulatus sp. n., B. sreedeviae sp. n., B. striatus sp. n., B. takshaka sp. n., B. tejaswii sp. n., B. tilottama sp. n., B. tripurasundari sp. n., B. tumburu sp. n., B. urvashi sp. n., B. vichitra sp. n. and B. xanthoclavatus sp. n. A key to the Indian species of Baeus is provided along with illustrations.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:878C5BFB-C2CB-4163-A08B-C761B4C6F087     

Taxonomic revision of the fruit fly genus Perilampsis Bezzi (Diptera,Tephritidae)

The Afrotropical fruit fly genus Perilampsis Austen is revised. In total, 17 species are recognized of which three are new to science: P. deemingi sp. nov., P. incohata sp. nov., and P. rubella sp. nov. Perilampsis thyene Munro is considered a junior synonym of P. amazuluana Munro. All species are described or re-described, with illustrations of wing patterns and female terminalia where deemed necessary for unambiguous identification. Their host-specificity is briefly discussed. An identification key to species is provided.     

Classification,reconstructed phylogeny and geographic history of the Neotropical phorid flies of the genus Gymnophora (Diptera: Phoridae)

The Neotropical species of Gymnophora are revised to include 28 species, 17 of which are new. Two subgenera, Cerocratia (in a revised sense) and Gymnophora s.s. are recognized. Cerocratia includes Gymnophora triangularis sp. nov., G. acutangula Schmitz, G. latibrachia sp. nov., G. lacertosa sp. nov., G. chilensis Borgmeier, G. parachilensis sp. nov., G. aemula Borgmeier, G. forticornis Schmitz, and doubtfully G. colona Brues. G. adumbrata Borgmeier is considered as a junior synonym of G. aemula (syn. nov.). Within Gymnophora s.s. there are four major lineages, the G. commotria-group, the G. carina-group, the G. cymatoneura-group and the G. quartomollis-group. Of these, the G. carina-group and the G. quartomollis-group are known only from the Holarctic Region. The G. commotria-group consists of the G. forcipis-series, containing G. forcipis sp. nov., subuncata sp. nov. and uncata sp. nov., and G. damula-series, whose species are further organized into the G. strigula-subseries, containing G. strigula sp. nov. and G. unidentata sp. nov., plus the G. falciformis-subseries, containing G. alces sp. nov., damula sp. nov. and falciformis sp. nov. Also included in the G. commotria-group are eight residual species whose relationships cannot be deduced at this time. Three of these species, G. commotria Schmitz, penai sp. nov. and quadrata sp. nov. are more closely related to each other than to G. auricula sp. nov., brasiliensis Borgmeier, heteroneura Schmitz, inusitata sp. nov. and trispina sp. nov. The G. cymatoneura-group contains G. cymatoneura Enderlein and G. spiracularis Borgmeier, and the male of G. spiracularis is described for the first time. A key is given that permits identification of males of most species, but females cannot be identified with certainty. A partially sequenced classification of the genus indicates the relationships of most of the included species. The genus may have originated in the Neotropical Region, although the evidence is tenuous, and shows some similarity of distribution to Andean-centered plant groups.     

Nine new species of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from the Russian Far East

Nine new species of Braconidae from the Russian Far East are described and illustrated: Tebennotoma spasskensis sp. n., Parahormius bikinus sp. n., Colastes (Colastes) ussuricus sp. n., C. (Shawiana) kurilensis sp. n., C. (S.) bohayicus sp. n., Oncophanes makarkini sp. n., Doryctes slavianka sp. n., Brulleia chankaica sp. n., Cardiochiles turga sp. n. The genera Tebennotoma Enderlein and Brulleia Szépligeti are recorded for the Russian fauna for the first time.     

A revision of the species of the Neoserica (sensu lato) vulpes group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini)

This paper revises the species belonging to the Neoserica (sensu lato) vulpes group and results in one new combination, Neoserica (sensu lato) vulpes (Arrow, 1946) comb. nov., and 24 new species originating mainly from south-western China: N. baishuiensis sp. nov., N. baoshana sp. nov., N. biuncinata sp. nov., N. dundai sp. nov., N. ganhaiziana sp. nov., N. heishuiana sp. nov., N. kereni sp. nov., N. laocaiana sp. nov., N. lateriuncinata sp. nov., N. leiboensis sp. nov., N. luzhouana sp. nov., N. ningyuanensis sp. nov., N. nykli sp. nov., N. parausta sp. nov., N. pseudovulpes sp. nov., N. rubellula sp. nov., N. ruzickai sp. nov., N. shinkaisiensis sp. nov., N. sichuanica sp. nov., N. usta sp. nov., N. weishanensis sp. nov., N. xiaguanensis sp. nov., N. kunmingensis sp. nov. and N. yangjiapingensis sp. nov. A key to species and illustrations of genitalia and habitus of adults are given, including distribution maps of all species.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3FE6CC54-DB3A-4201-A6F9-332E4A397268     

Psocoptera (Insecta) from Bermuda

Seventeen species of Psocoptera are recorded from Bermuda, increasing the known number from three. Four new species are described: Echmepteryx atlantica n. sp., Caecilius bermudensis n. sp., Indiopsocus hilburni n. sp., and I. nebulosus n. sp. The latter two species appear to be closely related and two alternative hypotheses are proposed for their origin. Ectopsocus spilotus Thornton and Wong is recorded outside the central Pacific area for the first time. The species are assigned to four categories according to probable duration of time on Bermuda and probable source of original invaders: (1) endemics (four species); (2) species with wide distributions in the tropics and subtropics, not restricted to islands and sea coasts (four species); (3) species largely restricted to sea coasts and islands, not necessarily tropical (three species); (4) species widely distributed in southeastern United States, not restricted to the sea coast or the subtropical region (five species).     

First described fossil representatives of the parasitoid wasp taxa Asaphesinae n. n. and Eunotinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae sensu lato) from Eocene Baltic amber

ABSTRACT

New Baltic amber species of Pteromalidae sensu lato are described, from two different subfamilies, Asaphesinae n. n. and Eunotinae. Asaphesinae is provided as a replacement name for Asaphinae Ashmead 1904, which is a junior homonym of the trilobite family Asaphidae Burmeister 1843. Coriotela lasallei gen. n., sp. n.. and Butiokeras costae gen. n., sp. n.. are described as the first known fossil species of Asaphesinae and Eunotinae, respectively. These species establish the minimum known age of both groups in the Eocene. Taxonomic changes are also proposed for some extant species. The genus Desantisiana Neder de Román syn. n.. is found to be a junior synonym of Notoglyptus, and its only described species is transferred as Notoglyptus jujuyensis (Neder de Román) comb. n.. The tribe Calyconotiscini, previously classified in Eunotinae, is abolished and Calyconotiscus Narendran & Saleem is transferred to Pireninae.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A107FF9-28E7-40AA-8A9B-71321E476C07     

Homichloda barkeri (Jacoby) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), a candidate agent for the biocontrol of prickly acacia,Acacia nilotica (Mimosaceae) in Australia

The status of Homichloda barkeri (Jacoby) n. comb. is discussed. A key is presented to four Afrotropical Homichloda species, including fulva n. sp. The eggs, larvae and pupae of H. barkeri are described for the first time. Unusual adult and immature stage characters are discussed in relation to the placement of Homichloda in the Alticinae.     

Eight new species of the genus Promalactis (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) from Indonesia,with a checklist of the genus

Eight new species of Promalactis were discovered from Indonesia: Promalactis diazomatis sp. nov., Promalactis hamatella sp. nov., Promalactis ingenticula sp. nov., Promalactis laetusella sp. nov., Promalactis latifundus sp. nov., Promalactis minutispina sp. nov., Promalactis mooatana sp. nov. and Promalactis trigonilancis sp. nov. Illustrations of adults and genitalia of the new species and taxonomic information for the six previously known species from Indonesia are provided. A checklist of the genus in Indonesia is given.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E25224C7-2D41-4F5A-A4BB-41AA1307E0C0     

The genus Cremastobaeus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae: Cremastobaeini) from India

Cremastobaeus belonging to the monotypic tribe Cremastobaeini is represented by 24 species worldwide. Only two species, C. indicus Mukerjee and C. unicolor Rajmohana are known from India. Surveys conducted from different parts of India including the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands resulted in 22 species of Cremastobaeus of which 20 are new to science. These 20 species are C. boolei sp. nov., C. breviabdominus sp. nov., C. cornutus sp. nov., C. eila sp. nov., C. foveatus sp. nov., C. fuscus sp. nov., C. longigaster sp. nov., C. luteus sp. nov., C. mahaviraii sp. nov., C. nicobarensis sp. nov., C. nigricephalus sp. nov., C. nigrifemoralis sp. nov., C. parallelogaster sp. nov., C. robustus sp. nov., C. suvarnadeha sp. nov., C. tanugatra sp. nov., C. valmikii sp. nov., C. variegatus sp. nov., C. varuna sp. nov. and C. yoganarasimha sp. nov. The main diagnostic characters are shape and size of metanotum, horn on T1 and sculpture of metasomal tergites. All 22 species are imaged and keyed.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B34883C-F8BC-4DFB-9807-E2F73AA04DAD