Rediscovering Dichotomius foveicollis (Kirsch, 1871) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae), new combination,revalidation and other taxonomic notes

ABSTRACT

We found that Pinotus foveicollis synonym of D. agenor, does not belong to this group of species, neither is synonym of D. agenor. Here the species is revalidated to Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) foveicollis, the female is re-described, and the male is described for the first time. Based on male diagnostic characters the species is moved from D. agenor to D. inachus species-group.     

A new species of Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) associated with Sphodroscarta trivirgata (Amyot & Serville, 1843) (Auchenorrhyncha: Aphrophoridae) from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

ABSTRACT

A new species of Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is described, C. amorimi nov. sp. based on a series obtained from pupae associated with nymphs of Sphodroscarta trivirgata (Amyot & Serville, 1843) (Auchenorrhyncha: Aphrophoridae) collected on the National Forest of Caxiuanã in the Brazilian Amazon, State of Pará. The new species belong so the dykra species group, being closely related to Cladochaeta erecta Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:39052AE8-3C55-4C92-A78E-3AB46C9D3C8A     

A new species of Prosimulium Roubaud (Diptera:Simuliidae) from Rhodesia

Summary

A new species of Prosimulium from Rhodesia is described and placed in the damarense-group; this species-group is defined and keys are given for the identification of its three constituent species in larval, pupal and adult stages.     

A review of the species of Neococcidencyrtus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), parasites of diaspidid scale insects

A key is provided to the 18 known species of Neococcidencyrtus. Platylyca is synonymized with Neococcidencyrtus and its type-species, quadraticeps, is transferred to Neococcidencyrtus. The following species are described as new: brenhindis, cleddis, cliradainis, colynis, cullainis, delis, dryslydis, hynodis, melynis, selogis, synodis, and two further undescribed species are keyed but not formally described. All available published information on the biology and distribution of each species is listed and the pest status of the hosts is included.     

Revision of the southern African genus Frankenbergerius Balthasar with description of new taxa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

The southern African genus Frankenbergerius Balthasar is revised. Two new species, F. opacus sp. n. and F. nitidus sp. n. (South Africa, Western Cape), and one new subspecies, F. armatus tuberculatus ssp. n. (South Africa, Mpumalanga), are described. F. imitativus (Péringuey) is considered a junior synonym of F. forcipatus (Harold). A key to the species and notes on biology are given.     

A new genus of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

ABSTRACT

A new genus of the tribe Deltochilini, Atlantemolanum new genus, endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, is proposed here to include two species formerly described in the genus Deltochilum based on the unique morphologic characters shared by Deltochilum riehli = Atlantemolanum riehli (Harold 1868) new combination and Deltochilum costalimai = Atlantemolanum costalimai (Pereira and D’Andretta 1955) new combination.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7BBD89C3-2F23-4CEF-9560-C29695631E04     

Dorcadionini of Turkey (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The Dorcadionini fauna of Turkey is reviewed, and a complete list with type information and provincial distributions is presented. Two hundred and seventy-eight species-group taxa are catalogued in total. This represents approximately 35% of the known Palaearctic Dorcadionini fauna. The Turkish Dorcadionini fauna is characterised by 227 endemic species-group taxa. So its endemism ratio is very high (approximately 82%). Distributions of the taxa in Turkey are given based on available literature records. Taxa in the list are arranged systematically under tribe, genus, subgenus (when recognised), species and subspecies (when recognised). The species group taxa whose occurrences in Turkey need conformation are not included in the list but are given separately. Additionally, two taxa are removed from the list: Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) investitum Breuning in Braun, 1978a as nomen nudum and Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) rosinae K. Daniel in Bodemeyer, 1900 as nomen nudum; and two taxa are given as status nov. and comb. nov.: Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) atritarse Pic, 1931a and Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) equestre bernhauerorum Peks, 2010. Moreover, a checklist of Dorcadionini of Turkey is presented in an appendix.     

A new genus and species of the termitophilous Neotropical Hybosorinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Hybosoridae) associated with Cornitermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) in the Cerrado ecoregion in Brazil

The new hybosorine genus Taisia Frolov, Ocampo, Akhmetova et Vaz-de-Mello, gen. nov. is described from T. cornitermitis Frolov, Ocampo, Akhmetova et Vaz-de-Mello, sp. nov. from Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Taisia gen. nov. can be easily distinguished from the rest of the Neotropical Hybosorinae genera by the following characters: mandibular teeth long and robust; pronotum with serrate lateral margins; scutellum with two deep rectangular fossae basally; and metatibial apex protruding. Males of T. cornitermitis sp. nov. differ in having feather-like setae on the three basal tarsomeres of meso- and protarsi. The new taxon is associated with termites Cornitermes cf. bequaerti Emerson, 1952.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:439DDABB-EBC2-4870-AA05-76ADC3BDB7D9     

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     

An identification guide to Eurysternine dung beetles (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae)

An identification guide to the genus Eurysternus is presented. One new species, confusus is described from South America. The synonymies inflexus (Germar) (=planipennis Lucas), parallelus Castelnau (=femoralis Lucas), hirtellus Dalman (=cirratus Harold), calligrammus Dalman (=opacus Lucas), foedus Guérin-Méneville (=claudicans Kirsch), velutinus Bates (=hypocrita Balthasar), and caribaeus (Herbst)(=peruanus Harold) are established, and four previously established synonymies confirmed. Lectotypes are designated for the following species of Eurysternus: mexicanus Harold, plebejus Harold, angustulus Harold, velutinus Bates, hypocrita Balthasar, hamaticollis Balthasar, nebulosus Kirsch, peruanus Harold, sulcifer Balthasar, cirratus Harold, planipennis Lucas, cyanescens Balthasar, femoralis Lucas, and for Onitis deplanatus Germar.

Neotypes are designated for the following species of Eurysternus: magnus Castelnau, marmoreus Castelnau, impressicollis Castelnau, foedus Guérin-Méneville, hirtellus Dalman, opatrinus Perty, parallelus Castelnau, cayennensis Castelnau, and for Scarabaeus caribaeus Herbst.

Type-species are designated for the genera Eurysternus Dalman and Aeschrotes Saint-Fargeau & Serville.     

Description of the aberrant Leptopilina lasallei n. sp., with an updated phylogeny of Leptopilina Förster (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae)

ABSTRACT

In the search for native Asian parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii, the notorious spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), an odd new species of Eucoilinae was discovered. Leptopilina lasallei sp. nov. is herein described and diagnosed relative to other eucoilines associated with drosophilid hosts. Morphologically, L. lasallei is somewhat aberrant within Leptopilina; phylogenetically, L. lasallei is sister group to the core Leptopilina. In the process of investigating L. lasallei, a de novo molecular phylogeny of Leptopilina was generated and is included here. The integrated approach used for the characterisation of L. lasallei, and the resulting phylogeny of Leptopilina, produced data useful to select parasitoid species for SWD biological control.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:402D504A-4616-4524-85D7-1C13A6276F06 http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:402D504A-4616-4524-85D7-1C13A6276F06     

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     

New dung beetle genus and species from a cave in the Espinhaço mountain range,Brazil (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

ABSTRACT

Based on a single specimen collected in a cave in the municipality of Diamantina, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, we describe Isacanthon mariaelinae Pacheco and Vaz-de-Mello, a new genus and species of dung beetles. The new genus is closely related to Paracanthon, Paracryptocanthon, Cryptocanthon and Tesserodoniella, but it can be distinguished by clypeus with two teeth, which appear to originate beneath clypeal margin, and metatibiae with one distinct tooth at basal two-fifth.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D810C791-D5CD-43BF-9277-BE90E66BFE15     

First record of the genus Tanaostigma (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea, Tanaostigmatidae) from the Afrotropical region with description of three new species

ABSTRACT

The genus Tanaostigma is newly recorded from the Afrotropical region and three new species are described: Tanaostigma lasallei van Noort sp. nov. (South Africa), Tanaostigma mulu van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya) and Tanaostigma ukumbusho van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya). We provide comprehensive images of the holotypes and an illustrated identification key to the African species. New country distribution records are provided for Tanaostigmodes tambotis Prinsloo & LaSalle, 1995. All images presented here as well as supplementary images and online keys are available on www.waspweb.org

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:61D1A59D-3702-480A-B146-73067C29CD82     

The bryozoan genus Conopeum (Electridae) in New Zealand,with description of a new species and discussion of the morphological and genetic characters of Conopeum seurati (Canu, 1928)

ABSTRACT

The status of Conopeum Gray, 1848 in New Zealand is clarified, confirming the presence of three living species – one a naturalised alien, one new to science, and a third that is also known in the Pleistocene. Conopeum seurati (Canu, 1928), a Mediterranean-European species, is naturalised at three localities in New Zealand – Opua, Whangarei Harbour and Whanganui Inlet. Conopeum antipodum n. sp., previously confused with C. seurati, is an estuarine species distributed from Kaipara Harbour to Lyttelton Harbour and is also found in Te Whanga Lagoon at Chatham Island (all New Zealand localities). Conopeum oretiensis Uttley, 1951, first described from Foveaux Strait, is known as far north as Kaipara and Manukau Harbours and is known as a Pleistocene fossil from Napier, New Zealand. There is one other solely fossil New Zealand species – Plio-Pleistocene Electra ongleyi Brown, 1952 is transferred to Conopeum. Sequence data from the 18SrDNA locus confirm that Conopeum antipodum n. sp. is resolved within Conopeum and is distinct from C. seurati.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4FED6730-1C70-4420-B1DA-F1D9046221DF http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org.pub:5C130A99-0869-44A2-885C-338005FBCE07     

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) prey in Evros (Greece) and the discovery of a new mammal for the Greek fauna

ABSTRACT

Small mammals are key elements of terrestrial ecosystems, yet in south-eastern Europe many questions about their taxonomy and distribution remain unanswered. This is particularly true for the small mammal fauna of Greece. We investigated the distribution of small mammals in the district of Evros (NE Greece) through Tyto alba pellet analysis and live-trapping in 19 localities (29 samplings). We collected remains from a total 2434 individual vertebrates through pellet analyses and captured 110 small mammals through live trapping. We provide data on the distribution and community composition in the corresponding localities, for 17 small mammal species (11 rodents and 6 insectivores). Our findings include the first record of Myomimus roachi in Greece, a result facilitated by the yearly dynamics of Microtus sp. populations, as well as the first record of Sorex minutus in Evros. The Barn owl’s main prey (by percentage, allocated to genera) were Crocidura (29.7%) Mus (27%) Microtus (23.2%) and Apodemus (13%).     

Revision of the Trogidae of South America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

The South American Trogidae are revised. Three genera, Trox Fabricius, Omorgus Erichson (with two subgenera, Omorgus and Haroldomorgus Scholtz), and Polynoncus Burmeister, and 47 species are recorded from the continent and its islands. Trox is represented by the ubiquitous introduced species T. scaber (L.), Omorgus is represented by 13 species and Polynoncus by 33 species. Five new species are described and all others are re-described. A key to all taxa is provided. Adults of all species and their male genitalia are illustrated and their distributions mapped. Observations are presented on phylogeny, zoogeography and biology. The new species are O. capillaceus, O. indigenus, O. nocheles, P. erugatus and P. gibberosus. Four new synonymies are proposed (synonyms listed first): O. triestinae Pittino = P. suberosus (Fabricius); P. furcifer Pittino = P. bifurcatus (Vaurie); P. parafurcatus occidentalis Pittino and P. furcillifer Pittino = P. parafurcatus Pittino. Omorgus badeni (Harold) is reinstated as a valid species. Lectotypes are designated for O. batesi (Harold) and O. badeni (Harold).