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     

黑龙江水湿生花卉及其应用

对黑龙江省具有观赏应用前景的水生花卉的形态、习性和应用作了简要综合报道,旨在对其了解与应用提供基本参考资料.     

Explicit nomenclature and classification in Pliny’s Natural History XXXII

Pliny’s Natural History has been traditionally considered as the unoriginal work of an uncritical compiler. This has also been held to be true of the “biological” books, especially when one compares them with the works of Aristotle, one of Pliny’s main authorities in this domain. Aristotle’s achievements would be remarkable, especially in the field of classification, of which the philosopher is traditionally celebrated as the scientific father. However, by carefully reading HN XXXII it is possible to find a certain “taxonomic” awareness—as, for instance, the need for a more accurate nomenclature in order to distinguish some aquatic animals beyond the proliferation of different vernacular terms—which is not to be found in the works of Aristotle. This, in a rather positivist way, may seem to anticipate Renaissance naturalists, but is in fact the consequence of both Pliny’s encyclopedic project and contingent ethnobiological, linguistic and social factors.     

New species and rediagnosis of Akamboja,and a new record for A. minimum (Coleoptera: Phengodidae,Mastinocerinae)

ABSTRACT

Akamboja was recently described based on five species with relatively small geographic ranges, all of which are within the boundaries of the South-eastern Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. Recent expeditions in the continental island of Ilha Grande (Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) resulted in the discovery of a new species of the genus. Akamboja insularis sp. nov. has all diagnostic features of the genus, except for the branches of the antennomere IX, which are separated, unlike any other Akamboja. Here, we describe this new species, provide a new record for Akamboja minimum Roza et al. and propose a new diagnosis for the genus.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DC47825C-B276-49CC-88DC-DFDC5D843356     

Jurassic and Cretaceous Cupedomorpha (Insecta: Coleoptera) faunas of China

Widespread non-marine Mesozoic deposits in China often contain abundant cupedomorpha fossils with significance for correlation. Based on the composition and characteristics of the cupedomorphs, at present, seven cupedid and ommatid assemblages are recognized from the Jurassic-Cretaceous rocks, of which three cupedid and two ommatid assemblages were recovered from North and northeast China: Middle Jurassic Tetrocupes-Hebeicupes cupedid assemblage from northern Hebei and Inner Mongolia (Yanliao fauna); Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous Ovatocupes-Priacma cupedid and Amblomma-Sinocupes ommatid assemblages from western Liaoning (Jehol fauna); Early Cretaceous Lupicupes-Diluticupes cupedid and Monticupes ommatid assemblages from Beijing and adjacent areas. Both the Ovatocupes-Priacma and AmblommaSinocupes assemblages are important elements of the Jehol entomofauna. Remaining are the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous MesotricupesGansucupes cupedid assemblage from Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, NW China and the ForticupesPicticupes ommatid assemblage from Shandong Province. In southern China only one poorly preserved ommatid specimen, Zygadenia (=Notocupes) sp. occurs.     

扁胫甲—中国新纪录族,属及其一新种（鞘翅目：拟步甲科）

本文报道中国拟步甲科一新纪录族、属,即扁胫甲族Cataphronetini、扁胫甲属Phthora及其一新种:阿拉善扁胫甲Phthora alashanensis,采自内蒙古阿拉善右旗巴丹吉林沙漠,模式标本存放在宁夏农学院昆虫标本室。     

Checklist of Hydrophiloidea of Turkey (Coleoptera: Polyphaga)

The superfamily Hydrophiloidea of Turkey is catalogued. A total of 23 genera and 161 valid species and subspecies are recorded of which six species (3.7%) are recorded as endemic. Forty-eight species and two subspecies are from the family Helophoridae, three species are from the family Georissidae, seven species are from the family Hydrochidae, two species are from the family Spercheidae and 95 species and four subspecies are from the family Hydrophilidae. Distributions of these species within Turkey are given according to the 81 administrative divisions of the country. The catalogue is based on examination of the primary literature and also includes some records from specimens examined in collections. Taxa are arranged hierarchically under the categories of family, subfamily, tribe, subtribe (where recognized), genus, subgenus (where recognized), species and subspecies (where recognized).     

Natural history of the African riverine tiger beetle Chaetodera regalis (Dejean) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

The tiger beetle Chaetodera regalis (Dejean) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. We studied activity patterns, ecological interactions, and behaviour of this species along four major rivers in Kruger National Park, South Africa. During the dry season, small numbers of adult beetles are found on sand bars along perennial rivers. In the rainy season, adults are found in large numbers on a broad spectrum of substrates (including clays, coarse and fine sands and gravels, and black organic soils) and geomorphological features (sand flats, mud flats, sand bars, beaches, riverbanks, and dry and wet sandy streambeds) in riverine areas. Predatory, defensive, thermoregulatory, and reproductive behaviours are described. This species may prove to be a useful indicator of the health of African riverine systems: adults are abundant in high-quality riverine areas; adults and larvae may be adversely affected by human activities; and adults are easily detected, even by novice surveyors.