New seeds of gymnosperms from the Lower Permian of the Ural mountains

New taxa of detached seeds are described from the Kungurian (Lower Permian) of the Middle Cis-Urals: Laevigatospermum compressum gen. et sp. nov., Hirsutospermum paniculatum gen. et sp. nov., Rugosospermum callosum gen. et sp. nov., and Craspedosperma filiferum sp. nov. The systematic position of the new taxa is discussed.     

New insects (Insecta: Eoblattida,Embiida) from the Permian of Russia and the Triassic of Kyrgyzstan,with observations on the origin of webspinners

Locustoblattina segmentata gen. et sp. nov. and L. marginata gen. et sp. nov., new members of the family Mesorthopteridae (Eoblattida) are described from the Middle Triassic of the Madygen locality (Ladinian Stage of the Kyrgyzstan). New members of the Alexarasniidae (Embiida), Alexarasnia limbata Aristov, sp. nov. and Nestorembia shcherbakovi sp. nov., are described from the Upper Permian Isady locality in the Vologda Region and the Madygen locality, respectively. Parastenaropodites fluxa Storozhenko, 1996 (Mesorthopteridae) is redescribed from Madygen. The origin of webspinners from within the Permian eoblattids and the composition of the superorder Blattidea are discussed.     

Olenekian brachiopods from the Kamenushka River basin,South Primorye: New data on the brachiopod recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction

The brachiopods (e.g., Heterelasma sp. nov., Uniplicatorhynchia sp. nov., Quadratirhynchia sp., and Sphriganaria sp.) discovered from the Olenekian deposits of the Kamenushka River basin and Russky Island, South Primorye, allow refining the information on the stratigraphic range of the relevant families and recovery of the biota after the Late Permian mass extinction. A new terebratulid genus, Bittnerithyris gen. nov., and a new rhynchonellid species, Piarorhynchella tazawai sp. nov., are established.     

New radiolarian genera and species from the Lower Permian of the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary

Two new genera and five new species of Lower Permian radiolarians, Arcoclathrata alekseevi gen. et sp. nov., Entactinia pinrasensis sp. nov., Microporosa rozhnovi gen. et sp. nov., M. aktastensis sp. nov., and Somphoentactinia saecularis sp. nov., from the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary are described. The new spherical radiolarian taxa belong to three orders: Entactiniata, Cancelliata, and Spongiata of two classes, Sphaerellaria and Spumellaria.     

New Species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inoceramus</Emphasis>-like Bivalves of the Subfamily Kolymiinae from the Middle Permian of Northeastern Asia

Middle Permian Inoceramus-like bivalves of the genera Kolymia Licharew and Cyrtokolymia Astafieva endemic to the East Boreal Biogeographic Realm are considered. Cyrtokolymia, previously regarded by the author as endemics of the Verkhoyansk–Okhotsk Province and including only the type species, are also recorded in the Kolyma–Omolon Province, where they are represented by the endemic species C. bobini sp. nov. An emended diagnosis of the genus Cyrtokolymia is provided. The genus Kolymia comprises about 30 species. The greatest diversity of Kolymia (24 species, 13 of which are endemic) is known from the Verkhoyansk–Okhotsk Province, which is the center of diversification of this genus. The Kolyma–Omolon Province is characterized by 12 species, only three of which are endemic. In other provinces of the East Boreal Realm, only individual members of Kolymia are known. From the Middle Permian of the Omolon Massif, northern Verkhoyansk Region, and Penzhinsky Ridge, the following new species are described: Kolymia posneri Muromzeva, Kusnezov et Biakov, sp. nov., K. pontoneica Biakov, sp. nov., K. simkiniformis Biakov, sp. nov., and Cyrtokolymia bobini Biakov, sp. nov.     

Jurassic Scaphopoda from the Russian platform: Pulsellidae and Gadilidae

The scaphopod families Pulsellidae and Gadilidae from sandy and clayey beds of the Jurassic (Callovian?Volgian) of European Russia are investigated. In Pulsellidae, the following taxa are described: Annulipulsellum with two subgenera, Annulipulsellum (species A. ambiguum sp. nov., A. rugosum sp. nov.) and Mesopulsellum subgen. nov. (A. alternoides sp. nov., A. calloviense sp. nov., A. hirtistriatum sp. nov., A. medium sp. nov.), Gracilipulsellum gen. nov. (G. iodaense sp. nov.), Gardneridentalium gen. nov. (G. primitivum sp. nov., G. reticulatum sp. nov.), and Mesoentalina gen. nov. (M. fabulosa sp. nov.). New taxa of the family Gadilidae include the genus Mesoantalis gen. nov. with the species M. clava sp. nov., M. expolitum sp. nov., and M. volgense sp. nov.     

A new subfamily of ichneumonids from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia and Mongolia (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

A new subfamily of ichneumonids, Palaeoichneumoninae, is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia (Baisa locality) and Mongolia (Bon Tsagan and Kholbotu Gol localities). The new subfamily is intermediate between the archaic subfamily Tanychorinae and the Recent Ichneumonidae. It includes 12 new species, described in three new genera: Palaeoichneumon freja gen. et sp. nov., P. ornatus sp. nov., P. danu sp. nov., P. micron sp. nov., P. mirabilis sp. nov., P. tenebrosus sp. nov., P. townesi sp. nov., Rudimentifera mora gen. et sp. nov., R. suspecta sp. nov., Dischysma maculata gen. et sp. nov., D. similis sp. nov., and D. ramulata sp. nov.     

New Weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea) from the Eocene of the Green River,United States: Part 1

New genera, Pseudochirotenon gen. nov. (with the type species P. eocaenicus sp. nov.), Archaeoheilus gen. nov. (type species A. scudderi sp. nov.), Primocentron gen. nov. (type species P. wickhami sp. nov.), and Pseudophaops gen. nov. (type species Otiorhynchus perditus Scudder, 1876), and new species, Pseudochirotenon eocaenicus sp. nov., Perapion rasnitsyni sp. nov., Archaeoheilus scudderi sp. nov., A. ovalis sp. nov., Primocentron wickhami sp. nov., and Eudiagogus vossi sp. nov., from the Early–Middle Eocene of the Green River are described. New combinations of names (Apionion evestigatum (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., Archaeoheilus packardii (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., A. provectus (Scudder, 1876), comb. nov., A. deleticius (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., A. lacoei (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., Pseudophaops perditus (Scudder, 1876), comb. nov.) are established. The first fossil records of the tribe Ecelonerini from the New World and genus Perapion from the Green River Formation are provided.     

Evolution of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Baylea</Emphasis> (Gastropoda) in the Kazan Paleobasin (Middle Permian,Volga–Ural Region)

An assemblage of species of the genus Baylea (B. subpenea (Netchaev, 1894), B. vjatkensis Mazaev, 2015, B. praeburtasorum sp. nov., and B. shilovskyi sp. nov.) from the Lower Kazanian Substage (Middle Permian) is described. It is shown that this assemblage is phylogenetically connected with the Late Kazanian species B. rigida Mazaev, 2015, B. foraminata Mazaev, 2015, B. chimbulatiensis Mazaev, 2015, B. nemdaensis Mazaev, 2015, and B. burtasorum (Golowkinsky, 1868). Index species of three stratigraphic intervals are recognized: B. praeburtasorum sp. nov.–B. shilovskyi sp. nov., B. rigida–B. foraminata, and B. burtasorum. The morphology and polymorphism of the studied species are discussed.     

First gall midges (Diptera,Cecidomyioidea) from Late Cretaceous amber of the Taimyr Peninsula

Gall midges from Santonian amber of Yantardakh (Taimyr Peninsula) are investigated for the first time. Eight new genera and eight new species belonging to five tribes of the subfamily Micromyinae (Lestremiidae) are described. These are Caputmunda yantardakhica gen. et sp. nov. (Catochini), Cretoperomyia taimyrica gen. et sp. nov. (Peromyiini), Palaeostrobliella dmitrii gen. et sp. nov., Yantardakhiella pusilla gen. et sp. nov., and Zherikhiniella pedicellata gen. et sp. nov. (Strobliellini), Menssana norilsk gen. et sp. nov. (Micromyini), and Cretomycophila ekaterinae gen. et sp. nov., and Corporesana khatanga gen. et sp. nov. (Aprionini). A representative of Porricondylinae (Cecidomyiidae, Porricondylinae, Holoneurini) is recorded. The diagnoses based on morphometric parameters of tribes and previously established genera are emended. The species composition of gall midges from three Cretaceous amber faunas of different ages are analyzed.     

New cryptostomide bryozoans from the Upper Devonian of Transcaucasia and some aspects of the evolution of the order Cryptostomida

New bryozoans of the suborder Ptilodictyina of the order Cryptostomida are described from the Upper Famennian of Transcaucasia: those of the family Worthenoporidae, i.e., a genus Geranopora gen. nov. comprising three species G. fabulosa sp. nov. (type species), G. fida sp. nov., and G. finitima sp. nov., and those of a new family Mysticellidae fam. nov., i.e., a genus Mysticella gen. nov. comprising four species M. labyrinthica sp. nov. (type species), M. laudativa sp. nov., M. sacrosancta sp. nov., and M. ortiva sp. nov. Thus, a Late Devonian part of the evolutionary line of ptilodictyines is revealed that shows their radiation at the levels of families, genera, and species.     

Orthid brachiopods from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia

Brachiopods of the order Orthida from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia: Skenidium diversus Baranov (family Skenidiidae); Datnia gen. nov., with the type species D. asiatica sp. nov. (subfamily Prokopiinae); Janzhinshinia gen. nov., with the type species J. datnensis sp. nov. (subfamily Isorthinae); Cortezorthis chobotchalensis (Alekseeva) (subfamily Cortezorthinae); Elenia gen. nov., with the type species E. gerensis sp. nov. (family Dicoelosiidae); Seimtchania communis (family Seimtchaniidae); Simakovia gen. nov., with the type species S. rara sp. nov. (family Draboviidae); Schizophoria distenta sp. nov., S. grande Baranov, S. striatula (Schlotheim) (family Schizophoriinae); and Hypsomionia sinsera Baranov (family Hypsomioniidae) are described.     

Trend of changes in species diversity of Permian radiolarians of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entactinia</Emphasis> Foreman

The trend of species diversity and spatiotemporal distribution of spherical radiolarians of the genus Entactinia Foreman, 1963 in the Permian Period is analyzed. The center of origin of Permian entactinians in the Cis-Ural Paleobasin is established in the area of the modern interfluve of the Ural River and latitudinal current of the Belaya River on the Southern Urals. It is shown that the species composition of this genus almost completely changed in certain Permian epochs. Two forefather species of each new pleiad of Early, Middle, and Late Permian are revealed: Entactinia parapycnoclada and E. tyrrelli. Two new species of the Lower Permian radiolarians from the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary, E. chernykhi sp. nov. and E. subquadrata sp. nov., are described.     

Triassic radiolarians of Kotel’nyi Island (New Siberian Islands,Arctic)

Triassic radiolarians from Kotel’nyi Island (New Siberian Islands, Arctic Region) are studied. Radiolarians occur in the Middle and Upper Triassic beds, which are well dated by ammonoids, nautiloids, and bivalves. In the Middle Triassic beds, which are composed of dark gray and black clays and claystones with interbeds of combustible schist, siltstone, clayey limestone, and many phosphatic concretions, the following two assemblages are recognized: (1) a Late Anisian assemblage, including Glomeropyle clavatum Bragin, sp. nov., G. boreale Bragin, G. manihepuaensis Aita, G. insulanum Bragin, sp. nov., Triassospongosphaera multispinosa (Kozur et Mostler), Tetraspongodiscus hibernus Bragin, sp. nov., T. borealis Bragin, sp. nov., Eptingium abditum Bragin, sp. nov., E. manfredi Dumitrica, Spongostephanidium japonicum (Nakaseko et Nishimura), and Ladinocampe vicentinensis Kozur et Mostler; (2) Late Ladinian assemblage, with Muelleritortis firma (Gorican), M. kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Tiborella nivea Bragin, sp. nov., Pseudostylosphaera goestlingensis (Kozur et Mostler), P. omolonica Bragin, Triassospongosphaera multispinosa (Kozur et Mostler), Sarla cincinnata Bragin, sp. nov., S. obscura Bragin, sp. nov., S. prava Bragin, sp. nov., and Eonapora stiriaca Bragin, sp. nov. The Upper Triassic beds, composed of gray and black clays and claystones with lenses of clayey limestones, with sideritic and phosphatic-calciferous concretions have yielded (1) an Early Carnian assemblage, with Pentactinocarpus colum Bragin, sp. nov., Glomeropyle cuneum Bragin, sp. nov., G. algidum Bragin, sp. nov., G. aculeatum Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera isopleura Bragin, sp. nov., Stauracanthocircus folium Bragin, sp. nov., Tetraspongodiscus uncatus Bragin, sp. nov., Poulpus costatus (Kozur et Mostler), Eonapora robusta Kozur et Mostler, Planispinocyrtis kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Annulotriassocampe baldii (Kozur), and Pseudoeucyrtis annosus Bragin, sp. nov.; (2) a Middle-Late Carnian assemblage with Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gracilis Kozur et Mock, P. voluta Bragin, sp. nov., P. gelida Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera unca Bragin, sp. nov., K. aspinosa Kozur et Mock, K. fuscinula Bragin, sp. nov., K. acris Bragin, sp. nov., Capnuchosphaera kuzmichevi Bragin, sp. nov., C. triassica De Wever, C. angusta Bragin, sp. nov., Sarla intorta Bragin, sp. nov., S. compressa Bragin, sp. nov., S. aequipeda Bragin, sp. nov., Betraccium irregulare Bragin, B. kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Spongotortilispinus carnicus Kozur et Mostler, S. subtilis Bragin, sp. nov., Dumitricasphaera simplex Tekin, D. aberrata Bragin, sp. nov., D. arbustiva Bragin, sp. nov., Zhamojdasphaera epipeda Bragin, sp. nov., Z. proceruspinosa Kozur et Mostler, Vinassaspongus subsphaericus Kozur et Mostler, Palaeosaturnalis triassicus Kozur et Mostler, Paronaella concreta Bragin, sp. nov., P. aquilonia Bragin, sp. nov., Tetraspongodiscus cincinnalis Bragin, sp. nov., Annulotriassocampe baldii (Kozur), Canoptum zetangense Wang et Yang, Whalenella speciosa (Blome), Syringocapsa turgida Blome, Droltus gelidus Bragin, sp. nov., and D. niveus Bragin, sp. nov.; (3) an Early Norian assemblage with Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gelida Bragin, sp. nov., P. voluta Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera retunsa Bragin, sp. nov., Capnuchosphaera deweveri Kozur et Mostler, Sarla globosa Bragin, sp. nov., Palaeosaturnalis mocki Kozur et Mostler, Paronaella aquilonia Bragin, sp. nov., Syringocapsa turgida Blome, and Droltus gelidus Bragin, sp. nov.; (4) a Middle Norian assemblage with Sarla globosa Bragin, sp. nov., Sarla sp., Syringocapsa turgida Blome, Canoptum sp., and Laxtorum? sp. The fact that these assemblages include taxa that are recorded more southerly, including paleotropical localities, and support dating based on mollusks, enables the use of these data for Boreal-Tethyan correlation. The greatest similarity to Tethyan associations is observed in the Late Carnian and Early Norian, that is, the periods of the greatest penetration of thermophilic mollusks into this basin. A total of 69 radiolarian species of 3 orders, 18 families, and 29 genera are described; 44 species are newly described; the stratigraphic and geographical ranges of the majority of taxa are improved considerably.     

New weevils (Curculionidae) in Baltic amber

The new subtribes Palaeorhamphina subtrib. nov. of the tribe Rhamphini and Eocenesibiniina subtrib. nov. of the tribe Tychiini, new genera Archaeoeugnomus gen. nov. (type species A. balticus sp. nov.), Palaeorhamphus gen. nov. (type species P. primitivus sp. nov.), and Eocenesibinia gen. nov. (type species E. prussica sp. nov.), new subgenus Palaeoleiosoma subgen. nov. (type species L. klebsi sp. nov.) of the genus Leiosoma Stephens, and new species Leiosoma klebsi sp. nov., Caulophilus rarus sp. nov., C. squamosus sp. nov., Ceutorhynchus alekseevi sp. nov., C. electrinus sp. nov., Dorytomus nudus sp. nov., Pachytychius eocenicus sp. nov., Archaeoeugnomus balticus sp. nov., Palaeorhamphus primitivus sp. nov., Orchestes tatjanae sp. nov., and Eocenesibinia prussica sp. nov. are described. Electrotribus Hustache, 1942 placem. nov. is transferred from the tribe Derelomini of the subfamily Curculioninae to the tribe Acicnemidini of the subfamily Molytinae. Succinostyphlus erectosquamata (Rheinheimer, 2007) placem. nov. et comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Electrotribus Hustache, 1942 to the genus Succinostyphlus Ku?ka, 1996. These are the first records of representatives of the tribes Plinthini, Acicnemidini, Eugnomini, and Rhamphini in the Baltic amber.     

New ideas on the system of the Permian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inoceramus</Emphasis>-like bivalves of the eastern Boreal zone

New concepts of systematics and phylogeny of the Permian Inoceramus-like bivalve mollusks of the eastern part of the Boreal zone are discussed based on analysis of the group’s historical development. All taxa studied are referred to the family Kolymiidae Kusnezov, which is divided into two subfamilies, Kolymiinae and Atomodesmatinae. In the subfamily Kolymiinae, two new genera are described: Praekolymia with the type species P. archboldi sp. nov. and P. urbajtisae sp. nov., and Taimyrokolymia with the type species T. ustritskyi sp. nov. In the subfamily Atomodesmatinae, two new genera, Costatoaphanaia and Okhotodesma, are described. The development of the group is shown to be generally autochthonous with some invasions (genus Atomodesma and, probably, Trabeculatia) from extraboreal regions.     

Ants of the tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from Late Eocene amber of Europe

The tribe Formicini (Formicinae) from the Late Eocene Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, and Scandinavian ambers is revised. Ants are recorded for the first time from the Bitterfeld and Scandinavian ambers. Two new genera (Cataglyphoides gen. nov. and Conoformica gen. nov.) and six new species (Cataglyphoides intermedius sp. nov., Conoformica bitterfeldiana sp. nov., Formica kutscheri sp. nov., F. palaeopolonica sp. nov., F. radchenkoi sp. nov., F. zherikhini sp. nov.) are described. A new combination, Cataglyphoides constrictus (Mayr, 1868), comb. nov., is established. A lectotype of Camponotus constrictus Mayr, 1868 and a neotype of Formica phaethusa Wheeler, 1915 are designated. Formica clymene Wheeler, 1915 is recognized as a new synonym of F. phaethusa Wheeler, 1915. An identification key for workers of Formicini species from Late Eocene European ambers is provided.     

Insect ovipositions on aquatic plant leaves <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quereuxia</Emphasis> from the Upper Cretaceous of the Amur region

New form taxa of insect ovipositions on aquatic plant leaves Quereuxia from the Campanian locality of Udurchukan (Amur Region) are described. Endophytic ovipositions Paleoovoidus flabellatus sp. nov. and P. arcuatus sp. nov. do not differ in shape from ovipositions of recent damselflies. Exophytic ovipositions Palaexovoidus ovoideus gen. et sp. nov., P. catenulatus sp. nov., P. multus sp. nov., and P. amplus sp. nov. belong to insects that develop in the water, probably dragonflies of the suborder Anisoptera. A new family Palaexovoididae fam. nov. is erected.