Succinapion telnovi n. gen. et n. sp. of the tribe Kalcapiini (Coleoptera: Brentidae: Apioninae) in Baltic amber

A new genus and species, Succinapion telnovi n. gen. et n. sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Brentidae: Apioninae: Kalcapiini) is described and illustrated from Upper Eocene Baltic amber. The new genus is similar to the genus Melanapion Wagner, 1930 but differs from it in having femora ventrally with spine at distal 1/3, simple claws, a longer rostrum, elytra weakly widened towards apex, longer antennae and slightly narrower elytral striae.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2A95C49D-5589-4ACA-8A87-0DDF635BA25E     

Pleurambus strongylus n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in Dominican amber

A new genus and species of belid weevils, Pleurambus strongylus Poinar and Legalov, n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in the tribe Allocorynini is described from Dominican amber. Belid fossils are quite rare and the new species is the first fossil member of the family from the Neotropics. This discovery suggests that belid diversity in Hispaniola during the Tertiary was higher than at present since no extant belids have been reported from the West Indies.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF79FF39-634D-4BD7-AD0B-F5FB3BBE1081     

Pulchellaranea pedunculatan. gen.n. sp. (Araneae: Araneidae), a new genus of spiders with a review of araneid spiders in Cenozoic Dominican amber

Pulchellaranea pedunculatan. gen., n. sp. (Araneae: Araneidae), a new genus of orb web spiders, is described from Cenozoic Dominican amber. Fossil representatives of the Araneidae are uncommon, even though the family is widely distributed today. An arboreal ant adjacent to Pulchellaranea pedunculata indicates the likely habit of the fossil spider in the Dominican amber forest. The encounter with the ant may have resulted in both specimens falling into fresh resin on the trunk of the Algarroba tree. A key to araneid spiders reported in Dominican amber is provided.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D7F92A3C-46BB-48C0-9BA1-0496038F04A5     

New species of the genera Dryophthorus Germ. and Stenommatus Woll. (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) in Dominican amber

A new species of Dryophthorus and two new species of Stenommatus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) are described from Dominican amber. Dryophthorus microtremus n. sp. is characterised by monochrome dorsal scales, nearly parallel sides of the pronotum, wide elytral intervals and the elytral apex only slightly narrowed. Stenommatus tanyrhinus n. sp. is characterised by an elongate rostrum 4.5 times as long as wide in the middle. S. leptorhinus is characterised by small body size, a thin rostrum 3.0 times as long as wide in the middle, wide striae and a narrow prosternal process. This brings the total number of species of Dryophthorini in Dominican amber to five, which is more than half the number of extant species.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4329D0DA-57BD-4CEA-9464-ABD5D1577FC9     

The first Tanyderidae (Diptera) from Lower Cretaceous Álava amber (Spain)

A new genus and species, Espanoderus barbarae gen. et sp. nov., belonging to the family Tanyderidae (Diptera, Nematocera), is described from Lower Cretaceous amber of Spain (Álava amber). The new genus is the smallest member of Tanyderinae and the first member of the family from the Álava amber. The position of the new genus in a phylogenetic tree of Tanyderidae is presented.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EC3284BA-C07F-48AC-8AF5-4F9D2EF4EA6C     

A sphere-forming scarab beetle (Ceratocanthinae: Hybosoridae) in Dominican amber

The ability of beetles to form defensive spheres is a rare trait and confined to representatives in the families Clambidae, Leiodidae and Hybosoridae. However, the most compact spheres are formed by members of the Neotropical genus Ceratocanthus (Ceratocanthinae: Hybosoridae). A representative in Dominican amber described as Ceratocanthus emarginatus sp.n. differs from all known members of the genus by its unique notched clypeus. Additional specimens of at least two other species suggest that these sphere-forming beetles were fairly diverse in the Dominican amber forest.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4329D0DA-57BD-4CEA-9464-ABD5D1577FC9     

New species of the subfamily Conoderinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Dominican amber

Eulechriops argyrosoman. sp. (Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Lechropini) and Geratozygops platysoman. sp., Geratozygops stenosoman. sp. and Geratozygops arsinotusn. sp. (Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Zygopini) are described from Dominican amber. The small size, nearly parallel sides of the pronotum and silvery sheen distinguish Eulechriops argyrosoma from extant members of the genus, which have not been recorded from Hispaniola. Size and rostral and pronotal characters separate the three Geratozygops species from the single species (Geratozygops atropos) previously described from Dominican amber.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:89BC7F43-6C1A-4A6A-839B-CE94C7F6F140     

A new species of Penion P. Fischer, 1884 from northern New Zealand (Mollusca: Neogastropoda: Buccinoidea)

We describe a new, morphologically distinct species of Penion found off the Three Kings Islands, Middlesex and King banks, and Cape Reinga, in the far north of New Zealand.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:573BCBA0-1FFB-490D-8AEF-AC156354E48B     

New tribes of the superfamily Curculionoidea (Coleoptera) in Burmese amber

Two new tribes in the Curculionoidea are described as the Anchineini Poinar and Legalov, n. trib. (Ithyceridae: Carinae) and Paleocryptorhynchini Poinar and Legalov, n. trib. (Curculionidae: Erirhininae). The genus Anchineus Poinar and Brown, 2009, n. placem. is transferred from the subfamily Curculioninae of the family Curculionidae to the subfamily Carinae of the family Ithyceridae. The genus Paleocryptorhynchus Poinar, 2009, n. placem. is transferred from the subfamily Cryptorhynchinae to the subfamily Erirhininae. The placement of the genus Mesophyletis Poinar, 2006 in the family Ithyceridae was confirmed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0C0039DD-7BC6-4A54-9282-F43C5606D68B     

Description of a new species of Lytorhynchus (Squamata: Colubridae) from Iran

A new species of the genus Lytorhynchus is described from the Kabir-Koh Mountains, southwestern Iran. Known from a single specimen, it is readily distinguished from its congeners by the form of the rostrum, the number of scales, and the colouration and colour pattern.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:66BC88DF-C092-4F7D-8ECD2860EDAC17B1     

Zercon kadiri sp. n., a new oligophagous mite from Eastern Anatolia (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae)

A new species of the family Zerconidae, Zercon kadiri sp. n., is described based on female, male, deutonymph and protonymph specimens. The material was collected in litter and soil under stone pines (Pinus pinea) in the Malatya Province of Turkey. The similarities and differences between the related species within the same genus are discussed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C56027B1-4A4B-4018-83B6-04B41A4C51FC     

Prozercon iranensis sp. n., a new species of Zerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Iran

A new species of pseudoscorpion of the genus Calocheiridius Beier &; Turk, Calocheiridius iranicus n. sp., is described from Markazi province, Iran. Illustrations and measurements of the species are given. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:06332B5C-D43A-4955-AB6C- 5847D10C2BAC     

The first Mesozoic Leptopodidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Leptopodomorpha), from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber

A new genus and species of leptopodid bug, Cretaceomira phalanx McKellar and Engel, is described from Canadian Late Cretaceous (Campanian) amber originating near Grassy Lake, in southern Alberta, Canada. This new record is the first described for the family within the Mesozoic, extending their fossil range by at least 26 Ma. The discovery adds further support to the idea that the subfamily was once much more widespread than its modern, relict distribution in the tropics – adding an occurrence in warm temperate conditions, on the western side of Laurentia (in the modern Palearctic). Beyond confirming the presence of the lineage in the Cretaceous, their expanded distribution suggests that the group is likely to be found in other Cretaceous amber deposits. Furthermore, the distinctive disk-shaped amber nodule that contains the C. phalanx holotype provides limited support for the interpretation of Leptosaldinae as subcortical inhabitants of resin-producing trees as early as the Cretaceous.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E324DF2B-8D99-42B3-BBAC-8F9DC3603490     

Phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Pseudaeginella (Amphipoda: Caprellidae), with the description of a new species from Brazil

The genus Pseudaeginella is analysed herein by cladistic methods based on a morphological data matrix of 49 characters × 18 terminal taxa. Based on the results, we comment on the phylogenetic position of Paradeutella within Pseudaeginella, and we propose Pseudaeginella multispinosa comb. nov. and Pseudaeginella tanzaniensis comb. nov. Pseudaeginella freirei sp. nov. is described from the Abrolhos Bank, north-eastern Brazil. We provide an updated key to the Pseudaeginella species.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F573E845-822E-41D6-8F58-FE54C5653A53     

A fossil stemmiulid millipede (Diplopoda: Stemmiulida) from the Miocene amber of Simojovel,Chiapas, México

A fossil millipede representative of the order Stemmiulida is described on the basis of a well-preserved adult female trapped in amber from the Miocene of Simojovel, Chiapas, south-eastern México. The fossil specimen is named as Parastemmiulus elektron, a new genus and species. As observed in extant stemmiulids, this fossil shows a reduced number of ocelli, the distal larger than the proximal, as well as a total of 46 trunk segments including 2 apodous segments in front of the telson. The head of this ancient stemmiulid has three ocelli and a Tömösváry organ, characteristics not reported before in Stemmiulida, requiring the diagnosis of the order to be emended.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:361400A8-37D4-421F-B4FD-A0AE63BE538C     

Description of two new species of Pseudamnicola from southern Turkey (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae)

New material of freshwater molluscs in the Mediterranean region of Turkey revealed two new species of the genus Pseudamnicola Paulucci, 1878, i.e., P. kayseriensis n. sp., and P. gullei n. sp.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3E39E467-22A5-4091-9975-17343DA8D02E     

Metaphycus parthenolecanii sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of Parthenolecanium corni (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Iran

Metaphycus parthenolecanii Japoshvili sp. n. (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the European fruit lecanium Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché, 1844) (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Coccidae) in Iran, is described and illustrated.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3B846DA1-7E97-442B-B4AF-B5C727A72521     

Two new species of the genus Zercon C. L. Koch from the Inner Aegean Region of Turkey (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae)

Two new species of the mite genus Zercon C. L. Koch, 1836 have been found: Zercon ekizi sp. n. and Zercon emirdagicus sp. n. are described and illustrated from female specimens collected in Afyonkarahisar and Kütahya provinces, Turkey. The similarities and differences between the related species are discussed.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7388D199-2D1D-49F7-9747-4F49E8810067     

A surprisingly derived hydrometrid (Hemiptera,Gerromorpha) from the Crato Formation,Early Cretaceous of Brazil

In the present paper, we review the fossil record of the Hydrometridae (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha) and present a new species from the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Northeastern Brazil, Christometra paradoxa gen. et sp. nov. This species is based on a new specimen (a female), as well as a previously figured one (a male), providing a rare case of preservation of sexually dimorphic features in the fossil record. This is the third species coming from this deposit, which is Aptian-Albian in age and the oldest deposit to have yielded hydrometrids so far. Only five other Mesozoic species are known, being slightly younger in age (Cenomanian). So far, phylogenetic analyses have recovered Cretaceous hydrometrids as basal relative to Cenozoic genera but, Christometra paradoxa exhibits several advanced characteristics that unite it in a clade together with the extant genera Hydrometra and Bacillometroides, in a more derived position than any previously known fossil hydrometrid.

The present publication is registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (Zoobank), under the registration number http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3CFA88AB-3CBC-4CCC-8196-698ECC863947. The registration number for the nomenclatural act of the genus is http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:84744426-1259-4864-8E3F-E43E0DAB2021, and that of the species is http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:23700AB2-F7AD-4F50-A5E7-CB28868079B2.