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     

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     

Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) with a list of weevils described from Dominican amber

A new genus and species, Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Rhynchophorinae: Dryophthoridae) is described from Dominican amber as the first fossil member of the Tribe Diocalandrini. The new genus is characterised by procoxae located in the middle of the prothorax; a thick, short and strongly curved rostrum with the scape not reaching the pronotum; a weak extension of the rostrum in respect to the antennal attachment; slightly elongated fifth ventrite; narrow (not bilobed) third tarsomere and a pair of apical spurs on the protibiae. This set of characters separates the fossil from the extant genus Diocalandra Faust, 1894, the only other member of this tribe. A list of weevils (Curculionoidea) described from Dominican amber is included.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D25F7915-3C49-4E22-A37C-F574F573C67D     

New data on spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iraq

Until recently only 33 species of spiders had been known from Iraq. New material collected in northern Iraq reveals 20 species, 13 genera and six families new to the country. One species, Pterotricha arzhantsevi sp. n. is described as new to science. Comparative figures are provided for seven species; the 54 species currently known from Iraq are listed and their occurrence in neighbouring Iran and Turkey is shown.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4812F8A8-7A95-4D66-8E2D-CE42F73E7E91     

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     

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     

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     

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     

A new species of Maladera from Jordan (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini)

A new Maladera species is described from Jordan: M. schnitteri sp. n. A key to the species of the subgenus Eusericula is given, and the habitus and genitalia are illustrated.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D41D75B5-D700-4C2B-9058-04D14006C810     

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     

Dyspessa peri (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), a new species of Cossidae from Afghanistan

Dyspessa peri sp. n. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) is described from Sarobi in Central Afghanistan. The new species is closely related to D. tristis A. Bang-Haas, 1912, and is distinguished by peculiarities of the wing pattern and structure of the male genitalia.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D58AAAC5-90F2-4D06-9DB2-C4D3CDE36265     

A new species of plume moth (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) from Jordan

The species Hellinsia jordanica Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich sp. n. is newly described from Jordan.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EED698C9-1943-41BC-A503-13A2128A62C5     

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     

A new species of the genus Haba Semenov, 1954 (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) from Iran,with a key to species

Haba persica Strumia & Fallahzadeh sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae: Elampini), from mountains in southwestern Iran, is described and illustrated.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9D537878-6215-4874-8970-7F7DE8F57422     

A new species of the genus Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae: Theraphosidae) from Turkey

A new species of Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 is described from Hatay province, Turkey. Differences between the new species and related species are discussed. The characteristic features of this species are described and illustrated.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:99C21605-5308-4363-8420-02F6151B4457     

Description of a new pseudoscorpion species of the genus Amblyolpium Simon (Pseudoscorpiones: Garypinidae) from north-western Iran

A new species of pseudoscorpion, Amblyolpium atropatesi n. sp. is described and illustrated on the basis of the adult specimens extracted from soil by Berlese funnel.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0150B850-E80D-46F5-983C-7E958FE69B87     

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     

A new species and new distribution records of Zaitunia from Iran (Araneae: Filistatidae)

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:856ED4E9-2DDE-4389-8020-CFA39C136A54     

Pseudobithynia guldeni sp. n., a new gastropod species from the Mediterranean region of Turkey (Gastropoda: Truncatelloidea)

A new Bithyniidae species Pseudobithynia guldeni sp.n. is described from the Mediter-ranean region of Turkey based on shell and male genitalia morphology. An identification key for the species of Pseudobithynia of Turkey is given.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FA659D77-5B02-4C2F-9A6D-D61E676778E1