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.     

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 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 and little known orthopteroid insects (polyneoptera) from fossil resins: Communication 2

New taxa of the suborder Blattina (order Dictyoptera), possibly belonging to the family Corydiidae (Erucoblatta semicaeca gen. et sp. nov., Miocene; Proholocompsa gen. nov., Eocene; and Holocompsa nigra sp. nov. and H. abbreviata sp. nov., Miocene) and belonging to the family Ectobiidae (Plectoptera electrina sp. nov., Miocene; Agrabtoblatta symmetrica gen. et sp. nov. and ?Symploce rete sp. nov., Pleistocene) are described. The taxonomic position of the enigmatic genus Raphidiomimula Grimaldi et Ross from the Upper Cretaceous is discussed.     

New and little known orthopteroid insects (Polyneoptera) from fossil resins: Communication 3

New taxa of Orthoptera Ensifera are described in the families Mogoplistidae [Protomogoplistes asquamosus gen. et sp. nov. (Upper Cretaceous) in the subfamily Protomogoplistinae subfam. nov. and Archornebius balticus gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene), Pseudarachnocephalus gen. nov., P. dominicanus sp. nov., and P. latiusculus sp. nov. (all Miocene) in Mogoplistinae] and Gryllidae [Eopentacentrus borealis gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene), ?Grossoxipha feminea sp. nov. (Miocene), and Apentacentrus copalicus sp. nov. in the subfamily Pentacentrinae, ?Cyrtoxipha electrina sp. nov. and ?Cyrtoxipha illegibilis sp. nov. (both Miocene) in Trigonidiinae, and Baltonemobius fossilis gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene) in Nemobiinae]. The Miocene genera Proanaxipha Vickery et Poinar and Grossoxipha Vickery et Poinar are transferred from the subfamily Trigonidiinae to Pentacentrinae. P. latoca Vickery et Poinar and Abanaxipha longispina Vickery et Poinar are redescribed; the male of the latter species is described for the first time.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

New Insects (Insecta: Trichoptera,Reculida, Eoblattida) from the Mesozoic of Asia

New caddisflies, reculid and eoblattid insects from the Mesozoic of Asia are described. Caddisflies of the families Philopotamidae (Mesoviatrix paradoxa gen. et sp. nov. and Kempia piotri gen. et sp. nov.) and Polycentropodidae (Polylongevus eskovi gen. et sp. nov.) from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous of the Kempendyai locality in Yakutia are described. A short review and comparison of fossil members in these families are provided. New Gryllones insects, Shurabia tanga sp. nov., Sauk batkenicus gen. et sp. nov. from the Sauk Tan’ga locality (Lower Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan), Say kirgizicus gen. et sp. nov. from the Shurab III locality (Reculida: Geinitziidae; Lower or Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan) Griphopteron iya sp. nov. (Eoblattida: Blattogryllidae) from Iya locality (Middle Jurassic of Russia) are described.     

Apophyses,verticiles, and denticles in skeletons of Late Paleozoic radiolarians of the subfamily Entactiniinae

Morphostructural analysis of secondary skeletal elements, such as apophyses on the main spines and verticiles on the secondary spines of certain Late Paleozoic radiolarians of the subfamily Entactiniinae allow their taxonomic rank to be raised to genus. The presence of denticles on the secondary spines is only evidence of particular species. Three skeleton morphotypes are established: primary morphotype A, verticillate morphotype B, and apophyseal morphotype C. A new species, Entactinia mariannae sp. nov., and two new genera, Apophysiacus gen. nov. with five species, A. ichikawai (Caridroit et De Wever, 1984), A. minuta (Feng, 2007), A. praepycnoclada (Nazarov et Ormiston, 1983), A. pycnoclada (Nazarov et Ormiston, 1985), and A. sakmaraensis (Kozur et Mostler, 1989), and Verticillides gen. nov. with three species, V. nazarovi nom. nov., V. nestellae sp. nov., and V. verticillatus sp. nov., are described.     

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.     

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.     

New and little-known orthopteroid insects (Polyneoptera) from fossil resins: Communication 4

New taxa of Ensifera and Caelifera orthopterans (Insecta, Orthoptera), from the families Gryllotalpidae [Marchandiinae, subfam. nov. (Lower Cretaceous)], Haglotettigoniidae [?Haglotettigonia aenigmatosa, sp. nov. (Lower Cretaceous)], Tettigoniidae [Meconematinae: Archixizicus occidentalis, gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene), Eogrigoriora gracilis, gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene), Miophlugis rostratus, gen. et sp. nov. (Miocene)], Stenopelmatidae [Siinae: Electrosia baltica, gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene); Gryllacridinae: Plesiolarnaca prior, gen. et sp. nov. (Eocene)] and Tridactylidae [Mongoloxyinae: Birmitoxya intermedia, gen. et sp. nov. (Upper Cretaceous). The Eocene species Lipotactes martynovi Zeun. and L. bispinatus Weidn. are transferred to the genus Eomortoniellus Zeun. (Tettigoniidae: Tympanophorinae); Prorhaphidophora zeuneri Chop. and P. tachycinoides Chop. are transferred to the genus Protroglophilus Gor. (Rhaphidophoridae: Protroglophilinae). The Eocene species E. handlirschi Zeun., species of the genus Protroglophilus, and a possible member of the genus Succinotettix Piton (Tetrigidae: Tetriginae), as well as a Miocene representative of the genus Archaeoellipes Heads (Tridactylidae: Tridactylinae) are also discussed.     

Fossil Mesozoic and Cenozoic weevils (Coleoptera,Obrienioidea, Curculionoidea)

All known extinct species of Mesozoic and Cenozoic weevils are listed. Ten species of Obrienioidea and 895 Curculionoidea species are recognized, including 88 Nemonychidae, 43 Anthribidae, 44 Ithyceridae, 65 Scolytidae, 12 Belidae, 67 Brentidae, 508 Curcuionidae, 45 Rhynchitidae, six Attelabidae, and 16 Platypodidae. The Triassic beds have yielded six fossil species; Jurassic, 64; Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, 2; Cretaceous, 105; Paleogene, 510; Neogene, 190; and Pleistocene–Holocene, 22 (5 are synonyms). A new subfamily, Montsecbelinae Legalov, subfam. nov. (with the type genus Montsecbelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 1997); the new tribes Cretochoragini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Cretochoragus Soriano et al., 2006), Montsecanomalini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Montsecanomalus Soriano et al., 2006), Montsecbelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Montsecbelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 1997), Gratshevibelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Gratshevibelus Soriano, 2009), Davidibelini Legalov, trib. nov. (with the type genus Davidibelus Zherikhin et Gratshev, 2004); the new genera Allandroides Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Allandroides vossi Legalov, sp. nov.), Baissabrenthorhinus Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Baissabrenthorhinus mirabilis Legalov, sp. nov.), Ithyceroides Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Ithyceroides klondikensis Legalov, sp. nov.), Furhylobius Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Furhylobius troesteri Legalov, sp. nov.), Electrauletes Legalov, gen. nov. (with the type species Electrauletes unicus Legalov, sp. nov.); new species Allandroides vossi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Glaesotropis gusakovi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. succiniferus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. alleni Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), G. gratshevi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Baissabrenthorhinus mirabilis Legalov, sp. nov. (Baissa locality), Ithyceroides klondikensis Legalov, sp. nov. (Republic Graben locality), Melanapion poinari Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), M. gusakovi Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), Furhylobius troesteri Legalov, sp. nov. (Mors locality), Baltocar convexus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber), and Electrauletes unicus Legalov, sp. nov. (Baltic amber) are newly described.     

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.     

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.     

Ichneumonid parasitoid wasps from the Early Eocene Green River Formation: five new species and a revision of the known fauna (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae)

The parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae is one of the most species-rich groups of organisms, but its fossil record remains very poorly studied, which impedes inferences of the origin of its diversity. We here describe two new fossil genera and five new species of Ichneumonidae from the Eocene Green River Formation: Carinibus molestus gen. et sp. nov., Ichninsum appendicrassum gen. et sp. nov., Mesoclistus? yamataroti sp. nov., Scambus? mandibularis sp. nov., and Scambus? parachuti sp. nov. The newly described Mesoclistus? yamataroti represents the first record of the subfamily Acaenitinae from this fossil locality. In addition, we revise the ten previously described fossil ichneumonids from the Green River Formation, following a conservative approach when re-assessing their taxonomic positions: we keep the current placement of six revised fossils, but express the uncertainty in genus-assignment according to open nomenclature rules: Eclytus? lutatus Scudder, Glypta? transversalis Scudder, Pimpla? eocenica Cockerell, Phygadeuon? petrifactellus Cockerell, Plectiscidea? lanhami Cockerell and Rhyssa? juvenis Scudder. We exclude three fossil genera from their current subfamilies and place them within Ichneumonidae incertae subfamiliae: Eopimpla Cockerell, Lithotorus Scudder and Tilgidopsis Cockerell. Furthermore, we move Tryphon amasidis Cockerell and LeVeque to the new genus Trymectus gen. nov. In the light of these revisions, we discuss the importance of careful taxonomic placement of fossils and difficulties in ichneumonid palaeontology caused by host-related homoplasies and a lack of knowledge about the age of the recent subfamilies.     

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.