New data on the systematics of the palaearctic species of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dolichopus signifier</Emphasis> group (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

Three new species of the genus Dolichopus Latr. (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) are described. All these species are closely related to Dolichopus signifer Haliday, 1832 and form a species-group including this species. Dolichopus taimyricus sp. n. is described from the southern tundra of the Taimyr Peninsula (northern Central Siberia); D. zlobini sp. n. was collected in the Pamirs (Tajikistan) and D. asymmetricus sp. n., in the mountains of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. A key to all these species of the group is given.     

On the First Finds of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Djanaliparkinsonia</Emphasis> (Stephanoceratidae,Ammonoidea) in the Upper Bajocian of the Northern Caucasus

The genus Djanaliparkinsonia Kutuzova, 1975 was originally described as an endemic subgenus of the genus Parkinsonia (family Parkinsoniidae of the superfamily Perisphinctoidea) from the Upper Bajocian (middle member of the Degibadam Formation) of the Gissar Range (Uzbekistan). A new species D. alanica sp. nov. is established from the Upper Bajocian Garantiana garantiana Zone (upper member of the Djangura Formation) based on occurrences in the Northern Caucasus (Karachay-Cherkessia). Macroconchs and microconchs of the new species are described from the two localities on the Kuban and Kyafar rivers. Djanaliparkinsonia sp. is identified from the lower subzone of the Parkinsonia parkinsoni Zone of the Kyafar River. The species composition and geographic range of Djanaliparkinsonia are expanded: a species previously described from Germany as Garantiana bentzi Wetzel, 1954 also assigned to the genus. The genus Djanaliparkinsonia is assigned to the subfamily Garantianinae of the family Stephanoceratidae (superfamily Stephanoceratoidea).     

Lizards of the family Hodzhakuliidae (Scincomorpha) from the lower Cretaceous of Mongolia

The lizard family Hodzhakuliidae (Scincomorpha) endemic to the Early Cretaceous of Central Asia is characterized in the light of finds from the Khoobur (Höövör) locality in Mongolia. Available material includes Hodzhakulia magna Nessov, 1985 described from the Upper Albian of Uzbekistan and three new genera and species. It is proposed that Hodzhakuliidae occupied the adaptive zone of small carnivorous predators before the appearance of Platynota.     

On species of the genus Lophocharis Ehrenberg, 1838 (Rotifera: Monogononta) from Uzbekistan

Three species of Lophocharis (Rotifera: Monogononta), collected from lakes and ponds of Uzbekistan, are described. Two are new to science, and one is recorded for the first time from Uzbekistan. Some data on the variability of these species are given.     

Genetic diversity and relations of the Goitered gazelle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gazella subgutturosa</Emphasis>) groups from Uzbekistan,Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan: Analysis of the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA

Polymorphism of the nucleotide sequence of a hypervariable fragment of the D-loop (985 bp) of mtDNA in 76 Goitered gazelles of subspecies Gazella subgutturosa subgutturosa from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan was studied. The genetic similarity of gazelles from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan has been identified. The population of gazelles from Shirvanskaya steppe reserve (Azerbaijan) is unique and strictly isolated from other groups studied. A high haplotypic (H = 0.9649 ± 0.0091) and relatively low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0212 ± 0.0105) were noted for all investigated groups of gazelle based on this mtDNA fragment, which is probably related to ecological peculiarities of the species and the history of formation of regional populations.     

A new representative of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neocalamites</Emphasis> Halle from the Upper Permian of northeastern China (Jiefangcun Formation)

A new species, Neocalamites hunchunensis sp. nov. from the Upper Permian Jiefangcun Formation of northeastern China is described. The Jiefangcun Upper Permian Flora is briefly characterized. Its taxonomic composition, age, and significance for paleophytogeographical reconstructions are discussed. The Late Permian phase in equisetophyte evolution is considered.     

Fossil wood of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sequoioxylon burejense</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Taxodiaceae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Zeya-Bureya Basin (Russian Far East)

A new species Sequoioxylon burejense Blokhina et M. Afonin (Taxodiaceae), identified on the basis of anatomical features of fossil wood from the Middle Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Zeya-Bureya Basin, Amur Region, Russian Far East, is described. The new species is characterized by mixed anatomical features of the modern representatives of the tribe Sequoieae. Cretaceous wood of Taxodiaceae was found in the Amur Region for the first time.     

New cretaceous radiolarian species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Afens</Emphasis> Riedel et Sanfilippo

Diverse radiolarians from the Upper Cretaceous Perapedhi and Moni formations (southern Cyprus) are studied. Many representatives of the genus Afens Riedel et Sanfilippo, 1974 are recognized. The diagnosis of the genus Afens is emended and three new species of this genus, Afens perapediensis sp. nov., Afens moniensis sp. nov., and Afens concinnus sp. nov., are described. In addition, the species Afens liriodes Riedel et Sanfilippo, 1974 is redescribed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acroptilon repens</Emphasis>, an Asian invader,has stronger competitive effects on species from America than species from its native range

The ability to competitively suppress native species is key to successful invasion. Since invasions involve an increase in abundance or dominance of a species in its non-native range, competitive effects might be expected to be stronger in the non-native range of an invader; however, there have been few comparisons of the competitive effects of invasive plants on species from invaded ranges versus species from native ranges. We compared the competitive and allelopathic effects of Acroptilon repens on native North American species to effects on related species from the native range of Acroptilon in Uzbekistan. We also compared the competitive interactions among these North American and Eurasian species, in the absence of Acroptilon, examining the hypothesis that particular regional species pools may show differences in competitive ability. The results showed that Acroptilon had stronger competitive effects against native North American species than against species native to Uzbekistan. There was no difference in the competitive effects among Eurasians and North Americans. The effects of leachates collected from Acroptilon roots were weak but more negative on species from North America than on species from Uzbekistan. Our results suggest that inherently stronger competitive and allelopathic effects of Acroptilon on North American plants than on plants from its native range may contribute to its invasive success.     

New conodonts of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polygnathus</Emphasis> from the Evlanovian and Livnian (Upper Devonian) of the Voronezh Anteclise (central Devonian Field)

New conodont species of the genus Polygnathus (P. krutoensis sp. nov., P. makhlinae sp. nov., P. menneri sp. nov., P. obruchevae sp. nov.) are described from the Evlanovian-Livnian (Upper Devonian) deposits of the Voronezh Anteclise (central regions of the Rassian platform). The ontogenetic series of the new species are presented.     

Stenolaemate bryozoans from the Geirud Formation (Upper Devonian/Lower Carboniferous) of Central Alborz (Iran)

Two bryozoan species are described from the Geirud Formation (Upper Devonian/Lower Carboniferous) of Central Alborz (Iran). Trepostome Schulgina mutabilis Troizkaya, 1975 is known from the Upper Devonian (Famennian) of Central Kazakhstan. The new species Ascopora geirudensis n. sp. is the earliest known representative of the rhabdomesine genus Ascopora Trautschold, 1876.     

Reassessment of diversity and analysis of distribution in Tulipa (Liliaceae) in Uzbekistan

The diversity and distribution of the genus Tulipa in Uzbekistan are discussed; 34 taxa of Tulipa are recognized in Uzbekistan. The taxa were mapped using GIS software and their distributions were analyzed. Six species are endemic to the country. A national check‐list of Tulipa was created based on the classification developed by Zonneveld (2009). ‘Hot spot’ areas of tulip diversity in Uzbekistan are western Tien‐Shan (18 taxa), the western Pamir–Alay mountains (18 taxa) and the Turan lowland (5 taxa). An assessment of rare tulip species according to IUCN red list categories and criteria was performed for the first time for Uzbekistan. Evaluation of the latest classification of Tulipa clearly shows that further studies are required to arrive at a natural classification of the genus.     

Abundance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stomaphis graffii</Emphasis> Cholod. (Hemiptera) on maple trees in Poland

The paper presents data on the remarkable abundance of S. graffii in the parks of the industrially transformed region of Upper Silesia, Poland. Ten new sites and 36 colonies were recorded, while only 6 sites were known so far from the whole territory of Poland. New host plant species and new ant species tending aphids were also recorded. The conclusion is that the abundance of Stomaphis species may be underestimated due to their cryptic life mode.     

New brachiopod species from the order acrotretida from the Cambrian of central Kazakhstan

Four new brachiopod species from the order Acrotretida (class Lingulata): Picnotreta saryarkensis sp. nov., Stilpnotreta propria sp. nov., Anabolotreta firma sp. nov., and Batenevotreta variabilis sp. nov. are described from the Agyrek Mountains, northeastern Central Kazakhstan from two olistoliths of limestones, which contain the uppermost Middle and lowermost Upper Cambrian fauna and are located in the Upper Ordovician olistostrome. These new species supplement the described earlier brachiopod assemblage from this region (Koneva and Ushatinskaya, 2008). Strong age and intraspecific variability of some Kazakh acrotretids is shown.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zittelina massei</Emphasis> n. sp., a new dasycladacean alga from the Lower Cretaceous strata of Pădurea Craiului (Apuseni Mountains,Romania)

A new taxon has been found in the Upper Aptian (Clansayesian)-Albian limestones of Pădurea Craiului (Northern Apuseni Mountains). It is the second representative of the genus Zittelina identified in deposits older than the Cenozoic. This new species differs from Z. hispanica—described from Hauterivian deposits—for its axial cavity is narrower (with proportionally longer laterals and a lower d/D ratio) and the median part of the laterals are fused in verticillar planes. It also shows general features that distinguish it from related taxa in Cenozoic strata.     

A new coral‐associated decapod assemblage from the Upper Miocene (Messinian) Upper Coralline Limestone of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

Abstract: A rich coral‐associated decapod assemblage is recorded from the ‘Depiru Beds’ of the upper part of the Upper Coralline Limestone (Messinian, Upper Miocene), from the island of Malta. Nineteen species within 17 genera have been discovered, where 14 genera are new for Malta. Four new species are described, namely Micippa annamariae sp. nov., Pilumnus scaber sp. nov., Panopeus muelleri sp. nov. and Herbstia melitense sp. nov. Herbstia melitense sp. nov. constitutes the first record of the genus from the fossil record in the Mediterranean region. This discovery more than doubles the number of known fossil decapod species from Malta. The fossil bivalve Jouannetia (J.) semicaudata Des Moulins, 1830 and the extant decapod Maja goltziana D’Oliveira, 1888, are also recorded for the first time from Malta. Other Neogene coral‐associated decapod assemblages are investigated and correlated with the new assemblage from Malta. The migration of taxa between the Mediterranean region and the Paratethys, particularly during the Lower Badenian (Langhian), is evidenced by the strong affinity of the Maltese decapod assemblage with that of the Middle Miocene Badenian assemblages from Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Upper Miocene, Messinian assemblages from Spain, Algeria and Morocco are also similar to that from Malta.     

A review of the species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elasmus</Emphasis> Westwood (Hymenoptera,Eulophidae) from Russia and neighboring countries

Five species of Elasmus are described from Russia as new to science (E. altaicus sp. n., E. ekaterinae sp. n. and E. maritimus sp. n.), Turkmenistan (E. turkmenicus sp. n.), and Mongolia (E. emeljanovi sp. n.). E. nikolskayae Myartseva et Dzhanokmen, 1989 is redescribed. Elasmus obesoceratus Trjapitzin, 1979 is downgraded to a synonym to Elasmus rufiventris Ferrière, 1947. Sixteen species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Russia, six for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, five for Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, four for Ukraine and Mongolia, two for Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, China, and South Korea, and also new single records are given for Poland, Slovakia, Abkhazia, Afghanistan, and Iran. New hosts are recorded for seven species: E. flabellatus Fonsocolombe, E. longiclava Graham, E. nudus (Nees), E. platyedrae Ferrière, E. schmitti Ruschka, E. steffani Viggiani, and E. westwoodi Giraud. A key to twenty-six species of Elasmus is compiled.     

DNA barcoding revealed a wider distribution of Alburnoides holciki (Teleostei: Leuciscidae) in the inland waters of Uzbekistan

Alburnoides holciki Coad & Bogutskaya, 2012 was originally described to be found in the Hari River basin. So far, this species is known to occur in tributaries of the Hari River in Afghanistan, Iran and Turkmenistan, and also in the upper reaches of the Amu Darya in Tajikistan. Populations from the inland waters of Uzbekistan were previously considered as A. eichwaldii. Our study recognized specimens of Alburnoides from the inland waters of Uzbekistan as A. holciki based on both morphological data and the molecular data. The novelty of the study is the confirmation of A. holciki for the inland waters of Uzbekistan, which constitutes the northernmost record of this species.