Findings of the leaf beetles <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina tundralis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina roddi</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) in the middle part of European Russia

Two species of leaf beetles, Chrysolina tundralis and Ch. roddi, were found in the “Galich’ya Gora” Nature Reserve (the middle part of European Russia), 1200 and 700 km, respectively, from the main part of the ranges of these species. Adults and larvae of Ch. tundralis feed on Lamium purpureum, those of Ch. roddi feed on Seseli intermedia there. Diagnostic characters of the adults of both species are reported.     

Courtship song analysis in two hybrid zones between sibling species of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chorthippus albomarginatus</Emphasis> group (Orthoptera,Gomphocerinae)

Two new hybrid zones between sibling species of the Chorthippus albomarginatus group were described on the basis of the courtship song analysis. Not only the sounds emitted but also the accompanying stridulatory movements of the hind legs were analyzed, which allowed the temporal parameters to be classified in a more reliable way. One hybrid zone between Ch. albomarginatus and Ch. karelini was found in Ulyanovsk and Samara Provinces of Russia. The other hybrid zone, presumably between Ch. karelini and Ch. oschei, was found in the protected Askania-Nova steppe area in Kherson Province of Ukraine. Based on comparison of the natural and laboratory hybrids, a hypothesis on the structure and dynamics of the hybrid zones is proposed.     

A review of species of the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taeniosticha</Emphasis> Motsch., genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina</Emphasis> Motsch. (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae), distributed in the Dzungar Ata Tau and Tien Shan Mt. Ranges,with descriptions of two new species

Species of the subgenus Taeniosticha, genus Chrysolina, from the Dzungar Ala Tau, Northern and Central Tien Shan, are revised. A key to the species and figures of the aedeagus of each species are given. Two new species, Chrysolina klimenkoi sp. n. and Ch. sairannurica sp. n., are described from Southeastern Kazakhstan and Northwestern China. Two new species-groups are distinguished: the Ch. alatavica species-group distributed in the Dzungar Ala Tau and Boro-Khoro Mountain Ranges, and the Ch. tianshanica species-group with its members occurring in the Northern and Central Tien Shan. A scheme of the species distribution is given.     

Threshold Concentrations of Cations in the Water Necessary for Maintaining the Ionic Balance Between Organism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus balatonicus</Emphasis> Devai et al. Larvae and Environment

Threshold concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in water determining the borders of the Chironomus balatonicus range in waterbodies are 0.6–0.62, 0.11–0.12, 0.071–0.073, and 0.022–0.028 mmol/L, respectively. In the freshwater section of the Curonian Lagoon of the Baltic Sea and other waterbodies with weakly mineralized water where the content of ions is lower than the threshold values, larval Ch. balatonicus cannot dwell because of the impossibility of maintaining the ionic balance between the organism and environment. The threshold concentrations and rates of loss of ions from an organism in various species of aquatic organisms are comparatively analyzed.     

On Two Little Known Species of Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from the South Urals

120 years ago G.G. Jacobson described two species of leaf beetles from the South Urals that have remained poorly studied until recently. Chrysolina roddi, previously known only from the foothills and low mountains of the South Urals, the low Zhiguli Mountains, and the limestone cliffs on the Don River, is recorded here for the first time from the alpine tundra of the Iremel massif; its host plant in the alpine zone is the small alpine lovage Pachypleurum simplex (= Ligusticum mutellinoides), family Apiaceae. Two species of the subgenus Crositops, Ch. roddi and Ch. kabaki, are presently treated as foothill-alpine disjunct taxa. The distribution of Ch. poretzkyi, described from the low-montane part of Bashkortostan, also shows a foothill-alpine disjunction. Alpine populations of Ch. poretzkyi are described here as a new subspecies Ch. (Arctolina) poretzkyi olschwangi Mikhailov subsp. n. Revision of the type of Ch. poretzkyi that has long been considered lost confirms that this species belongs to the subgenus Arctolina, in disagreement with its previous placement in the subgenus Pleurosticha. Within Arctolina, the identity of Ch. tundralis and its differences from Ch. poretzkyi are discussed.     

Host specificity of Asian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysochus</Emphasis> Chevr. in Dej. (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and their potential use for biological control of invasive <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vincetoxicum</Emphasis> species

Three Asian leaf beetles of the genus Chrysochus were investigated as potential biological control agents of Vincetoxicum rossicum and V. nigrum, invasive weeds in northeastern North America. Chrysochus chinensis and Ch. globicollis were collected from a field host in a different genus and subtribe. Preliminary no-choice laboratory tests with Ch. goniostoma showed that its physiological host range is too broad. Based on these data, we are not considering these three species as potential biological control agents of invasive Vincetoxicum species.     

A new species,a new synonym,and new records of the hover-fly genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cheilosia</Emphasis> Meigen (Diptera,Syrphidae)

A new species, Cheilosia richterae sp. n., is described in the nominotypical subgenus, being most closely related there to Ch. annulifemur Stackelberg, 1930. Two species, Ch. sootryeni Nielsen, 1970 and Ch. rufimana (Becker, 1984), are recorded from Russia for the first time. Ch. kuznetzovae Skufjin, 1977 is recorded for the first time from the Urals and western Siberia. The subgenus Nephocheila Barkalov, 2002 is synonymized with Nephomyia Matsumura, 1916. Figures of the male and female heads and the male genitalia are given for all the species.     

Variation and Divergence of Multilocus Genome Markers in the Species of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus</Emphasis> (Diptera,Chironomidae)

Variation and divergence patterns of the multilocus genome markers in twelve Chironomus species belonging to the plumosus and piger sibling-species groups were examined by use of polymerase chain reaction with arbitrary primers (RAPD method). The chironomid species showed high levels of the RAPD markers polymorphism. The genetic distances (GD) were determined between the species within the group of closely related species, as well as between the species from different groups. The estimates obtained characterized the divergence levels between the sibling species (GD = 0.739) and morphologically distinct species (GD = 0.935). Comparison of the variation and divergence levels of the RAPD markers with those for the other genome markers, namely, the enzyme-coding genes and chromosomes (gene linkage groups) have demonstrated different divergence rates for different genome components during speciation of chironimids.     

The Larvae of Three Species of Jewel Beetles of the Subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysoblemma</Emphasis> Jakovlev, 1889, Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphenoptera</Emphasis> Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera,Buprestidae), from Turkmenistan

The larvae of three species of jewel beetles of the subgenus Chrysoblemma Jakovlev of the genus Sphenoptera Dejean are described: Sphenoptera (Ch.) tamarisci beckeri Dohrn reared from Horaninovia ulicina Fisch. et Mey., Atriplex tatarica L. and Salsola arbuscula Pall.; Sphenoptera (Ch.) tomentosa Jakovlev from Salsola arbuscula; Sphenoptera (Ch.) amplicollis Jakovlev from Salsola orientalis S.G. Gmel. and Halothamnus glaucus (Bieb.) Botsch. Differential diagnoses to distinguish them from the previously described sphenopterine larvae are given.     

A review of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina lineella</Emphasis> species-group of the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopachys</Emphasis> Motschulsky, 1860, genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina</Emphasis> Motschulsky, 1860 (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae)

The Chrysolina lineella species-group of the subgenus Anopachys Motschulsky, 1860 is revised. Chrysolina watanabei Takizawa, 1970 is revalidated from the synonymy with Ch. lineigera (Jacobson, 1901). Ch. sundukovi Mikhailov, 2006 is a new junior synonym of Ch. watanabei. Special attention is paid to the infraspecific variability of the male and female genitalia. The structure of the aedeagal flagellum and the spermatheca are used as diagnostic characters. A key to species is included. Ch. watanabei is for the first time recorded from the Asian continent (Primorskii Territory of Russia and Northeastern China).     

Malcofaunal Diversity of Chilika Lake,Odisha, India

Investigation during the period of 3 years from 2007 to 2010 on the malacofauna of Chilika lake revealed the occurrence of 126 molluscan taxa belonging to 56 families, 18 orders of three classes in the bottom sediment. Of these 61 species belonged to Bivalvia, 64 species belonged to Gastropoda and one species belonged to Polyplacophora. Maximum Bivalvia and Gastropoda taxa were found in the outer channel region of the lake. The dominating species were Crassostrea cuttackensis, Saccostrea cucullata, Brachidontes undulatus, Meretrix meretrix among bivalves and Cerethideopsilla cingulata, Bullia vittata, Nassarious stolatus, Indothias lacera, Natica tigrina, Turritella attenuata were from the gastropods. Occurrence of a large number of marine taxa is most probably associated with the opening of new lagoon during 1st August 2008.     

Little known leaf beetles of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from China

Chrysolina (Semenowia) chalcea (Weise, 1889), Ch. (Pezocrosita) cyanopurpurea (Ballion, 1878), and Ch. (Chrysocrosita) fuyunica Chen, 1961 are redescribed. A male (topotype) of Ch. cyanopurpurea was examined for the first time. Ch. belousovi Lopatin, 2000 is a new junior synonym of Ch. cyanopurpurea; Ch. bienkowskii Lopatin, 2000 is a new junior synonym of Ch. chalcea. The taxonomic position of all the taxa mentioned is discussed.     

Chromosomal differentiation of the sibling species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia membranifaciens</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pichia manshurica</Emphasis>

The molecular karyotyping analysis of 21 strains within the taxonomic complex Pichia membranifaciens allowed the sibling species P. membranifaciens and P. manshurica, as well as P. deserticola and P. punctispora, to be differentiated. Heterogeneity of the species P. membranifaciens at the variety level is discussed.     

Composition of the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zeugotaenia</Emphasis>, genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysolina</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae), and examination of the nomenclatural types

Zeugotaenia Motschulsky, 1860 is resurrected as a valid name for the subgenus of Chrysolina with the type species Chrysomela limbata Fabricius, 1775. Diagnosis of the subgenus is compiled. Neotypes of Chrysomela limbata and Ch. limbifera Küster, 1846, and lectotypes of Chrysomela findelii Suffrian, 1851, Ch. hochhuthii Suffrian, 1851, and Ch. discipennis Faldermann, 1835 are designated. The types of Chrysomela limbata jenisseiensis Breit, 1920 and Chrysolina limbata kavani Bechyné, 1950 and the topotypes of Chrysomela limbata luigionii Depoli, 1936 are examined. Chrysolina furva Peyerimhoff, 1926 and Ch. dohrnii Fairmaire, 1865 do not belong to the subgenus Zeugotaenia.     

Pheromone composition,the mtDNA <Emphasis Type="Italic">COI</Emphasis> locus variation,and phylogenetic relationships in leafrollers of the tribe Archipini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

The groups of leafroller species belonging to the tribe Archipini (Archips crataegana, A. rosana, A. xylosteana-Choristoneura diversiana, Ch. fumiferana-A. podana, Pandemis cerasa, Hedya nubiferana-Cydia pomonella) were divided based on the sequences of the mtDNA COI locus. Within these groups, the pheromone blend composition in the species studied reflected the patterns of using cis-, cis/trans-, or only trans-isomers of the pheromone components in the process of chemocommunication. It was demonstrated that polymorphism of the locus investigated in A. podana was associated with inbreeding, while in A. rosana it was associated with the geographic distribution of the species.     

A new species of the chironomid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chaetocladius</Emphasis> (Diptera,Chironomidae) from the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago

The new species Chaetocladius makarchenkovi, subfamily Orthocladinae, is described on the basis of examination of adult males found on the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (Yuzhnyi Island, Pankov Peninsula, Gribovaya Bay). According to the structure of the head, thorax, and anal point of the hypopygium, the species is closely related to Ch. perennis (Meigen), but differs from it in the form and structure of the lower inner volsella, gonostylus, virga of the hypopygium, in the presence of shortened setae on the antennal flagellum, in the lower antenna index AR, and in the smaller number of Ac and Dc setae on the mesonotum.     

New leaf-beetle species (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from China: VIII

Chrysolina baoshanica sp. n., Ch. amica sp. n., Ch. baimana sp. n., Ch. sergeyi sp. n., Ch. korotjaevi sp. n., Ch. volkovitshi sp. n., Ch. aeruginosa kabana subsp. n., and Phratora belousovi sp. n. from Chinese provinces Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan are described. Types of the new species are deposited in the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg.