New insects (Insecta: Trichoptera,Eoblattida) from the Lower Permian of Russia

The insect fauna of the Lower Permian Tyulkino locality in the Perm Region of Russia is considered. New members of the orders Trichoptera and Eoblattida are described. Members of the primitive family Microptysmatidae (suborder Protomeropina) are typical of the Lower and Middle Permian deposits of Eurasia and are represented by the two genera: Microptysmella Kukalová-Peck et Willmann, 1990 and Kamopanorpa Martynov, 1928. Kamopanorpa tyulkiana sp. nov. and K. tamarae sp. nov. (Trichoptera, Microptysmatidae) and Parakhosara kamica sp. nov. (Eoblattida, Megakhosaridae) are described.     

Descriptions of Two New Species of Philophylla Rondani (Diptera: Tephritidae) from India

Philophylla freidbergi, sp. nov., and P. flavofemorata, sp. nov. are described, illustrated, and distinguished from related species. Both species were collected from Meghalaya, India. In addition, taxonomic status of Anomoia alboscutellata (Wulp), which is superficially similar to P. freidbergi, is discussed.     

Three new species of genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Himalaya

Three new species of the genus Myrmica are described from the Himalayas. Myrmica curvispinosa sp. nov., Myrmica kothiensis sp. nov. and Myrmica religiosa sp. nov. belong to the Myrmica inezae species group, which is earlier represented by 4 species. Myrmica curvispinosa sp. nov. is described based on worker and gyne, with a report of ergatoid as well. Myrmica kothiensis sp. nov. and Myrmica religiosa sp. nov. are described based on worker caste only. A key to the species of the Myrmica inezae species group has been provided in the following.     

Early Miocene reef- and mudflat-associated gastropods from Makran (SE-Iran)

A new gastropod fauna of Burdigalian (early Miocene) age is described from the Iranian part of Makran. The fauna comprises 19 species and represents three distinct assemblages from turbid water coral reef, shallow subtidal soft-bottom and mangrove-fringed mudflat environments in the northern Indian Ocean. Especially the reef-associated assemblage comprises largely new species. This is explained by the rare occurrence of reefs along the northern margin of the Miocene Indian Ocean and the low number of scientific studies dealing with the region. In terms of paleobiogeography, the fauna corresponds well to coeval faunas from the Pakistani Balochistan and Sindh provinces and the Indian Kathiawar, Kutch and Kerala provinces. During the early Miocene, these constituted a discrete biogeographic unit, the Western Indian Province, which documents the near complete biogeographic isolation from the Proto-Mediterranean Sea. Some mudflat taxa might represent examples of vicariance following the Tethys closure. The fauna also displays little connection with coeval faunas from Indonesia, documenting a strong provincialism within the Indo-West Pacific Region during early Miocene times. Neritopsis gedrosiana sp. nov., Calliostoma irerense sp. nov., Calliostoma mohtatae sp. nov. and Trivellona makranica sp. nov. are described as new species.     

Two new false click-beetles from China (Coleoptera: Elateroidae: Eucnemidae)

Thambus planifrons Muona & Meng sp. nov. and Otho rutriclypeus Muona & Meng sp. nov. are described from China. Both genera are recorded for the first time from China. Except for the European T. friwaldszkyi Bonvouloir, 1871, and the Japanese T. curvicaria Hisamatsu, 1956, all other previously known species belonging to Otho were from the Americas. Eight Otho species have been described from disparate parts of Asia earlier.urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:10B667F6-F11E-454B-9653-D66A2D7ABFA1.     

Morphology and molecules reveal two new species of Porites (Scleractinia,Poritidae) from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

Two new reef coral species, Porites farasani sp. nov. and Porites hadramauti sp. nov. (Scleractinia, Poritidae), are described from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Porites farasani sp. nov. only occurs in the Farasan Islands in the southern Red Sea, while P. hadramauti sp. nov. has been collected in the Yemen Hadramaut region in the Gulf of Aden. Both species presented striking in situ differences with respect to other Porites species, and were characterized by small encrusting colonies and unusual polyp colouration. In order to test the genetic distinctiveness of P. farasani sp. nov. and P. hadramauti sp. nov. between each other and with respect to other representatives in the genus Porites, we investigated their evolutionary relationships with eight other morphological species of Porites occurring in the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aden. Two DNA loci, the mitochondrial putative control region and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region, were sequenced, and three species delimitation approaches based on barcoding threshold (Automated Barcoding Gap Discovery) and coalescence theory (Poisson-Tree process, Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent) were applied. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses were overall concordant, resolving P. farasani sp. nov. and P. hadramauti sp. nov. as two divergent but closely related lineages. Of the other morphologically defined Porites species, three were genetically differentiated (P. rus, P. columnaris and P. fontanesii), but five were genetically indistinguishable. The discovery of two regional endemics confirms the importance of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as regions of high biodiversity and suggests the need for an integration of genome-wide molecular data with the re-evaluation of skeletal structures in the systematics of Porites.     

Brachiopods from the family Ambocoeliidae George (Order Spiriferida) from the Emsian (Lower Devonian) of northeastern Russia

Brachiopods from the family Ambocoeliidae George from the Emsian (Lower Devonian) of northeastern Russia are described: Bisinocoelia despecta sp. nov.; Yakutospirifer gen. nov. with the type species Y. krivensis sp. nov.; Micospirifer gen. nov. with the type species M. simplex sp. nov.; Kolymospirifer gen. nov. with the type species K. optatus sp. nov. (subfamily Ambocoeliinae); Datnospirifer gen. nov. with the type species D. alius sp. nov.; Khalimospirifer gen. nov. with the type species Kh. microscopicus sp. nov.; Gerospirifer gen. nov. with the type species G. normalis sp. nov., and G. gerensis sp. nov.; Dogdospirifer gen. nov. with the type species D. yolkini sp. nov. (subfamily Rhynchospiriferinae).     

Mode of life of fan-hand-like Scoliocrinus according to functional form and syntopy with two other irregular crinoids from the Middle Devonian of the Rhenish Massif (Germany)

For a long time, the highly aberrant crinoid Scoliocrinus was known only from the Lower Givetian Eifel area (western Rhenish Massif) as a single oblique calyx with only two out of five radials having an arm facet. Several almost complete crowns of a new species in the Middle Givetian Finnentrop area (eastern Rhenish Massif) have two fan-like arms (in the A and E rays), and a horizontal large anal tube. The probable mode of life of Scoliocrinus is analysed by (a) functional morphology mainly of the arms, (b) criteria of minimised faecal recycling, (c) biostratinomic association with two new species of another aberrant, but four-armed new crinoid genus thus suggesting original syntopy with Scoliocrinus. It is concluded that the construction of Scoliocrinus is probably an adaptation to prevailing unidirectional (tidal?) currents in biostromal reef biotopes. This is supported by rather similar crinoid occurrences in a Lower Givetian biostromal reef-related region in the western Rhenish Massif, with the genotype of Scoliocrinus and a newly assigned third species of Scoliocrinus (arm and probable part of the calyx), as well as four-armed species. The new forms are described as Scoliocrinus ubaghsi nov. sp., Scoliocrinus gerolsteinensis nov. sp., Trapezocrinus scheeri nov. gen., nov. sp., and Trapezocrinus hilperti nov. gen., nov. sp.     

New gall midges of the subfamily Lestremiinae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) from the Rovno amber

Two new genera and eight new species of the gall midges subfamily Lestremiinae, viz. Berestella insuperabilis gen. et sp. nov., Monardia impellucida sp. nov., Xylopriona aristata sp. nov. (Micromyini), Aprionus improvisus sp. nov., A.? vlaskini sp. nov. (Aprionini), Vicemyia immediata gen. et sp. nov. (Peromyiini), Cordylomyia cauta sp. nov. (Campylomyzini) and Bryomyia necessaria sp. nov. (Bryomyiini) from the Late Eocene Rovno amber are described. New combinations, i.e., Cordylomyia declinata (Fedotova, 2004), comb. nov. and Cordylomyia magnifica (Nel et Prokop, 2006), comb. nov. (both are transferred from Neurolyga) are proposed. No species in common with the fauna from the Baltic amber are recorded.     

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.     

New bibionomorpha (Insecta: Diptera) from the Jurassic of Asia

The new species Protorhyphus rohdendorfi sp. nov. (Protorhyphidae), Mesorhyphus handlirschi sp. nov., and M. hennigi sp. nov. (Anisopodidae), Procramptonomyia ponomarenkoi sp. nov. and P. kovalevi sp. nov. (Procramptonomyiidae) are described from the Upper Jurassic deposits of Mongolia (Shar Teg); some features of Archirhyphus asiaticus Rohdendorf, 1964 are revealed. The latter two species are also known from the locality of Karatau (Kazakhstan, J_2/3). The genus Tega Blagoderov, Krzemi??ska, and Krzemi??ski, 1993 is transferred from the family Cramptonomyiidae into Anisopodidae (Teginae subfam. nov.).     

Tardigrada of the Revdalen (Spitsbergen) with the descriptions of two new species: Bryodelphax parvuspolaris (Heterotardigrada) and Isohypsibius coulsoni (Eutardigrada)

Despite a century long history of research, tardigrade fauna of the Svalbard Archipelago remains poorly known. In order to deepen our knowledge of tardigrade biodiversity in the Arctic, we collected forty-one moss and lichen samples from the Revdalen and on the south-east slopes of the Rotjesfjellet (Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago) in June 2010. In these samples, twenty-five tardigrade species were found, including two new for science: Bryodelphax parvuspolaris sp. nov. and Isohypsibius coulsoni sp. nov. B. parvuspolaris sp. nov. belongs to the weglarskae group but differs from all other species of the group by a unique configuration of ventral plates. I. coulsoni sp. nov. differs from the most similar species I. ceciliae Pilato and Binda, 1987 mainly by the absence of ventral sculpture. Two additional species, Milnesium asiaticum Tumanov, 2006 and Diphascon (Adropion) prorsirostre Thulin, 1928, are recorded from the Svalbard Archipelago for the first time.     

Primates and Plesiadapiformes from Cos (Eocene; Quercy,France)

A new fauna has been collected from a fissure filling named Cos in the Quercy region, southwestern France. It includes four primate species and a plesiadapiform. The cercamoniine adapiform Protoadapis andrei Godinot and Vidalenc, nov. sp., is represented by material that adds to our knowledge of the genus Protoadapis for the upper canine, upper molars and other morphological details. It appears more primitive than P. brachyrhynchus from the Old Quercy Collections. The other cercamoniine Pronycticebus cosensis Godinot and Vidalenc, nov. sp., offers insight on intraspecific variations and other details of the genus. Both species suggest a bushy evolution within these genera. Two teeth document the presence of a third cercamoniine, Anchomomys sp. indet. The new microchoerid Quercyloris eloisae Godinot and Vidalenc, nov. gen., nov. sp., has very primitive characters and seems to document a primitive member of the Pseudoloris clade. A poorly documented paromomyid plesiadapiform is distinct enough to be named Arcius moniquae Godinot and Vidalenc, nov. sp. It represents the first discovery of a plesiadapiform in the Quercy fossil record and makes a link with paromomyids surviving until the late Lutetian European Mammal Paleogene MP 13 reference level. The primates indicate a broad age interval between MP 10 (late Ypresian) and MP 12 (mid-Lutetian). The identification of the same species of Pronycticebus and of the new genus in the Vielase fauna suggests more precisely the MP 10–MP 11 (late Ypresian–early Lutetian) time interval.     

Seven new species of caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Rovno amber (Eocene of Ukraine)

Seven new caddisfly species of the families Polycentropodidae, Psychomyiidae, and Lepidostomatidae are described from the Late Eocene Rovno amber: Holocentropus kobodok sp. nov., H. zhiltsovae sp. nov., Plectrocnemia nastigermania sp. nov., P. ucrainica sp. nov., Nyctiophylax terreusbos sp. nov., Lype essentia sp. nov., and Lepidostoma quasitypica sp. nov.     

Brachiopods of the family ambocoeliidae (spiriferida) from the givetian of southern Verkhoyansk Region (northeastern Russia)

Four new ambocoeliid species, Ambocoelia ectypa sp. nov., Echinocoelia tikhiensis sp. nov., Emanuella takwanensis (Kayser), and Ladjia sita sp. nov., from the Givetian of the southern Verkhoyansk Region are described (northeastern Russia).     

Two new species of Electra (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) from the Miocene of the Aquitaine Basin, France

Post-Cretaceous examples of Electridae, a primitive family of cheilostome bryozoans, are poorly represented in the fossil record, probably because of their thinly calcified zooids and preference for nearshore environments. Two new electrid species are here described from the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) of Pontpourquey, Aquitaine, France: Electra triaurata nov. sp. and Electra aquitanica nov. sp. Both species belong to extant species groups, the E. indica and E. biscuta groups, respectively, that presently occur in the Indo-Pacific; both are the only fossil examples of these species groups. Whereas E. triaurata nov. sp. has uniserial colonies, zooids with porous gymnocysts, three flattened spines and basal windows allowing etching of the substrate to produce the trace fossil Leptichnus, E. aquitanica nov. sp. has multiserial colonies and zooids with a proximal gymnocyst bearing 2 to 5 spines.     

Nouvelles espèces de Madréporaires dans le Kimméridgien supérieur du Jura (France)

The study of an Upper Kimmeridgian madreporarianfauna collected in the southern french Jura (between Valfin and Belley), allowed: 1) to describe five Scleractinian new species: Mitrodendron biennensis nov. sp., Hexapetalum nemorosum nov. sp., Thalamocoenia gironensis nov. sp., Cryptocoenia stelliserrata nov. sp., Columnocoenia miniflora nov. sp. and a new variety of Heliocoenia (Kobycoenia) claudiopolisensisBeauv., 1964, characterized by its small calices; 2) to modify the diagnosis and the systematic position of the species Baryhelia crassa (de From.) which was created as Heterocoenia crassade From.; 3) to increase of a new species the genus Hexapetalum only known, till now, by its Stramberg Tithon type-species; and 4) to give some palaeoenvironmental conclusions = the Upper Jurassic reef formations in the Southern Jura grew in shallow water characterized by an abundant carbonate sedimentation. Genera associations and distribution confirm the presence, between Oyonnax and Belley, of a low energy area, protected by a barrier reef and, northern of this barrier, of a higher hydrodynamic environment.     

The lichenicolous species of Odontotrema (syn. Lethariicola) (Ascomycota,Ostropales)

Abstract:The genus Lethariicola is shown to be a synonym of Odontotrema. Fifteen lichenicolous species are recognized: O. bryoriae sp. nov. (on Bryoria), O. cuculare comb. nov. (on Parmeliopsishyperopta), O. figulinum comb. nov. (on Lecanorapolytropa), O. intermedium sp. nov. (on Thamnolia), O. lecanorae sp. nov. (on Lecanora), O. melaneliae sp. nov. (on Melanelia), O. ochrolechiae sp. nov. (on Ochrolechia), O. pertusariae sp. nov. (onPertusariahymenea ), O. rhizocarpicola sp. nov. (on Rhizocarpon), O. santessonii sp. nov. (on Thamnolia), O. sipei comb. nov. (on Letharia), O. thamnoliae sp. nov. (onThamnolia ), and three undescribed species on Lecanora, Mycoblastus and Usnea. The type ofO. cuculare has two distinct lichenicolous species of Odontotrema, and the name is lectotypified on the species growing on Parmeliopsis. A key is given to all lichenicolous species of Odontotrema andParalethariicola .     

Four new species of Chimarra Stephens (Trichoptera: Philopotamoidea: Philopotamidae) from Indian Himalaya

Four new species are added to the philopotamid fauna of India. The newly described species under Chimarra Stephens are Chimarra barnardi sp. nov. and C. padami sp. nov. (both from Arunachal Pradesh), C. bidenta sp. nov. from Uttarakhand and C. quadrata sp. nov. from Sikkim. These species are distinguishable from each other as well as from previously known allied species by consistent variation in the structure of inferior appendages, tergite X and the phallic apparatus of males.