A new species of Parapygmephorus Cross, 1965 (Acari; Heterostigmatina; Neopygmephoridae) phoretic on Halictus quadricinctus (Fabricius, 1776) (Hym.; Halictidae) from Iran

A new species of the genus Parapygmephorus Cross, 1965 (Acari: Heterostigmatina, Neopygmephoridae) is described from Northeastern Iran. A phoretic adult female of Parapygmephorus khorasanicus Hajiqanbar and Khaustov sp. n. was discovered clasping on hairs on the ventral body surface of Halictus quadricinctus (Fabricius, 1776) (Hymenoptera; Halictidae). It is the fifth representative among the known species of the genus Parapygmephorus in the world. Differentiation of new species from other species of the genus is discussed, and a key to known world species is provided.     

Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran

Wide ranging surveys of the ant fauna of Iran have enabled us to add a further 30 named species to the country list. A review of almost all the published literature and of photographs of unidentified specimens within the public domain gives a grand total of 248 species, from seven subfamilies and 37 genera. In the majority of instances, our own specimens were compared with type images available from antweb.com. This has led us to propose new or revised status for Cataglyphis turcomanica Crawley 1920, Lepisiota integrisquama (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929), Lepisiota surchanica (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929) and Messor obscurior Crawley 1920. We note that the total includes a number of what may be misidentifications and a small number of named species that seem unlikely to occur in Iran.     

Multivariate discrimination among cryptic species of the mite genus Chaetodactylus (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) associated with bees of the genus Lithurgus (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in North America

Twenty-seven morphological characters from 111 heteromorphic deutonymphs of the mite genus Chaetodactylus Rondani (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) were analyzed. The mites were collected from four species of bees of the genus Lithurgus Berthold (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in continental North America. Principal component and canonical variates analyses on Darroch and Mosimann shape and size-and-shape variables revealed the presence of three cryptic species. Chaetodactylus gibbosi sp. n. (Florida) is geographically isolated from C. lithurgi sp. n. distributed in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Idaho. Sympatric C. lithurgi and C. abditus sp. n. (USA: Arizona, Mexico: Socorro Is.) are seasonally isolated in Arizona. Chaetodactylus gibbosi is associated with a single bee species, Lithurgus gibbosus Smith in Florida. The host range of C. lithurgi includes bees flying predominantly in the spring: L. apicalis Cresson, L. littoralis Cockerell, and western L. gibbosus. Chaetodactylus abditus sp. n. is associated with L. planifrons Friese and L. echinocacti Cockerell, flying predominantly in the fall in Arizona. No distinct groups separated by geographic locality or size were detected in any species. A six-variable model developed by the canonical variates analysis and estimated using jackknife resampling and external validation (n=100) is capable of classifying the three species with 100% accuracy. Factors that influenced speciation of cryptic species of Chaetodactylus associated with Lithurgus are discussed. Based on morphological and geographical data and data on mite associates, the western and eastern populations of the bee L. gibbosus are distinct. Therefore, the taxonomic status of L. gibbosus s. lat. should be reevaluated.     

First record of the genus Brachygaster Leach (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) from Australia with the description of a new species

Abstract  Brachygaster murrayorum sp. n., a new species of evaniid ensign wasp, is described from northern Queensland. This is the first record of Brachygaster Leach in Australia and represents a significant range extension from Singapore, its previous closest occurrence.     

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     

New synonym and new Japanese record of the ant genus Ponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A new synonym in the ant genus Ponera , and a new species-record from Japan are reported following faunal surveys of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture. Morphological comparison of type specimens with material collected on Yakushima and mainland Kyushu and Honshu reveals that Ponera yakushimensis Tanaka is a junior synonym of Ponera scabra Wheeler. Analysis of intraspecific variation in P. scabra is reported. Morphological comparison reveals that a recent putative distribution record of P. scabra from Yakushima was based on a misidentification of Ponera alisana Terayama. This is the first Japanese record of P. alisana , which was originally described from Taiwan. Geographic variation between the P. alisana types and specimens collected on Yakushima is discussed. A revised key to Japanese Ponera species is presented.     

A new mite of the winterschmidtiid genus Ensliniella (Acari: Astigmata) associated with the vespid wasp Allodynerus mandschuricus (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from Japan

A new species of Ensliniella is described from deutonymphs from two localities in central Japan as the seventh species of the genus. Ensliniella asiatica sp. nov., found in the nests and acarinaria (mite chambers) of the vespid wasp Allodynerus mandschuricus, differs from the most similar species, E. kostylevi, in having a more reduced, shorter, subconical solenidion psi on tibia IV and ensiform setae e and r on tarsus III. It is readily distinguished from the remaining five known congeners in having a solenidion omega2 on tarsus I. This is the second species of Ensliniella known from Japan.     

First record of the genus Wilkinsonellus (Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Fiji with description of three new species

Wilkinsonellus Mason is a relatively small Pantropical genus of braconid parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Microgastrinae. Most of the currently described species are from the Palaeotropics; however, previous records were absent from Fiji. Here, the first three Wilkinsonellus species from Fiji are described: Wilkinsonellus corpustriacolor sp. n., Wilkinsonellus fijienis sp. n. and Wilkinsonellus nescalpura sp. n. The material was collected by Malaise traps set up in a quite variety of ecosystems (wet zone, dry zone and coastal forests) throughout the archipelago. With these records, Fiji represents the easternmost known distribution of the genus in the Indo-Pacific Region. A key to all of the currently known Wilkinsonellus species is included to facilitate species identification.     

Strong differences in chemical recognition cues between two closely related species of ants from the genus Lasius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are increasingly recognized as important to insects and are used for constructing taxonomies. However, multiple parameters affect the expression of CHCs besides a genetic component. We propose that selection may act differently on the expression of CHCs, depending on the evolutionary context. To explore the influence of selection, the CHCs of two closely related ant species, Lasius niger and Lasius platythorax, were studied in a multidisciplinary approach. We characterized (i) CHCs and (ii) niches (through baiting, activity observations and foraging analysis). The species were distinct in both measures, although to a varying degree. Although they showed moderate niche partitioning along diet and environmental preferences, chemical differences were unexpectedly pronounced. This may be explained by divergent selection on mate recognition cues or by other influences on CHCs. Such striking chemical differences among closely related species may not be the rule and suggest that taxonomies based on CHCs should be interpreted cautiously; though, they remain useful tools for differentiating among cryptic species.     

Nine eriophyoid mite species from Iran (Acari, Eriophyidae)

Nine eriophyoid mites, including two new species and five new records, from Iran are described and illustrated. They are Aceria acroptiloni Shevchenko & Kacalev, 1974, rec. n. on Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo (Asteraceae); Aceria anthocoptes (Nalepa, 1892), rec. n. on Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae); Aceria lactucae (Canestrini, 1893), rec. n. on Lactuca virosa L. (Asteraceae); Aceria pulicarissp. n. on Pulicaria gnaphalodes (Vent.) Boiss. (Asteraceae); Aceria tosichella Keifer, 1969 on Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. (Poaceae); Eriophyes rotundae Mohanasundaram, 1983 on Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae); Aculops maroccensis Keifer, 1972, rec. n. on Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae); Aculus medicagersp. n. on Medicago sativa L. (Leguminosae); Tetra lycopersici Xue & Hong, 2005, rec. n. on Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae).     

A new genus and species of mite (Acari: Acaridae) from Mexico

Comerinia chuetolamina gen. & sp. nov. was collected from a cargo of dried Daphnia imported to Britain from Mexico. Females can be distinguished from all others described in the family Acaridae in that setae 14, 15 and d5 are flattened dorsoventrally over most of the basal half. This region appears blade-like, bearing numerous strong pectinations along the ventral side. Males may be recognized by a series of characters, some of which reflect a close relationship with Forcellinia Ouds., 1924 and others with Tyrophagus Ouds., 1924. The position of the new genus in a commonly used key to adults of the family Acaridae is indicated.     

Characterization of 24 microsatellite markers in 11 species of fire ants in the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The social parasite ant Solenopsis daguerrei infests colonies of several mound-building fire ant species. Twenty-four microsatellite markers were isolated from a repeat-enriched genomic library of S. daguerrei. Eleven loci were polymorphic in this ant with two to six alleles per locus. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.0222 to 0.7940 among loci. Most microsatellites amplified successfully across the 11 Solenopsis species tested and will be useful for evolutionary genetic studies in this diverse ant group.     

Species of the genus Crotonia (Acari: Cryptostigmata) from New Zealand

Five new species of Crotonia from New Zealand ( C. cervicorna, C. cupulata, C. longibulbula, C. tuberculata and C. reticulata ) are described as new, and two species ( C. cophinana (Michael 1908) and C. caudatis (Hammer 1966)) are redescribed. Five species groups of the genus are characterized and a key to the adequately described species of the world is presented.