New click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from the cretaceous of Russia and Kazakhstan

A new tribe, two new genera, and seven new species of click beetles are described: Pollostelaterini, trib. nov., Pollostelater baissensis, gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia (Baisa locality), five new species in the genus Cryptocoelus Dolin et Nel C. sinitshenkovae, sp. nov. (Romanovka locality), C. shcherbakovi, sp. nov., C. baissensis, sp. nov., C. lukashevichae, sp. nov., C. dolini, sp. nov. (all from Baisa locality), and Turonelater giganteus, gen. et sp. nov. from the Turonian of Southern Kazakhstan (Kzyl-Dzhar locality).     

New water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) from the mesozoic of Mongolia

A new genus and two new species of water scavenger beetles, Hydrophilopsia bontsaganica, sp. nov. and Prospercheus cristatus, gen. et sp. nov., are described from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia. The systematic position of the new genus is discussed.     

Ichneumon wasps of the Khasurty locality in Transbaikalia (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)

One new genus and four new species of ichneumon wasps are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Buryatia (Khasurty locality): Amplicella mininae, sp. nov., A. shcherbakovi, sp. nov., A. bashkuyevi, sp. nov., Khasurtella buriatica, gen. et sp. nov. The species Tanychora sinensis Zhang, 1991 is transferred to the new genus Khasurtella. Similarity of the ichneumonid faunas of Khasurty and the Chinese localities Yixian and Laiyang indicates the age similarity between these localities. Identification key to genera and species of Tanychorinae is given.     

Mesozoic Trachypachidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from China

Abstract: Four well‐preserved beetles, attributed to Eodromeinae within Trachypachidae, are described from the Mesozoic of Inner Mongolia, China. Eodromeus robustus sp. nov., E. daohugouensis sp. nov. and Unda chifengensis sp. nov. are from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou. The diagnostic characters for the two genera are revised, and all species of these genera are keyed. A new genus and species, Sinodromeus liutiaogouensis gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liutiaogou. The current fossil records of Trachypachidae from China are reviewed, and only five species (four described here) can be convincingly attributed to this family. The morphological disparity of Mesozoic Eodromeinae suggests that they evolved a broad spectrum of locomotory lifestyles.     

New and little known orthopteroid insects (Polyneoptera) from fossil resins: Communication 1

New taxa of uncertain position within the infraclass Polyneoptera (Gryllomantidae fam. nov.: Gryllomantis gen. nov., Lower Cretaceous; Mantoblattidae fam. nov.: Mantoblatta mira gen. et sp. nov., Upper Cretaceous) and within the order Dictyoptera (Pseudojantaropterix gen. nov., Lower Cretaceous) are described. The superfamily Umenocoleoidea of uncertain position within the latter order is discussed on the basis of new information on Jantarimantidae and some other Cretaceous Dictyoptera.     

New jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and similar beetles from the Cretaceous and Early Paleogene of Asia

A new genus and two new species of jewel beetles are described, Andakhudukia ponomarenkoi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Metabuprestium ustkivdense sp. nov. from the lowermost Paleogene of the Amur Region. In addition, four new monotypic genera that share some features with jewel beetles are described: Cretoelaterium kazanovense gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Eastern Transbaikalia and Cretopoena gratshevi gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia have been referred to the families Elateridae and Eucnemidae; Cretofalselaterium baiankhongoricum gen. et sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia and Cretogermen turonicum gen. et sp. nov. from the Upper Cretaceous of Kazakhstan have been erected for isolated elytra and placed in Coleoptera incertae sedis.     

Rare bryozoans (Stenolaemata) with bilateral colonies from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of the East European Platform

New bryozoans characterized by a bilateral vertical colonies colonies—Cardioecia refuga sp. nov. (Tubuliporida), Elea lyapini sp. nov., E. troshkovensis sp. nov., and E. taylori sp. nov. (Melicerititida) from Middle Jurassic (Middle Callovian) of the Moscow region (Russia), and Biforicula legitima sp. nov. (Melicerititida) from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Campanian) of the Southern Donets Basin (Ukraine)—are described. All species described in this paper belong to genera that have been recorded for the first time in the East European Platform. Some morphological structures in the colonies of these bryozoans and some distinctive features of the order Melicerititida that emphasize the difference of this order from bryozoans of other orders of the class Stenolaemata are examined.     

Early cretaceous gastropods of the Middle-Lower Volga river region from P.A. Gerasimov’s collection

Based on the studying of gastropods collected by P.A. Gerasimov from the Cretaceous beds of the Volga region, four new species are established: Avellana hauteriviensis sp. nov. from the Upper Hauterivian of the Ulyanovsk region, “Palaeorissoina” sokolovensis sp. nov., O. sinzowi sp. nov., and Nerineopsis turritum sp. nov. from Lower Aptian of the Saratov region. The Upper Hauterivian for the first time yielded representatives of the genera Pseudomelania s. l., Ampullina, and Sulcoactaeon. The specimens of Cirsocerithium subspinosum Deshayes, 1842, Ringinella obtusa (Nackij, 1916), and Crispotrochus humilis (Trautschold, 1865) found in the Lower Aptian of the Volga region are figured for the first time.     

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.     

Gastropods of the family Aporrhaidae from the Lower Cretaceous of Ulyanovsk, Volga Region

Three new species of the genus Trilemma (family Aporrhaidae), T. polivnense Blagovetshenskiy, sp. nov., T. kremenkense Blagovetshenskiy, sp. nov., and T. tenuicarinatum Blagovetshenskiy, sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous of the Volga Region near Ulyanovsk are described. The data on the stratigraphic range of these species are provided.     

New mesozoic Ithyceridae beetles (Coleoptera)

A new subfamily, Mongolocarinae subfam. nov. of the family Ithyceridae, from the Middle-Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous of Asia is described. It includes five genera with five species: Palaeocar gen. nov. (with P. princeps sp. nov.), Mongolocar gen. nov. (M. orcinus sp. nov.), Praecar gen. nov. (P. stolidus sp. nov.), Karacar gen. nov. (M. contractus sp. nov.), and Baissacar gen. nov. (B. passarius sp. nov.).     

Ichneumonids of the subfamily Tanychorinae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia and Mongolia

A new species, Tanychora loki, sp. nov., and a new genus and species, Megachora sibirica gen. et sp. nov., are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia and Mongolia. The genus Tanychora Townes, 1973 is divided into two genera: Tanychora s. str., composed of T. petiolata Townes, 1973 (type species), T. sinensis Zhang, 1991, and T. loki sp. nov., and Amplicella, gen. nov., composed of A. sessilis (Townes, 1973) (type species), A. exquisite (Zhang et Rasnitsyn, 2003), A. beipiaoensis (Zhang et Rasnitsyn, 2003), and A. spinata (Zhang et Rasnitsyn, 2003). The frequency of occurrence of ichneumonids in the principal Cretaceous localities of central and northern Asia is calculated.     

New beetle species of the genus Lasiosyne (Coleoptera, Lasiosynidae) from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Russia and Mongolia

Six new species of the genus Lasiosyne Tan et al., 2007, the type genus of the family Lasiosynidae Kirejtshuk et al., 2010, are described from Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits of Mongolia and East Siberia: L. shartegiensis sp. nov., L. insculpta sp. nov., L. longitarsa sp. nov., L. cataphracta sp. nov., L. punctata sp. nov., and L. decora sp. nov. A modified diagnosis of the genus is proposed.     

New archaeocynipids (Hymenoptera,Cynipoidea, Archaeocynipidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia

A new genus and three new species of parasitic hymenopterans of the family Archaeocynipidae are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia: Khasips alisectus gen. et sp. nov., K. sculptus sp. nov., and K. kovalevi sp. nov. The placement of archaeocynipids in the system of Cynipoidea is discussed.     

New species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Piceoxylon</Emphasis> Gothan (Pinaceae) from the Cretaceous and Paleogene of the northwestern Kamchatka Peninsula

New fossil species of Piceoxylon (Pinaceae), P. talovskiense sp. nov. and P. kamtschatkiense sp. nov., are described on the basis of wood anatomy from the Cretaceous and Paleogene (respectively) of the Talovka River basin in the northwestern Kamchatka Peninsula. The Late Cretaceous P. talovskiense sp. nov. shows wood characters of modern Picea. The wood anatomy of the Paleogene Piceoxylon kamtschatkiense sp. nov. is somewhat similar to those of modern Picea sitchensis and P. jezoensis. Fossil woods of Piceoxylon have been found in the Kamchatka Peninsula for the first time.     

New snakeflies (Insecta: Raphidioptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of the UK,Spain and Brazil

Abstract: Several new taxa of snakeflies (Raphidioptera) are described from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of the Wealden, UK (Barremian), Montsec, Spain (Barremian) and the Crato Formation, Brazil (Aptian). Mesoraphidia ednae sp. nov. and M. hilli sp. nov. are described from the Wealden; Nanoraphidia lithographica sp. nov. and Iberoraphidia dividua gen. et sp. nov. are described from Montsec, and Baissoptera lisae sp. nov. is described from the Crato Formation. The geographical range of Nanoraphidia has potentially been extended.     

New fossil mantidflies (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the Mesozoic of north‐eastern China

Abstract:  Three new genera and four new species of the extinct mantidfly subfamily Mesomantispinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Mantispidae) are described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning and the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia: Archaeodrepanicus nuddsi gen. et sp. nov., A. acutus gen. et sp. nov., Sinomesomantispa microdentata gen. et sp. nov., (Yixian Formation) and Clavifemora rotundata gen. et sp. nov. (Jiulongshan Formation). The specimens described herein represent the first Mesozoic mantidfly compression fossils to have body parts preserved, including the specialized raptorial forelegs articulated to the prothorax anteriorly, an autapomorphy of the family. These new taxa further confirm the placement of the subfamily Mesomantispinae within the family Mantispidae; however, the monophyly of Mesomantispinae has not been confirmed, and it is likely that it will prove to be paraphyletic.     

New radiolarian species from the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene of the eastern slope of the northern Ural Mountains

Five new radiolarian species, Dictyophimus? orbiculiporosus sp. nov., Spongomelissa imperceptusa sp. nov., Theocoronium puncticulatum sp. nov., Pterocyrtidium porrectum sp. nov., and Tripodiscinus corona sp. nov., from the Campanian-Danian diatomites of the Leplinskaya Formation of the northern Ural Mountains are described. They are useful for stratification and correlation of the Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene beds of the Ural Region of Western Siberia.     

New jewel beetles (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) from Cretaceous deposits of Russia

A new genus and two new species of jewel beetles, Cretalbiana sukatshevae gen. et sp. nov. and C. major sp. nov., are described from the Middle Albian (Lower Cretaceous) of Khetana, Khabarovsk Region, Russia.     

SHARKS OF THE ORDER CARCHARHINIFORMES FROM THE BRITISH CONIACIAN, SANTONIAN AND CAMPANIAN (UPPER CRETACEOUS)

Abstract: Bulk sampling of phosphate‐rich horizons within the British Coniacian to Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) yielded very large samples of shark and ray teeth. All of these samples yielded teeth of diverse members of the Carcharhiniformes, which commonly dominate the fauna. The following species are recorded and described: Pseudoscyliorhinus reussi ( Herman, 1977 ) comb. nov., Crassescyliorhinus germanicus ( Herman, 1982 ) gen. nov., Scyliorhinus elongatus ( Davis, 1887 ), Scyliorhinus brumarivulensis sp. nov., ?Palaeoscyllium sp., Prohaploblepharus riegrafi ( Müller, 1989 ) gen. nov., ?Cretascyliorhinus sp., Scyliorhinidae incertae sedis 1, Scyliorhinidae incertae sedis 2, Pteroscyllium hermani sp. nov., Protoscyliorhinus sp., Leptocharias cretaceus sp. nov., Palaeogaleus havreensis Herman, 1977 , Paratriakis subserratus sp. nov., Paratriakis tenuis sp. nov., Paratriakis sp. indet. and ?Loxodon sp. Taxa belonging to the families ?Proscylliidae, Leptochariidae and Carcharhinidae are described from the Cretaceous for the first time. The evolutionary and palaeoecological implications of these newly recognised faunas are discussed.