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.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelekysgnathus jeppssoni</Emphasis>, a new conodont species from the Eifelian Stage of the Bryansk Region,Russia

Distribution of the Devonian conodont genus Pelekysgnathus is considered. A new species, P. jeppssoni sp. nov. from the Mosolovian Regional Stage (Middle Devonian, Eifelian) of the Voronezh Anteclise is described.     

South African mouse shrews (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myosorex</Emphasis>) feel the heat: using species distribution models (SDMs) and IUCN Red List criteria to flag extinction risks due to climate change

Five species of mouse or forest shrews (Myosorex) are endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, four of which (Myosorex varius, Myosorex cafer, Myosorex longicaudatus and Myosorex cf. tenuis) are associated with montane or temperate grassland, fynbos and/or forest habitats while a fifth (Myosorex sclateri) is associated with lowland subtropical forests. Due to their small size, specialised habitat, low dispersal capacity, high metabolism and sensitivity to temperature extremes, we predicted that, particularly for montane species, future climate change should have a negative impact on area of occupancy (AOO) and ultimately extinction risks. Species distribution models (SDMs) indicated general declines in AOO of three species by 2050 under the A1b and A2 climate change scenarios (M. cafer, M. varius, M. longicaudatus) while two species (M. sclateri and M. cf. tenuis) remained unchanged (assuming no dispersal) or increased their AOO (assuming dispersal). While temperate species such as M. varius appear to be limited by temperature maxima (preferring cooler temperatures), the subtropical species M. sclateri appears to be limited by temperature minima (preferring warmer temperatures). Evidence for declines in AOO informed the uplisting (to a higher category of threat) of the Red List status of four Myosorex species to either vulnerable or endangered as part of a separate regional International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment.     

Nemestrinid flies (Diptera,Nemestrinidae) in the fauna of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus

The ranges of eight species [Fallenia fasciata (Fabricius, 1805), Neorhynchocephalus tauscheri (Fischer, 1812), Nemestrinus caucasicus (Fischer, 1806), N. bombiformis Portschinsky, 1892, N. brandti (Bequaert, 1938), N. laetus obscuripennis (Portschinsky, 1887), N. reticulatus Latreille, 1802, and Trichopsidea costata (Loew, 1875)] from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus are discussed. With the exception of Nemestrinus caucasicus, the other species are rare in the territory studied; their latest findings are referred to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These species should be considered as endangered species and included into the Red Data Books of the corresponding regions. N. obscuripennis (Portschinsky, 1887) is regarded as a Caucasian-Anatolian subspecies of N. laetus (Loew, 1873) basing on the study of lecto-and paratypes of the former. A key for identification of the genera and species considered is given.     

Review of the fauna of the bug families Ceratocombidae,Tingidae, Microphysidae,and Reduviidae (Heteroptera) of the Middle and South Urals,with analysis of the zoogeographie structure of the Tingidae fauna

Based on the material of the authors’ collections from the South Ural Reserve (Republic of Bashkortostan), Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk provinces, the collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ilmen State Reserve (Chelyabinsk Province), and the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Yekaterinburg), and also the reliable literature data, an annotated list of the true bug fauna of the Middle and South Urals is compiled for the first time. The list includes representatives of the families Ceratocombidae (1 species), Tingidae (45 species of 14 genera), Microphysidae (1 species), and Reduviidae (2 species of 1 genus). The known fauna of the Middle Urals (Perm Territory and Sverdlovsk Province) includes 24 species of Tingidae and 1 species of Microphysidae; that of the South Urals includes 1 species of Ceratocombidae, 41 species of Tingidae, 1 species of Microphysidae, and 2 species of Reduviidae. Six species are recorded from the Urals for the first time: Ceratocombus (Xylonannus) brevipennis Poppius, 1910 (Ceratocombidae), Acalypta gracilis gracilis (Fieber, 1844), Agramma tropidopterum Flor, I860 (Tingidae), Loricula (Myrmedobia) exilis (Fallén, 1807) (Microphysidae), Empicoris culiciformis (De Geer, 1773), and E. vagabundus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reduviidae). The families Ceratocombidae and Microphysidae were not previously known from this region. The following numbers of species are recorded for the first time for different regions of the Middle and South Urals: for Perm Territory, 2 species of Tingidae; for Sverdlovsk Province, 11 species of Tingidae and 1 of Microphysidae; for Bashkortostan, 1 species of Ceratocombidae, 13 of Tingidae, 1 ofMicrophysidae, and 2 species of Reduviidae; for Chelyabinsk Province, 3 species of Tingidae. The Tingidae fauna of the Middle and South Urals mostly includes species widespread in the latitudinal and longitudinal directions, including 4 Holarctic (8.9%) and 12 Trans-Palaearctic species (26.7%). Ranges of 24 species (53.3%) mainly lie in the “humid” northern part of the Palaearctic (the humid complex of species). Ranges of 21 species (46.7%) mainly lie in the southern part of the Palaearctic, i.e., the Tethyan Region (the arid complex), the Tingidae fauna of the Middle Urals including only 2 species (8.3%) of that complex. Seven species (17.1%) of Tingidae form the arid element in the fauna of Orenburg Province: Kalama henschi (Puton, 1892), Galeatus vitreus Golub, 1974, G. scrophicus Saunders, 1876, Tingis (Tingis) pusilla (Jakovlev, 1873), T. (Tropidocheila) renovata Golub, 1977, T. (Tr.) maculata (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838), Dictyla subdola (Horvath, 1905). Ranges of 7 species (15.5% of the whole studied fauna of Tingidae) are limited to the Middle and South Urals in the east and northeast. Ranges of 8 other species (17.8%) extend eastwards, beyond the Urals no farther than the south of Western Siberia and Western Kazakhstan. The mountain territory of the Middle and the South Urals obviously serves as a significant orographic and climatic barrier on the way of eastward expansion of some Western- and Central-Palaearctic species of Tingidae.     

On the distribution of riffle minnow <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alburnoides bipunctatus</Emphasis> (Cyprinidae) in the Volga Basin

On the basis of analysis of our own and published data on the distribution of the riffle minnow Alburnoides bipunctatus rossicus in rivers of the Volga Basin, the eastern boundary of the range of this subspecies included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation is specified. It is shown that A. bipunctatus is widely distributed in the entire basin of the Middle Volga and Kama, except the extreme northeast (mountain tributaries of the Upper Kama upstream the Chusovaya River), and rarely occurs in the Upper Volga Basin. The Tereshka River (Ulyanov oblast) and Chapaevka (Saratov oblast) should be considered the southern boundary of the distribution of the subspecies in the Volga Basin. Since the mid-1990s, a drastic and uniform increase in the number of findings and the abundance of A. bipunctatus is recorded. This species has become a common fish in many rivers and, in some cases, a dominant species in river ichthyocenoses. Possible causes of these changes are discussed, and a conclusion is made concerning the need of the revision of the status of the subspecies A. bipunctatus rossicus.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bruguiera hainesii</Emphasis>, a critically endangered mangrove species,is a hybrid between <Emphasis Type="Italic">B. cylindrica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">B. gymnorhiza</Emphasis> (Rhizophoraceae)

Bruguiera hainesii (Rhizophoraceae) is one of the two Critically Endangered mangrove species listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Although the species is vulnerable to extinction, its genetic diversity and the evolutionary relationships with other Bruguiera species are not well understood. Also, intermediate morphological characters imply that the species might be of hybrid origin. To clarify the genetic relationship between B. hainesii and other Bruguiera species, we conducted molecular analyses including all six Bruguiera species using DNA sequences of two nuclear genes (CesA and UNK) and three chloroplast regions (intergenic spacer regions of trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG and atpB-rbcL). For nuclear DNA markers, all nine B. hainesii samples from five populations were heterozygous at both loci, with one allele was shared with B. cylindrica, and the other with B. gymnorhiza. For chloroplast DNA markers, the two haplotypes found in B. hainesii were shared only by B. cylindrica. These results suggested that B. hainesii is a hybrid between B. cylindrica as the maternal parent and B. gymnorhiza as the paternal one. Furthermore, chloroplast DNA haplotypes found in B. hainesii suggest that hybridization has occurred independently in regions where the distribution ranges of the parental species meet. As the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species currently excludes hybrids (except for apomictic plant hybrids), the conservation status of B. hainesii should be reconsidered.     

New Data on the Distribution of the Flea-Weevil <Emphasis Type="Italic">Orchestes steppensis</Emphasis> Kor. (Coleoptera,Curculionidae: Rhamphini) in European Russia

An elm flea-weevil Orchestes steppensis Korotyaev, 2016 was found on Ulmus pumila L. in the southeastern corner of Voronezh Province; formerly the westernmost records of this species in European Russia were those in Saratov Province and at the western boundary of Stavropol Territory. New data on the distribution of this and allied species in European Russia are reported.     

New data on the Pteromalid wasps (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) of the Russian Far East

Fourteen genera (Ardilea Graham, Glyphognathus Graham, Rhicnocoelia Graham, Eulonchetron Graham, Habritys Thomson, Heteroprymna Graham, Janssoniella Kerrich, Lyubana Bou?ek, Muscidifurax Girault et Sanders, Nazgulia Hedqvist, Notoglyptus Masi, Oxysychus Delucchi, Platygerrhus Thomson, and Stenetra Masi) and 81 species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Russia; in addition, 13 species are new to the fauna of the Russian Far East.     

Polymorphism of the mitochondrial DNA control region in eight sturgeon species and development of a system for DNA-based species identification

Intraspecific and interspecific nucleotide sequence variations of the mtDNA control region (D-loop) were studied with mtDNAs isolated from tissue specimens of more than 1400 sturgeons of nine species: Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Persian sturgeon A. persicus, Siberian sturgeon A. baerii, Amur sturgeon A. schrenkii, Fringebarbel sturgeon A. nudiventris, sterlet A. ruthenus, stellate sturgeon A. stellatus, beluga Huso huso, and kaluga H. dauricus. The results were used to analyze the interspecific variation of the mtDNA control region in the given set of species and to develop a test system of ten species-specific primers, which allowed species identification from noninvasive tissue samples, spawn, and food products of eight species. The system proved suitable for multiplex PCR. A method was developed for the first time to reliably differentiate the A. baerii mitotype and the baerii-like mitotype of A. gueldenstaedtii. It was found that, although genetically separate, A. gueldenstaedtii and A. persicus are relatively young species and have common mitochondrial haplotypes, precluding their identification via mtDNA analysis alone. To develop a system for species identification of A. gueldenstaedtii and A. persicus, it is necessary to study the polymorphism of nuclear markers.     

A new species of psammosteiform heterostracan (Agnatha) from the Givetian (Middle Devonian) of the Voronezh Region

A new pycnosteid species, Schizosteus shkurlatensis sp. nov. (Agnatha, Psammosteiformes), from the Staryi Oskol beds (Givetian, Middle Devonian) of the Voronezh Region is described. This is the first species of the genus Schizosteus Obruchev from the Central Devonian Field. The similarity between species of this genus and early species of Psammolepis is discussed.     

Contribution to the knowledge of the leaf-rollers (Lepidoptera,Tortricidae) of the Lower Amur Area

A list of 94 species of Tortricidae from the Lower Amur Area is presented, 14 species being recorded for Khabarovsk Terr. for the first time. Three species, Endotheina quadrimaculana, Argyroploce arbutella, and Dichrorampha obscuratana, are new to the Russian Far East. Two species monophagous on Quercus, Tortrix sinapina and Hedya inornata, have been found in the relict oak forests of the Lower Amur Area. Individual variation of the male genitalia within the Dichrorampha simpliciana species-group is revealed, and doubts are cast on the species rank of D. cancellatana and D. okui.     

Lepidoptera Papilionoidea communities as a sentinel of biodiversity threat: the case of wild boar rooting in a Mediterranean habitat

Butterfly communities can be modified by the activities of large mammals. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the most common mammals in Europe and has notably expanded its distribution range in recent decades. The present work aimed to investigate the possible effect of wild boar rooting activity on butterflies in olive groves inside the “Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni” National Park. Butterflies were surveyed in five Rooted (R) and five Control areas (C). Transects were made from April to September in 2011 and 2012. Forty-three species and 3659 individuals were found, of which 39 species and 2426 individuals were detected in C areas and 31 species and 1233 individuals in R areas. A community-level approach showed a significantly higher abundance, richness and Shannon–Wiener index in C than in R. An ecological-level approach indicated that more specialised butterflies were significantly more affected by wild boar activity. Finally, the response of single species was investigated: two species (Colias croceus and Polyommatus icarus) were significantly more represented in R, whereas six species (Aricia agestis, Hipparchia statilinus, Lasiommata megera, Melanargia arge, Pyronia cecilia and Thymelicus acteon) were significantly more abundant in C. Three species considered at risk (M. arge; Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC; H. statilinus and T. acteon: European Red List) were less represented in rooted areas. Overall, the intensive wild boar activity negatively correlated with butterflies in the olive groves studied.     

Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eckhardites</Emphasis> Mitta (Cardioceratidae,Ammonoidea) from the Lower Callovian of the subboreal Jurassic

The genus Eckhardites Mitta 1999, with the type species Macrocephalites pavlowi Smorodina, 1928 is discussed and its diagnosis and assignment to the family Cardioceratidae are substantiated. Eckhardites is compared to the genus Macrocephalites Zittel (family Sphaeroceratidae), to which some workers presently assign the type species of Eckhardites. Three species of Eckhardites are recorded from the basal Callovian elatmae Zone of the Russian Platform, one of which (E. menzeli (Mönnig)) was originally described from the synchronous beds in Germany. A new species E. dietli sp. nov. is described.     

Occurrence of Grey-headed Gliding Squirrel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Petaurista caniceps</Emphasis>) in Arunachal Pradesh,India with a Note on Its Taxonomy

Reports on the distribution pattern of Grey-headed gliding Squirrel Petaurista caniceps are distorted though it is on record that they inhabit the easternmost parts of Arunachal Pradesh. But recently through spotlight surveys in the month of February and March 2015 it has been possible to note their occurrence in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary and Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. P. caniceps is included as synonym to Petaurista elegans by IUCN. P. caniceps differs from P. elegans in having a distinct grey head and molecular evidences too have proved it to be a separate species.     

Divergence in selection of host species and plant parts among populations of a phytophagous insect

The diversification of phytophagous insects is often attributed to diverging processes of host plant specialization onto different, often closely related, host plants. Some insect clades have diversified by specializing not only on different plant species but also on different plant parts of the same hosts. This is the case in Greya moths (Prodoxidae) where both Greya obscura and G. politella are tightly linked to host plants of the genus Lithophragma (Saxifragaceae). We assess how these species differ in their choice of plants and use of plant parts. Previous work showed that strong local host specialization in G. politella is mediated by floral scent variation among Lithophragma species. Here, we identify geographic variation in host plant use in the close relative G. obscura, relate the emerging patterns to previous studies of geographic variation in host use in G. politella and evaluate potential processes underlying the variation among and within species. First, we show that G. obscura also uses floral chemistry to locate hosts but that additional plant cues must be involved in deciding whether to oviposit on a plant, because females did not discriminate against chemically different host species in no-choice trials. We also found that, although all known populations of G. politella oviposit only in flowers, all G. obscura populations examined here distributed their eggs among both floral and scape tissues both in the field and in laboratory experiments. The distribution of eggs among plant parts, however, varied among moth populations, and also depended on the Lithophragma species they attacked. Together, these results show the potential for phytophagous insect species and populations to diverge in use of plant parts as part of the process of speciation and adaptation. These two layers of specialization enhance the potential for subsequent diversification in phytophagous insect lineages.     

New data on the distribution and host plants of weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea: Apionidae,Curculionidae) in the south of Baikal Siberia and in Mongolia

Two weevil species, Rhinoncus autumnalis Korotyaev, 1980 and Orchestes medvedevi (Korotyaev, 1995), comb. n. (from Rhynchaenus), both described from Mongolia, are recorded from Russia (Buryatia) for the first time. A key to five Orchestes species associated with elms in Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and Mongolia is provided. Aizobius sedi (Germar, 1818) is recorded for the first time from Eastern Siberia based on the recent findings in Buryatia and on older collections from Tuva where it is associated with Orostachys spinosa (L.) C.A. Mey. (Crassulaceae); it is also recorded for the first time from Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. Magdalis (Aika) margaritae Barrios, 1984, native of Mongolia, Northern China and the south of the Russian Far East, is recorded from Buryatia. Lixus (Broconius) korotyaevi Ter-Minassian, 1989, formerly known in Russia only from southern Tuva, is recorded from Buryatia where it was collected on Suaeda ?prostrata Pallas, which is the first known host of this species. Rhamphus ?oxyacanthae (Marsham, 1802) is reported from Buryatia where it was collected from Cotoneaster melanocarpa, and from Mongolia.