PERMIAN OSTRACODS FROM THE CHIHSIA LIMESTONE OF LUNGTAN, NANKING

The specimens described in this paper were collected in the spring of 1955 by the writer andher friends from the Lower Permian Chihsia limestone at Kwanshan, Lungtan, about 20 kmsoutheast of Nanking. The ostracods described and illustrated here comprise 37 species in 11genera, of which 29 species are new. The majority of the specimens were found in the middlepart (ca. 138 m. in thickness) of the Chihsia formation. The specimens are more or less     

杂斑腹小鸮实为鬼鸮

Based on two specimens collected from Sichuan Province, Yang et al. (1989) described a new subspecies of the spotted little owl (Athene brama), the belly-mottled little owl (Athene brama poikila). This subspecies has been acknowledged by Cheng (2000). However, Cheng (2000) also mentioned that further work should be done on this subspecies. In 2001, we checked the specimen of Athene brama poikila in Ya’an, Sichuan and comparing them with the spotted little owl and the boreal owl (Aegolius funereus). The boreal owl is identifiable from its rather square facial disc, however, this character was destroyed during the facture for these two specimens of Athene brama poikila. That is the reason Yang et al.(1989) missed them with the genus Athene. The genus Aegolius is also identifiable from the genus Athene from the character on the toes, as the toes of the boreal owl are covered with thick feathers, whereas the toes of the little owl are bristled. The toes of these two specimens of Athene brama poikila are thickly feathered, corresponding to the identification of the genus Aegolius. The morphological characters and measurements of the two specimens also correspond to the boreal owl. The habitat of the two specimens was reported as conifer deciduous forest around 2 200 m to 3 100 m, which fits the habitat of the boreal owl. The distribution of the endemic Gansu subspecies of the boreal owl (A. f. beickianus) was reported at Tiantangsi, Lianhuashan in Gansu, Guinan in Qinghai and Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan in China, it was also reported at Lahul in north India, Sun et al. (2001) suggested that it is probably the boreal owl is also distributed in the conifer forest of west Sichuan and east Tibet. The new distribution point in Baoxing and Yajiang in Sichuan corresponds to this conjecture. As a conclusion, we believe that these two specimens should belong to the A. f. beickianus of the boreal owl .     

Three new species of imitator-group of the genus Macrophya (Hymenoptera,Tenthredinidae) from China

Three species, Macrophya circulotibialis Li, Liu & Heng, sp. nov., M. curvatitheca Li, Liu & Heng, sp. nov. and M. changbaina Li, Liu & Heng, sp. nov., of the imitator-group of the genus Macrophya Dahlbom(Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae) from China are described as new to science. A key to all known species of the imitator-group from China is provided. The specimens examined in this study, including all holotypes and paratypes of the new species, are deposited in the Insect Collection of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China, and the Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.     

New species of the isolated Psaroniaceous rachis from the Early Permian in China

A new kind of marattialean raches are reported from the coal balls in Coal Seam No.7 in the upper part of the Taiyuan Formation （early Early Permian） from Taiyuan, Shanxi, China and are assigned to the genus Stipitopteris Grand＇Eury （Psaroniaceae）. The present specimens are different from all six reported species of the genus, and are therefore proposed as a new species： Stipitopteris shanxiensis. The raches of the new species are generally dorsi-ventrally flattened. The main raches usually exhibit scales of different forms on their surface. Beneath the epidermis is a zone of parenchymatous cells, some of which contain tannin-like contents. Inside this is a zone of small sclerenchymatous cells. Inward are the ground tissue and vascular bundles. The vascular bundles are continuous and are in two circles： the outer circle assumes a transversely elliptical shape with the gap and pinna trace, and the inner circle assumes a shallow C.shape with inrolled ends. The ground tissue located at the inner side of the vascular bundle is composed of thicker-walled parenchymatous cells. The cells of the ground tissue are vertically elongated in longitudinal sections. Subordered raches are smaller and have simpler structures than the main raches. The parenchyma zone beneath the epidermis is thinner, usually one to two cells wide and the sclerenchyma zone is usually absent. The scales are poorly developed and there is only one C-shaped vascular bundle. The new species is comparable to the crosiers of Psaroniaceae of the Euramerican Flora in some aspects, for example, it has a dorsi-ventrally flattened rachis and scales on the surface of the rachis. However, the other features and the preservative conditions of the present specimens indicate that they are not crosiers, but fully developed or mature raches. The new species is the first well-studied anatomically-preserved rachis of Psaroniaceae from the Cathaysian Flora and bears significance not only in understanding the anatomy and taxonomy of Psaroniaceae in the Cathaysian Flora, but also in the relationship between the Euramerican Flora and the Cathaysian Flora.     

NOTES ON THE GENUS RETICULITERMES HOLMGREN FROM GUIZHOU PROVINCE,CHINA(ISOPTERA:RHINOTERMITIDAE)

The present paper deals with forteen species of the genus Reticulitermesfrom Guizhou Province collected in 1978—1984.They are summarized in thefollowing key,in which three species are new to scince.All measurements arein millimeters.All the type specimens are kept in the Guangdong EntomologicalInstitute and a part of the para-type specimens separately deposited in theGuizhou Institute of Forestry.     

TAXONOMIC STUDIES ON THE SCIARIDAE (PIPTERA: NEMATOCERA)OF GUIZHOU

The family Sciaridae of Guizhou Province contains 10 genera and 57 species, ofwhich 1 genus and 43 species are new to science. The new taxa are described in taxonomickeys. The type specimens are kept in the Insect Collection of Beijing Agricultural Univer-sity. The letters given here are locality abbreviations used in the genus and specics listthat follows.     

NOTES ON CHINESE FLEA-BEETLES OF THE GENUS HESPERA WEISE (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE)

The present paper deals with the Chinese species of the Alticine genus He-spera Weise. Altogether forty-four species are reeorded of which fifteen are desc-ribed as new. The type specimens are kept in the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica.