A monograph of Nephilengys, the pantropical 'hermit spiders' (Araneae, Nephilidae, Nephilinae)

Abstract.  The nephilid genus Nephilengys , known for its synanthropic habits, large webs with a retreat and the extreme sexual size dimorphism, is revised. Of the twenty-three available names, only four species with a globally allopatric distribution are recognized, illustrated and described from both sexes: N. cruentata ( Fabricius, 1775 ) inhabits tropical Africa and South America, where it has probably been introduced; N. borbonica ( Vinson, 1863 ) is found on Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles and the Mascarene Islands; N. malabarensis ( Walckenaer, 1842 ) ranges from India and Sri Lanka to China, Japan and eastern Indonesia; N. papuana Thorell, 1881 stat.n. is known from New Guinea and tropical Australia. Nephila instigans Butler, 1876 is the proposed syn.n. of N. borbonica ; N. borbonica livida Vinson, 1863 is syn.n. of N. borbonica ; N. niahensis Deeleman-Reinhold, 1989 is syn.n. of N. malabarensis ; N. rainbowi Hogg, 1899 is syn.n. of N. papuana . N. kenmorei Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 , here proposed as a nomen dubium , is an araneid. Nephilengys biology is reviewed and its anatomy summarized for use in a phylogenetic analysis of 197 characters scored for all Nephilengys , selected nephilid species and non-nephilid outgroups. Two new clades are circumscribed, the ' cruentata species group' (with N. cruentata and N. borbonica ) and the ' malabarensis species group' (with N. malabarensis and N. papuana ).     

Revision of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Orthomorpha Bollman, 1893, with the proposal of a new genus (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

The large genus Orthomorpha is rediagnosed and is shown to currently comprise 51 identifiable species ranging from northern Myanmar and Thailand in the Northwest to Lombok Island, Indonesia in the Southeast. Of them, 20 species have been revised and/or abundantly illustrated, based on a restudy of mostly type material; further 12 species are described as new: Orthomorpha atypicasp. n., Orthomorpha communissp. n., Orthomorpha isarankuraisp. n., Orthomorpha picturatasp. n., Orthomorpha similanensissp. n., Orthomorpha suberectasp. n., Orthomorpha tuberculiferasp. n.,Orthomorpha subtuberculiferasp. n. and Orthomorpha latitergasp. n., all from Thailand, as well as Orthomorpha elevatasp. n.,Orthomorpha spiniformissp. n. and Orthomorpha subelevatasp. n., from northern Malaysia. The type-species Orthomorpha beaumontii (Le Guillou, 1841) is redescribed in due detail from male material as well, actually being a senior subjective synonym of Orthomorpha spinala (Attems, 1932), syn. n. Two additional new synonymies are proposed: Orthomorpha rotundicollis (Attems, 1937) = Orthomorpha tuberculata (Attems, 1937), syn. n., and Orthomorpha butteli Carl, 1922 = Orthomorpha consocius Chamberlin, 1945, syn. n., the valid names to the left. All species have been keyed and all new and some especially widespread species have been mapped. Further six species, including two revised from type material, are still to be considered dubious, mostly because their paraterga appear to be too narrow to represent Orthomorpha species. A new genus, Orthomorphoidesgen. n., diagnosed versus Orthomorpha through only moderately well developed paraterga, coupled with a poorly bi- or trifid gonopod tip, with at least some of its apical prongs being short spines, is erected for two species: Orthomorpha setosus (Attems, 1937), the type-species, which is also revised from type material, and Orthomorpha exaratus (Attems, 1953), both comb. n. ex Orthomorpha.     

World species of the genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae)

The genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae) is a widespread group in the Old World, found from West Africa to northern Queensland, Australia. The species concepts are revised and a key to world species is presented. The genus is comprised of 6 species, including 2 known species which are redescribed: Platyscelioafricanus Risbec (Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe); and Platysceliopulchricornis Kieffer (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam). Five species-group names are considered to be junior synonyms of Platysceliopulchricornis: Platyscelioabnormis Crawford syn. n., Platysceliodunensis Mukerjee syn. n., Platysceliomirabilis Dodd syn. n., Platysceliopunctatus Kieffer syn. n., and Platysceliowilcoxi Fullaway. The following species are hypothesized and described as new taxa: Platyscelioarcuatus Taekul & Johnson, sp. n. (Western Australia); Platysceliomysterium Taekul & Johnson, sp. n. (Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa); Platysceliomzantsi Taekul & Johnson, sp. n. (South Africa); and Platysceliostriga Taekul & Johnson, sp. n. (Western Australia).     

New species and distributional records of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Ontario, Canada, with a checklist of recorded species

The Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of Ontario were reviewed in the context of recently studied material, primarily from insect surveys conducted by the University of Guelph Insect Collection (Ontario, Canada). Aleochara daviesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Agaricomorpha websteri Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Atheta (Microdota) alesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Dinaraea backusensis Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., and Strigota obscurata Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n. are described as new to science. We also report 47 new Ontario records and 24 new Canadian records. Callicerus rigidicornis (Erichson) and Alevonota gracilenta (Erichson) are newly reported from North America as adventive species. A checklist, with Canadian distributions by province, of the 224 species of Aleocharinae known from Ontario is given. The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Dexiogyia angustiventris (Casey): (Dexiogyia asperata (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia abscissa (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia tenuicauda (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia intenta (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia alticola (Casey) syn. n.). The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Acrotona subpygmaea (Bernhauer): (Acrotona avia (Casey) syn. n., Acrotona puritana (Casey) syn. n.). Lectotypes are designated for Thiasophila angustiventris Casey, Thiasophila asperata Casey, Ischnoglossa intenta Casey, Oxypoda rubescans Casey, Chilopora americana Casey, Chilopora fuliginosa Casey, Coprothassa smithi Casey, Atheta subpygmaea Bernhauer, Colpodota puritana Casey, Strigota seducens Casey, Trichiusa compacta Casey, Trichiusa hirsuta Casey and Trichiusa robustula Casey.     

A taxonomic and morphological review of the genus Cania Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera,Limacodidae)

Based on a complex study of morphology of adults, male and female genitalia, functional musculature of male genitalia, and molecular characters, three subgenera were distinguished in the genus Cania: the nominative one, Paracania Solovyev subgen. n. (type species Neaera bilinea Walker, 1855), and Minicania Solovyev subgen. n. (type species C. minuta Holloway, 1986). The genus Cania presently includes 21 species, two of which are described as new ones: C. (Paracania) lourensi Solovyev sp. n. (Philippines: Luzon, Negros, Panay) and C. (Minicania) kitchingi Solovyev sp. n. (Thailand). New synonymies are established: C. bilinea (Walker, 1855) = C. polyhelixa Wu et Fang, 2009 syn. n. and C. robusta Hering, 1931 = C. pseudobilinea Wu et Fang, 2009 syn. n.     

Orthogonius species and diversity in Thailand (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Orthogoniini), a result from the TIGER project

The carabid genus Orthogonius MacLeay is treated, based mainly on materials collected in Thailand through the TIGER project (the Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research). Among 290 specimens, 20 species are identified in total, 10 of them are new species: Orthogonius taghavianaesp. n. (Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park), Orthogonius coomanioidessp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius similarissp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Loei: Phu Kradueng National Park), Orthogonius setosopalpigersp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius gracililamellasp. n. (Loei: Phu Kradueng National Park; Chaiyaphum: Tat Tone National Park), Orthogonius pseudochaudoirisp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park), Orthogonius constrictussp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius pinophilussp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius varisp. n. (Cambodia: Siem Reap; Thailand: Ubon Ratchathani: Pha Taem National Park; Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park) and Orthogonius variabilissp. n. (Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park; Phetchabun: Nam Nao National Park; China: Yunnan). In addition, Orthogonius mouhoti Chaudoir, 1871 and Orthogonius kirirom Tian & Deuve, 2008 are recorded in Thailand for the first time. In total, 30 species of Orthogonius have been recorded from Thailand, indicating that Thailand holds one of the richest Orthogonius faunas in the world. A provisional key to all Thai species is provided. A majority of Thai Orthogonius species are endemic. Among the ten national parks in which orthogonine beetles were collected, Thung Salaeng Luang holds the richest fauna, including 16 species.     

A survey of East Palaearctic Lycosidae (Araneae). 7. A new species of Acantholycosa Dahl, 1908 from the Russian Far East

Acantholycosa azarkinaesp. n. is described from the Maritime Province of Russia on the basis of both sexes. Acantholycosa norvegica (Thorell, 1872) is reported from the Maritime Province for the first time. A key and illustrations to all six species that occur in Far East Asia are provided.     

A revision of the spider genus Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Arachnida, Araneae, Selenopidae) in North America, Central America and the Caribbean

The spider genus Selenops Latreille, 1819 occurs in both the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics and contains nearly half of the species in the family Selenopidae Simon, 1897. In this paper the members of the genus Selenops found in North America, Central America, and on islands of the Caribbean are revised, excluding Cuban endemics. No taxonomic changes are currently made to the species from the southwestern United States. In total, 21 new species are described, including Selenops arikoksp. n., Selenops chamelasp. n., Selenops amonasp. n., Selenops bawekasp. n., Selenops bocacanadensissp. n., Selenops enriquillosp. n, Selenops ixchelsp. n., Selenops huetocatlsp. n., Selenops kalinagosp. n., Selenops oviedosp. n., Selenops morrosp. n., Selenops deniasp. n., Selenops duansp. n., Selenops malinalxochitlsp. n., Selenops oricuajosp. n., Selenops petenajtoysp. n., Selenops guerrerosp. n., Selenops makimakisp. n., Selenops souligasp. n., Selenops wilmotorumsp. n., and Selenops wilsonisp. n. Six species names were synonymized: Selenops lunatus Muma, 1953 syn. n. =Selenops candidus Muma, 1953; Selenops tehuacanus Muma 1953 syn. n., Selenops galapagoensis Banks, 1902 syn. n. and Selenops vagabundus Kraus, 1955 syn. n. = Selenops mexicanus Keyserling, 1880; Selenops santibanezi Valdez-Mondragón, 2010 syn. n. = Selenops nigromaculatus Keyserling, 1880; and Selenops salvadoranus Chamberlin, 1925 syn. n. = Selenops bifurcatus Banks, 1909. Lectotypes are designated for the following three species: Selenops marginalis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 (♂), Selenops morosus Banks, 1898 (♂), and Selenops mexicanus Keyserling, 1880 (♀). The female neotype is designated for Selenops aissus Walckenaer, 1837. The males of Selenops bani Alayón-García, 1992 and Selenops marcanoi Alayón-García, 1992 are described for the first time, and the females of Selenops phaselus Muma, 1953 and Selenops geraldinae Corronca, 1996 are described for the first time. Almost all species are redescribed, barring Cuban endemics and a few species recently described. New illustrations are provided, including those of the internal female copulatory organs, many of which are illustrated for the first time. A key to species is also provided as are new distributional records.     

One the genus Tocama Reitter (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae), with descriptions of two new species from Indochina

Two new species of the Oriental scarab genus Tocama Reitter, 1902, Tocama laosensissp. n. and Tocama procerasp. n., are described from Indochina with diagnoses, distributions, remarks and illustrations. A key to the species of the genus is provided with a checklist with several nomenclatural changes: Hoplosternus tonkinensis Moser, 1913 is transferred to Tocama; Hoplosternus pygidialis Moser, 1915 syn. n., Tocama atra atra Keith, 2006 syn. n. and Tocama atra reichenbachi Keith, 2007 syn. n. = Tocama tonkinensis (Moser).     

The genus Macroteleia Westwood (Hymenoptera,Platygastridae s. l., Scelioninae) from China

The genus Macroteleia Westwood (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae s. l., Scelioninae) from China is revised. Seventeen species are recognized based on 502 specimens, all of which are new records for China. Seven new species are described: Macroteleia carinigena sp. n. (China), Macroteleia flava sp. n. (China), Macroteleia gracilis sp. n. (China), Macroteleia salebrosa sp. n. (China), Macroteleia semicircula sp. n. (China), Macroteleia spinitibia sp. n. (China) and Macroteleia striatipleuron sp. n. (China). Ten species are redescribed: Macroteleia boriviliensis Saraswat (China, India, Thailand), Macroteleia crawfordi Kiefer, stat. n. (China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), Macroteleia dolichopa Sharma (China, India, Vietnam), Macroteleia emarginata Dodd (China, Malaysia), Macroteleia indica Saraswat & Sharma (China, India, Vietnam), Macroteleia lamba Saraswat & Sharma (China, India, Thailand, Vietnam), Macroteleia livingstoni Saraswat (China, India), Macroteleia peliades Kozlov & Lê (China, Vietnam), Macroteleia rufa Szelényi (China, Egypt, Georgia, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine) and Macroteleia striativentris Crawford (China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam). The following five new synonyms are proposed: Macroteleia crates Kozlov & Lê syn. n. and Macroteleia demades Kozlov & Lê syn. n. of Macroteleia crawfordi Kieffer; Macroteleia cebes Kozlov & Lê syn. n. and Macroteleia dones Kozlov & Lê syn. n. of Macroteleia indica Saraswat & Sharma; Macroteleia dores Kozlov & Lê syn. n. of Macroteleia lamba Saraswat & Sharma. A key to the Chinese species of the genus is provided.     

Grassflies of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polyodaspis</Emphasis> Duda (Diptera,Chloropidae) in the fauna of southeast Asia

Over 200 specimens of Polyodaspis from Vietnam and Thailand (project TIGER) were studied. Variations in the color of the body and, especially, of the setae and setulae of the head, scutellum, and abdomen are demonstrated. The following new synonymy is established: Polyodaspis ruficornis (Macquart, 1835) = P. ruficornis var. tarsalis Frey, 1923, syn. n.; = P. flavipila Duda, 1934, syn. n.; = P. endogena de Meijere, 1938, syn. n.; = P. flavisetosa Nartshuk, 1991, syn. n.; = P. similis Nartshuk, 1991, syn. n.     

World Catalogue of the Family Ratardidae (Lepidoptera,Cossoidea) with Description of a New Species from Thailand and Establishment of New Synonymy and a New Status for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ratarda javanica</Emphasis> Roepke, 1937

An illustrated catalogue is given of the family Ratardidae in the world fauna which includes 10 species from 3 genera. A new species, Callosiope elenae Yakovlev sp. n., is described from Lampang Province, Thailand. Externally, the new species differs well from the type species of the genus, C. banghaasi. The fore wing of C. elenae sp. n. has a pattern of alternating wide black bands against pure white background (in C. banghaasi, the fore wing is strongly darkened, without bands). The hind wing of C. elenae sp. n. shows a pattern of large dropshaped black smears at the wing edge and a more or less expressed spotted pattern in the discal and postdiscal areas (in C. banghaasi, the hind wing is completely black, with no pattern). A new synonymy: Ratarda marmorata Moore, 1879 = Ratarda guttifera Hering, 1925 syn. n. and a new status: Ratarda mora javanica Roepke, 1937 stat. n., are established. Ratarda excellens (Strand, 1917) is recorded in the fauna of Thailand for the first time.     

Identification of the Diadegma species (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae) attacking the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

The species of Diadegma that attack Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) are revised. Following a morphometric study involving principal components and discriminant analyses, seven distinct morphospecies are recognized. One species is described as new: D. novaezealandiae from New Zealand. Diadegma mollipla (Holmgren) is the name for the species from sub-Saharan Africa and some Indian Ocean and South Atlantic islands. Diadegma varuna Gupta syn. nov. and D. niponica Kusigemati syn. nov. are both synonymized with D. fenestrale (Holmgren). Diadegma xylostellae Kusigemati is strongly presumed to be a synonym of D. semiclausum (Hellén). An illustrated identification key is provided and each species is described in a standard way.     

Revision of Microlaimidae, Erection of Molgolaimidae fam.n., and Remarks on the Systematic Position of Paramicrolaimus (Nematoda, Desmodorida)

The family Microlaimidae contains Bolbolaiminae subfam.n. (Bolbolaimus syn. Pseudomicro-laimus) and Microlaiminae ( Calomicrolaimus, Ixonema and Microlaimus ). The new family Molgolaimidae contains Aponematinae subfam.n. ( Aponema gen.n.) and Molgolaiminae subfam.n. ( Molgolaimus and Prodesmodora ). The main differentiating characters applied are: structures of the head region, shape of the oesophagus, position of the excretory pore, shape of the tail, structure of the gonads and ornamentation of the cuticle. The significance of porids and preanal supplements as distinguishing characters is, discussed. Microlaimidae are closely related to Desmodoridae; Molgolaimidae related to Spiriniidae. Paramicrolaimus is transferred from Microlaimidae to Spiriniidae.–Six species from the Øresund, Denmark, are redescribed: Microlaimus punctulatus Gerlach, 1950 and M. acinaces Warwick & Piatt, 1973; Aponema torosus (Lorenzen, 1973) gen.n., comb.n. (syn. Microlaimus torosus Loren-zen, 1973); Molgolaimus allgeni (Gerlach, 1950) comb.n. (syn. Microlaimus allgeni Gerlach, 1950) and M. turgofrons (Lorenzen, 1972) comb.n. (syn. Microlaimus turgofrons Lorenzen, 1972); Paramicrolaimus spirulifer Wieser, 1959.     

The genus Alphitobius Stephens (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae, Alphitobiini) in Africa and adjacent islands

All species of the genus Alphitobius Stephens, 1829 (Alphitobiini Reitter, 1917, subfamily Tenebrioninae Latreille, 1802) from Africa and adjacent islands are revised. New species: Alphitobius capitaneus sp. n. from Kenya. New synonyms: Cryptops ulomoides Solier, 1851, syn. n. of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1796); Alphitobius rufus Ardoin, 1976, syn. n. of Alphitobius hobohmi Koch, 1953); Peltoides (Micropeltoides) crypticoides Pic, 1916, syn. n. of Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Homonym: Alphitobius ulomoides Koch, 1953 = Alphitobius arnoldi nom. n. New combinations from Alphitobius: Ulomoides basilewskyi (Ardoin, 1969), comb. n.; Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Figures of all examined species are added and a species key is compiled.     

Revision of the Paridris nephtaspecies group (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae)

The Paridris nephta group is revised (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae). Fifteen species are described, 14 of which are new: Paridris atroxTalamas, sp. n.(Yunnan Province, China), Paridris bununTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris ferusTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand), Paridris kagemonoTalamas, sp. n.(Japan), Paridris minatorTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand), Paridris mystaxTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand), Paridris nephta(Kozlov) (Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Far Eastern Russia), Paridris nilakaTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand), Paridris reptilisTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris rugulosusTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Vietnam), Paridris solarisTalamas, sp. n.(Laos, Thailand, Vietnam), Paridris teresTalamas, sp. n.(Vietnam), Paridris toketokiTalamas, sp. n.(Taiwan), Paridris verrucosusTalamas, sp. n.(Guangdong Province, China), Paridris yakTalamas, sp. n.(Thailand).