New records,synonyms and combinations for oriental Sarcophagidae (Diptera), with updated checklists for Cambodia,India, Taiwan,Thailand and Vietnam

Faunistic records of 29 flesh fly species are presented, and the following new country-level records are provided: 12 species (Senotainia albifrons, Eremasiomyia macularis, Asceloctella calicifera, Pseudothyrsocnema caudagalli, Liosarcophaga dux, L. kohla, L. scopariiformis, L. tuberosa, Parasarcophaga misera, Sarcosolomonia harinasutai, S. shinonagai, Seniorwhitea princeps) new to Cambodia, one species (S. shinonagai) new to India, one species (Brachicoma devia) new to Taiwan, two species (Myorhina thinhi, L. tuberosa) new to Thailand, and two species (E. macularis, P. caudagalli) new to Vietnam. Based on critical revision of all published records and on new data presented herein, 215 species of Sarcophagidae are listed from Cambodia (16 species), India (138), Taiwan (63), Thailand (98) and Vietnam (49). One new subjective generic synonym is proposed: Shinonagaella Verves, 1997 = Lehisca Kurahashi and Tan, 2012, syn. nov. Altogether, total of 21 new subjective synonyms and 16 new combinations are proposed.     

A synoptic review of the genus Thaumaspis Bolívar (Orthoptera,Tettigoniidae, Meconematinae) with the description of a new genus and four new species

Two new species of the new genus Athaumaspis gen. n., Athaumaspis minutus sp. n. and Athaumaspis tibetanus sp. n. from Vietnam and China are described. The subgenus Pseudothaumaspis of Thaumaspis is elevated to generic status and another two new species Pseudothaumaspis bispinosus sp. n. and Pseudothaumaspis furcocercus sp. n. are described, the remaining species of Thaumaspis are reviewed and keyed with the four new species.     

The brachiopod family Linoproductidae stehli from the lower Moscovian of the Middle Carboniferous of the Moscow Region

The phylogeny and taxonomy of the brachiopod family Linoproductidae are revised. The change in the distributional pattern of spines and distinctive structure of the median lobe of the cardinal process are shown to be the main apomorphies in the family evolution. A new subfamily, Linispininae, and the included new genera, Linispinella and Linispinus, are described. In the nominotypical subfamily Linoproductinae, a new genus Linoproductoides and two new species included in this genus are described from the Vereiskian deposits of the Moscow Region. The new species Linispinus riparius (Trautschold), L. longus sp. nov., and L. staricensis (Ivanov) are described from the Kashirskian deposits. Another new species is tentatively described as “Linoproductus” kabanovi.     

New distribution records for Canadian Aleocharinae (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae), and new synonymies for Trichiusa

Fifty-four new Canadian provincial records of aleocharine beetles (Staphylinidae), including three new Canadian records and one new North American record, are presented. Of these, 33 are new provincial records for Saskatchewan, 14 for Alberta, two for British Columbia, three for Manitoba, two for the Northwest Territories and one for the Yukon Territory. The following are new Canadian records: Trichiusa pilosa Casey [formerly reported from Nova Scotia and Ontario as Trichiusa postica Casey], Acrotona recondita (Erichson) and the adventive Palaearctic Atheta nigra (Kraatz), which is also a new North American record. Bionomics information and new locality records are provided. The following new synonyms of Trichiusa pilosa Casey are established: Trichiusa atra Casey, Trichiusa monticola Casey, Trichiusa parviceps Casey, and Trichiusa postica Casey. The numbers of Aleocharinae remaining to be discovered in Canadian provinces and territories are discussed.     

A dinocyst assemblage from the middle member (lower Kimmeridgian—Tithonian) of the Jhuran formation,Kachchh, India

Twenty seven species of dinocysts belonging to seventeen genera are described and illustrated from the Middle Member of the Jhuran Formation in Kachchh, Western India. Among them, two new genera, nine new species and one new variety are introduced. The genera are Indodinium and Indosphaera and the new species are Escharisphaeridia psilata, Indodinium khariensís, Indosphaera bhujensis, Mendicodinium granulatum, M. microreticulatum, Nannoceratopsis radiatus, Parvocavatus scabratus, Sentusidinium hexagonalis and Scriniocassis downiei. The new variety is Gonyaulacysta jurassica subsp. jurassica var. quadrata. The dinocyst type A is also a new dinocyst, but at present no formal name is given to it, because only one specimen has been observed. Geiselodinium inaffectum is emended to include significantly larger size specimens.     

Hispaniolan Hemilophini (Coleoptera,Cerambycidae, Lamiinae)

The Tribe Hemilophini (Lamiinae) is reviewed for Hispaniola and an identification key is provided. Fifteen species are now known from the island, including one new species of Adesmus (Adesmus fortunei from Pedernales and La Vega Provinces, Dominican Republic), one new species of Oedudes (Oedudes anulatus from Peravia and La Vega Provinces, Dominican Republic), and five new species of Calocosmus (Calocosmus contortus from San Cristóbal Province, Calocosmus punctatus from Peravia Province, Calocosmus rawlinsi from Elías Piña Province, Calocosmus robustus from La Vega Province, and Calocosmus thonalmus from La Altagracia Province, all in the Dominican Republic). Oedudes and Adesmus are new island and country records for Hispaniola and Dominican Republic, respectively. Calocosmus holosericeus Gahan is a new synonym of Calocosmus janus Bates. In addition to the new species, five new country records and four new island records are presented for Calocosmus.     

The genus Omalus Panzer, 1801 (Hymenoptera,Chrysididae) from China,with descriptions of four new species

The Chinese species of the genus Omalus Panzer, 1801 are revised and keyed for the first time. Eight species are recorded, of which four are new to science and one is new to China: Omalus aeneus (Fabricius, 1787), Omalus berezovskii (Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1932), Omalus potanini (Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1932), Omalus imbecillus (Mocsáry, 1889) (new to China), Omalus helanshanus sp. n., Omalus probiaccinctus sp. n., Omalus pseudoimbecillus sp. n., and Omalus tibetanus sp. n.     

Discovery of Steninae from Ningxia,Northwest China (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae)

A study on the Steninae of Ningxia Autonomous Region is presented. Sixteen species are recognized, including new province records for 11 species and four new species: Stenus biwenxuani sp. n., Stenus liupanshanus sp. n., Dianous yinziweii sp. n., Dianous ningxiaensis sp. n. Habitus photos of the new species, illustrations of diagnostic characters of all species and a key to species of the Steninae recorded from Ningxia are provided.     

The genus Erechthias Meyrick of Ascension Island,including discovery of a new brachypterous species (Lepidoptera,Tineidae)

One previously named and two new species of the tineid genus Erechthias Meyrick are described and illustrated from the small, remote, mid-Atlantic Ascension Island. With these additions the Lepidoptera fauna of Ascension now totals 38 known species. Little is known regarding the biology of the two new species of Erechthias, and none of the species has been reared from larvae from Ascension. Erechthias minuscula (Walsingham) is a widespread, largely pantropical species first described from the West Indies. Larvae of Erechthias minuscula are known to be scavengers on a wide variety of dead plant material. Erechthias ascensionae,new species, is one of two species of Erechthias now known to be endemic to the island. The other endemic species, Erechthias grayi, new species, is further remarkable in having wing reduction occurring in both sexes. It is one of the few species of Lepidoptera known where this extreme of brachyptery involving both sexes has evolved. The larvae of Erechthias grayi are believed to be lichenivorous, and larval cases suspected to represent this species are illustrated.     

Sumatrella chelonica gen. n., sp. n., a new remarkable genus and species from Indonesia,Sumatra (Acari,Uropodina, Oplitidae)

A new genus Sumatrella gen. n. is described and illustrated based on the new species Sumatrella chelonica sp. n. collected in Sumatra, Indonesia. The new genus belongs to the family Oplitidae based on its hypertrichous internal malae and the absence of strongly sclerotized structures on the dorsal shield. The new genus is closely related to the genus Chelonuropoda Sellnick, 1954 but the transverse furrow on ventral idiosoma close to coxae IV and the strongly sclerotized C-shaped dorsal line are missing in the new genus. These characters can be found in species of Chelonuropoda.     

Early Tithonian entactinarian Radiolaria from the Solnhofen area (southern Germany). Part I

The article describes part of the Entactinaria radiolarians from a very rich and well-preserved radiolarian assemblage extracted from a lower Tithonian sample (Mue 22) collected from the Mühlheim Member of the Mörnsheim Formation of southern Germany. With a single exception (genus Odoghertites nov. gen.), all other Entactinaria described are of primitive type, that is their initial spicules are not differentiated into an apical and a basal group and are not connected by arches to form a heteropolar “microsphere”. They have been assigned to five families, four of which are new (Isometractiniidae, Triumbraculidae, Hollandocachoniidae, Odoghertitidae), 10 new genera (Isometractinia, Triumbraculum, Tardentactinia, Lententactinia, Hollandocachonia, Sphaerentofurca, Stylentofurca, Zuegelifurca, Spongentofurca, Odoghertites), and 19 new species. One of the new species comes from the lower Bajocian of Oregon. A new skeletal structural term, support structure, is introduced as a special type of connection between the primary spines and the macrosphere or cortical shell.     

Systematic revision of the Taiwanese genus Kurixalus members with a description of two new endemic species (Anura,Rhacophoridae)

Two new species of rhacophorid tree frog were identified in Taiwan. In both new taxa, derived reproductive characteristics of laying eggs in tree holes and oophagous tadpoles are shared with Kurixalus eiffingeri, but they are divergent from each other in molecular genetics, mating calls, and tadpole and adult morphology. The morphological characteristics and the molecular phylogenetic evidence support the hypothesis that the two new species, Kurixalus berylliniris sp. n. and Kurixalus wangi sp. n., are both monophyletic lineages.     

Dinoflagellate cysts,Acritarchs and Tasmanitids from the uppermost Callovian of England and Scotland: With a reconsideration of the “xanthidium pilosum” problem

Four assemblages of fossil organic-walled microphytoplankton from the Upper Callovian (Lamberti Zone), three from England and one from Scotland, are described. They comprise at least 50 species of dinoflagellate cysts, 18 species of acritarchs and 2 species of tasmanitids. After a review of the «Xanthidium pilosum problem, a revised diagnosis is proposed for Sentusidinium pilosum (Ehrenberg) and three new species, Sentusidinium creberbarbatum, S. sparsibarbatum and S. erythrocomum are proposed. The new family name Scriniodiniaceae is substituted for the now invalid family name Endoscriniaceae. The new genus Escharisphaeridia is proposed to contain two existing species, E. pococki (Sarjeant) and E. dictydia (Sarjeant). The present content of the genus Compositosphaeridium is examined; the new combination C. polonicum (Górka) is proposed and a new species, C. bulgaricum, is erected. One further new species of dinoflagellate cyst, Prolixosphaeridium anasillum, is proposed. The new term «peniplate is proposed for paraplates whose boundaries are penitabular in situation.One new species of acritarch, Solisphaeridium?rhachos, is described and the new combination Polygonium aster (Sarjeant) is proposed. Evidence for reworking of some of the species of Micrhystridium present in the Hackness Rock assemblage is noted, though it is considered that the majority of species in that assemblage are indigenous. It is considered that all four assemblages are derived from a single phytoplankton province, the differences between them resulting from environmental factors such as water depth or distance from a shoreline.     

Lower Permian bivalves from central Patagonia, Argentina

The earliest Permian faunal successions of central Patagonia show compositional changes that probably reflected the environmental warming at the end of the Gondwana glaciations. Bivalves of Asselian to probably Early Tastubian age are described. A new genus,Sueroa, is proposed to reunite a previously known species and a new species,Sueroa andreisi n. sp. Another five new species:Parallelodon? quichaurensis n. sp.,Heteropecten cortignasi n. sp.,Etheripecten saraviae n. sp.,Streblopteria montgomeryi n. sp. andPraeundulomya moreli n. sp. are described. Two previously known species:Malimania patagoniensis (González) andEuchondria sabattiniae González are revised and new occurrences are reported. A further eleven species are described, but they are left in open nomenclature being because they are insufficiently known; these are:Phestia? n. sp.,Modiolus sp.,Palaeoneilo sp.,Stutchburia sp.,Schizodus sp.,Vacunella? sp.,Edmondia sp.,Myonia? n. sp.,Myonia? sp. andPachymyonia? n. sp.     

New data on the genus Derops Sharp (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Tachyporinae) from China with description of two new species

Two new Chinese species of Derops are described: Derops hainanus sp. n. from Hainan and Derops yunnanus sp. n. from Yunnan. Females of Derops punctipennis Schülke and Derops schillhammeri Schülke are described for the first time and new provinces records of Derops smetanai Schülke and Derops dingshanus Watanabe are reported. The key to Chinese species of Derops published by Schülke 2003 is modified to include the new species.     

Taxonomic study on the Phytosciara genus group (Diptera: Sciaridae) in Korea,including the description of a new species

The Phytosciara genus group (Diptera, Sciaridae: Phytosciara Frey, Dolichosciara Tuomikoski, and Prosciara Frey) are studied in the Korean peninsula. Dolichosciara koreaensis Shin & Menzel sp. n. is described and illustrated as new to science. Additionally, four species are reported as new to Korea: Dolichosciara orcina (Tuomikoski, 1960), Dolichosciara semiferruginea (Menzel, 1995), Prosciara producta (Tuomikoski, 1960), and Prosciara ussuriensis (Antonova, 1977). Identification keys are given for the genera of the Phytosciara genus group and for the Korean species of the genera Dolichosciara Tuomikoski and Prosciara Frey. The COI barcode for the new species is studied.