To the knowledge of the herbivorous scolytid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thamnurgus</Emphasis> Eichhoff (Coleoptera,Scolytidae)

Based on the male genitalia structure, 3 subgenera are distinguished in the genus Thamnurgus: Thamnurgus s. str. (type species Thamnurgus euphorbiae Küster; the subgenus includes also Th. characiae and Th. varipes), Parathamnurgus subgen. n. (type species Thamnurgus caucasicus Reitter; includes also Th. armeniacus, Th. kaltenbachii, Th. brylinskyi, and Th. pegani) and Macrothamnurgus subgen. n. (type species Thamnurgus delphinii Rosenhauer; includes also Th. petzi and Th. rossicus). Thamnurgus s. str. comprises species with the aedeagus lacking supporting apical structures and with unbranched apophyses. In the two other subgenera the aedeagal apophyses are branched and the apical supporting structures are differently arranged. Species of Thamnurgus s. str. are associated exclusively with Euphorbiaceae, species of Macrothamnurgus, with Ranunculaceae, and those of Parathamnurgus, with plants of several families. A key to Palaearctic Thamnurgus species based on the external and genital characters is proposed. The host plants and distribution of some species are clarified. In the aedeagus structure, the Palaearctic Thamnurgus species clearly differ from the African Thamnurgus and also from the members of Taphronurgus, Cynanchophagus, Triotemnus, and Xylocleptes. Data on the male genital structure support generic distinctness of Thamnurgus, Taphronurgus and Xylocleptes. Lectotypes of Th. armeniacus Reitter, 1897, Th. brylinskyi Reitter, 1889, Th. characiae Rosenhauer, 1878, Th. declivis Reitter, 1897, Th. delphinii (Rosenhauer, 1856), Th. pegani Eggers, 1933, and Th. petzi Reitter, 1901 are designated. Thamnurgus jemeniae Schedl, 1975 is transferred to Xylocleptes, and Th. orientalis Schedl, 1978, to Pseudothamnurgus. Based on the endophallus characters, Thamnurgus ugandensis Nunberg, 1961 and Th. lobeliae Eggers, 1939 are considered to belong to a genus distinct from the Palaearctic Thamnurgus.     

To the knowledge of the fauna of Microlepidoptera (Lepidoptera) of the “Curonian Spit” National Park. II

A list of 243 Microlepidoptera species found in the territory of the Curonian Spit (both in its Russian and Lithuanian parts), in addition to that in the first part of the present publication (Sinev and Shapoval, 2013), is given: Gelechiidae (33), Tortricidae (138), and Crambidae (72 species). 142 species have been collected in the territory of the “Kurshskaya Kosa” National Park, including 49 species new to the Curonian Spit, 30 species new to Kaliningrad Province and 3 species (Scrobipalpa obsoletella, Scrobipalpa pauperella, and Catoptria osthelderi) new to the fauna of Russia.     

New Species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inoceramus</Emphasis>-like Bivalves of the Subfamily Kolymiinae from the Middle Permian of Northeastern Asia

Middle Permian Inoceramus-like bivalves of the genera Kolymia Licharew and Cyrtokolymia Astafieva endemic to the East Boreal Biogeographic Realm are considered. Cyrtokolymia, previously regarded by the author as endemics of the Verkhoyansk–Okhotsk Province and including only the type species, are also recorded in the Kolyma–Omolon Province, where they are represented by the endemic species C. bobini sp. nov. An emended diagnosis of the genus Cyrtokolymia is provided. The genus Kolymia comprises about 30 species. The greatest diversity of Kolymia (24 species, 13 of which are endemic) is known from the Verkhoyansk–Okhotsk Province, which is the center of diversification of this genus. The Kolyma–Omolon Province is characterized by 12 species, only three of which are endemic. In other provinces of the East Boreal Realm, only individual members of Kolymia are known. From the Middle Permian of the Omolon Massif, northern Verkhoyansk Region, and Penzhinsky Ridge, the following new species are described: Kolymia posneri Muromzeva, Kusnezov et Biakov, sp. nov., K. pontoneica Biakov, sp. nov., K. simkiniformis Biakov, sp. nov., and Cyrtokolymia bobini Biakov, sp. nov.     

On the taxonomic position of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Issus reticulatus</Emphasis> Bervoets, 1910 (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Issidae) from Baltic amber

A new genus Bolbossus gen. n. is erected in the tribe Parahiraciini for Issus bervoetsi Gnezdilov et Bourgoin, nom. n. pro Issus reticulatus Bervoets, 1910 (nom. praeocc., non Issus reticulatus Herrich-Schäffer, 1835) described from the Baltic amber of Kaliningrad Province in Russia. The genus Issites Haupt, 1956 is assigned to the nominotypical subtribe of the tribe Issini Spinola. Bolbossus bervoetsi (Gnezdilov et Bourgoin) is the first species of the Oriental tribe of the family Issidae discovered in Europe. This finding implies the dispersal of taxa from the Oriental Region to the Western Palaearctic during the Eocene. Other fossil Issidae are briefly discussed.     

Cytogenetic Analysis of Malarial Mosquitoes of Kaliningrad Oblast

Cytogenetic analysis of malarial mosquitoes is performed in Kaliningrad and its vicinity. Two species of Anopheles with biotopic specialization are identified: An. messeae and An. maculipennis. А relatively low level of inversion polymorphism at the sex chromosome and the right arm of the third autosome is established for An. messeae. This is quite natural for the northwestern peripheral populations of the species range.     

Morphogenesis,phylogenetic relationships,and distribution of the bryozoans of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Orbipora</Emphasis> Eichwald, 1856 (order Trepostomida)

Five species of the genus Orbipora, including two new species, O. lynnensis sp. nov. and O. ukhakuensis sp. nov., are described from the Middle Ordovician of the Leningrad Region and Estonia. The colonies of the species O. acanthophora Bassler, 1911 and O. solida Bassler, 1911 are measured and figured for the first time. The stratigraphic range and geographic distribution of O. acanthophora are refined. A scheme of possible phylogenetic relationships and distribution maps of the species of the genus are presented.     

Fleas (Siphonaptera) associated with mammals and birds in the Ciscaucasia

The flea fauna of the Ciscaucasia comprises 76 species, 13 of which are associated with birds and the rest, with mammals. Rodent parasites are the most numerous; fleas associated with carnivores, bats, and insectivores are less abundant. Fleas parasitize different species of birds of the orders Passeriformes, Anseriformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes. Among 41 flea genera known from the Caucasus, species of the genera Amalaraeus, Araeopsylla, Atyphloceras, Caenopsylla, Callopsylla, Doratopsylla, Paraneopsylla, Peromyscopsylla, Phaenopsylla, Tarsopsylla, and Wagnerina are absent in the Ciscaucasia. Only two subendemic species were revealed in the region; 33 flea species are distributed over the entire Ciscaucasia, while the distribution of others is limited to landscapes of one or two natural zones.     

Revision of Jaegeria (Compositae-Heliantheae)

The genusJaegeria consists of a diploid-polyploid complex of eight species found in moist habitats from Mexico to South America. The distributions, habitats, generic affinities, and tribal placement are discussed. Chromosome numbers were determined for all species exceptJ. axillaris, which is known only from Colombia.J. glabra andJ. pedunculata are diploid (2n = 18) ;J. hirta, J. macrocephala, J. gracilis, andJ. crassa are tetraploid (2n = 36) ;J. bellidiflora is octoploid (2n = 72). One Galápagos Island endemic,J. gracilis, is quite similar to the common mainland species,J. hirta, but the other endemic,J. crassa, is quite distinct from any other species.J. bellidijlora is most similar morphologically toJ. glabra;J. macrocephala is allied toJ. pedunculata. J. axillaris is somewhat distinct from the other species.     

Novel palmicolous taxa within Pleosporales: multigene phylogeny and taxonomic circumscription

Palm fungi are highly diverse in the tropical regions of Asia. Recent investigations on these palmicolous fungi have led to the collection of astrosphaeriella-like taxa from Calamus, Caryota, and Licuala species in Thailand (Chiang Rai and Narathiwat provinces) and southwest China (Yunnan Province). This study characterizes fungal taxa, which are new to science, based on morphological examination and concatenated DNA sequence data, to infer their familial relationships. Morphological comparisons reveal six new species, viz. Astrosphaeriellopsis caryotae, Fissuroma calami, F. caryotae, Neoastrosphaeriella sribooniensis, Pithomyces caryotae, and P. licualae.Their similarities and differences to other extant species are discussed. The phylogenetic results indicate that all of these new taxa belong to Aigialaceae and Astrosphaeriellaceae (Pleosporales) and support their establishment. Astrosphaeriellopsis is assigned to Astrosphaeriellaceae and the family is amended in order to accommodate both coelomycetous and hyphomycetous asexual morphs. A generic key is presented for Astrosphaeriellaceae to delimit Astrosphaeriella, Astrosphaeriellopsis, Pteridiospora, and Pithomyces. Asexual morph connections of Pithomyces caryotae and P. licualae are established from axenic cultures derived from single ascospores. DNA-based sequence data supports the establishment of our new species; however, the affinities of Astrosphaeriella tornata to other Astrosphaeriella and Pithomyces species are unclear and warrant further investigations with increased taxon sampling.     

Distribution and diversity of the Opheliidae (Annelida,Polychaeta) on the continental shelf and slope of Iceland,with a review of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophelina</Emphasis> in northeast Atlantic waters and description of two new species

The diversity, taxonomy and distribution of the Opheliidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) in Icelandic waters is reviewed based on material collected during the BIOICE project. Nine opheliid species are recorded from Iceland; of these, three were previously reported in the area (Ophelia limacina, Ophelina cylindricaudata and O. acuminata), four are new for Icelandic waters (Ammotrypanella cf. arctica, Ophelina abranchiata, O. helgolandica and Tachytrypane jeffreisii), and two are new to science. Ophelina basicirra sp. nov. is distinguished by having a narrow anal tube with one short proximal anal cirrus in ventral position. Ophelina bowitzi sp. nov. is characterized by the small size of its anterior branchiae, which become larger in the middle and posterior body regions, and by an upwardly bent anal tube that is wide at the base and narrowing distally. The genera Euzonus, Armandia and Polyophthalmus are not represented in the BIOICE samples. The distribution of each species off Iceland is presented; one species is restricted to shallow waters of northwestern fjords, three species are found south of the GIF Ridge, and five species are circumicelandic. Several body characters with taxonomic relevance in some species are reviewed based on SEM images. Furthermore, as a first step towards a future revision of the genus Ophelina Örsted 1843 in North Atlantic waters, the status of each species originally described or subsequently reported from the area is commented on, and a key to the currently valid species is presented. Ophelina longicephala Hartmann-Schröder, 1977, formerly a subspecies of O. delapidans (Kinberg, 1866), is raised to species status.     

Species Identification in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thrips</Emphasis> Genus-Group in Brazil

The Thrips genus-group is a monophyletic taxon composed of 17 genera, whose representatives exhibit three main synapomorphies: absence of ocellar setae I, presence of ctenidia on tergites V–VIII, and ctenidia on tergite VIII positioned posteromesad to the spiracles. The group is native to and more diverse in the Old World, especially in Southeast Asia, but several species are widely distributed, including some pests of cultivated plants. Here, we provide an identification key to the species of the Thrips genus-group currently recorded in Brazil, including three new records of Bolacothrips striatopennatus (Schmutz), Thrips florum Schmutz, and Thrips orientalis (Bagnall), and present notes on their morphology and biology. Stenchaetothrips biformis Bagnall is excluded from the list of thrips recorded in Brazil.     

New data on the changes in the abundance and distribution of several species of beetles (Coleoptera) in European Russia and the Caucasus

Changes in the abundance and distribution of selected species of beetles in European Russia and in the Caucasus are reported. Most of these species have been recorded from the Northwestern Caucasus in the last 10–15 years. The abundance and distribution during the last two years have changed most sharply in the introduced species, the Harlequin lady beetle Harmonia axyridis and two East Asian bruchids, Megabruchidius dorsalis and M. tonkineus. In 2016, the latter has been found in Georgia for the first time, and Harmonia axyridis was found in St. Petersburg. Abundance of the weevil Alcidodes karelinii with the range situated mostly east of the Caucasus and Volga River remains in Northwestern Caucasus at about the previous level. The flea-weevil species, a leaf miner on Ulmus pumila, misidentified previously as Orchestes mutabilis, is described in this paper as Orchestes steppensis sp. n. based on the material from Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Northern China; no its further distribution westward in 2015–2016 has been found. This species, rapidly widening its range in North America in the recent decade, is misidentified there as Orchestes alni. A key for differentiation of Orchestes alni, O. mutabilis and O. steppensis sp. n. is provided with photographs of adults of all three species. Magdalis armigera has increased abundance in Northwestern Caucasus in 2016 and was for the first time found in Northwestern Russia (Pskov Province) in 2015. Regular faunistic surveys during several decades provide a possibility of recording considerable changes in the abundance of some common species of Coleoptera, often associated with changes in their distribution.     

Contribution to the knowledge of the weevil genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Otiorhynchus</Emphasis> Germ. (Coleoptera,Curculionidae) from Turkmenistan and adjacent territories

Data on 15 species of the subgenus Pseudotiorhynchus Magnano, 2004 of the genus Otiorhynchus Germar, 1822 from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran are given. Otiorhynchus lukarevskayae Davidian, sp. n., O. karakalensis Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n., O. konstantini Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n., O. muratovi Savitsky et Davidian, sp. n., O. kopetdagicus Savitsky et Davidian, sp. n., and O. shakhensis Savitsky et Davidian, sp. n. from Turkmenistan, and O. khorasanus Savitsky et Davidian, sp. n. from Iran are described as new to science. A new synonymy is established: Pseudotiorhynchus Magnano, 2004 = Crassorhynchus Magnano, 2004, syn. n. Otiorhynchus iranensis Magnano, 2004 is transferred from the subgenus Protarammichnus Voss, 1960 to the subgenus Pseudotiorhynchus. Lectotype of O. conicirostris Stierlin, 1886 is designated. A key to 15 species of the subgenus Pseudotiorhynchus is given. The new subgenus Microhanibotus Savitsky et Davidian, subgen. n. is established for the new species O. ghilarovi Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. from the Western Kopet Dagh in Turkmenistan. Microhanibotus subgen. n. is closely related to the subgenera Pseudotiorhynchus, Hanibotus Reitter, 1912 and Nubidanus Reitter, 1912.     

A New record of four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> species isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agarum clathratum</Emphasis> in Korea

Agarum clathratum, brown algae, play important ecological roles in marine ecosystem, but can cause secondary environment pollution when they pile up on the beach. In order to resolve the environment problem by A. clathratum, we focus to isolate and identify Penicillium because many species are well known to produce extracellular enzymes. A total of 32 Penicillium strains were isolated from A. clathratum samples that collected from 13 sites along the mid-east coast of Korea in summer. They were identified based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using β-tubulin DNA sequences as well as a combined dataset of β-tubulin and calmodulin. A total of 32 strains were isolated and they were identified to 13 Penicillium species. The commonly isolated species were Penicillium citrinum, P. roseomaculatum, and Penicillium sp. Among 13 Penicillium species, four species – P. bilaiae, P. cremeogriseum, P. madriti, and P. roseomaculatum – have not been previously recorded in Korea. For these four new species records to Korea, we provide morphological characteristics of each strain.     

A review of the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carpelimus</Emphasis> s. str. (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae) from tropical Africa

A review of the subgenus Carpelimus (s. str.) from tropical Africa is given. The subgenus includes 10 species. A new species C. uhligi sp. n. is described, neotype of Trogophloeus insularis, Kraatz 1858 is designated. T. aequithorax Bernhauer, 1932 is placed in synonymy with C. dieganus (Fauvel, 1904); T. oculatus Wollaston, 1865 and T. meridioafricanus Scheerpeltz, 1974, with C. insularis (Kraatz, 1858), T. rudebecki Scheerpeltz, 1974 with C. memnonius (Erichson, 1840); T. yemenicus Coiffait, 1981 with C. niloticus (Erichson, 1840); T. nigerrimus Coiffait, 1935 and T. mimus Cameron, 1945, with C. rufitarsis (Fauvel, 1907); and T. bredoi Bernhauer, 1943, with C. transmarinus (Fauvel, 1907). Lectotypes of T. aequithorax, T. calidus, T. nigerrimus, and T. bredoi are designated. Twenty species are transferred from the genus Carpelimus, and the following new combinations are formed: Thinodromus brincki Scheerpeltz, 1972; Th. montiumdraconis Scheerpeltz, 1974; Th. rhodesianus Scheerpeltz, 1974; and Th. sudanensis Scheerpeltz, 1974 comb. nn.). The initial generic placement of Carpelimus luzidus Cameron, 1944 is restored.