Diversity and eco-zoogeographic analysis of lamellicorn beetles (Coleoptera,Scarabaeoidea) of Yakutia,Russia

A comprehensive analysis of the diversity of Yakutian lamellicorn beetles is provided. A total of 54 species from 18 genera, 14 tribes, 14 subfamilies, and 5 families are revealed. The family Ochodaeidae Mulsant & Rey, 1871, the genus Codocera Eschscholtz, 1821, and six species, namely Codocera ferruginea (Eschscholtz, 1818), Aegialia friebi Balthasar, 1935, A. kamtschatica Motschulsky, 1860, Aphodius ater (De Geer, 1774), A. pusillus Herbst, 1789, and A. haemorrhoidalis (Linnaeus, 1758), are recorded in the fauna of Yakutia for the first time. The ecological and zoogeographic features of the Scarabaeoidea of the region are considered. Data on the trophic specialization, phenology and spatial distribution of the species are given.     

New or Little-Known Beetle Species (Coleoptera) of the Families Histeridae and Scarabaeidae in the Faunas of Ciscaucasia,Western and Southeastern Kazakhstan

New data are presented on the distribution of Histeridae and Scarabaeidae in Russia and Kazakhstan. Three species, Pholioxenus schatzmayri J. Müller, 1910, Mendidaphodius linearis (Reiche et Saulcy, 1856), and Onthophagus ponticus Harold, 1883, are recorded from Kazakhstan for the first time, and one species, Atholus scutellaris (Erichson, 1834), is new to the fauna of Russia. The distribution ranges are refined for Microsaprinus therondianus (Dahlgren, 1973), Hypocacculus biskrensis (Marseul, 1876), Paravolvulus refector (Reitter, 1904), Hister megalonyx Reichardt, 1922, Bodilus longipennis (Rakovi?, 1984), Protaetia cyanescens jacobsoni (Kiseritzky, 1910), and Valgus hemipterus (Linnaeus, 1758). All these species are distributed mainly in the four zoogeographical regions: Hesperian, European, Saharo-Gobian (Sethian), and Scythian.     

Studies of the true bugs of Xinjiang,Northwestern China. III. Water bugs and semiaquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha,Gerromorpha)

In Xinjiang (Western China), the fauna of water bugs and semiaquatic bugs comprises 28 species of 7 families belonging to the infraorders Nepomorpha Popov, 1968 and Gerromorpha Popov, 1971. The present paper provides new data on the distribution of 19 species of 6 families (Nepidae, Corixidae, Naucoridae, Notonectidae, Hebridae, and Gerridae). Four species of the family Corixidae, Micronecta griseola Horváth, 1899, Hesperocorixa linnaei (Fieber, 1848), Paracorixa kiritshenkoi (Lundblad, 1933), and Sigara seistanensis (Distant, 1920), and one species of the family Hebridae, Hebrus pilipes Kanyukova, 1997, are recorded for the first time for China. The family Hebridae and three species of the family Corixidae, Cymatia rogenhoferi (Fieber, 1864), Corixa dentipes Thomson, 1869, and Paracorixa caspica (Horváth, 1878), are new to the fauna of Xinjiang. The record of Gerris odontogaster (Zetterstedt, 1828) whose distribution in Northwestern China had been considered doubtful was confirmed. A key to the species of the genus Micronecta from Middle Asia and Western China is given. Differences between the two closely related species Sigara seistanensis (Distant, 1920) and S. striata (Linnaeus, 1758) are discussed, and their distinctive features are listed.     

Mites (Acari) phoretic on ground beetles (Coleoptera,Carabidae) in a southern taiga forest in the environs of Vologda

Ground beetles were captured in a mixed southern taiga forest near the city of Vologda, Russia, from March to September 2014 using different collection techniques. Of the 250 specimens of ground beetles belonging to 22 species, 109 beetles representing 11 species yielded 326 specimens of mites of the cohorts Gamasina (4 species), Astigmatina (5), and Heterostigmatina (1). Two mite species, Antennoseius pseudospinosus Eidelberg, 1990, a common species in the steppes of southeastern Europe, and Halodarcia incideta Karg, 1969, a polyzonal European hydrophile, are recorded in the taiga zone for the first time. Dorsipes dorsipes Regenfuss, 1968, a specialized parasite of beetles of the genus Carabus Linnaeus, 1758, is new to the fauna of Eastern Europe. An adult mite of the genus Stylochirus G. Canestrini et R. Canestrini, 1882 was found for the first time in a natural hibernating chamber in close contact with an overwintering ground beetle, in particular, a male of S. fimetarius (Müller, 1859) on Carabus granulatus Linnaeus, 1785. The most common mite to occur on ground beetles was Antennoseius bullitus Karg, 1969, which was found on 7 carabid species with the mean occurrence of 41% and comprised 68% of the total mite sample. Joint phoresy of 2–3 mite species was recorded on 12 specimens of ground beetles; in 5 cases the co-occurring mites were Antennoseius bullitus and Stylochirus fimetarius. Three dominant mite species (85% of the total mite sample) were mainly collected off three dominant carabid species (70% of the beetle sample), but individual mite species preferred different hosts.     

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.     

Grass Flies (Diptera,Chloropidae) of Crimean Peninsula

The fauna of grass flies (Diptera: Chloropidae) of the Crimean Peninsula is reviewed for the first time. The study is based on examination of the collection of the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), which includes the material collected in Crimea by the authors, the collections of the Zoological Museum of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (Simferopol). The annotated list includes 92 species in 34 genera and three subfamilies. Most of the species (61) are recorded from Crimea for the first time. Six species, Chlorops horridus Becker, Ch. puncticornis Loew, Dicraeus (Oedesiella) beschovskii Nartshuk, Lasiosina chandleri Ismay, Meromyza meigeni Nartshuk and Oscinimorpha longirostris (Loew) are recorded for the first time from Russia and Eastern Europe. The characters for distinguishing Oscinimorpha arcuata Duda from O. longirostris (Loew), i.e., the structure of head and the male genitalia, are provided. The boreo-montane species Oscinella vastator (Curtis) and Meromyza curvinervis (Zetterstedt) are found on the Chatyrdag Mountain and Yaila (mostly forestless plateau in the Crimean Mountains). Species with southern European, Mediterranean and Macaronesian-Mediterranean ranges were recorded mostly on the South Coast of Crimea. The Crimean fauna of Chloropidae is compared with the faunas of Sardinia and Turkey.     

Gobies (Gobioidei) of soft bottoms from Nha Trang and Van Phong bays (South China Sea,Vietnam)

Gobioid fishes collected in Nha Trang and Van Phong bays (Vietnam) represented by 44 species, including 30 species continuously associated with soft bottoms in the open parts of the bays with normal marine conditions are reviewed. A new species, Navigobius khanhoa sp. n., is described. This species differs from other species of the genus in much higher number of rays in the second dorsal fin (26), smaller size of the mouth, teeth on the jaws arranged in a single row, and other characters. Four species from the genera Acentrogobius, Eviota, Favonigobius, and Gnatholepis have not been identified to the species, and, most likely, some of them are new for science. Nine species are recorded in the fauna of Vietnam for the first time: Aulopareia unicolor, Bathygobius hongkongensis, Egglestonichthys bombylios, Glossogobius circumspectus, Oplopomops diacanthus, Oxyurichthys auchenolepis, Tomiyamichthys ex gr. russus, Tryssogobius porosus, and Valenciennea immaculata. An occurrence of Glossogobius olivaceus in the fauna of Vietnam is confirmed. Three species, G. olivaceus, Oligolepis acutipennis, and Periophthalmus kalolo, are recorded in the Cai River delta for the first time. A new synonymy is established: Eviota gurjanovae (Prokofiev, 2007) = E. prasina (Klunzinger, 1871). The current state of knowledge of Gobiidae fauna of Vietnam is discussed, and the updating of the species composition of Gobiodontini of Nha Trang Bay is presented in addition to the species list published earlier (Prokofiev, 2007).     

New data on the pteromalid wasps (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) of Krasnodar Territory (Russia)

Three genera (Erdoesia Bou?ek, Metastenus Walker, and Novitzkyanus Bou?ek) and 24 species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Russia; in addition, 39 species are new for the fauna of Krasnodar Territory. New host–parasite associations are revealed for 6 species of pteromalid wasps.     

Contributions to the knowledge of tetrastichine wasps (Hymenoptera,Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae) of the Middle Volga Region

The Tetrastichinae fauna of the Middle Volga Region comprises 115 species of 16 genera. Quadrastichus rosarum sp. n. is described as an endoparasitoid of Torymus bedequaris L. (Hymenoptera, Torymidae); the latter develops in galls of Dasineura rosarum (Hardy) (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) on Rosa canina L. Aprostocetus populi (Kurdjumov) is redescribed and transferred from Tetrastichus to Aprostocetus. Thirty-three species are recorded for the Middle Volga Region for the first time. The genus Puklina Graham is new to the Russian fauna. New hosts are reported for five species of Tetrastichinae.     

A Review of the Ant Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dolichoderus</Emphasis> Lund, 1831 (Hymenoptera,Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) of Mexico

Mexican ants of the genus Dolichoderus are revised. Five species of the genus are recorded: D. bispinosus (Olivier, 1792), D. diversus Emery, 1894, D. lutosus (Smith, 1858), D. mariae Forel, 1885 and D. plagiatus (Mayr, 1870). Dolichoderus tridentanodus Ortega-De Santiago et Vásquez-Bolaños, 2012 is synonymized with Camponotus mucronatus Emery, 1890. Early records of D. germaini Emery, 1894 and D. lugens Emery, 1894 from Mexico are misidentifications and those species are excluded from the list of the Mexican fauna. Dolichoderus mariae Forel, 1885 is newly reported for the fauna of Mexico. Identification key to Mexican Dolichoderus species is given.     

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.     

New scarab-beetle species (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae,Orphninae) from Central Asia and Southern Africa

Three new scarab-beetle species are described. Aphodius moronensis sp. n. (northern Mongolia) and A. kozlovi sp. n (eastern Tibet) with modified spurs on fore tibiae in males are placed in the falcispinis group of the subgenus Agolius but are similar to the grafi group of the subgenus Chilothorax in the shape of parameres and elytral pattern. The new species differ from A. falcispinis in the shape of the spur; A. moronensis sp. n. also differs in the shape of the body and parameres. Orphnus transvaalensis sp. n. is the second apterous Orphnus species found in Southern Africa. It differs from the closely related O. harrisoni in the shape of parameres, position of the hornlike clypeal process, and in a smaller body size.     

Heliozoa (Centrohelea,Haptista, Hacrobia) of saline and brackish water bodies and watercourses of Russia

The species composition of centrohelid heliozoa (Centrohelida) in saline and brackish inland water bodies and watercourses with salinity 2.0–42.2‰ was studied in the subarid zone of Russia. Nine species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, Choanocystis ebelii, Acanthocystis astrakhanensis, A. dentata, A. myriospina, A. pectinata, A. taurica, A. turfacea) are new for saline and brackish inland waters. A. astrakhanensis and A. taurica are new for the fauna of Orenburg region. The first data on centrohelidian fauna in saline rivers of Elton region were obtained. The fauna comprises Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. turfacea and Choanocystis ebelii. C. ebelii is new for the protist fauna of Russia. Five species (Polyplacocystis ambigua, Pterocystis foliacea, A. pectinata, A. dentata, A. taurica) were recorded for the first time in saline and brackish waters and described as eurihaline. Morphological diagnoses of Acanthocystis dentata and A. taurica were completed.     

Oribatid mites of the superfamily Trizetoidea Ewing, 1917 (Acari,Oribatida) from Peru

Two new species of the oribatid mite superfamily Trizetoidea (Acari, Oribatida) are described from Peru. Rhynchoribates (Rhynchoribatodes) rioyuyapichisensis Ermilov, sp. n. differs from the other species of the subgenus by the long flagelliform notogastral setae. Rhynchoppia puertoincaensis Ermilov, sp. n. is morphologically similar to R. capillata (Balogh, 1963), but differs by the shape and in a greater number of rostral teeth, in the number and a smaller length of notogastral setae, and in the number of genital setae. The genus Rhynchoppia (Balogh 1968) is recorded from the Neotropical Region for the first time, while Rhynchoribates (Rhynchoribatodes) brasiliensis Woas 1986 is new to the fauna of Peru.     

Two new gonad-infecting species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Philometra</Emphasis> Costa, 1845 (Nematoda: Philometridae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trachinus</Emphasis> spp. (Osteichthyes: Trachinidae) in the Gulf of Hammamet,Tunisia

Based on light and scanning electron microscopical studies, two new gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845, P. draco n. sp. and P. radiata n. sp. (Nematoda: Philometridae), are described from the marine perciform fishes Trachinus draco (Linnaeus) and T. radiatus (Linnaeus) (both Trachinidae), respectively, in the Gulf of Hammamet, off the northeastern coast of Tunisia. Philometra draco n. sp. and P. radiata n. sp. can be separated from other gonad-infecting species of this genus by the structures associated to the gubernaculum (e.g. dorsal protuberance, smooth field separating the dorsolateral longitudinal parts), as well as by the length of the body, spicules and gubernaculum. Philometra radiata n. sp. can be distinguished from P. draco n. sp. in having the dorsal side of the gubernaculum distal end provided with a median longitudinal smooth field demarcated by two dorsolateral lamellate parts. These two new species are the first philometrid species described from fishes of the family Trachinidae.     

The Mercury Content and Antioxidant System in Insectivorous Animals (Insectivora,Mammalia) and Rodents (Rodentia,Mammalia) of Various Ecogenesis Conditions

This study is aimed at analyzing the total mercury in the tissues of mammals adapted to a semiaquatic or subterranean lifestyle and at analyzing the possible role of their antioxidant system in heavy metal detoxication. The water shrew Neomis fodiens Pennant, 1771, European mole Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758, muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Linnaeus, 1766, and water vole Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 were the species under study. Our results indicate that mercury accumulation in the tissue depends on the age, tissue type, and diet of the species. The highest mercury content was recorded in water shrew tissues compared to other species. Age-dependent accumulation of the toxicant in the animals is reported. A correlation between mercury accumulation and catalase activity in the kidneys of the animals studied was found.     

Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the protected territories of Belarus

The caddisfly fauna of 13 protected areas in Belarus is studied. A total of 97 species from the following 12 families are recorded: Hydroptilidae (6 species), Ecnomidae (1), Polycentropodidae (11), Pshychomyidae (1), Hydropsychidae (5), Phryganeidae (12), Brachycentridae (1), Limnephilidae (41), Sericostomatidae (1), Molannidae (1), Beraeidae (3), and Leptoceridae (14). Polycentropus kingi McLachlan, 1881; Agrypnia picta Kolenati, 1848; Limnephilus sericeus (Say, 1824); L. dispar McLachlan, 1875; L. elegans Curtis, 1834, and Hagenella clathrata (Kolenati, 1848) are rare in Europe. Some of the revealed species are critically endangered in several countries of western Europe. The studied protected areas play an important role in conservation of species diversity and in the distribution of several rare species.     

Digger wasps (Hymenoptera,Apoidea: Ampulicidae,Sphecidae, Crabronidae) of the Black Sea coast of Krasnodar Territory,Abkhazia, and adjacent areas

A list of 208 digger-wasp species (Hymenoptera, Apoidea: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae) from the Black Sea coast and adjacent areas within Krasnodar Territory, Abkhazia, and Adygea is given. Gorytes schmiedeknechti Handlirsch, 1888, Miscophus albufeirae Andrade, 1952, Psenulus fulvicornis (Schenck, 1857), and Passaloecus pictus Ribaut, 1952) are new to the Russian fauna, and 47 species are recorded for the first time from Abkhazia. Ectemnius guttatus (Vander Linden, 1829) does not occur in the Western Caucasus; the record of the species from this region was based on a misidentified female of E. lituratus Pz. Tachysphex gibbus Kohl, 1885, stat. n. is considered a distinct species based on its ecological and morphological features.     

Taxonomy of Soldier Flies (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) of Sunderban Biosphere Reserve,India

The present communication deals with recording of nine species of soldier flies (Insecta: Diptera: Stratiomyidae) from Sunderban Biosphere Reserve of India, of which, Tinda indica (Walker, 1851), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), Odontomyia kashmirensis Brunetti, 1920, Odontomyia viridana (Wiedemann, 1824), Prosopochrysa vitripennis (Doleschall, 1856) are being reported for the first time from this unique and globally acclaimed mangrove ecosystem. Odontomyia kashmirensis Brunetti, 1920 is reported for the first time from the state of West Bengal. A key to identify these species is provided with taxonomic notes.     

Karyotypic and morphological study of five species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wilhelmia</Emphasis> Enderlein (Diptera,Simuliidae)

Karyotypic features as well as larval and imaginal morphology have been studied in five species of the black fly genus Wilhelmia, viz. W. equina (Linnaeus, 1758), W. pseudequina (Seguy, 1921), W. lineata (Meigen, 1804), W. veltistshevi (Rubzov, 1940), and W. salopiensis (Edwards, 1927). Photomaps of polytene chromosomes are given for all species (those for W. pseudequina and W. veltistshevi, for the first time). Species-specific karyological and morphological characters have been revealed. According to principal karyological features, the species examined are divided into the equina and salopiensis groups. The validity of the species rank is confirmed for all species. Clear karyological and morphological distinctions between W. salopiensis and W. lineata give evidence that synonymization of W. salopiensis with W. lineata was erroneous.