New data on the Merodon Meigen 1803 fauna (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Turkey including description of a new species and changes in the nomenclatural status of several taxa

Abstract

The Old World syrphid genus Merodon Meigen 1803 is highly species-diverse and has a significant number of endemic species in the circum-Mediterranean area. The present study reports on taxonomic changes resulting from the examination of adult Merodon specimens collected in 15 Turkish provinces during the period 1992 to 2002, and provides new faunistic data. Merodon ilgazense n. sp. is described. Four species of Merodon new to Turkey are recorded: M. armipes Rondani 1843, M. auronites Hurkmans 1993, M. bessarabicus Paramonov 1924 and M. chalybeatus Sack 1913. Lectotypes are designated for two taxa: M. chalybeatus Sack 1913 and M. clunipes Sack 1913. Merodon italicus Rondani 1845 rev. stat. is reinstated as a valid species. Following a detailed study of the type material in different entomological collections, the status of 10 taxa is revised and five new synonymies are proposed: M. albonigrum Vuji Radenkovi &; S?imi 1996 n. syn. (=junior synonym of M. chalybeatus Sack 1913); M. alexeji Paramonov 1925 n. syn. (=junior synonym of M. serrulatus Wiedemann in Meigen 1822); M. aureotibia Hurkmans 1993 n. syn. (=junior synonym of M. vandergooti Hurkmans 1993); M. kaloceros Hurkmans 1993 n. syn. (=junior synonym of M. erivanicus Paramonov 1925); M. longicornis Sack 1913 n. syn. (=junior synonym of M. italicus Rondani 1845).     

Revision of the genus Thermistis Pascoe 1867, with descriptions of three new species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Saperdini)

The genus Thermistis Pascoe 1867 is revised. T. croceocincta conjunctesignata Rondon & Breuning 1971 is upgraded to a species and newly recorded from China and Myanmar. T. xanthomelas Holzschuh 2007 is newly recorded from Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. T. sulphureonotata Pu 1984 is newly recorded from Vietnam and Laos. Three new species are described from China: T. hainanensis Lin & Yang n. sp. from Hainan Island, T. kaiyuni Chou & Kurihara n. sp. from Taiwan Island and T. cheni Lin & Chou n. sp. from Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Photographs of habitus and terminalia and a key to the eleven valid species of Thermistis are presented.     

Nomenclature changes in African Eumolpinae with reference to type specimens preserved in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle,Paris (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Based on examination of type specimens preserved in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, 50 new combinations in African Eumolpinae species described by Lefèvre and Pic in the genera Angoleumolpus Pic, 1938, Cheiriphyle Jacoby, 1901, Eryxia Baly, 1865, Eurydemus Chapuis, 1874, Microeurydemus Pic, 1938, Microsyagrus Pic, 1952, Pagria Lefèvre, Rhembastus Harold, 1877, Syagrus Chapuis, 1874 and Thysbina Weise, 1902 are proposed. The following new names are introduced to correct homonymies: Afroeurydemus fortesculptus nom. nov. for Microsyagrus cribricollis Pic, 1952, Afroeurydemus parvomaculatus nom. nov. for Syagrus quadrimaculatus Pic, 1940, Afroeurydemus selmani nom. nov. for A. signatus Selman, 1972, Microsyagrus punctaticollis nom. nov. for M. trinotatus Pic, 1952, Obelistes bryanti nom. nov. for O. nigrovittatus Bryant, 1952, and Pathius pici nom. nov. for Microeurydemus pallidus Pic, 1952. The following synonyms are established: Angoleumolpus Pic, 1938 n. syn. of Obelistes Lefèvre, 1885, Thysbina gabonica Pic, 1952 n. syn. of Ennodius murrayi (Chapuis, 1874), and Timentes flavipes Selman, 1965 n. syn. of Timentes camerunensis (Pic, 1953). Lectotypes are designated where appropriate.     

Flat-faced longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from the Neotropical region: new species from Ecuador,nomenclatural changes and notes

Summary

The differences between Anisopodus White, 1853 and Hyperplatys Haldeman, 1847 are discussed and the gender of the latter is corrected. Notes on Hyperplatys pusillus (Bates, 1863) are provided. Hyperplatys nigrisparsus is considered a new rank for H. pusillus nigrisparsus (Bates, 1885). This species is newly recorded from Brazil (Amazonas). Alcidion laetulum Bates, 1880 (currently Nealcidion laetulum), Alcidion costatum Monné & Martins, 1976 (currently Nealcidion costatum), and Nealcidion murinum Monné, 1998, are synonymized with Alcidion bispinum Bates, 1863 (currently Nealcidion bispinum). Anisopodus melzeri Gilmour, 1965 is transferred to Hyperplatys with a new record from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Notes on a second specimen of Confluentia colombiana (Gilmour, 1950) are provided. Three new species are described from Ecuador: Nealcidion kayi n. sp. (Acanthocinini), Hyperplatys pichinchensis n. sp. (Acanthocinini) and Confluentia quijos n. sp. (Colobotheini).     

Review of the flower beetle genera Neophaedimus Lucas and Herculaisia Seillière (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) from East Asia

Two remarkable genera, Neophaedimus Lucas, 1870, and Herculaisia Seillière, 1910, that occur in China and Vietnam are reviewed. Neophaedimus castaneus Ma, 1989, n. syn. is regarded as a synonym of N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870. The genus Neophaedimus thus becomes monotypic again. N. auzouxi is newly recorded from Vietnam. Parameres of Herculaisia species, H. melaleuca (Fairmaire, 1899), originally described in Neophaedimus, and H. satanas Seillière, 1910, are illustrated for the first time. Presence in China of H. melaleuca, is confirmed, and its distribution in this country is specified. Color photographs of habitus and diagnostic characters for all species are provided, with comments on intraspecific variation. Lectotypes are designated for Neophaedimus melaleuca Fairmaire, 1899, and N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870, and distribution of each species is summarized.     

Additions and corrections to “The Muscidae of Central Europe” II. Two new species of Spilogona (Diptera, Muscidae)

Two species of Spilogona, S. angustigena sp. n. and S. tatrica sp. n., are described from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, respectively. Both species are characterised by a gynaecomorphic shape of the male head, i.e., by a broad frons and the presence of a pair of orbital setae. Three species with this type of head are already known in the Palaearctic region: S. karelica (Tiensuu, 1935) from Russian Karelia, S. lapponica (Ringdahl, 1932) occurring in Norway and Sweden and redescribed here from material collected recently in Russia and Sweden, and S. spinicosta (Stein, 1907) from Tibet. All five species are compared and a new identification key is given. Apart from the external similarity of the male heads, the species under study are hardly closely related and their dichoptic heads may be explained as a homoplasy among similar ecomorpha.     

A review of the Malagasy endemic genus Cyrtolophus Fairmaire and description of Pseudocyrtolophus n. gen. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Adoretini)

Summary

After lectotype designations for both names, the synonymy between Cyrtolophus grandicornis Fairmaire, 1895 and Cyrtolophus viduus Ohaus, 1912, n. syn., is proposed. Pseudocyrtolophus n. gen. is described to accommodate Cyrtolophus limbicollis Ohaus, 1912, its type species, and a second species, Pseudocyrtolophus australis n. sp., which is described and compared to its most related species. The lectotype of Cyrtolophus limbicollis is designated. All species are illustrated. A map showing their distribution in Madagascar is given.     

Family Lasiosynidae n. fam., new palaeoendemic Mesozoic family from the infraorder Elateriformia (Coleoptera: Polyphaga)

Lasiosynidae n. fam. is proposed for the genera Lasiosyne Tan, Ren & Chih 2007 (transferred from Archostemata to Polyphaga), Anacapitis Yan 2009 Tarsomegamerus Zhang 2005 (proposed in the superfamily Chrysomeloidea) and Bupredactyla n. gen. The new family is regarded in composition of the infraorder Elateriformia without a more detailed attribution, because it demonstrates a mixture of characters of different families and superfamilies, i.e. somehow an intermediate position between the superfamilies Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Buprestoidea and Byrrhoidea with most resemblance to Dascillidae, Schizopodidae, Eulichadidae, Ptilodactylidae and Callirrhipidae and probable more close relationship to the last three families. Four new fossil species of the genus Lasiosyne: L. daohugouensis n. sp., L. fedorenkoi n. sp., L. gratiosa n. sp., L. quadricollis n. sp., and also Bupredactyla magna n. sp. are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. A probable generic composition of the new family is considered. The synonymy of generic names Anacapitis Yan 2009 and Brachysyne Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. as well as synonymy of species names Lasiosyne euglyphea Tan, Ren & Chih 2007, Pappisyne eucallus Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. and Pappisyne spathulata Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. are proposed.     

A revision of the Chinese Catops Paykull 1798 of the Catops fuscus species group (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae)

Five species of the Catops fuscus species group are reported from China. Three species are newly described: C. hlisnikovskyi n. sp. from the Beijing municipality and Jiangsu province, C. schuelkei n. sp. from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and C. smetanai n. sp. from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Female of C. sasajii Nishikawa 2007 is described and the species is reported from Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces for the first time. Catops nigricans (Spence 1813) is reported for the first time from China (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region). Important morphological characters are illustrated and the distribution of all species in China is mapped. Preliminar phylogenetic analysis separates (C. hlisnikovskyi n. sp.+C. fuscus fuscus Panzer 1794) as a sister clade to C. nigricans+(C. sasajii+(C. schuelkei n. sp.+C. smetanai n. sp.)), with C. paramericanus Peck & Cook 2002 as outgroup.     

Do species of Neacratus with anchor-shaped sclerite of endophallus really belong to Neacratus (Coleoptera: Brentidae: Acratini)?

A small group of nine nominal species belonging to the genus Neacratus Alonso-Zarazaga, Lyal, Sforzi & Bartolozzi, 1999 is studied in detail from a morphological point of view. Lectotypes are designated for Brentus obtusus Lund, 1800 and Nemocephalus fulgidus Kleine, 1928. Three new synonymies are proposed: Nemocephalus brevicostatus Kleine, 1922 n. syn. for Brenthus obtusus Lund, 1800, Nemocephalus longiceps Perroud, 1853 n. syn. for Brenthus famulus Boheman, 1840, and Nemocephalus fulgidus Kleine, 1928 n. syn. for B. famulus Boheman, 1840. A new species, Neacratus pascali n. sp., is described from French Guiana. New country records are provided for Neacratus obtusus (Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Grenada, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela), N. puncticeps (Sharp, 1895) (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela), N. guatemalensis (Senna, 1893) (Belize, Colombia, El Salvador), N. deplanatus (Sharp, 1895) (Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela) and N. famulus (Paraguay). A phylogenetic analysis carried out on this group shows it forms a monophyletic lineage included in a clade containing most of other species of Neacratus, of which it is the type species; it is therefore not justified to create a new generic name. The possible polyphyletism of the genus Neacratus as a whole and the development of an excessively long rostrum in some male Acratini are discussed.     

A key to the species of Spilogona Schnabl from China, with descriptions of four new species from the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau (Diptera: Muscidae)

A generic diagnosis for Spilogona Schnabl and a key to the 38 species known from China are given. Four new species are described: Spilogona cordis sp. nov., Spilogona lobuliunguis sp. nov., Spilogona medilobulus sp. nov. and Spilogona ponti sp. nov., all four from the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau, China.     

On the taxonomy of the Genus Coenosia Meigen, 1826 (Diptera,Muscidae) in the Russian Fauna,with a Description of Coenosia tschernovi sp. n.

Coenosia tschernovi sp. n. is described and illustrated from the Altai and Tuva republics. Coenosia nigrotincta Hennig, 1961 and C. xuei Cui et Li, 1996, are redescribed; the latter species is recorded from Russia for the first time. The new “apukaensis” group is erected for several similar Asian species. Coenosia altaica Sorokina, 2009 is considered a junior synonym of C. subgracilis Xue et Cui, 2001. Supplements to the key to the Siberian representatives of Coenosia Meigen, 1826 (Sorokina, 2009), to include new and recently found species, are given.     

Molecular identification of Tetrahymena species

Mitochondrial cox1 689 bp barcodes are routinely used for identification of Tetrahymena species. Here, we examine whether two shorter nuclear sequences, the 5.8S rRNA gene region and the intergenic region between H3 and H4 histone genes, might also be useful either singly or in combination with each other or cox1. We obtained sequences from ~300 wild isolates deposited at the Tetrahymena Stock Center and analyzed additional sequences obtained from GenBank. The 5.8S rRNA gene and portions of its transcribed flanks identify isolates as to their major clade and uniquely identify some, but not all, species. The ~330 bp H3/H4 intergenic region possesses low intraspecific variability and is unique for most species. However, it fails to distinguish between two pairs of common species and their rarer counterparts, and its use is complicated by the presence of duplicate genes in some species. The results show that while the cox1 sequence is the best single marker for Tetrahymena species identification, 5.8S rRNA, and the H3/H4 intergenic regions sequences are useful, singly or in combination, to confirm cox1 species assignments or as part of a preliminary survey of newly collected Tetrahymena. From our newly collected isolates, the results extend the biogeographical range of T. shanghaiensis and T. malaccensis and identify a new species, Tetrahymena arleneae n. sp. herein described.     

A new genus of the tribe Acratini from the continental Neotropical region (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea,Brentidae)

A group of 10 species belonging to the Neotropical tribe Acratini Alonso-Zarazaga, Lyal, Bartolozzi & Sforzi 1999, is shown to be monophyletic by a phylogenetic analysis based on 48 morphological characters. A new genus, Pertusius n. gen., is described, based on three derived characters of external and genital morphology: venter of prorostrum of males with fine median longitudinal carina, base of elytra with deep pit at the place of insertion on mesonotum, and proximal sclerite of endophallus more or less horseshoe-shaped. Eight species were previously known and, according to former authors, belonged to the genera Acratus Lacordaire 1865 [Pertusius apicalis (Sharp 1895), n. comb., P. errabundus (Kleine 1927), n. comb., P. extrarius (Kleine 1927), n. comb., P. fidus (Kleine 1927), n. comb. and P. telesi (Soares & Meyer 1959), n. comb.] and Proteramocerus Kleine 1921 [Pertusius chalcites (Perty 1832), n. comb., P. filum (Sharp 1895), n. comb., and P. laevis (Germar 1824), n. comb.]. Four new synonymies are proposed: Proteramocerus disparilis Soares & Dias 1971, n. syn. for Acratus apicalis Sharp 1895; Teramocerus laevigatus Boheman 1840, n. syn. for Arrhenodes chalcites Perty 1832; Acratus extraordinarius Kleine 1927, n. syn. for Acratus errabundus Kleine 1927; Proteramocerus diringshofeni Soares & Dias 1971, n. syn. for Acratus filum Sharp 1895. Two new species are described: Pertusius guyanensis n. sp. from French Guiana, and P. mexicanus n. sp. from Mexico (Yucatán Peninsula). Pertusius apicalis is newly cited from Bolivia and Peru, P. chalcites from Argentina and Paraguay, P. extrarius from Ecuador, P. fidus from Peru and P. telesi from Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. An identification key to species of the genus is provided.     

Molecular phylogenetics and definition of the Acrapex minima Janse group (Lepidoptera,Noctuidae, Apameini,Sesamiina) with the description of four new species from the Afrotropics

Five morphologically similar species of Acrapex Hampson (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini), from sub-Saharan Africa are reviewed, including four new species that are described: Acrapex mondogeneta Le Ru n. sp., A. mubale Le Ru n. sp., A. robe Le Ru n. sp. and A. rubona Le Ru n. sp. These five species belong to a species complex that we hereby define as the Acrapex minima group. Host plants of three species are recorded; Acrapex minima is recorded for the first time on a host plant, Digitaria natalensis Stent; A. mondogeneta on Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf and A. rubona on Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. We also conducted molecular phylogenetics (using both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) and molecular species delimitation analyses (Poisson tree processes) on a six gene multi-marker dataset (four mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments; 4582 nucleotides in length) of 42 specimens and 22 species, including 23 specimens from the Acrapex minima group. The results of the corresponding analyses support the monophyly of the group and the species status of the newly described taxa.     

Les Cryptotrogus Kraatz de la faune d’Iran et des régions limitrophes (Coleoptera : Scarabaeoidea : Melolonthidae)

Le genre Cryptotrogus Kraatz, 1888 est étudié. Après étude des spécimens-types des espèces associées et de nouveaux matériels, ce genre est redéfini et Cyphonoxia Reitter, 1889 en est à nouveau considéré comme synonyme. Les nouvelles combinaisons et synonymies suivantes sont établies ou restaurées : Cryptotrogus buettikeri (Sabatinelli & Pontuale, 1998) n. comb., Cryptotrogus delhiensis (Anand, 1988) n. comb., Cryptotrogus haarlovi (Petrovitz, 1955) n. comb., Cryptotrogus kermanensis (Semenov & Medvedev, 1936) n. comb., Cryptotrogus kircheri (Balthasar, 1930) n. comb., Cryptotrogus praestabilis (Reitter, 1889) n. comb., Cryptotrogus tatianae (Semenov & Medvedev, 1936) n. comb., Cryptotrogus zarudnyi (Semenov & Medvedev, 1936) n. comb., Cyphonotus bicoloratus Petrovitz, 1962 n. syn. de Cryptotrogus mesopotamicus (Petrovitz, 1962), Cryptotrogus miksici Petrovitz, 1965, et Cryptotrogus orita (Reitter, 1902) n. syn. de Cryptotrogus niveus (Hampe, 1852), Cyphonoxia glasunowi Semenov, 1897 n. syn. de Cryptotrogus brenskei (Reitter, 1895) comb. rev., Cyphonoxia kermanensis Semenov & Medvedev, 1936 n. syn. de Cryptotrogus zarudnyi (Semenov & Medvedev, 1936) n. comb., Cryptotrogus zemindar (Sharp, 1876) n. comb. Par ailleurs, huit espèces sont décrites et comparées aux espèces proches : sept d’Iran, Cryptotrogus borumandi n. sp., Cryptotrogus ebrahimii n. sp., Cryptotrogus miesseni n. sp., Cryptotrogus mirzayansi n. sp., Cryptotrogus monodi n. sp., Cryptotrogus morgani n. sp. et Cryptotrogus parallelus n. sp., et une, Cryptotrogus irakanus n. sp., d’Irak. Enfin, de nouvelles données sont présentées pour quelques espèces de la faune iranienne appartenant aux genres Melolontha Fabricius, 1775, Anoxia Castelnau, 1832, Polyphylla Harris, 1841 et Microphylla Kraatz, 1890. Une espèce est nouvelle pour la faune d’Iran : Melolontha aceris Faldermann, 1835.