New species of the Buprestid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphenoptera</Emphasis> Dejean from India and Pakistan with notes on the synonymy and nomenclature of some species of the subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphenoptera</Emphasis> s. str. (Coleoptera,Buprestidae)

Sphenoptera (s. str.) galkae sp. n. from North Pakistan and. S. (s. str.) jacobsonorum sp. n. from India (Jammu and Kashmir State) are described and compared with closely related species. New synonymy is established for the following taxa: S. hypocrita Mannerheim, 1837 (= S. torrida Jakovlev, 1898; S. ixion Kerremans, 1912, synn. n.), S. bodemeyeri Jakovlev, 1900 (= S. quadrata Kerremans, 1909, syn. n.), S. exoleta Jakovlev, 1908 (= S. politipennis Obenberger, 1927, syn. n.), S. obruta Kerremans, 1909 (= S. chalcosoma Obenberger, 1927; S. abbreviata hetera Obenberger, 1927, synn. n.), S. tragacanthae (Klug, 1829) (= S. maledicta Obenberger, 1920; S. cilicica Obenberger, 1927; S. rambouseki Obenberger, 1927; S. klickai Obenberger, 1927; S. corrosa Obenberger, 1927; S. satrapa Obenberger, 1927; S. syriae Obenberger, 1927; S. vavrai Obenberger, 1927, synn. n.), S. magna Gory et Laporte, 1839 (= S. alexandri Obenberger, 1927, syn. n.). Lectotypes for 74 nominal species and subspecies are designated.     

New Data on the Taxonomy of the Weevil Subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caucasoplinthus</Emphasis>, Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plinthus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Curculionidae)

The taxonomic composition of the subgenus Caucasoplinthus Davidian, 1995 is revised. The immunis and granulosus groups are downgraded to subgroups of the silphoides and fallax groups, respectively; the voriseki subgroup is transferred from the fallax to the fausti group. Plinthus attilai Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. and P. ljudae Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. are described from Turkey and Abkhazia, respectively. New data on the taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of some little-known species are presented. The following new synonymy is established: Molytes vittatus Motschulsky, 1839 (= Meleus irroratus Reitter, 1884, syn. n., = Meleus faldermanni Faust, 1884, syn. n., = Meleus difficilis Faust, 1884, syn. n.).     

New data on the systematics of the Darkling-beetle tribe Stenosini (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae) of the Southern Palaearctic

The following new species are described: Pseudethas jacobsoni sp. n. (India: Kashmir), P. kabakovi sp. n. (Afghanistan: Laghman Prov.), Dichillus kabakovi sp. n. (Afghanistan: Kandahar), D. kabulensis sp. n. (Afghanistan: Kabul), Microtelus zarudnyi sp. n. (Iran: Horassan; Afghanistan: Herat Prov.), and Microblemma kabakovi sp. n. (Afghanistan: Farah). Specific distinctness of Tagenostola pilosa Motsch. and T. turkestanica Rtt. is substantiated, and a new synonymy is established: Reitterella fusiformis Semenov, 1891 = R. gracillima Semenov, 1903, syn. n.; = R. turkestanica Pic, 1906, syn. n.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caligus fajerae</Emphasis> n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the Pacific sierra <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scomberomurus sierra</Emphasis> Jordan &amp; Starks (Actinopterygii: Scombridae) in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico

A new species of parasitic copepod, Caligus fajerae n. sp. (Caligidae), is described from Scomberomorus sierra Jordan & Starks (Scombridae) caught off the northwestern coast of Mexico. The new species morphologically resembles Caligus cybii Bassett-Smith, 1898, Caligus kanagurta Pillai, 1961, Caligus pelamydis Krøyer, 1863 and Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898, all of which have been reported from scombrid hosts. Caligus fajerae n. sp. differs from these species by having spinules on the abdomen and caudal ramus, two processes on the proximal antennulary segment, fine striations on the claw of the antenna and maxilliped, a stouter and more recurved maxillulary dentiform process, shorter tines on the sternal furca, two additional patches of spinules on the distal endopodal segment of leg 2, a sclerotised lobe on the anteromedian surface of the leg 3 protopod and serrations on both margins of the first exopodal spine of leg 3. Analysis of the DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene for Caligus fajerae n. sp. and 28 congeners, including C. pelamydis and C. robustus, showed that the new species grouped with Caligus belones Krøyer, 1863 (with 20% divergence), a species known to occur predominantly on needlefishes. Caligus fajerae n. sp. is the fifth species of Caligus reported from S. sierra. An updated host-parasite list for Caligus spp. on scombrids is provided.     

A new genus of African Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera)

The species Gastroplakaeis idakum Bethune-Baker, 1913, G. balia Tams, 1929, and G. elongata Hering, 1941 are transferred from the genus Gastroplakaeis Möschler, 1887 into the newly erected genus Weirdonia gen. n. (the type species is Gastroplakaeis idakum Bethune-Baker, 1913), and corresponding new combinations are established. New species, Weirdonia baccara sp. n. and W. hypocrita sp. n. (type locality: Democratic Republic of the Congo), W. murena sp. n. (type locality: Northern Nigeria), and W. helicea sp. n. (type locality: Gabon) are described. A new synonymy is established: Gastroplakaeis balia Tams, 1929 = Gastroplakaeis elongata Hering, 1941 syn. n. Diagnoses and distribution maps are given for all the species.     

New species of the bristletail family machilidae (insecta,microcoryphia) from Abkhazia

Six new species are described from Abkhazia: Charimachilis abchasica sp. n., Lepismachilis abchasica sp. n., Trigoniophthalmus longitarsus sp. n., T. nematocerus sp. n., T. abchasicus sp. n., and T. subalpinus sp. n. Species of the genus Lepismachilis and the subgenus Trigoniophthalmus s. str. (T. longitarsus sp. n.) are described from the Caucasus for the first time. A key to the species of the genus Trigoniophthalmus from the Caucasus is given.     

Limacodid moths (Lepidoptera,Limacodidae) of Taiwan,with descriptions of six new species

A list of species of Limacodidae from Taiwan is given (58 species, 43 genera). Six new species are described: Calauta obscura sp. n., Ceratonema apodina sp. n., Trichogyia concava sp. n., Neiraga fulva sp. n., Sansarea formosana sp. n., and Griseothosea rufula sp. n. The species Mastumurides bicolor (Shiraki, 1913) comb. n. is transferred from the genus Thosea Walker, 1855, thus forming a new generic combination.     

A review of palaearctic lynx-spiders of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oxyopes heterophthalmus</Emphasis> group (Aranei,Oxyopidae)

A new species group of the genus Oxyopes Latreille, 1804, including three species (O. heterophthalmus (Latreille, 1804), O. nenilini sp. n., and O. takobius Andreeva et Tystshenko, 1969) is distinguished. The group is characterized by (1) complex lateral apophysis of the palpal tibia of males, (2) absence of modifications of the cymbium and palpal tibia, (3) large chitinized plate of the female epigyna, (4) long copulatory ducts of the female endogyna, involuted around the receptacle. The new species, O. nenilini, is described. The species O. heterophthalmus and O. takobius are redescribed. The new synonyms, O. foliiformis Song, 1991, syn. n. = O. yiliensis Hu et Wu 1989, syn. n. = O. takobius Andreeva et Tystshenko, 1969, are proposed.     

Gall midges of the supertribe stomatosematidi (Diptera,Cecidomyiidae) in the Palaearctic region,with descriptions of new taxa from the late Eocene Rovno Amber. 2. The genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Didactylomyia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rovnodidactylomyia</Emphasis> gen. n.

One new genus (Rovnodidactylomyia Fedotova et Perkovsky, gen. n.) and four new species (Didactylomyia dlusskyi sp. n., Rovnodidactylomyia zosimovichi gen. n. et sp. n., R. sidorenkoi sp. n., and R. iconica sp. n.) are described from an amber sample of the late Eocene Period (Rovno District, Ukraine). Two species from a Baltic amber sample of the late Eocene Period, described earlier in the genus Bryocrypta, are attributed to the genus Rovnodidactylomyia (R. girafa (Meunier, 1904) comb. n. and R. capitosa (Meunier, 1904)). The first fossil species of the genus Didactylomyia is described for the first time; two contemporary Palaearctic species are recorded. Keys to the species of the genus Didactylomyia are given.     

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.     

A new subgenus and a new species of the tenebrionid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptodes</Emphasis> Dejean, 1834 (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae)

The genus Leptodes was erected by Dejean (1834) for a single species, Sepidium boisduvalii Zubkoff, 1833, which is, consequently, the type species by monotypy. Kaszab (1959) established in Leptodes the subgenus Leptodinopsis based on the same type species, Sepidium boisduvalii. Thus the names Leptodes and Leptodinopsis are objective synonyms: Leptodes Dejean, 1834 = Leptodinopsis Kaszab, 1959, syn. n. A new subgenus Mesoleptodes G. Medvedev et Iljina subgen, n. (type species Leptodes semenowi Reitter, 1892) is established for species which Kaszab included in Leptodes s. str. A new species, Leptodes daghestanicus G. Medvedev et Iljina, sp. n., is described from Daghestan.     

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.     

New species of the tenebrionid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Menimus</Emphasis> sharp, 1876 (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae) from southern Palaearctic

Three new species of the genus Menimus are described from Yunnan Province, China. Over 70 species of Menimus are distributed in the tropical and subtropical zones from India to Oceania and New Zealand. A new subgenus, Sinomenimus subgen. n., is erected with the type species M. kabaki sp. n. characterized by the absence of eyes and by the presence of the spermatheca and sharp depression at the posterior margin of the thoracic metasternite. The following new synonymy is established: Menimus Sharp, 1876 = Neomenimus Kaszab, 1939, syn. n., with the following new combinations resulting: Menimus clavatus (Kaszab, 1939) = Neomenimus clavatus Kaszab, 1939, comb, n.; Menimus biroi (Kaszab, 1939) = Neomenimus biroi Kaszab, 1939, comb, n.; Menimus setosus (Kaszab, 1939) = Neomenimus setosus Kaszab, 1939, comb, n.; Menimus brevissimus (Kaszab, 1939) = Neomenimus brevissimus Kaszab, 1939, comb. n.     

New Data on the Taxonomy and Distribution of Flat Moths of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agonopterix</Emphasis> Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera,Depressariidae) of the Russian Fauna

New data on the distribution and taxonomy of Agonopterix species in Russia are given. The following new synonymy is established: Agonopterix anticella (Erschoff, 1877) = A. abjectella (Christoph, 1882), syn. n., = A. japonica Saito, 1980, syn. n.; A. pullella Hannemann, 1971 = A. dubatolovi Lvovsky, 1995, syn. n. A new species A. volgensissp. n. is described from the Middle Volga Region. Two species are recorded from Russia for the first time, both represented by new subspecies: A. ivinskisi daghestanicasubsp. n. from Daghestan and Armenia, and A. kisojiana dilutasubsp. n. from the southern part of the Russian Far East.     

Contribution to Systematics of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astiphromma</Emphasis> Förster (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae) from Russia and Adjacent Countries

Material of the genus Astiphromma Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae: Mesochorinae) from Russia and adjacent countries in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg has been examined. 25 species were identified, 14 of which are new records to the Russian fauna, and 10 are new to the Eastern Palaearctic Region. Four species are new to science: Astiphromma (Astiphromma) flavofaciessp. n., A. (A.) minimumsp. n., A. (A.) paradorsalesp. n., and A. (A.) styleatorsp. n. A new synonymy is established: Astiphromma (Astiphromma) albitarse (Brischke, 1880) = A. punctatum Uchida, 1933, syn. n. For Astiphromma japonense Lee, 1992 a hitherto unknown female is described.