Midges of the subfamily Tanypodinae (Diptera,Chironomidae) of Russia: Tribes Coelotanypodini Kieffer, 1913 and Tanypodini Meigen, 1803

It is established that in the territory of Russia the subfamily Tanypodinae (Diptera, Chironomidae) includes 80 species belonging to 10 subgenera of 8 genera and 5 tribes; 4 species are recorded for the first time in the Palaearctic Region, and 16 species, in Russia. In the present study, larvae, pupae, and male adults from different areas of Russia, belonging to 9 species of 2 subgenera, 2 genera, and 2 tribes, are examined. Keys to larvae, pupae, and male adults of these species is provided.     

The First Record of the Leaf Beetle Oomorphus concolor (Sturm, 1807) (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) in European Russia

Entomological Review - Oomorphus concolor (Sturm, 1807) and the subfamily Lamprosomatinae (Chrysomelidae) are recorded for the first time from European Russia outside the North Caucasus. The...     

Taxonomic analysis of species characters for copepodid instars 4 and 5 of the subfamily Eucyclopinae of European Russia

Morphological characters useful for taxonomic identification of older copepodid instars of the subfamily Eucyclopinae were studied among 14 species of Eucyclops, Macrocyclops, Ectocyclops, Paracyclops and Tropocyclops known from European Russia. For taxonomic analysis, the following elements of copepodid morphology were chosen: armament and proportion of furcal rami; morphology of swimming legs and reduced 5th and 6th legs; antennule segmentation; and relative body length of copepodid instars in comparison with the female length. Changes in morphology of major copepodid instars of the subfamily Eucyclopinae during ontogenetic development are traced and noticeable differences among five genera and 14 species are described. These differences among major copepodid stages may be important for both taxonomic and ecological analysis. For taxonomy, they provide information on development of sexes and species during maturation. For ecology they allow identification of the specimens at 4–5 copepodid instars in diapause. A key to major copepodid instars of the species from the subfamily Eucyclopinae which are known from limnetic habitats of the European part of Russia is presented.     

New Lower Devonian brachiopods of the family Reticulariidae Waagen (order Spiriferida) of northeastern Russia

New Lower Devonian brachiopod taxa of the family Reticulariidae (order Spiriferida) are described from northeastern Russia: Havlicekospirifer gen. nov. with the type species H. mirabilis sp. nov. (subfamily Reticulariinae) and Pavlovispirifer gen. nov. with the type species P. pelagicus sp. nov. (subfamily Rhenothyridinae).     

Brachiopods of the suborder Delthyridina Ivanova (order Spiriferida) from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia

New brachiopods of the suborder Delthyridina Ivanova (order Spiriferida) from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia, Ivanothyris costatus sp. nov. (subfamily Delthyridinae), Eoreticularia lata sp. nov., Yania gen. nov. with the type species Y. tumida sp. nov. (subfamily Eoreticulariinae), Reticulariopsis equitans Modzalevskaya, and R. (?) borealis sp. nov. (subfamily Reticulariopsinae) are described.     

Neogene Deep-sea Smelts (Argentiniformes: Microstomatidae) from the Far East Russia

Deep-sea smelts (Argentiniformes: Microstomatidae, Bathylaginae) from the Miocene of Far East Russia (Sakhalin and Urup islands) are described. The specimens described belong to four taxa, one of which is assigned to a new species of the genus Leuroglossus. Like Recent smoothtongues, the new species has thickened medial rays in the caudal fin. The small number of abdominal vertebrae makes the new species similar to the extant southern smoothtongue L. stilbius, which occurs along the eastern coasts of the Pacific Ocean. The new species differs from extant smoothtongues in the short snout, which is not longer than the orbit. Phylogenetic analysis of morphological features of the new species, using a matrix of characters of living deepsea smelts, shows that it occupies a basal position in the genus Leuroglossus. Three other extinct taxa cannot be reliably classified below the level of the subfamily Bathylaginae or tribe Bathylagini because of insufficient preservation of available specimens. The new records of deep-sea smelts in Far East Russia show that this fish subfamily was widespread and highly morphologically differentiated in the Neogene.     

New Atrypids (Brachiopoda) from the Lower Devonian of Northeast Russia

New atrypids are described from the Lower Devonian of Northeast Russia: Musalitinispira, gen. nov. with type species M. dogdensis, sp. nov. (subfamily Atrypinae), Spinatrypina (Spinatrypina) krivensis, sp. nov., and Datnella, gen. nov. with type species D. datnensis (Baranov, 1995) (subfamily Spinatrypinae).     

Chromosome Sets of Two Chalcid Wasps (Hymenoptera,Eulophidae), Invasive Pests of Eucalypts (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus</Emphasis> spp.) on the Black Sea Coast of Krasnodar Territory

Karyotypes of two gall-inducing species of the chalcid family Eulophidae which are invasive pests of eucalypts in the Sochi region of Russia, namely Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead, 1900) (subfamily Opheliminae, 2n = 20) and Leptocybe invasa Fisher et La Salle, 2004 (subfamily Tetrastichinae, 2n = 12), were studied for the first time. The results, including the first karyotypic data for Opheliminae, the least advanced group of all Eulophidae, suggest that the chromosome set of O. maskelli is close to that ancestral to Eulophidae.     

Fossil representatives of the family Greenideidae (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) from the Miocene of Europe

Four new aphid species (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea, Greenideidae) are described on the basis of imprints in oil-shales from the Miocene of Europe (Rubielos de Mora, Spain; Vishnevaya Balka ?Stavropol?, Russia): Eutrichosiphum europaeum nov. sp., Greenidea hispanica nov. sp., Greenideoida (Pentatrichosiphum) turolensis nov. sp. and Mollitrichosiphum rubusensis nov. sp. All the taxa are placed within recent genera of the subfamily Greenideinae. Miocene representatives of this subfamily have been found in the south of Europe. Later changes of climatic conditions limited its geographic range to south-eastern Asia, where it is now represented by over 130 species of seven genera.     

The higher classification of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract. Until now the ant subfamily Leptanillinae has been closely linked with the army ant subfamilies Dorylinae and Ecitoninae, but on relatively tenuous evidence. The current phylogenetic study strongly indicates that this view is incorrect and that the leptanillines really constitute the sister-group of subfamily Ponerinae, and are at a consider- ably greater taxonomic distance from the Army Ant subfamilies. Three tribes are now recognized within the Leptanillinae (Leptanillini; Anomalornyrmini, new tribe; and Apomyrmini, transferred here from Ponerinae: Arnblyoponini), containing a total of eight genera with fewer than fifty species in all. The subfamily and its component tribes are diagnosed and discussed here, and a key to genera provided. New taxa described include Anomalomyrma Taylor gen.n., type-species A. taylori Bolton sp.n. and Protanilla Taylor gen.n., type-species P. rafflesi Taylor sp.n.     

Bees of the subfamily Nomiinae (Hymenoptera,Halictidae) of Russia and adjacent countries: Keys to genera and species

Original illustrated keys to 4 genera and 25 species of the subfamily Nomiinae (Halictidae) from Russia and adjacent countries are given, including Nomiapis Cockerell (9 species), Pseudapis W.F. Kirby (11), Nomia Latreille (2), and Lipotriches Gerstäcker (3). In addition to the external morphology, characters of the male genitalia are used and illustrated.     

The ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphaenogaster dlusskyana</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from the Sakhalin amber—the earliest described species of an extant genus of Myrmicinae

The earliest member of an extant ant genus of the subfamily Myrmicinae, Aphaenogaster dlusskyana sp. nov., from the Sakhalin amber (Russia, Middle Eocene, 43–47 Ma) is described. Fossil representatives of the genus Aphaenogaster are critically analyzed and it is proposed to transfer many of these to the fossil morphotaxon Paraphaenogaster. The morphology, distribution, and possible evolutionary trends of the genus Aphaenogaster are reviewed and it is suggested that this genus appeared in the territory currently occupied by the Palearctic not later than the Early Eocene (over 50 Ma). Aphaenogaster dlusskyana can be considered the oldest described representative of an extant genus of the subfamily Myrmicinae, although earlier, as yet undescribed, records of extant genera of Myrmicinae belong to the Early Eocene.     

New brachiopods from the Ordovician of northeastern Russia

New brachiopod taxa, Starnikoviella gen. nov., with the type species S. settedabanica sp. nov. (family Clitambonitidae), and Avdeevella gen. nov., with the type species A. mica sp. nov. (subfamily Glyptomeninae), from the Middle–Upper Ordovician boundary deposits of northeastern Russia are described.     

New Devonian brachiopods from northeastern Russia

Brachiopods from the Devonian of northeastern Russia are described: Eoprokopia gen. nov., with the type species E. aequalis sp. nov. (subfamily Prokopiinae, order Orthida); Davoustia settedabanica sp. nov. and D. verkhojanica sp. nov. (family Anopliidae, order Chonetida); and Alkhovikovia gen. nov. with the type species A. libera sp. nov. and A. importuna sp. nov. and Tikhyspirifer gen. nov. with the type species T. globosus sp. nov. (subfamily Rhynchospiriferinae, order Spiriferida).     

Stable and variable parameters in courtship songs of grasshoppers of the subfamily Gomphocerinae (Orthoptera,Acrididae)

The courtship behavior of seven grasshopper species of the subfamily Gomphocerinae from different localities of Russia, Ukraine and Greece was described. Not only the sounds but also the corresponding stridulatory movements of the hind legs and visual display accompanying the courtship song were analyzed. Comparison of the degree of variation in different courtship parameters showed that the most stable traits were the syllable and pulse periods. The potential role of stable and variable traits in the grasshopper courtship songs is discussed.     

A phylogenetic analysis of relationships among genera of Conopidae (Diptera) based on molecular and morphological data

Members of the family Conopidae (Diptera) have been the focus of little targeted phylogenetic research. The most comprehensive test of phylogenetic support for the present subfamily classification of Conopidae is presented here using 66 specimens, including 59 species of Conopidae and seven outgroup taxa. Relationships among subfamily clades are also explored. A total of 6824 bp of DNA sequence data from five gene regions (12S ribosomal DNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, cytochrome b, 28S ribosomal DNA and alanyl‐tRNA synthetase) are combined with 111 morphological characters in a combined analysis using both parsimony and Bayesian methods. Parsimony analysis recovers three shortest trees. Bayesian analysis recovers a nearly identical tree. Five monophyletic subfamilies of Conopidae are recovered. The rarely acknowledged Zodioninae is restored, including the genera Zodion and Parazodion. The genus Sicus is removed from Myopinae. Morphological synapomorphies are discussed for each subfamily and inter‐subfamily clade, including a comprehensive review of the character interpretaions of previous authors. Included are detailed comparative illustrations of male and female genitalia of representatives of all five subfamilies with new morphological interpretation.     

Structure-function analysis of a novel member of the LIV-1 subfamily of zinc transporters, ZIP14

Here, we report the first investigation of a novel member of the LZT (LIV-1 subfamily of ZIP zinc Transporters) subfamily of zinc influx transporters. LZT subfamily sequences all contain a unique and highly conserved metalloprotease motif (HEXPHEXGD) in transmembrane domain V with both histidine residues essential for zinc transport by ZIP (Zrt-, Irt-like Proteins) transporters. We investigate here whether ZIP14 (SLC39A14), lacking the initial histidine in this motif, is still able to transport zinc. We demonstrate that this plasma membrane located glycosylated protein functions as a zinc influx transporter in a temperature-dependant manner.