Helophorus erzurumicus sp. n., a new species from Turkey and some notes on H. ponticus Angus, 1988 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

A new species of Helophorus Fabricius, 1775 is described from Erzurum, northeastern Turkey: Helophorus erzurumicus. In addition, distributional and morphological notes on H. ponticus Angus, 1988 are presented.     

中国牙甲属Hydrophilus Geoffroy分类订正(鞘翅目:牙甲科)

对中国牙甲属Hydrophilus已知且有标本的种类进行了重新描述,编制了除卵形牙甲H.olivaceus Fabricius外的分种检索表。点腹牙甲H.sternitalis(Reitter)在我国的分布记录(除新疆外)为错误的鉴定。H.sternitalis(Reitter)应该被认为是宽跗牙甲H.piceus(Linnaeus)的异名。     

Description of the Immature Stages of Three Nearctic Species of the Genus Berosus Leach (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Egg cases, larvae, and pupae of Berosus corrini Wooldridge 1964, Berosus hoplites Sharp 1887, and Berosus pugnax LeConte 1863, are described and illustrated with line drawings. Bionomic and behavioral observations of larvae and adults are included. Keys to different instars of B. hoplites and B. pugnax larvae are provided.     

Wolbachia distribution in selected beetle taxa characterized by PCR screens and MLST data

Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) is an inherited endosymbiont of arthropods and filarial nematodes and was reported to be widespread across insect taxa. While Wolbachia's effects on host biology are not understood from most of these hosts, known Wolbachia‐induced phenotypes cover a spectrum from obligate beneficial mutualism to reproductive manipulations and pathogenicity. Interestingly, data on Wolbachia within the most species‐rich order of arthropods, the Coleoptera (beetles), are scarce. Therefore, we screened 128 species from seven beetle families (Buprestidae, Hydraenidae, Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, and Noteridae) for the presence of Wolbachia. Our data show that, contrary to previous estimations, Wolbachia frequencies in beetles (31% overall) are comparable to the ones in other insects. In addition, we used Wolbachia MLST data and host phylogeny to explore the evolutionary history of Wolbachia strains from Hydraenidae, an aquatic lineage of beetles. Our data suggest that Wolbachia from Hydraenidae might be largely host genus specific and that Wolbachia strain phylogeny is not independent to that of its hosts. As this contrasts with most terrestrial Wolbachia–arthropod systems, one potential conclusion is that aquatic lifestyle of hosts may result in Wolbachia distribution patterns distinct from those of terrestrial hosts. Our data thus provide both insights into Wolbachia distribution among beetles in general and a first glimpse of Wolbachia distribution patterns among aquatic host lineages.     

Description of Hydrobius orientalis sp. n., the first species of the subtribe Hydrobiusina from the Oriental Region (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilini)

The first Oriental species of the water scavenger beetle subtribe Hydrobiusina, Hydrobius orientalis sp. n., is described and illustrated from Guandong Province, China. It is unique in the subtribe by lacking elytral serial punctures. The species appears most closely related to Hydrobius melaenus (Germar, 1824) of eastern North America.     

Three new species of Crenitis Bedel, 1881 from South Africa,with a revised key to African species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Three new species of Crenitis Bedel, 1881 are described from South Africa; C. castellus sp.n. and C. rupestris sp. n. from the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, and C. quagga sp.n. from the Western Cape Province. All three new species were found in madicolous habitats, which appear to be characteristic for a number of species of the genus. A revised key to African species of Crenitis is included.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18BE876C-46CB-4AD5-9BB0-EA6F8D711F09     

DACTYLOSTERNUM PUI (COLEOPTERA: HYDROPHILIDAE: SPHAERIDIINAE), A NEW SPECIES IN CHINA

Abstract Dactylosternum pui sp. nov. is described from Guangxi, China. It closely related to D. dohrtyi Balfour-Browne but differs from the latter by prosternum very strongly tectiform in middle and sharp carinate medially and with a disti nct anteromedian tooth and different aedeagus. The new species can be separable from D. densepunctatum d'orchymont by tectiform and carinate prosternum and with tooth anteromedially, median femora with dense and short pubescence.