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The Japanese species of the genus Agraphydrus are revised. Five species are recognized, including Agraphydrus ogatai sp. nov. from Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The new species can be distinguished by the coarse ground punctures on the pronotum and elytra, and by the shape of parameres. All species except A. luteilateralis are redescribed. All species are diagnosed, relevant morphological characters are illustrated, distributional records are summarized and an updated key is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the effects of forest fragmentation in urban landscapes on the abundance, species richness, dominance, and species composition of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Brachinidae), we compared the beetles collected in 12 pitfall traps from April to July and from September to November between three continuous suburban forests and eight isolated urban forests (0.06–1.02 ha), most of which were in the precincts of shrines and temples in Hanshin District, Honshu, Japan. A total of 28 species and 4178 individuals of ground beetles were collected. Segregation of urban forests from continuous suburban forests has changed the species composition and resulted in the loss of some large-sized forest species and the addition of some non-forest species. Simpson's index of dominance (λ) also increased in the urban forests. The richness of forest species markedly decreased with the reduction in forest area but not with the distance from continuous forests, although the species richness of non-forest species did not change with them. Also, species composition changed only with forest area. These findings indicate that continuous forests do not necessary serve as a “mainland” for urban forest species and that every urban habitat, however small in size, acts as a temporary reservoir of species. In comparison with populations of small-sized species, populations of large-sized forest species appeared to decline more readily during forest fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Skidmorella Johnson, previously known only from the South Pacific islands, is discovered in Japan. The type species, Skidmorella magnifica Johnson, is confirmed from Japan as the first record of the species other than the type locality. In addition, two new species, Skidmorella amamiana sp. nov. and Skidmorella quadrisulucia sp. nov., are described from the Ryukyus, Japan. Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Skidmorella and its allies are discussed on the basis of their morphological characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A new species of the pselaphine genus Odontalgus is described from Honshu, Japan, under the name of Odontalgus masaoi . Odontalgus coreanus Löbl known from North Korea is recorded for the first time from Kyushu, Japan. These are the first formal records of the tribe Odontalgini from Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jujiroa estriata Sasakawa (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini) was recently described based on a single male from a mountain in Kyushu, southwest Japan (type locality: Hagi, Gokanoshô). Here we report collection of the species from a new locality, Mount Osuzuyama. We also describe some reproductive traits based on the materials obtained (one male and four females, collected in late May). The male formed sperm bundles in which the head of each spermatozoon was embedded in a rod-shaped structure (spermatodesm). Each spermatodesm was elongate (average length 2.44 mm; cf. male body length 10.8 mm), without a conspicuous spiral structure. Three of the females were dissected, and were found to have 11 or 12 mature eggs in their oviducts. This study provides the first description of sperm bundle morphology for a species of the tribe Platynini and preliminary data on the breeding type of Jujiroa Uéno. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]