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New data on the distribution of 40 species of Dytiscidae are provided. Most of these records are from the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Romania), northern Africa (Algeria and Libya), the Caucasus Region (Armenia, Azerbaijan and the South European Territory of Russia), Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and the Himalaya Region (Bhutan, northern India and Nepal). Two species, Hygrotus rufus (Clark, 1863) and Copelatus bacchusi Wewalka, 1981, known previously only from the Palearctic, are reported for the first time from the Oriental Region. Eight species are reported for the first time from Bhutan. Seven of these species, including three species new for the Palearctic Region, were provided by the insect dealer Jingke Li, but the provenance of the specimens is regarded as questionable. The necessity of publishing new records before accepting them for catalogues, e.g., the Catalogue of Palearctic Dytiscidae, is emphasised. Finally, previously published records of four incorrectly identified species/subspecies are corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diving beetle genus Microdytes J. Balfour-Browne, 1946 in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia is reviewed, and five new species are described: Microdytes eliasi Wewalka & Okada, sp. nov. (Thailand, Cambodia), M. jeenthongi Okada & Wewalka, sp. nov. (Thailand), M. maximiliani Wewalka & Okada, sp. nov. (Laos, China), M. sekaensis Okada & Wewalka, sp. nov. (Thailand, Laos), M. ubonensis Okada & Wewalka, sp. nov. (Thailand, Laos). Two species are the first country records: M. balkei Wewalka, 1997 (Laos, Cambodia) and M. wewalkai Bian & Ji, 2009 (Laos). For 12 and 8 species, the first provincial records from Thailand and Laos, respectively, are given. A checklist, a key to the 25 known Microdytes species from these countries, and habitus images and illustrations of diagnostic characters are provided. Distribution maps of the recorded species are presented, and species distribution patterns are also briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroglyphus sinuspersicus sp. nov. is described from the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iran. It is very similar to H. major (Sharp, 1882). Hydroglyphus gujaratensis (Vazirani, 1973) known previously only from Gujarat (India) is redescribed, based on recently collected material from Rajasthan (India), Iran and Oman. The first national records are given for Hydroglyphus major from Libya and for H. infirmus (Boheman, 1848) from Oman and Yemen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species list of Dytiscidae of Iran has been composed using recently studied material and all literature data known to us. We report 139 species of Iranian diving beetles including one Dytiscus species of uncertain taxonomic position. Two species, Agabus amoenus Solsky, 1874 and Copelatus pulchellus (Klug, 1834) are recorded for the first time from Iran. For 57 species, new provincial records are provided. Twenty-two species and one genus have been excluded from the Iranian diving beetle fauna as based on misidentifications. The distributional pattern in Iran and preferred habitat (if available) are summarised for each species and discussed in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first account of the predaceous diving beetles or Dytiscidae of Jordan is presented. Altogether 25 species are listed, although the occurrence of two of them remains doubtful. Nine species are recorded from the territory of Jordan for the first time, and the first precise locality data are provided for an additional seven species. Bidessus anatolicus Wewalka, 1972 and Nebrioporus stearinus (Kolenati, 1845) recorded recently from Jordan based on misidentification are removed from the list. If available, habitat information is provided for recently collected species. The zoogeographical patterns of the region are briefly summarised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of the aquatic and strictly riparian beetles of the Philippines is reviewed. A checklist (with 317 species and subspecies) of the aquatic and riparian Coleoptera of the Philippines is provided for the first time herein. This checklist covers the following families (number of species and subspecies in parentheses): Hydroscaphidae (1), Gyrinidae (15), Dytiscidae (65), Noteridae (4), Haliplidae (2), Hydraenidae (15), Hydrochidae (2), Spercheidae (1), Hydrophilidae (72), Scirtidae (49), Elmidae (23), Dryopidae (2), Psephenidae (16), Eulichadidae (1), Limnichidae (20), Heteroceridae (5), Malachiidae (5), Lampyridae (15), Nitidulidae (4). A total of 201 species and subspecies (63%) are considered to be endemic to the Philippines. Aquatic/riparian beetle genera and families that are still unrecorded but likely to occur in this country are briefly discussed. Based on estimates at the genus level, it is concluded that about 850 aquatic and riparian species can be expected to occur in the Philippines. The implication of the Philippine biogeographic history for this diversity is discussed. The potential of aquatic/riparian beetles as bioindicators is briefly examined. The dilemma of aquatic invertebrate conservation is analysed and priorities for future research are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]