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Background: The genus Phyllothelys Wood-Mason, 1876 (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) includes 22 species, with China being a major diversity hotspot, hosting 15 species in four groups. New information: A new species of this genus from Malipo, Yunnan, China, is described herein, namely Phyllothelys qingjinum sp. nov. A comprehensive taxonomic description, including geometric morphometric analysis, genetic distance and molecular phylogenetic analysis, were employed to illustrate its distinctiveness. This discovery fills a significant distribution gap for the P. werneri species group in southern Yunnan and emphasises the need for further exploration in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A new species of the genus Rhopalopsole (Plecoptera, Leuctridae) from Yunnan Province, China, Rhopalopsole dulongjianga sp. nov., is described and illustrated. New information: This new species is compared to the similar species, Rhopalopsole bispina (Wu, 1949). Additionally, we provide a supplemental description and colour plates of R. bispina. A key to Rhopalopsole species from Yunnan Province, China, is also provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity data platforms including databases, websites and data repositories underpin conservation efforts by collecting spatiotemporal data of discovered native and alien species and maps of their distributions. Chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) are one of the most diverse insect groups estimated to include half a million species. Being mostly parasitoids of other arthropods, they have been successfully used as biological control agents against serious agricultural pests worldwide. In Cyprus, only 124 species of chalcid wasps have been recorded, with 53 species being alien to the island. Their true biodiversity is predicted to be much larger because the island is both under-sampled and under-researched. A number of biodiversity data platforms focusing on the biodiversity of Cyprus are currently online; however, an online platform dedicated on the chalcid wasps of Cyprus is lacking. In the framework of the Darwin Plus Fellowship (DPLUS202) "Species richness and biological invasions of Chalcid wasps in Akrotiri Peninsula", the "Chalcid wasps of Cyprus" website (https://sites.google.com/view/chalcidwaspscyprus) is presented. This online, dynamic database aims to: (1) raise public awareness regarding a rather neglected and yet ecologically important insect group, (2) provide data on the morphology, ecology and biodiversity of Chalcidoidea on Cyprus, as well as (3) promote conservation needs by setting a baseline for the future assessment of both native and alien chalcid wasp species. This online platform will be regularly revised in order to provide an up-to-date, user-friendly digital environment to the scientific community, policy-makers and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osmylus fulvicephalus (Scopoli, 1763), the type species of the Osmylidae, has garnered significant research interest in taxonomy, particularly regarding its larval stages. To date, most studies have focused on the third instar larvae, but ignore the first instar larvae with the rough and incomplete morphological descriptions. This lack of studies has led to an unclear understanding of the morphological differences between larval stages, making it challenging to identify larvae, distinguish different osmylid species or even reconstruct phylogeny. New information: In this study, the first instar larva of O. fulvicephalus was re-described in detail and illustrated, based on the naming system of sclerites. Based on this, it could be effectively distinguished from other species by the following characteristics: i) number of segments in the labial palpi; ii) the setae beard on the apex of antenna; iii) the number of transversal rows of the anal hooks. In addition, we compared the sclerites and other morphological characteristics with the third instar larvae of Osmylus fulvicephalus to better distinguish larvae at different developmental stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The knowledge on the distribution of saproxylic hoverflies in the Piedmont region has always been incomplete, despite the large wooded areas present in the territory. We know of a few scattered specimens collected in the 19th century, often with a generic or incomplete locality on the label such as "surrounding Turin" or "Alps". The recent publication of the first European Red List on hoverflies highlights some threatened species including some saproxylics. To fill this knowledge gap we report here unpublished data and establish new ecological note on threatened or nationally scarce saproxylic species actually present in the region. New information: In this study, we present new findings concerning rare saproxylic hoverflies. These include the rediscovery of Hammerschmidtia ferruginea (Fallen), 1817, marking its first recorded occurrence in the Italian fauna since the middle of 19th century. Additionally, we report novel observations of the "Chimera fly" Doros destillatorius Mik, 1885, along with further observations on endangered or vulnerable species such as Callicera spp. and Brachypalpus chrysites Egger 1859. Moreover, we document the rediscovery of Criorhina pachymera Egger, 1858, within the Piedmont region, and the first record of Brachyopa grunewaldensis Kassebeer, 2000, within Italy. Comprehensive data detailing these observations are provided herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Clavicornaltica Scherer 1974 consists of very small, soil-dwelling flea beetles in South, Southeast and East Asia. Due to their diminutive size and morphological similarities, very little is known about their ecology and taxonomical diversity. It is likely that further studies will reveal this genus to be much more speciose than the 30 species currently recognised. New information: A new species of Clavicornaltica from Brunei Darussalam is described, C. mataikanensis Otani et al., sp. nov. This is the second species of this genus recorded from Ulu Temburong National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lysiteles Simon, 1895 contains 64 nominal species distributed in East, South and South Asia. It possesses very high species diversity in China (with 46 and 32 endemics), Bhutan (with 9 and 1 endemic) and Nepal (with 8 and 4 endemics). In June 2023, a spider survey of Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China was carried out. After examination and morphological comparison, two Lysiteles species were recognised as new to science. New information: Two new species of Lysiteles Simon, 1895 collected from Cibagou National Nature Reserve, Xizang, China are described: L. cibagou sp. nov. (♂♀) and L. tangi sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic photos of habitus and copulatory organs and a distributional map are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Trioxys Haliday, 1833 consists of more than 80 species worldwide with three species being recorded in South Korea. In this study, we report the first observation of the two additional species, T. liui Chou & Chou, 1993 from Takecallis arundinariae (Essig, 1917) on Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold & Zucc., 1843 and T. remaudierei Starý & Rakhshani, 2017 from T. taiwana (Takahashi, 1926) on Sasa borealis (Hack.) Makino & Shibata, 1901. New information: Trioxys liui and T. remaudierei are described and reported with phototographs of the diagnostic morphological characters and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data (barcode region) and Bayesian tree of the phylogenetic analysis amongst the closely-related taxa are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The genus Macrosemia Kato, 1925 (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae, Dundubiini, Dundubiina) currently includes 16 species (excluding subspecies and varieties), mainly occurring in the Oriental Region. More than half of them, 10 species, are known from China, including one new species, described in the present study. New information A new species of cicada, Macrosemia fengi Wang sp. nov., is described from Yunnan and Guizhou, southwest China. Colour plates are presented to illustrate its diagnostic characters. The distribution map of the new species is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The genus Tanna Distant, 1905 (Hemiptera, Cicadidae, Cicadinae, Leptopsaltriini, Leptopsaltriina) currently includes 23 species (three tentatively placed), with its actual geographical distribution in China, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Most of them, 16 species, are known from China, including one new species here described. New information A new species of cicada, Tanna fengi Wang sp. nov., is described from Yunnan, southwest China. Colour plates are presented to illustrate all diagnostic characters. An updated list of Tanna species occurring in China is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study provides an integrative taxonomy-based review for the genus Spilomicrus Westwood in Germany using DNA barcoding and classic morphology. New information Spilomicrus simplex Tomsik, 1947 is placed in synonymy with S. antennatus Jurine, 1807; Spilomicrus thomsoni Kieffer, 1911 is removed from synonymy with S. hemipterus Marshall, 1868. A lectotype is designated for Spilomicrus nigripes Thomson, 1858. Newly recorded for Germany are the following species: S. thomsoni Kieffer, 1911, S. crassiclavis Marshall, 1868, S. lusitanicus Kieffer, 1910 and S. diversus Chemyreva, 2021. Three species, Spilomicrus brevimalaris sp. nov., S. flavecorpus sp. nov. and S. politus sp. nov. are described as new to science. The 23 DNA-barcodes with species identification present a substantial addition over the previous German checklist. This study aims to update the number of nationwide known Spilomicrus species from fifteen to twenty. Furthermore, a new key to identify all European Spilomicrus species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background With 90 described species, the genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 is the largest genus of the family Oecobiidae Blackwall, 1862, five of which are known from China. Since Oceobius przewalskyi was described by Hu & Li in 1987, no males of this species have ever been reported. New information The male of Oceobius przewalskyi is described for the first time, based on the specimens collected in Tibet Autonomous Region. Morphological description and illustrations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background One new species of the genus Dendrocerus Ratzeburg, 1852, D. lui Li and Wang sp. nov. is described. A key to Chinese species of males is provided. The 28S sequence was generated to supplement the association of both sexes of the new species. New information One new species of the genus Dendrocerus Ratzeburg, 1852, D. lui Li and Wang sp. nov. is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Notiobiella Banks, 1909 is a green-coloured genus of brown lacewing (Hemerobiidae) that is widely distributed in Central and South America, Africa, southeast Asia, Australia and some south-western Pacific islands. There are approximately 49 species of this genus worldwide, with 10 species recorded from China, including one new species that is described in this paper. New information: In this paper, we describe a new species, Notiobiella maculosa sp. n. of the genus Notiobiella Banks, 1909 from Yunnan Province. The morphological characters of the adults are described in detail and illustrated. A key for identification of adults is also provided. All specimens have been deposited in the Entomological Museum of China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new species of biting midges, Dasyhelea (Dasyhelea) incisura sp. nov., D. (D.) quasifulcillata sp. nov., D. (D.) trigona sp. nov., D. (Sebessia) falxa sp. nov. and D. (S.) folia sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on adult males. The new species are compared and contrasted to their congeners; important morphological characters are displayed. All specimens were collected from the Deltaic Proper of Gangetic West Bengal, India. An illustrated key to the adult males of the subgenera Dasyhelea s.str. and Sebessia from India is presented. Short accounts on ecological notes of the midges are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The fourth species of Anchonidium sensu stricto from Western Europe is described, photographed and compared with its congeners; an updated key of the genus is given. The habitat in the northern mountain chains in Portugal in the native Quercus mountain forests is characterized and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carabid beetle Nebria taketoi Habu, 1962 is endemic to the high-altitude mountains of Honshu, Japan; due to its rarity, it is one of the least taxonomically studied species among Japanese Nebria. This study taxonomically revised N. taketoi based on morphological comparisons, mainly of the endophallus in males, and geometric morphometrics of the pronotum, a taxonomically useful external character. Specimens previously identified as N. taketoi were found to belong to at least two species: N. taketoi, with a currently confirmed distribution in the northern Hida Mountains (type locality: Mikurigaike, Mount Tateyama), and N. kobushicola sp. nov. from the Okuchichibu and Yatsugatake mountains (type locality: Mount Kobushigatake). Species identities in populations from other localities could not be determined, as male specimens for endophallus examinations were unavailable. However, some populations may consist of species distinct from N. taketoi and N. kobushicola, based on their distribution and morphometric features. Based on comparative morphology of the endophallus, N. kobushicola shares features more similar to N. niohozana Bates, 1883 and N. dichotoma Sasakawa, 2020 than to N. taketoi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larva of Isoperla orobica Ravizza, 1975, an endemic Alpine species, is described with information about the distribution and ecology in Switzerland. New barcodes were generated to support the association between life stages. The species is associated with springs and spring brooklets. In Switzerland, the species occurs almost exclusively on the southern slopes of the Alps in the cantons Valais, Ticino and Grisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megacraspedus peslieri was described from the Pyrenees in 2018 and subsequently also discovered at a few localities in the northern Cottian Alps (Italy). The hitherto unknown female was collected in these localities after a targeted search. As with some other representatives of the genus, the female is flightless and shows a strikingly strong reduction of the wings (brachyptery). Whereas the forewings are significantly shortened and narrowed, the hindwings are strongly reduced. Both the external morphology and the genitalia of the female are described and illustrated in detail, together with previously unpublished photographs of live adults of both sexes. The identification of specimens from the Alps as well as of the male and female were determined by means of a DNA barcode comparison with the holotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations of material collected partly in 1999 and mainly between 2006 and 2016 in New Guinea, mostly along the high, central mountain chain of the island, further increased our knowledge of the diversity of the genus Labiobaetis Novikova & Kluge on this island. Previously, 37 species were reported from New Guinea. We have identified six new species using a combination of morphology and genetic analysis (COI). They are described and illustrated based on their larvae. Five of the six new species belong to the group petersorum, which is endemic to the island. Additionally, Labiobaetis xeniolus Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty is also assigned to this group. The morphological characterisation of the group petersorum is enhanced, and a key to all species of this group is provided. Complementary descriptions and remarks to the morphology of known species of the group petersorum are provided. Additionally, a genetic analysis (COI) including most species and several additional Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) of the group petersorum is discussed. One of the new species belongs to the group vitilis. The morphological characterization of this group is slightly enhanced, and the obtained COI sequence was added to the genetic analysis of the group petersorum. The total number of Labiobaetis species worldwide is augmented to 162. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Twenty-eight Libnotes Westwood, 1876 species belonging to three subgenera have been known to occur in China, of which 13 belong to the nominotypical subgenus. Amongst the 13 Chinese Libnotes (s. str.) species, eight are from the Chinese mainland and five are from Taiwan. New information A Libnotes (s. str.) species from Jilin, China, L. (L.) changbaishana sp. nov. is described and illustrated as new to science. The genus Libnotes is recorded from Jilin Province for the first time. The new species can be distinguished from congeners mainly by its body colour, wing and male genitalia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The spider family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 has a worldwide distribution with 580 species belonging to 49 genera, of which 109 species of six genera are distributed in Southeast Asia. New information Four new species of ctenid spiders are described from Southeast Asia: Anahita menglun sp. n. (Yunnan, China), Bowie haiphong sp. n. (Hai Phong, Vietnam), Bowie mengla sp. n. (Yunnan, China) and Bowie zhengi sp. n. (Yunnan, China). In addition, the female of Sinoctenus zhui Marusik, Zhang & Omelko, 2012 (Hainan, China) is described for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribe Polyneurini Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae) is a small tribe which includes four genera and 18 species, distributing in eastern Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. Most of them, four genera and 16 species, are known from China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichotichnus Morawitz, 1863 is a genus of the subtribe Harpalina, comprising more than 260 species worldwide. In Korea, nine species of the nominotypical subgenus are listed in the Korean catalogue (National Institute of Biological Resources 2019), while seven species of the nominotypical subgenus are listed to occur in Korea according to the Palaearctic catalogue (Kataev and Wrase 2017). Therefore, the checklist of the Korean species of the genus Trichotichnus needs to be revised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angarotipula is a small genus of Tipulidae with only fourteen described species in the world and seven known species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the fine structure of the mouthparts, antennae, forewings, and brochosomes of two leafhopper species belonging to the typhlocybine tribe Erythroneurini collected from the Karst area of Guizhou Province, southern China: Singapora shinshana, which prefers woody dicot hosts, and Empoascanara sipra, which feeds on grasses. As in other leafhoppers, the piercing-sucking mouthparts consist of a conical labrum, a cylindrical three-segmented labium, and a slender stylet fascicle. The labrum of both species has no sensilla and the labium has several common types of sensilla, but the two species differ in the numbers, types, and distribution of sensilla and in other aspects of the surface sculpture of the mouthparts. The stylet fascicle has distinctive dentition on both the maxillary and mandibular stylets. The antennae of the two species differ in several respects, including the sensilla and sculpture of the scape, pedicel, and flagellum, as well as the degree of sub-segmentation of the flagellum. Except for the variable scaly structure and rounded protrusions on the surface of S. shinshana, the fine structure of the forewing surfaces of the two species are similar to those of other leafhoppers. Only small spherical brochosomes were found on the body surface of S. shinshana and E. sipra. Similar studies of additional erythroneurine species are needed to determine whether differences in mouthpart and antennal fine structure may reflect adaptation to different host plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Bulgarian planthopper fauna (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) are relatively well studied, with 164 known species from 77 genera and 11 families. Data for some species from previous studies were reported without any localities or were incomplete and need to be updated. New information In the present study, 13 species of planthoppers are recorded for the first time in Bulgaria - Hyalesthes mlokosiewiczi Signoret, 1879 (Cixiidae), Delphax armeniacus Anufriev, 1970, Euides speciosa (Boheman, 1845), Eurysula lurida (Fieber, 1866), Florodelphax paryphasma (Flor, 1861), Jassidaeus lugubris (Signoret, 1865), Metropis aris Asche, Drosopoulos & Hoch, 1983, Oncodelphax pullula (Boheman, 1852), Ribautodelphax imitans (Ribaut, 1953), R. pungens (Ribaut, 1953), Stenocranus major (Kirschbaum, 1868) (Delphacidae), Latilica maculipes (Melichar, 1906) and Tshurtshurnella extrema Dlabola, 1980 (Issidae). Species from the following five genera are recorded in Bulgaria for the first time: Euides Fieber, 1866, Eurysula Vilbaste, 1968, Jassidaeus Fieber, 1866, Oncodelphax Wagner, 1963 (Delphacidae) and Latilica Emeljanov, 1971 (Issidae). As a result, the total numbers of known planthopper species and genera in Bulgaria become 177 species and 82 genera. The dataset of all collected specimens presented in this work was provided separately through Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Detailed distribution of the species and comments on those from the European Red Lists are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite the recent advancement of faunal research of longhorned beetles in South Korea, the number of tribes of Cerambycinae has remained at 16 during the last 40 years. New information In this paper, two cerambycine tribes, Stenopterini Gistel, 1848 and Thraniini Gahan, 1906, are reported for the first time in Korea by species Merionoeda (Macromolorchus) hirsuta (Mitono & Nishimura, 1936) and Thranius variegatus Bates, 1873, respectively. Morphological comments, biological observations and illustrations of both species are provided. An updated key to tribes of Korean cerambycinae is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The genus Selenocosmia Ausserer, 1871 includes 39 species. Five species were known from China. This genus has not been found in south-eastern China. New information A new species of the genus Selenocosmia Ausserer, 1871 is described from China: Selenocosmia zhangzhengi Lin, sp. n. from Fujian. Photos and a morphological description of the new species are given. The type specimen of the new species is deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beiing (IZCAS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The genus Falsonannocerus Pic, 1947 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Stenochiinae, Cnodalonini) includes 13 known species occurring in West Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The bionomics of species in this genus are unknown. New information The genus Falsonnannocerus Pic, 1947 is recorded for the first time from China, including two species: F. thailandicus Masumoto, 1986 from Yunnan and F. haizhuensis sp. n. from Guangdong. Morphological characters of the two species are illustrated and compared. The photographs of female reproductive system, which were never shown for this genus before, are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerapanorpa Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016, an endemic genus of Panorpidae in central China’s mountain regions, currently comprises 21 described species. Recently, the short-horned scorpionfly C. brevicornis (Hua & Li, 2007) was confirmed to contain two valid species by phylogeographic and morphological data. Individuals from the highlands of the eastern Bashan Mountains were suggested as a good species, separated from the original shorthorned C. brevicornis. New information: Cerapanorpa alpina sp. nov. was described from the alpine zone of the eastern Bashan Mountains in central China. The new species differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: male bearing an extra-short anal horn on posterior margin of tergum VI; paramere elongate, extending beyond the median tooth of gonostylus and curved laterally at basal half; female medigynium slightly constricted medially without dorsal basal plate. The species number of Cerapanorpa is raised to 22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Diptera 02 dataset contains records of 412 crane fly specimens belonging to the Diptera families: Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae. This dataset is the second release by IBI on Diptera and it greatly increases the knowledge on the DNA barcodes and distribution of crane flies from Portugal. All specimens were collected in Portugal, including six specimens from the Azores and Madeira archipelagos. Sampling took place from 2003 to 2019. Specimens have been morphologically identified to species level by taxonomists and belong to 83 species in total. The species, represented in this dataset, correspond to about 55% of all the crane fly species known from Portugal and 22% of crane fly species known from the Iberian Peninsula. All DNA extractions and most specimens are deposited in the IBI collection at CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. New information: Fifty-three species were new additions to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD), with another 18 species' barcodes added from under-represented species in BOLD. Furthermore, the submitted sequences were found to cluster in 88 BINs, 54 of which were new to BOLD. All specimens have their DNA barcodes publicly accessible through BOLD online database and its collection data can be accessed through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). One species, Gonomyia tenella (Limoniidae), is recorded for the first time from Portugal, raising the number of crane flies recorded in the country to 145 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The distribution pattern of Pholcus phungiformes species-group indicates that, in Jilin and Heilongjiang, China and North Korea, additional species diversity remains undiscovered. New information: Pholcus maxian sp. nov., one new species of P. phungiformes species-group, is described, based on material collected from the borderline between Jilin, China and North Korea. It represents the fifth endemic species of this species-group and the genus Pholcus from this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Prior to this study, 141 species of Tephritidae were known to occur in Italy. New information Italian records of nine species of the family Tephritidae (Diptera) are provided. Five species, Eurasimona stigma (Loew, 1840), Noeeta bisetosa Merz, 1992, Campiglossa doronici (Loew, 1856), Xyphosia laticauda (Meigen, 1826) and Rhagoletis berberidis Jermy, 1961 are recorded from Italy for the first time, whereas four species, Inuromaesa maura (Frauenfeld, 1857), Urophora cuspidata (Meigen, 1826), Tephritis conyzifoliae Merz, 1992 and T. mutabilis Merz, 1992, previously recorded in the Fauna Europaea database without reference to collection material, are confirmed and supplemented with host plant data and other collection data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Hemiptera 01 dataset contains records of 131 specimens of Hemiptera. Most specimens have been morphologically identified to species or subspecies level and represent 88 species in total. The species of this dataset correspond to about 7.3% of continental Portuguese hemipteran species diversity. All specimens were collected in continental Portugal. Sampling took place from 2015 to 2019 and specimens are deposited in the IBI collection at CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding has been succesfully used for bio-surveillance of forest and agricultural pests in temperate areas, but has few applications in the tropics and particulary in Africa. Cacosceles newmannii (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a Prioninae species that is locally causing extensive damage in commercially-grown sugarcane in the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Due to the risk of spread of this species to the rest of southern Africa and to other sugarcane growing regions, clear and easy identification of this pest is critical for monitoring and for phytosanitary services. The genus Cacosceles Newman, 1838 includes four species, most being very similar in morphology. The damaging stage of the species is the larva, which is inherently difficult to distinguish morphologically from other Cerambycidae species. A tool for rapid and reliable identification of this species was needed by plant protection and quarantine agencies to monitor its potential abundance and spread. Here, we provide newly-generated barcodes for C. newmannii that can be used to reliably identify any life stage, even by non-trained taxonomists. In addition, we compiled a curated DNA barcoding reference library for 70 specimens of 20 named species of Afrotropical Prioninae to evaluate DNA barcoding as a valid tool to identify them. We also assessed the level of deeply conspecific mitochondrial lineages. Sequences were assigned to 42 different Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), 28 of which were new to BOLD. Out of the 20 named species barcoded, 11 (52.4%) had their own unique Barcode Index Number (BIN). Eight species (38.1%) showed multiple BINs with no morphological differentiation. Amongst them, C. newmannii showed two highly divergent genetic clusters which co-occur sympatrically, but further investigation is required to test whether they could represent new cryptic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The singing cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Bulgaria were poorly known. There are published records for 14 species: Cicada orni, Lyristes plebejus, Cicadatra atra, Cicadatra hyalina, Cicadatra persica, Cicadetta montana, Cicadetta mediterranea, Dimissalna dimissa, Oligoglena tibialis, Tympanistalna gastrica, Pagiphora annulata, Saticula coriaria, Tibicina haematodes and Tibicina steveni. New information: Two species from this list were doubtful in the beginning of our study, since Tympanistalna gastrica is distributed in central and southern Portugal and Saticula coriaria is a north African species. We checked three major institutional collections housed in Sofia, Bulgaria: the National Museum of Natural History (SOFM), the Institute of Zoology (ZISB) and the Biology Faculty of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (BFUS). We confirmed 11 of the species mentioned in literature, except Cicadetta mediterranea and found two additional species: Cicadatra platyptera and Cicadetta macedonica (the specimens in BFUS were bioacoustically confirmed). Based on this knowledge, we further investigated the singing cicadas of Bulgaria with the use of morphological and bioacoustic methods in the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019. We were not able to confirm the presence of Cicadatra persica and Cicadetta mediterranea, but found three additional species: Cicadetta brevipennis s. lat., Cicadetta cantilatrix and Tettigettula pygmea. Using the bioacoustic methods, we also detected unknown singing patterns, which could belong to three or four additional taxa, which need to be described. The Bulgarian fauna of singing cicadas at the moment consists of 16 confirmed and 3-4 potential species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wing venation is used as a tool in honeybee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) subspecies identification. The presented dataset concerns nineteen landmarks located at honeybee worker's forewing vein junctions. Landmarks of Apis mellifera caucasica Pollmann, 1889, A. mellifera carnica Pollmann, 1879 and A. mellifera mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, their hybrids and backcrosses were measured. In total, data from 9590 wings were collected. The dataset could be used in geometric morphometric analysis, studies of degree of inheritance of morphological features and, after further development and supplementation with other local subspecies and hybrids, can contribute to in-depth evolutionary research on honeybees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Diptera 01 dataset contains records of 203 specimens of Diptera. All specimens have been morphologically identified to species level, and belong to 154 species in total. The species represented in this dataset correspond to about 10% of continental Portugal dipteran species diversity. All specimens were collected north of the Tagus river in Portugal. Sampling took place from 2014 to 2018, and specimens are deposited in the IBI collection at CIBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. New information This dataset contributes to the knowledge on the DNA barcodes and distribution of 154 species of Diptera from Portugal and is the first of the planned IBI database public releases, which will make available genetic and distribution data for a series of taxa. All specimens have their DNA barcodes made publicly available in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) online database and the distribution dataset can be freely accessed through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Taraxippus Moxey, 1971 are described and illustrated: T. samarae sp. nov. from Costa Rica and Panama and T. perezgelaberti sp. nov. from the Dominican Republic. Both sexes and the previously unknown eggs are described. The genus is recorded from Central America for the first time. A distribution map and a discussion of the distributional pattern of Taraxippus are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years, the identification of Artibeus species has been controversial due to the overlap of morphometric characteristics between species. From February 2015 to September 2019, we sampled 25 sites in 10 departments of Honduras, and captured 81 Artibeus individuals using mist-nets. We determined the morphometric measurements that may be helpful in the identification of adult individuals of the Honduran Fruit-eating Bat, Artibeus inopinatus, in the field. We analyzed 648 morphometric measurements using a linear discriminant analysis, and determined that the forearm length, third metacarpal length, the length of the second phalanx of digit III, and body length are the main characteristics for the external identification of A. inopinatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrence patterns of chrysomelid beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), associated with willow (Salix spp.) at 42 sites across Europe, have previously been described. The sites form a transect from Greece (lat. 38.8 °N) to arctic Norway (lat. 69.7 °N). This paper reports additional records and the results of DNA sequencing in certain genera. Examination of further collections from the transect has added 13 species in the genera Aphthona, Chrysomela, Cryptocephalus, Epitrix, Galerucella (2 spp.), Gonioctena, Phyllotreta (2 spp.), Pachybrachis (3 spp.) and Syneta. We also report the sequencing of the DNA regions cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) and cytochrome B (cytB) for a number of samples in the genera Plagiodera, Chrysomela, Gonioctena, Phratora, Galerucella and Crepidodera. The cytB sequences are the first available for some of these taxa. The DNA barcoding largely confirmed previous identifications but allowed a small number of reassignments between related species. Most notably, however, it was evident that the southernmost material (Greece and Bulgaria) of specimens, previously treated as Crepidodera aurata sens. lat., belonged to a distinctive molecular cluster. Morphological reexamination revealed these to be C. nigricoxis Allard, 1878. This is an example of how morphotaxonomy and DNA barcoding can work iteratively to refine identification. Our sequences for C. nigricoxis appear to be the first available for this taxon. Finally, there is little geographic structure evident, even in widely dispersed species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water extract of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, frass collected in the wild had an oviposition inhibitory (OI) effect when mixed with sand and presented to adults. Likewise, the leaves of six plant species, as well as frass produced by desert locusts fed with these plants, exerted OI effects when compared with the control sand wetted with water alone. In general, frass extracts had a greater OI effect than the extracts of leaves. The OI effect was also observed when adult desert locusts were exposed to extracts of frass produced by two other locusts, the Bombay locust, Nomadacris succincta, and the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, fed with rescue grass, Bromus catharticus. Among the three species of locust, desert locust and migratory locust frass exerted a greater OI effect than Bombay locust frass. Frass samples extracted with hot and cool water produced similarly high OI effects, indicating that bacterial involvement during extraction is unlikely. Hatching rates of desert locusts were significantly reduced by extracts of all of the above mentioned frass when the extracts were mixed with sand and used to incubate the eggs. In contrast, the lethal effects of leaf extracts on the hatching rates varied depending on the plant species. The embryos became deformed within four days when three-day-old eggs were incubated in sand containing frass extracts from desert locusts fed with rescue grass, whereas no apparent morphological changes were observed when seven-day-old eggs were similarly tested, although their hatching rate was significantly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects have evolved complex receptor organs for the major sensory modalities. For the sense of hearing, the tympanal organ of Tettigoniidae (bush crickets or katydids) shows remarkable convergence to vertebrate hearing by impedance conversion and tonotopic frequency analysis. The main auditory receptors are scolopidial sensilla in the crista acustica. Morphological studies established that the numbers of auditory sensilla are species-specific. However, the factors determining the specific number of auditory sensilla are not well understood. This review provides an overview of the functional organization of the auditory organ in Tettigoniidae, including the diversification of the crista acustica sensilla, a list of species with the numbers of auditory sensilla, and a discussion of evolutionary forces affecting the number of sensilla in the crista acustica and their sensitivity. While all species of Tettigoniidae studied so far have a crista acustica, the number of sensilla varies on average from 15-116. While the relative differences or divergence in sensillum numbers may be explained by adaptive or regressive changes, it is more difficult to explain a specific number of sensilla in the crista acustica of a specific species (like for the model species Ancistrura nigrovittata, Copiphora gorgonensis, Gampsocleis gratiosa, Mecopoda elongata, Requena verticalis, or Tettigonia viridissima): sexual and natural selection as well as allometric relationships have been identified as key factors influencing the number of sensilla. Sexual selection affects the number of auditory sensilla in the crista acustica by the communication system and call patterns. Further, positive allometric relationships indicate positive selection for certain traits. Loss of selection leads to evolutionary regression of the auditory system and reduced number of auditory sensilla. This diversity in the auditory sensilla can be best addressed by comparative studies reconstructing adaptive or regressive changes in the crista acustica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eyprepocnemis plorans ibandana is a very common grasshopper species in open environments and agricultural systems of tropical Africa. It is a pest that significantly benefits from forest degradation in southern Cameroon, hence the need to study the bioecology of this subspecies. We studied the reproduction as well as the morphological characteristics and development times of the post-embryonic instars of E. p. ibandana. Sixtyone adult pairs were obtained from sixth instar nymphs caught in grassy vegetation in the Nkolbisson area (Yaoundé) and bred in the laboratory. After hatching, the first instar nymphs were individually placed in cages and fed every two days using fresh leaves of Manihot esculenta. The postembryonic development of E. p. ibandana took six instars in the male and six to seven instars in the female. Mean nymphal development took 79.16 ± 0.51 days in males, 89.93 ± 0.58 days in 6 instar females and 94.96 ± 1.22 days in 7 instar females. The survival rate of the first instar was low (53%). However, from the second instar on the survival rate was very high (> 87%). Sexual dimorphism is distinct in adults, fifth and sixth nymphal instars. Adults of E. p. ibandana took on average 32.57 ± 3.88 days to start mating, and mating lasted 2.12 h on average (1-3 h). Oviposition took place on average 52.03 ± 5 days after first mating; each female deposited one to eleven oothecae with an average of 34.93 ± 2.37 eggs per ootheca. Our study provides important information for the control of this subspecies in southern Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Cladonotella (Tetrigidae: Cladonotinae) consists of four species of pygmy grasshoppers from Java and New Guinea. A new species of Cladonotella is described from Siargao Island, Philippines: Cladonotella spinulosa sp. nov. This represents the first record of Cladonotella in the Philippines. To quantify differences between species of Cladonotella, we used morphological characters to construct a neighbor-joining tree, and recovered our new species as distinct from congeners. To address the lack of natural history information on Cladonotella, we described habitat and other ecological observations made in Siargao Island on our new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Oecanthus is described from Mexico. Oecanthus mhatreae sp. nov. occurs in central Mexico in the understory of tropical deciduous forest. Oecanthus mhatreae sp. nov. is currently known only from the Corregidora area of the Mexican state of Querétaro. The widened tegmina and chirp-like brief trills song are consistent with some members of the rileyi species group; however, this new species of tree cricket is different in several aspects. The chirp-like brief trills are generally irregularly spaced, it does not have the expected grouping of the chirp pulses, and the colors of buff, light olive green, or light brown are vastly different than the four known pale green species in the rileyi species group of the Western Hemisphere. Morphology, habitat, and song details of this new species, with the common name of Otomi tree cricket, are provided in this paper. Video can be viewed at www.oecanthinae.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Here I revise the Neotropical genus Rhabdotylus Lutz, 1913 (Tabaninae: Diachlorini), including redescription of three species that range from Guatemala to Argentina: Rhabdotylus rubrum (Thunberg, 1827), Rhabdotylus venenatum (Osten Sacken, 1886), and Rhabdotylus viridiventris (Macquart, 1838). New information Rhabdotylus planiventris (Wiedemann, 1828) is established as a junior synonym of R. rubrum, syn. nov. A dichotomous identification key based on external morphological characters is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of many insect species is usually influenced by environmental factors and therefore high phenotypic variation exists even within a species. This causes difficulty and uncertainty in species taxonomy, which can be remedied by using molecular data and integrative taxonomy. Astegopteryx bambusae and A. bambucifoliae are currently regarded as two closely related aphid species with similar bamboo hosts and overlapping distributions in the oriental region. However, in practice it is hard to distinguish between them. By incorporating molecular data from four mitochondrial and nuclear genes as well as morphological information from an extensive collection of live specimens, the present study indicates that A. bambucifoliae is a junior synonym of A. bambusae. The data also indicate that large-scale geographic patterns of population differentiation may exist within this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]