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Male scorpionflies often evolve exaggeratedly elongated abdominal segments (EEAS) that are used as a sexual display to the females, and a combat weapon in intra-sexual disputes. EEAS have independently evolved several times since the Jurassic till the present day in at least eight genera and four families. In this paper, Neopanorpa exaggerata sp. n. with EEAS is described from Yunnan Province, China. Through comparisons among extinct and extant species, our current knowledge is summarized for the evolution, copulatory mechanism, and biogeography of the scorpionflies with EEAS. Also discussed are the trade-offs between the benefits of “looking sexy” and the negative impacts associated with a long abdomen. Additionally, further clarification is provided on the multiple origins of EEAS in Panorpoidea.

The Bittacidae fauna in Guizhou Province, China is reviewed. Eleven species in the genera Terrobittacus Tan & Hua, 2009 and Bittacus Latreille, 1805 of Bittacidae are documented in Guizhou, including three new species: Bittacus dilobus sp. nov. and Bittacus leigongshanicus sp. nov. from Leigongshan, and Bittacus multisetus sp. nov. from Yushe. A key to species of Bittacidae in Guizhou is provided.

Beyond Asilidae: The collecting effort of Dr Jason Londt as represented by non-Asilidae Diptera, Hemiptera and Mecoptera, housed in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, South Africa

A new species of Bittacus Latreille, 1805 is described based on two specimens from Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Bittacus londtisp. nov. is the second known Afrotropical Bittacus with a femoral bulla and brings the number of species known from Mozambique to four. A distribution map for these species is provided.

A new hangingfly species, Bittacus rafaeli sp. nov. (Mecoptera: Bittacidae), is herein described and illustrated, based on two specimens from the municipality of El Doncello, Caquetá, Colombia. This is only the ninth Mecoptera species recorded from the country and the twenty-eighth species of Bittacus from South America. A distribution map of the Bittacus species from Colombia is presented.

Mesopsyche Tillyard, 1917 is an extinct genus of Mecoptera belonging to the long-proboscid-bearing Mesopsychidae, an adaptation probably associated with pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms. Here, we describe two new species, Mesopsyche jinsuoguanensis sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation in Shaanxi Province, and Mesopsyche liaoi sp. nov., from the Upper Triassic Huangshanjie Formation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The new discoveries highlight the diversity of the Mesopsyche in the region during the Mesozoic.

Seasonal polyphenism is a phenomenon where two or more phenotypes are produced from a single genotype in different seasons. This phenomenon, a special type of phenotypic plasticity, is one of the major reasons for the success of insects and is also one of the primary sources of synonymy generations in insect taxonomy. Two nominal scorpionflies, Panorpa liui Hua, 1997 and Panorpa jilinensis Zhou, 2000 from the northeastern region of China, are very similar in morphology except for body coloration. However, whether they are conspecific or distinct species remains to be resolved. Here, we investigated these two nominal species through integrative taxonomy, including morphological variation analyses, geometric morphometrics of wing size and shape variations, genetic diversity, phylogenetic analyses based on two mitochondrial (COI and COII) and one nuclear (28S rRNA) gene fragments, and biological rearing. The results show that P. liui Hua, 1997 is a bivoltine species of seasonal polyphenism in the lowland plain, exhibiting a black morph in the spring and a yellow morph in the summer. Panorpa jilinensis Zhou, 2000 syn. nov. is considered as a junior synonym of P. liui Hua, 1997. The value of integrative taxonomy for species delimitation is discussed.

Species of scorpionfly (Mecoptera) in the family Panorpidae perform wing-waving behaviors, whereby they rotate their front and rear wings at the same time. Previous studies have suggested that a male, which carries food for use as nuptial gifts for females, performs the wing-waving behavior when the male gives the gift to a female or competes with other males. However, when and how the wing-waving behavior occurs during a series of nuptial giftings and male–male competitions have not been investigated. Therefore, we here observed the role of wing-waving behavior during the processes of giving nuptial gifts and male–male competition in the Japanese scorpionfly Panorpa japonica in the laboratory and field. Unlike previous studies, only males performed wing-waving behavior toward females, while females did not exhibit the behavior in the wild. Also, males always performed wing-waving behavior before male–male competition. After a male–male competition, winner males continued wing-waving behavior, but loser males never performed the behavior against the winner male. A comparison of wing-waving behaviors before competitions between winner and loser males showed that the frequencies of wing-waving behaviors were higher in winner than in loser males. The present results suggest that the wing-waving behavior functions in the inter-sexual and intra-sexual selection in P. japonica. Digital video images related to the article are available at http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo210513pj01a and http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo210513pj02a and http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo210513pj03a.

A checklist and a distributional map are provided for eight Bittacidae species from Yunnan, China and adjacent regions. Previously, the species Bittacus malaisei Tjeder, 1973 was only known from th...

Two new species of Itaphlebia Sukatsheva, 1985, I. procerasp. nov. and I. eleganasp. nov., are described and illustrated from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. Based on fossil specimens with wings, these new species are established and assigned to Itaphlebia by a combination of three forewing characters: Sc with three branches ending at C, the four-branched Rs (R2 to R5) originating distad of M (vs. three-branched RS (R2+3 undivided) in all other fossil and extant nannochoristids), and M forking with four branches; and a hind wing character of Sc simple and short, terminating at C well before the pterostigma. Furthermore, this is the first report of long and robust setae present on the anal veins of the forewing for I. eleganasp. nov. in fossil Nannochoristidae.

The first annotated checklist of Mecoptera of Ukraine is presented. Altogether, 11 species of scorpionflies are known with a confirmed or probable occurrence in Ukraine. This list is based on previously published data, as well as on recently collected materials and specimens housed in the collection of the State Museum of Natural History NAS Ukraine, Lviv. This collection belongs to the oldest one in Ukraine and comprises specimens collected by Józef Dziędzielewicz, the founder of mecopteran investigations in Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. For each listed species, its distribution in Ukraine is given together with notes on the history of investigations, and synonymies of the respective taxa. Detailed information on the distribution of selected species from the Red Book of Ukraine is presented.

The genus Dicerapanorpa Zhong & Hua, 2013 previously comprised 20 known species that are endemic to central and southwestern China. Herein, I present new knowledge of this genus from northwestern Yunnan, including descriptions of four new species, Dicerapanorpa harmonia sp. nov., Dicerapanorpa huangguocongi sp. nov., Dicerapanorpa nakhi sp. nov., and Dicerapanorpa yangqichengi sp. nov. In addition, three little-known species, Dicerapanorpa tenuis Hu, Wang & Hua, 2019, Dicerapanorpa tjederi Carpenter, 1938, and Dicerapanorpa triclada (Qian & Zhou, 2001) are redescribed and illustrated based on new materials. An updated key to all known 24 species of Dicerapanorpa is provided, and a distributional map of Dicerapanorpa species from Yunnan is presented. The evolution and biology of Dicerapanorpa are briefly discussed.

A global synonymical checklist of the species and higher taxa of the insect order Megaloptera is provided. The checklist includes both extant and extinct taxa, and recognizes 2 families, 4 subfamilies, 48 genera, 425 species, and 6 subspecies. Both families (Corydalidae and Sialidae), and three of the four subfamilies (Corydalinae, Chauliodinae, and Sialinae) are known from both extant and extinct species; the Sharasialinae (Sialidae) is entirely extinct. Country-level geographic distribution data are provided for all species and subspecies. Synoptic type data are provided for taxa in the family and genus groups. Summary data are given for the numbers of megalopteran species currently known to occur in each of the major biogeographical regions of the world, and for the world fauna. Increase of knowledge about the diversity of the world Megaloptera fauna is summarized in counts of valid species described per decade and in a global taxonomic description curve. An updated set of keys to the world families, subfamilies, and genera of the Megaloptera is also provided.

Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. In this paper, a taxonomic review of the Panorpa wormaldi group is provided, with two new species described from China: Panorpa fengyanga Wang & Suzuki, sp. nov. from Zhejiang, and Panorpa zhuohengi Wang & Suzuki, sp. nov. from Guangdong. The male of Panorpa implicata Cheng, 1957 is discovered and described for the first time. A distributional map and keys to species are also provided for this group. Species number in this group is updated from 17 to 19. In addition, their biogeographical and evolutionary implications are briefly discussed.

Scorpionflies (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) as a relict group of holometabolous insects normally inhabit dense vegetations of mountain regions in the northern hemisphere. They are vulnerable to temperature changes and deforestation and thus play a significant role in insect conservation as ecological indicators. However, their elevational distribution and seasonal emergence patterns remain largely unknown. We documented the elevational richness gradient of scorpionflies in the Qinling Mountains, central China. The result revealed a distinct pattern of mid-elevational peak (hump-shaped) in species richness. The linear relationship between elevational locations of the whole community and emergence dates showed a gradual movement from lower to higher elevations over time. Niche divergence is an important ecological mechanism for closely related species to co-exist in the same region. Our investigation showed that allochronic divergences of adult emergence occurred mainly in intermediate elevations to reduce interspecific competition for resources. Spatio-temporal niche divergence was also detected in closely related species, especially in Cerapanorpa scorpionflies. Our results showed a clearer pattern of elevational diversity of scorpionflies and indicated that niche conservatism and divergence could explain the richness pattern at the same time. The area of intermediate elevations with the greatest species richness should receive a priority consideration for insect conservation for such a cool-adapted group of insects.

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 short-horned C. brevicornis. Cerapanorpa alpinasp. 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.

We thank Forestry Tasmania, the Australian National University, and the Australian Biological Resources Study for funding to assist with fieldwork. This investigation was conducted in partial fulfilment of a PhD for C. M. P, while in receipt of an Australian Postgraduate Award.

An extensive study of Neuropteroidea and Mecoptera collected in Krasnodar Region and the Republic of Adygea in 2018 allowed the discovery of new species for the regions and for Russia, clarification of the taxonomic affiliation of some dubious specimens, and establish wellfounded conclusions about the ecological preferences of species.Nine species of Neuroptera are recorded for the first time from the North-Western Caucasus (and the Caucasus as a whole); 13 species (mainly Coniopterygidae) are new for Krasnodar Region and 7 for Adygea. Two species of Neuroptera (Coniopteryx haematica McLachlan, 1868 and Chrysoperla mutata (McLachlan, 1898)) are recorded from Russia for the first time. The finding of the thermophilic species Chrysoperla mutata in the north of Krasnodar Region is especially noteworthy. This is northern-most known occurrence of the species. The occurrence of the chrysopid species Peyerimhoffina gracilis (Schneider, 1851) in Russia is reliably confirmed for the first time by specimens from Krasnodar Region and Adygea. A larva of Dendroleon pantherinus (Fabricius, 1787) was found in the fruiting body of a tinder fungus, a previously unknown habitat, expanding our understanding of the ecology of its preimaginal phase. In total, 72 species of Neuroptera are known now from the North-Western Caucasus, 52 from Krasnodar Region and 24 from Adygea. The occurrence of the raphidiopteran species Xanothostigma xanthostigma (Schummel, 1832) in Krasnodar Region is new. In total four species of the order are known now from the North-Western Caucasus. Megaloptera is represented in this region by two species. Sialis zhiltzovae Vshivkova, 1985 is recorded from Krasnodar Region, Adygea and from Russia for the first time. Data on the distribution (including altitudinal) and phenology of three species of the family Panorpidae (Mecoptera) are significantly updated. Panorpa connexa McLachlan, 1869 is recorded for the first time from the North-Western Caucasus, and P. similis Esben-Petersen, 1915 is recorded for the first time from Krasnodar Region

Given that species is the fundamental unit in systematic biology, rigorous species delimitation is crucial for taxonomic studies, yet routine species delimitation remains an ongoing challenge in the taxonomic practice of insects. The two-horned scorpionfly Dicerapanorpa is a small genus in Panorpidae (Mecoptera) endemic to the Qinling-Bashan and Hengduan mountains, a biodiversity hotspot. However, species of Dicerapanorpa are difficult to delineate owing to marked intraspecific variation and interspecific similarity. Here, we investigate the diversity and species boundaries of Dicerapanorpa using an integrative approach based on DNA barcoding, morphological, geometric morphometric and molecular phylogenetic analyses. This integrative analyses confirmed the 13 described species of Dicerapanorpa and revealed three new species: Dicerapanorpa lativalva sp. nov., Dicerapanorpa hualongshana sp. nov. and Dicerapanorpa minshana sp. nov. Most molecular operational taxonomic units are in congruence with morphological clusters. Possible reasons for several discordances in Dicerapanorpa are tentatively discussed.

Neopanorpa, the second largest genus in Panorpidae, is mainly characterized by the well-developed notal organ on male tergum III. However, it remains largely unknown how the length of the notal organ influences the nuptial feeding behaviour of Neopanorpa. Here, we investigated the nuptial feeding by comparing the morphology of mating-related structures and the genital coupling of a) Neopanorpa lui Chou & Ran, 1981 with a weakly-developed notal organ, b) N. carpenteri Cheng, 1957 with a medium-sized notal organ, and c) N. longiprocessa Hua & Chou, 1997 with an extremely elongated notal organ. The couples of N. lui and N. carpenteri maintain an intermittent mouth-to-mouth mode but do not exchange any edible food. After that the males secrete a salivary mass onto the surface as a nuptial gift, which is distinctly larger in N. carpenteri than in N. lui. Correspondingly, the male salivary glands are more developed in N. carpenteri than in N. lui. Males of N. longiprocessa bear very short salivary glands corresponding to a coercive mating tactic. The genital couplings are similar among the three species of Neopanorpa. The paired hypovalves of males are used to control the cerci of females. The prominent basal processes of male gonostyli grasp the posterior portion of the female medigynium across the intersegmental membrane. The male aedeagus physically couples with the female medigynium to ensure the male phallotreme to connect to the female copulatory pore. The influence of the notal organ length on the nuptial feeding behaviour of Neopanorpa is briefly discussed.

Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. Herein we describe two new species from eastern China, Panorpa jinhuaensissp. nov. from Jinhua, Zhejiang Province and Panorpa menqiuleiisp. nov. from Yuexi and Huoshan, Anhui Province. Panorpa wrightae Cheng, 1957 from Mount Mogan, Zhejiang Province is considered to be a junior subjective synonym of Panorpa mokansana Cheng, 1957 from the same locality. Panorpa mokansana Cheng, 1957 is redescribed and illustrated in detail. A key to species of Panorpa from eastern China is also provided.

Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758 is the largest genus in the scorpionfly family Panorpidae. It is considered a paraphyletic taxon and needs further revisions. In this paper, we present a taxonomic study of the Panorpa guttata group, including 23 closely related species, with fourteen species new to science: Panorpa caoweii Wang, sp. n., Panorpa dali Wang, sp. n., Panorpa duanyu Wang & Gong, sp. n., Panorpa hani Wang, sp. n., Panorpa hirundo Wang, sp. n., Panorpa huangguiqiangi Wang, sp. n., Panorpa jiangrixini Wang, sp. n., Panorpa jinfoshana Wang, sp. n., Panorpa latiloba Wang, sp. n., Panorpa nanzhao Wang, sp. n., Panorpa stella Wang, sp. n., Panorpa substricta Wang, sp. n., Panorpa xiaofeng Wang & Gong, sp. n., and Panorpa xuzhu Wang & Gong, sp. n. We also provide a distributional map, keys to species, and discussions regarding the taxonomic implications and biological information of the P. guttata group.

A summary is presented of papers published on minor insect orders (MIO) in Zootaxa’s first 20 years, as well as the number of new species described therein. The MIO orders currently covered by the editors and summarized here include Archaeognatha (Microcoryphia), Dermaptera, Embioptera, Siphonaptera, Zoraptera and Zygentoma, as well as the hexapod classes Protura and Diplura. Both fossil and extant taxa of these groups are included in the MIO purview. The MIO editors also have frequently served as interim editors for groups temporarily without a subject-matter editor, such as Carabidae, Blattodea and Mantodea; as a backup editor for Mecoptera; and as ad-hoc editors for papers written by the editors of a different taxonomic group or for papers without a single-taxon focus. In the period 2001‒2020, descriptions of 130 new species were published, compared with 816 species in all other journals. The greatest number of species were for Protura (49), while Zoraptera had the highest proportion of papers compared to all publications (50%).

A total of 21 species of the genus Neopanorpa van der Weele, 1909 are currently recorded from the Himalayas and adjacent regions to which three are added herein. I provide a checklist, distributional map and key to these species, with descriptions of the three new species: Neopanorpa liuxingyuei sp. nov., Neopanorpa wuchaoi sp. nov., and Neopanorpa zhengyucheni sp. nov. from Tibet, China. The biology and biogeography for the 21 species of Neopanorpa from this region are briefly discussed.

We report the first known occurrences of adult Panorpa helena Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) and Rivellia steyskali Namba (Diptera: Platystomatidae) at vertebrate carrion based on recent observations made in Ohio and North Carolina, USA.

The current knowledge of the scorpionfly genus Dicerapanorpa Zhong & Hua, 2013 is taxonomically reviewed. Two new species of Dicerapanorpa are described and illustrated, increasing the species number of this genus to 20. Dicerapanorpa bifurcata sp. nov. from the Minshan Mountains, Sichuan Province, is characterized by the absence of the paramere basal branch and the elongated mesal branch in males, and the medigynium having a short basal stalk in females. Dicerapanorpa zhengkuni sp. nov. from the Wuling and Miaoling Mountains, Guizhou Province, is distinguishable by the greatly elongated hypovalves, the very short basal branch of the paramere, and the dorsomedially curved lateral branch in males, and the rounded main plate of the medigynium in females. An updated key to species of Dicerapanorpa is presented.

The Bittacidae of South China consist of two species of Bicaubittacus and eight species of Bittacus, among which three species are described here as new to science. Bittacus acutus sp. n. from Guangxi is recognized mainly by the hat-shaped epandrial lobe with an acute ventro-distal process in the male genitalia. Bittacus shaoguanensis sp. n. from Guangdong is distinguished by the triangular epandrial lobe in the male genitalia, and a V-shaped streak in the central part of wings. Bittacus longilobus sp. n. from Guangdong is recognizable by the main body of the epandrial lobe trapezoid, with an elongate ventro-distal lobe twice as long. The number of described species of the Chinese Bittacus is now raised to 41. A key to the species of Bittacidae in South China is provided.

Two new species of Cerapanorpa Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016 are described from the Qinling and Minshan mountains, respectively. Cerapanorpa qinlingensissp. nov. can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the elongate hypovalves and the extremely developed basal process of gonostylus in male genitalia. Cerapanorpa minshanasp. nov. is characterized by its bifurcated parameres and a cluster of long black bristles on the inner apex of the gonocoxite. The number of species of Cerapanorpa is raised to 21. An updated key to species of Cerapanorpa is presented.

A new species of Panorpidae,Panorpabashanicolasp. n., is described and illustrated from the Bashan Mountains in central China. The new species is characterized by the following characters: vertex black, with two pale longitudinal stripes and four pale rounded spots; vein 1A ending before the origin of Rs; meso- and metanotum pale, and the pale color extending to tergum III in V-shape; male epandrium emarginate distally in deep U-shape; hypovalves without basal stalk, completely represented by a pair of short hypovalves, extending to distal third of gonocoxite, with five black stout setae in distal portion; paramere simple, S-shaped; a bundle of long hairs between dorsal and ventral valves of aedeagus; dorsal valves of aedeagus much longer than ventral valves and curved ventrally, with distal portion foot-shaped; female medigynium twice as long as wide, with stout axis extending over one-third its length beyond main plate.

Neopanorpasetigerasp. n.is described and illustrated from Sichuan, China. It is characterized by an extremely long notal process, a well-developed postnotal organ, and a pair of setiferous gonostyli. This is the second species ofNeopanorpavan der Weele with an extremely long notal organ in Sichuan. A key to Sichuan species ofNeopanorpais provided.

Two new species of Eocene Eomerope Cockerell (Mecoptera: Eomeropidae) are described from the Ypresian Okanagan Highlands deposits of British Columbia, Canada: Eomerope simpkinsaenew species from the Allenby Formation near the town of Princeton, and Eomerope eonearcticanew species from the McAbee locality near the towns of Cache Creek and Ashcroft. Eomerope eonearctica is very close to the coeval Eomerope asiatica Ponomarenko from Primorskiy Kray in Pacific-coastal Russia, consistent with Eocene intercontinental dispersal, which is well documented in numerous plant and animal taxa.

This paper presents a further step in a revision of the fossil family Orthophlebiidae. A new fossil subfamily, Gigaphlebiinae subfam. nov., and two new genera, Gigaphlebia gen. nov. and Longiphlebia gen. nov., are established within Orthophlebiidae. The new subfamily comprises species characterized by a large size, ninebranched (exceptionally eight-branched) radial sector in both wings, and medial sector with six branches in the fore- and five in the hindwing. Four species, Gigaphlebia grandis comb. nov., G. palmaris comb. nov., G. riccardii comb. nov., and Longiphlebia stigmosa comb. nov. were transferred from genus Orthophlebia and Mesopanorpa. The diagnoses of newly established taxa are presented, all transferred species are redescribed and refigured. The significance of orthophlebiid taxonomy in the phylogeny of the Panorpoidea is discussed.

The Mecoptera are represented in Canada by 25 extant species in four families, an increase of three species since the prior assessment in 1979. An additional 18 or more species and one family are expected to occur in Canada based on distributional records, recent collections and DNA analyses. The Barcode of Life Data System currently lists 24 Barcode Index Numbers for Canadian Mecoptera. There are nine species of fossil Mecoptera known from Canada.

This paper gives a new records of scorpion flies of the genus Panorpa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) from Bulgaria with a country checklist.

Sexually reproductive insects exhibit diverse mating behaviors. However, the mating pattern remains unknown for Panorpodes of Panorpodidae to date. In this study, we investigated the mating behavior and copulatory mechanism of the short-faced scorpionfly Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong, Zhang and Hua, 2011 for the first time. The results show that the male provides a salivary mass as a nuptial gift to the female and starts to copulate with the female in a V-shaped position, then changes to an end-to-end position by temporarily twisting the female abdominal segments VII−IX by 180°. During mating the basal processes and the basal teeth of the gonostyli and the hypandrium are used to obtain copulation and sustain the coupling of genitalia to secure successful sperm transfer. This unique mating pattern is greatly different from that of other Mecoptera reported and is likely evolved as an adaptation in the context of sexual conflict.

Sixteen species of scorpionflies have been reported from Vietnam, consisting of 13 Neopanorpa and three Bittacus species. One of these scorpionflies from the Central Highlands of Vietnam with hood-shaped hypovalves was determined to be a new species and is described herein as Neopanorpa cucullata, n.sp. A second new species, Neopanorpa ellengreeni, n. sp., with golden yellow wing membranes and Y-shaped wing markings is described from northern Vietnam. COI DNA analysis of 16 of 17 species of Vietnamese Mecoptera are presented using a neighbor-joining tree indicating that the new species are approximately as distinct from the extant species as the extant species are from each other. A key is provided for all 17 Vietnamese Mecoptera.

Scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) are important models for studying sexual selection and mating strategies. However, much is still unknown about their behavior and natural history. Here we describe a wing-flashing behavior in a population of Panorpa debilis Westwood from central New York. Wing-flashing has been previously observed, but not described in Mecoptera. We use a combination of direct observation and video analysis in an attempt to understand the motivation behind this behavior: is wing-flashing behavior used for attraction of mates, for control of food resources, or perhaps neither? If wing-flashing is involved in mate attraction, we would expect skewed wing-flashing ratios between males and females and a high rate of wing-flashing aimed at conspecifics of the opposite sex. If the behavior is instead used for intraspecific competition for resources, we would expect a high degree of wing-flashing aimed at conspecifics of the same sex or indiscriminate of sex. We demonstrate that this behavior is non-random — and most likely competitive in nature — by showing that wing-flashing preferentially occurs near other individuals, and by comparing wing-flashing rates across males and females in a variety of situations. Both sexes used wing-flashes in response to the opposite sex, though most wing-flashes were female to female signals. Wing-flashing was even observed as a response to potentially competitive arthropods like harvestmen (Leiobunum spp.). In addition to their suitability as study organisms for mating behavior, P. debilis, may be a useful organism for studying animal communication and signaling.

New faunistic data are reported on 32 species of Neuroptera, 2 species of Raphidioptera, and 3 species of Mecoptera from the North-Western Caucasus. Eight species of Neuroptera and Mecoptera are new for the Krasnodar Region, and five for Adygea. Night feeding of green lacewings Pseudomallada flavifrons, P. inornatus and Chrysoperla carnea on pollen or nectar of Inula flowers was observed. The most northern known locality of Dendroleon pantherinus in the Caucasus is established.

The male reproductive system may provide significant evidence for the taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses of insects. However, current knowledge of the male reproductive system in Mecoptera is mainly concentrated on the external genitalia, and is rarely involved in the internal reproductive system. Here, we investigated the morphology and the fine structure of the vasa deferentia and associated structures of the male reproductive system of Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong et al., 2011 (Panorpodidae) using light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The male reproductive system of P. kuandianensis consists of a pair of symmetrical testes with three tubular testicular follicles, two epididymides, two distinctly partitioned vasa deferentia, a pair of mesadenia, one ejaculatory sac, and the external genitalia. A pair of expanded seminal vesicles are modified from the median part of the vasa deferentia, and evolve into secretory organs. The seminal vesicles have elongated cylindrical epithelial cells, which contain abundant secretory materials in the cytoplasm and form a small central lumen, likely serving a secretory function rather than provisionally storing sperm as in most other insects. Alternatively, the sperm are stored temporarily in the epididymis, the greatly coiled portion of the vasa deferentia. The morphology of the male reproductive system supports the close relationships of Panorpidae and Panorpodidae.

Background Metamorphosis remains one of the most complicated and poorly understood processes in insects. This is particularly so for the very dynamic transformations that take place within the pupal sheath of holometabolous insects. Only few studies address these transformations especially with regard to cranial structures of those holometabolous species where the larval and adult forms have a similar diet. It thus remains unclear to what extent the internal structures undergo histolysis and rebuilding. Here, the development of the brain and skeleto-muscular system of the head of Chrysopa pallens (Rambur, 1838) is studied. This species is a predator of aphids in the larval and adult stage. Results We used micro-computed-tomography (μ-CT) to study the transformations of the larval, prepupal and pupal head within the cocoon. We first assessed the morphological differences and similarities between the stages. We then determined the point in time when the compound eyes appear and describe the re-orientation of the head capsule which transforms the prognathous larva into a hypognathous adult. The internal head muscles are distinctly more slender in larvae than adults. In addition, the adults have a significantly larger brain which is likely needed for the processing of the signals obtained by the adults vastly expanded sensory organs that are presumably needed for dispersal and mating. Our study shows that the histolysis and modification of the inner muscles and skeletal elements take place within the prepupa. The central nervous system persists throughout metamorphosis but its morphology changes significantly. Conclusion Our study reveals that not only the inner structures, but also the outer morphology continues to change after the final larval moult. The adult cuticle and internal structures form gradually within the cocoon. The histolysis and rebuilding begin with the skeletal elements and is followed by changes in the central nervous system before it concludes with modifications of the musculature. This order of events is likely ancestral for Holometabola because it is also known from Hymenoptera, Diptera, Mecoptera, and Coleoptera.

Neopanorpa van der Weele, 1909 is the second largest genus in Panorpidae, and over 170 Oriental species have been reported hitherto. In this paper, we describe two new species: Neopanorpa luojishana sp. nov. and Neopanorpa xingmini sp. nov. from Southwest China. We also report the first discovery of the male of Neopanorpa ocellaris (Navás, 1908) from Guangxi and Guizhou, China, a species recorded from Sikkim previously. Neopanorpa brevivalvae Chou & Wang, 1988 is synonymized with Neopanorpa lungtaushana Cheng, 1957. In addition, Neopanorpa furcula nom. nov. is proposed for Neopanorpa furcata Zhou, 2005, a junior homonym preoccupied by Neopanorpa furcata (Hardwicke, 1825). The biogeographical implications of some Neopanorpa species are discussed in brief.

The genus Cerapanorpa Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016 is taxonomically revised. Cerapanorpa is confirmed to be endemic to the mountain regions in central China. Nineteen species are recognized in the genus, including four new species: Cerapanorpa baimaensis sp. nov., Cerapanorpa xuebaodinga sp. nov., and Cerapanorpa yanggashana sp. nov. from the Minshan Mountains, and Cerapanorpa taizishana sp. nov. from the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Six species are transferred from Cerapanorpa back to Panorpa Linnaeus, 1758. An updated key to species is presented.

A new insect species (†Bittacopsocus megacephalus Beutel, Prokop, Müller et Pohl gen. et sp. nov.) is described, based on a single small male (ca. 2.5 mm) embedded in mid Cretaceous Burmese amber. The species shows some resemblance with the mecopteran family Bittacidae, mainly due to strongly elongated and thin legs. However, the structural affinities are apparently due to convergency. Different features, but especially the mouthparts and the pattern of wing venation, indicate that the species belongs to the extinct order †Permopsocida (?Archipsyllidae). However, it differs markedly from all species previously described in this extinct group. The very thin and strongly elongated legs are probably autapomorphic. A very unusual feature is the antenna with only seven segments and extremely elongated flagellomeres. The two pairs of wings are unusually narrow. M and CuA are basally fused. Proximal rows of spines, two series of closed cells, and a distinctly increased number of terminal branches of M are present in the forewings, in contrast to other archipsyllid genera. It is conceivable that Bittacopsocus megacephalus used its long legs to rest suspended in the vegetation like Bittacus. The head structures tentatively suggest predatory behavior but the feeding habits are unclarified yet.

Se presenta un catálogo de la colección de mecópteros del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid (MNCN-CSIC), que reúne todo el material disponible desde finales del siglo XIX hasta las aportaciones más modernas. Se hace una revisión y con ello se aportan nuevos datos de localidades para la distribución conocida de las especies ibéricas.