Search

New teratological cases including one gynandromorph and chromatic aberrations of Mutillidae are described based on the examination of 27 specimens belonging to Myrmilla (Pseudomutilla) capitata (Lucas, 1848), Myrmilla (Myrmilla) erythrocephala (Latreille, 1792), Myrmilla (Pseudomutilla) glabrata (Fabricius, 1775), Mutilla europaea Linnaeus, 1758, Mutilla quinquemaculata Cyrillo, 1787, Ronisia barbara barbara (Linnaeus, 1758), Ronisia brutia brutia (Petagna, 1787), Tropidotilla litoralis (Petagna, 1787), Nemka viduata viduata (Pallas, 1773), Physetopoda cf. pusilla (Klug, 1835), Smicromyrme giarabubensis Invrea, 1932, Smicromyrme partitus partitus (Klug, 1835), Smicromyrme perisii (Sichel & Radoszkoswski, 1870), Smicromyrme ruficollis ruficollis (Fabricius, 1793), and Smicromyrme ruficollis ceresae Invrea, 1952. A brief account of data from scientific literature, as well a discussion on the ascertained cases are provided. Key Words: teratology, gynandromorphism, chromatic aberrations, Mutillidae, Palaearctic, description, discussion.

The present three-year study traces the diversity of four bee communities in fragmented pedemontane areas of Volcano Etna (Catania province, Sicily) near the Metropolitan City of Catania, under different land management regimes. The selected areas comprise two different urban parks within Catania (Parco Gioeni and Parco degli Ulivi), a Nature Reserve (Complesso Immacolatelle e Micio Conti, San Gregorio di Catania), and an agroecosystem (a citrus orchard, Aci Catena). Previous data obtained from a well-investigated area (Leucatia, north of Catania) have been used as a control for bee diversity for this study. The results include an outline of bee species richness, data on the composition of bee communities, and seasonal patterns, using several diversity indexes. The study of bee diversity shows a total of 163 species, arranged in five families. The four investigated locations include 104 species arranged in four families: Andrenidae (20 species), Halictidae (15 species), Megachilidae (31 species), and Apidae (38 species); with a similar number of species (102) recorded in the control site (Leucatia). The study highlights strong seasonal variations of bee communities in all investigated sites, with differentiated seasonal patterns, whose compositions are affected mainly by forage sources, suitable nesting sites, as well as human activities. The data obtained provide a rough but basilar framework to assess management strategies to maintain adequate levels of bee diversity, especially for those areas with moderate to high environmental fragmentation. Our findings highlight the importance of season-long sampling of bee population factors if used as indicators in ecological studies.

Three new fossil species of Aulacidae are described from mid-Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Burmese amber: Archeofoenus engeli Turrisi & Ellenberger, sp. nov., Electrofoenops cockerelli Turrisi & Ellenberger, sp. nov., and Electrofoenops rasnitsyni Turrisi & Ellenberger, sp. nov. Hyptiogastrites electrinus Cockerell, 1917, previously known from the holotype female only, is newly recorded and the male is described for the first time. The four fossil samples examined originate from the mines around the Noije Bum Hill, about 30 km southwest from the Kachin State capital of Tanai, in the Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar. The species are described, illustrated, and compared with most similar fossil species and their features discussed in the context of the systematics of Aulacidae. A revised checklist of fossil Aulacidae is also provided.

Japanese species of the genus Aulacus Jurine are revised and seven species are recognized. Two new species, A. davidi sp. n. and A. shizukii sp. n. are described. In addition, A. flavigenis Alekseev and A. sinensis He & Chen are newly recorded from the Japanese archipelago. Male genitalia of three species, i.e., A. davidi, A. flavigenis and A. sinensis, are described for the first time. An identification key for Japanese species and DNA barcoding data for A. davidi, A. machaerophorus Kuroda, Kikuchi & Konishi and A. sinensis are also provided.

The present short paper is a personal gift for the 80th birthday of an outstanding American entomologist, Dr. David R. Smith (Washington), who has made an enormous contribution to the taxonomic and faunistic study of the order Hymenoptera of the World, especially the “Symphyta,” Trigonalidae, and Aulacidae.

Six species of Aulacidae are reported new to Thailand and Laos. Pristaulacus exuberans Turrisi and Smith, sp. nov. from Thailand, Pristaulacus matteinii Turrisi and Smith, sp. nov. from Laos and Thailand, and Pristaulacus perfidus Turrisi and Smith, sp. nov. from Thailand, are described and illustrated, and compared with most related species. Pristaulacus nigripesKieffer, 1911, is confirmed from Thailand, and Aulacus canlaon Smith, 2017 and Pristaulacus rufobalteatusCameron, 1907, are new records for Thailand. Fourteen species are now known in Thailand.

The authors, after examination of some collections of the genus Nomada scopoli, obtain the following novelties regarding the Italian fauna: N. furvoides is new for latium, N. emarginata is new for Lombardy and Latium, N. corcyraea is new for Lombardy, Latium and Sardinia, N. bispinosa , N. atroscutellaris and N. pectoralis are new for Latium and Sicily, N. rufipes is new for Latium and Abruzzo, N. symphyti is new for Abruzzo, N. incisa and N. rubiginosa are new for peninsular Italy, N. duplex is confirmed for peninsular Italy and Sicily, N. b. bifasciata is confirmed for Sicily; N. erythrocephala , N. facilis , N . piccioliana and N. stoeckhert i are new for Sicily, N. posthuma, N. pleurosticta, N . calimorpha, N. fenestrata, N. noskiewiczi, N. opaca and N. trispinosa are new for Italy.

Pristaulacus nilgira Smith and Turrisi, new species, P. singara Smith and Turrisi, new species, and P. luteus Smith and Turrisi, new species are described from southern India. These are the first known species of Pristaulacus from southern India. They are illustrated and compared with other Pristaulacus species known from India, Sri Lanka, and other parts of the Oriental Region.

The authors, after examination of some collections of Halictidae, obtain the following novelties regarding the Italian fauna: Lasioglossum zonulum Smith is new for Latium and Sardinia, Sphecodes ferruginatus Hagens is new for Molise and Sardinia, Lasioglossum laterale (Brulle) is new for Tuscany and Sicily, L. leucopus (Kirby) and L. prasinum (Smith) are new for Latium and Sicily, Halictus kessleri Bramson, Lasioglossum aeratum (Kirby), L. brevicorne (Schenck), L. breviventre (Schenck), L. costulatum (Kriechbaumer) and Sphecodes miniatus Hagens are new for Sicily. Moreover, new data regarding Sphecodes combai Nobile & Turrisi are provided. Finally, they observe that the presence of Halictus balearicus Perez in Italy needs confirmation.

Faunistic data on Hymenoptera pimplinae and poemeniinae (Ichneumonidae) from Sicily are provided. Thirty-two pimplinae species are recorded, 24 of which are new for Sicily and 1, Perithous speculator Haupt, 1954, is new also to Italy; the only recorded poemeniinae, Poemenia notata Holmgren, 1859, is new to Italy. The number of the two treated subfamilies known for Sicily is increased up to 39.

The occurrence of Pristaulacus barbeyi (Ferrière, 1933) in Iberian Peninsula is reported for the first time on the basis of one female specimen collected in North Spain (Asturias, Castanedo del Monte), stored in the Natural History Museum, London.

Two species belonging to the recently revised Pristaulacus comptipennis species-group, P. manuelae Turrisi and Madl, sp. n. from Laos and P. iosephi Turrisi and Madl, sp. n. from Thailand, are described, illustrated and compared with most related species. The former species most resembles P. watanabei Turrisi and Smith, 2011 , from Thailand, but is readily recognizable, mainly by the shape of the head, which is elongated, with a well-developed temple. The latter species resembles two other species, P. nobilei Turrisi and Smith, 2011 , from south China, and P. emarginaticeps Turner, 1922 , from Vietnam, but it is easily recognizable mainly by the shape of the medial occipital groove, which is shallow and V-shaped, as well as the shape of the mesosoma, with anterior lobe of mesoscutum, anterior to notauli, strongly elevated dorsally and anteriorly and distinctly overhanging pronotum.

Contributo alla conoscenza degli Ichneumonidae di Sicilia. II. Ichneumoninae (Hymenoptera). Sono forniti dati faunistici e tassonomici riguardanti gli Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae (Ichneumoninae) della Sicilia. Sono segnalate 79 specie, 39 delle quali sono nuove per la Sicilia e 9 anche per l’italia. Il numero di specie di ichneumoninae note per la Sicilia e elevato a 105.

A remarkable Aulacus Jurine, 1807, A. ceciliae Turrisi, sp. nov., is described from Laos and A. bituberculatus Cameron, 1899 from India is redescribed from the type material, which has been recently rediscovered. For the latter species, a lectotype is formally designated. Both species are very characteristic due to the presence of two tooth-like processes on the vertex, an autapomorphic feature probably related with the endoxylic bionomy. References to the other two Oriental species of Aulacus, A. philippinensis (Kieffer, 1916) and A. sinensis He & Chen, 2007 and a key to all four species of the genus presently known for the Oriental Region are provided.

The Chinese Aulacidae are revised, keyed and illustrated for the first time. In total twenty-five species are recorded from China, included within two genera Aulacus Jurine, 1807 and Pristaulacus Kieffer, 1900, with five and twenty species respectively. Among the treated species, six are newly described for science: Aulacus magnus sp. n., Pristaulacus calidus sp. n., Pristaulacus centralis sp. n., Pristaulacus fopingi sp. n., Pristaulacus obscurus sp. n., and Pristaulacus pseudoiosephi sp. n. Three species are newly recorded from China: Pristaulacus excisus Turner, 1922, Pristaulacus iosephi Turrisi & Madl, 2013, and Pristaulacus rufobalteatus Cameron, 1907.

This study provides the first contribution to the knowledge of the Order Hymenoptera, empha-sizing Aculeata, for the Aeolian archipelago, based on recent field investigations and examinationof several collections. A total of 169 species belonging to 19 families are recorded: Evaniidae (1species), Aulacidae (2 species), Gasteruptiidae (3 species), Ichneumonidae (1 species), Leucosp-idae (1 species), Chrysididae (8 species), Tiphiidae (3 species), Scoliidae (6 species), Mutillidae(13 species), Pompilidae (6 species), Vespidae (14 species), Sphecidae (6 species), Crabronidae(24 species), Formicidae (14 species), Colletidae (4 species), Andrenidae (8 species), Halictidae(29 species), Megachilidae (12 species), Apidae (14 species). Most part of species are newlyrecorded for the Aeolian Archipelago, the following being new records for Sicily: Dryudella es-terinae Pagliano, 2001, Nysson quadriguttatus Spinola, 1808, Miscophus aetoni Saunders, 1903,Miscophus lusitanicus Andrade, 1952, Cerceris circularis dacica Schletterer, 1887 (Crabronidae),and Lasioglossum (Dialictus) semilucens (Alfken, 1914) (Halictidae); Miscophus lusitanicus is also newly recorded for Italy. Combining the available data, a total of 218 species of Hymenopteraare currently known for the Aeolian Archipelago. The Hymenoptera fauna of these islands isdominated by widespread Mediterranean or West Palaearctic species, and most of them are alsofound in the Western Mediterranean Basin. The study briefly highlights some key points regardingbiogeographical and conservation of this group and its significant role in the management ofecosystems in the Aeolian Archipelago.

The Pristaulacus compressus species group is revised and illustrated. It has a strictly western Palearctic range and includes four sibling species, two of which are newly described: P. rapuzzii Turrisi, sp.n. (Lebanon) and P. samai Turrisi, sp.n. (Syria). Besides external characters of the tagmata, especially the sculpturation and shape of the head and occipital carina, the taxonomic treatment of this species group takes into account new diagnostic features of the male genital capsule, including the general shape and the shape of the apex of the paramere, lamina volsellaris and penis valve. The previous key for identifi cation of the Palearctic species of Pristaulacus is modifi ed to include the two new species. A discussion on taxonomy, biogeography and host preference of the treated species is provided.

The family Aulacidae with one species, Pristaulacus intermedius Uchida, 1932, is recorded for the first time in Korea. A detailed description, illustrations of morphological features, and a brief discussion are provided.

The morphology of the tibia and tarsus of all legs is examined in species of two genera of Stephanidae. The subgenual organ (SGO) is examined in more detail for Megischus spp. The fore leg is the most modified in Schlettererius. In Megischus, the SGO of the hind leg is displaced to the middle of the tibia, which is swollen distad of it; in the female the hind tarsi are three‐segmented, the basitarsomere being a composite of tarsomeres 1–3. Internally, the SGO of Megischus is suspended between a spine and a ridge. In the mid and hind legs, part of the tibial wall is thinner in the region of the SGO. Our observations provide circumstantial evidence that female Stephanidae detect substrate‐borne vibrations when searching for hosts. The absence of antennal modification, as well as information on host stage targeted and general behaviour on the oviposition site indicates that they rely on noise made by the host rather than generate vibrations themselves, in contrast to Orussidae, a parasitoid wasp taxon that h...

The Palaearctic species of the genus Pristaulacus Kieffer, 1900 are revised and illustrated for the first time. Twenty-one valid species are recognized. Two new species are described: P. edoardoi Turrisi, sp. nov., from Crete Island and Greece, and P. paglianoi Turrisi, sp. nov. , from Morocco and Tunisia. Four new synonymies are proposed: Aulacus ( Pristaulacus ) holtzi Schulz, 1906 = P . compressus (Spinola, 1808) ( syn. nov. ); P . bimaculatus arozarenae Ortega & Baez, 1985 = P . galitae (Gribodo, 1879) ( syn. nov. ); Aulacus sibiricola Semenow, 1892 = P . gibbator (Thunberg, 1822) ( syn. nov. ); P . holzschuhi Madl, 1990 = P . gloriator (Fabricius, 1804) ( syn. nov. ). The following synonymies are confirmed on the basis of the study of type material: P. obscuripennis Westwood, 1841 = P. compressus (Spinola, 1808); P. bimaculatus Kieffer, 1900 and P. immaculatus Kieffer, 1904 = P. galitae (Gribodo, 1879). Three nomina nuda : A. beckeri Tournier, 1911, A. plurimaculatus Tournier, 1911, and A. transversostriatus Tournier, 1911, previously assigned to the genus Aulacus , are all synonyms of P . compressus (Spinola, 1808) ( syn. nov. ). The previously unknown male of P. boninensis Konishi, 1990 is described. Lectotypes and paralectotypes of P . comptipennis Enderlein, 1912, P. immaculatus Kieffer, 1904, and P. bimaculatus arozarenae Ortega & Baez, 1985 are designated. A key to species and distributional maps are also provided.

Nine species of Palaearctic Myrmillinae with females bearing two round spots on the second metasomal tergite, currently assigned to two genera, Blakeius Ashmead, 1903 and Liomutilla André, 1907, are revised and their phylogenetic relationships are investigated. The cladistic analyses demonstrate that Blakeius is not strictly monophyletic but includes three distinct lineages: Blakeius s. str., containing three species, an additional two genera proposed as new (Bidecoloratilla TurrisiMatteini Palmerini, gen. nov., with four species, type species Mutilla chiesi Spinola, 1839, and Bimaculatilla TurrisiMatteini Palmerini, gen. nov., including only type species Myrmilla invreai Suárez, 1958), and the monotypic genus Liomutilla is nested within the former Blakeius. A new status is proposed for Bla. cobosi (Suárez, 1958), stat. nov., and the specific status of Bid. iberica (Suárez, 1958), is confirmed. New combinations are proposed for Bim. invreai (Suárez, 1958), comb. nov. (from Myrmilla), Bid. chiesi (Spinola, 1839), comb. nov., Bid. iberica (Suárez, 1958), comb. nov., Bid. leopoldina (Invrea, 1955), comb. nov. Bid. negrei (Suárez, 1958), comb. nov. (all from Blakeius). Lectotypes are designated for Myr. otini Giner Marí, 1959 (♀) and Myr. leopoldina Invrea, 1955 (♂). Redescriptions of all treated taxa, based also on material belonging to the type series, are provided, along with illustrations of both sexes. Based on extensive material of relevant museum collections and personal collections, the distributions of all treated taxa are revised and illustrated through distributional maps. A revised key to genera of the subfamily Myrmillinae of the Palaearctic Region is given.

The Afrotropical species of the genus Pristaulacus Kieffer, 1900 are revised and illustrated for the first time. Four species are recognized: P. africanus (Brues, 1924), P. pilatoi sp. n. and P. thoracicus (Westwood, 1841), from the Republic of South Africa, and P. smithi sp. n. from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. P. thoracicus (Westwood), comb. n., is transferred from Aulacus Jurine. The previously unknown male of P. africanus (Brues) is described for the first time and additional data on the distribution of this species are given. A key to the species of Afrotropical Pristaulacus is provided.

The status of amphibians (5 species) and reptiles (16 species) from the Iblean area (south eastern Sicily) was been analysed taking into account the data from literature and, above all, those obtained during a research‐period of more than 10 years (1988–2001). All the 54 UTM squares (10x10 km) included in the Iblean area were investigated. The status of each species was defined following the criteria suggested by the IUCN on the basis of the diffusion in Sicily and in the Iblean area, the autoecology, and the risk factors deriving from human activities. The results confirmed a general sensitivity of amphibians, especially of Discoglossus pic‐tus and Hyla intermedia, the former widely distributed but endangered due to its insular distribution and to human impact, the latter very localised in the studied area and at the southernmost limit of its distribution. The reptiles were less sensitive, although some species need special protection due to the destruction of their habitats or commercial use (e...

Στη μeλέτη αυτή έγινe eπισκόπηση των eιδών της οικογένeιας Aulacidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) της Eλλάδας και της Κύπρου. Σημeιώθηκαν eπτά eίδη που όλα ανήκουν στο γένος Pristaulacus Kieffer, 1900. Δύο από αυτά, τα P . chlapowskii Kieffer, 1900 and P . compressus (Spinola, 1808) αναφέρονται για πρώτη φορά στην Eλλάδα. Το Pristaulacus mourguesi Maneval, 1935, που eίχe αναφeρθeί μόνο από μια πeριοχή, στην παρούσα μeλέτη καταγράφηκe και στο Ανατολικό Αιγαίο (Νήσος Ικαρία) και σe πeριοχές της ηπeιρωτικής χώρας. Το Pristaulacus galitae (Gribodo, 1879) αναφέρeται για πρώτη φορά στη Λέσβο και στην Κύπρο. Γίνeται σύντομη αναφορά στην πeριγραφή και στην eξάπλωση των eιδών αυτών και αναφέρονται οι ξeνιστές τους.

In the context of the biodiversity conservation of the oceanic Ogasawara Islands, the parasitoid species of Aulacidae are reviewed. We examined material from eight islands with or without invasion of the introduced lizard Anolis carolinensis (Voigt 1832) (green anoles): two species of Pristaulacus Kieffer 1900, P. boninensis Konishi, 1989, and P. anijimensis sp. nov., are recognized. The former species is widely distributed in the islands, whereas the latter species is found from a single island only, Anijima Island. Although this island appears to be currently well preserved, the recent introduction of green anoles will probably affect the conservation status of many species, including the endemic P. anijimensis sp. nov. A description of the new species, detailed drawings and descriptions of genitalia of both recognized species, an updated key to Japanese Aulacidae, and a brief discussion on the conservation aspects of Aulacidae in the Ogasawara Islands are provided.

We survey morphological features of larval and adult wasps that undergo their entire larval development inside wood and interpret them in view of the lifestyle. The evolution of some of the characters is explored by mapping them on a recently published phylogeny of Hymenoptera. Based on this phylogeny, it is reasonable to assume that wood-living wasps evolved from a xylophagous/mycetophagous stage as displayed by woodwasps to a carnivorous/parasitoid lifestyle, preying on woodboring insect larvae. The latter mode of life is probably ancestral to the Apocrita which comprise the majority of the order; they share this lifestyle with their sister group, the Orussidae. However, most apocritan wasps have radiated into other habitats, the Orussidae and Stephanidae apparently being the only taxa that have retained the ancestral lifestyle of carnivorous wasps. Other apocritan lineages associated with wood (e.g., Aulacidae, Megalyridae, basal Cynipoidea and some Ichneumonoidea and Chalcidoidea) possibly entered this habitat secondarily and independently acquired morphological traits associated with it. The woody habitat was occupied by Hymenoptera during a crucial stage in their evolution where the transition from the phytophagous to carnivorous lifestyle took place. The anatomy of both larva and adults was extensively transformed in the process.

A relatively new clade, the Ecdysozoa [Aguinaldo et al., 1997. Nature 387, 489–493] was raised based on the 18S ribosomal DNA sequences that indicate a close relationship between the moulting phyla (Arthropoda, Tardigrada, Onychophora, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Kinorhyncha, Lorificera and Priapula), from which the Annelida, with other phyla, are excluded. However, the authors here expressed puzzlement about this conclusion. In particular they stressed that: (a) ecdysis might not be an autapomorphy for the Ecdysozoa; (b) some Ecdysozoa phyla are unrelated from one another with regard to morphology and embryogeny; (c) the annelids have a body architecture that is more similar to arthropods than some of the Ecdysozoa; (d) the annelids are moulting animals; (e) some phyla excluded from the new clade (e.g. the gastrotrichs), probably carry out a gradual ecdysis by flaking similar to that of the polychaetes. The authors concluded that the clade Ecdysozoa appears to be phylogenetically unconvincing.

In the context of the biodiversity conservation of the oceanic Ogasawara Islands, the parasitoid species of Aulacidae are reviewed. We examined material from eight islands with or without invasion of the introduced lizard Anolis carolinensis (Voigt 1832) (green anoles): two species of Pristaulacus Kieffer 1900, P. boninensis Konishi, 1989, and P. anijimensis sp. nov., are recognized. The former species is widely distributed in the islands, whereas the latter species is found from a single island only, Anijima Island. Although this island appears to be currently well preserved, the recent introduction of green anoles will probably affect the conservation status of many species, including the endemic P. anijimensis sp. nov. A description of the new species, detailed drawings and descriptions of genitalia of both recognized species, an updated key to Japanese Aulacidae, and a brief discussion on the conservation aspects of Aulacidae in the Ogasawara Islands are provided.

The endemic southeastern Asiatic Pristaulacus comptipennis species group is revised and illustrated. Twenty species are recognized: P. asiaticus Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (China), P. boninensis Konishi (Japan), P. comptipennis Enderlein (Japan, China, Taiwan, Laos), P. corellianus Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Laos), P. dilleri Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Laos), P. emarginaticeps Turner (Vietnam), P. excisus Turner (Vietnam), P. gusenleitneri Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Thailand), P. insularis Konishi (Japan, South Korea), P. jenningsi Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Laos), P. konishii Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Thailand), P. lagrecai Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Vietnam), P. nobilei Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (China), P. porcatus Sun & Sheng (China), P. sharkeyi Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Thailand), P. thailandensis Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Thailand), P. vietnamensis Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Vietnam, Thailand), P. vilhelmseni Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Laos), P. vivaldianus Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Laos), P. watanabei Turrisi & Smith, sp. nov. (Thailand). Phylogenetic analyses are based on a previous set of 79 morphological characters. Of this data set, 28 informative including five newly added characters were analysed using TNT under different schemes (equal and implied weighting). All analyses support two large clades, the first with five species, and a more derived and diverse one containing 15 species. Other minor clades are identified and discussed. A key for identification of the species is provided.

Two Aulacidae from Asia, Pristaulacus japonicus Turrisi & Watanabe, sp.n. (Japan) and Pristaulacus takakuwai Turrisi & Watanabe, sp.n. (Thailand), are described and illustrated. The former species is very similar to the Palearctic Pristaulacus gibbator (Thunberg 1822) and is recognized by the different sculpturing of the upper part of the mesoand metapleura, slightly longer petiole, longer ovipositor, and several features of the male genital capsule, e.g., the shape of the apex of the paramere, lamina volsellaris and penis valve. The latter species is not obviously allied to any other described Oriental Pristaulacus and is recognized by the combination of the following characters: colour pattern, with setae of the body golden, wings yellowish hyaline, fore wing with a moderately wide substigmal brown spot and apex infuscated, hind leg mostly black to black-brown, shape of the head, with temple well developed, and ovipositor relatively short, 0.9× fore wing length. Images of both treated species are freely available at the web site: http://morphbank.net.

Two Aulacidae, Aulacus uchidai Turrisi & Konishi, sp. n. and Pristaulacus superbus Turrisi & Konishi, sp. n., are described and illustrated from females recently collected in Japan. Aulacus uchidai is recognizable among the other Palaearctic Aulacus by the colour pattern, with the metasoma entirely blackish, the weak and not extensive sculpture on upper frons, weakly rugulose-foveolate, the shape of mesosoma with propodeum declivous, the moderately long and slender apical lobe of hind coxa and the ovipositor length, 0.6–0.9× fore wing length. Pristaulacus superbus is a large species (length: 15.3–17.3 mm) with a long ovipositor (1.5× fore wing length), readily distinguishable from other Palaearctic Pristaulacus by the blue to dull green metallic hue on head and mesosoma, the entirely black metasoma and one tooth-like process on each side of hind surface of propodeum. Including the two new species, the number of Japanese Aulacidae is now nine, two species of Aulacus and seven species of Pristaulacus. Images of both species are freely available at the web site: http:/ /morphbank.net. A revised key for the identification of the Japanese Aulacidae is provided.

The results of the first phylogenetic investigation of members of the Aulacidae of the world are presented. The main objective was to test the monophyly of the currently recognised genera. In total, 79 morphological characters were scored for a substantial sample of the extant aulacid fauna, including 72 species, as well as 12 outgroup taxa belonging to Evaniidae, Gasteruptiidae, Megalyridae, Trigonalidae, Braconidae and Stephanidae. All zoogeographic regions were represented. The dataset was analysed under different conditions (ordered, unordered, equal and implied weighting). The results under different weighting conditions are not fully congruent and many relationships remain unresolved. However, the analyses demonstrate that the current generic classification of the Aulacidae is not a natural one. There is support for a very large, monophyletic clade which includes all Pristaulacus Kieffer spp. + Panaulix Benoit spp. This suggests a wider generic concept for Pristaulacus, which is redefined and rediagnosed here. As a consequence, Panaulix becomes a junior synonym of Pristaulacus (syn. nov.), and the two described species of Panaulix are transferred to Pristaulacus: Pristaulacus rex (Benoit, 1984), comb. nov., and Pristaulacus irenae (Madl, 1990), comb. nov. The genus Aulacus Jurine was consistently paraphyletic and is not valid as currently defined. Furthermore, we failed to retrieve a consistent topology among the different clades of Aulacus. A satisfactory reclassification of Aulacus, however, requires a much more comprehensive taxon sample and/or additional character data.

Background One key question in evolutionary biology deals with the mode and rate at which reproductive isolation accumulates during allopatric speciation. Little is known about secondary contacts of recently diverged anuran species. Here we conduct a multi-locus field study to investigate a contact zone between two lineages of green toads with an estimated divergence time of 2.7 My, and report results from preliminary experimental crosses. Results The Sicilian endemic Bufo siculus and the Italian mainland-origin B. balearicus form a narrow hybrid zone east of Mt. Etna. Despite bidirectional mtDNA introgression over a ca. 40 km North-South cline, no F1 hybrids could be found, and nuclear genomes display almost no admixture. Populations from each side of the contact zone showed depressed genetic diversity and very strong differentiation (FST = 0.52). Preliminary experimental crosses point to a slightly reduced fitness in F1 hybrids, a strong hybrid breakdown in backcrossed offspring (F1 x parental, with very few reaching metamorphosis) and a complete and early mortality in F2 (F1 x F1). Conclusion Genetic patterns at the contact zone are molded by drift and selection. Local effective sizes are reduced by the geography and history of the contact zone, B. balearicus populations being at the front wave of a recent expansion (late Pleistocene). Selection against hybrids likely results from intrinsic genomic causes (disruption of coadapted sets of genes in backcrosses and F2-hybrids), possibly reinforced by local adaptation (the ranges of the two taxa roughly coincide with the borders of semiarid and arid climates). The absence of F1 in the field might be due to premating isolation mechanisms. Our results, show that these lineages have evolved almost complete reproductive isolation after some 2.7 My of divergence, contrasting sharply with evidence from laboratory experiments that some anuran species may still produce viable F1 offspring after > 20 My of divergence.