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Six new species of Cryptochironomus Kieffer, 1918, C. absum Liu, sp. nov., C. beardi Liu, sp. nov., C. dentatus Liu, sp. nov., C. ferringtoni Liu, sp. nov., C. parallelus Liu, sp. nov. and C. taylorensis Liu, sp. nov., are described and illustrated based on adult males. The specimens were collected from various water systems in the United States and preserved by Dr. Leonard Charles Ferrington Jr. An updated key to adult males of all known Cryptochironomus species in the Nearctic region is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The crane fly subgenus T. (Vestiplex) includes 189 species level taxa which are distributed throughout the Nearctic, Palaearctic, and Oriental Regions. In this work, the T. (Vestiplex) fauna of Taiwan is revised, entailing the recognition of 18 species, including six new species. DNA barcode sequences are also provided. The crane fly subgenus Tipula (Vestiplex) Bezzi, 1924 (Diptera, Tipulidae) of Taiwan is taxonomically reviewed, entailing the recognition of 18 species, with six of these species newly described, including T. (V.) diamondi sp. nov., T. (V.) formosae sp. nov., T. (V.) graciliana sp. nov., T. (V.) pseudobiserra sp. nov.,  T. (V.) survilai sp. nov., and T. (V.) taiwanica sp. nov. Three species, T. biaciculifera Alexander, 1937, T. niitakensis Alexander, 1938, and T. pseudobiaciculifera Men, Xue and Wang, 2016, listed previously as members of the subgenus T. (Pterelachisus) Rondani, 1842, are now formally placed as member taxa within T. (Vestiplex). Tipula subnata Alexander, 1949 and T. (V.) longarmata Yang and Yang, 1999 are designated as junior synonyms of T. (V.) coxitalis Alexander, 1935; T. (V.) nokonis Alexander, 1935 is designated as a junior synonym of T. (V.) terebrata Edwards, 1921; and T. (V.) takahashiana Alexander, 1938 is designated as a junior synonym of T. (V.) bicornigera Alexander, 1938. Included in this taxonomic revision are a key to species, species diagnoses for all species, complete descriptions for newly described species, and illustrations of the male genitalia for all species, and for female terminalia when available. DNA barcode sequences for all Taiwanese species of T. (Vestiplex) are provided. Males are associated with conspecific females based on CO1 results and maximum likelihood trees resulting from the analyses are presented. The Taiwan fauna of Tipula (Vestiplex) is highly endemic with 16 of the 18 species restricted to the island. At the species group level, no groups are endemic to Taiwan and the groups show closest biogeographic relationships to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balticalcarus archibaldi Simutnik, gen. et sp. n., is described and illustrated based on a female specimen from late Eocene Baltic amber. The new genus is characterized by the absence of a filum spinosum, a "boat"-shaped hypopygium enclosing the ovipositor, reaching far past the apex of the syntergum, the presence of a line of long setae along the entire costal cell of the hind wing, and a transverse line of thickened setae alongside the hyaline spur vein. Moreover, like most previously described Eocene Encyrtidae, the new taxon differs from the majority of the extant ones by a number of morphological features. The new fossil differs from most extant and all known fossil Encyrtidae by its unusually small, thin, smooth (without microsetae) mesotibial spur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new crane fly species of the subgenus Tipula (Vestiplex) Bezzi, 1924, T. (V.) medialobata sp. nov. (Yunnan), T. (V.) singularis sp. nov. (Yunnan), T. (V.) cibagouensis sp. nov. (Tibet) and T. (V.) paramonovi sp. nov. (Tibet) are described and illustrated. Redescription and detailed illustrations of T. (V.) nestor Alexander, 1934 are provided with first distributional record in mainland China.

Protaphycus shuvalikovi Simutnik gen. et sp. nov., the smallest fossil Encyrtidae, is described and illustrated based on female specimen from late Eocene Rovno amber. Like most previously described Eocene Encyrtidae, the new taxon differs from the majority of extant encyrtids by the subapical position of the cerci, the relatively long marginal vein of the forewing, a distinctly swollen but not triangular parastigma, and a seta marking the apex of the postmarginal vein is not any longer than others on this vein. The new genus is characterized by the presence of a filum spinosum and the hypopygium reaching way past the apex of syntergum. This combination of the character states is known only in a few representatives of extant Encyrtinae. The new genus, probably, most closely related to the extant genus Aphycus Mayr, 1876. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korean species of Tipula (Vestiplex) Bezzi, 1924 crane flies are taxonomically revised. Five species are recognized. Tipula (V.) coquillettiana Alexander, 1924, T. (V.) kuwayamai Alexander, 1921, T. (V.) tchukchi Alexander, 1934, and T. (V.) verecunda Alexander, 1924 are newly recorded from the Korean Peninsula, and T. (V.) serricauda Alexander, 1914 was previously recorded. The larva of T. (V.) serricauda is described and illustrated, and the larvae of the subgenus T. (Vestiplex) are divided into four groups based on spiracular lobe morphology. An identification key, redescriptions, and illustrations of Korean T. (Vestiplex) adults and grouping of known larvae are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new crane fly species Tipula (Vestiplex) lushuiensis Men & Starkevich, sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on materials collected in Yunnan and Tibet, China. Tipula (V.) alyxis Alexander, 1963, T. (V.) guibifida Yang & Yang, 1992, T. (V.) himalayensis Brunetti, 1911, T. (V.) quasimarmoratipennis Brunetti, 1912 and T. (V.) reposita Walker, 1848 are redescribed and illustrated based on additional morphological characters. Tipula (V.) quasimarmoratipennis and T. (V.) reposita are listed as new records for the Chinese fauna. Male of T. (V.) quasimarmoratipennis and females of T. (V.) alyxis, T. (V.) guibifida and T. (V.) himalayensis are illustrated for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new crane fly species, Tipula (Vestiplex) gongdangensis sp. nov. and T. (V.) dechangensis sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on materials collected in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, China. A key is provided to distinguish males of the new species from those of other species in the T. (V.) immota Alexander, 1935 species group which is proposed here for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the male terminalia and their rotation are reviewed in both extinct and extant genera of Tanyderidae based on new observations and literature. The structure of gonostyli and parameres and the size of cerci show greater variation among extinct taxa than among the extant ones. A bifid aedeagus occurs in representatives of both tanyderid subfamilies, the modern nannotanyderine Peringueyomyina (and probably in Eocene Coramus) and the extinct tanyderines Macrochile and Similinannotanyderus. A trifid aedeagus, common in modern tanyderines, and a rare simple undivided aedeagus both appear to have evolved from it. The Triassic family Nadipteridae, supposedly ancestral to Tanyderidae, already displays rotation of male terminalia, suggesting that the latter is extremely ancient in Diptera and was probably inherited by Tanyderidae. Tanyderid genera vary in the presence of the rotation, number of involved segments and angle of rotation. Apparently it has been secondarily lost multiple times in the family. An astonishing similarity between the male hypopygia of extinct and extant Nannotanyderinae and that of the psychodid subfamily Horaiellinae is additionally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tipula (Vestiplex) scandens Edwards, 1928 and Tipula (Vestiplex) subscripta Edwards, 1928 were both briefly described based on single specimens and lacked illustration in the original literature. In the present paper, these two species are redescribed with new illustrations of additional morphological features based on type and non-type specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature about Mesitiinae Kieffer, 1914 has not been treated extensively from a taxonomic viewpoint in comparison with other subfamilies in Bethylidae Latreille, 1802. Our research on species of Metrionotus Móczár, 1970, Clytrovorus Nagy, 1972 and Sulcomesitius Móczár, 1970 revealed a new hypopygium shape pattern, namely a ‘star-shaped’ hypopygium, which is characteristic of a new genus, Astromesitius gen. nov., with two new species Astromesitius thionyi gen. et sp. nov. and Astromesitius olavoi gen. et sp. nov. The descriptions of both new species are based on male specimens collected in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. Astromesitius quatei (Móczár, 1977) gen. et comb. nov. is designated as type species for the new genus, which is erected for a total of seven species. The main diagnostic characteristics are the head longer than wide; a clypeus with a median lobe quadrate; an antenna with distinct long setae, with pedicel caliciform, and with flagellomeres long and caliciform; pronotum and anteromesoscutum with longitudinal sulcus indistinct or absent; metapectal-propodeal complex with posterior projection hardly distinct or absent; hypopygium star-shaped; genitalia with aedeagus slender and fusiform.

A new crane fly, Tipula (Vestiplex) butvilai sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on new material collected in the Nu Jiang Valley of Yunnan Province, China. The hypopygium for the most closely related species, Tipula (Vestiplex) testata Alexander, 1935, is also illustrated. A key is provided to distinguish males of the new species from those of other species in the T. (V.) bicornigera Alexander, 1938 species group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on examination of type specimens a crane fly species Tipula (Vestiplex) hugueniniana Alexander, 1971 is proposed as junior synonym of Tipula (V.) wahlgrenana Alexander, 1968. The new synonymy is based on similarity of male genitalia.

Tipula ( Vestiplex) tchukchi obtusidens Savchenko, 1964 is designated as a synonym of the nominotypical species Tipula ( Vestiplex) tchukchi Alexander, 1934 syn. nov. Tipula ( Vestiplex) aldrichiana Alexander, 1929 and Tipula ( Vestiplex) balioptera Loew, 1863 are reported as new to the Russian fauna and the Palaearctic - East Beringian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current classification of Pristocera does not have taxonomic or cladistic support, which results in mistakes during the allocation of its species, especially within the genera Dicrogenium, Kathepyris, Neodicrogenium and Diepyris. This study aimed to verify the monophyly and to present a cladistic hypothesis for the genus. The analyses were based on 147 characters of 50 terminal taxa. Parsimony analyses under both equal and implied weightings were performed. All cladograms obtained by the implied weighting recovered Pristocera and all four related genera as polyphyletic. A monophyletic group with Pristocera and the other genera of the inner group was formed. This group was supported by 13 synapomorphies, with one of them exclusive, as follows: the presence of a hypopygium that was divided into two parts. Based on our results, the following new genus-group synonyms were established: Dicrogenium, Kathepyris, Neodicrogenium and Diepyris syn.n, for Pristocera, and their 39 species were combined with the latter. The following new names are proposed to avoid homonyms: Pristocera zata nom.n. for Dicrogenium bequaerti Benoit, Pristocera zela nom.n, for Kathepyris katangensis Benoit, Pristocera zintica nom.n, for Kathepyris uelensis Benoit, Pristocera zonta nom.n, for Neodicrogenium bequaerti Benoit and Pristocera zuncra nom.n. for Neodicrogenium tuberculatum (Turner). Therefore, Pristocera now comprises 124 species from the Old World. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rovnosoma gracile gen. et sp. nov. is described from the amber collection of the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kiev). A short comparative morphological analysis is provided. As all known Encyrtidae of the Late Eocene Rovno amber fauna, the new genus is characterized by long veins of the forewings. Archaic venation is combined in this genus with the presence of filum spinosum, transverse hypopygium not reaching the apex of the metasoma, and three-dentate mandibles. Such a combination of characters allows assigning the new genus to the subfamily Encyrtinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]