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Systematic revision of the genera Chalinus Konow, 1897 and Mocsarya Konow, 1897 (Hymenoptera: Orussidae)
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The genera Chalinus Konow and Mocsarya Konow are revised. Eight species are recognised in Chalinus: C. berlandi Guiglia, C. braunsi (Enslin), C. haugi du Buysson, C. imperialis (Westwood), C. orientalis Guiglia, C. purpureiventris Cameron, C. somalicus Guiglia, C. timnaensis Kraus. Chalinus balianii Guiglia is proposed as a new synonym of C. berlandi Guiglia, C. schulthessi Guiglia as a new synonym of C. braunsi (Enslin), and the synonymy of C. congoensis Guiglia with C. imperialis (Westwood) is reestablished. Two species are recognised in Mocsarya: M. metallica (Mocsáry); M. syriaca Benson. Two nominal species, Oryssus oberthueri Saussure and Oryssus plumicornis Guérin-Menneville are treated as species inquirendae in Chalinus. Keys, redescriptions and distribution maps are provided for all recognised species.
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A fossil water measurer from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha: Hydrometridae)
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Semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera: Gerromorpha) comprise about 1,800 extant species classified in eight families. So far, 38 fossil species belonging to six families have been described or recorded, most of Cenozoic age. Knowledge about the evolutionary history of the major groups of Gerromorpha is seriously hampered by the scarcity of well-preserved Mesozoic fossils, especially from the Cretaceous. The present paper reports on a well-preserved semiaquatic bug from amber collected in the northern part of Myanmar (Burma). The source of this fossiliferous amber was previously considered to be Eocene in age, but recent evidence indicates that it originated in the Middle Cretaceous (Turonian-Cenomanian), or 100-90 Ma. The fossil species is described as Carinametra burmensis gen. et sp. n. The presence of three pairs of cephalic trichobothria, a prolonged head, long slender antennae and legs, reduced wing venation, etc., places the fossil in the gerromorphan family Hydrometridae or water measurers. Other characters suggest a close relationship with the two extant genera of the most basal of the hydrometrid subfamilies, Heterocleptinae. We present and discuss the available evidence used in the dating of Burmese amber. Finally, we discuss the phylogenetic, paleobiological, and biogeographic significance of the new fossil.
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Taxonomic revision of Neodohrniphora, subgenus Eibesfeldtphora (Diptera: Phoridae)
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The genus Neodohrniphora, subgenus Eibesfeldtphora, is revised and found to include 15 species, 11 of which are new to science, as follows: N. arcuata, bragancai, dissita, elongata, erthali, inferna, isomorpha, leei, pala, prolixa and tonhascai. Subgenus Wallerphora and its single included species, N. mexicanae Disney, is considered part of subgenus Eibesfeldtphora (new synonymy). The taxonomy of N. declinata Borgmeier and a species with which it has frequently been confused is clarified.
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Cytotaxonomy of the Prosimulium hirtipes species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Morocco
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The cytotaxonomy of three species in the Prosimulium hirtipes group in Morocco is presented. Each species - tentatively referred to as P. latimucro, P. rufipes, and P. tomosvaryi - is chromosomally unique and characterized by a low level of polymorphism. Chromosomal data indicate that one or more of the Moroccan species are distinct from the European species of the same names.
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Silky lacewings (Neuroptera: Psychopsidae) from the Eocene-Paleocene transition of Denmark with a review of the fossil record and comments on phylogeny and zoogeography
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Thirty-four fossil insect wings from the Fur Formation of Denmark (Eocene-Paleocene transition) are recognised as neuropteran forewings standing close to extant Psychopsidae (silky lacewings). This affinity is based primarily on their possession of a vena triplica in the forewing. A new genus, Palaeopsychops gen. n. and four new species, P. latifasciatus sp. n. (type species), P. abruptus sp. n., P. angustifasciatus sp. n. and P. maculatus sp. n. are described. Palaeopsychops is identified mainly by the shape of vena triplica and costal space and by the venation of radial space. The new genus appears most closely related to some fossil species of the North American Eocene, while it appears only remotely related to the psychopsid genus Propsychopsis Krüger described from Baltic amber (European Eocene). The different species of Palaeopsychops are separated on relatively minor differences in wing venation and pigmentation. The entire fossil record of psychopsid-like Neuroptera are reviewed and issues of phylogeny and zoogeography are discussed. A total of 5 extant and 21 fossil genera are recognised in the Psychopsidae lineage based on an extended vena triplica definition. The lineage goes back at least to the Upper Triassic. An attempt is made to gather the psychopsid genera into larger natural entities. Extant Psychopsidae are restricted to S. Africa, Australia and SE. Asia. It is suggested that the present relictual distribution is mainly caused by extinction events.
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Review of the genus Hymenaphorura Bagnall, 1948 with description of eleven new species from North America and Siberia (Collembola: Onychiuridae)
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An emended diagnosis of Hymenaphorura (Bagnall, 1948) is provided. Eleven new species are described: H. reducta sp. n., H. ridibunda sp. n., H. alaskana sp. n., H. granulata sp. n., H. sensitiva sp. n., H. superba sp. n., H. nearctica sp. n., H. mystica sp. n., H. teretis sp. n., H. anatolii sp. n., H. palaearctica sp. n. H. similis (Folsom, 1917) is redescribed on the basis of type material. Descriptions of H. sibirica (Tullberg, 1876), H. cocklei (Folsom, 1908) and H. decus (Christiansen & Bellinger, 1980) are supplemented. An identification key for all the known species of the genus is given.
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Taitastreptus flavipes, a new genus and species of arboreal millipede from Kenya (Diplopoda: Spirostreptidae)
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This paper describes a new genus and species of Spirostreptidae, Taitastreptus flavipes, collected in several forest fragments of the Taita hills (Kenya). This genus differs from known spirostreptid genera by the remarkable gonopods in which the telopodites are bifid with equally-sized branches.
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