The genus Cacodaemon (Coleoptera, Endomychidae) of Vietnam

The species of the genus Cacodaemon of Vietnam are revised. A new species, Cacodaemon vietnamensissp. nov., is described and C. laotinus laotinus (Arrow, 1920) is newly recorded from Vietnam. A previously known species, C. proavus Strohecker, 1964 is redescribed based on an additional female specimen and a key to species of the genus Cacodaemon in Vietnam is provided.

Molecular analysis reveals Latonius planus Kononova to be a derived species of Trissolcus Ashmead

The monotypic genus Latonius Kononova, 1982 (Platygastroidea, Scelionidae), was described from a single female specimen collected in southern Ukraine. It somewhat resembles Trissolcus Ashmead but has a distinctive claval formula. The only species in the genus, Latonius planus Kononova, 1982, is lacking any details regarding biology, sexual dimorphism, intraspecific variability, or distribution. Based on recently collected specimens the present study clarifies the position of Latonius within the Telenominae, provides a comprehensive description accompanied by high quality images, and compares Latonius and Trissolcus. Five molecular markers were amplified, and sequences of L. planus were analyzed using a data set for the molecular phylogeny of Telenominae (Taekul et al. 2014) and a molecular phylogeny of Trissolcus (Talamas et al. 2019). We dissected the metasoma, tarsi, antennae, and ovipositor and performed SEM imaging. The genera Latonius and Ioseppinella Mineo, O’Connor & Ashe, 2010, are treated as junior synonyms of Trissolcus and the type species of Latonius and Ioseppinella are considered to be conspecific (syn. nov.).

Contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical Castianeirinae (Araneae: Corinnidae): redescription of Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945, with first description of the male, and description of a new Myrmecotypus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 from the Bolivian Moxos plains

Two Neotropical species of the subfamily Castianeirinae are treated herein. Castianeira spinipalpis Mello-Leitão, 1945 was described from a single female specimen; we provide a redescription of the female and the male is described for the first time. The species is newly recorded from Paraguay and Bolivia. Also, Myrmecotypus rubioi sp. nov. is described from the Bolivian Moxos plains, a tropical savanna ecoregion of the Beni department of northern Bolivia. The new species can be distinguished from others in the genus by having tibia I spination 3-2, coxa II whitish (the remainder dark), and a unique male palpal embolus with two broad embolic discs basal to the embolus tip.

First fossil Schizopteridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in Miocene amber from Chiapas, Mexico

A new genus and species of Hypselosomatinae (Heteroptera: Dipsocoromorpha), Hypsotsijilia bretoni Cifuentes-Ruiz and Brailovsky gen. nov., sp. nov. is herein described based on a female specimen. It represents the first fossil record of Schizopteridae in the early Miocene amber from Chiapas, Mexico. It is compared with related taxa and the estuarine paleoenvironment is discussed, matching the one previously cited for the subfamily in other estuarine amber deposits.

Slate-red tarantula (Poecilotheria rufilata) in the Western Ghats, India

The Slate-red tree spider (or tarantula), Poecilotheria rufilata Pocock, 1899 is an extremely rare, endemic, little known tarantula described based on a female specimen from Thiruvananthapuram Kerala, India. This arboreal tree spider is mostly found in dead red pine, jack fruit, and white pine trees and recorded from Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, Peppara Dam, Kallar, and Ponmudi areas between 900–1200 m elevations in Kerala. It is morphologically similar to P. ornata Pocock, 1899, which is distributed in Sri Lanka.

First record of Psechrus hartmanni Bayer, 2012 (Araneae: Psechridae) from India

The spider Psechrus hartmanni Bayer, 2012 is recorded for the first time from India. The species is redescribed and illustrated based on female specimen collected from Tamil Nadu State of India.

Molecular characteristics of Bombus (Alpinobombus) polaris from North Greenland with comments on its general biology and phylogeography

The bumble bee Bombus polaris (Curtis 1835) is known from the northernmost region of Greenland. But how it can survive there, where in terms of geographic origin it came from, and which species in addition to B. pyrrhopygus (Friese 1902) genetically it is most closely related to are insufficiently answered questions that have motivated us to carry out this study. On the basis of a molecular analysis of the cytochrome oxidase I gene of a B. (Alpinobombus) polaris from North Greenland (82° 48′ N; 42° 14′ W), we conclude that the female specimen we analysed was most closely related to the Canadian populations of B. polaris. Geographic proximity, occurrence of B. polaris on Ellesmere Island and wind direction are likely factors that have aided B. polaris to establish itself in northern and eastern Greenland. The presence of five haplotypes in the studied sequences from Greenland indicates a moderately high level of genetic diversity of B. polaris in Greenland, reflecting the successful adaptation of B. polaris populations. In the broader context of entomological life in the high Arctic, our results on B. polaris allow us to conclude that the survival of pollinating species in the high Arctic under the changing climate scenario depends not only on the weather but also on an individual’s opportunity to continue to locate suitable food sources, i.e. pollen and nectar in the case of B. polaris. This aspect, briefly touched upon in this study, is of relevance not just to B. polaris, but the Arctic entomofauna generally.

A new species of the bee genus Ammobates Latreille, 1809 from sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The cleptoparasitic bee Ammobates (Ammobates) roggeveldi n. sp. is described from a female specimen collected in western South Africa. This is only the second species of the genus recorded from sub-Saharan Africa.

Présence d’Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1773) dans le domaine Afrotropical occidental (Odonata, Libellulidae)

Presence of Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1773) in the western Afrotropical realm (Odonata, Libellulidae). Surveys carried out over the past fifteen years on the entire Beninese territory, in order to update the local Odonata fauna, enabled the collection in 2013 of a female specimen of Orthetrum sabina. This capture is, to our knowledge, the first established in the Afrotropical realm of West Africa.

Morphological description of a new specimen of Herpetoreas burbrinki Guo et al 2014 (Serpentes: Colubridae)

The original description of Burbrink’s Keelback, Herpetoreas burbrinki was based on a sole damaged specimen collected from Zayu County, Xizang Autonomous Region, China in September 2007. On 16 August 2019, we collected a second live adult female specimen from the type locality. The identity of the species is established based on morphological and molecular comparison with the holotype. One mitochondrial gene (Cytb) and three nuclear genes (C-mos, Rag1, NT3) of the new specimen were sequenced. The four sequences all share the same haplotypes with the holotype. We describe the coloration in life, variation with the type and expand the morphological description of this species.