Ocnogyna mooseri, a new peculiar species from Libya (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae)

A new species of the genus Ocnogyna Graslin, [1837], O. mooseri sp. n. is described from north-eastern Libya. The female of the new species is fully winged but differs from all known species groups of Ocnogyna in a number of diagnostic features and is also externally reminiscent of Tajigyna gansoni Dubatolov, 1990 endemic to Tajikistan. The diagnostic comparison is made with the North African Ocnogyna advena (Fabricius, 1787) having externally similar males but brachypterous females and to the externally dissimilar Ocnogyna parasita (Hübner, 1790) species group having the most similar female genitalia structures.

Revision of Malagasy species of the genus Merma Weise (Coccinellidae: Epilachnini)

Malagasy Epilachnini are one of the least studied groups of the herbivorous ladybird beetles. Most of the species were described in the 19th and 20th centuries and their position within the modern classification has never been examined. Here we provide results of detailed study of two species Epilachna hovana Sicard, 1907 and Peralda quadriguttata, Sicard, 1909 which are proposed to be transferred to the genus Merma Weise (comb. nov.). Detailed morphological analysis, photographs of male and female genitalia and a key to species are also provided.

Three cryptic Anaplecta (Blattodea, Blattoidea, Anaplectidae) species revealed by female genitalia, plus seven new species from China

Morphological characteristics, including male and female genitalia, combined with DNA barcodes were used to identify 470 Anaplecta specimens sampled from China. Ten Anaplecta species are new to science, including three cryptic species: A. paraomei Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. condensa Zhu & Che, sp. nov., and A. longihamata Zhu & Che, sp. nov., which are distinguished mainly by their female genitalia. The other seven new species are as follows: A. bicruris Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. spinosa Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. ungulata Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. anomala Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. serrata Zhu & Che, sp. nov., A. bombycina Zhu & Che, sp. nov., and A. truncatula Zhu & Che, sp. nov. This study illustrates that differences in female genitalia can be used to distinguish among species of Anaplecta. The female genitalia of 19 Chinese Anaplecta species are described and illustrated in this paper.

CALLIDIOPINI BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, CERAMBYCIDAE) IN THE COLLECTION OF MUSEUM ZOOLOGICUM BOGORIENSE, INDONESIA. PART II, GENITALIA AND TAXONOMY OF THE GENUS TETHIONEA PASCOE

Species of Tethionea Pascoe, 1869, Callidiopini, in the collection of Museum of Zoologicum Bogoriense are reviewed. Two new species of the genus are described, T. peggieae sp. nov. and T. oculata sp. nov., both from Papua Province, Indonesia. In addition, T. unicolor Pascoe, T. strumosa Pascoe and T. tridentata Pascoe are redescribed. Their male genitalia are documented and illustrated in detail. In particular, the ejaculatory duct complexes of endophalli are carefully observed, as well as 8th sternites and tergites. For T. oculata sp. nov., the female genitalia are described. Morphological and taxonomical aspects of these species are discussed.

Wyeomyia shannoni Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, a taxonomic puzzle (Diptera: Culicidae): synonymy, genus transfer, homonymy, and description of a new species of Sabethes Robineau-Desvoidy, 1827

We discovered the immature stages of Wyeomyia shannoni Lane & Cerqueira, 1942, unknown for almost 80 years, and found that they, as well as the adult male, are identical with those previously described for Sabethes (Peytonulus) paradoxus Harbach, 2002. Consequently, the species described by Lane and Cerqueira is here considered a senior synonym of Sa. paradoxus and is transferred to the genus Sabethes, hereafter named Sabethes (Peytonulus) shannoni (Lane & Cerqueira, 1942), comb. n. As the name shannoni is preoccupied in the genus Sabethes, the species known as Sabethes (Sabethes) shannoni Cerqueira, 1961 is here renamed Sabethes (Sabethes) cerqueirai Nascimento-Pereira, Neves, Lourenço-de-Oliveira & Motta, nom. n. We improved the morphological characterization of Sa. (Pey.) shannoni (Lane & Cerqueira) by including an illustration of the female genitalia, larval mouthparts and the female genital lobe of the pupa. Finally, we describe and illustrate a new species of Sabethes closely related to Sa. (Pey.) shannoni, named Sabethes (Peytonulus) harbachi Nascimento-Pereira, Guimarães, Lourenço-de-Oliveira & Motta, sp. n.

First record of the genus Lodosocoris Ahmad & Afzal (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Halyini) from India with description of a new species

The genus Lodosocoris Ahmad & Afzal, 1986 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Halyini) is recorded for the first time from India. Prior to this publication, the genus was monotypic so far, containing only Lodosocoris azhari Ahmad & Afzal, 1986 from Pakistan. Herein, the genus Lodosocoris is redescribed along with the description of Lodosocoris santhae sp. nov., based on specimens from Arunachal Pradesh, a region in northeastern India. Lodosocoris santhae sp. nov is described and illustrated based on male and female genitalia. The diagnostic characters of the new species are compared with L. azhari.

Thysanoptyx anomala, a new species from south-western China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)

A new species of the genus Thysanoptyx Hampson, 1894, T. anomala sp. n. is described from the north-western part of the Yunnan Province of China. The new species is similar to T. brevimacula (Alphéraky, 1897) widely distributed in mainland China. Adults, male and female genitalia of both species are illustrated.

Atypical functioning of female genitalia explains monandry in a butterfly

Monandrous species are rare in nature, especially in animals where males transfer nutrients to females in the ejaculate. The proximate mechanisms responsible for monandry are poorly studied. In butterflies and moths, the male transfers a nutritious spermatophore into the corpus bursae (CB) of the female. The CB is a multifunctional organ that digests the spermatophore and has partial control of the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female. The spermatophore distends the CB and the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female is inversely proportional to the degree of distension. The CB of many butterfly species has a muscular sheath whose contractions mechanically contribute to digest the spermatophore. As the contents of the CB are absorbed, the degree of distension decreases and the female recovers receptivity. We studied the monandrous butterfly Leptophobia aripa (Boisduval, 1836) (Pieridae) and found that females do not digest the spermatophores. We investigated the structure of the CB and found that a muscular sheath is absent, indicating that in this butterfly females lack the necessary “apparatus” for the mechanical digestion of the spermatophore. We propose that female monandry in this species is result of its incapability to mechanically digest the spermatophore, which results in a constant degree of CB distension after mating and, thus, in the maintenance of the sexually unreceptive state of females. Hypotheses on the evolution of this mechanism are discussed.

Cyana shirakawai, a new species from south-eastern Xizang, China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)

A new species of the genus Cyana Walker, 1854, Cyana shirakawai sp. n. is described from Motuo and Bomi Counties of the Xizang Autonomous Region of China. The diagnostic comparison is made with Cyana divakara (Moore, [1866]) and Cyana britomartis N. Singh & Volynkin, 2020. The lectotype is designated for Bizone divakara Moore, [1866]. Adults and male and female genitalia are illustrated.

Discovery of the new Coptotriche species in China revealed two novel host-plant families and host-plant orders for Tischeriidae, a family of stenophagous, leaf-mining lepidopterans

The article describes three new species of Coptotriche Walsingham, 1890 from China and adjacent northern Vietnam: C. camptotheca Xu & Dai, sp. nov. feeding on Camptotheca acuminata Decne. (Nyssaceae); C. turpinia Xu & Dai, sp. nov. feeding on Turpinia arguta (Lindl.) Seem. (Staphyleaceae); and C. asiana Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. The latter appeared to be a narrow oligophagous species feeding on various Symplocos Jacq.: S. sumuntia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, S. poilanei Guill., and Symplocos glauca (Thunb.) Koidz. (Symplocaceae). Nyssaceae and Staphyleaceae are novel host-plant families of Tischeriidae. The new species are illustrated with photographs of adults, male and female genitalia, and leaf mines. The article also briefly discusses about the proportion of monophagous and oligophagous species of Tischeriidae.