One new genus and nine new species of Staphylinidae are described from Baltic amber, namely Palaeosepedophilus gen.n. and the species P. succinicus sp.n., Lathrobium balticum sp.n., Lathrobium succini sp.n., Lathrobium ambricum sp.n., Lathrobium jantaricum sp.n., Sepedophilus balticus sp.n., Dictyon antiquus sp.n., Phymatura electrica sp.n., Aleochara baltica sp.n. Their affinity with related species is discussed.
Afroaltica subaptera, a new genus and species of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) from the eastern regions of southern Africa (Eastern Transvaal and Kwazulu-Natal), is described. Afroaltica gen. n. shows some similarities with the genus Dibolia Latreille, 1829 but it is easily distinguishable mainly by the simple-shaped apical spur of hind tibiae, not bifid. External habitus, scanning electronic micrographs of particular morphological features and line drawings of metafemoral spring and male and female genitalia of the new taxon are provided.
A new genus, Afromuelleria gen. n., assigned to the tribe Trachyphloeini Lacordaire, 1863, is described for four South African species of weevils: A. awelani sp. n., A. baobab sp. n., A. limpopo sp. n. and A. venda sp. n. All species are illustrated and keyed. Taxonomic status of the new genus is discussed and compared with similar genera of Trachyphloeini and Embrithini Marshall, 1942.
This study describes Galaicodytes (gen. n.) caurelensis (sp. n.) which was captured in a limestone cave in the lower Cambric of NW Spain. It is the first known cave-dwelling Platynini in the western Palaearctic region and shows unique morphological adaptations to cave life. The taxonomic position is based on comprehensive character analysis, including external anatomical, male genitalic, and female genitalic and reproductive tract characters. Certain problems concerning its taxonomic position in relation to other genera are discussed and different ecologic and biogeographic aspects are analysed.
A new genus and species, Horakia kubani gen. n., sp. n., of Meligethinae from Thailand are described and compared with the closely related genus Cryptarchopria Jelínek. Cryptarchopria infima (Grouvelle) is recorded from the islands Ambon and Seram (Maluku, Indonesia), and its association with flowers of the palm Areca catechu L. is established for the first time. Diagnostic characters of the genus Kabakovia Kirejtshuk, 1979 are discussed, and Kabakovia latipes (Grouvelle, 1908) is recorded from Nepal for the first time.
A new genus, Trurlia Jałoszyński, in the tribe Cephenniini (Scydmaenidae: Scydmaeninae) is described. The type species is T. insana sp. n. from Sumatra; females of an undescribed species are also reported to occur in W Malaysia. Trurlia most closely resembles Cephennomicrus Reitter, but it is the first genus of the Scydmaenidae with entirely fused antennomeres 10 and 11, forming a large, oval, abruptly separated club. Based on a disarticulated female of Trurlia sp., the detailed morphology of the new genus is described and illustrated, and possible relationships with other genera of the tribe are discussed. Comments on evolution, polarity of characters and feeding strategy of the Cephenniini are included.
Paleoripiphorus deploegi gen. n., sp. n. and Macrosiagon ebboi sp. n., described from two French Albo-Cenomanian ambers (mid Cretaceous), are the oldest definitely identified representatives of the Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae. They belong to or are closely related to extant genera of this coleopteran subfamily. Together with Myodites burmiticus Cockerell, 1917 from the Albian Burmese amber, they demonstrate that the group is distinctly older than suggested by the hitherto available fossil record. By inference after the biology of the extant Ripiphorinae, Macrosiagon ebboi may have been parasitic on wasps and Paleoripiphorus deploegi on bees, suggesting that Apoidea may have been present in the Lower Cretaceous.