Vol 97, No 8 (2017)

Callodictya kazeruna (Dlabola, 1986) described from southern Iran is recorded here for the first time from Eastern Anatolia in Turkey. A key to the two known species of the genus Callodictya Melichar, 1912 is given.

Previously unknown larvae of Trox ussuriensis Balthasar, T. koreanus Kim, T. zoufali Balthasar, and Glyptotrox ineptus (Balthasar) of the family Trogidae are described and illustrated. The larva of T. ussuriensis differs from that of T. sabulosus (Linnaeus) in the shape of setae on the abdominal tergite I and in the chaetotaxy of the head capsule. The larva of T. koreanus differs from those of T. zoufali and T. scaber (Linnaeus) in the chaetotaxy of the head capsule, clypeus, and labrum. The larva of T. zoufali is very similar to those of T. koreanus and T. scaber but differs in the chaetotaxy of the head capsule. The larva of Glyptotrox ineptus is similar to that of G. mandli (Balthasar) but differs in the chaetotaxy of the head capsule and in the presence of furrows on the frons. An original key to the known larvae of the family Trogidae of the fauna of the Russian Far East is given.

New data on the distribution and taxonomy of some Palaearctic species of click-beetles of the subfamily Agrypninae are given. The external morphology and genitalia of the previously unknown females of Compsolacon korotjaevi Gur. and C. agrestis (Vats et Kash.) comb. n. are described. Several taxa are recorded from the following territories for the first time: the genus Eumoeus Cand. from the Palaearctic Region, the species Compsolacon agrestiscomb. n. and C. himalayanus Jag. from Afghanistan, Compsolacon turkestanicus (Schw.) from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, Danosoma conspersum (Gyll.) from Kazakhstan, Lacon quadrinodatus Lew. from Russia, and L. unicolor (Cand.) from Iraq. Several Northern Indian species of Agrypnus Esch. are transferred to Compsolacon Rtt., and their systematic positions are briefly discussed: C. agrestis, C. inlustris (Vats et Kash.), C. jacksoni (Vats et Kash.), C. kuluensis (Vats et Kash.), C. maisus (Vats et Kash.), C. planocorpus (Vats et Kash.), C. rameshi (Vats et Kash.), C. repercussus (Vats et Kash.), C. solanensis (Vats et Kash.), C. souslapisus (Vats et Kash.), C. subargillus (Vats et Kash.), C. subfaenum (Vats et Kash.) and C. sublapideus (Vats et Kash.) (all comb. n.). The following new combinations are also established: Compsolacon aequalis (Cand.) comb. n. and Compsolacon brachychaetus (Kollar) comb. n. (both ex Lacon). The following new synonymies are established: Lacon funebris (Sols.) = Adelocera grisea Schw., syn. n.; = Adelocera incompta Kr., syn. n.; Eumoeus murrayi Cand. = Tetralobus quadrifoveatus Vats et Kash., syn. n.

A list of species of Limacodidae from Taiwan is given (58 species, 43 genera). Six new species are described: Calauta obscura sp. n., Ceratonema apodina sp. n., Trichogyia concava sp. n., Neiraga fulva sp. n., Sansarea formosana sp. n., and Griseothosea rufula sp. n. The species Mastumurides bicolor (Shiraki, 1913) comb. n. is transferred from the genus Thosea Walker, 1855, thus forming a new generic combination.

The article presents new and currently the most thorough data on the fauna of ectoparasites of the Siberian bat Myotis sibiricus Kastschenko, 1905 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), a species belonging to the Siberian–Far Eastern bat fauna complex and previously regarded as a subspecies of Brandt’s bat M. brandtii s. l. A revision of the literature and collection material on ectoparasites of Brandt’s bat and the whiskered bat in the old interpretation was performed. The data on the parasite fauna of the Siberian bat in the territory of Khakassia, Irkutsk Province, Buryatia, and Yakutia are reported for the first time. The Siberian bat is regarded as the principal host for some species of parasitic arthropods: the gamasid mites Spinturnix mystacinus and Macronyssus sibiricus and the bat fly Basilia truncata. The total ectoparasite fauna of M. sibiricus in Siberia and the Russian Far East comprises 23 species of arthropods, 10 of which have been recorded based on new data and 7, as the result of revision of the taxonomic status of the hosts. The gamasid mite Cryptonyssus flexus is recorded from the Eastern Palaearctic for the first time.

The paper deals with peculiarities of flea structure determined by their parasitism on mammals and birds. On the basis of the data on diversity of morphological characters, the leading role of structures of the frontal and nototrochanteral complexes in the adaptive evolution of Siphonaptera is substantiated. Peculiarities of the pulicoid, ischnopsylloid, palaeopsylloid, and generalized morphological types are analyzed together with examples of narrow morphological specializations. Distribution of fleas of these morphological types over five groups of hosts differing in the degree of mobility and association with nests and burrows is also analyzed.

The first data on blood-sucking ectoparasitic larvae of Neottiophilum praeustum (Meig.) which develop in bird nests are presented in Russia, with the fieldfare Turdus pilaris L. as a host example. Larval development takes not more than 10–12 days but no puparia are formed until late autumn. The larvae of Neottiophilum resemble those of calliphorid flies both in body structure and life mode. The main diagnostic characters of Neottiophilum larvae distinguishing them from calliphorid ones are the spiracular disk of the posterior spiracles being positioned dorsal rather than ventral to the stigmal plate and lying outside rather than inside its peritreme. In addition, the anterior spiracles have 14–15, rather than 3–8 spiracular chambers.

Research conducted in August and September 2016 in the city of Kiev (Ukraine). A total of 8 places of the possible location of invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus Van Loon, Boomsma & Andrasfalvy, 1990 were observed. Only one monocalic colony of L. neglectus was discovered. The forage area of L. neglectus is bounded by asphalted area on three sides. We consider that the invasion of L. neglectus at an early stage can be successful under the following conditions: (a) Favorable temperature. Mitigating of the climate during the winter months in recent years contributed to the consolidation of L. neglectus in Kiev. (b) Spatial separation of nests and foraging trails of native dominant ant species. In our case, L. neglectus colony was found on the site free of other ants. (c) Visiting trees, where native ant species are few or absent. This one partially overlaps with the previous condition.

Apocathema zapallarensis sp. n. is described from a hygrophilous forest in coastal central Chile, being the second species of its genus. It differs from Apocathema lukashevitshae Emeljanov, 2016 by the more basally positioned, shorter, and cranially concave lobes of the styli and unforked apex of the ventral process of the penis.