Vol 98, No 5 (2018)

A taxonomic revision of the tenebrionid-beetle genus Hedyphanes Fischer von Waldheim, 1820 from Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, Iran and Afghanistan is presented. The history of the classification of this genus is described; the descriptions, synonymy, bibliography, data on the distribution and ecology, and a key to 19 species are given. Four new species are described: H. kadlecisp. n. (Iran: Ardabil Province), H. igorisp. n (Iran: Semnan Province), H. aalbuisp. n (Iran: Qum Province), and H. afghanicussp. n (Afghanistan: Herat Province). Hedyphanes tuxeni Kaszab, 1959 is recorded for Iran and H. kiritshenkoi is recorded for Uzbekistan for the first time The following new synonymies are established: Hedyphanes besseri Faldermann, 1837 = H. parvicollis Seidlitz, 1896, syn. n.; Hedyphanes seidlitzi Reitter, 1914 = H. albertus Reitter, 1922, syn. n., and Hedyphanes bodemeyeri Reitter, 1914 = H. gebieni Reitter, 1914, syn. n. Hedyphanes kuschkensis Kaszab, 1960 is interpreted as a subspecies: H. seidlitzi kuschkensis stat. n. Lectotypes of Hedyphanes koltzei Heyden, 1892, H. europs Reitter, 1914, and H. bodemeyeri Reitter, 1914 are designated.

Interspecific and sex-related variations in the wing shape of 22 species of the fly subfamily Dolichopodinae, family Dolichopodidae were analyzed using geometric morphometrics. Mapping morphometric traits onto phylogeny revealed a clear phylogenetic signal in the interspecific variation and sexual dimorphism of wing shape. In some cases, not too closely related species occupied the same portion of the morphometric space, indicating some degree of homoplasy. Interspecific variation was associated with an increased wing area due to both elongation and widening or only elongation of the wing. An increase in wing area was accompanied by extension of the posterior crossvein to the apical part of the wing. The variation in wing shape related to sexual dimorphism involved the same structures (the posterior crossvein and the apical part of CuA₁), but variation associated with sexual dimorphism was distributed in fewer dimensions than interspecific variation. The allometric component of sexual dimorphism varied between species, and in most cases it was not the leading factor in wing shape variability.

The granulosus subgroup of Plinthus is revised. Plinthus frivaldszkyi Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. and P. mananauricus Davidian et Savitsky, sp. n. from the Caucasus are described. New data on the morphology and geographic distribution of P. granulosus Reitter, 1884, P. abdurakhmanovi Davidian, 1995, and P. kataevi Davidian, 1992 and a key to five species of the granulosus subgroup are presented.

A brief review of the Megeremaeus species of the world fauna is given, and the synonymy of Ctenobelba (Aokibelba) rameus (Wen et Zhao, 1993) comb. n. = C. (A.) polysetosa (Aoki et Yamamoto, 2000) syn. n. is established. A description of the new species Megeremaeus sikhotealinus sp. n., found in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, is provided. The trichobothria in the new species are slightly expanded in the distal third, placed on a long stalk, and covered with small setulae. The interlamellar setae are barbed, apically blunt, and half as long as the trichobothria. The translamellar ridge is well developed in the lower basal part, and there is a thin ridge connecting the cusps of lamellae together and to the ends of the tutoria. The notogastral setae are covered with sparse hairs; many of these setae extend to or beyond the bases of the posterior setae. There are 2 pairs of anal setae. The discidium is pointed. Companion setae d on genua I–III are blunt, slightly expanded in the middle part, and covered with small setulae.