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Synopeas from New Guinea is revised, including 16 new species and four previously named species. The concepts for these species were developed in conjunction with a CO1 analysis that includes 16 New Guinean species and 3 Synopeas species from other regions. The molecular analysis determined that the New Guinea fauna does not form a clade, indicating multiple migrations. The following species are described and keyed: S. amandae Awad, sp. nov.; S. anunu Awad, sp. nov.; S. butterilli Buhl; S. codex Awad, sp. nov.; S. csoszi Buhl; S. kalubia Awad, sp. nov.; S. kiki Awad, sp. nov.; S. kira Awad, sp. nov.; S. klingunculum Awad, sp. nov.; S. luli Awad, sp. nov.; S. occultum Awad, sp. nov.; S. pattiae Awad, sp. nov.; S. psychotriae Buhl; S. pterocarpi Buhl; S. pulupulu Awad, sp. nov.; S. roncavei Awad, sp. nov.; S. sanga Awad, sp. nov.; S. toto Awad, sp. nov.; S. valavala Awad, sp. nov.; S. zhangi Awad, sp. nov.Leptacis pleuralis (Buhl), comb. nov. is transferred from Synopeas. Images of 56 holotypes of Synopeas are made publicly available online.

Two new species of Dzhanokmenia Kostjukov (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), D. stefaniolae Li, Wang & Hu, sp. nov. and D. yuxuannis Li, Wang & Hu, sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. D. stefaniolae was reared from stem-galls made by Stefaniola sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on black saxaul, Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae); D. yuxuannis was collected by sweeping from both black saxaul and white saxaul, H. persicum, in Beishawo Desert near Fukang. A key to females of all known species of Dzhanokmenia is provided.

The geographic distribution of four gall-inducing species, Asphondylia cordiae Mohn, 1959, A. serrata Maia, 1994, Bruggmanniella byrsonimae Maia & Couri, 1993 and B. doliocarpi Maia, 2010 (Diptera, Cecidomyidae) is widened based on the examination of galled exsiccates of two Brazilian herbaria, one in Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro) and the other in Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. New records include one country, one phytogeographic domain, eigth states and five municipalities. The distributional area of each gall midge species is compared with that of its host plant.

The genusAsteralobia(Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Asphondyliini, Schizomyiina) was erected by Kovalev (1964) based on the presence of constrictions on the cylindrical male flagellomeres. In the present study, we examine the morphological features ofAsteralobiaandSchizomyiaand found that the male flagellomeres are constricted also inSchizomyiagaliorum, the type species ofSchizomyia. Because no further characters clearly separatingAsteralobiafromSchizomyiawere observed, we synonymizeAsteralobiaunderSchizomyia. Molecular phylogenetic analysis strongly supports our taxonomic treatment. We describe five new species ofSchizomyiafrom Japan,S.achyranthesaeElsayed & Tokuda,sp. n.,S.diplocyclosaeElsayed & Tokuda,sp. n.,S.castanopsisaeElsayed & Tokuda,sp. n.,S.usubaiElsayed & Tokuda,sp. n., andS.paederiaeElsayed & Tokuda,sp. n., and redescribe three species,S.galiorumKieffer,S.patriniaeShinji, andS.asterisKovalev. A taxonomic key to the JapaneseSchizomyiaspecies is provided.

The genusPseudasphondylia(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Asphondyliini: Asphondyliina) comprises ten Palearctic, Oriental and Australian species associated with various hosts belonging to at least ten plant families.A new species,PseudasphondyliatominagaiElsayed & Tokuda n. sp., that induces flower bud galls onEleutherococcusspinosus(L.f.) S.Y.Hu (Araliaceae) is described. This species is considered to alternate between host plants seasonally. A key to males of knownPseudasphondyliaspecies is provided.

Clinodiplosisquartelensis sp. nov. (holotype male in MNRJ: Brazil, Minas Gerais State), a new gall midge species causing leaf galls on Banisteriopsismembranifolia (A. Juss.) B. Gates (Malpighiaceae), an endemic liana in Brazil, is described based on larva, pupa, adult male and female and its gall is characterized. Galls were collected in Quartel de São João, state of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Larvae were removed from the galls and pupae and adults were obtained by rearing. Pupation takes place in the gall. The most important morphological characters were illustrated. The new species is compared with other Neotropical species of Clinodiplosis and belongs to the group with simple tarsal claws, curved beyond tarsus midlength. Clinodiplosisquartelensis sp. nov. shares the male cercus secondarily lobed, the 12th female flagellomere with setulose apical process, the deeply bilobed male hypoproct with convergent lobes, pupa lacking dorsal spines on abdominal segments, and larva with four pairs of setose terminal papillae with C.bellum from that might be distinguished by size of palpus, wing venation, level of sclerotization of eighth abdominal segment in the adults, as well as, by the pupal cephalic dorsal plate and larval spatula.

A population of the gall midge Pumilomyia protrahenda De Stefani, 1919 causing galls on Artemisia arborescens (Asteraceae) was discovered near Palermo (Sicily) in 2008. This species had not been found since 1918. Detailed study of morphological characters of adults, larvae and pupae revealed that Pumilomyia protrahenda belongs to the genus Rhopalomyia Rübsaamen, 1892, tribe Rhopalomyiini. The monotypic genus Pumilomyia De Stefani, 1919 is therefore synonymized under Rhopalomyia Rübsaamen, 1892. Rhopalomyia protrahenda comb. n. is redescribed, with important morphological characters illustrated. Adults have one-segmented palpi, antennae with 12–13 short flagellomeres and long legs with simple tarsal claws. A neotype is designated in the present paper because the type of this species is lost. The host plant has a circum-Mediterranean distribution but the gall midge is currently known only from Sicily, where it completes several generations between January and May.

In 2008–2009, we reared small ceraphronids (about 0.5 mm in body length) from cocoons that had been made possibly by two acarivorous species, Feltiella acarisuga (Vallot) and Feltiella acarivora (Zehntner) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Okinawa, Japan. Detailed morphological observation revealed that the ceraphronid was a new species of Aphanogmus Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronidae). We describe it as Aphanogmus flavigastris Matsuo, sp. n. Identification of the Aphanogmus species is essential to evaluate its possibly negative effects on the predatory activity of Feltiella species that have been used as control agents against tetranychid mites.

PlatygasteringeniosusMatsuo & Yamagishi,sp. n.andP.urniphilaMatsuo & Yamagishi,sp. n.(Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) are described from Japan. The former species is an egg-larval solitary parasitoid ofMasakimyiapustulaeYukawa and Sunose (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). The latter species is an egg-larval gregarious parasitoid ofRhopalomyialongitubifex(Shinji) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae).

Schismatodiplosis lantanae (Rübsaamen, 1908) (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) induces leaf galls in Lantana camara L., L. urticifolia Mill. and L. hispida Kunth (Verbenaceae). The previous records of S. lantanae in Brazil included only the states of Rio de Janeiro (Southeast Region) and Santa Catarina (South Region). In this study, the geographic distribution of this galling species is extended to the states of Pará and Rondônia (North Region), Pernambuco (Northeast Region), Minas Gerais (Southeast Region), and four municipalities of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Casimiro de Abreu, Mangaratiba, Rio das Ostras and Valença).

The European species of Omphale Haliday (Eulophidae: Entedoninae) are revised. The revision includes 37 species, of which eleven are newly described and the remaining 26 species are redescribed. The species are classified into six species groups, with six unplaced species. All species are fully diagnosed and thoroughly illustrated. Identification keys are provided for females and males. Two new morphological features to aid classification and identification are introduced: male genitalia and wing interference patterns (WIPs). The former has been used successfully in the classification of New World Omphale and the latter is used for the first time in a taxonomic revision. Male genitalia in Omphale have considerable interspecific variation, an unusual trait among chalcidoid Hymenoptera, and are demonstrated to be useful for classification of species and species-groups, and they also possess the only autapomorphy for Omphale. WIPs are useful to help separate some species, but cannot be used to define either the genus or species groups. Distributional data are compiled for each species and suggest a pan-european distribution for most species. Gall-midges are the known hosts for 14 species, and the absence of host overlap between species suggests that host specialization is a driving force for speciation. Several Omphale species are known only from females, or have a strong female biased sex ratio, suggesting thelytokous development. Apart from the 37 species included in this revision, the status for nine additional species (names) in species group aetius remain unsolved. For nomenclatorial stability, a neotype is designated for Eulophus lugens Nees (= Omphale lugens (Nees)). Elachestus obscurus Förster and Derostenus sulciscuta Thomson are transferred from Holcopelte to Omphale comb.n. Derostenus radialis Thomson and Achrysocharella americana Girault are synonymized with Omphale theana (Walker), and O. teresis Askew is synonymized with O. phruron (Walker), syn. n. The status of genus Pholema Graham is revised as it is removed from synonymy with Omphale and instead synonymized with Neochrysocharis Kurdjumov, syn. n., and the type species for Pholema, P. microstoma Graham, is transferred to Neochrysocharis, comb. n. Eugerium orbatum Szelényi, previously transferred to Omphale, is synonymized with Asecodes congruens (Nees), syn. n.

Of the 19,400 native species and 125 families forming the European diptera fauna, 98 species (less than 0.5%) in 22 families are alien to Europe. Th ese aliens constitute 66 species (18 families) of the suborder Brachycera and 32 species (4 families) of the suborder Nematocera. By family in this category, there are 23 Cecidomyiidae species, 18 Drosophilidae, nine Phoridae, eight Tachinidae and seven Culicidae. Another 32 fl y species belonging to fi ve families are considered to be alien in Europe. Th ese invasives native to other European countries are composed of 14 species of Cecidomyiidae, seven Syrphidae, fi ve Culicidae and three species each of Anthomyiidae and Tephritidae. Th e date of the fi rst record in Europe is known for 84 alien species. Arrivals of alien species of Diptera have accelerated rapidly since the second half of the 20 th century. North America appears to be the dominant contributor of the alien fl ies. Th e majority of alien Diptera were introduced into or within Europe unintentionally, with only three predators released intentionally for biological control. Alien Diptera are predominantly phytophagous (35.6%), while a lesser portion are zoophagous (28.6%) or detrivorous /mycetophagous (29.6%). Ecological impacts on native fauna and fl ora have not been documented for any of the alien species established in Europe. However, 14 alien species have economic impacts on crops.

Mikania glomerata (Asteraceae) hosts eight gall midge species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), each one responsible for a different gall morphotype. In a survey conducted in Recanto das Cigarras, Viçosa, Minas Gerais state (Brazil), we found three of these eight gall midges: Liodiplosis cylindrica, L. spherica, and Asphondylia glomeratae, each exhibiting a low infestation rate. This study offers an updated geographic distribution of these three gall midge species, recorded for the first time in Minas Gerais state.

Calophyllum brasiliense, a Neotropical species, hosts seven galling Cecidomyiidae reported only for Brazil. Our hypothesis is the distribution of the galling insects associated with C. brasiliense is similar to that of the host plant. We checked gall occurrence by field sampling and by searching data in literature and herbaria. Current results indicate that the occurrence of galling Cecidomyiidae associated with C. brasiliense extends to 13 Brazilian states, as well as to 11 countries of Neotropical America.

Galls are morphological changes caused by endoparasites on plants, mainly related to insects. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of gall richness. In this study, we tested the harsh environment hypothesis, which suggests higher galling richness in xeric habitats when compared to mesic habitats. In addition, we describe the richness of gall induced-insects on their host plants in a transition Cerrado-Caatinga, Brazil. Sampling was performed along of five trajectory of an “imaginary line,” traveled at a natural walking pace over the course of one hour in each of the three adjacent habitats (cerrado, dry forest and riparian forest). We found 98 different morphospecies of galling insects on 70 plant species belonging to 20 families. Gall richness was higher in the xeric habitats (cerrado and dry forest) when compared to mesic habitat (riparian forest). Gall richness differed significantly among the gall-inducing taxa; most galls morphospecies were induced by the Diptera (Cecidomyiidae). In general, richness of all gall-inducing taxa was higher in the xeric habitats than in the mesic habitat. The highest gall richness was found on leaves of the host plants of the riparian forest and cerrado, while the stem represented the organ most attacked in the dry forest. Although there is lower availability of sites for oviposition by female galling in the dry forest during the dry season, we found higher gall richness in this environment when compared to riparian forest. In this way, confirming the harsh environment hypothesis despite the absence of leaves. Likely, there was high gall irradiation on organ exposed continuously to gall attack during ecological time in dry forest. However, further studies are needed to clarify the forces related to differential gall performance among habitats, particularly in threatened Cerrado-Caatinga transition. Key words: Cerrado, seasonally dry tropical forests, harsh environment hypothesis, galling insects, host plants.

Four gall midge species (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), Bruggmannia acaudata, B. elongata, B. robusta, and Pisphondylia brasiliensis, are recorded for the first time in the State of Bahia. All of them induce galls on Guapira opposita (Nyctaginaceae), the first three in leaves and the fourth in buds.

Lopesia grandis (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is recorded for the first time in the state of Bahia. This species induces leaf galls on Dalbergia ecastophyllum (L.) Taub. (Fabaceae). The previous records included only the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, so the geographic distribution of this galling species is extended to the Northeast region of Brazil.

Lopesia similis Maia, 2004 (Insecta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) is recorded for the first time in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. This species induces leaf galls on Protium heptaphyllum March (Burseraceae).

In this study we perform an inventory of the insect leaf galls of the Parque Nacional das Emas, Goiás State, Brazil. We found 97 gall morphotypes, distributed on 24 botanical families comprising 37 genera and 55 species. The plant taxa that showed the greatest richness of galls were the families Myrtaceae, with 17 morphotypes and Fabaceae with 14, and the genera Myrcia (Myrtaceae) and Qualea (Vochysiaceae) with 10 and eight morphotypes, respectively. The plant species Andira cujabensis Benth. (Fabaceae) and Myrcia guianensis (Aubl.) DC., with four morphotypes each, were the most diverse. We found galling insects belonging to Diptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. The galling insects of family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the most common inducing 38.1% of the gall morphotypes. All recorded gall morphotypes are first records to Parque Nacional das Emas. Among the 55 host plant species listed in the survey, 16 species (20%) have the first report of hosting galls.

This checklist comprises parts of the larger checklist of the Hymenoptera of the British Isles; the terms of reference and methodology are explained in Broad (2014). Country level distribution records, as reported here, are mainly taken from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), with additional sources cited. The Ceraphronoidea comprises two extant families, the Ceraphronidae and Megaspilidae, represented by 28 and 64 valid species in the British Isles. Representatives of the British families and subfamilies of Ceraphronoidea are shown in Fig. 1​1a,a, ​,c,c, ​,d. Thered. There has been very little recent work on the British and Irish Ceraphronoidea and it is generally a rather neglected group of parasitoids. The genus Dendrocerus is an exception: several species are frequently reared as hyperparasitoids of aphids or from other aphid-associated insects and their taxonomy has been revised (Fergusson 1980). Much remains to be discovered about the biology and taxonomy of ceraphronoids. Whilst at least some megaspilids are known to be ectoparasitoid idiobionts (Haviland 1920), including Dendrocerus, the Ceraphronidae contains ecto- and endoparasitoids; within the same genus (Aphanogmus) some species seem to be endoparasitoids (e.g. Parnell 1963) and others ectoparasitoids (Luhman et al. 1999, Evans et al. 2005), with idiobiosis and koinobiosis both reported in the literature. Whilst hosts of both ceraphronids and megaspilids seem to be centred on Diptera there are many exceptions and the range of hosts of the superfamily spans several orders. Nomenclature here follows Johnson and Musetti (2004) a rather full synonymy is given as there is only a very small body of literature dealing with ceraphronoids in a British context, so most names are unfamiliar to most entomologists. Habitus of representative British Ceraphronoidea (scale bar = 1 mm). Figure 1a. Ceraphronidae: Aphanogmus abdominalis (Thomson) female, ex galls of Dasineura odoratae Stelter (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Viola odorata, England, Surrey, Ripley, July 2007, coll. K.M. Harris, det. P. Buhl (BMNH(E)#1022373).