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The understudied locality of Tasgorosay tract, Karzhantau ridge in Kazakhstan offers an interesting, yet very homologous array of fossil insects. The material used for this research was comprised nearly solely of the cockroaches Caloblattina hrachova Majtaník and Praeblattela solus Majtaník, spp. n. (n = 15, 2, respectively), with the former being seemingly much more common. Tasgorosailus orlovskajae Gorokhov, 1990 was also present (n = 2). Phylogenetical relation of these two species suggests a Lower Cretaceous age of the sedimentary rocks containers. The near absence of insects other than Blattaria might result from the taphonomic situation of predepositional transport and duration of pre-burial in the waterbody. Organic matter in the sediment suggests that cockroaches lived at the edge of a wetland located near a freshwater lake. The stagnant regime of the lake, high algal primary productivity, and the supply of terrestrial vegetation resulted in the formation of an anoxic regime at the bottom, where the deposited organic matter was decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. Wildfires of coastal wetland vegetation and especially the gases escaping from the smouldering swamp could have negatively affected the cockroaches' behavior, which ultimately could have contributed to their standard mortality. Burying into fine sediments resulted in detailed wing impressions. Slow anaerobic microbial decomposition led to the removal of bodies and then also chitin from the exoskeleton of fossilising cockroaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With this fourth update of the soldier beetles (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) of the Anders Damgaard amber collection, we are providing descriptions of a new genus and seven new fossil species. From the Baltic amber: Cantharis (Cantharis) kviumi sp. nov. and Podistra (Absidia) mattheseni sp. nov. From the Burmese amber: Elektrokleinia steffenseni sp. nov., Poinarelektronmiles ellenbergeri gen. et sp. nov., Sanaungulus lethi sp. nov., Sanaungulus morellii sp. nov., and Sanaungulus rosenzweigi sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new family, Cretostylopidae Kathirithamby and Engel, is erected to accommodate the mid-Cretaceous species Cretostylops engeli Grimaldi and Kathirithamby. Based on this as well as various other recent works pertaining to the higher classification of Strepsiptera, a revised key is provide to the living and fossil families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus is established for two engimatic Old World ripidiine beetle species. Neopauroripidius Falin and Engel, new genus (Ripidiinae: Ripidiini), exhibits many unique features indicative of a relationship to the fossil genus Pauroripidius Kaupp and Nagel as well as a distinct extra notal sclerite not otherwise known among the Ripiphoridae. The arrangement of sclerites in the thoracic notum permits a reinterpretation of homologies. Brief comments on character transformations within Ripidiini and the affinities of the new genus are provided. The type species, Neopauroripidius darlingi Falin and Engel, new species, is described from the Philippines, while a second species, N. howdeni Falin and Engel, new species, is described from South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key to the genera of Ricaniidae occurring in Australia is provided along with an annotated checklist of the described species in each genus. Taxonomic changes include transfer of Privesa pronotalis Distant to Aprivesa Melichar as Aprivesa pronotalis (Distant) comb. nov.and transfer of Busas Jacobi to the Tropiduchidae: Gaetuliini. Ricania fusconebulosa Lallemand and R. pedicellata Jacobi are both transferred to the genus Euricania Melichar as Euricania fusconebulosa (Lallemand) comb. nov. and Euricania pedicellata (Jacobi) comb. nov. Epithalamium moirae sp. nov. is described from Western Australia. The known Australian Ricaniidae fauna includes 29 species in 10 genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus of velvety shore bugs, Pristinochterus gen. n., with one new species, Pristinochterus zhangi sp. n., are described. The specimens were collected from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation and Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in northeastern China. This finding represents the first record of fossil velvety shore bugs from China. Among the specimens, four well-preserved nymphs are reported for the first time. The placement of the new genus within Ochteridae is briefly discussed. A key to the world genera of Ochteridae is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This analysis of moth (Lepidoptera) communities colonizing an alien tree invading secondary rain forest vegetation in Melanesia examines the predictability of insect herbivorous communities across distances of tens to thousands of km and the effect of dispersal barriers on community composition in the tropics. Location Six secondary rain forest sites were studied within four equidistant yet distinct geographic areas of the New Guinea mainland and the Bismarck Archipelago, including two watershed areas (Madang and Sepik) on mainland New Guinea and the adjacent large island of New Britain and small island of Unea. Methods The analysis is based on feeding records obtained by quantitative sampling and rearing of caterpillars from the alien host Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae). It examines the variation in Lepidoptera community composition at six study sites distributed on three adjacent islands ranging in size from 30 to 865,000 km2. Results Spathodea campanulata was colonized by 54 folivorous species of Lepidoptera. Most of them were generalists, feeding on > 1 native plant family. However, the three most abundant species representing 83% of all individuals ( Acherontia lachesis, Hyblaea puera complex and Psilogramma menephron) were relatively host specific, feeding predominantly on a single native family that is not the Bignoniaceae. Most of the 23 species analysed in detail had a wide geographic distribution, including 13 species spanning the entire 1000-km study transect. While the Lepidoptera in two New Guinea areas 280 km apart were similar to each other, there was a discontinuity in species composition between New Guinea and the smaller islands. However, no negative effect of small islands on species richness was detected. Main conclusions Spathodea campanulata was rapidly colonized by folivorous Lepidoptera communities with species richness and dominance structure indistinguishable from the assemblages feeding on native hosts, despite its phylogenetic isolation from the native vegetation. Although most species were generalists, the highest population densities were reached by relatively specialized species, similar to the communities on native hosts. The species turnover across distances from 10 to 1000 km was relatively low as most of the species had wide geographic ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethylacetate was found to be suitable for washing pyraclofos from the insect body in experiments to determine the role of the cuticle in the penetration of pyraclofos into the body, and was recommended as a favorable solvent to study housefly resistance to pyraclofos. Three ml of ethylacetate washed off 99% of pyraclofos from the housefly body surface. The penetration through integument played an important role in resistance mechanism of the housefly to pyraclofos. There were considerable differences in penetration rate, excretion rate, and metabolism of the insect body between the resistant (YBOL) and susceptible (SRS) strains of housefly. In penetration study, the YBOL (resistant) strain showed a slightly greater inhibition of penetration than the SRS strain during 1 h after treatment at both the 8, 000-dpm and 4, 000-dpm treatments. Therefore, the reduced penetration rate of pyraclofos is one of the resistance mechanisms in the YBOL strain of housefly even though there were no significant differences of radioactivity between the YBOL and SRS strains after 2 h. For both 8, 000-dpm and 4, 000-dpm treatments, radioactivity in the YBOL surface extract was somewhat higher than in that of SRS, while radioactivity in the housefly body of SRS was higher than that of YBOL. Excretion rate was faster in the resistant housefly. This suggests that metabolic process might be also one of the resistance mechanisms of housefly to pyraclofos. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rhomboptera selangorensis, n. sp. is described from Peninsular Malaysia. A key, descriptions and illustrations of the new species are provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]