Search Results (91)

Twenty-two new species of the genus Rhamphomyia Meigen (Diptera: Empididae) are described and illustrated from different parts of the Palaearctic region (mostly from East Asia): Rhamphomyia (Calorhamphomyia) iridescens sp. nov. (Mongolia, Russia); R. (Pararhamphomyia) acuticauda sp. nov. (Slovakia); R. (P.) amurensis sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) angustitibia sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) basitarsata sp. nov. (China, Russia); R. (P.) bifurcata sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) epandriata sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) globulicauda sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) haladai sp. nov. (Kazakhstan); R. (P.) indigirka sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) krivosheinae sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) morgunovka sp. nov. (Turkmenistan); R. (P.) norgensis sp. nov. (Norway, Russia); R. (P.) nudifemorata sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) plutenkoi sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) sausai sp. nov. (China); R. (P.) schachti sp. nov. (Spain); R. (P.) seticauda sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) spinicauda sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) spiraliseta sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) subcurvitibia sp. nov. (Russia); R. (P.) zeegersi sp. nov. (Russia). Full article

The genus Phanerotoma Wesmael, 1838 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae, Phane- rotomini) is distributed across all six major zoogeographical regions, with the highest species diversity recorded in the Palaearctic Region. DNA barcoding provides a robust method for species identification, yet its effectiveness for the genus Phanerotoma is limited by the scarcity of reliable, species-level data from specific regions in public databases. This gap makes it essential to contribute comprehensive genetic resources to advance taxonomic research. This study presents a comprehensive COI dataset of 92 sequences for the genus Phanerotoma, employing both the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) method for species delimitation and the bPTP model for phylogenetic inference. The integrated analytical approach revealed 18 distinct species, including five new species; all species new to science are described and illustrated, and updates of the most recent key to the Chinese species are included. Full article

The prevention of trichinellosis is one of the most important tasks of the public veterinary services. In most EU countries, mandatory testing for parasites of the genus Trichinella includes domestic pigs as well as game species such as wild boar and bears. In Croatia, hunters occasionally also submit badger (Meles meles) meat for Trichinella testing. In addition to the samples from the genus Meles, samples from two other genera within the same family, Martes and Mustela, were analysed. These specimens were most frequently delivered to the laboratory, as roadkill, within a passive surveillance program for the rabies virus. During a 14-year study period, muscle samples from 40 badgers (M. meles), 11 martens (M. foina) and from one polecat (M. putorius) were examined using the artificial digestion method. Trichinella infection was confirmed in four badgers (10%) and one marten (9.1%). Molecular identification by multiplex PCR revealed T. spiralis and T. britovi in two badger specimens, while T. pseudospiralis was identified in a stone marten. Further genetic analysis of the T. pseudospiralis isolate demonstrated its belonging to the Palaearctic population. This study evaluates the epidemiological significance of these findings in relation to trichinellosis, the most important foodborne parasitosis in Croatia, and emphasizes the need for further epidemiological studies in the country targeting both Mustelidae and T. pseudospiralis in the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella. Full article

The study of Palaearctic enchytraeid taxonomic richness revealed the limitations of applying morphological identification methods to certain species of the genus Cognettia. The use of molecular approaches enabled the identification of individuals belonging to C. chlorophila among immature and fragmented enchytraeids that had initially been identified morphologically as C. sphagnetorum s.l. These findings substantially extend the known distribution range of C. chlorophila eastward. Reliable distribution data for C. chlorophila and C. sphagnetorum s.s., obtained through genetic analysis, complement existing evidence of their coexistence in shared habitats and highlight questions concerning their biotopic preferences. It is hypothesized that the relatively low level of genetic diversity in these species is associated with potential postglacial dispersal routes of C. sphagnetorum s.l. from Scandinavian refugia and with species-specific biological characteristics. Full article

The psyllid genus Cacopsylla comprises mainly bisexually reproducing species; however, some members of this genus exhibit a unisexual mode of reproduction. Using an integrative approach that combines molecular and cytogenetic methods, as well as Wolbachia screening, we conducted a comprehensive study of the Palaearctic species C. ledi. We show that this species uses various reproductive strategies (bisexual and parthenogenetic) across its distribution range. Our findings indicate that the bisexual mode of reproduction has emerged at least twice in the evolutionary history of C. ledi. Bisexual populations in southern Fennoscandia are of ancestral origin, whereas the bisexual mode of reproduction observed in northern Fennoscandia represents a recent secondary transition from parthenogenesis. We report that in the first case, parthenogenetic and bisexual lineages can be easily distinguished not only cytogenetically but also by DNA barcoding, while in the second case, “bisexual” individuals share DNA barcodes with parthenogenetic ones. A comprehensive Wolbachia screening (1140 specimens across the entire distribution range) revealed Wolbachia infection in every specimen of C. ledi, indicating a significant role of the endosymbiont in the biology and evolution of this species. Full article

A new genus and species of the family Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea), Hadroscelis sinensis Tomaszewska and Arriaga-Varela gen. et sp. nov., were described, diagnosed, and illustrated from the south-eastern Palaearctic. In order to test the systematic placement of the new taxon within the subfamily Danascelinae and of Danascelinae within Endomychidae, a phylogenetic analysis was conducted. A dataset of 35 morphological characters scored for 16 species, members of each Endomychidae subfamily and a representative of Coccinellidae as a distant outgroup, was analyzed using maximum parsimony. The results of the analysis unequivocally indicated Hadroscelis as a new, monotypic genus and the most basal taxon within Danascelinae. At the same time, this study formally confirmed, for the first time, the subfamily Danascelinae as a member and the basal clade of the monophyletic ‘merophysiine complex’ of the Endomychidae. Full article

The following six new species are described and illustrated: Empis (Empis) lusitanica sp. nov. (Portugal), E. (Empis) manteigasensis sp. nov. (Portugal, Spain), E. (Empis) miroslavi sp. nov. (Portugal), E. (Empis) moceki sp. nov. (Bulgaria), E. (Empis) serviae sp. nov. (Spain), and E. (Empis) troyanensis sp. nov. (Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Italy). Diagnostic characters are discussed. The key to all West Palaearctic species of E. (Empis) chioptera group is provided. Full article

With over 300 species, the genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 is one of the largest in the Syrphidae family. Regarding its immature stages, information is scarce, since they are described for only 22 species. The known larvae of Eumerus can be phytophagous on the underground parts of live plants or saprophagous in decaying plant materials of many sorts. Eumerus vestitus Bezzi, 1912 is a widely distributed species with records in the Afrotropical, Oriental, and Palearctic Regions. In the Palaearctic, E. vestitus is present in the Arabian Peninsula, Cyprus, Greece, Israel/Palestinian Authority, North Africa, and Syria. It is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN European Red List of Hoverflies due to the destruction of its habitat. Several puparia of E. vestitus were obtained from larvae collected in supermarket plums in Israel. In this work, the E. vestitus puparium is described in detail using a scanning electron microscope and stereomicroscope and compared with those of other members of the Eumerus obliquus (Fabricius, 1805) group, which E. vestitus belongs, and with members of other species groups. Our work also confirms a long-standing and broad occurrence of E. vestitus in Israel and records plum fruit as a new host plant for the species. Full article

The genus Skrjabinoplagiorchis is monotypic, with Skrjabinoplagiorchis polonicus parasitizing rodents in the Western Palaearctic. This genus is classified within the family Plagiorchiidae; however, its taxonomic position remains unclear. In the present study, two species of digeneans, S. polonicus and Rubenstrema exasperatum, found in small mammals in the Middle Volga region (European Russia), were examined. We provide morphological descriptions of the studied trematodes complemented with a molecular phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of the 28S rDNA gene, obtained for these helminths of mammals in Russia for the first time. Based on morphological data and the results of molecular phylogenetic analysis, we reassign the genus Skrjabinoplagiorchis from the subfamily Plagiorchiinae to the subfamily Omphalometrinae. Previously, digeneans of the subfamily Omphalometrinae were known only as parasites of insectivores of the order Eulipotyphla. Full article

Cleptoparasitic bees of the subgenus Stelis (Stelidomorpha) occur mainly in the Mediterranean and Middle East. In this study, we elevate Stelis aegyptiaca ssp. canaria Warncke, 1992 to species rank (S. canaria Warncke, 1992) and describe two new species, Stelis alainensis Kasparek sp. nov. and Stelis surica Kasparek sp. nov., both discovered in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Morphological differences between these species and their closest relatives (S. aegyptiaca Radoszkowski, 1876, S. pentelica Mavromoustakis, 1963, and S. nasuta (Latreille, 1809)) are corroborated by genetic divergence in the mitochondrial COI barcode region, with Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) distances of 7.6–15.2%. A notable case is Stelis nasuta, which shows deep genetic subdivision into three clusters: (1) Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, (2) southeastern France, Italy, and the Balkans, (3) eastern Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Moderate genetic K2P distances of 2.9–3.3% complicated species delimitation. Analyses with ABGD, ASAP, bPTP, and RESL algorithms consistently supported recognition of these lineages as putative species. As multivariate analyses of 11 morphometric traits revealed no consistent diagnostic differences, we treat these lineages as phylospecies rather than formal taxa. Our findings demonstrate that bee diversity in the Palaearctic remains underestimated, and that expanded sampling and integrative approaches continue to reveal hidden lineages. Full article

Species distribution models were built for three short-palped crane fly species of the genus Dicranomyia: Dicranomyia affinis, Dicranomyia chorea, and Dicranomyia mitis. The main objective of this study was to assess potential habitat suitability in undersampled regions and explore differences in environmental space. Dicranomyia affinis was historically considered a variety of Dicranomyia mitis due to their morphological similarity. In contrast, Dicranomyia chorea is a widespread species. The biology and ecology of these species remain poorly understood. Models were developed using Maxent, a widely used tool. Our results indicate that Dicranomyia affinis and Dicranomyia chorea share highly similar predicted habitat suitability, with high suitability across the Mediterranean, Central, and Northern Europe, moderate suitability in Eastern Europe, and low suitability in Central Asia. In contrast, Dicranomyia mitis is predicted to have greater habitat suitability in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, with lower suitability in Mediterranean regions. Analysis of variable importance revealed possible ecological differences between the species. While climatic factors primarily influenced the models for Dicranomyia affinis and Dicranomyia chorea, Dicranomyia mitis was more strongly influenced by the variable pH. These findings may provide insights into potential distributions in undersampled areas and improve our understanding of the species’ ecology. Full article

Brithura Edwards, 1916 (Diptera: Tipulidae) is a small genus of crane flies currently comprising 16 described species distributed across the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Although the adults of this genus rank among the largest representatives of the family Tipulidae, their immature stages have remained undocumented until now. In this study, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragment sequences (DNA barcodes) of Brithura sancta Alexander, 1929 were analyzed using both recently collected adult specimens from the Republic of Korea and historical museum specimens from China (collected in 1933). These sequences were compared with COI data obtained from larvae collected in Republic of Korea. We present the first description, with detailed illustrations and ecological information, of the previously unknown final instar larva of Brithura, specifically for the East Palaearctic species B. sancta. Diagnostic larval characters for the genus are discussed. Additionally, a redescription and comprehensive morphological documentation of the adult male and female B. sancta, including habitus and genitalia, are provided. This study represents the first phylogenetic contribution to the taxonomy of Brithura larvae based on mitochondrial COI sequence data. Full article

The genus Sclerodermus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) comprises over 80 species of ectoparasitoids of insect pests in forests, agricultural environments, and stored products with a cosmopolitan distribution. Despite its growing significance in biological control, behavioral ecology, and public health, the taxonomy of the genus remains poorly resolved. This is largely due to morphological reduction and simplification among species, outdated or incomplete original descriptions, and limited access to type material. A particularly problematic case is Sclerodermus cereicollis Kieffer, originally described from two geographically disjunct populations: Giglio Island (Italy, Palaearctic) and Annobón Island (Equatorial Guinea, Afrotropical). The syntype series includes morphologically divergent specimens, casting doubt on their conspecificity. In this study, we redescribe S. cereicollis based on both the original syntypes and newly collected material from Italy. A lectotype is designated to stabilize the nomenclature, and we provide the first molecular data for the species to assess genetic cohesion among populations. Comparative morphological and molecular analyses reveal that the Afrotropical syntypes represent a distinct, previously undescribed species. Accordingly, we describe Sclerodermus annobonensis Masini, Colombo & Azevedo sp. nov., designating a holotype. This study refines species boundaries within Sclerodermus and highlights the value of integrative taxonomy, combining historical and contemporary data, in resolving persistent systematic ambiguities in morphologically conservative taxa. Full article

The genus Discobola Osten Sacken, 1865 from China is taxonomically reviewed using an integrative approach that combines detailed morphological examination and molecular analysis. Discobola parvispinula (Alexander, 1947), a species widely distributed across the Palaearctic region, is newly recorded from China. Updated distributional data are presented for species known from China: D. annulata (Linnaeus, 1758), D. armorica (Alexander, 1942), D. margarita Alexander, 1924, and D. taivanella (Alexander, 1930). Detailed redescriptions and illustrations, including intraspecific morphological variation, are provided for these species. An identification key to Chinese Discobola species is also presented. Geographical analysis reveals a higher species richness in southern China and the Qinghai–Tibet region, with a progressive decline toward northern and northwestern China. The first DNA barcode reference library for Chinese Discobola is established, comprising 15 mt COI sequences from five species. These sequences, analyzed alongside an additional 101 mt COI sequences from Discobola species in other countries, show that intraspecific divergence within the genus remains below 7.4%, while interspecific divergence ranges from 7.6% to 17.7%. These findings provide important insights into the taxonomy, species delimitation, and biogeography of Discobola in China, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of Discobola diversity across the region. Full article

The Maghreb region of North Africa, located at the intersection of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical zones, is a biodiversity hotspot for terrestrial and freshwater taxa, including the freshwater crab of genus Potamon Savigny, 1816. Recent molecular studies have suggested the presence of two distinct Potamon species in the region: Potamon algeriense Bott, 1967, and an as-yet undescribed taxon, Potamon sp. However, comprehensive data on their distribution, genetic structure, and conservation status are still lacking. In the present study, we integrate new field collections from Algeria and Morocco (2021–2023) with molecular analyses of mitochondrial (COI, ND1) and nuclear (28S rDNA) markers to assess species boundaries and genetic diversity within Potamon across the Maghreb. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference consistently support the presence of two well-differentiated Potamon lineages in the region, corresponding to P. algeriense in western and central Maghreb, and Potamon sp. in eastern Algeria and Tunisia. While Potamon sp. exhibits low intra-specific genetic variation, P. algeriense displays a deeply structured mitochondrial lineage composition, forming four geographically coherent subclades, each corresponding to distinct hydrological regions. In light of this, it would be advisable to revise the IUCN assessment to include both species and updated information on their distribution. Full article