A new arceotermitid species from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Isoptera: Teletisoptera)

The genus Hirsuticyclus Neubauer, Xing and Jochum, 2019 was the first record of an exceptionally preserved land snail with dense periostracal hairs from mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Here, we document four newly-discovered shells from Kachin amber, one belonging to the type species Hirsuticyclus electrum Neubauer, Xing and Jochum, 2019 and the remaining three shells belonging to a new species, Hirsuticyclus canaliculatus sp. nov. Well-preserved morphological characteristics of these two species could be clearly demonstrated under light microscopy combined with modern micro-CT scans with computer 3D reconstructions. Our new material of the type species amends the generic diagnosis based on a better-preserved shell including the peristome and operculum. The new species shows distinctive shell characteristics such as numerous spiral keels and a flaring, folded peristome interrupted by two canals. These excellently preserved fossils contribute to our understanding of the morphological diversity and evolution of these ancient members of cyclophoroids.

It has been suggested that patterns of craniodental variation in living hominids (Gorilla, Homo, Pan, and Pongo) may be useful for evaluating variation in fossil hominid assemblages. Using this approach, a fossil sample exhibiting a pattern of variation that deviates from one shared among living taxa would be regarded as taxonomically heterogeneous. Here we examine patterns of tooth crown size and shape variation in great apes and humans to determine 1) if these taxa share a pattern of dental variation, and 2) if such a pattern can reliably discriminate between samples that contain single species and those that contain multiple species. We use parametric and nonparametric correlation methods to establish the degree of pattern similarity among taxa, and randomization tests to assess their statistical significance. The results of this study show that extant hominids do not share a pattern of dental size variation, and thus these taxa cannot be used to generate expectations for patterns of size variation in fossil hominid species. The hominines (Gorilla, Homo, and Pan) do share a pattern of shape variation in the mandibular dentition; however, Pongo is distinct, and thus it is unclear which, if either, pattern should be expected in fossil hominids. Moreover, in this case, most combined-species samples exhibit patterns of shape variation that are similar to those for single hominine species samples. Thus, although a common pattern of shape variation is present in the mandibular dentition, it is not useful for recognizing taxonomically mixed paleontological samples.

First mid-Cretaceous nogodinid planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea) from Kachin amber with an extant relative from the Neotropics

Acrotiarini trib. nov., in the Cixiidae (Insecta, Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar, with new insights in the classification of the family

The dysagrionid damselflies, characterized by a broad quadrilateral discoidal cell, are widely recorded in the Lower Cretaceous–lower Oligocene, and frequently found in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Zheng et al., 2016, 2017a, b, 2018a). Three genera and four species of Dysagrionidae have been described from Kachin amber, including Burmadysagrion zhangi Zheng, Wang & Nel, 2016, Electrodysagrion lini Zheng, Nel & Wang, 2017, Palaeodysagrion cretacicus Zheng et al., 2017 and Palaeodysagrion youlini Zheng, Chang & Wang, 2018 (Zheng et al., 2016, 2017a, b, 2018a). The dysagrionid damselflies have several types of discoidal cells seen in the Kachin amber species, contributing to evaluating the early evolution and diversification of the discoidal cell. For example, Burmadysagrion has the anterior and posterior sides of the discoidal cell not parallel, and the basal side longer than the distal side; Electrodysagrion has the anterior and posterior sides of the discoidal cell not parallel, and distal side longer than the basal side; and Palaeodysagrion has a long and narrow discoidal cell. In the present paper, a new dysagrionine damselfly is described representing the second dysagrionine in Kachin amber. The new damselfly allows for the revision of the generic characters of Electrodysagrion Zheng, Nel & Wang, 2017.

Phylogeny and classification of tribe Aedini (Diptera: Culicidae)

This study utilises new taxonomic characters to define the Australian Gryllacrididae. Notes on biology, ecology and behaviour are presented. The chromosome complements of ten species are reported and illustrated. Nullanullia maitlia Rentz. gen. et sp. nov. was shown to be facultatively parthenogenetic in the laboratory. Kew taxonomic characters include the structure of the mandible and maxilla, the femoroabdominal stidulatory apparatus, the structure of the fastigium of the vertex, the punctation and colour of the frons, the size. shape and the medium and textured ocelli, and the detailed structure of male and female genitalia including sculpture of the ovipositor. Arrolla Rentz, gen. nov. is proposed to include A. rotamah (type species), A. lawrencei, A. platystyla, A. weiri, A. tibialis. A. turramurrae, A. lewisi, A. longicauda spp. nov.; A. fuscifrons (Ander) is transferred from Pareremus Ander to Arrolla Rentz. gen. nov. Apotrechus Brunner is defined and includes A. unicolor Brunner (type species), and A. illawarra Rentz. sp. nov. Kinemania Rentz, gen. nov. is described to include a single Tasmanian species. K. ambulans (Erichson) hitherto included in Apotrechus. Wirritina Rentz, gen. Nov. is proposed to include W. brevipes (Ander) (type species) formerly placed in Apotrechus and W. naumanni Rentz, sp. nov. Cooraboorama Rentz. gen. nov. is described for a single species, C. canberrae Rentz. sp. nov. Notes on several well-knoun species of Pareremus are presented with illustrations and redescriptions of types. 'Pareremus' atrofrons (Tepper), based on immatures, is probably misplaced in Pareremus. Penthoplophora Tepper. originally described as a stenopelmatid. is synonymised with Ametrus Brunner: no stenopelmatids are known from central Australia. The monotypic genera Ametrosomus Tepper and Apteronomus Tepper are redescribed and their type species described and illustrated. Moorscra Rentz, gen. nov. is described to include three fully-winged species: M. canobolas (type species), M. curragundi Rentz, spp. nov. Mooracra sp. 1 is illustrated but not described. Paragryllacris Brunner is redefined and its type species. Gryllacris combusta Gerstaecker, is described and illustrated. Chauliogryllacris Rentz. gen. nov. is proposed to include seven species, two of which are well-known — C. lobata (Brunner) and C. exserta Brunner. The genus also includes C. grahami (type species) and C. nungeena Rentz spp. nov.; other species are noted but not described. Nunkeria Rentz, gen. nov. is described to include two species, N. maitila, (type species) and N. feehani spp. nov. Nullanullia Rentz gen. nov. includes two species, N. maitlia (type species) and N. kotla spp. nov. Hyalogryllacris Karny is discussed and its large number of species (25) noted. H. hyalina (Brunner) (type species) is described and its role as a host for the sphecid wasp, Sphex vestitus. is noted. Hyalogryllacis sp. 9 is illustrated but not described. This paper reports the first cytological information for the Gryllacrididae from Australia. Chromosome numbers of 10 species indicate three clusters of species. These are not taxonomically relevant. One cluster with four species showed relatively high counts 2n = 26 female, 25 male; another cluster with three species showed a reduced diploid number apparently as a result of fusions; a third cluster contained three species with numbers ranging from 2n = 14 female to 2n = 10 female; in this group the number of large metacentrics has been reduced to either two or one. It seems that karyotype evolution in the gryllacridids has evolved in at least three ways: (1) Robertsonian fusion. (2) alterations in the amount and location of heterochromatin, and (3) structural rearrangements other than fusions.

Lacewing larvae in the Cretaceous were more diverse in appearance than they are today, best documented by numerous fossils preserved in amber. One morphotype of an unusual larva from about 100 Ma old Kachin amber (Myanmar) was formally recognised as a distinct group called Ankyloleon. The original description erected a single formal species, Ankyloleon caudatus. Yet, it was indicated that among the five original specimens, more species were represented. We here report five new specimens. Among these is the so far largest as well as the so far smallest specimen. Based on this expanded material we can estimate certain aspects of the ontogenetic sequence and are able to recognise a second discrete species, Ankyloleon caroluspetrus sp. nov. We discuss aspects of the biology of Ankyloleon based on newly observed details such as serrations on the mandibles. Long and slender mouthparts, legs and body together with a weakly expressed outer trunk segmentation provide indications for a lifestyle hunting for prey in more confined spaces. Still many aspects of the biology of these larvae must remain unclear due to a lack of a well comparable modern counterpart, emphasising how different the fauna of the Cretaceous was.

SummaryHolometabolan larvae are a major part of the animal biomass and an important food source for many animals. Many larvae evolved anti-predator strategies and some of these can even be recognized in fossils. A Lagerstätte known for well-preserved holometabolan larvae is the approximately 100-million-year-old Kachin amber from Myanmar. Fossils can not only allow to identify structural defensive specializations, but also lifestyle and even behavioral aspects. We review here the different defensive strategies employed by various holometabolan larvae found in Kachin amber, also reporting new cases of a leaf-mining hymenopteran caterpillar and a hangingfly caterpillar with extensive spines. This overview demonstrates that already 100 million years ago many modern strategies had already evolved in multiple lineages, but also reveals some cases of now extinct strategies. The repetitive independent evolution of similar strategies in distantly related lineages indicates that several strategies evolved convergently as a result of similar selective pressures.

A new praeaulacid species, Habraulacus splendidus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a male specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. This newly discovered taxon is, inter alia, characterised by its relatively low number of antennomeres (about 28) and its complex forewing venation (i.e., with both 2rs-m and 3rs-m present). Together with the recent discoveries of praeaulacid wasps from Kachin amber, this new species lets us assume that the family Praeaulacidae was well-diversified in Cretaceous forests. The subsequent decline of this family likely occurred either in the Late Cretaceous or, in a more optimistic scenario, during the Cenozoic era.

New World members of the genera Toya Distant and Metadelphax Wagner are here revised and the genus Hadropygos n. g. described from South America. Generic limits are discussed, with particular comparison to Syndelphax Fennah. A key to treated genera and species is provided. The type species of Toya, T. attenuata Distant from Sri Lanka, is illustrated and discussed. Among the New World Toya, T. boxi (Muir) and T. venilia (Fennah) are retained in the genus; two species are transferred to Toya from Delphacodes Fieber, Toya idonea (Beamer) new comb. and T. nigra (Crawford) new comb., with Delphacodes axonopi Fennah placed as a new junior synonym of T. nigra. Three new species of New World Toya are described (T. goliai n. sp., T. dietrichi n. sp., and T. recurva n. sp.). Toya iaxartes (Fennah), described from a single specimen from St. Lucia, is here considered nomen dubium as it appears to have been described from a malformed or parasitized specimen. Metadelphax, restored as a genus by Ding (2006), consists of five species: M. propinqua (Fieber) (type species), M. argentinensis new comb., here transferred from Toya, M. pero, here transferred from Syndelphax, M. wetmorei (Muir and Giffard) new comb., here transferred from Delphacodes, plus M. dentata n. sp. Metadelphax bridwelli (Muir), transferred from Toya by Ding (2006), is returned to Toya. Hadropygos n. g., with the single species, H. rhombos n. sp., from the Neotropics bears comparable features to Toya and Metadelphax. Lectotype designations are made for Toya attenuata Distant and Delphax propinqua Fieber. Collectively, 3 genera are treated: Hadropygos n. g., with a single new species, Metadelphax with 5 species (1 new), and Toya with 7 New World species (3 new), excluding T. iaxartes as a nomen dubium.

Molecular phylogenetics has been improving the acanthocephalan systematics, yet numerous taxa remain unexplored. The palaeacanthocephalan Metarhadinorhynchus Yamaguti, 1959 and its type species M. lateolabracis Yamaguti, 1959 are such to-be-explored taxa. We aim to refine (i) the systematic placement, (ii) the morphological circumscription, and (iii) the taxonomic components of the genus. We also aim to examine the taxonomic status of the species that have been assigned to the genus. Morphological observations on newly collected specimens as well as the type material of Metarhadinorhynchus lateolabracis were conducted. Also, molecular phylogenetic analyses with maximum-likelihood method and Bayesian inference were performed based on freshly collected specimens. Nominal species that have at least once been assigned in Metarhadinorhynchus, as well as a related form, Gorgorhynchus lateolabri Yin and Wu, 1984, are taxonomically re-evaluated based on literature information. Our re-examination of the type material of M. lateolabracis revealed that the number of cement glands is six, instead of eight as described and illustrated in the original description. In the resulting phylogenetic tree, M. lateolabracis was nested in Isthmosacanthidae. Gorgorhynchoides Cable and Linderoth, 1963 was found to be a junior synonym of Metarhadinorhynchus. Taxonomic re-evaluations of six nominal species that have once belonged in Metarhadinorhynchus led to modifications of generic diagnoses for Indorhynchus Golvan, 1969 and Neotegorhynchus Lisitsyna, Xi, Orosová, Barčák, and Oros, 2022. Metarhadinorhynchus has been assigned to Leptorhynchoididae (Echinorhynchida), but our study now locates it in Isthmosacanthidae (Polymorphida). We propose 13 new combinations of specific names in Metarhadinorhynchus and three in Indorhynchus. Metarhadinorhynchus lateolabri (Yin and Wu, 1984) comb. nov. may be synonymous with M. orientalis (Wang, 1966) comb. nov.

Four new genera including five new species are described. All are from north-eastern Queensland. Barbaragraecia comprises two new species. B. unicorn Rentz Su, gen. et sp. nov. (the type species) and B. richardsoni Rentz Su, sp. nov. Geoffagraecia is known from a single species, G. gwinganna Rentz Su, sp. nov. the type species. Greenagraecia Rentz Su, gen. et sp. nov. is known from two species, G. attenuata Rentz Su, gen. et sp. nov., the type species and G. cooloola Rentz Su, gen. et sp. nov.. The unrelated genus Nicsara Walker 1869 is discussed and species with falcate ovipositors are removed and placed in a new genus, Larifugagraecia Rentz Su gen. nov., with Nicsara spuria Redtenbacher 1891 designated as the type species. Two species are removed from Nicsara and placed in Larifugagraecia. These are N. cornuta (Redtenbacher 1891) and N. spuria. Other species remain in Nicsara until they can be further assessed. Biological and ecological notes accompany detailed descriptions of the new species along with many morphological illustrations. Illustrations also are provided for L. spuria gen. nov. A key to the described fully-winged Australian agraeciine genera is provided at the end of the paper.

46] Isolation and identification of diterpenes from termite soldiers

Examination of a series of Adelaidia rigua Blackburn, the type species of Adelaidia Blackburn and a new species A. queenslandicasp. nov. from Queensland, allowed for clarifying the systematic placement of this enigmatic genus. It was found to be a member of Attageninae, Attagenini, not of Megatominae, the subfamily in which it was placed by previous authors. Five Asian species formerly classified in Adelaidia are removed from Adelaidia to a new genus Adelaidellagen. nov. (type species Adelaidia unicolorMroczkowski, 1966) and the following new combinations are established: Adelaidella unicolor (Mroczkowski, 1966) comb. nov., A. haucki (Hava, 2000) comb. nov., A. rufa (Hava, 2002) comb. nov., A. splendida (Hava, 2012) comb. nov., and A. thailandica (Kadej & Hava, 2016: 596) comb. nov.