Synopsis of the Japanese species of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with review of the type specimens II. Genus Myllaena Erichson of tribe Myllaenini,with redescription of four Japanese species

Four Japanese species the rove beetle genus Myllaena are redescribed based on the type material. They are: M. japonica Sharp, 1888, M. lewisi Cameron, 1933, M. rufotestacea Cameron, 1933, and M. torrentum Cameron, 1933. Myllaena chinoculata Pace, 1998 described from China is synonymized with M. lewisi. All of these species are illustrated and mapped.

Taxonomic revision of the genus Ectamenognonus Buysson (Coleoptera, Elateridae, Elaterinae) from Japan

In Japan, the genus Ectamenogonus Buysson, 1893 (tribe Megapenthini Gurjeva, 1973, subfamily Elaterinae Leach, 1815) was considered to have five species. However, the Japanese species remain unclear. The taxonomy of Japanese Ectamenogonus is revised and four species are confirmed: E. matobai (Kishii, 1973), E. miyakoensis sp. nov., E. plebejus (Candèze, 1873), and E. robustus (Kishii, 1966). Ectamenogonus matobai, E. plebejus, and E. robustus are redescribed. Ectamenogonus miyakoensis is described. Ectamenogonus yakuensis (Ôhira, 1970) and E. takumii Kishii, 2006 are synonymized with E. plebejus and E. robustus, respectively. A key to the four species in Japan is provided.

An Easily Installed Method of the Estimation of Soybean Yield Based on Meteorological Environments with Regression Analysis

A simple method for estimating soybean yield under ideal environments in Japan is proposed. Several models that simulate soybean yield have been proposed in other countries; however, direct adaptation to Japanese species is difficult in terms of climatic and regional characteristics. In addition, they often require variety-specific information or various environmental information, which is sometimes hard to simulate. Therefore, we attempted to create a simple simulation model with meteorological data as the main input to the model. The proposed model ignores the features that need setting for each cultivated field and is composed of a statistical model instead of a physiological analysis for the sake of brevity. Although the prediction accuracy of the model needs to be improved, we can use it as a decision support system for soybean cultivation because it requires only location information and can be easily introduced by many farmers.

Redescriptions of six Japanese species of the genus Pulvinaria (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with four new synonymies

Six Japanese species of the genus Pulvinaria Targioni Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha; Coccidae): P. aurantii Cockerell, 1896, P. hazeae Kuwana, 1902, P. idesiae Kuwana, 1914, P. kuwacola Kuwana, 1907, P. nipponica Lindinger, 1933 and P. photiniae Kuwana, 1914, are redescribed and illustrated based on type specimens and some newly collected adult females. In addition, Pulvinaria decorata Borchsenius, 1957 syn. nov. and P. ornata Froggatt, 1921 (nec Hempel, 1912) syn. nov. are proposed as new junior synonyms of P. aurantii, and Pulvinaria fujisana Kanda, 1960 syn. nov. and P. hydrangeae Steinweden, 1946 syn. nov. are proposed as new junior synonyms of P. kuwacola. Lectotypes are designated for P. idesiae, P. nipponica and P. photiniae from the syntypes of these species and, in the absence of any original material, neotypes are designated for P. hazeae and P. kuwacola, respectively, using specimens collected from the type localities. To facilitate comparisons, a table containing diagnostic morphological character states of the redescribed species and the type species of the genus, P. vitis (Linnaeus, 1758), is provided.

The genus Ceratrimeria Bӧrner, 1906 (Collembola: Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) in the fauna of Japan

Two Japanese species, Ceratrimeria takaoensis (Kinoshita, 1916) and C. yasumatsui (Uchida, 1940), were redescribed based on fresh material, including that from the type localities and using modern morphological criteria. The main diagnostic characters of the genus Ceratrimeria are also discussed. In addition, nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 16S ribosomal RNA genes of specimens obtained from the type localities of both congeners are analyzed allowing for their species statuses to be confirmed. Barcoded specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan and the DNA sequence data are available in the International Nucleotide Sequence Databases.

The tribe Anthocorini in Japan (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae): descriptions of new species, review of distribution and bionomics

Japanese Anthocorini are reviewed. A total of five genera and 13 species were identified, including two new species described below: Temnostethus mirificus sp. nov. and Anthocoris venustus sp. nov. Previous records of Anthocoris miyamotoi Hiura, 1959 from Japan are considered to be confused with A. venustus sp. nov. Anthocoris nemoralis (Fabricius, 1794), which is a common and widespread species in Europe, is recorded in Japan for the first time; it is assumed to have been accidentally introduced into Japan recently. Temnostethus distans Kerzhner, 1973 and Anthocoris kalopanacis Kerzhner, 1977 are newly recorded in Japan proper. Male and female genitalia are illustrated and described for most of the treated species. Identification keys to the genera and species that occur in Japan are provided. Bionomics are provided for each species. Detailed locality information and distribution maps in Japan are presented for all Japanese species and their zoogeography is discussed.

A remarkable new genus (Mengzongella tertia gen. nov., sp. nov.) from a bamboo thicket from China (Acari: Uropodina: Urodinychidae)

A new genus Mengzongella gen. nov. is described to accommodate a new species M. tertia sp. nov. based on two males collected in Guangxi, China, from the leaf litter of a giant bamboo thicket (Bambusa chungii syn. Lingnania chungii). The new genus belongs to the family Urodinychidae based on the shape of the gnathosomal setae h1, shape of the chelicerae and the presence of the cheliceral node. The new genus differs from the previously described ones by deep transversal dorsal furrows, the shape of the dorsal and ventral setae and the undulate inner margins of the marginal shield. Two previously described Japanese species [Urodiaspis sandankyoensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) and Urodiaspis yonakuniensis (Hiramatsu, 1979)] are transferred to the new genus as Mengzongella sandankyoensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) comb. nov. and Mengzongella yonakuniensis (Hiramatsu, 1979) comb. nov.

Revision of the genus Xanthopimpla Saussure, 1892 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) from Japan

Japanese species of the genus Xanthopimpla Saussure, 1892 are revised. A total of 15 species are recorded from Japan, including three new species, X. nipponensissp. nov. X. sylvicolasp. nov. and X. yoshimuraisp. nov. and three species, X. honorata (Cameron, 1899), X. minuta Cameron, 1905 and X. trias Townes & Chiu, 1970, newly recorded from Japan. Host, habitat, overwintering and distribution patterns of Japanese Xanthopimpla species are discussed.

Redefinition of the sexstrigatus group of Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) Cockerell, 1897 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae), with a revision of Japanese species

I propose a redefinition of the sexstrigatus group of Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) Cockerell, 1897, including a phylogenetic analysis. This group is characterised by a combination of the following 12 characteristics: male antenna short, not attaining to metasoma, male labrum with distal process and well-developed basal elevation, male head with genal process as variation, female mesepisternum reticulate-punctate on lower area, mesepisternum without tubercle in both sexes, female metasomal terga with distinct fimbriae on posterior margin, male S8 with well-developed median process, gonobase ventral arm of male genitalia connected with each other at upper ends, gonocoxite of male genitalia smooth, gonostylus of male genitalia small and simple, bud-like, and the ventral retrorse lobe of male genitalia not attaining to gonobase. The Japanese species of the sexstrigatus group are revised. Thirteen species in total are recognised, including three new species: Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) ikudomei sp. nov., L. (H.) spectrum sp. nov., and L. (H.) subsimplicior sp. nov. Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) perplexans (Cockerell, 1925) is synonymised under L. (H.) kiautschouense (Strand, 1910). A key to the Japanese species is provided. Bionomical data, such as flight and flower records or habitat, are reported for some species. The distributions of all species are mapped. DNA sequences including a part of the barcode region are given for L. (H.) kiautschouense, L. (H.) ohei Hirashima & Sakagami, 1966, L. (H.) speculinum (Cockerell, 1925), L. (H. ) spectrum sp. nov., L. (H. ) subsimplicior sp. nov., and L. (H. ) taeniolellum (Vachal, 1903).