New subtribes of Arachnocephalini (Orthoptera: Mogoplistidae) and a new genus and species of this tribe from South Africa

The tribe Arachnocephalini is divided into three subtribes: [1] Pseudomogoplistina subtrib. nov. with one genus lacking ventrolateral lobes on the tarsi and having a massive Y-shaped sclerite in the male genitalia; [2] Bothromogoplistina subtrib. nov. including two genera with similar tarsi but with a different structure of the male genitalia (lacking a Y-shaped sclerite and having a long and thin virga-like sclerotised rachis inside a membranous invagination of the ventral fold); [3] Arachnocephalina Gorochov, 1984 possibly including all the other genera of this tribe (these genera are with a pair of ventrolateral lobes on the second tarsal segment and/or with the male genitalia more or less similar to those of Bothromogoplistina subtrib. nov.). One new genus with one new species (Bothromogoplistes paraproctalis gen. et sp. nov.) are described from a burrow in the arid territory of South Africa. This cricket is probably related to the genera Cycloptiloides Sjöstedt, 1910 and Eucycloptilum Chopard, 1936, but their males differ from each other in the pronotal length, the presence or absence of wings and tympana, and the shape of the paraprocts and genital plate. One species, Cycloptiloides parvum (Chopard, 1961), comb. nov., is transferred from Eucycloptilum to Cycloptiloides.

A new species of the aphid genus Uroleucon from Lebanon, with notes on the systematic positions of U. altaicum, U. bielawskii and U. mulgedii (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Here we present a description of a new aphid species—Uroleucon (Uroleucon) lebanonense sp. nov. associated with Tragopogon coloratus (Asteraceae) in Lebanon. Apterous and alate viviparous females of the new species are described and illustrated, and compared with the morphologically similar species Uroleucon (U.) mongolicum Holman, 1975. An identification key to Palaearctic Uroleucon species with three setae on the first tarsal segment is provided. On the basis of the re-examination of the type material, we propose to restore the valid species status of U. (U.) altaicum Szelegiewicz, 1982 bona species which was regarded as a synonym of U. mulgedii (Nevsky, 1928). Additionally, we propose transfer of U. (U.) altaicum, U. (U.) bielawskii (Szelegiewicz, 1962) and U. (U.) mulgedii to the subgenus Lambersius Olive.

Comparative morphology of pretarsus of the family Dolichopodidae (Diptera)

Forty six species belonging to 24 genera of family Dolichopodidae were investigated to study pretarsus morphology. Length measurements of the fifth tarsal segment, pulvilli, claws and empodium and width measurements of apical part of the fifth segment and claw at the base were performed, and 10 ratios were selected. Researching of morphometric characteristics of Dolichopodidae pretarsus allows the proposal of new taxonomic characteristics.

A NEW SUBGENUS AND TWO NEW SPECIES OF TRECHUS FROM ETHIOPIA (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Two new species of <em>Trechus</em> from the Oromia Province (Ethiopia) are described in the present note. In the first part we describe <em>Archeotrechus</em>, a new microphtalmic <em>Trechus</em>, characterized by the dilation of only the first tarsal segment in males and by the aedeagus with the dorsal part amost completely divided into two lobes: a sclerified connection exists only in the region of the basal ostium. To this subgenus we ascribe the new species <em>Trechus</em> (<em>Archeotrechus</em>) <em>relictus</em>, from the area of Mt. Sgona (Batu), of yellow-brown colour, rather flattened, with non sinuate pronotum and blunt fore and hind angles; two discal setae in the third stria. The aedeagus is much elongated, with a spherical apical button, copulatory piece triangular, lanceolate, with a sharp apex, little sclerified and very simple, typical of ancestral forms, like for instance <em>Minitrechus</em> Vigna Taglianti &amp; Magrini, 2009. The female gonostyli, short and curved, bear at the apex two big setae on the inner edge. In the second part of the note we describe <em>Trechus</em> (s. str.) <em>oromiensis</em>, a new species of <em>bipartitus</em> Group (sensu novo), characterized by the presence of only one discal seta on elytra and by peculiar features of the aedeagus.

A NEW SUBGENUS AND A NEW SPECIES OF TRECHUS FROM ETHIOPIA (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE)

In the present note Minitrechus, a new subgenus of <em>Trechus</em>, characterized in the 75 male by only the first tarsal segment dilated and dentate, and by much enlarged paramera, bearing three apical setae, clearly isolated from each other, is described. The new species, <em>Trechus</em> (<em>Minitrechus</em>) <em>gypaeti</em>, is light yellow in colour, rather flattened, with little eyes, pronotum not sinuate, with fore and hind angles blunt; third elytral stria with two discal setae. The median lobe of the aedeagus is short, stout, little arcuate, with a copulatory piece triangular, lanceolate and sharpened at the tip, little sclerified. Female gonostyli short and curved, bear a stout and long ensiform seta on the inner edge, flanked by two smaller ones.

A new Notacanthurus Tshernova, 1974 and a new Rhithrogena Eaton, 1881 (subgenus Tumungula Zhou & Peters, 2004) from Thailand (Heptageniidae, Ephemeroptera)

Notacanthurus baei sp. n. (larva) and Rhithrogena (Tumungula) siamensis sp. n. (male, female and assumed larva) are described from northern Thailand. Diagnoses and line drawings of key characters are provided. Larvae of Southeast Asian Notacanthurus n.sp. resemble those of Palearctic Notacanthurus spp. in having a median ridge of spines directed posteriorly on terga, a similar patterning of terga with oblique stripes sloping inward, femoral cross bands and caudal filaments with whorls of small spines. Contrastingly, larvae of the new species bear claws with denticles, while the mature male larva exhibits prospective penis with distally paired portions of rounded lobes like those in most Electrogena Zurwerra and Tomka, 1984. Imagines of R. (T.) siamensis represent a second species of subgen. Tumungula Zhou and Peters, 2004. Males have balloon-shaped hypertrophied foreclaws, with first tarsal segment about 1.4x the length of the second, and divergent penis lobes without titillators. In contrast to R. (T.) unica the male styliger plate shows two sharp, inside directed projections, submedian lobes of the penis have circular gonopores lacking subapical spines.

Ebbepterote, a new genus for the Australian 'Eupterote' expansa (T. P. Lucas), with a revised classification of the family Eupterotidae (Lepidoptera)

The single and endemic species of Eupterote Hübner recorded from Australia is shown not to possess the male genitalia typical of this genus, nor of any other genus of Eupterotidae, and it is consequently placed in a new genus, Ebbepterote Oberprieler, Nässig & Edwards, as E. expansa (T. P. Lucas, 1891), comb. nov. Its genitalia are compared with those of many Asian and African genera of Eupterotidae, resulting in a revised classification and redefinition of the major eupterotid lineages. Five groups are defined: a probably paraphyletic 'basal' Ganisa-group and likely monophyletic subfamilies Janinae (including Tissanga Aurivillius and Hibrildes Druce), Striphnopteryginae, Eupterotinae and Panacelinae. Ebbepterote and the New Guinean 'Eupterote' styx Bethune-Baker species-complex are included in Striphnopteryginae, which is otherwise restricted to Africa. Cotana Walker is reassigned to Eupterotinae from Panacelinae and Sphingognatha Felder is resurrected from synonymy with Eupterote. The genitalia of Ebbepterote and several other critical genera are illustrated, demonstrating that the shape of the uncus does not constitute a suitable synapomorphy for defining the Eupterotidae as a monophyletic group. Another alleged eupterotid synapomorphy, the presence of a row of midventral spurs on the apical tarsal segment of the hindleg of the female, is shown to occur only sporadically in the family but also outside of it, in the lemoniid–brahmaeid–sphingid clade of Bombycoidea. As a result, the monophyly of the Eupterotidae currently rests only on a single, cryptic character of the mesoscutum of the imago and is in urgent need of substantiation.

Requirements of Lim1, a Drosophila LIM-homeobox gene, for normal leg and antennal development

During Drosophila leg development, the distal-most compartment (pretarsus) and its immediate neighbour (tarsal segment 5) are specified by a pretarsus-specific homeobox gene, aristaless, and tarsal-segment-specific Bar homeobox genes, respectively; the pretarsus/tarsal-segment boundary is formed by antagonistic interactions between Bar and pretarsus-specific genes that include aristaless (Kojima, T., Sato, M. and Saigo, K. (2000) Development 127, 769–778). Here, we show that Drosophila Lim1, a homologue of vertebrate Lim1 encoding a LIM-homeodomain protein, is involved in pretarsus specification and boundary formation through its activation of aristaless. Ectopic expression of Lim1 caused aristaless misexpression, while aristaless expression was significantly reduced in Lim1-null mutant clones. Pretarsus Lim1 expression was negatively regulated by Bar and abolished in leg discs lacking aristaless activity, which was associated with strong Bar misexpression in the presumptive pretarsus. No Lim1 misexpression occurred upon aristaless misexpression. The concerted function of Lim1 and aristaless was required to maintain Fasciclin 2 expression in border cells and form a smooth pretarsus/tarsal-segment boundary. Lim1 was also required for femur, coxa and antennal development.

Formation and specification of distal leg segments in Drosophila by dual Bar homeobox genes, BarH1 and BarH2

Here, we show that BarH1 and BarH2, a pair of Bar homeobox genes, play essential roles in the formation and specification of the distal leg segments of Drosophila. In early third instar, juxtaposition of Bar-positive and Bar-negative tissues causes central folding that may separate future tarsal segments 2 from 3, while juxtaposition of tissues differentially expressing Bar homeobox genes at later stages gives rise to segmental boundaries of distal tarsi including the tarsus/pretarsus boundary. Tarsus/pretarsus boundary formation requires at least two different Bar functions, early antagonistic interactions with a pretarsus-specific homeobox gene, aristaless, and the subsequent induction of Fas II expression in pretarsus cells abutting tarsal segment 5. Bar homeobox genes are also required for specification of distal tarsi. Bar expression requires Distal-less but not dachshund, while early circular dachshund expression is delimited interiorly by BarH1 and BarH2.