The sociodemographic and clinical profile of children with an autism spectrum disorder in the oriental region of Morocco

Background The objective of our study is to assess the clinical profile of autistic children in Morocco and the cultural perception of their parents. We collect data with a standard questionnaire on 130 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They were recruited from child psychiatry consultation in the hospital for mental health from 2017 to 2019. This questionnaire assesses the socio-demographic characteristics of children and parents, personal and family medical history, the progress of pregnancy and childbirth. For each child, we determined the developmental age, signs of autism, the comorbidities, the nature of the treatment, the evolution. We complete the examination with parents' perception and attitude towards autism. Results The age of diagnosis was 3.4 years. The sex ratio in our study was 4.6. A low rate of children screened by general practitioners (4.6%). Language impairment was the main reason for the consultation, followed by social withdrawal and stereotypies. 75% of the children benefited from multidisciplinary care. The autism age of screening was significantly lower among families belonging to medium and high socioeconomic status (F = 11.233; p = 0.001). Acceptance of diagnosis was present in 83% of cases, while 73.6% were involved in the care. Only 24% of parents thought that autism etiology is genetic, 75.4% notice improvement with age, and 80.2% consider it a source of family suffering. Conclusions These findings underscore the sociodemographic and clinical profile of children with ASD in the oriental region in Morocco. It could be relevant for early screening, intervention, and guidance for families with children having these conditions.

The genus Megastylus Schiødte (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Orthocentrinae) in China with a key to the species of China and Oriental Region

Three new species of Megastylus Schiødte, 1838 (Ichneumonidae, Orthocentrinae), M. (Dicolus) mentouense Sheng & Li, sp. nov. collected from Mentougou, Beijing, M. (D.) flavicornis Sheng & Li, sp. nov. from Shennongjia National Natural Reserve, Hubei and M. (Megastylus) yindianense Sheng & Li, sp. nov. from Minquan, Henan, are described and illustrated. A taxonomic key to the species of Megastylus known from China and the Oriental Region is provided.

Revision of the genus Homa Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae)

The leafhopper genus Homa Distant is revised. Four new species, H. osificata Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. nov., H. oretinia Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. nov., H. asilata Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. nov., and H. algulata Xu, Dietrich & Qin sp. nov., are described from Thailand. H. haematoptilus (Kirkaldy) is redescribed based on specimens from the Oriental Region. All included species are illustrated and a key is provided to separate species for which males are known.

Two new species of Cymodusa Holmgren (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) with a key to species known from China and Oriental region

Two new species of genus Cymodusa Holmgren, 1859, C. culaiica Sheng, Li & Sun, sp.nov. collected from Culaishan Natural Reserve, Shandong province and C. melana Sheng, Li & Sun, sp.nov. collected from Guiyang and Fanjingshan National Natural Reserve, Guizhou province, are described and illustrated. A taxonomic key to the species of Cymodusa from China and the Oriental region is provided.

A new species of the genus Rhaphidosoma Amyot et Serville, 1843 (Heteroptera, Reduviidae), with data on its chromosome complement

A new species, Rhaphidosoma paganicumsp. nov. (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Rhaphidosomatini), is described from the Dry Zone of Myanmar. It is the fifth species of Rhaphidosoma Amyot et Serville, 1843, known from the Oriental Region, and the first record of the genus for Myanmar and Indochina. The structure of the external and internal terminalia of the male and female is described and illustrated in detail. The completely inflated endosoma is described for the first time in reduviids. The complex structure of the ductus seminis is shown; it terminates with a voluminous seminal chamber which opens with a wide secondary gonopore and may be a place where spermatophores are formed. The new species is compared with all congeners from the Oriental Region and Western Asia. It is characterised by the absence of distinct tubercles on the abdominal tergites of the male, the presence only two long tubercles and small rounded ones on the abdominal tergites VII and VI, respectively, in the female, the presence of short fore wing vestiges which are completely hidden under longer fore wing vestiges, and other characters. In addition to the morphological description, an account is given of the male karyotype and the structure of testes of Rh. paganicumsp. nov. and another species of Harpactorinae, Polididus armatissimus Stål, 1859 (tribe Harpactorini). It was found that Rh. paganicumsp. nov. has a karyotype comprising 12 pairs of autosomes and a multiple sex chromosome system (2n♂=24A+X1X2X3Y), whereas P. armatissimus has a karyotype comprising five pairs of autosomes and a simple sex chromosome system (2n♂=10A+XY). The males of these species were found to have seven and nine follicles per testis, respectively. FISH mapping of 18S ribosomal DNA (major rDNA) revealed hybridisation signals on two of the four sex chromosomes (Y and one of the Xs) in Rh. paganicumsp. nov. and on the largest pair of autosomes in P. armatissimus. The presence of the canonical “insect” (TTAGG)n telomeric repeat was detected in the chromosomes of both species. This is the first application of FISH in the tribe Raphidosomatini and in the genus Polididus Stål, 1858.

A new member of the Stictochironomus caffrarius group from West Bengal, India, with emendation of generic diagnosis (Diptera, Chironomidae)

Stictochironomus bengalensis n. sp. is described based on the male adult, pupa and larva from West Bengal, India. The species is a new member of the S. caffrarius group. Generic diagnoses for the pupa and larva are emended to accommodate the characteristics of the species group. In addition, a key to the known males of Stictochironomus from the Oriental region is provided.

One new species of Fannia (Diptera, Fanniidae) from Yunnan, China with a key to the Fannia fuscinata-group in China

The Fannidae includes over 400 described species, mainly known from the Holarctic Region. The number of species in the Oriental Region are underestimated. The Fannia fuscinata-group was established by Wang et al. in 2011, consisting of nine species at present. A new species of the genus Fannia (Diptera, Fanniidae) is described from Yunnan, part of the Oriental Region in China, namely Fannia menglaensis sp. nov. The detailed description, photographs and drawings of adults and male terminalia of F. menglaensis sp. nov. are provided. All specimens are preserved in the Museum of Beijing Forestry University.

Contribution to the knowledge of Mainothrus (Acari, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae), with description of two new species from Russia and Brunei

Two new species of oribatid mites of the genus Mainothrus (Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae)—M. paratransaltaicus sp. nov. and M. davidmarshalli sp. nov.—are described on the basis of adult specimens sampled from Russia and Brunei (first record of the genus in the Oriental region). Supplementary description (SEM micrographs) for Mainothrus badius (Berlese, 1905) is presented. A revised generic diagnosis and an identification key to known species of Mainothrus are provided.

Discovery of the genus Strangulotilla Nonveiller, 1979 (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) in India and description of a new species from the Western Ghats

The Afrotropical genus Strangulotilla Nonveiller, 1979, which was recorded only from Sri Lanka in the Oriental Region, is newly reported from India with the description of a new species Strangulotilla sureshani sp. nov. from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Differences between the new species and the closely related S. krombeini Lelej, 2005 as well as a key to the Oriental species of Strangulotilla are given.