Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Southern France

Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898, P. lupina sp. n., from the Castellane Prealps and the southern Mercantour region in the French Maritime Alps, and P. alexidis sp. n., from the southern flank of the Massif Central, are described, illustrated, and compared to their closest relative species P. risi (Jacobson & Bianchi, 1905) and P. spinulosa (Navás, 1921). Information on distribution and ecological preferences of these new species is provided.

On the ecological preferences of Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soo` in the north-east of the Kirov region

Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soo’– summer-green tuber-forming polycarpic. As a result of the conductedstudies, it was found that in relation to the complex of all ecological scales, D. fuchsii belongs to mesobiont species, withthe manifestation of stenovalence in the variability of moisture and salt regime of soils. It is revealed that the main factorslimiting the distribution of the species within the considered fragment of the range are the richness of soils with nitrogenand illumination.

A partial skeleton of Septencoracias from the early Eocene London Clay reveals derived features of bee-eaters (Meropidae) in a putative stem group roller (Aves, Coracii)

A partial skeleton of the putative stem group roller Septencoracias is described from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK). With an age of about 55 million years, the bones represent one of the earliest fossil records of a coraciiform bird. The new fossil reveals that the proximal pedal phalanges of the three anterior toes of Septencoracias exhibit markedly widened distal ends. This distinctive trait is not found in other representatives of the Coracii, but occurs in the Meropidae (bee-eaters). The quadrate likewise exhibit a derived characteristic of the Meropidae, and the beak is narrower than in rollers. These previously unnoticed features are of particular interest, because the Meropidae result as the sister taxon of the Coracii in sequence-based analyses. Calibrated molecular data suggest that the divergence between the Coracii and the Meropidae occurred at 55.6 Ma, with the new fossil being only slightly younger than this date. However, phylogenetic analyses recovered Septencoracias within the Coracii, so that the derived features shared with the Meropidae most likely are either plesiomorphic and were lost in the Coracii, or they represent parallelisms that evolved convergently in Septencoracias and the Meropidae. In any case, these traits suggest that Septencoracias differed from extant rollers in its ecological preferences and foraging mode.

Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from the Italian Alps

Two new species of Protonemura Kempny, 1898, P. bispina sp. n. and P. pennina sp. n., from the Eastern and Western Italian Alps, respectively, are described and illustrated. Further information on distribution and ecological preferences of these new species is provided. The species Protonemura auberti Illies, 1954 is re-described from topotypical material.

Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) in Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine)

Six species of harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones) are documented from the Eocene Rovno amber in Ukraine. From the suborder Eupnoi we record Caddo dentipalpus (C. L. Koch & Berendt, 1854) (Caddidae), Amilenus deltshevi Dunlop & Mitov, 2009 (Phalangiidae) and Dicranopalpus ramiger (C. L. Koch & Berendt, 1854) (family incertae sedis). To these we add a new phalangiid, Metaphalangium martensi sp. n., which is the oldest representative of the Recent genus Metaphalangium Roewer, 1911 and new genus for the amber fauna. From Dyspnoi we record Sabacon claviger (Menge, 1854) (Sabaconidae) and propose Parahistricostoma gen. n. (Nemastomatidae), to accommodate Nemastoma tuberculatum C. L. Koch & Berendt, 1854, yielding Parahistricostoma tuberculatum (C. L. Koch & Berendt, 1854) comb. n. The Rovno harvestman fauna is briefly compared to both Baltic and Bitterfeld amber. The fossil species, C. dentipalpus, A. deltshevi, D. ramiger and P. tuberculatum occur in all three ambers, and S. claviger is found in Baltic and Rovno amber. The only genus and species unique to Rovno amber is thus our new taxon M. martensi. The composition of the Rovno opilionid fauna is discussed in the context of late Eocene palaeoenvironment and ecological preferences and the fossils are compared to the distribution of extant harvestman taxa. The oribatid mite Platyliodes ensigerus Sellnick, 1919 (Acari: Neoliodidae) is reported from Rovno amber for the first time.

Nouvelles espèces malgaches du genre Homilia McLachlan, 1877 (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae)

New Malagasy species of the genus Homilia McLachlan, 1877 (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae). Since the transfer of Homilia grandis Mosely, 1932, to the genus Ceraclea Stephens, 1829, no Homilia McLachlan, 1877, was currently known from Madagascar. We describe here seven new species: Homilia andratina n. sp., H. coppai n. sp., H. electra n. sp., H. elisae Gibon, n. sp., H. elodiae Gibon, n. sp., H. tacheti n. sp. et H. tiouchichineae n. sp. They are characterized by a mottled loss of sclerotization of the fourth article of the maxillary palps, so far only known and characteristic of the genus Ceraclea. These species are endemic to the island, their geographical distributions and ecological preferences are described and briefly discussed.

Contribution to the taxonomic revision of Brachycorythis-complex (Orchidaceae, Orchidoideae)

The aim of this paper is to present materials towards the taxonomic revision of Brachycorythis-complex (Orchidinae, Orchidaceae), which constitutes seven terrestrial genera and forty-eight species distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and SW Asia. The detailed morphological descriptions, together with distribution data and ecological preferences for particular taxa are provided. Artificial keys for taxa identification were prepared. A molecular timescale for Brachycorythis species on a background of the subtribe Orchidinae was reconstructed using nuclear and plastid molecular markers. The results show that representatives of Brachycorythis separated from its last common ancestor presumably ca 20 Mya and the youngest taxa within the group seem to be its Asiatic representatives.

Biogeographic Overview of Ulmaceae: Diversity, Distribution, Ecological Preferences, and Conservation Status

The elm family (Ulmaceae) is a woody plant group with important scientific, societal, and economic value. We aim to present the first biogeographic synthesis investigating the global diversity, distribution, ecological preferences, and the conservation status of Ulmaceae. A literature review was performed to explore the available data for all extant species. Our study made it possible to map the actual global distribution of Ulmaceae with high precision, and to elucidate the centers of diversity, located mainly in China and in the southeastern USA. A detailed comparative analysis of the macroclimatic niche for each species was produced, which shows the general biogeographic pattern of the family and pinpoints the outlier species. The results corroborate recent molecular analyses and support the division of Ulmaceae into two taxonomically, biogeographically, and ecologically well-differentiated groups: the so-called temperate clade with 4 genera and 43 species and the tropical clade with 3 genera and 13 species. The elm family is often described as a typical temperate plant group, however the diversity peak of all Ulmaceae is located in the subtropical zone, and a non-negligible part of the family is exclusively distributed in the tropics. We also noticed that a high proportion of Ulmaceae is linked to humid macro- or microhabitats. Finally, we highlighted that nearly 25% of all Ulmaceae are threatened. Fieldwork, conservation efforts, and research activities are still necessary for this family, particularly for the tropical members and the most endangered species.