Volume 96, Nº 2 (2016)

Reconstruction of divergence time for major taxa of the family Coleophoridae showed casebearer moths to be evolutionarily young, probably due to the formation of the first taxa of the family in a specific environment of grassland ecosystems during the Eocene–Oligocene. Analysis of evolutionary divergence of species indicated that the ancestors of modern taxa of the subfamily Coleophorinae lived in the early Oligocene and were probably associated with herbaceous plants of the families Amaranthaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. In general, the most active speciation among casebearer moths occurred in the late Miocene, possibly due to the increasing diversity of habitats and active changes of woody and herbaceous plant formations in the Ancient Mediterranean during that historical period.

The paper presents the results of analysis of the relationships of various colony characteristics in the resocial wasp Polistes dominula nesting on plants in the south of Ukraine (Kherson Province, the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve) in 2003–2007. The number of future foundresses and nest size at the end of the life cycle depend on the queen longevity and on the number of workers in the colony. The number of males reared in the colony is positively correlated with the nest size (the number of cells) and negatively correlated with the queen longevity. An increase in the share of the brood infested by the parasitoids Latibulus argiolus (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) and Elasmus schmitti (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) results in a smaller nest size and a smaller number of males reared.

Fourteen genera (Ardilea Graham, Glyphognathus Graham, Rhicnocoelia Graham, Eulonchetron Graham, Habritys Thomson, Heteroprymna Graham, Janssoniella Kerrich, Lyubana Bouček, Muscidifurax Girault et Sanders, Nazgulia Hedqvist, Notoglyptus Masi, Oxysychus Delucchi, Platygerrhus Thomson, and Stenetra Masi) and 81 species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Russia; in addition, 13 species are new to the fauna of the Russian Far East.

Detailed morphological redescriptions of cockroaches of the subfamily Epilamprinae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 from the New World based on the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences are given. Poeciloderrhis verticalis (Burmeister, 1838), the type species of the genus Poeciloderrhis Stål, 1874; Phoraspis picta (Drury, 1782), the type species of the genus Phoraspis Serville, 1831; Epilampra mexicana Saussure, 1862 and E. sodalis Walker, 1868, the members of the “mexicana” and “sodalis” species-groups, respectively, are redescribed. Parapoeciloderrhis dilatatus Anisyutkin, gen. et sp. n. is described from Ecuador. The paper pays special attention to the structures of the male and female genitalia. The hypothetical relationships between the taxa studied are briefly considered. The possible synapomorphies of the group [Poeciloderrhis, Epilampra, and Phoraspis] are considered. The genus Epilampra is possibly artificial and needs division into several genera.

Ikonza angolensis sp. n. is described from southwestern Angola which is the first record of the family Issidae from this country. The fore and hind wing structure and venation are illustrated for Kovacsiana abyssinica, Chimetopon camerunensis, Issus pospisili, and Tempsa sp. Ecological data on Tetrica fusca in Vietnam are provided for the first time. The evolution and distribution of the family Issidae are briefly discussed.

The essential diagnostic characters of the adults and larvae of four Xylomya species are discussed. The female of X. sordida (Pl.) is redescribed based on the holotype. The previously unknown larva and female of X. yasumatsui (Nag. et Tan.) are described, and the descriptions of X. maculata (Meig.), X. moiwana Mats., and X. czekanovskii (Pl.) are supplemented. The structure of the antenna and frontal pubescence are shown to be the main diagnostic characters for the adults. For the larvae, these are the structure and coloration of the integument and the morphology of the plate of the posterior spiracular cleft. Keys to the larvae and adults are given for four species of the Russian fauna.