Bilton David T.Out of the Palaearctic: the Helophorus water beetles of the Afrotropical Region (Coleoptera: Helophoridae)Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 249-264Abstract: Helophorus Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea: Helophoridae) is an old and largely Holarctic genus of beetles, with most extant diversity concentrated in the Palaearctic. As with a number of primarily northern temperate lineages, the genus has colonised the Afrotropical Region, with species described from the Ethiopian Highlands and southern Africa. Here, the Afrotropical Helophorus fauna is revised, based on a study of all primary types and additional material, including extensive recent collections from South Africa. The known Afrotropical fauna is shown to be comprised of six species, only three of which were previously described: H. aethiopicus Régimbart, 1907, from southern highland areas of Ethiopia, H. aethiops J. Balfour-Browne, 1954 known from summer and year-round rainfall areas of South Africa and Namibia and H. cooperi Orchymont, 1948, stat. nov., described as a subspecies of H. aethiopicus and still only known from the type locality in Ethiopia. To these, three new species are added: H. brumopluvialis sp. nov., widespread in winter rainfall areas of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces of South Africa, H. nyandaruaensis sp. nov. from mountains of the East African Rift in Kenya and H. simiensis sp. nov. from the Simien Mountains of northern Ethiopia. All species are (re)described in detail and illustrated with high-resolution photos. Known distributions are mapped and a key to species provided. It is suggested that the two South African species may have speciated allochronically, due to seasonal shifts in life cycle associated with the development of the winter rainfall regime in the Cape during the Plio-Pleistocene. Helophorus are hypothesised to have colonised the Afrotropics on at least two occasions from separate Palaearctic ancestors.Published online: 10th September 2023
Ban TeruakiA new species of the genus Stigmatonotum (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae) from Japan, with notes on related species from the East Palaearctic and Oriental RegionsActa Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 265-278Abstract: A new seed bug species, Stigmatonotum macronotum sp. nov., collected from southern Chiba prefecture, central Honshu, Japan is described. It is the seventh species in the genus Stigmatonotum Lindberg, 1927. Stigmatonotum geniculatum (Motschulsky, 1863) is recorded from South Korea for the first time. Illustrations of genital structures of the new species and a key to the species of Humilocoris Harrington, 1980 and Stigmatonotum from the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions are provided.Published online: 27th October 2023
Kasalo Niko, Buzzetti Filippo Maria, Stancher Gionata, Cambra Roberto A., Skejo JosipContribution to the knowledge of Batrachideini (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae): description of two new flightless genera, Naskreckiana and Procellator, and revision of the status of EotetrixActa Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 279-292Abstract: Two new genera of pygmy grasshoppers belonging to the subfamily Batrachideinae (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) are described from Central America, each including a single new flight-
less species. Naskreckiana kosemeni Kasalo, Buzzetti & Skejo gen. & sp. nov. is described from Costa Rica, Procellator kai Kasalo, Skejo & Cambra gen. & sp. nov. is described from Panama. Facts suggesting that †Eotetrix Gorochov, 2012, stat. restit., is not a synonym of Tettigidea Scudder, 1862 are discussed. The dichotomous key to Batrachideini by Silva et al. (2021) is updated with the inclusion of these two new genera. Currently, the tribe Batrachideini includes 14 extant genera and 61 extant species.
Se describen dos géneros nuevos de saltamontes pigmeos (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Batrachideini: Batrachideinae) de América Central. Cada género nuevo contiene una especie nueva sin alas. Naskreckiana kosemeni Kasalo, Buzzetti & Skejo gen. & sp. nov. es descrito de Costa Rica, mientras que Procellator kai Kasalo, Skejo & Cambra gen. & sp. nov. es descrita de Panamá. Discutimos y sugerimos que †Eotetrix Gorochov, 2012, stat. restit., no es un sinónimo de Tettigidea Scudder, 1862. Una clave dicotómica para la identificación de géneros de Batrachideini por Silva et al. (2021) es actualizada con la inclusión de dos géneros nuevos. En la actualidad, la tribu Batrachideini incluye 14 géneros y 61 especies no extintas.Published online: 27th October 2023
Löbl Ivan, Cosandey VivienScaphobaeocera setosa sp. nov., an unusual Scaphidiinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) with elongate tarsal setae from ChinaActa Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 293-295Abstract: A new species of Scaphobaeocera Csiki, 1909 from Yunnan, China, S. setosa sp. nov., is described. It is unique in having strongly enlarged male protarsomeres with long oblique setae, forming a fan-like structure. The new species may be also readily distinguished from its congeners by its large body size.Published online: 5th November 2023
Zhang Wen-Xuan, Yin Zi-WeiERRATUM: ZHANG W.-X. & YIN Z.-W. 2023: Feabatrus gen. nov., a conspicuous new genus of Batrisitae from Myanmar and China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63 (1): 165–175. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.20Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 296-296Published online: 5th November 2023
Yin Zi-Wei, Hu Zheng-KunTwo new sympatric species of Songius from Mount Fanjing, Southwest China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 297-304Abstract: The ant-loving beetle genus Songius Yin & Li, 2010 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Batrisini) is rarely collected due to a cryptic myrmecophilous lifestyle, and its diversity remains insufficiently explored. Here we describe two new sympatrically distributed species from Mount Fanjing, Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Songius brevisetus sp. nov. is characterized by the relatively parallel-sided body with a densely setose integument, and different forms of the spines/projections of the legs and the aedeagus. Songius hubenqii sp. nov. differs in the shiny, almost asetose body segments and antennomeres 1–6, the mesofemora lacking tubercles and bearing long bristles on the ventral margins, and a different form of the aedeagus. A re-examination of the types and additional material supported the conclusion that S. hlavaci Zhao, Yin & Li, 2010 is a widely distributed species in eastern, central and southwestern China, leading to the placement of S. pseudohlavaci Yin & Li 2015, syn. nov. from Hunan as its junior synonym; and the species is newly recorded from Fujian and Chongqing. An updated key and a distribution map for the genus are provided.Published online: 5th November 2023
Minoshima Yusuke N., Fikáček Martin, Liu Hsing-CheLarval morphology of Crephelochares and Peltochares (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63(2): 305-322Abstract: The larval morphology of Crephelochares Kuwert, 1890 and Peltochares Régimbart, 1907 is described in detail based on specimens of C. abnormalis (Sharp, 1890) and P. atropiceus (Régimbart, 1903) collected in Taiwan; the chaetotaxy of the head capsule and head appendages of both genera is described for the first time. Larvae were obtained by laboratory rearing and field collecting; field collected larvae were identified by morphological comparison with those reared in the laboratory. Larval morphology of C. abnormalis corresponds with that of C. nitescens (Fauvel, 1883) except for the serrate margin of the nasale in C. abnormalis. We confirm that Crephelochares does not construct the usual egg case, and report active behaviour of its larvae, possibly indicating they are not ambush predators. Larval morphology of P. atropiceus corresponds with that of P. foveicollis; on the other hand, we conclude that the larvae previously described as Peltochares from Madagascar belong to Tritonus Mulsant, 1844 of the tribe Laccobiini. The egg-carrying behaviour of Peltochares is confirmed. We briefly summarize the state of the knowledge of immature stages of the Acidocerinae, indicating that a special effort in discovering and describing immature stages from northern South America and Brazil is needed.Published online: 24th November 2023