Leptomonas leptoglossi longus subsp. n. collected in Cuba from Leptoglossus phyllopus (Linnaeus) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) and Blastocrithidia gerridis bozemani subsp. n. collected in Montana (USA) from Gerris remigis Say (Heteroptera: Gerridae) are described.

Faeces from Acrocephalus schoenobaenus caught on the Courish spit (Baltic Sea) were examined for coccidia. 9 of 15 birds (60%) had undescribed isosporan oocysts in their faeces. Sporulation took 72 hours at 20 °C. Sporulated oocysts of Isospora schoenobaeni sp. n. are spherial, 27.0 (24.3-29.0) μm, with oocyst wall ca. 1.5 μm thick; a polar granule is present, but no oocyst residuum or micropile occurred. Sporocysts are ovoid, 20.7 (18.2-22.4) x 12.8 (12.0-13.8) μm, with a nipple-like Stieda body and a medium substieda body. A sporocyst residuum was present in the from of numerous minute globules, and 4 sporozoites 6.7 x 4.6 μm in average were lying in the sporocysts. This is the first description of Isospora from the genus Acrocephalus.

The new species differs from other species of the genus in the structure of oesophagus and supplementary apparatus. This is the first species of Parastomachoglossa recorded from Asia.

A new species of free-living soil nematode from ground lichens in a pine forest in the Shutsk National Park (Volynska Prov.) is described. Plectus cladinosus sp. n. is close P. turricaudatus Truskova, 1976, but differs in the longer body, longer rectum and normal structure of tail terminus. Short redescriptions of P. longicaudatus Bütschli, 1873 and P. decens Andrássy, 1985, sp. dist. are given.

Hemigryllus vocatus sp. n. from Brazil is similar to H. amazonicus Gor. and H. woronovi Gor. , but differs in the peculiarities of the male genitalia.

Eunoe hydroidopapillata sp. n. is described from two specimens collected off the eastern coast of Kamchatka from stony bottom at the depths 120 and 176 m. It differs from all known species in the unusual morphology of the elytra. These bear a soft, long, branched macropapilla (about 2 mm long) at the inner margin. A deep, oval or bean-shaped cavity with thin smooth bottom is present near the outer edge of elytra. The surface of elytra is covered with numerous spines and papillae of very various sizes and morphology.

The types of the fossil Chaetognatha Paucijaculum samamithion (Schram, 1973) found by F.R. Schram from Illinois Pennsylvanian in 1973 and euconodont imprints found by D.E.G. Briggs and others from Carboniferous Granton shrimp bed of Edinburgh are redescribed and reconstructed. Transverse muscular system and apatite composition is observed in different groups of vertebrates and cannot be a ground for undoubted insertion of euconodonts into Chordata. Many similar morphological features (head structure; presence of an intestine and gut diverticle; ventral ganglion; lateral fins flattened in dorso-ventral direction; grasping spines, and spermatophores) allow consideration of euconodonts as animals similar to Chaetognatha. However, such features as terminal position of mouth and anus, and the differences of the tooth apparatus structure give every reason to distinguish euconodonts as an independent phylum, Euconodontophylea. Unique fine structure of the muscular tissue and the structure of the intercellular contacts may indicate early separation of Chaetognatha from the common stem of Metazoa and commencement of original pathway of tissue perfection with preservation of the minimum organ amount. Apparently in Pre-Cambrian, before the skeletization, Chaetognatha and Euconodontophylea had a common ancestor. Both similar phyla belong to a single ancient independent branch, the superphylum Chaetodonta.

1 new genus, 2 new subgenera, 34 new species, and 5 new subspecies of Phaloriinae are described. The status of 1 taxon is reduced from specific to subspecific. 1 neotype and 2 lectotypes are designated. A new synonymy and new generic position of several species are established. Some redescriptions, taxonomic notes, and new data on geographical distribution are given.

A new subdivision of the families related to the family Issidae mainly based on the structure of ovipositor is proposed; (1) families with round type of ovipositor: Issidae (including Bladininae) and Caliscelidae (including Ommatidiotinae); (2) families with laterally compressed type of ovipositor: Nogodinidae s. str. and Acanaloniidae (Acanaloniinae, Tonginae, Trienopinae). Caliscelidae are divided into two subfamilies: Caliscelinae and Ommatidiotinae, stat. n. Ommatidiotinae are divided into tribes Ommatidiotini, Augilini, stat. n., and Bocrini trib. n. Bocra ephedrina gen. et sp. n. is described from W. Pamir (Tajikistan). Larvae of I-III and V instars of Bocra ephedrina are described.

New records of 157 species of Cicadina in Ciscaucasia and the West Caucasus are given.

The 5th instar larva of Elymana kozhevnikovi Zachv. is described. A key to larvae of two European species of Elymana DeL. is proposed.

A new subgenus Nagadarrus subgen. n. of the genus Adarrus Ribaut, 1947 is described fo Adarrus emeljanovi Mitjaev, 1980 (type species) and Deltocephalus antennalis Haupt, 1924.

Nine species of leafhoppers and planthoppers are recorded for the first time from Russia and fourteen species recorded for the first time from the Voronezh, Lipetsk and Belgorod provinces.

Globiceps armeniacus sp. n. closely related to G. thymi Seid. is described from Armenia.

S. mongolicus sp. n. is described from Ih Bogd and Azh Bogd Mountains and S. brachycerus Kerzh. recorded from Mongolia (Mongol Altai) for the first time.

A key and descriptions are given for all 28 species of this genus, including 9 new ones: Camptotylidea kanduli sp . n. (Mongolia), C. ceratoides sp. n. (Kazakhstan, Mongolia), C. obscurata sp. n. (Kazakhstan, Mongolia), C. ephedrae sp. n. (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan), C. salsosa sp. n. (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), C. peritata sp. n. (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan), C. bucharica sp. n. (Uzbekistan), C. striata sp. n. (Kirgizia, Kazakhstan) and C. incarnata sp. n. (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan). The folloing new synonymies are established: C. albovittata (Reuter) = C. astragalii (Linnavuori), C. fuscomaculata (Reuter) = C. punctulata (Nonnaizab & Yang). The interrelationships between Camptotylidea and the closely related genus Taeniophorus are discussed.

Pepleuca gen. n. is described for Heronax candidus Anufriev (type species) and Platocera albipennis Muir. Some new combinations and synonymies are established.

The following new synonymies, new combinations and changes of rank or status are established: LARGIDAE: Physopelta Amyot & Serville, 1843 = Neophysopelta Ahmad & Abbas, 1987; Physopelta typica (Distant, 1903), sp. dist. (not syn. of Ph. villosa Bredd.); PYRRHOCORYDAE: Aderrhis lugubris (Distant, 1903), comb. n., A. erebus (Distant, 1909), comb. n., A. pakistanensis (Ahmad & Abbas, 1986) comb. n. (all from Dermatinus); Dindymus sanguineus (Fabricius, 1974), sp. dist. (not syn, of D. rubiginosus F.); Dystercus subg. Leptophthalmus Stål, 1870, stat. n. (= Megadysdercus Breddin, 1900); Dystercus fuscomaculatus Stål, 1863 = D. mesiostigma Distant, 1888 = D. monostigma Kirby, 1891; D. micropygus Breddinm, 1909, sp. dist. (not syn. of D. koenigii F.) = D. similis Freeman, 1947; Melamphaus faber (Fabricius, 1787) = M. komodoensis Kiritshenko, 1963; Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) = P. pseudoapterus Ahmad & Perveen, 1986; Pyrrhocoris sibiricus Kuschakewitsch, 1866 = Dermatinus reticulatus Signoret, 1881 = Scantius formosanus Bergroth, 1914; Scantius forsteri (Fabricius, 1781) = S. pallens Distant, 1903 = S. coriaceus Distant, 1911 = S. neopallens Ahmad & Abbas, 1986 = S. distanti Ahmad & Zaidi, 1989. S. obscurus Distant, 1901 = S. pseudobscurus Ahmad & Zaidi, 1989. Ascopocoris nom. n. is proposed for Ascopus Hsiano, 1964 (nom. praeocc.). Some lectotypes designations and new records are included.

Lobosiana Ahmad & Abbas, 1986 is synonymized with Scantius Stål, 1866. S. aegyptius is subdivided into two subspecies: S. ae. aegyptius (Linnaeus, 1758) (= Lodosiana noshkiensis Ahmad & Zaidi, 1989 = L. turbatensis Ahmad & Zaidi, 1989, synn. n.) and S. ae. rossii nom. n. (= italicus Rossi, 1790, nom. praeocc., non Müller, 1766). The first of them is distributed in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa with adjacent small Italian islands and Malta, Arabian Peninsula, Near East, Iraq, Iran, SW Turkmenistan, S Afghanistan and S. Pakistan, the second one in S Europe from France to N Caucassus, in Transcaucasia, W and N Turkey, NW Iran, E Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizia, S Kazakhstan and N Afghanistan. Populations more or less intermediate between the two subspecies are described.

Lectotypes of Dermatinus centralis Signoret, Dysdercus (?) rubrocinctus Stål, Ectatops rubiaceus Amyot & Serville, and Platygaster marginatus Kolenati are designated.

Bembidion (Phyla) demidenkoae sp. n. is described from SW Siberia.

Auletobius kaszabi T.-M. (Attelabidae) and the genus Deropygus (Anthribidae) are recorded from Russia for the first time. New synonyms of Pseudopiezotrachelus collaris Schils., Squamapion? megatoma Kor., and Holotrichapion pullum Gyllenhal, sp. propria, are established.

Ceutorhynchus erwini sp. n. similar to C. cochleariae Gyll. and closely related to C. querceti Gyll. is described from California.

Baris crambephaga sp. n., developing on Crambe orientalis L., is described from Erzurum Prov.

A key to 4 subgenera of Rutidosoma is provided; new subgenera are established for the Nearctic R. decipiens LeC. and Middle Asian R. dieckmanni Bajt.

A new species of Miarus is described from Primorsk Terr.; it differs from all other species of the genus in the unusually thick rostrum.

Aeptencyrtus bruchi is recorded from Hawaii. Some aspects of myrmecomorphy in the family Encyrtidae are discussed.

The following new synonymies are established: Zabrus przewalskii ganssuensis Semenov, 1889, stat. n. = Harpalus freudei Jedlička, 1965, syn. n.; Anisodactylus signatus (Panzer, 1795) = Harpalus katavensis Jedlička, 1957, syn. n.; Harpalus amdoensis Semenov, 1889 = Xenodus eichingeri Jedlička, 1965, syn. n.; Daptus vittatus Fischer von Waldheim, 1824 = D. chinensis Jedlička, 1939, syn. n.

Microterys obventonis sp. n., parasite of soft scale insects (Homoptera: Coccidae) in high-latitude regions of Russia, is described.

Diospilus tereshkini sp. n. from Bialowieska Puszcza (Belarus)is described and illustrated.

Six new genera of the subfamilies Rhyssalinae, Exothecinae and Gnamptodontinae from the Afrotropical, Oriental and Australian regions are described and figured: Rhyssaloides gen. n. (type species Rh. antipoda sp. n. from New Zealand), Kerevata gen. n. (type species K. pacifica sp. n. from New Britain Island), Austrolysitermus gen. n. (type species A. hirsutus sp. n. from South Africa), Afrorhysipolis gen. n. (type species A. intermedius sp. n. from Africa), Orientocolastes gen. n. (type species O. io sp. n. from Indonesia) and Neognamptodon gen. n. (type species N. suturalis sp. n. from Madagascar).

A new genus Asperosoma gen. n. is erected for Ceutorhynchus echinatus Fall from N America.

Platypalpus ozerovi sp. n. belonging to the pallidiventris-cursitans species group is described from Turkmenistan.

7 species of weevils are recorded from Russia for the first time.

Platypalpus kasparyani sp. n., P. kurilensis sp. n., P. leleji sp. n., P. malokurilensis sp. n., and P. sasaphilus sp. n. are described from the Kuril Islands.

Descriptions of Mycetophila gentilicia sp. n. from Moscow Prov., Kostroma Prov. and Altai, M. inquisita, M. unca spp. n. from Sakhalin I. and Kuril Is., M. morata sp. n. from Sakhalin I. and Altai, M. setifera sp. n. from Altai, M. subbrevitarsata sp. n. from Altai, Sakhalin I., and Kuril Is. are given.

Cylindromyia umbripennis v.d. Wulp is for the first time reorded from Russia (Primorsk Terr.), with the first recorded of its host.

Lypha dubia Fll. is for the first time recorded from Sicily. Some notes on the list of tachinids of Italy are presented.

Aulacephala hervei Bequaert is for the first time recorded from Kalimantan.

The appearance of two females of the Subalpine Warbler in Russia (Biological Station of the Zoological Institute, Courish Spit) on May 28, 1992 and April 24, 1997 is described. Characteristic features are given which make it possible to distinguish individuals of this species from morphologically similar representatives of Ménétries’ Warbler, S.mystacea, Geographical variation of the Subalpine Warbler is described, and a map of breeding areas of its four subspecies is presented. A summary of 435 records of the species in northwestern Europe from 1951 to 1995 is given along with a map of the vast northern area of vagrancy. Birds were recorded over an eight-month period, from late March to the 2nd ten days of November. Sex and age composition of vagrants, range of frequency in various years and seasons were analyzed. The principial factors that caused the increase in the number of northern vagrants over the last 45 years include the increased number of observers and the general rise in mean annual temperature in the northern hemisphere. The “overshooting” of migrating individuals in spring anticyclonic conditions, the vagrancy of unsuccessful breeders, and the post-juvenile dispersal affect mainly the frequency of vargants in various years. There are no indications that the total population size has increased or that a northward expansion has occurred. Most vagrants presumably die of starvation or become victims of carnivores and birds of prey. The probability of nesting in places well beyond the normal breeding range is quite small even for single pairs.

Tettigidea angustihumeralis sp. n. from Colombia is described.

A new diagnosis and revised composition of the class Spirillinata Maslakova, 1990 are given. The subclass Ammodiscana includes the orders Ammodiscida, Ammovertellida, Tournayellida, Palaeospiroplectamminida, Koskinobigenerinida, Biseriamminida, Tetrataxida, Endothyrida, Fusulinida, and Ozawainellida. The subclass Spirillinana includes the orders Archaediscida, Lasiodiscida, Involutinida, Hottingerellida, Spirillinida, and Patellinida.

Two new species, of them belonging to a new genus are described. Tylenchodorus parietinus gen. et sp. n. is described from specimens associated with tree dust of rotten birch. The new genus is similar to Tylencholaimus de Man, 1876, but has a cuticular ring in the stoma and a different oesophageal structure. Hofmaenneria longicaudata sp. n. collected from dust of pine trees is similar to H. hazenensis Mulvey, 1969, from which it can be distinguished by the presence of a caudal gland and spinneret, 10 cephalic setae and longer tail.

Trullus inopinatus gen. et sp. n. from northern Malacca is described. It differs from all other genera of Gryllini in the very characteristic male genitalia.

Aplidium glabrum (Verrill, 1871) (= Amaroucium vinogradovae Beniaminson, 1974 syn. n.), A. tenuicaudum (Beniaminson, 1974) and A. confusum sp. n. are described and their distinguishing characters are discussed.

New genera Scolecitrichopsis gen. n. (type species Scolecithrix ctenopus Giesbrecht, 1888; which corresponds to “Scolecithrix” ctenopus group of Bradford et al., 1983) and Pseudoamallothrix gen. n. (type species Amallothrix profunda Brodsky, 1950; which includes 13 species previously placed in Scolecithrix, Scolecithricella or Amallothrix) are described. The type species of both new genera and the genera Scolecithricella Sars, 1902 and Amallothrix Sars, 1925 are redescribed. Lists of species placed in each of the 4 genera and a key for identification of these genera are given.

Cratomelus meritus sp. n. (Chile) distinctly differs from other congeners in the characteristic structure of the male abdominal apex.

An illustrated descrption of the water mite Thyas magadanensis sp. n. (female, male and larva) from Magadan Province of Russia is given. Comparison of T. magadanensis sp. n. with the similar species T. bruzelii is presented.

Four new species of cockroaches, Rhabdoblattella (gen. n.) cambodiensis sp. n., Rh. vietnamensis sp. n., Rh. delicata sp. n. and Rhabdoblatta rattanakiriensis sp. n. (Blaberidae: Epilamprinae) are described.

Five species of Cicadina are recorded from Russia or Kazakhstan for the first time.

7 new species of the genus Diaphanogryllacris Karny from Vietnam, China, and Thailand are described. D. laeta (Walk.) and D. annamita (Griff.), stat. n. are redescribed. A short diagnosis of the genus and new data on the distribution of some species are given.

Lissopogonini trib. n. is established to accommodate the genus Lissopogonus Andrewes, 1923 of the patrobine complex, which is regarded to be an adelphotaxon of the tribes Deltomerini and Patrobini.

2 new genera, 1 new subgenus, 11 new species, and 2 new subspecies are described. 1 generic name is reduced to subgeneric rank. 1 generic and 1 specific name is synonymized. Information about the scope of Landrevinae and composition of several genera is given.

Paradelphacodes insolitus sp. n. is described from European Russia (Belgorod Prov.).

The Palaearctic species of the genus Forcipata are subdivided into three species-groups based on the structure of the male genitalia: forcipata-group, citrinella-group and flava-group. A new species of the citrinella-group is described from W Caucasus. A key to the Palaearctic species is given.

A new species of gall-forming armored scale insect, Diaspidiotus roseni sp. n., living on Nitraria retusa in Israel is described and compared with D. nitrariae (March.).

Netelia (Toxochiloides) latro latro is recorded from mainland China, Taiwan, Malay Peninsula and Sulawesi for the first tme. N. (Netelia) orientalis is excluded from the Taiwanese fauna. N. (Paropheltes) yui nom. n. is proposed to replace the preoccupied N. (P.) brunea Konishi.

A key to the 4 species of the subgenus occuring in the former USSR is given and their distinguishing characters and distributons are discussed.

The descriptions of Phytocoris ferhanensis sp. n. (Kirgizia) and Grypocoris nigriceps sp. n. (Iran), and a brief note on Closterotomus marmoratus Lindb. are given.

Synonymy of Acrocera Meigen and Paracrocera Mik is discussed.

Orthocephalus minimus sp. n. (Kazakhstan: Karatau Mts), O. scorzonerae sp. n. (S Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), Myrmecophyes trispiculus sp. n. (Kazakhstan: Betpakdala Desert) and M. frontosus sp. n. (Central Kazakhstan) are described.

Hypsopalaeolagus gen. n. (type species Palaeolagus hypsodus Schaikjer) from the Oligocene of North America and Lagopsinae subfam. n. (type genus Lagopsis Schlosser) from the Miocene of Eurasia are described.

Nine species of Oxycareninae are reported from the Mongolian People’s Republic, four of these recorded for the first time.

In this note the correct original spellings of Spathocera dalmanii (Schilling, 1829) and Arenocoris fallenii (Schilling, 1829) are discussed.

H. confrater Kuw. is recorded from several additonal localities in the Eastern Carpathians. The distinguishing characters, distribution, and ecology of this species are discussed.

Ocypus latens sp. n. from the Western Transcaucasia and Lesser Caucasus, and O. saevus sp. n. from Western Georgia, two apterous species, are described and compared with related taxa having Caucasian and Northeastern Anatolian distribution ranges. O. hochhuthi Eppelsheim, 1878 and O. cerceticus Coiffait, 1964 are redescribed. For O. manceps Smetana, 1965 and O. trapezensis Coiffait, 1964, aedeagi and (for O. trapezensis) shape and microsculpture of forebody are illustrated. New data on distribution and bionomics are provided for the treated species.

Othius ziganensis sp. n. from the Northeastern Anatolia is described and compared with related species. From this region, additional records and data on bionomics are provided for O. grandis Hochhuth, 1849, O. lapidicola Märkel & Kiesenwetter, 1847, and O. angustus stenocephalus Eppelsheim, 1881. New localities are recorded for the Caucasian O. jadwigae Roubal, 1911 and O. serratus Assing, 1997, as well as for the widely distributed O. laeviusculus Stephens, 1833.

C. dinae sp. n. and C. nigellus sp. n. from Israel are described.

Coccobius juliae sp. n. is described from Mexico and a key to Nearctic species of the genus Coccobius is given.

A new species of the genus Cacochroa Hein. is described from the island Corfu (Greece).

An annotated list of 208 species of tortricid moths from Vietnam is presented. In the course of this study collections of the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, including material from the northern and southern parts of Vietnam collected by the author, as well as all literature data on the vietnames Tortricidae were used. The following new synonymies are established: Rhopoboda blanditana (Kuzn.) = Griselda nielseni Kawabe; Acanthoclita balanoptycha (Meyr.) = Eucosma hilarocrossa (Meyr.). A description of Penthostola tricolorana sp. n. similar to P. semna Diak. (Olethreutini) from Southern Vietnam (Kannak, prov. Gialai) is given.

Hispidaspis prisca Sokolov, 1978 was known previously from the Albian of France and Kazakhstan. The new record from the lower Hauterivian of the Crimea, Ukraine, extends the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the species. This is the oldest record for the genus Hispidaspis Sokolov, 1978.

Asiavis phosphatica from the Uppermost Middle Eocene of Uzbekistan is redescribed and placed in the Anseriformes (subfamily Cygninae). Originally this bird was placed in Gruiformes (family incertae). A. phosphatica is the oldest known cygnine.

A list of 20 skeletons and 28 skulls reoresenting 19 species of birds belonging to five orders is presented. The material was collected by N. N. Mikloucho-Maclay during his three trips to New Guinea in 1871-1877, mainly during the first one (1871-1872).

The genus Mustela includes 17 species. Comparative analysis of skull structure, dentition, bacular structure and external characteristics make it possible to divide the genus into 9 subgenera: Mustela, Gale, Putorius, Lutreola, Kolonokus, Pocockictis, Grammogale, Cabreragale and Cryptomustela subgen. n. The American mink is regarded as a representative of a separate genus Neovison.

Relationships of Holarctic weasels (Mustela nivalis), based on cranial variables, sizes and proportions of body and tail, and coloration of summer pelage were analysed. It is possible to divide M. nivalis into three groups: large long-tailed weasels with “nivalis”-coloration, weasels of average size with a relatively long tail and “vulgaris”-coloration, and small short-tailed weasels with “nivalis”-coloration. The combination of all characters allows us to divide M. nivalis into 19 subspecies, including M. nivalis rossica subsp. n. (Eastern Europe). The Egyptian weasel (M. subpalmata) is regarded by us as a separate species. Large long-tailed weasels with coloration of “nivalis”-type (group numidica) are probably closest to the ancestral type of M. nivalis. Small weasels (group nivalis) appeared later, probably in the boreal regions of the Palaearctic. These weasels could have penetrated North America through Beringia. Another form (vulgaris-boccamela) was formed during the Late Pleistocene in the eastern Mediterranean from numidica. When weasels of this group occupied Western and Central Europe they displaced small nivalis to the north and east.