Volume 34, Number 1, 2025, pp. 3 - in progress

A new scuttle fly species, Microselia rossica sp. nov. (Diptera: Phoridae), a parasitoid of the ant species Camponotus vagus (Scopoli, 1763), is described from the floodplain habitats of the Rostov Province in southern European Russia. This is the first confirmed case of parasitisation by scuttle flies of worker ants in Russia. The behaviour of the females of the new species attacking the ants is described.

An annotated checklist of Lonchaeidae (Diptera) of the Republic of Mordovia (European Russia) is provided based on the materials collected from 2019 to 2021 mainly in beer traps at fixed heights in the forest canopy and with a Malaise trap. In total, 3254 specimens were examined, of which 2004 were identifiable to species level providing the records of 29 species in five genera. We have found 18 species of Lonchaeidae new to the fauna of Mordovia. Lonchaea cervisiae sp. nov. is described as new to science and L. fraxina MacGowan et Rotheray, 2000 is recorded as new to Russia. Earomyia mordovia MacGowan et Ruchin, 2022, syn. nov., is synonymised with E. schistopyga Collin, 1953.

Pleurobrachia Fleming, 1822 is the native taxon of ctenophores in the Black Sea. Until now, its species affiliation has not been resolved: the Black Sea Pleurobrachia is referred to either P. pileus (O.F. Müller, 1776) or P. rhodopis (Chun, 1879). In the taxonomic reviews, both species are recognised as occurring in the Black Sea. The experts on zooplankton identified the Black Sea Pleurobrachia based solely on its definitive body size, but size cannot be a sufficient diagnostic feature. To clarify the species identity of the Black Sea Pleurobrachia, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis using the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial COI and the nuclear 18S rRNA gene fragments. As a result, we have established that the Black Sea Pleurobrachia is P. pileus and its identification as P. rhodopis in the global taxonomic databases is erroneous.

Cylichna inflata sp. nov. is described based on nine specimens collected in 1931 in the Tatar Strait (northern part of the Sea of Japan) at a depth of 69 m. The new species differs from other species of the genus in the morphology of the shell, radula, gizzard plates, and in the presence of a seminal vesicle in the copulatory apparatus. The shell proportions of C. inflata sp. nov. are similar to those of some species of the genus Cylichnoides Minichev, 1977. The emended diagnoses of Cylichna Lovén, 1846 and Cylichnoides (Eoscaphandridae) are provided.

A new nematode species, Labronema przhiboroi sp. nov., belonging to the family Dorylaimidae, has been found in the freshwater Lake Duluk on the Putorana Plateau in Eastern Siberia, at a depth of approximately one metre. This species is morphologically similar to the Far Eastern species L. macrosoma Alekseev, 1992, from which it can be distinguished by its smaller body size, shorter spicules, and more pronounced cuticular ridges.

The taxonomic history of the subgenus Mellicta Billberg, 1820 of the genus Melitaea Fabricius, 1807 is reviewed. The names Mediomellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn.nov., Monomellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., Neomellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., Oreomellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., Paramellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., Polymellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., and Promellicta Lastukhin, 2003, syn. nov., are synonymised with Mellicta.

New data on the morphology, distribution and host plants are provided for several species of tephritid flies. Urophora xanthippe (Munro, 1934) is recorded for the first time from Russia and U. doganlari Kütük, 2006, from Armenia; U. kasachstanica (Richter, 1964) is recorded for the first time for the Volgograd and Samara provinces of Russia. The details of the male genitalia not included in the descriptions of U. doganlari, U. kasachstanica, U. terebrans (Loew, 1844), and U. xanthippe are figured. Centaurea polypodiifolia Boiss. is recorded for the first time as a host plant of U. doganlari. Jurinea squarrosa Fisch. et C.A. Mey. and Scorzonera rigida Auch. ex DC. are new hosts of Acanthiophilus helianthi (Rossi, 1794) and Trupanea stellata (Fuessly, 1775), respectively. Onopordum armenum Grossh. is a new host plant of Tephritis postica (Loew, 1844).

Sphenoptera (Deudora) polaceki sp. nov. from the Eastern Mediterranean (Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece) is described and compared with closely related species. Sphenoptera (Deudora) tamerlani Obenberger, 1929 is recorded for the first time from Tajikistan.

Eight new species of the family Dipluridae from the genera Masteria L. Koch, 1873, Striamea Raven, 1981 and Linothele Karsch, 1879 are diagnosed and described from the western central region of Colombia: Masteria verdum sp. nov. (both sexes), M. luisi sp. nov. (both sexes), Striamea kimbanai sp. nov. (both sexes), Linothele sanuk sp. nov. (both sexes), L. montana sp. nov. (both sexes), L. hunahpuisp. nov. (both sexes), L. ixbalanquei sp. nov. (female), and L. guarato sp. nov. (female). Additionally, L. tsachilas Dupérré et Tapia, 2015 and L. archidona Dupérré et Tapia, 2023 are reported in Colombia for the first time. The above-mentioned species were found in the departments of Risaralda, Tolima, Quindío, Valle del Cauca, and Putumayo of Colombia.