Scientiae biologicae

New records and summarized published data about the distribution of Leviellus species in Czechia are provided. There are two species: Leviellus thorelli (Ausserer, 1871) and L. stroemi (Thorell, 1870). While L. thorelli is a rare thermophilic species associated mainly with solitary deciduous trees and in Czechia occurring only in southern Moravia, L. stroemi is locally common throughout the country, preferring a wider range of habitats. The paper also provides information about biology and ecology of both species in Czechia.

New data within Pogonostoma (Polypogonostoma) violaceum violaceum Fleutiaux, 1902, and introduction of outstanding, anomalously green-coloured adults are presented. Only one recent specimen of Pogonostoma (Polypogonostoma) violaceum fulgidipenne Lesne, 1911 has been examined. A second known (previously only listed) female adult of Physodeutera (Physodeutera) umbrosa Rivalier, 1967 is introduced, male remains unknown. Supplemented differential diagnoses of these three taxa, as well as illustrations in colour photographs of their habitus and characters are presented. References to their detailed redescriptions and other illustrations published in the monographs of the two genera (MORAVEC 2002a, 2007), as well as essential maps of distributions, are given.

The species of the genus Bironium of New Guinea and the Moluccas are reviewed, based on morphological characters. Descriptions of the previously described species are complemented and new records are given to most of them. The type material of Bironium longipes (Reitter) is commented. The following ten species are described as new: B. albertisi sp. nov., B. bicolor sp. nov., B. grande sp. nov., B. maindai sp. nov., B. ornatum sp. nov., B. punctatum sp. nov., B. riedeli sp. nov., B. rufulum sp. nov., B striatum sp. nov., and B. taurus sp. nov. Records and characters are given for an additional species remaining unnamed. A key to the species is provided.

Two species of Stilicoderus Sharp, 1889 are described and illustrated: Stilicoderus opupifer sp. nov. (North Vietnam) of the S. japonicus group and S. colitus sp. nov. (Thailand, Laos) of the S. discalis group, a species previously confounded with S. discalis Fauvel, 1895. Stilicoderus subseriatus (Eppelsheim, 1895) from Myanmar, previously a junior synonym of S. discalis, is revalidated, diagnosed, and illustrated. A lectotype is designated for Stilicus subseriatus Eppelsheim, 1895. Additional records of 13 species of Stilicoderus and of seven species of Stiliderus Motschulsky, 1858 are reported, among them four new country records from Laos (two), Myanmar (one), and Nepal (one). Stilicoderus now includes 116, Stiliderus 51 species.

Six species of Staphylinidae from North Pakistan are described and illustrated: Cousya prominens Assing sp. nov. (Punjab), Tachyusa semigilva Assing sp. nov. (Punjab), Platyola lippa Assing sp. nov. (Punjab), and P. invidens Assing sp. nov. (North-West Frontier) of the Aleocharinae, Micranops viti Assing sp. nov. (Punjab) of the Paederinae, and Euplectus pakistanicus Brachat sp. nov. (North-West Frontier) of the Pselaphinae.

A study of recently collected material of Pseudotyphlopasilia Pace, 1983 revealed that the genus is confined to the Caucasus region (West Georgia; Russian part of West Caucasus) and includes ten species, all of them anophthalmous, micropterous, and locally endemic. Typhlusa Pace, 1983, previously a subgenus of Pseudotyphlopasilia and including only a single species from Montenegro, is attributed generic rank. Primarily based on the structure of the median lobe of the aedeagus and the shape and chaetotaxy of the paramere, Pseudotyphlopasilia is removed from the Athetini and tentatively placed in the Meoticina of the Oxypodini. Eight of the Pseudotyphlopasilia species are described for the first time: P. acris sp. nov. (North Georgia: Svaneti); P. angulata sp. nov. (Southwest Georgia: estreme west of Meskheti range); P. baculata sp. nov. (Southwest Georgia: western Meskheti and Shavsheti ranges); P. carolae sp. nov. (Southwest Georgia: western Shavsheti range); P. depressa sp. nov. (North Georgia: Mtskheta-Mtianeti); P. kakhetica sp. nov. (North Georgia: Kakheti region); P. kociani sp. nov. (North Georgia: Tusheti region); P. vespertina sp. nov. (Russia: Krasnodar region). Pseudotyphlopasilia cavernicola (Assing, 2007), previously a synonym of P. coeca (Eppelsheim, 1878), is revalidated. A lectotype is designated for Leptusa coeca Eppelsheim, 1878. The currently known distributions of the species are mapped. The morphological adaptations, the methods with which they were collected, and the habitats where they were found suggest that Pseudotyphlopasilia species inhabit deep litter layers and the mineral soil of moist, mostly deciduous forests.

Four species of Silusa Erichson, 1837 are described and illustrated: S. edentula sp. nov. (China: Sichuan: Emei Shan); S. triangularis sp. nov. (China: Yunnan: Gaoligong Shan); S. mastigans sp. nov. (China: Sichuan: Gongga Shan); S. turgida sp. nov. (China: Sichuan: Gongga Shan). The two species from Gongga Shan are micropterous. Additional records of four previously described species are reported; the male sexual characters of three of them are illustrated. A catalogue of the Silusa species recorded from China is provided. The Silusa fauna of China is now represented by 14 species with three species from Sichuan micropterous, that of the Palaearctic region includes 31 species.

Autalia tibetana sp. nov. (China: Sichuan: Ganzi Tibetian Autonomous Prefecture), a winged species found in marmot burrows at an altitude of 4200 m, is described and illustrated. Additional records of seven species of Autalia Leach, 1819 are reported from the Palaearctic region, among them a first record from Georgia and a new province record from China. The genus is now represented in the Palaearctic region by 18 species (plus one nomen dubium).

Sinolophus gen. nov. of the Oxypodini (tentative subtribal assignment: Oxypodina) and its type species Sinolophus rubellus sp. nov. (China: Sichuan) are described and illustrated. The new genus combines a remarkable mix of characters of Eurylophus J. Sahlberg, 1876 on the one hand and of Echidnoglossa Wollaston, 1864 and allied genera on the other.

Phymatura angulata sp. nov. (China: Yunnan) and P. russa sp. nov. (China: Shaanxi) are described and illustrated. Phymatura cooteri Assing, 2005 is reported from Japan and Russia for the first time. Including the new species, Phymatura J. Sahlberg, 1876 is represented in the Palaearctic region by 14 species, at least one of them of doubtful generic assignment.

Thiasophila gansuica sp. nov. (South Gansu), the first representative of the genus to be recorded from China, is described, illustrated, and distinguished from other congeners recorded from the East Palaearctic region. The myrmecophilous species is associated with Formica chinensis Wheeler, 1913 of the F. truncorum group. Thiasophila Kraatz, 1856 currently includes 18 species worldwide, 13 of which are distributed in the Palaearctic region.

Review of Leiodinae in Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, Boeny region) is presented. Dermatohomoeus multipunctatus sp. nov. from Madagascar is described. Findings of Dermatohomoeus bulirschi Švec, 2004, D. ferrugineus Švec, 2004, D. madagascarensis Švec, 2004 and Cyrtusiola truncata Švec, 1996 are recorded from the Ankarafantsika National Park for the first time. It has also been the first finding of these species since the date of their original description.

Augyles hameti sp. nov. from Pakistan is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. A checklist of Heteroceridae from Pakistan is provided.

Two new localities of the solitary bee, Megachile ligniseca (Kirby, 1802) were described in Czechia. In both cases, the nest was found on the inflorescence stem of onion plants (Allium sp.) in vegetable gardens. The first garden was surrounded by vineyards, arable fields and abandoned plots within the agricultural landscape of southern Moravia. The second was in a garden allotment in the centre of the city of Brno. Details described at both localities include the percentage of onion stems occupied as well as other characteristics of nesting behaviour (location of nests in inflorescence, nest size and number of cells, nesting material composition with respect to utility, etc.). Results show a great adaptability and variability of the species’ nesting behaviour in response to various environmental conditions.