Scientiae biologicae

Ectatops grandis sp. nov., is described, illustrated, and compared with E. dembickyi Stehlík, 2007. The new species originates from central Vietnam and is the largest known species of the genus Ectatops Amyot et Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae). A list of all the species of Ectatops is provided and their distribution is reviewed. New distributional records are given for the following taxa (first records marked by an asterisk*): E. coloratus Walker, 1873 (Indonesia: Seram), E. dembickyi (India: *Assam), E. fuscus Stål, 1871 (Philippines: Luzon), E. gracilicornis Stål, 1863 (Indonesia: *Bacan Is., Papua, *Salawati Is., *Waigeo Is., West Papua, Papua New Guinea: *New Britain; Solomon Islands: Guadalcanal), E. indignus (Walker, 1873) (India: Assam, Laos, *Malaysia: *Kedah, Thailand, Vietnam), E. limbatus Amyot et Serville, 1943 (Indonesia: Java), E. nervosus Breddin, 1901 (Indonesia: *Kalimantan, Malaysia: Sarawak), E. obscurus de Vuillefroy, 1864 (Indonesia: Sumatra), E. ophthalmicus (Burmeister, 1835) (Indonesia: Java; Malaysia: *Johor, Perak, Sabah. Sarawak, Selangor; Philippines: Palawan), and E. speculum Breddin, 1901 (*Malaysia: Perak).

The first record of Osmylus cilicicus Krüger, 1913 from Samos is presented and the species’ distribution is briefly discussed. This is a new species for Greece and Europe simultaneously.

New distributional data on the rare and endangered saproxylic beetle, Peltis grossa (Linnaeus, 1758), and its Eastern vicariant Peltis gigantea (Reitter, 1882) are provided. Peltis grossa is recorded from 21 European countries, with first or first exact records provided for Asian Turkey, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. In contrast, the species is known only in the form of subfossil remains in Great Britain, while there are no records from Hungary and Belgium, contrary to information contained in Fauna Europaea. Peltis gigantea is recorded from Kazakhstan for the first time.

Helina banari sp.nov. and Helina oborili sp.nov. from Iran are described and compared with similar species of the genus.

Species of the genus Mydaea Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 are recorded for the first time from Croatia. In total three species each of Mydaea and Phaonia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 and one species each of Coenosia Meigen, 1826 and Muscina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 are newly recorded. Atable is provided listing the 97 muscid species currently known from Croatia.

An annotated list of some remarkable collections of rare polypores, mainly from the territory of Moravia, is given. Altogether, 36 species are presented, most of them illlustrated with a colour photograph. Some information on their distribution, ecology and key characters is provided. New localities of species previously known merely from only one (Aurantiporus alborubescens, Chaetoporellus latitans, Riopa metamorphosa) or two (Jahnoporus hirtus) in Czechia were disclosed, and a few species (Byssoporia terrestris, Phellinus lundellii) are published for the first time for the territory of Moravia. Further, many new localities for certain other very rare polypores (Gelatoporia subvermispora, Porotheleum fimbriatum, Tyromyces kmetii, Yuchengia narymica) are presented.

The paper was prepared with the aid of the staff of the Prùhonice Park, particularly of Mr. Jiøí Burda. The study was supported by the Ministry of Culture grant, within the programme of National and Cultural Identity (NAKI), under no. DF12P01OVV005. Thanks are due to the Arnold Arboretum for providing materials from the expeditions of E. H. Wilson to China.