Excitatoren und paarungsverhalten mitteleurop�ischer malachiiden (Coleopt., Malacodermata)

First record of the genus Sceloattalus Wittmer, 1966 (Coleoptera, Malachiidae) from China, with description of a new species

The genus Sceloattalus Wittmer, 1966 is recorded from China for the first time. A new species, S.nigroprominens Tong & Yang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Xizang Autonomous Region of China. This new species is the fourth member of Sceloattalus and can be easily distinguished from others by the yellow antennae with a small black spot at apex of last antennomere, black elytra without metallic lustre, all tarsi yellow, and hind tibiae yellow to black. The generic diagnosis of Sceloattalus is resummarized. An identification key to all known species of Sceloattalus is also updated.

First Record of the Family Malachiidae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber with a Description of Burmalachius acroantennatus Gen. et Spec. Nov

A new soft-winged flower beetle, Burmalachius acroantennatus gen. et sp. nov. belonging to the tribe Malachiini (Coleoptera: Malachiidae), discovered in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber is described. The new genus differs from the congeners of the tribe Malachiini in possessing the following characteristics: anterior tibiae widened and slightly curved inwards and excavate near the apices, tarsomeres of anterior legs depressed, 1st to 3rd tarsomeres simple and almost of equal size, tarsal comb lacking, "clavate" antennae due to dilated three apical antennomeres, 1st and 2nd antennomeres enlarged and of identical size, head strongly elongate, sides of elytra with carinate margins and widened epipleurae. This is the first record of the family Malachiidae in Burmese amber. Illustrations of the newly described species are provided. Keys for the identification of Melyrid lineage families, subfamilies of Malachiidae, tribes of the subfamily Malachiinae and genera of the tribe Malachiini are also given.

Analyses of head and thorax in Eupomphini (Meloidae) suggest that complex behaviors are not associated to changes in general shape

Our results reject an association between general shape of head and thorax with defensive and courtship behaviors in the studied Eupomphini blister beetles. Instead we found that shape of thorax and head radiated in all directions of the morphospace. We also identified a radical separation between two lineages that could represent future evolutionary constraints for thorax evolution.

First record of the genus Pectapalochrus Tshernyshev, 2016 (Coleoptera, Malachiidae) from China

Background

Pectapalochrus Tshernyshev, 2016 is a small genus belonging to the tribe Apalochrini in the family Malachiidae (Coleoptera, Cleroidea), with four currently known species: P.omega (Evers, 1965) from Mongolia, P.armenus (Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1978) from Armenia, P.pictus (Motschulsky, 1860) from Russia and P.pectinicornis (Erichson, 1840) from Russia and Mongolia.

New information

Pectapalochrus Tshernyshev, 2016 is newly recorded from China upon the discovery of P.omega (Evers, 1965) from Ningxia Autonomous Region. The morphological characters of the adult are re-described in detail with illustrations of external appearance and relevant characters.

Hypebaeus cooteri sp. nov., the Nemoral Species of Soft-Winged Flower Beetles (Coleoptera, Malachiidae) in North Asia

A new species of soft-winged flower beetle, Hypebaeus cooteri Tshernyshev, sp. nov., external appearance very close to H. flavipes (Fabricius, 1787) but differs in shape of the elytral appendages and dark colouration of apical margin of the elytra is described from the Russian Far East. Phenomenon of disjunctive distribution of the new species from the main areal of the genus is discussed on the basis of nemoral faunogenesis during the Late Pleistocene and the Middle Holocene in dependence of broad-leaf forest distribution. Oak trees are considered as typical habitat of the genus Hypebaeus Kiesenwetter, 1863 on the basis of field study by Jonathan Cooter in Moccas Park National Nature Reserve on old oak trees in UK. H. flavipes, the nominative species of the genus Hypebaeus, is redescribed from the specimens collected in Great Britain. Illustrations of external appearance and special male characters for both species are provided.