Israel Journal of Entomology
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New records of the genus Euplectrus Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, with description of three new species and a key
Get PDFTwenty-two species of the genus Euplectrus are newly recorded from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, sometimes from more than one country: 18 species from Vietnam (bicolor, brevisetulosus, cinctiventris, colliosilvus, flavigaster, fuscicoxalis, indicus, koebelei, laphygmae, leucostomus, liparidis, longipetiolatus, manilae, parvulus, peduncularis n. sp., petiolatus, reticulatus, transversus); nine from Malaysia (brevisetulosus, euplexiae, fuscicoxalis, laphygmae, leucostomus, longipetiolatus, reticulatus, pahangi n. sp., selangori n. sp.); five from Papua New Guinea (brevisetulosus, ceylonensis, flavigaster, fuscicoxalis, laphygmae); two from Thailand (ceylonensis, fuscicoxalis); three from Cambodia (colliosilvus, koebelei, leucostomus); two from Taiwan (euplexiae, fuscicoxalis); and one from each of Nepal (ceylonensis), India (laphygmae), Sri Lanka (manilae), South Korea (manilae), and French Polynesia (manilae). Seven species are redescribed. An identification key to Euplectrus species from Southeast Asia is provided.
Cite as: Yefremova, Z.A. 2017. New records of the genus Euplectrus Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, with description of three new species and a key. Israel Journal of Entomology 47: 55–85.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.845890
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:67DB25E0-DC8D-4DC3-BEBD-2D13A3C29CB
Taxonomy and biology of Andricus morula, a new gall-wasp species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from Mt Hermon, Israel
Get PDFThe Israeli fauna of oak galling wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) has been studied only sporadically until recently, with a focus on only two of the five native oak species in the country. As a result, numerous cynipid species in Israel are yet to be described, in particular from the northernmost parts of the country. In the present study we describe the first cynipd species from the Mount Hermon region, which harbors rich and unique flora and fauna. This region is home to Quercus cerris and Q. libani, two oak species that occur nowhere else in the country and their associated cynipid fauna has not been studied to date. Andricus morula n. sp. is currently known only from its sexual generation, which develops in gregarious mulberry-like catkin galls on these two oak species. Males and females of this species are described and compared to the closely related A. cecconii Kieffer, and data on their galls, phenology and natural enemies are reported.
Cite as: Shachar, E., Inbar, M. & Dorchin, N. 2017. Taxonomy and biology of Andricus morula, a new gall-wasp species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) from Mt Hermon, Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 47: 87–96.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.888745
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ABA17CB4-02F5-4B56-BF33-EC10D1AE3F7
New data on the spider genus Pionothele (Araneae: Nemesiidae), with description of a new species from South Africa
Get PDFThe formerly monotypic African genus Pionothele Purcell is shown to comprise two members, the type species P. straminea Purcell, 1902 and P. capensis n. sp., described here. The distribution of both sympatric species is confined to the Cape Peninsula and adjacent territories. The new species differs from P. straminea by having a noticeably better developed cheliceral rastellum, more numerous maxillary cuspules (80–90 vs 15–20) and triangular (not domed) apical segment of the posterior lateral spinnerets, as well as by the short-cylindrical (not swollen) male palpal tibia and a paddle-like embolus slightly dilated apically (thorn-like in the latter species). To compare diagnostic characters directly, the type species is also redescribed from a conspecific male. The relationships of Pionothele are briefly discussed.
Cite as: Zonstein, S. L. 2016. New data on the spider genus Pionothele (Araneae: Nemesiidae), with description of a new species from South Africa. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 31–42.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.56928
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1AB4F448-8024-40D6-98F0-02CC7D7CC15
Genus Arabshamshevia Naglis (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in the Palaearctic Region
Get PDFThe formerly Afrotropical genus Arabshamshevia Naglis, 2014 is recorded from the Palaearctic Region for the first time. A new species Arabshamshevia negevensis n. sp. from Israel is described. A modified diagnosis of the genus is compiled. Possible synonymy of Shamshevia Grichanov, 2012 and Arabshamshevia is briefly discussed.
Cite as: Grichanov, Igor Ya. 2016. Genus Arabshamshevia Naglis (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in the Palaearctic Region. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 93–98.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.167571
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1044C636-E34B-488E-9833-ADF07AE4FC4
Notes on Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 of the bicolor species-group in Israel, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Get PDFFive species of Cataglyphis belonging to the bicolor species-group are recorded from Israel, including a new species, C. israelensis n. sp. The relationships of the new species with other bicolor group species in the region, and relationships among species in the niger species-complex are discussed. The identification of isolated specimens belonging to the five Israeli species by morphological characters is investigated.
Cite as: Ionescu, A. & Eyer, P.-A. 2016. Notes on Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 of the bicolor species-group in Israel, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 109–131.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.221456
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0FE0E11B-3411-4204-A63D-DB23DDE5A37
A new species of Hellichiella (Diptera: Simuliidae) with 11-segmented antenna from the Eocene
Get PDFWe synonymize Hellichiella pugach Perkovsky & Sukhomlin, 2015 with Greniera yankovskyi Perkovsky & Sukhomlin, 2015 (Stegopterniini) based on the holotype and female paratype of H. pugach (Stegopterniini). Hellichiella polessica n. sp. differs from Hellichiella oligocenica (Rubtsov, 1936) (the only species of Hellichiella known in Baltic amber) by its smaller body, narrower head, 11-segmented antenna, greater number of upper corneal facets, cylindrical metabasitarsus, and narrowed gonostylus. Our findings show three species of blackflies in Rovno amber: Greniera ukrainica Perkovsky & Sukhomlin, 2015 and G. yankovskyi Perkovsky & Sukhomlin, 2015 (Stegopterniini) and Hellichiella polessica n. sp. (Nevermanniini).
Cite as: Perkovsky, E.E. & Sukhomlin, E.B. 2016. A new species of Hellichiella (Diptera: Simuliidae) with 11-segmented antenna from the Eocene. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 79–86.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.59292
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2C8FFE0A-F1C0-4693-BF19-C93FAD39BB1
The first record of Polyphylla olivieri (Laporte de Castelanu, 1840) (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Lebanon
Get PDFPolyphylla (Polyphylla) olivieri (Laporte de Castelanu, 1840) is a widely distributed June Beetle that occurs in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Syria and Israel (Bezdek 2006). Although it would be only logical to assume that the species is present also in Lebanon, it was never actually reported from there and so Lebanon remained a blank spot in its known range of distribution. During the examination of the Melolonthini beetles deposited in the National Collection of Insects, The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (SMNHTAU), the author encountered two specimens accompanied with handwritten data labels that read ‘Syria Bokaah [or Bekaah, as ink is blurred]’. Bekaah is recently known as Beqaa [Becaa] Valley (in English), Wadi al-Biqaʻ (in Arabic) or el-Bohah (Lebanese dialect). It is a large valley situated east of Beirut in Lebanon between the Anti-Lebanon mountains to the east and Mount Lebanon to the west.
Cite as: Rittner, O. 2016. The first record of Polyphylla olivieri (Laporte de Castelanu, 1840) (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Lebanon. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 77–78.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.58066
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DE2F5067-F9C-4B9E-A3D-3CDAC462CFF
Rosemary beetle Chrysolina americana: A new invasive leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae) in Israel
Get PDFThis is the first record of Chrysolina americana from Israel and from the eastern Mediterranean south of Antalya, Turkey (37°N). C. americana (Figs 1, 3, 4) generally resembles the Chrysolina coerulans angelica (Reiche & Saulcy, 1858) (Fig. 2), widely distributed in Israel and feeding and breeding on wild mint (Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds.). C. americana is similar to C. c. angelica particularly in its size, body form and rainbow-like bright glowing coloration of the head, pronotum and elytra, with green, purple and blue longitudinal stripes. However, these species can be easily distinguished by the following characters: elytral punctation is arranged in double rows of punctae in C. americana, while not arranged in any order in C. c. angelica; punctae on the pronotum are concentrated on the sides, leaving the medial area of the pronotum completely smooth in C. americana, while they are spread evenly in C. c. angelica; the longitudinal stripes display two colours—bluish green and purple—in C. americana, and three colours—green, red and blue (mainly medio-laterally)—in C. c. angelica. The two facts—that C. americana was not found in Israel before 2014 and all findings to date have been in Haifa or in close proximity to Haifa—lead to the conclusion that C. americana is not a previously overlooked local species, but, rather, an invasive species, which has passively arrived in Israel in recent years, possibly through the Haifa Port, Israel’s main maritime gateway in the eastern Mediterranean.
Cite as: Friedman, A.L.L. 2016. Rosemary beetle Chrysolina americana: A new invasive leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae) in Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 87–91.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.59017
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5793092C-9963-4863-85AB-152C79D16B5
First record of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in the Middle East, with biological notes on its relations with eucalyptus trees
Get PDFWe present the first Middle-Eastern record of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé, an invasive pest that feeds and develops only on eucalyptus trees. This species was found in Israel for the first time in Eucalyptus camaldulensis stands in October 2014. A survey of several eucalyptus groves was conducted in Tel Aviv and its surroundings to assess the geographical distribution and host-plant associations of T. peregrinus. We summarize new and old data on this species, i.e., its identification, immature stages, biology, phenology, and damage caused to the host plant.
Cite as: Novoselsky, T. & Freidberg, A. 2016. First record of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in the Middle East, with biological notes on its relations with eucalyptus trees. Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 43–55.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.58193
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6F0CB04C-A367-4123-8435-87D0F5A3482
Yuri Apollonovich Ptashkovsky (1948—2015)
Get PDFYuri Apollonovich Ptashkovsky (Юрий Аполлонович Пташковский, in Russian) was born on April 4, 1948, in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, and spent most of his life there. He studied at the Khmelnytskyi Electromechanical College, specializing as an electrical technician. He later worked as head of the cinema-photo laboratory of the Khmelnytskyi Municipal Palace of Culture and also led the Children’s Photography Club. Despite his technical education, Yuri’s devotion to nature and studies of nature were evident from his early years. From young age, he passionately observed and investigated insects, especially beetles. Yuri started his own private beetle collection at the age of fourteen. He carefully mounted the specimens for his collection and identified them using available entomological literature. By 1978, his collection amounted to about 1,500 species of beetles. ...Yuri came to Israel on October 28, 1998, joining his eldest son, who was already living in Kibbutz Malkiyya. Yuri settled in Qiryat Hayyim, one of the northern suburbs of Haifa, where he remained for the rest of his life. He worked as a geodesist for the Jewish National Fund (KKL) until his retirement in 2013. From his very first steps in the country, Yuri became fascinated by the incredible diversity of the local beetle fauna, and immediately began collecting insects. Many of his field trips were in and around Qiryat Hayyim, in surrounding fields, and in marine dunes, although he also collected in other parts of the country, particularly in the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, and on Mount Hermon. Working as a geodesist for KKL, he traveled regularly across northern Israel and was able to assemble a valuable collection of beetles and to photograph them in their natural environment. When the number of his photographed species exceeded 1,000, Yuri came up with the idea of making an illustrated atlas of Israeli Coleoptera.In 2009, after eight years of intensive work the atlas—the first of its kind—was published. The first edition was in Russian and Hebrew, with only a few printed copies. The second edition of 50 copies was published in 2013 in English, with Russian and Hebrew names of some beetle taxa. The atlas is illustrated with 1,800 color images of 1,655 beetle species, some of them taken by the author and some borrowed from various sources. Some of the taxa are briefly described, others are only mentioned by name and by distribution; identification guidelines and sketches are provided for some species and genera. The books were published at Yuri’s own expense. Over the last few years, Yuri began to work on a third edition of his atlas, but his untimely death has interrupted this admirable endeavor. Yuri passed away unexpectedly, from a stroke, on February 9, 2015. He is survived by his wife Galina, two sons and a daughter.
Cite as: Friedman, A.-L.-L. & Novikova, A.V. 2016. Yuri Apollonovich Ptashkovsky (1948—2015). Israel Journal of Entomology 46: 137–140.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22110