Article
Zoology
Mikhail Mokrousov, Maxim Yu Proshchalykin
Summary: This study presents new additions to the knowledge of digger wasps in Russia, including the description of a new species and the first-time records of five species in Russia. It also excludes a previously misidentified species and provides new regional records for seven species in Russia.
Article
Physiology
Wolfgang Goettler, Martin Kaltenpoth, Samuel McDonald, Erhard Strohm
Summary: Females of the solitary digger wasp tribe Philanthini cultivate strains of symbiotic bacteria in their antennae, which provide protection for the wasp offspring. The morphology of the antennal glands varies among species, with European and African species having more complex glands compared to North American species.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew Cormons, Jochen Zeil
Summary: The ability of ground-nesting wasps to locate hidden burrow entrances using local visual cues in the context of the wider panorama is examined in this study. The wasps are able to precisely pinpoint the burrow location even when other sensory cues are locally masked. These findings contribute to our understanding of nest recognition and homing behavior in insects.
Review
Zoology
Tessy Rajan, P. Girish Kumar, P. M. Sureshan
Summary: The genus Tzustigmus Finnamore from India was reviewed, with a modified key to world species provided. A new species, T. sahyadriensis Tessy, Girish Kumar & Sureshan sp. nov., from Kerala was described and illustrated.
Article
Zoology
Nawaz Haider Bashir, Wenbo Li, Zhuocheng Liu, Tiyuan Xia, Huanhuan Chen
Summary: A new species of Passaloecus, P. birugatus, is described and illustrated from Yunnan Province, China. The distinguishing characteristics of this new species, such as its long petiole and distinct features in terms of scrobal suture, propodeum rugae and striations, body punctation, and coloration, are discussed. Furthermore, an identification key for Oriental Passaloecus species is provided.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Petr Heneberg, Petr Bogusch
Summary: Azole fungicides have an impact on the pupation and metamorphosis of crabronid wasps, but do not affect their survival rate. Further research is needed to study the combined effects of azole fungicides and other agrochemicals on the metamorphosis timing of bees and wasps.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geology
Longfeng Li, Chungkun Shih, Jingtao Yang, Yuan Gao, Dong Ren
Summary: The study describes a new species, Burmusculus angustus sp. nov., in Burmusculidae, and reports a new material of Myanmarina jeannineae in Myanmarinidae, both specimens from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. The research provides a key to all species of Burmusculus and a detailed comparison among species of Myanmarina and Burmusculus, noting a sexual size dimorphism in females with larger body and forewing sizes.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geology
Corentin Jouault, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn, Vincent Perrichot
Summary: A new family of stephanoid wasps is established based on Cretaceous amber inclusions and rock imprints, comprising four species in three genera. The external features of these species are described and illustrated, with a proposed key to the genera of the family. The study also discusses the shifting proportion of non-aculeate wasps between the Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic periods.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Zoology
P. Girish Kumar, Anil Kumar Dubey
Summary: The digger wasp genus Argogorytes has been newly reported in India with two new species, and a key to the species reported from the Indian subcontinent is provided.
Article
Entomology
Alexander G. Radchenko, Maxim Yu. Proshchalykin
Summary: A new fossil myrmicine ant genus and species, Lelejus venustus gen. et sp. nov., is described from late Eocene Rovno amber, showing distinct morphological features not found in other known late Eocene European ambers. The taxonomic position of this genus has been discussed in the study.
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Zoology
Yuriy N. Danilov, Oleg A. Odintsev
Summary: This study provides a summary of all available data on the digger wasp genus Chilosphex. It reports and illustrates the melanistic form of Ch. argyrius, previously unknown in North Caucasus (Dagestan), and records Chilosphex pseudargyrius from Iran and Ch. argyrius from Bulgaria. A key to identify both species is also provided.
Article
Geology
Brunno B. Rosa, Gabriel A. R. Melo
Summary: In this study, multiple new families, subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species were described and classified. The diverse composition of insect fauna found in Burmese amber, including species associated with different ecological environments and vegetation types, was discussed in detail. The study also reclassified certain insects and proposed new taxonomic classifications.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Dan Yue, Li Ma, Qiang Li
Summary: This study describes and illustrates two new species of the genus Dasyproctus from China, namely D. amplicarinalis Yue & Ma from Yunnan and D. hainanensis Yue & Li from Hainan. Additionally, D. cevirus Leclercq and D. vaporus Leclercq are recorded for the first time in China. A key to the species of Dasyproctus from China is provided in this paper.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Wesley D. Colombo, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Cecilia Waichert, Celso O. Azevedo
Summary: This study revises, diagnoses, and illustrates the commonly found subfamily Epyrinae in the bethylid fossil record, proposing a new genus and describing ten new species. A total of 81 fossil species within Bethylidae are recognized, with a key provided for the classification of fossil epyrines.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Sergey A. Belokobylskij, Maximilian G. Pankowski, Madeline V. Pankowski, Alejandro Zaldivar-Riveron
Summary: New parasitoid wasps belonging to the Braconidae family have been documented from Eocene Baltic and Rovno ambers, including new species and a new genus. These findings enrich our understanding of ancient braconid wasps and provide important information for the study of this family in amber fossil records.
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Francesco Vitali, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: The first cerambycid fossil from Eocene Rovno amber, named Poliaenus europaeus n. sp. (Lamiinae, Pogonocherini), is described in this study. This new species represents the first known fossil of Poliaenus Bates, 1880, and the first representative of this genus found in Europe. The study discusses the relationships with extant species and the potential hosts of this fossil, suggesting the presence of Abies in the Eocene of Ukraine.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
A. A. Legalov, D. V. Vasilenko, E. E. Perkovsky
Summary: This article describes two new species of the genus Demimaea from Rovno amber. The differences between these new species and their extant counterparts are highlighted, and assumptions are made about the presence of Ficus genus plants in the Eocene of Northern and Eastern Europe.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Dmitry Telnov, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Robin Kundrata, Kristaps Kairiss, Dmitry V. Vasilenko, Andris Bukejs
Summary: The beetle family Ptilodactylidae is reported for the first time from Rovno amber in Ukraine, with two new species described and illustrated using X-ray micro-computed tomography. The findings suggest a diverse presence of ptilodactylids in Eocene Europe, as supported by recent discoveries in Baltic amber and Bembridge Marls.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
M. A. X. I. M. Nabozhenko, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Vitaliy Yu. Nazarenko
Summary: A new genus and species of fossil darkling beetle, Archaeoluprops groehni gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Eocene Baltic amber. It closely resembles species of the Lupropini and Goniaderini tribes in external morphology but differs in lacking intersegmental membranes between abdominal ventrites 3-5 and defensive glands. Based on its combination of primitive and derived characters and distinctions from other extinct and extant lagriine tribes, a new tribe, Archaeolupropini trib. nov., is established. The absence of Baltic amber lagriine tribes in extant fauna of middle latitudes in Europe is noted.
Article
Zoology
Maxim Nabozhenko, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: A new species of the Oriental alleculine genus Oracula, named O. campbelli, is described from the Eocene Rovno amber in Ukraine. This is the first record of a representative from the family Tenebrionidae in this fossil deposit. The extant species of Oracula are found in Nepal, southern China (Yunnan), Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia. The newly discovered extinct species is similar to O. amica from Nepal.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carolin Haug, Viktor A. Baranov, Marie K. Hoernig, Joshua Gauweiler, Jorg U. Hammel, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Joachim T. Haug
Summary: Eocene amber provides a valuable insight into the past, approximately 35 million years ago. The large amount of resin that turned into amber suggests that the forest of that time was under stress. Recent discoveries of hoverfly larvae in Eocene amber, which are often associated with wood-borer larvae in modern fauna, hint at the possible contribution of wood-borer larvae to this stress. Additional wood-borer larvae have been found in amber, including a giant one in Rovno amber. These findings indicate that wood-borer larvae were common in the Eocene amber forest, supporting the idea of a stressed forest. However, whether the higher abundance of wood-borer larvae was the cause or symptom of the stress remains unclear.
PALAEOBIODIVERSITY AND PALAEOENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Maryna M. Sukhomlyn, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: This study reports the discovery of mycelium from the Yantardakh Lagerstatte (Santonian of Taimyr). The mycelium shows parallel arrangement, weak branching, and septated hyphae, indicating an affinity to Basidiomycota. Two types of outgrowths, long and common, and short peg-shaped, were observed perpendicular to the parent hyphae. Arthroconidia and spherical structures resembling exudate drops were also observed. The presence of mycelial rings similar to trapping loops suggests that this mycelium belongs to a nematophagous fungus of Agaricomycetes. This finding implies the existence of nematodes in the Taimyr amber forest and represents the first discovery of putatively nematophagous Basidiomycota from the Cretaceous of North Asia.
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Josh Jenkins Shaw, Evgeny Perkovsky, Adam Slipinski, Hermes Escalona, Alexey Solodovnikov
Summary: A new species of narrow-waisted bark beetle, Diagrypnodes villumi sp. nov., is described from Eocene Rovno amber in Ukraine. This fossil challenges the common perception of Diagrypnodes as a Gondwanan lineage with disjunct extant species in Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. The presence of Diagrypnodes and Eopeplus in Eocene Europe indicates a previously different and potentially wider distribution of the subfamily. Additionally, the discovery of the ant Lasius schiefferdeckeri Mayr in the same amber piece highlights the coexistence of temperate and frost intolerant elements in European Eocene amber forests.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Dmitry D. Vorontsov, Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov, Elena E. Voronezhskaya, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Marielle M. Berto, Joseph Mowery, Ronald Ochoa, Pavel B. Klimov
Summary: We describe a non-destructive method of super resolution confocal microscopy (sCLSM) for studying microfossils preserved in amber. By studying a novel astigmatid mite species (genus Histiogaster, Acaridae) in amber, we demonstrate that the resolution obtained with sCLSM is similar to that of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) commonly used for studying modern mites. We compare sCLSM imaging with other methods used for studying amber inclusions and highlight its advantages in examining unique fossil specimens. Additionally, we find that the deterioration of amber, reflected in its darkening, correlates positively with increased fluorescence. Our results demonstrate the great potential of the sCLSM method for imaging the tiniest organisms preserved in amber.
Article
Biology
Georgy Yu. Lyubarsky, Evgeny E. E. Perkovsky, Dmitry V. V. Vasilenko
Summary: Xenophagus simutniki sp. n. is a new species described from a late Eocene Rovno amber specimen. It is similar to Xenophagus popovi Lyubarsky et Perkovsky, 2017 from Baltic amber, but differs in the medially notched anterior margin of the pronotum. The Rovno xenosceline fauna is the richest known, including extinct and extant genera closely related to Xenoscelis and Zavaljus, respectively. A key to extinct species of Xenoscelinae is provided, and the possible reasons for the abundance of xenoscelines in European amber forests are discussed.
Article
Biology
Ilya S. Turbanov, Vasiliy B. Kolesnikov, Dmitry D. Vorontsov, Dmitry V. Vasilenko, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: A new species of chthonioid pseudoscorpion, named Chthonius marusiki sp. nov., is described from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine). This is the first valid species of the family Chthoniidae found in Rovno amber. Diagnostic, biogeographic, paleohabitat, and ecological features of this new species are presented and compared to related extinct and extant species of this genus.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Leonid N. Anisyutkin, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: This article describes two fossil cockroaches, belonging to the new extinct genus Palaeosymploce gen. n. and the extant genus Supella Shelford, 1911. They are the first representatives of the Ectobiidae family from the Eocene of Ukraine. The new genus Palaeosymploce gen. n. is similar to the extant genus Symploce Hebard, 1916, but differs in wing structure. The extant genus Supella is mainly distributed in the Afrotropical Region. The article provides a detailed description of the new taxa and suggests brief conclusions about the climate of the Priabonian Rovno amber forest.
Article
Entomology
Zoya A. Fedotova, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Andrew J. Ross, Qingqing Zhang
Summary: A new species of gall midge, Fushuniola mai Fedotova & Perkovsky, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the lower Eocene Fushun amber in China. Additionally, a diversity of gall midges from lower Eocene amber is presented. The new genus is closely related to the extant genus Rhipidoxylomyia.
Article
Entomology
Bartosz Oglaza, Evgeny E. Perkovsky, Piotr Wegierek
Article
Paleontology
Shuhei Yamamoto, Vitaly Yu Nazarenko, Dmitry V. Vasilenko, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: A new lymexylid fossil species, Raractocetus sverlilo Nazarenko, Perkovsky & Yamamoto, sp. nov., is described from late Eocene Rovno amber of Ukraine. This is the first member of the family Lymexylidae found in Rovno amber, and it is one of the smallest known atractocerines. The finding sheds light on the paleodiversity and distribution of atractocerine beetles during the Eocene.