Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the alien hornet Vespa velutina (Insecta: Hymenoptera) invading Kyushu Island, Japan.

We analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome of the invasive Asian hornet Vespa velutina from Kyushu Island, Japan. The mitochondrial genome of V. velutina was identified as a circular molecule of 16,388 bp. We predicted that the genome contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes, along with one A + T-rich control region. The average AT content is 81.68%. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using the 13 mitochondrial PCGs from 11 closely related taxa of Vespidae indicated that the V. velutina invading the Japanese Islands of Kyushu and Tsushima have a common origin.

Description of three new species of Crenitis Bedel from China, with additional faunistic records for the genus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Chaetarthriinae).

Three new species of the genus Crenitis Bedel, 1881 are described from China: C. aduncata sp. nov. (Yunnan), C. lianggeqiui sp. nov. (Yunnan and Sichuan) and C. obovata sp. nov. (Guangxi and Guizhou). All three species are assigned to the subgenus Crenitis. New locality records in China are provided for C. apicalis (Reitter, 1896) (from Inner Mongolia) and C. convexa Ji & Komarek, 2003 (from Ningxia, Chongqing). A key to the Chinese species of the subgenus Crenitis is provided.

Redescription and lectotype designation of Chasmogenus abnormalis (Sharp), with notes on its distribution.

Chasmogenus Sharp, 1882 is a relatively small genus of 43 described species of aquatic beetles assigned to the subfamily Acidocerinae of Hydrophilidae (Hansen 1999; Short & Hebauer 2006; Short & Fikácek 2011, 2013; Clarkson & Ferreira-Jr. 2014). It is distributed in all zoogeographic regions except the Nearctic, with the highest species richness known from the Afrotropical (18 spp.) and Neotropical (15 spp.) Regions. Only four species have been described from the Oriental Region: C. abnormalis (Sharp, 1890), C. rubricollis (Régimbart, 1903), C. larsi Hebauer, 1995, and C. cattienus Hebauer, 2002. Of these, only C. abnormalis was recorded multiple times after its description.

Dynamics of dipole- and valence bound anions in iodide-adenine binary complexes: A time-resolved photoelectron imaging and quantum mechanical investigation.

Dipole bound (DB) and valence bound (VB) anions of binary iodide-adenine complexes have been studied using one-color and time-resolved photoelectron imaging at excitation energies near the vertical detachment energy. The experiments are complemented by quantum chemical calculations. One-color spectra show evidence for two adenine tautomers, the canonical, biologically relevant A9 tautomer and the A3 tautomer. In the UV-pump/IR-probe time-resolved experiments, transient adenine anions can be formed by electron transfer from the iodide. These experiments show signals from both DB and VB states of adenine anions formed on femto- and picosecond time scales, respectively. Analysis of the spectra and comparison with calculations suggest that while both the A9 and A3 tautomers contribute to the DB signal, only the DB state of the A3 tautomer undergoes a transition to the VB anion. The VB anion of A9 is higher in energy than both the DB anion and the neutral, and the VB anion is therefore not accessible through the DB state. Experimental evidence of the metastable A9 VB anion is instead observed as a shape resonance in the one-color photoelectron spectra, as a result of UV absorption by A9 and subsequent electron transfer from iodide into the empty π-orbital. In contrast, the iodide-A3 complex constitutes an excellent example of how DB states can act as doorway state for VB anion formation when the VB state is energetically available.

A revision of Megagraphydrus Hansen (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae): synonymization with Agraphydrus Régimbart and description of seven new species.

The genus Megagraphydrus Hansen, 1999 is revised. Eleven of the twelve previously described species are recognized as valid, with Megagraphydrus wangi Hebauer, 2000 syn. nov. found to be a junior synonym of M. politus Hansen, 1999. Most significantly, Megagraphydrus itself is found to be a junior synonym of Agraphydrus Régimbart, 1903. The species are assigned to the subgenus Agraphydrus. This nomenclatural act results in the following new combinations: Agraphydrus (Agraphydrus) anhuianus (Hebauer, 2000) comb. nov., A. (A.) attenuatus (Hansen, 1999) comb. nov., A. (A.) jaechi (Hansen, 1999) comb. nov., A. (A.) luteilateralis (Minoshima & Fujiwara, 2009) comb. nov., A. (A.) malayanus (Hebauer, 2000) comb. nov., A. (A.) politus (Hansen, 1999) comb. nov., A. (A.) puzhelongi (Jia, 2010) comb. nov., A. (A.) regularis (Hansen, 1999) comb. nov., A. (A.) siamensis (Hansen, 1999) comb. nov., A. (A.) superans (Hebauer, 2000) comb. nov., and A. (A.) uvaensis (Hebauer, 2000) comb. nov. All species are redescribed with the exclusion of A. superans, A. luteilateralis, and A. puzhelongi. Seven new species are described: Agraphydrus (Agraphydrus) biprojectus sp. nov., A. (A.) coronarius sp. nov., A. (A.) decipiens sp. nov., A. (A.) insidiator sp. nov., A. (A.) masatakai sp. nov., A. (A.) montanus sp. nov., A. (A.) thaiensis sp. nov. Digital and SEM photographs are provided, and the male and female genital segments are illustrated and described.