New synonymy among gall thrips of the Asian genus Mesothrips, with revision of species from China (Thysanoptera, Haplothripini).

Historical, nomenclatural, technical, and biological problems associated with the 42 species of Mesothrips are discussed. Type specimens have been re-examined of 14 of the 25 species that were described prior to 1930 and remain known only from imperfectly slide-mounted specimens. As a result, seven new synonyms are recognised. From China, six species of Mesothrips have been listed, but the records of M.alluaudi and M.manii are rejected, and three new species are described: M.jianfengisp. nov., M.longistylussp. nov., and M.verniciasp. nov. These three species are divergent from other members of Mesothrips in lacking a prominent fore tarsal tooth and may indicate a possible generic relationship to the flower-living species in the Asian genus Dolichothrips. An illustrated key is provided to the seven Mesothrips species now known from China.

The genus Nandithrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with a new species from Southern China.

Nandithrips niveae sp. n. is described from Southern China. This is the second species of Nandithrips, a genus that is remarkable among Thripinae with ocellar setae I and II absent, abdominal tergite VIII of female with posteromarginal comb absent medially, and sternite II of male with an oval pore plate. The body of this new species is sharply bicolored, in contrast to the uniformly golden yellow type species. Both species are known only from the flowers of plants in the family Urticaceae.

Two new species of the genus Nigrobaetis Kazlauskas (in Novikova & Kluge), 1987 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Southwest China.

Two new species of Nigrobaetis Kazlauskas (in Novikova & Kluge), 1987 are described from Southwest China: Nigrobaetis bilongus sp. nov. based on larval and imaginal materials which are reared from larvae; Nigrobaetis trialbus sp. nov. based on larval stage.

A new species of Siphlonurus Eaton, 1868 (Ephemeroptera, Siphlonuridae) from Yunnan, China.

Siphlonurusdongxi Li & Tong, sp. nov. from Shangri-La City, Yunnan Province, China, is described based on egg, nymph, and winged stages. The new species is closely related to S.davidi (Navás, 1932), and can be distinguished by the colour of the imago, the forking point of MP, the penis, posterolateral spines of tergum IX of imagoes, and first abdominal terga nymph, as well as the structure of the egg. The new species and S.davidi have the same morphological and structural characteristics, such as the long cubital area with many intercalaries, cross veins between C, Sc, RA, and RSa1 surrounded with distinct pigments, the strong curvature of vein CuP in the forewing, the broad expansion of the hindwing, the membranous penis lobes fused without teeth, supporting the proposition of a new species complex, the Siphlonurusdavidi group. The structures of the penis and the egg of the new species could help understand the origin and evolution of the genus Siphlonurus.

First record of hygropetric species in the genus Paegniodes Eaton, 1881 (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) with description of a new species from China.

Paegniodes oligopilus sp. nov., a first hygropetric species in the genus Paegniodes Eaton, 1881 found from madicolous habitat, is described based on larvae from Southwest China. The new species is characterized by the posterior margin of 1st segment bearing a row of 13-15 stout setae; mesonotum and abdominal tergites II-IX having a reddish brown median stripe; swimming setae of cerci and median caudal filament are vestigial. The morphological affinities and feeding habits with other known species are discussed.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Ephemera serica (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) and phylogenetic analysis.

In the present research, the mitochondrial genome of Ephemera serica was sequenced through next generation sequencing methods and its phylogenetic position in Ephemeroptera was analyzed. Total mitochondrial genome is 15,004 bp in length, and contains 13 protein coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Mitogenomic phylogeny trees were constructed including 45 species from 13 families. The results show that E. serica is closely related to E. rufomaculata.

Two new synonyms among Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with three species newly recorded from China.

Helionothrips mube and Panchaetothrips bifurcus are here recognized as new synonyms of Helionothrips aino and Panchaetothrips timonii based on large numbers of specimens and continuous morphological differences. Three species, Caliothrips insularis, Hercinothrips femoralis and Phibalothrips rugosus are newly recorded from China and the previous record of Caliothrips indicus from China is here considered incorrect. Illustrations of males and larvae of Hercinothrips femoralis are also provided.

Neohydatothrips from China, with one new species and one new record (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).

Neohydatothrips sophorae sp. n. is described from Western China. The new Sericothripinae species is characterized by the bicoloured body with the abdominal tergites bearing a posteromarginal craspedum. N. reticulatus (Kudo) is newly recorded in China. An updated key is provided to 18 species of Neohydatothrips from China.

Baetis majus sp. nov., new species of mayfly (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Far East of Russia.

A new species, Baetis majus Tiunova sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on larvae and reared adults discovered in the Russian Far East. The differential identification of this species was determined by the characteristics of other representatives of the genus Baetis Leach, including subgenera Baetis Leach and Tenuibaetis Kang Yang from Eastern and Western Palaearctic, Nearctic and Oriental regions. In addition to morphological studies, DNA barcoding of the described species with average intraspecific K2P distances to nearest neighbours is documented. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of all available cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of the subgenera of Baetis and Tenuibaetis from four regions. Bayesian analysis using 47 morphological characters additional to partial COI sequences did not allow to determine the species-group of the Baetis genus to which the described species belongs.

Description of a new species of the genus Ameletus Eaton, 1885 (Ephemeroptera, Ameletidae) from Yunnan, China.

A new species with primitive characteristics, Ameletus daliensis Tong, sp. nov., is described, based on the morphology of imago, larva and egg with molecular data of the mitochondrial COI from Mount Cangshan, Dali, China. The new species is closely related to one of the most primitive mayflies, Ameletus primitivus Traver, 1939, by sharing persistent mouthparts in the alate stage, but it can be distinguished from the latter by the morphological differences of the mouthpart remains, wings and genitals in the imaginal stage. Both morphological and molecular evidence support that A. daliensis Tong, sp. nov. is a new member of the genus Ameletus. The discovery of the new species could help understand the origin and evolution of the genus Ameletus.

A new species of Psephenothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from China.

A new species of Phlaeothripinae, Psephenothrips aporosae sp. n., is described based on specimens collected in leaf galls on Aporosa octandra [Phyllanthaceae] in China. The new species is characterized by the head being much shorter than wide, the tube slightly longer than the head, and the metanotum with close longitudinal reticulation.

Vietnamella chebalingensis, a new species of the family Vietnamellidae (Ephemeroptera) from China based on morphological and molecular data.

Vietnamella chebalingensis Tong, sp. nov. is described based on larval stage from China. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: body purple black with mottled white markings; length of inner pairs of cephalic projection approximately half of the outer pairs; posterior margin of abdominal tergites I-VI and VIII-X each with a pair of pointed projections, but tergite VII bearing only a single projection. The morphological evidence and molecular data (COI, Kimura 2-parameter) support that this new species represents the sixth species of the genus Vietnamella. An identification key to known larvae of the genus Vietnamella is provided.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Taeniothrips genus-group, with revision of the species of Ctenothrips and Vulgatothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripinae).

The pattern of relationships within the Taeniothrips genus-group was examined using a morphological phylogenetic analysis. Genera comprising this group are discussed together with some character states used in the analysis. Taeniothrips genus-group is recovered as monophyletic, but Taeniothrips appears to be polyphyletic. Ctenothrips is here interpreted as sister-group to Vulgatothrips, with Ctenothrips smilax and C. dissimilis transferred to Vulgatothrips, and C. niger synonymized with C. smilax. Diagnoses of Ctenothrips and Vulgatothrips are presented with illustrated keys to distinguish these genera and their included species, and eight species are newly synonymised in Ctenothrips.

Character state variation within Dendrothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) with a revision of the species from China.

Character state variation among species within Dendrothrips Uzel is discussed, with seven species-groups suggested based on sculpture of body and fore wing surface. Sexual dimorphism in pronotal sculpture and posteroangular setae is described in D. magnoliae. The major host plants of several species are indicated, and the wide distribution across Asia of some species emphasised. Species of Dendrothrips from China are reviewed, D. octosparsus sp. n. is described from Oleaceae, and a key presented to the ten species from China. Two species previously known only from Japan, D. magnoliae Kudô and D. latimaculatus Nonaka Okajima, are newly recorded from China along with the first description of their males. The male of D. homalii Zhang Tong is described and illustrated. The record from China of D. mendax Bhatti is considered a misidentification of D. latimaculatus. D. schmiae Kudô is synonymized with D. minowai Priesner.

Genus Bungona Harker, 1957 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from China, with descriptions of three new species and a key to Oriental species.

Six species of Bungona Harker, including three species of the subgenus Centroptella Braasch Soldán and three species of subgenus of Chopralla Waltz McCafferty, are reported from China. Of which, three new species, Bungona (Centroptella) ovata sp. nov., Bungona (Centroptella) quadrata sp. nov. and Bungona (Chopralla) bifida sp. nov., are described based on nymphal materials. In addition, Bungona (Chopralla) liebenauae (Soldán, Braasch Muu, 1987) that was previously known only from Vietnam is newly recorded in China. An identification key to Bungona species known from Oriental Region is presented.

Phylogenetic relationships within the Frankliniella genus-group based on morphology, with a revision of Iridothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae).

The Frankliniella genus-group comprises over 270 species in ten genera. It is one of the important groups in Thripinae, and includes some important pests. A phylogenetic analysis of genus-level relationships within the Frankliniella genus-group was performed, based on 55 morphological character states scored for 23 species representing 11 genera, including an outgroup, Thrips physapus. Six most parsimonious trees were generated from the analysis under equal weighting schemes. Pseudanaphothrips was recovered as monophyletic, and as sister group to a clade comprising five genera, Yaobinthrips, Parabaliothrips, Sitothrips, Firmothrips, Kakothrips, in which Parabaliothrips showed to be a paraphyletic group. Frankliniella was paraphyletic, with Frankliniella zizaniophila + Iridothrips + Pelikanothrips kratochvili forming one clade that was sister group to the rest of the species of Frankliniella + Guerothrips moundi. According to the phylogenetic analysis, Guerothrips is proposed as a new synonym of Frankliniella, and Pelikanothrips is considered a new synonym of Iridothrips. The genus Iridothrips is revised with a key to five species, including I. zizaniophila comb.n., I. kratochvili comb.n. and I. lobulatus sp.n.. A key to the eight members of the Frankliniella genus-group is provided.

Yaothrips as a new synonym of Pezothrips, with description of the male of Pezothrips pediculae comb.n. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).

The genus Yaothrips was erected by Mirab-balou et al. (2011a) based on four micropterous females of a new species, Y. shii, from China, Tibet. Subsequently, Mirab-balou et al. (2015) transferred to the genus Yaothrips a further species described from Tibet, Taeniothrips pediculae Han that had been based on two micropterous females. Moreover, these authors placed Y. shii as a new synonym of Y. pediculae. Mirab-balou et al. (2011b) also described as a new species from Tibet Pezothrips brunicornis, based on macropterae of both sexes. Recently we examined a collection of Y. pediculae from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, and this included two specimens of the previously unknown male. We studied the type specimens of P. brunicornis and found that the males of Y. pediculae and P. brunicornis are very similar. In particular, abdominal tergite IX bears a pair of short stout setae medially (Figs 7-8) and sternites III-VII have small scattered pore plates (Figs 5,9). Considering the similarities, the genus Yaothrips is here synonymized with Pezothrips,.

Frankliniella species from China, with nomenclatural changes and illustrated key (Thysanoptera, Thripidae).

Species of the genus Frankliniella are almost all originally from the New World. Although eleven species in this genus have been listed from China before, only seven species here are recognised. The records of F. pallida and F. tritici from China are rejected as inadequately supported, F. hainanensis is a new synonym of F. schultzei, and F. zizaniophila is now considered a member of the genus Iridothrips. An identification key for the seven species is provided here, two of them are widespread across the Palearctic (F. intonsa and F. tenuicornis), one is presumably Oriental (F. lilivora), and four are introduced from the Americas (F. occidentalis, F. schultzei, F. cephalica and F. williamsi).

Three new species and three new records of the genus Bamboosiella from China (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae).

Bamboosiella caudibruna sp. n., B. rugata sp. n. and B. sculpta sp. n. are described and illustrated from China. In addition, B. brevis Okajima, B. lewisi (Bagnall) and B. xiphophora Okajima are newly recorded from this country. A key for identification of seventeen Chinese Bamboosiella species is provided.