Review of the tribe Hyperaspidini Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from Iran.

The Iranian species of the tribe Hyperaspidini Mulsant, 1846 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are reviewed. The current list includes 12 species, all placed in a single genus Hyperaspis Chevrolat, 1836. Hyperapsis asiatica Lewis, 1896 and H. pumila Mulsant, 1850 are excluded from the Iranian list of Coccinellidae. Diagnoses of the tribe Hyperaspidini and the genus Hyperaspis are given. Images of adult beetles and diagnostic characters of the male genitalia of all species distributed in Iran are shown. A key to identification of the species is presented. Distribution records are provided for each species along with information on host plants and prey species when available.

An annotated checklist of Microweiseinae and Sticholotidini of Iran (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae).

An updated checklist of the Coccinellidae species of the former subfamily Sticholotidinae recorded from Iran is provided. Eleven species are reported: two species classified presently in the subfamily Microweiseinae (in the genera Paracoelopterus Normand, 1936 and Serangium Blackburn, 1889), and nine species classified in the tribe Sticholotidini of the subfamily Coccinellinae (in the genera Coelopterus Mulsant & Rey, 1852 and Pharoscymnus Bedel, 1906). Pharoscymnus smirnovi Dobzhansky, 1927 is removed from the list of the Coccinellidae of Iran. Distribution of species in Iranian provinces is presented. Data concerning their host plants along with their prey species are also included when known. Morphological features of two rarely collected and poorly known species of Iranian fauna, Pharoscymnus brunneosignatus Mader, 1949 and Pharoscymnus pharoides (Marseul, 1868) are diagnosed and illustrated.

Revision of the subgenus Orthoscymnus Canepari of Scymnus Kugelann (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), with descriptions of four new species.

The subgenus Orthoscymnus Canepari, 1997 of Scymnus Kugelann, 1794 is herein revised. Seven species of the Orthoscymnus fauna are recognized, of which four species, Scymnus (Orthoscymnus) jilongicus sp. n., Scymnus (Orthoscymnus) paradoxus sp. n., Scymnus (Orthoscymnus) crispatus sp. n. and Scymnus (Orthoscymnus) duomaculatus sp. n., are described as new to science. Scymnus (Orthoscymnus) rhododendri Canepari is recorded from China for the first time. Scymnus (Pullus) robustibasalis Yu is transferred to the subgenus Orthoscymnus (comb. n.). All species are diagnosed, described and illustrated, and distributions are provided for each species. A key to the species is included.

Fauna Europaea: Coleoptera 2 (excl. series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and superfamily Curculionoidea).

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. Coleoptera represent a huge assemblage of holometabolous insects, including as a whole more than 200 recognized families and some 400,000 described species worldwide. Basic information is summarized on their biology, ecology, economic relevance, and estimated number of undescribed species worldwide. Little less than 30,000 species are listed from Europe. The Coleoptera 2 section of the Fauna Europaea database (Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga and Polyphaga excl. the series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and the superfamily Curculionoidea) encompasses 80 families (according to the previously accepted family-level systematic framework) and approximately 13,000 species. Tabulations included a complete list of the families dealt with, the number of species in each, the names of all involved specialists, and, when possible, an estimate of the gaps in terms of total number of species at an European level. A list of some recent useful references is appended. Most families included in the Coleoptera 2 Section have been updated in the most recent release of the Fauna Europaea index, or are ready to be updated as soon as the FaEu data management environment completes its migration from Zoological Museum Amsterdam to Berlin Museum für Naturkunde.