New localities for Chionoloma orthodontum (Pottiaceae) are reported from Japan. The species is characterized by its narrow leaf base with a V-shaped cell pattern, the excurrent costa forming a short ...mucro and the presence of rhizoidal tubers. Based on Japanese material, a full description, analytical illustrations, and ecological information are provided. The phylogenetic position of the Japanese plants is inferred on the basis of chloroplast atpB–rbcL, trnG and trnL–F sequences.
The Formosan subterranean termite,
Coptotermes formosanus
Shiraki, 1909, is a highly destructive structural pest endemic to East Asia. We report a land-based establishment of
C. formosanus
in Petah ...Tikva, Israel, over 6000 km from its nearest previous locality in China. The species' identity was confirmed by soldier morphology and by COI sequence data. In addition, a population discovered in 1992 in suburban San Diego, California, USA, remains viable. Marathon hosts the first infestation of
C. formosanus
in the Florida Keys. The world distribution of
C. formosanus
is presented, and the biogeography and mechanisms of spread of this termite are discussed.
Sodus tenuevittatus is removed from synonymy with Mispila (s. str.) venosa and considered as bona species: Mispila (s. str.) tenuevittata
comb. nov. The following synonymies are proposed: Mispila ...tenuevittata = Mispila (Dryusa) sonthianae
syn. nov. and Mispila (s. str.) tonkinea = Mispila (s. str.) punctifrons
syn. nov. New distributional records for M. tenuevittata and M. tonkinea are provided. The lectotypes of M. venosa and M. tonkinea are designated.
Six new localities of Malpolon insignitus have been recorded lately in south-western Bulgaria, which supplement its known distribution. One of the observations is the second case of winter activity ...of the species in the country.