Entomologist's Monthly Magazine - Vol. 162, No. 1, 2026
Published: 1/30/2026
Article Details for this issue
Bees from the Lower Piacenzian (Upper Pliocene) Kabutoiwa Formation of central Japan (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)
By: MICHAEL S. ENGEL & TOSHIAKI TANAKA
Page: 1–13
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
While the fossil record of bees (Apoidea: Anthophila) is limited, occurrences from the Pliocene
are exceptionally exiguous by their utter absence. Given this gap in occurrences it is therefore
noteworthy to report two specimens from the Upper Pliocene (Lower Piacenzian, approximately
3.5 Ma Kabutoiwa Formation of the Motojuku Group in central Japan. Both are represented by
fairly complete individuals with a generally fine state of preservation. Two species are represented,
one each for the families Megachilidae and Apidae, and are described as Osmia kabutoiwica sp. n.
(Megachilinae: Osmiini) and Apis (Apis) antejaponica sp. n. (Apinae: Apini). The present material
is admittedly negligible but begins the process of piecing together insights into this comparatively
recent fauna. The following new combination is established for a Miocene mason bee: Osmia
basaltica (Zhang), comb. n. (transferred from Dasypoda Latreille).
Notes on the biology of Carcina quercana (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Peleopodidae) and its parasitoids (Hymenoptera) in Germany and the Netherlands
By: MARK R. SHAW
Page: 14–24
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Some puzzles concerning the life-history of Carcina quercana and its specialised parasitoid
Venanides carcinae that were raised during a previous study (2018; 2019) in the Veluwe (Netherlands)
(Shaw 2020) are resolved through a further study in the Harztor region of Thuringia (Germany)
in 2024. Larvae are displaced from high positions in their host trees by storms, and re-establish
on low sapling, seedling and epicormic growth. Factors allowing the host population to survive
in the face of successive generations of V. carcinae attacking the single host generation include a
proportion of the host generation reaching the safety of pupation before the first generation of adult
V. carcinae has emerged, and probably extremely high levels of parasitism of (and associated hostfeeding
on) V. carcinae cocoons. Vespid or bird predation of parasitoid cocoons at the end of the
season may also be significant. It is concluded that C. quercana larvae present in mid-September in
the Hogue Veluwe in July 2019 were most likely a result of exceptional drought conditions earlier
in that year, and not indicative of a second generation, for which no evidence could be found in
the Harztor population in 2024. The parasitoids reared are enumerated and their biology briefly
described.
First record of the family Periscelididae (Diptera: Opomyzoidea) from Morocco
By: KAWTAR KETTANI
Page: 25–28
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
The fly family Periscelididae is reported for the first time for Morocco, with the discovery of
Periscelis (Myodris) annulata (Fallén, 1813) in the Rif Mountains.
Clarifying Irish records for the rare ants Stenamma westwoodii Westwood and S. debile (Foerster) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
By: AIDAN O’HANLON
Page: 29–36
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
The genus Stenamma Westwood contains 84 inconspicuous species of cryptic habits. Two
species, S. westwoodii Westwood and S. debile (Foerster) are historically recorded from Ireland.
Both species occur in Britain but most historical records of S. westwoodii there have been
reassigned to S. debile. Confusion has persisted as to the identities of Irish Stenamma records,
and both species are included in several recent publications covering the Irish ant fauna. This
study re-evaluates all published Stenamma records from Ireland and corrects nomenclatural and
distributional errors in prior literature. Examination of voucher specimens in the National Museum
of Ireland (NMI) confirmed that only S. debile occurs here, and all historical S. westwoodii records
can be reassigned to S. debile.
While the species is still rare in Ireland, it is certainly more widely distributed than previously
known, showing a southerly bias similar to the species’ British distribution. As with British and
European populations, Irish records come from native woodland habitats, but also from coniferous
forests, open scrub, limestone pavement, urban greens and roadside ditches. Phenological data
indicate activity from January to October, with a peak in September that probably aligns with
autumn nuptial flights.
Feeding and mating behaviour of adult Anthrenus (Anthrenus) pimpinellae (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae)
By: LILI LAJTÁR & GRAHAM J. HOLLOWAY
Page: 37–42
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Little is known about the feeding and mating habits of most Anthrenus Geoffroy species. In
the current study, A. pimpinellae (Fabricius) were offered different flowers and were assessed
for degree of interest shown to the different plant species. From the 41 species of plant offered,
no interest was shown towards 18 plant species, short-term interest without mating was shown
towards 10 plant species, and long-term high interest combined with mating was shown towards 13
plant species. In the wild, specimens could be found on the flowers of eight of these 13 attractive
plant species: Aristolochia clematitis L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers.,
Euphorbia cyparissias L., Ligustrum vulgare L., Pyracantha coccinea M.Roem., Rosa canina
L. and Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F.H. Wigg. Interest in the flowers of Sambucus nigra L.
was limited but the beetles spent a lot of time feeding from the surface of the leaves covered with
honeydew from the aphid Aphis sambuci Linnaeus, 1758. Males and females were promiscuous,
mating preferentially during the morning and under sunny conditions. Mating occurred only on the
flowers of preferred species. The implications of promiscuity on aedeagus evolution is discussed.
Shetland revisited, for its sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae)
By: ANDREW LISTON & PETER FORREST
Page: 43–48
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Field work in 2024–2025 adds four species to the list of sawflies known to be established in
the Shetland archipelago: Euura annulata (Gimmerthal, 1834), E. ferruginea (Förster, 1854), E.
poecilonota (Zaddach, 1876) and Nematus septentrionalis (Linnaeus, 1758). The only published
record of Euura melanocephalus (Hartig, 1837) from Shetland is based on a misidentification of
E. ferruginea. Euura obducta (Hartig, 1837) is recorded for the first time in the northern group of
islands (previously only found on Fair Isle). A total of 16 species are now known to be established.
All are Tenthredinidae, and all but three are Nematinae. The species are listed in a table, with an
indication of whether they are recorded in the northern archipelago and / or Fair Isle.
A new species of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Muscidae) from Kenya, with comments on identification keys to Afrotropical Morellia
By: EBERHARD ZIELKE
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Morellia kenyana sp. n. is described and compared with other Afrotropical Morellia species.
The current study of Afrotropical Morellia revealed some inconsistencies in a recent revision of the
subgenus Morellia s. str. – these are highlighted.
Notes on the classification of certain colletid bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), part II
By: MICHAEL S. ENGEL
Page: 55–59
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Descriptive taxonomic accounts are presented for sundry colletid bees, with the following
new taxa established: Oxaeaphron subgen. n. (Diphaglossinae: Caupolicanini: Zikanapis
Moure); Schedanthoglossa subgen. n. (Neopasiphaeinae: Anthoglossini: Anthoglossa Smith);
and Eremohyleoides gen. n. (Hylaeinae: Hyleoidini). Revised keys are provided to the genera
of Caupolicanini, the subgenera of Zikanapis, the subgenera of Anthoglossa, and the genera of
Hyleoidini.
Papilio demoleus Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), a new host in Cyprus for Pteromalus puparum (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)
By: EDDIE JOHN, CHARIS PANAGIOTOU, LINA PANAGIOTOU & MARK R. SHAW
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
Although Pteromalus puparum is widely recognized within much of its range as a pupal
endoparasitoid of (among others) Papilio demoleus, this has not previously been reported from
Cyprus. Here we document the first such record from the island and report on the presence of very
large numbers (299) of P. puparum within a single pupa of P. demoleus, most likely resulting
from oviposition by several, if not all, seven wasps seen to be attending the larva at the pre-pupal
stage. High quality photos of P. puparum from a different study (in the Netherlands) are presented
as an aid to recognition of the species. We also report on an unusually cryptic pupal coloration of
P. demoleus, resulting from pupation taking place on soil, the pupa having been formed without
attachment to any substrate. A perfect female P. demoleus emerged successfully.
Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the species of the genus Petrorossia Bezzi (Diptera: Bombyliidae: Xeramoebini) from China
By: BABAK GHARALI & NEAL EVENHUIS
Page: 67–70
Type: Paper
Synopsis:
The taxonomic status of five species of Petrorossia flies from China is assessed and a
number of nomenclatural revisions made.
BOOK REVIEW ESSENTIAL ENTOMOLOGY, 2nd edition, by George McGavin & Leonidas- Romanos Davranoglou
By: JAMIE C. WEIR
Page: 71–72
Type: Book Review
BOOK REVIEW HOVERFLIES OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND: THIRD EDITION by Stuart Ball & Roger Morris.
By: DR ERICA MCALISTER
Page: 73–74
Type: Book Review
CORRIGENDUM
By: PETER H. LANGTON
Page: 74
Type: Short Notes