Two new species of Gonioctena Chevrolat, G. sichuana sp. n. and G. metallica sp. n., are described from Sichuan Province, China. Diagnostic characters and illustrations are provided. Ovoviviparity is recorded in G. metallica sp. n.

Brathinus satoi Kishimoto & Shimada, 2003 is recorded from Longwangshan Nature Reserve, Zhejiang, China. Some diagnostic characters of the species are discussed based on more specimens, and some biological notes are made on the species.

A new species of cicada, Cicadatra ziaraticasp. n., is described from Pakistan. Male genitalia, timbal and opercula are described and illustrated as important diagnostic characters. Biological notes are also provided. A key to the known Cicadatra of Pakistan is provided.

The major diagnostic characters and histological studies on the leaf, root and stem of Cressa cretica L. has been reported in this paper. Literature survey showed the absence of any systematic authentication of this plant.

Cryptic diversity within bumblebees (Bombus) has the potential to undermine crucial conservation efforts designed to reverse the observed decline in many bumblebee species worldwide. Central to such efforts is the ability to correctly recognise and diagnose species. The B. lucorum complex (Bombus lucorum, B. cryptarum and B. magnus) comprises one of the most abundant and important group of wild...

Third instar larvae of members of the Ceratitis FAR complex, including Ceratitis fasciventris (Bezzi), Ceratitis anonae Graham, and Ceratitis rosa Karsch are described and compared with those of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diagnostic characters, such as presence vs. absence of a secondary tooth on the mandibles, previously used to separate Ceratitis capitata from Ceratitis rosa, are shown t...

Mada andeana, a new species from the Andes is here described. Diagnostic characters are illustrated for both male and female. Mada durantae González et Gómez is here synonymized with Mada inepta (Gorham), new synonymy.

Croton scarciesii (Euphorbiaceae-Crotonoideae), a rheophytic shrub from West Africa, is shown to have been misplaced in Croton for 120 years, having none of the diagnostic characters of that genus, but rather a set of characters present in no known genus of the family. Pollen analysis shows that the new genus Karima belongs to the inaperturate crotonoid group. Analysis of a concatenated molecul...