The first fossil record of cylapinous plant bugs from the Lower Miocene of Spain: Aragocylapus miocaenicus n. Gen., n. Sp. (Heteroptera: Miridae: Cylapinae)

Fossil mirids, representatives of the subfamilies Cylapinae and Bryocorinae from the Lower Miocene in the Rubielos de Mora Basin of  Eastern Spain, are presented. One of them belonging to the subfamily Cylapinae is described and discussed: Aragocylapus miocaenicus n. gen., n. sp. A synopsis of a number of external characters in the related genera from the Baltic amber (Late Eocene) in question is given

Psallops Niedzwiedzkii, a new species from Ghana with a key to African species (Heteroptera, Miridae, Psallopinae)

A new species from Ghana, Psallops niedzwiedzkii Herczek & Popov, sp. n. is described. The dorsal habitus, head and male genitalia are presented and some morphological features are discussed. A key, short descriptions and map of the distribution of the African species of the genus are also provided

Isomyiomma hirta gen. et sp. n., a new peculiar plant bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Isometopinae) from late Eocene Baltic amber

Isomyiomma hirta gen. et sp. n. is described from late Eocene, Baltic amber. This peculiar genus is mainly characterized by an unusually developed scutellum and a very short claval commissure like Metoisops akingbohungbei HERCZEK & POPOV, 2014, but with a different head structure. So far, six of the extinct genera Isometopinae have been described from Baltic amber; the key to these genera is provided

Two new genera and species of the Gigantometopini (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae, Isometopinae) from Borneo with remarks on the distribution of the tribe

Two new genera, each represented by a single new species, Planicapitus luteus Taszakowski, Kim & Herczek, gen. et sp. nov. and Bruneimetopus simulans Taszakowski, Kim & Herczek, gen. et sp. nov., are described from Borneo. Detailed photographs of male habitus and genital structures are presented. The checklist with distributional records for all known taxa of Gigantometopini is also provided

Changes to the Fossil Record of Insects through Fifteen Years of Discovery

The first and last occurrences of hexapod families in the fossil record are compiled from publications up to end-2009. The major features of these data are compared with those of previous datasets (1993 and 1994). About a third of families (>400) are new to the fossil record since 1994, over half of the earlier, existing families have experienced changes in their known stratigraphic range and only about ten percent have unchanged ranges. Despite these significant additions to knowledge, the broad pattern of described richness through time remains similar, with described richness increasing steadily through geological history and a shift in dominant taxa, from Palaeoptera and Polyneoptera to Paraneoptera and Holometabola, after the Palaeozoic. However, after detrending, described richness is not well correlated with the earlier datasets, indicating significant changes in shorter-term patterns. There is reduced Palaeozoic richness, peaking at a different time, and a less pronounced Permian decline. A pronounced Triassic peak and decline is shown, and the plateau from the mid Early Cretaceous to the end of the period remains, albeit at substantially higher richness compared to earlier datasets. Origination and extinction rates are broadly similar to before, with a broad decline in both through time but episodic peaks, including end-Permian turnover. Origination more consistently exceeds extinction compared to previous datasets and exceptions are mainly in the Palaeozoic. These changes suggest that some inferences about causal mechanisms in insect macroevolution are likely to differ as well

New psallopinous plant bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera, Miridae, Psallopinae) from the New Hebrides and Nigeria

Herczek, Aleksander, Popov, Yuri A. (2014): New psallopinous plant bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera, Miridae, Psallopinae) from the New Hebrides and Nigeria. Zootaxa 3878 (4): 366-378, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3878.4.

Hoffeinsoria Herczek & Popov, gen. nov.

Genus Hoffeinsoria Herczek & Popov, gen. nov. Type species: Hoffeinsoria robusta Herczek & Popov sp. nov. Diagnosis. Body elongate oval, not less than 4mm in length. Face (clypeus and genae) in front triangular, narrower than width of head, and eyes strongly prominent. Ocelli distinctly separated and set near posterior margin of head. Tylus elongate. Antennal fossae placed on the frons. Scutellum not enlarged, medium sized. Clavus with divergent sides. Claval Commissure very long, slightly longer than combined length of mesoscutum and scutellum. Comments. This new genus has features clearly distinguished from most known genera of the subfamily Isometopinae. A combination of such characters as: face in front triangular and more narrow than width of head (as in Joceliana from Brazil, Carvalho [1984]), widely separated ocelli setting near posterior margin of the head, placement of antennal fossae on frons (as in Plaumannocoris from Brazil, Carvalho [1947]), and long claval commissure (as in Namaquaropus from South Africa, Akingbohungbe [2004]); all these characteristics also clearly differentiate it from all known genera of tribes Isometopini, Myiommini, and Elektromyiommini (sensu Herczek 1993). Most probably this new genus merits being a separate tribe. Description. Female: Large species, somewhat greater than 4 mm. Entire dorsum very shiny, densely pubescent with semi-erect black hairs arising from hardly visible punctures. Head with the large glabrous eyes, from above sub-rectangular to semilunar in outline; ocelli moderately protuberant, setting near the posterior margin of head, separated by about 4.5 width of each, set somewhat near inner side of eyes; eyes very large, touching anterior margin of pronotum and width of eye 1.5 x less than vertex width; clypeus quite long and narrow, reaching half of high head; antennal bases (fovea antennalis) set on distinctly above lower level of eyes; antennae slender, dark brown, moderately short, almost twice as short as length; II segment longest; rostrum reaching second abdominal segment. Pronotum distinctly transverse, ca. 2 twice as wide as long, disc moderately convex, shiny, almost impunctate, and covered with semi-erect black hair, collar not developed, calli strongly flattened and hardly distinguished (mainly visible as strongly glabrous patches), posterior margin straight and bordered by long dark hairs; mesoscutum almost 2.5 shorter than scutellum length, distinctly inclined backwards. Hemelytra wholly impunctate, especially corium; cuneus distinctly separate from corium, membrane with two cells, one of which very small, pale-brown hyaline; membranea strongly declivous, distinctly crumpled, mainly pale yellow and dark brown in periphery; claval commissure very long, slightly longer than combined length of mesoscutum and scutellum and almost 1.5 times longer than scutellum. Legs short, hind femora significantly not reaching apex of abdomen; tarsi 2 -segmented, 1 st segment almost 1.5 x shorter than 2 nd one; claws with subapical tooth. Venter generally black; prosternum, mesepimeron and metasternum black; coxae partly black, or somewhat pale yellow; femora and tibiae partly pale yellow, dorsal side of tibiae and tarsi dark brown. Abdomen very robust, segments 6–9 gradually enlarged. Etymology. This genus is named after our friends and colleagues Christel and Hans Werner Hoffeins (Hamburg, Germany), who donated these amber inclusions. Composition. One species: Hoffeinsoria robusta sp. nov.Published as part of Herczek, Aleksander & Popov, Yuri A., 2012, A new peculiar isometopine genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from the Eocene Baltic amber, pp. 64-68 in Zootaxa 3196 on page 65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.28013

A new peculiar isometopine genus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae) from the Eocene Baltic amber

This joint article should be considered as a continuation of a series of publications on fossil mirids from the Baltic amber (Prussian Formation). Miridae, or plant bugs, are the largest family of contemporary true bugs (Heteroptera) widespread all over the world, with about 1,500 genera and over 10,000 species (Schuh 1995, Kerzhner &amp; Josifov 1999). Recent Isometopinae is a relatively small subfamily including about 190 species, strongly cryptic in habits and rare in world collections. Some are predaceous and may hunt soft-bodied, mostly aphids and scale insects. Most inclusions of fossil plant bugs are usually found in the Eocene Baltic amber, where mirids are mainly represented by the subfamilies Cylapinae, Isometopinae, and Mirinae (Popov &amp; Herczek 2008). These fossil insects were rather scarce only in the first years of their discovery (Popov &amp; Herczek 1992, 1993; Herczek 1993).  Judging from the described and undescribed of Baltic amber mirids known to us just now, the isometopinae are not so rare among other fossil mirids and provide evidence for a considerable diversity at least since Eocene time.</jats:p

Psallops Usinger 1946

Genus &lt;i&gt;Psallops&lt;/i&gt; Usinger, 1946: 86 &lt;p&gt; Type species: &lt;i&gt;Psallops oculatus&lt;/i&gt; Usinger, 1946:87&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Herczek, Aleksander &amp; Popov, Yuri A., 2014, New psallopinous plant bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera, Miridae, Psallopinae) from the New Hebrides and Nigeria, pp. 366-378 in Zootaxa 3878 (4)&lt;/i&gt; on page 367, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.4.3, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/231307"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/231307&lt;/a&gt