This is the first contribution on the blister beetles (Meloidae) of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), but new records from all countries of the Arabian Peninsula are also included, with the addition of some species never recorded before from this region, thus updating the previous checklist. Two species from U.A.E. are described: Hycleus pirata n. sp. (distributed also in Oman) and Hycleus dunalis n.sp., both belonging to different groups of species characterized by an unmodified mesosternum. Mylabris (Mylabris) desertica n.sp., Hycleus pintoi n.sp., and Hycleus fraudulentus n. sp. from Saudi Arabia, are also described. The following species previously referred to different mylabrine genera are here included in the genus Hycleus as new combinations: H. arabicus (Pallas, 1781), H. borchmannianus (Kaszab, 1983), H. gratiosus (Marseul, 1870), H. ligatus (Marseul, 1870), H. pseudobrunnipes (Kaszab, 1983), H. scabratus (Klug, 1845), H. scapularis (Klug, 1845). Coryna pitcheri Kaszab, 1983 is doubtfully referred to Hycleus. The new synonymies Deridea notata minor Kaszab, 1960 = Deridea notata Thomas, 1897, Mylabris bimaculata Klug, 1845 = Hycleus sexmaculatus (Olivier, 1811), and Zonabris rugosissima Pic, 1909 = Hycleus aestuans (Klug, 1845), are proposed. New information on the relationships of several species, particularly of the genera Lydomorphus and Hycleus, are also provided.

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Abstract. The seven Australasian genera of blister beetles (Coleoptera : Meloidae : Nemognathinae) are reviewed. Included are a key to genera, generic synopses and descriptions of two new genera of Nemognathini, Australozonitis and Pulchrazonitis, as well as a new monotypic tribe Palaestrini, which features a bauplan of male genitalia unique not only to the subfamily Nemognathinae but to the entire family. The genus Palaestra is redefined to include several Australasian, Asian and African species previously assigned to Zonitis. Exceptional variation of male genitalia encountered in the Palaestrini challenges current subfamily definitions, which are partly based on male genitalic structure and correlated sexual behaviour. Generic synopses include synonyms, type species, number of species, geographic distribution, significant references on taxonomy, life history and morphology, and additional notes. Forty-six new combinations are proposed for species previously in Zonitis. Distribution and relationship of tribes within the Nemognathinae, as well as the biogeography of the Australasian Meloidae are outlined and discussed.

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.

The taxonomy of the Palaearctic genus Cerocoma is revised using a classical morphological approach. A catalogue to species with current synonyms, type information and repositories is provided as well as diagnostic keys to species (male and female) and subspecies (only male), illustrations of male dimorphic and diagnostic characters and detailed distribution data, including literature and collection records. The biology of Cerocoma is summarised, based on available literature and original field observations. Three new species are described and figured: Cerocoma confusa sp.n. (= C. syriaca Auctorum), C. longiseta sp.n. and C. martae sp.n. New status is assessed for two taxa: C. latreillei sterbai stat.n. and C. marginiventris stat.n. New synonymies are proposed as follows: C. syriaca Abeille de Perrin, 1880 = C. barthelemyi Baudi, 1878 syn. nov.; C. latreillei schah Kaszab, 1968 = C. latreillei sterbai Mařan, 1944 syn. nov.; C. scovitzi mirabilis Dvořák, 1993 = C. scovitzi intermedia Mařan, 1944 syn. nov. Adult morphological characters and molecular datasets (nuclear ITS2 and mitochondrial 16S) are used, separately and combined, to carry out the first attempt to elucidate the Cerocoma phylogeny, using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference. The resulted phylogeny supports the arrangement of Cerocoma into five subgenera: Cerocomina, Mesocerocoma and Metacerocoma as previously defined; the nominate subgenus, restricted to the species group of C. schaefferi Linnaeus, 1758; and Meloides Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783, recently resurrected on morphological data only.