Redescription of <i>Psocus flavonimbatus</i> Rostock (Psocoptera: Psocidae) from Finland

Abstract

About 120 years since its original description from Estonia (region of lake Peipus) the enigmatic species Psocus flavonimbatus Rostock, 1879 has been rediscovered in semi-natural spruce-dominated forests in Kuhmo, Central Finland. The species, which had tentatively been synonymized with Loensia variegata (Latreille, 1799), is here reinstated. Coloration and general morphology of both sexes and terminalia of females are described and illustrated. Unfortunately the few males available are all damaged, lacking abdomen. Without information on male terminalia it is impossible to assign the species to one of the modern genera of Psocidae. Therefore, it is here retained in the genus Psocus, pending further studies.

Four interesting psocids (Psocodea: `Psocoptera') from European parts of Russia and from the eastern Mediterranean

“…Thus it is not surprising that almost every collecting trip to southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin leads to the discovery of some interesting or even new species of Psocoptera. Since the above mentioned monograph was published, the following complements concerning systematics and nomenclature of Mediterranean psocids have been added: Lienhard & Smithers (2002): adaptation of classification and nomenclature to the most recent literature; Lienhard & Kanervo (2002): reinstation of Psocus flavonimbatus Rostock, which is not a synonym of Loensia variegata (Latreille); Lienhard (2002): synonymisation of Valenzuela rhenanus (Tetens) with V. corsicus (Kolbe) and description of a new species, V. labrostylus Lienhard, from Corsica; Lienhard & Baz (2004): description of the macropterous morph of Nymphotroctes denisi Badonnel from Italy; Lienhard (2005): description of Reticulopsocus besucheti Lienhard, a new genus and species of Protroctopsocidae from Turkey.…”