East Asian Cryphalus Erichson (Curculionidae, Scolytinae): new species, new synonymy and redescriptions of species.

Cryphalus Erichson, 1836 is a taxonomically challenging genus. It is particularly speciose in Asia. Many species are minor pests of fruit tree crops and forest products. We review collections from East Asia, using external morphology, internal morphology and genetic markers with a focus on sub-tropical species from fruit trees. Four new species are described; Cryphalus gnetivorus Johnson, sp. nov., C. itinerans Johnson, sp. nov., C. morivorus Johnson, sp. nov., and C. paramangiferae Johnson, sp. nov. Ten species are redescribed to enable accurate identification: C. artocarpus (Schedl, 1939), C. dilutus Eichhoff, 1878, C. dorsalis (Motschulsky, 1866), C. exiguus Blandford, 1894, C. kyotoensis Nobuchi, 1966, C. lipingensis Tsai & Li, 1963 (= C. kesiyae Browne, 1975, syn. nov.), C. mangiferae Stebbing, 1914 (= C. artestriatus Browne, 1970, syn. nov.), C. meridionalis (Nobuchi, 1975), C. scopiger Berger, 1917, and C. viburni Stark, 1936. Additional records from new localities and new hosts are also presented.

New records of Iranian bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) and their host plants.

Bark and ambrosia beetles from the subfamily Scolytinae are among the most important pests in forests of Northern Iran. During investigations conducted in 2013-2016 in different parts of northern forests, the species Crypturgus cribrellus Reitter, Liparthrum bartschti Mühl, Scolytus varshalovitchi Michalski, Scolytus sulcifrons Rey, Scolytus triarmatus (Eggers) and Trypophloeus granulatus (Ratzeburg) were recorded for the first time in Iran; Trypophloeus and Liparthrum were new genera for Iran. As new host plants we found Zelkova sp. for Scolytus varshalovitchi, Michalski, Populus sp. for Liparthrum bartschti, Mühl, Alnus sp. and Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Taphrorychus lenkoranus Reitter, Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Ernoporicus caucasicus (Lindemann), Carpinus sp. for Pteleobius vittatus (Fabricius), Parrotia persica for Scolytus intricatus (Ratzeburg), Alnus sp. and Pterocarya fraxinifolia for Hypothenemus eruditus (Westwood).

Description of a new species of Bothinodroctonus Schedl, 1969 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Africa.

A new species of Bothinodroctonus in the tribe Polygraphini is described from Gambia and Kenya. This is the first representative of the genus in Afrotropical region. A holotype based description contains also the intraspecific variety of the newly described species based on available specimens and differential diagnoses to species within the genus.

Familial hypercholesterolemia mutations in Petrozavodsk: no similarity to St. Petersburg mutation spectrum.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a human monogenic disease induced by a variety of mutations with striking genetic diversity. Despite this variability recurrent mutations occur in each population studied, which allows both elucidating prevalent mutations and developing DNA diagnostic tools for the disease. Recent research of FH in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Novosibirsk (major cities in Russia) demonstrates that each megapolis has its own FH mutation spectrum sharing only small part of mutations with other populations in Russia and Europe. In order to optimize molecular-genetic diagnostic protocols for FH in Russia we studied mutation spectrum in other regions including Petrozavodsk, a smaller town in relatively close proximity to St. Petersburg. METHODS: The principal method was automated detection of single-strand conformation polymorphism followed by direct PCR amplified DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Twelve different mutations of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene were detected in the Petrozavodsk sample (80 patients). Out of these twelve mutations, seven have never been described before (c.192_201delinsGGACTTCA, c. 195_196insT, c. 618 T > G, c. 1340C > G, c. 1686_1693delinsT, c. 1936C > A, c. 2191delG). Other five mutations (c. 58G > A, c. 925_931del, c. 1194C > T, c. 1532 T > C, c. 1920C > T) were previously characterized elsewhere. All new mutations are considered to be a probable cause of the FH in their carriers. Direct evidence of the neutral character of c.58G > A or p. (Gly20Arg) is provided for the first time. Each pathogenic mutation was a trait of its own unique pedigree and so far has not been found in other patients. CONCLUSIONS: Strikingly, out of twelve mutations characterized in the Petrozavodsk sample only one mutation, c. 925_931del, has previously been found in patients from St. Petersburg and Finland (most closely located studied populations), suggesting some common roots in origin of these populations in the past or limited gene exchange between them nowadays. No recurrent mutations were detected.

The red-listed species Thamnurgus rossicus in East Europe is a synonym of the rare Central European species, T. petzi (Curculionidae: Scolytinae).

The taxonomic status of Thamnurgus rossicus was evaluated with respect to the morphologically similar T. petzi using genetic markers. Nucleotide data from the mitochondrial COI gene revealed 2.4% variation between the European Alps and Russian steppe populations. The two nuclear DNA markers CAD and EF1á were identical across populations. In view of their similar morphology, genetic composition, and the partial overlap in host plant preferences (Ranunculaceae: Aconitum and Delphinium), T. rossicus is placed in synonymy with T. petzi.

New data on Neotropical Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 with description of five new species from Peru (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae).

Five new species of Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are described from Peru, namely Scolytus woodi, Scolytus carveli, Scolytus vagabundus, Scolytus lindemani, Scolytus mozolevskae .The following new synonym is established: Scolytus angustatus Browne, 1970 (= Scolytus facialis Schedl, 1973, syn. n.) New records of the Scolytus species in Loreto, Junin ,Cusco and Madre de Dios Provinces are given and the biology of the genus representatives is discussed.

Scolytus stepheni sp. n. - a new species of bark-beetle (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Northern India with a key to Indian Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 species.

A new species of bark-beetle from Kashmir, Scolytus stephenisp. n., dedicated to the late Professor Emeritus Stephen Lane Wood, is described and figured. Key to Indian Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 species is provided.

Description of new Dryocoetes (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) speciesfrom Afghanistan and Northern India and redescription of Scolytoplatypus kunala Strohm.

A new bark beetle species, Dryocoetes brownei from Northern India and Afghanistan, is described as a new to science and redescription of Scolytoplatypus kunala Strohmeyer, 1908, previously known only from the female holotype, is provided.

Familial hypercholesterolemia in St-Petersburg: the known and novel mutations found in the low density lipoprotein receptor gene in Russia.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia is a human monogenic disease caused by population-specific mutations in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. Despite thirteen different mutations of the LDL receptor gene were reported from Russia prior to 2003, the whole spectrum of disease-causing gene alterations in this country is poorly known and requires further investigation provided by the current study. METHODS: Forty-five patients with clinical diagnosis of FH were tested for the apolipoprotein B (apoB) mutation R3500Q by restriction fragment length analysis. After exclusion of R3500Q mutation high-sensitive fluorescent single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and automatic DNA sequencing were used to search for mutations in the LDL receptor gene. RESULTS: We found twenty one rare sequence variations of the LDL receptor gene. Nineteen were probably pathogenic mutations, and two (P518P, T705I) were considered as neutral ones. Among the mutations likely to be pathogenic, eight were novel (c.670-671insG, C249X, c.936-940del5, c.1291-1331del41, W422X, c.1855-1856insA, D601N, C646S), and eleven (Q12X, IVS3+1G>A, c.651-653del3, E207X, c.925-931del7, C308Y, L380H, c.1302delG, IVS9+1G>A, V776M, V806I) have already been described in other populations. None of the patients had the R3500Q mutation in the apoB gene. CONCLUSIONS: Nineteen pathogenic mutations in the LDL receptor gene in 23 probands were identified. Two mutations c.925-931del7 and L380H are shared by St.-Petersburg population with neighbouring Finland and several other mutations with Norway, Sweden or Denmark, i.e. countries from the Baltic Sea region. Only four mutations (c.313+1G>A, c.651-653del3, C308Y and W422X) were recurrent as all those were found in two unrelated families. By this study the number of known mutations in the LDL receptor gene in St.-Petersburg area was increased nearly threefold. Analysis of all 34 low density lipoprotein receptor gene mutations found in St.-Petersburg argues against strong founder effect in Russian familial hypercholesterolemia.