Bourguignat, Locard, Servain, and others of the French Nouvelle École of the late 18th century introduced a number of subgeneric names for the freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionoida) species of western Europe. Based largely upon latinizations of species-group names, most of these generic names end in the characteristic suffix -iana. For the most part, these taxa have not been regarded as valid and, in fact, they have been largely ignored since the early 20th century. However, most of these genus-group level names are available and need to be accounted for as the malacological community moves forward to update the taxonomy of the European fauna. A survey of the relevant primary and secondary literature revealed 131 available -iana generic nomina, only three of which are currently regarded as valid. The type species of each is reported (or designated) herein, and these are used to place the subgenera into the current European system of genera: Unio, Anodonta, Pseudanodonta, Potomida, and Margaritifera.

Recent land snail inventories in New York State have led to the discovery of new state geographic distribution records for seven species: Carychium nannodes Clapp, 1905; Gastrocopta procera (Gould, 1840); Lucilla scintilla (R.T. Lowe, 1852); Striatura meridionalis (Pilsbry and Ferriss, 1906); Trochulus hispida (Linnaeus, 1758); Vertigo cristata Sterki, 1919; and Vertigo paradoxa Sterki, 1900. Most are native species of eastern North America, although T. hispida is introduced from Europe. These species were found mainly by field searches in a variety of habitats — roadsides, fields, forested rock talus and limestone outcrops, and coastal freshwater wetlands - but in one case through verification of specimens at the New York State Museum.

Types of species nominally belonging to the family Fasciolariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) described by C. M. Tapparone-Canefri and housed in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Genoa, Italy are examined and figured. Of nine type lots represented, six represent fasciolariids, two are buccinids and one is a muricid. Lectotypes are selected for Fusus bruijnii Tapparone-Canefri, 1876, Latirus carotianus Tapparone-Canefri, 1880, Peristernia castanoleuca Tapparone-Canefri, 1879, Latirus concinnus Tapparone-Canefri, 1880, Latirus forskalii Tapparone-Canefri, 1875, Latirus scabrosus var. nigritellus Tapparone-Canefri, 1882, Peristernia elegans var. papuensis Tapparone-Canefri, 1879 and Latirus fischerianus Tapparone-Canefri, 1882.

Prionovolva is recharacterized as having a wide aperture, outer labral teeth visible in lateral view, and a strongly projecting, smoothly curving terminal ridge. A new species, Prionovolva melonis, is described from Somalia, Zanzibar, and the Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean, and compared to P. breris (Sowerby 1,1828) and P. castanea Cate, 1978, with which it has been confused. Prionovolva castanea is newly synonymized with P. breris, as is P. nivea Cate, 1974. Synonymy of P. wilsoniana Cate, 1973 with P. brevis and placement of Galera choshiensis Cate, 1973 in Prionovolva are confirmed. Prionovolva freemani Liltved & Millard, 1994 is reinstated to Prionovolva, having previously been placed in Habuprionovolva and Testudovolva, and its range is extended from South Africa to Mozambique. Prionovolva ericae Cossignani & Calò, 2002, is transferred to Testudovolva, yielding the new combination T. ericae. A lectotype is designated for Prionovolva aureomarginata Shikama, 1973, which is synonymized with Margovula tinctilis Cate, 1973. A lectotype is designated for Globovula cavanaghi Iredale, 1931, with the same specimen designated as neotype of Amphiperas bullatus Gould, 1861, making them objective synonyms, but G. cavanaghi is given precedence under ICZN Article 23.9.

Three species of the Ictalurus furcatus Group (genus Ictalurus) are recognized: I. furcatus, I. meridionalis and I. balsanus. These species are differentially diagnosed by characters of the bony skeleton, fin-ray and vertebral counts, morphometries and coloration. Ictalurus balsanus is distinctive in having a relatively short supraoccipital process, anterior nuchal plate and posterior cleithral process, weakly developed pectoral-fin spine ornamentation, and an elongated posterolateral premaxillary process. Ictalurus furcatus and I. meridionalis are closely similar species but are clearly distinguished by features of the pectoral-fin spine ornamentation, supraoccipital process shape and texture, posterior cleithral process shape, numbers of anal-fin rays and vertebrae, and related proportional measurements of anal-fin and caudal peduncle length. Apparent differences among the three species in maximum size and coloration are also noted. A limited sample of molecular sequence data from the 12S/16S mitochondrial DNA loci is consistent with morphology-based results indicating that I. meridionalis is a species distinct from I. furcatus, and that I. balsanus is the most divergent species of the three. Ictalurus furcatus and I. meridionalis exhibit interriver basin variation in numbers of vertebrae and anal-fin rays.

During the years 1931–1932 and 1934–1936, Ernst Schäfer, a young German student with an unusual interest in, and knowledge about, biology and zoology, and with a great ability as a marksman, was invited to join two scientific expeditions to the Far East. Both expeditions were organized by Brooke Dolan II¹ for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. These two expeditions collected many important scientific samples to enhance the collections of the Academy. The research done with the material brought back by the two expeditions shed new light on the fauna of the regions visited. From 1938 to 1939 Schäfer organized and directed his own expedition to Sikkim and Tibet. This multidisciplinary expedition was the first one to the region that was composed solely of German scientists. These expeditions gave such fame and prestige to Schäfer that he became known in his country as Tibet Schäfer (Pedro Trebbau, personal communication).

In January 1950, Ernst Schäfer was responsible for the establishment of a scientific research station at a site known as Rancho Grande inside the Aragua National Park in Venezuela². It was at the highest point along the road that connects the towns of El Limón and Ocumare de la Costa. The building was named “The Biological Station and Museum of Flora and Fauna Henri Pittier,” and Dr. Ernst Schäfer was appointed as its founder and first Director.

Phylogenetic relationships among 20 species of extinct and living pikas (Ochotona) from Asia, Europe and North America were investigated by examining 38 cranial, mandibular and dental characters. Our data support phylogenetic distinction of three clades (Ochotona, Conothoa and Pika) recognized in recent molecular studies. Among the pikas of the subgenus Conothoa we found a lineage including three extinct species from Central Europe (in their number Ochotona kormosi sp. nov. from the Pleistocene of Hungary, described herein) along with extant O. roylei as a sister taxon. Our results suggest paraphyly of the subgenus Conothoa as currently understood. In addition, the steppe pika (O. pusilla) was recovered as a separate clade outside the monophyletic subgenera.

Our cladistic analysis is the first to examine phylogenetic placement of extinct forms within extant lineages of Ochotona. O. dodogolica is proposed as a member of Pika, O. polonica, O. kormosi and O. zabiensis as close to O. roylei, and O. nihewanica as a sister taxon to O. dauurica O. thibetana.

O. chowmincheni, a late Miocene species from China, proved a basal taxon, resembling Ochotonoides in the cranial and dental morphology, but lacking close affinities among Ochotona. According to our analysis, O. pusilla (with fossil O. gudrunae) belongs to the most basal clade of Ochotona, which supports the suggested antiquity of this lineage. Thus, we argue that of two morphotypes observed early in the evolutionary history of Ochotona, namely, the small species forms with minor p3 anteroconid versus large forms with enlarged p3 anteroconid with additional folds present, the former is more primitive and most probably evolved directly from the Bellatona—Bellatonoides lineage. Our results are in agreement with the known fossil record and we suggest the earliest Late Miocene of north China (Inner Mongolia and the adjacent regions) as the probable time and place of the origin of Ochotona.

A list of monogonont rotifers that have so far been found in Mongolia has been compiled, based on recent collections and previously published records. For all species, detailed information is provided on their occurrence in Mongolia, along with notes on their world distribution and autecology. To date, 246 species and infraspecific taxa in 55 genera are known, including 16 potentially new, as yet undescribed species.

The purpose of this study was to document gamma diversity of Chironomidae in Outer Mongolia by documenting alpha and beta diversity of chironomids from streams sites within Gorkhi Terelj National Park and in the surrounding area. Pupal exuviae of Chironomidae were collected from streams using standardized, semi-quantitative sampling methods so that patterns in community structure could be compared to patterns in the study sites. Gamma diversity for the twelve sites in this study was 98 species, including 26 new records for Mongolia; alpha diversity of Chironomidae ranged from 3 to 37 species. Beta diversity ranged from 0–0.44 and mean beta diversity was 0.17. Species diversity did not correlate to distance between sites. The Chao 1 species estimator estimated 126 species of Chironomidae from the streams in Gorkhi Terelj National Park. Ad hoc analysis comparing chironomid communities from Gorkhi Terelj National Park and Lake Hovsgol area stream and lake sites increased the estimated number of species to 144. Dominant species were used in a double dendrogram analysis which yielded three distinct communities of chironomids which corresponded to three clusters of study sites that differed by habitat type, water quality, and physical characteristics. This study produced data for use in conservation of streams in Gorkhi Terelj National Park.

Description, illustrations and habitat characteristics are given for the previously unknown larvae and pupae of Eloeophila persalsa (Alexander, 1940), Limnophila (Limnophila) chinggsiskhani Podenas and Gelhaus, 2001 and Phylidorea (Macrolabina) temelskin Podenas and Gelhaus, 2001 based on specimens from Mongolia. Sclerotisation of the spiracular field, arrangement of the sensory structures on the labrum, length of the antennal segments, and number and shape of the mandible teeth are the main characters found to distinguish the larvae of these genera. The larvae were found in the riparian zone, usually in silt, sand or gravel. Pupae and pupal exuviae of these genera were found in mosses growing on the riverbanks. The female pupal stage is described for the first time for the genus Phylidorea. Eloephila persalsa is recorded from Mongolia for the first time.

The species of the aquatic beetle family Haliplidae that occur in Mongolia are reviewed. A total of eight species in the genus Haliplus Latreille, 1802 are known from the country, including four here newly recorded: Haliplus basinotatus Zimmerman, 1924, H. fulvus (Fabricius, 1801), H. furcatus Seidlitz, 1887 and H. simplex Clark, 1863. New locality records are provided for H. steppensis Guignot, 1954 and H. sibirieus Motschulsky, 1860. Prior published Mongolian records of H. apicalis Thomson, 1868 were misidentified and this species is not currently known from the country. A key to the species of Haliplidae occurring in Mongolia and surrounding regions is provided.

The type specimens of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) representing 183 species deposited at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) are listed. The type collection includes holotypes for 87 species of Chironomidae, 86 of these designated by S. S. Roback. Species represented only by paratypes an additional 96 species, with 12 of these designated by Roback and 50 by H. Townes. Notes are provided on the life stage, method of preservation and current status.