A species new to science, Micarea svetlanae, is described from the southern part of the Russian Far East based on morphological, chemical and molecular data. This species is closely related to M. isidioprasina, which also has the micareic acid, the granular-isidiate thallus with Sedifolia-grey pigment, and crystalline granules in the hymenium and thallus, but differs in the cushion-shaped thallus, the presence of Sedifolia-grey pigment in the hymenium, numerous crystalline granules in the hymenium and hypothecium and 0–2(3)-septate ascospores. The results of the phylogenetic reconstruction place M. svetlanae in the M. prasina group. Morphological features and data on ecology, distribution and secondary metabolites are presented in detail in the paper. This new lichen species is named in honour of the Russian lichenologist Dr Svetlana Tchabanenko, who devoted her life to the study of lichens of the Russian Far East.

Baissogryllidae is an extinct family of the insect superfamily Grylloidea, previously known from Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous time. A new genus and species, Sinagryllus xinjiangensis gen. et sp. nov., is described here based on a well-preserved forewing from the Lower Jurassic Sangonghe Formation of Xinjiang, northwestern China. It can be attributed to Baissogryllidae based on the combination of the following characteristics: a true mirror in the male tegminal stridulatory apparatus; and a distinct widening of the area between CuA2, lateral part of the diagonal vein, and proximal part of the proximal branch of MP+CuA1. This find represents not only the earliest record of Baissogryllidae, but also the first fossil wing of Grylloidea reported from China.

Sporastatia crassulata Yakovchenko & Davydov sp. nov. is described and a phylogenetic analysis (mtSSU) is presented, confirming its distinctness and indicating a sister relationship with S. testudinea. The species is unique among Sporastatia species in having a distinctly squamulose, thick, uneven thallus composed of convex, rounded squamules irregularly ascending in the central part of the thallus. The new combination Sporastatia karakorina (Poelt & Obermayer) Davydov & Yakovchenko is proposed. The type specimen of S. subasiatica was examined. A key to the six species of Sporastatia is given. Mountainous Central Asia appears to be the centre of species diversity and endemism for Sporastatia.

Rhizocarpon smaragdulum Davydov & Yakovchenko sp. nov. is described and a phylogenetic analysis (ITS, mtSSU) is presented, confirming its distinctiveness and indicating a sister relationship with R. suomiense and R. subgeminatum. The species is unique among yellow Rhizocarpon species in having a single hyaline ascospore per ascus. The phylogenetic tree suggests that the number of ascospores per ascus has been reduced in Rhizocarpon more than once during the course of its evolution. Two new distributional records are also reported: Rhizocarpon atroflavescens is new for Siberia and R. norvegicum is new for the Altai Mountains. Rhizocarpon norvegicum in this region grows on rocks and is also lichenicolous on Acarospora bullata.

From Albian, Santonian and Campanian strata in south-central Sakhalin, four echinoid taxa are described, illustrated and discussed. In Far East Russia, echinoids are rare constituents amongst mid- and Late Cretaceous macrofaunal assemblages in which inoceramid and non-inoceramid bivalves, plus heteromorph and non-heteromorph ammonites predominate. The sole regular species in the present lot is represented by an incomplete external mould of a primary spine of a rhabdocidarid, Polycidaris(?) sp., from the lower Campanian. Irregular taxa include a fragmentary, specifically indeterminate ‘pygurid’, Echinopygus(?) sp., of late Albian age, as well as two spatangoids. One of these, a toxasterid of late Campanian age, is assigned to Niponaster cf. hokkaidensis (Lambert in Lambert & Thiéry, 1924). The other is a new hemiasterid with a semi-ethmophract apical disc, a peripetalous fasciole with diffuse boundaries (parafasciole) and posterior petals that are near-equal in length to anterior ones, from lowermost Campanian strata. For this, the name Palhemiaster natalyae n. sp. is introduced. Comparisons with coeval echinoid faunas from nearby Hokkaido (northern Japan) are hampered by the generally poor preservation of the latter. However, with the exception of Niponaster cf. hokkaidensis, none of the forms recorded in the present paper appears to be represented in those Japanese assemblages.

A new genus (Callibaetoides) and species (Callibaetoides caaigua) of Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) is described based on nymphs and adults of both genders collected in forested areas of Amazonia and Mata Atlântica biomes. The nymphs were collected from leaf packs accumulated in the backwaters of small streams. The genus and species can be easily distinguished from other members of the family in South America by the following combination of characteristics: male and female imagos with costal process of hind wing centrally located and strongly projected; marginal intercalary veins long and paired in male imago; nymphs with deep medial emargination of labrum, maxillary palp three segmented and third segment of labial palp quadrangular.

We report a new proviverrine hyaenodontid creodont mammal, Boualitomus marocanensis, n.g., n.sp., from the earliest Eocene of Morocco, and provide new comments on Tinerhodon from the late Paleocene of Morocco. Aside from the autapomorphic loss of P/1, Boualitomus is characterized by a primitive morphology (e.g. M/3 subequal to M/2, short molar trigonid, narrow talonid, metaconid comparable to paraconid) which resembles most closely the proviverrine Prototomus. Boualitomus is more primitive than Prototomus, especially in its small size and the talonid of P/4 not being fully simplified, bearing at least two accessory cusps including a bulbous protostylid. These primitive features are remarkably reminiscent of Tinerhodon. The morphological relationship of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon supports the proviverrine affinity of the latter. Significant basal hyaenodontid synapomorphies of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon are the paraconid and paracristid development in M/1–3, anterior premolar morphology and occurrence of diastemata. Boualitomus and Tinerhodon throw new light upon the question of the origin of the Creodonta. Tinerhodon further fills the structural gap between Hyaenodontidae and primitive insectivore-like eutherians, and it provides additional data for the hypothesis of a didelphodontan origin for the Creodonta. The presence of cimolestids (as the stem-group of hyaenodontids) in the late Paleocene of Morocco, and the identification of Boualitomus and Tinerhodon as the most primitive and earliest known Hyaenodontidae, support an African origin of the family and its order.