The nominotypical subgenus of the genus Anisoplia Schönherr, 1817 contains over 50 species, nine of which are known in the European Russia: A. agricola Poda von Neuhaus, 1761, A. brenskei Reitter, 1889, A. deserticola Fischer von Waldheim, 1824, A. faldermanni Reitter, 1883, A. kiritshenkoi Medvedev, 1949, A. parva Kraatz, 1883, A. signata Faldermann, 1835, A. ungulata Baraud, 1991, A. zwickii Fischer von Waldheim, 1824. Three species (A. agricola, A. deserticola, A. zwickii) are typical representatives of the steppe fauna in Rostov Region of Russia. A new species of the genus, Anisoplia (s. str.) khachikovi sp. n., is described from this region. The new species can be placed to the group 7 “monticola Erichson, 1847” sensu Baraud according to the following diagnostic characters: external membranous elytral margin developed to the place of expansion of the elytra, pubescence of the ventral side, the structure of the internal protarsal claw of the male. The new species is habitually similar to A. koenigi Reitter, 1895 and especially to A. remota Reitter, 1889 (both species belong to the group 8 “villosa Goeze, 1777” sensu Baraud), from which it clearly differs in the structure of the aedeagus. However, flatenned parameres allow us to assign the new species to the group of species close to A. zwicki Fischer von Waldheim, 1824 (the group 1 sensu Baraud), within which it is especially close to A. lanuginosa Erichson, 1847. The new species can be distinguished from the latter by the external membranous elytral margin developed to the place of expansion of the elytra. The new species is easily distinguished from the widespread A. zwicki, A. agricola and A. deserticola by the presence of dense hairs on the head and the pronotum, the abdomen, unicolorous elytra.

History of usage of the name Lethrotrypes Jacobson, 1892 is discussed. New synonyms are established: Lethrotrypes Jacobson, 1892 = Parathorectes López-Colón et Bahillo De la Puebla, 2022, syn. n., Trypocopris (Lethrotrypes) inermis (Ménétriés, 1832) = Parathorectes pueblai López-Colón et Bahillo De la Puebla, 2022, syn. n.

Glaphyrus mardjanyanae sp. nov. from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province of Tajikistan is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to the subgenus Eoglaphyrus Semenov, 1926, which so far had included two species, G. (E.) turkestanicus Semenov, 1889 from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and northeastern Afghanistan, and G. (E.) afghanistanicus Skrylnik et Pak, 2021 from central Afghanistan. The diagnostic characters and a key to the species of Eoglaphyrus are given. A lectotype for G. sogdianus Semenov, 1892 is designated.

Shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus Rathbun, 1902 of East Asian origin has successfully naturalized in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov and is currently entering the Lower Don, where it is currently found in large quantities. The species was first recorded for the eastern part of the Sea of Azov; there is a specimen collected in 2016 among the collection material. The found individuals with eggs indicate that P. macrodactylus formed a self-reproducing population in the Don delta and the eastern part of the Taganrog Bay.

The genus Microphaeochroops Pic, 1930 is recorded from Yunnan province of China for the first time. The diagnosis and photographs of Chinese specimen of M. hirsutus Pic, 1930 is also given. The studied material is deposited in the Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg.

Hybosorus illigeri Reiche, 1853 is the only representative of the small family Hybosoridae in the fauna of Russia, with its limited distribution within the Caucasus. The species is widespread in the Palaearctic, Afrotropical and Indo-Malayan biogeographic regions, introduced to North and South America, and recently recorded for the Lesser Antilles. This species is recorded for Stavropol and Rostov regions of Russia for the first time. Previous records for Crimea are erroneous. A significant expansion of the range to the north has been noted in recent years. In the modern period, the species reaches the Kuma-Manych depression, with only some localities slightly to the north; the most northwestern locality is the Manych village in Rostov Region (north of Manych-Gudilo Lake). The description and illustration of the structure of the endophallus of Hybosorus illigeri in a wholly blown form are presented. The variability of various endophallus structures is briefly discussed.

Some complicated questions of the nomenclature in the genus Glaphyrus Latreille, 1802 are discussed. The genus Glaphyrus was described by Latreille in 1802 (not 1804 or 1807) with the type species Melolontha serratulae Fabricius, 1792 by monotypy. Designation of nominal species Melolontha cardui Fabricius, 1787 (= G. maurus (Linnaeus, 1758) as a type species of the genus Glaphyrus is invalid. Ménétriés described G. globulicollis in 1836 and just redescribed it in 1839. As a result, the name “Glaphyrus globulicollis Ménétriés, 1839” does not have nomenclatural significance, and the synonymy G. globulicollis Ménétriés, 1839 = G. caucasicus Kraatz, 1882 does not meet the requirements of the nomenclature.

The paper presents results of field surveys conducted in 2015–2019 in the territory of 9 constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov Region, Kabardino- Balkarian Republic, Republic of North Ossetia – Alania, Republic of Ingushetia, Chechen Republic, Republic of Dagestan, Republic of Kalmykia within the Ciscaucasian region. 36 species of invasive insects from 6 orders (Mantodea, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera) were registered, of these 1 species ones was first recorded for the fauna of the Ciscaucasia, 15 ones were registered for the first time for North Ossetia, there was 12 such species in the Stavropol Territory, 9 ones in the Chechen Republic, 8 species were first listed for Ingushetia, 5 species first noted for each the Krasnodar Territory and Dagestan respectively, 4 ones – for Rostov Region and Kalmykia respectively, 3 ones – for Kabardino-Balkaria. An annotated list of identified species is given.

A checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of Azerbaijan is given for the first time. In total 298 species and 12 subspecies of scrarab beetles are registered for Azerbaijan, from which Sinodendron cylindricum (Linnaeus, 1758), Bodilus insperatus (Petrovitz, 1967) and Amphimallon circassicum Brenske, 1894 are recorded for the country for the first time. In addition 4 species are known only by the original descriptions. The following species are distributed in border areas of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and can be found in Azerbaijan in future or these taxa have unclear status: Dorcus peyronis Reiche, Saulcy, 1856, Trox (Granulitrox) hispidus niger Rossi, 1792, Brenskea coronata Reitter, 1891, Eulasia (s. str.) praeusta (Champenois, 1896), Eulasia (s. str.) azarbaijanica (Petrovitz, 1980), Eulasia (s. str.) aurantica (Reitter, 1890), Eulasia (s. str.) corniculata (Reitter, 1903), Pygorpleurus gordyenensis (Petrovitz, 1971), Glaphyrus varians Ménétriés, 1836, Scarabaeus sacer Linnaeus, 1758, Scarabaeus babori Balthasar, 1934б Scarabaeus wilsoni C.O. Waterhouse, 1890, Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) excubitor Ziani et Gudenzi, 2006, Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) flagrans Reitter, 1892, Pararhyssemus coluber Mayet, 1887, Bodilus circumcinctus (W. Schmidt, 1840), Neagolius abchasicus (Reitter, 1892), Biralus equinus (Faldermann, 1835), Chilothorax conspurcatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Chilothorax pictus (Sturm, 1805), Chilothorax lineolatus (Illiger, 1803), Melinopterus consputus (Creutzer, 1799), Sigorus porcus (Fabricius, 1792), Pubinus tomentosus (Muller, 1776), Esymus suturinigra (Schmidt, 1916), Euorodalus paracoenosus (Balthasar et Hrubant, 1960), Phalacronotus quadrimaculatus (Linnaeus, 1761), Mendidius bispinifrons (Reitter, 1889), Mendidius multiplex (Reitter, 1897), Planolinus borealis Gyllenhal, 1827, Planolinus fasciatus Olivier, 1789, Agoliinus satyrus (Gyllenhal, 1808), Agoliinus piceus (Gyllenhal, 1808), Pseudoesymus lucidus (Klug, 1845), Polyphylla (s. str.) fullo (Linnaeus, 1758), Cryptotrogus maluzhenkoi (Zaitzev, 1928), Holochelus (Eriotrogus) erivanicus (Reitter, 1902), Holochelus (Eriotrogus) majusculus (Nonveiller, 1965), Amphimallon altaicum (Mannerheim, 1825), Amphimallon arnoldii (Medvedev, 1951), Lasiopsis canina (Zoubkov, 1829), Hoplia (s. str.) hyrcana Medvedev, 1952, Hoplia (s. str.) parvula Krynicki, 1832, Phyllopertha horticola (Linnaeus, 1758), Anisoplia (s. str.) agricola (Poda, 1761), Anisoplia (s. str.) parva Kraatz, 1883, Pentodon foveipennis Jakovlev, 1903, Pentodon bidens bidens (Pallas, 1771), Osmoderma richteri Medvedev, 1953. The original concept of polymorphic Protaetia (Netocia) hieroglyphica (Ménétriés, 1832), sensu nova species-complex, presented in the territory of Azerbaijan by 4 subspecies, was proposed. Here we distinguish the hieroglyphica-complex, comprising taxa with white spots on the elytra and prosternum, in contrast to the cupreacomplex with mainly Western monochrome (without white spots) species (cuprea Fabricius, 1775, obscura Andersch, 1797, olivacea Mulsant, 1842). This new complex includes four close subspecies (possibly forming hybrids), that differ in morphology, distribution and bionomics: Protaetia (Netocia) hieroglyphica hieroglyphica (Ménétriés, 1832), P. h. cuprina (Motschulsky, 1849), sensu nova, stat. n., P. h. alboflagellata (Olsoufieff, 1916), subsp. resurr., sensu nova, P. h. caucasica (Kolenati, 1846), sensu nova, stat. n. A detailed revision of all Caucasian taxa of cuprina speciesgroup will be published in a separate paper. A new subspecies is described for Azerbaijanian population of Glaphyrus oxypterus Pallas, 1771: Glaphyrus oxypterus kasatkini subsp. n. The new subspecies differs from the nominotypical one by the rounded apex of the male elytra (angle-shaped in the nominotypical subspecies). This character is similar to those in Glaphyrus caucasicus Kraatz, 1882. The following differences are found in the structure of the endophallus: the dorsal camera is with constriction and widened to apex in the new subspecies, but without constriction and with straight sides in the nominotypical subspecies; the agonoporium on the frontal camera forms small tooth-like protrusion in the new subspecies, but it is located on an elongate and bent down process in the nominotypical subspecies. The following new synonymy is proposed: Melolontha persica Reitter, 1902, nom. resurr. = Melolontha kraatzi Reitter, 1906 (replacement name for Melolontha tibialis Kraatz, 1882 non Mulsant, 1842), syn. n. = Melolontha tibialis var. brenskei Reitter, 1902, syn. n.; Trypocopris fausti (Reitter, 1890) = Geotrupes zaitzevi Olsoufieff, 1918, syn. n.; Protaetia (Netocia) araratica (Reitter, 1891) = Potosia schelkovnikovi Zaitzev, 1918, syn. n. The status of the genus Glyptotrox Nikolajev, 2016, stat. n. is changing to a subgenus in the genus Trox Fabricius, 1775. The following two species are erroneously recorded for the fauna of Azerbaijan: Onthophagus kolenatii Reitter, 1892 (the junior synonym of Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) nuchicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)) and Onthophagus basipustulatus Heyden, 1889 (data refer to Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) formaneki Reitter, 1897).

На Островном участке Ростовского заповедника в 2017 г. был собран экземпляр редкого вида пластинчатоусых жуков, занесенного в Красную книгу Российской Федерации, - Acrossus bimaculatus (Laxmann, 1770). Вид был распространен от Средней Европы до Красноярска и вымер на большей части ареала. В современный период встречается редко и спорадично. Последний раз в Ростовской области был зарегистрирован в 1913-1914 гг. Был включен в первое издание Красной книги Ростовской области (2004), из второго издания (2014) исключен как вымерший на территории региона. Вид повторно рекомендуется для включения в Красную книгу Ростовской области.

Eighty five species of spiders belonging to 18 families are found in Taman Peninsula and Tuzla Island, from which 13 species were collected in Tuzla Island and 80 species in Taman Peninsula. The following species, Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802), Singa hamata (Clerck, 1758), Devade tanella (Tystshenko, 1965), Lathys stigmatisata (Menge, 1869), Harpactea alexandrae Lazarov, 2006, Gnaphosa cumensis Ponomarev, 1981, G. leporina (L. Koch, 1866), G. ukrainica Ovtsharenko, Platnick et Song, 1992, Haplodrassus orientalis (L. Koch, 1866), Zelotes hermani (Chyzer in Chyzer et Kulczyński, 1897), Z. orenburgensis Tuneva et Esyunin, 2003, Centromerus abditus Gnelitsa, 2007, Sintula retrovesus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1875), Stemonyphantes lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Agroeca dentigera Kulczyński, 1913, Liocranoeca spasskyi Ponomarev, 2007, Evippa apsheronica Marusik, Guseinov et Koponen, 2003, Pardosa italica Tongiorgi, 1966, Pulchellodromus medius (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872), Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875, Thanatus mongolicus (Schenkel, 1936), Heliophanus lineiventris Simon, 1868, Logunyllus vittatus (Thorell, 1875), Pellenes allegrii Caporiacco, 1935, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (P. Rossi, 1790), Zodarion thoni Nosek, 1905 are recorded for Krasnodar Region for the first time. In addition, Tegenaria hasperi Chyzer, 1897 is a new record for the fauna of Russia.

Mendidius abdurakhmanovi Shokhin, sp. n. is described from the Absheron Peninsula of Azerbaijan. The new species is most similar to Mendidius multiplex (Reitter, 1897) and especially M. baigakumi (Koshantschikov, 1911), but differs from M. multiplex by the clypeus with two teeth on the anterior margin; from Ciscaspian M. baigakumi and endemic of the Aras River valley M. diffidens (Reitter, 1892) the new species is well distinguished by the completely darkened sutural interval of elytra. Mendidius abdurakhmanovi Shokhin, sp. n. was collected in May on sands of Ganly-Gol Lake (Baku сity) and sand beach with Tamarix on the coast of the Caspian Sea. The species is named in the memory of well-known specialist of Coleoptera of the Caucasus, Prof. Gayirbeg M. Abdurakhmanov.

Great attention is given to investigation of invasive species, however, the fauna of the basin of the Don River in this respect has not been sufficiently studied.Until now, there is no generalized list of invaders of the Don basin, including the Lower Don.The fauna of decapod crustaceans of the Azov-Black Sea basin is well studied and has 52 species.For the Don River 3 species of Decapoda are known, including invasive crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould, 1841).A specimen of shrimp of the genus Macrobrachium Bate, 1868 was caught in the Don River in the vicinity of the mouth of the Manych River in 2017.This instance is predefined as Macrobrachium cf.rosenbergii (De Man, 1879).The most probable ways of appearance of this species in the Don are either industrial production in artificial reservoirs, using the water of the Don pool, or drifting into the river by aquarists.

The maximally extracted endophallus of Valgus hemipterus (Linnaeus, 1758) is described and illustrated for the first time. The endophallus is membranous, asymmetrical and divided into three discernible sections. Border between sections is indistinct, without strong constrictions. The first section is a small almost symmetrical chamber with two protrusions dorsally. The first protrusion is small, located near the base, the second one is located at the middle and has large sclerite of complicated form: long involute spine. The second section is almost symmetrical, it has the first protrusion on ventral side and the second protrusion consists of two chambers dorsally. The third section is strongly shifted to the right in lateral direction, it has complicated strongly chitinized sclerite in the form of a curved plate. These data can be used for the taxonomy of the subfamily Valginae.

Bodilopsis ogloblini (Semenov et Medvedev, 1928) comb.n. (previously included in the subgenera Mendidius and Bodilus of the genus Aphodius) are recorded as new for the fauna of Dagestan, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus and Russia. This species belongs to a subgenus Bodilopsis and is close to widely distributed species: B. sordidus (Fabricius, 1775) and B. rufus (Moll, 1782). B. ogloblini differs from all close species first of all by color of certain parts: dark (from dark-brown to black) antennal club, black head (sometimes clypeal margins a little lighter, darkbrown) and dark-brown abdomen. All species mentioned above have light antennal club (often yellow, sometimes brownish), head light (from yellow to red-brown) or light with dark-brown maculae, abdomen also light (from yellow to reddish, sometimes brownish). Coarse, rugose clypeal sculpture (without distinct punctation) is typical for B. ogloblini. Other species have more or less densely roughly punctured clypeus, never rugose. Besides new species differs from species of the Alocoderus by not framed anterior pronotal margin and by mostly black (sometimes dark-brown) pronotum (in A. hydrochaeris and A. digitalis anterior pronotal margin distinctly framed; pronotum in A. digitalis yellow, in A. hydrochaeris – yellow with brown spot in the middle). B. ogloblini also differs from A. sordidus by shining punctured elytral apices (in B. sordidus elytral apices distinctly shagreened, mat, without punctation). It differs from B. rufus by normal sharp lower spur of middle male tibia (male of A. rufus with modified lower spur of middle tibia, truncated at apex).

Twenty four scarab beetles are added to the fauna of Southern Russia, which includes by now 333 species and subspecies. Distribution of some species is corrected. New synonymy is established: Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) parmatus Reitter, 1892 = Onthophagus citellorum Medvedev, 1965, syn. n. (transferred from the junior synonym of Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) ponticus Harold, 1883); Chilothorax clathratus (Reitter, 1892) = Aphodius (Chilothorax) distinctus sevanicus Rakovic, 1991, syn. n. Two species, Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) sacharovskii Olsouffieff, 1918 and Erytus persicus (Petrovitz, 1961) are recorded from Russia for the first time. Chilothorax conspurcatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Protaetia (Netocia) fieberi (Kraatz, 1880) are listed for the Caucasus for the first time.

Aim. The question of life forms (morpho-ecological adaptation of the organism to the environment) is an actual problem of ecological morphology. Different approaches in the study of Coleoptera life forms, including comparative morphological, ontogenetic and ecological faunal approaches, have identified the main trends of the morpho-ecological evolution of the studied fauna, and the spectrum method of life forms helped find out the laws of their landscape-zonal distribution.Methods. Electron microscopy scanning was performed at the Institute of Arid Zones of the Southern Scientific Center of RAS (Rostov-on-Don), using a microscope SEM EVO-40 XVP (LEO 143OVP).Results. In this article, for the first time, the life form to be used for some reconstructions of the fauna of the age of certain ecosystems of the discussed territory. In this paper, morphological adaptation of the feet is considered closely related to the features of lifestyle and environmental conditions, mainly the soil. The structure of the feet of Tenebrionidae is closely related to their living conditions and patterns of behavior. Convergence in the structure of the feet of phylogenetically distant species is the result of a match in their evolutionary development of the living conditions and behavioral characteristics. The structure of fossorials (digging legs) of Tenebrionidae and Scarabaeidae is in a thin line with a certain type of soil conditions. As a result, among the examined groups of Coleoptera the structure of fossorials is the most reliable indicator of soil conditions. The analysis of the biological diversity of coastal and island ecosystems of the Caspian Sea has shown the failure of the existing reviews for Caspian water level regime and the age of biota of islands.Conclusion. Thus, the presence of the ancient highly specialized life forms, communities and systems in any particular area, with great certainty will allow conceding the continuity of the existence of this biota during the time required for the formation of structural units of the community, the individual species, subspecies and supra species taxa. The analysis of the life forms of individual taxonomic groups, species, communities, modern biological diversity of coastal and island ecosystems does not confirm the periods of "strong" transgressions flooding vast areas of the Caspian and the islands of Turan. They contradict these assumptions.