Bambusicaliscelis Chen & Zhang gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Caliscelidae: Caliscelinae: Caliscelini) is established to accommodate two new species, Bambusicaliscelis fanjingensis Chen & Zhang, sp. nov. (type species, Guizhou, southwestern China) and B. dentis Chen & Zhang, sp. nov. (Guizhou, southwestern China). Members of the new genus are known to feed exclusively on bamboo (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) and represent the first record of bamboo-feeding planthopper Caliscelidae in China. The main morphological features, male genitalia, and the fifthinstar nymphs of two new species are described and illustrated. In addition, photographs and a key for identifying the adults and fifth-instar nymphs of the genus Bambusicaliscelis are provided. The importance of those groups as a pest on bamboo is discussed briefly. Biological notes and a discussion of those groups' distribution are given.

Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) and Rhagoletis zephyria Snow (Diptera: Tephritidae) both occur in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and are frequently confused with one another due to their morphological similarity. The apple maggot, R. pomonella, is a threat to commercial apples [Malus domestica (Borkh.) Borkh.] in the Pacific Northwest, whereas R. zephyria attacks snowberry (Symphoricarpos Dill. ex Juss) and is not considered a threat. Configuration of the surstyli in males is used to discriminate between species, but this character shows overlap. In this study, we reexamined surstyli configurations in the two species. We then used geometric morphometrics to test the hypotheses that shapes of surstyli and of aculei between the two species differ and that combining aculeus shape and size measures improves discrimination. We found that all R. pomonella had an inwardly curved surstyli configuration (based on a ratio of width across bases of prensisetae to width between the outer edges of the surstyli near their ends), whereas R. zephyria included specimens having either a parallel or divergent configuration. Using canonical variates analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and an assignments test, we found that surstylus shape classified 99.8% of males correctly to species. Aculeus shape accurately classified 85.3% of females to species. Combining aculeus shape and length increased classification accuracy to 94.5%. Within species, surstylus and aculeus shape did not discriminate among fly populations from different host fruit, collection areas, or both. Use of surstylus shape would benefit regulatory agencies that depend on accurate identifications of R. pomonella for quarantine and management measures.

A new gall-inducing species of the inquiline tribe Synergini (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Synergus itoensis Abe, Ide & Wachi, sp. nov., from Japan is described. The morphological features of the adult clearly indicate that this new species is assigned to the genus Synergus Hartig, 1840, and members of Synergini have all been known as inquilines to date. Field observation showed that adult emergence of this gall wasp from acorns of the evergreen oak, Quercus (Cyclobalanopsis) glauca Thunberg, on the ground is well synchronized with the rapid growth period of fresh acorns in late summer. A rearing experiment demonstrated gall induction by S. itoensis in the seed coat of the acorn of Q. (C.) glauca under field conditions. Moreover, the occurrence of arrhenotoky in this gall wasp and lack of a significant effect of gall induction on acorn size were indicated. Judging from the inconsistency of biological and morphological features in S. itoensis, gall-inducing ability might have been regained within Synergini. The advantages and disadvantages of gall induction in acorns are discussed.

The beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious invasive pest of the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera I., in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. Genetic analysis is essential to ecological and evolutionary study of such invasive species. We therefore conducted molecular analyses by using partial sequences (1044 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes of B. longissima collected from several locations. We found two monophyletic groups: one distributed over a limited area (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Sumba Island; referred to as the Pacific group) and the other collected from a wide area of Asia and the Pacific region (referred to as the Asian group). We compared the biological and morphological traits of the two groups. We found that insects in the Pacific group had a shorter developmental time from hatching to adult emergence, produced fewer eggs, and had a larger adult body size than insects in the Asian group. Elytral color patterns did not differ between the two groups. Our interpopulation crosses produced significantly fewer progeny than intrapopulation crosses, suggesting that B. longissima represents two cryptic species.

The enormous genus Trechus Clairville is distributed mainly in the Holarctic regions, but 24 species from Ethiopia were described previously. A key to the species of Ethiopian Trechus is provided, including a new species, Trechus amharicus from the Choke Mountains (Ethiopian Highlands). The latter taxon is described. The species was found in the Afroalpine grassland, living under stones, sometimes located at the base of the giant Lobelia rhynchopetalum Hemsl. It is noteworthy that in spite of the small number of known species of Ethiopian Trechus, there are more morphological and chaetotaxic variations among them than in their Holarctic congeners. The taxonomic position of the new species is difficult to situate, because T. amharicus does not fit in any of the groups of species recognized to date in Ethiopia. T. amharicus n. sp. bears some resemblance to T. patrizii in that it has a pronotum with posterior angles without setae, and elytra with only a single anterior discal seta. However, the different configuration of the protarsus and aedeagus in the male clearly separates the two taxa.

Three new submacropterous species of Splonia Signoret, 1891 are described and illustrated: Splonia dietrichi (Peru, new record for the genus), Splonia flavoscutellata (Ecuador), and Splonia fritilla (Venezuela). A detailed redescription of the genus is given, including the first account of the female terminalia (based on S. fritilla). A key to males of the now six known Splonia species is provided.

We describe a new species of stink bug, Murgantia thomasi (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), from the Dominican Republic. Diagnostic characters include both external anatomy and the male and female genitalia.

There has been confusion regarding the taxonomy and distribution of species in the dictyopharid planthopper genus Putala Melichar, 1903. Based on critical review and examination of parts of type material, Putala is revised and restricted in southern Asia of the Oriental region. Three Putala species are recognized in the genus, including a new species: Putala maculata Distant, 1906; Putala rostrata Melichar, 1903; and Putala spinula sp. nov. The genus Avephora Bierman stat. rev. is resurrected from synonymy with Dictyophara Germar, 1833 and reestablished here as a valid genus. Four recognized Avephora species are Avephora eugeniae (Stål, 1859) comb. nov.; Avephora brachycephala (Distant, 1906) comb, nov.; Avephora rugosa (Shakila-Mushtaq, 1991) comb. nov.; and Avephora hazarensis (Shakila-Mushtaq, 1991) comb. nov.; the latter three species are from Putala. One new generic and two new specific synonyms are suggested: Avephora Bierman, 1910 = Electryone Kirkaldy, 1913 syn. nov.; Avephora eugeniae (Stål, 1859) comb. nov. = Electryone macaonica Kirkaldy, 1913 syn. nov.; and Philotheria apicemaculata (Stål, 1855) = Putala figurata (Gerstaecker, 1895 nec. Singh-Pruthi, 1925) syn. nov. Photographs of all species of Putala and parts of Avephora are presented. Descriptions of the two genera and their included species are provided together with structural illustrations of male genitalia. Distribution map and keys to the species of the both genera are provided. First description and illustration of male genitalia as well as photograph of Philotheria apicata (Melichar) also are provided to distinguish it easily from Putala species.

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), has been studied extensively in its role in aboveground food webs of agroecosystems of the southern United States. There is also a limited body of evidence suggesting that S. invicta may significantly influence the soil fauna. This study examined the influence of fire ants on the arthropod communities at the soil surface of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., fields at two field sites operated by the University of Georgia in Athens and Tifton, GA (1 yr at each location). Fire ant abundance was suppressed in large plots with ant-specific hydramethylnon-based bait, and arthropods were collected from treatment and control plots by using pitfall traps during multiple week-long sample periods to measure the abundance of epigeic arthropods. Sampling was conducted from June through September 2006 in Athens and from July through September 2007 in Tifton. Although fire ant suppression decreased the abundance of erythraeid mites and nitidulid beetles at both sites, the majority of effects were site-specific. Other taxa positively associated with fire ants included oribatid mites and gnaphosid and linyphiid spiders. In contrast, the abundance of springtails, earwigs, endomychid beetles, and thrips increased with fire ant suppression. This study demonstrates that S. invicta can significantly influence both pest and beneficial epigeic arthropods and that although fire ants exert clear effects on specific taxa, their effects are not uniform within a given trophic group as members from the same guild were differentially impacted.

The Nearctic gall midge Obolodiplosis robiniae (Haldeman, 1847) (Diptera Cecidomyiidae) infesting black locusts, Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae), was detected in Asia in 2002 and in Europe (first in Italy) in 2003. Its distribution in Europe has expanded dramatically, probably favored by extensive distribution of its host plant along the main routes. The results of a 3-yr study on the seasonal abundance of O. robiniae in northern Italy are reported here. O. robiniae can develop three to four generations per year by exploiting plants of different ages and vigor. Overwintering takes place as diapausing larvae and adults emerge in spring. Two generations are completed on mature plants where populations decline in summer. Two additional generations can develop on root suckers from midsummer onward. Pest population densities reach their highest levels in late spring. Gall midge larvae were attacked by various predators, but parasitism by the platygastrid Platygaster robiniae Buhl & Duso was particularly significant. The impact of parasitism by P. robiniae is indicated as a key factor in reducing O. robiniae population densities.

The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key pest of peaches, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, in North America. Captures of adult weevils in unbaited pyramid traps recorded annually from 2000 to 2008 in an unmanaged peach orchard in central Alabama were used to determine its seasonal occurrence and to develop predictive degree-day models. Spring migration of plum curculio began at bloom (early to mid-March). Linear, polynomial, and three-parameter Weibull functions were tested to describe the relationship between weekly trap capture and cumulative degree-day (DD). Criteria used to select the best models were the smallest Akaike information criterion and highest R² values. A sixth-order polynomial function fitted best to seasonal trap captures and cumulative DDs and revealed two major seasonal peaks with the first (spring generation) and second (summer generation) peaks occurring at cumulative DDs of ≈245 and 1105 (base 10°C, biofix of 1 January), respectively. A potential third (late summer generation) peak was observed at 1758 DDs. The sixth-order polynomial model predicted the first trap capture to occur at cumulative DD of ≈99 (base 10°C, biofix of 1 January). The three-parameter Weibull model predicted the first trap and first peak (spring generation) trap captures to occur at mean cumulative DDs of 108.02 ± 9 and 220.07 ± 16, respectively. Validation of the models in the unmanaged orchard in 2009 and 2010 and in a second unmanaged orchard (located 1.6 km from the first) in 2009 showed that the polynomial and Weibull were within ±7 d in their predictions of the first and peak trap captures of the spring population. Validation results showed that both models successfully predicted the first trap capture in one out of three scenarios and the peak trap capture in two out of three scenarios. The performance of the models is discussed in relation to management of plum curculio in central Alabama.

To better understand the phylogeography of Rhagoletis flies in the cingulata species group, we conducted a seven year host plant survey in México, behavioral observations, and studies on the basic biology of these tephritids. The survey revealed the existence of two geographically isolated Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew) populations in México. The first population was found to be restricted to Prunus serotina ssp. capuli (Cav.) McVaugh in an area within the central dry Altiplano spanning from Tlaxcala to México City and neighboring parts of the States of México, Puebla, and Hidalgo. The second population was found to infest Prunus serotina ssp. virens (Wooton & Standl.) McVaugh in high elevation areas of northeastern México between San Luis Potosí and Coahuila along the Sierra Madre Oriental. Both populations were hosts to the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha mellea (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), with percentage parasitism varying across sites. Collections of P. s. ssp. capuli and Prunus serotina Ehrh. ssp. serotina across the Eje Volcanico Trans Mexicano, the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Sierra de los Altos de Chiapas and mesic areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental between Veracruz and Queretaro failed to yield any pupae. Sites where pupae were recovered were significantly dryer than sites where R. cingulata was not found. Recovered flies were found to be univoltine and to overwinter as pupae. Adults in the field in Tlaxcala (Central Altiplano) were mainly sighted guarding, mating, and ovipositing in green fruit. Larval yield of fruit collected outside the natural area of distribution, and exposed to flies in the laboratory, was significantly lower than that of fruit collected within the natural range of R. cingulata. We compare distribution patterns with those of other species in the genus and discuss hypotheses to explain the outcome.

Harvester ants play an important ecological role as seed consumers in arid areas. We performed choice experiments to study preferences of Pogonomyrmex rastratus (Mayr), Pogonomyrmex mendozanus (Cuezzo & Claver), and Pogonomyrmex inermis (Forel) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for seeds of six native species (three grasses, two forbs, and a shrub) in the central Monte desert, Argentina. We hypothesized that ant diet composition would reflect ant preferences. Thus, based on previous ant diet studies, we expected that 1) the three species would prefer grass to nongrass seeds, 2) P. inermis would have a lower preference for nongrass seeds than P. rastratus and P. mendozanus and 3) relative abundance of seeds in the diet would be positively associated with relative preference. In general, relative abundance of seeds in the diet was positively associated with relative preferences. Ants preferred grass seeds, but P. inermis did not have a lower preference for nongrass seeds. We also analyzed the relationship between preferences for seeds of the six species and their size and morphology, and we found higher preferences for seeds of intermediate size but no relationship with seed morphology. The overall match between seed preferences and diet composition could increase the chances of ants affecting the abundance and composition of some seed resources in the Monte desert, with important community implications.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of host instar and feeding status on the egg load of early life stage in Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary koinobiont endoparasitoid of some noctuid pests. The wasps that developed from fourth or fifth instars of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) larvae were heavier in weight than those from earlier stages. Different numbers of mature eggs were found in the two ovaries of the female wasp. Egg loads, corresponding to fitness, were significantly influenced by female weight and feeding status. However, the interactions between the two treatment factors were not significant. The average number of mature eggs carried by females at eclosion time ranged from 52 eggs in smaller wasps to 62 eggs in larger wasps. Females that were fed had higher egg loads and egg maturation rate than unfed females. However, female wasps were capable of maturing considerable number of eggs without feeding; suggesting that they produce a certain portion of eggs from nutritional reserves that had been stored during larval stage. Female wasps are weakly synovigenic, with an egg maturation at a rate of ≈1.8 eggs per h. Further investigation is required to verify the rate of egg maturation and eventually egg resorption in different stages of adult female M. rufiventris.

This is a first description of a gynandromorph of an orchid bee, Euglossa iopoecila Dressier (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini). The specimen was collected at a chemical bait (eugenol) in an Atlantic Forest remnant in southern Brazil and shows a partial, bilateral asymmetry, with the right and left halves of the head displaying predominantly female and male characteristics, respectively. Except for the three left legs that show male morphology and a tuft of hairs detected only in the left side of second metasomal sternum (S2), the mesosoma and the metasoma exhibit female characteristics. The gynandromorph described here belongs to the mosaic or mixed category, because male and female characteristics are distributed patchily throughout the body of this individual. The main external morphological characteristics of the gynander are left and right antennae with 12 articles (like females), a mesosoma presenting a scutellar tuft (absent in males of this species), and a metasoma with six terga and six sterna that tapers to a point. Bilateral asymmetry in both metatibia is also noticeable: a normal corbicula is present in the right hind tibia, whereas the left hindleg brings a conspicuous deformation next to the tibial slit.

The morphology and developmental stages of Misotermes mindeni Disney & Neoh (Diptera: Phoridae), a newly described endoparasitoid of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen) (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) were studied, and biometric descriptors of eggs, larvae, and pupae were recorded. The larvae of M. mindeni exhibit three larval stages. Larvae complete their first instar development in fourth larval instars and major presoldiers, whereas the second and third instars develop entirely in major soldiers' head capsule and abdomen, respectively. The second instar can be readily differentiated from the first by the presence of a posterior spiracular base and more defined body segments, and the third instar can be discriminated from the second by the presence of respiratory horns and a well-developed posterior spiracular base. Differentiation of the larval instars is further supported by morphometric measurements. The first instar moves freely within the host's body cavity and head capsule, whereas the last two instars remain in the host's head capsule and abdomen, respectively. Termite developmental stages were used as a model to determine the developmental time of M. mindeni larvae. Duration between the first and second instars was 19.00 ± 2.28 d and between second and third instars was 36.88 ± 5.17 d. It took the third instar, 0.53 ± 0.08 d to reach pupation. The pupal stage lasted for an average of 13.51 ± 0.74 d. Mean adult longevity was 1.47 ± 0.57 d and 3.00 ± 0.98 d for females and males, respectively. Longevity of males was significantly longer than that of females.

In July and August 2005, we investigated the use of two distinct microhabitats by harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) in crappo-cocorite seasonal forest, lower montane rain forest, and upper montane rain forest of the Northern Range of Trinidad, West Indies. In addition to new locality records, geographic distributions, and microhabitat use, this article provides a preliminary understanding of the species diversity, compositional similarity, and relative harvestmen abundance among forest stands located within three types of rain forest of different altitudes found in Trinidad. We collected harvestmen inhabiting the space within and underneath decaying logs as well as the leaf litter associated with the logs. In upper montane rain forest, in addition to logs, we sampled the sheaths of palm (Euterpe broadwayi Becc. ex Broadway) fronds, another shelter commonly used by harvestmen that was especially abundant at the higher elevations. We collected 173 individuals representing eight families and 14 species. The number of harvestmen per shelter varied from 3.2 individuals per log in crappo-cocorite forest to 0.8 individual per log or palm frond sheath in upper montane rain forest. In the crappo-cocorite seasonal forest, cosmetids, sclerosomatids and stygnids were most abundant. In upper montane rain forest, cranaids and manaosbiids were the most abundant taxa, whereas cosmetids and sclerosomatids were relatively rare. Crappo-cocorite and lower montane forests were very similar in species composition but differed greatly from upper montane forest. The cosmetids Paecilaema inglei Goodnight and Goodnight 1947, Cynortula granulata Roewer 1912, and the stygnid Stygnoplus clavotibialis (Goodnight and Goodnight 1947) were found to be strongly correlated with the crappo-cocorite and lower montane forests, whereas in upper montane forests Santinezia serratotibialis Roewer 1932 and Cranellus montgomeryi Goodnight and Goodnight 1947 were closely correlated.

Experiments confirmed that female Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret), and Planococcus ficus Signoret (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) must mate to produce viable offspring. Females of all three species were capable of mating multiple times on the same day and on sequential days (range, 1–8 times). Female reproductive output was not increased by multiple copulations. Male P. longispinus, P. viburni, and P. ficus also mated multiple times during their lifetimes (maximum of 9, 11, and 19 times, respectively). Male P. ficus had the highest mean number of copulations (9.6 ± 0.6), followed by P. longispinus and P. viburni. More than half of the P. ficus males survived their first day of copulations and remated the next day when presented with unmated females. P. viburni males also readily mated with unmated females on the day subsequent to their first copulations. Median times between copulations were short for males of all species (<2 min). Constant exposure to pheromone had no detectable effect on the activity levels of male P. ficus and P. longispinus, whereas P. viburni males exposed to pheromone emerged significantly earlier from their cocoons than control males without pheromone exposure. Constant exposure to pheromone had no effect on the longevity of males of any species compared with controls. The implications of the results of these experiments for pheromone-based methods of managing mealybugs are discussed.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a sibling species group that transmits Squash leaf curl virus (SLCV) and other geminiviruses (Geminiviridae, genus Begomovirus) in a circulative and persistent manner. Using in situ hybridization, SLCV was localized in the primary salivary glands, the midgut, and the filter chamber of adults of the B biotype in the group. However, no SLCV particles were localized in the accessory salivary glands. The midgut loop was found to reside, fully or partially, in the abdomen or thorax in >8,000 dissections, indicating that it is capable of moving through the petiole, a constriction between the two body sections. When extended to its anterior-most position in the thorax, the midgut can make direct contact with the salivary glands, but evidence for direct transfer of virions is lacking. However, the widely presumed pathway of viral transport from the gut to the whitefly primary salivary glands can now be broadened to include both the blood and the possibility of direct transfer during contiguity of these two organs. Light microscopical observations indicated that the primary salivary gland consists of a central region flanked by two dark-staining regions, referred to as endcaps. Electron microscopical examination of extirpated and nonextirpated primary salivary glands revealed additional distinct regions and cell types. One such region, located between the central region and an endcap, was correlated directly to the region where virions have previously been immunolocalized.

Visualization of dissected accessory salivary glands (ASGs) of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by light microscopy (LM) revealed three distinctive toluidine blue O stain profiles. Considered morphotypes, the three profiles are hypothesized to represent stages of a salivation cycle, wherein contents are cyclically depleted and subsequently regenerated as needed for feeding. When whiteflies were repeatedly interrupted during their initial feeding behaviors, and then ASGs were dissected, a fourth stain profile was revealed. These observations are therefore relevant to the different mechanisms involved in whitefly-mediated virus transmission to plants. Stain techniques involved in transmission electron microscopy of extirpated and nonextirpated ASGs reveal entirely different profiles that cannot yet be correlated to LM findings. The midgut of B. tabaci is capable of transposing its location from the abdomen to the thorax and can come into direct contact with the ASGs. This finding opens new lines of thought in the potential for interaction between the two, such as purging of excess water and waste, and virus transmission.

Although tachinids are one of the most diverse families of Diptera and represent the largest group of nonhymenopteran parasitoids, their local diversity and distribution patterns of most species in the family are poorly known. In this study, 2 yr of samples from a Malaise trap were used to analyze the local richness and temporal distribution of a tachinid community in southwestern Ohio. In total, 883 tachinid specimens were collected, consisting of 117 species belonging to 69 genera. The majority of the specimens were collected in fall, followed by summer and spring, with 67, 22, and 11%, respectively. Estimated rarefaction curves indicate a predicted species richness of 217 species and suggest that we have sampled only a fraction of the diversity of Tachinidae occurring at this particular site. The species recorded in this study represent 16 and 19% of the species that are likely to occur in the northeastern United States and Ohio, respectively. In North America, there have been few, if any, previous attempts to quantify the diversity of tachinids on a local scale. Our results provide a baseline for understanding the temporal and spatial diversity of these ecologically and agronomically important parasitoids.

Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) has been reported to increase the susceptibility of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), to selected insecticides. Reduced general esterase activity in Las-infected, compared with uninfected, D. citri has been proposed as a possible explanation for this difference in insecticide susceptibility. The current study was conducted to quantify glutathione transferase (GST) and cytochrome P₄₅₀ (general oxidase) activities in Las-infected D. citri to further explain the possible mechanisms for altered susceptibility to insecticides due to Las infection. GST and cytochrome P₄₅₀ activities (indirectly through general oxidase levels) were quantified in Las-infected and uninfected D. citri nymphs and adults. Mean (±SEM) GST activity was significantly lower in Las-infected (468.23 ± 26.87 /µmol/min/mg protein) than uninfected (757.63 ± 59.46 µmol/min/mg protein) D. citri adults. Likewise, mean cytochrome P₄₅₀ activity was significantly lower in Las-infected (0.23 ± 0.02 equivalent units [EU] cytochrome P₄₅₀/mg protein) than uninfected (0.49 ± 0.05 EU cytochrome P₄₅₀/mg protein) D. citri adults. Immature stages (second and fifth instars) were characterized by significantly lower GST activity than adults for uninfected D. citri. However, cytochrome P₄₅₀ activity was significantly higher in second instar nymphs than adults and fifth-instar nymphs for uninfected D. citri. Lower activities of GST and general oxidase in Las-infected D. citri indicate that infection with Las alters D. citri physiology in a manner that could increase insecticide susceptibility. The reduced activities of these detoxifying enzymes due to Las infection may be explained by examining expression levels of associated genes in Las-infected and uninfected D. citri.

We report here a cytogenetic analysis of the melon fly, Bactrocera Cucurbitae, Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae), a species of significant agricultural importance. The mitotic karyotype and detailed photographic maps of the larval salivary gland polytene chromosomes of the species are presented. The mitotic karyotype consists of six pairs of chromosomes including one pair of heteromorphic sex (XX/XY) chromosomes. The heterogametic sex is ascribed to the male. The analysis of polytene chromosomes has shown a total number of five long polytene elements (10 polytene arms) that correspond to the five autosomes. The characteristic features and the most prominent landmarks of each polytene chromosome are presented. The proposed chromosomal homology between B. Cucurbitae and Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), was determined by comparing chromosome banding patterns. The detection of heterozygous chromosome inversions in two strains is shown and discussed. The current study provides workable polytene chromosome maps of the species and compares our results with previous reports. We show that these maps can be used for cytogenetic studies in the species and for comparative studies among the tephritid species. They also can support the development of control methods and clarify the taxonomic status of B. cucurbitae.

Taste plays an essential role in the identification of adequate food sources by insects, including lepidopterans. Characterizing genes that are important to successful transduction of tastants in insects leads to understanding of how tastants can regulate insect behavior. One class of proteins, odorant binding proteins (OBPs), have been shown to play a role in olfactory chemotransduction, but their role in taste transduction has been less clear, especially in immature stages of insects. Taste has been shown to be central in host preference by the larva of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), and its preferred host plants in the family Solanaceae. We report the discovery of a new OBP gene, Mad10, expressed in the gustatory sensilla styloconica of M. sexta larvae. This is the first time that the expression of an OBP is found in the sensilla styloconica of any lepidopteran.

To gain insight into the genetic basis of the divergence of sex pheromone signals in the genus Ostrinia, we conducted crossing experiments between three congeners: Ostrinia zealis (Guenée), Ostrinia zaguliaevi Mutuura & Munroe, and Ostrinia sp. near zaguliaevi. Female sex pheromones of the three species are comprised of three common components—(Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate, (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate, and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate—blended at species-specific ratios: 70:24:6 in O. zealis, 45:5:50 in O. zaguliaevi, and 19:6:75 in O. sp. near zaguliaevi. The differences between O. zealis and O. zaguliaevi blends, and O. zealis and O. sp. near zaguliaevi blends, could be explained by a single autosomal locus with three alleles. However, sex chromosomal as well as autosomal genes should be taken into consideration to explain the difference between O. zaguliaevi and O. sp. near zaguliaevi blends. From analyses of the fatty acyl precursors of pheromone components, it seems that these genetic factors are involved in the last steps of pheromone biosynthesis including reduction. The process of divergence of pheromone components in the genus Ostrinia is discussed with reference to the findings of previous studies.

Rock-crawlers (Grylloblattodea: Grylloblattidae) in northeastern Asia are low-vagility insects that are restricted to cool temperate forests and mountainous regions. Morphologically distinguishable species are similar ecologically and show narrow endemism and a patchy distribution. As a result, grylloblattids are hypothesized to be relict species that have persisted in situ over long periods of climatic and geological change (Storozhenko and Oliger 1984). We investigate whether the diversification pattern of Asian grylloblattids reflects long-term persistence and divergence due to geological events, or more recent diversification in response to climatic change. Using multilocus genetic data, we examine the phylogenetic relationship to other Asian Grylloblattidae and the geographic pattern of diversification of Korean rock-crawlers, Galloisiana Caudell & King (1924) and Namkungia Storozhenko & Park (2002). Our analysis reveals a monophyletic grouping of Korean species, with multiple cryptic lineages and restricted geographical distributions. Based on genetic data, Korean species are closely related to Japanese Galloisiana. Using a Bayesian relaxed clock model calibrated with a mitochondrial substitution rate, the age of the most recent common ancestor of the Korean—Japanese lineage is estimated within the Miocene epoch. This provides evidence for a diversification event closely tied to the geological events separating the Japanese archipelago from the Korean peninsula.

We developed microsatellite loci to examine the occurrence of multiple paternity in the praying mantid Tenodera aridifolia Stoll, as inferred from the genotypes of the progeny within field-collected oothecae (egg cases). The microsatellite locus MTA, developed from field-caught mantids, was found to have three alleles (A, B, and C) among >600 hatchlings from 18 oothecae from two locations in Japan. Of the 18 oothecae, two show clear evidence of multiple sires, two show equivocal evidence of multiple sires, and the remaining 14 do not show evidence of multiple sires. Thirteen of the latter 14 oothecae are exclusively homozygous, with all progeny being of the same genotype (BB). Although the exclusively homozygous oothecae suggest a high incidence of monogamy in these field populations, we caution that we probably underestimated the incidence of multiple paternity, given our use of one locus with three alleles. This study is the first genetic investigation of field-collected progeny of a sexually cannibalistic species, as well as the first demonstration of multiple paternity in nature for a sexually cannibalistic species.

Information on responses of flower-foraging bees to the presence of other visitors simultaneously using the same resource is essential in further understanding bee decision-making processes during the collection of floral rewards. An individual must evaluate the relative costs of exploiting an occupied resource versus moving on to another resource. We investigated responses of foraging individuals to the presence of conspecifics or heterospecifics in three field experiments with solitary and social bees visiting flowers of wild strawberry, Rubus hirsutus Thunb. (Rosaceae). The proportion of Micrandrena spp. that occupied flowers after meeting other foragers was significantly lower than the proportions of Osmia orientalis Benoist and Apis mellifera L. Moreover, the avoidance response of Micrandrena spp. when approaching dead bees (“artificial” visitors) was stronger than that of the other bee species. We also placed an artificial visitor on flowers and observed subsequent responses of natural visitors. The responses of foraging bees to the presence of other visitors varies among species; O. orientalis more frequently visited flowers on which dead Micrandrena spp. were placed than flowers on which dead bees of other species were deployed. Both A. mellifera and Micrandrena spp. avoided flowers on which any other bees were set. We propose that O. orientalis makes decisions on whether to visit an occupied flower after discriminating between flower occupant species by body size.

Sublethal appendage injury or loss has been shown to alter many behaviors of animals, including foraging and predation avoidance. But most studies of this phenomenon to date have been short-term in scope, and longer term studies may produce different results as seen in some studies on predator effects. Larval damselflies routinely autotomize their caudal lamellae and encounter predators, making them ideal for comparisons of short-term and longer term effects of appendage loss and predator exposure. In this study, I examined activity and foraging of larval Ischnura posita (Hagen) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), testing for effects of lamella loss and predator cues both in the short term (1 h) and the longer term (8 d). I predicted that both predators and injury would decrease activity and foraging for a short time and that these effects would diminish over time. Results indicated that only the most severe injuries affected foraging, delaying first prey capture when no predator was present; but injury did not affect total prey caught. In the 1-h experiment, damselflies had lower activity in the presence of predator cues, with no effect of injury, whereas the 8-day experiment showed no effect of predator cues on activity. I did not find a major effect of injury or predator cues on activity or foraging of larval damselflies; no effects were detectable over the entire 8-d study. I conclude that the ecological implications of such injuries in nature may often be negligible.

Little information is available on the extra-log movement patterns of Cryptocercus punctulatus Scudder (Dictyoptera: Cryptocercidae), despite its key taxonomic position as a member of the xylophagous cockroach family that is sister group to termites. We conducted a field study in which individuals of C. punctulatus were collected from pitfall traps checked daily for 7 mo on the grounds of Mountain Lake Biological Station, VA. In total, 50 large nymphs, subadults, and adults of both sexes were captured, with adult activity strongest from midsummer through autumn. Surface activity seems unrelated to rainfall. The female-to-male sex ratio of trapped cockroaches was 2:1 overall and 1.5:1 in adults. Nymphs do not begin exploring outside of natal logs until they are at least half grown and significantly pigmented and sclerotized. Dissections of adult females indicated that more than half captured outside of logs (56%) had sperm in the spermatheca, and one female was carrying a spermatophore. These results suggest that sexual exclusivity cannot be assumed between paired individuals of this species.