Water accumulating in the axils of bromeliads provides habitat for numerous invertebrates, frequently among them, immature mosquitoes. To evaluate mosquito richness in bromeliads and the relationship between mosquito presence and biotic and abiotic variables, we performed a study in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mosquitoes of genus Culex were the most abundant and varied in species richness, among which nine belonged to subgenus Microculex, Culex (Microculex) neglectus Lutz and Culex ocellatus Theobald being the most frequent species. Sabethines of genera Wyeomyia and Runchomyia were found in low numbers. Wyeomyia (Spilonympha) airosai Lane and Cerqueira and Wyeomyia (Spilonympha) finlayi Lane and Cerqueira tend to proliferate in bromeliads of the genus Bilbergia which hold less than 50 ml of water and grow either alone or with Runchomyia frontosa (Theobald). The larger the volume of water, the greater the chance of finding Culex, Anopheles as well as Wyeomyia (Phoniomyia) species, which seems to be the more generalist as it is present in different bromeliad types with a large range of plant water holding capacities.

The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc), vectors the pathogen “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Lso), causal agent of zebra chip disease of potato. Several cultivated and wild plants are reported to serve as alternate hosts for B. cockerelli and Lso, including silverleaf nightshade (SLN), a wild solanaceous woody perennial weed that occurs throughout Texas. Experiments were conducted in the laboratory to compare performance of Lso-infected and Lso-free B. cockerelli on SLN and potato. Results showed that host plants and Lso-infection significantly influenced the performance of B. cockerelli. Egg incubation and nymphal development of Lso-infected and Lso-free immatures were prolonged on SLN compared with potato indicating a host effect. Generally, Lso-infected B. cockerelli immatures developed faster on both SLN and potato, although significantly more Lso-free nymphs survived than nymphs that harbored the pathogen. Lso-free adults also lived longer and laid more eggs on potato than SLN. According to life table estimates, intrinsic and finite rates of increase of Lso-infected B. cockerelli were not significantly different from Lso-free individuals on potato and SLN. Analysis of the two factors revealed significant interaction effects between host and Lso and that development and reproduction of B. cockerelli is a function of both Lso-infection and host on which it fed. Results of this study suggests that Lso does not have a negative effect in the overall performance of B. cockerelli on both hosts and also demonstrated SLN to be an important alternative host that supports survival of Lsoinfected and Lso-free B. cockerelli populations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether environmental changes promoted by the conversion from a Brachiaria decumbens monoculture to a silvopastoral system can be measured by the diversity, richness, abundance, and constancy of insects of the order Hymenoptera. A Malaise trap for collecting insects was installed in a B. decumbens area managed as a silvopastoral system, and another was installed in a monoculture system. Hymenoptera richness and abundance were determined based on the number of morphospecies and specimens, respectively. The diversity and constancy indices were calculated using the Shannon-Wiener and Bodenheimer methodologies. Fifteen families of Hymenoptera were collected, seven of which were unique to the monoculture system. The samples from the silvopastoral system were significantly more abundant (3,889) and rich (305) compared with those from the monoculture system, which were much less abundant (1,473) and rich (173). Similar trends were noted for the families Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, and Braconidae. Additionally, these families and Sphecidae showed significantly greater diversity in the silvopastoral system. Formicidae and Braconidae were constant in both systems, while Ichneumonidae was constant only in the silvopastoral system. The families Vespidae, Pompilidae, and Apidae were more diverse; Chalcididae, Pompilidae, Sphecidae, Halictidae, Evaniidae, and Gasteruptiidae were more abundant; and Vespidae had more richness in the monoculture system. The conversion from the monoculture system to the silvopastoral system can be measured by the occurrence of Hymenoptera, especially the families Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, and Braconidae, which can be used as potential bioindicators.

Recent detections of adults of three previously common, native species of lady beetles [Coccinella novemnotata Herbst, Coccinella transversoguttata richardsoni Brown, and Adalia bipunctata (L.); Coleoptera: Coccinellidae] during surveys at several sites in western South Dakota and western Nebraska provided impetus for additional sampling of lady beetles in that region. The current study systematically sampled for lady beetles among three dominant habitats in the region in 2010 and 2011. Four techniques (sucrose-baited and nonbaited yellow sticky traps, sweepnetting, visual searches) sampled 4,036 adult and 830 larval coccinellids comprising 10 species. Coccinella septempunctata L., Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Hippodamia parenthesis (Say), and Brachiacantha albifrons (Say) were the most common species. C. novemnotata ranked fifth in abundance, with 94 sampled in small grains, 20 in alfalfa, and 5 in grassland pasture; 58 larval C. novemnotata were sampled primarily in small-grain fields. Abundance of C. novemnotata negatively correlated with proportion of vegetative cover in fields, whereas this characteristic did not correlate with abundances of H. convergens, H. parenthesis, and C. septempunctata. Abundance of these three species negatively correlated with vegetative species richness and diversity in fields, whereas C. novemnotata abundance was not related to these indices. Fourteen C. transversoguttata richardsoni, 30 C. novemnotata, and several other coccinellids were observed on roadside vegetation near sample fields. A. bipunctata was not sampled in this study. Results suggest that sparsely vegetated small-grain fields may favor reproducing populations of C. novemnotata in relatively arid areas of the north central United States.

From a 13-yr data set that included >16,000 larvae of the Simulium arcticum complex from 241 collections at 67 sites, I determined chromosomal variation to assess whether cytotype presence and frequency at a collection site one year were similar or different the following year(s). From the larger data set, I made 36 comparisons for 19 sites that included 8,468 larvae. Cytotype presence and frequency were similar and, where analyzed, they were also similar after 5 to 9yr. Almost all instances where cytotype diversity or frequencies changed from year to year involved taxa in low numbers. Fifty of 51 comparisons of community similarity indicated that sites were more similar in subsequent years than were different sites within years. Two sets of two different sites had similar chromosomal diversity, suggesting potential physical and ecological similarity. These observations suggest that cytotypes in the S. arcticum complex exhibit stability of community assemblages and that females might be using ecological cues to choose oviposition sites. They also suggest that chromosomal observations based on collections from only one year are likely to be an accurate representation of the actual diversity present, so long as times of collection are similar and sample sizes are large.

To investigate how seasonal insects respond to changing environments, nymphal skins of the two cicadas Cryptotympana facialis (Walker) and Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (Motschulsky) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) were monitored weekly from late July to August over 12 yr in a suburban habitat of central Japan. Based on over 8,000 skins collected from 1995 to 2006, the authors estimated the period during which temperature or precipitation impacted skin abundance and phenology. Adults of C. facialis tended to emerge earlier than those of G. nigrofuscata, for which total skin counts fluctuated up to seven-fold among years. The effective accumulated temperature from the previous 3.0–3.5 mo to the most recent 1.0–1.5 mo at a threshold of approximately >18°C showed the best fit to the cumulative skin counts within a season. Temperature explained 47 and 64% of the total variation in the skin counts for C. facialis and G. nigrofuscata, respectively. The point at which temperature had this effect was consistent between male and female cicadas. Conversely, accumulated precipitation accounted for <16% of the variation in the skin counts for both species. In summary, this long-term study revealed that late-spring temperature plays a key role in predicting the molting phenology of C. facialis and G. nigrofuscata but does not necessarily explain a large amount of the abundance fluctuation.

The fitness and population dynamics of predators depend on the quality of host plants consumed by their prey. In this study, age-stage, two-sex life table parameters and predation rate of Typhlodromus bagdasarjani Wainstein & Arutunjan were determined on two-spotted spider mite reared on susceptible (‘Isfahan’) and resistant (‘Neishabour’) eggplant cultivars under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. The means, variances, and standard errors of the life table and predation parameters were estimated using the bootstrap resampling procedure. The value of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) of this predator on the susceptible eggplant cultivar (0.1538 d^-1) was significantly higher than that on the resistant one (0.1175 d^-1). The value of the net reproductive rate (R₀) on the susceptible and resistant eggplant cultivars was 7.55 and 8.21 offspring, respectively. In addition, the mean generation time (T) was 12.97 and 17.75 d, respectively. The age-stage-specific predation rate (c_xj) of all stages of the predator on the resistant eggplant cultivar was higher than that on the susceptible one. In addition, the value of net predation rate (C_o) on the susceptible and resistant eggplant cultivars was 193.05 and 221.44 preys per predator, respectively. In addition, the value of finite predation rate (ω;) on the resistant cultivar (7.005 preys per predator per day) was significantly higher than that on the susceptible one (6.361 preys per predator per day). In conclusion, due to higher finite predation rate on the resistant eggplant cultivar, the performance of the predator on this cultivar was more than that on the susceptible one.

Satyrization, a form of asymmetric reproductive interference, has recently been shown to play a role in competitive displacements of Aedes aegypti (L.) by Aedes albopictus (Skuse). Furthermore, female Ae. aegypti from populations in sympatry with Ae. albopictus have evolved reproductive character displacement and changes in mating behavior to reduce interspecific mating. In this article, we examine evolutionary responses of males to interspecific mating and show that satyrization has also evoked reproductive character displacement in males. We demonstrate that the presence of heterospecific females negatively influences conspecific mating success in male Ae. aegypti, most likely due to misdirected courting or mating efforts, and that males of this species from populations in sympatry with Ae. albopictus have evolved to be less influenced by the presence of heterospecific females than their allopatric counterparts. Conversely, we suggest that the presence of conspecifics may, in some circumstances, increase interspecific mating. This study demonstrates that co-occurrences of these two invasive species may lead to evolution and adaptation of reproductive behaviors to changing circumstances. Understanding the processes driving development of mate choice preferences or avoidance mechanisms may help predict future changes in the distribution and abundance of insect vectors or pests.

The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (L.) (Hufnagel), is a worldwide pest infesting >30 crops. Previous studies on its migration in East Asia have been mostly carried out in the regions where it could safely overwinter; however, it's still unknown what pattern of seasonal migration this species exhibits across different climate zones (i.e., in north of East Asia). Our study determines combination of searchlight trapping and ovarian dissection on a small island in the center of the Bohai Strait during 2003–2014, providing direct evidence that A. ipsilon undertakes regular migration across the sea every year. The results of ovarian dissection indicated that the ovarian developmental level, the proportion of sexually mature females, mating rate, mating frequency, and sex ratio decreased from spring to autumn. Some degrees of ovarian development and relatively higher proportion of mated females suggest that A. ipsilon is not completely bound by “oogenesis-flight syndrome” and “autumn reproductive diapause.” The results of population dynamics, ovarian development level, and mating rate showed three different types of periods—1 May to 2 July, 14 July to 3 September, and 4 September to 25 October—for the migration of A. ipsilon. Our results may be fruitful for improving the forecasting system of A. ipsilon.

All male gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar L., are capable of strong directed flight, but flight in females varies, increasing from west to east geographically across Eurasia. To better understand how the wings differ between female flight capable and flightless strains, a wing morphometric analysis of 821 gypsy moths from eight geographic strains (three Lymantria dispar dispar L., four Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij, one Lymantria dispar japonica Motschulsky) was performed. Body mass; length and width of both fore- and hindwing; and wing area, aspect, and loads were measured on both sexes from each strain. Gypsy moths were sexually dimorphic; females had a higher wing load, larger aspect ratios, bigger wing area, and heavier body mass than males. Wing loads of females, but not males, differed significantly among geographic strains and were lower in flight capable strains. Wing aspect was less variable within each sex among the strains. Female fore- and hindwing area were both larger in strains with strong directed flight capabilities compared with flightless strains, suggesting both fore- and hindwing areas play significant roles in flight. A logistic regression model using female forewing length and wing load correctly predicted the female flight capability of the source strains >97% of the time and may be a useful tool to use in conjunction with molecular methods for detecting introductions of Asian gypsy moth. None of the male morphometric wing characters were found to reliably predict the female flight capability of the source population.

Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is an Old World pest recently established in North America. Literature on the life history and immature descriptions of B. hilaris is scattered and variable in content. Therefore, we conducted a study of this insect's life history in southern New Mexico from January 2012 to August 2014, reared the bugs in the laboratory, and described the immature stages. Two primary host plants, London rocket (Sisymbrium irio L., a winter annual) and mesa pepperwort (Lepidium alyssoides A. Gray, a summer perennial), were sampled weekly to record numbers of the various life stages and behavioral activities; broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) also was sampled for one season. Adults were found continuously throughout the year. They deposited eggs individually in the soil near the bases of their host plants from February through October. Nymphs were found every month of the year. The number of generations per year was difficult to determine due to such factors as extreme overlap of generations and a lack of reproductive diapause. However, the data roughly suggest this species is bivoltine, although there is some evidence of a partial third generation. The bug also was reared from egg to adult under controlled laboratory conditions on fruiting structures of mesa pepperwort at 25 ± 0.01°C under a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. The incubation period averaged 7.45 d. The five stadia averaged 3.35, 7.08, 6.39, 7.33, and 10.25 d, respectively. Instars can be distinguished readily by differences in several morphological features in addition to body size and coloration.

Hemiptera success can be partially attributed to their scent glands, which are dorsal abdominal glands (DAGs) in nymphs. Recent studies on Pentatomoidea have described cuticular modifications associated with DAGs, which compose the scent efferent system (SES), but the ontogeny has been poorly documented. We aim to—1) search for new SES characters in two representative species of Pentatomidae; 2) describe the SES ontogeny after hatching; and 3) compare the SES morphology between two species. Adults and immature samples from the first to fifth instars of Chinavia obstinata (Stål) (Pentatominae) and Cyrtocoris egeris Packauskas & Schaefer (Cyrtocorinae) were used as pentatomid representatives. SES structures were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. Features that were never evaluated before are described: the scent efferent system orientation, periostiolar flap, periostiolar area, postostiolar projection, and peritreme lip. We observed remarkable differences between the first and second instars in both species, especially for DAGs 2 and 3; from the second to fifth instar, the modifications were subtle. Only the DAG1 scent efferent system persists in adults. The characteristics that present broader morphological diversity in the Pentatomomorpha are the following: peritreme, evaporatorium microsculpture, scent efferent system orientation, and peritreme lip. We conclude that any sample between the second and fifth instars can be used for species description and character extraction. We recommend using both traditional structures and the newly evaluated features in future descriptive and comparative studies for Pentatomomorpha.

Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH) is a multifunctional oxidoreductase and is well known as an essential component of four mammalian mitochondrial multienzyme complexes: pyruvatedehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase, and the glycine cleavage system. In the previous study, we described the cloning, purification, and oxidoreductase activity of recombinant silkworm, Bombyx mori DLDH (BmDLDH) expressed in Escherichia coli. In the present work, the result showed that 1) BmDLDH was present in both mitochondria and cytoplasm, but BmDLDH in mitochondria was more abundant than that in cytoplasm, which indicated the BmDLDH could be dual localized. 2) Both the expression levels and diaphorase activity of BmDLDH in silkworm first instars and moth were higher than those in other development stages. The transcript levels of BmDLDH were not different in developmental stages. 3) The transcription, expression, and activity of BmDLDH in Malpighian tubule were higher than those in other tissues.

Dichlorvos (DDVP; 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) is an organophosphate insecticide widely used in the control of pests. This study aims to determine the changes caused by DDVP in the antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation level, and ion content of a model organism, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Larvae of G. mellonella were fed sublethal concentrations of DDVP (2, 4, 6, and 8 µg/l00 g feed). Exposure to DDVP resulted in induction of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and lipid peroxidation in larvae. Potassium and sodium ion levels were significantly altered by DDVP exposure. These results suggest that DDVP causes oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation and alters the antioxidant enzyme activities and ion balance in G. mellonella larvae. Additionally, these results indicate that G. mellonella is a useful model for testing the effects of insecticides.

Methionine sulfoxide reductase B genes (MsrBs) play a crucial role protecting cells from oxidative damage. In this study, we isolated and characterized an MsrB gene from Apis cerana cerana F., designated AccMsrB. The full cDNA of AccMsrB was 757 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 414 bp, and the predicted translation product was a 137 amino acid polypeptide with an estimated molecular mass of 15.5 kDa and an isoelectric point of 7.77. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that AccMsrB shares high identity with other known MsrBs (Apis florea F., Apis mellifera L., Apis dorsata F., and Bombus terrestris L.) and contains conservative Cys residues. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed AccMsrB to be highly expressed in the epidermis of adult workers, reaching high levels in first-instar larvae, prepupae, and 15-d-old adults. Furthermore, the expression of AccMsrB was upregulated by various oxidative stresses, including 4, 16, 25, and 42°C, ultraviolet light (30mj/cm²), H₂O₂, CdCl₂, HgCl₂, paraquat, imidacloprid, and cyhalothrin. However, AccMsrB was downregulated when exposed to phoxime. These results indicate that AccMsrB might respond to various environmental stresses and protect against reactive oxygen species.

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), was first discovered in coffee farms on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2010, after over 200 yr of borer-free coffee production. Because there are multiple pathways by which H. hampei could have entered Hawaii from >50 coffee-producing nations that harbor the pest, determining the invasion route requires genetic analyses. A previous study identified 27 H. hampei cytochrome c oxidase subunit I haplotypes from around the world using phylogenetic analyses to identify putative species. We sequenced cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from specimens collected in Hawaii and conducted phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses to trace the route of invasion. We conducted a network analysis to trace the most likely pathway that H. hampei could have taken to Hawaii and a phylogenetic analysis to assess clade support for broader groupings in the network analysis that are unlikely to have recently hybridized. The Hawaiian haplotype was identical to a haplotype from six Latin American countries, and our network analysis suggests the most likely route of invasion was from Kenya to Uganda to Latin America to Hawaii. Most coffee shipments from Latin America are fumigated, arrive on Oahu, and are processed before being shipped to other islands. Therefore, it is likely that H. hampei was accidentally transported to the Big Island by farm workers or other travelers from Latin America who carried borer-infested seeds in their clothing or luggage, or else by small quantities of illegally imported beans, although improper fumigation of shipments from Latin America remains a possibility.

Mosquitoes belonging to the Aedes mariae complex, including Aedes mariae (Sergent & Sergent), Aedes zammitii (Theobald), and Aedes phoeniciae (Coluzzi & Sabatini), are among the few animals inhabiting the extreme habitat of sea rock pools. Morphological analysis of these species and crossing experiments conducted in laboratory and natural conditions inferred the occurrence of three taxa with a parapatric distribution along the coasts of the Mediterranean Basin. To date, however, genetic characterization of the three species within the Ae. mariae complex and an assessment of their interspecific differentiation are lacking. In this study, we used both nuclear (i.e., 14 allozymic loci) and mitochondrial genetic markers (i.e., sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I and II genes) to genetically characterize the three species belonging to the complex. Then, we used mitochondrial markers to infer phylogenetic relationships between the species and estimate the time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA). The allozymic and mitochondrial markers showed the occurrence of three distinct gene pools, namely, Ae. mariae, Ae. zammitii, and Ae. phoeniciae. The TMRCAs for the entire in-group were estimated to have occurred during the early Pleistocene (i.e., mean node age of 1.739 million years ago). An important role of Pleistocene climatic changes could be suggested in the origin of the species of the Ae. mariae complex and in shaping their pattern of intraspecific genetic diversity.

The Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a pest of agricultural and horticultural crops. The B. tabaci species complex consists of 36 morphologically indistinguishable putative species. This study evaluates the morphometric variations of developmental stages, puparia, and adults in three putative species of B. tabaci occurring in India. The genetic identity of these studied populations were confirmed by mtCO1 analysis and revealed that the population from Amravati, Ludhiana, and Delhi were clustered with Asia I, Asia II1, and Asia II7 putative species, respectively. The morphological comparisons showed that fourth instar and adult of Asia-II1 was comparatively larger than Asia-I and Asia-II7. The positioning of sensorial cone on antennal segment 7 is much apart, and away from the sensorium in Asia-II1 while these are comparatively adjacent in Asia-I and Asia-II7 for both the sexes. The multivariate statistical analyses reveal that 31 measurements in puparia, 23 of male and 22 of female show significant variations (P ≤ 0.01). This was supported by scatter graphs derived from principal components and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA), and separate clustering was obtained for Asia-I, Asia-II1, and Asia-II7. Overall 91 and 99% of the classifications were correctly attributed by CDA for puparia and adults which confirmed the distinction of these groups. The characters brought out in this study could be used as a population/putative species specific markers in B. tabaci species complex and these variations might enable distinguishing the other genetic groups too.

The neotropical genera of Naucoridae include Ambrysus and Procryphocricos, both in the subfamily Cryphocricinae. Ambrysus is a hyperdiverse genus that reaches its greatest richness in Mexico. In contrast, Procryphocricos is known by only three described species in northern South America. Described here are Ambrysus cayo n.sp. from Belize and Procryphocricos pilcopata n.sp. from Peru. Included are comparisons with congeners and information about habitats.

The melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a cosmopolitan polyphagous aphid species that inflicts serious damage to a wide spectrum of crops and has an extraordinary ability to transmit viruses in either a nonpersistent or persistent mode. It tends to specialize on a few host plants species, resulting in parapatric divergence among populations in a given geographical area over a period of time. This seems to be the major reason for its remarkable diversity resulting in the evolution of biotypes and cryptic species favoring host adaptation and reproductive isolation across various localities. This notorious pest is supposed to have a number of putative biotypes associated with hosts or geographical locations. It is suspected that A. gossypii occurring on cotton (Malvaceae) and melons (Cucurbitaceae) are different biotypes. The relationship between host or geographic preference and genetic variation of aphids is unclear and thus requires further investigation. In light of this, the present study was conducted to determine if host- or geographical location-associated genetic differences are indeed present in 116 populations of A. gossypii collected from various agroclimatic zones of India on various host plants with special emphasis on Malvaceae and Cucurbitaceae families using the well-known mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) marker. Alignment of mtCOI sequences of A. gossypii along with available sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), GenBank, and Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) system revealed maximum sequence identity of 99% with very few variable sites indicating an extremely low level of intraspecific variation. The phylogram strongly suggested that there is no major host- or geographical location-associated genetic differences in A. gossypii, and it is a single cosmopolitan species devoid of genetic variations. This study aids to resolve evolutionary relationships among closely related species groups and detect newly evolving biotypes.

Two new genera and two new species of New Zealand endemic pselaphine staphylinid beetles are described as follows: Aucklandea Park and Carlton, gen. nov., based on Aucklandea fusca Park and Carlton, sp. nov.; and Leschenea Park and Carlton, gen. nov., based on Leschenea richardi Park and Carlton, sp. nov. Illustrations of habitus and major diagnostic characters, distribution maps, and an identification key of all New Zealand genera of the pselaphine supertribe Faronitae are provided.

Trichospilus albiflagellatus Yang & Wang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a gregarious pupal endo-parasitoid of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) is described. The host is an invasive pest that has caused severe damage to forest and ornamental trees since it was first discovered in 1979 in China. The pest has spread to 10 provinces, municipalities, or both in China. The parasitoid described in this article has great potential as a biocontrol agent for the defoliator because a parasitism rate of 28.57% has been observed and this species has a relatively high female:male sex ratio (58.56:1). In addition, an average of 159 parasitoid adults (range 102–219) emerge from a single host pupa. Detailed photographs of the key characters of the male and female of the new species are provided. Type specimens were deposited in Insect Museum, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.

A new species, Diatraea mitteri Solis, that had been residing cryptically as Diatraea crambidoides (Grote), feeding on eastern gama grass (Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L., is described. D. crambidoides occurs in the southern United States and Mexico and is an economic pest of corn (Zea mays L.). It has been reported to also feed on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense (L.) Persoon), and sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.). We confirm that D. crambidoides also feeds on eastern gama grass. Morphological and molecular characters support the status of D. mitteri as a new species. Parsimony analysis resulted in two clades corresponding to D. crambidoides and D. mitteri. We confirm the distribution of D. mitteri from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, but its distribution could be as broad as the remaining range of eastern gama grass in the eastern United States. All the life stages are described and illustrated. A novel host association, Alabagrus imitatus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), as a parasitoid of D. mitteri is reported.