Differentiation of the third instar of forensically important fly species in Thailand was performed using light microscopy, based on their morphological criteria for fly identification. Four species of the family Calliphoridae [Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart), Chrysomya megacephala (F.), Chrysomya nigripes Aubertin, and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann)] and two species of the family Muscidae [Musca domestica L. and Hydrotaea (=Ophyra) spinigera Stein] were examined in this study, with the features of the anterior spiracles, dorsal spines between the prothorax and mesothorax, and posterior spiracles being emphasized. The comparisons, presented herein, should be helpful for forensic practitioners to readily distinguish the third instars of fly species found associated with human cadavers, before their use for further forensic investigations.

The species of the genus Acanthops Serville 1831 are revised. Seventeen valid species are recognized, and A. royi sp.n., A. centralis sp.n., A. occidentalis sp.n., A. onorei sp.n., A. elegans sp.n., and A. parafalcata sp.n. are described. The species A. contorta Gerstaecker, A. fuscifolia Olivier and A. erosa Serville previously treated as synonyms of A. falcataria (Goeze) are returned to species status; A. sinuata is treated as synonym for A. fuscifolia; A. amazonica is included in the genus Metilia. Keys to males and females are provided. A cladistic analysis, using 19 morphology characters, revealed the monophyly of the genus with two major clades, one containing falcata parafalcata royi centralis and the other containing the remaining species. Finally, a biogeographic analysis is made.

Information on 263 Neuropterida/Coccoidea associations with additional detailed data on the most commonly encountered taxa is presented. Included for each entry, where applicable, is the predator, Coccoidea prey, validation source, prey plant host, and biogeographic origin.

A description and illustration are given for a Chioneinae (Limoniidae) larva from Baltic amber. This is the first known larva of a crane fly in Baltic amber, and the first known fossil specimen of a Chioneinae larva. The specimen is identified as probably in the genus Ormosia. Possible habitats of this larva were damp mud or leaf litter along watercourses or in woodlands.

The genus Leucochrysa McLachlan comprises a large and diverse assemblage of mainly Neotropical species that present numerous systematic problems. This report 1) provides descriptions, illustrations, and keys for males and females of the seven Leucochrysa species now recognized from the United States; 2) synonymizes six previously held names; 3) designates a neotype for Leucochrysa (Nodita) explorata (Hagen) and a lectotype for Leucochrysa (Nodita) pavida (Hagen); 4) describes and illustrates the trash-carrying larvae of four of the seven species from the United States; and 5) reviews and summarizes published and previously unpublished data on the distribution, seasonal occurrence, and biology of each species. Of the seven Leucochrysa species in the United States, two are in the subgenus Leucochrysa and five are in the subgenus Nodita. All of the species also occur in Mexico, Central America, and/or the West Indies.

Members of the genus Copitarsia Hampson (Noctuidae) are widespread pests of many agricultural commodities in Central and South America. Two species, Copitarsia incommoda (Walker) and Copitarsia turbata (Herrich-Schäffer), are of particular concern. This misidentification has affected life history studies, risk assessments, and biological control of these pest species. This article redescribes these species and distinguishes them from each other by using adult morphology. C. turbata is placed as a NEW SYNONYM of Copitarsia decolora (Guenée), Copitarsia margaritella (Dognin) is placed as a junior synonym of C. decolora (REVISED SYNONYM), and Copitarsia hampsoni (Brèthes) is designated as a NEW SYNONYM of C. incommoda.

The Cinara species (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Lachninae) found on Pinus edulis Engelm. and P. monophylla Torr. & Frém. are revised and now include eight species. Included are redescriptions of the viviparous apterae and alatae of C. atra (Gillette & Palmer), C. caliente Hottes, C. edulis (Wilson), C. puerca Hottes, C. tanneri (Knowlton), C. terminalis (Gillette & Palmer), and C. wahtolca Hottes and a description of C. anelia sp. nov. New synonyms are established using discriminant factor analysis and traditional morphological methods: C. poketa Hottes becomes C. atra, C. nitidula Hottes becomes C. terminalis, and C. pinona Hottes, C. metalica Hottes, C. apacheca Hottes, C. pinata Hottes, and C. rustica Hottes all become C. edulis. The subspecies C. wahtolca curtiwahtolca Hottes is also no longer recognized. A key to the viviparae, diagnostic figures, and collection maps are provided.

Previously known only from seven Afrotropical species, this article describes a new species of Minanga from northern Mexico. Speculations are made on the biogeographic history of the genus. Specialized glands on the vertex of the head and modified setae on the hind tibia are illustrated with high magnification scanning electron micrographs.

The taxonomy of an invasive pest species, the Argentine ant, is reviewed. Linepithema humile (Mayr) 1868 is confirmed as the valid name for the Argentine ant. Morphological variation and species boundaries of L. humile are examined, with emphasis on populations from the ant’s native range in southern South America. Diagnoses and illustrations are provided for male, queen, and worker castes. Collection records of L. humile in South America support the idea of a native distribution closely associated with major waterways in lowland areas of the Paraná River drainage, with recent introductions into parts of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Phylogenetic analysis of recently described gall-forming Fergusonina Malloch flies was performed using DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. Fifty-three flies reared from nine species of Melaleuca L. were sequenced. Species boundaries delimited by mitochondrial data confirm recent morphological investigation with one exception. Fergusonina turneri Taylor, believed to feed on both Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S. T. Blake and Melaleuca fluviatilis Barlow, seems to be comprised of two cryptic species, each specialized on one of the two hosts. Because F. turneri is under consideration as a potential biological control agent for invasive M. quinquenervia in the Florida Everglades, understanding cryptic variation and the degree of dietary specialization of this species is critical.

The taxonomic history of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) is discussed. Heliothis stombleri Okumura and Bauer is a new synonym of H. zea. The best diagnostic characters occur in the vesica of the male genitalia. These include (1) number of diverticula at the base, (2) length and number of coils, (3) number of cornuti visible on the uninflated vesica inside the aedoeagus, and (4) valve length. All diagnostic characters are described and shown. Methods for examining large samples of H. zea for possible H. armigera include placing the entire sample into suitable containers of 10% KOH for 18–24 h and dissecting the genitalia and measuring the valve length. It was found that H. zea had a longer mean valve length than H. armigera, but there was some overlap. Specimens whose valve length was <5.0 mm were examined for the diagnostic characters present on the vesica.

The number of feeding instars of Marmara gulosa Guillén & Davis (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a pest on citrus in the southwestern United States, was investigated from laboratory and field samples. Larvae passed through four to seven feeding instars before the final transitional and spinning instars. An influence of temperature on the number of feeding instars was observed, with low temperatures increasing the proportion of larvae with a higher number of instars. Characterization of instars by the width of the larval head capsule was attempted, and major differences in head capsule width were observed between the same instars of larvae passing through four, five, and six feeding instars. Growth ratios of head capsule width between successive instars were higher for larvae with fewer instars than for those with a higher number, and last feeding instars for each group reached a similar final size.

I report the first example of communal parasitism in galling aphids and quantify the effects of gall invasion by the inquiline aphid Tamalia inquilina Miller on its host, Tamalia coweni (Cockerell). On populations of the host plants Arctostaphylos spp., both T. coweni and T. inquilina exhibited facultatively communal behavior and co-occupied galls with no apparent agonistic interactions. Although total reproductive output of adult offspring was similar between galls containing T. coweni alone and galls with both species, the allocation of brood was skewed toward that of the inquiline; hence, T. inquilina is a parasite of T. coweni. The presence of T. inquilina had no significant effect on survivorship of T. coweni in mixed-species galls. T. inquilina successfully reproduced in open galls abandoned by T. coweni, and under these circumstances was best characterized as commensal rather than parasitic. My data indicated T. inquilina was significantly more likely to move between galls, supporting the hypothesis that the inquiline actively seeks galls to invade. As frequent occupants of unsealed galls, T. inquilina may incur higher risks of predation and desiccation than T. coweni: experimental evidence showed that at least one specialist predator preferred T. coweni to T. inquilina and that T. inquilina withstood experimental dessication for significantly longer periods than did T. coweni. I suggest the distinctive morphology of T. inquilina is a correlate of the ecology of its parasitic life history on T. coweni.

Previous studies indicate subterranean termite protist communities are qualitatively similar within termite species but differ in relative species abundance between castes. We investigated protist communities from four castes of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks), and Reticulitermes hageni Banks. We used a standardized counting technique and found termite workers and early stage nymphs had the largest population of protists, followed by soldiers and alates. R. flavipes workers averaged 59,000 flagellates compared with 21,000 in R. hageni and 14,000 in R. virginicus. We recorded two new genera, Microjoenia Grassi and Monocercomonas Grassi, from R. virginicus. We identified eight protist species from R. hageni, whereas only four have been previously noted. This is the first report of Dinenympha fimbriata Kirby, Holomastigotes elongatum Grassi, Monocercomonas Grassi, Pyrsonympha minor Powell, Spirotrichonympha flagellata (Grassi), and Trichonympha agilis Leidy from R. hageni. Across all termite species, we found that workers, nymphs, and soldiers had similar relative protist species abundances, with alates being different. The results also demonstrated the utility of using the relative abundance of indicator protist species to identify these three subterranean termite species. The presence of Dinenympha gracilis can be used to distinguish R. flavipes from R. virginicus and R. hageni. R. virginicus has a greater abundance of T. agilis, compared with the other two termite species. The relative abundance of D. fimbriata and Pyrsonympha from R. hageni is greater than those found in both R. flavipes and R. virginicus.

Extensive surveys of weedy plant species among hedgerows of different complexity and floristical composition were conducted with the aim to evaluate the role of weeds as reservoirs of agromyzids and to study the trophic relationships between these Diptera and noncrop plants. Field samplings were carried out weekly collecting foliage infested by leafminers from the representative weedy plants in three sites located in Bologna province, Italy. During 1998–1999, a total of 646 agromyzid specimens were reared, representing eight genera and 24 species. The most abundant species were Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau), Phytomyza lappae Goureau, Phytomyza ranunculi Schrank, Phytomyza plantaginis Robineau-Desvoidy, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), and Ophiomyia pulicaria (Meigen). C. horticola was the dominant species accounting for 35.76% of adults reared. Agromyzids mined 25 plant species belonging to nine families. The Asteraceae, in particular Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli and Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, were the most important sources of leafminers considering both species richness and population densities. Shannon–Weaver (H′), Simpson (D), and Berger–Parker (d) indices all pointed out that agromyzid species diversity was higher in the site characterized by the highest floristic richness, the highest complexity of ecological net and nonintensive agriculture. Most of the weeds sampled proved to be reservoirs for noneconomically important agromyzids in open-field crops in Italy.

From 1997 to 1999, 11,435 specimens of ground beetles representing 124 species were captured in pitfall traps at two commercial vineyards in southern Quebec, Canada. Taking into account only the species breeding or likely breeding in the two vineyards, the carabid diversity was similar over the 3-yr period in both sites. The number of species was similar (51 and 54) in both vineyards, but the most common species were ranked differently in a position that was consistent over the 3-yr period. Chlaenius sericeus (Forster) and Clivina fossor (L.) occurred mainly on the clay loam vineyard, and Amara latior (Kirby) and Harpalus herbivagus Say on the gravel and sand loam vineyard. The Shannon diversity and evenness indexes were greater at the gravel and sand loam vineyard. Two recently introduced European species, Harpalus rufipes (Duftschmid) and Pterostichus vernalis (Panzer), became more prevalent between 1997 and 1999 and are likely to affect the rank position at each site. Diversity at the clay loam vineyard was equal to another unsprayed and annually cultivated site on clay in the ecozone. It shared with the unsprayed site a similar number of species for an equal sample size, Shannon and evenness indexes, and for most species, ranking of the most commonly trapped species.

The olfactory system of male and female Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) was studied by examining the morphology and distribution of antennal sensilla and determining the responses of both sexes to conspecific female sex pheromone components and plant volatiles using electroantennography (EAG). Seven types of sensilla were observed on the flagellum of the antennae: trichodea, chaetica, coeloconica, styloconica, auricilica, squamiformia, and basiconica. Only one type of trichodea sensilla was found on the antennae of both sexes, but these sensilla were more abundant on male than on female. EAG records of both sexes to 10-μg stimulus loads of six pheromone components showed that (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7–12: Ac) and (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate (Z9–12: Ac) elicited larger responses than those evoked by (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11–16: Ac), (Z, E)-9,11-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9, E11–14: Ac), (Z, E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (Z9, E12–14: Ac), and hexane in female antennae. In the case of male antennae, (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14: Ac) and Z9, E12–14: Ac evoked larger EAG responses than those elicited by Z7–12: Ac, Z11–16: Ac, Z9, E11–14: Ac, and hexane. The compounds that selectively evoked larger EAG responses from males than females were Z9, E12–14: Ac, and Z9–14: Ac. Dose-response experiments showed that, at the lowest dose tested, Z9–14: Ac and Z9, E12–14: Ac elicited larger EAG responses than Z9–12: Ac and Z7–12: Ac in male antennae. At the highest doses tested, the diene elicited the largest EAG responses. In the case of female antennae, the dose, but not the pheromone component, had a significant effect. Male and female responses to 10-μg stimulus loads of 16 plant volatiles showed that hexan-1-ol evoked larger EAG responses in comparison with those elicited by hexanal, (E)-3-hexenol, 2-carene, phellandrene, limonene, β-pinene, and hexane. The response of male antennae was significantly stronger than the female. Dose-response experiments showed that both sexes appeared to be most sensitive to alcohols, particularly at the highest dose tested.

The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), poses a significant economic threat to wheat in terms of reduced grain yield, particularly in the eastern soft-winter-wheat region of the United States. However, little is know about the molecular mechanisms involved in the plant-insect interaction. The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) form a large family of enzymes that protect cells from damage by reactive electrophilic compounds. We have cloned and characterized two GST genes from biotype GP of the Hessian fly. Sequence analysis and homology searches of the coding region for the first gene (designated mdesgst1-1) indicated it contained an intact coding region for a GST-like protein sharing homology to the insect class I GSTs. Analysis of the coding region for the second gene indicated it contained numerous stops and was most probably a pseudogene. Southern analysis and in situ hybridization on polytene chromosomes suggested the class I GSTs in M. destructor are encoded by a small gene family that is arranged sequentially on the short-arm of chromosome X1. Expression in vitro of the protein encoded by mdesgst1-1, and biochemical analysis of activity confirmed the mdesGST1-1 protein was catalytically active. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed mdesgst1-1 was expressed in midgut tissue, fat body, and salivary glands of larvae. Preliminary results from double-stranded RNA interference of GST gene expression seem to suggest a role for GSTs in the biochemical adaptation of M. destructor larvae to wheat.

Although wax characteristics, wax-producing structures, and their probable functions in planthopper juveniles have been summarized in recent articles, very little has been published regarding the morphology of these structures in adults. In the Nearctic flatid Metcalfa pruinosa (Say), most wax is secreted on the forewings of both sexes and on the anal tube of females. There is also a sparse powdery layer of wax that lightly covers most of the body. Along most of the body surface and forewings many small glandular ring-shaped areas occur, delimiting a pore, from which single thin filaments of wax emerge. Moreover, numerous moniliform glandular pore-plates are randomly scattered on the surface of the forewings. On each plate, 8–50 subcircular pores are symmetrically arranged in one or two lines around a long central sensory hair. An internally hollow cylindrical wax ribbon emerges from each pore. In addition, many prominent glandular plates occupy the ventral surface of the female anal tube. Each plate is nearly circular and is marginally perforated by seven to eight pores from which long, hollow, cylindrical wax tubules emerge. These plates are not present on the anal tube of the male. Although the function of the anal tube wax is unknown, the wax layer that covers the body and forewings may play an important role in protection against abiotic factors and prevent smearing the cuticle with honeydew.

We found bees with characteristics of both workers and queens in African honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier, colonies, African usurpation swarms and in colonies of European honey bees, Apis mellifera L., in the southwestern United States. The intermorphs are similar to workers in the shape of their head and mandibles, weight, body length, and width of their thorax. Intermorphs have corbiculae that are similar to those of workers and do not have developed ovaries or enlarged spermathecae. However, intermorphs physically resemble small virgin queens because of the shape of their abdomens and the number and distribution of hairs on their bodies. Intermorphs also emit volatile compounds that are similar to those emitted by queens but different from those emitted by workers. Intermediate morphs between honey bee workers and queens have been described previously, but this is the first description of naturally occurring intermorphs in African bees in the New World.

The antennal flagellum of the melolontid beetle Phyllophaga obsoleta Blanchard consists of three terminal plates of lamellae: proximal, middle, and distal. Six types of sensilla were identified on the internal and external surfaces of lamellae from both sexes: placodea (PLAS), basiconica (BAS), coeloconica (COS), auricilica (AUS), chaetica (CHS), and trichodea (TRS). The first four types have been considered as chemoreceptor sensilla and the last two as mechanoreceptor sensilla. The sensilla from the internal and external surfaces of each of three lamellae present in the antennal club from both sexes were mapped by scanning electron microscopy. PLAS were abundant and followed a uniform pattern of distribution on both internal and external surfaces of lamellae from both sexes. Males antennae present a higher number of PLAS in comparison with females antennae. BAS are more abundant in males than in females and follow a more aggregated distribution than PLAS. AUS were included within the BAS group. COS are scarce and only observed on the internal surfaces of all lamellae. TRS and CHS are only present on the periphery of the lamellae. Most sensillar types identified were more abundant in males than in females. The higher number of PLAS observed in males lamellae compared with females lamellae suggests that these sensilla may be involved in sex pheromone reception.

We measured circulating levels of juvenile hormone III (JH) and brain region levels of dopamine, serotonin, and octopamine in honey bees, Apis mellifera L., from artificially selected high and low pollen-hoarding strains that show differences in their rate of behavioral development. One-day-old bees from the high pollen-hoarding strain had significantly higher JH titers than 1-d-old bees from a low pollen-hoarding strain. Conversely, there were no differences in JH levels in 12-d-old preforager bees from the high and low strains. Brain region levels of all three amines increased with age, but there were no differences between high and low pollen-hoarding bees in any of the three amines in any region of the brain. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that endocrine events occurring early in adulthood influence honey bee behavioral development.

Ongoing discussion on the taxonomic status of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) and limited biological knowledge of this species emphasize a need for information on sexual behavior and mating compatibility among populations from different ecological regions. In this study, we studied four populations of A. fraterculus from different fruit-growing and biogeographical areas in Argentina, i.e., Yuto and Horco Molle from the northwest and Posadas and Concordia from the northeast. Pair-wise compatibility tests were performed for all possible combinations. Virgin males and females, in the proportion 1:1, were released into field cages containing a tangerine tree (Citrus reticulata Blanco). Sexual behavior was recorded in each cage. To determine the degree of mating compatibility between any two populations, sexual isolation indices and male and female performance indices were calculated. The values of the sexual isolation index did not differ statistically from the expected value (zero) under the assumption of random mating. This result indicates that A. fraterculus populations are fully mating compatible in Argentina, thus encouraging the application of the sterile insect technique to control this species in the region. Differences found between some populations in copulation duration and couple location in the cage suggest that variability might exist for these traits, requiring confirmation in the future.

Insemination and fertilization are temporally dissociated in most insects thus creating conditions for female-mediated processes to influence paternity. One possible response to copulatory and postcopulatory sexual selection may be to increase the number of sperm-storage organs allowing for differential storage and use of sperm from multiple males. Differential sperm storage was tested in singly mated females of the tephritid fruit fly species, Anastrepha suspensa, which has four sperm-storage organs with separate entries to the bursa. Females mate multiply, and males display copulatory courtship. Copulation duration was examined in relation to female size, male size, and the quantity and distribution of spermatozoa in the four storage organs. Sperm quantity stored in females ranged from 141 to 2,617 spermatozoa, and the time spent in copulation ranged from 6 to 45 min. Spermatozoa were present in the ventral receptacle after all copulations, although this was not the case for the spermathecae. There was no significant correlation between body size and the duration of copulation or the quantity of sperm stored, but copulation duration was positively correlated to the quantity of sperm stored (r = 0.38, P = 0.02).

The consequences for females copulating with males suffering from sperm and accessory gland product depletion have rarely been investigated, especially in the context of male food shortage. In Anastrepha striata (Schiner), mating success is highly skewed, with some males copulating many times and others not at all. Because males transmit substances to females through labelum-to-labelum contact before copulation, mating could be especially costly to males fed a low-quality diet, and females that copulate with these males could suffer a fitness cost. To test this, we evaluated the reproduction and longevity of females that mated with males fed a high- or low-quality diet according to mating order (i.e., whether the female was the first or subsequent mate of a particular male). Contrary to predictions of sperm depletion, female fecundity and fertility did not vary according to mating order and were not influenced by male adult diet. However, longevity was significantly greater for females that were the first to copulate with a virgin male compared with females that subsequently mated with the same male (nonvirgin). Copula duration did not vary with mating order but was longer in the case of males fed a low-quality diet. We discuss the role that trophallaxis or accessory gland products may have in modulating female longevity.

Sexual dimorphism was found in the mandibles and other supportive structures used in male–male combat over females in Librodor japonicus. Observation of the behavior of male–male interactions of L. japonicus elucidated the influence of contestant size and resource ownership status on the outcome of male–male fighting. Interactions escalated in the presence of females, indicating the influence of resource value on the intensity of male fighting. At escalated fighting, the outcome of combat was influenced by size and ownership status. This study is the first on sexual dimorphism and male fighting in the Nitidulidae.