A new species of Acusana is described from French Guiana. A list of all the species of the genus is given along with the current distribution of each species.

Pardosa pseudoannulata (Boesenberg et Strand, l906) is one of the most common wandering spiders in agricultural fields, and a potential bioindicator for heavy metal contamination. In this study, a high-throughput method was used for discovering the simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic markers from this spider. In total, 2805 sequences containing a total of 3450 SSRs were identified from the previously constructed transcriptome database, with 516 of the sequences containing more than one SSR. The most abundant SSRs in P. pseudoannulata are di-nucleotide (42.32%) SSRs, followed by mono-nucleotide (41.83%). A/T (41.36%) repeats were the most abundant, followed by AT/AT (28.32%). A total of 6561 pairs of SSR primers were designed using Primer 5.0 software, and a subset of 26 SSR primer pairs was randomly selected and validated by RT-PCR. The SSR markers identified here will be an important resource for measuring genetic diversity and biological monitoring research in P. pseudoannulata.

The present paper describes and illustrates one new species, Conocephalus (Chloroxiphidion) pseudalaetus sp. nov. of genus ConocephalusThunberg, 1815 from India. Brief diagnoses of genus and subgenus and morphometric ranges of the species have been provided. Key to subgenera and species of genus Conocephalus is also provided. All type specimens have been deposited in the Zoology Department, Aligarh Muslim University, India (ZDAMU).

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a pest on more than 150 plant species including field, fruit and vegetable crops. Our investigation on rose plants at Taif, Saudi Arabia observed that there are individuals of Lygus sp. during the flowering period. We morphologically identified these as Lygus hesperus. Consequently, this pest is considered as an exotic species in Saudi Arabia and it may be transformed from a minor to a major pest. We studied the length and sequencing of the ITS1 region and its flanking: 18S rRNA and 5.8S genes in this species. Biological and demographic parameters also were studied on two host plant species: green bean pods and rose flower buds. Sequencing of PCR product of ITS1 and its flanking in nine individuals of L. hesperus showed identical sequences for this fragment and obtained 743 bp for the complete ITS1. Biological data showed that the tested host source had an influence on all biological parameters except sex ratio, male longevity, preoviposition and postoviposition periods for females. The green bean pods as a host resulted in higher hatchability, shorter egg duration and nymphal development time, higher survival and fecundity, and longer female longevity. Therefore more favorable demographic parameters of L. hesperus were achieved on green bean pods where it had the shortest T and DT values as well as the highest GRR, r_m, λ and R₀ values. Additional biological data will be required on other plant hosts in the laboratory or field to estimate population growth and pest potential of L. hesperus in Saudi Arabia. Surveying of parasitoids and predators associated with this invasive insect pest are also desirable.

The influence of moonlight on light-emitting diode (LED) trap catches of sand flies was evaluated compared with incandescent lamps used in standard CDC-type light traps. A total of six Hoover Pugedo (HP) CDC-type light traps were used for sampling sand flies in a randomized 3×3 Latin Square design. Light traps were set during full and new moon periods from July to September, 2015 and from February to March, 2016. Four of the six light traps had their incandescent lamps replaced by LEDs. The green (520 nm) and the blue LEDs (470 nm) were the 5 mm LED lamps used in the experiments. The two remaining HP light traps without modifications were used as controls. A total of 2,968 specimens representing 13 species were analyzed. The most frequently-encountered species were: Evandromyia evandroi Costa Lima & Antunes, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho). Generally, catch declined with increasing moonlight. The number of specimens was greater on new moon nights, whatever the light source used. Even with the decrease of the attractiveness of light traps under the full moon, LEDs are less affected than incandescent lights by the competitive effect of moonlight.

A new species, Zodarion izmirense sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on material collected in the İzmir Province of Turkey. Differences between the new species and the closely related Zodarion tireboluensisDanışman and Rubio, 2017 are discussed.

The genus Donda Moore, 1882 (Noctuidae: Pantheinae) consists of six species of which the taxonomic status of two species are doubtful. In the present study, a new species of the genus, viz. Donda unispinosa Bandyopadhyay, Raha & Chandra sp. nov. is described from the Indian Himalayas with a detailed description of male genitalia structure. This brings the legitimate species number to five. A key based on the morphology and male genitalia of all the known species of the genus is also provided here for future confirmation of species.

Adults of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were collected from under leaf litter located in overwintering areas. After killing in alcohol, they were dissected and observed for presence of mermithids in the body cavity of adults. Parasitism of C. septempunctata by Hexamermis sp. was recorded 13.3% and 13.8% in females and males, respectively. Overall, 87.5% of the eight C. septempunctata contained one nematode and 12.5% contained two nematodes. The mean body length of post parasitic stages (n = 7) was 34.2 ± 8.82 (23.4 – 42.2) mm. It is seen that Hexamermis sp. has a significant negative effect on natural populations of this predator in overwintering areas during the year of the study.

We report the first record of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) in Algeria. It was found on Citrus lemon (L) Osbeck (Rutaceae) in the Rouïba region [36° 43′N 3° 16′E].

To develop biological programs for the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), the Mexican government placed sentinel traps with larvae and pupae of D. melanogaster Meigen from December 2017 to May 2018 in berry crops of Jalisco, Mexico. From those explorations, Ganaspis brasiliensis Ihering was identified as a first report in Mexico, although its presence in America has been noted in Brazil, Guadeloupe and Panama. This local parasitoid could contribute to the protection of the national berry industry by its field release or its hybridization with an exotic population highly specialized on D. suzukii.

This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of lufenuron and gamma radiation against the cotton leaf worm. Full-grown pupae were irradiated with a substerilizing dose 100Gy, and the 4th instar larvae of the F₁ were used in the experiments. The results revealed that the percent mortality was time- and concentration-dependent, and the F₁ larvae were more susceptible to lufenuron than the normal larvae. The enzymatic analysis of phenoloxidase and acetylcholinesterase activities showed that the F₁ larvae treated with LC₅₀ of lufenuron exhibited the highest activity when compared to larvae treated with LC₅₀ of lufenuron or F₁ larvae. We conclude that a combination of gamma radiation and lufenuron could be an excellent integrated control program for Spodoptera littoralis.

Necrobia rufipes is a cosmopolitan insect pest that attacks food products of vegetable and animal origin. The occurrence of biological agents in industrialized pet animal foods causes physical and chemical damage as well as changes in nutritional value, odor and flavor. Insects can also enhance the incidence of microorganisms and their toxins, which are one of the causes of pet animal illnesses. Individuals of N. rufipes were observed infesting dog food in the Pet Shop section of a supermarket in Campina Grande (PB). A sealed dog food bag was purchased and transported to the laboratory for sorting of infested material and identification of the specimens. Nine hundred and thirty-two larvae of different instars, 6 pre-pupae, 19 pupae and 514 adults of N. rufipes were identified. The success of infestation is related to the humidity level inside the bag and high concentration of crude protein in dog food. This is the first record of the presence of N. rufipes in industrialized dog food in Paraíba State and Northeast Brazil.

Sarcophagidae or flesh flies are a highly diverse family of Diptera whose geographical distribution in the Neotropics is still poorly understood. We performed a two-year survey of flesh flies in fragments of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) in Northeastern Brazil (Caatinga) using three types of substrate as baits: bovine spleen, fish and feces. Thirty-one species are registered, of which 13 are reported for the first time in SDTF. The highest diversity and abundance of flesh flies was associated with spleen. A strong female bias was observed in all samples. We discuss the medical, veterinary and forensic relevance and aspects of the synanthropy of the species registered for the first time in the Caatinga.

Behavioral manipulation of hosts by parasites is important to increase the parasite fitness. Some species within the genus Ophiocordyceps, notably pathogens of ants, induce changes in the host's behavior, leading the host to die outside the colony and locking its mandibles on the edge of leaves. This study was conducted in Massif of Baturité, and for the first time, we describe the interaction between fungi and wasps in Northeastern Brazil. We found 24 specimens, eight of each species of wasp, all infected with Ophiocordyceps humbertii. The wasps were Agelaia pallipes, Apoica flavissima, and Polybia chrysothorax. All the hosts were found with their mandibles biting along the edges of leaves.