Lists of insect species are useful for insect biologists and students in several fields, including taxonomy, behavioral ecology, conservation, and biological control, and they are useful to the teacher of classical entomology for the insight and drama they can provide to the history and biography of our science. Such lists can be viewed as cooperative projects that have combined the efforts and enthusiasms of naturalist/taxonomists along a time line, and as they evolve they can become ever better guides to observation and identification, and to new and interesting biotaxonomic problems. The list of NA fireflies recorded here gives the number and continental location of working species now recognized after long study of this taxon at the bench, in the library, and afield by many naturalists and taxonomists across more than two centuries, and makes status changes in a few species.

To what extent can a small animal with limited mobility use behavior to take advantage of its environment and how might this influence the population as a whole? This was examined in a firefly species Pyractomena borealis (Randall), by looking at the features of the microhabitat where larvae pupate, how developmental rates are influenced by extrinsic factors, and how the population’s spatial distribution differed according to sex. In two populations of P. borealis in Gainesville Florida, larvae pupated at the warmest locations on trees, potentially causing a faster development rate than individuals in cooler areas. In these populations males pupated sooner and in warmer areas than females, suggesting males chose their pupation locations in order to have a shorter development period and an earlier emergence date than females. This is the first evidence of protandry being experimentally linked with behavioral usage of habitat.

Mating structures are of interest to a wide range of biologists because, in many taxa, mating structures are incredibly diverse and range widely in elaboration even between closely related species. As a result of this diversity, mating structures have been useful in species identification. Historically, the evolution of diverse mating structures has been attributed to post-zygotic selection for pre-zygotic isolation to avoid production of hybrid offspring. More recently, sexual selection has been proposed as an alternative explanation for the rapid diversification of mating structures. Mating structures could diversify between populations through sexual selection if sexual selection acted differently on mating structures in different populations. Eberhard (1985) wrote a comprehensive book explaining how sexual selection could result in the diversification of mating structures and providing examples to support the hypothesis, but none of the examples were experimental tests of the hypothesis. Since 1985, a few studies have experimentally tested this hypothesis. However, there have been no empirical studies that connect intraspecific selection with interspecific diversification. In this paper, I review the reproductive isolation and sexual selection hypotheses and two recent experimental tests of the sexual selection hypothesis. Then, I provide a description of a system that may allow one to establish a connection between sexual selection on mating structures within a species and diversification of mating structures between species.

Tardigrades, or “water bears” are microscopic invertebrates that require water in their environment and are found in freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats. The morphology and phylogeny of this “little known phylum” is described as are ways the naturalist might collect water bears. Examples of species distributions in different locations in the southeastern USA are given.

Nematodes are a highly diverse group of organisms that show a variety of adaptations to extremes in soil and plant environments. Developmental dormancy and diapause are important for seasonal survival and long-term longevity of eggs in some species, whereas changing sex ratios may improve survival chances of the next generation in some instances. More direct and immediate responses to environmental conditions include aggregation or the formation of relatively resistant dauer larvae. Many nematodes can undergo temporary quiescence in response to environmental stress, and entry into anhydrobiosis or other extreme states allows long-term survival in unusually stressful environments. These inactive survival stages may make up a substantial proportion of the nematode population in some terrestrial environments.

Ovipositor lengths are thought to reflect the egg-laying and host-searching behaviors of parasitoids. For example, parasitoids that attack exposed foliage feeders often have short ovipositors compared to species that must penetrate a substrate to reach a host. However, the relationship between host accessibility and ovipositor length is not apparent in a guild of braconids that oviposits in the larvae of frugivorous Mexican tephritids. While the longest ovipositors are up to 5× longer than the shortest, all attack roughly the same stages of their shared hosts, often in the same fruits. Nor is there any evidence that the shorter ovipositors represent a saving of metabolic resources and energy that is redirected toward egg production or greater ability to move. It has been suggested that if the ovipositor length of an introduced parasitoid is substantially different from the ovipositors of species already present, then it is more likely to find an empty niche in its new environment, become established, and add to the control of its host. However, with the present lack of a simple explanation for the variety of ovipositor lengths within the Mexican guild it is not clear how predictive ovipositor length would be in this instance. Until the evolution and maintenance of the various lengths is better understood it may be more circumspect to practice fruit fly biological control through the conservation and augmentation of parasitoid species already present.

An African species of Pentatomidae, Agonoscelis puberula Stål, is reported for the first time from Mexico, the southern United States and the islands of Jamaica and Hispaniola, where it has now established. The oldest Western Hemisphere record dates from 1985. This species has gone unrecognized probably because of its close resemblance to species of the New World genus Trichopepla Stål. The primary host plant of A. puberula is the introduced weed, common horehound, Marrubium vulgare L. It has also been reported damaging winter fruits in South Africa.

The liquid excretion and survival of the sharpshooters Dilobopterus costalimai Young and Oncometopia facialis (Signoret), vectors of Xylella fastidiosa in citrus, were measured on various host plants as an indirect approach to assess their feeding and performance on these hosts and determine suitable plants for laboratory rearing. Adult females of D. costalimai showed the highest excretion rate on Vernonia condensata (Asteraceae). O. facialisexcreted larger volumes on three species of Vernonia and on Lantana camara (Verbenaceae). On average, single D. costalimai females excreted a liquid volume equivalent to 292 times its body volume per day when feeding on V. condensata, whereas O. facialis females excreted 430 times their body volume on the same host. In contrast, the excretion rates of D. costalimai and O. facialis females on Citrus sinensis did not exceed 248 and 140 times their body volume per day, respectively. The mortality of adults after 96 h was lower on hosts upon which higher liquid volumes were excreted; therefore, there is a positive relationship between the excretion rate by the sharpshooters and their nutritional adequacy to hosts. V. condensata is a suitable host to maintain adult populations of both sharpshooters in the laboratory.

Many factors determine the formation of flight wings in wing-polymorphic insects. Earlier studies on a cricket (Gryllus firmus) population producing spring and summer generations showed a declining frequency of macropterous, or long-winged, adults towards the end of a growing season. Numerous confounding factors can explain this seasonal decline, one of which is increasing mortality rates of juveniles that may otherwise emerge as macropterous adults. To test this hypothesis, we measured rates of juvenile mortality and adult macroptery in Allonemobius socius Scudder (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), an organism with a seasonal phenology similar to that of G. firmus. After rearing A. socius juveniles exclusively under “spring” versus “summer” conditions and at different population densities, we found that crickets reared in groups under “summer” conditions tended to emerge as macropters, with females being more likely than males to emerge long-winged. Juvenile mortality did not adequately explain the emergence pattern of macropters. Surprisingly, variation among families accounted for <1% of total variation in frequency of long-winged adults. Thus, seasonal climate, followed by population density, and then their interaction with each other appear to be the three major determinants of wing morph frequencies in A. socius. We discuss the possible adaptive significance of wing polymorphism in insects with respect to habitat persistence and mating success.

In a preliminary survey in four commercial ornamental nurseries in south Florida (1998), Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) egg masses, feeding damage, or adults occurred on numerous field-grown ornamental plant species. Live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.), silver buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus L. variety sericeus Fors. Ex DC), and black olive (Bucida buseras L.) had the highest percentage of plants with egg masses. Adult feeding damage was found on all examined plants of dahoon holly (Ilex cassine L.), cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco L.), black olive, live oak, Bauhinia sp., and Cassia sp. Oviposition of D. abbreviatus was evaluated in no-choice, two-choice, three-choice and multiple-choice caged tests. In no-choice tests, silver buttonwood had the highest mean number of egg masses. In two-choice tests, egg masses were laid on all plant species tested but there were significantly more egg masses on silver buttonwood than the alternate choice. The number of egg masses in the three-choice tests was low and there were no significant differences among the plant species tested. As in the no-choice and two-choice tests, significantly more egg masses were found on silver buttonwood in multiple-choice tests. Survival of larvae and their effect on plant growth was examined on several commonly grown plant species in southern Florida. Larval survival was highest on silver buttonwood and Sorghum sudanense Pers (sorghum-sudan) compared with other plant species. Root and/or total biomass was significantly reduced on green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), silver buttonwood, Tahiti lime (Citrus aurantifolia), and sorghum-sudan.

Metamasius hemipterus sericeus (Olivier) is a widely distributed weevil in Central and South America, as well as the West Indies. It was introduced into Florida, Miami-Dade County, in 1984. This insect generally is regarded as a secondary pest of sugarcane, bananas, palms and several other tropical plants grown as ornamentals. Larvae bore into stems and petioles, thus weakening the plant and providing a pathway for penetration by fungi or other pests. In addition to investigating the biology, this study was conducted to gather basic information to help optimize culturing efforts for large numbers of M. h. sericeus to be used for mass rearing of potential biological control organisms. After pairing males and females, it took an average of 27.0 days for females to begin oviposition. The oviposition period lasted 56.8 days. Females lived 142.3 days and laid an average of 51.6 eggs. Mean generation time was 63 days. Mean egg production during the oviposition period was 1.1 eggs/day. Egg eclosion averaged 81.3% during the oviposition period.

Orius insidiosus (Say) is an important predator of several economic pests in cotton. Laboratory-reared males, females and third instar nymphs were exposed to residues of nine insecticides applied to cotton plants in the field, in potted plants in the greenhouse and glass Petri dishes in the laboratory. Insects were exposed for 24-hours and then removed to determine mortality. Insecticides tested were spinosad, indoxacarb, imidacloprid, tebufenozide, methoxyfenozide, abamectin, emamectin benzoate, fipronil and λ-cyhalothrin. Differences were observed in mortality as measured by different methods. Spinosad, imidacloprid and indoxacarb induced significantly higher mortality with treated Petri dishes than on treated cotton plants in the field or greenhouse. No differences in mortality were observed between methods with fipronil or λ-cyhalothrin, and in only one instance with abamectin. Spinosad was not toxic in the field or greenhouse bioassays, but was highly toxic in the Petri dish bioassay. Imidacloprid was moderately toxic in the field and greenhouse, but was highly toxic in the Petri dish bioassay. Indoxacarb had variable toxicity, with low to moderate toxicity in the field and greenhouse, and high toxicity in the Petri dish bioassay. It is apparent that multiple testing methods should be used in evaluating the effects of pesticides on beneficial arthropods.

The flower fly genus Rhopalosyrphus Giglio-Tos (Diptera: Syrphidae) is revised. The genus is redescribed; a key to species is presented; the phylogenetic relationships of the genus and species are hypothesized; the included species are described; with new species, R. ramulorum Weems & Deyrup, described from Florida (type) and Mexico; R. australis Thompson from Brazil and Paraguay (type); and the critical characters are illustrated.

Resistance in lettuce, Lactuca sativa L., to feeding by adult banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata (LeConte), was evaluated using three screening methods: leaf disks, excised leaves and intact leaves attached to plants. Dual-choice and no-choice bioassays were used to evaluate each method based on leaf area consumption. Methods of testing had a significant effect on the level of feeding damage by D. balteata on two lettuce cultivars, Tall Guzmaine and Valmaine. Valmaine expressed a significant degree of resistance to D. balteata damage when intact leaf and excised leaf methods were used in dual-choice bioassays between Tall Guzmaine and Valmaine, but the latter failed to show resistant characteristics in no-choice tests when excised leaves were used. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in D. balteata feeding between Tall Guzmaine and Valmaine in the leaf disk tests. Therefore, whole plants are the best method to evaluate lettuce cultivars for resistance to D. balteata. Reduction or cessation of resistance characters in excised Valmaine whole leaves and disks are discussed with references to potential changes in concentration of feeding stimulants and deterrents and changes in latex pressure.

Histories of pest mole cricket activity (Scapteriscus spp. Scudder) (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) on bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) pastures were needed to provide baseline data for evaluating on-going biological control with Steinernema scapterisci (Nguyen and Smart) nematodes. Seven ∼4-ha pastures were selected from five county sites for the survey. These consisted of one mole cricket-infested bahiagrass pasture each from two ranches in Polk county and from one ranch each in Manatee and Pasco counties. The rest were two renovated and uninfested pastures located at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, in Hardee county and a third in Desoto county. Six linear pitfall traps (each 12.2 m total) were installed on equal subdivisions (0.67 ha) of each of the seven pastures in July 1997 and labeled 1 to 6 at each site according to a visually-determined decreasing slope of terrain. Traps were cleaned weekly from the time of installation through December 1999, and the total weekly-captures per trap of tawny, S. vicinus (Scudder) and southern, S. borellii, (Giglio-Tos) mole crickets were recorded along with weekly rainfall for each site. The mean, weekly mole cricket capture on heavily-infested bahiagrass pastures increased exponentially over time beginning with the early summer rains. Mean weekly-count on these pastures peaked at 20-60 juveniles per trap, depending on site, in June-July and then declined sharply through September and October as mole crickets matured. The annual mean weekly-capture on heavily-infested pastures was 10 to 12 juveniles per trap. There was very little surface activity by overwintering adult mole crickets during December and January. Mean weekly-capture on uninfested new bahiagrass pasture was erratic and usually less than 2 juveniles per trap. The data suggest that peak weekly mole cricket pitfall trap captures between June and August in excess of 20 juveniles per trap and a total seasonal capture in excess of 43 m^-1 of trap were indicative of a serious infestation problem.

In experiments comparing biodegradable, plastic and wooden imidacloprid-treated spheres for control of Rhagoletis mendax Curran, the mean number of flies caught on plexiglas panes below each sphere type was not significantly different for the entire season. However, the mean time spent by R. mendax flies alighting on biodegradable imidacloprid-treated spheres was significantly greater (2.6×) than plastic imidacloprid-treated spheres. During 2001, significantly fewer larvae were found in blueberries harvested from bushes that had wooden imidacloprid-treated spheres hung within the canopy compared with bushes where biodegradable and plastic imidacloprid-treated spheres were deployed. There was no significant difference between the number of larvae found in berries picked from bushes where biodegradable or plastic spheres were deployed. All imidacloprid-treated sphere treatments were found to significantly reduce blueberry maggot larval infestation in fruit compared with the control.

Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a common parasitoid of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae). An efficient method of laboratory rearing incorporates chemicals from pear fruits into oviposition units. Production for the F₁ and F₂ generations was 12.1 and 9.3 progeny per female, respectively. Mean daily progeny production by F₂ females was between 1-2 progeny per female for almost all ages from 9 to 22 days. A bioassay was designed to determine the source of chemical cues used for host location. Parasitoids were given a choice between two oviposition units: a positive control containing all possible cues, and a treatment unit with cues derived from either the host fly, host fruit, both, or none. The number of females active on each oviposition unit was recorded. This experiment demonstrated that chemical cues derived from the host fruit, probably the peel, are involved in host location.