Six aphid species: Saltusaphis scirpus Theobald, Myzocallis boerneri Stroyan, Macrosiphoniella absinthii (Linnaeus), Macrocrosiphoniella abrotani (Walker), Macrosiphoniella pseudoartemisiae Shinji and Macrosiphoniella tapuskae (Hottes & Frison) are recorded for the first time in South America. They were all collected in Argentina. Comments for each species and identification keys for Myzocallidina and Macrosiphoniella known in South America are given.

Several reduced-risk insecticides were evaluated for management of three lepidopteran cole crop pests, Plutella xylostella (L.), Pieris rapae (L.), and Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) in central Alabama in 2004 (spring and fall plantings) and 2005 (spring only). The following formulated sprays were evaluated: Dipel® (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kursatki), XenTari® (B. thuringiensis subspecies aizawai), Dipel XenTari (a premixed test formulation consisting of both subspecies of B. thuringiensis), Entrust® (a formulation of spinosad for use in organic crop production), and Novaluron (insect growth regulator). Variations in the populations of the three pest species were recorded from season to season with pest pressure being generally higher in both spring seasons than in the fall season. While moderate to high populations of P. xylostella and P. rapae were recorded in all three seasons, T. ni was detected only in spring 2005. An action threshold of 0.5 cabbage looper equivalents (CLE) per plant was used to determine the need for insecticide applications. Insecticide efficacy was determined by comparing densities of larvae and immatures (larvae pupae) of each pest species, crop damage ratings, densities of key non-target arthropods, and number of insecticide applications in plots treated with each material versus untreated control plots. All five reduced-risk insecticide formulations were effective in reducing infestations of the three lepidopteran pests and in providing marketable cabbage and collards in Alabama. Among the treatments, Entrust® consistently produced the lowest mean damage ratings with the minimum number of applications per season. No significant effects of insecticide treatments were recorded in the numbers of spiders and lady beetles found per plant. The results also suggest that the 0.5 CLE action threshold can be used to produce marketable cabbage and collards in Alabama with only minimal applications of reduced-risk insecticides.

Host selection and egg laying behavior of wild populations of the mountain white butterfly, Leptophobia aripa (Boisduval), was observed in the presence of a group of host plants (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) of varying quality. Host variation was generated by manipulating three crop management variables: fertilization, water, and light. Leptophobia aripa was not indifferent to host quality variation, and showed great ability to evaluate and discern among a group of hosts. A sigmoidal relation was found between egg laying and host plant size. The latter was probably perceived through the host's diameter, or other physical and chemical characteristics related to this attribute. More detailed studies are necessary in order to understand which cues this insect uses to locate its host and which other attributes it evaluates upon deciding to lay eggs. This understanding could allow for the development of agro-ecological alternatives in controlling this insect, considered to be a crop pest in some regions of Mexico and Central America.

Melittobia digitata Dahms is a small parasitic wasp known for its lethal male combat but subject to controversy regarding the occurrence of male feeding and cannibalistic feeding in particular. Here we report our observations supporting siblicidal cannibalism. To test the ability of a male's capability to feed we smeared sugary dye on the wasps' mouthparts and observed the dye passing through the digestive system to produce colored feces, confirming that males have a complete digestive tract. To document siblicidal feeding we injected other males with water-soluble dye, and paired them with undyed males. Undyed winners that appeared to feed on dyed losers were monitored; dye was evident in their feces. Finally, to determine if males benefit from feeding, we compared the longevity of artificially fed and unfed males; fed males lived significantly longer than non-fed males (Mann-Whitney U test = 81.5, N₁ = 26, N₂ = 26, P < 0.001). We discuss possible reasons for the comparative rarity of siblicidal cannibalism and its fitness implications.

A new species of ant, Solenopsis phoretica, is described from a dealate queen found clinging to the petiole of a nest queen of Pheidole dentata Mayr in Gilchrist County, Florida. The position of the Solenopsis queen, as well as details of its morphology, strongly suggest that it represents a parasitic species. It is distinguished from other Solenopsis by its concave clypeal area and slender, elongate mandibles with an enlarged basal tooth. A single specimen is known.

Reliable methods are needed for assessing sexual maturity in field-captured tephritid fruit flies. To provide such a tool for female Caribbean fruit flies, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), this study documented changes in ovarian development over a four-week period following adult eclosion. The ovarian maturation process was classified into six developmental stages. Stages 1-4 described sequential steps in the development of immature ovaries, stage 5 indicated presence of mature oocytes, and stage 6 was the ovipositional phase. For each stage, four morphometric characters were examined-length of ovary, width of ovary, an ovarian index (length of ovary multiplied by width of ovary), and length of terminal follicle. Ovarian characters were compared by stage and correlated with the number of mature oocytes per ovary (egg load). Ovarian index maximized the differences between sexually mature and immature ovaries, and ovary length provided the best separation of immature stages. All four characters were positively correlated with egg load, but ovarian index and ovary width were the two best indicators of mature oocytes. Use of these parameters to assess egg load would eliminate the need to tease apart ovaries and count mature oocytes, thereby providing an efficient method for processing large samples of flies. Classification of female sexual maturity based on an ovary staging system, in conjunction with assessment of egg load in mature stages, would facilitate evaluation of the physiological age structure of a fly population captured in field deployed traps.

Typical mammal hosts (indigenous rodents and lagomorphs), geographic distributions and phenologies of the five species of Cuterebra bot flies occurring in Florida are described. This coverage includes a reevaluation of some previously reported host records and presentation of unpublished data on larval infestations and captures of adult Cuterebra in Florida. In addition, indigenous species of Florida rodents for which there appear to be no in-state reports of larval infestation are listed (both native species of lagomorphs in Florida are hosts of Cuterebra within the state). Many gaps in our knowledge of the biology of these flies in Florida are identified, but based on available information, it appears that Florida is not exceptional when compared with certain other areas of North America in Cuterebra species diversity or the species of native rodents that apparently are not used as larval hosts. The geographic affinities of the Florida Cuterebra are Nearctic. Four of the species (C. americana (Fabricius), C. buccata (Fabricius), C. emasculator Fitch and C. fontinella Clark) have broad ranges in North America, whereas C. cuniculi (Clark) appears to be restricted to southern Georgia and Florida.

Larvae of two undescribed species of Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were found preying upon Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) (Acari: Eriophyidae) on Florida citrus. Identifications to genus were made from adults reared in the laboratory. The two species had distinctive larval coloration. One larval type was completely yellow and was identified as Feltiella n. sp., while the second larval type had an orange color with a transverse white band close to the mouthparts. The latter cecidomyiid was identified as belonging to a genus near Lestodiplosis in the broad sense. Feltiella n. sp. (n = 17) and the species near the genus Lestodiplosis (n = 12) consumed 33.8 ± 4.6 (mean ± SEM) and 43.0 ± 6.4 citrus rust mite eggs; 14.2 ± 1.4 and 15.0 ± 2.0 citrus rust mite nymphs, and 3.0 ± 0.4 and 5.6 ± 0.9 citrus rust mite adults/10 min., respectively. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the consumption rates of either predator on any rust mite life stage. These data indicate that Feltiella n. sp. and the species near the genus Lestodiplosis are both efficient predators of P. oleivora eggs, larvae, and nymphs.

The Q biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), which has been described from the Mediterranean/North African region, was identified for the first time infesting ornamental crop species in several locations in China. Identification and partial distributions of the exotic B biotype and the recently introduced Q biotype in China were established by using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCOI) as a molecular marker. Collections of B. tabaci were made from representative geographical locations and plant hosts in different provinces of China. MtCOI sequence analysis revealed that collections from Beijing [AY582872, AY589499], Yunnan [AY518189, AY587516], and Henan [AY587514] shared >99.6% sequence identity with the Q biotype from Spain [AY587513, AY562216, AY596950]. The Q type from China shared 98.9-99.4% nucleotide sequence identity with Q-like relatives of B. tabaci described from Israel [AY518191, AY582869]. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that certain B. tabaci populations that are present in China are the Q biotype, and that the Q biotype now in China may have originated from Spain or other nearby locations where the Q biotype has been identified. This is the first report of the introduction of the Q biotype from the Mediterranean region into China. The specific outcomes of the Q biotype as an invasive species in Asia are presently unknown. Certain Q biotype populations from Spain have been reported to exhibit resistant to neonicotinoid insecticides, which are commonly used for controlling this pest and virus vector in ornamental and field crops. Thus, the close monitoring of the Q biotype in China and elsewhere, particularly where commercial plants are grown for export or received for importation, respectively, is essential to avoid the further geographical expansion of the habitat of the Q biotype.

In order to know the population dynamics of the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and its parasitoids in northwestern Argentina, larvae were weekly collected at two different agrological regions (Tafí Viejo, and Vipos) over four years. The relationship between larval and parasitoid populations, climatologic factors, percent of infested plants, parasitoid relative importance index, abundance of the parasitoids, and percent parasitism were estimated. FAW attacked cornfields when the plants achieved V1 and V2 stages. Temperature and rainfall were the climatologic factors that significantly affected pest density, and temperature affected the parasitoid abundance as well. The FAW parasitoids collected were Campoletis grioti (Blanchard), Chelonus insularis (Cresson), Ophion sp. and Archytas spp. (possibly marmoratus and/or incertus). The average parasitism percentage was 39.4% and 15% in T. Viejo and Vipos, respectively. Parasitoid abundance in both regions was similar, but diversity was different possibly relating to the native surrounding vegetation in Vipos. This is the first report of population dynamics of the fall armyworm and its parasitoids in northwestern Argentina.

Exotic introductions of Formosan Subterranean Termite (FST) to the United States from Asia have had significant economic consequences. Multiple introductions through marine transport have been proposed, but identification of these routes has yet to reveal more than one lineage in the continental U.S. DNA sequencing of a 640-bp cytochrome oxidase II (COII) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker to 60 disjunct populations, revealed two independent lineages spanning the continental U.S., Hawaii, Japan, and China. Limited genetic variation was observed with this marker. Group I constitutes a largely Asian clade, while Group II is comprised of both Asian and southern U.S. populations. This is the first study which has documented 2 distinct lineages to continental United States and Hawaii.

The papaya fruit fly, Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker, is an important pest of papaya. It is distributed from Florida, USA, to northern South America. We studied aspects of its biology on papaya, Carica papaya. Females and males emerged within a 3-d period with similar numbers emerging daily. Females are heavier than males but had similar longevity. Puparial length, puparial weight, and adult weight did not correlate with adult longevity. First chorionated eggs were recorded 4 d after emergence. Females 6 d old had an average of 44 ± 2.2 (sem) chorionated eggs. Heavier females have a reproductive advantage as they have more chorionated eggs than light females. More than 85% of females lived at least 6 d.

The coconut moth, Atheloca subrufella, is responsible for most of the flower and fruit shedding in coconut cropping systems. Despite this, little is known with regard to its biology and behavior. In order to understand its biology, the duration and viability of the egg, larval, and pupal stages, number of instars, pupal weight of males and females, sex ratio, adult longevity, and fecundity were determined. In the mating behavior study, observations included mating time and duration. Duration and viability of the egg, larval, and pupal stages were 3.0 and 93.0, 14.3 and 85.0, and 11.2 d and 91.0%, respectively, totaling 28.5 d (egg-adult) with 72.0% viability. There were four instars, with head capsule means of 0.27, 0.45, 0.80, and 1.33 mm for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars, respectively. The sex ratio was 0.55, and the mean pupal weight was 22.2 mg for males and 25.2 mg for females. The pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition periods averaged 2.4, 7.5, and 5.5 d, respectively. The longevity of males and females was 17.5 and 15.2 d, with a mean fecundity of 216 eggs. With regard to mating behavior, 91.0 and 9.0% of the tested pairs mated on the first and second day of adult life, respectively. Mating always began between 1900 and 2300 h, corresponding to an interval between 45 and 285 min after dusk, with a mean mating duration of 95 min.

Frankliniella occidentalis is the key vector responsible for the emergence of Tomato spotted wilt virus as a global threat to agriculture. Frankliniella bispinosa is a common thrips in Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, but the role of F. bispinosa in the epidemiology of the virus is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of F. bispinosa to acquire and transmit Tomato spotted wilt virus in pepper. In laboratory experiments, the number of larvae produced per F. bispinosa female was less than the number of larvae produced per F. occidentalis female. The larvae of F. bispinosa successfully acquired Tomato spotted wilt virus, although at a lower percentage than F. occidentalis. Viruliferous adults of both species transmitted the virus to pepper. Our results confirm the competence of F. bispinosa as a vector of Tomato spotted wilt virus.

Metamasius callizona (Chevrolat) is native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. It was detected in Broward County, Florida, in 1989 and has spread to 20 counties in southern Florida, where it devastates populations of native epiphytic bromeliads and also attacks cultivated bromeliads. Larvae mine into stems of larger bromeliads, killing them. New data were obtained at ≈25°C and a photoperiod of 14:10 L:D to optimize cultures of this insect to serve as hosts for the production of biological control agents. After pairing with males, it took an average of 28.9 d (±17.8, range 8-89 d) for females to begin laying eggs; thereafter, each female laid eggs for the remainder of her life, or within just a few days of her death. The total duration of life of 75 ovipositing females averaged 156.4 d (±96.7, range 26-387 d); their lifetime egg production averaged 39.6 eggs (±40.0, range 2-188 eggs).

The papaya mealybug (PM), Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a pest in Central America and the Caribbean, was noted to have established on Palau in March 2003 and was causing serious damage to papaya, plumeria, hibiscus, and other plants. The parasitoids Anagyrus loecki Noyes, Pseudleptomastix mexicana Noyes and Schauff, and Acerophagus papayae Noyes and Schauff (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) totaling 24,586 were imported from Puerto Rico and field released in Palau from August 2003 to June 2004. Anagyrus loecki and A. papayae appear to be promising biological control agents of PM in Palau. No field recovery of P. mexicana was made in spite of several field releases. The reduction of the papaya mealybug population density levels below detectable levels was observed in a six-month period following the introduction of these exotic parasitoids. Following the successful implementation of a classical biological control program, the risk of this mealybug spreading to other islands in the Republic of Palau and to neighboring Micronesian Islands has been considerably reduced.

Plant species and insect stages were studied for their effects on feeding by predator Delphastus catalinae (Horn) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). To study the influence of plant species, immature whitefly prey were presented simultaneously to starved predator adults on leaf cuttings of five different plant species: cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller), hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.], Walpers ssp. unguiculata), and collard (Brassica oleracea var. acephala DC). Percentage predation over 24 h was significantly highest on cotton, followed in rank order by collards, cowpea, tomato, and hibiscus. Different predation rates may have been caused by differential response to volatile secondary compounds released by the leaf cuttings. Host stage preference was studied by presenting individual adult predators with equal numbers of prey (200 per replicate) in three aggregate life stages: eggs, small nymphs (1st to 3rd instars) and large nymphs (4th instar to pupae). Adults consumed significantly higher numbers of eggs in a 24-h predation period compared with small or large nymphs. These findings suggest that among the plant species tested, Delphastus catalinae may be most effective on early-season cotton or immediately after whitefly infestation when eggs are predominant.

A new member belonging to the family of growth-promoting glycoproteins referred to as imaginal disc growth factors, IDGF, was identified from the root weevil Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.), (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The imaginal disc growth factor full length cDNA transcript, designated as idgf-DRW, was cloned and identified from tissue of adult, teneral DRW females. Sequencing and subsequent homology comparisons of the nucleotide sequence (GenBank accession no. AY821658) indicated that the open reading frame (ORF) consisted of 1329 bases and encoded a putative protein of 442 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular weight of 49.5 kDa and a pI value of 6.68. BLASTX comparisons of the idgf-DRW cDNA sequence showed that the deduced amino acid sequence designated as IDGF-DRW (AAV68692.1) had 43% to 51% similarity with IDGF1-5 and DS47 from Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. yakuba, 51% similarity with IDGF in Pieris rapae, and 51% similarity with an IDGF-like protein in Bombyx mori. Signal P analysis revealed that the predicted IDGF-DRW contained a signal peptide of 23 amino acid residues located at the N-terminus, similar to other known IDGF proteins. The structure of IDGF-DRW was predicted based on the characterized IDGF2 from D. melanogaster as the model. The deduced amino acid sequence for the IDGF-DRW protein had 48% similarity with Drosophila melanogaster IDGF2. The predicted IDGF-DRW displays the characteristics found in Drosophila IDGFs, the fold of family 18 glycosyl hydrolases, with an insertion (Gly304 to Phe392) in the beta barrel between strand β7 and helix alpha-7 that forms an additional α β domain similar to that of Serratia marcescens chitinases A and B. An identified nucleotide change which results in an amino acid change within the active binding site in IDGF-DRW also was observed. The significant similarities of IDGF-DRW to other members within the family of IDGFs support its classification as a new member of the invertebrate growth factors and the first IDGF to be identified from a coleopteran.

Abbreviations: EST, expressed sequence tag; DS47, chitinase-like protein precursor; CHIT, chitinase; IDGF, imaginal disc growth factor protein; DRW, diaprepes root weevil; idgf, imaginal disc growth factor transcript.

A new species, Molchina xantha, is described from Ecuador. Comments and new distribution data are provided for M. compressicornis (Fabricius), M. hopei (Perty), and M. linnei Stål. Molchina molitor Breddin is synonymized with Molchina granulata Stål. A key to the known species of Molchina is provided, along with illustrations of the habitus of M. xantha and the pronotum of all known species.

Lixadmontia franki, new genus and new species, is described in the Blondeliini (Diptera: Tachinidae). This parasitic fly attacks the larvae of the weevil Metamasius quadrilineatus Champion which infests bromeliads in tropical montane cloud forests of Honduras, and it is a potential biological control agent of the bromeliad-eating weevil Metamasius callizona (Chevrolat) in Florida. It is most similar to members of the genera Admontia and Lixophaga. A key to the species of Admontia and Lixadmontia in North and Central America is given. Admontia dubia Curran is placed in synonymy with Admontia pollinosa Curran new synonymy.

Mating disruption and attract-and-kill (A&K) gels were evaluated for control of grape root borer (GRB), Vitacea polistiformis Harris (Lepidoptera:Sessidae), in Florida grape (Vitis sp.) vineyards. For mating disruption, pheromone twist-ties with leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), pheromone were placed in vines at a rate of 635 per ha. Attract-and-kill (A&K) gels containing the GRB pheromone and a pyrethrin (botanical insecticide) were applied to vine trunks at a rate of 112.5 g per hectare. These treatments were compared with chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), an organophosphate insecticide, and an untreated control in a randomized complete block design. Two wing-style sticky traps with GRB pheromone were placed in each treatment to monitor male moth activity and determine levels of trap shutdown. Complete trap shutdown occurred in the twist-tie sections for both 2003 and 2004 suggesting disruption of mating. Traps placed in the A&K and the pheromone twist-tie sections caught significantly fewer GRB than the Lorsban treatments in 2003. In 2004, significantly fewer moths were caught in the pheromone twist-tie and Lorsban treatments than the A&K and untreated controls. The differences between 2003 and 2004 for A&K treatments were due to the use of the incorrect pheromone blend in the 2004 batch of A&K. Whereas the differences in Lorsban treatments between both years may be related to residual activity of the pesticide. The economics of adopting A&K and mating disruption with twist-ties containing leopard moth pheromone is discussed. Both A&K and mating disruption with the leopard moth pheromone show promise as reduced-risk control tactics to be used in a GRB integrated pest management program and warrant further study.

Oak-hickory forests in northwestern Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and southern Missouri have recently experienced an oak decline event with widespread oak mortality. The oak mortality is associated with an outbreak of a native wood-boring cerambycid, Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman), the red oak borer. Taxonomic identification, below the family level, of larval Cerambycidae through traditional morphological methods is not usually possible. We employed molecular diagnostics, with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), to distinguish E. rufulus from other closely related species of cerambycids. A portion of the mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA gene, isolated from legs or thoraxes of adult museum specimens, was amplified and digested with Alu I and Hind III restriction enzymes. Both restriction enzymes independently produced fragments for E. rufulus that were significantly different from any other cerambycid tested. Alu I had one restriction site for E. rufulus and two restriction sites for all other cerambycids tested, while Hind III did not cut for E. rufulus but did cut at one restriction site for all other cerambycids. Eggs, larvae, and pupae of E. rufulus along with an unknown cerambycid larva and pupa were successfully amplified and digested by this method to verify validity of this technique for multiple life stages.

The insect parasitic nematode, Steinernema scapterisci Nguyen and Smart, is a non-chemical alternative to pest mole cricket control in the southern United States. These ambush nematodes can become established after one application and spread into untreated areas through host movement in the soil. However, the nematode's persistence from previous inoculative applications in 1988 and 1989 and the effectiveness of subsequent augmentative applications on intensively managed golf courses were unknown. In 2001, two linear pitfall traps were placed in the roughs of 10 holes on each of two golf courses (20 traps per course) near areas of adult mole cricket activity, and half of the plots with traps were treated with S. scapterisci. Ten to 15% of mole crickets trapped before the augmentative nematode applications were infected by S. scapterisci. After this application, the percentage of infected mole crickets was higher than the baseline for 8 mo at one golf course and 17 mo at the other. The percentage of mole crickets infected on treated plots equaled or exceeded pretreatment levels about 4-8 wk post-application. The percentage of infected mole crickets in untreated areas at both sites equaled the percent infection in treated areas after about 5 mo. Mole cricket trap catches and percent of infection declined in the second year, but continued to fluctuate with mole cricket population density, age, and environmental conditions. Augmentative applications of S. scapterisci for pest mole cricket control can enhance mole cricket mortality on golf courses.