The date palm is an important part of the religious, cultural, and economic heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. This heritage is threatened by the recent invasion of the red palm weevil (RPW) from Southeast Asia. In Saudi Arabia, a national campaign for control of RPW by containment/destruction of infested plants, injection and spraying of biochemical and chemical pesticide treatments in heavily infested and newly infested areas, and the use of pheromone/ kairomone traps for monitoring and reduction of RPW populations has been only partially successful in controlling its spread. New methods are needed to help manage the RPW populations. At a workshop in Riyadh in March 2010, plans were recommended to 1) devise and test new biological, chemical, and biotechnological methods to manage RPW in farms and urban palms; 2) compare the economic and logistic feasibility of acoustic and other detection methods against RPW larvae; and 3) develop biosensor indicators of RPW infestation in date palms. If these initiatives are successful, they will be of great assistance to landscape and orchard managers dealing with such a challenging pest of a highly valuable tree.

We describe the effect of a Beauveria bassiana solid formulation on Rhynchophorus ferrugineus infesting naturally canary palms in SE Spain in the field. The formulation included a highly pathogenic strain of B. bassiana derived from R. ferrugineus. The formulation was applied 3 times in 2009 in 2 sites (Catral and El Hondo), at 3-month intervals. Beauveria bassiana caused 70–85% R. ferrugineus mortality. Beauveria bassiana solid formulation with high RPW pathogenicity and persistence, could be applied as a preventive as well as curative treatment for RPW control. Our B. bassiana formulation can be a significant component of an IPM strategy for RPW control.

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, is the most important insect pest on date palms. Weevils were collected from randomly selected infested date palms in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mites from three families were recorded. Uroobovella sp. (Acari: Urodinychidae) were the most common phoretic mites. Curculanoetus sp. (Acari: Histiostomatidae) were second in abundance. Uropoda orbicularis (Acari: Uropodidae) was recorded on one beetle. The abundance of phoretic mites varied among body parts of R. ferrugineus, and the maximum numbers occurred in the subelytral space. The mean intensity, mean abundance, and prevalence of Uroobovella and Curculanoetus mites did not differ between male and female weevils. Uroobovella had significantly greater mean intensity, abundance and prevalence compared to Curculanoetus. Most Uroobovella and Curculanoetus aggregated under the sublytral space, which presumably offers protection from the hot and dry environment. This study is the first to document the presence of phoretic mites on R. ferrugineus in UAE and will help to direct future research on their interactions.

Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (RPW), is the most deleterious pest of date palm Phoenix dactylifera, spreading rapidly in date palm growing countries around the globe. To facilitate behavioral and biological studies on this important pest, a study to optimize rearing procedures was conducted at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RPW pairs were introduced into date palm bolts and subsequent RPW populations were harvested at the pupal stage. The populations of RPW resulting from different numbers of introduced RPW pairs and the use of mated vs. virgin RPW pairs were compared for different date palm cultivars and sizes of the bolts. Results indicated that RPW can successfully be reared on date palm bolts. Subsequent population was increased with increases in numbers of introduced RPW pairs. Date palm cultivars significantly influenced the subsequent RPW population. Thickness of the date palm bolt wase positively correlated with the subsequent RPW population. Introducing mated vs. virgin RPW pairs did not show any significant effect on subsequent RPW population.

Much of the damage caused by red palm weevil larvae to date palms, ornamental palms, and palm offshoots could be mitigated by early detection and treatment of infestations. Acoustic technology has potential to enable early detection, but the short, high-frequency sound impulses produced by red palm weevil larvae can be difficult to distinguish from certain similar sounds produced by other insects or small animals, or by wind-induced tapping noises. Considerable research has been conducted to develop instruments and signal processing software that selectively amplify insect-produced sounds and identify signal features that distinguish sounds produced by a particular target insect from those produced by other causes. Progress has been made in identifying unique spectral and temporal patterns in the sounds produced by larvae during movement and feeding activities. This report describes some of the new instrumentation and signal analyses available for early, reliable detection of red palm weevil larvae in groves and greenhouses.

Pheromone-food-bait trap and acoustic surveys were conducted in Curacao to monitor a recently discovered invasion of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus L. (RPW). This pest of economic importance in regions of Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean was not observed in the Americas until 2009. Due to its economic and environmental damage, there is an urgent need to manage or eradicate RPW in Curacao to reduce its impact on the island as well as avoid the possibility of transference to surrounding regions. Studies were conducted to explore methods available for monitoring adults with traps and acoustically assessing larval infestations in trees in the warm, dry but humid Curacao environment - considering also some special challenges of urban conditions, such as increased traffic noise or unwanted human curiosity that could negatively affect monitoring success. Bucket traps baited with 4-methyl-5-nonanol/4-methyl-5-nonanone pheromone lure, ethyl acetate and a molasses - ethylene glycol mixture captured RPW adults at consistent rates for ca. 7/d, but the rates of capture were reduced for the 9th to 14th d of a two-week sampling period. The weevils were observed to escape rapidly from dry traps but not from liquid-containing traps. A portable, user-friendly acoustic sensor system enabled identification of larvae in individual infested trees through the use of signal processing analyses that screened out bird and wind noise. This information gained about liquid baits and acoustic differences between background noise and RPW-produced sounds can assist future efforts to monitor, control, or eradicate RPW in Curacao as well as other urban landscapes.

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a lethal pest of date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L, and several other palm species worldwide. Pheromone (Ferrugineol) traps have been used to monitor and mass trap RPW in area-wide integrated pest management programs (IPM). However, these conventional food baited pheromone traps (FBPTs) have to be periodically serviced (change of food bait and insecticide solution) which is labor intensive. A bait-free method to ‘attract and kill’ RPW adults, Hook™ RPW, has been recently developed for weevil control in date palm. We tested this formulation against FBPTs for controlling RPW in a date plantation in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Weevil captures were not significantly different in the Hook RPW- and FBPT-treated plots, indicating that both equally sustained trapping efficiency during the test period of 3 mo. Using Hook RPW in and around heavily infested plantations could substantially reduce the cost of an area-wide IPM program due to elimination of trap servicing associated with FBPTs. Additionally, Hook RPW demonstrated the same level of attractiveness with or without the presence of food bait, suggesting that the formulation may be applied directly to non-susceptible date palm trees without the risk of bait-lure synergy which could potentially incite damage to healthy trees.

This is the seventh part in a series on the family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea) of New Guinea. The Crocanthes pancala species complex in New Guinea and Australia is discussed with descriptions of 4 new species: C. poliozona sp. nov., C. gatoralis sp. nov., C. warmarensis sp. nov., and C. cyclopsana sp. nov., from Papua of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. These 4 are sibling species to the previously known species, C. pancala Turner from Australia, and they are superficially very similar each other. Adults, labial palpi, spinous zones on the abdominal segments VI–VII, and the male genitalia are illustrated. A key to species is given.

The knowledge of the status of the different fruit fly species and their hosts is essential to manage these insects. This work reports the associations of tephritoid fly species (Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae) with fruits collected from 67 municipalities in Sã;o Paulo State, Brazil. From Mar 1997 to Sep 2003, a total of 536 fruit samples was collected from 63 plant species in 28 botanical families. From overall collections, the average infestation index ranged from 0.01 to 22.98 pupae per fruit. The highest infestation was observed in Cucurbita moschata (Dusc.) Poir, followed by Mangifera indica Linnaeus and Passiflora alata Curtis, with 107.14, 59.00, and 38.50 pupae/ fruit, respectively. The pupae/kg of fruit index ranged from 0.01 in Manihot esculenta Crantz to 277.91 in Citharexylum myrianthum Cham. In total 43,104 pupae and 26,368 adults of Tephritoidea were recovered from all collections. The following Tephritoidea adults were observed: Anastrepha amita Zucchi, Anastrepha bahiensis Lima, Anastrepha distincta Greene, Anastrepha. fraterculus (Wied.), Anastrepha grandis (Macquart), Anastrepha leptozona Hendel, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), Anastrepha pseudoparallela (Loew), Anastrepha serpentina (Wied.), Anastrepha sororcula Zucchi, Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) and Lonchaeidae. All host species infested by C. capitata or Anastrepha spp. also were infested by Lonchaeidae.

The paper gives the results of the first cytogenetic study of Vadonia unipunctata (F 1787) on the basis of the mitotic metaphase plate, karyogram, and the male genitalia. The distribution of this species in Turkey is also presented.

Interspecific interactions between Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and the spidermite Tetranychus truncatus Ehara were evaluated by observation of behavioral responses over 30 min intervals on cowpea leaves. The response of adult female whiteflies was observed on 4 classes of leaf: (1) uninfested (2) previously fed upon by spidermite nymphs, (3) spidermite nymphs and webbing present, and (4) spidermite adults present. Likewise, adult female spidermite response was observed on (1) leaves uninfested with whiteflies, (2) leaves previously fed upon by whitefly nymphs, (3) leaves with whitefly nymphs present, and (4) leaves with whitefly adults present. Spidermites generally had a greater effect on whitefly behavior than vice versa. Whitefly feeding duration decreased while labial tapping duration and frequency increased on all 3 types of mite-infested leaves compared to uninfested leaves. Although whitefly oviposition duration and frequency did not change on leaves infested with spidermite nymphs, whitefly fecundity decreased compared to untreated leaves. Although whitefly effects on spidermite behavior were less marked, nevertheless, duration and frequency of cheliceral tapping by spidermites did increase in the presence of whiteflies, although duration or frequency of feeding did not. Thus, one would predict that spidermites would win out in competition with whiteflies on a common host plant. Behavioral observations of interactions between herbivores can provide valuable insight into competitive relationships which should, however, be verified by field studies.

The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), infests numerous fruit species, particularly Anacardiaceae and most importantly mango (Mangifera indica L.). Widespread in the Neotropics, it was first reported in Hispaniola nearly 70 years ago. Continental populations are attacked by the opiine braconid parasitoids Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) and Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti). Largely sympatric, the two species co-exist through microhabitat specializations based on different ovipositor lengths and asymmetries in larval competitive abilities during multiparasitism. Utetes anastrephae, but not D. areolatus, is apparently native to the Dominican Republic. Since the two parasitoids share an evolutionary history over a substantial portion of their distributions it was proposed that 1) D. areolatus would find the Dominican environment suitable, as does U. anastrephae; and 2) that there would be no negative interactions when the two species were reunited and overall parasitism would increase. Immediately following releases, D. areolatus averaged 9% of adult insects recovered and two years after releases were concluded constituted a mean of 13%. By then the parasitoid had spread up to 50 km from release sites. There was no evidence of competitive exclusion of U. anastrephae by D. areolatus. Another opiine biological control candidate, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), could be considered for release and establishment. Parasitoids alone are unlikely to provide economic levels of control, but can serve as components of an integrated pest management program established to maintain “fly-free” or “low prevalence” fruit export zones.

Reliance on use of the Petri dish for bioassay studies has resulted in the majority of subterranean termite research being conducted in a manner that has not taken into account one of the most important feature of subterranean termites ecology: the soil in which they live. This artificial environment for bioassays, favored for its ease of use, may have resulted in accumulation of data about termite physiology, toxicology, pathology and behavior with limited biological relevancy. Caution should be taken when drawing conclusion from such experiments, because recent studies that made use of planar arenas (or ‘two-dimensional arenas’), which provided soil-foraging conditions for termites and visibility for observation, have produced findings that are either contradictory to or more complete than corresponding Petri dish studies. The result of this study showed that groups of termites kept in planar arenas had better vigor and survivorship after 60 d than groups kept in Petri dishes. We also describe a list of technical advantages that the use of planar arenas can provide over the use of Petri dishes, and suggest that entomologists planning future laboratory studies on subterranean termites should consider using a similar protocol that involves planar arenas.

Tetramorium lucayanum Wheeler, described from the Bahamas, was long thought to be of West Indian origin. This species, however, is actually originally from Africa, and has been transported to the West Indies and elsewhere through human commerce. To examine the worldwide spread of T. lucayanum, I compiled and mapped specimen records from > 75 sites. I documented the earliest known T. lucayanum records for 22 geographic areas (countries and West Indies Islands), including 3 for which I found no previously published records: Gambia, Tortola, and Vieques. Tetramorium lucayanum has widely scattered records from 12 tropical African countries, primarily from forested sites. Exotic records of T. lucayanum come from 7 West Indies islands, Brazil, and greenhouses in Ireland and Italy. All outdoor records of T. lucayanum are from tropical sites, except for 2 subtropical records, both from urban Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas (25.1 °N): the original type locale and my new record from the local zoo, 2.5 km to the west. Most exotic records come from Cuba and Jamaica, but even on these islands T. lucayanum appears to be fairly rare and with no discernable ecological impact.

The study was conducted to elucidate the possibility that a shift in color preferences of adults of the apple blossom beetle, Epicometis hirta, occurs sometime after the end of over-wintering and the onset blooming of Prunus spp. trees and between the termination of blooming and the death of the adults. Such information is needed to choose the best color of the traps used for the detection, monitoring and suppression of this major pest. In a randomized complete block experiment with 9 replicates at 3 different cherry orchard sites in Turkey, blocks of 11 differently colored traps each ere operated and serviced daily in cherry orchards from the end of hibernation of E. hirta the adults disappeared at the end of the season. The numbers of adult beetles captured in each of the 11 differently colored traps in each block were recorded daily. According to ANOVA and the Tukey's test (P < 0.01), significantly the largest numbers of E. hirta were sampled by floral white-colored traps in both the pre-bloom (experiment I-749 individuals, n = 38) and post-bloom (experiment III-263 individuals, n = 12) periods. However during the bloom period significantly the largest numbers of E. hirta were sampled by the light sky-blue-colored traps (experiment 11–715 individuals, re = 30). The effect of the color and block on population of E. hirta was tested by univariate analysis of variance; and only color effect variation was found statistically significant. Likewise the results of cluster analysis showed that floral white-colored traps were more attractive for E. hirta than traps of any other color during the pre-bloom and post-bloom periods; whereas, light sky-blue colored traps were the most attractive for E. hirta during the bloom period. These data clearly demonstrate the color preference of E. hirta shifted from floral white before the cherry trees bloomed to light sky-blue during the bloom period and back to floral white during the postbloom period. These shifts may be an adaptation to the different host plant species that are predominant during different periods of the growing season. Currently some growers in Turkey control E. hirta during the cherry bloom period by intensive trapping with light sky-blue traps. However these data suggest that the control effort should be shifted to the prebloom period with intensive trapping by floral white traps.

Three aphid species, Cinara pruinosa (Hartig), Acyrthosiphon lactucae (Passerini) and Coloradoa bournieri (Remaudière & Leclant) are recorded for the first time in South America from specimens caught in the Argentinean Patagonia. Data are given on their biology and distribution and characters distinguishing each one, as well as proximate species known in South America.

Pheidole teneriffana is an Old World ant species that has spread to other parts of the world through human commerce. To evaluate its known distribution, I compiled and mapped P. teneriffana records from >200 sites. I documented the earliest known P. teneriffana records for 43 geographic areas (countries, island groups, major islands, and US states), including 11 West Indian islands for which I found no previously published records: Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic (Hispañola), Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, and St Lucia. Pheidole teneriffana is known from sites scattered across the greater Mediterranean region (North Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and neighboring islands), though it is unclear which parts of this area constitute its native range. Pheidole teneriffana is known from only a few Old World sites distant from the Mediterranean region, i.e., Ascension, China, England, St Helena, and South Africa. In the New World, where this species is certainly exotic, there are published P. teneriffana records only from California, Cuba, and Peru. The first records from 11 West Indian islands presented here, all from 2003 or later, suggest that P. teneriffana is actively spreading through this region. Almost all West Indian records of P. teneriffana come from beaches or urban areas. It seems doubtful that P. teneriffana will develop into a major pest species like its congener, the infamous Pheidole megacephala.

Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) are parasitoids of Hemiptera Auchenorrhyncha. The genus Dryinus Latreille, 1804, is present in all zoogeographical regions and about 242 species have been described. Dryinus anotaulicus sp. nov. is described from Jiujialing, Baisha County (Hainan Province, China). A check-list of Dryinidae from Hainan Province, China, is presented, and is accessible online at Supplementary material  http://www.fcla.edu/FlaEnt/fe944.htm#InfoLink2.

Predation by Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) was evaluated with Erionota thrax (L.) (Lepidoptera: Hesperidae), Pericyma cruegeri (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata Rego Barros (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), Papilio polytes (L.) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) and Eudocima phalonia (L.) comb. nov. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Both free-choice and no-choice experiments indicated that the P. maculiventris attacked and consumed all the larvae of the 5 species included in the tests. Although the larvae died at different intervals, most of them were dead within 24–120 h of the introduction of the predatory species. Since the P. maculiventris is polyphagous in nature and the present findings indicate that these predators will feed on the introduced biocontrol moth, P. pseudoinsulata, it is recommended not to take the predators out of the quarantine laboratory for the field release on Guam. Additionally, P. maculiventris will feed on some native species as they become available.

The Xylomya species found in Turkey are summarized and illustrated in this work. Xylomya ciscaucasica (Pleske 1928) and Xylomya mlokosiewiczi (Pleske 1925), previously only known from the Caucasus, are recorded from Turkey for the first time in this study. The male genitalia of X. ciscaucasica and the female genitalia of X. mlokosiewiczi and X. maculata (Meigen 1804) are illustrated for first time. The distribution of these species is briefly discussed and a key to Turkish species is given. Also a key to Turkish genera of Xylomyidae is given.

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal larval age for exposing Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) to Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) females to maximize parasitoid female offspring production under laboratory conditions in order to develop an efficient mass-rearing process for this biocontrol agent. Five age ranges of A. fraterculus larvae were assessed: 1–3 d-old (first instar), 4–6 d-old (second instar), 7–8 d-old (early third instar), 9–10 d-old (middle third instar), and 11–12 d-old (late third instar). The number of D. longicaudata initiating ovipositor probing on a device with third instars of A. fraterculus was significantly higher than with others containing younger instars. Although female biased parasitoid offspring was recorded in all treatments using third instars as hosts, significantly more D. longicaudata females emerged from A. fraterculus pupae originated from middle and late third instars. However, the percentage of unemerged host puparia also increased significantly in both those host instar groups. Superparasitism, recorded as the number of first instar parasitoid head capsules per host, increased significantly as A. fraterculus larvae matured from second instars to late third instars. Nevertheless, the maximum average yield of parasitoid progeny was achieved using 9–12 d-old A. fraterculus larvae as hosts.

A common problem during the construction of dominance hierarchies is the occurrence of tied ranks that make it difficult to find correlations between the dominance hierarchy and other biological variables. Among the factors that affect the ability of indices to give unique ranks are the noninteracting pairs of individuals and reversals. Based on these two factors, researchers have compared the performance of dominance indices, among them, the Clutton-Brock index (CBI), an index that measures wins and losses with quality values between pairs of individuals and does not consider the number of wins and losses; the David's score (DS), that corrects for this drawback in one way by considering the proportion of the wins and losses of each individual; and the frequency-based dominance index (FDI), which also consists of a modification of the CBI by considering the frequencies of direct and indirect wins and losses. Since there is no universal index for all interaction networks, comparing different indices could be a helpful step before selecting one for use. Additionally, studies on Polistes and Mischocyttarus have used different, non-standardized and subjective ways to access dominance hierarchies. In this study, we first described the proportion of non-interacting pairs and reversals in colonies of the social wasps Mischocyttarus cassununga, Mischocyttarus Cerberus, Polistes simillimus and Polistes versicolor. Then, the efficiencies of 3 dominance indices, CBI, DS and FDI in given unique ranks (absence of tied ranks) were compared.

The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), is considered one of the most important pests of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and hog plums (Spondias spp.) in Latin America. A better understanding of the role of chemical compounds during the sexual behavior of A. obliqua may be useful to improve the monitoring of this tephritid fruit fly pest. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the attraction of females and males to live calling males and to Super Q extracts of calling males; (2) to measure the female and males antennal responses to extracts from live calling males; (3) and to identify the compounds emitted by A. obliqua males during calling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Both sexes were attracted to live males and to male extracts. Extracts from males elicited significant antennal responses from both sexes compared to those evoked by the control. GC-MS analyses of the volatile extracts showed that calling A. obliqua males consistently emitted 9 compounds, 6 of which are reported for the first time for this fruit fly species. Preliminary bioassays showed that females and males were attracted to (Z)-3-nonenol and (Z)-3-nonenol β-farnesene. Further identification of the unknown compounds and their synthesis remain to be performed in order to evaluate their biological activity.

The redbay ambrosia beetle (RAB), Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is an adventive pest of Lauraceae in the southeastern U.S. This wood-boring insect vectors a lethal fungus, Raffaelea lauricola T. C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva, the causal agent of laurel wilt (LW) disease. The vector-pathogen complex is responsible for extensive mortality of native Persea trees in South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida, and now poses an imminent threat to the avocado (Persea americana Mill.) industry in south Florida. While chemical control of the vector is not viewed as the primary solution, control tactics should be made available to Florida avocado growers. Field and laboratory tests were conducted using avocado bolts, potted avocado trees, and field grown swampbay trees (Persea palustris (Raf.) Sarg.) treated with contact and systemic insecticides. Zeta-cypermethrin bifenthrin and lambda-cyhalothrin thiamethoxam provided the most consistent control of Scolytinae as contact insecticides, while methomyl, malathion, bifenthrin, and endosulfan were more variable in effectiveness. Avocado trees treated with fenpropathrin, cryolite Na Al fluoride, and lambda-cyhalothrin thiametoxam had similar numbers of beetle entrance holes on treated trees as on the untreated control trees. No statistical differences were observed in disease severity on treated versus non-treated avocados or swampbay. Linear regressions between the number of RAB entrance holes per tree (x) and LW disease severity (y_a) and between RAB entrance holes per tree (x) and recovery of R. lauricola (y_b) were both significant.

Colletes francesae, new species, is described and differentiated from other Colletes species. All specimens were collected from Florida scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge in Peninsular Florida, an area known for arthropod endemism. Colletes francesae is oligolectic, at least locally, on a shrub of the genus Sideroxylon. Specimens of C. francesae are currently known from 5 protected sites; its conservation status is uncertain.

Two years of natural enemy exclusion experiments with cohorts of the invasive scale Fiorinia externa Ferris were conducted in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The parasitoid Encarsia citrina Craw had a significant effect on the percentage of F. externa that reached reproductive maturity. For cohorts exposed to E. citrina, 11% reached maturity in 2006 and 8% in 2007 compared to cohorts protected from E. citrina, in which 29% reached maturity in 2006 and 18% in 2007 (averaged across all 3 states). While E. citrina exerted some control of F. externa density, it was insufficient to maintain F. externa density at the study sites at levels comparable to those of the scale in its native range in Japan.

Young and mature larvae of queen and workers of the thief ant, Solenopsis helena, are herein described for the first time. Specimens were treated and described by usual methods of light and scanning electron microscopy. Many of the observed characteristics confirmed traits of the thief ant larva, reinforcing the assumption that they are a distinct group from fire ants. The larva of S. helena can be recognized from other close species by details of the mouthparts, but seem extensively similar to Solenopsis molesta. These findings are useful for taxonomic studies and phylogenetic inferences.

Aromatherapy treatment using ginger oil has been shown to be effective in increasing the sexual competitiveness of males of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratits capitata (Wiedemann) and can partially remedy the detrimental effects associated with the mass-rearing and irradiation processes that are used in Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) programs. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ginger oil treatment on the sexual performance of males of 3 Anastrepha fruit fly species of economic importance (A. ludens (Loew), A. obliqua (Macquart), and A. serpentina (Wiedemann)) when they were at 6, 9, and 12 d old. The experiments were carried out under semi-natural conditions, and the number and duration of copulations achieved by each type of male were determined. Our results indicate that the male response to ginger oil exposure was different for each of the evaluated species. For A. ludens, we observed a detrimental effect on the number of copulations obtained by 6 d-old males but not by 9 or 12 d-old males. For A. obliqua, treatment with ginger oil did not significantly affect the evaluated parameters at any age. For treated A. serpentina males, 9 and 12 d-old males showed greater sexual performance when compared to untreated males. Copula duration was not affected by ginger oil treatment in any of the species. We determined that aromatherapy using ginger oil does not have the same beneficial effect in A. ludens and A. obliqua as it does in C. capitata, but in A. serpentina, the use of this product offers a great potential and might render important benefits in SIT applications.

The impacts of temperature on Harmonia axyridis and its potential as a control agent of Cinara atlantica, the Carolina conifer aphid, were evaluated. The experiments were conducted with eggs from field-collected adults. Each egg batch was kept at 15 °C, 20 °C and 25 ° C, 70% RH and 12:12 h. L:D. After hatching, the larvae were reared individually until adult emergence and all insects were kept under the same conditions. The mean period of egg incubation, total developmental time and egg viability were longer at 15 °C that than at the other 2 temperatures. Survival was 100% for all the larval, pre-pupal and pupal stages. The longevity was longer at 15 °C and 20 °C than 25 °C The mean number of eggs produced was significantly higher at 15 °C than at the other 2 temperatures. The post-oviposition period increased with increasing temperature. The highest specific fertility was recorded at 15 °C, followed by 25 °C and 20 °C, respectively. The net reproductive rate was higher at 15 °C than at the 2 higher temperatures. The time interval between each generation (T) decreased with increasing temperature and the population doubling time (DT) was higher at 15 °C than at 20 °C and 25 °C. The intrinsic rates of increase (r_m) were very similar at the 3 temperatures, but the finite rate of population increase (λ) was higher at 25 ξ;C than at the 2 lower temperatures. The results indicate that H. axyridis shows great potential as a biological control agent of C. atlantica.

Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious larval endoparasitoid from China that is being released in the United States as a biocontrol agent of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an exotic beetle responsible for widespread ash mortality. The developmental time of immature stages, adult longevity, reproductive age, oviposition rate, and realized fecundity were determined in the laboratory under normal rearing conditions (25 ± 2 °C, 65 ± 10% RH, and L:D 16:8 hr photoperiod). It takes approximately four weeks to complete a single generation (from egg to adult) under normal rearing conditions. While male wasps lived for a median of 5 weeks, females lived significantly longer with a median survival time of 6 weeks and a maximum survival time of 9 weeks. Newly emerged females appeared to be as capable of producing progeny as older females, indicating that T. planipennisi may be synovigenic. The average number of progeny per reproductive female remained relatively constant through the first 6 weeks of the trial with each reproductively active female producing 23–26 progeny each week. Lifetime realized fecundity of the adults averaged 57 progeny per reproductively active female with a female-tomale sex ratio of approximately 3:1; the maximum number of progeny produced by a single female was 108. These results suggest that T. planipennisi may have several generations in the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern regions of United States, where normal growing seasons (with average temperature >25 °C) are normally four to five months (May–Sep). Because of the gregarious nature, long life span and oviposition period of adults, T. planipennisi is likely to have multiple overlapping generations and has the potential to be an effective biocontrol agent against EAB.

The chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an emerging pest of many economically important vegetable and ornamental crops grown in the United States. Accurate identification of this pest is a fundamental requirement in development of effective quarantine and management strategies. Using scanning electron microscopy, high resolution images of important taxonomic traits of this pest were produced, which will aid research, regulatory and extension personnel to identify this pest. High resolution images were obtained for identifying characters of S. dorsalis including tergites with antecostal ridges; head with 3 pairs of ocellar setae, metanotum presenting longitudinal striations with medially located pair of setae; veins of forewing presenting widely spaced setae; segment VIII with complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia; and sternites lacking discal setae but covered with rows of microtrichia except in the antero-medial region. Further, a preliminary comparison of morphological traits of S. dorsalis populations from different geographical regions was conducted, which can help in understanding the phenotype of this pest. Specimens of S. dorsalis were obtained from 5 distinct geographical regions: New Delhi, India; Shizouka, Japan; Negev, Israel; St. Vincent and Florida in the United States. Fourteen morphological characters of each population of S. dorsalis were measured and compared among the 5 populations. No significant differences were observed between the body lengths of the various S. dorsalis populations, which ranged from 0.85 mm (Negev) to 0.98 mm (Florida). When comparing 12 morphological characters, we found no significant differences among New Delhi, St. Vincent, Negev and Florida populations. However, when S. dorsalis populations of these 4 regions were compared with Shizouka, significant differences were detected for either 2 or 5 morphological characters depending on the population, suggesting the Japan population is more robust i.e., longer and wider mesothorax and metathorax, and wider abdomens. Also, the mean lengths of body size among different populations did not vary directly or inversely with latitude.

A change in temperature may be responsible for a variety of physiological stress responses in organisms, which are often associated with enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to oxidative damage. In the present study, the lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), were measured under thermal stress conditions of the relatively low (-5, -2.5, 0, and 5 °C) or high (35, 37.5, and 40 °C) temperatures. Subsequently, the time-related effect of thermal stress on activity of antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were systematically determined. The results showed that LPO levels increased significantly in a time-dependent manner under thermal stress. The activities of CAT, GSTs, and SOD were significantly enhanced and likely provided a defense mechanism against oxidative damage due to the accumulation of ROS. POX and T-AOC levels were not significantly modified. These results suggest that thermal stress induces oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzymes likely play an important role in reducing oxidative damage in B. dorsalis.

Body mass is an important, necessary parameter in life history studies. For insects, body mass is hard to obtain for large samples of species that may be distributed worldwide, making comparative studies difficult. Dry weights of museum specimens would be convenient, but specimens are generally inseparable from their pin. Here, I provide curves that allow researchers to estimate the weight of pins based on an empirically-derived model of length, diameter, material and head type (r² = 0.99). Thus, pin weight can be subtracted from total specimen weight, allowing estimation of dry specimen weight. I assess inaccuracy of the method due to uncertainty in pin weight, and discard specimens where this made the dry weight estimate unreliable. This occurred primarily in insects weighing less than twice the 95% confidence interval for the weight of the pin; as a rule of thumb, I show that this method is unsuitable for insects below 11mm long. Among remaining specimens, dry weights agreed well with reported weights of oven-dried conspecifics, but were slightly heavier than predicted based solely on length—possibly indicating shrinkage in length over time. Age had no effect upon specimen weight. This is a quick and easy method for determining insect dry weight with relatively small loss of accuracy, and should greatly facilitate comparative studies of insect life history that require body mass as a covariate.

A holistic approach to developing new corn germplasm that confers multiple insect resistance in various plant tissues at different growth stages was examined. Eight corn germplasm lines were examined for their foliar resistance to fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] and natural enemy attraction at V6–V8 (or 6–8 leaf) stages in 2008 and 2009. Four corn germplasm lines with known levels of resistance to root- and ear-feeding insects [‘CRW3(S1)C6’, ‘B37*H84’, ‘SIM6’ and ‘EPM6’], and four germplasm entries with different levels of S. frugiperda resistance (‘Mp708’, ‘Ab24E’, ‘FAW7061’ and ‘FAW7111’) were evaluated in the study. All plants were manually infested with 15–20 neonate S. frugiperda larvae per plant, and injury was rated 7 and 14 d after infestation. Based on cluster analysis of S. frugiperda injury rating and predator survey data, ‘Mp708’ and ‘FAW7061’ were the most resistant, whereas ‘Ab24E’ and ‘EPM6’ were the most susceptible to fall armyworm feeding. The western corn rootworm-resistant ‘CRW3(S1)C6’ showed resistance to S. frugiperda feeding. Surveys for the diversity and abundance of predators of S. frugiperda in each experimental plot were also conducted 7 d after infestation. ‘CRW3(S1)C6’ and ‘Ab24E’ had the highest and lowest predator abundance, respectively. However, there was no direct correlation between S. frugiperda injury ratings and predator abundance. The current study demonstrated the feasibility of developing foliage-, root-, and ear-feeding insect-resistant germplasm covering multiple corn growth stages. In addition, the possibility of utilizing plant volatiles to attract predators, and reduce pest populations and crop damage is discussed.

This study was conducted in 3 different counties (Tepic, Xalisco and San Blas) of the avocado growing area of Nayarit. For identification of species, thrips collections were conducted during 2008 using knockdown and net sweeping techniques. A total of 72 species were captured, 10 of which were phytophagous of which the most prevalent was Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouché) (13.42%); 16 were predaceous of which the most prevalent was Franklinothrips vespiformis (D. L. Crawford) (8.26%) and 46 species (26.83%) were considered occasional visitors. Species registered for the first time in Mexico were as follows: Heterothrips xolismae Hood 1936; H. pubescens Hood 1934; Frankliniella ramirezi Mound & Marullo 1996; F. sandovalensis Retana 1998 and Macrophthalmothrips heinzei Mound 1972.

Field investigations showed that Lixus circumcinctus Boheman 1835 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a major herbivore species living on Crambe orientalis in northeastern Anatolia and on Crambe tataria in central Anatolia. Adults hibernate in the root crown of host plants. They associate with their hosts in the spring, feed on leaves, young stems and buds, and lay solitary eggs in the stem and lower leaves of petiole. Larvae open galleries oriented downward toward the root crown. Mature larva make a pupal case using plant fibers at the end of gallery, and pass the pupal stage in the late summer. Second generation adults appear in early autumn, overwinter in the same niche, and complete one generation a year. Crambe orientalis harbors 7 species of weevils in eastern Turkey, and Crambe tataria harbors 8 weevil species in central Anatolia.

The adult phase of insects' life is primarily for reproduction of young ones that makes continuity of life possible. The influence of reproductive activities like mating and oviposition were investigated in adult males and females variegated grasshopper, Zonocerus variegatus. The adult stage was divided into four phases according to activities performed following days of emergence, namely: early somatic phase, late somatic phase, copulation and oviposition. During each phase, the insects were dissected and the somatic tissues (haemolymph, fat body and femoral muscles) were removed analyzed for both organic and inorganic substances. The mean concentration of organic substances (protein, glucose and lipids) and inorganic substances (Na , K ,ca² , and Cl^-) in both sexes' tissues increased significantly (p < 0.05) from early somatic to late somatic phase. However, there was a significant decrease in concentration of the metabolites in the three tissues during copulation in both sexes which further decreased during oviposition in female adult. In contrast to the female, there was increase in the concentration of the metabolites after copulation in the male adult. Copulation and oviposition are activities that exhaust tissues nutrients in adult Zonocerus variegatus.

Four commercial sticky fluorescent yellow rectangle traps differing in shades of yellow, fluorescence, and other features were compared for capturing apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). Traps were the Alpha Scents Yellow Card (Alpha Scents), Pherocon® AM (Pherocon), Multigard® AM (Multigard), and the Stiky™ Strips Insect Trap (Olson, small and large sizes), all baited with the same ammonium bicarbonate lure. L^*, a^*, and b^* color space values indicated that the Alpha Scents trap was whiter (higher L^*) and greener (lower a^*) than the other traps, less yellow than the Pherocon trap, and more yellow (higher b^*) than Multigard and Olson traps. The Pherocon trap had the highest relative fluorescence and was the brightest trap, followed in order by Multigard, Olson, and Alpha Scents traps. Various modified forms of the Alpha Scents trap captured significantly (1.5–6.4 times) more R. pomonella in choice tests than the Pherocon trap. The Alpha Scents trap captured 1.3–3.6 times more R. pomonella in paired choice tests than Pherocon, Multigard, and small and large Olson traps, and the Pherocon trap caught 1.4 times more R. pomonella than the Multigard trap (the Olson traps were not compared with these two traps). A combination of color and fluorescence features in the Alpha Scents trap could have contributed to its superior performance. These results suggest the Alpha Scents trap could be an alternative to the other traps tested for monitoring R. pomonella.

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is an exotic wood-boring insect that vectors Raffaelea lauricola, the fungal pathogen responsible for laurel wilt, a lethal disease of trees in the Lauraceae. First detected in the U.S. near Savannah, GA in 2002, X. glabratus has since spread throughout the southeastern coastal plain causing high mortality in native Persea species, particularly redbay (P. borbonia) and swampbay (P. palustris). Currently, breeding populations of X. glabratus pose an imminent threat to the avocado (P. americana) industry in south Florida. There is a critical need for effective attractants to detect, monitor, and control the spread of this invasive pest. In an effort to identify host-based attractants for dispersing female X. glabratus, we conducted a comparative study of the volatile chemicals emitted from wood of six species of Lauraceae found in Florida: avocado (Persea americana), redbay (P. borbonia), swampbay (P. palustris), silkbay (P. humilis), camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), and lancewood (Ocotea coriacea). We compared chemical profiles to those obtained from wood of lychee, Litchi chinensis (Sapindaceae), a presumed non-host found to be highly attractive to X. glabratus in field tests. GC-MS analysis identified 11 terpenoid compounds common to all lauraceous species. Of these, 4 sesquiterpenes were also found in lychee: a-copaene, b-caryophyllene, a-humulene and cadinene. Future research will include field tests and laboratory bioassays to evaluate the roles of each of these potential kairomones.

Culicoides insignis Lutz and Culicoides paraensis Goeldi are known bluetongue virus and filariasis (caused by Mansonella ozzardi Manson) vectors, respectively. Bluetongue virus appears to be restricted to northeastern Argentina, while filariasis is endemic in the subtropical mountain forest of the Argentine northwest. With the objective of characterizing the abundance and seasonality of both Culicoides species, entomological sampling was carried out from Dec 2004 to Nov 2005 in the southern area of the forest of Tucumán province. The specimens were captured using CO2-baited CDC light traps placed in 2 types of environments, wild and anthropized. The abundance of the specimens in relation to environmental variables was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Out of the 2,497 adult specimens collected, 76.9% belonged to C. paraensis, 20.4% to C. insignis and the 2.5% belonged jointly to Culicoides debilipalpis Lutz, Culicoides lahillei Lutz and Culicoides venezuelensis Mirsa & Ortiz (2.5%), and 0.2% could not be identified. Peaks of abundance of C. insignis and C. paraensis in decreasing magnitude were observed in the fall, summer and spring, respectively; and the largest number of specimens was found in the anthropized environment. Mean minimum and maximum temperatures and levels of accumulated rainfall were the variables that best explained the abundance of these 2 species. The present work is an important contribution not only to the knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics of these vectors in nature, but also to the elucidation of the implications of anthropization of the forest environment, and the effect of these climatic variables as determinants of the abundance of the species and, hence, as determinants of the possible transmission of filariasis in the subtropical mountain forest of the Argentine northwest.

Fruit flies that belong to the genus Bactrocera (Diptera: Tephritidae) are major invasive pests of agricultural crops in Asia and Australia. Increased transboundary movement of agricultural produce has resulted in the chance introduction of many invasive species that include Bactrocera mainly as immature stages. Therefore quick and accurate species diagnosis is important at the port of entry, where morphological identification has a limited role, as it requires the presence of adult specimens and the availability of a specialist. Unfortunately when only immature stages are present, a lacunae in their taxonomy impedes accurate species diagnosis. At this juncture, molecular species diagnostics based on COX-I have become handy, because diagnosis is not limited by developmental stages. Yet another method of quick and accurate species diagnosis for Bactrocera spp. is based on the development of species-specific markers. This study evaluated the utility of COX-I for the quick and accurate species diagnosis of eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of B. zonata Saunders, B. tau Walker, and B. dorsalis Hendel. Furthermore the utility of species-specific markers in differentiating B. zonata (500bp) and B. tau (220bp) was shown. Phylogenetic relationships among five subgenera, viz., Austrodacus, Bactrocera, Daculus, Notodacus and Zeugodacus have been resolved employing the 5′ region of COX-I (1490-2198); where COX-I sequences for B. dorsalis Hendel, B. tau Walker, B. correcta Bezzi and B. zonata Saunders from India were compared with other NCBI-GenBank accessions. Phylogenetic analysis employing Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Bayesian phylogenetic approach (BP) showed that the subgenus Bactrocera is monophyletic.

The effect of temperature on development and the effect of photoperiod on diapause incidence of insects are common topics in insect physiology. Related to these topics, are 3 important concepts: the lower and upper developmental thresholds, which represent the lower and upper limits of thermal range for insects to develop, and the critical photoperiod, which causes diapause in 50% of a population. To compare lower or upper developmental thresholds of 2 different developmental stages or of 2 populations at the same developmental stage is difficult because of the lack of a suitable statistical method. Shi et al. (2010) proposed 2 methods for testing whether there is a significant difference between 2 lower developmental thresholds. However, these 2 methods are only applicable to the linear relationship between developmental rate and temperature. There are also many studies on the geographic variation in the critical photoperiods for different populations of an insect species. Also, a method is lacking for testing whether there is a significant difference between 2 critical photoperiods. In this study, we test bootstrap to determine if there is a significant difference between different parameters. Bootstrap can then be used to compare any 2 lower or upper developmental thresholds, or to compare 2 critical photoperiods. It can also provide the confidence interval of a critical photoperiod.

Sterile insect technique programs continue to use high radiation doses to sterilize Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), without always considering the relationship between sterility and competitiveness. The aims of the present work were to verify, under laboratory conditions, the assumptions made by Parker and Mehta (2007) regarding the relationships between the level of residual fertility, competitiveness and sperm transfer ratio of mass-reared C. capitata males, and radiation dose. The males were irradiated in the pupal stage at doses ranging from 50 to 145 Gy. Our results show that radiation dose has a linear relationship with both competitiveness and fertility after suitable transformation. We could show that there is a clear optimum radiation dose at a dose dependent on the over-flooding ratio achieved.