We report the first detections of Aculops ailanthi Lin, Jin, and Kuang (1997) (Acariformes: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) from Montgomery County, Virginia, and Wayne County, Michigan, USA; the fourth and fifth states to report this non-gall forming rust mite on Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. We initially became aware of the pest in Virginia due to severe symptomology on greenhouse-cultivated Ai. altissima. In Michigan, similar observations from a field survey led to the mites' discovery. We tentatively identified the pest as an eriophyid mite of unknown species. Samples from both states were sent to USDA-ARS for identification and, using scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the species as A. ailanthi based on the morphological features. Moreover, we describe the impacts that high populations of A. ailanthi can have on Ai. altissima in greenhouse settings and potential use as a biological control agent. Field observations from Michigan are encouraging that A. ailanthi can affect Ai. altissima outside of greenhouse settings.

The plant bug genus Izyacapsus Henry (Miridae: Orthotylinae: Ceratocapsini) is reviewed and three new species are described: I. argentinus new species from Mendoza Province, Argentina; I. boliviensis new species from Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia; and I. woodruffi new species from several provinces in the Dominican Republic. Digital images of the adults and male genitalia of each species are provided, I. kerzhneri Henry and I. rubrocuneatus Henry are diagnosed, and a revised key to the species of the genus is given to aid identification.

Flies of the curvicauda group of the genus Anastrepha with different color patterns that were previously recognized as four species are here reported to be color morphs of a single species, Anastrepha nigrotaenia (Enderlein), new combination, on the basis of morphological and molecular study. The names Toxotrypana australis Blanchard, Toxotrypana nigra Blanchard, Toxotrypana picciola Blanchard, and Toxotrypana proseni Blanchard, as well as Toxotrypana pseudopicciola Blanchard, previously considered a junior synonym of T. nigra, are here considered new synonyms of A. nigrotaenia. Specimens reared from the same samples of fruit of Araujia sericifera Brot. (Apocynaceae) in Uruguay that comprised three species based on the previous morphological concepts were nearly all identical in COI and 16S sequences and all clustered in a single clade with other specimens of these taxa in phylogenetic and multispecies coalescence analyses based on 1347 ortholog loci obtained with Anchored Hybrid Enrichment. A redescription and diagnosis are provided for A. nigrotaenia, and its host plant and distribution data are compiled and summarized.

While Bombus ephippiatus (Say, 1837) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a widespread bumble bee in Mesoamerica, most work on this species has been conducted in Mexico, and little is known about its life history at high elevations, particularly the genetically distinct Costa Rican population. Here we report observations of this species in remote high elevation areas of the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica, with occurrences reported from cloud forest to páramo ecosystems. We provide two new nest site elevation records, 750m higher than any previously published and report life history observations of plant use, copulation and new queen emergence above 2550m. These data establish B. ephippiatus as a resident member of the high elevation pollinator community in Costa Rica, and provide important elevational distribution information for a species of potential future economic importance.

The type locality of Curtara insularis (Caldwell, 1952) was originally recorded as San Juan, Puerto Rico. This species remained little known until it became invasive in parts of the Western Hemisphere, including the southeastern United States, in the early 2000's. Examination of the locality labels of the male holotype and female allotype of C. insularis revealed that the type locality is not San Juan, Puerto Rico as previously assumed, but is instead San Juan, Argentina. The morphological distinction in the literature between C. insularis and C. samera DeLong and Freytag, 1972, described from southern Brazil and northern Argentina, has been unclear. Morphological comparison of the type and allotype of C. insularis to 25 male paratypes of C. samera showed no significant morphological differences between the two taxa, and the differences suggested by authors to distinguish the two species are determined here to be unsupported. Based on these observations, C. insularis is considered the valid name, with C. samera considered a new synonym. The holotype and allotype of C. insularis and selected paratypes of C. samera are illustrated, and new records, notes on reported host plants, and distribution of C. insularis are provided.