We investigated predation by adult convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergeas Guerin-Meneville, on the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae L., on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., plants in a laboratory arena. A model relating beetle hunger to starvation time was developed and used to calculate initial hunger for beetles used in predation observations. Hunger level was significantly correlated with the time spent searching a wheat plant and the number of aphids eaten by both male and female convergent lady beetles during a plant visit. Time since contacting (either touching or eating) an aphid was slightly negatively correlated with time the lady beetle spent searching a plant. Time since contact also was slightly negatively related to the number of aphids eaten. The mean time required to eat an aphid increased with aphid instar as was expected because of the corresponding increase in size. Female convergent lady beetles took an average of 27.0 seconds to consume a first-instar English grain aphid, with time increasing to 141.2 seconds for an apterous adult. The mean proportion of English grain aphids leaving a plant in response to foraging by lady beetles increased with aphid instar from 0.09 for first instars to 0.49 for adult alatae. The proportion of aphids leaving a plant was significantly correlated with the time a lady beetle spent searching a plant. Although we observed increased residence time and increased time adult convergent lady beetles spent searching when aphids were abundant, the predation rate was independent of the number of aphids on a plant.

A long-term tillage study plot was sampled to evaluate the effects of tillage on soil-dwelling microarthropods. Soil (300 cm3) was sampled on four dates during two growing seasons from conventional and no-till plots of winter wheat. Microarthropods were extracted using Tullgren funnels and enumerated into seven taxonomic categories: 1) Total abundance, 2) Oribatida, 3) Mesostigmata, 4) Prostigmata, 5) Astigmata, 6) Collembola, and 7) other invertebrates. Abundance within six of the seven groups was greater in no-till than conventionally tilled soil on seven of the eight sampling dates: 1) Total abundance in conventional till 6.44 ± 1.68 and 21.39 ± 5.35 in no-till, 2) Oribatida in conventional till 1.06 ± 0.36 and 7.33 ± 2.23 in no till, and 3) Other invertebrates in conventional till 4.50 ± 0.82 and 10.67 ± 2.85 in no till. The Mesostigmata and Collembola showed significant differences between conventionally tilled and no-till plots on multiple dates. In contrast, mites in the group Prostigmata were more abundant in conventionally tilled soil (3.89 ± 1.13 versus 2.00 ± 0.88 in no till). Abundance of soil microarthropods in no-till plots generally increased (21.39 ± 5.35 in Season 1 to 42.42 ± 4.59 in Season 2), which might indicate gradual recovery of the habitat. Assessments of soil quality in no-till agricultural systems should include evaluations of beneficial soil fauna such as microarthropods.

Three planting-date windows [early — 3 weeks before (i.e., 26–29 April) the recommended optimum planting window; timely — the commonly recommended optimum planting window of 16–19 May; and late — 3 weeks after (i.e., 6–9 June) the recommended optimum planting window] and three planting patterns (Solid — solidrow stand; Skip 2×1 — two rows planted, one row skipped; and Skip 2×2 — two rows planted, two rows skipped) were evaluated to determine their influence on abundance and population dynamics of arthropods during 3 years in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., on the Texas Rolling Plains. Arthropod species sampled included thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande); cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter); cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover; and bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Planting date significantly influenced aphid abundance. Fewer aphids were found in early-planted cotton (1.0 per leaf) compared with timely (2.3 per leaf) or late (1.8 per leaf) planted cotton. Similarly, bollworms were more abundant in early- and late-planted cotton (157 and 204% greater, respectively) than in optimally planted cotton. Planting pattern did not significantly influence abundance of thrips or cotton fleahopper. Conversely, consistently more cotton aphids (2.2 per leaf) were found in Skip 2×2 planted cotton, followed by Skip 2×1 (1.8 aphids per leaf) and Solid (1.2 aphids per leaf). Abundance of bollworms did not significantly vary with planting pattern. With fewer planted rows, Skip 2×2 yield, at 348 kg per hectare, was significantly less than that of Skip 2×1 (414 kg per hectare) or Solid (409 kg per hectare), yet marked improvement in most lint-quality parameters was noted for both skip-row plantings. This study provides evidence that a Skip 2×1 planting pattern in mid-May seems to be the best production scenario for dryland cotton in the semi-arid region of Texas.

Phyllophaga obsoleta Blanchard is a key pest in Mexican agriculture. Its chemical communication dynamics are partially known. A system of monitoring based on sex pheromones helps reduce the amount of damage it can cause as “white grubs.” To identify the sex pheromone requires many individuals, especially virgin females. Meridic diet and check diet were used to rear larvae. Both substrates were supplied with food for first- and second-instar larvae of P. obsoleta. The effect of each diet on larval survival, weight, and instar transition was evaluated. On Day 175, the meridic diet resulted in more larval weight gain and faster development into third instars than did the check diet. The meridic diet is effective for rearing P. obsoleta in a laboratory.

Screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), were devastating pests in parts of North America and Central America before their eradication by the Sterile Insect Technique. Now a barrier is maintained to prevent re-entry of screwworms from endemic regions to those free of screwworms. Barrier maintenance requires mass rearing millions of competitive insects, sterilization by irradiation, and release into infested areas. Weight of the mature larvae (or pupae) is used for assessing fly quality for mass-reared screwworms. A method for producing flies of different sizes in the laboratory was developed. Small and large male flies were compared for sexual performance. A standardized measure of the wing length was used to characterize adult size. This measurement correlated positively with the larval and pupal weights. Although small males mated successfully, they mated with fewer females than did large males when each was placed alone with a group of females. When placed together with large males, small screwworm males were out-competed (41.2% as competitive) by the large males. Although behavior of male screwworm flies in laboratory conditions has not been demonstrated to be similar under field conditions, knowledge of mating competitiveness of sterile males of different sizes is valuable to the screwworm eradication program.

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is exotic to Mexico. It has been detected recently at least 3 km south of the Texas-Mexico border, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Previous studies in the USA have indicated that the arrival and establishment of the red imported fire ant has resulted in reductions of density and diversity of resident ant populations; S. invicta also modifies the associations with and among other ant species. This initial ecological study was conducted from 2007 to 2009 in Matamoros, Mexico, to assess the impact of the red imported fire ant on relative density, diversity, and interspecific associations of other resident ants. The goal of the study was to determine the impact of the imported fire ant infestation on remaining resident ants in two habitat types: (agricultural fields and natural habitats) in adjacent S. invicta infested and non-infested areas. Pitfall traps were used to estimate ant abundance and diversity. A total of 31,838 ants (12,515 in the non-infested area and 19,323 in the infested area) was collected, distributed among 26 genera in six subfamilies. The most abundant taxa in both areas (infested and non-infested) were the red imported fire ant and Pheidole spp., respectively. In both areas, the prevailing associations were generally constituted by Pheidole spp., Forelius spp., the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus Smith, and the pyramid ant, Dorymyrmex spp. These ants are positively associated among them, but they are strongly and negatively associated with the red imported fire ant, as reported in previous studies. There appeared to be a general shift in dominance with S. invicta often antagonizing and displacing the previously dominant ants. Diversity of ants was not different among S. invicta-infested and non-infested areas, but non-S. invicta ants abundance was lower in infested areas.

In 1975, adult musk thistle head weevils, Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich, were released south of Hanna, Red River Parish, LA, for control of the musk thistle, Carduus nutans L. Subsequent releases were in 1976 south of Hanna and in 1994 near Elm Grove, Bossier Parish, LA. Surveys in 2004, 2008, and 2010 examined abundance and range expansion of R. conicus in northwestern Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas. Results from these surveys were compared with surveys in 1994 and 2001. South of the Shreveport/Bossier City metropolitan area where R. conicus had initially been released, abundance increased from 1994 to 2008. From 2008 to 2010, percentage of infested flower heads decreased from 90.9 to 74%, with mean weevils per infested flower head decreasing from 12.9 to 3.9. North of the metropolitan area, where weevil infestations were lower in 1994, mean weevilinfested flower heads has increased steadily from 1994 to 2010. R. conicus continues to expand its range north into southwestern Arkansas. Three Arkansas counties, Hempstead, Lafayette, and Miller, now have established populations of R. conicus.

Vaejovis bigelowi, a new species of the scorpion family Vaejovidae, is described from the northern portion of the Peloncillo Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. The new species is most closely related to V. jonesi Stahnke, 1940 from which it may be distinguished by morphometries and carination of the metasoma.

One insect species parasitizing adults of the green lacewing Chrysopa chi Fitch and the cocoon of a second species were encountered in western Michigan. Adult females of the ectoparasitic ceratopogonid midge Forcipomyia eques (Johannsen) were found attached to the forewings of two adult hosts but the cocoon of the endoparasitic species remains unidentified. It appears to be the work of a new species or a described species not yet known to parasitize chrysopids because the cocoon is different from the only such specimen known for the euphorine braconid Chrysopophthorus americanus Mason, the only U.S. insect suspected as an internal parasite of adult chrysopids. The braconid is rarely encountered but known from Arizona and presumably occurs in other southwestern states where the solution to the identity problem might be found.

The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula (Christ), has colonized much of Colorado during the past decade and has emerged as a dominant species of nuisance wasp. It is impacting many types of prey species, particularly larval Lepidoptera. However, in western Colorado it is also a common pest in fruit orchards and can be very damaging to ripening grapes, Vitis vinifera L.; sweet cherries, Prunus avium (L.) L.; and other thin-fleshed stone fruits. This latter habit is unusual for a Polistes species.