The pigment glands of the cotton plant (Gossypium) produce a group of structurally related terpenoid aldehydes that protect the plant from herbivorous insects. Of these terpenoids, the most extensively studied is gossypol. Gossypolone, a compound closely related to gossypol, has been reported in the pigment glands but its activity against bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), has not been reported. We report the effect on bollworm fed gossypol and gossypolone at concentrations of 0.06, 0.08, and 0.12% in an artificial diet. In previous studies, gossypol showed a hormetic effect when fed to tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius), or Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner); in the present study gossypol also showed a hormetic effect when fed to bollworm. Gossypolone did not exhibit a hormetic effect at the concentrations tested, but pupae from larvae fed 0.12% gossypolone were significantly smaller than those fed the check diet or any of the diets with gossypol. Gossypol at the concentrations tested did not delay days to pupation, but in an earlier study gossypol at 0.16% delayed days to pupation from 13.9 ± 0.5 to 22.6 ± 1.0. In this study, gossypolone also delayed days to pupation but at a lower concentration [i.e., gossypolone at 0.12% delayed days to pupation from 13.3 ± 0.1 for the check to 20.8 ± 0.7 days]. A delay in days to pupation will reduce the number of generations that develop during a growing season, and may reduce larval survival. The biosynthesis of gossypolone may be due to a single gene. If so, increased expression of the gene could provide an overall increase in resistance to Heliothines pests of cotton.

Twelve perennial small grain cultivars were examined for eight characteristics favorable to management of greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani). A greenbug-susceptible variety of hard red winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L., and a greenbug-resistant hard red winter wheat variety were used as checks. Eight of the 12 perennial small grain cultivars (including X Triticosecale spp. / Thinopyrum intermedium // X Triticosecale spp., X Triticosecale spp. / Thinopyrum ponticum // X Triticosecale spp., Thinopyrum ponticum / Triticum aestivum var. Eltan, X Agrotriticum spp. (PI550715) / Tripsacum dactyloides var. Spitzer, and Hordeum vulgare var. MT2 / Tripsacum dactyloides var. Spitzer) had at least one favorable greenbug management characteristic. Cultivars that included X Triticosecale spp. and either Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey or T. ponticum wheatgrass in their genetic background had the most favorable characteristics.

In central Oklahoma, winter canola (Brassica napus L.) has recently become the primary rotational winter crop with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Annual aphid pest outbreaks in canola have resulted in widespread application of insecticide. Insect parasitoids, which frequently suppress aphids in nearby wheat, may move to canola because of large numbers of aphids. These parasitoids probably will be exposed to insecticide. Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson is the dominant parasitoid of aphid pests in wheat in Oklahoma and can frequently suppress and maintain aphid infestations below the economic injury level. The expansion of canola acreage in Oklahoma might disrupt biological control of cereal aphids in wheat if L. testaceipes prefers to colonize canola because of the abundance of aphids and many die as a result of more frequent use of insecticide in canola. In this case, canola could act as an ecological trap for L. testaceipes. We surveyed aphids and their parasitoids in wheat and nearby canola fields in central Oklahoma approximately at flowering time for canola. The purpose was to determine the relative abundance of aphids and parasitoids in each crop and assess the potential for canola fields to act as an ecological trap for L. testaceipes. For aphids collected from canola fields, Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) was the dominant parasitoid, with rates of parasitism ranging from 2 to 27%. Aphelinus sp. also parasitized the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L., but was rare. Lysiphlebus testaceipes was not recovered from any species of aphid in canola despite being abundant on aphids in nearby wheat fields, with parasitism ranging from 3 to 43%. The results suggested limited potential for canola to attract and potentially serve as an ecological trap for L. testaceipes from wheat.

Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, feeds on epidermal cells of foliage, destroys photosynthetic cells, and reduces yield, fiber quality, and seed germination of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. With a short life cycle, prolific fecundity, an arrhenotokous reproduction, and an ability to expeditiously digest and detoxify xenobiotics, twospotted spider mite has the propensity to develop resistance to insecticides. Despite mobility, small size, and difficulties associated with handling of twospotted spider mites, this study demonstrated that the 20-ml glass-vial bioassay is a useful technique to evaluate contact toxicity of acaricides against adult mites in a laboratory. A colony of twospotted spider mites was maintained on pinto beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L. in a greenhouse. Abamectin with LC⁵⁰ (95% CL) of 0.014 (0.01–0.02) µg per vial was 1,006 time more toxic than spiromesifen with a LC₅₀ of 14.086 (7.592–42.371) µg per vial. The LC₅₀ values of spiromesifen and propargite were comparable. Bifenazate was 10 times more toxic than dicofol to twospotted spider mite. The order of toxicity of acaricides tested against twospotted spider mite adults was abamectin > bifenazate > dicofol > propargite = spiromesifen. These data are useful for developing baseline contact toxicity for adult twospotted spider mite and monitoring tolerance to acaricides used on cotton in Central Texas.

Larvae of Eleodes spp., known as false wireworms, have been occasionally registered attacking seeds and seedlings of different plant species grown in the cold climate of the Cundi-Boyacense Highlands of Colombia. They seem to be pests of agricultural importance to plants in greenhouses at ∼24°C. Damage observed for the first time by larvae of this tenebrionid identified as Eleodes longicollis punctigerus Blaisdell acting as a cutworm of tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum L., with long-shelf life in greenhouses was evaluated and characterized at the Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales U.D.C.A. Damage to recently-transplanted seedlings ranged from 15 to 72%, necessitating reseeding, which considerably increased production costs. A significant relationship (Spearman's 0.92) was found between the percentage of cut seedlings and mean number of larvae per site. The use of carbaryl-based toxic bait controlled the pest satisfactorily, killing many larvae, which allowed estimation of the population within the greenhouse. This report could be of importance to other tomato-growing regions because the genus Eleodes is widely distributed from Canada to Mexico and probably farther south.

A restriction digestion method has been developed for haplotyping the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli Šulc., an economically important pest of solanaceous crops. This method differentiates the four known potato psyllid haplotypes by using restriction enzyme digestion of a portion of the mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA, tRNA-Val, and a portion of the small subunit ribosomal RNA, providing a second target within the mitochondrial DNA for haplotyping studies. This technique also provides a good alternative to the current method of potato psyllid haplotyping which uses high-resolution melting analysis, a technique that requires access to a real-time PCR machine with high-resolution melting capabilities. Potato psyllid haplotyping by restriction digestion is done using basic laboratory equipment that is readily available for smaller laboratories with budgetary limitations, thereby providing an excellent tool for laboratories of all sizes to identify psyllid populations.

The Mexican state of Guerrero is fourth in butterfly diversity in Mexico. However, little is known about the superfamily Hesperioidea and communities of butterflies that live in coastal ecosystems. Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea of Laguna Potosí and surrounding area were surveyed monthly for 1 year (December 2009-November 2010) in pre-established transects in tropical dry forest; xerophytic shrubland; mangrove; coconut palm crop; secondary vegetation of tropical dry forest; and mixed environment of acacia forest, coconut palm, and mango crops. In total, 188 species in two superfamilies, six families, 18 subfamilies, and 127 genera were identified; seven species were endemic to Mexico, three to the tropical dry forest, and 32 were new records for Guerrero. Most species of butterflies were found in the family Hesperiidae (73), followed by Nymphalidae (52), Pieridae (20), Lycaenidae (19), Riodinidae (15), and Papilionidae (nine species). Most species were found in xerophytic shrubland (114) and tropical dry forest (103) that also had the greatest number of species exclusive to one habitat. Environmental heterogeneity increased the butterfly diversity of the area, including human-altered environments. Tropical dry forest and xerophytic shrubland seemed the vegetation types where butterfly diversity was greatest in the region. Preserving biological diversity, which is affected by both urbanization and the possibility of developing megaprojects for tourism, is necessary.

Melanoplus lakinus (Scudder) is one of the most abundant grasshopper species in the Mexican state of Durango. This state covers a wide semi-desert region of large grassland areas with much biotic diversity, specific orography, and contrasting environmental factors that may affect the genetic structure of the species. Genetics of Melanoplus lakinus populations from seven Durango locations with different biotic and environmental characteristics were assessed. The grassland locations had different plant diversities (ranging from an H' of 1.34 to 3.04) and different proportions of grass. They also have different environmental and orographic conditions. Sixty M. lakinus specimens collected among the locations were analyzed using microsatellites. Three microsatellite markers (OD4, OD7, and OD12) were selected from 11 reported primers. The characterization of loci revealed an average of 28 alleles per locus (range 74–390 bp). The probability of combined non-exclusion was 0.9999, with a mean null allele frequency of 0.1498 and mean expected heterozygosity of He = 0.754 ± 0.0283 (range 0.300–0.962). Genetic diversity among the sampled locations was assessed using Fisher's exact probability test, revealing large values (F_st = 0.263, p = 0.022) that indicated differences in allele frequency among populations. Cluster analysis revealed the presence of three grasshopper groups without an indication of isolation because of distance among them (Mantel test p = 0.160). Canonical analysis demonstrated that differences among environmental variables were correlated with genetics of the M. lakinus population (R = 0.989, p = 0.020). The genetic diversity, as indicated by allelic frequencies in the M. lakinus population, correlated with weather variables. These observations may help elucidate M. lakinus population dynamics in Durango State, Mexico.

Emergence patterns and sex ratios of the twig girdler, Oncideres cingulata (Say), were examined during 2004–2005 relative to measures of twig morphology and species of host tree. Emergence patterns varied significantly between study years, by sex, and among host species. Beetles emerged an average of 10 days earlier in 2004 than in 2005. Mean date of emergence for male beetles was 3 days earlier than for females. Beetles emerged from twigs girdled from honey locust (Gleditisia triacanthos L.) a day earlier than from American elm (Ulmus americana L.), 2 days earlier than from pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch), and 4 days earlier than from birch (Betula nigra L.). However, regression models found only weak relationships between twig morphology parameters and the timing of emergence of beetle adults. Similarly, sex ratios were unrelated to any aspect of twig morphology and did not vary between years or among host species.

A new species of oak gall wasp, Andricus breviramuli Pujade-Villar n. sp., is described from Mexico. The species is known only from asexual females. Data on the diagnosis, distribution, and biology of the new species are given. The wasp induces galls on twigs and young shoots of Quercus laeta Liebm. This gall wasp seems to be a serious pest of Q. laeta in Santa Fe (Delegación Cuajimalpa, DF), México City.

Two new species of Nearctic fungus gnats were discovered in western Michigan. One adult male of Anatella nigrohalterata n. sp. and three adult males of Platurocypta bicorna n. sp. flew to a Malaise trap in an ecotone between swamp and second-growth forest dominated by black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marshall), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrhart). Adult females and juveniles of both species remain unknown.

We describe and compare the chorion morphology of three species of the genus Ascia and Ganyra. Their characterization and illustration include the main structural features of the egg: number and arrangement of longitudinal axes (short and long), and quantification of ribs or cells, protuberances, projections, and reminiscent ribs; the color and size are also described. We typify three egg models: ellipsoidal with protuberances exhibiting a grid of pores in Ascia, elongated or oblong ellipsoidal with laminar projections unciforms in Ganyra. Comparisons are made between the chorion features of different species and related genera (Glutophrissa and Leptophobia). We discuss their phylogenetic and taxonomic implications.

Currently there is an increase in tropical crops dedicated to ornamental horticulture. This study is the first assessment of the role of a Heliconia spp. ornamental plant cultivation in Mexico as habitat for insect biodiversity conservation, using ant assemblages as bioindicators. A total of 9,022 ant workers belonging to seven subfamilies, 14 tribes, 27 genera, and 55 species was captured. Conversion of native vegetation to tropical ornamental agriculture affects the richness, diversity and dominance of ants, but not assemblages’ composition. The importance of species composition as a predictor parameter of functional changes in the landscape is highlighted.

Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), is one of the most destructive species with greater abundance and distribution in stored beans Phaseolus vulgaris L., causing great economic losses in Sonora, Mexico. Control of this pest has been based mainly on the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides. Their intensive application has caused insect resistance, environmental pollution and impact on human health, therefore increasing research to control it has the aim of developing safe alternatives with potential to replace synthetic insecticides, while not being harmful. We studied the toxic effect and persistence of the essential oil (EO) of Lippia palmeri (Watson) (Verbenaceae) on Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) in stored beans. The EO was compared between plant leaves collected from two locations: Puerto of Oregano (POEO) and Alamos Sonora (AEO). Beans were treated with 0, 0.135, 1.35, 4.0, and 8.0 µl/g of EO and infested with Z. subfasciatus. Mortality, oviposition, insect emergence, and percentage of damaged grain were assessed for 4 months. The POEO caused greater mortality, and both EOs showed ovicidal effects that persisted for 2 months with the 1.35 µl/g dose. Moreover, lethal effects after 3 months of storage at 4 and 8 µl/g were observed, either in insect emergence or damaged grain. This seems to be caused by the persistence of the essential oils carvacrol, thymol, and p-cymene in the Lippia palmeri samples.

The location of Scyphophorus acupunctatus in different parts of Agave plants was determined in Oaxaca, Mexico. Field samples during 2006 to 2010 included wild and domesticated plants in which S. acupunctatus was found in all its developmental stages. We found nine Agave species not previously reported as attacked by S. acupunctatus, exhibiting different degrees of effect and damage. These new reports represent approximately 40% new scientific knowledge and point out important aspects of the presence of this insect in these plants used to produce the alcoholic beverage mescal. Plants with 4 and 5 damage level had the greatest number of lesions per plant (28.3 and 39.2), adults/leaves (15.7 and 30.5) and larvae/stem (35 and 45) respectively.

Potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, vectors the bacterium associated with the devastating zebra chip disease of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and New Zealand. A seasonal pattern of appearance of the psyllid in crops from southern to northern regions of the United States is well documented. Potatoes are commonly grown as winter and summer crops in southern and northern parts, respectively, of the United States. No other plant material is available for psyllids when each crop is planted, and the psyllids must migrate into each crop each season. Appearance of psyllids in potato crops commonly starts at an initial focus, often at field margins or other breaks in the canopy, such as irrigation tracks. Psyllids readily jump and fly when disturbed, providing an obvious mechanism for dispersal within a crop. Good experimental evidence also supports longer distance dispersal of potato psyllid, from tens of meters to a few kilometers, most likely by cumulative short distances between suitable host plants within a region. Seasonal infestation observations suggest annual continental-wide migration of the psyllid, although little direct experimental evidence yet exists. Mechanisms for dispersal of potato psyllid over continental distances have been proposed, largely associated with seasonal wind patterns. However, recent overwintering observations in the northern regions of its native zone in the United States and identification of geographically-defined and genetically distinct potato psyllid populations, suggest a static regional status of at least some populations. Thus, a review of migration of potato psyllid into crops is presented herein, and a new paradigm for considering overwintering strategies of potato psyllid is required.

This is the first report of the vegetable leafminer Liriomyza sativae tunneling in chickpea leaves (Cicer arietinum), in Sinaloa, Mexico. Leafminer adults emerged from field collected chickpea leaves kept under laboratory conditions, as well as the parasitoids Opius spp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Diglyphus spp., Neochrysocharis spp. and Closterocerus spp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) representing 53, 13, 13, and 20%, respectively, of all the emerged parasitoids.

The susceptibility of the spotted wing Drosophila suzukii Matsumura to four entomopathogenic fungal strains (Isaria fumosorosea Pf21, Pf17, Pf15, and Metarhizium anisopliae Ma59), was evaluated in vitro bioassays. The results showed that the percentage of mortality of the fly was 85% using the fungal strain Pf21 (85%), followed by Pf17, Pf15, and Ma59, with 60, 57, and 12% mortality, respectively. These results suggest that the application of these entomopathogenic fungal strains could be used as biological control agents of this insect that has recently become a pest of importance in Mexico.