The cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter), is an economic pest of Texas cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., that feeds on and causes abortion of early-stage squares. Cotton fleahopper eggs are laid in late fall and overwinter on woolly croton, Croton capitatus Michx. Cotton fleahoppers terminate diapause in early spring in response to minimum required temperature and moisture conditions. A laboratory study quantified the effects of different amounts of moisture (soaking durations of field-collected dead woolly croton plants) on the emergence of cotton fleahopper nymphs from diapaused eggs. Five moisture treatments evaluated were: 1) 24-hour initial soaking and no further moistening of the substrate for the remainder of emergence duration (T₁); 2) 2-hour initial soaking followed by daily mist spraying of the substrate (T₂); 3) 2-hour initial soaking followed by 30-minute soaking for the next 7 days and thereafter mist spraying daily (T₃); 4) 2-hour initial soaking followed by 30-minute soaking for the next 7 days and thereafter dipping the substrate in water daily (T₄); and 5) soaking for 15 minutes every other day (T₅). Emergence of nymphs started 6 days after initial incubation in T₃, while the latest emergence was recorded from T₂. Peak nymphal emergence was recorded 12-days after incubation. Significantly more (P = 0.05) nymphs emerged from T₄ (n = 425) and T₃ (n = 404) than from T₁ (n = 173), T₂ (n = 290), or T₅ (n = 293). To maximize fleahopper emergence from overwintered eggs in a laboratory, it was recommended that egg hatching be activated by soaking host substrate (croton) for 30 minutes daily for about 7 days and keeping the substrate moist throughout the emergence period.

Numbers of northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus (L.), have decreased during the past 50 years in Oklahoma. It is unknown if the availability of grounddwelling arthropods on which bobwhite chicks rely for 80% of their protein requirements plays a role because little is known of ground-dwelling arthropod communities in bobwhite habitats of western Oklahoma. We used pitfall traps to sample community composition and size classes of ground-dwelling arthropods along transects that spanned four vegetation zones at two wildlife management areas occupied by bobwhites in western Oklahoma and recorded the abundance of quail nests per zone. After collecting and identifying 58,020 arthropods from families known to be eaten by quail, we found 60% of the arthropods ideally suited for quail consumption were in riparian zones, and that most quail nested in upland zones. Approximately 15% of nests were in the zones with the most abundant arthropods in the Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area during 2013, compared to 5% in the Beaver Wildlife Management Area during 2013. Quail did not nest in the zones with the greatest numbers of suitable arthropods, perhaps because of invasive plants in the regions or because vegetation in other regions was more suitable for nesting.

The invasive red-streaked leafhopper, Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), was previously reported in Central Texas and Louisiana. Collected primarily on the introduced grass King Ranch bluestem, Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng var. songarica, which occurs throughout Oklahoma and in the Tallgrass Prairie, the red-streaked leafhopper threatens native grassland ecosystems because it could potentially disrupt established invertebrate assemblages. To determine if the species moved north into Oklahoma, patches of King Ranch bluestem along roadways in central Oklahoma were swept in November 2013, and captured individuals resembling the red-streaked leafhopper were preserved in 95% ethanol at -20°C for subsequent identification. Samples from McClain and Payne counties in Oklahoma contained individuals identified as the red-streaked leafhopper by morphological characteristics of the genitalia. Genomic DNA was extracted from the red-streaked leafhoppers and from a panel of field-collected leafhopper species. Novel species-specific primers amplified a 570- bp fragment of the mtCOI gene of the red-streaked leafhopper only. Sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed the morphological identifications. Few red-streaked leafhoppers were collected at two of the three sampling areas in 2013. Sampling efforts were expanded in 2014 to more regions of Oklahoma including the Tallgrass Prairie resulting in eight more locations with the red-streaked leafhopper. This report constitutes the first evidence of the leafhopper in Oklahoma as far north as Osage County in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and includes the development of novel PCR primers for specific identification of the red-streaked leafhopper. Potential ecological impacts of this invasive species on native grassland leafhoppers are discussed.

During recent cropping seasons, leaf miners (family Agromyzidae), which usually are abundant and defoliate plants, have become major pests of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. The aim of this study was to identify the species of leaf miner in tomato crops and the parasitoids that naturally regulate them in northern Sinaloa. Tomato crops were sampled every 2 weeks from October 2013 to February 2014. Leaf blades with evidence of leaf miner were collected and confined in disposable plastic cups until adult leaf miners or parasitoids emerged. The species of leaf miner was Liriomyza sativae Blanchard. Associated parasitoid species were Neochrysocharis sp., Closterocerus sp. Ashmead, Opius sp. Muesebeck, and a species not yet identified in the family Figitidae. Parasitism of leaf miners per sample date ranged from 10 to 80%, and total parasitism per sample area was 21 to 28%.

Sugarcane borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) feeds on buds and shoots of young plants and tunnels in stalks, causing yield loss and affecting juice quantity and quality of harvested sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). The objective of this research was to evaluate pest damage and identify borer species at La Chontalpa, Tabasco, Mexico. Samples were collected starting in February during plant growth and before harvest. Stalks were 8.9% infested and 1.9% damaged before harvest based on a damage scale for the pest, and 9.4% of plants had dead growing points. Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) was the only borer species found in the region. Infestation by D. saccharalis was low in sugarcane in the area.

We report two species of hairstreak butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) collected in Guatemala. Atlides gaumeri (Godman 1901) was recorded for the first time in the country, and Chalybs hassan (Stoll 1790) has been rediscovered for the first time since the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Descriptions of two new species of June beetles from Mexico are presented: Phyllophaga (Listrochelus) herminiae, found at Teposcolula, Mixteca region, Oaxaca (2,180 m altitude); and P. (Phyllophaga) jorgevaldezi, from San Nicolás Yaxe, Central Valleys region, Oaxaca (1,550 m altitude). Images of diagnostic characters and comments about differences among the new and other Mexican species of Phyllophaga are included.

The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of using formulations of entomopathogenic nematodes in two soil moisture conditions for effective control of larvae of white grub, Phyllophaga vetula (Horn) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae). Mortality of P. vetula larvae was compared using Steinernema glaseri Steiner, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, and Steinernema feltiae Filipjev in three forms of application (formulated in cadavers of Galleria mellonella L. larvae, bentonite pellet, and aqueous suspension) and two soil moisture conditions (moderate,11.8%, and high, 20.5%). The difference among treatments was very significant: S. glaseri was the most effective nematode, killing 75% of larvae when applied in aqueous suspension with moderate moisture. Next most effective was S. glaseri in cadavers with the same moisture conditions that killed 55%. The nematodes H. bacteriophora and S. feltiae applied in all three forms (aqueous medium, infected cadaver, and bentonite pellet) and with the two moisture conditions (11.8 and 20.5%) were statistically similar to the check and did not control Ph. vetula.

Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin were autodisseminated in the house fly, Musca domestica L., when one, five, and 10 virgin, 3-day old males exposed to 6 × 10⁸ conidia ml^-1 per fungus were confined with 30 females of the same age. Fungal treatments with one or five males killed few, with LT₅₀ of 7 and 5 days, respectively, but when 10 funguscontaminated males were placed with 30 flies, LT₅₀ was 3 days with a sporulation rate of 94% and 66% less oviposition. Moreover, confinement of one, five, or 10 fungal-infected males caused an incremental increase in virulence, reducing the LT₅₀. The regression of the mean of eggs, first-instar larvae, and days of gonotrophic cycle on the LT₅₀ values of nine treatments (six fungal groups and three checks) showed that the three variables decreased about 3–4 units per unit of LT₅₀. Likewise, when the gonotrophic cycle time was regressed on mean oviposition, a linear equation demonstrated that for each decrease of 15 eggs, the gonotrophic cycle was 1 day shorter, which was shortened from 7 days in healthy flies to 2 in females of the fungal treatment with 10 males. Ten virgin males impregnated with spores of either fungus infected and killed 50% of the exposed females in 3 days. This autodissemination could be used to improve integrated control of M. domestica in the field and human environments.

Pathogenicity of microencapsulated spores of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) Sorokin at a dose of 1 × 10⁸ spores per milliliter were used against tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Toxicity of non-microencapsulated spores at the same dose was also assessed. Bovine gelatin was used as a matrix to produce microcapsules by the spray-drying technique with an inlet temperature of 85°C and an outlet temperature of 33°C in the spray dryer process. Scanning electron microcopy was used to assist with measuring the microcapsule size and determining spore shape. Spore viability and moisture were also evaluated. Both fungal formulations were applied by immersing first-instar tobacco budworm larvae for 30 seconds. The number of larvae that died was recorded 48 hours post inoculation. Microcapsules were <20 μm. Spore viability was 16.0 ± 0.7% for B. bassiana and 13.2 ± 0.8% for M. anisopliae. Moisture contents of the fungi were 9.6 ± 3.9 and 9.3 ± 3.8%. Percentages of larvae killed were 33.3 ± 5.7 and 56.8 ± 5.8% for B. bassiana and M. anisopliae, respectively. The median lethal times were 60.0 ± 16.8 hours post inoculation for M. anisopliae and 85.9 ± 15.4 for B. bassiana non-microencapsulated spores, while the same microencapsulated fungi were 67.8 ± 15.3 and 72.0 ± 16.0 hours post inoculation. Spores of both fungi survived the spray-drying procedure (at 85 and 33°C) and were able to infect first-instar tobacco budworm larvae under laboratory conditions.

Se evaluó la patogenicidad de esporas microencapsuladas de B. bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin y Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) Sorokin a una dosis de 1 × 10⁸ esporas/ml sobre el gusano del fruto de tomate, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). La toxicidad de las esporas no microencapsuladas fue medida también a la misma dosis. Las microcápsulas fueron producidas empleando gelatina bovina como matriz, usando la técnica de secado por aspersión a 85 y 33°C como temperaturas de entrada y salida en el proces. Las microcápsulas fueron analizadas en un microscopio electrónico de barrido para medir el tamaño de la partícula. Se evaluó también la viabilidad de las esporas y su contenido de humedad. Para la prueba de patogenicidad de ambas formulaciones de hongos se aplicó la técnica de inmersión de larvas por 30 s usando larvas del primer ínstar de H. virescens y la mortalidad de larvas fue registrada 48 h después de la inoculación. Se obtuvieron microencapsulados de los hongos con un tamaño de partícula <20 μm, una viabilidad de esporas de 16.0 ± 0.7% para B. bassiana y 13.2 ± 0.8% para M. anisopliae, y un contenido de humedad de 9.6 ± 3.9 y 9.3 ± 3.8% para cada uno de estos hongos. Se registró una mortalidad de larvas de 33.3 ± 5.7% para B. bassiana y 56.8 ± 5.8% para M. anisopliae a las 48 h. El tiempo letal promedio para las esporas sin formular de M. anisopliae fue de 60.0 ± 16.8 y B. bassiana de 85.9 ± 15.4 (hpi), mientras que para las esporas microencapsuladas de estos mismos hongos fue de 67.8 ± 15.3 y 72.0 ± 16.0, respectivamente. Estos resultados demuestran que las esporas de estos hongos pueden sobrevivir al procedimiento secado por aspersión (a 85 y 33°C) conservando su capacidad para infectar larvas del primer ínstar de H. virescens en laboratorio.

Twenty two monosporic Beauveria bassiana isolates obtained from maize soil were identified by molecular techniques. Genomic DNA was amplified by PCR using the primers pair ITS1 and ITS4. These primers amplified for 550 bp fragment that includes part of the 18 S subunit, ITS1, 5.8 S subunit, ITS2, and 28 S subunit of the ribosomal DNA. The DNA was cloned with E coli JM 109, and then a new PCR was carried out using the M13F and M13R primers. After that, the DNA product was sequenced it was assessed by the NCBI BLAST program, resulting a homology of 99% with other species of B. bassiana in the GeneBank. Ten monosporic B. bassiana isolates were evaluated at 1.2 × 10⁶ conidia/ml against neonate larvae of fall armyworm S. frugiperda. The better isolate of B. bassiana code CIDDB02 with assessed number KP860298 had LC₅₀ of 2.3 × 10⁷ conidia/ml, with 100% of insect mortality 72 h after conidia inoculation. This study allowed us to identify fast and reliably one B. bassiana isolated with highest pathogenic activity against the fall armyworm.

En el presente estudio se caracterizó genéticamente al gusano cogollero colectado en 10 estados de México, mediante marcadores AFLP (Polimorfismo en la Longitud del Fragmento Amplificado). Se detectaron altos niveles de polimorfismo (98%), además el análisis de las relaciones genéticas y el índice de diversidad de los datos moleculares indicaron amplia variabilidad genética de esta especie. Se formaron dos grupos de genotipos de S. frugiperda en el dendrograma de las relaciones genéticas, confirmando la presencia de dos razas que podrían haber desarrollado diferencias biológicas y fisiológicas. No se observó la agrupación por origen geográfico, por lo que se concluye que la variación genética identificada se asocia más con la presencia de las razas maíz y arroz, que con el origen geográfico de los especímenes. La combinación E-ACT M-CAC fue la más eficiente para estimar las diferencias entre especímenes y separar ambos grupos de genotipos de S. frugiperda, ya que tuvo los valores de MI (80.52), RP (112.27), y PIC (0.297) más altos, así como una correlación alta y significativa entre PIC y MI (r² = 0.91, p < 0.05), y entre RP y MI (r² = 0.99, p < 0.05).

Se identificaron parasitoides asociados al gusano cogollero Spodoptera frugiperda (GC), mediante la colecta de 1,836 larvas de GC del primero al tercer estadio larval en maíz durante el 2012 y primavera-verano del 2013 en siete municipios del estado de Nayarit. Se colectaron 284 larvas parasitadas resultando en una tasa de parasitismo del 15.4%. Dentro del Orden Hymenoptera se identificaron seis especies parasitoides de la familia Braconidae de las cuales Chelonus cautus es el primer registro para Nayarit y tres especies de la familia Ichneumonidae. También se identificó una especie de la familia Scelionidae, así como Chloropidae y Tachinidae pertenecientes a Diptera. La tasa de parasitismo más alta fue de 42.3% ejercido por cuatro especies en el municipio de San Pedro Lagunillas en agosto de 2013.

Los agentes de control biológico, juegan un papel sustancial en la disminución del número poblacional de muchas especies de insectos plaga. Sin embargo, el método químico es el más usado en los diferentes esquemas de producción. Por lo que la combinación del control biológico con el uso de plaguicidas es la piedra angular para el control integrado de plagas. Por lo tanto es esencial conocer los efectos letales y subletales de los insecticidas sobre los enemigos naturales para maximizar la compatibilidad entre estas dos tácticas. Para ello se determinó la CL₅₀ de los insecticidas abamectina, bifentrina, endosulfan, imidacloprid, y profenofos sobre Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) y se estimó su efecto sobre el consumo de ninfas de Bactericera cockerelli. Los resultados muestran que abamectina, bifentrina y endosulfan fueron menos tóxicos para C. carnea y no afectaron el consumo promedio de ninfas de la plaga. En contraste profenofos e imidacloprid resultaron altamente tóxicos para este depredador y además redujeron el consumo promedio de ninfas de B. cockerelli. Por consiguiente los insecticidas abamectina y bifentrina, se recomiendan para uso junto con liberaciones de Chrysoperla carnea en sistemas de manejo integrado de plagas.

La selección de sitios oviposición de las hembras de Aedes aegypti L. fue evaluada en El Fuerte, Sinaloa, México. El estudio se llevó a cabo en ovitrampas conteniendo tiras de papel como sustrato de oviposición; así como agua tratada con spinosad y temefos y como control agua declorada. Semanalmente los sustratos fueron retirados registrándose el número de huevos por semana. Los resultados demostraron preferencia por las ovitrampas que contenían el larvicida spinosad, con un índice de actividad de oviposición IAO de 0.35, mientras que para el temefos, aun y cuando el índice fue 0.19, en algunos muestreos se mostró como repelente.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el número de estadios larvales de Conotrachelus perseae Barber. Se midió el ancho de la cápsula cefálica de trescientas veintitrés larvas extraídas de frutos de aguacate de las variedades Hass, Fuerte y “criollo” (Persea americana var. drymifolia). Los datos fueron analizados con la regla de Dyar y el programa Hcap. El análisis de distribución de frecuencias mostró cuatro picos de distribución distintos del ancho de las cápsulas cefálicas. La constante de Dyar tuvo un promedio de 1.49, donde la relación entre el logaritmo natural del ancho de la cápsula cefálica y el número de estadios larvales resultó en un crecimiento geométrico perfecto para cada estadio larval. El ajuste excelente del modelo lineal, indica que no existe traslapo entre estadios larvales y permite determinar la presencia de cuatro estadios larvales en C. perseae.

Se hace una exploración y descripción de la morfología del corion en la subfamilia Biblidinae sensu Lamas (2004); ésta comprende géneros representantes de todas las tribus y subtribus (Marpesia, Biblis, Mestra, Catonephele, Eunica, Myscelia, Hamadryas, Nica, Pyrrhogyra, Temenis, Dynamine, Diaethria, y Callicore); no se hizo selección de los géneros, sino se tomaron a aquellos disponibles en recolectas recientes en México. El estudio se realizó a partir de una muestra de 121 hembras recolectadas en diversas localidades de México y, en algunos casos, de ilustraciones tomadas de la literatura, se caracterizaron los principales rasgos estructurales del corion: color, forma, tamaño, ornamentación, diferenciación perimicropilar, y la formación de ejes y costillas. Se hace una distinción de estructuras especializadas en la zona apical y ecuatorial, así como el grado de engrosamiento de los ejes. Se reconocen tres tipos de huevos: aciculados, globosos y con crestas, éste último con nueve subtipos de acuerdo con la forma de cresta que presenten. Para un mejor entendimiento y comprensión de las estructuras, se anexan láminas, esquemas y un glosario con los términos adoptados en este trabajo. Finalmente, se presenta una síntesis inédita de las principales clasificaciones propuestas entre 1886–2009 para Biblidinae, junto con su representación gráfica; con base en ellas se hace una comparación con los resultados que se obtuvieron en el estudio del relieve coriónico. Nuestros resultados apoyan la clasificación de Lamas (2004) con algunas modificaciones. Los caracteres coriónicos son de gran importancia para establecer relaciones supraespecíficas en Biblidinae.

We report the first record of the ant genus Leptogenys in Oklahoma. Two species have been recorded from the United States, but northern range boundaries for both have been primarily limited to Gulf Coast states. This collection increases the known distribution northward into the central United States for one of those species, Leptogenys elongata (Buckley 1866).

Con presencia básicamente en América Tropical Piezogaster odiosus Stal y Acanthocephala alata Burmeister se reportan por primera vez como plagas de frutos de Annona muricata. Se observaron dañando frutos de distintos tamaños y desarrollo, hay una probable asociación de estas especies con hongos que atacan los frutos en pre cosecha. Acanthocephala alata, de gran talla (28 a 34 mm), puede provocar la caída de frutos pequeños. Se requieren estudios biológicos y evaluación de estrategias para su manejo.