Natural selection, driven by various living conditions, plays a crucial role in shaping biased codon usage in genomes and organelle genomes. Despite the Chironomidae having thousands of species inhabiting a variety of habitats, codon bias in species of the family remains poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced the novel mitogenome of Microtendipes umbrosus Freeman, 1955 and conducted a comprehensive analysis of its codon usage. The assembled mitogenome is 15,827 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and an A+T-rich noncoding region. The overall nucleotide composition is 40.6% A, 39.8% T, 11.6% C, and 8.0% G, with an A+T bias of 80.4%. Interestingly, all PCGs except cox1 (TTG) commenced with ATN codons, and all terminated with the TAA codon. Relative synonymous codon usage analysis indicated a high frequency of codons with A or U in the third position. In the PCGs, a total of 22 codons are overrepresented, while 27 codons are underrepresented. Notably, four codons, AGG, CGC, CUC, and CUG, are completely absent. The neutrality plotting analysis, the parity rule 2 plotting analysis, and the effective number of codons analysis all demonstrated the influence of natural selection on the mitogenome of M. umbrosus. This investigation provides an essential DNA molecular database for further evolutionary and molecular research on Chironomidae.

Target and non-target Rhagoletis Loew, 1862 (Diptera: Tephritidae) flies trapped in surveys can provide new information on fly abundances, ecologies, and distributions. Here, data from surveys for native R. indifferens Curran, 1932 in non-commercial sweet cherry trees and non-native R. pomonella (Walsh, 1867) in non-commercial apple, crabapple, and hawthorn trees in central Washington State, U.S.A. were used to determine relative abundances of target and non-target Rhagoletis on traps and to test the hypotheses that fly abundances are site, tree type, and seasonal period dependent. Rhagoletis indifferens was the most abundant Rhagoletis in cherry trees. Non-native R. completa Cresson, 1929 was the most abundant Rhagoletis caught in R. pomonella host trees, with overall results suggesting it is the most numerous and/or dispersive Rhagoletis in central Washington. With support from the literature, we infer that: R. pomonella is less tolerant of arid central Washington summers than R. completa, native R. zephyria Snow, 1894, R. indifferens, and native R. basiola (Osten Sacken, 1877); Rhagoletis species diversity is lower in suburban than rural habitats due to the predominant host plants present; all fly species disperse annually at similar relative abundances, resulting in geographic range expansions over a few generations; and peak seasonal dispersal of flies to non-natal tree species coincides with natal host fruit development, resulting in colonization of new fruiting host patches. Differential fly tolerances of arid summer climates due to adaptation or preadaptation, habitat type, and annual and seasonal dispersal patterns could explain abundances and distributions of native and non-native Rhagoletis species in central Washington.

Eulophid larvae discovered in galleries of Agrilus cuprescens (Ménétries, 1832) within canes of Rubus sp. (Rosaceae) in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. region between 2018 and 2021 were identified as Baryscapus rugglesi (Rohwer, 1919) (subfamily Tetrastichinae). This species had previously only been found in eastern North America. Identification was based on numerous specimens reared from larvae collected from eight disparate locations in western Oregon and Washington State, U.S.A., in 2019 and 2021, and examination against its type series from 1919 in Minnesota, U.S.A. and specimens from 1938 in New York, U.S.A (Mundinger 1941). Both sexes of B. rugglesi are herein redescribed and illustrated. Additionally, DNA sequences from specimens collected in 2019 were direct sequence matches with original specimens collected in 2018. The ubiquitous occurrence of B. rugglesi suggests it is likely a predominant parasitoid of A. cuprescens in the region. Baryscapus rugglesi is a gregarious larval parasitoid of several native Agrilus spp. in North America, so it is presumably native to the Nearctic region and has adapted as an alternative parasitoid of A. cuprescens, a Eurasian-native pest introduced into North America. However, COI sequences of B. rugglesi were similar to those of an unidentified eulophid from Europe in the Barcode of Life Database (almost 96% identity), possibly indicating a Holarctic distribution. Observed wasp biology, behavior, and perspectives on the potential role of B. rugglesi as a natural enemy within integrated pest management programs for A. cuprescens control are discussed.

Psammostiba multipunctata (Sawada, 1971) stat. res. is resurrected from synonymy with Psammostiba hilleri (Weise, 1877). Adults and larvae of the species were collected under seaweed on the Korean and Japanese coasts, and they are similar to those of P. hilleri. The validity of the resurrection is supported by morphological characters as well as by the molecular criterion based on gene tree monophyly using partial COI gene sequence. A diagnosis and illustrations of diagnostic characters are provided.

Here we describe the nesting behavior of a previously unstudied solitary ground-nesting wasp, Ammophila boharti Menke, 1964. Species in the genus Ammophila are of particular interest because they exhibit a variety of parental care strategies. Ammophila boharti wasps were observed at two California field sites, one in the Mojave Desert and the other at the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Ammophila boharti begins its nesting cycle by hunting for a single, large caterpillar; all prey observed at Antioch Dunes were Neoterpes ephelidaria (Hulst, 1886) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), which were feeding on California poppies, Eschscholzia californica Cham. (Papaveraceae). Female A. boharti wasps sting the caterpillar, inducing permanent paralysis, and then cache the prey off the soil surface on a plant while they excavate a shallow, unicellular nest. The caterpillar is then placed in the nest, a single egg laid on the caterpillar, and a permanent closure placed on the nest. No nest parasites were seen at any stage of the nesting process, and offspring within all excavated nests developed successfully through the larval stages to spin cocoons. Thus, this species exhibits a ‘prey-nest’ sequence of nesting behavior with almost no contact between the mother and her offspring, a minority condition within the genus.