This study aimed to evaluate the impact of constant and fluctuating temperatures on the biology of Sipha flava (Forbes) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in order to determine whether the results of laboratory studies can be extrapolated to those performed in natural conditions. We compared the biological parameters of S. flava kept in an uncontrolled greenhouse in which temperatures fluctuated (treatment 1) with those kept in a phytotron-type climate chamber that simulated the mean hourly average temperatures of the greenhouse (treatment 2). In addition, we compared the effects of treatment 2 versus the effects of having a set temperature during photophase and another set temperature during scotophase versus a constant daily average temperature. The experimental design was completely random, and 150 nymphs were used per treatment at the outset of the biossays. However, the number of repetitions was altered in relation to survival of the aphids in the different instars and treatments. By daily use of a stereoscopic microscope, we evaluated the following parameters: the duration (days) and survival (%) of each instar and stage as well as the reproductive capacity (offspring per female per day) and the longevity (days) of adults. The simulation of mean hourly temperatures of an uncontrolled greenhouse favored the survival, reproductive capacity, and longevity of adults — which are factors of great importance in the insect population growth — compared with those insects kept at 27 °C (photophase) and 18 °C (scotophase) or kept at the constant daily average temperature. The results showed that much caution must be exercised in extrapolating results obtained in the laboratory under constant temperatures to predict the population dynamics of field populations of S. flava.

The presence of thrips in vegetable crops has become an important phytosanitary issue in Mexico. Their direct injuries to plants are the result of the feeding by their immature and adult stages, whereas their indirect injuries are caused by the transmission of various viruses. The objective of this study was to identify the species of thrips associated with 6 vegetable crops in order to determine their population fluctuations and to ascertain the effects of temperature and rainfall on their populations. Samples were collected from zucchini, onion, pepper, cucumber, tomato, and tomatillo in Puebla and Morelos from Feb 2010 to Feb 2011. Three species were identified: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on all vegetables, Frankliniella fortissima (Priesner) on zucchini and cucumber, and Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on onion and pepper. The highest population level for thrips coincided with the presence of flowers on the crops, except in the case of onion. In general, 2 to 6 generations of thrips were present in each crop cycle, and the levels of populations decreased when the plants were near senescence. The main suppressive effect of weather on thrips populations was caused by rainfall.

A new taxon, Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) postalbosuturale sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) close to D. (Cribridorcadion) infernale Mulsant & Rey, 1863 is described from Karaman Province, Turkey.

An infestation of the small salmon Arab, Colotis amata (F.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), on pilu (Salvadora persica L.; Capparales: Salvadoraceae) plants was first noticed in 2012 at the Experimental Farm of the Central Institute for Arid Horticulture and other fields of Bikaner District, Rajasthan, India. The maximum incidence (80%) was observed on 18 Dec and the minimum (13%) on 4 Sep. The average numbers of insects ranged between 6.2 and 22.3 larvae per 3 leaves. Adults of this small butterfly were salmon-pink in color. Eggs were laid singly on leaves or young shoots and were 0.58–0.72 mm in length, 0.38–0.43 mm in width, and white in color when first laid, later developing red blotches. The length and width of 1st instar larvae were 1.98–2.29 mm and 0.36–0.48 mm, respectively. The lengths of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars were 5.04 mm, 9.77 mm, and 14.27 mm, respectively. The 5th instars were 19.30 mm long and 3.33 mm wide. Pupae were 14.10 mm long and 5.73 mm wide and laterally compressed. Adults were salmon-pink in color, and females had a body length of 9.71 mm and a wingspan of 33.62 mm. Bodies of males were 7.59 mm long and their wingspan measured 25.67 mm. The lengths of male and female antennae were 4.63 mm and 5.46 mm, respectively.

Simulium guianense Wise (Diptera: Simuliidae) is the main vector of the nematode Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart) (Spirurida: Onchocercidae), which causes onchocerciasis in the Amazonian focus of the disease. We present the first report of the presence of S. guianense in the Parnaíba River basin, its oviposition behavior, and its number of instars. Immatures were found in high density on bedrock, on leaves of Podostemaceae and other aquatic plants, and on branches and leaves of riparian vegetation. Larvae and pupae were collected in 9 rivers: 8 in the state of Piauí and 1 in the state of Ceará. Six instars were determined for a population in Piauí. Oviposition behavior was of the dabbing type. Ants (Solenopsis sp.; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) preyed on larvae and pupae stranded when the river receded.

Wasmannia auropunctata Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), little fire ant, is recognized as a serious pest ant species that affects agriculture, homes, gardens, and natural ecosystems in Hawaii, USA, and elsewhere. Anecdotal evidence suggests that insecticidal baits containing (S)-methoprene are not effective against this species. We examined whether W. auropunctata is repelled by bait formulations containing this compound and whether the addition of torula yeast (Candida utilis Lodder; Saccharomycetales: Saccharomycetaceae) increased palatability of these baits. Wasmannia auropunctata was found to be repelled by (S)-methoprene concentrations as low as 0.25% regardless of formulation. The addition of torula yeast (3% by weight) significantly increased worker recruitment to baits with and without (S)-methoprene. Our results indicate bait formulations using (S)-methoprene are likely to offer poor efficacy against Wasmannia auropunctata without the addition of a feeding stimulant such as torula yeast due to repellency of the active ingredient

An updated list to the world fauna of parasitoid Hymenoptera reared from members in the Bemisia tabaci species complex (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is provided. In total, 112 parasitoid species in 5 families and 7 genera are tabulated along with their global distributions. Pertinent references are given to aid in the accurate identification of these minute insects. We also reviewed published host-genera associations and consider some dubious, possibly due to contamination of rearing vessels with non-target insects or to misidentification of the host whitefly or parasitoid species.

Diabrotica speciosa (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a polyphagous insect pest that attacks several crops of agricultural importance including common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Fabales: Fabaceae). Diabrotica speciosa larvae feed on the plant root system whereas the adults are leaf defoliators. Diabrotica speciosa control relies mainly on pesticide applications resulting in ecosystem contamination and other problems. This research aimed to identify common bean cultivars that express antixenosis to D. speciosa adult feeding and/or tolerance to larval injury, as well as to determine the resistance levels of the cultivars. To evaluate antixenosis, 10 common bean cultivars were tested for D. speciosa adult feeding preference in free-choice and no-choice tests. The cultivars were ‘IAC-Una’, ‘Diamante Negro’, ‘IAC-Diplomata’, ‘FT-Nobre’, ‘Ônix’, ‘IAC-Uirapuru’, ‘IPR-Tiziu’, ‘BRS-Explendor’, ‘IAC-Maravilha’ and ‘BRS-Supremo’. Then, 6 cultivars were selected from the adult feeding assay and used in tests that assessed their tolerance to injury by D. speciosa larvae. In the free-choice test, the cultivars ‘IAC-Una’ and ‘IAC-Uirapuru’ were the least preferred by D. speciosa adults for feeding, whereas the cultivars ‘IAC-Diplomata’ and ‘Ônix’ were the least preferred in the no-choice test. The ‘Ônix’ and the ‘IAC-Una’ cultivars had the lowest reductions in plant height and dry weight of the aerial part after injury by D. speciosa larvae; the cultivars ‘BRS-Explendor’ and ‘IAC-Diplomata’ had intermediate reduction percentages; and the other cultivars were susceptible to injury by D. speciosa larvae. Field studies should evaluate the performance of the cultivar ‘Ônix’ infested with adults and larvae of D. speciosa in order to confirm the promising results obtained in the current study under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.

Several new whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) species have become established in Florida in the past decade. Three of these, fig whitefly (FW), rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), and Bondar's nesting whitefly (BNW), have caused noticeable damage to residential plants in the landscape including ficus hedges, palms, and bird of paradise. Whiteflies are difficult to identify and 4th instar nymphs are needed for morphological identification making whiteflies good candidates for identification via DNA barcoding. A DNA barcoding cocktail to amplify the 5′ end of the coxI mitochondrial gene from these species was developed. Subsequently, primers were developed for each species, validated with multiple populations collected throughout Florida, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed for placement of the 3 species in the whitefly tree of life. Besides FW, RSW, and BNW, 2 additional species of whiteflies were detected in collections, namely Paraleyrodes pseudonaranjae Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and a species provisionally designated Aleurodicinae sp1. RSW and BNW clustered with congeners within the phylogeny, and FW was resolved as a possible sister taxa to the genus Bemisia. The barcoding cocktail should allow sequencing of 5′ coxI from multiple genera and both sub-families of whiteflies, and the primers developed for each species will facilitate rapid identification of these 3 invasive whiteflies.

The last compilation of the Tabanidae of Florida was published in 1964 by Calvin Jones & Darrell Anthony. Since then, several taxonomic and distributional changes have been made, as well as the addition of several state locality records. We have compiled a list of Tabanidae species currently present in the state of Florida, or potentially present in Florida based on surrounding state records, using literature surveys and personal examinations of the collections at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Currently, 124 species/subspecies are recorded from Florida, with an additional 15 species with likely Florida distributions from 15 different genera. In contrast, Jones & Anthony (1964) recognized 118 species among 14 genera. Although the number of species is not vastly different, much taxonomic revision has been done to the Florida Tabanidae. Three new Florida records are presented for Tabanus reinwardtii Weidemann, 1828, Chlorotabanus mexicanus (L.,1758), and Tabanus yucatanus Townsend, 1897.

Pest suppression through biological control seeks to maximize the action of the pest's natural enemies with the goal of reducing pesticide use. We present a summary of published studies and original findings on several entomophagous species as biocontrol agents of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a key pest of tomato crops in Argentina, with the aim to select potential candidates for its management. Spontaneously occurring T. absoluta egg parasitism was lower than that inflicted by the larval parasitoids Dineulophus phthorimaeae (De Santis, 1983) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Pseudapanteles dignus (Muesebeck, 1938) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). These parasitoids exhibit important life history traits in laboratory conditions and produce relevant amounts of T. absoluta mortality in the field. Surveys carried out in Tucumán and Buenos Aires provinces, Argentina, revealed that D. phthorimaeae and P. dignus coexist in tomato and eggplant crops; T. absoluta-P. dignus interaction is also found on other non-cultivated solanaceous species present in horticultural farms. In addition, studies are currently under way to determine the predation ability of Zelus obscuridorsis (Stål, 1860) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) on both larvae and adults of the pest. Finally, we discuss the prospects for implementing experimental augmentative releases of P. dignus to control the pest, a candidate selected considering various positive biological traits and because of its simple mass production and manipulation compared with other antagonists of T. absoluta.

The genus Phyllomyza Fallén (Diptera: Milichiidae) is recorded from Tibet for the first time. Two species are described as new to science: Phyllomyza drepanipalpis sp. nov. and P. sinensis sp. nov. A key to the known species of Phyllomyza from China is presented.

Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the pollinating weevil, is the most efficient insect pollinator of oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae). In this experiment, the pollinating activity of E. kamerunicus was observed in an oil palm field in Hainan, China, in order to further understand the dynamics of the weevil's behavior on inflorescences. Both male and female inflorescences emitted an anise-like fragrance. Female inflorescences appeared to reward the weevils with copious nectar production, whereas male inflorescences appeared to do so with both nectar and pollen. The number of weevils visiting an inflorescence was assessed by the use of a sticky trap encircling it, and by counting the weevils present on samples of spikelets of inflorescences. The weevil population peaked on the 3rd day of anthesis on male inflorescences, and on the 2nd day of anthesis on female inflorescences. Weevil activity recorded on the day of highest abundance during anthesis revealed an inactive period during 07:00–08:00, substantial activity during 11:00–12:00, and peak activity during 17:30–18:00. The number of female adult weevils was always much greater than the number of males, both on male and on female inflorescences. Separation of anthesizing male inflorescences into 7 consecutive stages each 1 d long and use of sticky traps baited with anthesizing male flowers that were placed around inflorescences on the plant were optimal techniques for obtaining reliable data on the numbers of pollinating weevils. To increase the population of E. kamerunicus in Hainan, some steps should be taken including releases of adult weevils in oil palm plantations, and control of the weevil's predators and parasites, such as rats and harmful nematodes.

Heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70s) are highly evolutionarily conserved and play important roles in helping insects survive under extreme temperatures. In this study, Xestia c-nigrum (L.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was stressed at various temperatures, and the impacts on thermotolerance and cold endurance were examined. Two complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) clones encoding heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70) and inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), named Xc-HSC70 and Xc-HSP70, respectively, were isolated from X. c-nigrum using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Amino acid sequence analysis indicated that Xc-HSC70 and Xc-HSP70 contained the signature sequences of the HSP70 family, and phylogenetic analysis showed that Xc-HSP70s were consistent with the known insect classification. Genomic DNA structure analysis revealed that the Xc-HSC70 gene contained 8 introns that all conformed to the GT/AG rule, whereas the Xc-HSP70 gene did not contain any introns in the coding region. Fluorescent real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that both genes were significantly up-regulated under thermal stress and cold stress. The expression patterns indicated that Xc-HSP70 was heat inducible and Xc-HSC70 was constitutively expressed. The temperature response was more intense for Xc-HSP70 than for Xc-HSC70, regardless of the temperature or developmental stage; however, the expression of Xc-HSC70 and Xc-HSP70 was not altered in the pupa. Taken together, the expression profiles of both genes (Xc-HSP70s) provide good support to the insect for coping with adverse conditions.

We report the first description and analysis of acoustic signals and structures in the larger Mexican pine beetle, Dendroctonus approximatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).We recorded acoustic signals during two behavioral contexts, disturbance and male-female interactions. The relationship between size and sound production was assessed by comparing temporal and spectral chirp characteristics with body size and sound-producing organs. During male-female interactions, males first produce the interrupted chirp, a relatively long chirp (x = 214.36 ± 5 ms) interspersed with periods of silence. Once inside female galleries, males switch to a simple chirp. Females produce chirps in response to male acoustic signals and disturbances. For male chirps produced in response to disturbance, frequency was positively correlated with the density of ridges on stridulatory structures and inversely correlated with beetle size characteristics. Small males were more likely to produce high frequency chirps when disturbed, compared with larger males. These results indicate that acoustic signals may be limited by morphology and size in bark beetles.

In Apr 2010, Anthophora abrupta (Say) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was discovered nesting in open bags of colloidal clay in Gainesville, Florida, USA, in an open-air shed. Label data from A. abrupta specimens in the Hymenoptera holdings of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods indicated that no specimen had been collected previously from Alachua County and that the most recent Floridian specimen was collected in 1987. This suggests that A. abrupta may be locally rare and possibly in decline or threatened regionally. Many of the plants that A. abrupta is reported to visit are listed as threatened or endangered in 1 or more states. In an effort to study the potential management and conservation of this species, the original nest aggregation was split in 2012 and 2013, and the splits were moved to new nest sites to see if they would establish at the new sites. Both mother and daughter nest aggregations were monitored in Spring of 2012–2014. Herein, a brief review of A. abrupta natural history, an account of the attempts to split the aggregations for new nest establishment, and suggestions for the potential management of this beneficial insect are discussed.

Two new species of Lithosiini (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zadadra cucullata sp. nov., and Zadadra neodistorta sp. nov., are described from India. In addition, a dichotomous key to all the Zadadra Moore species is given.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of temperature, relative humidity (RH), and an additional food source (honey) on the survival of Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) females under cold-storage conditions. Survival was evaluated after 2, 4, and 8 wk at 7 or 10 °C under 75 or 95% RH. At the end of each cold-storage interval, surviving females were transferred to bean leaf discs with Tetranychus urticae Koch (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) as prey, and their longevity, total number of eggs, and number of eggs each female produced per day were recorded. The highest survival rate (78.3%) was observed after 2 wk at 10 °C and 95% RH without honey in the tube. Survival was next highest (75%) after 2 wk at 7 °C and 95% RH without honey in tube. Survival was 76.7% at 7 °C with 95% RH without honey after 4 wk. Survival was low after 8 wk at both 7 or 10 °C, with 0 and 13.3% survival, respectively, at 95% RH. Adult longevity, the total number of eggs deposited, and the average number of eggs per female per day were not significantly different between females held for 2 or 4 wk at 7 or 10 °C at 95% RH with or without honey. Based on these results, M. occidentalis can be cold stored at 7 and 10 °C at 95% RH for up to 4 wk, but adding honey provided no benefit to the females.

Two new cricket species, Eidmanacris caipira sp. nov. and Eidmanacris suassunai sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Phalangopsidae), are described from the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo State, Brazil, using morphological and genital characters from males and females. The habit of Eidmanacris, distribution of its species, and the presence of reduced forewings in females are discussed. The type material is deposited in Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP).

In many animal species, females are faced with at least 2 reproductive options: independent or cooperative breeding. Some individuals in cooperative groups choose to help in rearing the broods of conspecific females. Through observations of how females of Polistes simillimus Zikán, 1951 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) started new nests in the field, we investigated whether ecological constraints and the geographic variations explain group formation in this species. The founding of nests was studied between 1996 and 2000 in various localities of 2 states of southeastern Brazil. Weekly observations were carried out on 109 pre-worker nests. We kept track of 40 colonies in Minas Gerais State and 69 in São Paulo State, each started either by a single female or by an association of females. There was a chance that worker production would become numerically similar in both solitary and associative colonies in both states. An increased number of foundresses did not improve the chance of colony success in Minas Gerais State, but it improved this chance in São Paulo State, so that colonies each with 3 or more foundressess were always successful. In colonies in both states, nest cell productivity was higher with a greater number of associated females per nest. Females were able to start building nests alone, being the only reproductive, or 2 or more females could cooperate to found a nest, thus increasing worker production. However, the type of environment chosen to establish the nest (anthropogenic or natural) seemed to influence strongly the choice of the founding strategy.

Dryinus laotianus sp. nov. is described from Hua Phan Province (Laos). Dryinus laotianus can be distinguished from the related Oriental species D. mansus Olmi and D. stantoni Ashmead by the different sculpture of the scutum (punctate and unsculptured among punctures in D. laotianus; granulated or partly reticulate rugose in D. stantoni; completely reticulate rugose in D. mansus).

The genus, Speccafrons Sabrosky 1980 (Diptera: Chloropidae), has only 6 known species in the world, and it is recorded from mainland China for the first time. One species, Speccafrons digitiformis sp. nov., is described as new to science, and S. costalis (Duda), is newly recorded from mainland China. A key to the world species of genus Speccafrons is given.

A new species of the genus Ditrigona Moore, 1888 (Lepidoptera: Drepanidae: Drepaninae), Ditrigona clavata sp. nov. is described from Guangxi and Guangdong provinces in China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by 5 transverse fasciae in the forewing and 4 transverse fasciae in the hindwing. Adults and their genitalia are illustrated. The key for the separation of the species-group D. triangularia by Wilkinson is modified. The type specimens are deposited in the Entomological Laboratory, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Leptysma argentina Bruner, Trimerotropis pallidennis (Burmeister), and Cornops aquaticum Bruner are South-American grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) whose chromosome polymorphisms were intensively studied. Leptysma argentina lives in central-east Argentina and in Uruguay and was polymorphic for a centric fusion whose presence is significantly correlated with a larger body size; this parameter was shown to be associated with sexual selection and longevity selection; this species exhibited a marked latitudinal Bergmann pattern. In contrast, Trimerotropis pallidipennis followed a converse altitudinal Bergmann cline; males from higher altitudes were significantly smaller. This species supported an extended polymorphism for several inversions, which are correlated intrapopulationally with larger body size. Finally, C. aquaticum showed an evident example of Bergmann's rule for tegmen length; this species was polymorphic for 3 centric fusions, whose frequency increased southward, as in L. argentina. One of the fusions was associated with increased body size. We noticed that in all cases the rearrangement that was related to body size increased in the direction in which this variable was adaptive, thus suggesting a possible involvement of chromosome polymorphism in body size selection.

Only one species of the genus Hybos Meigen was previously known to occur in Inner Mongolia. Here 4 species of Hybos are reported from this region. One species, Hybos daqinggouensis sp. nov., is described as new to science. A key to the known species of Hybos from Inner Mongolia is provided.

Distribution records and seasonal flight activity information for metallic woodboring beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) species have not been compiled for North Carolina and Tennessee. Institutional, research, and private collections in North Carolina and Tennessee were reviewed to provide seasonal activity data of 5 subfamilies of buprestid beetle species. Label information was checked for 15,217 specimens of 135 species collected between 1901 and 2013 (North Carolina) and between 1934 and 2013 (Tennessee). These collections provided data on adult seasonal activity and county records for 121 species (4,467 specimens) and 105 species (10,750 specimens) from North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively. Two species, Agrilus carpini Knull and A. pensus Horn, are reported as New State Records for North Carolina. The data reveal key geographic areas in both states where few to no collections have been made, highlighting opportunities to validate species distributions and locations where future collecting efforts can be matched with the occurrence of larval and adult host plant resources. Seasonal activity records will inform future biosurveillance efforts for invasive and endemic pests and facilitate predictions of buprestid species that are likely to be active within the hunting flight season of Cerceris fumipennis (Say) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) wasps. Activity periods of the buprestids also can focus the management of selected economic pest species to times of the year when treatment efforts, particularly through use of contact insecticides, are likely to be most effective.

Two new genera and three new species of New Zealand endemic pselaphine staphylinid beetles belonging to the supertribe Faronitae are described as follows: Chandlerea Park & Carlton, gen. nov., including C. donaldi Park & Carlton, sp. nov.; and Nunnea Park & Carlton, gen. nov., including N. johni Park & Carlton, sp. nov., and N. kuscheli Park & Carlton, sp. nov. A key to species, habitus photographs, line drawings of diagnostic characters and distribution maps for all species are provided.

Invasive mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae: Scapteriscus spp.) are destructive subterranean pests that cause significant economic losses for the turfgrass, sod and pasture industries. Their behavior suggests that they may sense insecticides applied to the soil, so we sought to examine and describe the antennal and palpal structures of S. vicinis Scudder, S. borellii Giglio-Tos, S. abbreviatus Scudder, and the native mole cricket, Neocurtilla hexadactyla Perty, by scanning and transmission electron micrography. The most abundant sensilla were antennal sensilla chaetica with mechanoreceptory and contact chemoreceptory functions. Each segment had olfactory sensilla basioconica and sensilla trichodea, sensilla coeloconica (with olfactory and thermo-hydroreceptory functions), and sensilla campaniformia (proprioreceptor). Sensilla on the mole cricket palps were non-pore or tip-pore, which suggests mechanoreceptory and contact chemoreceptory functions. Similar to other hemimetaboulous insects, mole cricket nymphs and adults have the same sensilla types. However, the number and size of antennomeres increased with each molt, allowing the antennae to accommodate more sensory sensilla as insects matured.

Exogenous 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) exerts a range of detrimental effects on the development and survival of many insect species, and different species show varying susceptibilities to ingested 20E. The specific effects of exogenous 20E on Plutella xylostella (L.) (diamondback moth; Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), a severe pest of cruciferous crops, has not been reported systematically. Here, we studied the effects of exogenous 20E on feeding, development, and survival of P. xylostella larvae and on fecundity and longevity of adults by using a leaf dip assay. We found that food consumption and the duration of development of larvae that survived to the next instar decreased with the increasing concentrations of dietary 20E. Ingested 20E exerted adverse effects on the development of larvae by decreasing their weight, and led to death mainly by inducing abnormal molting. The lethal effect of 20E on larvae was also determined by a residual film method, which showed LD50 values of 1st to 4th instars were 0.331, 0.345, 0.439, and 0.252 mg/mL, respectively. Female adults laid reduced numbers of eggs on leaves treated with 20E. There was a negative correlation between the concentration of 20E on the leaf surface and the number of eggs deposited on the leaves (P < 0.05). After 5 d, the average fecundity of adult females was reduced and correlated with the concentration of 20E in the diet (P < 0.05). The longevity of male adults was significantly shortened after ingesting diet containing 0.50 mg/mL 20E. Thus, ingestion of exogenous 20E exerted adverse effects on feeding, development, and reproduction of P. xylostella, and 20E residues on leaves of host plant had significant repellent effects on oviposition by females.

Few studies have assessed arthropods associated with carrion in salt marsh environments. Arthropods attracted to animal carcasses in a salt marsh environment were surveyed in southeastern Florida during four seasons from September 2009 to July 2010. A total of 2,324 arthropod specimens were collected from carcasses (coyote, opossum, raccoon, bobcat, and otter) and 4 orders, 23 families, 28 genera, and 24 species were identified. Specimens were most frequently encountered from the order Diptera (85% of total), and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Musca domestica (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) represented 50% of specimens collected. We observed seasonal variation in abundance of dipterans. The information presented here may be useful for future studies identifying arthropods having wildlife forensic entomology significance within subtropical Florida salt marsh habitats.

The bean flower thrips, Megalurothrips usitatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an important pest of leguminous crops (Fabales: Fabaceae) in south China. In this study, life history parameters of M. usitatus were investigated on 4 leguminous crops: snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and lima bean (Phaseolus limensis Macf.). The development times (mean ± SE) from egg to adult on snap bean, cowpea, pea, and lima bean pods were 9.53 ± 0.06, 10.62 ± 0.14, 11.20 ± 0.11 and 11.55 ± 1.13 days, respectively. Survivorship of immatures was high on snap bean (80%) but low on lima bean (48%). The total number of first instars produced was highest on snap bean (sexual reproduction: 112.15 ± 11.98; parthenogenesis: 195.89 ± 19.24), and lowest on lima bean (sexual reproduction: 42.17 ± 2.99; parthenogenesis: 49.50 ± 3.90). Megalurothrips usitatus had the highest intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) on snap bean (0.205), followed by cowpea (0.181), pea (0.171), and lima bean (0.125). The results indicate that snap bean was the most suitable host plant for M. usitatus, whereas lima bean was the least suitable.

Vatiga (Hemiptera: Tingidae) species show preference for Cassava plants (Euphorbiaceae: Manihot), an important food source in the American tropics. Infestations of Cassava by Vatiga can cause serious harvest losses. Information on immature stages morphology can aid in early identifications of crop pests and provide data for use in phylogenetic analyses; thus, we describe and illustrate the external morphology of all life stages of Vatiga manihotae using optical and scanning electron microscopies. Eggs are laid inserted in the leaf blade, are whitish and oblong, with smooth chorion. In the larvae, the tegument is covered by hemispherical projections, which remain the same and become denser through ontogenesis. Dorsal surface of head and lateral margins of body with tubercles; from the second through the fifth instars the cephalic and lateral tubercles maintain the same structure, only adding setae along its surfaces. The cephalic tubercles of V. manihotae nymphs are more complex than those of the adults, as on the latter the cephalic tubercles lack setae. As suggested by literature, our discoveries fit the intermediate clades scenario of the ontogenetic pathway in which larvae have outgrowths and adults are simple, suggesting that brood protection is absent and larval protection by secretions may be present.

We provide the first records of 8 species of biting midges in the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in a wide latitudinal gradient of the Yungas Ecoregion in Argentina and the Chaco Ecoregion in Bolivia, including a map of their distribution, and an updated checklist of species in the study area. Additional locality records were obtained from published articles and from specimens collected in these and other ecoregions in both countries. Included are the first Argentinean records of Culicoides crescentis Wirth & Blanton and C. pampaensis Spinelli & Wirth from Salta Province; C. caridei Brèthes, C. crescentis, C. guttatus Coquillett, C. insignis Lutz, C. pampaensis, and C. venezuelensis Ortiz & Mirsa from Jujuy Province, and C. saltaensis Spinelli & Wirth and C. pampaensis from Tucumán Province. In addition, the first records of C. brasilianum Forattini, C. crescentis, and C. guttatus are provided from Bolivia.

In this paper, we introduce a revised model to estimate the corrected initial number of each life stage in field life tables of insect pest populations, with a case example of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). To validate our revised model, we used life table data of P. xylostella from 9 field surveys conducted by the corresponding author in 1996. In these surveys, P. xylostella infestations had been monitored in fields of flowering Chinese cabbage, long white radish, butter cabbage, Shanghai pak choi, and Chinese kale to investigate the impact of different pest management methods on the pest populations. In the past, the numbers of individuals per life stage on any given sampling date were calculated based on sampling data of that particular date and an average temperature determined for the entire sampling period. In several cases, this approach produced unrealistic survival rates (above 100%) for certain life stages in the resulting life tables. This problem continued even after the model was adjusted by calculating the duration of each life stage based on the actual temperature measured on each sampling date (instead of using one average temperature for the entire period). With temperature being an important factor that (i) affects the development time of insect life stages and (ii) can be determined easily during field surveys, we previously hypothesized that including corrected initial numbers of each life stage on each sampling date based on an average of the temperature between the given sampling date and its preceding sampling date will result in realistic and precise life tables. Furthermore, to estimate accurate survival rates, we here hypothesized that (i) it is important to adjust and correct the numbers of life stages on a given sampling date by including the numbers of preceding life stages from a preceding sampling date (not from the given sampling date) in the model; and (ii) the development time of the preceding life stage will determine which sampling date needs to be included in the calculation. By re-constructing and comparing 9 life tables of P. xylostella populations according to the previous and the revised new model, we confirmed these hypotheses. The revised model will allow a precise and realistic evaluation of control efforts against diamondback moth and other insect pest infestations in agriculture.

Megalodorcadion (Anatolodorcadion) nudefasciatum sp. nov. is described from Kütahya Province (Turkey). This new taxon is close to M. (A.) glabrofasciatum (Daniel, 1900). A revised key for the species of Megalodorcadion is proposed.

Temperature in habitats of organisms generally is not constant but changes spatially and temporally. When eggs of ectotherms are exposed to large temperature fluctuations, egg phenotypes and post-hatching traits may be altered, but little relevant information is available on insects. Hence, we simulated a set of natural diurnal temperature fluctuations each with the same mean temperature (25 ± 0, 25 ± 2, 25 ± 4, 25 ± 6, 25 ± 8, 25 ± 10 °C), to which we exposed the eggs of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), and assessed subsequent egg development, survival and post-hatching traits. Our results showed that there were no significant differences in these phenomena between the constant temperature treatment and the treatments with moderate temperature fluctuations. However, large temperature fluctuations slowed development and lowered hatching rate during the egg stage. In addition the effects of these large temperature fluctuations extended to the larval stage, but not to the pupal and adult stages. No apparent costs of compensatory responses, which occurred in the larval stage, were detected in the later stages. These findings indicate that fluctuating temperature effects are potentially important in predicting insect phenology and population dynamics. As an independent factor, the effects of temperature fluctuations on a stage in the life history must be factored into models for predicting insect development that are based on mean temperatures. The larger of the temperature fluctuations to which eggs of diamondback moth were exposed, affected development time, hatching rate, larval growth and pre-pupal mass.

The citrus leafminer (CLM) Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) was first recorded in Brazil in 1996. In 1998, the parasitoid Ageniaspis citricola Logvinovskaya (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was introduced and established in many regions of the country. In this study, 130 one-hour-samplings of sweet orange leaves (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck) hosting CLM pupal chambers were carried out to estimate the CLM parasitism rate (%) by its parasitoids in 7 regions of São Paulo State between 2000 and 2008. The sample sizes varied from 10 to 275 leaves (mean = 65). The most abundant parasitoid was the encyrtid A. citricola (found in 91.8% of the samplings). The highest level of CLM parasitism by A. citricola was recorded in the southern region (Botucatu), 70.2 ± 6.6 (mean ± SEM), and the lowest level was recorded in the northern region (Barretos), 12.8 ± 5.7%. CLM parasitism by A. citricola and by native parasitoids (Galeopsomyia fausta LaSalle, Cirrospilus spp. and Elasmus sp.) did not differ between seasons. The 6-fold increase in the use of insecticides in citrus groves, after 2004 when the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease was found in São Paulo State, did not reduce the level of CLM parasitism. The level of parasitism was 50.8 ± 4.2% before the advent of HLB (2000–2004) and 56.0 ± 4.4% thereafter (2005–2008), indicating adaptation of A. citricola in a disturbed agroecosystem.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann; Diptera: Tephritidae) is regarded as one of the most destructive insect pests worldwide. It was first detected in Mexico (border with Guatemala) in 1977 after it had spread throughout the Central American region. By 1982, using an area-wide IPM approach that included the Sterile Insect Technique, the Moscamed Program, established by the federal governments of Mexico, Guatemala and USA, succeeded in eradicating the pest from the areas it had invaded in Mexico. Recurrent pest entries in the form of transient detections and outbreaks continue to occur in the southern-most States of Mexico bordering Guatemala. The pest free area status is maintained by eradication actions whose effectiveness is verified by an extensive and intense surveillance network including 24,760 traps. In terms of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the Mediterranean fruit fly pest status can be defined for most of Mexico as “Pest Absent” (i.e., no records of the presence of the pest confirmed by surveys in 28 States of the 32 States) and as “Pest Transient” (i.e., pest entries that do not result in establishment after applying appropriate phytosanitary measures for their eradication) for the southern border States of Chiapas, Tabasco and Campeche, and for the northern border State of Baja California. The very significant investment that the Government of Mexico has made in the Moscamed Program for over 30 years has been extremely cost-effective (benefit-cost ratio of 112 to 1), when compared to the multi-billion dollar horticultural industry that has developed during this period. In addition through the years, the program engaged its own scientists and scientists in a number of countries and organizations in innovation and optimization of important technologies. These include production techniques for an only male genetic sexing strain, emergence towers, aerial release machines, organic targeted insecticide baits, long lasting bait stations, Phase IV traps and female biased attractants, and use of global positioning systems for data analysis and forecasting and for routing aerial releases. These tools have led to increased program effectiveness and have been adopted in many countries.

In recent years, the interactions between baculoviruses and their insect hosts have become a research focus because baculoviruses can suppress the development and manipulate the behavior of insects. Many studies reported that nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) infection might disrupt the hormone balance in insects, but the effect of NPV infection on the development and expression of hormone-related genes in larvae of Helicoverpa armigera Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) remains unclear. In this study, the mortality, development time, and pupal weight of H. armigera were recorded after 4th and 5th instars had been treated per os with different concentrations of Helicoverpa armigera single NPV (HaSNPV). Results showed that mortality increased and development time was prolonged to different degrees along with increasing concentrations of HaSNPV. The pupal weight did not differ between the HaSNPV-infected and control insects when 4th instars were infected but was significantly reduced when 5th instars were infected with HaSNPV at concentrations of 10⁹ and 10¹⁰ polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) per milliliter. Compared with the healthy control group, larval body weight was significantly reduced from the 3rd day after infection when 4th instars had been treated with HaSNPV at concentrations of 10⁸ and 10⁹ PIB/mL. Results from quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays revealed that 20-hydroxyecdysone—related genes (ECR, USP, E75, and NTF2) were down-regulated and juvenile hormone—related genes (MET, JHi, and HSP90) were up-regulated after HaSNPV infection. This study improves our understanding of the interactions between baculoviruses and host insects.

The role of light in sexual behavior of lepidopteran species has been studied for many years because of the wide variation in the habits of moths and butterflies. Light level is important for mating of butterflies, but information on the potential role of light on sexual behavior in nocturnal moths is scanty. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between light intensity and sexual behavior in a nocturnal moth species. The mating frequency and the hourly variations of both calling behavior and sex pheromone titer in the oriental tobacco budworm Helicoverpa assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were determined under several light intensities (0.0, 0.5, 5.0, and 50.0 lux). We found that 1) high-intensity light (50.0 lux) suppressed calling behavior, pheromone production, and mating; 2) low-intensity light (0.5 lux) significantly promoted female calling and mating in less time (1 h) than in complete darkness (0.0 lux); and 3) no relationship existed between sex pheromone production and calling behavior. These results suggested that low-intensity light (0.5 lux) promoted mating. This study provides reliable background information for using sex pheromones in conjunction with light traps for integrated management of nocturnal moths.

The 4 species Thalassaphorura encarpata (Denis, 1931), Thalassaphorura lifouensis (Thibaud & Weiner, 1997), Thalassaphorura biquaternata sp. nov., and Allonychiurus shandongensis sp. nov. were recorded from Shandong Province, China. Thalassaphorura biquaternata sp. nov. is peculiar in the genus by having more posterior pseudocelli on the head, fewer pseudocelli on the prothoracic tergum, papillae and guard chaetae on the antennal segment III sensory organ, guard chaetae on labial papilla E, and chaetae in the distal row of tibiotarsi, and by the absence of chaeta d0 dorsally on the head. Allonychiurus shandongensis sp. nov. belongs to the “volinensis-group” by having the small body size and smooth sensory clubs on the antennal segment III sensory organ, but with 5 papillae on the antennal segment III sensory organ. It is similar to the species A. songi Sun & Wu, 2012, and it can be recognized easily by the number of p-chaetae between 2 inner posterior pseudocelli on the head, the pseudocellus on abdominal segment IV sternum, and the number of papillae on the antennal segment III sensory organ.

The 1st gonapophysis of species in the genus Neoplea Esaki and China, 1928, includes a pattern of spurs that aids in depositing eggs into plant tissue. Within each species the pattern of spurs is relatively consistent, especially toward the apical end. Thus, there is taxonomic value in the morphology of this structure. Many of the currently known species of Neoplea can be identified using only the 1st gonapophysis, although intraspecific variation exists and characteristics may overlap in closely related species. All Neoplea species whose 1st gonaphphyses are known are described and illustrated.

The lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a euryphagous predator that is known to consume the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Spider mites are frequently problematic in greenhouse operations and often cause damage to the ornamental and bedding plant Impatiens walleriana Hook f. (Ericales: Balsaminaceae). Increasing demand for alternatives to pesticides combined with resistance to registered pest control products necessitates the evaluation of viable alternatives. In this study, naïve impatiens were intentionally infested with twospotted spider mites. When damage was visible on experimental plants, they were treated with lady beetles in containment cages. One treatment was adult C. maculata and another treatment was neonate C. maculata using recently developed methods for rearing and harvesting eggs. Levels of spider mite infestation were assessed after treatments, and images of the treated and untreated plants were collected to assess the effectiveness of C. maculata in a greenhouse environment. Plants with C. maculata treatments were essentially free of spider mites. There is potential to use mass-reared C. maculata eggs as treatment for spider mites in contained crops or indoor decorative plants.

The oviposition, feeding behavior, and development of the jute hairy caterpillar Spilosoma obliqua Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) was studied on one cultivated jute species, Corchorus olitorius L. (‘JRO-204') (Malvales: Malvaceae), and 5 wild jute species, viz., C. tridens L., C. trilocularis L., C. pseudo-olitorius Islam & Zaid, C. aestuans L., and C. fascicularis Lamarck under laboratory conditions with a temperature of 27 ± 2 °C and relative humidity of 80 ± 5%. These host plant species had considerable influence on oviposition, larval feeding behavior, larval survival, larval weight, pupation, pupal weight, and adult emergence. Significant differences were observed in oviposition preference based on numbers of eggs laid by the adults. The mean number of egg clusters differed significantly with 3.6 ± 0.3, 3.0 ± 0.6, 3.3 ± 0.3, 3.0 ± 0.6, 1.0 ± 0.6, and 2.0 ± 1.2 on C. olitorius, C. fascicularis, C. trilocularis, C. pseudo-olitorius, C. tridens, and C. aestuans, respectively. The C. pseudo-olitorius and C. aestuans were less preferred with the lowest mean numbers of eggs per cluster (77.2 ± 8.2 and 75.2 ± 38.8, respectively) compared with 174.0 ± 2.7 on C. olitorius. With respect to feeding preferences, most larvae (53.9 ± 3.4%) preferred C. olitorius as compared with 1.6 ± 0.02% and 7.2 ± 1.5% of larvae feeding on C. aestuans and C. tridens, respectively. Only 2 species, namely C. trilocularis and C. olitorius, supported complete larval development. The growth of 3rd instars indicated a maximum antibiosis effect by C. tridens and C. aestuans on S. obliqua. Total protein content in the host plants had a significant positive correlation with the larval survival, weight, pupation, and adult emergence of S. obliqua, whereas polyphenol oxidase and total phenol were negatively correlated. The effect of wild jute species with higher phenol and peroxidase as host plants manifested adversely on larval development, growth, survival, pupation, and adult emergence, which indicates the antibiosis mechanism of resistance.

Sugarcane stem borers of the genus of Diatraea (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) form a species complex that causes serious economic losses to sugarcane production in the Cauca River Valley and other regions of Colombia. Two primary species, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and D. indigenella Dyar and Heinrich, have been effectively managed for more than 4 decades through augmentative releases of the tachinid flies Lydella minense (Townsend) and Billaea claripalpis (Wulp) (Diptera: Tachinidae) and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma exiguum Pinto & Platner (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Here we review the current pest status of Diatraea species, damage assessment protocols, management tactics, and the environmental factors and cultural practices that can affect biological control outcomes. Recent changes in the cultivars grown have the potential to increase pest populations and diminish biological control efficacy. Additionally, recent outbreaks of new Diatraea species may further increase overall pest pressure. Thus, there is a need to develop supplementary tactics for the management of these pests that will be compatible with biological control, as well as more reliable protocols for assessing host plant resistance against the increase in infestation intensity.

Microplitis similis Lyle (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a solitary endoparasitic braconid that generally parasitizes larvae of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and many other noctuid species. To understand host preference, fitness, and the effects of M. similis on the hosts, we compared percentage parasitism, development periods, and the effects on host growth in candidate noctuid species. We found high levels of parasitism of S. exigua and Spodoptera litura (F.) larvae but not of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae. The parasitoid wasp larvae took similar amounts of time for development on S. exigua and S. litura larvae, i.e., 13.87 ± 0.15 and 13.69 ± 0.42 d, respectively. Compared with the control larvae, the growth and development of the hosts were severely affected. The hosts were able to molt to 4th instars after being parasitized as early 3rd instars, but were unable to develop to the 5th instar. The body weight was similar between parasitized and non-parasitized larvae within the first 4 d (3 d in S. litura) but later began to show a significant difference from the 5th day on (4th day in S. litura). The host larvae eventually weighed up to 50 to 80% less than the non-parasitized larvae. Furthermore, the host larvae lived for an extended period in the same instar after egression of the parasitoid, but the body mass did not increase.

Recent efforts to disrupt mating of the leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a global pest of citrus, have focused on the use of SPLAT™ (ISCA Technologies), a flowable wax emulsion intended to serve as a slow-release matrix for pheromones. Early success with this approach was overshadowed by the expense and difficulty of application, and variation in wax component chemistry that contributed to reduced longevity of pheromone emission in the field. Solid elastomer dispensers (DCEPT CLM™, ISCA Technologies, Inc.) loaded with a 3:1 blend of (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal and (Z,Z)-7,11-hexadecadienal, the major components of the P. citrella sex pheromone, provided disruption of trap catch in commercial citrus orchards for periods exceeding 30 wk. The triene component alone worked as well as or better than the 3:1 blend. The height of dispensers placed by hand in the tree canopy had a significant effect on trap shutdown. Dispensers placed low (0.6 m) in the canopy resulted in a reduction of trap shutdown in the upper third (>3 m) of the canopy suggesting that the net movement of pheromone molecules was downward during the period of active moth flight. Although moth flight appeared equivalent among the heights tested, placement of dispensers higher in the canopy appears more effective given this downward movement of pheromone plumes. These studies suggest that season-long trap catch disruption can be attained in citrus with a single application of a hand-applied dispenser.

A new phytoseiid species, Amblyseius constrictus Argolo, Oliveira & Moraes sp. nov. (Acari: Phytoseiidae), is described and illustrated. The specimens were collected from tropical ornamentals, cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum.; Malvales: Sterculiaceae) fruits and from other trees in shaded cacao plantations in the southern coast of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

Two genera, Acropsilus and Chrysotimus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), and 14 species are recorded for the first time from Taiwan. One species of Chrysotimus is described as new from Taiwan. A key to the genus Chrysotimus species from China is presented.

A new species, Forcipomyia (Lepidohelea) qinlingensis is described and illustrated after a male specimen in China. This new species is compared with its similar congener, Forcipomyia (Lepidohelea) qionghaiensis Liu and Yu, 2001. A key to the adults of the subgenus from China is also provided.

Butterfly species with broad geographical ranges are expected to be tolerant of ecological/ environmental constraints and to shifts in host plant use. This seems to be the case of the butterfly Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), which in the absence of better host plants may lay eggs on low-quality Aristolochia (Piperales: Aristolochiaceae) plants, increasing the developmental time and mortality rate of immatures. Battus polydamas populations from the Uruguayan savanna were investigated to verify whether A. sessilifolia (Klotzsch) Duch. was being used as a host plant in grassland areas where no other Aristolochia species are available. Species distribution models (SDM) for both species were built to verify whether ecological conditions could cause overlapping distributions between them. Extensive field surveys were performed to investigate whether B. polydamas actually uses A. sessilifolia as larval food source in the field. The performance of larvae on such host plant was also tested under controlled conditions in a laboratory environment. The SDM analysis showed a large overlap between the distributions of B. polydamas and A. sessilifolia. Field surveys revealed the occurrence of an interaction between the butterfly and the potential host plant, and laboratory experiments corroborated that B. polydamas larvae can successfully use A. sessilifolia as a host plant. The wide distribution of B. polydamas suggests that this butterfly species evolved the ability to develop in unfavorable environments (e.g., poor host plants, adverse climate), allowing it to use virtually all Aristolochia species of the Neotropics as host plants. Thus, adult females appear to have developed the capacity to identify any Aristolochia spp. as a suitable host plant, enabling the exploitation of various landscapes and ecoregions.

The distribution and habitat preferences of necrophagous Diptera in northeastern Brazil is poorly known despite the medical and forensic relevance of species in the Families Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Muscidae. We performed a survey on the diversity of necrophagous species in 4 types of environments: rainforest, agroecosystem, beach, and urban areas. Adult flies were collected by using suspended traps containing decomposing animal tissue (chicken liver, sardine, or pork) as baits. A diverse assemblage of necrophagous Diptera was registered in all environments, consisting of 20 species from 7 families: Calliphoridae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae, Sarcophagidae, and Ulidiidae. Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Phoridae), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Calliphoridae), and Tricharaea sp. (Muscidae) were the most abundant species. The rainforest fragment and the sugarcane plantation were the environments with the highest degree of species similarity. The type of bait did not significantly influence the number of species captured. The invasive species Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) and C. albiceps were present in high abundance in all environments, especially at the sandy beach, where they corresponded to 100% of all Calliphoridae specimens.