Hyposmocoma is an endemic Hawaiian moth genus with >330 recognized species occupying a remarkable range of ecological habits and exhibiting a high degree of variation typical of adaptive radiations. Within this diverse genus, some species have evolved intriguing and globally rare lifestyles, such as predatory or aquatic caterpillars. There are still many undescribed species in the genus, and no current work succinctly covers the range of their diversity. We describe nine new species in an attempt to demonstrate some of the remarkable ecological and phenotypic diversity displayed by species in the genus in a concise format: Hyposmocoma carnivora sp. nov. from the island of Hawaii; Hyposmocoma eliai sp. nov. Hyposmocoma nohomaalewa sp. nov., and Hyposmocoma waikamoi sp. nov. from the island of Kauai; and Hyposmocoma papaiili sp. nov., Hyposmocoma pukoa sp. nov., Hyposmocoma pupumoehewa sp. nov., Hyposmocoma opuulaau sp. nov., and Hyposmocoma waikamoi sp. nov. from the island of Maui. Although the taxa presented here do not represent a monophyletic group with respect to the rest of Hyposmocoma, they represent some of the most striking aspects of Hyposmocoma diversity as a whole.

We describe detailed scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations of eggs of six Anastrepha species in the fraterculus group: Anastrepha antunesi Lima, Anastrepha bahiensis Lima, Anastrepha coronilli Carrejo & González, Anastrepha distincta Greene, Anastrepha turpiniae Stone, and Anastrepha zenildae Zucchi, for the first time. Eggs were dissected from females captured in McPhail traps in Cariri in the state of Tocantins; Itacoatiara, Manaus, and Presidente Figueiredo in the state of Amazonas; and Porto Velho in the state of Rondônia, in the Brazilian Amazon. Eggs were examined using both scanning electron and optical microscopes. At least 10 eggs were examined for each species by using SEM, and 20–35 eggs per female of at least three females of each species were prepared for light microscopy. The eggs of all six species are similar in gross morphology. They are tapered at both ends, have a papilla at the anterior pole, and the micropyle is located on the dorsal side near the anterior pole. Diagnostic characters to differentiate among these six species include the chorion ornamentation, location of aeropyles, and a pronounced rim of the chorion with a woolly appearance surrounding the micropyle. None of the eggs of the studied species had a conspicuous respiratory appendage.

Meruidae, or comb-clawed cascade beetles, are a recently discovered monotypic family of Adephaga endemic to Venezuela. The larvae of Meruidae are described for the first time, based on material of Meru phyllisae Spangler & Steiner, 2005, collected together with adults in southern Venezuela. External morphological features, including chaetotaxy, are reported for the mature larva and an assessment made of the polarity of larval characters of phylogenetic utility in Adephaga. Larvae of Meruidae possess a mixture of primitive and derived character states, and they are unique within the Adephaga in that here the mandibles are asymmetrical, the respiratory system is comprised of only two pairs of spiracles (= oligopneustic), the claws are pectinate, and the abdominal sternite VIII is prolonged overlapping the abdominal sternite IX. A parsimony analysis based on 18 informative larval characteristics was conducted with the program PAUP*. The most parsimonious trees confirm Meruidae as a relatively basal lineage within the Dytiscoidea. Both Meru Spangler & Steiner and Noteridae are hypothesized to have diverged anterior to Amphizoidae, Aspidytidae, Hygrobiidae, and Dytiscidae.

A new species of ant-parasitizing Pseudacteon Coquillett phorid is described. Pseudacteon gracilisetus n. sp. was discovered parasitizing the ant species Nylanderia arenivaga (Wheeler). This species is the second known Pseudacteon parasite of Nylanderia ants.

The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the mitochondrial DNA was sequenced in eight holocyclic monoecious aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) that occur on wheat, Triticum aestivum L.; barley, Hordeum vulgare L.; oat, Avena sativa L.; and sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in the United States. The first 640 bp of the 5′ end were considered as a DNA barcoding technique for species identification. DNA barcoding successfully differentiated Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), Diruaphis noxia (Kurdjumov), Diruaphis tritici (Gillette), Diruaphis frequens (Walker), Diruaphis mexicana (McVicar Baker), Sipha flava (Forbes), Sipha elegans del Guercio, and Sitobion avenae (F.). In addition to the above-mentioned monoecious species, the common cereal aphids Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) were included and successfully differentiated. DNA barcoding is a reliable alternative to traditional morphology in the identification of cereal aphids and their various life stages and morphs, including eggs. The application of DNA barcoding to aphid eggs found on grasses will be able to confirm whether D. noxia is now reproducing sexually in the United States after 20 yr of asexual reproduction.

The predatory lacewing Dichochrysa prasina Burmeister (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is an abundant cosmopolitan species. In Greece, it is widespread in orchards and vegetable and field crops, and it has been considered an important biocontrol agent of aphids. In this work, the preimaginal development and adult longevity and reproduction of D. prasina were studied at six constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 27, 30, and 33°C) and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h under laboratory conditions. Nymphs of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were offered as prey throughout larval development. At the highest tested temperature of 33°C, no larvae completed development. At the rest temperatures, developmental time for preimaginal stages decreased from 136.0 to 29.2 d at 15 and 30°C, respectively. Percentages of adult emergence ranged from 48 to 76% at the temperatures tested. The estimated thermal requirements for total preimaginal development were 583.4 degree-days, whereas the upper and lower threshold temperatures were 32.9 and 9.9°C, respectively. Both female longevity and egg production were significantly affected by temperature. The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) ranged from 0.01631 to 0.08739, with the highest value recorded at 27°C (0.09831). The r_m values determined at different temperatures fitted to Lactin's nonlinear model. The lower and upper threshold and optimal temperatures for population increase were 13.1, 33.1, and 27.2°C, respectively. The results of the current study could be useful for explaining phenology and population dynamics of this indigenous predator in the field.

The koinobiont endoparasitoid Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis (Shafee, Alam & Agarwal) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is an imported biological control agent being released in Florida against the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). The eggs and early larvae were found free floating within the hemocoel. Larvae were soft bodied with no observable hairs, bristles, or external appendages, such as anal vesicles, in any instar. By the third instar, larvae had begun attaching to nymphal tissues by anal secretions that provided a means of orienting within the host nymph. The penultimate and last-instar larvae were found with their posterior anchored in the head—thoracic region of the host with their head oriented toward the posterior of the host nymph. Before the beginning of the prepupal stage, the host nymph was turned into a mummy and glued to a plant surface, apparently requiring some secretions from the wasp larva. Development from oviposition to adult eclosion of D. aligarhensis took ≈16 d at 25°C when oviposition occurred in second-through early fourth-instar nymphs, although this time was shortened by 4 d (25%) when the wasps oviposited in mid-fourth-instar D. citri nymphs. This reduction in developmental time did not affect wasp fertility or life span and may offer a significant approach to improved rearing of this wasp for augmentative releases to control the Asian citrus psyllid.

A complex of invasive rhizophagous weevils has established in North American northern hardwood forests. Little is known regarding the overwintering biology of these weevils and thus how cold hardiness and weather affect population dynamics. Field data from winter 2006–2007 showed a decline in larval abundance but an increase in larval weight of the surviving individuals. During winter 2008–2009, we examined several aspects of overwintering biology of Phyllobius oblongus (L.), Polydrusus sericeus (Schaller), and Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman). Larvae were collected in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and transported in bulk field soil to the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, for laboratory assays. Supercooling points (SCPs) of P. oblongus and B. pellucidus larvae not in contact with ice were highest in October and lowest in March, but SCPs of larvae that were in contact with ice did not differ among sampling dates. Larval cold tolerance increased over the winter, with 11% of P. oblongus and 40% of P. sericeus surviving 24 h at -12°C. Few B. pellucidus or P. oblongus survived 30 d at temperatures of -3.3°C or lower. Body water content increased from January to March in P. sericeus and B. pellucidus. Larval hemolymph from all species showed some thermal hysteresis and hexagonal crystal formation, indicative of low levels of antifreeze proteins or glycolipids. These subterranean-dwelling larvae are buffered from ambient winter temperatures, but our data also suggest low levels of freeze avoidance. We discuss how these overwintering strategies may affect adult population dynamics.

The adult sphingid communities of three sites in southeastern Peru representative of the moist tropical forest of the lowland Amazon, the pluvial tropical forest of the upper Amazon and Andean foothills, and the montane cloud forest of the eastern slopes of the Andes were sampled during 2004–2006 by using mercury vapor light traps. In total, 119 species of Sphingidae were documented. Species diversity was highest in the upper Amazon and Andean foothills, with 94 species (21 genera), followed by 80 species (21 genera) in the Amazonian lowlands, and 43 species (17 genera) in the montane cloud forest. The greatest number of endemics (22) was registered at the upper AmazonAndean foothills site. The montane cloud forest site was characterized by the highest relative percentage of endemic species. The species assemblages of the lowland Amazon and the Andean foothills were more similar in composition to each other than to the montane assemblage. All three assemblages proved to be more distinctive than expected based on the proximity of the sampled sites and seemingly good flight capabilities of sphingid moths. This was reflected by the endemics accounting for nearly 40% of the total species pool. By contrast, cosmopolitans numbered only 26 species, or 22% of the total assemblage. We hypothesize that the composition and distribution of sphingid species along this elevational gradient may reflect floristic similarities and differences between the study sites and the extent to which different species are adapted to cope with certain environmental conditions, such as temperature and air humidity.

The nontarget effects of the plant growth regulator indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) on parasitoid development and reproduction were examined using the endoparasitoid Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The effects of IAA were assessed by rearing A. galleriae on hosts fed different doses of the growth regulator and then measuring a range of life history traits such as immature developmental time, adult longevity, body size, fecundity, and sex ratios in F₁ and F₂ generations. Wasp development from egg to adult took 27–47 d. However, adult emergence of parasitoids reared on hosts exposed to IAA doses required 14–24 d longer than controls to complete development at doses >200 ppm. Longevity of IAA-treated adult wasps was lower than that of controls at any dose. For example, at IAA doses >200 ppm, the life span of both male and female adult wasps decreased >50% compared with parasitoids that developed inside IAA-free hosts. Adult length also decreased at 500 and 1,000 ppm with respect to the control and lesser dosages. The total number of progeny decreased >50% and female sex ratio increased at doses >200 ppm compared with controls. Our results showed that the developmental biology of parasitoids exposed indirectly to IAA might be affected by high doses.

We used four DNA microsatellite markers and detected diploid males in two out of three species of North American bumble bees from Alberta, Canada. The estimated average proportion of diploid males, , in Bombus occidentalis Greene and Bombus perplexus Cresson was ≈ 3% (n = 112) and 6% (n = 104), respectively. However, there was no significant difference between these estimates. Because no diploid males were detected in the sample (n = 81) of Bombus terricola Kirby, no estimate of could be made directly, but the upper limit to that would be found in a sample of this size, was ≈ 4%. The average over the three species was ≈ 4%. This is the first report of diploid males in natural populations of North American bumble bees.

The understanding of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), physiology has frequently suffered from discrepancies between different studies. One potential source of error is the assumption that laboratory colonies are sufficiently representative of wild populations that their biological parameters can be generalized. This is unlikely to be valid if the phenotype in question exhibits extensive genetic variation in the natural population, in which case laboratory lines can only be expected to contain a subset of the relevant genotypes. Here, I investigated whether this is a concern for experiments measuring larval developmental rate, a parameter frequently used to assess the relative resistance of different plant lines to fall armyworm herbivory. To estimate the genetic variation in this phenotype a simple selection experiment was performed to determine whether significantly different developmental rates could be isolated from inbred laboratory colonies representing the fall armyworm subgroup (rice-strain) that is the primary pest of pasture grasses. The results indicate that a strong genetic component influences larval development. Therefore, the average larval duration of the test population for a given treatment will depend on its genotypic composition that could vary significantly with different colonies. The implications of these findings on designing and evaluating feeding studies for fall armyworm are discussed.