We provide detailed scanning electron microscopy observations of eggs of three Anastrepha species in the spatulata group: Anastrepha manihoti Lima, Anastrepha montei Lima, and Anastrepha pickeli Lima, for the first time. Eggs were dissected from females captured in McPhail traps and examined using both scanning electron and optical microscopes. The eggs 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 for differentiating among these three species include the location of aeropyles, presence of a respiratory horn in A. manihoti and A. pickeli, and a pronounced rim of the chorion with a smooth surface surrounding the micropyle. Eggs of A. montei have a narrow patch of seemingly porous surface on the ventral side of the anterior pole. Such a character has not been reported previously for eggs of Tephritidae.

The phylogenetic relationships and putative monophyly of the diving-beetle tribe Vatellini are explored based on a cladistic analysis of 37 taxa and 122 chaetotaxic and morphological characters from larvae. For this purpose, larvae of the genus Derovatellus Sharp are described and illustrated in detail, with particular emphasis on morphometry and chaetotaxy, with the later being unexplored until now. The results strongly support the monophyly of the Vatellini based on several unique larval characters. The terminal insertion of the primary seta UR8 on the second urogomphomere in members of Vatellini represents a reversal from the derived condition. Vatellini was recovered as the sister group of the Australian genus Antiporus Sharp (Hydroporini) based on the presence of: a spatulate nasale, pore PAe and elongate lateral spinulae on prementum. These characters, however, have a reduced value because all of them seem to have evolved several times independently within the Hydroporinae. The tribe Vatellini and its genera are diagnosed and compared with other hydroporine taxa, and interesting features are discussed. Vatellus Aubé is unique within Hydroporinae in the presence of secondary setae on the first antennomere and the first maxillary palpomere, and the one-segmented labial palpus. Derovatellus can be separated from almost every other Hydroporinae by the absence of seta LA1 on prementum and of secondary anterodorsal setae on femur.

The winged imago of Prorhinotermes japonicus (Holmgren 1912) is described herein for the first time. The soldier caste and two morphs of the neotenic caste also are redescribed. Based on the similar morphology of soldier, alate and neotenic, two Chinese species, Prorhinotermes xishaensis Li & Tsai 1976 and Prorhinotermes hainanensis Ping & Xu 1989, are reverted to junior synonyms of P. japonicus. The current distribution of P. japonicus includes tropical islands surrounding the northern part of the South China Sea. Another Chinese species, Prorhinotermes spectabilis Ping & Xu 1989 from Yunnan Province and two Philippines species, Prorhinotermes tibiaoensis (Oshima 1920) and Prorhinotermes gracilis Light 1921, were compared and included in discussion.

More than 4,665 phoretic arthropods comprising 29 species were collected from alates of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, preparing to fly from nests in Pineville, LA. A wide variety of taxonomic groups were represented, including two insect and 17 mite families. Most arthropods fell into two classes: 1) those that may be truly phoretic with more than four specimens collected (13 species) and 2) those seeming to be accidentally phoretic with one to three specimens collected (16 species). The latter group may be the result of gathering “accidental” mites from adjacent sources, such as grass, soil, tree bark; thus, practically any very small arthropod may use phoresy as a dispersal mechanism. The arthropod with perhaps the highest total numbers was Cyphoderus similis Folsom, a wingless insect, and the only known Collembola phoretic species. Eight new species of mites found in this study were recently described, with several other species future candidates for descriptions. Results indicate the more common species may actively persist in nests for the entire year. At least 11 species from six families may feed on fungi within nests. These and common associates from other families carry hyperphoretic spores of fungi that live inside fire ant nests. All three of the laelapid associates may be important predators or parasitoids of individuals within the nests. The collembolan is possibly a general feeder, and Histiostoma spp. are filter feeders that consume microorganisms. S. invicta is native to Argentina, and we speculate that some of the common mites associated with this ant species also may have originated in Argentina.

We studied the biology of Scolytus subscaber LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in grand fir, Abies grandis (Douglas) Lindley, in northern Idaho. Presented are new Idaho distribution records, description of the mature larva and adult, biological features, characteristics of infestation and galleries, and natural control factors. The beetle has one generation per year, taking flight in July to infest live branches in the crowns of mature trees. The uniquely shaped egg gallery deeply scores the wood; its two arms curve inward like the Greek letter ε. Eggs are laid along the outer edge of the gallery; hatched larvae mine hidden in the phloem for a short distance after which they mine next to the sapwood where they overwinter. A cerambycid, Tetropium abietis Fall, occurred often in the larger diameter portion of branches infested with S. subscaber. A scolytid, Scolytus abietis Blackman, also infested branches but not those containing S. subscaber. Mortality factors included a braconid parasitoid, Ecphylus arcuatus Muesebeck, on larvae and the flooding of egg galleries with resin evidently caused by defensive response of the host tree to a staining fungus, Spicaria anomala (Corda) Harz., carried by the beetle. In addition, we point out errors and lack of documentation concerning the identity, biology, and behavior of S. subscaber in secondary published sources.

Fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Attini) comprise a diverse and ecologically important group in Neotropical habitats. Compared with leaf-cutters, however, relatively little is known about the biology of less conspicuous attine species. Here, we compare nest size and structure, colony size and demographic composition, and worker size and polymorphism among the genera Cyphomyrmex, Mycetarotes, Mycocepurus, Myrmicocrypta, Sericomyrmex, and Trachymyrmex. In total, 25 ant colonies (one species per genus) were investigated at one site in the Brazilian savanna. Results indicate a consistent variation in nest size and structural complexity (architecture), colony and worker size, and a tendency to polymorphism among the studied genera. In addition, nest mound volume was found to be a good predictor of both worker number and volume of the fungus garden. Based on morphometric analyses, Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex together formed a distinct group from the other genera. The transition from the ancestral agricultural system toward the derived leaf-cutting habit also is followed by remarkable changes in nest size and architecture, colony size, and worker size and polymorphism. Our results support other recent studies that consider Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex as possessing transitional habits, distinct both from species that cultivate fungus by using mostly nonplant items (insect feces and corpses) as well as from typical leaf-cutters Atta and Acromyrmex. This is the first study to detect correlations of nest traits with worker number and size of fungus garden in the less conspicuous attines. Results highlight the importance of combining data on natural history and morphometry to understand the evolutionary history of fungus-growing ants.

Stink bugs are economically important pests of food and fiber production throughout the southeastern United States. In cotton, stink bugs feed on developing bolls thereby decreasing yield and fiber quality. The brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a common species that is found throughout the southeast and feeds on a variety of wild and agronomic hosts. In this study, the population dynamics and reproductive biology of E. servus were assessed in 1.62–2.83-ha farmscapes planted with corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Farmscapes were sampled weekly using whole plant sampling for corn and sweep net sampling in cotton, peanut, and soybean. In 2010, but not 2009, nymphs were classified by instar, and adults were dissected to rate gonads as nonrepro-ductive, intermediate, or reproductive. Regardless of year, stink bugs observed in corn during the spring and early summer and were a mixture of all three reproductive stages. The number of E. servus nymphs and adults was low in all crops during the summer (July, August, and early September). In late September, the number of fifth instars rose sharply followed by an increase in the number of nonreproductive adults, which implies that these adults resulted from reproduction as opposed to immigration. Incidence of late instars and nonreproductive adults was extremely low for corn, cotton, and peanut, and these host plants did not seem to be highly suitable reproductive hosts. Results from this study are useful for pest management programs that focus on reducing stink bug populations on a landscape scale.

Dynastinae beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are important due to their role in recycling plant material and promoting nutrient turnover. However, some species are phytophagous and can attack crop plants, thus becoming pests. Here, we provide information on the biology and behavior of the rhinoceros beetle Enema pan (F.) (Oryctini), an abundant species in the area of Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone, Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Adults were collected with a light trap deployed daily from January 2006 to December 2007 in the experimental farm of the Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (Aquidauana campus). Adults were maintained in plastic containers and observations were made daily. Temporal distribution of adults of E. pan occurred in September and October (2006) and from October to December (2007). Flight started at 1930 hours and ended at 2330 hours. Twenty-four eggs (3.28 mm in length by 2.32 mm in width) with a whitish color were ovipositioned directly in to the soil. Adult longevity averaged 22.0 d in the laboratory conditions. Cephalic horn length, body length, and width of E. pan males are greater than those of females. The weight of adults of both sexes was similar. Cephalic horn length of the males of E. pan was positively correlated with his body size. Mating occurred between 0800 and 1030 hours and lasted on average 18.1 min in the laboratory. Several fights among males and other behaviors involving males and females were observed and are reported.

Whiteflies cause major agricultural problems in environments ranging from arid to humid climates on a global scale. A study was conducted on the effects of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on oviposition, hatching, body size, and survival of immature B-biotype sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Experiments were conducted at VPD conditions of 0.5, 1.7, and 2.7 kPa to represent low, medium, and high VPD environments, respectively. The study was conducted at 26°C with insects reared on collard, Brassica oleracea ssp. acephala de Condolle. The rate of oviposition was decreased at the highest VPD treatment. However, percentage egg hatch was not significantly affected by the treatments. More time was required for eggs to hatch at a high (2.7 kPa) compared with a low (0.3 kPa) VPD in a separate experiment. Overall survival to the adult stage was decreased at the highest VPD (≈50%) compared with the other two VPD environments (≈75%). Sizes of males and females were different, as is well known, but VPD had little significant effect on adult body size (length and width). The size effect was erased when the F₂ generations from the different treatments were reared under a common environment. Insect population models that include the most relevant environmental parameters can offer the best estimation of life-history events. These results help elucidate the ecology of B. tabaci and indicate that extremes in ambient moisture can have an impact on populations.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is both heteroecious and holocyclic, seasonally alternating between buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.), (the primary, overwintering host) and soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (the secondary host). Recently, a classical biological control program for this invasive pest has been implemented in North America using the Asian aphidiine braconid wasp Binodoxys communis Gahan. Two critical, related questions regarding the overwintering biology of B. communis are 1) does the parasitoid maintain fidelity to A. glycines throughout the aphid life cycle and follow it to its primary host; and, if it does, 2) is parasitoid migration facilitated by phoretic movement within buckthorn-specific winged aphids? In the laboratory, we compared B. communis parasitism on several different autumnal morphs of A. glycines: winged gynoparae (fall migrants) and their oviparous offspring on buckthorn, fourth-instar alatoid nymphs that would form either gynoparae or summer migrants on soybean, and third-instar gynoparous alatoid nymphs on soybean. We also introduced gynoparae and B. communis onto caged buckthorn plants in southeastern Minnesota to examine autumnal parasitism under natural conditions. In both the laboratory and field, parasitism rates of oviparae were much higher than those of gynoparae. In addition, B. communis rarely completed development on fourth-instar alatoid nymphs. Although wasps successfully developed on third-instar gynoparous nymphs, these hosts mummified before forming wings. These results suggest that although at least one buckthorn-specific morph of A. glycines seems suitable for B. communis parasitism, it is unlikely that alate-mediated dispersal of immature parasitoids is an adaptive strategy to locate Rhamnus in this species.

The katydid Scudderia pistillata Brunner, 1878 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), is anecdotally called the “counting katydid” because the syllables produced from each wing closure of the male calling song are grouped into phrases, with each successive phrase in the first seven phrases of a calling bout typically possessing one more syllable than the previous phrase. Analysis of >500 recorded male bouts showed that adding syllables to each phrase is stereotypic for the species. Although this aspect of the calls was stereotypical, other aspects of the calls exhibited variability, including the total numbers of syllables and phrases per bout, which were correlated with a male's nutritional condition, as indexed by residual weight. Potential behavioral functions of the counting sequence are discussed.

The abundance and species richness of moths were evaluated at 16 sites in southern South Korea to assess moth diversity and to identify indicator species for different forest types in this area. In total, 975 moth species were identified in the seven 6-mo collection periods (May–October) between 2001 and 2007. A matrix of 536 species and 36 sampling units was adopted for clustering sampling sites, and indicator species were determined after removing species with fewer than five individuals (370 species), and species that were found at fewer than three sites (36 species). Five different forest groups were identified based on clustering analysis: 1) seashore secondary forest, 2) evergreen deciduous forest, 3) inland young secondary forest, 4) inland mixed deciduous forest, and 5) inland high elevation conifer and deciduous forest. Patterns of moth abundance and species richness within four of the five groups were similar, but the abundance and species richness in the high elevation sites were significantly lower than in the other four groups. Sixty-three species were recognized in the five different forests based on indicator species analysis and the adoption of 63 indicator species in nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination corroborated the grouping of sites into five groups. Many indicator species were woody plant feeders. In the current study, we determined the general pattern of moth diversity in different forest types in southern South Korea and identified indicator moth species that can be used to track future changes in forest structure as the forests age.

Females of Phyllophaga obsoleta (Blanchard) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Melolonthidae) perform “sexual calling” with their protractile genital chamber (PGC) exposed to release substances that attract males. Histological aspects of the PGC and accessory glands (AGs) of P. obsoleta females were studied. Studies with light microscope and transmission electron microscope revealed exocrine tissue in the posterior section of the PGC, where it might be producing the attractants. This epithelial gland is formed by a basement membrane, a hypodermis for substance production, secretion, and transport (cells, nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and presence of folds in the plasma membrane), as well as evidence of the substance to be secreted to the outside (connecting cuticular pores to plasma membrane). Histological similarities between AG types I and II were observed, although only the PGC had properties of class I cells. These results suggest that the posterior section of the P. obsoleta PGC is involved in sex pheromone production.

A molecular phylogeny is presented for the five main species of Aphthona flea beetles that were introduced to North America in conjunction with the leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) biological control program. The mitochondrial genome was examined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of a 9,000-bp segment and nucleotide sequencing of a 575-bp piece of cox1-cox2. A neighbor—joining tree of the RFLP data, along with neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony trees of the sequence alignments, all had the same major branching pattern. Each of the recognized species was a well defined clade. Three within species subbranches had very limited mitochondrial DNA diversity. One was a Wolbachia-infected lineage of A. nigriscutis most likely generated by a Wolbachia sweep where the spreading Wolbachia infection brought along the infected mitochondrial haplotype. Two of three subclades of A. lacertosa also had very little genetic diversity. One of these subclades also displayed a divergence from the other two that was analogous to the divergence observed between some of the other species pairs, suggesting it may be a cryptic species. Its distribution was restricted to Canada. The other genetically depauperate A. lacertosa line was the only lineage recovered in the United States. The geographically restricted nature of some of the genetic lines could be exploited to possibly improve biological control in some habitats through redistribution to other locations. It is not obvious that either Wolbachia infection or a narrow genetic base has had any detrimental effect on biological control.

DNA sequence data from a variety of mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions are significant components of phylogenetic research in entomology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification primers for many gene regions have been developed that are specific to a range of dipteran groups. Here, we review the existing Diptera-specific PCR amplification primers that have been published for 11 mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions: 12S small ribosomal subunit, cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase c subunit I, 28S ribosomal RNA, alanyl-tRNA synthetase, the carbamoyl phosphate synthase region of CAD, elongation factor-1α, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, triose phosphate isomerase, white, and wingless. We also have designed in total 94 new PCR amplification primers for use in these same gene regions. Our new primers have been developed and tested using our DNA sequence database of > 1,600 specimens representing 40 families of Diptera. All of the past and newly developed primer sequences are presented in tables, and their locations are shown on gene maps. This combined data will facilitate future molecular phylogenetic research within Diptera.

Wolbachia are a group of intracellular, inherited endosymbiotic bacteria infecting a wide range of insects that are associated with several different reproductive phenotypes in their hosts. We measured the infection status of Wolbachia in the Asiatic rice borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), from 23 locations in China by sequencing the wsp gene. Our results showed that C. suppressalis populations differed widely in their Wolbachia infection rate. Wolbachia was not detected in 13 of the geographically separate populations. In the 10 populations for which infections were detected, the highest rates were ≈40%, in the Guiyang, Xiangyin, Xuzhou, and Yangzhou populations. Phylogenetic analysis of variation in the wsp gene from the six strains of Wolbachia detected showed they belonged to either supergroup A (two populations) or supergroup B (four populations). The phylogenetic relatedness among the wsp sequences found in C. suppressalis was high, and these sequences were also closely related to wsp sequences in other species. This could be an evidence of horizontal transference.

During their larval development, endoparasitoids are known to dispose of host resources in several different ways. Some parasitoid wasps consume most or all tissues of the host, whereas others consume a small fraction of host resources and either ensure that the host moves away from the pupation site or allow the host to remain close to the parasitoid cocoon(s). Using a single host species, Mythimna separata Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), this study compares the success of the two pupation strategies in the solitary parasitoids Microplitis sp. and Meteorus pulchricornis Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) against attack from a secondary hyperparasitoid, Gelis agilis F. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). The caudal appendages of M. separata caterpillars parasitized by Microplitis sp. remain physically attached to parasitoid cocoons and the caterpillars behave aggressively when disturbed. However, after Me. pulchricornis larvae emerge from caterpillars of their host, M. separata, the parasitoid larvae pupate in cocoons that are suspended by a single thick thread that hangs 1–2 cm from under a leaf. In choice tests conducted in petri dishes, significantly fewer cocoons of Microplitis sp. attended by caterpillars than unattended cocoons were hyperparasitized by G. agilis. By contrast, Me. pulchricornis cocoons that were hanging from corn, Zea mays L., plants were hyperparasitized as frequently as those which were attached to leaves. We discuss the potentially different selection pressures generated among natural enemies such as predators and hyperparasitoids in determining optimal pupal defense strategies in primary parasitoids.

Individual Leptogenys kitteli (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) workers produce stridulatory pulses at faster rates after exposure to prey larvae placed nearby the nest and after air-puff disturbances at the nest entrance than during unstimulated social interactions within the nest. Workers produce chirps (trains of stridulatory pulses) at faster rates after exposure to prey larvae than during unstimulated social interactions, including groups of chirps (bursts) where the intervals between chirps decrease below 60 ms. Such bursts do not occur in unstimulated social interactions. Chirp bursts with intervals <10 ms (disturbance bursts) occur immediately after air puffs at the nest entrance. Disturbance bursts are not observed after exposure to prey larvae or during unstimulated social interactions. The rates of disturbance bursts decline rapidly within 10 s after an air puff, whereas episodes of chirp bursts extend over periods of 30 s or longer when groups of ants are moving prey larvae into the nest. The differences in the rates of stridulatory pulses and chirps and in the durations of stridulatory activity observed in the context of different types, intensities, and durations of stimulation contribute to evidence that stridulation has a significant communicatory role in colony activities of many ant species, even in genera, such as Leptogenys, in which a stridulatory organ has not been retained in every species. A better understanding of how ants produce and interpret vibrations may lead to new methods that to improve attractiveness of baits, or repel ants from electrical equipment housings where opportunistic colonies frequently nest.

Ironoquia plattensis Alexander & Whiles (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) was discovered along the Platte River in central Nebraska in the late 1990s, and basic information about its life history is not well understood. Here, we describe previously undocumented life-history traits that demonstrate strategies used by I. plattensis for surviving in fluctuating wetland environments in a landscape formally shaped by flooding. In an off-channel aquatic habitat along the Platte River, we observed 1) larvae residing in a slough that did not dry completely, 2) larvae emigrating from aquatic to terrestrial habitats 1 mo earlier than reported previously, 3) larvae moving above ground during the summer aestivation period, 4) larvae residing underground in soil during summer aestivation, and 5) mass emergence and swarming of adults after daybreak in autumn. Underground larval aestivation represents a previously undocumented behavior for this species. It is unclear whether aestivating underground represents an unreported common behavior or an infrequent response to local disturbances. At our site, insects may have been responding to a prescribed burn in April and introduction of cattle in mid-May that yielded the site unsuitable for aboveground aestivation. Additional studies on the life history for I. plattensis are warranted to help manage, locate, and protect the few sites where it occurs.