Praying mantids are widely distributed apex predators within arthropod assemblages. To determine the variable ontogenetic impact of these predators, we measured the stable isotopes of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δD) in Chinese praying mantids Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Saussure) and their dietary inputs throughout a growing season in both the laboratory and field. The δD of mantids raised in the laboratory was relative to the signatures of the prey they consumed, but δ¹⁸O values varied widely. Field-caught mantids exhibited a discernible seasonal trend in hydrogen enrichment and oxygen depletion. The δD values exhibit a steady increase throughout the subsequent instars, providing further support to the idea that instead of acting as frequency-dependent predators, mantids shift their diet throughout the season as they grow and mature. This work supports using hydrogen isotope analyses in food web studies and suggests that community impacts of generalist predators are strongly influenced by seasonality.

Members of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are pests of agricultural and horticultural crops. The species complex consists of 31 morphologically indistinguishable genetic groups or putative species. Morphometrics of developmental stages revealed that length and breadth of the wax fringe in the first, second and fourth instars vary significantly (P≤0.05). Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that out of 62 characters chosen for morphometrics, 38 characters were found to vary significantly (P≤0.05). Principal component analyses (PCA) revealed that the first five principal components (PCs) account for 79.1% of total variation and separate clustering was observed with slight overlapping. Overall 88.3% of the classifications were correctly attributed by canonical discriminant analyses (CDA) and confirmed the distinctiveness of cotton and leucaena populations with 92% squared canonical correlation. The characters found in this study can be used as a population/genetic group-specific character of B. tabaci, and these variations might provide support for distinguishing other populations as well.

The valid scientific name for the hemlock woolly adelgid is affirmed to be Adelges tsugae Annand. A discrepancy between the names Adelges funitectus (Dreyfus) and A. tsugae in the historical literature is investigated and resolved. The generic (or subgeneric) name Aphrastasia should not be applied to Adelges tsugae, as this species is not closely related to Adelges pectinatae (Cholodkovsky), the type species of Aphrastasia. We propose Annandina subgen. nov. for A. tsugae.

The mealybug Formicococcus polysperes Williams (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is here reported for the first time attacking ginger rhizomes (Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae)) in Meghalaya State of India. Plants infested by the sap-sucking nymphs and adults of this mealybug turned yellow within 1 to 2 weeks and then started drying from the tip downwards. Infested rhizomes shriveled and eventually dried out. Fields and a nearby storage facility experienced up to 48% crop loss due to the infestation. In this paper we describe the plant damage and the morphological characteristics of F. polysperes from Meghalaya.

We report that some oedemerid beetles and longicorn beetles visited male flowers of the wild grapevine Vitis ficifolia var. izuinsularis on Miyake Island, off southeastern Honshu Island, Japan. We collected those beetles by beating inflorescences at night, though we had previously found no insects on the inflorescences in the daytime. We also used light traps to collect insects from the vicinity of inflorescences, and trapped many other insect species in addition to oedemerid beetles. Our results suggest that some oedemerid beetles are promising candidates as effective pollinators of the wild grapevine.

The family Tanypezidae is reported from Alabama for the first time based on a specimen of Tanypeza picticornis Knab and Shannon collected in the Red Hills region of southern Alabama. This record represents a significant southward extension of the known range of T. picticornis, which was previously known only from as far south as Maryland and Virginia. The collecting site of the specimen is the southernmost locality known for the genus Tanypeza.

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) was detected in Mexico in 2002, and since then national researchers have been sampling in different production areas of citrus in order to find natural enemies with potential as biological control agents to be included in integrated pest management programs. In September 2013, an unidentified coccinellid species was observed apparently feeding on D. citri in the state of Colima, Mexico. The aim of this work is to identify this coccinellid and verify if D. citri is part of its diet. The coccinellid was identified as Exochomus marginipennis (LeConte). Under laboratory conditions feeding habits were studied, and it was verified that adults of E. marginipennis can feed on both eggs and larvae of D. citri.

The typology, number, and distribution pattern of antennal sensilla of Cryptorhynchus lapathi L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The antennae of adult females and males were geniculate, consisting of scape, pedicel and a seven-segmented flagellum. Five types of sensilla including 10 subtypes were recorded: Böhm bristles, sensilla basiconica (Sb I-II), sensilla chaetica (Sch I-II), trichoid sensilla (Str I-II) and rod-like sensilla (Sr I-III). Sr III as unique sensilla on adult males were observed on the scape, pedicel and flagellum 1 and 2. There were more Sch I than any other type. No significant sexual differences in the types, numbers, size and distribution of the antennal sensilla were found except for Sr III. The putative functions of sensilla types are also discussed with reference to their morphology and distribution.