The optimal environmental conditions for rearing the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), on its natural host, Fraser fir, Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir, was determined by varying temperature, photoperiod, and humidity as well as by evaluating texture and geotaxic preferences. Five locations with a set temperature and relative humidity (RH) were chosen to test for optimal environmental conditions: three environmental chambers maintained at 17, 20, and 25°C with 75% RH; an insectary maintained at 21.1°C and 72% RH; and a greenhouse with varying temperature and RH levels. Overall, 20°C appeared to be the optimal temperature for development, and 25°C was the least favorable of the temperatures tested. Comparing Fraser fir cuttings to seedlings, seedlings ( 15.51/cm) were five times more infested than cuttings (3.02/cm), and the percentage of adult survival was higher on seedlings (67%) than on cuttings (17%). The highest percentage of adelgids reaching full development occurred in adelgids that inserted around the buds. Although the numbers were very low, full development was reached on logs in all five environments. Texture of the bark plays a role in A. piceae preference, with twice the number of crawlers inserting into medium-textured bark compared to rough-textured bark. Adelges piceae showed positive geotaxis preference, with the most favorable insertion sites on the bottom sides of vertical bark discs. Future rearing of adelgids in the laboratory should be on logs or seedlings in an area of sufficient size to permit adequate airflow at 20°C and 75% RH.

Heat shock protein (HSP) is a very conservative group of proteins expressed in response to stress in organisms or cells in culture. There are four major HSP gene families in insects: small HSP, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP83. To gain insight into the various functions of the HSP70 family genes in response to stress in insects, two new HSP70 cDNAs were cloned from the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (hereafter Harax when referring to genes, proteins, or cDNAs). HaraxHSP68 has an open reading frame (ORF) of 638 amino acids and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.53. HaraxHSP70B has an ORF of 661 amino acids and a pI of 6.20. HaraxHSP70A, obtained in earlier work, has an ORF of 651 amino acids and a pI of 5.36. HSP70 proteins have the three signatures IDLGTTYSCVGV, IFDLGGGTFDVSIL, and IVLVGGSTRIPKIQ; the signature ATP/GTP binding site motif AEAYLG(K/T)T; and an MEEVD motif at the C terminus. The three HSP70 proteins do not have a high degree of similarity, however, and HaraxHSP70B can be distinguished clearly from the other HSP70 proteins. HaraxHSP68 was found to be highly expressed in the early larval stages. HaraxHSP70A is highly expressed and HaraxHSP70A is moderately expressed in both the pupal and adult stages. In general, relative levels of expression of the three genes increased with increasing temperature, and HaraxHSP70B was highly expressed at 0°C. The relative expression levels of the three HSP70 genes reached a maximum after starvation for 8 h. These results revealed the three HSP70 proteins might have significant function(s) during development, heating, and starvation.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a serious pest of soybean in the North Central region of the United States. Management tools include resistant varieties and insecticidal seed treatments, used alone or in combination, which may have variable effects on different pest or natural enemy species. In this 1-yr field study we examined the response of soybean aphids and natural enemy abundance to aphid-resistant Rag1 soybeans, with and without thiamethoxam seed treatment. Rag1 resistance, thiamethoxam seed treatment, and both together, significantly reduced cumulative aphid days and increased yield compared to the untreated susceptible control, though there was no interaction of these factors. Peak aphid density in the control was 799.4 ± 174.8 aphids/plant. In Rag1 resistant soybeans, peak aphid density (312.2 ± 121.3 aphids/plant) was above the economic threshold but below the economic injury level, whereas in susceptible soybeans with seed treatment, the peak aphid population (659 ± 164.9 aphids/plant) exceeded the economic threshold and approached the economic injury level. Yield and cumulative aphid days in resistant soybeans and seed-treated soybeans did not differ. The fewest cumulative aphid-days and highest yield were obtained from seed-treated resistant soybeans, where peak aphid density was 39.2 ± 9.2 aphids/plant. Natural enemy abundance was positively correlated with aphid abundance. Rag1 resistant soybeans and thiamethoxam-treated soybeans were found to have lower natural enemy populations than were present in the control. Harmonia axyridis Pallas and Orius insidiosus Say were the dominant natural enemies in the study. These results are from one season of study in this system and should be interpreted in that light.

Rhaesus serricollis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), a near-threatened species on the European Red List of Saproxylic Beetles, is reported from Dalmatia, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia in the Balkan peninsula to southern Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Israel, Cyprus, Caucasus, Georgia, Transcaucasia, the Near East, Lebanon, and North Africa. It also has been introduced into Egypt. In Turkey, it occurs in Adana, Antalya, Bilecik, Burdur, Denizli, Düzce, Hatay, İçel, İstanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Konya, Muğla, and Osmaniye provinces and the Toros Mountains. Known host plants include Castanea, Celtis (Cannabaceae), Fagus (Fagaceae), Ficus (Moraceae), Liquidambar (Altingiaceae), Liquidambar orientalis, Juglans (Juglandoideae), Juglans regia, Morus (Moraceae), Morus alba, Pinus brutia (Pinaceae), Pinus nigra, Platanus (Platanaceae), Platanus orientalis, Populus alba (Salicaceae), Quercus (Fagaceae), Quercus calliprinos, Quercus ithaburensis, Salix (Salicaceae), and Tilia (Malvaceae).

Some adult female black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) bite humans and can be pests in high numbers. In areas of high black fly abundance, larvicide-based suppression programs reduce the emergence of adults from rivers and streams. However, little is known about whether either of the sexes develops or emerges first. Descriptions of sexual development might help control managers decide when application of pesticides is most effective. For the past 14 yr the cytogenetic diversity within the Simulium arcticum (Malloch) complex of black flies in the Pacific Northwest has been studied and described. These descriptions have been accompanied by an “on-slide” identification of the gonads and, thus, the sex of individual larvae. Consequently, a very large data set is available to describe sex ratios during larval development and determine if either sex develops before the other. The sex of >11,000 larvae from 161 collections from 41 geographic locations has been monitored. Larvae having white histoblasts were chosen for chromosome studies, but no selection of either sex was made. Males outnumbered females in first collections at almost all sites and those made before 31 March of any year. Between 31 March and 15 April, females slightly outnumbered males, but after 15 April the ratio of the sexes was similar. These data also suggest that this approach might be inexpensive and useful in the immediate determination of sex ratios because an estimate of the ratios could be made within hours of application of larvicides.

Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) are important predators of arthropods in soil habitats. However, minimal information is available on their effectiveness, including Dalotia (formerly Atheta) coriaria (Kraatz), which is a reported biological control agent of fungus gnats (Bradysia spp.) in greenhouses. In this study, predation by D. coriaria on Bradysia sp. nr. coprophila, was investigated in small containers (473 ml) in the laboratory using different numbers and ratios of predators and prey. In tests with 1–5 rove beetle adults and 10–40 fungus gnat larvae, predation was greatest at each prey density when four rove beetle adults were released, and lowest at three of four prey densities when five adult rove beetles were released. Per capita prey consumption was greatest when only one rove beetle was present, and predation efficiency decreased as predator numbers increased. This inverse relationship was strongest at the highest prey density (40 fungus gnat larvae). Thus, while using four rove beetle adults in conjunction with 10–40 fungus gnat larvae increased overall effectiveness (number of prey consumed), increasing the number of predators negatively affected predation efficiency. When predator and prey numbers were increased, the level of predation also increased, but only at the highest predator–prey ratio (1:5). At lower predator–prey ratios (1:10 and 1:20), adjusting numbers of predators and prey had no effect on predation. Based on our results, when used appropriately, D. coriaria may be a viable augmentative biological control agent of fungus gnats in greenhouse production systems.

The western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus Knight) is an important crop pest in the western United States that overwinters in an adult diapause. However, knowledge of L. hesperus diapause is incomplete. Eggs from field-collected adults were reared under photoperiods of 10:14, 11:13, 12:12, and 13:11 (L:D) h at 26.7 ± 1°C, and the diapause response for each gender was modeled by a logistic function. Incidence of a recently reported “glass bead” fat body type also was examined. Validation studies using the same methods were subsequently conducted using photoperiods of 10.5:13.5, 11.5:12.5, and 12.5:11.5 (L:D) h. No effects of bug gender, photoperiod, or diapause status on occurrence of the novel fat type were detected. Estimates of diapause in validation studies were within confidence intervals for initial predictions, but systematic deviations from initial predictions prompted refitting of the models to include validation data. Refitted functions estimated critical photoperiods of 11h44min for females and 11h21min for males. The maximum incidence of diapause was lower for males than for females and was <100% for both genders. Refitted functions also predicted 50% of the population-specific maximum diapause response corresponded to photoperiods of 11h54min (females) and 12h7min (males). These results, combined with other recent findings, suggest heterogeneity in diapause response likely enables L. hesperus populations to adapt to local conditions. The estimated functions relating photoperiod to diapause incidence provide baselines to facilitate future studies of environmental and geographical influences on diapause in this species.

A new species, Hoffmanniella solickiana (Acari: Trombiculidae), is described from specimens of Corynorhinus rafinesquii Lesson, 1827 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) collected in southeastern counties of Georgia, USA. The new species differs from congeners by a different pattern of unbranched leg setae, number of body setae, and highly branched sensillae.