Bark beetles are important disturbance agents in coniferous forests, and spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the more notable species causing landscape-level tree mortality in western North America. We evaluated the efficacy of bole injections of emamectin benzoate (TREE-äge^®; Arborjet Inc., Woburn, MA) alone and combined with propiconazole (Alamo^®; Syngenta Crop Protection Inc., Wilmington, DE) for protecting Engelmann spruce, Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelmann (Pinales: Pinaceae), from mortality attributed to colonization by D. rufipennis. Two injection periods in 2013 (the spring and fall of the year prior to trees first being challenged by D. rufipennis in 2014) and distributions of injection points (7.6- and 15.2-cm spacings) were evaluated. Tree mortality was monitored over a 3-yr period (2014–2017). Emamectin benzoate injected in spring at a narrow spacing (7.6 cm) was the only effective treatment. Two (but not three) field seasons of protection can be expected with a single injection of this treatment. We discuss the implications of these and other results regarding the use of emamectin benzoate and propiconazole for protecting western conifers from mortality attributed to bark beetles, and provide suggestions for future research. A table summarizing the appropriate timing of treatments in different bark beetle/host systems is provided.

Managers of detection programs for bark and wood-boring beetles require cost-effective trap lure combinations that maximize species detections. A trapping study was conducted in 2012 to determine the effects of ethanol and α-pinene lures on beetle catches in traps baited with ipsenol and ipsdienol lures in a stand of Pinus taeda L. in north-central Georgia. Traps with all four compounds worked well for 20 of 25 species of bark and wood-boring beetles, and associated predators. Catches of Acanthocinus obsoletus (LeConte) and Monochamus titillator (F.) (Cerambycidae), Hylastes porculus Erichson, Hylastes salebrosus Eichhoff, Hylobius pales (Herbst), Orthotomicus caelatus (Eichhoff) (Curculionidae), Thanasimus dubius (F.) (Cleridae), and Temnoscheila virescens (F.) (Trogossitidae) in baited traps increased with the addition of ethanol and α-pinene with maximum catches in traps baited with all four compounds. Catches of Ips avulsus (Eichhoff) (Curculionidae) decreased with the addition of both compounds; the lowest numbers of I. avulsus and Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) were caught in traps baited with all four compounds. α-Pinene increased catches of Buprestis lineata F. (Buprestidae), Ips calligraphus (Germar), Pachylobius picivorus (Germar) (Curculionidae), Corticeus spp. (Tenebrionidae), Lasconotus spp., and Pycnomerus sulcicollis LeConte (Zopheridae); ethanol had no effect on these species. Ethanol increased trap catches of Curius dentatus Newman (Cerambycidae), Dryoxylon onoharaense (Murayama) (Curculionidae) and Platysoma spp. (Histeridae); α-pinene reduced catches. The data suggest that ethanol and α-pinene should be retained with ipsenol and ipsdienol as a generic trap lure blend for pine bark and wood-boring beetles in southeastern United States.

Native bees provide important economic and ecological functions that include pollination of agricultural crops and natural plant communities, thus conservation of their declining populations is important. The use of pan traps for collecting and monitoring bee populations has become widespread because the method samples widely different habitats with equal effort. However, to the best of our knowledge no efforts have attempted to quantify their efficiency. We measured the efficiency of pan traps at collecting bees by using video cameras to record individuals coming to the traps. Videoed bees were classified as approaching the trap, making contact with the trap, or being captured. During 52 h of video, 16 bees (19%) were captured, 25 bees (30%) made contact with the trap but were not captured, and 42 bees (51%) approached the trap and departed without making contact. The results of this study suggest that pan traps collect <20% of the bees that are attracted to it and are likely to overestimate the abundance of smaller-bodied bees such as Lasioglossum spp.

The Carabidae is a diverse family of beetles with many species of interest in conservation and biological control. Carabid beetle adult seasonal activity patterns were studied in a west-central Illinois forest/reconstructed tallgrass prairie matrix over a 2-yr period using pitfall traps. We found a threefold or greater difference in carabid abundance between years. Despite lower abundance, a second year of sampling yielded seven previously undetected species. Abundance and species richness were greatest in May–July and lower in August–October. Relative abundance and species richness were consistent among months between years. Shannon diversity and effective number of species were lowest in June and July. Cyclotrachelus sodalis (LeConte) and Chlaenius platyderus Chaudoir were the two most abundant species, comprising 54.3% of total captures. These species were most abundant in July and June, respectively. Most species showed greatest abundance in spring or early summer, and declined thereafter. Collections of several species were suggestive of bimodal seasonal patterns. Carabid species composition differed significantly among months, but not between years. Our results document seasonal variation in carabid abundance and species composition, and show that sampling throughout the growing season, and multiple sampling years, provide substantial benefits for assessments of carabid diversity in this region.

We evaluated a botanical compound, methyl benzoate, which was previously shown to have insecticidal activity on several agricultural pests, for its behavioral action on the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. Methyl benzoate, along with acetophenone and Cirkil^™, a commercially available bed bug control product, exhibited repellent action against bed bugs in an EthoVision video system designed to track the movement of individuals.

The rove beetle, Dalotia coriaria (Kraatz) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), is a soil-dwelling predator that preys upon insect pests residing in growing media. Minimal information exists addressing its predation on western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), below-ground life stages. Two laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of western flower thrips pupal stage, predator–prey ratio, and searchable area on predation efficacy of rove beetle adults. In Experiment 1, predation was recorded in response to two thrips pupal stages (prepupae and pupae); three predator–prey ratios (1:5, 1:10, 1:15) and predator–prey ratios that were 2, 3, and 4 times greater. Experiment 2 was designed to assess predation in response to those predator–prey ratios along with searchable areas in 15.2- and 11.5-cm-diameter containers. Response was measured by capturing thrips adults on yellow sticky cards (YSC) as they emerged from pupation. The estimated mean probability of thrips adults captured on the cards was significantly higher for the 1:5 (61.1%) than for the 1:10 (39%) and 1:15 (34.7%) predator–prey ratios. The estimated mean probability of thrips adults captured on the cards for 2 times the predator–prey ratio (57%) was significantly higher than 3 times (37.2%) and 4 times (40.6%) the ratios. A significantly higher estimated mean probability of thrips adults was captured on the cards in the 15.2-cm-diameter containers than in the 11.5-cm-diameter containers. We conclude that a predator–prey ratio of 1:15 would result in fewer rove beetle adults needed to reduce western flower thrips prepupae/pupae stages and subsequent adult populations.

The superfamily Vespoidea of the order Hymenoptera is reportedly comprised of 27,389 species worldwide within 10 taxonomic families and represents a diversity of composition, behavioral habits, and ecological roles. Studies of Vespoidea in the state of Campeche, Mexico, are scarce, and most reports are focused on the family Formicidae. This study presents an analysis based on a literature review of the occurrence of Vespoidea in Campeche. Results indicate that 91 species in 3 taxonomic families (Formicidae, Pompilidae, and Vespidae) are found in Campeche. Tropical ecosystems of Campeche serve as habitats for 6.3% of the total species of Vespoidea in Mexico. Further research on the diversity and ecology of Vespoidea is suggested to increase our knowledge of Vespoidea as natural enemies and pollinators in agroecosystems and natural environments in the state of Campeche, Mexico.

Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an important natural enemy of insect pests of agricultural importance. An artificial diet is needed when insects upon which the predators feed are in limited supply. Larval mortality, duration of larval development, duration of the pupal stage, and adult weight were compared for various concentrations of nine ingredients of an artificial diet in an L₉(3)⁴ multi-index orthogonal array design. A range analysis (“R” method) coupled with an integrated balance method determined that the theoretically optimal diet for P. japonica larvae was 6 g ground powder of Mythimna separata (Walker), 2 g yeast extract, 1 g sucrose, 0.08 g olive oil, and 29.42 g basic diet. After further testing, we found that this diet yielded a higher larval survival rate, longer larval period, longer pupal period, greater adult weight, and higher eclosion rate of P. japonica compared with the eight artificial diets tested.

Demotispa neivai (Bondar) is an economically important pest of oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq., plantations in Colombia. During our search for alternatives to conventional chemical insecticides for controlling D. neivai, we initially screened 50 isolates of various entomopathogenic fungi against adults and larvae. At a concentration of 1 × 10⁷ conidia/ml, 28 of the isolates caused fungal-induced mortality. Isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin, designated CPMa1502 and CeMa9236, caused the greatest mortality in adults and larvae. These isolates were further evaluated for efficacy against natural infestations of D. neivai in oil palm fruit bunches by applying each isolate at a rate of 1 × 10¹³ conidia/ha. The CPMa1502 isolate caused a significantly (F = 39.22; df = 6, 8; P < 0.0001) higher larval mortality (87.7%) than that of the CeMa9236 isolate. Three concentrations (5 × 10¹², 7.5 × 10¹², and 1 × 10¹³ conidia/ha) of the CPMa1502 isolate were then compared in a field efficacy test, and no significant differences were observed among the treatments. CPMa1502 also was applied to commercial oil palm plantations in two tests at a rate of 1 × 10¹³ on a large plot with 23 palms and a rate of 5 × 10¹² conidia/ha on a 511-palm plot. Larval mortality in these field tests was greater than 62%.

Semanotus bifasciatus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is one of the most destructive pests of Platycladus trees in China. Morphological measurements, such as head capsule (HC) width, can be very useful and practical indicators for identifying larval instars of coleopteran species. In this study, six morphological variables, including HC width, pronotum width, mandible length and width, and body length and width were measured to determine the instars of field-collected larvae of S. bifasciatus. Both the HC width and pronotum width were reliable parameters for determining the instar and stage. Larvae of S. bifasciatus were divided into eight instars; we detected strong relationships between larval instar and both the HC width (R² = 0.9640) and pronotum width (R² = 0.9549). The ranges of body widths and lengths for each instar are provided as reference values for distinguishing among larval stages in field investigations.