A family of extinct lacewings is described and figured from the Yixian Formation [Early Cretaceous (M.S.E.) or latest Jurassic (D.R.)] of Liaoning Province, China. Aetheogrammatidae Ren and Engel, new family, is established for Aetheogramma speciosa Ren and Engel, new genus and species, and is distinguished from other myrmeleontiform families. The enigmatic kalligrammatid genus Kallihemerobius Ren and Oswald is placed in a new subfamily, Kallihemerobiinae Ren and Engel.

The first Cretaceous fossil of the wasp family Rhopalosomatidae (Aculeata: Euaculeata: Vespoidea) is described and figured from a male preserved in Burmese amber. Eorhopalosoma gorgyra Engel, new genus and species, is the first rhopalosomatid discovered in amber and the second—but first definitive—member of the family from the Cretaceous. The new species is distinguished from its modern counterparts. The modern genus Olixon Cameron is transferred to a separate new subfamily, Olixoninae.

Trigonodemus koreanus , new species (type locality: Mt. Odaesan, Korea) is described, and a habitus photo and line illustrations of diagnostic features are provided for its recognition. The differences among T. lebioides (Kraatz), T. schuelkei Smetana, and T. koreanus are discussed.

Two new species of the genus Gonatopus Ljungh from Argentina are described: G. saltensis new species, from Salta, El Quebrachal, and G. hermosensis new species, from Buenos Aires, Monte Hermoso.

Two new genera and species of snakeflies (Raphidioptera) are described and figured from the Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Ororaphidia megalocephala, new genus and species, and Styporaphidia magia, new genus and species, are both differentiated from other Mesozoic snakefly lineages. These constitute the oldest records of snakeflies from China.

A new genus and species of primitive termite (Isoptera) is described and figured from the remains of an imago preserved in middle Eocene (Lutetian) Baltic amber. Idanotermes desioculus Engel, new genus and species (near to Mastotermitidae), is distinguished from related genera as well as all other termites known as inclusions in Baltic amber. In addition, the genus Heterotermes (Rhinotermitidae: Heterotermitinae) is newly recorded from Baltic amber and Heterotermes eocenicus Engel, new species, is described. A revised key to Baltic amber termites is provided so as to accommodate the newly discovered species.

New country records are given for three species of the Neotropical Dohrniphora longirostrata group: D. bicostula Kung and Brown is recorded from Brazil and Peru, D. oricilla Kung and Brown from Mexico, and D. perpendicularis Kung and Brown from Brazil. A further new species in this group, D. protensa n. sp., is described from Brazil, and is compared to the similar D. longirostrata (Enderlein).

Between 2005 and 2007, 656 new county records and eight new state records were obtained for Nebraska's short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae and Romaleidae). This represents an increase of 30% in the known grasshopper county records in Nebraska. Based on the large number of new distribution records, it appears that the previous distributions of Nebraska's grasshoppers greatly underestimated the actual distributions. The new grasshopper state records were: Boopedon gracile, Chloealtis abdominalis, Encoptolophus subgracilis, Melanoplus bispinosus, Melanoplus borealis, Melanoplus punctulatus, Paratylotropidia brunneri, and Psinidia fenestralis were obtained. These new records will aid in both grasshopper monitoring for pest outbreaks and in conservation of rare and declining species which are often habitat specialists associated with prairie ecosystems.

In this study, Shargacucullia gozmanyi Ronkay, G. and Ronkay, L., 1994 is recorded from Turkey for the first time. In addition to other known larval host plants of the species, Verbascum bugulifolium Lam. is given as new. Immature stages of the species and damages to fruit capsules are illustrated.

The fatty acid compositions of phospholipid and triacylglycerol fractions of total lipids prepared from eggs, nymphs, new-generation, aestivating, and diapausing adults of the wheat stink bug Aelia rostrata Boheman (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components were C16 and C18 saturated and unsaturated fatty acid ubiquitous to most animal species. In addition to these components, several odd-chain (C13:0, C15:0, and C17:0) and prostaglandin-precursor fatty acids were found. The fatty acid profiles of phospholipids and triacyglycerols were substantially different. Generally, the phospholipids were higher than triacyglycerols in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturation/saturation ratio for phospholipid was higher than calculated for triacylglycerol. There were substantial differences in fatty acid compositions from different development stages. In phospholipid fractions, the fatty acid profiles from eggs and nymph were not the same, with decreased palmitoleic acid proportions in nymphs. Eggs also differed from the adult stage, with lower proportions of myristic and higher proportions of palmitoleic and eicosenoic acids. Percentages of linoleic acid increased significantly at the expense of palmitic acid from new-generation adult compared to other nymphal stages. In triacylglcerol fraction, the content of oleic acid in nymphs and most adults stages decreased relative to eggs. In both fractions, polyunsaturated fatty acids contents were higher in female than in male. The proportion of unsaturation/saturation ratio was significantly increased in phospholipid and triacylglycerol, apparently because of increases in major monounsaturated oleic acid at the expense of saturated palmitic acid during diapause. Thus, temperature and development stages seem to play an important role of lipid metabolism in the wheat stink bug.

The alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (Fab.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), was introduced into the lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium and V. myrtilloides (Ericaceae), agro-ecosystems of Atlantic Canada and the state of Maine in the early 1990's. As a managed pollinator of this crop, this typical “summer-active” bee is released approximately one month earlier than for alfalfa pollination and therefore is exposed to a different set of climatological conditions, primarily night time temperatures which can reach as low as −8°C during flowering. The objectives of this study were to investigate aspects of cold-hardiness in post-diapausing M. rotundata, and to determine the potential effects of subzero temperatures on adult females through studies of supercooling capacity and survival at low temperatures. Post-diapausing M. rotundata maintain a supercooling capacity below −23°C until pupation, after which all developmental stages freeze between −15°C and −17°C. Fed and unfed adult females show significant differences in their supercooling capacity; −8°C and −16°C, respectively. Bees which have fed showed very little susceptibility to temperatures above −5°C, but mortality significantly increased at −10°C, and was 100% at −15°C. As such, M. rotundata populations are likely susceptible to unusually cool night time temperatures when used for lowbush blueberry pollination. The implications of earlier release times on bee biology and population recovery for pollination are discussed.

Pan traps (colored plastic bowls) are frequently used as an efficient standardized method of sampling bee faunas. We explored the utility of pan traps in three colors compared to net collecting using simultaneous sampling at biweekly intervals throughout the flowering season (May–Sep) at 11 sites in the eastern Great Basin Desert. Pan traps deployed for one day (9:00–16:00) on average captured significantly larger samples than net collections (2 hr.) at all intervals except the latter half of May. Average species richness for net collections exceeded pan traps only during late May and late September, periods with abundant floral resources. Capture rates were similar between colors. The composition of bees was also similar; Sørensen's similarity values exceeded 0.7. Color preferences for pollen specialists did not match flower color of their hosts. There were significant differences in species composition between net collections and pan trap collections. Almost one-third of the species showed a strong bias toward one method and in some cases between pan trap colors. The methods appear complementary: Halictinae and Perdita were predominantly collected in pan traps (85%); three genera, Anthidium, Colletes, Epeolus were largely or entirely detected by netting. Net collecting should be used in addition to pan traps if comprehensive inventories are desired. Though pan trapping constitutes a standardized method that avoids collector bias, it may not be unbiased; capture rates were lowest when flowering plant richness was greatest.

Male Sphecius speciosus Drury (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) emerge before females and compete for mating territories in nest colonies. In a large, dense aggregation of S. speciosus at a chemical plant in Channahon, IL, some males appeared to exhibit territorial behavior, but most flew through the nest area in apparent search of females, which are sexually receptive upon emergence. As females emerged, they were quickly surrounded by clusters of several males, all attempting to copulate. We wanted to determine whether the high male density influenced which males would be successful. Previous studies had shown that large male Sphecius have an advantage, because of superior ability to secure and defend territories. However, as territorial males were unable to repel the nearly constant intrusions by other males, we predicted large males would have no advantage. We captured a sample of mating clusters following initiation of copulation, and measured body mass, wing length, and mesoscutal width of successful and unsuccessful males. Though successful males were larger than a haphazard sample of the general male population, they were not significantly larger than unsuccessful males in the clusters. There was also no difference in symmetry, based on relative lengths of wings, between the successful and unsuccessful males. Apparently, small males either avoid or are excluded from mating clusters. However, within clusters the ability of males to compete and/or the possible choice of mates by females, are not influenced by male size and wing symmetry.