The Mecyclothorax (Sharp) fauna of isolated forest habitats in and near Polipoli State Recreation Area, Kula Forest Reserve, Maui Island, Hawaii comprises eight species, five of which are newly described: Mecyclothorax aeneipennis, new species; M. consobrinus, new species; M. cordithorax, new species; M. giffardi, new species; and M. superstriatus, new species. An identification key to Mecyclothorax species of Polipoli is presented along with diagnoses, distributional maps and illustrations. Lectotypes are designated for M. laetus (Blackburn), M. ovipennis Sharp, and M. perstriatus Sharp. Four species—M. aeneipennis, M. consobrinus, M. giffardi and M. superstriatus—are precinctive to Polipoli, and constitute respective adelphotaxa to four allopatric species distributed from the Waikamoi region thence eastward along the windward face of Haleakala Volcano. The Polipoli endemics define the forest regions of Kula Forest Reserve as an area of endemism distinct from the windward forest to the northeast. Incorporation of adelphotaxic distributional information into the delimitation of these areas of endemism provides a cladistic foundation that is lacking from most other previously proposed definitions, though it harkens back to Wallace's (1855) “Law which has regulated the introduction of new species.” Native Mecyclothorax beetles occur in both native and non-native forest microhabitats at Polipoli, illustrating the ability of these geographically restricted island endemic taxa to colonize and persist in novel situations populated by alien plants.

Ten species of damaline flies are reported from Southeast Asia, of which eight are new to science: Damalis albatus, D. basalis, D. brevis, D. flaventis, D. fulvus, D. londti, D. macula, and D. politus. Damalis saigonensis Bigot is redescribed, the male is reported for the first time, and its range now includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Xenomyza thorakeraia Shi, 1995 is synonymized with Aireina paradoxa Frey (new synonymy). Aireina paradoxa is redescribed and illustrated, and D. vitalisi Frey is briefly discussed. Damalis fabricii (new name) is proposed for the Indian species, D. dimidiata Joseph & Parui. Diagnoses, illustrations, and a key of the species are provided. An updated checklist of damaline species from southeast Asia and China is included.

Six new species of Amnestus Dallas from the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Hidalgo, and Veracruz are described. Illustrations of adults and diagnostic characters of the head, prosternal carina, pronotum, legs, parameres, and methatoracic scent gland are provided. Distribution and notes about their biology are included.

Included among numerous native insects that have colonized the introduced African bunchgrass Eragrostis curvula in the southern United States are four little-known fulgoroids not previously documented as grass feeders: the fulgorids Amycle vernalis Manee, Cyrpoptus belfragei Stål, and C. reineckei Van Duzee, and the dictyopharid Rhynchomitra microrhina (Walker). Male and female genitalia and nymphs of these planthoppers are described and illustrated; the distributions and host plants, both native and introduced, are listed; and notes on habitat associations and seasonal histories are provided. All four species appear to be at least bivoltine and grass generalists that use hosts in several subfamilies. Host-range expansions and colonization of novel plants by herbivores are discussed; we suggest that the architectural complexity of weeping lovegrass has played an important role in its colonization by native planthoppers.

Larvae of Enallagma davisi and E. recurvatum have round gill tips similar to E. minusculum but final stadia are significantly larger (total length 11.4–13.8 mm for davisi and recurvatum combined vs. 9.5–9.7 mm for minusculum) and the lateral carinae of abdominal segments 2–7 have distinct stout setae. The prementum of E. davisi (length 1.85–2.30 mm, width 1.56–1.80 mm; n = 10) is slightly larger than that of E. recurvatum (length 1.75–1.85 mm, width 1.48–1.53 mm; n = 5). The cerci of E. davisi in lateral view are wider than long in males and about as wide as long in females; in E. recurvatum the cerci are longer than wide in both sexes.

We examined the type material of Dabulamanzia improvida, D. duci, and Nesydemius polhemusorum, and series of new material from throughout Madagascar that correspond to the concept of each of these three species. Characters used to diagnose the three species vary among series of specimens, and these particular characters cannot be correlated with any specific populations. As a result, we recognize the following new species synonyms: Dabulamanzia improvida Lugo-Ortiz and McCafferty, 1996 [=Nesydemius polhemusorum Lugo-Ortiz and McCafferty, 1998, new synonym; =Dabulamanzia duci Gattolliat and Elouard, 1999, new synonym]. We consider Nesydemius to be a junior synonym of Dabulamanzia Lugo-Ortiz and McCafferty, 1996 [=Nesydemius Lugo-Ortiz and McCafferty, 1998, new synonym].

Adult Copris minutus individuals were maintained in the laboratory on a feeding regime of either cow dung or dead insects, and their survival compared with beetles maintained without food. There was no significant difference in the longevity of beetles maintained on either feeding regime, but both groups survived significantly longer than those without food. Females in all groups survived longer than males, and reproduction occurred only in groups consuming cow dung.

Experiments were conducted to determine whether previous encounters with host spiders would affect hunting behavior in females of the spider wasp, Pepsis mildei. Each wasp was subjected to 3 encounters with a different spider (Aphonopelma steindachneri) in an experimental chamber. The mean time required for wasps to orient their bodies and approach the host decreased significantly by the second encounter (546.1 sec ± 15.2 SD) as compared to that required by naive wasps on their first encounter (972.4 sec ± 19.3). In a similar fashion, mean time required to paralyze the host decreased from 198.5 sec ± 13.3 SD on the first encounter to 156.7 sec ± 10.2 by the second encounter. The mean number of movements of the antennae by these wasps for various time intervals during the hunting sequence (interval between the initial orientation of wasp toward the spider, and first contact; and between last bout of antennation of host and insertion of stinger) also decreased significantly between the first and second encounters, suggesting that the time required to assess the suitability of a host decreased as a function of experience as well. These results indicate that the hunting behavior of pepsine wasps is characterized by a certain degree of plasticity that may contribute to the survivorship of these wasps. This plasticity may be due learning processes or timing-events associated with sensitization.