Four new species Trypoxylon (Trypoxylon) ferrugiabdominale from Zhejiang Province, China, Trypoxylon (Trypoxylon) infoveatum from Yunnan Province, China, Trypoxylon (Trypoxylon) brunneimaculatum from Zhejiang Province, China and Trypoxylon (Trypoxylon) simpliceincrassatum from Shanxi Province, China are described and illustrated. The following nine species are first recorded from China: T. (T.) attenuatum Smith 1851, T. (T.) bifoveatum Tsuneki 1979a, T. (T.) figulus (Linnaeus) 1758, T. (T.) interruptum Tsuneki 1978a, T. (T.) iriomotense Tsuneki 1981b, T. (T.) nambui Tsuneki 1966b, T. (T.) naviforme Tsuneki 1979c, T. (T.) pacificum Gussakovskij 1932 and T. (T.) shimoyamai Tsuneki 1958.

The development, survivorship, longevity and fecundity of Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald, 1905) were examined in the laboratory. The eggs hatched within 5–6 days. The larval stage required a total of 33.7 days (4.8, 2.1, 12.3, and 14.5 days for first, second, third and fourth instars, respectively). The length of time to complete the pupal stage was 5–6 days. The egg and pupal stages had higher survival rates (0.82 and 0.95, respectively) than the larval stage (0.33). Among the larval stage, the lowest survival rate was found in the 2nd instar (0.59) and the highest survival rate was found in the 4th instar (0.95). The mean life spans of the adult male and female mosquitoes were 18.6 and 26.4 days, respectively. Pre-oviposition period ranged from 7–8 days. The gross fecundity rate was 25.8 eggs per female. Based on the life history of W. mitchellii, some basic demographic parameters were also estimated. The net reproductive rate (R₀) was 3.42 female offspring per female per generation, the mean generation time (T) was 70.5 days, and the intrinsic rate of increase (r) was 0.0174. The result of this study indicates that W. mitchellii is unlikely to build up its population rapidly because of its slow development of the immature stages and the low fecundity of adult.

Although Pseudocoladenia dan is a common skipper throughout much of its distributional range, the race sadakoe (Sonan & Mitono) inhabiting Taiwan has not been recorded since its description. Pseudocoladenia dan sadakoe was found to be associated with Achyranthes bidentata var. japonica and another unidentified Achyranthes species, as opposed to A. aspera and A. bidentata var. bidentata, which are used as the primary hosts by the populations of P. dan in neighboring mainland China and the other regions. The host associations may explain the rarity of this skipper in Taiwan because A. bidentata var. japonica is an uncommon herb growing in montane broad-leaved forests. By constrast, A. aspera is a weedy species found in disturbed habitats. Preliminary results show that P. dan sadakoe is bivoltine, and may have a different preference for host plants between generations. A discussion on the systematic status of P. dan sadakoe and a synonymic list are also given.

The seed weevil, Exapion ulicis (Forster 1771), was released in northern California as a biological control agent against gorse, an exotic shrub that invades grasslands and wildlands in the coastal counties of California. Several studies were conducted to examine the relationship between egg maturation and deposition with the flowering phenology of its host plant. Female weevils fed different diets of flowers and foliage showed significant differences in ovarian development. Females relied on their stored fat reserves to sustain them through the winter season. Stored fat in newly emerged females was 21% in June or July, declining to 10% by late January the following year. Fat maintenance was sustained throughout the ovipositional period by both flower and foliage feeding. The results show that the biology and life cycle of this weevil was closely tied to the production of flowers by gorse. Oviposition was synchronized with anthesis and flower feeding in March (early spring). Larval development occurred in late March through mid-May and adult emergence began in early May. Larval consumption of seeds was the primary means of feeding damage. When present, larval feeding reduced seed number per pod between 64% and 87%. Infestation of seedpods by weevils varied from 4% (late March) to 71% (early June) and translated to a population-level estimate of seed destruction of 51%.

Snags are dead standing trees that have been killed by such forces as fire, wind, lightning, insects/disease, drought and/or flooding. Snag management includes such practices as protecting/maintaining existing snags and artificially creating additional snags. Snags can be used by the insect community that occurs on a site. The objective of the current study was to describe and compare the abundance, species composition and diversity of the beetle community captured adjacent to artificially created snags of Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Franco, and Grand fir, Abies grandis (Douglas) Lindley. Beetle populations directly adjacent to the artificially created snags were monitored throughout the season using Lindgren-funnel traps placed directly adjacent to snags. A total of 27,428 beetles from 28 families were captured from May through September, 2002. Significantly more beetles were captured adjacent to the Douglas-fir snags than the Grand fir snags. Beetle capture was highest in late May and lowest in early August. Family richness of the captured beetle community was similar at traps adjacent to the Douglas-fir and Grand fir snags but family diversity was lower at traps adjacent to the Douglas-fir snags. A single species, Hylastes nigrinus (Mannerheim) (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), dominated the early capture peak. Ten genera of scolytids and at least 14 species were captured. An additional 10 genera (16 species) of other curculionids were captured. The population of these other curculionids was similar in abundance, richness and diversity at both the Douglas-fir and Grand fir snags. There were 12 species (7 genera) of Buprestidae captured and the total population was also similar adjacent to both snag species. The Cerambycidae captured during the study represented 26 species, with species richness and diversity being higher adjacent to the Grand fir snags.

Seven native plants (four shrubs, two perennial herbs, and a woody vine) common in sagebrush steppe habitats of eastern Washington were sampled for predatory and parasitic arthropods. Sagebrush steppe is a common natural habitat adjacent to apple and pear orchards in that part of the state. Many predatory arthropod species found on the native plants also occur in adjacent orchards; some of these species were particularly abundant on the plants when they were flowering. Other species found on the native plants rarely occur in adjacent orchards. Orius tristicolor (White, 1879) was the most abundant of the natural enemies that also occur in orchards. Other predatory Hemiptera also found in adjacent orchards included Deraeocoris brevis (Uhler, 1904), Nabis alternatus Parshley, 1922, and Geocoris spp. Coccinellidae, Chrysopidae, and Hemerobiidae were not common on the native plants, but one or more species in each family that commonly occur in orchards were collected. Spiders found on the native plants that also occur in orchards included Misumenops lepidus (Thorell, 1877), Xysticus cunctator Thorell, 1877, Sassacus papenhoei Peckham & Peckham, 1895, Phidippus spp., Oxyopes scalaris Hentz, 1845, and Meioneta fillmorana (Chamberlin, 1919). Parasitoids, almost all of which were Hymenoptera, were collected on all plants, but species of known importance in orchard biocontrol were not found.

The predatory bug, Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret, 1863), is an obligate zoophytophagous species; it cannot survive for long periods in the absence of plant resources. Understanding its digestive process will help elucidate the ecological and economical significance of this species. This is a study of the morphology and enzymes of the midgut of B. tabidus. The midgut is divided into four distinct regions like other heteropteran insects. In the anterior region, digestive cells are columnar with dilated apices containing unstained granules that contain some Fe and Ca accumulations; a short brush border is evident. In the central region of the midgut, digestive cells contain many cytoplasmic granules with many Fe and Ca. In this region there is a short brush border and the dilated cell apices seem to discharge into the midgut lumen. In the posterior region of the midgut, the cells are cubic and contain few cytoplasmic granules that contain low amount of Ca and Fe. At the end of the midgut is a midgut-hindgut transitional region. Biochemical analyses showed the presence of a trypsin-like enzyme, amylase and lipase in all three midgut regions. These are discussed in relation to the feeding habits and evolution of the Hemiptera.

Previous studies have indicated that although the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) Homoptera/Aphididae, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) Homoptera/Aphididae), are both suitable hosts for the aphid parasitoid, Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) Hymenoptera/Aphidiidae, D. rapae prefers B. brassicae because it oviposits more frequently and produces a significantly higher percentage of progeny in B. brassicae. We developed life table parameters for D. rapae reared on B. brassicae and M. persicae to determine whether there really were differences in the suitability of these two hosts. An examination of key life history parameters indicated that M. persicae is the better host of the two. Net replacement rate, birth rate, intrinsic, and finite rates of increase were all higher in D. rapae that developed in M. persicae than in B. brassicae. Although generation time was slightly shorter for D. rapae reared on B. brassicae than on M. persicae, doubling time was also shorter for D. rapae reared on M. persicae compared to B. brassicae. A population model based on demographic data indicated that D. rapae populations would grow much faster when developing on M. persicae compared to B. brassicae. Because D. rapae reared on M. persicae had higher intrinsic rates of increase and shorter doubling time than when reared on B. brassicae, M. persicae is a better host for this parasitoid at least under the environmental conditions of this study. These data also indicate that D. rapae should be a more effective biological control for M. persicae than for B. brassicae.

Discussion about several taxonomic acts involving various genus-groups in Buprestidae from the recent Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 3 (2006) is given. That catalogue's considerations of the species composition in the following genus-groups are discussed: Amorphosoma Laporte, 1835 and Vanroonia Obenberger 1923; the structure and composition of the Buprestis Linnaeus, 1758 genus-group; and the Meliboeus Deyrolle, 1864 genus-group including Bourgoinia Obenberger, 1926, Lakhonia Descarpentries & Villiers, 1967, Meliacanthus Théry, 1942, Meliboeoides Théry, 1942, Melixes Schaefer, 1950, Nalanda Théry, 1904 and Tonkinula Obenberger 1923, genera vs. subgenera vs. synonyms. Comments about the gender of Trachys Fabricius, 1801, are discussed. New replacement names for Psiloptera (Lampetis) mimosae cyanea (Alfieri 1976) (preoccupied by Psiloptera cyanea (Kerremans 1898), Sambus dohertyi (Théry 1931) (preoccupied by Sambus dohertyi Théry 1926) and Sphenoptera (Buprestochila) purpuriventris Bellamy 1986 (preoccupied by S. (s. str.) purpuriventris Kraatz, in Heyden & Kraatz 1882) are proposed: Lampetis mimosae kubani, nom. nov., Sambus barkeri nom. nov. and Sphenoptera (Buprestochila) malawiensis nom. nov.