A new species of Imalithus Pascoe, I. gabata sp. nov., from Papua New Guinea is described, illustrated, and distinguished from its only known congener, I. patella Pascoe, 1870. The new species represents the first record of the genus from New Guinea.

Host plant use by apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), 1867, western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran, 1932, and other Rhagoletis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in five cities or towns and several habitats of different commercial importance within south central Washington state was determined in 2004 to 2006. Rhagoletis pomonella larvae infested 0 to 1.6% of non-commercial apple trees, Malus domestica (Borkh.) Borkh., and 0 to 22.5% of wild black hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii Lindl. (Rosaceae), the first data showing R. pomonella has established within this part of the state. Rhagoletis indifferens infested 81.8 to 100% of non-commercial sweet and sour cherry trees (Prunus avium (L.) L. and Prunus cerasus L.) (0% in one area) and 21.7 to 94.7% of wild bitter cherry trees, Prunus emarginata (Dougl. ex Hook.) D. Dietr. (Rosaceae). Rhagoletis zephyria Snow, 1894, Rhagoletis basiola (Osten Sacken), 1877, Rhagoletis tabellaria (Fitch), 1855, Rhagoletis berberis Curran, 1932, and Rhagoletis completa Cresson, 1929 infested 0 or 15.4 to 100% of their normal host plants. In south central Washington, the host breadth of R. pomonella is narrow perhaps because of the hot and dry conditions, low fly densities, and low host abundance outside of orchards. Here, R. pomonella likely can be managed to meet the strict quarantine requirements of apple export. Rhagoletis indifferens management can be confined to sweet and sour cherry trees. Responses of various Rhagoletis species to plant cues and survival of flies in dry climates need to be determined to understand patterns of host use and population densities in Washington.

Host plant use by apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), 1867, western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran, 1932, and other Rhagoletis species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in western Washington state and northwestern Oregon was determined by rearing larvae in fruit to adults in 2004 to 2006. Rhagoletis pomonella infested apple, Malus domestica (Borkh.) Borkh., crab apple, Malus spp., Suksdorf's hawthorn, Crataegus suksdorfii (Sarg.) Kruscke, and English hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna Jacq. Also infested were apricot, Prunus armeniaca L., and cherry plum, Prunus cerasifera Ehrh., which are two new Washington host records for R. pomonella, and smooth hawthorn, Crataegus laevigata (Poiret) DC., Japanese plum, Prunus salicina Lindl., European mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia L., western mountain ash, Sorbus scopulina Greene, parney cotoneaster, Cotoneaster lacteus W. W. Smith, and European cotoneaster, Cotoneaster integerrimus Medic., which are six new host records for R. pomonella. Rhagoletis indifferens infested bird cherry, Prunus padus L., and cherry plum, P. cerasifera, which are two new host records. Three, one, and one new host records were also determined for Rhagoletis tabellaria (Fitch), 1855, Rhagoletis zephyria Snow, 1894, and Rhagoletis completa Cresson, 1929, respectively. In the coast forest ecosystem of western Washington, the host breadth of both R. pomonella and R. indifferens are relatively broad, perhaps in part because of large fly populations. The discovery of 13 new hosts in western Washington suggests this region can yield a wealth of information on the adaptability of various Rhagoletis to diverse plants and host race formation in this genus.

The mymarid Polynema sp. near eutettexi Girault was found to be the primary egg parasitoid of the blue-green sharpshooter, Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret), in California. Indicated and illustrated are its morphological differences from P. eutettexi Girault, an egg parasitoid of the beet leafhopper, Neoaliturus tenellus (Baker). Host specificity studies revealed that female P. sp. near eutettexi would not parasitize eggs of the beet leafhopper under laboratory conditions, thus indicating an important biological difference that separates these two species of Polynema.

A new diagnostic approach called an “ontophylogenetic character analysis” is introduced that can determine whether differences between larviform lampyrids are due to change in the degree of metamorphic elaboration or somatic gene mutation. When performed on five species of larviform female Diaphanes, D. citrinus Olivier 1911, D. cheni Jeng 2001, D. flavilateris Jeng & Yang 2001, D. nubilus Jeng & Lai 2001, and D. formosus Olivier 1910 are determined to be, consecutively in that order, more and more imaginal. It is concluded that each is quitting the pharate pupal stage consecutively later and not finishing the full metamorphic program experienced by the male because the endocrine system is arresting elaboration at those points. They then move on to the pupa, pharate adult, and teneral adult stages to render imagos that are variously hypermorphic or neotenic relative to each other. The same character analysis is extrapolated to the broader Coleoptera, with the finding that hypermorphosis and neoteny were in operation during cladogenesis of the Order.