The hypothesis that native plants have more arthropod associates than introduced plants was tested in chaparral and coastal scrub habitats which were being invaded by the exotic shrub Genista monspessulana (Linnaeus) (Fabaceae). Paired beat samples were taken from the shrubs. Data were analyzed by use of the Wilcoxon matched-pairs nonparametric method. Native shrubs had significantly more arthropod individuals and species associated with them than G. monspessulana. Most of the species collected on the exotic broom were native generalist herbivores, omnivores or predators, except for one native specialist herbivore and one exotic specialist herbivore that originated in the native range of G. monspessulana. The first was Uresiphita reversalis (Guenée, 1854) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the second was Arytainilla spartiophila (Foerster, 1848) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). These results suggest that efforts to control invasions of G. monspessulana into areas of native shrubs are warranted to conserve biological diversity.

A description and diagnosis are given for Hoplothrips cooperi sp. nov. collected from leaf litter beneath Chilopsis linearis (Cavanilles) Sweet (Bignoniaceae) shrubs in the Mojave Desert in southern Nevada. All adult males and most adult females are apterous, with macropters produced only in females. I examined the phenology of the species at a single locality during 27 November 2018 to 19 June 2019. Three generations were evident during winter and spring from the densities of larval and pupal instars. The timing and abundances of these generations appeared dependent on rainfall, consistent with thrips feeding on fungi growing on moist, dead leaves and stems. Most apterous adults and all macropterous females were collected during late spring when thrips densities and leaf-litter temperatures were highest. Hoplothrips cooperi appears to be the first species in the genus to be collected from leaf litter in the western U.S. and Mexico.

Copestylum opinator (Williston, 1891) is added to the syrphid fauna of the United States based on specimens collected in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona, during October and November 2018 and July 2019.