A new tube spittlebug genus and species, Dianmachaerota serratiphalla gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from Yunnan Province, southwestern China. A checklist of Machaerotinae from China and a key to genera of Machaerotini are provided. A new method combining computer software and hardware to illustrate morphological characters is used.

The substrate-borne vibrational courtship songs of type A and type B Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are described in detail, from populations sampled throughout Japan and near Beijing, China. The song of type A is long (≈ 5–6 s) and is made up of numerous (four to 12) volleys of four distinct forms that differ in their carrier frequencies. The song of type B is shorter (≈2 s) and functions as a repeated single-volley song, but each volley is shown here to consist of four to six distinct subsections. During heterosexual duets, partners of type A exchange their long multi-volley songs, whereas partners of type B repeatedly exchange short single-volley songs. Geographical variation within each song type is low and largely insignificant. In addition, previously recognized mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) haplotypes Al and A2 of type A C. nipponensis do not have different songs. These results support the hypothesis that types A and B C. nipponensis are distinct species, with type A corresponding to the nominate species (i.e., C. nipponensis s. str.) and type B as yet unnamed. Their songs are among the most complex yet found in the Chrysoperla carnea swarm of cryptic species.

Kalotermes inamurae Oshima 1912 (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) is reassigned to Incisitermes (Krishna, 1961) based on the winged imago that is described herein for the first time. The two size morphs of the soldier caste are redescribed, as is the distinctly different morphology of the soldier of incipient colonies. The distribution of I. inamurae is restricted to the tropical zone of Taiwan. Another tropical species, Incisitermes mcgregori (Light), from Luzon, Philippines, has similar soldier morphology and may be a junior synonym of I. inamurae. The five Incisitermes species reported in Japan, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines were compared morphologically.

New species of Cosmopterosis Amsel were discovered feeding on Capparis L. (Capparaceae) during exploration for caterpillars in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica. Cosmopterosis is revised and now includes four species. Three new species, C. hispida, C. jasonhalli, and C. spatha, and the immatures of C. spatha and biology for two species, C. jasonhalli and C. spatha, are described; the type species, C. thetysalls (Walker), is redescribed. A key and illustrations for the identification of the species is provided. We propose a hypothesis for the relationship between species in Cosmopterosis and the placement of Cosmopterosis in the subfamily. The cladistic analysis, the first such analysis in the Glaphyriinae, included 21 morphological characters one of which, the radiodiscal process, a male secondary sexual character and presumably an androconial scent pouch is described and considered a autapomorphy for the genus. Male secondary sexual characters and larval feeding on Capparis in Pyraloidea and Lepidoptera is discussed.

The species belonging to the genus Metahelotella Kirejtshuk are revised. Six species are recognized, including two described herein, M. schawalleri sp. nov. from Vietnam and M. sprecherae sp. nov. from China (Shaanxi Province). Helota fulvitarsis Ritsema and H. difficilis Ritsema are placed as junior synonyms of M. semifulva Ritsema. Lectotypes are designated for H. fulvitarsis Ritsema, H. difficilis Ritsema, and H. immaculata Ritsema. A key and diagnosis of the species belonging to the genus Metahelotella Kirejtshuk are provided. Figures of protibiae, genitalia, internal sacs, eighth abdominal tergites, and fifth abdominal ventrites are given for all species.

Larvae of all three instars of the diving-beetle species Notaticus fasciatus Zimmermann (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) are described and illustrated in detail, with particular emphasis on chaetotaxy and morphometry, and the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Notaticus Zimmermann within Dytiscidae are investigated based on a cladistic analysis of 66 larval characters. Including Notaticus in its own subfamily, as is sometimes done, would result in Dytiscinae paraphyletic with respect to Aubehydrinae. Notaticus is found to be distinctive within Dytiscinae, being characterized by several apomorphies, including pore FRf and occipital suture absent, seta AN1 inserted distally on antennomere 3, seta MX8 subapical and pore MXh submedial on galea, pore LAc basal on labial palpomere 2, and abdominal segment VII completely sclerotized ventrally in instar I. Inclusion of Notaticus in a distinct tribe (Aubehydrini) seems warranted. A subordinate position of Notaticus within Dytiscinae is proposed, with Aubehydrini being part of a clade along with Hydaticini, Aciliini, and Eretini. Support is presented for a clade Aubehydrini Aciliini Eretini based on the presence in these taxa of a gibbous larva, short rounded spinulae on antennomere one in instar I, and a strongly developed and spiniform galea with the seta MX9 inserted subapically on it. It is postulated that Aubehydrini is sister to the clade Aciliini Eretini. A key separating larvae of the tribes of Dytiscinae is presented.

The leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina (L.) (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), is a xylophagous species that has become a serious pest in the olive (Olea spp.) orchards in Egypt. Both chemical and biological control have scored poorly against this pest and additional methods are needed. A simple, but efficient UV-light-pheromone sticky trap (“Hegazi model”) was devised for leopard moth mass trapping. Activity of leopard moth and efficiency of pheromone-baited, light, and pheromone and light traps were evaluated. The combination of light and sex pheromone was optimally attractive to leopard moth populations in olive orchards. A comparison between light traps baited with sex pheromone in mass-trapping method and conventional controls (insecticidal and physical removal of larvae) in heavily infested plots was carried out between 2002 and 2005. Leopard moths have long flight period, starting in mid-May and lasting until early November. Females of leopard moths were rarely trapped, but all had eggs. In mass-trapping plot, the seasonal captures and active galleries diminished from one year to the next, which may indicate the effectiveness of the method. From May 2003 to October 2005 greater reduction in total counts of active galleries was observed in mass-trapping plot compared with those recorded in the control field, in which chemical sprays and manual killing were performed. Yield from trees in mass-trapping field was significantly increased in comparison to control trees. The study strongly recommends the use of mass-trapping method instead of pesticides against the leopard moths, not only to control them but also to mass trap and monitor other lepidopterous pests of olive trees.

Feeding during the insect immature phase is extremely important for an adequate performance in adult life. The nutritional value of the ingested diet during the immature phase directly affects the percentage of emergence, the duration of the immature phase, and the size of the emerging adults. The objectives of this study were to compare the performance of adult Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae) females, the pupae per kg of fruit, and the percentage of emergence of flies that spent the larval phase in three fruit species (Mangifera indica L., Spondias lutea L., and S. venulosa L.), taking into account the amount of nutrients in the fruit. Weekly collections were carried out during the fructification period of the hosts. Adult size, longevity, egg production, ingestion of artificial diets by adult females, number of pupae per fruit and pupae per kg of fruit, and percentage of adult emergence were determined. The results showed that S. venulosa was the main A. obliqua host and the most infested among the studied fruit. The adult performance did not vary among the studied hosts; however, the percentage of emergence did. The amount of nutrients in the fruit did not affect the parameters that were analyzed. It is possible that the physical characteristics of the fruit were more important to wild A. obliqua females in their choice for an oviposition site than the amount of nutrients per se. Furthermore, the fruit surface/volume ratio also was involved in the infestation index.

Phylogeographic analyses were conducted for the dung beetle Phelotrupes laevistriatus (Motschulsky, 1857) (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae), which exhibits geographic variation in flight-muscle condition. Beetles with well-developed flight muscles, and thus capable of flying, are distributed in middle and southern Japan, from northern Honshu to Kyushu, whereas those without detectable flight muscle are distributed in northern Japan, on northern Honshu and Hokkaido. To investigate the origin of the flight-muscle dimorphism in P. laevistriatus, we determined sequences of a 603-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for 258 individuals from 43 population samples. We constructed gene trees using the neighbor-joining method, maximum likelihood method, and maximum parsimony method and a haplotype network using the median-joining method. Six major clusters were recognized in each tree or network by these analyses. They occupied different ranges, being arranged from southwest to northeast as Clusters VI, V, IV, III, II, and I, with partial geographical overlaps between IV and III and between II and I. The beetles with well-developed muscles were included in all these clusters, whereas the beetles without detectable muscles were included in two northern clusters, i.e., Clusters I and II. The results suggest that the common ancestor of P. laevistriatus originally possessed flight ability and then diversified into regional clusters, after which the loss of flight muscles occurred in northern clusters, possibly in response to climatic conditions associated with increased latitude.

The developmental biology and adult longevity of Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on lemon (Citrus limon L.) leaves was studied at five constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 32.5, and 357deg;C) under laboratory conditions. Developmental time and adult longevity were inversely related to temperature. The developmental time from egg to adult ranged from 10.1 d at 32.5°C to 40.3 d at 15°C. Adult thrips lived from 5.3 d at 35°C to 45.9 d at 15°C and females tended to live significantly longer than males at these two extreme temperatures. No significant differences were found in developmental times between male and female immature stages of P. kellyanus within each tested temperature regime. The highest larval to adult survival (80.6%) was found at 25°C and the lowest (50%) at 32.5°C. No larvae hatched from eggs incubated at 35°C. Both linear and nonlinear models adequately described the relationship between temperature and developmental rates for immature stages of P. kellyanus. Thus, thrips required 204.5 degree-days to complete development from egg to adult stage, above a minimum threshold of 10.2°C as estimated by linear regression. The temperature thresholds for all immature stages except for pupae of P. kellyanus, estimated by the linear model were similar to values that were estimated by the nonlinear model. The predicted upper lethal temperature was 33.12°C, with a minimum threshold for total development occurring at 10°C, as estimated by nonlinear model. The importance of the results in the management of this species through the prediction of its seasonal appearance and population levels are discussed.

Field collections and laboratory observations document for the first time nymphal Stagmomantis Carolina (Johannson) (Mantodea: Mantidae) as a host of Masiphya confusa Aldrich (Diptera: Tachinidae). In Washington County, MS, field parasitization rates of nymphal mantids in old-field sites exceeded 80% in late summer and were associated with a delay in maturation of parasitized nymphs. Laboratory rearings and dissections indicated that early-stage parasites had entered at the lateral mesothorax and were free-moving in the host thorax, with late-stage larvae attached to the inner wall of the fifth abdominal segment. A sclerotized airhole was present at the attachment site and exit holes for the mature larvae were in the area of the second abdominal segment. When attached, the parasite was encased in a sac and a sclerotized respiratory funnel was formed. After parasite emergence, the host typically died within 24 h, although some host individuals survived for up to 29 d and some individuals fed and partially molted after parasite emergence under ambient conditions. Pupation of parasites under ambient conditions occurred in the soil in September and October, with subsequent emergence in the following May.

Electrical penetration graph (EPG) monitoring is the most rigorous means of observation and quantification of feeding by piercing-sucking arthropods. Previous EPG studies with aphids and leafhoppers have demonstrated that the X wave identifies when the stylets of these phloem fluid-ingesting insects make contact with their preferred plant vascular cell, phloem sieve elements. This article presents the first direct evidence of an X wave identifying ingestion from a xylem tracheary element by a xylem fluid-ingesting type of leafhopper Homalodisca liturata Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae), whose waveforms are nearly identical to those of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar). We document consistent association of the sharpshooter X wave with salivary sheath termini in xylem, especially lignified secondary xylem cells, and absence of the X wave in the rare instance of ingestion from a nonxylem cell. The sharpshooter X wave is a complex, multicomponent waveform, composed of X wave-specific variants of waveform subtypes B1w (representing salivation), B1s (representing precibarial valve movement for tasting), types C1 (a new waveform type that may represent egestion) and C2 (a new designation for the waveform type representing ingestion/cibarial pumping). It is proposed that the sharpshooter X wave represents a blended suite of behaviors that function to 1) physically seal stylet tips into the cell via sheath salivation, 2) repeatedly taste then eject (egest) chemical constituents of the cell to determine acceptability, and 3) mechanically test the strength of the stylet seal via trial cibarial pumping (ingestion). It is further hypothesized that the X wave represents vector behaviors that control inoculation of the Pierce's disease bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. The ingestion-(salivation and egestion) hypothesis is stated for the mechanism of transmission of X. fastidiosa.

We examined the diversity, habitat preferences, and intraspecific variation of Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) populations within Missouri. Approximately 600 subterranean termite colonies were sampled from paired urban and woodland environments plus home infestations throughout the state. Samples were first identified to species using morphological characters and morphometrics. In addition, a portion of ≈428 bp from the 16S rRNA from 365 samples was sequenced to confirm morphology-based species identifications and to describe intraspecific genetic variability of Reticulitermes populations in Missouri. Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks), Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, and Reticulitermes hageni Banks were found in Missouri. Twenty-one haplotypes of R.flavipes were identified, which represents one of the highest haplotype diversities reported for this species from a single state. Moreover, nine of these 21 haplotypes have not been reported in the United States before this study. Three haplotypes of R. hageni, five haplotypes of R. tibialis, and four haplotypes of R. virginicus were identified. The most abundant haplotypes of R.flavipes and R. hageni occur in woodlands, urban environments, and home infestations, suggesting a probable local origin for most of the subterranean termite infestations occurring in Missouri.

To date, no information is available concerning the impact of maternal age on offspring in long-lived social Hymenoptera. We have examined the influence of maternal age on embryo mortality and juvenile growth in offspring in 29 freshly mated (Y0), 29 1-yr-old (Y1), and 18 2-yr-old (Y2) queen honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Embryo mortality increased significant with maternal age (Y0 = 9.1%, Y1 = 12.5%, and Y2 = 30.7%). Egg size declined significantly with queen age, did not affect embryo mortality, but did influence embryo size within the egg. (r = 0.54–0.98). Embryo size until hatching, observed under standardized in vitro conditions, was significantly affected by the age of the mother. Maternal age also significantly influenced larval size at an early stage (day 1 ) but not during later larval growth. Compensatory growth and nonrandom sampling attributable to higher mortality, especially in Y2 offspring, may explain the smaller impact of maternal age in the later larval stage. Embryo mortality was extremely high (55.7%) in the offspring of Y2 queens during the experiments on embryo growth, which required a frequent transfer and observation of the embryos outside the incubator. The stronger response of juvenile stages from older mothers to this manipulation indicates that they are likely to be much more sensitive to stress than offspring from younger mothers.

Termite alates presumably do not mate in their natal nest or during a swarming event. Rather, after flight, females and males lose their wings, pair, and select a nest site, with mating typically taking place in the incipient nest. In this study of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), histology and other techniques were used to assess reproductive features of female and male imagos, including unflown alates, flown alates, and the primary pair in incipient and well-established (5-yr-old) colonies. The spermathecae of female flown alates were devoid of spermatozoa, as expected, but the lumen contained a mucus-like substance. Histochemical tests revealed that this substance was intensely stained by periodic acid-Schiff, which is diagnostic for mucopolysaccharides. This is the first study to confirm that termites possess a mucopolysaccharide secretion in the spermathecal lumen. The secretion may serve as a sperm energy source as has been suggested for some other insects. Transmission electron microscopy subsequently revealed the presence of a semiopaque secretory material in the spermathecal lumen and associated ductules of flown and unflown alates as well as queens. Unflown female alates showed the least reproductive development in terms of spermathecal diameter and terminal oocyte size. Unflown male alates similarly possessed less developed reproductive organs than the kings.

Central to the study of invasive species is identifying source populations in their native ranges. Source populations of invasive species can provide important information about species life cycles, host use, and species-specific predators and parasites that could be deployed in a biological control program. The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a serious invasive pest of urban forests in North America and Europe. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies and microsatellite allele frequencies to characterize phylogeographical patterns in potential source populations of A.. glabripennis. The data suggest that although there is evidence of genetic structure within and among populations in China, a substantial amount of genetic admixture has occurred. This admixture is probably due to recent reforestation efforts in China where beetles from previously isolated populations moved into new areas of abundant, susceptible, and stressed resources, leading to outbreak populations.

To study individual participation in tunneling excavation, each of 27 workers (plus three soldiers) of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was identified with a unique marker and released in a two-dimensional arena provisioned with moistened sand, and their time budgets in excavation were recorded by a camcorder. We found that ≈20% of workers were excavating at any given time. Termites did not work in shifts, and only one or two specific individuals tunneled continuously throughout the 4-h observation. The majority spent <1 h in tunnel excavation, and ≈16% of workers never excavated sand. A positive correlation was found between excavation time and worker's antennal segment count which refers to a worker's age. However, a large variation in excavation time also was recorded among workers with same antennal segment number. Thus, worker age might not be the only determining factor for tunnel excavation load in the Formosan subterranean termite.