Two new species of Tuxenentulus Rusek, 1974 and Fjellbergella Nosek, 1978 are described: Tuxenentulus solncevae n. sp. from the Russian Far East and Fjellbergella uteorum n. sp. from Colorado. T. solncevae n. sp. is characterized by short and broad foretarsal sensilla c and e, presence of cephalic seta d6 on head, presence of seta Pla on abdominal tergites I–VI, and sensilliform accessory setae on segments I–VI. F. uteorum n. sp. (Colorado) possesses 19 posterior setae on abdominal tergite VII, including median seta Pc, and 14 setae on tergite IX. A key to known world Tuxenentulus and Fjellbergella spp. is provided.

The genus Bactrocera (Tephritidae) contains >500 species, including many severe pests of fruits and vegetables. Although native to tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australasia, a number of the pest species, largely members of the Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) complex, have become widespread through accidental introduction associated with agricultural trade. The B. dorsalis complex includes several morphologically and ecologically similar pests, making species designations uncertain. One of these, Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta, and White, endemic to Sri Lanka, has spread across Africa in the last decade and become a major agricultural pest. We sequenced one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes from 73 specimens, belonging to 19 species to construct phylogenies and examine species relationships and limits within the genus Bactrocera and several species of the B. dorsalis complex-specifically addressing the placement of B. invadens. Results indicate the B. dorsalis complex is polyphyletic. B. invadens and several other species within the B. dorsalis complex (B. dorsalis, Bactrocera papayae Drew &Hancock, and Bactrocera philippinensis Drew & Hancock) are also paraphyletic with respect to each other and probably represent a single genetically indistinguishable, phenotypically plastic, pest species that has spread throughout the world.

A phylogenetic approach based on morphological characters is the only alternative applicable in cases where molecular data are unavailable. During a taxonomic inventory of Drosophilidae in 12 localities of Ecuador (South America), we discovered a new species of cactophilic spotted-thorax Drosophila Fallen that here we formally describe as Drosophila machalilla Acurio 2013. To classify this new species, we analyzed the terminalia of male and female adults, finding similarities with flies of two neotropical spotted-thorax species groups of Drosophila, namely rep leta and peruensis. Flies or DNA sequence data are unavailable for the latter species group, hindering a molecular approach. Thus, to accurately classify the new species, we carried out a maximum parsimony cladistic analysis using 52 morphological characters from nine representative taxa of virilis, willistoni, repleta, and peruensis species groups. The results indicate that D. machalilla sp. nov. belongs neither to the repleta group nor to the peruensis group and suggest that a new species group should be erected to house D. machalilla and Drosophila atalaia Vilela & Sene (1982, previously considered a member of the peruensis species group).

Description of the last larval instar (based on larvae or exuviae) of Anthrenus (Helocerus) minutus (Erichson, 1848), Anthrenus (Nathrenus) biskrensis (Reitter, 1886), and Anthrenus (Nathrenus) signatus (Erichson, 1848; Coleoptera: Dermestidae) is presented. Morphological characters of Anthrenus larvae such as general morphology of antenna, epipharynx, mandible, maxilla, ligula with labial palpi, hastisetae, legs, and terga, and condition of antecostal suture, are documented and discussed. Structural differences among mature larvae of the following Anthrenus species are compared and summarized: Anthrenus coloratus (Reitter, 1881), Anthrenus delicatus delicatus (Kiesenwetter, 1851), Anthrenus flavipes flavipes (LeConte, 1854), Anthrenus fuscus (Olivier, 1789), Anthrenus museorum (L., 1761), Anthrenus latefasciatus (Reitter, 1892), Anthrenus oceanicus (Fauvel, 1903), Anthrenus olgae (Kalík, 1946), Anthrenus picturatus makolskii (Mroczkowski, 1950), Anthrenus pimpinellae pimpinellae (F., 1775), Anthrenus sarnicus (Mroczkowski, 1963), Anthrenus scrophulariae scrophulariae (L., 1758), Anthrenus sophonisba (Beal, 1998), and Anthrenus verbasci (L., 1767).

We describe Diastrophus colombianus Nieves-Aldrey sp. nov., a gall inducer on Rubus glaucus Bentham (Rosaceae) in Colombia. This is the first reliable record of a species of Diastrophus Hartig, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and of an herb gall wasp (Cynipidae: “Aylacini”) native to the Neotropical region. The phylogenetic relationships among the members of Diastrophus—D. colombianus and the species considered by a previous study—were inferred from adult morphological and gall characteristics. Our results suggest that D. colombianus is more closely related to a clade composed of Diastrophus austrior Kinsey, Diastrophus rubi (Bouché), Diastrophus fragariae Beutenmüller, and Diastrophus tumefactus Kinsey.

Berchmansus is a small Neotropical genus in the green lacewing tribe Leucochrysini; its larvae and biology are unknown. Adults of Berchmansus adumbratus Navás were found in samples from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Upper Amazonian forest canopy project; these samples came from palms at each of two widely separated Peruvian localities. The same samples also yielded specimens of an unusual leucochrysine larva. For a variety of reasons, we conclude that the larvae are likely conspecific with the adults. If our reasoning proves correct, they would represent the first reported larvae from the genus Berchmansus. Their anatomical features are consistent with either specialized trash-carrying or a naked lifestyle. Here we describe the larvae, and because they have many attributes not previously reported from leucochrysines, we reevaluate the suite of larval features that characterize the tribe. Our analysis illustrates that in both larval morphology and perhaps trash-carrying habits, the tribe Leucochrysini displays a much broader range of variation than previously recorded.

Divergent natural selection on different host plants may be a crucial factor in promoting the remarkable diversity of phytophagous insects, and might occur in any geographical context. Because the intensity and consequences of divergent selection on different hosts can vary depending on the degree of gene flow between conspecific insect populations, elucidating the geographical context and degree of host specificity in the incipient phase of differential host use is indispensable to understanding the diversification process in phytophagous insects. Henosepilachna diekei Jadwiszczak & Węgrzynowicz (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a tropical ladybird beetle occurring mainly on two host species from different plant families, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. We investigated the geographical distribution of H. diekei across Java, Indonesia, in relation to the availability of the two hosts, and examined the host specificity of beetles in the laboratory. We also investigated genetic relationships among local populations of beetles using mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene sequences. Geographic variation in host use by H. diekei was largely determined by skewed geographical distributions of the hosts, although there was a synergistic effect with extremely divergent host specificity by the beetles. The molecular analyses suggested that genetic differentiation among the beetle populations has occurred and has been maintained by the effects of both geographical distance and divergent host specificity. The geographical distribution of H. diekei populations differing in host specificity suggests that geographical distance, local host-plant availability, and divergent host specificity contribute synergistically to promote the genetic differentiation and subsequent diversification of phytophagous insects on different hosts.

The relict and threatened butterfly Pterourus esperanza (Beutelspacher, 1975) (Papilionidae) is known to have an extremely restricted distribution in the cloud forests of the Northern Sierra of Oaxaca, Mexico. Little is known of the conservation implications of its distribution, abundance, mobility, and population structure. In total, 411 transects (from May 2010 to May 2012) were performed along an altitudinal gradient (117–3,104 m) to estimate range, population abundance, and between-year population variations of P. esperanza. Mark-release-recapture experiments were performed to estimate population structure during March and April of 2011 (N = 32 d) in a 25-km² landscape. Our results indicate that P. esperanza exhibited an extremely localized spatial distribution in the study region, mostly associated with cloud forest and pine-oak forest habitats distributed between 1,600 and 2,500 masl. Fixed transects throughout breeding populations registered a mean population density of 0.05 (±0.007 SE) individuals per 100-m transect, with no indication of significant between-year population variations (Mann-Whitney test, Z = -1.653; N = 148; P = 0.098). Based on mark-recapture data, we estimated a total population size of 243 (±36 SE) male individuals, and 43 (±13 SE) female individuals corresponding to a density of 11 individuals/km², an extremely low population density. Our results indicate that P. esperanza persists in extremely low numbers and is vulnerable to stochastic and demographic variation. Habitat protection in conjunction with explicit agreements with the local communities is required to maintain populations and ensure the continuity of important cloud forest tracts for effective long-term conservation. This research provides a case study of conservation biology of a Neotropical butterfly, emphasizing the importance of acquiring ecological data to assist management recommendations.

Ant—aphid interactions are well-studied mutualisms, but surprisingly, the intraspecific variation in the degree of ant attendance of aphids has been less appreciated than interspecific variation. Honeydew composition is a key factor in determining aphids' traits in relation to the intensity of ant attendance, and composition may be altered by endosymbiotic bacteria. Here, we evaluate relationships among the intensity of ant attendance, honeydew composition, and aphids' endosymbionts. We found differences in the intensity of ant attendance and endosymbiont composition between clones of cowpea aphids (Aphis craccivora Koch). To investigate whether aphid genotype, endosymbionts, or both, influence honeydew composition, and the relative influence of these factors on the intensity of ant attendance, a secondary symbiont of the aphid, Arsenophonus, was removed from the clone exhibiting a lower degree of ant attendance. Then, the sugar and amino acid composition of honeydew were compared between different aphid genotypes and between same genotype with and without Arsenophonus. The experiments demonstrated that there was a difference in the sugar composition of honeydew between clones, but that Arsenophonus did not influence this difference. Furthermore, the intensity of ant attendance of the clone did not change after removing Arsenophonus. These results suggest that variation in the degree of ant attendance of this aphid is caused by aphid genotype, not by endosymbionts.

Subterranean termites such as Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki inhabit underground nests consisting of a complex network of galleries resulting in a highly modified environment relative to the surrounding soils. A healthy colony can maintain homeostatic conditions within the nest, limiting opportunities for pathogens, parasites, and predators to exploit the termite colony as a resource. However, a stressed or senescent colony can display a lack of nest maintenance, leading to the colonization of the nest as an opportunistic niche by other organisms. In this study, we described the nest colonization by microbes and arthropods during the collapse of three dying C. formosanus laboratory colonies. The carton nest and the tunnel lining that are mostly made out of termite fecal material were invaded by a variety of fungi, and Acari and Collembolan populations quickly increased during the senescence phase of the termite colony, presumably scavenging on the fungal material. Finally, the carton colonized by fungal mycelia hosted numerous larvae of a sciarid fly, Bradysia sp. (Diptera). This fungus gnat used the decomposing carton material as a breeding site, and numerous adults of this fly were found hovering above the dying termite colony. Bradysia larvae also showed infestation by parasitic nematodes, suggesting the presence of multiple trophic levels in the resource utilization of the nest of a declining termite colony. We concluded that a dying subterranean colony represents a resource opportunity for scavenging organisms and that the nest structure represents an opening niche that initiates an ecological succession.

The objectives of this study were to determine the number of instars of Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970, a fly that is considered a pest on fig plantations; analyze the pupation process; and characterize the morphology of the immature stages. This information would fill a gap in the knowledge regarding Z. indianus development. The post-embryonic development of this species was studied by using Dyar's rule to characterize the immature stages of the fly. In addition, the morphological structures were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Following Dyar's rule, Z. indianus exhibited three larval instars. Pupae were formed in higher numbers during the morning, and 5 d was the average time until adult emergence. The male:female sex ratio in this population was 1:1, with a higher emergence of females during the first 72 h. During the morphological analysis, the following structures were observed: (egg) chorionic cells, respiratory filaments, and micropyle; (larvae) body segments, intersegmental spines, antennae, the maxillary palp complex, sensilla, tubercles, and anterior and posterior spiracles; and (pupae) filaments that originated in the anterior spiracles and the presence of spines along these filaments. Some of these characteristics were slightly different from those observed in other drosophilids, which provides a taxonomic quality to these characteristics. In addition, these results may facilitate future studies on the biology, ecology, and control of this species.

Mites in the order Opilioacarida are known to undergo postimaginal molting. The process has been associated with the ability to regain lost appendages, but may also result in growth and increases in numbers of specific setae. These processes were observed in four individuals, with two of these showing increases in setal lengths ranging from 8.1 to 16.6%. Qualitative growth, in the form of an increase from 5 to 6 in the number of d-type setae on the left palp, was observed in a single individual.

Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) is an important fruit fly parasitoid native to the Neotropics. We investigated the biology and constructed a fertility life table for A. pelleranoi reared on larvae of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Parasitoid development was investigated in larvae of the two fruit fly species by recording the duration of the egg-adult period, number of offspring, sex ratio, adult weight, adult hind tibia length, and male and female longevity, and constructing a fertility life table. Parasitoids reared on An. fraterculus larvae produced more offspring, had shorter egg-adult periods, greater proportion of females and longer survival, and higher percent emergence than parasitoids reared on C. capitata larvae. Moreover, A. pelleranoi individuals reared on An. fraterculus larvae were heavier and had longer hind tibia than those reared on C. capitata. Based on life table statistics, the time required to double the population (T_d) was ≈3.4 times shorter for parasitoids reared on An. fraterculus larvae. Our results show that A. pelleranoi develops better on larvae from An. fraterculus than C. capitata, indicating that this species could be used for the mass production of this parasitoid intended for augmentative biological control of fruit flies.

Animal remains represent ephemeral resources that provide nutrients to a wide range of organisms. On death, vertebrate carrion is immediately colonized with a variety of microorganisms (typically obligate or facultatively anaerobic bacteria from the air, from insects, or from the corpse itself), which produce odors through the breakdown of tissues, the alteration of volatile chemicals present in the environment, or both. Within minutes, certain necrophagous flies are attracted by these chemical signals, resulting in waves of oviposition and larviposition activity. Although there are certainly detrimental (pathogenic) bacteria in the milieu, there is significant evidence suggesting that the presence of bacteria in or on the corpse seems to aid in larval development and pupariation. This may be because of a change in larval nutrition, with the bacteria either being used as a food source themselves or making nutrients more available to larvae. Maggots also produce and secrete or excrete antimicrobial molecules that are effective in killing certain bacteria. It is unclear whether this is a defensive mechanism, a selective measure to enhance the survival of bacteria beneficial to the larva, or a combination of both. Significant research is still needed to fully appreciate the potential role that these bacteria—insect interactions have in conferring a competitive advantage for surviving in a carrion community.

Insects with complex life cycles show a variety of developmental strategies when faced with low nutrient conditions requiring trade-offs in timing and nutrient storage. Previously documented strategies among insects include plasticity or canalization (fixation) of the pupation threshold, postthreshold developmental time, and adult size or stored resources. Using four models previously developed by Juliano et al. (2004), we tested the plasticity of these traits in the aquatic larvae of the frog-biting midge, Corethrella appendiculata Grabham. Rates of prey consumption and timing of pupation of fourth instar midges were compared across a range of prey densities. Model comparisons revealed that final instar C. appendiculata larvae exhibit a canalized pupation threshold followed by a canalized lengthy postthreshold period. Males entered the final instar earlier and reached a significantly lower threshold while females entered later and averaged more prey consumed daily, suggesting differing developmental strategies between sexes. Plasticity in body and egg clutch sizes of females from differing nutrient treatments was observed, but all females produced eggs autogenously. The canalized developmental pattern and long postthreshold period displayed in C. appendiculata is hypothesized to be related to the midge's preference for relatively permanent aquatic habitats.

This study represents the first characterization of parasitoid guilds associated with Neochlamisus leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a group for which minimal information on parasitoids existed previously. Specifically, we combine morphotaxonomic and DNA barcode methods to document the identities and host associations of hymenopteran parasitoids that emerge from egg, larval, and pupal stages of seven Neochlamisus species and four Neochlamisus bebbianae (Brown) “host forms.” Data derive from 7,839 specimens reared from field-collected Neochlamisus eggs, larvae, and pupae. Twenty-two species of parasitoid were identified, of which 17 had not previously been documented from Neochlamisus. These represented seven families: Eulophidae (six species), Ichneumonidae (six sp.), Pteromalidae (four sp.), Eupelmidae (three sp.), Chalcididae (one sp.), Eurytomidae (onesp.),and Torymidae (onesp.). Twenty of 22 species were reared from N. bebbianae, the host for which sampling was most intensive. Considerable overlap was observed in the parasitoid guilds associated with different Neochlamisus taxa, but differences in guild composition were also observed. N. bebbianae is of interest to evolutionary biologists because populations associated with different tree taxa (different “host forms”) exhibit host-plant-specific ecological differentiation and appear to be undergoing ecological speciation. This work will allow for future explorations into whether parasitoids identified here likewise exhibit host-beetle-associated differentiation, such that ecological speciation “cascades” across trophic levels.

Bombyx mori L. larvae were exposed to 4-n-nonylphenol (4-NP) in the laboratory, and their glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and corresponding mRNA levels in gonads during different developmental stages (larval, pupal, and adult) were evaluated. Developmental parameters and glutathione content were also measured. Altered patterns of pupation and adult emergence were observed after exposure to 0.05–0.4 g/kg 4-NP during the entire larval stage. When exposed to 0.4 g/kg 4-NP, the sex ratio (male/female) of the emerged adults increased rapidly from 0.91 ±0.09 to 1.96 ±0.26. A decrease in glutathione content was observed at the larval, pupal, and adult stages. In addition, at 0.05 g/kg 4-NP and higher concentrations, an increase in glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase activity, and the gene expression level of glutathione S-transferase d1 and glutathione peroxidase were detected in the larval stage, followed by a decline in glutathione S-transferase d1 and glutathione peroxidase transcript levels along with enzyme activity in the pupal and adult stages. The changing trend in mRNA levels of these enzymes was consistent with that of enzyme activity. The results suggest a relationship between 4-NP and alterations in the levels of glutathione-related detoxification enzymes in B. mori gonads.

The ability to initiate freezing at elevated subzero temperatures is deemed an important adaptation in freeze-tolerant insects, as this phenotype allows them to avoid potentially lethal flash freezing and to conserve both body water and stored energy. We investigated the effects of recent freeze exposure on the subsequent supercooling points (SCPs) of overwintering freeze-tolerant larvae (third instars) of the dipteran Eurosta solidaginis Fitch. This large data set also allowed us to characterize the distribution profile for SCPs and the potential impact of body size on this parameter. Larvae having recent freeze exposure maintained their seasonally elevated SCPs, with one group, 2 d postfreeze, showing a significant (P < 0.05) rise in their SCPs. Larvae that experienced supercooling to -7°C did not show a significant (P> 0.05) rise in their SCPs. Despite differences in total body water content among larvae of varying body sizes, there was not a significant (P>0.05) relationship between body mass and the initial SCP values, but there was an absence of normality (negative skewing) in the SCP values. Larvae completing their life cycles had SCPs equivalent to values for larvae that failed to complete the life cycle. Our findings demonstrate actions of potent ice nucleators such that the response is maintained and possibly enhanced following a recent freeze event. Ice nucleation in Eurosta larvae negates the impact of variation in water content, but individual variation in SCP does not have a survival consequence when gauged under laboratory conditions.

Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, 1855 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most aggressive pests of stored grains, causing significant decrease in the nutritional quality of the grains and major losses in economic trade. The ability of this pest to damage grains and other products is directly related to the morphology of the alimentary canal. Considering the importance of the foregut in the digestion, this study aimed to describe the morphology of the crop and proventriculus in S. zeamais adults. The tissues were isolated, processed, and analyzed by using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The crop functioned as a storage organ, and its cells showed functional characteristics related to protein synthesis. High densities of prokaryotic microorganisms and spicules were found in the lumen. The proventriculus exhibited eight chitinous teeth, which were responsible for grinding and filtering food particles. This organ formed the stomodeal valve, which controlled the unidirectional flow of food through the alimentary canal. The alimentary canal is the primary surface of contact between the external environment and an insect's internal environment, and knowledge of its morphology is required to better understand the physiology of stored-grain insect pests.

A new case of gynandromorphism in bees is described and illustrated for the first time for Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) frontalis (Olivier), a widely distributed carpenter bee in the neotropical region. The mixed gynandromorph, recorded from a single specimen from Paraguay, exhibits a mixture of male and female features in all tagmata. Previous literature records of gynandromorphs in Xylocopa Latreille are summarized, and the species identity of some gynandromorphs recorded for South America is revised. Including the specimen described herein, gynandromorphs are now known for a total of 12 species in Xylocopa, half of them in the neotropical subgenus Neoxylocopa.

The vectorial capacity of mosquitoes is related to the reproductive output, and dependent on the ability of male spermatozoa to survive within the inseminated female. Mosquito females mate once, and immediately after mating, the male spermatozoa are transferred to and maintained in the ectodermic spermatheca. Mosquito spermathecae in culicines, especially of the yellowfever mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.), have been characterized in detail. In contrast, not much is known about this organ in anophelines. Here, the morphology of the spermatheca in the saltwater-tolerant mosquito Anopheles aquasalis Curry was investigated for the first time using a combination of light, confocal, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The spermatheca in An. aquasalis share many features with the three spermathecae present in Ae. aegypti, including a round-shaped reservoir and spermathecal duct glandular cells. However, differences such as the volume and cell types, as well as their numbers and distribution, were observed. The most remarkable difference seems to be the absence of a separated glandular unit as seen in Ae. aegypti. In An. aquasalis, the glandular cells are distributed along the reservoir wall, possibly representing a feature exclusive of anophelines. Together, these glandular cell units constitute the main secretory apparatus of An. aquasalis, and are the main source of secretions to nourish and maintain the viability of the gametes during the female's reproductive life span. Understanding the spermathecal organization and function will contribute to understand details of mosquito reproductive biology, and help answer questions related to the reproductive success of these major vectors of pathogens.