Larval debris-carrying, which occurs in many insect taxa, is a remarkable behavioral trait with substantial life history significance. For the Chrysopidae, information on the topic is scattered, and the habit's diversity and evolutionary history are unassessed. Here, we compile a comprehensive, annotated catalog on chrysopid debris-carrying and its associated larval morphology, and we identify emerging systematic patterns of variation, from larval nakedness to the construction of elaborate packets. Then, we examine these patterns in the context of available phylogenies with two objectives: 1) to begin unraveling the evolutionary history of chrysopid debris-carrying and 2) to evaluate the current and potential role of larval morphology (including debris-carrying modifications) in classification and phylogeny of this family. Debris-carrying: the literature revealed that debris-carrying occurs in the chrysopoid fossil record and in all three extant chrysopid subfamilies, including those proposed as basal (Nothochrysinae, Apochrysinae). Nevertheless, the family's ancestral state remains unresolved. The habit may have evolved at least once in Nothochrysinae or been lost several times. Larvae from only one genus of Apochrysinae are known, and they are debris-carriers. Each of the four tribes of the third subfamily, Chrysopinae, has distinctive debris-carrying characteristics. In ankylopterygine larvae, debris-carrying modifications seem relatively conserved. Among the ant-associated belonopterygine genera, debris-carrying is either highly evolved or, in one case, possibly absent. Within the large chrysopine tribe, nakedness and debris-carrying appear to have evolved independently numerous times; also, some reversals may have occurred. With one possible exception, leucochrysine genera have debris-carrying larvae. Larval morphology: scrutiny of the literature showed that all chrysopid genera whose larvae are known exhibit characteristic suites of anatomical structures related to carrying debris. Moreover, larval morphology provides strong (synapomorphic) evidence for the monophyly of four of the seven suprageneric chrysopid taxa: the subfamily Nothochrysinae and three of the four tribes of Chrysopinae (Ankylopterygini, Belonopterygini, and Leucochrysini). Larval morphological and debris-carrying characteristics appear to support some, but not all, previously proposed generic relationships within the tribe Chrysopini. Given the demonstrated potential advantages for including larval characters in chrysopid phylogenetic studies, it is essential to enhance the pool of available larval data. Therefore, we propose that citizen-scientists be involved in gathering verifiable data and that systematists develop comprehensive data matrices for comparative larval studies.

Members of the culta species group of the genus Neohelota Ohta are revised. Ten species are recognized, including a new species described herein, N. barclayi sp. nov., from China, India, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. The following synonymies are proposed: Helota klapperichi Mader, 1955, as a junior synonym of Neohelota chinensis (Mader, 1955); Helota taiwana Ohta, 1929, as a junior synonym of Neohelota boulei (Ritsema, 1915); Helota gestroi Ritsema, 1891, Helota sharpi Ritsema, 1915, Helota similis Lee and Satô, 2006, as junior synonyms of Neohelota pusilla (Oberthür, 1883); Helota notata Ritsema, 1891, and Helota severini Ritsma, 1893, as junior synonyms of Neohelota cula (Olliff, 1883); Helota hopei Ritsema, 1915, as a junior synonym of Neohelota fryi (Ritsema, 1894); Helota olliffii Ritsema, 1899, as a junior synonym of Neohelota boysii (Ritsema, 1889); Helota bretaudeaui Ritsema, 1894, as a junior synonym of Neohelota affinis (Ritsema, 1891); Helota jordanii Ritsema, 1899, and Helota indicator Ritsema, 1905, as junior synonyms of Neohelota dubia (Ritsema, 1891). Lectotypes are designated for Helota chinensis Mader, 1955, H. klapperichi, Helota boulei Ritsema, 1915, Helota consanguinea Ritsema, 1915, H. sharpi, H. notata, H. severini, H. olliffii, H. bretaudeaui, and H. jordanii. A key for the culta species group is provided. Illustrations of diagnostic characters are provided for all species.

A new species of Praydidae, Atemelia mahonivora, sp. nov., is described from Chile based on adults, larvae, and pupae. This is the first species of Atemelia from the Neotropical region. Genitalia characters support the synonymy of Atemelia and Orinympha and the distinctiveness of Atemelia from Prays. Keys to all known species of Atemelia are provided. Atemelia mahonivora is a potential pest species of the economically important plant genus Mahonia. Berberidaceae is recorded as a host plant family of Praydidae for the first time.

Species of the Afrotropical genus Tropha Weise are revised, diagnosed, and illustrated. Solanophila vigintiduoguttata Weise, 1915, is removed from synonymy with Tropha variabilis Weise, 1900, and its status as a valid species of Tropha (Tropha vigintiduoguttata) is confirmed. Tropha obscura (Korschefsky 1929) is synonymized with T. variabilis Weise, 1900, syn. nov. A neotype of S. vigintiduoguttata Weise, 1915, is designated. A new species Tropha zambiensis sp. nov. is described. A key to the species of Tropha is presented.

Many of the >22,000 described species of parasitoids in the Chalcidoidea attack armored scale insects, a group that may contain many cryptic species. Because the diversity of both these groups may be high, associations between them are likely to be underreported, and accurate reporting requires direct association between parasitoids and their scale insect hosts. One group of well-known armored scale insects are the pine-feeding Chionaspis of North America, which have been considered to be two species of economic pests, and have over a century of parasitoid records. These Chionaspis have been revealed to be a complex of at least 10, mostly cryptic, species. We have sequenced chalcidoid 28S rDNA from 50 parasitized Chionaspis hosts. We explore these host-parasitoid associations by placing the parasitoid sequences in a phylogenetic context. We aligned the sequences manually, based on secondary structure models, and added them to a previous 28S secondary structure alignment for the Chalcidoidea that includes 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 369 genera, and 685 species. The results of maximum likelihood analyses were interpreted using an updated, comprehensive list of parasitoids recorded from pine-feeding Chionaspis. The sequences are placed in nine clades, only two of which appear consistent with known Chionaspis parasitoids. Although pine-feeding Chionaspis are among the best-known armored scales, our results indicate that their parasitoid diversity has been underreported.

“Integrative taxonomy” is a conceptual multisource approach in which the nomination of a species is considered as a hypothesis subject to evaluation through different empirical evidence. In this study, we followed a hypothesis-driven approach, where a set of specimens are used to test previous hypotheses about the existence of species. Thus, Oenopiella Bergroth is revised, based on morphology with emphasis on the genitalia of both sexes. Oenopiella unidentata Spinola, Oenopiella punctaria Stål, and Oenopiella pallidula Stål are redescribed and illustrated, and two new species are described, Oenopiella ventanensis Grazia sp. nov. from Argentina and Oenopiella flonensis Fernández-Aldea sp. nov. from southern Brazil. A key to separate the species is provided. The reliability of O. punctaria and O. unidentata is evaluated through a reanalysis of their morphological characters, by exploring differences in qualitative and quantitative morphologic characteristics. All lines of evidence support these species hypotheses.

Green lacewings in the genus Chrysoperla are not always green. They can be yellow (autosomal recessive mutant); change from whitish-yellow to green as young adults; or temporarily turn yellowish, reddish, or brown during diapause. New findings on a yellow mutant in a natural population in southern California and on species-specific diapause coloration are presented, old findings are reviewed, and the adaptive value of color variability and color change in the genus is discussed.

Morphological and molecular variations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on cotton cultivars having varying trichome density were evaluated at New Delhi, India. The study evaluates the role of host plant nature on puparia and putative species groups of the B. tabaci species complex. More specifically, the study was done to explore the host plant characters and their effect on the population density, morphology of the puparia, and to identify the putative species groups of the B. tabaci species complex occurring on cotton. Population density was observed to be higher in cultivars with less trichome density. Studies on the puparia showed statistically significant variations on different cotton cultivars (P < 0.01), which was supported by scattergraphs derived from principal components and canonical discriminant analysis. Statistical analysis revealed the influence of trichome density on population density of B. tabaci. Sequence analyses using mitochondrial cyctochrome oxidase I confirmed the presence of three putative species Asia 1, Asia II 1, and Asia II 7 on the cultivars of cotton. The current study revealed that genetic variation is not influenced the variations in the trichome density and morphological variation.

Plagiotrochus indochinensis Abe, Ide, Konishi, & Ueno sp. nov., Dryocosmus okajimai Abe, Ide, Konishi, & Ueno sp. nov., and Synophrus vietnamensis Abe, Ide, Konishi, & Ueno sp. nov. are described from Vietnam. This is the first record of Cynipidae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea) from the Indochina region; the former two species belong to tribe Cynipini and the latter to the inquiline tribe Synergini. Based on the observation of a female P. indochinensis inserting its ovipositor into a young sprout of Quercus (Cyclobalanopsis) helferiana A. de Candolle in the field, this wasp species is considered to induce galls on this evergreen oak species. This article confirms that members of Cynipini that induce galls on Cyclobalanopsis (the ring cup oaks) are widely distributed in Asia, as predicted previously. Although D. okajimai was collected by sweeping an evergreen Fagaceae tree, its host remains to be clarified. Because the adults of S. vietnamensis were collected by sweeping an evergreen Fagaceae tree in June and dissecting a bud gall on Castanopsis sp. in September, it is considered that this wasp species has more than one generation a year. The gall-inducing ability and host plant specificity of S. vietnamensis should be examined carefully in future. The high species richness of Quercus L. and related genera in the Indochina region increases the likelihood of the existence of little-known, but potentially diverse, cynipid fauna in this region.

A new species of Callimomoides Girault 1926 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Callimomoides monochaphagae Yang, sp. n., is described from China. It is a solitary endoparasitoid of eggs of the pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a serious pest that causes damage to pine trees native to China, particularly Pinus massoniana Lambert and Pinus tabulaeformis Carrière. Furthermore, M. alternatus is the main vector of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner&Buhrer) Nickle in China and other eastern Asian countries. C. monochaphagae has great potential as a biocontrol agent for suppression of the longhorned beetle because parasitism rates of 12.6% have been observed and this species has a relative high female:male sex ratio (1.86:1). Detailed photographs of the key characters of the new species are supplied. In addition, a key to the currently known species of Callimomoides throughout the world is provided. Type specimens are deposited in the Insect Museum, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.

Ctenanthe kummeriana (E. Morren) Eichler (Marantaceae) is a cosmopolitan ornamental plant with esthetically appealing color and leaf shape. Pseudautomeris brasiliensis Walker (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) and a nondescribed species of Stenoma (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae) defoliated this plant in the campus of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, inspiring the study of the association that prevails among these organisms. This could be a rare event, as the association of Lepidoptera with Marantaceae is scarce, with only two previous reports. The aim of this study was to monitor the caterpillars on the two crops of C. kummeriana, one in the “Horto Botânico” (HB) and another in the “Recanto da Cigarra” (RC) for a period of 1 yr, with particular attention to the shelters and damage caused; to assess the gregarious nature and the emergence of parasitoid and lepidopterans; and to provide an accurate morphologic diagnosis of a parasitoid. P. brasiliensis and Stenoma sp. were recorded after the rainy season, exhibiting similar distribution between HB and RC. Enicospilus tenuigena Kriechbaumer, 1901 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) emerged from 76.25% of the P. brasiliensis pupae. P. brasiliensis and Stenoma sp. defoliated the C. kummeriana plants between March and June in the UFV campus, whereas the parasitoid E. tenuigena reduced the populations of the first species.

The reproductive and developmental biology, including life tables, for Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the glassy-winged sharpshooter, were quantified at four constant temperatures in the laboratory: 20, 25, 30, and 33°C. Mean time from egg oviposition to adult death and mean female adult longevity was greatest at 25°C. Mean total progeny production was greatest at 25°C at 214 eggs per individual. The percentage of females ovipositing at each experimental temperature was relatively low at 22, 46, and 56% at 20, 25, and 30°C, respectively. No oviposition occurred at 33°C. Upper, lower, and optimal developmental thresholds were calculated for all life stages, and for egg to adult emergence these were 35.95, 13.99, and 29.45°C, respectively. Key demographic parameters were calculated and intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate were highest at 30 and 25°Cat 0.04 and 40.21 d, respectively.Meangeneration times and population doubling times were lowest at 25 (97.66 d) and 30°C (15.51 d). Modeling of demographic parameters indicated that approximately three generations of H. vitripennis per year are needed for the existence of permanent populations. Historical weather data were used to map the number of generations and estimate net reproductive rates for H. vitripennis throughout California. Data presented here will be useful for modeling and estimating the possible invasion success of H. vitripennis in areas other than California.

A 5-yr field study was carried out to assess intratree variations in the distribution, abundance, and mortality of immature spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the peak to collapse of an outbreak. In most years, the highest density of overwintering second-instar (L2) larvae (per square meter of foliage) was located in the lower crown, whereas all subsequent stages (third- to sixth-instar larvae, pupae, and eggs) were at relatively higher densities in the upper crown. In contrast, overall abundance (per branch) throughout the season tended to be highest in the mid-upper to mid-lower crown. Mortality associated with 16 different parasitoid species varied significantly among years but varied among crown levels for only a few species. In particular, Apanteles fumiferanae (Viereck), Glypta fumiferanae (Viereck), Smidtia fumiferanae (Tothill), and Trichogramma minutum (Riley) all caused higher mortality in the upper crown of trees. Although infection associated with Nosema fumiferanae (Thomson) and mortality associated with fungal and viral pathogens often varied among crown levels, there was no clear or consistent trend from year to year. In general, trends in spruce budworm density and mortality within the crown were similar throughout all years of our study, despite significant variations in herbivore density, foliage availability, and parasitoid and pathogen impact. Our study indicates that intratree patterns of spruce budworm distribution and mortality are likely to remain consistent during an outbreak and further emphasizes the importance of intratree heterogeneity in shaping interactions within plant-herbivore-parasitoid communities.

The temperature-dependent development of five psyllophagous ladybirds, Adalia bipunctata (L.), Coccinella undecimpunctata aegyptica (Reiche), Exochomus nigripennis (Erichson), Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), and Oenopia conglobata contaminata (Menetries) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was studied on the common pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), in the laboratory. The lower developmental thresholds for total development (egg to adult) of the predators ranged from 10.9 (O. c. contaminata) to 14°C (C. u. aegyptica). The lowest and highest degree-day (DD) requirement values for total development of the studied cocinellids were estimated for C. u. aegyptica (166.67 DD) and E. nigripennis (344.83 DD), respectively. The optimum temperature for development of the studied ladybirds, calculated using third-order polynomial and Lactin models, was in the range of 27.5–30°C. This study showed that all the five psyllophagous ladybirds successfully complete their development in a wide range of temperatures from 17.5 to 30°C, indicating their high potential for use in biological control programs against A. pistaciae.

Wood-feeding insects face a host of physical, chemical, and nutritional barriers in their food resource. Wood-boring Hymenoptera in the family Siricidae are associated with mutualistic basidiomycete wood-rot fungi, which assist colonization and provide nutrition for their insect partner, though functional properties of this symbiosis are poorly described. In this study, we document the behavioral and morphological adaptations of the globally invasive woodwasp, Sirex noctilio F., for foraging using its fungal symbiont Amylostereum areolatum (Chaillet ex Fries) Boidin. Larvae concentrated foraging near the border of fungal symbiont growth in pine xylem. Foraging larvae do not ingest bulk xylem tissue, but rather use specialized asymmetric mandibles to press xylem shavings and extract liquid fractions. Fluids drain toward the oral cavity via a sulcus on the occlusal surface of the left mandible. Processed shavings are expelled from the oral cavity without ingestion and passed along the underside of the larvae via peristaltic undulation to the rear of the feeding gallery. Larval midguts lack elaborated chambers typical in insects reliant on microbial fermentation of cellulose, and no xylem tissue was recovered from gut dissections. Larval behavior and functional morphology indicate larval S. noctilio do not ingest xylem, but instead use the fungus as an external gut for digestion of recalcitrant lignocellulosic compounds.

The tachinid fly Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) parasitizes insect herbivores throughout the larval period and develops in the midgut. Because the fly larva is directly exposed to the host's gut contents, including nutrients and toxic allelochemicals in the plants eaten by the host, it may be more susceptible to variation in the chemistry of the host's food plants. To evaluate this potential disadvantage of midgut parasitism, we compared the influence of foods of the lepidopteran host Mythimna separata (Walker) on the development of endoparasitoids between C. concinnata and two other species, the tachinid Exorista japonica Townsend and the braconid Cotesia kariyai (Watanabe), whose larvae develop in the host's hemocoel. When the parasitized hosts consumed one of four kinds of plants, all three parasitoid species showed a higher survival, a larger body size, and faster development on two natural food plants (maize and sorghum) than on two alternative foods (kidney bean and Japanese radish). Our results suggest that the development of C. concinnata during midgut parasitism was affected by the host's food species, but that the effects did not differ from those for endoparasitoids with hemocoel parasitism.

The dynamics of predator-prey systems are strongly affected by the predators feeding rate on increasing prey density, that is, its functional response. Holling's assumptions concerning the biological process of handling time, that is, the time a predator spends on pursuing, subduing, eating, and digesting its prey, have been debated, as digestion represents a background component of predation. Therefore, predators are characterized either as digestion or handling limited. A study was initiated to identify the mechanism that limits the coccinellids' predation ability. The 14-spotted ladybird beetle, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and its prey, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were used in long- and short-term functional response experiments. Results showed that P. quatuordecimpunctata adults exhibit a type II functional response. The estimated attack rates and handling times differed significantly between long- and short-term experiments, indicating that the digestion process limits predation ability of P. quatuordecimpunctata.

To gain a better understanding of micronutrient distribution, and how this relates to growth and survival of a social insect colony, this study focused on micronutrient levels within colonies of the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus Mayr during four periods of the colony cycle—1) Pre-Reproductive, Reproductive, Pre-Winter, and Winter. Ten colonies were collected from the field monthly and were analyzed for levels of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, and Zn. Several overall trends were noted. 1) A general loss of some micronutrients within the workers and queens, and the colony as a whole in the Winter Period. 2) Levels of Mg and Mn increased during the Pre-Reproductive and Reproductive Periods in workers and queens while levels of Ca and Zn only increase in the queens during these periods. 3) Levels of K peaked in the Pre-Winter Period in workers and queens while levels of Na only increased in workers during this period. 4) Levels of Mn were lower in alates than the workers, queens, or brood during the reproductive period. The potential reasons for the observed patterns are discussed.

Hexane extract of chinaberry, Melia azedarach L., unripe fruits obtained from different municipalities of Goiás State, Brazil, were evaluated on the southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), engorged females. Hexanic extracts were assayed in decreasing concentrations from 0.25 to 0.0156% to determine effects on egg production and hatching. Efficacy on engorged females decreased as a result of the extracts from Goiânia (100%), Professor Jamil (97.5 ± 3.0%), Pirenópolis (95.1 ± 2.4%), Morrinhos (86.8 ± 9.4%), Caturaí (41.8 ± 29.3%), and Bela Vista de Goiás (17.1 ± 0.9%) municipalities. Canonical redundancy analysis indicated that the extract bioactivity was positively correlated with soil Ca² , Mg² , and P and negatively correlated with silt, K , potential acidity, and organic matter. This study demonstrates that M. azedarach hexanic extract can dramatically reduce R. (B.) microplus reproductive capacity and that efficacy is strongly influenced by differences in soil constituents between collection sites.

Fruit flies (Tephritidae) include pests of quarantine importance, some of which belong to the genus Anastrepha. Some species in this group are difficult to identify. We tested the accuracy of morphometric techniques to distinguish three species of the fraterculus group (A. fraterculus, A. obliqua, and A. sororcula), using images of the aculeus and wing. The geometric morphometrics of the wings, using 17 landmarks, indicated differences in the wing shape of each species, separating them successfully into distinct groups. The conventional morphometrics of seven measurements of the aculeus tip, by linear discriminant analysis, also indicated differences in the species, separating them into three groups.

Most species descriptions of harvestmen from Central America that belong to the suborder Eupnoi are based on characters such as total body length, relative size of leg segments, coloration of the body and legs, and armature of the eye mound and dorsal scutum. Characters based on reproductive morphology and microanatomical structures are generally absent from most taxonomic works. Not surprisingly, the taxonomy of these harvestmen from this region requires extensive revision. In an effort to identify novel characters, we used scanning electron microscopy to compare the morphology of somatic and reproductive structures of Prionostemma vittatum (Roewer, 1910), Metopilio niger (Goodnight and Goodnight, 1942), and Metopilio ornatipes (Banks, 1909). Specifically, we investigated the morphology of the ocularium, ozopore, dorsal scutum, genital plate, pedipalp, spiracular opening on tibia II, ovipositor, and penis. We compared the morphology of these Neotropical taxa with that of a temperate sclerosomatid species, Leiobunum formosum (Wood, 1870). In general, we observed interspecific variation in the surface texture of the cuticle and the distribution of setae on the body and appendages. Potentially informative characters include cuticular structures associated with the ocularium, anterior propeltidium, meso- and metapeltidium, dorsal scutum, genital plate, pedipalp, and penis. We also observed intersexual variation with respect to morphology of Spicer's tarsal organ and the claw of the pedipalp.

Some male camel spiders (Arachnida: Solifugae) in the families Eremobatidae, Karschiidae, and Solpugidae have clusters of specialized conical or acuminate setae called papillae, on the ventral surface of the metatarsus of the pedipalps. We compared the overall structure of the papillae found on representatives of the three families using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We examined the ultrastructure of these setae using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We also used extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques to examine the electrical properties of these sensory structures and test the hypotheses that they function as mechanoreceptors, olfactory receptors, and chemoreceptors.Wefound similarities in the structure of papillae among genera within a family or distinct family-level differences in structure. Thus, the papillae are phylogenetically informative; similar within family but differing between families. TEM results demonstrated the cuticular wall of a papilla is divided into three sublayers: endo-, meso-, and exocuticle. Mechanoreceptive dendrites are evident at the base of the setal shaft. Other dendrites innervate the shaft of the papilla and penetrate through the cuticular layers near the setal apex. Two SEM images show what appear to be pores on the branches of the papillae, and we found what appears to be a pore tubule extending from the distal portion of the dendrites through the exocuticular layer. Electrophysiological data support the hypothesis that the papillae function as mechanoreceptors and provide no support for chemosensory, thermoregulatory, or hygroreceptive functions. Our data suggest that the papillae function as mechanoreceptors and may also function as chemoreceptors.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression either bymRNAcleavage or by translational repression. They play an important role in the development and physiology of organisms. It is difficult to experimentally identify miRNAs and characterize their spatial and temporal expressions in insects or in any organisms. The cotton or melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is an important pest. It is a major vector of many plant viruses that often cause crop failures. Developing futuristic management approaches exploiting small RNAs like miRNAs may provide options for effective management of this pest species. To achieve this goal, identification and characterization of miRNAs from A. gossypii is a prerequisite. In this study, we used computational approaches, primarily depending on similarity search and secondary structure prediction, to identify 16 potential miRNAs from 88,851 A. gossypii expressed sequence tag sequences. Phylogenetic analyses showed A. gossypii mature miRNAs are highly conserved with respect to other members in the animal kingdom. Functional annotation of the newly predicted miRNAs revealed that the majority of them are involved in the regulation of transcription and signal transduction. With further experimental verification, miRNAs predicted in this study may provide valuable tools for insect pest management in the future.

Stromata of grass-infecting fungi from the genus Epichloë (Clavicipitaceae: Ascomycota) serve as a food source and egg-laying surface for flies of genus Botanophila (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). Larger stromata should make it possible for flies to lay more eggs and provide more food to offspring. This hypothesis was tested in four different grass—fungus associations that occur in central Poland. In two of these associations, Epichloë bromicola on Elymus repens and Epichloë typhina on Puccinellia distans, flies showed a preference for longer stromata, and egg density on these stromata was significantly higher than in the other two associations.Anegative correlation between egg density and offspring success was observed in only one association, E. bromicola-El. repens. However, offspring success in this association did not differ significantly from offspring success in associations with lower egg density on the stromata, in which flies showed no preference for the stroma length. Long-term observations (2000–2010) of fly—fungus interaction in the E. typhina—P. distans association showed that fly preference toward stroma length may vary over time but with no clear tendency. No significant correlations were found between the larval density on a stroma and either larval weight or mortality. The results of the current study question our assumptions that egg laying depends on the stroma length and the fate of eggs laid (i.e., their hatching success and the condition, in terms of weight and survival, of the larvae) on egg density. It is possible that flies choose stromata based on attributes other than size.

The goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is an invasive wood-borer that was recently introduced into southern California from southern Arizona, and has caused the rapid mortality of thousands of native oaks. Biological control of A. auroguttatus is a management strategy of high interest, but is in its early stages, which is due, in part, to a lack of information on the basic biology and life history of this beetle. To address this shortcoming, studies were conducted in quarantine on the realized lifetime fecundity of A. auroguttatus, which was determined by comparing oviposition and larval emergence rates of females subjected to different dietary and mating treatments. Longevity and body size were also recorded for male and female adults under these treatments. Mean A. auroguttatus lifetime oviposition and larval emergence were similar in females that were continuously paired with either one or two males. Virgin females laid significantly fewer eggs and no larval emergence resulted from unfertilized eggs. The number of mates did not affect mean A. auroguttatus adult longevity, but a carbohydrate-enriched diet increased both mean longevity and lifetime oviposition by as much as 46 and 250%, respectively. There was no correlation between adult body size and lifetime oviposition, days to initial oviposition, larval emergence, and adult longevity. However, hind tibia length was marginally correlated with total oviposition period. For mass rearing A. auroguttatus eggs in the laboratory, pairing females with one male and providing adults with a continuous diet of 10% honey-water and oak foliage is recommended.