Ceraeochrysa, with 46 described species, is the largest New World genus in the green lacewing tribe Chrysopini. It encompasses numerous species that have major potential for efficient mass rearing and use in biological control. Here we record Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás) from the United States for the first time, and we describe or redescribe the trash-carrying larvae and adults of all seven Ceraeochrysa species that are known from America, north of Mexico. In addition to C. claveri, these include C. cincta (Schneider), C. cubana (Hagen), C. lineaticornis (Fitch), C. placita (Banks), C. smithi (Navás), and C. valida (Banks). Furthermore, the literature on the biology of each species is summarized, and keys are presented for identifying larvae and adults. Larvae of six of the species share numerous traits that indicate a close phylogenetic relationship; whereas those of C. placita have a number of unique character states, particularly in the first instar. The pattern of variation indicates that Ceraeochrysa, as it currently stands, is a diverse genus that may need subdivision.

Two new species of fossil aphids found in Lebanese amber are described, namely Megarostrum azari Heie n. gen., n. sp. and Lebanaphis minor Heie n. gen., n. sp. Both have a very long rostrum and are in this respect different from previously described species of the family Tajmyraphididae, which is subdivided into five new subfamilies.

A new species of phytoseiid, Cocoseius palmarum Gondim, Jr., Moraes & McMurtry n. sp. is described from specimens collected on Arecaceae in northeastern Brazil. Until now, the genus included only C. elsalvador Denmark and Andrews, 1981, collected from the arecaceous plants Cocos nucifera L. and Sabal palmetto (Walter). The genus Cocoseius is redefined taking into account the new species here described.

The female and egg of Anopheles dominicanus sp. n. are described from Dominican amber. The species is placed tentatively into the subgenus Nyssorhynchus on the basis of the following wing characters: a preapical pale costal spot; an accessory sector pale spot that is not joined to a sector pale spot; pale scales at the apex of vein R_{4 5}; basal, median, and apical pale spots on vein A; and the termination of vein Sc at the proximal end of the subcostal pale spot. This newly described mosquito from Dominican amber establishes an ancient lineage of Anopheles in the New World.

Complete redescriptions of S. trukense Stone and S. guamense Stone (subgenus Inseliellum Rubtsov) are made based on new material from Micronesia. Holotypes of S. arlecchinum Craig and S. admixtum Craig have been reexamined and new morphological details provided as they are for some other species. Seven new species are described: S. caesariatum, S. fararae, S. hispidum, S. hirticranium, S. joyae, S. pallidicranium, and S. pseudocorium. A new hirticranium subgroup within the castaneum-group, which includes S. pallidicranium, S. hirticranium, S. hispidum, and S. caesariatum, is defined on the basis of numerous elongate cephalic setae and smooth abdominal cuticle in the larvae. Simulium fararae and S. joyae are placed in the castaneum-group and S. pseudocorium in the tahitiense-group. A total of 48 species is now recognized for Inseliellum. Brief comments are made concerning larval habitats, biology, relationships within Inseliellum, and problems with homoplasy.

A diagnosis of the genus Metaphorura is given, and a key for the known species is included. The new species, M. riozoi, from Hungary is described, illustrated with drawings and scanning electron microphotographs. Also Mesaphorura incisa Bonet is transferred to Metaphorura.

Two new species of Allocapnia in the recta complex are described, Allocapnia sequatchie n. sp. and A. starki n. sp. from Tennessee and Mississippi, respectively. Descriptions are supported by illustrations and scanning electron photomicrographs. Additionally, scanning electron photomicrographs of an A. recta × loshada hybrid from southwestern Virginia are presented.

We found Bactrocera scutellata (Hendel) emerging from stem galls produced by a gall midge, Lasioptera sp., on three wild gourd species, Diplocyclos palmatus (L.) C. Jeffrey, Trichosanthes ovigera Blume, and Zehneria liukiuensis (Nakai) Jeffrey ex Walker, on Okinawa, Japan, a subtropical island. Because B. scutellata preferably attack galls to ungalled parts of gourds, we regard the fruit fly to be a cecidophagous species. Seasonal occurrences of the midge galls on the gourds, the number of galls fed on by B. scutellata, and the fruit fly males captured by cue-lure traps were studied in the northern part of the Island. Midge galls were observed during the period from May to December and fed on by B. scutellata most abundantly in June. Trap data showed that the abundance of male B. scutellata had two peaks; the first in March and the second in June. The second peak was consistent with the occurrence of cecidophagy, whereas the first was not. Host exploitation by B. scutellata is discussed based on the relationship among the gourds, Lasioptera sp., and B. scutellata.

Natural prey of Toxorhynchites rutilus (Coquillett) were identified from gut contents of 941 larvae collected from treeholes and tires located in an oak-palm woodland in south Florida. Twenty taxa of aquatic prey were recognized in midgut remains, in addition to eggs of Diptera from three families. Ostracods and chironomids were the most abundant aquatic prey in predators from tires, and rotifers and copepods from treeholes. Mosquito larvae accounted for only 6% of prey items from treeholes and 5% from tires. Remains of terrestrial arthropods of nine insect orders plus mites and spiders were also identified, these prey having been captured from the water surface by T. rutilus larvae. An electivity coefficient, R, was calculated for dipterous prey of each predator instar. Significant heterogeneities among R values in tires were attributable, in part, to high electivity for certain mosquito species, especially Aedes albopictus (Skuse), and for psychodid larvae, and low electivity for larvae of T. rutilus and Orthopodomyia signifera (Coquillett), a predator-resistant mosquito larva. Diets were more similar between predator instars in tires than in treeholes, where invertebrate diversity was higher. An associated laboratory study was conducted to determine how long common prey could be detected in guts after ingestion. When alternative prey were provided immediately after consumption, oligochaetes, copepods, and psychodid larvae and adults were detected in >50% of dissected T. rutilus for 8-18 h after ingestion. By contrast, if T. rutilus fourth instars were starved after ingesting test prey, identifiable remains of psychodid larvae were detectable for >30 d in most predator larvae. Thus, the assessment of T. rutilus diet by identification of midgut remains is highly dependent on the consumption of subsequent prey.

Control females of the twospotted stink bug, Perillus bioculatus (F.), and those given an artificial diet mated repeatedly over their lifetimes when held with males. The average number of observed matings was 4 and 8.4 in the controls and those given the artificial diet, respectively. Mating and an adequate diet are prerequisites for laying a full compliment of eggs in this insect. Virgins laid an average of 22 eggs compared with 138 in the multiply mated controls, 84 in singly mated females and 42 in multiply mated females given an artificial diet. The number of clutches deposited was not significantly affected by treatment, but the number of eggs per clutch was significantly lower in virgins and those given the artificial diet than in the controls or once mated females. The number of eggs per clutch showed no significant changes as the female aged. Oviposition rates were calculated over 5-d periods for each female and presented as eggs per day. In all experimental groups the number of eggs deposited per interval decreased as the females aged. By 27.5 d after the start of oviposition, females from all treatments laid one or fewer eggs per day. The decrease in eggs per day deposited by females as they aged is attributed to an increase in the time between clutch deposition. Egg viability showed no significant differences among the multiply mated controls, once mated females, or the multiply mated females given the artificial diet. This suggests that multiple mating is not required to maintain egg viability, but is necessary to maintain oviposition over the lifetime of the female. Low numbers of eggs oviposited by females given the artificial diet is attributed to the production of fewer mature follicles than in the controls and not to an impairment of the process of oviposition. In contrast, the lower number of eggs laid by virgin females results from an impairment of the oviposition process and not the impairment of ovarian follicle maturation.

The anatomical source of the trail pheromone in the black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer), was investigated by presenting workers with hindgut extracts, testing for attractancy and trail-following behavior. Chemical analyses were used in conjunction with behavioral bioassays to detect and identify volatiles from the rectum, poison gland, and Dufour’s gland. Rectal material was also examined to determine total nitrogen levels and identify nitrogenous metabolites. Under laboratory conditions, foragers demonstrated a significant level of attraction to a combined Dufour’s gland, poison gland, and rectal extract, although no trail following was observed. Two volatiles, n-undecane and n-tridecane, were identified from Dufour’s gland. Fatty acids and esters were detected in Dufour’s and poison gland extracts. Palmitic acid was identified in the poison gland. A compound described as a component of the trail pheromone in Camponotus atriceps Smith (3,4-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-pyran-4-one) was identified in the rectum, but was not verified behaviorally as being part of the trail pheromone for C. pennsylvanicus. Dry weight analysis showed that the rectal material was only 14% solid material and total nitrogen levels were estimated at 19.2 ± 2 μg/mg. Most of the components contributing to the total nitrogen excreted were unidentified, but ammonia (2.7 ± 1.2 μg/mg), two tryptophan intermediates (kynurenic and xanthurenic acid) and one pteridine (biopterin), were identified.

CO₂ release and water loss patterns of Incisitermes minor (Hagen) pseudergates were investigated using flow-through respirometry techniques. Four hours of real-time CO₂ release and water loss data were recorded for pseudergates of I. minor at 20–40°C. Cyclic release, but not traditional DGC, was the CO₂ release pattern observed in these pseudergates. Variability of V˙co₂ expressed as coefficient of variability (CV) was used to estimate the level of cycling in each recording. CV decreased exponentially with temperature. Mean V˙co₂ values ranged from 0.24 ± 0.07 ml CO₂ g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 25°C to 0.89 ± 0.16 ml CO₂ g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 35°C. V˙co₂ increased significantly (P = 0.014) with temperature, but was not influenced (P = 0.063) by body mass. Q₁₀ for V˙co₂ over the range of 20–40°C was 1.75 for I. minor pseudergates. Water loss cycled coincidently with CO₂ release. Water loss rates ranged from 5.22 ± 1.97 mg H₂O lost g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 20°C to 17.96 ± 2.55 mg H₂O lost g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at 40°C. Q₁₀ for water loss over the range of 20–40°C was 1.86 for I. minor pseudergates. Daily respiratory water loss represented from 9.23% at 20°C to 4.72% at 25°C of total daily water loss. Cuticular water loss represented from 93.5% at 25°C to 89.1% at 30°C of total daily water loss.

Intracellular symbiotic bacteria in specialized cells (bacteriocytes) of the fat body are found in all cockroaches and in the termite Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt. DNA sequence analysis of the bacteria in the two taxa shows them to be phylogenetically related; thus, it has been suggested that the bacteriocyte symbiosis was established in an ancestor common to cockroaches and termites, with a loss of the symbiosis in all other known termite lineages. The offspring of both cockroaches and Mastotermes acquire the symbiosis via transovarial transmission. However, transmission of the bacteria in Mastotermes has not been examined since the pioneering works carried out by Koch in the 1930s. Here we report on transovariole transmission in primary and neotenic reproductives, and show that the ovarioles of both harbor fat body, which contains bacteriocytes. The conspicuous number of ovarian bacteriocytes in neotenic queens corresponds to the pattern previously observed in female nymphs. Bacterial transmission to offspring during the life of the colony thus occurs through continuous provisioning of symbionts to the ovariole from bacteriocytes in ovarian fat body. This pattern parallels that of cockroaches as does the entire mechanism of transovarial transmission.

Bioassays were conducted to study the effectiveness of selected chemicals to prevent the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), from overwintering in buildings. We discovered that certain monoterpenoids elicited avoidance in adults toward treated filter paper within a petri dish bioassay at 1.0 mg/cm². Camphor and menthol were the most effective of the monoterpenoids tested. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays revealed that beetles spent significantly more time (within 10-min observation periods) in the untreated control arm than in the arm containing camphor or menthol (both at 100 and 1,000 μg). Another olfactometer bioassay revealed that significantly more beetles remained in the untreated control arm than in the arm containing camphor or menthol (142 μg), within 45-min observation periods. When camphor (9.4% emulsified concentrate) was sprayed onto crevices on the exterior of a building through which beetles were entering, 100% of approaching beetles were repelled for the duration of the tests (0.5 h, two replicates). In another field experiment, significantly fewer H. axyridis were captured in traps containing camphor versus un-baited control traps. Research is continuing to develop a protocol for repelling nuisance beetle aggregations and conserving the beetles for biological control applications.

Sex pheromone quantity, blend ratio, and cross-attraction were studied in four populations of the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel). Analysis of pheromone gland extracts showed that the three pheromone components of A. ipsilon, (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7–12:Ac), (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14:Ac) and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11–16:Ac) were present in all four populations. On average, Z7–12:Ac was the most abundant component in the populations from Kentucky and Kansas, whereas in the Egyptian and French populations Z11–16:Ac was the most abundant component. All populations had a similar quantity of Z7–12:Ac. The population from Kentucky had significantly more Z9–14:Ac than the population from Kansas, and the other two populations had intermediate quantities of this component (P < 0.05). The Egyptian population had significantly more Z11–16:Ac than the French population, which had significantly more than the populations from Kentucky and Kansas (P < 0.05). Comparing Nearctic (Kentucky and Kansas) versus Palearctic (Egypt and France) populations showed significant differences in the quantity of Z11–16:Ac and in the ratio of Z11–16:Ac to Z7–12:Ac (P < 0.01). Full-sib analysis revealed significant heritabilities in pheromone components and blend ratios in two of the populations. Cross-attraction between individuals from Kansas and from each of the other three populations was tested in paired experiments in a wind tunnel using live females as the source of pheromone. Males did not discriminate between females from their own population and females from the reference population. Thus, significant differences in pheromone blend among geographically distant populations of A. ipsilon did not prevent cross-attraction under laboratory conditions.

We tested compounds found in honey bee, Apis mellifera L., sting alarm pheromone for their roles in releasing behavioral responses, with a focus on the relative importance of chemotaxis and motion of the target in the localization response. Some compounds in the blend have specialized functions. Benzyl acetate released only flight behavior, whereas three compounds (1-butanol, 1-octanol, and hexyl acetate) caused only the recruitment response. Other compounds (1-hexanol, butyl acetate, iso-pentyl acetate, and 2-nonanol) acted in more than one behavioral context. Octyl acetate was the most effective compound in allowing bees to locate targets, but did not recruit or release flight behavior. Stationary octyl acetate sources were located by flying bees, indicating that this pheromone component elicits a chemotactic response. However, localization of a target is due primarily to the motion of the target; the alarm pheromone components release searching behavior for a moving object and are relatively unimportant in target localization.

A number of introduced ant species are characterized by an absence of nestmate recognition or discrimination. This unicolonial social behavior often aids these species in outcompeting native species to the extent of becoming serious urban and agricultural pests. The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a widespread pest species that is thought to rarely show intraspecific aggression in their introduced populations. We found, however, that colonies from both within Los Angeles and between Los Angeles and other cities in California will frequently exhibit aggression toward each other. When the aggressive colonies were retested after 2 mo under uniform conditions, all of the formerly incompatible pairs exhibited little to no aggression. Thus, intraspecific aggression does exist across introduced populations of Argentine ants, and nestmate recognition is likely to be based primarily on environmental cues. It may be possible to potentially manipulate such cues between neighboring nests to aid in the biocontrol of this pest species.