The buprestid hunting wasp, Cerceris fumipennis Say, was detected bringing an emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, back to its nest for the first time in North Carolina, USA at a nesting aggregation in Franklin County. We took the opportunity to closely monitor the site to track further collections of the pest and to monitor activity patterns of the wasp. Of the total 271 beetles collected at this site during 14 visits in 2015 (52 h of biosurveillance), just three emerald ash borers were collected from at least two females within 1 h on one date (15 June 2015). None of the three emerald ash borers were paralyzed by the wasps. At least 20 beetle species were collected from the wasp during the flight season: 14 species were represented in the first 57 beetles collected at the site, with 6 additional species identified from later collections. The wasps actively foraged for beetles from 9 June to 6 August, 2015. Until evidence to the contrary is available, this long activity period is best interpreted as the extended emergence of a single generation rather than as a partial second generation of wasps.

Flowering ornamental plant species have the potential to support beneficial insect communities such as pollinating bees, wasps, and predatory plant bugs. We compared pan trap color, size, and placement height for sampling of insects in replicated conservation gardens planted with species selected to act as a conservation resource for pollinators and other beneficials. Of the 14 combinations of color, size, and height placement, yellow bowls (14.5-mm diam., 8.5 mm high) placed on the soil substrate captured the greatest numbers and diversity of pollinator and beneficial insect taxa. During the study, 16 species of bees were collected and identified, with Lasioglossum (Dialictus) imitatum Smith and Halictus ligatus Say (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) being the most abundant species collected, primarily in the yellow bowl pan traps at ground level.

To assess overwintering refuge preferences by Telenomus podisi Ashmead, artificial refuges of varying geometries and composition were provided to wasps when exposed to overwintering conditions in an environmental chamber. Field sampling of leaf-litter and tree bark was also used in an effort to determine site preference of overwintering wasps. Under artificial overwintering conditions, wasps preferred to hang inverted while quiescent, regardless of the refuge design, indicating behavior that avoids precipitation or extreme temperature fluctuations during overwintering in field conditions. Wasps preferred refuges with wider gaps between upper and lower surfaces, avoiding spaces that were narrower than their standing height. Parasitoids also preferred settling at least 60 mm from refuge edges. Results suggest that T. podisi has a preference for the type of overwintering refuge that leaf-litter may offer.

The ultrastructure of the antennal and mouthpart sensillae for the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), adult was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The cephalic capsule bears two types of sensillae—a multibranched sensillum and a multiporous peg sensillum. The multibranched sensillum was a structure not previously reported for the granary weevil or any other insect species, and is distinguished by its torpedo-shaped appearance. The multiporous peg sensillae, formed from multiple straight tubules, are distributed on the distal one-third of the rostrum. The mouthparts bear two types of sensillae—the multiporous peg sensillae on the labrum and mandibles, and short basiconic sensillae on the labial palps. The antenna consists of eight segments arranged on the scape, pedicel, and flagellum. Each antennal segment bears sqaumiform sensillae, and five types of sensillae were identified on the club segment. These sensillae are a trichodea Type I, trichodea Type II, chaetica Type I, chaetica Type II, and double-walled basiconic. Chaetica Types I and II represented >60% of the total sensillae on the club segment. Trichodea Type II sensillae were also observed and were distinguished by the characteristic bifurcate apex. Finally, the double-walled basiconic sensillae were distinguished by the fluted cuticular surface with a grooved peg-like appearance distally.

Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), commonly known as the kudzu bug, is an invasive insect that was first recorded in the United States in Georgia in 2009. Since its introduction it has spread across the Southeast, infesting soybean crops and significantly reducing crop yield. Chemical pesticides pose environmental concerns and are not compatible with biological control. This investigation was conducted to identify M. cribraria pheromones that could be utilized in an insect trap for environmentally friendly monitoring and integrated pest management. Open Y-track olfactometer assays revealed that M. cribraria females are attracted to volatiles produced by disturbed M. cribraria. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of volatile organic compounds produced by disturbed and undisturbed M. cribraria revealed the presence of tridecane and (E)-2-decenal in secretions from both disturbed and undisturbed M. cribraria, whereas (E)-2-hexenal was detected only in secretions from disturbed M. cribraria. The behavioral responses of M. cribraria to (E)-2-hexenal and tridecane were measured with open Y-track olfactometer assays. Females were significantly attracted to (E)-2-hexenal while males were not. Neither sex was attracted to tridecane. Electroantennographic assays demonstrated an electrophysiological response of female M. cribraria antennae to (E)-2-hexenal but not to tridecane or (E)-2-decenal. Male antennae were unresponsive to the chemicals tested. These data support the conclusion that (E)-2-hexenal is a female-attracting pheromone produced by disturbed M. cribraria and suggest that (E)-2-hexenal could be used to lure female M. cribraria into pheromone-baited traps.

The impact of age at which mating occurs on the mating success, fecundity, fertility, and adult longevity of Ectropis obliqua Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) was determined in laboratory testing. When newly emerged males were mated with females that emerged 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 d earlier, mating success, fecundity, and fertility generally decreased with increased age of the females. Similar responses were observed when newly emerged females were mated with males that had emerged 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 d earlier and when females and males of the same age were allowed to mate. Adult longevity was inversely related to age at which mating occurred.

Impacts of field rates of selected insecticides on the predatory mite, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. In topical treatments with chlorantraniliprole, flonicamid, flubendiamide, indoxacarb, metaflumizone, pymetrozine, spinetoram, and thiacloprid, 86–92% of N. californicus adult females survived 168 h after exposure. Females exposed to the insecticides produced 86–98% as many eggs as did the females in the controls, and eclosion of eggs was not affected. Moreover, the percentage of eggs that hatched, and larval survival following direct exposure to the insecticides, were not reduced. Immature N. californicus survived on leaf discs with insecticidal residues, with 94–98% reaching adulthood. Based on these results, these insecticides evaluated in these laboratory bioassays are promising candidates for use in integrated pest management programs where N. californicus is a natural enemy.

The springtail, Protaphorura fimata Gisin (Onychiuridae), was recently identified as a serious subterranean pest of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. [Asteraceae]) in the Salinas Valley of California and little is known about efficacy of insecticides to control it. The efficacy of 15 insecticides was determined against P. fimata individuals by evaluating their feeding injury on germinating lettuce seeds in three laboratory experiments. In two experiments, a low density of P. fimata (50 individuals) was exposed to insecticide-treated substrates (filter paper and soil); a high density of P. fimata (100 individuals) was exposed to insecticide-treated soil in the third experiment. In all three experiments, 25 uncoated, untreated lettuce seeds were placed on the surface of treated substrate and exposed to P. fimata for 7 d. Significantly more P. fimata individuals and their feeding injury were found in the distilled water (control) treatment than any insecticide treatments. Overall, percentage of injured seedlings and number of feeding sites per seedling were significantly reduced in all the insecticide treatments particularly with pyrethroid (zeta-cypermethrin, bifenthrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin) and neonicotinoid (dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin) insecticides, as well as tolfenpyrad, chlorpyrifos, and spinetoram (0 to ∼3% injured seedlings) compared with distilled water (up to ∼85% injured seedlings). Although cyantraniliprole, novaluron, flonicamid, and flupyradifurone insecticides reduced P. fimata feeding on germinating lettuce seeds relative to distilled water, their efficacy against P. fimata was inferior to other insecticides, especially in the high P. fimata density experiment.