An invasive population of the goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is colonizing and killing three species of oaks in San Diego Co., California. However, the interactions of A. auroguttatus with oaks in its native range in southeastern Arizona have not been recorded. We present a complete inventory of the North and Central American collection records of A. auroguttatus and Agrilus coxalis Waterhouse from the literature and from a survey of the holdings of 27 museum and personal collections. We also discuss the relationship between this collection history and the behavior of A. auroguttatus as an intracontinental invasive species. Surveys of native populations of A. auroguttatus in oak forest stands from four mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona revealed injury patterns on Emory oak, Quercus emoryi Torrey, and silverleaf oak, Quercus hypoleucoides A. Camus, similar to those observed on other “red” oaks in California. No damage was observed on “white” oaks in Arizona, and observed only rarely on a white oak, Quercus engelmannii Greene, in California. In Arizona, adult emergence was confirmed from bark removed from Q. emoryi, representing the first developmental record of A. auroguttatus from a native host. Late instars of Agrilus sp. were also recovered from Q. hypoleucoides, but they were not reared to the adult stage for species identification. Nonetheless, our observations of damage and the presence of larvae in the same configuration and location in the outer bark as we would expect for A. auroguttatus suggest that Q. hypoleucoides is also likely a host. Two hymenopteran parasitoids, Calosota elongata Gibson (Eupelmidae) and Atanycolus simplex Cresson (Braconidae), and two likely coleopteran predators (Trogossitidae and Elateridae) emerged from, or were collected in southeastern Arizona from, Q. emoryi bark infested with A. auroguttatus. Based on the museum survey results, the morphological similarity of individuals from the California and Arizona populations, the spatial dynamics of the pattern of infestation in California, the geographic isolation of hosts in California from native populations of the beetle, and the proximity of San Diego Co. to southeastern Arizona, we hypothesize that A. auroguttatus was introduced to California from Arizona or less likely from the Mexican states of Baja California, Chihuahua, or Sonora, and that the introduction most likely occurred on oak firewood. Further, we hypothesize that the oak mortality in southern California is occurring from this intracontinental invasive species because the beetle is filling a vacant niche by colonizing and developing in non-coevolved trees with low host resistance in the absence of a diverse and coevolved insect natural enemy complex.

Meziomorphum montagu Trimboli and Philips, new species, from Montagu Cave near the town of the same name in South Africa is described. This species, like all others within the genus, is characterized by an unusual pronotal setal structure composed of a thin inflated shell covering the surface to various degrees, as well as stout, erect leg and elytral spines. It is suspected to be a cave endemic, the only species in this genus with this characteristic currently known.

A detailed and accurate survey of the insect fauna of rotting wood can be difficult due to the physical and mechanical properties of the habitat. Quarantining pieces or parts of dead wood in emergence chambers and collecting the insects that emerge is an effective survey method. Here we describe an inexpensive emergence chamber made from an 18-gallon (ca. 68-L) Sterilite® plastic tote box that was modified by adding a removable bottom collection jar and ventilation to the top and side. Ninety of these emergence chambers were three-fourths filled with dead wood (2.5–20 cm diameter) of various decay classes, and run for 24 months in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A total of 5,692 adult Coleoptera specimens representing 50 families, 226 genera, and 275 species were collected. Selected results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the design. Five fundamental axes of emergence chamber design are identified and discussed. We also compare this design to other published emergence chamber designs.

The five species of Phileurus Latreille with quadridentate protibiae are reviewed and placed in a key for identification. One new species, Phileurus zonianis Ratcliffe, from Panama is described and illustrated.

“Cyclocephala nigricollis” Burmeister is a relatively common species in some parts of the southern United States, with disjunct populations in Virginia and the Carolinas in the eastern United States. After examination of specimens and the literature, we conclude that C. nigricollis is a nomen dubium and that its neotype was invalidly proposed. Accordingly, Cyclocephala robusta LeConte, as the next available name, is the correct designation for this taxon.

Hemiphileurus panamanius Ratcliffe and Curoe, new species, is described from Panama, with supporting illustrations, a diagnosis, and distribution. A revised key to the 11 species of Hemiphileurus Kolbe occurring in Panama is provided.

The Asian darkling beetle, Strongylium cultellatum Mäklin, is reported for the first time from the Western Hemisphere based on a series of specimens collected in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Collection data for S. cultellatum are summarized, and a key to the species of Strongylium Kirby in Florida and habitus illustrations are provided.

Mature larvae of Pissodes yunnanensis Langor and Zhang and Pissodes punctatus Langor and Zhang are described and external morphology illustrated. Differences between Chinese and North American species are discussed in light of previous taxonomic and phylogenetic work.

The familial placement of the often-confused genera Escalerina Bolívar y Pieltain and Paulusiella Löbl are established to be Dascillidae: Karumiinae and Elateridae incertae sedis, respectively. Escalerina is placed in synonymy with Karumia Escalera, new synonymy, as are Drilocephalus Pic, new synonymy, and Zarudniola Semenov and Martynov. Selasia sweihana Geisthardt is transferred to Paulusiella Löbl as Paulusiella sweihana (Geisthardt), new combination. The membership and history of the genera are reviewed.

Since Auperia Jacquelin-Duval, 1857 was established as an unnecessary replacement name for Euparia Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau and Serville, 1828, both names are objective synonyms with Euparia being valid. The type species of both genera is Euparia castanea Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau and Serville, 1828. Dellacasa's later fixation of Scarabaeus stercorator F., 1775 as type species for Auperia is invalid. Stebnicka's later fixation of Auperia denominata Chevrolat, 1864 as type species for “Auperia Chevrolat” is invalid because Chevrolat did not introduce a new name but just referred to Jacquelin-Duval's Auperia. Since Stebnicka synonymized the type species of Odontolytes Kozhantshikov, 1916, O. andamanensis Kozhantshikov, with a species of Phalangochaeta Martínez, 1952, Odontolytes becomes the valid name for Auperia sensu Stebnicka. Consequently, 18 species are transferred from Auperia sensu Stebnicka to Odontolytes which now contains 19 species.

Previous carrion studies have described the disruptive behaviors of the invasive hairy maggot blow fly, Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart), towards predatory necrophilous beetles such as the hairy rove beetle, Creophilus maxillosus (L.). Such studies stated that C. rufifacies larvae repelled native blow fly larvae, predaceous beetles, and ants away from vertebrate carcasses. Our main research objective was to test the predatory behaviors and feeding patterns of C. maxillosus adults towards two blow fly species, C. rufifacies (invasive species) and the secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (F.) (native species), in a laboratory setting. Starved C. maxillosus were placed into individual 0.47-L clear plastic cups, provided one third instar blow fly, and observed continuously for two hours. Predatory and feeding responses were recorded as: 1) alive, not eaten; 2) killed, not eaten; 3) killed, consumed partially; or 4) killed, consumed entirely. In total, 342 observations were performed, including 191 and 151 replicates of one beetle and one larva of C. rufifacies or C. macellaria, respectively. Chi-square test of independence was highly significant (P < 0.0001) for both analyses, and the likelihood of C. maxillosus ‘killing and not eating’ a fly larva versus ‘killing and eating’ the prey was highly significant per fly species (P < 0.0001). Additional observations on predatory and defensive behaviors, handling and feeding patterns, and beetle fecundity are discussed.

Cryptophagus aurelii Otero and López, new species, from Cabañeros National Park, Ciudad Real, Spain is described and illustrated. It is compared to the similar species Cryptophagus intermedius Bruce.

Diplotaxis riusi Delgado, new species, collected in Nuevo León, Mexico, is described, and the male genitalia are illustrated. The key to the species in the Diplotaxis brevicollis-haydenii species-group is modified to include this new species.