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A revision of the Neotropical genus Chespiritos (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae: Limosininae)Original articleGregory K. KUWAHARA, Stephen A. MARSHALLEur. J. Entomol. 117: 164-189, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.019 The genus Chespiritos Marshall, 2000 (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae) is revised, including C. sindecimus Marshall, 2000, C. pervadens Roháček and Buck, 2003 and 19 new species. The following new species are described, keyed and placed in a morphological phylogeny: C. anguineus sp. n. from Bolivia, C. attenboroughi sp. n. from Argentina, C. balrogiformis sp. n. from Peru, C. bolanosi sp. n. from Mexico, C. calceus sp. n. from Peru, C. chicobrazos sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. coronatus sp. n. from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Trinidad, C. dolabratus sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. elephantus sp. n. from Ecuador and Peru, C. extendido sp. n. from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela, C. ganchopico sp. n. from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama and Tobago, C. gladiator sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. hojagrande sp. n. from Costa Rica and Mexico, C. jamaicensis sp. n. from Jamaica, C. lepustergum sp. n. from Costa Rica and Venezuela, C. metroidiformis sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. paraiso sp. n. from Dominican Republic, C. peckorum sp. n. from Ecuador, and C. ventrisetis sp. n. from Brazil, Costa Rica and Venezuela. |
Assessing year-round phenology and reproduction of the migratory painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), in a Mediterranean area in southern SpainOriginal articleMariano CUADRADOEur. J. Entomol. 118: 288-296, 2021 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2021.029 The painted lady, Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758), migrates seasonally between Africa and Europe with a northward multigenerational migration from Africa to Europe in spring and a southward migration from Europe to Africa in autumn. However, little is known about the year-round phenology of this species in southern regions in the Mediterranean Basin. In this study the year-round phenology and reproduction of painted ladies was recorded during a seven-year period (2014-2020) at 7 lowland sites (< 80 m a.s.l) near the coast of Cádiz (southern Spain). Overall, a total of 2341 painted lady butterflies (or 0.56 butterflies/km) were recorded along 4186 km of transects of the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS). Data pooled for all sites and years indicate a migration of painted ladies in autumn (mid and late October), another peak in abundance in winter (late February) and finally a migration in spring (late May). Abundance, however, varied greatly between sites and years. In July 2019, a spectacular migration of painted ladies was recorded across the study area that was also recorded in other European countries a few weeks later. Territorial behaviour of males, including hill-topping and courtship, oviposition and immature stages were recorded in autumn and winter. Reproductive behaviour was not recorded in spring or summer. Painted ladies were most abundant during the autumn migration, less abundant in spring and much less abundant in winter. This study confirms that the southern tip of Western Europe close to North Africa is an important stop-over region during the migration of painted ladies although numbers fluctuate enormously between years and sites. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the timing of year-round migration and the reproduction of painted ladies in the autumn-winter months have been described for a southern European population. |
Variation in the colour pattern of the narrow-headed ant Formica exsecta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in European RussiaOriginal articleTatyana S. PUTYATINA, Alexey V. GILEV, Vladimir G. GRINKOV, Alexander V. MARKOVEur. J. Entomol. 119: 58-68, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.006 We determined whether body colour patterns of the narrow-headed Formica exsecta ant can serve as a marker of adaptative strategies in heterogenous environments. The variations in colour were studied in two populations of F. exsecta in central and north western areas in European Russia. A generalised colour scheme of the head and three thorax segments is developed based on a comparative analysis of the colouration of F. exsecta and red wood ants (Formica s. str.). The scheme consists of 23 variants. We found that the colouration of different parts of the body varies independently to a large extent, although a pale (less melanized) head and three thoracic segments often co-occur with paler other parts of the body. We also show that the relationship between colour pattern and body size vary significantly in different complexes. We suggest that these colour variants can be used to study the spatial-temporal phenotypic differentiation of populations and adaptation of ants to microhabitats. The proposed scheme can be used as a convenient tool in future studies to quantify the variation in colour patterns. This scheme should be further tested for its applicability for other species of the subgenus Coptoformica. |
Specialised chemistry affects insect abundance but not overall community similarity in three rare shrub willows: Salix myrtilloides, S. repens and S. rosmarinifoliaOriginal articlePetr KOZEL, Jing Vir LEONG, Igor MALENOVSKÝ, Jan ©UMPICH, Jan MACEK, Jan MICHÁLEK, Nela NOVÁKOVÁ, Brian E. SEDIO, Carlo L. SEIFERT, Martin VOLFEur. J. Entomol. 119: 368-378, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.038 Willows serve as a keystone host-plant genus for insect herbivores. The diversity of insect herbivore assemblages harboured by willows is typically affected by the diversity of specialised metabolites that willows produce. Here, we studied three small, shrubby willow species (Salix myrtilloides, S. repens and S. rosmarinifolia) that primarily occur at sites of high conservation value in the Czech Republic. We explored if associated insect communities reflect the specialised chemistry in these uncommon host plants. We measured the three willow species for overall metabolomic profiles and salicinoids using non-targeted metabolomics and sampled them for caterpillars, leaf-chewing beetles (adults and larvae), sawfly larvae, and sap-sucking Hemiptera. We detected 2,067 metabolites across the three willow species. Most of them were shared by S. repens and S. rosmarinifolia, while S. myrtilloides showed a distinct chemical profile. Salix repens and S. rosmarinifolia also had significantly higher concentration and richness of salicinoids than S. myrtilloides. The abundance of all insect species and generalists that also feed on host-plants outside Salicaceae was higher on S. myrtilloides than on S. rosmarinifolia or S. repens. The abundance of Salicaceae specialists did not differ among the three willow species. Insect community composition, in contrast, did not show pronounced differences among the three willows. Our results suggest that salicinoids may be responsible for the low abundance of generalist herbivores. Furthermore, our study indicates that herbivore community composition does not reflect the specialised chemistry in the three willows we studied. Therefore, we hypothesise that the presence of some of the insect species is primarily determined by other factors, such as the habitat type where the respective willow species occur. Although the studied willows possess some characteristic specialised chemistry, we conclude that their importance as hosts of specific and sometimes threatened insect fauna may be mediated by willow habitat preference. |
Taxonomic notes on the tribe Ectinoderini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from the Indochinese PeninsulaOriginal articleZhuo CHEN, Valérie A. LEMAÎTRE, Wanzhi CAIEur. J. Entomol. 118: 225-239, 2021 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2021.024 The identities of two species of assassin bugs in the tribe Ectinoderini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from the Indochinese Peninsula are reviewed, resulting in the following new synonymy and new combinations: Amulius Stål, 1865 = Parapanthous Distant, 1919, syn. n.; Amulius spinicollis (Distant, 1919), comb. n. (transferred from Parapanthous) and Ectinoderus confragosus (Distant, 1919), comb. n. (transferred from Amulius). Lectotypes of these species are designated. The hemelytral venations of Amulius and Ectinoderus Westwood, 1843 are briefly discussed and their diagnoses accordingly revised. Amulius is newly reported from Vietnam and Ectinoderus is recorded from Cambodia for the first time. |
The effect of hay mulching on soil temperature and the abundance and diversity of soil-dwelling arthropods in potato fieldsOriginal articlePéter DUDÁS, László MENYHÁRT, Csongor GEDEON, Gergely AMBRUS, Ferenc TÓTHEur. J. Entomol. 113: 456-461, 2016 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2016.059 The average soil temperature was significantly lower in plots covered with hay. Hay mulching, however, did not increase significantly the total number of soil micro-arthropods collected using a soil pin trap and a soil sampler. Significant increases in the number of individuals was recorded only for certain groups. 64% of all the arthropods collected using soil pin traps were collected in hay-covered plots and 36% in control plots. This increase was statistically significant for the orders Entomobryomorpha and Poduromorpha of the subclass Collembola and surface-dwelling (epigeic) Coleoptera. For the samples collected using the soil sampler, 57% of the specimens were collected from hay-covered plots and 43% from control plots. As for the pin traps this was reflected in differences in the numbers of the orders Entomobrhyomorpha and Poduromorpha of the subclass Collembola and Pauropoda, collected in the treated and control plots. We conclude that mulching affected the different arthropod groups differently. |
Seasonal changes in mycophagous insect communitiesOriginal articleRohit BANGAY, Alan C. GANGE, Deborah J. HARVEYEur. J. Entomol. 119: 260-271, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.028 The phenology of fungal fruiting has changed in the UK over the last 70 years, but whether the associated mycophagous insects are able to exploit 'out of season' fruit bodies is unknown. This study focused on whether fungal baits can be used as a proxy to examine changes in fungal fruiting on insect communities. Using Agaricus bisporus as a bait, mushrooms were placed into two separate woodlands monthly from November 2020 to July 2021. Megaselia rufipes (Phoridae) and Bradysia spp. (Sciaridae) were reared from both wild fungi and fungal baits at different times, making them appropriate species to consider for possible host tracking. Various factors affect an insect's ability to track a fungal host, these include host preference, season, period of fungal fruiting and age of mushroom. Increased fruiting of macrofungi in the future may benefit generalist mycophagous insects, by providing enhanced temporal and spatial resource opportunities. Using fungal baits as a proxy for the effects of climate change on fungal fruiting should be beneficial in uncovering the host preferences of mycophagous insects and may potentially indicate whether mycophagous insects can track fungal hosts across seasons. |
Epigeic harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) of reforested Norway spruce forest stands in Slovakia: A case studyOriginal articleIvan MIHÁL, Benjamín JARČU©KAEur. J. Entomol. 119: 421-429, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.044 We evaluated the effect of different ecological factors on epigeic harvestmen (Opiliones) in stands of Norway spruce of different ages planted on former agricultural land in the Western Carpathians (Slovakia). In total, 15 species of harvestmen were recorded, which is 42.9% of the 35 species of harvestmen currently recorded in Slovakia. The most abundant species were Nelima sempronii, Lacinius ephippiatus, Mitopus morio, Oligolophus tridens, Leiobunum gracile and Platybunus bucephalus. Species richness and diversity was not associated with any forest characteristic. There was a negative association between the percentage of Norway spruce and abundance of harvestmen and positive association between the chemical element Ca2+ and harvestmen abundance. Beta diversity of harvestmen assemblages was low. Composition of harvestmen assemblages was significantly related to percentage of spruce, humus content, Ca2+, C/N and soil pH. Lacinius ephippiatus was most abundant in pitfall traps with a low percentage of spruce, Oligolophus tridens plots where there was low humus content and Leiobunum gracile tended to be more abundant in plots with more alkaline soils. |
Urbanisation and forest size affect the infestation rates of plant-galling arthropods and damage by herbivorous insectsOriginal articleSandro MEYER, Hans-Peter RUSTERHOLZ, Bruno BAUREur. J. Entomol. 117: 34-48, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.004 Urbanisation is increasing globally and is considered to be a main driver of environmental change. Urbanisation-related factors include reduced habitat size and increased spatial isolation of the remaining habitats. As a consequence, the dynamics of plant and animal populations may change, which in turn might influence the quality and quantity of plant resources. Thus, urbanisation has the potential to disturb plant-animal interactions such as herbivory or galling. In the urban-rural setting of Basel (Switzerland), we aimed to assess whether the degree of urbanisation and forest size influence plant-galling infestation rates and leaf damage by mining and chewing arthropods on three tree species (sycamore, beech, and ash). We recorded species-specific responses to the degree of urbanisation and forest size. Gall infestation rate on sycamore leaves was affected by urbanisation but not by forest size. In contrast, gall infestation rates of beech gall midges responded sensitively to increasing urbanisation and decreasing forest size. The total leaf area damage caused by mining and chewing arthropods on sycamore was influenced by urbanisation and increased with increasing forest size. Leaf area damage by miners in beech tended to be affected by the degree of urbanisation, but not in ash. Urbanisation and forest size have the potential to alter herbivorous insect abundances. However, the effects depend on tree species and herbivore guild. |
Effect of the energy content of diets on the development and quality of the fat reserves of larvae and reproduction of adults of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)Original articleBogdan GEORGESCU, Dănuț STRUȚI, Tudor PĂPUC, Vasile CIGHI, Anca BOARUEur. J. Entomol. 118: 297-306, 2021 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2021.030 Hermetia illucens is a sustainable and an increasingly bioeconomical source of nutrients for farm animals. It is still necessary, however, to improve our knowledge of the biological features of this species in order to maximize its use. The aims of this research were to evaluate the effect of the energy level of rearing diets on its body weight and fat-body reserves. The quantity and quality of the fats storred by the non-feeding stages of this insect and its reproductive performances were also studied. A control diet (CD - Gainesville diet) and three diets with progressively greater energy contents (kcal/kg ME) were formulated. The increase was achieved by including different amounts of maize, 40% (ED1), 60% (ED2) and 80% (ED3), in these three diets. Abother diet (ED4) consisted of fruit and vegetable waste. The results indicate that the body weight of larvae, prepupae, pupae and adult flies, as well as fat content of the larvae increased significantly (p ˂ 0.01) with increase in the energy content of the diets. There was a positive Pearson correlation between energy content of diets and body weight of adult flies. The heaviest egg clutches with the highest number of eggs/clutch (p ˂ 0.01) were laid by flies reared on the diets with the highest energy content. The quality of the fat stored by larvae did not influence the weight and number of egg laid. |
Distribution of butterflies (Lepidoptera) in a successional mosaic of Mediterranean mountain habitatsOriginal articleJesús SÁNCHEZ-DÁVILA, José A. MOLINA, Francisco J. CABRERO-SAÑUDOEur. J. Entomol. 119: 159-169, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.018 The distribution of butterflies was analysed in a mosaic of different types of habitats in a typical Ibero-Supramediterranean plant landscape. This mosaic landscape is composed of oak forests (Quercus pyrenaica) and their corresponding shrub and grassland successional communities. The observed patterns were based on butterfly-flower interactions in two consecutive years (2017-2018) recorded in different habitats. The results of the nestedness analysis indicated that the same butterfly community exploits all of the successional plant-communities, but some differences due to the availability of flowers. The foraging for nectar sources was mostly restricted to a few flowering plants: Rubus ulmifolius, Carduus carpetanus, Thymus pulegioides and Dianthus deltoides. Some butterflies changed their flower-visiting patterns over the two years studied. The distribution of butterflies was strongly linked to the distribution of their preferred nectar sources and changes in the use of these sources modified habitat use. The area of Rubus shrubland is a small but highly used habitat in this area, given the presence of Rubus ulmifolius, a plant species with high coverage and abundance of nectar, makes this area much better for foraging than other habitats. The Cytisus and Rubus shrublands were used more than grassland, indicating that seral habitats can be more valuable than traditional open grassland and forest habitats for butterflies. |
SOIL-INSECT toolbox: A new chamber for analysing the behaviour of herbivorous insects and tri-trophic interactions in soilOriginal articleEwa M. FURMANCZYK, Malgorzata TARTANUS, Zbigniew B. JÓ¬WIAK, Eligio MALUSÁEur. J. Entomol. 118: 200-209, 2021 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2021.021 A chamber, named SOIL-INSECT toolbox, was developed to analyse the effect of various factors on the behaviour of soil-dwelling insects. It is equipped with sensors that continuously monitor the concentration of CO2 in the different compartments of the chamber without disturbing the air balance in the soil. The chamber can be adapted to study different stimuli, including volatile compounds, both in the presence and absence of plants. The chamber was tested using the larvae of Melolontha spp., which confirmed its suitability for carrying out complex studies on insect-insect and insect-plant-microbiome interactions in a complex environment such as soil. The results of behavioural experiments using L3 larvae of Melolontha spp. in sterilized and natural soils revealed that the soil condition affected the behaviour of the larvae, likely due to its effect on the soil microbiome and physico-chemical characteristics. |
Infection-induced molecular pattern recognition proteins in larvae of Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae)Original articleKyeongrin BANG, Jiae LEE, Sejung HWANG, Youngwoo CHO, Jangwoo PARK, Saeyoull CHOEur. J. Entomol. 119: 77-84, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.008 We cloned and sequenced full-length peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP)-like cDNAs, named PS PGRP-SA(a)-like, PS PGRP-SA(b)-like, PS PGRP-SB1-like and PS PGRP-SC-like, from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis. The amino acid sequences of PS PGRPs share 32.03-47.93% homology with those of PGRP family members in insects and mammals, including humans. We identified a conserved consensus sequence for amidase activity (His; H-Tyr; Y-His; H-Thr; T-Cys; C) and residues for binding peptidoglycan (PGN), one of the major bacterial cell wall components, including Asp (D) and Phe (F) for Lys-type PGN; and Gly(G), Trp (W) and Arg (R) for DAP-type PGN. The topological structures of PS PGRP-SA(a)-like, PS PGRP-SA(b)-like and PS PGRP-SC-like proteins are structurally similar to those of Drosophila melanogaster PGRP-SA, which has three α-helices and six β-strands. The β-strands are located in a central region and helix α1 on the back and peripheral α2 and α3 helices are on the front. The three α-helices and six β-strands are also present in PS PGRP-SB1-like, but the topological structure differs from that of typical PGRP. Significantly increased levels of PS PGRP-SA (a)-like and PS PGRP-SA (b)-like mRNA were recorded when Gram-positive bacteria or yeast cells were injected into larvae. PS PGRP-SB1-like mRNA levels were up-regulated by infection by all three pathogens; however, expression of PS PGRP-SC-like mRNA was increased 20- or 30-fold only shortly after injection with Gram-negative bacteria. |
Screening of immune-related genes against bacterial infection in Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)Original articleWan ZHOU, Zengxia WANG, Baohong HUANGEur. J. Entomol. 119: 388-397, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.040 Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée is an important pest of maize. The current use of microbial agents to control O. furnacalis have been relatively successful. However, upon infestation with microorganisms, O. furnacalis initiates an innate immune response to defend itself against foreign invaders. Therefore, understanding the immune mechanisms in O. furnacalis is important to ensure a more efficient use of microbial agents for the control of this pest. In the present study, a gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, and a gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli, were used to induce an immune response in O. furnacalis. Transcriptomic sequencing was then used to screen for genes that were significantly differentially expressed after microbial induction and sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis to identify immune-related genes the expression of which was significantly induced. The results show a large number of genes were differentially expressed in O. furnacalis after microbial induction, the majority of which were immune-related genes. The expression of some immune-related genes such as those encoding antimicrobial peptides, peptidoglycan recognition proteins and serine protease inhibitors were strongly induced. Overall, our study increases the understanding of the mechanism of the innate immune response in O. furnacalis and provides a theoretical basis for better biological control using microbial agents. |
Mitochondrial genomes of two wild silkmoths, Samia watsoni and Samia wangi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), and their phylogenetic implicationsOriginal articleDecai LU, Yixin HUANG, Stefan NAUMANN, Ian J. KITCHING, Zhenbang XU, Yang SUN, Xu WANGEur. J. Entomol. 119: 337-353, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.035 The wild silkmoth genus Samia Hübner, 1819 (Saturniidae) contains a number of economically important species in industrial silk production. However, the interspecific relationships within the genus remain unclear. We sequence the mitogenomes of Samia watsoni Oberthür, 1914 and Samia wangi Naumann & Peigler, 2001. Both mitogenomes are annotated and found to be cyclized, with 37 genes (13 PCGs, 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes). Using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods, we analyze these mitogenomes together with a further 68 downloaded from GenBank (65 Bombycoidea and 5 Lasiocampidae as the outgroup) to investigate the phylogenetic relationships both within the genus and those among the three families of the 'SBS' group: Bombycidae, Saturniidae and Sphingidae. The results show that within Samia, S. ricini is closely related to S. canningi, and not S. cynthia of which it has previously been considered to be a subspecies. Although arguments have been proposed to treat S. ricini and S. canningi as conspecific, we choose to accept the morphological arguments and continue to treat them as two separate species. Samia watsoni is corroborated as the sister group of all other Samia species, but nevertheless should be included within Samia rather than being placed in its own monobasic genus. Our analysis recovers the following relationship among the three families of the 'SBS' group: (Saturniidae + (Bombycidae + Sphingidae)). This agrees with previous studies based on analysis of mitogenomes but continues to contradict the results derived from phylogenomic analysis of nuclear genomes. |
Provision of small sterile eggs is a circumstance-dependent maternal investment in sibling cannibalism in the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)Ivo Hodek special issueOriginal articleNaoya OSAWAEur. J. Entomol. 119: 133-139, 2022 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2022.014 Many aphidophagous ladybird beetles lay clusters of eggs and sibling cannibalism occurs at hatching. Larvae that hatch early tend to cannibalize undeveloped eggs and those that hatch late. The cannibalized eggs, especially those that are sterile, represent a maternal investment in the cannibal and are regarded as "trophic" eggs, which increase their chances of surviving. The characteristics of cannibalized eggs, however, are poorly studied. In this study, I determined the sizes of eggs that developing and undeveloped eggs within egg clusters of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Developing eggs were significantly larger (on average 3.45% larger) than the undeveloped sterile ones, which were mainly small. Furthermore, the hatchability of eggs was also significantly associated with their size, inclusive of the maternal effects. These results indicate that the production of relatively small sterile eggs functions as circumstance-dependent maternal investment in improving the survival of the first instar larvae to hatch in each egg cluster. |
The effect of population density of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) on its fitness, physiology and activation of the covert nucleopolyhedrovirusOriginal articleSergey V. PAVLUSHIN, Irina A. BELOUSOVA, Ekaterina A. CHERTKOVA, Natalia A. KRYUKOVA, Viktor V. GLUPOV, Viatcheslav V. MARTEMYANOVEur. J. Entomol. 116: 85-91, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.009 After high population densities of insect defoliators there is often a dramatic decrease in their abundance due to various limiting factors. Here, we compared gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar L.) reared singly and in crowded conditions. We compared a number of physiological parameters of these insects and the effect of L. dispar population density on the activation of covert baculovirus infections in the larvae. It was found that the population density of gypsy moth larvae did not affect the mortality due to the activation of the covert virus infection or the total mortality. On the other hand, solitary-reared larvae were heavier, took longer to develop, and showed a four-fold higher concentration of dopamine in their haemolymph than larvae reared in groups. Thus, we demonstrated that an increase in the population density of larvae per se facilitates some changes in fitness and innate immunity traits but is not related to the activation of covert baculovirus infection. We suggest that an increase in population density does not increase the risk of epizootics triggered by the activation of covert baculovirus infection and that researchers should pay more attention to studying density-associated factors, such as starvation. |
Adaptation of Apis mellifera jemenitica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to high temperatures: Morphological, behavioural, and physiological aspectsReviewYehya ALATTALEur. J. Entomol. 121: 173-181, 2024 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2024.018 Temperature affects the distribution and success of Apis mellifera subspecies. To survive high temperatures in their natural habitats, unique adaptive traits have been evolved by various A. mellifera subspecies. A. mellifera jemenitica is a sub-tropical subspecies that is native to the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the most thermotolerant A. mellifera subspecies and the only subspecies that can successfully survive long summers with daily temperatures exceeding 45°C in the Arabian Peninsula. In hot, dry conditions and short seasons, A. m. jemenitica can successfully establish its colonies. In this article, the different morphological, behavioural and physiological aspects of the thermal adaptation of A. m. jemenitica, which are its size, pigmentation, brood cell size, seasonal cycle, foraging behaviour, heat shock proteins and life genes are discussed. These aspects account for how A. m. jemenitica can withstand and survive the high summer temperatures on the Arabian Peninsula. |
How long do diapause pupae of Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) store photoperiodic information?Original articleKatsuhiko SAKAMOTO, Yuichi EGIEur. J. Entomol. 122: 137-140, 2025 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2025.016 Pupal diapause in the Chinese oak silkmoth (Antheraea pernyi) is maintained under short-day (SD) photoperiods but is terminated when pupae are exposed to long-day (LD) photoperiods for a specific number of days. This process suggests that pupae can count or retain memory of the number of LD days experienced. In this study, we investigated how long diapause pupae retain photoperiodic information acquired during LD exposure. Diapause pupae were first reared under SD conditions and then exposed to LD for 8 days - an insufficient duration to terminate diapause. Following this, the pupae were placed back under SD for 7, 14, or 21 days, and subsequently returned to LD to induce adult eclosion. Using the final transfer to LD as a reference point, we found that pupae exposed to SD for 7 or 14 days reached adulthood significantly earlier than control pupae that had not previously experienced LD. However, no significant difference in eclosion timing was observed between the 21-day SD group and the control group. These results suggest that photoperiodic information acquired during the 8-day LD exposure gradually decayed under SD conditions and was lost between 14 and 21 days after the transfer from LD to SD. Complete erasure of photoperiodic information under SD appeared to require approximately twice the duration of the initial LD exposure. |
Book review: Packer L. 2023: Bees of the World. A Guide to Every Family.Book reviewM. RINDO©Eur. J. Entomol. 122: 11-12, 2025 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2025.002 Packer L. 2023: Bees of the World. A Guide to Every Family. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 240 pp. ISBN 9780691226620. Price USD 29.95 / GBP 25.00. |
Book review: Rüppell G. & Hilfert-Rüppell D. 2024: Dragonfly behavior: Discovering the dynamic life of an ancient order of insects.Book reviewOla FINCKEEur. J. Entomol. 122: 147-148, 2025 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2025.018 Rüppell G. & Hilfert-Rüppell D. 2024: Dragonfly behavior: Discovering the dynamic life of an ancient order of insects. Springer-Verlag GmbH, Berlin, Heidelberg, xx + 229 pp., 290 colour photos, 30 black-and-white illustrations. ISBN 978-3-662-70233-8 (hardback), 978-3-662-70234-5 (e-book). Hardcover price EUR 28.07. |
The role of larval substrate specialization and female oviposition in mediating species diversity of closely-related sepsid flies (Diptera: Sepsidae)Original articleAmelie LAUX, Alexandra WEGMANN, Jeannine ROY, Natalia GOURGOULIANNI, Wolf U. BLANCKENHORN, Patrick T. ROHNEREur. J. Entomol. 116: 75-84, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.008 Coprophagous insect communities play a critical role in the decomposition of vertebrate dung and provide ecosystem functions fundamental to modern agriculture. While the ecology of dung beetles is rather well understood, niche differentiation in coprophagous flies is poorly studied. Sepsid flies (Diptera: Sepsidae) are a vital part of the European community of coprophages, with 6-7 widespread species of Sepsis often found co-occurring in the same pasture. To advance our ecological understanding of the mechanisms that enable species to coexist, we investigated the oviposition preferences and larval performance of 7 common species of Sepsis in the dung of different large domestic and wild mammals. Substrate preferences and subsequent performance of larvae in laboratory experiments did not vary greatly. All species did very well on cow dung, the most common substrate in Central Europe, but also on dung of horse and wild boar. In contrast, flies did not prefer or grow well in dung of red and roe deer, two of the most common wild vertebrates. Thus there were only minor differences among the species tested along the specialist-generalist (dung) gradient, indicating that differences in the choice of oviposition sites by the adults of the different fly species and larval performance do not constitute a major axis of ecological differentiation. Nevertheless, there was a positive correlation between substrate choice and larval performance indicating the preference of gravid females for particular oviposition sites is adaptive. We conclude that sepsids are common in Europe because they are well adapted to the dung of herbivorous livestock rather than wild animals. Nevertheless, specialization on particular types of dung does not define the niche of Sepsis dung flies and hence plays a minor role in mediating their species diversity. |
Book review: Heraty J.M. & Woolley J.B. (eds) 2024: Chalcidoidea of the World.Book reviewT. HOVORKAEur. J. Entomol. 122: 118, 2025 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2025.014 Heraty J.M. & Woolley J.B. (eds) 2024: Chalcidoidea of the World. CABI, Wallingford, 840 pp. ISBN 978-1-80062-352-1. Price GBP 250.00. |
Book review: Rákosy L. 2024: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Romania.Book reviewZ. FALTYNEK FRICEur. J. Entomol. 122: 79, 2025 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2025.009 Rákosy L. 2024: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Romania. Pelagic Publishing, London, 376 pp. ISBN 978-1-78427-477-1. Price USD 42.00. |
Laboratory evaluation of effects of powdered sulphur on the oviposition, fruit detection and behaviour of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) on strawberryOriginal articleSergio PÉREZ-GUERRERO, José María MOLINA, Cristina MONTIEL, Alberto REDONDO-VILLA, Laura AVIVAR-LOZANOEur. J. Entomol. 117: 210-215, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.022 Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) is an invasive pest from South-East Asia that can damage a wide range of soft-skinned fruit crops (especially berries) resulting in serious financial losses. At present, control of D. suzukii is still mainly based on adult-oriented chemical pesticides that is likely to result in resistance and environmental pollution. In this context, alternative methods that are compatible with sustainable management are required. Sulphur and its different formulations are widely used for a long time as a fungicide and insecticide on many crops as it is environmentally-friendly and compatible with organic management. In this study, the effect that powdered sulphur-treated strawberries had on oviposition were evaluated under laboratory conditions in order to confirm the findings of a previous report on blueberries. No-choice and choice experiments were carried out to assess whether powdered sulphur affected the ability of the fly to detect fruit, altered its behaviour or did both. The treatment of strawberries resulted in a reduction of over 79% in the total number of D. suzukii that developed. In the no-choice experiment, there was a reduction of over 70% in the time the flies spent on treated compared to untreated fruit. In the choice experiment, 57% of the females chose untreated and 43% treated strawberries, but this difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, females took over 75% longer to visit the treated fruit than the control. Sulphur had no noteworthy effect on fly behavior, although oviposition only occurred on untreated fruit indicating that sulphur affects the acceptance and suitability of fruit for females. These results indicate that powdered sulphur could be an appropriate alternative to synthetic-organic insecticides for controlling D. suzukii and is compatible with organic crop management and waste reduction strategies. |
A cheap electronic sensor automated trap for monitoring the flight activity period of mothsOriginal articleAlicia PÉREZ-APARICIO, Jordi LLORENS, Joan Ramon ROSELL-POLO, Jordi MARTÍ, César GEMENOEur. J. Entomol. 118: 315-321, 2021 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2021.032 Automated pheromone dispensers disrupt the mating behaviour of pest moths by releasing pheromone during their daily activity period, which is not the same for all target species. These periods usually occur in or close to night time and last just a few hours, so automated sampling devices are needed to characterize them. However, the commercially available automated models do not provide enough temporal resolution for characterizing the short diel periods of sexual activity of moths. Thus, we built and tested a relatively cheap and simple high-temporal-resolution image-sensor insect trap. It consisted of a Raspberry Pi computer with an infrared camera operated by open-source software and housed in a plastic box. The Raspberry Pi was powered by a solar panel and rechargeable battery that were mounted on a solid and weather-proof structure made of cheap materials. Pictures were downloaded by WiFi from the Raspberry's SD card to a computer. Six traps baited either with synthetic sex pheromone or with females of Grapholita molesta (Busk) were tested in the field. The traps were sturdy, reliable and easy to use, taking pictures at 10 min intervals, 24 h a day for over two months. These pictures confirmed previous results regarding the period of sexual activity of the oriental fruit moth, which will aid in determining the optimal time for operating automated pheromone dispensers. |
The effect of polyamines on the expression of olfactory related genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)Zhichun ZHANG, Manqun WANG, Guanghua LUO, Gufeng ZHANG, Jichao FANGEur. J. Entomol. 112 (1): 27-34, 2015 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2015.008 Polyamines are nitrogenous compounds that alter the odour sensitivity of insects. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of polyamines on the expression levels of olfactory-related genes in male/female adult diamondback moths, Plutella xylostella. Results indicate that treatment with polyamines or α-difluoromethyl-ornithine (DFMO), a polyamine synthesis inhibitor, significantly affected the expression of various olfactory related genes. Although DFMO had no significant effect on the expression of PxylPBP1, it did significantly decrease the expression of other olfactory related genes (PxylGOBP1, PxylGOBP2 and PxylCSP1) in a gender-related fashion that correlated with the mating status of the adults. Polyamines [spermine (spm), putrescine (put) and spermidine (spd)] decreased the expression of PxylGOBP2 in naive male moths, but increased the expression of the same gene in virgin female moths. In addition, put treatment significantly increased the expression of PxylGOBP1 in virgin females and unmated male moths, but significantly decreased its expression in mated female and male moths. Based on these results we conclude that polyamines have a regulatory role in the expression of olfactory related genes and that these effects depend on the gene, gender and mating status of diamondback moths. These results indicate that polyamines affect the expression of the genes in insects that determine their olfactory ability. |
Facultative symbionts associated with aphid populations in citrus orchards in northern TunisiaOriginal articleFrançois RENOZ, Inès PONS, Christine NOËL, Kaouthar LEBDI-GRISSA, Vincent FORAY, Thierry HANCEEur. J. Entomol. 117: 149-156, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.017 Like many insects, aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) can host a wide diversity of symbiotic bacteria that can be important drivers of their evolutionary ecology. In addition to the nutritional obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola, these phloem-sap feeding insects can host various facultative symbionts whose functional diversity depends on complex interactions with the host genotype and environmental factors. During sampling in citrus orchards in northern Tunisia, we collected aphids on citrus plants. The specimens belonged either to the cotton-melon aphid Aphis gossypii or the green citrus aphid Aphis spiraecola. We analysed the prevalence of Arsenophonus, Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola, four facultative symbionts frequently found in the genus Aphis and potentially associated with phenotypic effects related to nutrition, protection against parasites and tolerance of high temperatures. We found that the diversity and prevalence of facultative symbionts differed between these two aphid species that exploit similar ecological niches. In particular, we found a high prevalence of Arsenophonus in A. gossypii populations and that the defensive symbiont H. defensa was only present in A. spiraecola populations. These results are discussed in light of the ecology and life cycles of each of the species of aphid studied. |
Is Isaria fumosorosea selective to Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)?Original articleMichele POTRICH, Gabriela LIBARDONI, Luis F.A. ALVES, Vanda PIETROWSKI, Everton R.L. da SILVA, Pedro M.O.J. NEVESEur. J. Entomol. 117: 110-117, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.012 Entomopathogenic fungi and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) might be used together in biological control. However, the effects of these fungi on T. pretiosum are not known. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria fumosorosea, on the biological parameters of T. pretiosum. Two isolates of I. fumosorosea (IBCB 367 and IBCB 394) were used for this purpose. (1) In a free choice test: cards (1.0 × 5.0 cm) with non-parasitized eggs of Anagasta kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were either sprayed with 0.2 mL of the fungus suspension (1.0 × 109 conidia.mL-1) or with sterile distilled water containing Tween® 80 (0.01%), which were then offered to females of T. pretiosum. (2) No choice test: the isolates were sprayed at a concentration of 1.0 × 109 conidia.mL-1 on cards (1.0 × 5.0 cm) with A. kuehniella eggs. The control consisted of spraying sterile distilled water containing Tween® 80 (0.01%). Individual females of T. pretiosum were confined for 24 h with the cards. The number of eggs parasitized, percentage of emergence, longevity, duration of the egg-adult period and sex ratio were evaluated, as well as the longevity of the females that parasitized the eggs and the mortality of the emerging adults evaluated. IBCB 367 isolate repelled T. pretiosum. The pre-parasitism and post-parasitism sprays did not affect the number of eggs parasitized or the sex ratio, however, the pre-parasitism IBCB 394 treatment the females and males survived for longer, whereas the survival of females in post-parasitism treatment with the same isolate was reduced.The presence of conidia on and mycelium of the fungus in T. pretiosum was confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy and a histological analysis. Isolates IBCB 367 and IBCB 394 from I. fumosorosea are selective to T. pretiosum in the laboratory. |
Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in several types of forests on Hokkaido, Japan, with implications for forest management practices and beetle preservationOriginal articleJun KAIZUKA, Tamaki YAMAGUCHI, Mitsuhiro IWASAEur. J. Entomol. 117: 400-408, 2020 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2020.044 This study of the role the environment in the composition of the communities of carabid beetles was carried out in several types of forests at Obihiro and Furano, Hokkaido, Japan. In addition, we analysed the altitudinal distributions of two forest specialists, Damaster gehinii (Faimaire) and Procrustes kolbei Roeschke, which occur in six mountain forests on Hokkaido. At Obihiro, the forest specialist, P. kolbei was found at only one site in a large area of broadleaf forest. A redundancy analysis indicated that the carabid assemblages were significantly different in the different types of forest, and that two species, Leptocarabus arboreus arboreus (Lewis) and Leptocarabus opaculus opaculus (Putzeys), were associated with broadleaf forests. At Furano, a forest specialist D. gehinii and a forest generalist Cychrus morawitzi Gehin were mainly collected in natural broadleaf and mixed forests, whereas the percentage made up of L. o. opaculus was very high (80.8%) in natural broadleaf forest. Pterostichus thunbergii Morawitz made up the highest percentage of the species in the conifer plantations. In the six mountain forests, D. gehinii was scarce and mainly occurred at low altitudes; however, P. kolbei was relatively abundant and mainly recorded at middle to high altitudes. The management of the forests on Hokkaido needed to maintain the diversity and abundance of carabid beetles is discussed. |