The degeneration in flight ability in beetles has rarely been studied in detail with regard to the polymorphism of flight traits within species. However, intraspecific diversity in flight traits means that the flight ability of species is in the process of degenerating, which could provide important insights into how flight ability in beetles degenerates. In this study, the flight muscle and hind wings of the genus Synuchus in Japan were studied, which revealed the morphological status of flight traits in 21 species of Synuchus. Several species in this genus were found to show intraspecific polymorphisms in the states of the flight muscle and hind wings, and in particular, the very high diversity of different types of hind wings. These results indicate that this genus contains a mixture of species at various stages in the degeneration of the ability to fly.

Given the development of resistance in stored-grain insect pests to phosphine (PH₃), the grain industry is seeking alternative methods for effective pest and resistance management. We evaluated the efficacy of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a potential alternative fumigant against adults of phosphine-susceptible (PH₃-S) and resistant strains (PH₃-R) of five major grain insect pests, including Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus), and Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens). Adult dose-mortality response curves were established for each species, and the mortality endpoints of post-fumigated adult S. oryzae and T. castaneum were compared. The effect of commodities on the efficacy of AITC was briefly investigated from the perspective of adult insect mortality. The PH₃-R strain of S. oryzae was the most tolerant and required the highest dose, LC₅₀: 1.75 µL a.i. L^-1, whereas the PH₃-R strain of C. ferrugineus was the most susceptible to AITC, requiring the lowest LC₅₀: 0.59 µL a.i. L^-1. Comparisons of LC_99.9 across the species and strains confirmed that AITC at 2.59 µL a.i. L^-1 was adequate in achieving complete control of adults across all five insect species tested, irrespective of their resistance status to phosphine. These results suggest that phosphine-resistant insects fail to confer cross-resistance to AITC. Post-exposure endpoint mortality studies revealed a steady increase in mortality in S. oryzae (from 18% at 24 h to 100% at 168 h). In contrast, no such changes were recorded with T. castaneum, suggesting the existence of species-specific differences in responding to AITC. The presence of insect-infested commodities, such as rolled oats and cracked sorghum, reduced the efficacy of AITC, indicating that this fumigant could be sorptive.

The mosquito species Aedes cretinus, which is native to Greece, has become increasingly scarce following the invasion of the highly competitive and widespread Aedes albopictus. The ability of mosquitoes to survive low winter temperatures plays a pivotal role in their population dynamics of the next season. In this study, we investigated the overwintering capacity of Ae. albopictus and Ae. cretinus adults under semi-field, sheltered microclimatic conditions in the northern area of Attica, Greece, during the winter of 2023-2024. Our findings revealed that 11% of Ae. albopictus females and 21.1% of Ae. cretinus females were capable of overwintering, highlighting the importance of sheltered microclimates in enabling overwintering survival under low outdoor temperatures. In contrast, males of both species failed to overwinter. The winter survival ability of adults was significantly greater in Ae. cretinus than in Ae. albopictus, and this may account for the occurrence of Ae. cretinus in the cooler environments of vegetated and wooded locations in northern areas of the Attica region. Nevertheless, the ability of Ae. albopictus females to also overwinter under the same sheltered microclimatic environment may affect the potential of interspecific competition in these areas.

In the landscape of the Dolomites, within the protected area of the Paneveggio - Pale di S. Martino Park in the Eastern Alps of Italy, a study was conducted to explore the distribution of carabid beetles. To achieve this, pitfall traps were placed along a 1000-m elevation gradient, following the bioclimatic gradient from spruce forests to the resilient pioneer vegetation in the extreme high-altitude environments. The research revealed that both community diversity and biogeographic diversity exhibited a clear correlation with the bioclimatic gradient. As one ascended to higher altitudes, the composition and distribution of carabid beetle communities shifted, reflecting the bioclimatic gradient. The chorological spectrum of the communities showed that Pleistocene paleoclimatic events provided the triggering factors affecting the postglacial recolonization of alpine ecosystems of the Dolomites region. Most of the sampled species displayed specific life strategies that enabled them to thrive in this harsh setting, responding to the selective pressures imposed by ecological factors. An extensive dataset encompassing the diversity of carabid beetles in these high-altitude domains was created. Given that the studied environments are widely distributed along the Italian Eastern Alps, the dataset serves a crucial purpose as it can be used as a reference for other research campaigns conducted in similar environments. Furthermore, it could act as a temporal benchmark for future researches on insects living in extreme environments, e.g. the Dolomites, or for comparing changes in climate that may be detected by future studies in the same geographic area.

The tendency of parasitoid wasps to oviposit in a previously parasitised host (superparasitism) has long been considered detrimental to their fitness, until recent evidence showed that it may be an adaptive strategy. The solitary koinobiont parasitoid, Coccygidium luteum, was observed to superparasitise the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, under laboratory conditions. This study was conducted to elucidate the oviposition choice between unparasitised and previously parasitised hosts by C. luteum and to determine the effect of superparasitism on progeny development and adult fitness, using fall armyworm larvae as hosts. In a choice assay, previously parasitised and unparasitised hosts were simultaneously exposed to C. luteum for oviposition. Oviposition duration and preference were observed and the influence of superparasitism on the development of immature parasitoids and adult fitness were investigated by exposing host larvae to single, double and triple parasitism at 1 h intervals. Coccygidium luteum readily attacked both unparasitised and previously parasitised hosts without discrimination. However, the time spent ovipositing on the unparasitised host was significantly longer than that on a previously parasitised host. Superparasitism did not significantly affect progeny development and the fitness of adult C. luteum. Offspring development time and size of adult parasitoids were similar in superparasitised hosts compared to hosts that were parasitised once. We conclude that superparasitism in C. luteum will have no effect on its mass rearing for the biological control of S. frugiperda.

Treehoppers are characterized by exaggerated and three-dimensionally modified pronotal structures, known as "helmets". The treehopper pronotum has been studied mainly in terms of taxonomic diagnosis for over a century. It has recently been used as a model for studying the origin of evolutionary innovation and morphological diversification. However, the interspecific correspondence of traits, i.e., homology of pronotal parts, remains ambiguous due to (1) the extreme diversity in pronotal morphology and (2) little comparative study focused on homology. These problems hinder tracing the evolutionary history of treehopper pronotal morphology. Here, we investigate the homological relationships of pronotal structures among treehoppers, especially in the subfamily Smiliinae. We first investigate smiliine species, whose pronotal morphology is relatively simple, then expand to species with a more complex pronotum. Our comparative observations using six smiliine species reveal that four traits share the same positions and structures among these species: (1) the humeral angle, (2) the median carina, (3) the starting point of the median carina, and (4) the posterior apex of the pronotum, indicating that these traits are homologous across these species. Based on this homology hypothesis, we generalize the pronotal morphology and propose landmarks to help interpret the diversified pronotum of a clade including Smiliinae and its relatives. Finally, we confirm that this generalization can be applied to other treehopper subfamilies. Our homology-based approach can provide a strategy to recognize the trajectory of pronotal morphology, which is often difficult to trace.

The Asian neriid fly genus Telostylus Bigot (Diptera: Neriidae) is revised, including a key and illustrations of its species. Lectotype designations are proposed for four species: Telostylus babiensis de Meijere, T. decemnotatus Hendel, T. remipes (Walker) and T. trilineatus de Meijere. Two new species are described: Telostylus marshalli Sepúlveda & de Carvalho, sp. n., from Sarawak, Malaysia, and T. whitmorei Sepúlveda & de Carvalho, sp. n., from Masbate, Philippines. The morphology of Telostylus binotatus Bigot and T. remipes (Walker) is discussed in order to support their synonymy. Additionally, new country records are provided for four species: Telostylus babiensis de Meijere for Philippines, T. binotatus Bigot for Papua New Guinea, T. inversus Hennig for Malaysia and Indonesia, and T. trilineatus de Meijere for Malaysia and Philippines.

The yellow peach moth, Conogethes punctiferalis is a well-known agricultural pest with significant impacts on crops from Southeast Asia to Australia. It has also become one of the major pests of corn (Zea mays) in China. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the bio-ecology, potential damage, and management of C. punctiferalis on various economically important crops. The review discusses the current management strategies for C. punctiferalis, mainly based on chemical insecticides, and highlights their limitations and sustainability concerns. The authors emphasize the urgent need for sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) approaches tailored to the affected regions. Key research directions and recommendations are presented to fill knowledge gaps and improve the effective management of C. punctiferalis in agriculture.

An Erratum has been published for this article: https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2025.028

The genus Culicoides is the best known of the family Ceratopogonidae. Hematophagous females of the genus typically feed on the blood of vertebrate animals and in the Brazilian Amazon often on the blood of human beings. Amazon region anthropophilic Culicoides bites can provoke allergic reactions and transmit Mansonella ozzardi as well as the Oropouche virus. Past integrated taxonomy studies, combining morphometric and molecular analyses, have revealed hidden disease vector biodiversity and cryptic species with epidemiological and disease control relevance and have provided new tools to assist with vector identification. For this study we used light traps set in 12 distinct sites from three different Amazon states: Rondonia (1 site), Amazonas (3 sites) and Para (8 sites). We captured 12 different species of Culicoides representing seven different subgenera: C. foxi, C. fusipalpis, C. hylas, C. insignis, C. plaumanni, C. pseudodiabolicus, C. ruizi, C. debilipalpis, C. glabrior, C. jurutiensis, C. paraensis, C. pauci­enfuscatus. Between two and nine specimens were barcoded of each species. Neighbor joining and Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with these COI barcodes showed the utility of these barcode sequences for species identification by clustering the barcode sequences into bootstrap-supported, species-specific monophyletic groups. Although this barcoding analysis did not resolve relationships between the species studied, it did reveal cryptic diversity within C. paucienfuscatus, C. glabrior, C. plaumanni, C. insignis and C. pseudodiabolicus. Two-dimensional geometric morphometrics, using eight wing-vein landmarks, robustly separated the analyzed species and raised questions about the validity of the subgenus Haematomyidium. Importantly, our GM wing landmark analysis separated C. paraensis from all the other analyzed species suggesting this type of analysis could be harnessed for epidemiological monitoring of this key Amazon-region vector species.

The natural prey of spiders has been studied in only a few species, which limits our understanding of their role in ecosystems. Eresid spiders often have a hidden lifestyle; thus, their ecology is still poorly understood. Here we investigated the natural prey of four species of ground-dwelling eresid spiders from Israel - Adonea fimbriata, Dorceus fastuosus, Eresus sp., and Loureedia annulipes - and one (Eresus kollari) from Central Europe. In the last species, we studied the prey in more detail: we compared the natural with the potential prey and investigated prey acceptance using six prey types (Blattodea, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isopoda, and Orthoptera) under semi-field conditions. The natural prey was studied by analysing the exoskeleton remains of prey found in the webs. We found that the prey composition in the webs differed significantly among species, though two insect groups, beetles and ants, dominated in all eresid species. Among beetles, tenebrionids were the most frequent in eresid species from Israel, while carabids dominated in E. kollari. Beside these beetles, weevils were frequent prey in all examined species. The index of the trophic niche breadth was narrow in all examined species, indicating trophic specialisation; however, feeding trials revealed that E. kollari accepted a wide variety of prey types, showing that it is a generalist opportunistic predator. All eresid species studied here appear to be stenophagous generalists, capturing mainly beetles and ants.

In temperate regions, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen, 1830) is subject to seasonal changes in natural conditions. Insects exhibit a wide range of adaptive responses to changes in the seasons. In this study, we focused on polyteny, which plays an important role in fruit fly development. Polytene chromosomes are the result of endocycles, a variant of the cell cycle based on endoreduplication. This phenomenon is the basis of postmitotic growth, which is caused by cell expansion. The purpose of the study was to investigate the seasonal dynamics of the levels of endoreduplication and polyteny in fruit flies obtained from the natural population. Flies caught in the spring and autumn of 2019 and 2020 were used as biological material. Chromosomal differences in polyteny were studied by cytomorphometry. We found that patterns of polyteny in Drosophila salivary glands undergo seasonal changes. To a certain extent, these variations correlate with changes in the direction of natural selection, which undergoes seasonal fluctuations. Indices of endoreduplication and cell ploidy acquire the greatest values after overwintering, during which there is an extreme decline in population size and flies undergo selection for viability and stress resistance. During the growing season, endoreduplication and ploidy indicators are reduced. We believe that this facilitates population growth by resulting in smaller flies with accelerated development and faster change of generations. The seasonal component in the total variation of chromosome polyteny in the salivary glands of Drosophila larvae was 21.9%. No significant sex differences were found for this trait.

The synovigenic braconid parasitoid, Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev is a promising wasp for use in augmentative releases against young larvae of some noctuid pests, including Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval), in Egypt. It also has the potential to control the invasive noctuid Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in Africa. M. rufiventris is monandrous in the wild but is polyandrous under some laboratory rearing conditions. S. littoralis larvae were used as hosts to gain an understanding of the influence of mating on wasp-fitness. Newly emerged females (0-3 h old) of M. rufiventris were assigned to one of six mating schedules: Virgin females mated once (on day 1, 3 or 5) or 3 times during their life or provided daily with fresh virgin males. These mating schedules affected fecundity, reproductive longevity and sex ratio of the progeny. The life time fecundity of wasps mated on day 5 or mated three times was higher than that of other females, but their reproductive longevity was significantly shorter. In most cases, offspring production per female per day decreased with age. Mated M. rufiventris females produced significantly more progeny than virgin females. The progeny of virgin females consisted only of males, females that mated once had strongly male-biased sex ratios, whereas multi-mated females had a more female-biased sex ratio. More sperm was stored in the spermatheca than the number of daughters produced in any of the mating schedules. Age at first mating affected the lifetime fecundity. At death, the ovaries of mated wasps contained significantly more mature eggs than those of virgin wasps, indicating that mating increased egg production. This information can help enhance the efficiency of parasitoid mass-rearing and their use as biocontrol agents of noctuid pests.

The loss of habitat for numerous organisms due to climate change has significantly accelerated the rate of species extinction. Unfortunately, there have been no studies conducted on the impact of climate change and other factors on the distribution patterns of cicada species in India. In the present study, we investigated the current and potential future distribution of two cicada species, Platypleura octoguttata and Lemuriana apicalis, using environmental variables and occurrence data through maximum entropy modelling. The distribution ranges of both species show some similarities under the current climatic conditions. According to predictions based on future climate scenarios, the distribution areas for P. octoguttata and L. apicalis are predicted to decrease to varying extents. However, the anticipated reduction of distribution areas for these two cicada species is different, indicating that both species have distinct responses to climate change. The changes in the distributional centroids show a consistent trend of moving in a north-westward direction across all future periods under the four climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP264, SSP370, and SSP585), except for SSP370 in the case of L. apicalis, which shows the direction of overall migration north-eastwards over time. The creation of a new protected area at the border of Bijnor District in Uttar Pradesh Province and Haridwar District in Uttarakhand Province would be greatly helpful in future for the conservation of these two species. Our findings highlight the impact of climate change on the distribution range of these two cicada species, offering valuable insights for conservation efforts in India.

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are a family of small conserved eukaryotic proteins that mediate fusion between organelles and the plasma membrane. Prior to fusion, complementary SNAREs, such as syntaxin, synaptosome-associated protein (SNAP), and synaptobrevin, assemble between membranes with the aid of accessory proteins that provide a scaffold to initiate SNARE zippering, pulling the membranes together, and mediating fusion. SNAP-29 and Syntaxin 6 from Bombyx mori were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using affinity chromatography. We then produced antibodies against SNAP-29, and Syntaxin 6 of Bombyx mori in rabbits, which were used for immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry results revealed that the expression of SNAP-29 was restricted to neurons in the pars intercerebralis (PI) and dorsolateral protocerebrum (DL) of the brain. The amount of SNAP-29 in the brain increases with hunger. Syntaxin 6 was restricted to neurons in the PI, the central complex (CX) and ventro-median protocerebrum (VP). SNAP-29 co-localized with SNAP-25 and Syntaxin 1A in the PI, and with Syntaxin 1A in the DL. Syntaxin 6 co-localized with SNAP-25 and Syntaxin 1A in the PI and with SNAP-25 in the CX. Bombyxin-immunopositive neurons of the brain occurred in SNAP-29 and Syntaxin 6-IRs. PTTH- and period-immunopositive neurons of the brain occurred in SNAP-29-IRs. Syntaxin 6 is present in EH secretory neurons of the brain.

We describe a new and unusual myrmecophilous behaviour displayed by the darkling beetle, Scaurus uncinus (Forster, 1771) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), accessing nests of the harvester ant, Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in southeast Spain. The beetles enter the interior of the ant nests using a relatively primitive strategy based only on brute force, which we name "brute force entries". To understand the significance of this behaviour, we have studied the interactions of these two species in the field and in the laboratory during six years. Our observations confirm that specimens of S. uncinus expend a considerable effort to enter the ant nests, despite the ants fiercely attacking them, to the extent that the beetles lose legs and antennae through the process. We describe and discuss this behaviour, and identify hypotheses about its development and significance.

Some insects deter predators by sequestering toxic compounds and displaying aposematic coloration. The subfamily Chalcosiinae (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) is known for the vivid larval coloration and cyanogenic glycoside secretion by larvae and adults. However, the larvae of a Chalcosiinae moth, Eterusia aedea, exhibit a subdued reddish-brown appearance, which does not visually signal toxicity. In this study, we report that E. aedea larvae and their secreted mucus emit strong blue fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) light. Fluorescence analysis of the mucus revealed a peak emission at 446.0 nm, a purplish-blue wavelength. Given that avian and reptilian predators possess UV-sensitive vision, this fluorescence may serve as an aposematic signal. While the ecological function of fluorescence in insects remains unclear, our findings suggest that larval fluorescence in E. aedea may play a role in predator deterrence. Further studies are needed to determine whether this fluorescence is perceived and learned by natural predators as a warning signal.

Background colour matching is considered highly effective in preventing the detection of an animal by visual predators. In a grasshopper species with green-brown polymorphism, a green morph on grass and a brown morph on bare ground or dead litter may be difficult for visual predators to distinguish from their respective backgrounds. However, few studies have examined the effects of background colour on the predation susceptibility of green and brown morphs of grasshoppers under natural conditions. In this study, the frequency of injuries including autotomy in the green-brown polyphenic grasshopper Atractomorpha lata was compared between two substrates: dense green grass and sparse grass (i.e., mixed cover consisting of 50% green grass and 50% bare soil or dead litter). More than half of injuries were hind-limb autotomy. The frequency of injuries was higher on dense grass for the brown morph than for the green morph, but on sparse grass it was higher for the green morph than for the brown morph. Because autotomy in orthopterans is almost always caused by birds, we conclude that background colour matching in A. lata functions as camouflage against predators with colour vision, such as birds.

The gut microbiota of dung beetles comprises bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Most studies have only considered the bacterial element and focused on differences between species reared in the lab. This study considered microorganisms from the gut of Trypocopris pyrenaeus and concentrated on differences among wild individuals of an alpine Italian population. We revealed remarkable interindividual variation in the taxonomic composition of microbiota. Core taxa were few, while individuals harboured many exclusive taxa. Therefore, considering only a few individuals to describe the microbiota of a species is not sufficient. The study also revealed that the nMDS ordination of individuals based on prokaryotes was different from that based on fungi, meaning that both groups should be considered in microbiota analyses and that one microbic group cannot be considered a surrogate of the other. We identified many functions potentially provided by the microbiota and found the taxonomic richness of prokaryotes to be positively correlated with their functional richness. The analysis of the functions potentially provided by these microorganisms confirmed that the gut microbiota, in addition to being essential for the health of their host, may also contribute to the effective functioning of the ecosystems of which dung beetles are part.

In the context of ongoing threats to forest ecosystems, this study investigates the temporal and spatial dynamics of Lymantria dispar defoliation intensity over a period of three years. We analysed the relationship between the insects' reproductive and feeding behaviours and forest stand characteristics, exploring the key factors that shape this behaviour. The results revealed a dynamic pattern, with a significant escalation of defoliation starting from the second year and peaking in the third. The analysis highlighted that, among several forest stand characteristics, woody species abundance and specific forest composition significantly influence population density and defoliation intensity. Sporadic outbreaks of the insects were associated with stand features, posing major challenges to forest health. These findings make a significant contribution to understanding the population dynamics of L. dispar and provide essential insights for forest managers in efficiently managing this defoliator. By highlighting the complex interactions between the insect and its environment, this study lays the groundwork for conservation and protection strategies for forest ecosystems.

Spodoptera frugiperda, a worldwide pest, can feed on 353 crops species, including corn, rice, and sorghum. It is highly adaptable to various environments. Heat shock protein 90 kDa (Hsp90) plays a crucial role in the environmental adaptation of insects. To explore the role of SfHsp90 genes coding for Hsp90 proteins in the high temperature and insecticides stress resistance of Spodoptera frugiperda, we identified the complete complementary DNA sequences of two SfHsp90s. Both of them were expressed at different developmental stages and tissues in S. frugiperda. The expression levels of the SfHsp90s were significantly upregulated when exposed to durations of extreme temperature (45°C) and lethal concentrations of emamectin benzoate (LC₁₀ and LC₂₀). The viability of S. frugiperda under 45°C and emamectin benzoate stresses was examined. The mortality rate of S. frugiperda was significantly increased when subjected to 45°C and emamectin benzoate after knockdown of SfHsp90s by RNAi. These results suggest that SfHsp90s are essential for the resistance of S. frugiperda to high temperature and emamectin benzoate stresses.

Drepanidae are one of the families of Lepidoptera that have received little attention in terms of phylogenetic studies. This study aims to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among Drepanidae using eleven molecular markers, totalling more than 7,500 bp. A phylogenetic tree based on 37 species of Drepanidae was inferred, including 21 of the 22 European drepanids. The results of this study support monophyly of all four subfamilies of Drepanidae. Oretinae and Drepaninae were recovered as sister groups forming one of the two main clades of Drepanidae, whereas Cyclidiinae and Thyatirinae belong to the other clade. This analysis demonstrates that hooked wingtips, a characteristic feature of the Drepaninae + Oretinae lineage, have disappeared repeatedly in the course of evolution. All "winter moths" among the drepanids, i.e. species characterized by their flight period being very early in spring form a distinct well-supported clade within the subfamily Thyatirinae. Moreover, all studied thyatirine genera that are characterized by pink or orange blotches on the forewings also belong to one statistically well-supported clade. The phylogenetic framework presented enhances our understanding of the diversification of Drepanidae and provides the groundwork for future taxonomic and evolutionary studies.

The current spatial distribution patterns of organisms result from both historical and contemporary environmental factors, which can be challenging to identify. Previous approaches to the distribution of Palearctic and Iberian Notodontidae require revision. This study, based on the presence data of each species within 100 × 100 km UTM grid squares across the Iberian Peninsula, represents a first step in this direction. Of the 38 Notodontidae species reliably recorded from the Iberian Peninsula, 7 exhibit a Cantabrian-Pyrenean distribution pattern, 5 extend beyond this region to cover all of Galicia and northern Portugal, 7 are spread throughout the northern half of the peninsula and 11 are widely distributed. As each of these distribution patterns builds upon the previous one, the area of highest species richness is concentrated in the Cantabrian-Pyrenean zone. The number of species recorded in each grid square is influenced by the sampling effort and, to a lesser extent, by land area. However, regardless of these methodological factors, species richness correlates with two key variables: the geographical distance from the Pyrenees and the average spring-summer temperature. The decreasing gradient of species richness as one moves farther from the Pyrenees may be explained by historical southward expansions and subsequent retractions towards the continent. Additionally, the inverse correlation between species richness and average spring-summer temperature could reflect a progressive decline in species whose populations are phenologically suited to Mediterranean conditions.

The new genus Kevinilla Bartholomay & Cambra includes the following four Neotropical species: Kevinilla ludovica (Cameron, 1895) comb. n. (the type species), K. bicarinata (Cambra & Quintero, 2008) comb. n., K. bimaculata (Cambra & Quintero, 2008) comb. n., and K. hansoni (Cambra & Quintero, 2008) comb. n., all transferred from Pseudomethoca. A neighbour joining tree clustered IST1 sequences of Kevinilla in a subclade of the main clade, which includes species of Pseudomethoca and Dasymutilla. Therefore, here Kevinilla is considered to be a member of the subfamily Sphaeropthalminae, tribe Pseudomethocini. A key for both sexes of the known species of Kevinilla is given, as well as an account of seasonal flight activity of males recorded over six years using Malaise traps on Barro Colorado Island, Panama.

Quantifying the degree of ecological specialization of animals is essential for understanding the evolution of resource use in changing environments. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a powerful tool for investigating the ecological niches of animals and providing insights into their diet. This study focused on the ecological role of two coastal species of ants, Camponotus morosus and Dorymyrmex goetschi, in Chile. Their seasonal isotopic niches were characterised using carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) analysis. This was done on El Tabito Beach, a coastal area with a pronounced seasonality. The results indicated unique niches for each species and variation between them across seasons. While C. morosus maintained a consistent niche breadth throughout the year, D. goetschi displayed a narrower niche in summer. Our analyses showed that terrestrial-derived carbon constituted the primary food resource for both species of ants, with a slight increase in the marine component in summer. Overall, the results highlight seasonal variations in isotopic signatures, niche breadth, and diet composition and underscore the importance of considering temporal dynamics in ant ecology and, in particular, in trophic interactions.

Horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) has achieved ecological success by colonizing the entire European range of its primary host, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This insect has attracted the attention of scientists, but its ecology is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of varying degrees of light availability on the leaf morphology of horse chestnut saplings and the performance of C. ohridella. A pot experiment under greenhouse conditions was performed in which the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was reduced from full light by 50% (high light - HL) or 80% (low light - LL). Insect performance parameters were quantified (i.e., pupal mass, efficiency of conversion of utilised leaf tissue (ECU) and potential fecundity). Compared with HL leaflets those from LL were characterised by higher contents of nitrogen and water but lower total phenolics. The oxidative capacity of phenolics (at pH ≈ 10, common in the lepidopteran gut) was low and did not differ in the two treatments. Compared with those collected from HL leaves, the mines of those collected from leaves of plants grown under LL conditions were larger in area but the leaf mass utilized by larvae was similar. Pupae were heavier in LL than in HL conditions, and ECU was higher in LL. The potential fecundity of females was not sensitive for experimental treatment. We conclude that (1) reduced light had a strong beneficial effect on the performance of C. ohridella and (2) phenolics in A. hippocastanum leaf tissues are a poor defence against this herbivore.

In this paper data on the number of follicles in testes and the number of ovarioles in ovaries of planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) are summarised and discussed. Fulgoromorpha include about 14,000 described species belonging to 21 families distributed throughout the world. The number of follicles is known for 186 species, 123 genera and 17 families, and the number of ovarioles is known for 52 species, 44 genera and 11 families. Almost 80% of the species studied belong to the families Dictyophar­idae, Delphacidae, Issidae, Cixiidae and Achilidae. The number of follicles per testis and ovarioles per ovary varies within similar ranges, from 2 to 30 and from 3 to just over 30, respectively. The predominant number of follicles is 6, which is found in more than one third of the species and in almost all of the families studied. This number is considered as an ancestral trait for Fulgoromorpha. In each family, the ancestral number can vary both upwards or downwards, probably due to either polymerization or oligomerization. In the more basal families, a decreasing trend clearly predominates, whereas an increasing trend predominates in the more advanced families. As for the numbers of ovarioles, they tend to vary within families, with rare exceptions (e.g., Dictyopharidae), but that is probably due to the lack of data.

Prey animals employ masquerade to avoid recognition by visual predators by developing a resemblance to inedible objects in their environment. Phytophagous flea beetles seem to resemble models of their own manufacture. While feeding they cause light- or dark-coloured hole-like damage on the leaves of their host plants that resembles the beetle's body in colour and size. Resemblance to the model and the frequency of the model can influence the efficiency of masquerade. To examine masquerade efficiency in light- and dark-coloured beetles, we evaluated their survival benefits from resembling feeding damage in the field. This was done by using two species of beetle of different colour as prey and a jumping spider as the predator. Dark-coloured species were more likely to avoid predation when they were placed on a background with damage similar in colour to their body, whereas increased survival was not recorded for light-coloured species. The extent of the feeding damage of 34 light- and dark-coloured species of beetle was compared. Variation in the extent of the damage was associated more with host plant taxa than beetle body colour. These results indicate that the efficiency of masquerade can vary among beetle species and/or phenotypes.

The beetle family Cimberididae (pine cone weevils) consists of one extant subfamily, Cimberidinae, and two tribes, Cimberidini and Doydirhynchini, both limited in distribution to the Northern Hemisphere. Cimberidini comprise the genera Acromacer Kuschel, Cimberis Gozis and Pityomacer Kuschel and Doydirhynchini the genera Doydirhynchus Dejean and Lecontellus Kuschel. The larvae and adults of all known extant Cimberididae are palynophagous (pollen-feeding) in the male strobili of conifers of the genus Pinus (L.) (Pinaceae). We reconstructed the phylogeny of Cimberididae using data from 420 nuclear genes obtained via anchored hybrid enrichment. Our taxon sample included six species representing all described extant genera of Cimberididae except Pityomacer, which was unavailable for study. Most relationships in the resulting maximum-likelihood trees based on nucleotide and amino-acid sequence data were recovered with maximal bootstrap support. Both trees showed a monophyletic family Cimberididae, containing two clades corresponding to the tribes Cimberidini and Doydirhynchini. In Cimberidini, Cimberis was rendered paraphyletic by Acromacer bombifrons (LeConte). Notably, the internal and terminal branches of Cimberidini were very short compared to other parts of the tree. Generic relationships are discussed according to the phylogenetic results. To make the genus Cimberis monophyletic, we synonymize the names Cimberis Gozis, 1881 and Acromacer Kuschel, 1989 (syn. n.) and re-establish the combination Cimberis bombifrons (LeConte, 1876), proposed by Kuschel (1959). This study provides the first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the palynophagous weevil family Cimberididae.

A study on the pollination of Ophrys fuciflora (Orchidaceae), which is not a native orchid of Japan, was carried out in a botanical garden in Japan, where the flowers attracted the solitary bee, Eucera nipponensis. Six male bees were observed visiting the flowers over a period of 8 h. The pollinia of O. fuciflora became attached to these bees and four were successfully transferred to the stigmas of nearby flowers. The present study verifies that a species of Ophrys can attract pollinators in Japan, which is at least 8,700 km far from their natural habitat. Thus, it is likely that species of Ophrys could potentially extend their distribution by forming new alliances with other species of bees.

Global warming has altered the distribution of several insect species, including those inhabiting aquatic environments and this range expansion may modify existing interspecific interactions by facilitating new encounters between species that were not originally sympatric. Global warming is highly likely to expand the distribution of Cybister tripunctatus lateralis (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in Japan, leading to interspecific competition for food resources among congeneric species. In particular, Cybister larvae share similar feeding habits, suggesting that interspecific competition is likely to occur, although this has not yet been verified. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the microhabitat use and foraging abilities of the larvae of two species - C. tripunctatus lateralis with an expanded distribution area and Cybister brevis, a non-expanding species of similar body size. We compared (1) behavior quantified by visual scan census, (2) time taken to reach food, and the number of prey animals consumed by each species in the laboratory experiments. The results indicated that the behavioral patterns of the larvae tended to involve mainly perch and rest on the plants. There were no clear differences between the two species, although there were variations among the instars. There was no difference in the number of prey animals consumed by the two species; however, it was evident that C. tripunctatus lateralis reached the food earlier than C. brevis. Therefore, it is suggested that the two species utilize a common underwater microhabitat, and that C. tripunctatus lateralis has a competitive advantage over C. brevis in terms of food resources. However, further experimental verification and continued expansion of C. tripunctatus lateralis distribution trends should be carefully monitored, as reproductive habitats in the field differ and competitive advantages may depend on water temperature.