This article is a comprehensive summary of the 50-year history of physiological investigations in the Czech Republic into the mode of action of the corpus allatum hormone (CAH) in insects, which is commonly known as the juvenile hormone (JH). During this period 4000 synthetic JH- mimetic bioanalogues were tested. The sesquiterpenoid epoxy-homofarnesoate (JH-I), which is generally thought to be the true JH of insects, is an excretory product of the male colleterial gland, not an insect hormone. There are two principal hormones produced by the insect neuroendocrine system: activation hormone (AH) produced by neurosecretory cells in the brain and JH secreted by the corpora allata. The prothoracic glands are a subordinated target of JH, not PTTH; they are not involved in the regulation of moulting in insects. The development of larval, pupal and adult structures depends primarily on inherited instructions encoded within the genome, not on high, medium or low concentrations of JH. At the level of epidermal cells, the responses to JH are always "all-or-none" with intermediate forms mosaic mixtures of cells of previous and future developmental stages.

Heat shock proteins (hsps) protect proteins in eukaryotic cells from damage. Expression of hsps in insects subject to different environmental stimuli is poorly characterized. Here, levels of expression of the hsps genes (hsp40, hsp70, and hsp90) were recorded in Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers after exposure to sublethal concentrations of thymol, eucalyptol, α-pinene, trans-anethole, diallyl disulfide and infestation with Varroa mites. Our results show a dose-dependent up-regulation in the levels of all the hsps tested after the bees were treated with thymol, eucalyptol and α-pinene. Although these up-regulated expressions were statistically significant for hsp70 and hsp90 when the bees were treated with thymol and eucalyptol, they were not significant when treated with α-pinene. In addition, significant down-regulated expressions of the hsp genes were recorded in the diallyl disulfide treatment. The transcriptions of all the hsps tested were significantly down-regulated when pupae were infested with different numbers (0-5) of Varroa mites. Thus, it is likely that hsps can be used as biomarkers of survival when honey bees are under toxic and pathogenic stress, but this needs to be confirmed.

The effect of temperature on the functional response of female adults of Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter to different densities of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) pupae was assessed. Three constant temperatures (15, 25, and 35°C) and six prey densities (5, 10, 20, 35, 50, and 70) were tested over a 24-h period. Nesidiocoris tenuis exhibited a type II functional response at 15 and 25°C, and a type III response at 35°C. The number of prey consumed by the predator increased with increase in the prey density at all temperatures. Temperature influenced attack rates and handling times. The highest attack rate occurred at 35°C at high densities (35, 50, and 70 prey) and the lowest handling time was recorded at 35°C. The maximum attack rates (T/T_h) were 17.13, 42.12, and 45.07 whitefly pupae per day at 15, 25 and 35°C, respectively. As a result, the value of a/T_h indicates that N. tenuis was relatively more efficient in attacking B. tabaci at 35°C than at lower temperatures. Results suggest that the ability of N. tenuis to detect and consume B. tabaci over a broad range of temperatures, especially high temperatures (25-35°C), makes this mirid a good candidate for the biological control of whiteflies in warm environments, such as greenhouses.

Alien phytophagous insects are often introduced along with their host plants, creating opportunities for troublesome invasions. Yet, not all of them are able to successfully colonize novel host plants. In this study, we investigated host selection by the alien leaf miner Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zeller, 1850) on both its original host and novel host plants in the insect's alien range. We predicted that this insect's percentage infestation of the original host would be positively related to its specific leaf area (SLA), because high-SLA leaves are nutritious and have thin cuticles, traits related to high offspring developmental success. We further hypothesized that this host selection process would apply in the selection of novel host plants. Our results show that this leaf miner selects leaves of its original host plant, Pyracantha coccinea, according to their SLA values. The SLA value was also positively related to the probability of P. leucographella infesting and successfully developing on novel host plants. The selection of high-SLA plants by the moth leads to a high developmental success on novel host plants in the first (summer) generation, but it is likely to be maladaptive in the second (overwintering) generation, because in temperate Europe, high SLA values are associated with deciduous plants that shed their leaves in autumn. It is likely that the apparent maladaptive selection of novel host plants by P. leucographella reduces the invasiveness of this pest by preventing its establishment on native plants.

Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois, 1818) (tarnished plant bug) is a serious pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the Delta region as compared to cotton in the Hills region of the state of Mississippi in USA. The reason for this is unclear but it was hypothesized that the plant cell wall degrading polygalacturonase enzyme system in the salivary glands of L. lineolaris from the Delta could be better adapted for cotton, which is grown more predominantly in the Delta region than in the Hills region. Expression analysis of three primary polygalacturonase genes (LlPG1, LlPG2 and LlPG3) was conducted in laboratory reared and field collected populations of L. lineolaris. Assay of polygalacturonase enzyme activity was also conducted to compare wild collected populations. Initial laboratory and field data revealed gene expression differences in sex, age, region, and host plant which guided the direction of our subsequent study during 2013 and 2014. Based on the results of this study, we propose that the three genes studied may not be reflective of the entire polygalacturonase enzyme system and may not be solely responsible for the observed adaptation of L. lineolaris to cotton in the Delta region than in the Hills region. Analyses also revealed that the expression of the three targeted polygalacturonase genes was affected by the host plant from which the insects were collected and that adults had higher polygalacturonase expression than nymphs. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence for developmental stage specific and host plant based change in expression of PG genes in the salivary glands of L. lineolaris. This, however, was not reflected in total polygalacturonase enzyme activity which was not significantly different between regions, hosts, sex, or developmental stage.

To explore the debated phylogenetic relationship of two Hesperiidae subfamilies, Pyrginae and Eudaminae, and contribute to the understanding of the evolution of mitogenomic architecture in butterflies, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Tagiades vajuna. The mitogenome is a typical circular duplex molecule of 15,359 bp. Apart from the standard 22 tRNAs, it has a tandem duplication of trnS(AGN) and trnE, which is unique in lepidopteran insects. Comparison with Ctenoptilum vasava indicates that the trnS1 duplication is not an ancestral state shared with other species of Tagiadini. Independent origin of the trnS1 duplications was further confirmed by the reconstruction of the ancestral character state based on the topology of the phylogram. Furthermore, comparative analysis of mitogenomes with and without tRNA duplications indicates that tRNA duplication does not alter the codon usage pattern. The mitogenome has negative AT- and GC-skews, and it is highly A+T-biased (79.7%). The AT-rich (or control) region (283 bp) contains "ATAGA" and "ATTTA" motifs. Regarding the phylogenetic analysis, we found that removal of the third codon position (3CP) from datasets used for the mitochondrial phylogenomics of Hesperiidae is likely to produce results that are more consistent: Pyrginae were rendered paraphyletic by Eudaminae in both analyses of the dataset from which the 3CP was removed (13 PCGs + all RNAs), but inclusion of the 3CP resulted in a destabilized topology, resulting in both monophyly and polyphyly. We conclude that even shallow-phylogenies of insects should pay close attention to compositional and mutational biases in mitogenomes.

Feeding in codling moth neonate caterpillars was inhibited by 0.67 mM and 2.24 mM concentrations of denatonium benzoate. This inhibitory effect was abolished by phospholipase C inhibitor, U-73122 and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, Rolipram. Quinine and quinidine did not have inhibitory effects at concentrations as high as 1.64 mM and 0.43 mM, respectively. The inhibitory effect of denatonium was partially reversed in the presence of the calcium ion chelator, EGTA, at concentrations ranging from 2.5 µM to 250 µM. These results indicate that transduction of the taste of denatonium in codling moth neonates relies on signalling pathways that involve phospholipase C, phosphodiesterase and calcium ion influx into cells.

Spiders are generalist predators that contribute to the control of pests in agroecosystems. Land use management determines habitats including refuges for hibernation and aestivation. The availability of shelters on the ground can be crucial for maintaining populations of spider within crops. We studied the effect of the number of stones on the surface of the soil on the spider community in selected olive groves in Trás-os-Montes (northeastern Portugal). The number of stones significantly influenced the overall diversity of spiders, abundance of immature individuals and abundance of ground hunters. Agricultural management practices aimed at the conservation of soil microhabitats such as hedgerows, stonewalls and stones on the ground should be promoted in order to maintain or increase the number of shelters for potential natural enemies of pests.

The factors that affect the local distribution of the invasive Harmonia axyridis are not yet completely resolved. Hypotheses predicting positive and independent effects of prey abundance and degree of urbanization on the adult abundance of this species in Central Europe were tested. Populations of H. axyridis were sampled in a period when it was most abundant, by sweeping lime trees (Tilia spp.) at 28 sites along a 20 km transect across urban (western Prague) and surrounding rural areas. The sites differed in aphid abundance (number of Eucallipterus tiliae per 100 sweeps) and degree of urbanization (percentage of the surrounding area within a 500 m radius covered by impervious human constructions). Multiple linear regression analysis of log-transformed data revealed that abundance of H. axyridis (number of adults per 100 sweeps) increased significantly with both aphid abundance (P = 0.015) and urbanization (P = 0.045). The positive relationship between degree of urbanization and abundance of H. axyridis was thus not a side effect of variation in aphid abundance, which was also greater in urban than rural areas. The effect of urbanization might constrict the habitat available to H. axyridis and force this species to aggregate in urban green "refugia". These results point to a plurality of factors that determine coccinellid abundance at natural sites.

WARCHALOWSKI A. 2010: THE PALAEARCTIC CHRYSOMELIDAE. IDENTIFICATION KEYS. VOL. 1 & 2. Natura Optima Dux Foundation, Warszawa, 1212 pp., 102 colour plates. ISBN 978-83-918040-9-4. Price EUR 240.00.

Larvae of Hermetia illucens feed on different types of decomposing organic matter and their development depends on the quality and quantity of food ingested. In this study the effect of three artificial diets was analyzed, namely hen feed, meat meal and a mixture of these two diets. The effects of diet on ovarian development, size, mortality, duration of the larval and pupal stages and sex ratio were studied. Results indicate that the meat meal diet was the worst of the three diets in terms of percentage mortality and duration of the larval and pupal stages. We conclude that food ingested by the black soldier fly larvae determines both the physiological and morphological development of the adults.

The aim of this review is to explain the functional significance of mantis peering behaviour from an entomological perspective. First the morphological and optical features of the mantis compound eye that are important for spatial vision are described. The possibility that praying-mantises use binocular retinal disparity (stereopsis) and other alternative visual cues for determining distance in prey capture, are discussed. The primary focus of the review is the importance of peering movements for estimating the distance to stationary objects. Here the following aspects are examined: (1) Direct evidence via object manipulation experiments of absolute distance estimation with the aid of self-induced retinal image motion; (2) the mechanism of absolute distance estimation (with the interaction of visual and proprioceptive information); (3) the range of absolute and relative distance estimation; (4) the influence of target object features on distance estimation; and (5) the relationship between peering behaviour and habitat structures, based on results of studies on three species of mantis.

Light trapping is the most widely used tool for determining the diversity of nocturnal Lepidoptera, but UV LEDs have yet to be used as light sources for the large-scale monitoring of Lepidoptera. We assessed the efficiency of this novel light source for sampling moths using a Heath type moth equipped with a strip of 150 high brightness UV LEDs (emission peak 398 nm, ~ 15 W) powered by a 12 V battery. We compared the number of individuals, the number of species and the Geometridae / Noctuidae ratio recorded for the samples collected using UV LED traps with those collected in two monitoring programs carried out in the same geographic region using two different light sources: a 200 W incandescent lamp (Rothamsted trap) and a 160 W mercury vapour lamp (manual catch). The total catch consisted of 61,120 individuals belonging to 699 species. The species richness rarefaction curves revealed that the Rothamsted trap collected fewer species and individuals than UV LED traps. Furthermore, the median numbers of species and individuals caught by UV LED traps fell within the range of those caught by mercury vapour lamp traps. In addition, the community composition recorded using incandescent lamps and UV LEDs was similar. The data obtained using UV LED traps, in absolute terms and in comparison with the other light sources and different sampling methods, clearly reveal that this light source is suitable for sampling macro-moth communities. For field work UV LEDs have many advantages, as they are resistant to mechanical damage, easily protected from heavy rain and energy efficient.

A new fossil genus and species of Sinoalidae, Stictocercopis wuhuaensis gen. et sp. n., from the Middle to Upper Jurassic Haifanggou Formation at Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, northeastern China is described, illustrated and its systematic position discussed, on the basis of four complete well-preserved specimens. The new genus distinctly differs from other sinoalids in having relatively complex wing venation and tegmen spots. The intra-specific variation in venation is also discussed. The new discovery increases the palaeodiversity of sinoalids in the early assemblage of the Yanliao biota from the Daohugou beds.

The European stag beetle, Lucanus cervus, is recognised as a flagship species for biodiversity conservation. Although the species is widely distributed across Europe declines have led to it being granted protected or endangered status in a number of countries and regarded as "near threatened" by the IUCN. The integration of genetic approaches into conservation efforts is urgently needed but has been impeded to date by the lack of appropriate genetic markers. To provide such a resource the development of the first microsatellite loci for stag beetle is described. Loci were identified using two methods (i) enriched library cloning (ELC) and (ii) Restriction enzyme Associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq). Inefficient microsatellite detection using the ELC method suggests that RAD-Seq, or other Next Generation Sequencing based methods, may ultimately be more cost effective for obtaining informative suites of markers for this and other coleopteran species. 18 loci were characterised by genotyping 42 UK specimens collected as prey leftover/roadkill. All loci produced unambiguous genotypes and were polymorphic. Though preliminary, estimates of genetic variability suggest UK populations may be genetically depauperate. The microsatellite loci represent a suite of genetic markers that can be applied to non-invasive population monitoring and numerous other areas of Lucanus conservation and evolutionary research.

Ant-aphid mutualism is considered to be a beneficial association for the individuals concerned. The population and fitness of aphids affected by ant attendance and the outcome of this relationship affects the host plant of the aphid. The main hypothesis of the current study is that ant tending decreases aphid developmental time and/or increases reproduction per capita, which seriously reduces host plant fitness. The effect of attendance by the ant Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on population growth and duration of different developmental stages of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were determined along with the consequences for the fitness of the host plant of the aphid, Vicia faba L., in greenhouse conditions. The initial aphid density was manipulated in order to study aphid performance due to density-dependent changes in ant attendance. The population growth rate of ant attended aphids was more than that of unattended aphids. However, the ratio of 1^st-2^nd nymphs to adults in aphid populations attended by ants was lower. The yields of bean plants on which the aphids were attended by ants were significantly greater than those of unattended plants. This study indicates that ants not only increase aphid fitness in terms of their population growth rate, but also benefit the host plant.

Herbivorous insects are often highly specialised, likely due to trade-offs in fitness on alternative host species. However, some pest insects are extremely adaptable and readily adopt novel hosts, sometimes causing rapid expansion of their host range as they spread from their original host and geographic origin. The genetic basis of this phenomenon is poorly understood, limiting our ability to predict or mitigate global insect pest outbreaks. We investigated the trajectory of early adaptation to novel hosts in a regionally-specialised global crop pest species (the cowpea seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus). After experimentally-enforced dietary specialisation for nearly 300 generations, we measured changes in fitness over the first 5 generations of adaptation to 6 novel hosts. Of these, C. maculatus reproduced successfully on all but one, with reduced fitness observed on three hosts in the first generation. Loss of fitness was followed by very rapid, decelerating increases in fitness over the first 1-5 generations, resulting in comparable levels of population fitness to that observed on the original host after 5 generations. Heritability of fitness on novel hosts was high. Adaptation occurred primarily via changes in behavioural and phenological traits, and never via changes in offspring survival to adulthood, despite high heritability for this trait. These results suggest that C. maculatus possesses ample additive genetic variation for very rapid host shifts, despite a prolonged period of enforced specialization, and also suggest that some previously-inferred environmental maternal effects on host use may in part actually represent (rapidly) evolved changes. We highlight the need to examine in more detail the genetic architecture facilitating retention of high additive genetic variation for host shifts in extremely adaptable global crop pests.

The complete mitochondrial genome of a pyraloid species, Palpita hypohomalia, was sequenced and analyzed. This mitochondrial genome is circular, 15,280 bp long, and includes 37 typical metazoan mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes) and an A + T-rich region. Nucleotide composition is highly biased toward A + T nucleotides (81.6%). All 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) initiate with the canonical start codon ATN, except for cox1 which is CGA. The typical stop codon TAA occurs in most PCGs, while nad2 and cox2 show TAG and an incomplete termination codon T, respectively. All tRNAs have a typical clover-leaf structure, except for trnS1 (AGN) which lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. Comparative mitochondrial genome analysis showed that the motif "ATGATAA" between atp8 and atp6, and the motif "ATACTAA" between trnS2 and nad1 were commonly present in lepidopteran mitogenomes. Furthermore, the "ATAG" and subsequent poly-T structure, and the A-rich 3' end were conserved in the A + T-rich regions of lepidopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analyses based on our dataset of 37 mitochondrial genes yielded identical topology for the Pyraloidea, and is generally identical with that recovered by a previous study based on multiple nuclear genes. In a previous study of the Crambidae, the Evergestinae was synonymized with Glaphyriinae; the present study is the first to clarify their close relationship with mitogenome data.

Bauernfeind E. & Soldán T. 2012: The Mayflies of Europe (Ephemeroptera). Apollo Books, Ollerup, Denmark, 781 pp. ISBN 978-87-88757-45-3. Price EUR 138.00.

The ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas 1773) has been used for biological control in several countries. However, it became invasive in some of those countries. Coccinella septempunctata (Linné 1758) is a native species in Europe. It feeds mainly on aphids and can be very abundant. As far as is known there are no effective natural enemies of the grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch 1855) in Europe. The potential of the above two ladybird species for reducing the abundance of the grapevine pest D. vitifoliae has not been previously investigated. In this study, the consumption and developmental parameters of H. axyridis and C. septempunctata fed on D. vitifoliae were determined in the laboratory. In a field trial, the occurrence of H. axyridis on grapevines with or without leaf galls of D. vitifoliae was compared. In contrast to C. septempunctata, H. axyridis was able to complete its development using D. vitifoliae as a source of food. In addition, adult H. axyridis consumed significantly more D. vitifoliae eggs than C. septempunctata. Within 24 h H. axyridis consumed up to 1400 eggs of D. vitifoliae. However, based on the fitness parameters "developmental time", percentage "survival" and "adult weight", this diet was less suitable for H. axyridis than the eggs of Ephestia kuehniella. During field observations over a period of two years H. axyridis was repeatedly observed feeding on grape phylloxera leaf galls, which indicates that H. axyridis uses grape phylloxera as prey. H. axyridis was significantly more abundant on leaves with leaf galls of D. vitifoliae than on leaves without galls. C. septempunctata was rarely found on grape leaves with or without leaf galls. These results indicate that overall H. axyridis, unlike C. septempunctata, is a predator of D. vitifoliae and could potentially reduce grape phylloxera numbers in vineyards.

A short-winged morph, whose occurrence is controlled by a simple recessive Mendelian unit, was recently discovered in Locusta migratoria. The existence of trade-offs between flight capability associated with wing length and other fitness-related traits are often documented for insects. The present study investigated the evolutionary significance of the short-winged and long-winged morphs of this locust using two laboratory strains showing wing dimorphism. The life-history traits examined included nymphal development, adult body weight, percentage adult survival, age at first reproduction, egg production and hatchling body weight. The results indicate that there are no consistent morph-specific differences in any of these traits. Of the several possibilities considered, the most likely is that the short-winged morph of this locust is an aberration or represents an initial stage in the evolution of this species.

The chotts in Algeria are temporary salt lakes recognized as important wintering sites of water birds but neglected in terms of the diversity of the insects living on their banks. Around a chott in the wetland complex in the high plains near Constantine (eastern Algeria), more than half of the species of plants are annuals that dry out in summer, a situation that prompted us to sample the vegetation in spring over a period of two years. Three zones were identified based on an analysis of the vegetation and measurements of the salt content of the soils. Surveys carried out at monthly intervals over the course of a year revealed temporal and spatial variations in biodiversity and abundance of grasshoppers. The inner zone is colonized by halophilic plants and only one grasshopper species (Dericorys millierei) occurs there throughout the year. Two polyphagous species of Calliptamus, which can feed on halophilic plants migrate from adjacent areas into the inner zone in August to feed on the plants growing there. The other species of grasshoppers remain in outer zones as they are unable to feed on halophilic plants. The greatest abundance of grasshoppers from August to winter was recorded in the inner zone and in spring and early summer in the outer zones. The dependence of D. millierei on bushes of Amaranthaceae and its moderate flight ability, features of the family Dericorytidae, limit this species ability to colonize neighbouring chotts.

We deployed branch traps in an ash (Fraxinus) plantation to investigate how Agrilus planipennis behavior is associated with Fraxinus pennsylvanica condition and dispersal patterns. Data were collected from traps with or without the presence of beetle visual decoys, and from a yearly survey of exit holes. The traps were placed on trees that were either clearly declining, with most foliage arising from epicormic sprouting, or on apparently healthy trees, with little evidence of damage or decline. We calculated correlations of exit holes among neighboring tree rings and also between exit holes and male trap captures. The damaged trees the traps were hung upon had more cumulative exit holes observed than the corresponding healthy trees. However, there was otherwise no evidence that the experiment was biased by differences in exit hole patterns of the surrounding trees. Male captures were greater on decoy-baited traps than controls and this decoy effect was most clearly apparent late in the season when traps were placed on healthy trees. There were also patterns of correlations between male captures and exit hole numbers that may be indicative of short-range mate finding-and dispersal behaviors. Female captures were sparser, but were positively affected by decoys on healthy and declining trees early in the season. Thus, the results suggest that the placement of such traps on healthier trees will maximize detection, and the branch traps also show promise for further use in dispersal studies.

We studied the effects of the overstory canopy cover on ground-dwelling harvestmen communities in European beech forests in the Western Carpathian Mts. We analyzed the differences in species richness, abundance and composition in two tree canopy cover categories (closed and open canopy). Overall, 1765 individuals belonging to 16 species were caught using pitfall traps. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that under both closed and open canopies a similar absolute and rarefied species richness and number of individuals (standardized to 100 pitfall trap days) were caught, and that both species richness and abundance were affected by the season (i.e., time of trap replacement); yet the total number of individuals trapped was more than two times greater under the open canopy than under the closed canopy. Despite the subtle differences in the taxonomic composition of the catches under the open and closed canopies revealed by DCA followed by RDA, the composition of ground-dwelling harvestmen assemblages differed under the two canopy covers. The open canopy was more suitable for heliophilic, xerothermic eurytopic harvestmen species typical for open and ecotonal habitats, such as Egaenus convexus (C.L. Koch) and Oligolophus tridens (C.L. Koch) but still suitable for hemihygrophilic Lophopilio palpinalis (Herbst). The closed canopy stands were preferred by shade-tolerant, hygrophilic eurytopic harvestmen species, such as Trogulus sp. Latreille, Dicranolasma scabrum (Herbst) and Platybunus bucephalus (C.L. Koch). Our results highlight the importance of intra-habitat heterogeneity of a harvestmen community.

The population structures of different species of Calliphoridae flies are highly diverse at different locations. We investigated populations of the Eastern European L. sericata using chaetotaxy and eight microsatellite loci. Our results strongly indicate that a panmictic population of L. sericata exists in the area studied, possibly with a high rate of intra-population gene flow. Analysis of chaetotaxy also supports the panmictic population hypothesis.

Dinocampus coccinellae is a parasitoid wasp usually parasitizing ladybird beetles of the tribe Coccinellini. A field survey conducted between March and November 2016 revealed three hosts of this parasitoid in the Srinagar district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir: two members of the Coccinellini (Oenopia conglobata and Coccinella undecimpunctata) and one of the Chilocorini (Priscibrumus uropygialis). Proportion of the latter (atypical) host that were parasitized was 0.09 and intermediate between that recorded for C. undecimpunctata (0.06) and O. conglobata (0.14). A series of laboratory experiments revealed that while a member of Coccinellini (O. conglobata) was more often attacked by D. coccinellae than a member of Chilocorini (P. uropygialis), the proportions of each species from which parasitoids emerged did not differ significantly. There were no significant differences between D. coccinellae females bred from O. conglobata and P. uropygialis, with respect to selection of the two host species and their suitability for the development of the parasitoid. However, members of the Chilocorini other than P. uropygialis (Chilocorus infernalis and Simmondsius pakistanensis) were rarely attacked by D. coccinellae and parasitoid larvae did not emerge from any of those attacked. The results of our experiments indicate that in Kashmir Himalayas D. coccinellae is adapted to parasitize hosts belonging to both Coccinellini and Chilocorini.

Hodek I., van Emden H.F. & Honěk A. (eds): ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE LADYBIRD BEETLES (COCCINELLIDAE). Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, 2012, 561 pp. ISBN 978-1-4051-8422-9. Price GBP 120.00, EUR 143.50.

Traps baited with plant volatiles and/or bark beetle pheromones have been used to survey for exotic and potentially invasive bark and wood-boring beetles in North America since the mid-1990s. Recent discoveries of sex and aggregation pheromones in the Cerambycidae offer means of improving detection rates of longhorn beetles, but little is known of their effects on detection of bark and ambrosia beetles in the subfamily Scolytinae. Our objectives were to determine the efficacy of host volatile trap lures for survey and detection of Scolytinae species and whether that efficacy was affected by the addition of longhorn beetle pheromones. More than 12,000 specimens and 36 species of Scolytinae were collected in two field trapping bioassays conducted in the Russian Far East in 2009 and 2010. The lure combination of spruce blend (a blend of racemic α-pinene, (-) β-pinene, (+)-3-carene, (+)-limonene, and α-terpinolene) and ethanol significantly increased detection rates and mean catches of Hylastes brunneus Erichson, Hylastes obscurus Chapuis, Ips typographus (L.), and Dryocoetes striatus Eggers compared with unbaited traps. The addition of the longhorn beetle pheromones, E-fuscumol, or E-fuscumol acetate, to traps baited with spruce blend and ethanol, slightly reduced mean catches of D. striatus but otherwise did not affect catch of any Scolytine species. Baiting traps with ethanol significantly increased mean catches of Anisandrus apicalis (Blandford), Anisandrus dispar (Fabr.), Anisandrus maiche (Kurenzov), Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford), Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg), Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford), Scolytoplatypus tycon Blandford, and Trypodendron lineatum (Olivier). By themselves, the longhorn beetle pheromones, racemic hydroxyhexan-2-one and racemic hydroxyoctan-2-one, were not attractive to any Scolytine species. However, when added to ethanol-baited traps, hydroxyhexan-2-one lures significantly increased mean catch of S. tycon, hydroxyoctan-2-one lures significantly reduced mean catches of A. maiche and X. attenuatus, and lures of either hydroxyketone significantly reduced mean catch of T. lineatum. The lure treatments that detected the greatest number of species per sampling effort were spruce blend plus ethanol in 2009 (16 Scolytinae species and 13 species of Cerambycidae combined in an eight-trap sample) and hydroxyhexan-2-one plus ethanol in 2010 (20 Scolytinae species and 7 species of Cerambycidae combined in an eight-trap sample). Species accumulation curves did not reach an asymptote for any lure treatment, indicating that many species would go undetected in samples of 8-9 traps per site.

Classical biological control is an important means of managing the increasing threat of invasive plants. It constitutes the introduction of natural enemies from the native range of the target plant into the invaded area. This method may be the only cost-effective solution to control the rapidly expanding common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in non-crop habitats in Europe. Therefore, candidate biocontrol agents urgently need to be assessed for their suitability for ragweed control in Europe. A previous literature review prioritized the host-specific leaf beetle Ophraella slobodkini as a candidate agent for ragweed control in Europe, whereas it rejected its oligophagous congener O. communa. Meanwhile, O. communa was accidentally introduced and became established south of the European Alps, and we show here that it is expanding its European range. We then present a short version of the traditional pre-release risk-benefit assessment for these two candidate agents to facilitate fast decision-making about further research efforts. We selected two complementary tests that can be conducted relatively rapidly and inform about essential risks and benefits. We conducted a comparative no-choice juvenile performance assay using leaves of ragweed and sunflower, the most important non-target plant, in Petri dishes in climatic conditions similar to that in the current European range of O. communa. This informs on the fundamental host range and potential for increasing abundance on these host plants. The results confirm that O. slobodkini does not survive on, and is hence unlikely to cause severe damage to sunflower, while O. communa can survive but develops more slowly on sunflower than on ragweed. In parallel, our species distribution models predict no suitable area for the establishment of O. slobodkini in Europe, while O. communa is likely to expand its current range to include a maximum of 18% of the European ragweed distribution. Based on this early assessment, the prioritization and further assessment of O. slobodkini seem unwarranted whereas the results urgently advocate further risk-benefit analysis of O. communa. Having revealed that most of the European area colonized by ragweed is unlikely to be suitable for these species of Ophraella we suggest the use of such relatively short and cheap preliminary assessment to prioritise other candidate agents or strains for these areas.

Temporal patterns and frequency spectra of the songs and stridulatory files of 14 species of the genus of the phaneropterid bush-crickets Isophya from Eastern Europe, Altai and the Caucasus are given. The sound signals of the species studied can be separated into three main types: (1) those consisting of two syllables (Isophya gracilis, I. kalishevskii, I. schneideri, I. caspica, Isophya sp. 1); (2) one syllable and series of clicks (I. modesta rossica, I. stepposa, I. taurica, I. brunneri, I. doneciana, I. altaica); (3) single repeating syllables of uniform shape and duration (I. pienensis, Isophya sp. 2 and possibly I. stysi). The acoustic signals and behaviour of eastern European, Altai and Caucasian species are compared to those of several other European species of Isophya.