In a recent 3-gene phylogeny of the trichopteran subfamily Drusinae Banks 1916, molecular data clearly correlated with the morphology and feeding ecology of larvae. The largest of three main groups, the Drusinae grazer clade, exhibits an unusual larval feeding ecology for Limnephilidae, and is the most diverse group. In this paper we describe four previously unknown Drusinae larvae included in this clade: Drusus balcanicus Kumanski, 1973 (micro-endemic to Eastern Balkans), Drusus botosaneanui Kumanski, 1968 (Dinaric Western Balkans, Hellenic and Eastern Balkan, Asia Minor), Drusus serbicus Marinković-Gospodnetić, 1971 (micro-endemic to Dinaric Western Balkans), and Drusus tenellus (Klapálek, 1898) (Carpathians, Dinaric Eastern Balkans). Characteristically, the larvae of these species have toothless mandibles typical of the Drusinae grazer clade. Larvae and adults were unambiguously associated using a phylogenetic analysis based on two mitochondrial [mtCOI, mtLSU (=16S) rDNA] and two nuclear genes (nuWG, nuCAD). In addition, information on the morphology of the larvae is given and the diagnostic features necessary for identification are illustrated.

The mitochondrial genome of Mesomelena mesomelaena (Loew, 1848) is the first to be sequenced in the flesh fly subfamily Miltogramminae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). The 14,559 bp mitogenome contains 37 typical metazoan mitochondrial genes: 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes, with the same locations as in the insect ground plan. All the protein-coding genes have the start codon ATN, except for cox1 (TCG). Eight protein-coding genes have the stop codon TAA, while the remaining five have the stop codon T (cox1, cox2, nad5, and nad4) or TAG (cytb). Synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates (Ks and Ka) for each protein-coding gene indicate that these genes evolved primarily under negative (or purifying) selection (Ka < Ks). Phylogeny of Sarcophagidae is proposed based on all the sarcophagid mitogenomes in GenBank, and the subfamily topology is reconstructed as (Sarcophaginae (Paramacronychiinae, Miltogramminae)).

Growth and development rates in many insects are affected by photoperiod, which enables insects to synchronize their life histories with seasonal events, but this aspect of insect photoperiodism remains understudied. Here we use several experimental combinations of constant day length and temperature to determine whether there are quantitative developmental responses to photoperiod in the bug Scantius aegyptius and leaf beetle Timarcha tenebricosa. The thermal ecology of these two species is strikingly different: the former is thermophilic and active throughout summer and the latter is spring-active and avoids the hottest time of the year. In accordance with their contrasting natural thermal environments, S. aegyptius survives better and achieves a larger final body mass at the high experimental temperatures, while T. tenebricosa survives better and is heavier at the low experimental temperatures. Despite this polarity, long-day conditions accelerate larval development relative to a short-day photoperiod in both species, and this developmental response is stronger at low temperatures. Our re-visitation of previous literature in light of the new findings indicates that this similarity in photoperiodic response is superficial and that relatively faster development in midsummer is likely to have a different ecological role in summer- and spring-active species. In the former, it may allow completion of an additional generation during the favourable season, whereas in the latter, this acceleration likely ensures that the larval stage, which is vulnerable to heat, is completed before the onset of hot weather.

The trade-off between flight capability and reproduction is well known in adult males of insects with wing dimorphism but the reproductive advantage of short-winged (SW) males over long-winged (LW) males appears to vary across insect taxa. In the present study, we determined the difference in the mating ability of SW and LW males of Velarifictorus ornatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in order to evaluate whether the SW male morph has a reproductive advantage. We found that the choice of a mate depended on the female. Compared with LW males, SW males had an obvious mating advantage when both SW and LW males courted females simultaneously, and that dealation significantly enhanced the mating ability of LW males. Losing the ability to produce songs reduced the mating advantage of SW males, thereby indicating that the greater mating advantage of SW males was related to the attractiveness of the song. In addition, the difference in the mating ability of LW and SW males was not related to body size or age. These results indicate that SW males of V. ornatus have a mating advantage over their LW counterparts because their underdeveloped flight muscles allow them to devote more resources to reproduction.

Macrocentrus cingulum is an important polyembryonic endoparasitic wasp that attacks larvae of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) and the European corn borer, O. nubilalis (Hübner). Parasitoids use antennae as the main sensory organ to recognize herbivore-induced plant volatiles as host searching cues. The antennal olfaction proteins, odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) are involved in olfactory signal transduction pathway as a sensory neuron response. In the present study, we constructed a cDNA library from the male and female antennae for identifying the olfaction-related genes in M. cingulum. For that, we sequenced 3160 unique gene sequences and annotated them with gene ontology (GO), cluster of orthologous groups of proteins (COG), and KEGG ontology (KO). Through the homology search, we identified 9 odorant receptors (ORs), 3 ionotropic receptors (IRs) and 1 odorant binding protein (OBP) genes from the cDNA library sequences. Additionally, the expression patterns of these ORs and IRs in different tissues (antennae, heads, thoraxes, abdomens, and legs) were demonstrated by RT-PCR. The qualitative gene expression analyses showed that most of the OR genes were more highly expressed in female than male antennae; whereas IRs, unlike ORs, were more expressed in various male than females tissues. We are the first to report ORs and IRs in M. cingulum, which should help in deciphering the molecular basis of olfaction system in this wasp.

The rich species pool in semi-natural grasslands is associated with high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. This empirical study is one of the first to jointly analyze the response of orders, individual species and functional richness of arthropods to particular management practices and to linear landscape features, such as strips of grass and belts of trees. Mostly it was the less mobile, flightless taxa that were negatively affected by immediate disturbance caused by mowing. At a larger time-scale, grasslands managed by mowing once every year, and especially by a combined regime of mowing and grazing, supported the highest species richness of butterflies and beetles. Most functional diversity measures reached maximum values soon after mowing. Both strips of grass and belts of trees substantially affected the invertebrate community structure as the majority of taxa were positively associated with these linear features. Based on our results, we propose postponing mowing to later in the year, mowing in gradual stages, maintaining uncut strips primarily along permanent landscape features and establishing both strips of grass and belts of trees in submontane grassland environments.

Many species of carabid beetles are important pre- and post-dispersal seed feeders of herbaceous plants. Here we summarise data from dissections, field observations, rearing and "cafeteria" experiments on 55 granivorous and 188 omnivorous species that occur in Italy. We tested the hypothesis that seed feeding carabids are restricted to taxa with pronounced morphological adaptations for manipulating and crushing seeds in both the larval and adult stages. The feeding guilds of carabids were rearranged into the following groups: (i) strict predators with long mandibles and predaceous larvae, often depending also on non-prey food; (ii) omnivorous species with stout mandibles and larvae of a seed-eating morphotype; (iii) granivorous species, feeding only on seeds with larvae sometimes of the scarabeoid c-form type. The seed feeding carabids in the Italian fauna belong to the tribe Zabrini (Amara and Zabrus genera) and to all the Harpalinae (sub)tribes, from Anisodactylini to Ditomina. The time of reproduction seems to be associated with habitat preference; wetland or dry open land, rather than true granivorous versus omnivorous habits, but in stenophagous seed feeders, a phenological coincidence with particular plants is sometimes recorded.

Two species of the genus Gryllus occur in Europe: G. campestris and G. bimaculatus. The first is widely distributed in the north-western Palaearctic, while the second, G. bimaculatus, occurs predominantly in the Mediterranean area. There is a visible pattern in the distribution of G. campestris, the insect being rare and threatened in the western part of its range, whereas it is still abundant in the east. Despite the fact that this species is commonly used in laboratory experiments, its natural populations are poorly characterised. In the present study, we analysed cricket populations from the lower Oder and Vistula River valleys in Poland. Based on the phylogeny of the mtDNA cytochrome b fragment, we found that 17% of the individuals studied had a G. bimaculatus-like mtDNA haplotype. Analyses of 11 autosomal microsatellite loci failed to reveal any clear genetic differentiation between individuals assigned to these two clades. This suggests, along with the spatial distribution of G. bimaculatus-like haplotypes, successful interbreeding of G. bimaculatus with native populations of G. campestris. However, both the nuclear data and additional analyses of two X-chromosome-linked microsatellite loci revealed incomplete introgression. Human-mediated introgression seems to be the most plausible explanation of the observed genotypic pattern such that caution needs to be taken in conservation efforts carried out in the western part of the species' range.

Parasitoid females may adjust offspring sex allocation according to the number and quality of hosts available. Because in solitary species only one offspring survives per host, already parasitized hosts are of low quality and generally rejected. Superparasitism (i.e., sequential oviposition by the same or different females) results in aggressive interactions and competition for nutritional resources among larvae. We examined variations in the offspring sex ratio of Dendrocerus carpenteri (Curtis) (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae), a solitary ectoparasitoid developing as a hyperparasitoid on the prepupae and pupae of primary aphid parasitoids inside mummified aphids. Mated females produced a female-biased sex ratio of 0.433 (proportion of sons) when caged singly and provided with 12 mummies for 2 h; they parasitized an average of four mummies/h and rarely superparasitized. Superparasitism increased when two females were caged together and provided with 12 mummies, from 1.18 to 1.24 and 1.38 eggs/host parasitized in 1, 2 and 3 h, respectively. The offspring sex ratio became increasingly more female-biased with increase in superparasitism; however, sex ratio variations were not correlated with cohort size. One mated and one unmated female provided with 12 mummies and caged together for 1 h produced a mean cohort sex ratio of 0.645, which differed from the one predicted (0.717) by an algebraic model incorporating the assumptions that both females contribute equal numbers of offspring and that the mated female does not change her offspring-sex allocation strategy. The observed shift in the cohort sex ratio to an increased female-bias indicates that mated females of D. carpenteri change their behaviour when encountering parasitized mummies or a conspecific competitor in the same patch. By depositing fertilized rather than unfertilized eggs, a female can increase the proportion of her daughters among parasitoids competing for a diminishing host supply.

The infraspecific taxonomy of the European populations of the Large Blue (Maculinea arion) is confusing. Several subspecies have been described mostly based on external morphological features. In the Carpathian Basin two subspecies have been distinguished. Maculinea arion arion flies from mid-May to mid-June and Maculinea arion ligurica is on the wing from the end of June to mid-August. The two forms show some differentiation in habitat use, but occasionally can also share habitats with two peaks in the appearance of butterflies. Our aim was to study the level and structure of genetic variation in a set of populations of the two phenologically different M. arion. Imagos were collected from 8 localities between 2000 and 2006. Enzyme polymorphism was analysed at 13 enzyme loci using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the analysis of the data, we estimated the parameters of polymorphism. To study the pattern of genetic differentiation F-statistics, hierarchical F-statistics and AMOVA were computed. GeneClass and Structure were both applied to analyse the differentiation between the two phenologically different sets of populations. Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards' arc distances were calculated and a UPGMA dendrogram was constructed on the basis of the distance matrix. PCA analysis was also carried out using the allele frequencies of the individuals. The level of polymorphism was relatively high in M. arion. The results of all analyses indicated that the differences between the two sets of phenologically different populations accounted for a low percentage of the total differentiation. In addition, a sizeable amount of variation could be attributed to the differences among the samples collected from the same population in consecutive years. Thus, we concluded that the "spring" and "summer arion" could not be considered as separate ESUs, although we could attribute conservation value to both forms on the basis of their phenological differentiation and habitat use.

Macrolophus pygmaeus (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important predator of pests of horticultural crops and here its ability as a predator of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is addressed for the first time. The percentage predation of the different aphid instars and the number partially consumed were studied. Our results, obtained using choice and no-choice tests, revealed that M. pygmaeus caught and consumed more young than later instars of A. pisum, which confirms results of previous studies using other species of aphids. We also studied the interactions between predators (male/female) foraging in the same patch. When the prey/predator ratio is kept constant at 10 : 1 the average percentage of aphids completely consumed by individual females or males does not change with increase in the number of foraging predators. However, the number of partially consumed aphids decreased when females shared the same patch. In contrast, there was an increase in the number of aphids partially consumed when two males shared the same patch. The results were discussed in terms of potential predator foraging strategies since intraspecific competition is a key factor modulating the dynamics of prey-predator systems.

Tapinoma melanocephalum is a worldwide distributed, highly invasive ant species. It lives in close association with human societies and its distribution is human-mediated in large measure. The geographical origin of this ant species is unknown, but its introduction in areas previously devoided of its presence can represent a threat to the native biota, act as an agricultural pest or as a pathogen vector. To investigate the genetic structure and phylogeography of this species we identified 12 new polymorphic microsatellite markers, and in addition, we tested and selected 12 ant-universal microsatellites polymorphic in T. melanocephalum. We genotyped 30 individuals from several islands of Micronesia and Papua-New Guinea. All 24 loci exhibited strong homozygosity excess (45-100%, mean = 86%), while the number of alleles per locus reached usual values (2-18, mean = 6.5), resulting in levels of expected heterozygosity much higher than observed. Based on several robust tests, we were able to exclude artefacts such as null alleles and allelic dropout as a possible cause of the observed pattern. Homozygosity excess might be a consequence of founder effect, bottleneck and/or inbreeding. As our sample population was composed of individuals from several distinct localities, the Wahlund effect might have contributed to the increased homozygosity as well. Despite the provisionally observed deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the newly developed microsatellites will provide an effective tool for future genetic investigations of population structure as well as for the phylogeographic study of T. melanocephalum.

The Asian ladybird Harmonia axyridis is an invasive insect in Europe and the Americas and is a great threat to the environment in invaded areas. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that non native species are resistant to many groups of parasites that attack native insects. However, very little is known about the complex microbial community associated with this insect. This study based on sequencing 16S rRNA genes in extracted metagenomic DNA is the first research on the bacterial flora associated with H. axyridis. Lady beetles were collected during hibernation from wind turbines in Poland. A mean ± SD of 114 ± 35 species of bacteria were identified. The dominant phyla of bacteria recorded associated with H. axyridis were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Representatives of these phyla are common in the environment, e.g. in the soil, and are often identified as the dominant bacteria associated with arthropods. We also identified animal pathogenic bacteria, such as Burkholderia, Rhodococcus, Chlamydiae and Anaplasmataceae spp. (Neorickettsia helminthoeca and Ehrlichia ovina). We also identified Wolbachia pipientis in a single beetle. This bacterium is a causative agent of reproductive alterations in arthropods. These results support the enemy release hypothesis in the case of this ladybird invasion. Pathogenic bacteria were recorded in only a few samples. Moreover, male-killing bacteria such as Spiroplasma spp., Wolbachia spp. and Rickettsia spp. were only recorded in single insects so they cannot be responsible for the observed alterations in the sex-ratio of the ladybird population studied.

Mass provisioning insects have to cope with microbial spoilage of their food supplies. As their fitness is directly linked to the availability of high quality food for their offspring, they have evolved various mechanisms for preserving these resources. The European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum, uses several mechanisms to not only preserve the food for their larvae, paralyzed workers of the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, but also protect the larvae that develop on the stored food. To assess the spectrum of fungi that pose a threat to beewolf brood cells, we manipulated brood cells by removing the insect defenses. We monitored the subsequent fungal infestations that would have been prevented by the beewolf defense mechanisms and isolated and identified the mold fungi. The cosmopolitan and highly competitive species of Aspergillus, in particular A. flavus, dominated the mold in beewolf brood cells. All other infestations could also be attributed to generalist mold fungi that are commonly found in soil and also on insects. Our findings indicate that beewolf brood cells can be colonized by a broad range of opportunistic soil mold fungi. Thus, it seems highly adaptive that beewolves employ general, broad spectrum defense mechanisms.

Abstract. In Indian agro-ecosystems Rhynocoris marginatus (F.) is one of the most abundant predatory arthropods and feeds on a wide range of insect pests. We investigated the responses of R. marginatus to six species of cotton pests: Spodoptera litura (F.), Sylepta derogata (F.), Pericallia ricini (F.), Mylabris indica (Thunberg), Mylabris pustulata (Thunberg) and Dysdercus cingulatus (F.), in terms of its predatory behaviour (approach and handling times), weight gain, macromolecular profile (content of carbohydrates, proteins, free aminoacids and lipids) and haemocytic profile. We also determined the predator's reliance on kairomones from different species of prey. Larvae of the species of Lepidoptera studied were approached and captured more quickly than adults of the two meloid coleopteran and one heteropteran pest and were more beneficial to the predator in terms of weight gain. Predators had a higher total protein content when reared on larvae of the three lepidopteran species, higher lipid content when reared on adults of the two meloid coleopteran species and a higher carbohydrate content when reared on adults of one heteropteran species. The number of haemocytes was greater in predators reared on larvae of the Lepidoptera studied, followed by those reared on adults of the heteropteran and lowest in those reared on adults of the two meloid coleopterans. Response to kairomones was strongest for S. litura followed by S. derogata and M. pustulata. We conclude that the Lepidoptera studied tended to be, for this predator, superior prey, with S. litura being especially beneficial and the prey species for which R. marginatus has the highest kairomonal preference. Moreover, we propose that R. marginatus may be useful as a biocontrol agent against lepidopteran cotton pests.

Prey preferences and feeding-related behaviour of two Central European species of Scydmaeninae, Cephennium majus and Cephennium ruthenum, were studied under laboratory conditions. These beetles capture mites by using unique premental suckers and then penetrate the prey's cuticle by slowly scraping a hole with their short mandibles. A mechanism for interlocking the sides of beetle's labrum with closed mandibles was discovered, confirming that the predator's mouthparts can be tightly sealed around the penetration site, which enables them to inject digestive juices and ingest liquefied tissues of the prey through a tiny hole. The feeding behaviour of Cephennium can be divided into three phases: (i) attack and stabilization of the attachment site (4-5 min); (ii) penetration of the mite's cuticle (ca. 40 min); and (iii) feeding (several hours). Results of prey choice experiments using over 1200 identified mites belonging to 23 families of Oribatida (55 species) and 6 families of Mesostigmata (9 species) demonstrated that C. majus feeds mostly on members of the Oribatida: Phthiracaridae (72.07% of offered phthiracarids, 26.7% of eaten oribatids), Ceratozetidae (100% and 24.7%, respectively), Achipteriidae (95.59% and 21.7%) and Liacaridae (61.97% and 14.7%); C. ruthenum fed mostly on Phthiracaridae (48.68% and 41.6%), Achipteriidae (37.29% and 24.7%) and Ceratozetidae (82.35% and 15.7%). The entire feeding behaviour from attack to completion of feeding in C. majus took 2.00-10.37 h when eating oribatids ranging in body length from 0.34 to 0.70 mm. Interestingly, it took much longer for C. majus to kill ptyctimous Phthiracarus, body length 0.39-0.45 mm, than any non-ptyctimous oribatids, including the much larger (0.64-0.70 mm) Chamobates subglobulus. The two species of Cephennium differed greatly in their preference for eating Liacaridae due to their large size, which was acceptable for the larger C. majus, but at the edge of acceptability for the smaller C. ruthenum. Comparative analysis of mites eaten by all the studied species of Scydmaeninae resulted in a preliminary identification of morphological types of Oribatida acceptable and non-acceptable for ant-like stone beetles. The most readily accepted oribatids are typically subglobose, with a rigid cuticle, smooth or only shallowly and finely microreticulate surface of the idiosoma, covered with sparse setae or nearly asetose and with short or moderately long legs. In contrast, rejected mites have one or a combination of the following characters: body flattened, not subglobose; the cuticle relatively soft; idiosoma deeply sculptured or coarsely reticulate; legs long and spiny; the body covered with a protective crust of soil particles. Crotonioidea, Carabodidae, Damaeidae and Hermanniellidae seem to be particularly well-protected against scydmaenine predators.

Eristalis pertinax varies seasonally, with the spring morph more hairy than the summer morph. We measured the size and the venation of the wings of the seasonal morphs. Wings of the spring morph were significantly larger than those of the summer morph and those of females were larger than those of males. There were also significant differences between the morphs in wing venation and their allometric relationship. The differences between sexes were larger than differences between seasonal morphs. The allometry can account for the sexual dimorphism but not seasonal dimorphism. The differences between seasonal morphs in wing shape were relatively large with very few intermediate individuals. The differences were comparable to those between two related species of Syrphidae. Genetic analyses based on markers in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes unequivocally revealed that spring and summer morphs of E. pertinax form a single population and should not be regarded as separate taxa. Thus seasonal variability in this species is a rare example of polyphenism in Diptera.

The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is a highly destructive pest of spruce monocultures. Adult spruce bark beetles are well-adapted to survive over winter however, the ability of sub-adult stages to overwinter has not been clearly established. The increase in average temperature recorded over the last three decades has resulted in an increase in voltinism by one generation, but due to insufficient time the last generation may not complete its development. It is crucial to investigate the survival and development of sub-adult stages at low temperatures in order to predict the effect of increased voltinism on the population dynamics of this species. We measured the development and survival of larvae and pupae (over 12 weeks) in logs kept at winter temperatures outdoors (in shade and exposed to sunlight) and in the laboratory (at 0 and 5°C), with 10°C as a control, at which normal development was expected. Overall, findings revealed that development continued at low temperatures, although it was slower than at high temperatures. Importantly, after 12 weeks significant numbers of spruce bark beetles were present, including newly emerged adults. We demonstrate, for the first time, that sub-adult spruce bark beetles can mature over winter and the percentage survival was significant, indicating that some of the beetles that did not complete their development before the onset of winter can complete their development during winter and potentially adversely affect forests and pose problems for their management.

This paper reports a non-native Agrilus wood-boring jewel beetle reared from a stressed and non-native European beech (Fagus sylvatica) tree growing in New York City, USA. Results of two analyses using 759 DNA barcodes of Agrilus corroborate the morphology-based interpretation that this is the first North American record of an unnamed species from the A. roscidus species-group native to the Western Palaearctic. Taxonomy of the entire species-group requires revision, therefore we postpone formal description of the new species and refer to it as Agrilus sp. 9895. This is the 12^th non-native Agrilus established in North America. Prior to our study, members of the A. roscidus species-group were not known to develop in Fagus, therefore we hypothesise whether our record is a host plant shift linked to the human-mediated transatlantic dispersal, or a case of an elusive beetle escaping detection in Fagus in its unknown native range. All 759 herein analysed DNA barcodes of Agrilus (including, when present, specimen images and georeferences) are available online at dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS010.

Oulema melanopus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Oulema duftschmidi (Redtenbacher, 1874) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are two native West Palaearctic species developing on various cultivated and wild grasses. Along with O. obscura they are considered to be secondary pests of cereal crops. However, local outbreaks have been recorded recently and their status as secondary pests may evolve, especially as the use of broad-spectrum insecticides is now greatly reduced. Oulema melanopus and O. duftschmidi are considered to be sibling species. They are morphologically very close and difficult to distinguish from each other, which makes it difficult to study them. We tested the reliability of the standard barcode fragment (COI) for distinguishing between these species. A total of 92 samples of the two species, covering the majority of their natural range, was sequenced for the barcode fragment and inter- and intraspecific genetic distances were estimated. Our results confirm those of Bezděk & Baselga (2015, Acta Entomol. Mus. Nat. Prag. 55: 273-304) in that this marker cannot differentiate between all the species of the Oulema melanopus complex, which in the Mediterranean basin contains several described and possibly some undescribed cryptic species. However, this marker may be useful in an agricultural context in areas where only O. melanopus and O. duftschmidi occur (such as in cereal crops in France) where it can be used to reliably and rapidly separate all stages of these two taxa and can therefore help in studying their ecology and dynamics.

Some moth larvae feed not on plants but on keratin and/or chitin produced by animals. These substances are polymers and are commonly found in bird nests as feathers and raptor pellets. Many qualitative studies have examined the association of keratin/chitin feeding moths with bird nests. However, few studies have quantified the species composition with respect to type of nest and habitat. Hence, we have studied the degree to which the niches of these moths differ in terms of type of nest and habitat. We set-up open-top nest boxes for the Ural owl Strix uralensis (damp exposed nests from which owl chicks were fledged successfully) and artificial bird nests (mesh bags filled with duck down to imitate dry exposed nests) in a deciduous forest and artificial bird nests in an urban setting in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, and collected the contents of the nests every two months from June to December 2014. We recorded 592 individuals of five keratin/chitin feeding moth species (Tineidae, Tineinae) from the contents. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis of the relative abundances of individual species in each type of nest in forest and urban settings, these species were classified into three groups: (1) Monopis longella and M. congestella inhabiting forest, (2) M. flavidorsalis and Niditinea tugurialis mainly in damp exposed nests in forest and (3) N. piercella mainly in dry exposed nests in urban areas. This classification was compared with findings of other studies. As a result, these moths probably have different niches with respect to nest type (damp or dry), keratin/chitin as a source of food (raptor pellets or feathers), and habitat (forest or urban area). Furthermore, we suggest that the evolution of larviparity in M. congestella might be related to its preference for feathers as a source of food for the development of its larvae.

Neo-sex chromosomes are an important component of chromosome variation in Orthoptera, particularly South American Melanoplinae species, which have proven to be outstanding experimental model system to study the mechanism of sex chromosome evolution in this group of insects. In terms of their origin, most derived sex chromosome mechanisms involve a Robertsonian fusion (i.e. translocation) between the ancestral X chromosome and an autosome. In the grasshopper, Boliviacris noroestensis Ronderos & Cigliano (1990) (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae), our results point to a small degree of differentiation (conserved homology between the XR arm and the neo-Y) of the neo-XY chromosomes, which may be of recent evolutionary origin. However, a simple centric fusion model does not explain their origin, mainly because of the observed reduction in the fundamental number (FN) of arms. We propose two models which, we hope, clarify the genesis of B. noroestensis neo-sex chromosomes. Records of karyotype variation in related species due to multiple rearrangements support our models. We propose a possible adaptive advantage for neo-sex chromosome carriers, such changes perhaps representing the primary force that increases their frequency within natural populations compared with non-fused translocated forms, and occurring without apparent detriment to the microevolutionary forces that may also act, at least at the beginning of the evolutionary history of individuals bearing such neo-sex chromosomes.

Two new species of Copris Geoffroy, 1762 are described and illustrated: Copris (subgenus incertae sedis) caobangensis sp. n. from Caobang Province (northern Vietnam) and Copris (Copris) sonensis sp. n. from Thanhhoa Province (central Vietnam). Copris (Copris) szechouanicus Balthasar, 1958 is recorded in Vietnam for the first time and data on the morphology, distribution and ecology of this species are given. An updated species list and an identification key for the Copris species so far known from Vietnam are presented along with detailed photographs of the poorly known species.

Invasive species disrupt the organization and functioning of many ant communities. Little is known about ant assemblages formerly in areas invaded by the little fire ant. In this study, we surveyed the same areas and compared the ant communities there when an invasive species first colonized the areas and 10 years later, using the same methodology (quadrat and baiting). A total of 83,299 worker ants from 17 species or morphospecies, in 4 subfamilies and 10 genera were recorded in the two periods sampled. Seven ant species were found to co-occur with W. auropunctata while 12 species were collected in the same area 10 years later, with no W. auropunctata recorded in any of the traps. In the absence of W. auropunctata, the number and diversity of ant species increased and the ant communities were dominated by the African big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala. Our findings indicate that the disappearance of W. auropunctata is probably related to population increases in P. megacephala associated with dramatic changes in landscape. Further studies at other invaded locations should be carried out in order to reveal the generality of these patterns throughout this country.

Biometric data of the exuviae of female larvae of the dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii collected in Portugal, Spain and Morocco were analysed to determine whether the size of three exuvial structures measured differed depending on the geographic localities of the populations. Based on the results recorded for the 16 populations studied, head width was negatively correlated with latitude and the greatest length of the gonapophysis was recorded for the Iberian populations at the centre of this peninsula. Multivariate cluster analysis revealed a clear separation of the Moroccan population. A second cluster separated the southernmost population (Sierra Nevada) from the remaining Iberian populations. Four population groups were distinguished: those located in watercourses in the north and central area of the Iberian Peninsula, those in Iberian watercourses in the East and Middle South, the Sierra Nevada and North Morocco. Some of these results coincide with the results of genetic studies of other authors.

Two endemic genera of large tettigoniids are found in the Canary Islands and Madeira, which are morphologically similar to the genus Tettigonia. In this study, the karyotypes of representatives of the Glyphonotini genera Calliphona and Psalmatophanes are described for the first time. Comparison of their chromosomes with that of members of Tettigoniini genus Tettigonia revealed that all of the species studied have the same karyotype (2n = 29 with sex determination system X0 in the male), which differs from the ancestral tettigoniid karyotype by one Robertsonian translocation. These results support not only the morphological and molecular genetic evidence but also the hypothesis of a close relationship between Tettigonia and the endemics Calliphona and Psalmatophanes. Cytogenetic data of Glyphonotini strongly indicate that the taxonomy of thes lineage needs to be re-evaluated in which evidence from multiple sources could help resolve the taxonomic problems.

Cannon R.J.C. 2020: Courtship and Mating of Butterflies. CAB International, Boston, 392 pp. ISBN 9781789242638. Price GBP 95.00, EUR 115.00, USD 135.00.

A new genus, Coniophloeus gen. n., is described for five species of South African weevils known from the Western and Eastern Cape and assigned to the tribe Embrithini Marshall, 1942: Coniophloeus squalidus (Boheman, 1842) comb. n. (type species, transferred from the genus Trachyphloeus Germar, 1817 and tribe Trachyphloeini Lacordaire, 1863), C. alternans sp. n., C. oberprieleri sp. n., C. robustus sp. n. and C. obrieni sp. n. All five species are illustrated and keyed.

Prey preferences and feeding-related behaviour of a Central European species of Scydmaeninae, Scydmaenus rufus, were studied under laboratory conditions. Results of prey choice experiments involving 22 identified species of mites belonging to 13 families of Oribatida and two families of Mesostigmata (Uropodina) demonstrated that this beetle feeds mostly on oribatid Scheloribatidae (60.38% of prey) and Oppiidae (29.75%) and only occasionally on uropodine Urodinychidae (4.42%) and oribatid Mycobatidae (3.39%); species belonging to Trematuridae (Uropodina), Ceratozetidae and Tectocepheidae (Oribatida) were consumed occasionally. The number of mites consumed per beetle per day was 1.42, and when Oppia nitens was the prey, the entire feeding process took 2.93-5.58 h. Observations revealed that mechanisms for overcoming the prey s defences depended on the body form of the mite. When attacking oribatids, with long and spiny legs, the beetles cut off one or two legs before killing the mite by inserting one mandible into its gnathosomal opening. Flattened and short-legged uropodines were killed in the same way but without cutting off their legs. More legs of the prey were removed during feeding, when the mite was already dead; in Oribatida additional damage included removal of genital plates, whereas the genital structures remained intact in Uropodina. Scydmaenus rufus was able to feed on potentially highly toxic Scheloribatidae, which raises questions about the efficiency of chemical defence in Oribatida.

Sequence data for the nuclear ITS2 region and part of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were used to reveal intraspecific phylogeography and population genetic structure of the oak gall wasp Trigonaspis synaspis from Anatolia. One hundred and sixty six individuals representing 21 populations yielded 50 unique cyt b haplotypes and 15 ITS2 alleles. Genetic diversity estimates indicated the existence of high molecular variation, with average gene diversities of 0.85541 and 0.3119 for cyt b and ITS2 respectively. Likewise, nucleotide diversity was 0.01346 for cyt b and 0.0015 for ITS2. Pairwise divergence ranged from 0.2 to 3.1% between cyt b haplotypes, and from 0.2 to 2.8% between ITS2 alleles. Phylogenetic analyses of the cyt b haplotypes conducted using three different approaches produced mostly similar topologies, and major clades generally grouped haplotypes with similar geographic origins. Contrary to the mtDNA results, ITS2 analyses produced largely similar but polytomous topologies lacking apparent geographic structure. Application of the widely used insect mitochondrial molecular clock linked the origin of major phylogeographic structure to the effects of the Quaternary climatic oscillations. The outgroup haplotypes of T. megaptera are inferred to have diverged from T. synaspis around the late Pliocene. Intraspecific node ages in T. synaspis link major clade structure to the Pleistocene glacial cycles. Geographical formations in Anatolia were also probably an important factor in shaping the phylogeographic structure of T. synaspis.