Paysandisia archon (Burmeister, 1980) (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) is an accidentally introduced pest that damages palm trees in the northern Mediterranean area. To our knowledge, there are no experimental studies on its mating behaviour, and little is known about its biology and ecology. In the present study, we used outdoor experiments to investigate several characteristics of the reproductive behaviour of P. archon: sexual maturity, diel periodicity of mating, occurrence of polyandry and delay between mating and laying eggs. The results indicate that 73% of the individuals studied were sexually mature three hours after adult emergence. Mating peaked between 14:00 h and 15:00 h and 87% of the females were fertilized and started laying eggs 1.25 (± 1.14) days after mating. Females were generally monandrous, but nevertheless remained attractive after mating. The results of this study provide the necessary background knowledge for studying several aspects of P. archon reproductive biology, in particular oviposition, sex pheromones and their role in mediating mating behaviour in this pest. These results are the first step in developing tools for monitoring populations of this pest.

Manson, London, 2nd ed., 126 pp. ISBN 1-874545-28-6 (hardback). Price GBP 24.95.

The Forkhead box O (FoxO) transcription factors, including FoxO1, FoxO3a, and FoxO4, have been implicated in the regulation of several biological processes, including stress resistance, metabolism, and apoptosis. In the present study, FoxO1 and FoxO3a patterns and their role in the regulation of the insulin signalling and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were analyzed after starvation in the fat body cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. FoxO1 and FoxO3a are localized to the nuclei. It was found that the levels of the insulin receptor and phosphoryated kinase Akt (p-Akt) increased when the animals ceased feeding. Starvation conditions caused a decrease in extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, and an increase in c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 (MAP kinase) phosphorylation. This implies that the FoxO transcription factors are activated by starvation and that starvation leads to changes in the insulin signalling and MAPK pathways in B. mori. These results strongly suggest that the FoxO transcription factor may be involved in the regulation of the insulin signalling and MAPK pathways in B. mori. As such, the findings provide molecular entomologists with valuable information on the molecular mechanism of the signalling pathways in postembryonic development ofthe silkworm.

Chemical cues involved in both host location and oviposition by Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were investigated in laboratory and field experiments. Among the five volatiles tested in a four-arm olfactometer ((E)-β-farnesene, β-pinene, β-caryophyllene, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, and limonene), gravid H. axyridis females were significantly attracted to limonene and β-caryophyllene. These two chemicals also increased H. axyridis oviposition on plants. Attraction of H. axyridis towards limonene was further tested under field conditions using controlled-release dispensers. (E)-β-farnesene, a major aphid alarm pheromone and a potential predator kaironome, was also tested in this study. Field data confirmed those from laboratory studies concerning the attraction of H. axyridis towards limonene and a lack of response to (E)-β-farnesene. In contrast, the aphid predator Episyrphus balteatus DeGeer (Diptera: Syrphidae) was attracted to (E)-β-farnesene but not to limonene. These findings indicate that H. axyridis uses chemicals, such as limonene, for prey location and oviposition, and support the potential use of volatiles in the management of H. axyridis.

Pitfall trapping is the most frequently used sampling technique for epigeal arthropods. Trap design could significantly affect the catch so the results of studies using different trap designs may be difficult to compare. Although species composition is frequently investigated in ecological studies, however when pitfall trapping is employed, the effect of trap design on the recorded species composition is rarely considered. In the present study, we investigated the effect of trap construction (funnel or cup trap) and the preservative used (formaldehyde or propylene glycol) on total catch, catch of particular species, species richness and species composition of the ground beetle assemblage sampled. We were interested in the extent to which trap design could bias these characteristics. Total catch was significantly affected by trap construction and preservative used, with the effect of the latter being the stronger. Species richness was only slightly affected by trap design when assemblages caught by traps of a particular type were corrected for unequal sample size. Moreover, we show that the traps of different designs differ in their efficiency for catching particular species of carabid and thus the composition of assemblages recorded using pitfall traps is affected by trap construction and the preservative used. We conclude that to assess the full significance of the effect of pitfall trap design on the results of ecological studies on epigeal arthropods it is necessary to simultaneously use traps of various designs.

Progeny of the flesh fly Sarcophaga bullata exposed to short day length show a maternal effect that prevents the expression of pupal diapause. Although ecological aspects of this effect are well studied, not enough is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying this maternal effect. In this study, two-dimensional electrophoresis was performed to detect differences of the abundance of certain proteins in the ovaries of this fly kept under long day and short day conditions for 2 days after eclosion. Eleven proteins that were abundant and showed significant changes were selected for mass spectrometric identification. Ovary proteins that increased in abundance under short-day conditions were similar to twinstar CG4254-PA, muscle protein 20-like protein, GA13413-PA, gene analogous to small peritrophins (Gasp CG10287-PA) and Ribosomal protein LP1 CG4087-PA. Ovary proteins that decreased in abundance under short-day conditions were similar to the ATP synthase beta subunit, fk506-binding protein and storage protein-binding protein. The 2-D proteome maps included 2 additional unknown proteins that were more abundant and 1 that was less abundant in the ovaries of 2-day old short-day females. Twinstar CG4254-PA, muscle protein 20-like protein and GA13413-PA harbour an actin-binding domain. That the 3 actin-binding proteins increase in abundance suggests that it is likely that an alteration in the actin cytoskeleton is involved in this maternal effect in the flesh fly.

 
Quantitative behavioural traits associated with egg-laying, such as the level of selectivity for host-supports and the size of egg clutches, are generally thought to be of great importance for the subsequent survival and development of offspring. These quantitative traits, however, are often difficult to assess reliably by direct observation in the field. This is particularly the case when the insects are very tiny, which is the case for most galling and leaf mining insects. However, a new approach, the "Melba" procedure, allows the indirect inference of these quantitative traits, using easily recorded field-data only. Application of this diagnostic procedure to a large series of samples of beech leaves (Fagus silvatica), harbouring either a leaf miner, Phyllonorycter maestingella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) or one or the other of two galling insects, Mikiola fagi or Hartigiola annulipes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) indicates that the leaf miner differs significantly from the two species of galling insect in term of combined values of host-acceptance ratio and average clutch-size, while the two gall-inducing species remain substantially undistinguishable from each other according to these traits. Thus, the galling insects (i) show stronger selectivity for a host than does the miner at any given average clutch-size and (ii) show larger average clutch-size at any given level of selectivity. That is, for at least these three species, the galling insects show a greater level of selectivity when choosing leaves to oviposit on but, then, tend to lay larger egg-clutches. These differences may be due (i) to the gall-inducing process requiring far more of leaf tissues than being simply palatable, which makes it likely that galling species will be more selective in their choice of leaves than leaf miners and (ii) to the capacity of galls to become nutrient sinks, which may help explain why the galling insects laid larger egg clutches. However, whether these trends can be regarded as general rather specific to this particular case, depends on the outcome of future studies on other groups of insects with similar life histories.

The effects of landscape attributes on Lepidoptera communities were studied in an agricultural area in Calabria (S-Italy). The association between a set of community descriptors and landscape metrics was determined using a multi-scale approach. Lepidoptera were sampled using yellow sticky traps in 10 olive groves. The landscape in 5 concentric areas, with radii from 250 to 1250 m, around each sampling site was analyzed. The composition and configuration of the landscape were calculated both at the landscape and class level based on the main classes of land use. The following life-history traits of Lepidoptera were considered: (i) dispersal ability of adults, (ii) habitat preferences and (iii) diet breadth of larvae. An index of community vulnerability was calculated by combining life-history traits and species diversity. There were no significant correlations between any of the landscape metrics and species richness or between species richness and abundance of natural or semi-natural habitats. However, life-history traits were significantly correlated with some landscape metrics, depending on the spatial scale. Most notably, landscape diversity is positively correlated with community vulnerability. The presence of sensitive species in olive orchards, but not species richness per se, is associated with the presence of natural and semi-natural habitats in the surrounding agricultural landscape. In conclusion, responses of communities to landscape changes are more likely to be revealed by an analysis of ecological traits, than species richness. In particular, the vulnerability index, used in this joint analysis of the main ecological traits, seems to be an effective descriptor of the relationships between communities and landscape.

Two new body-colour mutations, albinotic (alb) and cream (cr) are isolated and described for the flightless wing-polymorphic bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.). The body colour of alb mutants is white and that of cr mutants either a light cream or creamy yellow. Both the alb and cr mutations most probably inhibit the biosynthesis of the red pigment in epidermal cells that is responsible for the red-coloured body of wild-type bugs. Although sometimes the body colour of younger larval instars of cr mutants is a slightly darker creamy yellow and that of last larval instars of the alb mutants a slightly whiter greyish, there were no other important developmental changes in the body colour of alb and cr homozygous bugs associated with metamorphosis and post-metamorphic aging of adults. Standard genetic analyses showed that both these mutations are inherited as autosomal recessives and exhibit complete penetrance and uniform expression in both sexes. The fertility of the alb and cr homozygous females and fertilization success of the alb and cr homozygous males were substantially lower than those of wild-type bugs.

Although there is a considerable amount of information on the ecology, genetics and physiology of life-history traits there is little information on the morphological variations associated with flight ability within species. In this paper, the morphology and ultrastructure of certain organelles in the flight muscles of Gryllus firmus are recorded using transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of the flight muscles of 7-day-old female adults reveals that the ratio of thick to thin filaments is 1 : 3. Each thick filament is surrounded by 6 thin filaments in a hexagonal arrangement. The length of the sarcomere of each myofibril is significantly shorter and diameter of the myofibrils significantly smaller in long-winged than in short-winged morphs. However, the thick filaments in the long-winged morph are denser than those in the short-winged morph. Furthermore, in the long winged morph there are a greater number of mitochondria than in the short-winged morph. These differences correspond with the fact that long-winged crickets are stronger fliers than short-winged crickets.

We conducted a comparative population genetic analysis of levels of genetic variation and its geographical structuring in three closely related species of grasshopper that co-occur in the Mediterranean Basin: Calliptamus italicus, C. barbarus and C. wattenwylianus. In the western part of their distributions 5 populations of C. italicus, 13 of C. barbarus and 10 of C. wattenwylianus were sampled. Bootstrap re-sampling of populations and microsatellite loci within each species indicated a lower level of genetic diversity and higher level of genetic differentiation in C. barbarus, which is less of an outbreak pest species than either of the other Calliptamus species studied. This may be due to lower effective sizes of non-outbreak populations and/or lower gene flow among them.

An experiment was conducted to compare the predation efficiency of the coccinellids Harmonia axyridis and Coleomegilla maculata on potato plants, Solanum tuberosum, and on a wild aphid-resistant species, Solanum tarijense. Harmonia axyridis females reduced aphid populations more than C. maculata females. Aphid predation by the predators was reduced on S. tarijense compared to S. tuberosum. Coleomegilla maculata spent less time on S. tarijense than on S. tuberosum. Harmonia axyridis spent the same amount of time on both plant species. The plant species did not affect IGP between larvae. Compared to S. tuberosum, the resistant plant offers M. persicae an enemy-free space against both coccinellid predators.

Discontinuous respiration in diapausing pupae of Cecropia silkworms was monitored by means of several electronic methods, including recording changes in haemocoelic pressure, monitoring respiratory movements by strain-gauge sensors and nanorespirographic recording of O₂ consumption and CO₂ output. It appears that, in contrast to previous concepts of stereotypic discontinuous respiration cycles (DGC) driven by accumulation of gaseous CO₂ in the body, the new results indicate that CO₂ remains dissolved in liquid carbonate buffers during interburst periods. In other words, there is no accumulation of gaseous CO₂ within the air filled tracheal space between the bursts. The bursts of CO₂ are caused by homeostatically regulated enzymatic hydration by carbonic anhydrase of metabolically produced carbonic acid. The chemically produced gaseous CO₂ was exhaled mainly by a bulk outflow through selectively opened or pulsating spiracles. The output of CO₂ was enhanced by actively regulated, unidirectional ventilation. The deep depressions in haemocoelic pressure, caused by permanent closure of all spiracular valves for long periods, appeared to be a specific feature of diapausing saturniid pupae. Physiologically, it has circulatory, not respiratory functions. The original definition of spiracular "fluttering" resulted from a misinterpretation of previously unknown extracardiac pulsations in haemocoelic pressure. The coordinated pulsation of the spiracular valves with extracardiac pulsations produce a very efficient, unidirectional ventilation of the whole tracheal system. According to the new results, the discontinuous respiration cycles of diapausing Cecropia pupae can be briefly described as follows: (1) Spiracular valves are kept permanently closed during the periods of deep depressions, they remain closed for some 99% of the time with occasional snap opening (passive inspirations) during prolonged interburst periods and more than 50% closed during the bursts; (2) During the long interburst periods, CO₂ is retained in liquid carbonate buffers, while the relatively high (after the burst) or low (toward the next burst) rate of O₂ consumption creates an internal vacuum, which is homeostatically compensated for by the snap-opening of one or just a few spiracular valves (passive suction inspirations); (3) The CO₂ gas, produced enzymatically by carbonic anhydrase, enters the air filled tracheal system and leaves the body by diffusion, a bulk outflow, or actively regulated unidirectional ventilation ("fluttering" spiracles). The selective advantage of this actively regulated respiratory system for water retention in pupae is discussed.

Age of host eggs can be a limiting factor for egg parasitoids. It is expected that old eggs are less preferred by egg parasitoids, which can discriminate between eggs of different ages by using chemical cues. The objective of this study was to determine the preference, development and arrestment of Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) parasitizing Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs of different ages. This egg parasitoid preferred to parasitize 1- and 2-day-old eggs rather than 3-day-old eggs in choice and no-choice assays. However, although the percentage emergence of parasitoids is significantly lower from 2- and 3-day-old eggs, the sex ratio and developmental time are unaffected. Parasitoids spent longer searching substrates impregnated with extracts of 1- and 2-day old eggs than 3-day-old eggs. Our results reveal that T. remus is able to distinguish the most suitable (1-day-old) from the least suitable (3-day-old) host eggs, but unable to recognize the unsuitability of intermediate aged eggs. Egg arrestants may be responsible for the preference of T. remus for ovipositing in 1- and 2-day old eggs.

One of the best documented effects of climate change on biodiversity are shifts in phenology. However, long-term data quantifying and projecting the expected changes in phenology associated with climate warming are limited to a few well-recorded areas in the world. In the absence of temporal recording, an alternative approach is to determine the phenological response of species along marked gradients in climate or along latitudinal or altitudinal transects (space-for-time substitution). We studied the phenology (timing and duration of the flight period) of butterflies in 2006 along an altitudinal gradient (900-1680 m; estimated temperature lapse rate = -6.6°C/km) in the Serranía de Cuenca (central Spain) at the assemblage and individual species levels. Timing of the flight period was later for assemblages at high than at low altitudes. A similar trend of an increasing delay in the flight period with altitude was recorded for some individual species. However, there were also some exceptions to this pattern regardless of the number of sites and the altitudinal ranges of the species, suggesting possible local adaptation to regional climate. The duration of the flight period was shorter at high altitudes for assemblages, but this trend was not mirrored in the response of individual species. The results partly support substituting space-for-time when assessing the potential effect of climate change on phenophases such as the timing of the flight period, but we recommend extreme caution in extrapolating the results in the absence of information on how the responses of populations differ.

Monogeny, the production of unisexual broods by individual females, is widely recorded in gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Theoretical models propose that the adjustment of offspring sex ratio by females may pre-dispose the evolution of monogeny in gall midges however empirical studies in this field are superficial. Expressed more simply, monogeny may enable individual female gall midges to decrease or increase the number of male and female progeny they produce in response to changes in environmental conditions. Host quality/size is repeatedly reported to influence sexual investment in insects in terms of sex ratio adjustment. In this paper, we examined the sex ratio of the offspring of the monogenous predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza attacking low and high abundances of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii. Two consecutive generations of female gall midges were presented with either a low or high abundance of aphids in each generation and the sex ratio of their progenies determined. There was no difference between the sex ratio of the progenies that developed on the high or low abundance of A. gossypii in the two generations. Apparently, the females did not regulate the number of female and male progenies, or adjust the numbers of male or female's eggs they produced in response to the changes in the abundance of prey. Results of this study do not support the theory of sex ratio regulation proposed for monogenous gall midges. It is likely that the skewed sex ratio in most species of monogenous gall midges is a consequence of differential mortality of male and female progenies under harsh conditions. The finding that male and female larvae did not differ in the number of aphids they require to complete their development supports this claim.

In macrophyte-rich lentic ecosystems, higher numbers of damselfly larvae occur in areas where there is structurally complex vegetation than in those where the plant architecture is relatively simple. Biotic interactions rather than morphological constraints are considered to underlie this pattern. We investigated whether the preference of the larvae of the damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum for a particular habitat was retained in absence of prey, predators and/or conspecifics. A series of laboratory choice experiments was conducted in which combinations of sediment and artificial plants differing in structural complexity were offered simultaneously to the larvae. Larvae preferred patches with structurally complex vegetation over patches with simply structured vegetation or lacking vegetation. Patches with simply structured vegetation were preferred over those with bare sediment, but the number of larvae showing a clear choice, which is regarded as an indication of the strength of the preference for a particular habitat, was relatively low compared to the number of individuals responding when complex vegetation was present. Based on the results presented, we conclude that the preference of E. cyathigerum larvae for structurally complex vegetation is independent of the presence of predators, prey or competitors. This suggests that this behaviour of the larvae is either learned or an innate response.

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.

Ectrichodiinae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), the millipede assassin bugs, are a speciose group (>660 species) of assassin bugs that appear to be specialist predators on Diplopoda, or millipedes. Apparently capable of coping with the noxious defensive compounds produced by many millipedes, Ectrichodiinae are engaged in a predator-prey relationship with millipedes realized only by few other arthropods. Unfortunately, feeding behaviors of Ectrichodiinae are inadequately documented, rendering this exciting phenomenon largely inaccessible. We here present a literature review on ectrichodiine prey selection and feeding behaviors, with supplemental original observations on Rhiginia cinctiventris (Stål, 1872) in Costa Rica. Thirteen species in 12 genera have been observed to feed on millipedes. The majority of diplopod prey species were reported from the orders Spirostreptida and Spirobolida, whereas Polydesmida are rarely attacked. Ectrichodiinae insert their stylets at the millipede's intersegmental membranes on the ventral and ventro-lateral trunk area or between the head and collum. Communal predation was observed among conspecific nymphs, among groups of nymphs with a conspecific adult, and more rarely among adults. Immature ectrichodiines were rarely observed to engage in solitary predation. Observations on R. cinctiventris indicate that this species preys on spirobolid and polydesmid millipedes and are in agreement with behaviors described for other Ectrichodiinae.

Trehalose is not only an important disaccharide, but also a key stress resistance factor in the development of many organisms, including plants, bacteria, fungi, and insects. To study the potential function of trehalose in development and behaviour, cDNA for a trehalose-6-phosphate synthase from Catantops pinguis (CpiTPS) was cloned and sequenced. Results revealed that the CpiTPS cDNA sequence contains an open reading frame of 2430 nucleotides encoding a protein of 809 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 91.13 kDa and a pI value of 6.25. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that CpiTPS mRNA expression was high in the fat body and testes, ovaries, Malpighian tubules, brain, trachea, rectum, and posterior extensor of C. pinguis. Northern blotting revealed that CpiTPS mRNA was expressed in the fat body at different developmental stages and was present at a high level in first instar larvae and adults. The results demonstrate that CpiTPS is a key gene in C. pinguis development.

Lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are a classical group for studying the mechanisms that determine local and temporal trends in colour polymorphism. Here we report long term trends in variation in the percentage of different morphs in a population of Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) at Štúrovo, Slovakia (47°48´N, 18°43´E). The morphs differ in the number and location of the spots on their elytra. Beetles were sampled from stands of herbaceous plants using a standard method each year in August over a period of 74 years from 1937 to 2011. Twenty two morphs (out of 74 possible) were recorded in a total sample of 6,984 individuals. Four dominant morphs made up 90% of the total sample and varied in their annual frequency independently of one another. Frequency of "pale" morphs (0-3 spots per elytra), supposedly favoured by a warm climate, increased from 1981 to 2000s' during a period of climate warming, but only after a decrease that took place between 1937 and 1981, which did not parallel a change in climate. Moreover, the differences in the extent of the melanization of the elytral surface are too small to significantly affect thermoregulation in the different morphs. Therefore, the results presented do not provide unequivocal support for climate change determining the long term trends in the variation in the proportions of the different morphs.

Urbanisation is an important cause of species extinctions. Although urban water systems are also highly modified, studies on aquatic or semi-aquatic organisms are rare. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that determine species richness of Odonata in 22 Central European cities and along an urban-rural gradient within six of them. With 64 indigenous species in total and an average of 33 species per city, the species richness of Odonata in Central European cities is comparatively high. A generalised linear model indicates that species richness is positively related to city area. Additional predictors are climatic variables (temperature amplitude, sunshine duration and July temperature) and the year last studied. Since most cities are usually located in areas with naturally high habitat heterogeneity, we assume that cities should be naturally rich in dragonflies. The role of city area as a surrogate for habitat and structural richness most likely explains why it is strongly associated with Odonata species richness. The relationship between species richness and the climatic variables probably reflects that Odonata species richness in Central Europe is limited by warm and sunny conditions more than by availability of water. The temporal effect (the year last studied) on species richness is likely to be a consequence of the recent increase in Mediterranean species associated with global warming. Urbanisation clearly has an adverse effect on the species diversity of Odonata. Species richness increases along a gradient from the centre of a city to the rural area and is significantly highest in rural areas. This pattern probably reflects a gradient of increasing habitat quality from the centre of cities to rural areas. Moreover, the number of water bodies is generally very low in the city centres. Based on our results, we make recommendations for increasing the abundance and number of species of dragonflies in cities.

In order to enhance the mass production of the house fly, Musca domestica, five aspects of its oviposition biology were analyzed. Oviposition substrate and the manner of its presentation, the composition of the diet of the adults, size of the pupae and numbers of flies in a cage were identified as critical. Females preferred to lay eggs on a substrate which was presented within a shelter and with increased linear edges against which the flies could oviposit. Different types of oviposition substrate resulted in comparable yields of eggs. The presence of an oviposition attractant (ammonia) in the manure was found to have a potentially positive effect on female fecundity. Egg yield increased when two protein sources (yeast and milk) were included in the adult diet. However, flies fed a mixture of sugar and yeast laid over 50% fewer eggs than those fed the same proportion of sugar and milk. The fecundity of flies decreased with increase in the number of flies per cage, but the highest total number of eggs per cage was obtained when the flies were most crowded (14.2 cm³ per fly). The size of the pupae did not significantly affect egg production.

The aim of the present work was to identify cryptic species in the Anopheles maculipennis and Culex pipiens complexes and to study the genetic structure of the dominant mosquito species Ochlerotatus caspius (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Province of Alessandria close to the vast area untreated rice fields in Piedmont, NW Italy. With the help of PCR-RFLP analysis, four members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex were identified: A. messeae, A. maculipennis, A. sacharovi and A. atroparvus. Only C. pipiens f. molestus was identified in 11 habitats studied in Piedmont. Partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mitochondrial gene and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes for Italian O. caspius are reported here for the first time. The results indicate that this species diverged from Iranian representatives of this species about one million years ago. The great diversity of mosquito species in Piedmont considerably increases the risk of vector-borne diseases.

Plebejus argus is a model species for studying the biology, population ecology and genetics of butterflies. It is patchily distributed throughout most of its European range and considered to be sedentary. Habitats of the butterfly have to encompass two vital larval-resources, i.e. specific food plants and ants, since caterpillars are obligatorily myrmecophilous. The genetic structure of nine P. argus populations (85 individuals) was studied at an intermediate geographical scale (Eastern Poland, diameter of about 400 km) using two kinds of molecular markers i.e. COI (mtDNA) and EF-1α (nuclear gene). Both markers were highly variable with as many as 16 haplotypes and 39 alleles, respectively. Great genetic differentiation in the COI gene was detected (overall F_ST = 0.411, P < 0.001) but little genetic differentiation in the EF-1α gene (F_ST = 0.021, P < 0.001). The number of COI haplotypes (ranging from one to seven) and their distribution varied considerably among P. argus populations. The possibility that this heterogeneity was related to Wolbachia was excluded as this endoparasitic bacterium was not detected in samples from any of the populations studied. PCA and SAMOVA analyses divided the sampled populations into two or three groups, which could indicate different colonization routes. Moreover, the differences in genetic differentiation with respect to mtDNA and nuclear markers may suggest male-biased dispersal of P. argus at a larger scale. The hypothesis that females are philopatric is consistent with direct observations of the restricted colonization abilities of the butterfly, while the relatively homogeneous genetic structure revealed by previous allozyme studies in some areas might be explained by the possible higher mobility of males.

The development of Adalia bipunctata larvae feeding on the grain aphid Sitobion avenae was investigated at 15, 20 and 25°C and two different levels of food supply. Increased temperatures accelerated development and reduced mortality rates. A reduced food supply slowed down development and increased mortality at all life stages. The total food intake of larvae ranged from 24-65 mg, which is equivalent to up to 190 aphids. Larvae compensated for low food supply by reducing development rates, high prey exploitation efficiencies, reaching up to 100%, and by high prey-biomass conversion efficiencies, reaching over 40%. The findings are discussed under the aspect of suitability of A. bipunctata as a biological control agent for greenhouse-specific aphid pest species.

From 2000 to 2006 a total of 52 CPUE samples of spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) were collected in the mosaic landscape of the Kampinos National Park (Poland), which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The hypothesis tested was that both pompilid species richness and abundance is positively associated with spatial heterogeneity. The patterns in spider wasp assemblages were identified using a Kohonen artificial neural network (i.e., self-organizing map). The highest numbers and greatest species richness of pompilids were recorded at sites in open habitats, especially those located on dry soils that are the preferred nesting sites of ground nesting (endogeic) spider wasps. However, pompilid distribution depended not only on the character of a sampling site, but also its location in a mosaic of habitats. The highest values of pompilid abundance and species richness were also recorded at sites surrounded by several different habitats. Both parameters were lower at sites in more homogenous areas, where there were fewer habitats within the flight ranges of spider wasps. A group of three "cultural species" (Agenioideus cinctellus, A. sericeus and Auplopus carbonarius) was identified that is significantly associated with wooden buildings. The results of this study are thus consistent with the concept that habitat heterogeneity enhances faunal diversity, as each type of habitat, including anthropogenic ones, potentially contributes to a wider range of available resources.

As urbanisation is set to continue, understanding the impact on wildlife becomes increasingly important if we are to be able to conserve biodiversity. As an excellent group of bioindicators, invertebrates can allow us to understand some of the forces in urban areas which impact upon biodiversity and wildlife populations. This paper discusses some of the trends in the abundance, diversity and richness of invertebrates related to urbanisation and the specific urban environmental and traffic factors which may be at play.

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most harmful plant viruses and one of its most important vectors is the western flower thrips [Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)]. Recently, we reported the close association of Erwinia sp. gut bacteria with this species of thrips. The first instar larvae acquire these bacteria from their food source. A high proportion of adult western flower thrips transmit TSWV after acquiring the virus during the first larval stage when there are no bacteria in their gut. A considerably lower proportion of adults that acquire the virus early in the second instar transmit virus and none of those exposed to virus late on in the second instar do so. The highest prevalence and total number of symbiotic bacteria are recorded in the guts of second instar thrips. This leads to the hypothesis that the build up of bacteria in the gut reduces the acquisition of TSWV, resulting in a lower capacity to transmit the virus. To test this hypothesis, the transmission of this virus by symbiotic and aposymbiotic adult thrips of the NL3 population was studied. Comparison of virus transmission by adult thrips, the larvae of which either had or lacked gut bacteria and were exposed to virus in either the first or second instar, revealed no difference in the ability of symbiotic and aposymbiotic adults to transmit this virus. We conclude that virus transmission is not affected by the number of the symbiotic bacteria Erwinia sp. present in the gut of thrips larvae.

Ants are the most abundant group of soil arthropods in olive groves where they are involved in various trophic relationships of great importance for crops. The system of soil management is one agricultural practice that has a great effect on ants, so the objective of this study was to compare ant populations in organic olive orchards with a ground cover of natural vegetation and others where this natural vegetation is mechanically removed at the beginning of June. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps at 14, 30, 70 and 90 days after the removal of the ground vegetation. Overall, ant biodiversity did not change. However, changes were observed in the abundance of ant species, in particular, in those species that build shallow nests in the soil, both between the rows of trees and under the canopy of olive trees. In contrast, deep nesting species, such as Messor barbarus, were not affected. The response also differed between the various genera: the abundance of Cataglyphis increased, due to there being more of the species C. rosenhaueri, while there was a significant fall in Aphaenogaster, due to the decline in abundance of A. senilis. Thirty days after the removal of vegetation, the response of most of the genera was clearly noticeable, due to the increased activity of workers, and in some cases there were still differences after 90 days.