Hyssopus pallidus (Askew) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of late larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). In the present work reproduction and the development and morphology of the immature stages were studied. Five larval instars were differentiated by the shape and size of the mandibles. The larvae are hymenopteriform with a weakly sclerotized head and 13 segments. The first instar has four pairs of spiracles, while the other four instars have nine pairs. Under laboratory conditions of 22-24°C and 60-80% RH the egg stage lasted 1.5 days, the larval instars 6.3 days, and the pupal stage 7.9 days in females and 7.2 days in males. The duration of each of the five larval instars (L1-L5) is approximately 1, 0.5, 0.75, 0.75 and 3.5 days, respectively. Male and female development time does not differ significantly in the egg and larval stages, but differences are highly significant in the pupal stage. Male and female pupae can be differentiated by their sexual rudiments. Copulation takes place immediately upon emergence of the females between siblings, adult males appearing before the females. Females in culture with access to an energy source can survive for more than 60 days. They are synovigenic: they emerge with no mature eggs in their ovaries and take the first two days after emergence to mature the full set of around 24-30 eggs. They continue paralyzing hosts, ovipositing and maturing eggs for as long as they live. After an oviposition a female needs two to three days to mature a new full set of eggs. Age and feeding influence egg load. Oösorption is significant in starved females, but also occurs in older fed females with no host contact.

A revision of the genus Wakarumbia Bocák, 1999 from Sulawesi is presented. Altogether 10 species are included in the genus Wakarumbia: the type species W. gracilis Bocák, 1999 is redescribed, a new combination of Wakarumbia celebensis (Kleine, 1933) is proposed (originally placed in Protaphes Kleine, 1926) and the following new species are described: Wakarumbia brendelli sp. n., W. brunnescens sp. n., W. flavohumeralis sp. n., W. grandis sp. n., W. nigra sp. n., W. oculata sp. n., W. pallescens sp. n. and W. similis sp. n. The important diagnostic characters are illustrated and all species are keyed. Relationship between species and ecological data are briefly discussed.

The coccinellid H. axyridis shows considerable intraspecific variability of elytral patterns. In this paper, we suggest that a genotype that confers a specific pattern of elytra could also confer other specific autecological attributes. The aim of this paper is to compare fitness parameters of two phenotypes (aulica and nigra). Aulica is a common morph characterized by two light red areas that nearly cover the whole elytra, leaving a narrow black border, whereas nigra is completely black; the latter is a rare morph that was naturally obtained from mass cultures. Intraspecific differences occur between H. axyridis phenotypes. The aulica phenotype is more voracious than nigra. Consumption rate of males is higher in aulica than in nigra, but there is no difference for females. Larval biomass of aulica is generally higher than that of nigra. The maximum body-weights reached by larval instars and adults are significantly higher for aulica. Aulica also has greater longevity and reproductive capacity. Only life stage duration of eggs and pre-pupae differ between the two phenotypes. Nigra shows lower fecundity and fertility. Our study showed that the strong differences in phenotype traits of the coccinellid H. axyridis could affect its fitness.

Polyclonal antibodies against PBAN were used to map the distribution of PBAN-like antigenic sites in the brain-suboesophageal ganglion (Br-SOG) complex, associated neurohaemal structures, ventral nerve cord ganglia and in the alimentary canal. A pair of lateral neurosecretory cells immunopositive to the antiserum were found in each half of the deutocerebrum. PBAN-like immunoreactivity (PLI) was also noticed in the tritocerebral region of the brain and in the aorta. Two groups of immunopositive cells of four and two cells respectively, were found in the SOG. Small and weakly immunoreactive neurons were identified in the prothoracic ganglion, whereas in the pterothoracic ganglion a pair of cells reacted positively to the antibody. Immunoreactive cells were also identified in the corpora cardiaca. Some of the epithelial endocrine cells of the midgut also showed immunoreactivity to PBAN antiserum.

Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1998, 537 pp + 12 pp, 151 ill., 39 tab.

Some previous work on arthropod development is insufficiently detailed or incompletely reported. Much of the published information in this area is of limited use for the general analysis of life cycles. These difficulties arise primarily because many experiments do not control fully for the strain of the material (and even its specific identity) nor for rearing conditions, do not adequately take account of the complexity of life cycles and their stages, or are restricted to only part of the life cycle. For example, 285such factors as variable numbers of instars, sexual differences, abbreviated or hidden stages and dormancies may mean that the "average durations" reported apply to an unknown mixture of developmental types. Nor are experiments always designed or results reported and analysed in a logical and transparent manner. Undefined terms may obscure what actual developmental intervals were measured. Highly derived developmental or demographic measures may obscure core data. Statistical information may be inadequate. Such pitfalls are reviewed here, suggesting ways to ensure that results on the duration of development are both valid for specific studies and more widely useful. General experimental difficulties, recommended background information that should be provided, recommended life-cycle intervals and their terminology, and recommended ways to report numerical and statistical information are briefly summarized in tabular form.

Adults of Copestylum tamaulipanum and C. lentum were reared from larvae collected from decaying platyclades of the cactus Opuntia in the state of Veracruz (Mexico). The larvae and puparia of both species, as well as preliminary data about their life cycles are described. The feeding behaviour of the larva in relation to the morphology of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton is analysed.

Telenomus busseolae Gahan (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is an egg parasitoid, which is under evaluation for possible introduction into Italy as a biological control agent of the Corn Stalk Borer, Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefebvre) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Two strains are being considered, one from Africa and the other from Turkey. In a series of laboratory experiments we compared their reproductive capacities, walking behaviour, and host selection behaviour mediated by the sex pheromone and body scales of the host. As reciprocal crosses between the two strains yielded female offspring, they are not reproductively isolated. The two strains were similar in both their reproductive capacity and female longevity. Females of both produced 75-90 eggs and lived on average for 6-7 days. There were differences between the two strains in walking behaviour, searching pattern and in the host location behaviour. The African strain walked faster then the Turkish strain, and showed a slower angular speed and lower turning rate. The African strain showed a significant increase in its speed of movement in response to the host's sex pheromone and a more intense local search after encountering host body scales. These results on intraspecific variability could help choosing an appropriate strain of T. busseolae for corn borer management in Italy.

Dispersal of the sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata, was measured in a series of mark-release-recapture experiments in Utah alfalfa. In three experiments, samples were taken in a radial pattern around the release point. Released beetles for the most part left the 0.36 ha (68 m diameter) sample area within 24 hours, and their average residence time in the sample area was calculated as 12, 6 and 1.6 h in the three experiments, respectively. The spatial distribution of beetles around the point of release could be described with normal distributions whose variance increased linearly in time with 3.8, 1.1 and 0.34 m² per hour. In three additional field experiments the departure of marked beetles was compared between sugar-sprayed plots and control plots. Residence time was 20-30% longer in sugar-sprayed plots than in control plots, with mean residences of 5.3, 3.6, and 2.9 h in the sugar-sprayed plots in the three experiments, respectively, and means of 4.4, 2.7, and 2.4 h in the control plots. The density of unmarked beetles rose by a factor of 10-20 in the sugar sprayed plots during the first 4 to 6 hours following early morning spraying of sugar. This rapid and substantial increase in density cannot be explained by the slightly longer residence time in sugar-sprayed plots. We hypothesize that the aggregation in sugar-sprayed plots is mostly due to greatly increased immigration into those plots, in response to volatiles produced by the plant-pest-predator assembly.

The spider community of a beech forest on limestone was studied for one year using four sampling techniques: emergence traps, pitfall traps, soil samples, and arboreal eclectors. 87 spider species were recorded. Emergence traps and arboreal eclectors were particularly efficient in detecting spider species. Dominance identity (percentage similarity) was highest for catches from emergence traps and pitfall traps. Species recorded were assigned to various ecological groups. In terms of proportional abundance, representation of the ecological groups varied and appeared related to the sampling method used. Stratum type and type of prey capture strategy accounted for >60% of the variance in the catch results (canonical correspondence analysis). Proportional abundance of funnel-web spiders was much higher in pitfall trap catches (31.7%) than in any other method (1.0-11.6%).

The species of the genus Tiarodes Burmeister from China are reviewed. Three species are recognized, described or redescribed, illustrated and keyed. T. venenatus Cai et Sun and T. pictus Cai et Tomokuni are described as new species. The T. versicolor (Laporte) previously reported from China by Hua is in fact T. salvazai Miller.

Version 1.0 for MS-Windows, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1999.

Academic Press, London, 1997, 409 pp., 102 ill., 4 tab.

Bethylid wasps are a medium sized family of parasitic Hymenoptera, with biological control potential, which have recently proved excellent model systems for testing evolutionary and life history theory. We report observations on a species of Laelius from The Netherlands. The species is morphologically indistinguishable from Laelius pedatus, previously reported only from the New World. Reciprocal crosses between the Dutch wasps and L. pedatus from Madison, Wisconsin, USA confirmed that the Dutch population belongs to L. pedatus. We compared the life history of the Dutch wasps with those from Madison by rearing them on Trogoderma glabrum, but found no significant differences. The Dutch wasps successfully parasitize Trogoderma angustum, an invasive museum and domestic pest found in situ, but suffer high developmental mortality on T. glabrum. Wasp egg size was positively correlated with the size of ovipositing female, which was also negatively correlated with the developmental mortality of offspring. Larger wasps also carried more mature eggs. Time taken to lay the clutch increased with the size of the eventual clutch laid and was longer in unmated than mated females. When some wasps died before completing development, surviving members of the brood grew to a larger size and took longer to complete development. The number of males per brood increased with previous oviposition experience, an indication of sperm depletion through life. We discuss the implications of these trends for parasitoid life history theory.

A new genus, Vindobonella gen. n. (Acerentomidae s. l.), and a new species, Vindobonella leopoldina sp. n., are described from Vienna. The new genus belongs to a group characterized by a reduced labial palp and a non-modified striate band on abdominal segment VIII.

Larvae of 13 species of the bembidiine subtribes Tachyina (the genera Tachyta Kirby, Tachys Dejean, Polyderis Motschulsky, Elaphropus Motschulsky, Sphaerotachys G. Müller, Paratachys Casey, Porotachys Netolitzky) and Xystosomina (the genus Mioptachys Bates) were studied. Larvae of all studied taxa are described, diagnosed and illustrated. A key to genera is provided separately for the first- and older-instar larvae. Monophyly and phylogenetic position of the subtribes and genera are discussed on the basis of presumably apomorphic character states of larvae. Based on at least six synapomorphic character states the subtribes Tachyina and Xystosomina appear to form a monophyletic group. On the other hand, there are no synapomorphies to propose a sister-group relationship between Tachyina and Xystosomina within the supertribe Trechitae.

The effects of temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 30°C on the duration of premating and preoviposition periods of Harmonia axyridis reared on the aphid Aphis fabae, were compared in the laboratory. The course of oviposition was monitored at 25°C in females reared on Aphis fabae and the peak of egg laying was recorded at the age of 15 to 45 days. The size of egg groups (batch size), as well as daily and total fecundity was recorded. Half of the total number of eggs was laid in batches of 10-30 eggs. The mean daily and total fecundity reached a maximum of 42 and 1,641.6 eggs, respectively. Adult females oviposited for almost their entire life.

This study investigates the thermal requirements, nymphal development rates and the fecundity of both alate and apterous adults of the giant willow aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin) at several temperatures. Nymphal development rate increased linearly with temperature. It was estimated that 196 ± 4 degree-days above a threshold temperature of 5.5 ± 0.3°C were required for apterae to complete development from birth to final ecdysis. The alate morph was significantly less fecund than the apterous morph and its fecundity did not vary with temperature. The apterous morph displayed highest fecundity at 20°C. Survival to reproduction was lower in the alate morph, but temperature had no effect on the proportion reproducing in either morph.

This paper concerns the life-cycle of Carabus dufouri Dejean 1829, one of the most representative species of Carabus in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The study is based on data of the annual activity patterns in the natural habitat, on anatomical observations related to the sex and age of the specimens, on the reproductive condition of females and, finally, on the results of laboratory rearing experiments carried out to study the oviposition patterns and the course of development of immature stages. The results indicate that C. dufouri shows the annual rhythm of autumn breeders. However, the rhythm may also be related to the winter-breeder type of North Africa.

Academic Press, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Sydney, Tokyo, 1999, 1046 pp.

An analysis of morphometric and bionomic data (as well as the genetic evidence discussed in a companion paper) clearly shows that Meligethes matronalis Audisio & Spornraft, 1990 and M. subaeneus Sturm, 1845 (members of the Meligethes coracinus complex: Coleoptera, Nitidulidae, Meligethinae), recently synonymised by Kirejtshuk (1997), are distinct species. The two species are also compared with the closely related M. coracinus Sturm, 1845. Meligethes matronalis is strictly associated with Hesperis matronalis L. (Brassicaceae) in early Summer, whereas the larvae of the frequently syntopic M. subaeneus develop on Cardamine spp. (Brassicaceae) in Spring; M. coracinus is a more polyphagous species, developing from early Spring to late Summer mostly on Brassica spp., Sinapis spp., Barbarea spp. and Sisymbrium spp. (Brassicaceae).

A revision of species of the Australian burrower bug genus Blaena Walker, 1868 is presented. Eight previously known species are redescribed and four new ones, B. hirta n. sp. (Queensland), B. parathroposa n. sp. (Queensland), B. pseudosetosa n. sp. (Western Australia), and B. serrata n. sp. (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia) are described and illustrated. The male and female genitalia of all the species of the genus are studied for the first time. A key for species determination is also provided.

Some features of the biology and feeding relationships of small waterbugs (Notonectidae, Corixidae, Pleidae, Helotrephidae, Aphelocheiridae) and ripicolous bugs (Gelastocoridae, Ochteridae) are reviewed. Individual families are discussed as predators or as prey of other animals. Special attention is given to characteristics and relationships that affect human beings directly or indirectly. The most important relationships from the economic point of view are: bugs and blood-sucking Diptera, bugs and fish, bugs and some endangered or protected amphibians and water birds. Of less importance is the occasional use of some aquatic bugs as saprobity bioindicators. It seems that the economic importance of these bugs has been underestimated.

In the mid fifth-larval-instar tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, the midgut has high ecdysone 20-monooxygenase (E20MO) activity, with a peak at the onset of wandering on day five. Activities of E20MO, present both in mitochondria and in microsomes, were determined around the time of the peak. During the day preceding the peak the microsomal E20MO increased 60-fold (total activity) or 115-fold (specific activity), and it decreased to one half or less of the peak activities within two days after the peak. The mitochondrial E20MO increased only 1.3 to 2.4-fold (total and specific activities, respectively) before the peak, but declined more rapidly than the microsomal E20MO after the peak. It is concluded that mitochondrial and microsomal E20MO activities are controlled independently and that changes in the physiological rate of ecdysone 20-hydroxylation are effected primarily by changes of the microsomal E20MO activities.

Cassis G. & Gordon G. 1995: Hemiptera: Heteroptera (Coleorrhyncha to Cimicomorpha). In Houston W.W.K. & Maynard G.V. (eds): Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 27.3A. CSIRO Melbourne, xv + 506 pp.

Wells A. 1996 (ed.):  Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 26. Psocoptera, Phthiraptera, Thysanoptera. CSIRO, Melbourne, xiii + 418 pp.
Wells A. 1996 (ed.):  Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 28. Neuroptera, Strepsiptera, Mecoptera, Siphonaptera. CSIRO Melbourne, xii + 230 pp.

The development of a B-biotype Bemisia tabaci Italian colony was studied on bean at 9 constant temperatures (15, 16, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35°C). The developmental time from egg-to-adult varied from 70 days at 16°C to 22 at 26°C and higher temperatures. A thermal requirement for egg-to-adult development of 307 day-degrees was calculated, based on a lower developmental threshold of 11.53°C. The survival of egg, nymph and adult whiteflies was investigated at 0, 2, 4, and 6°C on broad bean for periods of 1-8 days. The adult was the most cold-sensitive stage, while the egg and nymph showed a similar level of cold resistance. The effect of sub-lethal cold stress of 4-8 days at 4°C on eggs and nymphs was studied. After exposure to low temperatures, whiteflies needed longer developmental times, from 5 to 8 days more. The presence of B. tabaci under outdoor conditions in Italy was investigated with field surveys and correlated with climatic data; the whitefly species was found in open field conditions only south of the 41° parallel, in areas characterised by less than 5 frost days per winter and by annual mean temperatures >16°C.

Service M.W.: Medical Entomology for Students. Chapman & Hall, London, 1996, 278 pp.

The univoltine leaf miner Chromatomyia fuscula Zetterstedt is a Scandinavian cereal pest. We wanted to compare the phenology of C. fuscula in southern Norway with that of its most important natural enemies: 15 parasitoids of the families Eulophidae and Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). The use of two Malaise traps in an organically-grown spring barley field and its boundary through 6 seasons (1992-1997) also allowed us to compare these two habitats and to observe the effect of harvesting on the parasitoid activity without interference from pesticides. C. fuscula overwinters as an adult and oviposits in May/June. Few specimens of the next generation, emerging in the crop, were caught in the boundary traps, suggesting the fly hibernates elsewhere. In contrast, the F₁ generation of the parasitoids was caught in considerable amounts both in the crop and boundary. The abundance of parasitoids was highest in July/August; in the crop it usually started decreasing well before harvesting; in the boundary it peaked two weeks or more after harvesting. The results suggest that many parasitoids (especially females) move from the crop to the boundary (or beyond) before harvesting. In both habitats parasitoid species richness usually increased until harvesting, and thereafter decreased. The pooled parasitoid female proportion was 0.36; in crop and boundary it was 0.30 and 0.66, respectively, and the majority of species had a higher proportion of females in the boundary than in the crop. The phenology of two of the most common parasitoids is presented: The pupal parasitoid Cyrtogaster vulgaris Walker (Pteromalidae) had a high activity in the boundary, also very early (females only) and late (both sexes) in the season. The larval parasitoid Diglyphus begini (Ashmead) (Eulophidae) was less active early and late in the season, and had a much smaller boundary activity than C. vulgaris. Both sexes were present throughout the season. The annual sex ratio of D. begini was density dependent, being highly male biased in the two years with highest catches. In C. vulgaris neither density nor habitat explained the sex ratio. D. begini probably overwinters inside the mine as a preadult, having one generation on C. fuscula in the crop and another one in an alternate host away from the habitats sampled here. C. vulgaris overwinters as fertilized females in the border habitat.

Adalia bipunctata is a well-known predaceous ladybird distributed in Europe, Central Asia and North America. This species has not been recorded in Japan. Recently, we found this species in the Osaka Bay area in central Japan, and assume that it was imported with goods such as timber by ships. We studied the life history and the distribution in the Osaka Bay area since the initial discovery. The larvae and adults preyed on aphids (mainly, Periphyllus viridis) on trees such as Acer buergerianum and Rhaphiolepis umbellata. The over-wintered adults appeared in March and laid eggs. The adults emerged in spring, and were in the rolled leaves throughout the rest of the year. Thus, in Japan this ladybird is univoltine with long inactivity in adult. The life history of Japanese population of A. bipunctata differs considerably from other areas where populations are multivoltine. The developmental threshold was estimated to be 6.3°C and the sum of effective temperatures was 322.6 day-degrees for the period from egg to adult emergence. Predation on prepupae of A. bipunctata by the larvae of native species such as Harmonia axyridis was observed occasionally.

Cicada orni L. is one of the most abundant and common species of cicada in Greece. However, this species was not found during recent field work on the Greek islands of Samos and Ikaria. Instead, the very closely related C. mordoganensis Boulard was found practically everywhere on these islands. C. orni and C. mordoganensis are very closely related species which are morphologically very similar (sibling species), even the male genitalia, and the acoustic signals produced by males during courtship and pair formation have the same general pattern. In order to describe the acoustic signals produced by these sibling species, temporal and spectral analyses were made of the calling songs of the males and certain acoustic variables were measured. Based on the duration of echemes, the number of pulse units they contain, the intervals between echemes and the number of echemes per second, the song of C. mordoganensis is distinct from that of C. orni. Cluster analysis of the acoustic characteristics of C. mordoganensis from Samos and Ikaria and of C. orni from the Greek mainland (Dionysos, north of Athens) gave a clear and distinct separation of these species.
Moreover, as there has been very little divergence between these two species at the protein electrophoretic level, the acoustic divergence has evolved independently of allozyme divergence. This may imply that in these cicadas acoustic divergence, and therefore premating isolation, may have evolved rapidly and resulted in rapid speciation at low levels of general genetic differentiation.