Six new species of Habronychus (Habronychus) Wittmer, 1981 are described, including H. (H.) laticeps Y. Yang, Ge & X. Yang, sp. n., H. (H.) honestus Y. Yang, Ge & X. Yang, sp. n., H. (H.) crassatus Y. Yang, Ge & X. Yang, sp. n. and H. (H.) tengchongensis Y. Yang, Ge & X. Yang, sp. n. from China, and H. (H.) longiplatus Y. Yang, Ge & Liu, sp. n. and H. (H.) trianguliceps Y. Yang, Ge & Liu, sp. n. from Vietnam. In addition, a previously known species, H. (H.) parallelicollis (Pic, 1921), is redescribed. The above species are illustrated with habitus photographs, aedeagi, abdominal sternites VIII and internal genitalia of females. Key for identification of the species of this subgenus worldwide is provided.

Queen larvae of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) are fed with royal jelly, a glandular secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker honey bees. The necessary consistency of royal jelly is dependent on a protein-sterol complex (MRJP1₄/apisimin₄/24MC₈). At low pH, this complex forms fibrillar structures, which increase the viscosity of royal jelly. While the proteins in this complex are produced in the hypopharyngeal gland, the low pH is achieved by the secretion of the mandibular gland, which contains fatty acids. It is shown for the first time that fibril formation of MRJP1₄/apisimin₄/24MC₈ is not only induced by low pH via a buffer system, but also by the addition of the major fatty acid 10-hydroxy-Δ²-decenoic acid (10-HDA) of the mandibular gland secretion. This result further substantiates that fibril formation of the MRJP1₄/apisimin₄/24MC₈ complex only occurs after mixing the hypopharyngeal and mandibular gland secretions.

The majority of the conservation strategies for threatened dragonflies are designed to protect only their aquatic habitats. Sympetrum depressiusculum is a species threatened not only by the destruction of its aquatic habitats but also by its association with a specific terrestrial environment. In this study, we aimed to identify the key elements of the terrestrial environment of adult S. depressiusculum. We used generalized linear mixed models to determine habitat preferences of adults and the particular features of habitat patches, such as vegetation cover, vegetation structure and the availability of potential prey. Our results indicate that S. depressiusculum adults preferred mainly riparian vegetation but beyond ponds they utilized only certain terrestrial habitats (abandoned fields, meadows, forest clearings). Adults responded positively to habitat patches with a high cover of vegetation and suitable vegetation structure. Adult abundance was affected also by the distance of patches from the natal site. In an agricultural landscape, the availability of such habitat patches may be limited and could influence the abundance and distribution of this species. We suggest that conservation efforts for this species should not only focus on the larval environment but also include suitable surrounding terrestrial habitats. Effective management around natal sites should concentrate on maintaining a heterogeneous landscape, which is extensively managed (e.g. leaving several fields fallow, maintaining managed hay meadows).

Glycaspis (Synglycaspis) confined to Australia includes gall-inducing and lerp-forming species that are probably highly specific to different species of Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus. Based on available information, their distribution appears restricted to temperate, south-eastern and southern Australia. This paper reports the biology of an unnamed (suspected new species) of Glycaspis (Synglycaspis) that induces spherical, ostiolate galls on the leaves of Eucalyptus macrorhyncha in central western tablelands of NSW. This species completes two generations in a year. Oviposition elicits a passive response in the leaves of E. macrorhyncha. In this work we demonstrate that the host tissue not only supplies water, but also nutrients to the developing embryo via the embedded pedicel. Feeding action of the first instar initiates the gall and morphogenetic gradients become apparent around the feeding site. These gradients direct gall growth. The gall attains its near final spherical shape during the second instar and this spherical gall remains plugged with sugary material, which all the immature stages secrete from the last abdominal segment. No significant gall growth occurs during the occupation of the gall by the third, fourth and fifth instars. The first and second instars feed on the newly differentiated parenchyma tissue in galls, whereas the third, fourth and fifth instars feed on phloem of galls. Consequently the multi-layer parenchymatous nutritive tissue that initially develops lining the chamber dries and shrivels, when the later instars inhabit galls. This shrinkage induces a gradual thinning of gall walls, which is also aggravated by modest expansive growth of the gall.

Increasing the biodiversity in plantations of trees is an important issue because plantations have replaced many natural and semi-natural ecosystems worldwide. Therefore, identifying appropriate management techniques and key factors for enhancing biodiversity in plantations is required. We surveyed butterfly assemblages along forest trails in both plantations and natural forests and measured various environmental variables, including canopy, sub canopy and shrub stem densities, percentage of deciduous trees, flower plant richness, host plant richness, canopy openness and distance to forest edge. We hypothesized that (1) flower and host plant richness increase with an increase in the percentage of deciduous trees and canopy openness; (2) butterfly richness and abundance increase with an increase in forest structural complexity, butterfly resources, canopy openness and distance to forest edge; (3) the responses of plants and butterflies to canopy openness differ in plantations and natural forests; and (4) in plantations, tree-feeding butterflies respond to canopy openness less strongly than herbaceous plant feeding butterflies do because of the low diversity of trees in plantations. Our results generally support these hypotheses. Butterfly resources and butterfly richness and abundance all increase with increasing canopy openness; however, the increases were usually more dramatic in natural forests than in plantations and other factors are less important. In plantations, herbaceous plant feeding butterflies responded to increasing canopy openness more strongly than tree-feeding butterflies. The results of the present study indicate the importance of sunlit forest trails in enhancing butterfly resources, butterfly richness and abundance in plantations. Because at the stand-level management is labour- and cost-intensive, labour- and cost-saving trail management options need to be explored further in terms their effectiveness in increasing biodiversity in plantations.

Three new species of the hawkmoth genus Xylophanes Hübner, 1819 from Colombia are described based on morphological characters and DNA barcodes: Xylophanes camilae Correa-Carmona & Giusti sp. n., Xylophanes pijao Giusti & Correa-Carmona sp. n., and Xylophanes tayrona Correa-Carmona & Giusti sp. n. The new species are compared with the most morphologically similar species within the informal Xylophanes crotonis species-group: Xylophanes aristor (Boisduval, 1870), Xylophanes crotonis (Walker, 1856) and Xylophanes huloti Haxaire & Vaglia, 2008. Diagnoses, distribution maps, photographs of genital structures and habitus are provided for each new species. In addition, a dichotomous key is provided to identify the new species and the most morphologically similar species within the group. To stabilize the nomenclature and fix the taxon concept, a neotype is designated for Xylophanes aristor.

The current climate warming is associated with the development of a second generation in populations of species such as Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.) (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae), which, in Central Europe, were univoltine in the 1980s. Females of the first generation that develop in spring either enter diapause immediately following the adult moult or after a period of oviposition that gives rise to a second generation. In 2005-2010, in overwintering populations, 3 ± 0.6% of females were fertilized. We explored the possibility that the females that overwintered in a fertilized state were those that had oviposited in the previous season. To test this hypothesis, we reared females of the first generation that moulted to the adult stage in June-August under natural conditions. For these females, we recorded oviposition, mortality and overwintering in the fertilized state. In 2004-2007, the majority (78%) of the first-generation females that oviposited in summer also died before winter and the rest entered dormancy and overwintered. Most of the overwintering females that had laid eggs before overwintering were fertilized. However, the majority (63%) of females that overwintered in the fertilized state had not laid eggs in the previous season; they only copulated and stored the sperm until the next spring. The presence of fertilized females in a hibernating population thus indicates pre-winter sexual activity but not the percentage of first-generation females that oviposit before overwintering.

The Chinese pine caterpillar Dendrolimus tabulaeformis is an important destructive leaf borer in boreal coniferous forests in China. This species overwinters in the larval stage. Changes in supercooling capacity and physiological-biochemical parameters of D. tabulaeformis larvae from a natural population were evaluated at different stages during the overwintering period. Cold hardiness of overwintering larvae collected in January was significantly greater than that of larvae collected in other months. January larvae survived for 15 days at -10°C and for approximately 2 days at -15°C. By contrast, larvae collected in September survived for no more than 4 h at -5°C and those in November and March no more than 1 day at -15°C. Supercooling point gradually decreased from -5.9 ± 0.3°C in September to a minimum of -14.1 ± 1.0°C in November, then gradually increased to the original value with the advent of spring. Water content gradually decreased from September to November, remained at approximately 74.5% until March and then gradually increased to levels similar to those in September. The lipid content gradually decreased from September to November, remained stable at approximately 3.2% until March and then gradually increased to levels similar to those in September. Glycogen content increased to a peak in November and then decreased. The concentrations of several metabolites showed significant seasonal changes. The most prominent metabolite was trehalose with a seasonal maximum in November. Glucose levels were highest in January and then gradually decreased until in May they were at levels similar to those in September. Glycerol levels remained relatively stable during winter but increased significantly in May. This study indicates that D. tabulaeformis is a freeze-avoidant insect. Larvae increase their supercooling capacity by regulating physiological-biochemical parameters during overwintering. Our results provide the basis for further research into the mechanism of cold hardiness in this species.

Plants defend themselves by producing various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have direct and indirect effects on insect herbivores. Their production is often specific to the plant and herbivore species involved, with some herbivores being able to manipulate their production. Here, we used passive volatile sampling using polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) tubing to compare VOCs produced by control, mined and galled oak leaves in the field. Leaves mined by a microlepidopteran leaf-miner (Phyllonorycter harrisella) produced a lower amount of two sesquiterpenes and an increased amount of eucalyptol. In contrast, leaves galled by the gall wasp (Neuroterus quercusbaccarum) did not produce a lower amount of any of the VOC measured when compared to the control. They produced a higher amount of farnesene, β-bourbonene and eucalyptol. Some of these VOC are known for their anti-herbivore function. In a second experiment, we treated the experimental leaves with the phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) to determine if leaf-miners or gallers reduced the overall inducibility of infested leaves. MeJA induced a sixteen-fold increase in VOC production. However, there was no difference in VOC production of control, mined and galled leaves treated with MeJA. Our results show that up- and down-regulation of VOCs can vary among leaves infested by different herbivores. More experiments are needed to determine if this is due to manipulation by the herbivores themselves or due to a defensive response of the plant.

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

The expansion of urban areas is one of the most significant anthropogenic impacts on the natural landscape. Due to their sensitivity to stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata) may provide insights into the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity. However, while knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on odonates is growing, there has not been a comprehensive review of this body of literature until now. This is the first systematic literature review conducted to evaluate both the quantity and topics of research conducted on odonates in urban ecosystems. From this research, 79 peer-reviewed papers were identified, the vast majority (89.87%) of which related to studies of changing patterns of biodiversity in urban odonate communities. From the papers regarding biodiversity changes, 31 were performed in an urban-rural gradient and 21 of these reported lower diversity towards built up city cores. Twelve of the cases of biodiversity loss were directly related to the concentrations of pollutants in the water. Other studies found higher concentrations of pollutants in odonates from built-up catchments and suggested that odonates such as Aeshna juncea and Platycnemis pennipes may be candidate indicators for particular contaminants. We conclude by identifying current research needs, which include the need for more studies regarding behavioural ecology and life-history traits in response to urbanisation, and a need to investigate the mechanisms behind diversity trends beyond pollution.

The water-hyacinth grasshopper, Cornops aquaticum, occurs in freshwater environments in the New World between latitudes 23°N and 35°S. At the southernmost margin of this distribution the populations are polymorphic for three centric fusions (Robertsonian translocations). The frequencies of these chromosome rearrangements increase southwards and the recombination in structural homozygotes and heterozygotes diminishes both along the middle and lower courses of the Paraná River. In the present paper we report a similar cline along the southward flowing Uruguay River. In addition, we report the morphological effects of two of these centric fusion polymorphisms, namely the fusions between chromosomes 2 and 5 of the standard complement (fusion 2/5) and chromosomes 3 and 4 (fusion 3/4) and extend this study to the Uruguay River. There is a strong inverse correlation of fusion frequency with temperature, which indicates that these polymorphisms may be related to increased tolerance of colder climates in this originally tropical species, or some other correlated variable. This study is a further example of chromosomal clines correlated with latitude and is one of a few examples of chromosome polymorphisms associated with phenotypic effects. Finally, it indicates ways of using this species for controlling pests.

It is expected that environmental conditions impact the distribution of galls on host plants. Moreover, insects may induce their galls randomly or choose certain parts of a host to induce such growths. This study aimed to determine whether or not the gall midge, Hartigiola annulipes (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), which induces galls on leaves of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica), prefers leaves facing a particular cardinal direction. In addition, we wanted to ascertain whether the galls are evenly spread across three leaf zones: proximal, median and distal, distinguished by dividing leaf area along the midrib. The results show that H. annulipes chose leaves facing various directions in different studied locations, and leaf choice is not restricted to the specific leaf area, a parameter that accurately reflects the light conditions of leaf growth. Moreover, the medial leaf zone was preferred, while the distal zone was avoided. The choice of the leaf zone modified the distance between the mid-rib and a gall. Gall distribution in the crown of trees is probably random, while at the leaf level, it is determined by leaf morphology.

The developmental stages of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, are widely studied because there are several ways in which this species can be utilized. In this context, the aim of the current study is to determine the loss of weight of larvae of different weights between the prepupal and reproductive adult stages and their effect on the egg clutch quality parameters. The Hermetia illucens prepupae were categorized in 3 body weight classes. The weight loss was evaluated by weighing individuals in the prepupal, pupal and adult stages. The weight and length of the individuals were positively correlated in the pupal stage and adult females. There were significant losses of weight (P = 0.000) in the prepupal, pupal and adult stages in all three weight classes. In each weight class the relationship between weights was significant (P = 0.000) for all development stages. The results clearly indicate that the largest larvae of Hermetia illucens produced the adults with the best clutch quality parameters and the existence of significant positive correlations between body weight and both weight loss and the egg clutch quality parameters.

The diversity and evolution of host-plant relationships of butterflies has been the subject of much research. In this context, an interesting species is the bog fritillary Boloria eunomia. Across its boreo-montane distribution there are several ecotypes of this butterfly (sometimes distinguished as subspecies), which inhabit distinctly different habitats. However, little is known about the relationships between these forms in terms of host-plant use. We compared larval preferences of two ecotypes in north-eastern Poland, a unique region that is inhabited by different evolutionary lineages of B. eunomia. Larvae of the meadow ecotype reared in captivity were able to grow and develop exclusively on Persicaria bistorta, i.e., their 'native' host plant. In contrast, larvae originating from populations inhabiting raised bogs generally showed poorer survival, though they accepted both Ericaceae species growing in their biotope and P. bistorta, a plant that does not occur in their biotope. They did not show clear food preferences, but mortality was lowest when they were fed Vaccinium uliginosum. This is puzzling as field observations indicate that Vaccinium oxycoccus is the main host plant in the area studied. However, our findings are consistent with the results of phylogeographical studies indicating that meadows were the ancestral habitats of B. eunomia and some populations adapted later to different biotopes. The poor survival of larvae of the bog ecotype recorded in the present study may indicate that this form is at least locally potentially more vulnerable than the other ecotype.

The antipredator behaviour, tonic immobility (TI) is a valuable defence that enables insects to increase their chance of survival and is a trade-off between fleeing and protection. How the TI strategies of insects respond to environmental factors, however, remains a largely understudied subject. In this paper the effect of four factors (mechanical stimulation, light, sound and temperature) and metabolic responses were used to evaluate TI behavioural and physiological adaptions in Eucryptorrhynchus scrobiculatus (ESCR) and Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (EBRA). In the behavioural experiment, the metaventrite, which is the stimulus-sensing region in ESCR and EBRA, was subjected to mechanical stimulation. Light lengthened the TI duration in ESCR males, while sound had the opposite effect in ESCR and EBRA. The effect of temperature on the duration of TI was variable: in ESCR, the duration was shorter at low (15°C) and high (32°C) temperatures, but in EBRA, it was longer at the low (15°C) temperature. In the metabolism experiment, ESCR and EBRA metabolic rates (MR), was significantly dependent on whether they were in a state of TI or not. The TIMR declined to 76.90% in ESCR and 71.40% in EBRA. These results indicate that TI in ESCR and EBRA differed under different external conditions and contributes to the understanding of the physiological regulation of ecological traits of insect TI.

The Chinese white pine beetle, Dendroctonus armandi Tsai and Li is a native species of bark beetle and one of the most destructive in much of western China. Little is known about the characterization of the pheromones trans-verbenol and verbenone, and their functions in D. armandi are unknown. Electroantennogram tests (EAG) and olfactory assays (Y-tube assays) in the laboratory revealed that (1) trans-verbenol may be an anti-aggregation pheromone for male and an aggregation pheromone for female D. armandi and (2) female beetles are more attracted to controls (hexane) than low concentrations of verbenone and male beetles more attracted to controls than high concentrations of verbenone. Field trials indicated that the addition of verbenone to bait used to trap D. armandi remarkably decreased the efficiency of field trapping. These results indicate that verbenone is an anti-aggregation pheromone for male D. armandi. This research provides evidence of the role of verbenone among the different types of pheromones. The pheromone verbenone clearly could be used to protect healthy Chinese white pines.

Phytophagous insects may be expected to prefer host-plant species on which their larvae perform best, but this has rarely been explored in grass-feeding butterflies. We explored links between oviposition preferences, larval food preferences, and performance (larval survival and development time, pupal mass, and adult longevity) on 18 species of grass in the common evening brown, Melanitis leda L. (Nymphalidae: Melanitini), a tropical butterfly that has been recorded from a large number of species of grass. Melanitis leda oviposited on all of the grass species offered in choice experiments, and larvae were able to develop to the adult stage on almost all of them. Oviposition preferences were for species of plants on which larval survival was higher, but were not correlated with larval development. The mother's choice of host plant appeared to affect performance of the resulting adults as large butterflies had longer life spans. Ovipositing females appeared to adjust clutch size and position of their eggs on a plant depending on plant traits. Larval survival was only marginally correlated with larval growth rate on the different species of plants. Larvae showed host-plant preferences that were not correlated with adult oviposition preferences, larval survival, or larval growth. Overall, while M. leda can utilize a large number of species of grass, it shows marked oviposition preferences. Apparent fine-tuning of clutch size and positioning of eggs on plants with different traits might be another adaptation associated with using a large number of species of plants. We conclude that this grass feeding butterfly selects oviposition sites that maximize the chances of their larvae surviving.

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.

In the last two decades a huge amount of research has focused on the invasive harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, particularly on potential or actual deleterious effects that have arisen after it has colonised new regions. A focus of this work has been real or anticipated declines in native ladybird abundance since the introduction of H. axyridis, for which it is deemed responsible. Scientists have generally painted a very bleak picture of the effects of H. axyridis on native species: in this paper I argue that the picture painted is often too bleak. I use the case of the 2-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, the species most often invoked as threatened by H. axyridis, to illustrate my point. While there is little question that H. axyridis has led to a decline in A. bipunctata populations in Europe, it seems likely that prior to the invasive ladybird's arrival A. bipunctata occurred in artificially high numbers in the urban environments in which it was typically studied. Pollution in towns and cities led to enhanced numbers of prey aphids on plants there which initially favoured A. bipunctata, and later H. axyridis. Thus one species, A. bipunctata, that has benefitted from an association with humans has been replaced by another, H. axyridis, just as brown rats replaced black rats in Europe and North America. Viewed with a longer perspective, A. bipunctata has more likely declined back to pre-industrial levels: the artificially high level from which it has declined recently was not a 'natural' one, and thus its decline from this level does not imply that it is now threatened or endangered. More broadly, we need a wider perspective, encompassing other ladybirds, longer timeframes and better comparisons with other (non-ladybird) invasive species to more clearly assess whether H. axyridis really poses as much of a threat as is often proposed.

Clear-cuts in production forests provide an open, sunny environment, with an abundance of nectar, as well as exposed soil and woody debris. This makes them a potential habitat for several groups of insects that typically use open habitats like grassland, including those species that visit flowers. In the current study, we used colour pan traps to catch flower-visiting species. Study sites were selected according to age (2-8 yrs since clear-cut) and land-use history (forest or meadow 150 yrs ago). We caught and identified solitary bees (395 specimens belonging to 59 species), social bees (831/16), other Hymenoptera (367/66), Syrphidae (256/31), and beetles (Lepturinae & Cetoniinae; 11,409/12). Age of the clear-cut strongly affected species composition as well as several groups and species, with most species caught mainly in the younger clear-cuts. Flower abundance statistically affected several groups and species, but inferring causation is difficult due to the flower-richness bias in pan trap catches. Bare soil and woody debris were important for the insect assemblage sampled, while bare rock was not. Although the majority of the insects caught were forest species, about one third of the species were associated with open, agricultural sites and hence seem to be able to locate and exploit resources in clear-cuts.

Quametopia gen. n. is established on the basis of recent phylogenetic analysis of taxa formerly assembled under the genus Mumetopia Melander, 1913 to include M. terminalis (Loew, 1863) and two new closely related Nearctic species of Anthomyzidae. The new genus is diagnosed and its phylogenetic relationships discussed. Quametopia terminalis (Loew, 1863) comb. n. is transferred from Mumetopia and redescribed based on revision of the type material (lectotypes of Anthophilina terminalis Loew, 1863 and its synonym Mumetopia nitens Melander, 1913 are designated) and other extensive material. Quametopia clintonia sp. n. and Q. amplistylus sp. n. (both from Canada, USA) are described and relationships of all three Quametopia species discussed. Immature stages of Q. terminalis and Q. clintonia sp. n. obtained by means of adult-to-adult rearing are described (1st- and 2nd-instar larvae for the first time in the family Anthomyzidae) and illustrated. Keys to adults, eggs, larvae and puparia of Quametopia species are presented. Biology (habitat and host-plant associations, life history) of Q. terminalis and Q. clintonia sp. n. are studied in detail and their ecological separation demonstrated. Distribution of all Quametopia species is reviewed.

Planthoppers (Delphacidae), leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) and froghoppers (Aphrophoridae) (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) caught during day and night sampling at a height of 200 m above ground at Cardington, Bedfordshire, UK, during eight summers (between 1999 and 2007) were consolidated with high-altitude catches made over England in the 1930s. Comparisons were made with other auchenorrhynchan trapping results from northwest Europe, which were indicative of migration. The migratory abilities in the species concerned were then interpreted in terms of various life-history traits or ecological characteristics, such as ontogenetic, diel and seasonal flight patterns, voltinism, habitat preferences, and host plant affinity. In contrast to some other areas of the world (North America, East Asia), the migratory abilities of most Auchenorrhyncha species in northwest Europe is poorly understood, and thus the present study draws together, and complements, fragmentary information on this topic as a basis for further research.

Chilo partellus Swinhoe 1885 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a serious pest of maize in many parts of the world. It was reported for the first time in 2014 in the Mediterranean part of Turkey. Degree-Day (DD) models were developed to predict seasonal dynamics in maize fields using 3-parameter 'Boltzman' and a 4-parameter Logistic regressions. Larval/plant counts were monitored in pesticide-free maize fields in Adana, Turkey from 2017 to 2019. Depending on the year, the first record of C. partellus was between 03-14 May, corresponding to ~ 9-12 DD accumulated from 01 May. There were two main peaks; one in each of the maize growing seasons. The models accurately predicted the phenology of C. partellus with an Adj. R ² greater than 0.80. The 'Boltzman' regression had lower AICc, ΔAICc and Wі values than the logistic regression. Based on the 'Boltzman' model, 50% of the accumulated larvae/plant count for the first and second generations (peaks) occurred at 80DD and 375DD, 81DD and 413DD, and 54DD and 289DD in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. For the logistic regression model, 50% of the accumulated larvae/plant counts occurred for the first and second generation at 90DD and 362DD, 62DD, and 45DD and 250DD in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. Both these models could play a crucial role in the integrated pest management (IPM) of C. partellus in maize fields in Mediterranean regions.

The functions of the larval salivary glands (SGs) of Drosophila are traditionally associated with the production of a massive secretion during puparium formation; it is exocytosed into a centrally located lumen and subsequently expectorated via ducts, the pharynx and mouth. This so-called proteinaceous glue serves as an adhesive to attach the puparial case to a solid substrate. Great attention has been paid to the secretory cells of SGs, which are famous for their giant polytene chromosomes. However, substantially less attention has been devoted to individual or common ducts that form the most proximal portion of the SG organ via which the glue is released into the pharynx. In the present paper, we describe the organization and fine structure of the taenidia, highly specialized circumferential ring-like extracellular (cuticular) components on the internal side of these tubes. Two chitin-specific probes that have previously been used to recognize taenidia in Drosophila tracheae, Calcofluor White M2R (also known as Fluorescent Brightener 28) and the novel vital fluorescent dye SiR-COOH, show positively stained ductal taenidia in late larval SGs. As seen using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the interior of the ductal tube contains regular and densely-arranged ridge-like circumferential rings which represent local thickenings of the cuticle in various geometries. The microtubular arrays that optically colocalize with taenidia in both the trachea and SG ducts are specifically and strongly recognized by fluorescently-conjugated colchicine as well as anti-tubulin antibody. In contrast to taenidia in the tracheae, the analogous structures in SG ducts cannot be detected by fluorescently-labeled phalloidin or even actin-GFP fusion protein, suggesting that the ducts lack a cortical network made of filamentous actin. We speculate that these taenidia may serve to reinforce the duct during the secretory processes that SGs undergo during late larval and late prepupal stages.

Among the semi-natural elements in agricultural landscapes, wildflower strips sown at field margins or within fields are potential habitats for the natural enemies of insect pests. As insects are sensitive to a variety of flower traits, we hypothesized that mixtures with high functional diversity attract and support a higher abundance and species richness of aphid flower visiting predators than mixtures with low functional diversity. During a field experiment, repeated over two years (2014 and 2015) in Gembloux (Belgium), aphid predators (i.e., lacewings, ladybeetles and hoverflies) were pan-trapped in five sown flower mixtures (including a control mixture, with three replicates of each mixture) of low to high functional diversity based on seven traits (i.e., flower colour, ultra-violet reflectance and pattern, start and duration of flowering, height and flower class, primarily based on corolla morphology). In both years, the species of flowering plants in the sown mixtures (i.e., sown and spontaneous flowers) were listed, and the realized functional diversity in each plot calculated. Over the two years, a high functional diversity was not associated with high abundance and richness of aphid predators. Moreover, ladybeetles, which made up the majority of the predators trapped, were more abundant in mixtures with very low or intermediate functional diversity at sowing, especially in 2014. We hypothesize that certain flowers, which were abundant in certain mixtures (and not in those exhibiting the highest functional diversity), attracted predators and were sufficiently abundant to support them. Our results present novel information that could be used for developing flower mixtures that provide effective ecosystem services, such as pest control.

The mating behaviour of Pyrrhocoris apterus in the laboratory is well studied, but little is known about it under natural conditions. In natural populations in Central Europe, overwintered adults start copulating in March and continue until their death. Caged females, kept under natural conditions in the permanent presence of males, copulated repeatedly. Their mating activity increased sharply until early April, then very slowly until the end of June and then declined as the females die-off. Half of copulations were short (< 5 h) and only 9% were longer than 1 day. By contrast, in natural populations, mating activity (percentage of individuals involved in copula) reached its maximum in April and then decreased until early July, when the overwintered adults die. The decline in mating frequency (percentage of adults involved in copula) was associated with a decrease in the availability of receptive females towards the end of the mating period. For a female, repeated copulation is necessary because sperm is nearly depleted after insemination of 3-5 egg batches.

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

A chamber, named SOIL-INSECT toolbox, was developed to analyse the effect of various factors on the behaviour of soil-dwelling insects. It is equipped with sensors that continuously monitor the concentration of CO₂ in the different compartments of the chamber without disturbing the air balance in the soil. The chamber can be adapted to study different stimuli, including volatile compounds, both in the presence and absence of plants. The chamber was tested using the larvae of Melolontha spp., which confirmed its suitability for carrying out complex studies on insect-insect and insect-plant-microbiome interactions in a complex environment such as soil. The results of behavioural experiments using L3 larvae of Melolontha spp. in sterilized and natural soils revealed that the soil condition affected the behaviour of the larvae, likely due to its effect on the soil microbiome and physico-chemical characteristics.

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