Studies on nocturnal Lepidoptera were carried out on the Laukėnai raised bog and the adjacent wet forest in 2001. Species composition and abundance were evaluated and compared. The species richness was much higher in the forest than at the bog. The core of each lepidopteran community was composed of 22 species with an abundance of higher than 1.0% of the total catch. Tyrphophilous Hypenodes humidalis (22.0% of all individuals) and Nola aerugula (13.0%) were the dominant species in the raised bog community, while tyrphoneutral Pelosia muscerda (13.6%) and Eilema griseola (8.3%) were the most abundant species at the forest site. Five tyrphobiotic and nine tyrphophilous species made up 43.4% of the total catch on the bog, and three and seven species, respectively, at the forest site, where they made up 9.2% of all individuals. 59% of lepidopteran species recorded on the bog and 36% at the forest site were represented by less than five individuals. The species compositions of these communities showed a weak similarity. Habitat preferences of the tyrphobiontic and tyrphophilous species and dispersal of some of the species between the habitats are discussed.

The research on pre-diapause feeding of C. septempunctata L. adults was carried out from 1998 to 2002 in the Tiber Valley, in the Botanical Garden of Perugia University, and in the Sibillini Mountains National Park (Central Italy). The species reproduces in spring feeding mostly on aphids infesting Graminaceae. In the second half of June, newly emerged adults have various migratory behaviours. Some of them remain in the valley while some leave the cereals and fly to other crops, where they feed both on 15 aphid species (e.g., Aphis gossypii Glov. on melon, Aphis fabae Scop. on sugarbeet), and also on pollens of wild plants such as Carduus nutans L., and fungi spores. However, most of the adults migrate to mountain pastures to find different food sources. During this migration, strong south-western storms often force the ladybirds to shelter in urban habitats. When the sunny weather returns again, due to the mistral (north-western wind), the adults continue the flight in swarms to mountain areas. In 1999, on Mt. Vettore (2478 m) we witnessed a "shower" of ladybirds, some of which hid in the turf. When reaching high altitude locations still covered with snow (Lake Pilato, 1940 m, on Mt. Vettore), the adults, exhausted by the long flight, usually remain motionless on the snow. Due to the warming of the sun they sink to a depth of 5-6 cm, so that they remain trapped in the frozen snow during the night. At this site C. septempunctata was found together with Vibidia duodecimguttata (Poda) and Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). We investigated the gut content of adults from this location. After aggregation, the hungry adults disperse to flowering plants at lower elevations where they feed on 8 aphid species (e.g. broom aphid) and pollens of several plants (e.g., Laserpitium garganicum Tem., Centaurea rupestris L., Cachrys ferulacea L. The first mating was observed on broom. At "Pian Grande" location, adults were found in crop fields (lentil, mustard) and wild pastures (cornflower, gentian) mating and feeding on aphids, pollens, nectar and fungal spores. Haymaking forces ladybirds to move towards higher locations in search of food. Echinops ritro L., Eryngium amethystinum L., Carlina acaulis L., Cirsium eriophorum (L.), Galium verum L. and Euphorbia cyparissias L. were major food sources at 1800 m altitude. Gut content of C. septempunctata adults showed that pre-diapause diet consisted of aphids, pollen of Compositae and Umbelliferae, and spores of fungi (e.g., Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp.). There was no statistical difference between the number of adults containing remains of aphids, fungal spores, and pollens. We found four significant correlations between the different food sources observed. In August some adults stopped feeding and in diapause condition sheltered under stones and among leaves or seed capsules of plants where they had fed. Others migrated to nearby woods and aggregated between juniper needles.

A thioredoxin-like protein (txl) gene was cloned from the bumblebee, Bombus ignitus. The B. ignitus txl (Bitxl) gene spans 1777 bp and consists of three introns and four exons coding for 285 amino acid residues with a conserved active site (CGPC). The deduced amino acid sequence of the Bitxl cDNA was 65% similar to the Drosophila melanogaster txl. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of Bitxl transcripts in all tissues examined. When H₂O₂ was injected into the body cavity of B. ignitus workers, Bitxl mRNA expression was up-regulated in the fat body tissue. In addition, the expression levels of Bitxl mRNA in the fat body greatly increased when B. ignitus workers were exposed to low (4°C) or high (37°C) temperatures, or injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which suggests that the Bitxl possibly protects against oxidative stress caused by extreme temperatures and bacterial infection.

In the field, the blister beetle Mylabris phalerata Pallas (Coleoptera: Meloidae) undergoes larval diapause in the ground, which lasts for nearly six months. The effect of the soil environment on this diapause was examined. Final instar larvae kept at temperatures of >= 26°C do not enter diapause and continued to develop regardless of the soil water content and photoperiod. Below 25°C the final instar larvae entered diapause regardless of soil water content and photoperiod. The early stages, particularly L2, appeared to be more important for diapause induction than the later stages. However, the other instars were also sensitive. Temperature, rather then photoperiod was the main factor influencing pupal duration.

The pattern and signal transduction of neuronal apoptosis in the brain of the silk moth, Bombyx mori, during postembryonic life, were characterized. Peak numbers of apoptotic neurons were detected in 4 day old 4th instar larvae, 9 day old 5th instar larvae and 4 day old pupae, indicating three waves of neuronal apoptosis during postembryonic development. Most of the apoptotic neurons were in the lateral portions of the brain. No apoptotic neurons were detected in 1 day old 1st instar larvae or in 7 day old pupae to 1 day old adults. Injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) into larvae resulted in a substantial increase in the brain in both neuronal apoptosis and cleavage of procaspases-8 and -3 into caspases-8 and -3. However, the injection of larvae with actinomycin D or cycloheximide inhibited death of pre-apoptotic neurons. Both the cleavage of procaspases-8 and -3 and death of pre-apoptotic neurons were inhibited by a general caspase inhibitor and caspase-8 and -3 inhibitors injected into larvae. These results suggest that 20E triggered the synthesis of a new protein that, in turn, induces cleavage of procaspases-8 and -3 into caspases-8 and -3. These caspases are prerequisites for neuronal apoptosis in postembryonic brains.

One factor limiting the adoption of aphidophagous coccinellids in augmentative biological control is cost-effective mass production. The use of factitious foods may lower production costs by reducing space and manpower requirements for mass rearing of the predator and its prey and by enhancing mechanization of rearing procedures. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of food conversion, consumption indices and growth rates of first to fourth instars of Adalia bipunctata when fed either a mixture of Ephestia kuehniella eggs and fresh bee pollen, or on the natural prey Myzus persicae. Larval survival did not differ among treatments, averaging 80 and 90% on the respective diets. Mean dry body weights of the coccinellid were significantly lower on M. persicae than on the factitious food only for second instars and the pre-pupal stage. Dry food consumption by the predator throughout larval development averaged 20.61 mg on factitious food and 14.82 mg (corresponding to an average of 284 third and fourth instars) on M. persicae. The efficiency of conversion of ingested food for total larval development averaged 25 and 30% on factitious food and aphids, respectively. The relative growth rate of the larval instars was higher on aphids, whereas the consumption index was higher on the mixture of E. kuehniella eggs and pollen. An additional experiment showed that rearing the previous instars on the factitious food had no substantial effect on aphid consumption in the fourth instar. The study suggests that this factitious diet may be an appropriate food source for mass rearing A. bipunctata.

The mixture of volatile compounds emitted by Brassica oleracea var. sabauda changed significantly in response to feeding and/or oviposition by Murgantia histrionica (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Volatiles were collected from (1) healthy plants and those with (2) feeding punctures, (3) a combination of feeding punctures and oviposition, (4) feeding punctures and one hatched egg mass and (5) plants bearing only an egg mass. In the case of plants with feeding punctures or feeding punctures plus an egg mass, the volatiles were also collected at different time intervals after plants were subjected to these two treatments (0-24 h, 24-48 h and 48-72 h). Gas chromatographic and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometric analysis showed that the percent emission of several compounds changed significantly from plants subjected to the feeding and oviposition or just oviposition. Percentage of terpenes generally decreased after feeding and oviposition, although the percentage emission of (E)-β-caryophyllene from these plants and those with just feeding punctures significantly increased. Plants with just an egg mass emitted linalool de novo but not (E)-β-ocimene. The emission of jasmonates, mainly methyl jasmonate, increased from plants with feeding punctures plus an egg mass compared to those with only an egg mass. Higher percentages of the volatile glucosinolate derivatives (VGSs), mainly 4-methoxy-3-indolylacetonitrile, were emitted by plants with feeding punctures and an egg mass. The percentage emission of most of these compounds increased during the first 24 h after the treatment and then decreased over the next 24 h, except for methyl jasmonate, which remained high also 48-72 h later. The possible ecological roles of such volatiles in plant interactions with the second and third trophic levels are discussed.

The wing stalk in Diptera is examined, and its structures are re-evaluated and re-interpreted. The non-homology of A₂ in Tipulomorpha and "A₂" in other Diptera is claimed. Some notes are presented on the higher-level phylogeny of Diptera, especially those concerning Tipulomorpha. The family Trichoceridae is restored among Tipulomorpha, and the Tipulomorpha are re-affirmed as the sister group of the remaining Diptera. The clade Anisopodidae + Culicomorpha + Bibionomorpha is suggested as the sister group of Brachycera.

The endemic large carpenter bee, Xylocopa (Koptortosoma) ogasawarensis Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Apidae), on the oceanic Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1000 km south of the Japanese mainland, is a generalist flower visitor. Although the flower-visiting behaviour of X. ogasawarensis females has been frequently recorded, the behaviour of the males in this species has rarely been studied. I observed the territorial behaviour of males on flowers of the native plant species Scaevola sericea Vahl (Campanulales: Goodeniaceae) in a coastal area of Hahajima in early July 2007. Each male chose a particular inflorescence, hovered near it (mean distance, 239 mm from the inflorescence) and patrolled around it for several minutes (mean time, 331 s). Therefore, X. ogasawarensis males exhibit resource-based (i.e., flowers) territoriality. Males frequently attacked other males when defending their territories. However, males did not defend their territories against flower visitors of other species (i.e., introduced honeybees). Therefore, male territorial behaviour in X. ogasawarensis may be related to intrasexual competition for sites visited by females. This is the first report describing the male territorial behaviour of X. ogasawarensis.

We present a molecular phylogeny incorporating all five species of the Palaearctic geometrid genus Lythria, based on a 2810-bp combined data matrix comprising the full sequence of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) and fragments of the nuclear genes elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) and wingless (wgl). L. venustata, which was recently rediscovered from Kazakhstan, is shown to be sister taxon to all other members of the genus. The remaining species within the genus form two pairs of sister species: L. purpuraria groups together with L. plumularia, and L. cruentaria with L. sanguinaria. The phylogeny is well supported by characters of the male genitalia of all Lythria species. In addition to the molecular phylogeny of the genus Lythria, we illustrate the external appearance of L. venustata for the first time and describe the anatomy of its male genitalia.

A new genus Diphyonyx is proposed here for a previously unrecognised lineage of geophilid centipedes. It is distinct from other geophilids in its unique combination of morphological characters, including the peculiar shape of the pretarsus of the legs on the anterior part of the trunk. The type species D. conjungens (Verhoeff, 1898), comb. n., is redescribed in detail and its geographical distribution updated (Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, Crimea). Included in Diphyonyx are also D. sukacevi (Folkmanová, 1956), comb. n., and D. garutti (Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960), comb. n., both from southern Russia. D. garutti is raised here to species rank.

Recent host records for Gephyraulus raphanistri (Kieffer), a flower-gall midge, show restriction to Raphanus raphanistrum throughout Europe. Gephyraulus raphanistri has never been reported infesting commercially grown Brassica crops. Historical records showing a broad host range appear to have resulted from confusion with new or as yet undescribed Gephyraulus spp. and Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer), a known gall-former of Brassica and other related genera. This study tested host specificity of G. raphanistri in the field in Europe by manipulating host plant phenology of actual and potential hosts in the genera Raphanus and Brassica as part of a risk assessment of the insect as a potential biological control agent of R. raphanistrum, one of the most important weeds of crops in Australia. Raphanus raphanistrum raphanistrum (wild radish), R. raphanistrum landra (coastal wild radish), Raphanus sativus (radish) and Brassica napus (oilseed rape cultivar) were phenologically synchronised for initial flowering and planted out in a flowering time and species block design near a natural population of R. r. landra hosting a natural population of G. raphanistri. Three generation peaks in gall formation were observed in the experiment, with galls developing on all test plants with an apparent preference for R. r. landra. The high field specificity of this gall midge is driven by the synchrony of oviposition and flower availability, not host physiological incompatibility or behavioural unacceptability. Commercially grown Brassica spp. are not suitable hosts for G. raphanistri because in the field they differ in flowering phenology from Raphanus raphanistrum. The overlap in the flowering phenology of the crop and weed in Australia makes this insect unsuitable as a biological control agent.

We collected specimens of Paramecops sinaitus (Pic, 1930) (Curculionidae: Molytinae) from south Sinai in Egypt, which enabled us to make the first complete description of this species. We also include some taxonomic remarks on the genus. Paramecops solenostemmatis (Peyerimhoff, 1930) is a synonym of Paramecops sinaitus. We propose the new combination Paramecops sogdianus (Nasreddinov, 1978), based on Perihylobius sogdianus Nasreddinov, 1978, which would make Perihylobius and Paramecops synonymous. Like other Paramecops species, P. sinaitus appears to share a close interaction with Asclepiads, in this case the Sinai milkweed Asclepias sinaica (Boiss.) Muschl., 1912 (Asclepiadaceae). We investigated the oviposition behaviour of female weevils to test whether it is linked to larval performance, as predicted by coevolutionary theory. We found that female oviposition preference was positively related to plant size and to the volume of the seed follicles in which the eggs were laid. The survival of eggs was negatively related to plant size, perhaps due to plant differences in the production of defensive cardenolides. Larval survival was not related to plant size but increased with follicle volume, probably as a result of competition for food. Paramecops is relatively sedentary and nocturnal in its behaviour. Night-time observations of behaviour showed that weevils were more active at lower temperatures.

Roadside verges in densely populated areas are often a significant addition to the total semi-natural area and as such may contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Furthermore, they can enhance the ecological cohesion of a region, especially when the existing nature reserves are small and/or highly fragmented. We investigated the occurrence of ground beetles and spiders in six highway verges with grey hair-grass vegetation in the Veluwe region, The Netherlands. Total species number in the verges was similar to the values found in nearby nature reserves with comparable vegetation, but the ground beetles tended to be more abundant in the reserves. Many stenotopic species were present in the verges, confirming the significant conservation value of this habitat. However, compared with the nature reserves, there were fewer species of stenotopic ground beetles and the stenotopic spiders were less abundant in the verges. From our knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species captured it seems likely that this is attributable to differences in "habitat quality". In the verges, species preferring bare sand are scarcer, and the weighted mean body length of ground beetles is shorter than in nature reserves. This suggests that the sward in the road verges is too dense and the suitable vegetation too patchy to sustain some of the stenotopic species. Habitat analyses support this contention: Compared with the nature reserves, the verges had proportionally less bare sand, more herb and tree cover and the vegetation patches were smaller. The strategy suggested to promote stenotopic species entails removing encroaching trees and shrubs from the verges in order to expand the nutrient-poor zone and (re-)create pioneer conditions. Subsequent management should aim at further improving the road verges as extensions of nutrient-poor habitat.

The pollens consumed by common green lacewings Chrysoperla spp. in crop environment in western France, were analysed. The diverticulum contents including quantity of pollen of Chrysoperla adults were analysed to compare a feeding behaviour between the sexes. Females consume more pollen than males. The feeding behaviour of the two main species present was compared, yielding new insights into differences between species within the complex Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens).

We examined the mesostigmatid mites found in four nest chambers of the dung beetle Copris lunaris (Scarabaeidae) in Slovakia. A total of 763 mites was found, belonging to ten species. The most frequent and abundant species were Pelethiphis opacus, Macrocheles copridis, Parasitus copridis, Uropoda copridis, Copriphis pterophilus, and Onchodellus hispani. The nests contained 19 dung balls, each enclosing a beetle pupa. Altogether 472 mites were found in these brood balls. A further 291 mites were found on the parental beetles in the nests. Three mite species were clearly more abundant in brood balls than on parental beetles, and these belonged to the life cycle stage that disperses by phoresy. The mites found in brood balls apparently disperse on the young adult beetles when they emerge. Only Parasitus copridis was more abundant on parental beetles than in brood balls. Different species of mites have developed different strategies for dispersal, as shown by their preferential attachment to either the parental or progeny generations of beetles.

To determine the relationship between protein expression and insect diapause, a proteomic approach was used to investigate the proteins extracted from larvae of the wheat blossom midge Sitodiplosis mosellana Gehin at different developmental stages, including pre-diapause, over-summering diapause, over-wintering diapause and post-diapause. Using 2-DE gels stained with coomassie brilliant blue, about 300 protein spots were detected in the extracts of pre-diapause larvae and 275 for those in each of the other stages. There were 91, 92 and 95 protein spots that showed more than a 2-fold change in abundance in the over-summering diapause, over-wintering diapause and post-diapause stages compared with pre-diapause. Eight protein spots, which showed the greatest difference in the larvae at different stages of diapause, were analyzed using Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Seven of them were successfully identified from their peptide mass fingerprints using the NCBInr database. They were proopiomelanocortin, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and F10F2.5, which were up-regulated or unique to pre-diapause larvae, IKK interacting protein isoform 2 up-regulated in diapause and post-diapause larvae, GA10647-PA unique in over-wintering diapause larvae, purple CG16784-PB isoform B and B0228.6 up-regulated in over-summering and over-wintering diapause larvae. The potential functions of these proteins during wheat blossom midge diapause are discussed.

Studies were conducted to investigate the distribution of larvae of the European vine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a key vineyard pest of grape cultivars. The data collected were larval densities of the second and third generation of L. botrana on half-vine and entire plants of wine and table cultivars in 2003-2004. No insecticide treatments were applied to plants during the 2-year study. The distribution of L. botrana larvae can be described by a negative binomial. This reveals that the insect aggregates. A common value for the k parameter of the negative binomial distribution of k_c = 0.6042, was obtained, using maximum likelihood estimation, and the advantages and cases of use of a common k are discussed. The k^-1Sinh^-1(ksqrt{x+1/2}) and k^-1Sinh^-1(ksqrt{x+3/8}) proved to be the best transformations for L. botrana larval counts. An entire vine is recommended as the sampling unit for research purposes, whereas a half-vine, which is suitable for grape vine cultivation in northern Greece, is recommended for practical purposes. We used these findings to develop a fixed precision sequential sampling plan and a sequential sampling program for classifying the pest status of L. botrana larvae.

Ants are often considered as good indicators of change of management in different habitats. They have been used sporadically to evaluate large scale transformations involving reafforestation. In the present study, the ant assemblages at 15 forest sites are compared. The sites differ in history, age and forest management. Our results show that there are clear changes in ant assemblages with developmental stage but even after 25 years not all forest species are present. Natural succession and planting of trees with or without any other management, resulted in only open country species, and some from forest and wet grassland colonizing these new forests. Sometimes gynes of target forest species arrived in new forests from nearby mature forest, but apparently were unable to start a colony. We attribute this findings to the lack of appropriate vegetation structure and litter characteristics, which determines the forest ant fauna, more than the dispersal of ant gynes. Further investigations should enable us to predict if these conditions can be produced by 50-100 or more years of forest succession and adequate management.

Six polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated in the endangered butterfly Lycaena helle. Five of them provided interpretable results. We detected four to 34 alleles per locus in a total of 235 samples (males and females) collected from meadows in the Ardennes-Eifel (Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium) and the Westerwald (Germany). We collected one leg for DNA-extraction as a non-lethal method. The expected heterozygosities ranged from 48.6% to 83.1%, depending on the locus analysed. These markers are currently being used in our studies of the species´ phylogeography over its western Palearctic distribution area and for the analysis of the conservation status of the fragmented populations in Central Europe.

The current laboratory study was designed to evaluate the effect of abiotic and biotic factors such as temperature, light intensity, relative humidity and host age on biological and ecological characteristics of Aphelinus asychis (Walker) parasitizing Aphis gossypii (Glover). The traits studied were developmental duration, mortality, sex ratio, longevity, fecundity and host feeding. A. asychis can completely develop and reproduce at temperatures 18°C and 30°C, light intensities of 1000 and 7000 lux and relative humidities of 30% and 60%. Temperature had a significant effect on the developmental duration as well as on the percentage and longevity of females, while mortality from mummification to emergence, fecundity and host feeding were only slightly affected. Relative humidity only affected the developmental duration of A. asychis. Light intensity had mostly affected the biological and ecological traits of A. asychis. High light intensity resulted in a shorter developmental duration, higher incidence of females and longer life span of the female parasitoid. A high tolerance to climatic variations and life cycle well adapted to this aphid host are properties that make it likely that A. asychis could be used for the biological control of the cotton aphid in greenhouses.

The availability and quality of nectar for adults are thought to affect fecundity of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Experiments were conducted to analyze the effect of adult feeding on the fecundity, and oviposition pattern of moths, and larval performance (egg hatch). The moths were fed either on distilled water, honey solution, or one of a range of concentrations of sucrose solution. The results showed that diets with sugars significantly increased fecundity and adult lifespan. Lifespan, total numbers of eggs and egg mass were significantly higher for females that fed on sugar during adult life. Egg hatch (a measure of offspring fitness) decreased over time regardless of sucrose concentration, but had always higher levels in the groups fed sugars. The peak of the ovipositing period was delayed and prolonged, with more eggs deposited, when moths were fed on sugar solution. In conclusion, adult feeding increases the fecundity of female moths and plays an important role in enhancing the fitness of individual cotton bollworm offspring.

A cladistic analysis of the species of Sericania Motschulsky, 1860, was executed using fifty-six morphological characters of adults. The monophyly of the genus is supported by the phylogenetic trees generated. Among the three major lineages indicated by the strict consensus tree the East Asian Sericania fuscolineata lineage represents the genus Sericania as defined "originally" and adopted by subsequent authors. The second, the clade Sericania nepalensis group + Sericania sp. 2, is a sister group to the S. fuscolineata clade. Both constitute a sister group to the third major lineage, the Sericania kashmirensis clade, which is endemic in the drier North-West Himalaya where it is the most diverse monophyletic group of Sericini. Provided that the stem species of the S. kashmirensis clade was xerophilous, the origin of this clade can not predate the early Miocene. Based on paleoclimatical and geological data, two competing hypotheses are proposed to explain the evolution of the xerophilous Sericania lineage: (a) a basal splitting within Sericania occurred because of the altitudinal and climatic barrier posed by the Himalaya, which separated the xerophilous lineage in the north (Tibet) from the hygrophilous lineage in the south-east (S slope of Himalaya/ Tibet), or (b) it was a consequence of the increase in the climatic east-west contrast along the southern slope of the Himalaya, which strengthened with the onset of monsoons 8 Ma ago.

The bush-cricket Saga pedo, one of the largest predatory insects, has a scattered distribution across 20 countries in Europe. At the northern boundary of its distribution, this species is most commonly found in Slovakia and Hungary. In Slovakia in 2003-2006, 36 known and potentially favourable localities were visited and at seven this species was recorded for the first time. This species has been found in Slovakia in xerothermic forest steppes and limestone grikes (98% of localities) and on slopes (10-45°) with south-westerly or westerly aspects (90%) at altitudes of 220-585 m a.s.l. (mean 433 m, n = 20 localities). Most individuals (66%) were found in grass-herb layers 10-30 cm high and almost 87% within 10 m of a forest edge (oak, beech and hornbeam being prevalent). The maximum density was 12 nymphs (3^rd-5^th instar) / 1000 m² (July 4, 510 m a.s.l.). In a comparison of five present and previous S. pedo localities, 43 species of Orthoptera were found in the present and 37 in previous localities. The mean numbers and relative abundance of species in present S. pedo localities were also significantly higher. S. pedo individuals at the northern boundary of their distribution were expected to be smaller and lighter because of suboptimal ecological conditions there. However, the body size of S. pedo individuals from these areas were similar to the average value for the whole area. Based on analyses of present and former localities and the Orthopteran assemblages around S. pedo, the factors endangering this species, and methods for conserving it and its habitat are discussed.

Two species of the Chrysoperla carnea complex: Ch. carnea sensu Henry and Ch. lucasina, occur in the crop environment in western France. Within the framework of a conservation biological control program for protected seed crops, the pollen consumption of these common green lacewings was investigated. The diverticulum contents of collected specimens were analysed to determine their food preference. Ch. carnea sensu Henry and Ch. lucasina are opportunistic feeders, which are attracted to large patches of flowering plants. The establishment of monitoring an attractive environment for these predators is discussed.

Sampling of insect communities is very challenging and for reliable interpretation of results the effects of different sampling protocols and data processing on the results need to be fully understood. We compared three different commonly used methods for sampling forest beetles, freely hanging flight-intercept (window) traps (FWT), flight-intercept traps attached to trunks (TWT) and pitfall traps placed in the ground (PFT), in Scots pine dominated boreal forests in eastern Finland. Using altogether 960 traps, forming 576 sub-samples, at 24 study sites, 59760 beetles belonging to 814 species were collected over a period of a month. All of the material was identified to species, with the exception of a few species pairs, to obtain representative data for analyses. Four partly overlapping groups were used in the analyses: (1) all, (2) saproxylic, (3) rare and (4) red-listed species. In terms of the number of species collected TWTs were the most effective for all species groups and the rarer species the species group composed of (groups 1-2-3-4) the larger were the differences between the trap types. In particular, the TWTs caught most red-listed species. However, when sample sizes were standardized FWTs and TWTs caught similar number of species of all species groups. PFTs caught fewer species of all species groups, whether the sample sizes were standardized or not. In boreal forests they seem to be unsuitable for sampling saproxylic, rare and red-listed species. However, the PFTs clearly sampled different parts of species assemblages than the window traps and can be considered as a supplementary method. The abundance distribution of saproxylic species was truncated lognormal in TWT and pooled material, whereas unclassified material failed to reveal lognormal distribution in all the trap types and pooled material. The results show that even in boreal forests sample sizes of at least thousands, preferably tens of thousands of individuals, collected by a high number of traps are needed for community level studies. Relevant ecological classification of material is also very important for reliable comparisons. Differences in the performance of trap types should be considered when designing a study, and in particular when evaluating the results.

Selected populations of five closely related species of the genus Cicada L. were collected mainly on the Portuguese, Greek and Turkish mainland, as well as on several Aegean islands. Ten morphometric traits of external structures and seven of male genitalia were analysed and the results revealed patterns in morphometric variation for each species. Only C. lodosi was always completely discriminated by both character sets and C. barbara by the male genitalia analysis. For the remaining species there was great overlap between the clusters. Body length, of the external morphological structures, and measurements of the pygophore, of the male genitalia, were the best variables for identifying C. lodosi and C. barbara. The present morphometric analyses revealed that divergence in morphology is much less pronounced than the divergence in acoustic signals and DNA. Thus, the congruence between morphological divergence, namely at the level of the external structures, and both behavioural (acoustic) and genetic divergence is quite low.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ECOLOGY OF APHIDOPHAGA 10, Athens, September 2007 Organized by the Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia, Attica, and the Agricultural University of Athens

Partial (600 bp) sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene were used to infer the phylogeography of Melitaea cinxia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) across the entire distributional range of the species, encompassing north Africa and Eurasia. Cladistic analysis of 49 distinct haplotypes (haplotype and nucleotide diversity were 0.95 and 0.027, respectively) revealed strong phylogeographic structure in M. cinxia, characterised by four major clades: Morocco; Western (Iberia, France, Italy); Central (central and northern Western Europe, Balkans, Greece, Anatolia, Levant); and Eastern (eastern Baltic, Urals, Iran, Siberia, China); separated by average pairwise distances of beween 2 and 6 percent. This pattern is consistent with the location of southern glacial refugia in the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas, as well as multiple eastern refugia. The Western clade is further structured into south-central Iberian, northern Iberian (and French) and southern Italian sub-clades; and the Eastern clade into Near Eastern and Far Eastern sub-clades; with weaker phylogeographical concordance within the Central clade, except for a large area in central and northern Western Europe which is monomorphic for COI haplotype. The Baltic and eastern Europe have been primarily colonized by the Far Eastern sub-clade, rather than the Central (Balkan) clade, highlighting the importance of including Near and Far Eastern populations in phylogeographic studies of Palearctic species. Maps showing the extent of clades and sub-clades suggest several regions of secondary contact and possible hybridization. Interspecific comparison of representative M. cinxia haplotypes supports a monophyletic origin of all M. cinxia.

A review of all known descriptions of immature stages of the species of the genera Scaeva Fabricius, 1805, Ischiodon Sack, 1913 and Simosyrphus Bigot, 1882 is presented using SEM illustrations. The third instar larval and/or pupal morphology of Scaeva dignota (Rondani, 1857), Scaeva mecogramma (Bigot, 1860) and Simosyrphus grandicornis (Macquart, 1842) are newly described. All species of the genera studied in this paper are very similar for all the studied characters of their immature stages, including the chaetotaxy. Molecular characters of the mitochondrial cox1 gene (1128bp) were used for inferring relationships of the studied taxa. The nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) was additionally applied for species delimitation of the closely related species Scaeva selenitica and S. dignota. The Palaearctic Scaeva species could be split into two groups based on the analysis of morphology of posterior respiratory process. These groups were previously diagnosed as S. selenitica-group [i.e., S. selenitica (Meigen, 1822), S. dignota (Rondani, 1857), S. mecogramma (Bigot, 1860)] and S. pyrastri-group [i.e., S. pyrastri (Linnaeus, 1758), S. albomaculata (Macquart, 1842), S. latimaculata (Brunetti, 1923)]. Semiscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 and Scaeva Fabricius, 1805 are the available names for these two natural groups that should be classified as subgenera; the former name is proposed for S. selenitica-group and the latter for S. pyrastri-group. Mecoscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 syn. n. is transferred as a junior synonym of the subgenus Semiscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 according to the principle of the first reviser. Based on the analysis of immature stages, the generic name Ischiodon Sack, 1913 syn. n. is proposed as a junior synonym of the genus Simosyrphus Bigot, 1882. The similarity of immature stages between Scaeva s. str. and Simosyrphus grandicornis Macquart, 1842, Simosyrphus aegyptius (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. n. and Simosyrphus scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805) comb. n. is discussed. All the proposed subgeneric and generic taxa based on morphological studies received high support employing molecular characters.