The painted lady, Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758), migrates seasonally between Africa and Europe with a northward multigenerational migration from Africa to Europe in spring and a southward migration from Europe to Africa in autumn. However, little is known about the year-round phenology of this species in southern regions in the Mediterranean Basin. In this study the year-round phenology and reproduction of painted ladies was recorded during a seven-year period (2014-2020) at 7 lowland sites (< 80 m a.s.l) near the coast of Cádiz (southern Spain). Overall, a total of 2341 painted lady butterflies (or 0.56 butterflies/km) were recorded along 4186 km of transects of the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS). Data pooled for all sites and years indicate a migration of painted ladies in autumn (mid and late October), another peak in abundance in winter (late February) and finally a migration in spring (late May). Abundance, however, varied greatly between sites and years. In July 2019, a spectacular migration of painted ladies was recorded across the study area that was also recorded in other European countries a few weeks later. Territorial behaviour of males, including hill-topping and courtship, oviposition and immature stages were recorded in autumn and winter. Reproductive behaviour was not recorded in spring or summer. Painted ladies were most abundant during the autumn migration, less abundant in spring and much less abundant in winter. This study confirms that the southern tip of Western Europe close to North Africa is an important stop-over region during the migration of painted ladies although numbers fluctuate enormously between years and sites. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the timing of year-round migration and the reproduction of painted ladies in the autumn-winter months have been described for a southern European population.

Scientists and society are increasingly becoming aware of loss of insect biodiversity and biomass. The level of biodiversity determines the efficiency of ecological communities to capture essential resources, produce biomass, decompose and recycle nutrients. Relationships between plant and insect diversity can be modified by changes in insect abundance. This study determined the associations between microclimate and diversity of forest plants on overall insect abundance and abundances of different insect orders in the canopy of temperate deciduous forests dominated by Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech; Fagaceae) in Central Germany. Following model selection, a linear mixed model was used to analyse the associations between abiotic factors (air temperature and relative humidity) as well as biotic factors (species richness and cover for the ground, shrub and tree layer) and insect abundance and abundances of insect orders. Within similar strength of evidence, best models were chosen as those with a single explanatory parameter. Significant associations were recorded between abundances of Lepidoptera and Neuroptera and relative air humidity, insect abundance and species richness in the shrub layer, and between abundances of Diptera and Psocoptera and percentage cover of shrubs. Trends in associations were detected between the abundance of Hemiptera and species richness recorded in the shrub layer, and between the abundance of Thysanoptera and the species richness in the ground layer. No significant associations with single explanatory parameters were recorded for the abundances of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Phytodiversity, especially that in the shrub layer, were more often associated with the abundances of insect orders than microclimatic factors. The potential importance of the association between shrub layer parameters and the abundance of insects might be based on the shrub layer combining the associations with the ground layer (bottom-up processes) and canopy layer (environmental conditions). In addition, associations between phytodiversity and abundance of insects seem to vary most for Coleoptera and Hymenoptera in which there are markedly different functional groups.

The present review discusses the molecular mechanisms of injury caused by low temperatures and/or freezing. The review is intended mainly for insect environmental physiologists who focus on the effects of low temperatures. The review successively discusses (1) the effects of low temperatures on the structure and function of macromolecules; (2) the effects of freezing on cells and macromolecules and (3) the mechanisms of damage during thawing and post-thaw. The review shows that injury primarily occurs at the molecular level in terms of damage to proteins, nucleic acids and biological membranes. The damage to macromolecular structures occurs as a result of the interaction between the effects of temperature, ice formation and resulting secondary effects such as osmotic stress, increased concentration of solutes, cellular freeze dehydration, disruption of ionic balance and oxidative stress. The present review attempts to identify gaps in our knowledge on the mechanisms of cold injury in organisms and proposes possible future directions that could contribute to filling the gaps.

Phenotypic diversity depends on genotype diversity, but the degree of genotype-by-environment interaction is species-specific. Red wood ants (Formica s. str) are keystone species in boreal forests and very variable phenotypically. These variations are used for species identification and proposed as ecological indicators of anthropogenic disturbances. However, their origin is unknown. Here we aimed to provide a preliminary answer to this question and outline the direction for future research. We determined the interrelation between nest mate worker relatedness (kinship) and the diversity of colour morphs, degree of melanisation and size of the red wood ant, Formica rufa. In Finnish populations of this species polyandry, which involves multiple mating by queens is the principal determinant of the relatedness between workers. We hypothesised, that if phenotypic diversity is a result of genetic diversity, then polyandrous colonies should produce more phenotypically diverse workers. A total of 336 individuals belonging to 20 colonies were used for this study. We collected ants from coniferous and broadleaf forests in Finland, fixed them in 96% alcohol, then digitally photographed, genotyped and analysed the phenotypic variation. The average colony nest mate worker relatedness was used as an estimate of the level of polyandry (more than one if r < 0.6). Our results revealed no associations between the diversity of the phenotypic traits measured and worker kinship in F. rufa. As a further step to reveal the degree of genotype-by-environment interaction in determining the colour traits of the red wood ant we suggest more sophisticated genetic studies indicating the heritability of phenotypic traits between patrilinies and testing of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, UV-radiation, food and pollution.

The phenology of fungal fruiting has changed in the UK over the last 70 years, but whether the associated mycophagous insects are able to exploit 'out of season' fruit bodies is unknown. This study focused on whether fungal baits can be used as a proxy to examine changes in fungal fruiting on insect communities. Using Agaricus bisporus as a bait, mushrooms were placed into two separate woodlands monthly from November 2020 to July 2021. Megaselia rufipes (Phoridae) and Bradysia spp. (Sciaridae) were reared from both wild fungi and fungal baits at different times, making them appropriate species to consider for possible host tracking. Various factors affect an insect's ability to track a fungal host, these include host preference, season, period of fungal fruiting and age of mushroom. Increased fruiting of macrofungi in the future may benefit generalist mycophagous insects, by providing enhanced temporal and spatial resource opportunities. Using fungal baits as a proxy for the effects of climate change on fungal fruiting should be beneficial in uncovering the host preferences of mycophagous insects and may potentially indicate whether mycophagous insects can track fungal hosts across seasons.

The ants of the genus Protalaridris are revised based upon their morphology. Seven species are recognized; the type species (P. armata Brown, 1980) and six species described as new: P. aculeata Lattke & Alpert, sp. n., P. arhuaca Guerrero, Lattke & Alpert, sp. n., P. bordoni Lattke, sp. n., P. leponcei Delsinne & Lattke, sp. n., P. loxanensis Lattke, sp. n., and P. punctata Lattke, sp. n. The genus is patchily distributed in mesic forested areas from western Panama to northern Venezuela and along the Andes to the Amazon watershed of southwestern Peru. The generic description is modified to accommodate a short-mandibulate species. Sporadic biological observations of one long-mandibulate species suggest they are sit-and-wait ambush predators that open their jaws to approximately 180° when stalking. All species are described and imaged, an identification key and a distribution map is provided. Comparing the mandibular morphology of long-mandibulate Protalaridris with other extant and extinct ants bearing elongate, dorsoanterior arching mandibles suggests the supposed mandibular apex in these taxa is actually a hypertrophied, preapical tooth and their supposed basal mandibular tooth is the main mandibular shaft.

We studied assemblages of carabids in eight similar habitats, five in Slovakia and three in Serbia. The ground beetles were caught by pitfall traps from February 2015 until November 2016. We compared the incidence of Carabidae in floodplain forests and ecotones alongside the River Danube in Slovakia and the Rivers Tisza and Begej in Serbia. We determined their association with anthropogenic effects,diversity of plants in the different vegetation layers, cover of vegetation layers (herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees), area of forest stands, circumference of forest stands, distance to forest edge, age of forest stands, depth of leaf litter and physico-chemical properties of soil and leaf litter (conductivity, pH, relative content of H, C, P and N). In total, 2,495 adult individuals of 110 species of carabids were collected. The total epigeic activity of the carabids was significantly and positively associated with the number of species of plants in E₃ vegetation layer and the relative content of N, and negatively with the cover of the E₁ layer. Species richness was significantly positively associated with the number of species of plants in the E₃ layer and the pH of leaf litter, but an opposite trend in evenness.

Many aphidophagous ladybird beetles lay clusters of eggs and sibling cannibalism occurs at hatching. Larvae that hatch early tend to cannibalize undeveloped eggs and those that hatch late. The cannibalized eggs, especially those that are sterile, represent a maternal investment in the cannibal and are regarded as "trophic" eggs, which increase their chances of surviving. The characteristics of cannibalized eggs, however, are poorly studied. In this study, I determined the sizes of eggs that developing and undeveloped eggs within egg clusters of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Developing eggs were significantly larger (on average 3.45% larger) than the undeveloped sterile ones, which were mainly small. Furthermore, the hatchability of eggs was also significantly associated with their size, inclusive of the maternal effects. These results indicate that the production of relatively small sterile eggs functions as circumstance-dependent maternal investment in improving the survival of the first instar larvae to hatch in each egg cluster.

The intensification of agriculture in olive groves, especially the modification or elimination of spontaneous vegetation, alters the relationships in arthropod communities and reduces their interactions and ecosystem services. This study was carried out in nine olive groves in which there was either a planted cover crop, spontaneous cover crop or bare ground. The interactions of ground-dwelling, canopy and flying arthropods in trophic webs were calculated for each olive grove soil management regime at the family level taking into consideration their different functional traits: feeding guilds, specific agricultural traits and trophic level. Olive groves with spontaneous cover had trophic webs with a higher number of plausible links between arthropod families and a more balanced distribution of specimens among trophic levels compared to those with planted cover and bare ground. There was a similar number of arthropod families consisting of both pests and their natural enemies in the planted cover regime, while olive groves with bare ground had simpler trophic webs. The complexity of plausible trophic links was greater in olive groves with spontaneous plant cover despite the similar values for family richness in the three-olive grove soil management regimes. Qualitative values (such as functional traits) were more diverse in agroecosystems with spontaneous plant cover in which there were more sources of food.

The initial stages of diapause induction - as summer gives way to autumn - involve a process of time measurement in which the duration of daylength (or nightlength) is determined by a photoperiodic 'clock' based upon the circadian system. In many insects so far examined, a photophase of sufficient duration and illuminance resets a photoperiodic oscillator to a constant phase equivalent to the beginning of the 'subjective night' (Circadian time, CT 12 h) whereupon it proceeds to measure nightlength in a clock of the external coincidence type. A possible exception may be found in the linden bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, which - in laboratory studies using relatively low light intensity - suggests that daylength is measured rather than the night. Earlier studies of photoperiodic responses (pupal diapause induction) in the flesh fly Sarcophaga argyrostoma, however, showed that 'weak' or short light pulses giving rise to Type 1 phase response curves could be converted by increasing light intensity to Type 0 responses that phase set the oscillation to the beginning of the subjective night (CT 12 h) whereupon it could begin to measure the night. Based upon these data it is therefore suggested that the photoperiodic clock in P. apterus might also measure nightlength if the bugs were exposed to photophases of higher irradiance simulating daytime exposure to the light intensity experienced by these diurnally active insects in their natural environment.

Land use/land cover change (LULCC) is a major threat that affects the viability of insect populations worldwide yet our estimates of such effects are usually poor. We analysed how LULCC affected the distribution of 49 species of dragonflies and damselflies in the south-central zone in Mexico during the period 2006-2012. For this, we mapped the potential species richness using ecological niche models in order to analyse predicted future changes and determined the effect of LULCC on the current and future habitats of Odonata. We also estimated current incidence of deforestation and projected its effect to 2050 using the Dinamica-EGO program. Having predicted the level of deforestation in the year 2050, we then compared current vs. expected species richness and the factors that determine it. First, roads and urban areas turned out to be the most important drivers of LULCC in our analysis. Second, deterioration occurred at all sites, but species richness remained high despite considerable habitat fragmentation. Third, there is likely to be a high species turnover rate (i.e. a high species richness, but composed of different species) even in areas where there are significant changes in the vegetation. Our work illustrates both a resilience of Odonata to LULCC and provides a useful method for measuring the effects of LULCC on insects.

Aphid species Aphis pomi (de Geer, 1773) is oligophagous on pomoideous host plants, whilst Aphis spiraecola Patch, 1914 is a polyphagous species alternating between Spiraea spp., its primary host, and a wide variety of secondary hosts, also including pomoideous species. Despite the biological distinction, these species are difficult to separate using their morphological characters. Partial sequences of mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF-1α genes were analyzed for samples from Central and Eastern Europe, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey, China together with available data from GenBank. Interspecific pairwise sample divergences of the COI fragment ranged from 3.1 to 4.3%. One COI haplotype of A. pomi was predominant (n = 24), with a pan European distribution. The most abundant COI haplotype of A. spiraecola (n = 16) occurred in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Italy, Turkey and China. Interspecific pairwise sample divergences of the EF-1α fragment ranged from 0.6 to 1.2%. Analyzed partial sequences of EF-1α were identical in A. pomi. The most abundant EF-1α haplotype of A. spiraecola (n = 14) occurred in Lithuania, Poland, Italy, Turkey and China. The length of ultimate rostral segment appeared to be the most reliable morphological character for discrimination between apple and spirea aphid species. It allowed a 100% correct identification of A. pomi (n = 143) and 91.5% of A. spiraecola (n = 94) specimens in the European samples used for the molecular analysis. The existence of A. spiraecola in the Eastern Baltic region of Europe is documented for the first time.

The Sympetrum vulgatum (Linnaeus, 1758) complex is composed of the subspecies S. vulgatum vulgatum, S. vulgatum decoloratum (Selys, 1884) and S. vulgatum ibericum Ocharan, 1985 in the West Palaearctic. These taxa have parapatric distributions and noticeable morphological differences in colour and body size, and their taxonomic status is debated. Here we revise the systematics of this group using molecular taxonomy, including molecular analyses of mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI) and nuclear (internal transcribed spacer, ITS1) DNA taking into account known morphological differences. Each subspecies has a unique and differentiated COI haplotype, although divergences among them are low (0.4% maximum uncorrected p-distance). The subspecies are not differentiated by the nuclear marker ITS1. The genetic results for these taxa contrast with the deep divergence of the sister species S. striolatum (Charpentier, 1840). Given current evidence, we propose to maintain the subspecific status of the S. vulgatum complex and hypothesize their biogeographical history. It is likely that the three subspecies became isolated during one of the latest glacial periods, each in a different refugium: S. vulgatum ibericum possibly occupied the Iberian Peninsula, S. vulgatum vulgatum the Balkan Peninsula or territories further east and S. vulgatum decoloratum Anatolia.

The butterfly subgenus Agrodiaetus of the genus Polyommatus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) is distributed in the western and central Palaearctic and represents a taxonomically challenging group due to its rapid diversification coupled, in many cases, with very limited availability of morphological diagnostic characters. In this study we provide a detailed overview of this subgenus in the Romanian fauna, a country where scattered, poorly documented records suggest the presence of three species: Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) damon, P. (A.) admetus and P. (A.) ripartii. By analyzing material from museum collections and published records, and combining them with new faunistic findings and DNA data, we show that only P. admetus is currently undoubtedly present in the Romanian fauna (northern Dobrogea), where it reaches its north-eastern range limit in the Balkans. Historical records and DNA data suggest that the occurrence of P. admetus in northern Dobrogea is not likely to reflect a recent range expansion caused by climate or other environmental changes. Several historical records of this species that suggest its much wider distribution in Romania represent confusion with P. damon and Phengaris alcon. Polyommatus damon, reported mainly from western Romania, lacks records after 1938, while P. ripartii is only known from a single male labelled as originating from the Danube Delta, and requiring confirmation. There is a great need for directed studies to clarify the status of P. damon and P. ripartii, which are scarce and declining north of the Balkans and may represent taxa of conservation concern.

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

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is a polyphagous species from eastern Asia, which has spread to America and Europe where it damages many crops. In recently colonized areas, facilitative interactions between H. halys and native insects are poorly investigated. In this study, we report for the first time facilitation of native wasp and ant feeding by H. halys in Europe. The facilitation was related to the outflow of plant exudates caused by H. halys feeding on manna ash trees, where they have aggregated in response to an aggregation pheromone, which then attracted species of Hymenoptera to the infested trees. Trees other than manna ash were not involved in the facilitation between these two taxa. The species that frequently visited infested manna ash were Polistes dominula, Vespa crabro, Formica (Serviformica) cunicularia and Lasius emarginatus, while Polistes cf. nimpha, Vespula germanica, Crematogaster scutellaris and Tapinoma subboreale were occasional visitors. The numbers of wasps and ants feeding on plant exudates differed at different times in a day, with more Hymenoptera foraging in the afternoon, when more H. halys individuals were actively feeding. Facilitative interactions, such as those recorded in this study, are important for furthering our understanding of the ecology of invasive species in terms of creating sources of food for native organisms.

Instances of heat waves and cold snaps are becoming more frequent and of increasing duration worldwide. It is well established that short exposure to high or low-temperatures, such as during extreme weather events, often results in adaptive (acclimation/hardening) or maladaptive plastic changes in tolerance of organisms to subsequent thermal stressors. However, little information is available about how the duration of a prior stressful thermal event mediates future organismal thermal responses. Understanding durational effects of thermal conditioning can help predict ectothermic survival in response to novel extreme weather patterns.

The diving beetle Hydaticus bowringii Clark, 1864 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) is on the Red List of Japan as 'Near Threatened'. However, there is no quantitative information on the feeding habits of its larvae, which could be used to aid its conservation. In order to determine the prey that are important for the survival and growth of larvae of H. bowringii, we combined the results of field surveys of paddy fields and rearing experiments. In the field, H. bowringii larvae predominantly feed on tadpoles of five species of frogs and occasionally also on insects, loaches and worms. The phenology of the tadpoles was similar to that of larvae of H. bowringii, as their abundances increased from May to June and decreased in July. Experimentally reared larvae of H. bowringii grew faster when fed tadpoles than when fed Sigara nymphs or a mixture of both prey, and more emerged as adults when tadpoles were included in their diet. Adults were larger in the tadpole treatment than in the Sigara treatment. Based on these results, we conclude that tadpoles are more suitable prey for the survival and growth of larvae of H. bowringii than insects. The decline in the abundance of frogs could be one of the factors determining the decrease in the local abundances of H. bowringii. In conclusion, we affirm that in order to conserve populations of H. bowringii it is crucial to maintain paddy field environments in which frogs are abundant.

We investigated the effect of the feeding behaviour of young larvae of Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval (Pieridae) on parasitism by the parasitoid wasp, Cotesia glomerata (L.) (Braconidae). Young, 1st-3rd instar larvae used approximately three sites for feeding each day. When not feeding, they moved a short distance away from the feeding sites (= feeding marks) and rested. For first, second and third instar larvae, the distances from the new mark, made within 24 h, to larva at rest were, respectively, about 3.5 mm, 5 mm and more than 10 mm. To resume feeding, they moved back to one of the former feeding sites or a new site. The percentage of the feeding marks older than 24 h that attracted parasitoids was less than 50%. Time spent searching for hosts by a parasitoid was short. Larvae placed 5 mm or more from a feeding mark were less parasitized than the larvae placed near a mark. The number of feeding marks affected parasitism. When comparing single-marked and triple-marked leaves, the percentage parasitism of the larvae on the latter was significantly lower than that of the larvae on the former. On triple-marked leaves, parasitoids visited each mark unevenly. Accordingly, the time spent searching each mark differed significantly among the marks. Because of this confusing effect, hosts are considered to be reducing the risk of parasitism. Our results demonstrate that the feeding habits of young larvae of P. rapae crucivora are adaptive in terms of reducing the risk of parasitism by C. glomerata.

Orius spp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is well-known genus of generalist predators, which feed on numerous pest insects and mites infesting crops. In this study, the functional responses of the predatory bugs, Orius laevigatus (Fieber) and Orius vicinus (Ribaut), to different densities of the eggs of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), were determined under laboratory conditions. Different numbers of eggs (2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128) of both species of prey were offered to females of the above predators for 24-h in a controlled environment of 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% RH and under a 16L : 8D photoperiod. The parameters of the functional responses were assessed using Holling's Disc Equation. Both predators showed a Type II response to both prey. The attack rates (a) and handling times (Th) of the predators were computed for spider mites eggs: O. laevigatus (a: 0.972, Th: 0.007) and O. vicinus (a: 1.113, Th: 0.005), and whitefly eggs: O. laevigatus (a: 1.022, Th: 0.002) and O. vicinus (a: 0.772 Th: 0.006). Furthermore, the average number of B. tabaci eggs consumed by O. laevigatus females was greater than by those of O. vicinus. In contrast, O. vicinus was a more efficient predator of T. urticae eggs than O. laevigatus. Consequently, these results indicate that together these predators might be effective biological control agents in regulating populations of B. tabaci and T. urticae in agricultural ecosystems.

Like many insects, aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) can host a wide diversity of symbiotic bacteria that can be important drivers of their evolutionary ecology. In addition to the nutritional obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola, these phloem-sap feeding insects can host various facultative symbionts whose functional diversity depends on complex interactions with the host genotype and environmental factors. During sampling in citrus orchards in northern Tunisia, we collected aphids on citrus plants. The specimens belonged either to the cotton-melon aphid Aphis gossypii or the green citrus aphid Aphis spiraecola. We analysed the prevalence of Arsenophonus, Serratia symbiotica, Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola, four facultative symbionts frequently found in the genus Aphis and potentially associated with phenotypic effects related to nutrition, protection against parasites and tolerance of high temperatures. We found that the diversity and prevalence of facultative symbionts differed between these two aphid species that exploit similar ecological niches. In particular, we found a high prevalence of Arsenophonus in A. gossypii populations and that the defensive symbiont H. defensa was only present in A. spiraecola populations. These results are discussed in light of the ecology and life cycles of each of the species of aphid studied.

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.

A new genus Oxymorus Borovec & Meregalli gen. n., belonging to the tribe Oosomini Lacordaire, 1863 of the curculionid subfamily Entiminae, is described. It includes nine new species, all from South Africa: Oxymorus uitkyk sp. n., type species, O. antennalis sp. n., O. johnprinei sp. n., O. minor sp. n., O. obesus sp. n., O. oculatus sp. n., O. rikae sp. n., O. strictifrons sp. n. and O. sulcaticollis sp. n. All species are illustrated and keyed.

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.

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.

An annotated checklist of the tribe Mirini (Miridae: Mirinae) recorded on the Korean peninsula is presented. A total of 113 species, including newly described and newly recorded species are recognized. Three new species, Apolygus hwasoonanus Oh, Yasunaga & Lee, sp. n., A. seonheulensis Oh, Yasunaga & Lee, sp. n. and Stenotus penniseticola Oh, Yasunaga & Lee, sp. n., are described. Eight species, Apolygus adustus (Jakovlev, 1876), Charagochilus (Charagochilus) longicornis Reuter, 1885, C. (C.) pallidicollis Zheng, 1990, Pinalitopsis rhodopotnia Yasunaga, Schwartz & Chérot, 2002, Philostephanus tibialis (Lu & Zheng, 1998), Rhabdomiris striatellus (Fabricius, 1794), Yamatolygus insulanus Yasunaga, 1992 and Y. pilosus Yasunaga, 1992 are reported for the first time from the Korean peninsula. Korean specimens previously identified as Eurystylus luteus Hsaio, 1941 are correctly recognized as E. sauteri Poppius, 1915. Three new synonyms are proposed: Apolygus atriclavus Kim & Jung, 2016 syn. n. of A. xanthomelas Yasunaga & Yasunaga, 2000, A. josifovi Kim & Jung, 2016 syn. n. of A. subpulchellus (Kerzhner, 1988) and Capsus koreanus Kim & Jung, 2015 syn. n. of C. wagneri Remane, 1950. Dorsal habitus photographs of the newly described or recorded species are presented along with figures of the genitalia of the new species. Keys to Korean genera and to species of Apolygus and Stenotus are provided. Zoogeography of the East Asian Mirini fauna is also discussed.

Infestation by invasive horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimić, permanently lowers the aesthetic and cultural value of horse-chestnut in Central Europe. In 2017-2018, in urban zones in the cities Parchovany and Strážske in the eastern part of Slovakia, we assessed the efficacy of systemic applications of TreeAzin^®, an azadirachtin-based product, in controlling Cameraria ohridella in trials in which it was microinjected into tree trunks. A total of 16 Aesculus hippocastanum trees were treated with 3 ml of TreeAzin^® per centimetre diameter at breast height [DBH] and another 17 were treated with 5 ml of the same product per centimetre at DBH, at two study plots. In total, 18 trees were left untreated as controls. In this field experiment, we confirmed significantly higher efficacy in the year of application and the following season. Statistically significant differences were found in the average leaf damage caused by C. ohridella, between treated (4.2-24.5% avg. leaf damage) and untreated trees (75.5-94.3% avg. leaf damage). At the end of the first growing season, 81.2-95.0% of the untreated control tree crowns were defoliated while defoliation of the treated trees was 19.2-31.6%. Both the 3 and 5 ml/cm doses were equally effective in terms of crown and leaf damage; no statistical differences were found in average leaf and crown damage between trees treated with doses of 3 ml/cm and 5 ml/cm. Similar results were also obtained the following year. Leaf damage of treated trees was 40.4-16.8% and of untreated trees 67.9%. Crown damage of treated trees was 49.7-59.8% and of untreated trees 78.8%. During the period of this study, the crowns of all the treated trees were statistically and visually healthier and fuller than those of untreated trees. Thus, the efficacy of this systemic insecticide in controlling C. ohridella in Europe is very promising and provides a suitable treatment for reducing the incidence of this invasive pest.

This study investigated the effectiveness of field releases of nymphs of Anthocoris nemoralis (F.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) in controlling the olive psyllid, Euphyllura olivina Costa (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Field trials were conducted in two successive years (2014 and 2015) in two organic olive orchards located in the region of Sfax (Tunisia) using two treatments: low (release of 10 A. nemoralis nymphs/tree) and high (release of 40 A. nemoralis nymphs/tree) applied two times, the first on March 3 and second on March 17. In both olive orchards, the high treatment was the most effective in controlling the increase of E. olivina in the spring. The A. nemoralis population grew gradually and reached a single peak towards the end of April. In control and low treatment plots, despite the significant increase in predator populations, psylla abundance was not controlled. After the second release, however, in high treatment plots a reduction in psyllid density was recorded. An expected effect of the A. nemoralis releases was a reduced parasitic activity of Psyllaephagus euphyllurae (Masi) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae).

This paper is the first attempt to resolve relationships among the Ceratocanthinae: Ceratocanthini pill scarab beetles using DNA sequences. It is focused on the Philharmostes group of seven Afrotropical genera: Baloghianestes (3 spp.), Callophilharmostes (1 sp.), Carinophilharmostes (1 sp.), Chaetophilharmostes (1 sp.), Cryptophilharmostes (3 spp.), Petrovitzostes (1 sp.) and Philharmostes (31 spp.). A phylogenetic analysis of 46 terminals and alignment of 2,913 bp from one mitochondrial and two nuclear fragments corroborates monophyly of this group, but rejects that of Philharmostes, the largest genus. The latter is paraphyletic with respect to at least four other smaller genera and consists of at least three distantly related clades. One of them, formed by Philharmostes ballerioi sp. n. from the Tanzanian Nguru (the type locality) and Kaguru Mountains, is sister to the rest of the entire Philharmostes group. The nominal genus Philharmostes is, therefore, a waste-basket taxon for accommodating members of this group that lack the distinct characters of the smaller genera. Pending further research, the phylogenetically inadequate generic taxonomy of the Philharmostes group is not modified. Molecular clock analysis estimates separation of the mitochondrial lineages of two known populations of the new species at about 2.2 Ma, which corresponds with recurring shrinkage and expansion of African rainforest caused by climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene. Adults of all nominal ingroup genera are illustrated along with male and female body parts of the new species. Diagnostic and/or synapomorphic morphological characters of the Philharmostes group of genera are revised. Habitus images and other supplementary information on all sequenced specimens are available online at dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS001 and dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS004.

Food webs are of crucial importance for understanding any ecosystem. The accuracy of food web and ecosystem models rests on the reliability of the information on the feeding habits of the species involved. Water boatmen (Corixoidea) is the most diverse superfamily of water bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha), frequently the most abundant group of insects in a variety of freshwater habitats worldwide. In spite of their high biomass, the importance of water boatmen in aquatic ecosystems is frequently underestimated. The diet and feeding habits of Corixoidea are unclear as published data are frequently contradictory. We summarise information on the feeding habits of this taxon, which exemplify the difficulties in evaluating published data on feeding habits in an invertebrate taxon. It is concluded that Corixoidea are, unlike other true bugs, capable of digesting solid food, but their feeding habits are still insufficiently known. The dominant feeding strategy in this taxon is zoophagy, but several species consume other foods, particularly algae and detritus. Only members of the subfamily Cymatiainae seem to be exclusively predators. In other subfamilies, the diet of different species and different sexes or populations of a single species may vary depending on the food available or is still unknown. We conclude, that a multi-method approach is needed to elucidate the feeding habits of aquatic insects and invertebrates in general.