A short-winged morph, whose occurrence is controlled by a simple recessive Mendelian unit, was recently discovered in Locusta migratoria. The existence of trade-offs between flight capability associated with wing length and other fitness-related traits are often documented for insects. The present study investigated the evolutionary significance of the short-winged and long-winged morphs of this locust using two laboratory strains showing wing dimorphism. The life-history traits examined included nymphal development, adult body weight, percentage adult survival, age at first reproduction, egg production and hatchling body weight. The results indicate that there are no consistent morph-specific differences in any of these traits. Of the several possibilities considered, the most likely is that the short-winged morph of this locust is an aberration or represents an initial stage in the evolution of this species.

There are no records of the pollinators of many orchids even though the Orchidaceae are often cited as the example of an intimate relationship between plants and their pollinators. We recorded the insects visiting the flowers of Sedirea japonica that might be pollinators of this species by using digital cameras to take photographs automatically of the flowers. Based on our evidence of pollinia being attached or removed from flowers, we conclude that Sedirea japonica can be pollinated by Bombus diversus diversus.

Specific associations between species frequently occur in ecological interactions. The aim of this study was to determine the preferences of anthomyiid flies of the genus Botanophila for particular species of fungi as sites for laying eggs and as food for both larvae and adults. The associations of their eggs, larvae and flies with the stromata of different species of Epichloë fungi infecting 7 species of grass in Poland were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy of the surface of their eggs and an analysis of the genetic sequences of their mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COII) were used to identify the taxa of the flies studied. Three types of eggs were distinguished based on their shape, colour and the presence of dorsal folds and sculpturing on the shells. Tentatively, these eggs were assigned to the following species: B. laterella, B. phrenione, B. dissecta and B. lobata. COII sequences obtained from larvae that hatched from two of the types of eggs formed three distinct clades associated with the reference sequences for Botanophila phrenione, B. lobata (new to the fauna of Poland) and a putative species, "Taxon 1". Only one of these flies (B. lobata) was restricted to a single species of Epichloë (E. bromicola on Elymus repens); B. phrenione was recorded mainly from E. typhina infecting three different species of grass. The results of this study confirm that there is not a close species specific association between this fungus and this insect.

Results of studies on prey suitability for generalist predators are important for efficient mass rearing and implementing Integrated Pest Management Programmes (IPM). The green lacewing, Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder), is a polyphagous natural enemy attacking several pests on various crops in China. We investigated the effect of feeding it different species of prey on its pre-imaginal development, survival, adult longevity and fecundity under laboratory conditions. The prey species tested were nymphs of Aphis glycines Matsumura, cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer, corn aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch and cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora Koch, and eggs of the rice grain moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainin. None of these species of prey affected the pre-imaginal survival or percentage survival of the eggs of the predator. However, eggs of C. cephalonica and nymphs of M. persicae and A. glycines were the best of the prey species tested, in that when fed on these species the pre-imaginal developmental period of C. sinica was shorter and its adult longevity, fecundity and percentage survival greater than when fed the other species of prey. In contrast, when fed nymphs of A. craccivora the pre-imaginal development period was longer, adult longevity shorter and fecundity lower. These findings could be helpful in defining more optimum conditions for the mass rearing of C. sinica for use in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes for various crops.

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

The scydmaenine tribe Eutheiini is recorded from Australia for the first time. Paraneseuthia carltoni sp. n. and P. booloumba sp. n. are described and illustrated, both from Queensland. In a parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis using adult morphological characters including genital features, the Australian species together with the Melanesian type species of Paraneseuthia Franz, P. peckorum Franz, were found to be more closely related to East Palearctic congeners than to most of the Paraneseuthia in the Sunda-Papuan area. The topology of the tree and biogeographic data suggest a Sundaland origin of this genus, with three major dispersal routes from a center located in present-day Sumatra: (i) north-eastern colonization of the Palearctic Far East, via a continental or island-arc route; (ii) south-eastern dispersal to East Australia; and (iii) eastern dispersal to Melanesia, possibly via the Quaternary Outer-Melanesian Arc. The important role of dispersal in the evolution of Paraneseuthia is supported by the presence of this genus on isolated volcanic islands, such as the southern Moluccas and Fiji, which were never connected to larger land masses.

The pattern of postglacial re-colonization of Europe and the present population structure are known for various plant and animal species. The reed beetle Macroplea mutica (Fabricius, 1792) has characteristics that should influence both aspects in a peculiar way and therefore complement the currently known scenarios: It is fully aquatic but cannot swim or fly. Samples from 25 European populations of M. mutica and five specimens from China were investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP, 251 loci). Assessment of error rates associated with this method showed that the data set contains a strong population genetic signal. As hypothesized pronounced population differentiation and signs of inbreeding were found. Italian populations are clearly differentiated from northern populations (and from each other), which underlines the role of the Alps as a major barrier. Specimens from Lake Balaton (Hungary) show some affiliation with the populations in the Baltic Sea, which are all relatively similar. Populations from the eastern part of Northern Germany are similar to the Baltic populations, while those from the western part are allied to the British populations. The hypothesis is that the recolonization of Europe was from both the Southeast and a western refugium in the area of present-day southern England or Ireland, which resulted in a suture zone in Northern Germany. The effect of passive dispersal by drift attached to host plant material (especially in the Baltic Sea) and by zoochory (migrating waterfowl) is discussed.

Larvae of Dendrolimus punctatus overwinter in diapause. In the Yangtze River Region, this species is multivoltine at altitudes below 400 m and univoltine above 700 m a.s.l. The photoperiodic response of the univoltine population, investigated at five day lengths (11.5, 12.5, 13.5, 14.5 and 15.5 h) at 27 + 1°C, indicates that D. punctatus is a long-day species. Diapause was induced in 95-100% of the individuals by three short photophases (11.5-13.5 h), while diapause incidence decreased steeply with increase in day length down to 10% at 15.5 h. The critical daylength (CDL = day length resulting in a 50% incidence of diapause) is 14.6 h. When induced by critical or longer photophases (14.5 and 15.5 h), diapause terminated spontaneously, without any change in photoperiod or temperature. Diapause induced at shorter photophases was more intense and not terminated without activation by diapause averting conditions. Larvae in diapause lived for up to 190 d when kept under a 11.5 h photophase during which they remained sensitive to the photoperiodic signal. In transfer experiments, diapause was terminated after an increase in photoperiod, even if it was within the range of diapause inducing photoperiods: from 11.5 h to 13.5 h. This study revealed that the univoltine hill dwelling population of D. punctatus undergoes a facultative diapause. Although potentially multivoltine they are univoltine because of the low temperatures at that altitude.

External and internal head structures and external structures of the thorax and abdomen of larval representatives of Melandryidae (Orchesia), Ulodidae (Meryx), Oedemeridae (Pseudolycus) and Pythidae (Pytho) are described. The obtained data were compared to characters of other tenebrionoid larvae and to larval characters of other representatives of Cucujiformia. Characters potentially relevant for phylogenetic reconstruction are listed and were analysed cladistically. The data set is characterised by a high degree of homoplasy and the resolution of the strict consensus trees of 2650 or 815 (second analysis) minimal length trees is low. The monophyly of Tenebrionoidea is supported by several larval autapomorphies, e.g. posteriorly diverging gula, anteriorly shifted posterior tentorial arms, asymmetric mandibles and the origin of several bundles of M. tentoriopharyngalis from the well-developed gular ridges. Several features of the larval head are plesiomorphic compared to the cleroid-cucujoid lineage. The interrelationships of most tenebrionoid families not belonging to the pythid-salpingid and anthicid-scraptiid groups were not resolved. Synchroidae were placed as sister group of a clade comprising these two lineages and Prostomidae. A sistergroup relationship between Trictenotomidae and Pythidae seems to be well supported and the monophyly of the anthicid-scraptiid lineage was also confirmed. Another potential clade comprises Prostomidae, Mycteridae and Boridae, and possibly Pyrochroidae (s.str.) and Inopeplinae. The monophyly of Salpingidae (incl. Othniinae and Inopelinae) and Pyrochroidae (incl. Pedilinae) was not supported. Many features such as the shape of the head and body, sutures and ridges of the head capsule, the endocarina, the mandibles, the maxillary apex, and also characters of the terminal abdominal apex are highly variable, even within families. Especially the families Tetratomidae, Melandryidae, Colydiidae and Zopheridae show a high degree of variation in the larval stages. Several taxa appear isolated in terms of larval morphology within the families they are assigned to, e.g. Orchesia within Melandryidae, Sphindocis (Sphindocinae) within Ciidae, Calopus (Calopinae) within Oedemeridae and Penthe (Penthinae) within Tetratomidae. A broader spectrum of characters and a stepwise approach will be needed for a reliable clarification of the relationships within a very complex group like Tenebrionoidea.

The phylogenetic relationships in the myrmicine ant genus Myrmecina were analyzed using 1,281 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene. Intermorphic queens observed in M. graminicola (Europe), M. nipponica (Japan), M. americana (North America; reported for the first time) and M. sp. A (Java) were reconstructed as an ancestral trait in this genus. Molecular-clock-based age estimates suggest that queen polymorphism evolved in Myrmecina at the latest during the Miocene. In terms of biogeographical regions, the inferred chronological order of divergence is: (oriental, (nearctic, (western palearctic, eastern palearctic))).

Many insect species attracted to fermenting sap often fight for access to this resource, which results in the establishment of interspecific dominance hierarchies. In one such system, the hornet Vespa mandarinia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) behaviourally dominates during the daytime and several subordinate species avoid aggressive interactions in various ways. In order to elucidate the interspecific variation in competitor-avoidance behaviour and its subsequent effect on foraging success, the behaviour of species of hornets, beetles and butterflies at patches (exudation spots) in Japan was recorded. The percentage of individuals that succeeded in visiting a patch following departure from one, or an attempted visit, or after waiting near a patch for >= 10 s, did not differ greatly among species, despite the distinctive differences in dominance between V. mandarinia and the other species. These results suggest that subordinate species may be equally effective at foraging for sap as the dominant species. The competitor-avoidance behaviour differed among the species. Vespa crabro and satyrine butterflies mainly avoided competition by actively moving away from competitors. The beetle Rhomborrhina japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) often remained close to an occupied patch and waited for the occupant to leave, whereas V. ducalis and nymphaline butterflies used both tactics. The different costs associated with fighting or flight may have determined the differences in the foraging tactics of the species studied and behavioural switching in those species utilising both tactics.

The decomposition of small carcasses in the open is frequently neglected although it may provide information of forensic importance. This paper describes an experimental study of arthropod species associated with carcasses of mouse, Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) (Rodentia: Muridae). Four carcasses were left inside iron cages in sunlit and shady areas in a secondary forest in Southeastern Brazil twice a season for four seasons (n = 16 carcasses of each rodent). The carcasses were removed when arthropods ceased to visit them. The visiting and colonizing invertebrates were collected daily and identified. Immatures were also collected and reared in a laboratory for identification. We collected 6,514 arthropods (820 adults and 5,694 juvenile forms) belonging to 53 species from the families Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Syrphidae, Richardiidae, Sepsidae, Micropezidae, Otitidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Dolichopodidae, Anthomyiidae, Asilidae and Lauxaniidae (Diptera), Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, Encyrtidae and Apidae (Hymenoptera), Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) and Gonyleptidae (Opiliones). Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans (Walker, 1861) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) deserve special attention because both adult and immature forms were collected in all seasons and in both areas. Our results indicate that the frequency of occurrence of these arthropods was positively associated with carcass size (mouse or rat); no marked insect succession on the carcasses occurred; and the diversity of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae was high, irrespective of season.

A complete profile of the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE) titer, development and endocrine events from 1^st instar to pupation of the larvae of non-diapause-destined (NDD) and diapause-destined (DD) tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was studied. Diapause is induced by short days of 11 hr photophase coupled with <= 24°C prevailing in September-November. Diapausing pupae produce adults in July (>= 12h light, >= 26°C) and one generation is completed by August. The growth rate during the course of development of larval instars decreases and instar durations are inversely related to the body weight at the time of initiation of a larval instar. A growth compensation mechanism operates during the development of the larval instars. The growth rate was higher in early instars (1^st to 4^th) in both generations. The DD larvae complete the final instar in 16 days followed by a spinning stage of 13 days. The NDD larvae complete the final larval instar in 9 days followed by spinning stage of 6 days and spend 14 days in the pupal stage. The signal to release the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) is related to critical body weight of larvae. From 1^st to 4^th instar, pre-ecdysial peaks of 20-HE were recorded in both NDD and DD generations. The programme for undergoing diapause was initiated during 3^rd instar and induced by a sudden decrease in the level of 20-HE in the DD generation. Two peaks of 20-HE are required for the larval-pupal transformation, first at the wandering stage and the second at cuticle formation.

Béthoux recently identified the species †Adiphlebia lacoana Scudder from the Carboniferous of Mazon Creek, Ill., USA as the oldest beetle. The fossils bear coriaceous tegmina with pseudo-veins allegedly aligned with "rows of cells" as they occur in Permian beetles and extant Archostemata. The examination of four new specimens of †Adiphlebia lacoana from the same locality revealed that the "cells" are in fact clumps of clay inside a delicate meshwork, and no derived features shared with Coleoptera or Coleopterida (= Coleoptera + Strepsiptera) were found. Instead, †Adiphlebia lacoana bears veinal fusions and braces similar to extant Neuroptera. These features support a placement in †Strephocladidae, and are also similar to conditions found in †Tococladidae. These unplaced basal holometabolan families were erroneously re-analyzed as ancestral Mantodea and Orthoptera. Homologization of the wing pairs in neopteran lineages is updated and identification errors are corrected. A new Permian beetle family †Moravocoleidae [†Protocoleoptera (= Permian Coleoptera with pointed unpaired ovipositor; e.g., †Tshekardocoleidae)] is described.

An Erratum has been published for this article: https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2013.027

The two species of the genus Stomaphis feeding on oak and birch, respectively, although morphologically similar, are considered to be separate species. However, the birch-feeding S. betulae Mamontova is considered to be a synonym of the oak and birch feeding S. quercus (L.) by some authors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the birch feeding and oak feeding populations attributed to S. quercus belong to the same species. The mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I (COXI) and II (COXII) were used to determine whether these two populations differ. There are no significant differences in these markers from oak and birch feeding individuals, indicating that these populations are conspecific. However, morphologically and ecologically distinct populations of Stomaphis were discovered feeding on oak. The molecular analysis confirmed that these populations are distinct, which resulted in the description of the new oak-feeding species, Stomaphis wojciechowskii Depa, sp. n. This new species previously remained unrecognized due to its very cryptic mode of life.

One new genus with two new fossil species, Pumilanthocoris gracilis gen. n. sp. n. and P. obesus gen. n. sp. n., which were found in the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, are described and illustrated. These are the earliest fossil records of Vetanthocoridae.

The genetic structure and phenotypic diversity of two populations of Cheilosia aff. longula (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Lapland, Finland, were examined using DNA sequencing, protein electrophoresis, and geometric morphometrics. The morphological identification of the species were verified using partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI mtDNA), and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed region 2 (ITS2 rDNA), and comparing the corresponding sequences of Cheilosia aff. longula and the closely related C. longula. Two and three haplotypes of the genes COI mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA were identified in the two populations. Analysis of 12 isozyme loci showed an extremely low genetic variability in the populations originating from Utsjoki and Kevo. Discriminant analysis combined with canonical variate analysis revealed inter-population divergence in wing shape. Variation among genetically diverse individuals, both within- and among studied populations was studied, and directional (DA) and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) estimated using landmarks in the framework of geometric morphometrics. It is likely that the documented DA and FA asymmetry in both wing shape and size reflects the developmental instability of the individuals studied. By using Procrustes ANOVA the locations of particular landmarks responsible for the variation in shape were determined. The decomposition of the components of variance accorded to each landmark showed that the landmarks differed in the percentage of variation they accounted for (DA, FA and variation among individuals). In the discussion the implications of the reduced genetic diversity and asymmetry in wing traits for conservation is considered.

Studies on the effect of varying light intensity on the spatial distribution of flying insect communities are rare, particularly in complex ecosystems like forests. The horizontal and vertical distribution of Heteroptera was studied at different scales in a large deciduous forest area, the "Steigerwald", in southern Germany. Diversity was affected by (1) vertical position: it was significantly higher near the ground than in the canopy of beech-dominated forests but similar in oak-dominated forests; within the canopy of beech-dominated forests, diversity was significantly higher in the upper than in the lower canopy of intermixed oak trees but similar in beech trees; (2) canopy cover, but in oak forests the response depended on the vertical position: increasing significantly close to the forest floor with decreasing canopy cover, but showing an opposite trend in the canopy; so that in sparse stands (little canopy cover) diversity was significantly higher near the ground, whereas where the forest canopy was medium or dense diversity was higher in the canopy. Moreover, community composition of Heteroptera near the ground differed from that in the canopy in both forest types and near the ground between stands in oak-dominated forest that had canopies of different densities. Results clearly indicate that light intensity is an important direct or indirect factor structuring Heteroptera communities. While in the canopy differences in leaf quality and microhabitats might be important, near the forest floor it is more likely to be the diversity of herbaceous plants.

Southern-African Longitarsus capensis species-group, which is closely related to the Mediterranean anchusae species-group is revised. L. capensis species-group includes 15 species, 8 of which are new to science: Longitarsus capensis Baly, 1877, L. cedarbergensis Biondi, 1999, L. luctuosus Biondi, 1999, L. lugubris Biondi, 1999, L. melanicus Biondi, 1999, L. neseri Biondi, 1999, L. transvaalensis Biondi, 1999, L. afromeridionalis sp.n., L. debiasei sp.n., L. grobbelaariae sp.n., L. hexrivierbergensis sp.n., L. malherbei sp.n., L. piketbergensis sp.n., L. rouxi sp.n., and L. sudafricanus sp.n. A key to all the species is presented as well as line drawings of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of some diagnostic morphological characters, and auto-ecological and zoogeographical data. Relationships within the capensis-group, and between the anchusae and capensis-group are better defined and hypotheses explaining the separate distributions of Mediterranean and south African anchusae and capensis species-groups proposed. Finally, the host-plant shift from native Lobostemon spp. to the introduced plant Echium plantagineum L. shown by some species of the capensis group is also discussed.

The efficacy of natural enemies in controlling pests under field conditions is largely correlated with their capacity to spread within infested crops. In this study the spatial dispersal of the California red scale parasitoid Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was evaluated in the field after augmentative releases. The experiment was conducted in 2007 in six 1-ha plots in a Sicilian citrus orchard under integrated pest management. A total of 180,000 A. melinus adults was released in each of three plots and the other plots were left as untreated control. The flight range of the parasitoid was evaluated, for 35 days after the release, on 16 trees per each plot, located at 20 and 40 m from the central release point using yellow sticky traps activated with Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) sexual pheromone and by monitoring the percentage parasitism of the scale on fruits and twigs. The effects of the distance from the release point and density of susceptible stages of host on parasitoid dispersal were evaluated. The number of wasps captured during the whole trial was greater in the traps located 20 m from the release point than in those at 40 m and in the control plots. Aphytis melinus dispersed over distances less than 40 m based on both the lower percentage parasitism and numbers captured recorded at distances of 40 m. The results are discussed in the context of the biological control of California red scale in citrus orchards by means of wasp releases. In particular, the release points should be no more than 40 m apart for a quick and homogeneous colonization of the area treated.

The use of light traps for controlling insect pests is restricted since they kill both pests and beneficial insects. It may be a possible to reduce the numbers of beneficial insects trapped by adjusting nightly trapping time based on differences recorded in the timing of the nocturnal flight peaks of target pests and beneficials. To test this, insects were collected hourly over night using black light traps at three locations in China from 2003 to 2005. Groups of lepidopteran and coleopteran pests were selected as the target pests that we would control by trapping and groups of beneficial predatory insects the catches of which needed to be reduced. The highest numbers of Coleoptera were caught between 20:00 and 22:00 h and of most Lepidoptera between 02:00 and 04:00 h. The hourly numbers of predatory insects caught by light traps were evenly distributed throughout the night. A model was developed to describe the relationships between the cumulative proportions of insects caught and time of night. The model accurately describes the flight activity of insects that were mainly caught before midnight, after midnight and evenly throughout a night by using different parameters for the three different insect groups. A beneficial-friendly trapping strategy was developed to reduce the numbers of beneficial insects trapped, which was based on differences in the nocturnal flight activity of pests and beneficial insects and validated by a field study in Shandong province. Results show that this trapping strategy reduced the number of beneficial insects caught by 46% and the electricity consumption by 50% compared to the traditional strategy. Thus this strategy is more beneficial-friendly than the traditional trapping strategy for controlling pests.

Jendek E. & Grebennikov V.: Agrilus (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) of East Asia. Jan Farkač, Prague, 2011, 362 pp. ISBN 978-80-903590-6-2 (HB). Price EUR 120.00.

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

The aim of this study was to characterize karyotypes of central European spiders of the genera Arctosa, Tricca, and Xerolycosa (Lycosidae) with respect to the diploid chromosome number, chromosome morphology, and sex chromosomes. Karyotype data are reported for eleven species, six of them for the first time. For selected species the pattern in the distributions of the constitutive heterochromatin and the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) was determined. The silver staining technique for detecting NORs of lycosid spiders was standardized. The male karyotype consisted of 2n = 28 (Arctosa and Tricca) or 2n = 22 (Xerolycosa) acrocentric chromosomes. The sex chromosome system was X₁X₂0 in all species. The sex chromosomes of T. lutetiana and X. nemoralis showed unusual behaviour during late diplotene, namely temporary extension due to decondensation. C-banding technique revealed a small amount of constitutive heterochromatin at the centromeric region of the chromosomes. Two pairs of autosomes bore terminal NORs. Differences in karyotypes among Arctosa species indicate that the evolution of the karyotype in this genus involved autosome translocations and size changes in the sex chromosomes. Based on published results and those recorded in this study it is suggested that the ancestral male karyotype of the superfamily Lycosoidea consisted of 28 acrocentric chromosomes.

The theory of life history evolution generally predicts a negative across-environment correlation between development time and size at maturity in response to variations in environmental quality. Deviations from this pattern occur under specific circumstances. In particular, organisms may mature both early and at a small size when (1) some ultimate change (e.g. time constraint, resource exhaustion) in the environment precludes further growth, or (2) when there are predictable among-environment differences in mortality rates. The first scenario is frequently documented in insects but evidence for the second possibility is scarce. Here we report a crowding-induced plastic response resulting in a clear positive across-environment correlation between final weight and development time in a geometrid moth. The response was apparent during the entire larval period and in the last larval instar. Crowding also led to increased growth rates. As outbreaks have not been reported for this species it is unlikely that early pupation is a response to anticipated food shortage. Instead, we suggest that crowded larvae may perceive a higher risk of predation, perhaps because they are unable to distinguish conspecifics from potential predators. A possibility for a plastic increase in growth rate implies that the uncrowded larvae grow at submaximal rates, which indicates a cost of high growth rate.

In this study we examine the relationship between the Lunar Phases and the efficiency of light traps in catching winter moth (Operophthera brumata Linnaeus, 1758). Our calculations are based on data collected by the Hungarian Forestry Light Trap Network at four sites from 1961 to 2008. We also tried to estimate the influence of polarized moonlight and collecting distance, which also depends on moonlight. Our investigations revealed that the catches were the greatest in the First and the Last Quarters, and the lowest at Full Moon. The reason for this is that the proportion of polarized moonlight in the different lunar quarters varies, with the catches highest when the proportion is greatest. Collecting distance has only a minor role.

Currently it remains difficult to obtain robust microsatellite markers for Lepidoptera. In an attempt to overcome the problems associated with developing microsatellite markers for this insect order we combined (i) biotin-enrichment protocol, (ii) next generation pyrosequencing (through 454 GS-FLX Titanium technology) and (iii) the use of individuals collected from eight geographically distant European populations representing three subspecies of Euphydryas aurinia. Out of 96 stringently designed primer pairs, 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci amplified without obvious evidence of null alleles in eight individuals from different subspecies. Between five and seven of these loci showed full within population applicability and three revealed to be robust and transferable between populations and sub-species, providing a first step towards the development of a valuable and robust tool for studying conservation issues and evolution in E. aurinia populations. Nevertheless, as in most studies dealing with Lepidoptera microsatellites, null alleles were detected in most of the developed markers. Our results emphasize the need for further research in order to better understand the complex evolution and organization of Lepidopteran genomes.

The aim of this review is to explain the functional significance of mantis peering behaviour from an entomological perspective. First the morphological and optical features of the mantis compound eye that are important for spatial vision are described. The possibility that praying-mantises use binocular retinal disparity (stereopsis) and other alternative visual cues for determining distance in prey capture, are discussed. The primary focus of the review is the importance of peering movements for estimating the distance to stationary objects. Here the following aspects are examined: (1) Direct evidence via object manipulation experiments of absolute distance estimation with the aid of self-induced retinal image motion; (2) the mechanism of absolute distance estimation (with the interaction of visual and proprioceptive information); (3) the range of absolute and relative distance estimation; (4) the influence of target object features on distance estimation; and (5) the relationship between peering behaviour and habitat structures, based on results of studies on three species of mantis.

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

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