The lycid genus Ochinoeus, Kubecek, Bray & Bocak, 2015 is reviewed. The genus originally contained four species, three of which are from China: O. hainanensis Kubecek, Bray & Bocak, 2015, O. habashanensis Kubecek, Bray & Bocak, 2015, and O. xunyanbaensis Kubecek, Bray & Bocak, 2015. In this study, three new species are described from China, including O. guangxiensis sp. n., O. yunnanus sp. n., and O. xizangensis sp. n. All of the Chinese Ochinoeus species are illustrated with macrophotographs of their habitus and aedeagi. In addition, a distribution map and identification key to males of all species of Ochinoeus are provided.

The true bug Oxycarenus lavaterae has spread northwards through Europe from the Mediterranean at the beginning of the 21st century. Temperature and photoperiod in particular countries are important for the prediction of further spread. The timing and conditions for the termination of winter diapause in Bulgarian and Czech populations of O. lavaterae were determined. The progress in diapause development in the Bulgarian population was monitored by changes in the duration of the pre-oviposition period under long day (18L : 6D) conditions, which decreased gradually from October to June from 98 to 10 days at 20°C and 62 to 9 days at 25°C. There was no change in the photoperiodic response around the winter solstice in December/January, as is recorded for many other temperate insects. Instead, most overwintering females of O. lavaterae transferred to the diapause-promoting short-day photoperiod (12L : 12D) at 25°C did not start to oviposit even though they lived up to one year. The percentage of females that oviposited under short day conditions gradually increased from December to May, but only reached approximately 50% at most. In the Czech Republic, the number of individuals observed resting in overwintering aggregations on tree trunks gradually decreased up to early June. This bug seems remain in diapause until lime trees flower and their seeds become available.

This study aimed to determine the diversity of species of predators attacking scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Serbia. Over a four-year period, at 25 locations and on 25 host plants infested with 16 species of Coccidae, a total of 18,050 predators were collected and reared. Among them, were 16 species belonging to 7 families and 5 insect orders (Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Neuroptera). Six species, Harmonia axyridis, Hippodamia variegata, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata, Forficula auricularia, Deraeocoris ruber and Oxycarenus lavaterae, were recorded for the first time feeding on coccid pests in Serbia and O. lavaterae was first recorded being zoophagous. The most common species was Exochomus quadripustulatus, which was recorded feeding on all 16 species of soft scale insects, while the dominant species was Anthribus nebulosus, with a total of 17,385 individuals collected and reared on five species of soft scale. Considering the potential of the predators as biocontrol agents for suppressing scale insects, the data obtained indicate the need to understand predator diversity, which is one of the prerequisites for using these predators for controlling coccid pests.

This study investigated the association of environmental factors with insect richness and nested patterns in the distribution of species of insects on small islands (northeastern Algeria). Insect species on eleven (11) islands were sampled using pitfall traps, sweep netting and a Japanese umbrella. To explain patterns in insect diversity on small islands, a generalized linear model (GLM) was used to determine the association of the overall richness and that of the dominant orders of insects with environmental variables (altitude, surface area, isolation, plant richness and number of habitats). To determine the nestedness pattern on these islands, the online interface NeD was used to measure total matrix nestedness. Of the variables measured, only plant richness was associated with variations in the overall species richness and that of the five dominant orders. The overall number of insects and that of the five dominant insect orders were significantly nested in all null models except the very restrictive FF model. Plant richness accounted for the nested structure of the overall number of insects and that of the five dominant orders (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera). Surface area was also important in the nested structure of overall number of insects and that of the order Lepidoptera. The nestedness of the overall number of insects and that of the five dominant orders of insects, however, did not result from passive sampling and selective colonization. The most effective way of conserving overall number of insects and that of the five dominant orders of insects on the Algerian islands studied is to protect their plant richness and to maximize the overall number of species and that of Lepidoptera on these islands, conservation should concentrate on the largest islands.

The two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, is polymorphic for elytral colour pattern. Whilst colour pattern polymorphism is complex, there are two predominant morphs: melanic and typical, which vary spatially in frequency. In the UK the melanic form has historically been most common in the industrialized North West of England. Evidence from industrial midland populations showed a decline in melanic frequency between 1960 and 1986 concordant with de-industrialization. We resampled the population of Merseyside in the North West of England, where the highest frequencies of melanic forms were historically observed, and compared our samples to data previously collected in 1962-1963. Data was consistent with a decline in frequency of melanics in the 60 year interval, but the melanic form was nevertheless still observed at around 30% frequency. We estimate the melanic allele has declined from 60-67% frequency to 13-18% frequency over the last 60 years, and that selection favouring the typical form has been of the order of 5-7% per generation. We note that selection against melanics in Wirral/Merseyside has been less strong than that observed in other Northern populations. We conclude that the decline in the melanic form is consistent with industrial thermal melanism as a primary factor driving melanism, but de-industrialization has not been sufficient to cause complete loss of the melanic allele in this location.

The multicoloured Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), is a widespread invasive ladybird. It is considered a top predator among the aphidophagous coccinellids in North America and Europe; thus, it is supposed to be free from predation pressure by other members of the guild. Our study aims to evaluate the stage-specific vulnerability of H. axyridis to intraguild predation (IGP) by the indigenous Coleomegilla maculata lengi Timberlake and the invasive Propylea quatuordecimpunctata Linnaeus. We hypothesised that (1) H. axyridis stages will be less susceptible to IGP than the two other species, (2) vulnerability to IGP will decrease with the age of the larvae and (3) vulnerability to IGP will increase with increased weight difference between intraguild predator (IGPredator) and intraguild prey (IGPrey). Eggs, 1^st and 2^nd instars of H. axyridis were susceptible to IGP by both C. maculata and P. quatuordecimpunctata adults and larvae, but less vulnerable than the other beetles when facing the same IGPredator. Vulnerability to IGP for the three species was reduced with increased age of larvae and with decreased weight difference. Overall, H. axyridis was less vulnerable to IGP than the two other species, but the results confirm the fact that the status of IGPrey or IGPredator of H. axyridis will be determined by the stages of both species during the interactions.

Estimating the spatial dispersion of pest arthropods is crucial for the development of reliable sampling programs and one of the main components of integrated pest management. The natural spatial distribution of a population of a species may be random, uniform, or aggregated and can be so classified based on calculation of variance to mean relations and related dispersion indices. In this work some classical density-invariant dispersion indices and related regression models are used for the first time to quantify the spatial dispersion of an important peach pest Anarsia lineatella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and construct fixed precision sequential sampling schemes. Taylor's power law, Iwao's patchiness regression and Nachman's model were used to analyse the damage to peaches caused by A. lineatella. All three regression models fit the data well, although the results indicate that Iwao's patchiness model provides a better description of the relationship between variance and mean density. Taylor's b and Iwao's b regression indices were both significantly smaller than 1, indicating that the distribution of individuals was uniform rather than random or aggregated. According to Green's and Kuno's models, the minimum sample size at the precision level of 0.2 varies from 3 samples, when total population density is more than 3 larvae/sample, to 10 samples, when population density is between 1 and 2 larvae/sample. Kuno's fixed sampling plan indicates that a small number of samples (i.e., 3-10 branches with fruit) is sufficient to estimate the mean population density of A. lineatella larvae with a precision of 0.2. The Resampling for validation of sampling plans (RVSP) method confirmed that the average level of precision of the fixed sequential plans matched the desired precision in most cases. The sampling plan presented here provides a level understanding of A. lineatella spatial ecology suitable for pest management decisions.

Rising concerns about the negative effects of chemical compounds in pest control have made it increasingly necessary to find new environmentally friendly compounds to combat insect pests. In recent years, the use of plant derivatives, such as, essential oils have proved very promising. Despite the many studies on essential oils, there are very few studies on the effect of these oils on induction of Heat shock proteins (HSPs) and antioxidant enzymes. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the exposure of insects to essential oils induce stress, which it is likely induces the production of heat shock proteins and antioxidant enzymes. Thus, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Clark (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was used as a model insect to study the lethal and sublethal effect of the fumigant toxicity of the essential oils extracted from the plants Thymus daenensis Celak and Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry indicated that thymol and carvacrol were the major component of T. daenensis and S. khuzistanica extracts, respectively. Exposing E. ceratoniae to sublethal doses of the essential oils (LC₃₀) and using RT-qPCR indicated that the expression levels of HSP70 and HSP90 were significantly increased. Activities of antioxidant enzymes including SOD, CA, POX, GST and the concentration of MDA increased following exposure to sublethal doses of both essential oils. These findings clearly show that in addition to the reported effects of essential oils, oxidative stress and induction of free radical production could be another mode of the action of essential oils on insects.

Harvester ants are known to be species that collect seeds of plants and store them in underground chambers. Workers forage solitarily or in groups, and the intensity of their foraging depends, among other things, on the rate of food intake. To evaluate the efficiency of foraging in response to food distribution, we studied the foraging rate on different distributions of seeds in three species of the genus Messor, M. barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767), M. marocanus Santschi, 1927 and M. sanctus Emery, 1921. Foraging rates were higher on more clumped seed distributions in all studied colonies. The number of foragers did not influence the foraging behavior of these colonies in response to seed distribution. Monitoring the foraging rate over time revealed that it remains stable for all three species, except for the initial and final stages of bait consumption. Additionally, M. marocanus collected seeds from several sources simultaneously, whereas the other two species collected seeds from one resource at a time.

In widely distributed insects, some life-history traits are conserved across the whole distribution range and are considered species-specific while other such traits differ geographically. This interplay of geographic variation and phenotypic conservatism is poorly understood even in relatively well-studied model species. Furthermore, a careful study may reveal that conventionally stable traits, such as the lower temperature threshold for development and the sum of degree-days, are both geographically variable and environmentally plastic. We studied how photoperiodic conditions and temperature jointly affect immature development, adult body size and wing polymorphism in two populations of the firebug from the opposite latitudinal margins of this species' range. All the three traits rarely clearly differ under short-day and long-day conditions or between north and south. Instead, we find prevalent temperature-by-photoperiod and temperature-by-origin interactions, which emphasize that it is not only the absolute values of these traits but the degree of their temperature-dependence, or thermal plasticity, that varies in time (in response to seasonal changes in day length) and in space (along latitudinal gradients). These results indicate that caution should be exercised when extrapolating any life-history traits in P. apterus beyond the season when and the location where these were measured. In particular, the use of a constant lower temperature threshold coupled with a constant sum of degree-days is likely to oversimplify the diversity of current and projected phenological patterns in this species.

Thrips palmi (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest of vegetables, ornamental plants and fruit crops. In addition to the direct damage caused by feeding, it transmits several tospoviruses. The absence of an in vitro assay system is a major bottleneck in investigating thrips-tospovirus interactions. The present study reports the establishment of a primary cell culture of T. palmi, which was initiated using embryonic tissue as an explant in modified Kimura's medium. Fibroblast-like cells began to be produced 3 h after tissue implantation and were the dominant cell type. They grew in size and number and covered most of the surface. This primary cell culture survived for 37 days providing sufficient time for analytical molecular studies on the replication of tospovirus and interactions with the vector components.

The regulation of the development of the male reproductive organs in insects is still an open question. Although the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, has been extensively examined, there is little information on the effects of phase and pheromones on the development of the male reproductive organs. This study clarified the association of these two factors with reproductive development (length or width of each organ) of the testis, testicular follicles, accessory glands, and seminal vesicles in this locust. The width of the follicles and width and length of the accessory gland mass are significantly associated with phase (solitary or gregarious). Developmen of all reproductive organs is age dependent as these organs developed in the adult stage. The development of follicles and accessory glands (width) in males in the first two weeks of adulthood was promoted by exposing them to pheromones from mature adults, but not from nymphs. These results indicate the incidence of male reproductive development is associated with phase and affected by pheromones.

Evans A.V. 2023: The Lives of Beetles: A Natural History of Coleoptera. Princeton University Press, Oxford, 288 pp. ISBN 978-0-691-23651-3. Price USD 35.00.

This review starts by comparing photoperiodic diapause with non-photoperiodic quiescence in four representative species, paying particular attention to overwintering in Drosophila melanogaster. In the second part it describes dormancy strategies of insects from the equator to the polar regions, addressing topics such as the role of the circadian system in photoperiodic time measurement, latitudinal clines in diapause-related traits, hourglass-like photoperiodic clocks based on dampening circadian oscillators, and the dormancy strategies of insects close to the equator or at high latitudes where seasonal changes in photoperiod are unreliable or absent.

The rich diversity of information focusing on pupal diapause in the sarcophagids makes this fly family among the best-understood diapause models. This review summarizes the occurrence of pupal diapause in flesh flies from broad geographic regions of the world, as well as the apparent absence of diapause in select regions. The environmental cues used for programming diapause are discussed, as well as the requirements for breaking diapause. This taxon has been used for experiments ranging from the ecological to the molecular and offers a comprehensive overview of the diapause phenotype. A wide range of diapause attributes define the diapause phenotype of flesh flies, offering insights into such features as clock mechanisms, signaling pathways, maternal regulation, energy utilization, cell cycle regulation, metabolic depression, cyclic metabolic activity, cold tolerance, water balance, and other attributes, generating a diapause profile that offers an attractive comparison for diapause in other insect species as well as with other forms of animal dormancy.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins that can transport water and small molecules across cell membranes in organisms. In a previous report, we identified an AQP (SlAQP1) gene of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. In the current study, we identify and characterize two more SlAQP genes and their developmental and tissues expression. Predicted amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that SlAQP2 is a glycerol channel belonging to the insect specific Eglp subfamily, whereas SlAQP3 is a water specific channel belonging to the Prip subfamily. SlAQP2 expression was detected mainly in the first four larval instars and adult males, whereas SlAQP3 was detected in all developmental stages. SlAQP2 gene expression was mainly detected in larval midgut and Malpighian tubules and adult male testes, whereas SlAQP3 was detected in all the tissues tested. RNAi mediated knockdown of each gene separately resulted in deleterious effects including larval and pupal mortality, deformed pupae and adults and prolonged development. Results were confirmed using qRT-PCR, which revealed downregulation of both genes after injection of larvae with gene specific dsRNA. Our results confirm the presence of Prip and Eglp AQPs in S. littoralis and suggest that Eglp has a role in male reproductive ability.

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) is a highly destructive and polyphagous insect pest of great economic importance. It develops throughout the year and the larvae are non-diapausing. Little work has been done on the time taken for food to pass through the gut of S. littoralis. Thus, this study on starving and well fed last instar larvae of S. littoralis aimed to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on the time taken for a meal to pass through the gut, defecation and digestion. The results indicate that it depended on temperature, photoperiod and hunger. The time that elapsed between a larva being fed and the production of the first faecal pellet, which is a measure of the time it takes for food pass to pass through the gut (SFP), differed significantly at different temperatures and photoperiods. The SFP was longer at 15°C than at 30°C. At 20°C and under a short photoperiod, SFP was very much shorter than under a long photoperiod (18L : 6D). In addition, at 20°C, the time to defecation was significantly longer under a photoperiod of 12L : 12D than under continuous light. In all the tests > 95% of the larvae produced four faecal pellets per meal. The digestibility values varied significantly in the different tests. This study offers new insights into the passage of food from the crop to the rectum at different temperatures and photoperiods. This might help in understanding the adaptability of S. littoralis and may also help in controlling this important pest.

Populations of herbivorous insects are considered to be primarily regulated by natural enemies. However, little is known about the ecological role of entomopathogenic fungi. There is very little data on the diversity and prevalence of fungal pathogens in natural insect populations. In this study, the percentage mortality attributable to fungal pathogens for the immature stages of three noctuid moths feeding inside the stems of the herbaceous plant, Typha latifolia, were determined. The average percentage mortality caused by fungal pathogens was around 8%, with the value never exceeding 20% at any of the studied sites. As many as ten species of fungi were identified in the 52 infected larvae/pupae collected, this high diversity is consistent with the results of comparable studies. The prevalence of fungal infections did not correlate with host population density or performance of the host insects. This study contributes to the emerging generalisation that populations of insects commonly harbour diverse assemblages of pathogenic fungi, but with low overall prevalence. A significant contribution of these antagonists to regulating insect populations is unlikely.

We compared the performance of three entomological LED lamps that differed in intensity and wavelength composition by using them to catch 2257 individuals of 161 species and 11 families of nocturnal Lepidoptera in two grassland habitats (dry grassland and orchard meadow). The study was carried out in June and July 2020 in the Jenzig conservation area (Jena, Germany, 50°56´12˝N, 11°37´37˝E). In each habitat, we sampled three microhabitats that were either exposed, moderately sheltered or sheltered. Data were analysed using generalized linear mixed models. A lamp with high radiant flux (LepiLED maxi: 1.34 W mixed radiation) attracted 37% more moths and 5% more species than a lamp with a lower radiant flux (LepiLED mini: 0.55 W mixed radiation). The maxi lamp also attracted 17% more moths and 6% more species than the same lamp with UV radiation only (LepiLED maxi switch UV mode: 0.59 W). However, the maxi lamp only performed significantly better in exposed microhabitats, whereas the UV lamp performed similarly in the sheltered and moderately sheltered sites. The number of individuals caught in the dry grassland habitat was greater than in the orchard meadow (1288 vs. 969), whereas the number of species was similar in both habitats (120 vs. 128). Higher numbers of individuals were caught in the moderately sheltered sites than in the sheltered and exposed sites (935 vs. 773 vs. 549). The same trend was seen in the number of species (119 vs. 113 vs. 110). The communities of moths caught by traps with different lamps were similar. We conclude that light-trapping is a robust method that delivers comparable results even when different lamps are used. The use of several weak lamps is more efficient and results in larger catches than the use of a single strong lamp.

Maps and models of the distributions of animals and plants are important for assessing their current and future status. Such models rely on information on the environment and occurrence of species. While data on the environment are often easily gathered that on the occurrence of species is often tedious and expensive to collect. An easy way to gather data on species occurrences is to use online platforms such as GBIF or iNaturalist, which rely on the public. This data can be used to produce maps and develop models of the distributions of various animals, such as ants. Even though there are a few in depth studies on the distributions of ant species, knowledge of the distribution and status of many species is lacking. One such species is the widespread ant Manica rubida, which is currently not included in the international Red List. Here, data on the occurrence of M. rubida recorded in online platforms, literature and collected during a field survey were used to develop a map of its distribution and a species model, in order to evaluate its current status. A total of 611 occurrences were found and indicate that this species mainly occurs in the European Alps and other Eurasian mountain ranges. Records of most occurrences were obtained from online platforms and the number increased significantly over the last two decades and indicate this species occurs over an altitudinal range of 3000 m. The species model revealed that there are potential areas of suitable habitat for M. rubida in the Pyrenees, European Uplands, Pindus Mountains, Balkan Mountains and Pontic mountains. Currently, M. rubida does not seem to be threatened by climate change, but it is recommended that the monitoring of its distribution should be continued. This study reveals that data from online platforms can provide the information necessary for developing species models, which can be used to assess the current status and estimate the potential effect of climate change on a species and plan conservation strategies.

The genus Chespiritos Marshall, 2000 (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae) is revised, including C. sindecimus Marshall, 2000, C. pervadens Roháček and Buck, 2003 and 19 new species. The following new species are described, keyed and placed in a morphological phylogeny: C. anguineus sp. n. from Bolivia, C. attenboroughi sp. n. from Argentina, C. balrogiformis sp. n. from Peru, C. bolanosi sp. n. from Mexico, C. calceus sp. n. from Peru, C. chicobrazos sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. coronatus sp. n. from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Trinidad, C. dolabratus sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. elephantus sp. n. from Ecuador and Peru, C. extendido sp. n. from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela, C. ganchopico sp. n. from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama and Tobago, C. gladiator sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. hojagrande sp. n. from Costa Rica and Mexico, C. jamaicensis sp. n. from Jamaica, C. lepustergum sp. n. from Costa Rica and Venezuela, C. metroidiformis sp. n. from Costa Rica, C. paraiso sp. n. from Dominican Republic, C. peckorum sp. n. from Ecuador, and C. ventrisetis sp. n. from Brazil, Costa Rica and Venezuela.

The number of records of Acrida ungarica in novel habitats and in places where the species was considered extinct, has markedly increased in recent years. We hypothesized that the newly revealed occurrences, on the northern margin of the species range, were not due to an increase in survey effort, but rather a result of the warming climate in the Carpathian Basin. We studied the occurrence data of Acrida ungarica and the intensity of Orthoptera surveys over the period of 2002-2022 in 1,840 6 × 5.5 km grid cells of the Central European Flora Mapping System. As background variables, we included macroclimatic data and the vegetation cover of the main potential habitats. The number of grid cells containing A. ungarica was significantly higher than the corresponding increase in cells surveyed for orthopterans and the presence of sand and salt steppe habitats, respectively. Furthermore, from 2012 to 2022, significant increasing trends were revealed in effective heat summation above 10°C in the summer months. That the increase in the known distribution of A. ungarica is unrelated to the rise in survey intensity indicates that the species distribution seems to be increasing, making it one of the winners from global warming. At the same time, regional rising levels of disturbance (highway networks, large fallow areas) can contribute to the successful horizontal expansion of a species related to open habitats and this species tolerance of disturbance.

Non-native species pose a threat to native organisms. When non-native and native species are closely related, the former can often competitively exclude the latter. Many studies have focused on competitive exclusion of native insect species by non-native eusocial hymenopterans, including ants, hornets, paper wasps and bees. Although solitary species of wasps have been introduced in many regions, few studies have investigated the effects of these insects on their native congeners. We investigated competitive interactions between native and non-native solitary wasps belonging to the same genus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Anterhynchium). Specifically, we compared resource use and natural enemies of the native Anterhynchium flavomarginatum and supposedly non-native A. gibbifrons at a forest edge in Takasago, Hyogo, Japan, in June-October 2019, using trap nests (bamboo canes). Of 950 bamboo canes, 70 (7.4%) and 50 (5.3%) were used as nests by A. flavomarginatum and A. gibbifrons, respectively. Anterhynchium flavomarginatum produced two generations over the period studied, whereas A. gibbifrons produced only one. Although A. gibbifrons began nesting two weeks after A. flavomarginatum, the nesting period of A. gibbifrons overlapped that of the first nesting period of A. flavomarginatum. Nest architecture and the inner diameter of the canes used by both species were similar, suggesting potential competition for nesting resources. Anterhynchium flavomarginatum used larvae of 14 species of moths (Lepidoptera: Crambidae, Pyralidae, Tortricidae) as food for their larval offspring, whereas A. gibbifrons used only a single species, Demobotys pervulgalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Prey species were exclusive to each wasp species, indicating no competition for this resource. Three parasitoid species, Macrosiagon nasutum (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), Amobia distorta (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and Megaselia sp. (Diptera: Phoridae), attacked both Anterhynchium species. The percentage parasitism by Amobia distorta was higher for the native A. flavomarginatum. Anterhynchium gibbifrons may indirectly affect A. flavomarginatum via shared parasitoids.

In this study, haemocytes present in Papilio hyperbius Linnaeus were identified and characterized. Six different types of haemocyte were recorded in the haemocoel of this species of insect: prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, spherulocytes, adipohaemocytes and oenocytoids. Of these the granulocytes were found to be responsible for cell-mediated immune responses such as phagocytosis. Granulocytes that were exposed to immunity inducers (carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex beads [CLBs] and Escherichia coli) had fan-like or pod-like structures on their cell membranes. The lysosomes in granulocytes were activated 2 h after injection with E. coli and after 12 h, all granulocytes exhibited highly activated lysosomes. After 24 and 48 h, the lysosome activity in granulocytes decreased. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that phagocytosis, which was mediated by granulocytes in the early hours of the E. coli infection, led to the formation of one phagosome for one E. coli within the cytosol. Moreover, as time passed, endosomes or lysosomes of different size developed. Subsequently, the phagosomes and lysosomes fused and E. coli were eliminated. After this series of immune responses, the nuclei of the granulocytes were indistinct and their cellular activity decreased. Hence, as old immune cells were replaced by new ones, active and healthy immune haemocytes were presumed to be maintained in the hemocoel.

To analyse the phylogenetic relationships of members of the family Erebidae, the mitogenomes of two species namely, Hypospila bolinoides Guenée, 1852 and Lygephila dorsigera (Walker, 1865) were sequenced. H. bolinoides and L. dorsigera have circular genomes that are 15,640 bp and 15,567 bp long, respectively. Despite their different lengths, both genomes contain an identical gene order, which includes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and an A+T-rich region. The nucleotide composition of the H. bolinoides mitogenome vis-à-vis the A+T rich region was 80.08%, which is higher than that of L. dorsigera (78.03%). The AT skew and GC skew were mostly negative for both species. The A+T-rich regions of H. bolinoides and L. dorsigera were 287 bp and 383 bp long, respectively, and confined to common characteristics of Noctuoidea. Concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs from 170 taxa belonging to the five families of the superfamily Noctuoidea and two butterfly mitogenomes used as outgroups were utilized for Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses. The first-ever comprehensive analysis of the mitogenomes of the genera Lygephila (Billberg, 1820) and Hypospila (Guenée, 1852) revealed that the superfamily Noctuoidea has a well supported monophyletic relationship with (Notodontidae + (Erebidae + (Nolidae + (Euteliidae + Noctuidae))). In support of previous partial genome analyses, the present study provides phylogenomic evidence that L. dorsigera, hitherto classified as a member of the subfamily Erebinae, can be placed within the subfamily Toxocampinae.

Geographic distribution of the European mantis, Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus, 1758) in Europe covers mostly southern and central Europe, but this species has recently shown a significant northward spread. First reports of M. religiosa in Lithuania were in 2008 and now these insects are distributed throughout this country. Information on the spread of M. religiosa in Lithuania between 2015 and 2020 are analysed in this paper. The spread of this insect in Lithuania and neighbouring countries can be related to changes in climate, in particular, the increase in average annual temperature and milder winters. Possible routes along which M. religiosa spread northwards based on an analysis of mtDNA sequences are presented.

The diversity in the Eumerus tricolor group, the largest group within the genus in Southeast Europe, is investigated. Two new, locally distributed species are described, E. crispus Vujić & Grković, sp. n. from Serbia and E. nigrorufus Grković & Vujić, sp. n. from Montenegro. In addition to Southeast European members, one related species E. arctus van Steenis, sp. n. is described from Switzerland. We designate lectotypes for E. ovatus Loew, 1848, E. tarsalis Loew, 1848, E. tricolor (Fabricius, 1798) and E. varius Meigen, 1822. A map of the distribution of members of the E. tricolor group in Southeast Europe is provided. In addition, records from other parts of Europe are listed and an illustrated identification key to the SE European species of the E. tricolor group provided. We also study and discuss the significance of small habitat patches for the preservation of species of Eumerus, because the three species described in this paper are currently known from such patches.

A new genus Amphignokachinia Brysz & Szwedo, gen. n. and species Amphignokachinia subversa Brysz & Szwedo, sp. n. of Achilidae (Hemiptera) planthoppers of the tribe Amphignomini are described. It is the second genus and first fossil representative of the tribe Amphignomini coming from the Cenomanian amber in Kachin State, Myanmar. Diagnosis of the tribe is revised and its position in respect of fossils in the family Achilidae is discussed.

The present study documents new records of winged insects collected from fragments of nests of the tropical fire ant Solenopsis virulens (Smith), using a trap, which is also described in detail. The emergence chamber consisted of a 5L opaque plastic container, a 50 ml transparent vial and a 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube. This trap captured 70 insects from 12 nests of Solenopsis virulens. They were classified into two orders, 13 families, 18 genera and 39 morphospecies. The most abundant order was Diptera, with nine families. The richest family was Cecidomyiidae, with 12 morphospecies, followed by Sciaridae with seven. Ceratopogonidae, Chironomidae, Chloropidae, Drosophilidae, Hybotidae, Phoridae and Psychodidae were also represented. Hymenoptera included a total of three families: Figitidae (Eucoilinae), Platygastridae (Scelioninae and Platygastrinae) and Diapriidae. Although the association of several genera (Diptera: 11/ Hymenoptera: 1) and families (Diptera: 1/ Hymenoptera: 1) with ant nests was recorded for the first time, it is likely that many of these insects are only fortuitous or temporary inquilines and not obligatory myrmecophiles. The trap described is also useful for catching insects that emerge from other substrates such as leaves, logs, galls, termite nests, etc. Furthermore, it could enable researchers to sample and further study important material in the laboratory and decrease the costs of sampling during field trips.

Ivo Hodek, who was well-known for his professional work on ladybirds (Coccinellidae) and insect ecophysiology, as well as a teacher or mentor of many entomologists, and the longest serving editor of the European Journal of Entomology died on June 11, 2021, shortly after his ninetieth birthday. Because of his important contribution to the development of European Journal of Entomology, the editorial board decided to dedicate a special virtual issue of the journal to his memory.