Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) is a characteristic Plusiinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species from the Western Hemisphere. The larva have already been found feeding on several different plant families, including economic value crops such as soybeans. This species coexists and can be confused with Rachiplusia nu (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in soybean crops. Furthermore, some studies indicate that C. includens shows tolerance to various insecticides, leading to differentiation among these two species to be most important in relation to control procedures to be undertaken. To contribute to the correct identification of C. includens we made detailed redescriptions of all preimaginal stages (egg, larva, and pupa). Immature stages of C. includens were reared in laboratory under controlled conditions of 27±2 °C, 70–75% relative humidity, and 14:10 (light/dark) photoperiod. We consider opportune detection of preimaginal stages of Chrysodeixis includens will help to control this pest species, especially at admissible economical levels.

The Pseudichnea complex involves the genera Ambitus, new genus, Ampleris, new genus, Sirpa, new genus, and Pseudichnea Schenkling. Ambitus includes one species, A. anticus Opitz, new species. Ampleris includes A. achira Opitz, new species, A. angustata Opitz, new species, A. cava Opitz, new species, A. orosi Opitz, new species, A. primitura Opitz, new species,A. rufocapilla Opitz, new species, and A. buenavista Opitz, new species.Pseudichnea includes P. acia Opitz, new species, P. arima Opitz, new species, P. eliminata Schenkling, and P. gracila Opitz, new species. Sirpa includes S. cauda Opitz, new species, S. flavoapiculis Opitz, new species, and S. skelleyi Opitz, new species. Morphological observations, particularly those based on mouthpart structure, suggest that these beetles are predatory. Their leg construction, especially development of the tarsal pads and ungues, suggest that they are lignicolous beetles that inhabit the woody components of arboreal vegetation, a niche in which they presumably pursue bark-beetle prey. Besides descriptions, this treatise includes a key to genera and species, 72 line drawings, eight electron micrographs, 16 habitus illustrations, and two distribution maps.

A growing body of evidence suggests trophic generalism (feeding on resources from more than one trophic level and/or on different resources of the same trophic level) is a widespread feature among ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, it remains unclear whether trophic generalism applies to single individuals, at the intrapopulation or interpopulation level. Here we present stable isotope data (δ15N, δ13C) of seven common European carabid species on an archipelago of 18 lake islands in northeastern Poland. We found strong differences in isotopic ratios between individuals of the same population as well as between different populations, indicating that carabids are opportunistic feeders and that the degree of opportunism differs between habitats and between islands. Trophic niche breadth as assessed by isotopic ratios was influenced by local habitat diversity. We suggest that opportunistic usage of different local resources results in striking differences between local populations and a very broad trophic niche observed at regional level.

Under laboratory and field conditions in Ontario, Canada, we explored the natural history of Phasgonophora sulcata Westwood (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), an indigenous solitary endoparasitoid of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in North America. Adult P. sulcata emergence was ~20.2–23.9 days after host emergence at 21°C, with P. sulcata females emerging an ~5.4–5.8 days before males. Females also represented 61.8 and 67.0% of emerging adults in the two years sampled. Mean adult longevities for males and females of P. sulcata were 23.8±1.10 and 28.9±1.11 days at 21°C, respectively. Mean potential fecundity of P. sulcata at emergence was 55.7±2.9 eggs per female. Based on adult emergence, parasitism at two sites varied from 11.7% to 34.4%. Adult parasitoids were first observed in the field in early June, with peak capture occurring in late June. Parasitism rates in A. planipennis-infested ash trees was not affected by tree height below 360 cm, whereas parasitism was not observed at heights>360 cm. Our results suggest that although mass rearing will be challenging, observed parasitism rates in conjunction with temporal and spatial synchrony indicate that indigenous P. sulcata may be an important source of mortality for A. planipennis populations.

In 1969, Robert E. Gregg collected five species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in three Subarctic localities near the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, which he documented in a 1972 publication in The Canadian Entomologist. To determine whether there have been any additions to the local fauna – as might be predicted to occur in response to a warming climate and increased traffic to the Port of Churchill in the intervening 40 years – we re-collected ants from the same localities in 2012. We identified the ants we collected from Gregg’s sampling sites using both traditional morphological preparations and DNA barcoding. In addition, we examined specimens from Gregg’s initial collection that are accessioned at the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago, Illinois, United States of America). Using this integrative approach we report seven species present at the same sites Gregg sampled 40 years earlier. We conclude that the apparent increase is likely not due to any arrivals from more southerly distributed ants, but to the increased resolution provided by DNA barcodes to resident species complexes with a complicated history. We provide a brief synopsis of these results and their taxonomic context.

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia Linnaeus; Elaeagnaceae) is an exotic shrub/tree that has become invasive in many riparian ecosystems throughout semi-arid, western North America, including southern British Columbia, Canada. Despite its prevalence and the potentially dramatic impacts it can have on riparian and aquatic ecosystems, little is known about the insect communities associated with Russian olive within its invaded range. At six sites throughout the Okanagan valley of southern British Columbia, Canada, we compared the diversity of insects associated with Russian olive plants to that of insects associated with two commonly co-occurring native plant species: Woods’ rose (Rosa woodsii Lindley; Rosaceae) and Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia (Nuttall) Nuttall ex Roemer; Rosaceae). Total abundance did not differ significantly among plant types. Family richness and Shannon diversity differed significantly between Woods’ rose and Saskatoon, but not between either of these plant types and Russian olive. An abundance of Thripidae (Thysanoptera) on Russian olive and Tingidae (Hemiptera) on Saskatoon contributed to significant compositional differences among plant types. The families Chloropidae (Diptera), Heleomyzidae (Diptera), and Gryllidae (Orthoptera) were uniquely associated with Russian olive, albeit in low abundances. Our study provides valuable and novel information about the diversity of insects associated with an emerging plant invader of western Canada.

To investigate natural enemies of emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in northeastern China, we conducted field surveys of ash (Fraxinus Linnaeus (Oleaceae)) trees in semi-natural forests and plantations at variable EAB densities from 2008 to 2013. Our surveys revealed a complex of natural enemies including eight hymenopteran parasitoids and two apparently parasitic Coleoptera, woodpeckers, and several undetermined mortality factors. Parasitoid complex abundance and its contribution to EAB mortality varied with the time of year, type of ash stands, and geographic regions. The egg parasitoid Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and the larval parasitoid Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were frequently observed in Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang provinces and in Beijing, but not in Tianjin. Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), however, was more prevalent near Beijing and further south in Tianjin. Larvae of two species of apparently parasitic beetle, Tenerus Laporte (Coleoptera: Cleridae) species and Xenoglena quadrisignata Mannerheim (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae), were also recovered attacking overwintering EAB in Liaoning Province, with Tenerus species being a dominant mortality agent (~13%). Our findings support the need to consider the geographic origin of insect natural enemies for EAB biocontrol, as well as an expanded foreign exploration for EAB natural enemies throughout its native range in Asia.

We evaluated the efficacy of fipronil baits in suppressing or eliminating field colonies of Microtermes mycophagus (Desneux) (Blattodea: Termitidae) an important subterranean termite pest in Pakistan. We tested two doses (10 and 30 ppm) of fipronil in toilet paper baits, chosen from laboratory repellency tests. We monitored four colonies for foraging activity for one month before baiting, and mapped foraging territories with termites marked with Nile Blue A and agonistic tests. Before the fipronil baits were installed there were averages of 782–1938 workers and soldiers per bait station in the four colonies. After baiting, the colonies were eliminated as there were no workers per bait station, whereas the control colony had an average of 1142 workers per bait station. The three possibly eliminated colonies consumed around 47 mg of fipronil formulation (4.7 mg active ingredient) in 45–90 days. Our results suggest that baits containing fipronil could provide an economical and feasible alternative for the management of M. mycophagus in structures and buildings in Pakistan.

Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is an efficient predator of the European red mite (ERM) (Panonychus ulmi (Koch); Acari: Tetranychidae) in Michigan, United States of America apple orchards and an important part of integrated pest management. Four reduced-risk insecticides (acetamiprid, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, and novaluron) and two conventional insecticides (esfenvalerate and carbaryl) were tested against N. fallacis for topical toxicity effects. Bioassays using a Potter spray tower were conducted to measure the topical toxicity of compounds when applied at field rate concentrations to N. fallacis. Lethal time was measured for adult N. fallacis at 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after treatment. Carbaryl and esfenvalerate showed the highest levels of toxicity to adult N. fallacis with shortest lethal time values (LT50) whereas the reduced risk insecticides novaluron, acetamiprid, spinetoram, and chlorantraniliprole were nontoxic. This study provides important information to apple growers regarding direct lethal effect of insecticides on predator mites and its implications to integrated mite management.

Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is causing extensive mortality of ash (Fraxinus Linnaeus; Oleaceae) in North America. Once detected in an area, resource managers require methods to obtain estimates that could improve management decisions. We studied the within-crown and within-branch distribution and abundance of A. planipennis feeding galleries by sampling 3-m-long branches from asymptomatic urban ash trees and subdividing each branch into 12 sections of 25 cm each. We found galleries in all 12 sections of some, but not all, branches. Section was a significant source of variation in A. planipennis gallery density/m2 of branch surface area. A comparison of predictive power and efficiency of estimates for samples of increasing length, and for samples of the same length but consisting of different combinations of sections, revealed that those based on the two basal 25-cm sections of a branch from the lower-crown or mid-crown of an asymptomatic tree were less accurate and precise than those based on more sections, but were the most cost effective. Whittling more sections per branch, irrespective of the combinations of branch sections per length, improved predictive power but reduced cost effectiveness. We also observed that crown level was not important, and aspect was only marginally so, when estimating gallery abundance per sampled branch.

We tested a potential new tool for marking Odonata larvae internally, evaluating the retention rates of injected coded-wire tags (CWT) and the effects of these tags on larval performance. Two species of dragonfly larvae (Epitheca canis McLachlan (Odonata: Corduliidae) and Leucorrhinia intacta Hagen (Odonata: Libellulidae)) were injected with CWT. Tag loss rates were assayed over experimental periods of 22 and 60 days, respectively for the two species. To assess whether tagging had negative effects on larvae, mortality, and growth of tagged larvae were compared to untagged larvae held in the same conditions. Tag retention rates were high (92–100%) and CWT were easily retrieved from preserved larvae via dissection, permitting most tagged larvae to be individually identified. There was 100% survival in larvae injected with CWT and tags do not appear to impair growth. The high retention and retrieval rates of this marking approach combined with no increase in mortality associated with tagging suggest that CWT are a useful means of individually labelling a large number of Odonata larvae in a time-efficient manner.