Effect of methyl salicylate on behavioral responses of insects in a forest park

Attractiveness of methyl salicylate to arthropods in natural populations was studied in a park reserve. During the observation period, representatives of several families of Diptera (the leaf-mining Agromyzidae, the predatory Hybotidae, Dolichopodidae and Empididae), parasitic micro-Hymenoptera (Mymaridae, Pteromalidae, Eulophidae, and Aphelinidae), and phytophagous bugs (Heteroptera) were recorded. Significant attractiveness of methyl salicylate to parasitic micro-Hymenoptera and dance flies (Empididae) was demonstrated. Our data confirm the possibility of attracting beneficial arthropods with methyl salicylate.     

The genus Hyalomma. VI. Systematics of H. (Euhyalomma) truncatum and the closely related species, H. (E.) albiparmatum and H. (E.) nitidum (Acari: Ixodidae)

The geographic distribution of three closely related Hyalomma species, namely Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) truncatum Koch, 1844, Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) albiparmatum Schulze, 1919 and Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) nitidum Schulze, 1919 is confined to Africa. A detailed comparison of all stages of development of the three taxa reveals that they possess many more shared than distinguishing characters. In fact differentiation between these species is based on single or dual qualitative characters on their adults. These are a conspicuous, ivory-coloured parma on H. (E.) albiparmatum males, and the absence or reduction in clarity of ivory-coloured bands on the leg segments of H. (E.) nitidum adults, as well as the shape of the external cuticular preatrial fold of the genital operculum of females of the latter species. The adults of all three species and the larva of H. (E.) truncatum are redescribed. The nymph of H. truncatum and the larva and nymph of H. (E.) albiparmatum and H. (E.) nitidum are described for the first time. Data on their geographic distributions and hosts are provided.     

Review of the genus Eusterinx Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) with descriptions of five new species from South Korea

South Korean species of the genus Eusterinx Förster are reviewed here. Nine species of the genus Eusterinx are found to occur in South Korea, and five species, Eusterinx (E.) elongata sp. nov. , E. (Holomeristus) hirtis sp. nov. , E. (Ischyracis) fulvipes sp. nov. , E. (I.) petiolata sp. nov. and E. (I.) rufithorax sp. nov. , are described. Four more species of Eusterinx from subgenera Divinatrix, Eusterinx and Holomeristus are recorded from South Korea for the first time. Hitherto, unknown male of the Eastern Palaearctic species E. (Divinatrix) kurilensis Humala is described. A key to all known species of the genus Eusterinx occurring in South Korea is provided.     

The phylogenetic relationships of flies in the superfamily Empidoidea (Insecta: Diptera)

We conducted a molecular phylogenetic study of the Empidoidea, a diverse group of 10,000 species of true flies, with two major goals: to reconstruct a taxonomically complete and robustly supported phylogeny for the group and to use this information to assess several competing classifications for the clade. We amassed 3900+ nucleotides of coding data from the carbamoylphosphate synthase domain of the rudimentary locus (CAD) and 1200+ nucleotides from the large nuclear ribosomal subunit (28S) from 72 and 71 species, respectively, representing several orthorrhaphan and cyclorrhaphan families and all previously recognized empidoidean subfamilies. Independent and combined phylogenetic analyses of these data were conducted using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian criteria. The combined matrix included 61 taxa for which both CAD and 28S sequences were obtained. Analyses of CAD first and second codon positions alone and when concatenated with 28S sequences yielded trees with similar and largely stable topologies. Analyses of 28S data alone supported many clades although resolution is limited by low sequence divergence. The following major empidoid clades were recovered with convincing support in a majority of analyses: Atelestidae, Empidoidea exclusive of Atelestidae, Hybotidae sensu lato, Dolichopodidae+Microphorinae (including Parathallassius), and Empididae sensu lato (including Brachystomatinae, Ceratomerinae, Clinocerinae, Empidinae, Hemerodromiinae, Oreogetoninae, and Trichopezinae). The branching arrangement among these four major clades was Atelestidae, Hybotidae, Dolichopodidae/Microphorinae, Empididae. Previously recognized subclades recovered with robust support included Hybotinae, Brachystomatinae, Tachydromiinae, Clinocerinae (in part), Hemerodromiinae, Empidinae, and Empidiini.     

A New Species of Dolichocephala,with a Key to the Species from China (Insecta: Diptera,Empididae)

Dolichocephala guangdongensis sp. n., a new aquatic dance fly (Diptera, Empididae), is described from Guangdong province in China. The relationships with its sister species are discussed. A key to the species of the genus Dolichocephala from China is presented.     

A New Species of Chelipoda Macquart,with a Key to the Species from China (Diptera: Empididae)

Chelipoda nigraristata sp. n., a new aquatic dance fly of the subfamily Hemerodromiinae (Diptera, Empididae) is described from China. Relationships with other described species are discussed. A key to the species of the genus Chelipoda from China is presented for the first time.     

A remarkable new Veturius (Veturius) of the Brazilian Central Amazonas,with an inventory of the genus in Brazil (Coleoptera: Passalidae)

A new species of Veturius (Veturius) Kaup, of Brazil, Central Amazonas, lower basin of Urucu, Tefé and Coari, is described and illustrated. V. urucuensis n. sp. belongs to the “cephalotes” species group, and has an external autapomorphy for the family Passalidae: a large tuft of setae on the medioposterior area of the metasternum. The species is closely allied to V. jolyi Boucher, 2006, from the Brazil-Venezuela-Guyana border. The peculiar endemism of the new species suggests an intra-continental island vicariance into the Amazon Basin. No similar process was known in the large genus Veturius. A complete inventory of the 22 Veturius species in Brazil is given, with their distribution, and following the previously established monophyletic species groups. From Brazil, two species are newly reported, V. (Ouayana) guyanensis Boucher, 2006 (Pará) and V. (O.) dominicae Boucher, 2006 (Roraima), and one species is confirmed, V. (O.) unicornis Gravely, 1918 (Amazonas). New details are given on some other Brazilian Veturius.     

Species of hypocrella

Summary Additional information is given from studies of types and authentic specimens for 25 species of Hypocrella.Stereocrea aurantiaca is transferred to Hypocrella asH. aurantiaca (Petch) comb. nov.,H. caulium is considered an invalid name andH. brasiliana (P. Henn.) comb. nov. is proposed. It is concluded thatH. sloaneae, H. nectroides, H. citrina, H. melaena, H. disjuncta andH. amazonica all are valid species.H. verruculosa is considered conspecific withH. phyllogena. H. fluminensis is a synonym ofH. epiphylla andH. guaranitica, H. spegazzini, H. orbicularis andH. cornuta are synonyms ofH. palmae. Similarities between several species of the eastern and western hemispheres are noted.Paper from the Herbarium and the Department of Botany, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.