The pregenital abdominal musculature in phasmids and its implications for the basal phylogeny of Phasmatodea (Insecta: Polyneoptera)

Recently several conflicting hypotheses concerning the basal phylogenetic relationships within the Phasmatodea (stick and leaf insects) have emerged. In previous studies, musculature of the abdomen proved to be quite informative for identifying basal taxa among Phasmatodea and led to conclusions regarding the basal splitting events within the group. However, this character complex was not studied thoroughly for a representative number of species, and usually muscle innervation was omitted. In the present study the musculature and nerve topography of mid-abdominal segments in both sexes of seven phasmid species are described and compared in detail for the first time including all putative basal taxa, e.g. members of Timema, Agathemera, Phylliinae, Aschiphasmatinae and Heteropteryginae. The ground pattern of the muscle and nerve arrangement of mid-abdominal segments, i.e. of those not modified due to association with the thorax or genitalia, is reconstructed. In Timema, the inner ventral longitudinal muscles are present, whereas they are lost in all remaining Phasmatodea (Euphasmatodea). The ventral longitudinal muscles in the abdomen of Agathemera, which span the whole length of each segment, do not represent the plesiomorphic condition as previously assumed, but might be a result of secondary elongation of the external ventral longitudinal muscles. Sexual dimorphism, common within the Phasmatodea, also applies to the muscle arrangement in the abdomen of some species. Only in the females of Haaniella dehaanii (Heteropteryginae) and Phyllium celebicum (Phylliinae) the ventral external longitudinal muscles are elongated and span the length of the whole segment, possibly as a result of convergent evolution.     

中国南方害虫生物防治50周年回顾

综述了中国南方50年来害虫生物防治的研究与应用概况,特别是大卵（蓖麻蚕卵）繁殖赤眼蜂防治甘蔗螟虫的成功先例,为后来国内应用柞蚕卵繁殖赤眼蜂提供了宝贵经验。应用平腹小蜂防治荔枝蝽,解决了荔枝生产的主要害虫问题;引进澳洲瓢虫、孟氏隐唇瓢虫、松突圆蚧花角蚜小蜂均是我国生物防治成功的例证;以生物防治为主的水稻害虫综合防治研究坚持了20多年,从生产实践和理论方面均取得显著的成绩;在昆虫病原微生物的研究与应用方面,利用苏云金杆菌以色列变种防治蚊虫、松毛虫质多角体病毒的发现和应用、斜纹夜蛾核多角体病毒的分离以及中试和工厂化生产、昆虫病原线虫的大量繁殖与应用,取得了一批有应用价值的成果;在分子生物学研究方面,利用基因重组扩大了病原微生物的毒力与杀虫谱。总结和继承我国乃至世界上最早的以虫治虫（黄蚁防治柑桔害虫）的经验,对促进我国生物防治事业的发展具有重要意义。     

Giant stick insects reveal unique ontogenetic changes in biological attachment devices

A strong modification of tarsal and pretarsal attachment pads during the postembryonic development is described for the first time. In the exceptionally large thorny devil stick insect Eurycantha calcarata a functional arolium is only present in the immature instars, enabling them to climb on smooth surfaces, especially leaves. Nymphs are also characterized by greyish and hairy euplantulae on tarsomeres 1–4. The gradual modifications of the arolium and the euplantula of tarsomere 5 in the nymphal development are probably mainly related to increased weight. The distinct switch in the life style between the leaf-dwelling nymphal stages and the ground-dwelling adults results in the final abrupt change of the adhesive devices, resulting in a far-reaching reduction of the arolium, the presence of a fully-developed, elongated euplantula on tarsomere 5, and white and smooth euplantulae on tarsomeres 1–4. The developmental remodelling of attachment pads also reflects a phylogenetic pattern. The attachment devices of the earlier instars are similar to those found in the basalmost lineage of extant stick insects, Timema, which is characterized by a very large pan-shaped arolium and a hairy surface of the tarsal and pretarsal attachment pads.     

Comparative phylogenetic analysis reveals long‐term isolation of lineages on the Three Kings Islands,New Zealand

We have used comparative phylogenetic analysis to infer the age and biogeographical origins of the Three Kings Islands insect fauna, an archipelago only 56 km off the northern tip of New Zealand. We densely sampled six insect lineages (five Coleoptera, Brachynopus latus, Brachynopus scutellaris, Tarphiomimus spp., Epistranus lawsoni, and Syrphetodes spp., and one Phasmatodea, Pseudoclitarchus sentus) throughout New Zealand and sequenced mitochondrial DNA to assess phylogenetic relationships and determine ages of haplotype lineages on the Three Kings Islands. We recovered two biogeographical patterns. The first pattern was seen in three taxa, B. latus, Syrphetodes spp., and E. lawsoni, which had sister group relationships between the Three Kings and the adjacent North Cape region at the very northern tip of New Zealand. The second pattern, inferred in P. sentus, B. scutellaris, and Tarphiomimus spp., was where Three Kings lineages had sister groups that were widespread throughout most or all of New Zealand. The divergence dates, estimated using a range of previously estimated substitution rates, ranged from as old as 24 Mya in B. scutellaris to as young as 2.24 Mya in Tarphiomimus. These results are consistent with continual emergent land on the Three Kings Ridge since at least the Miocene and a lack of land connections between the Three Kings Islands and mainland New Zealand during Pleistocene sea‐level lowering. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 108 , 361–377.     

The Trichoptera,Caddisflies, of Venezuela: Three New Species and Records of Atopsyche Banks (Hydrobiosidae)

Three new species of Atopsyche (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from Venezuela are described, Atopsyche (Atopsyche) allani, Atopsyche (Atopsyche) rinconi, and Atopsyche (Atopsaura) segninii, bringing to 23 the number of species in the genus known from the country. New records are presented for additional species.     

中国长角枝(螩)亚科一新属及五新种((螩)目,笛(螩)科)

记述中国长角枝(螩)亚科1新属及5新种:微翅股(螩) Lopaphus micropterus sp.nov.,广东玛异(螩) Marmessoidea guangdongensis sp.nov.,树椿拟管(螩)Pseudosipyloidea shuchuni gen.et sp.nov.,大明山拟管(螩) Pseudosipyloidea damingshanensis gen.et sp.nov.及刺突臀(螩) Scionecra spinosa sp.nov..新种模式标本存放于上海昆虫博物馆及香港昆虫学会.     

云南高黎贡山目昆虫五新种及污色无翅刺雄性的发现(目:异科,科)

记述云南高黎贡山目异科和科5个新种,即刺胸阿异Aruanoidea notata,sp.nov.,高山短肛Baculum altissimum,sp.nov.,光亮拟短肛Parabaculum laevigatum,sp.nov.,双角刺Cnipsomorpha biangulatus,sp.nov.,黑缘介Interphasma marginatum,sp.nov.,并且首次记述了污色无翅刺Cnipsomorpha colorantis(Chen et He)的雄性。模式标本分别存放于北京林业大学与中国林业科学研究院昆虫标本馆。     

三种华枝断肢再生的研究

目(竹节虫目)的昆虫具有很强的断肢再生能力。该文通过对华枝属(Sinophasma spp)三种昆虫的实验,表明其再生能力与断肢发生的时间及数量有关。断肢1只或2只的1～4龄虫体发育至成虫期或至若虫末龄时,其再生足的长度与相应的正常足长度相近。若在5龄初时断肢1～2只,也具有再生能力,但至成虫期其再生足的长度则短于相对应的正常足。若在6龄及成虫时断肢,则无再生能力（若6龄时出现断肢再生,则若虫期多为7龄）。实验结果还表明,若断肢为3只或3只以上,则虫体不能存活,且多在断肢后2～3 d内死亡。观察中尚发现,再生足生长速度明显高于正常足。而且,断肢的龄期越高,再生足生长速度越快。再生足的伸长生长与正常足一样,均出现于虫体蜕皮时。     

越南华枝属一新种(目:异科)

记述了华枝属 Ｓｉｎｏｐｈａｓｍ ａ Ｇüｎｔｈｅｒ 一新种越北华枝 Ｓｉｎｏｐｈａｓｍ ａ ｖｉｅｔｎａ ｍｅｎｓｅ 新种。描述了新种的外部形态特征, 并与近似种比较区别, 附主要特征图     

External macro- and micromorphology of the male of the stick insect Hermarchus leytensis (Insecta: Phasmatodea) with phylogenetic considerations

External morphological features of adult males are described in the stick insect Hermarchus leytensis from the Philippines, a species belonging to the little-known euphasmatodean lineage Stephanacridini. Mouthparts are characterized by some likely specialized features: (1) a dentate dorsal cutting edge on the mandibles; (2) distinct differences in size and shape between the galeae; (3) absence of an apical field of trichomes on the galeae; and (4) lacinial setae not protruding from the mesal margin, which features three bearing-like protuberances. The latter character state represents a very unusual condition, not known in other phasmatodeans or even in polyneopteran insects. A distinctive characteristic of attachment devices is that each euplantula is divided into two separated pads with a smooth microstructure, as it also occurs in some members of the clade Schizodecema. Male terminalia exhibit character states previously unknown in Stephanacridini, including (1) a symmetrical type of vomer and (2) claspers equipped with ∼70 very minute ventral teeth on each thorn pad. Potential implications for the systematic placement of H. leytensis are discussed. The results also underline the importance of microanatomical investigations as source of substantial characters for future analyses on phasmatodean systematics.