Cephalidiosus: A replacement name for Stenotrachelus (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

Cephalidiosus is proposed as a replacement name for Stenotrachelus Guilbert, a genus of Tingidae from New Caledonia. New combinations are Cephalidiosus megapharsus (Guilbert) and Cephalidiosus mesopharsus (Guilbert).     

中国长头网蝽属记述（半翅目:网蝽科）

记述中国分布的长头网蝽属昆虫5种,其中包括1新种,鄂长头网蝽Cantacader hubeianus sp.nov., 2个中国新纪录种,日本长头网蝽 C. japanicus Drake, 1947和五脊长头网蝽 C. quinquecostatus (Fieber, 1844)。给出了长头网蝽属中国种类检索表和23幅形态图。模式标本保存于南开大学昆虫标本室。     

Interpopulation variation of hibernal-aestival-diapause in the egg parasitoid wasp Anagrus takeyanus: adaptation to seasonal host-plant alternation of the tingid host, Stephanitis takeyai

The egg parasitoid wasp, Anagrus takeyanus Gordh & Dunbar (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), is one of the few natural enemies of the andromeda lace bug, Stephanitis takeyai Drake & Maa (Heteroptera: Tingidae). Studying this wasp in two habitats, I found that at Kyoto, where the bug alternates its host plants seasonally, most wasp individuals in the overwintering eggs of the bug entered summer diapause immediately after winter diapause. However, at Nara, where the bug does not alternate its host plant, the wasp proved to have no summer diapause. Changes in the parasitization rate between generations differed at the two study sites. In Kyoto, the overwintered generation suffered the highest parasitism among the three generations of the year. In contrast, the first and second generations suffered higher parasitization rates in Nara. This difference in level of parasitization between the two study sites corresponded to the different diapause regime of the wasp and the seasonal population trends of the lace bug. Laboratory experiments showed that short photoperiod in combination with low temperature could terminate the long diapause at the time the non-aestivating individuals terminate winter diapause. As a life cycle without host plant alternation is likely to be an ancestral character of the bug, the aestivation of the wasp is thought to have been appended to overwintering as an adaptation to the evolution of seasonal host plant alternation in the lace bug.     

Assessing the risks of releasing a sap-sucking lace bug, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gargaphia decoris</Emphasis>, against the invasive tree <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum mauritianum</Emphasis> in New Zealand

The South American tree Solanum mauritianum Scopoli (Solanaceae), a major environmental weed in South Africa and New Zealand, has been targeted for biological control, with releases of agents restricted to South Africa. The leaf-sucking lace bug, Gargaphia decoris Drake (Tingidae), so far the only agent released, has become established in South Africa with recent reports of severe damage at a few field sites. To evaluate the insect’s suitability for release in New Zealand, host-specificity testing was carried out in South Africa in laboratory and open-field trials, with selected cultivated and native species of Solanum from New Zealand. No-choice tests confirmed the results of earlier trials that none of the three native New Zealand Solanum species are acceptable as hosts. Although the cultivated Solanum muricatum Aiton and S. quitoense Lam. also proved unacceptable as hosts, some cultivars of S. melongena L. (eggplant) supported feeding, development and oviposition in the no-choice tests. Although eggplant was routinely accepted under laboratory no-choice conditions in this and previous studies, observations in the native and introduced range of G. decoris, open-field trials and risk assessment based on multiple measures of insect performance indicate that the insect has a host range restricted to S. mauritianum. These results strongly support the proposed release of G. decoris in New Zealand because risks to non-target native and cultivated Solanum species appear to be negligible. An application for permission to release G. decoris in New Zealand will be submitted to the regulatory authority. Handling editor: John Scott.     

中国GALEATUS属群记述(半翅目,网蝽科)

Galeatus属群(=Péricart(1983)的"Galeatus-Hyalochiton"属群)在中国有4个属,即南网蝽属AconchusHorváth、贝肩网蝽属Dulinius Distant、贝脊网蝽属Galeatus Curtis和明网蝽属Habrochila Horváth.描述贝脊网蝽属1新种:高冠贝脊网蝽,新种Galeatus trevius Li,sp.nov;系统记述Galeatus属群的中国种类4属10种,即:广南网蝽Aconchus urbanus(Horváth)、北贝肩网蝽Dulinius conchatus Distant、短贝脊网蝽Galeatus affinis(Herrich-Schaeffer)、长贝脊网蝽Galeatus spinifrons(Fallén)、膜贝脊网蝽Galeatusinermis(Jakovlev)、闽贝脊网蝽Galeatus scitulus Drake and Maa、瘤贝脊网蝽Galeatus clara Drake和华明网蝽Habrochila chinensis Drake;描述了4个属的属征、研究历史与分类概况,详细列举了检视标本、寄主和各个种的分布,同时提供了Galeatus属分种检索表和8幅形态图.     

Fitness conflicts and the costs of sociality in communal egg layers: a theoretical model and empirical tests

Individuals within complex social groups often experience reduced reproduction owing to coercive or suppressive actions of other group members. However, the nature of social and ecological environments that favour individual acceptance of such costs of sociality is not well understood. Taxa with short periods of direct social interaction, such as some communal egg layers, are interesting models for study of the cost of social interaction because opportunities to control reproduction of others are limited to brief periods of reproduction. To understand the conditions under which communal egg layers are in fitness conflict and thus likely to influence each other's reproduction, we develop an optimality model involving a brood guarding 'host' and a nonguarding disperser, or 'egg dumper'. The model shows that when, where intermediate-sized broods have highest survival, lifetime inclusive fitnesses of hosts and dumpers are often optimized with different numbers of dumped eggs. We hypothesize that resolution of this conflict may involve attempts by one party to manipulate the other's reproduction. To test model predictions we used a lace bug (Heteroptera: Tingidae) that shows both hosts and egg dumpers as well as increased offspring survival in response to communal egg laying. We found that egg-dumping lace bugs oviposit a number of eggs that very closely matches predicted fitness optimum for hosts rather than predicted optimum of dumpers. This result suggests that dumpers pay a social cost for communal egg laying, a cost that may occur through host suppression of dumper reproduction. Although dumper allocation of eggs is thus sub-optimal for dumpers, previous models show that the decision to egg dump is nevertheless evolutionarily stable, possibly because hosts permit just enough dumper oviposition to encourage commitment to the behaviour.     

Biology, host specificity and risk assessment ofGargaphia decoris, the first agent to bereleased in South Africa for the biological control ofthe invasive tree Solanum mauritianum

The South American tree Solanummauritianum is a major environmental weed in thehigh-rainfall regions of South Africa and has beentargeted for biological control since 1984. Althoughhost ranges of imported agents determined duringquarantine tests have resulted in the rejection ofeight of the 11 candidate agents tested so far, theleaf-sucking lace bug Gargaphia decoris,imported from Argentina in 1995, displayed anacceptably narrow host range in captivity. No-choicetests showed that G. decoris is confined to Solanum species and cannot survive on solanaceouscrops outside that genus. Although these tests alsoindicated that G. decoris colonies could surviveand reproduce on cultivated eggplant (aubergine) andat least five native South African Solanumspecies, all but one native species proved to beinferior hosts in terms of adult survival andoviposition potential. During paired choice andmultichoice tests in small and larger cagesrespectively, G. decoris displayed very strongfeeding and oviposition preferences for S. mauritianum. Analyses of the risk of attack onnon-target Solanum plants revealed that, withone possible exception, none were likely to suffermore than incidental damage in the field. Host recordsfrom South America have also indicated that G. decoris has not been recorded on any Solanumspecies other than S. mauritianum, providingfurther evidence of its host specificity. The resultsof this study were accepted by the regulatoryauthorities and in February 1999, G. decorisbecame the first agent to be released in South Africafor the biological control of S. mauritianum.     

中国宽翅网蝽属及一新种记述(半翅目:网蝽科)

记述我国宽翅网蝽属昆虫2种,即华宽翅网蝽Lepturga chinai Takeya, 1962和吉隆宽翅网蝽Lepturga gyirongensis Li, sp. nov.。分析了宽翅网蝽属与广翅网蝽属的共有特征和差异。模式标本保存于北京中国科学院动物研究所。     

七刺网蝽族一新属一新种（半翅目：网蝽科）

记述七刺网蝽族一新属、新种Jingicoris yunanensis gen. Nov. et sp. Nov.。模式标本保存于南开大学昆虫标本室。