Annales de la Societe entomologique de France (N.S.)

Gavrilović, Bojan; Furtula, Danilo; Milosavljević, Marija; Tabaković-Tošić, Mara

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2360720pmid: N/A

Summary The oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832), is a widespread invasive species infesting various oaks in Europe and Asia. In this observational study, we explored phenology and investigated seasonal population dynamics of C. arcuata on four oak species native to Europe and widespread in Serbia. It was found that the species has three generations in Serbia. There was a population peak in July and high abundance was maintained in August and September. Leaf damage, the total number of eggs laid and insects collected varied greatly between the different oak species and the feeding preference of C. arcuata for certain oak species we studied was not clear. The sex ratio of the oak lace bug was predominantly female-biased. Five successive phases could be distinguished in the population dynamics of C. arcuata, following the annual sequence of species development. It was suggested that the different exposure of a tree to the sun influences the aggregation patterns of insects in the canopy.

Peng, Ancheng; Engel, Michael S.; Boderau, Mathieu; Zhuo, De; Nel, André

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2365382pmid: N/A

Summary Fossils of the early-diverging neodermapteran families Diplatyidae and Haplodiplatyidae are rare, and for the latter have confined to a single Miocene occurrence. Here we report a new genus and species of haplodiplatyid earwig in mid-Cretaceous amber from southern Asia. Zeugmadiplatys cheni n. gen., n. sp. shares many features with extant Haplodiplatys Hincks, 1955, especially the simple, dentiform metaparameres of the male genitalia, but differs notably in the development of the compound eyes, antennae, abdominal tergites and sternites, and ventrally flattened cercal forceps with weakly crenulate to serrate mesal margins. The discovery of the new fossil extends the fossil record of Haplodiplatyidae by approximately 80 million years and provides a crucial calibration point for divergence-time estimates in the diversification of Neodermaptera.

Haddad, Najat; Mrabti, Imane; Douaik, Ahmed; Thompson, Vinton; Afechtal, Mohamed; Streito, Jean Claude; Benkirane, Rachid; Smaili, Moulay Chrif

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2364963pmid: N/A

Summary The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa presents a potential risk to the Moroccan flora, particularly for the citrus, olive, almond and grapevine industries. Philaenus tesselatus, the meadow spittlebug, is the most important Moroccan spittlebug, though recorded with uneven occurrence and considered to be the main potential insect vector of X. fastidiosa. A three-year field survey (2019 to 2021) was conducted at three sites in the provinces of Larache and Kenitra in northwestern Morocco, to study seasonal abundance, phenology and host-plant colonization by nymphs. Philaenus tesselatus is a univoltine species. Nymphs occurred in groundcover from end of mid-March to mid-May, with abundance peaking between end of March and mid-May. Emergence of teneral adults occurred between April and May, depending on the year. Adults were present on ground vegetation from March until early August, with the highest abundances surveyed by sweep net in April, and occurred in canopy in low abundance between the end of May and mid-September, depending on site. Both nymphal and adult abundances were significantly higher in Larache than at the other two sites. Philaenus tesselatus, the meadow spittlebug, is a polyphagous species, recorded on nine botanical families of host plant species including Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Polygonaceae, Apiaceae, Primulaceae, Urticaceae, Papaveraceae and Malvaceae, and 37 host plant species, of which 29 were identified. The Asteraceae were best represented. Carduus pycnocephalus, Vulpia geniculata, Anthoxanthum odoratum and Cistus salviifolius were the most suitable for this spittlebug. Avena barbata, L. foemina, Scolymus hispanicus and S. oleraceus were dominant in the herbaceous layer. Philaenus tesselatus preferred to feed on the mid-section of the host plants. A single foam can host zero to five individuals, but foams with one or two nymphs were most frequent. Implications of our findings for the setting up of a survey program to control X. fastidiosa and its vectors in case the bacterium is introduced to Morocco are discussed.

Santos-Silva, Antonio; Pérez-Flores, Oscar

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2369610pmid: N/A

Summary Seven new species of Hyperplatys Haldeman, 1847 are described: H. bolivari n. sp., H. carinatus n. sp., H. c-fasciatum n. sp., H. nigromaculatus n. sp., and H. y-maculatum n. sp., all from Bolivia; H. zaragozai n. sp., from Mexico (Veracruz); H. auriantus n. sp., from Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul), Argentina and Paraguay. Hyperplatys kawensis Roguet, 2022 is newly recorded from Brazil (Pará).

Pham, Phong Huy; Nguyen, Anh Thi Tu; González, Jorge M.; Matthews, Robert W.

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2368186pmid: N/A

Summary In this study, we determined the total developmental time of Melittobia sosui Dahms from the egg to the emergence of imagoes being 12.7–30 days for males and 14.7–34.6 days for macropterous females. Its developmental time depended on the laboratory temperature and humidity. Based on tests of the developmental time through 23 months from 2019 to 2021 and field-collected data, it is concluded that Melittobia sosui is active throughout year except for its pupal diapause lasting 2–3 weeks during the winter. The average life cycle was 23 ± 7.5 days. Males did not feed after emerging and lived from 6.5 to 8.2 days. Females feeding on host hemolymph had a life span from 29.2 to 42.2 days depending on the room temperature and humidity. The number of offspring produced depended on the host quality and varied from 65.6 to 145.4 individuals per foundress. Related to host weights, Melittobia sosui held an offspring clutch size of about 2.6 individuals per mg of Chalybion malignum (Kohl) and about 1.6 individuals per mg of Chalybion bengalense (Dahlbom) and of Sceliphron madraspatanum kohli Sickmann (three, Sphecidae). Regardless of the laboratory temperature and relative humidity, but depending on the host quality (different hosts), the sex ratio varied from 0.96 to 0.98, the average female-dimorphism ratio was 0.99 ± 0.01 and the mean developmental mortality rate of pupa was 0.92 ± 1.78%. Our findings provide a better understanding of the biology and ecology of Melittobia sosui and contribute to devising suitable control measures for the species.

Kasalo, Niko; Skejo, Josip

doi: 10.1080/00379271.2024.2366405pmid: N/A

Summary Eastern Australia is a rich biodiversity hotspot that had continuous rainforest cover during the existence of Gondwana but which today is quite fragmented. A large part of Australian rainforest biodiversity remains undescribed. In this study, we present the results of our examination of a part of the Queensland Museum Tetrigidae collection. We describe two new tribes: Echopraxiini n. trib. and Quasimodini n. trib.; three new genera: Echopraxia n. gen. (Echopraxiini), Quasimodo n. gen., and Seraph n. gen. (both Quasimodini); and 11 new species: Echopraxia cooki n. sp., E. hasenpuschi n. sp., Peraxelpa bogdanovici n. sp., P. oankali n. sp., P. subedi n. sp., P. thompsoni n. sp., P. wrightae n. sp., Quasimodo janetzkae n. sp., Q. kochae n. sp., Q. yeatesi n. sp., and Seraph maestus n. sp. These taxa cannot be satisfyingly classified in the higher taxonomy due to the unclear placement of the key Cladonotinae genera, namely Cladonotus, Trusmaditetrix, Gestroana and Potua. Both tribes are left without subfamilial classification until Cladonotinae can be thoroughly revised.