EJE, vol. 116 (2019)
Local adaptation at fine spatial scale through chromosomal inversions and mito-nuclear epistasis: Findings in Drosophila subobscura (Diptera: Drosophilidae)Original article
Marija SAVIÆ VESELINOVIÆ, Zorana KURBALIJA NOVIÈIÆ, Bojan KENIG, Mihailo JELIÆ, Aleksandra PATENKOVIÆ, Marija TANASKOVIÆ, Cino PERTOLDI, Marina STAMENKOVIÆ-RADAK, Marko ANDJELKOVIÆ
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 492-503, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.051 
To explore local adaptation in wild populations at a fine spatial scale we characterized the genetic variability of eight closely located populations of Drosophila subobscura and its associations with microhabitat environmental conditions. Three different genetic markers were assessed: chromosomal inversions, a SNP of mitochondrial ND5 gene and nuclear microsatellites. Population genetic analyses of chromosomal variability revealed significant genetic differentiation between these populations. Gene arrangement frequencies on the E chromosome contributed most to these differences. We also investigated role of mito-nuclear epistasis in...
Methods for retaining well-preserved DNA with dried specimens of insectsOriginal article
Naoyuki NAKAHAMA, Yuji ISAGI, Motomi ITO
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 486-491, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.050
Dried specimens of insects are increasingly seen as genetic resources. However, genetic analysis of dried specimens of insects is hampered by the deterioration of the DNA. In this study, we developed methods for preparing dried specimens of insects with well-preserved DNA, mainly for PCR-based genetic analysis. First, we compared the effects of either exposure to ethyl acetate vapour for from 10 min to 6 h or by freezing on the fragmentation of DNA in order to determine optimal length of time needed for killing insects using the above methods. Second, we compared the fragmentation of DNA after preservation by drying or immersion of legs in 99.5% ethanol...
Effects of the juvenile hormone mimic NC-184 on the development of the reproductive organs and mating behaviour of nymphs of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)Original article
Satoshi HIROYOSHI, Elizabeth KOKWARO, Sai METTUPALLI, Takayuki MITSUNAGA, Shigemi YAGI, Gadi V.P. REDDY
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 477-485, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.049
The insect growth regulator NC-184, a juvenile hormone mimic, prevents moulting to the adult stage in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Male nymphs treated in the penultimate or final nymphal instar with NC-184 exhibit precocious mating behaviour in the final instar. We examined whether this chemical affects the development of the internal reproductive organs of crowded nymphs. In treated males, both accessory glands and seminal vesicles were underdeveloped, and no sperm was found in the seminal vesicle, whereas these organs in control individuals had greatly increased in size 10 days after treatment,...
Sexual differences in the morphology and movement of a butterfly: Good shape does not make good dispersersOriginal article
Elisabeth REIM, Fee WIDDERICH, Klaus FISCHER
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 468-476, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.048
Movements are involved in several routine processes and may scale up to important ecological processes such as dispersal. However, movement is affected by a wealth of factors including flight capacity and behavioural traits. Both frequently differ in the sexes, which may well affect movement. We here aim to disentangle the relative importance of sexual differences in flight capacity versus behaviour on small-scale movements under controlled laboratory conditions in the temperate-zone butterfly Lycaena tityrus. The morphology of males is typically associated with increased flight capacity in this species. Nevertheless, the flight performances...
Diversity of ant assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an urban environment in Cameroon during and after colonization of the area by Wasmannia auropunctataOriginal article
Paul Serge MBENOUN MASSE, Maurice TINDO, Champlain DJIÉTO-LORDON, Ruth MONY, Martin KENNE
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 461-467, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.047
Invasive species disrupt the organization and functioning of many ant communities. Little is known about ant assemblages formerly in areas invaded by the little fire ant. In this study, we surveyed the same areas and compared the ant communities there when an invasive species first colonized the areas and 10 years later, using the same methodology (quadrat and baiting). A total of 83,299 worker ants from 17 species or morphospecies, in 4 subfamilies and 10 genera were recorded in the two periods sampled. Seven ant species were found to co-occur with W. auropunctata while 12 species were collected in the same area 10 years later, with no W....
The entomofauna on Eucalyptus in Israel: A reviewReview
Zvi MENDEL, Alex PROTASOV
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 450-460, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.046
The first successful Eucalyptus stands were planted in Israel in 1884. This tree genus, particularly E. camaldulensis, now covers approximately 11,000 ha and constitutes nearly 4% of all planted ornamental trees. Here we review and discuss the information available about indigenous and invasive species of insects that develop on Eucalyptus trees in Israel and the natural enemies of specific exotic insects of this tree. Sixty-two phytophagous species are recorded on this tree of which approximately 60% are indigenous. The largest group are the sap feeders, including both indigenous and invasive species, which are mostly found on...
Differences in the niches of keratin/chitin feeding moths (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) in bird nests in central JapanOriginal article
Hiroaki SATO, Yoshitsugu NASU, Shiro MURAHAMA, Hiroyuki MATSUMURO, Keisuke UEDA
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 442-449, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.045
Some moth larvae feed not on plants but on keratin and/or chitin produced by animals. These substances are polymers and are commonly found in bird nests as feathers and raptor pellets. Many qualitative studies have examined the association of keratin/chitin feeding moths with bird nests. However, few studies have quantified the species composition with respect to type of nest and habitat. Hence, we have studied the degree to which the niches of these moths differ in terms of type of nest and habitat. We set-up open-top nest boxes for the Ural owl Strix uralensis (damp exposed nests from which owl chicks were fledged successfully) and artificial...
High-diversity microbiomes in the guts of bryophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Byrrhidae)Original article
Petr PYSZKO, Martin ©IGUT, Martin KOSTOVÈÍK, Pavel DROZD, Jiøí HULCR
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 432-441, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.044
The diversity and role of the gut microbiota of insects is a rapidly growing field of entomology, primarily fueled by new metagenomic techniques. Whereas endosymbionts in the guts of xylophagous or herbivorous insects are well studied, the microbiomes in moss-eating (bryophagous) insects remain uncharacterized. Using the Illumina MiSeq platform, we determined the composition of microbiomes in the gut, abdomen and on the body surface of two bryophagous species: Simplocaria semistriata (Fabricius, 1794) and Curimopsis paleata (Erichson, 1846) (Coleoptera: Byrrhidae). Gut microbiomes differed substantially from abdominal microbiomes in the...
Sampling of flower-visiting insects: Poor correspondence between the catches of colour pan-trap and sweep nettingOriginal article
Hilda-Linn BERGLUND, Per MILBERG
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 425-431, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.043
Pollinating insects are important and therefore, it is important to be able to assess and monitor changes in their abundance. Consequently, it is essential that the methods used to collect data have some level of precision and are accurate. In the present study, two commonly used methods: colour pan-traps and sweep netting along transects, were compared. A total of 1775 specimens of 120 species of four insect families were caught in twelve clear-cuts in southern Sweden. Overall, Lepturinae (Cerambycidae; 5 species) and Cetoniidae (Scarabaeidae; 2) were trapped in larger numbers by pan-traps and Syrphidae (62) and Apoidea, both social (10) and solitary...
Current and predicted distribution of the rare and threatened beetle Bolbelasmus (Bolbelasmus) unicornis (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) in SerbiaOriginal article
Sreæko ÆURÈIÆ, Dragan PAVIÆEVIÆ, Dejan RADOVIÆ, Nikola VESOVIÆ, Rostislav BEKCHIEV, Nina ÆURÈIÆ, Borislav GUÉORGUIEV
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 413-424, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.042
Bolbelasmus (Bolbelasmus) unicornis (Schrank, 1789) (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) is a rare and threatened beetle distributed mostly in Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. As a species of special conservation significance it is included in Annexes II and IV of the Habitat Directive of the European Union. Several new records of this species documented using light traps and soil sampling were recently reported in Serbia (the central part of the Balkan Peninsula). In this paper we present and discuss the current distribution of this species in the region studied based on GIS occurrence data. The distribution is mapped and values of...
Screening for stable internal reference genes for quantitative PCR analysis of Wolbachia-host interactions in whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)Original article
Xin-Chao LIU, Zheng-Xi LI
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 402, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.041
Stable reference genes (RGs) determine the reliability of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses and it is recommended that different reference genes are used for different types of DNA and tissues. The present study aimed to screen for stable RGs for the qPCR analysis of the immune responses of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci to the Wolbachia wMel strain from Drosophila melanogaster. A total of eight candidate RGs were evaluated using five different methods, i.e., Coefficient of Variation analysis, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt. The stability of these RGs was assessed for both genomic DNA (gDNA) and complementary...
Oviposition preference and olfactory response of Diaphania indica (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to volatiles of uninfested and infested cucurbitaceous host plantsOriginal article
Amin MOGHBELI GHARAEI, Mahdi ZIAADDINI, Mohammad Amin JALALI, Brigitte FREROT
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 392-401, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.040
The cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest of cucurbitaceous plants. The oviposition preference and olfactory response of larvae, mated and unmated male and female adults to volatiles emanating from uninfested and infested plants of four species of cucurbitaceous host plants and odours of conspecifics were recorded. Also the role of experience in the host finding behaviour of D. indica was evaluated. The experiments were done using a wind tunnel, olfactometer attraction assays and oviposition bioassays. The results reveal that fewer eggs were laid on infested plants than on uninfested plants....
Identification and expression patterns of chemosensory proteins in the black-back prominent moth, Clostera restitura (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)Original article
Hui LI, Tianzi GU, Changyu CHEN, Kairu HUANG, Ruixu CHEN, Dejun HAO
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 372-391, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.039
Insects have evolved highly specific and sensitive olfactory sensory systems to detect plant hosts and mates. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play an important role in this process, but in this respect there is limited information on Clostera restitura, one of the most destructive defoliators of poplars in China. In the present study, we first identified seven candidate CSPs in C. restitura. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that these candidate proteins possessed typical characteristics of the insect CSP family and were similar to those of other Lepidoptera. These genes were expressed in different developmental stages...
Laboratory breeding of Korynetes caeruleus (Coleoptera: Cleridae) for the biological control of Anobium punctatum (Coleoptera: Ptinidae)Original article
Tilo HAUSTEIN, Sabine BUSWEILER, Vera HAUSTEIN, Claudia von LAAR, Rudy PLARRE
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 362-371, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.038
Larvae and adults of Korynetes caeruleus (de Geer 1775) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) were collected from old churches and reared in the laboratory on Anobium punctatum (de Geer 1774) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae). Breeding success of K. caeruleus was low, but basic parameters of this species' developmental cycle were identified. At 21°C and 75% relative humidity and a four-month cold period at 4°C, the development of K. caeruleus from egg to adult appearance lasted 2 years. The pupal stage may be reached and completed after one and a half years. Feeding on larvae of A. punctatum by larvae of K. caeruleus was observed and...
A review of taxonomy and flower-breeding ecology of the Colocasiomyia toshiokai species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with description of a new species from IndonesiaOriginal article
Tao SHI, Masanori J. TODA, Kohei Takenaka TAKANO, Masako YAFUSO, Awit SUWITO, Sin Yeng WONG, Su-Qin SHANG, Jian-Jun GAO
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 341-361, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.037
Flies of the Colocasiomyia toshiokai species group depend exclusively on inflorescences/infructescences of the aroid tribe Homalomeneae. The taxonomy and reproductive biology of this group is reviewed on the basis of data and samples collected from Southeast Asia. The species boundaries are determined by combining morphological analyses and molecular species delimitation based on sequences of the mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene. For the phylogenetic classification within this species group, a cladistic analysis of all the member species is conducted based on 29 parsimony-informative, morphological characters....
Camarochiloides weiweii gen. n. & sp. n., the first representative of Pachynomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from BorneoOriginal article
Zhuo CHEN, Yingqi LIU, Hu LI, Wanzhi CAI
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 330-340, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.036
The family Pachynomidae is recorded from Borneo as well as Southeast Asia for the first time. Camarochiloides gen. n. and its type species C. weiweii sp. n. is described. Dorsal habitus and various morphological characters of the new species are illustrated. Subfamily placement and affinities of the new genus are briefly discussed, a key to the genera of Pachynominae is provided. Body and wing polymorphism and nymphal morphology of the new species are documented.
Pupal traits and adult emergence in the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) are affected by pupal densityOriginal article
Carmelo P. BONSIGNORE, Francesco MANTI, Elvira CASTIGLIONE, Andrea BATTISTI
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 320-329, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.035
The expectation is that the phenology of an herbivore is influenced by abiotic factors and its own population density during development. In this study, we investigated how the pupal density affected the pupal traits and emergence of Thaumetopoea pityocampa moths over a period of 3 years in two clearings in a pine forest. The pupae were larger in years when the pupal density was high and in the clearing exposed to less solar radiation. There was no relationship between the time of pupation and pupal size. Large pupae were positively correlated with an early emergence of adult moths and a longer period of adult emergence. Up to 13.9% of the pupae...
Altitudinal gradient in species richness and composition of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in an eastern Euro-Mediterranean locality: Functional, seasonal and habitat influencesOriginal article
Yakup ªENYÜZ, Jorge M. LOBO, Kemal DINDAR
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 309-319, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.034
The altitudinal gradient in diversity of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) was studied in a Mediterranean mountain chain located in Central Anatolia to (i) determine if there are altitudinal differences between the main taxonomic groups, (ii) describe the seasonal variations in these assemblages and (iii) assess whether closed habitats influence dung beetle diversity differentially at different altitudes. Beetles were collected throughout a year at 14 localities between 469 and 1810 m above sea level in three different types of habitats. Dung beetle assemblages at 400 to 1200 m did not vary greatly in species richness, abundance and biomass. However, they...
Cannibalism among same-aged nymphs of the omnivorous predator Dicyphus errans (Hemiptera: Miridae) is affected by food availability and nymphal densityOriginal article
Konstantina ARVANITI, Argyro FANTINOU, Dionyssios PERDIKIS
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 302-308, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.033
Cannibalism, the act of eating an individual of the same species has been little studied in omnivorous insect predators. Dicyphus errans (Wolff) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a generalist omnivorous predator that commonly occurs in tomato greenhouses and field crops in the Mediterranean basin. In this work cannibalism among same-aged neonate nymphs of D. errans was studied when 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 individuals were placed in a Petri dish along with or without heterospecific prey. Although nymphs were unable to complete their development in the absence of prey they survived longer when there were initially 2 individuals per dish than in any other...
The Neriidae (Diptera) of Southeast Asia: A taxonomic revision of the genus TelostylusOriginal article
Tatiana A. SEPÚLVEDA, Diego de S. SOUZA, Lucas R.P. GOMES, João M. FOGAÇA, Claudio J.B. de CARVALHO
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 281-301, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.032
The Asian neriid fly genus Telostylus Bigot (Diptera: Neriidae) is revised, including a key and illustrations of its species. Lectotype designations are proposed for four species: Telostylus babiensis de Meijere, T. decemnotatus Hendel, T. remipes (Walker) and T. trilineatus de Meijere. Two new species are described: Telostylus marshalli Sepúlveda & de Carvalho, sp. n., from Sarawak, Malaysia, and T. whitmorei Sepúlveda & de Carvalho, sp. n., from Masbate, Philippines. The morphology of Telostylus binotatus Bigot and T. remipes (Walker) is discussed in order to support their...
Biometry of the large dragonfly Anax imperator (Odonata: Aeshnidae): A study of traits from larval development to adultsOriginal article
Marceau MINOT, Mickaël LE GALL, Aurélie HUSTÉ
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 269-280, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.031
Insect larval development affects adult traits but the biometric relationships are usually poorly understood, including large odonates. In this study, measurements of morphological traits of larvae, exuviae and adults of Anax imperator were recorded. They were used to investigate the effects of early development on adult morphology. Results showed an increase in larval length during the final instar and the length of its exuviae significantly exceeded that of the larva. Length and body mass of teneral adults were strongly related to the length of their exuviae. Adult males were significantly longer than adult females, while both had the same...
Identification of vibrational signals emitted by embryos of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) that induce synchronous hatchingOriginal article
Hironori SAKAMOTO, Seiji TANAKA, Tamako HATA
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 258-268, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.030
Eggs of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera: Acrididae), hatch synchronously when in a pod, but only sporadically when kept separately. Here, we aimed to detect the vibrational stimuli emitted by eggs that initiate synchronous hatching. First, we recorded the vibrations emitted by an egg pod and single eggs. One bout of vibrations consisted of 2 to 46 vibrations. The total number and amplitude of vibrations in single eggs increased as the time to hatch decreased. Eggs kept separately were continuously subjected during the last 2 days before hatching to recordings of vibrations from a single egg. Recordings made during the last...
Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers for a globally distributed invasive ant Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Note
Shu-Ping TSENG, Hugo DARRAS, Chow-Yang LEE, Tsuyoshi YOSHIMURA, Laurent KELLER, Chin-Cheng Scotty YANG
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 253-257, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.029
The longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille), is a ubiquitous agricultural and urban pest that has invaded most tropical and subtropical regions. Although P. longicornis has been found worldwide for more than a century, the genetic structure, origin, and invasion history of this species have not yet been extensively studied, partially because of the limited number of genetic markers currently available. In the present study, we developed 36 polymorphic microsatellite markers for P. longicornis and characterized these markers by genotyping P. longicornis workers from 74 colonies in East and Southeast...
First North American record of an unnamed West Palaearctic Agrilus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) infesting European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in New York City, USAOriginal article
Marc F. DIGIROLOMO, Eduard JENDEK, Vasily V. GREBENNIKOV, Oto NAKLÁDAL
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 244-252, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.028
This paper reports a non-native Agrilus wood-boring jewel beetle reared from a stressed and non-native European beech (Fagus sylvatica) tree growing in New York City, USA. Results of two analyses using 759 DNA barcodes of Agrilus corroborate the morphology-based interpretation that this is the first North American record of an unnamed species from the A. roscidus species-group native to the Western Palaearctic. Taxonomy of the entire species-group requires revision, therefore we postpone formal description of the new species and refer to it as Agrilus sp. 9895. This is the 12th non-native Agrilus...
Yellow does not improve the efficiency of traps for capturing wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)Original article
Jouni SORVARI
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 240-243, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.027
Social wasps are often considered as nuisance pests in urban environments and are often controlled by using traps. The majority of commercially produced traps for catching wasps have yellow as the dominant colour around the trap entrance. However, the observations on the function of yellow as an attractant for wasps are controversial. The efficiency of yellow, compared with green striped (N = 15) and yellow and green striped beer traps (N = 15) was evaluated. According to the results, yellow does not have a specific role as an attractant for wasps of the genera Vespula Linnaeus and Dolichovespula (Rohwer). For wasps, it may be the bait...
First record of Azalea rough bollworm, Earias roseifera (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) in EuropeNote
Andrea TADDEI, Andrea TANTARDINI, Keitaro EDA
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 235-239, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.026
The first record of the Azalea rough bollworm, Earias roseifera Butler, 1881 in Europe is reported. Larvae were collected on twigs, sprouts and buds of several azalea hybrids growing in a botanical garden in the province of Como (Northern Italy). The larvae fed mainly on the flower and vegetative buds, which resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of blossom. Specimens were identified using both morphological characters and a molecular analysis of the DNA barcode (COX1 sequence).
Water relations and drought sensitivity of Folsomia candida eggs (Collembola: Isotomidae)Original article
Martin HOLMSTRUP
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 229-234, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.025
Drought tolerance of juvenile and adult life stages is relatively well understood, but very little is known about the tolerance of eggs to drought in this group of animals. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the water relations and drought sensitivity of eggs of the hygrophilic springtail, Folsomia candida Willem, 1902 (Isotomidae), exposed to a range of soil water potentials above and below the permanent wilting point of plants (-1.5 MPa). Under saturated conditions, eggs absorbed water during development and increased water content from 1.1 to 2.9 mg mg-1 dry weight. By increasing drought conditions, water...
Host-based genetic divergence in populations of an exotic spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)Original article
Thangavel BOOPATHI, Subbarayalu MOHANKUMAR, GAYACHARAN, Manickavasagam Pillai KALYANASUNDARAM, Soibam Basanta SINGH, Ramaraju ARAVINDRAJ, Bangaru PREETHA, Kandasamy SANKARI MEENA, Kothandaraman CHANDRASEKAR
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 221-228, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.024
The morphology, physiology, behaviour and ecology of spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus Russell (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on different host plants differ greatly. The genetic differences between the A. dispersus populations on 17 host plants were evaluated in the current study. Microsatellite markers were used to identify the presence of host-related genetic variation among A. dispersus populations. Our research clearly shows that there is a significant amount of genetic divergence among the A. dispersus populations on 17 host plants in India. The spiralling whitefly on acalypha and calotropis were genetically more...
The maternal effects of heat shock on biological parameters and ovaries of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)Original article
Lijuan SUN, Yabin MA, Honggang LI, Changying ZHENG
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 212-220, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.023
Maternal effects of heat shock are reported for some species of insects, but little is known about such effects in the western flower thrips (WFT) Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). WFT is a pest of vegetables in greenhouses worldwide. It is susceptible to high temperatures in its natural environment and is controlled using heat treatment in China. WFT population growth is suppressed by a brief exposure to a high temperature of 40°C or 45°C in the laboratory. To explore the mechanism by which high temperatures suppress the growth of WFT populations, as well as the effects of multiple heat treatments on WFT, we recorded...
Coniophloeus, a new genus of Embrithini from South Africa, with description of four new species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae)Original article
Roman BOROVEC
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 201-211, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.022
A new genus, Coniophloeus gen. n., is described for five species of South African weevils known from the Western and Eastern Cape and assigned to the tribe Embrithini Marshall, 1942: Coniophloeus squalidus (Boheman, 1842) comb. n. (type species, transferred from the genus Trachyphloeus Germar, 1817 and tribe Trachyphloeini Lacordaire, 1863), C. alternans sp. n., C. oberprieleri sp. n., C. robustus sp. n. and C. obrieni sp. n. All five species are illustrated and keyed.
The role of iron (Fe) in the population dynamics of pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) in Pistacia orchardsOriginal article
Hossein DEHGHANI-YAKHDANI, Shahzad IRANIPOUR, Mohammad Reza MEHRNEJAD, Reza FARSHBAF-POURABAD
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 194-200, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.021
The common pistachio psyllid (CPP) is thought to respond to nutrient availability in pistachio trees. We determined the effect of a deficiency of leaf iron (Fe) has on the abundance of the pistachio psyllid at a regional scale. First, we monitored the abundance pistachio psyllid in four pistachio orchards (24 trees as 24 repetitions) located in Maybod County, Yazd province in the centre of Iran and then measured leaf nutrient levels. Orchards were located up to 2.6 km apart. Multivariate regressions were used to determine the relationship between leaf nutrients and CPP population growth. The results indicate that the number of psyllid eggs and population...
Mating activity of Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in natureOriginal article
Alois HONÌK, Zdenka MARTINKOVÁ, Marek BRABEC
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 187-193, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.020
The mating behaviour of Pyrrhocoris apterus in the laboratory is well studied, but little is known about it under natural conditions. In natural populations in Central Europe, overwintered adults start copulating in March and continue until their death. Caged females, kept under natural conditions in the permanent presence of males, copulated repeatedly. Their mating activity increased sharply until early April, then very slowly until the end of June and then declined as the females die-off. Half of copulations were short (< 5 h) and only 9% were longer than 1 day. By contrast, in natural populations, mating activity (percentage of individuals...
Niche width and niche specialization in four species of ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) co-occurring in the same habitatOriginal article
Jean-François GODEAU, Piotr CERYNGIER, Jean-Louis HEMPTINNE
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 178-186, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.019
We investigated food niches, diet diversity and individual food specialization of the larvae and adults of four species of ladybirds, Sospita vigintiguttata (L.), Calvia quindecimguttata (F.), C. quatuordecimguttata (L.) and C. decemguttata (L.), co-occurring in European alder carr forests. The first two species are considered to be strict habitat specialists associated with alders (Alnus spp.) in marshy forests and the other two are less habitat-specialized, inhabiting various deciduous trees and shrubs. Our investigations were based on the analysis of food remains in frass produced by field-collected ladybirds. In each...
Effects of so-called "environmentally friendly" agrochemicals on the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinel[l]idae)Note
Jana NIEDOBOVÁ, Michal SKALSKÝ, Zdenìk FALTÝNEK FRIC, Vladimír HULA, Martin BRTNICKÝ
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 173-177, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.018
A variety of plant protection products and other agrochemicals are used in agro-ecosystems. Products approved for integrated pest management (IPM) or organic farming should have minimal negative side effects on beneficial insects. The Asian harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has become a widespread and important generalist predator of certain agricultural pests, mainly aphids, throughout Europe. We studied the effects of two agrochemicals, Boundary SW® (auxiliary plant protection product) and Prev B2® (foliar boron fertilizer), usually regarded as "environmentally friendly"...
Circadian rhythms in the locomotor activity of the spiders Carrhotus xanthogramma (Salticidae) and Philodromus cespitum (Philodromidae): Temporal patterns and sexual differencesOriginal article
László MEZÕFI, Gábor MARKÓ, Péter KOVÁCS, Viktor MARKÓ
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 158-172, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.017
Circadian rhythms play an essential role in the adaptation of organisms to the environment and may show species-specific or sex-specific differences even within a closely related taxonomic group. Although spiders (Araneae) are sexually dimorphic in several morphological and behavioural features, there are very few studies on the sex-specific differences in their biological rhythms. This study evaluated the circadian rhythm in the locomotor activity of two agrobiont hunting species of spider, Carrhotus xanthogramma (Latreille, 1819) (Salticidae) and Philodromus cespitum (Walckenaer, 1802) (Philodromidae), under natural photoperiod conditions....
Tracing imprints of past climatic fluctuations and heterogeneous topography in Cynips quercusfolii (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in TurkeyOriginal article
Serdar DİNÇ, Serap MUTUN
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 141-157, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.016
Cynips quercusfolii is an oak gall wasp species distributed across the western Palearctic region. In this study, C. quercusfolii adults were used to investigate the possible effects of past climatic fluctuations and topography on the genetic structure of this species in Turkey. For this, the partial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b gene (cyt b) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) ITS2 region of 294 individuals from 38 populations covering the distribution of this species in Turkey were sequenced. The sequences generated 125 mtDNA haplotypes and 30 nDNA alleles. High variation was revealed in Turkish populations of C....
Burial-induced changes in the seed preferences of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)Original article
Pavel SASKA, Alois HONÌK, Hana FOFFOVÁ, Zdenka MARTINKOVÁ
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 133-140, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.015
Seeds of many species of plants may survive for a long time in the soil and germinate when brought to the surface, but whether they are subsequently eaten by seed predators is unknown. We examined the preferences of three species of carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) for 25 species of seeds and determined the difference in palatability between freshly dispersed and those buried for six years. The stability of their preferences was tested using a collection of seeds of different species, each of which was offered fresh or after being buried. Carabid beetles readily accepted previously buried seeds as food. In total, Pseudoophonus rufipes and Amara...
Quantitative response to photoperiod and weak coupling between seasonal morphs and diapause regulation in the Asian comma butterfly, Polygonia c-aureum (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)Original article
Satoshi HIROYOSHI, Makio TAKEDA, Takayuki MITSUNAGA, Gadi V.P. REDDY
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 123-132, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.014
Reproduction and wing patterns (shape and colouration) in Polygonia c-aureum L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are regulated by both photoperiod and temperature experienced during the immature stages, which result in the development of summer or autumn forms. The critical day length for this seasonal change in form was 13.5L : 10.5D at 21°C and 13L : 11D at 25°C. We investigated the connection between seasonal form and female reproduction. Under a 15L : 9D photoperiod at 21°C, reproductively active summer form butterflies are produced, whereas under an 8L : 16D photoperiod at 21°C autumn form butterflies with a strong tendency to enter diapause...
Cryptic genetic structure in an Argentinian population of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) evidenced by SSR markers and quantitative traitsOriginal article
Angeles I. RODRIGUEZ, Laura I. FERREYRA, Silvia B. LANZAVECCHIA, Paula V. GÓMEZ CENDRA, Juan C. VILARDI
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 109-122, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.013
In some regions of Argentina and Brazil, the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) causes significant damage to crops. An efficient integrated management program requires knowledge of pest population dynamics, dispersion patterns, sexual and oviposition behaviour, and adaptive landscape. The present study combined simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers and morphometric datasets in order to analyse the population structure and infer the oviposition resource use strategy of the females. Infested guava fruits were collected from nine wild trees in Tucumán, Argentina, and a total of 140 adult A....
Daily rhythmicity in the sexual behaviour of Monema flavescens (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)Original article
Shuzhen YANG, Hongxia LIU, Meihong YANG, Jintong ZHANG
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 104-108, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.012
Daily rhythmicity in the sexual behaviour of Monema flavescens Walker (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) was studied under laboratory conditions. There was a distinct diel periodicity in female calling, male responsiveness and mating behaviour of M. flavescens. As females aged there was an advance in the onset and more time spent calling. One day old females started calling 4 h after the onset of the scotophase, and 5 to 6 day old females called during the first hour of the scotophase. About 34.5% of females called on the night they emerged (1 day old) and the peak in calling of 97.8% was recorded for 2 day old females, after which the incidence...
Factors determining local and seasonal variation in abundance of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Central EuropeOriginal article
Alois HONÌK, Marek BRABEC, Zdenka MARTINKOVÁ, Anthony F.G. DIXON, Stano PEKÁR, Jiøí SKUHROVEC
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 93-103, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.011
To determine the causes of the variation in the seasonal dynamics of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) in Central Europe, numbers of adults and larvae of this invasive species were recorded on trees (Acer, Betula, Tilia) throughout the growing seasons from 2011 to 2016. Each year beetles were collected every two weeks, using a standardized sweeping method. The seasonal dynamics was expressed as plots of abundance (number of individuals per 100 sweeps) against time (Julian day) and these plots (seasonal profiles) were compared in terms of their size (area under the seasonal profile curve), range, timing and height of the mode (maximum...
Book Review: Hubble D. 2017: Leaf Beetles. Ecology and Identification. Naturalists' Handbook 34.Book review
J. BEZDÌK
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 92, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.010
Hubble D. 2017: Leaf Beetles. Ecology and Identification. Naturalists' Handbook 34. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, 149 pp. ISBN 978-1-78427-150-3. Price GBP 19.99.
The effect of population density of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) on its fitness, physiology and activation of the covert nucleopolyhedrovirusOriginal article
Sergey V. PAVLUSHIN, Irina A. BELOUSOVA, Ekaterina A. CHERTKOVA, Natalia A. KRYUKOVA, Viktor V. GLUPOV, Viatcheslav V. MARTEMYANOV
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 85-91, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.009
After high population densities of insect defoliators there is often a dramatic decrease in their abundance due to various limiting factors. Here, we compared gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar L.) reared singly and in crowded conditions. We compared a number of physiological parameters of these insects and the effect of L. dispar population density on the activation of covert baculovirus infections in the larvae. It was found that the population density of gypsy moth larvae did not affect the mortality due to the activation of the covert virus infection or the total mortality. On the other hand, solitary-reared larvae were heavier,...
The role of larval substrate specialization and female oviposition in mediating species diversity of closely-related sepsid flies (Diptera: Sepsidae)Original article
Amelie LAUX, Alexandra WEGMANN, Jeannine ROY, Natalia GOURGOULIANNI, Wolf U. BLANCKENHORN, Patrick T. ROHNER
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 75-84, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.008
Coprophagous insect communities play a critical role in the decomposition of vertebrate dung and provide ecosystem functions fundamental to modern agriculture. While the ecology of dung beetles is rather well understood, niche differentiation in coprophagous flies is poorly studied. Sepsid flies (Diptera: Sepsidae) are a vital part of the European community of coprophages, with 6-7 widespread species of Sepsis often found co-occurring in the same pasture. To advance our ecological understanding of the mechanisms that enable species to coexist, we investigated the oviposition preferences and larval performance of 7 common species of Sepsis...
When is a tree suitable for a veteran tree specialist? Variability in the habitat requirements of the great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)Original article
Michal PLATEK, Pavel SEBEK, David HAUCK, Lukas CIZEK
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 64-74, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.007
Large veteran trees are key structures sustaining biodiversity in wooded landscapes. Many organisms associated with such trees are, however, also able to inhabit suitable trees with smaller diameters or other surrogate habitats. Understanding the mechanisms behind the importance of veteran trees and the conditions enabling veteran tree specialists to exploit smaller trees might help conservation efforts targeted at the diverse and highly endangered biota associated with veteran trees. To investigate this, we studied local patterns in the exploitation of trees by a veteran tree specialist, the great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), at three...
First DNA analysis of pill scarabs (Coleoptera: Hybosoridae: Ceratocanthinae) reveals multiple paraphyly of Afrotropical PhilharmostesOriginal article
Vasily V. GREBENNIKOV
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 52-63, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.006
This paper is the first attempt to resolve relationships among the Ceratocanthinae: Ceratocanthini pill scarab beetles using DNA sequences. It is focused on the Philharmostes group of seven Afrotropical genera: Baloghianestes (3 spp.), Callophilharmostes (1 sp.), Carinophilharmostes (1 sp.), Chaetophilharmostes (1 sp.), Cryptophilharmostes (3 spp.), Petrovitzostes (1 sp.) and Philharmostes (31 spp.). A phylogenetic analysis of 46 terminals and alignment of 2,913 bp from one mitochondrial and two nuclear fragments corroborates monophyly of this group, but rejects that of Philharmostes, the...
One step closer to understanding the ecology of Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae): The effects of light conditionsOriginal article
Rados³aw JAGIE££O, Edward BARANIAK, Marzenna GUZICKA, Piotr KAROLEWSKI, Adrian £UKOWSKI, Marian Jêdrzej GIERTYCH
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 42-51, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.005
Horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) has achieved ecological success by colonizing the entire European range of its primary host, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This insect has attracted the attention of scientists, but its ecology is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of varying degrees of light availability on the leaf morphology of horse chestnut saplings and the performance of C. ohridella. A pot experiment under greenhouse conditions was performed in which the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was reduced from full light by 50% (high light - HL) or 80% (low light - LL). Insect...
Parental care and offspring survival in Pterostichus anthracinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae): An experimental studyOriginal article
Felix N. KOLESNIKOV, Arevik N. KARAMYAN
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 33-41, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.004
Parental care in which females attend their offspring is recorded in over 30 species of ground beetles. Despite this, there is no quantitative data on the fate of the offspring when the mother is experimentally removed. This paper investigates parental care in Pterostichus anthracinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The objectives of the study were to estimate: (1) egg survival when the female is removed; (2) the ability of females to defend their eggs from attack by predators; (3) the ability of females to repair a damaged nest in which egg attendance takes place. In the laboratory, the reproductive activity of P. anthracinus lasted four months...
Vitamin D1 versus ecdysteroids: Growth effects on cell regeneration and malignant growth in insects are similar to those in humansPoint of view
Karel SLÁMA
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 16-32, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.003
Polyhydroxylated derivatives of 6-keto,7-dehydrocholesterol (ecdysteroids) are common constituents of various plants. In 1965, they were accidentally discovered in the search for the insect moulting hormone. These biologically important natural compounds are neither insect hormones nor inducers of insect ecdysis. Due to their strong anabolic, vitamin D-like effects in insects, domestic animals and humans, I propose the use of the arbitrary term vitamin D1. The present paper describes the effects of vitamin D1 on the growth and regeneration of excised epidermal cells of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (Sphingidae). The...
Effect of low-temperature storage on the life history parameters and voracity of Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)Original article
Samane SAKAKI, Mohammad Amin JALALI, Hashem KAMALI, Oldøich NEDVÌD
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 10-15, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.002
For biological control it is necessary to store mass-reared biological control agents when the demand is low. The objective of this study is to increase their shelf life without significantly reducing their fitness. The ladybird Hippodamia variegata is a widespread and voracious aphidophagous predator, with an important role in decreasing the abundance of pest aphids in many parts of the world. We investigated the effect of storage at three temperatures: constant 1°C, constant 6°C, and an alternating thermal regime of 12°C/0°C (the higher temperature for 12 h and the lower one for another 12 h). They were exposed to each of the temperature regimes...
Effects of temperature on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in larvae of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) parasitized by Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Optimizing the mass rearing of this braconid by varying the temperatureOriginal article
Pumo CAI, Yong WANG, Chuandong YI, Qiwen ZHANG, Huimin XIA, Jia LIN, Hehe ZHANG, Jianquan YANG, Qinge JI, Jiahua CHEN
Eur. J. Entomol. 116: 1-9, 2019 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2019.001
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is the most widely used endoparasitoid in biocontrol programmes against various species of tephritids and is continuously mass-reared under laboratory conditions at a constant temperature; however, little is known about how varying the temperature might affect the effectiveness of the mass rearing of immature D. longicaudata. This study aimed to determine the optimum temperature for the development of larvae D. longicaudata the larvae of its host, Bactrocera dorsalis. Third-instar B. dorsalis were exposed for 4 h to five pairs of parasitoids, and then they were kept at one of six temperatures...