bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A STUDY OF THE SYSTEMATICS OF THE WATER MITE FAMILY PIONIDAE (PROSTIGMATA: PARASITENGONA)
Authors: Smith Ian M.
Published: April 2011

A phylogeny is proposed for the 30 species groups in the 13 genera here included in the family Pionidae. The phylogeny is based upon a detailed analysis of available morphological data for larval and adult stages according to the methodology advocated by Hennig. This methodology is outlined and discussed. The proposed phylogeny provides the basis for a revised classification of the pionids and permits new insight into certain biological manifestations of phylogeny, namely habitat diversification, life history modification, and geographic distribution, in the group.Original descriptions are provided for the larvae of 41 pionid species (20 for the first time) representing 24 species groups in eight genera. Three new species, Wettina ontario n. sp., Forelia pinguipalpis n. sp., and Tiphys cooki n. sp., are described along with the previously undescribed male adult of Pseudofeltria multipora Cook and female adults of Forelia cayuga Habeeb and Forelia onondaga Habeeb. Keys and new diagnoses are presented for pionid genera and species groups. Keys to the larvae and adults, and new distributional data, are included for the pionid species known to occur in Ontario.
A REVISION OF THE GENUSSEPEDOPHILUSGISTEL (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE) OF AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO
Authors: Campbell J. M.
Published: April 2011

The species of the genusSepedophilus(Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) of America north of Mexico are revised. Thirty species are recognized. Thirteen new species are described:wickhamifrom the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada;brachypterus,frosti,micans,ctenidialis, andkiteleyifrom eastern North America;beckerifrom the southcentral United States; andhermani,smetanai,stephani,arizonensis,coronadensis, andveloxfrom the southwestern United States. The following species names are placed in synonymy:knoxiiLeConte andcarissimusHatch (=littoreusLinnaeus);imbricatusCasey,limuloidesCasey, andelongatusBlatchley (=testaceusFabricius);corticolaCasey (=cinctulusErichson);virginiaeCasey (=velocipesCasey); andsubtilisCasey (=debilisCasey). The speciescinctulusErichson andbisignatusHorn, formerly considered as synonyms ofopicusSay andbipustulatusFabricius respectively are recognized as valid species. The Palearctic speciesmarshamiStephens is reported for the first time from the Nearctic region. The usage of the generic group namesSepedophilusGistel,ConurusStephens,ConosomaKraatz, andConosomusMotschulsky is discussed. The North American species are divided into 12 species groups based on an examination of the Nearctic, Neotropical, and Palearctic faunas. The distribution of each species is mapped, and the male and female eighth abdominal sternites and tergites, the male genitalia and other diagnostic characters, are illustrated. A neotype is designated forTachyporus opicusSay, and lectotypes are designated when necessary for all the North American species ofSepedophilusdescribed by Gravenhorst, Erichson, LeConte, Horn, and Casey. A diagnostic key for all the species exceptS.heathiWasmann is given. A brief discussion of the nomenclatural history of the genus, of collecting techniques, and of the major diagnostic characters is included.
A REVISION OF THE NEARCTIC SPECIES OFORTHOCLADIUS (ORTHOCLADIUS)VAN DER WULP (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE)
Authors: Soponis Annelle R.
Published: April 2011

The classification of the Nearctic species of the subgenusOrthocladius (Orthocladius)van der Wulp is revised; keys to species for males, females, pupae, and larvae are given; 65 characters in the adult male are taxonomically evaluated; and keys to and diagnoses of the species of the subgenera ofOrthocladiusfor males, females, pupae, and larvae are given. Twenty-nine names ofO.(Orthocladius)are recognized as valid. Redescriptions of 17 previously-known species and descriptions of 11 new species are presented. The new species are:O.appersoni,O.charensis,O.clarkei,O.cooki,O.hazenensis,O.hellenthali,O.knuthi,O.oliveri,O.robacki,O.subletti, andO.tryoni.Orthocladius paradorenus(Roback) is considered as a synonym ofO.obumbratusJohannsen, andO.curraniSublette is considered as a synonym ofO.dorenus(Roback);O.nanseniKieffer andO.sordensJohannsen are considered asnomina dubia;O.bifasciatusMalloch andO.clepsydrusCoquillett areincertae sedis. Lectotypes are designated forChironomus decoratusHolmgren,O.dentiferBrundin,O.excavatusBrundin,O.lapponicusGoetghebuer,O.obumbratusJohannsen, andO.trigonolabisEdwards.Orthocladius dentiferBrundin,O.excavatusBrundin, andO.smolandicusBrundin are new records from North America.Orthocladius glacialisKieffer probably does not occur in North America.Orthocladius oblidens(Walker) is accepted as the type-species of the genusOrthocladius.
A REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN OMALIINAE (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE): 2. THE TRIBE CORYPHIINI
Authors: Campbell J.M.
Published: April 2011

The tribe Coryphiini Hatch is redefined to include six genera and 18 species from North America. Two new genera are described:Gnathoryphium(type-speciesG.mandibularen. sp.) andHoloboreaphilus(type-speciesBoreaphilus nordenskioeldiMaklin). Seven new species are described:Coryphium nigrumfrom the northeastern United States andSubhaida californica,S.aptera,S.monticola,S.utahensis,S.sinuata, andGnathoryphium mandibularefrom western North America. The genusOcciephelinusHatch from western North America andPlaneboreaphilusShibata from Japan are considered junior synonyms ofCoryphiumStephens. The western North American species formerly placed inEphelinusCockerell are transferred to the genusCoryphium.Pseudohaida ingrataHatch is transferred to the genusSubhaidaHatch.Boreaphilus americanusNotman is placed in synonymy withB.henningianusC.R. Sahlberg.All genera and species are described. Habitus drawings, and line drawings of the antenna, labrum, maxilla, mandible, mentum, and labium are presented for at least one species of each genus. The aedeagus is illustrated for all the species except two that are known only from females.Of the species treated, three are Holarctic in distribution, four are restricted to eastern North America, and 11 are endemic to the mountainous areas of western North America.All available biological information for each species is included and a key is presented to aid in the identification of all the genera and species of the tribe in North America.
SPRUCE BUDWORM (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE) MOTH FLIGHT AND DISPERSAL: NEW UNDERSTANDING FROM CANOPY OBSERVATIONS, RADAR, AND AIRCRAFT
Authors: Greenbank D.O. , Schaefer G.W. , Rainey R.C.
Published: April 2011

A research programme in New Brunswick coordinating the use of radar, specially-instrumented aircraft, and observations from platforms extending above the forest canopy has established the massive scale and regularity of evening take-off flights by spruce budworm moths, Choristoneura fumiferana, and of subsequent nocturnal dispersal at levels high above the ground. A night-viewing telescope showed moths taking off from the tree crowns up until 2330 h, 2.5 h after sunset, while radar dot echoes of uniform strength and size began to appear each night at about the same time. Direct identification of radar echoes was provided by simultaneous catches of budworm moths taken in insect-collecting nets on Cessna 185 aircraft. Moths collected during emigration, displacement, and immigration contained a high proportion of egg-carrying females.Radar recorded the rates of climb and the altitudes reached by the flying moths and provided extensive data on their numbers, density, orientation, direction, speed, and duration of displacement. Airborne moths became concentrated in zones of wind convergence, and line-echoes from moths at wind-shift fronts were detected on radar at distances of 30 km. The time of passage of wind-shift fronts over a surface site was detectable by pilot-balloon observations and by sensing equipment on a 24-m meteorological tower. Wind-fields over New Brunswick, as found from a DC-3, showed a marked contrast between the high degree of wind uniformity on many evenings and convergent winds on other evenings. Attention is focussed on the potential effects of meso-scale sea breeze fronts, of which one example is presented, and of storm cells on moth concentration and dispersal.Through the use of radar, spruce-budworm moth dispersal has been viewed for the first time in its entirety and the integrated research programme has provided new data for better evaluation of the significance of moth dispersal in the initiation and spread of infestations.
REVISION OF THE GENUSHYDROCHARABERTH. (COLEOPTERA: HYDROPHILIDAE)
Authors: Smetana Aleš
Published: April 2011

A revision of the hydrophilid genusHydrocharaBerth. (Coleoptera) is presented including a historical review, a discussion of diagnostic characters and techniques, and a discussion of the phylogeny and zoogeography of this genus.Twenty-one species are recognized. Six species are described as new.H.grandis(Zimm.) is listed asspecies dubia.H.scrobiculata(Panzer, 1799),H.substriata(Sturm, 1843),H.intermedia(Mulsant, 1844),H.subaenea(Motschulsky, 1845),H.smaragdina(Bach, 1856),H.costata(Lüderwaldt, 1897),H.flaviventris(Ochs, 1923), andH.carinata(Jander, 1927) are placed in synonymy withH.caraboides(Linné, 1758);H.roubali(Vávra, 1923) withH.flavipes(Stev.);H.uniformis(Fairmaire, 1869) withH.elliptica(Fabricius, 1801).Neotype is designated forH.obtusata(Say). Lectotypes are designated forH.dichroma(Fairm.),H.sarta(Sem.),H.libera(Sharp),H.semenovi(Zaits.),H.profanifuga(Sem.),H.affinis(Sharp),H.uniformis(Fairm.),H.fulvofemorata(Fairm.), andH.glauca(LeC.).Key to species is provided, each species is described and illustrated, and all available bionomic and distributional data are presented; distributional records are mapped.
A REVISION OF THE SYSTEMATICS OFACALYMMA SENSU STRICTOBARBER (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE) FROM NORTH AMERICA INCLUDING MEXICO
Authors: Munroe D.D. , Smith Ray F.
Published: April 2011

The systematics ofAcalymma sensu strictoof North America including Mexico are revised.Acalymma sensu strictois defined and distinguished from the other species groups ofAcalymma. Sixteen species are discussed including four new species:A.blomorum,A.palomarense,A.invenustum, andA.luridifronsall from Mexico. Three new subspecies ofA.blandulum(LeConte) are described:blandulum(LeConte) new status,nigriventre, andyucatanense.Acalymma coruscum costaricenseBechyné is placed as a synonym ofA.innubum(Fabricius). Keys are presented to all species and subspecies. Habitus and male genitalia drawings are given for all species and distribution maps are given where appropriate.
GUIDE TO THE GEOMETRIDAE OF CANADA (LEPIDOPTERA) II. SUBFAMILY ENNOMINAE. 3
Authors: McGuffin W.C.
Published: April 2011

This is the fourth in a series of manuals designed to facilitate the recognition of the Geometridae of Canada. In the introductory section key characters are given for the identification of Geometridae in adult, larval, and pupal stages. A generalized description of each stage is followed by a key to subfamilies of the Geometridae and a synopsis of the characters of the Ennominae. Keys to the four parts of the Ennominae (sometimes broken down into tribes) as they are to be treated in this series of manuals are supplemented by text descriptions, line drawings, and colour photographs. The distribution of many of the 41 species is shown on 23 maps.A section on the collecting and rearing of Geometridae has been added to the introductory part of this manual to encourage amateurs and young professionals to collect and rear Geometridae. The writer has enjoyed this part of the work more than any other and would like to see others share in the fun.
TAXONOMIC MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUSPITYOPHTHORUSEICHHOFF IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)
Authors: Bright Donald E.
Published: April 2011

A revision of the species in the genusPityophthorusEichhoff in North and Central America is presented. The limits ofPityophthorusare expanded to include the species previously placed inGnatholeptusBlackman. This unit is maintained as a subgenus. One additional subgenus is described,Hypopityophthorus, forP.debilisWood andP.inopsWood. The genus contains 220 species in North and Central America. The principal subgenusPityophthorusis divided into 47 species groups. New species are:micans(Mexico),sapineus(Mexico),miniatus(Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico),pubifrons(Mexico), andacceptus(British Columbia, Wyoming). New synonymy is proposed as follows:P.deletusLeConte (=P.dolusWood);P.exquisitus(Blackman) n. comb. (=P.inceptisWood);P.intextus(=P.ornatusBlackman andP.limatusWood);P.balsameusBlackman (=P.angustusBlackman) andP.indigensWood (=P.irritansSchedl). Five species are given new status as subspecies:P.tuberculatusEichhoff as a subsp. ofP.pulchellusEichhoff;P.subopacusBlackman as a subsp. ofP.segnisBlackman;P.bellusBlackman as a subsp. ofP.confususBlandford;P.agnatusBlackman as a subsp. ofP.confertusSwaine, andP.aurulentusBright as a subsp. ofP.murrayanaeBlackman.The monograph includes an historical review, a discussion of diagnostic characters, and a discussion of the general biology of species in the genus. Keys to subgenera, species groups, and species are provided. Each species is described and many are illustrated, and all known bionomic and distributional data are included. Distribution records of many species are mapped.
THE SYSTEMATICS AND PHYLOGENY OF THESTENOCHIRONOMUSCOMPLEX (XESTOCHIRONOMUS,HARRISIUS, andSTENOCHIRONOMUS) (DIPTERA: CHIRONOMIDAE)
Authors: Borkent Art
Published: April 2011

TheStenochironomuscomplex contains all those species which exhibit the highly modified, mining larval form previously recognized as typical of only the genusStenochironomusKieffer: larvae with a dorsoventrally compressed head capsule, expanded thoracic segments and a long, flaccid abdomen. The complex includes members ofXestochironomusSublette & Wirth (New World),HarrisiusFreeman (Australian Region),Stenochironomus(cosmopolitan) and two larval forms, one from New Zealand and the other from Africa.This revision provides analysis of 12 species ofXestochironomus(five new), four species ofHarrisius, and 54 species of Neotropical and HolarcticStenochironomus(32 new named species, two new species not named, and four new combinations:S.innocuus(Williston),S.semifumosus(Edwards),S.longilobatus(Tokunaga) andS.gracilivalva(Kieffer)). Of these species, the pupae and fourth instar larvae are described for two species ofXestochironomus,Harrisius pallidusFreeman and 24 of the named species ofStenochironomus. Descriptions, diagnoses, keys, and distribution maps are provided for all species in each available stage.Stenochironomus taeniapennis(Coquillett, 1901),S.zonopterus(Mitchell, 1908), andS.exquisitus(Mitchell, 1908) are newly recognized as junior synonyms ofS.hilaris(Walker, 1848).A cladistic analysis of all these species suggests that theStenochironomuscomplex is monophyletic. The African larval form is the sister group of all other members;Xestochironomusis the sister group ofHarrisius, the New Zealand larval form andStenochironomus; andStenochironomusis the sister group ofHarrisiusplus the New Zealand larval form. These relationships suggest possible southern continental affinities.Stenochironomusis composed of two monophyletic species groups, the subgenusStenochironomus s.str. with species whose larvae mine wood and the new subgenusPetalopholeus(type-species,S.cinctusTownes) with species whose larvae mine leaves.Cladistic patterns show that Caribbean species are related to other New World species, and that North American species are related to Neotropical or Palaearctic species.Larval food type and ecological differences are analyzed using cladistic relationships. The plesiotypic habitat for species of theStenochironomuscomplex is running waters.The phylogenetic relationships ofStenochironomusspecies and their mite parasites are compared and show little congruence.
REVISION OF THE SUBFAMILY HELOPHORINAE OF THE NEARCTIC REGION (COLEOPTERA: HYDROPHILIDAE)
Authors: Smetana Aleš
Published: April 2011

A revision of the hydrophilid subfamily Helophorinae (Coleoptera), containing the single genusHelophorusFabricius 1775, is presented, including an historical review, a discussion of diagnostic characters and techniques, and an attempt at a phylogenetic reconstruction of the major lineages of the NearcticHelophorus.Forty-one species are recognized; 9 species and 1 subspecies are described as new.AtractohelophorusKuweit 1886 is placed in synonymy withRhopalelophorusKuwert 1886, andMegahelophorusKuwert 1886 withHelophorusFabricius 1775. On the specific levelH.ventralisMotschulsky 1860 andH.obsoletesulcatusMotschulsky 1860 are placed in synonymy withH.lineatusSay 1823.A neotype is designated forH.lineatusSay.Lectotypes are designated forH.oblongusLeC.,H.fortisLeC.,H.regularisSharp,H.lacustrisLeC., andH.alternatusLeC.The genusHelophorusis described and the nomenclatorial and taxpnomic problems surrounding it are discussed in detail. Keys to subgenera and species are provided. Each subgenus is described; each species is described and illustrated, all available bionomic and distributional data are presented, and distributional records are mapped.
PEATLANDS AND MARSHES IN THE WETLAND REGIONS OF CANADA
Authors: Zoltai S.C.
Published: April 2011

Peatland development in Canada is influenced by climatic conditions, specifically a north–south temperature and an east–west precipitation gradient, resulting in specific and characteristic kinds of wetlands. The wetland classes (bogs, fens, marshes) are broad ecological units, each composed of distinctive groups of vegetation growing in appropriate habitats. Bogs usually develop in nutrient-poor areas where there is little movement of groundwater, whereas fens occur in more mineral-rich environments having a slowly moving water table. Marshes develop in areas that are periodically inundated by oxygen-rich water. Included within the peatlands are water environments ranging from small puddles to pools, each with a water quality that is influenced by the surrounding peatland.
AQUATIC AND SEMIAQUATIC HEMIPTERA OF PEATLANDS AND MARSHES IN CANADA
Authors: Scudder G.G.E.
Published: April 2011

Thirteen families containing 138 species of aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera have so far been recorded from Canada. The identification of these presents few real difficulties and so the general occurrence of the taxa across the country is fairly well known. Although there has been no intensive study of the Hemipterous insects in peatlands and marshes, the 61 species so far reported from marshes, 32 from fens, and the 33 from bogs appear to be facultative rather than obligatory inhabitants of these habitats. All have been found in other habitats and probably most lentic species occur in marsh habitats. All aquatic and semiaquatic bugs are predators, and most overwinter as adults. Environmental–physiological study of species occurring in bogs has just begun, but evidence suggests that many species have the ability to regulate their internal milieu in water with pH below 4.6–4.7. However, further experiments are needed to determine the physiological limits of tolerance of these insects, the details of osmotic and ionic regulation, and acid–base balance in low-pH water. More collecting is needed in bogs, fens, and marshes, and the life cycle and biology of the Hemiptera occurring in peat-lands still require intensive study.
CHIRONOMIDAE (DIPTERA) OF PEATLANDS AND MARSHES IN CANADA
Authors: Wrubleski Dale A.
Published: April 2011

A survey of the literature has revealed that the Chironomidae are one of the most abundant and diverse groups of insects present in Canadian peatlands and marshes. A total of 104 named species of Chironomidae has been recorded from Canadian bogs, fens, and marshes. At least 207 species are present if all unnamed species are included in the total. However, until more information is available about the distribution of chironomid species, particularly those from fens, it is not possible to determine if any species (other thanMetriocnemus knabiCoq.) are restricted to these habitats. Although several studies have been conducted in marshes and bog pools, the saturated peat habitats of fens and bogs have been little studied.

Most information on chironomids within peatlands and marshes is based on emergence trapping of adults, and there have been few attempts to study the ecologically important immature stages. Several aspects of chironomid ecology pertinent to peatlands and marshes are presented, based primarily on information gathered from other shallow-water habitats. The ecological and economic importance of chironomids within these habitats remains largely unknown. Most effort to date has been expended on faunal surveys, and any attempt to study chironomid ecology within peatlands and marshes would add greatly to existing knowledge.
ORIGINS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN EPHEMEROPTERA FAUNA, ESPECIALLY THE LEPTOPHLEBIIDAE
Authors: Peters William L.
Published: April 2011

The complex origins of the North American Ephemeroptera fauna extended from the Lower Permian to the Recent. This paper discusses origins of North American genera of the cosmopolitan family Leptophlebiidae with a few examples from other mayfly families. The two extant subfamilies, Leptophlebiinae and Atalophlebiinae, probably evolved at least by the mid-Cretaceous, or about 100 million years before present. The primitive Leptophlebiinae are distributed throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and the ancestors of the Leptophlebia–Paraleptophlebia complex within this subfamily dispersed widely by the North Atlantic route as early as the mid-Cretaceous and later probably by northern trans-Pacific dispersals through Beringia. The ancestors of Habrophlebia dispersed through the North Atlantic route at an early time, but the vicariant distribution of Habrophlebiodes in several areas of the Oriental Region and eastern North America correlates with the Arcto-Tertiary forest that covered most of the Northern Hemisphere including Beringia from the Early Tertiary into the Pleistocene. Within the nearly cosmopolitan Atalophlebiinae, Traverella is austral in origin and probably dispersed north through the Mexican Transition Zone during the mid-Tertiary as an ancient dispersal and then dispersed to its northern and eastern limits following the last Pleistocene deglaciation by way of the Missouri River tributaries. Thraulodes and Farrodes are both austral in origin and probably dispersed north through the Mexican Transition Zone during the Early Pleistocene as a relatively recent dispersal. The origins of Choroterpes sensu stricto and Neochoroterpes in North America are unknown. The mayfly fauna of the West Indies is Neotropical in origins, and no affinities between the West Indies and North America through Florida have ever been confirmed.
A ZOOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE NOCTUIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) OF BERINGIA, AND SOME INFERENCES ABOUT PAST BERINGIAN HABITATS
Authors: Lafontaine J.D. , Wood D.M.
Published: April 2011

The 245 species of Noctuidae known from Beringia, i.e. northwestern North America and northeastern Asia, are arranged in six groups based on their habitat preferences. These groups are analysed in terms of their distribution, endemism within Beringia, and zoogeographic affinities. The fauna associated with taiga, boreomontane forests and southern steppe (prairie) habitats shows only limited evidence of continuous occurrence in Beringia, and limited exchange during the Pleistocene between the Nearctic and Palaearctic. We have concluded therefore that this fauna has entered the Beringian area in Recent times following deglaciation of western and central Canada. In wet and dry tundra habitats, in contrast, there is abundant evidence of trans-Beringian faunal exchange. A high degree of endemism in dry tundra habitats within Beringia today is evidence of long-term stability of this habitat. These patterns, as well as evidence from a limited fossil sample of mid-Wisconsinan age, allow us to speculate on Beringian habitats during Wisconsinan times. We further conclude that the eastern Palaearctic and Beringia was the source area for the fauna that repopulated the Canadian Arctic after deglaciation. By contrast, non-Beringian refugia of the Nearctic have contributed little to the fauna of the Arctic.
THE INSECT FAUNA OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA: PRESENT PATTERNS AND AFFINITIES AND THEIR ORIGINS
Authors: Kavanaugh David H.
Published: April 2011

The insect fauna of the Pacific Northwest Coast is diverse and rich in endemic forms. Nine different elements are recognized in the fauna, including (1) restricted coastal, (2) coast-centred, (3) Great Basin, (4) Rocky Mountain, (5) trans-American, (6) Holarctic, (7) trans-Beringian, (8) Alaskan, and (9) introduced elements. Elements (6), (7), and (8) are generally restricted to the northwestern portion of the coast; and representation of Rocky Mountain elements (4) increases in three major steps from south to north along the coast—at the Puget Lowland/Fraser River valley, the Prince Rupert area, and the Kenai Peninsula, respectively. Patterns of vicariance among sister taxa in the carabid beetle genusNebriademonstrate relationships which, together with analyses of other faunal elements, show that the fauna of glaciated portions of the Coastal region has greatest affinity with faunas of southern coastal areas, less affinity with those of southern interior areas, and least affinity with faunas of northern areas. Areas of local endemism within the region include the Aleutian Archipelago, the southeastern Alaskan Panhandle, the Queen Charlotte Archipelago, the Olympic Peninsula/Vancouver Island, the northern Cascade Range, the Klamath Mountains system, and the Sierra Nevada. The extant coastal insect fauna has evolved from a widespread northern Tertiary fauna, elements of which were isolated in several separate refugia during Pleistocene glaciations. The northern two-thirds of the region has been recolonized in postglacial time from both coastal and interior refugia south of the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets. Local endemism in the region reflects survival and differentiation of a few forms in small coastal refugia; but survivors from these refugia, as well as those from the Yukon/Beringian refugium, have generally been unable to extend their ranges to other parts of the Coastal region following deglaciation.
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF INSECTS AND WEATHER: GRASSHOPPERS AND RAINFALL IN ALBERTA
Authors: Johnson Daniel L. , Worobec Adla
Published: April 2011

New technology allows the rapid mapping of point or polygon variables, the correlation of maps, and the use of maps as variables in computer models. An illustration is the use of map correlation to investigate how changes in abundance of adult grasshoppers relate to rainfall in Alberta: maps of monthly rainfall, monthly hours of sunlight and annual grasshopper counts (8391 survey records) from a 5-year period were contoured and correlated. The methods of smoothing are described. Correlograms of Moran's I over distance show spatial autocorrelation of grasshopper abundance on a geographic scale. The grasshopper counts were autocorrelated to 20–30 km on most maps, and the relationship of correlograms to contour mapping is discussed. Quotient maps were produced: each population–abundance map was divided by the map from the previous year, and the results were correlated with monthly rainfall maps. There was significant association between areas of increase and levels of rainfall. Population tended to decline in areas of above-average rainfall. A simple model enabled a forecast of grasshopper distribution from the previous year's grasshopper population, monthly rainfall maps, and sunlight hours during the previous August.
EFFETS MATERNELS ET BIOLOGIE DES POPULATIONS D'INSECTES
Authors: Labeyrie Vincent
Published: April 2011

Maternal influences on an insect population must be assessed within a numerically and spatially restricted enclave; it is difficult to demonstrate the impact within a large polymorphic group whose qualitative and quantitative evolution is subject to a number of conflicting influences. When a variety of selective factors is involved, the problem is to isolate, from the polymorphism, the portion that can be attributed to maternal effects.In short-lived organisms such as insects, direct maternal effects on the progeny have an advantage over slower, indirect responses to selective pressures. Direct effects allow progeny to adapt sooner to ecological trends that began or were operating during the parental generation. The peculiarities of insect embryonic development allow maternal influences to act directly on the F1adults through their deferred effects on the imaginal discs. Species that deposit organized egg masses provide the best material for studying maternal effects.Behaviour at oviposition can lead to special types of progeny distributions that affect the offspring's survival. In parasitoids, for example, maternal behaviour can introduce a kind of "arena selection" generating superparasitism by aggregative oviposition.The next generation's ecological response that is produced by maternal effects is mediated by changes at the behavioural, metabolic and ovarian levels during the mother's reproductive activity. In this way, she provides a key part of the next generation's functional polymorphism.
INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN THE GROWTH RATE OF GASTROPODS: FIVE HYPOTHESES
Authors: Shibata Diane M. , Rollo C. David
Published: April 2011

Gastropods commonly show enormous variation in growth rate, even among identically reared siblings. This was investigated using a small isolated population of Deroceras laeve (Müller) — a species with low genetic variability. A high degree of variation in growth rate was evident, even among offspring from unmated mothers. This confirmed our hypothesis that this variation does not require high genetic polymorphism. Four additional hypotheses concerning the causal mechanism(s) for this variation were investigated: (1) Maternal influence through variation of egg quality was rejected as a possible cause for the variation since animals from mothers raised on either high- or low-quality diets did not differ significantly in growth or maturation rates (when egg size was controlled). (2) The possibility that animals might have their growth trajectory fixed by early nutritional experience was tested by initially rearing slugs on either high- or low-quality diets, and then reversing their food. Such "nutritional imprinting" was not supported. (3) Intraspecific interaction among individuals was not supported as a cause of variation either since stunted slugs did not show improved growth when isolated from conspecifics, and there was equal variation among individuals reared from the egg in isolation. (4) Variation in the egg size was the only characteristic investigated that significantly changed rates of juvenile growth and the timing of maturation. Larger eggs produced slower-growing slugs that matured later, and egg size seemed to account for the full range of observed variation. The ultimate function of the mechanism remains to be determined, but possibilities include adjusting the performance of offspring to resource supply, ensuring availability of mature individuals to breed during favourable microclimates, reducing competition among members of a cohort, or ensuring sexual heterogeneity for hermaphroditic breeding.
LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF AQUATIC ARTHROPODS IN SPRINGS
Authors: Williams D. Dudley
Published: April 2011

Springs are especially useful for examining questions related to life history because they are widespread, and because they include not only the most predictable of freshwater habitats but also the most adverse (hot springs). Permanent springs tend to be stable environments, particularly in terms of temperature, discharge, and substrate. Extreme habitats such as hot springs can be ideal for studying biotic responses to environmental features because they vary little in certain factors and so do not conceal the mechanisms at work. This paper reviews the known life history and associated community traits of spring arthropods in terms of broad categories of selection forces thought to be acting in these habitats, and also examines the biotic consequences of stable environmental temperature. The data, although limited, show most support for the deterministic view of life history evolution in that traits of cold and hot permanent spring faunas tend to conform to those of K- and A-selected species, respectively. Nonconformities exist however, and data are totally lacking for springs that flow intermittently. A model continuum of spring types from the stable to the unstable and from the benign to the adverse is proposed which predicts the biological properties of communities living in little-studied spring types. The stable and/or adverse temperature regimens of springs are thought to impinge on many aspects of the biology of their faunas but most relationships (e.g. physiological, phenological) are based on data that are correlative, circumstantial, or laboratory based. Manipulative field tests are advocated to establish definite causative links. Wide scope exists for further research on the life history and community traits of spring arthropods.
CUTWORM SYSTEMATICS: CONFUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS
Authors: Lafontaine J.D.
Published: April 2011

Confusion in cutworm systematics pervades every level of their classification ranging from problems in defining them as a monophyletic group to problems with defining species. Classification provides the primary means of communication and prediction and is most effective when names are stable, and the classification is widely accepted and used, and reflects natural relationships. In cutworms, these requirements are not met: cutworm classification is not stable and use of names in different parts of the world is inconsistent; furthermore, the present cutworm classification does not reflect natural relationships. Instability in cutworm classification can be attributed to several factors: inconsistency in characters used to define groupings such as tribes and subfamilies; problems with defining species; and poor communication among workers. Problems with cutworm classification and progress being made in resolving these difficulties are discussed.
HYMENOPTERA OF THE WAGNER NATURAL AREA, A BOREAL SPRING FEN IN CENTRAL ALBERTA
Authors: Finnamore Albert T.
Published: April 2011

The Wagner Natural Area, located 8 km west of Edmonton, Alberta (53°34′N 113°47′W), contains a boreal spring fen estimated to be 4700 years old. The site was selected in 1985 for a survey of its arthropod fauna. A transect of the site from marl pools through fen, edge effect, and treed swamp was sampled for arthropods using pan and Malaise traps. Specialized microhabitats outside the transect were identified and sampled using pan traps. The Wagner fen samples contain 2181 species of arthropods contributing to a total known biota of 2905 species in the peatland. Of those, 1410 are Hymenoptera. Although seven other peatland studies are known, the inability of systematists to name most species prevents direct comparisons among peatlands. Data obtained from the Hymenoptera collections at Wagner demonstrate a progression in species richness as one approaches the forest–fen edge from either fen or forest. A large proportion [30% (382 species)] of Hymenoptera species, termed the aerial component, is active both in the forest–fen edge and in the fen. The aerial component is a highly mobile, at least locally transient, but often uncollected component of peatland ecosystems. Presence of the aerial component is probably associated with habitat structure. Those peatlands possessing more complex vegetation architecture have greater proportions of aerial species. About 80% of Hymenoptera at Wagner are parasitoids, most of which attack larva of holometabolous hosts. Based on the host groups sought by parasitoids and the ratio of parasitoid species per host species, the fen is estimated to contain about 6000 species of arthropods.
SURVEYS FOR FUNGAL PATHOGENS OF LOCUSTS AND GRASSHOPPERS IN AFRICA AND THE NEAR EAST
Authors: Shah P.A. , Kooyman C. , Paraïso A.
Published: April 2011

A total of 181 isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin, M. flavoviride Gams and Rozsypal, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, and Sorosporella sp. was found in a survey of Orthoptera in West Africa, Madagascar, Oman, and Pakistan between 1990 and 1993. Prior to this survey, there were only 28 isolates of hyphomycete fungi from Orthoptera held in international culture collections. Seventeen of the recently acquired Metarhizium isolates have been determined to be highly virulent during screening tests as part of a research programme for the development of a microbial insecticide against locusts and grasshoppers in Africa. Ninety-five isolates came from Benin which was the country where survey activities were most concentrated, and 63 of these isolates were found in Malanville, northern Benin, between 1991 and 1992 during an epizootic of M. flavoviride. Recordings from Oman and Pakistan represent the first specimens from these countries to be deposited in international culture collections. No deductions can be made on the best method for survey; both incubation of live grasshoppers and field searches for cadavers yielded results. Soil baiting with Orthoptera was used with some success. Limited soil screening using selective agar media was not found to be particularly useful.
DEVELOPMENT OFBEAUVERIA BASSIANAFOR CONTROL OF GRASSHOPPERS AND LOCUSTS
Authors: Jaronski Stefan T. , Goettel Mark S.
Published: April 2011

Recognition of the potential ofBeauveria bassiana(Balsamo) Vuillemin as a control agent of grasshoppers and locusts occurred as early as 1936, in South Africa. Field testing ofB.bassianaas an inundative control agent of grasshoppers and locusts has been facilitated by development of a solid substrate method for mass-production of the fungus and has resulted in the registration of a strain against grasshoppers in the United States. In some, but not all field trials, application has resulted in substantial reductions in grasshopper populations. Numerous environmental constraints, including temperature and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, may limit field efficacy of the fungus. Laboratory studies suggest that low humidity does not limit the ability of the fungus to initiate disease. Sunlight is the major cause of mortality of conidia on leaf surfaces. The incorporation of UVB protectants in formulations can increase conidial survival; however, these have not yet been evaluated for their effects on field efficacy ofB.bassianaagainst insects. Thermoregulation by grasshoppers has been implicated in resistance to mycosis. Results of laboratory studies indicate that grasshoppers infected withB.bassianapreferentially seek temperatures between 40 and 42 °C and these temperatures are inhibitory to disease development. In field-cage trials, a higher prevalence and more rapid development of disease were observed in grasshoppers placed in shaded cages than in grasshoppers placed in cages exposed to full sunlight. In laboratory experiments simulating grasshopper thermoregulation during daylight periods, application of bothMetarhizium flavovirideGams and Rozsypal andB.bassianasimultaneously resulted in a final prevalence of disease that was greater thanM.flavoviridealone in the hot temperature environment, and equal toB.bassianaalone in the cool temperature environment. Incorporation of sublethal levels of Dimilin with conidia ofB.bassianaincreased efficacy of the fungus against grasshoppers in laboratory and field trials. Once environmental constraints are better quantified, it may be possible to overcome them through improved formulation, strain selection, genetic or phenotypic manipulation, and inoculum targeting. Ultimately, success ofB.bassianaas a microbial control agent will depend on our ability to overcome environmental and other constraints and/or to predict its efficacy under various environmental conditions.
METARHIZIUM FLAVOVIRIDE (FI985) AS A PROMISING MYCOINSECTICIDE FOR AUSTRALIAN ACRIDIDS
Authors: Milner Richard J.
Published: April 2011

Only one isolate of Metarhizium flavoviride Gams and Roszypal group 3 has been isolated from a field-infected acridid in Australia. This is isolate FI985 (ARSEF 324) obtained from a spur-throated locust, Austracris guttulosa (Walker), near Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1979. In terms of conidial size and shape as well as phialide morphology, FI985 is intermediate between Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and M. flavoviride. It has been compared with other group 3 isolates using RAPDs and sequence analysis of the ITS region and found to be very similar. However the analysis shows that these group 3 isolates are genetically closer to M. anisopliae than to M. flavoviride sensu stricto. Laboratory bioassays have shown that FI985 is virulent for five species of acridid pests in Australia. Comparative bioassays with other isolates of Metarhizium, including other group 3 isolates from Africa and Asia, have not yet revealed any isolate more virulent than FI985. This isolate is amenable to mass-production on rice and has been formulated in oil as a mycoinsecticide. The results from six field tests, mostly against wingless grasshopper, Phaulacridium vittatum (SjÖstedt), using doses of 2–7 × 1012 conidia per hectare and plot sizes up to 50 ha are summarized. These trials (with the exception of the first against the Australian plague locust) have given high levels of disease-related mortality in caged samples of the target collected within 3 days of spraying. In the four trials with wingless grasshopper, population reductions were detected 10–30 days after application; however these reductions were much less than suggested by cage samples as a result of movement of the target acridids. In contrast, positive control plots sprayed with fenitrothion gave a very high initial kill (>90% in 1 day) but were then more rapidly reinvaded. Consequently, 3–4 weeks after spraying the density in the plots treated with chemical insecticide and those treated with mycoinsecticide were similar. Further field trials are needed especially against the Australian plague locust and evaluating lower doses. The results obtained to date show that a mycoinsecticide based on FI985 is likely to be effective over a wide range of target acridids and weather conditions.
FIELD AND LABORATORY EVALUATIONS OF LEADING ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM LOCUSTA MIGRATORIA CAPITO SAUSS IN MADAGASCAR
Authors: Delgado F.X. , Britton J.H. , Lobo-Lima M.L. , Razafindratiana E. , Swearingen W.
Published: April 2011

Three leading entomopathogens isolated from Madagascar's migratory locust, Locusta migratoria capito Sauss, were evaluated in field and laboratory tests. In a field trial in Madagascar in 1994, two isolates of Metarhizium flavoviride Gams and Rozsypal (SP3 and SP9) and an isolate of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (SP16) were tested against L. migratoria capito. Locusts from field plots treated with SP9 experienced 100% mortality in 8 days, a higher death rate than that found in locusts treated with M. flavoviride SP3 or B. bassiana SP16. However, locusts treated with M. flavoviride SP3 or B. bassiana SP16 had significantly higher mortality than did the untreated controls. In separate field and laboratory trials in Cape Verde in 1994, SP9 was also tested against the Senegalese grasshopper, Oedaleus senegalensis Krauss. Oedaleus senegalensis treated in small-scale field plots with SP9 experienced 100% mortality in 8 days, a significantly higher death rate than that of the untreated controls. An extensive laboratory bioassay with SP9 revealed a dose–response for rate of mortality to O. senegalensis. Results from these trials in Madagascar and Cape Verde suggest that one or more of the Malagasy strains evaluated have good potential for biocontrol of locusts and grasshoppers.
Olfactory activity of ethyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate on adult oriental fruit moths
Authors: Molinari Fabio , Anfora Gianfranco , Schmidt Silvia , Villa Michela , Ioriatti Claudio , Pasqualini Edison , De Cristofaro Antonio
Published: April 2011

We investigated whether or not pear ester (ethyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate) attracted adult oriental fruit moths, Cydia molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). The electroantennographic responses of C. molesta to pear ester were recorded and dose–response curves calculated. In laboratory bioassays, the attractiveness of different dosages was assessed in a dual-choice olfactometric arena. The responses of virgin males and females to pear ester in the presence and absence of pear (Pyrus communis L.), peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.), and apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) (Rosaceae) shoots were evaluated. Electroantennographic recordings demonstrated that both male and female C. molesta were able to detect the pear ester. In our bioassay, however, pear ester readily attracted males but attracted very few females. The response of males was dose-dependent and they preferred pear ester over apple- and pear-shoot volatiles, whereas no apparent preference between pear ester and peach-shoot volatiles was observed. Therefore, this kairomonal compound could be more effective in attracting C. molesta when applied in orchards of secondary host plants, like apple or pear, than in peach orchards.
Is soybean oil an effective repellent against Aedes aegypti?
Authors: Campbell Cory , Gries Gerhard
Published: April 2011

Soybean oil (SO) is considered an active ingredient in commercial BiteBlocker™ insect-repellent products. Our objective was to test mechanisms by which SO exhibits repellency, using the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae), as a representative blood-feeding insect. In dual-port glass-cage olfactometers, human hands treated with SO at various concentrations attracted as many mosquitoes as did untreated hands, indicating that SO has no long-range repellent effect. In contrast, hands treated with N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) attracted significantly fewer mosquitoes than did untreated control hands. In cage experiments, treating an area of a human forearm exposed to A. aegypti with SO provided no protection against bites, whereas treating it with DEET did. These results indicate that SO has no short-range or contact repellent properties. Both DEET and the BiteBlocker™ product conferred protection for periods similar to those previously reported. Based on our data, classification of SO as an active mosquito repellent should be reconsidered.
Baited pheromone traps track changes in populations of western blackheaded budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Nealis V.G. , Silk P. , Turnquist R. , Wu J.
Published: April 2011

Pheromone lures for eastern and western blackheaded budworms, Acleris variana (Fernald) and A. gloverana (Walsingham), were synthesized and deployed in traps at locations with decreasing and increasing populations of western blackheaded budworms in British Columbia, Canada. Traps baited with these lures caught comparable numbers of moths at all sites tested in each year. The lures were sensitive to changes in density of budworm populations below observable damage levels, and numbers of moths in traps were strongly correlated with independent estimates of egg densities in the same year. The results confirm the qualitative similarity of the sex pheromones in eastern and western species of blackheaded budworm and demonstrate their utility as a tool for monitoring population trends, including increases in populations to damaging levels.
Molecular and biometric assessment of Myzodium mimulicola (Hemiptera: Aphididae), with new synonymy and host and distributional data
Authors: Pike K.S. , Graf G. , Foottit R.G. , Maw H.E.L. , Miller G.L. , Harpel J. , Pantoja A. , Hagerty A. , Emmert S.
Published: April 2011

A molecular and biometric assessment and redescription of Myzodium mimulicola (Drews and Sampson) are provided. New North American host and distributional data are presented, including the first record from Alaska. Myzodium knowltoni (Smith and Robinson) is a junior subjective synonym of M. mimulicola, based on molecular-sequence and morphological evidence. A key to the known Myzodium species (apterae and alatae) is included.