bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chelonus chailini sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Malaysia, parasitizing gracillariid moths (Lepidoptera)
Authors: Walker Annette K. , Huddleston T.
Published: July 2009

Chelonus chailini sp. n., which was discovered recently during a survey of potential biocontrol agents of the cocoa pest Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) in Malaysia, is described and illustrated. Five other gracillariid leaf-miners and bud-borers (Acrocercops globulifera Meyrick, A. diffluella van Deventer, A. caerulea Meyrick, A. phaeospora Meyrick and Epicephala chalybacma Meyrick) are cited as hosts of C. chailini, and brief notes on its biology are given.
The survival of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) and Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in aerated bins of wheat during british winters
Authors: Armitage D. M. , Llewellin B. E.
Published: July 2009

The survival of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) and Sitophilus granarius (L.) adults at the surface and centre of two 40-tonne bins of wheat, each aerated at about 10 m3/h per tonne was studied in separate experiments over three successive years. In one bin, fan operation was controlled manually, but in the other an automatic differential thermostat was used. This switched on the fan when the centre of the bin was 2°C warmer than the ambient. O. surinamensis always survived better than S. granarius in the same bin and position. Both species survived better at the surface of each bin than at the centre, and both died quicker at the centre of the bin with aeration controlled with a differential thermostat, where the grain temperature was usually less than 4°C, than in the bin with aeration regulated manually, which was mainly above 6°C. However, there was no difference between bins in the survival of either species at the surface. S. granarius always died out in both positions in both bins, but O. surinamensis always survived at the surface of both bins, and in one year it survived at the centre of the bin with aeration controlled manually.
Distribution patterns and population dynamics of adult mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) in southern israel
Authors: Margalit J. , Dimentman Ch. , Danon J.
Published: July 2009

The species composition and population dynamics of mosquito adults trapped at 76 sites in southern Israel are described. Almost 200 000 specimens representing 23 species were collected. Five species, Aedes detritus (Haliday), Culiseta subochrea (Edwards), Culex antennatus (Becker), Cx. martinii Medschid and Cx. poicilipes (Theobald), are new records for this area, with Cx. poicilipes being recorded for the first time outside Africa. Six types of distribution patterns were discerned. The most abundant species was Cx. pipiens L. (79·7% of the total catch) followed by Ae. caspius (Pallas) (10%), Anopheles sergentii (Theobald) (2·1%), An. tenebrosus Dönitz (1·8%) and Cx. perexiguus Theobald (1·3%). All other species found each made up less than 1%. The spatial and temporal patterns of mosquito species in southern Israel are discussed.
Varying efficiency in a group of people sampling cabbage plants for aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Harrington R.
Published: July 2009

The efficiencies of people sampling cabbage plants in the field for total numbers of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) were found to differ. Significantly more aphids were counted on leaves taken to the laboratory than on leaves examined by inexperienced people in the field, but field counts by an experienced person did not differ significantly from the laboratory sample. The implications of differences between people and the possibility of correcting for them in surveys are discussed.
Some parasites of Segestes decoratus Redtenbacher (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) and their possible use in the biological control of tettigoniid pests of coconuts in papua new guinea
Authors: Young G. R.
Published: July 2009

A number of tettigoniids belonging to the genera Sexava, Segestes and Segestidea are responsible for severe defoliation of coconut palm, oil palm and Pandanus spp. in Papua New Guinea. Most chemical and cultural methods of control are either impractical or uneconomic. The possibility of biological control was examined with reference to some of the natural enemies of Segestes decoratus Redtenbacher, in particular a parasite of nymphs and adults, Stichotrema dallatorreanum Hofeneder, as well as the egg parasites Triteleia atrella (Dodd), a species of Tetrastichus near T. dubius (Waterston) and a second species of Tetrastichus. It was concluded that S. dallatorreanum contributed to the control of Segestes decoratus in areas with an evenly distributed rainfall and that the parasite had potential as a biological control agent in areas where it is not endemic against pest species of Sexava, Segestes and Segestidea. A survey of the egg parasites showed that they were not effective in controlling the pests as they were only able to parasitize eggs in exposed oviposition sites. Egg predators of unknown identity were responsible for higher egg mortality than were the egg parasites.
Nocturnal behaviour of adults of Heliothis armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Sudan Gezira and pest control implications
Authors: Topper Clive P.
Published: July 2009

Field and cage observations were made on Heliothis armigera (Hübner) in the Sudan Gezira to quantify nocturnal patterns of moth emergence, copulation and oviposition and the ages at which copulation and egg-laying occur. The flight activity pattern of males, virgins and inseminated females was assessed for crops with scarce or abundant sources of honeydew or nectar. A pronounced redistribution of moths between crops during the peak flight activity period (18.15-19.30 h) was demonstrated and measured, with the net exchange being approximately balanced. The direction of this movement was dependent upon the attractiveness of crops for feeding or oviposition. Male and female moths developing from larvae reared on groundnuts had significantly shorter lifespans when fed only water and less fat-body at emergence than moths developing from larvae reared on sorghum. When offered sugar solution, lifespans were significantly greater and differences in the lifespan of moths from groundnuts or sorghum were no longer evident. Adult feeding appears to compensate for any deficiencies associated with a larval diet of groundnut. Feeding was important for adult survival; there was a strong attraction of moths to crops with plentiful honeydew or nectar. A descriptive behavioural model is presented for the first half of adult life, until peak oviposition, and the uses of this model for pest management are discussed.
Migration of parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of cereal aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) between grassland, early-sown cereals and late-sown cereals in southern England
Authors: Vorley V. T. , Wratten S. D.
Published: July 2009

The dynamics of migration of the parasitoidsAphidiusspp. between grassland and cereal fields of varying sowing dates was investigated in southern England in 1980 and 1981. Using baffled water traps, direct evidence of migration ofA. rhopalosiphiDe Stefani Perez females from grassland to winter wheat was obtained in June 1980, suggesting that the early-maturing grassland aphidMetopolophium festucae(Theobald) can act as a reservoir of cereal aphid parasitoids. In 1981, estimates of parasitoid production in cereal fields containing the aphidsSitobion avenae(F.),M. dirhodum(Walker) andRhopalosiphum padi(L.) were compared with actual numbers to calculate net immigration and emigration. Barley and early-sown wheat (drilled before 14 October) proved to be significant sources ofAphidiusspp., with one wheat field generating sufficient parasitoids in May to account for immigration into about 25 late-sown fields. Parasitoid migration as larvae inside aphid alatae was apparently of considerably less significance than that by adults, which were predominantly female. The advantages of early drilling of cereals to form ‘semi perennial’ reservoirs of beneficial insects is discussed and weighed against the corresponding disadvantages, especially an increased risk of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).
The larval instars of the african blowfly, Calliphora croceipalpis Jaennicke, with a key to the genera of the third instars of african carrion-breeding Calliphoridae (Diptera)
Authors: ErzinÇlioǧlu Y. Z.
Published: July 2009

The larval instars of Calliphora croceipalpis Jaennicke are described, and keys to the separation of this species from other African Calliphora species given. A key to the third instars of all genera of Calliphoridae known to breed in carrion in Africa is also provided.
Diapause development in the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Authors: Forrester N. W.
Published: July 2009

Diapause development in Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett) was found to be favoured by temperatures in the range 23–30°C. Higher temperatures (30–35°C) were suboptimal, while diapause development proceeded much more slowly at lower temperatures (5–20°C). The rate of diapause development was linear, and no minimum threshold development temperature could be established from the range of temperatures studied (lowest 5°C). The period from diapause initiation to emergence (diapause development requirement plus a 2·5-week post-diapause development requirement) was predicted to be 6 months at 27°C and 7·5 months at 23°C. It is suggested that C. sorghicola probably evolved a diapause stage in response to the absence of its host-plant during the long dry season of the African savanna region. The possibility of strains with differential diapause reactions is raised. Sex ratios favoured females slightly.
Estimation of survival rates and population size from mark-recapture experiments of bait-caught haematophagous insects
Authors: Saul A.
Published: July 2009

A method of calculating survival rates and population size from mark-recapture experiments for bait-caught haematophagous insects is presented. The method fits the data to a series of simultaneous equations. This procedure is not affected by the cyclical nature of the recapture rate experienced in this type of experiment. Methods are presented which allow estimates of the confidence limits on the estimated parameters. Unlike earlier methods based upon a regression analysis of the log (number recaptured), this method allows estimates of the population size in addition to the survival and length of the feeding cycle of the mosquitoes. The methods have been applied to data collected in Papua New Guinea and give estimates of the total number of Anopheles feeding per night in different villages ranging from 3000 to 46 000.
Relationship between mated status of females and their stage of ovarian development in field populations of the australian sheep blowfly, lucilia cuprina(wiedemann) (diptera: calliphoridae)
Authors: Browne L. Barton , Gerwen A. C. M. Van , Smith P. H.
Published: July 2009

In field populations of Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) in Australia, there was a very low percentage of mating in females that, on the evidence of their stage of ovarian development, had not yet consumed protein-rich material. Virtually all females whose oocytes had reached early vitellogenesis had mated. Thus, most females of this anautogenous species had mated soon after their ovarian development had proceeded beyond the resting stage at which development ceases in females that have not consumed protein. The relationship between mated status and ovarian development of hand-caught females did not differ from that for females which had been allowed to remain for more than 1 h with sexually active males in the collection chamber of traps. Thus mating occurred rarely, if at all, in the trap chambers, which suggests that females in the field mate soon after first becoming sexually receptive. This, together with knowledge that females of this species do not remate readily, indicates that the operational sex ratio in L. cuprina is heavily male-biased.
Development rate, fecundity and lifespan of apterae of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), under controlled conditions
Authors: Aalbersberg Y. K. , Toit F. Du , Westhuizen M. C. Van Der , Hewitt P. H.
Published: July 2009

The rate of development, fecundity and lifespan of apterae of Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) were determined at five sets of temperature and daylength conditions. The time required to complete pre-imaginal growth at mean daily temperatures of 10, 13, 14, 17·25 and 20°C was 19·70, 12·09, 11·25, 9·88 and 8·17 days, respectively. The threshold for development was estimated to be 0·54°C and the number of day-degrees C required to complete development was 158·73.
Species recognition in Cicadulina leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), vectors of pathogens of Gramineae
Authors: Webb M. D.
Published: July 2009

Leafhoppers of the genus Cicadulina transmit pathogens to Gramineae (including cereals and sugarcane) in Africa, India and South America. Previous taxonomic and applied studies on Cicadulina are reviewed, and an identification key to the 22 recognizable species is given; each species is discussed and illustrated. Two species, C. dabrowskii sp. n. and C. immaculata sp. n., are described; C. anomala Van Rensburg, C. kalaharica Van Rensburg, C. inopia Van Rensburg, C. ungula Van Rensburg, C. bispinosa Van Rensburg, C. opaca Van Rensburg, C. waltersi Van Rensburg, C. scabra Van Rensburg and C. letabae Van Rensburg are established as junior synonyms of C. anestae Van Rensburg, C. bipunctella (Matsumura) as a junior synonym of C. bipunctata (Melichar) and C. triangula Ruppel as a junior synonym of C. storeyi China.
The Influence of Temperature on the Activity of Sheep-Blowflies
Authors: Nicholson A. J.
Published: July 2009

1. Quantitative methods of recording the activity of blowflies are described.

2. With constant temperatures the greatest activity occurs near the centre of the temperature range, whereas with rising temperature it immediately precedes the upper thermal death-point.

3. Rising temperature causes activity to occur at a lower range of temperatures than does constant temperature.

4. Rising temperature causes the appearance of “distress activity” at high temperatures, but constant temperature does not.

5. For the development of the necessary energy for full crawling and flight activity at the most favourable temperatures, rather long exposure to these temperatures is necessary.

6. Flight and, to a lesser extent, crawling occur in bursts of activity whether the temperature is rising or constant.

7. Differences in the reactions to temperature of the closely related speciesLucilia cuprinaandL. sericataare very distinct.

8. The curves for general activity and temperature preference correspond to the known distribution of the four species examined.

9. Frequency of regurgitation is definitely associated with high temperature.

10. There are strong indications that the conditions of the experiment were suitable for the flight ofL. cuprinabut unsuitable for that of the other species examined. This may have been due to the lack of bright sunlight, or to the confined space of the observation-jars.

11. It is shown that activity is a complex phenomenon, and that the character of the results obtained is influenced by the kind of activity examined, by the methods of measurement used, and by the nature of the temperature conditions to which the insects are exposed.
List of Chalcid Flies (Hym.) reared in U.S.S.R
Authors: Nikol'skaya M.
Published: July 2009

This paper records a number of parasitic and phytophagous species of Chalcididae that have been reared in U.S.S.R. during recent years. The material was partly collected by the author herself, or received for identification from various persons and institutions.
The Conditions of Sexual Maturation in the Migratory Locust
Authors: Pospelov V. P.
Published: July 2009

In a previous paper (Pospelov, 1926a) I pointed out that adult locusts (Locusta migratoria migratoria, L.) kept in a cage at a constant temperature of 35–38°C. (95–100°F.) and at sufficient humidity attained sexual maturity in a month, while those kept at 20–30°C. (68–86°F.) failed to mature even after three months.
A Note on the Concentrations of Tsetse-Flies
Authors: Jackson C. H. N.
Published: July 2009

This subject has been discussed very fully by Dr. T. A. M. Nash and the writer in two recent papers (Bull. Ent. Res. 24, 1933, pp. 135, 475–477). There is, however, one point which it is felt should be made clear. Dr. Nash states that the writer, “working in the Western Kondoa fly-belt, finds the more normal type of obvious concentration. In the dry season tsetse become more numerous in Berlinia-Brachystegia woodland immediately surrounding ‘vleis.’ Owing to the small size of these ‘vleis,’ which are only about 75 yards across, the fly appears to an observer to be concentrated in them; in reality they are probably living in the shade of the surrounding weeds and fly out to attack the investigator. Passing through Berlinia woods in this country one finds fly more numerous on the edge of “vleis,” probably because the trees are almost non-deciduous owing to sub-soil water.”
Observations on the Hibernation of Phlebotomus Papatasii (Dipt.)
Authors: Theodor Oskar
Published: July 2009

Hibernation of P. papatasii in Palestine is primarily caused by low temperature, but cyclical (? hereditary) factors exist which modify the phenomena of hibernation to a certain extent, as indicated by the following facts.

1. Occurrence of a gradually increasing number of resting larvae during autumn, with a maximum of hibernating larvae in the first winter generations.

2. A gradually increasing prolongation of development during the late summer generation, with a maximum duration of development in the first winter generations in larvae kept at 30°C.

3. The pupation of hibernating larvae kept at 30°C. in spring at the same time as of larvae kept in out-of-door conditions during the winter.

There is always a certain number of resting larvae (2 to 12 per cent.) throughout the summer in otherwise active broods. This inhibition of development shows that a latent inclination to diapause exists in all generations, and that diapause may also be brought about by unfavourable conditions.

No relation could be found between the interval between hatching and oviposition and asthenobiosis.
New injurious Curculionidae (Col.) from Tanganyika
Authors: Marshall Guy A. K.
Published: July 2009

♂♀. Derm piceous, shiny, with dense grey scaling more or less mottled above with dark brown patches.
Efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and Baculovirus heliothis foliar applications for suppression of helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Noctuidae) and other lepidopterous larvae on tomato in south-western Nigeria
Authors: Lutwama I. J. , Matanmi B. A.
Published: July 2009

Tomato plants in Nigeria were subjected to foliar sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (formulated as Dipel and Thuricide) and Baculovirus heliothis (Elcar), to which carbaryl, plus the adjuvants Tenac and Gustol were on occasion added, to test their effectiveness against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and other lepidopterous larvae. H. armigera larvae were found susceptible to both pathogens. The 0·5 kg/ha and the 1·0 kg/ha applications of Bacillus thuringiensis gave good field control of the larvae, similar to that of carbaryl at 1·5 kg/ha. Bacillus and virus were compatible but not significantly more effective when combined than when applied separately. Combinations of bacillus and virus with carbaryl were also not significantly more effective than the pathogens applied separately. B. thuringiensis at 0·5 kg/ha applied with carbaryl at 0·5 kg/ha was as good as carbaryl at 1·5 kg/ha. Gustol and Tenac did not significantly increase the effectiveness of the pathogens.
Field measurement of population recruitment of Apanteles glomeratus (L.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), and factors influencing adult parasitoid foraging success in kale
Authors: Van Driesche R. G.
Published: July 2009

The attack rate by the parasitoid Apanteles glomeratus (L.) on laboratory-reared larvae of Pieris rapae (L.) exposed for 3–4 day periods in a kale field in Massachusetts was greater when five larvae rather than two were placed on plants. The attack rate was greatest if host larvae were in the first instar when placed in the field, and little or no attack occurred when second- or third-instar larvae were exposed. The co-occurrence of unoccupied P. rapae larval feeding sites on plants where larvae were exposed reduced attack rates. Parasitism rates in trap-host larvae and in field-collected larvae (counting only cases in which the parasitoid was still in the egg stage) did not differ as estimators of recruitment to the population of parasitized hosts either in terms of total recruitment achieved per host generation or in the temporal pattern of the recruitment. In both simple and multiple linear regressions, the density of young P. rapae larvae (either parasitized or not) was the strongest correlate of parasitoid recruitment for the whole season, whereas average air temperature was the strongest correlate in the last month of observations (September).
Electrophoretic study of enzymes from cereal aphid populations. V. Spatial and temporal genetic similarity of holocyclic populations of the bird-cherry oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in Britain
Authors: Loxdale H. D. , Brookes C. P
Published: July 2009

Large colonies of holocyclic Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) were sampled in May-June in 1985 and 1986 from the principal host, Prunus padus, in various parts of Britain, mainly in the south-east. They were tested electrophoretically using nine enzymes representing 14 putative genetic loci. Only two loci (14%) were polymorphic (GOT, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, and SORDH, sorbitol dehydrogenase), the remainder being monomorphic. Allele and genotype frequencies at each locus were generally similar both spatially and temporally, and genotype frequencies were close to Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The low level of genetic variability may reflect population bottlenecks which have purged most of the variation and which have been imposed by the distribution of P. padus, especially in the south of Britain where the tree is generally scarce. In addition, it is probable that adverse climatic conditions directly affect winter survival of anholocyclic populations of the aphid and thus also reduce variability. In the long term, such bottlenecks would tend to preclude the maintenance of effectively neutral enzyme variants that arise within populations. The similarity of allele and genotype frequencies may reflect the highly migratory behaviour of R. padi. Thus, in southern Britain, where P. padus is generally much rarer in comparison with the north of the country, R. padi inter-population gene flow is still sufficient to alleviate the influences of genetic drift and possible directional selection on the allelic variation that remains.
Upwind flight by gravid australian sheep blowflies,Lucilia cuprina(Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), in response to stimuli from sheep
Authors: Eisemann C. H.
Published: July 2009

Groups of gravid females ofLucilia cuprina(Wiedemann) in a 1-m3cage flew upwind in response to sheep placed upwind of the cage. No downwind flight or other response was observed to sheep placed downwind of the fly cage. Flystruck sheep stimulated the greatest accumulation of flies on the upwind cage wall (46% of the caged flies), followed by sound wet sheep (29%) and sound dry sheep (19%). All sheep tested caused significantly more flies to accumulate on the upwind wall than did controls consisting of either no bait or a man placed upwind (14%). Struck sheep elicited significant upwind movement of flies at distances of up to 20 m; sound, dry sheep did so only up to 10 m. It was concluded thatL. cuprinais able to orient from a distance in response to volatile sheep kairomones; kairomones from dry sheep are augmented by wetting or the presence of cutaneous myiasis, as indicated by an enhanced fly response. The experiments performed did not exclude a role for visual or thermal cues in blowfly orientation to sheep.
Identification of components of cattle urine attractive to tsetse flies, Glossina spp. (Diptera: Glossinidae)
Authors: Bursell E. , Gough A. J. E. , Beevor P. S. , Cork A. , Hall D. R. , Vale G. A.
Published: July 2009

The attractiveness of cattle urine to Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood and G. pallidipes Austen was shown to be entirely attributable to the phenolic components which it contains. Four of the eight naturally occurring phenol derivatives (3- and 4-methylphenol, 3-ethylphenol and 3-n-propylphenol) were electroantennographically active, induced upwind flight in wind-tunnel bioassays and increased trap catches in field tests in Zimbabwe. One of the minor components, 2-methoxyphenol, had little antennographic activity but induced upwind flight in the wind-tunnel and appeared to be repellent in field tests.
Foraging activity of the attine ant Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on resistant and susceptible yam varieties
Authors: Rahbé Y. , Febvay G. , Kermarrec A.
Published: July 2009

A quantitative analysis of the foraging behaviour of Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich) from three nests on 27 yam varieties of nine species was undertaken in Guadeloupe using a video-microcomputer device. In ants with no previous experience of the variety, foraging inhibition appeared only after at least a whole day of contact with resistant yam leaves. There was a negative correlation between leaf saponin content of the yam species and foraging intensity; however, the main yam sapogenin, the steroid diosgenin, had no effect on foraging behaviour, and tomatin, a steroid-alkaloidal saponin, induced only long-term deterioration of the fungus garden when incorporated in the nest. The saponins tested are thus not detected by the ants and are therefore unable to initiate the strong and rapid foraging inhibition observed with resistant yams.
Variety-related feeding patterns in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), on its host, the rice plant
Authors: Padgham D. E. , Woodhead S.
Published: July 2009

Major potential sources of variation in the feeding of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) which are not host-dependant are those related to time, i.e. the age of the insect, the length of time the insect is in association with the plant and the time of day. These parameters were investigated with a susceptible, a moderately resistant and a resistant rice variety using honeydew clocks for the collection of honeydew excretion data. It is concluded that there are non-circadian patterns of honeydew excretion which are related to the degree of resistance of the variety and that such feeding and excretion patterns can be used to characterize the relationship between insect populations and rice varieties.
Karyotype variation in the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), species complex (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in relation to host-plant and morphology
Authors: Brown P. A. , Blackman R. L.
Published: July 2009

Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) collected on barley in the northern hemisphere usually has a ten-chromosome karyotype, whereas samples from maize, sorghum and Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) from all parts of the world commonly have 2n = 8. Samples with other karyotypes (2n = 9, 2n = 11 and 2n = 8 heterozygous for an interchange between the X chromosomes) occur less frequently on these and other species of Gramineae. Multivariate morphometric analysis, principally by the method of canonical variates, indicated that the ten-chromosome form may be regarded as a single clone of R. maidis recognizable by its karyotype and host-plant relationships, although not completely separable by morphology alone from all other clones of this permanently parthenogenetic species complex.
The influence of moonlight and weather on catches of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in light and pheromone traps
Authors: Dent D. R. , Pawar C. S.
Published: July 2009

Records of hourly trap catches of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) in a light trap and two pheromone traps in Andhra Pradesh, India, were used to assess the influence of moonlight and weather on trap performance. The environmental factors that were considered were mean hourly temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and maximum hourly percentage moon illuminance. The mean number of adults caught per hour reached a peak at 03.00 h in the light trap and at 02.00 h in one of the pheromone traps. The environmental factors were not sufficiently severe to produce any marked activity thresholds, although zero catches were recorded in the light and pheromone traps on occasions when the mean hourly temperature was 11°C. Despite there being obvious relationships between hourly light and pheromone trap catches with temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, it was not possible to determine whether these were causally related or merely coincidental relationships. Some of the observed relationships could not be explained in terms of known physiological or behavioural characteristics of the insect. It was evident that the light trap performance was influenced by the level of moon illuminance because this affected both the timing and size of the peak catch.
Determining the age of tsetse flies, Glossina spp. (Diptera: Glossinidae): an appraisal of the pteridine fluorescence technique
Authors: Langley P. A. , Hall M. J. R. , Felton T. , Ceesay M.
Published: July 2009

Standard curves for the regression of pteridine fluorescence in the head upon chronological age were constructed for laboratory-reared Glossina adults. Of the five species investigated, the technique was a reliable predictor of age in G. morsitans morsitans Westwood, G. pallidipes Austen, G. palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy) and G. tachinoides Westwood, but was not reliable for G. austeni Newstead. Field-caught tenerals of both sexes of G. p. palpalis, field-caught teneral females of G. pallidipes and tenerals of both sexes of G. m. morsitans released on an island in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, had significantly higher pteridine fluorescence levels than tenerals hatched in the laboratory. However, the regression of fluorescence on age produced similar slopes for both laboratory-reared and field-caught flies. From this, it is concluded that estimates of the ages of field-caught flies can be corrected by simply subtracting the difference in fluorescence values between field-caught and laboratory-reared tenerals. In practice, this amounts to shifting the frequency distribution of different age categories to bring the youngest age group back to day zero. A comparison of the fluorescence technique and the ovarian dissection method of determining the ages of females showed that over a wide range of ages the former was at least as accurate as the latter and should be the technique of choice for most field investigations.
Survivorship patterns of larvae of Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Massachusetts kale, with special reference to mortality due to Apanteles glomeratus (L.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Van Driesche R. G.
Published: July 2009

Survivorship curves for the pre-adult stages of Pieris rapae (L.) on kale in Massachusetts exhibited two patterns. Early season generations showed a linear decline with mortality in all stages, whereas late season generations showed reduced losses in larval instars 2-4 and a concentration of mortality in the fifth instar. Ratios of direct measurement of recruitment of P. rapae and its parasitoid Apanteles glomeratus (L.) to their first larval and egg-plus-larval stages, respectively, indicated that losses to parasitism for five host generations were 86·1, 9·1, 58·O, 71·7 and 40·3% for the 1985 third generation and the 1986 first to fourth generations. Patterns of percentage parasitism within single generations were determined by higher rates of mortality in parasitized than healthy older larvae (instars 3-5) and, in some cases, by higher rates of host than parasitoid recruitment towards the end of the generation.
A field trial of the synthetic oviposition pheromone with Culex quinquefasciatus say (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kenya
Authors: Otieno W. A. , Onyango T. O. , Pile M. M. , Laurence B. R. , Dawson G. W. , Wadhams L. J. , Pickett J. A.
Published: July 2009

The synthetic attractant pheromone 6-acetoxy-5-hexadecanolide in a formulation of 20 mg containing 5 mg of the active (−)-(5R,6S)-isomer in an effervescent tablet produced a high, positive overall response by gravid females of Culex quinquefasciatus Say when the mosquitoes were exposed to the pheromone in established breeding sites in western Kenya. Significantly more females (82%) oviposited around the pheromone source compared to a control. The activity of the pheromone persisted in the established breeding place for four days after application. The addition of the insect growth regulator S-31183 (2-[1-methyl-2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)ethoxy]pyridine) to the formulation did not affect the activity of the pheromone. Newly-made breeding sites exposed domestically were not attractive initially for oviposition by gravid females but, after 18 days, they became more attractive. Trays treated with synthetic pheromone diverted females from similar unbaited trays exposed within 10 m. A sample of larvae taken from a site treated with pheromone and insect growth regulator showed 100% mortality by the pupal stage. Thus, the efficacy of the pheromone has been demonstrated for the first time in the field and the possibility of using this material in combination with a ‘safe’ insecticide confirmed.
Possible selective advantage of Anopheles spp. (Diptera: Culicidae) with the oxidase- and acetylcholinesterase-based insecticide resistance genes after exposure to organophosphates or an insect growth regulator in Sri Lankan rice fields
Authors: Hemingway J. , Bonning B. C. , Jayawardena K. G. I. , Weerasinghe I. S. , Herath P. R. J. , Oouchi H.
Published: July 2009

Treatment of rice fields in Sri Lanka with monocrotophos at 10 mg/litre or pirimiphos-methyl at 0·1 mg/litre gave a selective advantage to larvae of Anopheles subpictus Grassi and A. nigerrimus Giles carrying the oxidase- and acetylcholinesterase-based resistance genes, respectively. However, this selective advantage was apparent for less than ten days after spraying. There was no mortality of any larval instar with monocrotophos 12 days after spraying, and no fourth-instar larval mortality with pirimiphos-methyl 17 days after spraying. The chemical degredation curves for these compounds indicated that this short duration of efficacy was due to the instability of the compounds in water under field conditions. In contrast, the new growth regulator S-31183 (2-[1-methy1-2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)ethoxy]pyridine) sprayed at 0·1 mg/litre conferred no selective advantage to larvae with either resistance mechanism and had a total efficacy period of at least 71 days. This difference can be attributed to the greater toxicity of the growth regulator and its slower chemical degradation under field conditions when compared to the organophosphates.
The life history, host specificity and potential of alagoasa parana Samuelson (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) for biological control of Lantana camara in Australia
Authors: Winder J. A. , Sands D. P. A. , Kassulke R. C.
Published: July 2009

In southern Brazil, adults and larvae of the halticine beetle Alagoasa parana Samuelson fed on the foliage and flowers of Lantana tiliaefolia and L. glutinosa (Verbenaceae). The life-cycle of this univoltine species from egg to adult emergence took 80-90 days between October and April. The abundance varied seasonally from four to eight adults per 100 branches. Larvae remained on the foliage during development and pupated in moist, loose, friable soil within a cocoon at the base of the host-plant. Adults overwintered and oviposited in litter at the base of the host-plant. In multiple-choice host- specificity studies in Australia, adults fed lightly on Verbena bonariensis and Clerodendrum speciosissimum (Verbenaceae) and produced minute scars on leaves on unrelated passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus). However, A. parana completed immature development only on L. camara among the 55 plants tested. The potential of A. parana as a biological control agent for L. camara in Australia is discussed.
Tamarixia leucaenae sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitic on the leucaena psyllid Heteropsylla cubana Crawford (Hemiptera) in Trinidad
Authors: Bouček Z.
Published: July 2009

Tamarixia leucaenae sp. n. is described from Trinidad as a parasitoid of Heteropsylla cubana Crawford. The psyllid is a serious pest of Leucaena leucocephala, which is used as a shade tree in plantations of various crops in the tropics.
The influence of introduced parasitoids on the potato moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Horne P.A.
Published: July 2009

The distribution of introduced parasitoids of Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) in Victoria is described. Apanteles subandinus Blanchard and Orgilus lepidus Muesebeck were most abundant, but Copidosoma koehleri Blanchard was also recorded from several sites. Detailed analysis of data obtained through regular monitoring revealed that, in an area free from insecticides, parasitoids were a major factor in controlling P. operculella. This result differs from previously published opinions on the effect of parasitoids, and is attributed to the analysis of data, in this study, on a generational basis. The effect of insectide applications on P. operculella and its parasitoids is discussed.
Forecasting the favourableness of the Australian environment for the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Homoptera: Aphididae), and its potential impact on Australian wheat yields
Authors: Hughes R.D. , Maywald G.F.
Published: July 2009

The CLIMEX model for matching climates in ecology is used to forecast the favourableness of the Australian environment for Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). Parameters used in CLIMEX for D. noxia were derived from the literature and tuned by iterative matching with the known distribution of the aphid in North America. These fitted values were then validated using the known distribution of D. noxia in southern Africa, and with the country-by-country occurrence of the aphid around the world. The results suggest that the drier inland parts of the Australian wheat belt would be very favourable for D. noxia growth and survival. A computer model of the interactions between climate, wheat growth and the biology of D. noxia was then used to simulate the likely infestation rates and potential yield reductions at selected sites in both the summer and winter rainfall regions of the Australian wheat belt. The results indicate that D. noxia has potential to cause severe losses to the wheat crop should it arrive in Australia.
Preselecting predatory mites for biological control: the use of an olfactometer
Authors: Janssen A. , Hofker C.D. , Braun A.R. , Mesa N. , Sabelis M.W. , Bellotti A.C.
Published: July 2009

Previous investigations showed that (1) predatory mites use odours volatilizing from spider-mite infested plants for remote prey selection and (2) the response to the volatiles is correlated to the predator's ability to control populations of the prey species. Based on this correlation, it is hypothesized that preselecting predatory mites with the aid of olfactometer experiments will increase the probability of finding an efficient natural enemy. Y-tube olfactometer experiments with 11 species of phytoseiids showed that only four species were attracted by the odour of cassava leaves infested with cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar). If the hypothesis mentioned above is valid, the probability of finding an efficient natural enemy within this group of four will be higher than finding one by randomly taking a species from the initial group of 11 species. Since testing of phytoseiids with an olfactometer can be done in a few hours, it is suggested that these tests precede more laborious evaluation methods.
A new genus and species of rice weevil from the Sahel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Erirhininae)
Authors: Lyal C.H.C.
Published: July 2009

Afroryzophilus djibai is a new genus and species of weevil, which attacks rice in Senegal. Its biology, pest potential and relationships with other Erirhininae are discussed.
Differences in the larval head patterns and body coloration of members of the Simulium metallicum species complex (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Mexico
Authors: Millest A.L.
Published: July 2009

Simulium metallicum Bellardi larvae were collected from a variety of sites in the three onchocerciasis foci in Mexico. Their head patterns and body coloration were scored before the larvae were cytologically analysed. Cytotypes A, B, H and I were collected and in the majority of cases they could be distinguished from each other by larval morphology. An undescribed cytotype (termed cytotype X) was found in Oaxaca which, on the basis of larval morphology, was indistinguishable from cytotype B.
Mesobraconoides psolopterus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of the white rice borer, Maliarpha separatella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in West Africa
Authors: Sarhan Awad A. , Quicke Donald L.J.
Published: July 2009

A new genus Mesobraconoides Sarhan & Quicke is described for the species M. psolopterus (Wilkinson) comb. n. (type species) and M. truncatus (Szépligeti) comb. n. Both species have been transferred from Mesobracon. M. psolopterus is here recorded from Sierra Leone as a parasitoid of the pyralid, white rice borer, Maliarpha separatella Ragonot, widespread in the Afrotropical region. M. psolopterus is redescribed and illustrated and a key provided to separate it from M. truncatus.
Susceptibility of the salvinia biological control agent Cyrtobagous salviniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to chemicals used to control tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans (Diptera: Glossinidae)) in Botswana
Authors: Semple J.L. , Forno I.W.
Published: July 2009

The effects of endosulfan and deltamethrin, chemicals used to control Glossina morsitans Westwood (tsetse fly), were tested against Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder & Sands (Curculionidae), a biological control agent for the floating fern Salvinia molesta. The weevil was very susceptible to deltamethrin and less susceptible to endosulfan. The use of these chemicals for control of G. morsitans in Botswana, where the biological control agent is active, is discussed.
Behavioural responses of the haematophagous bugTriatoma infestans(Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) to visual stimuli
Authors: Ward J. P. , Finlayson L. H.
Published: July 2009

Behavioural responses ofTriatoma infestans(Klug) to visual stimuli were analysed using a novel method involving remote monitoring of individual tethered bugs.T. infestansshowed negative phototactic behaviour and a reduction in activity in response to a directional white light stimulus at an intensity of 1·2 /µW/cm2. A lower intensity of white light (0·6 µW/cm2) elicited a similar negative phototaxis but failed to induce a significant reduction in activity. The response to green light at 0·6 µW/cm2was similar to that towards white light at 1·2 µW/cm2. Blue light did not induce any behavioural responses, whereas red light induced a significant reduction in activity at the lower intensity but did not affect phototaxis. Infrared radiation did not induce any significant behavioural effects, but there was an indication thatT. infestanscan detect near infrared radiation (750 nm). The activity response to the higher intensity white light appeared to be mediated primarily by the compound eyes. The dorsal ocelli, however, were involved in the directing of the phototactic response.T. infestansresponded to moving objects by a marked reduction in activity. Slowly moving objects induced a following response, whereas more quickly moving objects did not.
Diapause inHeliothis armigera(Hübner) andH. fletcheri(Hardwick) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Sudan Gezira
Authors: Hackett D. S. , Gatehouse A. G.
Published: July 2009

Diapause induction inHeliothis armigera(Hb.) from the Sudan Gezira was investigated under controlled conditions. A maximum incidence of diapause occurred in response to exposure to low temperature (22°C) and short daylength (12 h) during the larval stage. However, the prepupal and early pupal stages were also sensitive to temperature; if they were exposed to 26°C, diapause was averted. After more than two months at low temperature, some pupae remained in diapause for more than two months after transfer to high temperature (34°C) and only commenced developing when the temperature was lowered again. This may provide a mechanism to bridge the hot dry season and to synchronise emergence with the start of the rainy season. A high incidence of diapause inH. fletcheri(Hardwick) was observed to occur at the end of the rainy season under ambient conditions in the Sudan. Emergence from these diapause pupae occurred in the following rainy season. The different phenologies of diapause in the two species are discussed in relation to their distribution in rain-fed and irrigated vegetation in the Sudan.
A new species of Zeteticontus Silvestri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) from Israel and Kenya, a Parasite of Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)
Authors: Noves J. S.
Published: July 2009

Zeteticontus utilis sp. n., an encyrtid parasite of larvae of Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) and Urophorus humeralis (F.) in pineapple fields in Kenya and of C. hemipterus larvae in decaying fruit in Israel, is described. The parasite has been released in an attempt to control C. hemipterus in pineapple fields in Hawaii and is to be released against the same pest in Ohio.
Studies on insecticide resistance in cotton stainers, Dysdercus spp. (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae), in Kenya
Authors: Nyamasyo G. H. N. , Karel A. K.
Published: July 2009

Resistance to carbaryl, lindane and methidathion was studied in field and laboratory strains of Dysdercus fasciatus Sign., D. nigrofasciatus Stål, D. superstitiosits (F.) and D. cardinalis Gerst. from Kenya. Four-day old fifth-instar female nymphs were found to be the most convenient for bioassay. The LC50s of carbaryl, lindane and methidathion for D. fasciatus were 372, 240, and 110 mg/litre, respectively, those for D. nigrofasciatus 337, 294, and 111 mg/litre, and that for carbaryl for D. cardinalis 147 mg/litre. The Meru and Ngwata strains of D. fasciatus had resistance factors of ×5·3 and ×6·1, respectively, to carbaryl. The field strains of all four species showed slight resistance (up to ×3·4) to lindane and methidathion. The poor control of Dysdercus spp. experienced in Eastern Province, Kenya, is probably due to the development of resistance to carbaryl. A laboratory and a field strain of each of D. fasciatus and D. nigrofasciatus were subjected to carbaryl selection pressure for six generations of doses equivalent to the LC50-LC70. The laboratory strain of D. fasciatus was also subjected to lindane selection for six generations. The laboratory and field strains of D. fasciatus developed resistance to carbaryl of ×3·7 and ×5·7, respectively, and cross-resistance to lindane of up to ×2·7. No significant increase in resistance was observed in D. nigrofasciatus after selection. The laboratory strain of D. fasciatus developed resistance to lindane of ×5·5 after selection and cross-resistance to carbaryl of ×4·3.