Showing papers on "Lepidoptera genitalia published in 2019"

Phylogenomics Reveals the Evolutionary Timing and Pattern of Butterflies and Moths

Abstract: Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are one of the major superradiations of insects, comprising nearly 160,000 described extant species. As herbivores, pollinators, and prey, Lepidoptera play a fundamental role in almost every terrestrial ecosystem. Lepidoptera are also indicators of environmental change and serve as models for research on mimicry and genetics. They have been central to the development of coevolutionary hypotheses, such as butterflies with flowering plants and moths' evolutionary arms race with echolocating bats. However, these hypotheses have not been rigorously tested, because a robust lepidopteran phylogeny and timing of evolutionary novelties are lacking. To address these issues, we inferred a comprehensive phylogeny of Lepidoptera, using the largest dataset assembled for the order (2,098 orthologous protein-coding genes from transcriptomes of 186 species, representing nearly all superfamilies), and dated it with carefully evaluated synapomorphy-based fossils. The oldest members of the Lepidoptera crown group appeared in the Late Carboniferous (∼300 Ma) and fed on nonvascular land plants. Lepidoptera evolved the tube-like proboscis in the Middle Triassic (∼241 Ma), which allowed them to acquire nectar from flowering plants. This morphological innovation, along with other traits, likely promoted the extraordinary diversification of superfamily-level lepidopteran crown groups. The ancestor of butterflies was likely nocturnal, and our results indicate that butterflies became day-flying in the Late Cretaceous (∼98 Ma). Moth hearing organs arose multiple times before the evolutionary arms race between moths and bats, perhaps initially detecting a wide range of sound frequencies before being co-opted to specifically detect bat sonar. Our study provides an essential framework for future comparative studies on butterfly and moth evolution.

Pest Status and Management of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Field Corn in the United States

Abstract: The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a common lepidopteran pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States. This article provides an overview of the life history, ecology, plant injury, and management of H. zea in corn. Leaf injury by H. zea feeding can occur in vegetative stage corn, though this type of injury is rare. The most common type of injury is caused by larval feeding in ears. Because kernel injury is typically limited to the tip of the ear, H. zea is generally not considered an economic pest. The use of transgenic corn hybrids expressing insecticidal Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner can reduce injury from H. zea, though complete control is not achieved with most Bt traits. Resistance has been reported to several Bt toxins. Because H. zea is a major economic pest in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and because H. zea moths that developed on corn can migrate to cotton, selection pressure on H. zea in Bt corn has major implications for the pest status and injury to Bt cotton. Although the impact of H. zea on yield of field corn is generally negligible, the selection pressure exerted by Bt corn has led to management issues in cotton.

Two consecutive Wolbachia-mediated mitochondrial introgressions obscure taxonomy in Palearctic swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)

Abstract: European Regional Development Fund. Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI). Grant Number: CGL2016-76322. Marie Sklodowska‐Curie. Grant Numbers: 609402-2020, 625997.

Phylogenetic relationships among Bombycidae s.l. (Lepidoptera) based on analyses of complete mitochondrial genomes

Abstract: The family Bombycidae (sensu Minet, 1994) is a diverse group of species belonging to the superfamily Bombycoidea. It is an economically important group of moth species, containing well‐known silk‐producing insects, as well as many pests of agriculture and forestry. The morphology‐based hypothesis of Minet (1994) on the composition of Bombycidae is in conflict with subsequent phylogenetic hypotheses for the superfamily based on nuclear genes. In this paper, the complete mitochondrial genomes of nine species of Bombycidae are presented for the first time. Based on these genomes, four dataset partitions and three gblocks parameter settings, phylogenetic relationships among Bombycidae were reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Bombycidae was confirmed as a polyphyletic group, with the traditional subfamilies Prismostictinae and Oberthueriinae forming a single well‐supported clade that is distant to Bombycinae. The phylogenetic relationships within Bombycoidea were supported as ((((Bombycinae, Sphingidae), Saturniidae), (Prismostictinae, Oberthueriinae)), Eupterotidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith, 1797 (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae), firstly collected in Korea.

Abstract: The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious pest in large numbers on more than 350 plant species in the world. We have determined a 15,388 bp mitogenome of S. frugiperda which in...

Effects of three different cultivars of cruciferous plants on the age‐stage, two‐sex life table traits of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract: Plutella xylostella is an important pest of cruciferous crops worldwide. However, information regarding the age‐stage, two‐sex life parameters of P. xylostella, which is vital for designing more effective control methods, is currently lacking. The present study reports age‐stage, two‐sex life table parameters for P. xylostella on napa cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. napa), white cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata), and cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis) under laboratory conditions at 25 ± 2°C, 50–60% relative humidity, and a 16‐h light : 8‐h dark photoperiod. The time for development from an egg to a male or female adult P. xylostella on white cabbage (mean [± SE] 41.15 ± 0.54 and 39.50 ± 0.54 days, respectively) was significantly longer than that on cauliflower and napa cabbage. Furthermore, P. xylostella fecundity on cauliflower (261.90 ± 4.53 eggs female) was significantly highest than on napa cabbage and white cabbage. Intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) were highest on cauliflower 0.182 day−1 and 1.199 day−1 respectively as comparison to napa cabbage and white cabbage. The highest gross reproductive rate (GRR) and net reproductive rates (R0) of P. xylostella 65.87 and 52.58 respectively on cauliflower then those of other hosts. The findings of the present study indicate that cauliflower is the most suitable cultivar (host) for the development of P. xylostella. Based on these findings, crops like cauliflower can be used as trap crops when napa cabbage and white cabbage are the main crops.

Phylogeography of the Recent Expansion of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South America and the Caribbean Basin

Abstract: Abstract The Old World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), is one of the most destructive agricultural pests worldwide. It was first recorded in Brazil in 2013, yet despite this recent introduction, H. armigera has spread throughout much of Latin America. Where H. armigera has become established, it is displacing or hybridizing with the congeneric New World pest Helicoverpa zea. In addition to the adaptive qualities that make H. armigera a megapest, such as broad range pesticide resistance, the spread of H. armigera in the New World may have been hastened by multiple introductions into South America and/or the Caribbean. The recent expansion of the range of H. armigera into the New World is analyzed herein using mtDNA of samples from South America, the Caribbean Basin, and the Florida Peninsula. Phylogeographic analyses reveal that several haplotypes are nearly ubiquitous throughout the New World and native range of H. armigera, but several haplotypes have limited geographic distribution from which a secondary introduction with Euro-African origins into the New World is inferred. In addition, host–haplotype correlations were analyzed to see whether haplotypes might be restricted to certain crops. No specialization was found; however, some haplotypes had a broader host range than others. These results suggest that the dispersal of H. armigera in the New World is occurring from both natural migration and human-mediated introductions. As such, both means of introduction should be monitored to prevent the spread of H. armigera into areas such as the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where it is not yet established.

Herbivorous Caterpillars Can Utilize Three Mechanisms to Alter Green Leaf Volatile Emission.

Abstract: Green plants emit green leaf volatiles (GLVs) as a general damage response. These compounds act as signals for the emitter plant, neighboring plants, and even for insects in the ecosystem. However, when oral secretions from certain caterpillars are applied to wounded leaves, GLV emissions are significantly decreased or modified. We examined four caterpillar species representing two lepidopteran families for their capacity to decrease GLV emissions from Zea mays leaf tissue. We also investigated the source of the GLV modifying components in the alimentary tract of the various caterpillars. In Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and Manduca sexta (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), we found three distinct mechanisms to modify GLV emission: a heat-stable compound in the gut, a heat-labile enzyme in salivary gland homogenate (previously described in Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), and an isomerase in the salivary gland homogenate, which catalyzes the conversion of (Z)-3-hexenal to (E)-2-hexenal (previously described in M. sexta). These mechanisms employed by caterpillars to suppress or modify GLV emission suggest a counteraction against the induced indirect volatile defenses of a plant and provides further insights into the ecological functions of GLVs.

Fifty new genera of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera)

Abstract: Genomic sequencing and analysis of worldwide skipper butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) fauna points to imperfections in their current classification. Some tribes, subtribes and genera as they are circumscribed today are not monophyletic. Rationalizing genomic results from the perspective of phenotypic characters suggests two new tribes, two new subtribes and 50 new genera that are named here: Ceratrichiini Grishin, trib. n., Gretnini Grishin, trib. n., Falgina Grishin, subtr. n., Apaustina Grishin, subtr. n., Flattoides Grishin, gen. n., Aurivittia Grishin, gen. n., Viuria Grishin, gen. n., Clytius Grishin, gen. n., Incisus Grishin, gen. n., Perus Grishin, gen. n., Livida Grishin, gen. n., Festivia Grishin, gen. n., Hoodus Grishin, gen. n., Anaxas Grishin, gen. n., Chiothion Grishin, gen. n., Crenda Grishin, gen. n., Santa Grishin, gen. n., Canesia Grishin, gen. n., Bralus Grishin, gen. n., Ladda Grishin, gen. n., Willema Grishin, gen. n., Argemma Grishin, gen. n., Nervia Grishin, gen. n., Dotta Grishin, gen. n., Lissia Grishin, gen. n., Xanthonymus Grishin, gen. n., Cerba Grishin, gen. n., Avestia Grishin, gen. n., Zetka Grishin, gen. n., Turmosa Grishin, gen. n., Mielkeus Grishin, gen. n., Coolus Grishin, gen. n., Daron Grishin, gen. n., Barrolla Grishin, gen. n., Brownus Grishin, gen. n., Tava Grishin, gen. n., Rigga Grishin, gen. n., Haza Grishin, gen. n., Dubia Grishin, gen. n., Pares Grishin, gen. n., Chitta Grishin, gen. n., Artonia Grishin, gen. n., Lurida Grishin, gen. n., Corra Grishin, gen. n., Fidius Grishin, gen. n., Veadda Grishin, gen. n., Tricrista Grishin, gen. n., Viridina Grishin, gen. n., Alychna Grishin, gen. n., Ralis Grishin, gen. n., Testia Grishin, gen. n., Buzella Grishin, gen. n., Vernia Grishin, gen. n., and Lon Grishin, gen. n. In addition, the following taxonomic changes are suggested. Prada Evans is transferred from Hesperiinae to Trapezitinae. Echelatus Godman and Salvin, Systaspes Weeks, and Oenides Mabille are removed from synonymy and are treated as valid genera. The following genera are new junior subjective synonyms: Tosta Evans of Eantis Boisduval; Turmada Evans of Neoxeniades Hayward, Arita Evans of Tigasis Godman, and Alera Mabille of Perichares Scudder. Eantis pallida (R. Felder) (not Achlyodes Hübner), Gindanes kelso (Evans) (not Onenses Godman and Salvin), Isoteinon abjecta (Snellen) (not Astictopterus C. and R. Felder), Neoxeniades ethoda (Hewitson) (not Xeniades Godman), Moeris anna (Mabille) (not Vidius Evans), and Molo pelta Evans (not Lychnuchus Hübner) are new genus-species combinations. The following are species-level taxa: Livida assecla (Mabille) (not a subspecies of Livida grandis (Mabille), formerly Pythonides Hübner) and Alychna zenus (E. Bell) (not a junior subjective synonym of Alychna exclamationis (Mabille), formerly Psoralis Mabille); and Barrolla molla E. Bell (formerly Vacerra Godman) is a junior subjective synonym of Barrolla barroni Evans (formerly Paratrytone Godman). All these changes to taxonomic status of names are propagated to all names currently treated as subspecies (for species), subgenera (for genera) and synonyms of these taxa. Finally, taxa not mentioned in this work are considered to remain at the ranks and in taxonomic groups they have been previously assigned to.

Seasonal variation in natural mortality factors of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in open-field tomato cultivation

Abstract: The seasonal variation in natural mortality of phytophagous insects is determined by the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in agroecosystems. Knowledge regarding these factors throughout the year represents a key concern for IPM programmes. Seasonal population fluctuations of tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, led to an investigation of its natural mortality factors during the rainy season when the population level is low and during the dry season when population peaks occur. The aim of this study was to verify the seasonal variation in T. absoluta mortality factors in tomato crops. Immature stages of T. absoluta were obtained from laboratory‐rearing in the laboratory. These were taken to the field and monitored over two years. The mortality causes for each stage of insect development from egg to adult were assessed daily. Multiple biotic and abiotic mortality factors affected the immature T. absoluta stages such as rainfall, physiological disturbances, diseases, parasitoids and predators. The key T. absoluta mortality factor during summer–spring was predation. In addition, larvae predation correlated positively with temperature, wind velocity, photoperiod and rainfall. Nevertheless, during winter–fall, the key mortality factor was parasitism. Therefore, the critical stage for mortality was 3rd‐ and 4th‐instar larvae, being more vulnerable to natural control factors. Finally, the results showed the importance of vertical and horizontal action on natural mortality factors.

First record of fall army worm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) from Nepal

Abstract: The fall army worm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a destructive invasive insect pest of cereal crops native to American continent. It is a polyphagous insect with host range of more than 353 plant species and maize is a preferred host. This pest is a strong flier and can fly up to 500 km before oviposition. Present study reports S. frugiperda as a first record from Nepal (Nawalpur district) observed in May 2019 along with its morphological and molecular diagnosis.

Anastatus Motschulsky (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae): egg parasitoids of Caligula japonica Moore (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) in China.

Abstract: Four species of Anastatus Motschulsky (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae, Eupelminae) are newly reported as egg parasitoids of the Japanese giant silkworm, Caligula japonica Moore and, as an alternate laboratory host, the Chinese oak silk moth, Antheraea pernyi (Guerin-Meneville) (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) in China. The four species, A. fulloi Sheng & Wang, 1997, A. gansuensis Chen & Zang, sp. nov., A. japonicus Ashmead, 1904, and A. meilingensis Sheng, 1998, were reared initially from eggs of C. japonica collected in Gansu, Jilin and Liaoning provinces and subsequently cultured in the laboratory on eggs of A. pernyi. An illustrated key to differentiate females of the four species, and males of some of the species is provided. Key features are illustrated, both sexes of the new species are described, and diagnoses of females of the other species are given.

Molecular Characterization of Primary Juvenile Hormone Responders Methoprene-Tolerant (Met) and Krüppel Homolog 1 (Kr-h1) in Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with Clarification of Their Roles in Metamorphosis and Reproduction.

Abstract: Methoprene-tolerant (Met) is a putative JH intracellular receptor that transduces JH signal by activation of the inducible Kruppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1). We analyzed the gene sequences of Met and Kr-h1 and their patterns of expression in Grapholita molesta (Busck) immature and adult stages in order to better understand the roles of these primary JH responders in regulating the metamorphosis and reproduction of this global pest of fruit crops. The deduced amino acid sequences of both GmMet and GmKr-h1 were highly homologous to those of other Lepidoptera, especially the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Peak expression of GmMet occurred during the last 3 to 5 d of the final instar, followed by that of GmKr-h1, in the last 3 d of final instar. Similar patterns of GmMet and GmKr-h1 expression were detected across various tissue types in the fifth-instar larvae, with the highest expression observed in the head, followed by the epidermis, and the fat body. When expression of GmMet and GmKr-h1 was knocked down via dsRNA injection in the fifth instar, the results were increased larval mortality, abnormal pupation, delayed pupal duration, reduced adult emergence, extended preoviposition period, and reduced fecundity. We infer that both GmMet and GmKr-h1 participated in regulation of metamorphosis and reproduction in G. molesta, the former acting upstream of the latter, and could present biorational targets for novel pest control compounds.

Lepidoptera of Canada.

Abstract: The known Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) of the provinces and territories of Canada are summarised, and current knowledge is compared to the state of knowledge in 1979. A total of 5405 species are known to occur in Canada in 81 families, and a further 50 species have been reported but are unconfirmed. This represents an increase of 1348 species since 1979. The DNA barcodes available for Canadian Lepidoptera are also tabulated, based on a dataset of 148,314 specimens corresponding to 5842 distinct clusters. A further yet-undiscovered 1400 species of Lepidoptera are estimated to occur in Canada. The Gelechioidea are the most poorly known major lineage of Lepidoptera in Canada. Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia are thought to show the greatest deficit in our knowledge of Lepidoptera. The unglaciated portions of the Yukon (Beringia), and the Pacific Maritime, Montane Cordillera, and Western Interior Basin ecozones of British Columbia are also identified as hotbeds of undescribed biodiversity.

Effects of a host tree on movement and distribution of winter geometrid moths (Lepidoptera): thickness of trunks and branches

Abstract: Abstract Adult moths from an ecological group of winter geometrid species look for trees where they copulate and females lay eggs. We investigated how tree trunk and lower branch thickness affects the occurrence of females on trunks and branches and how the density of females and tree trunk thickness affects the occurrence of males on trunks. The research was carried out in a xeric thermophilous oak forest in southern Slovakia (Central Europe) in the winter season 2014–2015. The moths were obtained from Quercus pubescens trees by sticky bands. Three autumn species Operophtera brumata, Erannis defoliaria, Alsophila aceraria and four spring species Agriopis leucophaearia, Agriopis marginaria, Apocheima hispidaria, Phigalia pilosaria were recorded. We have found out that females had not exclusively negative geotactic behaviour as they (except for the rare P. pilosaria) occurred also on lower branches. Tree trunk and lower branch thickness had a positive effect on abundance of females of the three most abundant species (A. leucophaearia, O. brumata, E. defoliaria) on trunks and lower branches. Tree trunk thickness had a positive effect on density of the females of A. leucophaearia on trunks but not on O. brumata and E. defoliaria. The abundance of the males of O. brumata, E. defoliaria and A. leucophaearia on trunks was positively affected by tree trunk thickness and the density of their females.

Emergence and mating behavior of the oriental fruit moth Cydia molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and its potential for reproduction

Abstract: The Oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busck, 1916) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a key pest of fruit and is widely distributed around the world. There are important connections between its behav...

Characterization of the Spectrum of Insecticidal Activity for IPD072Aa: A Protein Derived from Psuedomonas chlororaphis with Activity Against Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract: Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) presents significant pest management challenges for farmers in both North America and Europe. IPD072Aa, a protein derived from Pseudomonas chlororaphis, has previously been shown to have activity against western corn rootworm. In the current study, the spectrum of activity of IPD072Aa was evaluated in controlled laboratory diet bioassays. IPD072Aa was fed at high concentrations in subchronic or chronic bioassays to 11 different insect species, representing 4 families within Coleoptera, and an additional 4 species representing four families of Lepidoptera. No adverse effects were noted in the Lepidoptera species. Within the order Coleoptera, western corn rootworm was the most sensitive species tested. A range of responses was observed within each of the four families of Coleoptera evaluated that included either no-observed effects or reduced growth, developmental delays, and/or reduced survival. These data will help inform the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants that express the IPD072Aa protein for western corn rootworm control.

A new genus of moths (Lepidoptera: Gracillarioidea: Douglasiidae) in Myanmar amber

Abstract: A new genus and species of moths, Tanyglossus orectometopus n. gen. et sp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillarioidea), is described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Autapomorphies for the new genus a...

Pest Injury Guilds, Lepidoptera, and Placing Fruit-Piercing Moths in Context: A Review

Abstract: The pest status of insects in agricultural settings is human-defined based on behaviors that may negatively impact the yield of susceptible crops. As such, both the insect behavior and the affected crop play a part in determining pest status. One helpful means of understanding pest status involves using pest injury guilds, which distinguish different pest groups based on similar kinds of injury to comparable plant tissues. Pest injury guilds defined in the literature are reviewed and then applied to agriculturally significant Lepidoptera. More specialized Lepidoptera behaviors which are economically relevant, such as leaf-rolling or stem-boring, are examined within their respective injury guilds. In this review, fruit-piercing moths are discussed within the context of pest Lepidoptera behaviors and are highlighted due to their unique means of causing economic damage. Unlike other Lepidoptera in agricultural settings, fruit-piercing moths are harmful as adults rather than larvae, and directly injure fruits using a specially adapted proboscis.The ecology and systematics of fruitpiercing moths, as well as current control options, are also discussed.

Ypsolopha rhinolophi sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Ypsolophidae), a new species from Portugal and France unveiled by bats

Abstract: A new species Ypsolopha rhinolophi Corley is described from northern Portugal and south-east France. It resembles Y. alpella (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) and Y. lucella (Fabricius, 1775) but shows clear differences from both species in DNA barcode and in male and female genitalia. Male genitalia of Y. lucella are illustrated for the first time. The new species has been collected at light, reared from larvae on Quercus pyrenaica Willd. and recognised from DNA barcode fragments obtained from droppings of horseshoe bats.

Arunachal's Adi and Apatani tribes' traditional knowledge of harvesting and using edible insects.

Abstract: At least 65 insect species of 30 families and 9 orders, namely Orthoptera (15 species), Odonata (12), Coleoptera (11), Hymenoptera (10), Hemiptera (9), Lepidoptera (5) and one species each of Ephem...

Two New Species of Taygetina With a Possible Case of `Juxta Loss' in Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)

Abstract: The male genitalic characters of Hexapoda are well known for their great taxonomic and systematic value. Despite insect male genitalia displaying large diversity, variation, and modification across orders, some structures are consistently present, and such characters can serve as the basis for discussion regarding homology. In the order Lepidoptera, a male genitalic structure widely known as the ‘juxta’ is present in many taxa and absence or modification of this character can be phylogenetically informative at the generic or higher level. We here focus on the systematics of the so-called ‘Taygetis clade’ within the nymphalid subtribe Euptychiina, and report an unusual case of ‘juxta loss’ in a single species, Taygetina accacioi Nakahara & Freitas, n. sp., a new species from Brazil named and described herein. Additionally, we describe another west Amazonian Taygetina Forster, 1964 species, namely Taygetina brocki Lamas & Nakahara, n. sp., in order to better document the species diversity of Taygetina. Our most up-to-date comprehensive molecular phylogeny regarding ‘Taygetis clade’ recovered these two species as members of a monophyletic Taygetina, reinforcing the absence of juxta being a character state change occurring in a single lineage, resulting in an apomorphic condition, which we report here as a rare case in butterflies (Papilionoidea).

A new species of Eupithecia Curtis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae) from Turkey.

Abstract: A new Eupithecia Curtis (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) species in the fletcherata group; Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n. is described from Turkey. Male and female adults, genitalia and habitats of the species are illustrated. The species is compared with Eupithecia jizlensis muelleri Hausmann, 1991.

Comparative damage and digestive enzyme activity of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on 12 tomato cultivars

Abstract: The damage caused by the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) to 12 tomato cultivars was investigated under greenhouse conditions. The 2 cultivars Korral and CH Falat experienced lower damage in terms of all parameters investigated, whereas the cultivars Valouro and Cal JN3 were categorized as the most susceptible host plants. The larvae feeding on CH Falat and Korral cultivars reached the lowest final weight (1.82 and 1.93 mg, respectively), whereas those reared on the Valouro and Cal JN3 cultivars reached the highest body weight (3.42 and 3.33 mg, respectively). The highest proteolytic and amylolytic activity was detected in larvae feeding on the Korral cultivar, whereas larvae reared on the Valouro cultivar had the lowest enzyme activity for both third and fourth instar larvae. Altogether, the Korral and CH Falat cultivars were classified as relatively resistant cultivars, whereas the 2 cultivars Valouro and Cal JN3 were categorized as highly susceptible to infection by T. absoluta. Therefore, the resistant cultivars can be considered as candidates for use in integrated management programs of the tomato leaf miner in Iran.

Herbivore, parasitoid and hyperparasitoid insects associated with fruits and seeds of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong (Fabaceae)

Abstract: This study aimed to inventory the herbivore insects associated with Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell) Morong (Fabaceae) fruits and seeds and their primary and secondary parasitoids Six samples collected between May and October 2013 yielded 210 fruits, from which 326 insects of six orders emerged: Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Thysanoptera and Psocoptera Coleoptera (five families) was represented by the seed consumers Merobruchus bicoloripes Pic, Stator sp Bridwell (Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae), two species of Silvanidae, one species of Scolytinae (Curculionidae), one species of Nitidulidae and one species of Cerambycidae The cerambycid was also observed forming galleries on fruit mesocarp Immature individuals of Lepidoptera were observed consuming the fruits and seeds From the seven Hymenoptera families, only two species were associated with Coleoptera, being Horismenus Walker sp (Eulophidae) as parasitoid of M bicoloripes, and Neoheterospilus falcatus (Marsh) (Braconidae) as parasitoid of Scolytinae The Lepidoptera parasitoids represented four genera: Pseudophanerotoma Zetel, Chelonus Panzer (Braconidae), Orgilus Nees (Braconidae) and Goniozus Forster (Bethylidae) The host associations for the reared parasitoids Bracon Fabricius (Braconidae), Pimplinae sp (Ichneumonidae) and Perilampus Forster (Perilampidae) were not confirmed We obtained a single representative of Diptera (Tachinidae) associated with Lepidoptera hosts in this food web

The genus Tarucus Moore, [1881] (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract: Tarucus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) is a group of Afro-Oriental butterflies, with the Indian Subcontinent being one of its centers of diversity with eight species. In this study, we provide a taxonomic and nomenclatural review of these species based on morphology (male genitalia) and type specimens, and designate lectotypes in the Natural History Museum, London, and the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, for the following names: Tarucus callinara nigra Bethune-Baker, [1918], Tarucus callinara Butler, 1886, Tarucus venosus hazara Evans, 1932, Tarucus venosus Moore, 1882, Tarucus alteratus Moore, 1882, Tarucus extricatus Butler, 1886, Tarucus bengalensis Bethune-Baker, [1918], Tarucus theophrastus indica Evans, 1932, Castalius ananda de Niceville, [1884], Tarucus dharta Bethune-Baker, [1918]. We also describe previously unrecognized variation within Tarucus balkanica nigra that has caused confusion in the past. We then discuss aspects of their natural history and spatio-temporal distribution. We describe and illustrate early stages, larval host plants, parasitoids and other aspects of the reproductive biology of Indian Tarucus. Finally, we provide an identification key for all the Indian species based on wing color patterns and the male genitalia.