Carboxylesterases (CarEs) is an important detoxification enzyme system in phase Ⅰ participating in insecticides resistance. In our previous study, SlCarE054, a CarEs gene from lepidoptera class, was screened out to be upregulated in a pyrethroids and organophosphates resistant population. Its overexpression was verified in two field-collected populations of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) resistant to pyrethroids and organophosphates by qRT-PCR. Spatiotemporal expression results showed that SlCarE054 was highly expressed in the pupae stage and the digestive tissue midgut. To further explore its role in pyrethroids and organophosphates resistance, its metabolism activity to insecticides was determined by UPLC. Its recombinant protein showed significant metabolism activity to cyhalothrin and fenvalerate, but not to phoxim or chlorpyrifos. The metabolic activity of SlCarE054 to β-cypermethrin showed stereoselectivity, with higher metabolic activity to θ-cypermethrin than the enantiomer α-cypermethrin. The metabolite of β-cypermethrin was identified as 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde. Further modelling and docking analysis indicated that β-cypermethrin, cyhalothrin and fenvalerate could bind with the catalytic triad of the 3D structure of SlCarE054. The interaction of β-cypermethrin with SlCarE054 also showed the lowest binding energy. Our work provides evidence that SlCarE054 play roles in β-cypermethrin resistance in S. litura.

Because plant phenotypes can change in response to attacks by herbivores in highly variable ways, the distribution of herbivores depends on the occurrence of other herbivore species on the same plant. We carried out a field study to evaluate the co-occurrence of three coconut pests, the mites Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and the moth Atheloca bondari (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The eriophyid mite Ac. guerreronis is the most important coconut pest around the world, whereas S. concavuscutum and At. bondari are economically important only in some areas along the Brazilian coast. A previous study suggested that the necrosis caused by Ac. guerreronis facilitates the infestation of At. bondari larvae. Because all three species infest the area under the perianths on coconuts and S. concavuscutum also causes necrosis that could facilitate At. bondari, we evaluated the co-occurrence of all three species. We found that the occurrence of At. bondari was positively associated with Ac. guerreronis, but negatively associated with S. concavuscutum. In addition, the two mite species showed negative co-occurrence. Atheloca bondari was found on nuts of all ages, but more on nuts that had fallen than on those on the trees, suggesting that nuts infested by At. bondari tend to fall more frequently. We discuss the status of At. bondari as a pest and discuss experiments to test the causes of these co-occurrence patterns.

Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis, is one of the most destructive pests of vegetables, fruits and ornamental crops worldwide, causing extensive damage by direct feeding of the crop and transmitting economically important viruses. Despite the successes of biocontrol agents to control WFT, more efficient and cost-effective ways must be found to encourage grower adoption of integrated pest management. A sustainable fungal treatment was developed to preserve fungal inoculum in potting soil and reduce thrips populations. Combining cooked, oven-dried millet with BotaniGard® (a commercial form of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA) to potting soil increased spore production and persistence of the fungus in the soil. In treated pots with millet, spore concentrations were 3–4 times greater after 30 days compared with spore yields at 10 days. The number of WFT adults was significantly lower in the marigold pots treated with GHA mix + millet than untreated controls, 12% and 10% in treated pots and 70% and 68% in untreated pots in sterile and non-sterile soil, respectively. Incorporation of millet in the potting mix enhanced the effect of the fungal treatments by providing a nutritive substrate on which the fungus could become established. This method is relatively inexpensive and easy for growers to use in greenhouses because granular formulations of B. bassiana are not commercially available.

Specimens of seed bugs are recorded as pests of groundnuts, sorghum and cotton in Africa, usually under the name Aphanus apicalis Dall. or Rhyparochromus apicalis (Dall.). It is shown that these pests belong to the genus Naphius Stål and, further, that not all should be placed in the species N. apicalis (Dall.). A study of the genus Naphius shows that there are seven distinct species in the Ethiopian region. The true N. apicalis is shown to be the species that is known to cause damage to pumpkin in Rhodesia and sorghum in Nigeria: the pest of groundnuts in Senegal and Gambia is N. zavattarii (Mancini), not N. apicalis. To date, the other species of Naphius in Africa are not reported as pests. The known distribution of the two pest species is illustrated; N. apicalis occurs throughout tropical Africa, but N. zavattarii seems to be confined to the northern and eastern parts of Africa south of the Sahara, with the latter also present in the Canary Is, and cape Verde Is.

A new species of scale insect from coconut trees in Trinidad is described and named Parlagena bennetti. The generic assignment is tentative. A key to the four known species of Parlagena is provided.

Individuals of Glossina pallidipes Aust. were reared separately on five developmental categories of guinea-pigs (infants, suckling mothers, pregnant females, mature virgin females, and mature males), from the time of adult emergence until they died, at 22±1°C and 40±5%r.h. More than 70% of the tsetse flies reared on infant guinea-pigs or on suckling mothers died within the first 10 days, before they reached sexual maturity. Of those reared on mature male guinea-pigs, 50% lived for more than 50 days.

Pregnant female and mature male guinea-pigs were the most favoured hosts for tsetse feeding: more than 90% of the flies exposed to these two classes of hosts succeeded in feeding, while only 61%, 70%, and 76%, respectively, of those exposed to infants, suckling mothers, and mature virgin females actually fed.

Distortion, a severe stunting and deformation of plants of guineacorn (Sorghum vulgare) in Northern Nigeria, has been shown to be caused by Heterococcus nigeriensis Williams feeding on the plants.

The symptoms are striking; affected stems are much shorter and wider than normal and leaves are mis-shapen, with irregularly divergent veins and white tissue between the veins. Symptoms in the field vary from small patches of distortion on other normal plants to whole plants affected. The abnormal leaves of a plant with severe distortion are crumpled and remain rolled together. Growth of the plants virtually ceases if the mealybug infestation continues but, in the absence of mealybugs, affected plants recover and produce normal leaves.

Distortion has been found in the field, commonly on Sorghum vulgare, Zea mays and Cynodon dactylon, and once only on Pennisetum typhoides and Chloris pycnothrix, respectively, and has been produced experimentally on Z. mays, C. dactylon, P. typhoides, Triticum aestivum, Oryza sativa and Digitaria exilis by transferring mealybugs from affected guineacorn.

A photographic apparatus is described for obtaining a record of oviposition and larval eclosion at intervals through the night. By the use of electronic flash a negative silhouette image is produced and the method used does not appear to disturb the moths during oviposition. A second apparatus incorporating a moving pen is also described for studying and recording the times of emergence of moths from their pupae.

In Java, Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Col., Hispidae) is represented by chr. var. javana Weise and in South Sulawesi (South Celebes) by chr. var. selebensis Gestro. The endoparasite Tetrastichus brontispae (Ferriére) (Hym., Eulophidae) attacks both chr. var. javana and selebensis. However, in Java, there are two distinct strains of chr. var. javana. In one strain (A-strain) the parasite completes its development normally but in the other (B-strain) the parasites usually die in the larval stage. The areas where each strain occurs have been demarcated.

In laboratory studies at Bogor during 1958 it was established that the lifecycles of the A- and B-strains were similar. T. brontispae completed its development from egg to adult in 15 to 21 days (16 on average) in A-hosts but died in the larval stage in B-hosts within three to four days. In a few instances parasites in B-hosts were able to complete their development, but generally the host died a few days after the death of the parasites.

In the laboratory, adult parasites attacked B-hosts as readily as A-hosts, although the former were not suitable for parasite development. Phagocytosis by encapsulation or melanisation was occasionally encountered but was not the usual cause of the death of the parasites.

Up to the present time no single species of the cosmopolitan genus Thrips has been recorded from the mainland of India. In fact our knowledge of the Thysanoptera of this country is extremely fragmentary. Schmutz in 1913 (Sitzb. der K. Akad. Wissensch. in Wien, Math-nat. kl. cxxii, p. 1–99) described forty-four species from Ceylon, and since that time about a dozen more have been added, and no doubt many of these will be found to occur on the mainland. At present, however, only seven species are recorded. These are: Physothrips lefroyi, Bagnall, Physothrips usitatus, Bagnall, Helioihrips indicus, Bagnall, Panchaetothrips indicus, Bagnall, Hindsiana apicalis, Bagnall, Phoxothrips breviceps, Bagnall, and Leeuwenia indicus, Bagnall. It is probably no exaggeration to say that there are at least two thousand species in that country still awaiting discovery.

The persistent toxicity of films of pyrethrum in P31 oil may endure on suitable surfaces under warehouse conditions for much longer periods than hitherto supposed, but unexplained fluctuations in toxicity may occur.

Within the range 0·8 per cent. to 1·3 per cent. total pyrethrins, the pyrethrum content appears to be only a minor factor in determining the persistent toxicity of such films.

The nature of the surface sprayed is of great importance in determining the persistent toxicity of pyrethrum films in P31 oil, which is negligible on concrete and increases steadily through the following list of surfaces—brick, heavy hessian, light hessian, jute, cotton, and wood; the last-mentioned two being particularly good substrates.

Residual deposits of DDT or “ Gammexane ” derived from kerosene sprays are of little use on concrete, but appear otherwise little affected by the nature of the surface treated; they give a uniform degree of persistent toxicity on the various surfaces listed.

An investigation of the seasonal incidence of I. ricinus on cattle in N.W. Cardigani shire showed that there are normally two peaks of activity, one occurring in spring and the other in autumn. The infestation curve varied considerably from farm to farm according to the husbandry methods practised. Delayed stocking of infested pastures caused an initial higher infestation of the cattle but, except on one farm, did not prolong the infestation beyond the normal period of tick activity. A lower infestation in spring than in autumn occurred on two farms. This resulted from either the lighter stocking of the infested grazings in spring than in autumn or the partial exhaustion of unfed tick population by sheep grazing with the cattle during the spring only.

There was no evidence for the occurrence of a unimodal curve of tick activity in the region studied.

The response of populations of the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus) (7022/1 strain), to insecticide treatments of different extent and standard concentration was studied over 16 weeks (no more than two generations) in experimental bins containing a wheat bulk and 16 kibbled wheat-filled refuges. Populations comprised initially low frequencies of resistant phenotypes, as would occur in natural populations where resistant alleles had newly arisen. The degree of control achieved was related to the extent of treatment. Distribution of adult beetles was greatly influenced by the effects of insecticide treatment superimposed on intrinsic microhabitat preferences. Live beetles were recovered from all bins, although numbers sampled from wheat bulks of treated bins were 1–6% of that of the untreated bin. More live beetles were sampled from wheat bulks than were recovered from all respective refuges, except in one treated bin. Live beetles were more numerous in refuges in corners and in those furthest from refuges on treated walls. Beetles were more likely to die in refuges in coiners and lower down in the bins or in refuges on treated walls adjacent to untreated walls. Although treatments produced heavy mortality, the frequencies of resistant individuals did not increase significantly. This could either be because treatments were equally successful in eliminating homozygous susceptible and heterozygous individuals, or because selection in favour of resistant individuals was too weak to be detectable, especially if there were negative correlations between viability and fecundity. Significant genetic structuring of refuge subpopulations with respect to the resistance phenotypes was noted and appeared to be related to behavioural preferences for microhabitat.

Ovipositing females of Nupserha bicolor Thoms, ssp. postbrunnea Breun. cause loss of stem length in jute, Corchorus olitorius, by girdling the stem above and below a slit in which the egg is laid. The slit is made by two successive indentations of the mandibles. It is composed of a central pit and two lateral punctures. Girdling is restricted to that portion of the stem which falls within the stem-diameter range of 0·2 cm. to 0·4 cm.

A relationship exists between the length of the mandibles of the female, the depth of the stem tissue from the epidermis down to the periphery of the pith (extra-medullary tissue), and girdling and oviposition.

For girdling, the optimum ratio between the mandibular length and the depth of extra-medullary tissue as measured from the epidermal furrow and ridge of the stem (pentagonal in this region) is 1:0·80 and 1:0·99, respectively. Frequency of girdling gradually decreases in those regions of stem where the depth of extra-medullary tissue increases or decreases these ratios.

Ollarianus balli (Van D.), a leafhopper vector of disease-associated mycoplasma-like organisms, was found to be rare in Jamaica. Its distribution and frequency were governed primarily by the distribution and density of its specific field host, the wild legume Rhynchosia minima on which it completes its life-cycle. Under suitable temperature conditions, O. balli was easily reared in captivity on R. minima and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), although the latter is not a natural host. It oviposited into the hypodermal tissues covering veins of sterns, petioles and the abaxial surfaces of older leaves. Eggs hatched 10–15 days after oviposition and there were five nymphal instars. Instar 1 was distinct from instars 2–5 which, except for size, were similar in appearance. The first adults matured some three weeks after the final moult. There appeared to be little difference in the average life-span of males and females of O. balli.

General colour (in spirit) green with dark brown barring on abdomen. Antennae from the apical half of iv. to tip dark brown to black, basal segments pale brown. Head pale green, except for a black depression between the base of the lateral ocellar elevation and the median line; genal cones medium brown; lateral ocelli pink. Pronotum of the same uniform colour except for a small black area marginally. Dorsulum pale green, with two large semicircular or subtriangular light brown areas medianly anteriorly; mesonotum striated with light brown, one median narrow stripe and two broad lateral ones; mesoscutellum unicolorous or faintly tinged with brown. Legs with the femora darker than tibiae, tarsi and claws black. Abdomen with two median black areas on first segment, with a lateral hollow black.

The genitalia and reproductive organs of a normal and of an abnormal type of cabbage root fly (Delia brassicae (Wied.)) are described. The abnormal type, possessing incomplete genitalia, was found in the Welles-bourne laboratory culture. The abnormal females were sexually attractive to males but were unable to copulate or lay eggs, whereas the abnormal males copulated but did not inseminate females. The age of females at oviposition and both larval and adult diets influenced the number of abnormal flies in subsequent generations.

The goal of this paper is to examine and demonstrate that survival analysis, which has been a de facto standard in biomedical research since the 1990s but has not been widely adopted in entomology yet, should possess similar potential in entomological research. The following three objectives are set to achieve this goal: (i) addressing a fundamental issue – censoring or incomplete observations; (ii) demonstrating the application of survival analysis to analyze insect life tables; and (iii) applying survival analysis for hypothesis testing. The data used to demonstrate the applications is from our laboratory experiments, which recorded the development, survival and reproduction of 1800 Russian wheat aphids (Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), RWA) under 25 treatments of temperature and plant-growth stage. With regard to the first two objectives, besides examining the near ubiquitous existence of censoring in insect population research, we constructed and analyzed life tables of 1800 RWA individuals with survival analysis. We further demonstrate that there could be very significant differences in life table parameters, such as median development times with and without considering censoring. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first recognition in entomology that censoring, which is hardly avoidable, can cause significant systematical bias (ranging between 4–25%; table 1) in insect development data analysis. As for the third objective, the study shows that four statistics from survival analysis can be applied to testing the effects of covariates, such as temperature and plant-growth stage, on development and survival of the Russian wheat aphid. The advantages of survival analysis include the handling of censored observations, survival probabilities in the form of rigorous survivor function vs. simple survival rates, dynamic modeling of covariates effects on development and survival with a unified model structure, etc. The methods demonstrated in this article should also be useful for entomological research beyond insect demography, such as bioassay, assessment of natural enemies, the studies of insect behaviors, etc.