A correction is made to a paper by Nash (1955) in which Syntomosphyrum glossinae Wtstn., a Chalcid parasite of the pupae of tsetse flies, was wrongly recorded as parasitising the oöthecae of Periplaneta americana (L.). The parasite in question was almost certainly the very similar Tetrastichua hagenowii (Ratz.)which is a world-wide parasite of P. americana. There is no evidence that eitherparasite can attack both P. americana and Glossina palpalis (R.-D.).

With the exception of a few isolated records nothing is known of the Coccidae of Southern Rhodesia. Dr. Brain has made a study of the family in the Union of South Africa, the results of which are to be found in his excellent Monograph,* and Prof. Newstead has described many interesting and hitherto unknown forms from Central Africa in the earlier volumes of this Bulletin.

It has been proposed that the existing Organisation Internationale de Lutte Biologique (a mainly western European and Mediterranean body) should be enlarged and restructured to form a world-wide International Organisation for Biological Control. IOBC would be open to individual as well as institutional members, and would have largely autonomous regional sections in different parts of the world. IOBC is expected to come into being early in 1971.

Dermatodes cinchonae, sp. n.

♂♀. Derm black or piceous, with uniform dense brown scaling above, becoming paler laterally and beneath.

Twelve species of termites occurring in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate are listed, and an illustrated key to their soldier castes is provided. An analysis of the 114 records has been made in order to indicate, in a general way, the relative abundance of the various species. Notes are given on distribution within the islands, on habitats and nests, and on the occurrence of termites on coconut palms and in buildings. Damage to buildings is discussed and suggestions made for control measures applicable to local conditions.

Survival of Musca vetustissima Walker from egg to adult in nutritious cattle dung from pasture irrigated during the dry south-western Australian summer was measured in the field. When drowning was prevented by placing dung on a low embankment, survival was high for only the first two months of the fly season, which included the first month of the five-month irrigation period. Substantial emergence of wild M. vetustissima adults from naturally- infested dung occurred only around that time. Survival was so low during the last four months of irrigation, even in the absence of mortality caused by drowning, that irrigated pasture areas in south-western Australia are unlikely to have significantly greater potential for breeding of M. vetustissima than non-irrigated pastures during most of the summer.

During the last decade, multilocus analysis has gradually become a powerful tool for the studies of population genetics and phylogeography. The double-striped cockroach, Blattella bisignata, is endemic to southeast Asia, and there is currently little genetic information available for the species. We chose it as the target species to investigate a biodiversity hotspot in southwest China. Here, we report the identification and characterization of 11 single-copy anonymous nuclear markers with an average length of 378bp. These loci, isolated from a genomic library of B. bisignata, can amplify in two additional Blattella species (B. germanica and B. lituricollis). While testing these markers in representative species of Blattellidae, Blattidae and Epilampridae, some of them can cross-amplify successfully. After sequencing 30 individuals collected from southern China per locus, we found relatively high variability (approximately 3.6 SNPs per 100bp). Finally, a small-scale study was also performed to show that these markers do indeed fulfill the expectations as phylogeographic markers.

Non-cultivated areas are resting, overwintering, feeding, and/or reproducing habitats for insects, and also places from where crop areas are colonized; thus, they are essential for understanding the biological control programs in agroecosystems. We developed a simulation model for a non-cultivated area of Buenos Aires province (Argentina), and we analyzed the control of Nezara viridula achieved by the action of two parasitoids: the oophagous Trissolcus basalis and the tachinid Trichopoda giacomellii, which attack older nymphs and adults. The model is a discrete time, deterministic, phenomenological, spatially homogeneous with a 1-week time interval simulation model, based on the age-structure and/or stage-structure of N. viridula and its two parasitoids. The host–parasitoid interactions were combined with a degree-day model affecting development times of T. giacomellii pupae and T. basalis pre-imaginal stages. The simultaneous attack of both parasitoid species enables the persistence of the system at low host densities, mediated by the functional response of the parasitoids, identified as population regulation factors. However, if only one parasitoid exists (i.e., only T. basalis or only T. giacomellii) the interaction N. viridula–parasitoid persisted but at higher density of N. viridula. These results explain the successful biological control of N. viridula after the introduction of T. basalis in the 1980s, when T. giacomellii was the only parasitoid present, unable to control N. viridula. Our model shows an indirect competition when both parasitoids are present: the attack of one of them diminished the potential number of hosts available to the other parasitoid species. In the field this interaction is obscured by the hibernation period which acted as a reset mechanism affecting the density and age/stage structure of all three populations. Our model was supported by field observations, and never exhibited the extinction of any of the parasitoids from the interaction.

Understanding the blood-feeding patterns of mosquitoes is essential for evaluating their potential as disease vectors, especially in urban areas where mosquitoes coexist with humans, domestic animals and wildlife. This study aimed to bridge a substantial gap in regional knowledge by identifying the blood meal sources of field-collected mosquitoes in domestic and open green environments from two urbanisations of temperate Argentina, the Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA) and Tandil, using molecular techniques. Female mosquitoes were collected from November 2019 to March 2020 and April–May 2021. A bipartite network analysis was performed for each environment and urbanisation. A total of 103 blood meals from Aedes (2 species) and Culex (7 species) were identified. Among these, five mammal and 18 bird species were recognised as hosts. Aedes mosquitoes exclusively fed on mammals, while Culex mosquitoes exhibited a broader host range including both birds and mammals. In AMBA, the open green environments were composed by more mosquito species than the domestic environments, while both presented similar numbers of vertebrate species. In contrast, in open green environments from Tandil only blood-fed Aedes albifasciatus were collected. For open green environments of AMBA and domestic environments of Tandil, results suggested some degree of host selection. For the three main vectors of diseases in the region, Aedes aegypti, Ae. albifasciatus and Culex pipiens molestus, we present the first molecular evidence of human blood meals in South America. Epidemiological significance of the present findings is discussed.

Drosophila suzukii is a pest of global concern due to its great impact on several crops. The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae was highly virulent to the larvae of the fly although some immune mechanisms were triggered along the infection course. Thus, to understand the gene activation profile we performed a comparative transcriptome of D. suzukii larvae infected with S. carpocapsae and Xenorhabdus nematophila to map the differentially expressed genes involved in the defence response. The analysis exposed the induction of genes involved in the humoral response such as the antimicrobial peptides and pattern-recognition receptors while there was a suppression of the cellular defence. Besides, genes involved in melanisation, and clot formation were downregulated hindering the encapsulation response and wound healing. After the infection, larvae were in a stress condition with an enrichment of metabolic and transport functionalities. Concerning the stress response, we observed variations of the heat-shock proteins, detoxification, and peroxidase enzymes. These findings set a genetical comprehensive knowledge of the host-pathogen relation of D. suzukii challenged with S. carpocapsae which could support further comparative studies with entomopathogenic nematodes.

The interplay between the host plant of an insect herbivore and an insect predator (here two-spot ladybird beetles; Adalia bipunctata (L).; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), feeding upon such a herbivore was examined in the laboratory as factors possibly determining the differential abundance and success of green and red host races of pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris. The experiment comprised three treatments: two host plants (bean and clover), two treatment levels (control and predation) and three colour morph levels (green alone, red alone and green and red in mixture). Green morphs had higher fitness on the general host plant, bean Vicia faba, than on the derived host, clover (Trifolium pratense), in the absence of predation. Although green morph fitness was reduced by predation when infesting bean together with reds, there was no observable net fitness loss due to predation on clover in mixed colonies with red morphs. Red morphs exhibited fitness loss alone on both bean and clover, while clover plants seemingly prevented fitness loss in the presence of predation when red morphs were mixed with green ones. According to this scenario, when colour morphs existed as a mixed colony, the net fitness of either pea aphid morph was not influenced by predation on clover. Predators had significant effects only on red morphs on broad bean either when alone or were mixed together with green morphs. Thus, only red morphs experienced the benefits of switching from the general to the derived host red clover in the presence of predation. For green morphs, there was no apparent cost of switching host plants when they faced predation. Hence, the co-existence of green-red colour polymorphism of pea aphids on single host plants appears to be maintained by the morph gaining fitness on the derived host due to a host plant– and predation–reduction effect. These findings have important implications for understanding the ecology and evolution of host switching by different colour-plant host adapted races of pea aphids.

While the desire for systemic repellents is high, ineffective repellents put one at risk of insect-vectored pathogens. Vitamin B1, or thiamine, has been touted as a systemic insect repellent since 1943, and denounced as an ineffective placebo for just as long. This paper presents a scoping review of 104 relevant case reports, research studies, and review articles to trace the evolution of this idea and identify an evidence-based, scientific consensus. Reports of thiamine's systemic repellency are primarily anecdotal and based on uncontrolled trials and/or used bite symptoms as a proxy for reduced biting. Controlled experiments on insect landing and feeding found no evidence of repellency. Of the 49 relevant review papers, 16 insect bite prevention guidelines, and 4 government documents, none after the 1990s claimed thiamine is a repellent. The findings of this review are that thiamine cannot repel arthropods in any dosage or route of administration. Due to limited available evidence, the possibility that thiamine reduces the subjective symptoms of insect bites cannot currently be ruled out. Unfortunately, many medical professionals and travelers today still believe thiamine may be effective despite the evidence stating otherwise. Continued promotion of debunked repellents on the commercial market poses a serious risk in countries with the endemic, mosquito-vectored disease.

Negative relationships between the parental age and offspring life history traits have been widely observed across diverse animal taxa. However, there is a lack of studies examining the influence of parental age on offspring performance using mites, particularly phytoseiid predators as subjects. This study explored the influence of maternal age on offspring life history traits in Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant) (Acari: Mesostigmata), a phytoseiid predatory mite reproducing through thelytokous parthenogenesis. We hypothesised that increased maternal age negatively impacts offspring traits, including developmental duration, body size, fecundity and lifespan. Amblyseius herbicolus was reared under controlled laboratory conditions, and the life history traits of offspring from mothers of varying ages were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Our results showed that the increase in maternal age significantly reduced individual egg volume, but did not significantly affect offspring developmental duration, body size, fecundity or lifespan. These findings indicate that while older A. herbicolus females produced smaller eggs, the subsequent performance (i.e. body size, fecundity and lifespan) of offspring remained largely unaffected, suggesting possible compensatory mechanisms in the offspring or alternative maternal provisioning strategies. The results of this study offer useful insights into the reproductive strategies of phytoseiid predators and asexually reproducing species, enhancing our understanding of how maternal age affects offspring fitness. Further studies can examine how offspring of A. herbicolus from mothers of different ages perform under adverse environmental conditions.

From the 1990s, the Southeast Asia native giant resin bee Megachile sculpturalis (Smith, 1853) was introduced first to North America, and then to many countries in Europe. Despite increasing studies on its invasive potential and geographical expansion, information on nesting behaviour of this species is still extremely scarce. To increase knowledge on the nesting biology of M. sculpturalis, we studied multiple aspects of nesting and pollen provisioning in three consecutive years in artificial nests in Bologna, Italy. We observed 166 bees visiting nests, and followed individual nesting behaviour and success of 41 adult females. We measured cavity diameter in 552 nests and characterised the structure in 100 of them. More than 95% of nest diameters ranged between 0.6 and 1.2 cm, overlapping with several sympatric species of cavity-nesting hymenopterans in the study area. Most nests had a first chamber from the entrance of variable length without brood, followed by an average of about two brood cells with a mean length of 2.85 ± 0.13 cm each. The pollen stored in brood cells was almost monofloral, belonging to the ornamental plant Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott. We estimated that a single female should visit ≈180 flowers to collect enough pollen for a single brood cell. These results fill knowledge gaps on the nesting biology and nest structure of the exotic M. sculpturalis, and they are discussed in relation to possible competition with native bees for nesting sites and foraging resources.

The writer some years ago described a mosquito under the name of Dixomyia elegans, the type of which remained unique until May, 1927, when a few adults, larvae and pupae were collected. The larvae and pupae were found in hoof-holes made by cattle on the edge of a swamp. The water in these holes contained a considerable amount of decaying vegetable matter and was comparatively clear. It was not examined for algae, except that both Nitella and Chara were noted as being absent. The B. D. H. Universal Indicator gave a colour change of greenish-yellow (7·0–7·5) in all samples of water tested for pH.

The species of Sesiidae reared from larvae feeding in the vines and tubers of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in Kenya are described as new and named Synanthedon leptosceles and S. dasysceles, respectively. Illustrations are given of the adults and male and female genitalia of both species. S. leptosceles is differentiated from the superficially similar East African species S. erythromma Hmps., which also is associated with sweet potato. Aegeria pyrostoma Meyr. is synonymised under S. erythromma following the examination of type material. S. dasysceles is noted to be readily distinguishable from these and other known species of Synanthedon by the rough scaling and white markings of the legs.

Experiments were conducted in Bangladesh in April–July and July–December to study the effectiveness of three methods of insecticide application to three varieties of rice against the stem-borers Scirpophaga incertulas (Wlk.) and Chilo polychrysus (Meyr.). In April–July, seedlings of the varieties IR8 and Dacca-14 were uprooted when 22 days old and treated individually with 0·0375%, 0·075%, 0·15% or 0·3% diazinon (as Diazinon 60 EC), dicrotophos (as Bidrin 85 EC) or carbaryl (as Sevin 85 SP) or 0·3% γ-BHC dust for 12, followed by dipping for 12 h in fresh water and then transplantation. In July–December, the same treatments were applied by controlled irrigation to the seedbeds of the varieties IR8 and Dacca-25 and for 40 h when the seedlings were 24 days old. In another experiment in July–December, granular formulations of diazinon (as Diazinon 5G), dicrotophos (as Bidrin 5G) and Sevidol (a mixed formulation of carbaryl 8G plus γ-BHC 8G) were also applied to the transplanted field at an interval of 20 days. Insecticides applied to uprooted seedlings reduced borer populations more in the case of variety IR8 than in Dacca–14. Diazinon applied at 0·3% to the variety IR8 and Dacca–25 effectively reduced the borer population to 4–8 and 10·5%, respectively, for up to 41 days; γ-BHC applied to the seedbed did not show much response. Dicrotophos was not highly effective in controlling the borers. Granular formulations of Sevidol at 1–5, 2 and 2–5 kg a.i./ ha and diazinon at 2–5 kg a.i./ha controlled stem-borers more effectively in variety IR8 than in Dacca-25. Variety IR8 was found more susceptible to the stem-borers than Dacca-25 and Dacca-14.