The nymphs I, II, III, and adult male and adult female stages of Mulcticola macrocephalus (Kellogg) (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera: Philopteridae), a monoxenous species of chewing louse infesting common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor (Forster) (Caprimulgiformes: Caprimulgidae), in North America, are described. Line drawings of whole nymphs and adults are presented, as are details of anterior dorsal head plates, metasternal plates, female subvulvar plates, and male genitalia. Ontogenetic characters exhibited during the postembryonic development of this species of chewing louse are described and discussed in relation to previous information in the literature.

The Onthophagus anthracinus Harold, 1873 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) species complex of the Onthophagus landolti Harold, 1880 species group is established and analysed. A new species, O. etlaensis, is described from this group. Onthophagus mextexus Howden and Cartwright, 1970 is considered a valid species and O. knulli Howden and Cartwright, 1963 is placed in synonymy with O. durangoensis Balthasar, 1939 new synonymy. A key for the O. anthracinus species complex is presented along with photographs and illustrations of the main taxonomic differences. An update of the O. landolti species group is presented.

A new genus and new species of Nymphidae (Neuroptera) is described from the Ypresian Okanagan Highlands locality of Falkland, British Columbia, Canada: Epinesydrion falklandensisnew genus, new species. This is only the fourth known Cenozoic adult specimen, and all others are less complete. It is the second specimen from the Okanagan Highlands. Currently Nymphidae has two recognised subfamilies. All Cenozoic fossils are confident members of the Nymphinae, but the subfamily assignments of almost all Mesozoic genera are problematic. The Late Cretaceous Dactylomyius is the only genus that might belong to Myiodactylinae. The rest may belong to the undefined stem groups of the family or to the Nymphinae, with varying levels of probability. Mesonymphes sibirica is transferred to Nymphites Haase: N. sibiricus (Ponomarenko), new combination; Sialium minor to Spilonymphes Shi, Winterton, and Ren: Spilonymphes minor (Shi, Winterton, and Ren), new combination; “Mesonymphes” apicalis does not belong to Mesonymphes Carpenter and may not even belong to the Nymphidae. The fossil record of the family occurs across much of the globe, but today they are restricted to Australia, New Guinea, and possibly the Philippines. Modern Nymphinae is only found in Australia. This may result from a requirement of frost-free climates, which were more widespread in the past.

The genus Synosis Townes, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae) currently comprises 18 described species. A redescription of the genus is presented and three new species are described and illustrated: S. diaguita new species, S. nigra new species, and S. zezei new species. Two previously known species, Synosis rubinus Alvarado and Rodriguez-Berrios, 2013 and S. townesi Alvarado and Rodriguez-Berrios, 2013 are recorded for the first time in Ecuador. The genus is recorded for the first time for Ecuador and Argentina. An identification key to the New World species is presented.

A review of the current knowledge on the diversity of inquiline oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipinae) from Colombia is conducted for the first time. A new species, Synergus dawnus Lobato-Vila and Pujade-Villar, is formally described and illustrated, and an undescribed specimen from the same genus is diagnosed and discussed. New biological, morphological, and distribution data of the only two previously known species from this country (Synergus colombianus Nieves-Aldrey, 2005 and Synergus pedroi Pujade-Villar, Lobato-Vila, and Fernández-Garzón, 2017), as well as an identification key to the Colombian species of Synergus Hartig, 1840, are provided. The morphological variability of the Colombian species of Synergus, especially of S. pedroi, is discussed.

The conopid fly Stylogaster neglecta Williston (Diptera: Conopidae) is a parasitoid with no known host. We report this species as the first recorded dipteran parasitoid of Oecanthus nigricornis Walker (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) (black-horned tree crickets). We reared field-collected O. nigricornis juveniles over several months in 2017 and found that larval S. neglecta emerged from them during late July into August. We estimated the incubation period for S. neglecta larvae to be around 30 days based on the length of time it took for them to emerge from the host and pupate (subsequently all hosts died). We documented several cases of multiple parasitism. In 2018, we dissected O. nigricornis sampled from four sites across southern Ontario, Canada and upstate New York, United States of America and found that the percentage of juvenile O. nigricornis parasitised ranged 2–39%. Further sampling will be necessary to determine whether this variation represents consistent population differences or between-year variation in parasitism.

Insects in the subfamily Ischnorhininae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cercopidae), known as spittlebugs or froghoppers, are mainly distributed in the Neotropical region. A few genera include pest species of economic relevance, including Prosapia Fennah, 1949. Two new species from Mexico and Costa Rica are now described for this genus, and a key to species is proposed for the P. inferens (Walker, 1858) species group.

Eclosion times and rates of Rhagoletis tabellaria (Fitch) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and its parasitoid wasp Utetes tabellariae (Fischer) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) held at different chilling durations were determined in the laboratory. Adult fly and wasp longevity were also determined. Adult female and male flies from R. tabellaria puparia chilled for 195 days at 4.8 °C and then held at 23.2 °C eclosed on average earlier than U. tabellariae reared from R. tabellaria puparia. Rhagoletis tabellaria also eclosed significantly earlier from puparia chilled for 150 days than 120 days at 2.7 °C, but U. tabellariae eclosion from the two treatments did not differ significantly. Rhagoletis tabellaria eclosion rates were greater with longer chill durations, but U. tabellariae eclosion rates per R. tabellaria puparium did not differ among chill durations. No R. tabellaria eclosed from nonchilled puparia held at 20–22 °C, but at least 18.8% of nonchilled U. tabellariae eclosed. Female and male R. tabellaria on average survived 52.1 and 83.3 days, respectively, while female and male U. tabellariae survived 37.7 and 28.7 days, respectively. Results indicate diapause and developmental traits of R. tabellaria may be more dependent on chilling durations and less flexible than those of U. tabellariae, a wasp that appears adapted to flies in the R. tabellaria species complex.

Six new species of Piezocerini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) are described: Alienosternus sanjacintero, Hemilissa bifasciata, Hemilissa erikae, Hemilissa claudiae, and Migorybia santossilvai from Colombia and Alienosternus wappesi from Bolivia. The genus Alienosternus Martins, 1976 is recorded for the first time for Colombia and Bolivia, and the genus Migorybia Martins, 1985 is recorded for the first time for Colombia. The geographical distribution of three species is expanded, and keys to species of Alienosternus and Hemilissa Pascoe, 1858 are provided.

Specimens of the New World genus Leschenaultia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae) parasitise a wide range of lepidopteran hosts, including economically important pests. The female flies are attracted to volatile compounds released by host plants in response to the herbivory of caterpillars. They deposit microtype eggs on the leaves, which are then ingested by the hosts. We record a new host for L. bicolor (Macquart), obtained from Halysidota pearsoni Watson (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The record is described herein and a comparative diagnosis for the identification of this parasitoid is provided, with discussion on similar species of the genus. The male and female terminalia of L. bicolor are fully described and illustrated for the first time. We also review and update the host records for Leschenaultia in an annotated host catalogue. At least nine species of Leschenaultia are recorded from 53 species of Lepidoptera, including the families Apatelodidae, Erebidae, Lasiocampidae, Noctuidae, Nymphalidae, Saturniidae, and Sphingidae. Finally, we provide an overview of host use and host associations.

Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), has become a serious pest of soft fruit in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada since its detection in 2009. The study was conducted to determine the distribution of D. suzukii and damage levels in grapes. Apple cider vinegar-baited traps placed in table and wine grape (Vitis vinifera Linnaeus; Vitaceae) vineyards during 2011–2013 demonstrated that D. suzukii was numerous in all sites, with earliest emergence and highest numbers recorded in 2013. Drosophila suzukii were reared from intact and damaged table grapes and damaged wine grapes collected from the field, but not from intact wine grapes. Drosophila suzukii were reared in low numbers in 2011 from intact fruit of 11 wine grape cultivars exposed artificially in the laboratory. Susceptibility of intact wine grapes under laboratory conditions in 2011 when sour rot was widespread might relate in part to undetected infections of berries due to weather conditions. Identification of Drosophila Fallén species revealed that D. suzukii comprised a small portion of the total. Our results demonstrate that healthy wine grapes in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia are largely undamaged by D. suzukii, while certain table grape cultivars should be protected from attack.

The growth of the commercial pollination industry raises important concerns regarding honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus; Hymenoptera: Apidae) health and development. While providing such services, honey bees are often exposed to undiversified pollen sources that may contribute to nutritional deficiencies, notably in protein and amino acids. To understand how honey bees are affected during provision of pollination services, we compared honey bee colonies that pollinated lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton; Ericaceae) and/or cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton; Ericaceae) crops (management strategies) with control colonies in a diversified farmland environment. We identified the floral species of pollen collected by honey bee colonies in those crops compared to pollen collected by control colonies. We also analysed the protein and essential amino acid content of collected pollen and bee bread and measured the nutritional impact of pollination services on honey bee colonies. We found that honey bees providing blueberry and/or cranberry pollination services are exposed to a less diversified pollen diet than colonies located in a farmland environment, especially in a cranberry field. There was a significantly lower proportion of crude protein content in collected and stored pollen during provision of blueberry pollination services, which led to a smaller brood population. Many nutritional deficiencies were measured with regards to essential amino acids.

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), the spotted-wing drosophila, is an invasive pest of fruit crops, which appeared in eastern Canada in 2010. It represents a major threat to lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton; Ericaceae) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Québec, Canada, at the northern limits of its distribution. The dynamics, overwintering capacity, population fluctuations, and damage to lowbush blueberry of D. suzukii are unknown in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. We aimed to 1) document D. suzukii abundance and phenology in lowbush blueberry in separate localities; 2) evaluate the potential of D. suzukii to overwinter and examine population dynamics over three seasons; and 3) study the spatial distribution of D. suzukii in lowbush blueberry fields with respect to forested borders. Drosophila suzukii is abundant in lowbush blueberry fields of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. In spring, D. suzukii were absent until late June, when few summer-morph females appeared. Drosophila suzukii densities started to increase regularly in August, with increasing male proportions, to culminate in fall at high levels with balanced sex ratios. Overwintering remains uncertain, D. suzukii being undetectable in spring despite intensive trapping. Appearance of diapausing winter morphs at high densities indicates that D. suzukii responds appropriately to local conditions preceding cold winter. Models of variation of D. suzukii densities and lowbush blueberry fruit infestation with distance from borders indicate that forest borders are favoured habitats over lowbush blueberry fields and the source of D. suzukii moving to some extent into lowbush blueberry fields.

Operational sex ratio and paternal age are known to independently affect mating behaviour and reproductive performance. We conducted experiments to assess the effects of operational sex ratio and paternal age on mating, reproduction, and total development duration of Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Three male-biased sex ratios, no (1:1), modest (1:2), and extreme (1:5) competition treatments, were formed using young, middle-aged, and old males. The reproductive performance of M. sexmaculatus at all ages under extreme competition (1:5) surpassed the other two treatments. More competition among males decreased the time of commencement of mating and increased the duration of copulation. Females laid a greater number of eggs in extreme competition treatments. The operational sex ratio (irrespective of age) had no significant effect on the total developmental duration of offspring. Among different age groups, older males took more time to commence mating and mated for longer durations in all the sex ratio treatments. The number of eggs in the first clutch was lowest when females were mated with older males with increased offspring development duration. Thus, it can be concluded that male-biased sex ratio elevates the performance of M. sexmaculatus. Among different age groups, older males were poor performers than young and middle-aged males.

The taxonomy of Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982 (Diptera: Syrphidae) species subgroup was reviewed. Multiple data sources (morphology, geometric morphometry of wings and surstylus, molecular data, and distributional data) were used to investigate the species subgroup in the manner of integrative taxonomy. Merodon dobrogensis Bradescu, 1982 and M. puniceus Vujić, Radenković, and Pérez-Bañón, 2011 are supported as distinct species belonging to the M. dobrogensis species complex within the M. dobrogensis species subgroup. Additionally, evidence is presented for the description of a new species, M. rojoi Radenković and Vujić new species, with a distribution in mainland Greece, the Greek island Euboea, and the Peloponnese. A short diagnosis is provided for the M. aureus species group, the M. dobrogensis species subgroup, and the newly defined M. dobrogensis species complex, in addition to a description of the new species, with drawings and photographs of adult morphology.

Sitona lineatus (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important pest of Pisum sativum Linnaeus (Fabaceae) and Vicia faba Linnaeus (Fabaceae). Managing S. lineatus is difficult. There is currently no forecast that can be used to predict S. lineatus population densities between growing seasons (when management decisions are made). Sitona lineatus populations are monitored in spring by assessing adult-induced feeding damage. We assume the quantity of feeding damage is indicative of population density. However, the effects of abiotic factors, including temperature, on feeding rate are not known. We assessed the effects of temperature, population density, and sex on S. lineatus feeding rate by counting feeding notches on host plants exposed to adult weevils for 24 hours at four densities and under five temperature regimes. Individual females consumed more than male weevils. As expected, feeding damage increased with weevil density. The influence of temperature increased as weevil densities increased. Feeding rate did not differ between constant and fluctuating temperature regimes of equal mean daily temperature. Thus, a model based on mean daily temperature may predict weevil density if temperature and damage levels are known. Historical survey data for S. lineatus could be used to develop and validate new models.

Crop damage caused by fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugipera J.E. Smith (1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has generated concern among agriculturists globally. In 2019, FAW was first reported in Sri Lanka, where it caused significant losses to corn crops. However, given that the two FAW biotypes – “rice strain” (R-FAW) and “corn strain” (C-FAW) – are morphologically identical, the biotype(s) present in Sri Lanka were unknown. The current study used the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mt-CO1) of FAW to biotype nine FAW samples collected in Sri Lanka. The resulting molecular phylogeny revealed that both R-FAW and C-FAW biotypes were present among the samples. In addition, we used the temperature-switch polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to develop a gel-based molecular marker. Two fragments were successfully amplified by the newly developed marker ABUOP0002, with fragment sizes of 341 bp from R-FAW and 204 bp from C-FAW. This demonstrates that ABUOP0002 can serve as a diagnostic gel-based molecular marker to identify the R-FAW and C-FAW biotypes from samples already identified to species level as S. frugiperda through taxonomical keys and provides a possible alternative to more expensive sequencing-based assays.

Small carpenter bees (Ceratina calcarata Robertson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) build their nests in both sunny and shady sites, so maternal decisions about nest sites influence the thermal environment experienced by juveniles throughout development. A previous study demonstrated that when larvae and pupae were raised in the laboratory at room temperature, those from sunny nests developed more slowly than those from shady nests. This suggested that bees developing in sunny nests slowed their metabolism or that bees developing in shady nests increased their metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we performed a field experiment in which bees nested in full sun, full shade, or semi-shade. We brought larvae and pupae into the laboratory to be raised to adulthood at room temperature and measured their metabolic rates (VCO2) at 10 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C. As expected, bees had higher VCO2 at higher test temperatures, but significant interaction also occurred between test temperature and field treatment, such that bees from sunny nests exhibited higher metabolic rates at 40 °C. Because small carpenter bees frequently nest in full sun, adaptation to high nest temperatures may involve activation of thermal protection mechanisms at the cost of slower development.

This paper describes a tri-trophic analysis of the ecological dynamics of a crop, an insect pest, and a natural enemy of the insect pest. Worldwide wheat (Triticum Linnaeus) (Poaceae) production in 2018–2019 was estimated at over 700 million metric tons in 2018–2019. Wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a serious insect pest of wheat, is widely distributed in many parts of the world where wheat production occurs. Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a parasitoid of S. mosellana, has successfully established in most wheat midge-infested areas. Mechanistic, or process-based, population models were used in this study to assess the interactive population dynamics of the three species, based on their respective life cycles and meteorological factors. The models were validated with survey data from multiple sites over numerous years (1991–2016). These simulation models helped to detail our understanding of the tri-trophic population dynamics and will help guide pest management decisions both prior to the growing season and until wheat heading, when wheat is no longer susceptible to S. mosellana. The associated models also help identify gaps in system knowledge, provide a foundation for evaluating future innovative management options, and evaluate the potential impact of a changing climate.