On the recent Northern European dispersion of Zelus renardii Kolenati (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) via human activity

Recently, single specimens of the Nearctic bug species Zelus renardii Kolenati, 1856 were found in Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom. Very likely, these specimens were introduced via human activity, especially the transport of fruits from the Mediterranean Region. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Kürzlich wurden einzelne Exemplare der nearktischen Wanzenart Zelus re­nar­dii Kolenati, 1856 in Dänemark, Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Königreich gefunden. Sehr wahrscheinlich wurden diese Exemplare durch menschliche Aktivität eingeführt, insbesondere den Transport von Obst aus dem Mittelmeerraum.   Cite as: van der Heyden, T. 2021. On the recent Northern European dispersion of Zelus renardii Kolenati (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) via human activity. Israel Journal of Entomology 51: 43–46. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4730423 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D742ADB6-8E7C-4D78-ADC5-9178F106131

Tamarixia bicolor Mercet (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a parasitoid of Heterotrioza sahlbergi (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae) in Israel

Tamarixia bicolor Mercet (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) was collected in Israel for the first time in 2015. Heterotrioza sahlbergi (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is now reported as a new host record for this parasitoid. This psyllid species was found in Israel in 1992, feeding on Atriplex spp. (Amaranthaceae). A study of T. bicolor on this host, including dissections of parasitized immatures of H. sahlbergi, has revealed it to be a solitary nymphal endoparasitoid.   Cite as: Yefremova, Z. & Spodek, M. 2018. Tamarixia bicolor Mercet (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a parasitoid of Heterotrioza sahlbergi (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae) in Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (1): 1–6. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1162745 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:01DEA6F6-0F94-4E3B-A1C9-2D4C1DEF90D

Development duration, longevity and fertility of Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) attacking cassava in Uganda

At least one member of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) species complex is a vector of cassava mosaic geminiviruses and cassava brown streak viruses, which cause serious damage to cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz. The whiteflies are predominantly attacked by Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). These parasitoids had, however, not been able to control B. tabaci populations on cassava. This study therefore aimed at elucidating how life history parameters limit the performance of the parasitoids. We conducted the study under fluctuating laboratory conditions to determine the development duration, longevity and fertility of these parasitoids. The initial egg count on emergence and development duration were higher in E. mundus than in E. sophia. Similarities occurred in the development duration of females and males E. mundus, whereas the females of E. sophia developed about two days earlier than their males. Mean longevity of females when provided with honey diet was 5.4 days for E. mundus and 6.6 days for E. sophia, and averaged 5.5 days and 11.3 days, respectively, when developed on whitefly nymphs. Progeny production averaged 25.6 offspring for E. mundus and 16.5 for E. sophia. The net reproductive rate of E. mundus was 13.1 as opposed to 15.5 for E. sophia. The intrinsic rate of increase was 0.10 for E. mundus and 0.11 for E. sophia. Mean generation time was 24.9 and 26.2 days for E. mundus and E. sophia, respectively. The results suggest that E. mundus is the most suitable candidate for high B. tabaci population control, whereas E. sophia may be effective under low B. tabaci populations.   Cite as: Otim, M., Kyamanywa, S., Asiimwe, P., Legg, J., Guershon, M. & Gerling, D. 2018. Development duration, longevity and fertility of Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) attacking in Uganda. Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (2): 141–155. <published 12 August 2018> DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1344116 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4AA850C3-0074-4C83-9F11-4D6CBA0EAE

Afropesa, a new spider genus from South Africa (Araneae: Entypesidae)

A new mygalomorph spider genus, Afropesa n. gen., is established for three South African species: the type species A. schoutedeni (Benoit, 1965) n. comb., transferred here from Entypesa Simon, 1902, and two newly described congeners, A. gauteng n. sp. and A. schwendingeri n. sp. The new genus differs from other genera of the Entypesidae by a unique set of diagnostic characters, including a flanged embolus and the spermathecae with wide bases and lengthened distal lobes. The three included species can be distinguished from each other by a shape of the male tibia and metatarsus I, as well as by the structure of the embolus and configuration of the spermathecae.   Cite as: Zonstein, S.L. & Ríos-Tamayo, D. 2021. Afropesa, a new spider genus from South Africa (Araneae: Entypesidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 51: 7–34. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4719052 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FD044D16-4096-48D9-9035-B6B3CBA071F

Metoecus paradoxus (Linnaeus, 1760) (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), a new species for the fauna of Israel

The Ripiphoridae (wedge-shaped beetles) contain approximately 450 species worldwide. Like the Meloidae, many wedge-shaped beetles are hypermetamorphic parasitoids. The majority of them attack wasps and bees whilst others attack cockroaches and beetles (Ptinidae and Cerambycidae) (Batelka et al. 2018). The first record of a ripiphorid species from Israel was published by Sahlberg (1912), who reported that Ptilophorus dufourii (Latreille, 1817) was collected at Dayr Aban (a village East of Bet Shemesh, Judean Hills) by Unio Saalas. Pic (1927) mentioned Pterydrias debilis Reitter, 1895, and Bodenheimer (1937) records two species for Israel, Macrosiagon bimaculata (Fabricius, 1787) and Macrosiagon ferruginea (Fabricius, 1781). Argaman and Mendel (1988) reported two Ripiphoridae species as new for Israel, Ripidius vaulogeri Chobaut, 1893 and Evaniocera dufouri Latreille, 1817, but the latter had been already published by Sahlberg (1912). Chikatunov et al. (2006) added Macrosiagon praeusta (Gebler, 1829) and Ripiphorus subdipterus Bosc, 1792 to the list of Israeli wedge-shaped beetles. Metoecus paradoxus (Linnaeus, 1760), commonly referred to as ‘the wasp nest beetle’, is hereby recorded in Israel for the first time. On the 23rd of June 2018 a large nest of Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) was removed by the second author from the vicinity of Merom Golan (a kibbutz at the Golan Heights in the northern part of Israel; 33°08'N 35°46'E). The ruined nest was then exposed to pesticides. Near the nest a female of M. paradoxus was observed. Soon afterward a search inside the ruined nest yielded dead and still alive adults and pupae of M. paradoxus. In total, 33 specimens of M. paradoxus were found: nine pupae and seven newly hatched adults (five females and two males) were found inside closed cells, and 16 adults (14 females and three males) were found freely in the nest. A male and three females were found alive. The living females were observed and photographed while laying eggs on different parts of the nest. A pair of adults is currently deposited at the collection of the first author, housed at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University.   Cite as: Rittner, O. & Dafny, R. 2018. Metoecus paradoxus (Linnaeus, 1760) (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae), a new species for the fauna of Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (1): 79–83. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1342522 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB09FE29-BBBB-4996-92F7-455FA 9166DE

Review of the Palearctic Aphelinoidea (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), with focus on the species described by Ś. Nowicki

Type specimens of Aphelinoidea anatolica Nowicki, A. anatolica melanosoma Nowicki (now A. melanosoma), A. deserticola Nowicki, and A. subexserta Nowicki (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), which were not examined by taxonomists since their original descriptions had been published, are identified, labeled, re-diagnosed, and illustrated. A lectotype is designated for A. anatolica. Taxonomic notes on these Palearcic taxa and also some other species of Aphelinoidea Girault in the Holarctic Region are provided along with a key to females of the Palearctic species. The subgenus Aphelinoidea (Diaclava) (Blood & Kryger), n. syn., is synonymized under the nominate subgenus, A. (Aphelinoidea) Girault, and its type species Diaclava waterhousei Blood & Kryger is transferred to the latter as A. (Aphelinoidea) waterhousei (Blood & Kryger), rev. stat. Aphelinoidea (Krygeriola) dolichoptera Nowicki, n. syn., and A. gwaliorensis Yousuf & Shafee, n. syn., are synonymized under A. (Lathromeroides) neomexicana (Girault), and A. retiruga Lin, n. syn., is synonymized under A. (Aphelinoidea) longiclavata Yousuf & Shafee. A new taxon, A. (Aphelinoidea) gerlingi n. sp., is described; it is known from specimens collected in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, and Oman, and also, including the holotype, from vouchers of the colonies introduced (misidentified as A. anatolica) from Iran into California, USA, for biological control against the beet leafhopper, Neoaliturus (Circulifer) tenellus (Baker) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). To prevent further damage, most of the examined specimens in the Ś. Nowicki collection of Aphelinoidea at its current depository, the Entomological Collection of Dipartimento di Entomologia e Zoologia Agraria «Filippo Silvestri», Università degli Studi di Napoli «Federico II», Portici, Italy, were remounted into Canada balsam from the dried and often darkened original water-soluble mountant.   Cite as: Triapitsyn, S.V. (2018). Review of the Palearctic Aphelinoidea (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), with focus on the species described by Ś. Nowicki. Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (2): 33–81. <published 23 May 2018> DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1251853 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9E1FF138-217E-47DE-9350-84FC0492131

Vasiliy Dmitrievich Kravchenko (1953—2021)

The Israeli and international entomological community recently suffered a great loss, our dear friend and colleague, the lepidopterist, entomologist and ecologist, Dr Vasiliy Kravchenko (Vasya or Vasechka for his close friends), died prematurely after a long battle with cancer at the age of 68, without having accomplished his research and travel plans

Adorning the dead or hiding the ration? The ant Plagiolepis pallescens Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) constructs walls around food items

The ant Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), common to the Middle East (Martinez & Amar 2014; Pashaei Rad et al. 2018), was found to build walls around food items that they were not hoarding, suggesting a concealment behavior. The ants were first discovered to build relatively massive structures under a garden tree, Triadica sebifera, in Givat Ada, Israel, by piling flowers around dead cockroaches. An experiment with eight different colonies of the ant species found that construction materials were not limited to flowers. It is hypothesized that structures built by the ants around food items provide visual and olfactory concealment. Supplementary video: https://vimeo.com/445477431   To cite: Shanas, U. 2021. Adorning the dead or hiding the ration? The ant Plagiolepis pallescens Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) constructs walls around food items. Israel Journal of Entomology 51: 73–75. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5084793 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B8FD5129-45A7-4440-A4AC-B5059E06935

A review of the giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Belostomatidae) of Israel

An updated and annotated check-list of Israeli giant water bugs (Belostomatidae) is provided. The recorded species belong in the subfamilies Belostomatinae and Lethocerinae. The following six species occur in the country: Appasus urinator urinator, Limnogeton fieberi, Lethocerus patruelis, Lethocerus cordofanus (new record), Hydrocyrius colombiae colombiae (new record) and Belostoma bifove­olatum (new record). Belostoma bifoveolatum was previously known only from South America, so it is recorded in the Old World for the first time. An illustrated identification key is compiled for the Israeli Belostomatidae species. A list of exotic Belostomatidae material accumulated in the collection of the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History is provided.   Cite as: Novoselsky, T., Chen, P.-p. & Nieser, N. 2018. A review of the giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha: Belostomatidae) of Israel. Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (1): 119–141. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2529002 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6D25AD24-5EDE-46F8-B782-414B7331AA6

Leshem, Y., Goren, H. & Amit, H. (Eds). 2018. Father Ernst Schmitz, Priest and Zoologist. The Holy Land at the Beginning of the 20th Century

After nearly of a hundred years of undeserved oblivion, and after around twenty years of painstaking work, the book on the late Father Ernst Schmitz and his zoological collections is finally published.The book is opened by two prologues by the well-known Israeli zoologists Yoram Yom-Tov and Yossi Leshem, and concluded with an epilogue written by Yossi Leshem, these depicting the mysterious disappearance of Schmitz’s collections and their even more bizarre rediscovery, the past and present of the zoological research in Israel, as well as the role of the late Father Schmitz in the exploration of the wildlife in Israel.The book is divided into five sections, each with several chapters. The first section includes a short survey of the history of the German Catholics in the Holy Land in XIX–XX centuries and a biography of Father Schmitz; a survey of the fauna and the faunistic research (mainly terrestrial vertebrates) in the Holy Land in late XIX – early XX; and a review of the zoological collections of Father Schmitz, housed in the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University. The second and the third sections contain articles written by Father Schmitz and published in the German periodical Das Heilige Land in 1910–1923. The 18 articles in the second section are devoted to fauna (large and small felines, rodents, bats, bears, hyenas, wild boars, buffalos, birds of prey, water birds, crocodiles, snakes, ants, locusts, freshwater fish, cave crustaceans etc.), and 15 articles in the third one – to culture and customs of the inhabitants of the Holy Land. The fourth section lists references mentioned in the text, as well as other sources pertaining to the subject and all papers published by Father Schimtz. The fifth section includes reproductions and translations of a few original documents concerning Father Schimtz, such as his appointment in the Holy Land, a letter written in his hand and signed by him, etc.The book is generously illustrated with 216 images, including unique historical pictures (some of them published for the first time), recent color photographs of places, animals and collection exemplars, old and recent artistic drawings of animals, and nice and impressive old-style engravings of the landscapes, animals and hunting scenes.Having the multitude of colorful illustrations, historical photographs and documents and rich bibliography, the book can be of particular interest to all nature lovers and bibliophiles.   Cite as: Friedman, A.L.L. 2018. Book review: "Leshem, Y., Goren, H. & Amit, H. (Eds). 2018. Father Ernst Schmitz, Priest and Zoologist. The Holy Land at the Beginning of the 20th Century." Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (1): 143–144. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.252922