Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) found in South Dakota, U.S.A.

Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae), a Palearctic paper wasp established in North America, is reported for the first time from the state of South Dakota, U.S.A

\u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominula\u3c/i\u3e (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) Recorded from Nebraska

Polistes dominula (Christ), a Palearctic paper wasp that has established in various areas of North America, is reported for the first time from the state of Nebraska based on specimens from the city of Lincoln. Potential implications of its presence in Nebraska are discussed

New Records of Leaf-Feeding for Adult \u3ci\u3eDiabrotica Barberi\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The first records of leaf-feeding on Iva xanthifolia (marsh elder) and Helianthus annuus (common sunflower) by adult Diabrotica barberi are reyorted. During September 1992, beetles were observed feeding on leaves 0 these plants, despite the availability of alternate flowering hosts. Beetles confined to clip cages in the laboratory fed readily on leaves of I. xanthifolia and H. annuus but not on those of Solidago missouriensis (goldenrod)

Abundance of Rice Root Aphid Among Selected Plant Species and on Plants Grown With Different Soil-Surface Media

The rice root aphid, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis (Sasaki), is distributed worldwide and colonizes a wide range of plants. However, relatively little is known about the suitability of different host plants, optimal rearing techniques, and the aphid’s impact on plant fitness. To improve understanding of these factors, laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the abundance of rice root aphid on plants grown using three different soil-surface media and among selected monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Rice root aphid was more abundant on plants grown with a sandy soil surface than a surface with fine wood chips or only bare non-sandy soil. Rice root aphid was more abundant on ‘Elbon’ rye than on ‘Bart 38,’ ‘Dart,’ ‘Fletcher’ and ‘Ramona 50’ wheat. More winged rice root aphids were produced on Elbon rye than on Dart wheat, but the number of winged aphids on Elbon rye did not differ from that on other wheat lines. Rice root aphid was more abundant on Elbon rye and ‘TAM 110’ wheat than on ‘Marmin,’ ‘Marshall’ and ‘Sharp’ wheat. Additional observations with monocotyledonous plants showed that abundance of rice root aphid on ‘Kivu 85’ triticale was comparable to that on Elbon rye. Rice root aphid did not reproduce on potato or soybean, although winged adults persisted up to 24 days on caged potato plants. The implications of differential abundance of rice root aphid on plants are discussed in regard to colony rearing, future experiments and possible pest management considerations

Novel Prey Record for Scymnus caudalis LeConte and First Records of Four Other Species of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) in Wisconsin, U.S.A.

New prey and distribution records are presented for five species of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Scymnus (Pullus) caudalis LeConte is recorded for the first time preying on Aphis asclepiadis Fitch (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Four other lady beetle species are newly recorded in the state of Wisconsin, U.S.A: Diomus amabilis (LeConte), Diomus terminatus Say, Scymnus (Pullus) uncus Wingo, and Hyperaspidius wolcotti (Nunenmacher). The new state records represent minor to moderate extensions of previously known geographic distributions for these species. In addition, the records emphasize the importance of processing uncurated zoological specimens to provide information about the prey of particular species and to enhance knowledge about a region’s biodiversity. Furthermore, some specimens with the new state records were obtained as trap bycatch and thereby demonstrate the importance of processing nontarget species to increase knowledge of regional biodiversity

Sex-Related Color Patterns in Elytral Vittae of \u3ci\u3eDiabrotica Virgifera Virgifera\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

We evaluated the color patterns of elytral vittae by sex in adults of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera leConte. Our study examined \u3e1000 beetles taken from a field population, a laboratory colony, and a reference collection containing 712 specimens from 15 of the United States and from the province of Ontario, Canada. The humeral and sutural vittae of each beetle\u27s elytra were classified as being separate, partially confluent, or totally confluent with each other. The distribution of these elytral patterns was not independent of sex. Males tended to have confluent or partially confluent vittae, whereas females largely had separate vittae. Nonetheless, all three patterns of elytral vittae were found in both sexes of D. v. virgifera, and many beetles of each sex had partially confluent vittae. This data shows that sexing D. v. virgifera beetles by simple examination of elytral vittae alone is unreliable

First Record of \u3ci\u3eHippodamia variegata\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Illinois, U.S.A., and Relation to Its Other Midwestern Collection Records

Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an Afro-Eurasian lady beetle first discovered in North America near Montreal, Canada, in 1984. Subsequent records of H. variegata have occurred over a gradually expanding area radiating from the initial detection site and also include a disjunct record from British Columbia. Here, we report the first Illinois specimen of H. variegata, collected in 2004, and discuss this in relation to previous reports of H. variegata in North America

Wheat Stem Maggot in Spring Wheat-Alfalfa Intercrops With Different Crop Management Intensities

Larval infestations and adult counts of wheat stem maggot (Meormyza americana) were each compared among plots of intercropped spring wheat and alfalfa grown under high, intermediate, or low crop management intensity (CMI). CMI varied primarily in the amounts of nitrogen fertilizer, herbicide, and tillage used. Infestation of wheat plants was measured from 1990 through 1993 as the percentage of white grain heads caused by larval feeding within the stems. Adult counts were made from sweep net samples within plots 3 to 5 times per year from 1991 through 1993. Larval infestation varied among years but not by CMI. The mean percentages of white heads in 1991 (2.0%) was greater than in other years (each :s; 1.3%). Counts of adult M. americana differed among sampling dates within years but not by CML The number of adults collected was bimodal, peaking on the first and last sam­pling dates each year. The interpretation of our results is discussed in the context of cropping systems research

Grass Hosts of Cereal Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Between Wheat-Cropping Cycles in South Dakota

Several grasses may serve as alternative hosts for cereal aphids during the interim between small-grain crops in South Dakota, but field studies to determine which grasses are important have not been undertaken. We sampled annual and perennial grasses for cereal aphids in 18 counties in South Dakota in the month of August over three years. Eighty-five of 240 site samples had one or more species of cereal aphids, including 61 of 65 corn sites and 12 of 13 sorghum and sudangrass sites. Four species of cereal aphids were found during the survey: corn leaf aphid, 74 times; bird cherry-oat aphid, 27 times; greenbug, eight times; and English grain aphid, seven times. Abundance of corn leaf aphid on host plants was rated high seven times, moderate 11 times, and low 50 times, and presence only was noted at six other sites. Abundance of bird cherry-oat aphid was rated high four times, moderate four times, and low 19 times. Abundance of English grain aphid and greenbug was always rated low. All high ratings of corn leaf aphid and of bird cherry-oat aphid occurred on field corn. Nine moderate ratings for corn leaf aphid and three for bird cherry-oat aphid occurred on corn. Low frequencies of cereal aphids were found on volunteer small-grains and among weedy grass species such as rough barnyard grass, yellow foxtail, and green foxtail. Cereal aphids were not found on other weedy grasses or on noncultivated grasses. The results suggest that corn and, to less degree, sorghum served as predominant grass hosts of cereal aphids during August in South Dakota. Recent trends of expanding corn acreage in South Dakota may potentially lead to concomitant increases of cereal aphids and intensify the risk of fall infestation of winter grains by cereal aphids

New state records of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) from Missouri and Mississippi, USA

New state records for three species of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) are reported from two states in the south-central USA. Hyperaspis bolteri LeConte and Exochomus childreni guexi LeConte are newly reported for the state of Missouri, and Hyperaspis connectens (Thunberg) is newly reported for the state of Mississippi