Potential of Trap Crops for Integrated Management of the Tropical Armyworm, Spodoptera litura in Tobacco

The tropical armyworm, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an important pest of tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), in South China that is becoming increasingly resistant to pesticides. Six potential trap crops were evaluated to control S. litura on tobacco. Castor bean, Ricinus communis L. (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae), and taro, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (Alismatales: Araceae), hosted significantly more S. litura than peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), sweet potato, Ipomoea batata Lam. (Solanales: Convolvulaceae) or tobacoo in a greenhouse trial, and tobacco field plots with taro rows hosted significantly fewer S. litura than those with rows of other trap crops or without trap crops, provided the taro was in a fast-growing stage. When these crops were grown along with eggplant, Solanum melongena L. (Solanales: Solanaceae), and soybean, Glycines max L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), in separate plots in a randomized matrix, tobacco plots hosted more S. litura than the other crop plots early in the season, but late in the season, taro plots hosted significantly more S. litura than tobacco, soybean, sweet potato, peanut or eggplant plots. In addition, higher rates of S. litura parasitism by Microplitis prodeniae Rao and Chandry (Hymenoptera: Bracondidae) and Campoletis chlorideae Uchida (Ichnumonidae) were observed in taro plots compared to other crop plots. Although taro was an effective trap crop for managing S. litura on tobacco, it did not attract S. litura in the seedling stage, indicating that taro should either be planted 20–30 days before tobacco, or alternative control methods should be employed during the seedling stage

Description of Aphelopus mangshanensis, a new species of Dryinidae from China

Aphelopus mangshanensis n. sp., from Mount Mangshan (Hunan Province, P. R. China), is described. The new taxon is different from all other Oriental species of Aphelopus Dalman, because of the tridentate distal apex of the aedeagus

Description of Anteon diaoluoshanense sp. nov. from China (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)

Anteon diaoluoshanense sp. nov. is described from a male collected on Mt. Diaoluoshan, Hainan Province, China. The new species is similar to Anteon henanense Xu, He & Olmi 2001. Keys to the Oriental species of Anteon are modified to include the new species

Chinese species of egg-parasitoids of the genera Oxyscelio Kieffer, Heptascelio Kieffer and Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae s.l., Scelioninae)

To date, the known Chinese fauna of egg-parasitoids of the genus Oxyscelio Kieffer encompasses two species from the mainland – O. doumao Burks and O. nubbin Burks. Here we record eighteen species of Oxyscelio from collections in mainland China: O. arvi Burks, O. ceylonensis (Dodd), O. convergens Burks, O. cordis Burks, O. crebritas Burks, O. cuculli Burks, O. dermatoglyphes Burks, O. doumao Burks, O. florus Kononova, O. granorum Burks, O. intermedietas Burks, O. jugi Burks, O. kramatos Burks, O. longiventris Burks, O. naraws Kozlov & Lê, O. perpensus Kononova, O. planocarinae Burks, and O. striarum Burks. Oxyscelio is primarily found in the tropics, and most of these species are shared with Taiwan and southeast Asia. Three species previously known only from Japan, O. arvi, O. florus, O. perpensus, are shared. The Chinese species are recorded from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang as well as additional material from Taiwan. Heptascelio hamatus Masner & Johnson and Platyscelio pulchricornis Kieffer are both recorded from Hainan and Guangdong, as well as records of P. pulchricornis from Sarawak and Thailand

Differential Gene Transcription in Honeybee (Apis cerana) Larvae Challenged by Chinese Sacbrood Virus (CSBV)

Honey bees are economically important social insect. They are suffering from all kinds of pathogens, especially the virus. In response to pathogens, different immune pathways such as Toll, Imd, Jak-Stat and RNAi are involved. In the present study, the transcription analysis of 32 immune-related genes from Apis cerana challenged by Chinese sacbrood virus (CSBV), the most widely distributed virus in A. cerana, was carried out by qRT-PCR to provide cues for the antiviral mechanism and the effective control of bee viruses. The expression level of 22 genes were statistically changed, including 11 up-regulated genes (catus-2, lys-2, vir, s3a, mta1, faa, vhdl, co-1-iv, ago-1, ago-3, aub) in which 3 (ago-1, ago-3, aub) were related to RNAi pathway, and 11 down-regulated genes (kenny, pgrp-lc, pgrp-s2, abaecin, lys-1, lys-3, domeless, tepa, mlc, dscam, rpl8) related to Toll, Imd, and Jak-Stat pathways. The results indicated CSBV infection in A. cerana may activate a RNA-based antiviral immunity system. This work constituted the first report, under laboratory conditions, about induction of immune related genes in response to CSBV

Formosiepyris rugulosus Xu & He, 2005, sp. nov.

Formosiepyris rugulosus sp. nov. (Figs. 1–2) Diagnosis. The mandible has 4 teeth, the third antennal segment is much longer than segments 2 or 4, the anterior margin of the clypeus is narrowly rounded, the lateral sides of propodeum are nearly parallel, and the surfaces between median carina and submedian carinae of propodeum lack longitudinal striae. Female (Holotype, Figs. 1–2). Female: HL 0.98 mm; HW 0.95 mm; WF 0.48 mm; LM 1.66 mm; LPD 0.58 mm; WPD 0.73 mm; FWL 2.03 mm; TL 5.60 mm. Body black; mandible black brown; antenna black brown, except ventral sides of flagellar segment 3–11 brown; tegulae black brown; legs black brown, except trochanters, tibiae and tarsi reddishbrown. Head approximately as long as wide, with straight posterior margin in full face view; frons and vertex densely punctate with microreticulate interspaces; punctures ca. 0.02 mm in diameter. Mandible with 4 teeth; apical tooth largest and basal most one smallest; anterior margin of clypeus narrowly rounded; length (width) of antennal segments in the following proportions: 24.0 (7.0): 10.0 (5.5): 13.5 (6.0): 11.0 (6.0): 11.0 (6.5): 10.0 (6.5): 9.0 (6.5): 8.0 (6.5): 8.0 (6.0): 7.0 (5.5): 6.0 (5.0): 6.0 (4.5): 9.0 (4.0); EL 0.58 mm; EW 0.36 mm; WF 0.83 X EL. Ocelli forming right triangle; OOL 1.07 X WOT. Pronotum punctate with microreticulate interspaces; pronotal punctations as that of head; dorsum flat, with median longitudinal carina at posterior 2 / 3; in dorsal view anterolateral corner rounded. Scutum microreticulate without punctures; scutellum microreticulated and punctured as that of pronotum. Lateral sides of propodeum nearly parallel; propodeal disc 0.79 X as long as wide, with 5 discal carinae and slightly concave posterior margin; sublateral carina present; surfaces between median carina and submedian carinae of propodeum transversely striate, without longitudinal striae; declivity microreticulated, with 5 longitudinal carinae. Metasomal tergite 1 smooth and shiny, without punctures; tergite 2 with anterior 3 / 5 densely punctuated, and posterior 2 / 5 without punctures; tergite 3 with anterior half weakly microreticulated, posterior half microreticulated and punctuated, that punctuations denser than that on tergite 2; tergite 4–7 weakly microreticulated, with posterior smooth without punctures. Var ia t io n. Body length 5.1 to 5.6 mm. Male. Unknown. Type material. Holotype, female, China, Fujian Province: Zhangzhou City, 24.31 °N, 117.39 °E, IV. 1987, coll. Naiquan Lin, No. 984841. Paratypes: 1 female, China, Fujian Province: Fuzhou City, 26.05 °N, 119.18 °E, 10.VI. 1988, coll. Jian Huang, No. 20009072; 1 female, China, Fujian Province: Xiamen City, 24.27 °N, 118.06 °E, 10.I. 2003, coll. Hejie Chen, No. 20034437. Distribution. China (Fujian Province). Remarks. This species is similar to F. marishi Terayama, 2004 from Thailand, but differs from the latter mainly by having the third antennal segment much longer than segments 2 or 4, the clypeus with narrowly rounded anterior margin, OOL 1.07 X WOT, the scutum microreticulated without punctures, and the lateral sides of propodeum nearly parallel.Published as part of Xu, Zaifu & He, Junhua, 2005, A new species of Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from China, pp. 1-4 in Zootaxa 959 on pages 2-3, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17122

Formosiepyris Terayama 2004

Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004 Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004. The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University, Liberal Arts, 12: 91. Type species: Formosiepyris marishi Terayama (Original designation). Generic characters. Small to moderate­sized wasps. Mandible with 3 or 4 teeth. Clypeus with lateral lobe undeveloped. Eye remarkably large and relatively strongly convex, with erect hairs. Antenna with 13 segments. Pronotal disc and mesoscutum with transverse foveolate groove posteriorly. Forewing with pterostigma narrow, prostigma absent and radial vein moderately long. Posterolateral corner of propodeal disc with two pairs of dull small teeth (Terayama, 2004).Published as part of Xu, Zaifu & He, Junhua, 2005, A new species of Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from China, pp. 1-4 in Zootaxa 959 on page 2, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17122