Description of the late- or last-instar larva of Ischyomius Chevrolat, with comments on the family placement of the genus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae)

Study of recently collected larvae of two species of Ischyomius Chevrolat, 1871 from Napo and Pichincha, Ecuador, tentatively identified as I. denticollis Champion, 1916 and I. singularis Chevrolat, 1871 confirm the classification of the genus Ischyomius within the family Pythidae. Salient larval characters which solidify this placement are: 5 stemmata arranged into an anterior column of 3 and posterior column of 2, parabasal ridges along anterior margins of abdominal tergites, prominent urogomphi with inner urogomphal teeth and various dorsal tubercles, and transverse row of dentiform asperities along anterior margin of sternite 9. Important features of the larva are illustrated with photographs. A key to larvae of world genera of Pythidae is provided as well as natural history information on Ischyomius

A new species of Malthonea Thomson, 1864 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Ecuador

Malthonea keili, a new species from Ecuador, is described and illustrated. A key to species of Malthonea is provided. Photographs of the types of Malthonea minima, Prymnopteryx glaucina, Malthonea ruficornis, and Ptericoptus guttatus are provided as an aid to understanding the key (photographs of the types of the last three are provided for the first time)

Nano Vacuum Channel Transistors (NVCT)

The goal of Nano Channel Vacuum Transistor (NVCT) research is to develop and characterize three-terminal vacuum transistor devices that operate in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and withstand temperatures up to 400 °C. The transistors consist of an insulated gate, an emitter array, and a collector. To avoid overheating the collector, the gate is pulsed from 0 to 40 V at a duty cycle of 10-20% while the emitter and collector are fixed DC voltages of 0V and 100 V, respectively. Current from emitter to collector is measured to obtain an output current – input voltage plot (I-V curve). The devices are heated using a molybdenum chuck inside the UHV chamber. After preliminary tests, the devices are moved to the UHV lifetime test chamber and run with pulsed gate voltage with fixed amplitude at constant temperature for hundreds of hours. Periodic IV sweeps are also conducted to observe changes. Factors such as overheating and arcing can lead to device degradation or failure. The goals of the project include designing driver systems for the devices, implementing automated Data Acquisition (DAQ) hardware to control and monitor testing systems, and using data to characterize the devices and determine approximate lifetime, maximum operating conditions, and failure conditions

Description of Dirrhagofarsus ernae n. sp. with a key to the known Dirrhagofarsus species (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae)

Otto, Robert L., Muona, Jyrki, Mcclarin, Jim (2014): Description of Dirrhagofarsus ernae n. sp. with a key to the known Dirrhagofarsus species (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae). Zootaxa 3878 (2): 179-184, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.2.

New species of Acanthocinini Blanchard, 1845 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Ecuador and notes on Parabaryssinus lineaticollis (Gounelle, 1910)

Nascimento, Francisco E. De L., Mcclarin, Jim (2018): New species of Acanthocinini Blanchard, 1845 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Ecuador and notes on Parabaryssinus lineaticollis (Gounelle, 1910). Zootaxa 4387 (2): 385-393, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4387.2.

FIGURE 1. Dirrhagofarsus ernae n in Description of Dirrhagofarsus ernae n. sp. with a key to the known Dirrhagofarsus species (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae)

FIGURE 1. Dirrhagofarsus ernae n. sp., male. Scale 5 mm

The genus Tyrinthia Bates, 1866 in Ecuador (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Hemilophini)

Galileo, Maria Helena M., Mcclarin, Jim, Santos-Silva, Antonio (2017): The genus Tyrinthia Bates, 1866 in Ecuador (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Hemilophini). Zootaxa 4362 (3), DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4362.3.

Division of the genera Sparna Thomson, 1864 and Carterica Pascoe, 1858 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Colobotheini) with description of six new genera and eight new species

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Galileo, Maria Helena M., Mcclarin, Jim (2018): Division of the genera Sparna Thomson, 1864 and Carterica Pascoe, 1858 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Colobotheini) with description of six new genera and eight new species. Zootaxa 4407 (1): 1-28, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4407.1.

FIGURES 1–10. Tyrinthia frontalis. 1–5 in The genus Tyrinthia Bates, 1866 in Ecuador (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Hemilophini)

FIGURES 1–10. Tyrinthia frontalis. 1–5, male:1, dorsal habitus; 2, ventral habitus; 3, lateral habitus; 4, head, frontal view; 5, frontal tubercles and scape. 6–10, female: 6, dorsal habitus; 7, ventral habitus; 8, lateral habitus; 9, head, frontal view; 10, frontal tubercles and scape