Luciano de F. Silva, Fabiano Stefanello, Fabrício H. Oda
{"title":"Lizard (Squamata: Tropiduridae) and turtle (Testudines: Chelidae) predation by a nymph and an adult of the giant water bug Lethocerus delpontei (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) in an unusual environment","authors":"Luciano de F. Silva, Fabiano Stefanello, Fabrício H. Oda","doi":"10.1111/ens.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) are predatory aquatic insects that mainly prey on other aquatic insects, anurans (juveniles and adults), small fishes, and occasionally reptiles (snakes and turtles), birds, and small mammals (bats). Although species of the belostomatid genus <i>Lethocerus</i> have been reported preying on snakes and turtles in the Nearctic region, there are no reports of lizards and turtles being consumed by nymphs and adults of this genus in the Neotropics. Here, we report the opportunistic predation of a juvenile tropidurid lizard (<i>Tropidurus torquatus</i>) and a hatchling chelid turtle (<i>Phrynops geoffroanus</i>) by a nymph and an adult female giant water bug (<i>Lethocerus delpontei</i>) in a disused swimming pool on a farm in the municipality of Conceição do Pará, Minas Gerais State, Southeast Brazil. To our knowledge, this represents not only the first record of lizard and turtle predation by <i>L. delpontei</i>, but also the first record of <i>T. torquatus</i> and <i>P. geoffroanus</i> as prey items of belostomatids.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Host wing-raising behavior enables emergence of Blissoxenos esakii (Strepsiptera: Corioxenidae) from a site covered by the wings","authors":"Natsuho Ishikawa, Yuta Nakase, Kazumu Kuramitsu","doi":"10.1111/ens.70015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Strepsipterans are endoparasitic insects that parasitize hosts belonging to seven insect orders. They develop inside the host body, and adult males emerge to become free-living. To date, male emergence has been observed only in the families Mengenillidae, Xenidae and Elenchidae (Order Strepsiptera), which parasitize silverfishes, hornets and planthoppers, respectively. In these cases, emergence sites on host bodies are exposed. However, in some strepsipterans, males emerge from the arthrodial membrane on the dorsal side of the abdomen, which is covered by the host's wings. Such emergence behavior has not been reported previously. Here, we report how <i>Blissoxenos esakii</i> (Strepsiptera: Corioxenidae) emerges from this covered site. <i>Blissoxenos esakii</i> was collected from nine locations in Tsukuba City, Japan, and reared in the laboratory until male emergence. Ten males successfully emerged from their hosts, and emergence was observed in four cases, including one case in which a host was parasitized by two male <i>B. esakii</i>. In all four cases, hosts raised their wings during male emergence, a behavior not observed in unparasitized hosts, thereby enabling <i>B. esakii</i> to emerge. Further investigation is needed considering the possibility that this behavior constitutes host manipulation and a common action among the hosts parasitized by corioxenids, which emergence site is covered by the host's wings.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mating competitiveness of male coconut hispine beetle infected with Mesenetia","authors":"Rambandage Nadeeka Nirmalee Perera, Shun-ichiro Takano","doi":"10.1111/ens.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Releasing sexually sterile male insects to reduce mating success of wild females and wild males is known as a control strategy of serious insect pests. In this strategy, sexually sterile males are expected to be able to mate with wild females in the field where wild males are also present. Competitiveness of sterile males is thus critical in this strategy. In this study, we investigated the effects of infection of <i>Mesenetia</i>, bacterial symbionts that induce cytoplasmic incompatibility, on male competitiveness in the coconut hispine beetle <i>Brontispa longissima</i> (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). First, we investigated the mating competitiveness of <i>B. longissima</i> males infected with <i>Mesenetia</i> through a process of releasing infected and uninfected males into a plastic cup with uninfected females. Egg hatch rates in different I/U ratios (ratio of infected males to uninfected males)—0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5—were then recorded. Results showed that hatch rates decreased with the increasing I/U ratio. The model assuming equal mating competitiveness fit well to observed hatch rates. We then investigated sperm utilization in females under sequential mating with infected and uninfected males. Results showed that hatch rates drastically decreased after second mating when females mated with uninfected males first and infected males second. These suggest that <i>B. longissima</i> males infected with <i>Mesenetia</i> have comparable mating and sperm competitiveness with that of uninfected males.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Parasitic behavior of Amobia distorta (Diptera: Miltogramminae) and defensive behavior of its hosts, Anterhynchium spp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae)","authors":"Hikari Miyazaki, Fuki Saito-Morooka","doi":"10.1111/ens.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two <i>Anterhynchium</i> species, <i>A. flavomarginatum</i> and <i>A. gibbifrons</i>, are solitary tube-renting eumenine wasps that occur sympatrically in Japan. The latter may be a non-native species that potentially affects native ecosystems through interactions with their parasites. In this study, we observed the parasitic behavior of the miltogrammine fly <i>Amobia distorta</i>, a major parasite of these two species and investigated whether its hosts exhibited defensive behaviors. Among the observed insect parasites, <i>Am. distorta</i> showed the highest parasitism rate on both <i>Anterhynchium</i> species. The parasitic behavior of <i>Am. distorta</i> did not significantly differ between the two host species. Both host species showed similar defensive flight behaviors when the parasite fly approached the host's nest. However, there was no difference in the number of brood cells or intercalary cells per nest between parasitized and unparasitized nests in either species. Differences in the number of brood and empty cells per nest were only observed between host species, suggesting that differences in host nest-building behavior may be involved.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ens.70013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Negative interactions between Hierodula chinensis and the native mantis Hierodula patellifera (Mantodea: Mantidae) in Japan","authors":"Yosuke Takenaka, Koji Tsuchida, Tomoko Okamoto","doi":"10.1111/ens.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Species introduced outside their native range can directly affect native fauna through predation or mating interference, especially when ecologically similar species overlap in distribution. Although <i>Hierodula chinensis</i> Werner, 1929, has recently been reported from western Japan and is suspected to be an introduced species, little is known about its interactions with the native mantis <i>Hierodula patellifera</i> Serville, 1839. We conducted laboratory trials to assess the antagonistic interactions between these species. In intraguild predation trials, both species preyed on each other as nymphs; however, <i>H. chinensis</i> tended to win when larger in size. Reproductive interference was also observed. Males of <i>H. chinensis</i> copulated with <i>H. patellifera</i> females, often resulting in female death. However, no copulation was observed during the reverse pairing. These findings suggest that both intraguild predation and reproductive interference negatively affect <i>H. patellifera</i>, with body size and developmental timing possibly mediating the outcomes. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential asymmetric interactions between closely related mantid species, highlighting the need for further ecological studies in natural environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anatomical and histological studies of the male reproductive system in the voracious predator Notonecta maculata Fabricius, 1794 (Heteroptera: Notonectidae)","authors":"Nurcan Özyurt Koçakoğlu, Hicret Arslan, Hakan Özdamar, Selami Candan","doi":"10.1111/ens.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Notonecta maculata</i> is a backswimmer of the family Notonectidae. It is an aquatic predator that feeds on mosquito larvae and other soft-bodied aquatic insects. In this study, the male reproductive system morphology of <i>N. maculata</i> was examined using both light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the first time. The male reproductive system of <i>N. maculata</i> consists of a pair of testes, <i>vasa deferentia</i>, seminal vesicles, two pairs of accessory glands, an ejaculatory duct and an aedeagus. Each testis contains six follicles. Histological and SEM analyses revealed bundles of spermatozoa within the follicles. The testis follicles open into the slender and coiled <i>vas deferens</i>. The <i>vas deferens</i> is lined with a simple squamous epithelium, filling its lumen with spermatozoa. It forms a helical structure toward the end and transitions into the seminal vesicle. Just below the seminal vesicle are two types of tubular and coiled accessory glands (Ag1 and Ag2), which open into the ejaculatory duct. Ag1 comprises a simple cuboidal epithelium and contains basophilic secretions and secretory vesicles of varying sizes in the lumen. Ag2 is lined with a simple columnar epithelium; its lumen contains basophilic and eosinophilic secretory material. The ejaculatory duct consists of an intima, a simple cuboidal epithelium and a thick muscular layer. This study contributes to understanding reproductive morphology in aquatic Heteroptera and provides a basis for future comparative and taxonomic studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kei Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki F. Izumitani, Masanori J. Toda, Hide-aki Watabe, Yoshitaka Kamimura, Aya Takahashi, Jian-Jun Gao, Toru Katoh
{"title":"Recent speciation with host change in the genus Lordiphosa Basden (Diptera: Drosophilidae) breeding on decayed herbaceous plants, with description of a new species based on integrative taxonomy","authors":"Kei Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki F. Izumitani, Masanori J. Toda, Hide-aki Watabe, Yoshitaka Kamimura, Aya Takahashi, Jian-Jun Gao, Toru Katoh","doi":"10.1111/ens.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ens.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We found a presumably new species that is closely related to <i>Lordiphosa collinella</i> but different from it in the range of host plants. <i>Lordiphosa collinella</i> is a generalist breeding on a wide variety of decayed herbaceous plants. In contrast, the new form almost specializes in breeding on <i>Pachysandra terminalis</i>. First, we delineate the latter specialist as a new species, <i>Lordiphosa yuktopakina</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> The hypothesis that they are sibling but distinct species is highly supported by studies of breeding ecology, morphology, genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation. <i>Lordiphosa yuktopakina</i> is estimated to have differentiated from <i>L</i>. <i>collinella</i> approximately 0.121 million years ago. For the ancestor of <i>L</i>. <i>yuktopakina</i> to use <i>P. terminalis</i> as an alternative host plant, the fly should have surmounted the hard texture of the host plant tissue. <i>Lordiphosa yuktopakina</i> has achieved this by making the ovipositor more robust and increasing the size of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton and the allometry of the mouth hook with larger teeth especially in the 1st instar larva. These adaptations to the newly acquired host plant should be reflected in the female reproductive traits. Thus, the two <i>Lordiphosa</i> species studied here provide a new instance of recent speciation with change and specialization to a particular host plant.</p>","PeriodicalId":11745,"journal":{"name":"Entomological Science","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}