Austral Entomology最新文献

{"title":"The first wasp-deceiving Calyptratae fly: Brevialata deceptrix Dios & Gudin, gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera: Tachinidae), a new parasitoid of Agelaia vicina (de Saussure, 1854) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and the first record of reduced wings in the family","authors":"Rodrigo de Vilhena Perez Dios,&nbsp;Filipe Macedo Gudin,&nbsp;Carlos José Einicker Lamas","doi":"10.1111/aen.12730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12730","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Flies of the family Tachinidae are parasitoids of a wide range of arthropods, and some tachinid lineages specialised and coevolved with distinct hosts. A few of these tachinids use social Hymenoptera as hosts. However, they are usually attacked by their hosts and present different strategies to avoid their aggressiveness. Here, we describe the first parasitoid fly that enters a wasp nest without being attacked, <i>Brevialata deceptrix</i> Dios &amp; Gudin, <b>gen.</b> <b>et sp. nov.</b>, reared from nests of <i>Agelaia vicina</i> (de Saussure, 1854) in Cajuru, São Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, it is the first tachinid fly with reduced wings, presenting a peculiar morphology, with reduced chaetotaxy, stout legs, and tarsi with digitiform extensions. Males of <i>B. deceptrix</i> Dios &amp; Gudin, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> are fully described and illustrated, including detailed images of tarsal structures. We present a discussion on <i>B. deceptrix</i> Dios &amp; Gudin, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> remarkable morphology, systematic positioning and curious life habits.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143749617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Catching ‘the bug’: Investigating insects through school-based citizen science increases intentions for environmental activities in students and teachers","authors":"Andy G. Howe,&nbsp;Trang Thi Thu Nguyen,&nbsp;Patrick O'Connor,&nbsp;Alice Woodward,&nbsp;Sylvia Clarke,&nbsp;Nathan Ducker,&nbsp;Kate Dilger,&nbsp;Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries","doi":"10.1111/aen.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>School-based citizen science projects facilitate authentic scientific interactions between research and educational institutions while exposing students to scientific processes. Evidence is accruing that citizen science participation and activities can have positive impacts on students' environmental awareness and intentions for pro-environmental behaviour changes. In addition, teachers benefit by expanding their knowledge and acquiring new skills, although the influence of participation on teaching practice requires investigation. Incorporating insects into school-based citizen science projects can challenge widespread human misconceptions about insects and their roles in ecosystems, and foster human–insect connections. Given global concerns of rapid insect declines and the overarching biodiversity crisis, insect focussed school-based citizen science projects can ultimately contribute towards equipping students with knowledge of, and actions to promote, insect conservation. In Australia, approximately 33% of insects are formally described, the remainder exist as ‘dark taxa’ to the detriment of environmental and biodiversity management initiatives. The citizen science project Insect Investigators documented insect biodiversity using Malaise traps operated by 50 regional schools across three Australian states. The project's aims were to increase the number of DNA barcodes of Australian arthropods on public databases while inspiring and educating students about entomology and their local biodiversity. Here we describe outcomes of the project based on student (<i>n</i> = 118) and teacher (<i>n</i> = 22) surveys. We explored whether participation in the project influenced (1) students' intention to engage more in 10 pro-environmental (insect–science–nature) activities and (2) teachers' inclusion of environment-related topics in their teaching practice. We also explored participants' attitudes to insects, conservation, and engagement and motivation for citizen science. We found that students' values for the insect–science–nature activities were positively associated with their intentions to engage more in pro-environmental behaviour after participating in the project. As a result of their involvement, students expressed intentions to further engage in insect–science–nature activities, including activities such as ‘acting to-’ and ‘encouraging others to protect nature’. In addition, teachers reported increased intentions to include insect-related topics in their teaching, which was positively associated with students' own intentions for pro-environmental behaviour change—suggesting ‘positive feedback’ between students' engagement and teachers' intentions. Finally, teacher surveys revealed unexpected benefits of collaboration for regional/remote schools including excitement and involvement of the broader school-community, regional recognition and the sense of contributing to something ‘bigger’.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143639172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Towards assimilation of the Australasian fauna into the modern classification of Noctuidae: a review of Australia's largest noctuid genus, Proteuxoa Hampson, 1903 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and reinstatement of two genera","authors":"Bobbie Hitchcock,&nbsp;Andrew Mitchell,&nbsp;Lionel Hill","doi":"10.1111/aen.12721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Proteuxoa</i> Hampson, 1903, became the largest Australian Noctuidae genus in 1996, when E.D. Edwards referred 77 species to it for the <i>Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia</i>. However, the Noctuidae subfamily classifications in the <i>Checklist</i> are acknowledged to be problematic, and because the Australian fauna has received little scientific attention since it was published, the taxonomy of many species is yet to be clarified. As a step towards the assimilation of Australasian fauna into the modern classification of Noctuidae, the largest known Australian genus is here reviewed using a combination of morphological characters, COI data from 409 specimens representing 58 species of <i>Proteuxoa</i> Hampson, 1903 (<i>sensu</i> Edwards) and the outgroup <i>Athetis tenuis</i> (Butler, 1886) and data from five additional genes (CPS-CAD, EF-1a, GAPDH, RpS5, Wgl) representing 26 species of <i>Proteuxoa</i> (<i>sensu</i> Edwards) and <i>A. tenuis</i>. <i>Peripyra</i> Hampson, 1908 <b>reinst. stat.</b>, and <i>Androdes</i> Turner, 1920 <b>reinst. stat.</b>, are removed from synonymy with <i>Proteuxoa</i> and re-established as valid genera, each with two described species, based on phylogenetic analyses of those DNA-based data, as well as the morphological evidence. Adult morphological characters are described for distinguishing <i>Proteuxoa</i> <i>sensu stricto</i> from its closest known relatives in Australasia, that is, <i>Peripyra</i>, <i>Androdes</i> and <i>Thoracolopha</i> Turner, 1939, all of which are morphologically consistent with adult Noctuinae <i>sensu lato</i> from other parts of the world. To assist future studies of world Noctuidae, reference COI sequences are now available in BOLD for 55 described species, and data from three to five additional gene regions are available for a subset of 27 species via GenBank.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carrion-breeding flies of Australia and New Zealand: A review and key to adults","authors":"Nikolas P. Johnston,&nbsp;Nathan J. Butterworth,&nbsp;Kelly A. Meiklejohn,&nbsp;Andrzej Grzywacz,&nbsp;Thomas Pape,&nbsp;Krzysztof Szpila,&nbsp;James F. Wallman","doi":"10.1111/aen.12732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12732","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Carrion-breeding flies are diverse with over 70 species in the Australasian/Oceanian region, predominantly from the families Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae. These flies play crucial roles in ecosystems as primary decomposers, pollinators and food sources for a variety of predators and parasites. Given their unique ecologies and exceptional diversity, they have also proven to be particularly useful for human purposes in agriculture, in medicinal maggot therapy and in forensic entomology. Despite this, to date, there have been no comprehensive diagnostic tools developed for carrion-breeding flies in the Australasian region, which has hindered their use by non-experts in these applied fields. Here, we provide an updated key for the identification of the adults of over 70 species of Australian and New Zealand flies known or suspected to breed in carrion. We also provide a review of the current state of knowledge regarding the biology and taxonomy of carrion-breeding flies in the Australasian region—summarising over a century of information regarding their distributions, available molecular data, biology, developmental data and the morphology of immature stages. Together, these resources will greatly improve the application of these species in forensics, agriculture, medicine and empirical research.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12732","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Reproductive output and population growth of grapevine scale Parthenolecanium persicae Fab. and frosted scale Parthenolecanium pruinosum Cocq. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on selected grapevine cultivars","authors":"Nelson A. Simbiken,&nbsp;Kevin S. Powell,&nbsp;Paul D. Cooper","doi":"10.1111/aen.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Grapevine (<i>Parthenolecanium persicae</i> (F.)) and frosted (<i>Parthenolecanium pruinosum</i> (Coq.)) scale insects may cause long-term physiological damage to grapevines. Although they persist in major grape-growing regions of Australia, the reproductive and population growth potential of these insect pests is poorly understood. The reproductive output of gravid adult females of grapevine and frosted scales was studied under lab and field conditions on Riesling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc cultivars of European grapevine <i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. The intrinsic rate of increase of grapevine and frosted scales was also studied on Riesling and Chardonnay cultivars, respectively. Gravid adult females of grapevine scale have a larger body length and body mass and higher fecundity than those of frosted scale. Egg and first instar sizes were smaller for grapevine scale than for frosted scale. Egg incubation period, post-oviposition by adult females, was affected by grapevine cultivars, being 20 days on Chardonnay and 19 days on Riesling for grapevine scale and 18 days on Chardonnay and Riesling and 22 days on Sauvignon Blanc for frosted scale. Neither fertility nor fecundity was affected by grapevine cultivar. The intrinsic rate of increase (<i>r</i>_<i>m</i>) was 0.28 per month for grapevine scale on Riesling and 0.29 per month for frosted scale on Chardonnay. The finite rate of increase (<i>λ</i>) for grapevine and frosted scales was 1.28 and 1.33 months, respectively, and the population doubling time (DT) was 2.5 and 2.40 months for grapevine and frosted scales, respectively. Based on these observations, the population of grapevine and frosted scales is likely to persist in vineyards and may rise to outbreak levels that require management.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70001","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143533536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"A new genus and two new species of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on Guinea grass Megathyrsus maximus (Poaceae) in Africa","authors":"Peter Kolesik,&nbsp;Guy F. Sutton,&nbsp;Clarke J. M. van Steenderen,&nbsp;Dino J. Martins,&nbsp;Rob Plowes,&nbsp;Iain D. Paterson","doi":"10.1111/aen.12719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12719","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two new species of gall midges are described whose larvae feed on the small morphotype of Guinea grass <i>Megathyrsus maximus</i> in Africa. <i>Arabukodiplosis basalis</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> causes galls at the base of plant's crown in Kenya and <i>Arabukodiplosis vesicaria</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> causes blister galls on the stems in South Africa and Kenya. Description of the morphology and the sequence of a fragment of the COI mitochondrial gene of the insects are provided. A new genus is erected to contain the two new species. <i>Arabukodiplosis</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. nov.</b> belongs to the supertribe Cecidomyiidi and its closest relative is <i>Mitodiplosis</i> Kieffer, 1914, an African genus containing a single species that induces stem thickening galls on pyp grass <i>Ehrharta villosa</i> (Poaceae) in South Africa. Like <i>Mitodiplosis</i>, <i>Arabukodiplosis</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. nov.</b> cannot be satisfactorily accommodated in any of the currently recognised tribes. The crown of the plant, where <i>A. basalis</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> forms galls, is where new tillers and shoots originate, so the galls develop where stems would usually form. Stems infested by <i>A. vesicaria</i> Kolesik, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> continue to develop above the galls, but the gall is expected to act as a resource sink, reducing the fitness of the host plant. Both species are possible candidates for biological control of <i>M. maximus</i>, which is a serious invasive alien pest outside of its native distribution.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Myrmecia: Volume 61, Part 1","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/aen.12734","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12734","url":null,"abstract":"<p>No abstract is available for this article.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12734","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"First records of the gall midge genus Pseudasphondylia Monzen, 1955 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Australia","authors":"Robin J. Adair,&nbsp;Peter Kolesik","doi":"10.1111/aen.12720","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12720","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two new species of <i>Pseudasphondylia</i> Monzen, 1955 are described and are the first records of this genus in Australia and for the plant families Myrtaceae and Chenopodiaceae. <i>Pseudasphondylia melanopileus</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> forms inconspicuous galls on the fruits of <i>Melaleuca ericifolia</i> (Myrtaceae) in southern Victoria. <i>Pseudasphondylia nitrariaceia</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> causes semi-woody galls on the inflorescences of <i>Chenopodium nitrariaceum</i> (Chenopodiaceae) and is widespread in low-rainfall regions of south-eastern Australia. Descriptions of adults and immature stages and DNA sequences of the <i>cytochrome oxidase unit I</i> mitochondrial gene segment are given for each of the new species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A morphological identification key to the mosquito disease vectors of the Pacific","authors":"Narayan Gyawali,&nbsp;Tanya L. Russell,&nbsp;Thomas R. Burkot,&nbsp;Gregor J. Devine","doi":"10.1111/aen.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>An identification guide is provided for female adults of the mosquito groups, complexes or species that can be morphologically differentiated and that are likely to transmit arboviruses (e.g., dengue, Zika, chikungunya, Ross River and Japanese encephalitis) or parasites (e.g., <i>Plasmodium</i> spp. and <i>Wuchereria bancrofti</i>) in the Pacific Islands, countries and territories. This dichotomous key is adapted, with permissions, from a variety of text and image sources to facilitate the identification of disease vectors by individuals with limited taxonomic training including Pacific island country Vector Surveillance and Environmental Health officers, other public health officials and students.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70003","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143431364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Gut bacteria symbiosis affects cuticular hydrocarbon profile and mating success in wild Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) males","authors":"Andrea Moyano,&nbsp;Alfonsina Palladini,&nbsp;Viviana Díaz,&nbsp;Solana Abraham,&nbsp;Gisela Castillo,&nbsp;Antonella Giudice,&nbsp;Victoria Coll Araóz,&nbsp;Patricia Fernandez,&nbsp;Guido Van Nieuwenhove,&nbsp;Juan Rull","doi":"10.1111/aen.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Ceratitis capitata</i> (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a highly polyphagous species and a seriously pest with a significant economic importance, having a great number of studies focused in its management. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the symbiotic relationship between gut bacteria and their insect hosts. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the role of gut microbiota on symbiotic and aposymbiotic wild medfly adult sexual behaviour, especially on mate choice and mating success. We also evaluate latency and mating time, sperm transference, testes and ovarian sizes and female fecundity. Finally, we compared cuticular hydrocarbon profiles to explore other possible mechanisms that mediate medfly mating success. For this purpose, teneral wild medfly adults were separated into two groups, symbiotic and aposymbiotic. Aposymbiotic adults were treated with an antibiotic mixture (tetracycline plus ciprofloxacin) until sexual maturity. Results of sexual behaviour assays showed that symbiotic males were more successful in mating in comparison with aposymbiotic males, and female preference could be related with a greater sexual organ development of symbiotic females and differences in male hydrocarbon cuticular profiles. Results support the hypothesis that the presence of gut bacteria can play a beneficial role on the sexual behaviour. Knowledge about the importance of cuticular hydrocarbons acting in mating recognition was obtained. This work is the first to report the influence of gut microbiota on this component of the exoskeleton for wild medfly and might be useful for the improvement of sustainable strategies for pest management such as the sterile insect technique.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143379900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}