Austral Entomology最新文献

{"title":"Feeding ecology of Australian Christmas beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae): Implications for conservation and habitat management","authors":"Tanya Latty,&nbsp;Hauke Koch,&nbsp;Chris A. M. Reid,&nbsp;James R. M. Bickerstaff","doi":"10.1111/aen.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Christmas beetles (subfamily Rutelinae, genera <i>Anoplognathus</i>, <i>Calloodes</i> and <i>Repsimus</i>) are an ecologically important and culturally significant group of Australian scarabs, known for their striking appearance and seasonal mass emergences. Over the last decade, anecdotal reports suggest widespread population declines, raising concerns about their conservation status. Despite their prominence in Australian ecosystems, critical deficits remain in our understanding of their biology, particularly regarding their feeding ecology and larval habitat requirements. We reviewed available literature regarding adult and larval Christmas beetle feeding ecology, particularly feeding preferences, host plants and food finding behaviours. Our literature review found significant gaps in our knowledge of Christmas beetle feeding ecology: adult host plant association data were available for only 25 of the 44 described species of Christmas beetles. For larvae, our literature search identified feeding ecology information for only nine species. With the exception of a single study, all data regarding larval feeding came from observational studies rather than feeding trials. Notably, the only feeding trial we found failed to identify the larvae to species, significantly limiting the applicability of its findings. The limited information identified in this review highlights the urgent need for targeted research into the feeding ecology of Christmas beetles. The scarcity of data on larval feeding, in particular, limits our ability to determine how changes in land use, soil conditions, and plant communities impact their populations. Future studies incorporating feeding trials, long-term field observations, and experimental approaches will be critical for better understanding Christmas beetle ecology, especially for assessing their ecological roles, identifying key habitats, and developing effective conservation strategies where needed. Given the increasing concerns over Christmas beetle declines, prioritising research on their habitat requirements and resource use will help to ensure the conservation of these iconic Australian insects.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563222","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 review of non-native scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccoidea) of Australia and the challenges in maintaining current and accurate pest lists","authors":"Mark K. Schutze,&nbsp;Michael Gorton,&nbsp;Penny J. Gullan,&nbsp;Desley J. Tree,&nbsp;Ting-Kui Qin,&nbsp;Peter S. Gillespie,&nbsp;Helen F. Nahrung","doi":"10.1111/aen.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Over 870 species of scale insects, also called coccoids (infraorder Coccomorpha), have been recorded from Australia. Here, we systematically review literature, databases and collections to provide a revised assessment of non-native species to Australia, for which we confirm those species that are introduced and extant in Australia (including deliberate introductions and new detections), species previously reported as introduced that we consider extirpated from Australia or the result of dubious records and some previously considered introduced that are possibly native to Australia. Of the 15 new and recent species records for Australia, 14 are considered established in the environment, while one is known only from a controlled nursery environment and not considered established. Despite available resources, it is impossible to unequivocally determine the status of some taxa in terms of whether they are indigenous to Australia or have been introduced by humans. We report new records that may be either introductions or possibly native species, and we discuss taxonomic uncertainty affecting records of species, such as for the mealybug <i>Vryburgia trionymoides</i>. Nevertheless, this checklist will be of utility to biosecurity practitioners and taxonomists in providing the most authoritative list of introduced coccoids to Australia that now represent approximately 17% of all coccoid species known to be present. This list will, however, require ongoing maintenance to remain current.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70057","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147320838","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":"Myrmecia: Volume 62, Part 1","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/aen.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<p>No abstract is available for this article.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147299814","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":"The spiny trapdoor spider Blakistonia aurea (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) as a model to better understand the natural history of cryptic spiders","authors":"Jackson F. Rendall,&nbsp;Panduka D. Amarasekara,&nbsp;Bruno A. Buzatto","doi":"10.1111/aen.70056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The diverse infraorder Mygalomorphae includes fossorial and cryptic spiders, such as tarantulas and trapdoor spiders. Their ability to disperse is often highly limited, rendering some mygalomorphs as rare short-range endemics. These species are vulnerable to landscape changes, often hard to detect, and have poorly understood reproductive biology, making it difficult to develop conservation management strategies. Mygalomorphs also frequently have high intraspecific male size variation, although it is unclear what explains this. The South Australian spiny trapdoor spider <i>Blakistonia aurea</i> Hogg, 1902 (Idiopidae) is a species with highly variable male sizes, a surprisingly widespread distribution and is well-represented in museum collections. This species is also important for the conservation of the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard (<i>Tiliqua adelaidensis</i> Peters, 1863), which preferentially uses their burrows for shelter. We studied the biology of <i>B. aurea</i> as a model to investigate male size variation and the natural history of cryptic mygalomorph spiders of conservation significance. We test whether sexually selected male dimorphism or geographic variation explain the naturally high variation in <i>B. aurea</i> male sizes. We then describe burrow structure from two regions of South Australia, as well as aspects of the species' natural history, including breeding seasonality, egg sac structure, clutch size and interspecific interactions. Finally, we also report on a mating observed in laboratory conditions, providing the first detailed description of mating behaviour in an Australian spiny trapdoor spider (Idiopidae: Arbanitinae). We found significant differences in burrow lid size for mature females from different regions, but no evidence for male dimorphism or geography underlying the unusual variation in male sizes. The reproductive cycle of the species is very long, with mating occurring from autumn to early spring, egg sacs being produced in summer, and offspring remaining in the maternal burrow for several weeks to a few months. Overall, we provide novel insights that add to the existing body of Idiopidae natural history research, which will help better inform crucial conservation management.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147299830","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":"The first record of light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Australian almonds","authors":"Samantha Edley,&nbsp;Jennifer Whitney,&nbsp;Francesco Martoni,&nbsp;Cathy Taylor,&nbsp;David Madge","doi":"10.1111/aen.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Light brown apple moth, <i>Epiphyas postvittana</i> (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major pest of fruit crops, ornamentals and horticultural crops around the world. It is known to feed on over 70 plant species in Australia, where it is native, yet has never been recorded in almonds (<i>Prunus amygdalus</i> Batsch) (Rosales: Rosaceae) in this country. In October 2023, <i>E. postvittana</i> was found in an almond crop (variety: Shasta) in Katunga, Victoria. Since then, it has been found on three other almond varieties (Carina, Vela and Pyrenees) in the same orchard. This almond orchard is in an area with average annual rainfall higher than typically found in Australian almond-growing regions, is in proximity to nectarine and peach orchards, and uses a winter cover crop. Here, we confirmed the identification using morphological assessments as well as barcoding DNA from the pupal exuviae. Initially found in the hull and later the shell and kernel, to date, <i>E. postvittana</i> is not causing any significant crop damage. This detection indicates the need to regularly monitor crops and develop pre-emptive pest management strategies to support the extension of almond production in Australia.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70053","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146224275","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":"Disentangling the effects of streamflow permanence and land use on the β-diversity of Odonata assemblages in the Pampa grasslands","authors":"Mateus M. Pires,&nbsp;Samuel Renner,&nbsp;Karla Petry,&nbsp;Göran Sahlén,&nbsp;Eduardo Périco","doi":"10.1111/aen.70054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Changes in streamflow permanence regime and in land use intensity surrounding streams can greatly affect the distribution of aquatic insects and the ecosystem services that they provide. However, hydrological variation may alter land use impacts on aquatic insect assemblages. Therefore, untangling the effects of flow permanence and landscape composition on β-diversity is key to predicting the effects of land use and climate change on aquatic insect assemblages, especially in modified biomes such as the South American subtropical grasslands (Pampa). Here, we surveyed the composition of Odonata assemblages in low-order streams differing in their flow permanence and type of land cover to test whether st reamflow permanence and landscape composition drive Odonata β-diversity patterns in the Brazilian Pampa. Specifically, we assessed the extent to which β-diversity replacement and nestedness components vary between historically ‘perennial’ (with continuous flow all year-round) and ‘intermittent’ streams (which dry part of the year) along a gradient of anthropogenic land cover. Flow permanence and anthropogenically impacted land cover independently influenced overall β-diversity (and the turnover component), while anthropogenic land cover alone influenced the nestedness component. These findings suggest that intermittent flow in the stream channel throughout the year and landscape encroachment lead to the filtering out of flow-sensitive Odonata and favour drought-adapted taxa, while natural land use favours the occurrence of specialist taxa in Pampa streams. This study helps disentangle the mechanisms structuring the distribution of Odonata along gradients of hydrological permanence and land use in southern Brazilian grassland streams. These results are useful to predict the responses of Odonata biodiversity to streamflow regime change in landscapes under increasing environmental pressure and water surface loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146256349","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":"Oviposition and larval establishment of three ‘generalist’ noctuids on Capsicum annuum","authors":"Trevor M. Volp,&nbsp;Adam D. Quade,&nbsp;Myron P. Zalucki,&nbsp;Melina M. Miles","doi":"10.1111/aen.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the oviposition and foraging behaviour of pestiferous lepidopterans on their economically important food plants guides the development of effective pest management tactics. Here, we examined the oviposition behaviour and larval establishment of three noctuid species on a single crop—capsicum (<i>Capsicum annuum</i>). We selected pest species that are known to infest capsicum crops to varying degrees—the cotton bollworm, <i>Helicoverpa armigera</i>; the cluster caterpillar, <i>Spodoptera litura</i>; and the fall armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>. Although related, these species differ in their known host-plant preferences and larval feeding behaviour. We conducted a series of glasshouse experiments examining moth oviposition and larval survival on different crop stages and the ability of neonate larvae to feed and establish on capsicum fruits at different stages of development. Although all three species oviposited on capsicum plants, <i>S. litura</i> laid more eggs than the other species and targeted most of their eggs to plants rather than the cage wall, indicating a preference for the plant. <i>S. litura</i> larvae demonstrated the highest level of survival (48%) when left unrestricted on capsicum plants, whereas only a small proportion of <i>S. frugiperda</i> (12%) and <i>H. armigera</i> (3%) larvae survived on capsicum plants. Surprisingly, most surviving <i>S. frugiperda</i> larvae were found feeding inside capsicum fruits. The results generated in this study demonstrate how in-field infestations of these noctuids in capsicum arise and will guide further development of pest management strategies for these pests in capsicum.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147280106","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":"Highly localised morphological diversity in the mayfly Cloeon tasmaniae Tillyard (Ephemeroptera; Baetidae), and a new synonomy with C. paradieniense Suter","authors":"Ronald E. Thresher,&nbsp;Phillip J. Suter","doi":"10.1111/aen.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ambiguity over the features that differentiate two nominal species of baetid mayflies, <i>Cloeon paradieniense</i> Suter and <i>C. tasmaniae</i> Tillyard, in southeast Australia led to a detailed analysis of the morphology and meristics of specimens from Victoria, South Australia and, in particular, Tasmania, where both species have been reported. The data indicate a broad overlap in almost all features between the two taxa, suggesting they are synonymous (also supported by an analysis of CO1 sequences), but also diverse, with highly localised differences among sites, even on the scale of 10s of kilometres and within drainages, despite the broad distribution of the species, slight genetic differences between mainland and Tasmanian specimens, and evidence of significant aerial dispersal capability. We speculate that the localisation reflects gene pools at each site that are much smaller than expected due to some combination of temporally patchy recruitment within long reproductive seasons, strong founder effects in ephemeral habitats, dispersal and mortality schedules that differ with female reproductive strategies, and inbreeding due to facultative parthenogenesis. On the basis of their overlapping morphology and genetics, <i>C. paradieniense</i> is recognised as a junior synonym of <i>C. tasmaniae</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136171","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":"Increasing the diversity of Sycorax Haliday, 1839 (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Neotropical region: New species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest","authors":"Lucas Rossito,&nbsp;Luiz Carlos Pinho,&nbsp;Andrey José de Andrade","doi":"10.1111/aen.70051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Four new species of <i>Sycorax</i> Haliday, 1839 are described: <i>Sycorax alumna</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>Sycorax catarina</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>Sycorax paranaensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>Sycorax striga</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, with the females of <i>Sycorax striga</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> bearing characteristics that suggest haematophagous behaviour. Novel defining characters were used for the first time in a taxonomic work on the Sycoracinae. All described species were collected from parts of the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, significantly expanding the distribution of the genus in South America. The morphology of the new species was compared with the known fauna of Sycoracinae, both Neotropical and from other biogeographical regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146136521","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":"New records and new species of Miracinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Australia and Papua New Guinea, with a key to world Mirax species","authors":"Zhen Liu,&nbsp;Mollie-Rosae Slater-Baker,&nbsp;Andrew Polaszek","doi":"10.1111/aen.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The genera of Miracinae, currently in something of a state of flux, are discussed with respect to their morphological and molecular attributes. <i>Centistidea</i> Rohwer, 1914 is treated provisionally as a valid genus, distinct from <i>Mirax</i> Haliday, 1833, based partly on propodeal morphology, though this is acknowledged to be an unstable character across the subfamily. Molecular data from two previous studies of Australian Miracinae are discussed. <i>Centistidea albantennalis</i> Liu &amp; Polaszek, 2014 is newly recorded from Papua New Guinea. Two new species of <i>Centistidea</i> are described from Australia: <i>Centistidea cellula</i> Liu &amp; Polaszek, <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>Centistidea paraillidops</i> Liu &amp; Polaszek, <b>sp. nov.</b> Two new species of <i>Mirax</i>: <i>Mirax tasmaniensis</i> Liu &amp; Polaszek, <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>Mirax polita</i> Liu &amp; Polaszek, <b>sp. nov.</b> are described from Australia. <i>Mirax arcicensis</i> Slater-Baker &amp; Fagan-Jeffries, 2022, <i>M. caelicus</i> Slater-Baker &amp; Fagan-Jeffries, 2022 and <i>M. supremus</i> Slater-Baker, 2025 are transferred to <i>Centistidea</i>, hence the following new combinations <i>Centistidea arcicensis</i> (Slater-Baker &amp; Fagan-Jeffries, 2022) <b>comb. nov.</b>, <i>Centistidea caelica</i> (Slater-Baker &amp; Fagan-Jeffries, 2022) <b>comb. nov.</b> and <i>Centistidea suprema</i> (Slater-Baker, 2025) <b>comb. nov.</b> A key to <i>Mirax</i> species of the world is provided, based mainly on published descriptions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146091339","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}