Austral Entomology最新文献

Changes in floral visitors' diversity and community composition have been reported to affect coffee production, which optimal growing conditions are cool to warm tropical climates found in the coffee belt. However, few studies have focused on understanding how insects' foraging behaviour (e.g., contact with floral reproductive organs) relates with coffee production. Thus, it is important to consider floral visitors' foraging behaviour, as this can influence the transfer of conspecific pollen required for plant fertilisation, the efficiency of floral visitors and improve the pollination service provided. Here, we assessed how foraging behaviour of honeybees and stingless bees affects coffee fruit set and fruit weight in conventional and agroecological managed crops. We quantified local floral resources and recorded diversity, abundance and behaviour of floral visitors at eight pairs of sites with agroecological and conventional management systems to assess how foraging behaviour of honeybees and stingless bees affects coffee fruit set and fruit weight in both types of managed crops. We found that the managed honeybee Apis mellifera and three wild bees Tetragonisca angustula, Scaptotrigona mexicana and Partamona bilineata are the principal floral visitors of coffee crops in Guatemala, whose total abundance but not richness was higher in agroecological areas. Regarding their behaviours, we observed that the average number of flowers visited by P. bilineata and its behaviour of touching the nectaries of coffee flowers were positively related to fruit set, while only the percentage of A. mellifera carrying pollen was positively related with fruit weight, suggesting that although A. mellifera is found in large quantities, wild bees are also efficient pollinators of coffee in the region. Our findings also suggest that in other tropical regions where coffee is grown and honeybees have been observed as a primary pollinator, wild bees may play an important role when considering their behaviour. In the same way, coffee farms in Guatemala are a representation of the diversity of agroecosystems found worldwide, and thus, the study of foraging behaviour of managed and wild bees and the conservation of wild bee species in different coffee agroecosystems should be emphasised to improve the production of coffee and other cash crops.

Ollivier, M., Labouyrie, M., Raghu, S., Tavoillot, J., Tixier, M.-S. & Lesieur, V. (2023) Characterising the herbivore community and its impact on Sonchus oleraceus (Asterales: Asteraceae) in its invaded range in Australia. Austral Entomology, 62(2), 220–234. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12640

In Table 2, Table S2, and the first paragraph of the section ‘S. oleraceus: a reservoir for insect pests’, the species Phytomyza horticola Goureau, 1851 is included incorrectly.

This species is not yet present in Australia and is replaced with Phytomyza syngenesiae (Hardy, 1849), which has previously been recorded in Australia on Sonchus oleraceus (Xu et al. 2021).

The Table 2 and Table S2 have been corrected online. Also, reference Xu et al (2021) has been added in the reference list.

The authors apologise for the errors.

Larval feeding by the moth genus Ogmograptis (Bucculatricidae: Lepidoptera) creates one of the most iconic features of the Australian bush—the ‘scribbles’ found on smooth-barked Eucalyptus. The taxonomic history of Ogmograptis has been challenging, with members of the genus being initially described in four different genera representing three different superfamilies. While prior phylogenetic analysis has placed Ogmograptis within the Bucculatricidae, these findings were not strongly supported and there was poor resolution of the early diverging, non-Apoditrysia superfamilies that Ogmograptis has been assigned to by different authors. As a consequence, the unique larval biology of scribbly moths cannot yet be interpreted in an evolutionary context. Phylogenomic analysis of whole mitochondrial (mt) genome data for Ogmograptis, related non-Apoditrysia and taxa representing the superfamily-level diversity of the order strongly supports its placement within the Bucculatricidae, a monophyletic Gracillarioidea and a clade of Gracillarioidea + Yponomeutoidea that was sister to the Apoditrysia. The hypermetamorphic larval development in Ogmograptis can thus be interpreted as an elaboration of the ancestral pattern of the clade Gracillarioidea + Yponomeutoidea that has specialised for phellogen/callus feeding within the bark. The utility of mt genomes for deep-level phylogenetic study of the Lepidoptera is reviewed against prior multi-locus and nuclear phylogenomic datasets. Mt phylogenomic analyses are sensitive to analytical methods and the inclusion versus exclusion of high-variability data partitions for deep-level relationships, already shown to be uncertain by multi-locus or nuclear phylogenomic analyses, in particular relationships between apoditrysian and obtectomeran superfamilies. While mt genomes are ideal for examining the relationships of rare, physically small or difficult to collect taxa such as Ogmograptis, due to the low technical hurdles to collecting whole genomes, continued attention to the analytical sensitivities of phylogenies that use this data source is needed to reliably advance our understanding of deep lepidopteran evolution.

Transgenic Bt cotton was developed to control lepidopteran pests like the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. However, there was concern that H. armigera would develop resistance to Bt cotton as this species had developed resistance to many insecticides and Bt toxins. To counter resistance, the cotton industry developed a resistance management plan (RMP) that included techniques to block resistant genes surviving from one season to the next (seasonal quarantining). One such technique is pupae busting, where cotton fields are cultivated after harvest, destroying potentially resistant pupating Helicoverpa spp. While pupae busting was important when there was only one insecticidal gene in Bt cotton, is it still relevant now Bt cotton has three insecticidal Bt genes? To address this question, we reviewed the development of pupae busting as a tool and its role in the current RMP. This included examining the ecology and behavioural characteristics of Helicoverpa spp. that impact on pupae busting efficacy (e.g., diapause, pupal mortality and pupae depth); the effect of soil type and different tillage techniques on pupae busting efficacy; and pupae busting within the context of Australia's current cotton farming system. We also looked at alternative forms of seasonal quarantining, such as using bisexual attract-and-kill techniques against adults. We confirmed that soil for pupae busting needs to be checked for moisture, which ideally should be less than the soil plastic limit. Comparisons between reports indicated that under good conditions, ‘go-devils’ and chisel ploughs were excellent pupae busters. While a bisexual attract-and-kill strategy of late season moths has a place within the industry, pupae busting is still the best method in seasonal quarantining and has a good fit within the modern cotton industry, particularly given differences in the biology and ecology of H. armigera and H. punctigera, and the presence of dominant resistance to Bt toxins by H. armigera in China.

Tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae) are one of the most diverse and widespread families of mygalomorph spiders, with over 1000 species recognised globally. While tarantulas can be found across most of mainland Australia, from arid regions to tropical forests, the Australian fauna are not yet well characterised. There are currently only 10 nominal species, up to 8 of which are currently recognised as distinct species. Here, we aim to undertake the first continent-wide assessment of species diversity of tarantulas in Australia using an iterative, hypothesis-testing approach. We apply a biological species concept and use DNA sequence data from three independent loci to delimit putative species based on evidence of lack of gene flow. First, we use the mitochondrial DNA marker 16S to identify a set of putative species hypotheses. We then test each hypothesis under the expectations of neotypy, allotypy and allophyly using two independent nuclear loci, EF1γ and 28S rRNA. Genealogically exclusive lineages are inferred using haplotype networks for each nuclear locus, interpreted to represent non-interbreeding entities and hence represent distinct biological species. We find evidence for there being at least 20 distinct biological species of tarantula in Australia, with the highest species richness in northern Australia. Our results are in line with other DNA-based studies of Australian mygalomorphs that have uncovered undescribed species diversity. Given the low number of samples included here, there is likely to be an even greater species diversity of tarantulas in Australia.

Frugivorous insects use visual, chemical and tactile cues to find a suitable host for oviposition. However, these cues can vary greatly among fruit cultivars and condition, changing their susceptibility to fruit fly oviposition. The aims of this study were to (1) determine the effects of ripeness stage and damage on oviposition propensity by sexually mature, mated female oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), on five citrus types (species and cultivars) under choice and no-choice conditions and (2) describe the oviposition behaviour of B. dorsalis on ripe fruit of the same five citrus types that were either damaged or undamaged under no-choice conditions. All tests were conducted in the laboratory. The citrus types tested were Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv Delta Valencia orange, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv Glen Ora Late navel orange, Citrus limon (L) (Burm.f.) cv Eureka lemon, Citrus paradisi (Macfad.) cv Star Ruby grapefruit and Citrus reticulata (Blanco) cv Nadorcott mandarin. Peel physical properties and essential oil composition were determined for each citrus type and stage. Oviposition propensity of B. dorsalis was significantly greater on damaged citrus but was not correlated with fruit diameter, peel thickness, oil gland density or oil gland size. A total of 45 aromatic compounds were found to be significant between the five cultivars investigated, and 6 of 11 compounds were significantly associated with over-ripe fruits. Bactrocera dorsalis spent a significantly greater proportion of time ovipositing in damaged citrus and showed higher aggression when oviposition occurred in undamaged citrus. These results suggest that the removal of damaged and fallen fruit is important for controlling this pest in citrus orchards.

Frugivorous tephritid (Diptera: Tephritidae) females compete over access to fruit for oviposition through aggressive interactions. These aggressive displays are for oviposition site maintenance to reduce the probability of subsequent larval competition. While female aggressive behaviours have been described for several frugivorous tephritid species, studies quantifying behavioural frequencies and sequences and examining how quality of the host fruit might modify the intensity of aggressive behaviours are minimal or absent. We used behavioural analysis software of video playback to describe and quantify antagonistic behaviours between pairs of Bactrocera tryoni females and measured changes in the frequency of behaviours when females were defending three fruit types known to vary in their quality for offspring development. Seven behaviours were identified as part of competitive contests between B. tryoni females, which were not performed in any regular order or with any obvious escalation in the intensity of an aggressive display. Crabbing, [wing] supination and pushing were the most common behaviours, constituting 78% of all observed aggressive behaviours. Increasing fruit quality resulted in aggressive behaviours happening significantly sooner and more often. Our results are similar to previous studies in the types of behaviours exhibited by female frugivorous tephritids but are contrary to other studies in that no sequential pattern or escalation of behaviours was documented. Increased female investment in defence of higher quality hosts aligns with theoretical predictions but has not been previously tested.

The largest diversity in the world of subterranean diving beetles (Dytiscidae) has been discovered in underground waters of the Australian arid zone. The majority of species are from the Dytiscidae genera Limbodessus Guignot, 1939 (Bidessini) and Paroster Sharp, 1882 (Hydroporini) and are distributed within two major regions: calcrete islands of central Western Australia and the Ngalia Basin of the Northern Territory. Here, we use an integrative approach based on morphological and molecular analyses to describe Ngaliadessus humphreysi gen. et sp. nov. Watts & Villastrigo representing a new genus and species of stygobiotic Bidessini collected from a single well in the Ngalia Basin. Phylogenetic analyses using whole mitochondrial genome, Histone 3 and 18S rRNA data, representing a comprehensive coverage of Bidessini genera, support the distinction of the genus and species as a separate evolutionary lineage sister to the Australasian genus Limbodessus and the widely distributed genus Allodessus Guignot, 1953. Our study further confirms that the Ngalia Basin, containing 13 subterranean dytiscid species from four distinct genera, is one of the most speciose areas within the world's most diverse hotspot of subterranean diving beetles.

Dolichostylus gen. nov., a new genus of Portanini, is described, and illustrated, based on two new species: Dolichostylus amazonicus gen. et sp. nov. from Brazil and Ecuador and Dolichostylus zahniseri gen. et sp. nov. from Ecuador. The new genus differs from other portanine genera in having the crown short and rounded, forewing without m-cu2 vein, connective H-shaped, style very long and slender, aedeagus with pair of elongate caudoventral processes, female sternite VII longer than wide and first valvula of ovipositor without a distinctly expanded area.

No abstract is available for this article.