Austral Entomology最新文献

Proteuxoa Hampson, 1903, became the largest Australian Noctuidae genus in 1996, when E.D. Edwards referred 77 species to it for the Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. However, the Noctuidae subfamily classifications in the Checklist 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 Proteuxoa Hampson, 1903 (sensu Edwards) and the outgroup Athetis tenuis (Butler, 1886) and data from five additional genes (CPS-CAD, EF-1a, GAPDH, RpS5, Wgl) representing 26 species of Proteuxoa (sensu Edwards) and A. tenuis. Peripyra Hampson, 1908 reinst. stat., and Androdes Turner, 1920 reinst. stat., are removed from synonymy with Proteuxoa 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 Proteuxoa sensu stricto from its closest known relatives in Australasia, that is, Peripyra, Androdes and Thoracolopha Turner, 1939, all of which are morphologically consistent with adult Noctuinae sensu lato 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.

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.

Grapevine (Parthenolecanium persicae (F.)) and frosted (Parthenolecanium pruinosum (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 Vitis vinifera 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 (r_m) 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 (λ) 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.

Two new species of gall midges are described whose larvae feed on the small morphotype of Guinea grass Megathyrsus maximus in Africa. Arabukodiplosis basalis Kolesik, gen. et sp. nov. causes galls at the base of plant's crown in Kenya and Arabukodiplosis vesicaria Kolesik, gen. et sp. nov. 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. Arabukodiplosis Kolesik, gen. nov. belongs to the supertribe Cecidomyiidi and its closest relative is Mitodiplosis Kieffer, 1914, an African genus containing a single species that induces stem thickening galls on pyp grass Ehrharta villosa (Poaceae) in South Africa. Like Mitodiplosis, Arabukodiplosis Kolesik, gen. nov. cannot be satisfactorily accommodated in any of the currently recognised tribes. The crown of the plant, where A. basalis Kolesik, gen. et sp. nov. forms galls, is where new tillers and shoots originate, so the galls develop where stems would usually form. Stems infested by A. vesicaria Kolesik, gen. et sp. nov. 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 M. maximus, which is a serious invasive alien pest outside of its native distribution.

No abstract is available for this article.

Two new species of Pseudasphondylia Monzen, 1955 are described and are the first records of this genus in Australia and for the plant families Myrtaceae and Chenopodiaceae. Pseudasphondylia melanopileus sp. nov. forms inconspicuous galls on the fruits of Melaleuca ericifolia (Myrtaceae) in southern Victoria. Pseudasphondylia nitrariaceia sp. nov. causes semi-woody galls on the inflorescences of Chenopodium nitrariaceum (Chenopodiaceae) and is widespread in low-rainfall regions of south-eastern Australia. Descriptions of adults and immature stages and DNA sequences of the cytochrome oxidase unit I mitochondrial gene segment are given for each of the new species.

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., Plasmodium spp. and Wuchereria bancrofti) 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.

Ceratitis capitata (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.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins are often considered environmentally friendly pest control tools. However, the development of resistance to Bt toxins and emergence of exotic pests necessitate the characterisation of new Bt isolates. This study aims to identify and characterise novel Bt toxins and bioactive compounds that may be utilised to mitigate the impact of Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm, FAW), a polyphagous agricultural pest species that has recently established populations in over 80 countries including Australia. Eight Bt isolates were used in bioassays to ascertain toxicity to FAW neonates. Six Bt isolates (Bt_01-02 and Bt_05-08) exhibited potential insecticidal activities. Three isolates including Bt_01 and Bt_07-08 caused 100% mortality, while Bt_02, Bt_05, and Bt_06 induced 71.27 ± 21.17, 98.44 ± 2.21 and 92.19 ± 11.05% mortality, respectively. Genome analysis was conducted to characterise the toxins and secondary metabolite gene clusters of each isolate. Four isolates (Bt_01, Bt_06, Bt_07, Bt_08) contained the Cry1Na-partial and Cry1I toxins, while Bt_05 contained Cry2A, Cry1H and Cry1-like amino acid sequences. In addition, the gene cluster for zwittermicin A, a crystal toxin enhancer, was present in all isolates. However, no known toxins or insecticidal compounds were identified in Bt_02 despite inducing high mortality. The pathogenicity of Bt_02 was also tested against two Australian native pest species: Helicoverpa armigera conferta and H. punctigera. This includes both the susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant (Hp9-3784) lines of H. punctigera. Bt_02 caused 74.88 ± 19.82% mortality in H. armigera, 95.65 ± 6.15% mortality in H. punctigera and 90.91 ± 12.86% mortality in Hp9-3784. This suggests that Bt_02 may possess unknown toxins or bioactive compounds responsible for its effectiveness against three species of lepidopteran pests including those that exhibited Cry1Ac resistance.

Despite their striking appearance and abundance, the diversity and life-histories of cup moths and their relatives (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) in Australia are not well known. An example is a caterpillar commonly known as the rainbow battleship, or rainbow school bus. This caterpillar has been claimed to be the larva of Calcarifera ordinata (Butler, 1886), a wattle cup moth, but rearing experiments have recently shown that caterpillars of C. ordinata are not rainbow battleships. Here, we use DNA barcoding to identify the rainbow battleship by comparing the mitochondrial gene COI to sequences obtained from a DNA-barcoding blitz at the Australian National Insect Collection. We positively identify the rainbow battleship caterpillar as the larva of Comana albibasis (Walker, 1862), an association not previously hypothesised. The COI barcode region appears to be a useful tool for identifying limacodids, including matching larval and adult forms. Divergence within some currently recognised species highlights the presence of potentially undescribed species diversity in Limacodidae.