http://www.hindawi.comThe latest articles from Hindawi Publishing Corporation© 2012, Hindawi Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2012/820245/In the present investigation, we have tested antitermite responses of Capparis decidua stem, root, flower, and fruit extracts and pure compounds to Odontotermes obesus in various bioassays. Crude stem extract has shown very high susceptibility and very low LD50 values, that is, 14.171 μg/mg in worker termites. From stem extract, three pure compounds were isolated in pure form namely, heneicosylhexadecanoate (CDS2), triacontanol (CDS3), and 2-carboxy-1, 1-dimethylpyrrolidine (CDS8) which have shown very low LD50 value in a range of 5.537–10.083 μg/mg. Similarly, one novel compound 6-(1-hydroxy-non-3-enyl)-tetrahydropyran-2-one (CDF1) was isolated from flower extract that has shown an LD50 8.08 μg/gm. Repellent action of compounds was tested in a Y-shaped glass olfactometer in which CDF1 compounds have significantly repelled termites to the opposite arm. Besides this, C. decidua extracts have shown significant reduction (P<0.05 and 0.01) in termite infestation in garden saplings when it was coated on cotton tags and employed over tree trunks. Further, C. deciduas stem extract was used for wood seasoning, which gave very good results as test wood sticks have shown significantly (P<0.05 and 0.01) very low termite infestation.Ravi Kant Upadhyay, Gayatri Jaiswal, Shoeb Ahmad, Leena Khanna, and Subhash Chand JainCopyright © 2012 Ravi Kant Upadhyay et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2012/480483/Adult mosquito size is constrained by conditions experienced in the larval stage including the amount and quality of diet. The energy expended collecting diet depends partly on its concentration, the water depth, and the mosquito species. In order to better understand these interactions, individual Anopheles gambiae s.s. Giles were cultured to the adult stage in three types of experiments in which one of the following conditions was fixed and the other two were varied: water volume, diet amount, and diet concentration. In addition to survival, days of development to pupation and wing length were determined. The same outcomes were measured in experiments for which special containers were constructed that allowed the detection of chemical and tactile interactions. Larvae were able to develop to adulthood in volumes as great as 30 mL/larva when diet was added at an average rate of only 7 μg/mL/day. The results demonstrate effective foraging in large low-diet volumes far above what had previously been estimated.A. C. Sutcliffe and M. Q. BenedictCopyright © 2012 A. C. Sutcliffe and M. Q. Benedict. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2012/372138/In order to evaluate the genetic diversity and structure of Melipona mandacaia, we analyzed 104 colonies collected in 12 localities in Bahia state, northeastern Brazil, using ISSR-PCR. A total of 109 bands were obtained with a significant polymorphism of 72.47%. Estimates of genetic diversity indicated low values of heterozygosity (He and HB values were 0.2616 and 0.2573, resp.). These reduced values have been reported in other studies in stingless bees and maybe justified by dispersion process in the origin of new nests. AMOVA revealed that the higher percentage of variation is within localities (70.39%). The ΦST and θB values were, respectively, 0.2961 and 0.3289, thereby indicating a moderate population structuring. The correlation between genetic and geographic distances (r=0.4542; P<0.01) suggests isolation by distance. Our study contributes to describing the genetic diversity of endemic organisms from Caatinga and may help future efforts to preserve this threatened biome.Elder Assis Miranda, Henrique Batalha-Filho, Priscila Santos Oliveira, Rogério Marcos Oliveira Alves, Lucio Antonio Oliveira Campos, and Ana Maria WaldschmidtCopyright © 2012 Elder Assis Miranda et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/617478/Many organisms participate in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, yet studies of symbioses typically have focused on the reciprocal costs and benefits within a particular host-symbiont pair. Recent studies indicate that many ecological interactions involve alliances of symbionts acting together as mutualistic consortia against other consortia. Such interacting consortia are likely to be widespread in nature, even if the interactions often occur in a cryptic fashion. Little theory and empirical data exist concerning how these complex interactions shape ecological outcomes in nature. Here, we review recent work on fungal-fungal interactions between two consortia: (i) leaf-cutting ants and their symbiotic fungi (the latter grown as a food crop by the former) and (ii) tropical plants and their foliar endophytes (the cryptic symbiotic fungi within leaves of the former). Plant characteristics (e.g., secondary compounds or leaf physical properties of leaves) are involved in leaf-cutting ant preferences, and a synthesis of published information suggests that these plant traits could be modified by fungal presence. We discuss potential mechanisms for how fungal-fungal interactions proceed in the leaf-cutting ant agriculture and suggest themes for future research.Sunshine A. Van Bael, Catalina Estrada, and William T. WcisloCopyright © 2011 Sunshine A. Van Bael et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/910286/The alimentary canal of Neodiprion abietis larvae is a straight tube divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut. Posterior to the mouth, the foregut is further divided into the pharynx, esophagus (crop), and proventriculus, all of which are lined with cuticle. A pair of muscular, chitin-lined pouches branch off the anterior foregut and lie lateral to the alimentary canal. Gastric caeca are located at the anterior end of the midgut, where the peritrophic membrane is formed and was observed throughout the midgut. A single layer of midgut columnar epithelial cells abuts on the basal lamina at one end with microvilli extending into the gut lumen at the other. Nidi of regenerative cells were observed between columnar epithelial cells at the basal lamina. Malpighian tubules are attached to the posterior end of the midgut. The hindgut consists of the pylorus, a muscular ileum connecting to a bulbous rectum, which then opens to the anus.Christopher J. Lucarotti, Beatrixe H. Whittome-Waygood, and David B. LevinCopyright © 2011 Christopher J. Lucarotti et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/854820/Homosexuality has been dubbed the Darwinian paradox, because it raises the question of how behaviour that would seem to reduce the chance of successful mating can be maintained by natural selection. This question rests on the assumption that same sex mating is the result of active choice of partner, hardwired into the mating behaviour, but there is an alternative explanation for such behaviour. I refer to the possibility that same-sex mating is the result, not of adaptive behaviour at all, but rather of errors due to imprecise sensory machinery. Such an explanation finds support within the mating system of insects with swarm-based mating systems. To explore this case, I turn to the common chironomid midge. I show that homosexual pairing here, exclusively involving male/male pairs, is common. I attempt to show that this observation, together with data on insect predators of swarming midges, can be used to penetrate the mysteries of this fascinating but elusive mating system.Athol J. McLachlanCopyright © 2011 Athol J. McLachlan. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/940280/We describe a rearing protocol that allowed us to raise the threatened butterfly, Argynnis diana (Nymphalidae), while bypassing the first instar overwintering diapause. We compared the survival of offspring reared under this protocol from field-collected A. diana females from North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Larvae were reared in the lab on three phylogenetically distinct species of Southern Appalachian violets (Viola sororia, V. pubescens, and V. pedata). We assessed larval survival in A. diana to the last instar, pupation, and adulthood. Males reared in captivity emerged significantly earlier than females. An ANOVA revealed no evidence of host plant preference by A. diana toward three native violet species. We suggest that restoration of A. diana habitat which promotes a wide array of larval and adult host plants, is urgently needed to conserve this imperiled species into the future.Carrie N. Wells, Lindsey Edwards, Russell Hawkins, Lindsey Smith, and David TonkynCopyright © 2011 Carrie N. Wells et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/145640/Eleven inbred silkworm lines (M-101, M-103, M-104, M-107, Pak-1, Pak-3, Pak-2, Pak-4, PFI-1, PFI-2, and S-1) were evaluated for various parameters of cocoon production under different temperature and relative humidity conditions (25±1, 30±1, and 35±1 °C in combination with 55, 65, and 75% RH for three hrs during 4th and 5th instar. The experiment was laid out in factorial design with three replications. Significant variations in the performance of silkworm lines were noticed due to influence of temperature and RH treatment on 4th and 5th instar larvae. The silkworm lines performed significantly better when the larvae were reared at 25±1 °C with 70–80% RH while almost all the silkworm lines showed poor performance at higher temperature exposures for 3 hrs. Exposures to lower humidity (55%) during larval rearing in 4th and 5th instar at different temperatures (25±1, 30±1, and 35±1 °C) resulted in lowering the cocoon production. The cumulative evaluation index values for different traits showed that Pak-4 (61.42) was the best line followed by M-101 (59.15), Pak-2 (56.37), Pak-3 (52.83) PFI-I (52.62), and M-107(50.03). The study clearly underlines the importance of optimization of environmental conditions during larval rearing in relation to commercial cocoon production. The investigations strongly recommend that temperature and relative humidity in the range of 25-26 °C and 70–80%, respectively, are mandatory for excellent results of cocoon production and Pak-4, M-101, Pak-2, Pak-3, PFI-I, and M-107 were suitable for commercial rearing.Mubashar Hussain, Shakil Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Naeem, Tahir Aqil, Rizwan Khursheed, and Ata ul MohsinCopyright © 2011 Mubashar Hussain et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/520875/This study tested the hypothesis that venom from the ectoparasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis targets brain tissue and fat body from its flesh fly host, Sarcophaga bullata. By 1 h postenvenomation, some brain neurons began to show irregularities in nuclear shape, and though they were predominately euchromatic, there was evidence of heterochromatin formation. Irregularity in the nuclear envelope became more prominent by 3 h after envenomation, as did the condensation of heterochromatin. The severity of ultrastructural changes continued to increase until at least 24 h after parasitoid attack. At this point, cellular swelling and extensive heterochromatic inclusions were evident, multivesicular bodies occurred in the cytoplasm of some cells, and the rough endoplasmic reticulum was dilated in many of the cells. Immunohistochemical staining revealed significant apoptosis in neurons located in brain tissues. By contrast, there was no evidence of any morphological or ultrastructural disturbances in fat body tissues up to 24 h after envenomation, nor did any of the cells display signs of cell death.David B. Rivers, Donald A. Keefer, Ekrem Ergin, and Fevzi UçkanCopyright © 2011 David B. Rivers et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/938249/Bacillus thuringiensis produces crystal toxins known as Cry that are highly selective against important agricultural and human health-related insect pests. Cry proteins are pore-forming toxins that interact with specific receptors in the midgut cell membrane of susceptible larvae making pores that cause osmotic shock, leading finally to insect death. In the case of pore-forming toxins that are specific to mammalian cells, death responses at low doses may induce apoptosis or pyroptosis, depending on the cell type. The death mechanism induced by Cry toxins in insect midgut cells is poorly understood. Here, we analyze the caspases expression by RT-PCR analysis, showing that the initial response of Manduca sexta midgut cells after low dose of Cry1Ab toxin administration involves a fast and transient accumulation of caspase-1 mRNA, suggesting that pyroptosis was activated by Cry1Ab toxin as an initial response but was repressed later. In contrast, caspase-3 mRNA requires a longer period of time of toxin exposure to be activated but presents a sustained activation, suggesting that apoptosis may be a cell death mechanism induced also at low dose of toxin.Helena Porta, Carlos Muñoz-Minutti, Mario Soberón, and Alejandra BravoCopyright © 2011 Helena Porta et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/868546/Host stage preference, functional response and, mutual interference of Praon volucre (Haliday) (Hym.: Braconidae) parasitizing the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hem.: Aphididae), were investigated under laboratory conditions. Host stage preference was evaluated at 25±1°C, 60±5% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L : D), under choice and no-choice tests. Functional response was done under five constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C), 60±5% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16:8 h. (L : D). Praon volucre parasitized all nymphal instars and adults of the grain aphid but strongly preferred to oviposit into second-instar nymphs in both choice and no-choice conditions. Results of logistic regression revealed a type II functional response for all temperatures tested. The handling time (Th) and searching efficiency (a) were estimated using the Rogers equation. The maximum estimate of searching efficiency occurred at 15°C and 20°C (both 0.05±0.01 h-1) and decreased to 0.01±0.01 h-1 at 30±1°C. The minimum estimate of handling time was 1.02±0.11 h at 25°C and increased to 5.31±0.82 h at 30±1°C. The maximum rate of parasitism was 23.52 aphids/female/day at 25°C. With parasitoid density increasing from 1 to 8, the per capita searching efficiency decreased from 0.12 h-1 to 0.06 h-1. The results suggested that P. voluvre has the potential to be a biocontrol agent of S. avenae. However, evaluation of foraging behavior warrants further investigation under field conditions.Afrooz Farhad, Ali Asghar Talebi, and Yaghoub FathipourCopyright © 2011 Afrooz Farhad et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/276376/Parasitic wasps are important natural enemies of several insect pests. They use a variety of methods to modulate their insect host for their progeny to develop. For example, the female wasp needs to avoid or suppress the host immune responses by introducing venom with or without virus like particles and/or polydnaviruses. The aim of this paper is to provide a synthesis of current knowledge regarding the immunosuppression of host immunity with venom in parasitoids that are devoid of symbiotic viruses. Special emphasis is given through disabling host hemocytes by venom of the endoparasitoid Pimpla turionellae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) with comparisons of venoms from other parasitoid species.Aylin Er, Olga Sak, Ekrem Ergin, Fevzi Uçkan, and David B. RiversCopyright © 2011 Aylin Er et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/520926/Parasitoid venom is a focal research point in the biological control area, which aims to explore its physiological functions and nature. Pteromalus puparum is a gregarious pupal endoparasitoid wasp which has evolved unique means to adopt the host's immune system, as no other parasitoid-associated factors other than venom are injected into its hosts during oviposition. It represents an excellent model for research of parasitoid venom. In this paper, information was gathered on outcomes of P. puparum venom. We first began this paper by examining its functional properties. Next, we reviewed the nature of this parasitoid's venom components. Even great achievements have been made, further research is required to uncover the sophisticated bioactivity of the venom and isolate more novel toxic peptides/proteins.Jia-Ying Zhu, Gong-Yin Ye, and Cui HuCopyright © 2011 Jia-Ying Zhu et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/431874/About 953000 individuals of the cosmopolitan parasitoid, Coccophagus scutellaris (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), were released and evaluated during 2009-2010 for the control of the following soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) infesting the following economic crops in Egypt: Ceroplastes rusci on citrus in Beni Seuf, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock on citrus in Gharbiya, Coccus hesperidum L. on guava in Giza, Pulvinaria floccifera (Westwood) on mango in Sharqiya, Pulvinaria psidii Maskell on mango in Ismailia, Saissetia coffeae (Walker) on olive in Marsa Matruh, and Saissetia oleae (Oliver) on olive in the Northern Coast. The population of C. scutellaris showed a significant correlation with the build up of the population of the soft scale insects population in all of the release sites studied. The maximum rate of parasitism of the other species of parasitoids associated with soft scale insects at the release sites decreased after the release of C. scutellaris.Shaaban Abd-RabouCopyright © 2011 Shaaban Abd-Rabou. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/526175/The discovery of numerous Pyramica ohioensis and P. rostrata colonies living in acorns, as well as the efficient recovery of colonies from artificial nests placed in suitable habitats, opens a new stage in the study of North American dacetine ants. Here we present detailed information, based on 42 nest collections, on the colony structure of these two species. P. ohioensis colonies are smaller than those of P. rostrata. Both species are polygynous, but nests of P. ohioensis contain fewer dealate queens than those of P. rostrata. This is the first report of multiple collections of Pyramica colonies nesting in fallen acorns, and of the use of artificial nesting cavities to sample for dacetines in the soil and leaf litter. We describe an artificial cavity nest design that may prove useful in future investigations.Richard M. Duffield and Gary D. AlpertCopyright © 2011 Richard M. Duffield and Gary D. Alpert. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/563852/The microsculpture on the inside surface of the ovipositor of the relic silverfish Tricholepidion gertschi (Wygodzinsky, 1961) (Insecta: Zygentoma) was studied with scanning electronic microscopy for the first time. Both the first and second valvulae of T. gertschi bear rather diverse sculptural elements: (1) microtrichia of various shapes and directed distally, (2) longitudinal ridges, (3) smooth regions, and (4) scattered dome-shaped sensilla. As in several other insects, the distally directed microtrichia most likely facilitate unidirectional movement of the egg during egg laying. Involvement of the ovipositor internal microsculpture also in the uptake of male genital products is tentatively suggested. From a phylogenetic point of view, the presence of internal microsculpture appears an ancestral peculiarity of the insect ovipositor.Natalia A. MatushkinaCopyright © 2011 Natalia A. Matushkina. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/875250/I photographed ultraviolet-excited fluorescence of external resilin on insects in 7 orders, 17 families, and 18 genera collected from shrubs and trees alongside the Colorado River in western Arizona, USA. The localized blue-fluorescence characteristic of resilin was emitted by a variety of structures including sutures and wing articulations on Odonata and Diptera and membranous wings, compound eyes, or ocelli on Hemiptera, Neuroptera, and Hymenoptera. Different widespread, but blotchy, light-blue fluorescence was observed on cuticles of immature Orthoptera and adult Hemiptera. Insects in Hymenoptera and Coleoptera fluoresced least. Ranked amounts of fluorescence, relative to body area, were positively correlated with ranked nitrogen contents (%N of body dry-mass) of insects in genera excluding Hymenoptera. Nitrogen concentrations in insect exoskeletons appear to increase as abundances of resilin and other fluorescent, elastic proteins increase. These structural compounds may be an important nitrogen source for insectivorous vertebrates.William D. WiesenbornCopyright © 2011 William D. Wiesenborn. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/710929/The present study investigated the efficiency of essential oils extracted from different aromatic and medicinal plant sources on Aceria guerreronis Keifer, one of the serious pests of coconut. The essential oils and the herbal extracts were prepared in two different formulations and were used both in laboratory and field conditions to assess the efficiency of the formulations against the coconut mite infestation. The field trial results showed that reduction in infestation intensity was found to vary between 73.44% and 44.50% at six different locations of trial farms with an average of 64.18% after four spells of treatment. The average number of live mites was higher in the third month old nuts both in the control as well as the treated nut samples. The laboratory experiments on the efficacy of botanical biocide showed that the time taken for dehydration and shriveling of body cells took only sixty seconds. The multilocational field trials revealed the overall efficiency of the biocide to significantly control the eriophyid mite in coconut crop in an ecofriendly and sustainable manner without adopting any chemical pesticide.Susmita Patnaik, Kadambini Rout, Sasmita Pal, Prasanna Kumar Panda, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, and Satyabrata SahooCopyright © 2011 Susmita Patnaik et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/767963/Brochosomes are ultramicroscopic particles produced in large quantities by the Malpighian tubules of leafhoppers (Insecta, Hemiptera, and Cicadellidae) and applied by leafhoppers as a coat to their integuments. A recent study has described brochosomes on museum specimens of Heteroptera and Psylloidea, suggesting a wider distribution of brochosomes among Hemiptera. Here, I report that the majority of adult Sthenarus rotermundi (Scholtz) (Miridae) and Kleidocerys resedae (Panzer) (Lygaeidae) reared in captivity and handled with clean tools had no brochosomes on them, suggesting that the earlier records of brochosomes in these and perhaps other species outside of the Cicadellidae were due to contamination. Additionally, simple experiments demonstrated that insects can become contaminated with brochosomes via entomological tools that had been in contact with leafhoppers and via preservation in ethanol together with leafhoppers. Contamination of host plants, predators, and parasites of leafhoppers with brochosomes is also expected but remains to be demonstrated.Roman RakitovCopyright © 2011 Roman Rakitov. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/682572/Variation in sizes of parasitoids Itoplectis maculator F. (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) were studied in respect to their genetic variation as well as to the genetic variations in their host insect (Tortrix viridana L.) pupae and their host plant (Quercus pubescens Willd). The data obtained have shown that the interactions between genotypes of parasitoids and their host insects contribute up to 49%, and interaction between genotypes of parasitoids and oaks contributes up to 28% to the total variation in the parasitoid body sizes. As the parasitoid body size is fitness related, we may conclude that fitness of a parasitoid depends on not only its genotype but also on genotypes of its host insects and even the tree on which the host insects have developed. As a result the genotypes of representatives of the studied food chain links were found to be stochastically associated.Andrey Simchuk and Anatoly IvashovCopyright © 2011 Andrey Simchuk and Anatoly Ivashov. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/807363/The nutritional efficiency of mulberry leaves consumed by silkworms, Bombyx mori L., is usually evaluated in terms of the proportion of cocoon shell weight to the amount of food ingested. The production efficiency of cocoon shell is generally used to identify the superiority of a mulberry variety for silkworm rearing. In this study the production efficiency of cocoon shell was used as an index for evaluating the nutritive value of different mulberry varieties of India. Among the varieties, V-1, having highest production efficiency of cocoon shell with less amount of food ingested and highest digestibility, is regarded as the best suitable variety with nutritive values ideal for silkworm rearing.Jalaja Suresh Kumar and Nair Suresh KumarCopyright © 2011 Jalaja Suresh Kumar and Nair Suresh Kumar. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/861747/We surveyed social wasps (Polistinae) present in forest fragments of northwest of São Paulo state with different surroundings composed of a matrix of citrus crops and sugarcane in the expectation that the former matrix would be more diverse than the latter. We collected specimens actively using attractive liquids. We obtained 20 species in Magda, 13 in Bebedouro, 13 in Matão, and 19 in Barretos. The most common genus was Agelaia in all of the areas. The greatest Shannon-Wiener index of diversity was obtained in Magda (H′=2.12). Species such as Brachygastra moebiana, Metapolybia docilis, Mischocyttarus ignotus, M. paulistanus and M. consimilis had not been recorded on recent surveys in the state. Furthermore M. consimilis is a new record for the state. We concluded that, with our data, a relation between the occurrence of social wasps and the surrounding matrix was not detected.Getulio Minoru Tanaka Junior and Fernando Barbosa NollCopyright © 2011 Getulio Minoru Tanaka Junior and Fernando Barbosa Noll. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/157149/Five cases of colony emigration induced by removal of nest envelope and combs and a single one by manipulation are described. The disturbance was followed by defensive patterns, buzz running, and adult dispersion. An odor trail created by abdomen dragging, probably depositing venom or Dufour's gland secretions, connected the original nest to the newly selected nesting place and guided the emigration. The substrate of the selected nesting place is intensely sprayed with venom prior to emigration, and this chemical cue marked the emigration end point. The colony moves to the new site in a diffuse cloud with no temporary clusters formed along the odor trail. At the original nest, scouts performed rapid gaster dragging and intense mouth contacts stimulating inactive individuals to depart. Males were unable to follow the swarm. Individual scouts switched between different behavioral tasks before and after colony emigration. Pulp collected from the old nest was reused at the new nest site.Sidnei MateusCopyright © 2011 Sidnei Mateus. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2011/974646/Mites (Acari) associated with the seed harvester ant Messor pergandei were investigated in the Sonoran desert of Arizona. At least seven representatives of the mite genera Armacarus, Lemanniella, Petalomium, Forcellinia, Histiostoma, Unguidispus, and Cosmoglyphus are phoretically associated with M. pergandei. Most of these morphospecies show preference for specific phoretic attachment sites and primarily use female alates rather than male alates for dispersal. Five mite morphospecies were found in low numbers inhabiting the chaff piles: Tydeidae sp., Procaeculus sp., Anystidae sp., Bakerdania sp., and Tetranychidae sp. The phoretic Petalomium sp. was observed consuming fungus growing on a dead queen, but the roles of the other mite species remain mostly unresolved.Kaitlin A. Uppstrom and Hans KlompenCopyright © 2011 Kaitlin A. Uppstrom and Hans Klompen. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/380351/Species of the aphid tribe Cerataphidini (Hormaphidinae) form galls of various shapes on Styrax trees, their primary host, throughout East and Southeast Asia including tropical rainforests. All known species of the tribe produce second-instar sterile soldiers on the primary host and some also produce first-instar sterile soldiers on the secondary host. Here, we review their complicated life cycles with or without host alternation, the formation process of their remarkable galls (flower-like multiple-cavity galls in particular), and all morphs including soldiers. The life cycles of cerataphidines are basically the same as those of the subfamily Eriosomatinae, but in tropical and subtropical regions their life cycles are not very rigidly tuned to seasonal changes in the climate if any. In addition, cerataphidine galls in these regions last at least several months, or at times even for over one year; thus it often takes longer than one year to complete their life cycles.Shigeyuki Aoki and Utako KurosuCopyright © 2010 Shigeyuki Aoki and Utako Kurosu. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/180671/Two new species of Trichoptera from Turkey are described and illustrated: Chaetopteryx akgolensis sp.n. and Chaetopteryx sinopica sp.n. (Limnepphilidae). Both belong to the tribe Chaetopterygini in the Limnephilinae. C. akgolensis sp.n. is close to C. bektasensis Sipahiler, 2008, whereas C. sinopica sp.n. is closely related to C. nalanae Sipahiler, 1996. The previously unknown female of Chaetopteryx bektasensis Sipahiler, 2008 is described and figured.Füsun SipahilerCopyright © 2010 Füsun Sipahiler. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/804709/Several recent studies investigating patterns of diversification in widespread desert-adapted vertebrates have associated major periods of genetic differentiation to late Neogene mountain-building events; yet few projects have addressed these patterns in widespread invertebrates. We examine phylogeographic patterns in the widespread antlion species Brachynemurus sackeni Hagen (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) using a region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI). We then use a molecular clock to estimate divergence dates for the major lineages. Our analyses resulted in a phylogeny that shows two distinct lineages, both of which are likely distinct species. This reveals the first cryptic species-complex in Myrmeleontidae. The genetic split between lineages dates to about 3.8–4.7 million years ago and may be associated with Neogene mountain building. The phylogeographic pattern does not match patterns found in other taxa. Future analyses within this species-complex may uncover a unique evolutionary history in this group.Joseph S. Wilson, Kevin A. Williams, Clayton F. Gunnell, and James P. PittsCopyright © 2010 Joseph S. Wilson et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/560396/No comprehensive community studies have been done on the butterflies of the tropical monsoon forests of the East Himalayan region. We described the Papilionidae at one site within the continuous moist deciduous forest belt of Northeast India and their variation with season and forest type. We surveyed 20 permanent line transects, varying with respect to canopy openness and observed levels of disturbance. A total sample effort of 131 days during the dry and wet seasons of a two-year study resulted in 18,373 individuals identified from 28 Papilionidae species. Constrained canonical correspondence ordination was used to examine the effects of season, forest type, rainfall, year, altitude, and geographical position on the species assemblages. Results showed that rainfall, forest type, and season accounted for most variance in papilionid abundance. Rainfall was strongly correlated with the abundance of some species. Nine species were associated with gaps, 16 species were restricted to closed forest, and three species were encountered in both gaps and closed forest. Six species with narrow geographic range were found only in closed forest. The results confirm the strong seasonality of continental Southeast Asian butterfly assemblages.Kamini Kusum Barua, Jolanta Slowik, Kadiri Serge Bobo, and Michael MuehlenbergCopyright © 2010 Kamini Kusum Barua et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/493935/Caudatella columbiella (McDunnough, 1935), new combination, (Insecta: Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae) is removed from synonymy with Caudatella heterocaudata (McDunnough, 1929), and a new junior synonym is recognized, based on comparative examination of type material and larval exuviae associated with adults from the type locale of C. columbiella (=C. californica (Allen and Edmunds, 1961), new status, new synonym). Caudatella circia (Allen and Edmunds, 1961), new status, is recognized as a strict specific synonym of C. heterocaudata (McDunnough, 1929) (=C. circia (Allen and Edmunds, 1961), new synonym). A neotype is designated for Caudatella hystrix (Traver, 1934), based on a specimen collected in Western Montana, USA, during June 2000. Morphological differences between the type specimen of C. hystrix and the type specimens of its two junior synonyms, Ephemerella cascadia Allen and Edmunds, 1961, and E. spinosa Mayo, 1952, are detailed. An identification key for larvae of the genus Caudatella is included.Luke M. JacobusCopyright © 2010 Luke M. Jacobus. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/278643/Species of Aphidiinae (Braconidae) have never been surveyed in Central America. Here we present the results of an initial inventory of the aphidiine species of Costa Rica and record the presence of ten species (four undetermined), in six genera. The material was obtained by rearing aphids from both crop and noncrop plants throughout the country. In total 2832 aphidiine specimens were reared from 24 species of aphids. Aphidius colemani and Lysiphlebus testaceipes, which are probably not native to Costa Rica, accounted for nearly 90% of all the specimens. Many of the other aphidiines are also probably exotic species, as are most of their host aphids.Daniel Zamora Mejías, Paul E. Hanson, and Petr StarýCopyright © 2010 Daniel Zamora Mejías et al. All rights reserved.