Search

Cixiidae are small strictly phytophagous hemipteran insects worldwide distributed. Ecology and systematics of Chinese fauna remains poorly investigated. For instance, does their distribution follows the patterns of biogeogaphical distribution established for their host plants or other related-taxa because they are all obligatory phytophagous taxa? Do they follow the usual distributional Chinese realms and boundaries already recognized? Which zoogeographical Chinese regions and connections between them do they depict. To investigate these issues, we provide here a referenced and comprehensive checklist of the 250 cixiid species currently reported from China (77 new records), with their precise distribution at the regional level. In the 8 Chinese main zoogeographical regions usually recognized and 2 adjacent areas, we analyzed further their diversity at the tribal, generic, and specific levels using a non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group analysis using an arithmetic mean cluster analyses. The observed distribution patterns shown that an intercalary Sino-Japanese realm is recognisable between the Palaearctic and Oriental realms. At the regional level, the South China region clusters more closely with the Southwest, Central and North China regions. Taiwan, clearly separated from the South China region and mainland China, is more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. Although Central and South China regions remain close to each other, the Qinghai-Tibet region appears singularly different.An updated checklist of the 250 Cixiidae species, known to occur in China and counting for 10% of the Chinese planthopper fauna, is presented based on literature, recent collections, and museum records. More than 400 records distributed among the 28 provinces and 8 regions in China are extensively provided, including 77 new records. Of these, more than 80% of the species (205 species, 82%) have been only reported from China, and most of them are endemic species, which could reflects the great diversity degree of the Chinese regions and local biotypes highlights the uniqueness of this fauna. These species are found in 8 Chinese zoogeographical regions: The Taiwan region is the most diversified with 161 species and the highest rate of endemic species (69.57%), followed by South China (78 species, 17.95%), Central China (60 species, 33.33%), Southwest China (43 species, 39.53%), North China (29 species, 34.48%), Qinghai-Tibet region (10 species, 20%), Northeast China (8 species, 12.5%), and 5 species found in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang region that are not endemic ones. Endemism was analyzed for each region and repeated for species distribution patterns across them, 9 being bi-regionally and tri-regionally distributed. The South China-Taiwan pattern is the most richest one, followed by the Central-South China-Taiwan pattern. Semonini and Pentastirini tribes are widespread among all the zoological regions, representing respectively 21.20% and 17.20% of all the species, while Cixiini being is the most common tribe with 45.20%, remains absent from the North-Eastern China region. Andini with only 5.20% of the species is distributed in the Sino-Japanese - Oriental Region; Eucarpini (6.40%) and Borysthenini (2.00%) are mainly concentrated in the south of the Qingling Mountain-Huai River. The remaining four tribes, Bennini (0.40%), Briixini (0.80%), Oecleini (1.20%) and Stenophlepsiini (0.40%) are relatively rare and restricted to Taiwan. At the generic level, Kuvera (7.2%) is the most widely distributed genus in China while Cixius, Betacixius, Kuvera, Oecleopsis and Andes are the more diversified. One genus (Oliparisca) is distributed only in the Tibet region, while 10 genera are distributed only in the Taiwan region. In addition, nearly half of the genera (16 genera, 48.48%) are distributed south of the Palearctic/Oriental boundary. A non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group method analysis using arithmetic mean clustering based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient matrix support a Palaearctic/Sino-Japanese boundary and a South China region closer to the Southwest, Central and North China regions. The Taiwan region appears clearly separated from the South China region and to mainland China, and more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. The Central and South China regions appear close to each other, but the Qinghai-Tibet region is singularly isolated.

Two new species (Kuvera huoditangensis sp. n. and Kuvera longwangshanensis sp. n.) in the family Cixiidae from China are described and illustrated. The generic characteristics are redefined. A checklist to all species of Kuvera worldwide and an identification key to the Chinese species are provided. A map of the geographic distribution of Kuvera species is also provided.

The adult female of a new species of soft scale Saissetia puerensis Zhang & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from the genus Saissetia Deplanche, 1859. This species was collected on Lithocarpus uvariifolius (Hance) in Yunnan province, China. A key is provided to separate adult females of all Saissetia species known from China. A table is provided showing the distribution of Saissetia in various zoogeographical regions throughout the world.

A new species of soft scale, Coccus multisetus Wang & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. A key to adult females of all Coccus known from China is provided.

Prior to this study, only Megapulvinaria maxima (Green) was known from China. However, a new species M. beihaiensis Wang & Feng, sp. n. is described below and M. maxima is redescribed. A key is provided for the five species now placed in this genus.

A new species of armored scale, Pseudaulacaspis zhenyuanensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from specimens collected on Spermadictyon suaveolens in China. A key to armored scale species known from China is provided.

Two new species of armored scale, Megacanthaspis hangzhouensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. and M. hainanensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. are described and illustrated from specimens collected from China. A key to adult female of Megacanthaspis species is provided.

A new checklist of Thysanoptera from China (including Taiwan) is provided. In total 566 species in 155 genera are listed, of which there are 313 species in the suborder Terebrantia, comprising 290 species in 74 genera in family Thripidae, 18 species in three genera in Aeolothripidae, two species in one genus in Melanthripidae and three species in one genus in Merothripidae. In the suborder Tubulifera 253 species in 76 genera are listed in the single family Phlaeothripidae. Two species, Aeolothrips collaris and Odontothrips meliloti, are newly recorded for the fauna of China.

Lepidopteran larvae upon infection by baculovirus show positive photo-tactic movement during tree-top disease. In light of many insects exploiting specific spectral information for the different behavioral decision, each spectral wavelength of light is an individual parsimonious candidate for such behavior stimulation. Here, we investigated the responses of third instar Helicoverpa armigera larvae infected by Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) to white (broad-spectrum), blue (450⁻490 nm), UVA (320⁻400 nm), and UVB (290⁻320 nm) lights for the tree-top disease. Our findings suggest that tree-top phenomenon is induced only when the light is applied from above. Blue, white and UVA lights from above induced tree-top disease, causing infected larvae to die in an elevated position compared to those larvae living in the complete dark. In contrast, UVB from above did not induce tree-top disease. Blue light exerted the maximum photo-tactic response, significantly (p < 0.01) higher than white light. The magnitude of the response decreased with decreasing wavelength to UVA, and no response at UVB. Our results suggested that the spectral wavelength of the light has a significant effect on the induction of the tree-top disease in H. armigera third instar larvae infected with HearNPV.

Post-mating, sexual interactions of opposite sexes differ considerably in different organisms. Post-mating interactions such as re-mating behavior and male harassment can affect the fitness of both sexes. Echinothrips americanus is a new insect pest in Mainland China, and little is known about its post-mating interactions. In this study, we observed re-mating frequency and male harassment frequency and their effects on fitness parameters and offspring sex ratios of E. americanus females. Furthermore, we tested the impact of mating and post-mating interactions on fitness parameters of males. Our results revealed that the re-mating frequency in female adults was extremely low during a 30-day period. However, post-mating interactions between females and males, consisting mainly of male harassment and female resistance, did occur and significantly reduced female longevity and fecundity. Interestingly, increased access to males did not affect the ratio of female offspring. For males, mating dramatically reduced their longevity. However, post-mating interactions with females had no effects on the longevity of mated males. These results enrich our basic knowledge about female and male mating and post-mating behaviors in this species and provide important information about factors that may influence population regulation of this important pest species.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are suggested as a new class of alternates followed by Synthetic chemical control of the insect pests .Virulence of seven EPF isolates, four strains of Metarhizium {(Qin-08, Qin-13, Qin-18 and ME-38 (LT-178)}, two of Isaria {ME-33 (ILT-01), Yulin-5 (IYL-01)} and one of Beauveria bassiana (Qin-21) were assessed against the adults of Sitophilus oryzae under laboratory conditions, firstly at single conidial concentration (1x108 ml-1) by immersion and the food mix methods. Qin-21, ME-33 and Qin-18 caused significantly highest mortality of S.oryzae at immersion methods (100, 100 and 98%), followed by food mix method to 100, 84.16 and 91.66% respectively. Yulin-5 was the least effective, showing significantly the lowest mortality at food mixed (32.49%) and immersion methods (40.20%) respectively. Hence, the immersion method was found to be most effective, resulting the higher mortality rate of S. oryzae in comparison to food mix method, in all tested fungal isolates. Secondly, we screened out the most effective isolates for multiple dose comparison i.e., 1x104 to 1x107 conidia ml-1 by immersion method only. The isolate ME-33 resulted in 100% mortality of the pest at higher conidial dose as compared to Qin-21 and Qin-18 which showing 80 and 64.64% mortality respectively. The LT50 was observed to be 3.63, 4.17 and 8.58 days in ME-33, Qin-21 and Qin-18, respectively at the highest conidial concentration (1x107ml-1). ME-33 isolate with the highest mortality and lowest LT50 at conidial concentration 1x107 ml-1 proved to be most effective for the control of S. oryzae. So these fungal islotes could be a better alternative for the management of S. oryzae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entomopathogenic fungi are eco-friendly microbial pesticides to manage different insect pests of economic importance and as a substitute to conventional synthetic insecticides, present study evaluated pathogenicity of four indigenous (Chinese) fungal isolates, viz., Isaria fumosorosea (SP-535 Isolate), I. fumosorosea (G-800 Isolate), Beauveria bassiana (Y-132 Isolate) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Qin-13 Isolate) against green peach aphid, Myzus persicae and pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. The findings of pathogenicity revealed that I. fumosorosea (SP-535) isolate caused relatively the highest mortality (96.65%) of M. persicae followed by 90.00% in A. pisum at highest dose rate (1x108) whilst I. fumosorosea (G-800) strain showed less mortality potential with values of 88.85 and 84.45% against M. persicae (88.85%) and A. pisum (84.45%) at highest dose rate (1x108) at 25°C. B. bassiana (Y-132) isolate caused 82.21 and 81.10% mortality against M. persicae and A. pisum, respectively, Least mortality rates of 39.88% and 36.78% in M. persicae and A. pisum respectively were caused by M. anisopliae (Qin-13 Isolate) at 20°C. Further, I. fumosorosea isolates was comparatively more virulent than other isolates and M. persicae was found more susceptible to all four fungal isolates than A. pisuam. Pathogenicity of tested fungal isolates was highest at 25°C than on 20 and 30°C. It is concluded that these fungal isolates have a good potential to be developed as new bio-pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ctenothrips niger Kudô, collected from Ailao Mountain, is a newly recorded species in China. Both males and females were collected. The male of the species is herein described and illustrated in detail for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]