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To find the optimum mixture ratio of larch(Larix gmelinii) and birch(Betula platyphylla),seven forest types were set in Inner Mongolia,including pure larch stand,pure birch stand,and five mixed stands with various tree proportions.Each forest type had three stands as replicates.Species richness and diversity of plant and insect populations were investigated and analyzed by traditional community investigation and manual collection.For the plant community,88 species were recorded and the dominant communities included Compositae,Rosaceae,Ranunculaceae,Papilionaceae,Ericaceae and Pinaceae.The dominant populations were Carex chingannensis Litw.,Lolium perenne L.,Fragaria orientalis Lozinsk.,Equisetum palustre L.,Geranium dahuricum DC.,Galium boreale L.while the rare populations included Heracleum moelledorffi,Ligularia fischeri,Pedicularis rubens and Viola acuminate.For the insect community,147 species were recorded.Lymantria dispar L.,Loxostege sticticalis L.,Chilo suppressalis(walker),Sidemia spilogramma Rambur,Chrysomelidae,Muscidae,Staphylinidae,Eusilpha sp.,Nitidulidae,Ips subelongatus Motschulsky were found as the dominant populations while Tomicobia seitneri(Ruschka)and Sipyloides sipylus were classified as rare speices.As the birch mixture in mixed forests increased,the species richness of plant and arthropod first increased and then decreased and peaked in L70B30 forests.The diversity of them had similar pattern as species richness.The distribution status of plant and insect populations along the gradient of birch mixture was also examined by the application of canonical correspondence analysis(CCA).The explaining environmental factors included mixture proportion(quantified by the mixture of birch),canopy closure,stand slope and soil organic matter(%).The results showed that the distribution of plant communities was well reflected by the CCA analysis.34.1% and 37% of the plant-environment relation was explained by axis 1 and 2,respectively.Birch mixture(BM) had significantly negative correlation with axis 1 while the canopy closure(CC) had a significantly positive correlation.In terms of the insect diversity,axis 1 and 2 explained 34.8% and 28.1% of the insect-environment relation while BM and CC also had similar correlations with axis 1 and 2.The results showed that most populations were significantly affected by the mixture status and canopy closure,which was also significantly decided by the composition status of canopy layer.In addition,the stand slope can also change their distribution status.These results also indicated that the diversity of plants and insects was highest when the mixture ratio of larch and birch was between 5 ∶ 5 and 7 ∶ 3,which should be the optimum mixture ratio in thinning practices.The present study is to provide theoretical base to improve the forest management,including how to quantify and control the thinning intensity.Generally,the relation of diversity and forest ecosystem stability was considered as positive which meant that the stability will increase with the diversity level.Therefore,the present study provides a new way to improve the health level of boreal forests in northeastern China.The forest manager could carry out various practices to transform the simple structure of forests,especially for the man-made forests and to keep and increase the forest health in this area.

Trabala vishnou gigantina Yang(Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) is one of the most important defoliators in China.Larvae of T.vishnou gigantina feed on tender leaves primarily causing damage to the crown layer.In the last few years,the use of single species plantations combined with poor management and a lack of adequate monitoring and early warning has allowed populations of this pest to erupt and cause serious damage in Hippophae rhamnoides L.forest stands in Wuqi County,Shaanxi Province,China. Spatial distribution is one of the most important properties of insect populations.It provides dynamic information about insect populations,describes individual associations,and allows the prediction of variations in spatial distribution patterns.Geostatistical methods provide very powerful tools for explaining the spatial distribution of many species.These methods allow both the direct measurement of spatial distribution of organisms and tracking of changes in distribution over time because the exact location of the species has been documented at a specific point in time. To further investigate spatial distribution and effectively control this pest species,spatial distribution patterns of T.vishnou gigantina pupae were analyzed using geostatistical methods in pure H.rhamnoides forests with different slopes and densities.Results show high levels of pupating occurred mainly in mid-August.Also,males pupated 3.7 days earlier than females.Pupae were also widely distributed on southeastern facing shady slopes,and on west and north facing sunny slopes.Pupae gathered mainly at heights of 30—75 cm on trees.Analysis of isotropic variograms indicated T.vishnou gigantina pupae spaced themselves 95.609,47.379,79.238,and 42.415 m apart in densely forested shady slopes,open forests on shady slopes,densely forested sunny slopes,and open forests on sunny slopes,respectively,while the intensity of local spatial continuity was 0.760,0.561,0.649,and 0.407,respectively,in the above stands.Also,semivariogram analysis revealed the Gaussian model had the best fit to T.vishnou gigantina pupae distributional patterns in dense forests,implying an intense spatial aggregation pattern,while the linear model fitted best with the open forest,implying a random distribution.As the maps with Kriging interpolation described,T.vishnou gigantina pupae exhibited an edge effect and an obvious directional distribution;the pupae had a clustered distribution at the edge of the plantation and occurred in point locations scattered inside the plantation.Numbers of clustered plaque gradually declined toward the center of the forested area.This was reflected in the tendency of the pupae to cluster together on a spatial scale,and in the direction of their proliferation. Currently,T.vishnou gigantina infestations are most commonly controlled using chemical pesticides.However,H.rhamnoides is an economically and ecologically important plant,so residues need to be considered when spraying pesticides.Based on the spatial distribution characters,we suggest picking the pupa manually on the sunny slopes and especially on the edges of seabuckthorn plantations at a height of 30—75 cm to limit reproduction of this pest species.Research results demonstrate the spatial distribution patterns of T.vishnou gigantina pupae in pure H.rhamnoides forests,providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for controlling populations of this insect pest.This research will provide a meaningful foundation for integrated pest management.

We studied biological characteristics and habitat requirements of Parnassius imperator in Yagou,Yongjing County.We also analyzed population trend and key factors responsible for its fluctuation.Our research methods included for example transect survey,observation at sample plots,indoor breeding,etc. 1)P.imperator is an endemic species to China.It is univoltine in Yongjing County,and overwinters in egg stage on rocks nearby host plants Corydalis adunca(also endemic to China).Eggs hatch in mid-March the following year.The larvae stage includes 4 instars and last for 52 days.Duration of the larva period is from late March to late June.The pupae stage lasts about 47 days,and larvae pupate in early May.Adults emerge at the beginning of May and can fly fast.Peak quantity of adults ranges from mid-July to mid-August,however adults can still be found in late September.The egg stage lasts about eight months. 2)P.imperator is a dominant species in Yagou,Yongjing County.Adults like to stay and fly in valley with bare rocks and shrubs,larvae are found on sunny and semi-sunny slopes.Geographic distribution of P.imperator and its host plant C.adunca overlaps in China.This explains their close co-evolutionary relationship. 3)Two subspecies of P.imperator.P.imperator gigas Kotsch,occured in Yongjing county and P.imperator regulus(Bryk et Eisner) in Hezuo city. 4)Extremely abnormal climate,for example,Strong cooling,frost or snow,is the main factor that affects the population decline of P.imperator.Human disturbance is afnother threat affecting survival of P.imperator. 5)Conversation measures should focus on conservation of habitats of Parnassius sp.,and reduction of human disturbance to support survival of the population in Yagou.We also stress the need for long term population monitoring and research on impact of climate chang and habitat loss.

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Pine wood nematode, PWN) is a serious pest in pines that changes the original biological and geographical distribution as well as the structure and function of the natural ecosystems. The nematode and associated pine wilt disease have great impact on the stand growth of Masson pine forests in China. The growth rule of individual forest factors after the PWN invasion was analyzed using “the technique of censusing every individual” and “quadrat method”. The results showed that the invasion of PWN in 1996 had significant impact on the diameter growth of the pines, but PWN only seldom affected the height growth of the pines. Based on this, the paper also established the grey forecast and grey-Markov combination models of the growth of Masson pines attacked by PWN. This series of models had a high simulation accuracy and could be applied to predict stand description factors in Masson pine forest, no matter whether it was attacked by PWN or not.

According to the international methods of pest risk analysis and urban forestry characteristics in Beijing, a quantitative risk assessment system in Beijing for three primary non-indigenous pests was proposed. This system was used to analyze three major non-indigenous species, Dendroctonus valens, Hyphantria cunea, and Apriona swainsoni. The results show that the risks of these three pests in the Beijing area were 2.46, 2.30, and 2.02, which were all highly risky. Based on the result and extensive risk communications, combined with the management experience of the Beijing Forest Protection Station, the authors proposed some effective control measures to prevent the invasion of the three pests into Beijing.

Chlorophorus caragana Xie & Wang, sp. nov. (Figs 1 –2, 5– 7) Male. Length: 9.5–9.8 mm; humeral width: 2.3–2.9 mm. Body dark brown, covered with dense gray pubescence. Antennae and legs mostly reddish brown. Pronotum evenly covered with gray pubescence, not spotted or striped. Elytra with clear but unobvious dark brown markings: each elytron with a short, longitudinal humeral stripe; moderately broad band from behind scutellum curving outward to outer margin but away from outer margin; another short, broad and oblique band at middle of elytron approaching and extending along the suture anteriorly, meeting with preceding mark at side of elytron posteriorly; large band almost occupying the whole apical fourth of elytron, sometimes inconspicuous. Pubescence on ventral surface denser than dorsal surface, especially on mesepimeron, metepisternum and posterior margin of first three abdominal segments. Head short, densely punctate, with a short, fine central sulcus from insertion of antenna to upper eye lobe. Antennae obviously surpassing basal third of elytra, almost reaching the middle of elytra; fifth antennomere equal in length with scape and third antennomere, longer than forth antennomere, subsequent antennomeres short and gradually decreasing in length. Pronotum about as broad as long, cambered laterally, widest in middle, with sparse, coarse punctures at base of each side; disk rough, with very fine, short and irregular ridges. Scutellum short linguiform. Elytra long and narrow, finely and densely punctured, separated along the suture from basal one-fifth, with subparallel sides gradually tapering from apical one-fourth to apices; disk slightly convex; elytral apices approximately transverse-truncate, outer margin feebly extended. Metafemur without fine longitudinal ridge, reaching the end of fourth abdominal ventrite but not surpassing elytral apex. Distal abdominal segment surpassing elytral apex. Female. Length: 10.9–11.3 mm; humeral width: 3.2–3.5 mm. Similar to male, but dorsal pubescence grayish yellow, elytral markings more inconspicuous, antennae reaching approximately basal third of elytra, definitely not surpassing middle of elytra, metafemur reaching elytral apex. Body slightly broader than male. Vertex with a fine central sulcus, sparsely, coarsely punctate between upper eye lobes. Third antennomere longest, fifth antennomere equals in length with scape approximately, longer than fourth, subsequent antennomeres short and gradually decreasing in length. Pronotum about as broad as long, with sparse, coarse punctures at base of each side; disk rough, with very fine, short and irregular ridges. Elytra separated along suture almost behind scutellum. Underside covered with dense, greyish-white pubescence, posterior margin of first three abdominal sternites obviously denser than anterior margin. Distal abdominal segment surpassing elytral apex. Mature larva. (Figs 8 –11, 13– 14) Length: 17.0 mm, maximum breadth (at prothorax): 3.0 mm. Body robust, gradually trapering posteriorly but broadening at sixth, seventh and eighth abdominal segments, covered with long sparse setae. Head transversely broad, deeply invaginated into prothorax, rounded laterally, with a small brown scutiform sclerite at middle of posterior margin. Front margin of frons feebly emarginate, with a very long and narrow brown area, frontal suture and median suture not obvious. The first antennal segment about as broad as long; second antennal segment with a supplementary process at tip, length about 2 times as width; third antennal segment about 0.5 times as wide as second segment, length about 3 times as long as supplementary process on second segment. Mouthframe tawny brown; pleurostoma partly pigmented beneath antennae; labrum short linguiform, with dense, golden brown setae at anterior margin; clypeus subquadrate, approximately as wide as labrum, length about 0.5 times as long as labrum; mandibles almost pitchy, short, cutting edge scalpriform; maxilla pale yellow, with a broad, brown, oblique band at base; outer margin of palpifer rounded, without an obvious process at side; 1–3 segments of labial palpus gradually decreasing in length, third segment cylindrical; ligula longer than first segment of labial palpus, with long setae at tip; submentum obviously wider than mentum, with two lateral sclerites, each lateral sclerite devided to anterior and posterior part by a brown oblique sulcus. Gula subquadrate, pale, anterior edge brown. Hypostoma bearing short setae in the area near gula, with slightly oblique transverse wrinkles on anterior margin, hypostomal suture brown anteriorly. Pronotum yellowish to milky white, with obvious patches of pigmentation on anterior margin which are arranged in narrow incontinuous transverse band; median line obvious, bifurcate posteriorly; lateral furrow well developed; anterior half of pronotum sparsely covered with golden brown setae, posterior half with shallow longitudinal furrows; postnotal fold narrow and transverse. Mesotergum devided to two parts by a curved line. Legs almost completely disappearing, only feebly mastoid. Thoracic spiracle about 1.5 times longer than wide. Pleural disc on abdominal segments not obvious, 1–7 abdominal segments with fleshy ambulatory ampullae; ampullae bulged outward, without microasperities, devided to some areas by transverse and lognitudinal sulcus; anal region trilobate. Pupa. (Fig. 16) Yellowish white, length 8–12 mm, maximum breadth 2–3 mm. Egg. (Fig. 12) Milky white, gradually becoming pale yellow; oblong, rounded at both ends, one end much broader than the other, slightly emarginate medially; chorion matt, smooth. Length 0.8–1 mm, breadth 0.3 mm (on average). Type material. Holotype, male, CHINA: Dongshanpo, Lingwu city, Ninxia Hui Autonomous region, 7 July 2008, Zhan-wen Li. Paratypes, 1 male and 1 female, CHINA: Dongshanpo, Lingwu city, Ninxia Hui Autonomous region, 7 July 2008, Zhan-wen Li; 1 male and 1 female, CHINA: Qisuo, Yingshuiqiao town, Zhongwei city, Ninxia Hui Autonomous region, 7 July 2008, Shi-xiang Zong. Specimens depository. The types and ten larvae are deposited in the Entomological Museum of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, P. R. China. Other specimens are deposited in Insect Collection of Beijing Forestry University and Insect Collection of Forest Pest Control and Quarantine Station of Ningxia. Etymology. The new species is named after the host plant genus Caragana. Diagnosis. The new species very closely resembles C. obliteratus (Ganglbauer, 1889), but can be distinguished from that species by its immaculate pronotum, evenly covered with gray pubescence; elytra more densely covered with gray pubescence, with more unobvious dark brown markings; preapical band on elytron inconspicuous, not triangular in female. The new species differs from the known Chlorophorus species that occurred in northern China in the remarkable characteristic, dark markings on elytra covered with dense and uniform pale pubescence. Host plants. Two host plants are known: Caragana korshinskii Kom. and C. intermedia Kuang et H. C. Fu. Distribution. CHINA: Ninxia Hui Autonomous Region (Lingwu, Zhongwei, and Yanchi).

Key to species of the genus Chlorophorus occurring in northern China 1. Pronotum without any markings.......................................................................... 2 - Pronotum marked with dark spots or stripes................................................................. 5 2. Elytra with markings................................................................................... 3 - Elytra uniformly covered with olive green pubescence, not formed markings................ C. eleodes (Fairmaire, 1889) 3. Elytra with distinct dark bands or stripes................................................................... 4 - Elytra densely covered with grayish white or grayish yellow pubescence, with unconspicuous dark stripes................................................................................................... C. caragana sp. nov. 4. Elytra densely covered with grayish green pubescence, middle band of elytra not joined at suture................................................................................................... C. eckweileri Holzschuh, 1992 - Elytra covered with yellowish-brown or grayish yellow pubescence, middle band of each elytron joined at suture and extends forward along suture................................................... C. signaticollis (Castelnau et Gory, 1855) 5. Pronotum without inverted Y-shape marking on disk.......................................................... 6 - Pronotum with an inverted Y-shape black marking at center and an oblique marking on each side of its anterior end; dorsal pubescence orange-yellow; middle band of elytra extends well forward along suture, posterior spot of each elytron subrounded............................................................................. C. annularis (Fabricius, 1787) 6. Elytra black with pale spots or bands...................................................................... 7 - Elytra mostly covered with light-colored pubescence, marked with dark spots or bands............................. 10 7. Longitudinal spot in basal lunular marking of each elytron not long-oval, postmedian elytral band narrow............... 8 - A longitudinal, long-oval whitish spot present in basal lunular marking of each elytron and another transverse spot at its outer- margin, postmedian elytral band very broad; a large, black middle spot with concave posterior edge on disk of pronotum, and a smaller black round spot on each side of pronotum..................... C. macaumensis macaumensis (Chevrolat, 1845) 8. Pronotal disk with long erect hairs....................................................................... 9 - Pronotal disk only with depressed pubescence, third and fourth pubescence bands on elytra not joined along suture; elytral api- ces obliquely truncate............................................... C. diaedema diaedema (Motschulsky, 1853) 9. Elytra brownish black, third elytral band distinctly widened forward at suture, third and fourth bands nearly joined along suture, elytral apices transversely truncate................................... C. latofasciatus (Motschulsky, 1861) - Elytra black, third elytral band slightly widened forward at suture, third and fourth bands not nearly joined along suture................................................................................... C. figuratus (Scopoli, 1763) 10. Basal lunular marking of each elytron not widely open externally............................................... 11 - Basal lunular marking of each elytron very widely open externally, or broken at several points....................... 15 11. External angles of elytral apices unconspicuous or slightly prominent........................................... 12 - External angles of elytral apices moderately prominent....................................................... 13 12. Black spot at center of pronotal disk small, slightly transverse, each side of pronotum with a smaller distinct spot; posterior black spot of each elytron triangular, narrow at suture.................................... C. separatus Gressitt, 1940 - Middle pronotal spot large, each side of pronotum with a smaller indistinct spot; posterior black spot of each elytron broad, not nearly narrow at suture......................................................... C. japonicus (Chevrolat, 1863) 13. Basal lunular marking of each elytron closed anteriorly, sometimes slightly open.................................. 14 - Basal lunular marking of each elytron widely open; middle band divided on each elytron, not joined at suture; posterior band consisting of a large black spot on each elytron, also not joined at suture........... C. tredecimmaculatus (Chevrolat, 1863) 14. Disk of pronotum with two merging spots at center and a smaller black spot at each side, posterior band of each elytron not nearly joined at suture, elytral apices approximately transverse, external angles of elytra not prominent..................................................................................................... C. miwai Gressitt, 1936 - Disk of pronotum with a conspicuous, irregular transverse band at center, sometime broken at middle, posterior band of each elytron joined at suture, elytral apices obliquely truncate, external angles of elytra prominent.. C. varius varius (M��ller, 1766) 15. Middle spot on disc of pronotum not nearly transverse, each side of pronotum with smaller black spot................. 16 - Middle spot on pronotum distinctly transverse, end of basal lunule marking of each elytron meeting middle black spot of each elytron near exernal margin, posterior spot triangular.............................. C. obliteratus (Ganglbauer, 1889) 16. Base of each elytron with distinct lunule marking, sometimes lunule marking not regular............................ 17 - Base of each elytron with two or three irreular black spots, not forming lunule marking, middle spot of each elytron not joined at suture, also posterior spots not joined at suture................................ C. faldermanni (Faldermann, 1837) 17. Posterior margin of middle spot of pronotum very emarginate, inverted V-shape................................... 18 - Middle spot of pronotum large, posterior margin quite straight, not inverted V-shape; middle spot of each elytron not joined at suture, also posterior spots not joined at suture.......................................... C. herbstii (Brahm, 1790) 18. Pronotum with a large, broad inverted V-shape black spot at center, middle black spot of each elytron not joined at suture.................................................................................. C. simillimus (Kraatz, 1879) - Pronotum with a small inverted V-shape black spot at center, sometime unconspicuous; middle band of each elytron joined at suture and extending forward along suture.................................... C. signaticollis (Laporte&Gory, 1836), Published as part of Zong, Shi-Xiang, Xie, Guang-Lin, Wang, Wen-Kai, Luo, Youqing & Cao, Chuan-Jian, 2012, A new species of Chlorophorus Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) from China with description of biology, pp. 54-60 in Zootaxa 3157 on pages 58-59, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211547

The conifer sawfly, Neodiprion huizeensis (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae), is an injurious leaf feeder of Pinus spp. (Pinaceae) in China. Its parasitoid complex of overwintering cocoons was investigated in Weining, Guizhou during 2012. The average parasitism rate of overwintering cocoons of N. huizeensis by the parasitoid complex was 34.6%. The parasitoid complex included Drino auricapita (Diptera: Tachinidae), ichneumonids, and Trichomalus sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). The average parasitism rate of N. huizeensis by D. auricapita was 13.1%. The puparial period of D. auricapita averaged 16.4 ± 0.1 d. The female to male ratio was 1.1: 1. The ichneumonid complex included Aptesis grandis, A. melana, A. nigricoxa, Delomerista indica, Lamachus rufiabdominalis, L. nigrus, Bathythrix sp., Caenocryptus sp., Exyston spp., Gelis sp., Goryphus sp., and Olesicampe sp. The parasitism rate of N. huizeensis by ichneumonids was 17.1%. The parasitism rate of N. huizeensis by Trichomalus sp. was 4.5%, and the female to male ratio was 3.7: 1. The dominant species of parasitoids was D. auricapita followed by A. melana. The emergence of overwintered adults of N. huizeensis had two peaks: the first from the 17th to the 23rd of February, 2012; the second from February 29th to March 15th, 2012. The emergence of the parasitoid complexes coincided with each other and occurred from February 23rd to March 6th, 2012.