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Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Multiple brain regions and their interactions are involved in PD associated CI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology is a non-invasive method in investigating brain structure and inter-regional connections. In this study, by comparing cortical thickness, subcortical volume, and brain network topology properties in PD patients with and without CI, we aimed to understand the changes of brain structure and structural covariance network properties in PD associated CI., Methods: A total of 18 PD patients with CI and 33 PD patients without CI were recruited. Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr stage, Mini Mental State Examination Scale, Non-motor Symptom Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Hamilton Depression Scale were assessed. All participants underwent structural 3T MRI. Cortical thickness, subcortical volume, global and nodal network topology properties were measured., Results: Compared with PD patients without CI, the volumes of white matter, thalamus and hippocampus were lower in PD patients with CI. And decreased whole-brain local efficiency is associated with CI in PD patients. While the cortical thickness and nodal network topology properties were comparable between PD patients with and without CI., Conclusion: Our findings support the alterations of brain structure and disruption of structural covariance network are involved in PD associated CI, providing a new insight into the association between graph properties and PD associated CI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Lin, Ma, Huang, Yuan, Zhu, Sheng, Zou, Zhu, Zhang and Wang.)

Two new species of Olesicampe Förster, 1869, O. minense Sheng & Khalaim, sp. nov. and O. matouense Sheng & Khalaim, sp. nov., collected from Fujian and Jiangxi provinces of the Oriental part of China, are described and illustrated. A key to the species of Olesicampe known in China and Oriental region is provided.

A new species of Ichneumoninae, Dicaelotus caraganae Sheng & Li, sp. nov.,is described and illustrated. Specimens were reared from the cocoon of Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja, 1937) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae), from Hangjinqi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The new species is characterized by face very short, median length shorter than clypeus; clypeus 2.9 × as wide as long, apical margin with weak median convex; area basalis of propodeum very short, lateral carinae indistinct; hind coxa partly irregularly black; fourth and subsequent metasomal tergites black. A key to species of Dicaelotus known in China is provided.

One new species, Neostroblia melana Sheng Watanabe sp. nov., collected from Fanjingshan National Natural Reserve, Guizhou Province, China, is reported. A key to species of Neostroblia known in the world is provided. A key to similar genera of Mesoleiini is also provided.

Three new species of Megastylus Schidte, 1838 (Ichneumonidae, Orthocentrinae), M. (Dicolus) mentouense Sheng Li, sp. nov. collected from Mentougou, Beijing, M. (D.) flavicornis Sheng Li, sp. nov. from Shennongjia National Natural Reserve, Hubei and M. (Megastylus) yindianense Sheng Li, sp. nov. from Minquan, Henan, are described and illustrated. A taxonomic key to the species of Megastylus known from China and the Oriental Region is provided.

Two new species of Alcochera (Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae, Mesoleiini), Alcochera flavoclypeata Sheng Sun, sp. nov. collected from Labagoumen Natural Reserve, Huairou, Beijing, and A. truncata Sheng Sun, sp. nov. from Wugongshan Natural Reserve, are described and illustrated. An updated taxonomic key to world species of Alcochera is provided.

A new species of the genus Aneuclis Förster, 1869, A. flavopedes Sheng, Zhou Wei, sp.nov. collected from the field of the Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Zhangwu, Liaoning Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is inserted into the key provided by Khalaim (2004).

A new species of the genus Campoletis Förster, 1869, C. deserticola Sheng & Zhou, sp. nov. , collected from Zhangwu, Liaoning Province and Songshan National Natural Reserve, Yanqing, Beijing, China, is described and illustrated. A taxonomic key to the species of Campoletis known in China is provided., (Ya-Wei Wei, Yong-Bin Zhou, Qing-Chi Zou, Mao-Ling Sheng.)

While recent debate recognizes the importance of big data (BD) and knowledge management (KM) in firm performance, there has been a paucity of literature regarding big data analytics technological (BDAT) and knowledge exploration-exploitation capabilities (KEEC) in the context of business process innovation (BPI). This study aims to identify whether BD and KM can be established in these emerging issues. We used a survey questionnaire to collect data from various firms and industries. We used structural equation modeling (SmartPLS and SPSS) to validate the research model with a sample of 155 companies in a developing country such as Indonesia. The result demonstrates a positive relationship between KEEC and BPI, followed by several significant findings such as BDAT with KEEC; KEEC on big data knowledge management (BDKM); BDKM and BPI; and BDAT on BDKM. In contrast, BDAT is nonsignificant for direct relationship on BPI, and interestingly, it becomes a significant result after mediated by BDKM. Similarly, BDKM has successfully mediated the relationship between KEEC and BPI. The management level ideally develops and increases such a knowledge creation/acquisition practices and BDAT in an organization to gain more meaningful benefits from these two capabilities. BDAT, KEEC, and BDKM simultaneously are a clear antecedent approach, which ultimately results in flexibility, effectiveness, and effectivity of BPI. The cases of this research are profit firms in a developing country such as Indonesia. A future study could be considered in different settings such as type of industries or more specific company's type, the economy level of countries (comparing between developed and developing countries), and environmental dynamical. A novel field of study is the inclusion of knowledge exploration-exploitation and BDAT that drives BPI.

The genus Microstenus Szépligeti, 1916 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Cryptinae) is newly recorded from China based on a new species, Microstenus rufithorax Sheng, Li Sun, sp. nov., collected from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oriental part of China. Illustrations of the new species are provided. A key to the world species of this genus is also provided.

The phygadeuontine genus Apophysius (Ichneumonidae) is reviewed for the first time. Six new species are described, A. baolocensis Pham, Matsumoto Broad sp. nov., A. constrictus Pham, Matsumoto Broad sp. nov. and A. taynguyenensis Pham, Matsumoto Broad sp. nov. from the Central Highlands of Vietnam, A. latus Pham, Matsumoto, Konishi, Sheng Broad sp. nov. from China and Vietnam, A. takasukai Pham, Konishi Broad sp. nov. from the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, and A. pentaceratops Broad sp. nov. from Sarawak, Malaysia. A key to the nine known species of the genus Apophysius is included.

A new species of Cryptinae, Endasys pristiphorae Sheng, sp.n. reared from cocoons of the tenthredinid sawflies Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), P. xibei Wei Xia and P. (Stauronematus) compresicornis (Hartig) in Ningxia, Shandong and Shan'xi, China, is described and illustrated. A key to species of Endasys known from China is provided.

Five species of the genus Townesia Ozols are reported. One, Townesia sulcata Sheng & Li, sp. nov. collected from Liaoning province, China, is new to science. In addition, digital images and a taxonomic key to the all species of Townesia are presented., (Tao Li, Shu-Ping Sun, Mao-Ling Sheng, Jing-Xian Liu, Nhi Thi Pham.)

A new species of Cryptinae, Hylophasma luica Sheng, Li Wang, sp.n., collected from Shandong Province, in the southern border of the Eastern Palaearctic Region of China, is described and illustrated. The new species is placed within the existing key to species.

A new species of Cryptinae, Hoplocryptusqingdaoensis Sheng, Wang & Schwarz, sp. nov. collected from Qingdao, Shandong Province, in the north border of oriental part of China, is described and illustrated. A key to species known from the Oriental and Eastern Palaearctic regions is provided.

A new species, Alexeterbeijingensis Sheng, sp. nov. , and two new records for China, A.angularis (Uchida, 1952) and A.shakojiensis Uchida, 1930, collected in Mentougou, Beijing, belonging to the tribe Mesoleiini of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), are reported. A key to the six species of Alexeter known from China is given.

The name Verruca was proposed for a new genus of wasps described by Sheng Sun (2018) with the type species Verruca dentia Sheng Sun, 2018 in the family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera). However, it cannot be used as a valid generic name due to homonymy as the genus Verruca was established by Schumacher (1817) in the barnacle family Verrucidae (Cirripedia, Verrucomorpha). Verruca Schumacher is a valid generic name in Verrucomorpha.

Six species and two subspecies of the genus Rhynchobanchus Kriechbaumer, 1894 are reported from China, of which one, Rh. flavomaculatus Sheng, sp. n. , is a new species and the first record of the genus from the Oriental Region. Rhynchobanchus flavopictus orientalis Kuslitzky, 2007 is a new Chinese record. A key to the species of Rhynchobanchus occurring in China is provided.

A new genus, Verruca Sheng Sun gen. nov., of the ichneumonid tribe Atrophini, subfamily Banchinae is described for one new species, Verruca dentia Sheng Sun, sp. nov. The species was collected from Shandong and Jiangxi Provinces, situated near the northern border of the Oriental part of China. The new genus is placed within the existing key to genera. A key to the genera of Atrophini, with the apical portion of the ovipositor with ridges, is also provided.

Exetastes fukuchiyamanus Uchida, 1928 (Ichneumonidae, Banchinae) is redescribed and its taxonomic status and distribution in Japan and China is reviewed. A new species, E. compressus sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from China and Japan.

The genus Glyphicnemis Förster, 1869 is newly recorded from the Oriental Region based on a new species, Glyphicnemis ganica Sheng & Li, sp. n. , collected from Jiangxi Province, in the oriental part of China. This species resembles G. watanabei (Uchida, 1930) from Japan in the coloration of flagellum and the structure and colouration of metasomal tergites, but it can be distinguished by the density and length of clypeal setae, the large propodeal spiracle, and the sculpture of area superomedia. Illustrations of G. ganica and G. watanabei are provided. A key to the Asian species of this genus is also given.

A new species of Poemeniinae, Poemenia quercusia Sun & Sheng, sp. n. , is described and illustrated. Specimens were reared from twigs of Quercus wutaishanica Blume in Haicheng, Liaoning province, P.R. China. A key to species known from China and the Eastern Palaearctic Region is provided.

A new species of Metopiinae, Trieces etuokensis Sheng, sp. n. , is described and illustrated. Specimens were reared from two species of Lepidoptera: Bazaria turensis (Ragonot, 1887) (Pyralidae) from Balong, Dulan, Qinghai Province, and an unidentified psychid (Psychidae) from Mukainor, Etuoke, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The new species is characterized by a yellow face and clypeus, fore and middle femora and hind tibia mainly black, antennae slightly longer than head and mesosoma combined, with 17 flagellomeres, occipital carina entirely absent, and the hind femur being compressed, 2.5 times as its long as maximum width.

New data on Chinese Tersilochinae are provided: one species, Tersilochus scutatus sp. n., is described from Liaoning province of China and the Russian Far East, and two species, Barycnemis bellator (Müller) and Tersilochus curvator Horstmann, are new records from China. Thus, this work raises the total number of known Chinese species to 31. Two close species, Diaparsis pulchra Khalaim and D. rara (Horstmann), are compared; specimens previously treated as  D. rara, var. from the Russian Far East are found to belong to D. pulchra. Tersilochine faunas of China, South Korea and Primorskiy region of Russia are discussed. The fauna of Palaearctic China is still poorly known, being represented by an equal number of genera and somewhat fewer species than the fauna of South Korea, and it is half the size of the fauna of Primorskiy Region of Russia; the Oriental fauna of China, with only four described species, is virtually unknown.

Three new wasp species are described from the subfamily Campopleginae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Sinophorus bazariae Sheng, sp. n., reared from Bazaria turensis Ragonot (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) in Dulan County, Qinghai Province, China, S. nigrus Sheng, sp. n., reared from Epinotia rubiginosana rubiginosana (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) in Weichang, Hebei Province, and S. zeirapherae Sheng, sp. n., reared from Zeiraphera grisecana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) in Liupanshan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. A key to the species of Chinese Sinophorus is provided.

A new solitary endoparasitoid of the larva of Bazariaturensis Ragonot, 1887 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) in Qinghai province, China, Campoplexbazariae Sheng, sp. n., belonging to the subfamily Campopleginae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), is reported. Illustrations of the new species are provided.

Combivena Sheng & Sun, gen.n. and Combivena sulcata Sheng & Sun, sp.n. belonging to Acaenitinae of family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera), collected from Qinghai Province, China, are described and illustrated., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.)

China is the world's largest producer country of coptis (Coptis chinensis), the rhizomes of which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Since 2008, however, root rot symptoms, including severe necrosis and wilting, have been observed on coptis plants in Chongqing, southwestern China. Of the plants examined from March 2011 to May 2013 in 27 fields, 15 to 30% were covered with black necrotic lesions. The leaves of infected plants showed wilt, necrotic lesions, drying, and death. The fibrous roots, storage roots, and rhizomes exhibited brown discoloration and progressive necrosis that caused mortality of the infected plants. Infected plants were analyzed to identify the causal organism. Discoloration of the internal vascular and cortical tissues of the rhizomes and taproots was also evident. Symptomatic taproots of the diseased coptis were surface sterilized in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, rinsed in sterile distilled water for 2 min, and then air-dried in sterilized atmosphere/laminar flow. Small pieces of disinfested tissue (0.3 cm in length) were transferred to petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with 125 μg ml -1 streptomycin sulfate and 100 μg ml -1 ampicillin, and incubated for 5 days at 25°C with a 12-h photoperiod. Four distinct species of fungal isolates (HL1 to 4) derived from single spores were isolated from 30 plants with root rot symptoms collected from the study sites. To verify the pathogenicity of individual isolates, healthy coptis plants were inoculated by dipping roots into a conidial suspension (10 6 conidia/ml) for 30 min (15 plants per isolate), as described previously (1). Inoculated plants were potted in a mixture of sterilized quartz sand-vermiculite-perlite (4:2:1, v/v) and incubated at 25/18°C and 85 to 90% relative humidity (day/night) in a growth chamber with a daily 16-h photoperiod of fluorescent light. Plants dipped in sterile distilled water were used as controls. After 15 days, symptoms similar to those observed in the field were observed on all plants (n = 15) that were inoculated with HL1, but symptoms were not observed on plants inoculated with HL2, HL3, and HL4, nor on control plants. HL1 was re-isolated from symptomatic plants but not from any other plants. Morphological characterization of HL1 was performed by microscopic examination. The septate hyphae, blunt microconidia (2 to 3 septa) in the foot cell and slightly curved microconidia in the apical cell, and chlamydospores were consistent with descriptions of Fusarium solani (2). The pathogen was confirmed to be F. solani by amplification and sequencing of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA-ITS) using the universal primer pair ITS4 and ITS5. Sequencing of the PCR product revealed a 99 to 100% similarity with the ITS sequences of F. solani in GenBank (JQ724444.1 and EU273504.1). Phylogenetic analysis (MEGA 5.1) using the neighbor-joining algorithm placed the HL1 isolate in a well-supported cluster (97% bootstrap value based on 1,000 replicates) with JQ724444.1 and EU273504.1. The pathogen was thus identified as F. solani based on its morphological and molecular characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first report of root rot of coptis caused by F. solani in the world. References: (1) K. Dobinson et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 18:55, 1996. (2) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2006.

A new species, Notopygus longiventris Sun & Sheng, sp. n., collected from Benxi County, Liaoning Province, China, and N. emarginatus Holmgren, 1857, reared from Neurotoma sibirica Gussakovskij (Hymenoptera, Pamphiliidae) from Haicheng, Liaoning Province, are reported. The new species is placed within existing key to species.

Background/aims: Metastasis one of the obstacles before poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is improved. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) plays an important role in the development and progression of HCC. However, the molecular mechanism of ERalpha in mediating HCC metastasis is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to detect aberrant ERalpha expression in HCC and elucidate its possible mechanisms in HCC metastasis., Methodology: We detected expression of ERalpha, phospho-estrogen receptor alpha (p-ERalpha), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) p65 and Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) between HCC tissues with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and those without PVTT by immunohistochemical method. Moreover, the expression of above parameters was also determined in HCC cells of different metastatic potential by using immunocytochemical and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods., Results: The expression of ERalpha and p-ERalpha was lower in HCC with PVTT than those without PVTT. Meanwhile, the expression pattern of above parameters was also similar in HCC cells of different metastatic potential, whereas, the expression of NF-kappaB p65 and MMP-9 was higher in HCC with PVTT than those without PVTT. The expression of NF-kappaB p65 and MMP-9 in HCC cells was also analogous to the tissues., Conclusions: These results demonstrated that expression of ERalpha, p-ERalpha, NF-kappaB p65 and MMP-9 correlated with invasion and metastasis in HCC. The mechanism of HCC metastasis may mediate through cross-talk between the NF-KB and ER signaling pathways. Meanwhile, ERa regulated MMP-9 through NF-kappaB indirectly.

Soil cores were collected from a 28.5 hm2 slope farmland in the black soil region of Northeast China. Based on the sampled data of 137Cs, 210Pb(ex) and SOC, the potentials of applying 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) for assessing SOC redistribution were evaluated, aimed to approach the impact of soil erosion on soil organic carbon (SOC) in black soil region. At both planar and vertical directions, the 137Cs, 210Pb(ex) and SOC in the farmland had similar distribution patterns. Although there were large planar variations in the 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) areal activities and the SOC stock as affected by soil erosion and deposition, the 137Cs, 210Pb(ex) and SOC had similar changing trends over the landscape. Two depth distribution profiles were also used to study the relations of 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) with SOC. At eroded site, the radioactivities of 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) and the SOC mass fraction did not show large variations in 0-25 cm soil layer, but decreased sharply below 25 cm. For the deposition sample, the radioactivities of 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) in 0-100 cm soil increased firstly and then decreased. The SOC mass fraction also had similar depth distribution pattern in this soil layer. The 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) presented positive linear correlations with the SOC, indicating that 137Cs, 210Pb(ex) and SOC moved with the same physical mechanism in the farmland, and fallout 137Cs and 210Pb(ex) could be used to study spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of SOC in the black soil region under the condition of soil erosion.

A new species, Amphibulus melanarius Zong, Sun & Sheng, sp.n., belonging to the tribe Phygadeuontini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), collected from Beijing, China, is reported. A key to the species of the genus Amphibulus Kriechbaumer, 1893 known in the Oriental and Eastern Palaearctic Regions is provided.

Six species of the genus Aptesis Förster 1850 belonging to the tribe Hemigastrini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) are reported from China. Three of them, Aptesis elongata Li & Sheng, sp. n., Aptesis melana Li & Sheng, sp. n. and Aptesis nigricoxa Li & Sheng, sp. n. reared from sawflies in China, are new to science. The biology of Aptesis melana is described. A key to the species of Aptesis known from China is provided.

Seven species of Xenoschesis Förster, 1869, are reported from China. Four species, X. (Polycinetis) inareolata Sheng & Sun, sp. n. from Liaoning Province, X. (Polycinetis) truncata Sheng & Sun, sp. n. from Liaoning, Jilin and Henan Provinces, X. (Xenoschesis) tianzhuensis Sheng & Sun, sp. n. and X. (Xenoschesis) weii Sheng & Sun, sp. n. collected in Anhui Province are new to science. One, X. (Xenoschesis) fulvipes (Gravenhorst) was reared from Acantholyda parki Shinohara & Byun and A. posticalis Matsumura, is new record for China. Xenoschesis (Xenoschesis) crassicornis Uchida was reared from A. erythrocephala (L.) and A. parki Shinohara & Byun. A key to species of Xenoschesis Förster known in China is provided.

Objective: To investigate the results of surgical treatment for primary liver cancer of segment VII or VIII., Methods: The clinical data of 149 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent hepatectomy between January 2005 and December 2010 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 120 male and 29 female patients, aging from 19 to 75 years with a mean of 53.1 years. Among 149 patients, tumors were located at segment VII, VIII or several segments containing VII or VIII (VII/VIII group) in 53 patients, located at other segments (non-VII/VIII group) in 96 patients. The results of surgical treatment for VII/VIII group and non-VII/VIII group were compared by using t test, χ(2) test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportion hazard regression analysis., Results: Right liver lobe was turned over completely in VII/VIII group, hepatic lobe which tumor was located at was not or partly turned over in non-VII/VIII group. Compared with non-VII/VIII group, VII/VIII group had longer operative time ((215 ± 68) min vs. (123 ± 36) min, t = 2.860, P = 0.01). No significant difference was found for tumor size, tumor number, tumor encapsulation, microvascular invasion, Edmondson grade, pTNM stage, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion rate, R0 resection rate and postoperative complication rate between two groups. The cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 74.6%, 42.3%, 15.4% respectively, in VII/VIII group, and 89.3%, 63.0%, 40.4% respectively, in non-VII/VIII group (χ(2) = 13.501, P = 0.000). Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors indicated that tumor location (tumor was located at segment VII or VIII) had unfavorable prognostic influence on overall survival (χ(2) = 10.329, P = 0.001; HR = 1.693, 95%CI: 1.232 - 2.694, P = 0.013)., Conclusion: The results of surgical treatment for primary liver cancer located at segment VII or VIII are worse than that located at other segments.

Four species of the genus Lamachus Förster 1869 belonging to the tribe Mesoleiini of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) are reported from China. Two of them are new to science, Lamachus nigrus Li, Sheng & Sun, sp. n. and Lamachus rufiabdominalis Li, Sheng & Sun, sp. n. were reared from Neodiprion huizeensis Xiao & Zhou, in Guizhou Province of the Oriental part of China. The biology of Lamachus rufiabdominalis is described. A key to the species of Lamachus known from China is provided.

A new species is described, Xorides benxicus Sheng, sp. n., reared from the cerambycid twig-boring pest of Robinia pseudoacacia Linnaeus, Pterolophia alternata Gressitt, 1938, in Benxi County, Liaoning Province, China. A key is given to the species similar to Xorides benxicus Sheng, namely Xorides asiasius Sheng & Hilszczański, 2009, Xorides cinnabarius Sheng & Hilszczański, 2009 and Xorides sapporensis (Uchida, 1928).

Larvae of the argid sawfly, Arge pullata (Zaddach) (Hymenoptera: Argidae), feeds on leaves of birch (Betula spp.) in China, Europe, Siberia, and Japan. Parasitoids of A. pullata were studied in Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China, in 2009 and 2010. Five parasitoid species were found: Pleolophus suigensis (Uchida), Mastrus nigrus Sheng, Endasys parviventris nipponicus (Uchida) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Vibrissina turrita (Meigen) (Diptera: Tachinidae) and Conura xanthostigma (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). The average parasitism rate of A. pullata by parasitoids was as high as 11.0%. V. turrita was the dominant species, attacking 10.0% of the A. pullata cocoons. The emergence peak of V. turrita was from late May to early June. Three hyperparasitoids of V. turrita emerged from cocoons of A. pullata: Mesochorus ichneutese Uchida (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Pediobius sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and Taeniogonalos maga (Teranishi) (Hymenoptera: Trigonalidae). Hyperparasitism rates were about 1.0% to 3.0%, with an average rate of 1.7%.

This paper describes Lissonota holcocerica Sheng sp.n. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), parasitizing Holcocerus hippophaecolus Hua, Chou, Fang and Chen (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, and Ningxia, China. The adults of L. holcocerica emerge from a cocoon during the daytime, mostly from 09:00 to 14:00 hr, then start calling and mating, mostly from 08:00 to 12:00 hr. Mating lasts from 15 sec to 15 min. The longevity of males is 5.8 ± 2.4 days, whereas for females longevity is 7.6 ± 4.6 days in the field. Nutritional supplements can significantly extend the life span of L. holcocerica. Mated females search for hosts by walking on the base of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (Rosales: Elaeagnaceae) stem infested by Ho. hippophaecolus, vibrating their antennae and tapping while searching the stem for oviposition sites. Parasitized cocoons of Ho. hippophaecolus collected in field were half the size of normal ones or even smaller.

A new species, Syntactus jiulianicus Sun & Sheng, sp.n. belonging to the tribe Pionini of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, is reported. Illustrations of the new species and Syntactus delusor (Linnaeus, 1758), Syntactus minor (Holmgren, 1857) and Syntactus varius (Holmgren, 1858) are provided. A key to the species of Syntactus known from the Oriental and Eastern Palaearctic Regions is given.

Palpostilpnus brevis Sheng & Broad, sp.n., belonging to the tribe Phygadeuontini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, is described. A key to the described species of the genus Palpostilpnus Aubert, 1961, is provided.

Three species of Ateleute Förster 1869 belonging to the tribe Cryptini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, are reported, of which two are new for science: Ateleute ferruginea Sheng, Broad & Sun, sp. n. and AAteleute zixiensis Sheng, Broad & Sun, sp. n. One, AAteleute densistriata (Uchida, 1955), was previously known from China and Japan. A key to the species of genus Ateleute known in the Oriental Region is provided.

Laxiareola Sheng and Sun, gen.nov. and Laxiareola ochracea Sheng and Sun, sp.nov. belong to Brachyscleromatinae of the family Ichneumonidae, from the Jiangxi Province in China, are described in the present study. A key to the genera of Brachyscleromatinae is given.

A new species, Cisaris canaliculatus Sun & Sheng, sp. n., belonging to the tribe Phygadeuontini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, is reported. A key to the species of the genus Cisaris Townes, 1970, is provided.

Eight species of the genus Cryptopimpla Taschenberg, 1863 are reported from China, five of them new to science: Cryptopimpla flavipedalis Sheng, sp. n., collected from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Cryptopimpla rufipedalis Sheng, sp. n. collected from Jilin Province, both from the Palaearctic part of China. Cryptopimpla. carinifacialis Sheng, sp. n., Cryptopimpla flavifacialis Sheng, sp. n.and Cryptopimpla maculifacialis Sheng, sp. n. were collected from Jiangxi Province in the Oriental part of China. A key to the species of Cryptopimpla known from China is provided.

Carinityla Sheng & Sun gen. n., Carinityla punctulata Sheng & Sun sp. n. and Carinityla pilosa Sheng & Sun sp. n. belonging to the tribe Phygadeuontini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, are described. A key to the species of the new genus, Carinityla Sheng & Sun, gen. n., is provided and the genus is placed in Townes' key to genera of Endaseina.

Four species of Mastrus Förster, 1869 are reported from China. Two, Mastrus nigrus Sheng & Zeng, sp. n. reared from Arge pullata (Zaddach) and Mastrus rugotergalis Sheng & Zeng, sp. n. reared from Diprion jingyuanensis Xiao & Zhang, are new to science. One, Mastrus deminuens (Hartig, 1838), is a parasitoid of Pachynematus itoi Okutani. A key to species of Mastrus Förster known in China is provided.

Four species of Rhimphoctona (Xylophylax) collected from P. R. China are reported. Two of them are new to science: Rhimphoctona (Xylophylax) maculifemoralis Luo and Sheng, sp.nov. reared from Tetropium castaneum (Linnaeus), and Rhimphoctona (Xylophylax) immaculata Luo and Sheng, sp.nov. One is a new record for China, R. (Xylophylax) rufocoxalis ( Clément 1924 ) reared from T. castaneum (Linnaeus). The other is R. (Xylophylax) lucida ( Clément 1924 ) reared from Monochamus saltuarius Gebier, Tetropium gabrieli Weise and Asemus sp. A key to species known in China is provided.

Volatiles from Ips duplicatus male hindgut extracts and aeration samples of spruce logs colonized by the virgin males were analyzed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD), and field trapping bioassays in Inner Mongolia, China. GC-MS analyses showed that males from nuptial chambers (for reproduction) produced hindgut volatile profiles similar to those of maturation feeding males from the nonreproductive galleries. The known aggregation pheromone components, ipsdienol (Id) and E-myrcenol (EM) are the major constituents of this blend, followed by several minor bark beetle-related compounds: 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, ipsenol, cis-verbenol, verbenone, 2-phenylethanol, myrtenol, and trans-myrtanol. The enantiomeric composition of the Id from the male hindgut extracts was determined to be a racemic mixture (50/50) by enantioselective GC. GC-EAD experiments indicated that I. duplicatus antennae from both sexes responded strongly not only to the known aggregation pheromone components, Id and EM, but also to the other minor conspecific-produced compounds. The strongest antennal response was elicited by the major pheromone component, Id, which was ca. 2-3 times higher than that elicited by the second component, EM. Electroantennogram dose-responses indicated that antennal response threshold to Id was approximately 100 times lower than that of EM. No synergistic effects between these occurred at peripheral level. A strong and repeatable EAD response was found to a trace compound (flame ionization detection undetectable) from both hindgut and aeration samples. The compound was identified as amitinol (At) based on the retention time and a further EAD analysis of a synthetic mixture. In the field trapping experiments, At increased the attraction of I. duplicatus to the traps baited with a binary blend of EM/Id (1:1) in a synergistic manner when tested at a low release rate (1:1:0.1) but had no effect on catches at the high release rate (1:1:1). This result suggests that At might be a part of the Chinese I. duplicatus aggregation pheromone system. The production ratios of EM/Id from the Inner Mongolian population (EM/Id approximately 1:2.0-4) were twice as high as those reported from Europe (EM/Id approximately 1:9), corresponding well with the differences in the optimal response ratios.