Pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), adult feeding preference and larval development on pulse crop varieties in Montana.

BACKGROUND: Montana accounts for approximately 45% of US dry pea production and the pea leaf weevil (PLW; Sitona lineatus (L.)) is the most common insect pest in this region. After crop emergence adult PLW feed on the foliage to mature and subsequently mate, and the soil-dwelling larvae feed and develop on the nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Producers commonly apply prophylactic insecticide treatments to the seed at planting as well as one or two post-emergent insecticide sprays to control PLW damage. To develop alternative management strategies based on integrated pest management (IPM), this field study evaluated pulse crops grown in Montana for adult feeding preference and larval development. Ten different field pea varieties, along with two faba bean, lentil and chickpea varieties, were evaluated during the 2020 and 2021 field seasons at the Montana State University Arthur H. Post Agronomy Farm. RESULTS: Significant PLW pest pressure was observed within the research plots during both experimental years. Field pea and faba bean were preferred by the foliage feeding adult stage, with all but one variety averaging 39.2 to 86.3 average notches per plant. The pea variety Lifter was significantly preferred over all other comparisons, averaging 142.4 and 95.0 notches per plant in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Adult PLW feeding on lentil and chickpea was minimal, averaging 3.3 to 8.2 and 0.5 to 1.6 notches per plant, respectively. Numbers of larvae were highest on the roots of pea varieties, a known reproductive host, and almost nil on lentil and chickpea roots. Faba bean is also known as reproductive host, but, unexpectedly, larval populations were also low on the two faba bean varieties. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study provide some limited evidence for alternative IPM strategies for field peas based on host plant tolerance or resistance within the range of varieties tested. Adult preference and larval development of PLW varied between the different pulse crops with field peas and faba beans being the most susceptible and lentils and chickpeas being the least susceptible. Host plant resistance against PLW could provide more sustainable IPM approaches in the future. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Reconstitution of some tribes and genera of Lagriinae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae).

The tribes Goniaderini Lacordaire, 1859 and Lupropini Lesne, 1926 within the tenebrionid subfamily Lagriinae Latreille, 1825 have previously been shown to be non-monophyletic by molecular phylogenetic analyses. The tribes and constituent genera are here reviewed and redefined morphologically. As part of tribal redefinitions, we establish PrateiniNew Tribe with type genus Prateus LeConte, 1862. We reestablish the subtribe Phobeliina Ardoin, 1961 Revised Status, which is transferred from Goniaderini and placed as a subtribe of Lagriini Latreille, 1825 where it is comprised of Phobelius Blanchard, 1842, and Rhosaces Champion, 1889 (previously in Lagriini: Statirina Blanchard, 1845). The fossil tribe Archaeolupropini Nabozhenko, Perkovsky, & Nazarenko, 2023 is transferred from Lagriinae to Tetratomidae: Tetratominae Billberg, 1820. Keys to extant tribes and subtribes of Lagriinae and genera of Goniaderini, Lupropini, and Prateini are provided. Generic and species-level changes from this work are as follows: Prateini is comprised of the following 15 genera: Antennoluprops Schawaller, 2007, Ardoiniellus Schawaller, 2013, Bolitrium Gebien, 1914, Enicmosoma Gebien, 1922, Indenicmosoma Ardoin, 1964, Iscanus Fauvel, 1904, Kuschelus Kaszab, 1982, Lorelopsis Champion, 1896, Mesotretis Bates, 1872, Microcalcar Pic, 1925, Micropedinus Lewis, 1894, Paratenetus Spinola, 1845, Prateus, Terametus Motschulsky, 1869, and Tithassa Pascoe, 1860. Lorelus Sharp, 1876 is Returned to Synonymy with Prateus, resulting in the following 49 New Combinations: Prateusangulatus (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), P.angustulus (Champion, 1913), P.armatus (Montrouzier, 1860), P.biroi (Kaszab, 1956), P.blairi (Kaszab, 1955), P.brevicornis (Champion, 1896), P.breviusculus (Champion, 1913), P.caledonicus (Kaszab, 1982), P.carolinensis (Blair, 1940), P.chinensis (Kaszab, 1940), P.clarkei (Kulzer, 1957), P.crassicornis (Broun, 1880), P.crassepunctatus (Kaszab, 1982), P.cribricollis (Kaszab, 1940), P.curvipes (Champion, 1913), P.dybasi (Kulzer, 1957), P.fijianus (Kaszab, 1982), P.fumatus (Lea, 1929), P.glabriventris (Kaszab, 1982), P.greensladei (Kaszab, 1982), P.guadeloupensis (Kaszab, 1940), P.hirtus (Kaszab, 1982), P.ivoirensis (Ardoin, 1969), P.kanak (Kaszab, 1986), P.kaszabi (Watt, 1992), P.laticornis (Watt, 1992), P.latulus (Broun, 1910), P.longicornis (Kaszab, 1982), P.mareensis (Kaszab, 1982), P.marginalis (Broun, 1910), P.niger (Kaszab, 1982), P.norfolkianus (Kaszab, 1982), P.obtusus (Watt, 1992), P.ocularis (Fauvel, 1904), P.opacus (Watt, 1992), P.palauensis (Kulzer, 1957), P.politus (Watt, 1992), P.priscus (Sharp, 1876), P.prosternalis (Kaszab, 1982), P.pubescens (Broun, 1880), P.pubipennis (Lea, 1929), P.punctatus (Watt, 1992), P.quadricollis (Broun, 1886), P.queenslandicus (Kaszab, 1986), P.rugifrons (Champion, 1913), P.solomonis (Kaszab, 1982), P.tarsalis (Broun, 1910), P.unicornis (Kaszab, 1982), and P.watti (Kaszab, 1982). Microlyprops Kaszab, 1939 is placed as a New Synonym of Micropedinus resulting in the following New Combinations: Micropedinusceylonicus (Kaszab, 1939) and M.maderi (Kaszab, 1940). LorelopsisRevised Status is revalidated as a genus and eight species formerly in Lorelus are transferred to it resulting in the following six New Combinations: Lorelopsisbicolor (Doyen, 1993), L.glabrata (Doyen, 1993), L.exilis (Champion, 1913), L.foraminosa (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), L.minutulis (Doyen & Poinar, 1994), L.trapezidera (Champion, 1913), and L.wolcotti (Doyen, 1993). Lorelopsispilosa Champion, 1896 becomes a Restored Combination. In Goniaderini, Aemymone Bates, 1868 Revised Status and Opatresthes Gebien, 1928 Revised Status, which were recently considered as subgenera of Goniadera Perty, 1832, are restored as valid genera based on new character analysis resulting in the following New Combinations: Aemymonehansfranzi (Ferrer & Delatour, 2007), A.simplex (Fairmaire, 1889), A.striatipennis (Pic, 1934) and Restored Combinations: Aemymonecariosa (Bates, 1868), A.crenata Champion, 1893, and A.semirufa Pic, 1917. Gamaxus Bates, 1868 is Returned to Synonymy with Phymatestes Pascoe, 1866, and the type species Gamaxushauxwelli Bates, 1868 is placed as a New Synonym of Phymatestesbrevicornis (Lacordaire, 1859). The following seven genera are placed as New Synonyms of Anaedus Blanchard, 1842: Microanaedus Pic, 1923, Pengaleganus Pic, 1917, Pseudanaedus Gebien, 1921, Pseudolyprops Fairmaire, 1882, Spinolyprops Pic, 1917, Spinadaenus Pic, 1921, and Sphingocorse Gebien, 1921. Fourteen species described by Pic in Aspisoma Duponchel & Chevrolat, 1841 (not Aspisoma Laporte, 1833) are returned to Tenebrionidae as valid species of Anaedus. These synonymies necessitate the following 51 New Combinations: Anaedusalbipes (Gebien, 1921), A.amboinensis (Kaszab, 1964), A.amplicollis (Fairmaire, 1896), A.anaedoides (Gebien, 1921), A.angulicollis (Gebien, 1921), A.angustatus (Pic, 1921), A.australiae (Carter, 1930), A.bartolozzii (Ferrer, 2002), A.beloni Fairmaire, 1888), A.biangulatus (Gebien, 1921), A.borneensis (Pic, 1917), A.carinicollis (Gebien, 1921), A.conradti (Gebien, 1921), A.cribricollis (Schawaller, 2012), A.gabonicus (Pic, 1917), A.himalayicus (Kaszab, 1965), A.inaequalis (Pic, 1917), A.jacobsoni (Gebien, 1927), A.lateralis (Pic, 1917), A.latus (Pic, 1917), A.longeplicatus (Gebien, 1921) , A.maculipennis (Schawaller, 2011), A.major (Pic, 1917), A.nepalicus (Kaszab, 1975), A.nigrita (Gebien, 1927), A.notatus (Pic, 1923), A.pakistanicus (Schawaller, 1996), A.pinguis (Gebien, 1927), A.punctatus (Carter, 1914), A.raffrayi (Pic, 1917), A.rufithorax (Pic, 1917), A.rufus (Pic, 1917), A.serrimargo (Gebien, 1914), A.sumatrensis (Pic, 1917), A.terminatus (Gebien, 1921), A.testaceicornis (Pic, 1921), A.testaceipes (Pic, 1917), A.thailandicus (Schawaller, 2012), A.trautneri (Schawaller, 1994); and 13 restored combinations: Anaedusboliviensis (Pic, 1934), A.claveri (Pic, 1917), A.diversicollis (Pic, 1917), A.elongatus (Pic, 1934), A.guyanensis (Pic, 1917), A.holtzi (Pic, 1934), A.inangulatus (Pic, 1934), A.inhumeralis (Pic, 1917), A.mendesensis (Pic, 1917), A.minutus (Pic, 1917), A.rufimembris (Pic, 1932), A.rufipennis (Pic, 1917), A.subelongatus (Pic, 1932). The new synonymies with Anaedus necessitate the following six New Replacement NamesAnaedusmaculipennis (for Spinolypropsmaculatus Kulzer, 1954), A.grimmi (for Aspisomaforticornis Pic, 1917), A.minimus (for Anaedusminutus Pic, 1938), A.merkli (for Anaedusdiversicollis Pic, 1938), A.ottomerkli (for Anaeduslateralis Pic, 1923), A.schawalleri (for Anaedusnepalicus Schawaller, 1994). Capeluprops Schawaller, 2011 is removed from Lupropini and provisionally placed in Laenini Seidlitz, 1895. Plastica Waterhouse, 1903 is transferred from Apocryphini Lacordaire, 1859 to Laenini. Paralorelopsis Marcuzzi, 1994 is removed from Lupropini and provisionally placed in Lagriinae incertae sedis. Pseudesarcus Champion, 1913 is transferred from Lagriinae incertae sedis to Diaperinae incertae sedis. Falsotithassa Pic, 1934 is transferred from Lupropini to Leiochrinini Lewis, 1894 (Diaperinae). Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904 is transferred from Lupropini to Tenebrionidae incertae sedis, and likely belongs in either Diaperinae or Stenochiinae.

Descriptions of New Species of Chespirito Ferreira, Keller amp; Branham (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Chespiritoinae) and the First Record for the Subfamily in the United States.

Three new species of Chespirito Ferreira, Keller and Branham 2020 are described from North America, including the first species from the United States: Chespirito milleri new species from Arizona, USA, Chespirito hintoni new species from Mexico state, Mexico and Chespirito costae new species from Morelo state, Mexico. An updated distribution map and key to males of Chespirito is provided along with illustrations of diagnostic characters of the newly described species.

Dominican amber net-winged beetles suggest stable paleoenvironment as a driver for conserved morphology in a paedomorphic lineage.

Paedomorphosis is a heterochronic syndrome in which adult individuals display features of their immature forms. In beetles, this phenomenon occurs widely in the superfamily Elateroidea, including the net-winged beetles (Lycidae), and, due to the usual flightlessness of paedomorphic females, it is hypothesized to cause speciation rates higher than in non-paedomorphic lineages. However, some fossils of paedomorphic lycids do not support this with palaeobiological data. Discovery of new Lycidae fossils attributed to the West Indian extant paedomorphic genus Cessator Kazantsev in the Dominican amber also suggests morphological stasis within this genus in the Greater Antilles. We describe Cessator anachronicus Ferreira and Ivie, sp. nov. based on adult males, as well as the first ever recorded fossil net-winged beetle larva of the same genus. We propose that the relatively young age of the studied fossils combined with the stable conditions in the forest floor of the Greater Antilles through the last tens of million years could explain the exceptionally conserved morphology in the net-winged beetles affected by the paedomorphic syndrome.

Biocontrol of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes: The Impact of Infected Host Cadaver Application and Soil Characteristics.

Wireworms have become a significant menace to cereals in the Northern Great Plains. Therefore, research toward developing effective control methods such as biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) is warranted. Two strains, each of two EPN species, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston in the form of infected Galleria mellonella (L.) cadavers were evaluated against wireworms in field and greenhouse. In field experiments, none of the four EPN strains were found effective against wireworms. However, in the greenhouse test, three of the strains, S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) applied in cadavers killed 50-68% of the sugarbeet wireworm, Limonius californicus (Mannerheim) was associated with 8-24% plant damage at 35 d after treatment (DAT), when seeds were treated with imidacloprid. The mortality range was 40-56% with 57-75% plant damage observed at 35 DAT, when seeds were planted without imidacloprid treatment. Synergistic effect among imidacloprid and S. carpocapsae (Cxrd) or S. riobrave (355) was observed in regard to L. californicus mortality. Additionally, effects of soil texture, moisture, and temperature on the infection rate of EPNs against L. californicus were examined in the laboratory. Limonius californicus mortality was not significantly affected by either soil moisture or soil types maintained at field capacity moisture levels. However, soil temperature showed a significant effect on L. californicus mortality. Overall, imidacloprid enhanced the infection and killing ability of EPNs against L. californicus and S. carpocapsae (All and Cxrd) strains were the virulent strains in different soil experiments.

Unlocking the mystery of the mid-Cretaceous Mysteriomorphidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) and modalities in transiting from gymnosperms to angiosperms.

The monospecific family Mysteriomorphidae was recently described based on two fossil specimens from the Late Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. The family was placed in Elateriformia incertae sedis without a clear list of characters that define it either in Elateroidea or in Byrrhoidea. We report here four additional adult specimens of the same lineage, one of which was described using a successful reconstruction from a CT-scan analysis to better observe some characters. The new specimens enabled us to considerably improve the diagnosis of Mysteriomorphidae. The family is definitively placed in Elateroidea, and we hypothesize its close relationship with Elateridae. Similarly, there are other fossil families of beetles that are exclusively described from Cretaceous ambers. These lineages may have been evolutionarily replaced by the ecological revolution launched by angiosperms that introduced new co-associations with taxa. These data indicate a macroevolutionary pattern of replacement that could be extended to other insect groups.

A revision of Lycinella Gorham, 1884 with the description of six new species (Coleoptera, Lycidae, Calopterini).

The Neotropical genus Lycinella Gorham, 1884 is revised. Lycinellaopaca Gorham, 1884 and Lycinellaparvula Gorham, 1884 are redescribed and illustrated. Six new species are described for the genus: Lycinellaadamantis sp. n., L.hansoni sp. n., L.milleri sp. n., L.cidaoi sp. n., L.marshalli sp. n. and L.pugliesae sp. n.. Lycinellahumeralis Pic, 1933 is moved to Ceratoprionhumerale (Pic, 1933), comb. n. A key to the species of Lycinella, illustrations and a distribution map is provided.

Review of the West Indian genus Monotalla Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) with description of five new species.

The West Indian genus Monotalla Bechyné is reviewed, redescribed and illustrated. Five new species are added: Monotalladominica sp. n. (Dominica); Monotallalecticofolia sp. n. (St. Lucia); Monotallamaierae sp. n. (St. Lucia); Monotallaobrienorum sp. n. (Grenada); and Monotallaviridis sp. n. (St. Lucia). A key to Monotalla species is provided.

DNA barcoding to improve the species-level management of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae).

Economically important species of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) were successfully associated with adults using cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcoding, proving the usefulness of this technique to associate life stages in taxonomically difficult pest groups. Previously unrecognized and morphologically difficult, even indistinguishable, pest larvae were shown to be identifiable using this technique. This is a critical step toward discovering effective species-based integrated pest management strategies for this resurgent pest group following the loss of Lindane seed treatments. Three new adult-larval associations were discovered for Hadromorphus callidus (Brown), Hemicrepidius carbonatus (LeConte) and Metanomus insidiosus (LeConte). Hypnoidus bicolor (Eschscholtz) was shown to comprise multiple divergent lineages at a level usually considered different species, indicating that the population structure of some pest species requires more investigation. The status of the prairie grain wireworm, Selatosomus destructor (Brown), as a full species or as a subspecies of Selatosomus aeripennis (Kirby) is called into question.

Effects of volcanic ash on the forest canopy insects of Montserrat, West Indies.

The impact of ash deposition levels on canopy arthropods was studied on the West Indian island of Montserrat, the site of an ongoing volcanic eruption since 1995. Many of the island's natural habitats have been buried by volcanic debris, and remaining forests regularly receive volcanic ash deposition. To test the effect of ash on canopy arthropods, four study sites were sampled over a 15-mo period. Arthropod samples were obtained using canopy fogging, and ash samples were taken from leaf surfaces. Volcanic ash has had a significant negative impact on canopy arthropod populations, but the decline is not shared equally by all taxa present, and total population variation is within the variance attributed to other aboitic and biotic factors. The affected populations do not differ greatly from those of the neighboring island of St. Kitts, which has not been subject to recent volcanic activity. This indicates that observed effects on Montserrat's arthropod fauna have a short-term acute response to recent ash deposition rather than a chronic depression caused by repeated exposure to ash over the last decade.

Field-based evaluation of biopesticide impacts on native biodiversity: malagasy coleoptera and anti-locust entomopathogenic fungi.

A community of 225 species of Coleoptera was used as a surrogate to evaluate nontarget effects of entomopathogenic fungi under development as biopesticides for use against the Malagasy migratory locust Locusta migratoria capito Saussure (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Evaluation of a standard chemical treatment of fenitrothion + esfenvalerate, two indigenous isolates of Metarhiziumflavoviride Gams & Roszsypol (SP3 and SP9), and an indigenous isolate of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (SP16) against an untreated control in a replicated field trial in southern Madagascar showed that one of the isolates of M. flavoviride (SP3) and fenitrothion + esfenvalerate had distinct effects on nontarget beetle communities that were similar to each other. The other two isolates had no detectable effects compared with the untreated control. Based on an evaluation of the species affected, the similar effects of SP3 and the chemical pesticide are hypothesized to be the result of a perturbation of predator-prey relationships, with a distinct tendency to be manifested via predators. The data indicate that use of SP9 and SP16 would have minimal detrimental effects on the biodiversity of nontarget beetles, but that SP3 needs further testing.