Foraging on and consumption of two species of papaya pest mites, Tetranychus kanzawai and Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae), by Mallada basalis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida and Panonychus citri (McGregor) are two major acarine pests of the principal papaya variety in Taiwan, and they often co-occur in the same papaya screenhouses. This study measured prey acceptability, foraging schedule, short-term consumption rate, and handling time of larvae of a domesticated line of the green lacewing, Mallada basalis (Walker), in no-choice tests with different life stages of these two mite pests. After a period of prey deprivation, all three larval instars of M. basalis exhibited a high rate of acceptance of all life stages of both T. kanzawai and P. citri. In 2-h trials, second- and third-instar predators foraged actively most of the time, whereas first instars spent approximately 40% of the time at rest. Consumption increased and prey handling time decreased as predator life stage advanced and prey stage decreased. Third-instar lacewings consumed an average of 311.4 T. kanzawai eggs (handling time: 6.7 s/egg) and 68.2 adults (handling time: 58.8 s/adult), whereas first instars consumed 19.6 eggs (handling time: 23.6 s/egg) and 4.0 adults (handling time: 633.4 s/adult). M. basalis generally consumed more P. citri than T. kanzawai. Except for prey eggs, handling times of T. kanzawai were generally longer than those of P. citri by all M. basalis instars. Handling times were shorter, and consumption were greater, at the higher P. citri density than at the lower one, whereas there were generally no significant differences in prey acceptability and foraging time between those two densities. This study suggests that M. basalis larvae may have high potential for augmentative biological control of mites on papayas.

Review of the genus Stenothemus Bourgeois from Taiwan, with description of three new species (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) and additional distributional records of previously known species.

The genus Stenothemus Bourgeois from Taiwan is reviewed, with description of three new species: S. lupus sp. nov., S. gemini sp. nov. and S. vulpecula sp. nov. Each species is described with photos of habitus, and the new species also include illustrations of aedeagi, female genitalia and abdominal ventrite VII (= sternite VIII) of female if available. In addition, the female of S. mamorui Okushima & M. Satô, 1999 is described for the first time, and female genitalia and the abdominal ventrite VII are illustrated. A distribution map of Stenothemus from Taiwan is presented, and an updated key for the identification of Stenothemus species from Taiwan is given.

Two new species of Megistophylla Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Taiwan, with notes on the genus.

The genus Megistophylla (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) was first reported from Taiwan with the descriptions and illustrations of two new species, Megistophylla formosana Wang & Li, new species () and Megistophylla xitoui Li & Wang, new species (). An annotated checklist and modified key for the species in the genus are provided. The information in checklist for each species includes: literature review, synonymy, distribution, and type locality.

A review of the genus Miridiba Reitter (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) of Taiwan.

The six Miridiba Reitter, 1902 species, including Miridiba taoi Li & Wang, new species, Miridiba huesiotoi Li & Yang, new species, and Miridiba taipei Wang & Li, new species from Taiwan are reviewed. A key for the identification of adults is provided. The following information is provided for each species: literature review, synonyms, diagnoses, data of material used, description or redescription, illustrations, distributional data, and remarks.

Phylogeny and Historical Biogeography of Asian Pterourus Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): A Case of Intercontinental Dispersal from North America to East Asia.

The phylogenetic status of the well-known Asian butterflies often known as Agehana (a species group, often treated as a genus or a subgenus, within Papilio sensu lato) has long remained unresolved. Only two species are included, and one of them especially, Papilio maraho, is not only rare but near-threatened, being monophagous on its vulnerable hostplant, Sassafras randaiense (Lauraceae). Although the natural history and population conservation of "Agehana" has received much attention, the biogeographic origin of this group still remains enigmatic. To clarify these two questions, a total of 86 species representatives within Papilionidae were sampled, and four genes (concatenated length 3842 bp) were used to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and historical scenarios. Surprisingly, "Agehana" fell within the American Papilio subgenus Pterourus and not as previously suggested, phylogenetically close to the Asian Papilio subgenus Chilasa. We therefore formally synonymize Agehana with Pterourus. Dating and biogeographic analysis allow us to infer an intercontinental dispersal of an American ancestor of Asian Pterourus in the early Miocene, which was coincident with historical paleo-land bridge connections, resulting in the present "East Asia-America" disjunction distribution. We emphasize that species exchange between East Asia and America seems to be a quite frequent occurrence in butterflies during the Oligocene to Miocene climatic optima.

Climate-mediated cooperation promotes niche expansion in burying beetles.

The ability to form cooperative societies may explain why humans and social insects have come to dominate the earth. Here we examine the ecological consequences of cooperation by quantifying the fitness of cooperative (large groups) and non-cooperative (small groups) phenotypes in burying beetles (Nicrophorus nepalensis) along an elevational and temperature gradient. We experimentally created large and small groups along the gradient and manipulated interspecific competition with flies by heating carcasses. We show that cooperative groups performed as thermal generalists with similarly high breeding success at all temperatures and elevations, whereas non-cooperative groups performed as thermal specialists with higher breeding success only at intermediate temperatures and elevations. Studying the ecological consequences of cooperation may not only help us to understand why so many species of social insects have conquered the earth, but also to determine how climate change will affect the success of these and other social species, including our own.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02440.001.

Three new species of Bolbochromus Boucomont (Coleoptera, Geotrupidae, Bolboceratinae) from Southeast Asia.

Three new species of the Oriental bolboceratine genus Bolbochromus Boucomont 1909, Bolbochromus minutus Li and Krikken, sp. n. (Thailand), Bolbochromus nomurai Li and Krikken, sp. n. (Vietnam), and Bolbochromus malayensis Li and Krikken, sp. n. (Malaysia), are described from continental Southeast Asia with diagnoses, distributions, remarks and illustrations. The genus is discussed with emphasis on continental Southeast Asia. A key to species known from Indochina and Malay Penisula is presented. An annotated checklist of Bolbochromus species is presented.

One the genus Tocama Reitter (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae), with descriptions of two new species from Indochina.

Two new species of the Oriental scarab genus Tocama Reitter, 1902, Tocama laosensissp. n. and Tocama procerasp. n., are described from Indochina with diagnoses, distributions, remarks and illustrations. A key to the species of the genus is provided with a checklist with several nomenclatural changes: Hoplosternus tonkinensis Moser, 1913 is transferred to Tocama; Hoplosternus pygidialis Moser, 1915 syn. n., Tocama atra atra Keith, 2006 syn. n. and Tocama atra reichenbachi Keith, 2007 syn. n. = Tocama tonkinensis (Moser).

Discovery of the female of Pyrocoelia prolongata in Taiwan (Coleoptera, Lampyridae).

The female of Pyrocoelia prolongata Jeng & Lai, a diurnal lampyrid species from Taiwan, is described for the first time. A single individual was found in a small, shady, dry streambed at the edge of a mixed forest at 2700 m elevation. The individual glowed in darkness and would move its abdomen up and down when disturbed and as a deterring behavior. A key to the females of the species of Pyrocoelia Gorham in Taiwan is provided. The morphology of photogenic organs of females and the function of bioluminescence of day-active species of Pyrocoelia are discussed.