A taxonomic revision of the Archipini of the Caribbean (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae, Tortricinae).

The Archipini fauna of the Caribbean is revised to include 33 species. Most previously described species occurring in the region are redescribed and figured, with 13 new species: Argyrotaenia browni sp. nov., A. cryptica sp. nov. (including A. c. cryptica ssp. nov. and A. c. praeteritana ssp. nov.), A. paradisei sp. nov., A. razowskiana sp. nov., Claduncaria rawlinsana sp. nov., Cla. praedictana sp. nov., Cla. taino sp. nov., Clepsis davisi sp. nov., Cle. deroni sp. nov., Cle. jamesstewarti sp. nov., Cle. peroniae sp. nov., Mictocommosis lesleyae sp. nov., and Mictopsichia nyhllinda sp. nov. Three new combinations are proposed: Claduncaria mesosignaria (Razowski, 1999), comb. nov. (including Argyrotaenia thamaluncus Razowski, 1999, syn. nov.), Claduncaria minisignaria (Razowski, 1999), comb. nov., and Claduncaria chalarostium (Razowski & Becker, 2000b), comb. nov., stat. nov. Argyrotaenia granpiedrae Razowski & Becker, 2010 is reduced to subspecies rank under Argyrotaenia ceramica Razowski, 1999, resulting in Argyrotaenia ceramica granpiedrae Razowski & Becker, 2010, stat. nov. Four new synonymies are proposed: Clepsis labisclera Razowski & Becker, 2010, syn. nov. as junior synonym of Claduncaria maestrana Razowski & Becker, 2010; Clepsis pinaria Razowski & Becker, 2010, syn. nov. as junior synonym of Clepsis peritana (Clemens, 1860); and Argyrotaenia neibana Razowski, 1999, syn. nov. and A. ochrochroa Razowski, 1999 syn. nov. as junior synonyms of Argyrotaenia amatana (Dyar, 1901). Males of Argyrotaenia felisana Razowski, 1999, A. nuezana Razowski, 1999, and Claduncaria minisignaria (Razowski, 1999), comb. nov. are described for the first time; females of Argyrotaenia jamaicana (Razowski & Becker, 2000a) and Claduncaria ochrochlaena (Razowski, 1999) are described for the first time. The concept of Claduncaria is expanded and its diagnosis is modified to more clearly define its generic boundaries. A unique external sexual coupling mechanism in Claduncaria is discussed. Keys to the genera and species of Caribbean Archipini, distribution maps, a regional checklist, and Neighbor-joining and Maximum Likelihood trees based on COI barcode data are provided. Phylogenetic relationships among Caribbean Archipini are briefly discussed.

How a raindrop gets shattered on biological surfaces.

Many biological surfaces of animals and plants (e.g., bird feathers, insect wings, plant leaves, etc.) are superhydrophobic with rough surfaces at different length scales. Previous studies have focused on a simple drop-bouncing behavior on biological surfaces with low-speed impacts. However, we observed that an impacting drop at high speeds exhibits more complicated dynamics with unexpected shock-like patterns: Hundreds of shock-like waves are formed on the spreading drop, and the drop is then abruptly fragmented along with multiple nucleating holes. Such drop dynamics result in the rapid retraction of the spreading drop and thereby a more than twofold decrease in contact time. Our results may shed light on potential biological advantages of hypothermia risk reduction for endothermic animals and spore spreading enhancement for fungi via wave-induced drop fragmentation.

Two Distinct Genotypes of Spissistilus festinus (Say, 1830) (Hemiptera, Membracidae) in the United States Revealed by Phylogenetic and Morphological Analyses.

Spissistilus festinus (Say, 1830) (Hemiptera: Membracidae) is a frequent pest of leguminous crops in the Southern United States, and a vector of grapevine red blotch virus. There is currently no information on the genetic diversity of S. festinus. In this study, populations of S. festinus were collected in 2015-2017 from various crops and geographic locations in the United States, and fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase 1 (mt-COI) gene and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region were characterized by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses of the mt-COI and ITS2 sequences yielded similar phylogenetic tree topologies, revealing two distinct genetic S. festinus lineages with all of the specimens from California comprising one phylogenetic clade, alongside a single GenBank entry from Arizona, and all specimens from the Southeastern United States comprising a statistically-supported distinct clade, regardless of host and year of collection. The mt-COI gene fragment showed up to 10.8% genetic distance between the two phylogenetic clades. These results suggest the existence of two genotypes within S. festinus in the United States. The only distinct morphological trait between the two genotypes was a less elevated pronotum in the representative specimens from California, compared to the representative specimens from the Southeastern United States. Since this phenotypic feature is inconspicuous, a diagnostic polymerase chain reaction targeting a variable region of the mt-COI fragment was developed to reliably distinguish between the specimens of the two genotypes of S. festinus and to facilitate their specific identification.

Why do Some Beetles Develop in Fallen Twigs?

Many beetle species emerge in twigs pruned from the host tree by larvae inside the twig or externally girdled by adult females. Benefits of developing in fallen twigs have been afforded little experimental attention. If predation or parasitism in the canopy drive pruning and girdling behaviors, emergence is expected to be greatest in twigs on the ground, where predation and parasitism are expected to be minimized. Here, 220 twigs pruned from oak trees by larval Anelaphus parallelus (Newman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) were randomly placed into one of four treatments in a forested hedge: 1) on the ground; 2) on the ground within a mesh bag; 3) tied into the hedge 2.5 m above the ground; 4) secured in a mesh bag and tied into the hedge; or 5) stored in a cool basement. The percentage of beetle emergence was greatest in twigs stored in the basement (87%) and bagged twigs on the ground (74%) and was least from unbagged twigs placed in the hedge (40%). Reduced rates of predation on the ground are, therefore, implicated as a potential selective force for pruning behaviors. The percentage of parasitized twigs was least from twigs stored in a basement (2%) but, unexpectedly, greatest from twigs placed in mesh bags in the hedge (24%). Support for parasitism as a determinant of pruning behavior was, therefore, ambiguous but may be confounded if mesh bags did not deter parasitoids. Considering results of other studies, selective forces for pruning and girdling behaviors may not generalize among species.

Revision of the genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of 11 new species.

The Neotropical genus Menevia Schaus, 1928 is revised to include 18 species, 11 of which are new. Two species, Menevia ostia comb. n. and Menevia parostia comb. n. are transferred from Pamea Walker, 1855 to Menevia. Four species-groups are diagnosed for the first time based on external characters and male genitalia morphology. The following new species are described: Menevia rosea sp. n., Menevia torvamessoria sp. n., Menevia magna sp. n., Menevia menapia sp. n., Menevia mielkei sp. n., Menevia australis sp. n., Menevia vulgaris sp. n., Menevia franclemonti sp. n., Menevia vulgaricula sp. n., Menevia cordillera sp. n., and Menevia delphinus sp. n.. A neotype is designated for Mimallo plagiata Walker, 1855, which has since been placed in Menevia. Mimallo saturata Walker, 1855 is interpreted to be a nomen dubium.

Revision of the genus Eadmuna Schaus, 1928 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonidae) with a description of a new species from French Guiana.

The genus Eadmuna Schaus, 1928 is revised to include four species. Eadmunaguianensis sp. n., is described from French Guiana and Guyana. The holotype of Perophorapulverula Schaus, 1896, currently placed in Cicinnus Blanchard, 1852, is determined to be a previously unrecognized female Eadmuna, and is transferred accordingly as Eadmunapulverula comb. n.. Eadmunapaloa Schaus, 1933, rev. status, is removed from synonymy with the type species Eadmunaesperans (Schaus, 1905). Eadmunaesperans, Eadmunapaloa, and Eadmunapulverula may be of conservation concern due to their limited extent of occurrence and endemicity to the highly imperiled Brazilian Atlantic forest.