Four new species of Phytocoris Fallén (Hemiptera, Miridae) from the Davis Mountains in Texas and further documentation of known species of Jeff Davis County.

A recent survey of the entomofauna of the Davis Mountains in the state of Texas has revealed four new species in the genus Phytocoris Fallén (Miridae, Mirinae, Mirini): Phytocorismcivorsp. nov. and Phytocorisschmitzisp. nov. found on Quercusgrisea Liebmann, and Phytocorismarquasp. nov. and Phytocorisrileyisp. nov. found attracted to lights. Descriptions, habitus, and genitalic images for the new species are included herein. Further, habitus and genitalic photographs of known Phytocoris species from the county are included to aid in identification.

Revision and Phylogeny of the Eccritotarsine Plant Bug Genus Caulotops Bergroth, with Descriptions of Four New Genera and 14 New Species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) Associated with Agave (Agavoideae: Asparagaceae) and Related Plant Genera.

The bryocorine genus Caulotops Bergroth (Miridae: Eccritotarsini), originally described to accommodate its only species C. puncticollis Bergroth, is shown not to be congeneric with all other species now included in the genus from North, Central, and northern South America. Consequently, four new genera are established for the following 20 species, including five new combinations and 14 species described as new: Agaveocoris n. gen. for Caulotops agavis Reuter (as the type species), n. comb.; C. barberi Knight, n. comb.; and C. distanti Reuter, n. comb. and the new species A. bimaculatus, n. sp.; A. barrerai, n. sp.; A. dimidiatus, n. sp.; A. marginalis, n. sp.; A. roseus, n. sp.; A. rostratus, n. sp.; A. schaffneri, n. sp.; and A. scutellatus, n. sp; Laterospinocoris, n. gen. for Caulotops cyaneipennis Reuter, new comb. (as the type species) and the new species L. mexicanus, n. sp.; Nigrotomocoris n. gen. for Caulotops nigrus Carvalho (as the type species), n. comb.; C. tibiopallidus Carvalho, n. comb.; and the new species N. keltoni, n. sp. and N. longirostris, n. sp.; and Schaffnerocoris, n. gen., for S. fuscotibialis, n. sp. (as the type species), S. pallipes, n. sp., and S. similis, n. sp. Lectotypes are designated for Caulotops agavis Reuter, Caulotops cyaneipennis Reuter, and Caulotops puncticollis Bergroth, and a neotype is designated for Eccritotarsus platensis Berg. Each genus and species is diagnosed and described; habitus images, illustration of male genitalia and selected female genitalia, and keys to genera and species are provided; and host use and the unique genitalic systems of these taxa are discussed. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 22 taxa and 39 characters, resulted in three trees supporting the monophyly of the four new genera proposed in this study.

Mesquite bugs, other insects, and a bat in the diet of pallid bats in southeastern Arizona.

The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) is a species of western North America, inhabiting ecoregions ranging from desert to oak and pine forest. They are primarily insectivorous predators on large arthropods that occasionally take small vertebrate prey, and are at least seasonally omnivorous in certain parts of their geographic range where they take nectar from cactus flowers and eat cactus fruit pulp and seeds. Until recently, mesquite bugs were primarily tropical-subtropical inhabitants of Mexico and Central America but have since occupied the southwestern United States where mesquite trees occur. Using a noninvasive method, we investigated the bats' diet at the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve, Arizona, by collecting food parts discarded beneath three night roosts in soil-piping cavities in a mesquite bosque. We also made phenological and behavioral observations of mesquite bugs, Thasus neocalifornicus, and their interactions with the mesquite trees. We determined that the bats discarded inedible parts of 36 species in 8 orders of mainly large-bodied and nocturnal insects below the night-roosts. In addition, one partial bat wing represents probable predation upon a phyllostomid bat, Choeronycteris mexicana. About 17 of the insect taxa are newly reported as prey for pallid bats, as is the bat C. mexicana. The majority of culled insect parts (88%) were from adult mesquite bugs. Mesquite bug nymphs did not appear in the culled insect parts. After breeding in late summer, when nighttime low temperatures dropped below 21 °C, the adult bugs became immobile on the periphery of trees where they probably make easy prey for opportunistic foliage-gleaning pallid bats. Proximity of night-roosts to mesquite bug habitat probably also enhances the bats' exploitation of these insects in this location.

New genus and two new species of Hyaliodini from the Philippines (Miridae, Deraeocorinae).

Philicoris, a new genus of the mirid subfamily Deraeocorinae, tribe Hyaliodini, is described from the Philippines. New species Philicorismayon sp. n. and Philicorispalali sp. n. from the island of Luzon are documented with photographic images of the dorsal habitus and male genital structures.

LepNet: The Lepidoptera of North America Network.

The Lepidoptera of North America Network, or LepNet, is a digitization effort recently launched to mobilize biodiversity data from 3 million specimens of butterflies and moths in United States natural history collections (http://www.lep-net.org/). LepNet was initially conceived as a North American effort but the project seeks collaborations with museums and other organizations worldwide. The overall goal is to transform Lepidoptera specimen data into readily available digital formats to foster global research in taxonomy, ecology and evolutionary biology.

A review of the genus Spanagonicus Berg (Hemiptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Nasocorini) with the description of novel antennal characters, the description of a new species from Central America, and a key to currently known taxa.

The New World genus Spanagonicus Berg, 1883 is reviewed. A new species, Spanagonicus schusterus sp. nov. is described from Central America. A key to all known species, as well as redescriptions for all species but S. tiquiensis Carvalho & Carpintero (which was unavailable for inspection), are provided. Characterization of the sexual dimorphism, morphology, and possible function of the newly discovered spatulate setae on the ventral surface of male antennae is also discussed. Color digital habitus images and genitalic illustrations are provided for both male and female specimens of Spanagonicus. Scanning electron and transmission electron micrographs of the second antennal segment of male and female specimens of S. albofasciatus are also included.

Total-evidence phylogenetic analysis and reclassification of the Phylinae (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae), with the recognition of new tribes and subtribes and a redefinition of Phylini.

The subfamily Phylinae (Heteroptera: Miridae) is one of the largest subfamilies of plant bugs and in the most recent classification comprised six tribes: Pilophorini, Hallodapini, Auricillocorini, Phylini, Pronotocrepini, and Leucophoropterini. Phylogenetic analyses of the subfamily using dynamic homology (POY), parsimony (TNT), and model-based (RAxML) methods are presented. A dataset comprising both morphological and molecular characters (16S, 18S, 28S, and COI-COII) was assembled for taxon samples of 164 ingroup and nine outgroup taxa. A reclassification of the subfamily based on the POY analysis is presented, recognizing nine tribes and nine subtribes. The Auricillocorini is synonymized with the Hallodapini and the Pronotocrepini with the Cremnorrhini; the Phylini was found to be polyphyletic and is redefined; the Semiini and Nasocorini are resurrected and redefined; and the Decomiini and Coatonocapsiniare presented as new tribes. The Hallodapini, rather than the Pilophorini, was found to be the sister-group to the remaining Phylinae.

Mitochondrial haplotypic diversity of pine cone beetles (Scolytinae: Conophthorus) collected on food sources.

Conophthorus Hopkins attack, oviposit, and feed in immature cones of many pine (Pinus) species. They are a serious pest of pine seed orchards and can destroy up to 100% of the cone crop. Beetles can plague orchards over many years because emerging beetles tend to attack cones of the same or a nearby tree. However, fluctuating pine cone production suggests that beetles may disperse from their natal tree stand to find second-year cones for oviposition. These dispersal behaviors may influence population level genetic diversity, that is, populations may exhibit low or high diversity. In this study, we assess the mitochondrial haplotypic diversity among 10 populations of Conophthorus representing four species. Furthermore, the haplotypic diversities are compared with published haplotypic diversities of other scolytine species to assess the influence of fluctuating food resources on Conophthorus haplotype diversity. Conophthorus haplotypic diversity ranged between 13 and 70%, which was similar to population level haplotypic diversities of other scolytines. The tendency of the emerging brood to reinfest the same tree has little influence on haplotype composition of populations and haplotype diversity is likely more influenced by beetles in search of pine cones.