Chromosome-level genome assembly of Oriental chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus).

Dryocosmus kuriphilus, commonly known as the chestnut gall wasp, belongs to the family Cynipidae and is native to China. It is a highly invasive insect species causing serious damage to chestnut trees and has rapidly spread to various continents, including Europe, North America, and Oceania. The D. kuriphilus has become one of the important pests of chestnut plants in the world and is listed as a quarantine object by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). In this study, we used PacBio long reads, Illumina short reads, and Hi-C sequencing data to construct a chromosome-level assembly of the D. kuriphilus genome. The assembled genome includes 14,729 contigs with a total length of 2.28 Gb and a contig N50 of 0.8 Mb. With Hi-C technology, 2.17 Gb (95.02%) of contigs were anchored and oriented into the 10 pseudochromosomes with the scaffold N50 of 198.8 Mb and the scaffold N90 of 158.8 Mb. In total, 24,086 protein-coding genes were predicted in the assembled D. kuriphilus genome as the reference gene set. A total of 1.82 Gb repeats (occupying 79.7% of the genome), including 1.42 Gb of transposable elements and 0.40 Gb of tandem repeats, were identified in D. kuriphilus genome. In the evaluation of completeness, the BUSCO analysis determined a level of 98.1% completeness for the assembled genome sequences based on the Insecta database (OrthoDB version 10). The high-quality genome assembly of D. kuriphilus will not only provide a valuable reference for the study of its evolutionary history and genetic structure but also facilitate the research of host-pest interactions and invasiveness. Moreover, this genome assembly will promote in the development of effective management strategies to mitigate the economic and ecological impacts of this invasive pest on chestnut trees and ecosystems.

A new species of Plagiotrochus from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) galling on Quercus glauce (Fagaceae).

A new gall wasp species, Plagiotrochus hepingensis sp. n. is described from Hunan Province, China that forms integral galls on the central vein on the abaxial leaf blade surface of Quercus (Cyclobalanopsis) glauca (Fagaceae). The morphological characters of the new species are described and photographed and data on the diagnosis, distribution, and biology are given. Additionally, a specific region of the COI gene was amplified using the primers HCO-2198 and LCO-1490 and compared for both the new species and Plagiotrochus masudai Ide, Wachi Abe.

First report of the Old World leafhopper genus Olidiana McKamey (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from Pakistan with description of a new species.

The genus Olidiana McKamey, 2006 is reported for the first time from Pakistan based on the new species Olidiana pakistanica sp. nov. Photographic illustrations and a description are provided for the habitus and male genitalia of this new species. A partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) sequence is also provided.

Transcriptome Profile Changes Associated With Heat Shock Reaction in the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae.

The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae has been used for control of soil insects. However, S. carpocapse is sensitive to environmental factors, particularly temperature. We studied an S. carpocapse group that was shocked with high temperature. We also studied the transcriptome-level responses associated with temperature stress using a BGIseq sequencing platform. We de novo assembled the reads from the treatment and control groups into one transcriptome consisting of 43.9 and 42.9 million clean reads, respectively. Based on the genome database, we aligned the clean reads to the Nr, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases and analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Compared with the control, the heat-shocked group had significant differential expression of the heat shock protein (HSP) family, antioxidase [glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)], monooxygenase (P450), and transcription factor genes (DAF-16 and DAF-2). These DEGs were demonstrated to be part of the Longevity pathway and insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway. The results revealed the potential mechanisms, at the transcriptional level, of S. carpocapsae under thermal stress.

One new genus and three new species in the leafhopper tribe Coelidiini from the Neotropical Region (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Coelidiinae).

One new leafhopper genus Paracodilia gen. n. with one new species P.geniculata sp. n., and two other new species in different genera, Bolivielaexpanda and Armaturolidiasymmetrica spp. n., are described in the tribe Coelidiini (Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from the Neotropical region. Photographs and illustrations are provided.

Four new species of tribe Coelidiini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from the Afrotropical Region.

Three new species from Republic of the Congo, Brasura sinistra, B. piscinura and Tialidia hama spp. nov., and one new species Limentinus declinatus sp. nov. from Madagascar are described and illustrated in this paper.

Five new species of the leafhopper genus Thagria Melichar (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from China.

Five new species of genus Thagria are described, illustrated and photographed: T. gansuensis sp. nov., T. menglana sp. nov., T. melanoloma sp. nov., T. incurvata sp. nov., and T. crena sp. nov.