Roger N. Williams

First Record of Hesperomyces virescens Thaxter (Laboulbeniales: Ascomycetes) on Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The laboulbenialean fungus Hesperomyces virescens Thaxter (1891) is reported here for the first time parasitizing the infamous multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Laboulbeniales (Ascomycetes) are obligate parasites of arthropods and receive their nutrition through a haustorium, which penetrates the cuticle (Evans, 1988). Weir and Hammond (1997) demonstrated that among the Insecta a wide range of taxa serve as hosts with approximately 80% of all known Laboulbeniales recorded from Coleoptera. Approximately 25% of the Laboulbeniales have been reported as ectoparasites of Staphylinidae and another 25% attacking Carabidae. In the UK, Weir and Beakes (1996) reported Hesperomyces virescens from two species of coccinellids, Adalia bipunctata (L.) and Olla v-nigrum (Mulsant). The species H. virescens is described as one of the few among the Laboulbeniales in which the haustoria form several narrow branches radiating out into the body cavity (Batra, 1979). Kamburov et al. (1967) found that H. virescens caused premature mortality of the coccinellid, Chilocorus bipustulatus L. in Israel where this lady beetle is an important predator of several different citrus scales (Homoptera: Diaspididae). This paper reports H. virescens as a parasite of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), an important lady beetle predator and a noteworthy contaminant of wine. This ladybug caused the demise of hundreds of thousands of liters of wine due to a disagreeable odor and bitter flavor the beetles impart to the wine (Lawrason, 2003; Williams, 2003).

The hymenopterous parasites of Nitidulidae

The known information on hymenopterous parasites of Nitidulidae was consolidated in this article. Species of parasites, nitidulid hosts and, where possible, plant host of the nitidulids are provided along with citations to sources of information. Thirty-three species of hymenopterous parasites are recorded in nine different families. Since nomenclature of several of the parasites has changed, it was updated with the assistance of specialists.

Seasonal abundance of sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in date plantations in Israel

Seasonal abundance of nitidulid beetles infesting date plantations in Israel was studied through captures of adults in traps.Carpophilus mutilatus andC. hemipterus were found throughout autumn, winter and spring; in the summer their populations declined considerably.Urophorus humeralis predominated during the summer whileHaptoncus luteolus was most abundant during late summer and autumn. Damage to ripening fruit by sap beetles is apparently inflicted mainly byH. luteolus andU. humeralis.

High light intensity: a critical factor in the wind-tunnel flight of two scarabs, the rose chafer and Japanese beetle.

We analyzed the flight of the rose chafer Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.) (Melolonthinae: Scarabaeidae) and the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica Newman (Rutelinae: Scarabaeidae) in a wind tunnel with controlled humidity, temperature, light, and airflow. The data indicate that an optimum combination of light and temperature dramatically improves their response to lures. Both species took off upwind, oriented to, and contacted the odor source well (40–60%) when light intensity was >50% of a clear day, temperature was 26–27°C, and relative humidity was 65–75%.

Development of an attractant for the scarab pest Macrodactylus subspinosus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Abstract Field trials were conducted over several seasons to determine the attractant most successful in luring adult rose chafers, Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.), to traps. During the first season, 20 compounds were compared with the standard lure, valeric acid + hexanoic acid + octyl butyrate (1:1:1). The two new standards established that season were: valeric acid + 1-nonanol (1:1); and valeric acid + hexanoic acid + octyl butyrate + 1-nonanol (1:1:1:1). The following season, 36 compounds were evaluated, comparing them to the new standards. The performance of the standard binary lure valeric acid + 1-nonanol was improved when the alcohol 1-nonanol was replaced by its analog trans-2-nonenol and this was confirmed during the third season. At the same time, a second test was conducted with 29 new candidates, which were combined with valeric acid and compared with the standard: valeric acid + hexanoic acid + octyl butyrate + 1-nonanol (1:1:1:1). A control and the single compound alpha-ionone were included, resulting in the discovery of a new more powerful attractant, alpha-ionone. Testing of alpha-ionone continued the following season, at which time the initial leading candidate and new ones containing trans-2-nonenol were tested against the single attractant alpha-ionone and various combinations of it. A new five-component mixture of valeric acid, hexanoic acid, octyl butyrate, trans-2-nonenol, and alpha-ionone out performed all other lure combinations.

Efficacy of Carpophilus aggregation pheromones on nine species in northeastern Ohio, and identification of the pheromone of C. brachypterus

Aggregation pheromones for seven Carpophilus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) species were field tested at a site with a rich nitidulid fauna in Ohio, USA, during the summers of 1992 and 1993. The pheromones used were blends identified for: Carpophilus antiquus (Melsheimer), C. brachypterus (Say), C. freemani Dobson, C. hemipterus (L.), C. lugubris Murray, C. mutilatus Erichson, and C. obsoletus Erichson. Each pheromone was used in conjunction with whole wheat bread dough, an effective co‐attractant. The pheromone of C. brachypterus Say was identified during the course of this study and was also tested; males emitted a 100:6:11:4:3 blend of (2E, 4E, 6E, 8E)‐3, 5, 7‐trimethyl‐2, 4, 6, 8‐decatetraene, (2E, 4E, 6E, 8E)‐3, 5, 7‐trimethyl‐2, 4, 6, 8‐undecatetraene, (2E, 4E, 6E, 8E)‐7‐ethyl‐3, 5‐dimethyl‐2, 4, 6, 8‐decatetraene, (3E, 5E, 7E, 9E)‐4, 6, 8‐trimethyl‐3, 5, 7, 9‐undecatetraene and (2E, 4E, 6E, 8E)‐7‐ethyl‐3, 5‐dimethyl‐2, 4, 6, 8‐undecatetraene, respectively. All species responded favorably to their own pheromones with the exception of C. obsoletus, which was not present in this area. Strong mutual cross attraction was observed between C. brachypterus and C. hemipterus. In addition, C. lugubris responded to the pheromones of C. obsoletus and C. hemipterus and, more weakly, to those of C. freemani and C. brachypterus; C. freemani responded slightly to the pheromone of C. mutilatus; and C. antiquus responded to the pheromone of C. lugubris. In most cases, cross attraction was related to the species involved sharing pheromone components. For C. antiquus, however, the response to the C. lugubris pheromone was apparently kairomonal. C. corticinus, C. marginatus, C. marginellus, and C. sayi, for which pheromones are not known, were attracted to the pheromone of C. lugubris and in some cases to other pheromones. Significant numbers of Colopterus spp. responded to the blends for C. lugubris, C. hemipterus, C. brachypterus, and probably, C. obsoletus.

Aggregation and Male Attraction to Feeding Virgin Females in Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Abstract In several field assays, Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.) adults were significantly more attracted to feeding adult conspecifics than to any other treatment; males were more attracted to feeding virgin females than feeding field-collected (i.e., mated) females. Alternative treatments among the experiments included plant material, artificially damaged plant material, screened artificially damaged plant material + adults, virgin females, mating adults, field-collected males, and field-collected females. Repeated-measures experiments in laboratory bioassays indicated that wild grape leaf disks damaged and treated with beetle regurgitant were no more attractive than unaltered or artificially damaged disks; however, the treatments that had been fed upon first attracted significantly more beetles than those that had been fed upon subsequently. Beetles were never observed “calling”, and scanning electron microscopy did not reveal cuticle pores as in some scarabs. We conclude that the act of feeding causes the immediate release of plant volatiles that act with normal levels of plant volatile release to increase adult attraction. Furthermore, virgin females enhance male attraction over mated females by causing the release of either female-based or plant-based volatiles. RESUMEN En varios experimentos de capturas de campo, adultos de la especie Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.) fueron significativamente más atraídos hacia aquellos adultos que estaban alimentándose que hacia los otros tratamientos. Los machos fueron más atraidos hacia las hembras virgenes que estaban alimentándose que hacia las hembras colectadas en el campo que tambien estaban alimentándose. Los otros tratamientos fueron tejido de planta, tejido de planta con daño artificial, tejido de planta con daño artificial protegido con tela antimosquito + adultos, hembras virgenes, adultos fértiles, machos colectados en el campo (i.e., fértiles), y hembras colectadas en el campo. Los experimentos de laboratorio indicaron que discos de hoja de uva silvestre, dañados y cubiertos con rejurgitado del escarabajo no fueron más atrayentes que discos inalterados o artificialmente dañados; sin embargo, los tratamientos en que los adultos fueron alimentados primero atrajeron considerablemente más escarabajos que aquellos en que los adultos fueron alimentados al final. Se podría concluir que el acto de herbivoria induce la liberacion immediata de volatiles de plantas que son atractivas a conspecificos e induce a las hembras a producir compuestos que actuan con los volatiles de la plantas para atraer mas machos.

Nitidulidae (Coleoptera) Found in Flowers of Calycanthus floridus Linnaeus (Laurales: Calycanthaceae) in Northeastern Ohio, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Attractiveness of sweet shrub flowers, Calycanthus floridus Linnaeus, to species of Nitidulidae was determined from collections made May to mid-July (1991–2004) at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) of the Ohio State University and surrounding areas. A total of 2064 nitidulids were collected, representing 17 species and 9 genera. The most abundant nitidulids collected at OARDC were Carpophilus lugubris Murray (56%), Colopterus truncatus (Randall) (20%) and Carpophilus brachypterus (Say) (15%). The most common nitidulids collected in the surrounding areas were C. truncatus (56%) followed by C. lugubris (28%). The remaining nitidulid species in both areas represented less than 7% of the specimens collected. Our data show a diversity of nitidulid species attracted to C. floridus flowers, with two species accounting for nearly 80% of the nitidulids associated with Calycanthus.

Evaporation Rates of a Five-Component Attractant for the Rose Chafer (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

The attractant developed for the rose chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus (F.), is composed of pentanoic acid (valeric acid), hexanoic acid, octyl butanoate (octyl butyrate), trans-2-nonen-1-ol and a...