Blowflies are potential vector for avian influenza virus at enzootic area in Japan.

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) poses a significant threat to both domestic and wild birds globally. The avian influenza virus, known for environmental contamination and subsequent oral infection in birds, necessitates careful consideration of alternative introduction routes during HPAI outbreaks. This study focuses on blowflies (genus Calliphora), in particular Calliphora nigribarbis, attracted to decaying animals and feces, which migrate to lowland areas of Japan from northern or mountainous regions in early winter, coinciding with HPAI season. Our investigation aims to delineate the role of blowflies as HPAI vectors by conducting a virus prevalence survey in a wild bird HPAI-enzootic area. In December 2022, 648 Calliphora nigribarbis were collected. Influenza virus RT-PCR testing identified 14 virus-positive samples (2.2% prevalence), with the highest occurrence observed near the crane colony (14.9%). Subtyping revealed the presence of H5N1 and HxN1 in some samples. Subsequent collections in December 2023 identified one HPAI virus-positive specimen from 608 collected flies in total, underscoring the potential involvement of blowflies in HPAI transmission. Our observations suggest C. nigribarbis may acquire the HPAI virus from deceased wild birds directly or from fecal materials from infected birds, highlighting the need to add blowflies as a target of HPAI vector control.

Extinction Threat to a Previously Undescribed Species of Gall Wasp (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and Two Associated Parasitoid Species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae and Eulophidae) on a Threatened Rose.

Diplolepis ogawai Abe and Ide sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) induces galls on Rosa hirtula (Regel) Nakai (Rosales: Rosaceae), which is endemic to a restricted area of Honshu, the main island of Japan. The gall is induced mainly on the leaf of R. hirtula in spring and the mature gall falls to the ground in early summer. The gall-inducing wasp emerges from the gall on the ground in the following spring, suggesting that D. ogawai is univoltine. From spring to summer, the braconid Syntomernus flavus Samartsev and Ku and the eulophid Aprostocetus sp. are parasitic on the larva of D. ogawai in the gall, and the adult wasp of both parasitoid species emerges from the gall on the ground in summer. For S. flavus, this is the first distribution record in Japan and the first host record. Since R. hirtula is threatened with extinction by succession and deforestation, D. ogawai and its two parasitoid wasp species are considered to be at risk of coextinction with the threatened rose. In the event that the population size of this rose species is further reduced, D. ogawai and its parasitoids may -become extinct prior to the extinction of R. hirtula. To conserve these three wasp species associated with R. hirtula, protection of remnant vegetation where individuals of this threatened rose species grow is necessary.

Contradictory effects of leaf rolls in a leaf-mining weevil.

Leaf rolls by herbivorous insects evolved in various lepidopteran groups, aphids, and some attelabid weevil species. Leaf rolls are known to have a positive effect on the survival of immature insects, protecting them from natural enemies such as birds, ants, predatory wasps, and parasitoids as well as environmental stress. On the other hand, leaf rolls are considered to have a negative effect on immature survival, attracting natural enemies because of their noticeability and subsequent learning or specialization. In this study, we directly tested the effects of leaf rolls using an attelabid species by comparing the fate of immature insects between artificial leaf rolls and unrolled leaves. The results showed the following positive effects of leaf rolls: avoidance of parasitism by eulophid wasps and avoidance of egg predation by unknown predators. On the other hand, a negative effect of leaf rolls was also detected, specifically and increase in mortality via leaf roll herbivory. This study indicated that leaf shelters are not only protective refuges but are also sometimes risky hiding places, although total survival rates increased in leaf shelters.

A revision of Japanese Torymus Dalman (Hymenoptera: Torymidae).

The species of Torymus Dalman (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) from Japan are revised, of which the following 14 species are newly described: Torymus achyranthii n. sp., T. aciculatus n. sp., T. acutissimus n. sp., T. angustitemple n. sp., T. brevicaudatus n. sp., T. hirtipennis n. sp., T. macrops n. sp., T. matsunagae n. sp., T. minamii n. sp., T. quernus n. sp., T. rugosus n. sp., T. sasae n. sp., T. sawadai n. sp., and T. wanggyui n. sp. In addition, T. cerri (Mayr), T. fuscicornis (Walker), T. nitidulus (Walker), and T. rosariae Graham and Gijswijt are newly recorded from Japan. A key to species of the Japanese Torymus based on female characteristics is provided.

Egg parasitoids of the tea green leafhopper Empoascaonukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Japan, with description of a new species of Anagrus (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae).

Fairyfly (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) egg parasitoids of the tea green leafhopper Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii Matsuda (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), an economically important pest in Asia of the tea plant, Camelliasinensis, were identified from specimens reared in Japan. Using a combination of genetic and morphological evidence, Anagrus (Anagrus) rugmanjonesi Triapitsyn & Adachi-Hagimori, sp. n., is described and illustrated. It is shown to be different from the most similar A.turpanicus Triapitsyn & Hu, an egg parasitoid of a leafhopper pest of cultivated grapes which is known from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data provide clear evidence for the separation of A.rugmanjonesi from A.turpanicus and other members of the Anagrusincarnatus Haliday species complex. A key to females of the Japanese species of Anagrus Haliday is given. Two other species of Mymaridae, Aresconenocki (Subba Rao & Kaur) and Stethyniumempoascae Subba Rao, are also identified, albeit the latter one only tentatively. Both latter taxa are newly recorded from Japan, and E.onukii represents their new host association.

Discovery of a New Species of Telenomus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) Parasitic on Eggs of Bombyx mandarina and Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) in Japan and Taiwan.

We reared a Telenomus species from eggs of Bombyx mandarina (Moore) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) in Japan, and from eggs of B. mandarina in Taiwan. Morphological examination revealed that this Telenomus species is new to science. In this article, we describe it as Telenomus moricolus Matsuo et Hirose, sp. nov. Because B. mandarina is considered to be an ancestor of B. mori, a domestic insect, it is reasonable to assume that B. mandarina is an original host of T. moricolus. This is the second discovery of an egg parasitoid attacking wild and domesticated silkworms, following the first discovery of T. theophilae, a Chinese species. The significance of the discovery of T. moricolus is discussed in relation to examining the effects of host-insect domestication on egg parasitism.

Descriptions of two new species of Platygaster Latreille that attack gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) with notes on their biology (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae).

Platygaster ingeniosus Matsuo & Yamagishi, sp. n. and P. urniphila Matsuo & Yamagishi, sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) are described from Japan. The former species is an egg-larval solitary parasitoid of Masakimyia pustulae Yukawa and Sunose (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). The latter species is an egg-larval gregarious parasitoid of Rhopalomyia longitubifex (Shinji) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae).

Description of a new species of Aphanogmus Thomson (Hymenoptera, Ceraphronidae) that parasitizes acarivorous gall midges of Feltiella (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in Japan.

In 2008-2009, we reared small ceraphronids (about 0.5 mm in body length) from cocoons that had been made possibly by two acarivorous species, Feltiella acarisuga (Vallot) and Feltiella acarivora (Zehntner) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Okinawa, Japan. Detailed morphological observation revealed that the ceraphronid was a new species of Aphanogmus Thomson (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronidae). We describe it as Aphanogmus flavigastris Matsuo, sp. n. Identification of the Aphanogmus species is essential to evaluate its possibly negative effects on the predatory activity of Feltiella species that have been used as control agents against tetranychid mites.

Description, host range and distribution of a new Macrodiplosis species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) that induces leaf-margin fold galls on deciduous Quercus (Fagaceae) with comparative notes on Palaearctic congeners.

A gall midge that induces upwardly folded leaf-margin galls on Quercus serrata, Q. mongolica and Q. dentata (Fagaceae) in Japan and South Korea is described as Macrodiplosis selenis sp. n. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). M. selenis is distinguished from Palaearctic congeners by a combination of morphological characters. Genetic differences supported the result of morphological comparison and indicated that M. selenis is closely related to the European M. roboris, whose gall is similar to that of M. selenis.

An endoparasitoid avoids hyperparasitism by manipulating immobile host herbivore to modify host plant morphology.

Many parasitic organisms have an ability to manipulate their hosts to increase their own fitness. In parasitoids, behavioral changes of mobile hosts to avoid or protect against predation and hyperparasitism have been intensively studied, but host manipulation by parasitoids associated with endophytic or immobile hosts has seldom been investigated. We examined the interactions between a gall inducer Masakimyia pustulae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and its parasitoids. This gall midge induces dimorphic leaf galls, thick and thin types, on Euonymus japonicus (Celastraceae). Platygaster sp. was the most common primary parasitoid of M. pustulae. In galls attacked by Platygaster sp., whole gall thickness as well as thicknesses of upper and lower gall wall was significantly larger than unparasitized galls, regardless of the gall types, in many localities. In addition, localities and tree individuals significantly affected the thickness of gall. Galls attacked by Platygaster sp. were seldom hyperparasitized in the two gall types. These results strongly suggest that Platygaster sp. manipulates the host plant's development to avoid hyperparasitism by thickening galls.