The Pylus complex sensu Opitz revisited (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Korynetinae): non-homogeneity of its genera addressed by alternative species-assignment hypothesis.

Apparent superficial non-homogeneity of species assigned to the genera Apopylus Kolib, Fallopylus Opitz and Pylus Newman prompted reassessment of genus characters and species assignment of those genera plus Parapylus Blackburn and Pseudopylus Opitz, all of which were defined by Opitz (2015) primarily on the number of tibial spurs. Morphological investigation resulted in discovery of suites of correlating character state pairs providing more robust evidence for monophyly of the genera under study than tibial spurs alone. On this basis, genus definitions were revised, and species assigned accordingly to the newly defined genera. Taxonomic changes proposed include synonymy of Fallopylus Opitz, 2012 new synonym and Pseudopylus Opitz, 2012 new synonym with Pylus Newman, 1841, plus the following new combinations: Apopylus astrictus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Fallopylus); Apopylus creperus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Fallopylus); Apopylus leptofustus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Fallopylus); Apopylus redactus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Fallopylus); Pylus apterus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Pseudopylus); Pylus cavus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Fallopylus); Pylus cruslumus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Apopylus); Pylus kolibaci (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Apopylus); Pylus nactus (Opitz, 2015) new combination (transferred from Apopylus). Pylus okei Elston, 1929 and Pylus pallipes Macleay, 1872 are returned to their original combinations from Apopylus and Fallopylus respectively. In addition to evidence for the monophyly of genera being based on more robust lines of morphological evidence, the newly defined genera are also more obviously homogenous, with superficially similar looking insects now grouped together.

Clarification of ambiguous genus records for Australian Cleridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea).

The status of the genera Balcus Sharp, Gastrocentrum Gorham, Korynetes Herbst, Solervicensia Barr, Monophylla Spinola and Thanasimus Latreille in Australia is assessed based on review of dubious or ambiguous published Australian records of the following species-group taxa: Balcus violaceus (Fabricius), a New Zealand species listed as Australian by Schenkling (1906); Gastrocentrum dux (Westwood), described from Australia by Westwood (1853); Korynetes abdominalis (Fabricius), an Indian species listed as Australian by Schenkling (1906); Korynetes coeruleus (De Geer), a Palearctic species with a synonym, Corynetes unicolor Chevrolat, 1876, described from Australia; Monophylla terminata (Say), a North American species with a synonym, Elasmocerus picticollis Blackburn, 1901, described from Australia; Solervicensia ovata (Spinola), a South American species with two synonyms (one newly proposed) described from Australia, viz. Labasiella duboulayi Pic, 1950, and Korynetes nigrosignatus Pic, 1941 new synonym; and Thanasimus dubius (Fabricius), a North American species introduced to Australia for the biological control of Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff) (Scolytinae). All six of the abovementioned genera are deemed absent from Australia due to the lack of evidence for the occurrence of representative species within the Australian political region.

Australian Opilonini (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) part I: A revised taxonomy for Australian Opilo Latreille including descriptions of new genera and species.

The species- and genus-level taxonomy of Australian species assigned to Opilo Latreille is assessed and revised in the context of a morphological species concept. Australian species are deemed not congeneric with Opilo mollis (Linnaeus), the type species of Opilo Latreille. Species are grouped into genera by degree of difference observed in states of the tegmen, median lobe, antennal scape, basitarsi, hindwing, elytral striae and pronotal disc. Examination of 1,259 specimens resulted in recognition of 6 genera and 44 species, 36 of which are new to science. The following new genera are proposed: Ancyropilus gen. nov.; Culcipternulus gen. nov.; Infectostriatus gen. nov.; Monilonotum gen. nov.; Notopilo gen. nov.; Platynotum gen. nov.. Three infraspecific taxa described as 'varieties', viz, Opilo congruus var. abdominalis Schenkling, 1901, Notoxus congruus var. femoralis Westwood, 1849 and Opilo pascoei var. doddi Schenkling, 1906, are elevated to species status, with Opilo abdominalis (occupied by Opilo abdominalis Fairmaire, 1891) requiring a replacement name. The 44 species recognised in this revision are: Ancyropilus brigalowae sp. nov.; Ancyropilus emmotti sp. nov.; Ancyropilus exossuarius sp. nov.; Ancyropilus hornensis sp. nov.; Ancyropilus labris sp. nov.; Ancyropilus monteithi sp. nov.; Ancyropilus noonbahensis sp. nov.; Ancyropilus packsaddlensis sp. nov.; Ancyropilus simplex sp. nov.; Ancyropilus tricolor sp. nov.; Culcipternulus mareebensis sp. nov.; Infectostriatus absentis sp. nov.; Infectostriatus differens sp. nov.; Monilonotum bunyense sp. nov.; Monilonotum doddi (Schenkling, 1906) stat. rev., comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Monilonotum eburneocincta (Gorham, 1878) comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Monilonotum pascoei (Gorham, 1876) comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Monilonotum rufiventre (Gerstmeier, 1990) comb. nov. (transferred from Olesterus); Monilonotum sundholmi sp. nov.; Notopilo beswickensis sp. nov.; Notopilo brevistriatus sp. nov.; Notopilo calicis sp. nov.; Notopilo cambageicola sp. nov.; Notopilo confusus sp. nov.; Notopilo congruus (Newman) comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Notopilo elstoni sp. nov.; Notopilo eremosus sp. nov.; Notopilo gerstmeieri sp. nov.; Notopilo interfabulatus sp. nov.; Notopilo katherinensis sp. nov.; Notopilo lawnhillensis sp. nov.; Notopilo magnus sp. nov.; Notopilo obesus sp. nov.; Notopilo reduncus stat, rev., nom. nov. (replacement name for Opilo abdominalis Schenkling, 1901); Notopilo tanybasilaris sp. nov.; Notopilo tompricensis sp. nov.; Notopilo variipes (Chevrolat) comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Notopilo xanthoimprocerus sp. nov.; Notopilo xanthoprolatus sp. nov.; Platynotum bulli sp. nov.; Platynotum culgoense sp. nov.; Platynotum femorale (Westwood) stat. rev., comb. nov. (transferred from Opilo); Platynotum foveosetosa sp. nov.; Platynotum gracile sp. nov.. The available names Opilus congruus Newman, 1842 and Opilus femoralis Westwood, 1849, are respectively corrected to Opilo congruus Newman, 1842 and Opilo femoralis Westwood, 1849 in accordance with Article 11.9.3.2 of the Code (ICZN 1999). Lectotypes are designated for Opilo abdominalis Schenkling, 1901, Opilo congruus Newman, 1842, Opilo femoralis Westwood, 1849, Opilo variipes Chevrolat, Opilo doddi Schenkling, 1906 and Opilo pascoei Gorham, 1876.

Menieroclerus gen. nov.: A new genus for Thanasimodes nigropiceus (Kuwert, 1893) (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae).

Opilo nigropiceus Kuwert was described from a specimen collected in Bagamoyo on the north coast of Tanzania, though the description was devoid of informative morphological detail (Kuwert 1893). Without comment, Schenkling (1915) transferred O. nigropiceus to Thanasimodes Murray, a genus erected by Murray (1867) for a single specimen from 'Old Calabar' (south Nigeria) described as Thanasimodes metallicus Murray. Thanasimodes presently contains ten species and is distributed widely throughout Africa, from South Africa to the northernmost countries (Corporaal 1950; Gerstmeier 1998).

New synonymies for Australian Cleridae (Coleoptera).

The following synonymies are proposed based on examination of primary types (lectotypes are designated for all taxa except those marked with a '*'): Lemidia spinnipennis Lea, 1907 syn. n. and Lemidia bicolor Schenkling, 1906 syn. n. = Lemidia biaculeata (Westwood); Lemidia mastersi Lea, 1907 syn. n. = Lemidia circumcincta Schenkling, 1906; Lemidia albonotata Pic, 1941 syn. n. = Lemidia laticeps Lea, 1907; Lemidia australiae Lea, 1907 syn. n. = Lemidia maculata Schenkling, 1902; Lemidia bilineatra Lea, 1907 syn. n. = Lemidia maculicollis Gorham, 1877; Lemidia decolor Pic, 1941 syn. n. = Lemidia munda Blackburn, 1892; *Phlogistus conspiciendus Elston, 1926 syn. n. = Mimolesterus ventralis (Westwood); Thanasimus cursorius Westwood, 1853 syn. n. and Stigmatium dispar Kuwert, 1894 syn. n. = Stigmatium acerbum (Newman); Stigmatium fasciatoventre Chevrolat, 1874 syn. n., Stigmatium flavescens Chevrolat, 1874 syn. n. and *Xestonotus eximius Kuwert, 1894 syn. n. = Stigmatium laevium Macleay, 1872; Stigmatium versipelle Gorham, 1876 syn. n. and Xestonotus (Cyclotomocerus) australicus Kuwert, 1894 syn. n. = Stigmatium varipes Chevrolat, 1876; Tarsostenus pulcher Macleay, 1872 syn. n. = *Tarsostenus carus (Newman, 1840). The available name Tarsosternus pulcher Macleay, 1872 is deemed a lapsus calami and emended to Tarsostenus pulcher Macleay, 1872.

Field assessments of control agents for lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using litter sampling.

Spinosad, diatomaceous earth, and cyfluthrin were assessed on two broiler farms at Gleneagle and Gatton in southeastern Queensland, Australia in 2004-2005 and 2007-2009, respectively to determine their effectiveness in controlling lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Insecticide treatments were applied mostly to earth or 'hard' cement floors of broiler houses before the placement of new bedding. Efficacy of each agent was assessed by regular sampling of litter and counting of immature stages and adult beetles, and comparing insect counts in treatments to counts in untreated houses. Generally, the lowest numbers of lesser mealworm were recorded in the house with hard floors, these numbers equalling the most effective spinosad applications. The most effective treatment was a strategic application of spinosad under feed supply lines on a hard floor. In compacted earth floor houses, mean numbers of lesser mealworms for two under-feed-line spinosad treatments (i.e., 2-m-wide application at 0.18 g of active insecticide (g [AI]) in 100-ml water/m2, and 1-m-wide application at 0.11 g ([AI] in 33-ml water/m2), and an entire floor spinosad treatment (0.07 g [AI] in 86-ml water/m2) were significantly lower (i.e., better control) than those numbers for cyfluthrin, and no treatment (controls). The 1-m-wide under-feed-line treatment was the most cost-effective dose, providing similar control to the other two most effective spinosad treatments, but using less than half the active component per broiler house. No efficacy was demonstrated when spinosad was applied to the surface of bedding in relatively large volumes of water. All applications of diatomaceous earth, applied with and without spinosad, and cyfluthrin at the label rate of 0.02 g (AI)/100-ml water/m2 showed no effect, with insect counts not significantly different to untreated controls. Overall, the results of this field assessment indicate that cyfluthrin (the Australian industry standard) and diatomaceous earth were ineffective on these two farms and that spinosad can be a viable alternative for broiler house use.

Bush Blitz aids description of three new species and a new genus of Australian beeflies (Diptera, Bombyliidae, Exoprosopini).

Bush Blitz is a three-year multimillion dollar program to document the plants and animals in hundreds of properties across Australia's National Reserve System. The core focus is on nature discovery - identifying and describing new species of plants and animals. The Bush Blitz program has enabled the collection and description of beeflies (Diptera, Bombyliidae) from surveys in Western Australia and Queensland. Three new species of Australian beeflies belonging to the Exoprosopini are described; Palirika mackenziei Lambkin sp. n., Palirika culgoafloodplainensis Lambkin sp. n., and Larrpana bushblitz Lambkin sp. n. Phylogenetic analysis of 40 Australian exoprosopine species belonging to the Balaana generic-group Lambkin & Yeates 2003 supports the placement of the three new species into existing genera, and the erection and description of the new genus Ngalki Lambkin gen. n. for Ngalki trigonium (Lambkin & Yeates 2003) comb. n. Revised keys are provided for the genera of the Australian Balaana genus-group and the species of Palirika Lambkin & Yeates, 2003 and Larrpana Lambkin & Yeates 2003. With the description of the three new species and the transferral of Munjua trigona Lambkin & Yeates 2003 into the new genus Ngalki Lambkin gen. n., three genera are rediagnosed; Munjua Lambkin & Yeates 2003, Palirika and Larrpana.

Factors affecting localized abundance and distribution of lesser mealworm in earth-floor broiler houses in subtropical Australia.

Factors that influence the localized abundance and distribution of lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), in litter of two compacted earth-floor broiler houses in subtropical Australia were studied using various experimental manipulations. Numbers of lesser mealworms substantially increased inside caged areas and under uncaged empty feed pans placed in open areas of the houses. These populations were found to be localized and independent of chicken-feed, manure, and high beetle populations that normally occur under existing feed pans. Substantial horizontal movement of larvae to under feed pans was recorded. Placing metal barriers around these pans significantly restricted this movement. In almost all treatments, lesser mealworms typically peaked in numbers during the middle of the flock time. This temporal pattern of abundance also was observed under pans within barriers, where relatively low insect numbers occurred, but it was not observed in uncaged open areas (where chickens had complete access). It is likely that larvae do not establish in open areas, but fluctuate in numbers as they either move to refuges away from chickens or suffer high rates of mortality. In these refuges, larvae peak in numbers and then leave the litter environment to pupate in the earth floor before the end of the flock time. This behavior might be exploited for management of lesser mealworm by targeting applications of control agents.

Distributions of lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in litter of a compacted earth floor broiler house in subtropical Queensland, Australia.

Distributions of lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), in litter of a compacted earth floor broiler house in southeastern Queensland, Australia, were studied over two flocks. Larvae were the predominant stage recorded. Significantly low densities occurred in open locations and under drinker cups where chickens had complete access, whereas high densities were found under feed pans and along house edges where chicken access was restricted. For each flock, lesser mealworm numbers increased at all locations over the first 14 d, especially under feed pans and along house edges, peaking at approximately 26 d and then declining over the final 28 d. A life stage profile per flock was devised that consisted of the following: beetles emerge from the earth floor at the beginning of each flock, and females lay eggs, producing larvae that peak in numbers at approximately 3 wk; after a further 3 to 4 wk, larvae leave litter to pupate in the earth floor, and beetles then emerge by the end of the flock time. Removing old litter from the brooder section at the end of a flock did not greatly reduce mealworm numbers over the subsequent flock, but it seemed to prevent numbers increasing, while an increase in numbers in the grow-out section was recorded after reusing litter. Areas under feed pans and along house edges accounted for 5% of the total house area, but approximately half the estimated total number of lesser mealworms in the broiler house occurred in these locations. The results of this study will be used to determine optimal deployment of site-specific treatments for lesser mealworm control.