The Bemisia tabaci cryptic (sibling) species group - imperative for a taxonomic reassessment.

The taxonomy of the Bemisia tabaci cryptic species group remains a challenge due to the lack of morphological differentiation and porous species boundaries among its members. Additionally, it is unclear whether B. tabaci consists of several species in evolutionary stasis with limited morphological change or is the result of a recent adaptive radiation characterized by great ecological diversity but little morphological divergence. Here, a historical overview of the development of the nomenclature used to classify B. tabaci is provided covering changes after synonymizing several species in 1957 until recent insights gained from whole-genome sequencing data. The article discusses the limitations of using a 3.5% mtCOI threshold and argues that a 1% nuclear divergence cutoff better reflects ecological and biogeographic species boundaries. Finally, a plan of action is outlined for naming B. tabaci species using a Latin binomial system in accordance with the International Comission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) regulations.

New genera and species of felt scales (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Eriococcidae), with descriptions of new species and immature instars of described species.

In this work, emphasis is placed on the Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) of the Nearctic Region including the immature instars of many species not previously described, two new genera (Carphococcus Miller and Stocks and Ypofloiococcus Miller and Stocks), and 11 new species (Acanthococcus pennyae Miller and Stocks, Carph. apodus Miller and Stocks, Carpochloroides eugeniae Miller and Stocks, Ovaticoccus betsyae Miller and Stocks, Ov. gordoni Miller and Stocks, Ov. haigi Miller and Stocks, Ov. maryfoleybensonae Miller and Stocks, Ov. telotrichus Miller and Stocks, Ov. tuttlei Miller and Stocks, Ov. villanuevorum Miller and Stocks and Y. libeauae Miller and Stocks). In addition to the new taxa, descriptions and illustrations are provided for adult females, adult males and/or immature instars of Ac. arenosus (Cockerell), Ac. coccineus (Cockerell), Ac. dennoi Miller and Miller, Ac. gallicolus (Cockerell & Rohwer), Ac. hoyi Miller and Miller, Ac. kemptoni (Parrott), Apezococcus idiastes Ferris, Carpo. mexicanus Ferris, Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger, Cr. williamsi Kosztarab and Hale, Hypericicoccus hyperici (Ferris), Ov. agavacearum Pellizzari and Kozár, Ov. agavium (Douglas), Ov. cornutus (Ferris), Ov. densus (Miller), Ov. eriogoni (Miller), Ov. exoticus Pellizzari and Kozár, Ov. neglectus (Cockerell), Ov. peruvianus (Granara de Willink & Díaz), Ov. salviae Miller, Ov. sanguineus (Miller), Ov. tippinsi Miller and Miller, Ov. variabilis Miller, Spiroporococcus braggi (Cockerell & Robinson), S. yuccae (Ferris) and Xerococcus foquieriae Ferris. Lectotype designations are made for Ap. idiastes. Carpo, mexicanus and H. hyperici. New collection data are provided for Ov. californicus McKenzie, Ov. johnsoni (Miller), Ov. mackenziei Miller, Ov. parvispina (Chaffin) and Ov. viscosa (Kondo). Dichotomous keys are given for: determination of most eriococcid instars of both sexes; Nearctic genera of the Eriococcidae based on adult females; adult females, second-instar females, second-instar males, and first-instar nymphs of Ovaticoccus Kloet 1944; and the seven species of Acanthococcus Signoret 1875 treated here, based on first-instar nymphs. Oregmopyga Hoy 1963 and Cornoculus Ferris 1955 are treated as junior subjective synonyms of Ovaticoccus. Atriplicia Cockerell and Rohwer 1909 has been placed previously as a junior synonym of Eriococcus but here is regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Acanthococcus. We treat 44 species; new descriptions are provided for 101 treated instars, and detailed line drawings are given for all but three of them. The following species, listed in ScaleNet as occurring in the Nearctic Region, are transferred to Acanthococcus from Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti 1868: Acanthococcus actius Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. arenariae Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. barri Miller 1991 rev. comb.; Ac. beshearae Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. dennoi Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. droserae Miller, Liu and Howell 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. epacrotrichus Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. froebeae Miller 1991 rev. comb.; Ac. gallicolus (Cockerell & Rohwer 1909) comb. n.; Ac. hoyi Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. mackenziei Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. macrobactrus Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. megaporus Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; A. mesotrichus Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. microtrichus Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. monotrichus Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. ophius Miller and Miller 1993 rev. comb.; Ac. stauroporus Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; Ac. washingtonensis Miller and Miller 1992 rev. comb.; and Ac. whiteheadi Miller 1991 rev. comb. In addition, two species are transferred to Acanthococcus from Rhizococcus Signoret: Ac. coccineus (Cockerell 1894a) rev. comb. and Ac. kemptoni (Parrott 1900) rev. comb. Three images of water color paintings by Mary Foley Benson are included.

Phylogenetic analysis reveals positive correlations between adaptations to diverse hosts in a group of pathogen-like herbivores.

A jack of all trades can be master of none-this intuitive idea underlies most theoretical models of host-use evolution in plant-feeding insects, yet empirical support for trade-offs in performance on distinct host plants is weak. Trade-offs may influence the long-term evolution of host use while being difficult to detect in extant populations, but host-use evolution may also be driven by adaptations for generalism. Here we used host-use data from insect collection records to parameterize a phylogenetic model of host-use evolution in armored scale insects, a large family of plant-feeding insects with a simple, pathogen-like life history. We found that a model incorporating positive correlations between evolutionary changes in host performance best fit the observed patterns of diaspidid presence and absence on nearly all focal host taxa, suggesting that adaptations to particular hosts also enhance performance on other hosts. In contrast to the widely invoked trade-off model, we advocate a "toolbox" model of host-use evolution in which armored scale insects accumulate a set of independent genetic tools, each of which is under selection for a single function but may be useful on multiple hosts.

A new species of mealybug in the genus Paracoccus Ezzat & McConnell from North America (Insecta: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae).

A probably adventive mealybug species, Paracoccus gillianae sp. n. is described from North America. Its entry into the United States was likely to have been via the horticultural trade of Agave spp. (Liliales: Agavaceae) and other host plants in the family Agavaceae. Illustrations of the adult female and male, and diagnosis from congeners in the New World and from other Paracoccus species known to feed on Agavaceae, are provided.

The phloem-sap feeding mealybug (Ferrisia virgata) carries 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' populations that do not cause disease in host plants.

'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) is the primary causal agent of huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. There are three known insect vectors of the HLB-associated bacteria, and all are members of the Hemiptera: Diaphorina citri (Psyllidae), Trioza erytreae (Triozidae), and Cacopsylla (Psylla) citrisuga (Psyllidae). In this study, we found that another hemipteran, the striped mealybug Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), was able to acquire and retain Las bacteria. The bacterial titers were positively correlated with the feeding acquisition time on Las-infected leaf discs, with a two-weeks feeding period resulting in Ct values ranging from 23.1 to 36.1 (8.24 × 10(7) to 1.07 × 10(4) Las cells per mealybug). We further discovered that the prophage/phage populations of Las in the mealybugs were different from those of Las in psyllids based on Las prophage-specific molecular markers: infected psyllids harbored the Las populations with prophage/phage FP1 and FP2, while infected mealybugs carried the Las populations with the iFP3 being the dominant prophage/phage. As in the psyllids, Las bacteria were shown to move through the insect gut wall to the salivary glands after being ingested by the mealybug based on a time-course quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay of the dissected digestive systems. However, Las populations transmitted by the mealybugs did not cause disease in host plants. This is the first evidence of genetic difference among Las populations harbored by different insect vectors and difference among Las populations with respect to whether or not they cause disease in host plants.

Developing detection and monitoring strategies for Planococcus minor (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

A pheromone-based system to locate and monitor Planococcus minor (Maskell), a pest of over 250 plants including citrus, grape, and cacao, was tested. The difficulty in distinguishing P. minor from the citrus mealybug, P. citri, makes finding and evaluating the impact of the pest challenging. Studies conducted in Puerto Rico determined that synthetic P. minor pheromone lures preaged 120 d in the field caught similar number of males as lures not aged (fresh). Molecular analysis of trapped mealybug males using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase-1, the internal transcriber space two locus, and 28S-D2 gene showed the pheromone traps to be species specific. Traps baited with P. minor pheromone were used to monitor the pest in south Florida and to locate potential infestations. P. minor males were found at all locations studied in South Florida and were present in low numbers (1.03 +/- 0.69 mean +/- SE/trap/14 d). Over 14,000 terminals, fruit, and flowers were visually inspected over a 6 mo period of peak trap catches before the first adult P. minor female was found. The synthetic pheromone lures proved to be an effective tool to locate and monitor this pest new to the continental United States.

Comparative and functional morphology of wing coupling structures in Trichoptera: Annulipalpia.

Several orders of morphologically four-winged insects have evolved mechanisms that enforce a union between the mesothoracic and metathoracic wings (forewings and hindwings) during the wing beat cycle. Such mechanisms result in a morphologically tetrapterous insect flying as if it were functionally dipterous, and these mechanisms have been described for several insect orders. The caddisfly suborders Annulipalpia and Integripalpia (Trichoptera) each have evolved a wing coupling apparatus, with at least three systems having evolved within the suborder Annulipalpia. The comparative and inferred functional morphology of the putative wing coupling mechanisms is described for the annulipalpian families Hydropsychidae (subfamilies Macronematinae and Hydropsychinae), Polycentropodidae and Ecnomidae, and a novel form-functional complex putatively involved with at-rest forewing-forewing coupling is described for Hydropsychidae: Smicrideinae. It is proposed that the morphology of the wing coupling apparatuses of Hydropsychinae and Macronematinae are apomorphies for those clades.

Acute corrosion of the oral mucosa in a dog due to ingestion of Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles (Harmonia axyridis: Coccinellidae).

A six-year old mixed-breed dog presented with severe trauma to the oral mucosa suggestive of chemical burn. Sixteen Harmonia axyridis (Coccinellidae) were removed from the oral cavity, which revealed trauma consistent with chemical burn. The beetles had become embedded in mucosa covering the hard palate and required manual removal. A diagnosis of beetle induced chemical burn was warranted and consistent with the nature of the chemical constituents of H. axyridis hemolymph.

Reports of envenomation by brown recluse spiders exceed verified specimens of Loxosceles spiders in South Carolina.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the number of brown recluse spider bites diagnosed by South Carolina physicians coincides with evidence of brown recluse spiders found in the state. METHODS: Brown recluse spider bite diagnosis data were extracted from 1990 and 2004 surveys of South Carolina physicians. This was compared with the known historical evidence of brown recluse spiders collected in South Carolina and derived from various sources, including state agencies, arachnologists, and museum specimens. RESULTS: South Carolina physicians diagnosed 478 brown recluse spider bites in 1990 and 738 in 2004. Dating to 1953, 44 brown recluse spider specimens have been verified from 6 locations in South Carolina. DISCUSSION: The number of brown recluse bites reportedly diagnosed in South Carolina greatly outnumbers the verified brown recluse specimens that have been collected in the state. The pattern of bite diagnoses outnumbering verified brown recluse specimens has been reported in other areas outside of this spider's known endemic range.