Insecta Mundi, Volume 3 (1989)
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Mansell (1983) described two new species and genera of Crocinae from Peru and Bolivia bringing the total number of South American species of this subfamily to five species. However, all five species occur well south of the equator. Recently the authors discovered a sixth species in northern Venezuela greatly extending the northern range of the family in South America. This new species belongs to the genus Moranida Mansell. Both adults and larvae were found and are described here with a key to the species of Crocinae of South America. We also found and reared Moranida peruviensis Mansell from Lambayeque, Peru, and provide this new record. This paper represents contribution No. 645 of the Bureau of Entomology.
Tergissima Johnson and Femniterga Johnson, originally described from four sympatric south-central Andean species, are revised to include, respectively, four and nine South American species (of which six are previously undescribed). New combinations include Femniterga cissusa (Hewitson), F. cinniana (Hewitson) and F. plumans (Druce), all transferred from Thecla; new species include Tergissima montanensis and T. shargeli, and Femniterga itaituba, F. megana, F. splendida and F. strobilata. A lectotype is designated for Thecla cissusa. Femniterga and Tergissima are part of a largely undescribed eumaeine assemblage also including Calycopis Scudder and Calystryma Field.
Selected taxonomic characters of Apion species are redefined and explained including subcephalic ridge, sensory seta and macrochaeta. New species described are Apion (Trichapion) memnonmonum Kissinger, Black Mountains, North Carolina and Apion (Trichapion) nelsoni Kissinger from Davis Mts, Texas and Santa Rita Mts, Arizona. Supplemental descriptions or new records are given for the following species: Apion aequabile Fall, A. brunnicornis Fall, A. eccentricum Fall, A. minor Smith, A. punctulirostre Sharp and A. submetallicum Boheman. A statistical test is used to evaluate the importance of a character in defining species groups in the Apion subgenus Trichapion Wagner. Eighteen characters met this criterion and were used to define 12 species groups. A method is presented to evaluate membership in a species group. The inclusion probabilities for a list of 82 species is given for each of 12 species groups of Trichapion occurring in North and Central America.
This entirely new book is the first on the biology of beetles since Crowson's book, published in 1981 by Academic Press. This new work in some ways completes Crowson's, but in no way is it a useless repetition. The two books together give a good idea of the biology of this enormous order, here comprising more than 200 families. Paulian's classification is slightly, but not fundamentally, different from Crowson's. There are excellent chapters on endogeous, caverniculous, aquatic, coprophagous, termitophilous, and myrmecophilous beetles. Termitophilous beetles have already been treated well in Termitologia by Grasse (1986, Masson, Paris). Paulian is a well-known specialist on Scarabaeidae and those beetles are extensively reviewed, including the American species, from data published in the United States and Mexico. The larvae of beetles are also well covered. The book was printed in Hungary and we regret several misspellings, and the misuse of French accents here and there.
Book Review: This book integrates present knowledge in crop protection from the theoretical and practical points of view. Pest control Information derived from field like plant pathology, entomology, nematology and weed science is analyzed with reference to plant breeding and nutrition, agronomy and agricultural economics, and some general conclusions are drawn about prognoses, forecasting, and integrated pest control.
Book Review: Insect Spiracular Systems By T. B. Nikam and V. V. Khole The authors and the publisher are to be complimented for the production of this book summarizing the various aspects of the morphology, development and physiology of the insect spiracular systems. Emphasis has been given to those aspects of the insect spiracular systems that have received scant attention so far, like functional morphology and ecophysiological considerations. The role of spiraculo-trachial system thermoregulation has been explained and integrated with the role of haemolymph circulation. The biophysical aspects have been fully explained and integrated with morpho-physiological aspects.
This is a remarkable new book which is certainly well above all that has been done up to now in this field. Moreover, it deals with a fauna on which we have very few biological data. One hundred nine beetle families are reviewed, from the curious Micromalthidae to the Curculionidae. Mrs. Costa showed me the proofs of the book in 1987 in Sao Paulo, and I had the opportunity then to admire the good quality and even perfection of the drawings.
Under the skillful direction of Professor Dindal of Syracuse University, the work of 54 authors, 11 years in the making, is blended into one large, useful volume treating the systematics and biology of all organisms involved in the soil ecology of North America, north of Mexico. The separate authors treat their special groups following a similar format throughout, covering the biology, taxonomy, and ecology of each soil biotic group. The amount of data presented varies with the extent of knowledge of the group treated. The 43 chapters cover all taxa from soil bacteria through the insects. The insects are covered in 384 pages.
The identification of North American Dolichoderus species by-way-of existing keys is unnecessarily arbitrary and misdeterminations are likely between D. mariae and D. pustulatus, the latter species showing most morphological variation over its range. Diagnoses for the four described species and an undescribed form with a revised key and figures are given to aid entomologists working without identified voucher specimens. Nest data for species other than D. pustulatus in the Coastal Plain revealed below-ground nests or structures immediately at the ground sui-face. Colonies of D. pustulatus in Florida and southern Georgia have arboreal nests in the cavities of smaller limbs of hardwoods about swamps and marshes. No ground nests have been found and the species may occur in compound nests with another arboreal ant, Camponotus (Colobopsis) impressus. These observations identify several questions for further study.