Insecta Mundi, Volume 1 (1985/86)
The Bethylidae are a primitive family of aculeate Hymenoptera which presently consists of about 2,200 nominal species. They are worldwide in distribution and all species are primary, external parasites of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera larvae. Due t o their host associations, bethylids are potentially useful for the biological control of various agricultural pests in the aforementioned groups. Unfortunately, the true potential of bethylids in applied biological control cannot be ascertained now because they have been used infrequently. Some species show strong promise, but t h e i r use is handicapped by a relative lack of basic taxonomic and biological knowledge. The most recent world catalog for bethylids is Kieffer (1914). A world catalog is forthcoming (Gordh, in prep.). There has never been a compilation of the world literature.
The only published checklist of the Hydradephaga from the Maryland area is Ulke (1902) who records 65 species from the District of Columbia. The present paper lists 121 species as occurring in Maryland. Comparable lists for other states are as follows: Young (1954), 120 species from Florida; Folkerts (1978), 120 species from New York; and Brigham (1982) and Sanderson (1982), 115 species from North and South Carolina. Some of the identifications are questionable until generic revisions are completed. This is especially true of Hydroporus and Gyrinus.
Presently, only a single species of the genus Diplocentrus is known from northeastern Mexico, D. whitei (Gervais) (Hoffman 1931 ). This species is dark brown to black and is quite large, with adults 65-75 mm long. Recent collecting in the mountains near Monterrey and El Potosi, Nuevo Leon, Mexico has revealed the presence of a much smaller, more lightly-colored species. The description of this new species is the subject of the present paper. Nomenclature and mensuration essentially follows that of Stahnke (1970), with the following exceptions: carinal terminology and cheliceral measurements are after Francke (1975, 1977) and trichobothrial terminology is after Vachon (1974). All measurements were taken with an American Optical Model 569 dissecting microscope equipped with an ocular micrometer calibrated at 10x.
This paper is a catalog of the Ephemeroptera known from the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. It includes all known references for each species, along with an indication of the type localities and depositions of type specimens. For each reference the stage (male, female, or nymph) is indicated if relevant. Keys which include the species also are indicated. The recorded distribution for each species is listed. For each genus are given the reference to the original description, information on the type species, and any synonyms. Abbreviations of places of type deposition are as follows: (BMNH), British Museum (Natural History), London; (Cornell), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; (DEI), Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalde; (Hamburg), Zoologisches Staatsinstitut und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg; (Hsu), personal collection of Y.-C. Hsu [the late Prof. Hsu indicated (personal communication) that because of events in China over the past few decades these specimens should be considered destroyed or lost]; (Utah), University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Although the taxonomic knowledge of the Hong Kong mayflies is still somewhat sketchy, there are substantial ecological studies ongoing at this time. Therefore, in order to facilitate future studies and comparisons of data, I have included in this catalog the "morphospecies" of Dudgeon (1982a, b, 1983, 1984a, b). The reader should be aware that many of the taxonomic assignments of these morphospecies are preliminary and actual placement will have to await future taxonomic studies. This paper is one in a continuing series of catalogs of the Ephemeroptera (cf. Hubbard & Peters 1978, Hubbard & Pescador 1978, Hubbard & Savage 1981, Hubbard 1982a,b).
This paper updates and summarizes the ant fauna of Alachua County, Florida, with two basic objectives. The first objective is presentation of a current, documented check-list consistent with existing taxonomy and an insight on species groups where taxonomic changes are likely in subsequent revisions. The second objection objective seeks to identify changes in the fauna since Van Pelt’s pioneer survey of 1948, and provide a basis for similar comparisons in the future. The county consists of 902 square miles in north-central Florida and embraces essentially all inland habitats of the northern peninsula. This rich habitat variability is reflected in its ant fauna of 110 species. Few other regions of comparable size and latitude support a larger ant diversity also documented in part for greater than 50 years. A review of the earlier work, current taxonomic authorities, and questionable or rejected records precede the new list.
This supplement concerns species of the family Sphingidae (pages 425-444) introduced to Hawaii since 1958 and now firmly established. The introductions are connected with the rapid growth of air traffic between Hawaii and SE Asia since the mid-1970s. Of special interest is the fast interisland colonization as reported in the HAWAII COOPERATIVE ECONOMIC INSECT REPORT (HCEIR), published by the State Department of Agriculture, Honolulu, HI until 1980, subsequently called HAWAII PEST REPORT.
The generic name Brachycoryna was first published by Guerin-Meneville (1844) who at that time also described B. pumila which was the only included species (type species by monotypy). The locality data given by Guerin's material is "Carthagene" (Cartagena, Columbia). Guerin correctly receives authorship of Brachycoryna since a single combined description of a new genus and new species published before 1930 is considered an "indication" for each name (Intern. Code 2001. Nomen., Article 12). Some authors (Weise, 1911 a,b; Papp, 1953) had assigned authorship to Baly (1885) who published the first generic description and reported B. pumila from Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. There have only been two other generic descriptions published: Weise (1911b) and Monros and Viana (1947).
The definition of the Tribe Pheidologetini in the ant subfamily Myrmicinae has always been problematic. Emery (1922) erected the tribe to contain the genera Pheidologeton, Oligomyrmex, Aneleus, Lophomyrmex, Trigonogaster, Ekebomyrma, Carebara and Paedalgus, but Wheeler (1922) put all these genera in the Solenopsidini. Neither Emery nor Wheeler satisfactorily defined either tribe. More recently, Ettershank (1966) proposed the "Pheidologeton genus group" composed of Pheidologeton, Oligomyrmex (including most Aneleus), Lophomyrmex, Carebara, Paedalgus and Anisopheidole, but still uncertainty remains as to relationships of these genera and even the definitions of the genera themselves. New characters and new means of analysis are needed to help resolve this problem.
The receipt, recently, of several requests for information and assistance in rearing blister beetles (Meloidae) has prompted me to prepare the following account of the rearing method used in my laboratory. In order to make the account as useful as possible to new students. I have included a considerable amount of information on meloid bionomics. Larval phases are designated as triungulin (TI, first grub (FG), coarctate (C), and second grub (SG). Where necessary, instar is indicated by a numerical subscript. The pupa and adult are symbolized by P and A, respectively. I assume that the reader has some knowledge of the taxonomy of the Meloidae.
The genera Paratella and Sephena were established by Melichar (1902) for complexes of species having distribution principally in New Guinea. However, three of Melichar’s new species of Paratella, i.e., fumaria, fusconigra and modesta, were known only from localities in Australia and/or New Zealand. Kirkaldy (1906) described Sephena argue, cinerea and rubida from specimens collected in Australia. He commented that they had the appearance of Paratella while having the characters of Sephena assigned by Melichar. Melichar (1923) and Metcalf (1957) each retained the above named species in Paratella and Sephena The type specimens of the species named above were examined in connection with my research on Kirkaldy and Melichar types, results of which are given in articles that have been submitted for publication elsewhere. To avoid duplicate citation of new synonymies, all synonymies given in this article should be considered to have prior designation by Medler, in press.