First record of Telenomus fariai Costa Lima, 1927 (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae, Telenominae) as a parasitoid of Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) eggs in Mexico

The egg parasitoid Telenomus fariai Costa Lima (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), is reported for the first time in Veracruz, Mexico. Telenomus fariai was discovered in 2019 during a field collection of Triatoma dimidiata L. (Hemiptera, Reduviidae), representing the first report of its association with Tr. dimidiata in Mexico. This species is here redescribed and sequencing of a portion of the cytochrome oxidase 1 gene (COI) was performed to facilitate future identifications and to examine host associations between species of Telenomus Haliday and Reduviidae in a broader context.

Stink bug egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) associated with pistachio in Iran and description of a new species: Trissolcus darreh Talamas

Surveys for egg-parasitoid wasps were conducted in Rafsanjan, Iran, on two species of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) found in pistachio orchards, Acrosternum arabicum Wagner and Brachynema signatum Jakovlev. Five species of Scelionidae (Platygastroidea) were recovered, including one that is here described as new: Psix saccharicola (Mani), Trissolcus colemani (Crawford), T. darreh Talamas sp. nov., T. perepelovi (Kozlov), and T. semistriatus (Nees). In addition to describing a new species, we report new host associations, provide COI barcodes for four of these species, and discuss host-related intraspecific variation in T. darreh and T. perepelovi.

New species of Nearctic oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Cynipini)

Twenty nine new species of cynipid oak gall wasps from the Nearctic region (America north of Mexico) are described: Andricus archboldi Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. catalinensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. chapmanii Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. chiricahuensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. coconinoensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. columbiensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. cooki Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. fitzpatricki Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. highlandensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. mellificus Nicholls, Stone & Melika, sp. nov., A. menkei Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. mogollonensis Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A. nichollsi Melika & Stone, sp. nov., A. schickae Nicholls, Melika & Stone, sp. nov., A. torreyaensis Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. williami Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., Antron lovellae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., A.tomkursari Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., Dryocosmus archboldi Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., Loxaulus virginianae Melika & Buss, sp. nov., Neuroterus alexandrae Nicholls & Melika, sp. nov., N. aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., N. bussae Melika & Nicholls, sp. nov., N. oblongifoliae Nicholls, Stone & Melika, sp. nov., N. quaili Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., N. rosieae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov., N. stonei Melika & Nicholls, sp. nov., Zapatella abrahamsoni Melika, sp. nov., Z. brooksvillei Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov.. Alternate asexual and sexual generations are described for four species, Andricus archboldi Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. fitzpatricki Melika & Abrahamson, sp. nov., A. schickae Nicholls, Melika & Stone, sp. nov., Neuroterus aliceae Melika, Nicholls & Stone, sp. nov.. Descriptions, diagnoses, plus information on biology and host associations are given for all new species. All taxa are supported by morphological data; matching of generations is established using DNA sequence data. We also demonstrate that Neuroterus niger var. alimas Kinsey should be considered as a nomen dubium.

A survey for tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestation on some wild mammals and the first record of Ixodes trianguliceps Birula in Turkey

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are one of the most important ectoparasites of many kinds of terrestrial vertebrates. Between September 2019 and June 2021, we captured a total of 99 wild mammals belonging to 22 species, 14 genera, nine families, and four orders in order to investigate the presence of tick infestations from 14 different locations of 10 provinces in Turkey. Overall, 351 ticks (181 larvae, 156 nymphs, 6 females, and 8 males) were collected from 46 out of 99 wild mammalian species. Ticks were identified as Haemaphysalis erinacei Pavesi (5 males), Haemaphysalis parva Neumann (3 nymphs), Hyalomma marginatum gr. (16 nymphs), Ixodes kaiseri Arthur (1 nymph), Ixodes redikorzevi Olenev (167 larvae, 128 nymphs, and 2 females), Ixodes ricinus (L.) (12 larvae, 1 nymph, and 1 male), Ixodes trianguliceps Birula (2 larvae, and 4 nymphs), and Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantzev (3 nymphs, 4 females, and 2 males). Of which, I. trianguliceps was reported in Turkey for the first time. Furthermore, we reported many new tick-host associations for Turkey.

Selective Host Attachment by Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae): Tick–Lizard Associations in the Southeastern United States

Questing behavior and host associations of immature blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, from the southeastern United States are known to differ from those in the north. To elucidate these relationships we describe host associations of larval and nymphal I. scapularis from 8 lizard species sampled from 5 sites in the southeastern U.S. Larvae and nymphs attached in greater numbers to larger lizards than to smaller lizards, with differential levels of attachment to different lizard species. Blacklegged ticks are generally attached to skinks of the genus Plestiodon in greater numbers per unit lizard weight than to anoles (Anolis) or fence lizards (Sceloporus). The broad-headed skink, Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider), was a particularly important host for immature I. scapularis in our study and in several previous studies of tick–host associations in the southeast. Blacklegged ticks show selective attachment to Plestiodon lizard hosts in the southeast, but whether this results from behavioral host preferences or from ecological factors such as timing or microhabitat distributions of tick questing and host activity remains to be determined.

A new cynipid inquiline of the genus Lithosaphonecrus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini) from India, with an updated key to all known species

A new species of cynipid inquiline, Lithosaphonecrus nagalandi Melika, Lobato-Vila & Pujade-Villar, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from the state of Nagaland (India) reared from undescribed bud galls on an undetermined species of Lithocarpus (Fagaceae), thus being the first Lithosaphonecrus known from India. Description, diagnosis, data on phenology and host associations, and illustrations of the new species are given. An identification key to all known Lithosaphonecrus is also provided. The biology of the genus Lithosaphonecrus and the distribution range of Saphonecrus and Lithosaphonecrus in Asia and Oceania are discussed.

Identification of second instar larvae of Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Brazil and Argentina

In this paper, we present an illustrated key to second instar larvae of 17 of the 25 Panchaetothripinae species recorded in Brazil and Argentina, several of which are pests of many crops. In addition, comments on morphology and host associations are provided. Heliothrips longisensibilis is recorded for the first time in Argentina.

A checklist of chiggers (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae) of Panama

An updated checklist of chiggers from the family Trombiculidae and Leeuwenhoekiidae is presented, with 81 species in 38 genera parasitizing different terrestrial vertebrate hosts in Panama. The depository for all Panamanian records, including new localities and host-associations records for the species Blankaartia sinnamaryi (Floch and Fauran, 1956), Eutrombicula tinami (Oudemans, 1910), Eutrombicula goeldii (Oudemans, 1910), Hooperella vesperuginis (Brennan and Jones, 1960), and Pseudoschoengastia bulbifera Brennan, 1960 were provided.

Population Diversity and Genetic Structure Reveal Patterns of Host Association and Anthropogenic Impact for the Globally Important Fungal Tree Pathogen Ceratocystis manginecans

Species in the Ceratocystis manginecans complex are important fungal pathogens of plantation trees globally. The most important hosts include species of Eucalyptus, Acacia, Mangifera, and Punica. Despite their relevance and widespread occurrence, little is known regarding their population genetics and how this might relate to their host associations or geographic regions in which they occur. A global collection of 491 isolates representing the C. manginecans complex, from four different plant hosts and nine countries, were genotyped using microsatellite markers. Population genetic analyses using numerous tools were conducted to interrogate how their genetic diversity and structure might be affected by host or areas of occurrence. Results of genetic diversity studies showed that when grouping isolates into populations based on their host associations, the population on Eucalyptus was most diverse, and it also has a broad global distribution. When considering countries of origin as a basis for defining populations, the gene and genotypic diversity were highest in populations from China, Indonesia, and Brazil. In contrast, populations from Oman and Pakistan collected from Mangifera had the lowest genetic diversity and were clonal. Molecular variance, population differentiation, and network and structure analyses showed that the genetic structure of isolates in the C. manginecans complex is influenced by both host association as well as geographical isolation. Furthermore, the results reflected the movement of genotypes between plant hosts and geographic regions that have implications regarding the broad global distribution of this pathogen.