The genera Hovadelium Ardoin, 1961 and Mimolaena Ardoin, 1961, endemic in Madagascar, are revised and assigned to the tribe Laenini Seidlitz, 1896 (subfamily Lagriinae Latreille, 1825). New species: Hovadelium ardoini sp. n., Hovadelium bremeri sp. n. and Mimolaena janaki sp. n. An identification key is compiled for all taxa. Distribution of Hovadelium (5 species) and Mimolaena (3 species) is m...

-Habitat selection in the darkling beetle Eleodes hispilabris Say (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on the shortgrass prairie of the central United States was nonrandom at both a broad (km2) and a fine (cm2) scale, relative to the abundance of broadly defined habitat types and, within these, microhabitats. On a broad habitat scale, darkling beetles were more numerous and had longer residence times (a...

A large number of repeats of a satellite DNA (stDNA) family have been cloned and sequenced from species and populations of the genus Pimelia (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera). The beetles were collected in the Canary Islands, Morocco, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Balearic Islands in order to analyze the evolutionary forces and processes acting on abundant stDNAs conserved at the genus level. This r...

The beetle Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), considered a worldwide pest in the poultry industry, is difficult to control and it is a vector for pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological control of the lesser mealworm, by strains of fungi Beauveria bassiana, Cladosporium sp. and Trichoderma sp. Larvae and adults of the A. diaperinus were inoculated with suspensions of...

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer 1797 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a cosmopolitan insect pest affecting poultry production. Due to its cryptic behavior, insecticide control is usually not efficient. Thus, sustainable and effective methods would have an enormous and positive impact in poultry production. The aim of this study was to confirm the identity of the male-produced ...

Dendroctonus jeffreyi and D. ponderosae are sibling species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) with few morphological and molecular genetic differences. The two species are believed to have diverged relatively recently. Dendroctonus jeffreyi colonizes only Pinus jeffreyi, while D. ponderosae colonizes up to thirteen Pinus spp., but not P. jeffreyi. Adult beetles of both D. jeffreyi and D....

A high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method was developed in support of a study to assess potential tertiary risks posed to insectivores by strychnine baited pocket gophers (Thomomys sp.). Necropholous insects are primary consumers of pocket gopher carcasses. A field study was conducted to collect insects from strychnine-baited and control pocket gopher carcasses...

Beetles represent almost one-fourth of all described species, and knowledge about their relationships and evolution adds to our understanding of biodiversity. We performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Coleoptera inferred from three genes and nearly 1900 species, representing more than 80% of the world's recognized beetle families. We defined basal relationships in the Polyphaga supe...

A survey was undertaken in China between 1996 and 2001 for phytophagous insect fauna associated with mile-a-minute weed, Polygonum perfoliatum L. (Polygonaceae). The purpose was to identify potential biological control agents for this invasive plant in the eastern USA. The survey covered 23 provinces including northeastern China, where the climate is similar to that of the eastern USA, and sout...

Two new species of the genus Nyctelia Latreille (Pimeliinae: Nycteliini) from Argentinean Patagonia, N. sulcogranata sp. nov. and N. recteplicata sp. nov., are described. Distributional maps, habitus, photographs and illustrations of genitalic features for these two new species are included, with comparisons to other known species of the genus. A discussion is presented on distributional habita...