Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) is an Asian coccinellid released in several places to act as a biological control agent of aphids. Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank, 1802) is an endoparasite that uses more than 40 coccinellid species as hosts. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between D. coccinellae and H. axyridis and to determine the impact of the parasitoid on th...

The Italian pill millipede species Glomeris apuana Verhoeff, 1911, is redescribed from fresh material and its COI barcoding fragment is sequenced. The new specimens were compared to the original type series, of which a lectotype was selected. G. apuana was apparently still viewed as a subspecies of G. ligurica, as its name cannot be found in 'Fauna Europaea', or any faunal lists or catalogues i...

Incidence of parasitism is often underestimated because ‘ghost’ parasitoids (dead unemerged or those that have emerged leaving the host carcasses) are difficult to detect and identify. This study demonstrates use melting curve analysis (MCA) carcasses can identify DNA ghost even a month after death. The coccinellid hosts Cycloneda sanguinea, Eriopis connexa, Harmonia axyridis Hippodamia converg...