Entomology Commons^™

A Previously Unrecognized Species Of Celastrina From The Southeastern Coastal Plain Region Of The United States (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) Named In Honor Of The Memory Of Iryna Zarutska, Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

New species Celastrina iryna is described from the southeastern coastal plain of the United States. This species is most similar to C. neglecta but differs by possession of the unique dorsal overlay of clear wing scales found in C. ladon males. It is hypothesized that this may be a hybrid species. Some aspects of its life history remain unknown and call for further field research. The species name is a tribute to Iryna Zarutska, of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nebline, August/September 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Contents

Summertime’s Natural Light Show: Fireflies by Kait Chapman

Insect Science with Kids: Bug Collecting as a Tool to Learn

The Perfect Partnership: EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Join Forces for Lifelong Nutrition and Health by Emily Gratopp

Recipe of the month by Emily Gratopp: Fruit salsa & cinnamon chips

Southeast nebraska Pasture & Acreage Expo

Southeast Nebraska Alfalfa & Wheat Expo

Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent workshop

Vegetable Gardening in the Fall by Mary Jane Frogge

GRO Big Red virtual learning series

2025 perennial plant of the year: Blue mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Garden guide: Things to do this month by …

Update To: Advancing Butterfly Systematics Through Genomic Analysis, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

In this update, we propose (type species or type localities in parentheses): Lochris Grishin, nom. nov. (Lasaia oileus Godman, 1903; Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) as a new substitute name for Locris Grishin, 2025 preoccupied by Locris Stål, 1866 (Cercopis rubra Fabricius, 1794; Hemiptera: Cercopidae), 5 new species, and 5 new subspecies: Emesis (Mandania) mandarina Grishin, sp. n. (Brazil: Santa Catarina) and Emesis (Mandania) mandela Grishin, sp. n. (Venezuela, Carabobo) in Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827); others in Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809: Telegonus (Rhabdoides) flavifimbro Grishin, sp. n. (Colombia), Urbanus (Urbanoides) dolus Grishin, sp. n. (Colombia: …

Attitudes Towards Insects: An Attempt To Change Negative Attitudes To Neutral Or Positive, Christina Chapman

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Purpose and Summary

The purpose of this project was to examine whether negative attitudes towards insects could be changed in children after learning about them in a safe and enjoyable environment. At the start of this project, I was a science teacher in an urban middle school, where most students were neither fond of nor interested in insects. This experience shaped my project: I wanted to change attitudes from negative to positive, transforming “eww gross, kill it!” into “let it live; it has a job to do.” Through my studies in the entomology program, my belief that insects are highly …

Annotated Checklist And Distribution Of The Jewel Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Of Idaho, Luc Leblanc, Emma L. Eakins

Insecta Mundi

An annotated checklist of the 102 species of Buprestidae (Coleoptera) known to be present in the state of Idaho is provided, with photographs and detailed distribution maps for each species. The checklist is based on label data from 7,506 museum specimens, 21 observations obtained from iNaturalist.org and Bug-Guide.net, and 63 distribution records from published literature. Buprestis consularis Gory is a new record for Idaho, formerly reported as Buprestis nutalli Kirby, which is not known to occur in the state. Obscure past records of Anthaxia retifera LeConte and Melanophila occidentalis Obenberger published in the literature are regarded as dubious and are …

Genomics-Based Taxonomic Refinement Of Emesis Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Expanded genomic sequencing of Emesis [Fabricius], 1807 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae Grote, 1895) reveals additional taxonomic insights. As a result of this study, one subgenus and 10 species are proposed as new (type species or type localities in parenthesis): Sinuata Grishin, new subgenus (Emesis sinuatus Hewitson, 1877) of Exoplisia Godman and Salvin, 1886; Emesis (Mandania) mandaca Grishin, new species (Mexico: Oaxaca); Emesis (Mandania) mantunga Grishin, new species (Ecuador: Tungurahua); Emesis (Tenedia) hidalga Grishin, new species (Mexico: Hidalgo); Emesis (Tenedia) vera Grishin, new species (Mexico: Veracruz); Emesis (Tenedia) nica Grishin, new species …

A New Species Of Leaf Litter Inhabiting Species Of Stevenaltica Konstantinov, Linzmeier And Savini From The United States (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Amy L. Brown, Shawn M. Clark, Alexander S. Konstantinov

Insecta Mundi

A new species, Stevenaltica parvarotunda Bown, Clark, and Konstantinov (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is described from Ohio, U.S.A. This is the first report of this genus in North America. Brief comments are made regarding Exoceras Jacoby and Leptophysa Baly.

Three New Species Of Dichotomius Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) From Mexico And Central America, Ángel Solís, Burt Kohlmann

Insecta Mundi

Three new species assigned to the satanas species-group of Dichotomius Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) are described from North and Central America: Dichotomius pisuicas Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from the Caribbean slope of Honduras to Panama; D. lucifer Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from the Costa Rican and Panamanian Pacific rainforests; and D. chamuco Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from Mexico to Honduras. A description, diagnosis, images, and distributional map are presented for each species.

The Millipede Genus Alocodesmus Silvestri, 1896 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae: Batodesmini): Description Of A New Species From Colombia And The Identity Of A. Hanseni (Silvestri, 1898), Juan Romero-Rincon, Santiago Alvear

Insecta Mundi

The genus Alocodesmus Silvestri, 1896 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae: Batodesmini) currently comprises six valid species, three of which are recorded for Colombia, including A. danielae Romero-Rincon and Alvear, new species, from Yondó, Antioquia Department. Two species are known from Panama and one from Venezuela. The new species differs from its congeners by having a spoon-shaped prefemoral process that is ventrally extended forming a conspicuous concave space with branch Z being shorter than branches X and Y. The identity of A. hanseni Silvestri, 1898, previously of uncertain status, is revised, and the species is herein proposed as a new synonymy …

A Battle Of Armies: Massive Attack Of Natural Enemies To The True Armyworm Mythimna Unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In Forage Crops, Armando Falcon-Brindis, Raul T. Villanueva

Insecta Mundi

Understanding the interactions between plant-host-parasitoid plays a major role in insect pest management. Farmers in the southeastern United States rely on pasture systems for cattle milk and beef production, but the benefits of parasitoids and predators on major lepidopteran pests on pasture lands are still overlooked. Here, we aimed to identify and quantify the effect of parasitism on the true armyworm Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attacking teff grass Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter (Poaceae) and crabgrass Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (Poaceae) in western Kentucky. In early August of 2023, 547 larvae of M. unipuncta were collected from experimental …

In Memoriam: Donald B. Thomas, Jr., January 26, 1949–November 10, 2024, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Joseph E. Eger Jr., David Rider

Insecta Mundi

We honor the life and contributions of Donald Byron Thomas, Jr. (January 26, 1949–November 10, 2024) with a short review of his professional life followed by three appendices listing his published papers, taxa described, and patronyms.

Erratum To Golovatch Et Al. (2025): Contributions To The Taxonomy Of The Neotropical Millipede Genus Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae: Catharosomatini), Sergei I. Golavatch, Juan Romero-Rincon, Nesrine Akkari, Santiago Alvear

Insecta Mundi

After publication of Golovatch et al. (2025), it was noticed that Figure 3 was accidentally omitted. The authors and the Insecta Mundi editorial staff apologize for this error. Figure 3 is reproduced here. Insecta Mundi has also released a revised version of the Golovatch et al. (2025) manuscript, with this error corrected. However, the revised version is not an official version of record, and anyone wishing to reference the findings of Golovatch et al. (2025) should cite the original manuscript or this erratum.

The Enigmatic Samuel Aughey: Nebraska’S Pastor Naturalist, Hugh H. Genoways, Margaret R. Bolick, Mary Anne Andrei

Zea E-Books Collection

Samuel Aughey at age 39 became the first Professor of Natural Science at the new University of Nebraska in Lincoln, serving from 1871 to 1883. He was an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, with an addendum degree from Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College) in 1856 and an A.M. degree two years later. His early pastoral work was in Pennsylvania, but in 1864 he became a home missionary to a church in Dakota City, Nebraska. Aughey’s career at the university was marked with successes and honors, but also criticism and questions about his basic knowledge of the sciences. While …

Nebline, June/July 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H embryology will crack 50 years of chicks hatching in local classrooms, Vicki Jedlicka

Simple ways to eat more fruits and veggies every day, Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the month: Crunchy veggie wraps

Annual flowers for sunny locations, Mary Jane Frogge

Garden guide: Things to do this month, Mary Jane Frogge

2025 Gro Big Red

It’s time for private well maintenance, Becky Schuerman

Monitoring pastures for improving management and productivity, John Nelson

Why play is your child's most important work, Hayley Jackson Perez

Keep an eye out for some common caterpillars, Kait Chapman

Lancaster County Super Fair

Upcoming babysitting trainings …

A New Genus And New Synonyms For Liburnia Reducta Van Duzee, 1907 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Delphacoidea: Delphacidae), Charles R. Bartlett, Adam M. Wallner

Insecta Mundi

The delphacid species Liburnia reducta Van Duzee is transferred to the new genus Calkinodelphax Bartlett and Wallner (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Delphacoidea: Delphacidae) and is designated the type species of this genus under the name Calkinodelphax reductus (Van Duzee), new combination. Calkinodelphax reductus is broadly distributed from Florida, the Antilles, Central America, and northern South America. Calkinodelphax reductus is the subjective senior synonym of Pissonotus striolus Osborn, Delphacodes cornuta Beamer, and Euides fasciatella auct. (nec. Osborn). A new lectotype is designated for Liburnia reducta Van Duzee. The female holotype and male allotype of Liburniella fasciatella Osborn were reviewed and found to …

Four Synonyms Of Tetraleurodes Mori (Quaintance, 1899) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae), Natalia Von Ellenrieder, Raymond J. Gill, Ian C. Stocks

Insecta Mundi

Examination of type specimens of Aleyrodes errans Bemis, 1904, A. dorseyi Kotinsky, 1907 (replacement name for A. quaintancei Bemis, 1904), and A. splendens Bemis, 1904 and comparison with a large series of specimens of Tetraleurodes mori (Quaintance, 1899) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) confirms that the first four names represent new junior subjective synonyms of the latter species, since their types do not differ from it in any significant way and display the combination of diagnostic characters that identifies that species.

Resumen

El análisis de ejemplares tipo de Aleyrodes errans Bemis, 1904, A. dorseyi Kotinsky, 1907 (nombre de …

New Species Of Phaea Newman (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Tetraopini), With Notes On Some Known Species And New Records, Antonio Santos-Silva, Frederick W. Skillman Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Four new species of Phaea Newman, 1840 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Tetraopini) are described: P. antiguaensis Santos-Silva and Skillman, new species, from Guatemala; P. autlanensis Santos- Silva and Skillman, new species, from Mexico (Jalisco); P. hildebranti Santos-Silva and Skillman, new species, from Mexico (Jalisco and Michoacán); and P. minatitleca Santos-Silva and Skillman, new species, from Mexico (Colima). Notes on the identity of Phaea vitticollis Bates, 1872 are provided. Phaea lingafelteri Heffern, Santos-Silva and Nascimento, 2018 is recorded from Honduras and Phaea quadrimaculata Wappes and Santos- Silva, 2021 is recorded from the Mexican state of Guerrero. Notes on the chromatic and morphological …

New Records Of Liparthrum Squamosum Blackman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Hypoborini) In Pennsylvania, Dani J. Firth, Lawrence E. Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Liparthrum squamosum Blackman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Hypoborini) is reported for the first time from Pennsylvania. A single specimen was found in 2015 and four subsequent specimens were collected in 2024 through several insect trap and lure combinations. These records increase the known range for this species in the eastern United States.

Contributions To The Taxonomy Of The Neotropical Millipede Genus Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae: Catharosomatini), Sergei I. Golavatch, Juan Romero-Rincon, Nesrine Akkari, Santiago Alvear

Insecta Mundi

Three new species of Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae), one of the most species-rich genera of Diplopoda globally that currently encompasses about 90 species, are described from the Andes: I. inga Golovatch, Romero-Rincon, Akkari and Alvear, new species, from Colombia. I. bilobus Golovatch, Romero-Rincon, Akkari and Alvear, new species, from Ecuador, and I. zakharovi Golovatch, Romero-Rincon, Akkari and Alvear, new species, from Peru. The following new combination is proposed: Iulidesmus alagoanus (Schubart, 1950), from Brazil, new combination, ex Habrodesmus Cook, 1896. The female holotypes of Strongylosoma glabrum Peters, 1865, from Colombia, and …

Melittological Notes From Guatemala (Hymenoptera: Anthophila), 2. New Country Records For Apidae (Anthophorini And Centridini) And Halictidae (Augochlorini), Ana Cristina Garcia-Cordon, José Monzón-Sierra, Richard S. Zack, Silas Bossert

Insecta Mundi

We report three new country records of bee species (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) from Guatemala: Centris flavifrons Fabricius and Deltoptila costaricensis Friese, both in the family Apidae, and Caenaugochlora costaricensis Friese, in the family Halictidae. We illustrate the species and discuss their present-day distribution. These new data contribute to the growing knowledge on native bee diversity from Central America, especially from Guatemala.

Resumen

Reportamos tres nuevos registros de abejas (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) en Guatemala, Centris flavifrons Fabricius y Deltoptila costaricensis Friese, ambas de la familia Apidae, y Caenaugochlora costaricensis Friese, de la familia Halictidae. Presentamos las especies y discutimos su distribución actual. Estos …

A New Species Of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz, 1829 And Synonymy Of Two Species Of Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 From Baja California Sur, Mexico (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Richard L. Westcott

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Buprestidae (Coleoptera), Chrysobothris bajacalifornica Westcott, is described from Baja California Sur, Mexico and discussed in relation to species I consider related to it. Acmaeodera lagunae Van Dyke, 1945 is newly synonymized under A. flavosticta Horn, 1878, and A. lucana Van Dyke, 1942 is newly synonymized under A. subbalteata LeConte, 1863. A lectotype is designated for A. flavosticta Horn.

Discovery Of Anisobas Irwini Claridge, New Species, And New Host And Distribution Records Of Anisobas Coloradensis (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae: Ichneumonini), Brandon R. Claridge, Kyri A. Forman

Insecta Mundi

Anisobas Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae: Ichneumonini) is a moderately diverse parasitoid wasp genus present in the Holarctic and Indo-Malaysian regions. Here, we advance taxonomic knowledge of western Nearctic Anisobas by documenting new rearing and distribution records for A. coloradensis (Cresson) and describe A. irwini Claridge, new species, from central Arizona. There are now seven known Nearctic Anisobas species.

Advancing Butterfly Systematics Through Genomic Analysis, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Within the framework of an ongoing comparative genomic study of global butterfly diversity, we construct phylogenetic trees combining all protein-coding genes assembled from the whole genome shotgun data. When viewed in the context of current taxonomy and phenotypic knowledge, the genome-wide phylogeny points to further advances in butterfly systematics, which are presented here. We assign major clades with comparable levels of genetic divergence to the same taxonomic rank and apply criteria involving relative population divergence and gene flow to define species boundaries. As a result, one genus, 13 subgenera, 62 species, and five subspecies are proposed as new (type species …

Digitization And Archival Of Insect Collections: Literature Review, Rebekah Rogers

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

A slide presentation discussing how and why digitization has become a key component in the curation and care of natural history collections.

Nebline, May 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

NEBLINE, May 2025

Tips on Staying Cool During the Heat of a Temper Tantrum

What’s Your BBQ IQ?

May Recipe of the Month — Air Fryer Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Insect and Disease Control for Organic Vegetable Gardeners

May Garden Guide

Cash Rent Survey

No Matter Where You Live, Submit a Request Before You Dig!

Battling Scales in the Landscape

Three Lancaster County 4-H’ers Modeled Their Sewn Garments at Omaha Fashion Week

Ignite by 4-H 2025 National Conference

May Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award — Dayle Williamson

2024 National Index Study of 4-H Youth

Clover College, June 10–13; Registration Opens in …

Illustrating Insects: Using Art To Encourage Experiences In Entomology, Nia Kaufmann

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this creative project is to use art to highlight the diversity of our insect neighbors and encourage others to explore their local environments. In order to accomplish this, I created a poster-sized illustration of five insects I’ve encountered on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus. All insects are posted within the silhouette of Memorial Stadium, each with an ecological and personal significance. The contrast of a well-known building with less popular insects invokes the audience to reconsider how much attention they pay to the wilderness around them.

Keywords: Entomology, Natural Biodiversity, Illustration, Insects, Appreciation of Nature

Landscape Effects On The Beneficial Arthropod Community In Agriculturally Dominated Environments, Hannah E. Stowe

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ecosystem services in agriculturally dominated regions rely, at least in part, on arthropods. Environment and biodiversity influence beneficial arthropods in population size, community structure, diversity, and ecosystem service provisioning. Predation is among the most important services provided by arthropods in agroecosystems. Understanding what alters predation and predator activity can support the successful application of biological control and, more broadly, integrated pest management. Land use and edge adjacency, field characteristics, landscape, seasonality, and diel period all alter predatory behavior. Crop fields dominate Nebraska agroecosystems, although interspersed perennial grasslands persist through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Such grasslands supply crucial resources and …

Constructing An Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait For Reducing Mosquito Populations, Xi Xian Ng

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Mosquito-borne pathogen transmission continues to pose a significant burden to global public health, well-being, and economic productivity. In the absence of universally available vaccines and amidst rising insecticide resistance that leads to product failures, there is an urgent need to develop new tools to mitigate mosquito-borne disease risk. Two general strategies exist to reduce transmission risk: personal protective measures and area-wide chemical interventions. Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait (ATSB) systems leverage the sugar-feeding behavior of mosquitoes—critical for sustaining their flight, metabolism, development, and fecundity—by delivering oral toxicants through attractively formulated sugar baits. This study aimed to develop an optimized ATSB formulation …

Modifying The Comb, Rethinking The Install: Integrated Approaches To Honey Bee Colony Establishment And Winter Survival, Shelby A. Kittle

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The European, or Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) plays a vital role in global ecosystems and agriculture, providing essential pollination services and producing valuable hive products. However, honey bee colony losses have escalated worldwide, but particularly across the United States due to various stressors, including biotic and abiotic factors, mismanagement, and environmental challenges. This thesis investigates key challenges in honey bee management and explores solutions aimed at improving colony health and productivity.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the beekeeping industry, detailing its economic importance, services, and products, as well as the many challenges faced by beekeepers. It …

Mechanisms Of Perennial Sorghum Resistance To Sugarcane Aphid Infestation, Esha Kaler

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, the fifth most-grown cereal crop in the world, is a versatile crop, grown across different agro-ecological regions. Sorghum has numerous uses ranging from food and forage purposes to biofuel production. Sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari) is a major threat to sorghum production, accounting for 50% to 100% yield loss under heavy infestations. Perennial sorghum can be a sustainable and climate-resilient alternative to the current cereal farming systems. The development of perennial sorghum offers numerous benefits, such as reduced economic inputs, more carbon sequestration, better soil health, and sustainable yields. We employed host plant resistance …