A survey of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was carried out among residents in urban (Metro Manila) and rural (Mindoro and Leyte) areas in the Philippines. A total of 1,173 serum samples were examined for Toxoplasma antibody by an ELISA method. The overall seropositivity was 11.1% (n=904, 12.4% in males, 10.0% in females) in Metro Manila, 61.2% (n=152, 63.3% in males, 53.1% in females) in Mindo...

Prepupae of Hypera eximia (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a natural host, and prepupae of factitious insect hosts were tested for their physiological responses to stinging by the gregarious ectoparasite, Necremnus breviramulus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and to injection with an extract of the venom gland tissue dissected from the lower reproductive tract of the female parasite. The...

Multiple-funnel traps baited with exo-brevicomin and a mixture of cisand transverbenol were used to test the relative attractiveness #If myrcene and (-)-a-pinene to the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, in a s tand of western white pine, Pinus mont icola Doug]. Traps baited with myrcene caught significantly more D. ponderosae than traps baited with (-)-a-pinene, irrespectiv...

The aquatic insect fauna of salt marshes is poorly characterized, with the possible exception of biting Diptera. Aquatic insects play a vital role in salt marsh ecology, and have great potential importance as biological indicators for assessing marsh health. In addition, they may be impacted by measures to control mosquitoes such as changes to the marsh habitat, altered hydrology, or the applic...

The Rag1 gene confers antibiotic resistance to soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and in 2010, varieties expressing Rag1 were released for commercial use in the United States. We do not know how Rag1 varieties will influence the broader community of defoliating insects that inhabit soybean fields. In 2010 and 2011, the preference and performance of pest insects that...

The eggs of the stored grain pests, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), T. confusum (Duval) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae) belonging to three age groups, 1, 2, and 3 days-old, were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation with 254nm wavelength (UV-C) for different durations to determine irradiation effects on egg-hatching and adult emergence. An increase...

Nineteen species of seed-beetles belonging to the subfamily Bruchinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) were collected in Xinjiang, China. Of these, the following four were new records for China: Bruchusaffinis Frolich, 1799, Bruchusatomarius L., 1761, Bruchusloti Paykull, 1800 and Kytorhinuskergoati Delobel & Legalov, 2009. We provide an annotated checklist, illustrations and a key to the 19 species.

Calviaexplanata sp. n. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), externally similar to and commonly misidentified as Calviaalbida Bielawski, is described from India and Nepal.