First record of the genus Colopterus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from Estonia and the designation of a neotype of C. truncatus

A sap beetle of the genus Colopterus, collected in the Estonian village of Vinni near the border between Estonia and the Leningrad Province, was identified as Colopterus sp. For fixation of the taxonomic interpretation established in the PhD thesis by L.E. Watrous without complying with the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, and in order to avoid probable further mistakes, a neotype for C. truncatus (Randall, 1838) is designated.

Life History of Epuraea (Haptoncus) ocularis Fairmaire, 1849 in Kolkata area, India and descriptions of the immature stages (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Epuraeinae)

Sap beetle, Epuraea ocularis Fairmaire usually lays eggs and breeds on fermenting overripe fruits, and larvae pass through different instars before pupating on soil. In laboratory condition, mating pairs of adults copulated and females laid eggs in clusters; larva hatched out in 1 to 2 days, passed through four instars; mature larva migrated to soil for pupation. Larval development took about 12 to 17 days; and adult hatched out of pupa in about 4 to 5 days. Detailed morphology of egg, larva and pupa is presented herein, and significance of larva in taxonomy of beetles has been indicated.

New species in the sap beetle genus Soronia Erichson (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae) from China

Three new species of sap beetles in the genus Soronia Erichson (S. expansa sp. nov., S. magnipunctura sp. nov. and S. xiangxiyuanica sp. nov.) are described and photographed. Two newly recorded species from China, S. gratiosa Kirejtshuk, 1988 and S. grisea (Linnaeus, 1758), are photographed and this new range extension is documented. A key to species of the genus Soronia in China is provided.

First record of the invasive exotic sap beetle Phenolia (Lasiodites) picta (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Greece

The exotic sap beetle Phenolia (Lasiodites) picta (Macleay, 1825) is recorded for the first time in Greece. In August 2018, a nitidulid beetle was found and photographed near Mt. Pelion of Central Greece. It was later identified as P. picta, a recent alien species in Europe, previously recorded from Spain, France, and Turkey. Photographic material and information on the species’ distribution, biology, and potential economic and ecological implications are discussed.

BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL OF SOME ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES AGAINSTSTELIDOTA GEMINATA (SAY)

Stelidotageminata(Say)(Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), also known as strawberry sap beetle is considered to be serious pest of strawberry worldwide. Allstages of this pest feed on ripe fruitswhichmakes its control with chemical insecticides extremely difficult. This work was testingsusceptibility of last instar larvae of S. geminatato three, among commerciallythe most commonly used species of entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditisbacteriophora, Stei-nernemacarpocapsaeand Steinernemafeltiae(Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae), including two native strains. The present work was carried out through two typesof the experiments.First experiment was in plastic Petri dishes with the nematodes applied on filter paper. Second one, in attemptto approachto more natural conditions, effect of the entomopathogenic nematodes on insect’smortality was tested in containers filled with sand.Mortality of S. geminatalarvae in Petri dishes in highest nematode concentrations of about 100 infective juveniles per cm2was 90%,82% and 70% for commercial strains of S. carpocapsae, H. bacteriophoraand S. feltiaeand 76% and 64% for H. bacteriophoraand S. feltiae native populations. In containers with sand mortality was higherthan in Petri dishesand the highestrecorded insect mortality with about 50nematodes per cm2was99.5%, 89%, 75.5%, 69% and 66% with commercial strainsS. feltiae,S. carpocapsaeand H. bacteriophora, and native strains H. bacteriophora andS. feltiae,respectively