Six new species are described that are members of the New Zealand endemic genus Adalmus Reitter (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Euplectitae: Trichonychini: Panaphantina): A. bullerensis sp. nov., A. kanierensis sp. nov., A. karekarensis sp. nov., A. mangamukaensis sp. nov., A. puberilumbus sp. nov., and A. serrilumbus sp. nov. In addition, Dalmisus Sharp is placed as a junior synonym of Adalmus (gen. syn.) and the species Dalmisus batrisodes Sharp, 1886, Plectomorphus longiceps Broun, 1913 and P. longipes Broun, 1912 are placed as junior synonyms of A. velutinus Reitter, 1885 spp. syn. Also, P. rugiceps Broun, 1921 is transferred to the genus Adalmus, comb. nov. Adalmus now holds eight species.

This study investigates the phenomenon of task specialization in subterranean termites, focusing on their tunneling behavior. Termites, known for their complex social structure, allocate specific individuals for tunnel construction, rarely switching tasks. To explore this behavior, we developed a simulation model comparing termite groups with and without task shifts. While tunnel orientation showed no significant difference between the two tunnel pattern groups, the absence of task shifts resulted in larger tunnels, indicating enhanced foraging efficiency. This suggests that maintaining a consistent division of labor without task rotation benefits termite foraging. This study sheds light on the ecological advantages of task specialization in social insects, highlighting its role in foraging success and colony survival.

The family Ptiliidae, also called featherwing beetle because of their remarkable feather-like hind wings, is group of the smallest beetles, with their body size generally about 1 mm long. Although more than 1,000 valid ptiliids within approximately 100 genera are distributed worldwide, this family remains one of the least understood beetle groups in Korea. In this study, we introduce 13 known Korean ptiliids species within seven genera and additional some unknown species. All available information about Korean ptiliids, including their natural histories, distributional data, and diagnostic characters are provided.

This study aims to identify insect species relevant to medicolegal entomology in South Korea, to develop valuable forensic indicators for addressing legal challenges. We conducted carcass experiments with animals from 2015 to 2023 and analyzed domestic medicolegal literature. Species with uncertain taxonomic status or those recorded only once in experiments or literature were excluded. Our dataset includes observations from 185 carcasses, 24 criminal cases, and 468 autopsies. We identified a total of 254 carcass-associated species across 67 families and 8 orders. Of these species, 32 species consistently found on both human corpses and animal carcasses, suggesting their significance in forensic contexts. The order Diptera, comprising 53.13% of these taxa, was predominantly represented by the families Calliphoridae (70.59%), Muscidae (17.65%), and Sarcophagidae (11.76%). Coleoptera constituted 46.87% of the identified taxa, with the families Silphidae (53.33%), Dermestidae (26.67%), Cleridae (6.67%), Scarabaeidae (6.67%), and Staphylinidae (6.67%) being most significant. Lucilia sericata was the most frequently found species in autopsies of corpses found indoors (51.95%) and outdoors (14.77%), followed by Phormia regina, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya pinguis and Lucilia illustris, highlighting their potential as forensic markers. This comprehensive study provides crucial baseline data for medicolegal entomologists in South Korea, identifying key insect species as forensic indicators.

The study of blowfly (Diptera, Calliphoridae) biodiversity and distribution is crucial for forensic investigations involving cadavers. Abiotic and biotic factors, such as seasonality and habitat type, have significant impacts on blowfly populations. However, few forensic entomology studies have been conducted in South Korea, particularly the Gyeongsangnam-do region. To address this, in this study, an extensive year-long survey was conducted to analyze the compositions, habitat preferences, distribution, and seasonal abundance of forensically relevant blowflies in urban and forested habitats in Gyeongsangnam-do, utilizing mouse carcass-baited traps set for 48 h each month. A total of 3,478 adult blowflies were recorded, encompassing six genera and 14 species, with a noted absence of specimens during the winter months. The predominant species was Lucilia porphyrina, accounting for 37.1% of the total sample, followed by Chrysomya pinguis (27.5%), Lucilia sericata (7.6%), and Lucilia illustris (7.1%). The species composition was consistent across all surveyed regions; however, seasonal variation in species diversity was evident, with a peak in spring and decline in summer. Notably, certain species exhibited clear preferences for either urban (Calliphora calliphoroides and L. sericata) or forested habitats (L. porphyrina and Ch. pinguis). This pioneering study elucidates the diverse blowfly communities in Gyeongsangnam-do, highlighting significant seasonal and habitat-dependent variations.

법곤충학은 곤충과 관련된 법적 문제를 해결하는 학문으로써, 미국, 유럽, 한국 등 다양한 국가에서 범죄 수사, 사후경과시간 추정 등에 활용되고 있다. 한국은 최근, 법곤충감정실(경찰청) 개소하여 전국의 법곤충 사건을 감정하고 있다. 한국은 짧은 연구역사를 가짐에도 불구하고, 중앙행정기관 산하의 법곤충감정실을 설립, 운영할 수 있는 것은, 그 특이적인 연구역사에서 기인했다. 한국 법곤충 연구는 2004년경부터 시작되었으나, 중앙행정기 관(경찰청, 국립과학수사연구소, 농림축산검역본부)의 투자로 연구개발이 진행되었다. 특히, 한국의 경찰청은 2016-2020년과 2022-2026년, 10년간의 연구과제 발주를 통해 현장 중심의 법곤충 감정 시스템 구축, 비전문가를 위한 형태 및 분자 유전학적 종 동정 기법 개발, 한국형 DB 확보 등을 진행하고 있으며, 법곤충 감정기법의 세계적 인 선도를 목표하고 있다.

The continuous use of pesticides with the same mode of action has lead to the development of insecticide resistance in the target pests. Establishing pesticide resistance management methods and effective control strategies for these pests has become an important target. Bemisia tabaci, a representative pest of greenhouse, directly affects the growth of crops at all stages of its development except eggs. It also causes indirect damage by secreting honeydew that eventually promotes sooty mold in leaves and fruits. In this study, eight insecticides with different mechanisms of action (Flonicamid, Fluxametamide, Spinetoram, Cyantraniliprole, Dinotefuran, Pyridaben, Milbemectin and Pyriproxyfen), and registered for use against cucumber B. tabaci were selected and tested for insecticide resistance. The tested populations of B. tabaci were collected from greenhouse cucumber cultivations in 12 domestic regions. The results were presented as RR (Resistance ratios), and CEI (Control efficacy index) values.

In agricultural ecosystems, the relationship between insect pests and hosts is important, as insect pests can invade hosts, increasing insect pest density that threatens the hosts’ health. Insect pests and hosts are negatively correlated and affect the environment around them. i.e., host health, environment, and insect pest density are causally related, and the environment affects insect pest density. Deep learning is method of machine learning based on neural network theory. This approach enables handling uncertain environmental factors that simultaneously impact the density of F. occidentalis. Environmental factors affecting the density fluctuation of F. occidentalis selected atmosphere factors, soil factors, and host factors. This study aims to F. occidentalis monitoring using deep learning models inputting environmental factors.

As climate changes and global trade volume increases, the spread of invasive alien species accelerates. Early prevention before occurrence is crucial for invasive pest control. Therefore, this study modeled the current and future potential distribution of the tomato leafminer(Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), the most significant pest affecting tomatoes, in Korea. This pest primarily feeds on Solanaceae crops and can cause extensive damage, resulting in 50-100% loss of crops in greenhouses or fields. While previously unreported in Korea, it invaded China in 2017, indicating a potential threat to Korea. The potential distribution of the tomato leafminer in Korea under current and three future climate scenarios (SSP1-26, SSP3-70, SSP5-85) was predicted using the MaxEnt model. Additionally, elevation and land cover were incorporated as abiotic factors considering the ecological characteristics of the pest.

Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773)) is an invasive species originating from Asia, posing a potential threat to the ecosystem and the wine industry in New Zealand due to wine taint, although it can also be a useful biocontrol agent. In this study, the response profiles of antennal olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to 32 plant volatiles were examined in male and female H. axyridis, using the single sensillum recording technique. Various types of ORNs were identified from four types of olfactory sensilla in both male and female H. axyridis, with no sexual dimorphism. The most abundant type of sensilla contained two ORNs exhibiting highly specialized responses to methyl benzoate and β-caryophyllene, respectively. Another type of sensilla also contained two specialized ORNs, one responsive to geranyl acetate and the other to some aromatic compounds such as 2-phenylethanol, benzyl acetate, methyl benzoate, and methyl phenylacetate. In contrast, two other types of sensilla contained broadly tuned ORNs, one containing ORN(s) responsive to six-carbon alcohols such as (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, and isomers of 2-hexen-1-ol as well as some other non-alcohol green leaf volatiles, and the other containing ORN(s) exhibiting responses to β-myrcene, geraniol, linalool, nerol, benzyl acetate, and methyl phenylacetate. This study suggests that H. axyridis possesses a set of ORNs specialized for specific plant volatiles, providing insights into the olfactory communication system of this species and potential volatiles to be used for trapping this insect.

The box tree moth (BTM, Cydalima perspectalis Walker) is a pest that infests various plants within the Buxus genus. Although a specific parasitoid wasp species associated with the BTM has been observed in the Republic of Korea, no research on this species has been published. Here we describe the fundamental biological and morphological characteristics of this parasitoid. We placed the wasp under the genus Eriborus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Campopleginae). Eriborus sp. parasitizes within the living host body, with one wasp emerging from each host. The parasitism rate in collected BTM populations was 33.1%. The emergence rate was 87.1%, with all emerging adults being females, resulting in a sex ratio of 0. The pupal period averaged 9.5 days, and the adult lifespan averaged 10.5 days. Eriborus sp. parasitized BTM larvae from the first to the fourth instar and reproduced by parthenogenesis. Eriborus sp. exhibited morphological differences compared with previously reported Eriborus species in Korea, particularly in the length of the ovipositor sheath. In addition, the proportion of the highest similarity in nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I DNA was only 94.53%, rendering species identification using GenBank’s mt cytochrome c oxidase 1 DNA sequences unfeasible. These data suggest Eriborus sp. could be used as a biological control agent for managing BTM infestations.

Our study examined a total of 60 dead wood samples (Quercus spp.), collecting 30 samples each in summer and winter, and measured various environmental variables in the field. These samples were classified into three decay classes: fresh, intermediate, well-decayed. We sampled saproxylic beetles within the collected dead wood using emergence traps. Conducted a cluster analysis to explore their relationships of saproxylic beetle and environmental variables. Our results revealed that season and decay class were significant environmental variables affecting saproxylic beetle communities. These results highlight the sensitivity of saproxylic beetles to fluctuations of environment and climate. In summary, our study highlights the intricate relationships between environmental variables and saproxylic beetles and suggests that different types of dead wood should be maintained in forests.

Density survey should be carried out for applying integrated pest management strategies, but it is labor-intensive, time- and cost-consuming. Therefore, binomial sampling plans are developed for estimating and classifying the population density of whiteflies late larvae based on the relationship between the mean density per sample unit (7 leaflets) and the proportion of leaflets infested with less than T whiteflies ( ). In this study, models were examined using tally thresholds ranging from 1 to 5 late larvae per 7 leaflets. Regardless of tally thresholds, increasing the sample size had little effect on the precision of the binomial sampling plan. Based on the precision of the model, T=3 was the best tally threshold for estimating the densities of late larvae. Models developed using T=3 validated by Resampling Validation for Sampling Plan program. Above all, the binomial model with T=3 performed well in estimating the mean density of whiteflies in greenhouse tomato.

The Korea Forest Service has designated seven alpine tree species—Abies koreana, A. nephrolepis, Juniperus chinensis, Picea jezoensis, Pinus pumila, Taxus cuspidata, and Thuja koraiensis—as threatened with extinction in Korea. In 2023, we conducted a study on the seasonal occurrence of insect pests, focusing mainly on two coleopteran taxa (Cerambycidae and Scolytinae) and two hemipteran taxa (Aphrophoridae and Cicadellidae) in subalpine forests dominated by A. koreana, A. nephrolepis, Picea jezoensis, Thuja koraiensis, and Taxus cuspidata. We utilized three types of traps—Malaise trap, Lindgren funnel trap, and window trap—in eight investigation locations in Korea. In this presentation, we present the study results and discuss the effects of insect pests on alpine coniferous trees in Korea.

Spodoptera 속의 담배거세미나방, 열대거세미나방 및 파밤나방은 여러 나라에 분포하는 광식성 해충으로, 본 연구에서는 이들의 페로몬 및 식물냄새물질과 관련한 화학통신시스템에 대해 이해하기 위해 냄새감각기의 종류와 분포, 냄새활성물질 동정 및 야외행동 반응에 대한 연구를 진행하였다. 주사전자현미경 관찰을 통해, 세 종 나방의 암, 수컷 촉각에 여러 종류의 냄새감각기가 존재하며, 형태적으로 구분되는 종특이적 또는 성특이적 냄새감각기들이 존재한다는 것을 확인하였다. GC-EAD 실험을 통해 세 종 나방에 냄새활성을 나타내는 식물 냄새물질과 페로몬 관련 물질들을 동정하고, 이들을 개별 또는 조합하여 야외 트랩실험을 통해 행동활성을 검정 한 결과, 이 중 여러 물질이 담배거세미나방과 파밤나방의 성페로몬에 대한 유인행동 반응을 저해하는 것을 알 수 있었다. 열대거세미나방은 발생이 저조하여 야외에서의 행동반응을 확인할 수 없었다.