본 조사는 2023년 국가생물다양성 기관연합 공동조사의 일환으로 제주도 곶자왈도립공원 및 선흘곶 동백동 산 일대의 곤충류 분포현황을 파악하고, 자연자원의 발굴 및 관리에 대한 기초자료를 확보하고자 수행되었다. 곤충류 현지조사는 주요 곤충류가 출현하는 시기인 2023년 5월 22~26일 및 8월 28일~9월 1일 총 2회에 걸쳐 채집 조사가 수행되었다. 조사방법으로는 조사지 주변에 깔때기 트랩을 설치하여 조사 마지막날 수거하였으며, 주간 에는 포충망을 이용하여 채어잡기, 쓸어잡기, 털어잡기, 직접찾기 및 사진촬영 등을 수행하였다. 야간에는 조사 시 식생이 양호한 지역을 선정하여 일몰 전에 유아등을 설치한 후 자정 이전까지 야간조사도 병행하였다. 현지조 사를 통하여 채집된 곤충은 연구실로 가져온 후 건조표본 및 액침표본으로 제작되었으며, 각 분류군별 도감을 참고하여 종 수준까지 분류 및 동정 작업을 수행하였다. 조사결과 총 10목 69과 264종의 곤충류가 조사되어 비교 적 다양한 분류군이 출현하는 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 금번조사 결과 멸종위기야생생물 Ⅱ급에 해당되는 애기 뿔소똥구리 1종이 확인되었으며, 국외반출 승인대상종 46종, 유용곤충 17종, 분포특이종 12종, 해충 9종, 고유종 5종 등을 포함하여 총 70종의 특정종이 확인되었다.

최근 국제적인 기후변화로 인해 다양한 산림해충들이 새로운 국가 또는 인접한 지역으로의 분포 확대가 증가 하고 있는 추세이다. 국내외의 대표적인 산림해충 분류군인 나무좀아과와 하늘소과에는 넓은 기주식물 범위를 가지고 있어 산림 생태계에 직간접적으로 피해를 야기하는 종들이 다수 포함되어 있다. 본 연구에서는 2023년 5월부터 10월까지 남북 접경지(강원 철원군, 양구군, 고성군) 내 혼합림에서 린드그렌 퍼넬 트랩(Lindgren funnel trap)을 활용하여 4가지 유인제(Ipsenol, Ipsedienol, Alpha-pinene, Monochamol) 조건별 나무좀류와 하늘소류의 유인효과와 시기별 발생 양상을 조사하였다. 연구 결과, 나무좀아과는 총 26속 45종 7,743개체, 하늘소과는 총 35속 42종 649개체를 확인하였다. 본 발표에서는 남북 접경지에서의 시기별, 지역별 나무좀류와 하늘소류 발생 양상과 4가지 유인제별 효과에 대한 결과를 보고한다.

본 연구는 검거세미밤나방(Agrotis ipsilon) 성페로몬 트랩에 혼재하여 유살되는 은무늬밤나방아과 형태적 분류와 동정법 수립을 위해, 날개 무늬의 형태계측학 분석을 실시하였다. 은무늬밤나방아과 개체는 2023년 11월 부터 12월까지 제주도 애월읍 일대에서 채집되었으며, 콩 해충으로 알려진 콩은무늬밤나방(Ctenoplusia agnata) 을 비롯하여, 다양한 농작물을 가해하는 것으로 알려진 붉은금무늬밤나방(Chrysodeixis eriosoma)의 수컷 성충이 포획되었다. 앞날개의 형태 및 무늬를 가지고 현장에서 쉽게 동정할 수 있는 형태적 특징을 도출하기 위하여, 각 성충 개체의 앞날개를 잘라 현미경 카메라로 촬영하고, 앞날개의 내횡선, 아외연선, 반점 크기 등 15개의 형질 을 측정하였다. 또한 각 형질 간의 상관관계를 분석하였으며 빈도분포를 통하여 두 종간 분리되는 형질을 파악하 였다. 최종적으로 다변량 분석법을 적용하여 두 집단이 어떻게 군집을 이루는지 분석하고, 날개형태만으로 붉은 금무늬밤나방과 콩은무늬밤나방을 구분할 수 있는 방안을 제시하였다.

Western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor, is distributed southwestern USA and northern Mexico. Invasions had been reported to Canada, China, Hawaii and Japan. Incisitermes minor may be introduced through wooden structures. In California and Arizona, it caused economic damage of about $250 million. In September 2023, it was discovered in a house in Changwon-city, Korea and a joint investigation was conducted by APQA and other government agencies. The 16S rRNA sequence was used in the molecular epidemiological investigation to trace the origin of the invasion. Five individuals found in Changwon and 18 foreign sequences collected by NCBI were compared. A total of 462bp of base sequences were compared, and the genetic distance was observed to range from a minimum of 0.000 to a maximum of 0.1791. They were most genetically similar to the California individual in the United States.

Drywood termite (Cryptotermes domesticus), native to South East Asia, is distributed in India, China, Taiwan, Australia and so on. In China, it is considered an economically important pest causing damage to wood. It lives in dry wood environments such as furniture, buildings, and structural timber. It is difficult to find drywood termite within a structure but it can be detected by the presence of alate flight and small egg-like pellets of excreta. It was found in a house in Seoul, Korea in July 2023 and was investigated joint by APQA, National Institute of Ecology, National Institute Biological Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Cultural Heritage Administration and Gyeongsang National University. The COII barcode region was analized with PCR method and compared with the sequences of all C. domesticus registered in NCBI 557bp of base sequence. Genetic difference ranged from a minimum of 0.0072 to a maximum of 0.0557. Among these, the individual with the minimum genetic distance was from Guangdong Province, China.

The family Erebidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) is known as one of the largest families in Lepidoptera, comprising about 1,760 genera and more than 24,569 described species worldwide. Within this family, the genus Plecoptera Guenée, 1852, belonging to the subfamily Anobinae, has been documented across the Palaearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions. Here, we introduce the subfamily and genus for the first time in Korea, along with a new species. The diagnosis, description and photographs of adult and genitalia are provided here.

The genus Vespa consists of 22 species worldwide, and their phylogenetic relationships are well established through adult morphology and molecular analyses. However, taxonomic studies of larvae are lacking. In this study, we provided descriptions and taxonomic keys for eight species of Korean Vespa larvae.

A total of 187 species are involved in the genus Pidonia Mulsant (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lepturinae) worldwide, of which 174 species are distributed in Eurasia. Since Bates recorded P. (P.) gibbicollis in 1888, a total of 17 species have been recorded in Korea. After An & Kwon’s study on Korean Pidonia in 1991, no taxonomic study has been carried out for almost 30 years, making it difficult to identify the species due to their mutations. In this presentation, we provide an update on the taxonomic study of Korean Pidonia and report a newly recorded species, P. (P.) obscurior hakusana, in Korea.

This study was conducted to review the genus Bucculatrix Zeller, 1839 belonging the family Bucculatricidae. In Korea, only three species have been reported to date (Park, 2013; Lee and Jeun, 2022; 2023). A total nine species were identified in Korea in this study. Among them. two species, Bucculatrix sp. nov.1 and B. sp. nov.2 was described as new to science. Also four species: B. duanwuia Liu, 2020, B. tsurubamella Kobayashi, Hirowatari & Kuroko, 2010, B. demaryella (Duponchel, 1840) and B. comporabile Seksjaeva, 1989 are reported for the first time from Korea. These species were identified by visiting Osaka Metropolitan University and comparing the specimens. Available information, host plants, images of adults and genitalic structures, and DNA barcode for the species 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.

Hindwings of many lycaenid butterflies have a unique tail-like wing structure referred to as a false head, which actually mimics the antennae. False heads increase butterfly survival by directing predatory attacks towards the false heads thereby enhancing the chance of escape. In this study, using discrete character evolution models of European and American butterflies, we examined the co-evolutionary patterns between false head structures and two associated traits: a highly contrasting color patch neighboring the false head, and hindwing rubbing behaviors. The former is considered a eye-mimicking structure that enhances the effectiveness of false head, and latter generates the movement of false heads which likely increases the success of false head deception. Our findings demonstrate that false heads are ancestral states for both European and American lycaenids. Both contrasting colors and hindwing rubbing behaviors follow correlated evolution models, suggesting that these traits co-evolved in lycanid butterflies. However, specific evolutionray patterns differed between the two continents.