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.

Subgenus Bothynoptera Schaum, 1863 of the genus Parena is mainly found in Oriental region. Despite this widespread distribution, species of the subgenus Bothynoptera are poorly known in Korea. While a total of 14 species have been recorded worldwide, only 3 species have been recorded in Korea. In this study, as a revisional work of Korean known species, a pictorial key and photographs of habitus and male genitalia for each species are provided, with a newly recorded species in Korea.

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.

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, long from north to south, with temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates in different parts of the country. Based on the results of two years of insect surveys in the subtropical and tropical regions of Vietnam, we conducted a comparative analysis of the species diversity of the Noctuoidea (Insecta: Lepidoptera) in the two survey areas, Bach Ma National Park and Protected Forest in the Vạn Xuân region. In addition, the host flora of the identified moths were analysed to determine the differences in host communities.

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.

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.

Calonecrinae represent a unique but small subfamily of Nitidulidae that is endemic to South Asia. Their habitats, the South Asian lowland forests, are under the imminent threat of degradation, posing a risk of rapid extinction for these species in their specific locales. Despite the looming threat to their existence, our understanding of this enigmatic group remains limited. We conducted an examination of museum and newly collected specimens, alongside a review of the literature, leading to the discovery of a new species, Calonecrus mindanaoensis, from Mindanao, Philippines. For the first time, the morphology of all immature stages of the Calonecrinae was described, with detailed photographs including SEM images. Additionally, their natural history was uncovered for the first time, revealing that all life stages are uniquely adapted to spending their entire life cycle within sticky resin. We re-evaluated the phylogenetic placement of the Calonecrinae by constructing a phylogenetic tree based on the mitochondrial genome. Calonecrinae are positioned within the Epuraeinae clade and show significant affinity with the genus Trimenus. Consequently, this study proposes reclassifying Calonecrinae as Calonecrini stat nov, an extremely modified tribe within the Epuraeinae.

Bombyx mandarina (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), the presumed ancestor of the domesticated silkworm B. mori, has long been a subject of study to illustrate the geographic relationships in connection with origin of B. mori. We sequenced 100 mitochondrial genomes of B. mandarina collected from South Korea and Japan and these were combined with public data. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses showed that all individuals collected in South Korea, except one individual from Inje, formed a strong group together with northern China and some individuals of southern China. This group was placed as the sister group to B. mori strains, suggesting that this group could have been served as an immediate progenitor for B. mori. For further robust inference more analysis is underway.

This study explores the significant influence of micro-environmental factors on carcass decomposition and insect colonization, with a particular emphasis on detailed insect community analysis. The research employed an innovative approach by placing two pig carcasses in contrasting environments that one in a sunlit open field and the other in a shaded forest. The findings revealed dynamic shifts in insect diversity in the sunlit area, characterized by a rapid increase followed by a decrease, in contrast to the more steady, gradual changes observed in the shaded area. This contrast highlights the sensitivity of insect communities to even minor changes in environmental conditions like sunlight and temperature. It unveils the nuanced ways in which such factors shape the composition and dynamics of insect communities. These insights are crucial for the field of forensic entomology, enhancing the accuracy of post-mortem interval estimations. By providing a clearer understanding of how different micro-environmental conditions influence insect activity and decomposition processes, this study significantly contributes to the refinement of forensic methodologies.

Pyrethroid resistance in cockroach populations has been a public health challenge since the 1950s. The pyrethroid resistance in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is primarily attributed to knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations (E434K, C764R, and L993F) in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene (vssc). In this study, the pyrethroid resistance state of the German cockroach in the Republic of Korea (ROK) was assessed by analyzing the frequencies of kdr mutations using one-step PCR with total RNA. The results revealed that among the 25 populations examined, 14 populations exhibited the L993F kdr mutation, while no other mutations were detected. Since other cockroach species are also commonly found in human dwellings in ROK, the vssc genes were cloned from four other species, including Blattella nipponica, Periplaneta americana, Periplaneta japonica, and Periplaneta fuliginosa. Based on the genomic DNA (gDNA) sequences obtained from the vssc cloning, primer sets were designed to amplify the vssc fragment spanning the L993F mutation for each species and used to monitor the development of pyrethroid resistance in cockroach populations in the ROK. The study will facilitate the implementation of a nationwide monitoring program to assess cockroach resistance and select suitable alternatives.

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.