말라리아는 Anopheles 모기들에 의해 전파되며, 대한민국에서는 코로나 팬데믹 기간 동안(2020~2022) 약 200~300명대의 말라리아 환자가 발생하였으나, 지난 2023년에는 그 수가 폭증해 약 800명의 환자가 발생하였다. 현재까지 모기를 방제하기 위한 가장 효율적인 수단은 살충제를 사용한 방제이나, 지속적으로 이러한 화합물에 노출된 모기 개체군은 살충제에 저항성을 갖게 되는 것으로 알려져 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 대한민국의 주요 말라리아 발생 지역인 비무장지대 부근 및 이외 지역인 용산, 평택, 오산에서 채집을 진행하였으며, 채집된 An. sinensis에 대해서 살충제 저항성과 관련되어 있다고 알려진 유전자인 acetylcholinesterase-1(ace-1)와 voltage-gated sodium channel(vgsc) 영역에 대한 저항성 돌연변이 보유 여부를 각각 확인하였다. 실험 결과 채집된 모든 지역에서 G119S(ace-1), L1014F,C(vgsc) 돌연변이가 발견되었으며, 그 빈도는 계절과 장소에 따라 차이를 나타내었다. 본 실험 결과는 향후 말라리아 감염 억제를 위한 매개체 연구에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

작은소피참진드기(Haemaphysalis longicornis)는 중증열성혈소판감소증후군 (SFTS)을 전파하는 주요 매개 체로 알려져 있으며, 대한민국 전역에 분포하고 있다. SFTS는 2013년 첫 환자 보고 이후 SFTS의 보고 사례가 꾸준히 증가하고 있으며 이에 해당 질병을 전파하는 주요 매개체인 작은소피참진드기를 대상으로 한 연구의 중요성이 증가하고 있다. 전사체 분석은 llumina HiSeq 4000 platform을 활용하여 진행하였다. Illumina HiSeq 4000에서 확보된 전사체 데이터를 Trinity 프로그램을 활용하여 de novo assembly를 진행하였으며, 이후 TGICL 프로그램을 통해 unigenes 을 확보하였다. 이후 확보된 unigenes는 전사체의 기능을 추정 및 식별하기 위해 Swiss-Prot, KOG, GO, KEGG, PANM DB를 기반으로 한 BLASTx를 수행하였다. 또한 Phlebovirus의 존재 여부를 확인하기 위해 NCBI에 등록된 Phlebovirus 유전자원을 수집하여 데이터베이스를 구축하였으며, 구축된 데이터베이스에서 BLASTx를 진행하 여 바이러스 전사체의 존재 여부를 분석하였다. 확보된 28,078개의 unigenes 중 19,414개의 unigene이 PANM DB에 annotation 되었으며, Swiss-Prot, KOG, GO, KEGG에서는 각각 13,117개, 13,002개, 8,588개, 1,651개의 unigene이 annotation 되었다. Phlebovirus 전사체 존재 여부 분석 결과, BLASTX를 통해 작은소피참진드기로부터 SFTS RNA polymerase와 유사성을 보이는 3개의 unigene의 존재를 확인하였다. 이번 연구 결과는 국내 작은소피참진드기 및 SFTS 바이러스 감시와 전염병 예방·통제에 있어 기초 자료로써 활용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

In Vespa velutina, although no parasites or parasitoids have been found as natural enemies, strepsipteran parasites were first discovered in 11 workers in Andong in 2020. Identification using the DNA barcode method along with the morphological characters, identified them as Xenos moutoni and X. oxyodontes. These were all males (except for one parasite whose appearance was not identified), and consisted of four larvae and seven pupae. This is the first recorded strepsipteran parasites in Korea, Japan, and Europe, invaded by V. velutina. A Strepsipteran parasite is prevalent in Vespa species, but reports on the host is lacking in Korea. Although it was not possible to determine the exact infection rate of the strepsipteran parasites in this study, it seems that the parasite of V. velutina has already progressed in the southern region due to the geographical characteristics of Andong, located in the central region of Korea. In particular, stylopized workers do not work in the nest, which negatively affects nest development, and reproductive individuals (male and new queen) do not mate, which negatively affects the formation of new colonies in the following year. Nevertheless, the control effect is likely to be minor due to the high reproductive rate and compensatory effect of social wasps.

A seasonal chigger-borne disease surveillance program was established at Geoje in March, April, October, and November, 2023. Three species of 45 wild rodents were collected by using Sherman traps, including Apodemus agrarius (Species Ratio; SR 88.9%), Crocidura spp. (SR 8.9%), Micromys minutus (SR 2.2%) in Geoje, 2023. A total of 2,597 chiggers were collected from three species of the rodents in Geoje. The chigger mites were collected from A. agrarius (Chigger Index; CI 64.9) and C. spp. (CI 0.3) for Geoje. In the collection environments, a total number of 734, 659, 172, 520, and 512 chiggers were collected from a reservoir, a ditch, a rice paddy, a field, and a hill, respectively. In the results of the isolation of Orientia tsutsugamushi from the chigger mites, no pathogens were detected from the DNA of the 62 pools of the mites using a Polymerase Chain Reaction method in 2023.

The vector mosquito surveillance is important when recommending prevention and control measures. The surveillance of the vectors were conducted at a total of 7 locations with light emitting diode (LED traps) and BG-Sentinel traps from March to November, 2023 in Gyeongnam province. In the surveillance, a total of 13 species belonging to seven genera were collected in a total of 6,537 females and 51.9/trap/night (Trap Index; TI) in 2023. Among the collection sites, Gangseo-gu at the pigsty in Busan with a LED trap recorded the highest TI 60.6 (Species Ratio; SR 65.6%) for Culex tritaeniorhynchus females in 2023. Each one of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus female was firstly collected for 2023 at Eulsukdo in Busan at 22th March. In the results of isolation of viral RNA, Flavivirus were positive in one pool (Chaoyang virus; 30 individuals) of Aedes vexans and negative in 341 pools (4,152 individuals) of 12 mosquito species including Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. pipiens, Aedes vexans, Ae. albopictus, and Ochlerotatus togoi in 2023.

A tick survey was conducted to monitor ticks using tick traps attached dry ice method at each four sites in Ulju and Gimhae counties, Gyeongsangnam-do from April to November, 2023. Two species belonging to one genera were collected with tick traps. A total of 1,064 ticks were collected as Haemaphysalis longicornis (Trap Index; TI 11.0), Haemaphysalis flava (TI <0.1) in Ulju and A total of 843 ticks were collected as Haemaphysalis longicornis (Trap Index; TI 8.7), Haemaphysalis flava (TI 0.1) in Gimhae 2023. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the most frequently collected, representing 99.2% in Ulju, 98.9% in Gimhae. In the collection environments, a total number of 685, 268, 64, and 47 ticks were collected from a glassland, a copse, a mountain path, and a grave of Ulju a total number of 469, 216, 83, and 75 ticks were collected from a glassland, a copse, a Grave, and a mountain path of Gimhae respectively. In the results of the isolation of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) from the ticks, no pathogens were detected from RNA of 101 pools (Ulju), 98 pools (Gimhae) of the ticks using a Polymerase Chain Reaction method in 2023.

쯔쯔가무시증은 급성 발열성 질환으로 Orientia tsutsugamushi을 보유한 털진드기 유충이 숙주를 흡혈할 때 전파된다고 알려져 있다. 국내에서는 한국전쟁 중에 첫 감염사례가 확인되었고 이후 지속적으로 보고되고 있다. 털진드기 유충이 성장하기 위해선 반드시 동물의 체액을 필요로 하기 때문에, 일시적으로 야생 설치류 등에 기생 하는데 봄철과 가을철에 주로 발생한다. 이처럼 인간에게 피해를 주는 털진드기의 분포와 병원체 유무를 조사하 기 위해, 2022년부터 2023년까지 경상북도 김천시에서 3월, 4월과 10월, 11월 5가지 환경(논, 밭, 수로, 야산, 저수 지)에서 Sherman trap을 이용하여 설치류 채집을 진행하였다. 2022년에는 총 18마리의 설치류가 채집되었고, Apodemus agrarius가 14마리(77.8%)로 가장 많이 채집되었다. 2023년에는 총 25마리의 설치류가 채집되었고, Apodemus agrarius가 19마리(76.0%)로 역시 가장 많이 채집되었다. 채집된 설치류 의 개체수는 2022년 대비 2023 년에 약 39% 증가하였다. 설치류에서 채집된 털진드기의 개체수를 조사한 결과, 2022년에는 총 1,862마리, 2023 년에는 3,243마리가 채집되어 전년 대비 약 74% 증가하였다. Chigger index 값을 살펴보았을 때 2022년에는 Apodemus agrarius에서 122.2, 2023년에는 Apodemus agrarius에서 169.7로 가장 높았다. 설치류에서 채집된 털진 드기의 반수에 대한 병원체 보유 여부를 확인하기 위해 최대 30마리씩 pooling하여 실험한 결과, 모두 음성으로 확인된 2022년과 달리 2023년 10월 3개, 11월 1개의 pool에서 쯔쯔가무시 양성이 확인되었다. 확인된 양성 샘플은 모두 저수지에서 채집된 개체로 해당 지역에 대한 지속적인 감시가 필요할 것으로 생각된다.

Until now, only two species of Dichaetomyia Malloch have been recorded in the Korean fauna. In this study, we report two unrecorded species for the first time in Korea. External photographs, key to Korean species and taxonomic information are presented herein.

The genus Hyadina Haliday, 1830 is reported for the first time from Korean fauna along with two nominate species: Hyadina fukuharai Miyagi, 1977, and H. pulchella Miyagi, 1977. Their diagnoses, external feature, and a key of these species are provided here.

Hitherto, 37 species in 10 genera under 4 subfamilies have been known from the Korean Peninsula. In this study, three newly recorded species are reported for the first time from Korea: Conops ceriaeformis ussuriensis Zimina, 1974, Physocephala pielina Chen, 1939, and Myopa picta Panzer, 1797. Morphological diagnoses and illustrations of these species are presented. Additionally, a key to all species of Conopidae from Korea is also provided.

The family Baetidae is known to be the most species-rich family in the order Ephemeroptera. The genus Baetis contains up to 160 species, but members of the genus in East Asia are still poorly investigated. In this paper, Baetis spinoculis sp. nov., is described based on larval specimens collected in a stream of the Chiaksan mountain in Korea. While four species in the genus have been described in Korea: Baetis fuscatus (Linnaeus), B. silvaticus Kluge, B. pseudothermicus Kluge, and B. ursinus Kazlauskas, this new species is distinguished from other Korean baetid species by both genetic and morphological characteristics. B. spinoculis can be separated from the related B. pseudothermicus group by the COI genetic distant. The cuticle structures on paraproct plates and abdominal pigment patterns also distinguish B. spinoculis from B. pseudothermicus and other related species.

An unrecorded gall midge was discovered from inflorescence galls on Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus. ex T.Yamaz. & Mashiba, which is one of major components in evergreen forests on the Korean Peninsula. The galls occurred on 20 trees out of 230 on Yokiji Island. The gall midge was identified as Schizomyia castanopsisae Elsayed & Tokuda, 2018 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), using morphological characters and mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) region sequences of gall midge’s larvae. The Barcode sequences of 40 samples collected from Yokji Island were identical, and the individuals from Yokji Island formed a clade with the individuals from Kyushu, with robust bootstrap support in a maximum likelihood tree. This result suggests the gall midges may have migrated from Kyushu, Japan to Yokji Island, South Korea. However, it is too early to determine if the gall midge is truly invasive or not at present due to paucity of distribution data in the country.

Moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are small fuzzy flies found in diverse habitats from mountains to urban areas, even in your house. Approximately 3,000 species among 6 subfamilies are recorded worldwide. However, in Korea, only 10 species from 3 genera of the subfamily Psychodinae have been recorded, including 8 species from North Korea. A preliminary study on moth flies in Korea was conducted using specimens collected via malaise traps and by hands from various locations in South Korea. As a result, Brunettia lungjingensis, Thornburghiella decoricornis, Philosepedon monstruosus and our friendly but unrecorded, Clogmia albipunctata are newly described in Korea. Brief descriptions, photographs, and illustrations of these four species are provided.

Three species belonging to two families of minute-sized spiders, viz, Theridiosoma fulvum (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae), Microdipoena ogatai and Microdipoena shenyang (Araneae: Mysmenidae), were discovered for the first time in Korea. Previously T. fulvum and M. ogatai were known to distribute only in Japan, M. shenyang only in China. All former records of Microdipoena jobi from Korea are misidentifications of M. shenyang. Detailed descriptions and photographs of three species are provided.

The genus Peromitra Enderlein is a small group of phorid flies, including two European parasitic species known to parasitize larval bibionid flies. In this study, specimens of the Peromitra species collected from South Korea are examined morphologically on the basis of characteristics on ocellar region, leg chaetotaxy and hypopygium. As a result, four species are described new to science and two species, viz. P. fimbriata and P. multisetalis are newly recorded from South Korea. Photographs of diagnostic characters and a key to males of South Korean species are provided.

Nemophora Hoffmannsegg, 1798 is a relatively large group in Adelidae, including about 350 species worldwide. Only 13 species are known to Korean insect fauna up to date. The present study is to report N. ochsenheimerella, which is new to Korea. N. ochsenheimerella is externally similar to N. wakayamensis but can be distinguished by having characters in male genitalia as follows: cucullus longer than N. wakayamensis and N. ochsenheimerella has two rows of curnus consisting of numerous minute spines.

Valgus Kolbe, 1909 is a small genus of Cetoniinae, with 20 described species worldwide. In Korea, only one species, Valgus koreanus Sawada, have been recorded. Species of this genus have been known that they are commonly associated with termite colonies. They feed on the wall of termite burrows in logs or standing dead trees. In this study, we report a new species of this genus, Valgus gwangneungensis sp. nov.. We provide a key to the species of Valgus, description of the new species and photographs of habitus and male aedeagus.

The mayfly genus Drunella is the most diverse genera in the family Ephemerellidae, and is found in lotic streams throughout East Asia and North America. The species D. ishiyamana is found widely throughout East Asia and their species concept has not been properly defined until recently. The D. ishiyamana species group was examined, and morphological and molecular evidence of a new species were uncovered. In this study Drunella punctata sp. nov. is formally described, mainly distinguished from D. ishiyamana by the lack of a notch in their median clypeal tubercle in their larval stage. Photographs, diagnosis, and descriptions of D. punctata are provided.

The genus Anaclasiger which is one of the myrmecophilous beetle (Clavigeritae) was described by Raffray in 1890 with the type species, A. sinuaticollis. Since then, only one species, A. zhudiae, had been added in this genus. The former species has known to distribute in Singapore (type locality), Taiwan (Raffray, 1914), Malaysia (Nomura & Idris, 2005), Thailand and Japan (Nomura et al., 2006), and the latter has been reported only in China (Yin et al., 2012). During specimens research of Korea National Arboretum, we were recognized one species, A. sinuaticollis, collected by pitfall trap in Mt. Geombong. Therefore, we are going to report this unrecorded genus and species for the first time from Korea. Both the information of the species including diagnosis, habitus and male genitalia, and that of the genus distribution on the map are going to be provided.

This research introduces the subfamily Catotrichinae to the South Korean fauna for the first time. Within the globally recognized 6,651 Cecidomyiidae species, only ten are categorized under the Catotrichinae subfamily. Notably, this subfamily, which ingests fungi during larval development, is among the most primordial lineages of the Cecidomyiidae, both in morphological and molecular terms. The species Catoricha nipponensis of Catotrichinae was newly observed in Yeongwol, Gangwon-do, in October 2021. It was recorded for the first time in Korea, with its holotype initially collected in Honshu, Japan, in November 1923. This study provides the diagnosis, photographs of distinguishing characteristics, and the DNA barcode sequences for Catotricha nipponensis. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of the Republic of Korea.