The genus Hypsopygia was established by Hübner, 1825, with type species Phalaena costalis Fabricius, 1775. Hypsopygia is characterized by the elongated uncus and valva, and pointed saccus in the male genitalia. It consists of 105 described species (Nuss et al., 2003–2024) in the world, and 11 species have been recorded in Korea (Kim & Paek, 2020; Shin et al., 2023). In this study, we reported one newly recorded species in Korea. Illustrations of adults provided, with information of host plants of all examined species.

Native to southern Europe, Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr, 1855) is an invasive species that has been introduced worldwide through cross-border trade. It has been documented to be distributed in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, and Indo-Malaya. This species, also known as Browsing ant, was first found around a warehouse in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, and was probably introduced into the country via cargo. The external morphology and gene sequences were checked for taxonomic identification, and it was identified as Lepisiota frauenfeldi based on comparative analysis of the morphological classification key and NCBI data. This study is the first report of a newly invasive alien ant and provides basic data on the species, including external morphological and ecological features and sequencing results.

Insect cuticular extracellular matrices (ECM) including the eggshell and exoskeleton play vital roles in protecting them from natural environmental stresses. However, these chitinous ECMs must be degraded at least in part during embryonic and post-embyonic molting periods to accommodate continuous growth all the way to the adult stage. In this study we investigated the functions of groups I and II chitinases, TcCHT5 and TcCHT10, in turnover of the eggshell and cuticle in Tribolium castaneum. RNAi and TEM analyses revealed that TcCHT10 is required for digestion of chitin in the serosal cuticle for embryo hatching as well as in the old cuticle during post-embryonic molts including larval-pupal and pupal-adult metamorphosis. However, although TcCHT5 is apparently involved in these vital physiological events, TcCHT10 could substitute for TcCHT5 except during the pupal-adult molting when both enzymes are indispensable to degrade chitin in the old pupal cuticle.

This study reports the first Korean records of the genus Acerocnema Becker, 1894, with one new species, Acerocnema saurischia sp. nov., and one newly recorded species, A. flavifrons. A key to the Korean Scathophagidae is provided with morphological diagnosis and images of habitus and male genitalia structures. To assist in species identification, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences were obtained from all specimens to conduct DNA barcoding.

서부마른나무흰개미(신칭)는(Incisitermes minor) 미국 서부와 멕시코 북부를 포함하여 북미 서부가 원산인 종이며 주택을 포함한 목조 구조물에 치명적인 해충이다. 국내에선 2023년 9월 외래생물신고센터를 통해 경남 창원시 진해구의 한 가정집에서 흰개미 유시충이 발견되었다는 민원 신고로 처음 확인되었다. 그 이후 주변 지역 조사 결과 민원인 주택 주변에서 군집비행하는 흰개미 유시충 및 목재 피해 흔적을 통해 군체를 발견 확인하였다. 또한, 최초발견지에서 약 1km 떨어진 한 아파트 단지의 정자 및 그 일대에서 추가 군체가 확인되었다. 본 연구에서 는 채집된 흰개미의 형태와 유전자 정보를 통해 대상종을 확인하였고, 발견 및 피해 상황 정보를 통해 향후 해당 종의 관리를 위한 기초자료를 제공하고자 한다.

Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a serious pest of stored products. We assessed the efficacy of combined application of Beauveria bassiana AAD16 and azadirachtin against P. interpunctella under laboratory conditions by using filter paper dipping method. P. interpunctella larvae showed lowest LT50 in combined application of AAD16 and azadirachtin compared to the application of only azadirachtin. The mycosis rate of P. interpunctella larvae was 100% after 14 days of the combined application while AAD16 only application showed 93%. These findings suggest that B. bassiana AAD16 and azadirachtin combined solution can be an effective controlling technique against P. interpunctella larvae.

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 subgenus Oropeza Needham, 1908 (Diptera: Tipulidae: Dolichopeza) comprises 27 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. Certain Oropeza species have been reported in neighboring countries of the Korean Peninsula―6 species in Japan, 3 species in China, and 4 species in Russia. Some researchers, such as Byers (1961) and Savchenko (1983), suggested that the distribution of Oropeza cover the East-Palearctic regions, including the entirety of the Korean Peninsula. However, previous records of Oropeza from the Korean Peninsula have not been accepted because of the lack of comprehensive species-level investigations in this region. In this study, we present a new record of the species Dolichopeza (Oropeza) satsuma (Alexander, 1918) in South Korea, with redescription and photographs: general habitus, wing veins, and male genitalia. This finding marks the rediscovery of the subgenus Oropeza in the Korean Peninsula.

The Genus Greenidea includes 66 species worldwide. Only two species have been recorded in Korea: G.kuwanai and G.nipponica. We collected Greenidea nigra Maki, 1917 on Quercus glauca in Jeju. This species has been recorded in Japan and Taiwan. In this study, we report this species for the first time in South Korea, and describe morphological features of apterous viviparous females.

Hemipsocus chloroticus (Hagen, 1858) is a leaf litter barklice and has been recorded in Japan, China, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Sri Lanka, and North America. We collected H. chloroticus on Jinju-si, Sanchung-gun, Seoguipo-si, and Ulsan-si from 2022 to 2023. In this study, H. chloroticus is reported for the first time in Korea, and illustrations of diagonistic characters are provided.

The family Pyralidae comprises over 6,000 species, and is composed of five subfamilies. Among those, the subfamily Phycitinae includes 3 genera, Addyme Walker, 1863, Calguia Walker, 1863, and Coleothrix Ragonot, 1888, with more than 3,300 species worldwide. However, several species of the genera have been erroneously stated and identified due to confusions caused by high morphological similarities. Therefore, we correct those errors through re-examinations of most of the type specimens, along with a diagnosis and table exhibiting the history of those genera. Additionally, we introduce two misidentified Korean pyralids belonging to the genus Addyme.

Eriocraniidae is a microleidopteran family (Lepidoptera: Eriocraniidae) that includes six genera and distributed to the Holarctic region. The larvae of this family are known leaf miners, typically infesting Betula and Ouercus. Herein. the first reord of the genus Dyeriocrania Spuler, 1910 in Korea is presented, including the previously undscribed species. Adult and female genitalia are provided based on illustrations.

The genus Acronicta Ochsenheimer, 1816 is known as a forest pest. The acronictine species is widely distributed across the Afrotropical, Oriental, Australian, and Neartic regions. This study presents a new record of an acronictine species from Korea, including descriptions, illustrations, and diagnostic characteristics. Additionally, the CO1 barcode data of the newly recorded species is compared with the global barcode reference at the species level. New data on the recently recorded species has been obtained from this study. This information will aid in the prompt identification and preparation for potential pest outbreaks.

Flower chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) are globally distributed, comprising approximately 4,000 described species. They primarily feed on nectar and sap of deciduous trees. The larvae exhibit the unique characteristic of crawling on their backs, distinguishing them from other scarabs. Additionally, the majority of flower chafers fly with their elytra closed, unlike other scarabs that fly with fully opened wings. Šípek et al. (2016) conducted the first molecular phylogenetic study to investigate their phylogenetic relationships and characters of elytra related to the flight mode. Building upon this study, we infer the diversification times and rates of Cetoniinae and its subgroups, and reconstruct the evolutionary process of flight mode transformation. Furthermore, we discuss the current limitations and future directions of this topic.

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.

Major pests of greenhouse strawberry include Tetranychus kanzawai (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) causing significant damage in both yield and quality. We compared control efficacy of two entomopathogenic fungus strains of Beauveria bassiana, AAD16 and GHA, against T. kanzawai and B. tabaci. Both fungus were applied as a foliar spray targeting the undersides of leaves. In preliminary studies in the laboratory, adult T. kanzawai and B. tabaci showed lower LT50 values when treated with AAD16 strain compared to GHA. In the greenhouse, the densities of the both mites (adult and nymph) and whiteflies (adult) were significantly reduced with the application of the two fungus strains compared to the control. The mycosis rate was 88-94% in T. kanzawai and 48-59% in B. tabaci on collected leaves. These findings suggest that Beauveria bassiana AAD16 can be an effective mycoinsecticide against both T. kanzawai and B. tabaci.

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.

Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch; TSSM) is an agriculturally serious pest tat has acquired strong resistance against acaricide. Alternatively, mite-pathogenic fungi could be used to control the mites. The spider mite has symbiotic microorganisms which could be involved in the physiological and ecological adaption to biotic stress. In this study, mite-pathogenic fungi were used to control female adults, and the change of microbiome in the fungus-infected mites was analyzed. The acaricidal activity of fungal isolates was tested, and Akanthomyces attenuatus JEF-147 with the highest acaricidal activity was determined, followed by semi-field assay. Microbiome in the female adults which was infected by A. attenuatus JEF-147 was analyzed, and composition of microorganism was changed by fungal treatment. In bacteria abundance, the arthropod defense-related Rickettsia increased, but reproduction-associated Wolbachia decreased. The change in major bacterial abundance in the infected mites could be explained by the trade-off between reproduction and immunity. This work describes that a possible trade-off in arthropods against fungal pathogens could be predicted by the microbiome analysis.

Over four years (2020–2023), 305 traps were strategically placed across South Korea to collect data on Vespidae species. Our findings showed that Vespula flaviceps, Vespa crabro, and Vespula koreensis were the most frequently encountered species. Vespa velutina was also widespread, suggesting its successful integration into local ecosystems. The ARL analysis, using the “apriori” algorithm, identified significant co-occurrence patterns and potential interactions. The rules generated indicated both competitive and coexistent relationships with varying levels of association strength across different regions. Clustering analyses, including hierarchical and k-means clustering, grouped species based on their occurrence similarities. The distinct clusters formed in the analysis highlighted the unique ecological roles and interactions of V. velutina and other Vespidae species in South Korean ecosystems.