꽃매미벼룩좀벌(Anastatus orientalis)을 실내에서 대량사육 할 수 있는 대체기주를 선발하기 위하여 꽃매미와 썩덩나무노린재(Halyomopha halys), 톱다리개미허리노린재(Riptortus pedestris), 매미나방(Lymantria dispar), 참나무산누에나방(Antheraea yamamai), 귀뚜라미(Verlarifictorus spp.), 집파리(Musca domestica), 산누에나방(Antheraea pernyi) 총 8 종의 알 또는 번데기를 이용하여 검토하였다. 그 결과 꽃매미 알과 산누에나방의 미성숙 알에서는 꽃매미벼룩좀벌의 산란과 우화가 확인되었으나 그 밖에 종의 알과 번데기에서는 산란을 확인할 수 없었다. 대체기주로 선발된 산누에나방은 참나무 잎으로 사육하였으며, 7월과10월 상순에 번데기를 수확하여 우화 후 4~5일경에 복부가 불룩한 산란 직전의 암컷 성충만을 선발하여 1~5℃ 냉장고에 보관하였으며, 저온에 보관했던 암컷의 복부를 절개하여, 암컷 한 마리당 150~200개의 알을 얻었다. 꽃매미 알과 산누에나방의 미성숙 알에서 꽃매미벼룩좀벌의 발육기간은 각각 평균 36.8일과 36.1일이었으며, 24시간동안 암컷 한 마리가 산란한 알의 수는 각각 평균 4.2개와 3.4개로 통계적으로는 유의한 차이가 없었다. 한편, 꽃매미벼룩좀벌 암컷 성충의 수명은 벌꿀을 먹이로 제공 하였을 때, 평균 64.3일까지 생존하는 것으로 확인되었다. 산누에나방의 미성숙 알을 대량으로 확보하고 벌꿀을 먹이로 제공하면 꽃매미벼룩좀벌을 실내에서 대량사육 하는 것이 가능하고 야외방사를 통해 꽃매미의 생물적 방제에 활용할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

The Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai Guérin-Méneville 1861 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), is one of the important natural resources possessing industrial value for silk fiber production. In this study, ten microsatellite markers and two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences (COI and ND4) were used to investigate the genetic variation and geographic structure of A. yamamai populations in South Korea. Two mtDNA gene sequences revealed very low total genetic variation and resultant low geographic variation, validating to use further variable molecular markers. Population-based FIS, FST, RST, and global Mantel test consistently support that A. yamamai populations are overall well interconnected with a relatively high gene flow. Nevertheless, STRUCTURE analysis using microsatellite data and mtDNA sequences coincidently indicate the presence of two genetic pools in many populations.

Saturnia (Rinaca) jonasii Butler, 1877 is distributed in Japan, including Tsushima Island and Taiwan, whereas S. boisduvalii Eversmann, 1846 is distributed in northern areas, such as China, Russia, and South Korea. In the present study we found that the specimens from Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo, a southern remote offshore island, were S. jonasii, rather than S. boisduvalii based on morphology, DNA barcode, and nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) sequences. The major morphological differences between the two species included the shape of wing pattern elements of fore- and hindwings and male and female genitalia. A DNA barcode analysis of the sequences of the Jejudo specimens and S. boisduvalii, along with those of Saturnia species obtained from a public database showed a minimum sequence divergence of 4.26% (28 bp). A phylogenetic analysis also showed clustering of the Jejudo specimens with S. jonasii, separating S. boisduvalii (Bayesian posterior probability = 0.99). The EF-1α-based sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the two species from Jejudo Island and the Korean mainland showed the uniqueness of the Jejudo specimens from S. boisduvalii collected on the Korean mainland, indicating distribution of S. jonasii on Jejudo Island in South Korea, instead of S. boisduvalii.

Actias artemis is a members of the family Saturniidae, also known as wild silkmoths, have impressive color and size. In 2012, estimation of Actias artemis (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) abundance in HECRI was conducted using the mark-release-recapture (MRR) method (Jolly, 1965) from mid to late May. Seven sampling events were accomplished from 19 May, 21 May, 22 May, 24 May, 26 May, 28 May and on 30 May, during the main flight of the species. Marking was made by writing numbers in the hind wing of each individual moths. Most collections were undertaken by a team of experienced four or six researches of HECRI using light trap (mercury lamp: 250W). Seven female and 58 male moths were captured in study site. The effective population size of Actias artemis was 24.9 and heterozygosity was more than 97%. Seven marked moths were recaptured, resulting in 9.7% of recapture rate. The estimated population size of A. artemis showed a peak by 133 individuals on 22 May and then declined. The estimated adult numbers of A. artemis using MRR method from minimum 168 to maximum 5,332 (p<0.05).

The Samia cynthia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a commercial silk-producing insect belonging to an insect family Saturniidae in Bombycoidea. The species that has presumably been originated in India, is distributed in India, China, and Japan. Unlikely domestic silkworm the prime host plant for the species is a castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis in Euphorbiaceae). Recently, the eri-silkworm also is reared in Korea and is expected to be utilized for a diverse purpose. In this report, we present the complete mitochondrial genome of the species with the emphasis of a few major characteristics. The 15,384-bp long S. cynthia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) mitochondrial genome was amplified into three long overlapping fragments (from COI ~ ND4, ND5 ~ lrRNA, and lrRNA ~ COI) and subsequent several short fragments using the long fragments as temperate. The primers for both long and short fragments were designed solely for lepidopteran genomes, without any species-specific primers. As a usual the genome is composed of 37 genes: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes, and one large non-coding region termed the A+T-rich region. Arrangement of the genome is identical to those of other lepidopteran mitochondrial genome, but this differs from the common arrangement found in a diverse insect order, by the movement of tRNAMet to a position 5’- up stream of tRNAIle. Unlikely previous report on the start codon for COI gene in Lepidoptera S. cynthia ricini COI gene starts with typical ATT codon located between tRNATyr and the beginning region of COI gene. The 22 tRNAs that are interspersed throughout the mitogenome ranged in length from 62 to 71 bp. All tRNAs but tRNASer(AGN) were shown to be folded into the expected cloverleaf secondary structures. More detailed structural and phylogenetic analyses among Bombycidae and Saturniidae in connection with other families in the Bombycoidea will be performed soon

The 15,338-bp long complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraeayamamai (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was determined. This genome has a gene arrangement identical to those of all other sequenced lepidopteran insects, but differs from the most common type, as the result of the movement of tRNAMet to a position 5’-upstream of tRNAIle. No typical start codon of the A. yamamai COI gene is available. Instead, a tetranucleotide, TTAG, which is found at the beginning context of all sequenced lepidopteran insects was tentatively designated as the start codon for A. yamamai COI gene. Three of the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) harbor the incomplete termination codon, T or TA. All tRNAs formed stable stem-and-loop structures, with the exception of tRNASer(AGN), the DHU arm of which formed a simple loop as has been observed in many other metazoan mt tRNASer(AGN). The 334-bp long A+T-rich region is noteworthy in that it harbors tRNA-likestructures, as has also been seen in the A+T-rich regions of other insect mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analyses of the available species of Bombycoidea, Pyraloidea, and Tortricidea bolstered the current morphology-based hypothesis that Bombycoidea and Pyraloidea are monophyletic (Obtectomera). As has been previously suggested, Bombycidae (Bombyxmori and B.mandarina) and Saturniidae (A.yamamai and Caligula boisduvalii) formed a reciprocal monophyletic group.

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Japanese Oak Silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) from two overlapping fragments and subsequent shotgun sequencing. The 15,601-bp long A. yamamai mitogenome contains gene arrangement and content identical to the most common arrangement found in lepidopteran insects. Most individual A. yamamai mitochondrial (mt) genes were well within the range found in the respective genes of other insects, except for small ribosomal RNA (1,037 bp). The 336-bp A+T-rich region is relatively smaller than that of other lepidopteran insects. The region is interesting in that it contains tRNA-like structures as found in the A+T-rich regions of other insect mitogenomes. The start codon of A. yamamai COI gene is unusual in that no typical one (ATN) is available. Three of the 13 protein-coding genes have incomplete termination codon T or TA. All tRNA formed stable stem-and-loop structure, except for tRNASer(AGN), the DHU arm of which formed a simple loop as seen in many other metazoan mt tRNASer(AGN).