In Korea, species of the genus Ptecticus Loew, 1855 (Family Stratiomyidae) have been known as three species, P. aurifer (Walker, 1854), P. matsumurae Lindner, 1936 and P. japonicus (Thunberg, 1789) (= P. tenebrifer (Walker, 1849)). Additionally, an unrecorded species, P. sinchangensis Ôuchi, 1938, is founded in South Korea. We therefore report the species for the first time in Korea with morphological diagnoses and key for the identification of species of the genus. In total, the members of the genus Ptecticus are officially recognized as four species in Korea.

외래생물인 아메리카동애등에는 뛰어난 유기물분해능으로 주목받아왔다. 이에 우리는 한국내 분포상과 유전적 다양성을 알아보기 위해 전국적으로 채집하여 미토콘드리아의 사이토크롬 C 산화효소 1 (CO1) 유전자를 이용해 집단유전학분석을 실시하였다. 그 결과 이 곤충은 한국에 성공적으로 정착한 것으로 보이며 10개의 미토콘드리아 유전자형이 있었고 개체군 간 분화가 뚜렷했다. 이 결과는 국내정착한 아메리카동애등에가 특정 유전자형의 모계만이 도입된 후 지역 간 분산이 제한적임을 나타내는 것으로, 이는 이들의 단거리 비행 경향에 기인한 것으로 추정된다.

Larvae black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is beneficial because its larvae feed on organic materials derived from plants, animals and humans and promote the recycling of food waste and organic materials. Chymotrypsin serine protease is one of the main digestive proteases in the midgut of and is involved in various essential processes. In a previous study, a gene encoding a chymotrypsin-like protease, Hi-SP1, was cloned from the larvae of Hermetia illucens and characterized. The objective of this study was to compare the digestive enzyme activity with various enzymes such as papain, protease and α-chymotrypsin. And also, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of the Hi-SP1 against the spoilage relate bacteria. The growth of the bacteria was inhibited in nutrient broth containing the Hi-SP1.

The invasive black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, has been paid much attention as an excellent organic matter decomposer. We conducted the nationwide survey and the population genetic study using a mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase 1 gene to understand its genetic diversity and distribution pattern in Korea. The results show that it has successfully settled down in South Korea and there are only 10 haplotypes and the populations of the insect are highly differentiated. The results indicate that only few maternal lineages were introduced and their dispersal was restrained due to their short distance flying tendency since their introduction.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is known as a beneficial insect and feeds on organic materials derived from animals and human, resulting in reduction of food waste and conversion of organic materials. Despite of many studies on the BSF, there have been no reports of cloned genes encoding serine proteases in the BSF. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to clone and to investigate expression pattern of genes encoding serine proteases released from the midgut of the BSF larvae in order to gain a better understanding of expression mechanism of serine proteases. We cloned two serine proteases from the BSF larva. Based on phylogenetic tree analysis, one was chymotrypsin, the other was trypsin. The open reading frame (ORF) of chymotrypsin was 804bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 267 amino acids. In case of trypsin, the ORF was 744bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 247 amino acids. To investigate expression pattern of two serine proteases, we conducted semi-quantitative RT-PCR at different tissues and different developmental stages. A chymotrypsin and trypsin transcripts were revealed strongly in mid gut. Especially, a chymotrypsin was detected largely at feeding stage more than molting stage, while trypsin was expressed similarly between feeding stage and molting stage