species associated with in South Africa, including two novel species.

Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are small wood-boring insects that live in an obligate symbiosis with fungi, which serve as their primary food source. Beetles residing in the genus have evolved a unique association with a clade of that falls within the aptly named Ambrosia Clade (AFC). The discovery of the invasive polyphagous shot hole borer, , in South Africa, has heightened awareness of ambrosia beetles and their symbionts in the country.

Polyandry contributes to (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) rearing.

Background: Marelli, 1926 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the main defoliating beetles in plantations. Biological control with egg parasitoids is one of the main control strategies for this pest and a constant supply of fresh host eggs is required to rear the parasitoids. Polyandry can influence oviposition by increasing female fecundity and fertility; however, the high density of individuals in laboratory colonies can lead to male harassment, resulting in lower reproduction rate.

Susceptibility of Eucalyptus trees to defoliation by the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus sp. n. 2, is enhanced by high foliar contents of 1,8-cineole, oxalic acid and sucrose and low contents of palmitic and shikimic acid.

Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) is an invasive, commercially important weevil that causes large-scale defoliation of Eucalyptus trees.

Efficacy of Commercially Available Entomopathogenic Agents against the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa.

The invasive ambrosia beetle, , was first reported in South Africa in 2018. The beetle has now spread to eight provinces of the country and has had a devastating impact on both native and non-native tree species. This is especially true for trees located in urban and peri-urban environments.

Characterisation of the Alarm Pheromone of Bathycoelia Distincta (Pentatomidae).

Bathycoelia distincta (Pentatomidae) is the dominant pest in South African macadamia orchards, where adults are responsible for causing severe yield losses. Similar to other hemipterans, B. distincta release volatile compounds from scent glands that can deter natural enemies and act as an alarm signal among conspecifics.

Diversity and Molecular Barcoding of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Associated with Macadamia in South Africa.

Stink bugs are major pests of macadamia in South Africa. Accurate identification and knowledge of species composition are important to inform management practices. The overall aims of this study were to identify stink bug species from macadamia orchards in South Africa using morphology, and to establish a DNA database based on the gene region.

Genetic diversity of the two-spotted stink bug Bathycoelia distincta (Pentatomidae) associated with macadamia orchards in South Africa.

The South African macadamia industry is severely affected by a complex of stink bugs, dominated by the two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta Distant (Pentatomidae). This species was first discovered during the spring of 1984 in the Limpopo province. Although considerable effort has been spent trying to manage this pest, it continues to be a pest of concern for the macadamia industry.

Biotic and abiotic effects on density, body size, sex ratio, and survival in immature stages of the European woodwasp, .

Resource quality can have direct or indirect effects on female oviposition choice, offspring growth and survival, and ultimately on body size and sex ratio. We examined these patterns in Fabricus, the globally invasive European pine woodwasp, in South African plantations. We studied how tree position as well as natural variation in biotic and abiotic factors influenced sex-specific density, larval size, tunnel length, male proportion, and survival across development.

Mechanisms that influence sex ratio variation in the invasive hymenopteran in South Africa.

is an economically important invasive pest of commercial pine forestry in the Southern Hemisphere. Newly established invasive populations of this woodwasp are characterized by highly male-biased sex ratios that subsequently revert to those seen in the native range. This trend was not observed in the population of from the summer rainfall regions in South Africa, which remained highly male-biased for almost a decade.

Sirex woodwasp: a model for evolving management paradigms of invasive forest pests.

The Sirex woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, and its fungal mutualist, Amylostereum areolatum, together constitute one of the most damaging invasive pests of pine. Despite a century of research and well-established management programs, control remains unpredictable and spread continues to new areas. Variable success in managing this pest has been influenced by complex invasion patterns, the multilayered nature of biological interactions, the varying local ecologies, and microevolutionary population processes in both the biocontrol organisms and in the wasps.

Biology and rearing of Cleruchoides noackae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid for the biological control of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae).

Cleruchoides noackae Lin and Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is a solitary egg parasitoid of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero and Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae). The parasitoid was first described in 2009 and its biology and rearing are poorly understood. A key obstacle to the use of C.

Lack of fidelity revealed in an insect-fungal mutualism after invasion.

Symbiont fidelity is an important mechanism in the evolution and stability of mutualisms. Strict fidelity has been assumed for the obligate mutualism between Sirex woodwasps and their mutualistic Amylostereum fungi. This assumption has been challenged in North America where the European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, and its fungal mutualist, Amylostereum areolatum, have recently been introduced.