Unsung heroes: fixing multifaceted sustainability challenges through insect biological control.

Insects are indispensable actors within global agri-food systems and ensure the delivery of myriad ecosystem services. A progressive decline in insect numbers - as inflicted by habitat loss, pollution or intensive agriculture - can jeopardize a sustained provisioning of those services. Though we routinely disregard how insects help meet multiple sustainable development challenges, a gradual insect decline can have grave, long-lasting consequences.

Transferred depository for twenty-seven holotypes of the plant bug and flower bug species recently described from Thailand (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae and Anthocoridae).

Between 2010 and 2013, twenty-six plant bug (Miridae) and one flower bug (Anthocoridae) species were described from Thailand by Yasunaga, Yamada and their colleagues. The original description of each species stated that the holotype depository was 'SUT' (Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand). Because continuous maintenance for type specimens in SUT would become difficult, with the consent of SUT, we have transferred the depository for each of the following holotype specimens from SUT to 'DOAT' (Insect Collection, Entomology & Zoology Group, Plant Protection Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Bangkok).

World species of the genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae).

The genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae) is a widespread group in the Old World, found from West Africa to northern Queensland, Australia. The species concepts are revised and a key to world species is presented. The genus is comprised of 6 species, including 2 known species which are redescribed: Platyscelioafricanus Risbec (Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe); and Platysceliopulchricornis Kieffer (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam).