Revision of Cameron (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) with descriptions of 13 new species.

The Old World braconine wasp genus Cameron is revised. The genus is recorded from the island of Madagascar for the first time based on two new species, Quicke & Butcher, and Quicke & Friedman, Quicke, is described from Australia; Quicke & Friedman, is described from Ethiopia; Quicke & Butcher, is described from Congo; van Noort, is described from Tanzania; Quicke & Friedman, , Ranjith, , Ranjith, and Ranjith, are described from India; Quicke & Butcher, , Quicke & Butcher, , and Quicke & Butcher, are described from Thailand. is recorded from Thailand for the first time.

Taxonomic corrections to species of Rhyparochromidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) described by Carl Peter Thunberg.

Types of Rhyparochromidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea) species described by Carl Peter Thunberg, deposited in the Museum of Evolution (formerly Zoologiska Institut), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, were reexamined and the taxonomic and nomenclatural problems that existed among those species discussed and resolved as required. Lectotypes are designated for Cimex caffer Thunberg, 1784, Lygaeus ater Thunberg, 1822, Lygaeus biguttatus Thunberg, 1822, and Pendulinus guttatus Thunberg, 1825. The lectotype of Pendulinus (now Metochus) guttatus is designated as neotype of Pendulinus (now Metochus) uniguttatus Thunberg, 1822; as a result the former name becomes junior objective synonym of the latter.

Dissemination of spotted fever rickettsia agents in Europe by migrating birds.

Migratory birds are known to play a role as long-distance vectors for many microorganisms. To investigate whether this is true of rickettsial agents as well, we characterized tick infestation and gathered ticks from 13,260 migratory passerine birds in Sweden. A total of 1127 Ixodes spp.

Migrating birds and tickborne encephalitis virus.

During spring and autumn 2001, we screened 13,260 migrating birds at Ottenby Bird Observatory, Sweden, and found 3.4% were infested with ticks. Four birds, each a different passerine species, carried tickborne encephalitis virus (TBEV)-infected ticks (Ixodes ricinus).

Migratory passerine birds as reservoirs of Lyme borreliosis in Europe.

To define the role of birds as reservoirs and disseminators of Borrelia spirochetes, we characterized tick infestation and reservoir competence of migratory passerine birds in Sweden. A total of 1,120 immature Ixodes ricinus ticks were removed from 13,260 birds and assayed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Borrelia, followed by DNA sequencing for species and genotype identification. Distributions of ticks on birds were aggregated, presumably because of varying encounters with ticks along migratory routes.