Methyl acetate, a highly volatile floral semiochemical mediating specialized plant-beetle interactions.

Olfactory signaling is key to the reproductive biology of entomophilous palms. Both pollinating and specialized herbivorous insects are attracted to fragrance-emitting palm inflorescences that function as reliable food sources, as well as mating and oviposition sites. In the present study, we characterized the floral scent chemistry of the acuri palm (Attalea phalerata), assessing its role in the attraction of flower-visiting insects associated with this species over its natural distribution range.

Contribution to the taxonomy of the family Membracidae Rafinesque (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in Colombia.

The Membracidae are a relatively diverse group with nearly 400 genera and 3200 species. For Colombia 93 genera and 394 species were previously known. Study of the literature and 3744 specimens deposited in ten colections in Colombia, as well as non-systematic collections and field observations done in Colombia between 2011 and 2014, led us to record 116 genera and 474 species grouped in 9 subfamilies and 23 tribes, distributed in 24 departments.