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The ant genus Formicoxenus is notable for the fact that all its species are xenobiotic and live inside or in close association with the nests of other ant species. Here, we report the occurrence of a colony of Formicoxenus quebecensis and its host, Myrmica alaskensis from the eastern side of the Door peninsula in Wisconsin. Both species are new records for the state, and F. quebecensis was previously known only from boreal habitats much farther north in Canada. We also provide some observations on this colony’s nest demography, morphology, and feeding behavior and discuss the ant community of this biogeographically interesting location.
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First record of the pine sawfly Neodiprion warreni (Hymenoptera, Diprionidae) in the state of Tennessee and on Pinus virginiana
Pine sawflies in the genusNeodiprionRohwer are widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and are pests of commercially important conifer trees. While sampling forNeodiprionspecies in eastern North America, two colonies ofNeodiprion warreniRoss were discovered in Tennessee feeding onPinus virginianaMill. These are the first records ofN. warreniin Tennessee and on the hostP. virginiana. Here, we use a combination of larval and adult female morphology to confirm species identification. We also discuss two potential explanations for these observations:N. warreniwas always present in Tennessee and feeding onP. virginianabut, until now, has gone unreported or these new records are attributable to a recent range expansion and host shift. We also discuss potential economic and evolutionary implications of range expansions and host shifts in plant-feeding insect pest species.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1750946
- PAR ID:
- 10494323
- Publisher / Repository:
- Pensoft Publishers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Hymenoptera Research
- Volume:
- 96
- ISSN:
- 1070-9428
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 937 to 947
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.96.112395
