Wolbachia is one of the most common intracellular symbionts among insects, but the function of this infection and its effects on the host still remain largely unknown for many taxa. In the case of many social insects, living in colonies results in close interactions, facilitating the dispersion of...

The Halictidae, where the Seladonia aeraria belongs, was an important model organism for studying the evolution of insect social behavior. We first sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Seladonia aeraria. The mitogenome was 15, 410 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding...

Ecological experiments often require standardized methods that exclude natural variation and allow manipulation of a single parameter. It has been shown that domesticated honey bee larvae are raisable in a controlled environment. Here we demonstrate that this approach is also transferable to wild...

Social interactions are studied in colonies of eusocial Augochlora phoemonoe, reared in artificial nests in the laboratory. Three kinds of behavioral interactions are distinguished between foundresses and daughter bees: antennation-tarsation (the most frequent), passing, and tandem-running...

House fly (Musca domestica L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) populations can negatively impact poultry layer facilities, posing a risk to human and animal health and egg food safety. House flies quickly develop resistance to traditional chemical control methods; therefore, improved biological control may...

Muscid flies, especially house flies (Musca domestica L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), are a major pest of poultry layer facilities. Augmentative biological control of muscid flies with pteromalid wasps has gained increased attention in recent years. Knowing which pteromalid species are present in a...

This special issue presents ten articles highlighting topics on Genomics, Physiology and Behaviour of Social Insects. Topics include: old threads make new tapestry-rewiring of signalling pathways underlies caste phenotypic plasticity in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L.; the physiological and...

A larval medium for house fly (Musca domestica L.) suitable for house fly parasitoid production was developed from locally available and inexpensive food ingredients. Biological parameters and life table parameters were estimated for house flies treated with five different diets. It was found that...

A survey on the parasitoids attacking Musca domestica at four poultry houses at Namakkal indicated the prevalence of Spalangia endius, Dirhinus himalayanus and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae. Spalangia endius was the most abundant parasitoid (79.8%) followed by D. himalayanus (18.81%) and P. vindemiae...