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Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) play a vital role as key pollinators in the Neotropical forests. Their preference for forested areas makes these bees more susceptible to environmental changes, particularly in areas under severe human impact, such as the Chocó-Darien biodiversity hotspot. This study presents new data on orchid bees within the Canandé Biological Reserve, a lowland rainforest in the Chocó region of northwestern Ecuador. At this site, four species of orchid bees were recorded for the first time in Ecuador: Euglossa bursigera Moure, 1970, Euglossa crassipunctata Moure, 1968, Euglossa villosiventris Moure, 1968 and Eufriesea macroglossa (Moure, 1965). We also provide species-specific information on diagnosis, distribution maps, and high-resolution images. With these records, the total number of orchid bee species recorded in Ecuador now stands at 119.

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The essential oils of plants are composed of several volatile compounds, which may have different concentrations and may be determinant for their toxicity. Thus, in this work, sublethal and lethal effects of the compounds, geraniol and citronellal on the biochemical and reproductive parameters of Spodoptera frugiperda were investigated. For the geraniol compound the LD₃₀ of 9.42 mg/g and LD₅₀ of 13.65 mg/g was used, while for the citronellal LD₃₀ of 0.06 mg/g and LD₅₀ of 0.08 mg/g. Pure acetone was used in the control. Third instar caterpillars were treated topically in the prothoracic region by applying 1 μl of the respective compounds with a Hamilton^TM 50 μl syringe. After 48 h the caterpillars were macerated in sodium phosphate buffer at a ratio of 4 caterpillars / 5 ml of the buffer, the levels of total protein, total sugar, lipid and glycogen were measured. The daily posture was evaluated in order to determine the periods of pre-oviposition, oviposition, post-oviposition and egg quantity. The results showed a reduction in the concentration of proteins and sugars for both compounds and concentrations studied. There was no change in lipid concentration. Citronellal increased the concentration of glycogen for both concentrations. The oviposition period and the number of eggs were reduced. However, there was no difference for the pre-oviposition and post-oviposition periods. Thus, it is inferred that geraniol and citronellal compounds cause alterations in the biochemical parameters that reflect in the reproduction of S. frugiperda.

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The Palni Hills, part of the Western Ghats Mountain range in southern India, constitute a biodiversity hotspot, and their high elevation creates unique ecological conditions. Despite global recognition of the region as a biodiversity hotspot, many taxonomic groups remain poorly studied, including mayflies. We conducted a survey of mayflies in the Palni Hills to document the current diversity profile and analyse their altitudinal distribution patterns, ranging from 346 to 1685 m asl. Our sampling from April to October 2023 covered eleven sites, resulting in the collection of 788 individuals, representing 24 species, 16 genera, and six families. Four species are reported for the first time from Palni Hills. Notably, the families Baetidae, Heptageniidae, and Leptophlebiidae were the most species-rich, although individual population densities remained low. We have provided the updated taxonomic hierarchy, current diversity profile, and abundance of mayflies of Palni Hills. We have also highlighted the knowledge gaps in the taxonomy and distribution of Ephemeroptera within this study area