Thrips are a major pest in protected strawberry production. Knowledge of thrips species composition could be instrumental for improved thrips management, but very little is known about which species are present in strawberries grown in high-tunnels in Denmark. Thrips (adults and larvae) were sampled in two strawberry tunnels of the cultivars Murano and Furore from May to August 2018, in the middle and in the edges of the tunnels. The most abundant thrips species found in the tunnels were Frankliniella intonsa and Thrips tabaci adults. Frankliniella intonsa were also the most frequently found species of the immatures sampled, followed by T. tabaci larvae, and other species. The number of thrips differed between the two cultivars, sampling times and location in the tunnel. Frankliniella intonsa was more abundant in the middle of the tunnels, while T. tabaci was more abundant in the edge of the tunnels adjacent to the field margins. The number of thrips peaked by the end of July. Both chemical and biological control should consider species composition and occurrence; hence, a fundamental first step for thrips management is to identify the species present on the target crop.

(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed.

The seed predator Argyresthia conjugella Zeller has rowan as its preferred host plant. In years of poor fruiting in rowan, it oviposits on apples. To improve the knowledge of this apple pest, rowanberries were collected from localities all over Norway from 1971 to 1985, and seed predators and their parasitoids were allowed to emerge for up to five years. Two species of seed predators, A. conjugella and Megastimus brevicaudis Ratzeburg, and seven species of parasitic Hymenoptera were common. The distribution of these species is shown on EIS (European Invertebrate Survey) maps of Norway. The biology of the parasitoids is summarized based on the published literature and their behavior during emergence. The tendency for delayed emergence, which is an indication of prolonged diapause, was more pronounced in M. brevicaudis than in A. conjugella, the former appearing in all five years. Five of the parasitoids also delayed their emergence, and three of them to a high degree, up to five years. Prolonged diapause must be taken into account in studies of rowanberry insect guilds.