We understand very little about the timing and origins of bioluminescence, particularly as a predator avoidance strategy. Understanding the timing of its origins, however, can help elucidate the evolution of this ecologically important signal. Using fireflies, a prevalent bioluminescent group where bioluminescence primarily functions as aposematic and sexual signals, we explore the origins of this signal in the context of their potential predators. Divergence time estimations were performed using genomic-scale datasets providing a robust estimate for the origin of firefly bioluminescence as both a terrestrial and as an aerial signal. Our results recover the origin of terrestrial beetle bioluminescence at 141.17 (122.63–161.17) Ma and firefly aerial bioluminescence at 133.18 (117.86–152.47) Ma using a large dataset focused on Lampyridae; and terrestrial bioluminescence at 148.03 (130.12–166.80) Ma, with the age of aerial bioluminescence at 104.97 (99.00–120.90) Ma using a complementary Elateroidea dataset. These ages pre-date the origins of all known extant aerial predators (i.e. bats and birds) and support much older terrestrial predators (assassin bugs, frogs, ground beetles, lizards, snakes, hunting spiders and harvestmen) as the drivers of terrestrial bioluminescence in beetles. These ages also support the hypothesis that sexual signalling was probably the original function of this signal in aerial fireflies.

Vanuatubasis Ober and Staniczek is a genus of damselfly endemic to Vanuatu. Little is known about the distribution and general natural history of the genus. We present the results of 14 weeks of fieldwork in Vanuatu to provide a better understanding of the biology of this genus. Specifically, we tested ecological niche models to predict the presence of Vanuatubasis throughout the region and explored how water pH may play a role in their distribution and ecology. The results of this fieldwork refined our model and further predicted the presence of this genus on additional islands. We also found stream pH as a strong predictor for the presence of Vanuatubasis, with their presence in alkaline streams significantly higher (p < 0.001). The mean pH for those streams where the genus was collected was 8.44 (n = 53).

The family Nitidulidae is known for its diverse life histories, with some species considered economically detrimental pests, while others perform critical ecosystem functions. Despite this, their evolutionary relationships still lack support and understanding. A robust phylogenetic hypothesis and revised taxonomic classification for this group, particularly the subfamily Carpophilinae, could help delineate key lineages for assessing the evolution of both beneficial and pestiferous traits. The most complete molecular phylogeny of Carpophilinae to date, based on 37 ingroup taxa, covering four of the six recognized genera, is presented. Six genetic loci were used (16S, 18S, 28S, COI, H3 and ITS2), providing a total of 3500 bp of data. These data were generated using a novel method discussed here: wide-seq. Wide-seq utilizes next-generation sequencing platforms to generate data for specific loci that overlap with traditional Sanger sequences for the group. Carpophilinae recover as a well-supported clade with respect to the outgroup taxa. The genera Nitops, Urophorus and Caplothorax stat. nov. recover as monophyletic with high support. Caplothorax is formally given generic rank with a redescription and diagnosis. Anthophilous behaviour is coded for all taxa and an ancestral state reconstruction is performed, predicting multiple origins of this behaviour within Carpophilinae.

For the years 1990–2023, we compile a list of adventive arthropods found in situations indicating establishment in Florida, as recorded by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI) through various publications and other official media outlets. As the center for regulatory entomology in Florida with a strength for arthropod identification in the southeastern United States, FDACS-DPI collaborates with multiple regional agencies (government, university, and private) to find and recognize adventive taxa in the region. These collaborating agencies all have a common goal to respond rapidly with any regulatory or mitigative actions needed to manage newly discovered invasive pests. The list presented here contains 450 adventive species of arthropods, 291 (64.7 %) of which are new Continental United States or Western Hemisphere records, and 162 (36.0 %) of which are considered invasive pests. Hemiptera (152 species) had the most species, followed by Coleoptera (75 species), the combined mite orders (71 species), and Lepidoptera (53 species). These data are compared to other states (Hawaii and California) which also have high numbers of adventive species, noting trends in total numbers for these different regions by decade, starting in 1900. Reasons for the apparent increase of adventive species into Florida over recent decades are discussed. Each of the 450 species has a brief account containing references to the original documentation of the record, suspected region of origin, and comments on its status, hosts, or recent history in Florida. We hope these data foster further work on adventive arthropods in Florida.

Carpophiline-ID is presented, a matrix-based Lucid^TM key, for the adult stage of the known species of Carpophilinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) of North America, east of the Mississippi River. An overview of the features and technical specifications used to build the key is provided. The list of terminal taxa used in the key represents the most current regional account for Carpophilinae, a beetle subfamily of agricultural and ecological importance. The value of matrix-based, free access keys for the identification of difficult taxa is discussed.