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Cixiidae are small strictly phytophagous hemipteran insects worldwide distributed. Ecology and systematics of Chinese fauna remains poorly investigated. For instance, does their distribution follows the patterns of biogeogaphical distribution established for their host plants or other related-taxa because they are all obligatory phytophagous taxa? Do they follow the usual distributional Chinese realms and boundaries already recognized? Which zoogeographical Chinese regions and connections between them do they depict. To investigate these issues, we provide here a referenced and comprehensive checklist of the 250 cixiid species currently reported from China (77 new records), with their precise distribution at the regional level. In the 8 Chinese main zoogeographical regions usually recognized and 2 adjacent areas, we analyzed further their diversity at the tribal, generic, and specific levels using a non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group analysis using an arithmetic mean cluster analyses. The observed distribution patterns shown that an intercalary Sino-Japanese realm is recognisable between the Palaearctic and Oriental realms. At the regional level, the South China region clusters more closely with the Southwest, Central and North China regions. Taiwan, clearly separated from the South China region and mainland China, is more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. Although Central and South China regions remain close to each other, the Qinghai-Tibet region appears singularly different. An updated checklist of the 250 Cixiidae species, known to occur in China and counting for 10% of the Chinese planthopper fauna, is presented based on literature, recent collections, and museum records. More than 400 records distributed among the 28 provinces and 8 regions in China are extensively provided, including 77 new records. Of these, more than 80% of the species (205 species, 82%) have been only reported from China, and most of them are endemic species, which could reflects the great diversity degree of the Chinese regions and local biotypes highlights the uniqueness of this fauna. These species are found in 8 Chinese zoogeographical regions: The Taiwan region is the most diversified with 161 species and the highest rate of endemic species (69.57%), followed by South China (78 species, 17.95%), Central China (60 species, 33.33%), Southwest China (43 species, 39.53%), North China (29 species, 34.48%), Qinghai-Tibet region (10 species, 20%), Northeast China (8 species, 12.5%), and 5 species found in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang region that are not endemic ones. Endemism was analyzed for each region and repeated for species distribution patterns across them, 9 being bi-regionally and tri-regionally distributed. The South China-Taiwan pattern is the most richest one, followed by the Central-South China-Taiwan pattern. Semonini and Pentastirini tribes are widespread among all the zoological regions, representing respectively 21.20% and 17.20% of all the species, while Cixiini being is the most common tribe with 45.20%, remains absent from the North-Eastern China region. Andini with only 5.20% of the species is distributed in the Sino-Japanese - Oriental Region; Eucarpini (6.40%) and Borysthenini (2.00%) are mainly concentrated in the south of the Qingling Mountain-Huai River. The remaining four tribes, Bennini (0.40%), Briixini (0.80%), Oecleini (1.20%) and Stenophlepsiini (0.40%) are relatively rare and restricted to Taiwan. At the generic level, Kuvera (7.2%) is the most widely distributed genus in China while Cixius, Betacixius, Kuvera, Oecleopsis and Andes are the more diversified. One genus (Oliparisca) is distributed only in the Tibet region, while 10 genera are distributed only in the Taiwan region. In addition, nearly half of the genera (16 genera, 48.48%) are distributed south of the Palearctic/Oriental boundary. A non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group method analysis using arithmetic mean clustering based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient matrix support a Palaearctic/Sino-Japanese boundary and a South China region closer to the Southwest, Central and North China regions. The Taiwan region appears clearly separated from the South China region and to mainland China, and more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. The Central and South China regions appear close to each other, but the Qinghai-Tibet region is singularly isolated.

The Chinese soft scale species in the genus Coccus Linnaeus, 1758 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) were studied. Coccus cambodiensis Takahashi and the Malaysian species C. cameronensis Takahashi are considered to be non-congeneric with Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Coccus, and are transferred to Prococcus Avasthi, 1993, as Prococcus cambodiensis (Takahashi, 1942), comb. n. and Prococcus cameronensis (Takahashi, 1952), comb. n. The generic diagnosis of Prococcus is revised. In the genus Coccus, two new species are described and illustrated based on adult females: Coccus nanningensis Cao & Feng, sp. n. from Guangxi, China, on Ficus carica (Moraceae), and Coccus cephalotaxus Cao & Feng, sp. n. from Shannxi, China, on Cephalotaxus sinensis (Taxaceae). Identification keys to separate adult females of Prococcus from Coccus, the 14 species of Coccus found in China, and all three species of Prococcus are provided.

Two new species (Kuverahuoditangensissp. n.andKuveralongwangshanensissp. n.) in the family Cixiidae from China are described and illustrated. The generic characteristics are redefined. A checklist to all species ofKuveraworldwide and an identification key to the Chinese species are provided. A map of the geographic distribution ofKuveraspecies is also provided.

Stenchaetothrips gaomiaoensis sp. nov. is described from bamboo in southwestern China. Stenchaetothrips bambusicola Mound 2011, collected from Poaceae grasses, is newly recorded from China. An identification key to the twenty-one species of Stenchaetothrips from China is also provided.

A new species of armoured scale insect, Megacanthaspisguiyangensissp. nov. is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to M.hangzhouensis. Megacanthaspisguiyangenis infests leaves of Oligostachyumlubricum in China. A key to all eight species of Megacanthaspis now known is provided.

Saissetia kunmingensis Cao & Feng, sp. nov., a member of the genus Saissetia Kanda, 1960, is a new species in China that is described and illustrated in this study, based on adult females. This species was found on Osmanthus fragrans (Oleaceae) plants from Kunming, Yunnan Province (China). An updated key to females of the eight species of Saissetia which occur in China was developed.

The adult female of a new species of soft scale Saissetiapuerensis Zhang & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from the genus Saissetia Deplanche, 1859. This species was collected on Lithocarpusuvariifolius (Hance) in Yunnan province, China. A key is provided to separate adult females of all Saissetia species known from China. A table is provided showing the distribution of Saissetia in various zoogeographical regions throughout the world.

A new species of armoured scale insect Parlatoria menglaensis sp. n. is described and illustrated which infests leaves of Cinnamomum camphora in China. A key to the Parlatoria species occurring in China is provided.

In insects, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are primary peripheral olfactory proteins playing critical roles in odorant detection. In this study, we present the first identification of OBPs and CSPs from the transcriptome of grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch, an important pest that damages both roots and leaves of grapes. The OBPs contained six conserved cysteine residues and the CSPs contained four conserved cysteine residues in this insect. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the olfactory proteins were closely related to OBPs and CSPs from other aphids. However, DviOBP7 and DviCSP9 were different because they were classified into different independent branches, respectively. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to examine the tissue expression of these transcripts. DviOBP1, DviOBP6, and DviOBP7 were uniquely or primarily expressed in antennae and not in the body. DviOBP2 was more abundantly expressed in the body than in the antennae. The expression levels of OBPs and CSPs of phylloxera varied depending upon where they were expressed in different body tissues.

Two new species of armored scale, Megacanthaspis hangzhouensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. and M. hainanensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. are described and illustrated from specimens collected from China. A key to adult female of Megacanthaspis species is provided.

The genus Chortinaspis Ferris from China is reviewed and a new species, Chortinaspis tianmuensis Wei & Feng, sp. nov., is described. Chortinaspis biloba Maskell is also redescribed from specimens collected in China. A key to the species of Chortinaspis and a checklist of all known species of the world is provided.

This paper reviews the cixiid planthopper genus Oecleopsis Emeljanov, 1971. Twelve species are recognized in the genus worldwide, of which three new species from China are described and illustrated: O. spinosus sp. nov., O. tiantaiensis sp. nov., O. wuyiensis sp. nov. A key to all known species of this genus is presented.

Post-mating, sexual interactions of opposite sexes differ considerably in different organisms. Post-mating interactions such as re-mating behavior and male harassment can affect the fitness of both sexes. Echinothrips americanus is a new insect pest in Mainland China, and little is known about its post-mating interactions. In this study, we observed re-mating frequency and male harassment frequency and their effects on fitness parameters and offspring sex ratios of E. americanus females. Furthermore, we tested the impact of mating and post-mating interactions on fitness parameters of males. Our results revealed that the re-mating frequency in female adults was extremely low during a 30-day period. However, post-mating interactions between females and males, consisting mainly of male harassment and female resistance, did occur and significantly reduced female longevity and fecundity. Interestingly, increased access to males did not affect the ratio of female offspring. For males, mating dramatically reduced their longevity. However, post-mating interactions with females had no effects on the longevity of mated males. These results enrich our basic knowledge about female and male mating and post-mating behaviors in this species and provide important information about factors that may influence population regulation of this important pest species.

Ctenothrips niger Kudo, collected from Ailao Mountain, is a newly recorded species in China. Both males and females were collected. The male of the species is herein described and illustrated in detail for the first time.

Prior to this study, only Megapulvinaria maxima (Green) was known from China. However, a new species M. beihaiensis Wang & Feng, sp. n. is described below and M. maxima is redescribed. A key is provided for the five species now placed in this genus.

A new species of soft scale, Coccus multisetus Wang & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. A key to adult females of all Coccus known from China is provided.

Echinothrips americanus Morgan, an invasive pest on various ornamentals and greenhouse crops, was introduced into mainland China recently, posing a potential threat to ornamentals and greenhouse crops. It exhibits two different reproductive modes: arrhenotokous parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction. Laboratory studies were conducted to compare the developmental and reproductive biology of E. americanus in these two reproductive modes. Results showed that the oviposition period, and longevity of female adults using sexual reproduction were longer than those using parthenogenesis. Furthermore, sexual female adults had higher fecundity and survival rates. However, no significant differences were found among immature stages in the durations of first and second instars, prepupae, and pupae between the two reproductive modes, with the exception of the duration of the egg stadium. The survival rates for eggs and first and second instars were higher in sexual E. americanus whereas there were no survival differences for prepupae and pupae. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of parthenogenesis and sex determination in Thysanoptera.

A new species of armored scale, Pseudaulacaspis zhenyuanensis Wei & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from specimens collected on Spermadictyon suaveolens in China. A key to armored scale species known from China is provided.

One new species of subfamily Sericothripinae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is described and illustrated: Hydatothrips longjingensis sp. n., and H. abdominalis (Kurosawa) is newly recorded from China. The following taxonomic changes are established: Sericothrips houji (Chou & Feng) comb. n. (from Hydatothrips).

A new checklist of Thysanoptera from China (including Taiwan) is provided. In total 566 species in 155 genera are listed, of which there are 313 species in the suborder Terebrantia, comprising 290 species in 74 genera in family Thripidae, 18 species in three genera in Aeolothripidae, two species in one genus in Melanthripidae and three species in one genus in Merothripidae. In the suborder Tubulifera 253 species in 76 genera are listed in the single family Phlaeothripidae. Two species, Aeolothrips collaris and Odontothrips meliloti, are newly recorded for the fauna of China.

The three Chinese species of the tropiduchid genus Epora Walker are revised, including one new species, E. biprolata sp. nov. from Hainan Province, China. Morphological description or diagnoses and illustrations for Chinese Epora and an identification key for all nine species worldwide are provided.