Entomology

Drywood termites, where abundant, can cause great economic losses, with costs for control and repair of their damage rivaling that of subterranean termites. The West Indian termite Cryptotermes brevis is considered the world's most destructive drywood termite. Another economically important termite, Cryptotermes dudleyi, has the potential to cause economic losses comparable to that currently caused by C. brevis. The name C. dudleyi has been used universally and extensively in biological systematic and pest control literature. However this name is a junior synonym of the now disused older name C. jacobsoni. The Commission has conserved the widely used younger name by suppressing C. jacobsoni. [2004]

Jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles of the family Buprestidae known for their spectacular bright, iridescent or metallic colours, are one of the most visible and attractive of all the insects and are highly prized by collectors. The family is among the largest of the beetle families, with some 15,000 species known in 450 genera. The Commission has ruled on numerous cases involving species of these beetles including many from the genus Buprestis (type genus of the jewel beetle family). Recently the Commission conserved 30 species names that had been in use for buprestid beetles for many years. These names when originally published in combination with Buprestis were junior homonyms and so could not be used as valid names. [2002]

Hymenopterans include a large number of beneficial species such as biological control agents, being parasitoids and predators (wasps and ants), and pollinators (bees). The economically important parasitoid genus Encarsia contains over 200 species worldwide. It includes some of the most successful biological control agents ever used, all being parasitic on whiteflies and scale insects that are major pests in horticulture and agriculture. The Commission ruled to stabilise the nomenclature of this genus and its type species Encarsia tricolor and has dealt with numerous other cases involving beneficial hymenopterans including: the family name Formicidae (ants); the generic names Aphidius (parasitoids) and Bombus (bumblebees); the specific names of Anthidium manicatum (the Carder bee), Blastophaga appendiculata (a fig wasp), and many specific names within the genus Apis. [1954–2000]