Laboratory wind tunnel and field observations have demonstrated an important behavioural role of tetradecanal (14:Ald) in the chemical communication system of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens). A greater number of males initiated upwind flight and continued on to contact the source when 14:Ald was present than with 95/5 E/Z11-tetradecenal (E/Z11-14:Ald) alone. The presence of E11-tetradecen-1-ol acetate (E11-14:Ac) decreased the males' responsiveness to the aldehydes. Its effect appeared to be attenuated, when present at low levels with 95/5 E/Z11-14:Ald, by the presence of 14:Ald, but it is still unclear what effects low levels of E11-14:Ac have on male behaviour.

Eurytoma pini Bugbee (Bugbee, 1958), a common parasite of the European pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiff.), in Ontario, was previously recorded from this host as E. appendigaster (Swed.) (Coppel and Arthur, 1953) and as E. thylodermatis Ashm. (Miller, 1953). Bugbee (1958) recorded it from various lepidopterous hosts that mine in plant tissues. These include: the Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comst.); the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraefomis (Haw.); the ragweed borer, Epiblema strenuana (Walkr.); the lima bean borer, Etiella sp.; the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saund.); Acrobasis rubrifasciella Packard; and Eucosma scudderiana (Clemens). Bugbee stated that the range of E. pini probably includes all of the pine growing regions of North America.

The culture of black flies in the laboratory has been investigated by a number of workers in recent years. Attempts to establish continuous colonies failed, but adults were reared from eggs or first-instar larvae of Simulium aureum Fries and S. erythrocephalum (Deg.) by Puri (1925), of S. ornatum Meig. by Smart (1934), of S. trivittatum Mall., S. callidum (D. & S.), S. metallicum Bell., and Gigantodax wrighti V., Mand D. by Vargas (1945) and Dalmat (1955), of S. ornatipcs Skuse by Maclrerras and Mackerras (1948), and of S. salopiense Edw. by Zivkovic (1951). Flowing water for the larvae was provided by bubbling compressed air through the water or by using a natural stream. Food consisted of algae, skim milk powder, powdered yeast, or “ground purina”.

Varying degrees of ovarian development were induced in overwintered Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopk., put on (1) host logs, (2) bark chips, or (3) moist glass paper. In 96 hours the ovaries of beetles on logs reached maturation, those on bark chips showed only slight growth, and the third group failed to show any development.Farnesyl methyl ether induced significant ovarian development in beetles kept on bark chips or glass paper. It appears that production or release of gonadotrophic hormone is withheld in insects kept outside their natural gallery environment. Sensory input associated with gallery excavation may initiate ovary development by stimulating endocrine activity.

The abundances of eight species of cutworm and armyworm moths were monitored with sex-attractant traps at 81 locations in a 13 000-km2 area of southern Alberta from 1978 to 1983. The life history and economic status of each species is summarized and the monitoring methodology is described. The attractants for redbacked cutworm (Euxoa ochrogaster), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), pale western cutworm (Agrotis orthogonia), and army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris) were highly specific and > 99% of the moths caught were of the target species. Specificity of the attractants for clover cutworm (Discestra trifolii) and Leucania commoides was also high, averaging 98.3 and 96.6%, respectively, over 6 years. The attractants for variegated cutworm (Peridroma soucia) and bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) were less specific but the proportion of target species exceeded 80% in those years when either species was relatively abundant. For those species that were monitored over a wide range of population levels, the apparent specificity of the attractant varied directly with the number of target species moths caught. The use of efficient attractants in combination with high-capacity nonsaturating traps is clearly of advantage in enhancing specificity.

In Neodiprion sawflies the cocoon stage, which extends from the completion of larval feeding until the appearance of the adult, is of considerable ecological interest. On the basis of voltinism and the seasonal occurrence of the cocoon stage, the genus as a whole may be divided into two distinct groups, which, however, do not correspond to the two major taxonomic categories of Ross (1955). On the one hand are species that overwinter only within the cocoon (e.g. swainei, lecontei, virginianus, excitans, and others); these may or may not have more than one generation per year. On the other hand are species that overwinter primarily in the egg stage (e.g. sertifer, pratti, abietis, taedae, and others); all of these are univoltine and may remain within the cocoon for an extended period in the summer, when conditions are still favourable for further generations. The European pine sawfly, Neodiprion sertifer (Geoff.), is typical in this respect. Despite its wide distribution in Eurasia and North America, and the variety of climates that it encounters, the length of the cocoon stage is so adjusted that adults do not emerge until late summer or early autumn, regardless of when larval feeding and cocoon spinning occurred.

The species of the genus Spilomicrus in America north of Mexico are revised. A generic diagnosis of Spilomicrus, key to genera of Nearctic Spilomicrini, and key to Spilomicrus species in America north of Mexico are given. Four species-groups are defined, viz. distinctus, exul, formosus, and stigmaticalis. Character states, variation, distribution, and relationships of each species are discussed. Twelve of 21 species are recognized as new: S. boweni, S. crassicornis, S. distinctus, S. exul, S. inornatus, S. palustris, S. pumilio, S. robustus, S. sanbornei, S. stepheni, S. superbus, and S. sylvicola. Nine previously known species are redescribed: S. antennatus (Jurine), S. atriclavus Ashmead, S. bifoveatus Kieffer, S. brevicornis (Ashmead), S. flavicornis Ashmead, S. formosus Jansson, S. ruficornis (Provancher), S. stigmaticalis Westwood, and S. virginicus Fouts. The males of S. brevicornis and S. virginicus, as well as the females of S. flavicornis and S. ruficornis, are described for the first time. The following new synonymies are proposed: S. antennatus (= Basalys californica Ashmead), S. atriclavus (= S. foutsi Masner, S. kiefferi Fouts), and S. stigmaticalis (= S. armatus Ashmead).

Dipteran larvae from a number of families feed in aggregations. Rotation of blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae within an aggregation has been reported anecdotally many times. However, there is a lack of quantitative data on such larval movement, which is necessary to better understand the advantage of this gregarious behaviour. A recent development in tagging methods provided an opportunity to address this gap in knowledge. In 15 aggregations of 500 Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae, the location of four-tagged individuals was recorded at 10-minute intervals. All larvae were seen to rotate, alternating between the periphery and within. There was much variation in the relative proportions that larvae were seen in these two locations among aggregations (χ2=78.4, df=58, P=0.038), perhaps as a result of differences in mass shape and, therefore, surface area: volume ratio. There were also differences between larvae within aggregations (χ2=25.6, df=14, P=0.029), which may give rise to differences in development rate, perhaps as a result of intraspecific competition. Further work would be required to verify this competition, and to establish whether the limited resource is temperature, food, oxygen, or some other requirement.

Head capsule measurements of the ambrosia beetle Xyloterinus politus (Say) revealed three larval instars. The xylomycetophagous larvae lengthened their cradles and a positive correlation existed between head width and cradle length. A sex factor of 0.84 was in favor of the female adults. Dissection of active galleries revealed only a single female per gallery. Males were never seen to initiate or excavate a gallery and were forced from the entrance hole by the female when placed in an active attack. The gallery system studied was simple, the entrance hole penetrated into the sapwood for a variable distance before it branched into secondary tunnels at right angles to the main gallery.

Eggs were laid singly in cup-shaped cradles excavated by the female. The cradle openings were plugged with frass throughout the duration of the immature stages. Callow adults emerged from the cradles by forcing the frass plug covering the entrance, and re-entered, their position reversed to feed upon the ambrosial fungus growing on the cradle walk X. politus overwintered as an adult in the old cradles and galleries. Larvae of Ipideurytoma sp. (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), probably a larval parasite of X. politus, were found in cradles.

Feeding by a number of non-biting muscid species on blood made available by biting flies is known to occur in the Old World (Hammer, 1941; West, 1951). Species in several genera are involved, but particularly Musca. In North America, Hydrotaea tuberculata Rondani has been observed feeding in association with horse flies and stable flies (Tashiro and Schwardt, 1953). Often in these feeding associations, flies of the non-biting species not only visit abandoned wounds, but also wait near a feeding fly or attempt to feed simultaneously with it.

An insect trap constructed using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology was tested in potato (Solanum tuberosum Linnaeus; Solanaceae) fields to determine whether it could substitute for the standard yellow sticky card used to monitor Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae). Sticky cards have shortcomings that prompted search for a replacement: cards are messy, require weekly replacement, are expensive to purchase, and accumulate large numbers of nontarget insects. Bactericera cockerelli on sticky cards also deteriorate enough that specimens cannot be tested reliably for the presence of vectored plant pathogens. A prototype trap constructed using 3D printing technology for monitoring Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Liviidae) was tested for monitoring B. cockerelli. The trap was designed to attract B. cockerelli visually to the trap and then funnel specimens into preservative-filled vials at the trap bottom. Prototype traps were paired against yellow sticky cards at multiple fields to compare the captures of B. cockerelli between cards and traps. The prototype trap was competitive with sticky cards early in the growing season when B. cockerelli numbers were low. We estimated that two or three prototype traps would collect as many B. cockerelli as one sticky card under these conditions. Efficacy of the prototype declined as B. cockerelli numbers increased seasonally. The prototype trap accumulated nontarget taxa that are common on sticky cards (especially Thysanoptera and Diptera), and was also found to capture taxa of possible interest in integrated pest management research, including predatory insects, parasitic Hymenoptera, and winged Aphididae (Hemiptera), suggesting that the traps could be useful outside of the purpose targeted here. We believe that 3D printing technology has substantial promise for developing monitoring tools that exploit behavioural traits of the targeted insect. Ongoing work includes the use of this technology to modify the prototype, with a focus on making it more effective at capturing psyllids and less susceptible to capture of nontarget species.

The pheromone communication systems of azinphosmethyl-susceptible (susceptible) and azinphosmethyl-resistant (resistant) obliquebanded leafrollers, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), from the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, were compared in the laboratory and field. The pheromone glands of resistant females contained approximately one-half as much (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac), (Z)-11-tetradecenol (Z11-14:OH), and (Z)-11-tetradecenal (Z11-14:Al) as the glands of susceptible females. A similar amount of (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11-14:Ac) was found in the glands of the two types of females. The pheromone effluvium from resistant females contained approximately one-half as much Z11-14:Ac, E11-14:Ac, Z11-14:OH, and Z11-14:Al as the effluvium from susceptible females. The onset and duration of female calling and the effect of age on calling were similar in susceptible and resistant C. rosaceana. In an apple orchard, traps baited with resistant females captured approximately one-half as many marked and released susceptible and resistant males as traps baited with susceptible females. There was no difference in the response of antennae from susceptible and resistant males to synthetic Z11-14:Ac and E11-14:Ac. The antennae of resistant males were less sensitive to Z11-14:OH and Z11-14:Al than the antennae of susceptible males. In a flight tunnel, pheromone-gland extracts from susceptible and resistant females, and calling susceptible and resistant females, were equally attractive to both susceptible and resistant males. In an apple orchard, the rate of capture of marked and released susceptible males was greater than that of resistant males in traps baited with susceptible females, but not in traps baited with resistant females or in traps baited with synthetic pheromone. The reduced ability to locate virgin females suggests that the presence of resistant males in an apple orchard may result in a reduction in the capture of moths in pheromone-baited traps. The reduction in trap catch was likely not caused by resistant females because they were less attractive to males than susceptible females and would therefore, in theory, compete less with traps for males than susceptible females. The differences observed in the pheromone communication systems of susceptible and resistant C. rosaceana are likely pleotropic effects associated with the selection for insecticide resistance.

The matter offered for consideration in this paper deals entirely with one phase of the rearing of Chelonus annulipes Wesm., a larval parasite ovipositing in the egg of the European Corn Borer, Pyrausta nubilalis Hubn. This phase, the effect on the percentage of successful parasitism, of the age of the host eggs at the time of attack, is one of the more important factors determining the success or failure of laboratory rearing and distribution of this species.

Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) and the form described as C. variipennis occidentalis by Wirth and Jones (1957) occur sympatrically and without intermediates in British Columbia and Washington; occidentalis should therefore be given specific rank. The three other subspecies described by Wirth and Jones (sonorensis, albertensis, australis) are appropriately regarded as subspecies of occidentalis.

The fecundity and reproductive longevity of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) parasitized by Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) were determined in the laboratory under four temperature regimes. Daily reproduction by S. graminum declined rapidly after parasitization except at a relatively low temperature regime (12–16 °C). The mean progeny production by parasitized aphids of 2.75 ± 0.08 nymphs per parasitized adult was not significantly different than that for unparasitized aphids (2.94 ± 0.23 nymphs) during the period of time equal to the reproductive life of parasitized aphids. Reproductive longevity of parasitized aphids was longest at the lowest temperature (5.67 ± 0.25 days at 12–16 °C). No significant differences were observed in total progeny produced at different temperatures. The number of progeny within parasitized nulliparous adults (3.37 ± 0.33) as determined by dissections was not significantly different from the mean total progeny produced by parasitized aphids. Parasitization thus seems to interfere with oogenesis, but not with embryonic development or progeny deposition.

Only one species of Anoetidae was previously recorded associated with North American Scolytidae. Five new species of Anoetus and one new species of Bonomoia associated with North American bark beetles are described. Two nomen novum (due to homonymy) in the genus Anoetus are proposed. Anoetus varia is distinguished from A. gordius, a European species restricted to Ips laricis. Anoetus varia is recorded from 17 scolytids infesting 10 conifer species from 14 states and provinces. An annotated list, with new nomenclatorial combinations in many cases, of the 13 anoetids recorded associated with scolytids in the old world is given. Histiostoma is synonymized under Anoetus.

Phytoseiid mites are of cosmopolitan interest because they are predacious on many phytophagous mites (Tetranychidae, Eriophyidae, and Tarsonemidae) that are pests of agricultural crops. They have been studied in orchards (Collyer, 1953, 1956; Lord, 1949), vineyards (Mathys, 1955), citrus groves (Fleschner and Ricker, 1954; Muma, 1955), and strawberry plantings (Huffaker and Kennett, 1953, 1956), but few workers have recorded their presence in native environments. In the commercial fruit-growing areas of British Columbia, orchards are often planted near uncultivated areas of bush or grassland. The study on which these notes are based was undertaken to determine whether the phytoseiids that occur in these native sites become established in the orchards, and to obtain a knowledge of the entire phytoseiid fauna of the area, a necessary prerequisite to ecological studies of predacious mites in orchards.

Attempts at using Perillus bioculatus (F.) for control of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), have been hampered by an incomplete understanding of the predator’s over-wintering biology. This study determined the effects of photoperiod and life stage of prey (Colorado potato beetle) on tendency for adult females to enter reproductive diapause, duration of the preoviposition period, and mortality of females. Perillus bioculatus showed an increasing tendency to enter diapause rather than to initiate reproductive activities as day length decreased. Females that were fed large beetle larvae (mid to late fourth instar) showed a significant increase in the number of individuals entering diapause compared with females that were fed a mix of beetle eggs and small larvae (first to third instar). Probit analysis was used to estimate the photoperiod that caused 50% of females to enter diapause; these estimates were 15L:9D for females feeding on large larvae, and 14.5L:9.5D for females feeding on eggs and small larvae. Females that were fed large larvae also showed a longer preoviposition period and had a slightly significant higher rate of mortality than those fed eggs and small larvae.

In laboratory and field experiments involving artificial and real tree trunks, all larval instars of gypsy moth [Lymantria dispar (L.)] crawling on a horizontal surface were influenced by the diameter, height, and species of a tree. For most larval instars, black artificial tree trunks were preferred to white trunks. The influence of the diameter and height of a host on larval attraction was examined with cardboard columns. The degree of larval attraction to a column of a certain diameter and height was positively correlated with the angle at which the column was presented. Significantly more larvae were attracted to bolts of red oak (Quercus rubra L.) than to white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) or trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). The implications of these findings and their possible effects on host colonization are discussed.

Synthetic sex pheromones released in a loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L. (Pinaceae), seed orchard interfered with the ability of male coneworm moths, Dioryctria Zeller spp. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), to locate traps baited with sex pheromones or live females. Pherocon 1C® traps baited with synthetic pheromones or live conspecific females were hung near the center of two 1.2-ha circular plots during emergence of Dioryctria amatella (Hulst), Dioryctria disclusa (Heinrich), and Dioryctria merkeli (Mutuura and Munroe). In a paired design, trap catches for the mating-disruption treatment with synthetic pheromone dispensers consisting of three polyvinyl chloride rods placed in every tree were compared with the control treatment. Treatments were alternated at intervals of 2–3 d. Trap catches of D. amatella were reduced by 91% when plots were treated with 2.5 g/ha of Z-11-hexadencenyl acetate. Catches were reduced by 99.5% for D. disclusa and by 97% for D. merkeli when plots were treated with 12.5 g/ha of Z-9-tetradecenyl acetate, whereas catches of D. amatella were unaffected by this mating-disruption treatment. Daily disappearance of Z-9-tetradecenyl acetate from the dispensers averaged 0.46 g/ha or less. Manually placing dispensers on nylon lines in the tops of trees was an effective method for releasing synthetic Dioryctria pheromones in the orchard. These data suggest it may be feasible to prevent mating of Dioryctria spp. in pine seed orchards by using synthetic pheromones for mating disruption, but large-scale tests will be required to demonstrate cone protection.