The setal patterns of the anterior abdominal segments of first-instar and older larvae in more than 50 genera representing the six Nearctic subfamilies of Geometridae, have been examined. The significant variations in these patterns have been summarized and a key to the subfamilies is presented. Relationships within the Geometridae are discussed.

The generic name Metasyrphus Matsumura is synonymized with Eupeodes Osten Sacken. Thirteen new combinations are proposed in Eupeodes. Fourteen new synonyms are noted in the genera Eupeodes and Dasysyrphus and 9 lectotypes are designated. Notes on unrecognized species in both genera are given.

In June 1932 a very immature nymph of Ephoron leukon Will was found in the Credit R. near Erindale, Ontario. In 1934 full grown nymphs of this same species were found in great numbers in the same locality after their hiding place was once located. They are burrowing nymphs which inhabit a tubular burrow associated with stones in the rapids. Loose stones. when turned over revealed no nymphs and lackcd the marks of the tubes on them. Stones, however, which were partly imbedded in fine grey silt (originating from the breakdown of shales in the vicinity) when turned over- revealed nymphs clinging on the sides and bottom in the remnants of the tubes. Curiously enough the time of day at which col1ecting was done was important.

The arrival and establishment of the spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell) (Araneae: Theridiidae) in Chile is reported. This record is the first for this alien species in the Southern Hemisphere. A brief diagnosis to recognise the species is provided and the possible ways of entry of this spider to Chile are discussed.

A gall midge that induces conical leaf galls on wild Vitis Linnaeus (Vitaceae) species in Japan was previously identified based on the gall shape as the Nearctic Schizomyia viticola (Osten Sacken) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Cecidomyiinae: Asphondyliini: Schizomyiina). In 2016, leaf galls were newly found on cultivated Vitis coignetiae Pulliat ex Planchon cultivar Suzumi-murasaki and the wild V. coignetiae, Vitis flexuosa Thunberg, and Vitis ficifolia Bunge in northern Japan. Morphological studies of the larvae and adults obtained from the galls revealed that they were an undescribed taxon distinct from the Nearctic species and did not belong to any known genera of Schizomyiina. A new genus, Ampelomyia Elsayed and Tokuda, is erected for Ampelomyia conicocoricis Elsayed and Tokuda new species. The new genus can be distinguished from other genera of Schizomyiina by having ventroapical extension on tarsomere I, the larval abdominal segment VIII with a posterodorsal lobe, and dorsally shifted pair of larval pleural papillae. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports this taxonomic treatment. In addition, we also place three Vitis-associated Nearctic species in the new genus: Ampelomyia viticola (Osten Sacken) new combination, A. vitiscoryloides (Packard) new combination, and A. vitispomum (Osten Sacken) new combination.

Benomyl or MBC phosphate incorporated into the meridic diet of eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), reduces the incidence of infection of adults by the microsporidian Nosema fumiferanae (Thom.). Some reduction in microsporidian levels is produced by 25 ppm benomyl; higher concentrations are more effective but even 250 ppm failed to reduce the incidence of microsporidia below 29% in a heavily infected stock. At benomyl concentrations of 75 ppm and above, budworm growth and fertility were reduced. The most notable effect of benomyl was the reduction of fertile matings and of percentage eclosion of eggs. Males were more sensitive to benomyl than females.

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a cosmopolitan polyphagous pest on unripe soft-skinned fruits. We sought to determine (1) temperature treatments that could be used to kill immature D. suzukii in fruit or packaging and (2) whether development on different fruits led to differences in cold tolerance of immature D. suzukii. We reared animals from egg on a banana-based laboratory diet and diets made of apple (Malus domestica Borkhausen; Rosaceae), blueberry (Vaccinium Linnaeus; Ericaceae), cherry (Prunus avium Linnaeus; Rosaceae), grape (Vitis Linnaeus; Vitaceae), orange (Citrus × sinensis (Linnaeus) Osbeck; Rutaceae), raspberry (Rubus Linnaeus; Rosaceae), or strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne; Rosaceae) homogenate in agar and measured development time, adult body size, and cold tolerance. Diet type had complex effects on development time; in particular, D. suzukii reared on apple-based or blueberry-based diets developed more slowly to a smaller adult body size than those on other diets. Cold exposure killed eggs and both first and second instars. Survival of 24 hours at +4 °C by feeding third instars was lowest in blueberry and cherry. Five days at +0.6 °C killed all feeding third instars; this treatment is likely sufficient for targeting D. suzukii in fruit. Two hours at −5 °C or −6 °C killed all wandering third instars and pupae; this exposure could be sufficient for sanitation of packaging.

In a number of the systematic studies of caddisflies with which I have been concerned, it has been necessary to rear larvae to the adult stage in the laboratory. Several methods proposed for rearing aquatic insects were considered, but these seemed open to some improvement, mainly because, for my purpose, it was necessary to rear large numbers of larvae in individual containers. For this reason the rearing equipment described here was designed. The principal advantage gained through its use is that relatively little maintenance is required to achieve fairly constant rearing conditions for large numbers of larvae, with each larva in a separate cage. By combining a number of individual cages into a unit, with its own supply of water and compressed air, attention to the needs of each individual cage is reduced considerably. By adding additional units, the capacity of the equipment can be doubled or trebled, while the corresponding increase in the maintenance requirements is proportionately much lower. In addition to providing an efficient means of rearing larvae in the laboratory, the same equipment can be used in the field under various conditions. Although caddisflies have been the only insects reared up to now, it is altogether likely that similar equipment would be suitable for other aquatic groups as well.

In 2002, we evaluated the performance of imidacloprid-treated spheres topped by newly developed, rodent-protected, sugar/paraffin discs (that released sugar as needed, feeding stimulant onto the sphere surface) against apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). Commercial orchard plots (30 m × 30 m) surrounded by odor-baited, imidacloprid-treated, plastic spheres topped by 150-g discs (not replaced during the 12-week period of deployment) received no more immigrant adults or fruit injury than plots surrounded by odor-baited, imidacloprid-treated, wooden spheres topped by 50-g discs (replaced after 6 weeks), plots surrounded by odor-baited sticky-coated spheres, or plots sprayed two or three times with insecticide to control this insect. Approximately half of all apple maggot flies placed on imidacloprid-treated spheres not receiving additional sugar following retrieval from the plots died following exposure to spheres in the laboratory, irrespective of field-exposure duration (6, 9, or 12 weeks). Nearly all flies died when placed on orchard-exposed spheres that did receive additional sugar following retrieval. Future studies will aim at refining disc construction to ensure that all apple maggot flies alighting on imidacloprid-treated spheres will encounter feeding stimulant and be killed.

Male spruce budworm moths were kept in a wind tunnel for 4 days and assayed each day to determine their ability to locate calling females that were surrounded by rubber septa loaded with synthetic pheromone, a 95:5 blend of E:Z-11-tetradecenal. As the concentration of synthetic pheromone increased, the numbers of males successfully locating females decreased, the latency of response increased, and the speed of flight decreased. At release rates from the septa close to those of a calling female, 6–60 ng/h per septum, most disrupted males flew to a septum instead of the females. At the highest release rate tested, 600 ng/h, many males were inactive or flew to the sides of the tunnel, which indicates sensory fatigue. This effect was more pronounced among males that were continuously exposed to the synthetic pheromone for the 4 days than among males kept in pheromone-free air between assays. About a quarter of the males died or became unable to fly after the 4 days, but there was no change in the proportions of the different responses of males, or in their response times, with increasing age, nor was there evidence that males were conditioned by their experience on previous days. The results led to the conclusion that time-averaged atmospheric concentrations of the synthetic pheromone as high as 20 ng/m3 are necessary to achieve effective disruption of the orientation of male spruce budworm moths to calling female moths.

The Microgastrinae wasp Diolcogaster claritibia (Papp, 1959) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is recorded from the Nearctic region (Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, Canada) for the first time. In spite of some minor morphological and molecular (DNA barcoding) differences, the available data indicate that the European and New World specimens should be considered one species, but more specimens and loci need to be sampled to conclusively determine the phylogeographic history of the species. Diolcogaster claritibia seems to be widely distributed within the Holarctic, and the molecular data suggest that it was recently introduced to North America from Europe.

Parasitism by Pollenia rudis (Fabr.) larvae on earthworms in the field was found only in Allolobophora chlorotica (Sav.) and Eisenia rosea (Sav.). Other species of worms were infected in the laboratory. Slime and coelomic fluid, from all species of worms tested, induced penetration behaviour. Penetration occurs mainly on the dorsal surface of the worm, and less frequently towards either end. Larvae repenetrated after leaving the original penetration site. Autonomy by the host of the parasitized segments was observed in E. rosea. Possible reasons for the restricted natural host range are discussed.

Laboratory tests indicated that phorate, phorate sulfoxide, and phorate sulfone were toxic contact insecticides with broad spectrum activity. In general, p. sulfoxide was most toxic to insects > p. sulfone > phorate. When compared with other insecticides using 24–48 h old field crickets, Acheta pennsylvanicus (Burmeister), as test insects, the three compounds were less toxic by direct contact than carbofuran and fensulfothion, but as or more toxic than aldrin. P. sulfoxide and p. sulfone were strongly inactivated in moist Plainfield sand and were not as insecticidally active in soil against crickets as phorate. Nevertheless, the sulfoxide arid sulfone in soil were intermediate in toxicity between carbofuran and fensulfothion. The insecticidal activity of phorate, p. sulfoxide, and p. sulfone in soil was influenced by soil type, moisture, and temperature. Fumigant toxicity tests indicated that the three compounds volatilized from soil. Chemical analysis showed p. sulfone was most persistent in sand and muck > p, sulfoxide > phorate. Oxidation was observed to be a major degradation reaction for phorate and p. sulfoxide in both soils. Parallel bioassay tests indicated that, in sand, the biological action of "phorate" was due to the joint action of the three compounds. In a field study phorate EC, applied as a broadcast application at 3.4 kg AI/ha and incorporated into the top 7–8 cm of soil was slightly more persistent in muck than in sand. More than 99% and 98% of the applied phorate and its oxidation products disappeared from the sand and muck, respectively, within a year of treatment, indicating that the residues were only moderately persistent under climatic conditions encountered in southwestern Ontario. Low residues of p. sulfoxide and p. sulfone were detected in radishes grown on both soils in the first year but none were present in the second year. No residues were detected in carrots grown on either soil.

For many years studies of cutworm bionomics and control, especially of pest species, have been carried on in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. During these studies a number of cutworm parasites and hyperparasites of the bombyliid genera Poecilanthrax Osten Sacken, Villa Lioy, and Hemipenther Loew have been encountered. These species do not appear to be important factors in the natural control of cutworms, for they cause from two to five per cent of the total parasitism. No detailed data are available on the life-history of any of the species.

The first signs of Phytomyza lanati Spencer activity are the feeding marks of the adult on the lower leaf surface of Heracleum lanatum Michx. In Alameda County, Calif., the adults were first seen in January and the larvae were present from mid-February to mid-June. Eggs are laid in the spongy mesophyll and the serpentine mine, made by the solitary larva, is mainly confined to the palisade layer. The larva remains within a single mine until just before puparium formation. At this time the mature larva exits from the leaf through a cut in the lower surface and drops to the soil. At 75 ± 1°F the average duration of the three immature stages are 47, 36, and 60 hours. Because the depth of the mine is constant, the surface area of the mine indicates the relative volume of food consumed. A comparison of the instars shows that the amount and rate of tunnelling increases greatly with each succeeding moult. Under constant temperature there is no significant difference between the amount mined during equivalent light and dark periods.

Adult activity, such as feeding, mating, and oviposition, occurs on the underside of the leaf. Feeding on the plant exudate appears necessary for sustaining adult life.

Three hymenopteran parasites were reared from P. lanati.Biological characteristics served to differentiate P. lanati from other Phytomyza species.

Knowledge of the insects affecting livestock in Eastern Canada, except possibly cattle grubs, has been inadequate. The distribution and control of cattle grubs in Eastern Canada were studied by Cameron (1918), Stevenson (1934), and Gibson and Twinn (1936). Baker et al. (1950, 1955) reported the progress made in reducing cattle grub populations in the warbly fly control campaign begun in 1948 in Ontario. Occasional records of livestock pests have appeared in The Canadian Insect Pest Review and the annual reports of the Ontario Department of Agriculture. Hadwen (1923) and Hearle (1938) discussed the various pests injurious to livestock in Canada, but did not refer specifically to Ontario.

Distinct differences were observed in postdiapause development and prolonged diapause of the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), obtained from the vicinity of Tazin River, Northwest Territories; near Riverton, Manitoba; and near Renovo, Pennsylvania. All populations had been reared under controlled laboratory conditions (21°±0.5 °C, 50±10% relative humidity, and a 15-hr daily photophase) for two or more generations.

After 280 days cold treatment at 3°±1 °C, cocoons were dissected and the number of pronymphs and eonymphs was determined. Insects from each population were then reared at 5°, 10°, and 15 °C. Times to adult emergence, duration of individual stages, and numbers remaining in prolonged diapause at each temperature were determined.

The most significant differences occurred among populations reared at 5 °C. At this temperature, the times to adult emergence and the duration of individual stages of development and the proportions remaining in prolonged diapause or arrested development, increased from northern to southern latitudes. Less significant population differences were noted at 10° and 15° than at 5 °C.

In 1945 a field experiment was designed at the Lethbridge laboratory to augment data on the effect of the time of seeding on infestation by the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Nort. At that time one of the recommendations for the control of this insect was to delay seeding wheat until after May 15. The resulting crop escaped infestation because of the retarded plant during the period of the sawfly flight.

Megagrapha Melander and the four other New World genera named below are defined as a natural group which belong to the tribe Drapetini of the subfamily Tachydrominae. Both the genus group and the component genera are described and keys to genera and species are presented. One new genus, Chaetodromia Chillcott from Mexico is described, with two new species. One new species is described in Megagrapha, five in Austrodromia Collin, four in Allodromia Smith, and 17 in Micrempis Melander. Micrempis testacea Melander is transferred to Allodromia, and Allodromia curviradius Smith is transferred to Micrempis. Megagrapha exquisita (Malloch) is resurrected from synonymy as a valid species. Lectotypes are designated for Micrempis minuta (Melander), M. nana Melander, and M. varipes Melander.