Pupae of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegyti (L.), were examined for glycogen and lipid content under normal conditions and following exposure, as fourth-instar larvae, to 0.1 ppm of the insect growth regulator, Altosid® (isopropyl 11-methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-dodeca-2,4-dienoate).

The glycogen reserves of control and experimental insects show similar rates of utilization up to about 24 h of pupal life, but at 48 h, the glycogen reserves of treated animals are depleted. Examination of pupal lipid content indicates that insects treated with Altosid begin pupal life with lipid reserves which are considerably less than those of control animals.

The reduced energy reserves available to newly emerged adults may contribute to premature mortality.

A combination of published techniques provided point estimates of life history parameters for two natural field populations of Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.) in crested wheatgrass pastures. Stage-specific survival rates averaged 0.4798, 0.2261, 0.7628, and 0.6903 for egg, instars I–III combined, instar IV, and instar V, respectively. Daily survival rates of adults averaged 0.9702, but were slightly lower for females than for males. Estimated duration of nymphal instars averaged 8.4 days, the adult preoviposition period averaged 13.3 days, and adult longevity averaged 26.7 and 36.3 days in the two populations. Oviposition rates were estimated for up to four successive ovipositions, and net replacement rates of populations also were estimated. Neither population replaced itself, indicating that potential capacities for increase were not approached under conditions of these studies.

Survival of the spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby, from egg to adult, proportion of 1- and 2-year-cycle adults, and egg and egg gallery production per attack were investigated over five generations in stumps and windfall in central British Columbia. Densities of attacks, egg gallery lengths, and brood in various stages of development were obtained by repeated sampling throughout the life cycle. Spruce beetle populations remained at suboutbreak levels throughout the duration of the study. There were generally no differences by area, host type, or infestation year in any of the measured variables. The mean numbers (±SD) of eggs per attack and eggs per centimetre of egg gallery were 80.8 (54.3) and 5.4 (4.6), respectively. Brood survival from egg to adult averaged 6.8%. The lowest and highest survival from egg to adult occurred in the same years as when the lowest and highest percentage of 1-year-cycle adults were produced, respectively. On average, 51.8% of the beetles in stumps and 19.1% of beetles in windfall developed on a 1-year cycle.

In spare moments during and after the Xth International Congress of Entomology I collected many aphids in Canada. The present paper contains descriptions of some of these that appeared to be new, while two of the leading Canadian aphid specialists permitted me to add descriptions of some more new species that were present among the material that they submitted for identification.

When in 1948 I first made the acquaintance of the mite about to be described I was intrigued with the idea that a form morphologically so similar to those described by Oudemans, 1915 and Hirst 1928 should come from such a different habitat. Whilst recognizing the totally different geographical areas, sphagnum bogs of boreal Canada as opposed to humid forests of tropical Ceylon and Malaya, the question arises as to whether the micro-habitat in which these three species live is so totally different. From the published material available (vide Thienemann 1928-29), which I admit is not very extensive, there does not seem to be much chemical difference between the waters of Nepenthes and those of Sarracenia. The similarity of these two micro-habitats is further substantiated by the fact that copepods of the genus Parastenocaris have been found in the pitchers of Sarracenia which closely resemble those described by Menzel 1921, Chappius 1931 and Thienemann 1928-29 (quoting from Ghosh, no reference given) from the water of Nepenthes. The question of distribution over such great distances and over what must be long ages poses certain difficulties which can only be answered when we know more about the past history and distribution of pitcher plants and mites. The possession of an hypopial stage by all three species does offer some help in the problem but the further question of how the Canadian mites have adapted themselves to the rigours of a northern winter is difficult to understand.

Experiments with the growth-forms of acarine predator and prey populations require a constant supply of both species. This note describes a technique used for maintaining large numbers of Tyrophagus castellanii (Hirst) and its predator Melichares dentriticus (Berl.) and of Acarus siro L. and its predator Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank)

Three native species of parasites and 3 hyperparasites were reared from pupae of the European winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), and the Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata (Hulst), collected in the Victoria area of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1981. Two of the pupal parasites also attacked other species of Geometridae. Two species of hyperparasites attacked Cyzenis sp., and the third parasitized ichneumonid primary parasites of Operophtera spp. The hyperparasites may have a negative impact on the biological-control agents, Cyzenis albicans (Fall.) and Agrypon flaveolatum (Grav.). Total parasitism by pupal parasites of the Operophtera host complex was about 4%. Descriptions and illustrations of cephalic structures of final-instar larvae of the parasites and a key for their separation are given.

Granular treatments of thiofanox (Dacamox 10 G®) and carbofuran (Furadan 10 G®) and spray treatments of dimethoate (Cygon 4E®) and pirimicarb (Pirimor 50 WP®), all gave good control of cereal aphids and increased barley grain yield significantly above controls.

The granular treatments did not significantly reduce parasites and predators of the aphids. Predators and parasites showed a reduced population 1 week after foliar insecticide applications. However, pirimicarb showed a relatively reduced effect compared with other pesticides on the available predatory species, 2 weeks after spraying.

Host preference of the pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (L.), was investigated in two laboratory choice test studies using red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) (Pinaceae), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), and Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Host preference of parent adult beetles was evaluated using freshly cut, similarly sized logs in a wind tunnel. Parent beetles colonized Scotch pine logs significantly more often when given a choice of Scotch pine and either red pine or jack pine logs, but did not show a preference when presented with red pine and jack pine logs. Host preference of progeny adults was tested in a laboratory bioassay using current-year pine shoots. Shoot-feeding progeny adults initiated tunnels in jack pine shoots significantly more often than in Scotch pine and red pine shoots, and preferred Scotch pine over red pine shoots. Shoots with diameters of 0.4–0.5 cm were attacked most frequently, regardless of species. Results suggest that the two North American pines are suitable hosts, but T. piniperda may be most likely to colonize Scotch pine, a European species. Efforts to detect or monitor T. piniperda populations in the Great Lakes and northeastern regions should focus on areas with abundant Scotch pine brood material. Progeny that emerge from brood material, however, may be as likely to shoot-feed in jack pine as in Scotch pine.

Tent caterpillars of the genus Malacosoma frequently appear in outbreak numbers causing widespread defoliation of trees and shrubs in North America. The western tent caterpillar, M. californicum (Packard), with six subspecies, occurs over most of temperate western North America and although there is a large number of host plants on which it will oviposit and feed (Stehr and Cook 1968), most have little commercial value. We report here the identification of a component of the female sex pheromone of M. californicum.

Protein-rich pea flour is an antifeedant and a repellent and is toxic to the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), but its mode of action is not known. Results showed that protein-rich pea flour had no fumigant effect on adult survival or offspring production of S. oryzae. In a contact experiment, immobilized weevils were fed every other day and had their abdomens brushed with protein-rich pea flour or wheat flour on the alternate days. Insects treated with protein-rich pea flour had an average longevity of 9.6 days, which was significantly shorter than that for insects treated with wheat flour (11.3 days) or brushed controls (17.6 days). These results suggest that toxins from the protein-rich pea flour may be able to penetrate the insect cuticle. Midguts from weevils fed protein-rich pea flour, a pea flour extract, or a mixture of pea peptides contained numerous bubbles. Midgut tissues in these treated adults were injured, as shown by dual staining with the fluorescent dyes calcein AM and propidium iodide. The volume of the bubbles increased rapidly when insects were fed protein-rich pea flour or pea flour extract. There were no bubbles found in the midguts of S. oryzae that fed on wheat kernels or wheat flour.

Larvae of Rhyncholimnochares kittatinniana Habeeb are described — the first larval description within the subfamily Rhyncholimnocharinae. The larval instar is apparently wholly aquatic, making members of this genus the fourth lineage within the Hydrachnidia to have acquired this lifestyle independently. Various morphological characteristics of larval R. kittatinniana are adaptations associated with crawling through boundary-layer flow within the gravel of stream beds. Larvae and nymphochrysalids were found attached to the abdominal tergites of elmid beetles within the respiratory airspace.

In October, 1960, growers in the Robinsons-St. Davids area of Newfoundland reported that aldrin and heptachlor no longer protected rutabagas and cabbage adequately from attack by the cabbage maggot, Hylemya brassicae (Bouché).

In 1961, an experiment was conducted in the area, at Jeffreys, to determine if strains resistant to chlorinated hydrocarbons had developed. Six plots, each containing 58 cabbage plants, were set up on June 13 in an area heavily infested with the maggot in the previous years. The insecticides, rates of application, and results obtained are shown in Table I. All treatments were applied two days after transplanting and concentrated in the soil around the stems of the plants.

The natural occurrence of beauveriosis in Dryocoetes confusus (Swaine) in Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. in British Columbia is reported, and the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. isolated from D. confusus was confirmed experimentally. Also, direct observations of newly established pairs of D. confusus in glass – phloem sandwich cultures showed that cadavers of B. bassiana-killed females were walled-off with frass by healthy males.

During 1932 a species of mealy bug came into prominence in a few orchards in the Annapolis valley, more particularly at Lakeville and the district north of Berwick. The insect was less conspicuous in 1933, but in 1934 some severe infestations occurred. This mealy bug is scattered over the entire fruit growing area in Nova Scotia, and has probably been present for several years.

Although several studies have been conducted on the mating habits of laboratory-reared onion maggots confusion exists as to whether the females mate more than once. In Holland, Ticheler and Noordink (1968) using a radio-tracer technique demonstrated a second mating in the female but later work by Robinson (1977) suggested that mating occurred only once. North American workers using whiteeyed mutants in crosses with red-eyed flies found that the female mates only once (Broersma and Luckman 1968) and earlier data developed in our laboratory support this finding (McEwen et al. 1973). That the female mates only once is suggested also by reports showing that increasing the ratio of males to females does not increase egg production and that the early removal or death of the males does not reduce the number of eggs laid or the percentage of hatch (Missonier and Stengel 1966; Robinson and Zurlini 1979).

Entomophthora crustosa n. sp. pathogenic for Malacosoma species (principally M. disstria Hbn.), is described. It is characterized in the conidial state by a hymenial coating which, at maturity, forms a crust-like covering, cinnamon brown, over the surface of infected insects, and by conidial size. In the resting spore (zygospore) state the distinguishing attributes are ornamentation of the zygospores and their mode of development. The pathogen grows readily on coagulated egg-yolk media.

The fungus is briefly compared with 10 other closely related Entomophthora species. Entomophthora crustosa seems to be of widespread occurrence in eastern North America.

The good work on the Hymenopterous fauna of the Philippine Islands, begun by Father W. A. Stanton, S.J., is being contiuned by Father Robert E. Brown, S.J. and I have now the pleasure of describing below two new genera and twelve new species captured by him in the Observatory Garden at Manila.

A new aleocharine species, Euvira micmac Klimaszewski and Majka, sp. nov., from Nova Scotia, Canada, is described and illustrated. This is the first record of the genus Euvira for Canada. New data on bionomics and distribution are provided, including notes on the red oak gall environment where the species was found. A short diagnosis, description, colour habitus image, and black and white genital images are provided. The lectotype (male) and the paralectotypes (5 females) are designated for E. quadriceps (Casey). Two beetles, Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte (Mycetophagidae) and Melanophthalma americana (Mannerheim) (Latridiidae), found co-inhabiting red oak galls are newly recorded for Atlantic Canada.