The maximal emergence of Pissodes notatus (F.) adults takes place during July and August. It results from the different evolution of two populations:

— a first population, whose complete development (from egg to adult) takes 11 or 12 months. This population corresponds to eggs laid after the middle of July (maximum egg laying during September). Most of the larvae having reached the third instar, it shows no more evolution during the winter; the further development takes place during the next spring, and adults emerge from mid-June to mid-July.

— a second population resulting from egg laying, between February and July, of hibernated adults (maximum egg laying during April and May). The whole development being very short (2 to 3 months), the adults, corresponding to these eggs, emerge from the middle of July to the end of August.

The observed differences between durations of the under-bark development (from 2 to 12 months) appear free of diapause and probably result from rates of development changing with temperature and instar.

In our regional field temperature conditions, all the individuals reach finally their under-bark development approximatively at the same time, so that the adult emergence period takes place in July and August.

Many new species of Typhlodromus were described in recent years and these can readily be assigned to the species groups established by Chant (in press). Recently I received some slides of mites collected by Dr. Stanley Flanders, Citrus Experiment Station, Riverside, California, in Hong Kong in 1953. These mites are of the subgenus Typhlodromus as defined by Chant (1957), of a hitherto undescribed species that does not fall into any of the groups listed and that is of particular importance to those interested in the systematics of the Phytoseiidae.

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.

Spruce budworm infested stands of white spruce and balsam fir were aerially sprayed with an entomopox virus, a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), a low dose of fenitrothion, and the two virus–chemical insecticide combinations. Long-term assessment of the efficacy of the treatments showed that NPV + a low dose of fenitrothion suppressed the budworm population density particularly on balsam fir below that causing economic damage for 3 years due mainly to transmission of the virus from one generation to the next and maintenance of natural control agents in the population.

In recent rearings by officers of the Entomological Branch several new species of Braconidae have been secured as well as records of species hitherto little known in Canada. The writer wishes to express his indebtedness to Dr. C. W. F. Muesebeck for his assistance in examining three of the species described below. Paratypes of all the species are deposited in the United States National Museum.

The broad study of factors responsible for poor seed production by red pines (Pinus resinosae Ait.) in central and southern Ontario has been concerned with the seed production capacity and efficiency of sound cones (1) and the description, life history, behaviour, and natural control of cone-inhabiting insects (2, 3, 4). The present contribution, which concludes the four-part series on red pine cone insects, deals with the time and duration of cone attack by the various insect species and the variability in the intensity of cone damage from year to year and from one locality to another. As an aid to the field diagnosis of the cause of cone damage, keys based on the appearance of mature larvae and injured cones are included.

Fossil oribatid mites were recovered from the Paskapoo Formation exposed along the Red Deer River valley near Blackfalds (fossil insect site 1, 12UUP 171 030). The fossils are Late Paleocene (approximately middle Tiffanian) in age (Fox in press). Other adult and immature fossil insects collected from the same locality reported by Mitchell and Wighton (1979) inhabited a mixed forested environment with associated low-energy, shallow, fresh water. The climate at the time of deposition is suggested by Wighton (1980, 1982) to have been warm-temperate to subtropical. The 11 adult and seven immature fossil mites (Fig. 1 specimen no. UAPC6186) are associated with an unidentified fossil insect larva and two chironomid fly pupae on the underside of a compression-impression fossil leaf of “Viburnum” cupanioidea (Newbeq) R. W. Brown (Caprifoliaceae). Most structures on the larvae are obscured, but the size (length 220–240 μm, width 140–150 μm), absence of dark pigmentation, presence of 3 pairs of legs, and general appearance closely resemble oribatid mite larvae (Fig. 2a,b). The adult specimens have several characteristics in common with the extant genus Hydrozetes. The triangular prodorsum lacks microsculpture and narrows to a pointed rostrum (Fig. 2c,d). Examination of the bothridial area in two specimens indicates that the bothridium is reduced and the sensillus is not present. The legs are monodactylous (Fig. 2d,e) and pteromorphae are absent. The notogastral margin is incomplete anteriorly and bears a round, concave area that probably represents the lenticulus. The size (length 495–520 μm, width 325–355 μm) and general habitus of the fossil mites closely resemble those of extant Hydrozetes species.

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.

Seven species of Aradophagini are classified in three genera. Aradophagus Ashmead includes A. fasciatus (USA, Canada, Europe) A. pulchricornis n. sp. (Mexico, USA), and A. microps n. sp. (South India). Ladora n. gen. includes L. brunnea n. sp. (type-species: Morocco, Mallorca, Gambia), L. maura n. sp. (South Africa), and L. trjapitzini n. sp. (Central Asia). Abuko n. gen. with A. sarotes n. sp. (type-species: Gambia). The tribe Aradophagini is redefined and its taxonomic position in the family Scelionidae is discussed. Keys to genera and species of Aradophagini are given.

A key is given for 29 species in the subgenus Lambersius Olive in America north of Mexico. An annotated list is provided for 22 species, and descriptions for the following 7 new species: Uroleucon (Lambersius) carberriensis n. sp., U. (L.) clydesmithi n. sp., U. (L.) coloradensis n. sp., U. (L.) manitobensis n. sp., U. (L.) nevadensis n. sp., U. (L.) penderum n. sp., and U. (L.) suzannae n. sp. Uroleucon (Lambersius) tissoti (Boudreaux) is declared to be a synonym of U. (L.) luteolum (Williams) and U. (L.) baccharidis (Clarke) as a nomen dubium.

We show that Lasioglossum mediterraneum (Blüthgen) (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) is a species distinct from L. laticeps (Schenck) based upon electrophoretic analysis of 39 allozyme loci for sympatric populations collected from the Dordogne region of France. The genetic identity between the two is below average for sibling species of insects: no fewer than 10 fixed allelic differences were found. In contrast, allopatric L. laticeps populations (from the Dordogne and Paris) are genetically almost identical (I = 0.998). Heterozygosity estimates for both species are low, as is often the case with Hymenoptera. Diagnostic characteristics that can be used to separate the two species are described. A phylogeny for nine species of the subgenus Evylaeus is constructed from allozyme data.

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.

Embryological development and hatching for the red turnip beetle, Entomoscelis americana Brown, were studied at 20 °C. In eggs kept at this temperature for > 12 days, embryological development proceeded until a late stage embryo was formed, at which time the embryo entered diapause for the winter. The time required for 50% of the eggs to reach the late embryo stage was estimated to be 11 days. The late embryo stage was not reached before winter in eggs kept at 20 °C for < 11 days, but most of them survived and hatched. Embryogenesis proceeded normally after winter without any apparent adverse effects, and hatching was delayed by the amount of time required to complete embryogenesis. Although it was not essential for the eggs to reach the late embryo stage to overwinter successfully and hatch, a critical minimum stage of development had to be reached during embryogenesis for the eggs to survive. The critical minimum stage of development occurred in the germ band formation stage and was reached during the first 1.5 days of embryogenesis. Most of the eggs laid from 1 to 15 September 1980 and kept outdoors reached the late embryo stage before winter and hatched the next spring; those laid from 15 September to 15 October reached the critical minimum stage of development before winter and also hatched successfully; and those laid after 15 October did not hatch, because they apparently had not reached the critical minimum stage. An evaluation of the data for the eggs kept outdoors and of atmospheric air temperature data suggested that embryo death due to eggs not reaching the critical minimum stage of development before winter normally should not be an important factor in the population dynamics of E. americana in the rapeseed- and canola-growing areas of western Canada. The ecological significance of the data is discussed.

The last instar and pupa of Pyropyga nigricans (Say, 1823) are described, illustrated, and compared to those of Pyropyga modesta Green, 1961; these species differ in the color pattern of the pronotum and abdominal tergites, and the morphology of the maxilla and labium. Larvae of the genus Pyropyga Motschulsky, 1852 are compared to those of the genera Lamprohiza Motschulsky, 1853, Lucidota LeConte, 1833, and Phosphaenus Laporte, 1833 (all belonging to the tribe Photinini but to different subtribes); on the basis of general body shape and morphology of the head capsule, antennae, and mouthparts, larvae of the genus Pyropyga seem more closely related to those of the genus Lucidota than to those of the other two genera.

A 10,000 acre stand of mature balsam fir, in Temiscouata County, Quebec, which had a spruce budworm population of about 21 larvae/18 in. branch-tip was sprayed with a Bacillus thuringiensis + chitinase formulation. Aerial spraying was carried out by three TBM aircraft between 4 and 7 June 1972, when insect development was at the peak of the third instar. Where the quantity of B. thuringiensis colonies per square centimeter was higher than 77 and spray deposit higher than 0.4 gal/acre (U.S.), larval mortality was between 84% and 93% compared with between 39% and 53% in the check plot. Foliage protection was 47%. The results indicate the possibilities of using B. thuringiensis + chitinase to control spruce budworm infestations.

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.

The genus Roederioides was erected by Coquillett in 1901 for the single species juncta Coquillett, described from Saranac Inn, New York. The species has since been recorded only from Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. A second species has been described from the Madeiras by Frey. This paper describes five new species from North America and presents a revised description of the genus.

The type of the genus, juncta, was collected in association with black flies, and recent collections have been made from black fly swarms. It is possible that juncta, and possibly other species of the genus, are predators of black flies, both as adults and as larvae.

Male moths of Aegeria tibialis Harris, a lepidopterous pest of poplar cutting beds in nurseries, were strongly attracted to virgin females and to mixtures of Z3, Z13-octadecadien-1-ol and its acetate. Extracts of female abdominal tips yielded two fractions stimulatory to male antennae. These fractions corresponded to a C18 alcohol and a C18 acetate. Electroantennogram measurements using synthetic chemicals demonstrated that appreciable male antennal stimulation occurred only with C18 compounds having Z-unsaturation at positions 3 or 13, indicating that the synthetic sex attractant may be the natural pheromone of this species.

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.