Intertrap variability in catches of moths of the cutworms Leucania commoides Guenée and Peridroma saucia (Hübner) was tested by placing two traps for each species baited with artificial sex attractants at 1.6 km (1 mi) intervals to form a grid covering 64 km2 (25 mi2) near Domain, Manitoba. During the flight periods of the test species the attractants were 86.5 and 93.6% species-specific for L. commoides and P. saucia respectively. Moth catches varied between traps and flights, but the ranking of the traps by catch for each species was consistent during any given flight of L. commoides and during the first flight of P. saucia. The low intertrap variability in numbers captured of both species indicated the moths were uniformly distributed in the area. For L. commoides 10 traps within an area of 64 km2 would be required to give a population estimate within 20% of the true mean and for P. saucia three traps would be needed. The flights of L. commoides started abruptly each year and appeared to be triggered by rainfall. Flights of P. saucia did not occur below 10 °C but otherwise weather had no apparent influence on the flights. It was concluded that the moths of this species are blown in from the south each spring. Neither species showed a consistent distributional relationship with crops.

Amylopectin added to a sugar-free wheat-germ diet was equal to or better than sucrose as a carbohydrate source, and appears to be readily utilized by the eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)). Larval growth on diets containing dextrins or potato starch shows that they are partly utilized. Starches from other sources, including those isolated from mature balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) or white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) needles, are not utilized to any extent, on the basis of larval growth on diets to which they have been added.

Sixth-instar budworm reared on artificial diets contain amylase(s) in midgut and salivary gland homogenates, which show a low rate of digestion of starches from host foliage. However, the presence of appreciable starch in frass from foliage-fed insects and the apparent low utilizability of foliar starch indicate that the latter is not an important nutrient for the budworm under natural conditions.

The present article is based on a study of the collection of fleas belonging toProf. G. J. Spencer, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C., and of the collections made by the late Mr. Eric Hearle of the Dominion Entomological Laboratory, Kamloops, B. C. It is an agreeable duty to me to express my most sincere gratitude to Prof. G. J. Spencer as well as to Dr. Arthur Gibson, Dominion Entomologist, and Dr. J. McDunnough, Chief ofthe Division ot Systematic Entomology, Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont., for havingafforded me the opportunity of becoming more closely acquainted with the aphanipterological fauna of British Columbia. It was especially interesting to me as the fauna of this province is largely allied to that of the eastern part of the palaearctic region.

The effectiveness of bait traps to capture adult Glischrochilus quadrisignatus (Say) was evaluated for 5 years. Traps comprised of 2.85-1. cans baited with ripe bananas, an insecticide, and a small amount of water captured from 21000 to 58000 beetles/trap when placed around the periphery of tomato fields at a density of 5 traps/ha from spring to fall. The largest numbers were trapped during the 5-week interval from mid-July to mid-August when newly developed adults emerged from the soil.

The haemocyte (blood cell) complex in insects has distinctive characteristics at various taxonomic levels. Some taxa can be recognized easily by major differences in the number and size of the haemocytes and the complexity of cell types. Others can be distinguished only with difficulty by means of cytological features of certain cell categories. Still others have revealed no distinguishing characters. The haemocyte complex is potentially useful for indicating some systematic relationships, and in some cases for distinguishing between morphologically similar species. The concept requires careful testing.

Fourteen reciprocal crosses between 11 populations (demes) of troglobitic (obligately cavernicolous) Ptomaphagus beetles were made. Numbers of F1 and F2 larvae and adults are reported. Markedly lower fecundity (but not fertility), viability, and longevity in the hybrids between morphologically distinct populations from Alabama caves indicate substantial reproductive isolation. This and distributional data suggest that the morphologically distinguishable populations are full species.

I. Cecidomyia spec. on Aristolochia sipho.

Flat rounded galls on the under side of the leaves, pale, somewhat transparent, pale greenish, 4 mil. diam. On the upper side of the leaf the gall becomes a slightly elevated disk marked with dark red and having in the middle a small pale-bordered hole. The galls grow larger and more globular on the stems of the leaves, to globes of 8 mil. diam., some more elongated, 18 mil. long and 8 mil. broad. The larvæ are brick red, 3 mil. long, very agile. I find no species on Aristolochia described by Osten Sacken and others.

The cranberry girdler, Chrysoteuchia topiaria (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is the most important sod webworm species attacking turfgrasses in Quebec, Canada (Simard 2001). Unlike other webworms, the cranberry girdler is rarely observed on grass blades but feeds on the crowns and roots in the thatch. Biopesticides based on a nematode–bacterium complex appear to hold promise as a means of controlling turfgrass insect pests, particularly those that colonize the thatch and the first few centimetres of soil (Potter 1998), such as the cranberry girdler (Georgis and Hague 1991). Our objective was to assess the susceptibility of the cranberry girdler to entomopathogenic nematodes. In the laboratory, we determined the LC50 values for four nematode species and evaluated the effect of contact time on host mortality.

Very common in the orchards of the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, Ont. Branches of many varieties of apple trees were found infested throughout the summer. In the tunnels frequently were observed specimens of Salpingus virescens Lec. (det. W. J. Brown).

Traces to section 27 (females) in Cushman's revision of the genus (Proc. U. S. N. M. Vol. 53, p. 513, 1917). Differs from mordellistenae Cush. in having the wings brownish and the face sub-equal in width to the eye length. Differs from incompletus (Prov.) in the brownish wings, the absence of pale orbital lines, broader stigma, broader radial cell and shorter metacarpus. Resembles fuscipennis Cress., but smaller with narrower face, eyes parallel within and abdomen wholly blackish. The male traces to section 13 (males) differing from the male of mordellistenae in the brownish wings, the absence of orbital rings and uniformly dark abdomen. From incompletus it differs in the brownish wings, broader ocellocular space which is slightly greater than the diameter of the lateral ocellus, and the lack of the orbital rings.

The bumble bee Bombus terrestris L. is an important pollinator of commercial crops. Mass-rearing of bumble bees under controlled conditions is susceptible to pest outbreaks such as the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella L. This study showed that pollen collected from pollen traps at honey bee colonies can be contaminated with eggs of the Indian meal moth and that the eggs can hatch under bumble bee rearing conditions. Storage of pollen at −60 °C for more than 3 weeks can prevent an infestation of P. interpunctella in bumble bee colonies via pollen. Storage at −20 °C is less effective. Although P. interpunctella larvae slightly prefer pollen as their food source, they also feed on bumble bee pupae, especially when little pollen is present in a bumble bee colony. Spraying with the microbial insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis Aizawai at a concentration of 1 g/L water can control P. interpunctella (99.8% mortality) without harm to the bumble bee colonies. Higher concentrations have a negative impact on bumble bee colonies. Other B. thuringiensis strains, Kurstaki and Kurstaki Plus, are less effective.

Climatic factors which may control the time of occurrence of seasonal phenomena are discussed, and in particular the role of temperature in initiating periodic cycles in animals in continental North America. The seasonal flight periods of nine species of noctuid moths at two localities in western North America are considered in terms of the lengths of the summer season at these localities. Among the species discussed, those that are in flight prior to midsummer fly earlier, and those that are in flight after midsummer fly later, in the area with a long summer than in the area with a short summer. A factor termed the "phenological date," which is based on the number of days above 42°F in a given area, is proposed as a measure of seasonal development. The factors of photoperiod and temperature that may have a controlling influence on periodic events are discussed. Variance analysis suggests that the phenological date has greater predictive value in estimating the periods of flight of the species considered than have the other factors.

Colonization of a tree by bark beetles and their symbionts creates a new habitat for a diverse assemblage of arthropods, including competing herbivores, xylophages, fungivores, saprophages, predators, and parasitoids. Understanding these assemblages is important for evaluating nontarget effects of various management tactics and for subsequently evaluating how changes in climate, the presence of invasive species, and altered forestry practices and land-use tenure may affect biodiversity. We characterized the assemblage of hymenopterans attracted to logs of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson (Pinaceae)) colonized by the bark beetle Ips pini (Say) and its microbial symbionts. In one experiment, the composition and relative abundances of species arriving at hosts colonized by I. pini, and possible sources of attraction, were determined. Treatments consisted of a log containing I. pini with its natural complement of microorganisms, a log alone, and a blank control. A second experiment was carried out to determine whether or not Hymenoptera were attracted to microbial symbionts of I. pini. Treatments consisted of a blank control, a log alone, a log containing I. pini with its natural complement of microorganisms, either Ophiostoma ips, Burkholderia sp., or Pichia scolyti, and a log inoculated with a combination of these three microorganisms. Over 2 years, 5163 Hymenoptera were captured, of which over 98% were parasitoids. Braconidae, Platygastridae, Encyrtidae, Pteromalidae, and Ichneumonidae were the most abundant. Seven known species of bark beetle parasitoids (all Pteromalidae) were captured. However, parasitoids of Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and non-wood-boring Coleoptera were also common. Nineteen species showed preferential attraction to host plants infested with I. pini and its complement of microorganisms, host plants inoculated with I. pini microbial symbionts, or host plants alone. Interestingly, many of these species were parasitoids of phytophagous, fungivorous, and saprophytic insects rather than of bark beetles themselves. These results suggest that a diverse assemblage of natural enemies that attack various feeding guilds within a common habitat exploit common olfactory cues.

Coenosia tigrina (F.), an important anthomyiid predator of the onion maggot, Hylemya antiqua (Meig.), in Quebec, was found in all stages of development in field populations of the latter. The species was named by Fabricius (1775). A description of the adult was given by Perron et al., 1956, but no description of the immature stages is available. This is a report on the external morphology of the immature stages of this species, the determination of the overwintering sites of the larvae, and the effect of predation by adults on adult H. antiqua in field cages.

Douglas-fir tussock moth cocoons were collected and their distribution recorded by crown level on white fir, Abies concolor, in northeastern California. Nine trees were sampled in two defoliation classes, light (20–30% defoliated) and moderate to heavy (50–80% defoliated). Cocoons were more abundant in the lower crown levels as defoliation became greater. The proportion of female cocoons increased toward the lower levels of the crown. An overall sex ratio of 1.2♂:1.0♀ was recorded. Significantly more male cocoons were parasitized than female. A list of the natural enemies of the tussock moth from the study area is given.