Analysis of structural features of adults (legs, proportions of prothorax, male genitalia, and ovipositor) establishes the hypothesis that Anisocnemus Chaudoir, Trichopselaphus Chaudoir, and Stenomorphus Dejean comprise a monophyletic assemblage, named the Stenomorphus genus-group, with Anisocnemus the adelphotaxon of Trichopselaphus + Stenomorphus. Analysis of form of median lobe, armature of the internal sac, allometric trends in proportions of the prothorax and hind tibia, and chorological considerations, provide the basis for recognition of six species of Stenomorphus and postulation of their phylogenetic relationships, as follows: S. convexior Notman {[S. penicillatus Darlington + S. sinaloae Darlington] + [S. cubanus Darlington + (S. angustatus Dejean + S. californicus Ménétries)]}. Three monophyletic species-groups are recognized: S. convexior, including S. convexior; S. sinaloae, including S. penicillatus and S. sinaloae; and S. angustatus, including S. cubanus, S. angustatus, and S. californicus. The names Stenomorphus dentifemoratus Chaudoir, 1844 and Stenomorphus alius Darlington, 1936 are synonymized, and S. dentifemoratus Darlington, 1936 (not Chaudoir) is renamed S. darlingtoni. Morphometric and chorological features provide evidence for subspecific recognition, each taxon representing a new combination: for S. angustatus, S. a. angustatus, S. a. braziliensis Darlington, and S. a. dentifemoratus Chaudoir; for S. californicus, S. c. californicus, S. c. rufipes LeConte, S. c. manni Darlington, and S. c. darlingtoni Ball and Shpeley. Evolutionary trends postulated include development of allometry with respect to form of the prothorax and hind tibiae, correlated with sexual dimorphism. Driving forces are postulated to be associated with sexual selection and burrowing. The geographical history of Stenomorphus is reconstructed as follows, using the reconstructed phylogeny and chorological affinities interpreted against a background of geological and climatic events in Middle America, during the Late Cretaceous, and Tertiary and Quaternary Epochs: isolation in Middle America from its South American adelphotaxon of the ancestral stock of Stenomorphus; specialization for life in drier tropical forests and savannas; isolation and differentiation of taxa in response to cyclical climatic changes and mountain building; and over-water dispersal to, and isolation and differentiation in, the Greater Antilles. A key, figures of diagnostic features, descriptions of structural features and of geographical ranges (supplemented with maps) provide means of recognition of taxa.

The boxelder leaf gall midge is univoltine in Michigan. Adults emerge after the first few warm days in April, and deposit numerous eggs within the folded young leaves of boxelder (Acer negundo L.). Larval eclosion occurs a few days later, and gall development begins shortly after. Head capsule measurements revealed three larval instars. Third-instar larvae drop to the ground near the end of May, work their way into the soil, and construct cocoons. Pupation occurs in late August, and overwintering takes place in the pupal stage. Because oviposition occurs almost always on leaves in a certain stage of development and an estimated 50% of leaves will therefore escape attack, host mortality apparently cannot be caused by this insect.

Four colonies of Chrysolina quadrigemina (Suffr.) and two of C. hyperici (Forst.) were released in 1951 and 1952 in the souvhern interior of British Columbia (Fig. 1) in the hope of duplicating the successful biological control of Hypericum perforatum L. in California. In 1956, Smith (1958) showed that though the colonies were still present, the weed had increased in all areas. By 1960, however, C. hyperici had greatly reduced the abundance of H. perforatum at Fruitvale (Fig. 2) while at Edgewood the beetle had disappeared. A colony of C. padrigmina at Edgewood had also disappeared and the three other C. quadrigemina colonies persisted at a low density without controlling the weed. For example, at Christina Lake (Fig. 3) a few beetles were found every year since release, though they had not always appeared in the sample plots. The annual fluctuations of the weed as indicated in the figure were probably of climatic origin as they were similar to those for the other areas. The most promising of the C. quadrigemina colonies was at Fife where, though there were few beetles in the release meadow itself, they were common on the slope below.

In the forest-clad portions of the Pacific Coast Range, from the Columbia River northwards inot British Columbia, there are frequently seen on the trunks of pine trees which have been injured and blackened by fire, small white fungi almost globular, or slightly flattened and kidney shaped, varying much in size, but frequently attaining the dimensions of a pigeon's egg. This fungus, kindly determined for Mr. E. A. Schwarz and myself by Prof. Galloway, is Cryptoporus (Ployporus) volvatus, Peck., var. obvolutus, Peck.

An inexpensive, simple, chemical control of wireworms in land to be used for vegetable production has long been sought in the Prairie Provinces. Existing methods of control (3, 4, 5, 6) are not wholly satisfactory for row crops. The cultural measures commonly advocated (6) will reduce wireworm infestations sufficiently that cereal crops can be grown without serious damage, but they are not usually sufficiently effective that potatoes or other row crops can be produced successfully. Crude naphthalene is the most satisfactory of the chemical methods recommended (3, 4, 5) but it is too costly for material, is difficult to handle and apply, and is effective only under certain conditions of soil, moisture and temperature. As a result, commercial potato production on the prairies has been restricted largely to districts and fields where wireworms are virtually absent.

Pterin accumulation in response to temperature and time was studied in male and female stable flies Stomoxys calcitrans (L.). Pterins accumulated as a function of temperature integrated over time. The threshold for pterin accumulation was estimated at 6.5 °C. The relationship between pterin content (RF/mm head capsule width) and accumulated degree-days above 6.5 °C (DD6.5) was determined to be RF/mm = 38,06 + 1.258*DD6.5 for females and RF/mm = 37.65 + 1.765*DD6.5 for males. Ovarian development, measured by follicle length and degree of vitellogenesis, was also related to DD6.5 and pterin concentration. The relationship between y1 = follicle length (mm) and x = DD6.5/200 was y1 = 0.11 + 0.78* [1−exp(− 18.34*x)]**99.86 and between vitellogenic stage (y2) and x was y2 = 0.04 + 3.96*[1−exp(− 11.48*x)]**6.67. Stable flies had a temperature threshold of 8 °C for oviposition.

Two artificial (oligidic) media have been developed for the rearing of Dendroctonus pseudotsugae under xenic conditions. One medium composed of macerated, frozen inner bark of Douglas fir, brewers yeast, antimicrobial agents sorbic acid and sodium benzoate, and water, permitted 75.17%, ± 3.04 S.E., of newly hatched larvae to develop to the adult stage. A second medium, composed of powdered, lyophilized inner bark of Douglas fir, brewers yeast, sorbic acid, sodium benzoate, glucose, cellulose, water, and agar, permitted 41.72%, ± 3.14 S.E., of newly hatched larvae to develop to the adult stage. The rate of development on each medium to the fourth-instar, pupal, and adult stages was somewhat shorter than that in published developmental data for this species. Immature beetles appear to be tolerant of considerable variation in pH and physical consistency and palatability of food material but are relatively sensitive to moisture levels. The adults obtained from each of the two media appeared to be normal, and the females were capable of laying viable eggs.

Comparisons of selected biological attributes were made to establish a phylogenetic basis for the classification of the Cicindela splendida Hentz group taxa. Recognized members of the group, C. splendida, C. limbalis Klug, and C. denverensis Casey, are spring-fall species, and northern populations emerge later during spring than southern populations. Despite differences in time of peak abundance, the three species overlap in time and space. The absence of large numbers of hybrids of these three species suggests that although closely related, their adults can distinguish from each other, and thus their rank as species should be retained.

Comparison of geographical distribution of these species with that of dominant soil types revealed that they had similar soil preferences. The geographical distribution of all three species was smaller than the range of their preferred soil types, probably because of the same factors that influence their local distributions.

Morphometric analyses of these species revealed a closer similarity between C. splendida and C. limbalis. In both sexes elytral pattern, percentage maculation, elytral colour, and non-sensory setae number collectively distinguish these species from each other, whereas body measurements, body ratios, sensory setae, and labral setae collectively fail to distinguish them.

Based on plesiomorph/apomorph character polarization, and the C. purpurea Olivier group as outgroup, it was determined that C. denverensis represents an early lineage of the C. splendida group, whereas C. splendida and C. limbalis are more recent sister species.

The ancestor of the C. splendida group probably evolved during late stages of the Tertiary Period as a North American resident and was a continental, riparian, cool-temperate form that ranged across Canada and northeastern and central United States. Extant forms speciated during the late Pleistocene as a result of spatial fragmentation of populations, isolation, and adaptation during glacial and interglacial periods.

The flute-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea L. are a fluidfilled microhabitat rich in invertebrate diversity (Bradshaw 1983; Heard 1994; Hardwick and Giberson 1996; Harvey and Miller 1996; Miller et al. 1994). They are the obligate larval habitat for Fletcherimyia fletcheri (Aldrich) (Forsyth and Robertson 1975). Most literature reports of F. fletcheri present information only on larval life history and population dynamics (Fish and Hall 1978; Hardwick and Giberson 1996). Forsyth and Robertson (1975) state anecdotally that they observed adults feeding on flowers and other nectar sources within their study area. We believe that our observations represent the first report of adult F. fletcheri roosting within the flower heads of the pitcher plant.

Orthotype. Chelifer sculpturatus Lewis.

Diagnosis and remarks. Characterized and discriminated from its relatives in the preceding keys. Three species (two South African and one Indian) may be referred to the genus. They may be separated by means of the following keys.

The favorite method of collecting insects is by sweeping, with the contents of the net either dumped en masse into a killing jar or individual specimens removed with an aspirator. In our collecting of Hymenoptera, however, both methods proved inefficient. When using an aspirator to remove specimens directly from an open sweep net many of the larger and swift flying insects escape almost immediately after the net has been opened and before the collector has managed to capture more than just a few. Furthermore, non-target organisms often are inadvertently collected in the rush, including undesirable groups such as spiders which invariably spin webs inside the aspirator and damage the specimens. These problems are overcome if the entire contents of the sweep net are dumped into a killing jar, but this method requires much additional work after the collecting day is over. The days entire collection must be taken back to the laboratory and sifted through to separate the insects from the debris. Without the aid of a microscope many of the microhymenoptera are easily overlooked, often almost indistinguishable from the debris when not moving. If an entire days sweepings has to be processed under a microscope this becomes tedious.

Four genera and 9 species of ants were collected by pitfall traps in a spruce budworm-infested forest of northern Maine. Myrmica detritinodis and Camponotus herculeanus were most abundant. In 1977, significantly more individuals and species were trapped in dense spruce-fir stands than in either uncut residual or clearcut strips. In 1978, clearcut-strip and dense-stand means were nonsignificant for individuals and species, but significantly more individuals and species were trapped in clearcut than in uncut residual strips. Ants were active during the spruce budworm’s developmental stages. Diversity of ant species was generally greater in dense stands than in strip-clearcut areas. Individuals were distributed unevenly among species but more evenly in dense stands than in strip-clearcut areas (residual + clearcut strips). Coefficients of community (CC) and percentage similarity (PS) values indicated ant species and individuals shared forest conditions in common; however, the most dissimilar neighboring habitats (uncut residual and clearcut strips) had few species in common. Neither age of strip clearcut (1–6 years) nor litter depth had much influence on mean catches and mean number of species of ants/trap/week.

The Eurasian nabid Himacerus apterus (Fabricius) is reported for the first time for North America. Several individuals have been collected between 1943 and 1989 in eastern Nova Scotia. Generic and specific diagnoses are given, and the genus is inserted in Slater and Baranowski’s (1978) key to the genera of North American Nabidae. The geographical distribution and bionomics of the species are briefly discussed.

Detoxicative enzyme systems, such as the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, gluthione S-transferases, and general esterases, have been widely studied in holometabolous insects (e.g. Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera). These, and other enzyme systems, play important roles in insecticide resistance, but are also important in insect–host plant relationships, because host range can partially depend on the ability of an insect to cope with putatively toxic allelochemicals in an otherwise suitable host plant (e.g. Lindroth 1989). In some cases, differences in the relative activities of these enzymes between closely related insect taxa can have significant biological consequences (Siegfried and Mullin 1989).

The average number of ovarioles in three species of grasshopper reared in the laboratory was: Melanoplus sanguinipes (F.) 28.1 ± 2.4, M. bivittatus (Say) 80.1 ± 10.1, and Camnula pellucida (Scud.) 27.6 ± 2.7. Not all ovarioles developed mature eggs; some eggs were resorbed. The number of egg rudiments in the ovarioles increased somewhat with age of the grasshopper and would not limit the number of eggs laid. Some abnormalities are described and some discussion of the corpus luteum is included, particularly the relationship between a pigmented corpus luteum and ovulation.

Ever since its entry from New York State in the late 1960s, the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), has continued to expand its distribution in Ontario to the north and west (Nealis and Erb 1993). Outbreaks were recorded for the first time in the Sudbury – North Bay region in the early 1990s, by which time there was evidence of resident populations extending along the north shore of Lake Huron as far west as Lake Superior. The population expansion along the north shore is characterized by a patchy occurrence of small outbreaks, which typically last for a few years and then disappear (Annual Forest Health Reports, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, http://www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/foresthealth/index_e.html). Nealis et al. (1999) found that winter weather, parasitoids, and the gypsy-moth-specific fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu et Soper (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) were the most prominent sources of mortality in those transient outbreaks.

In Western Canada, Aedes flavescens (Müller) is found mainly on the prairie, where it is one of the commonest of the blood-sucking pests of livestock and man. It has also been taken as far north as Churchill, Man., and Alaska (Rempel, 1950). Information on its flight range is useful in planning control programs. Field and laboratory studies on the flight range of this species, with radio-active phosphorous for tagging, were conducted at Saskatoon and Indi, Sask., in 1952. The project area is almost flat in the north and west and rolling in the south and east; the Blackstrap Valley separates the two topographical areas.