The economic entomologist is concerned with the eradication or control of insect infestations, or with the restriction of spread of pest-species. In the course of such work, he is often confronted with the appearance of new infestations in cleared or virgin areas. These infiltrations from other source regions originate, in part, from the gradual extensions of other foci by flights or migratory movements, and, also from the intervention of air currents.

Larvae of the blowfly Lucilia sericata were shown to require more sodium in their diet than do larvae of Pseudosarcophaga affinis. A chemically denned diet, originally designed for P. affinis, and modified by the addition of agar to suit L. sericata, was further improved by substituting 0.04 g/l. of NaOH and an equivalent amount of KOH.

Precipitin test techniques were utilized for the identification of predators on three lepidopteran pests—Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and Pseudoplusia includens (Walker). The test was sensitive enough to detect these prey in a whole-body extract of one small predator or from a midgut extract of larger predators. Some cross-reactivity among the prey antigens was found which limited somewhat the applicability of the test. However, test results from field-collected predators indicated the precipitin test is a simple and rapid technique which can be used to evaluate the number of encounters between predators and prey in soybean fields.

Laboratory tests with selected carbamate, organophosphorus, and pyrethroid insecticides demonstrated that the pyrethroid permethrin has the best potential for controlling newly hatched larvae of Zeiraphera canadensis Mut. and Free. Permethrin possessed high crawling contact toxicity (toxicity of insecticide deposits on foliage when contacted by crawling larvae) and direct contact toxicity to first-instar larvae and exhibited long residual effectiveness on potted, white spruce trees. Chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, mexacarbate, and methomyl had high crawling contact toxicity but short residual activity. Azinphos-methyl appeared to possess long residual effectiveness but relatively low crawling contact toxicity. Aminocarb and thiodicarb exhibited short residual effectiveness and relatively low toxicity. In field trials, an aerial application of permethrin (70 g/ha) at egg hatch resulted in an 81% population reduction and limited the destruction of tree leaders to 9%. Leader destruction was greater than 19% after treatments of permethrin at 35 g AI/ha or aminocarb at 180 g AI/ha or aminocarb twice at 90 g AI/ha. Leader destruction in an untreated plantation was 51%.

A study of 2,500 adults of the California five-spined engraver, Ips confusus (Lec.), has shown that the sex of this beetle can be determined from a secondary sex character with an accuracy exceeding 99 percent. Insects often have secondary characters that indicite sex, and in species with concealed genitalia, reliable secondary characters are especially useful for rapidly separating the males and females. Where such characters are lacking, a dependable determination of sex can only be made by the laborious procedure of dissection for a check of genitalia.

The recent black-headed budworm outbreak on the Queen Charlotte Islands is the fourth recorded association between budworm trends and weather. The decrease in this instance was associated with a prolonged period of cold, wet weather which retarded larval feeding and development, resulting in heavy larval mortality. The observations strengthen the previous associations observed between weather and the rise and fall of black-headed budworm populations.

In the course of my studies of the Eucosmids of Nova Scotia I find that there are several species in the spiraeifoliana group which, while very similar in general appearance and maculation, can be readily separated on characters found in the female genitalia and to a lesser extent also in those of the male. Mr. C. Heinrich in his Monograph has figured the female genitalia of spiraeifoliana Heinr. and aemulana Heinr. and these figures, while rather reduced in size, are quite recognizable. Both species occur in southwestern Nova Scotia and along with them are two other species, apparently undescribed. I offer descriptions of these, together with figures of the female genital plates of all four species for the sake of comparison.

Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is an efficient predator of the European red mite (ERM) (Panonychus ulmi (Koch); Acari: Tetranychidae) in Michigan, United States of America apple orchards and an important part of integrated pest management. Four reduced-risk insecticides (acetamiprid, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, and novaluron) and two conventional insecticides (esfenvalerate and carbaryl) were tested against N. fallacis for topical toxicity effects. Bioassays using a Potter spray tower were conducted to measure the topical toxicity of compounds when applied at field rate concentrations to N. fallacis. Lethal time was measured for adult N. fallacis at 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after treatment. Carbaryl and esfenvalerate showed the highest levels of toxicity to adult N. fallacis with shortest lethal time values (LT50) whereas the reduced risk insecticides novaluron, acetamiprid, spinetoram, and chlorantraniliprole were nontoxic. This study provides important information to apple growers regarding direct lethal effect of insecticides on predator mites and its implications to integrated mite management.

Selective predation (i.e., non-random feeding) was studied in a laboratory system that allowed individual lycosid spiders, Pardosa vancouveri, to feed on prey populations consisting of one or two kinds of insects. Various combinations of male and female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), “small” and “large” beetle larvae (Tenebrio molitor), and nymphal milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) were used as prey. Female adult and subadult spiders were used as predators. Generally, fruit flies were selected by the spiders over mealworms or milkweed bugs, and small mealworms over large ones. No selection occurred between male and female flies. Very weak or no selection occurred between small beetle larvae and milkweed bugs. Spiders of both age classes showed similar selective tendencies. Prior feeding experiences did not alter feeding selections, but minor changes in the physical complexity of the environment did. Twelve criteria related to development, survival, growth, and fecundity were monitored for 12 groups of spiders fed either single or two-prey combinations of the five kinds of prey. The hierarchy of benefits conferred by the five kinds of prey was the same as that for selection. Male and female fruit flies equally benefited the spiders. The fruit flies yielded the most and large beetle larvae the least number of statistically superior benefits. Small beetle larvae and milkweed bugs were intermediate and about equal. There was no evidence that a mixed (i.e., two) prey diet is better than a single prey diet. It is hypothesized that selective predation by P. vancouveri involves prey sampling, memory of prey attributes, and selection of prey that possess attributes that are associated with high fitness.

In a previous communication (Kellogg and Wright, 1962a), we have drawn attention to the role of warm wet convection currents in bringing about the alightment of Aedes aegypti after they have been stimulated to fly by human breath. In some of those experiments, copper bars were warmed at one end and cooled at the other and covered with dampened cloth, and the number of mosquitoes touching or alighting at various points along their length was counted. The results showed that the warm wet end was highly attractive.

The smaller European elm bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham), had three distinct periods of adult flight annually in Georgia. Adults of the associated native elm bark beetle, Hylurgopinus rufipes Eichhoff, were trapped on elm logs during only one period in the spring, but some adults were reared from infested bolts in the fall. Seasonal abundance of the S. multistriatus parasite Spathius benefactor Matthews (Braconidae) showed little temporal relationship to its host. However, Entedon leucogramma Ratzeburg (Eulophidae) emergence was highly synchronized with S. multistriatus emergence. Scolytus multistriatus overwintered as fully developed larvae as in other parts of its range.

No correlation was found between the size of male spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana [Clem.]) moths and the duration of their flight in a sustained-flight wind tunnel. The numbers of male moths caught in traps baited with virgin female spruce budworm moths increased as the size of the females increased, but the relationship was significant in only one of eight experiments. Infection with the microsporidium Nosema fumiferanae (Thomson) resulted in smaller insects, but there were no significant relationships between the incidence of infection and male flight duration or female attractiveness.

Forest ants in Connecticut, especially Formica neogagates Emery and F. subsericea Say (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), feed on first- to third-instar larvae of gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), but mainly forage on the ground while most young caterpillars are in trees. It would be helpful to obtain information about the individual ants that do climb trees. Thus, numbers of ants climbing up and down different species of forest trees were determined. Numbers varied with both tree species and trunk diameter. Some oaks, plus hickories, tended to have the most ant traffic. These trees were also the most likely to have trunk diameters positively correlated with ant activity. Ants appeared to obtain honeydew or perhaps nectar from the trees, as the crop contents of some ants tested positive for sugar. A possible way to induce more ants to climb trees, and thus to attack caterpillars in trees more frequently, would be to increase numbers of honeydew-producing insects in trees. It should also be possible to encourage ants by spraying trees with sugar solutions or other materials.

The genus Dioscorea L. (Dioscoreaceae) is widely distributed throughout Africa and Asia and includes 500 to 650 species (Burkill 1960; Miège and Lyonga 1982), almost all of which are dioecious (Terauchi 1990). Pollination of species in this genus has received little attention because many of the cultivated species are propagated vegetatively from tubers. Insect visitors to flowers have been reported for two species, D. alata L. from India (Abraham and Nair 1990) and D. rotundata Poir. from Nigeria (Pitkin 1973; Segnou et al. 1992; Bournier 1994). Dioscorea japonica Thunb. is found throughout Japan, Korea, and China (Ohwi and Kitagawa 1983), but insect visitors to the flowers have not previously been reported. We investigated the insect visitors to flowers of D. japonica because the insect fauna associated with one species of a genus often differs from that associated with other species of the genus and may vary within a single species between different geographic regions (Kobayashi et al. 1999).

From the early descriptive work, focussed on documenting the forest insect faunaand the impacts of destructive species, Canadian forest entomology has passedthrough several distinct phases, each triggered by new societal demands offorests and of forest entomologists. We review the various stages that Canadianforest entomology gone through in the last 100 years. Following the initialdescriptive and cataloguing phase, forest entomology entered a pest control orforest protection phase, which eventually evolved into the integrated pestmanagement (IPM) era. Although IPM dominated the forest entomology discourse forat least two decades, this approach is now considered to be narrow andpest-centric and is being superseded by a more holistic approach where theemphasis is on ensuring the health and sustainability of forests at landscapelevels. The new trends point away from the “command and control”approach of attempting to eradicate pests or reducing pest damage, and towardsworking with natural processes in the context of ecosystem management. Weindicate several areas where 21st century forest entomology could make acontribution towards the sustainable management of Canadian forests.

We record 392 species or morphospecies of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) for Manitoba, Canada, which is 154 more species than reported in 2015 and includes five new generic records since 2015 (Ashmeadiella, Brachymelecta, Eucera, Neolarra, and Triepeolus). Thirteen new records reported here are new for Canada: Calliopsis (Nomadopsis) australior Cockerell, Perdita (Perdita) tridentata Stevens, Brachymelecta interrupta (Cresson), Diadasia (Dasiapis) ochracea (Cockerell), Melissodes bidentis Cockerell, Nomada crawfordi crawfordi Cockerell, Nomada fuscicincta Swenk, Nomada sphaerogaster Cockerell, Nomada xantholepis Cockerell, Triepeolus cf. grindeliae Cockerell, Dianthidium (Dianthidium) parvum (Cresson), Coelioxys (Xerocoelioxys) nodis Baker, and Megachile (Megachiloides) dakotensis Mitchell. We remove the following species from the list of Manitoba bees based on re-examination of voucher material: Andrena (Ptilandrena) geranii Robertson, Andrena (Rhacandrena) robertsonii Dalla Torre, Andrena (Simandrena) nasonii Robertson, Andrena (Trachandrena) ceanothi Viereck, Andrena (Trachandrena) quintilis Robertson, Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) pectoraloides (Cockerell), Lasioglossum (Lasioglossum) forbesii (Robertson), and Dianthidium (Dianthidium) concinnum (Cresson). We propose that Nomada alpha paralpha Cockerell, 1921 and N. alpha dialpha Cockerell, 1921 are junior synonyms of N. alpha Cockerell, 1905. Nomada arenicola Swenk, 1912 is considered a junior synonym of N. fervida Smith, 1854. Protandrena albertensis (Cockerell) and Neolarra mallochi Michener are recognised as valid species. We provide additional notes on taxonomy, nomenclature, and behaviour for select species in the list.

Species and subspecies described as new are Chrysomelinae: Cbrysomela sonorae from Arizona and Mexico; Curculionidae: Anthonomus (Coccotorus) pumilae pumilae from Ontario, A. (C.) pumilae major from Manitoba, Conotrachelus corni from Ontario and Manitoba, and Hexarthrum thujae from British Columbia. Diorymerelhis Champion 1908 is synonymized with Stethobaris LeConte 1876; the genus evidently depends on orchids. A key to all species of Coccotorus is offered. The occurrence of local races in Chrysolina subsulcata (Mann.) and C. magniceps (J. Shalb.) is noted.

Fifth-instar larval mortality was compared between male and female Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman exposed in the laboratory to sublethal doses of Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (CfMNPV) with or without optical brighteners. More females than males died when the virus was used alone, but differences were not significant. When 1% brightener was added to CfMNPV suspension, differences in larval mortality between males and females were significant for three of the four brighteners tested. In addition, times at which 50% of the larvae died indicated that female larvae died 23 and 39% more quickly than male larvae, respectively, when brightener Blankophor HRS and Tinopal LPW were added to the virus, whereas at times at which 95% of the larvae died indicated that females died 33 and 54% faster than males. Alteration of sex ratio favoring male survival can play a significant role in the biological control of C. occidentalis by the virus.

The control of the red sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx fulvus LeConte, relies on the use of insecticides. An economic injury level is essential to the judicious deployment of insecticidal control. Field studies were conducted in 1992 and 1993 to quantify the weight loss and oil content loss of damaged kernels as a result of larval infestation and the relationship between the adult weevil population and the subsequent number of damaged achenes. We found that for each weevil sampled in plant stages R5.0–5.3, 26.88 damaged achenes resulted. Damaged kernels lost an average of 9.86 ± 2.36 mg (mean ± SD) per kernel, approximately equal to the amount consumed by a single larva. The oil content loss in damaged kernels was 3.34%. Economic injury levels were calculated as a function of the cost of controls, the market value, and the plant population density. Use of adult weevil counts when most plants in the fields are in plant stages R5.0–5.3 are recommended for calculating economic status.