Macrocentrus gifuensis Ashm. a braconid of the subfamily Macrocentrinae is a parasite of the European corn borer, Pyrausta nubilalis Hubn., in both Europe and the Orient. It was introduced into America as a possible agent in the biological control of this pest. It has been bred in the laboratory for release by the author over an extended period, during which time comprehensive data on its life history have been accumulated (Wishart, 1946). Eggs are laid in the immature corn borer larvae and their polyembryonic development has been adequately described by Parker (1931).

Ripersia arizonensis, n. sp.

♀ enclosed in a broadly oval snow-white waxy sac, about .3 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, 1½ mm. high, sac widest between middle and caudal end.

♀ oval, about one-third longer than broad, shiny, light purplish-brown, about .3 mm. long. When boiled in K. H. O. turns reddish-brown. Derm colourless, with numerous bristles scattered over the dorsum. Antennæ 6-jointed: 6 longest, joint 4 shortest; formula 6, 1, 2, 3, 5, 4. Each joint with several hairs, joint 6 quite bristly.

Framinghamia Strand, 1920: 160. Monotype: [Pionea helvalis Walker=] Framinghamia botys Strand.

The common species helvalis Walker has ordinarily been placed in Phlyctaenia Hübner; this arrangement is unnatural even on the old definition of the genus. The third joint of the labial palpus is exposed and the species runs to Archernis in Hampson's (1898) key. The species of that genus, however, are of much stouter build and have radically different genitalia; there is accordingly, I think, no direct relationship. Framinghamia helvalis (Walker), new combination, like the species of Archernis, belongs to the group of Pyraustinae that has lost the frenulum hook. Framinghamia may be differentiated from Udea by the different configuration of the palpi (Fig. 12), as well as by genitalic characters (Fig. 8). Among the more striking features of the male genitalia are the absence of the uncus, the conspicuous fringe of long, heavily pigmented scales along the costa of the valve, the broad transtilla, the minute, furcate juxta, and the twisted, ribbon-like coremata, with simple scent tufts.

I am indebted to Mr. J. Powell, University of California, Berkeley, for the privilege of studying a small but interesting collection of Pyralidae, made by him in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Lower California, May 28 to June 3, 1958.As records from this region of Mexico are scarce, I take pleasure in publishing a list of the species.

Pyraustinae

Nomophila noctuella (Denis and Schiffermüller) . Nine specimens: La Grulla, 6500 ft.; La Encantada, 7000 ft. Identical with North American specimens passing under this name.

Twelve holotypes of Neotropical Sarcophagidae described by C. H. T. Townsend are redescribed. Discomyiophora aurata Townsend and Sisasarcophaga metallica Townsend are transferred to the genus Notochaeta. Notochaeta aldrichi Lopes is a new junior synonym of aurata Tnsd. Chlorosarcophaga cochliomyia Townsend is a new senior synonym of Robineauella calliphorina Enderlein.

A single full-grown specimen of the larva of this species was found under a log in a wood near London on the 11th of June. Length one inch. Head black and shining.

Body above brownish black, closely covered with tufts of moderately long stiff hairs, proceeding from elevated shining tubercles. Hairs and tubercles a little darker than the surface of body, excepting along the sides, where, although the tubercles continue the same, the hairs are changed to a yellowish-brown color.

Under surface brown, with a slight greenish tint; fifth, sixth, eleventh, and twelfth segments are each belted with a series of tufts of short yellowish-brown hairs, in continuation of those above. Feet black and shining. Prolegs yellowish-brown and hairy.

The generic characters of Eumacronychia are reviewed and as here considered the genus includes 21 nominal forms of which 9 are described as new. All members are quite similar in habitus and difficult to distinguish except by reference to the male terminalia. A key to all known species is included to facilitate identification. The maximum distribution of the genus is centered in the southwestern United States with the present known extreme range extending from Canada to Guatamala.

The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a native American species that was first described by Horn (1873) from specimens bred from hickory nuts at Brooklyn, New York. It has been regarded as an obligatory feeder on nuts of the genus Carya (Gibson 1969; Harris 1983), and is especially troublesome in commercial hickory nut and pecan orchards.

Among several species of insects which have lately come to the notice of the Division of Entomology of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, through their ravages upon greenhouse violets, is a little species of plant-louse known to florists as the black or brown aphis. The species is now very generally distributed in the United States and occurs in Canada, although it was not known until within five or six years from the time of writing. As it appears to be undescribed, I propose the specific name violœ, and have placed it in the genus Rhopalosiphum, to which it appears to belong. The following description is submitted, pending a more detailed account of the injuries and a consideration of remedies which it is expected will shortly be published by the Department of Agriculture.

The life history of Neoplasta parahebes MacDonald and Turner in a mountain stream in Southern California is reported. Female N. parahebes were separated from sympatric female Neoplasta hebes Melander by ovipositor morphology. Adults readily fed on adult midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) smaller than themselves. Ovarioles of gravid females contained an average of 74.8 eggs. Mating occurred in a unidirectional position. Females oviposited under the bark of submerged decaying wood. Eggs averaged 459 μm × 115 μm in size; most were laid within a 24 h period and, at room temperature, hatched in 10–11 days. There are three larval instars. Densities of larval N. parahebes were as high as 9.2 per 100 cm2 of wood surface in submerged dead tree branches. Branches also contained larvae of Orthocladius lignicola Kieffer, a wood-boring chironomid; larval N. parahebes readily fed on the midge larvae in their tunnels. Pupation occurred in the decaying wood.

The type material added to the Coleoptera Section of the Canadian National Collection of Insects from 1 January 1969 to 31 December 1973 is catalogued. This new material consists of 258 holotypes and 129 allotypes; 42 species are represented by syntypes and 499 by paratypes or paralectotypes. The reference to the original description for each species is cited. All data associated with the specimens are quoted except in the case of paratypes, paralectotypes, and syntypes. An index to all species is included.

Homohadema Elda, n. sp.

Expanse 1.30 inches. Apex very slightly produced, the posterior angle rounded; eyes naked; palpi oblique, projecting beyond the head in their natural position about the width of the eyes; tibiæ unarmed; abdomen equalling the hind wings; covering of thorax mostly scales. Color, warm gray, slightly wine tinted; basal half line black, not very distinct, strongly angulated outward on the subcostal vein, a black basal dash crossing the lower end of this line, the space enclosed between the costa and these two lines sordid white;

Among the species of Pesotettix occuring in Indiana, there is one which I have never been able to place satisfactorily to myself. In my first paper on Indiana Acrididæ I called it P. rotundipennis, Scudder, upon the authority of Mr. S. H. Scudder, to whom specimens had been sent.

In the course of a comprehensive study of insects frequenting dwellings, attention was early drawn to a very handsome little Collembolan, which occurs commonly in moist situations in houses in Washington. It may often be found on window-sills, especially if there is unusual moisture from the presence of window plants, or in bathrooms, and, in fact, whereever moist conditions prevail. This species is a very handsome one, and seems, from reference to the authorities, to be undescribed. From thé manner of its holding the head, bent downwards almost at right-angles to the thorax, it would seem to fall into the genus Lepidocyrtus, erected by Sir John Lubbock. In habit it has in Europe a close ally in Seira domestica, Nicolet, which, as its name implies, is a frequenter of houses, and is separated generically from Lepidocyrtus by rather unimportant characters.

A collection of pinned, inflated larvae systematically arranged in Schmitt boxes provides an invaluable reference for taxonomists. Inflated or blown larvae are more readily available for examination and usually retain their colours better than do “liquid-preserved” larvae. Inflation has disadvantages in that the specimens are more easily damaged and require more time in preparation. However the importance of these two factors has been reduced by techniques employed at the Vernon Laboratory.

At the 30th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of British Columbia in March, 1931, I presented a paper entitled “The Oviposition Habits of Rhyncocephalus sarkeni Will.” which was published in the Proceedings of that year. Again in March, 1932, I read another paper before the same society, “Further Notes on Rhyncocephalus sackeni Will.”, which was published in the 1932 Proceedings.

The swarms of small Diptera that are to be found in the fields of fall wheat in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, during late autumn and in early spring, seldom fail to attract the attention of the entomologist who has occasion to visit these fields at the above mentioned seasons. That some species are attracted to these fields as mere visitants is indicated by the accompanying list, but that many others breed there, either upon the living or the dead portions of the wheat plants, is as clearly apparent.

Within-plant and between-plants distributions of the Cooley spruce gall adelgid, Adelges cooleyi (Gillette), fundatrices were measured in “interior spruce”, Picea glauca × P. engelmannii (Moench) Voss. & Parry (Pinaceae), seed orchards in central British Columbia to develop a quantitative sampling plan. Adelgids (number of fundatrices per shoot) were abundant at the lower and middle crown heights of the tree crowns but scarce at the upper crown height, and more abundant on the ends and central one-third of branches than on the inner portions. The northern and eastern aspects of trees had slightly but significantly more adelgids than did the southern and western aspects, and terminal shoots had more adelgids than did distolateral shoots. Variance was much greater between than within trees. These data were used to create a sampling plan with a sample unit consisting of a single 1-year-old shoot selected from the ends or central area of main branches in the lower or middle portion of each sample tree. Collecting 104 samples required 69 min, and yielded an estimate of the mean number of fundatrices per shoot with a standard error of 10% of the mean.