A new rove beetle, Sinanthobium daohugouense, new genus, new species, is described and illustrated on the basis of a tiny impression fossil from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation at Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The new genus is placed in the subfamily Omaliinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), tentatively in the Recent tribe Anthophagini. The first find of a definitive omaliine beetle from the Middle Jurassic of China provides direct evidence on the origin and early evolution of Omaliinae.

The warehouse beetle, Trogoderma variabile Ballion (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is a stored-product pest with scant information on its cold tolerance. Ninety-two per cent of larvae reared in isolation at 30 °C went into diapause in the seventh instar, the remaining 8% emerged as adults in 50 days. Diapausing larvae died after 142 days in the 10th instar. The cold tolerance at 0 °C from highest to lowest was; old larvae>pupae>adult=young larvae>eggs. The LT50 (lethal time for 50% of the population) for grouped (non-diapause) non-acclimated old larvae at 0 °C, −5 °C, −10 °C, −16 °C, and −19 °C were; 20, 11, 5, 1, and 1 day, the LT95 were; 38, 15, 10, 5, and 1 days, respectively. The LT50 for isolated (diapausing), cold-acclimated old larvae at the same temperatures were; 275, 125, 74, 26, and 18 days, and the LT95 were; 500, 160, 100, 45, 20 days, respectively. The supercooling point (SCP) of different stages of non-acclimated insects ranged from −25.3 °C (eggs) to −16.1 °C (young larvae). The most cold hardy stage, isolated and acclimated old larvae, had a SCP of −24.9 °C. The potential of using low temperatures to control T. variabile is discussed.

Plant bugs in the genus Lygus (Hahn) (Hemiptera: Miridae) are sporadic pests of canola, Brassica napus L. (Brassicaceae) and Brassica rapa L., in western Canada and infestations appear to have become increasingly common and severe in recent years. Surveys conducted from 1998 to 2000 identified a "northern" assemblage in the boreal ecoregion that was dominated by Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), with minor representation of Lygus borealis (Kelton), Lygus elisus (Van Duzee), and Lygus keltoni (Schwartz). A "southern" assemblage in the grassland ecoregions was dominated by L. keltoni, with a substantial abundance of L. elisus and L. borealis and with few L. lineolaris in the driest areas. The assemblage from the parkland ecoregion was variable but with few L. elisus. The boreal plains and parkland ecoregions of Alberta had the most serious and persistent infestations of Lygus spp. Relative species composition of the Lygus assemblage at the bolting stage was not related to the overall abundance of these bugs at the early pod stage. Lygus species assemblages were similar in terms of composition and relative abundance at the bolting and early pod stages of canola. A shift in species proportions in favour of L. lineolaris in the north and L. keltoni in the south and a decrease of L. elisus has taken place relative to studies conducted in the 1980's.

In an oil palm plantation in northeast Sumatra, Indonesia, we tested the hypotheses that selection of pupation site by female bagworms, Metisa plana (Walker), influences the distribution of emergent larvae, and that intertree dispersal by larvae is density dependant. Similar intratree distributions of empty female pupal cases and early instars and significant regressions between numbers of female pupal cases and larvae per leaf for 36 out of 39 palms indicated that larvae generally remain on the same leaf where they emerged. Proportions of early instars per female pupal case decreased with increasing densities of female pupal cases per tree and were greater on trees surrounding most heavily infested palms, suggesting that intertree dispersal of early instars is density dependent. Interspecific comparisons of life history constraints between M. plana and the allopatric bagworm Oiketicus kirbyi (Guilding) reveal different selective pressures that may have converged and favoured the development of an identical life history trait.

The thyantae group of Trissolcus is characterized by the presence of abundant long setae on the metapleuron. All known New World species occur in the Nearctic, viz. T. thyantae Ashmead (eastern USA and Canada), T. occiduus n. sp. (western USA), T. parma n. sp. (widespread), and T. ruidus n. sp. (Arizona, New Mexico). An identification key is provided and all species are described or redescribed. Data on distributions and hosts (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are summarized.

The invasion of a Douglas-fir seed orchard by host-specific seed chalcids immigrating from the surrounding plantations of Douglas-fir has been monitored for a 10-year period. The orchard cone crop was entirely harvested every year to prevent the establishment of a resident chalcid population. Over the 10 years the percentage of infested seeds resulting from the immigration of seed chalcids ranged from 0.88 to 91.0%. A model to forecast the importance of annual seed orchard infestation by immigrating populations is proposed. This model is based on passive diffusion of females emerging in the surrounding plantations with a downwind drift. Only a few plantations located within a radius of 5 km from the orchard appeared to contribute significantly to orchard infestation. Settlement of Douglas-fir orchard in regions with low density of conspecific trees and annual harvest of cones are suggested to limit the importance and regularity of seed chalcid damage.

Species richness and relative abundance of arthropod taxa from an Upper Cretaceous (Campanian: 75 Mya) amber deposit in Alberta are described. About 130 hexapod species have been recognized to date from this deposit, making it the most diverse Cretaceous insect assemblage so far known. Taxa present, in order of abundance, are Hemiptera (66 specimens per kg), Diptera (28), Acari (21), Hymenoptera (13), Aranaea (12), Psocoptera (4), Coleoptera (2), Blattodea (1), Thysanoptera (1), and Trichoptera (0.6). Representatives of Lepidoptera, Collembola, Dermaptera, Mantodea, Phasmatodea, and Ephemeropteraare are also present. In the total of 65 identified families, 15 are extinct. Only one of about 77 genera identified in this deposit is extant. All recognized species are extinct. In comparison, virtually all families reported from Baltic and Dominican Republic ambers are extant, as are the majority of the genera. Morphology and feeding structures are well within the variation seen in modern insects. It is hypothesized that the taxonomic structure of modern insect communities was well established before the end of the Cretaceous and that the structure and interrelationships of insect guilds were also very similar to those of today.

The effect of four tillage regimes on the emergence of root maggots (Delia spp.) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) was determined on experimental plots seeded the previous year to either Brassica rupa L. or Brassica napus L. The tillage regimes evaluated comprised no tillage, tillage in the spring only, tillage in the fall only, and tillage in both the fall and the spring. Emergence trap collections of Delia radicum (L.) and Delia floralis (Fallén) were made from the experimental plots from early May to mid-July of 1991 and 1992. In both years, emergence from untilled plots significantly exceeded that from plots subjected to any other tillage treatment. Tillage resulted in a decrease in emergence of 55–64% for D. radicum, and reduction of 53–72% for D. floralis. For D. floralis, greatest reductions in emergence following a tillage treatment occurred in plots tilled only in the fall or in plots tilled in both the fall and the spring; however for D. radicum, tillage in the fall, the spring, and in both the fall and the spring reduced emergence to approximately the same extent. Results of our study indicated that canola growers in regions of high population densities of root maggot should cultivate infested fields, preferably in fall, to reduce the emergence success of Delia spp.

Adults and deutonymphs of Najadicola ingens (Koenike) are redescribed and larvae are described for the first time. In light of larval, deutonymphal and adult character states, the phylogenetic relationship of Najadicola with genera in the families Pionidae and Unionicolidae is re-evaluated and transfer of the subfamily Najadicolinae to Pionidae is proposed. Original life history information is presented to supplement existing literature. Parasitism by larval N. ingens on an adult chironomid of the genus Polypedilum is reported. The unique behavioural and morphological characteristics of members of Najadicola suggest that mussel parasitism evolved independently from a parallel adaptive sequence in the genus Unionicola.

Specimens of Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) have been found in different municipalities in southwestern Ontario, Canada since 2008. This nonnative species occurs in tomato and green bean crops where it has the potential of becoming an important insect pest.

Food habits and occurrence of the commoner species of coccinellids in peach orchards of the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, are being investigated in connection with a study of the effects of pesticides on biological control agencies. Results of a study of Stethorus punctillum Weise have already been published (Putman, 1955). The present account deals with laboratory tests of feeding, mostly during June and July from 1952 to 1955, with prey of special economic importance in peach orchards.

Several authors have observed that Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) is usually less prevalent during hot dry summers than during cool wet summers (Rivard 1968). Neilson (1964) showed that the emergence of R. pomonella, under laboratory conditions, was affected by the relative humidity of the air. When the relative humidity was 20 or 40%, high mortality occurred during metamorphosis and fewer adults emerged.

The object of this study was to measure the influence of soil moisture on success and time of emergence in a laboratory experiment. The information is needed to improve the forecasting system for apple maggot control in apple orchards (Trottier, in press).

The saltatorial orthopteroid insects did not originate in North America. Five avenues of entry were utilized in migration from other parts of the world. These were: (1) ancestral forms migrated to this region in Pangaean times when all continents formed a single land mass; (2) later in time, taxa migrated from Europe when Eurasia and North America were still joined, or later via an Atlantic land bridge; (3) ancestral forms migrated northward from the Neotropical region before the separation of the two continents or, much later, when the two continents became rejoined; (4) later arriving taxa entered North America during the Pleistocene via a Beringian land bridge; (5) some species are very recent immigrants, either because of the activities of man or by migration into Canadian territory from the south.

The fossil record is very incomplete. It indicates past climatic conditions, but is of limited assistance concerning extant taxa.

Pleistocene glaciation had a profound effect upon the distribution of extant species. Many species were forced to move southward to escape the advancing ice. Some species probably were eliminated. It is clear that most of the extant species have migrated northward since the recession of the Wisconsin glacier.

The following new taxa of Quediini (Staphylinidae) are described: Heterothops arizonicus spec. nov. (Arizona), H. aeneiventris spec. nov. (Huachuca Mts. in Arizona), H. marmotae spec. nov. (Ontario), Quedius leechi neomexicanus subsp. nov. (Sacramento Mts. and Sierra Blanca in New Mexico), and Q. leechi chiricahuensis subsp. nov. (Chiricahua Mts. in Arizona).

Investigations begun in 1947 in Saskatchewan have provided new data on the life-history and habits of the black fly Simulium arcticum Mall. The only published account of the biology and egg-laying habits of this species is that by Cameron (1922). He states that the eggs are laid in the usual black-fly fashion, i.e., attached in masses to rocks wetted by sprav in river rapids. The evidence here reported, however, indicates that the eggs are laid singly over the surface of flowing water and that these eggs settle and beconie embedded in the sand on the bottom. The investigations have conclusively shown that the species over-winters in the egg stage. These facts, important in an understanding of the biology of the species, are of particular value in planning a sound program of control.

Native to southeast Asia, the spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura); Diptera: Drosophilidae) has become a major pest of small fruits in the Americas and Europe. Field studies were conducted over a two-year period (2015–2016) in cultivated highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus; Ericaceae) fields and adjacent non-crop habitats containing wild blueberries in New Jersey (United States of America). We tracked seasonal changes in D. suzukii adult abundance and fruit infestation throughout the ripening period (June–August). In both years, D. suzukii adult counts post-harvest were generally higher in traps located in non-crop habitats compared with those located in highbush blueberry fields. Wild and cultivated fruits synchronised in maturation, and the numbers of eggs laid and of emerged adults in both fruit types were comparable for most of the season, although sometimes these numbers were higher in wild fruits post-harvest. Overall, immature success (measured as the per cent egg-to-adult survival) was also mostly higher in wild than in cultivated fruits. Altogether, these studies document that non-crop habitats, and wild hosts therein, are used by D. suzukii during fruit ripening and may serve as potential sources of infestation to nearby highbush blueberry fields. Hence, methods that reduce D. suzukii populations in non-crop habitats may help manage this pest in neighbouring highbush blueberries.

Eighteen new host records were established among 12 species of parasites and 4 species of Ips beetles. Large numbers of Ips spp. and their associates were secured by mass rearing in specially constructed rearing drums. Confirmation of parasitism was accomplished by individual rearing of parasites in gelatin capsules from Ips larvae and pupae taken from logs. Some parasites were typically associated with a particular tree host, but it was not determined if it was due to tree host, Ips host, or the physiographic province. Parasitism was highest in the upper bole, especially in loblolly pine, but no correlation with bark thickness was established. The density of Ips attack and the time during which Ips infestations were maintained at one location also did not appear to affect the rate of parasitism. Parasitism was highest in the overwintering broods of Ips.

The occurrence and abundance of larvae of Chironomus tentans Fabricius in saline lakes in central British Columbia were studied with respect to: (1) physico-chemical properties of the lakes, (2) physical composition of the bottom muds, (3) food availability, and (4) co-occurrence with other species of chironomids. The study was done to determine the ranges of environmental conditions to which the larvae are adapted and to identify specific environmental factors which might be of particular significance to natural selection. Abundance was significantly correlated with the amount of food available; the numbers of individuals of other Chironomus present; the percentage of mud particles in the 0.59–0.83 mm range; pH; conductivity; and the concentrations of potassium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and dissolved oxygen. In general, occurrence was affected by the same factors which affect abundance. Additionally, larvae did not occur when hydrogen sulfide was greater than 0.3 p.p.m. The ecological data are particularly relevant since they provide a basis for studying the evolutionary significance of ecological adaptation in C. tentans.

The Bruce spanworrn, Operophtera bruceata (Hulst), is most common in the mid latitudes of the North American Continent; in Canada it occurs from Newfoundland to the interior of British Columbia (Prentice, In Press) and has been reported from Vermont and Wisconsin in the United States (Craighead, 1950.) Three outbreaks of this insect have been recorded in Alberta. The first occurred in 1903 (de Gryse, 1925) and was apparently of short duration. The second reported by Wolley Dod (1913) occurred in 1913 and denuded hundreds of acres of aspen poplar. Heavy defoliation in the third outbreak became evident in 1957 (Brown, 1957) but an examination of Forest Insect Survey records revealed that population buildup began about 1951. The outbreak continued to expand until 1958 and began to decline in 1959; by 1961 populations were again low except for one or two isolated areas where moderate to low populations persisted. At the peak of the outbreak in 1958 approximately 50,000 square miies were moderately or heavily infested and many more lightly infested.

Intertidal Chironomidae (Diptera) are represented on the coast of British Columbia by Paraclunio alaskensis Coquillett and Saunderia pacificus (Saunders), S. marinus (Saunders), and S. clavicornis (Saunders). These species inhabit a variety of rocky shore types, being found on exposed as well as protected shores, but are not present on exclusively sandy shores. Their range extends at least to the Queen Charlotte Islands, the most northerly area collected during this study. S. clavicornis is the most ubiquitous of the four species while S. pacificus is the rarest.Within their habitat larval distribution is contagious and is well described by the negative binomial distribution. It is probable that their clumped distribution is due to environmental factors rather than active aggregation. Larval densities of 4316/ft2 were recorded for Saunderia spp. and 1613/ft2 for P. alaskensis. Larvae fed on green algae and diatoms and it was demonstrated that they can select certain groups of diatoms from the substrate.Adult emergence occurs throughout the year but is most intensive in the fall and least in the late spring and summer. Generally, larval population fluctuations follow adult emergence trends. It is hypothesized that larval population fluctuations are caused by a combination of overlapping multiple generations and differential larval growth rates at fluctuating temperatures, coupled with varying lethal environmental factors at different times of the year. Developmental times at 10 °C from egg-laying to adult emergence was 110 days for S. clavicornis, 150 days for S. marinus, and 204 days for P. alaskensis.