A new technique is described for remote monitoring of aquatic invertebrate populations which was specifically designed to eliminate effects on organism behavior attendant with other surveillance systems. Specifically, the system described overcomes the necessity for surgical implantation, restrictive weight, and the generation of unnatural activity.

Activities of a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates have been monitored using this system ranging in size from crustaceans of 300–600 μ long to dragonfly naiads of 3–5 cm long.

Immature Anax sp. and Somatochlora sp. were monitored for respiratory activity in relationship to decreasing oxygen tensions. An inverse relationship was observed between respiratory frequency and amplitude of respiration.

Spruce budworm infested stands of white spruce and balsam fir were aerially sprayed with an entomopox virus, a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), a low dose of fenitrothion, and the two virus–chemical insecticide combinations. Long-term assessment of the efficacy of the treatments showed that NPV + a low dose of fenitrothion suppressed the budworm population density particularly on balsam fir below that causing economic damage for 3 years due mainly to transmission of the virus from one generation to the next and maintenance of natural control agents in the population.

An apparatus is described which permits either continuous or interrupted flow of diet under a membrane through which piercing and sucking insects can feed. The flow does not affect feeding behaviour while allowing a replacement of one diet by another which is 99% effective in less than 2 sec, using approximately 2 ml of diet. Monitoring electrical conductivity of a diet at the feeding membrane permits quantitative evaluation of exchange efficiency. Use of this apparatus in experiments on dietary requirements and mass-rearing are discussed.

Adults of five species of flea beetles were found attacking rape crops (Brassica napus L. and Brassica campestris L.) in the Canadian prairie provinces from 1971 to 1974. Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) was the most abundant and serious pest, followed in order by Psylliodes punctulata Melsh. and Phyllotreta striolata (F.) (= vittata (F.)), while Phyllotreta albionica (Lec.) and Phyllotreta robusta Lec. were present only occasionally. The four Phyllotreta species confined their feeding largely to cruciferous plants, but Psyl. punctulata had a broader host range. All of the five species overwintered as adults, usually in leaf litter or turf beneath hedges, poplar groves, or fencerows, or sometimes in the soil in fields, and all became active with the arrival of warm sunny weather in the spring, with Psyl. punctulata usually being the first to appear. All appeared to have but one generation per year, with mating and egg laying occurring in the spring, the larvae inhabiting the soil and feeding on host-plant roots, and the new generation of adults emerging from pupae in the soil in late July and in August. The overwintered adults usually died in late June or early July, so there was a period in July when adult flea beetles were scarce. The most serious damage to rape crops by flea beetles was caused by overwintered adults attacking seedling crops in the spring; movement of these beetles into crops took the form of a creeping infestation moving from plant to plant into the field from nearby volunteer rape of cruciferous weed feeding grounds, or a more rapid and even infestation of a whole field with flight probably being the major method of movement. Flea beetles fed most actively when the weather was sunny, warm, and dry; cool damp weather reduced the intensity of attack and aided plant growth. Shade, such as exists in a healthy stand of rape beyond the pre-bloom stage, also inhibited attack. Occasionally, late-maturing rape crops were damaged in late summer by new generation adult flea beetles, particularly P. cruciferae, feeding on the green epidermis of the stems, leaves, and pods.

A field key for separating the five flea beetle species attacking rape crops in the Canadian prairie provinces is given.

Ecitovagus gibbus, new genus and new species of diapriid wasps (Diapriinae, Diapriini) associated with the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson) in Arizona, is described. Taxonomic and ecological relationships with other ecitophilous diapriids are discussed.

To date no entirely satisfactory control method has been developed for the European skipper, Thymelicus lineola (Ochs.), which was first introduced into North America in London, Ont., around 1910 (Saunders 1916) and has since spread throughout much of Canada and northern United States (Arthur 1966; Burns 1966; McNeil et al. 1975). In Quebec this insect has reached epidemic proportions in several areas (McNeil et al. 1975) and while Sevin® has been utilized, its application causes certain undesirable off-target effects. It is therefore essential to develop a means of control which does not cause these ecological problems.

Quantitative sampling schemes for estimating within-tree populations of attacking Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman were investigated. Accuracy and precision of five small sample procedures were affected by the number and location of the sample heights, the number of sample disks per sample height, and the techniques used for calculating infested surface area and average insect density. Best small sample estimates were obtained from samples near the middle of the infested bole. Unbiased, minimum variance combinatorials were derived. High precision estimates were obtained only by sampling the infested bole at frequent intervals.

First to sixth generation offspring of samples of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica L., collected from various areas in Canada were tested for resistance to various insecticides applied topically. All collections showed a high level of resistance to chlordane, some resistance to propoxur and malathion, and little or none to chlorpyrifos and diazinon.

Techniques for successfully rearing an alder sawfly, Eriocampa ovata (L.), are reported, along with measurements of several developmental and reproductive characteristics, and observations on the insect’s behavior and ecology. Individuals with 7 instars, and those which ultimately diapause, had longer larval stages than individuals with only 6 instars, or those which were diapause-free. There was more diapause in low than in high humidities.

As the summer progressed, the length of the larval stage decreased in laboratory-reared individuals, but the length of the cocoon stage of the same individuals increased. Total leaf consumption per individual varied with rearing density, being greatest in groups of 10 larvae per leaf.

The efficacy of insecticide–silica mixtures depended on brand of silica, i.e. Ar6gen®500, Hi-Sil®233, Micro-Cel®A, and Zeolex®100; number and population density of pest species; and cultivar of potato. In greenhouse tests, changes in the proportions of carbaryl and Arogen®500 in mixtures did not change efficacy; a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen®500 mixture was as good as 1000 ppm carbaryl; and mixtures with either phosmet or pirimiphos-methyl and any silica with 30 ppm of insecticide and 270 ppm of silica were as good as 100 ppm of insecticide using mortality, repellency, and feeding rate as criteria. In the field at high density of L. decemlineata and low aphids, a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen-500 mixture reduced larval populations by 66% and increased yield of Irish Cobbler 18-fold; and foliage treated with a 2000 ppm phosmet – 18,000 ppm Arogen-500 mixture was less attractive to adults than foliage treated with 2000 ppm of phosmet though the mixture was not superior to phosmet in effects on yield. At medium density of L. decemlineata and low aphids, a 500 ppm pirimiphos-methyl – 4500 ppm Zeolex-100 mixture increased yield of Irish Cobbler by about 100% and of Sebago by about 200% and a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen-500 mixture was about 32% better than 1300 ppm carbaryl in effects on yield of Sebago. At low density of L. decemlineata and high density of aphids, 1000 ppm of carbaryl and various mixtures of carbaryl and Arogen-500 increased aphids by 109%, reduced coccinellid predators by one third, and reduced yield of Irish Cobbler and Sebago by 12%.

Lectotypes are designated for Margaronia curvilinea Janse, 1924, and Margaronia pratti Janse, 1924. These species are referred to Palpita Hübner, [1808], as new combinations. They are redescribed and differentiated from certain closely related species. Phalaena Geometra annulata Fabricius, 1794, and Botys partialis Lederer, 1863, are treated as species inquirenda in the absence of type material. Glyphodes celsalis Walker, 1859, and Margaronia inusitata Butler, 1879, are treated as distinct species and are transferred to Palpita as new combinations. Margaronia warrenalis Swinhoe, 1894, is transferred to Palpita as a new combination; a lectotype is designated for this species and its characters are compared with those of P. curvilinea. Palpita varii n. sp., from Manusela, Ceram, and P. jansei n. sp., from the Island of Mioswar, Geelvink Bay, New Guinea, are described from holotypes drawn from the type-series of P. pratti; characters differentiating these three species are given.

Frontalin, a synthetic pheromone, induces attacks by the spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) on baited standing trees, in which most broods fail. The impact of baiting 100 randomly chosen trees was determined by estimating the beetle population in a 766-ha spruce forest. Attack density in infested bark was similar for wind-thrown and baited trees; however, 95% of attacks occurred on the former, which were more numerous and had greater attacked surface areas. In this forest, it is estimated that 34 frontalin-baited trees would have been required for each windfall to trap 90% of the beetle population.

Cleared slide mounts of antennae of 30 species of Ptomaphagus beetles showed two internal sensory vesicles in segments 7, 9, and 10. The vesicles were of similar size in each segment except in segment 7 of cavernicolous species. SEM study showed a narrow circular opening in the distal face of segments 7, 9, and 10 which opens into a widened circular canal inside of and under the segment’s distal surface. Sensory vesicles are pockets in the bottom of this canal. The canal and vesicles are predominantly lined with a unique type of fluted sensilla basiconicum. These sensilla are more elongated and more numerous in cavernicolous species. The origin and evolution of the sensilla and vesicles are discussed.

Differences were shown in the rate of larval development of the fly Agria housei Shewell reared axenically at 15° and 30°C on chemically defined (meridic) diets with varied proportions of glucose and an amino acid mixture. Although the rate of larval development differed with amino acid level and rearing temperature, the important finding was an interaction between glucose and suboptimal low levels of amino acids that occurred in suboptimal low (15°C) temperature. This shows that nutritional requirements can change with temperature and is noteworthy because any relationship between the nutrition of an organism and environmental temperature can have ecological significance.

The mosquito Toxorhynchites rutilus septentrionalis (Dyar and Knab) is recorded for the first time in Canada. The species was found breeding in a water-filled rot cavity in a tree in the deciduous forest of Point Pelee National Park. The distribution of the species for which this record represents an extension of the range is discussed.

Cortical blister and wound reaction resin vapors from Abies grandis, and some of their monoterpene fractions, were quantitatively bioassayed for attractiveness and repellency to the fir engraver beetle, Scolytus ventralis. All were found to be repellent.

Quantitative differences between liquid resins and vapors were examined. Wound reaction resin vapors contained higher percentages of the more repellent monoterpenes than cortical blister resin vapors. It is hypothesized that α-pinene is the most important monoterpene in the insects’ perception of a resistant host.

Three species complexes (pallidiventris, chlorea, and geniculata) of Pristiphora Latreille are recognized from China. Two new species of Pristiphora from Nanking (Nanching), China, are described: P. sinensis n. sp., which is closely related to the Holarctic species P. geniculata (Hartig); and P. nankingensis n. sp., which belongs in the chlorea complex with P. fausta (Hartig), P. chlorea (Norton), and P. borneensis Forsius. P. formosana Rohwer and P. sauteri Rohwer from Taiwan (Formosa), together with P. zella Rohwer, P. pallidiventris (Fallén), and P. denudata Konow, belong in the pallidiventris complex. The lancets of the southeast Asian species of Pristiphora not illustrated by Benson (1963) are shown. Keys to adult females of species in the pallidiventris and chlorea complexes, and the separation of adult males and females of P. geniculata and P. sinensis n. sp., are presented. P. denudata is considered to be a valid species, not a subspecies of P. pallidiventris.

Some time ago Dr. L. Masner of Ottawa sent me four female specimens of, as far as we knew, the first specimens of the genus Anopedias Först, to be seen outside Europe. He asked me to deal with them, since I had recently (1974) revised the European species.

Oocytes of queen bumble bees from southern Alberta were partly developed when the queens emerged from hibernation in the spring. Early emerging species had less autumnal ovariole development and fed longer in spring before establishing a nest than did later emerging species. The main increase in oocyte size was synchronous with the finding of a suitable nest. The mean length of the largest oocyte for workers for all species was small, less than 0.7 mm, clearly indicating that workers contribute few males to the population.

European corn borer moths were caught in an ultraviolet light trap from early June to late October at Harrow, Ont. Two conspicuous peaks of light trap catches occurred each year, corresponding to two generations, but a third generation was deduced from three peaks of occurrence of virgin females. The number of moths which could be caught with nets in the day time correlated with the light trap catch of the previous night (r = 0.7). Most of the moths caught in the light trap or in nets were females but males predominated in the early June, September, and October catches. The shortage of males in the second generation was shown to influence the proportion of females mating, but not the number of spermatophores per female. Most females mated once and the number of matings per female did not differ enough between years to account for differences in adult populations.