A review of the rove beetle species of the genus Oxypoda Mannerheim from Canada and Alaska is presented. Thirty-seven species are treated, of which 4 have uncertain status, 6 are described as new to science, 8 (excluding new species) represent new distribution records for Canada, 17 (excluding new species) represent new province or territory records, 7 represent new state records, and 15 are newly synonymized. New species are Oxypoda canadensis Klimaszewski, sp. nov., O. chantali Klimaszewski, sp. nov., O. longicarinata Klimaszewski, sp. nov., O. smithi Klimaszewski, sp. nov., O. vockerothi Klimaszewski, sp. nov., and O. volkeri Klimaszewski, sp. nov. New country records are O. brachyptera (Stephens), O. gatosensis Bernhauer, O. gnara Casey, O. inimica Casey, O. orbicollis Casey, O. opaca (Gravenhorst), O. operta Sjöberg, and O. perexilis Casey. New synonyms are O. amica Casey (= O. chillcotti Lohse syn. nov.), O. convergens Casey (= O. iowensis Casey syn. nov., O. profecta Casey syn. nov.), O. dubia Fenyes (= O. tenera Bernhauer syn. nov.), O. lucidula Casey (= O. parafunebris Lohse syn. nov.), O. manitobae Casey (= O. lata Lohse syn. nov.), O. mimetica Casey (= O. truncatella Casey, O. virginica Casey, O. canora Casey, O. latebricola Casey syn. nov.), O. perexilis Casey (= O. affecta Casey, O. croceola Casey, O. mollicula Casey, O. tenuicola Casey syn. nov.), and O. subpolaris Casey (= O. hemingi Lohse syn. nov.). The Canadian and Alaskan Oxypoda species are classified into 14 new species groups reflecting their presumed relationships. All treated species are illustrated, and distribution maps are included. New data on bionomics, distribution, and relationships are presented. Hylota ochracea Casey is removed from Oxypoda and reinstated to its original combination.

A new species of the genus Plusia Ochsenheimer is described from North America on the basis of differences in wing colour, markings, and genital structure. The new species, typically found in bogs, was first recognized through molecular sampling for the Barcode of Life Initiative and differs significantly from other species of Plusia in the cytochrome c oxydase I (COI) mitochondrial gene sequence.

The aquatic larvae of the firefly Luciola leii Fu and Ballantyne occur on the substrate of rice fields and ditches in Hubei Province of central China. The behaviour and ecology of L. leii are described. We recorded L. leii larvae attacking four species of aquatic snails: Lymnaea stagnalis (L.) (Basommatophora: Lymnaeidae), Gyraulus convexiusculus (Hutton) (Basommatophora: Planorbidae), Radix auricularia (L.) (Lymnaeidae), and Bellamya purificata Heude (Mesogastropoda: Viviparidae). At dusk, flying males produced two types of advertising flashes. One type consisted of a train of 8 rapid, green flashes followed by 2–3 slow, prolonged flashes produced by patrolling males as a long-distance signal. The duration of flashes in the patrolling pattern was 530 ms and the interflash interval was 80 ms. The other type was a short-range signal consisting of a green glow, which was emitted by flying males that had located a female. Once a female had been located, the male landed and switched to a courting pattern. The male courtship pattern consisted of single flashes of about 400 ms duration, delivered every 1.8 s. Females produced single answering flashes of 910 ms duration, with a latency of approximately 630 ms after the male flash. Luciola leii was univoltine. Females oviposited 1 to 7 times (mean = 4.78). Females laid, on average, 187.19 eggs. The eggs hatched at 21.52 days. Eggs became luminescent 4 or 5 days before hatching. The larval stage had six instars. Mature larvae climbed onto land to construct pupal cells at the end of April of the next year. The pupal stage lasted, on average, 4.88 days. The imago lasted 10.13 days. No predators of larvae were observed. The spider Tetragnatha praedonia Koch (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) was frequently observed to capture adult male fireflies in its web.

Lygus keltoni Schwartz and Foottit is a species of plant bugs recently recognized as distinct from L. shulli Knight and an important component of the pest complex that attacks a number of field crops such as canola (Brassica napus) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in western Canada. The current laboratory study was undertaken to determine basic life-history parameters, such as instar duration, adult longevity, and reproductive potential, required to develop biologically based pest management strategies. At 25–27 °C, males lived around 34 days and females lived around 48 days. Females produced an average of 133 nymphs but up to 306 nymphs during their reproductive life, which averaged around 4 weeks (7-day preoviposition period). Egg incubation lasted around 10 days, instars 1–4 lasted 2–3 days each, and the 5th instar lasted 4 days. The reproductive potential of L. keltoni seems to be lower than that of L. hesperus Knight and L. lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), but other life-history parameters of the adults and development times of the nymphs are comparable.

Grasshopper population forecasting and monitoring methods in western Canada have traditionally been linked to pest control decisions primarily by providing warnings of the likelihood of crop damage. Risk to crops is categorized as very light (1–4 grasshoppers/m2), light (>4–8 grasshoppers/m2), moderate (>8–12 grasshoppers/m2), severe (>12–24 grasshoppers/m2), or very severe (>24 grasshoppers/m2). A summary of grasshopper infestation by risk category indicated that in 29 of 33 years, infestations warranted ratings of severe or very severe, with the majority of these infestations occurring in the 1980s. Infestations involving the two categories severe and very severe encompassed about 84 900 and 85 600 km2 of agricultural land during the two largest infestations in 1985 and 2002, respectively. Keeping grasshopper populations below economic thresholds through preventative measures is the goal of integrated pest management. To determine when control measures are warranted, producers are asked to monitor grasshopper populations and estimate the number of grasshoppers per square metre. Economic thresholds provide guidance in making a decision as to whether control is warranted in different crops. Using economic thresholds as a guide, this study identified the eco-districts most at risk of crop damage within each of four major eco-regions of Saskatchewan. Overall, risk was highest in five eco-districts of the Mixed Grassland Eco-region. These findings provide guidance for the agriculture industry in relation to grasshopper management and for future survey programs in relation to targeting regions of the province most at risk from grasshoppers.

Management of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) seed orchards of British Columbia, Canada, would be improved with knowledge of its damage potential at different times of the growing season. Mesh insect-exclusion bags were placed over cones, and adults or nymphs of L. occidentalis were enclosed in different bags for 9 periods of 10 to 38 days between 6 May and 17 September 2004. Feeding by adult females between 6 May and 28 May reduced total extractable seeds, a result of ovule damage before fertilization. Reduction in the number of filled seeds per cone was highest between 6 May and 29 June, with each adult female reducing yield by approximately 1.7 seeds per day. Between 29 June and 10 August, each adult female reduced the number of filled seeds per cone (seed set) by 1.0 to 1.25 per day. Seed set reduction declined to approximately 0.25 filled seeds per adult female per day after 10 August. Third to fifth instars caused seed set reduction between 0.6 and 1.2 filled seeds per cone per nymph feeding day from 29 June to 10 August. Utilizing these findings would improve management of L. occidentalis in a commercial seed orchard setting.