Investigations into the causal organism of late fall browning in Wisconsin disclosed an undescribed species of gall midge. The taxonomic description and a summary statement of the life history are presented.

In the vicinity of Douglas, Arizona, male Protoxaea gloriosa were noted establishing territories as early as July 16, 1962, although the principal emergence of both sexes occurred on July 26 and 27, following the first soaking summer rains. The territories involved flowering plants which were guarded during the morning hours, primarily between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., against all other insect intruders except females of their own species. Guarded plants included those visited by females for nectar, or pollen, or both, as well as plants which they were not observed to visit at any time. Newly emerged females make their first flights during the morning hours in search of nectar for their own use. Male territorial behavior increases the probability of immediate mating with these virgin females. Mated females apparently lose their attractiveness to males and are allowed to visit guarded plants without interference. Such females collect pollen between 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., primarily from Solanum, and nectar up to about 11:30 a.m., primarily from Asclepias, Verbesina and Larrea. Male belligerence toward other bee visitors to these plants reduces actual or potential competition for pollen and/or nectar, as the case may be. After leaving their territories late in the morning, the males seek nectar for themselves, and later in the afternoon gather gregariously in large “balls” for “sleeping”, in marked contrast to their earlier intolerance of one another.

A method has been described for the rearing of European red mite wherein the temperature, light, and air humidity were controlled. It consisted of a sealed glass tube containing an apple twig with a mite infested leaf. The tube was ventilated with air of the desired humidity and the leaf was kept alive by inserting the end of the twig into daily-changed tap water.

Aspidaphis Gillette is a small genus of poorly known aphids that are readily recognizable by the flangeless cornicles and the presence of a tubercle on the eighth abdominal tergum. In addition to the present species rhree other species have been described, two of which occur in North America.

A new genus Pulicalvaria is erected for some species of needle miners formerly placed in the genus Recurvaria Haworth. Included are apicitripunctella Clemens, thujaella Kearfott, piceaella Kearfott, coniferella Kearfott, gibsonella Kearfott, and australis, new species. A new species Exoteleia chillcotti is also described.

Most species of grasshoppers in North America appear to lay their eggs in soil or among grass roots. A variation of this habit was reported in Manitoba by Criddle (1933) who states that Chloealtis conspersa Harr. and Neopodismopsis abdominalis (Thom.) oviposit exclusively in decaying wood or in dung.

Recently, a few stems of sweet clover, Melilotus alba Desv., and Russian thistle, Salsola kali L. var. tenuifolia Tausch, that contained insect eggs, were sent to the Saskatoon Research Station by A. Vadeboncoeur of Val Marie in southwestern Saskatchewan. These eggs were laid in the pithy centres of the stems in groups of eight or nine (Fig. 1). According to the sender, the clover had been cut during the summer and the thistle was about two years old. Both were lying in the ditch on the railroad right-of-way. At our request, Mr. Vadeboncoeur sent in a few more infested stems. From a total of about 10 samples it seems evident that oviposition in plant stems is typical of the grasshopper involved. The exact egg-laying procedure is difficult to visualize in view of the small diameter of the pith (approximately 3 mm.), and the lack of any sign of penetration through the side of the stem. Inserting its abdomen into the narrow stem and depositing the eggs 25 to 30 mm. from the cut end of the stem must have involved considerable gymnastic manoeuvring by the female grasshopper.

Three insecticides — lindane, dieldrin, and Sevin — were tested for control of the Douglas-fir cone midge, Contarinia oregonensis Foote (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). They were applied to infested duff samples at the rate of 1.5 pounds of insecticide in 15 gallons of diesel oil per acre. Lindane was the most effective, causing a 98.5% reduction in the number of midges emerging from the duff. Dieldrin also caused a significant reduction in emergence, but Sevin was no more effective than diesel oil alone.

The results of this test suggest that oil-based sprays applied to the duff before the cone midges emerge might give satisfactory control more consistently than the water-based sprays which are usually applied to the trees. The test procedure would avoid the timing and formulation problems involved in treating developing cones on the trees.

The mean freezing point of adults of T. pyri was about −20° F., of T. finlandicus −22° F., and of T. rhenanus −24.5° F. The responses of T. fallacis and P. macropilis to low temperatures were about the same as T. pyri. The effect of the duration of exposure on the last three species was to increase the mortality about 12 to 15 per cent for each doubling of the duration of exposure from 0.5 to eight hours at −10° F. or lower.

The phytophagous brown mite, B. arborea, had a mean freezing point of −26° F. and the effect of duration of exposure was to increase the mortality eight to ten per cent each time the period of exposure was doubled from 0.25 to 16 hours at −24° F. or lower.

Adults of Drino bohemica Mesn., a tachinid parasite, learned to associate the movement of a part of their cage with the presence of host larvae. The parasites became habituated to an artist’s brush. Learning was retained for a period varying from a few hours to a few days. There were differences in the ability of groups of parasites to learn and to retain learning. The ability of the parasite to learn a new clue for use in locating hosts would interact with other factors that influence host-finding and host selection.

I have been assigned a subject that gives considerable latitude for interpretation. I propose to survey the broad outlines of biogeography from several different aspects. First I will discuss the scope of biogeography, in its two dimensions–almost necessarily seen as perspectives–looking outward into the world and looking backward into time. This will lead into a review of some of the principles and processes that underlie biogeographic phenomena. The two dimensions must again be considered, and we will mention both the reasons for present distributions and the not always identical reasons for distributions in the past. Then we will broaden the horizon to consider the relationship between biogeography and certain other branches of science. Finally I will try to look a little way forward and to hint at the biogeography of the future and what biogeography may be expected to tell us about the future. This is a large program for a short essay, and the treatment of individual topics must necessarily be brief and simplified.

Pear and quince are primary hosts of the pear psylla, Psylla pyricola Foerster (Smith, 1941; Wilde, 1962), but the scarcity of quince in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia eliminates it as an important host in that area.

In 1962 suspicious chlorotic streaking, symptomatic of feeding by sucking insects, was seen on downy chess grass, Bromus tectorum L., growing in two pear orchards heavily infested with pear psylla. As a result, greenhouse and field trials were conducted to ascertain if pear psylla, on occasion, feeds on this grass and causes phytotoxic symptoms. Cages, enclosing small, potted Anjou pear trees and clumps of downy chess grass growing around the base of these trees, were used in the greenhouse for confining 30 adult pear psyllids. An equal number of potted trees and clumps of grass were maintained under the same greenhouse conditions but without adult psyllids. Observations on feeding and phytotoxic symptoms produced in downy chess grass by the pear psylla were made between July 12 and October 19.

Twenty-five species of Colpocephalum sen. lat. from hawks are recognized and discussed; 8 of these are newly described: angolensis from Gypohierax angolensis, barbati from Gypaëtus barbatus aureus, californici from Gymnogyps californianus, chelictiniae from Chelictinia riocourii, ecaudati from Terathopius ecaudatus, indi from Haliastur indus, percnopteri from Neophron percnopterus, and trachelioti from Torgos tracheliotus. New synonymies include: ailurum Nitzsch, bicinctum Nitz., caudatum Giebel, costaricense Carriker, latifasciatum Piaget, longipes Piag., 1885 (nec 1880), majus Piag., 1885 (nec 1880), oxyurum Nitz., setosum Piag. (p. 519), tricinctum Nitz., and wetzeli (Eichler) with turbinatum Denny; and notatum Piag. with maculatum Piag. A key is given for the species of Colpocephalum occurring on hawks and owls.

A survey of the sucking insect fauna of the birches has been conducted in the Maritime Provinces, and a check-list of 75 species of Homoptera and Hemiptera, with tabulated data on host relationships, is presented. The bulk of the population on any of the three birches (Betula alleghaniensis Britt., B. papyrifera Marsh., and B. populifolia Marsh.) has three major components: the Oncopsis leafhoppers, Psylla striata Patch, and the phyllaphidine aphids. The many other species present occur at much lower density but often have a broader dependence upon other hosts. The main homopterous families and their relationships to birch and the forest communities are discussed.

Each of the three grasshopper species, Camnula pellucida, Melanoplus bilituratus and M. bivittatus, spent approximately 13, 17, 19, 22 and 29% of total time in nymphal development in the successive five instars. These proportions appeared similar at each of the six rearing temperatures 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100°F. The times required for total nymphal development at these temperatures were 53, 36, 28½, 23½, 18 and 17 days, respectively. It was estimated that, for the grasshoppers to complete nymphal development and attain sexual maturity in time to have a reasonably good chance of successful reproduction, their integrated temperature experience for 12-hour days should be not less than 95°F. Whereas the apparent mid-point of nymphal development in terms of morphogenesis is midway through the third instar in the typical five-instar grasshoppers, the midpoint of time spent at constant temperatures is near the end of the third instar. C. pellucida appears unable to complete nymphal development at a temperature as low as 75°F.; the Melanoplus species, however, can complete development at this temperature, but with reduced survival.

Experiments indicated that pollen does not increase the length of life of the males of Scambus buolianae. Various pollens significantly increased either fecundity or longevity, or both, of the females. The greatest fecundity and longevity resulted from the addition of wild carrot and tulip pollen, Goldenrod, oriental poppy, or snapdragon pollen improved fecundity, while birch and ragweed pollen affected longevity only. Parasites have a greater chance of establishment in areas where they can find a rich vegetation of nectar- and pollen-producing plants, than in areas lacking such flowering plants.

This is the second of two papers on this subject. The eggs of R. buoliana are usually found singly or in small groups on the hark or needle sheaths of new shoots, except under conditions of severe infestation where new foliage is in short supply. The first two instars feed on needles from within webs. Third-instar larvae mine one or more buds and cease feeding in late summer before the advent of unfavourable temperatures. Low temperature, lethal to overwintering third-instar larvae, is one of the most important and readily measured mortality factors, Larvae spin webs and moult before they resume feeding in April or May. Migration, usually upward in the tree crown, and web construction continue throughout the spring feeding period. Larvae within two feet of the ground surface on trees less than eight feet tall complete their development earlier than larvae at higher levels. Parasitism, based on previous extensive surveys, has very likely been underestimated.

The taxonomic status, life history, distribution and hosts of Bessa harveyi (Tnsd.) are discussed. In its development on the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Htg.), a partial second generation of parasite adults emerges after the host larvae have completed feeding. Alternate hosts are scarce and rarely parasitized so that there is little or no successful reproduction by these adults.

Dioryctria reniculella may be occasionally found in abundance feeding on cones and foliage of spruce in Quebec. In this paper, the life history, habits, and description of immature stages as yet unreported in the literature are presented, along with short notes on populations and natural control organisms.

Field cage experiments conducted through the complete life cycle of Camnula pellucida (Scudder) demonstrated that wheat, the major cereal crop grown in Saskatchewan, played the dominant role in the nutritional ecology of this grasshopper. A native sod mixture, comprising Stipa comata, Bouteloua gracilis, Agropyron smithii, and Carex eleocharis, four of the dominant species of the mixed prairie association, was consistently unfavourable during all stages of grasshopper growth and development. Grasshoppers reared on wheat survived better, were considerably larger and laid up to 20 times more eggs than those reared on the native prairie grasses. The presence of the native sod with wheat contributed nothing nutritionally to the food combination. The unfavourable qualities of the native grasses, although resulting in small adults, low fecundity and small pods, did not affect the hatchability of eggs laid or the development and survival of nymphs that hatched from them.