In Zimbabwe, studies were made of the responses of Glossina pallidipes Austen to known and candidate repellents. Various chemicals, dispensed at c. 5–10 mg/h, were placed beside Epsilon traps already baited with a blend of acetone, octenol, 4-methylphenol and 3-n-propylphenol. Pentanoic or hexanoic acids or acetophenone halved the catch and 2-methoxyphenol reduced the catch by 90%. There were no consistent differences in the responses of males and females. Pentanoic acid or acetophenone or 2-methoxyphenol at an unbaited trap reduced the catch by 40%, 75% and 60%, respectively. Baiting traps with a combination of pentanoic acid, acetophenone and 2-methoxyphenol did not reduce the catch below that produced by 2-methoxyphenol alone. Pentanoic acid and 2-methoxyphenol reduced the efficiency of traps from c. 40% to 20% but acetophenone had no significant effect. Acetophenone and 2-methoxyphenol halved the numbers of tsetse attracted to a target baited with acetone, octenol and phenols but none had a significant effect on the proportion that landed. 2-Methoxyphenol significantly reduced the numbers of tsetse attracted to a source of natural ox odour but only pentanoic acid had a significant effect on feeding responses, reducing the proportion that fed on an ox from 59 to 45%. It is concluded that these repellents do not provide any useful degree of protection against trypanosomiasis. In areas where tsetse are abundant (500 bites/ox/day) and infection rates in tsetse are high (>5%) it is highly unlikely that any repellents would be useful. However, in areas where tsetse are less abundant (1 bite/ox/day) and/or infection rates are low (c. 0.5%) the potent, unidentified repellents present in human odour might effectively complement the control of disease using trypanocidal drugs.

The effects of the aphicide pirimicarb on the foraging behaviour of the aphid parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae were investigated in the laboratory, using aphid-infested and uninfested, young oilseed rape plants. Female parasitoids spent significantly less time foraging on plants sprayed with pirimicarb within the previous 24 h than on untreated plants, regardless of the presence of aphid hosts. Whilst foraging on sprayed plants, parasitoids spent relatively more time walking than they did when foraging on untreated plants. On sprayed plants foraging parasitoids tended to avoid leaf surfaces, thereby reducing the chances of encountering aphid hosts whilst on the plant. These sublethal effects of the aphicide on foraging parasitoids would considerably reduce their impact on aphid populations which survived in a crop after spraying. This has important implications for the control of aphids, such as Myzus persicae, which have developed pesticide resistant strains.

Morphological studies of different populations of what was previously considered to be a single species, Aphanogmus hakonensis Ashmead, revealed the presence of a complex of species which are extremely difficult to distinguish without detailed studies of male genitalia. Several of these species have been misidentified during biological control programmes or parasitoid surveys. These misidentifications are corrected, and two new species, Aphanogmus captiosus and Aphanogmus thylax are described. The hakonensis-complex is diagnosed. As far as is known, all species are hyperparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae via various hymenopteran or dipteran primary parasitoids.

The mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) occurs in many tropical and subtropical parts of the Old World and extends into some temperate areas. It has now reached the West Indies where it is causing extensive damage to plants. There is concern that it may be introduced to the southern USA and to Central and South America. A brief account is given of reported damage caused by M. hirsutus to some commercial and food crops in Asia and Africa and the species is redescribed. M. multipori (Takahashi), now known from a wide area in southern Asia, is redescribed, and M. ramchensissp. n. from Nepal, is described as new. These two species are closely related to M. hirsutus and can easily be mistaken for it. M. hirsutus and M. multipori are sometimes intercepted at quarantine inspection of plants and plant produce in the USA and Europe. In order to aid identification, a key is provided to the eight species presently included in the genus Maconellicoccus Ezzat.

In Peninsular Malaysia, 18 species of hymenpterous parasitoids were reared either from the oil palm bagworms, Metisa plana Walker and Mahasena corbetti Tams, or from their parasitoids. Both Metisa plana and Mahasena corbetti share the common parasitoids Goryphus bunoh Gauld, Aulosaphes psychidivorus Muesebeck, Brachymeria carinata Joseph, Narendran & Joy, Eupelmus catoxanthae (Ferrière), Eurytoma sp., Sympiesis sp., Tetrastichus sp., and Aphanogmus thylax Polaszek & Dessart. Other parasitoids are associated with only one of the bagworm species: Paraphylax varius (Walker), Dolichogenidea metesae (Nixon), Elasmus sp., Nesolynx flavipes Ashmead, Pediobius anomalus (Gahan), Pediobius imbreus (Walker) and Teleopterus sp. from M. plana; and B. lasus (Walker), B. lugubris (Walker) and P. elasmi Ashmead from Mahasena corbetti. A key to species is included and a table summarizing the host range and distribution records are listed from the Indo-Australasian region.

The present paper revises the Australian and South African species of Halotydeus Berlese. The redlegged earth mite H. destructor(Tucker) is redescribed, and four new species are described (H. anthropus, H. bakerae, H. castellusand H. spectatus). A key to species is provided. Halotydeus destructor is an important pest of leguminous pasture and other crop plants, but the three Australian species (H. bakerae, H. castellus and H. spectatus)occur in native vegetation and are not believed to be of any economic significance. The pest status of the South African species H. anthropus has not yet been determined.