The green lacewing, Chrysopiella brevisetosa n. sp., occurs in the northwestern United States and Alberta, Canada. The description includes figures comparing head and terminalia of this species with those of C. pallida

Diets of fresh wheat foliage, rye, or lettuce had to be supplemented with dried wheat leaves, bran, or a dry alfalfa mix to obtain adequate growth and reproduction in the grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabr.). It was concluded that the high water content of fresh plant material makes it necessary for this insect to supplement its diet with dry vegetable material and that this may account for the success of toxic bran baits under field conditions.

Modified versions of the standard Reed-Rich citrus thrips trap were compared for trapping efficiency and labor required. The number of migrant Scirtothrips citri (Moulton) captured per unit trapping area of a PVC-acetate trap was comparable to the number captured per unit area of the Reed-Rich trap, though the PVC-acetate trapping surface was about 35% that of the 929 cm2 standard trap. The reduced counting surface and the use of disposable acetate sheets reduced to one-quarter the time required for field-laboratory handling, preparing, and processing. The PVC-acetate trap is recommended as a new standard trap for monitoring S. citri population levels in California and Arizona citriculture.

Second and third instar mosquito larvae of 34 Canadian species belonging to the genera Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Culiseta, and Wyeomyia may be reliably and simply separated by the absence or presence of the thoracic setae, 8-M and 7-T, and even more so by the number of the metathoracic setal support plates. As the 7-T seta is always inserted on a plate, a larva in the third stage will bear one more plate than in the second stage. In the species studied, the number of metathoracic plates is constant for a given genus at a given instar. Thus an intermediate instar larva, once identified to genus, can be assigned to second or third instar fairly readily by counting the number of setal plates on one side of the metathorax.

A simple model for growth and development of the ladybird beetle (Hippodamia convergens G-M.) which partitions aphid biomass eaten into components of excretion, assimilation, growth and/or reproduction, and metabolic costs associated with searching and maintenance respiration is reported. All parameters in the model were estimated from simple minimal laboratory experiments, and have biological and/or physical meaning. The effects of predator nutrition on aging, survival, and emigration were also modelled. Most rates in the model for growth, reproduction, and respiration are controlled by the interplay between prey consumption and maximum prey biomass demands. The model for biomass flow is related to standard predator/prey theory.

The behavior of adults of clerid beetle Thanasimus dubius (F.) preying upon adult southern pine beetles, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman, in an arena in the laboratory is described by classifying the acts according to their consequences. A sequence of five stereotyped acts is performed by the predator: either searching or ambush, seizure of prey, alignment of prey, consumption of prey, and grooming. Handling time by the predator consists of the sums of the durations of the four acts of seizure through grooming, which was not significantly different for male and female predators, but was significantly longer for male prey (13.81 min) than for female prey (10.49 min). Consumption of prey (8–9 min) is the major component of handling time. Predators searched or waited in ambush an average of 5.8 mm before seizing a prey, and captured prey with an efficiency of 72%. Blinding predators had no significant effect on their efficiency at capturing prey. Maxillary and labial palpectomy alone or in combination significantly reduced efficiency of capture, and reduced numbers of prey consumed.

Nine species of parasites and one hyperparasite were reared from a complex of the brace spanworm, Operophtera bruceata (Hulst), and the European winter moth, O. brumata (L.), collected in the Victoria area of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1976 and 1977. Parasitism of the host complex was about 1.5%, mainly due to an unnamed species of Phobocampe (Ichneumonidae). All species of parasites taken in British Columbia on the two hosts have congeneric counterparts on O. brumata in Europe as listed by Wylie (1961); thus the release of exotic species in addition to the two already released in British Columbia may not enhance the biological control of O. brumata. Descriptions and illustrations of cephalic structures of final-instar larvae of the parasites and a key for their separation are given.

Intensive sampling for eggs of Aedes vexans (Meigen) in upland wet-prairie habitats revealed that three species of plant, Echinochloa crusgalli (barnyard grass), Polygonum pennsylvanicum (smartweed), and Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutgrass), commonly occurring in contiguous U.S.A. and southern Canada and dense mats of vegetative detritus could be used as indicators of oviposition sites. Where a slope was steep, specific elevations indicated oviposition site preferences. Plant species and elevation were both indicators of areas where soil moisture was attractive to gravid females. Soil moistures between 55% and 69% were found optimal for oviposition.

Development of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), in Nova Scotia was studied at three constant temperatures to construct a life table and establish the intrinsic rate of development. The threshold temperature for development was 10.6°C. The duration from the beginning of the egg stage to adult for females was 31.2, 20.5, and 14.0 days and for males 21.9, 19.6, and 12.8 days at 15°, 18°, and 21°C, respectively. The duration in degree-days above 10.6°C for females was 137.3, 151.7, and 145.2 and for males 128.0, 144.9, and 133.1 at the same three temperatures. The duration of the preoviposition period decreased, duration of the oviposition period remained constant, and the number of eggs laid increased with temperature. Life tables were constructed at 15°, 18°, and 21°C; the intrinsic rates of increase were 0.56,.092, and.134; net reproduction rates 10.06, 13.50, and 17.37; and mean generation times were 41.4, 28.3, and 21.3 days, respectively.

Control of nothern corn rootworm, Diabrotica longicornis (Say), resulting from soil applications of carbofuran in southwestern Ontario varied considerably (Smith 1980). However, Ball and Su (1979) showed in laboratory studies that topical applications with sublethal doses of carbofuran increased the longevity and fecundity of western corn rootworm, D. virgifera LeConte, females. This is a report of effects of soil applications of carbofuran on northern rootworm egg populations in corn grown without rotation. The work was done in conjunction, with studies to determine the economic importance of larval populations on clay soil at two locations in southwestern Ontario. Details of methods of applying carbofuran and sampling rootworm eggs were described (Smith 1980).

Studies have been undertaken with artificial food sprays in an attempt to increase the efficacy of predators against pests of corn (Schiefelbein and Chiang 1966; Carlson and Chiang 1973), alfalfa and cotton (Hagen et al. 1970), peppers (Hagen and Hale 1974), and potatoes (Ben Saad and Bishop 1976). It was believed that such sprays might attract predators into the crop ecosystem and keep them there particularly during periods when natural foods were in poor supply. Also, the availability of sufficient alternative food might induce these species to lay eggs even when natural host populations were low.

An increment borer (5 mm core diam.) was adapted for collecting recently attacking ambrosia beetles, Trypodendron retusum LeC., in trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. Although increment borers have been used to collect stem nematodes and stem fungi (Cordell and Stombaugh 1966), this appears to be the first use for insect collection. Previously, ambrosia beetles were collected using a hatchet and knife which was tedious and injured many specimens.