During 1967 Hyaliodes vitripennis (Say) proved to be an important predator of Panonychus ulmi Koch and Tetranychus urticae Koch in an experimental orchard. The eggs of this predator, described herein, are destinctive for the species. Observations on oviposition sites for the overwintering eggs are also included.

The willow beaked gall midge, Mayetiola rigidae (Osten Sacken), is univoltine in Michigan. Adults emerge from bud galls on Salix discolor Mühl. and other willows on mornings of warm days in early April. Eggs are laid singly on or near the buds of the host. Head capsule measurements indicate three larval instars. The last two instars each possess a spatula. The first-instar larva emerges in late April and penetrates the soft bud tissues. The gall begins to develop at the beginning of the second instar in mid-May. The third instar appears in early July and continues to enlarge the gall until fall. Prior to overwintering, the larva lines the inner chamber of the gall with silk and constructs one to seven silken septa across the passageway. Pupation occurs in mid-March. The gall deforms the stem and occasionally a galled branch dies or breaks off.

Sex attractants have recently been reported for several species of Elateridae: Hypolithus bicolor Esch. (Doane 1961); Hemicrepidius morio (LeConte) (Chapman 1964) ; and Limonius californicus (Mann.), Agriotes ferrugineipennis (LeConte), Ctenicera sylvatica (Van Dyke), and C. destructor (Brown) (Lilly and McGinnis 1965). Lilly (1959) demonstrated the attractiveness to males of ethyl alcohol extracts from virgin females of the sugar-beet wireworm (L. Californicus). The attractants appear to be species-specific (Lilly and McGinnis 1965).

The fir tree borer is found in the coniferous forest belt of North America. The insect can cause serious degrade in lumber manufactured from windthrown white fir. Adults attack host trees in early spring, laying eggs in bark crevices. The incubation period is 10–30 days, depending on temperatures. The larvae excavate winding galleries in the phloem, deeply etching the sapwood, until midsummer when they enter the sapwood. Damage is caused by the larvae boring up to 3 in. into the wood to construct pupal chambers. Pupation lasts 2–4 weeks in fall; callow adults are formed by September and overwinter in the pupal chambers. Emergence occurs the following March or April.

Three principal natural enemies were found: two predators, woodpeckers and an ostomid beetle, and a braconid parasite. Population fluctuations hinged on availability of host material and pressure from natural enemies.

Aphid parasite larvae in early stages of development are frequently destroyed when insect predators feed on active aphid prey. Stary (1966) discussed insect predators that may feed on living aphids, and thus destroy parasite eggs or larvae. He noted, however, only one case of direct attack on an aphid mummy: that of chrysopid larvae on Aphis fabae Scopoli parasitized by the braconid Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall). No observations were reported of direct attacks on mummified aphids by coccinellids, syrphids, or other aphidophagous insects.