The long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) of Prince Edward Island are surveyed. Records of 28 species of cerambycids new to the province are provided, increasing the known fauna of this family on the island to 38 species. One species, Pogonocherus penicillatus LeConte, is removed from the list of the province's fauna. Additionally, one exotic species, Rhopalophora tenuis (Chevrolat), is reported as intercepted from merchandise imported from Mexico. This fauna is examined in relation to its distribution within the province, biogeographical components, island biogeography, the composition of the regional fauna, the impact of anthropogenic activities, and adventive species. All these provide lessons to improve our understanding of the biodiversity of the province.

A study was conducted in 2004 and 2005 to test the hypotheses that the severity of damage caused by the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is minimized by the activity of predators and declines with the maturity of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae), at the time of infestation. In caged subplots where predators were excluded, aphids attained a high density following experimental infestation of soybeans, resulting in severe reductions of yield, particularly when plants were infested early in the season. A guild of generalist predators consisting predominantly of ladybird beetles colonized plants in uncaged subplots, resulting in a low rate of population growth following infestation of soybeans with aphids and a relatively weak impact on the soybean yield. The soybean yield declined as the density of aphids (number per plant), and the maturity of soybeans at the time of infestation, increased. Our results suggest that A. glycines represents an occasional pest of soybean in Quebec, because of (i) temporal asynchrony between the late-season infestation by aphids and the most susceptible phenological stage of soybeans (vegetative or flowering) and (ii) biological control by natural enemies.

The spiny ash sawfly, Eupareophora parca (Cresson, 1880), was discovered in Edmonton in 2003 at the Northern Forestry Centre defoliating planted ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). This represents the first record of this species from Alberta. Observations of adult and larval behaviour and life-history variables such as adult flight, number and duration of larval instars, and overwintering were made. The nature and severity of defoliation was monitored in 2003 and 2004, and large increases were detected in the amount of defoliation per site and the number of sites defoliated between years. The precipitous increase in severity and extent of defoliation indicates the possibility that this species could become a significant urban pest in the province.

Laricobius nigrinus Fender is being reared for release as a biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand. HWA is an introduced insect lethal to hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. and T. caroliniana Engelm.) in the eastern United States. In nature, the predator (Laricobius nigrinus) and its prey (HWA) undergo a dormant period in the summer (aestivation). In the laboratory, the aestivation of L. nigrinus has not been synchronized with that of HWA, resulting in significant predator mortality. Four factors (genetics, temperature, photoperiod, and moisture) were investigated for their effects on aestivation in L. nigrinus. Both the number of individuals and the time at which they emerged from aestivation were measured in response to these factors. Temperature was the most important cue for termination of aestivation, and photoperiod was a modifying factor. High temperature and long day length delayed emergence and high moisture levels resulted in greater emergence but did not affect emergence time. Genetics, as represented by broods, was not a major factor in aestivation termination. These results have led to improvement in rearing L. nigrinus, since emergence from aestivation can now be synchronized with the active period of HWA. Increased success in rearing has expedited field releases of L. nigrinus in the eastern United States.

New records of the ptyctimous mites from the Nearctic Region are given. The new material includes 27 species of ptyctimous mites. The geographical distributions of seven species are more extensive than previously known.

Traps baited with two types of chemical feeding attractants yielded 97 species of macrolepidoptera at three areas in Alaska (Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Palmer). These were 16 geometrid, 1 thyatirid, and 76 noctuid moth species and 4 species of nymphalid butterflies. Potential crop pests trapped included Apamea devastator (Brace) (glassy cutworm), Xestia c-nigrum L. (spotted cutworm), Xestia smithii (Snellen) (Smith's dart), Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenée) (redbacked cutworm), and Discestra trifolii (Hufnagel) (clover cutworm). The clover cutworm was captured early in the season (May into June), while Smith's dart, glassy cutworm, spotted cutworm, and redbacked cutworm were captured in traps in mid to late summer. Many more species and greater numbers of moths were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol than in traps baited with a multicomponent floral lure (phenylacetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, methyl-2-methoxy benzoate, and β-myrcene). However, most of the geometrid moths captured (12 of 16 species) were in floral lure traps, while one species of Hadeninae (Noctuidae) and both species of Plusiinae (Noctuidae) were trapped exclusively in floral lure traps. The one thyatirid, both Catocalinae noctuid species, and most Amphipyrinae, Cuculliinae, Hadeninae, and Noctuinae noctuid species were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol. In addition, large numbers of bumblebees were captured in traps baited with the floral lure, while large numbers of yellowjackets were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol.

In field studies conducted to improve trapping programs for the white pine cone beetle, Conophthorus coniperda (Schwarz), a twig beetle, Pityophthorus puberulus (LeConte), a common associate of eastern white pine, Pinus strobus L. (Pinaceae), in seed orchards, was also captured. In these experiments, P. puberulus was attracted to traps containing the sex pheromone pityol with or without the monoterpenes (−)-α-pinene and (−)-β-pinene, but attraction to traps was inhibited when S-(−)-limonene was present. We speculate that limonene may play an important role in host recognition and suitability, by indicating a resource suitable for C. coniperda but unsuitable for P. puberulus.

Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)) adult males were captured by pheromone traps in 10 of 24 orchards monitored in southern Quebec from 2003 to 2005. Twelve, 22, and 133 oriental fruit moths were captured in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. One oriental fruit moth larva was collected in each of two orchards in 2004. This is the first record of this species in Quebec apple orchards.

Puparia of house flies, Musca domestica L., and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), were collected on dairy farms in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick (NB) and held for emergence of hymenopterous parasitoids. Percent parasitism for PEI in 2003 and 2004 was 6.7 (n = 10 060 puparia) and 1.0 (n = 36 992 puparia), respectively. Percent parasitism for NB was not determined in 2003, but was 9.1% (n = 3052 puparia) in 2004. A parasitoid provisionally identified as Phygadeuon ?fumator Gravenhörst (Ichneumonidae) predominated in both provinces. Additional species recovered included Aphaereta pallipes (Say) (Braconidae) and Muscidifurax raptor Girault and Saunders, Spalangia cameroni Perkins (PEI only), Spalangianigra Latreille (NB only), Spalangia subpunctata Förster (NB only), Trichomalopsis americana (Gahan) (PEI only), and Urolepis rufipes (Ashmead) (Pteromalidae). Dissection of host puparia from which neither flies nor wasps emerged yielded a relatively large number of additional parasitoids, particularly S. nigra.

Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum L.) was compared with sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) for use in rearing Asian longhorned beetles (Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)). Adult females lived longer when caged with twigs and small bolts harvested from A. pensylvanicum during late spring through early fall than with material from A. saccharum collected at the same time. Females had a shorter life-span when fed plant material from either tree species harvested from late fall through winter than with plant material from A. pensylvanicum harvested from late spring through early fall. Female A. glabripennis laid more viable eggs when provided with A. pensylvanicum rather than A. saccharum. Regardless of which of these two tree species females had experienced previously, they always chose to lay more eggs in A. pensylvanicum than in A. saccharum. Rearing A. glabripennis on A. pensylvanicum is therefore more efficient, especially when twigs and wood collected from late spring through early fall are used.