The atmosphere as a distribution medium for insects has been the subject of extensive investigations, through trapping by kite and by aircraft. It has been found that insects are present at heights in excess of four kilometers, where the temperature is at freezing or below.

In describing Agabus vancouverensis mihi, and in separating it from hypomelas and irregularis Mannerheim (Canad. Ent. 69 (7) : 146-150, four text figs. July, 1937), I did not give a key to the specics, and failed to note certain diagnostic characters. Since then the known distribution of the species has been considerably extended, as reported below.

Twenty-nine species and named subspecies of Calligrapha Chev., including eight species previously undescribed, are listed below with notes on food-plant, distribution, and variability. New names are offered for the hamonyms elegans (Olivier) and similis (Rogers). The records and notes, except those credited to authors, are based almost entirely on material in the Canadian National Collection.

In 1924 Dr. Blatchley described this species (Canad. Ent., 56:167) from a unique male specimen collected near Dunedin, Fla., on March 27, 1918. Up to the present time, the female of the species has remained undescribed and, so far as I have been able to ascertain, no additional specimens of the species have been discovered.

Three species of flies are here described as new. The material was collected in Utah, Idaho, and Colorado, with one specimen from South Dakota.

Argyra condomina n. sp.

Male. Length, 3.8 mm.; length of wing, 3.5 mm. Face silvery pollinose, short. leaving the lower corners of eyes sharply exposed, considerably narrowed on lower portion. Front and occiput heavily dusted with gray pollen.

Heavy infestations of mealybug, first noticed on some large catalpa trees in Queen Victoria Park, Niagara Falls, about mid-September, 1944, and watched at intervals from then on, were found through the medium of specimens submitted by Dr. Harold Morrison, U.S. Bureau of Entomology, to be referable to the species Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuw.).

Allied to pontiaria Tayl. in male genitalia bat the numerous teeth along the chitinized costa of the clasper much smaller; the strong excavation of this section found in pontiaria is much reduced in the present species and the membranous portion of the clasper is subequal in length to that of the chitinzed area and not considerably shorter. The whole genitalia are noticeably smaller.

Amongst the several species of greon loopers found on Canadian coniferous trees in July are two which, to the naked eye, appear somewhat similar. These are Nyctobia limitaria Wlk. and Eufidonia notataria Wlk. Larvae of these two, along with that of the other Nearctic species of Eufidonia, i.e. discospilata Wlk., a heath-plant feeder, are herewith described. The larva of E. notataria has been described briefly by Goodell (1, 2).

Each year since 1911 the pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Morr., has taken a toll of the grain crops in some part of the Canadian prairies. The extent of the outbreak has varied from small, isolated areas of infestation to gcneral outbreaks covering over 150,000 square miles. Until 1936 the only practical method of controlling this cutworm was the use of definite cultural practices designed to prevent the moths from ovipositing in certain fields during August and early September.

The preceding part under this general title was published in 1945 (Can. Ent., 76:217-222). In the present paper I am describing certain species of unusual interest that were collected and sent to me by Messrs. Aitken, Bohart, Degener, Melander and the late Millard C. Vall Duzee, to all of whom I express my sincere thanks and appreciation for this aid. Except where stated to the contrary in the text, the types of the novelties are preserved in my personal collection.

The European corn borer, Pyrausta nubilalis Hubn., has been remarkably free from attack by parasites native to North America. Only two, Labrorychus prismaticus Nort. and Aplomya caesar (Aldrich), have occurred regularly in Canada. Of these Aplomya caesar has been by far the more abundant on the borer. Its presence on corn borer was first noted by Vinal and Caffrey (12) in 1919, at which time it was identified as Exorista nigripalpis Townsend.

This species conforms very well with the generic diagnosis given in my previous paper, except in having the thoracic and abdominal sculpture greatly reduced. In the key to species it traces to ungavae Wly., but differs from that species, as well as from all others included in the key, in having the antennae unusually short, with the flagellar segments fewer in number and considerably stouter than in any of these species. In addition, in phygadeuontoides the thorax is notably elongate, with the mesoscutum strongly flattened, and the legs, especially the femora, are unusually short and stout; these characteristics, in conjunction with the generally black body color, being suggestive of some of the smaller Phygadeuonini.

Insect collecting by aircraft (1) has shown that individuals of some species of insects attain heights of four or more kilometers above the earth (6). Upon consideration of the meteorological conditions within this vertical range, it would seem that the normal decrease with height of atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity would bar flights to altitudes such as those at which specimens have been found. Conversely, certain atmospheric processes might act to carry insects inertly to such altitudes, possibly beyond the supposed limits of insect resistance to the first-named elements.

The following descriptions of species and genera are based on specimens in the Canadian National Collection. As many of the species have been reared from harmful hosts by the Canadian Forest Insect Survey, descriptions are offered at this time to allow for accurate naming of these specimens. I am greatly indebted to H. J. Reinhard for the loan of material and his many notes on allied forms.

In the course of my work on North American Eupithecias a number of species have gradually accumulated which I had, from time, to time, tentatively set aside as probably new but which I did not venture to describe as such until I had secured a better working knowledge of the species already named. Rightly or wrongly I believe I have now attained this desirable position and in consequence offer herewith h descriptions of certain new species together with genitalic figures of both sexes, as far as material is available.

This paper is a revision of the North American species belonging to the Rhodogyne complex as they occur north of Mexico. Five genera and twelve species have been recognized from this region.

All stages or aphids and many forms of soft bodied insects can be successfully preserved whole in nlicroscopical mounts provided the specimens are prepared according to methods based on suitable technique. Leading works on the subject, notably those by Kingsbury and Johannsen (4), Eltringham (1). Lee (5), and Kennedy (3), deal essentially with principles, formulae, and processes applied mostly to histological studies with some reference to entomological technique.

The preceding part under this title was published in 1945 (Can. Ent. 77: 1-6). In the present article I am describing various novelties from the western United States and Canada, received from different entomologists who are listed under the individual species and to whom my sincere thanks are extended. Except where indicated to the contrary, the types of the various novelties are preserved in my personal collection of these flies.

Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Armand d'Orchymont, Conservateur of the Royal Museum of Natural History in Brussels, I have recently obtained reprints of certain of his papers published during the occupation of that country by the Germans.

The genus Glutops has been known to contain but one species, the very rare fly Glutops singularis Burgess. Probably most of the collection records of G. singularis have been published and these number less than a dozen, the records being restricted to the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. To the published records the writer might add that of a female specimen collected at the Cornell Wild Flower Preserve, Slaterville, New York, on June 1, 1935.