A perforated 4.6 m square sticky plastic sheet placed under the canopy of a tree heavily populated with European chafers, Rhizotrogus majalis (Razoumowsky), consistently captured more beetles than a 15-w blacklight survey trap. The same size sheet, operating with a bird shield under a sparsely populated tree that represented conditions encountered during survey operations, demonstrated detection capability equal to that of the light trap. Bird shields prevented trapping of birds. Lawn injury beneath the sheeting due to heat build-up was not serious. Results suggest that a sticky sheet is an alternative, less expensive, equally effective survey tool for detection of European chafer infestations.

This note deals with European Orthotylini species Pseudoloxops coccineus (Meyer) now known to occur in Canada. It was first discovered in Ontario 20 years ago, and is now reported for the first time. Additional distributional records are given for a European Mirini, Camptozygum aequale (Villers), first reported from the Nearctic region by Wheeler and Henry (1973). The two species were probably introduced accidentally into this country with nursery stock importations of Fraxinus excelsior and Pinus sylvestris, respectively.

In laboratory studies with the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), TH 6043 and TH 6044, new benzoylphenylurea chitin-synthesis inhibitors, were more effective than TH 6045 and diflubenzuron in reducing hatch of eggs from treated adults. With TH 6043 and TH 6044, egg hatch was reduced only when the female of each mating pair was treated. Topical application of diflubenzuron to adults moderately reduced egg hatch while TH 6045 had no effect. Diflubenzuron also reduced oviposition by females. None of these compounds adversely affected mortality, longevity, or mating propensity of adults.

Insecticides are often applied immediately prior to bloom on apple to control various pests. While extensive reviews (Johansen 1977; Standifer 1977) of the toxic effects of these materials on honey bees are available, little is known of their “repellent” effect (van Praag 1980), which might result in reduced flower visits and hence less efficient pollination. Little information is also available on the direct effect of insecticides on pollination and fruit set.

A simple empirical model of temperature variation with elevation was successfully used to explain variation in observed rates of development of larvae and pupae of the western spruce budworm in mountainous terrain. Hopkins' Bioclimatic Law did not adequately describe development of stages earlier than the sixth instar. Regional differences in the effect of elevation are demonstrated and related to coastal and interior conditions. Direct solar heating effects appear to be of major significance in the early instars. The empirically-derived rates of temperature decrease could be generally applied to regions with dry inland conditions, but not to moist coastal regions.

The critical photoperiod for diapause induction in pupae of Mamestra configurata Walker in Manitoba was 16 h 06 min at Glenlea (49°38′ N), 16 h 20 min at Grandview (51°10′ N), and 16 h 42 min at Birch River (52°24′ N). The differences in cirtical photoperiods observed at Glenlea and Grandview were not significant. At least two different photoperiods exist, one in the Glenlea and Grandview areas and the other in the Birch River area. In the laboratory, the critical photoperiod was 13.5 h when larvae were exposed to a daily fluctuating temperature regime of 12 h at 25 °C and 12 h at 10 °C. Longer critical photoperiods found for the field populations may be related to the relatively low ambient temperatures to which the larvae were exposed in field cages.

Adults of Cyclothyas siskiyouensis n. sp., the first species of the genus reported from the Western Hemisphere, are described from female specimens collected from a small stream in Oregon, U.S.A. Members of this species differ from those of previously described species in having 3, rather than numerous, pairs of genital acetabula along outer edges of the genital flaps. A revised diagnosis of the genus Cyclothyas is presented.

For 5 days in May 1980, the drift of aquatic insects was studied in 3 streams draining bogs treated with temephos granules for mosquito larvae control, around Gagnon (51°52′ N, 68 °10′ W) in Subarctic Quebec. In the bogs the residual activity of temephos against mosquito larvae decreased from 100% to 0% in 5 days. While a control stream showed no change in drift, in the 3 streams exposed to temephos drift density was increased by an average of 6.4 × the pre-treatment level. This increase was significant for Plecoptera (11.8 ×), Ephemeroptera (4.7 ×) and Diptera (3 ×), but not for Trichoptera or other lotic insects. The increase in each order was respectively due to Podmosta macdunnoughi (Nemouridae), Baetis spp. (Baetidae), and Chironomidae. A principal component analysis separates samples taken post-treatment from pre-treatment or control stream samples (factor 1) and samples taken in the different streams (factor 2). The data suggest that temephos, when applied to bogs for mosquito control, may affect lotic insect drift in small streams draining these bogs, and that P. macdunnoughi is particularly sensitive to this organophosphorous insecticide.

Parity of Mansonia perturbans was monitored in Algonquin Park, Ontario from 17 June to 12 August 1981. The first parous individual was recorded on 8 July and parity increased to a plateau of about 60% in late July. The first biparous individual was observed on 30 July and a triparous mosquito was collected on 12 August.

During preoutbreak periods before spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), populations reach epidemic levels, birds can play an important role in regulating budworm abundance (Gage and Miller 1978). All life stages of the spruce budworm are subject to predation by birds, but documentation of predation on budworm eggs is sparse (Hope 1945).

Past experiments concerned with the elucidation of the daily activity pattern of male spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), have used the response of males to virgin females as the criterion of activity. Males showed a peak response just after sunset and little activity in the early afternoon (Greenbank 1963; Sanders 1971a). Difficulty arises in interpreting such data in terms of male activity patterns. It is obvious that males are active after sunset; however, there is no way of knowing whether the reduced activity in the early afternoon is a result of changing response thresholds by the males or whether it is a result of the females releasing insufficient, if any, pheromone (see Morse et al. 1982). After the identification of the components of the female sex pheromone (Sanders and Weatherston 1976) a synthetic sex attractant was developed and the inherent daily activity pattern of male spruce budworm could be determined.

Trichosirocalus (= Ceutorhynchidius) horridus (Panzer), introduced from Italy into the USA for the control of Carduus thistles in 1974/75, is well established in Virginia (Kok and Trumble 1979). Field studies on the development of this weevil on Carduus thistles in Italy (K. E. Frick, USDA, Stoneville, Mississippi — pers. comm; Boldt and Campobasso 1981) and in Virginia (Trumble and Kok 1979) revealed that weevil eggs were commonly found in rosettes during the winter months. In Virginia, first instars were detected in rosettes immediately after the snow melted (Trumble and Kok 1979). Therefore, the eggs are exposed to the coldest temperatures in January and February when air temperatures reach −20°C in western Virginia. The effects of such temperatures on the proportion of hatch and on the viability of the hatchlings are not known. In addition, T. horridus has consistently laid the maximum number of eggs in November and December in the laboratory for the past 10 years. Thus, a large supply of thistles had to be grown in the greenhouse to support the weevil population during the winter when plant growth was poor and mortality of laboratory reared T. horridus was high. In any successful biological control program the proper time of release of the beneficial organism as well as numbers available is critical. Successful storage of T. horridus eggs would greatly increase the number of T. horridus available when needed for inoculative releases or experimental purposes. The purpose of this study was to determine suitable temperatures and storage times for T. horridus eggs without affecting hatch and viability.

In laboratory studies, ovipositing northern corn rootworm beetles significantly preferred Ste. Rosalie clay soil with particles 1 mm – 1.4 cm in diameter. In the field, unaltered local farm soil with natural cracks was preferred for oviposition to mechanically-disturbed soil. Surface condition, surface cover, and soil moisture all combined to influence the choice of oviposition site in field soils.

Laboratory tests were conducted under simulated stream conditions to determine the efficacies of microencapsulated formulations of chlorpyrifos-methyl (Reldan® 10–10) against Simulium and Prosimulium late-instar larvae. In tests with eight formulations, no correlation was evident between efficacy and formulation stability (i.e., cross-linking ratio). The most effective formulations were 34-75-50A, 119-75-6A, and 119-75-6C. The LC50 and LC90 values of 34–75–50A against S. vittatum were 5.5 μg/L and 24 μg/L/10 min. respectively. The formulations 119-75-6A and 119-75-6C were statistically not different from 34-75-50A. Prosimulium magnum was less susceptible (LC50 = 36μg/L, LC90 = 205 μg/L). Susceptibility among S. vittatum larvae varied inversely with size. Treatment with formulation 34-75-50A at 237 μg/L/10 min (the observed LC100 for S. vittatum) severely affected nymphs of the mayfly Baetis sp. and the stonefly Taeniopteryx burksi, but had a minimal effect on most other detritivores, filter-feeding caddisflies (Hydropsyche betteni and Brachycentrus sp.), and predators. Mortality increased significantly in some of these latter species, however, when exposed to 492 μg/L/10 min (the observed LC100 for P. magnum). Tests indicated that there was some leakage of active ingredient from the microcapsules into the water. Although the microencapsulated formulations of chlorpyrifos-methyl were designed to have selective toxicity to black fly larvae, our laboratory tests indicated that they were not as safe towards nonfilter feeders as had been expected.

Adult emergence of the spotted tentiform leafminer, Phyllonorycter blancardella (F.), and its primary endoparasite, Apanteles ornigis Weed, from overwintering pupae was studied at five constant temperatures. Days to 50% emergence for P. blancardella were 55.4, 24.4, 14.4, 10.8, and 8.3 and for A. ornigis were ∞, 47.8, 25.6, 17.6, and 15.1 at 8°, 12°, 16°, 20°, and 24 °C, respectively. The rate of pupal development was approximately a linear function of temperature for P. blancardella but was nonlinear for A. ornigis. The threshold of development, estimated from the 50% emergence data, was 4.4 ±.33 °C for the host and 9.6 ±.50 °C for the parasite. The development time for the host was approximately one half that for the parasite at temperatures 12°–24 °C. The difference in emergence dates between host and parasite under normal Nova Scotia conditions was predicted to be 35 days. The timing of chemical controls in an integrated pest management program could be predicted from the accumulation of daily development units based on the power function for both species, provided a field study is undertaken to confirm the extrapolation to diurnal temperature regimes.

Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, is a member of the Malvaceae. It is an important crop in the southern United States where vegetable production becomes precarious during the summer owing to extreme conditions of temperature and drought. Okra is grown in most southern home gardens and is consumed as a main dish vegetable or used in soups and gumbos.

Because of its popularity and environmental adaptability, okra may have the potential for attracting fresh market premium prices for limited resource farm operations. However, little has been published on insect pests of okra in the United States. In an investigation at Petersburg, Virginia, during 1979 and 1980, we found that the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), was an important pest of okra.

In the palearctic region Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus), the Large Yellow Underwing Moth, ranges from North Africa through Western Europe to Finland and Iceland. In Britain the flight period extends from April to October with peak emergence in August. The larva feeds in winter on grasses and low plants and is often a pest in gardens. This species is occasionally bivoltine when eggs laid early in the year develop to adults in the fall. The moth comes readily to bait (fermented fruit and molasses) applied to tree trunks at dusk, and is also attracted to light. The moth is polymorphic and sexually dimorphic. All of the usual forms are present in Nova Scotia.

The length of the developmental period from oviposition to adult emergence for nondiapausing individuals of a solitary endophagous braconid, Microctonus vittatae Mues., was usually about 4 wk at 20°C, 70–80% R.H., and a 16h:8h L:D cycle. However, living second and subsequent instar parasite larvae were occasionally found in adults of Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) and Phyllotreta striolata (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) dissected 25–30 days after parasitization. Most of these beetles also contained one or more dead parasite eggs or first-instar larvae, suggesting that superparasitism prolonged development of the single surviving parasite in each host. Therefore, the effect of superparasitism on the parasite's development was investigated by recording the length of the developmental period of M. vittatae in two groups of adult P. cruciferae, one consisting of a majority of superparasitized individuals and the other mostly of hosts with only one immature parasite each.

We performed a simple field experiment to determine the margin of safety for stream invertebrates for Matacil® 180 Oil Flowable, a candidate insecticide for the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.). Matacil® 180 Oil Flowable is finely milled aminocarb suspended in summer oil.

Since its description by Canning (1953) from cultures of the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides (R. & F.), in England, Nosema locustae has been found in grasshoppers in southern Ontario, Canada (Smith 1965), and in most of the western United States (Henry 1969; Henry and Oma 1981). It probably was the unnamed organism noted earlier by Goodwin (1949) in locusts from Africa (Canning 1962). Thus, the known geographic range is England, central Canada, the western United States, and probably Africa. However, as Henry and Oma (1981) speculated, its known range undoubtedly will be extended as grasshoppers are examined from other locations. This report extends the geographic range of N. locustae to several locations in southern and central Saskatchewan.