A new oribatid mite (Acari), Camisia abdosensillasp.nov., is described from all instars, based on specimens from British Columbia, Canada. This species occurs on branches and foliose lichens in the canopies of western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., 1898 (Pinaceae), and Pacific silver fir, Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex J. Forbes, 1939 (Pinaceae), growing in high elevation coastal forests. The most unusual feature of this species is the distinctive structure of the prodorsal trichobothrium in adults; the significantly reduced sensillus is completely enclosed within the bothridium. A resemblance between the structure of this organ and those of the superfamily Crotonioidea appears to have resulted from parallel evolution rather than being evidence of a sister-group relationship. Another species, Camisia islandica Gjelstrup and Solhøy, 1994, is herein recognized as a junior synonym of Camisia solhoeyi Colloff, 1993. A key of the Nearctic species of the genus Camisia is given.

The termitophilous tribe Termitohospitini was discovered in Japan. Sinophilus yukoaesp.nov. and Japanophilus hojoigen.nov., sp.nov. are described from specimens collected in Nansei-shotô. The genus Sinophilus is redefined. These species are the first-discovered inquilines of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in Japan. This suggests that C. formosanus is native to Japan rather than an introduced species, as previously believed.

Species of the genus Tinotus Sharp of America north of Mexico are reviewed. Five species are recognized: T. caviceps Casey, T. imbricatus Casey, T. morion (Gravenhorst), T. parvicornis Casey, and T. trisectus Casey. The genus Tinotus is recorded from Canada for the first time and is represented in the country by two previously unrecorded species: T. morion (Gravenhorst), introduced from the Palearctic region, and T. caviceps Casey, described from Nevada and subsequently reported from California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, and Montana. Tinotus morion was previously listed in North America from Connecticut and Nevada (unverified records), but until now it was unknown from Canada. Here it is reported as new for New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Tinotus caviceps is found for the first time in southern Quebec where it probably reaches its northern distribution limit. The following synonymies are established, with the first names being valid: T. caviceps Casey (= T. pallidus Casey), T. imbricatus Casey (= T. amplus Notman, T. brunnipes Notman), T. parvicornis Casey (= T. planulus Notman), and T. trisectus Casey (= T. binarius Casey, T. brunneus Casey, and T. lateralis Notman). A new lectotype is designated for T. brunnipes Notman. The lectotype specimens have been dissected and their genital features illustrated. Diagnoses, illustrations, and a key to identify species from America north of Mexico are provided.

The African psiline Coptera silvestrii var. robustior (Silvestri) is elevated to species status. Both males and females of it and of Coptera silvestrii silvestrii (Kieffer) are redescribed. Lectotypes for both species arc designated. Coptera magnificus (Nixon) is recognized as a junior subjective synonym of C. robustior (new status). The status of Coptera silvestrii nigricornis (Nixon) is reviewed. Six additional psiline species, all originally described in the genus Galesus Haliday, are transferred to the genus Coptrera Say, where they form the following new combinations:Coptera elgoni (Risbec. 1950): Coptera macrophtalma (Risbec, 1950); Coptera ornata (Risbec, 1950); Coptera microphtalma (Risbec, 1950); Coptera bignonae (Risbec, 1954); and Coptera toboi (Risbec, 1954).

Aphthona sandraesp.nov. is described from specimens collected on Euphorbia polygalifolia Boiss. et Reuter (Euphorbiaceae) in Galicia, Spain. Its relationship with Aphthona ovata Foudras and the Aphthona hammarstroemi Jacobson group of species is established. A key to the species of this group occurring in the Iberian peninsula is provided. Aphthona herbigrada (Curtis) and Aphthona espagnoli Kral, previously not belonging to any group, are here considered belonging to the A. hammarstroemi group.

Twelve historically unfamiliar Ephemeroptera species described from Canada over 65 years ago were studied. Diagnostic characters are given that validate Acerpenna akataleptos (McDunnough) (Baetidae), whereas certain larval specimens of the genus Acerpenna Waltz and McCafferty cannot yet be associated with any species. Cinygmula confusa (McDunnough, 1924), syn.nov., (Heptageniidae) is shown to be a junior synonym of Cinygmula par (Eaton, 1885), and Serratella serratoides (McDunnough, 1931), syn.nov., (Ephemerellidae) is shown to be a junior synonym of Serratella molita (McDunnough, 1930). New distribution records are given for Ironodes flavipennis Traver (Heptageniidae), Cinygmula gartrelli McDunnough, Heptagenia adaequata McDunnough (Heptageniidae), and Siphlonurus autumnalis McDunnough (Siphlonuridae), including the first substantiated records for the latter three from the United States. A first larval description of S. autumnalis is provided. Ephemerella fratercula McDunnough (Ephemerellidae) is apparently rare, but its previously doubtful North Carolina record is confirmed. All larvae previously reported as Neoephemera bicolor McDunnough (Neoephemeridae) cannot be placed to any nominal species. Parameletus croesus (McDunnough) (Siphlonuridae), Plauditus rubrolateralis (McDunnough) (Baetidae), and Rhithrogena gaspeensis McDunnough (Heptageniidae) are distinctive species but are known from few records.

The Nearctic fauna of the subgenus Cerodontha (Cerodontha) Rondani is revised and contains 10 species: C. aduncasp.nov. (Mexico), C. dorsalis (Loew) (widespread Nearctic, eastern Palaearctic, Neotropical), C. gracilis Spencer (western Nearctic), C. inflatasp.nov. (Mexico), C. occidentalis Sehgal (northwestern Nearctic), C. occidoparvasp.nov. (western Nearctic), C. tolucasp.nov. (Mexico), C. trispinata Spencer (Mexico), C. trispinella Spencer (Mexico), and C. trispinosa Spencer (Mexico). All Nearctic species are described and illustrated and a key to species is provided. There are two colour forms of the widespread Nearctic species C. dorsalis: a pale eastern form and a dark western form, although there is overlap in the geographic distribution of the two forms and intermediates exist. The six Mexican species are known from a total of only nine specimens, suggesting that the diversity of this subgenus in Mexico and Central America may be higher than currently known.

In North America, the tribe Cholevini (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) is composed of the genera Prionochaeta Horn with 1 species, Catoptrichus Murray with 1 species, Sciodrepoides Hatch with 3 species, and Catops Paykull with 17 species. The species are mostly forest inhabitants that feed on carrion and other decaying materials, but some occur in tundra habitats, in caves, and in rodent burrows. Resurrected status is proposed for Sciodrepoides terminans (LeConte). The subspecies status of Sciodrepoides watsoni hornianus (Blanchard) is not supported. Lectotypes are designated for Catops terminans LeConte (= Sciodrepoides terminans (LeConte)), Choleva gratiosa Blanchard (= Catops gratiosus (Blanchard)), and Choleva egena Horn (= Catops egenus (Horn)). Neotypes are designated for Catops simplex Say and Catops basilaris Say. Catops luteipes Thomson is reported from North America for the first time. New species are Sciodrepoides latinotum Peck and Cook sp.nov., Catops paramericanus Peck and Cook sp.nov., Catops apterus Peck and Cook sp.nov., and Catops meridionalis Peck and Cook sp.nov. Four Catops species are Holarctic in distribution, whereas the others are restricted to North America, south to Mexico.

The name Neoligiagen.nov. is proposed for the “Oligia” semicana (Walker) species group in North America and 12 species, N. rubirena sp.nov., N. pagosa sp.nov., N. hardwicki sp.nov., N. inermis sp.nov., N. invenusta sp.nov., N. albirena sp.nov., N. lancea sp.nov., N. elephas sp.nov., N. lillooet sp.nov., N. surdirena sp.nov., N. canadensis sp.nov., and N. atlantica sp.nov. are described. Hadenella laevigata Smith is synonymized (synonymy restored) under Hadena tonsa Grote and Hadena hausta Grote is synonymized (synonymy restored) under Miana semicana Walker. Adults of all species are illustrated as well as male and female genitalia, where known.

The pine engraver, Ips pini (Say), is broadly distributed across North America (Lanier 1972; Wood 1982; Seybold et al. 1995) with a host range that includes most species of Pinus L., and in rare cases, species of Picea A. Dietrich (both Pinaceae), within its range (Swaine 1918; Bright 1976; Wood 1982; Furniss and Carolin 1992). Ips pini has been recorded from Pinus banksiana Lamb., Pinus resinosa Ait., and Pinus strobus L. (eastern North America), and from three of four subspecies of Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loudon [P. c. contorta, P. c. latifolia (Engelm.) Critch., and P. c. murrayana (Balf.) Critch.], Pinus coulteri D. Don, Pinus jeffreyi Balf., Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. and C. Laws., and Pinus flexilis James (western North America) (Furniss and Carolin 1992; Seybold et al. 1995). Hopping (1964) reported I. pini on Picea rubens Sarg., Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, and Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. The adult insect is intermediate in length relative to most Ips spp., ranging from 3.3 to 4.5 mm (Hopping 1964; Bright 1976; Wood 1982; USDA Forest Service 1985).

Mature larvae of Pissodes strobi (Peck), Pissodes schwarzi Hopkins, Pissodes nemorensis Germar, and Pissodes terminalis Hopping are described and external morphology illustrated. A key to species is presented. A phylogenetic analysis is done using single- and multiple-outgroup comparisons, which both find trees of identical topology. Character states of clypeus pigmentation and premental sclerite shape putatively support a monophyletic relationship of the P. strobi complex.

Sections of stem galls induced by Diplolepis triforma Shorthouse and Ritchie obtained by plant histological techniques were used to examine anatomical features of immature stages of the insect found in situ. First-instar larvae feed over the entire surface of larval chambers, whereas maturing larvae feed only at one end of the chambers. Last-instar larvae undergo two phases of development: feeding occurs in the first phase, whereas in the second, or prepupal phase, feeding has ceased, the mid- and hind-guts become joined, contents of the gut are voided, and compound eyes, gonads, and internal ovipositional apparatus begin to differentiate. The prepupal phase also consists of two phases: the first occurs in the fall and winter, and the second occurs in the spring prior to pupation. The spring phase exhibits external adult features within the integument of the last-instar and moults to the pupa. Sections of some maturing larvae contained endoparasitoid larvae of the genus Orthopelma Taschenberg (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae).

A virus isolated from obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), larvae collected in an apple, Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae), orchard of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac (Quebec, Canada) was studied. Microscopic studies revealed that it was a uninucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus from the family Baculoviridae. Larval mortality was approximately 75% (0% mortality in control group) in larvae infected as third instars immersed in a suspension of 1.7 × 108 occlusion bodies/mL. The average time for larval mortality was 23 ± 3 d after treatment. The majority (95.5%) of infected larvae died as fifth or sixth instars. Infection was observed primarily in fat body cells, and occasionally in the tracheal matrix and epidermis. Mean larval development time of infected larvae surviving to pupae was 20 ± 3 d, significantly greater than the 18 ± 3 d observed in control larvae. Adult emergence was significantly lower in pupae of treated larvae (73.6%) than in the control group (93.5%). Our work constitutes the first baseline study of naturally occurring virus of the obliquebanded leafroller.

In a 2-year study of Monterey pine, Pinus radiata D. Don (Pinaceae), infected with pitch canker, caused by Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O'Donnell, less than 2% of symptomatic branches with green foliage were colonized by twig beetles in the genus Pityophthorus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), whereas approximately 50% of branches with yellow and red foliage were colonized. More Pityophthorus spp. emerged from yellow branches (mean ± SE = 12.1 ± 1.7 per 30 cm) than from red branches (6.9 ± 0.9) at an inland study site (Oakland) but, at a coastal site (Pebble Beach), the means were not significantly different (4.3 ± 0.6 and 3.8 ± 0.7). The mean phoresy rate of all emerging insects was higher at Pebble Beach (17.7 ± 0.6%) than at Oakland (5.3 ± 0.2%). At both sites, there was considerable temporal variation in the proportion of branches colonized by twig beetles, mean numbers of emerging twig beetles, and phoresy rates of emerging insects. Chipping branches reduced the emergence of Pityophthorus spp. and associates by approximately 95%, compared with emergence from intact branches. The pathogen was isolated from 1-year-old branches and chips in up to 68% of samples, but was only recovered from 3-year-old branches in 1 of 46 sampled. It is recommended that recent branch cuttings and chips originating from symptomatic trees not be transported to areas that are believed to be free of the disease.

Four new species of feather mites are described from birds in Canada: Megniniella ratcliffisp.nov. (Analgidae) and Metanalges holderisp.nov. (Analgidae) from the Sora, Porzana carolina (Linnaeus) (Gruiformes: Rallidae): Metingrassia pelecanisp.nov. (Xolalgidae) from the American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin (Pelecaniformes: Pelecanidae); and Vingrassia cygnisp.nov. (Xolalgidae) from the Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus (Ord) (Ànseriformes: Anatidae). The genus Vingrassia is reinstated from its previous synonymy with the genus Ingrassia based on the presence of an enlarged prodorsal shield in both sexes, by the shape of the idiosoma and the interlobar membrane on the lobar apices in the male, and by the shape of the hysteronotal shield and the absence of setae ps2 in the female.

Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) are naturally occurring entomopathogens that show promise as bioinsecticides against pest caterpillars. Determining the potential of a NPV as an insecticide requires conducting many laboratory assays. These experiments typically require a large number of larvae and it may be necessary to collect eggs from laboratory or wild sources for several days before an adequate supply is obtained. Fortunately, in many species of Lepidoptera, it is possible to synchronize rearing by storing eggs at 4°C.

Cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni Hübner) are widespread, highly destructive agricultural pests. Preliminary trials suggest that the single (S) nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus of cabbage loopers (TnSNPV) might be effective in controlling cabbage loopers (Jaques 1977); however, many additional studies are required before it can be commercially developed as a bioinsecticide.

Modern hulless wheats, Triticum aestivum L., are more susceptible to the wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), than the hulled, wild, ancestral species. Hulless cultivars of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., are becoming more widely grown in western Canada than in the past. Hulled and hulless cultivars of two-rowed and six-rowed barleys were tested for their susceptibility to wheat midge, to determine if this midge might become a serious pest of barley and to assess which plant traits might affect host suitability. In the field, larval populations on 10 barley cultivars were much lower than on wheat. In the laboratory, when the flag leaf sheath was peeled back to expose preflowering spikes, female midges readily oviposited on spikes of barley, although less so on younger spikes. Few larvae were able to develop on barley when eggs were laid after spikes had flowered. All barleys completed flowering, or nearly so, before spikes emerged from the flag leaf sheath, with two-rowed cultivars flowering earlier than six-rowed barleys. No differences in larval densities were found between hulless and hulled barleys, and therefore, factors other than the hulled trait must account for reduced susceptibility of barley. Because barley flowers within the flag leaf sheath, its period of susceptibility to infestation is much shorter than for wheat, as evidenced by reduced infestation of earlier-flowering two-rowed cultivars compared with later-flowering six-rowed cultivars. Also, the tight closure of the leaf-like glumes that form the florets of barley probably makes access to young seeds more difficult for newly hatched larvae than is the case for wheat. At comparable crop growth stages, larval densities on all the barleys were < 10% of those on spring wheat. The introduction of hulless barley for production in Canada is unlikely to increase wheat midge damage on barley to an economic level.

Morphometric data were collected on 15 characters in adults of the species of the Pissodes strobi complex (P. nemorensis (Germar), P. schwarzi Hopkins, P. strobi (Peck), and P. terminalis Hopping). Data were examined using stepwise discriminant analysis to determine if all characters contribute significantly to the diagnosis of taxa, and their relative amounts of resolving power were illuminated using canonical variates analysis. Discriminant functions were generated to diagnose species. Separate discriminant functions were generated for each sex for populations from eastern and western North America. Significant sexual dimorphism and variability in body size decrease the utility of morphological characters for diagnosis, but did not prevent the formulation of useful discriminant functions, particularly when selected ratios that control for body size were added.

The effects of the biologically derived insecticide spinosad on parasitoids of Mamestra configurata Walker were studied. Adult Trichogramma inyoense Pinto and Oatman (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an egg parasitoid, were as susceptible to a dose of 0.125 μg/cm2 as they were to a high dose of 2.0 μg/cm2. Application of spinosad to host eggs at the time of oviposition resulted in significantly reduced T. inyoense parasitism and higher parasitoid mortality in parasitized eggs. Adult Microplitis mediator (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval endoparasitoid, were highly susceptible at the highest dose tested, 1.0 μg/cm2. Spinosad at 2.0 μg/cm2 fed to larval M. configurata parasitized with M. mediator 1 and 7 d previous caused similar mortality to that for nonparasitized larvae. At a dose of 0.125 μg/cm2, only larvae parasitized 1 d previously showed mortalities similar to those of nonparasitized larvae, whereas larvae parasitized 7 d previously were not affected by this low dose. Larval M. mediator that egressed from hosts parasitized 7 d previously and treated with the low dose were unable to complete cocoon formation and died. This study suggests that integrated pest management programs for M. configurata in canola should include evaluating the presence and abundance of parasitoids.

In this study, survival to adult stage, duration of development of the immature stages, egg micromorphology, DNA polymorphism, and reproductive compatibility were measured for early- and late-emerging phenotypes of Delia radicum Linneaus to determine whether both phenotypes had evolved differences other than the duration of puparial development and to find the most likely genetic system controlling the expression of both phenotypes. Survival to adult stage was not significantly different between the early- and late-emerging phenotypes. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers tested suggest that it is possible to distinguish an early-emerging fly from a late-emerging fly. Furthermore, the results suggest that the early- and late-emerging phenotypes differ not only in the timing of adult emergence but also in their egg structure (egg micromorphology) and in their larval and puparial mortality. These two phenotypes are not reproductively or ecologically isolated. The genetic system controlling the expression of early and late emergers in a population of D. radicum is probably an adaptive strategy reducing predator and parasitoid pressures, optimizing resource utilization, and ensuring survival of D. radicum during atypical winters. This strategy could eventually lead to temporal sympatric speciation if there are changes in a few key loci responsible for host plant selection and fitness on a new host.