Adults of Phytoptus oculatus n. sp. are described. These are unusual among Eriophyoidea in possessing eye-like structures lateral to the prodorsal shield. Diagnoses for the genus Phytoptus and two provisional species groups within the genus are included.

The adult female and male, deutonymph, protonymph, and larva of Macrocheles praedafimetorum n. sp. are described from bumble bee nests in southern Alberta, Canada. The new species appears to be a member of the glaber species-group. Various demographic characters are indicated. This mite exploits saprophagous organisms commonly found in dung, decaying matter, or bumble bee nests and has no effect on bumble bee populations.

Techniques for successfully rearing an alder sawfly, Eriocampa ovata (L.), are reported, along with measurements of several developmental and reproductive characteristics, and observations on the insect’s behavior and ecology. Individuals with 7 instars, and those which ultimately diapause, had longer larval stages than individuals with only 6 instars, or those which were diapause-free. There was more diapause in low than in high humidities.

As the summer progressed, the length of the larval stage decreased in laboratory-reared individuals, but the length of the cocoon stage of the same individuals increased. Total leaf consumption per individual varied with rearing density, being greatest in groups of 10 larvae per leaf.

In a laboratory study, larvae of the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran, were successfully reared on an artificial diet consisting of wood pulp, agar, wheat germ, Brewer’s yeast, sugar, salt, choline chloride, ascorbic, citric and propionic acids, cholesterol, methyl para-hydroxybenzoate (MPH), and water. Ten other diets consisting of various ingredients obtained variable results. A premixed tropical fruit fly diet (prepared by Nutritional Biochemicals, Cleveland, Ohio) was not suitable for rearing the cherry maggots. Formaldehyde was not satisfactory as a mold inhibitor.

The eggs were obtained on artificial cherries made up of a soft ceresin wax. No oviposition occurred on the other materials tested (candle wax, a regular ceresin wax, beeswax, and silicone). Significantly (5% level) more eggs were deposited on wax cherries of orange, green, and greenish-yellow colors than black, red, white and blue. A laboratory rearing method employing orange colored wax cherries and an artificial larval diet was established for culturing the western cherry fruit flies.

A method is described for partitioning normal plant fruit shedding losses from those caused by the pest Lygus hesperus Knight. The relationship between age of bug and its damaged rate per day degree was determined, and used to assess the impact of various lygus population levels on crop development and yield. A simulation model for lygus phenology and population dynamics is reported.

Benomyl or MBC phosphate incorporated into the meridic diet of eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), reduces the incidence of infection of adults by the microsporidian Nosema fumiferanae (Thom.). Some reduction in microsporidian levels is produced by 25 ppm benomyl; higher concentrations are more effective but even 250 ppm failed to reduce the incidence of microsporidia below 29% in a heavily infected stock. At benomyl concentrations of 75 ppm and above, budworm growth and fertility were reduced. The most notable effect of benomyl was the reduction of fertile matings and of percentage eclosion of eggs. Males were more sensitive to benomyl than females.

The compatibility of Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) with 27 chemical insecticides representing organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides, pyrethrins, chlordimeform, urea derivative, and antifeedant were studied by way of their effects on germination of the bacterial spores, replication of vegetative cells and spore staining, and refractive index characteristics.

The results showed that: (1) Carbamates were generally more compatible with Bacillus thuringiensis than were the other insecticide groups tested. (2) Technical formulations were less harmful to the bacteria than wettable powders which were less harmful than emulsifiable concentrates. (3) Of the 27 pesticides, those most compatible with B.t. were Orthene®, Dylox®, Lannate®, Sevin®, Zectran®, and Dimilin®. These insecticides are considered recommendable for use in integrated control operations with Bacillus thuringiensis if the target insects are susceptible to them and provided that due regard is given to the environmental implications of their use.

Neoconocephalus ensiger (Harris) mating is described from field observations. The sequence of mating events is presented along with a brief description of the physical parameters of the calling song. Mating differs from other tettigoniids in that the copulation time is longer and there is no external evidence of a spermatophore. The significance of these differences is discussed.

Exposure of the prepupal and pupal stages of the bertha arrnyworm to 25°C during development had no obvious effect on pupal or adult survival, but reduced the incidence both of attempted mating and of spermatophore transfer and caused mated females with spermatophores to lay only a small number of eggs, all of which were sterile. Pupae are formed in the soil of rape fields during the latter part of August at depths up to 15 cm, and the frequency of their exposure to 25°C may influence population density the following year. Temperature profiles in the soil of rape fields are unknown, but an analysis of soil temperature records under sod from nine meteorological stations in the rape growing area indicated that they frequently reached 25°C. Thus there is sufficient probability that soil temperatures in rape reach a sterilizing temperature to warrant specific studies on temperature profiles in rape and their correlation with published meteorological data and with the fecundity of natural populations of the insect.

The effect of daily day-degrees C in relation to brood age was investigated to determine its influence on the induction of larval (prepupal) diapause in Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby). Daily day-degrees of less than about 9° above the development threshold (6.1°C) induced diapause in most of the broods while diapause was averted by daily day-degrees C of 10 or more above the threshold. Induction of diapause occurred no later than third larval instar; temperature changes during the fourth instar produced no change in aversion or induction of diapause. Laboratory results reveal that field temperatures during larval development determine whether most beetles have a 1- or 2-year life cycle.

The diel periodicity of pupation and emergence was studied in Culiseta inornata (Williston) under field conditions in the Lower Sonoran Desert of southern California. Floating isolation units were employed for observation of these two phenomena over an 8-day study period. Both male and female pharate pupae exhibited a diel periodicity of pupation. Two daily modes were apparent for this process; the first, of lesser amplitude at around 0400 h, and the second, main peak, near 1600 h daily (sunrise: 0635 h, sunset: 1559 h). Distinct diel periodicity of emergence was evident for both males and females of Cs. inornata, with the peak more pronounced for females. For both sexes, a single combined peak of emergence activity occurred daily at around 1600 h.

The diel periodicity of emergence correlated significantly with fluctuations in water temperature. Other environmental conditions such as solar radiation, cloud cover, windspeed, and air temperature exerted no observable effect on pupation and emergence activity.

The spatial distribution of the Egyptian alfalfa weevil larvae using Iwao’s index of dispersion was examined in a California alfalfa field. The changing dispersion patterns with time were found to be influenced by both density induced competition for food and varying spatial distribution of host plants. values characteristic for both years quickly stabilized. This made possible a method for estimating leaf consumption rates by larval populations with an aggregated distribution, k being derived from . Field sampling decision rules were also determined.

Adults of Gryllus rubens Scudder, G. firmus Scudder, and G. ovisopis Walker were collected for 4 years from plots disked annually on one of six dates and from undisturbed plots to examine effects of date of soil disturbance on field cricket populations. Adults of the two field-inhabiting species, G. rubens and G. firmus, were most numerous from plots disked in February or April and least numerous from the plots disked in October and from the undisturbed (control) plots. Adults of G. ovisopis, a species that normally inhabits forests, were most numerous from the undisturbed plots and least numerous from the plots disked in August.

Probalaenifrons, n. gen., type-species P. argillacea, n. sp., from Buru, is described. Differential characters are given from the related genera Balaenifrons Hampson and Taurometopa Meyrick. Whalley’s provisional placement of these genera in the Odontiinae is confirmed. His suggestion that they might require a new subfamily because of their complicated tympanic structure is rejected, first because the genitalia are typically odontiine, and second because the only female of Taurometopa examined lacks the tympanic specializations, which are therefore either limited to the male sex or inconstant. The known species of Balaenifrons and Taurometopa are briefly discussed.

A new genus, Fallocampus, with type-species Camponiscus americanus Marlatt is described to accommodate the Nearctic species formerly assigned to Platycampus Schiødte. The adults and larvae of the new genus resemble Platycampus and Anoplonyx Marlatt respectively. Diagnostic characters separating the adults and larvae of these genera are noted and illustrated. Biological notes and a key to the larvae of Fallocampus are presented.

Linsleya sphaericollis (Say) adults have been seen in various parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta from mid-June to mid-August, and will feed on western snowberry, Symphoricarpos occidentalis Hooker, species of wild and cultivated honeysuckle, Lonicera spp., common lilac, Syringia vulgaris L., and green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. Field-collected adults lived for up to 8 weeks in captivity and laid on the average nearly one batch of eggs per female, with each batch containing an average of 50–51 eggs. The eggs were killed if exposed to temperatures of 0–10°C for 3 weeks, but endured these temperatures for a week. Embryonic development was slow, hatching was unusually irregular, and the best hatching temperature was 25°C. The incubation period was about 50% longer at 20°C, and hatching was inhibited at 15° and 30°C. The first instar larvae lived for up to 7 weeks without food. Some of the larvae fed on the eggs of Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius) and M. bivittatus (Say), but the response was poor; they did not feed on ant larvae and pupae, or on the larvae of wheat stem sawfly (Cephus cinctus Norton). The data indicate that there are five vorant larval instars, that the typical meloid hypnothecal and non-vorant larval instars are omitted, that this insect overwinters as a fifth instar larva, that the natural food of the larvae is grasshopper eggs, and that the genus Linsleya should be included in the subtribe Epicautina.

The scolytids, M. mali, M. fasciatum, X. saxeseni, X. ferrugineus, and X. xylographus, were attracted consistently to black oak trees killed each month from March to August, 1974. More beetles were attracted to larger diameter trees and most were trapped on the north aspect. The beetles showed no trends for attraction for trees killed in different months.

The efficacy of insecticide–silica mixtures depended on brand of silica, i.e. Ar6gen®500, Hi-Sil®233, Micro-Cel®A, and Zeolex®100; number and population density of pest species; and cultivar of potato. In greenhouse tests, changes in the proportions of carbaryl and Arogen®500 in mixtures did not change efficacy; a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen®500 mixture was as good as 1000 ppm carbaryl; and mixtures with either phosmet or pirimiphos-methyl and any silica with 30 ppm of insecticide and 270 ppm of silica were as good as 100 ppm of insecticide using mortality, repellency, and feeding rate as criteria. In the field at high density of L. decemlineata and low aphids, a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen-500 mixture reduced larval populations by 66% and increased yield of Irish Cobbler 18-fold; and foliage treated with a 2000 ppm phosmet – 18,000 ppm Arogen-500 mixture was less attractive to adults than foliage treated with 2000 ppm of phosmet though the mixture was not superior to phosmet in effects on yield. At medium density of L. decemlineata and low aphids, a 500 ppm pirimiphos-methyl – 4500 ppm Zeolex-100 mixture increased yield of Irish Cobbler by about 100% and of Sebago by about 200% and a 600 ppm carbaryl – 5400 ppm Arogen-500 mixture was about 32% better than 1300 ppm carbaryl in effects on yield of Sebago. At low density of L. decemlineata and high density of aphids, 1000 ppm of carbaryl and various mixtures of carbaryl and Arogen-500 increased aphids by 109%, reduced coccinellid predators by one third, and reduced yield of Irish Cobbler and Sebago by 12%.

A study was made of the longevity and fecundity of Orgilus obscurator Nees and of the effects on longevity of feeding on various flowers. This parasite is pro-ovigenic, requiring little, if any, energy to develop its eggs, but the oviposition rate of 10 eggs per day requires a longevity of up to 3 weeks to utilize fully the potential of 160–200 eggs. Feeding on several species of flowers permits this longevity. The implications of the presence of these flowering plants within pine plantations for the success of parasites are discussed and the establishment and encouragement of Daucus carota L., Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, Asclepias syriaca L., and Nepeta cataria L. in plantations are recommended within the bounds of local weed control legislation.

Cardiastethus borealis n. sp. is described from Canada, and Melanocoris longirostris n. sp. from Canada and western United States. Two species described from Europe, Acompocoris pygmaeus (Fallen) and Temnostethus gracilis Horvath, are recorded for the first time from North America. Adults and male genital claspers are illustrated and scanning electron micrographs of their osteolar canals are included.