The male imagines of 12 new Nearctic species of Limnophyes are described: Limnophyes cristatissimus n. sp., Limnophyes hudsoni n. sp., Limnophyes ninae n. sp., Limnophyes nudiradius n. sp., Limnophyes pilicistulus n. sp., Limnophyes folliculatus n. sp., Limnophyes carolinensis n. sp., Limnophyes recisus n. sp., Limnophyes coloradensis n. sp., Limnophyes margaretae n. sp., Limnophyes hastulatus n. sp., and Limnophyes spatulosus n. sp. The female imagines of Limnophyes hudsoni n. sp. and Limnophyes carolinensis n. sp. are described. A key to male imagines of Nearctic Limnophyes is given.

Adult silkmoths captured in northwestern Ontario and tentatively identified as Hyalophora columbia (Smith) were found to resemble H. gloveri nokomis (Brodie) which occurs as far east as Winnipeg, Man. Habitat studies showed that the larvae of the northwestern Ontario moths are not strictly larch feeders as are the larvae of typical H. Columbia.

The dorsal thoracic tubercle colour of typical fifth instar H. Columbia larvae is red. Matings between typical H. Columbia and H. cecropia (L.) have produced fifth instar larvae with only reddish-orange tubercles. However, matings of male moths from northwestern Ontario with H, cecropia females have produced fifth instar larvae with reddish-orange, light orange, or yellow dorsal thoracic tubercles. Further matings of northwestern Ontario males with H. euryalis (Boisd.) and typical H. Columbia females have established the presence in northwestern Ontario of a colour polymorphism of which the phenotypic colour components are red, reddish orange, and yellow.

The fifth instar dorsal thoracic tubercle colour of H. gloveri nokomis larvae is yellow and it is proposed that the yellow tubercle colour of the northwestern Ontario larvae has originated from the influx of genes from the nearby H. gloveri nokomis population.

The evidence presented in this paper points to the existence of an intergrade population between H. gloveri nokomis and H. columbia in northwestern Ontario.

Parasitism by Aphidius smithi reduced the fecundity and population growth of pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Aphids that were parasitized during the first or second instar period died as fourth instars without producing offspring. Parasitized third or fourth instars usually reached maturity and produced a variable number of progeny. Parasitized adult aphids stopped producing nymphs approximately 7 to 8 days following attack by A. smithi. Equations are given for the relationship between the mean total fecundity, the intrinsic rate of increase, and the doubling time of apterous and alate viviparous pea aphid and the aphid age at the beginning of parasitism.

Three allopatric species are recognized in the North American genus Tegrodera LeConte. Speciation was probably a relatively recent event in this genus as all species are closely related, and separable by minor but consistent differences of adult anatomy. The most distinctive species, T. aloga Skinner, ranges throughout much of the Sonoran Desert in western Arizona and northwestern Sonora. T. erosa LeConte, a species occurring in southern California and Baja California, is separated geographically from T. aloga by the arid Colorado Desert. T. erosa consists of two distinct subspecies, the nominate form occurring in southern California, and T. e. inornata Blaisdell distributed throughout much of Baja California. T. latecincta Horn, a species found in the Owens and Antelope valleys of California, is the closest relative of T. erosa. It is separated from the latter by the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, and from T. aloga by the vast Mojave Desert. The species of Tegrodera are each associated with different plant communities, though the genus Eriastrum seems to be an important food source for all adults. The taxonomic analysis presented herein includes the study of both intra- and interspecific variation. The first instar larva of T. aloga and T. e. erosa are compared, and notes on seasonal distribution, habitat, and non-sexual behavior are included.

The tolerance of young adult Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab) to sub-freezing temperatures, −5, −10, −12, −18, −21, and −25 °C, was studied. Mortality in test populations increased in proportion to amplification of both intensity and duration. The increase in mortality with respect to duration follows a sigmoid curve. Environmental stresses, i.e., intense cold and starvation, increase the slope of the curve. In all cases, starvation mitigates against survival. R. dominica dies of starvation in a period between 116 and 432 h. Mortality due to starvation plotted against time yields a sigmoid curve.

Inhibition in feeding was observed in starved populations after 20 min of exposure at −18 °C or lower. This inhibition led to death after 7 days and apparently occurred secondarily to a state of “stress-induced lethargy.” Stress-induced lethargy was observed only in organisms which were both starved and subjected to sub-freezing temperatures.

Queen honey bees were reared in the laboratory in cages by small groups of worker bees; the queens were then introduced to small nuclei to test their acceptance, mating ability, brood patterns, and brood production. Later, certain morphological and anatomical characters were measured. No significant differences in sealed brood, total brood, or in selected morphological characters were found between control queens and those reared in the laboratory. The possible economic aspects of this cage rearing method are discussed.

The classification of the Aphrodinae is reviewed. The subfamily is redefined to include the Deltocephalinae (“Euscelidae”) and Hecalinae, and nine tribes are recognized: Eupelecini, Paradorydiini, Stirellini, Paraboloponini, Aphrodini, Krisnini, Selenocephalini, Hecalini, and Deltocephalini. The tribe Aphrodini is divided into six subtribes: Doraturina, Achaeticina, Anoterostemmina, Neobalina, Aphrodina, and Xestocephalina. The tribe Deltocephalini is divided into six subtribes: Deltocephalina, Athysanina, Cicadulina, Macrostelina, Platymetopiina, and Cochlorhinina. Keys are provided to the tribes and subtribes, and the Holarctic taxa are defined, with their Holarctic genera listed under each.

The effect of coprophilic insects on horn fly (Haematobia irritans irritans (L.)) production from cattle dung was measured at Kamloops, B.C. Adult female flies were trapped after oviposition on fresh dung pads during 24-h sample periods. The pads were then either exposed to field insects for 24 h or covered with frames excluding insects for the same period, and removed to a greenhouse where all fauna emerged.

Horn fly females did not show a definite diurnal rhythm in oviposition. There was a single peak in adult abundance during the summer. Numbers of progeny produced per female fly from covered pads showed an apparent peak from 0300 to 0600 h while lowest numbers were produced in the early evening. Throughout the summer the progeny production from pads exposed to other insects was uniformly and significantly lower than from covered pads of the same age. Insects chiefly responsible for this suppression are probably the predators Philonthus cruentatus Gmelin, Sphaeridium scarabaeoides (L.), and S. lunatum (F.). Parasites of horn fly and dung-burying beetles (Scarabaeinae) are scarce and so there is still plenty of opportunity for manipulation of horn fly populations by use of other biological agents.

Data on daily fecundity and survival are presented for the apterous and alate virginoparous morphs of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) reared on broadbean, Vicia faba (var. Exhibition Longpod), at 20 ± 1 °C. Alatae began to reproduce later, and produced fewer young over a longer period than did apterae, but lived no longer.

Reproductive patterns of A. pisum apterae from a number of other clones are compared, and the patterns of some other species are discussed in relation to A. pisum apterae and alatae.

The spectrum of geographical ranges of species of Odontiinae in North America differs from that of related subfamilies such as Scopariinae, Nymphulinae, Glaphyriinae, Evergestinae and Pyraustinae, though all these subfamilies have wide global ranges. Of 57 species only five are primarily eastern. Of these, three are tropical species that enter southern Florida, one is a northern disjunct closely related to Neotropical species, the fifth is widespread in eastern North America and has no obvious close relatives. Six western species are alpine or subalpine. Three of these belong to one superspecies ranging from Oregon to Baja California, two others are Sierran or Sierra-centered, one is a Colorado disjunct with close relatives in the mountains of Europe and Asia. One additional species is restricted to Colorado; its ecology is unknown but is most likely temperate. There is one restricted temperate species in California and Oregon, one in Utah, and one in northwestern Arkansas. Five primarily western species or species pairs have wide temperate ranges, four of them range south into the tropics. Three of the members of this range class belong to the single genus Frechinia, comprising five of its six species. The remaining 34 species belong to the southwestern eremic class. Of these one is limited to the southwestern Great Basin; 12 are centered in southern California and western Arizona, but two of these are represented in the dry interior of Washington, one by a disjunct population, the other by a vicarious species; 15 are centered in southern Arizona and(or) New Mexico; six are centered in western Texas. There is a comparable development of the subfamily in the arid areas of the Old World, especially in western and central Asia. The relationship between the New World and Old World eremic complexes is probably multiple. It appears to be mainly at the suprageneric level.

Adult carabid beetles of the species Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) and Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) were collected from a cultivated field near London, Ont., and brought into the laboratory for observation and mass culture in terraria; the culture method is described. Both species oviposited successfully in the laboratory; P. melanarius produced as many as 134 eggs/female over a 6-month period, whereas H. pensylvanicus deposited only about 10 eggs/female under similar conditions. However, percentage emergence in Harpalus was substantially higher (62.6) than with Pterostichus (36.8 and 45.7). Large numbers of first- and second-instar P. melanarius larvae may be obtained by using the rearing method described. The low oviposition rate of H. pensylvanicus made large-scale rearing of this species difficult.

Observations are made on the mating behaviour and adult parasitization by horsehair worms (Nematomorpha) of Pterostichus.

A mathematical model relating mosquito densities and meteorological variables is given. The model is developed from observations on a real mosquito population and forecasts future mosquito densities from information about mosquito densities, amount of rainfall, and temperature at past points in time.

A sex pheromone, detected in female moths of the bertha armyworm, Mamestra configurata Wlk., was extracted from females that were more than 3 days old. Males responded to the pheromone from 2 days of age until they died; younger males were not tested. Chemical and bioassay analyses indicated that the pheromone was an acetate.

The stimulatory effect of several chemicals was determined with males in a laboratory bioassay. Sexual responses were induced by Z7-, Z9-, Z10-, Z11-, and Z13-hexadecen-1-ol acetates. The maximum response in the laboratory was from the Z10-isomer, but this compound was only weakly attractive to males in the field.

An attraction to certain plant species by Bombus terricola, B. bimaculatus, B. perplexus, and B. ternarius was observed. The gathering of pollen was observed as a behavioural act distinct from nectar gathering. Pollen analyses indicated that pollen collectors restricted their activities to a small number of plant species. These bees’ life histories and flower preferences made them potentially effective pollinators of early-flowering economic crops, Ribes spp., and Pyrus Malus in particular, and of common weeds such as Solanum Dulcamara and Hypericum perforatum. The same reasons prevented them from being important in the pollination of Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa.

Mortality of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), on peach leaves was directly related to the uniformity of distribution and amount of deposit of dicofol for up to 4 days after the spray was applied. Mite mortality decreased rapidly from the 4th to the 11th day after spraying, whereas the dicofol detected by chemical analysis decreased at a slower rate. The minimum deposit of dicofol for 100% kill of the mite, immediately after spraying, was between 0.3 and 0.8 μg/cm2, depending upon uniformity of coverage. Doubling the dose did not increase the mortality then or later. Fourteen days after spraying, the dicofol deposit on some leaves was still 0.7–0.8 μg/cm2 but there was practically no mite mortality.

The effects of parasitism by Hyposoter exiguae (Viereck) on certain developmental parameters of Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) were influenced by host age at parasitism.

Head-capsule growth increments for parasitized Trichoplusia ni became smaller with each successive molt during parasitism so that determination of instar on the basis of head-capsule width became impossible.

Parisitized T. ni showed a proportionately smaller gain in weight from time of stinging until parasitoid emergence the older they were when stung (6 times for 3rd instars; 2 times for 4th instars; and no gain for 5th instars). This retardation was evident 24 h after parasitism. Essentially the same results were obtained for dry weight.

Percentage dry weight of parasitized larvae tended to increase over control values until the 5th stadium when controls abruptly increased. Values for parasitized 5ths remained below the controls. Values found on the last days reflected those of the parasitoid which composed most of the mass inside the host cuticle.

Hemolymph specific gravity in controls and parasitized 3rd instars oscillated with a frequency of one stadium in the 3rd, 4th, and early 5th stadia. Specific gravity of controls then rose to a maximum of 1.0501 in the prespinning phase and dropped by the pharate–pupal phase. Values for parasitized larvae in the 5th stadium rose slightly before leveling off, and parasitized 5th instars rose to a maximum on the next-to-last day. Maximum values attained for hosts parasitized as 3rd and 5th instars never reached that for controls on day 11. This may be related to the complete unacceptability or unsuitability of T. ni larvae for parasitism from day 11 on.

Codling moth, Laspeyresia pomonella (L.), injury in a 14-ha apple orchard gradually increased in 1973 and 1974 despite the presence of 480 sex pheromone traps (1 mg trans-8, trans-10, dodecadien-1-ol per trap). Percentage injured fruit at harvest was 0.00075, 0.0062, and 0,033 in 1972, 1973, and 1974, respectively. Numbers of wild male moths trapped increased from 3e in 1973 to 64 in 1974.

A potent sex pheromone produced by female bertha army worm moths was isolated. A 16 carbon, unsaturated, alkenol acetate was indicated from chemical degradative and GLC retention data. The location and configuration of the double bond was determined from the antennal responses (EAG) of male moths to a series of cis and trans mono-unsaturated alken-1-ol acetates; cis-11-hexadecen-1-ol acetate elicited the greatest EAG response. GLC retention times of the purified insect sex pheromone corresponded exactly with those of authentic cis-11-hexadecen-1-ol acetate on several analytical columns. Maximum biological response in laboratory bioassays of synthetic materials was obtained from a mixture of approximately 85% cis- and 15% trans-11-hexadecen-1-ol acetates.

Unfed forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hbn.) larvae were subjected to temperature treatments of −18°, −12°, −7°, −1°, 4°, and 22 °C, each at durations of 2 days, 7 days, and 14 days. Each temperature–duration treatment was initiated 3 days before expected hatch, and 3 days after hatch. Fed larvae were subjected to identical treatments 2 days after hatch. Temperature treatments of the before hatch group resulted in appreciable mortality only at −18 °C for 7 days and at −18 °C and −12 °C for 14 days. Temperature treatments of the after hatch group resulted in nearly 100% mortality at −18 °C for all durations, at −12 °C for 14 days, and about 50% mortality at −7 °C for 14 days. Other temperature–duration combinations caused little mortality. The mortality resulting from temperature treatments of fed larvae did not differ from unfed larvae of the after hatch group.

The simulation of variability in temperature-dependent development is discussed. An algorithm for simulation of this variability is developed and validated under constant and variable temperature regimes for Anthonomus grandis, Trichoplusia ni, and Heliothis zea.