Benomyl controlled cabbage maggot, Hylemya brassicae (Bouché), on potted cabbage plants in a greenhouse when applied as a drench 3 days or 3 hours before eggs were introduced. It was not effective when applied 2 days or more after eggs were added or when the plants were transplanted from treated to untreated soil before eggs were added. The results suggested that the action of benomyl was ovicidal.

Pieris occidentalis nelsoni W. H. Edwards from Fairbanks, Alaska, was reared under a variety of photoperiod–temperature regimes. The source population is presumably univoltine and monophenic, with a phenotype resembling the vernal one produced by multivoltine, diphenic P. o. occidentalis Reakirt in Colorado and California. Photoperiods of 10 or 15 h produced 100% diapause pupae at 15 °C and circa 65% at 25 °C. Under continuous light 22% diapaused at 15 °C and < 1% at 25 °C. About 20% of non-diapause pupae produced adults resembling the estival phenotype of P. o. occidentalis, which is unknown in wild P. o. nelsoni. Although nelsoni is more likely to diapause than the nominate subspecies from the Sierra Nevada, its potential for direct development and polyphenism is interpreted as evidence that it is derived from a multivoltine ancestor.

A female rove beetle (Ocypus olens Müller) in the laboratory consumed 20 small-sized brown garden snails (Helix aspersa Müller) in 22 days, eating almost its weight in snail bodies daily. H. aspersa is a serious agricultural and residential plant pest. Field observations from an area where O. olens was well established had a smaller snail population than similar areas lacking the beetle. O. olens appears to be a promising candidate species for biological control of H. aspersa. Mass production of O. olens has not yet been attempted. A tabular key to the nearctic species of Ocypus is presented. In North America its distribution is limited to California for which a map is included.

The relationship between the temperature and the speed of development is described for the Kamloops ‘biotype’ of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and some of its associated hymenopterous parasites. The primary parasites are: Aphidius ervi ervi, A. ervi pulcher, A. smithi, and Praon pequodorum; and the secondary parasites are: Asaphes lucens and Dendrocerus niger. For each species the lower temperature threshold for development and the time-to-adult was determined under constant laboratory conditions using field-grown alfalfa as a host plant for the pea aphid and the first-generation offspring of field-collected aphids and parasites. The thermal constants enable the prediction of aphid and parasite population growth, as influenced by temperature, on a physiological time-scale.

The seven species of Lonchaeidae described by de Meijere from south-east Asia (all placed by him in the genus Lonchaea) are redescribed, compared with their relatives, and assigned to their proper genera: Lonchaea minuta, L. pugionata, Silba gibbosa, S. lucens, S. obscuripennis, S. setifera (all from Java), and S. cupraria (from Krakatau). Lectotypes are designated for all except cupraria which is known from the holotype only. L. minuta is a prior name for lambiana Bezzi (= longicornis Lamb). S. obscuripennis (= zopherosa McAlpine) is a junior synonym of S. atratula (Walker). Three new species, L. marshalli from Natal, L. hennigi from Formosa, and S. vanemdeni from Malaya, are described. Keys to the world species of the L. impressifrons and of the S. abstata groups of species are provided. The genitalia of 16 species are figured.

The evolutionary success of the mites, which rivals that of the insects, is reviewed briefly. A remarkable secondary adaptive radiation apparently occurred in the mites, probably beginning in the late Mesozoic, in conjunction with the major evolution and radiation of the insects and to a lesser extent of the higher plants and the warm-blooded vertebrate animals.

The spectrum of forest floor microhabitats, in which mite–arthropod associations may occur, is discussed. The problems in elucidating the living relationships between mites and other arthropods, due to biological complexities and physical difficulties, are reviewed. Some of the elements of close mite–arthropod associations are discussed, including protected stable habitats provided by insects, shared habitat specificities, regularity of co-occurrence, host specificity, site constancy of mites on their arthropod hosts, and life cycle synchrony.

Examples are given of the apparently few morphological adaptations of insects for accommodating mites. The variety of morphological structures which are adaptations of mites to an association with other arthropods are discussed, particularly regressive modifications. Physiological and behavioral adaptations of mites to secretions or to other actions of their arthropod associates are mentioned. Cases are given showing the different ways in which mites have achieved synchrony of their life cycle with that of their hosts.

Some thoughts on the usefulness of research on the interrelationships between mites and other arthropods conclude the paper.

Cylindrical traps with screen cones at the ends baited with virgin females and placed in rape fields about 1 m above ground level were effective in trapping males of the bertha armyworm. Males were most active between 0330 and 0430 h M.D.T. and moved precisely to confined females. Virgin females became attractive 1 day after emergence and remained attractive for at least 7 days. Trapping was an effective method for rapidly determining the presence of bertha armyworm.

Of nine treehopper species presented to the lizard, Anolis carolinensis, two were unpalatable. The basis for rejection of newly emerged adults of Umbonia crassicornis and Platycotis viltata appeared to be taste. As these adult insects matured the pronotum became highly sclerotized. Mature P. vittata lost their aposematic color and became palatable while U. crassicornis continued to be rejected. Both species brood their young and form large conspicuous aggregations.

Window flight traps baited with ethanol attracted 15 genera representing 25 species of scolytids. Monarthrum fasciatum and Xyleborus saxeseni were the most frequently trapped scolytids. Evidence for seasonal flight periods and vertical flight distribution are presented for Hypothenemus dissimilis, X. ferrugineus, X. saxeseni, X. sayi, X. xylographus, M. fasciatum, M. mali, and Corthylus columbianus. Live Q. velutina injected with ethanol attracted five species of scolytids: X. saxeseni, X. xylographus, M. fasciatum, M. mali, and C. columbianus.

The genus Lycoptis Casey, with one included species, L. americana (Motschulsky), is reviewed. Members are placed in the subfamily Peltinae and are defined and compared with other members of the family Trogositidae. Members of the Lophocateridae are not recognized as a distinct family and instead are placed in the Peltinae.

A 2-year study on management of apple pests was carried out on six orchards in the interior of British Columbia. Sample techniques and treatment thresholds were satisfactory for most pests with the exception of fruittree leafroller, Archips argyrospilus (Walker), western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and the mirid Campylomma verbasci (Meyer). The number of chemical sprays per orchard averaged eight when the study was initiated. In 1973, the sprays required for pest control were reduced to an average of 5.6 per orchard, and in 1974, this figure was further reduced to 3.1. This reduction in chemical sprays was accomplished without an increase in insect or mite injury to fruit or foliage.

Chilled adult codling moths, Laspeyresia pomonella (L.), are exposed to a cloud of Day Glo® fluorescent powder as they pass through a rotating screen drum.

A field trial with toxic-bait blocks for suppression of subterranean termite activity was initiated in Toronto. Decayed, mirex-impregnated red pine wood blocks 2.5 × 3.8 × 0.5 cm were placed individually in soil at 1.5-m intervals. Attack on bait blocks effectively suppressed termite activity for 3 years in the eight plots. The method offers a cheaper, environmentally sound, effective alternative to conventional soil-poisoning methods.

Field observations revealed many dead specimens of the adult syrphid Metasyrphus lapponicus Zetterstedt in a quarry in the Chicoutimi region of Quebec in the summer of 1972. All the flies lay in horizontal strips with their head towards the zenith of the sun. The presence of mycelium indicated that they succumbed to a fungal disease. A fungus representing a species of Entomophthora was isolated and found to be new. Why the syrphids chose the sandy slopes of a quarry in which to die was not determined.

Population growth and dispersion of Tetranychus mcdanieli McGregor were studied in an experiment conducted on Red Delicious apple trees grown in a light and temperature controlled walk-in growth room. Lloyd’s index of mean crowding was calculated as a means of interpreting aggregation patterns; however, it was found that mean colony size was a more generally useful population parameter . The regression of on mean density (m) and the ratio of mean density to were used to determine and characterize the patterns of dispersion obtained under the experimental conditions of the study.

It was shown that the ratio of mean density to is the proportion of sampling units (i.e. individual leaves) that would have a colony size of individuals per unit, all other units being unoccupied. Characterization by the concomitant parameters and provides a more sensitive and meaningful method of describing populations than does the arithmetic mean.

The data indicated that adult female populations of T. mcdanieli tend to be distributed as clumped colonies on apple trees. A plant feeding mite damage scale was devised to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of gross observational estimates as indicators of spider mite levels.

A new species, Chironomus athalassicus, is described from saline lakes in south-central British Columbia.

Euxoa melana n. sp., a sibling species of E. misturata (Smith), is described from the Panhandle area of Texas and from south-western Kansas. Together, the two species are herein referred to as the misturata group which is defined on the basis of genitalic characters. Adults and genitalia are illustrated.

1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)-urea when ingested by the last two larval instars of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, inhibits cuticle development leading to morphogenetic deformities in the pupal stage. Laboratory and greenhouse studies indicate that this material could be used to control natural populations of spruce budworm.

The primary type specimens of Lepidoptera in the collection of the Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory are listed. Taxa described by Lyman and three species described by Fyles and Grote are included. Lectotypes are designated where necessary.

The history of placement of the Heterocheylidae Trägårdh, 1950, is reviewed. The family does not belong in either the Anystoidea or the Cheyletoidea, and instead is placed in its own superfamily, Heterocheyloidea Trägårdh new status, which in turn is transferred to a position beside the cohort Tarsonemina in the supercohort Heterostigmata. The placement of Heterocheylidae in the Heterostigmata is based upon the presence of paired stigmatic openings on the anterolateral margin of the dorsum of the propodosoma, the subcapsular form of the gnathosoma, the structure of the palpi, the sequence of dorsal setae and tergites of the hysterosoma, and other characters. Diagnoses for the Heterostigmata and the Heterocheyloidea are given. The relationship of the Heterocheyloidea to the Tarsonemina is discussed.