Parthenicus brooksi n. sp. is described and male genitalia illustrated. Cyrtorhinus caricis (Fallén) and Fieberocapsus flaveolus (Reuter) are reported from Canada and North America respectively. Diaphnocoris pellucida (Uhler) is synonymized with D. provancheri (Burque).

The distribution of Douglas-fir tussock moth, Orgyia pseudotsugata (McD.), cocoons was studied within and between the crowns of white fir, Abies concolor ((Gord. and Glend.) Lindl.), at six locations in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The within tree, between tree, and between plot distribution of cocoons in the crown, categorized by sex, mortality (including parasitization), and stage (larva or pupa) were analyzed. Only cocoons containing female pupae varied in their distribution within the tree and they were concentrated in the bottom third of the live crown but their densities at any one level bore little relation to those in the other levels within the crown. Cocoon density varied significantly between plots and between trees within plots. Total parasitism did not vary significantly between plots. The variable within tree distribution of cocoons containing female pupae and their increased percentage parasitism relative to those containing male pupae, suggested that the live crown should be stratified. A sample unit consisting of two branches selected from the midpoint of each of the three crown levels (total: 6 branches) sampled approximately 5% of the live crown of white fir. The relation between the number of sample trees and mean cocoon density at three levels of precision is provided.

A faunal list of 362 sub-fossil Coleoptera obtained from 33 published and 24 unpublished sites of Pleistocene age in Canada and the neighbouring United States is given. A table indicates the distribution of families, with the number of species encountered, through discrete intervals of Pleistocene time. Seven species representing members of the Carabidae, Hydrophilidae, Staphylinidae, and Scolytidae have been used to illustrate distribution changes through the last interglacial/glacial/present interglacial cycle. The maximum distance so far recorded is a shift of over 9000 km for Anotylus gibbulus (Epp.), a staphylinid, found fossil in Toronto during the last interglacial, and today recorded only from Eurasia and Asia. A number of other species whose modern ranges are confined to northwestern North America have been found fossil in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence region, over 4000 km distant. A similar shift is noted in species which today are found only in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Aspects of ice build up, marginal conditions outside the Laurentide Ice Sheet limits, Pleistocene climates, paleoecology, and sub-fossil insect localities are used to formulate hypotheses about three refugia around the perimeter of the Late Wisconsinan ice.

The generic classification of the Macropsini is reviewed, and five new genera and four new subgenera are erected: Macropsella n. gen., Macropsis (Neomacropsis) n. subgen, M. (Parapediopsis) n. subgen., Pedionis n. gen., P. (Thyia) n. subgen., Pediopsoides (Celopsis) n. subgen.; Reticopsis n. gen., Toropsis n. gen., and Varicopsella n. gen.. The following genus-group names are considered to be subgenera: Macropsidius Ribaut as a subgenus of Macropsis Lewis; Nanopsis Freytag, Kiamoncopsis Linnavuori and Sispocnis Anufriev as subgenera of Pediopsoides Matsumura; Parasitades Singh-Pruthi as a subgenus of Oncopsis Burmeister. Asmaropsis Linnavuori is synonymized with Hephathus Ribaut, Tsavopsis Linnavuori is synonymized with Macropsis (s.s.) Lewis, and Zinneca Amyot & Serville is synonymized with Oncopsis Burm. (s.s.).

Three hundred and seventy-three macropsine species (including 59 unnamed species) are placed generically, with 73 new combinations. Twelve new species are described: Macropsella complicata (New Guinea), Macropsis citronella (Australia), M. gagnei (New Guinea), M. gressitti (New Guinea), Oncopsis enopis (Nepal), O. nepalensis (Nepal), O. tortosa (Nepal), Pedionis astrala (Philippines), P. contrasta (Hong Kong), P. venosa (Japan), Pediopsis femorata (Formosa), Varicopsella obtusa (Borneo). An index is provided to the 436 available names in the Macropsini, including four unplaced species from the Ethiopian region and 21 from the Australian region.

Macropsine types in the B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, the British Museum (Natural History), London, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, and the U.S. National Museum, Washington are illustrated and lectotypes are designated for Kirkaldy and Matsumura species. A neotype in the Canadian National Collection is designated for Zinneca flavidorsum Amyot & Serville.

Pheromone trap capture of feral male Oriental fruit moths was highly correlated with capture of males emerging from ground litter in the spring of 1977 and 1978. The correlation between pheromone trap capture of males and female emergence was also good in 1978 but poor in 1977. It is concluded that pheromone monitoring traps are an accurate measure of the actual spring adult emergence pattern of this species.

The female of Xysticus winnipegensis Turnbull et al., 1965 is described for the first time. The external genitalia of the female show the species to belong to the luctuosus group of the genus rather than the triangulosus group as previously supposed.

Two Pandemis species, introduced into British Columbia, are discussed: P. cerasana (Hübner) found in 1965 and P. heparana (Denis & Schiffermüller) found in 1978. They are compared with the native North American Pandemis pyrusana Kearfott and P. limitata (Robinson).

Seasonal morphometric analysis of 788 adult Polistes metricus Say showed that: (1) Queens sampled throughout the colony cycle were of similar body size but significantly smaller than fall gynes. (2) Queens’ ovaries are large in the spring, decline early in the colony cycle, peak near the mid-postemergence period and decline late in the colony cycle. (3) There are no significant correlations between head width, ovary width, and size of nest in workers or queens. (4) Early and late workers are small but workers emerging during the mid-postemergence period are large. (5) All workers and gynes emerge with small, similar sized ovaries but older workers may develop larger ovaries. (6) Queens are larger than early and late workers but the same size as workers emerging during the mid-postemergence period. (7) The class with the largest adults were intermediates collected when colonies began production of males. These adults, intermediate in fat content between workers and gynes, comprised a large proportion of females emerging late in the colony cycle. (8) The body size of gynes is independent of colony size. (9) Males were significantly more variable in body size than gynes.

Measures of pollen removal in the orchid Cypripedium acaule Ait. provided a retrospective method for estimating the activity of bumble bee pollinators in New Brunswick spruce-fir forests. Significantly lowered activity was observed in fenitrothion-sprayed forest as compared with unsprayed control areas. The difference is probably attributable to direct mortality of bees in sprayed forest.

Influence of temperature and moisture on black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), development and reproduction was studied on field corn. The black cutworm spends portions of its life above and below soil, consequently influence of temperature and soil moisture and temperature and relative humidity (R.H.) was determined. Temperatures of 34°, 27°, and 20°C were used with 18%, 24%, and 30% soil moisture and with 40%, 60%, and 80% R.H. In addition, a treatment of 13 °C and 60% R.H. was included.

Temperature was the only factor influencing development of all stages, with 27°C the optimum temperature studied. Soil moisture did not influence larval development, but relative humidity affected the first five instars. Larvae required from 6 to 9 instars to complete development, with temperature and relative humidity affecting the number of molts. Head capsule measurements varied depending on the number of molts required for development. Fecundity was greatest at 27° and 20°C, and at 60% and 80% R.H. The optimum treatment for reproduction and adult survival was 20°C and 80% R.H. Many females failed to lay fertile eggs at 34° and 13°C.

Five species of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) were found on citrus in southern Texas: Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell), Paraleyrodes citri Bondar, Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead), and D. citrifolii (Morgan). Parasite records for this area were Amitus hesperidum Silvestri (Platygastridae) and Prospaltella opulenta Silvestri (both Encyrtidae) attacking A. woglumi; Eretmocerus sp. near paulistus Hem. (Encyrtidae), Amitus sp., and Prospaltella sp. attacking A. floccosus; and Prospaltella sp. attacking P. citri. Predators recorded were Delphastus pusillus (Le Conte) (Coccinellidae) feeding on A. floccosus; D. pusillus and Nephaspis amnicola Wingo (Coccinellidae) feeding on P. citri. A pathogenic fungus, Aschersonia aleyrodis Webber, was found attacking D. citri.

Munroe (1956) summarized knowledge of the distribution patterns and history of the Canadian insect fauna; and a general synthesis beyond his conclusions is not yet possible. Results of studies on Nearctic Nebria taxa illustrate present distribution patterns and provide clues to the history of the montane fauna of western Canada. Nebria species and subspecies diversity is greatest in the Coast/Cascade Mountains just south of Canada and decreases northward. Major centers of endemism are located south of Canada, in the Coast/Cascade and southern Rocky Mountain systems, with minor centers found in western Alberta and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Species and subspecies vicariance patterns link Coast/Cascade and Rocky Mountain systems across the Okanagan lowland; and subspecies vicariance patterns link (1) Coast and Cascade mountains across Puget lowland/Georgia Strait and (2) central Canadian Rocky Mountains and Rocky Mountains of western Wyoming. These and other data presented on Nebria distribution patterns and faunal similarities among different mountain ranges and systems suggest that the present montane fauna of western Canada is derived from two source areas—one in the Coast/Cascade Mountain region, one in the Rocky Mountain region, each just south of the Canadian/U.S. border—which were separate and distinct during and after Wisconsinan time. Northern (e.g. Beringian) Wisconsinan refugia apparently did not contribute significantly to the present montane fauna.

The genus Eudasyphora Townsend 1911 is resurrected from junior synonymy and recognized with the genera Dasyphora Robineau-Desvoidy 1830 and Pyrellia Robineau-Desvoidy 1830. Rypellia Malloch 1932 is a subgenus of Eudasyphora, but Dasypyrellia Lobanov 1976 is reported as synonym novum. A key to the species of Eudasyphora is presented. Two new species are described: E. cordilleriana n. sp. from western North America, and E. canadiana n. sp. from northern North America. The phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis led to the following conclusions: Eudasyphora became separated from its sister genus Pyrellia before the beginning of the Pleistocene glaciations. The Rypellia line evolved further in the Oriental Region, whereas the Eudasyphora s. str. line developed in the Holarctic Region. Speciation in both subgenera is correlated with the history of the forest vegetation during the Pleistocene.

Five types of hemocytes (plasmatocytes, granular cells, spherule cells, oenocytoids, and prohemocytes) were identified in the larval, prepupal, and pupal stages of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.). Hemocyte numbers (total hemocyte counts and absolute hemocyte counts) increased during larval development. The absolute counts were greater in female larvae than in the male larvae during the fourth instar but were higher in the males during the fifth and sixth instars. Hemocyte numbers peaked in the prepupal stage in females and in the early pupal stage in males. The plasmatocytes and granular cells were the predominant hemocytes in both sexes. The plasmatocytes decreased and the granular cells increased throughout larval development of both sexes. There were more plasmatocytes in the males than in the females in all stages of development. There were more granular cells in the males than the females until the sixth instar when the reverse occurred.

An aphid, Aphis barberae new species, is described from garden nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus L. and burdock, Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. It differs from A. fabae Scopoli mainly in that it can not be cultured on faba bean, Vicia faba L.

The trails of Camponotus modoc Wheeler follow perennial routes. The ants orient along these using both chemical and visual cues. If the chemical cues are disrupted the ants reform the trail while orienting by visual cues. They can respond to the same visual cues after at least 12 h, and since no evidence was found that the chemical cues survive the winter, probably after 6 months.

Females of Microctonus vittatae Muesebeck reared at 20°C were darker in colour than females reared at 25°C but were lighter than those reared at 15°C. Temperature during the parasite’s larval or pupal development in the cocoon, or both, was apparently responsible for the colour differences. The observed effect of temperature is probably also associated with colour variability among adults of M. vittatae field-collected throughout the season.

The activity of the predacious mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot was greater oh a glass substrate than on a bean leaf substrate. Temperature did not affect its relative activity on the two substrates. The phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae Koch was inactive on the bean leaf substrate. It was active on the glass substrate and its activity varied with temperature. The functional response of P. persimilis and T. urticae was examined at four temperatures (15°, 20°, 25°, 30 °C). Each functional response to increasing temperature rose curvilinearly to a plateau. From Holling’s disk equation, rate of successful search increased and handling time decreased.

The insect fauna of the Canadian prairies is composed of elements recruited from surrounding biomes. Most species appear to have invaded from the southeastern United States following the retreat of the last glaciation. Other distinct centers of origin are the eastern boreal forest, the Rocky Mountains, the Alaskan-Beringian refugium, and the Sonoran or interior basin of the southwestern United States. Because of the youthfulness and instability of the prairies as a biome, true prairie endemic species are rare. While an inventory of prairie insects is far from complete, enough information is available to detect basic patterns of immigration.

During 1977, a detailed study was undertaken to develop efficient sampling procedures for estimating egg and larval populations of the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rond.), in Vernal alfalfa. Distributions of the stages within and between stems were contagious and stem totals tended to follow negative binomial distributions. Within stems, the density of eggs and larval mines increased exponentially from base to tip. Taking these patterns and the costs of sampling into account, and using the relevant components of variance, four leaves taken systematically from a single stem is proposed as the appropriate sample unit for both eggs and mines. On this basis, 200 stems per field will give adequate precision (less than 10% of the mean with confidence probability 90%) for population estimates. However, the propensity of the leafminer to prefer the middle leaflet to the basal leaflets in the approximate ratio 3:4:3 suggests that sampling costs may be further reduced by restricting counts to the middle leaflet and raising them by a factor of 2.5.