Three leading entomopathogens isolated from Madagascar's migratory locust, Locusta migratoria capito Sauss, were evaluated in field and laboratory tests. In a field trial in Madagascar in 1994, two isolates of Metarhizium flavoviride Gams and Rozsypal (SP3 and SP9) and an isolate of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (SP16) were tested against L. migratoria capito. Locusts from field plots treated with SP9 experienced 100% mortality in 8 days, a higher death rate than that found in locusts treated with M. flavoviride SP3 or B. bassiana SP16. However, locusts treated with M. flavoviride SP3 or B. bassiana SP16 had significantly higher mortality than did the untreated controls. In separate field and laboratory trials in Cape Verde in 1994, SP9 was also tested against the Senegalese grasshopper, Oedaleus senegalensis Krauss. Oedaleus senegalensis treated in small-scale field plots with SP9 experienced 100% mortality in 8 days, a significantly higher death rate than that of the untreated controls. An extensive laboratory bioassay with SP9 revealed a dose–response for rate of mortality to O. senegalensis. Results from these trials in Madagascar and Cape Verde suggest that one or more of the Malagasy strains evaluated have good potential for biocontrol of locusts and grasshoppers.

The North American Aegeriidae are revised on the basis of the study of late-instar larvae of about 60 species. These species represent 20 genera in five tribes in two subfamilies: Bembeciini, Zenodoxini, Aegeriini and Melittiini in Zenodoxinae and Synanthedontini in Synanthedontinae. The presently recognized genera, Ramosia Engelhardt, Conopia Hübner and Thamnosphecia Spuler are reduced to synonyms of Synanthedon Hübner. Three new genera are defined by larval characters but are referred to only as Genera I, II and III. Larval characters for most of the species are discussed and illustrated; keys to species, genera and tribes are provided. Tribes, genera and most species are arranged in the text as nearly as possible according to their phylogenetic relationships as suggested by the larvae.

The 29 species and three subspecies comprising the imbecillus and rufus groups of the genus Philodromus in North America are described or redescribed, keyed, and illustrated. The imbecillus group contains six species, of which P. psaronius is described as new and the female of P. undarum Barnes is described for the first time. The rufus group contains 23 species and three subspecies, of which P. cubanus, P. distans, P. schicki, and P. bimuricatus are described as new-species, and P. rufus quartus as a new subspecies. P. inaequipes Banks, 1900 is proposed as a new synonym of P. minutus Banks, 1892, and P. michiganensis Levi, 1951 as a new synonym of P. peninsulanus Gertsch, 1934. P. mediocris Gertsch and P. minutus Banks are raised from synonymy, and P. pacificus Banks is raised from synonymy and made a subspecies of P. rufus Walckenaer.

The holarctic genus Symmerus and the transantarctic genus Australosymmerus are revised, a reconstruction of their phylogeny is presented, and their zoogeography is discussed. Diagnoses or redescriptions of 31 of the 37 previously-known species and descriptions of 14 new species are presented. The new species are S. nepalensis from Nepal; S. uncatus and S. vockerothi from eastern North America; A. acutus, A. magnificus, and A. truncatus from Mexico; and A. collessi, A. confusus, A. lobatus, A. maculatus, A. magellani, A. minutus, A. montorum, and A. peruensis from South America. Symmerus tristis (Loew) and S. dilutus Fisher are considered synonyms of S. lautus (Loew), and a lectotype is designated for Plesiastina bifasciata Williston. A subgeneric classification is proposed, in which two subgenera of Symmerus and eight subgenera of Australosymmerus are described. Crionisca Colless is considered to be a subgenus of Australosymmerus. The subgenera of Symmerus are Symmerus s. str. and the new subgenus Psilosymmerus (type-species: Symmerus coqulus Garrett). The subgenera of Australosymmerus are Australosymmerus s. str., Crionisca, and the new subgenera Ventrilobus (type-species: Centrocnemis fuscinervis Edwards), Araeostylus (type-species: Australomyia bivittata Freeman), Vellicocauda (type-species: Platyura insolita Walker), Tantrus (type-species: Australosymmerus montorum Munroe), Melosymmerus (type-species: Centrocnemis bisetosa Edwards), and Calosymmerus (type-species: Plesiastina bifasciata Williston). New combinations include A. aculeatus (Edwards), A. bisetosus (Edwards), A. mexicanus (Giglio-Tos), A. nitidus (Tonnoir), A. pediferus (Edwards), A. rieki (Colless), A. simplex (Freeman), A. tillyardi (Tonnoir), A. trivittatus (Edwards), and A. zonatus (Giglio-Tos). In addition to the six previously-described species which were not included in the study, five species remain unplaced in the subgeneric classification. Significant biological data are presented for S. coqulus Garrett, and some observations on the biology of S. vockerothi Munroe are also presented.The phylogeny of Symmerus and Australosymmerus was reconstructed by Hennig's system of "phylogenetic systematics" because there is no clearly-formulated alternative to the cladistic method for phylogenetic analysis. A number of logical and practical difficulties with the procedure are discussed. It was concluded that criteria of deviation from a basic plan and inferred adaptive significance were preferable to criteria of distribution of character states for the recognition and categorization of attributes as plesiomorphic or apomorphic, that the use of minute correspondence in structurally rich characters for the recognition of convergence and synapomorphy is not a reason for discarding phylogenetic methods for phenetic ones, as has been suggested, and that the necessity for tentative reference to a pre-existing phylogeny is neither a philosophical nor a practical problem.For each attribute used in the cladistic analysis, the inferred plesiomorphic and apomorphic state is described and the reason for the inference is stated. The monophyletic group described by each synapomorphy is identified; description of the monophyletic groups at each level specify the phylogenetic reconstruction, which is summarized by means of cladograms.Cladistic and zoogeographic evidence is presented which indicates that transantarctic relationships in Australosymmerus are found in a complex of closely-related sister-groups forming a monophyletic group confined to the South Temperate region. Two of the three transantarctic relationships occur at the intra-subgeneric level; the remaining one occurs at the inter-subgeneric level. The remaining species of Australosymmerus are shown to form a monophyletic morphological-chorological progression from south to north across the equator in the New World. The evidence indicates that the ancestor of Symmerus and Australosymmerus lived in the northern hemisphere. One phyletic line dispersed to the southern hemisphere and reached what is now South America at least by the early Tertiary, but probably much earlier, and gave rise to Australosymmerus. If Australosymmerus did not cross large water gaps, it must have been present in Gondwanaland before the break-off of New Zealand (Lower Cretaceous). Australosymmerus is not present in South Africa, indicating that it did not exist in Gondwanaland before the break-off of South Africa, or that it was present and has subsequently become extinct in South Africa. The sister-group of the transantarctic group migrated northwards, probably reaching northern South America before the end of the Oligocene.

From the endemic New World halyine genus Brochymena, two genera are recognized. New morphological characters at the generic level are described. Parabrochymena, new genus, with Pentatoma arborea Say as type species, is erected to contain 10 taxa formerly included in Brochymena. New combinations are Parabrochymena aculeata (Distant), P. apiculata (Van Duzee), P. arborea (Say), P. barberi barberi (Ruckes), P. barberi diluta (Blatchley), P. cuspidata (Distant), P. enigmatica (Ruckes), P. florida (Ruckes), P. haedula (Stål), and P. poeyi (Guérin-Méneville). Brochymena is redefined with 20 taxa: B. affinis Van Duzee, B. cariosa Stål, B. carolinensis (Westwood), B. chelonoides Ruckes, B. dilata Ruckes, B. exardentia Ruckes, B. hoppingi Van Duzee, B. humeralis Ruckes, B. laevigata Ruckes, B. lineata Ruckes, B. marginella Stål, B. myops Stål, B. parva Ruckes, B. punctata punctata Van Duzee, B. punctata pallida Blatchley, B. pilatei Van Duzee, B. quadripustulata (Fabricius), B. splendida Ruckes, B. sulcata Van Duzee, and B. tenebrosa Walker. Four synonymies are established: B. marginella Stål = B. carolinensis (Westwood); B. pilatei Van Duzee = B. sulcata Van Duzee; B. laevigata Ruckes = B. myops Stål; B. exardentia Ruckes = B. lineata Ruckes. Lectotypes are designated for B. affinis Van Duzee, B. cariosa Stål, B. myops Stål, B. punctata pallida Blatchley, and B. p. punctata Van Duzee. Species groups of Brochymena are characterized, and a key to all taxa is presented for the first time. As appropriate, for each species of Brochymena, the following are provided: citation of original description, synonymies, type material, diagnosis, description, geographical distribution, taxonomic comments, natural history, and illustrations of important structural characters. Chorological affinities are presented and systematic relationships are hypothesized.

The natural salt springs on Saltspring Island, southwestern British Columbia, originate from a source at least 1000 m deep and are distinct in chemical composition not only from the surrounding seawater but also from the groundwater-based salt springs on nearby Mayne Island. Spring water is approximately 2.2-fold more saline than average seawater and is characterized by having significantly higher levels of chloride, sodium, sulphate, silica, iron, alumina, and boron; similar levels of calcium, potassium, fluoride, and nitrogen; but less magnesium. The pH levels in different springs vary between 7.3 and 7.9, compared with pH 8.2 for average surface seawater. Near-surface water temperatures range from 7 °C in mid-winter to 16–21 °C in late summer.The flora and fauna that exploit this unique habitat are characterized by halophilic species known from other saline environments such as saline lakes, brackish water, beaches, and the intertidal zone. Organisms that have been isolated and identified include the following: seven species of bacteria, none of which depends exclusively on a saline environment; a blue-green alga that lives within the springs; an abundant filamentous green alga; and halophilic higher plants and grasses. Two species of spiders [Zelotes sp. (Gnaphosidae) and Pardosa sp. (Lycosidae)] are active in the salt-impregnated areas surrounding the springs.Collembola are represented by Anurida sp. (Poduridae); and insects by Saldula comatula (Saldidae, Hemiptera), the chironomids (Chironomidae, Diptera) Thalassosmittia marina plus two unidentified species, brine flies (Ephydridae, Diptera), and two unidentified cyclorrhaphan dipterans. Among the Hymenoptera, there are two species of Eupteromalus (Pteromalidae), Cyrtogaster capitanea (Pteromalidae), Urolepis rufipes (Pteromalidae), and Stigmus sp. (Pemphredonidae). Ants (Formica spp.) and yellowjackets (Vespula sp.) are frequent foragers in the immediate vicinity of the salt spring. There are three species of Coleoptera, Bembidion indistinctum (Carabidae), Ochthebius lecontei (Hydraenidae), and Thicanus mimus (Anthicidae). These insects are discussed in terms of their distribution within, and preference for, saline environments.

A search of literature on Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera of Canadian peatlands and marshes revealed only a few relevant studies which dealt mainly with emergence phenologies. Several species are listed in taxonomic and systematic works as being found in these wetland habitats, but because many of these records are the result of adult light trapping some doubt exists as to the actual habitat of the larvae.The Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera of peatlands and marshes in Canada appear to be part of a generalized fauna that also occurs in a wide variety of other habitats. Several species listed as occurring in peatlands and marshes also have been recorded in temporary pools. It is possible that adaptations for survival during the dry period in temporary pools also assist survival in many other habitats including the wetlands considered here.

The terrestrial spider fauna of a North German bog relict, initially examined in a pitfall trap study in 1964–1965, was the subject of a similar examination 22 years later. Between the investigations the bog, which was still in a quite pristine state, had considerably changed its ecological character due to progressive draining. Sixty-eight spider species were collected. Many of them are characteristic for bogs, but none can be regarded as bog-specific. On a general species level no clear clues about consequences of biotope changes could be ascertained; 81% of the former species were found again.The most informative data are provided by species composition and abundance of the more prevalent spider species. In 1964–1965 the spider fauna was clearly dominated by photophilous species, many of them additionally preferring wet or moist biotopes. Twenty-two years later the proportion of photophilous species had decreased in favour of more skotophilous species.The scale of changes in biotope characters is regarded as the most probable explanation for this phenomenon, especially the increase of "shrubbiness" in vegetation and the nearly total loss of peatmosses. The spider Antistea elegans (Blw.), Hahniidae, is discussed as a possible indicator species for monitoring hydrological changes in bog biotopes.

The tribe Coryphiini Hatch is redefined to include six genera and 18 species from North America. Two new genera are described: Gnathoryphium (type-species G. mandibulare n. sp.) and Holoboreaphilus (type-species Boreaphilus nordenskioeldi Maklin). Seven new species are described: Coryphium nigrum from the northeastern United States and Subhaida californica, S. aptera, S. monticola, S. utahensis, S. sinuata, and Gnathoryphium mandibulare from western North America. The genus Occiephelinus Hatch from western North America and Planeboreaphilus Shibata from Japan are considered junior synonyms of Coryphium Stephens. The western North American species formerly placed in Ephelinus Cockerell are transferred to the genus Coryphium. Pseudohaida ingrata Hatch is transferred to the genus Subhaida Hatch. Boreaphilus americanus Notman is placed in synonymy with B. henningianus C.R. Sahlberg.All genera and species are described. Habitus drawings, and line drawings of the antenna, labrum, maxilla, mandible, mentum, and labium are presented for at least one species of each genus. The aedeagus is illustrated for all the species except two that are known only from females.Of the species treated, three are Holarctic in distribution, four are restricted to eastern North America, and 11 are endemic to the mountainous areas of western North America.All available biological information for each species is included and a key is presented to aid in the identification of all the genera and species of the tribe in North America.