Ixodes (Pholeoixodes) gregsoni sp.nov. is described from adult females, nymphs, and larvae collected from the boreal forests of eastern Canada on American mink, Mustela vison Schreber, a species of weasel, Mustela sp., and American marten, Martes americana (Turton) (Carnivora: Mustelidae). Its morphological attributes, hosts, and distribution are compared with those of apparently its most closely related species, Ixodes (Pholeoixodes) texanus Banks.

A large, previously unstudied amber deposit in British Columbia dating from the Early to Middle Eocene (50−55 Ma) provides a noteworthy new source of terrestrial invertebrates and other life forms. This deposit contains what are likely the earliest unequivocal ants (members of the family Formicidae), including extinct representatives of Technomyrmex Mayr 1872, Leptothorax Mayr 1855, and Dolichoderus Lund 1831. Discovering Technomyrmex and a corydiinid cockroach, both of which are currently restricted to tropical regions, confirms earlier evidence of warm paleoclimates and past biogeographic distributions in the early Paleogene. Chemical analysis of the amber indicates that the source tree was an araucarian belonging to or near the genus Agathis Salisbury 1807, and demonstrates that this genus survived into the Tertiary in the Northern Hemisphere, since previous records revealed Agathis as a component only of the Cretaceous forests in North America. Comparing the Hat Creek fossil assemblages in this deposit with those from the well-studied western Canadian Late Cretaceous amber deposits offers a unique opportunity to study extinction and speciation events on both sides of the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary.

Descriptions, a key to species, and distribution maps are presented for the three species of Dissochaetus Reitter 1884 known from America north of Mexico. A lectotype is designated for Dissochaetus oblitus LeConte, which occurs in the eastern deciduous forest biome of the eastern United States and southern Ontario. Dissochaetus arizonensis Hatch occurs in mountain forests from Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas north to Wyoming. Dissochaetus mexicanus Jeannel is reported for the first time in the United States from montane forests in Big Bend, Texas. All are carrion scavengers. Each species represents a separate northwards colonization from Neotropical ancestors.

The rhizotrogine genus Malaisius Arrow is revised with descriptions of two new species, M. siamensis from northern montane areas of Thailand, and M. similis from northeast Yunnan, China. The type species, M. mollis Arrow, is redescribed, and Malaisius yunnanus (Moser) (Cyphochilus) is proposed as a new combination. The female of Malaisius is described for the first time and a key to the male species of Malaisius is provided. A discussion of relationships and distinguishing characters of the closely related genera Cyphochilus Waterhouse, Dedalopterus Sabatinelli and Pontuale, and Malaisius is also given.

This paper describes two related species of the subgenus Paragus (Paragus) Latreille 1804 from two remote regions. The study of material from the Bohart Museum (Davis, California, United States) resulted in the discovery of an undescribed Nearctic species, P. vockerothi sp.nov. Simultaneously, one similar new European species, P. glumaci sp.nov., is reported among material collected from the Balkan Peninsula. The description of both species, with figures of male genitalia and diagnostic characters, is given. The zoogeographical significance of the discovery of these species is emphasized.

A troglobite species, Quaestus (Quaestus) acuminatus sp.nov., from the Cantabrian Mountains (Province of Asturias, Spain) is described and illustrated. The taxonomic position is discussed and data on its isolation and geographical distribution are given.

Investigations of preimaginal development in Tiphodytes gerriphagus Marchal reveal two larval instars, based on counting exuviae and comparing mandible length during development within Limnoporus dissortis Drake & Harris eggs. Tiphodytes gerriphagus eggs are stalked, as is typical of scelionids, and are 282.6 ± 3.48 μm (mean ± SE) long. The chorion ruptures at 8–9 h postoviposition and releases a nonfeeding embryo into the host. Feeding begins at 18–20 h postoviposition, after the embryonic cuticle is shed and a fully differentiated and active larva is released. The first larval stage is teleaform and lasted up to 5 days postoviposition, and its total length increased from 183.6 ± 3.35 to 517.0 ± 14.67 μm. The second larval stage is hymenopteriform and lasted from 5 to 13 days postoviposition, and grew from 920.2 ± 24.65 to 1352.4 ± 11.89 μm total length before pupating. The pupal period lasted about 11 days, with male pupae being shorter and thinner than female pupae. These findings differ from previous descriptions of T. gerriphagus, and it is suspected that the first instar was mistakenly divided into two stadia. The sex ratio under laboratory conditions was female biased (22% males), and males were smaller but did not emerge significantly earlier than females.

Extraction of DNA from whole aphids, in combination with random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) (Williams et al. 1990) markers can detect interspecific and intraspecific genetic variation (Black et al. 1992; Cenis et al. 1993). However, these techniques entail destructive sampling of fresh or preserved specimens. To allow experimental replication from a single sample while preserving the same aphid for morphometrical or karyotyping analyses, we describe a technique for RAPD-PCR using DNA from single aphid embryos. We evaluated the usefulness and reliability of single-embryo analysis, using four species of our laboratory colonies, namely Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis fabae Scopoli, Aphis frangulae group, and Aphis gossypii Glover.

A study was undertaken to determine aspects of the life history, behaviour, and host plant feeding preferences of Ceutorhynchus neglectus Blatchley, a minor pest of canola, Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L., in western Canada. The final-instar larva was described for the first time. Ceutorhynchus neglectus was univoltine, with adults first occurring on host plants in early June. Mating occurred throughout June and July, and eggs were laid into the distal ends of developing siliques of flixweed, Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb (Brassicaceae). Mate guarding behaviour was observed for males of C. neglectus, which remained attached to females long after copulation was completed and, if necessary, struggled with rival males to prevent them from fertilizing their mates. Larvae fed upon developing seeds and, when mature, bored through the pods, dropped to the soil, and constructed earthen cells approximately 2 cm beneath the soil surface where they pupated. Results from laboratory host preference studies were consistent with field observations which indicated that among selected species of Brassicaceae, leaves and siliques of D. sophia were preferred by adults of C. neglectus as feeding sites. In contrast to flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which fed indiscriminantly over the entire cotyledon surfaces of canola seedlings, adults of C. neglectus caused less cotyledon damage per individual and tended to feed on cotyledon edges. Because of its biology and host plant preferences, C. neglectus should remain a minor pest of canola, and can only be expected to invade the crop when its preferred host (flixweed) is unavailable.

Cyphocleonus achates (Fahraeus) is a weevil used for the biological control of diffuse knapweed, Centaurea diffusa Monnet Del La Marck, and spotted knapweed, Centaurea maculosa Monnet Del La Marck, in North America. This research provided specific information on the biology of this insect in British Columbia. Adult weevils were released at six densities (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 male–female pairs) in each of 2 years into plots containing spotted knapweed. Larvae per plant, larval mass, larval survival, adult emergence, and air temperature were measured. Larval production increased with the release density of weevils in both the 1992 cohort and the 1993 cohort. Larval mass did not differ between years. Larval mass also did not vary with the release density of adults or the number of larvae per root. Larval survival of the 1993 cohort ranged from 17 to 48%, whereas that of the 1994 cohort ranged from 0 to 91%. Adult emergence began after the accumulation of 726–1144 degree-days. For both cohorts the date of first emergence occurred earlier, as the average number of larvae per plant increased for both cohorts. Increasing competition for food or space in the roots can induce early emergence. Sex ratios did not vary with date of emergence or release density of adult weevils. Adult emergence increased with the release density in the 1992 cohort, suggesting the average larval densities did not exceed the carrying capacity of the roots. The peak emergence rate increased with the release density in the 1992 cohort, but not in the 1993 cohort because of lower larval survival.

In randomized complete block experiments using multiple-funnel traps frontalin was only moderately attractive to spruce beetles, Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby, in northern British Columbia. MCOL (1-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol) of any enantiomeric composition significantly enhanced the attraction of both sexes (up to 3.4 and 4.2 times for females and males, respectively) to traps baited with frontalin. The lack of an enantiospecific preference for MCOL aligns beetles in northern British Columbia with those in southeastern British Columbia and northern Alberta, but not with enantiospecific populations in southern British Columbia and Alaska. In tree baits, neither MCOL nor seudenol (3-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol) enhanced the efficacy of frontalin. The power of frontalin alone at a release rate of 1.2 mg per 24 h (half the rate in commercial baits) indicates that the currently used operational tree baits could be modified by lowering the dose and eliminating α-pinene.

Two colour morphs of Enoplognatha ovata (Clerck), “redimita” and “lineata” the abdomens of which are whitish with two pink stripes and greyish-yellow, respectively, differ in their foraging strategies. When placed in artificial arenas with flowering stems to ascend, we noted that both morphs had a strong tendency to wander over the ground rather than ascend a stem [unlike the crab spider, Misumena vatia Clerck (Araneae: Thomisidae)], but that lineata was significantly more prone to wander than was redimita. Neither morph showed choice for the type of stem or colour of flower. Nevertheless, redimita showed a greater preference for choosing white artificial flowers (discs) atop 30-cm wooden rods than did lineata. We propose that the relative abundances of the two colour morphs in the natural population represents a balanced polymorphism which is maintained in part by polyethism in hunting strategies, with redimita being more fastidious in its selection of cryptic hunting sites in flowers than is lineata, and the latter being more cryptic and more errant on the ground.

Twenty-one species of Coccinellidae were trapped in flight between 0.8 and 14.3 m from 1992 to 1995 in New Brunswick, Canada. Catches were larger at 0.8 m, with a rapidly decreasing capture rate leading, on average, to more than 50% of the catches at or below 3.8 m every year. The capture rate at 14.3 m was lower than at any of the nine other levels. Hippodamia convergeas Guérin-Méneville flights were distributed close to the ground, with more than 50% of catches at 0.8 m, whereas Mulsantina hudsonica Casey flights were similar at all levels. The strong decreasing gradient of flight as a function of height for Coccinellidae (−0.825) was strongly influenced by that of H. convergens (−1.809) and of Coccinella septempunctata L. (−0.921) and Coccinella trifasciata perplexa Mulsant (−0.715). All other species had a slope of less than −0.5. The temporal distribution of flights was species specific, with maximum activity before the end of June for most, but this was not reflected in the frequency of catches for the entire family, which did not differ throughout the season, although they tended to be lower after mid-August. The weekly vertical flight distribution differed from the average distribution pattern only occasionally, probably during periods of long-distance dispersal. These profiles and known catches from a single trap location can be used to estimate dispersal activity at different heights.

Tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), are important parasites of honeybees, Apis mellifera L. (Morse and Flottum 1997). They enter the prothoracic tracheae and feed through the walls on haemolymph. Currently, these mites are controlled by applying 50 g of menthol crystals in a perforated bag per hive when ambient temperatures are 15°C or more. Even then, it takes 2 weeks for the menthol to perfuse the hive (Herbert et al. 1988; Wilson et al. 1990). In cold climates, sublimation of menthol is too slow to be effective in controlling mites, especially in spring and fall when control is most needed (Scott-Dupree and Otis 1992).

Because menthol fumes enter the bees' trachea and kill the mites therein, it may be possible to kill the mites with menthol that is delivered to them via the haemolymph. Therefore, finding if menthol could become systemic when ingested by bees and it could kill tracheal mites by that route, an ingestible menthol medicament for the bees would hold potential for mite control (Kevan and Kevan 1997).