Transporting firewood can spread plant pests such as the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), which was discovered in Lower Michigan, United States of America in 2002. In 2005, Michigan banned the transport of hardwood firewood northwards across the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Lower and Upper Michigan. In 2005–2011, 479 drivers of 11 commercial vehicles and 468 private vehicles were interviewed. Firewood was collected in every month of the year, with most firewood collected in June–September. Of the 468 private vehicles surveyed, 400 carried firewood originating from Michigan, 64 carried it from 19 other American states, and four carried it from three Canadian provinces. Most vehicles (93%) were bound for Upper Michigan, 4% were bound for eight other American states, and 3% were bound for four Canadian provinces. Drivers transported 1–275 pieces of firewood, with 33% of drivers having 1–10 pieces and 87% having up to 50 pieces. Surrendered firewood represented 19 tree genera – 18 hardwood genera and one conifer. Of 59 vehicles carrying ash (Fraxinus) firewood, 15 had firewood with A. planipennis signs. Firewood was transported mainly for camping (76%), for weight (15%), and to be used at cottages (5%).

The world is astoundingly variable, and organisms – from individuals to whole communities – must respond to variability to survive. One example of nature’s variability is the fluctuations in populations of spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which cycle every 35 years. In this study, we examined how a parasitoid community altered its parasitism of budworm and other caterpillar species in response to these fluctuations. Budworm and other caterpillar species were sampled from balsam fir (Pinaceae) in three plots for 14 years in Atlantic Canada, then were reared to identify any emerging parasitoids. We found that the parasitoid community generally showed an indiscriminate response (i.e., no preference, where frequencies dictated parasitism rates) to changes in budworm frequencies relative to other caterpillar species on balsam fir. We also observed changes in topology and distributions of interaction strengths between the parasitoids, budworm, and other caterpillar species as budworm frequencies fluctuated. Our study contributes to the hypothesis that hardwood trees are a critical part of the budworm–parasitoid food web, where parasitoids attack other caterpillar species on hardwood trees when budworm populations are low. Taken together, our results show that a parasitoid community collectively alters species interactions in response to variable budworm frequencies, thereby fundamentally shifting food-web pathways.

The greenhouse cucumber pests, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), are major threats to the production of greenhouse cucumbers (Cucurbitaceae) in Lebanon. The development of insecticide resistance by these pests has prompted the use of alternative and sustainable pest management strategies. In this study, we used integrated pest management strategies, including the release of the biological control agents, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), to control whitefly, thrips, and two-spotted spider mite populations on greenhouse cucumber plants in two commercial production sites (sites A and B). We also compared the efficacy of pest population suppression using the integrated pest management strategy with that of chemical pest control. Our results show that biological control effectively maintains the cucumber pest populations below the economic threshold when coupled with additional integrated pest management measures. In addition, we show that biological control agents were equally or more effective in pest population suppression compared to eight and 12 insecticidal and acaricidal sprays performed in the control greenhouses at sites A and B, respectively. Altogether, our results show the efficacy of adopting integrated pest management and biological control for pest population suppression in greenhouse cucumber production under Mediterranean environmental conditions.

Porapak Q-captured volatiles from both sexes of Trypodendron betulae Swaine (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) excised from newly attacked logs of paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marshall (Betulaceae), as well as volatiles from unattacked birch logs, were analysed by coupled gas chromatographic electroantennographic detection analysis. Active compounds were identified by gas chromatographic mass spectroscopy. The enantiomeric ratio of 6-ethenyl-2,2,6-trimethyloxan-3-ol (linalool oxide pyranoid) was determined using a Cyclodex B column. Field-trapping experiments disclosed that the female-produced aggregation pheromone of T. betulae is a blend of the (3S,6R)-trans- and (3R,6R)-cis-linalool oxide pyranoid. Trap catches were synergistically increased when the pheromone was combined with both the host volatile ethanol and with conophthorin, which was found in female beetles as well as host volatiles. Use of linalool oxide pyranoid reproductively isolates T. betulae from sympatric Trypodendron Stephens species for which only (+)-lineatin has been identified as an aggregation pheromone.

Type material (treated as syntypes) of Oxycarenus breddini Bergroth, 1905 has been found in the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique in Brussels, Belgium. A lectotype has been designated, and so the neotype is redundant.

Molecular analyses of DNA samples necessitate careful attention to experimental protocols to prevent contamination of samples during the specimen collection and DNA extraction, amplification, and visualisation stages. When these studies involve insects that are collected in the field, standard procedures require samples to be individually sorted and stored in single tubes to prevent cross-contamination of DNA between specimens. This additional step can be time consuming and impractical when the survey population is large. The focus of our study was to experimentally determine if this assumed contamination risk is valid and if it varies with storage conditions. To test this, we co-stored a single intact fruit fly (Drosophilia melanogaster) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) known to be infected with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia (Anaplasmataceae) with uninfected flies in tubes for three-hour, 24-hour, and one-week durations. For each treatment time, replicates of five tubes contained one infected fly and either one or five uninfected flies (1:1 and 1:5 ratios). Overall, eight of 30 tubes had contamination regardless of storage duration, and storing samples in crowded (1:5 ratio) conditions significantly increased the risk of Wolbachia DNA transference. Our results suggest that researchers should make efforts to sample and store specimens individually if cross-contamination is a concern in molecular analyses.

Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), was first recorded in North America from Europe about 150 years ago and can be a significant pest of canola in Western Canada. Because parasitism of P. xylostella in Canada is generally low, the introduction of one or more additional exotic parasitoids from Europe is being considered to increase the suppression of P. xylostella populations. Life table studies to determine the impact of parasitoids on diamondback moth populations in Europe were conducted in northwestern Switzerland in 2014–2016. Net reproductive rates were found to be less than one in seven out of eight life tables, suggesting that P. xylostella populations in Switzerland are mostly driven by immigration and recolonisation. In total, seven primary parasitoid species and one hyperparasitoid were associated with diamondback moth. Pupal parasitism by D. collaris reached up to 30%, but because generational mortality was mainly driven by abiotic mortality factors and predation of larvae, the overall contribution of pupal parasitism was low (< 6%). In regions of Canada, where P. xylostella may have increasing populations and low larval mortality, the addition of D. collaris may be a promising approach. Life table studies across Canada are necessary to determine the need for such intervention.

Wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an invasive pest of wheat, Triticum spp. (Poaceae), in North America and is found in all wheat-growing regions of the world. Wheat midge biology, particularly post-diapause emergence of adults, varies with geographic region. The biology of wheat midge has not previously been examined in the northernmost area of its range in Canada – the Peace River region of Alberta. Wheat midge adult emergence was compared in situ to two phenological models of wheat midge emergence developed in other geographic regions. In-field adult emergence did not match the published phenological models. In the Peace River region, adults emerged later than are predicted by both models and precision for both models was low. With the Saskatchewan model, accumulated rainfall that was more than 110 mm in May and early June delayed emergence, whereas accumulated rainfall that was less than 43 mm during that period caused earlier than predicted emergence. Multiple peaks of wheat midge emergence, up to 20 days apart, were observed at some sites, supporting the Jacquemin model depicting “waves” of emergence. Including differences in soil temperature accumulation related to precipitation and optimising the model temperature thresholds would improve accuracy of the current Canadian phenological model in the Peace River region.

The first western Canadian records of the European carabid, Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Carabidae), are reported from Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Delta, British Columbia, Canada. A species description is provided to facilitate identification of this new invasive species. In addition, pitfall trap data are presented that demonstrate establishment of populations at four locations in Coquitlam. Trap catches were substantially higher at one anthropogenic meadow site than at three urban forest sites. Potential for further expansion of the range of N. brevicollis in British Columbia and beyond is discussed.

Several Drosophila species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) have become serious economic pests of berry and soft-skinned stone fruits around the world. Prominent examples are Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), D. melanogaster (Meigen), D. hydei (Sturtevant), and D. immigrans (Sturtevant). Information on the biology and ecology of Drosophila is important for a better understanding of these important fruit pests and, ultimately, for fruit protection. In this study, the gut bacteriomes of these four Drosophila species were surveyed and the differences among bacterial communities were characterised. The 16S rRNA genes of gut microbes were sequenced by Illumina MiSeq technology (Illumina, San Diego, California, United States of America), followed by α-diversity and β-diversity analyses. The results show that bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae (Kluyvera and Providencia; phylum Proteobacteria) dominated all four Drosophila species. Specific dominant gut bacterial communities were found in each Drosophila species. The dominant families in D. melanogaster and D. suzukii were Enterobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae, and Acetobacteraceae. In the intestine of D. hydei, Enterobacteriaceae had a proportion of 56.99%, followed by Acetobacteraceae, Spiroplasmataceae, and Bacillales Incertae Sedis XII. In D. immigrans, besides Enterobacteriaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Xanthomonadaceae, Comamonadaceae, and Sphingobacteriaceae also had high relative abundance. These data expand current knowledge about the putative function related to gut microbes – for example, the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, inorganic ions, lipids, and secondary metabolites. This knowledge provides a basis for further metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic investigations.

Exotic ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in the tribe Xyleborini include destructive pests of trees growing in horticultural cropping systems. Three species are especially problematic: Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff), Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), and Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford). Due to similarities in their host tree interactions, this mini-review focuses on these three species with the goal of describing their host-selection behaviour, characterising associated semiochemicals, and assessing how these interactions relate to their management. All three of these Xylosandrus spp. attack a broad range of trees and shrubs. Physiologically stressed trees are preferentially attacked by X. crassiusculus and X. germanus, but the influence of stress on host selection by X. compactus is less clear. Ethanol is emitted from weakened trees in response to a variety of stressors, and it represents an important attractant for all three species. Other host-derived compounds tested are inconsistent or inactive. Verbenone inhibits attraction to ethanol, but the effect is inconsistent and does not prevent attacks. Integrating repellents and attractants into a push–pull management strategy has been ineffective for reducing attacks but could be optimised further. Overall, maintaining host vigour and minimising stress-induced ethanol are keys for managing these insects, particularly X. crassiusculus and X. germanus.

Stylops advarians Pierce (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) is a prevalent parasite of adult Andrena milwaukeensis Graenicher (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. By dissecting adult bees and examining histological sections, we sought to determine how neotenic females of S. advarians impact female hosts of A. milwaukeensis anatomically. Adult bees with 1–3 females of S. advarians within their gasters were compared to nonstylopised bees (control). The presence of a single female parasite inhibited development of the host’s ovaries. The bee’s foregut shifted laterally when one parasite occupied the gaster and ventrally when two or three were present, thereby reducing the crop’s expandable capacity and the amount of nectar and pollen that stylopised bees can ingest. The midgut and hindgut were less significantly affected by stylopisation. Female parasites typically occupied the host’s gaster dorsolaterally, where each was supported by one of the host’s air sacs. If a third female parasite was present, she resided dorsally along the midline of the host’s gaster, mostly supported by the two female parasites to either side. Asynchronous development within neotenic female parasites was demonstrated, wherein mature first-instar larvae occupied the cephalothorax and abdomen at the same time that the adult female was still supporting multiple embryos.

The banana stem weevil, Odoiporus longicollis Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an important economic insect pest of bananas throughout the world. In this study, several important volatile substances were analysed to develop a semiochemical-based trapping technique for the control of O. longicollis. Electroantennogram responses of both sexes were associated with electroantennogram-active compounds (1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, cis-3-Nonen-1-ol, methyl jasmonate, and terpenoids such as (–)-linalool, (+)-(1R)-α-pinene, (–)-(1S)-α-pinene, and 1,8-cineole) and then were analysed using a Y-tube olfactometer. The results revealed that only methyl jasmonate and 1-hexanol elicited strong behavioural responses in O. longicollis. These two semiochemicals and the host plant extract were evaluated individually and in a mixture for their efficiencies in attracting O. longicollis in order to develop a semiochemical-based trapping technique. The methyl jasmonate + host plant extract and 1-hexanol + host plant extract mixtures captured more weevils (> 3.5 times) than the host plant extract alone did in both high- and low-altitude regions. The captured weevils were female-dominated, with a mean sex ratio of 1:1.29 (males:females). This is the first report on the use of methyl jasmonate or 1-hexanol and the host plant extract as a potential attractant in mass trapping and managing O. longicollis.

Spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a destructive defoliator found throughout the Nearctic boreal forest. This pest has a broad geographic range and shows regional variation in key life history traits. These population differences may represent important adaptations to local environmental conditions and reflect underlying genetic diversity. Existing laboratory colonies of spruce budworm do not capture this regional variation, so we established five new spruce budworm colonies from across its range to explore regional adaptations among spruce budworm populations within common garden experiments. We present methods for establishing new spruce budworm laboratory colonies from wild populations. We describe the process of flushing, rearing, and disease screening used on these new populations to produce healthy disease-free laboratory stocks.

Root feeding by the larvae of multiple Delia species can lead to economic loss in many agricultural crops. Field vegetables are subject to infestations by a species complex composed of Delia radicum (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), a pest in brassica crops (Brassicaceae), Delia antiqua (Meigen), believed to cause the majority of crop damage in onions, and the generalists Delia florilega (Zetterstedt), Delia platura (Meigen), and Botanophila fugax (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). Correct species identification is necessary to implement field management strategies, but these species are challenging to identify morphologically. We propose a polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism method as a molecular tool to distinguish between five species of Delia and between two genetic lines of D. platura. The mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 barcode fragment is targeted, then the polymerase chain reaction product digested with four different restriction enzymes (AccI, BsrI, MlyI, and StyI). The BsrI enzyme distinguishes the two genetic lines of D. platura and D. florilega. The MlyI enzyme identifies B. fugax from the Delia species. Combining BsrI, StyI, AccI, and MlyI into double digestion reactions allows for rapid diagnostics among the species tested. Our method was validated using DNA from specimens collected in eastern Canada. This method provides tools in ecological and environmental studies where these species are of interest.

Binburrum Pollock, 1995 is a small group of fire-coloured beetles (Tenebrionoidea: Pyrochroidae: Pilipalpinae) endemic to Australia with five described species. Herein, three new species of Binburrum – B. articuno (southeastern South Australia), B. moltres (northeastern Queensland, Australia), and B. zapdos (northeastern Queensland) – are described based on comparative anatomy, highlighting the underestimated diversity of this genus. Binburrum angusticollis Pollock, 1995 is newly recorded from New South Wales, Australia. Descriptions of new species are supplemented with digital photographs and scientific illustrations of habitus and salient structures. A key for the identification of Binburrum is provided.

This paper is intended as an assessment of the state of knowledge and development of semiochemical methods for control of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in western North America and as a roadmap for future research and development in this field. It is based on a keynote presentation given at the symposium Managing Bark and Ambrosia Beetles with Semiochemicals, held in 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the Joint Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, the Entomological Society of Canada, and the Entomological Society of British Columbia. We describe currently available active ingredients, formulations, and release devices. Furthermore, we describe the most urgently needed new products and techniques, and constraints to their further development. Finally, we speculate about opportunities afforded by new advances in microbial synthesis of semiochemicals, streamlining of regulatory processing, and aerial application using unmanned aerial vehicles.

First North American records are presented for Cryptocephalus moraei (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Cryptocephalinae) and Psylliodes dulcamarae (Koch, 1803) (Coleoptera: Galerucinae: Alticini), as confirmed by morphology and DNA barcoding. Additional information is presented about phenology and host use for C. moraei, the first European Cryptocephalinae to be found elsewhere as conclusively adventive. Cryptocephalus moraei is expected to have no ecological impact on its host, the adventive Hypericum perforatum Linnaeus (Hypericaceae). However, P. dulcamarae, the second recently discovered flea beetle associated with the adventive Solanum dulcamara Linnaeus (Solanaceae), probably does harm that host. Both species are hypothesised to have arrived from Europe with woody plant material imported with soil during 1960–1965. A literature review of introduced Chrysomelidae found that Canada and the United States of America are together home to 68–78 species of adventive Chrysomelidae. All non-Bruchinae species among these are both native to Europe and occur either in Canada or both Canada and United States of America, except for intentionally introduced biological control agents and two species that feed on Eucalyptus L’Héritier de Brutelle (Myrtaceae). This suggests a dominant role of accidental introductions of cool-climate European species in recent unplanned additions to the fauna of leaf-feeding Chrysomelidae in North America.