We present a case study in which we developed an adaptive delimitation technique and implemented and evaluated management of emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in the first infestation discovered in New York State, United States of America. Delimitation was accomplished using 106 girdled “sentinel” trees and management included girdling 18 clusters of trees as population “sinks” to attract EAB and concentrate larvae for removal. Weekly monitoring of traps hung in sentinel trees facilitated early detection of EAB on 12 trees and allowed deployment of additional sentinels and sinks. Sentinel trees were felled and debarked; 12 were positive for EAB larvae and the spatial extent of infestation estimated at ∼48 km2. Sinks nearest the infestation core had the highest numbers of larvae. Larval densities were significantly greater in girdled trees than in proximate ungirdled trees suggesting removal of girdled trees prior to the following year's emergence would lower local EAB densities. Sinks deployed in response to an EAB on a sentinel tree purple prism trap more than 0.6 km from the centre of the known infestation were negative for EAB indicating these would not be effective for managing an infestation of similar size and in similar habitats. This case study provides valuable information to land managers to facilitate delimitation and management of newly discovered EAB infestations.

Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) has previously been used successfully to tag individuals in a variety of marine and amphibious animals, earthworms, and scorpions. Visible Implant Elastomer tags were injected into third instars of the blow fly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to test its compatibility and retention across life stages. Injecting into the dorsal midline of the 11th segment (seventh abdominal segment) produced survival rates of 80%, with no significant difference in the subsequent rate of development (z = 0.21, P = 0.83) as compared with untagged insects. Tags remained visible and allowed identification of individuals within a feeding, intermingling aggregation (maggot mass), especially when a high-contrast fluorescent colour was used. Tags were retained across life-stage changes and were easily found in dissected adults.

Specimens of Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) have been found in different municipalities in southwestern Ontario, Canada since 2008. This nonnative species occurs in tomato and green bean crops where it has the potential of becoming an important insect pest.

Mating pairs of Anthocoris whitei Reuter (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) irregularly exhibit copulations exceeding five hours in duration. In other Heteroptera, male-biased sex ratios or high densities of male conspecifics may lead to prolonged copulation. I tested whether exposure to conspecific males preceding access to females led to prolonged copulations by A. whitei. Copulations in which the male had been exposed to other males were significantly longer (by 60+ minutes) than copulations in which the male had not been exposed to other males. Durations exceeded five hours in several pairings following exposure to other males. Almost 75% of copulations in which males had not been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration, whereas only 22%–29% of copulations involving males that had been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration. Atypically long copulations by this species may be a form of postinsemination mate guarding to prevent insemination of a guarded female by other males.

We used field surveys in central New Brunswick, Canada to establish efficient sampling procedures for evaluating densities of balsam gall midge, Paradiplosis tumifex Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and its associated damage in balsam fir, Abies balsamea (Linnaeus) Miller, Christmas trees. Infestation was greater in larger trees than smaller trees and in mid-crown and upper-crown branches than in the lower crown. However, the relationship between gallmaker infestation and site, height class, and crown level was highly complex and may involve covariation of shoot length with height class and crown level. As a result, patterns in infestation did not lend themselves to simple interpretation. This complexity highlights the need to find sampling units that provide simpler but reasonably accurate predictors of gallmaker impact at the whole-tree scale. We identified such a sampling unit: gallmaker density in first-order current-year shoots of a mid-crown branch explained 81% of the variance in total infestation among trees.

Bees are important within terrestrial ecosystems, providing pollination, which facilitates plant reproduction. Agricultural regions are large landscapes containing varying proportions of cropland, natural, and semi-natural habitats. Most bees are not restricted to any of these and move freely throughout, exploiting food and nesting resources in favourable locations. Many factors affect bee diversity, and knowledge of these is crucial for promoting healthy bee communities. The main objectives of this study were to compare diversity and guild structure of bee communities across a range of land disturbance levels within the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada, in habitats ranging from managed apple orchards to old fields. The two habitat extremes differed significantly; intensely managed orchards had significantly lower species richness (∼50%) than observed/estimated in old fields, but orchards with intermediate levels of adjacent natural/semi-natural habitat showed affinities to either extreme depending on the metrics used for estimating species richness. Species assemblages in orchards had lower proportions of several guilds, particularly cavity-nesters, bumble bees, and cleptoparasites, than other habitats. These guilds accounted for over 30% of bees collected in old fields but only 3–10% in orchards, increasing with habitat complexity. The use of guilds for assessing the health of bee communities is discussed.

Using a Center for Disease Control light trap Culiseta particeps (Adams) (Diptera: Culicidae) was collected on four occasions during the spring and summer of 2011. In addition, on 15 April 2011 a pupa was collected from a semi-permanent pool, reared to the adult stage and identified as C. particeps. The collection and identification of these mosquitoes marks the first time C. particeps has been reported in Canada. As there have been specimens identified in both the southwest coast of Alaska, United States of America and northwestern Washington State, United States of America, it is unsurprising that British Columbia, Canada is part of the natural habitat range of C. particeps.

An established population of the exotic woodwasp Sirex noctilio Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) was first detected in North America in 2004. In order to develop survey guidelines for the detection of this major pest of Pinus Linnaeus species in the Southern Hemisphere, we examined 231 Pinus sylvestris biweekly to establish the timing and spatial distribution of resinosis symptoms of attack, and the timing of subsequent tree mortality. Fresh resin appeared between mid-July and late August, and on 70% of infested trees was observed on the mid bole. The occurrence of tree death varied between sites, from 2 weeks after the first detection of resinosis in one site to several months in seven other sites. Findings from our study provide key information to improve detection of S. noctilio and predict its impact on forest stands in its new range in northeastern North America.