Early in September, 1953, an examination of 370 first-generation pupae of the onion maggot, Hylemya antiqua (Mg.), collected from large field rearing cages at St. Jean, Que., revealed that 41, or 11.1 per cent, were parasitized. The parasite was identified as Spalangia rugosicollis Ashm. Dr. O. Peck, Systematic Entomology Unit, Entomology Division, Ottaiva. Dr. Peck (in litt.) stated that this is the first record of this parasite attacking the onion maggot and thatthe Nearctic species in this genus have been greatly confused.

In biological control work an early taxonomic identification of imported entomophagous species is helpful but not essential, for in this applied field of entomology the behaviour and biological characteristics of species are held paramount to their taxonomic status. In actual practice it frequently happens that a species is imported, tested, colonized, and established before its specific taxonomic identity is conclusively determined. Examples exist in recent literature where one may find references to such insects designated as “Aphytis X”, “Waikane Opius”, etc. While this situation is not altogether comfortable to the worker in biolngical control it arises as a natural conseqnence of the initial and necessary concentration on the ecological and biological aspects of insect groups. It is particularly intensified by the fact that many parasitic groups are still poorly understood taxonomically.

At least four outbreaks of the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Htg.), have occurred in the Maritime Provinces within the past 70 years. The first (1) occurred from about 1883 to 1885, the second from about 1906 to 1909 (1), and the third from 1919 to 1927. The last outbreak started in 1933 and ended in 1942. Despite extensive sampling by the Forest Insect Survey from 1943 to 1953, only six samples have been taken during this period in the three Maritime Provinces, and each was an isolated colony. Although an ecological study of the insect was not attempted during the latest outbreak, general observations were made by the writer and other staff members of the Survey. These observations are summarized in the present paper to record the outbreak and some of the factors that contributed to its termination. Another outbreak has persisted in Newfoundland from 1942 and perhaps earlier, but the present discussion is largely confined to events in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Maggots of Pegohylemyia sp. have been found inhabiting the cones of white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss, in southern Ontario. The species was identified from a single male specimen as probably Pegohylemyia anthracina Czerny by the Swedish authority Dr. O. Ringdahl. Difficulty in rearing the maggots to the adult stage has delayed confirmation of this identification but it is expected that a good series of adults will be available shortly. In this paper, however, the emphasis is placed on the instars with an outline of the life cycle. It is shown that the second- and third-instar larvae are free-living, but the first-instar larvae moult to the second within the egg chorion.

The main objective of the present work was to investigate the ability of grasshopper nymphs to escape an environment devoid of food plants and to reach a suitable food supply, either as a result of random dispersal or by marching. The immediate interest was in movement over recently tilled surfaces. It was also desired to investigate the external factors that might influence such movement.

Agathis laticinctus (Cress.), a parasite of the eye-spotted bud moth, Spilonota ocellana (D. & S.), is of particular interest because it has only recently become the most important one attacking this pest in Nova Scotia. Sanders and Dustan ( 1919) found it of minor importance and Gilliatt (1932) did not find it worthy of mention. An account of its life-history has been given by Dondale (1954).

As in most research projects of the Kentville laboratory (Pickett et al., 1946), attention has been given to the influence of spray practices on population densities of A. laticinctus.

In studying populations of wood-boring beetles in dead trees or logs, it is usually the larval form with which the worker must deal. The various species have different habits and although they may be present in very large numbers, some may do no direct damage to the wood. For any estimate of the existing damage-potential, larval identification is therefore an obvious prerequisite. During recent studies of wood-boring beetles in fire-killed pine in northern Ontario, the larva of Acmaeops proteus was by far the most common encountered, but its identity remained uncertain until a programme of rearing larvae from known adults was carried out. The apparent absence of a published larval description of this, one of the most common cerambycids in our eastern coniferous forests, has prompted the preparation of this brief description.

A chlorotic spotting of the foliage of black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) is widespread in the coastal regions of British Columbia. The spotting first appears in June and new spots continue to develop during July and August. By mid-July, spotting occurs on virtually all plants, although its incidence varies considerably and, on some plants, only a few leaflets are affected.

An apparently undescribed Amphorophora was received from Richard Stace-Smith of the Canada Agriculture Plant Pathology Laboratory, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. This species produced leaf symptoms on Munger black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis, which differed from anything associated with the feeding of Amphorophora rubi (Kaltenbach). An examination was made of the material by Professor M. A. Palmer, Dr. F. C. Hottes and the writer. This failed to place this blackberry aphid as a described species. Therefore, it is here described as new.

In August, 1953, the proprietor of an earthworm-propagating establishment in Vancouver, British Columbia, reported that her propagating boxes were infested with small, dark-brown beetles. Specimens of the beetles were identified by Professor M. H. Hatch, University of Washington, as of Quedius (Microsaurus) mesomelinus (Marsh.), Coleoptera, Staphylinidae.

During the summer of 1951, a number of full-grown larvae of the European corn borer, Pyrausta nubilalis (Hbn.), that died while being held in cold storage lor experimental use at the Entomology Laboratory, Chatham, Ontario, were forwarded to the Kingston laboratory for diagnosis. Microscopic examination showed that the dead larvae cnntaincd a hard core of fungous mycelium.