Dr. E. L. Todd of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, recently forwarded to me four specimens of a new species of Schinia collected by J. Baker on Steens Mt., Oregon. The new species superficially resembles S. aurantiaca (Hy. Edwards) in external appearance, but it is quite distinct on the basis of genitalic characters.

An epizootic of Entomophtora sp. was observed in a population of Cinara curvipes Patch. of an exceptional density in a young stand of Abies balsamea L. (Mill.). The presence of Entomophtora and the epizootic were determined in the field by observing resting spores with a portable mini-microscope and by estimating the number of dead or liquefied aphids.

The fungus attacked most of the aphids. Among the few living females observed in October, only those that did not contain resting spores were able to reach the ground for protection. Observations conducted in the same stand the following year indicated that the epizootic of Entomophtora sp. was responsible for the reduction of C. curvipes in the observed stand.

Descriptions and figures are presented for Leptohyphes dicinctus, L. melanobranchus, L. brunneus, L. consortis, L. ferruginus, L. hispidus, L. lestes, L. lumas, L. pilosus, L. spiculatus, Tricorythodes notalus, and T. ulmeri from Mexico and Central America.

A previously undescribed entomopoxvirus was isolated from larvae of Choristoneura conflictana Wlk. Samples of larvae taken from several points in Ontario indicated that the virus was widespread in the Province.

The morphology of the virus is described. The inclusion bodies are larger than those of another entomopoxvirus originally isolated from Choristoneura biennis Free. and propogated in Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.). The virions are of the same order of size for both viruses. Microspindles are associated with these viruses and some of the spindles are occluded along with the virions within the oval inclusion bodies. The C. conflictana entomopoxvirus is also infectious to C. fumiferana.

The scale insect Toumeyella numismaticum Pettit and McDaniel occurred in small areas of heavy infestation in jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb., stands of southeastern Manitoba, where it was present in the same areas every year. The large populations of Formica obscuripes Forel present in the scale-infested areas lessened the effectiveness of the main predator of the scale, the coccinellid Hyperaspis congressis Watson, through interference with the Hyperaspis adults.

A method for preparation, dispensing, and handling of large volumes of a synthetic diet for rearing a variety of insect species is described. A 16.5 imp. gal electrically-heated steam-jacketed kettle fitted with a bridge-mounted mixer is used to liquefy the agar and to mix the ingredients. An automatic filler is used to dispense measured amounts of diet directly from the kettle into plastic creamer cups set up on disposable pressed-board cafeteria trays. The trays facilitate easy handling and storage of diet and also serve as rearing units. The composition of the diet, the amount of ingredients to prepare 15 imp. gal, and some of the insect species successfully reared on the diet, are also noted.

Laboratory nests of Formica sublucida Wheeler, F. sanguinea subnuda Emery, and F. fossaceps Buren were used to determine the foraging activity of these three species by accurate hourly measurements, day and night, for three summer seasons. Soil temperature in each nest was thermostatically controlled and maintained at 50°, 60°, and 70°F.

The species foraged day and night, with a peak of activity in late morning and mid-afternoon. Increasing soil temperature resulted in an increase in foraging; barometric pressure and relative humidity had no apparent effect.

Conflicting taxonomic decisions by classical systematists in the genus Iphiseius are examined against a numerical model. The relative weights given to characters are estimated by the amount each character must be changed to minimally permit each classical taxonomic decision. In the genus Iphiseius the taxonomic disagreements are due to heavy weighting of different small sets of characters based on groupings of historically prior clustering cycles.

The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), first found in Michigan in 1966, caused considerable damage to alfalfa throughout the state by 1971. In contrast to more southern regions, the alfalfa weevil lays very few eggs in the fall in Michigan. As a result, most eggs and larvae are present when the fields are ready for cutting in the spring.

Different cutting dates were evaluated to determine the effects of cutting on populations of the alfalfa weevil, its primary parasite in Michigan, Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson), and damage to the crop. Cutting at 507 degree-days (base 48°F (8.9 °C)) caused a 79% reduction in the number of alfalfa weevils produced and a 57% reduction of B. curculionis, while almost eliminating crop damage. Cutting at earlier and later times caused different reductions in populations of both insects and different crop damage.

Injury to sugar maple buds, shoots, twigs, and stems resulted in forked trees in Upper Michigan. Six species of insects were observed to feed on buds: The lepidopterans Proteoteras moffatiana Fernald (Olethreutidae), Obrussa ochrefasciella (Chambers) (Nepticulidae), Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) and Cenopis pettitana (Robinson) (Tortricidae), and the coleopterans Phyllobius oblongus (L.) (Curculionidae) and Platycerus virescens (F.) (Lucanidae). Twig and shoot damage resulted from severed shoots, twig cankers, and scarring resembling weevil feeding injury. Stem damage was caused by breakage and browsing animals. Bud injury averaged 5.80% per year, twig damage 3.18% per year, and stem breakage 0.36% per year. Injuries to terminals resulted in 85% forked stems, 8% single stems, 3% stunting, and 4% unaffected.

Erannis vancouverensis Hulst occurs from northern British Columbia to central California, and has been occasionally reported at infestation levels. The larvae feed on young leaves of several species of deciduous trees; winter is passed in the egg or sometimes in the pupal stage; adults emerge during late autumn or occasionally during winter or early spring; females are wingless. The life stages, including larval instars, are described here in detail. Virus disease and parasitism by tachinid flies help control the species.

The seed maggot complex, Hylemya (Delia) platura Meig. and H. (Delia) liturata Meig., is shown to be a primary pest of radish. In laboratory experiments larvae of this species complex attacked radishes and developed into pupae whether or not the plants were already damaged by the cabbage maggot, H. brassicae Bouché.

The foraging and tending behavior of the ant Dolichoderus taschenbergi (Mayr) was studied for 5 years in southwestern Pennsylvania. The ant used well-defined foraging trails and avidly collected honeydew from tuliptree scales, pine aphids, and less abundant sources. The ants increased the survival rate of tuliptree scales from 8.2 to 46.8%, probably by interfering with the activities of parasites and predators.

At a constant temperature of 1 °C, survival of diapausing second-instar larvae of C. fumiferana (Clem.) for any given period is, to a large extent, determined by pre-storage treatment. At a pre-storage temperature of 20 °C larval survival was 80% or higher following storage periods ranging from 169 to 290 days. Survival of larvae pre-stored at 24 °C was never as high as at 20 °C, and the survival began to decrease after 225 days storage. At 28 °C this decrease had occurred before 169 days of storage. Larvae held at high pre-storage temperatures had almost normal survival when the pre-storage period was shorter. Mean time for larvae to emerge from diapause was increased by longer diapause periods and by high pre-storage temperatures. There was a corresponding decrease in larval vigour.

A test for the occurrence of either hybrid inviability or hybrid sterility was made using five geographical races of the codling moth. None was found.

Cretonomyia pristina new genus and new species, a fossil fly in amber from Cedar Lake, Manitoba, is described and assigned to the Ironomyiidae. This fossil establishes that the family, heretofore known from a single Australian species, Ironomyia nigromaculata White, existed during Mesozoic times in North America. Comparison of the extinct species with the living species shows that the family appeared little different 73 million years ago than it does today. In points of difference, the fossil species usually shows the more primitive conditions. It is postulated that the family arose in North America in late Jurassic – early Cretaceous times, dispersed to South America late in the Cretaceous Period and thence to Australia via Antarctica while the latter three were contiguous — 43 million years ago.

Sperm transfer in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.), is accomplished by means of small (1.5 mm) spermatophores, formation of the first of which begins almost immediately after coupling. A normal copulation, which lasts 4 hours or longer, results in the production of about 6 spermatophores and a maximum of at least 14. Some details of the process of spermatophore formation are presented and differences among certain groups of acridoids are discussed.

A new monotypic genus, Bolbothyreus, is proposed for the South American species Stenaspidius ruficollis (Bruch). The new genus seems most closely related to Bolbapium Boucomont from South America and less so to Stenaspidius Westwood from Australia.

A physiologically active fraction inducing oviposition in Itoplectis conquisitor (Say), and isolated from the hemolymph of some insects, was studied in detail using hemolymph from Galleria mellonella (L.) and Celerio euphorbiae (L.). The active fraction consisted of hexoses and some 19 common amino acids. The hexose component may act as a synergist in inducing oviposition while not all amino acids were necessary to induce oviposition. I. conquisitor laid eggs in the hemolymph of species of Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Trichoptera, but did not oviposit in the hemolymph of species belonging to Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Neuroptera, Plecoptera, and Crustacea.