During the past few years the pine needle scale, Phenacaspis pinifoliae (Fitch), has severely injured ponderosa pine, Engelmann spruce, and other evergreens in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The home owner is most concerned because this insect is capable of ruining the appearance of evergreens on his property. Infestations may be severe on trees growing in submarginal forest areas.

Field experiments were conducted in the South Okanagan Valley in 1955 to determine whether lime-sulphur, malathion, or Diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0-[2-isopropyl-4-methyl-pyrimidyl (6)] thiophosphate) would control the scale on ponderosa pine trees.

Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targ.) was first observed in Bermuda in 1917. By 1920 infestations severe enough to cause defoliation of oleanders were recorded. Damage by the scale increased despite an intensive spray programme until the establishment of Aphytis diaspidis (How.) from Italy in 1921-24. (Ogilvie, 1928). For several years this Aphelinid kept the scale under satisfactory control, only small sporadic outbreaks occurring from time to time. In recent years however, outbreaks have been severe enough to warrant a detailed investigation(Simmonds, 1955).

It has been established that a complex of predacious arthropods on apple trees in Nova Scotia can control phytophagous mite populations (Lord, 1949). Some of the predators, when sufficiently numerous, may also be important in the control of other pests such as the eye-spotted bud-moth, Spilonota ocellana (D. & S.), and the codling moth, Carpocapsa pomonella (L.). When predation has reduced the mite population to small numbers, the insect predators almost disappear from the orchard. In most orchards in this province, the use of spray materials innocuous to predators has greatly reduced the phytophagous mite populations. The low mite population is an important gain but it is not known whether the attendant small numbers of predators is advantageous in the natural control of pests in general. This will be answered in time by the experience of the growers and, meanwhile, further research is needed on the interrelations of the phytophagous and predacious species and on how they are affected by orchard practices and other factors. This involves studies on the food preferences and behaviour of many species. In addition, means must be found to modify cultural practices to make conditions as favourable as possible for certain species of predators.

In 1937 Schwarze and Huber (3) reported the variety of Rubus idaeus L named “Lloyd George” to be totally resistant to the aphid Amphorophora rubi Kalt. This fact was of some economic significance because the aphid in question had been shown to be an active vector of Rubus viruses in North America. It was suggested that the aphid-resistant qualities of Lloyd George should be incorporated in plant-breeding programmes with a view to producing hybrids, with desirable commercial qualities, which would escape infection by the viruses.

It has long been known that the juices of the digestive tracts of lepidopterous larvae initiate action within the micro eggs of tachinid parasites that results in hatching (Severin et al., 1915). The etfect of the alkalinity of the digestive juices of larvae of the European corn borer, Pyrausta nubilalis (Hbn.), on hatching of eggs of Aplomya caesar (Ald.) was mentioned in an earlier paper (Wishart, 1945). More detailed work has revealed more clearly the critical nature of this relationship.

The paralysis of silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori L.) caused by Bacillus sotto Ishiwata and the extraction of a toxic protein from cultures of this microorganism have been reported elsewhere (1, 2, 3). In preliminary studies of the mode of action, changes have been noted in the pH of the blood of affected larvae.

Fourth- and fifth-instar larvae were fed foliage coated with B. sotto toxin and at intervals the blood pH was determined as described by Heimpel (4). Control larvae, reared from the same egg mass, were fed untreated foliage.

On June 20, 1950, aphids were collected from grass on the Tantramar marshes at Middle Sackville, N.B. The aphids were causing serious damage and turning the grass brown. The writer was unable to place the aphid in a genus according to Hottes and Frison (193l), Gillette and Palmer (1931), or Baker (1923). However, according to Baker (1920) and Theobold (1929) the aphid would fall in the genus Atheroides Haliday, on the basis of the shape of the cauda. It differed from the descriptions by Laing (1920) and Baker (1920) of the genus Atheroides in that the cornicles were prominent. In February, 1955, several specimens of the aphid were sent to Mr. J. P. Doncaster, British Museum of Natural History, who (in litt.) determined the specimens as of Sipha agropyrella (H.R.L.). Dr. Hille Ris Lambers, Bennekom, Holland agreed (in litt.) with this determination.

Apterous viviparous female

General colour of body brown. In cleared specimens, the following parts are dark brown: head; thorax; cornicles; muscle attachment plates; spiracles; terminal segments of rostrum, including the distal portion of segment II; coxae; femora, except short areas near the bases; short distal portions, and short, indistinct areas at the bases of the tibiae; tarsi; antennal segments I and VI, and the distal half of IV and V. The remaining parts of the body and appendages are light yellowish-brown. The setae are long and numerous, giving the cleared specimens a conspicuously hairy appearance.

Collections made during a family vacation trip to Nova Scotia in the latter part of July, 1955, include records of Dolichopodidae which seem worth reporting. The following localities yielded specimens: Parrsboro, July 23, 1955, along river near town; Smiths Cove, near Digby, July 24, 1955, on tidal flats and among vegetation along shore of Annapolis Basin; Antigonish, July 25, 1955, along small creek crossing Route 4 a few miles east of town; South Gut St. Anns (Cape Breton Island), July 27, 1955, in spring seepage area on hillside, with grasses, sedges, alder, sphagnum, orchids, iris, etc. The specimens will be deposited in the Canadian National Collection.