In recent years the black cutworm, Agrotis ypsilon (Rott.), has been the predominant species of economic importance in southwestern Ontario. Relatively small populations of this insect can cause extensive damage to widely-spaced cash crops such as tobacco, tomatoes, and sugar beets.

Present control recommendations are based primarily on results obtained from field trials. These results are often inconclusive because cutworm outbreaks are difficult to predict and usually unevenly distributed. Therefore, it is necessary to develop laboratory techniques to assist in assessing the comparative toxicity of insecticides and their formulations.

Agria [= Pseudosarcophaga] affinis (Fall.) and Aphaereta pallipes (Say) make an excellent host-parasitoid couple for a determination of effects of host diet on a parasitoid. The anatomy, life history, and behaviour of these insects have been described (Salkeld, 1959; Coppel et al., 1959). Moreover, A. affinis can be reared axenically on chemically defined diets and it is readily attacked in the laboratory by A. pallipes, a parasitoid of the onion maggot, Hylemya antiqua (Meig.). This parasitoid deposits eggs into the body cavity of its host and these increase in size: the duration of the egg stage depends on the age of the host larva when parasitized (Salkeld, 1959).

The design of orchard pest control programs that favor natural enemies is based partly on a knowledge of the toxicity of spray chemicals to beneficial arthropods. This paper summarizes the results of tests conducted during the past five years to determine toxicities, and it includes some previously published data (MacPhee and Sanford 1954 and 1956). Tests were discontinued after 1955 on the species Stethorus punctum (Lec.), Euderus spp., Scambus spp., and Trichograma minutum Riley and on the chemical formulations Aramite, Chlorocide, Erad, fixed nicotine, lime sulphur, Puratized Agricultural Spray, summer oil, and synthetic cryolite. Tests were initiated on the phytoseiids Typhlodromus finlandicus (Oudms.) and T. rhenanus (Oudms.), and the mirid Psallus sp., and also on the pesticides Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner preparation, demeton, Diazinon, dodine, Kelthane, Kepone, Rhothane, Sevin, Tedion, Trithion and zineb. Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten was previously reported as T. tiliae (Oudms.), a synonym, and Atractotomus mali (Meyer) is an authoritative identification of the species previously listed as Criocoris saliens (Reuter).

It was suspected for many years that the electrical environment stimulates insect activity. Schùa (1952) found that alternating potentials caused guard bees to become hostile and foragers to increase their activity and food uptake. Levengood and Shinkle (1960) reported that the progeny yields of cultures of Drosophila melanogaster Meig. in an electric field were, on the average, higher than control groups and the effect of barometric pressure was considerably reduced. The present study was made to determine whether electrostatic fields of low intensity affected the oviposition rate of a hymenopterous parasite.

In 1958, intensive studies on the population dynamics of the diamondback moth, Plutella maculipennis (Curt.), on cabbage were initiated in long-term study plots at Merivale, Ontario. The object was to construct ecological life tables (Morris and Miller, 1954) for successive generations of the insect, and, ultimately, to develop a mathematical model describing survival of field populations. This paper reports on the variation between samples of immature stages of the moth, and between some of the mortality factors affecting its abundance, and on the use of these data in designing a sampling plan with acceptable limits of precision.

During the month of August, 1960, I had the opportunity of studying the extensive collection of ant-lions at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. This collection contains most of the type material of Nathan Ranks and Hermann Hagen. In many cases only syntypes were present which necessitated the desicgnation of lectotypes. Whenever possible I have selected and designated a male specimen as the lectotype since many of the specific characters are restricted to the males. Others of the syntypical series were labeled lectoparatypes. In many instances one specimen had a “type” label and the rest of the series “paratype” labels or no labels at all. However, these labels were not considered to be type designations as they were not indicated as such in the original descriptions. The specimens were therefore considered to be syntypes. Also, in checklng the specimens listed in the original descriptions with the available material, it was sometimes found that other specimens belonged to the type series, even though they were not so labeled. I have included such specimens in my decisions on lectotypes.

Distinguished from the common ‘cluster fly’, Pollenia rudis (Fab.) as follows: Mesonotum with a median stripe anterior to transverse suture (readily seen with naked eye in oblique posterior view). Basicosta black (in rudis it is reddish-brown in female but inclined to be darker in male especially towards the base). Tessellation of abdomen less broken, the contrasting pollinose areas larger and more regular (rectangular) in outline. Abdominal pollen cinereous with bluish reflection (dull yellowish in rudis). Male genitalia (Figs. 1-3) with forceps and aedeagus longer and more slender.

A few years ago, Urquhart and Beaudry (1953) published the first North American records of Metrioptera (Roeseliana) roeseli (Hagen.) which had been discovered near the Montreal airports in July, 1952 (Ville St. Laurent, 12. VII.-1952, 3 ♂) (Professor Beaudry (in litt., 1960) actually cites 4 ♂); Montreal, 16.VII.1952, 1 ♂; 19.VII.1952, 1 ♂). It was suggested that the species had been introduced by aircraft at some previous date. Subsequently Professor Beaudry (in litt., 1960) has taken the species in suitable grassy localities at several points on Montreal Island (Montreal, 7.VII.1953, 1 ♂; Ste Geneviève, 15.VII.1953; Mount Royal, 9.VII.1959, 1 ♂;) and the neighbouring islands of Ile Perrot (1.VII.1953, 7 ♂, 1 ♀; 3.VII.1953, 1 ♂, 3 ♀) and Ile Jesus (St. Martin, Lava1 Co., 7.VII.1953, 1 ♂). He has also encountered it subsequently all around Montreal; at Bois-des-Filion (just on the mainland north of Ile Jesus) it was “very common” during the summer of 1960.

The stout, red-and-black adults of the milkweed beetle are common during June and July on the leaves and flowers of Asclepias spp. over most of the range of these plants. It has long been known that the larvae inhabit the soil, feeding on the roots of the host. Craighead (1923) found larval galleries extending from root to root in the soil, and upwrards to immediately below the soil surface, where pupation occurs. My own observations corrolborate Craighead's; larvae were found in the soil feeding on the outside of the milkweed roots. Thus the larvae are free-living, terricolous insects, much like white grubs.

The Essex skipper, Thymelicus (Adopaea) lineola (Ochs.), is said to have been introduced from Europe to the area of London, Ontario, about 1910 but attracted Iittie attention until 1955 (MacNay, 1956). Since then it has been found over most of southern Ontario (MacNay, 1959) and presently is causing damage to fields of timothy, Phleum pratense L., near Priceville, Ontario. As the larvae eat the leaves of timothy and orchard grass, Dactylis glomerata L., this species is a potential pest of forage crops.

In May, 1958, studies on the distribution of fruit, and of fruit damages from all sources; were initiated in permanent apple orchard plots at Rougemont, Que. The object was to develop sound sampling techniques to determine, within error limits, damages to the fruit resulting from the feeding activities of orchard insect pests, and from mechanical causes, during the period apple set in early June to harvest in mid September. This is a report on variation in samples of apples, and of damages to the fruit from all sources, for the years 1958 and 1959, and on sampling recommendations.

The genus Ips in North America contains several groups of closely related species which are at present poorly defined. Morphological characters alone do not provide an adequate basis for deciding whether some of the forms are specifically distinct or represent mere variations which may occur in the same general locality or even in the same brood. The extent of this variation can be determined only by breeding isolated pairs through successive generations combined with biological studies in the field. The present article describes techniques for rearing successive generations of Ips in the laboratory.

Near Belleville, Ontario, it was necessary to take quantitative samples of predators in shallow pools in field studies of the natural control of mosquitoes. To expedite this work a light-weight sampling cage was constructed. Its description follows.

The cage (Fig. 1, top) consists of an enclosure (A) and two sorting trays (B and C). The enclosure, covering one-half square metre, is of four screened frames, each 12 inches high. Each frame is of aluminum extrusions (Higgins-Homeshield Limited, Toronto, Ontario) of the types shown in details F and G. The extended flange on extrusion G, used at the right-hand side of each frame, provides a means of overlapping and fastening at the comers of the enclosure. After the frames are fastened together to form a square, pointed angle-aluminum legs (D) 16 inches long are fastened to each inside corner. Small braces are alio fastened across each corner to hold the enclosure in shape.

Most of the published references to Newfoundland caddisflies are derived from one early paper by Nathan Ranks in 1908. Several collections received recently, however, have considerably extended knowledge of the Newfoundland caddisfly fauna. As might be expected, many of the species occurring in Newfoundland also extend across the whole of northern North America, and to some extent southward along the montane areas in both east and west. Some of these also occur throughout the holarctic area. Some of the species are, however, confined to northeastern North America. There are no species of caddisflies now known which are confined to the island of Newfoundland.

Research was conducted on the biology of cereal and grass aphids in the Madison area during 1957-59 in connection with epidemiological investigations of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). It becomes of increasing importance to know more about these aphids as potential vectors of the virus. Information was needed on the taxonomy, biology and ecology of the vector population to better understand the complex interactions between vector and virus. Two methods were used to obtain data on the occurrence and abundance of aphids. The conventional method of studying aphid populations on host plants was supplemented with intensive research on air-borne aphids, using the yellow-pan water trap developed by Moericke (1951), and the wind trap described by Shands (1942). These traps are shown in Fig. 1. The species of aphids were identified according to keys of Palmer (1952). Names of genera as used in Europe have been indicated in parentheses. In the following report the various forms in the life cycle are referred to as fundatrices (on the winter host), fundatrigenae (produced by fundatrices, the alates of this generation migrate to summer hosts), virginoparae (both apterous and alate individuals on snmmer hosts), and gynoparae (alates migrate from summer hosts to winter hosts).

Larvae of the European wheat stem sawfly, Cephus pygmaeus (L.), in hibernacula in wheat stubs were obtained from Russia and Sweden in the fall of 1959 by the Entomology Research Institute for Biological Control in a renewed attempt to find parasites for use against the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Nort., in Western Canada. An earlier attempt to colonize the parasite Collyria calcitrator (Grav.) from England failed in spite of early promise of success (Smith, unpublished reports). Though Collyria spp. were expected to predominate in the Continental collections, their different geographical origins opened the prospect of finding different species or strains better suited to Canadian conditions. There was also the possibility of discovering additional parasites suitable for trials in Canada.