It has been proposed that the existing Organisation Internationale de Lutte Biologique (a mainly western European and Mediterranean body) should be enlarged and restructured to form a world-wide International Organisation for Biological Control. IOBC would be open to individual as well as institutional members, and would have largely autonomous regional sections in different parts of the world. IOBC is expected to come into being early in 1971.

One Nitidulid species, Cybocephalus semiflavus Champ, and two Coccinellid species, Chilocorus nigritus (F.) and Simmondsius pakistanensis Rafiq Ahmad & Ghani, commonly attack Diaspididae in West Pakistan. The known distribution and prey of each species are reviewed, and new records from West Pakistan given. The immature stages are described.

The development of Cybocephalus semiflavus from egg to adult was completed in 37–41 days at c. 26°C. Mating occurred 3–5 days after emergence and oviposition began 3–6 days later, 15–69 eggs being laid. An individual adult could consume up to 47 Diaspidid eggs daily, but all Diaspidid stages were attacked. In the field the predator persisted at low prey densities, but on Aonidiella orientalis (Newst), the preferred prey, its population rose in proportion to that of its prey.

The development of S. pakistanensis took 32–41 days from egg to adult at c. 24°C when fed on A. orientalis and Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comst). Mating was 8–11 days after emergence and oviposition began 6–11 days later, 153–242 eggs being laid. An individual could consume up to 35 Leucaspis coniferarum (Hall & Williams) daily. The predator was abundant during April-May, but later its effect was limited by Tetrastichus epilachnae (Giard).

At c. 24°C Chilocorus nigritus completed development from egg to adult in 33–40 days. Mating was 4–7 days after emergence, and oviposition began 8–13 days later, 228–351 eggs being laid. C. nigritus attacked several species of Diaspidids, an individual consuming up to 41 scales daily. The adults congregated on banyan trees during November-March in the coastal area and during September-June in the foothills, but dispersed to scale-infested plants at other times of year.

The optimum size range of particles of two carbamates and two organophosphorus compounds in deposits on plywood and plaster for contact toxicity to blood-fed females of Anopheles stephensi List, was 5–30 µm. The effect of particle size on the contact toxicity of these compounds of high intrinsic toxicity was not great and in this respect resembled that found previously for dieldrin and γBHC. In the few tests done, the concentration of active ingredient in wettable powder formulations was not an important factor in determining the contact toxicity of deposits of such toxic materials.

Infestations of Dermestes maculatus Deg. in dried fish at Dugbe market, Ibadan, are favoured by traditional packaging and display methods. In laboratory experiments last-instar larvae and adults showed low thigmokinesis and a bias towards the dry end of a 50–100% r.h. gradient; in alternative humidities between 40% and 100% last-instar larvae and adults selected 60–80% r.h., adults having a stronger preference than the larvae for the higher humidity; in a temperature gradient last-instar larvae and adults avoided the 30–45° C zone and showed low thigmokinesis and immobilisation at 19° C. These findings were generally consistent with observations in the market. Heating dried fish in an oven at 60° C for 30 min killed all larvae and adults of D. maculatus present. Two 30-min heat treatments at four-day intervals in a simple charcoal-fired oven and storage in metal containers would control the pest.

The relations of the Strepsipterous parasite Halictophagus pontifex Fox to seven species of its Cercopid (Aphrophorinae) hosts were studied at a grassland site in Uganda. Dissections of weekly samples of the Cercopids collected by sweeping showed that the duration of the life-cycle of H. pontifex is 30–40 days. The parasite is found only in adult hosts which can support as many individuals (up to 7) in Poophilus costalis (Wlk.) as can develop in the space available in the body cavity. Both the maximum number of parasites per host and the rate of parasitism are related to the volume of the host. Parasitism arrests development of the ovaries of female hosts; they may reproduce after emergence of male parasites but not after exhaustion of females because of reinfection by triungulins. Graphical and regression analysis of the population data (no. individuals/1 000 sweeps) show that, for P. costalis, parasitism by H. pontifex is density dependent and the chief regulating factor. Rainfall 58–64 days before sampling also was correlated with P. costalis density, but multiple regression analysis showed it to be insignificant.

The attractiveness, to mosquitoes, of human subjects breathing normally and wearing a breathing apparatus which removed 95·5% of expired carbon dioxide were compared in the field. Significantly fewer mosquitoes approached the subject with a reduced carbon-dioxide output. Species differences were apparent in the degree of reduction of mosquitoes at the bait, as measured by the ratio of numbers attracted to subjects without and with the breathing apparatus. From the results of trials in the Gambia, West Africa, this ratio gave values of 0·67 for Mansonioides spp., 0·46 for Anopheles gambiae Giles/A. melas Theo. and 0·19 for Culex thalassius Theo., while complementary work in southern England gave a value of 0·34 for Aedes cantans (Mg.)/Ae. annulipes (Mg.). A reduced carbon-dioxide output had no effect on the proportion of mosquitoes attempting to feed once within close range of the host. These findings confirm that carbon dioxide is a long- or medium-range attractant.

An attempt to control Graeffia crouanii (Le Guillou) with systemic insecticides injected into the trunk of coconut palms indicated a high potential for monocrotophos and dicrotophos. The fronds of 15-year-old palms treated with 6–7·5 ml active ingredient per palm were toxic to adult females for up to 16 weeks, and make a second treatment unnecessary. An analysis of coconuts from palms treated with monocrotophos (6 ml a.i.) showed no significant residues in the nut water or meat.

Adults of the cabbage root fly (Erioischia brassicae (Bch.)) fed on 0·1% tepa in 10% sucrose solution during the second and third days after emergence laid over 95% sterile eggs. Nearly complete sterility was also obtained from females fed on 0·l% tepa for two days between mating and oviposition. Tepa at 0·1% did not affect longevity of either sex or the competitiveness of treated males, although at higher concentrations longevity was reduced. When flies were enclosed in a large field cage and provided with food baits containing 0·1% tepa, sucrose and leucine along a hedgerow, 70% of the eggs laid were sterile.

Aulacaspis tegalensis (Zhnt.) (Diaspididae) infests the stems, and to a lesser extent the leaves, of sugar-cane. It is indigenous to Malaya and the islands of S.E. Asia, and has been introduced to the Mascarene Islands and East Africa. Its biology and economic importance were studied in Mauritius. Development and construction of the scale in both sexes are described. The life cycle takes 3–9 weeks, the female laying 700–800 eggs over 10 weeks in summer and 14 in winter. Feeding in the stem is in the parenchyma; the path of the stylet is intracellular and vascular bundles are avoided. Stem surfaces are essential for population increase. The leaf sheaths which invest stems tightly or loosely according to their age, have a decisive role among factors that influence intensity and pattern of stem infestation. Field infestations may be severe in dry coastal areas. Populations increase in March-May, and decline in July-November. The determining factors are seasonal weather, crop growth, harvesting and natural enemies. Dispersal, by the eggs and crawlers, is passive. Adelencyrtus miyarai Tachikawa (Encyrtidae) is constantly associated with Aulacaspis tegalensis and is heavily hyperparasitised by Tetrastichus sp. (Eulophidae). The most frequent predators are Lindorus lophanthae (Blaisd.) (Coccinellidae), Cybocephalus mollis Endrödy-Younga (Nitidulidae) and mites. Predators are important only in the regulation of large A. tegalensis populations. Reductions in the sucrose content of the cane juice are directly proportional to the numbers of scales present on each interaode; growth of canes is not obviously affected, but grown canes may die before harvest. Reduced germination and growth may result from use of infested propagative material. Practicable control measures comprise use of clean or hot-water-treated propagative material, field hygiene and block harvesting, removal of dry leaves to expose the stems, and varying the date of harvest.

Hispaniella africana sp. n. is described from material reared from Inchoaspis dentilobis (Newst.) (Horn., Diaspididae) attacking Sapium ellipticum (Euphorbiaceae) in Uganda. This is the first record of the genus from tropical Africa.

Cyrtorhinus rectangulus from Kenya and C. caricisoides from Madagascar are described as new. A key is given for the eight species of Cyrtorhinus.

During November and December 1969, larvae and adults of the Anopheles gambiae complex from the Kisumu area of Kenya were identified by cytogenetical methods as species A and B. There appeared to be no difference between their choice of larval habitats. Although adults of both species were common in village huts, species B comprised 80·6% of the exophilic population. Adults of both species caught from huts and out of doors had fed predominantly on bovids; the incidence of human feeds was below 40%. The impact of residual insecticidal house-spraying would depend on the relative sizes of the endophilic and exophilic populations of species B.

The taxonomy of 39 species of mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) attacking sugar-cane, rice and sorghum is discussed. Twenty-seven species are described, eight of them as new. Some aspects of the biology derived from the literature are added, together with a key to the 39 species, and host and distribution records of each.