The invasive pea leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), damages field peas, Pisum sativum Linnaeus (Fabaceae), and faba beans, Vicia faba Linnaeus (Fabaceae), on the Canadian prairies. We used semiochemical-baited pitfall traps to monitor and detect S. lineatus range expansion and capture associated predaceous ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in pulse-growing regions across Alberta. Traps captured male and female S. lineatus in all pulse-growing regions in the spring and fall, including a first record of S. lineatus in the Peace River region of northwestern Alberta. Pheromone-baited traps captured more weevils than unbaited traps did, and the addition of host plant volatiles did not increase the catch. More weevils were captured in traps in pea fields compared to in faba bean fields. Rubber septa lures released more pheromones and attracted a similar number or more weevils to traps than microcentrifuge tube lures did. Ground beetle capture was not affected by semiochemical baits targeting S. lineatus. Ground beetle diversity varied by region and collection period, but the most frequently collected species was Pterostichus melanarius, a potential predator of S. lineatus. This study shows that pitfall traps baited with rubber septa pheromone lures can be used to monitor new and expanding S. lineatus populations, as well as potential natural enemy communities.

The swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is invasive to North America, where it was first reported in Ontario, Canada. It is now established in eastern Canada and from eastern Minnesota in the Midwest to the northeastern seaboard of the United States of America. Swede midge is a serious pest of brassicaceous plants, including vegetable and oilseed crops. To ensure its early detection in the Northern Great Plains, a monitoring programme was established using pheromone traps located primarily along the edges of canola fields from North Dakota, United States of America, northwest to the Peace River region, in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. In North Dakota, 117 trap sites were monitored between 2015 and 2021. In western Canada, monitoring occurred on a small scale from 2006 to 2011, and 521 trap sites were monitored from 2013 to 2021. Swede midge was not detected in canola grown in the Northern Great Plains between 2006 and 2021. Partners in North Dakota and western Canada intend to maintain the monitoring programme to support early detection of swede midge if it does continue to disperse northwestwards. The monitoring programme contributes to outreach activities and fosters farmer and agronomist participation in pest management (i.e., community science) in the Northern Great Plains.

A new species, Contarinia brassicola Sinclair (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), which induces flower galls on canola (Brassica napus Linnaeus and Brassica rapa Linnaeus (Brassicaceae)), is described from Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. Larvae develop in the flowers of canola, which causes swelling and prevents opening, pod formation, and seed set. Mature larvae exit the galls, fall to the soil, and form cocoons. Depending on conditions, larvae will either pupate and eclose in the same calendar year or enter facultative diapause and emerge the following year. At least two generations of C. brassicola occur each year. Adults emerge from overwintering cocoons in the spring and lay eggs on developing canola flower buds. The galls produced by C. brassicola were previously attributed to the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Kieffer) in Saskatchewan; here, we compare and list several characters to differentiate the two species.

A three-year field study in northeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, determined the effects of seeding date and seed treatment on feeding injury by Contarinia Róndani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) midges to canola, Brassica napus Linnaeus (Brassicaceae), and subsequent seed yield. Emergence cage monitoring indicated the presence of two generations of midges at the four locations observed. Intensity of midge injury to canola was low, but damaged plants were common. Field location and seeding date influenced probability of midge injury and canola growth stage. The wettest of the four locations had the greatest number of midges but low levels of probability of damage in two of three years. Early-seeded plots had higher injury probability than late-seeded plots, with the highest probability of injury occurring one to two weeks after flowering commenced. Seed treatment marginally affected midge injury ratings, suggesting that insecticide efficacy dissipated before the midges attacked. Seed yield was higher in early-seeded than in late-seeded plots in two of three years, despite the greater level of damage seen in early-seeded plots. Overall, the research showed that the agronomic benefits of early seeding outweighed the effects of the midge damage observed; therefore, producers in the Canadian prairie provinces should seed canola when conditions are most agronomically suitable.

Quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willdenow (Amaranthaceae), cultivation has expanded beyond its historical range in South America into Europe and North America due to its high nutritional properties for human consumption. With the introduction of a crop into a novel range comes the potential for insect pest issues. Here, using traditional morphology and DNA barcoding we identify larvae of Scrobipalpa atriplicella (von Röslerstamm) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), an introduced Eurasian moth, feeding on quinoa throughout the Prairie region of western Canada. Larvae can feed within the stem, on foliage, and directly on seed within the panicles, which can result in up to a 100% yield loss. We summarise distinguishing adult characteristics, potential host plants, and give initial remarks on the life cycle of this moth and its known host range in Canada. The potential for high yield losses makes further investigation of S. atriplicella a priority to maintain and expand sustainable quinoa production in Canada.

We identified species of mites phoretically associated with mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), collected from bolts of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden (Pinaceae), and pheromone-baited traps in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Mite load and species composition were compared between beetle sexes and with beetle emergence time and estimated body size. The vast majority of mites associated with D. ponderosae in Alberta belonged to three species: Proctolaelaps subcorticalis Lindquist (Acari: Mesostigmata: Melicharidae), Histiogaster arborsignis Woodring (Acari: Astigmatina: Acaridae), and Tarsonemus ips Lindquist (Acari: Prostigmata: Tarsonemidae). There was no difference in mite loads on male and female beetles recovered from bolts in the laboratory and those from pheromone-baited traps in the field. More mites were found on larger beetles in the laboratory, but only T. ips showed this pattern on field-trapped beetles. There was no relationship between total mite load or load by mite species and beetle emergence time in the laboratory, but total mite load on field-trapped beetles decreased over the collecting season (10 June – 3 September 2009) at five collection locations (Grovedale, Blueberry Mountain, Hythe, Evergreen Park, and Glenleslie). This study is the first to document the assemblage of phoretic mites on D. ponderosae in Alberta and will help to direct future research on their interactions.