Cone-infesting insects have been recognized for many years but have not attracted as much attention as some of the defoliating species. The apparent lack , of interest is quite understandable since seed destroying insects are seldom, if ever, a problem in natural reproduction. White spruce successfully reproduces, despite the numerous insects which are known to feed on the seeds. However, the increased interest in reforestation necessitates the collection of cones and extraction of the seed to supply the demands of forest nurseries. During heavy cone-crop years, enough seed must be extracted and stored to provide a supply for the years when cones are scarce. As all conifers generally produce anabundance of cones the same year, the number of bushels which may be processed for any one species is limited. As a consequence, cone-infesting insects have become a factor of considerable importance.

The cadelle, Tenebroides mauritanicus (L.) is a common insect in ships, warehouses, mills and elevators. Back and Cotton (1926) state that it was well known as a pest of wheat in Europe before the end of the eighteenth century. According to Hatch (1942) in Europe the cadelle lives outdoors under bark and in rotten wood where it is predatory on xylophagous insects, and of the 152 species of the genus Tenebroides known by 1910 this was the only one reported as being injurious.

The present genus includes both neotropical and nearctic species of which none appears to have been encountered commonly in either economic or faunistic investigations. In the material available for the present study, only two or three species, including curvirostris (genotype) are represented in good series. A critical study of the accumulated material has disclosed a number of hitherto unknown spedies, the descriptions of which are presented below.

Adults of the carrot rust fly, Psila rosae (Fab.), are difficult to find in the field. Frequently they can be found in light to moderate numbers in some situations, occasionally in large numbers, rarely in moderate to large numbers over a period of several days. Fabricius (1794, p. 356) reported that they were found commonly on flowers in Kiel, Germany. Curtis (1860, p. 405) wrote, “The fly…was named rosae by Fabricius, being found probably sunning itself upon the leaves of rose bushes”. Several British writers observed that the flies were most numerous in the parts of carrot fields sheltered by hedges. Baker et al. (1942) wrote: “Flies were present in small numbers on certain weeds, but in considerable numbers in the hawthorn hedges”. Roebuck (1945), Wilson (1945), Petherbridge et al. (1945), and Wright et al. (1945) made similar observations. Some British writers reported flies on various plants, as follows: Whitehead (1890), on low shrubs near streams and in meadows; Smith (1921), on sallow, oak, and hazel; Petherbridge et al. (1942, 1943, 1945), on wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris) , hemlock (Conium maculatum), nettles, and potatoes; Wilson (1945), on coarse herbage, growing crops (especially potato), weeds (especially nettles); and Wright et al. (1946), on trees, hedges, and ditches with a thick herb covering.

Tomotaenia was proposed in 1895 by O. F. Cook (3, p. 866) for the reception of a number of Nearctic species; Strigamia parviceps Wood, 1862 (6, p. 49) was cited as the genotype. In 1953 (4, p. 172) I considered Tomotaenia a junior synonym of Strigamia chiefly because reliable information on the questionable type species, parviceps, was neither to be gained from a study of the unavailable type specimen nor from a perusal of the literature and because of the fact that the original description of parviceps in some ways suggests the typical Strigamia habitus. In addition, Attems and others have placed parviceps in Scolioplanes [=Strigamia]. However, in a paper recenrlv published Chamberlin (2) shows that dignathodontid [linotaeniid of Chamberlin] centipedes agreeing in many particulars with Wood's descriptions of parviceps and especially epileptica (loc. cit) inhabit the northwestern United States in some abundance. Perhaps the most striking characteristics of these specimens are their possession of undivided ultimate pedal pretergites, broad ultimate pedal sternites, and coxopleural pores restricted to an area immediately bordering the afore-mentioned sternites. These features, then, might be taken as justifiable bases for separating forms congeneric with epileptica from those properly referable to Strigamia.

Cette espèce a été obtenue au cours d'une exploration entomologique de l'auteur dans la région du lac Mistassini à deux stations distantes de 75 milles environ. Il est donc possible qu'elle soit répandue sous cette latitude partout où se réalisent ses exigences écologiques. Les premiers exemplaires furent capturés, le 12 juillet dernier, dans un pré humide en bordure d'un petit étang, au centre d'une tourbière. Une visite au même endroit, le 19 août, nous a fourni deux autres exemplaires. Le 4 septembre, un autre individu fut aperçu exactement au même point.

This paper describes a method of rearing the spruce budwom, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) under laboratory conditions. The development of such a method has been necessary as a preliminary step in a program of investigations into the genetics of the spruce budworm. The method therefore attempts to satisfy primarily the requirements of genetical studies but, since these are as exacting as may be necessary for any biological investigation, a wider applicability may be anticipated.

Body and wings pale buff, lightly dusted with darker; all markings obscure. Fore wing with antemedial line brown, very indistinct or obsolete; when discernible short, dentate, its general course at right angles to costa. Orbicular minute, punctiform, fuscous; reniform single, linear, concave outwards, fuscous. Postmedial line narrow, rather weak, fuscous, strongly and regularly dentate; its general course oblique outwardly from costa to M2, thence gently curved basad to Cu2 from which it proceeds perpendicularly, with one conspicuous angulation, to the inner margin. Beyond the postmedial a brown, strongly dentate, subterminal shade. Terminal line brown, broken between the veins; fringe pale buff. Hind wing with diffuse, dentate antmedial line and diffuse medial shades; postmedial, subterminal, and terminal markings as on fore wing. Under side as above, but with less brown shading; antemedial line absent, reniform and orbicular spots weak, postmedial line more diffuse and less strongly dentate than above.

An instance of the California pine engraver (Ips plastographus Leconte) hibernating in short tunnels in the sapwood of host trees was observed during an examination of a windfelled lodgepole pine forest at the 6,100-foot elevation on Parsnip Mountain, Kootenai National Forest (Lincoln County), Montana on September 27, 1950. The above examination disclosed that (1) the new adult beetles were overwintering in windfelled trees previously unattacked, and (2) the adults were seeking shelter in short tunnels that penetrated the bole sapwood of these trees.