Rove beetle species and their pitfall trap abundance were studied in red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.; Pinaceae) stands in the Acadia Research Forest, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1999. The study yielded over 5000 specimens representing 134 species in 11 subfamilies of Staphylinidae. Of these, 58 species represent new distribution records for New Brunswick (NPR), including 15 new distribution records for Canada (NCR), 6 new species, and 4 synonyms, as follows: Omaliinae, 3 species; Proteininae, Proteinus pseudothomasi Klimaszewski sp. nov. (NCR, NPR) and P. acadiensis Klimaszewski sp. nov. (NCR, NPR); Tachyporinae, 3 species; Trichophyinae, 1 species; Aleocharinae, 33 species, including Atheta capsularis Klimaszewski sp. nov., A. brunswickensis Klimaszewski sp. nov., A. pseudocrenuliventris Klimaszewski sp. nov., Oxypoda lacustris Casey (NPR) [= O. bradorensis Lohse syn. nov., O. egestosa Casey syn. nov., O. lassula Casey syn. nov., and O. optiva Casey syn. nov.], and Pella gesneri Klimaszewski sp. nov.; Oxytelinae, 3 species; Paederinae, 3 species; and Staphylininae, 10 species. The new species or known species representing new records for Canada are presented here with a short diagnosis, habitus images, and genital illustrations to help with identification. The habitus images and most genital illustrations are presented here for the first time for these species.

Three new European species of the large genus Aphis L., 1758 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are described: Aphis jacetanasp. nov., which lives on Pimpinella saxifraga L. (Apiaceae) in the Pyrenees, Aphis orocantabricasp. nov., which lives on Gentiana lutea L. (Gentianaceae) in the Cantabrian Mountains, and Aphis zamoranasp. nov., which lives on Frangula alnus Miller (Rhamnaceae) on the northern Iberian plateau. We provide identification keys for Aphis species living in Europe on host plants of the families Apiaceae, Gentianaceae, and Rhamnaceae.

A detailed description and illustrations of the larva of Telebasis digiticollis Calvert, 1902 are provided. A comparison with other larvae of the genus is made. Telebasis digiticollis is distinguished by 1 premental seta, 6–7 setae on the labial palp, a well-developed and convex ligula, 7–8 spiniform setae on the lateral margins of the prementum, and forceps-like male gonapophyses. The larva of T. digiticollis is more like that of T. boomsmae Garrison, 1994 than like other larvae of the genus. Larvae were found living in a lagoon densely covered by aquatic phanerogams such as Eichhornia sp. (Pontederiaceae) and Typha sp. (Typhaceae).

The woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann, 1802) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a cosmopolitan, indirect pest of cultivated apple, Malus domestica (Borkh.) (Rosaceae), (Baker 1915) that can colonize both the roots and arboreal portions of trees and adversely affect the growth, vigor, and productivity of the host (Weber and Brown 1988; Brown and Schmitt 1990; Brown et al. 1991, 1995). Historically, the solitary endoparasitoid Aphelinus mali (Haldeman, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) has been considered the most important biological control agent for E. lanigerum in many, but not all, apple-growing regions (Yothers 1953; Nicholas 2000). The role of arthropod predators in regulating woolly apple aphid populations, particularly early in the growing season, has long been recognized (Dumbleton and Jeffreys 1938; Bodenheimer 1947; Nicholas 2000; Mols and Boers 2001) but has not been adequately addressed (Asante 1997).

Adult Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) were reared at 30 °C or acclimated to 15, 25, or 35 °C for different periods (2 days or 1, 2, or 5 weeks). Populations 1 day old, 1, 5, 10, or 20 weeks old, or of mixed age were held in 10 cm × 10 cm × 100 cm wheat columns (14.5% ± 0.2% moisture content) with a temperature gradient (10 °C/m, 25–35 °C) or a constant temperature (25 or 30 °C) for 1, 6, or 12 days; movement and distribution were then determined. Acclimation to 25 °C for a short time (less than 2 days) did not influence adults' response to temperature in the wheat column. Adults acclimated to 15 and 35 °C responded differently to temperature in the wheat column, preferring temperatures above 30 and 35 °C, respectively. Increasing the duration of the acclimation to 15 or 35 °C resulted in higher aggregation. Acclimation temperature might be more important than exposure time for influencing insect behaviour. During their movement in the wheat columns, adults were also acclimated to the tested temperatures, and they did not always stay in a warmer area if the "cold" area was warmer than 25 °C. Adults that were 1 day old had a lower response (i.e., less movement) to temperature gradients than the older insects. Among the older insects, the response to temperature gradients did not decrease with increasing age, even at 20 weeks.

The aquatic firefly Luciola substriata Gorham, 1880 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) was first discovered in mainland China in 2000. The larvae of L. substriata inhabit ponds and lakes rich in aquatic vegetation. We recorded L. substriata feeding on two species of aquatic snails, Lymnaea stagnalis (L., 1758) (Basommatophora: Lymnaeidae) and Gyraulus convexiusculus (Hutton, 1849) (Basommatophora: Planorbidae). Three predators of fireflies were also recorded for the first time: the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Decapoda: Cambaridae), the crab Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne-Edwards, 1853 (Decapoda: Varunidae), and the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus (Valenciennes in Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1844) (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Egg incubation averaged 11 days at an ambient temperature of 20–25 °C. The prepupal stage of L. substriata lasted 6.2 days, and the pupal stage lasted 4.4 days. The imaginal period lasted from May to September. Courtship light-flashing activity peaked 1 h after sunset. The light spectrum of responsiveness of L. substriata was 425–603 nm, with a peak responsive emission at 504 nm. In addition, we have described and illustrated the morphology of L. substriata.

Aphidius smithi Sharma et Subba Rao, an aphidiid parasitoid of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), was imported into Manitoba, Canada, and over 104 000 adults were released at four sites in 1983–1987. The parasitoid reproduced and overwintered at the 1983 release site and possibly at a second site at which it was released in 1984, and reproduced at two other sites at which it was released in 1985–1987. The parasitoid was found in 1985 up to 11 km from the 1983 release site. Additional studies in 2001 indicated the presence of low densities of A. smithi near one of the 1985 release sites. Although the parasitoid is established, it occurs at densities too low to have an agriculturally useful effect on the pest.

A 2-year study conducted in 0.6-ha apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) blocks examined the effects of treatment with pheromone rope dispensers on captures of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris, 1841), and the redbanded leafroller, Argyrotaenia velutinana (Walker, 1863), in traps baited with varying dosages of pheromone lures or Isomate®-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers. In untreated blocks, captures of male A. velutinana were high and did not differ among (i) traps baited with a standard lure loading used to monitor this pest, (ii) lure loadings 10 and 100 times the standard loading, and (iii) traps baited with an Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispenser. In pheromone-treated blocks, captures of A. velutinana in traps were reduced 94%–99% for all loadings tested (up to 1000 times the standard loading). The results for C. rosaceana were different. In untreated blocks in 2002, traps baited with 10 or 30 standard lures captured significantly more C. rosaceana than traps baited with a single standard lure; however, in 2003, traps baited with the standard lure loading captured significantly more moths than traps baited with 100 and 1000 times the standard loading. Also, traps baited with Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers captured significantly fewer C. rosaceana than traps with standard lures in untreated blocks. In pheromone-treated blocks, traps baited with standard monitoring lures and lures with higher loadings (10 and 1000 times the standard) captured equivalent numbers of C. rosaceana; the capture of moths was reduced by only 50%–71%. We conclude that Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers deployed in Michigan, United States of America, are effective in disrupting orientation of A. velutinana; however, they are not very effective for C. rosaceana. In addition, increasing lure loading above that of 1× monitoring lures (rubber septa or membrane type) does not appear to reliably increase the effectiveness of monitoring of males of either leafroller species in orchards where pheromone ropes are deployed at recommended densities.

In Ontario apple orchards, the amount of synthetic codling moth (Cydia pomonella (L., 1758)) sex pheromone, E,E-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol (0.01–10.0 mg) used to bait traps significantly affected the mean total numbers of moths captured, whereas similar mean total numbers of moths were captured in traps baited with different amounts of pear-derived kairomone, ethyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate (0.01–10.0 mg). The attractiveness of kairomone-baited traps was not increased by using greater amounts (100 and 1000 mg) of this compound. The attractiveness of the pheromone was not enhanced by the addition of kairomone. Similar patterns of adult male seasonal activity were observed when using pheromone-baited traps and kairomone-baited traps. The potential usefulness of kairomone-baited traps in the integrated management of C. pomonella in Ontario apple orchards is discussed.

The restructuring of the design of an existing trap such as the Pherocon® IC (Trécé Inc., Adair, Oklahoma) can be fraught with the dangers of changing a de facto standard in research. However, what we present here is not a restructuring but a simplification and acceleration of the process for changing the traps' liners (sticky bottoms). The assembly of components for the standard Pherocon IC traps is basically straightforward; however, it is time-consuming and may be messy and cumbersome when attaching or replacing trap liners. For a number of years, we have assembled IC traps without the provided tube spacer; instead, we have bent the suspension/assembly wire into a shape that gives the same consistent spacing between the trap top and liner but allows faster (Table 1) and cleaner replacement of the liner. Our method allows us to assemble the traps in the laboratory without the liner and perform final assembly in the field, where the traps are marked and baited and liners are added quickly; subsequent liner replacements are clean and fast.

For over three decades, the importance of taxon sampling curves for comparative biodiversity studies has been repeatedly stated. However, many entomologists (both within Canada and worldwide) continue to publish studies without standardizing their data to take sampling effort into account. We present a case study to illustrate the importance of such standardization, using the collection of spiders (Araneae) by pitfall traps as model data. Data were analyzed using rarefaction to represent one example of a taxon sampling curve, and by a variety of traditional diversity indices to describe alpha diversity. Raw species richness and single-index diversity measures (Shannon–Wiener, Simpson's, and Fisher's α) provided contradictory results. Rarefied species richness standardized to the number of individuals collected enabled more accurate comparisons of diversity and revealed when sampling was insufficient. Focusing on arthropods occurring in forested ecosystems, we also examined the use of taxon sampling curves in current literature by reviewing 133 published articles from 14 journals. Only 26% of the published articles in our review used a taxon sampling curve, and raw species richness and the Shannon–Wiener index of diversity were the most commonly used estimates. There is clearly a need to modify how alpha diversity is measured and compared for arthropod biodiversity studies. We recommend the abandonment of both raw species richness and single-index measures of diversity, and reiterate the need to use rarefaction or a related technique that allows for meaningful comparisons of species richness while taking into account sampling effort.