The fir coneworm, Dioryctria abietivorella (Grote), is a major insect pest in seed orchards across Canada and the adjoining eastern and western United States. Larvae feed principally on cones, but they can also feed on needles and occasionally on the bark of young tree trunks (Hedlin et al. 1980; Ruth 1980; Martineau 1985). The potential for a population of D. abietivorella to build up in seed orchards may be greater than in natural stands (Hedlin et al. 1980; Ruth et al. 1982). The use of entomopathogen in the management of fir coneworm could be an adequate measure to reduce the impact of this insect. Moreover, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki has a specific effect on Lepidoptera (Aronson et al. 1986; Gill et al. 1992). The purpose of our study was to determine the activity of the HD-1 strain of B. thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (serotype H-3a:3b) to larvae D. abietivorella. Bioassays were conducted with first-, third-, and fifth-instar larvae of fir coneworm to determine whether or not the insect's vulnerability to B. thuringiensis varies with larval age.

The joint action of permethrin and Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki Berliner (B.t.), Autographa californica (Speyer) nuclear polyhedrosis virus (ACNPV), or Artogeia (= Pieris) rapae (L.) granulosis virus (ARGV) fed as mixtures to larvae of Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) or A. rapae in laboratory bioassys differed with the host insect, the components, and the concentrations of the components. Permethrin interfered with the activity of ACNPV and ARGV in most of the mixtures, particularly at low concentrations of the latter virus but mortality by mixtures of mid-range (approximately LC50 if fed alone) concentrations of permethrin and of ACNPV exceeded the mortality expected by the components acting independently. Concentrations of permethrin in the middle of the dosage range enhanced the effect of B.t. against T. ni resulting in mortality that exceeded the expected mortality but mortality of A. rapae larvae fed most permethrin–B.t. mixtures was less than expected.

Larger populations of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), developed on artificially infested young peach trees protected by screen windbreaks than on unprotected trees. In the laboratory rather high air velocities were required to blow mites off the leaves. Agitation of leaves without contact between them had no effect on the mites. Whipping of leaves back and forth caused appreciable mortality of mites on them, and mortality was further increased when the leaves could beat together. It was concluded that wind causes considerable mortality of mites in peach orchards mostly through friction between leaves.

Techniques for successfully rearing an alder sawfly, Eriocampa ovata (L.), are reported, along with measurements of several developmental and reproductive characteristics, and observations on the insect’s behavior and ecology. Individuals with 7 instars, and those which ultimately diapause, had longer larval stages than individuals with only 6 instars, or those which were diapause-free. There was more diapause in low than in high humidities.

As the summer progressed, the length of the larval stage decreased in laboratory-reared individuals, but the length of the cocoon stage of the same individuals increased. Total leaf consumption per individual varied with rearing density, being greatest in groups of 10 larvae per leaf.

Measurements: Length of body, ♂ 26.5 mm., ♀ 29 mm.; of pronotum, ♂ 7.5 mm.; ♀ 6.7 mm.; of hind femora, ♂ 20.5 mm., ♀ 21.5 mm.; of tegmina, ♂ 41 mm., ♀ 46 mm.; of ovipositor, 32 mm.

This is a very common insect in Ontario, ranging northward about far as Muskoka and the Bruce Peninsula. It frequents fields, vacant lots and roadsides, which resound at night with the incessant monotonous song, during late summer and autumn.

Scudder describes this song as composed of a succession of sounds like “chwi,” emitted at the rate of about five per second. He states that it stridulates only at night or during cloudy weather, but I have occasionally heard it in bright sunshine, in the afternoon. It is the most easily approached of all our locustarians while thus engaged, and is in fact difficult to find in any other way; hence the females are but seldom seen.

Carneades fusimacula, n. sp.

Resembles redimicula in most points, but with the colours of divergens. The collar has the broad median black shade fo redimicula; but the primaries do not have the pale costa. Sub-costal and median veins gray. Ordinary spots outlined in gray, the orbicular oblong, oblique, open inferiorly and fused with the reniform, the outline being continuous. The spots are gray powdered and are preceded by black shadings in the cell. A blackish basal streak, to which is joined a long claviform extending half way across the median space: this is blackmargined but concolorous. S.t. line not marked, apex grayish, terminal space else nearly concolorous. In other characters much like divergens, with which, also, it agrees in size.

In the summer of 1958 a virus disease of larvae of Neodiprion swainei Midd., a serious defoliator of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), was investigated. The experiments were carried out near St. David de Falardeau in the Lake St. John region, Quebec, where the forest is largely composed of 15- to 20-year-old jack pine. The infestation was three years old, and judging by the production of eggs, had reached serious proportions in some places.

Two hundred and nineteen primary types of Aculeata housed in the Canadian National Collection were examined and listed. These were contributed by the following authors: Olmi (56), Evans (31), Viereck (27), Allen (23), Cockerell (21), van Lith (10), Sladen (10), Timberlake (6), Mickel (5), Carter (4), Provancher (4), Williams (3), Francoeur (2), Michener (2), Townes (2), Atwood (1), Bequaert (1), Bohart (1), Finnamore (1), Huber (1), Krombein (1), Laberge and Bouseman (1), Mitchell (1), Ponomarenko (1), Sandhouse (1), Say (1), Shanks (1), and Siri and Bohart (1).

I have received from Mr. H. G. Hubbard some larvæ and pupæ, with the case, labeled as follows: “The Simulium larvæ and pupæ were collected on the rocks at the foot of the fals of Michipicotin River, Lake Superior, in shallow pools and gutters of rapid water. There were large patches of rock suriace densely covered with either the larvæ or pupæ, so closely packed as to resemble a growth of aquatic vegetation. The black flies were very abundant in the woods.”

Application of 5 Ibs. toxicant Ileptachlor or aldrin per acre placed in a 4- to 5-inch hand about 1½ inches below the surface of the soil in a ridged seeding drill have controlled infestations of the cabbage root maggot, Hylemya brassicae (Bouche) in cabbage and rutabagas for eight consecutive years on one farm in Prince Edward Island without detectable indications of resktance. The insecticide is so placed in the soil as to be most concentrated against the young root maggot larvae and least concentrated against the following predators and parasites: Coenosia tigrina (Fall.) and Scatophaga stercoraria. (L.), which attack and destroy H. brassicae flies in flight, on the soil surface, or on plant foliage; various species of Carabid beetles which destroy H. brassicae eggs at or near the soil surface, Trybliographa rapae (L.), the larvae of which parasitize and destroy H. brassicae larvae in the plant roots; and Aleochara bilineata (Gyll.), with adults destroying H. brassicae eggs or young larvae near the soil surface, and larvae in the plant roots, and the larvae parasitising H. brassicae puparia and destroying the pupae. Records of field observations, supplemented with data obtained on green-house determinations of the potential reproduction of both predators and host, indicate that any one of these predators could theoretically eliminate the pest population from an area in two to three generations. They do not eliminate or even give apparent economic control of the pest because a) the aerial attackers do not find and destroy adults of the pest before many eggs are deposited in the soil; b) many eggs are hidden in the soil by wind and rain and thus protected from discovery by predators; and c) larval and puparial parasites attack after the pest has injured the crop.

Lamesis Westw. Tijdschr. voor Entom. xxvi., p. 67. I would call attention to the possible identity of this genus and Xenorhipis Lec. The figure given by Westwood (pl. 3, fig. 8) certainly bears a very close resemblance to that published by me of Xenorhipis (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1882, pl. iv., fig. 7, 8). If the two should prove identical, the name given by LeConte (Proc. Acad. 1866, p. 384) should have priority.

The percentage of eggs deposited by Drino bohemica Mesn. on a species of host in preference to other hosts on successive days through the oviposition period of the parasite fluctuated continually within a comparatively wide range. The fluctuations in the selection of hosts within a generation apparently had little influence on those between generations. There was no significant relationship between the percentage of attacks on one species of host and the age of the parasites. Individuals within a group may select a different host than that preferred by the group as a whole.

This species was described in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Vol. III, p, 144, 1895, and the author stated: “I offer herewith a description of this species, being solely tempted thereto by the interest attached to its life-history; for, as far as I am aware, there is no other Scolytid known which normally develops within the cones of pine trees.” Possibly since that time a similar habit may have been observed in regard to other members of the Scolytidæ, but I cannot recall any reference to such observations. The beetle in question was first collected by me on May 24, 1884, and its capture was quite accidental. Mr. Fletcher and myself had that day visited a grove of white pines on the Gatineau, a few miles north of Ottawa, with the special object of collecting the somewhat rare little butterfly, Thecla Niphon, of which we succeeded in capturing several good specimens.

Parasites of the sawflies Neodiprion abbotii (Leach), N. abietis (Harr.), N. lecontei (Fitch), N. nanulus nanulus Schedl, N. pinetum (Nort.), N. pratti banksianae Roh., N. swainei Midd., and the N. virginiana Roh. complex are separated by using characters of the parasite remains in the host cocoons from which the parasites emerged. Characteristics of the cast skin of the last larval instar of 11 species are described and illustrated in this paper; the remaining 29 species were described and illustrated in earlier papers (Finlayson, 1960a, 1960b, 1962). Keys are given to separate the species of the genera Exenterus and Lamachus that attack the above hosts, using characters of the cast skin of the last larval instar.