Three methods—tube chambers (ventilated and unventilated), petri dish chambers, and field cages—were used to evaluate the toxicity of deltamethrin, trichlorfon, and methoxychlor deposits on alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., to 1- to 7-day-old alfalfa leafcutter bees, Megachile rotundata (F.), 24 and 48 h after exposure. In unventilated tube chambers, all three insecticides were significantly toxic to male bees after 24 and 48 h, but only deltamethrin and trichlorfon were significantly toxic to female bees after 24 h. In ventilated tube chambers, only deltamethrin was significantly toxic by contact and then only to male bees at 24 h. Significant vapor action was observed only for trichlorfon and only in unventilated tube chambers. By the petri dish method, only deltamethrin caused significant mortality to male and female bees. However, bee mortality increased significantly between 24 and 48 h. By the field cage method, there was no significant difference in mortality among treatments and controls within the 24- and 48-h evaluations. Bee mortality in the controls was much higher in the petri dish and field cage methods than in either of the two variations of the tube chamber method. The three evaluation methods are compared and the need for a standardized laboratory evaluation procedure is discussed.

The Phoridae chapter in the "Manual of Nearctic Diptera, Volume 2" is updated to include newly collected material. Genera new to North America are as follows: Dacnophora Borgmeier, represented by D. pectinatus nov. sp. from Arizona; Ecitoptera Borgmeier and Schmitz, represented by a single badly damaged, undescribed, female specimen from Arizona; Kerophara gen. nov., represented by the type species K. ferruginea sp. nov. from Alberta, K. brunnea sp. nov. from Alberta, and K. sicula sp. nov. from Virginia; Mennoziola Schmitz, represented by a single, undescribed female specimen from Florida; and Styletta Borgmeier, represented by the widespread species S. camponoti sp. nov. The monobasic Borgmeieria Prado is shown to be congeneric with Neodohrniphora Borgmeier (syn. nov.) based on examination of the previously unknown female, and the names are synonymized. Also, the undescribed female of Abaristophora Schmitz is briefly diagnosed; species of the genus Bactropalpus Borgmeier are known to be the males of Trophodeinus Borgmeier; the genus Gymnophora Macquart has recently been revised; Lecanocerus Borgmeier probably does not belong to the Beckerinini; and Microselia Schmitz and Rhyncophoromyia Malloch are included in the Manual key. Corrections, additional couplets, and illustrations for the Manual key reflect this new knowledge.

A method was developed for estimating attack and brood totals of the mountain pine beetle in part or all of the infested bole of individual lodgepole pine trees. The method requires measurement of tree height, tree diameter at 1.37 m, and maximum height of attack, and tallying of brood and attacks on paired 20 cm by 30 cm samples centered at 1.22 m on the bole. Attack and brood totals are estimated in two ways: (1) as a product of the variables (a) total bole surface area, (b) proportion of bole surface area infested, and (c) mean attack/brood density; and (2) regression on the combined variables of tree diameter, infested height, and attack/brood density at 1.22 m on the bole. An approach to developing variance estimates for brood and attack totals is discussed.

The tribal and subtribal structure of the braconid subfamily Opiinae is dismantled, and several changes in the generic classification are made. Thoracoplites Fischer and Aspilodemon Fischer are removed from the Opiinae. Utetes Foerster and Pseudorhinoplus Fischer are elevated to generic rank and Bracanastrepha Brèthes is treated as a subgenus of Utetes. Five generic names currently in use are treated as synonyms of Opius Wesmael, Rhinoplus Foerster is synonymized with Biosteres Foerster, and Kephalosema Fischer is synonymized with Hydrangeocola Brèthes. Relationships of species groups formerly included in the subtribe Biosterina are discussed in phylogenetic terms.

The genus Dyschirius includes 56 North American species which are arranged in 13 species groups. Keys are provided for the species groups and the species. Four new species are described: D. sculptus Bousquet (type locality: Pass-a-Grille Beach, Florida); D. ferrugineus Bousquet (type locality: Goose Island State Park, Texas); D. larochellei Bousquet (type locality: 6 mi. S Lake Placid, Florida); and D. comatus Bousquet (type locality: Highlands Hammock, Florida). Six species names are placed in synonymy for the first time. They are (with the junior synonym listed first): D. arizonicus Van Dyke 1943 = D. interior Fall 1922; D. duplicates Fall 1901 = D. affinis Fall 1901; D. desertus Fall 1925 = D. perversus Fall 1922; D. subpunctatus Hatch 1949 = D. sphaericollis (Say 1825); D. basalis LeConte 1857 and D. transmarinus Mannerheim 1853 = D. integer LeConte 1851. The adult and larval character states of the genus are listed and comments are provided for each species group.

(Z,Z,Z)-1,3,6,9-Nonadecatetraene is a sex pheromone that attracts males of both the winter moth Operophtera brumata (L.) and the Bruce spanworm O. bruceata (Hulst). Tests were run to maximize the specificity of a pheromone trap for the winter moth by the addition of a previously discovered Bruce spanworm male inhibitor (BSMI), (E,Z,Z)-1,3,6,9-nonadecatetraene. Trap capture inhibition of O. bruceata would facilitate monitoring of winter moth as males of the two species are difficult to distinguish without dissection. Wind tunnel tests with O. bruceata males responding to the pheromone indicated that BSMI has a more potent inhibitory effect if males physically contact the compound. Field tests in an area where only O. bruceata was found demonstrated that pheromone-baited traps caught fewer O. bruceata with BSMI placed on the outside of the entrance holes than when it was placed on the inside of the trap, catching respectively 97 and 82% fewer males than traps baited with the pheromone alone. In an area where O. brumata predominated, BSMI, whether inside or outside the trap, did not affect O. brumata captures. However, O. brumata trap captures were reduced when BSMI was placed on rubber rings glued to the outside of the entrance holes to the traps even though control rings did not affect O. brumata captures. Evidence is presented indicating that hybridization is taking place between these two species where O. brumata has recently been introduced and that the response of the hybrids to the BSMI is intermediate between the two species.