Thirteen species of the genus Leucophenga were found from Iriomote Jima of Ryukyu Islands, Japan, including three new records and three new species: L. argentata (de Meijere), L. confluens Duda, L. digmasoma Lin et Wheeler, L. concilia Okada, L. maculata (Dufour), L. meijerei Duda, L. ornata Wheeler, L. orientalis Lin et Wheeler, L. regina Malloch, L. umbratula Duda, L. iriomotensissp. nov., L. multipunctatasp. nov., and L. obscurasp. nov.Leuco phenga regina is redescribed and the three new species are described. A key to all species from Iriomote Jima is provided.

A revision of the Canadian species of the genus Silusa Erichson is presented. In this contribution, we treat six species recently discovered in Canada, one of which is a new species from Alberta, Silusa langori Klimaszewski sp. nov. The distribution records for two species are greatly expanded. Silusa californica Bernhauer is now known from Alaska, Minnesota, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia (previous records: British Columbia, California). Silusa vesperis Casey is now known from Washington and British Columbia (previous record: California). For two other species, there are first records for Canada and one new United States state record. Silusa alternans Sachse is now known from Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and New Hampshire (previous records: Georgia, New York), and Silusa densa Fenyes is now known from Alberta (previous record: California). Silusa valens Casey is here considered as a synonym of S. alternans. Silusa rutilans Casey and S. modica Casey are confirmed to belong to Leptusa Kraatz, and both are here considered as new synonyms of Leptusa canonica Casey. Silusa gracilis Sachse and S. nanula Casey are also confirmed to belong to the genus Leptusa. The following lectotypes are newly designated for species described on the basis of syntypes: S. alternans Sachse and S. californica Bernhauer. New data are provided on the systematics, relationships, bionomics, and distribution for all Nearctic species of America north of Mexico. Diagnoses and illustrations of external and genital features are provided for all species, and the distribution of each is discussed and shown on maps. A key to the species occurring in Canada is presented.

The species of Aphidini living on Senecio L. in South America are reviewed. Pehuenchaphisgen. nov. is described; it is an Aphidina genus characterized mainly by the siphunculi on abdominal segment VI when present and by its radicicolous way of life. The type species of the genus Pehuenchaphis agilissimasp. nov. is described and the new combination Pehuenchaphis americana for Sene ciobium americana Mier Durante and Ortego is established. Aphis senecionicoides E.E. Blanchard is redescribed and its neotype is established. Aphis papillosasp. nov. with very large marginal papillae and Aphis malalhuinasp. nov. with short siphunculi are described and differentiated from the previously known Aphis intrusa Ortego and A. senecionicoides. A key for the apterous viviparous females of these seven species and Andinaphis paradoxa Mier Durante et al. is given.

The Phyllophaga schizorhina (Bates) species group is revised, and the following new species are described from specimens collected in Mexico, Guatamala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador: P. changuenasp. nov., P. onoreanasp. nov., P. solisianasp. nov., P. schizorhinoidessp. nov., P. borucasp. nov., P. izabalanasp. nov., P. canoanasp. nov., P. chortianasp. nov., P. zarcoanasp. nov., P. chiblacanasp. nov., P. javepacuanasp. nov., P. ocozocuanasp. nov., P. chimoxtilasp. nov., P. cholanasp. nov., P. tuxtlecasp. nov., P. zaragozanasp. nov., P. matacapanasp. nov., P. catemacoanasp. nov., P. atratoidessp. nov., P. humboldtianasp. nov., P. comaltepecanasp. nov., P. dsaimanasp. nov., P. quianasp. nov., P. yoloxanasp. nov., and P. pseudoatrasp. nov.Phyllophaga schizorhina and P. nigrita are recorded for first time from Costa Rica. A key is provided for males of the 38 species. Diagnostic structures of all species are illustrated and distribution maps are provided.

Wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), was first detected as early as 1901 in Western Canada. The first major outbreak in Saskatchewan was recorded in 1983. In 1984, Saskatchewan wheat midge populations were found to be parasitized by the egg parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby). Parasitism levels vary from year to year but, on average, 33% of wheat midge populations are parasitized by M. penetrans. In 1993 and 1994, Agriculture Canada and the International Institute of Biological Control in Delémont, Switzerland, collaborated to release Platygaster tuberosula Kieffer into Saskatchewan to augment biological control of wheat midge. Platygaster tuberosula individuals were recovered at low numbers in follow-up monitoring programs in each of the last 5 years. In 2001, the parasitoid population density increased fivefold at the release site and showed signs of migrating into the surrounding area.

Hylastes opacus Erichson is a recently introduced bark beetle in North America (Bright and Skidmore 1997; Hoebeke 1994; Rabaglia and Cavey 1994; Wood 1992). It is widely distributed in the Palearctic region, where it usually breeds in stumps and roots of dead or dying pines (Pinus) and occasionally other conifers (Hoebeke 1994). Like many species of bark beetles, H. opacus uses host volatiles as cues to search for suitable host material for feeding and establishment of broods. Hoebeke (1994) reported the attraction of H. opacus to ethanol-baited logs of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) in New York, United States of America. In Sweden, Schroeder and Lindelöw (1989) observed H. opacus responding to (−)-α-pinene and to ethanol released separately, but a synergistic increase in response did not occur when these two compounds were released together. In later experiments, Lindelöw et al. (1993) found that traps baited with ethanol alone, ethanol + (−)-α-pinene, and spruce turpentine caught significantly more H. opacus than unbaited traps. In these experiments, (−)-α-pinene alone was not attractive, and when (−)-α-pinene was combined with spruce turpentine and ethanol, it reduced catches of H. opacus. In 2002, while investigating attractants for the pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (L.) (TM Poland, P de Groot, S Burke, D Wakarchuk, RA Haack, and RW Nott, unpublished data), we unexpectedly found significant numbers of H. opacus in one of our experiments. Here we report that H. opacus is strongly attracted to nonanal.

Entomologists traditionally use the Jolly–Seber analytical method (JSAM) to estimate demographic parameters from capture–mark–recapture data, although more powerful approaches like the constrained linear models (CLM) have been developed and are commonly and successfully applied to vertebrates. Demographic parameters (i.e., survival, capture, and recruitment rates, population size, and sex ratio) of a patchy population of the Bog Fritillary butterfly, Proclossiana eunomia (Esp.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), were estimated using CLM on the basis of daily captures of imagoes during 11 yearly generations (1992–2002). Comparing these results with JSAM results obtained on the same data lead us to stress that CLM are far more powerful tools which allow for optimal exploitation of capture–mark–recapture data. This method allows the identification of the variation patterns of demographic parameters and to link them to life-history traits; furthermore it gives more precise estimates of these crucial input parameters for the modelling of population trends and population viability analysis.