Forty-six species of adult Miridae were recorded from Solidago canadensis L. in south-eastern Ontario. Major resident (breeding) species were determined on the basis of the relative abundance of nymphal and adult populations recorded from six plot-years. Although the composition of the mirid fauna varies temporally, over 90% of the Miridae belong to the following group of seven species: Slaterocoris breviatus (Kngt.), S. atritibialis (Kngt.), Lygus lineolaris (Beauv.), L. vanduzeei Kngt., Plagiognathus cuneatus Kngt., P. politus Uhl., and Polymerus venaticus (Uhl.).

Total nymphal abundance is seasonally bimodal, relating to species differences in overwintering stage. The Lygus species overwinter as adults, and nymphs are abundant primarily in August, The remaining five species overwinter as eggs and their nymphs are present primarily during May to mid-July. In contrast to the bimodal phenology exhibited by nymphs, adults are temporally grouped in the mid- to late season, with adults of both overwintering classes overlapping. The adults, however, follow a characteristic sequence of initial occurrence, from early to late season, of: S. atritibialis, P. venaticus, L. vanduzeei, S. breviatus, P. politus, P. cuneatus, and L. lineolaris.

The broad-necked root borer, Prionus laticollis (Drury), causes economic damage to apple orchards in the eastern United States by boring in the roots of apple trees. The insect has a 3- to 4-year life cycle. Eggs are deposited in the soil or on the soil surface in mid-summer, and larvae tunnel through the bark and may excavate the interior wood of living, weakened, or dead apple tree roots. Larvae leave the roots to pupate in the soil and have been found up to a depth of 84 cm below the soil surface. Prepupae occur in the soil during May and June and pupae in June and July. Adults live approximately 1 week after emergence and mate several times. A tachinid fly, several potential pathogenic microorganisms, larvae biting one another, and freezing temperatures were observed to be mortality factors.

Adults and immatures of Ceratozetes kananaskis n. sp. from Alberta, Canada, are described and figured with line drawings and scanning electron micrographs. Specimens of C. kananaskis are similar to those of C. peritus Grandjean, but these two species can easily be separated by the pattern of the dorsal macrosclerites in the immatures.

Experiments were conducted to determine the number of females a single male Aphytis lingnanensis Compere (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) would inseminate during the course of a lifetime and the number of female progenies stemming from these copulations. Comparisons between a 25-year-old laboratory culture and a newly collected field culture of the same species indicated that reproductive effort on the part of males was similar for the two cultures. The mean total number of females copulated by an individual male during this lifetime (about 6 days) was 27.6 for the laboratory culture and 25.6 for the field culture. The mean total number of female progeny per individual male resulting from these copulations was 169.5 for the laboratory culture and 149.1 for the field culture. Males inseminated the most females on the first day of adult life. Number of copulations and inseminative ability decreased rapidly through day 4. Very few occurred during days 5 to 9, the ultimate day any occurred. Females inseminated by a male that had experienced coitus with several females earlier tended to produce more males, thus suggesting that fewer spermatozoa were transferred during later copulations.

The larvae of Simulium arcticum Malloch in three collections from the North Saskatchewan River of May and June 1969, 1971, and 1974 showed seven instars. The first instar larva possessed an egg burster and the seventh instar larva possessed separated cervical sclerites. The intervening instars, however, could be decisively identified only by measuring the lengths of the postgenae. The observed mean postgenal lengths for all but the seventh instar were near those predicted by the regression line logeY = 4.1216 +.2927X. The observed mean lengths of whole larvae of all seven instars were near those predicted by the regression line logeY = −.5234 +.3238X but with relatively large standard deviations. Thus there were geometric increases in size between successive instars.

Life cycles of Peristenus pallipes (Curtis) and P. pseudopallipes (Loan), parasitoids of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (P. de B.), were investigated in an alfalfa field and in uncut weeds in the Ste. Anne de Bellevue area. In 1972, P. pallipes adults emerged in mid-May and P. pseudopallipes adults emerged in late July. The incidence of parasitism in nymphal and adult stages of the tarnished plant bug, L. lineolaris, was measured. The population of the tarnished plant bug in the weeds was more heavily parasitized than the one in the alfalfa field. The ichneumonid hyperparasite Mesochorus curvulus Thomson was also found in this area.

New observations on parental behavior of the earwig, Forficula auricularia L., are reported and the literature on the parental behavior in the Dermaptera is summarized. The construction of the nest, care of the eggs and nymphs, and the duration of parental care are described. The control of parental behavior and the role of the male in nest establishment are also considered.

The date of oviposition of eggs of Melanoplus bivittatus (Say) had a major effect on the stage of embryonic development at freeze-up, and subsequently on the sequence of hatching and hatchability the following spring. The later eggs were laid during summer and autumn, with generally declining temperatures, the greater the retardation in development, and in turn the greater the delay of hatching the following spring and the reduction in percentage hatch. Seasonal and diumal emergence of the hatchlings is described in relation to weather conditions.

Pupae of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegyti (L.), were examined for glycogen and lipid content under normal conditions and following exposure, as fourth-instar larvae, to 0.1 ppm of the insect growth regulator, Altosid® (isopropyl 11-methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-dodeca-2,4-dienoate).

The glycogen reserves of control and experimental insects show similar rates of utilization up to about 24 h of pupal life, but at 48 h, the glycogen reserves of treated animals are depleted. Examination of pupal lipid content indicates that insects treated with Altosid begin pupal life with lipid reserves which are considerably less than those of control animals.

The reduced energy reserves available to newly emerged adults may contribute to premature mortality.

Two new species of the genus Elatophilus Reuter are described: minutus from Quebec, Ontario, and the Prairie Provinces, Canada, and antennatus from Chiapas, Mexico. Elatophilus vicarius (Drake & Harris) is synonymized with E. inimicus (Drake & Harris). Anthocoris dimidiatus Van Duzee is transferred to Elatophilus. Other species of the genus in North America are oculatus (Drake & Harris), pullus Kelton & Anderson, and pinaphilus Blatchley. A key to known species is given and adults of new species are illustrated.

Population models for the Egyptian alfalfa weevil and alfalfa are reported, which compared favorably with field data. A mechanism for coupling the plant–herbivore trophic levels is suggested.

Carbofuran at 2 oz AI/acre caused a 94% reduction in 3rd- and 4th-instar larvae of alfalfa weevil. There was a 67% reduction in 1st- and 2nd-instar larvae which were protected within the buds. Carbofuran did not reduce the percentage parasitism by Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson) although the total parasitoids that developed per unit area was less.

Interference among females of Nasonia vitripennis (Walk.) reduced consistently though not significantly the percentage of fertilized (i.e. female) eggs that each female laid. The physical aspect of the interference apparently was responsible for part of the reduction; females whose oviposition was interrupted physically in each of six other ways also laid relatively though not significantly fewer fertilized eggs. Neither olfactory stimuli from other females of the same species, nor contact chemical stimuli left in the area earlier by these females, had any effect. Females resumed fertilizing eggs normally after the interference factor had been removed.

Euxoa maderensis n. sp., closely related toEuxoa camalpa (Dyar), is described from Madera Canyon, Arizona. Euxoa serotina n. sp. from southern Texas and Louisiana, is placed near the camalpa group on the basis of the male genitalia and on the structure of the male antennae. Adults and genitalia of the three species are illustrated and a synopsis of Euxoa camalpa is given.

A simple apparatus for the surface sterilization of a large number of chironomid eggs is described. The apparatus allows as many as 4000 eggs to be processed in 20 min without the inconvenience of manual transfer and washing procedures. Hatching percentages of untreated and treated eggs were 97.2% and 96.4% respectively. The hatching percentage of eggs produced by females that had developed from treated eggs was 96%. Comparisons between percentage emergence, sex ratios, adult viability, and fecundity of untreated and treated animals indicated that surface sterilization had little or no effect on chironomid development.