The tubercles present on the egg chorion of the carrot weevil, Listronotus oregonensis (LeConte), are described and their variability in density quantified between females. Tubercle density varied by a factor of six between females, from 19 000 to 115 000 tubercles per mm2. The average density of tubercles for a given female remained constant throughout its oviposition period. When isofemale lines were created, the average tubercle density remained constant from generation to generation, and crossing experiment suggested that tubercle density was transmitted by the female. Using isofemale lines with low and high densities of tubercles, no effect on egg survival in water or susceptibility to egg parasitism was found. Tubercle density and the heritability of this character suggest a probable reproductive advantage for females that produce eggs with this chorionic pattern even though the precise role of these traits remains to be determined.

The genus Dietta Sharp, 1876 was previously known in the Neotropics only by D. sharpi Matthews, 1887 from Panama. This paper describes a new subgenus of Dietta, Mesodiettasubgen. nov., occurring in Middle America and northern South America west of the Andes, composed of D. (M.) sharpi Matthews and eight additional new species: D. (M.) esmeraldassp. nov., D. (M.) latidenssp. nov., D. (M.) lobidenssp. nov., D. (M.) mesoamericasp. nov., D. (M.) mexicanussp. nov., D. (M.) puntarenassp. nov., D. (M.) rectispinasp. nov., and D. (M). uncinatasp. nov. Additionally, seven new species of Dietta, subgenus Dietta, are described: D. (D.) argentinensissp. nov., D. (D.) atlanticasp. nov., D. (D.) geraisensissp. nov., D. (D.) guianasp. nov., D. (D.) huanucosp. nov., D. (D.) pauloensissp. nov., and D.(D.) sucumbiossp. nov.

A new genus, Mirocaudagen. nov., and a new species, Mirocauda albilineanasp. nov., are described and illustrated. Because of the nature of the post-tibial spur, this genus belongs to the tribe Tropidocephalini. A key to the 17 Chinese genera (including 3 subgenera) of the tribe Tropidocephalini is provided. Two new synonymies are reported: Malaxa aurunca Yang et Yang, 1986 is a junior synonym of Malaxella flava Ding et Hu, 1986 and Specinervures liquida Yang et Yang, 1986 is a junior synonym of Specinervures interrupta Ding et Hu, 1986. A checklist of genera in the tribe Tropidocephalini from the People's Republic of China is appended.

We examined and keyed out the subgenera of the genus Lepidocyrtus mostly created by Yoshii. Although many of these subgenera of the genus Lepidocyrtus are difficult to apply in Europe, America, and Africa, they are easily applicable in East and Southeast Asia. The species of Southeast Asia are placed in these subgenera and a key to the subgenera is provided. A new species, Lepidocyrtus (Lanocyrtus) felpei from Xinjiang, People's Republic of China, is described and the species Lepidocyrtus (Lanocyrtus) fimetarius Gisin is redescribed. Although the Lepidocyrtus fauna of the whole of East Asia differs from the Holarctic fauna, the Central and Northeast Asian fauna are similar in subgeneric make up to the North American fauna, slightly less similar to the European fauna, and totally unlike the Southeast Asian fauna.

The most relevant morphometric characteristics of six species of the genus Anuraphis Del Guercio were compared. Anuraphis shaposhnikovisp. nov. is described and its morphological differences from the closely related species Anuraphis subterranea are presented. The new species was collected in Sicily and in the central area of the Italian peninsula on Magydaris pastinacea (Lam.) Paol. (Apiaceae) and Opopanax chironium (L.) Koch (Apiaceae), which are its secondary host plants. A key to the viviparous morphs (apterae and alatae) of the seven western Palaearctic species living on secondary hosts is provided. Discriminant functions have been derived to separate both apterae and alatae of A. shaposhnikovi and A. subterranea.

Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), the South American fruit fly, and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the Mediterranean fruit fly, are the only economically important Tephritidae species present in the citrus-growing areas in the province of Corrientes, northeastern Argentina. Both fruit fly species severely limit the export of fruit because of quarantine restrictions in importing countries. In this Argentinean region, C. capitata has been reported mostly infesting cultivated Citrus species such as C. sinensis L. (Osbeck) (Rutaceae) and C. paradisi Macfadyn (Rutaceae), whereas A. fraterculus has been found almost exclusively in wild guava (Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae)), a wild host plant (Turica and Mallo 1961).

Atheta vancouveri Klimaszewski, 2002, described from Vancouver Island, is a junior synonym of Pseudota nescia Casey, 1910, described from the Queen Charlotte Islands. The combination Atheta (Pseudota) nescia (Casey, 1910) is proposed.

This paper describes the effect of the colour of burlap bands (black versus naturally coloured or tan burlap) affixed to red oak, Quercus rubra (L.) (Fagaceae), and how it influences selection of larval resting site, pupation site, and egg-mass counts of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). In field experiments with half black and half tan burlap bands, the mean number of larvae, pupae, and egg masses were significantly greater under the black section of burlap. Individual burlap bands composed of either black or tan burlap affixed to separate trees produced similar significant results for larvae and pupae. When two burlap bands composed of opposite colours (black versus tan) were affixed to the same tree, significantly more larvae were found under the upper band, regardless of colour. In contrast, pupa and egg-mass densities were significantly greater under black bands, regardless of band position.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsamura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a pest of soybeans in the People's Republic of China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, North Borneo, Malaya, and the Philippines (Blackman and Eastop 2000). It was first identified in North America in 2000 from soybean fields in 10 states in the north-central United States of America, although the route of entry and time of introduction are not known (North Central Regional Pest Alert 2001). Dai and Fan (1991) reported that yield losses caused by soybean aphids on soybeans in the People's Republic of China were greater when the crop was infested soon after planting, and the presence of large populations of the aphid throughout the growing season resulted in 20%–30% yield losses. The soybean aphid can also transmit several viruses that infect soybeans in North America, including alfalfa mosaic, soybean mosaic, bean yellow mosaic, peanut mottle, peanut stunt, and peanut stripe (Hartman et al. 2001). In North America, the soybean aphid is known to transmit soybean mosaic virus and alfalfa mosiac virus (Hill et al. 2001). A survey of Ontario soybean fields revealed the presence of tobacco ring spot virus, soybean mosiac virus, and bean pod mottle virus (Michelutti et al. 2001); all of which could potentially be spread by this newly introduced aphid.

Managed bumble bees are important pollinators of greenhouse crops, but few studies have examined factors that affect the health and productivity of commercially produced colonies. We investigated whether supplemental feeding with diverse pollens affected worker longevity and colony size of Bombus occidentalis Greene (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in tomato (Solanaceae) greenhouses. We found no differences in colony worker populations, brood production, or queen and drone production between supplemented and nonsupplemented treatments, suggesting that B. occidentalis colonies obtain adequate nutrition from the tomato pollen available in greenhouses. Adult populations did not increase in any treatment, but either remained stable or declined after colonies were placed in greenhouses. Because brood-rearing increased in all treatments but adult populations did not, adult mortality due to a non-nutritional factor such as disease or disorientation appears to be an important problem limiting the size of bumble bee colonies, and thus the effectiveness of bumble bees for greenhouse tomato pollination.

The bumble bee Bombus terrestris L. is an important pollinator of commercial crops. Mass-rearing of bumble bees under controlled conditions is susceptible to pest outbreaks such as the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella L. This study showed that pollen collected from pollen traps at honey bee colonies can be contaminated with eggs of the Indian meal moth and that the eggs can hatch under bumble bee rearing conditions. Storage of pollen at −60 °C for more than 3 weeks can prevent an infestation of P. interpunctella in bumble bee colonies via pollen. Storage at −20 °C is less effective. Although P. interpunctella larvae slightly prefer pollen as their food source, they also feed on bumble bee pupae, especially when little pollen is present in a bumble bee colony. Spraying with the microbial insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis Aizawai at a concentration of 1 g/L water can control P. interpunctella (99.8% mortality) without harm to the bumble bee colonies. Higher concentrations have a negative impact on bumble bee colonies. Other B. thuringiensis strains, Kurstaki and Kurstaki Plus, are less effective.

The 2-year-cycle spruce budworm, Choristoneura biennis Free. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), causes defoliation of spruce – subalpine fir forests in British Columbia, Canada. Historical and newly obtained data were used to develop a linear regression relating percent defoliation in the 2nd feeding year of the life cycle to the percentage of shoots damaged in the previous, 1st feeding year of the life cycle. The resulting regression was tested with independent data and correctly predicted (95% prediction intervals) defoliation in 14 of 15 stands. Patterns of defoliation were similar on white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (Pinaceae), and subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (Pinaceae), and hence the regression can be used for either mixed or pure stands of either species.

In 2002, we evaluated the performance of imidacloprid-treated spheres topped by newly developed, rodent-protected, sugar/paraffin discs (that released sugar as needed, feeding stimulant onto the sphere surface) against apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). Commercial orchard plots (30 m × 30 m) surrounded by odor-baited, imidacloprid-treated, plastic spheres topped by 150-g discs (not replaced during the 12-week period of deployment) received no more immigrant adults or fruit injury than plots surrounded by odor-baited, imidacloprid-treated, wooden spheres topped by 50-g discs (replaced after 6 weeks), plots surrounded by odor-baited sticky-coated spheres, or plots sprayed two or three times with insecticide to control this insect. Approximately half of all apple maggot flies placed on imidacloprid-treated spheres not receiving additional sugar following retrieval from the plots died following exposure to spheres in the laboratory, irrespective of field-exposure duration (6, 9, or 12 weeks). Nearly all flies died when placed on orchard-exposed spheres that did receive additional sugar following retrieval. Future studies will aim at refining disc construction to ensure that all apple maggot flies alighting on imidacloprid-treated spheres will encounter feeding stimulant and be killed.