There currently is considerable confusion regarding the correct application of the name Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). This name has historically been applied to the western spruce budworm, a serious forest pest in western North America. However, in 2008 Razowski transferred the African species Archips occidentalis (Walsingham) to Choristoneura Lederer and proposed C. freemani Razowski as a replacement name for the western spruce budworm. The validity of these nomenclatural changes and alternative solutions to resolve the confusion they have caused are discussed. Illustrations of wing patterns and genitalia for the two species are provided.

Male crickets belonging to the genus Loxoblemmus Saussure (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) often exhibit exaggerated facial structures with characteristic projections. Whether these structures are stable within a single species is not certified. We collected Loxoblemmus angulatus Bey-Bienko and reared the second generation under 16:8, 14:10, and 12:12 light:dark photoperiods. Body morphology of adults was measured and development days were recorded. The results showed that short daytime photoperiod made them develop slowly. Males became larger after longer developmental days. Head width was wider in males and horns on head were more exaggerated in large individuals than in small ones. Head width was allometric against pronotum width. Our study shows that the male head morphology in L. angulatus is strongly influenced by development days and it is not suitable as taxonomic characters.

Anatoecus Cummings (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) is a genus of chewing lice with four species infesting Anseriformes in North America: Anatoecus cygni (Denny), Anatoecus dentatus (Scopoli), Anatoecus icterodes (Nitzsch), and Anatoecus penicillatus Kéler. Males of A. dentatus and A. icterodes are distinguishable by their genitalia; however, there are no known anatomical characteristics to distinguish females. Anatoecus dentatus and A. icterodes are recorded from at least 55 of the same host species worldwide. The mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I was examined from the four Anatoecus species, specifically to examine the taxonomic status of A. dentatus and A. icterodes. When sequences from these species were analysed using neighbour joining analysis, A. dentatus and A. icterodes were recovered in a well-supported cluster. However, A. dentatus and A. icterodes were mixed within the same cluster. The average interspecific genetic distance of A. dentatus and A. icterodes (0.04%) was almost the same as the average intraspecific genetic distances of A. dentatus and A. icterodes 0.02% and 0.05%, respectively. Therefore, we formally synonymise A. dentatus and A. icterodes as Anatoecus dentatus (new synonymy). In addition two new hosts for A. penicillatus were recorded: Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes: Anatidae) and Chen caerulescens (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes: Anatidae).

The Microgastrinae wasp Diolcogaster claritibia (Papp, 1959) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is recorded from the Nearctic region (Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, Canada) for the first time. In spite of some minor morphological and molecular (DNA barcoding) differences, the available data indicate that the European and New World specimens should be considered one species, but more specimens and loci need to be sampled to conclusively determine the phylogeographic history of the species. Diolcogaster claritibia seems to be widely distributed within the Holarctic, and the molecular data suggest that it was recently introduced to North America from Europe.

The taxonomy and identification of mayflies of the Baetis vernus group (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) represents a major challenge in both Europe and North America. The recent description of B. jaervii Savolainen from Finland, a species taxonomically close to the Palaearctic taxon Baetis macani Kimmins and the Nearctic B. bundyae Lehmkuhl, called for clarification of the status and distribution of these species in northernmost Europe. We generated mtDNA COI sequences for establishing the identity of the collected samples. Based on these data we conclude that B. bundyae does occur in northeastern Finland in sympatry with B. macani. Accordingly, this taxon shows a highly interesting distributional pattern across the Nearctic and western Palaearctic regions.

Larvae of gall making tipworm feed on and injure the apical meristems of cranberry shoots/uprights, disrupting vegetative growth. The majority of tipworm-injured flowering uprights do not resume vegetative growth via activation of lateral axillary buds (side-shoots) before the onset of dormancy. Furthermore, growth and flowering of uprights that fail to produce side-shoots after injury may be inhibited in the following year. In cranberry, limited availability of total nonstructural carbohydrates during fruit development has been reported. Thus, competition between developing fruit and lateral axillary buds for available resources may suppress vegetative regrowth in tipworm-injured flowering uprights. We carried out deblossoming experiments in the field and greenhouse to determine if presence of developing fruit inhibited the growth of side-shoots in tipworm-injured flowering uprights. We also compared tipworm-injured flowering and vegetative uprights to determine if growth form of an upright influenced regrowth after injury. Removal of flowers from tipworm-injured flowering uprights increased the production of side-shoots in three cultivars of cranberry (Ben Lear, Howes, and Stevens). In addition, more tipworm-injured vegetative uprights resumed growth by producing side-shoots, as compared with flowering uprights (Howes and Stevens). Our results suggest that unequal partitioning of resources between developing fruit and lateral axillary buds inhibits regrowth in tipworm-injured flowering uprights of cranberry.

Flea beetles, Phyllotreta Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) species, are often found in oilseed rape (OSR), Brassica napus Linnaeus (Brassicaceae). Among predators in the generalist predator complex present in agricultural fields, wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) are found on the ground and cobweb spiders (Araneae: Theridiidae) build webs in the foliage. We present group-specific primers developed for five flea beetle species within the genus Phyllotreta and study the incidence of predation of flea beetles by these spider groups using DNA-based gut-content analysis. Wolf spiders of the genus Pardosa Koch and the cobweb spider, Phylloneta impressa (Koch), were collected in three winter OSR fields. Flea beetle densities as well as the occurrence of predators and alternative prey were monitored. In total 19.4% of the collected Pardosa tested positive for flea beetle DNA in the polymerase chain reaction analyses, whereas 10% P. impressa were positive. Pardosa were more likely to be positive for flea beetle DNA when Pardosa activity density was low. Phylloneta impressa were more likely to be positive for flea beetle DNA if they were positive for pollen beetle DNA. Implications of these results for conservation biological control and future studies of food webs in OSR are discussed.

Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) are recognised as important components of agroecosystems and are best known for their contribution to biological control as predators of arthropod pests. Unfortunately, knowledge of their bionomics in North American agroecosystems is sparse. Therefore, soybean-hedgerow agroecosystems in Ontario, Canada, were surveyed in 2009–2010 to identify common, widespread members of the assemblage and characterise their seasonal activity patterns. The potential for refuge habitat in adjacent hedgerows was assessed outside of the growing season. The rove beetle assemblage of soybeans during the growing season was found to be a less diverse subset of that found in surrounding hedgerow areas, especially with respect to native species. Both native and non-native species were common (>1% activity density). Based on literature records, most common species were predaceous, univoltine, and adult overwintering. Most common species exhibited the highest activity density midway through the growing season and all were detected in hedgerow habitats outside the growing season. Comparisons with the staphylinid fauna of other North American agroecosystems revealed several common species to dominate assemblages under a wide variety of conditions. This research provides a framework for future agroecological studies of this poorly understood, but abundant and diverse, assemblage of beetles.

A dead lyside sulphur (Kricogonia lyside (Godart, 1819): Lepidoptera: Pieridae) was found in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, on 4 April 2011. DNA barcode analysis indicates it likely originated in Texas, United States of America or northern Mexico. The occurrence of this specimen coincided with a very strong weather system extending from southern Texas into eastern Canada on 3–4 April 2011. All possible means of it reaching Ontario are unlikely: natural dispersal, natural transportation on the jet stream, transportation on a vehicle, importation of a pupa on produce, and direct human transport. Unfortunately, there was no way to differentiate between these possibilities.

Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a pupal parasitoid of the Medfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedmann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the principal pests of Spanish agriculture. Spalangia cameroni is a potential biocontrol agent for this pest if methods can be developed to mass-rear it effectively on C. capitata. Here, we report on the use of freeze-killed pupae of C. capitata to maintain a laboratory colony of S. cameroni, with a view to setting up a mass-rearing protocol. Realised fecundity, adult progeny, sex ratio, and superparasitism level were the principal parameters analysed. No significant differences were found in respect of these parameters between living or freeze-killed Medfly pupae used as hosts, although sex ratios showed a bias towards females in the case of freeze-killed pupae. Freeze-killed pupae were concluded to present the best option for the laboratory-rearing of S. cameroni, on account of ease of rearing, and avoidance of the emergence of Medfly adults.

The establishment of standardised methods for monitoring the oriental fruit moth Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) requires the identification of factors that significantly affect trap catch efficacy. We examined the effects of trap height, trap location, and inter-trap spacing on trap catches in a conventional peach orchard. Traps were placed at heights of up to 3.0 m above the ground and sets of nine traps were positioned in grids with inter-trap distances of 10–50 m to determine the optimum trap height, location, and spacing. Traps were checked daily over 10 days for males during four periods corresponding to peak moth flight. Moth catches were higher when traps were placed toward the tops (2.5 m) and outside the canopy (3.0 m). Moth catches in traps located upwind and outside tended to be higher than in the central trap for all inter-trap distances. When inter-trap distances were shorter than 30 m, interference between traps occurred. Our results provide an efficient trap distribution for monitoring G. molesta in peach orchards.

A method for determining the sex of live adult Laricobius nigrinus Fender (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) is described. Beetles were briefly chilled and positioned ventral-side-up under a dissecting microscope. Two forceps with blunted ends were used to gently brace the beetle and press on the centre of the abdomen to extrude its terminal segments. Male beetles were distinguished by a sclerotised, reticulate ninth abdominal sternite. In females, the distinct ovipositor (tergite, valvifers (ninth sternite), and laterotergites of the ninth abdominal segment) was visible. The procedure was rapid and harmed only a small number of individuals (fewer than 5%).