This new genus somewhat resembles Philonix, Fitch (= Actaspis, Mayr), and agrees with it in having 14-jointed antennæ, but otherwise is quite different. The head, thorax and abdomen are highly polished, impunctate, the mesonotum being entirely without any trace of the parapsidal furrows, and in this character differing widely from all other of the agamous genera of the Cynipinæ. The absence of the parapsidal furrows being peculiar only to the sexual genera Neuroterus (Ameristus, Færster) and Dolichostrophus, Ashmead. The third joint of the antennæ is not quite as long as joints 1 and 2 or 3 and 4 united, joints 10–13 a little longer than thick, while the last joint is fusiform, a little longer than the penultimate. The scutellum has a depression across its base, but is without distinct foveæ, and is also not separated from the base of the mesonotum by a delicate grooved line; apically it is obtusely rounded, shagreened and somewhat densely pubescent. The mesopleura have a large, rather deep vertical femoral impression. The wings are represented by very short pads which do not extend beyond the apex of the metathorax or just reach to base of abdomen. The abdomen is about twice as long as the head and thorax united, polished, bare; the second segment dorsally occupies about half the whole surface; the third segment dorsally is not quite as long as segments 4 and 5 united; the segments 4–7 subequal; while the hypopygium terminates in a long, pubescent spine. The hind tarsi are as long as their tibiæ, the claws being simple.

In certain insects there exist eocrepuscular diel periodicities of activity in which the sunrise peak occurs at a higher light intensity than does the peak at sunset. This may happen because the indicator-process chosen by the observer to designate the activity is not the first in a behavioural sequence released by light of a critical intensity.

A simple empirical model of temperature variation with elevation was successfully used to explain variation in observed rates of development of larvae and pupae of the western spruce budworm in mountainous terrain. Hopkins' Bioclimatic Law did not adequately describe development of stages earlier than the sixth instar. Regional differences in the effect of elevation are demonstrated and related to coastal and interior conditions. Direct solar heating effects appear to be of major significance in the early instars. The empirically-derived rates of temperature decrease could be generally applied to regions with dry inland conditions, but not to moist coastal regions.

Trichosirocalus (= Ceutorhynchidius) horridus (Panzer), introduced from Italy into the USA for the control of Carduus thistles in 1974/75, is well established in Virginia (Kok and Trumble 1979). Field studies on the development of this weevil on Carduus thistles in Italy (K. E. Frick, USDA, Stoneville, Mississippi — pers. comm; Boldt and Campobasso 1981) and in Virginia (Trumble and Kok 1979) revealed that weevil eggs were commonly found in rosettes during the winter months. In Virginia, first instars were detected in rosettes immediately after the snow melted (Trumble and Kok 1979). Therefore, the eggs are exposed to the coldest temperatures in January and February when air temperatures reach −20°C in western Virginia. The effects of such temperatures on the proportion of hatch and on the viability of the hatchlings are not known. In addition, T. horridus has consistently laid the maximum number of eggs in November and December in the laboratory for the past 10 years. Thus, a large supply of thistles had to be grown in the greenhouse to support the weevil population during the winter when plant growth was poor and mortality of laboratory reared T. horridus was high. In any successful biological control program the proper time of release of the beneficial organism as well as numbers available is critical. Successful storage of T. horridus eggs would greatly increase the number of T. horridus available when needed for inoculative releases or experimental purposes. The purpose of this study was to determine suitable temperatures and storage times for T. horridus eggs without affecting hatch and viability.

To date no entirely satisfactory control method has been developed for the European skipper, Thymelicus lineola (Ochs.), which was first introduced into North America in London, Ont., around 1910 (Saunders 1916) and has since spread throughout much of Canada and northern United States (Arthur 1966; Burns 1966; McNeil et al. 1975). In Quebec this insect has reached epidemic proportions in several areas (McNeil et al. 1975) and while Sevin® has been utilized, its application causes certain undesirable off-target effects. It is therefore essential to develop a means of control which does not cause these ecological problems.

The genus Synosis Townes, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae) currently comprises 18 described species. A redescription of the genus is presented and three new species are described and illustrated: S. diaguita new species, S. nigra new species, and S. zezei new species. Two previously known species, Synosis rubinus Alvarado and Rodriguez-Berrios, 2013 and S. townesi Alvarado and Rodriguez-Berrios, 2013 are recorded for the first time in Ecuador. The genus is recorded for the first time for Ecuador and Argentina. An identification key to the New World species is presented.

The excellent monographic studies of Brennan (1935) and Stone (1938) on Nearctic Tabanidae and the even more recent catalog of Philip (1947) has placed the study of this group on a firm foundation. The student of this family rarely suffers from a dearth of material since the abundance of individuals of many species, their ease of preservation and their economic importance lead to the collection of long series. As these series accumulate, it sometimes is found that certain species exceed the limits of variation conceded that species, and in other cases what appear to be new forms, may be separated.

The sex pheromone of the peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella (Zeller), was identified 30 years ago but the communication biology of this species has hardly been studied. In laboratory experiments, female moths kept at a photoperiod of 16L:8D (20 ± 2 °C, 70% ± 5% relative humidity) emitted pheromone before, during, and after sunrise (0400–0600 Pacific standard time), whereas pheromone was present in pheromone glands at similar quantities throughout the 24 h recording period. These data suggest that pheromone production and emission are not closely linked. In field experiments during July 2001 near Livingston, California (CA), and during June 2002 near Keremeos, British Columbia (BC), males were attracted to traps baited with synthetic sex pheromone (CA) or conspecific females (BC) only between 0300 and 0600 (Pacific standard time), suggesting overlap between periods of pheromone emission by females and attraction response by males. Groups of females in the presence of conspecific males, which were physically separated from females, emitted less sex pheromone than groups of females in the absence of males, suggesting that males communicate their presence to females and females change their behaviour in response.

During a visit to Professor Fernald, in Amherst, Mass., last spring, he showed me a Nepticula, bred from Apple, which he had described in manuscript as a new species, but which he afterwards had suspected to be Micropteryx pomivorella, Packard.

From reading the description and life-history of packard's species, I felt sure that it was a Nepticula and presumably the same as Professor Fernald's species, and a week after, while studying the collection in the Agassiz Museum, Cambridge, I obtained definite proof that we were right.

There appear to be very few published records of the species of the Aquatic Coleoptera found in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. According to Hatch (1928, J. New York Ent. Soc., 36:335-354) only two papers deal with the Coleoptera of Nova Scotia and in each of these papers only a single species of the families of the aquatic beetles is named. Hatch also gives four references to the water beetles of the Labrador Province of Newfoundland; from these I have been able to extract a total of five species listed from Newfoundland proper and a further two species from Nova Scotia. An exhaustive search of literature, including the Leng Catalogue and Supplements, has produced a total of 31 species as previously known from Newfoundland proper, of which two species (Hydroporus obscurus Sturm & Oreodytes alpinus Payk.) must be deleted as erroneous; also 6 species as previously known from Nova Scotia, of which one species (Dytiscus marginalis L.) must be deleted as recorded in error.

Canada has a distinguished history of research in forest entomology. The number of peer-reviewed publications emanating from studies in forest entomology in Canada greatly increased following the Second World War. Much of the outstanding historical success in Canadian forest entomological research is attributable to the work of entomologists employed by the Canadian Forest Service, who authored the majority of studies until the mid 1970s and usually published them in The Canadian Entomologist. Since that time the majority of studies have been published by Canadian universities in a broad range of journals. Most early research in forest entomology in Canada was carried out by men, but since that time the proportion of forest entomological research carried out by women has increased significantly. The majority of research in central and eastern Canada focussed on defoliators and their natural enemies and host plants whereas the majority of research in western Canada examined bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and their natural enemies and host plants. Although publications on defoliators and their natural enemies have occurred continuously throughout the historical development of forest entomology in Canada, the numbers of publications on wood borers (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae) and bark beetles and their natural enemies have never been higher than they are presently.

Weight gain during the penultimate and ultimate stadia of the pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Morr., comprises about 37% and 39%, respectively, of the maximum larval weight. For the army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grt.), the corresponding values are 20% and 69%. The proportion of final larval weight that is gained by the ultimate-instar larva of the army cutworm is similar to that reported for other noctuids, whereas the proportion gained by the ultimate-instar larva of the pale western cutworm is much lower and is likely related to the prepupal aestivation that occurs in this species. Because of the growth pattern of pale western cutworm, a substantial proportion of total food consumption, and consequently, crop damage, occurs during the penultimate stadium of this species.

The State of Washington is remarkable for the possession of two very different fauneæ: that of the damp coast region, and that of the inland plains and valleys.* The bees of the coast region have become fairly well known through the collections of Professor T. Kincaid and others, but the inland bee-fauna has as yet yielded to science only a fraction of its riches.

It is a well known fact that the flight of moths and some other insects is affected by barometric pressure, but it is not well known how this phenomenon affects other insect activity. In a study of the ecology of insects in vegetable gardens at Brandon, Man., in 1948, the relationship of barometric pressure to insect activity was recorded.

It was noted in the field that the imported cabbageworm adults behaved differently under varying weather conditions. During warm, clear days they did little but move about freely and feed, but on days that were overcast, particularly preceding rain, they became active about the plants and appeared to be engaged mainly in egg laying.

Egg bands of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner, were sampled across a wide area of the Canadian prairie provinces during a large-scale outbreak in 1989 and 1990 to examine the incidence and distribution of egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera). Data on the parasitoid species found and the incidence and frequency of parasitism in three habitat types is presented. Three species of egg parasitoids were recovered, Telenomus clisiocampae Riley (Scelionidae), Ooencyrtus clisiocampae (Ashmead) (Encyrtidae), and Baryscapus malacosomae (Girault) (Eulophidae). Differences in the number of species occurring per egg band and the percent of parasitism were found among habitat types. These differences are correlated to the amount of spumaline cover on egg bands, which also varied among habitat types.