For two or three years past Mr. David Bruce, in S. W. Colorado, has been taking Papilio Bairdii in company with a very different form, P. oregonia, as we have called it, and also with the form I described recently as P. Hollandii, which last is in general like Bairdii, but has the abdomen either with a broad stripe of yellow or almost completely yellow, instead of spotted yellow in rows, as in the Asterias group, and as in typical Bairdii.

The conopid fly Stylogaster neglecta Williston (Diptera: Conopidae) is a parasitoid with no known host. We report this species as the first recorded dipteran parasitoid of Oecanthus nigricornis Walker (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) (black-horned tree crickets). We reared field-collected O. nigricornis juveniles over several months in 2017 and found that larval S. neglecta emerged from them during late July into August. We estimated the incubation period for S. neglecta larvae to be around 30 days based on the length of time it took for them to emerge from the host and pupate (subsequently all hosts died). We documented several cases of multiple parasitism. In 2018, we dissected O. nigricornis sampled from four sites across southern Ontario, Canada and upstate New York, United States of America and found that the percentage of juvenile O. nigricornis parasitised ranged 2–39%. Further sampling will be necessary to determine whether this variation represents consistent population differences or between-year variation in parasitism.

Eggs laid April 25th, side by side, packed closely together on the twig at fork of leaf bud. The moth standing head downwards with half opened wings and “see-sawing” out a string of from three to twelve eggs. Between times it runs all over the twig as do the Tineids. Egg oblong, rounded at both ends, length .87 mm., width .46 mm. Slightly roughened and punctured like the skin of an orange. Colour at first a delicate pea-green turning yellowish. The number deposited at the base of each leaf varied considerably. Hatched Hay 3rd to 5th. At birth larva 1.6 mm., semi-transparent, light sap-green with evanescent purple shades. Body cylindrical, of same approximate size throughout, ending in a strongly bifurcate anal segment. Head light yellow-brown; 1st and 2nd epicranial and 1st clypeal setæ rudimentary, the remaining eleven primary setæ well-developed blunt bristles. Ocelli prominent, dark brown. Shield concolorous. True legs transparent, with dark claws; 4th prolegs fleshy, rimmed with brown; the others not showing.

The discovery of an interesting species of Petalodes in a lot of Braconidae taken in British Columbia prompted the writer to submit a specimen to Dr. C. F. W. Muesebeck of the United States National Museum, for his opinion on the species, which from the literature seemed to be quite close to the genotype, Petalodes unicolor Wesm., of Europe.

Early removal of the alfalfa canopy not only reduced the population density of Agromyza frontella (Rond.) by the elimination of partially developed larvae, but also by increasing mortality of individuals that had already evacuated their mines. This mortality was associated with increased temperatures and/or decreased humidity of the soil, as most pupae are found close to the surface due to the limited burrowing capacity of prepupae. Harvesting data should be included in predictive models, as this parameter affects both the number and time of adult emergence.

Nymphs of Camnula pellucida hatching from an egg-bed originally about 800 square yards in extent had occupied, by the time they had reached the immature adult stage, approximately 160 acres. For the first three weeks the main factors affecting direction of advancing fronts appeared to be topographical features. The average rate of most rapid advance during this stage was only about 6 yards daily. Subsequently, dispersal appeared to become more random and general, proceeding at a maximum rate of about 20 yards daily, and rather rapidly over-running or outflanking most topographical features that had at first seemed to channelize movement. Dispersal in the nymphal stage was followed by characteristic reassembly of adults for breeding.

Felt (1940) mentioned a midge in Douglas-fir needles which he called Cecidomyia sp.; this reference was quoted by Barnes (1951). Denton (1954) reported that a midge, identified by the Division of Insect Identification, United States Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine as Cecidomyia sp., occurred in needles of Douglas fir in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, and northeastern Montana. In 1954 the author reared some adults which H. F. Barnes (in litt. 1957) referred to the genus Contarinia Rond. Unpublished records from 1935 to date indicate unidentified needle-inhabiting gall midges throughout most of the host range. Recently the author found indications of a species comples which were confirmed by further rearings of adults. This paper presents the description of three new species of Contarinia Rond., reared under similar conditions, from material obtained at Oyama, B.C.

Populations of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) exposed to sublethal doses of irradiation (0.5–4.0 krad) each generation for as many as 25 generations had decreases in reproductive capacity and increases in sterility that were positively correlated with the size of the dose per generation, but not with the number of ancestral generations treated. Exposure of the selected populations to an acute dose of irradiation (2.0 krad) revealed no increase in tolerance to irradiation even after 25 generations of selection. Radioresistant populations would probably not arise from fertile survivors of irradiation disinfestation of bulk grain.

When trichloronat or fensulfothion was applied to the soil surface, the toxicity of both compounds to first stage root maggot larvae increased during the first few days, then decreased at a constant and relatively rapid rate. When trichloronat was mixed with the top 1 in. of soil, its toxicity or that of its metabolites increased for about 3 months, then gradually decreased. When it was applied in a band below the surface, its persistence increased with the depth of application. When fensulfothion was applied in the same manner, its toxicity was not greatly influenced by the method of application; this decreased during the first 4 or 5 days, rose to a peak in 15 to 30 days, then gradually decreased. Fensulfothion was highly systemic in rutabagas. Its toxicants were most bioactive 60 to 80 days after application and decreased gradually thereafter. Trichloronat toxicants were slowly absorbed by the roots but toxic residues did not degrade in storage.

In a recent contribution in this Journal, I described a few new Diptera from Canada. The present paper contains descriptions of six new Canadian species and two from the United States, the types of the Canadian species being in the Canadian National Collection. The descriptions of two of the species of Ptiolina in this paper have been prepared by Dr. M. D. Leonard and are included in order that the key to species may be complete. From our study of this genus it seems probable that there are other species to be found, especially in the north where so little collecting has been done.

Adult and puparial keys are presented for five Microdon species occurring in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. The original description of Microdon cockerelli Jones is revised, and a new species of Microdon is described.

Culex atropalpus, new species.

♀. Black the halteres, apices of coxæ, and bases and under side of femora, except toward the apex, yellowish white; scales of palpi black, occiput covered with board, appressed whitish scales and with a patch of black ones near the middle of each side, the middle of the upper side covered with narrow yellowish scales, the upright forked scales yellow; scales of mesonotum golden yellow and with an median vitta of black ones; scales of abdomen purplish black, and with a narrow fascia of whitish ones at the bases of the segments, becoming much broader on the venter; scales of legs black, those at base and on under side of femora, except toward the apex, also to extreme apices of femora, both ends of tibiæ and of the tarsal joints, except the last two and apex of the third on the front and middle tarsi, white those on last joint of hind tarsi wholly white; claws of front and middle tarsi toothed, those of the hind ones simple; wings hyaline, lateral scales of the veins long and narrow, first submarginal cell slightly over twice as long as its petiole.

Studies in the Entomology Division at Ottawa in 1957 and 1958 led to the design and building of a “walk-in” air-conditioned cabinet for rearing insects, air motion and distribution as well as temperature and humidity being precisely controlled. The air is heated, cooled, humidified, and dehumidified in four separate ducts. A quadrate funnel for the air exhaust gives especially even distribution of the air within the cabinet, the air moving at 25 to 30 f.p.m.Temperature and humidity can be held at any desired levels from 65 to 85 ± 0.5°F. and from 45 to an accuracy of ± 1 per cent R.H. provided that ambient conditions are within 65 to 85°F. and 5 to 85 per cent R.H. This paper describes the cabinet and air-conditioning system and the main principles on which the apparatus is based.

A method was developed to terminate pupal diapause in Rheumaptera hastata through experimentation using controlled abiotic factors. Male and female pupae exposed to 0 °C at 75–100% moisture content for 90–120 days terminated diapause within 8–19 days following treatment. This method reduces diapause by 4 months compared with natural conditions. Light had a minimum effect on diapause termination; therefore, pupae should be exposed to constant darkness during the treatment period, followed by exposure to a 20L:4D photoperiod to obtain a high percentage of adult emergence.

In the Canadian Entomologist, during the year 1898, I gave a series of papers on the classification of the horntails and sawflies, representing the superfamilies Siricoidea (Xylophaga) and Tenthredinoidea (Phyllophaga); while the past year, 1899, I gave a classification of the entomophilous wasps, or the superfamily Sphecoidea (incorrectly spelt Sphegoidea).

Some two years ago I received from Mr. E. A. Schwarz a single example of a curious Lucanide bearing labels “Kaweah, Cal.,” and “Ceruchus (?), n. sp.” This specimen, as I have since learned, was one of a considerable number taken by Mr. Ralph Hopping six years ago on grain and wild grasses growing near the grain on a small sandy hill at the locality indicated. In a letter just received from Mr. Hopping, he states that he has this year taken four fresh specimens, May 17–20, at the same place, one flying in the bright sunshine shortly after noon, the others at twilight. Mr. Hopping has kindly sent me three more specimens, and I have seen two others in the collection of Mr. Fuchs, also from the same source. These specimens are all males, and I have little doubt that Mr. Hopping's entire catch is of this sex.

This exhibit shows pictorially the part that entomological evidence played in a murder trial. Some unusual “hairs” were found stuck in a drop of blood on a 25¢ shinplaster (Canadian bank note) in the possession of a suspect. More of the unusual plumose hairs were taken from the pocket of the murdered man (Patrick Martin). The hairs were brought by the R.C.M.P. to the Entomology Research Institute where they were identified as either dermestid or bee hairs. Subsequent investigation turned up fragments of a bumble bee (Bombus sp.) in the desk where the murdered man kept his collection of shinplasters. These hairs proved to be identical to those in the murdered man's pocket and to the ones on the shinplaster in the possession of the suspect.