A virus isolated from obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), larvae collected in an apple, Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae), orchard of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac (Quebec, Canada) was studied. Microscopic studies revealed that it was a uninucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus from the family Baculoviridae. Larval mortality was approximately 75% (0% mortality in control group) in larvae infected as third instars immersed in a suspension of 1.7 × 108 occlusion bodies/mL. The average time for larval mortality was 23 ± 3 d after treatment. The majority (95.5%) of infected larvae died as fifth or sixth instars. Infection was observed primarily in fat body cells, and occasionally in the tracheal matrix and epidermis. Mean larval development time of infected larvae surviving to pupae was 20 ± 3 d, significantly greater than the 18 ± 3 d observed in control larvae. Adult emergence was significantly lower in pupae of treated larvae (73.6%) than in the control group (93.5%). Our work constitutes the first baseline study of naturally occurring virus of the obliquebanded leafroller.

The other day a distinguished artist friend of mine called upon me with a small bottle containing some whiskey, which by its odour I judged was good, when he first took it from his flask, and in it was what he denominated a “bug.” He told me that he had experienced “one of the most wonderful adventures of his life” in connection with the specimen he put before me, and went on to tell me that during the past summer, while sketching in the mountains, he had discovered one evening, when undressing, a small, dark swelling on his breast. He thought it to be a little abnormal growth on the skin and paid no attention to it. From time to time he noticed it afterwards, when retiring, and found to his considerable alarm that it was gradually growing larger, and evil thoughts of cancer, tumors, and what not, began to float through his mind. Finally, after some two weeks had passed, one evening, as he expressed it, “while fooling with the darned thing it came off” He laid it down on the dressing-case before him and was presently astounded to see it slowly crawling away from the spot. Then a small bottle was sought out, the whiskey flask was brought into requisition, and the “bug” was safely bottled, to be referred to me for an explanation. This proved not difficult to give. The specimen was a well-developed example of Ixodes albipictus, Packard. We had a hearty laugh together, and my friend assured me that he “would know better the next time, and not let such creatures establish such a lengthy abode upon his person.” His adventure recalled to me a letter which I have long had in my possession, intending to publish it, as it is very well written, and adds a touch of humour to the subject. The specimen referred to in the letter is in my collection, and proves to be an example of Ixodes bovis, a very common plague in the south-western part fo this country.

Adults and pupae of the Colorado potato beetle were controlled by treatment with methyl bromide at levels that did not injure new potatoes at 25°C. At lower temperatures the tolerance of the new potatoes was slightly reduced. A dosage schedule that will control adults and pupae without injury to the potatoes is given.

Last fall I obtained a few eggs from a female L. proserpina, in Sept., while in the Catskills, and raised eight larvæ to hybernation, which took place after third moult. This spring I have carried four of these to maturity with the following results : 'fhe first chrysalis gave butterfly this morning (April 29th), a male arthemis. For some hours before the emergence the white band of arthemis was distinctly seen through the wing case. The second was but a few hours younger and during this afternoon has given proserpine male. I expected this, as here there was no white band on the wing case.

It has been a fortunate thing for the study of butteflies in this country that the earlier students were those who devoted themselves very largely to the natural history of these insects rather than to their systematic or descriptive study. It was indeed a natural and healty result of the proverty of extrenal resources in earlier times; and I have though that it would not be devoid of interest to present a few facts concerning the life and iindustry of one of these earlier naturalists, who worked to such good purpose and accomplished so much, under circumstances that would now seem very forbidding.

In compiling this check list, Dixa montana Brunetti and Dixa montana Garrett were found to be homonyms. With the permission of Mr. C. B. D. Garrett, D. montana Garrett is being changed to D. garretti to comply with Article 34 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

We evaluated the resistance to tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), of colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), headed by daughters of three queens from each of three honey bee stocks: (i) British Columbia "mite-resistant stock, (ii) Buckfast "mite-resistant" stock, and (iii) Canadian unselected stock. Colonies of all nine families were distributed among four apiaries; half of the colonies in each apiary were treated with formic acid to attempt to control tracheal mites. The study documented significant differences in resistance to tracheal mites among the families of bees, even within each of the three stocks. After the first 4 months of study (by November 1993), differences in mite infestations had developed among the nine families. Formic acid treatments had either short-lived effectiveness (1993) or no effect (1994) on tracheal mite infestations, thereby eliminating the opportunity to evaluate colony performance in the absence of mites. Mite infestations varied significantly among apiary sites. This study highlights the value of evaluating sets of colonies headed by sister queens when identifying mite-resistant stock for breeding purposes.

The clover cutworm, Scotogramma trifolii (Rott.), has been recorded from a wide variety of host plants, but there are few records in the literature associating it with cole crops. Riley (1893) recorded it from cabbage in Maryland. Gibson (1915) recorded it from turnip and cabbage in Canada. Forbes (1951) and Frost (1955) listed cabbage as a host plant in New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 10 years' studies on caterpillars on cabbage in the Ottawa VaIley, 1949 to 1958, numbers of the clover cultworm on cabbage were almost always negligible. However, in the early summer of 1956 it occurred throughout the area in significant numbers, and in a study field of early cabbage at Merivale, Ontario, caused sufficient damage to affect the market value of the crop.

In flight-tunnel assays in both clean and pheromone-permeated air, we compared attraction and behavioural responses of male Pandemis limitata (Robinson) to “calling” females, female pheromone gland extract (FGE), and synthetic sources of pheromone. In clean air, female-baited traps caught significantly more males than traps baited with rubber septa lures loaded with 10 or 100 µg of the known pheromone components ((Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac) and (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate) blended in a 91:9 or 94:6 ratio. Traps baited with septa loaded with 500 µg of the 94:6 blend caught as many males as did female-baited traps. Proportions of males engaging in wing fanning, take-off flight, locking onto the plume, and upwind flight towards a rubber septum loaded with 100 or 500 µg of the 94:6 blend were not significantly different from proportions exhibiting these behaviours in response to calling females. Only 500 µg lures elicited as much source contact in the same time as did a calling female. In clean air, traps baited with FGE applied to filter paper at 5 or 10 female equivalents caught as many males as did calling females. In air treated with Z11-14:Ac applied as a pheromone disruptant, females attracted more males and did so sooner than did five equivalents of FGE on filter paper. Consequently, disruption of male orientation to calling females was significantly shorter (74 h) than disruption of orientation to FGE (146 h). However, FGE dispensed from a piezoelectric microsprayer at a rate equivalent to 50 pg of Z11-14:Ac·min–1 caught as many males as a calling female. At this delivery rate, two-choice microsprayer bioassays revealed that FGE containing the two known components at a 91:9 ratio was more attractive than a synthetic blend of these two pheromone components alone at the same ratio. In air permeated with Z11-14:Ac, disruption of orientation to this FGE lasted 74 h, equivalent to disruption of orientation to females. These results suggest the published two-component pheromone blend for P. limitata is likely incomplete, and in the absence of suitable synthetic attractants, we recommend use of calling females or FGE delivered using a microsprayer system for any laboratory examination of communication disruption in this species.

Zamischus elongatus n. sp. and male Z. braziliensis Ashmead from Brazil are described and illustrated.

Two-day-old females of Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) were exposed to hosts for several days after which their host-related behavior was observed. Parasites retained their preference for gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), larvae over greater wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), whether conditioned to gypsy moths, wax moths, or no hosts. However, parasites conditioned to gypsy moth larvae examined and attacked hosts less frequently than those conditioned to wax moths or to no hosts. By exposing female flies to gypsy moth larvae for short times before tests and by dissecting them it was found that the number of progeny a female was capable of producing was not closely related to subsequent levels of parasite activity. Thus the activity differences appear to be behavioral rather than physiological in origin. The explanation appears to be that C. concinnata is unusually active when it first encounters a preferred host such as the gypsy moth. The invariance of the preference for gypsy moth larvae despite the exposure history of adult females means that C. concinnata probably could be reared on wax moths in the laboratory without concern that newly-emerged parasites might contact wax moths. They would still successfully attack gypsy moths in the field.

A brief biography of a little-known Hanoverian entomologist, Johann Dietrich Herschel (1755–1827), is given. The more important events of his life, his entomological interests, and his relationships to other entomologists are covered. Included is a table of the species of beetles known to have been described from his collection by several entomologists of the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

Tinocallis khonkaenensis n. sp. from Lagerstroemia macrocarpa Wall., collected in Thailand, is described. Distinguishing characters are given to separate it from other species of the genus.

The subgenus Hagenomyia, of the genus Simulium, was erected by Shewell (1959) for Simulium pictipes Hagen, 1880, and S. longistylatum Shewell, 1959. Unfortunately, Hagenomyia Shewell is a junior homonym of Hagenomyia Banks (1911, p. 8) created for H. tristis (Hagen), an African myrmeleontid (Neuroptera). This matter was drawn to the attention of Mr. Shewell some time ago, and he has requested that I act on it.

For the past several years live moths have been collected at the Entomological Laboratory, Lethbridge, Alta. for the purpose of securing eggs. Both light trap and bait have been used to make these collections.

During the latter part of this month ans early June those who have grape vines under their charge are often annoyed at finding the terminal leaves of the young and tender branches tied by means of silken threads into a sort of ball shaped mass, and within the hollow sphere thus formed is found a small whitish hairy caterpillar, which feasts on the tender leaves ans young blossom bunches. Usually but a single occupant is found in each enclosure, but occasionally we have found two, and, in one instance, three.

Osborne and Lathrop have recently given us a very valuable revision of the North American forms of the genus Phlepsius. Their keys and illustrations should make it possible for those interested to make accurate determinations in what has been a very difficult group. The writer in working his material over with the help of this revision found few cases where changes appear to be necessary and most of these were apparently due to the limitations of the material at that time available.

The Palaearctic species of Iziphya Nevsky are revised and the following species recognized: austriaca Borner, bufo (Walker), fungifera (Ossiannilsson), ingegardae Hille Ris Lambers, leegei (Börner), maculata Nevsky and oettingenii Quednau. Iziphya memorialis Börner and piluliferae Quednau are considered synonyms of bufo. Nevskyella Ossiannilsson and Juncobia Quednau are considered synonyms of Iziphya. A key to the world fauna is offered.