The large scale production of Coccinellids at the Fontana Laboratory, Commonwealth Bureau of Biological Control, Fontana, California, for shipment to Bermuda where they are used against the Diaspine Cedar Scale, Carulaspis visci Schrank has created a variety of problems. Potato tubers are being used to rear the Diaspine scales Aonidiella aurantii Mask., Aspidiotus lataniae Signoret, and Aspidiotus hederae Vallot for host material for the Coccinellids Zagloba ornata Casey, Cephaloscymnus occidentalis Horn, Microweisea suturalis Schwartz, Lotis nigerrima Casey, Lotis neglecta Muls., Pharoscymnus exiguus Weise, Telsimia sp., and the Nitidulid Cybocephalus sp. One of the outstanding difficulties was the damage caused by several species of predaceous mites as contaminants in our production program. The elimination of these mites led to the rather novel use of miticides as a means of sanitation control. The results although effective were open to experimental error. This preliminary report deals primarily with the effectiveness of Neotran on these mites, Hemisarcoptes malus Schimer, Iphidulus sp., Tyroglyphus americanus Banks, the associated effect upon the praducrion of the Diaspine scale Aspidiotus lataniae, and the subsequent effect on the prodection of the Coccinellids.

Trachycrusus, gen.nov., and two included species, lescheni sp.nov. and striatulus sp.nov., are described and figured from eastern Peru. Morphologically the genus bridges the gap between the highly modified ceratocanthine genera such as Scarabatermes Howden and the more typical genera such as Astaenomoechus Martínez and Pereira.

Preston and Westwood (1981) reported on the distribution of Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer) in Manitoba. They suggested that the species arrived here about 1970 by way of northwestern Ontario. At that time the population in central Winnipeg was the most western known in the Prairie region and they suggested that the spread of the species might be impeded by the arid nature of the Great Plains to the west. Klassen et al. (1989) noted that specimens subsequently had been taken 70 km west of Winnipeg at Rathwell(49°39'N; 98°33'W) near the western edge of the Red River Valley soils on the eastern edge of the Prairie. In 1986 Preston and McKillop collected the European Skipper at Eriksdale (50°52'N; 98°06'W) 100 km to the northwest of Winnipeg in the marginal lands of the interlake region (Klassen et al. 1989).

In examining a long series of several species of blackflies collected in Algonquin Park, Ontario, it was found that characters, often key characters, used in identifying adults as well as pupae showed variations from those described by previous authors.

Aleurodes graminicola, n. sp.

Egg.—Size, .25x.13 mm.; uniformly brownish in colour; unmarked; oblong, truncate at base; pedicel short, attached to one corner; eggs held nearly upright on leaf by short pedicel and truncated end.

Larva.—Length, .7 mm.; width, .3 mm.; oblong-elliptical in shape; colour, yellowish-white; eye spots reddish. There is a marginal fringe all around of white cottony waxen threads. No marginal rim, and but faint crenulation. In other respects, essentially as in pupa-case.

Larvae of the leafminer Chromatomyia fuscula attack many wild and cultivated grass species, including cereals, in Europe (Spencer 1969, 1991; Griffiths 1980) and are considered a major pest in parts of Fennoscandia (Spencer 1973; Andersen 1989a). However, in North America this species has been reported only on non-cereal grasses (Spencer 1969, 1991; Griffiths 1980). Therefore in 1994 a survey was undertaken in the region around Quebec City to determine if C. fuscula was truly restricted to non-cereal grasses or if, as in Europe, it also attacked cereals.

The generic limits of Paragnorimus Becker are redefined and two new species, P. sambucus from Chiapas, Mexico, and P. guatemalensis from Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala, are described.

The genera here under consideration are largely western and southwestern in distribution. Little or nothing is known concerning their biology or host relationships. Characters common to both genera include the following among others: eyes bare; parafacials setose to bristled; facial ridges practically bare; epistoma narrow and somewhat elongated; arista short plumose; propleura bare; prosternum setose; apical cell closed with long petiole reaching costa far before wing tip; costal spine large; sides of postnotum beneath calypters haired.

Larva, one-tenth of an inch in length—pointed at the head—rounded and blunt at the hinder extremity. First three segments the color of amber, and semi-transparent: the rest of the body salmon-colored. Nine sets of hooks, or tentacles, in place of feet, the two first in pairs, the remainder in threes. The larva has the habit of holding itself erect, by means of peculiar anal protuberances which seem to cling by suction. The body has minute hairs thinly scattered over it. On the sides of the head, which is small and black, there are bristle-like palpi, pointing forwards The larva is full fed by the end of August.

Bombomelecta larreœ, n. sp.

♀.—Length 12½ mm.; general build and structure of B. thoracica, but the scutellum is convex with a central depression, and wholly without spines; while the claws have the inner division short and broadly truncate. The maxillary palpi are 6-jointed, and the mandibles have a strong tooth on the inner side. Black; pubescence of the face and vertex pale brown; of the occiput, labrum and clypeus, black; of the pleura, metathorax and scutellum, black; of the post-scurtellum, yellowish, especially noticeable at the sides; of the mesothorax, orange-fulvous, short, dense and conspicuous in front, thin behind. Abdomen with broad but inconspicuous ochreous bands on segments 2 to 4, more or less interrupted in the middle on 2 and 4, represented on the first segment by lateral patches, and a few ochreous hairs even in the middle; fifth segment with black hairs. Antennæ entirely black, apex truncate, the corners of the truncation rounded. Legs black, with black pubescence; spurs black, hind spur of hind tibia larger than the other, and somewhat bent. Wings dark fuliginous, with hyaline patches on the third transverso-cubital and second recurrent nervures; venation resembling that of B. thoracica, var. fulvida, except that the first recurrent nervure joins the second submarginal cell almost at its apex.

16a Spharagemon collare, Scudd., race Wyomingianum, Thomas.

Oedipoda Wyomingianum, Thom. Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., V. 462 (1872).

Spharagemon oculatum. Scudd. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XVII., 470 (1875).

Spharagemon oculatum. Morse. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat, Hist., XXVI., 232 (1894).

Spharagemon collare, race Wyomingianum, Morse. Psyche, VII., 298 (1895).

In September, 1899, I found this species fairly plentiful on sand dunes, in Rondeau Provincial Park, Kent Co., on the shore of Lake Erie. The sand dunes occupy a considerable area there, and in some places near the lake shore are thinly wooded with red cedar (Juniperus virginianus).

While at the University of Toronto in the spring of 1934, the author had the privilege of examining the Plecoptera of the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology. It soon became apparent that a number of undescribed species were represented therein, and the present paper describes three of the most interesting of them. It is the interest and assistance of Dr. E. M. Walker and Dr. F. P. Ide that has made possible the descriptions appearing in this and in subsequent papers.

The remarkable discovery that the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii (Htg.), had developed an immunity, in parts of North America, to one of its principal parasites, the ichneumon, Mesoleius tenthredinis Morl., followed Lejeune's report (6) that parasitism rarely had exceeded 5 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan since 1940. Muldrew (8, 9) showed that the immunity phenomenon resulted from the formation of a phagocytic capsule around the parasite's egg. The occurrence of parasite resistance by the larch sawfly in Minnesota and Wisconsin was observed in 1952 (2, 4).

Our investigation estimates time–temperature relationships and demonstrates the effect of rapid heating on mortality of Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew). Mature larvae (third instars) in water were exposed to each of seven temperatures (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and 50 °C) and each of five power levels (11, 27.5, 55, 88, and 122 W) in a research-quality microwave oven. Controls were immersed in water for 30 min and not exposed to microwave energy. Data were analyzed by a probit model with three explanatory variables. The variables were time to reach target temperature, power, and final temperature. Temperature needed to control the larvae increased as power increased. Of the power–temperature levels, the only combinations that resulted in > 99% mortality were the lowest power (16 W) at 49 or 50 °C and 30 W at 50 °C. Time required for > 99% mortality decreased with increased power. Thus, as power delivered to larvae increased and time needed to reach exposure temperature deceased, percent mortality decreased. We conclude that rapid heating imposes serious constraints on the use of heat-induced mortality; this result raises important questions that must be addressed because quarantine security may be jeopardized.

Chrysops lupus, n. sp.—♀.— Length, 8–9 mm. Face shining yellowis ferruginous, callosities outside of suture, and cheeks black. Antennæ black, base of first joint fulvous. Front grayish pollinose, callesity black. Thorax black, with the usual glaucous stripes. Scutellum black. Abdomen yellow, first segment with a black spot wider anteriorly and connecting on second segment with a subquadrate spot deeply emarginate posteriorly, which does not attain the posterior margin of the segment.

Wehr (1933a, b), Knipling (1934), Wells and Knipling (1938), and James (1947, pp. 92-98) stated that first-stage larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis (Deg.) developed in the mucosa of the tongue, cheeks, and lips of the horse. Schroeder (1940) stated that first-stage larvae of G. nasalis (L.) established themselves in the spaces between the molar teeth below the gum line, where their accumulation caused considerable necrosis and resulted in the formation of pus pockets.

Progressively increasing lengths of exposure to pure nitrogen caused temporary anaesthesia, irreversible partial paralysis, and death, in that order, to the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch). The immature stages, especially eggs, were more tolerant than adult females. Confinement in 2.5% oxygen at a relative humidity approximating 100% had no effect on the mites, except on oviposition, beyond that of high humidity alone.