Occasions frequently arise in entomological work when it is necessary to hold an insect absolutely still in order to operate upon it. A year ago an apparatus was devised for holding sawfly larvae for injection. It has now been improved and is being currently used to hold sawfly larvae quiet while substances are introduced into the midgut, The apparatus, shown in the accompanying figure, consists of a grooved plastic platform with small holes in the base. These holes are connected to a vacuum line. A water pump may be substituted very nicely. The larva can be placed in any position on the platform by lifting it on a stick and pressing it lightly over the holes on the platform. The larva can be freed immediately by releasing the vacuum. As long as the vacuum is regulated carefully, there are no harmful effects upon the larva.

My friend, Prof. T.D.A. Cockerell, has indicated some omissions in the above Catalogue, which I have verified. Those marked * are not recorded in the “Zoological Record,” and I had not seen the works fill Prof. Cockerell called my attention to them.

Lygus Hahn (Hemiptera: Miridae) feeding in faba beans (Vicia faba Linnaeus (Fabaceae)) often results in a reduction in seed quality and economic losses. Traditionally, seed damage is assessed subjectively through visual examination by a trained individual, but the use of non-destructive imaging to evaluate seed quality is gaining momentum. The focus of this study was to determine the ability to quantify Lygus species damage in faba bean using shortwave-infrared imaging and two analysis techniques: (1) spectral angle mapper and (2) simple reflectance indices. Seed samples were visually assessed for damage before imaging in 242 wavebands between 980 and 2500 nm. Four spectral intervals, involving 102 wavebands, were identified as optimal for the detection of seed damage using spectral angle mapper. A strong relationship was obtained between the area of seed damage derived using spectral angle mapper and visually (R2 = 0.95). Seed damage derived by thresholding of two normalised faba bean damage indices involving reflectance at 1086 and 1313 nm and 2218 and 2342 nm also showed a strong relationship with the visual assessment (R2 = 0.92). The two image analysis techniques provided similar results. The study suggests that imaging in the shortwave-infrared wavelengths and the derivation of simple indices can effectively quantify faba bean damage by Lygus feeding.

Larvae of the sawfly genus Gilpinia Benson, a Palaearctic genus, attack conifers. Smith (1974) listed 24 species, two of which, G. frutetorum (Fabricius) and G. hercyniae (Hartig), were accidentally introduced into North America. Keys to known species of Gilpinia have been published for adults (Enslin 1917; Takeuchi 1940; Gussakovskij 1947; Berland 1947; Benson 1951; Okutani 1958) and for most European larvae (Lorenz and Kraus 1957; Běnes and Kristek 1979).

Concerning the light reactions of the adults, it may be noted that males are photopositive when in a dark-adapted state, but they rapidly become adapted to any light intensity and become extremely sluggish. Females in the dark-adapted state exbihit either photonegative behaviour or compassing behaviour, with no evidence that there is any orderly transition from one type of behaviour to the other. Light-compass orientation of flying females makes it possible to collect some at light traps, despite their normally negative response.

In the summer of 1884, while collecting the green tiger-beetles in the woods, it struck me very forcibly how the Cicindelæ that inhabit such places—sexguttata Fab. here, campestris Linn. in England, others elsewhere—are for the most part of a beautiful green, so as to assimilate in color with the surrounding vegetation and herbage among which they may alight; while those that frequent the bare ground, banks, sand hills, sandy stretches, beaches, bars—vulgaris Say, repanda Dej., maritima Dej., and many others—are of the colors easily assimilative with those that surround them on the flats and stretches where they are found.

Mr. Neumoegen and myself are at work upon this genus, with a view to present a revision of it; there are, however, some points upon which I should like to make a few independent remarks. The genus Halisidota is exclusively American, its stronghold being in the South. Indeed, the whole sub-family, the Phægopterinæ, are strongly, American, there being no European species and but few African, While still fewer reach through the East Indies to Australia.

In June, 1938, I was able to spend eight days at the Public Museum of Quebec studying the Provancher collection of Ichneumonidae. Mr. Pierre-Georges Roy (Director of the Museum), Mr. Paul Rainville (Assistant Director), and Mr. Noel-M. Comeau (Curator of Insects), were very cordial and gave me facilities and help that made it possible to accomplish much more than could otherwise have been done.

The material on which the following paper is based is deposited in the United States National Museum to whose authorities I am indebted for the privilege of studying the collections of spiders in their charge. Several colleagues have been very generous in lending material and in giving advice. Particular thanks are due to Miss Elizabeth B. Bryant of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Dr. W. J. Gertsch of the American Museum of Natural History, and Professor R. V. Chamberlin of the University of Utah.

Tetralopha vacciniivora, new species, is described from material reared at Cedar Lake, Ontario, by officers of the Department of Forestry of Canada. The new species is compared with the poplar-feeding T. aplastella (Hulst), the maple-feeding species identified as T. asperatella (Clemens), and the oak-feeding T. expandens (Walker). T. nephelotella (Hulst) is sunk as a synonym of T. expandens.

It has come to my attention that results I reported (DeMars 1963) were incorrect.

In Table I the values for samples 4 through 7 in column 4 (Larvae-Dead-Rad.) should read 1, 10, 7, and 4 instead of 10, 7, 4, and 0. In Table II the values for sample 13 in columns 8 and 12 (Beetles of all stages-Live and Total-Rad.) should read 102 instead of 103.

Importance of cultivars, harvest schedules, and pest infestations as determinants of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., productivity and stand persistence was investigated using the unimproved “OK08” (Oklahoma Common) and the multiple-pest resistant “WL 318” cultivars. Beginning in the 5th year of production, treatments including three first-harvest schedules (early bud, early bloom, and full bloom) were imposed in a factorial arrangement with unsprayed subplots and three pesticide options for control of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), or weeds such as downy brome, Bromus tectorum L., or both. In addition to estimating population levels of alfalfa weevil and percentage composition of weeds in forage during each year, alfalfa dry matter yield and stem densities (no. per square metre) were determined during the 3-year period from 1986 through 1988. The seasonal forage production (2-year mean) of WL 318 was nearly 5.4 Mg per hectare greater than that of OK08. There was no consistent trend for greater seasonal alfalfa yield with any of the first-harvest schedules. Timely application of pesticides, as well as use of the improved cultivar were essential for maintaining productivity in years 5 through 7 of stand life. At the termination of the study, only the herbicide + insecticide treatment of WL 318 had close to sufficient stem (and plant) numbers remaining for continued production.

B1ack, antennae partly ancl the palpi apically, reddish; face and cheeks yellow. Superficially very sinrilar to daemon Wiedmann from Brazil but at once distinguished by the short, fine yellow hair on the parafacials and cheeks and the shape of the male genital forceps, which are ridged as in apicilera Walker. Length, 11.5 to 13 mm.

The cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus Banks; Acari: Tarsonemidae) has recently become a more important pest in Canadian strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier; Rosaceae) production with the withdrawal of the pesticide endosulfan in 2016, yet its phenology under field conditions in Canada is poorly known. Moreover, while its biological control with predatory mites has shown potential, the effectiveness of this method has never been investigated under eastern Canadian field conditions. The objectives of this study were to (1) monitor populations of P. pallidus in strawberries for two consecutive years; and (2) evaluate the in-field potential of the predatory mite Neoseiulus cucumeris Oudemans (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Monitoring cyclamen mite populations in the field revealed new critical knowledge about its phenology in eastern Canada, such as activity until late November. The predator N. cucumeris was able to effectively suppress cyclamen mites the first year, but appeared to be too cold-sensitive to maintain adequate control towards the end of the season. Furthermore, the high rates of predator release required would most likely be cost prohibitive for commercial use. Control of the cyclamen mite in strawberries remains a complex issue that will require further research.

Names have been requested for the following Ichneumonidae for use in publications on the parasites of a lepidopterous twig borer (Argyresthia lariccella Kft.) on tamarack (Larix laricina DuRoi).

Phaeogenes laricellae, new species

This species is closely related to P. epinotiae Cush. but may be distinguished by the very elongated and flattened thorax (of normal build in epinotiae), the smooth and shining clypeus (mostly coriaceous in epinotiae), and the small sub-apical ridge on the female hind coxa (hind coxa unarmed in female epinotiae).

Saperda Fayi, Bland.—This beautiful Saperda breeds in the small limbs of Crataegus, especially crus-galli and tomentosa, as first observed by Mr. C. D. Zimmermann, Can. Ent., 10, 220; and should it, like some of its allies, acquire a taste for cultivated fruit trees, it would be a formidable enemy, as is evidenced by the way it depredates on thorn bushes. The beetles appear here the last week in May or the first week in June, according to the season, the males preceding the females three or four days.

The larvae of Macrotheca angulalis Barnes & McDunnough and Alpheias sp. are described and illustrated. A comparison is made between these and the larvae of Galleriinae.