Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) constitute an important insect pest complex that causes damage to a variety of crops across western Canada and particularly in canola (Brassica napus Linnaeus; Brassicaceae) crops in recent years. However, individual cutworms are very difficult to identify to species based on morphology alone, particularly at the larval stage. Problems with pest identification can lead to difficulties in recommending appropriate management strategies for specific cutworm infestations. In the current study we have developed and applied a single-step multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay, based on the rRNA ITS2 genomic sequence, which can be used to identify, to the species level, individuals of the following five key cutworm species: Agrotis orthogonia Morrison, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenée), Feltia jaculifera (Guenée), and Lacinipolia renigera (Stephens). This molecular identification tool will be a valuable asset in agronomic and ecological studies of cutworm infestations in the canola cropping system across western Canada and potentially could be used as a timely identification tool for determining pest infestations to the species level during outbreaks.

In going through the accessions to my collection, I have found several new species and new localities for some known forms. Most of these are included in this paper.

Adult silkmoths captured in northwestern Ontario and tentatively identified as Hyalophora columbia (Smith) were found to resemble H. gloveri nokomis (Brodie) which occurs as far east as Winnipeg, Man. Habitat studies showed that the larvae of the northwestern Ontario moths are not strictly larch feeders as are the larvae of typical H. Columbia.

The dorsal thoracic tubercle colour of typical fifth instar H. Columbia larvae is red. Matings between typical H. Columbia and H. cecropia (L.) have produced fifth instar larvae with only reddish-orange tubercles. However, matings of male moths from northwestern Ontario with H, cecropia females have produced fifth instar larvae with reddish-orange, light orange, or yellow dorsal thoracic tubercles. Further matings of northwestern Ontario males with H. euryalis (Boisd.) and typical H. Columbia females have established the presence in northwestern Ontario of a colour polymorphism of which the phenotypic colour components are red, reddish orange, and yellow.

The fifth instar dorsal thoracic tubercle colour of H. gloveri nokomis larvae is yellow and it is proposed that the yellow tubercle colour of the northwestern Ontario larvae has originated from the influx of genes from the nearby H. gloveri nokomis population.

The evidence presented in this paper points to the existence of an intergrade population between H. gloveri nokomis and H. columbia in northwestern Ontario.

Body and wings pale buff, lightly dusted with darker; all markings obscure. Fore wing with antemedial line brown, very indistinct or obsolete; when discernible short, dentate, its general course at right angles to costa. Orbicular minute, punctiform, fuscous; reniform single, linear, concave outwards, fuscous. Postmedial line narrow, rather weak, fuscous, strongly and regularly dentate; its general course oblique outwardly from costa to M2, thence gently curved basad to Cu2 from which it proceeds perpendicularly, with one conspicuous angulation, to the inner margin. Beyond the postmedial a brown, strongly dentate, subterminal shade. Terminal line brown, broken between the veins; fringe pale buff. Hind wing with diffuse, dentate antmedial line and diffuse medial shades; postmedial, subterminal, and terminal markings as on fore wing. Under side as above, but with less brown shading; antemedial line absent, reniform and orbicular spots weak, postmedial line more diffuse and less strongly dentate than above.

As noted below the two North American species described in Syndipnus by workers appear to belong in other genrra. In Europe the gunus is represented by nearly a score of species and has been reviewed in recent years by two writers (1, 2). North American collections contain very few representatives of the genus; after combining the material in the National Collection with that from the United States National Museum, the latter kindly loaned to me by Mr. R. A. Cushman, only thirty-seven specimens are available for study.

That four species of Papaipema, Papaipema stenoscelis Dyar, P. speciosima G. & R., P. inquaesita G. & R. and P. pterisii Bird, persist in making a food choice among the Cryptogams, those plants whose ancestry dates so far back in the floral phylum, might suggest that this quartet should show evidence of being the fore-runners of their generic complex.

Although heterogony has yet to be proved for the oak gall producing species of Cynipidae, Plagiotrochus tumificus O.S. and P. scitula Bass., the laboratory rearing of the male and female individuals from the vernal galls of these two species indicates that the mother insects in the former species are mostly amphitokous, while those in P. scitula are arrhenotokous and thelytokous. Amphitoky is shown for Callirliytis operator O.S. which is known to be heterogenous.Cynipid inquilines and chalcid parasites were reared from several cynipidous oak galls in the area. The inquiline and parasite fauna of any particular gall depend on the form of the gall and not on the species of the gall producing cynipid. None of the inquilines and parasites reared in this study is identical with known palearctic species. Most individual inquilines and parasites emerging from the vernal galls emerge in the summer, but a few overwinter in these galls and do not emerge until the following spring.

Five new species of Heliura Butler (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) are described: H. laguerrei Pinheiro and Cerda, H. beneluzi Pinheiro and Cerda, Heliura crameri Pinheiro and Cerda, H. nigriventris Pinheiro and Duarte, and H. pauloi Pinheiro and Duarte. The last three species are placed in the H. stolli (Rothschild) species group, which is delimited for the first time and discussed. The other known species that are also part of this group are redescribed, and an identification key is provided. Heliura pieroides Rothschild is a revalidated combination. Heliura parcipuncta is a new combination. Heliura pierus Cramer is considered a species inquirenda. Illustrations of habitus and genitalia of the species treated herein are provided whenever possible.

The species considered below are commonly confused in collections under the name inflatus Say. They resemble one another very closely, but critical study of the material at hand has shown the value and constancy of the characters noted below. The most important characters are those of the antennae, noted in the first couplet of the following key, and of the aedeagus.

A toy called “Star Beam” (Burgess Batteries, Freeport, Ill. 61032, U.S.A.) is made of 145 cm long, 3 cm diam., transluscent, polyethylene tube illuminated by a battery-operated flashlight with a 2.5 watt bulb and two D cells (Fig. 1). The Star Beams were adapted for use as insect light traps by covering the tubes with a thin coating of Stikem Special® clear adhesive (Michel and Pelton Co., 5743 Landregan St., Emeryville, CA 94608, U.S.A.), spread with the thumb and the index finger. When hung at night in the crowns and fronds of coconut palms in Jamaica, West Indies, these traps attracted insects which were caught in the adhesive. After picking off the desired insect specimens with a brush or a small spatula, the adhesive was wiped off the tube by moving the black basal collar (see Fig. 1) to the tip of the tube and back. New adhesive could then be applied again. The plastic flashlights, including the reflectors, had to be replaced after several nightly 4-h trappings due to damage caused by humidity, condensation, and oxidation of the metal parts.

A new genus, Fallocampus, with type-species Camponiscus americanus Marlatt is described to accommodate the Nearctic species formerly assigned to Platycampus Schiødte. The adults and larvae of the new genus resemble Platycampus and Anoplonyx Marlatt respectively. Diagnostic characters separating the adults and larvae of these genera are noted and illustrated. Biological notes and a key to the larvae of Fallocampus are presented.

A new genus and species of grylline cricket are described from Baja California, Mexico. This cricket, unlike most others, is reddish in colour.

Two new species belonging to the genus Anastrepha, A. mayasp. nov. and A. relictasp. nov., are described. These species are noteworthy because they are closely related to A. tripunctata van der Wulp, an endemic Mexican species currently classified in the cryptostrepha species group, which may be the basal lineage of the genus. These new species come from several tropical Mexican localities and share several taxonomic characters found only in A. tripunctata. The eight known species of the cryptostrepha group are keyed, and a discussion of the phylogenetic relationships between this group and other species groups of Anastrepha is presented.

The seasonal occurrence, habits, and immature stages of Phratora hudsonia Brown are described, and a generic key to forest Chrysomelinae of Ontario is given.

Species of horse flies resembling Tabanus affinis Kby. and its allies with hairy eyes and red sides are among the abundant but taxonomically troublesome, North American Tabanidae, especially in the boreal regions. McDunnough (1921) did much to clarify the status of females of the most prevalent species, but omitted discussion of the scarcer males. Information on a few additional species and the availability of males of all species treated by him, make further discussion propitious at this time.

Length 5.7 to 6.1 mm., width 1.65 to 1.75 mm. Form narrow, parallel, color piceous bronzed, base of antennae, prosternal lobe and legs reddish, surface moderately shining, distinctly pale pubescent.

In size, form, color and all other details except as mentioned below, this species is so similar to the common quercinus as to be practically indistinguishable to the casual eye.

Four major categories of neurosecretory cells (A, B, C, D) were distinguished in the brain of Triphaena pronuba L. by staining sections with paraldehyde fuchsin and counterstains. These comprised nine types of cells, seven of which were recognizable for analysis of their secretory products. Histochemical tests indicate that the lepidopteron brain has a multiplicity of neurosecretory cells, each type producing chemically different secretions.