A 2-year field study was carried out to locate and identify eggs, determine the temporal distributions of eggs and larvae, and assess the impact of Strobilomyia laricis and S. viaria on Larix laricina. Eggs of S. laricis were beige with a patterned surface and usually laid one per cone in the bud scales at the base of the cone. Eggs of S. viaria were white and smooth and usually laid one per cone between the ovuliferous scales of the cone. Strobilomyia laricis oviposited from mid- to late May and S. viaria from late May to mid-June, each species initiating oviposition at a different stage of cone phenology. Peak egg densities of S. laricis were 25 and 65% higher than those of S. viaria in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Larvae of both species completed development at the same time, from mid-June to early July. The mean number of scales eaten per cone did not differ between species; one larva damaged a mean of 8.4 scales per cone in 1990 and 10.7 scales per cone in 1991. As the number of scales per cone increased, the mean number of scales eaten increased and the mean percentage of scales eaten decreased. Cone crops were light in both years. In 1990, the only year we were able to differentiate cone maggot larvae, 44% of cones were damaged by S. laricis and only 16% by S. viaria. Together, S. laricis and S. viaria damaged 60 and 67% of the cones and destroyed 38 and 50% of the potential seed crop in 1990 and 1991, respectively.

The native elm bark beetle, Hylurgopinus rufipes (Eichhoff), is the major vector of Dutch elm disease, Ophiostoma ulmi (Buisman) Nannf., in Manitoba. The herbicide Glowon™, monosodium methane arsenate (MSMA), was applied to a chainsaw cut in American elm, Ulmus americana L., tree stems to determine if the treated elms would become effective trap trees for H. rufipes. Three treatments were compared: treated with herbicide and girdled, girdled, and control. All herbicide-treated elms died within 18 days after application. Significantly higher numbers (P < 0.01) of native elm bark beetles were attracted to the herbicided elms, compared with the other treatments. Beetles bred only in the elms treated with herbicide. Of the total brood galleries constructed, 72% had no egg hatch while the remaining 28% had larval tunnels. Progeny adults emerged from less than 1% of the larval tunnels. MSMA application could supplement the Dutch elm disease management program in Manitoba.

Eight genera and 25 species are recognized among the Nearctic, Mexican, and West Indian Oodini. Four new species are described: Oodinus pseudopiceus (type locality: Hillsborough River St. Pk., Hillsborough Co., Florida); Oodinus similis (type locality: San Quintín, Chiapas, Mexico); Oodinus darlingtoni (type locality: Cauto El Cristo, Oriente, Cuba); and Oodinus edentulus (type locality: 31.8 mi E Francisco Escárcega, Campeche, Mexico). Oodes fluvialis LeConte, 1863, previously recognized as a subspecies of O. americanus Dejean, 1826, is given specific status. The following new synonymies are established: Eulachnocrepis Habu, 1956 with Lachnocrepis LeConte, 1853; Stenocrepis texana (LeConte, 1863), S. chalcas Bates, 1882, and S. chalcochrous Chaudoir, 1883 with S. insulana (Jacquelin du Val, 1857); Stenocrepis quatuordecimstriata (Chaudoir, 1843), S. picipes (LeConte, 1844), S. stenocephala (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1851), and S. sulcata Chevrolat, 1863 with S. mexicana (Chevrolat, 1835). Lectotypes are designated for Oodinus alutaceus (Bates, 1882), Oodes amaroides Dejean, 1831, O. fluvialis LeConte, 1863, O. americanus Dejean, 1826, Stenocrepis texana (LeConte, 1863), S. chalcas Bates, 1882, S. lecontei (Chaudoir, 1857), S. quatuordecimstriata (Chaudoir, 1843), S. picipes (LeConte, 1844), S. cuprea (Chaudoir, 1843), S. tibialis (Chevrolat, 1834), S. femoralis (Chaudoir, 1835), S. elegans (LeConte, 1851), and S. gratiosa (Bates, 1882). The genus-group name Nanodes Habu, 1956, a homonym of Nanodes Schönherr, 1825, is replaced by Nanodiodes, new replacement name. For each genus treated, the following are provided: citation of original description and selected references, notes about synonymy (if required), description, geographical distribution and diversity, and monophyly and phylogenetic relationships. For each species included, the following are given: citation of original description and synonymies, type material, etymology (for new species only), notes about synonymy (if required), diagnosis, description, geographical distribution, bionomics, and phylogenetic relationships (if the genus includes more than two species). Keys to genera and, for each genus, to species are included. The species distributions are mapped, and the important structural features are illustrated.

Adding queen mandibular pheromone into honey bee colonies earlier than 24 h after queen loss resulted in an inhibition of queen-rearing, but not when added after 4 days. The number of queen cells initiated in each treatment decreased with the addition of the pheromone, although there were no effects on the number of queen cells torn down following pheromone treatment. The effect of adding the pheromone to queenless colonies given newly hatched female larvae under different regimens of queen cell provisioning and cell structure also was investigated. Only colonies in which larvae were presented in unmodified worker comb exhibited significantly lower rates of queen-rearing. Results indicate that queen mandibular pheromone inhibits the initiation of queen-rearing but not the maintenance of established cells.

Longevity and reproductive potential of adult males and females of Trialeurodes ricini Misra were determined under laboratory conditions at four constant temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 35 ± 1°C). The resulting data were used to calculate life tables and rates of increase at each temperature. Females of T. ricini oviposited means of 183, 224, 294, and 132 eggs at 20, 25, 30, and 35°C, respectively, and had a mean longevity of 38.52, 28.15, 15.78, and 10.11 days at the same four temperatures. The net reproductive rate was 49.92, 72.26, 111.08, and 38.44, and the daily intrinsic rate of increase was 0,05, 0.11, 0.18, and 0.15 at 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C, respectively. Generation times decreased from 69.88 to 24.92 days with increasing temperature. The results indicate that T. ricini can, in otherwise unlimited conditions, persist and increase in numbers within the range 20–35°C.

Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Coreidae) is considered to be an important cone and seed pest in seed orchards in British Columbia; however, no impact studies have been done in Canada. Surveys to determine the distribution of L. occidentalis were conducted over a 3-year period in three coastal seed orchards of Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, and over a 2-year period in two seed orchards of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelmann. Leptoglossus occidentalis was found to distribute itself in patches, coinciding with a clonal preference. Seed losses were assessed for 2 years in the coastal Douglas-fir orchards and for 1 year in one lodgepole pine orchard. The percentages of partially filled seed that could have been caused by feeding of L. occidentalis or by a number of other factors were < 5% in coastal Douglas-fir for both 1992 and 1993 and ~14% in lodgepole pine in 1993. Apparently because populations of L. occidentalis were low, there was no correlation between the percentage of partially filled seed and number of insects per tree. Except in unusual circumstances, management measures in Canada are judged not to be necessary as populations of L. occidentalis are consistently below the calculated threshold levels required to cause ≥5% loss in seed production.

Timema douglasi sp.nov. is described from southwestern Oregon and northern California, USA. It is the third parthenogenetic species in the genus and is a specialist feeder on old-growth Douglas fir, occasionally causing serious defoliation. Timema knulli Strohecker is synonymized with Timema californicum Scudder.

The five species of Dimmockia Ashmead are reviewed and keyed. Members are mainly hyperparasites of Hymenoptera and Diptera parasitic on Lepidoptera, though they are also recorded as primary parasites of Lepidoptera. The Nearctic D. incongrua and D. pallipes are redescribed and a lectotype is designated for D. incongrua. Dimmockia marylandica Girault is provisionally removed from Dimmockia but its correct placement is unknown because the unique type is lost. The Palaearctic D. brevicornis is newly recorded from North America. Additional taxonomic features are provided for D. exorientis and D. secunda. Two African species, previously placed in Dimmockia, are transferred to Sympiesis as S. polygoniae (Risbec) comb.nov. and S. cosmopterygi (Risbec) comb.nov. A lectotype is designated for S. polygoniae. A character analysis of Dimmockia species and 21 species of Sympiesis is provided and relationships are discussed.

A new genus and species, Stipecarinata striata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), is described from Japan. Its relationship to other tetrastichine genera is discussed.

The state of taxonomy of Idris, egg parasitoids of spiders, in Nearctic North America is reviewed. The concept of Idris is discussed and Ceralobaeus Ashmead is considered a junior synonym (new synonymy). The melleus-group of Idris is defined and 11 Nearctic species are keyed and described: I. castaneus sp.nov. (south and southeastern USA), I. chrysion sp.nov. (southeastern USA), I. costatus sp.nov. (eastern USA), I. lacunatus (Baja California, Mexico). I. leedsi sp.nov. (midsouthem USA), I. melleus (Ashrnead) (south and southeastern USA and southern Canada), I. onychion sp.nov. (southeastern USA), I. ornatus sp.nov. (eastern USA), I. pulvinus sp.nov. (south and southeastern USA), I. spartinae sp.nov. (southeastern USA), and I. triticola sp.nov. (midwestern USA). Extra-limital Nearctic members of the melleus-group are briefly discussed.

A rapid and simple flour-disk bioassay was developed to assay biologically active substances on several species of stored-products insects. The speed, simplicity, and parsimony of the bioassay derive from a single-step mixing of the test substance in aqueous solution with flour. Aliquots (100 μL) of the stirred suspension are then pipetted onto a polystyrene Petri dish using an Eppendorf pipettor and allowed to dry at room temperature overnight to produce uniform flour disks containing the test substance. After equilibration at 30 ± 1°C and 70 ± 5% relative humidity for 24 h, the disks are individually weighed and transferred to Petri dishes with weighed stored-products insects. After 3 days, the remainder of the disk and the living insects are weighed again for calculations of food consumption, utilization, growth, and mortality. Based on the flour-disk bioassay, the neem-based insecticide, Margosan-O®, significantly reduced consumption, growth, feeding, and dietary utilization in Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in a dose-dependent manner. Margosan-O® also caused mortality, but the species differed widely in sensitivity, C. ferrugineus being the most sensitive and T. castaneum the least. The mortality of C. ferrugineus and S. oryzae was a consequence of both toxic and antifeedant (starvation) effects, but mortality of T. castaneum was caused entirely by its toxic action. Using a whole-kernel bioassay, it was found that Margosan-O® caused a dramatic reduction in the F1 progeny of all three species.

The genus Paratelenomus Dodd is revised from a worldwide perspective. Three species are described as new: P. angor [Taiwan, Thailand], P. indivisus [Papua New Guinea, Australia], and P. matinalis [Vanuatu]. Paratelenomus bicolor (Dodd) [Australia], P. saccharalis (Dodd) [southern Europe, Africa, tropical Asia, Australia], P. ophiusa (Dodd) [Papua New Guinea, Australia], P. striativentris (Risbec) [Africa, India], and P. tetartus [Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines] are redescribed. Aphanurus graeffei Kieffer, 1917 and Asolcus minor Watanabe, 1954 are junior synonyms of P. saccharalis (Dodd), 1913. An identification key to species is provided. The relationship of Paratelenomus within Telenominae is discussed; the hypothesized sister group is Nirupama Nixon.

The responses of adult cabbage maggot [Delia radicum (L.)], turnip maggot [D. floralis (Fallén)], radish maggot [D. planipalpis (Stein)], and seedcorn maggot [D. platura (Meigen)] to sticky traps painted blue, yellow, green, non-UV-reflecting white, or UV-reflecting white, were determined in a field of canola (Brassica rapa cv. Tobin) at the rosette and flowering stages. Traps colored white, blue, or yellow generally caught higher numbers of D. radicum, D. floralis, and D. planipalpis than did traps colored green or UV-reflecting white. Depending on the crop developmental stage and its background color, response to color sometimes differed both within and between the sexes. This was most pronounced for D. floralis, for which blue and white traps were preferred by males at the rosette stage but not die flowering stage, and for which white, but not blue, traps were preferred by females at the rosette siage. White and blue, but not yellow, were the colors preferred by male and female D. platura in our study, with UV-reflecting white also being preferred by males during the flowering stage. It was observed dial catches on white and yellow traps were often significantly different and [hat white versus yellow preferences could be reversed within or between males and females of certain species during the rosette or flowering stages. The data suggest dial the concurrent use of white and yellow sticky traps should be considered when conducting relative abundance surveys of Delia spp. in canola fields.

Louis Paul Mesnil (1904–1986) wrote more than 90 published articles on the Tachinidae between 1936 and 1980. He proposed, in those works, a total of 172 new genus-group names and 838 new species-group names. These genus-group and species-group names are listed here along with annotations and a complete record of Mesnil’s publications on the Tachinidae. Certain nomenclatural problems concerning the taxa of Mesnil are addressed, namely difficulties arising from the fascicle format of the series “Die Fliegen der palaearktischen Region”, determination of the type status of primary types (syntypes vs. holotypes), improperly labeled types in collections, taxa described in cryptic fashion, type depositories not slated or since changed, and manuscript names in collections. The rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature are followed to standardize usage of Mesnil’s names.

The gall midge Cystiphora sonchi (Bremi) has been released and established in Alberta and other Canadian provinces as a biological control agent for the introduced weed perennial sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis L.) (Peschken et al. 1989). Cystiphora sonchi oviposits in the expanding leaves of S. arvensis (DeClerck-Floate and Steeves 1995), where the-larvae form pustule galls, each containing a single larva. They pupate in a cocoon in the gall or sometimes in the soil after exiting from their galls. Adults are short-lived (usually 1 day or less) and do not feed (Peschken 1982). Under field conditions in Alberta, C. sonchi produces three generations a year (Peschken et al. 1989)

The seasonal change in the level of cold tolerance in a field population of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is described for a northern location. Survival of overwintering adult beetles is highest from September through January. After that it falls to a lower level that is maintained until beetle emergence in May or June. The seasonal change in the level of cold tolerance is parallel to the change in the intensity of diapause but not to the change in the low temperature exotherm. The value of the low temperature exotherm is variable but averages −8.8°C for active beetles on plants and −11.7°C for soil-collected overwintering beetles in their deep diapause phase. Experimental results suggest that reduction of the gut content and increase in the amount of body fat in diapausing beetles is sufficient to lower the low temperature exotherm by a few degrees. The diapausing state itself, without cold acclimation, is sufficient to increase cold tolerance. However, results suggest that it is not the level of cold tolerance of the Colorado potato beetle provided by the diapausing process that has allowed this species to extend its range northward into New Brunswick but its accompanying burrowing behaviour.

A systematic revision of North American species of the genus Ameletus, excluding parthenogenetic species, is presented. Seven new species are described (A. andersoni, A. bellulus, A. doddsianus, A. edmundsi, A. majusculus, A. pritchardi, and A. tolae), separate keys are given to western and eastern species, annotated accounts of all 30 presently recognized bisexual species are provided, taxonomic characters are illustrated, and distribution data are presented for all species. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Ameletus aequivocus is considered a junior synonym of A. sparsatus; A. alticolus and A. celeroides junior synonyms of A. celer; A. connectina and A. connectus junior synonyms of A. velox; A. facilis a junior synonym of A. vancouverensis; A. monta a junior synonym of A. similior; A. querulus a junior synonym of A. shepherdi. The specific status of A. tuberculatus is questioned and it is provisionally considered to be the same as A. celer.

Seven species-groups comprising 20 species in the New World genus Pandeleteius are described or redescribed; they are recognized by their irregular elytral striae and their well-developed stylus on the coxite of the female genitalia. The species-groups and their composition are as follows: P. biseriatus species-group—P. biseriatus (Kirsch), P. confinis sp.nov., P. subtilis sp.nov., P. thomasi sp.nov.; P. pollinosus species-group—P. pollinosus sp.nov., P. mesosternalis sp.nov.; P. porosus species-group—P. porosus (Boheman) (P. aspericollis Hustache, new synonymy), P. spinipennis sp.nov., P. scorpioides sp.nov., P. semiconnatus sp.nov., P. connatus sp.nov., P. torosus sp.nov.; P. upsilon species-group—P. upsilon Howden, P. penai sp.nov., P. baccatus sp.nov., P. cornelli sp.nov., P. smithsoni sp.nov.; P. assimilis Voss (monobasic species-group); P. colatus sp.nov. (monobasic species-group); and P. latirostris (Hustache) (monobasic species-group).

Lectotypes are designated for Menetypus aspericollis Hustache and Pandeleteius assimilis Voss.

All species are South American except P. thomasi, which is Mesoamerican.

Host plants are unknown but adults of five species are recorded as feeding on leaves of various Caesalpinaceae and Mimosaceae.

The western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, and the southern pine seed bug, L. corculus (Say), feed on the developing seeds of conifers causing great losses to seed crops (Koerber 1963; Connelly and Schowalter 1991; Schowalter 1996). When high populations threaten the yieldof genetically superior, high quality seed in seed orchards, chemical controls may be used (DeBarr et al. 1982). However, because even minor uses of chemical pesticides are increasingly restricted, particularly in British Columbia where seed orchards commonly interface with urban areas, damaging populations of L. occidentalis may not be controlled at all.

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait., V. myrtilloides Michx.) growers often use colonies of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to supplement native bee populations for pollination. Native bee fauna is thought to be insufficient in number and too unpredictable, in terms of numbers, from year to year to be relied on for adequate crop pollination (Kevan and LaBerge 1978; Mackenzie and Winston 1984; Mohr and Kevan 1987; Kevan 1988; Eck 1988).