Schizocosa Chamberlin, 1904, with type-species Lycosa ocreata Hentz, 1844, comprises 20 species occurring in southern Canada, the U.S.A., and Mexico: S. ocreata (= Lycosa charonoides Montgomery, 1902, SYN. N.); S. crassipes (Walckenaer, 1837); S. floridana Bryant, 1934; S. saltatrix (Hentz, 1844); S. humilis (Banks, 1892) (= Lycosa episima Chamberlin, 1924, SYN. N.); S. duplex Chamberlin, 1925; S. salsa Barnes, 1953; S. bilineata (Emerton, 1885); S. segregata Gertsch and Wallace, 1937; S. aulonia Dondale, 1969; S. crassipalpata Roewer, 1951; S. mimula (Gertsch, 1934) (= Lycosa coahuilana Gertsch and Davis, 1940, SYN. N.); S. minnesotensis (Gertsch, 1934); S. retrorsa (Banks, 1911); S. avida (Walckenaer, 1837); S. maxima sp. n.; S. chiricahua sp. n.; S. cespitum sp. n.; S. communis (Emerton, 1885), comb. n. (= S. heasmani Dondale, 1969, SYN. N.); S. mccooki (Montgomery, 1904), comb. n. (= Lycosa pacifica Banks, 1904, SYN. N. = S. wasatchensis Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942, SYN. N).

Avicosa Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942 and Epihogna Roewer, 1960 are synonymized under Schizocosa. Fourteen of the species of Schizocosa are represented only in the southeastern United States, the northeastern U.S., and eastern Canada, or are widespread in the eastern half of the continent; three are represented only on the prairies, and the remainder in the Rockies or the Pacific coast.

Three new species, two in the genus Amblyseius Berlese and one in the genus Typhlodromus Scheuten, collected in Canada are described. Three additional Amblyseius species and one Typhlodromus species are recorded for the first time in Canada. The previously unknown males of 9 species are described. These new records bring the total numbers of species in the genera Amblyseius and Typhlodromus in Canada to 53 and 22 respectively.

Entomophthora culicis (Braun) Fresenius was found parasitizing adults of Simulium venustum Say and Simulium vittatum Zett. in central Alberta. The first parasitized black fly adults were collected on 17 August 1973 from a moist log on the margin of Flat Creek (113°52′ W. long., 54°41′ N. lat.). In subsequent summers, parasitized black flies were found on various substrates at sites on three other creeks in the area. Parasitized black flies first appeared in late June and were present to mid-September with peak numbers occurring during August. The fungus kills young black fly adults. This is the first record of E. culicis on black flies in Canada.

Synthetic sex pheromones were evaluated in apple orchards against the pests Spilonota ocellana (D. & S.), Archips argyrospilus (Walker), Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), and Pandemis limitata (Robinson). Significant correlations between spring larval counts and captures of males in summer in pheromone traps occurred only at moderate to high population levels. Correlations between captures of males in summer and fruit damage occurred only with S. ocellana. The attractants for S. ocellana, A. argyrospilus, and C. rosaceana appear satisfactory but that for P. limitata, possibly due to species identification uncertainty and low populations, requires further evaluation.

Female adults of two new species of Trisetacus infesting berries of junipers are described, T. neoquadrisetus from Rocky Mountain juniper and T. batonrougei from eastern red cedar, with remarks on the identity of eriophyoid mites living in juniper berries in North America.

When the immature stages of Crioceris asparagi (L.) were reared at 10 constant temperatures, differential rates of survival and development were observed. The duration of all stages decreased with increase in temperature up to 32°C. The eggs tolerated a wider range of temperatures (8°–34°C) than larvae and pupae (10°–34°C). Developmental rates plotted against temperature did not deviate significantly from fitted curves of the form 1/y = K/1 + ea−bx. During three generations, accumulated degree-days above a base of 10° during development of C. asparagi in the field did not differ significantly from stage thermal requirements as calculated.

The 10 North American species of Mycetochara Berthold are reviewed. All species are redescribed and one new species, marshalli, is described from California. Former treatments of the species of the genus have considered males and females as separate species. This review associates all known males and females. The following new synonymy is presented: megalops Casey and nigerrima Casey (= fraterna Say); tenuis LeConte, gilipes Casey, and lecontei Borchmann (= foveata LeConte); lugubris LeConte, horni Dury, and davisi Hatch (= analis LeConte); marginata LeConte and longula LeConte (= binotata Say); longipennis Casey (= pubipennis LeConte); and pacifica Casey, nevadensis Casey, crassulipes Casey, downei Hatch, angusta Hatch, malkini Hatch, and caseyi Hatch (= procera Casey).

A key is presented to aid in the identification of the species. The male terminalia are illustrated for all species except haldemani and lata, which are known only from females.

Field testing of a large number of synthetic compounds and many combinations of them revealed that male moths of the pale western cutworm, Agrotis orthogonia Morrison, were attracted to combinations of Z-5-dodecen-1-yl acetate and Z-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate. The most satisfactory attractants were combinations of these two compounds in ratios of 1:2 to 1:5 at 10 to 25 μg/septum dispenser. The effect of the attractant was strongly inhibited by the addition of 21% Z-7-dodecen-1-ol.

Male moths of Aegeria tibialis Harris, a lepidopterous pest of poplar cutting beds in nurseries, were strongly attracted to virgin females and to mixtures of Z3, Z13-octadecadien-1-ol and its acetate. Extracts of female abdominal tips yielded two fractions stimulatory to male antennae. These fractions corresponded to a C18 alcohol and a C18 acetate. Electroantennogram measurements using synthetic chemicals demonstrated that appreciable male antennal stimulation occurred only with C18 compounds having Z-unsaturation at positions 3 or 13, indicating that the synthetic sex attractant may be the natural pheromone of this species.

Limonia (Idioglochina) marmorata (Osten Sacken) is the only intertidal tipulid along the entire west coast of North America. The pupae have prominent prothoracic respiratory horns which are modified to form plastron-bearing spiracular gills. Examination of these gills by both light and scanning electron microscopic methods reveals that they resemble the spiracular gills of the intertidal Limonia (Geranomyia) in general form, but in fine detail they more closely resemble those of the intertidal species of Limonia (Dicranomyia). Using the fine structure of the spiracular gills as a classificatory feature along with larval and adult characters, it is suggested that there is little distinction between Idioglochina and Dicranomyia at the generic level. This confirms the contention of Hinton and also lends weight to the classificatory scheme of Alexander, who distinguishes Idioglochina and Dicranomyia only at the subgeneric level.

Parasitic Hymenoptera are among the many insects that have been transported about the world by human agency. Unlike phytophagous pests and the parasites deliberately introduced to control them, the unknowingly introduced parasites have received little attention. Twenty Ichneumonoidea now found in Canada are listed with evidence that, with various degrees of certainty, shows them to have been unknowingly introduced from Europe.

Selected carbamate, chlorinated hydrocarbon, organophosphorous, and pyrethroid insecticides were tested on six Choristoneura species: conflictana (Walker), fumiferana (Clemens), lambertiana ponderosana Obraztsov, occidentalis Freeman, pinus Freeman, and viridis Freeman. When probit regression lines were compared by likelihood ratio tests, the hypothesis of equality was uniformly rejected. The hypothesis of parallelism was accepted for some chemicals within each insecticide class except the chlorinated hydrocarbon. These results suggest that extrapolating the response of one species to another species should be avoided.

Survival and development rates were obtained for the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.), at 12 constant temperatures. Rates of survival for eggs were high at temperatures ranging from 12°C to 32°C, but none hatched at 6°C or 34°C. Larvae survived at 8° to 32°C with no drastic rise in mortality at the extremes; mortality at 34°C increased with larval age. Pupal survival was low at all temperatures from 8°C to 32°C, ranging from about 3% at these limits to 40% at intermediate temperatures (14° to 30°C). Duration of egg and larval stages decreased with rise in temperature up to 30°C, and that for pupae, up to 32°C. Developmental rates plotted against temperature did not deviate significantly from fitted curves of the form 1/y = K/(1 + ea-bx).

The threshold for complete development was at some point between 6°C and 8°C. Thermal requirements, with 7°C as developmental zero, were calculated at 105, 41, 36, 43, 46, and 282°D, respectively, for the eggs, the four larval instars and the pupae. Accumulated heat units (°D7) during development of O. melanopus in field plots at Ottawa did not differ significantly from those expected. Similar calculations using a base of 9°C (ca. 48°F) predicted development equally well.

The optimum temperature range for development and survival of the predacious coccinellid Coleomegilla maculata and its parasite Perilitus coccinellae is 24° to 26.7°C. Theoretical thresholds for development (t) of the pre-imaginal stages of C. maculata range from 9° to 13°C. Total development (from oviposition to adult emergence) of the beetle requires an accumulation of 236 heat degree days (K) above 11.3°C (t), whereas the development of P. coccinellae requires 395 heat degree days (K) above 9.8°C (t). To predict the seasonal interaction between C. maculata and P. coccinellae, and to manage C. maculata efficiently as a biological control agent, it is vital to know the thermal and dietary requirements of the two species.

Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) and the form described as C. variipennis occidentalis by Wirth and Jones (1957) occur sympatrically and without intermediates in British Columbia and Washington; occidentalis should therefore be given specific rank. The three other subspecies described by Wirth and Jones (sonorensis, albertensis, australis) are appropriately regarded as subspecies of occidentalis.

In Manitoba, the emergence of Bessa harveyi (Townsend) adults is well synchronized with the availability of larvae of its major host, Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig). Mating occurs within 3 days of emergence and the females begin egg-laying 1–2 days later. Mean longevity was about 7 days for males and 12 days for females. Total egg production per female averaged 40 and 30 in 2 years with a maximum of 169 eggs from a single female. The total number of eggs laid per female was positively correlated with temperature.

Male moths of Euxoa pleuritica (Grote) were strongly attracted to mixtures of Z7-dodecenyl acetate, Z7-dodecenyl alcohol, and Z5-dodecenyl acetate, the optimum ratios being in the range 5:1:1–5:5:1. The attractant worked best at very low dose levels and was entirely species-specific.

A 4000-ha block of spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), infested forest in western New Brunswick was sprayed repeatedly in 1975 during the larval stage of budworm development. The objective was to reduce the population of the 1975 generation to a minimum level so that most of the following generation eggs found on the block could be attributed to invading females, thus providing data on the impact of moth invasion.

The presence of dispersing adults in the airspace over the block was monitored by a ground-based radar unit while light traps and pheromone-baited traps were used to confirm that invasion had taken place. A total egg population of 33.8 masses per m2 of foliage was found on the block and indirect estimates suggest that invading females deposited about 10 of these masses.

Adults of two new species of Trisetacus infesting foliage of Cupressaceae are described, T. distinctus from eastern white cedar based on females and males, and T. macrocarpae from Monterey cypress based on females The possible significance of host plant sympatry of morphological species of Trisetacus is discussed briefly.

The banded woollybear, Pyrrharctia (Isia) isabella (J. E. Smith,) was reared under laboratory conditions from egg to adult. Individually reared larvae were fed one of six artificial diets and fresh plantain at 26 °C, light/dark (h) 15/9. The times of moulting, larval and pupal weights, and adult characteristics (fertility, sex) were recorded.

Larvae were easily reared on bean, wheat germ, casein – wheat germ and fresh plantain, while casein, alfalfa, and plantain diets proved unsatisfactory. Rearing procedure and developmental characteristics are discussed.