Morgea freidbergi new species, a living sister-species of the fossil species M. mcalpinei Hennig from Baltic amber (Oligocene), is described and compared with its fossil counterpart. Additional characters are given for Morgea Hennig and its placement in Pallopteridae rather than Lonchaeidae is confirmed. A key to the world genera of Pallopteridae is presented for the first time.

Ingested dosages of 10.9 and 16.5 spores of Vairimorpha necatrix (Kramer) 7 and 27 weeks old, respectively, killed 50% of third-instar larvae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner). Time to death of 50% of larvae (LT50) decreased from 14 to 3 days with increases in dosage from 5 × 101 to 5 × 106 spores (2-week-old)/Iarva. The LT50 for 5 × 101 spores/larva increased from 14 to 25 days with storage of spores at 4°C for 2 and 93 weeks, respectively. Spores applied to soil lost little activity during cool weather but spores applied in summer were inactivated within 60 days. Desiccation or exposure to sunlight or artificial light inactivated the spores. Rate of development of disease was increased by feeding host larvae a diet containing increased proportions of casein or sucrose. The optimum temperature for disease development in T. ni was 25°C.

Release rates of synthetic attractant of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), from a PVC formulation were determined by weight loss. They varied in direct proportion to the initial concentration of the attractant and also with the size of the pellet. Release rates declined by about 50% over the time intervals of 10–40 days and 40–100 days. Initially they were two to three times lower at 10°C than at 21°C, but were far more constant over time at the lower temperature. A pellet weighing 130 mg containing 42 μg of attractant released an estimated .1–1 μg/day, or 4–40 ng/h, which is close to the rate of emission by a calling female (Silk et al. 1980), and field trapping data showed that a lure this size attracted the same number of males as a calling female.

Adult females of the velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, from larvae fed on progressively aged soybean, Glycine max (L.), foliage had variable reproductive characteristics. Mean oviposition rates ranged from 963.4 to 515.0 eggs/female when larvae fed on early vegetative and senescent leaves, respectively. Average daily oviposition peaked ca. 4 days after adult emergence, decreased sharply to day 10, and remained at a low level until adult mortality. Mean daily egg hatch decreased with female age, but female longevity was not affected significantly.

Seven fumigants, used alone or in combination, were tested in the laboratory for toxicity to winter eggs of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), on harvested apples cv. Red Delicious. Fumigation with ethylene dibromide (EDB) 6 mg/l. for 4 h at 25°C, and CO2 90% for 72 h at 18°C or for 48 h at 25°C killed 100% of the eggs; CO2 75% for 60 to 168 h killed over 98% of the eggs. No injury or off-flavour of fruit resulted from the treatments though the extended period of storage, ca. 200 days, to break diapause in the eggs did reduce the fruit quality in the usual way. Post treatment storage under controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions did not increase the percentage of eggs killed with 75% CO2. Mixing CO2 with EDB, ethylene oxide, or dichlorvos did not increase egg mortality. Ethylene oxide, dichlorvos, methyl bromide (MBr), and HCN were each ineffective and combinations of MBr + EDB, and MBr + acrylonitrile were also ineffective. Carbon dioxide is a safe, effective fumigant for controlling P. ulmi winter eggs and other pests on harvested apples.

The life history of Plutella xylostella (L.) was studied in plantings of Brussels sprouts at Cambridge, Ontario in 1977 and 1978. Adults were monitored by using sticky traps constructed of bristol board; eggs, larvae, and pupae were monitored by sampling plants. In both years in the spring, some of the first eggs were found before adults were caught in the traps. The trap collections indicated four periods of adult flight each year. During the last period of flight in 1977 eggs were laid; however, the fifth generation was not completed. Day-degree analyses of the populations indicated that 293 day-degrees (C) above a threshold temperature (7.3°C) were required to complete one generation. Using day-degree accumulations it was possible to predict accurately the periods when various stages of the pest were dominant even though there was considerable overlap of various stages in the field.

Seasonal emergence, abundance, biting and oviposition activity of Mansonia perturbans (Walker) were monitored in southwestern Ontario during 1977 and 1978. Adults emerged from 13 June until 24 August with the greatest emergence occurring in mid-June and mid-July. In both 1977 and 1978, adults were collected by dry ice-baited CDC light traps from 7 June until at least 7 September, with a peak of abundance in late June, followed by a smaller second peak in early August. Biting activity occurred from the second week of June until the first week in September with a maximum during the last week of June. Oviposition occurred from 30 June until 24 August with a maximum in early July.

Larvae of the chironomid Nanocladius (Plecopteracoluthus) branchicolus Sæther were found living phoretically with nymphs of the stonefly Acroneuria lycorias (Newman). The male and fourth instar larva of N. (P.) branchicolus are described for the first time. The stonefly and chironomid were found in streams in central and northern Saskatchewan forests. Of six Saskatchewan Perlidae species, the chironomid was associated only with A. lycorias. The chironomid most often occurred beneath stonefly wing pads. In the laboratory chironomid pupation lasted about 2 days with emergence occurring about 2 days prior to stonefly emergence.

Phenological events associated with control of San Jose scale (Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comstock)) in deciduous tree fruit orchards of the western United States were modeled, using the Predictive Extension Timing Estimator (PETE). The model closely simulated adult male activity and first crawler emergence, although spring male emergence was too variable to rely entirely on accumulated degree days from 1 January for management decisions. Pheromone monitoring of spring males improves timing for control of subsequent crawlers when a biofix of 275°D from 1 January is used.

Seven larval instars were reliably detected for S. luggeri N. and M. by measuring the length of the postgena. Instars were less reliably separated by the length of the whole larva. The number of rows of posterior hooklets also separated all instars, but these were difficult to count. The presence of an egg-burster clearly identified the first instar, and separated cervical sclerites, the final instar. However, measurement of postgenal length remained the only practical and reliable method for identifying the remaining five instars.

Aphis heraclella Davis is synonymized with A. helianthi Monell. This is concluded from the following evidence: (1) the apparent lack of any morphological distinction between these taxa, (2) the phenology of host plant occupation in the field, and (3) host transfer studies.

Experimental ecologists have frequently used cages to facilitate their understanding of ecological systems. This has been particularly true of ecologists studying aphids and other small insects, and a variety of cage designs have been described, ranging from small screened tents to sleeve cages to clip cages (see Adams and van Emden, 1972). The purpose of this note is to describe a modified clip cage design that is suitable for use on irregular cylindrical surfaces as well as on leaves.

Laboratory rearing of the white cutworm, Euxoa scandens (Riley), a pest of flue-cured tobacco in Quebec and asparagus in Michigan, has been hindered to some extent by a disease. This note describes the microsporidium which caused the disease and techniques that inhibit the development of the pathogen.