Seven species of Aradophagini are classified in three genera. Aradophagus Ashmead includes A. fasciatus (USA, Canada, Europe) A. pulchricornis n. sp. (Mexico, USA), and A. microps n. sp. (South India). Ladora n. gen. includes L. brunnea n. sp. (type-species: Morocco, Mallorca, Gambia), L. maura n. sp. (South Africa), and L. trjapitzini n. sp. (Central Asia). Abuko n. gen. with A. sarotes n. sp. (type-species: Gambia). The tribe Aradophagini is redefined and its taxonomic position in the family Scelionidae is discussed. Keys to genera and species of Aradophagini are given.

A phenology model based on a time–temperature relationship has been developed for the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran. The model predicts the occurrence of various biological events such as emergence levels, mating, oviposition, larval appearance, parasite activity, and pupation. These events are predicted as a function of summation of thermal units (TU) starting 1 March. For example, emergence begins at 462, oviposition at 541, hatch at 594, and pupation at 795 TU. The model was validated by actual field observations for a period of 3 years (1976–1978). Extended validation of first emergence was obtained from an entirely different cherry growing area, the Hood River Valley. The model could be a useful tool in integrated pest management program on cherries.

The radiosensitivity of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) to 60Co radiation was determined at doses of 5 to 100 krad. P. truncatus was more radiosensitive than T. castaneum at 5, 15, and 25 krad (P < 0.05) at 8 and 16 days after irradiation but after 24 days all individuals irradiated at 15 and 25 krad were dead. At 50 or 100 krad all individuals of both species died in 16 or 12 days, respectively. Dose rates of 1.07 to 12.84 krad/min for a total delivered dose of 25 krad had no effect on the speed of lethal response. The results indicate that on economic grounds alone, it may not be justified to use 50 or 100 krad to accelerate the onset of death by 8 or 12 days, respectively.

Telenomus phymatae n. sp. is described from the New World (Canada, USA, Colombia /S.A./), reared from the eggs of Phymata sp. (Heteroptera: Phymatidae).

Hemithea aestivaria, “the common emerald” in Britain, is common throughout most of Europe and in Eastern Asia. The larva feeds on many herbaceous plants before hibernation and on a wide variety of woody plants in the spring.

Forty of the distinctively-marked larvae were collected on cherry, apple, wild plum, and species of Rubus and Crataegus at Burnaby, New Westminister, and Langley, in British Columbia, between 1.IV.78 and 18.V.78. A sample reared produced a male that was identified by Dr. K. B. Bolte, Biosystematics Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, as of Hemithea aestivaria, a species and genus apparently not recorded previously from North America.

The palaearctic species Hemithea aestivaria (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae: Hemitheini), newly reported from British Columbia, is described, discussed and illustrated. The genus and species are new to the North American fauna.

The conventional yellow citrus blackfly trap was tested to determine whether size, shape, and a translucent versus an opaque material had any significant influence on capture of adults. The trap shape (square, rectangle, triangle, and circle) had no influence on efficiency, though the total number of adults caught per trap had a positive correlation with its surface area. Translucent traps were more attractive to adult citrus blackfly than opaque traps. Fluorescent yellow traps with a reflectance of 550–553 nm had a greater attractiveness than yellow with equivalent reflectance.

Foraging honey bees were offered various sucrose–herbicide solutions. Despite the visual attractiveness of the feeding dishes to foragers, six of seven herbicides significantly reduced the incidence of feeding and were judged to be olfactory and gustatory repellents. The most repellent herbicide was 2,4,5-T, which totally inhibited feeding at concentrations as tow as 1000 ppm. The next most repellent was 2,4-DB, followed by linuron, picloram, 2,4-D, and monuron. Paraquat was the only herbicide that did not exhibit marked repellency at concentrations up to 4000 ppm.

The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the impact of herbicide applications on honey bee foraging behaviour, brood development, pollination, and honey production.

Entomophthora crustosa n. sp. pathogenic for Malacosoma species (principally M. disstria Hbn.), is described. It is characterized in the conidial state by a hymenial coating which, at maturity, forms a crust-like covering, cinnamon brown, over the surface of infected insects, and by conidial size. In the resting spore (zygospore) state the distinguishing attributes are ornamentation of the zygospores and their mode of development. The pathogen grows readily on coagulated egg-yolk media.

The fungus is briefly compared with 10 other closely related Entomophthora species. Entomophthora crustosa seems to be of widespread occurrence in eastern North America.

The toxicities of 14 insecticides to selected larval stages of the Douglas-fir tussock moth were determined with a laboratory spray chamber. The toxicities of 10 were also determined in feeding bioassays. Younger instars were, in general, more susceptible to the toxicants. Significant differences in population response from 1973 to 1977 precluded a rigid interpretation of relative toxicity values in relation to the standard for comparison, DDT. Spray volume, formulation, and the presence of rhodamine B dye significantly affected toxicities of two of the materials, carbaryl and trichlorfon. The degree of exposure of larvae to bioethanomethrin and carbaryl significantly affected mortality.

Fourth instar Douglas-fir tussock moth were used to assess the residual toxicity of 10 insecticides applied to Douglas-fir seedlings. Among the 10, carbaryl compared most favorably to DDT. Rainfastness of the insecticides was tested by means of a rainchamber. Permethrin, diflubenzuron, and carbaryl were least affected by simulated rainfall, while acephate and trichlorfon were seriously and adversely affected.

Degree-day relationships in the development of Lithocolletis blancardella (Fab.) and Apanteles ornigis Weed, its major parasite, were established from laboratory and field studies in Ontario apple orchards during 1973, 1974, and 1975. Under constant laboratory conditions, temperature thresholds for development of overwintering pupae were estimated by three methods, and found to be 6.3°, 6.7°, and 5.7°C for L. blancardella, and 10.4°, 10.4°, and 11.3°C for A. ornigis. Degree-day accumulations in the field were calculated by two methods using daily maximum and minimum temperatures recorded from the pupal habitat and a Stevenson screen. Degree-days in the pupal habitat accumulated from 1 January, above 5.7°C for L. blancardella and 11.3°C for A. ornigis were more accurate than Stevenson screen degree-day accumulations for predicting first emergence; however, after emergence, seasonal development was best related to Stevenson screen degree-days accumulated from 1 April, above 6.7°C for L. blancardella and 10.4°C for A. ornigis. This study shows that degree-day relationships can be used in an apple pest management programme to optimize timing of insecticide applications against L. blancardella and preserve A. ornigis, its major natural enemy.

Stomachs of mature brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis Mitch., from sprayed and unsprayed streams were analyzed for arthropods. Within 48 h after exposure to aerial applications of 560 g/ha acephate (Orthene®) against spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), fish consumed many more spiders and other arthropods. Caged spiders in an acephate-sprayed forest behaved abnormally and had low survival.

A study was conducted to determine if the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae, showed a preference for a particular nut cluster size for feeding and oviposition. Data indicated that selection of nuts for feeding and oviposition appeared to be a random process, without preference toward any particular nut cluster size.

The favorite method of collecting insects is by sweeping, with the contents of the net either dumped en masse into a killing jar or individual specimens removed with an aspirator. In our collecting of Hymenoptera, however, both methods proved inefficient. When using an aspirator to remove specimens directly from an open sweep net many of the larger and swift flying insects escape almost immediately after the net has been opened and before the collector has managed to capture more than just a few. Furthermore, non-target organisms often are inadvertently collected in the rush, including undesirable groups such as spiders which invariably spin webs inside the aspirator and damage the specimens. These problems are overcome if the entire contents of the sweep net are dumped into a killing jar, but this method requires much additional work after the collecting day is over. The days entire collection must be taken back to the laboratory and sifted through to separate the insects from the debris. Without the aid of a microscope many of the microhymenoptera are easily overlooked, often almost indistinguishable from the debris when not moving. If an entire days sweepings has to be processed under a microscope this becomes tedious.

Polyembryony is the development of two or more embryos from a single egg. It occurs normally in parasitic insects, e.g., in Strepsiptera, Halictoxenos (Noskiewicz and Poluszński 1935), and in four families of Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Macrocentrus (Muesebeck et al. 1951); Encyrtidae, Ageniaspis (Marchal 1904) and Copidosoma (Doutt 1947); Platygasteridae, Platygaster (Hill and Emery 1937); and Dryinidae Aphelopus (Kornhauser 1919). In these insects polyembryony serves as a survival mechanism.

On the other hand, sporadic polyembryony has been reported to occur in eggs of the grasshoppers Dociostaurus and Melanoplus (Slifer and Shulow 1947).