A new aleocharine species, Euvira micmac Klimaszewski and Majka, sp. nov., from Nova Scotia, Canada, is described and illustrated. This is the first record of the genus Euvira for Canada. New data on bionomics and distribution are provided, including notes on the red oak gall environment where the species was found. A short diagnosis, description, colour habitus image, and black and white genital images are provided. The lectotype (male) and the paralectotypes (5 females) are designated for E. quadriceps (Casey). Two beetles, Litargus tetraspilotus LeConte (Mycetophagidae) and Melanophthalma americana (Mannerheim) (Latridiidae), found co-inhabiting red oak galls are newly recorded for Atlantic Canada.

Uroleucon is one of the largest genera of Macrosiphini, with 216 known species; it is one of the few genera of Aphidinae to have a diversification in South America, with 15 native species and 1 subspecies. Moreover, 7 introduced species have been recorded in South America. Five new species from Argentina are described herein: Uroleucon malarguense Ortego and Nieto Nafría, sp. nov., U. mendocinum Mier Durante and Ortego, sp. nov., U. patagonicum Nieto Nafría and Seco Fernández, sp. nov., U. payuniense Ortego and Nieto Nafría, sp. nov., and U. riojanum Nieto Nafría and Mier Durante, sp. nov. One Palearctic species, U. jaceae (Linnaeus), has been recorded for the first time in South America, and thus 28 species and 1 subspecies are now known from South America. Uroleucon essigi Carvalho and U. chilense (Essig) are recorded for the first time from Argentina, and 20 of these 29 taxa are known for this country. New morphological and bionomic data from some previously known species are given. Alate viviparous females of U. gochnatiae Delfino and oviparae and males of U. bereticum (Blanchard) and U. macolai (Blanchard) are described. A taxonomic discussion about native South American species of Uroleucon is given, and we include them at present in the subgenus Lambersius. A key is provided for the identification of apterous and alate viviparous females.

Two new species from northern China, Pissodes chenisp. nov. and Pissodes pilatsquamosussp. nov., are described from Pinus and Picea, respectively. Pissodes harcyniae (Herbst) is recorded from China and P. nitidus Roelofs is recorded from Russia for the first time. A key is provided to the eight Pissodes species known from China. A list of the 18 known Palearctic species with synonyms, host data, and distribution is also included. Type specimens for the two new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

The seashore aleocharine genus Salinamexus Moore and Legner is revised. Three species are recognized, one of which is described as new (Salinamexus koreanussp. nov.). The genus Salinamexus and the species S. browni Moore and Legner and S. reticulatus (Moore and Legner) are redescribed. A key and illustrations of diagnostic features are provided.

The larva of Aeshna williamsoniana Calvert, 1905 is described in detail, illustrated, and compared with other larvae of the genus and family. It is distinguished from its congeners by its granular integument, body mostly lacking hairlike setae, cerci with a row of spiniform setae along the lateroexternal margins, and dorsomedial margin of female epiproct with a row of spiniform setae. It does not particularly resemble any other larva of Aeshna or related genera described to date. The larval habitat is described for the first time.

The morphology of the larva and pupa of Galagete protozona (Meyrick), an endemic of the Galapagos Islands, is described and illustrated. The immatures were observed feeding within droppings of the land iguana Conolophus subcristatus (Gray) (Iguanidae) on the island of Fernandina in 2005.

The North American species of Brachylomia Hampson, 1906 are revised and four new species (B. cascadiasp. nov., B. obscurifasciasp. nov., B. pallidasp. nov., and B. sierrasp. nov.) are described. The monotypic genus Lomilysis Franclemont, 1937 is synonymized with Brachylomia. Epunda onychina Guenée, 1852, which is currently placed in Brachylomia, is reclassified as a senior synonym of Egira alternans (Walker, [1857]), but Epunda onychina, not being associated with any known species in more than 150 years, is treated as a nomen oblitum, so Egira alternans is a nomen protectum under provisions of Article 23.9.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Adults and genitalia of Nearctic species of Brachylomia are figured.

Variability in male gametic traits can depend on several genetic and environmental factors such as developmental instability as a consequence of inbreeding, developmental noise during spermatogenesis, or age- or condition-dependent changes in allocation to sperm cells. Variation in sperm size is particularly evident in species that produce more than one sperm morph but also occurs among males in sperm-monomorphic species. Both discrete and continuous sperm size variation have been implicated in male fertilization success when the sperm of several males directly compete for fertilization of the same set of ova. In this study, we investigated among-male variation in sperm length in field-collected, outbred male Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) flies, as well as in flies from the same natural population that had been subjected to 15 and 16 generations of inbreeding under laboratory conditions. Among-male variation in sperm length was significant and repeatable over subsequent matings in both inbred and outbred flies. We conclude that sperm length can be used as an individual male marker in sperm competition studies and that significant repeatability of sperm length supports heritability for this trait.

We consider the role of generalist Diptera in the pollination of two dioecious plant species, Clematis ligusticifolia Nutt. (Ranunculaceae) and Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt. (Elaeagnaceae). In particular, we assess (i) whether or not generalist pollinators are unable to distinguish between the sexes of dioecious species and so visit the sexes at equivalent rates, and (ii) the number of flowers that generalist flies visit and revisit during a foraging bout, which would affect self-pollination if plants were hermaphroditic. We determined the visitation rate to each plant species during 10 min periods and recorded the number of flowers that individual pollinators visited and revisited per foraging bout. Diptera were the main pollinators, visiting both sexes at similar rates for both plant species. The main visitors to C. ligusticifolia were muscoid flies (small and large), Culicidae, and halictid bees. The number of flowers visited in this species varied with pollinator group, but groups did not differ in the frequency of revisits. Visitors to S. canadensis were primarily Syrphidae and Empididae. Neither the number of flowers visited nor the number of revisits differed between these two pollinator groups. The results for each plant species are discussed and contrasted, particularly with other studies of the behaviour of generalist and specialist pollinators. We compare the observed pollinator behaviours, and their implications for plant mating, with the various theories of the role of pollinators in the evolution of the dioecious breeding system in plants.

We examined host abundance of limoniid flies between Agaricales (gill mushrooms) and Aphyllophorales (non-gilled fungi) and the importance of these flies as phoronts of mites inhabiting these fungal orders. Fungal sporophores were collected around transects established in five different-aged (13 to more than 100 years) forest stands from spring to fall in temperate forests of Japan. Limoniid flies and mites were collected from sporophores during transect sampling and reared from sporophores in the laboratory. All 11 limoniid species reared from sporophores used Aphyllophorales and six of these limoniid species also used Agaricales as their hosts. The total number of limoniid flies reared from Aphyllophorales was approximately seven times that reared from Agaricales. Eight of 15 Aphyllophorales species yielded multiple limoniid species. We conclude that Aphyllophorales are more important as hosts for fungivorous limoniid flies than Agaricales. Even a single fungal species can support more than one limoniid or mite species. One or two limoniid species are phoronts for one to three mite species inhabiting sporophores of Agaricales and Aphyllophorales. These flies have an important role as phoronts for some mite genera inhabiting fungal sporophores.

The long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) of Prince Edward Island are surveyed. Records of 28 species of cerambycids new to the province are provided, increasing the known fauna of this family on the island to 38 species. One species, Pogonocherus penicillatus LeConte, is removed from the list of the province's fauna. Additionally, one exotic species, Rhopalophora tenuis (Chevrolat), is reported as intercepted from merchandise imported from Mexico. This fauna is examined in relation to its distribution within the province, biogeographical components, island biogeography, the composition of the regional fauna, the impact of anthropogenic activities, and adventive species. All these provide lessons to improve our understanding of the biodiversity of the province.

The spiny ash sawfly, Eupareophora parca (Cresson, 1880), was discovered in Edmonton in 2003 at the Northern Forestry Centre defoliating planted ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). This represents the first record of this species from Alberta. Observations of adult and larval behaviour and life-history variables such as adult flight, number and duration of larval instars, and overwintering were made. The nature and severity of defoliation was monitored in 2003 and 2004, and large increases were detected in the amount of defoliation per site and the number of sites defoliated between years. The precipitous increase in severity and extent of defoliation indicates the possibility that this species could become a significant urban pest in the province.

Traps baited with two types of chemical feeding attractants yielded 97 species of macrolepidoptera at three areas in Alaska (Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Palmer). These were 16 geometrid, 1 thyatirid, and 76 noctuid moth species and 4 species of nymphalid butterflies. Potential crop pests trapped included Apamea devastator (Brace) (glassy cutworm), Xestia c-nigrum L. (spotted cutworm), Xestia smithii (Snellen) (Smith's dart), Euxoa ochrogaster (Guenée) (redbacked cutworm), and Discestra trifolii (Hufnagel) (clover cutworm). The clover cutworm was captured early in the season (May into June), while Smith's dart, glassy cutworm, spotted cutworm, and redbacked cutworm were captured in traps in mid to late summer. Many more species and greater numbers of moths were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol than in traps baited with a multicomponent floral lure (phenylacetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, methyl-2-methoxy benzoate, and β-myrcene). However, most of the geometrid moths captured (12 of 16 species) were in floral lure traps, while one species of Hadeninae (Noctuidae) and both species of Plusiinae (Noctuidae) were trapped exclusively in floral lure traps. The one thyatirid, both Catocalinae noctuid species, and most Amphipyrinae, Cuculliinae, Hadeninae, and Noctuinae noctuid species were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol. In addition, large numbers of bumblebees were captured in traps baited with the floral lure, while large numbers of yellowjackets were captured in traps baited with acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol.

Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)) adult males were captured by pheromone traps in 10 of 24 orchards monitored in southern Quebec from 2003 to 2005. Twelve, 22, and 133 oriental fruit moths were captured in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively. One oriental fruit moth larva was collected in each of two orchards in 2004. This is the first record of this species in Quebec apple orchards.