The occurrence of the genus Megamelus Fieb. in Canada and Alaska is reviewed. Seven species are shown to be present in the area and these are described, the genitalia illustrated and distribution documented: four species are recorded in Canada for the first time. It is shown that previous records of M. notula (Germ.), M. davisi (V-D.) and M. inflatus Metc. in Canada are in error.

The prey of adult dragonflies has been studied by the analysis of gut contents and was found to consist mainly of small Diptera. Most of the prey is very small but large dragonflies, such as aeshnids, occasionally take larger prey, such as caddis flies and other dragonflies. Relatively little diminution in the numbers of adult mosquitoes can be expected to occur as a result of dragonfly predation, because of the different conditions required for flight by dragonflies and mosquitoes.

This paper deals with the description of 14 new species of Caddis-flies from India and the Far East and belonging to the holarctic as well as to the oriental fauna.

The species described here as new are: Parapsyche denticulata and acuta from China, Parapsyche aureocephala and nigrocephala, Plectrocnemia nagayamai and tochimotoi, Psychomyia armata, Ecclisocosmoecus spinosus, Apatania ishikawai, Neophylax japonicus, Grammotaulius inornatus, Limnophilus nipponicus and Hydatophylax intermedius from Japan. Trichomacronema shanorum is Indian.

The setal patterns of the anterior abdominal segments of first-instar and older larvae in more than 50 genera representing the six Nearctic subfamilies of Geometridae, have been examined. The significant variations in these patterns have been summarized and a key to the subfamilies is presented. Relationships within the Geometridae are discussed.

A variety of wild and domestic mammals from Manitoba were examined for external parasites, and fleas were recovered from 15 species. A total of 17 species of fleas were collected, of which 10 were first records for Manitoba, one was a subspecies new to the area, and 7 were recorded from new hosts. Orchopeas leucopus and Monopsyllus wagneri were the most abundant species taken from wild animals, being found on the most abundant host, Peromyscus maniculatus. Flea populations reached a peak in late summer, and were found in greater numbers on juvenile than on older hosts, on lactating than on other adults, and on solitary than on gregarious species.

The aspen leaf miner, Phyllocnistis populiella Cham., has recently become common and very abundant in western North America, and has been authoritatively identified only from trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. Overwintered adults lay eggs on young aspen leaves in spring, and new-generation moths emerge in about two months. Only the single epidermal cell layer is mined on the upper or lower leaf surface, most of the feeding being done by the third-instar larva in about a week. Heavy attack results in defoliation by mid-summer. Activities of breeding populations are affected by temperature (50-55°F. is optimal for copulation, 54-56°F. for feeding, and 52-58°F. for oviposirion) and developmental stage of aspen leaves. Eggs are laid singly near the apex of the leaf and tend to be evenly spaced. Distribution of eggs between leaves tends to be uniform in a particular level of the tree, although more eggs are laid in the lower crown. A female moth can develop more than 40 eggs, but only about 7 are usually laid because of limited opportunities. Mortality in the larval and pupal stages is often high; population decline usually follows mortalities above 70%. Parasitism sometimes plays an important role, but the independence of population changes between broad geographic areas suggests that numbers of P. populiella may be strongly influenced by climatic factors. Population trends and damage can be assessed conveniently for large geographic areas and for specific sites by continuing studies in permanent sample plots. Expected damage may be predicted from estimates of new-generation adult populations. Because inter-tree variation exceeds intra-tree variation, more trees and fewer branches per tree should be taken to increase sampling efficiency. Also, greater precision is attained by the use of the individual leaf surface rather than the leaf as a basic sample unit.

A new subgenus is proposed for the following species of Ammophila: opulenta Guérin-Méneville, melanaria Dahlbom, binodis (Fabricius), aureonotata Cameron, catamarcensis Schrottky, willinki Menke, eximia Lepeletier, auromaculata Perez, and asperata Fox. A key to species is provided, with comparative and distributional notes. Ammophila willinki from Argentina and Brazil is described as new. Lectotypes are established for the following species: A. bimaculigera Strand, A. melanaria Dahlbom, A. miliaris Cameron, A. iridipennis Cameron, A. aureonotata Cameron, and A. asperata Fox. The following new synonymy is proposed: A. bimaculigera Strand (= opulenta Guérin-Méneville); A. lobicollis Cameron (= melanaria Dahlbom); Pelopoeus abbreviatus Fabricius, A. guiana Cameron, A. oxystoma Cameron (= binodis (Fabricius)); A. eugenia Smith, Sphex nigrocinctus Fernald, A. friedrichi Schrottky, A. trimaculigera Strand (= eximia Lepeletier); A. giacomellii Schrottky, (= auromaculata Perez); A. miliaris Cameron, A. iridipennis Cameron, A. velutina Schrottky (?= melanaria Dahlbom).

A guide to interpretation of X-rays of bark samples infested with the western pine beetle and its principal predators and parasites is presented. Illustrations of the radiographic images are given to enable analysts to gain experience more rapidly.

The biological control of agricultural pests is not dependent on the specific identification of the natural enemies employed if their host relations are known. Such identification is often made after the natural enemies are imported and established in a new habitat. This is well exemplified by the genus Aphytis, a genus notable for species that consist of “host-controlling” and “non-host-controlling” races and for certain species that, after importation from South China into California and Israel, were colonized by two methods, direct and indirect. The direct method is characterized by the “screening out” of species in the field, the indirect method by the “screening out” of species in the laboratory.

Thirty-five colonies of three species of carpenter ant were examined: 25 of Camponotus herculeanus, 9 of C. noveboracensis, and 1 of C. pennsylvanicus. Workings were examined in about 150 trees. No major differences were noticed in the biology of the first two species.

All individuals were taken from two overwintering, torpid, C. herculeanus colonies; the larger contained 6,000 workers, 550 winged forms, and 6,500 larvae. Larvae were of two sizes and it is thought that the life cycle covers two years in New Brunswick. Frequency curves of worker head widths show that there are majors and minors, the minors being more numerous, especially in small colonies.

Each colony typically occupied several trees, only one of which contained the brood; the others had less extensive workings. Entrances were underground and led to tunnels connecting the trees within each colony. Surplus wood chips were buried in the ground. Ant activity in the tunnels was continuous through the day and night; few ants were seen on the forest floor.

Woodpeckers are important enemies and had attacked one third of the brood trees.

The workings frequently assist wind breakage and damage butt logs. From the roots they extend to a height of 4-6 ft., occasionally higher. 1% of the spruce, and 2-4% of the balsam fir examined had been attacked. This may lead to loss of 10% of merchantable volume, and possibly a higher figure for eastern white cedar.

Numbers of the elaterid beetle, Hemicrepidius morio (LeConte) were attracted to cages containing logs or bark. Males greatly predominated. Evidence is presented for assuming a sex attractant, from females in the cages or in the traps used, to be involved.

The attraction of large numbers of the ornithophilic black fly, Simulium euryadminiculum Davies, to its host, the common loon, Gavia immer (Brünnich), to the place where the loon skin had been washed, and to a dried museum skin of the loon, is described. The fly was not attracted to museum skins of a pied-billed grebe, common merganser and herring gull. The data suggest a system of olfaction in host location, probably involving volatile, air-borne substances. It is possible that the colour or pattern on the head and neck of the loon serves to attract the fly to this area of the host.

Two new species of Grammotaulius Kol. are described from the North-West of the Nearctic region under the names alascensis and subborealis. Some observations on infra-specific variations in interrogationis Zett. are appended.

Records are presented on twenty nests of Megachile pugnata Say obtained from sumac stick trap-nests. These nests were distinctive as, unlike most Megachile nests, the cells were not constructed from pieces of cut leaf. Instead, the cells were made with basal and apical partitions consisting of leaf discs, chewed leaf materials and soil. Each finished nest contained an empty vestibule and had an orifice plug. The sequences of males and females, and the natural enemies of this species were determined by rearings. Females normally preceded males in the sequence of cells. The species was parasitized by Coelioxys alternata Say and Leucospis affinis Say. The mean number of cells in the nests was 3.5. There is one generation a year in Wisconsin.

The genus Alipumilio, previously known from a single female from the Amazon, is recharacterized. Three new species from Peru and Mexico are described and a key to the four known species is presented.