This paper reviews the taxonomic relationships among taxa within the superfamily with particular reference to previous discussions of Craspedolepta Enderlein, 1921. The genus is considered to belong within the tribe Aphalarini Löw. The paper also identifies the Nearctic species which should be included within the genus Craspedolepta.

In this paper, a discussion of aspects of the external morphology of Nearctic Craspedolepta Enderlein, 1921 (Homoptera: Psylloidea) is presented. The discussion concerns those structures of the head, thorax, abdomen, and genitalia which were investigated during the course of a systematic and taxonomic study of the genus. It includes, where appropriate, reference to and comparison with other publications on psyllid morphology, especially where the current study illuminates previous discussions of psyllids.

One-day-old adults of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), were irradiated (I) with either 35 krad (a partially sterilizing dose) or 50 krad (a sterilizing dose) and combined with untreated (U) adults at numbers of 1, 5, 10, 15, or 25 treated males or females per pair of untreated adults. At 25 males per pair, egg hatch was reduced to 4.8 and 22.2% at 35 and 50 krad, respectively. The use of the same number of I females reduced egg hatch to 0.8 and 9.4%, respectively. The calculated degree of competitiveness showed that both males and females were more competitive after treatment with 35 krad than after treatment with 50 krad and that treated females were more competitive (based on percentage egg hatch) at both doses than corresponding males. Irradiated females were fully competitive at most release ratios, but I males were not fully competitive even at the higher release ratios, although the decreases were not large enough to seriously affect their use for field control.

Four commercial sex attractant traps were evaluated for monitoring low density spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) populations. Factors considered were color, the number of male budworm caught, durability of traps and their ability to exclude non-target insects and debris. The Pherocon 1CP was superior to 3-M Brand Sectar 1 and XC-26; Pherocon 1C was least suitable. Interpretation of the numbers captured may be confounded by the fact that trapped males repel other males.

A study was made of the reason for the fairly rapid loss of attractancy of pheromone traps for the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner). This loss in attractancy appeared to be attributable mainly to formation of an inhibitory or repellent substance(s). Although traps with a suspended pheromone dispenser were significantly more attractive than traps with the dispenser placed in contact with the adhesive, they still became relatively unattractive to male corn borers within approximately 1 week.

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.

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.

The surface features and the fine structure of the chorion of the bumblebee egg are described. The egg is covered by a reticulum of polygonal cells with elevated walls and with variously shaped protuberances at the wall junctions, except at each pole where the reticulum evanesces, Differences in the shape, size, and surface sculpturing of the protuberances and in the appearance of the walls are species-specific and a key to the eggs of the nine species is provided. The very thin chorion is composed of two parts with a third part comprising the walls of the polygonal cells; the egg possesses no aeropylar openings and micropylar openings were not found.

Predatory activity of Formica lugubris was studied from May through August 1976, to determine the variety of prey collected and the relative abundance of different groups of prey throughout the season. Prey consisted entirely of invertebrates, more than 95% being insects. Lepidoptera, especially Tortricidae, accounted for the major portion of prey during the sampling period. Using comparative rates of day and night prédation it was estimated that a large number of spruce bud worm were removed from the population by ant predators. It was also observed that prevailing weather conditions had a marked effect on predatory activity.

The populations of Spilonota ocellana (D.&S.) on two cultivars in an insecticide free orchard showed nearly identical trends over a 12-year period. Egg populations reached maximum numbers when the orchard was 9 years old and the ensuing larvae infested 33% of the clusters the following year. A marked decline in all stages occurred when the orchard was 11 to 12 years old and this was immediately followed by a second peak of less intensity on both cultivars. The only difference in mortality of the population on the two cultivars was found in neonate larvae. The average survival of egg to pupa for the 12-year period was near 7%.

Tinocallis khonkaenensis n. sp. from Lagerstroemia macrocarpa Wall., collected in Thailand, is described. Distinguishing characters are given to separate it from other species of the genus.

The first larval collection of Dasylophia thyatiroides (Walker) by the Ontario Forest Insect and Disease Survey was made in 1975 on St. Joseph Island, southeast of Sault Ste. Marie. Previous Canadian records of this species are from Nova Scotia (Ferguson 1963) and there are a few adult specimens in the Canadian National Collection from Ontario and Quebec.

Studies of the internal reproductive glands of male Elateridae are rare since only the external genitalia (basal sclerite, aedeagus, and parameres) are used for species determination (cf. Quate and Thompson 1967; Brooks 1960). Knowledge of the internal organs of the female is much more advanced and variations in these organs form the basis for species determination of females (Becker 1958; Dajoz 1964; Quate and Thompson 1967). However, the few cases where the internal glands of the male have been examined have indicated considerable variation in structure among genera and species (Levtshuk 1930; Zacharuk 1958).

Baumann (1976) lists the zoogeographic range of the Nearctic “winter” stonefly genus Allocapnia as being confined to Eastern North America and the Palaearctic genus Taeniopteryx Pictet as being Amphinorth American (i.e. distributed in the east and west of the continent but not in middle). Allocapnia has never been recorded west of Ontario, in Canada, and although present in some of the east-central states of the U.S.A. (Ross and Ricker 1971) has not been collected in the north flowing Red River system. Taeniopteryx is represented on the Prairies by two species, T. parvula Banks recorded from Aweme, Manitoba and T. nivalis (Fitch) from Alberta (Ricker and Ross 1968).