Epeoloides pilosula (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), a cleptoparasitic bee thought to be extinct, was recently discovered in Nova Scotia, Canada. This, the first documented capture in over 60 years, expands the reported range of this species in North America which coincides with that of its host, bees of the genus Macropis (Melittidae). Macropis bees are floral oil collection specialists which are themselves dependant on and thus confined within the range of their food plant Lysimachia (Primulaceae). The restrictions inherent within this triumvirate are factors contributing towards the tenuous existence of E. pilosula, one of the rarest bees in North America.

A 5 yr study in the semiarid wheat production region of eastern Washington documented the relative densities of pest aphids and their natural enemies in cereal production systems using on-farm replicated plots. The systems were reduced-tillage soft white winter wheat (SWW) (Triticum aestivum L.)—summer fallow rotation; no-till soft white spring wheat (SWS)—chemical fallow rotation; continuous no-till hard red spring wheat (HRS); and no-till HRS—no-till spring barley (SB) (Hordeum vulgare L.) rotation. The English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), was the dominant species, followed in abundance by the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). The bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), and rose grass aphid, Metopolophium dirhodum (Walter), were infrequently encountered. Overall, aphid densities were low, with aphids rare or absent in SWW and SB plots. The data revealed no clear and consistent effects of cereal production systems on aphid densities, but it did reveal, based on analysis of data from continuous HRS plots, high among-year variability in S. avenae and D. noxia densities. Only in 1996 and only in continuous HRS was it necessary to chemically control damaging populations of D. noxia. English grain aphid densities never approached threshold levels. S. avenae parasitism averaged >16% in some spring wheat systems in 1998 and 2000, while only two mummified D. noxia were observed. Coccinellid beetle counts in all plots totaled 143 in 1998 and 163 in 2000, with 90.2% and 94.5% in the genus Hippodamia, respectively. The ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata L. comprised 9.8% (1998) and 5.5% (2000) of the populations. The results suggest that damaging aphid populations are unlikely to develop in winter wheat, but populations in spring cereals warrant monitoring because they fluctuate from year-to-year and can be damaging.

Economically damaging infestations of Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor Say (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) have been reported in northern Idaho and damage from the pest has been increasing in this region for the last 12 years. Despite the seriousness of this pest, there is no published information on the natural enemy community associated with Hessian fly in northern Idaho. Studies were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to determine the abundance, distribution, and species composition of Hessian fly parasitoids in northern Idaho. Surveys of commercial wheat fields were conducted in eight counties, and samplings were done in spring wheat trials established near Lewiston, Bonners Ferry, Genesee and Greencreek. Seven species of hymenopterous parasitoids of Hessian fly are reported from Idaho for the first time. Parasitoids were collected from flies in all eight counties. Of the species found, Platygaster hiemalis (Forbes) (Platygastridae) was the most numerous, and Homoporus destructor Say (Pteromalidae) and Pediobius epigonus Walker (Eulophidae) the most widespread. Trichomalopsis subapterus Riley, T. americanus Gahan (Pteromalidae), Eupelmus allynii French and E. vesicularis (Retzius) (Eupelmidae) were encountered in lower numbers and only in one or two counties.

A pitfall trap survey was conducted in Wichita County of north-central Texas for one year. A total of 4072 spiders were collected, representing 22 families. Of the total spiders collected, 62% were mature with males outnumbering the females by a ratio of 4 to1. The members of the Gnaphosidae were the dominant cursorial spider, consisting of 16.2% of the spider total. This family included 267 males and 144 females that represented 26 species and 11 genera. Seven new species records were noted for Wichita County and included the following: Callilepis imbecilla (Keyserling), Cesonia bilineata (Hentz), Drassyllus aprilinus (Banks), D. gynosaphes Chamberlin, Synaphosus paludis Chamberlin and Gertsch, Tachyzelotes lyonneti (Audouin), and Zelotes lasulanus Chamberlin.

Reproduction in the leaf-cutting bee Megachile (Chrysosarus) pseudanthidioides Moure was studied by trap nesting in secondary Atlantic rain forests on Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil. Nests were built in borings of hardwood blocks, in small wooden boxes and bamboo canes. The brood cells consisted of an outer layer of overlapping small leaves or pieces of leaves cut oval. They covered a chamber formed of clay. Pieces of flower petals served as the innermost lining of the cells. Nests were constructed October through February. Emergence pattern indicates a bivoltine life cycle with a spring generation emerging December and early January and a second (summer) generation diapausing as prepupae from fall through winter. Metamorphosis then takes place in late winter and imagines emerge only in the following spring, September and October. A cleptoparasitic megachilid, Coelioxys (Acrocoelioxys) tepaneca (Cresson), was found to attack nests of Megachile (C.) pseudanthidioides. This host-parasite relationship was previously unknown.

We used trap-nests to survey cavity-nesting Hymenoptera in eight clear-cuts in northeastern Georgia and northwestern South Carolina during April–September, 2001. Occupants of trap-nests included: three Vespidae (Eumeninae) (Euodynerus megaera (Lepeletier), Ancistrocerus campestris (Saussure), and Monobia quadridens (L.)); five Sphecidae (Isodontia mexicana (Saussure), Solierella plenoculoides (Fox), Trypoxylon collinum (Smith), T. clavatum (Say), and T. striatum Provancher); one Apidae (Xylocopa virginica (L.)); and two Megachilidae (Megachile frigida Smith and Osmia albiventris Cresson). Parasites reared from nests include Coelioxys sp. from nests of M. frigida, Melittobia digitata Dahms from nests of T. collinum, miltogrammine flies from a nest of I. mexicana, and a chrysidid from a nest of A. campestris. We present the first biological data for S. plenoculoides and M. frigida along with information on nest architecture (closure plug thickness, presence of vestibules, number and length of cells). Bees (O. albiventris and M. frigida) nested early in the season (April–May), whereas the vespids and sphecids nested predominantly in the summer (May–August). Only E. megaera nested at all sites; it accounted for 35% of all completed nests. Comparisons made with trap-nest data collected 40 years earlier by Krombein (1967) in various southeastern U.S. localities revealed differences that are interpreted in light of nest placement and the arrival of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

A new fossil insect is described and figured from a specimen of a nearly complete forewing taken from the Lower Permian of Noble County, Oklahoma. †Raaschia oklahomensis Beckemeyer, n. gen. et n. sp., is assigned to †Raaschiidae, n. fam., which appears most closely allied with the families †Chelopteridae, †Aliculidae, and †Phenopteridae of the Grylloblattida: †Protoperlina.

The subgenera Micromutilla Ashmead, 1899, Photopsioides Schuster, 1958, Photopsis Blake, 1886, Physetapsis Schuster, 1958, and Xenophotopsis Schuster, 1958 are junior synonyms of Sphaeropthalma Blake 1871. The single species previously placed in the subgenus Xenophotopsis is placed into the Sphaeropthalma orestes species-group. Species previously placed in the subgenus Physetapsis are placed into the Sphaeropthalma clara species-group. Species previously placed in the subgenera Sphaeropthalma and Photopsioides are placed into the Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica species-group and Sphaeropthalma uro species-group, respectively. A review of the males of Sphaeropthalma uro species-group is given. The females of Sphaeropthalma abdominalis (Blake) and S. amphion (Fox) are described. Forty-seven new host records and current distributional data are presented for the species of the Sphaeropthalma uro species-group. A key and illustrations are given for the males and known females of the Sphaeropthalma uro species-group.

The Euglossa subgenus Glossuropoda is examined and males of three species described, Euglossa inflata sp. nov., a small bee apparently endemic to the Guianas, E. rugilabris stat. nov., a euglossine with proportionally the longest tongue, and E. cyanochlora stat. nov., the largest Euglossa and a sibling species to the widespread E. (G.) intersecta, endemic to Bahia, Brazil. E. (Glossuropoda) juremae is synonymized under E. hugonis, sibling to E. rugilabris, and E. (Glossuropoda) nigrosignata is given new status. In the subgenus Glossura, the male of E. piliventris is described and suggested as a sibling species to E. lugubris sp. nov., being of the eastern and western Amazon, respectively. Euglossa orellana sp. nov. and E. occidentalis sp. nov. are described, both widely misidentified as E. chalybeata, which to varying degree with that species, E. flammea, E. ignita, E. imperialis, and possibly E. iopoecila stat. nov. may be considered sibling species. Euglossa tiputini sp. nov., of the E. piliventris group, is a close mimic of E. intersecta in the western Amazon region.

Four new fall-emergent species of Andrena from the southwestern United States are described. Andrena brooksi n. sp., from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, is a close relative of A. reflexa Cresson, and belongs to the subgenus Callandrena Cockerell. A. neffi n. sp., A. mimbresensis n. sp., and A. vogleri n. sp. were all collected in the same area of the Mimbres Mountains of New Mexico. These species belong to a clade formerly ascribed to Callandrena but which has been shown by phylogenetic analysis to be only distantly related.

The biology of the wood-boring bee Lithurgus chrysurus Fonscolombe, 1834 is described and the biology of the genus Lithurgus is summarized. Lithurgus chrysurus is univoltine and over-winter as prepupae inside cocoons. The females excavate their own burrows in various dead woods and they do not reuse burrows. The cells are separated by partitions composed of cut wood pieces. To assess the diet breadth of L. chrysurus, pollen analyses were conducted on 8 samples of provisions from 3 nests and 2 feces samples from one nest. The provisions averaged 30,600 pollen grains per mg of dry matter. The proportion of broken pollen grains averaged 3.3% and was consistent among nests and for provisions and feces. Centaurea (Asteraceae, tribe Cynareae) was the dominant pollen type found in all provisions and feces, accounting for 98.0 to 99.9% of the pollen based on the number of grains. This proportion was similar among nests for both provisions and feces. These results indicate that, at the study site, L. chrysurus was strictly oligolectic on Centaurea pollen while nectar was probably collected on other plant species as well.

Female Porcellio laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea) brood eggs and young in ventral marsupial pouches, a reproductive strategy with pronounced physical and presumed fitness costs. This study examines the effect of physical stress on reproductive behavior. To induce excessive physical stress, gravid female P. laevis were subjected to five minutes of continuous locomotion daily throughout the brooding period. Stressed females exhibited significantly shorter brooding periods than controls. Although stressed and control groups did not differ in average body size, there was a strong trend of reduced fecundity in stressed females. These results indicate that female isopods modify critical elements of reproductive investment under conditions of physical stress.