The correct author and date for the family-group name Heriadini (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Megachilinae) are discussed. A brief discussion of available family-group names associated with Osmiini Newman, 1834 is provided.

Stenodrilus (Coleoptera: Omethidae: Telegeusinae) is a monotypic genus, with its single species described from Chiapas, Mexico. Two new species of the genus are described from Honduras, Stenodrilus howdenorum Roza new species and Stenodrilus megalocephalus Roza new species. These are the first records of the family in the country and the first records of the genus in Central America. The new species are diagnosed, described, and illustrated, and a distributional map and identification key for the species of Stenodrilus are provided. The morphology of the genus is discussed in the subfamilial framework.

Allocapnia pygmaea Burmeister (Plecoptera: Capniidae) is a winter-active stonefly in North America. Despite the adult’s winter emergence, little is documented about the insect’s cold tolerance and cryoprotective biochemistry. To better understand the cold tolerance of this winter-active stonefly, we collected adult A. pygmaea in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, during March or April in both 2023 and 2024. Following different cold exposures, we measured the lower limits of activity (–9.3 °C) and the temperature at which internal freezing occurs (–11.9 °C), and we confirmed that A. pygmaea could survive subzero temperatures unless they froze. In control (field-collected) and cold-shocked stoneflies, we assayed the following putative cryoprotectants: proline, glycerol, myo-inositol, trehalose, and glucose. We detected little effect of cold shock on most cryoprotectants, except for the polyols glycerol and myo-inositol, which decreased in concentration following cold shock. These findings improve our current understanding of Capniid cold tolerance, confirm that A. pygmaea uses a freeze-avoidant strategy, and lay a foundation for future studies on how these insects may use cryoprotectants for winter activity.

The European praying mantis, Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mantodea: Mantidae), is an introduced predatory insect established in southwestern and southeastern Canada and much of the United States of America. Despite over a century of records, the geographic origins of North American populations have remained unclear. We analysed 807-bp fragments of the mitochondrial CO1 gene from 17 sequences from southern Quebec and Ontario, Canada, comparing them to 175 sequences from western, eastern, and southern Europe. Population genetics analyses revealed that Canadian samples carry haplotypes from two divergent lineages that co-occur in a localised region of western France. These haplotypes showed the closest affinities to others also found in France, strongly supporting a French origin. Historical records from Rochester, New York, United States of America, where M. religiosa was first documented in 1899, suggest introduction via the 19th-century horticultural trade. The low haplotype diversity in Canada may reflect founder effects or environmental filtering, though additional, undetected introductions remain possible. This study clarifies the likely French source of M. religiosa in southeastern Canada and underscores the value of combining molecular data and historical accounts to track invasion pathways.

Several Monochamus species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) use monochamol as an aggregation-sex pheromone, raising questions about how they maintain reproductive isolation. Herbivorous insects use host plant semiochemicals as cues for mate location and, with or without habitat cues, these could confer reproductive isolation among sympatric Monochamus spp. To test this hypothesis, host and habitat preferences in mate location were examined for sympatric populations of Monochamus maculosus, Monochamus notatus, and Monochamus scutellatus in the Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. Field experiments were performed to investigate whether differences in host preference, vertical distribution across the forest canopy, spatial distribution within down and standing dead trees, or any combination of these factors could minimise cross-attraction to monochamol. Results showed that more M. maculosus were attracted to monochamol combined with jack pine foliage than with balsam fir or white spruce, whereas no differences in host attractivity were observed for the other species. Vertical abundance of M. maculosus and M. scutellatus was similar across forests. Spatial distribution provided limited evidence for species segregation within hosts. No evidence was found that host or habitat preferences contribute to reproductive isolation in M. maculosus, M. notatus, or M. scutellatus, suggesting that vertical distribution could be driven by resource availability.

Understanding how invertebrates respond to disturbance is essential for anticipating the effects of anthropogenic developments. In western Canada’s boreal forests, linear corridor disturbances constructed for oil and gas exploration, called seismic lines, are pervasive. Previous research indicates that butterfly abundance and species richness increase along conventional seismic lines (6–12 m wide) in peatland boreal forest and that at least one butterfly species preferentially uses these seismic lines as travel corridors. Here, we investigated how a butterfly assemblage’s abundance, species richness, and movement responded to seismic lines in the dry, sandy Richardson area of Alberta, Canada’s boreal forest. We used Malaise traps at five sites to compare butterfly abundance, species richness, and movement direction on conventional seismic lines to 50 m into the adjacent interior forest. Butterfly abundance and richness were 7.8 times and 1.5 times higher, respectively, on conventional seismic lines than in the forest interior. Butterflies were also 6.5 times as abundant flying across seismic lines than flying along them. These results demonstrate that conventional seismic lines are locally increasing butterfly abundance and diversity in boreal forests, while also further affecting butterfly movement behaviour compared to undisturbed boreal forest habitat.

The Ospriocerus (Diptera: Asilidae) fauna of Canada is outlined. Only three species in the genus are known from Canada: Ospriocerus abdominalis (Say, 1824), O. latipennis (Loew, 1866), and O. vallensis Martin, 1968. The former two species inhabit grasslands on the Great Plains; the latter occurs in the Intermontane grasslands of southern British Columbia. The use of the name O. aeacus (Wiedemann, 1828), used frequently instead of O. abdominalis, should be discontinued because it is an unnecessary replacement name. Ospriocerus vallensis is recognised as a species in Canada for the first time; Canadian specimens have been misidentified in collections and the literature as O. abdominalis or O. aeacus. A key is given for the identification of Canadian specimens, and the species are morphologically diagnosed. Whole specimens, antennae, and dissected male genitalia are illustrated. The distributions, habitats, and some behaviours (including the relationship of the genus to the beetle family Meloidae) of the three species are documented.

The first Eodichromatidae (Odonata, Cephalozygoptera) specimens from the Ypresian Allenby Formation near Princeton, British Columbia, Canada, are described. They belong to the genus Labandeiraia Petrulevičius et al. (Eodichromatinae) based on the distinctive distal undulate curvature of the long veins and numerous intercalary veins, as seen in L. americaborealis Petrulevičius et al. from the coeval Green River Formation of Colorado, United States of America. Labandeiraia burlingameae n. sp. is described based on an almost complete hyaline forewing. It is distinct from L. americaborealis by its colouration and number of postnodal crossveins. A darkly infuscate forewing preserved in close proximity is similar but lacks its basal portion and has poorly preserved crossveins. Its preserved portions agree with both L. burlingameae and L. americaborealis. If this wing belongs to L. burlingameae, its colour difference might result from sexual dimorphism or polyphenism, which are not known in any eodichromatid. If the wing belongs to L. americaborealis, it has a forewing/hind wing colour difference, also not known in any Labandeiraia species, and would be its first known forewing. The specimen might also belong to a third, closely related, undescribed species. These possibilities cannot be distinguished, and we treat the species as Labandeiraia sp. A.

Cabbage root maggot, Delia radicum (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), has been an economically serious pest, damaging a wide range of Brassica crops, across Canada since the late 1800s. A robust body of research literature exists, encompassing a range of control options that have been explored across commodities within Canada. Despite this body of work, pesticides remain the most commonly used option for control of D. radicum. Insecticides registered for use against D. radicum in Canada are facing increasing restrictions or deregulation, making D. radicum more difficult to manage. This review provides an overview of the research conducted in Canada up to 2022 and discusses various management approaches that need to be explored to lessen our current reliance upon insecticides for D. radicum control.

Time and effort required to extract macroinvertebrates out of aquatic net sweep samples can be a major limiting factor in the ecological study and monitoring of wetlands. Several methods for facilitating specimen extraction have been published, but systematic comparisons are lacking. We opportunistically compared six methods for extracting macroinvertebrates from wetland net sweep samples that we collected in Alberta, Canada. We applied elutriation, flotation using four different media, and a new behavioural extraction method using a submerged inverted funnel. We measured the length of time each method took to extract all perceived macroinvertebrates and the proportion of Coleoptera and Hemiptera that each method successfully extracted. Elutriation and flotation using a 600 g/L sugar–water solution extracted the greatest proportions (> 95%). Elutriation was faster than flotation with our samples. The faster behavioural method extracted only approximately 50–70% of specimens; however, it produced clean samples for subsequent sorting. Overall, we recommend elutriation for reliable extraction of Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and other macroinvertebrates from wetland net sweep samples. Refinement of our behavioural extraction method may lead to an effective field-based alternative to time-consuming laboratory-based extraction methods.

Bird blowflies, Protocalliphora spp. (Diptera: Calliphoridae), are prevalent ectoparasites of altricial bird nestlings across the Holarctic region. Yet, their spatial and temporal dynamics of infestations, species composition, and interactions with parasitoids remain poorly understood. We present a 16-year (2004–2019) multisite study of Protocalliphora infestations based on 2673 tree swallow (Passeriformes: Hirundinidae) nests collected across a 10 200-km2 gradient of agricultural intensity in Quebec, Canada. Nest infestation prevalence and parasitic load varied markedly across space and time but recurred synchronously at approximately 75% of sites, suggesting regional and local process influences. Yearly rates of Nasonia wasp (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) parasitoidism of bird blowfly puparia were high but variable (48–90%), likely contributing to the temporal fluctuations in Protocalliphora prevalence and load. Substantial interannual shifts in relative abundance of P. bennetti, P. metallica, and P. sialia emphasise the importance of species-level identification in bird blowfly ecological studies. Large overlap in puparia size among species challenged the utility of traditional diagnostic traits for species identification. Dormancy or mortality of Nasonia occurred in 3–16% of Protocalliphora puparia, depending on year. These findings highlight the importance of long-term, multitrophic, and spatially explicit monitoring in unravelling the drivers of host–parasite–parasitoid dynamics.

Xyleborini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) ambrosia beetles occur worldwide and are most abundant in tropical regions. Extreme inbreeding and the beetles’ symbiotic fungi make them well-suited for long-distance colonisation of new areas, with single pioneer females capable of creating new populations. Xyleborine colonisation events have been addressed for tropical locations but not for temperate regions. In this study, we focus on the seven endemic Nearctic Xyleborus Eichhoff species and test the hypothesis that these species are monophyletic. We reconstructed multigene phylogenies using Bayesian and parsimony analyses for these species and for a sample of Xyleborini species with worldwide distributions. Both analyses demonstrate that the Nearctic Xyleborus species are collectively polyphyletic and occur in four lineages: (1) X. celsus Eichhoff, (2) X. xylographus (Say), (3) X. planicollis Zimmermann + X. viduus Eichhoff + X. impressus Eichhoff, and (4) X. intrusus Blandford + X. pubescens Zimmermann. Three of these clades likely derived from Eastern Palearctic–Oriental or Nearctic species, whereas X. celsus’s origin is ambiguous. Two clades, (X. impressus + X. planicollis + X. viduus) and (X. intrusus + X. pubescens), have radiations in the Nearctic that are limited compared to those of Xyleborini radiations in the tropics. Factors contributing to the low species diversity are discussed.

The present study documents the first recorded instance of phoretic interaction between Lustrochernes grossus (Banks, 1893) (Pseudoscorpiones: Chernetidae) and Mallodon dasystomum (Say, 1824) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The pseudoscorpions were discovered beneath the elytra of the longhorn beetle. This phoretic association constitutes the third documented record for the genus Mallodon Lacordaire, 1830. In addition, a compendium of Cerambycidae species associated with phoretic pseudoscorpions is provided.

The agricultural extension system in Alberta, Canada, has undergone significant shifts in recent decades due to a reduction of provincial government oversight. This change highlights the need to assess the effectiveness of currently available extension tools and to explore opportunities for collaboration and growth across the system. The present study employs a scientific survey targeting professionals involved in agricultural entomology extension to identify key challenges and areas for improvement. In addition, we develop a visual map of online entomology resources in Alberta to facilitate user access to information. Although traditional communication methods remain valuable, there is potential to expand the use of digital tools for entomological extension activities. Survey respondents report cost and the loss of chemical control options as the primary pest management challenges, as well as funding, access, and coordination of efforts as significant barriers to extension. Physical or cultural barriers to access extension information and limited public knowledge about insects pose additional hurdles to effective extension. The survey findings offer valuable insights into opportunities to enhance agricultural extension in Alberta, such as the adoption of standardised evaluation methods and the establishment of a centralised information hub. We provide a freely available online hub that consolidates online extension entomology resources in Alberta.

Agriculture relies heavily on the ecosystem services provided by beneficial insects, and supporting their populations in these areas is important. We tested for differences in bee communities between pastures and unmanaged (natural) grasslands in Manitoba, Canada. Pastures were either grazed by cattle or cut for hay. Hayed pastures were planted with an enhanced seed mix to benefit both bees and livestock. Nevertheless, enhanced hay fields were dominated by alfalfa. We found that natural and grazed sites supported more bees than hay sites did. Grazed sites tended to support oligolectic (plant specialist) bees, whereas natural sites supported more polylectic (plant generalist) bees. Bee capture rates were positively associated with overall field size. Associations between bee functional traits (diet, nesting, and sociality) and environmental variables are discussed. Our results indicate that grazing may be an important management tool for conservation of oligolectic and ground-nesting bees. In addition, polylectic and stem-nesting bees may use natural landcover types more than agricultural landcover types, and increasing the amount of natural landcover for insects should be a priority.

How best to rapidly assess the diversity of terrestrial arthropod communities has attracted considerable debate. In particular, what sampling methods should be combined to capture maximum species richness and sampling efficiency in surveys of arthropods. We tested the efficiency and complementarity of a standardised combination of six commonly used sampling methods (Malaise trap, flight intercept trap, pan trap, pitfall trap, Berlese funnel, and sweep net) at 13 locations across Canada. About 55% of species were collected by only one method; Malaise traps, sweep nets, and flight intercept traps contributed the highest diversity. We suggest the combined use of these collecting methods, possibly extended by other methods, for studies that seek to survey the canopy and soil fauna.

There is growing interest in monitoring multiple insect species simultaneously by using traps baited with pheromones of multiple species. We tested potential interference among pheromones using blends targeting multiple species of cerambycid and elaterid beetles. The six-component blend of cerambycid pheromones has proven effective in attracting many species in the subfamilies Cerambycinae and Lamiinae. Seven elaterid species were trapped with a nine-component blend of sex attractants in an earlier field experiment. Traps were baited with the cerambycid blend, the elaterid blend, and the combined blend. Three elaterid species were similarly attracted by the elaterid and combined blends, whereas three other species were significantly less attracted by the combined blend. The variable influence of cerambycid compounds on attraction of elaterids to their sex attractants may reflect the nature of the hosts of their larvae. Specifically, larvae of species not influenced by the cerambycid blend feed on roots of deciduous agricultural plants. In contrast, larvae of the species antagonised by the cerambycid blend develop in woody tissues of plants, as do larvae of most cerambycids. These results suggest that these elaterids have evolved to detect cerambycid pheromones, allowing them to avoid aggressive competition with cerambycid larvae and even predation by cerambycids.

The mosaic of dead, live, and dying lodgepole pine trees, Pinus contorta (Pinaceae), in post–mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), outbreak stands may increase native bark and woodboring beetle populations capable of imposing further pine mortality within the same stands. In summer 2017, we set up three types of nonbaited insect traps (landing, emergence, flight intercept) in 27 post–mountain pine beetle outbreak stands in Alberta, Canada, showing levels of mountain pine beetle–caused pine mortality that ranged from 2% to 83%, to investigate the abundance of three functional groups of beetles (bark beetles, woodborers, predators). The percentage of beetle-caused pine mortality had no effect on beetle abundance in each functional group, but the bark beetle abundance decreased as the proportion of healthy pine trees increased in post-outbreak stands. The lack of significant relationships between insect abundance and pine mortality was likely due to host tree availability, growing interspecific competition, and predation. Compared to pine mortality, live tree composition might be a better predictor of bark beetle abundance. The low beetle abundance overall suggested stand conditions seven years post-outbreak could not facilitate increases in native bark and woodboring beetle populations in the novel habitat of mountain pine beetle in Alberta.

Four species of Lygus bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae), Lygus lineolaris, L. keltoni, L. elisus, and L. borealis, are native pests of many crops throughout North America. In eastern Canada, a European parasitoid, Peristenus digoneutis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), occurs adventively from intentional releases made in the 1980s in the northeastern region of the United States of America. In the Canadian prairies, P. mellipes and P. howardi are common native parasitoids that attack the first and second generations of Lygus, respectively, albeit at low levels. Therefore, relocation of P. digoneutis has been considered to enhance biological control in western Canada. We investigated the potential for competition between the native and exotic Peristenus spp. in laboratory settings. Our results showed that no statistically significant effects of simultaneous or sequential competition occurred on the success of parasitism by the native species, particularly for P. howardi. Minor reductions in parasitism by P. mellipes were observed only when the exotic species was added one day before the native species. From these findings, we conclude that the risk for competitive displacement of native Peristenus spp. by P. digoneutis is low. The potential benefits of having a parasitoid with two generations and the likely additive mortality effects on Lygus bug pests should outweigh the low environmental risks of introducing P. digoneutis.

Long-term light-trap records provide a rare opportunity to examine spruce budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) population behaviour at the southern edge of the species’ range. We analysed statewide moth counts from Maine, United States of America (1961–2024), to characterise temporal patterns and assess their relevance for outbreak risk. The time series showed a saw-toothed rise from 1961 to its peak in 1978, followed by a precipitous collapse across the state after 1982, and an extended quiescent period in 1990–2012, punctuated finally by abrupt but moderate increases in adult abundance, with no evidence of a smooth oscillation. Recruitment dynamics were nonlinear, with multiple equilibrium points, which is consistent with a metastable process. These dynamics limit the utility of classical forecasting approaches and complicate expectations about outbreak development following the recent pulse in moth numbers after nearly two decades of low activity.