Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

Marshall, J.

TABLE 3- Average Hesidllcs of Two Formu lat ions of Diazinon on Fruit and Foliage of 
Cherry Trees a nd 0'1 Foli age of Apple Trees Immediately after One Application 
of a Dilute Spray. 
Materials 
Diazinon, 25 % emu lsil'ifl blc co ncentrate 
Diazinon, 25 % wetta ble p(1wder 
* Me ans of t\\-O re plica tes. 
* *' ) lean of e ig ht repli cates . 
Summary 
Data a re given showing the amount 
of Diazinon residues on cherries and 
apples, and Sevin residues on apples. 
Resul ts indicate tha t Diazinon resi-
dues on cherries were similar for a 
wettable powder formation and an 
emulsifiable concentrate formulation. 
The addition of a surfactant to 
Am ount per 
100 Gal. 
21b. 
21b. 
Residues, mmg. per sq . cm . 
- Cherry'" Apple* " 
. Fruit Foliage Foliage 
~---~-
2.0 0.4 
3.5 0.7 2.9 
Diazinon and Sevin sprays on a pples 
did not affect the magnitude of the 
initial residues nor the persistence of 
the spray residues. Sevin residues on 
apples were more persistent than 
Diazinon residues. 
The author is indebted to F . E. 
Brin ton for assistance in sampling 
a nd chemical analyses. 
References 
Anonym ous. 1959. Control of tree-fruit pests and diseases . British Columbia Dept. Agr. 
poster , p . l. 
Geigy Agricultural Chemical s. 1956. Methods of analysis for Diazinon. Bulletin , pp. 9-12 . 
Ne w York, N.Y. 
Gunther, F. A., and R. C. Blinn. 1955. Analysis of insecticides and acaricides, Pp. 23-24. 
Inter science Publi shers , Inc ., New York. 
Morrell , C. A. 1957. Trade information letter No. 157. Canada Dept. Natl. Health and 
Welfare . Mimeo., pp. 1-12. 
RESISTANCE TO DDT IN THE CODLING MOTH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA' 
J. MARSHALL" 
In 1934 Hough (5) determined that 
there was considerable variation in 
the ability of larvae of the codling 
moth, Carpocapsa pomonella L., from 
Colorado and from Virginia, to pene-
t r a te deposits of lead a rsenate, and of 
several other codling moth insecti-
cides. He a ttributed the va riation to 
difference in vigour. Whatever the 
reason , from that time until the 
beginning of the DDT era in orcha rd 
pest control in 1946, evidence mount-
ed that lead arsen ate was gradually 
losing its effectiveness in many a reas 
wh ere th e insect was a serious pest. 
I Contribution No. 5 fr0111 th c Hegion a i R e-
sea rch Station, Ca nada De partme n t of Ag ri c ul -
lllr e~ SUllllll e rland , Briti sh CO lulllbia. 
2 Entol1'! ologist. 
Particularly in a rid. or semi-arid, 
a reas such as the Okanagan Valley of 
British Columbia, DDT was a spec-
tacula r success; even indifferent 
a pplica tion of the new insecticide 
proved adequate (6) . Orchardists 
brought to the brink of ruin by the 
codling mot h became successful 
again . and serious loss of fruit from 
codling moth injury became a thing 
of the past. But five or six years later 
th ere were hints of trouble. Extra 
a pplications of DDT were becoming 
common although weather conditions 
were not very favourable for the 
development of the insect. Spraying 
technique, however, had radically 
changed between 1949 and 1952 (7) . 
Air-blast spraying had replaced h and-
gun spraying, and some of the new 
machines were woefully inadequate . 
We hoped that the trouble lay in the 
spray equipment, or in its operation. 
Then came a disturbing experience. 
While visiting the deciduous fruit 
districts of Australia in 1954 I was 
shown an orchard in the Paracombe 
district of South Australia that was 
very heavily infested by the codling 
moth, although it had received ten 
thorough applications of DDT. Satis-
fied that the insecticide was up to 
strength, the Chief Horticulturist for 
South Australia, Mr. A. G. Strickland, 
was of the opinion that the codling 
moth in that orchard had become 
resistant to DDT. His opinion was 
experimentally confirmed by Smith 
(8) . 
Shortly afterwards Cutright (2) 
showed that the codling moth had 
become resistant to DDT in an or-
chard in Ohio . A year later Glass and 
Fiori (3) demonstrated that the same 
thing had happened in an orchard in 
New York State ; and the following 
year Hamilton (4) reported that 
DDT-resistant codling moth was 
present in two orchards in the State 
of Washington . The latest published 
evidence of what is evidently an ac-
celerating tendency comes from Cali-
fornia where Barnes (1) has demon-
strated the existence of a strain of 
the codling moth that is about four 
times as hard to kill with DDT as a 
strain that. had not previously been 
exposed to DDT (L. D. 50 four times 
as great) . 
In British Columbia we continued 
to hope that reports of increasing 
codling moth infestations could be 
ascribed to faulty spraying, as indeed 
most of them appeared to be. But in 
June 1958 came word of a situation 
in an orchard near Kelowna that was 
evidently in a different category . 
Despite the application of four first-
brood sprays of 50 per cent DDT 
wettable powder at the recommended 
dosage of 12 pounds per acre, about 
half of the crop was infested by cod-
ling moth larvae of the first brood 
by mid-June. This, in fact , was a con-
siderably heavier infestation than in 
the non-sprayed trees in the Ento-
mology La boratory orchard at the 
same date . Without delay we com-
menced a laboratory experiment to 
determine if , finally , we had to deal 
with DDT-resistance. 
Moths were reared simultaneously 
trom infested apples taken from the 
Kelowna orchard (deSignated as 
Glenmore stock), and from apples 
taken from either the Entomology 
Laboratory orchard, or from a rela-
tively isolated abandoned orchard 
(designated as laboratory stock). The 
laboratory orchard, from which about 
80 per cent of the laboratory stock 
was taken, had never been sprayed 
with DDT, nor any other chlorinated 
hydrocarbon. Although, to the best of 
our knowledge , the abandoned or-
chard had received no DDT, it is pos-
sible that, for several years after the 
introduction of DDT (in 1946) , it had 
received DDT in limited amount. 
Female moths from both stocks 
were allowed to lay eggs on waxed 
paper. Small pieces of paper hearing 
a total of 5 or 10 eggs, about to hatch, 
were pinned to non-sprayed apples, 
a nd to apples that had been sprayed 
to the beginning of drip with a water-
suspension of 50 per cent DDT wet-
table powder and then allowed to dry. 
Spraying was done with a small De 
Vilbiss atomizer under constant air 
pressure of 15 pounds per square inch. 
Before the apples were sprayed the 
calyx basins and the stem basins of 
the fruits were filled with melted 
paraffin wax to restrict entries to a 
uniformly-sprayed surface. The ap-
ples were suspended by threads from 
racks in the insectary (Fig 1), and 
examined for codling moth entries 
two weeks after the eggs had been 
pinned to them. In all, 3000 eggs were 
used in the experiment. 
The apples, variety Spartan, were 
sprayed with three concentrations of 
50 per cent DDT wettable powder 
(Fig . 2) : 0.5 gram, 1.5 grams and 4.5 
grams per liter - amounts roughly 
equivalent to 4 pounds, 12 pounds and 
36 pounds per acre. Chemical analyses 
of the apples showed the following 
Fig. I.- Apples suspt nded by threads in insectar y fo r codling moth ent ry. 
F ig. 2.-Apples sprayed with three concentrations of DDT showing depos its an el 
codling moth en tries. 
average DDT deposits as parts per 
million : 1.07, 3.61, and 7.61 respec-
tively. Analysis of the commercial 
50 per cent DDT wettable powder that 
was used in the experiment showed 
it to be as guaranteed: Actual DDT 
50 per cent, para para isomer content 
of the DDT 80 per cent. 
The eggs of the t.wo stocks of insects 
hatched in approximately the same 
numbers, '75 .2 per cent to 98 .7 per cent 
according to date of deposition. The 
larvae of the laboratory stock were 
just as capable of penetrating non-
sprayed apples as those of the Glen-
more stock (Table 1); presumably, 
therefore, they were just as vigorous. 
This is contrary to Hough 's conclu-
sions of twenty-five years ago with 
Colorado larvae resistant to a number 
of insecticides, and with non-resistant 
Virginia larvae ; he found the non-
02 1·;\TO~ IIlI.'" , lI ' , \1. ::>O"1I':T), Ill" BH ITI"11 COLF~(nLl, Ps o('. (1 95~), VO L. 56, Nov. 4, 195!l 
TABLE 1. Entries hy r esistant (Glenmore stock) and non-resistant (laboratory stock) 
codling moth la rva e in non -sprayed and in DDT-sprayed apples. 
DDT Equivalent DDT Entries % 
50% w.p. pounds per deposit No. Non-sprayed DDT-sprayed 
gm .l l. acr e !J .p.m. Stock eggs apples apples 
0.5 4 1.07 Glenmorc 300 91.4 89.6 
Laboratory 300 85.8 10.0 
1.5 12 3.6 1 Glenmore 600 86.0 65.1 
Laboratory 600 86.1 4.4 
4.5 36 7.61 GI l"nmore 600 90.4 49.4 
Laboratory 600 90.9 0.8 
resistant larvae less vigorous. On the 
other hand, the laboratory stock 
larvae were far less capable of pene-
trating a DDT deposit than the Glen-
more ones. The capacity of the 
Glenmore larvae to enter fruit spray-
ed with DDT at a dosage roughly 
equivalent to 36 pounds of 50 per cent 
wettable powder per acre was the 
more striking because the spray de-
posit was more uniform than in the 
orchard , and so, presumably more 
effective. Actually, at that dosage, 
three times as great as the official 
recommendation, over fifty times as 
many of the Glenmore larvae made 
successful entries as did the labora-
tory larvae . 
Although the codling moth appears 
to be more difficult to control in the 
Glenmore orchard than in any other 
orchard in British Columbia, several 
growers in the Osoyoos, Oliver, and 
Keremeos areas have lately been 
having great trouble in keeping the 
insect at a low level , despite as many 
as six applications of DDT at recom-
mended dosage . Hundreds of other 
growers a re having to apply from one 
to three more codling moth sprays 
than they found necessary for some 
five years after DDT came into gen-
eral use . In view of the clear experi-
mental evidence of the development 
of resistance to DDT in the Glenmore 
orchard, and the strong circumstan-
tial evidence of gTower experience, it 
is evident that, to a varying degree, 
the effectiveness of DDT against the 
codling moth is declining. 
We a re concerned with both the 
genetical aspects of this problem and 
the role of the orchardist in it. Is the 
gTower 's role a passive one, or might 
his spraying affect the rate of devel-
opment of resistance to insecticides? 
Will a low concentration of an insec-
ticide select resistant strains of an 
insect more rapidly than a high con-
centration? Are trees, oversprayed on 
the bottoms and undersprayed on the 
tops, more likely to accelerate the 
selection of insecticide - resistant 
strains of insects than trees unformly 
covered with spray mixture? Is it 
desirable to use one insecticide for 
several years, then, before insecticide-
resistance becomes evident, change to 
another for several years? Is a mix-
ture of insecticides of Significantly 
different chemical composition pre-
ferable to a single insecticide? Are 
highly toxic insecticides likely to 
select resistant strains of insects 
more rapidly than less potent ones? 
These have become significant ques-
tions for the fruit grower, and doubt-
less they will become even more so 
while chemical control remains our 
main line of defence against orchard 
pests. In an attempt to provide an-
swers a new project is underway in 
which the Entomology Laboratories at 
Vineland Station, Ontario, and at 
Summerland, British Columbia, are 
collaborating. 
Summary 
1. The presence of a strain of the 
codling moth resistant. to DDT has 
been experimentally demonstrated 
in British Columbia. 
2. Over 50 times as many larvae from 
the resistant strain penetrated a 
heavy deposit of DDT as did larvae 
from a strain that had not been 
annually subjected to DDT sprays. 
ExnnJOLou l CAJ. SOCl "T \' of BHITlSII C OIX ~11:1.\ . PHIH' . ( E l5lJ ) . V Ol.. 56. No\'. 4 . I !1 5!1 fi:~ 
3. The fertility of the eggs of the two 
strains did not differ; nor did the 
capacity of the two stains of larvae 
to penetrate non-sprayed fruits . 
4. DDT-resistance is evidently fairly 
widespread in the orchards of the 
South Okanagan area, but the de-
gree of resistance is variable . 
Acknowledgments 
Much of the work in this experi-
ment was done by these members of 
the staff of the Summerland Ento-
mology Laboratory : Dr. M. D. Pro-
verbs, Messrs. K. Williams, J. Newton 
and J . Ogilvie. and by Mrs. Bernice 
McDonald . 
References 
1. Barnes, M. M. 1958. A strain of codling moth in Ca lifornia resistant to DDT. J. 
Econ. Ent. 51: 693-694. 
2. Cutright, C. R. 1954. A codling moth population resistant to DDT. J. Econ. Ent. 
47: 189-190. 
3. Glass, E. G., and B. Fiori. 1955. Codling moth resistance to DDT in New York . 
J . Econ. Ent. 48: 598-599. 
4. Hamilton, D. W. 1956. Resistance of the codling moth to DDT sprays. J. Econ. 
Ent. 49: 866-867. 
5. Hough, W. S. 1934. Colorado and Virginia strains of codling moth in relation to 
their ability to enter sprayed and unsprayed apples. J. Agr. Res. 48: 533-553. 
6. Marshall, J . 1952. Applied entomology in the orchards of British Columbia . Proc. 
Ent. Soc. Brit.ish Columbia (1951 ). 48: 25-31. 
7. Marshall, J . 1958. Concentrate spraying in deciduous orchards. Canada Dept. Agr. 
Pub. 1020. pp. 1-47. 
8. Smith, L. C. 1955. DDT-resistant codling moth. J. Dept. Agr. South Australia 59 : 
12-15. 
OUTBREAKS OF GRANARY WEEVILS IN HOMES 
G. J . SPENCER 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver , B.C. 
I have twice encountered two re-
markable outbreaks of Sitophilus 
granarius Linn. the granary weeVil, in 
homes in Vancouver; in both cases 
the telephoned reports were so alarm-
ing that I made special trips to inves-
tigate and in neither instance could 
I account for the situation. 
In the first case, beetles had been 
issuing from under the quarter-round 
on the north and east sides of a first-
floor back-bedroom for two days and 
were still streaming southwards and 
spilling over into the hall. Across the 
hall in the living room, beetles were 
slowly crawling around having appar-
ently issued from under the quarter-
round on the south side. Most re-
markable of all, was a sheet of beetles 
some four feet across, in the grass of 
the lawn on the west side, between the 
houses. There was no indication 
where these lawn insects came from; 
they were slowly crawling around and 
around in a black carpet-like mass. 
I enquired of the people if they had 
any shelled corn or grain stored in the 
basement or any forgotten sack of 
cereal of any kind; they h ad never 
had anything of the sort in the two 
years that they had lived there. I in-
spected the whole basement with 
greatest care and found no trace of 
any possible breeding ma terial. I ask-
ed if they had ever kept chickens ; 
they said they had not but the pre-
vious owners had kept poultry in the 
garage at the back of the lot , adjoin-
ing the lane, two years ago . 
The only explanation I could give 
for this black horde of weevils was 
that the previous owners had kept 
sacks of corn or other grain in the 
basement as poultry feed , that rats or 
mice had stolen the feed and stored it 
somewhere in the wallS, that the 
weevils had infested the feed until it 
was exhausted and were finally issu-
ing from their breeding place in the 
huge populations which they had at-


English

Resistance to DDT in the codling moth in British Columbia

Spencer, G. J.

ExnnJOLou l CAJ. SOCl "T \' of BHITlSII C OIX ~11:1.\ . PHIH' . ( E l5lJ ) . V Ol.. 56. No\'. 4 . I !1 5!1 fi:~ 
3. The fertility of the eggs of the two 
strains did not differ; nor did the 
capacity of the two stains of larvae 
to penetrate non-sprayed fruits . 
4. DDT-resistance is evidently fairly 
widespread in the orchards of the 
South Okanagan area, but the de-
gree of resistance is variable . 
Acknowledgments 
Much of the work in this experi-
ment was done by these members of 
the staff of the Summerland Ento-
mology Laboratory : Dr. M. D. Pro-
verbs, Messrs. K. Williams, J. Newton 
and J . Ogilvie. and by Mrs. Bernice 
McDonald . 
References 
1. Barnes, M. M. 1958. A strain of codling moth in Ca lifornia resistant to DDT. J. 
Econ. Ent. 51: 693-694. 
2. Cutright, C. R. 1954. A codling moth population resistant to DDT. J. Econ. Ent. 
47: 189-190. 
3. Glass, E. G., and B. Fiori. 1955. Codling moth resistance to DDT in New York . 
J . Econ. Ent. 48: 598-599. 
4. Hamilton, D. W. 1956. Resistance of the codling moth to DDT sprays. J. Econ. 
Ent. 49: 866-867. 
5. Hough, W. S. 1934. Colorado and Virginia strains of codling moth in relation to 
their ability to enter sprayed and unsprayed apples. J. Agr. Res. 48: 533-553. 
6. Marshall, J . 1952. Applied entomology in the orchards of British Columbia . Proc. 
Ent. Soc. Brit.ish Columbia (1951 ). 48: 25-31. 
7. Marshall, J . 1958. Concentrate spraying in deciduous orchards. Canada Dept. Agr. 
Pub. 1020. pp. 1-47. 
8. Smith, L. C. 1955. DDT-resistant codling moth. J. Dept. Agr. South Australia 59 : 
12-15. 
OUTBREAKS OF GRANARY WEEVILS IN HOMES 
G. J . SPENCER 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver , B.C. 
I have twice encountered two re-
markable outbreaks of Sitophilus 
granarius Linn. the granary weeVil, in 
homes in Vancouver; in both cases 
the telephoned reports were so alarm-
ing that I made special trips to inves-
tigate and in neither instance could 
I account for the situation. 
In the first case, beetles had been 
issuing from under the quarter-round 
on the north and east sides of a first-
floor back-bedroom for two days and 
were still streaming southwards and 
spilling over into the hall. Across the 
hall in the living room, beetles were 
slowly crawling around having appar-
ently issued from under the quarter-
round on the south side. Most re-
markable of all, was a sheet of beetles 
some four feet across, in the grass of 
the lawn on the west side, between the 
houses. There was no indication 
where these lawn insects came from; 
they were slowly crawling around and 
around in a black carpet-like mass. 
I enquired of the people if they had 
any shelled corn or grain stored in the 
basement or any forgotten sack of 
cereal of any kind; they h ad never 
had anything of the sort in the two 
years that they had lived there. I in-
spected the whole basement with 
greatest care and found no trace of 
any possible breeding ma terial. I ask-
ed if they had ever kept chickens ; 
they said they had not but the pre-
vious owners had kept poultry in the 
garage at the back of the lot , adjoin-
ing the lane, two years ago . 
The only explanation I could give 
for this black horde of weevils was 
that the previous owners had kept 
sacks of corn or other grain in the 
basement as poultry feed , that rats or 
mice had stolen the feed and stored it 
somewhere in the wallS, that the 
weevils had infested the feed until it 
was exhausted and were finally issu-
ing from their breeding place in the 
huge populations which they had at-
ti l 1 ·;'T"~fOI."(~ l "" \1. S," l E TY ",. flHITlSIl (·()I.]"~lRlcI. PRO!'. (1!l;;!l). \ ·oJ. . :;6. N oy . 4. 195!l 
tained in two years time . 
In no way could I account for the 
black mass of weevils in the iwlated 
mass on the lawn; they had not been 
seen travelling there- they just ap-
peared there. 
The ~econd instance occurred in the 
home of an airman who had been in 
a rented house for about six months ; 
a s teady trickle of grana ry weevils 
was issuing from under the quarter-
round in the hall upstairs and slowly 
crawling ~outhwards down the hall; 
they had been emerging for two days 
before I inspected the house. Again I 
examined the basement with greatest 
care; there was no sign of grain any -
where and the floors and walls were 
sound and without cracks; moreover 
there was no place in the garden 
where anybody could have kept poul-
try. In this case, I could not even sug-
gest the breeding place of the weevils 
and recommended the continuous use 
of the vacuum cleaner for their re-
moval; there was no place to apply 
insecticides; the wall extended only to 
the floor below and not to the base-
ment: there was no indication how 
any material for breeding could have 
been introduced into the wall from 
which the beetles were issuing. 
A NOTE ON ENGINE VACUUM FOR ASPIRATING INSECTS' 
W . H. A. WILDE2 
Studies on vectors of stone fruit 
virus diseases often req uire test in-
sects in large numbers. Usually these 
a re Homoptera such as leafhoppers, 
psyllids, spittle bugs or aphids. Vari-
ous methods have been devised (1) 
for aspirating large numbers of these. 
In my previous collecting with con-
ventional mouth aspirators, minute 
particles of sand, plant and animal 
matter h ad appeared in the sputum, 
indicating that there was risk of per-
ma nent damage from irritation or 
myiasis (2) . This note describes a 
well-proved method using part of the 
vacuum of 18 to 20 inches of mercury, 
available in most truck and car en-
gines. The method differs in details 
from that of Moore (3) for collecting 
grasshoppers. 
For vehicles with vacuum-operated 
windshield wipers, cut the wiper vac-
uum hose under the dashboard, insert 
a % in. brass T-shaped connection in-
to the two cut ends, and attach an 
aspirator supply hose to the third 
outlet. The aspirator supply hose 
should be long enough to come 
through , or up to the level of, the 
dashboard to which it is attached for 
easy connection with the aspirator 
tu bing. 
- 1 Co ntribution No. 21, Regional Hesear ch Station, 
I)cpa rtm ent o f Agr it'u iture , Summerland . RriUsh 
( 'ollllllbia . 
2 Entulllolug ist. 
For vehicles with electrically-oper-
ated wipers, bore a hole in the intake 
manifold below the carburetor for a 
source of vacuum. Thread the hole 
and insert a stop cock with a % in . 
hose connection for the vacuum line 
which is then taken through the flre 
wall to the interior of the vehicle and 
attached to the dashboard . This takes 
about 4 ft. of % in . windshield wiper 
hose. By inserting extra T-shaped 
connections more than one aspirator 
may be used from the vacuum line. 
Window screens of 32/ in. mesh 
should be used . The screens are not 
absolutely necessary, but the temper-
ature on a hot, sunny day in a closed 
cab is often fatal to the insects and 
always uncomfortable for the oper-
ator. Connect a conventional straight 
aspirator (1) to the aspirator tubing. 
Start the motor and set it to run at 
medium idling speed. Attach the vac-
uum gauge to the nozzle of the as-
pirator and adjust for the required 
vacuum with a Hoffman clamp on the 
tubing close to the aspirator. For 
leafhoppers 2Y2 to 4 in. of vacuum is 
required, for spittle bugs 3 to 6 in. 
Even where it is not possible to 
drive a vehicle close to the collecting 
site, time can still be saved by sweep-
ing with 3 or 4 conventional nets, then 
returning to the vehicle to aspirate 
the catch. Release the catch inside 


Outbreaks of granary weevils in homes

i ~ E:< TO~IOLO(;[(' .\ 1. S O("[ F.TY OF B RITI R H C OI .E MBI A. PROf'. (1959) , VOl .. 56. Nov. 4. 1959 
THREE INSECTS NEW TO VANCOUVER 
G . J. SPENCER 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. 
On July 10, 1958, Mrs. J . A. Shiers 
of 4816 Angus Drive, Vancouver, 
brough t in several twigs and small 
branches of Copper beech on which 
all the leaves were heavily infested 
with blotch mines. The branches were 
caged and for the next two weeks pro-
duced tiny moths of the family Gra-
cillariidae, genus Lithocolletis, but a 
far greater number of hymenopterous 
parasites of three species. The para-
sitism ran about 90 percent. Mrs. 
Shiers said that the beeches were 40 
to 50 feet high and that a few mines 
had been noticed in the topmost 
leaves in 1957, but that in 1958 the 
whole appearance of the tree was 
spoiled ; other trees in her neighbor-
hood were not infested . This is the 
first time I have encountered this 
trouble and I can find no record of it 
on this continent or in England . The 
moths a nd their parasites have not 
been identified as yet. 
The second unusual record came 
from a h a rdwood importing firm 
whose shipment of 1"x6" Tennessee 
cedar boards was producing hordes of 
beetles. These were half-inch long, 
longicorns of a beautiful bluish pur-
ple colour which Dr. Gorton Linsley 
identified as Callidium schotti Schaef. 
I am grateful to Mr. H. B. Leech of 
the California Academy of Sciences 
for getting these beetles identified for 
me. I kept them in a cage and for the 
next three weeks they rushed about 
furiously in jerks over the boards, 
spending much time mating. Even-
tually the females laid many eggs on 
the small portions of bark adhering 
to sides of the boards. When the eggs 
hatched the minute larvae moved 
into the bark and soon disappeared. 
However, none succeeded in becoming 
established, so it is unlikely that this 
insect will breed in our climate on 
local cedars. An entomologist from 
West Virginia told me that this beetle 
is specific to Tennessee or Eastern 
cedar. 
The third record concerns a ter-
rific infestation of Phylloxera in July 
and August 1958 on a four-foot Eng-
lish oak in my back yard, so extensive 
that every leaf was heavily infested. 
The insects caused pale blotches 
above where they were feeding so 
that the general effect was that of a 
fungous disease. The oak is six years 
old and has never shown this damage 
before. The Phylloxera cannot be 
keyed out amongst the 11 species that 
Duncan described from oaks in Cali-
fornia so it may be either recently 
introduced into this Province or new 
to science. 
The insect was in two forms, wing-
ed and wingless. The latter was 
shaped like a peg top, was larger in 
body than the winged ones and laid 
reddish brown oval eggs in semi- or 
in full circles. It rotated on its front 
legs, laying eggs like radii of a circle. 
Its development is unknown, for 
the tree was so thoroughly sprayed 
three times that it is not likely that 
the Phylloxera survived. 
Oaks less than 70 yards a way on 
the boulevard had no similar infesta-
tion, so the origin of the insect is a 
mystery . 
Reference 
Duncan, Carl D. 1922. The North American species of Phylloxera infesting oak and 
chestnut. (Hemiptera, Phylloxeridael Can. Ent. LIV. No. 12. 

PRINTED BV THE V~RNON NI!WI!I LTD. 


Three insects new to Vancouver

Arrand, J. C.

Corner, J.

Observations in the interior of British Columbia during 1959 of the effect on honeybees of orchard spraying with Sevin

Raine, J.

Tonks, N. V.

IJw w . !<; ."T() ~r()l.. S Ol'. Hf!lT . C OL lJ.\!BL\ . VO L. 5 7 ( 1960 ) . [Jr ·: , . !. 1960 23 
CONTROL OF THREE SPECIES OF LEAFHOPPERS, ON RUBUS 
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA' 
J. RAINE> AND 
Ribautiana tenerrima (H.-S.) and 
Edwardsiana rosae (L.), both of Typh-
locybinae, and Macropsis fuscula 
(Zett.) , of Macropsinae, frequently 
damage various species of Rubus on 
Vancouver Island and in the lower 
Fraser Valley. 
Ribautiana tenerrima, and E. rosae , 
have similar life cycles a nd habits 
(Raine, 1960; Childs, 1918) . There are 
two generations each year ; nymphs 
emerge during May and again in 
August , and adults appear during 
June and September. Both species 
overwinter as eggs . Feeding by 
nymphs and adults on the under-
sides of the leaves causes a character-
istic whitish stippling, impairs leaf 
function, and reduces plant vigour. 
Macropsis fuscula, a European 
species, has only one generation each 
year. Nymphs emerge from overwin-
tered eggs in late May, and adults 
appear during July (Tonks, 1960) . In 
the Netherlands this species is re-
ported as a vector of the virus disease 
known as rubus stunt (de Fluiter, 
1953) . The nymphs feed mostly on the 
undersides of the calyces of flower 
buds and fruit. Damage to the berries 
is not readily visible, but stUdies dur-
ing 1959 showed <:t 20 per cent reduc-
tion in yield from heavily infested 
plots compared with clean plots. Fruit 
quality may be reduced by the growth 
of a sooty-mould fungus in honeydew 
excreted by the leafhoppers, and 
nymphs inclUded with the fruit dur-
ing picking become a contamina tion 
problem. 
This paper presents results obtain-
ed with several materials for control 
of the three species of leafhoppers. 
The work was conducted on Vancou-
~ribution No. 178 from Entomology Labora· 
tory , Research Branch , Canada Agri culture Vic · 
t oria , Britis h Colu m bia. ' 
2 Now at He ;ea rc h Station, Research Branch , 
Canada Agricultu r e , 6660 N.W. Marine Drive, Van· 
couver 8, B.C. 
3 Now at Expe rime n ta l Farm . Cana da Al'! ricul · 
Illre . Saanichlon, B .C. 
N. V. TONKS3 
ver Island, and in the lower Fraser 
Valley, from 1955 to 1959. 
Materials and Methods 
The following chemicals were used 
in the experiments: 
DDT , 25 per cent liquid ; Chipma n Chem i-
r:a l Company, T oronto, Ont. 
Derri s, 2.5 per cent liquid and 1 per cenl 
dust of rotenone ; Chipman Chemical Com-
pa ny, Toronto, Onto 
Dia zin on , 25 per cent liquid and 5 per cent 
dus t of 0 , O·dlethyl 0-(2·isopropyl-6-methyl· 
4·pyrimid lnyl) phosphorothioate; Geigy 
Ag ricultura l Chemicals, Yonkers, N.Y. 
Dlmethoa te, 46 per cent liquid of S-methyl-
carbamoyl methyl 0 , O-dimethyl phosphoro-
dithioate; Ameri can Cyanamid Company , 
St ;oP1fo rd, Conn . 
Di-Sys ton, 5 per cent granules of 0, () . 
Diethyl S-2- ( ethylthio) ethyl phosphoro' 
dithioate; Chemagro Corporation, Kansas 
City, Mo. 
Endr in, 18 per cent liquid 01' endrin ; 
Vels icol Corporation, Chicago, Ill. 
Etblon EC 4, liquid containing [our 
pounds of 0, 0 , 0 ' , O'-tetraethyl S S'-methyl-
ene bisphosphorodithloate per U.S. gallon; 
Niagar a Chemical Division, Food Machinery 
and Chemical Corporation, Middleport, N.Y. 
Gut hion, 18.4 per cent liquid of 0, O· 
dimethyl S -4-oxo-1, 2, 3-benzotrlazin-3 (4H)-
ylmethyl phosphorodlthloate; Chemagro Cor-
pora tion, Ka nsa s City, Mo. 
H eptachlor, 25 per cent liquid of hepta· 
chlor; Velsicol Corporation, Chicago, Ill . 
Malathion, 57 per cent liquid and 4 per 
cent dust of ma la thion, American Cyanamid 
Compa ny, Stamford, Conn. 
Methoxychlor, 25 per cent liquid of 1, 1, 
I - trichloro - 2, 2 - bis (p - methoxyphenyl) 
ethane; Geigy Agricultural Chemicals, 
Yonkers, N.Y. 
Ph orate, 48.5 per cent liquid of 0, O-dlethyl 
I) (and S )-2·( ethylthio) ethyl phosphoro· 
thi oates; Chemagro Corporation , Kansas 
City, Mo. 
Phosdrin , 48 .5 per cent water-soluble 
I iqu id of 2·methoxycarbony l-1-methyl vinyl 
d imethyl phosphate; Shell Oil Company of 
Ca nada , Toronto, Ont. 
Rogor, 40 pe r cent liquid of S-methylcar· 
bamoylmethyl 0, O·dlmethyl phosphorodith-
ioate; Fi sons Pest Control Limited, Cam-
bridge, E ng. 
Sevin, 50 per cent wettable powder and 
13 per cent emulsion of I-na phtyl iV-methyl· 
carbamate ; Union Carbide Chemicals Com· 
pany, New York, N.Y. 
SYSto X, :!C per cent liquid of a mixture oC 
I). O·tii e th yl S·( a nd 0 ) ( 2-ethylthlo) ethyl 
phos phol'othioates ; Chemagro Corporation. 
Kansas City. Mo . 
24 Pl:UC . E:YI O}I OL. Soc. BIUT . C OI .l'.'L111A. VO L . 57 ( 1960 ), DF:c. 1, 1960 
Thiodan, 24 pe r ce n t liquid or 6, 7, 8. 9, 10, 
lO·hexachloro-l, 5. 5a, 6, 9, 9a-h exa h yll 1'0-6. 
!l-methano-2, 4, 3-benzod ioxath iepi n 3-oxide; 
Niagara Ch emical Divis ion, F ood Machiner y 
a nd Chemical Corpora t ion , Middlepor t, N. Y. 
Trithion, 43.7 pe r cent liquid o[ O. 0-
d ie thyl S -p-chl orophen ylt hi omethyl phos-
phorodithioate; Sta u ffe r Ch emi cal Co mpany. 
~fountaill Vi ew, Cali f. 
The experiments were conducted on 
loganberry because this crop was most 
heavily infested with the three species 
of leafhoppers. 
Plots varied in size from year to 
year, but consisted of not less than 
four plants per plot, with three repli-
cates. Buffer rows, or portable bar-
riers, were used between plots to 
preven t spray drift. 
Sprays and dusts were applied to 
the fOliage in mid-May to control 
emerging nymphs. Sprays were ap-
plied to the canes in March to kill 
overwintering eggs. Systemics were 
applied as drenches to the crowns in 
April or painted on the canes in May 
to control emerging nymphs. Di-Sys-
ton granules were sprinkled on the soil 
around the base of the plants in April 
to control emerging nymphs. 
The sprays were applied with a 
portable "Bean" sprayer operated at 
100 lb. pressure. About 200 gal. per 
acre were required for foliage sprays, 
and 100 gal. when canes only were 
sprayed. The dusts were applied with 
a backpack puff duster at about 50 lb . 
per acre. The drenches were applied 
with the same "Bean" portable spray-
er fitted with a 3-foot spray wand 
having a quick shut-off valve and a 
solid-cone nozzle. (Tee Jet TG3, John 
Brooks and Co., Ltd., Montreal, Que.) . 
With the machine operating at 100 lb. 
pressure, one pint of drench was 
applied to each plant when the nozzle 
was held for 10 seconds about 15 in. 
above the crown. The DiSyston gran-
ules were used at one pound toxicant 
per acre. 
Counts of Typhlocybinae nymphs 
were made in May, and late July, on 
the leaves of 10 to 25 fruiting spurs 
per plot, collected at random on one 
side of the row along the top wire . 
Populations of M . juscula were as-
sessed in late June or early July by 
counting the nymphs on 200 to 500 
berries per plot from both sides of the 
row. Samples of loganberries treated 
with Rogor either as a drench, or as a 
foliage spray were frozen and shipped 
by air to Fisons Pest Control Ltd ., 
England, for analysis of residues. 
Results and Discussion 
A summary of the materials used 
as foliar sprays and the results ob-
tained appears in Table I . Survival is 
expressed as the mean number of M . 
fuscula nymphs per 100 berries, and 
the mean number of Typhlocybinae 
nymphs per 10 fruiting spurs. Where 
pOSSible, data on the control of both 
generations of Typhlocybinae were 
evalua ted , since reinfestation may 
occur from adjacent infested plant-
ings. 
Control Of Typhlocybinae-One fol-
iage spray of DDT, Thiodan, Trithion 
or Systox in mid-May controlled first-
gen eration nymphs, and reduced re-
infestation by the second generation 
in August. Diazinon, methoxychlor, 
Sevin, Guthion, Phosdrin, endrin , 
phorate , derris, Dimethoate, and Ro-
gor controlled the first generation but 
did not prevent extensive reinfesta-
tion by the second generation. Hepta-
chlor was ineffective . 
The mean number of first genera-
tion Typhlocybinae nymphs per 10 
fruiting spurs, following treatment 
with folia ge dusts in mid-May were 
as follows: 
Malathion 0 
Diazinon ... ............. 2 
DDT ................ ............ 5 
Derris ........ _ .. ..... _....... 28 
Check ....... ......... 180 
DDT or Trithion spray applied to 
the canes in mid-March effectively 
controlled nymphs emerging in May. 
The action was probably residual 
ra ther than ovicidal. 
PIIO( ·. E ." -I O~LOL . Soc. BRIT. COL1_' ~ ! Jl l ". VOL. 57 (1 %0), DEC. 1, 1060 25 
TABLE I- Mean number of nymphs of Macropsis fuscula per 100 berries, and of Typh-
locybinae per 10 fruitin g spurs, follo wing treatment with fo li age sprays in mid-May, 
1955-59. 
Insecticide 
DDT 
Derris (C ube) 
Diazinon 
Dimethoate 
Endrin 
Ethion 
Guthion 
Heptachlor 
Malathion 
Methoxychlor 
Phorate 
Phosdrin 
Rogol' 
Sevin WP 
Sevin 
Systox 
Thiodan 
Trithion 
Check 
Pints per 
100 ga l. 
3 
4 
2 
1 
1 
'j4 
1 
2 
2 
4 
1/1 
1/2 
1 
2'/2 
8 
:Y.j 
1 
112 
Toxican t lb. 
per 100 gal. 
0.94 
0.63 
0.62 
0.25 
0.46 
0.23 
0.62 
0.63 
1.25 
0.16 
0.13 
0.50 
1.25 
1.25 
0.23 
0.31 
0.31 
Results obtained with systemics 
showed that Dimethoate a t one pint 
per 100 gal. applied as a drench to the 
crowns in early April controlled first 
generation nymphs, but did not pre-
vent reinfestation by the second gen-
eration. Similar applications of Rogor 
at one-half pint, and Systox at one 
pint, per 100 gal., were not effective . 
Dimethoate at a dilution of 1: 10 
painted in a one-inch ba nd on the 
canes of potted plants gave excellent 
control of nymphs within five days, 
and at dilutions of 1: 100 and 1: 800 
significantly reduced infestations 
within 12 days. Granular Di-Syston 
was ineffective as a soil treatment. 
Control oj Macropsis juscula - In 
the Netherlands, good control of M . 
juscula is obtained with dormant 
sprays of tar oil or DNC to kill the 
eggs in the canes, or by spring appli-
cations of Parathion, mala thion , Di-
azinon, or Systox to kill the nymphs 
(de Fluiter, 1958) . 
In British Columbia, a dormant 
spray of tar oil applied to loganberry 
in mid-March reduced M . juscula in-
festations in June by 95 per cent ; 
lime sulphur plus dormant oil was 
about 75 per cent effective . Control 
with water-soluble dinitrocresol was 
Typhlocybinae 
1st 2nd 
Macropsis generation generation 
25 0 20 
6 6 
0 0 59 
0 63 
0 183 
0 
0 0 67 
203 192 
0 0 122 
0 0 126 
0 77 
0 72 
0 60 
0 
0 52 
0 18 
7 5 20 
0 0 19 
28 160 102 
unsatisfactory . Probably because of 
better coverage, dormant sprays were 
more effective when applied after the 
canes were up on wires than when the 
canes were trailing on the ground. 
Dormant sprays have not been gen-
erally recommended for leafhopper 
control in British Columbia, because 
most growers leave the loganberry 
canes on the ground throughout the 
dormant period , and because it is dif-
fi cult to operate heavy equipment on 
the land during the winter. 
Foliage sprays of malathion, Gu-
thion , Ethion, or Sevin applied once, 
in mid-May, gave excellent control. 
Thiodan and derris reduced infesta-
tions considerably but were less effec-
t ive than the other materials. Fall 
sprays of methoxychlor, malathion , 
Diazinon , or Trithion applied to assess 
their potentia l ovicidal action caused 
no reduction during the following 
spring. 
Dimethoa te at one pint per 100 gal. 
applied as a drench to the crowns in 
early April significantly reduced the 
number of nymphs emerging in late 
May. Rogor a t one-half pint, and Sys-
tox at one pint, per 100 gal., were not 
effective. Granular Di-Syston was in-
26 PROf'. F~:'i TO~lnl. SOL BrnT. CC·I.UM HI.\ . VOL. ;,7 ():) 60)' OF:, ·. 1. l~oil 
etlective as a soil treatment. 
Phytotoxicity-Ferbam, at three lb . 
per 100 gal. added to emulsible con-
centrate sprays of malathion, Diaz-
inon, Trithion, methoxychlor, Gu-
thion, and wettable powder sprays of 
Sevin, caused no deleterious effects on 
loganberry, nor did Captan, at three 
lb., added to malathion and Diazinon. 
Endrin 18 per cent emulsible concen-
trate at one pint per 100 gal. caused 
some injury to loganberry foliage . In 
previous experiments on phytotoxicity 
of spray materials, DDT and methoxy-
chlor emulsible concentrates at four 
pints per 100 gal. caused some yellow 
spotting on raspberry; malathion 50 
per cent emulsible concentrate, at two 
pints, occasionally caused a slight 
leaf burn on raspberry, particularly 
on young growth. 
Residues - Residues of Rogor ill 
loganberries at harvest were below 
0.1 ppm, which is the limit if sensi-
tivity of the clorimetric method for 
determining phosphorus. Samples for 
analysis were taken from Rogor 
treatments applied either as foliage 
sprays in mid-May at one pint per 
100 gal., or as soil drenches in April, 
at one pint per crown, at a dilution 
of one-half pint per 100 gal. Dietary 
toxicity studies conducted by Fisons, 
including daily oral ingestion trials 
with humans, have shown that up to 
2 ppm of Rogor may be regarded as 
innocuous in most human foods . 
Summary 
The bramble leafhopper, Ribauti-
ana tenerrima (H.-S.), the rose leaf-
hopper, Edwardsiana rosae (L.), (both 
Typhlocybinae), and Macropsis tus-
cula (Zett.) , frequently damage Ru-
bus species in British Columbia. One 
application of Trithion in mid-May 
controlled all three species, including 
second-generation nymphs of Typhlo-
cybinae . Malathion, Diazinon, Sevin, 
methoxychlor, and Guthion applied 
in mid-May controlled M. tuscula, 
and first - generation nymphs of 
Typhlocybinae, but did not reduce 
infestations of the second generation . 
DDT controlled both generations of 
Typhlocybinae, but was ineffective on 
M. tuscuZa. Phorate, endrin, Phosdrin , 
and Systox, in trials conducted on 
Typhlocybinae, controlled the first 
generation; Systox reduced infesta-
tions by the first and second genera-
tion. Dimethoate applied as a drench 
to the crowns in April controlled 
nymphs of both Typhlocybinae and 
M. fuscula and also gave control of 
Typhlocybinae nymphs when applied 
as a foliage spray in mid-May. Resi-
dues of Rogor at harvest were at a 
sa fe level below 0.1 ppm. No deleter-
ious effects were observed from the 
addition of Ferbam or Captan to 
foliage sprays on loganberry. 
References 
Childs, L., 1918. The life-history and control of the rosp leafhopper. Oregon Agr . Expt. 
Sta. Bull. 148. 
de Fluiter, H. J ., and F. A. van der Meer , 1953. Rubus stunt, a leaf-hopper borne virus 
disease. Tijdschr. o. Plantenz. 59:195-197. 
de Fluiter, H. J., and F. A. van der Meer. 1958. The biology and control of Macropsis 
fuscula Zett. , the vector of the rubus stunt virus . Proc . 10th Intern . Congr. Ent. 
Vol. 3:341-345. 
Raine, J. , 1960. Life history and behav iour of the bramble leafhopper, Ribautiana tener-
rima (H.-S.) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Canad. Ent. 92: 10-20. 
Tonks, N. V., 1960. Life history and behaviour of the leafhopper Macropsis fuscula 
(Zett.) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in British Columbia. Canad . Ent. 92:707-713. 


Control of three species of leafhoppers, on Rubus in British Columbia

Chapman, J. A.

Dyer, E. D. A.

30 PIlOC. E:\Tu~toL. Soc . BUrT. COLU ~Ul[A , V UL. 57 (1960) , D~;c . 1. 1960 
SEASONAL FLIGHT ACTIVITY OF THE AMBROSIA BEETLE, 
TRYPODENDRON LINEA TUM (OLlV.), FOR 1959, 
NEAR PARKSVILLE, B.C. ' 
J. A. CHAPMAN ' AND E. D. A. DVER 2 
Introduction 
Hadorn (1933) reviewed earlier 
work on the flight periods of Trypo-
dendron lineatum (Oliv.) and con-
tributed further information on this 
subject. Prebble and Graham (1957) 
outlined the biology of this and other 
ambrosia beetles found on the west 
coast of Canada. More recently, the 
seasonal flight activity of T. lineatum 
in the Lake Cowichan, B.C. area has 
been the subject of special investiga-
tion (Chapman and Kinghorn, 1958; 
see also Kinghorn and Chapman, 
1959). In 1959 some further data were 
secured on this phase of the beetles' 
activity, to assist in carrying out and 
interpreting chemical control and 
various biological studies. It seems 
worth while to place this information 
on record. 
Methods and Results 
Through the co-operation of the 
Pest Control Committee of the B.C. 
Loggers' Association, two areas (log-
ging settings) of approximately 20 
acres each, on which all trees had 
been felled and cut into logs, were 
made available for an experiment on 
protection of logs from ambrosia 
beetle attack by helicopter - applied 
spray. One area was sprayed and the 
other, near-by, left untreated to serve 
as the control. The latter was also 
used for studies on seasonal develop-
ment and biology of T. lineatum. 
The experimental settings were sit-
uated on land owned by the Mac-
Millan, Bloedel and Powell River 
Company, some seven miles south of 
Parksville, B.C., at an altitude of 
about 1,200 feet. The trees on both 
settings had been cut in December 
----;-contribution No. 679, Forest Biology Division. 
Research Branch , Department of Agriculture . Ot · 
tawa, Canada. 
2 Forest Biology Laboratory, Vic toria . 
1958 and were, presumably, suitable 
for Trypodendron attack in the spring 
of 1959. Much of the land surround-
ing these two settings and the inter-
vening block of timber was clear, 
having been logged in previous years. 
In this area the land slopes rather 
gently to the north and there are no 
marked topographical features. 
The several methods used to secure 
lnformation on relative numbers of 
beetles in flight during the season 
will be described briefly. The infor-
mation secured by each method is 
presented in Figure 1, together with 
weather data taken from the Depart-
ment of Transport weather station at 
Cassidy (Nanaimo Airport), about 20 
miles from the test area and near 
sea level. 
Glass barrier flight traps, used in 
earlier studies (Chapman and King-
horn, I.c.) , were placed over felled 
logs at widely spaced positions, eight 
in the sprayed and eight in the con-
trol area. Collections were made from 
them throughout the season at inter-
vals of one to seven days (C). The 
numbers of beetles in all records are 
averages, representing the number 
collected divided by the days since the 
previous collection. About the time 
beetles began to emerge from some of 
the logs after brood-rearing activity 
or development, two other sets of 
traps were placed in the control set-
ting; four next to logs known to be 
attacked by the earliest beetle flights 
(F), and eight intended to reveal any 
movement of beetles into a block of 
timber between the spray and con-
trol settings (five outside and three 
within the timber)-(E) . 
Thirty-two collecting pans (Chap-
man and Kinghorn, l.c.) were placed 
PIWC' . Ei'iTO)rol.. SOl'. BRIT . COI .nllll". VOL. 57 (1960). DF:l·. 1. 1 ~60 31 
O PSEUOO"YlES,OW9 
I n! YPCO[ "' D~ON 
' 0 
4 0 . 
C ~ '0 PS£ IJOOl<'rl ESINU 9 ~ 
g 
2 0 
10 
.L ...L APRIL -L .L 
'" 75 ·-----------t\-----,n--,t- ---,tIc-~ 
-L MAR CH ..L 
~f B 
Ef 0 
~? E i 
t F 
J: C 
...L SEPTEMBER _ OCTOBER ...L 
irr,l;jitilfmx:rlb;o;:-x------;:;,------ - 15' ..: 
~*"~~~~~~~~~~~ .o· ~ J 
'~.'.dtl4W"'IIItj4\itt 4" ~ 
..L AUGUST -L S(PTE"'~(A • .1.. OeTOB[A .....L... 
Fig. I.-Numbers of Trypodendron taken in r elation to weather and time of season. 
(A) and (E) from collecting pans under logs; (C), (E) and (F) from glass barrier traps; 
(D) from retaining cages on established galleries; (G) sunlight over 50 per cent of that 
possible; (H) precipitation in inches; (I) minimum relative humidity when below 50 
per cent; (J) maximum and minimum temperatures (see text; all weather data based 
on daily values). In (C) the lesser catches of Pseudohylesinus relative to Trypodendron 
on some days are indicated by arrows. 
::!2 PHOC. 1); :-;1'0\1 0 1.. SO .. . B lOT. C()f , \ · ~IBJ.\. V o !.. ;'7 ( 1960) , DEC. 1, 1960 
nnder selected logs in the two set-
tings, 16 in each, to cover the attack 
flight period (A); then, when beetles 
began to leave logs, they were re-
moved and 16 placed under control 
setting logs known to be well attacked 
(B). The latter pans were located 
close to (F) traps. Between May 6 and 
June 10, 138 galleries in various parts 
of the control setting were fitted with 
cloth-covered aluminum rings, to 
retain beetles after they emerged, and 
the numbers leaving the galleries 
counted at intervals (D). Finally, it 
should be noted that opportunities 
for visual observations of beetle flight 
activity throughout the season were 
numerous. 
Discussion 
Although the data in Figure 1 are 
largely self-explanatory in indicating 
beetle flight activity in relation to 
weather and season, a few comments 
will be made to provide a background 
for better intepretation or to empha-
size certain features . When compari-
sons are made or implied they refer 
to the previous Cowichan Lake area 
work and the conclusions based upon 
it. 
The sunlight record (0) shows only 
the duration of sunlight over 50 per 
cent of that theoretically possible for 
each day at that latitude. It is felt 
that this shows more clearly than 
would the total hours of sunlight per 
day, the occurrence of sunny inter-
vals during the season. This record, 
together with those of the daily maxi-
mum and minimum temperatures 
(J), precipitation (H), and minimum 
relative humidity on days when this 
fell below 50 per cent (I), shows fairly 
well the nature of the weather at var-
ious times during the season. 
The numbers of beetles active about 
these logging settings and the result-
ing attack densities were relatively 
low compared with those encountered 
in previous studies. Moreover, the first 
beetles did not appear in the area 
during the first warm period with 
maximum daily temperatures sub-
stantially exceeding 60° F., as ex-
pected. Maximum air temperatures at 
the work area during the April 7-11 
period did not differ by more than 
three degrees F. from those at the 
weather station. The slow appearance 
of the first beetles, therefore, cannot 
be attributed to a considerably lower 
temperature at the work area than 
at Cassidy. Also, beetle attacks con-
tinued over a relatively long time. It 
was obvious, from field observations, 
that many logs not attacked by 
beetles of the first flight were selected 
for attack during later flights. Peaks 
of attack and emergence activity, 
therefore, were not the same through-
out the settings. It seems quite pos-
sible that the initial delay of attack, 
its long duration relative to earlier 
flndings, and the small numbers of 
beetles involved, can all be explained 
by assuming that there was no large 
near source of beetles and that those 
reaching the area had come from 
distant and scattered sources. The 
logging history within a radius of 
about five miles of the area supports 
the suggestion that near-by forests 
harboured relatively few beetles. 
It is of interest that Pseudohyles-
in us spp. again served as an indi-
cator for Trypodendron by appearing 
shortly before, as well as during, its 
early flights. Also, the glass barrier 
traps and the pans under logs gave, 
in spite of the small numbers of 
beetles, substantially the same pic-
ture of times of attack (A and C). 
There is general agreement between 
the various measures of beetle flight 
from logs after brood - rearing or 
development. The main feature of 
this movement to be noted is its long 
duration . One factor which probably 
contributed to differences in the pat-
tern of emergence shown in Figure 1 
is the previously mentioned variabil-
ity in the times at which logs were 
Pnuc . ~:<ro .\ [UJ.. So<:. BI:IT . (;Ol.l : :IIIlI.I. VOl. . 57 (1 960 ). 01-:( '. 
1. 1960 
attacked in different parts of the 
setting. Without doubt the duration 
of gallery construction and egg-laying 
activity differed in the various logs, 
also. The data represented at (B) and 
(F) were based largely on logs at-
tacked by the earliest flights. Many 
of these logs had unusually long 
galleries and young beetles were still 
being produced relatively late in the 
season. The data in (C) represent 
pooled catches throughout both spray 
and control settings, but none of these 
traps were near logs which were at-
tacked and they cannot be considered 
to represent the emergence period 
well. Item (E) represents beetles 
emerging near those traps of this 
group which were in the open and, in 
addition , movement of beetles from a 
large part of the control setting to-
wards and into the block of timber 
between the settings. The data in (D) 
represent a composite picture based 
on galleries from several locations 
and logs attacked at different times. 
The difference between (F) trap 
data and (B) pan data, which were 
taken in the same location, may per-
haps be explained as follows . The 
traps were set up just above or to 
one side of the logs and, undoubtedly, 
took, for the most part, beetles leav-
ing the upper surface of the logs. The 
pans, on the other hand, were placed 
beneath the logs and were much more 
likely to take beetles emerging from 
the more shaded, cooler under-por-
tions where development would be 
slower. 
Acknowledgments 
We would like to thank M. Jackson and G. Richardson for help in 
carrying 
out this study, and the Pest Control Committee of the B.C. Loggers'
 Association and 
the MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Company for their co-ope
ration in making 
the settings available for these investigations. 
References 
1. Chapman, J . A. and J. M. Kinghorn. 1958. Studies of flight and a
ttack activity of 
the ambrosia beetle, Trypodendron lineatum (Oliv.), and other scolyti
ds. Can. 
Ent. 90: 362-372. 
2. Hadorn , C. 1933. Recherches sur la morphologie, les stades evolutif
s et l'hivernage 
du bostryche lis ere (Xyloterus lineatus Oliv.). No. 11 Supp!. org. Soc
. forest. 
suisse, Bern. 
3. Kinghorn, J. M. and J. A. Chapman. 1959. The overwintering of the 
ambrosia beetle 
Trypodendron lineatum (Oliv.) . Forest Science 5: 81-92. 
4. Prebble, M. L. and K. Graham. 1957. Studies of attack by amb
rosia beetles in 
softwood logs on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Forest Science 3
: 90-112. 
A Note on Eulonchus tristis Lw. (Diptera : Cyrtidae) 
Eulonchus tristis Lw. is fairly common in producing a loud discorda
nt buzz, flew past 
the southern Kootenay region of British me and were gaining a
ltitude and avoiding 
Columbia; Mr. H. R. Foxlee has collected various obstacles before
 being netted. There 
many specimens in the vicinity of Robson were three males and o
ne female. 
and I have taken a few at Remac, Ainsworth, The ability of insects
 in several orders to 
and Champion lakes. The adults frequent fly while copUlating is
 so well developed 
flowers, particularly those of queenscup, that it scarcely merits
 attention; but this 
Clintonia uniflora Kunth. instance of four indivi
duals combining to 
Eulonchus tristis is a strong flier, and is form a single airborne 
unit is, I think, 
capable of some unusual aerobatics. On remarkable. 
June 13, 1959, near Remac, four of these - .J. G1·ant . Por~st l
Jiology Labor atory. 
flies , clinging together in a tight balI and l' ern 011. B.C. 


Seasonal flight activity of the ambrosia beetle, Trypodendron lineatum (Oliv.), for 1959, near Parksville, B.C.

McMechan, A. D.

McArthur, J. M.

Williams, K.

44 Pnoc. E !,( TO~IOL. Soc. B llr r. C<)J. l l ~ lHJA , VOL. 57 (1% 01 , DEC. 1, 1960 
EFFECT OF SPEED OF TRAVEL ON THE PERFORMANCE OF 
CONCENTRATE ORCHARD SPRAYERS' 
A. D . McMECHAN,2 J. M. McARTHUR3 AND K . WILLIAMS 3 
I ntrod uction 
For several years the official recom-
mendation for British Columbia fruit 
growers has been to operate concen-
trate sprayers at a speed of one mile 
per hour in mature plantings with 
rows 30 feet apart (3) . This recom-
mendation was necessary because, 
when travelling at a faster speed, 
many of the sprayers did not give 
good spray coverage in the tree tops. 
During the last few years most of the 
concentrate orchard sprayers manu-
factured in British Columbia have 
been improved to the point where it 
should be feasible to operate them at 
higher speeds. In experiments car-
ried out by Messrs. D. B. Waddell and 
J . M. McArthur at the Summerland 
Research Station (unpublished work) 
it was determined that an efficient 
concentrate sprayer gave as good de-
posits at two miles per hour as at one 
mile per hour, in pre-bloom sprays 
in large apple trees. In the work re-
ported here, two makes of sprayers 
were operated at one, and two, miles 
per hour, for applying summer sprays, 
and a comparison was made of the 
spray deposits in the trees at the two 
speeds. 
Methods 
Two concenctrate sprayers in com-
mon use in British Columbia orchards 
were used for the experiment. Sprayer 
A was a single-side sprayer that de-
livered 7000 cubic feet of air per 
minute at an average velocity of 115 
miles per hour; Sprayer B was a 
double-side sprayer that delivered 
10,300 cubic feet of air per minute per 
side at an average velocity of 87 miles 
per hour. 
- - ,Contribution No. 45 from the Research Station 
Research Branch, Canada Department of Agrl cul: 
t ure, Summerland, Brit ish Columbia . 
2 Agricultural En ginee r . 
3 Ch emist . 
The experiment was carried out in 
three parts. In May, and August, of 
1956 Sprayer A was used to apply DDT 
to replicated plots of mature Mc-
Intosh apple trees in three orchards, 
at speeds of one, and two miles per 
hour. The plots that were sprayed at 
one mile per hour received 72 gallons 
of spray mixture per acre, and those 
sprayed at two miles per hour, 36 
gallons per acre. The per-acre dosage 
of DDT was the same for all plots. The 
sprays were applied at a pump pres-
sure of 300 pounds per square inch. 
The second part of the experiment 
was carried out in July 1957, when 
Sprayer A was used to apply DDT in 
two orchards of mature McIntosh 
apple trees at speeds of one, and two, 
miles per hour. Fifty gallons of spray 
mixture per acre were applied on all 
plots at a pump pressure of 75 pounds 
per square inch. 
The third part of the experiment 
was carried out in the fall of 1957 
when both sprayers were used to apply 
a post-harvest spray of methoxychlor 
to replicated plots of mature Mc-
In tosh apple trees. The sprayers were 
operated at one, and two, miles per 
hour with pump pressures of 75, and 
300, pounds per square inch. All plots 
received 50 gallons of spray mixture 
per acre. 
In all the orchards used in the ex-
periments, the trees ranged in height 
from 18 to 22 feet, and in diameter 
from 25 to 30 feet . The trees were 30 
feet apart in the rows, and the rows 
were 30 feet apart . 
Leaf samples were taken for insec-
ticide deposit analysis after each 
spray. Fifty leaves were taken from 
the top, and 50 leaves from the bot-
tom, of each of five trees per plot. 
Tree- top samples were taken 15 feet 
above ground level , and tree-bottom 
PH Of" . E:\" T(B II '1.. So ... R I:l T. C O I.I · \ fl" .\ . VIlI .. :; 7 (1 %0 ) . D n ·. 1. l :Jt)(l 
samples 6 feet above ground level. 
Sampling technique and sample treat-
ment were the same as reported by 
Waddell and McArthur (5) . DDT was 
determined by a modified Schechter-
Haller procedure (2) ; methoxychlor 
was determined by a modified Fair-
ing-Warrington method (1) . 
Results and Discussion 
The results in Tables 1 and 2 show 
that, in a majority of the plots, the 
tree-top deposits on leaves were 
slightly higher at two miles per hour. 
It is likely, therefore, that, with the 
sprayers used , pests in the tree tops 
can be controlled as well at two miles 
per hour as at one mile per hour. 
TABLE I - DDT Deposits on Leaves (mmg.!sq. cm.) with Sprayer A Operated at Two 
Speeds. Spray Appli ed at 300 p.s.i. (Average of 10 Determinations.) 
Tree tops Tree bottoms 
Dat e 
May, 
1956 
Orchard m.p.h .;' 2 m.p .h. ''':' m.p .h. 2 m.p.h. 
1 2.5 3.4 8.1 12.0 
2 4.6 4.7 9.1 14.2 
3 5.1 3.3 9.4 6.8 
Average 4.1 3.8 8.9 11 .0 
August , 
1956 
1 4.1 6.0 6.9 9.4 
2 5.6 6.1 9.4 12.1 
3 4.7 4.0 7.3 R5 
Average 4.8 5.4 7.9 10.0 
• Spray a p p lied a t 72 ga ll on s per acre . 
•• Spray a pplied at 36 gallons pe r acre . 
In general, the tree-bottom deposits 
were higher at two miles per hour. In 
concentrate spraying, more spray 
chemical is usually deposited in the 
lower parts of the trees than is re-
quired for pest control. Evidently this 
tendency is accentuated when the 
sprayer speed is increased. 
In this experiment the amount of 
pesticide applied per acre was the 
same at both speeds. In the sprays 
applied in May and August, 1956, this 
was accomplished by using the same 
nozzle orifices at both speeds, and 
doubling the concentration of pesti-
cide in the spray liquid applied at two 
miles per hour. Theoretically, at the 
two-mile-per-hour rate , there would 
be only half as many spray drops per 
unit area of sprayed surface , and each 
drop would contain twice as much 
pesticide. This type of distribution of 
spray chemical is probably satisfac-
tory for the control of mobile pests 
but may be inadequate for the control 
of diseases such as apple scab (4) . In 
the remainder of the experiment suit-
able nozzles were used to apply the 
same amount of spray liquid per acre 
at both speeds. It is interesting to 
note that the relationship between 
amounts of insecticide deposited at 
the two speeds was independent of 
the volume of spray liquid applied per 
acre and of the pump pressure. 
Growers having sprayers with air-
stream characteristics similar to those 
of the sprayers used in the experiment 
can save considerable time, without 
sacrificing effectiveness of the spray, 
by spraying throughout the season at 
a speed of two miles per hour; grow-
ers having less efficient eqUipment 
should continue to spray at the pre-
viously recommended rate of one 
mile per hour. 
TABLE 2-Insecticide Deposits on Leaves (mmg.! sq. cm.) with Two Spr ayers Oper ated 
at Two Speeds. Spr ay Appli ed at 50 Gallons per Acre. (Average of 10 Determinations.) 
Sprayer 
A 
A 
B 
Dat t' 
July, 
1957 
September , 
1957 
Septembe r, 
1957 
Orchard 
1 
2 
Aver age 
4 
4 
Pump Tree tops Tree bottoms 
pressure 
p.s.i. 
75 
75 
300 
75 
300 
75 
1 m.p.h . 
2.8 
4.0 
3.4 
2.8 
3.3 
2.9 
2.2 
2 m.p .h. 
2.9 
3.2 
3.1 
3.6 
3.8 
2.2 
2.6 
1 m.p.h. 
6.3 
5.5 
5.9 
2.9 
3.9 
4.3 
4.0 
2m.p. h. 
6.8 
7.2 
7.0 
4.5 
4.4 
6.7 
9.3 
J'Hn, ·. 1£8T()~O(()I. . H, ,.. 81111' . C OI. ' · \I1: 1 \ . \'01. .. ,i (llJ60). Ill';' .. 1. 1!J60 
References 
1. Anonymous. Methoxychlor- a summary of ana lyt ica l methods. E. I. Dupont de 
Nemours and Co. (Inc. ) Bull. pp. 34-36. 1951. . . 
2. Downing, G., and L. B. Norton. Modification of Schechter method of estlmatmg DDT 
residue. An al Chern. 23 : 1870-1871. 1951. 
3. Mar8ha ll , J. Co ncentrat e spraying in deciduous orchard s. Ca n. De9!. Agr. Pub. 1020, 
p . 25. 1958. " . . 
4. Swales, J . E. , and K. Will iams. Further not e on suriactants In concentra te mixture 
fo r control of apple sca b. Can. J . Plant Sci . 37: 82-83. 1957. 
5. Waddell , D. B. , and J . M. McArthur. Effects of pr uning on spray deposits from co n-
cent r at e orc harcl spr ayers. Can . J. Agr. Sci. 34: 448. 1954. 
TWO RECORDS OF IXODES SIGNATUS BIRULA AND ONE OF 
IXODES URIAE WHITE, MARINE BIRD TICKS 
The first Canadian record of Ixodes 
signatus Birula was by Eric Hearle 2 
in 1938 from 2 females and 22 
nymphs which I h a d taken from a 
cormorant at Tofino , Vancouver 
Island , in 1926. Other records from 
Cormorant as given by Gregson ' are 4 
nymphs and I larva from Gull Island, 
1 female larva from Cowichan Bay 
and 3 females from Langara Island . 
Gregson gives also one unusual record 
of 3 females and 1 nymph from a rosy 
finch from the Pribilof Islands. 
To these records I can now add 2 
others , of collections given me by 
students at the University who have 
given me ectoparasites from birds a nd 
mammals at odd times. 
The first collection was made by 
Rudolf Drent and G . F . van Tets from 
Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas, the 
pelagic cormorant. found dead on 6 
May 1959 on Manda r te Island, B.C. 
and consists of 1 adult engorged fe-
male, 3 adult m ales, 17 male nymphs 
a nd 54 female nymphs and 317 seeds 
or larvae of both sexes, giving the 
r emarka ble total of 392 ticks off one 
bird. The second collection was made 
by Rudolf Drent from another pelagic 
cormorant found dead on 2 June 1959 
on Mandarte Island and consists of 2 
engorged females, 2 partly engorged 
females , 1 flat female , 1 small and 1 
very small female nymphs and 1 
female seed or larva, a total of 8 
females and no males. 
The third record is of Ixodes uriae 
White, the hairy tick, collected by F. 
H. Fay from the head of Uria lonvia 
s.s . arra the Thick-billed Murre, in 
June 1954 at Gambell , St. Lawrence , 
Alaska, a nd consists of 1 engorged 
female adult and 11 engorged femal e 
nymphs of several sizes. The propor-
tion of females to males in these 
collections, is interesting; in 2 col-
lec tions there were no males at all; 
in the large collection the proportion 
was roughly 3 females to 1 male ; in 
all collections, 1 or at most 2 engorged 
females seemed to be responsible for 
the entire infestations. The 3 collec-
t ions totalled 412 specimens of what 
a re normally, relatively rare ticks. All 
the material is in the entomological 
museum a t the University . 
- • Gregson , Joh n D., 1956. The Ixodoidea o f Can-
ada. Pub. 930 Science Service, Ent. Div. Canada 
Dept. of Agr .. Ottawa. 
2 H earle. Eric. , 1938. The Ticks of British Colum· 
bia. Sci. Ag r . 18: 341-354. 
- G. J . Spencer. Un i1 'e1·sit'!l of B1"itis ll ColtOI/-
{Jill. rrl'llrO lll: PI'. 


Effect of speed of travel on the performance of concentrate orchard sprayers

Hardy, George A.

B.C. , and Ca r macks, Y.T . LARVA: 
body 1 Y2 inches + Y4 inch stem apods; 
head brown, da rk brown ba r from 
ocelli to vertex ; body green ; dorsal 
stripe brown- edged with cream, 
stripe broad a t front of TI , tapered 
to posterior ma r gin of T2 , the "ab-
domin a l saddle" broad est on A4 
wh ere it encompasses the spiracles; 
brown subventra l patch es on prolegs 
of a bdominal segments; pair of ves-
tigal subdorsal warts on TI ; sma ll 
s lightly bilobed swelling on T2 . 
Cerura scolopendrina Boisd uval. 
Salix spp ., Populus tremuloides. 
Southern B.C. a nd V.l. and two rec-
ords from Skeen a River Valley. 
LARV A: 1 Y2 inches + 1 '3 inch stema-
pods ; head brown, darkest near 
vertices; body yellow-green ; dorsal 
"stripe" purplish-brown, broad at 
front of TI, tapered to the posterior 
margin of T2 , slightly interrupted at 
leading edge of T3 . The "abdominal 
saddle" broadest on A4 where it ex-
tends down behind the spiracles; a 
pai!" of small subdorsal warts on T1 ; 
"wellin g if present on T2, not bilobed . 
Schizura unicornis A. & S. Alnus 
spp ., Betula spp ., Salix spp ., Malus 
spp ., Prunus spp . (3) , A melanchier sp. 
(1) , Populus tremuloides. Southern 
B.C. and V.l. LARVA : similar to 
ipomoeae . Head light brown with 
darker brown longitudina l stripes 
from ocelli to vertices; thorax green, 
pleura of pro thorax partly brown, not 
joined to dorsal stripe; abdomen light 
brown and olive green ; brown dorsal 
stripe on thorax, split on prothorax 
but not diverging; whitish triangular, 
and truncated triangle-like markings 
on dorsum of AI-3 ; narrow-based 
white dorsal V on A6 and 7 ; promin-
ent fo rked tubercle on AI; paired 
swelling on A5 with vestiges of tu-
bercles; pair of prominent tubercles 
on prominent swelling on A8. 
Gluphisia septentrionis Wlk . Popu-
lus tremuloides, P . trichocarpa. Ver-
non , Squilax, 70 Mile House, 83 Mile 
House, Place Lake , Exchamsiks. 
LARVA : Head yellow-green with or 
without black stripe on either side 
of front; body yellow-green; yellow 
subdorsal stripe; reddish broken 
pa tches on dorsum of thoracic and 
a bdominal segments - excepting Al 
a nd sometimes A2. 
The Ca liforni a Tortoi se-Shell , Nymphalis Californica Bdv., on Vancouver Island 
After an apparent absence of eight years 
this butterfly has aga in been seen in south-
ern Vancouver Island . It was first noticed 
on September 8, 1960, and was last seen on 
October 18. The but terflies fre qu ented high-
ways, sheltered va lleys, and slopes, usually 
flying back and forth , settli ng occasionally 
on roads, fences or bushes. While not 
observed to visit fl owers, they sought damp 
places and over·ripe fr uit such as black-
berries and apples. A slight tendency to 
drift E'astward was at t im es indicated but 
not so noticeably as in 1952. 
At least some individuals hibernate here, 
for one was seen on the warm southern 
£Iope of Mo unt Douglas on January 26, 
1961. 
Following the immigration of 1952, this 
butt erfly was fr equently seen up to April 
23, 1953, after which it disappeared. 
Whether the same pattern will eventuate 
in 1961 rema ins to be seen . 
(; pl) I"!I(' £1. .1-/ (11"(/.1/. P l"lI l"illf"i,t/ .I/II S' ·1I111 
( 1(/,/ .). l"i"'''l"ili . 11.1 ' . 


The California tortoise-shell, Nymphalis Californica Bdv., on Vancouver Island

1'1:1,, ' I,;, ,<) " ", .. S IH' , H,,,,.,. , (,111., ',111:1.1. VIII, . ~:, (1~6 2 ). D" :I . 'I. 196 :! 
every month except May ( - .26 in ch ) 
and June ( - .03 inch) . There was 
good snow cover in the previous 
winter. Killing fros t in 1957 occurred 
September 16. 
Results 
The reduction of leafhopper p opu-
la tions by tree ca nopy sprays as co m -
pa red to ground sprays is s hown in 
Figure 1. 
Although mesophyll - fe edin g leaf-
hoppers of th e gen us EclwaTClsiana a r e 
unlikely to transmit littl e cherry 
virus, they were in cluded in tota l 
leafhopp er counts beca use th ey could 
be id entifi ed on s ight, a nd because 
their high n umbers showed th e 
eff ects of the sprays. The resid ue of 
the foliage spray of August 12 a p-
p eared to hold down their numbers. 
Ground spraying h a d no deleterious 
effect on this predomina n tly tree -
and shrub-livin g group. The first gen-
eration bred mos tly on nativ e shrubs 
growin g a long the f ence referred to, 
but from early Jun e the s ucceeding 
a nd overlappin g ge nera tions bred on 
the cherry trees. 
Macl'os t el es a nd Psammo t et t ix wer e 
ge n er a collected r egularl y. Wee k by 
week compa risons a mon g cou nts of 
adult Macrost eZes / asci/rons sh ow 
tha t numbers in t h e ground spr ay 
plot were greater than in the others. 
Ther e a ppeared to be no migratory 
fli ghts of MacrosteZes . When the 
pooled numbers were plotted against 
time, the curve was bimodal with 
pea ks a bout July 3 and September 4, 
s ugges ting two gen erations. 
The pooled numbers of other speCies 
of lea fhoppers were reduced by both 
programs. These species are likely to 
in cl ude vectors of little cherry virus . 
Leafhopp ers were more attracted 
to yellow colored sticky boa rds than 
they wer e to white colored s ticky 
boa rds (3). 
Summary 
Two sprays of dieldrin , a pplied to 
ground cover only, had little eff ect on 
th e numbers of leafhoppers in sweet 
cherry trees, By comparison , DDT-
Sulphenone sprays, applied to tree 
canopies, gave economic controL The 
effects of th e spray progra ms were 
assessed by comparing leafhopper 
counts on 10 sticky boards per plot 
wi th coun ts from 10 boards in the 
adj acen t check plot. Ground sprays 
were tested a gainst conventional tree 
ca nopy spra ys beca use many leaf-
hopper gen era found in cherry or-
cha rds spend a portion of their life-
cycle in orcha rd cover crop . 
References 
L Cox, Cons tan ce E. Ha ndboo k 0 11 sta tist ica l m ethods. Ca n . De p. Agr . Pub!. 3 
(processed) ]954. 
2. Ka loosti a n, G. H. , a nd M. S, Y ':OlllcIl1S. A sti cky boa rd trap used in scouting f or pear 
psy ll a. U.S. Dep. Agr. Bur. Entomoi. P la nt Qua rantine , E1' 220, 1944, 
3. Wild e , W. I-I. A. A note on cohr prefe rences of so me Hom opte r a and 1'hysa noptera 
in Briti sh Columbia . C' ttl. E ntum o!. 94: 107. 1962. 
Phyciodes r"y litta Edw. on Vancouver Island 
Available records make no menti on of this both sexes in the sam e district , thu s estab-
butt e rfl y as occurrin g on Vancouve r Is land , li shin g it ~ e xi ste nce on Vancou ver Isla nd. 
all hou gh r ecurds a re fr equ ent enough on It 1I'0uld in( en's! me to know if a nyone 
the mainl a nd 0f Briti sh Columbi a. e lse has come ac ross it. Why it ha s been 
I first ra n across it in Septem ber , 1961, overlook ed for so lon g is a mys ter y for it is 
when t wo males wer e ta ken in se pa r a te not pa rticula rly shy or i"etiring. It could be 
localiii es in th e ge ner a l a rea of Co ld strea m , a rece nt introduction e ither by natural or 
As P. mylitta is known to be doubl(' brooded artifici a l means, or with its very ea r ly and 
and to i ced O!l thi stl e in th e caterpill a r la te a ppeara ncp in th e year a nd r estrict ed 
sta ge, J sea rch ed in th e sp ring uf 1962 for habitat it co uld s impl y have eluded obser-
indi vidual s of the fi rst brood . Afte r in ves ti · va ti on , 
ga tin g Illany possible ha bita ts r \I'as a t las! --( ;I 'II !'I!I .1, 1-[ 111'1/.11. I' rr}fjlll'jill .1 1118(' 11111 
r ell'a rd ed by findin g a sma ll popul at io n of t 10'/ '1,1. 1 ' j,-f I> , ' j ll , 1t .l · . 


Phyciodes mylitta Edw. on Vancouver Island

Cottrell, C. B.

POPLAR BORER, SAPERD A CALCARATA SAY, IN INTERIOR 
BRITISH COLUMBIA 
C. B . COTTRELL ' 
I ntrod uction 
The poplar borer, Saperda calcarata 
Say, has caused extensive damage in 
open -growing stands of tremblin g 
aspen , Populus tremuloicles Michx .. in 
the Thompson a nd Nicola valleys. Al -
though aspen is not considered a com-
mercially importan t tree in this area. 
groves or belts of aspen provide shel-
ter from wind and shade for cattle , 
and reduce soil erosion. 
Complete data on the life history of 
the poplar borer in British Columbia 
are lackin g. According to L. O. T. 
Peterson (1945) , in Saskatchewan 
adults of the popla r borer emerge 
during the last part of June and most 
of Ju ly, usua lly in the fourth year of 
development. Egg- layin g has been 
observed from July 2 to August 13 . 
The collection of the Forest Entomol-
ogy Laboratory a t Vernon contains 
adults taken in interior British Col-
umbia from June 27 to Au gust 26 . 
Damag e 
The poplar borer is freq uen tly 
found damaging trees at elevations 
under 3000 feet in the Thompson Val-
ley from Kamloops to Spences Bridge, 
and from there to Stump La ke in th e 
Nicola Valley . Smaller infesta tions in 
trembling aspen have been observed 
at Victoria , Vernon, Clinton , Lac La 
Hache, 158 Mile House , Williams 
Lake, Vanderhoof and Prince George . 
Larvae tenta tively id entified as S. 
calcarata were taken from a black 
cottonwood (P. tTichocaTpa Torr. and 
Gray) near Cache Creek. This is the 
only indication that S. calcarata may 
a ttack black cotton wood in interior 
British Columbia. Attacks have been 
recorded on several other species of 
poplar in eastern Canada and in the 
United Sta tes. 
In most infestations only a few as-
pen trees have been killed. Even fiv e-
inch d .b.h . trees with up to 120 en -
tra nce holes on the main stem con -
TABLE I- Average Diameter ()[ Hea lthy and Infested Trees in Five Tr embling Aspen 
Pl ots Attacked by Poplar Borer in th e Thompson anrl Nicola Valleys. 1961. 
No. trees Percentage Av. d.b.h . Range d.b.h . Av . d.h .h. 
Location exam ined trees hea lthy infested infested 
Kamloops 
Knutsford 
Cache Creek 
Quilchena 
Merritt 
Average cI.b.h. 
170 
266 
51 
49 
67 
in fes ted 
65 
47 
51 
41 
R1 
t inue to live. Usually , attacked trees 
become disfigured and stun ted; la rge 
swellings are often found on the bole 
around entrance holes and so metimes 
large branches and the tops of trees 
die . Of 170 trees in one grove at Kam-
loops, 10 per cent were dead a nd ot 
1 Forest Ent omolog.\' LHborato r .\',. \' E' l'nol1 ; B .C. 
trees trees trees 
6.8 3-15 7.7 
5.2 3-ll 5.6 
8.0 :3-14 8.0 
5.fi 3-10 5.8 
5.9 4-10 6.7 
6.0 6.6 
266 trees in a grove at Knutsford 
eight per cent were dead apparently 
trom poplar borer attack. 
It was observed that trees on the 
perimeter of pure stands of aspen on 
rangeland were the most heavily a t-
tacked , especially those in the portion 
of the grove with a north and east 
exposure. Very few attacks h ave been 
TABLE 2- Loca tion a nd Number of Attacks by t he P o pla r Rore r on Tremb lin g Aspen 
in Sample P lots in the Thompson and N icol a Valleys, 1961. 
No. a tt acked Av. no. attac ks per tree sect ion Av. no. attacks 
Locati on trees Clea r bole Crown pe r infest ed 
examined Lowe r 
Kam loo ps 110 1.3 
Knuts[ord 124 0 .4 
Cac he Cr eek 26 06 
Qui lchena 20 0.6 
Merr it t 41 0.7 
observed on aspens growing in conif -
erous for es ts. 
Five plots were est a blish ed in th e 
Thompson and Nicola valleys to r ec-
ord th e number and size of trees at-
tacked (Ta ble 1) , and th e n umber 
a nd location of a t tacks on individua l 
t r ees (Ta ble 2) . 
No aspen trees under three inch es 
d .b.h. were a ttacked and a preferen ce 
was shown .for t rees in th e fi ve to 
eigh t in ch d .b.h . class. A few tr ees as 
la r ge as 15 inches d .b.h . were at -
tacked . 
I n four of th e fiv e plots, th e hi gh est 
number of attacks occurred in th e 
lower crown where often la rge 
Upper Lower Upper tree 
4.0 17.7 ill 32 
4.5 5.!l 0.7 12 
2.2 2 .7 0 .4 6 
1.3 1.4 0.3 4 
2.7 U.8 0.1 4 
bra nch es were a ttacked . The n ext 
high es t number of a t tacks was found 
on th e upper clear bole, except in t h e 
Ka mloops plot. In gen er a l, most at-
tacks were concentra ted near or in -
clud ed th e fir st three or fo ur la r ge 
branches of the lower crown. 
Some popla r borer a ttacks h a ve 
been found on apparen tly h ealth y 
aspen tr ees, but in most of the 
Th ompson a nd Nicola Va lley infes ta -
t ions th e poplar borer is associated 
with a carpenter worm, believed to 
be Prionoxystus r obiniae (Peck) , and 
has a tta cked aspen trees weaken ed 
by other pes ts such as satin moth, 
Stilpnoti a salici s (L .) . 
Reference 
Peter son. L. o. T. 1945 . Some as pects of po pla r bor er , Sa perda cillca rata Sa~', (Cer am -
b~'c i (hle) infes t ,~ ti o n s uncl e ,' pa rkbe lt cond it ions. Contr ibu t ion No. 2528. Divi-
s ion of Entom ology, De partl1l r n t of Agri cultu r e . Ott,I.lVa . 
Additi onal Notes on Nymphalis californica S dv . 
T hi s is a sequ e l to I1l Y co nt ri but ion r ega r d-
in g thi s spec ies up to J anu ary 1961 (Proc. 
8 ntol1l. Soc. Br it. Colum bia 58: 32. 1961). 
On Marc h 13, 1961, two 'peci l1l ens lVe r e 
,ern un a she lt e r ed hill s id e at Roya l Oa k on 
VCl nco ul'c r Isl2ncl. From I he n on it was 
ofte n see n up to lVlay 18, a lte r \dl ich it d is-
ap pea r ed fr om Illy notice. 
No mi" r ato r v (end ency \\"as obse r ved unt il 
abo ut M~ I' 18' when a defi nit e d r ift tu t he 
no r t heas t 'again sl <J ligh t nort heast wind was 
c lrar ly ma r kcd. T hey we re fl yi ng in ulles 
a nd twos ,!I \I'ide ly spacc d i nterva ls. Occa-
~ iolla l1 y onl' \\·o uld a li gh t un a lil ac flower 
or. on highe r ;; r olln d , 0 11 lTIanzan ita , soon to 
res ume t heir nor t heasl\\·ard .iourney. 
Da tes <l nd loca ii ti es i:l clucl e: NI t. F in!ay-
:iO n. i\ 'la y 1'3 ; Lit.Ue Saanich Mo un ta in. ~lay 
17; ;1 ncl th e La ll .eJ urd di st rict May 18. A few 
stragg ler s Ive r e r epo rted from t he ge nera l 
a r ca up to M<lY 21. 
[n th e past t h is bdtter fl ~' has disappeared 
fru m V<1 n co u l'I~ r l.,la lld after eac h vis it, but 
"hulved up agai n ill number s fr om Se ptem-
be r 11 1961. Evide ntl y it is goin g to dupli-
cate last sea,o n 's record. 
I have nu info rm atio n as to wher e it spent 
the pe ri od be t ll'ee n May 21 and Septem ber 
11 , H)6 1. or II' he t he r it spent th e larva l stage 
on any plan t ot he r t han Ce;lIl oth us, which is 
a bse nt in t h is d istrict; ur \I het her it migrCl t-
ed frum th e mai nl an d as usua ll y seems to 
1)(' t he case. . 
(,'f ' (J / fl( ' .- \ . I(o r li/! . / ' }'I)rill('iu! .1/ I/.\', ' /{)II 
1 1,' 111. ). 1-klu r ill . 11.('. 


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