ISSN: 0071-0741 Bulletin Volume 36 Number 3 Entomological Society of Canada Société d'entomologie September / septembre 2004 du Canada Entomological Society of Canada Table of contents on back cover Société d'entomologie du Canada Table des matières sur la couverture-arrière Publications Mail Agreement No. 40033986 Return Undeliverable Canadian Address to: 393 Winston Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Y8 E-mail: [email protected] http://esc-sec.org/ Entomological Society of Canada, 2003-2004 Société d'entomologie du Canada, 2003-2004 Executive Council / Conseil exécutif Trustees / Fiduciaires President / Président Treasurer / Trésorier Charles Vincent Gary Gibson Horticultural Research & Development Centre Entomological Society of Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 393 Winston Ave., Ottawa, ON K2A 1Y8 430 Gouin Blvd., Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Tel: (613) 759-1823, Fax: (613) 759-1927 QC J3B 3E6 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (450) 346-4494, ext. 202 Fax: (450) 346-7740 Secretary / Secrétaire E-mail: [email protected] Rick West 31 Drover’s Heights First Vice-President / Premier vice-président Portugal Cove-St. Philips, NL A1M 3G6 Robert Lamb Tel: (709) 895-2734, Fax: (709) 895-2734 Cereal Research Centre E-mail: [email protected] Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 195 Dafoe Rd., Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M9 Bulletin Editor / Rédacteur du Bulletin Tel: (204) 983-1458, Fax: (204) 983-4604 Paul Fields E-mail: [email protected] Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 195 Dafoe Rd., Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M9 Second Vice-President / Second vice-président Tel: (204) 983-1468, Fax: (204) 983-4604 Dan Quiring E-mail: [email protected] University of New Brunswick Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6C2 Ass. Bulletin Editor / Rédacteur adj. du Bulletin Tel: (506) 453-4922, Fax: (506) 453-3538 Lucie Royer E-mail: [email protected] P.O. Box 960 Corner Brook, NL Past President / Présidente sortante Tel: (709) 637-4919, Fax: (709) 637-4910 Sandy Smith E-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Forestry 33 Willcocks St., University of Toronto Webmaster / Webmestre Toronto, ON M5S 3BS Barry Lyons Tel: (416) 978-5482, Fax: (416) 978-3834 Tel: (705) 541-5617, Fax: (705) 541-5700 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected], http://esc-sec.org Directors-at-Large / Conseillers The Canadian Entomologist Jon Sweeney (2004), David Gillespie Editor-in-Chief / Rédacteur en chef (2005), Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate (2006) Richard Ring Department of Biology, University of Victoria Regional Directors / Directeurs régionaux Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 2Y2 Terry Shore (ESBC), Greg Pohl (ESA), Tel: (250) 721-7102, Fax: (250) 721-7120 Lorraine Braun (ESS), Patricia MacKay E-mail: [email protected] (ESM), David Hunt (ESO), Nancy Laroque (SEQ), Donna Giberson (AES). Divisonal Editors / Rédacteurs de division Michel Cusson, E-mail: [email protected] Student Representative Robert Lamb, E-mail: [email protected] Représentante des étudiants Don Lafontaine, E-mail: [email protected] Tonya Mousseau Department of Entomology Head Office / Siège social University of Manitoba Entomological Society of Canada Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 393 Winston Ave., Ottawa, ON K2A 1Y8 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (613) 725-2619, Fax: (613) 725-9349 E-mail: [email protected], http://esc-sec.org/ Up front / Avant-propos Charles Vincent, President of ESC / Président de la SEC Entre Alep, Brisbane et Frelighsburg 'écris ces lignes entre deux activités profes- sionnelles à Alep (Syrie) et Brisbane (Aus- Jtralie). Alep est considérée comme étant la plus vieille cité continuellement habitée du monde. Il y a très longtemps, les habitants de cette région Benoit Rancourt (la Mésopotamie) inventait l'agriculture et l'écriture. Alep était l'hôte de la Seconde con- Between Aleppo, Brisbane and férence sur les Sunn Pest. L'espèce la plus Frelighsburg fréquente, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Pentato- midae), cause d'important dommages au blé (50- am writing these lines between professional 90%) et à l'orge (20-30%) cultivés sur une vaste assignments in Aleppo (Syria) and Brisbane région comprenant la Roumanie, la Turquie, la I(Australia). Aleppo is considered one of the Syrie, la Russie méridionale, l'Iran, l'Ouzbekistan, oldest continuously-inhabited cities of the world. le Tajikistan et le Kazakstan. Durant trois jours, Long time ago, people in that region (Mesopota- les quelques 150 participants ont partagé leurs mia) invented agriculture and writing. Aleppo was trouvailles entomologiques de façon très profes- the host of the 2nd International Conference on sionnelle. Les mots clés ici étaient: gros prob- Sunn Pest. The most commonly encountered Sunn lèmes entomologiques et bonne volonté. pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Pentatomi- Le XXIIe Congrès international d'entomologie dae), causes important damage to wheat (50-90%) se tiendra à Brisbane du 15 au 21 août 2004. and barley (20-30%) cultivated in a vast region L'événement attire ordinairement environ 3000 that spreads from Romania, Turkey, Syria, South- entomologistes du monde entier. Les mots clés ici ern Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Ka- seront: sujets de pointe en entomologie et bonne zakstan. During three days the 150 participants volonté. Plusieurs entomologistes canadiens ont shared their entomological findings in a very pro- démontré du leadership scientifique en organi- fessional manner. The key words here were: big sant des symposia. Bien plus encore ont été invité entomological problems and good will. à faire des présentations. Nous devrions être fiers The XXII International Congress of Entomol- de cela. Le président de la Société australienne ogy will be held in Brisbane from 15-21 August d'entomologie, James Ridsdill-Smith, a invité les 2004. Typically the venue attracts ca. 3000 ento- présidents des Sociétés d'entomologie à une ren- mologists worldwide. The key words in Bris- contre. Le mot clé ici sera une aptitude dans laquelle bane should be: cutting edge entomological is- les canadiens excellent: le réseautage. sues and good will. Several Canadian Entre ces deux activités professionnelles, me entomologists showed scientific leadership in revoici dans mon verger à Frelighsburg, une organizing symposia. And even more have been ferme expérimentale d'Agriculture et agro-alimen- invited to give talks. We should be proud of that. taire Canada située à environ 10 km de la fron- The President of the Australian Entomological tière du Vermont. La végétation est verdoyante et Society, James Ridsdill-Smith, has invited Presi- je pense que nous sommes chanceux de travailler dents of Entomological Societies for a meeting. en entomologie, une science dont on a besoin The key word here should be a skill in which partout de par le monde. Canadians excel: networking. Au plaisir de vous rencontrer en octobre In between these assignments, I am back to my prochain à Charlottetown (I.P.E.) à la Réunion orchard in Frelighsburg, an Agriculture and Agri- Volume 36(3), septembre, 2004 Bulletin de la Société d'entomologie du Canada 95 Up front conjointe de la Société d'entomologie du Canada Food Canada experimental farm located ca. 10 et de la Société acadienne d'entomologie, ce qui km from the Vermont border. The vegetation is inclut le "party de cuisine" qui suivra le banquet. deep green and I am reflecting that we are lucky Les mots clés devraient être: bonne science et bon to work in entomology, a science that is needed temps. D'ici là, je vous souhaite du bon temps cet all across the world. automne. I am looking forward to the meeting in October at the Joint meeting of the Entomological Society Sites Web/ Related Websites: of Canada and the Acadian Entomological Socie- http://www.uvm.edu/~entlab/sunnpest/ ty in Charlottetown, P.E. I., including the "down- index.html home kitchen party" following the banquet enter- http://www.ccm.com.au/icoe/home/default.htm tainment. The key words should be: good science http://www.esc-sec.org/ and a good time. I wish you a nice time in this Fall. Moth balls / Boules à Mites By Andrew Bennett Taxonomy: A dying profession? am often asked by well-meaning relatives and friends, "What exactly do you do"? I Depending on the tone of the question (and my mood at the time), I sometimes take it to mean, "Wow! Your job sounds so interesting. Please explain everything you do (in excruciating detail) because it seems so important to society!" Gen- erally; however, I answer the question in a more circumspect fashion; assuming that what is really ephas maximus (the Asiatic elephant) and Loxo- meant is, "My tax dollars are being spent how?" donta africana (the African elephant). Forgive me for sounding cynical about the cur- Chance of discovering a new, extant species of rent perception of taxonomy, but it seems that the elephant: Zero (not considering all this recent latter interpretation of the question usually reflects murmurings about forest elephants being a dis- people's reason for asking. I mostly blame mam- tinct species). mologists and ornithologists for this. Chances somebody will be paid to search for Case in point: consider the taxonomy of ele- new species of elephants. Close to zero (at least, phants. I sincerely hope so). Number of extant, described species - two: El- The same goes for birds. Do we really need to pay somebody to hack through jungles in search Andrew Benett is a research scientist with Agri- of the elusive, lesser-spotted twit? Most biology culture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa work- departments seem to think not, at least while peo- ing on the taxomony of Ichneumonidae. He re- ple are dying of cancer and heart disease. Of ceived his PhD at the University of Toronto. Con- course, taxonomy comprises more than just nam- tact details: e-mail: [email protected], tel- ing new species (e.g., determining evolutionary ephone: (613) 759-1900.