The effect of a larval diet supplement on Wyeomyia smithii (Coq.) development was studied within the water-filled leaves of Sarracenia purpurea L. (the purple pitcher plant) in bogs near The Pas and Patricia Beach, Manitoba, and near Kenora, Ontario. The larval diet supplement added to overwintered pitcher plant leaves in the spring was found to significantly accelerate the development of larvae and to produce larger and more fecund adults. Food-limited development of larvae probably plays an important role in the percentage of W. smithii that are bivoltine in northern latitudes.

Ixodes cookei Packard required ca. 14 weeks to complete development under laboratory conditions, using groundhogs [Marmota monax (L.)] as the blood meal source and off-host conditions of 25–29°C and 93–100% relative humidity. All three post-embryonic instars engorged in ca. 6–8 days. Larvae and nymphs maintained at 25°C moulted to the next instar ca. 18–20 days after detachment. Moult occurred under conditions of either a 0L:24D or a 16L:8D photoperiod. Adult females increased in weight ca. 49-fold from the unfed to the engorged state, attaining a weight of 194.1 ± 15.0 (mean ± SE) mg and producing 1281.5 ± 139.1 (mean ± SE) eggs at 29°C. The pre-ovipositional and ovipositional periods were 4.7 ± 0.3 and 20.2 ± 1.7(mean ± SE) days, respectively, at 29°C. Fifty percent of eggs were deposited within the 1st week of the ovipositional period at 29°C. First egg hatch at 29°C occurred ca. 31 days after oviposition was started. Eggs maintained at 10°C did not hatch, and the thermal threshold for egg development was calculated to be 11.2°C.

In response to the Ministry of Natural Resources' preparation of Class Environmental Assessment for timber management on crown lands, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) commissioned the Environmental Review Of Bacillus thurinqiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) for Use in Forest Pest Management Programs of Ontario With Special Empasis On The Aquatic Environment.. , (1987) during field tests of two Btk formulations (San 41S and Thuricide 32 LV) . The results indicated that infected parasites 3 9 .

Sarcophagid larvae were occasionally found in pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea L.) leaves from mid-June until early September during 1982–1984, in bogs located at The Pas (53°50′N, 101°15′W) and Patricia Beach (50°25′N, 96°36′W), Manitoba, and Kenora, Ontario (49°47′N, 94°29′W). Larvae were collected primarily from “new” leaves (current year's growth), but also from “old” leaves (leaves from the previous summer which retain water throughout the current season). Only one sarcophagid larva was found per leaf.

FARKAS, M. J., and R. A. BRUST. 1986. Phenology of the mosquito Wyeomyia smithii (Coq .) in Manitoba and Ontario. Can. J.Zool. 64: 285-290. The phenology of Wyeomyia smithii (Coquillett) within the water-filled leaves of Sarracenia purpurea L. (the purple pitcher plant) was studied during 1983 in bogs near The Pas and Patricia Beach, Manitoba, and Kehora, Ontario. Larvae that overwintered developed into adults by early July, and females laid eggs in newly opened leaves, as well as in the previous year's leaves. The largest portion of the developing larvae (summer generation) entered a third-instar diapause by mid-August and remained in this instar until the following spring. A small percentage of the summer generation at each site continued their development to adults and may have given rise to another generation. The number of larvae per leaf was positively correlated with leaf size. Pupation rates as well as adult size and fecundity did not vary significantly amongst sites. Smaller and less fecund individuals emerged as the season progressed. Over-winter survival of larvae was low at Patricia Beach (9%) but relatively high at The Pas (68%) during the winter of 1983-1984; survival was moderate (32-50%) during 1984-1985 at both locations. Overwintering success is likely enhanced by an early winter snow cover which insulates the larvae from low ambient temperatures from October to December at these sites. FARKAS, M. J., et R. A. BRUST. 1986. Phenology of the mosquito Wyeomyia smithii (Coq.) in Manitoba and Ontario. Can. J. Zool. 64: 285-290. En 1983, la phCnologie de Wyeomyia smithii (Coquillett) dans les feuilles remplies d'eau de Sarracenia purpurea L. a fait l'objet d'une Ctude dans des tourbikres situCes prks de The Pas et de Patricia Beach, au Manitoba, et prks de Kenora en Ontario. Les individus qui avaient pass6 l'hiver sous forme de larves ont tous atteint le stade adulte avant le dCbut de juillet et les femelles ont pondu leurs oeufs dan; des feuilles nouvelles et aussi dans des feuilles de 19annCe prCcCdente. La plus grande partie des larves en dCveloppement (gCnCration d'CtC) ont subi une diapause de troisikme stade vers la mi-ao0t et sont demeurkes it ce stade jusqu'au printemps suivant. A chaque endroit, un petit pourcentage d'individus de la gCnCration d' CtC ont continu6 de se dCvelopper jusqu'au stade adulte et ont probablement donnC lieu B une autre gCnCration. Le nombre de larves par feuille Ctait en corrklation positive avec la taille de la,feuille. Les taux de nymphose, la taille des adultes et la fCconditC ne variaient pas significativement d'un endroit B l'autre. A mesure qu'avansait la saison, les individus devenaient plus petits et moins fkconds. La survie des larves B l'hiver s'est avCrCe faible B Patricia Beach (9%), mais relativement ClevCe B The Pas (68%) au cours de l'hiver 1983-1984; la survie a Ct C moyenne (32-50%) aux deux endroits au cours de l'hiver 1984-1985. La survie B I'hiver est probablement favorisCe lorsque ia premitre neige tombe t6t et isole les larves des tempkratures ...