Laricobius erichsonii Rosen. is one of several species that have been introduced into the Atlantic Provinces since 1933 for the biological control of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.). This small beetle occurs commonly on A. piceae infestations in Europe where it is one of the more numerous predators of the adelgid (Mesnil, 1950:). Franz (1953) described its range in Europe as from the Italian Alps to near southern Denmark and from Normandy almost to the Carpathian Mountains, srating that its distribution is bound to that of the Coniferae on which its prey live. Franz also described the morphology of all stages in detail and discussed the bionomics and ecology in Europe. Prior to these studies the biology of thc insect was unknown.
Although Laricobius rubidus LeConte (1861, 1866) is not a common predator of the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), this paper is included in the series because of the close taxonomic similarities of L. rubidus in all stages to the recently introduced L. erichsonii Rosenh. In the past there has been confusion in the literature because the majority of records of rubidus have been erroneously attributed to erichsonii. These records have been discussed in detail in a paper on L. erichsonii, a species which has been introduced into North America as part of a biological control program against A. piceae (Clark and Brown, 1958).
The foods of wild horses, cattle, and mule deer were (Cervus canadensis), and 27% similar to domestic sheep in the determined from 10 widely separated areas in the Douglas Mountain Area, northwest of Craig, Colo. The major foods of wild Red Desert, Wyoming. There did not appear to be any serious horses and cattle were needlegrasses, wheatgrasses, and brome; dietary overlap between wild horses and mule deer (Odocoileus those of mule deer were sagebrush and mountainmahogany. The hemionus) in the Piceance Basin or with pronghorns (Antilodietary overlap for wild horses and deer was l%, cattle and deer capra americana) in the Red Desert. 4%, and wild horses and cattle was 77%. Wild horses and cattle The main purpose of this study was to establish baseline selected foods in a significantly similar order. information on the important foods of wild horses, livestock, and big game. There is local concern for the recent increase of wild horses in northwestern Colorado in the Douglas Mountain Area. The major use of this area has been for livestock grazing and during the last 15 years there has been a steady decline in mule deer. The area is relatively free from human disturbances associated with mining, urban-industrial, and outdoor recreation influences. Hubbard and Hansen (1976) reported that the foods selected by wild horses and cattle in the Piceance Basin, Colo., were from 59 to 75% identical. Olsen and Hansen (1976) found that wild horse foods were 45% identical to cattle, 40% to elk
Early in the present century the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), was introduced accidentally into North America. The history of its development and spread in the United States and Canada has been described by Balch (1952). At the present time, the adelgid occurs in eastern Canada over approximately the southern half of New Brunswick with an extension of the range in the extreme northeastern part of the Province, throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and in some areas of the southwestern and southeastern parts of Newfoundland.
Several species of native syrphids have been found to prey upon the introduced balsam woolly aphid, Adelges piceae (Ratz.), in New Brunswick and three of these, Syrphus torvus O. S., Metasyrphus lapponicus (Zett.), and Neocnemodon coxalis (Curr.), are sometimes very common. As part of a long-term study of the biological control of the balsam woolly aphid by native and introduced predators, the life histories, natural control, population fluctuations and control value of these native syrphids have been investigated.
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