More than 200 soil-surface and in-ground termite-monitoring devices were established across Oklahoma to collect termites. Termites were also collected from tree stumps and wooden buildings. Four species of Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), R. flavipes, R. virginicus, R. tibialis, and R. hageni were recovered. From previous records, Gnathamitermes tubiformans (Buckley) is also indigenous to Oklahoma. Based on previous records, non-subterranean species including the dampwood termites Zootermopsis angusticollis (Hagen) and Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen), and the drywood termites Cryptotermes brevis (Walker) and Incisitermes minor (Hagen), are occasionally reported in lumber and furniture shipped to Oklahoma from California and Oregon, or from Gulf coast states. Known distributions of R. virginicus and G. tubiformans are extended. Reproductive flights of subterranean termites in Oklahoma peak from mid-March to mid-May. Observations of relative foraging densities across the state are also reported.

We studied aggression and size variation among males in the carpenter bee Xylocopa virginica (L.) at a nesting site in Central Oklahoma. Male size (estimated by head capsule width), male–male and male–female interactions as well as male site fidelity were recorded at three locations: 1) in the immediate vicinity of the nesting site, 2) at the periphery of the same nesting site and 3) at milkweed flowers (a nectar source) in an adjacent pasture. Nesting site males displayed significantly higher levels of aggression than males at the other two locations. These males were also significantly larger than those at flowers in the pasture while males at the nesting site periphery were intermediate in both size and intrasexual aggression among the three male categories. Male–female interactions (chases and contacts) occurred most frequently closest to the nesting site, but not significantly so relative to males in the nesting site periphery. We also found evidence that some males remain faithful to territories near the nesting site. Unlike the other two locations, no male–male or male–female interactions were observed at the flower site during one-minute focal observation periods. In contrast with several Neotropical Xylocopa species described in the literature, our study indicates that male X. virginica practice female and/or resource polygyny.

The sunflower beetle, Zygogramma exclamationis (Fabricius), is a major pest of commercial sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. (Asteraceae), in the Plains area of central North America. Although an economic injury level for the sunflower beetle has been determined, in-field distributions of the larvae and their natural enemies have not been described. Over a three year period, fields were sampled for sunflower beetle larvae and for larvae of the endoparasitoid, Myiopharus macellus (Reinhard). Sunflower beetle larvae were generally found to have aggregated distributions. Knowledge of the distribution pattern will allow the development of more efficient sunflower beetle sampling protocols. Parasitism rates of M. macellus throughout fields were equivalent, indicating effective host searching. Although the data supports aggregated distributions for M. macellus, it is less clear than that for the sunflower beetle.

Four new species of cheyletoid mites (Acari: Cheyletoidea) are described from birds in Canada: Harpyrhynchoides vulgaris sp. nov. (Harpirhynchidae) from Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus (Passeriformes: Fringillidae) and American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla (Passeriformes: Parulidae); Syringophilopsis porzanae sp. nov. (Syringophilidae) from Sora, Porzana carolina (Gruiformes: Rallidae); Syringophilopsis tyrrani sp. nov. from Eastern Kingbird, Tyrranus tyrranus (Passeriformes: Tyrranidae); Niglarobia skorackii sp. nov. (Syringophilidae) from Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae). Harpyrhynchoides zumpti Fain, 1972 is recorded from Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis (Passeriformes: Emberizidae), for the first time. A key to species for females of the genus Syringophilopsis and a table of their associated hosts are provided.

A new species of Dentaphila Kistner 1997, D. australis n. sp. (type locality, Wallacha Falls, Northern Queensland, Australia) is described, and habitus and line drawing illustrations are provided for its recognition. The systematic placement of D. australis is discussed, and a detailed comparative discussion outlines similarities and differences between D. australis, D. malaysiensis, the type species of Dentaphila, and D. mirabilis from Hong Kong. This represents the second known record of Dentaphila, and the first occurrence of the genus in Australia.

A new species, Homidia emeiensis, is described from Sichuan Province, China. It is similar to the Chinese species H. tiantaiensis Chen & Lin 1998 and to the Korean species H. minuta Kim & Lee 1995. The new species can be distinguished from the former by the much smaller number of macrochaetae on fourth abdominal segment (6–8 vs. 22–27) and from the latter by the much smaller number of dental spines (5–17 vs. 20–25).