New Records of Leaf-Feeding for Adult \u3ci\u3eDiabrotica Barberi\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The first records of leaf-feeding on Iva xanthifolia (marsh elder) and Helianthus annuus (common sunflower) by adult Diabrotica barberi are reyorted. During September 1992, beetles were observed feeding on leaves 0 these plants, despite the availability of alternate flowering hosts. Beetles confined to clip cages in the laboratory fed readily on leaves of I. xanthifolia and H. annuus but not on those of Solidago missouriensis (goldenrod)

\u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominula\u3c/i\u3e (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) Recorded from Nebraska

Polistes dominula (Christ), a Palearctic paper wasp that has established in various areas of North America, is reported for the first time from the state of Nebraska based on specimens from the city of Lincoln. Potential implications of its presence in Nebraska are discussed

Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) found in South Dakota, U.S.A.

Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae), a Palearctic paper wasp established in North America, is reported for the first time from the state of South Dakota, U.S.A

Abundance of Rice Root Aphid Among Selected Plant Species and on Plants Grown With Different Soil-Surface Media

The rice root aphid, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis (Sasaki), is distributed worldwide and colonizes a wide range of plants. However, relatively little is known about the suitability of different host plants, optimal rearing techniques, and the aphid’s impact on plant fitness. To improve understanding of these factors, laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the abundance of rice root aphid on plants grown using three different soil-surface media and among selected monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Rice root aphid was more abundant on plants grown with a sandy soil surface than a surface with fine wood chips or only bare non-sandy soil. Rice root aphid was more abundant on ‘Elbon’ rye than on ‘Bart 38,’ ‘Dart,’ ‘Fletcher’ and ‘Ramona 50’ wheat. More winged rice root aphids were produced on Elbon rye than on Dart wheat, but the number of winged aphids on Elbon rye did not differ from that on other wheat lines. Rice root aphid was more abundant on Elbon rye and ‘TAM 110’ wheat than on ‘Marmin,’ ‘Marshall’ and ‘Sharp’ wheat. Additional observations with monocotyledonous plants showed that abundance of rice root aphid on ‘Kivu 85’ triticale was comparable to that on Elbon rye. Rice root aphid did not reproduce on potato or soybean, although winged adults persisted up to 24 days on caged potato plants. The implications of differential abundance of rice root aphid on plants are discussed in regard to colony rearing, future experiments and possible pest management considerations

Congressional Testimony on the Effectiveness oof the Employment Service in Aiding UI Claimants

This testimony describes the results of a study of the Employment Service (ES) conducted by Dr. Jacobson and Prof. Arnold Katz of the University of Pittsburgh using data on over 100,000 individuals who registered with the Pennsylvania ES between 1978 and 1987, and an even larger sample of non-registrants. One major finding is that much of the decline in the ES's performance over the past thirty years can be explained by changes in: funding, characteristics of registrants, and characteristics of job vacancies. Thus, we concluded that criticism of the ES often ignores changes in crucial factors outside of the ES's control that reduced its effectiveness. A second major finding is that most criticism of the ES is based on the inappropriate assumption that the primary goal of the ES should be to maximize placements. The proper measure of ES benefits is how well it reduces joblessness, increases earnings, and reduces UI and welfare payments. We found that the ES reduced the average duration of unemployment of long-term UI claimants by nine weeks. This was for UI claimants who were unemployed for at least 30 weeks. But the ES reduced joblessness of claimants unemployed for 12 weeks by less than two weeks. This is evidence that the ES is most effective in aiding claimants who had substantial trouble finding work on their own. But we suspect that the jobs found with the help of the ES do not compare favorably with jobs held prior to becoming unemployed. Thus, we believe the ES primarily acts as a backstop preventing large earnings losses. Finally, although savings in UI benefits and increases in earnings created by the ES may be modest, the cost of ES service is so low, $75 on average, that modest benefits would more than offset those costs. We believe our results, coupled with similar findings from related studies, is sufficiently strong to warrant increasing the funding of the ES. That measure is favored because it would be at least budget neutral. In contrast, other measures to assist the long-term unemployed, such as providing extended UI benefits or training, would not come close to being budget neutral. In addition,$1 spent on job search assistance is likely to be more effective in helping claimants than $1 spent on training.unemployment, insurance, employment, service, displaced, dislocated, Jacobson