• Varty, I. W.
  Maritimes Forest Research Centre
  
• Carter, N.E.
  Maritimes Forest Research Centre
  

Recurrent large scale aerial spray operations with organophosphate insecticides for spruce budworm control in eastern Canada must influence the population dynamics of hundreds of vulnerable non-target arthropods in many ecosystems. Two faunal survey techniques, pitfall trapping and window trapping, were used in New Brunswick in May-JuIy 1972 to compare species diversities and abundances of litter-dwelling arthropods (spiders, harvestmen, beetles) and flying insects (especially wild bees) In two to fir-spruce stands with dissimilar spray histories, the one treated annually for 15 years, the other newly treated for the first time. The results support the hypothesis that repeated forest spraying tends to reduce species diversity, but population densities of most taxonomic groups. were not strongly disparate between the two plots. The conclusion is that important functions such as predation in the litter and pollination in the forest are not drastically changed by long-term application of insecticides at conventional dosages.