Life Sciences Commons^™

Some Tetranychoid Mites Of Michigan, V. Prasad

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Tetranychoid mites are plant feeders, and many of them are of considerable economic importance. Prior to the present study, only seven species of these mites were known from Michigan; Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor) (McGregor, 1931); Tertranychus mcdanieli McGregor (McGregor, 1931; Pritchard and Baker, 1955); Euryteranychus buxi (Garman) (Ries, 1935; McGregor 1950); Tettranychus atlanticus McGregor (Tuttle and Baker, 1964); Bryobia praetiosa Koch, Panoychus ulmi (Koch), and Tetranychus telarius (L.) (Ghate and Howitt, 1965).

Food Plants Of Some Adult Sphinx Moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), Richard C. Fleming

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: While food plants of many species of sphinx moth larvae are well known, food plants of the adults are not. Many observations of the feeding habits of adult sphinx moths undoubtedly have been made, but much of the information is probably resting in the field notebooks and memories of the observers.

To my knowledge no summary of known feeding information has been presented previously for American Sphingidae. A rather thorough list of food plants for adult European sphinx moths has been published by Wahlgren (1941). This list also includes other moth families as well and it can be a …

An Annotated List Of The Spittlebugs Of Michigan (Homoptera: Cercopidae), Murray Hanna

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Representatives of the family Cercopidae are commonly known as "spittlebugs" because the nymphs cover themselves with saliva-like frothy masses composed of bubbles of air trapped by motions of the abdomen in fluids discharged from the alimentary canal. Spittle protects nymphs from desiccation, but they are able to abandon it for brief periods while migrating to new feeding sites or to other host plants where new masses are produced. Gas exchange by nymphs immersed in spittle is accomplished through spiraculae situated in a protective chamber formed on the ventral side of the abdomen by extended tergites.

Cicindela. Vol. I., No. I. March, 1969. Edited By R.L. Huber, R.G. Graves And H.L. Willis. Osseo, Minnesota. 24 Pp. $3.50/Volume., Louis F. Wilson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Cicindela, a new entomological journal for cicindelophiles, is an experiment in extreme specialization. Supporting enthusiasts chose the scope as world-wide Cicindelidae over the alternatives of world-wide Caraboidea (Carabidae and Cicindelidae), and Nearctic Caraboidea, or Nearctic Cicindelidae. Ronald L. Huber, instigator and spearhead of the publication, proposes to publish it in quarterly numbers to total approximately 100 pages per volume each year.

Mariposas De Venezuela. Michael Schmid And Bradford M. Endicott. Copenhagen: L. Levinson, 1968. Spanish-English Text. Xii, 68 Pp. $9.95., Ronald S. Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Despite a rather steep price caused by a small press run and many colored plates, this seems to be the only amateur handbook of Venezuelan Lepidoptera, and it will have a limited appeal to American amateurs with South American material in their collections. 132 species, most of them common, are discussed and illustrated. There is a brief introduction on collection and preparation.

Introduction To Applied Entomology. L.H. Rolston And C.E. Mccoy. New York: Ronald Press, 1966. V, 208 P. $5.00., Louis F. Wilson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The authors of this book state that they have "attempted to extract the concepts and principles [of applied entomology], and present them in a context that will be useful to the college-level reader [in order] to give students an understanding of these basic concepts and so enable them to analyze problems and make correct decisions." They have, indeed, extracted many concepts and principles, but this information has been distilled to a degree that it is unlikely to be useful to students. Although the student would learn about some entomological problems and some ways of combating them in the book, …

The Biology Of Pseudoscorpions. Peter Weygoldt. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University Press, 1969, Viii 145 Pp. $6.00., Sigurd Nelson Jr.

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: This is the first comprehensive approach to the biology of pseudoscorpions. Through excellent discourse and a well-organized presentation the author aims to stimulate more interest in this diverse yet little-known group.

Curwen's Aurelian Calendar. 1970. Sponsored By The Society For The Promotion Of Nature Reserves (Great Britain). 14 Pp. Obtainable From E.W. Classey Ltd., 353 Hanworth Rd., Hampton, Middlesex, England. $1.56., Ronald S. Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: We have never before reviewed a calendar, but this lovely production of the Curwen Press should be of interest to many entomologist. Each month's page features a finely executed color plate from an eighteenth-century rarity, James Dutfield's A New and Complete Natural History of English Moths and Butterflies (London, 1748-9). Thirteen Lepidoptera are illustrated with their immature stages, foodplants, and in a few cases, ichneumons that parasitize them. Descriptions of the insects are taken from Dutfield's work, and a modern commentary on each species is included.

Melanderia. Vol. I. 1969. R.D. Akre, Editor; C.A. Johansen, Associate Editor. Irregualr Publication Of The Washington State Entomological Society, Department Of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99163, 35 Pp. Free To Members Of Wses And Major Institutions., Julian P. Donahue

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The dolichopodid fly Melanderia mandibulata Aldrich was named in honor of its discoverer, A.L. Melander, who was prominent in Northwestern entomology during the first quarter of this century. In its name, this new journal also honors the memory of Dr. Melander.

Moths And How To Rear Them. Paul Villiard. New York: Funk And Wagnalls, 1969. Xiv, 242 Pp. $10.00., Ronald S. Wilkinson, Julian P. Donahue

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: W.J.B. Crotch's A Silkmoth Rearer's Handbook (1956) and Wild Silk Moths of the United States by Michael Collins and Robert Weast (1961) have been standard rearers' manuals for some time, but both are limited to one group of large moths, and there has been a decided need for a low-priced guide covering rearing procedures for a much wider range of Lepidoptera. For a number of reasons, Villiard's book falls short of this goal.

Seven Illustrations From Maurice Sand's Le Monde Des Papillons (1867), R. S. Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The tailpieces and rear cover illustration in this issue are six vignettes and the frontispiece from a popular nineteenth-century French work for beginning amateur lepidopterists, Maurice Sand's Le monde des papillons (Paris, 1867). The frontispieces (our rear cover) depicts a melange of collecting equipment, including a ring net for aerial collecting, a folding sweeping net, an entomological satchel, various forceps, a pupa-digging spud, a collecting tin for larvae, a lantern, a collecting box into which adult specimens were pinned, and several items which have disappeared from our modern list of paraphernalia.

Tendipes Plumosus (Diptera: Tendipedidae) At Solberg Lake, Wisconsin, Henry Townes

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: In a recent issue of The Michigan Entomologist, Wilson (1969) reported on the behavior and abundance of a species of "Chronomus" on the shore of Solberg Lake, Wisconsin. I have been able to examine about 100 of the specimines collected by Prof. Wilson.

Colloquia Entomologica Ii: A Remarkable Sale Of Victorian Entomological Jewelry, R. S. Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The insect brooch was a popular genre of Victorian jewelry, and the late Dr. Moser Lyon Stadiem of New Orleans owned one of the finest private collections of Victorian jewelry in the United States. Dr. Stadiem's rarities, valued at over a million dollars, were obtained by the Famous-Barr Company of St. Louis five years after his death in 1964. 294 lots of the collection were sold at auction by Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York City, on 6 October 1969, and among these were some of the finest known examples of the great age of entomological jewelry.

Occurence And Habits Of Somatochlora Incurvata, New For Pennsylvania (Odonata: Corduliinae), Clark N. Shiffer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: On July 21, 1969, two males and three females of the little-known species Somatochlora incurvata Walker were taken by the author at a tamarack bog in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. The bog, called "Tamarack Swamp" on the Pennsylvania State Geologic Survey map (15 minute series, topographic, Renovo West Quadrangle) is situated east and southeast of the small village of Tamarack. Three additional males were collected on July 26, 1969, and four females on August 9, 1969. Other individuals, mostly males, were seen on each occasion.

A Note On Adult Overwintering Of Dasymutilla Nigripes In Michigan (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), David A. Evans, Bruce R. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Although Dasymutilla nigripes (Fabricius) is one of the more common Michigan velvet ant species, little is known about its life cycle. In his summary of mutillid life cycles, Michel (1928) indicated that mutillids of northern latitudes probably overwinter in the prepupal stage within the subterranean cells of their hymenopterous hosts. Bohart and McSwain (1939) cited prepupal overwintering as normal for Dasymutilla sackenii (Cresson) in California. However, Potts and Smith (1944), also working in California, collected overwintering adult female Dasymutilla aureola pacifica (Cresson).

Winter Occurrence Of Zorotypus Hubbardi (Zoraptera) In Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Edward C. Mignot, John O. Sillings

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The states of Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa are at the northern periphery of the known range of Zorotypus hubbardi Caudell (Riegel and Ferguson, 1960). This species, the only species of Zoraptera found in Indiana, has previously been reported from Posey County (Riegel and Ferguson, 1960), Franklin County, Greene County, Vanderburgh County, and Warren County (Riegel, 1963).

Estimating The Number Of Eggs Per Egg Mass Of The Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma Disstria (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), J. A. Witter, H. M. Kulman

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Calculation of the number of eggs per egg mass of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hiibner, is required in survey and population studies. Eggs are usually laid in cylindrical masses around twigs of trees. Hodson (1941) determined the number of eggs in egg masses of the forest tent caterpillar by counting the number of eggs around the circumference and multiplying by the number of rows. This technique is apparently reliable for comparative counts, but because the eggs are frequently laid in oblique rather than straight rows on the twig, counts of both length and circumference are subject to error. …

Townend Glover (1813-83) And The First Entomological Light Trap, Ronald Sterne Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Townend Glover, first U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist and unacknowledged inventor of the first successful light trap for insects, was one of the more interesting entomological investigators in mid-nineteenth century America. Modern historians who have written brief notices of Glover have gained most of their information from a very rare Government pamphlet by his friend and assistant Charles Dodge (1858), who unfortunately does not mention the matter of the light tray at all. The present account, assembled from various nineteenth century sources, briefly summarizes Glover's career and presents evidence for his invention of the portentous "American Moth Trap."

Moths Of The Douglas Lake Region (Emmet And Cheboygan Counties), Michigan: I. Sphingidae - Ctenuchidae (Lepidoptera), Edward G. Voss

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: For more than 60 years, workers at the University of Michigan Biological Station have been concerned with the flora and fauna of the "Douglas Lake Region" - now generally defined, for ease of boundaries. as Emmet and Cheboygan counties, which share the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

In 1915, Paul S. Welch published a list of Lepidoptera taken in the immediate vicinity of Douglas Lake, based on collections made from 19 1 1 to 19 13. The list includes 16 species in the families here considered (those before the Noctuidae in most checklists). A somewhat larger …

Introduction To Zoology. T. H. Savory. New York: Philosophical Library, 1968. Viii, 239 Pp. $6.00., Sigurd Nelson Jr.

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: This book would delight the traditional zoologist as its emphasis is on systematics and evolution. primarily based on morphology. By the author's own admission he neglects areas concerning histology, embryology, physiology and genetics, while giving little time to areas he terms animal biology--symbiosis, parthenogenesis, behavior and parasitism. Dr. Savory feels the aforementioned areas warrant volumes of their own. Yet this book is titled Introduction to Zoology. Perhaps a better title would be Introduction to Zoology, Part I. Systematics and Evolution.

The Pocket Encyclopedia Of Plant Galls. Arnold Darlington. New York: Philosophical Library, 1968.191 Pp. $7.50., Louis F. Wilson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Plant galls or cecidia have always fascinated and bewildered the biologist and the layman, and only recently has there been much attention paid to the biology of gall makers and the physiology of gall development. There are several 'early' definitive books on galls by British, German, and American authors, but most are out of print or are replete with errors. Few are useful for quick identification of galls in the field.

The Capability Of Some Butterflies As Carriers Of Common Milkweed Pollen, Louis F. Wilson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L., is remarkably adapted for cross pollination by insects. Its pollen sacs (pollinia) are often found attached to the appendages of bees, wasps, butterflies, and other insects that visit milkweed for its nectar (Judd, 1955; Matheson, 1951 ; Muller, 1883).

In the summer of 1966 and 1967 I collected numerous pierid and nymphalid butterflies associated with milkweed plants in Michigan in order to examine them for their pollen-carrying capability. Species of butterflies collected were Colias interior Scudder, C. eurytheme Boisduval, Pieris rapae (L.). and Speyeria aphrodite (Fab.). These insects were taken while feeding on or …

Three New Species And A Key For The Genus Callidora (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Timothy C. Tigner

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The genus Callidora (subfamily Porizontinae) has traditionally contained a single European species, Callidora albovincta (Holmgren). Townes (1969) redefined the genus and included a second species (Campoplex analis Gravenhorst). At the same time he referred to three undescribed species, two from North America and one from the Philippines. Descriptions of these three are presented here together with a key to all five species now in Callidora.

Several relationships within this genus are noteworthy. The two North American species, tegularis and surata, are morphologically most alike. Quite distinct from these, but similar in body shape and propodeal sculpture …

A Study Of Spiders (Araneae) On Maple Trees (Acer Spp.), George W. Uetz, Dean G. Dillery

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We began this study to determine whether spider species occur randomly on maple species or whether they are selective in picking either their host species or their position on that host. Several papers have been published on habitat selection of spiders in relation to structural components or microclimate (Barnes, 1953; Barnes & ,Barnes, 1954, 1955; Cherrett, 1964; Duffey, 1962a. 1962b, 1966; Hackmann, 1957; Kuenzler, 1958; Norgaard, 1951). Duffey (1956) and Kuenzler (1958) also discussed the influence of microclimate on the activities of spiders. None of the above, however, dealt with arboreal spiders with the exception of Duffey (1956) who discussed …

The Tarantula Atypus Milberti In Michigan (Araneae: Atypidae), David E. Bixler

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The arachnid genus Atypus (family Atypidae, suborder Mygalomorphae) contains four species in North America. These tarantulas are atypical because they have retained remnants of the primitive segmentation characteristic of Mesozoic spiders; the dorsum of the abdomen has tergites which differ little or not at all from those found on Oligocene spiders in the Florissant shales or in Baltic amber. The atypical tarantulas are among the most generalized of all living spiders, lacking the specialized morphological features of more advanced families. They lack reduction, migration, or enlargement of eyes; they have simple dry silk glands only; their legs lack specialization …

A New Species Of Xiphosomella (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Keith R. Johnson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The genus Xiphosomella belongs in the subfamily Cremastinae. This genus and Pristomerus differ from other genera of the subfamily in having a distinct thyridium on the second tergite. In Xiphosomella the thyridium is some distance from the base of the second tergite, while in Pristomerus the thyridium is very close to the base. Both genera may or may not have a spine on the under side of the hind femur. Xiphosomella may have an areolet. Most species of Xiphosomella are Neotropic. One species (dubia) has been described from the United States. This paper adds a second species.

Unless …

Odonata New To The Wisconsin State List, Mary Davis Ries

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The only extensive paper dealing primarily with the Odonata of Wisconsin is that of Muttkowski (19081, in which he included not only 78 species taken but 30 to be expected in the state. Subsequent records and corrections leave a total of 103 species for which definite evidence has been published (Ries, 1967:113).

The following account of new records of Anisoptera and Zygoptera taken during five seasons of collecting in the northern part of Wisconsin confirms the presence of four of the expected species mentioned by Muttkowski, and includes eleven others, making a total of 15 additions to the state list. …

An Emergence Trap For Aquatic Insects, Armond E. Lemke, Vincent R. Mattson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: The identification of organisms is a prerequisite to developing water quality criteria for aquatic life. Identification is necessary because differences in water quality requirements are specific and may be different for closely allied species. The taxonomy of various species, particularly those associated with the aquatic environment, is much more detailed and better known for adults than for immature instars. To facilitate correlation of adult and larval forms, a trap was needed to collect the emerging adults from the various streams.

Shoreline Aggregation Behavior Of Adults Of A Midge, Chironomus Sp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) At Solberg Lake, Wisconsin, Louis F. Wilson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Adult chironomid midges are well known to visitors at northern Wisconsin lakes during the spring and summer. Although the larval stages of chironomids supplement the diet of fish, the adults are often a nuisance because they aggregate in huge aerial swarms near beaches, collect at lights, alight on various objects including people, and deposit green specks wherever they rest. The most familiar midge in Wisconsin is Chirononmus plumosus (L.) which has been studied at Lake Pepin (Johnson and Munger, 1930) and at Lake Winnebago (Burrill, 1913; Hilsenhoff, 1959,1966,1967).

United States Records Of Williamsonia Fletcheri (Odonata: Corduliidae), G. H. Beatty, A. F. Beatty

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Excerpt: Foley (1966) reported specimens of Williamsonia fletcheri Williamson from rand Traverse County, Michigan as the first record of the species from the lower peninsula and "the second for the United States." However. two other records for the United States were overlooked and this was actually the fourth