Entomology Commons^™

Owlet Caterpillars Of Eastern North America. David L. Wagner, Dale F. Schweitzer, J Bolling Sullivan & Richard C. Reardon. 2011. Princeton University Press, 576 Pp., Soft Cover, 8 By 10., Fred Stehr

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

You may be wondering what an owlet caterpillar is, since “owlet” is not mentioned in some books about insects. It is a general name for moths in the family Noctuidae and is nicely defined by Marshall (2006) as: “nocturnal moths are sometimes called owlet moths (noctua means owl in Latin) because of the way their eyes pick up and reflect the smallest amount of light, shining brightly in contrast with the usually inconspicuous body and forewings”.

A Fine Dining Experience: Review Of How Not To Be Eaten. The Insects Fight Back. Gilbert Waldbauer. 2012. University Of California Press. 221 Pp., Brian Scholtens

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

As a long-time researcher and observer of insects, Waldbauer is the ideal person to write a book about insect defenses. It is obvious throughout the text that he has been intimately involved with these topics during his career, and his enthusiasm for these animals shines through. I can imagine his many students thoroughly enjoying classes, field trips and research with such a talented observer.

Dragonflies And Damselflies Of The East. Dennis Paulson. 2011. Princeton University Press, 576 Pp. , 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 Inches, 675 Color Photos. 350 Line Illus. 333 Maps. Isbn: 9780691122830. (Paperback) $29.95., Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

For many years, Odonatologists “toiled” in relative obscurity. Oh, we knew that dragonflies and damselflies were really fascinating, but with few books other than Needham and Westfall and the 3 volumes of Odonata of Canada and Alaska, it appeared that identifying Odes required arcane knowledge and a fascination for wing venation.

Anthidium Oblongatum (Apoidea: Megachilidae) Confirmed As A Michigan Resident, With Notes On Other Michigan Anthidium Species, Mark F. O'Brien, Daniel R. Swanson, Jeremy Monsma

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The Palearctic wool-carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum (Illiger) is newly documented in Michigan, with vouchers from Kent, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties. Additional Michigan records are provided for Anthidium manicatum (L.) and the native Anthidium psoraleae Robertson.

First Report Of The Neoephemeridae (Ephemeroptera) In Wisconsin, Kurt L. Schmude, Tracey D. Ledder, Tom H. Klubertanz, Jeffrey J. Dimick

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The mayfly family Neoephemeridae was discovered in Wisconsin for the first time and is represented by the species Neoephemera bicolor. Nymphs were collected from three sites in two rivers in northern Wisconsin. Adults were reared from nymphs. Some physical and chemical characteristics of the sample locations are discussed.

Evaluating Multiple Arthropod Taxa As Indicators Of Invertebrate Diversity In Old Fields, William R. Morrison Iii, Joseph T. Waller, Alyssa C. Brayshaw, David A. Hyman, Michael R. Johnson, Ann M. Fraser

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Biodiversity, often quantified by species richness, is commonly used to evaluate and monitor the health of ecosystems and as a tool for conservation planning. The use of one or more focal taxa as surrogates or indicators of larger taxonomic diversity can greatly expedite the process of biodiversity measurement. This is especially true when studying diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna. Before indicator taxa are employed, however, research into their suitability as indicators of greater taxonomic diversity in an area is needed. We sampled invertebrate diversity in old fields in southern Michigan using pitfall trapping and morphospecies designations after identification to order …

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Of The Chicago Area: Diversity And Habitat Use In An Urbanized Landscape, Alan Molumby, Tomasz Przybylowicz

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) were collected at 24 sites chosen to represent the diversity of urban and natural habitats in the Chicago metropolitan area. Species richness was assessed for each site. Patterns of habitat use were inferred from collection records. In urban areas, we collected 33 species, belonging to 15 genera and 5 families. Areas of preserved natural habitat yielded 44 species, in 20 genera, and 6 families. Twenty species were common to both urban areas and areas of preserved natural habitat. Species at each site were ranked by the number of times they were collected. The bees most often collected …

Does Low-Density Grazing Affect Butterfly (Lepidoptera) Colonization Of A Previously Flooded Tallgrass Prairie Reconstruction?, Abbey Elmer, Jamie Lane, Keith S. Summerville, Loren Lown

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Conservation of wildlife in managed landscapes can be facilitated by partnering with livestock producers to introduce grazing disturbances. The effects of grazing in grassland systems, however, are often a function of other disturbances that may occur simultaneously. The goal of this study was to determine how grazing and flooding disturbances interacted to affect butterfly communities on wetland reserve program easements. We sampled butterflies from 2008-2011 in two large grassland habitats, one exposed to low density cow-calf grazing and one maintained as a control. Both grassland habitats were severely flooded in 2008. Repeated-measures ANOVA suggested that time since flooding and the …

A Synopsis Of The Damsel Bugs (Heteroptera: Nabidae) Of Michigan, D. R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

An overview of the 13 species of Nabidae found in Michigan is presented, along with an identification key, distribution maps, and relevant literature. New state records for Himacerus major (Costa) (Nabinae), Metatropiphorus belfragii Reuter (Nabinae), Nabis americolimbatus (Carayon) (Nabinae), and Pagasa fusca (Stein) (Prostemmatinae) are included.

Predicting Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Landing Behavior On Unwounded Ash, Jordan M. Marshall, Melissa J. Porter, Andrew J. Storer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Detection of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive forest pest, is difficult in low density populations war- ranting continual development of various trapping techniques and protocols. Understanding and predicting landing behavior of A. planipennis may assist in the further development of trapping techniques and improvement of trapping protocols for widespread survey programs in North America. Three multiple regression models were developed using ash tree vigor and crown light exposure to predict the landing behavior of A. planipennis. These models were then used to predict the landing density of A. planipennis at separate sites and in …

Endophytic Fungi Of Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia) In Guangdong Province, China, Jiang-Hua Huang, Mei-Mei Xiang, Zi-De Jiang

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Endophytic fungi can mutualistically interact with their host plants by deterring herbivores. Overall 1172 endophytic fungal isolates were recovered from roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of bitter melon, Momordica charantia, at five sites in Guangdong Province. These isolates were identified to 25 genera using morphological and molecular characteristics. The endophyte communities at the five sites were similar. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Colletotrichum spp., Nigrospora spp., Penicillium spp., Arthrinium spp., Chaetimium spp., Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp., Phoma spp., and Phomopsis spp. were isolated from at least three of the five sites. The coefficient of similarity for endophytes …

Activity And Diversity Of Collembola (Insecta) And Mites (Acari) In Litter Of A Degraded Midwestern Oak Woodland, James F. Steffen, Joan Palincsar, Florrie M. Funk, Daniel J. Larkin

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Litter-inhabiting Collembola and mites were sampled using pitfall traps over a twelve-month period from four sub-communities within a 100-acre (40-ha) oak-woodland complex in northern Cook County, Illinois. Sampled locations included four areas where future ecological restoration was planned (mesic woodland, dry-mesic woodland, mesic upland forest, and buckthorn-dominated savanna) and a mesic woodland control that would not be restored. Fifty-eight mite and 30 Collembola taxa were identified out of 5,308 and 190,402 individuals trapped, respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between litter mass and both mite diversity and the ratio of Oribatida to Prostigmata and a significant negative relationship between …

Recent Detections Of A Rare Native Lady Beetle, Coccinella Novemnotata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), In Minnesota, Robert L. Koch

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Coccinella novemnotata Herbst (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was once widespread and commonly collected in North America; however, its abundance and distribution decreased over the 1970s and 1980s. It has not been collected by recent surveys in some areas and in other areas is only rarely collected. Museum records were examined and a survey of Minnesota soybean fields was conducted via sweep-net sampling in July and August 2011. Results suggest that C. novemnotata is absent from or below the detection threshold in the majority of the state of Minnesota. However, there appears to be an area in east central Minnesota with at least …

Distribution Of Strongylium Crenatum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) In The United States And First Record From Iowa, Edwin L. Freese

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Strongylium crenatum Mäklin (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is reported from Iowa for the first time. After discovering that Iowa represented a large range extension for this species, label data were collected to update its range. Numerous insect collections and references were checked and specimens representing 17 states were located.

Notes On The Biology Of Saperda Imitans Infesting Wind-Damaged Black Cherry In Allegheny Hardwood Stands, Marc F. Digirolomo, Douglas C. Allen, Stephen V. Stehman

The Great Lakes Entomologist

This paper reports observations made on the life history and biology of Saperda imitans Felt & Joutel in black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. S. imitans was the principle longhorned beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) reared from bolts collected from 68 wind-thrown black cherry at the Kane Experimental Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. It was also the only species that overwintered in the sapwood/outer heartwood, and thus impacted the commercial value of these trees. Gaurotes cyanipennis (Say) was the only other cerambycid reared from caged bolts taken from wind-thrown black cherry. The cerambycids Stenocorus vittiger (Randall), Arthophylax attenuatus (Haldman), G. cyanipennis, Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus …

A Synopsis Of The Coreoidea (Heteroptera) Of Michigan, D. R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

An overview of the species of Coreoidea (Alydidae, Coreidae, and Rhopalidae) found in Michigan is presented, along with identification keys, distribution maps, and relevant literature. New state records for Alydus pilosulus Herrich-Schaeffer (Alydidae: Alydinae), Merocoris distinctus Dallas (Coreidae: Meropachyinae), Leptoglossus corculus (Say) (Coreidae: Coreinae), Leptoglossus oppositus (Say) (Coreidae: Coreinae), and Liorhyssus hyalinus (Fabricius) (Rhopalidae: Rhopalinae) are included.

Bark Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) Community Structure In Northeastern And Central Minnesota, Jesse A. Pfammatter, David R. Coyle, Ann M. Journey, Tiffany L. Pahs, John C. Luhman, Valerie J. Cervenka, Robert L. Koch

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Large-scale surveys of forest insects provide two distinct benefits: the detection of invasive and exotic species that cause millions of dollars of damage annually to forest and ornamental industries, and the addition of a wealth of species distribution and diversity information to the scientific community. We intensively surveyed the Northeast and East-central regions of Minnesota from 2006-2008 for invasive/exotic and native Scolytinae using Lindgren funnel traps baited with one of four lures (a/β-pinene, ultra-high-release ethanol [EtOH], EtOH+a-pinene, and Ips 3-part). We captured 16,841 scolytines (representing 25 genera) of which over 40% were Ips pini (Say) and Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff). We …

New State Records And Distributional Notes For Some Assassin Bugs Of The Continental United States (Heteroptera: Reduviidae), D. R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

One hundred sixty-eight new state records are presented for 51 species of assassin bugs found in the United States; distributional and taxonomic notes supplement the records. The current known distribution north of Mexico is provided for each species.

Case-Building Behavior, Persistence, And Emergence Success Of Pycnopsyche Guttifer (Walker) (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) In Laboratory And In Situ Environments: Potential Trade-Offs Of Material Preference, David C. Houghton, Sarah E. Rogers, Kate Hocquard, Charlotte I. Wolfe

The Great Lakes Entomologist

When removed from their cases in a non-flow laboratory environment, 5th instar Pycnopsyche guttifer (Walker) larvae were always successful in constructing a new case within 24 h when woody debris was present as a material choice. Most were successful within 1 h. Larvae were never successful at case building in the absence of wood in a non-flow environment. These laboratory-constructed ‘emergency cases’ were flimsy, lacking in shape, and larger than field cases. Laboratory case size, shape, and material preference remained constant after repeated daily evacuations over a series of 10 days. Larvae could be induced to construct a case composed …

On The Mygalomorphae (Araneae) Of Michigan, Daniel R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The discovery of a population of Antrodiaetus unicolor (Hentz) in Michigan is reported, resulting in the first state record for the mygalomorph family Antrodiaetidae. New county records for another mygalomorph spider, Sphodros niger (Hentz) (Atypidae), including one which represents a significant Michigan range extension, are presented and the occurrence of the genus in Michigan is clarified.

New State Record And Notable Range Extension For Libellula Semifasciata (Odonata: Libellulidae), Ryan D. Rasmussen, Joshua G. Otten, Joseph W. Dixon

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The painted skimmer, Libellula semifasciata Burmeister (Odonata: Libellulidae), is an eastern species of dragonfly that has never been documented in Iowa. In this note we report two observations and the collection of a voucher for this species in southeast Iowa in the last three years. Based on other records of this species, including those from neighboring states and more northerly latitudes, we propose that these observations are evidence of a range extension.

An Annotated Checklist Of Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) From Northeastern Iowa, Reese J. Worthington, Kirk J. Larsen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A survey of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was conducted during 2009 in the geographically distinct area of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties in extreme Northeast Iowa. Four plant communities distributed among 10 locations, including tallgrass prairie, mixed grassland and forest, oak-hickory forest, and pasture were sampled during 2009 using black light traps, banana- beer traps, rodent burrow pitfalls, manure-baited pitfalls, and gleaning. Additionally, previous specimen records were examined. Forty-nine scarab species were documented for Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, including five species not previously reported in Iowa. Mixed grassland and forest habitat contained the greatest scarab species richness (n=31); black light trapping …

Estimation Of Sorting Time For Arthropod Samples Collected With Tullgren Funnels, Ernest C. Bernard, Pennie J. Long

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Arthropods were sorted from samples obtained with Tullgren funnels. Each sorter maintained a log of time per session and arthropods removed per session. Five individuals removed all arthropods from 12 separate samples and sorted them into previously designated class or ordinal taxa. Each sample was sorted by a single student. Students were allowed to develop their own approaches to sorting and do it as time permitted. Mean sorting rate per sample was 2.43 arthropods per minute, with a range of 1.42-5.64, while mean sorting rate for a sorting session was 3.41 specimens per minute. Specimen density was only weakly correlated …

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) Of The Kitty Todd Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio, Mike Arduser

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A survey of the bees occurring on the The Nature Conservancy’s Kitty Todd Preserve in the Oak Openings region of Lucas County Ohio was conducted in 2002-2004, using hand-netting techniques. Collecting effort totaled 24.5 hours spread over 11 different days in the three years. All sampling was done in natural communities. One hundred twenty-four species of bees were identified from fifty-one species of flowering plants, including several bee species poorly known or infrequently collected. Comments are provided about the faunistics, bee-plant relationships, oligolecty, management, and natural community dependency of the bees found on the Kitty Todd Preserve.

An Annotated Checklist Of Wisconsin Mutillidae (Hymenoptera), Craig M. Brabant, Daniel K. Young

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A survey of Wisconsin velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) conducted from literature searches, collection inventories, and two years of field work (2001-2002) yielded 28 species in three subfamilies. Of these, 23 species (representing 82% of the Wisconsin fauna and a 460% increase in the known species richness) are new state species records, having not previously been recorded in the published literature from the state. The known distributions of all Wisconsin species are reported by region and county, along with pertinent phenological, natural history, and other collection information, when known.

Nutritional And Defensive Chemistry Of Three North American Ash Species: Possible Roles In Host Performance And Preference By Emerald Ash Borer Adults, Yigen Chen, Therese M. Poland

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), and white ash (F. americana) are the three most abundant ash species in the northeastern USA. We compared emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), adult performance and preference among seedlings of the three ash species, and then related performance and preference to foli- age nutritional quality and defensive compounds. Longevity of EAB adults reared on green and white ash was found to be greater than on black ash. EAB adult females also seemed to show feeding preference among the three species of ash trees because …

Habitat Associations Of Macro-Staphylinids (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) At Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Station, Hancock County, Illinois, Kenneth W. Mccravy, Jason E. Willand

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Habitat associations of size-selected (≥ 5 mm length) rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), hereafter referred to as “macro-staphylinids,” were studied in west-central Illinois forest and prairie habitats in 2005 using pitfall traps. Habitats sampled included oak-hickory forest last burned in spring 2004, oak-hickory forest burned in spring 2005, oak-hickory forest unburned for 5+ years, unburned early successional forest, reconstructed prairie last burned in spring 2004, and reconstructed prairie burned in spring 2005. A total of 361 macrostaphylinids, representing 12 species, were collected, with Philonthus caerulipennis (Mannerheim), Platydracus maculosus (Gravenhorst), Platydracus fossator Gravenhorst, Platydracus zonatus (Gravenhorst), and Tachinus fimbriatus Gravenhorst comprising 94% …

Grass Hosts Of Cereal Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Between Wheat-Cropping Cycles In South Dakota, Louis S. Hesler, Kurt J. Dagel

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Several grasses may serve as alternative hosts for cereal aphids during the interim between small-grain crops in South Dakota, but field studies to determine which grasses are important have not been undertaken. We sampled annual and perennial grasses for cereal aphids in 18 counties in South Dakota in the month of August over three years. Eighty-five of 240 site samples had one or more species of cereal aphids, including 61 of 65 corn sites and 12 of 13 sorghum and sudangrass sites. Four species of cereal aphids were found during the survey: corn leaf aphid, 74 times; bird cherry-oat aphid, …

Status Of Zygiella And Parazygiella (Araneae: Araneidae) In The Great Lakes States, Michael L. Draney

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A confusing nomenclatural history has resulted in the persistence of the idea that Parazygiella montana (C. L. Koch, 1834), a Palearctic species of orbweaver (Araneae: Araneidae), occurs in the Great Lakes states. I discuss this nomenclatural history and report upon all available material from the Great Lakes states to show that P. montana has never been recorded from the region, and that all previous records of Zygiella/Zilla montana refer to a native species, Zygiella nearctica Gertsch, 1964. Although Z. nearctica has been collected from mainland Michigan and Wisconsin historically, all post 1960 records of this species are from islands in …

Feeding Records Of Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) From Wisconsin, Supplement, Andrew H. Williams, Doris M. Lagos, James C. Trager

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Basic to our understanding of any animal and its habitat requirements is knowing what it eats. Reported here are observations of feeding by 24 species of aphids encountered in Wisconsin over 2002-2010.