Entomology Commons^™

Using Degree-Day Methodology To Ascertain Early Flight Periods Of Michigan Butterflies And Skippers, Owen A. Perkins

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Butterflies and skippers have been collected in Michigan for over 130 years and the accompanying data labels continue to provide significant information. Both collection date and site information for voucher specimens provide the data that is used to ascertain the daily maximum-minimum temperatures for the year in which the specimens were collected. This information may then be used to calculate the degree-day accumulations above a base value over those specific dates.

The Michigan Entomological Society - Michigan Lepidoptera Survey (MLS) is a team of lepidopterists who have endeavored to create a composite database of all voucher specimens in museum and …

New Record Of Vanessa Virginiensis (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) As A Host Of Thyrateles Procax (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), David B. Maclean, John Luhman

The Great Lakes Entomologist

On 4 August, 2005 a male Thyrateles procax (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) emerged from a pupa of Vanessa virginiensis (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) which was contained within a screened cage in Cook County, MN. This is the first published record of Vanessa virginiensis as a host of Thyrateles procax. Adults of T. procax appear to be rare, as only two old records (both males) are known from Minnesota (University of Minnesota, Insect Collection)

A New State Record For Olixon Banksii (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae) In Missouri., Diane L. Wood, M. Anthony Maupin

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

The cosmopolitan family Rhopalosmatidae is comprised of four genera and 37 species (Townes 1977, Goulet and Huber 1993, Fernandez and Sarmiento-M 2002, Lohrmann and Ohl 2007).

Gomphus Spicatus (Odonata: Gomphidae) Rediscovered In Illinois And Libellula Semifasciata (Odonata: Libellulidae) Recorded Near Wisconsin, Robert B. Dubois, Craig R. Stettner

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Gomphus spicatus Hagen (Odonata: Gomphidae), commonly called dusky clubtail, is a common and widely distributed dragonfly in a variety of ponds, lakes, and slow streams throughout its range in the north-eastern and northcentral United States and adjacent areas of southern Canada (Donnelly 2004).

Erythrodiplax Umbrata (Odonata: Libellulidae): New For Michigan, Julie A. Craves, Darrin S. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two band-winged dragonlets, Erythrodiplax umbrata (Linnaeus), collected in Wayne County, Michigan on 6 October 2007 represent the first records for this genus and species in the state, as well as the northernmost record for the species. They were found during a period in which many individuals were seen or photographed in Ohio, which prior to 2006, had only two records.

Can Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Emerge From Logs Two Summers After Infested Trees Are Cut?, Toby R. Petrice, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a serious invasive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America. Much of EAB’s range expansion has been attributed to human-assisted movement of infested items such as ash logs and firewood. It is unclear the amount of time that logs cut from live EAB-infested ash trees should be restricted from movement until they are no longer capable of producing viable EAB adults. In March and April 2004, we cut log sections from EAB-infested green ash (F. pennsylvanica Marsh) trees in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan. Log sections …

Abundance Of Rice Root Aphid Among Selected Plant Species And On Plants Grown With Different Soil-Surface Media, Louis S. Hesler, S. Dean Kindler

The Great Lakes Entomologist

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 …

Secondary Predation On The Horsehair Worm Gordius Robustus (Nematomorpha: Gordiida), Philip A. Cochran

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The gut contents of a brown trout (Salmo trutta) included horsehair worms (Gordius robustus, Nematomorpha: Gordiida) emerging from a camel cricket (Ceuthophilus sp., Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae). This provides more evidence of secondary ingestion than most previous reports of predation on horsehair worms, but it also illustrates the difficulty of distinguishing in practice between direct and secondary predation.

Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Response To An Aggregation Of Lytta Sayi (Coleoptera: Meloidae) On Lupinus Perennis (Fabaceae, Jodi A. I Swanson, Paula K. Kleintjes Neff

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov, frequently called the Karner blue butterfly, is a Federally endangered species found in savanna/barren type ecosystems of New England and the Great Lakes region of North America. We observed sporadic and localized feeding aggregations of Lytta sayi LeConte (Coleoptera: Meloidae) on Lupinus perennis L. (Fabaceae) occupied by L. m. samuelis during the summers of 2000-2004, in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. In 2004, we quantified the phenology and behavior of an aggregation (> 900 beetles) within a 1,020 m2 stand of lupine and measured its effect upon adult L. m. samuelis behavior. The L. sayi aggregation formed …

Alfalfa Snout Beetle, Otiorhynchus Ligustici L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Methods For Egg Collection And Larval Rearing, Elson J. Shields, Gabor Neumann, Antonio M. Testa

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The alfalfa snout beetle, Otiorhynchus ligustici L., is the most serious pest of alfalfa in northern New York State. Recent research efforts focused on the biological control of this insect require the availability of all life stages. With a 2-year lifecycle and a mandatory diapause, the artificial rearing of a laboratory culture appears to be a non-viable option at present, but methods described here can be used to obtain sufficient numbers of eggs and larvae over an extended period of time for research purposes. The crowding of adult beetles in egg production units (cups) had a significant, negative effect on …

Female Fighting And Host Competition Among Four Sympatric Species Of Melittobia (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Robert W. Matthews, Leif D. Deyrup

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Melittobia is a genus of parasitic wasps well known for high levels of inbreeding and violent male combat. Casual observations of groups of sisters of M. femorata placed with hosts revealed a surprising incidence of body mutilations (broken or missing tarsi, antennae, and wings). Replicated conspecific groups of 1, 2, or 3 females of M. femorata, M. digitata, and M. australica and interspecific groups of M. femorata and M. australica (2:1) were observed over their first 10 days in newly established cultures, and the incidence of mutilation was recorded. In some groups females were dye-fed, allowing us to subsequently chart …

Fungal Pathogens Infecting Soybean Aphid And Aphids On Other Crops Grown In Soybean Production Areas Of Michigan, Takuji Noma, Michael J. Brewer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Seasonal prevalence of fungal pathogens infecting soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), was assessed from 2004 to 2006 in two Michigan soybean production areas. In 2005 and 2006 field-collected soybean aphids were incubated, and fungal infection was detected at both sites early in August 2005 during soybean pod development and high soybean aphid densities. Significantly higher proportions of winged aphid morphs were infected (20 and 90% infection at the two sites) than wingless aphid morphs (1 and 3% infection). All cases of mycosis examined involved one pathogen species, Pandora neoaphidis (Remaudiére & Hennebert) Humber (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae). In 2004 and …

Do Generalist Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Females Select Dark Green Leaves Over Yellowish – Or Reddish-Green Leaves For Oviposition?, Rodrigo J. Mercader, Rory Kruithoff, J. Mark Scriber

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In late August and September, using leaves from the same branches, the polyphagous North American swallowtail butterfly species Papilio glaucus L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) is shown to select mature dark green leaves of their host plants white ash, Fraxinus americana L. (Oleaceae) and tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera L. (Magnoliaceae) rather than the pale green or yellowish- green mature leaves in laboratory oviposition arenas. In early August, similar results were observed for black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae). Dark green leaves were preferred over light green and yellowish green leaves. These green leaves of black cherry were the most nutritious leaves for …

Notes On Dianthidium Simile (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) In Michigan, Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Dianthidium simile (Cresson) is a small ground-nesting megachilid bee restricted to sandy areas in Michigan, often bordering lakeshores. Females dig their nests in sand, at the base of dried clumps of grass. Nests are small clusters of cells, formed from conifer resin and sand grains, with each 1-1.5 cm in length by 8.5 mm in diameter. Collection records and field observations indicate a flight period from late June to early September. This is the first report on the behavior of this species.

Presence Of The “Threatened” Trimerotropis Huroniana (Orthoptera: Acrididae) In Relation To The Occurrence Of Native Dune Plant Species And The Exotic Centaurea Biebersteinii, Jordan M. Marshall, Andrew J. Storer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Trimerotropis huroniana Wlk. is a “Threatened” species in Michigan and Wisconsin with a distribution limited to open dune systems in the northern Great Lakes region of North America. Pitfall traps were utilized in the Grand Sable Dunes of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, MI, along with an herbaceous plant survey, to identify the relationship of T. huroniana with native dune plant species, Ammophila breviligulata Fern. (American beachgrass, Poaceae), Artemisia campestris L. (field sagewort, Asteraceae), and the exotic invasive plant Centaurea biebersteinii DC. [=Centaurea maculosa, spotted knapweed, Lamarck] (Asteraceae). The absence of C. biebersteinii resulted in an increased likelihood of …

Behaviors Of Adult Agrilus Planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Cesar R. Rodriguez-Soana, James R. Miller, Therese M. Poland, Tina M. Kuhn, Gard W. Otis, Tanya Turk, Daniel L. Ward

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A 2-year study was conducted in Canada (2003) and the United States (2005) to better understand searching and mating behaviors of adult Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. In both field and laboratory, adults spent more time resting and walking than feeding or flying. The sex ratio in the field was biased towards males, which tended to hover around trees, likely looking for mates. There was more leaf feeding damage within a tree higher in the canopy than in the lower canopy early in the season, but this difference disappeared over time. In choice experiments, males attempted to mate with individuals of both …

Additions And Corrections To The Stoneflies (Plecoptera) Of Iowa, U.S.A., Dennis P. Heimdal, Michael W. Birmingham

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(exerpt)

Until recently, Iowa’s stonefly fauna was poorly documented. Heimdal et al. (2004) published a comprehensive report on stonefly distributions within the state, reporting seven families and 43 species. Five species, Allocapnia pygmaea (Burmeister) (Capiniidae), Leuctra tenuis (Pictet) (Leuctridae), Amphinemura linda (Ricker) (Nemouridae), Nemoura trispinosa Claassen (Nemouridae), and Soyedina vallicularia (Wu) (Nemouridae), were recommended for state protection because of their limited distribution within Iowa. Four species, Amphinemura delosa (Ricker), Isogenoides doratus (Frison) (Perlodidae), I. krumholzi (Ricker), and I. varians (Walsh), had limited distributions, but were not listed because their observed habitat preferences appeared common or were difficult to sample and …

First Record Of Harpalus Ochropus Kirby (Coleoptera: Carabidae) From Minnesota And The Conterminous United States, Foster Forbes Purrington, Richard M. Maxey

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

The epigeal ground beetle Harpalus ochropus Kirby (Coleoptera: Carabidae) has been reported from Alaska and across Canada from British Columbia into Quebec (Bousquet and Larochelle 1993). It is local and rarely collected. Gandhi et al. (2005) surveyed for carabids extensively for several years along the Gunflint Trail and adjacent Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northeastern Minnesota.

A Friend Unmasked: Notes On Chauliognathus Pensylvanicus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) And The Nature Of Natural History, Andrew H. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Data from field observations from 1992 through 2006 and from museum specimens of adult Chauliognathus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) from Wisconsin are presented here, with information from the literature. Beetles were found using flowers of 183 species in 29 families growing outside cultivation in Wisconsin and in every Wisconsin county. All evidence supports the characterization of C. pensylvanicus as a prairie insect that also lives in other, early successional plant communities.

Patch-Scale Movement Dynamics In The Iowa Grassland Butterflies Speyeria Cybele And Megisto Cymela (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), David Courard-Hauri, Ashley A. Wick, Lindsey K. Kneubuhler, Keith S. Summerville

The Great Lakes Entomologist

An understanding of the movement dynamics of invertebrates can be critical to their conservation, especially when managing relatively small, isolated habitats. Most studies of butterfly movement have focused on metapopulation dynamics at relatively large spatial scales, and the results from these studies may not translate well for patchy populations within a single nature preserve. In this work we use individual mark and recapture (IMR) methods to follow the movements of two species of butterfly, Megisto cymela (Cramer) and Speyeria cybele F. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) within a 240 hectare forest and grassland preserve in central Iowa, USA. Significant redistribution was seen in …

Anoplophora Glabripennis Within-Tree Distribution, Seasonal Development, And Host Suitability In China And Chicago, Robert A. Haack, Leah S. Bauer, Rui-Tong Gao, Joseph J. Mccarthy, Deborah L. Miller, Toby R. Petrice, Therese M. Poland

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Established populations of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were first reported in the United States in New York in 1996, Illinois in 1998, and New Jersey in 2002. A federal quarantine and an eradication program were implemented in 1997, involving tree surveys and removal of infested trees. We recorded the number of A. glabripennis life stages found at several locations along the main trunk and major branches of naturally infested trees in China (species of Populus, Salix, and Ulmus) and Chicago, Illinois (species of Acer, Fraxinus, and Ulmus) during 1999 to 2002. Typically, …

Variation In Detecting Schinia Indiana And Schinia Lucens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In Wisconsin, Ann B. Swengel, Scott R. Swengel

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Schinia indiana (Smith) and Schinia lucens (Morrison) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are diurnal moths and are well camouflaged when perched on flowers of their larval food plants: Phlox pilosa L. (Polemoniaceae) and Amorpha(Fabaceae), respectively. We recorded 264 S. indiana in diurnal surveys of 28 units of 15 sites in Jackson County, WI, and 25 units of 5 sites in Burnett County, WI, from 23 May (2006) to 15 June (1994). The longest flight periods in single years were 21 days in 1994 and 17 days in 2006. Abundance of individuals was significantly greater when phlox flowering was prepeak and peak, compared …

Compensatory Feeding And Growth Responses Of Papilio Glaucus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) Larvae Reared In Darkness., Jennifer Muehlhaus, J. Mark Scriber

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The goal was to determine the potential impact of photoperiod on feeding behavior and larval growth rates. Larvae from six different families of the eastern swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) were placed into 3 different photoperiod regimes (long days at 18:6 h, short days at 12:12 h, and total darkness at 0:24 h, all at 27°C) as neonate first instars and reared to pupation. The initial 11 days reflected very slow growth of the larvae in darkness (only half the weight of the long day larvae). No differences in survival at 4 days or 11 days or until …

Variation In Diel Activity Of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Associated With A Soybean Field And Coal Mine Remnant, Jason E. Willand, Kenneth W. Mccravy

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Diel activities of carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) associated with a coal mine remnant and surrounding soybean field were studied in west-central Illinois from June through October 2002. A total of 1,402 carabids, representing 29 species and 17 genera, were collected using pitfall traps. Poecilus chalcites (Say) demonstrated roughly equal diurnal and nocturnal activity in June, but greater diurnal activity thereafter. Pterostichus permundus (Say), Cyclotrachelus seximpressus (LeConte), Amara obesa (Say), and Scarites quadriceps Chaudoir showed significant nocturnal activity. Associations between habitat and diel activity were found for three species: P. chalcites associated with the remnant and edge habitats showed greater diurnal activity …

Preliminary Inventory Of Lepidoptera From Cook County, Minnesota: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea, Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Bombycoidea, Sphingoidea And Noctuoidea, David B. Maclean

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Four hundred and sixty five species of butterflies, skippers and moths, collected from 1988 through the summer of 2007, are reported from Cook County, MN. Included are data for three butterfly species of special concern: Lycaeides idas nabokovi Masters, Erebia discoidalis (Kirby) and Oeneis jutta (Hübner). Numbers of species recorded for the following families were: Hesperiidae (14), Papilionidae (2), Pieridae (7), Lycaenidae (14), Nymphalidae (24), Satyridae (6), Danaidae (1), Thyatiridae (4), Drepanidae (3), Geometridae (99), Lasiocampidae (2), Saturniidae (4), Sphingidae (16), Notodontidae (20), Arctiidae (19), Lyman- triidae (5) and Noctuidae (225). Euphydryas phaeton (Drury) (Nymphalidae) is reported for the first …

Diversity Of Cicadellidae And Cercopidae (Hemiptera) On Sand Prairies Of Newaygo County, Michigan, James P. Dunn, Holly A. Hereau, Adam J. Klomp

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Sand prairies in the Great Lakes region occur as small sites dispersed through- out a heavily disturbed landscape. These unique natural areas are dominated by dry prairie grasses and are inhabited by a diversity of insects of which Cicadellidae and Cercopidae are among the most diverse groups. Their species compositions have been implicated as being potential indicators of ecological quality that could be used to rank the quality of prairie vegetation. In Newaygo Co., Michigan, 12 sand prairies were surveyed for Cicadellidae and Cercopidae and these data were then used to estimate species diversity for each site by the Simpson’s …

Oviposition And Development Of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) On Hosts And Potential Hosts In No-Choice Bioassays, Andrea C. Anulewicz, Deborah G. Mccullough, Deborah L. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Bupres- tidae) is an invasive phloem-feeding pest native to Asia. It was first identified in North America in 2002 and has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in southeast Michigan and Essex County, Ontario. Since then, additional populations have been discovered across Michigan and in areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Asia, A. planipennis reportedly colonizes other genera, including species of Juglans, Pterocarya and Ulmus. In North America, attacks on non-ash species have not been observed but there is concern about host switching as …

A Field Guide To The Tiger Beetles Of The United States And Canada: Identification, Natural History, And Distribution Of The Cicindelidae. D. L. Pearson, D. B. Knisley, And D. J. Kazilek. 2006. Oxford University Press, 227 Pp., Soft Cover., Kamal J.K. Gandhi

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Tiger Beetles are a favorite among insect collectors because of their beauty, diversity, and fascinating adult and larval behavior. Cicindelophiles, or tiger beetle enthusiasts, have been blessed during the past decade as a number of regional field-guides have been published on these insects (Knisley and Schultz 1997, Leonard and Bell 1999, Acorn 2001, Pearson and Vogler 2001, Choate 2003). However, missing from the shelf was a book about the synthesis of tiger beetles of America north of Mexico, and this book fills exactly that much coveted empty space on the entomologist’s book-shelf.

Isodontia Elegans Now In Michigan (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae: Sphecinae), Mark F. O'Brien, Julie A. Craves

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Isodontia elegans (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), one of the “grass- carrying wasps,” previously known only from the western U.S., is now reported from southeastern Michigan, and appears to have spread across the eastern half of the United States in a relatively short period.

First Michigan Specimens Of Libellula Vibrans Fabricius (Odonata: Libellulidae), Julie A. Craves

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Libellula vibrans Fabricius (Odonata: Libellulidae) is a large dragonfly previously known in Michigan only from sight or literature records. In 2005, two small populations were found in Wayne County, Michigan.