Entomology Commons^™

Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Of Minnesota: An Annotated Checklist And New State Records, Robert L. Koch, David A. Rider, Paul P. Tinerella, Walter A. Rich

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Pentatomidae have been relatively poorly documented in Minnesota. Based on literature and museum records, an annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae of Minnesota was created. State-level and county-level records for Minnesota and the distribution of each species in North America are provided. Fifty-one species of Pentatomidae (12 Asopinae, 37 Pentatominae, and 2 Podopinae) are recorded for Minnesota. Of this total, 15 species are newly recorded for the state. Knowledge of the fauna of Pentatomidae in Minnesota will be important for providing baseline data for monitoring of potential shifts in the fauna resulting from the invasions of exotic Pentatomidae. Furthermore, a list …

Northern-Most North American Flower Visitation Records Of The Introduced Flower Fly, Syritta Flaviventris (Diptera: Syrphidae) And Comparisons With Sympatric Species, Syritta Pipiens, C. Sheena Sidhu, D. J. Biddinger

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report for the first time the syrphid fly, Syritta flaviventris (Macquart), collected in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as the northern-most record for this introduced Mediterranean species. In total, 3 male specimens and 1 female specimen were net collected on three flower species (Verbena hastata, Eryngium yuccifolium and Asclepias incarnata), at a single site of 11 monitored farm sites in southern Pennsylvania. Floral records for the similar introduced sibling species, Syritta pipiens (L.), are presented as well. Passive monitoring with colored pan traps used to monitor bee populations at these sites was not effective in collecting either species of …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Pitfall Traps And Winkler Litter Samples For Characterization Of Terrestrial Ant (Formicidae) Communities In Temperate Savannas, Sean B. Menke, Nicole Vachter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Relatively few studies in temperate environments have compared pitfall traps and Winkler litter samples, two of the most commonly used ant (Formicidae) sampling protocols. Most of the comparative work has been performed in tropical and subtropical environments. Temperate studies have primarily taken place in forested environments. Our study focuses on the relative efficiency of these two methods in temperate oak savannas, the major ecotone connecting grasslands and deciduous forest in the Midwest. These environments are often maintained by fire and mechanical brush removal, which tends to decrease the amount of available leaf litter. We sampled 21 sites, varying in age …

Establishment, Impacts, And Current Range Of Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe Ssp. Micranthos) Biological Control Insects In Michigan, B. D. Carson, C. A. Bahlai, D. A. Landis

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek (spotted knapweed) is an invasive plant that has been the target of classical biological control in North America for more than four decades. Work in the western U.S. and Canada has shown the seedhead-feeding weevils Larinus minutus Gyllenhal and Larinus obtusus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and the root-boring weevil Cyphocleonus achates (Fahraeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to be the most effective C. stoebe control agents. These three weevils have recently been introduced into the eastern U.S., including sites in Michigan in 2007 and 2009. In 2010, we made additional releases at six sites in Michigan, monitoring …

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) On Hill Prairies Of Allamakee County, Iowa: A Comparison Of The Late 1980s With 2013, Nicole M. Powers, Kirk J. Larsen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In the late 1980s, several hundred butterflies were collected by John Nehnevaj from hill prairies and a fen in Allamakee County, Iowa. Nehnevaj’s collection included 69 species, 14 of which are currently listed in Iowa as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). The goal of this study was to revisit sites surveyed in the 1980s and survey three additional sites to compare the species present in 2013 to the species found by Nehnevaj. A primary objective was to document the presence of rare prairie specialist butterflies (Lepidoptera), specifically the ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe W.H. Edwards; Hesperiidae), which was thought …

Differences In Thermal Tolerance Between Two Thermally Isolated And Genetically Indistinct Populations Of Paragnetina Media (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae), Bridget C. O'Leary, David C. Houghton, Jeffrey Van Zant

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The critical thermal maximum (CTM) of Paragnetina media (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) was studied at two sites of the Big Sable River in northwestern Lower Michigan during summer 2013. The sites were separated by ~8 km and differed in temperature by ~1°C in the early spring to ~5°C in mid-summer. Individual P. media specimens from the warm site had consistently higher CTM when acclimated to the mean temperature of the two sites for 3 days prior to experimental trials during May, June, and July. When acclimated for an additional 3 days to a higher or lower temperature, this thermal disadvantage disappeared. …

Beetles Of Eastern North America. Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton &University Press, 560 Pp., 8x10 Paperback. Isbn:9780691133041. Price: 35.00., Daniel K. Young

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Those of you who know me may think I’ve always been a “beetle guy” but growing up in southwestern Michigan and loving to trout fish, my first real insect infatuation was with aquatic insects. It was, in fact, not until the summer of my junior/senior year at Michigan State University that I was re- ally introduced to beetles – by a Ph.D. student for whom I worked as a student hourly (on cucumber pollination and honey bees)!

Beetles Of Eastern North America. Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton &University Press, 560 Pp., 8x10 Paperback. Isbn:9780691133041. Price: 35.00., Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

My early interests in entomology were augmented with How to Know the Beetles by H.E. Jacques (1951), and the Peterson Guide - A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America by Richard E. White (1983). In addition, Dillon and Dillon’s (1972) A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America was extremely helpful to a beginning collector trying to identify his catches.

New Wisconsin Record For Pterostichus Punctatissimus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Jessica Mayry, Xia Lee, Scott Larson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A single specimen of Pterostichus punctatissimus (Randall) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was recovered from an unbaited pitfall trap in northern Wisconsin in late May, 2013. This is the first recorded extant specimen of the species collected in Wisconsin.

New Eastern Record Of Ptosima Walshii (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Lawrence E. Barringer, Claire M. Ciafre

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ptosima walshii LeConte (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is reported for the first time in Pennsylvania, being the eastern-most record of the species. Four specimens were captured in Lindgren funnel traps in Bedford and Fulton counties during invasive wood-destroying beetle surveys.

Ten Bee Species New To Green Roofs In The Chicago Area, Kelly Ksiazek, Rebecca Tonietto, John S. Ascher

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Green roofs increasingly provide habitat for many insects in urban environments. Pollinators such as bees may utilize foraging and nesting resources provided by green roofs but few studies have documented which species occur in these novel habitats. This study identified bees from 26 species, 11 genera and 5 families collected from 7 green roofs using pan trapping methods over 2 years. Ten of these species have not previously been recorded on green roofs in the Chicago region. Although the majority of bee species collected were solitary, soil-nesting, and native to Illinois, the proportion of exotic species was high compared to …

Improvement Of Pheromone Trapping In Low Density Populations Of Choristoneura Pinus Pinus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), J. G. Fidgen, P. Silk, K. L. Ryall, T. Scarr

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Pheromone baited bucket traps (e.g., Multipher) are popular as a monitoring tool for the jack pine budworm, Choristoneura pinus pinus Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Canada. However, there is no evidence to support their use when budworm populations are low. We therefore evaluated the capture rate of bucket traps at two placement heights (2 vs 6 m) in two jack pine forests in 2011, having low (≤5 fifth instars per mfoliated branch length) budworm populations. Compared to wing traps (e.g., Pherocon 1C), the trap design used initially to evaluate efficacy of the C. pinus pheromone, bucket traps caught fewer C. pinus …

New State Records For Perillus Strigipes (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), Edwin L. Freese

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The stink bug Perillus strigipes is reported from Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, and Mississippi for the first time. This insect species has a wide distribution but generally is seldom collected.

New Distributional Record For Balcha Indica (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) In Eastern West Virginia Discovered During Emerald Ash Borer Parasitoid Recovery Surveys, Tara Spinos, Amy Hill, Rachel Braud, Richard M. Turcotte

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Between 2010 and 2012, approximately 6,300 Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and 9,500 Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitoids were released for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, at Cacapon State Park and the Cool Front Development in Morgan County, West Virginia. The invasive beetle was first detected there in 2009, and extensive ash mortality is currently occurring. We conducted parasitoid recovery surveys in 2013 but did not recover either of the released parasitoid species. However, we did rear Balcha indica Mani and Kaul (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), which is native to Asia and is a documented …

Additions To The Checklist Of Wisconsin Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Including The Adventive Harpalus Rubripes (Duftschmid) Among Seven New State Records, Peter W. Messer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Sixteen species are added to the checklist of Wisconsin Geadephaga. Of these, seven species are reported here as new to Wisconsin. Nine taxa from the list are affected by new information resulting in the removal of six names. The Eurasian beetle Harpalus rubripes was discovered as early as 2009 on annually surveyed beaches along Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin. This discovery greatly extends the species distribution westward from its presence in northeastern North America where it was first recorded in 1981.

Observations On The Biological Control Agents Of The American Plum Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Michigan Cherry And Plum Orchards, David J. Biddinger, Timothy W. Leslie

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an important pest in orchards, yet little is known regarding its biological control. We performed a comprehensive survey of the natural enemy complex contributing to American plum borer control in Michigan plum and cherry orchards, while also exploring the relationship between pest infestation and tree wounding from mechanical harvesting. We scouted 30 orchards with varying degrees of tree wounding to document extent of infestations of American plum borer and another pest, the lesser peach borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) (Lepidoptera: Sessiidae). We simultaneously recorded biological control agents, including the …

Notes On Chrysomelobia Labidomerae (Acari: Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae), Parasites Of Labidomera Clivicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In Michigan And Wisconsin, Robert W. Husband, Andrew H. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Chrysomelobia labidomerae Eickwort, ectoparasitic mite of chrysomelid beetles, is reported from 11 Wisconsin counties, from 16 of 82 adult Labidomera clivicollis (Kirby) beetles wild-caught in Wisconsin, and from 27 of 141 presumably wild-caught L. clivicollis beetles from 13 Michigan counties. Wisconsin beetles harboring C. labidomerae were found in dry to wet-mesic, open habitats. A distribution map and comments are presented.

Desirable Host Plant Qualities In Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris) For Infestation By The Rice Worm Apamea Apamiformis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Nathan B. Dahlberg, John Pastor

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The rate at which an insect infests hosts by ovipositioning and/or subsequent growth of larvae often depends on specific desirable host plant qualities. In this study, we measured the infestation rate of wild rice, Zizania palustris, by the wild rice worm, Apamea apamiformis, D. F. Hardwick (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and compared it to sediment nitrogen availability, plant biomass, plant density, litter accumulation, and seed carbohydrate and nitrogen concentration. Plant density and litter accumulation had no effect on infestation rates. Infestation rate increased with plant biomass and sediment nitrogen availability. The correlation between infestation rate and sediment nitrogen availability seems …

A Black Phase Female In The Historical Breeding Range Of Canadian Swallowtails (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Goran E. D. Blomberg, Edward Herig Jr.

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A black phase female, collected in 2000 in Isabella Co., MI, in the historical range of Papilio canadensis Rothschild and Jordan, could be a result of recent introgression by P. glaucus L. If so, black females may become widespread, though infrequent, in the northern Lower Peninsula.

Eutarsopolipus Hemistylus Sp. Nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae), Subelytral Parasite Of Chlaenius Prasinus Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae) From Central And Eastern Usa, Robert W. Husband, David O. Husband

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Eutarsopolipus hemistylus sp. nov. (Acari: Podapolipidae), subelytral, parasite of Chlaenius prasinus Dejean, 1826 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), is described from Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia, USA. E. hemistylus is compared with E. americanus Husband and Husband 2013 described from the same host, C. prasinus, collected in Michigan and Missouri. Species in the myzus group of Eutarsopolipus that parasitize beetle species of the genera Chlaenius, Poecilus, Scarites and Diplocheila are noted. Including a species from Japan currently under study, E. hemistylus is one of 8 species in the myzus group with adult females with stylets exceeding 43 micrometers but …

Disjunct Lake Michigan Populations Of Two Atlantic Coast Spiders, Disembolus Bairdi And Grammonota Pallipes (Araneae: Linyphiidae), James F. Steffen, Michael L. Draney

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two species of linyphiid spiders, Disembolus bairdi Edwards, 1999 and Grammonota pallipes Banks, 1895, were discovered along the southwestern coast of Lake Michigan in Lake County, Illinois representing an Atlantic Coastal Plain disjunct distribution. A brief discussion of known collection sites, habitat preferences, and possible modes of dispersal are given.

Comparative Study Of Mecinus Janthiniformis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Attack And Simulated Mowing For Control Of Linaria Dalmatica Spp. Dalmatica (Plantaginaceae), Elizabeth J. Goulet, Antonio Ditommaso, Elson J. Shields

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria dalmatica spp. dalmatica (L.) Mill. (Plantaginaceae) has invaded over one million hectares in the western United States and Canada, in habitats similar to its native range. Two field studies were conducted to examine the impact of simulated mowing or insect herbivory on L. dalmatica growth and reproduction. Simulated mowing over the duration of the study decreased L. dalmatica total biomass per square meter, significantly reduced the total number of fruits and flowers per square meter, and resulted in significantly shorter flowering stems in the simulated mowing plots than in their controls. Plants in plots attacked by Mecinus …

Validation Of Ctmax Protocols Using Cased And Uncased Pycnopsyche Guttifer (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) Larvae, David C. Houghton, Ashley C. Logan, Angelica J. Pytel

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of a northern Lower Michigan population of Pycnopsyche guttifer was determined using four rates of temperature increase (0.10, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.70oC per minute), and two case states (intact and removed). Across all temperature increase rates, larvae removed from their cases had a significantly lower mean CTmax than those remaining in their cases, suggesting that the case can increase the larva’s ability to tolerate thermal stress, possibly due to respiratory advantages. Regardless of case state, mean CTmax was significantly lower at the 0.10oC per minute increase rate than the other three rates, likely due to …

The Woodlouse Hunter Occurs In Michigan (Araneae: Dysderidae: Dysdera Crocata C.L. Koch 1838), Anthony I. Cognato, Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We document the occurrence of the spider, Dysdera crocata C.L. Koch, in Michigan. Specimens have been collected from Bay, Branch, Ingham, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Montcalm, Muskegon, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties between 1975-2013.

First Vouchered Record For Strumigenys Louisianae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Illinois, Diane L. Wood, Casey L. Brennan

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report the first known vouchered collection of Strumigenys louisianae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Illinois. Two specimens were captured in pitfall traps during a field study at Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve in Monroe County.

First Record Of The Palearctic Predatory Stink Bug, Picromerus Bidens (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), In Michigan, Daniel R. Swanson, Oliver Keller, Jessica D. Rowley

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The Palearctic stink bug, Picromerus bidens (Linnaeus, 1758), is reported from Michigan for the first time, with a summary of the knowledge of this species in the United States and an emendation to the most recent Michigan pentatomid key.

Acizzia Jamatonica (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) And Bruchidius Terrenus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae): Additional U.S. Records Of Asian Specialists On Mimosa (Albizia Julibrissin; Fabaceae), A. G. Wheeler, E. Richard Hoebeke

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Previously published U.S. records are reviewed for two recently detected Asian insects that have become established on mimosa, or silk tree (Albizia julibrissin), in the southeastern United States: Acizzia jamatonica (Kuwayama) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Bruchidius terrenus (Sharp) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). The psyllid is newly recorded from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia and the bruchine chrysomelid from Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia. Both immigrant insects can be considered either detrimental or beneficial additions to the U.S. fauna, depending on whether mimosa is regarded as a desirable ornamental or an invasive plant. New and previously published records of both …

Supercooling Point Of Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Collected In Eastern Nebraska, Anthony A. Hanson, Silvana Paula-Moraes, Thomas E. Hunt, W. D. Hutchison

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a pest of maize and dry beans that has recently undergone a northeastern range expansion in North America. In order to assess the cold tolerance of S. albicosta, we determined the supercooling point of lab and field collected late instar larvae and pre-pupae. Individuals were attached to fine contact thermocouples and cooled at 1°C per minute to detect heat released due to freezing of body fluids. Mean supercooling points decreased as larvae developed into later life stages. Pre-pupa collected in late fall had a mean supercooling point of -12.63°C. This …

Insects Associated With Droppings Of Moose, Alces Alces (L), In Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, Alexander T. Egan, Roger D. Moon

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Moose (Alces alces [L]) droppings were sampled in June-August, 2007, in Isle Royale National Park, a remote wilderness island in Lake Superior, to characterize biodiversity of the park’s moose dung fauna. Twelve Diptera and nine Coleoptera species were obtained, for a total of 21 insect taxa. Twenty of the taxa are newly recorded colonists or visitors to moose dung. The Diptera were Psychodidae, Anthomyiidae, Muscidae and representatives of three other families, and Coleoptera consisted of three species in each of Scarabaeidae, Staphylinidae and Histeridae. Species per sample ranged from two in early June to nine in mid-July, and a …

Geography And History Of Periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) In Dupage County, Illinois, Carl A. Strang

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The spatial distribution of periodical cicada (Magicicada septendecim L. and M. cassini Fisher) emergence in 2007 did not match either historical locations of woodlands or the cicadas’ own geography in the 19th and early 20th centuries in DuPage County, Illinois. Cicadas were present in forest areas that had remained above 61 ha throughout historic times, and they were absent from areas which at some point had been reduced below 52 ha by tree removal, mainly for agriculture. Isolation of forest areas also may have contributed to local extinctions. The insects have spread into new, urban woodlands created by residential …