Entomology Commons^™

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 …

Jutta Arctic (Oeneis Jutta) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Populations In Central And Northern Wisconsin: Localized Butterfly Populations In A Naturally Fragmented Landscape, Scott R. Swengel, Ann B. Swengel

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We recorded Oeneis jutta (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) at 60 of 78 peatland sites in central and northern Wisconsin on butterfly transect surveys on 113 dates during 2002–11. Additional observations come from informal observations on 19 dates in 12 years during 1987–2001. Most sites where we did not find O. jutta had little survey effort. The areas with the lowest O. jutta abundance (coastal and inland Bayfield County) had the shortest flight periods recorded in this study. O. jutta abundance negatively and significantly correlated with increasing wind speed and later times of day. O. jutta abundance significantly varied by bog vegetation …

The Effect Of Acclimation Temperature On The Critical Thermal Maximum Of A Cold-Water Population Of Pteronarcys Dorsata (Say) (Plecoptera: Pteronarcyidae), Logan Shoup, David C. Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of Pteronarcys dorsata (Say) acclimated in the laboratory to 5 different temperatures ranging from 4 to 28°C was 34.7–36.6°C. A 6th temperature (33°C) resulted in 100% mortality during the acclimation period. Although its CTmax values rank P. dorsata as moderately sensitive to thermal stress, the < 2°C difference over a 7-fold increase in acclimation temperature suggests only a weak ability to adapt to warming conditions relative to other tested aquatic insect species. This stenothermy in P. dorsata was likely due to the consistently cool stream in which this populations lives. Our results suggest that cold-water populations are particularly susceptible to thermal alterations. They also provide the first CTmax values for a species of pteronarcyd stonefly and the first of any aquatic insect over such a …

A Review Of The Ambush Bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phymatinae) Of Michigan: Identification And Additional Considerations For Two Common Eastern Species, Daniel R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A review of the two species of Phymatinae found in Michigan is presented, along with an identification key, distribution maps, and relevant literature. Also included are brief discussions concerning natural history, variation, distribution, past records, and two additional eastern species.

Observations On Egg Parasitism Of Aeshna Tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) By Eulophidae, Trichogrammatidae And Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) In Alger County, Michigan, Burton C. Cebulski, Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Egg parasitoids were reared from a population of Aeshna tuberculifera (Odonata: Aeshnidae) in the Kingston Lake area of Alger County, Michigan, from 1983-2005. Leaves of Iris versicolor were repeatedly used for oviposition during the period of observation, with the result that just a few leaves were targeted by different females. Seven species of parasitic Hymenoptera were reared from 1688 eggs. The cumulative rate of parasitization over the course of the study was 18.4%. Three species of parasitoids were responsible for approximately 96% of the parasitized eggs: Aprostocetus (Ootetrastichus) mymaridis Girault (Eulophidae) (41%); and the Mymaridae Polynema nr. needhami (34%) and …

The Horsehair Worm Gordionus Violaceus (Nematomorpha: Gordiida) In Minnesota, Philip A. Cochran, Jacob D. Zanon, Ben Hanelt

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A sample of 21 Gordionus violaceus (Baird) (Nematomorpha: Gordioidea) was obtained from a puddle in Winona County, southeastern Minnesota. These are the first of this species reported from the upper Midwest. Sex ratio was not significantly different from 50:50 and females and males did not differ significantly in length, but females were of significantly greater diameter than males.

Demonstration Of Sex Pheromones In Anabolia Bimaculata, Hydatophylax Argus, And Nemotaulius Hostilis (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), David C. Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The presence of extractable semiochemicals for mate attraction is demonstrated experimentally for the first time in Anabolia bimaculata (Walker), Hydatophylax argus (Harris), and Nemotaulius hostilis (Hagen), three species of limnephilid caddisfly. Each species is also the first member of its respective genus to demonstrate pheromone presence. Sex pheromones appear to be wide- spread within the Trichoptera, although < 1% of species have been tested and there remains substantial research still to be done on pheromone demonstration, chemical composition, and release behavior.

Occurrence Of Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Feeding On Cirsium Pitcheri Flowers, Jordan M. Marshall

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (adult = spotted cucumber beetle, immature = southern corn rootworm, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a polyphagous pest found on a broad range for agricultural plants (Krysan 1986). The larvae are root feeders commonly found on plants in the families Cucurbiaceae (gourds and squashes), Poaceae (grasses, including Zea mays L.), and Fabaceae (legumes, including Medicago sativa L.), and can have significant impact on the crop yield depending on the agricultural system (Campbell and Emery 1967, Brust and House 1990).