Entomology Commons^™

Mcphersonarcys, A New Genus For Pentatoma Aequalis Say (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), Donald B. Thomas

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A new monotypic genus, Mcphersonarcys is erected to hold Pentatoma aequalis Say, a species formerly placed in the genus Hymenarcys. Based on the distribution of 19 character-states Hymenarcys forms a clade with its sister genus Coenus. Both genera are related to the large genus Euschistus. Mcphersonarcys is basal to Euschistus, whereas the clade with Hymenarcys and Coenus is derived. Removal of P. aequalis to a new genus resolves the paraphyly of Hymenarcys sensu lato.

J.E. Mcpherson – A Career Of Exemplary Service And Contributions To The Entomological Society Of America, George G. Kennedy

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Scientific societies are a vital component of the infrastructure that fosters progress in science. They play a vital role in the exchange of information through the publication of scientific journals and by organizing scientific meetings and symposia at which results and ideas are shared and discussed, professional contacts are made, and networks established and maintained. Scientific societies provide a plethora of professional development opportunities for both young and established scientists. They are volunteer organizations comprised of and led by practicing scientists, teachers, and practitioners who provide the vision, leadership, governance, scientific and ethical standards, scientific programming, and educational training …

Dr. J. E. Mcpherson, Educator And Researcher Extraordinaire: Biographical Sketch And List Of Publications, Thomas J. Henry

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Like many outstanding naturalists, John E. (“Jay”) McPherson grew up with a strong interest in the natural world, especially insects. This innate curiosity led him to enroll as a zoology major at San Diego State University in 1959. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, he continued on to pursue his interest in insect biology, completing a Master’s thesis on the life history and morphology of a poorly known species of Notonectidae. Shortly thereafter, a teaching assistantship enabled him to pursue a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in East Lansing, where his research involved distinguishing two closely related species of …

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 …