Entomology Commons^™

Coleoptera (Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Languriidae) Overwintering In Stems Of Wisconsin Prairie Plants, Andrew H. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Stem samples of 20 native species of prairie plants were collected in late September, caged separately and kept outdoors over the Wisconsin winter. The samples were then brought into the lab and animals produced from each plant species were inventoried. Certain of the Coleoptera so produced (Acropteroxys gracilis, Dectes sayi, Enoclerus rosmarus) are reported here.

Behavior And Activity Patterns Of The Black Scavenger Fly, Sepsis Punctum (Diptera: Sepsidae), Near A Permanent Dung Source, Beth E. Leuck

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The behavior of the black scavenger fly Sepsis punctum (L.) (Diptera: Sepsidae) was studied on satellite resource (dung) patches established near a pig pen. Flies were most numerous on the patches when ambient temperature and light conditions were high. Females were commonly found on the patches and males occupied boards surrounding the patches where they displayed vigorously to other males and females. Approximately four times as many females as males occurred on the patches. Females were larger than males, and paired males were larger than unpaired males. Males did not exhibit precopulatory guarding as reported in Sepsis cynipsea (L.) and …

Investigating The Ecology Of The Mound-Building Ant, Acanthomyops Claviger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), In Re-Created Prairie, Chris E. Petersen, Ana Krstic, Judith C. Morgan, Kenneth Mccallum, Renee E. Petersen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Acanthomyops claviger (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) forms conspicuous mounds within clumps of big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, and prairie dropseed, Sporobolus heterolepsis, within a re-created tallgrass prairie in northeastern Illinois. This study explored the ecology of the nesting ant in the recreated prairie regarding the persistence of colonies, soil characteristics, the growth of grass clumps, and the species richness of the surrounding flora. Persistence of nests over one year was positively correlated to the diameters of mounds created by the colonies. Differences in soil moisture at 10 cm depth were significant over a growing season between grass clumps having nests …

A New Bot Fly Species (Diptera: Oestridae) From Central Texas, Stephen W. Taber, Scott B. Fleenor

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The bot fly Cephenemyia albina (Diptera: Oestridae) is described from a relict pine forest in east-central Texas. This species presumably lives as a parasitic larva in the throat of white-tailed deer as do its two close relatives previously reported from both Texas and the Great Lakes region (C. phobifera (Clark) and C. jellisoni Townsend). Only the adult male is currently known.

Feeding Records Of Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) From Wisconsin, Andrew H. Williams, James C. Trager, David J. Voegtlin

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 27 species of aphids encountered in Wisconsin over 1992-2002.

Resurvey Of The Pentatomoidea (Heteroptera) Of The La Rue-Pine Hills Research Natural Area In Union County, Illinois, D. L. Tecic, J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A resurvey of the Pentatomoidea of the La Rue-Pine Hills Research Natural Area was conducted from September 1992 to June 1995 and the results compared with those of an earlier survey by McPherson and Mohlenbrock (1976). Sampling during the resurvey was limited to the 17 collecting sites of the earlier survey, thus permitting comparisons of the flora and fauna in the two studies. Notes were taken on the times of occurrence of adult and immature stages and on the food plants.

Of the 49 pentatomoid species and subspecies included in the original survey, 36 were collected during the resurvey. Of …

Feeding Records Of True Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) From Wisconsin, Andrew H. Williams

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 49 species of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) encountered in Wisconsin over 1992-2002.

Distribution Of Eutarsopolipus (Acari: Podapolipidae) And Crotalomorpha Camini (Acari: Crotalomorphidae), Ectoparasites Of Stenolophus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) In Michigan, U.S.A., Robert W. Husband, David O. Husband

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Three acarine parasites of Stenolophus spp are described from Michigan. Eutarsopolipus elzingai Husband (Acari: Podapolipidae), previously known from eastern Kansas, Eutarsopolipus brevichelus Husband and Husband, with one Michigan record, and Crotalomorpha camini Lindquist and Krantz (Acari: Crotalomorphidae), previously known from Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas and Oklahoma, are widely distributed in Michigan as subelytral parasites of Stenolophus comma (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and Stenolophus lecontei (Chaudoir), the seed corn beetle. Eutarsopolipus elzingai and E. brevichelus may occur occasionally on the same host beetle.

Evaluation Of Three Trap Types And Five Lures For Monitoring Hylurgus Ligniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) And Other Local Scolytids In New York, Toby R. Petrice, Robert A. Haack, Therese M. Poland

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Hylurgus ligniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) is a pine (Pinus spp.) pest native to Eurasia and northern Africa. In December 2000, an established population of H. ligniperda was discovered in Monroe County, New York. When surveys were initiated to determine the distribution of H. ligniperda, questions arose regarding the most effective trap and lure for survey purposes. We conducted a study in April-May 2001 to compare the effectiveness of commercially available scolytid traps and lures for attracting and capturing H. ligniperda. Traps tested included: 1) 12-unit Lindgren funnel trap, 2) Intercept panel trap, and 3) Theysohn slot-trap. Lures tested included: …

Exploratory Survey For The Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus Planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), And Its Natural Enemies In China, Houping Liu, Leah S. Bauer, Ruitong Gao, Tonghai Zhao, Toby R. Petrice, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

An exploratory survey for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, and its natural enemies was conducted in China during October and November 2003. We examined 29 field plots in six provinces. We visually inspected living Fraxinus chinensis, F. mandshurica, F. pennsylvanica, F. rhynchophylla, and F. velutina then peeled off the bark in search of A. planipennis and associated natural enemies. We found active A. planipennis infestations in nine of the 29 field plots, including plots in the provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and the provincial level city of Tianjin. Signs of past A. planipennis infestations were found …

Host And Habitat Use By Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) Of House Fly And Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Pupae, D. L. Olbrich, B. H. King

The Great Lakes Entomologist

House fly and stable fly pupae were collected during the summer from a dairy farm in northern Illinois. Spalangia nigroaenea accounted for most of the parasitoids recovered from house flies. Spalangia nigra, S. endius, Muscidifurax spp., and S. nigroaenea accounted for most of the parasitoids from stable flies. The majority of flies were house flies late in the summer and stable flies early in the summer. Higher percentages of house flies tended to be in samples containing lower substrate moisture and higher substrate temperature. Parasitism of stable flies started earlier and peaked weeks before that of house flies, with overall …

Damage Potential Of Rose Chafer And Japanese Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) In Michigan Vineyards, Rodrigo J. Mercader, Rufus Isaacs

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Responses of young non-fruiting grapevines, Vitis labrusca (L.) var. ‘Niagara’, to defoliation were examined at two stages of vine growth when beetles typically infest vineyards. In the first experiment, vines were caged and subjected to two weeks of feeding by 0, 10, 20, or 40 adult Macrodactylus subspinosus Fabricius (Scarabaeidae: Macrodactylini) during bloom, or to the same range of adult Popillia japonica Newman (Scarabaeidae: Anomalini) during veráison, when berries begin changing color. Leaf area removed increased with beetle density, but less than 1% of the leaf area was removed at the highest density of M. subspinosus, and less than …

Egg Production In The Boxelder Bug Boisea Trivittata (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae), Karin A. Grimnes, Deborah Miller, Aaron J. Wyman

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Boxelder bug females emerged from overwintering sites in the spring and rapidly provisioned eggs with yolk materials. Five discrete egg stages were identified based on egg size, protein content, and degree of chorion sclerotization. Females did not accumulate yolk materials into the egg until after melanization was completed, as unmelanized animals rarely possessed even stage 2 eggs. All adult females entering overwintering sites possessed only immature stage eggs (stage 1 and 2). The rate of egg vitellogenesis in the spring was rapid; a major change in numbers of more mature stage eggs (stage 3 and above) in the ovary occurred …

Mating Frequency Of European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) In Minnesota, Kansas, And Texas, J. L. Hinton, D. A. Andow

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The frequency of mating and polyandry in natural populations are important parameters for understanding evolutionary dynamics. Mating frequency among natural populations of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) [Lepidoptera: Crambidae] are quite variable. Showers et al. (1974) found 91.1, 73.8, and 71.3% of females had mated during the second flight over 1971-3 at one location in Iowa. During 1971, only 10% mated multiple times, with lower levels of polyandry in subsequent years. In an earlier study in Iowa, Pesho (1961) found that 65-100 % of females had mated and up to 43% had mated more than once. A population in southwestern Ontario averaged …

Feeding Records Of Caterpillars (Lepidoptera) From Wisconsin Prairies And Savannas, Andrew H. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Basic to our understanding of any animal and its habitat requirements is knowing what it eats. Presented here are feeding observations of 18 species of caterpillars encountered in Wisconsin prairies and savannas over 1992-2002. These food plants are previously unreported for these insects.

Biology Of Diastrophus Nebulosus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) And Its Parasitoid/Inquiline Complex In Galls On Rubus Flagellaris (Rosaceae), H. C. Gordinier

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Rubus flagellaris patches occasionally harbor colonies of compound stem- galls initiated by the cynipid, Diastrophus nebulosus. These isolated colonies host a parasitoid/inquiline complex made up of five principal and three incidental chalcidoid species and one cynipid inquiline. Over 1-2 seasons, parasitoid/inquiline infestation reduced primary host populations to lows of 2-0% in some colonies. Despite heavy parasitism in most colonies, dispersal of D. nebulosus out of infested colonies resulted in a survival rate of 22%. Among parasitoids, a new species, Eurytoma rubrigalla, was revealed along with new records for Eupelmella vesicularis and an unidentified Habrocytus species. Immature stages and life …

Simultaneous Parasitism Of Field-Collected Green Cloverworm, Hypena Scabra (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae By Endoparasitioids And An Entomopathogenic Fungus, Daniel M. Pavuk, Charles E. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The impacts of entomopathogens (e.g., fungi, bacteria, protists and viruses) on larval Lepidoptera and their associated insect parasitoids have been examined in laboratory studies but field studies of interaction between these two mortality factors are rare. We present field observations of concurrent insect parasitism and fungal disease infection in larvae of the green cloverworm, Hypena scabra, a sporadic pest of soybean (Glycine max) in North America. We reared ten parasitoid species from H. scabra larvae during our three-month study. Three parasitoid species were dominant and overlapped the period of infection by the entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi: Aleiodes nolophanae, Cotesia …

Sticky Exudates On The Inflorescences Of Cirsium Discolor (Asteraceae) And Penstemon Digitalis (Scrophulariaceae) As Possible Defense Against Seed Predators, Patricia A. Thomas

The Great Lakes Entomologist

From 1982 through 1987, I investigated whether sticky exudates released by Cirsium discolor and Penstemon digitalis in their inflorescences provide defense against seed predators. I tested two hypotheses: 1: Exudates directly deter seed predators, and 2: Insects struggling in exudates attract predatory arthropods that remain and defend the inflorescences against seed predators. These hypotheses predict that neutralizing the stickiness will increase seed predation (by allowing access to more seed predators, or by decreasing the number of predatory arthropods attracted), and therefore decrease successful seed production. Results did not support either hypothesis, with no increase in seed predators (nor decrease in …

Sprinkler Irrigation As A Management Practice For Bemisia Tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) In Cotton Fields, Ibrahim Gencsoylu, Fuat Sezgin

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Field experiments were conducted in 1999 and 2000 to investigate the effect of irrigation method on populations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and natural enemies in cotton fields in Aydın Province, Turkey. Two irrigation methods, sprinkler and border, were studied each year. All plots were irrigated during different phenological periods including initial bloom, boll initiation, 50% boll filling and 5-10% boll opening stages. Irrigation methods and periods significantly affected whitefly populations. Densities of B. tabaci were significantly reduced in sprinkler-irrigated plots compared to border-irrigated plots in 2000 but not in 1999. Irrigation methods did not affect the population of natural enemies. …

Behavioral Differences Between Two Recently Sympatric Paper Wasps, The Native Polistes Fuscatus And The Invasive Polistes Dominulus, Stephanie A. Silagi, George J. Gamboa, Carrie R. Klein, Melissa A. Noble

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Polistes dominulus (Christ), an old world paper wasp, was introduced into the eastern United States in the 1970s and has been rapidly spreading westward. Recently, it has displaced the native Polistes fuscatus (F.) in at least some areas of Michigan. In order to understand why P. dominulus has been so successful, several behavioral attributes were compared between P. dominulus and P. fuscatus at a Michigan field site that contained colonies of both species nest- ing semi-naturally in plywood nestboxes.

Preworker colonies of P. dominulus had a significantly greater tendency to store nectar (and had significantly higher proportions of cells with …