Entomology Commons^™

Commentary On Ametropus Species (Ephemeroptera: Ametropodidae) In North America, W. P. Mccafferty

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ametropus albrighti is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of A. neavei, n. syn. Ametropus neavei sensu lato demonstrates stable structural characteristics with respect to male genitalia and larval morphology, whereas degree of maculation and therefore abdominal patterning varies both among populations and within populations. Ametropus ammophilus is distinctive, and the two North American species are apparently allopatric based on known distributions, which are reviewed.

Four-Horned Wasps, Description Of Some Remarkable Dirhinus (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) From Kenya, With A Discussion Of Their Taxonomic Placement, Gérard Delvare, Robert S. Copeland

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Five new species belonging to Dirhinus Dalman are described: D. quadrhinus Delvare sp. nov., D. gigasetosus Delvare sp. nov., D. kambae Delvare sp. nov., D. maasaii Delvare sp. nov. and D. leakeyorum Delvare sp. nov. These species belong to the newly defined and characterized quadrhinus species group, included in the subgenus Dirhinus of Dirhinus Dalman. Evidence for this taxonomic placement is provided despite the distinctive morphology exhibited by the relevant species. The himalayanus, claviger, anthracia and hesperidum groups, also included in subgenus Dirhinus, are similarly defined and characterized and lists of the relevant described species are provided. A key to …

Dragonflies Of Indiana By James R. Curry, 2001. Indiana Academy Of Science, 303 Pp., Hardcover. Isbn 1-883362-11-3, $32.00, Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Every once in a while you buy a book sight unseen, that surpasses any expectation that you may have had. That is the case of Dragonflies of Indiana by Jim Curry. It is apparent, from the very cover, binding, layout, and paper, that this is a well-crafted book. That's even before I read anything.

Notes On The Biology Of Melanocanthon Nigricornis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Andrew H. Williams, Nadine L. Kriska

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Melanocanthon nigricornis was observed to break up, bundle up, roll away, and bury pieces of the cap of a gill mushroom growing in sandy prairie in Wisconsin. These beetles were also found on a dead lizard and one was observed to roll and bury mammalian carrion. This is the first report of any species in Melanocanthon rolling and burying pieces of fungus and carrion.

A Ten-Year Study Of The Status And Trend Of The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) In Wisconsin, U.S.A., Ann B. Swengel, Scott R. Swengel

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We summarize all available locality records by ,us and others for the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) during 1970-99 in Wisconsin, where it is listed as endangered. Nearly all areas of regular observation (i.e., populations) oc­curred in clusters of sites. All historical localities and extant populations (or population clusters) were discovered by volunteers. The species' historical reputation as localized and scarce continues to appear justified, but the paucity of historical data precludes further refinement of its statewide status and trend in past decades. Regal fritillary habitat has typically been described as native prairie grassland. This appears often, but not always, to …

The Species Richness Of Lepidoptera In A Fragmented Landscape: A Supplement To The Checklist Of Moths Of Butler County, Ohio, Keith S. Summerville, Thomas O. Crist

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Land conversion for agriculture or urban expansion has fragmented the midwestern landscape and isolated native biotas in remnant habitat patches. Identification of priority renmants to be targeted for conservation, however, requires an understanding of the species diversity and distributions in such fragmented landscapes. During a 3-year inventory, we estimated the species richness of Lepidoptera in forests and old fields within an agricultural region of southwest Ohio, Butler County. A combination of casual collecting (butterflies) and a systematic field study (moths) were used to sample lepidopteran species at several sites from 1998-2000. Our inventory added 207 new species to the checklist …

Herbaceous Filter Strips In Agroecosystems: Implications For Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Conservation And Invertebrate Weed Seed Predation, Fabian D. Menalled, Jana C. Lee, Douglas A. Landis

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A 9.3-ha crop field flanked by two filter strips was selected to: 1) assess carabid beetle activity-density and community composition and 2) assess post-dispersal weed seed predation by invertebrates in these habitats. Over- all during 1997 and 1998, 12,937 carabid beetles comprising 58 species were collected. Greater species richness and activity-density was observed in filter strips than in the field. A multivariate ordination revealed that year of capture and habitat were important variables conditioning carabid beetle com­munities. While two omnivorous species known to eat weed seeds [Harpalus erraticus (Say), Anisodactylus sanctaecrucis (F.)] dominated the 1997 captures, two carnivorous [ …

A Native Hymenopteran Predator Of Agonopterix Alstroemeriana (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) In East-Central Illinois, Duane D. Mckenna, Arthur R. Zangerl, May R. Berenbaum

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Agonopterix alstroemeriana is a European oecophorid moth that defoliates poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), a noxious Eurasian weed extensively naturalized throughout temperate Australia, New Zealand, North America, and South America. Throughout western North America, and increasingly in the Midwest and Northeast, A. alstroemeriana has been utilized in poison hemlock eradication programs. We report, for the first time, predation on A. alstroemeriana by Euodynerus foraminatus (Hymenoptera: Eumenidae), a native solitary wasp that paralyzes these and other lepidopteran larvae and uses them to provision its nests. The presence of an effective predator may reduce the impact of A. alstroemeriana in biological control …

Gill Ventilation Rates Of Mayfly Nymphs (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) As A Biomonitoring Technique, Richard A. Mackenzie, Jerry L. Kaster

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Gill ventilation frequency (GVF) of the mayfly nymph Stenacron interpunctatum (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) was studied to assess the applicability of a relatively simple, real time video methodology and to assess the potential of GVF rates for use in a chronic assay of sediment pore water. Stenacron interpunctatum nymphs were exposed to pore water samples taken along a transect from the mouth of the Fox River to Sturgeon Bay in the Green Bay area of Lake Michigan. This transect has previously been shown to exhibit several distinct gradients in sediment and water column conditions with distance from the Fox River. The highest …

Invertebrate Terrestrial Diversity Along A Gravel Road On Barrie Island, Ontario, Canada, Austine Luce, Mary Crowe

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Although roads have been a part of our landscape for hundreds of years, their impact on the plant and animal populations has only recently been studied. We examined the effect a gravel road had on terrestrial arthropod diversity in the Barrie Islands, Canada. Over a ten-week period during the summer of 1999 we systematically sampled ground and aerial terrestrial arthropods at 5, 10 and 15 m from a 250 m stretch of road. We collected nearly 5,000 insects the majority of which were Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. We collected over 2,000 non-insect invertebrates that included representatives from the classes Gastropoda, …

Changes In The Butterflies (Lepidoptera) Of Winneshiek County, Iowa After 90 Years, Kirk J. Larsen, Jennifer A. Bovee

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In 1908, Bert Porter reported the presence of 73 species of butterflies in the Decorah, Iowa area. Since then, no systematic surveys of the butterflies in the Decorah area have been completed despite extensive habitat changes and degradation of native prairie and timber that have occurred over the past 90 years. In 1998, an extensive survey of the butterflies of Winneshiek County confirmed the presence of 55 species of butterflies. Our findings generated a checklist of the butterflies currently found in Winneshiek County, and were compared to Porter's original list. Unfortunately, the regal fritillary, Speyeria idalia, and several other …

Distribution Of Urophora Affinis And U. Quadrifasciata (Diptera: Tephritidae) For Biological Control Of Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Maculosa) And Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea Diffusa) In Michigan, R. F. Lang, R. D. Richard, J. Winkler, G. Wheeler

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Urophora affinis (Diptera: Tephritidae) and U. quadrifasciata (Diptera: Tephritidae) are two seedhead flies approved for release in the United States in 1971 and 1988, respectively for biological control of spotted and diffuse knapweed. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection Quarantine (APHIS) released a mixture of 4,000 adult U. affinis and U. quadrifasciata in Isabella County, Michigan, in 1994. No Urophora species were found in pre-release samples in seven counties in 1993. Samples collected in three counties in 1994, prior to the APHIS release, detected U. quadrifasciata in Menominee County. Surveys from 1998 to 2000 …

First Records Of Aethes Heleniana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) In Wisconsin., Steven J. Krauth

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Aethes heleniana was reared from Helenium autumnale in Wisconsin. This is the first record of A. heleniana Razowski from Wisconsin and the U.s. and the larval food plant H. autumnale is reported for the first time.

Mantis Religiosa (Mantodea: Mantidae) In Door County, Wisconsin, Mark A. Kisselburg, Philip A. Cochran

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The European mantid (Mantis religiosa) has been observed at several sites spanning a distance of approximately 50 km in northern Door County, Wisconsin. A reliable sighting of an unidentified praying mantid on Chambers Island in Green Bay suggests the possibility that the species occurs there as well. Lake-induced moderation of the Door County climate may have resulted in conditions especially conducive for the establishment of European mantids.

Biological Control Of Alfalfa Blotch Leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) In Ontario: Status And Ecology Of Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Eulophidae) 20 Years After Introduction, George E. Heimpel, Francois Meloche

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two European parasitoid species were released in Ontario during the late 1970's to control the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rondani) (Diptera: Agromyzidae). One of these, Dacnusa dryas (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), rapidly became established and the other, Chrysocharis liriomyzae (= C. punctifacies) (Delucchi) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was never recovered in Ontario. In 1999, we found both D. dryas and C. liriomyzae parasitizing first-generation A. frontella in Ontario in 1999. The combined parasitism rate for both species as revealed by larval dissections was 97.5% by the end of the first A. frontella generation. Of the adult parasitoids reared, 86% were D. dryas …

Studies On The Life Cycle And Transmission Of Cougourdella Sp., A Microsporidian Parasite Of Glossosoma Nigrior (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae), Jeffrey S. Heilveil, Steven L. Kohler, Leellen F. Solter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The trichopteran Glossosoma nigrior, the dominant benthic invertebrate grazer in Michigan trout streams, hosts a microsporidian (Protozoa) pathogen, Cougourdella sp., which strongly regulates the population density of larvae in the stream. In order to better understand the interactions between these two species, two possible modes of pathogen transmission, oral and transovum, were investigated. While both sexes of adult G. nigrior were found to be infected with mature environmental spores, spores were not found associated with reproductive tissue. This suggests that transovum transmission does not occur in this system. Glossosoma nigrior, when ex- posed to viable spores taken from …

Decline Of Gomphus Fraternus Fraternus (Odonata: Gomphidae) In Lake Erie, Paul M. Catling

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Collections and literature reports indicate that Gomphus fraternus fraternus was abundant on the shoreline of Lake Erie prior to 1960, and "tens of thousands" were reported at Long Point Bay. After 1960 there were no reports from the shoreline, although there have been a number of comprehensive studies that have included the shoreline area and a number of Odonata specialists have also visited the Lake Erie shoreline regularly. A survey of portions of the Lake Erie shoreline, including the Long Point Bay area in 1999 and 2000, during the established peak and late peak flight period in southwestern Ontario, did …

Comparison Of Two Population Sampling Methods Used In Field Life History Studies Of Mesovelia Mulsanti (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha: Mesoveliidae) In Southern Illinois, Steven J. Taylor, J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A field life history study of Mesovelia mulsanti was conducted in south­ern Illinois, the results of which are compared with those from an earlier study also conducted in southern Illinois. The two studies differed in the collecting techniques used (quadrat sampler versus aquatic net). Results of the present study give a clearer picture of the life history of this insect be­ cause the quadrat sampler collected representative samples of nymphs and adults more effectively than the aquatic net and, thus, the quadrat samples more accurately represented the actual chronology of the annual generations.

Distribution Of First Instar Gypsy Moths (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Among Saplings Of Four Tree Species Common In The Great Lakes Region, J. L. Stoyenoff, J. A. Witter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We examined the inter-tree distribution of first instar gypsy moth larvae under natural dispersal conditions in the field in Michigan in 1991. The study focused on saplings of northern red oak (Quercus rubra), white oak (Q. alba), red maple (Acer rubrum), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), which are common understory components of forests in the Great Lakes region. Large-volume trees with foliage that is well-developed early in the spring should provide an excellent surface area for catching newly-hatched gypsy moth larvae, which are randomly dispersed by wind in the spring around the time of leaf flush or …

Libellula Flavida (Odonata: Libellulidae), A Dragonfly New To Ohio, Tom D. Schultz

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Libellula flavida, a widespread but uncommon dragonfly of southeastern and south central North America, is now recorded from Ohio. A breeding population was discovered in an acidic fen on the site of a sandstone quarry in southern Ohio.