QP Newsletter 2000 NATURAL HISTORY WORKSHOPS at the UWM Field Station T 1 ^he University of Wlsconsin-Milwaukee Field Station conducts a series of Natural History Workshops. These workshops offer an opportunity to study focused topics at college-level instruction under the guidance of noted authorities. Most workshops present two full days of instruction. Housing and meals are available at the Station. Enrollment is limited to 20; the atmosphere is informal and instruction is individualized. Workshops may be taken for undergrad or graduate college credit by enrolling in UWM, Topics in Field Biology. Fees vary. Please contact the Station for a registration form. Check out our website ( www.uwm.edu/Pept/fleldstation/ ) for a full description of the workshops. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station 3095 Blue Goose Rd., Saukville, WI 53080 Contact person: Dr. Jim Reinartz E-mail: fleldstn@uwm.edu Phone: (262) 675-6844 Fax: (262) 675-0337 The 2000 Workshop Schedule includes the following courses: 1 . Methods for Description of Vegetation Instructor: Dr. Jim Reinartz June 12-17 2. Aquatic Invertebrates: Identification & Ecology Instructor: Dr. Jerry Raster July 14 & 15 3. Biology of Insects Instructor: Dr. Gretchen Meyer July 28 & 29 4. Grasses: Identification & Ecology Instructor: Dr. Robert Freckmann August 4 and 5 5. Spiders: Identification & Ecology Instructor: Dr. Michael Draney August 1 1 & 12 6 . Composites: Taxonomy & Evolution Instructor: Dr. Robert Kowal August 25 & 26 7. Small Mammal Population Estimation Techniques Instructor: Dr. Eric Anderson Sept. 15 & 16 NABA 4 th of July Butterfly Count 2000 ~jj3| he 26 th Annual NABA 4 th of July Q \ Butterfly Count will be held this summer. These counts are fun-filled but also track the butterfly populations of North America. Volunteers select a count area with a 15-mile diameter and conduct a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle. These counts are usually held in the few weeks before or after the 4 th of July. The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) organizes the counts and publishes their annual reports. These reports provide important information about the geographical distributions and population sizes of the species counted. Comparisons of the results over the years monitor changes In butterfly populations and reveal effects of weather and habitat change on the different species. In some years the butterfly count shows dramatic changes in butterfly populations, while other years Indicate little fluctuation in butterfly numbers. Either way, the butterfly counters are always curious about what next year’s results will be. No matter how much or how little butterfly watching you’ve done, the results of butterfly counting can be surprising and interesting. If a count already exists in your area, please Join them for a day of fascinating butterfly counting. If there is no count in your area, you may start your own if you know how to identify the butterflies. Otherwise, Inspire a nature center or butterfly club to start one for you. For more information on the count program, counts in your area, how to conduct a count, and NABA, please consult NABA’s website at www.naba.org or send a self-addressed, stamped business envelope to: NABA-Butterfly Count 4 Delaware Road Morristown, NJ 07960 The Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter is published three times a year, at irregular intervals. It is provided to encourage and facilitate the exchange of information by the membership, and to keep the members informed of the activities of the organization. Members are strongly encouraged to contribute items for inclusion in the newsletter. Please send all news items, notes, new or interesting insect records, season summaries, and research requests to the editor: Janice Stiefel, 2125 Grove Road, Bailey’s Harbor, WI 54202, e-mail: Jstiefel@itol.com NOTE: Please report any address changes to Les Ferge, 7119 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, WI 53562. e-mail: ferge@chorus.net Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2000 Page 2 Summer 2(0)00 Mseet Field Trips toy the Mature ©©uservsimey and the Msdis©nn. Audulb©ini 0©eiety (Note: These are not collecting trips) 10th ANNUAL MADISON BUTTERFLY COUNT Saturday, July 1 9:00 A.M. to Noon E ach year within a few weeks of the Fourth of July, butterfly enthusiasts all over North America participate in a census of butterfly species. Each count is conducted at several sites within a 15 mile diameter circle and the same circle is surveyed each year. These censuses help to monitor the health of our butterfly populations and the results of all North American counts are published in an annual report. Last year a total of 387 counts were conducted across North America, 13 of them in Wisconsin. On the Madison census we counted 460 butterflies of 40 species. The group will have an enjoyable time finding, observing and counting butterflies. Counters are needed. The leader will provide identification expertise. If you can identify butterflies, or can help spot butterflies, or Just want to see and learn about butterflies, join us on this count. Observe with eye or close- focusing binoculars. Dress for protection from the heat and sun; a hat is recommended. Bring a lunch as the count may go until noon. (Anyone who wants to continue counting in the afternoon at another site can do so.) The organizer (North American Butterfly Association) requires a $2.50 fee from each count participant (similar to the Christmas Bird Count) to cover administrative and publishing costs. DIRECTIONS: Meet in the parking lot for the McKay Center in the UW Arboretum in Madison at 9 a.m. We will count until noon. In Madison, from the south Beltline Highway heading west, take the Seminole Highway exit and turn right (north) on Seminole Highway, After a few blocks turn right into the UW Arboretum and follow the drive to a dead end at the parking lot for the McKay Center. Meet here. If you have any questions about the Madison Butterfly Count, please call the count compiler, Karl Legler, (608) 643-4926 (Sauk City). DRAGONFLIES OF THE CEOARBURG BOG Saturday, July 8 10:00 a.m . to 2:00 P.M. D ragonflies, those magnificent "living flashes of light", occupy a prominent place In the web of life in our aquatic ecosystems. This 4-hour Joint field trip of the Madison Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy will showcase the beauty, biology, and behavior of some of Wisconsin's 111 species of dragonflies. Cedarburg Bog is the largest relict glacial bog in S.E. Wisconsin. It has a variety of habitats, some more typical of the northern part of the state, with good dragonfly diversity. (We have the possibility of encountering the Federally Endangered Hine's Emerald.) Dragonfly expert Bill Smith, zoologist with the Bureau of Endangered Resources, will discuss the ecology and fascinating life history of these amazing aerialists. Bring a lunch. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and a hat to protect against the sun. Be prepared to wade in shallow water, if you choose. Take along waterproof footwear in case we encounter wet conditions. Bring binoculars if you have them. (The closer they can focus the better.) If you have a dip net to examine larva bring it. Skilled users of aerial nets may bring them for catch-and- release. Call Bill Smith at (608) 266- 0924 (work) only if you have a question about the trip. DIRECTIONS: Meet at the University of Wisconsin Field Station at 10 a.m. A map is on the Internet at www. uwm. edu/Dept/ fieldstation From West Bend in Washington Co., go east on State Highway 33, through the village of Newburg, continuing on 33 to the southeast for about 1 mile. Then turn right (south) on Blue Goose Road. Drive south on Blue Goose for nearly 2 miles to the entrance to the Field Station on the right (west) side of the road. BUTTERFLIES OF CHEROKEE MARSH Sunday, July 9 1 0:00 A.M. to Noon O n this morning trip of the Madison Audubon Society, we'll observe and learn about butterflies, those small but exquisitely beautiful creatures that dance about our ankles in summer. Ann Swengel will lead this two-hour hike at Cherokee Marsh. We will observe a variety of butterflies as they take nectar from wildflowers, and learn about their identification, behavior, and lifestyle. Ann is a widely-known butterfly researcher, photographer and author of numerous articles on butterflies. She is a vice president of the North American Butterfly Association. Bring binoculars if you have them (close-focusing ones work best) or just get close! It's best to wear long pants and a hat for protection from the sun. DIRECTIONS: Meet at the Cherokee Marsh parking lot at the north end of Sherman Ave. at 10 a.m. The trip will last until noon. On the north side of Madison take Northport Drive (Highway 113) then turn north on Sherman Ave. Call Ann at (608) 356-9543, only if you have a question about the trip, V Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 2000 ather and Daughter Team ... With a Butterfly Connection ^>ong time I members of the cJLmfW (sconsfn Entomological Society, Su Bor kin and her father, Ray Sullivan have traveled all over the world in search of endangered butterflies and moths, as well as other insect specimens. Su is Director of Public Programs and overseer of the Puelicher Butterfly Wing at the Milwaukee Public Museum. This new permanent butterfly exhibit opens May 15. Ray is a retired mechanical engineer, an enthusiastic stamp collector, and a museum volunteer. He has helped Su acquire a substantial number of butterfly stamps for the new exhibit and has also donated some of his duplicate stamps. Ray stated, *7'm a mechanical engineer by trade who never had a course in biology in my life. All I knew was nuts, bolts and gears. After l retired in 1984, 1 found that I had time on my hands and decided to do some volunteer work at the museum. Working with butterflies and mounting specimens, I became quite interested in them. It was an entirely different life from what I was doing. I would go out into the field with Su, helping her look for endangered species." " And dad got hooked on netting butterflies," said Su. “ Dad’s been a tennis player all his life. His hand/net accuracy is just wonderful .” This pair of butterfly enthusiasts initially began searching for butterflies behind their family home along the Underwood Creek Parkway in Wauwatosa. At that time their mission was to And the Great Copper Butterfly, as well as the endangered Swamp Metalmark Butterfly and the Poweshiek Skipper (which has a wingspan the size of a nickel). The Monarch Butterfly is of great interest to Su and her dad. They have ventured to Monarch habitats like Newport State Park in Door County and to the mountainous region northwest of Mexico City, which is the winter home of the Monarch. Su commented, 4 What we found was that the Monarchs return in the spring to the tip of the Door County peninsula, as opposed to the middle of the state where they are widely scattered and harder to access what’s going on from year to year.” Ray also participates in the Monarch watch program, where he helps tag the butterflies he finds in his backyard, and makes a weekly survey of the Milkweed plants to check for eggs and larva that are eating the plants. This information is tabulated giving scientists an idea of the insect’s population growth from year to year. His volunteer time at the museum involves mounting the chrysalides, before placing them into the exhibit's incubator chambers. The Sullivan family consisted of five children. In the early years, because he was busy and had five mouths to feed, Ray said he didn’t spend much time teaching the children about nature. He did notice that the girls enjoyed venturing into a woodland along the bike trail near their home. Su would observe the many different species of butterflies found in the area. In the spring his other daughter, Ellen, would record the duck sounds she heard nearby. Su explained, “J loos always interested in animals from the time I was a little girl. I was reading animal stories when the other kids were playing with their Barbie dolls. It’s something I had a natural interest in. I can remember wander- ing into the neighbor’s yard and picking caterpillars off flower leaves and watching these things grow. I was fortunate to grow up in an area where there were butterflies, so I had a first- hand experience observing nature and found it to be really fascinating " The museum's tropical rainforest exhibit, displays the various species of butterflies Ray and Su Page 3 collected when they traveled to Brazil and to the Tirimbina Rainforest, a 750-acre mid-elevation tropical rainforest in northeastern Costa Rica. Other unforgettable adventures involve a missed plane connection, a nerve-wracking, ride through the Brazilian countryside in a Volkswagen minus its windshield wipers (hitting every pothole In sight), Ray stepping on a nest of yellow jackets, and Su stumbling Into a nest of what she thought were little kittens but turned out to be skunks. In one of their Cosa Rica escapades they emerged from a wooded area covered with ticks. Needless to say, they spent the rest of the day picking ticks off each other with a tweezers. On the side, Su added, “ Both of us have freckled skin, so we began taking all these little ticks off which also looked like our freckles.” Su’s other interests are her understanding husband, Art, and a horse. Su remarked, “ Art is very tolerant when I bring home some strange looktng larva or caterpillar eggs and keep them in our refrigerator . Often, I have cater- pillar cages in the house. We have a lot of nectar plants in our yard, but the field work he would fust as soon do without.” Memories of their shared adventures are treasures Su and her father can never forget. What a shining example they are of the father and daughter bond society seeks but finds hard to achieve. W Ray Sullivan and Su Borkln searching for butte files Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2000 Page 4 R©/WWCE, OMraeiJOE, msmm, /w re/m m THE Ls/ATURAL LANDSCAPE By Babette Kis Cross Spider ou don’t have to be a soap opera aficio- nado to Indulge in the world of romance, intrigue, mystery, and death! Just go into your natural landscape during the warm days of spring and summer. While sitting on the porch on a warm summer night, enjoy the fragrance of Evening Primrose and listen to male crickets chirping for potential mates. During the day, especially around noon, you may see Pearly Crescentspot Butterflies spiraling a courtship dance over your Lance-leaved Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susans, Prairie Phlox, and Junegrass. Longing for an evening of intrigue? Take your flashlight out to your sunny garden after sunset and look for moths nectaring on Lance-leaved Coreopsis, Wild Bergamot and Wild Quinine. If you are fortunate, you may see a three- quarter-inch long moth with geometric “scratch art" markings on its wings fly into a spider web. When it touches the web, it sometimes somersaults, so that its wings become stuck to the web. Within a second, a Black and Yellow Argiope, Cross Orb -Weaver or other orb -weaving spider hurries down. The moth holds perfectly still. Is it doomed? Another second, and the spider climbs back to its hiding place under a flower head or leaves. The moth gives a twist and disappears. This moth escape artist is known as the Master’s Dart. Like mysteries? Search host plants for Bumblebee Moth Caterpillars. Stay out late and see if Elm or White-Lined Hawk- moths pollinate Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids at night. For those who want a Sequoia-sized challenge , try to find out what kind of moth the diminutive black and gold Prairie Gentian Flower Caterpillar turns into. Please e- mail me if you do at: bkis(a>MPW.net Death is an everyday part of insect life. Green Ambush Bugs, hiding at the sides of Gray-headed Coneflowers or other composites, grab spiders, small beetles or bugs that happen by. Atop Purple Coneflowers, green and red Flower Spiders reach for an Asparagus Beetle meal. Watch for the tiny, lethal, Braconid Wasp circling a native honeysuckle, looking for a hornworm caterpillar In which to lay her eggs. Discover these or other events playing in your natural landscape this summer. © 1 997 Babette Kis WfM of Himtscfc® by Janice Stiefel