NEWSLETTER of the Wisconsin Entomological Society Volume 15, Number 1 Les Ferge, Editor February 1988 NEXT MEETING IN MILWAUKEE ON 26 MARCH The next meeting of the Wisconsin Entomological Society is scheduled for 1:30 PM on Saturday, 26 March at the Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St. The Museum is easily reached via 1-94 from Madison. Exit from 1-94 eastbound at the 7th St.- Civic Center exit and follow 7th St. north for three blocks to Wells St. and the Museum. Parking is available at a number of facilities near the intersection of 7th and Wells Streets. The Museum is also easy to get to via 1-43 southbound and the Wells St. exit. The program will feature a slide-tape presentation entitled Legacies of Grimm , Aeppler and Miller , Beekeepers in the Midwest . Produced by Dr . Walter Gojmerac of the UW Dept, of Entomology, it is a real slice of Wisconsin Entomological history. Grimm, located near Jefferson, was at one time the "world’s largest beekeeper." Aeppler, also a "big business" beekeeper, chose to immortalize the honey bee via a unique set of sterling silver. This set is now on permanent display at the Milwaukee Art Museum, donated by Dr. and Mrs. Koehler in 1986. Miller, a New York physician, wrote extensively on bees. His works became the nucleus of a large collection of bee literature, presented to the UW in 1923 and housed at the Steenbock Memorial Library in Madison. The program will also include a talk by Phil Pellitteri on "The Ants Around Your Home," and Bill Smith of the DNR's Bureau of Endangered Resources will speak on the status of the Natural Heritage Inventory and the proposed addition of several rare Lepidoptera and other invertebrates to the Endangered and Threatened Species List. As always, there is room available on the program for anyone wishing to share something with the group. Time will be available for members to visit informally, and the Museum insect collection will be open for viewing. Please plan to join us for a most interesting meeting! DUES REMINDER A number of members currently on our mailing list have not yet sent in their dues for 1988. Thank you to those members currently paid up, indicated by an "88" appearing on the address label of this Newsletter. Those not current are receiving another dues envelope for their convenience. Your prompt payment will be greatly appreciated. The Newsletter of the Wisconsin Entomological Society 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, research requests etc. to the editor: Les Ferge, 7119 Hubbard Avenue, Middleton, WI 53562. DR. LINCOLN BROWER TO SPEAK AT UW-MADISON Mark Monday, 18 April on your calendar. Dr. Lincoln Brower of the Dept, of Zoology, University of Florida, will be giving a seminar entitled "Thermal Biology, Energetics and Strategies of Migration in the Monarch Butterfly." The talk will most likely be given at 3:30 PM in Russell Labs, and is open to the general public. For further information and inquiries, you may call Phil Pellitteri at (608) 262-6510. PRESIDENT’S NOTES Phil Pellitteri We had a very nice November meeting. A total of 26 slides was submitted by six individuals. The winner of the William E. Sieker Memorial Insect Photo award was Les Ferge. The winning slide was of a pair of Baltimore Checker spots, and was taken in Walworth County with a 50 mm macro lens under natural light. A print appears below. Others entering photos were Bob Borth, Dr. Dan Benjamin, Greg Lintereur, Rick Ness, and Dan Young. Bob Jeanne was kind enough to share with us some great slides from his recent sabbatical in North Queensland, Australia. You wouldn’t believe what their crocodiles eat! I bet they don’t have many people interested in collecting Dytiscids. Please plan to join us in Milwaukee in March. There is always room on the program if you would like to share something with the group, and we would love to see some of our old friends again. It may be a good time to bring in some of those "trophies" from last season. I think we will not be blessed with another collecting season like 1987 for years to come. 2 NEW ARRIVALS IN WISCONSIN Phil Pellitteri We have a new cockroach that has decided to take up residence in Wisconsin. Specimens of the Surinam Cockroach ( Pycnoscelus surinamensis ) have been found at a Madison business. This is a medium-sized roach (18-24 mm) with a dark black pronotum having a distinctive sinuate hind margin. This insect is a pest in greenhouses and most likely came in on some tropical plants from the southern U. S. They have not migrated out of the interior plantscape, and considering how our winter has been, I think they will have a tough time finding the lush tropical environment they need. The big newcomer and a very unwelcome guest is the varroa mite. This parasite of honey bees was first found in the U. S. in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin on 25 September 1987. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and USDA personnel systematically surveyed most of the migratory beekeepers in the state and found 109 infested yards in 32 Wisconsin counties. Infested colonies have also been found in at least ten other states. The most likely source of the problem can be traced to infested package bees that were shipped from the south last spring. The varroa mite ( Varroa jacobsoni ) is thought to be a native of Asia, and has, for some reason, only recently attacked honey bees. It has been a problem in Europe for the past few years. Where no controls were used, entire bee colonies died out within three years. The main concern here is the potential devastation that we may see because of the loss of pollination. Crops such as cranberries, cucumbers, apples and strawberries are very much dependent on pollination by honey bees. Quarantine restrictions may prevent the movement of colonies from area to area, and weakened colonies might not have enough healthy bees to do the job. Sorry to say, we will be hearing a lot more about this mite in years to come. The mite itself is very large and easily seen with the unaided eye, reddish-brown and very crab-like in appearance. Some describe it as a "cowboy riding a horse" when found on a honey bee. 1987 WISCONSIN LEPIDOPTERA SEASON SUMMARY Les Ferge Contributors: George Balogh (GB), Sue Borkin (SB), Randy Combs (RC), Carol Ferge (CF), Les Ferge (LF), Randy Hoffman (RH), Irwin Leeuw (IL), Jim Parkinson (JP), Michael Reese (MR), Clark Schultz (CS), Ann Swengel (AS). The season was preceded by an unusually mild winter, with well below- average snowfall. An early onset of warmer weather caused many spring- emerging species to appear at least two weeks ahead of "normal," nearly duplicating the onset of last season. Spring-emerging Noctuidae were out before mid-April in the northern counties. Butterfly numbers seemed very low in spring, but improved as the season went on. Summer was generally hot, with some areas being drier than usual. The onset of autumn seemed advanced also, with frosts occurring in early October in southern Wisconsin. However, autumn rains were moderate, a welcome change from the excessive amounts received the past few seasons. The collecting season was ended on 3 November, with a few Noctuid moths taken at sugar bait. 3 The most outstanding aspect of this season was the appearance of many southern migrant butterfly species, far exceeding the influx reported last year in terms of the number of species reported and numbers of individuals encountered. The Pieridae were particularly evident. Phoebis sennae was the most unusual find, with many seen moving northward along the Mississippi River as early as 28 June! Northward movement was still occurring in Crawford County on 2 August, but a small population persisted there through early September in a locality having an abundance of Partridge Pea. Other Pierids present in large numbers and unusually early in the season were Zerene cesonia , Eurema lisa and Nathalis iole , which were found as late as 27 September, just days before frost curtailed the butterfly season. The rarest Pierid found was a single Eurema nicippe . Other migrant butterflies recorded include Pyrgus communis , Hylephila phyleus , Hemiargus isola , Libytheana bachmanii and Euptoieta claudia . Strangely, the number of migratory moth species was fewer than last season, but Magusa orbifera again established breeding populations. Mocis texana was the only other strongly migrant moth seen. New county records are indicated by county names in capital letters, new state records have the species name in capital letters plus the STATE notation. BUTTERFLIES : Erynnis baptisiae , 22 Aug-5 Sept, CRAWFORD, VERNON Cos (LF, JP), locally abundant, ovipositing on Coronilla varia 22 Aug (LF). Erynnis persius , 16-30 May, JACKSON, Juneau, Monroe Cos (LF) . Pyrgus communis , 18 July-4 Sept, Crawford Co (LF), Grant, Sauk Cos (AS), WAUSHARA Co (D. Bray via MR), Winnebago Co (CS). Thymelicus lineola , 7 June-14 July, ASHLAND, Ozaukee Cos ( JP) , BAYFIELD Co (JP, AS), FOREST Co (LF) , Winnebago Co (CS). Hylephila phyleus , 27 Sept, CRAWFORD Co (LF). Hesperia ottoe , 27-29 June, Grant Co (GB, LF, JP), Sauk Co (LF).. Hesperia leonardus/pawnee (intergrades), 18 Aug-6 Sept, .Grant, Sauk Cos (LF) , Green Co (JP, IL). Hesperia metea , 2-9 May, SAUK Co, two sites (LF, AS). Hesperia sassacus , 23-31 May, Burnett Co (JP), SAUK Co (LF). Problema byssus , 28 June, Grant Co (GB,LF). Atrytonopsis hianna , 15-23 May, Burnett, Eau Claire Cos (JP), MONROE Co (CF), JACKSON, SAUK Cos (LF). . Amblyscirtes hegon , 24 May, Marathon Co (JP). Papilio cresphontes , 17 May- 27 Sept (very long season), Crawford Co (CF, LF), Grant Co (JP, LF) , Green Co (IL), Sauk Co (AS). Zerene cesonia , 27 June-27 Sept, Columbia Co, many seen, pair in copula 25 July (RH), Crawford, Trempealeau Cos (LF) , Grant Co (CF, LF, JP, AS). Phoebis sennae , 28 June-13 Sept, CRAWFORD Co (LF, JP), Grant Co (GB, LF, JP), nectaring on Bouncing Bet 28 June (LF), WAUSHARA Co (D. Bray via MR). Eurema lisa , 28 May-27 Sept (long season), CRAWFORD Co (CF, LF, JP), Dodge Co (AS), Grant Co (LF, JP), ovipositing on Cassia sp. 27 June (GB) , Juneau Co (LF), OUTAGAMIE, SHAWANO Cos (RC), PRICE, Sauk Cos (AS), Trempealeau, VERNON Cos (LF), Waukesha Co (R. Sullivan via SB). Eurema nicippe , 31 May, Dane Co (RC) . Nathalis iole , 15 Aug-27 Sept, CRAWFORD Co (CF, LF, JP) , Iowa Co (AS), Sauk Co (LF, AS), WAUSHARA Co (D. Bray via MR). Gaeides xanthoides dione , 16 June-15 July, BAYFIELD Co (AS), Grant Co (LF), WAUKESHA Co (R. Sullivan via SB). Epidemia helloides , 1 July, Vilas Co (GB). Mitoura gryneus , 16 May and 27 June-18 July, Grant Co (GB, JP), Sauk Co (AS, LF) , Pierce, Trempealeau Cos, nectaring on white sweet clover (RH). Incisalia irus , 9-16 May, Adams Co ( JP) , MONROE Co (LF). Incisalia henrici, 26 Apr-23 May, Burnett Co ( JP) , SHAWANO Co (RC), WAUSHARA Co (MR). Hemiargus isola , 14 June-1 Sept, BAYFIELD Co (AS), Grant Co. (JP, AS), SAUK Co (AS), WAUKESHA Co (R. Sullivan via SB). Glaucopsyche lygdamus couperi , 12 Apr- 31 May, Adams, Burnett Cos (JP), Eau Claire Co (CF), Winnebago Co, ovipositing on Lathyrus venosus (CS). Lycaeides melissa samuelis , 16-23 May, Eau Claire, Jackson, Monroe Cos (CF, LF, JP). Plebejus saepiolus , 19-23 June, Bayfield Co (AS, JP). Calephelis muticum , 27 June, MARINETTE Co (RC). Libytheana bachmanii , 12-21 July, Grant Co (AS), Winnebago Co (CS). Nymphalis vau-album , 8 March, 7 July, Sauk Co (AS). Junonia coenia , 26 July-27 Sept, CRAWFORD Co (CF, LF) , Grant, Sauk Cos (AS), Winnebago Co. (CS). Euptoieta claudia , 8 July-27 Sept, Grant Co. (LF,AS), JACKSON Co (AS). Speyeria idalia , 20 June-30 Aug, Green Co (JP), mating and oviposition observed 9-21 July (RH) , Sauk Co (LF), OZAUKEE Co (SB). Clossiana frigga , 16-30 May, ASHLAND Co (AS), Langlade Co (JP), Vilas C° (GB). Phyciodes batesii , 11 Aug, Waukesha Co (R. Sullivan via SB). Charidryas gorgone , 8 May-27 Sept (long season), CRAWFORD Co (CF, LF, JP), Green Co ( JP) , MONROE Co (CF, LF), Sauk Co (AS), Winnebago Co (CS). Charidryas harrisii , 7 June, LINCOLN Co (LF), Marathon Co (JP). Coenonympha inornata, 19 June-15 July, Bayfield Co (AS, JP), Iron Co (JP), Vilas Co (GB) Oeneis chryxus strigulosa , 16 May, Langlade Co. (JP). Oeneis jutta ascerta, 16-30 May (early), Ashland, Price Cos (AS), Langlade Co (JP), Oneida, Vilas Cos (GB). MOTHS : Crambus alienellus labradoriensis , 30 May, Oneida, Vilas Cos, in bogs (GB). Archiearus infans , 8-24 March (early) , Bayfield , Sauk Cos (AS). Eup-hl a ena milnei , 27-29 June, Grant Co (GB). Scopula cacuminaria , 1 July, Vilas Co (GB). Heteropacha rileyana , 29 Aug, Grant Co (JP). Eacles imperialis , 27 June (early), Grant Co (JP). Manduca sexta , 11 Sept, Iowa Co, nectaring on Bouncing Bet (LF) . Eumorpha pandorus , 13 June, Ozaukee Co (JP). Deidamia inscripta , 18 Apr, TREMPEALEAU Co (JP). Notodont a simplaria, Dasylophia anguina, 1 Aug, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF). Crambidia casta , 23 Sept, SAUK Co (LF). Haploa reversa , emgd. 30 June, Sauk Co, larvae eating Lithospermum caroliniense flowers (LF). Arctia caja , 24-25 July, RUSK Co (LF), VILAS Co, 20 at UV (JP). Apantesis carlotta , 18 July-18 Aug, SAUK Co (LF). Grammia phyllira and oithona , 29 May- 5 Sept, SAUK Co (LF). Cycnia inopinatus , emgd. 20-24 July, Grant Co, larvae eating Asclepias tuberosa flowers 27 June (GB). Macrochilo bivitatta, 25 July, RUSK Co (LF). Macrochilo louisiana , 1 July, Vilas Co (GB). PHYTOMETRA ERNESTI NANA , 9 May, 3 Aug, SAUK Co, STATE (LF). Ledaea perditalis , 1 Aug, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF). Metalectra discalis , 29 Aug, Grant Co (LF) . Cissusa spadix, 18 Apr, Trempealeau Co (JP). Mocis texana . Catocala obscura , 1 Aug, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF). Catocala abbreviatella , 27-29 June, Grant Co (GB, LF, JP), Sauk Co, new site (LF) . Catocala nuptialis , 1 Aug, Trempealeau Co (LF, JP). Catocala whitneyi, 27 June (early), SAUK Co (LF). Abrostola ovalis , 29 May, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF) . Syngrapha vir id i sigma , 25 July, Vilas Co ( JP) . ORUZA ALB0C0STALI ATA , 28 June, GRANT Co, STATE (GB). Tarachidia binocula , 9 May-29 June, Grant Co (GB), SAUK Co (LF). Acronicta betulae , 1 Aug, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF) . Psychomorpha epimenis , 17 Apr, Sauk Co (AS). Crymodes burgessi , 5 Sept, SAUK Co (LF) . Crymodes relicina, 29 Aug-23 Sept, Grant, SAUK Cos (LF). Oligia bridghami , 26 June, Waukesha Co ( JP) . Archanara laeta , 1 Aug, Trempealeau Co (LF). Papaipema sciata , 11-23 Sept, Iowa Co (LF) . Hydroecia stramentosa , 1 Aug, Trempealeau Co (LF). Fagitana littera, 12 June, Ozaukee Co (JP, LF) . Magusa orbifera , 12—28 June (early), Grant, Ozaukee Cos (LF), large number of larvae defoliating Buckthorn in Jackson Co in early July (D. Hall & P. Pellitteri) . Plagiomimicus pityochromus , 1 Aug, Trempealeau Co (LF) . Brachylomia algens , 15 Aug, Oneida Co (LF). Feralia jocosa , major , Brachionycha borealis , 13 Apr, Marathon Co (JP). Faronta rubripennis , 31 July- 3 Aug, SAUK, Trempealeau Cos (LF) . Eucoptocnemis fimbriaris , 23 Sept, Sauk Co (LF). Loxagrotis grotei , 29 Aug, Grant Co (LF) . Heliothis subflexus , 1 Aug, TREMPEALEAU Co (LF). Heliothis borealis . 9 May, Adams Co (JP). Schinia indiana , 23 May, Eau Claire Co, resting on Phlox pilosa (CF, LF). Schinia septentrionalis , 30 Aug-6 Sept, Green Co, on Liatris and Aster flowers (LF, IL, JP). Schinia trifascia, 1-29 Aug, Grant, TREMPEALEAU Cos (LF). Schinia florida , 27 June, SAUK Co (LF). Schinia lucens , 13-28 June (early), Grant Co (GB, LF, JP) , SAUK Co, on Amorpha canescens flowers and at UV light (LF) . 5 Wisconsin Entomological Society Les Ferge, Editor 7119 Hubbard Ave. Middleton, WI 53562