Wisconsin Entomological Society

Newsletter

Volume 26, Number .2

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Summer Insect Field Trips
Offered by The Nature Conservancy
and the Madison Audubon Society

These are educational not collecting, expeditions

A Quote For
Our Times — from
Henry David Thoreau:

“The catechism says that the
chief end of man is to glorify God
and enjoy him forever, which of
course, is applicable mainly to
God as seen in his works. Yet the
only account of its beautiful
insects — butterflies, etc.— which
God has made and set before us
which the State ever thinks of
spending any money on is the
account of those which are
injurious to vegetation! This is the
way we glorify God and enjoy him
forever. Come out here and
behold a thousand painted
butterflies and other beautiful
insects which people the air; then
go to the libraries and see what
kind of prayer and glorification of
God is there recorded. Mas-
sachusetts has published her
report on " Insects Injurious to
Vegetation and our neighbor,
the " Noxious Insects of New
York. " We have attended to the evil
and said nothing about the good.
This is looking a gift horse in the
mouth with a vengeance. Children
are attracted by the beauty of
butterflies, but their parents and
legislators deem it an idle pursuit.
The parents remind me of the
devil, but the children, of God.
Though God may have
pronounced his work good, we
ask, ‘Is it not poisonous?’”

Henry David Thoreau
Essayist & Poet
(1817-1862)

The Nature Conservancy and the
Madison Audubon Society:

DRAGONFLIES OF THE
ST. CROIX RIVERWAY

Sat., May 29, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Burnett County

This trip will showcase the beauty,
biology and behavior of some of
Wisconsin’s 111 species of
dragonflies. These “macro-insects”
are more abundant in the northern
portions of our state. The unpolluted
water of the St. Croix River is
especially hospitable to a number of
rare and beautiful river
dragonflies — such as the St. Croix
Snaketail, a new North American
species discovered by our trip leader,
or the Skillet Clubtail with the
largest club of any North American
species, or the diminutive Pygmy
Snaketail. Dragonfly expert. Bill
Smith, Zoologist with the Bureau of
Endangered Resources, will discuss
the biology and natural history of the
fascinating, high-speed world of
dragonflies. We will observe the
beauty and behavior of these
amazing aerialists.

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.)

Meet at the Marshland Visitor
Center. Directions : From the

intersection of State Highways 53
and 70 in Spooner (Washburn Co.)
take 70 to the west through Siren
and Grantsburg (Burnett Co.) From
Grantsburg continue
west on 70 for about
five miles, crossing the
St. Croix River into
Minnesota. The Marsh-
land Visitor Center is
about l A mile past the
bridge across the St. Croix. Call Bill
Smith at (608) 266-0924 (work) only
if you have a question about the trip.

Madison Audubon Society:
DRAGONFLIES & BUTTERFLIES
OF CHEROKEE MARSH

Sim. June 27, 10:00 A.M.-Noon
Madison (Dane County)

This two-hour walk will focus on
those big and beautiful “macro-
insects": butterflies and dragonflies.
Together they total about 263 species
in Wisconsin. We will observe their
beauty and learn about the
identification, behavior and lifestyle
of the various species we encounter.
Observe with eye or binoculars
(bring binoculars if you have them,
the closer they can focus the better).
Leaders will be macro-insect
enthusiasts, Dave Fallow, Karl Legler
and Dave Westover.

Please see FIELD TRIPS, Page 5

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, W631 1 Mullet Lane, Plymouth, WI 53073. e-mail: Jstiefel@excel.net
NOTE: Please report any address changes to Les Ferge, 7119 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, Wl 53562. e-mail: ferge@chorus.net

Page 2

From: Babette Kis
Milwaukee* WI

During an Aug. 1997 night survey
of orb spiders, local Boy Scouts
counted 42 mosquitoes on the web
of one Black and Yellow Argiope. A
total of 72 webs were surveyed on
the three-acre Racine County
Wisconsin prairie remnant. (This
scout group has helped Babette do
her “ spider surveys ” for over ten
years.)

Although missing two front left legs
and one front right leg, a Cross
Spider ( Araneus diadematus ) was
able to catch W long flies, smaller
flies and l AT long beetles during the
day. The spider caught V 2 to 3 A"
long moths at night. Mosquitoes
were also seen on the web, but were
not wrapped. Observations were
made from July 19 through Aug..
16, 1997 on a S. E. Wisconsin
prairie remnant.

In late July 1996, a male flower
spider on a Purple Coneflower, was
observed with the following: 3
Asparagus Beetles, a Red and
Green Leafhopper, another

leafhopper (green, species
unknown) and a W black beetle
(species unknown). Observations
were made in Babette’s Milwaukee
backyard. 3’

Backyard and
field

observations ,
plus information
of interest j

From: Pat Seawell
San Antonio, TX

My “ beyond bizarre ” story of the
season involves a Black Swallowtail
(obviously a male) who was
patrolling my yard, with the sole
objective of chasing all the other
butterflies away. Suddenly, flushed
with success, he attempted to chase
a female Black-Chinned Hum-
mingbird away! Not once, but twice!
(The first time she just held her
ground and glared at him. The
second time she held her ground
and gave him a piece of her mind!
“...and don’t even think about

dive-bombing me againl”) I’m sure
there’s a moral in this tale
somewhere. ^

New Butterfly Guide
Butterflies through Binoculars
— The East, by Jeffrey Glassberg,
has just been published (cost:
$18.95). It has a very extensive
collection of photo plates of
butterflies in nature. The treatment
of skippers is excellent. It has range
maps and graphic flight periods.
The best guide currently available.
Glassberg is president of the North
American Butterfly Assoc, and
recommends using binoculars
rather than a net for the general
enjoyment of butterflies. A list of
ultra-close-focusing binoculars is
available from WES member, Karl
Legler, 429 Franklin St., Sauk City,
WI 53583. An informative binocular
catalog is available from Eagle
Optics (608) 836-6568. V

Please send any observations for the
next BUG BYTES column to Janice
Stiefel, W6311 Mullet lane, Plymouth,
WI 53073 or e-mail: jstiefel@excel.net

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^yp^ he University of
Wisconsin- Milwaukee
A 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 more
details and a registration form. The
1999 Workshop Schedule includes
the following courses:

1. SEDGES:

Identification & Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Anton Reznicek
June 11 & 12

2. VEGETATION off WISCONSIN
Instructor: Dr. James Reinartz
June 14-19

3. LICHENS:

Identification & Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Martyn Dibben
June 25 & 26

4. DRAGONFLIES:

Identification & Ecology
Instructor: William A. Smith
July 9 & 10

5. BEETLES:

Identification & Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Dan Young
August 6 & 7

6. MUSHROOMS & OTHER
FLESHY FUNGI:
Identification & Ecology
Instructor: Dr. Alan Parker
September 11 & 12

7. BIRD BANDING:

Trapping Methods & Bird
Examination Techniques
Instructor: Vicki Piaskowski
September 18

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Field Station

3095 Blue Goose Rd.

Saukville, WI 53080

Contact person: Jim Reinartz
e-mail: jimr@uwm.edu
Phone: (414) 675-6844
Fax: (414) 675-033

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 1999

The Moth That Didn’t Stay For Dinner

by Babette Kis

O n a muggy July evening in
1996, 1 left my family and
air-conditioned home and
drove to a southeastern Wisconsin
prairie remnant to observe the
nocturnal interactions of moths and
spiders. Armed with headlamp (with
which to observe nightly goings on)
and sketchbook (in which to record
nightly goings on), I left the car.
Swarms of mosquitoes greeted me,
buzzing in my ears and feasting on
my arms and face. A prudent person
(or my children) might have told me
I should have brought insect
repellent. But I couldn’t do that.
Insect repellent drives off, not only
mosquitoes, but some species of
night-flying moths I had come to
observe.

The Prairie Blazing-Stars were in
full bloom on that summer night. On
one patch of a dozen lavender stalks,
I counted between 30 and 40 tan,
inch-long moths with “scratch art”
markings. Nearby, Black and Yellow
Argiopes ( Argiope aurantia ) and
Banded Argiopes ( Argtope
trifasciata ) had connected their
webs to Blazing-Stars, Asters and
Rattlesnake Masters. Ten yards
away, adjacent to a cornfield. Cross
Spiders ( Araneus dtadematus )
waited on webs they had woven
among the tall grasses.

For the first quarter of an hour,
moths came, nectared and left the
flowers, deftly avoiding the orb
weavers’ webs. Then, illuminated by
the beam from my headlamp, one of
the “scratch art” dart moths flew into
a Cross Spider’s web. Its feet
tangled, the moth struggled to free
itself. Within a second, the Cross
Spider was there, wrapping and
biting its prey. Within a minute, the
moth was neatly trussed and
immobile. Minutes later, another one
of these moths, landing abdomen-
side first on the web of a Black and
Yellow Argiope, was similarly
captured.

At almost eleven o’clock, another
moth of this species headed straight
for the web of another Cross Spider.
However, before it hit, this moth

appeared to anticipate the web, and,
instead of landing feet first, it
somersaulted and landed backside
on the sticky strands. It did not
struggled to free itself but held
perfectly still, feet out, as if it were
frozen. In a flash, the spider was
there, walking around the moth. The
moth remained perfectly still. After a
few seconds, the spider climbed back
to its waiting area. As soon as the
spider stopped moving, the moth
gave a twist, freed itself from the web
and flew off. In the light of my
headlamp, a sparkling layer of scales
glistened.

A year later, in Aug. 1997, a
repeat performance was given by this
same species of moth. This time the
web belonged to a Black and Yellow
Argiope. Just like the moth of the
previous year, this moth did a neat
back flip onto the web, so the top of
its wings stuck to the sticky strands.
This moth also held its feet out and
stayed perfectly still. The spider went
over to the moth but, apparently
sensing no vibration, retreated to its
waiting area. The moth escaped by
twisting, leaving some of its scales on
the web.

Orb weavers catch their prey by
sensing web vibrations their
struggling prey makes. But the two
“scratch art” dart moths that landed

4 Vi

m-

Page 3

on their backs remained perfectly
still; they gave off no vibrations.
Hence, they were apparently no more
interesting to the spiders than were
the plumed Indian Hemp seeds that
had been blown onto many of the
webs. These moths were able to
escape, not only because they give off
no vibrations, but because the excess
or abundant scales on the backs of
their wings made it possible for them
to pull away from the webs. Only the
moths of this species, that apparently
sensed a web before they hit, and did

Master's Dart nectaring on
Prairie Blazing-Star

Artwork: Babette Kis

a back flip, used this escape
technique.

In August of 1996, I brought a
specimen of this moth to Susan
Borkin of the Milwaukee Public
Museum. She identified it as a
Master’s Dart ( Feltia herilis ). I had
previously thought it was a Dingy
Cutworm Moth. Did whomever
named the moth know of the clever
way it escaped from an orb weaver’s
web? Or is this name merely
serendipitous? Either way. Master’s
Dart is an appropriate name for this
master of escape — the moth that
didn’t stay for dinner. %

© 1999 Babette Kis

Black and Yellow Argiope catches
an unidentified moth species.

Artwork: Babette Kis

Babette is a wife and mother of three,
full-time project architect at the City of
Milwaukee, part-time naturalist, writer,
artist, and former sdence teacher. On
muggy summer evenings, she frequently
deserts her husband and children to
observe nightlife on prairie remnants.

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — Jhme 1999

Page 4

MULTICOLORED ASHAM LADY BEETLE

by Phil Pellitteri

E very fall from mid to late
October numerous
reports of large numbers
of lady beetles on and in homes and
other buildings have been seen in the
Midwest. The species is the
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
( Harmonta axyrtdis). Usually we
would not be concerned because lady
beetles are beneficial insects that eat
aphids and other insect pests. But
this species can be a nuisance when
they gather in very large numbers
around windows and doors or move
inside. Fortunately, they are
harmless. [Note: I do receive reports
that they can bite. They do not break
the skin, but if they find soft skin
they can pinch.]

This ladybird beetle (sometimes
know as the Halloween Lady Beetle)
has only been recorded in numbers
in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota
since 1994. This is an introduced
species from eastern Asia or Japan.
It is not known exactly how it became
established in the United States.
There have been numerous attempts
from 1916 until 1985 to establish
this species as a biological control
agent for pecan aphids. This beetle is
an important predator of scale and
aphid pests on trees in Asia. The
first specimens recovered in the U.S.
were collected in Louisiana during
1988. Since then, the beetle has
increased its distribution to include
all of the Great Lakes and all east
coast states.

These oval, convex, Vh” beetles
are pale orange in color with 19
black spots on the wing covers. The
19 spots are arranged as a row of
five spots just behind the pronotum,
followed by two rows of six spots,
and a forth row of two spots. There
is a white and black shaped "W”
behind the head in most specimens.
A fraction of these beetles are either
without these spots or may only have
traces of 4 to 6 spots on the wing
covers. In Asia, this beetle occurs in
at least 100 different color forms
including black forms with two
orange spots which has also been

collected in Wisconsin.

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles
cluster on homes in search of over-
wintering sites. They usually select
the sunny west or southwest side of
buildings. It is believed they use a
chemical called a pheromone to
attract each other. After the beetles
settle down on the sides of buildings,
many leave on their own by nightfall.
It is likely these beetles move to leaf
fitter, underneath boards, logs, or
other protected areas in search of
overwintering sites after the first
frost. Some beetles do overwinter
under siding or in attics and can be
active on sunny days in winter. All
surviving beetles will move outdoors
in the spring.

As usual, prevention is the key
to keeping this ladybird beetle from
getting into homes. Make certain that
cracks along windows and doors are
weatherstripped. Ventilation
openings in attics should be
screened or sealed, as appropriate.
Remove beetles from inside the home
with a vacuum, broom or collect by
hand and deposit them outdoors.
Lady beetles defend themselves by
bleeding from their joints. If handled
too roughly they can stain carpets,
walls or curtains.

One of the best ways to limit
unwanted intrusions by insect pests
is to deny them entry — a procedure
known as pest-proofing. Many pests
seek refuge in homes and other
buildings in response to changes in
weather... such as extended periods
of rain or drought, or the onset of
cooler temperatures in autumn.
Taking steps to block their entry
before they end up inside can greatly
reduce the chances of future
sightings. Equipment and materials
mentioned can be purchased at most
home improvement or hardware
stores.

Prooffiag Details:

1 . Install door sweeps or thresholds
at the base of all exterior entry
doors. While lying on the floor, check
for fight filtering under doors. Gaps
of 1/16” or less will permit entry of

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles

Photo: Janice Stiefel

insects and spiders. Apply caulk (see
#3) along bottom outside edge and
sides of door thresholds to exclude
ants and other small insects. Gaps
under sliding glass doors can be
sealed by fining the bottom track
with l A" to %” weatherstripping.

2. Seal utility openings where pipes
and wires enter the foundation and
siding, eg., around outdoor faucets,
receptacles, gas meters, clothes
dryer vents, and telephone/cable TV
wires. These are common entry points
for such pests as rodents, ants,
spiders and yellowjackets. Holes can
be plugged with caulk, cement,
urethane expandable foam, steel
wool, copper mesh (Stuffit®) or
other suitable sealant.

3. Caulk cracks around windows,
doors, fascia boards, etc. Use a good
quality silicone or acrylic latex caulk.
Although somewhat less flexible than
pure silicone, latex-type caulks clean
up easily with water and are
paintable. Caulks that dry clear are
often easier to use than pigmented
caulks since they don't show
mistakes.

4. Repair gaps and tears in window
and door screens. Doing so will help
reduce entry of flies, gnats,
mosquitoes and midges during
summer, and cluster flies, lady
beetles, and other overwintering
pests in early fall. “Sf

Phil Pellitteri, District Outreach Specialist
College of Agricultural & Life Sciences
Dept, of Entomology, UW -Madison, WI

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 1999

Page 5

Lady Beetles...

4^ “In Love”

by Janice Stiefel

housands of Aslan Lady
4 meetles spent their winter

our building project in
Door County. They were
everywhere — on the windows, the
ceiling, and walls. After dark they
would collect around our lamp in the
living room, diving into our hair and
on the pages we were reading. In
other words, they were a nuisance
and, if touched, they exuded an
unpleasant smell.

Since we have an atrium
attached to our house and we finally
got it screened from the rest of the
living quarters, I decided to escort all
aimlessly wandering lady beetles into
that room to dine on the aphids
which had appeared on some of the
plants. A week later I noticed that the
lady beetles were very happy and
content. . .they were mating! At one
time, I saw at least ten pairs hooked
together. Two week later I noticed
some weird black and orange beetle-
like insects
( approxi-
mately l A n to
%” long) on
the plants. I
thought, “Oh
great, now
where did
these guys
come from?"

Automatically
I assumed
that they were not a benefit to my
plants and considered destroying
them. Then the light bulb went on in
my head. “ Could these creatures be
the larvae of the lady beetles ?” No
one ever talks about the larvae when
referring to lady beetles, so I thought
they started out as teensy-weensy
lady beetles. After consulting my
beetle field guides and finding
nothing, I finally looked in the little
Golden Guide to INSECTS. It was
there I found the larvae. The
markings were different, because
they were describing different species
of lady beetles, but the shape and
description fit what I had on my
plants in the atrium. In that book it

Multicolored Asian
Lady Beetle Larva

Photo: Janice Stiefel

says “ The larvaefeed on aphids and
pass through four growth stages.
When mature, they pupate in the
remains of the last larval skin.*'
Another interesting fact found in this
book — we have some 350 species in
this country and the name, ladybug
or ladybird, can be traced back to
the Middle Ages, when these beetles
were dedicated to the Virgin.

To continue... I placed one larva
in a jar with a few leaves of Stinging
Nettle, along with the aphids which
were sucking the plant’s juices. The
larva dined on the aphids and
eventually made a strange-looking
pupa which resembled a cross
between the lady beetle and the
larva. When I discovered what the
pupa looked like, then I detected
them hanging on the wood of our
atrium walkway, on plant leaves,
even on the walls. Prior to that time,
I would have never noticed them.

It’s amazing how long it takes to
discern the activities of nature that
are taking place right under our
nose. I’m also astonished as to how
quick we are to destroy an insect
(myself included) when we do not
know its identity. Automatically it’s
taken for granted that the insect is
harmful. What I learned about the
lady beetle has been an eye-opener.
In the future, I will not consider
destroying any insect unless I know
what it is and its potential for harm
or benefit. I shudder to think of how
many of these valuable insects have
been exterminated; probably with the
same potentially harmful concoctions
that they, themselves, could have
replaced. W

© 1999 Janice Stiefel

Wisconsin
Entomological
Society
Dues for 1999

Individual Membership $5/00/yr.
Family Membership $ 1 0.00/yr .

Sustaining Membership $l5.00/yr.
Patron Membership $25.00/yr.

Please make checks payable to
Wisconsin Entomological Society
and send to Tom Rocheleau,
Wisconsin Entomological Society,
3100 Buena Vista St.
Madison, WI 53704

FIELD TRIPS, from Page 1

Dress for protection from the
heat and sun. A hat is recommended.
Directions: On the north side of
Madison, take Northport Dr. (Hwy.
113), then turn north on Sherman
Ave. If you have any questions about
the trip, please call Karl Legler at
(608) 643-4926.

Madison Audubon Society:

1999 “FOURTH OF JULY”
MADISON BUTTERFLY COUNT

Sat., July 3, 9:00 A.M.-Noon
Madison (Dane County)

This will be the 9 th annual Madison
count. On last year’s Madison
census, 13 counters in two groups
counted 524 butterflies for a record
46 species. Out of 53 counts in
Wisconsin and five surrounding
states, Madison had the highest
number of species!

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. Get close and observe
with eye or close-focusing binoculars.
Dress for protection from the heat
and sun; a hat is recommended.
Bring a lunch, as the trip will last
until noon. (But anyone who wants to
continue counting in the afternoon
can do so.) The North American
Butterfly Assoc, requires a $2.50 fee
from each count participant to cover
administrative and publishing costs.
Meet at the parking lot for Greene
Prairie in the UW Arboretum in
Madison at 9:00 a.m. There is no
“rain date.” We will count until noon.
Directions: From the south Beltline
Highway heading west, take the
Seminole Highway exit and turn left
(south) on Seminole Highway,
crossing the Beltline, to the small
arboretum parking lot. Meet here.
(Or from the south Beltline Highway
heading east, take the exit for Todd
Dr. Then backtrack west on Todd
Dr. until you reach the parking lot at
the intersection with Seminole
Highway.) If you have any questions
about the Madison Butterfly Count,
please call the count compiler, Karl
Legler (608) 643-4926 (Sauk City).

Please see FIELD TRIPS, Page 6

Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 1999

Page 6

A Butterfly For Daddy

by Janice Stiefel

tched in my memory
— like it happened
yesterday — the summers
of my childhood were spent
exploring and traipsing through
acres of prairie habitat which
surrounded my family’s home in
Skokie, Illinois. Those were the days
when this portion of that Chicago
suburb was an abandoned truck
farm, where asparagus had been
grown. Due to lack of use, the land
reverted to above-my-head tall
grasses and thousands of Common
Milkweeds ( Asclepias syriaca ). I
remember playing with the Monarch
caterpillars which were found in
great abundance on these plants. I
let them crawl on my arms, stroking
and adoring them with a passion. I
also recall many Red Milkweed
Beetles ( Tetraopes tetraophthalmus)
that my brother
and I would
stuff into a
hollow rubber
ball which had
a small hole in
it. We’d listen
to the buzzing
of the numer-
ous beetles we Red Milkweed Beetle
had captured Photo: Janice Stiefel
and caged in

that deplorable environment. Guilt
still haunts me over this childhood
escapade. Another caterpillar which
was plentiful toward the end of
August was the larva of the Milkweed
Tussock Moth [Euchaetes egle)
which also dined on Milkweed
plants. The caterpillar was densely
covered with tufts and pencils. It had
many black and white hairs of
different lengths on its body. The
tufts were along the front, rear and
sides. Six pairs of short, thick,
yellow/orange and black tufts were
on the middle segments of the body.
Unlike the Monarch caterpillars who
ate alone and did not like sharing
their space with each other, the
Milkweed Tussocks lived in a
commune-type environment. When
disturbed they would all roll into a
ball and fall to the ground.

Monarch on Purple Coneflower

Photo: Janice Stiefel

Many hours were spent in
pursuit of understanding
“caterpillars.” In those days field
guides, or even libraries, were not
available to a kid like me. Names of
individual caterpillar species were
never mentioned — they were just
called, "caterpillars." Even as a first
grader, I knew they had to have
separate names because they were so
different — one was relatively smooth
and the other was hairy (almost like
the hairs on my pet Guinea Pig). To
most people, including my parents,
caterpillars were meant to be
destroyed. Daddy could not
understand my obsession with them.
[Today, I under stand his lack of
interest because there was a war
going on, he
was struggling
to keep food on
the table,
clothes on our
back and a roof
over our heads. ]

One day,
my curiosity got
the best of me. I
carefully placed,
what I now
know was the
Milkweed
Tussock
caterpillar, in the purse-like section

Moth larvae

Photo: Jantce Stiefel

FIELD TRIPS, from Page 5

Madison Audubon Society
BUTTERFLIES OF
ROCKY RUN— WEST

Sun., July 1 1, 10:00 A.M.-Noon
Columbia County

Ann Swengel will lead this two-hour
hike in the west section of Rocky Run
Creek in Columbia County. We will
walk along wetland, old field and
woodland edges; observing and
learning about a variety of butterflies
(swallowtails, sulphurs, hair streaks,
skippers, etc.) as they take nectar
from Rocky Run’s many wildflowers.
Ann is a widely-known butterfly
researcher, photographer and author
of numerous articles on butterflies.
She is naturalist at Mirror Lake
State Park and 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: We will
carpool and leave at 9:00 a.m. from
the middle of the parking lot of Cub
Foods on the east side of Madison.
From the intersection of Highways
30 and 51 (Stoughton Rd.) go north
on 51 and take the first right turn
which leads to Nakoosa Trail and
Cub Foods. (Or meet at 10:00 a.m. at
the west side of Rocky Run Creek
parking lot. From Madison go north
on Highway 5 1 . Nearly 4 miles north
of Poynette, turn right onto Morse
Rd. and go east for about % mile.
There is a small parking lot on the
north side of the road.) If you have
any questions about this trip, please
call Karl Legler at (608) 643-4926. «

of my school bag. I was going to take
it to my first grade teacher; she
would surely know what its real
name was. Waiting until recess, when
I knew I could have a private moment
with her, I gently lifted my precious
treasure from the purse in my school
bag, placed it on my arm and asked:
“ Miss .... do you know what this
caterpillar is called besides —
caterpillar?” She startled me when

Please see BUTTERFLY, Page 8

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 1999

Page 7

Bright Eyes Atfj

by Carroll Rudy

L ast summer when the sun
binned hot and bright on
the side of the house, a
fuzzy little Jumping Spider used to
prowl about on the woodwork by the
back door searching for flies. She
became a familiar part of the back
door environment as flies, linking
on the screen door hoping to get
inside, were easy pickings for a
hungry spider . Friendly and fearless,
this black furry spider would often

Harmless Jumping Spiders
resembling tiny furry Tarantulas are
common summer guests on the
sunny sides of buildings.

hop about on the blue jeans of porch
sitters and afternoon coffee
drinkers. Her large, bright shiny
eyes would follow our every
movement, returning the gaze of a
curious human.

Imagine my surprise when I
found that she had decided to move
inside with us when the cold icy
winds of November drove the flies
away, and made life inhospitable for
spiders outside. Happily she hunted
down the last of the autumn flies
that had straggled indoors to
hibernate. She settled down in a
warm sunny south window among
the houseplants and obviously
intended to spend the winter there.
Knowing that sooner or later she
would get crushed by some careless
human, I fixed her a winter retreat
in a plastic critter cage.

Jumping Spiders are one of the
most interesting and appealing of all
spiders, and if any spiders can be
considered cute and cuddly, it is

they. They are chubby and fuzzy with
large bright eyes and pretty colored
markings on their bodies.

This particular spider is about a
half inch long, and black as soot. It
has three bright orange spots on top
of its abdomen which lead some to
mistake this species as a poisonous
Black Widow, but they resemble each
other no more than a black horse
and a black cow resemble each
other. Black Widows are shiny with
slender legs and they spin webs in
dark hiding places. Their red
markings are on the underside
rather than the top.

Jumping spiders do not spin
webs. They are hunters who stalk
their prey and pounce on it much
like a cat. They love the sunlight and
do their hunting on bright, hot
summer days — often on the south
side of a building. At night they
retreat into a crevice where they spin
a cocoon-like nest in which to sleep.
As the name implies, they are good
jumpers who can launch themselves
several inches to catch an insect or
escape an enemy. A strand of silk
anchors them like a rock-climbing
human’s safety rope; so in case the
spider falls, it can climb back up to
its perch. The luckless insect caught
by a Jumping Spider is bitten and
paralyzed by the spider’s venom.
Then digestive juices are injected, the
insect's insides liquify, and are
sucked out with the fangs, leaving a
perfect, undamaged, empty shell.
Paralyzing the prey allows the spider
to eat insects that are larger than
itself without a struggle.

Stalking prey and leaping upon
it like a miniature cougar require
excellent eyesight. It is thought that
Jumping Spiders have the best
vision of any invertebrate animal.
They do not have compound eyes as
insect and other arthropods do.
Instead there is an immovable lens
(similar to our cornea) and a retina
at the bottom of the barrel-shaped
eye. The lens is immovable and
instead the retina moves to focus the
image. This makes the eyes appear
to move and ghtter. Like turrets on a
tank, the four larger eyes on the front
and four smaller ones on the sides
point in several directions at once
and each can focus individually.

They also have large fangs called
chelicerae that catch, hold and eat
the prey. Strangely enough they are

usually a bright metallic color. My
spider had shiny blue-green ones
that seemed to glow from some
directions and appear black from
other angles. The effect was much
like the security holograms on credit

Jumping Sptders may have
the keenest eyesight of
any invertebrate animal.

cards and other copy-protected
products. Another shiny metallic
spot appears on top of the spider
when the sun shines on it,

Since a predator does not need
bright metallic colors to catch food,
they may seem at first to have no
purpose, but Jumping Spiders need
them for courtship displays that are
elaborate and flashy. When a male
spots a prospective mate, he begins
to ‘dance’, swaying to and fro,
signaling with large furry forelegs
like semaphores, and flashing those
shiny fangs. If the other spider is a
female of his own species, who is
interested in courtship, she signals
back and they are a couple. Mistaken
identity is impossible since each
species of the 4,000 species of
Jumping Spiders has a unique
‘dance’ all its own.

When winter comes and the
insects die, cold-blooded Jumping
Spiders must retreat to their cocoon-
like nests to hibernate. Most
probably die of cold or dehydration
long before spring comes, and I have
not been able to find out how long
they can live. Most spiders, however,
have short lives. . .surviving the winter
in the egg or larval stage. Tropical
Tarantulas are known to live for 25
years, but in our frigid domain, only
the Wolf Spiders, those big hairy,
fast-running, ground-hunting
spiders, live for two or three years.

© 1999 Carroll Rudy

Carroll is the editor of Calumet Nature
Studies Newsletter, published by Ledge
View Nature Center, W2348 Short Rd..
Chilton, WI 53014. Her e-mail address is:
mcrudy@dotnet.com

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Wisconsin Entomological. Societal Newsletter — Jmne 1999

Page 8

BUTTERFLY, from Page 6
she screamed, “Get that thing out of
here. Get that thing out of here!”
She actually went crazy; for a
moment I thought she was going to
leap on her desk to get away from
me. Crestfallen, I gently returned the
caterpillar to the pouch in my school
bag and quietly slipped away. I never
told my parents about this, because
they did not understand my
attraction to these creatures.

Decades later, when my father
was 90 years old, he stopped in for
one of his frequent visits and noticed
that I was cleaning Monarch
caterpillar-rearing jars. They were
munching away on Milkweed plants,
oblivious to this gentleman who (at
one time) felt that all caterpillars
should be destroyed. At that
moment, he probably still felt that
way, because he said, ”What in the
world, you're still horsing around
with caterpillars? You were doing
that when you were a kid." Agreeing
with him, I said, “Yes, Daddy , but

now I have the books, knowledge
and resources to understand and
identify them” I went on to
explained how the Monarch
caterpillar hatches from a tiny egg on
the underside of a Milkweed leaf,
eats the Milkweed leaf or flower for
10 to 12 days, then attaches itself
with a super glue to the Milkweed
leaf or any surrounding vegetation,
hangs there for 10 to 12 hours
and then if you are lucky
enough to be in its presence,
BEFORE YOUR EYES, forms a
beautiful jade-green chrysalis,
dotted with gold. Approximately
10 to 12 days later the
chrysalis turns transparent and
the adult butterfly emerges.

Daddy was actually
interested for the first time in
his life. He had never experienced the
metamorphosis of a butterfly. To my
great astonishment, he said, “You
know the butterfly is a symbol of
the resurrection (long pause); do you
think I could raise one in my

apartment?” Of course, my answer
was, “YES!” In the weeks ahead, he
did just that. With his own eyes he
saw the caterpillar form a chrysalis
and the emergence of the adult 12
days later. When the adult butterfly
emerged, he immediately bonded
with it. Reluctantly, he released his
“baby” into the sky and watched as a
gentle breeze carried it away. Here he

Daddy’s butterfly subtly
conveyed the message I had been
trying to communicate for decades
and in the process gave him the hope
of a glorious resurrection. ‘S’

© 1999 Janice Stlefel

was, at age 90, and had never
experienced this phenomenon
of nature. He asked me to bring
him another caterpillar to
raise. I found one a week later
and couldn’t wait to deliver it to
him. When I phoned him he did
not answer. Shortly after that
I call, I was notified that daddy
I had died, unexpectedly, in his

Monarch Chrysalis apartmenti