v/

SHP

N e w s 1 e

iciety

t t e r

Volume 29, Number 2

a 9 ' --Vt x

June 2001

NATURE’S RECYCLING MACHINE . .

The Black Pine Sawyer Beetle

[ ore and more as I
see the countryside
being parceled off
into building lots, as one woods
after another is "checkerboarded”
out of Its original biological
functions, I think of the word
refugium, pronounced re-FEW-jee-
um (plural is refugia), meaning, “an
area of relatively unaltered climate
that is inhabited by plants and
animals during a period of
continental climatic change (as a
glaciation) and remains as a center
of relic forms from which a new
dispersion and
speciation may take
place after climatic
readjustment."

The concept of
refugia came alive for
me during the time I
worked at the Ridges
Sanctuary in Bailey’s
Harbor and also spent
much time at the
neighboring Toft Point
Natural Area, both
relatively pristine,
unaltered areas
containing some old-
growth forests. Here
exist some plants and
animals that simply
don’t show up in any
other regional
environments. Why?

The older forests
harbor plants and

by Roy Lukes

animals that absolutely require large
trees in order to create micro
environments that sustain
specialized communities that
include, for example, ferns, bacteria,
decomposers, consumers, etc.
Fallen trees at various stages of
decay lie undisturbed upon the
ground providing countless
important niches that are vital for
the survival of salamanders,
centipedes, beetles, mosses, lichens
and thousands of other sensitive
organisms. Here exist innumerable
so-called “webs” whereby plants and
animals, small to large, depend upon

Black Pine Sawyer Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus)
Photo: Roy Lukes

one another for survival.

When development in a woods
occurs many trees are cut down, the
edges of the woods are removed and
“tidied up”, and the climate there
suddenly warms up. The fallen logs
upon the ground are either removed
or, if left, become too exposed to the
heat and dry out, creating unsuitable
conditions for this community of
decomposers. One by one, many of
the former creatures that survived
there disappear. Many species of
birds fail to return to nest there.

One species of beetle I
occasionally saw at Toft Point and
the Ridges was the Black
Pine Sawyer Beetle,
better known as one of
the long-horned beetles.
This amazing insect, far
from really being a forest
pest, generally attacks
dead and dying mature
trees. With there being
so few remaining mature
pines in eastern
Wisconsin it stands to
reason that this large
beetle is seldom seen.

It is really a black
beetle about one and a
quarter inches long that
appears bronzy due to
tiny brown and gray
hairs covering much of
its exoskeleton. Look
closely and you will see a
Please see, Sawyer, Page 2

The Wlsconstn 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 Society Newsletter — June 2001

Page 2

Sawyer, from Page 1
little protruding pointed horn or
spine on each side of its thorax
(body segment behind the head)
approximately even with its front
legs. These are characteristic of the
sawyer beetles. '

Their habitat includes the
coniferous forests of eastern North
America and they are fairly common
wherever pines grow naturally in this
country. They’re called sawyer
beetles because initially the female
“saws” or cuts deeply into the tree
bark laying from one to six eggs in
each slit. The larvae that hatch eat
the wood of the pine while the adults
gnaw on the bark of small twigs.
They are not considered as serious
pests in the pine woods.

A striking feature of the large
dangerous-appearing insect are its
long graceful antennae. These are
about four inches long on males and
somewhat shorter on the females. I
don’t know if any scientist has ever
bothered to determine the various
uses of the antennae of this sawyer
beetle, but they might possibly
function in several ways. Surely their
length may help the beetle to
maintain its balance as well as
determine its direction of travel.

Much study has centered
around insects’ use of antennae for
taste, smell, hearing and even for
determining humidity and moisture.
Some male moths have been found
to be able to detect a female by her
scent from up to a mile or more
away, obviously upwind.

Generally Insects with poor
eyesight tend to have larger antennae
while those with excellent eyesight,
such as dragonflies, have smaller
antennae. What complex sensory
organs they are. Some species of
moths can actually detect the
supersonic squeaks of bats up to
100 feet away and thereby avoid
being captured and eaten.

Scientists have found that an
antennae is like a miniature cable
with scores of microscopically small
nerve fibers coming out of the front
of the head. These are known to
lead directly to tiny supersensitive
depressions, plates, and various
points, terminals containing fluids
comparable to human brain fluid.
The antenna is segmented allowing it

to move freely. While there are no
muscles within an antenna, a ball
and socket-like joint is controlled by
a powerful muscle at the base.

How important are refugia for
plants and animals in light of our
country’s growing population and
development continuing at
frightening paces? Ask the long-
horned beetles. They’ll tell you!
Come to think of it, do you suppose
their wonderful antennae are tuned
in to the daily actions of Homo
sapiens? ¥ © 2001 Roy Lukes

Roy is a member of WES and a naturalist par
excellence. He has been writing weekly nature
columns for over 30 years and has also written
six books on a vast variety of subjects
pertaining to the natural world. Roy can be
reached at Nature-Wise. P. O. Box 105, Egg
Harbor. WI 54209, (920) 823-2478

E-mall: lukes@dcwls.com

BUG BYTES.

Backyard and field
observations , plus
information of
interest

WES member, Charles Behnke, of
Milwaukee, shares the following

comments...

I continue to enjoy the emphasis
on field work, especially
behavior, under your editorship
...Back to the June 2000 newsletter,
in your piece on Hooktip moths. I
was struck by your remark that 1 st
instar larvae gathered together
overnight from wide dispersal, and
your opinion that “ one of them had
to be a leader .” I would opine that it
might be more appropriate to look at
this behavior as typical of a
smoothly functioning integrated
anarchy with no need for a unique
leader. Perhaps with some similarity
to wolfpacks, which although as a
rule having an alpha male and
female in leadership roles, often the
packs behavior exhibits simple well-
integrated cooperation (e.g. in
hunting) where any “leadership”
would be superfluous if not
detrimental. ^

Thanks, Charlie! I have a tendency
to look at insects from the human
side, forgetting that there is
probably a scientific theory. JS

2001 Dues Notice!

A collection envelope is
enclosed with this news-
letter, for the convenience of
members who haven’t paid their
dues for 2001, No envelope is pro-
vided if you are paid up for 2001 or
beyond. Please check the address
label on this newsletter for your
current dues status. Send check to
our treasurer, Tom Rocheleau,
3100 Buena Vista St., Madison, WI
53704. Also appearing after your
name will be your membership
category:

Individual $5.00 per year

Family $10.00 per year

Sustaining $15.00 per year

Patron $25.00 per year

Be sure to notify us of any
address changes when you send in
your check or you may notify Les
Ferge, 7119 Hubbard Ave.
Middleton, WI 53562. ¥

Editor’s Note:

O n Thursday, May 17, I
received a phone call report-
ing hundreds of dead butterflies
along the Ridges Beach in Bailey’s
Harbor. My husband and I took a
drive to the site and walked the
beach. It was obvious that the
seagulls had beaten us and that they
had a delectable feast. There were
bits and pieces of hundreds of
American Painted Lady and some
Red Admiral wings scattered up and
down the beach. One Lady was still
alive, but wingless.. It was a Lepi-
dopteran holocaust and only a few
people were aware of the tragedy.
Heavy rains hit our area on Mon. and
Tues. night of that week; perhaps the
butterflies were engulfed in one of
those storms.

As of this writing, May 22, and
according to all my contacts, the
American Painted Lady Butterflies
have been very abundant everywhere
in the state. My observations in Door
County indicate that there will not be
enough food plants for the larvae.
Their preferred foo’d choice (Pearly
Everlastings) are still very tiny,
having only emerged in the last few
days. Close examination with a hand
lens, reveals hundreds of eggs pep-
pered on all the emerging plants. ^

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 2001

Page 3

SUMMER 2001 INSECT FIELD TRIPS
BY THE MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY

(NOTE: These are not collecting trips)

Sunday, July 1
BUTTERFLIES OF
CHEROKEE MARSH
Dane Co. — 10:00 a.m. to Noon.

On this morning trip 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 on the northeast side of
Madison. 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 10:00 A.M.

On the north side of Madison take
Northport Drive (Highway 113) then
turn north on Sherman Ave. Meet at
the Cherokee Marsh parking lot at
the north end of Sherman Ave. The
trip will last until noon. Call Ann
only if you have a question about the
trip, at (608) 356-9543 (Baraboo).

Saturday, July 7
MADISON BUTTERFLY COUNT
Dane Co. — 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

Our 11th annual count. Mark this
hike and census on your calendar !
Each 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 1 5 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 421
counts were conducted across North

America, 13 of them In Wisconsin.
On the Madison census 12 people in
3 groups counted for a combined
total of 14.6 hours and found 309
butterflies of 34 species. This year’s
group will have an enjoyable time
finding, observing and counting
butterflies. Counters are needed.
The leader will provide identification
expertise. If you can identify butter-
flies. 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
trip will last 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 $3.00 fee from each count
participant (similar to Christmas
Bird Count) to cover administrative
and publishing costs.

Meet in the parking lot at the
McKay Center in the UW Arboretum
at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 7.
We will count until noon.
DIRECTIONS: Heading west on the
Beltline (Hwy 12), take the Seminole
Highway exit and go north. After
several blocks you will see the sign
at the Arboretum entrance. Turn
right into the Arboretum and
continue until the road ends at the
McKay Nature Center parking lot.

Call the leader, Karl Legler, at
(608) 643-4926 (Sauk City) only if
you have a question about the
butterfly count or if you would like
to count at your own favorite site.

Saturday, July 14
DRAGONFLIES & BUTTERFLIES
OF ROCKY RUN (WEST)
Columbia Co. — 9:00 A.M. to Noon

We will travel to the west section of
Rocky Run Creek in Columbia
County for a 2 hour walk along
wetland, old field, and woodland
edge, focusing on those big and

beautiful “macro-insects”: dragon-
flies and butterflies. Together they
total 264 species in Wisconsin.
Interest in butterflies and butterfly-
watching has grown considerably
over the past decade with a national
organization (NABA), an excellent
comprehensive field guide
( Butterflies Through Binoculars),
and today’s advanced optics. On the
other hand, dragonflies have, until
recently, been the most neglected of
nature’s beauties. We will give both
of them the attention and respect
they deserve and learn about the
identification, biology, behavior,
beauty, and life-style of the various
species we encounter.

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.

Leaders will
be dragonfly and
butterfly
enthusiasts, Karl
Legler and Dave
Fallow. (Legler
has produced a
color photographic
guide to Common Dagonjlies of
Wisconsin.) Dress for protection
from the heat and sun-a hat is
recommended.

DIRECTIONS : We will carpool and
leave at 9:00 a.m. from the middle of
the parking lot at Cub Foods on the
east side of Madison . From the
intersection of Highways 30 and 5 1
(Stoughton Rd.) go north on 51 and
take the first right turn which leads
to Nakoosa Trail and Cub Foods.

( Or meet at 9:30 A.M. at the
west side Rocky Run Creek parking
lot . From Madison go north on
Highway 5 1 . Nearly 4 miles north of
Poynette turn right onto Morse Road
and go east for about 3 A mile. There
is a small parking lot on the north
side of the road.) If you have any
questions about this trip, call Karl
Legler at (608) 643-4926 (Sauk
City). V

Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2001

Page 4

Officers of the
Wisconsin
Entomological
. Society

President: Phil Pellitteri

Dept, of Entomology
1630 Linden Dr.

Madison, WI 53706
pellitte@entomology.wisc.edu

Vice-President: Gene Drecktrah

Biology Dept.

UW-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI 54901
drecktra@uwosh.edu

Secretary: Les Ferge

7119 Hubbard Ave.

Middleton, WI 53562-3231
ferge@chorus.net

Treasurer: Tom Rocheleau

3100 Buena Vista St.

Madison, WI 53704

Newsletter Editor: Janice Stiefel

2 1 25 Grove Rd.

Bailey’s Harbor, WI 54202
(920) 839-9796; 1stiefel@itol.com

University of Wisconsin
Entomology Dept.
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/

Topics:

Academic & Dept. Programs
EmploymenVT raining
Opportunities

Graduate Program Information
Insect Ambassadors
Insect Diagnostic Lab
Insect Research Collection
Links for Entomologists
Library

■

University of Wisconsin
Herbarium — Wise. Vascular Plants
http ://wisclnfo . doit, wise . edu/herbar
ium/index.html

Topics:

Plant Checklist/Names
Atlas of Wisconsin
Key to Conifers
Wisconsin Botany Links

/T' he 27 "

I Annual NABA
X 4 th of July
Butterfly
Count 2001 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 1 5 - m i 1 e
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

THE NABA
4 th OF July
Butterfly Count

2001

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

y 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, NY 07960 USA

Caterpillars of Eastern Forests can
be viewed on-line at the Northern
Prairie Wildlife Research Center at:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource
/2000/cateast/cateast.htm It -
contains 245 species found east of
the 100 th meridian.

A hard copy can be obtained from
the Government Printing Office:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su docs/
Click on on-line bookstore, type the
title in the box and then click on
Secure Order. Finally, click on
Finalize Order, and fill out the
required information, including
credit card number. Cost is $15. If
you don’t like computers, try
calling the GPO at (202) 512-1800.

Moths of N.A. by Paul A. Opler
http ://www.npwrc.usgs .gov/resource
/distr/lepid/moths/mothsusa.htm

Topics:

Photo Thumbnails, IDs, etc.
Distribution Maps
East of the Great Plains
Common Butterfly/Moth Questions

■

North American Butterfly Assoc.
http://www, naba. org/sightings . html

Topics:

Recent Butterfly Sightings and
much more

■

Butterfly Species Identification
Guide

http://www.butterflvhouse.org/speci

es/flight.html

Red Admiral (closed position)
Photo: Ann Swengel

Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter — June 2001

Red Admiral
Outbreak!

by Ann Swengel

A fun part of
keeping track of
butterfly
observations is the big
variation among years in
how much of which species
are found when and where.

Every so often, a butterfly
that is usually a regular but
low key species in
Wisconsin becomes the
most abundant butterfly
seen. Even people who take
no more than the most
casual notice of butterflies
will comment on these
abundant butterflies to me.

Such an outbreak year is
underway for the Red Admiral. In
most years, I expect to see Red
Admirals as a regular but thinly
spread and intermittently noticed
species across the state. However,
starting on April 24th this year, my
husband, Scott, and I have seen Red
Admirals quite frequently— like you,

I’m sure. The last year we had an
outbreak of Red Admirals in
Wisconsin was in 1990. Scott and I
saw this invasion brewing in Illinois
in late April just before it spread
northward into Wisconsin. This
butterfly is well known for its
migratory tendencies in both North
America and Europe,
butterfly books haven’t
seemed clear to me
about where the line is
between residential and
migratory range in the
U.S. Perhaps this
varies a great deal, not
just among winters
(mild vs. harsh ones),
but also among
individuals in their
sensitivity to a given
winter. While it’s easy
to assume that
migration is the cause
of the huge increase in
numbers in outbreak
years, it’s not so easy to

Page 5

But the

Red Admiral Larva

Photo: Janice Stlejel

understand
what’s happen-
ing in the non-
outbreak years.
Are there also
resident Red
Admirals in
Wisconsin, a
steady but fluctuating presence in
the state, or are all Red Admirals
migrant visitors to our state that
vary tremendously in numbers from
year to year? At any rate, in 1990,
breeding by these Invaders was also
obvious — not just from larval reports
in nettle patches but also from the
pulses of freshly emerged individuals
at appropriate intervals through the
summer. I’m assuming we’re in for
the same this year, too.

Butterfly recording (writing
down field observations) is especially
useful for noticing the lack of a
butterfly. It’s not hard for anyone to
notice Red Admirals this year, when
they’re abundant, but it’s not so easy
to be aware of what
you’re not seeing.
Besides the occasional
boom years, and the
typical “regular” years,
Red Admirals also have
occasional bust years.
In all of 1996, we
recorded only one
individual once in
Wisconsin (on July 2).
A relative of the Red
Admiral is the
American Lady (also
called American
Painted Lady), which
have also seemed
unusually abundant

A dmir al (Vanessa atalanta )

Photo: Ann Swengel

this year. Its very similar cousin, the
Painted Lady, is the one famous for
periodic outbreak years. The last
major influx of Painted Ladies into
Wisconsin was in 1992, when a
massive continental invasion of
Painted Ladies hit our state in early
May. They were even streaming
northward through our small urban
yard. Mixed into these “flocks" were
a fair number of American Ladles.
In most years, American Ladies turn
up in dependable locations at
consistent seasonal timings. But this
year (2001), American Ladies also
seem to be almost anywhere. The
actual migratory behavior has mostly
not been apparent to me this year.

Red Admirals and American
Ladies are flying around, or resting,
or feeding on flower nectar, or laying
eggs, but not seeming to be
streaming by in a specific directional
flight. However, my husband, Scott,
did note Red Admirals consistently
flying northeast one day this spring.
On a vacation to Washington state in
September 1996, we noted Red
Admirals seeming to be migrating
south right along the Pacific Coast.
So this year, we may get to see not
just the evidence of great influx into
our state, or even the actual
migration northward across it, but
also an evacuation of the same
species (several generations removed
from the current butterflies) late In
summer. H

Ann is vice-president of the North
American Butterfly Association (NABA)
and a member of WES. She and her
husband, Scott, enthusiastically survey
butterflies and have published a number
of scientific papers on their observations.

Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2001

Page 6

'QTTTPTPTTQ IE* IT V*

-O vJ JL JL J&JE&Jl JLt 3L

COUNT... 2000

p ■ <^he 26 th Annual NABA
I Butterfly Count was held
X in the summer of 2000
and sponsored by the North
American Butterfly Assoc. (NABA).
Participants in the count conducted
a one-day census of all butterflies
observed at sites within their count
area, a 15-mile diameter circle.

In 2000, 421 butterfly counts,
were held, including three counts (so
far) received after deadline to be
published in next year’s report. The
strong annual growth in number of
counts in the 1990s continued this
year, with a 7% increase over the 395
counts in 1999 (including ten being
published in the 2000 report.

The 345 counts in the U.S. in
2000 (325 in 1999) occured in 44
states (counting DC as a state). Since
1996, the number of states with
counts has consistently hovered at
44-45. Who was missing in 2000?
Alabama, Hawaii, Nevada, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, and
West Virginia. The 66 Canadian
counts (the same as in 1999)
occurred in five provinces, down
from seven in 1999. Mexico had a

record seven counts in three, up
from four in 1999 in two states.

The same three counts
continued their perfect attendance
record of reporting in each year of
the program (Berkeley, CA; Gilpin
County, CO; Lower Pearl River, LA-
MS )— CONGRATULATIONS !

At 30 counts in 2000 (28 in
1999, 13 in 1998), Alberta continues
its record-breaking total for any state
or province. With 27 counts in 2000
(26 in 1999), California remains in
second place, which lit now shares
with Florida (19 in 1999). Next come
two states (New York, Texas) and
one province (Ontario) with 22
counts each.

As usual, the count with the
most species occurred in Mexico,
with 140 on Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
and 133 on Monterey, Nuevo Leon.
The all-time records are 175 on
LaBajada, Nayarit in 1998 and 169
on Puerto Vallarta in 1991. North of
Mexico, Gilpin County, CO continues
supreme in species totals, with 101
in 2000 (shy of its incredible all-time
record of 111 in 1998). Also, as
usual, the next most speciose counts

r MOST COMMON 1
BUTTERFLIES

A ccording to Ann Swengel,
ce-President of NABA, the
butterfly with the highest number
of individuals on a 2000 butterfly
count was the European Skipper
(18,484 on Haliburton Highlands,
Ontario). The butterfly that
occurred on the most counts was
the Cabbage White (305 counts out
of all the counts held in North
America north of Mexico); the most
Cabbage Whites on a single count
is 2365, on Muttontown, NY This
information is compiled from
statistics on species seen on counts
north of Mexico. ^

\ /

were in Arizona, with 90 at Ramsey
Canyon and 86 at Patagonia. The
highest Arizona species total remains
102 (Ramsey Canyon in 1995 and
1997, and Patagonia in 1992).

For the counts published in the
2000 report, 420,365 butterflies
were tallied in 5,845 hours of
volunteer counting effort. The sum of
people counting on each count is
4,25 1 observers, but some of these
people are counted more than once,
since they participated in more than
one count. ¥

Wisconsin: A State of Giving

Parcels of prairies.

Bundles of bur oaks. Packages of pines.

Spectacular sedge meadows swathed in seasonal hues.

Wetlands wrapped with wonderful ribbons of color. Festive
feasts. Wild rice, maple syrup, home-grown raspberries, Granny Smith
apples, acorn squash, corn, carrots, peas, potatoes, morel mushrooms. . .
Romantic bouquets. Glorious wild roses, lady’s-slippers, shooting stars, big
bluestem and prairie violets. . . Sweet sanctuary. Mighty hemlocks, shady
maples, sumacs and shagbark hickories. . . Fabulous friendships. Ornate
box turtles, Acadian flycatchers, Karner blue butterflies, timber wolves,

shipjack herrings,
bobolinks,
pickerel frogs,
regal fritillaries,
red-shouldered hawks,
land snails, trumpeter swans . . .

An endless list of gifts from our state to us.

Thank you, Wisconsin!

Used with permission . — The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Chapter

Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2001

Page 7

Courting...
Promethean Style

Article and Photos by Janice Stie/el

Female Promethea Moth — Wingspan: 3% in.
Hidden Corners Sanctuary, Door Co., WI — 6/5/00

I t was a perfect day in
June — sunny, warm with a
gentle breeze blowing. After
rearing a brood of Promethea Moth
( Callosamia promethea) larvae the
previous summer and overwintering
their cocoons in the refrigerator all
winter, this was a very special day.
A female Promethea emerged from
her cocoon. She was absolutely
beautiful and very anxious to get on
with her life. I photographed her in
all her splendor and then held her in
her cage until early evening.

I have learned, from experience,
to never release a night-flying moth
during the day. Blue Jays or
Cardinals can dart out from a tree
and gobble up the moth in a split
second. It is not a pleasant sight to
have your precious “charge"
devoured before your eyes. After all
those months of feeding caterpillars,
cleaning their cages, catering to their
every need and then misting their
cocoons and checking up on them all
winter... the day they are to be
released is like sending one of your
children off to college.

Toward dusk, I reluctantly
released the gorgeous Promethea
female. She landed in the Shrimp

Plant, which was
flourishing very well
in a large planter on
our porch. After an
hour, she flew off
Into the night.

The following day, around noon
to be exact, I noticed three
Promethea males hovering around
the Shrimp Plant. Soon there were
seven more males (for a total of
ten). This was quite unusual,
because this species usually flies at
night — not during broad daylight.
The ten males flew around the
vicinity of the porch all afternoon,
until about 4:00 p.m. They were
obviously searching for the female
who must have emitted a very
STRONG pheromone. They
searched under rocks, under leaves,
on the screens, on the house siding,
the outdoor table and chairs, every
nook and crannie. It was a sight to
behold. They were looking for the
female, but I don’t think they ever
found her. She had vanished. And I
certainly couldn’t blame her.

As a female, the Promethean-
style courtship doesn’t appeal to me
but then I’m not a moth!

Promethea Larva, 8/7/99, 33 days old (shortly before pupating)

Male Promethea Moth — Wingspan: 3 'A in.
Hidden Corners Sanctuary, Door Co., WI — 6/6/00

Promethea Statistics
Also known as
Spicebush Silkmoth

Wingspan: 3 - 3% in. In the
male, the wings are blackish, except
for a faint whitish pm. line, pale tan
terminal border, and pink shading
around apical spot. The female is
bright reddish to dark brown,
usually with well-developed
reniform spots.

Eggs are white, flat ovals laid in
a row. The larva is blue-green and
mostly smooth, with rows of
different colored knobs or tubercles.
The 2 long pairs of tubercles on the
front segments are orange or red.
The tubercle at the rear segment is
yellow. Each of the tubercles along
the body are black. Larval foods
include: Apple (Malus spp.), Ash
[Fraxinus spp.), Basswood ( Ttlia
spp.), Birch ( Betula spp.), Cherry
( Prunus spp.). Lilac ( Syrtnga
vulgaris). Maple (Acer spp.),
Spicebush ( Lindera spp.)

The pupa overwinters
inside a silk cocoon that
usually hangs down from the
host plant within a curled leaf.
It remains attached to the twig
after the leaves have fallen and
is easily spotted in winter and
spring by collectors and
predators. H

© 2001 Janice Stlefel

Wiscmsiiin

Janice Stiefel, Editor
2125 Grove Rd.

Bailey's Harbor, WI 54202

Address Correction Requested

Wisconsin Entomological Societu Newsletter — June 2001

Page 8

windows 98 Mystery Caterpillar

Article and photos by Janice Stiefel

I f you have Windows 98
installed on your computer
and have used the “ Nature ”
screen-saver with caterpillars
crawling across the screen, I have
been able to ID them. They are the
larvae of the Spotted Tussock Moth

Spotted Tussock Moth Larva

Immature Stage, 8/16/97
(white with 8 black tufts on upperside)
Hidden Corners Sanctuary
Town of Bailey's Harbor, Door Co., WI

(Lophocampa maculata ) . I raised
the larva (not knowing what the final
ID would be) from very immature

Spotted Tussock Moth Larva

Mature Stage, 8/25/97
(white pencils and black on either end;
yellow in the middle section)

Spotted Tussock Moth Adult

5/2/98, Wingspan: 1 Vi in.
(Forewing is deep yellow with 4 brown
bands (usually merged). A partial 5th
band extends inward from costa. Partial
band is darkest where reniform spot
normally occurs. Hindwing is paler
yellow, translucent, unmarked.)

stage (eating Willow (Salix spp .) to
mature. The cocoon overwintered in
our refrigerator; the adult emerged
the following spring. ¥