NEWSLETTER of the Wisconsin Entomological Society Volume 3 Number 3 James W. Mertins, Editor September, 1975 EDITOR'S NOTES The September issue of the NEWSLETTER has in the past presented a summary of the Society's summer activities -- notably the annual field trips to Bill Sieker's farm and Ferry Bluff. This issue continues the tradition, even though the list of species collected is less extensive than previously due to the paucity of reports to the Editor from collectors. The Sieker excursion was particularly well attended this year, so it is certain that the list could have been much longer. In any case, everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves at both get-togethers. I hope that all of the membership enjoyed profitable collecting and other interesting experi- ences with insects this past summer. Why not share your observations and encounters with others in the Society by sending an article or note for publication in the next NEWSLETTER? Speaking of which, one of our younger members, Scott Martin, submitted a note to the Wisconsin Insect Note column (p. 4) on a recent experience he had. The story is only too common, and cuts right to the heart of the problem alluded to in the last NEWSLETTER. This personal experience illustrates specifically the generalities presented therein. By the way, we can report that approximately 70 promethea moths from the nearly 100 cocoons collected last winter were released after their emergence in June. One other comment on the last issue in regard to the membership list. Apparently the data presented were all accurate except for the omission of a specific mention for our Ohio membership contingent, Mick Klein, in the out-of-state membership anal- ysis on page 5. NOTICES Wanted . Uropodid mites associated with ant and termite nests in North America. Please contact William Phillipsen, Dept, of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706. Wanted. Records for all Wisconsin Aegeriidae (clear-winged moths) with information on county, host-plant, etc. if possible. Will accept any specimens you don't want, or have some lesser peach tree borers (male and female), Synanthedon pictipes , for trade. Clyde S. Gorsuch, Dept, of Entomology, Univ. of Wis., Madison, WI 53706. The NEWSLETTER of the Wisconsin Entomological Society is published two to four times yearly at irregular intervals. Please send all news, notes, contributions and other items for the NEWSLETTER to the Editor, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706. NOTICES (cont.) For sale . Very large selection of foreign exotic insects, especially butterflies, moths, and beetles. Many large showy species. I have taken over the busi- ness of the late Mr. George Schirmer and will welcome any inquiries or cor- respondence. I will also consider trades for certain species. Please con- tact Dan Capps, 231 Powers Ave., Madison, WI 53714 (tel. 249-7271 evenings). Wanted to trade . Native or exotic foreign beetles; have numerous perfect mounted Catocala moths (mostly duplicates) for exchange. John Hempel, 1602 N. Concord Dr., Janesville, Wis. 53545. Wanted . Records by county for all Wisconsin Rhopalocera, Sphingidae, Satumiidae, and Catocala. For more details write Roger Kuehn, 5042 N. 61 St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53218. Wanted. Cockroaches, any species, but especially non-domestic one; live or pre- served in alcohol. If possible, location and habitat data on specimens would be greatly appreciated. Ralph Howard, Dept, of Entomol., University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706. Wanted . Confirmable reports or specimens from termite infestations within Wisconsin. Please contact Glenn Esenther, U.S. Forest Products Lab- oratory, Madison, with any information you may have. Wanted . Pseudoscorpions - live or preserved in alcohol. Any species. Will accept any specimens you don’t want, or have house pseudoscorpion, Chelif er cancroides , for trade. Jim Mertins, Dept, of Entomology. University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706. NEWS OF MEMBERS (Please submit items of interest about yourself or other members for this column.) Prof. Daniel Benjamin has returned to the UW-Madison Entomology Department from his two year stint as Program Coordinator of the MUCIA project at Bogor Agri- cultural University in Indonesia. He will surely have plenty of stories to tell the membership. Welcome back! Wills Flowers, entomology graduate student at Madison, recently completed the requirements for the Ph.D. in aquatic entomology. Wills' thesis was on the Hepta- geniidae (mayflies) of Wisconsin. Word has it that he has accepted a position as Assistant Professor at Florida A & M University, where he will work with the mayfly collection. Congratulations Dr. Flowers! Congratulations are also due Barb Campana, who completed the requirements for an MS in entomology last spring working on honeybee nutrition. Barb and husband, Chuck, will be off to the University of Alberta in Edmondton as soon as Chuck has tied up some loose ends in the chemistry department. 2 NEWS OF MEMBERS (cont.) Finally, we congratulate Ted Shapas, who passed his Ph.D. preliminary exam this month . Mary Krause has departed the Milwaukee Public Museum for a new position at the McKenzie Environmental Center in Poynette, Wisconsin. Prof. E. Paul Lichtenstein was recently appointed to represent agriculture on a National Research Council panel concerned with the effects of pollutants on ecology, wildlife, human and other animal physiologies. Early in July Prof. Roy Shenefelt accepted an appointment to the Council on National Systematics Collections Resources, a part of the Association of Systematics Collections. * Laurie J. DeSwarte ^Robert Habermehl *Ruth Grotenrath Lichtner *Lorrie Otto Thomas Roche leau New Members (* - affiliating through MES) 8718 W. Carmen Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53225 3409 S. Honey Creek Ct., Milwaukee, WI 53219 2626-A Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211 9701 N. Lake Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53217 229 Sullivan Hall, U of W, Madison, WI 53706 Change of Address Jacqueline Ackerman 1122 S. 12 St., Manitowoc, WI 53220 Mary M. Krause McKenzie Environmental Center, Poynette, WI 53955 Member R4sum£s New member, Tom Rocheleau, is a UW-Madison student from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, who is interested in collecting Lepidoptera. In renewing her membership, Dr. Jacqueline Ackerman sent along an update on her cur- rent interests in addition to four years advance on her dues. Jackie is a charter member of WES and former student in the UW-Madison Entomology Department. She is currently Assistant Professor of Biology and Department Chairman at Lakeland College in Manitowoc. Her general interests range from insect photo- graphy through physiology, life history-biology, and collecting. In addition to her continuing specific interest in the fungal associations of Diptera, Col- lembola, and Coleoptera, Jackie also reports she has taken up on Strepsiptera, and she is willing to help Society members identify specimens of these groups. HISTORY OR WISCONSIN ENTOMOLOGY - VII In 1909, the Department of Economic Entomology was one of four new departments created in The College of Agriculture by Dean H. L. Russell. The department was headed up by J. G. Sanders, who was brought to Wisconsin from the USDA Bureau of Entomology. The 29 year old Sanders had a master’s degree and specialized in the taxonomy of scale insects. Mr. Sanders took charge of entomology at Wisconsin on July 1, 1909, and was also responsible for State nursery and orchard inspection. One of the other four departments created by Dean Russell was Plant Pathology, and it is interesting to note that these two internationally known departments now share the building which bears the name Russell Laboratories. The university catalogue for 1909-10 listed the first four courses offered in the new Department of Economic Entomology. All were taught by Prof. Sanders. Course 1: General Economic Entomology. A survey of insects in relation to agri- culture, horticulture, and public health. Course 3: Horticultural Entomology. A study of insects affecting horticulture. Course 6: Household Insects. Concerned with insects important to the household. Course 20: Research Work. Special economic problems for advanced students. After the first year, the numbering of the courses was changed, and the content some- what modified. Course 1 became 101 enrolling 15-49 students per semester. Course 3 became 193, "Fruit Insects', with 10-22 students per semester. Course 6 became 106, and 20 became 120, and each reached an enrollment of 13 students by 1913-14. In 1912 a beekeeping course was added with instructorship shared by Sanders and L. B. France, and enrollment was 20-28 students the following year. Early research work in the department was carried out by several additional pro- fessional workers and their students. C. R. Cleveland was the first research worker in the department in 1911, and was assigned to investigate truck crop insects at Racine with the assistance of F. A. Fenton, a student. In 1913, H. H. Severin under- took studies of the onion maggot at Racine, and in 1914, S. B. Fracker, senior USDA entomologist, joined the group at Racine as an assistant. Neal Howard, USDA Bureau of Entomology, studied the onion maggot at Green Bay beginning in 1915. Insect spec- imens collected by many of these workers are still in the UW Insectarium collection. Prof. Sanders conducted research until 1915 in the following areas: San Jose scale, white grub taxonomy, codling moth control, and gave attention to problems with cut- worms, armyworms , corn Carworms, strawberry leaf miner, and grasshopper control. He also did life history studies and worked with methods of insect preservation, leav- ing a collection of destructive insects which still exists as a basis for many early collection records. In July, 1915, Prof. Sanders resigned to head up the new Wisconsin State Depart- ment of Agriculture, leaving behind an outstanding record as an administrator, in- structor, researcher, and student counselor. When H. F. Wilson, the new department head arrived in September, 1915, he found a faculty staff of one Associate Professor and four departmental assistants. WISCONSIN INSECT NOTES The End of My Collecting Area by Scott Martin I am ten years old and this is my story. I live on the southwest side of Madison on the edge of Meadowood. This spring bulldozers came in and plowed down about twenty choke cherry trees which had promethea larvae on them. They did this to build new houses and streets. 4 WISCONSIN INSECT NOTES (cont.) At the risk of over-exposing the issue, we ouote the following portions of an artj.de w bich appeared in The Mi lwaukee Journal for Friday, August 29, 1975. M .one recent survey by a team of Smithsonian Institution botanists lists more than 2,000 native American plants whose existence is threatened ... .A comparable study df the insect world, proposed several years ago by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was abandoned when the lists of threatened species outstrip- ped the recording capacity of the study team.... The threat to such smaller creatures, while building for several decades, is only now beginning to receive serious at- tention from the scientific community. The lack of concern apparently was based on the popular misconception, shared by many biologists, that insects were virtually invulnerable to extinction because of their adaptive qualities. "Mosquitoes and cockroaches may have adapted very well to man, but others have not.... Many other insects, and these include some of the most attractive and useful, cannot adapt ... .Though the deprivation of habitat is by fat the largest cause of the disappearance of plants and insects, overzealous collectors have been accused of ac- celerating the process. ... In many cases, entomologists say, man does not yet know how or why a certain insect thrives in a particular locale. In part, the problem is sheer volume (with) .. .about two million species of insects on Earth, .. .many .. .yet to be discovered In the tropical areas of the world, new development has cleared thousands of square miles of jungle and rain forest in the last decade, usually with- out regard to the effect on the creatures that live there. In these areas 80/. of the insect population has never been studied by man... and are being lost every day. The Editor reperformed a classic experiment in early summer which might interest some members. Before releasing a number of the male promethea moths emerging from our winter cocoon collection, a small piece was clipped from the wings with a scissors The next day a female moth was exposed in a screen cage at a distance of approximately one mile south of the release point. Two of the five males which were attracted to the female bore the tell-tale marks. Wisconsin has still not been officially declared infested by Japanese beetles; and perhaps if officials wait long enough the problem will go away (at least tempor- arily) . The total 1975 beetle catch (as of September 12) in the limited intensively trapped area of the City of Kenosha was five. This compares to 28 in 1974, 13 in 1973, and one in 1972, the first incidence in Wisconsin. Maybe there are so few beetles present that just survey trapping them will wipe them out! One other "hitch- hiker" beetle was also reported taken at an Interstate Highway reststop at Janesville in Rock County. t „ The gypsy moth is another serious insect pest threatening to invade the borders of Wisconsin from the East and South. The second incidence of adult male gypsy moths within the State was reported in late August. One moth had been previously trapped in a sex pheromone trap at Mill Bluff in 1971. Two or three moths (at least) have now been trapped by the same method on the Lawrence University campus m Appleton. An established infestation has yet to be recognized however. 5 RECENT AND FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST Tietz, Harrison M. 1973. An index to the described life histories, early stages and hosts of the Macrolepidoptera of the continental United States and Canada. (2 volumes - 1041 pp.) - - $25.00, Entomological Reprint Specialists (Los Angeles) announced the reprinting in June, 1975, of ’’Geographic variability in Speyeria." This popular and useful guide to the fritillary butterflies was first published in 1957 by the late Arthur Moeck, charter member of the Milwaukee Entomological Society. Although recently virtually unobtain- able, the reprint is now available for $3.50 (paperbound - 48 pp.). Selman, Charles L. 1975, A pictorial key to the hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of the eastern United States (except Florida). Biological Notes #9 of the Ohio Biological Survey, (paperbound - 31 pp.). No price given. Available from Ohio Biological Survey, 484 W. 12 Ave., Columbus, OH 43210. If you can't afford Hodges 1 fascicle 21 of the Moths of North America , this is for you. According to an early August issue of the New York Times Magazine , Doubleday is planning to publish a successor to Holland’s Butterfly Book this fall. Titled the Butterflies of North America , the book will consist of 800 pages, with chapters by 20 scientists and 97 color plates containing paintings of 2093 specimens. Price? About $40.00. PROGRAM NOTES SIEKER FARM COLLECTING TRIP - JUNE 29, 1975 The weatherman again smiled on WES this year for our annual meeting at Bill Sieker’s farm north of Dodgeville in Iowa County. Temperatures climbed well into the 80s and the sun shone brightly. In all, 41 people turned out, including 15 members, their families, and friends of WES. The Martin’s and Esenther's families tied with seven members each in attendance. Bill and his wife provided their usu- al fine hospitality and the day was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The species reported taken are listed below; determinations are those of the collectors, and for the most part are uncorroborated. Combined species list (all adults unless otherwise noted) provided by 7 members: John Baker, Les Ferge, Dan and Scott Martin, Jim Mertins, Bill Sieker, and Bob Topczewski. Odonata: Coleoptera: T. viridans Libellulidae - Libellula luctuosa Carabidae Staphylinidae Lucanidae Scarabaeidae - L. pulchella " Sympetrum rubicundulum - Scarites substriatus - Ontholestes cingulatus - Pseudolucanus capreolus - Trichiot inus piger 6 PROGRAM NOTES: STEKER FARM (cont.) Combined species list Mecoptera: Lepidoptera : ( cont . ) Rhipiphoridae - Rhipiphorus sp. Languriidae - Acropteroxys gracilis Cerambycidae - Anoplodera rubrica - Euderces pictipes - Oberea tripunctata - Typocerus lugubris Chrysomelidae - Cosinoptera dominicana - Labidomera clivicollis Curcul ion idae - Rhyssamatus lineat icollis Panorpidae - Panorpa sp. Sphingidae - Ceratomia amyntor - Darapsa pholus - Paonias myops - Sphinx drupiferarum Arctiidae - Cycnia tenera - Halisidota tessellaris - Haploa sp. Agarist idae - Alypia octomaculata (larva) Noctuidae - Catocala clintoni - C. micronympha - C. minuta Notodontidae - Heterocampa obligua - Schizura unicornis Lymantriidae (larva) Papilionidae - Papilio turnus (larva and adult) Pieridae - Colias philodice - Pieris rapae Danaidae - Danaus plexippus Satyridae - Cercyonis pegala nephele - Euptychis cymela Nymphalidae - Asterocampa clyton - Boloria bellona - B. toddi - Melitaea nycteis - Polygonia comma - P. interrogationis - P. progne - Speyeria aphrodite - S. cybele - S. idalia - Vanessa cardui Lycaenidae - Harkenclenus titus - Lycaena helloides - L. thoe 7 PROGRAM NOTES : SIEKER FARM (cont.) Combined species list (cont.) Lycaenidae - Satyrium boreale - S. calamus falacer - S. edwardsii Hesperiidae - At ry tone del aware - Epargyreus clarus - Polites origenes - Thorybes bathyllus - T. pylades Diptera: Tipulidae - Tipula abdominal is Therevidae - Chrysopilus ornatus Hymenoptera: Diprionidae - Diprion similis (larva) Evaniidae - Evania sp. Sphecidae - FERRY BLUFF COLLECTING TRIP - JULY 19, 1975 The day was hot and humid, and as darkness descended and members drifted into the parking area, it looked like a perfect evening for sugaring. The early promise was certainly fulfilled, as the 12 members and guests who were present captured perhaps 100 specimens amongst themselves. Two insects were particularly common this year: mosquitoes, which were atrocious, especially in the parking area, and picnic beetles (Nit idulidae) , which must have imbibed as much of the sugar bait as did the moths. Many cockroaches also came to the bait, but no flying squirrels or mice were observed this year. The following list of species is reported by Jim Mertins as representative of those taken by the members by various methods before and after dark. Species list Orthoptera: Blattidae - Parcoblatta sp. Neuroptera: Myrmeleont idae - (larva) Coleoptera: Cicindelidae - Cicindela punctulata (obs.) Hydrophilidae - Hydrochara obtusata Staphylinidae - Creophilus maxillosus (obs.) Silphidae - Necrophorus tomentosus - Silpha noveboracensis Histeridae - Saprinus assimilis Buprest idae - Agrilus anxius Nit idulidae - Glischrochilus sp. (obs.) Cerambycidae - Graphisurus fasciatus Mecoptera: Panorpidae - Panorpa sp. (obs.) Bittacidae - Bittacus strigosus (obs.) Lepidoptera: Saturniidae - Callosamia promethea (males attracted to caged females) 8 PROGRAM NOTES: FERRY BLUFF (cont.) Species list (cont.) Dipt era: Hymenoptera: Noctuidae Pyralidae Nymphalidae Tachinidae Ichneumonidae Sphecidae - Catocala amestris - C . ilea - C . micronympha - C . paleogama ? - C. ultronia - Desmia funeral is (obs.) - Asterocampa sp. (empty pupal cases very - Bombyliomyia sp. (obs.) numerous) - Rhysella hum id a - Sphex sp. Looking forward The November program, by popular demand, will be a !, show and tell" display of art work, clothing, stamps, you name it -- that incorporates the use of insects in some way. Bring your prize insect "art'' specimens in and show them with the rest of us, whether you "just have one item or a houseful, bring it in! If possible, drop me a card or call me ahead of time and let me know what you're bringing and whether you'll need any special set-up for it. Ralph Howard, President Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 603-262-6919 9 WISCONSIN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY o St •a c § § o ~ s a W o. w