Ohio Beetles Bulletin Occasional Publication of the Ohio Coleopterists Edited By: Ken Karns Species@columbus.rr.conn Issue Number: 2 May 2009 Scarabaeidae: Gnorimella maculosa The Ohio Beetles Bulletin (OBB) was developed to provide the Ohio Coleopterists membership a means of communication between issues of the Ohio Coleopterists Newsletter. Prior methods of communication via e-mail messages lacked the substance and sophistication the 00 membership deserves. It is hoped the OBB will fill this void and provide an informative and enjoyable means of sharing information on the fascinating world of Beetles. “When we have experienced the atavistic joy of coiiecting in the open air and the manipuiative pieasure of setting and mounting our chosen beeties there foiiows the refined inteiiectuai deiight of naming them with precision”. Quote by G.B. Walsh taken from the first edition of the Coleopterists Handbook. W.J.B. Crotch, General Editor London, December 1953. Cover Photo: Gnorimella maculosa (Knoch), Collected by Ken Karns, Ross County, Ohio. 24-30 April, 2009 (15 mm). FIELD TRIP REPORT Hamilton Valley-Hart County, Kentucky May 15-17, 2009 A ‘Raining” Success The Ohio Coleopterists, in conjunction with the Ohio State Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) ventured to the Cave Research Foundation’s Hamilton Valley Research Facility near Mammoth Cave Hart County, Kentucky. Despite cool temperatures and intermittent rainy weather, beetles were on the move and so were the participants. Friday evening Dick Maxey, Ben Diehl, and I arrived with plenty of daylight available to scout out good locations to set up light collecting equipment. I set two UV bucket traps down in the valley behind the main facility (Figures 1 & 2). Ben took advantage of the ride along and set out a couple of short term pitt-fall traps in the woods close by (Figure 3) as we both were on the hunt for Scaphinotus unicolor (Carabidae) that has been taken here in the past by Dick Maxey. We both felt this area would be a good spot to head lamp later at night. Returning to the main facility I set up a mercury vapor light in a flat gravel area near the main building and Ben and Dick both had UV lights going. Collecting at the various lights was good but not great. Diversity and numbers were a bit on the meager side but we did get a few good things. Phyllophaga ilicis were out in good numbers as were males of the Cerambycid Stenocorus cinnamopterus. However, we did not see any of the pubescent females (males have a smooth elytra). Several Dicaelus p. purpuratus were collected which is always a nice beetle to get. The bucket traps in the valley yielded a few nice Bolboceras species which were not seen at the lights we had set up by the main facility. Many other species were collected but sorting and pinning will need to be done. A good turn out from the EGSA arrived well after dark and went to work collecting at the mercury vapor light (Figure 4). Figure 1 . UV Bucket Trap set up at margin of mixed hardwoods and conifers. There is another light trap set by the entrance to a cave in the woods behind truck. Figure 2. View of the main facility from the site of the UV Bucket Trap. Arrow depicts location of the main facility on the ridge, way up there. This group from the EGSA were a real pleasure to have around. All were enthusiastic and very good collectors and there was a wide range of special interest areas from the phylogenetic studies of the Cremastocheilini to mosquitos. I don’t believe anyone turned in before 2:00 am with a few staying up past 4:00 am. Saturday was a bit cool with intermittent rain, clouds with an occasional parting of the skies giving some hope to another good evening at the lights. However, by early evening the temperature dropped and a cool breeze kicked up and the light collecting was shelved save for a few die hards who set up anyway. Good for them but I believe the take was minimal. Ben and I decided to head lamp in the woods across from the main facility. We headed over about 11 :00 pm and searched along a trail that ran along the upper ridge. We managed to collect two specimens of Scaphinotus un/co/or... success! Bob Aldridge collected one the night before from the side of a garage near these same woods. Bob’s was an incidental find but ours was on purpose! Kind of akin to calling a billiards shot... ’’two Scaphinotus right pants pocket” A few other beetles were collected head lamping including the uncommon Tenebrionidae Tarpela americana and Merinus laevis. The latter, though widespread in the eastern U.S., does not appear overly common. A gilled mushroom produced specimens of the Erotylidae Tritoma sanguinipennis and Tritoma mimetica. A very unusual Lampyridae was collected that may prove to be interesting. One I have never encountered before. I suspect it’s a species of the genus Phausis. Figure 3. Ben setting in some short term pitt-falls. One very nice catch was the collection I made of a series of Staphylinidae by processing sifted leaf litter through a berlese extractor. The leaf litter was taken from just inside the entrance to a small cave (Figure 5). I believe the Staph is from the subfamily Euaesthetinae. It has huge sickle shaped mandibles, large coarsely faceted eyes and is around 2.5-3 mm (Figure 6). It was a good trip with no issues other than the questionable weather. We will be back! Figure 4. Ohio State EGSA members collecting at the mercury vapor light. Note bunk houses in the background. Necrophila americana and Oiceoptoma inaequale (Silphidae) at sap flow on a standing tree trunk (odd?). Note the small Nitidulidae at the upper right (arrow) with the red elytra apices. I went to get em and he dropped into the leaf litter... $@#@l# Figure 5. Nice specimen of the Staphylinidae: Euaesthetinae. Collected from leaf litter at the entrance to a small cave. Hart County, Kentucky. Ken Karns Collection. Figure 6. Cave entrance where the Staphylinidae above was taken.