Flower Associations of Mimetic Syrphidae (Diptera) in Northern Michigan

Collections of specialized (high fidelity) mimetic Syrphidae in northern Michigan revealed 19 species associated with 18 flowering plants. Almost 97% of these syrphids were taken on seven plant species or species groups, all with conspicuous white or yellow blossoms, and all but one with aggregate inflorescences. Pastinaca sativa (Umbelliferae) is visited by many mimetic syrphids in northern Michigan but by very few in central Illinois; the opposite is true of Sambucus canadensis (Caprifoliaceae). In northern Michigan mimetic syrphids exploit a sequence of blossoming plants that more or less replace each other as the season progresses. The cooling effect of Lake Michigan slows the development of vegetation and the appearance of mimetic. syrphids along the shore by over two weeks as compared to a transect only 6.5 to 17 km inland. Because of the normally cooler temperatures in northern Michigan, syrphids appear on flowers later in the day and remain there longer than they do in central Illinois

Adult Emergence in Two Univoltine \u3ci\u3eCallosamia Promethea\u3c/i\u3e Populations: Preponderance of the Early Emerging Morph in the North and of the Late Emerging Morph in the South (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Callosamia promethea is common on wild black cherry, Prunus serafina, at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern lower Michigan. In this area the early emerging morph is preponderant, while to the south in northern Indiana, the late emerging morph is preponderant

Diapause and Emergence Patterns in Univoltine and Bivol Tine Populations of Promethea (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Data are presented on the diapause and the seasonal emergence patterns of the adults of a univoltine Callosamia promethea population from northern Indiana and a partially bivoltine population from central Illinois. At Urbana, Illinois, the median emergence date of adults from overwintering Illinois pupae was about a month earlier than that of adults from overwintering Indiana pupae. Illinois samples had a much longer emergence period than Indiana samples. Indiana samples showed a slight tendency toward a bimodal emergence pattern, a few individuals emerging in late May and the rest emerging as a tightly synchronized group from late June to mid-July. Early emerging lIIinois moths produced mostly non.diapausing progeny, but the proportion of diapausing progeny increased as the season progressed. Some females produced both diapausing and non· diapausing progeny. Adults from non-diapausing pupae from early August to early September

Flowers Associations and Mating Behavior or its Absence at Blossoms by \u3ci\u3eSpilomyia\u3c/i\u3e Spp. (Diptera, Syrphidae)

(excerpt) Syrphid flies of many species visit blossoms to obtain nectar and pollen (see Waldbauer 1983 for referencesl. Many of these syrphids, in common with other insects (Parker 1978), also find mates at the blossoms. Males of these syrphid species make aerial patrols of inflorescences frequented by females, alternating these patrols with sitting on foliage. l11ey pounce on or chase insects of various species and swiftly initiate copulation with can specific females (Collet and Land 1975; Maier 1978; Maier and Waldbauer 1 979a,b)

Longevity and Weight Loss of Free-flying Male Cecropia Moths, \u3ci\u3eHyalophora Cecropia\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

During their spring flight season, free-ranging male cecropia moths lived a maximum of 12 days (one of 124 recaptured moths of 387 released moths). The number of survivors declined precipitiously after day five; five to seven days is probably the usual life span. The recaptured moths did not have different initial weights than those that were not recaptured. The larger the moth the more absolute weight it lost and the faster it lost weight during the first few days. A moth lost about 20% of its weight during the first night of flight and accumulated about a 40% weight loss during the remainder of its life

An Improved Procedure for Laboratory Rearing of the Corn Earworm, \u3ci\u3eHeliothis Zea\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

An improved method for the laboratory rearing of the corn earworm. Heliothis zea, described. The rearing medium is a modification of the commonly used wheat germ An oviposition chamber, a feeder for adults, and a simple and inexpensive contrnlled humidity chamber are described

Melanistic Males of \u3ci\u3eCallosamia Promethea\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

(excerpt) During the summer of 1983 seven melanistic male promethea moths appeared among several hundred males that emerged from cocoons we were holding in the laboratory

An Improved Procedure for Laboratory Rearing of the Corn Earworm, \u3ci\u3eHeliothis Zea\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

An improved method for the laboratory rearing of the corn earworm. Heliothis zea, described. The rearing medium is a modification of the commonly used wheat germ An oviposition chamber, a feeder for adults, and a simple and inexpensive contrnlled humidity chamber are described

The paleobiological record of photosynthesis

Fossil evidence of photosynthesis, documented in Precambrian sediments by microbially laminated stromatolites, cyanobacterial microscopic fossils, and carbon isotopic data consistent with the presence of Rubisco-mediated CO2-fixation, extends from the present to ~3,500 million years ago. Such data, however, do not resolve time of origin of O2-producing photoautotrophy from its anoxygenic, bacterial, evolutionary precursor. Though it is well established that Earth’s ecosystem has been based on autotrophy since its very early stages, the time of origin of oxygenic photosynthesis, more than 2,450 million years ago, has yet to be established