Field Monitoring of X-Disease Leafhopper Vectors (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and Infected Chokecherry in Michigan Peach and Cherry Orchards

Populations of leafhopper vectors of X-disease, a major disease problem of the Michigan peach industry, were monitored by yellow sticky board traps and sweepnet samples during 1985 and 1986. Abundance of known leafhopper vectors varied throughout the stone fruit belt of Michigan, with Paraphlepsius irroratus common in the southwest Lower Peninsula, but representing 73.1 % of all known vectors found. Other commonly found vectors included Scaphytopius acutus (22%), Colladonus clitellarius (1.5\u27k). and Norvellina seminuda (3.4%). Yellow sticky boards were the best monitoring method used. accounting for 90.3% of all vectors captured. The appearance of X-disease symptoms on chokecherry throughout the survey area indicated transmission between wild hosts was occurring in areas where X-disease is not yet a major problem to growers

An Annotated Checklist of Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Northeastern Iowa

A survey of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was conducted during 2009 in the geographically distinct area of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties in extreme Northeast Iowa. Four plant communities distributed among 10 locations, including tallgrass prairie, mixed grassland and forest, oak-hickory forest, and pasture were sampled during 2009 using black light traps, banana- beer traps, rodent burrow pitfalls, manure-baited pitfalls, and gleaning. Additionally, previous specimen records were examined. Forty-nine scarab species were documented for Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, including five species not previously reported in Iowa. Mixed grassland and forest habitat contained the greatest scarab species richness (n=31); black light trapping yielded the greatest number of individual beetles and collected the most species

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) on Hill Prairies of Allamakee County, Iowa: A Comparison of the Late 1980s With 2013

In the late 1980s, several hundred butterflies were collected by John Nehnevaj from hill prairies and a fen in Allamakee County, Iowa. Nehnevaj’s collection included 69 species, 14 of which are currently listed in Iowa as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). The goal of this study was to revisit sites surveyed in the 1980s and survey three additional sites to compare the species present in 2013 to the species found by Nehnevaj. A primary objective was to document the presence of rare prairie specialist butterflies (Lepidoptera), specifically the ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe W.H. Edwards; Hesperiidae), which was thought to be extirpated from Iowa. Twelve sites were surveyed 4 to 7 times between June and September 2013 using a meandering Pollard walk technique. A total of 2,860 butterflies representing 58 species were found; eight of these species were SGCN’s, including the hickory hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorum McDunnough; Lycaenidae), and Leonard\u27s skipper (Hesperia leonardus Harris; Hesperiidae), species not collected in the 1980s, and the ottoe skipper and Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton Drury; Nymphalidae), both species also found by Nehnevaj. Species richness for the sites ranged from 14 to 33 species, with SGCNs found at 11 of the 12 sites. Significant landscape changes have occurred to hill prairies in Allamakee County over the past 25 years. Invasion by red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) has reduced hill prairie an average of 55.4% at these sites since the 1980s, but up to 100% on some of the sites surveyed by Nehnevaj. These changes in habitat may have contributed to the overall decrease in species richness. This study provides valuable information about the current status of butterflies present on northeastern Iowa hill prairies that can be used in directing future land management and conservation efforts

Changes in the Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Winneshiek County, Iowa After 90 Years

In 1908, Bert Porter reported the presence of 73 species of butterflies in the Decorah, Iowa area. Since then, no systematic surveys of the butterflies in the Decorah area have been completed despite extensive habitat changes and degradation of native prairie and timber that have occurred over the past 90 years. In 1998, an extensive survey of the butterflies of Winneshiek County confirmed the presence of 55 species of butterflies. Our findings generated a checklist of the butterflies currently found in Winneshiek County, and were compared to Porter\u27s original list. Unfortunately, the regal fritillary, Speyeria idalia, and several other butterfly species found in 1908 apparently no longer occur in the Decorah area

New Distribution Records of Ground Beetles From the North Central United States (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

We report 39 ground beetles new to five states in the upper midwestern United States. These species records include 19 new to Illinois (all but one from Lake County), 11 from Iowa, three from South Dakota, eight from Wisconsin, and two from Michigan. (Three species are new to more than one state). Enigmatically disjunct collections include the myrmecophile, Helluomorphoides nigripennis from western Illinois, known previously only from the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain and piedmont, and Chlaenius amoenus, reported only from southeastern states and now from northeast Iowa

Research Note: Records of Thirteen Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) New to Iowa

A long-term ecological research initiative in northeast Iowa tallgrass prairies to evaluate the effects of prescribed burning on prairie insects was begun in 1993. During the course of this work we discovered 13 ground beetle species (Coleoptera: Carabidae) (Table 1) not previously reported from Iowa (Bousquet and Larochelle 1993)

Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Northeastern Iowa: A Comparison of Baits for Sampling

Carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) were inventoried over a 8-week period from June into August of 1996 at 10 sites in 4 counties of extreme northeastern Iowa. Carrion preference and relative abundance of carrion beetles were studied by use of non-lethal pitfall traps constructed from large plastic plant pots and baited with aged fish, beef liver, chicken, or piglets. A total of 3,183 carrion beetles were collected, representing 11 different species. The most commonly encountered species of carrion beetles in northeastern Iowa included Necrophila americana (71.5%) and Oiceoptoma novaboracense (18.5%). When comparing baits, chicken and fish attracted the greatest number of carrion beetle species, individual beetles, and the most diverse assemblage of beetles as compared to beef liver and piglets. No American Burying Beetles (Nicrophorus americanus), a federally-listed endangered species last documented in Northeastern Iowa in 1921, were found. We propose aged chicken as the most useful bait for future surveys of carrion beetles

An Annotated Checklist of Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Northeastern Iowa

A survey of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was conducted during 2009 in the geographically distinct area of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties in extreme Northeast Iowa. Four plant communities distributed among 10 locations, including tallgrass prairie, mixed grassland and forest, oak-hickory forest, and pasture were sampled during 2009 using black light traps, banana- beer traps, rodent burrow pitfalls, manure-baited pitfalls, and gleaning. Additionally, previous specimen records were examined. Forty-nine scarab species were documented for Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, including five species not previously reported in Iowa. Mixed grassland and forest habitat contained the greatest scarab species richness (n=31); black light trapping yielded the greatest number of individual beetles and collected the most species

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) on Hill Prairies of Allamakee County, Iowa: A Comparison of the Late 1980s With 2013

In the late 1980s, several hundred butterflies were collected by John Nehnevaj from hill prairies and a fen in Allamakee County, Iowa. Nehnevaj’s collection included 69 species, 14 of which are currently listed in Iowa as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). The goal of this study was to revisit sites surveyed in the 1980s and survey three additional sites to compare the species present in 2013 to the species found by Nehnevaj. A primary objective was to document the presence of rare prairie specialist butterflies (Lepidoptera), specifically the ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe W.H. Edwards; Hesperiidae), which was thought to be extirpated from Iowa. Twelve sites were surveyed 4 to 7 times between June and September 2013 using a meandering Pollard walk technique. A total of 2,860 butterflies representing 58 species were found; eight of these species were SGCN’s, including the hickory hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorum McDunnough; Lycaenidae), and Leonard\u27s skipper (Hesperia leonardus Harris; Hesperiidae), species not collected in the 1980s, and the ottoe skipper and Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton Drury; Nymphalidae), both species also found by Nehnevaj. Species richness for the sites ranged from 14 to 33 species, with SGCNs found at 11 of the 12 sites. Significant landscape changes have occurred to hill prairies in Allamakee County over the past 25 years. Invasion by red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) has reduced hill prairie an average of 55.4% at these sites since the 1980s, but up to 100% on some of the sites surveyed by Nehnevaj. These changes in habitat may have contributed to the overall decrease in species richness. This study provides valuable information about the current status of butterflies present on northeastern Iowa hill prairies that can be used in directing future land management and conservation efforts