SCIOTO VALLEY BIRD AND NATURE CLUB SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO

Insect of the Month

SEPTEMBER --- Two Fearsome-Looking Insects

Dobsonfly Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

The larval stage is called a hellgrammite and can be found by turning over rocks in a swift stream. They are frequently captured by holding a seine while someone up turns over some rocks. These larva are greatly esteemed by some bass fishermen.

Stag Beetle Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

The Stag Beetle (Pseudolucanus capreolus is the common species. There are probably only three or four species in Ohio and none is very common. It belongs to the great order Coleoptera, the largest of all insect orders and indeed of all animal orders. In 1977 the species totaled about 360,000 and amounted to 25 percent of all animal species. The larvae of the Stag Beetle live in rotted wood and have a grub-like form. The adults eat very little or nothing. One of the reasons for Stag Beetles' low numbers is possibly the loss of habitat. With the present fever to have open woods with very little fallen wood, there is not much food for the larvae.

Another name for the Stage Beetle is the "pinching bug". The name is partly right and partly wrong. It is, of course NOT a bug, but it can give a good pinch. The large mandibles are used in fighting off competitors for mating. The group is found all over the world and some of tropical species have jaws over an inch or two in length.

Both of these photos were taken of specimens in my private collection. The Dobsonfly was captured at my parent's house in Highland County in the 1960's, and the Stag Beetle was brought in by a student in my biology class at Southeastern High School,Richmondale, OH in the early 1970's. My wife Ella did the actual photography from the pinned specimens.

AUGUST --- Forked-tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcata)

One of the common sounds of late summer and autumn is the call of the katydid. Any one who has heard it knows immediately where the name comes fro. The author of the call is not as easy to find. It is quite common, but is usually active only at night. It belongs to the order Orthoptera. The word means straight-wing, so called since the wings are folded lengthwise along the abdomen. The order is divided essentially into two large groups --- runners and jumpers. The runners include the mantises, stick insects (walking sticks), and roaches. The jumper include the grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids.

The order is a very large one and contains some of the most destructive insects. Most of the order are plant eaters. The mantises are about the only exception. Grasshoppers and crickets and among the most destructive of all insects. The plagues of locusts mentioned in the Bible and other historical records are really enormous flocks of grasshoppers. They are common to this day in Africa and cause millions of dollars of damage. The swarm may contain hundreds of millions of insects and they will eat or try to eat anything green. After a swarm has settles there will be no green plants left behind. When the grasshoppers are in the flying stage they are almost impossible to control. Even in the hopping stage, it is very difficult to kill enough to save the crops. There is a story that in Salt Lake City, Utah, an enormous swarm of crickets moved into the area. A large flock of California Gulls is supposed to have arrived just in time to save the crops. In commemoration of this event, there is a statue of a gull sitting on top located in the city.

I took this photo at Ross Lake in 2004 at one of the banding stations. As can be seen the Katydid was on the window of my car.

This insect gets its name from Scudder, one of the great entomologists of the nineteenth century. The furcata refers to the forked tail.

Bush Katydid Adult Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

MARCH --- Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiope)
The Mourning Cloak Butterfly is one of the first butterflies to be seen in the spring. Indeed, it can be found in almost any month. It winters as an adult hidden from the elements and predators by creeping under bark and under leaves. All it needs is for the temperature to rise into the fifties for a day or so and it will to fly. The adult feeds on nectar and tree sap so it may get a little food as the sap begins to rise. It will usually be seen sitting on a stick along a road or other open area with its wings widespread to take advantage of the sun. If disturbed, it will fly up and return to its perch and orient itself so as to absorb as much heat as possible. The dark color of the wings and body absorb the warmth. As the day cool, the insect will return to its hibernation place.

The butterfly lives for about ten months which is a very long time for a butterfly. The adults mate in the spring and then die. The female lays the eggs on a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs. This beautiful butterfly belongs to the great family Nymphalidae, or Brush-footed Butterflies. The family is one of the largest butterfly families and many of our local butterflies belong to this group. If members of this family are examined very closely, it will be seen that they appear to have only four legs instead ofthe six found in all insects. The forelegs are very small and appear to have no use. The Mourning Cloak was designated as the State Butterfly of Montana in 2001.

The photo below was taken by Joe McMahon from a pinned specimen in the insect collection of Hopewell Culture NHP.

Mourning Cloak Adult Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

FEBRUARY --- EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR (Malacasoma americana)
by Joe McMahon

The insect for February is the Eastern Tent Caterpillar. Very soon the webs or tents of this insect will be seen on a variety of trees. It seems that in our location, the favorite food is the Wild Black Cherry. The eggs are laid in the fall and hatch in spring . The caterpillars spin a silken tent that protects them from enemies, and the caterpillars retire to the tent during daytime, and move away to eat the leaves. As the caterpillars grow, the tent is enlarged.

After five molts, the caterpillars are fully grown. They spin small cucoons covered with a yellowish powder. After two months, the adults emerge and begin looking for mates. The eggs are laid in the crotch of a wild cherry tree and are covered with a tough foam for protection. The adults then die. This is the case with many moths. The adult is simply a reproductive organism and after the eggs are laid serve no further purpose.

Tent Caterpillars are considered very destructive, especially to the Wild Black Cherry. With heavy infestation, the tree may be almost completely stripped of its leaves. The Wild Black Cherry is a very important food source for both birds and mammals. Efforts to control the Tent Caterpillar are seldom effective. Some people will clip off the branch with the tent and burn it, but there are usually so many tents that this gets only a few larvae. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black-billed Cuckoo are the chief predators of the caterpillars. The cuckoos have long bills and are strong enough to tear into the tent to get at the caterpillars

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Adult Moth Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

Tent Caterpillar Larva Photo       Press BACK ARROW to return.

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