Insects of the Idaho National Laboratory: A Compilation and Review Nancy Hampton Abstract—Large tracts of important sagebrush (Artemisia L.) Major portions of the INL have been burned by wildfires habitat in southeastern Idaho, including thousands of acres at the over the past several years, and restoration and recovery of Idaho National Laboratory (INL), continue to be lost and degraded sagebrush habitat are current topics of investigation (Ander- through wildland fire and other disturbances. The roles of most son and Patrick 2000; Blew 2000). Most restoration projects, insects in sagebrush ecosystems are not well understood, and the including those at the INL, are focused on the reestablish- effects of habitat loss and alteration on their populations and ment of vegetation communities (Anderson and Shumar communities have not been well studied. Although a comprehen- 1989; Williams 1997). Insects also have important roles in sive survey of insects at the INL has not been performed, smaller restored communities (Williams 1997) and show promise as scale studies have been concentrated in sagebrush and associated indicators of restoration success in shrub-steppe (Karr and communities at the site. Here, I compile a taxonomic inventory of Kimberling 2003; Kimberling and others 2001) and other insects identified in these studies. The baseline inventory of more habitats (Jansen 1997; Williams 1997). than 1,240 species, representing 747 genera in 212 families, can be The purpose of this paper is to present a taxonomic list of used to build models of insect diversity in natural and restored insects identified by researchers studying cold desert com- sagebrush habitats. munities at the INL. Insects act as herbivores, decomposers, pollinators, and predators, and they are major prey for reptiles, mammals, and birds inhabiting sagebrush communi- ties, including sage-grouse chicks [Centrocercus urophasianus Introduction ___________________ (Bonaparte)]. However, the function of most insects in sage- brush ecosystems is not well understood (West 1983). As The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), formerly the Idaho natural sagebrush communities disappear, remaining habi- National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, is tats such as those at the INL represent important resources located in a cool desert ecosystem characterized by shrub- for establishing baseline attributes against which restora- steppe vegetation communities typical of the northern Great tion success or indicator measures can be evaluated. A Basin and Columbia Plateau region. Established in 1949 to taxonomic inventory is useful for developing reference mod- carry out nuclear energy research and related activities, els of natural insect diversity and community composition in public access to the 570-thousand-acre INL facility has been sagebrush habitats at the INL. restricted for over 50 years. As a consequence, large rem- nants of relatively undisturbed sagebrush-steppe are still preserved in the interior portion of the site (Anderson 1999). Methods _______________________ In recognition of the ecological importance of INL lands, the facility was designated as a National Environmental Re- I constructed a baseline taxonomic list of insect species search Park in 1975 (DOE 1985). documented in six major investigations at the INL (Allred As these important habitats continue to be lost and 1968a; Allred and Cole 1971; Bohart and Knowlton 1977; degraded, interest in the status and condition of remaining Karr and Kimberling 2003; Stafford 1983, 1987; Stafford sagebrush communities has grown (Entwistle and others and Johnson 1986; Stafford and others 1986). The initial list 2000; Knick 1999; Knick and Rotenberry 1997). Much is was expanded to include species from 16 smaller studies in unknown about these ecosystems, and there is an immedi- which insects were identified or collected (Allred 1970; Blom ate need to establish baselines, fill information voids, and and others 1991; Bromenshenk 1987; Cieminski and Flake focus research on critical issues, including restoration 1995; Clark and Blom 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999; Johnson and alternatives. Stafford 1986; Merickel and Clark 1994; Stafford and Johnson 1986; Vieth 1983; Wenninger 2001; Winter 1984; Youtie 1986; Youtie and others 1987). A resident collection of INL voucher specimens for 466 species, primarily collected and identified by M. P. Stafford, W. H. Clark, and P.E. Blom, was Nancy Hampton is an Ecologist, Idaho National Laboratory/Idaho State University, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2213; e-mail: [email protected] also incorporated into the list. All insects identified to family In: Shaw, Nancy L.; Pellant, Mike; Monsen, Stephen B., comps. 2005. Sage- were included. Although over 100 species of other arthropods, grouse habitat restoration symposium proceedings; 2001 June 4–7; Boise, ID. Proceedings RMRS-P-38. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, including ticks, mites, spiders, solpugids, and scorpions, have Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. been collected and identified at the INL (Allred 1968b, 1969, 116 USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-38. 2005 Insects of the Idaho National Laboratory: A Compilation and Review Hampton 1970, 1973; Allred and Muma 1971; Karr and Kimberling species lists (Haws and others 1988; Horning and Barr 2003; Wenninger 2001), only insect species were compiled 1970). The INL list was not reviewed for synonymy or for this list. Ordinal names and placement of families and misidentifications. Discrepancies in spelling between INL genera are according to Borror and others (1992). studies and other authorities were reconciled to Horning To minimize the potential for double counting, I included and Barr (1970) where possible. Otherwise, spellings of only the maximum number of unidentified species within Haws and others (1988) or Arnett (2000) were adopted. the same family or genus cited in any single reference. The number of unidentified species was then reduced for each unique species within the same family or genus cited in Results and Discussion __________ additional references. Thus, hundreds of unidentified speci- A list of over 1,240 insect species from 17 orders, repre- mens were excluded from this inventory and remain to be senting 747 genera in 212 families, was compiled from 22 examined further. studies conducted at the INL (table 1). Insect sampling has Taxonomic authority was compiled from original docu- been widely distributed across the INL (fig.1), but most mentation, voucher specimens, and other local and regional studies were of short duration and focused on associations Table 1—List of documented insect species at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. ORDERa ORDER Familya Family Scientific nameb Scientific name COLLEMBOLA Neohaematopinus marmota Onychiuridae Neohaematopinus pacificus spp. undetermined Neohaematopinus sp. #5 Entomobryidae Polyplax auricularis Kellogg and Ferris spp. undetermined Polyplax spinulosa Burmeister Isotomidae Polyplax sp. #3 unident. sp. #1 Trichodectidae Sminthuridae Geomydoecus sp. unident. sp. #1 Neotrichodectes interruptofasciatus EPHEMEROPTERA Mallophaga Baetidae spp. undetermined spp. undetermined ORTHOPTERA Caenidae Acrididae spp. undetermined Arphia pseudonictana Thomas ISOPTERA Aulocara elliotti Thomas Kalotermitidae Cratypedes lateritius unident. sp. #1 Hesperotettix viridis Thomas Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius) ODONATA Aeshnidae Trimerotropis gracilis unident. spp. #1, #2 unident. sp. #1 Tettigoniidae Libellulidae unident. sp. #1 unident. sp. #1 Gryllacrididae Coenagrionidae Ceuthophilus maculatus spp. undetermined Gryllidae PSOCOPTERA Oecanthus sp. Liposcellidae unident. spp. #1, #2 unident. sp. #1 HEMIPTERA PHTHIRAPTERA Enicocephalidae Enderleinellidae unident. sp. #1 Enderleinellus sp. Corixidae Hoplopleuridae Cenocorixa wileyae Hoplopleura acanthopus Sigara alternata Hoplopleura arboricola Notonectidae Hoplopleura erratica spp. undetermined Hoplopleura hesperomydis (Osborn) Tingidae Hoplopleura minimus Aclypta cooleyi Polyplacidae unident. sp. #2 Fahrenholzia pinnata Miridae Fahrenholzia sp. #2 Atomoscelis modestus VanDuzee Haemodipus setoni Chlamydatus artemisiae Neohaematopinus inornatus Kellogg Chlamydatus associatus (Uhler) Neohaematopinus laeviusculus (con.) USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-38. 2005 117 Hampton Insects of the Idaho National Laboratory: A Compilation and Review Table 1—(Cont.) ORDER ORDER Family Family Scientific name Scientific name Chlamydatus obliquus (Uhler) Megalonotus sabicula Chlamydatus sp. #4 Nysius ericae (Schilling) Auctorum Coquilletia insignis Uhler Nysius niger Coquilletia sp. #2 Nysius raphanus Horvath Deraeocoris bakeri Knight Ortholomus scolopax (Say) Deraeocoris brevis Uhler Sisamnes claviger Coreidae Deraecoris schwartzi (Uhler) Chelinidae vittiger Hadronema simplex Knight Rhopalidae Hesperocapsus davisi Arhyussus sp. Illnacorella argentata Knight Corizus punctiventris Dallas Irbisia pacificus (Uhler) Corizus scutatus (Stal) Labopidea sericata (Uhler) Harmostes reflexulus (Say) Labops utahensis Slater Leptocoris trivittatus (Say) Litomeris debilis (Uhler) Liorhyssus hyalinus (F.) Lopidea sp. Cydnidae Lygus desertinus Knight unident. sp. #1 Lygus elisus VanDuzee Scutelleridae Lygus hesperus Knight Vanduzeina balli Lygus sp. #4 unident. sp. #1 Melanotrichus albocostatus Pentatomidae Orectoderus arcuatus Aelia americana Dallas Orthotylus coagulatus (Uhler) Chlorochroa sayi Stal Parthenicus sp. Codophila remota Horvath Phyllopidea hirta