Carol Sellers, 118 Airdric Road, Toronto, Ontario, 1\'14G 11\'15 NSECTS THE NEWSJOURNAL OF THE TORONTO ENTOMOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION VOLUME 6, NUMBER 2 JANUARY 2001 Contents Notes From The Editors' Desks 25 Entomophilia by Carolyn King 26 Announcements 26 Upcoming Meetings 27 Late Season Insect Sightings 2000 28 2000 Meeting Reports by Nancy van der Poorten 30 Results ofthe 2000 Presqu'ile Butterfly Count by Philip Careless 32 Notes on Nest Cavity Excavation by a Sphecid Wasp by William Mcilveen 34 Results ofthe Algonquin Odonate Counts 1999 & 2000 by Colin Jones 37 Monarch Notes by Don Davis and Carolyn King ..40 2000 Field Trip Reports by Nancy van der Poorten : .42 Flea Market(Classifieds) Inside BackCover In the Next Issue Inside Back Cover Front Cover illustration: T Shirt Contest Winning Entry by Pamela Meacher Issue Date: January 20, 2001 ISSN: 1203-3995 Members Please Note: The deadline for submissions to the May 2001 issue of Ontario Insects is March 1. Late submissions may be added at the discretion of the Editor after that date. If there are any questions or concerns regarding submissions, please feel free to contact the NEW EDITOR, Colin Jones: Box 182, Lakefield, ON, KOL 2HO, Tel (home): 705-652-5004, Tel (work): 705­ 755-2166, email: [email protected] Please remember when submitting electronic information to minimize format­ ting and send documents as plain text wherever possible. Ontario Insects Notes from the up-and-coming editor: Greetings fellow TEA members! As the Natural Resources, Peterborough. I live regular contributors to 01 in the past, I up-and-coming editor of Ontario in Lakefield (just north of Peterborough) look forward to working with you in the Insects, I thought that I would take this with my wife, Marianne and my two future. It has been your hard work and opportunity to introduce myself to the children, Shan and Klara. expertise, combined with that of the readership. My name is Colin Jones editors, that have made 01 a success. and I have been a member of the TEA I have always enjoyed reading Ontario For those of you who have ideas for for about 6 years. I have been Insects and now I find myself in the articles, notes, or any other interested in natural history since I was position of editor. Although Vanessa submissions, I encourage you to either very young (I was one of those kids that and I worked together on editing this put something together or to talk to me used to flip over logs and rocks and issue, Vanessa has carried the bulk of about your ideas. Fresh ideas and new wade in the creek behind my house). the work, due mostly to the contributors are always welcome and I Although I am interested in all areas of incompatibility of our two computer am happy to assist in any way that I natural history, I have a particular platforms - thanks Vanessa! Beginning can. I would also encourage those of fascination with birds and insects. My with the May issue, however, I will be you with original photographs or interest and knowledge of insects grew taking over the reigns. I hope to artwork to submit some of your material when I began working as a seasonal maintain the high standards that Phil for inclusion in 01. Park Naturalist in Algonquin Park in and Pat Schappert established when 1990 and was further fueled by Dr. they first began editing 01 back in Lastly, I would like to take this Steve Marshall's excellent insect September of 1995. These standards opportunity to thank Vanessa for all of courses at the University of Guelph have since been carried forth, first by her hard work as editor over the past (thanks Steve!). I left Algonquin Park in Matt Holder and Phil Lester, and over two years and wish her all the best in the fall of 1999 and am currently the past two years by Vanessa. the future. working on contract at the Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ministry of For those of you who have been Colin Jones Farewell Notes: ~ ~ As I put the final touches on this issue, I areas (such as Presqu-lie Provincial ensured that I have always had enough can't help reflecting back over the past Park and Marcie Woods), and material...thank you. And I would like to couple years as Editor of Ontario furthering the aims of entomological extend my apologies to Bill Mcilveen Insects. Overall, it was quite enjoyable education in Ontario through Annual (whose Sphecid wasp nest article and provided me with a great Student Symposia (see pg. 27 for the appears on pg. 34) for not getting this opportunity to work with and get to date of this year's symposium) and the into print faster. A small envelope know a number of members, as well as W. John D. Eberlie Student Research containing his article, disk and slide regular contributors. I am constantly Travel Award (an invitation for student managed to get hidden in a box of amazed at the breadth and depth of applications can be found on pg. 35). I older 01 material until last month, when entomological experience found within would like to take the opportunity to I was sorting things out to pass along to this Association, not to mention the thank everyone who has played a part the new Editor. Please forgive me Bill! unique character of the group that in putting these efforts together. And finally, I would like to extend my makes field trips and meetings so much The experience of being Editor of one appreciation to Colin Jones for fun! of the many Association projects has agreeing to become the new Editor of As an Association, we have become a also been a humbling one. I am Ontario Insects. Not only is Colin an pretty vigorous society, contributing constantly reminded of how much there excellent entomological resource, he is experience and a strong voice to many is to learn, both entomologically and also experienced with the software diverse endeavors. A few that come to with putting a publication of this size used to produce 01. Thanks for your mind are the reprinting and production together. Each issue is an exercise in help editing this issue Colin, and I wish of entomological references (pg. 39 has gathering material to publish, setting it you very few gremlins in your future a list of books available through the into the software, and trying not to lose work as Editor! TEA), lending our input into the revised patience when computer gremlins are and highly contentious Ontario Fish at play within your publication. I have Vanessa and Wildlife Act, encouraging been very fortunate that the many conservation of ecologically important contributors to Ontario Insects have Volume 6, Number 2 25 Ontario Insects Entomophilia Submitted by Carolyn King The Learning Kingdom's of using antibiotics to control pests was keep cool while remaining so active in in use by the ants long before we the hot sun? Cool Fact of the Day for discovered it. The secret is that cicadas sweat. These October 13, 2000 finger-long, winged insects have pores Article describing the relationship in through which they secrete a watery How do fungus-farming ants keep more detail: liquid derived from the tree sap they weeds at bay? http://biology.uoregon.edu/enhs/ drink. While they sing (by vibrating archive/may99/may992.html ridged membranes against their Many kinds of ants are fungus farmers, bodies), they sweat profusely, thus growing mold on leaves or other foods Illustrated research paper reporting dissipating the heat of their efforts. and eating the mold themselves. But the discovery: Those efforts result in the loudest the ants only want one kind of mold to http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/ sounds made by any insect. In Missouri grow, a variety called Attamycetes, and Ecology/fungus.htm in the summer of 1999, the din reached must constantly remove another kind, a 85 decibels at some locations,louder "weed" species called Escovopsis. Some ants can swim: than a large diesel truck at full power. According to a recent study, at least 22 http://features.LearningKingdom.com/ Outdoor cafes had to close because the kinds of fungus-farming ants use factlarchive/1999/05/26.html noise was too much for the customers. Streptomyces bacteria as a living weed-killer. These ants have special What's making all that noise? patches of the bacteria on the The Learning Kingdom's http://www.amelianow.com/ undersides of their bodies. When the fall98tibican.htm unwanted Escovopsis mold grows in Cool Fact of the Day for their fungus farms, the ants apply the August 30, 2000 The insect opera: Streptomyces bacteria from their http://magazine.audubon.org/ bodies, and the bacteria secrete an What are the only insects known to truenature/truenature0005.html antibiotic that kills the Escovopsis. sweat? Why do the world's loudest insects This close relationship between the If you've ever lived where there are sing? ants, the bacteria, and two different cicadas, you know that these extremely http://features.LearningKingdom.com/ kinds of fungi has been going on for noisy insects make the most racket factlarchive/1998/04/07.html millions of years. The human "invention" when it's blistering hot. How do they Announcements Canada: POINT PELEE NATURAL photographs), seasonal summaries of CAN $15 (one ~ear) or $30 (two years) bird observations, an annual summary International: HISTORY NEWS of butterfly observations, miscellaneous US $15 (one year) or $30 (two years) reports (Christmas Bird Count results, Published by: etc.), a listing of upcoming natural Send subscription fees and your e-mail The Friends of Point Pelee history events at and near Point Pelee, address (optional) to: The Friends of Editor: letters to the editor, and much more.