Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1968 Carabidae (Coleoptera) and other arthropods collected in pitfall traps in Iowa cornfields, fencerows and prairies Kenneth Lloyd Esau Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Esau, Kenneth Lloyd, "Carabidae (Coleoptera) and other arthropods collected in pitfall traps in Iowa cornfields, fencerows and prairies " (1968). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 3734. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/3734 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-4232 ESAU, Kenneth Lloyd, 1934- CARABIDAE (COLEOPTERA) AND OTHER ARTHROPODS COLLECTED IN PITFALL TRAPS IN IOWA CORNFIELDS, FENCEROWS, AND PRAIRIES. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1968 Entomology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan CARABIDAE (COLEOPTERA) AND OTHER ARTHROPODS COLLECTED IN PITFALL TRAPS IN IOWA CORNFIELDS, PENCEROWS, AND PRAIRIES by Kenneth Lloyd Esau A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Pkrtial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Subject; Entomology Approved; Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Head of Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. Deay pf Grad/ite Co11ege Iowa State University Of Science and Technology Ames, Iowa 1968 ii TABLE OP CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3 Carabidae 3 Pitfall Traps 4 Collecting Liquids 8 Community Studies 10 MATERIALS AND METHODS l8 Site Descriptions 18 Curtiss Farm l8 DeKalb Research Farm 21 Sanborn, Iowa 23 Kalsow Prairie 25 Cayler Prairie 27 Pitfall Traps 28 Determination of Carabidae 40 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 42 Effect of Habitat - Carabidae Adults ' 42 Carabus meander Fischer 42 Calosoma calidum Fabricius 43 Calosoma obsoletum Say 44 Scaphinotus elevatus Fabricius 45 Notiophilus semistriatus Say 45 Pasimachus elongatus LeConte 46 Scarites quadriceps Chaudoir 46 I)yschirius globulosus Say 47 Clivina impressifrons LeConte 48 Clivina bipustulata Fabricius 49 Bembidion rupicola Kirby 50 Bembidion rapidum LeConte 50 Bembidion mimus Hayward 51 Bembidion impotens Casey 51 Bembidion quadrimaoulatum Linnaeus 51 Tachys granarius Dejean 52 Tachys anceps LeConte 53 iii Page Pterostichus chalcites Say 54 Pterostichus luoublandus Say 56 Pterostichus stygicus Say 57 Pterostichus scrutator LeConte 58 Pterostichus luctuosus Dejean 58 Pterostichus leconteianus Lutshnik 59 Pterostichus patruelis Dejean 60 Pterostichus femoralis Kirby 60 Abacidus permundus Say 61 Evarthrus sodalis colossus LeConte 62 Evarthrus alternans Casey 63 Evarthrus torvus LeConte 63 Evarthrus iowensis Preitag 63 Calathus gregarius Say 64 Agonum cupripenne Say 64 Agonum gratiosum Mannerheim 65 Agonum melanarium Dejean 66 Agonum placidum Say 66 Agonum puncticeps Casey 67 Amara Bonelli 68 Amara torrida Paykill 68 Amara pennsylvanica Hayward- 68 Amara carinata LeConte 69 Amara exarata Dejean 69 Amara latior Kirby 70 Amara apricaria Paykill 70 Amara avida Say 71 Amara obesa Say 71 Amara ellipsis Casey 72 Amara aeneopolita Casey 73 Amara sp. (near aeneopolita Casey) " 73 Amara littoralis Mannerheim 73 Amara cupreolata Putzeys 74 Amara angustata Say 74 Gratacanthus dubius Palisot de Beauvois 74 Harpalus Latreille 75 Harpalus herbivagus Say 75 Harpalus indigene Casey " 76 Harpalus fallax LeConte 76 Harpalus faunus Say 77 Harpalus longicollis LeConte 77 Harpalus pennsylvanicus De Geer 78 Harpalus compar LeConte 79 Harpalus erythropus Dejean 80 Harpalus paratus Casey 8l Harpalus caliginosus Fabricius 8l Selenophorus opalinus LeConte 83 SelenophoruB sp. 1 83 Selenophorus sp. 2 84 Selenophorus planipennis LeConte 84 iv Page Discoderus parallelus Haldeman 84 Anisodactylus carbonarius Say 84 Anisodactylus ? rusticus Say 85 Anisodactylus ? melanopus Haldeman 86 Anisodactylus ovular!s Casey 86 Anisodactylus harrisi LeConte " 86 Anisodactylus ? agricola Say 87 Anisodactylus interstitialis Say 87 Anisodactylus sanctaecrucis Fabricius 88 Bradycellus ? rupestris Say 88 Acupalpus 8pp. 89 Stenolopus oonjunctus group 89 Agonoderus comma Pabricius 90 Dicaelus elongatus Bonelli 9I Dicaelus sculptilis Say 92 Badister notatus Haldeman 92 Chlaenius Bonelli 93 Chlaenius tomentosus Say 93 Chlaenius pusillus Say 94 Chlaenius platyderus Chaudoir 94 Chlaenius lithophilus Say 95 Chlaenius neraoralis Say 95 Colliuris pennsylvanicus Linnaeus 95 Lebia vittata Pabricius 96 Microlestes linearis LeConte 97 Callida decora Pabricius 98 Cymindis americana Dejean 98 Galeritula janus Pabricius 99 Helluoraorphoides praeustus bicolor Harris 100 Effect of Habitat - Arthropoda Groups 100 Isopoda 101 Diplopoda, large 103 Diplopoda, small 103 Chilopoda IO5 Collembola IO6 Ephemeroptera IO6 Acrididae I07 Ensifera IO8 Rhaphidophorinae IO8 Gryllidae IO9 Psocoptera 110 Thysanoptera 110 Hemiptera 112 Auchenorrhyncha 114 Sternorrhyncha II6 Neuroptera adults II7 Neuroptera larvae II8 Carabidae adults II8 V Page Goleoptera, miscellaneous adults 120 Coleoptera larvae 121 Trichoptera 122 Lepidoptera adults 122 Lepidoptera larvae 122 Diptera adults 123 Diptera leurvae 124 Siphonaptera 125 Pormicidae 125 Hymenoptera adults 127 Hymenoptera larvae 128 Chelonethida 128 Phalangida 129 Araneida 130 Acarina 131 Tardigrada 132 Effect of Collecting Liquid - Carabidae Adults 132 Effect of Collecting Liquid - Arthropod Groups 133 Effect of Hole - Carabidae Adults 134 Effect of Hole - Arthropoda Groups 135 Effect of Season - Carabidae Adults 136 Community Analysis - Carabidae Adults 137 Species-area curves 137 Insecticide residues 138 Community indices 139 Dominants 143 Community Analysis - Arthropoda Groups 145 New Iowa Collection Records 148 SUMMARY 150 Habitat Preferences I50 Collecting Liquids I5I Holes Preference I5I Seasons I51 Community Analysis 152 New Iowa Records 152 vi Page LITERATURE CITED 154 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 168 APPENDIX 169 1 INTRODUCTION Sears (1964) has said, "The object of ecology is to find out what is going on in the living world, but before this cazi be done we have to find out what is there and what the patterns are." This dissertation is an at­ tempt to provide this information for one family of insects, the Carabidae (Coleoptera), and in a more general way, for other groups of arthropods living in Iowa cornfields, fencerows, and prairies. This study was undertaken in part as a response to the movement of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera LeConte, into Iowa, Before this invasion soil insects of economic importance were known but their damage was either sporadic or they could be controlled by cultural and chemical practices. The western corn rootworm was resistant to chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides and this raised the question of biological control. The most obvious answer seemed to be "the Carabidae" since they are pre­ sumed to be a family with predacious food habits; therefore this study was initiated in July of I965. Pitfall traps were placed in cornfields in the Clarion-Webster or Galva-Primghar soil types to learn what Carabidae and other arthropods are present at the soil surface. As an experimental control a matched series was placed in adjacent fencerows. Since the crop fencerow is still a dis­ turbed situation ever adjacent to man's agricultural activities, it was felt that an even better experimental control could be obtained by utiliz­ ing native prairies. Therefore, in I966 the cornfields, fencerows, ajid prairies were sampled concurrently. This initial census of the inhabitants of these three habitats did not answer the question of relationship of 2 rootworm and carabid numbers but it should be possible to continue the research and assess their relative biological and ecological roles as well as depict the general energy flow in the various habitats. 3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE Carabidae Beetles have long been favorite subjects for collectors, as illus­ trated by Blatchley's Coleoptera of Indiana (I9IO) or the 11-volume Memoirs on the Coleoptera by Thomas Lincoln Casey, The Carabidae are one of the few groups of Iowa Arthropoda for which there is a state faunal list. Jaques and Redlinger (I946) compiled a list based mainly on collections held at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, but also on specimens found in the Iowa Insect Collection at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, and some other sources of Iowa Carabidae records. Famous entomological names like Chaudoir, Home, LeConte, Leng, and Van I)yke are a few taken from the bibliography of important papers listed by Ball (196O) in his section on the Carabidae in Arnett's (I96O, I96I, I962, I963) The beetles of the United States, This work has probably been the most helpful due to its breadth of coverage, date of issue, and ecological notes. The many other papers consulted are cited in the treatments of individual species. Other Carabidae literature of more general utilization, listed some­ what in the order of usefulness would be: Lindroth's The Qround Beetles of Canada and Alaska, Parts 2, 3, and 4 (19^1, 1963, I966). Lindroth's 1955 paper on the Carabidae of Newfoundland was most helpful for