November, 2008 ======Our Two New Board Members at Large Are Dave Bourque and Brandon Woo
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
============================================================================================= Vol. 12, No. 4 November, 2008 =========================================================================================== Our two new Board Members at Large are Dave Bourque and Brandon Woo. Other Annual Meeting items involved votes to: keep our dues at a flat $10/yr for now; keep The Maine Entomologist at 8 pages, if possible, to save on postage; support our new scholarship fund [see p. 2] using $1/member/yr of dues, $1 per calendar or shirt sale, plus additional moneys raised through 50/50 raffles and donations. Our scholarship committee will From The President determine disbursement of funds as dictated in the mandate. Cold nights and bare trees signal decreasing insect activity We can now order new shirts, which will be ordered on as the smell of wood smoke fills the air. If you’re like me that demand at a price based on order size. Both the “Maine Insect” woodpile is just not big enough yet, but we’ll see! Although I and circular MES “Logo” are available. Other items may soon saw or heard of many interesting insect finds in 2008, this was be offered as well. And don’t forget, we are also in the process probably the leanest year that I have experienced for many of completing our 2009 MES calendar. Contact me in regard to insects in both numbers and diversity, especially Lepidoptera! the shirts and calendar. This was also evident in the case of my pets, the woolly bears. I Our MES program for 2009 is basically ready to go, so was only able to find 3 of my fuzzy friends, the lowest number check it out in this newsletter and set those dates aside, or better since I started counting red segments for my forecast back in yet, buy one of our calendars with the dates and places already 1997! In spite of this I continued with my count, finding an in place. I’ve had fun but now I can step back and watch MES average of 4.33 red bands per caterpillar indicating an average grow as a member! winter coming up, whatever that means. I’m still putting in This should wrap things up for me. Over the next couple of firewood! months I will be turning things over to Charlene. It would As you all know, this will be my last report as President of streamline things if you would funnel future MES business to MES, and I must have started this report at least four times only Charlene at Insect & Disease Lab, 50 Hospital St. Augusta, ME to have my attempts lost in a computer glitch or lost in 04330, Ph. (207) 287-3244 or [email protected]. frustration. So here I go again before our editor comes looking Contact Dana on dues. for me. I have really enjoyed holding office since 1997 and Don’t forget your dues for 2009. Thanks and “Happy have met most of you at one point either personally or through Buggin!” the process of dunning you for dues. I really appreciate your Our member count stands at 132! support and enjoy the wonderful articles many of you have - Dick Dearborn worked so hard to compose. Although I now hope to back off * * * * * into the regular member category, I still plan to participate in In this issue: MES activities. Our Annual meeting was very enjoyable and our gracious ☞ M.E.S. Scholarship Fund (p. 2) hosts, Bob and Nettie Nelson made everyone feel at home. ☞ Mating Mutillids Mesmerize Monica (p. 2) However, change seemed to be the theme for MES, as it has ☞ Overview of 2007 Spider Blitz (p. 2) been for our national election process. While Bob Nelson ☞ Overview of 2008 Bug Blitz (p. 3) remains our intrepid webmaster and editor, the only officer ☞ Cerceris Biosurveillance Update (p. 4) “hanging in there” is our Treasurer, Dana Michaud. Charlene Donahue now becomes your newly elected President, and I am ☞ Cerceris watch yields new state record of sure that she will do well with existing activities while another wasp (p. 5) implementing the new, many of which came up at our meeting. ☞ Cynipid Wasps, Oak Galls, and Oak Gall Ink Karen Hopkins was elected Vice President. Our former (p. 6) V.P., Chuck Peters, asked to be relieved so that he too could ☞ 2009 Winter Workshop & Blitz: Minor Orders give more time to other commitments. Chuck has been a staunch supporter of MES and especially a reliable source of articles (p. 8) such as his “Tech(nical) Tips” feature and great insect photos. ☞ Wandering Woolly Bears (p. 9) I’m sure that Chuck, too, will participate in group activities as ☞ M.E.S. 2009 Calendars! (p. 10) much as he can. Thanks so much Chuck for being there for us! The Maine Entomologist v. 12, no. 4, p. 1 November, 2008 Maine Entomological Society Scholarship Fund A Mating Assembly of Mutillids by Charlene Donahue by Monica Russo At the 2008 annual meeting in Clinton, the Maine I was standing staring at the bare ground (a hallmark of Entomological Society voting body agreed to set up a hymenopterists), hoping to discover the owner-builders of Scholarship Fund for MES members. This idea was brought several tumuli. A tumulus is the mound of excavated dirt at the forward by Gail Everett in 2006. It was then researched and a entrance to an underground nursery, created when a predatory or plan drafted by a committee comprised of Gail Everett, solitary wasp digs. The tumuli look like tiny volcanoes, with an Domenica Woo, Charlene Donahue (chair) and Chuck Peters. entrance hole often big enough to poke a pencil into. Many Below is the plan for the scholarship fund. different genera of fossorial (digging) wasps create tumuli: The purpose of the Scholarship Fund is to support and Ectemnius, Crabro, Sphex, Philanthus, or most hopefully, advance the study of Entomology. The Maine Entomological Cerceris fumipennis, a hunter of buprestid beetles, which I was Society has been in existence for over ten years and during that specifically looking for. time it has accomplished much on multiple fronts. Some MES Standing and waiting, I looked around, but didn’t want to activities that have furthered the understanding of insects over lose my field of view because it was important to see who might the past decade include: quarterly newsletters on topics pertinent return to the tumuli, perhaps even carrying prey, or who might to Maine's insect population, numerous field trips each year, co- emerge and start working and digging again. Nothing much sponsoring the Maine State Museum's Bug Maine-ia, co- happened of course: a watched tumulus never moils. My gaze sponsoring six Bioblitzes at Acadia National Park's Schoodic wandered, and I saw a female velvet ant. This was a big shock, Point, joint meetings with the Acadian Entomological Society since the last velvet ant I saw was during an MES field trip to and Vermont Entomological Society, supporting saving the the Kennebunk Plains around 1993. I could hardly believe it. A Patch House from becoming a parking lot and more. minute later, I saw another. Then another, and another. It was People are eligible for funding if they 1) have an interest in amazing. Then I saw a black wasp running around which I furthering their knowledge of insects and 2) are a Maine thought at first was a Pompilid, a spider-hunting wasp. I Entomological Society member in good standing. ignored it. But then I saw another, and then another. Finally I Scholarship funds may be used for: realized the black wasps were frantically following the velvet 1) Support for courses, workshops, meetings etc. in ants. They were the male velvet ants! They flew and ran, trying Entomology that will further the understanding of to catch up to the females, and a few were able to make a sort of insects in Maine. confusing, jumbly tumbling contact, which I presumed to be 2) Support for pursuing a degree in entomology at either successful mating. the undergraduate or graduate level. Velvet ants are not ants, but wasps, belonging to the Family Mutillidae. There is considerable sexual dimorphism, as the 3) Support student attendance at Entomological meetings. females and males are different colors, and only the males have 4) Support Continuing Education Credits in entomology wings. I’m sure I will never have the chance to see a mating for teachers or others as deemed appropriate by the assembly of velvet ants again. It is a reminder that when you selection committee. are looking intently for one species, you should remain alert for A scholarship selection committee consisting of three something else happening. I took specimens which are at the members elected every three years will determine recipients. Augusta lab. (The tumuli were not those of Cerceris after all. I netted an Funds will be raised for the Scholarship Fund in various owner-builder, which appeared to be a Philanthus wasp; she ways including: allocating $1 for the fund from each was not what I was hoping for, but it’s always fun to see the membership, t-shirt and calendar sold; donations; auction, raffle bright yellow face of that genus, with a sort of surprised look on or sale of insect-related items including books; 50/50 raffles at it.) MES events; corporate sponsors such as forest industry, green industry, pest control industry; socials, dinners, music * * * * * entertainment and anything else someone comes up with for an Acadia National Park Spider Blitz: an overview idea. by Rich Bradley The Acadia Spider Blitz was held on 21-22 July, 2007. A A 50/50 raffle was held after the vote and all proceeds were large group of volunteers, many from the Maine Entomological donated to the new fund.