DOCSLIB.ORG

Ecology of the Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) at the Northern Edge of the Range Olivia Maya Muìnzer

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ecology of the Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) at the Northern Edge of the Range Olivia Maya Muìnzer Eastern Michigan University Digital Commons @ EMU Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2008 Ecology of the evening bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) at the northern edge of the range Olivia Maya MuÌnzer Recommended Citation MuÌnzer, Olivia Maya, "Ecology of the evening bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) at the northern edge of the range " (2008). Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. Paper 166. http://commons.emich.edu/theses/166 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ EMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ EMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ECOLOGY OF THE EVENING BAT (NYCTICEIUS HUMERALIS) AT THE NORTHERN EDGE OF ITS RANGE By Olivia Maya Münzer Thesis Submitted to the Department of Biology Eastern Michigan University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Ecology and Organismal Biology Thesis Committee: Allen Kurta, PhD, Chair Catherine Bach, PhD Jamin Eisenbach, PhD Cara Shillington, PhD December 13, 2008 Ypsilanti, Michigan DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to two very special men in my life—my father and Brian. Thank you for all your support. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to all people who helped me through the last 3 years. First and foremost, I express my gratitude to A. Kurta. Thank you for not only giving me the opportunity to conduct this project, but also for guiding me through the thesis process. Not only did you help me achieve much more in my life, but I also gained a good friend. I thank my committee members C. Bach, J. Eisenbach, and C. Shillington for advice during the thesis process. Others in the department that I give my thanks to are S. Francoeur for statistical advice, G. Hannan for help with identifying trees, G. Walker for allowing me to use the SEM lab as my sanctuary, H. Semple helped with GIS analysis, and J. Alexander, D. Hula, and J. Hartenburg. I thank R. Bricklin, S. Captain, C. Rockey, and J. Stumpf for assistance during the field season, as well as the many volunteers, particularly R. Slider. I could not have done it without the help of B. Schaetz—not only did you give me great field advice and support, but you were by my side every moment. Watson kept me company on those long nights and made me laugh when I needed it. My father helped me through graduate school and much more; without your support, this would not have been possible. Asante sana! A. McCauley gave me great moral support. Last but not least, the landowners throughout the study area allowed access to their land for mist netting and roost observations. Thank you all for a great 3 years. This project was supported by State Wildlife Grants T-9-T-1, administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and awarded to A. Kurta. A Hellwig Research Fellowship given to me by the Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, provided additional funding. iv ABSTRACT Only a single colony of evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) is known to occur in Michigan, and it is the northernmost colony on the North American continent. In mid-May, only female evening bats migrate to Michigan to raise their pups, and in late August, evening bats migrate to southern portions of their range, where they are ubiquitous. I studied the roosting and dietary ecology of the evening bat in southeastern Michigan. Evening bats roosted in cavities, crevices, and under exfoliating bark of older trees located in a bottomland forest, interlaced with waterways and surrounded by agricultural fields. These habitats play an important role in the diet of evening bats. Fourteen orders of insects and two orders of arachnids were found in fecal pellets of evening bats; Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera composed 94% of dietary volume. Several insects consumed by evening bats are economically important. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................... iv Abstract......................................................................................................................................v List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures........................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1: Roosting Ecology.....................................................................................................1 Introduction............................................................................................................................2 Methods .................................................................................................................................6 Results..................................................................................................................................13 Discussion............................................................................................................................25 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................36 Chapter 2: Dietary Ecology .....................................................................................................75 Introduction..........................................................................................................................76 Methods ...............................................................................................................................80 Results..................................................................................................................................84 Discussion............................................................................................................................91 Literature Cited ..................................................................................................................100 vi LIST OF TABLES Page 1.1. Decay-stage classification............................................................................................…46 1.2. Number of evening bats captured ....................................................................................47 1.3. Mass and forearm length..................................................................................................48 1.4. The mean distance traveled and number of switches ......................................................49 1.5. The tree species and type of roost....................................................................................50 1.6. The characteristics of roost tree. ......................................................................................51 1.7. Genera of trees. ................................................................................................................52 1.8. Continuous characteristics of roost trees .........................................................................53 1.9. Categorical characteristics of roost trees .........................................................................54 1.10. The distance to the nearest tallest and shortest trees from roost trees ...........................55 1.11. Comparisons of characteristics of trees in roost and stand plots ...................................56 1.12. Distribution of trees within landcover type. ..................................................................57 1.13. Distances to water and open fields.................................................................................58 2.1. The number of pellets, reproductive condition, and dietary diversity ...........................107 2.2. Percent volume of arthropods contained in fecal pellets from roosts.............................108 2.3. Percent frequency of occurrence of families and species from roosts...........................109 2.4. Percent volume of insect orders found in pellets from roosts........................................111 2.5. Percent volume of arthropods consumed by individuals ...............................................112 2.6. Percent frequency occurrence of insect orders, families, and species. ..........................113 2.7. Percent volume of orders of insects in the diet of individual bats.................................114 2.8. Diet of evening bats from other areas of their range .....................................................115 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page 1.1. Aerial photo of study area near Palmyra, Michigan. .......................................................59 1.2. The number of evening bats observed exiting roost trees ...............................................60 1.3. Histogram of the number of bats exiting a roost tree near Palmyra, ...............................61 1.4. Emergence time of evening bats compared to times of sunset ........................................62 1.5. Emergence time of evening bats compared to times of twilight......................................63 1.6. Correlation between number of bats and length of time to exit .......................................64 1.7. Number of bat-days in roost trees....................................................................................65
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bat Conservation 2021
    Bat Conservation Global evidence for the effects of interventions 2021 Edition Anna Berthinussen, Olivia C. Richardson & John D. Altringham Conservation Evidence Series Synopses 2 © 2021 William J. Sutherland This document should be cited as: Berthinussen, A., Richardson O.C. and Altringham J.D. (2021) Bat Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions. Conservation Evidence Series Synopses. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Cover image: Leucistic lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros hibernating in a former water mill, Wales, UK. Credit: Thomas Kitching Digital material and resources associated with this synopsis are available at https://www.conservationevidence.com/ 3 Contents Advisory Board.................................................................................... 11 About the authors ............................................................................... 12 Acknowledgements ............................................................................. 13 1. About this book ........................................................... 14 1.1 The Conservation Evidence project ................................................................................. 14 1.2 The purpose of Conservation Evidence synopses ............................................................ 14 1.3 Who this synopsis is for ................................................................................................... 15 1.4 Background .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Bat Echolocation Research a Handbook for Planning and Conducting Acoustic Studies Second Edition
    Bat Echolocation Research A handbook for planning and conducting acoustic studies Second Edition Erin E. Fraser, Alexander Silvis, R. Mark Brigham, and Zenon J. Czenze EDITORS Bat Echolocation Research A handbook for planning and conducting acoustic studies Second Edition Editors Erin E. Fraser, Alexander Silvis, R. Mark Brigham, and Zenon J. Czenze Citation Fraser et al., eds. 2020. Bat Echolocation Research: A handbook for planning and conducting acoustic studies. Second Edition. Bat Conservation International. Austin, Texas, USA. Tucson, Arizona 2020 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License ii Table of Contents Table of Figures ....................................................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Tables ........................................................................................................................................................................ vii Contributing Authors .......................................................................................................................................................... viii Dedication…… .......................................................................................................................................................................... xi Foreword…….. ..........................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 33245 02 Inside Front Cover
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by KnowledgeBank at OSU 186 BATS OF RAVENNA VOL. 106 Bats of Ravenna Training and Logistics Site, Portage and Trumbull Counties, Ohio1 VIRGIL BRACK, JR.2 AND JASON A. DUFFEY, Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation, Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47089; Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., 781 Neeb Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233 ABSTRACT. Six species of bats (n = 272) were caught at Ravenna Training and Logistics Site during summer 2004: 122 big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), 100 little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), 26 red bats (Lasiurus borealis), 19 northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), three hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), and two eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus). Catch was 9.7 bats/net site (SD = 10.2) and 2.4 bats/net night (SD = 2.6). No bats were captured at two net sites and only one bat was caught at one site; the largest captures were 33, 36, and 37 individuals. Five of six species were caught at two sites, 2.7 (SD = 1.4) species were caught per net site, and MacArthur’s diversity index was 2.88. Evidence of reproduction was obtained for all species. Chi-square tests indicated no difference in catch of males and reproductive females in any species or all species combined. Evidence was found of two maternity colonies each of big brown bats and little brown myotis. Capture of big brown bats (X2 = 53.738; P <0.001), little brown myotis (X2 = 21.900; P <0.001), and all species combined (X2 = 49.066; P <0.001) was greatest 1 – 2 hours after sunset.
    [Show full text]
  • Insect Management
    C H A P T E R 5 INSECT MANAGEMENT “change in form.” Pests of field crops undergo either sim- LEARNING OBJECTIVES ple or complete metamorphosis. After completely studying this chapter, you should: Group 1. Simple Metamorphosis I Understand how insects grow and develop. When insects that develop by simple metamorphosis hatch from their eggs, they resemble the adult insects I Understand the difference between simple and com- except that the immatures, or nymphs, do not have plete metamorphosis. wings. Nymphs periodically molt, growing larger. After I Be able to identify general and major insect pests of the final molt, nymphs become adults and generally have alfalfa, corn, dry beans, soybeans, small grains, and wings. Many pests of field crops such as potato leafhop- sugar beets. per, sugarbeet root aphid, tarnished plant bug, and grasshoppers develop by simple metamorphosis. I Be able to describe the life cycles and habitats of the Nymphs and adults are often found together in the crop major field crop pests. and usually eat the same food. Insect damage reduces crop yield or quality, or conta- minates the final product. Insects can also transmit plant diseases. To effectively control insect pests, you should understand how insects grow and develop. Egg Nymphs Adult GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT A plant bug is an example of an insect with simple Growth metamorphosis. An insect’s body is confined in a protective exoskele- Group 2. Complete Metamorphosis ton. This hard outer covering does not grow continuous- ly. A new, soft exoskeleton is formed under the old one, Insects that develop by complete metamorphosis and the old exoskeleton is shed—a process called molt- make a radical change in appearance from immature to ing.
    [Show full text]
  • Forest Management and Bats
    F orest Management a n d B a t s | 1 Forest Management and Bats F orest Management a n d B a t s | 2 Bat Basics More than 1,400 species of bats account for almost a quarter of all mammal species worldwide. Bats are exceptionally vulnerable to population losses, in part because they are one of the slowest-reproducing mammals on Earth for their size, with most producing only one young each year. For their size, bats are among the world’s longest-lived mammals. The little brown bat can live up to 34 years in the wild. Contrary to popular misconceptions, bats are not blind and do not become entangled in human hair. Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. Most bat species use an extremely sophisticated biological sonar, called echolocation, to navigate and hunt for food. Some bats can detect an object as fine as a human hair in total darkness. Worldwide, bats are a primary predator of night-flying Merlin Tuttle insects. A single little brown bat, a resident of North American forests, can consume 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in just one hour. All but three of the 47 species of bats found in the United States and Canada feed solely on insects, including many destructive agricultural pests. The remaining bat species feed on nectar, pollen, and the fruit of cacti and agaves and play an important role in pollination and seed dispersal in southwestern deserts. The 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats at Bracken Cave, Texas, consume approximately 200 tons of insects nightly.
    [Show full text]
  • The Barbastelle in Bovey Valley Woods
    The Barbastelle in Bovey Valley Woods A report prepared for The Woodland Trust The Barbastelle in Bovey Valley Woods Andrew Carr, Dr Matt Zeale & Professor Gareth Jones School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ Report prepared for The Woodland Trust October 2016 Acknowledgements Thanks to: Dave Rickwood of the Woodland Trust for his central role and continued support throughout this project; Dr Andrew Weatherall of the University of Cumbria; Simon Lee of Natural England and James Mason of the Woodland Trust for helpful advice; Dr Beth Clare of Queen Mary University of London for support with molecular work; the many Woodland Trust volunteers and assistants that provided their time to the project. We would particularly like to thank Tom ‘the tracker’ Williams and Mike ‘the trapper’ Treble for dedicating so much of their time. We thank the Woodland Trust, Natural England and the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding this research. We also appreciate assistance from the local landowners who provided access to land. i Contents Acknowledgements i Contents ii List of figures and tables iii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 The Barbastelle in Bovey Valley Woods 2 1.3 Objectives 2 2 Methods 2 2.1 Study area 2 2.2 Bat capture, tagging and radio-tracking 3 2.3 Habitat mapping 4 2.4 Analysis of roost preferences 5 2.5 Analysis of ranges and foraging areas 7 2.6 Analysis of diet 7 3 Results 8 3.1 Capture data 8 3.2 Roost selection and preferences 9 3.3 Ranging and foraging 14 3.4 Diet 17 4 Discussion 21 4.1 Roost use 21 4.2 Ranging behaviour 24 4.3 Diet 25 5 Conclusion 26 References 27 Appendix 1 Summary table of all bat captures 30 Appendix 2 Comparison of individual B.
    [Show full text]
  • Nine Species of Bats, Each Relying on Specific Summer and Winter Habitats
    Species Guide to Vermont Bats • Vermont has nine species of bats, each relying on specific summer and winter habitats. • Six species hibernate in caves and mines during the winter (cave bats). • During the summer, two species primarily roost in structures (house bats), • And four roost in trees and rocky outcrops (forest bats). • Three species migrate south to warmer climates for the winter and roost in trees during the summer (migratory bats). • This guide is designed to help familiarize you with the physical characteristics of each species. • Bats should only be handled by trained professionals with gloves. • For more information, contact a bat biologist at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department or go to www.vtfishandwildlife.com Vermont’s Nine Species of Bats Cave Bats Migratory Tree Bats Eastern small-footed bat Silver-haired bat State Threatened Big brown bat Northern long-eared bat Indiana bat Federally Threatened State Endangered J Chenger Federally and State J Kiser Endangered J Kiser Hoary bat Little brown bat Tri-colored bat Eastern red bat State State Endangered Endangered Bat Anatomy Dr. J. Scott Altenbach http://jhupressblog.com House Bats Big brown bat Little brown bat These are the two bat species that are most commonly found in Vermont buildings. The little brown bat is state endangered, so care must be used to safely exclude unwanted bats from buildings. Follow the best management practices found at www.vtfishandwildlife.com/wildlife_bats.cfm House Bats Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus Big thick muzzle Weight 13-25 g Total Length (with Tail) 106 – 127 mm Long silky Wingspan 32 – 35 cm fur Forearm 45 – 48 mm Description • Long, glossy brown fur • Belly paler than back • Black wings • Big thick muzzle • Keeled calcar Similar Species Little brown bat is much Commonly found in houses smaller & lacks keeled calcar.
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Options for Striped Cucumber Beetle Management in Cucumbers Katie Brandt Grand Valley State University
    Grand Valley State University ScholarWorks@GVSU Masters Theses Graduate Research and Creative Practice 6-2012 Organic Options for Striped Cucumber Beetle Management in Cucumbers Katie Brandt Grand Valley State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses Recommended Citation Brandt, Katie, "Organic Options for Striped Cucumber Beetle Management in Cucumbers" (2012). Masters Theses. 29. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/29 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research and Creative Practice at ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ORGANIC OPTIONS FOR STRIPED CUCUMBER BEETLE MANAGEMENT IN CUCUMBERS Katie Brandt A thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Biology June 2012 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks to my advisors, who helped me plan this research and understand the interactions of beetles, plants and disease in this system. Jim Dunn helped immensely with the experimental design and prevented me from giving up when my replication block was destroyed in a flood. Mathieu Ngouajio generously shared his expertise with organic vegetables, field trials and striped cucumber beetles. Mel Northup lent the HOBO weather stations, visited the farm to instruct me to set them up and later transferred the data into an Excel spreadsheet. Sango Otieno and the students at the Statistical Consulting Center at GVSU were very helpful with data analysis. Numerous farmworkers and volunteers also helped in the labor-intensive process of gathering data for this research.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservation and Management of Eastern Big-Eared Bats a Symposium
    Conservation and Management of Eastern Big-eared Bats A Symposium y Edited b Susan C. Loeb, Michael J. Lacki, and Darren A. Miller U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station General Technical Report SRS-145 DISCLAIMER The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. Papers published in these proceedings were submitted by authors in electronic media. Some editing was done to ensure a consistent format. Authors are responsible for content and accuracy of their individual papers and the quality of illustrative materials. Cover photos: Large photo: Craig W. Stihler; small left photo: Joseph S. Johnson; small middle photo: Craig W. Stihler; small right photo: Matthew J. Clement. December 2011 Southern Research Station 200 W.T. Weaver Blvd. Asheville, NC 28804 Conservation and Management of Eastern Big-eared Bats: A Symposium Athens, Georgia March 9–10, 2010 Edited by: Susan C. Loeb U.S Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station Michael J. Lacki University of Kentucky Darren A. Miller Weyerhaeuser NR Company Sponsored by: Forest Service Bat Conservation International National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Offield Family Foundation ContEntS Preface . v Conservation and Management of Eastern Big-Eared Bats: An Introduction . 1 Susan C. Loeb, Michael J. Lacki, and Darren A. Miller Distribution and Status of Eastern Big-eared Bats (Corynorhinus Spp .) . 13 Mylea L. Bayless, Mary Kay Clark, Richard C. Stark, Barbara S.
    [Show full text]
  • (RVS) Raccoon, Fox, Skunk
    Most Common Bats in So MD Little Brown Bat, Evening Bat, Red Bat, Big Brown Bat Little Brown Bat 4 – 9 g body weight 3 1/8 – 3 7/8” length 9 - 11” wing span 10 – 30 year lifespan Single bat catches up to 600 mosquitoes per hour Long, glossy dark fur, long hairs on hind feet extend beyond tips of claws. Face, ears, and wing membranes are dark brown Mate late August – November, sperm stored until spring, one pup born May or June after 60 day gestation Pup weighs up to 30% of mother’s weight which is like a 120 lb woman giving birth to a 36 lb baby Pups hang onto mom for 3 – 4 days, even during feeding. Pups capable of flight at 18 days and adult size at 3 weeks Evening Bat 6 - 13 g body weight 3 – 3 7/8” length 10 - 11” wing span 2 – 5 year lifespan Colony of 300 Evening Bats will consume 6.3 million insects per summer Fur is short, dull brown, belly paler. Ears/wing membranes blackish brown Average of 2 pups born late May or early June. Born pink and hairless with eyes closed. Capable of flight within 20 days and nearly adult sized at 4 weeks. Weaned at 6 – 9 weeks Red Bat 9 - 15 g body weight 3.75 - 5” length 11 - 13” wing span 32 teeth/40mph flight Bright orange to brick red angora-like fur often with frosted appearance (females more frosted than males), white shoulder patches. Heavily furred tail membrane. Females have 4 nipples unlike most bats with 2 Mating season Aug – Sept, sperm stored until following spring (April-May).
    [Show full text]
  • Information Synthesis on the Potential for Bat Interactions with Offshore Wind Facilities
    _______________ OCS Study BOEM 2013-01163 Information Synthesis on the Potential for Bat Interactions with Offshore Wind Facilities Final Report U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs www.boem.gov OCS Study BOEM 2013-01163 Information Synthesis on the Potential for Bat Interactions with Offshore Wind Facilities Final Report Authors Steven K. Pelletier Kristian S. Omland Kristen S. Watrous Trevor S. Peterson Prepared under BOEM Contract M11PD00212 by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. 30 Park Drive Topsham, ME 04086 Published by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Herndon, VA Office of Renewable Energy Programs June 2013 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Stantec Consulting Services Inc. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of BOEM, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, exempt from review and compliance with BOEM editorial standards. REPORT AVAILABILITY The report may be downloaded from the boem.gov website through the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS). You will be able to obtain this report from BOEM or the National Technical Information Service. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Ocean Energy Management National Technical Information Service Office of Renewable Energy Programs 5285 Port Royal Road 381 Elden Street, HM-1328 Springfield, Virginia 22161 Herndon, VA 20170 Phone: (703) 605-6040 Fax: (703) 605-6900 Email: [email protected] CITATION Pelletier, S.K., K.
    [Show full text]
  • WESTERN SPOTTED CUCUMBER BEETLE Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Undecimpunctata ______DESCRIPTION
    Modified from Ralph E. Berry. 1998©. Insects and Mites of Economic Importance in the Northwest. 2nd Ed. 221 p. WESTERN SPOTTED CUCUMBER BEETLE Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata ___________________________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION Adults are 6 mm long, yellowish-green with distinct black spots on the wing covers. This species is a subspecies of the southern corn rootworm, D. undicimpunctata howardi, which is a serious pest of corn in the central United States. Mature larvae of the western spotted cucumber beetle are 14 to 17 mm long. They are white, except the head and last abdominal segment, which are brown. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE Larvae of this pest feed on roots of potatoes, corn, Adult snap beans, immature cole crops, and some other vegetables. On potatoes, feeding injury resembles damage caused by flea beetle larvae. Adults feed on corn silk, pollen, bean leaves, blossoms and developing pods, and pollen of cucurbits. This damage causes inadequate pollination resulting in reduced yields, poor seed set, and considerable wastage in beans at processing plants. Processors dock growers and downgrade quality if the damage from cucumber beetle adults exceeds the equivalent of 1.5 scars ("beetle bites") per 100 pods. Larva DISTRIBUTION AND LIFE HISTORY This species occurs throughout western Oregon and W. SPOTTED CUCUMBER BEETLE Washington. This insect overwinters as a fertilized ADULTS female. Adults are active during mild periods in the EGGS EGGS winter, but do not begin laying eggs until early LARVAE LARVAE spring. Eggs are deposited in the soil around the PUPAE PUPAE bases of host plants. Eggs hatch in seven to 10 days ADULTS ADULTS and larvae feed on roots for about three weeks before J F M A M J J A S O N D pupating in the soil.
    [Show full text]