Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter Volume 40, Number 1 March 2013 There's something about the Neuroptera that just fasci- Dustywings: Ting, Cuto, nates me. Maybe it has to do with their graceful flight and Obscuro! or delicate wings. Perhaps, it could be something to do By P.J. Liesch, UW-Madison Dept. Entomology with their location on the phylogenetic tree next to tribe of this and that. For croscope had me scratching two of my other favorite me, I can easily say that the my head. The wings and groups (the Coleoptera and Dustywings (Neuroptera: body somewhat resemble a Megaloptera). It could just Coniopterygidae) are some barklouse, while other as- be the fact that they look of my favorites. They seem pects reminded me of Tri- cool. Ask any entomologist to have all the qualities an choptera, Neuroptera, and what their favorite insects entomologist would love--: even Hymenoptera. It was are, and they'll probably they're tiny, cute, and ob- one of those times when I name an obscure family or scure! had to haul out an ordinal key just to figure out where Ironically, I knew close to to start. In This issuo... nothing about dustywings until two years ago while I eventually figured out that Dustywingst conducting an experiment the population consisted of Page 1 on some white cedar nurse- both adults and larvae of Occurrence of ry stock shipped in from the Coniopterygid: Con- Anthidium oblongatum Sturgeon Bay, WI. It turns wentzia pineticola Ender- Page 3 out that the nursery stock lein. There were plenty had a small but noticeable around, so I saved a few for Books & Websites population of dustywings. If my own collection and do- Page 5 you've never seen a - nated the rest to the UW- Book Review dustywing before, these in- Madison IRC. According to Page 6 sects are just a few millime- the literature, dustywings ters long and are covered are rarely seen or collected. Mystery Insect with a whitish dust. Seeing Conwentzia pineticola has small, whitish insects on my been collected before in Wis- spring Meeting greenhouse plants immedi- consin, and Throne (1972) Page 8 ately had me thinking of mentions 69 specimens 2012 Lepidoptera Report whiteflies (Aleyrodidae). from the state, mostly from Page 9 Sticking a few under the mi- light trapping. From my DUsTYWINGS continues on page 2 The Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter is published three times a year, at irregular intervals. The newsletter is provided to encourage and facilitate the exchange of information by the membership, and to keep the members informed of the activities of the organization. Members are strongly encouraged to contribute items for inclusion in the newsletter. Please send all news items, notes, new or interesting insect records, season summaries, and research requests to the editor by Jan. 15, May 15, or Sept. 1st: J. Mingari, P.O. Box 105, New Holstein, WI 53061, email: [email protected] (Put WES in subject line) NOTE: Please report any address changes to Les Ferge, 7119 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, WI 53562, email: [email protected] Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter - March 2013 Page 2 DUSTY WINGS from page 1 nursery stock alone, I was a parking lot and pop it into view/11949. Keep an eye able to collect and observe a vial. While I haven't seen out for small, white flittering roughly 20 specimens. the numbers that I had on dots, next time it could just Since my first encounter, my nursery stock, I did have be a dustywing! I've bumped into dustywings a night this summer when I another 10 or so times. found four adults at the Literature Cited: There's something about the same time at one of my Throne, A . 1972. The Neu- way that they flitter when porch lights. After dissec- roptera - suborder they fly that lets me know tion of the genitalia, I identi- Planipennia of Wisconsin that the small white speck is fied those as my second Part III - Mantispidae, a dustywing. This spring dustywing species to date: Ascalaphidae, Myrmeleonti- and summer I've collected a Semidalis inconspicua dae and Conipoterygidae . handful of C.pineticola spec- Meinander. Great Lakes Entomol. 5(4): imens around Madison 119-128. (usually near cedars of some If you haven't seen kind). I even had one hitch dustywings before, Bugguide a ride on the windshield of has a pretty good selection my car for half a mile until I of pictures: http:/ / had a chance to pull over in bugguide.net/node/ . Mystery ingoet Larry Phelps has six California Academy Drawers that he's finally ready to admit he will not be using. (19 x 17 x 2.5 inches with glass tops). One is gently used, the other five are in new condition. He got them as kits from BioQuip and assembled them with care."I would be happy to Laueongela diphforoidos(Quonoo) give them to some collector (Lopidoptera: Noetuidae) AKA Croon Loveongeta who is willing to drive to their location in rural Sauk Jordan Marché, Gene Drecktrah, and Ron Huber responded County." Contact: with correct ID to last fall's mystery insect. Larry Phelps Jordan commented that "The large, truncated and inverted S6472 Wilson Road triangle on the forewing, and the smaller version beside it, Rock Springs, Wl 53961 appear quite diagnostic of the species. I have one from Dane [email protected] County in my collection, plus another from Indiana." Gene observed that he "could not find a single specimen of this [email protected] species in the UW-Oshkosh Insect Collection." And Ron not- ed that "Although there are records for it here in Minnesota, I have never been lucky enough to find one." Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter - March 2013 Page 3 0eeurroneo of Anthidium oblongatum (Apoidea: Mogachilidae) in Routhern Wisconsin By Jordan D. Marché II On 19 September native to Europe. Subse- along with Ohio and Michi- 2009, a somewhat-worn fe- quently, its identity has gan. Through 2002, howev- male specimen of a then- been confirmed as the Pale- er, casual examinations of unknown bee was collected arctic species, Anth.idium ob- likely sites in southern Wis- on goldenrod (Solidago sp.) longatum (Illiger), using the consin and near St. Louis, at the Town of Oregon Park, key furnished by Miller, et Missouri, had not turned up Dane Co., Wisconsin (Fig. 1). al. (2002) to the four known any specimens (Miller, et al., Although belonging to the species of Anth.idium found 2002, p. 67). Thus, it ap- Megachilidae, the specimen in northeastern North Amer- pears that this capture rep- bore abdominal markings ica (two introduced and two resents the first known oc- that were unlike any that I domestic species). More re- currence of A. oblongatum in had seen on other domestic cently, the species has been Wisconsin. Another closely- bees, and its identity re- confirmed as established in related species, A. mani- mained a puzzle for some the adjoining State of Michi- catum (Linnaeus), was intro- time. Clues to its identity gan (O'Brien, Swanson, and duced to New York State were finally obtained Monsma, 2012). sometime before 1963 and through comparison of the A. oblongatum was by 1990 had spread to On- specimen to a photograph first discovered in North tario, Canada (Miller, et al., (Fig. 9, p. 565) in Marshall America (eastern Pennsylva- 2002, p. 65). In turn, two (2006), which revealed that nia) in 1995, and has since native species, A. psoraleae it might be an introduced been found in New York, Robertson (which is found species of wool-carder bee, New Jersey, and Maryland, chiefly in central U.S. prai- ries), and A. maculifrons Smith (primarily a species of the southern U.S.), each be- long to the same genus and presumably follow broadly similar lifestyles. I have not inquired whether specimens of either of the two domestic species have been taken be- fore in Wisconsin. Wool-carder bees are so named because of the practices of female bees to collect and transport downy leaf pubescence as nest- building material. Preferred Fig. 1. Female specimen of Anthidium oblongatum, captured plants of A. manicatum in- 19 Sept. 2009 at Town of Oregon Park, Dane Co., WI. Photo clude Woolly Lamb's Ears, by J. D. Marché //. Foxglove Beardtongue, Rus- ANTHIDIUM continues on page 4 Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter - March 2013 Page 4 ANTHIDIUM from page 3 sian Sage, and Dusty Miller. Despite considerable Literature Cited The latter is also a preferred searching conducted over Arnett, Ross H., Jr. (2000). plant of A. oblongatum. Mar- the past three field seasons American Insects: A Hand- shall (2006, p. 565, Figs. 7, (2010, 2011, and 2012), at book of the Insects of Ameri- 8) presents two photos of a the same as well as other ca North of Mexico, 2nd ed. female A. manicatum return- localities where goldenrod is Boca Raton, Florida: CRC ing to stock a small cavity abundant, no other speci- Press. nest with just such downy mens of A. oblongatum have material. It is hypothesized been seen or collected. Nor Marshall, Stephen A. (2006). that one or both species has an attempt yet been Insects: Their Natural History were inadvertently intro- made to seek out its pre- and Diversity. Buffalo, New duced through the importa- ferred 'host' plant(s). Thus, York: Firefly Books. tion of wooden pallets. Both no claim can be made at species belong to the sub- present that A. oblongatum Miller, Shane R., et al. family Megachilinae and is established in southern (2002). "Occurrence of Two tribe Anthidiini (Arnett, Wisconsin. It is likely prema- Species of Old World Bees, 2000, p.