A Survey of Arthropods Along the Marcy-South Power Line at Greenwoods Conservancy, Summer 2000

40 A Survey of Arthropods along the Marcy-South Power Line at Greenwoods Conservancy, summer 2000 Bekka Sue Brodie! INTRODUCTION Marcy-South power line was constructed in the mid 1980's and runs across central New York State and through Greenwoods conservancy which is located in Burlington, NY. The Otsego Land Trust oversees an easement protecting Greenwoods, which is a 1,000+ acres. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) uses mechanical and chemical means to manage vegetation near the right-of way (ROW) to reduce interference and to allow access (Fickbohm, 2001). The NYPA avoids any disturbance ofwoody plants that will not grow high enough to interfere with the ROW. The purpose of this research is to survey species richness of terrestrial arthropods within the ROW in an attempt to gain insight into how maintenance practices affect this community. Two transects running across the ROW, originally established by Austin (2000) were used for the collection of data in this research (Figure 1). Belt transect A had a relatively stable shrub community and undergoes periodic selective tree cutting. Belt transect B had been cleared of all vegetation in fall 1998 and currently represents an open, immature shrub community (see Fickbohm, 2001 for a detailed description ofthe sites). This work follows that completed by Scott (2000). METHODS Arthropods were sampled on 14 and 16 June, 2000 using various methodologies. Samples were collected from the perimeters oftransects A and B (Figure 1) were taken with sweeping nets by brushing them along the bordering shrubs. Samples were also taken using a Malaise trap, which was set (without bait) overnight at the center of the ROW between the two transects on the Beaver Dam Trail (Figure 1). The rationale was that insects using the trail as a flyway would encounter the net and would be directed up into the collecting chamber. Nocturnal aerial insects were collected using light traps set overnight at the center of each transect. Insects attracted to the light were drawn into the trap by an impellor. Soil arthropods were taken by collecting substrate, primarily decomposing organic material, using a series of 10cm X 10cm X 10cm quadrats across each transect. The organisms were separated from the material using Berlese funnels. Here, samples were placed in cans having a screened bottom. A 1OO-watt light was suspended over each 1 SUNY Oneonta Biology Student enrolled in BioI. 399. Present affiliation: SUNY Oneonta. 41 can, which dried the material out from the top down. Arthropods responded by moving downward, eventually through the screen into a collecting jar containing 70% ethanol. The arthropods were then brought back to the BPS where they were killed by freezing and preserved in 70% ethanol. Identification was at least to family following Borror et al. (1989), Arnett (1993), Kaston (1971), Milne and Milne (1998), Opler (1998) and White (1983). Due to time constraints, some specimens collected with the Malaise trap and the light trap were not identified, but are curated at the BPS for future reference, as are those that were identified. A,~:b::r~~~ MT--:Jrr-~~~~ B--J~~~rl Figure 1. Belt transects A and B and the location ofthe Malaise trap set used for arthropod collections ant Greenwoods Conservancy, summer 2000. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 provides a summary ofthe arthropods collected, including taxonomic overview, common name and quantity collected at each location at Greenwoods. It also provides a general statement regarding food habits ofthe families represented. Despite the obvious differences in the characteristics ofthe plant communities, the two sites were quite similar in diversity and richness at the family level. There were, however, differences in the taxa involved. 42 Table 1. Listing of arthropods collected at Greenwoods Conservancy, summer 2000, including taxonomic and common names,quantities, and food habits (listed here here as that exhibited by most members of the families represented. Exceptions may occur.) Site A1: Sweeping Net Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Characteristic Araneae Salticidae Jumping Spider 1 Predaceous Coleoptera Carabidae Ground beetle 1 Predaceous Coleoptera Lampyridae Lightning beetle 1 Predaceous Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Leaf beetle 5 Phytophagous Coleoptera Melolonthinae June beetle, Chafer 1 Phytophagous Coleoptera Curculionidae Otiorhychinae Snout beetle 1 Phytophagous Diptera Tabanidae Horse fly 2 Predaceous/ Phytophagous Diptera Muscidae Muscid fly 1 Predaceous/ scavengers Hemiptera Miridae Plant or leaf bug 2 Phytophagous Homoptera Cicadellidae Leaf hopper 1 Phytophagous Hymenoptera Apidae Bombinae Bumble bee 1 Phytophagous (nectar) Lepidoptera Geometridae Measuring worm 1 Phytophagous Odonata Coenagronidae Narrow-winged damsel fly 1 Predaceous Orthoptera 1 Site B1: Sweeping Net Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Charicteristic Coleoptera Chrysomelidea Leaf beetle 3 Phytophagous Coleoptera Coccinellidae Chilocorini Ladybird beetle 1 Predaceous Coleoptera Carabidae Ground beetle 1 Predaceous Coleoptera Curculionidae Snout beetle 1 Phytophagous Diptera Calliphoridae Blow flies 2 Predaceous/Scavengers Diptera Tabanidae horse flies 3 Predaceous/ Phytophagous Diptera Rhagionidae Snipe flies 1 Predaceous Hemiptera Anthocoridae Minute pirate bugs 7 Predaceous Hemiptera Miridae Plant or leaf bugs 2 Phytophagous Homoptera Pentatomidae Stink bug 1 Phytophagous Homoptera Cicadellidae Leaf hopper 2 Phytophagous Lepidoptera Geometridae Measuring worm 1 Phytophagous Odonata Coenagrionidae Narrow-winged Damsel fly 3 Predaceous Site A2: Berlese Funnel Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Characteristic Coleoptera Curculionidae Snout beetle 1 Phytophagous Coleoptera Cerambycidae Long horned beetle 1 Phytophagous Coleoptera Staphylinidae Rove beetle 1 Parasitic/ Predaceous Hymenoptera Formicidae Ant 1 Opportunistic scavengers Site B2: Berlese Funnel Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Characteristic Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Leaf beetle 2 Phytophagous Coleoptera Haliplidae Crawling water beetle 1 Phytophagous/ Predaceous Hemeptera Scutelleridae Shield-backed bug 1 Phytophagous Homoptera Cicadellidae Leaf hopper 2 Phytophagous Hymenoptera Formucidae Ant 7 Opportunistic Scavengers Opiliones Phalangiidae Daddy long legs 1 Predaceous 43 Site A3: Light trap Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Charicteristic Araneae Saltieidae Jumping spider 1 Predaceous Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Wasp 3 Parasitic Lepidoptera Hesperidae Skipper moth 2 Phytophagous Site B3: Light trap Diptera Tipulidae Crane fly Phytophagous/ Predaceous Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Wasp Parasitic Hymenoptera Anthophoridae Anthophorinae Digger bee Parasitic/ nonparasitic MT: Malaise Trap Order Family Subfamily Common Name Quantity Eating Charicteristic Coleoptera Corylophidae Minute fungus beetle 1 Phytophagous Coleoptera Lampyridae Lightning beetle 2 Predaceous/ Phytophagous Diptera Bonbyliidae Bee-like fly 2 Phytophagous Diptera Muscidae Muscid fly 1 Predaceous/ Scavenger Diptera Chloropidae Grass fly 1 Parsitic/ Scavenger/ Phytophagous Diptera Sciomyzidae Marsh fly 3 Predaceous Diptera Culicidae Mosquito 1 Predaceous/ Phytophagous Diptera Tabanidae Deer fly 8 Predaceous/ Phytophagous Hymenoptera Tenthredinidae Sawfly 2 Phytophagous Hymenoptera Colletidae Hylaeinae Yellow faced bee 1 Phytophagous Hymenoptera Sphecidae Solitary wasp 1 Predaceous/ Cleptoparasitic Hymenoptera Vespidae Vespinae Yellow Jacket 1 Predaceous Hymenoptera Halictidae Bee 17 Phytophagous Hymenoptera Apidae Bombinae Bumble bee 1 Phytophagous Odonata Libellulidae Common skimmer 1 Predaceous Odonata Coenagrionidae Narrow-winged damsel fly 9 Predaceous .

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