Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter Volume 41 , Nwnber 1 February 2014 Are Yellow Jackets Getting Longer? You're there to wander over bogs looking By Andrew Williams for orchids and insects! Don't let the motelier in southern Texas think you came During my field research season, I all the way from Wisconsin just so you can . travel widely around Wisconsin. I stay at make a tour of evangelical churches. You' re motels around the state as I do big looping there to go birding! I have to believe all trips to chase particular insects and data in these little comments add up to real particular places. When I check into motels, communication that might affect how people some extroverted moteliers like to chat a decide to manage their local environments. bit. I almost always share my interests in Upon learning of my interest in insects, birds, plants, etc. I often find insects, one fellow up in the northeast said common ground in nature, so to speak. he saw more wasps this past summer. He You'd especially enjoy the folks who run described a couple of kinds he'd the Green Acres Motel in Spooner; they seen. Clearly he was no expert, but he share your passion for nature. enjoyed observing the world around him. The reason for sharing your interests Then he said, "It seems to me the in nature is so that people running motels yellow jackets are getting longer. How and restaurants are more likely to realize do you account for that'r' that the natural systems around them support "How interesting!" I replied. " What their local economy. Go ahead. Try doing you've noticed is the arrival of an alien this yourself. Tell that nosy sheriff's deputy species that is spreading west from that you stopped to look over that dead Massachusetts, where it was first porcupine for beetles. You'll probably have reported. This is the European paper an interesting short conversation. Don't wasp, Po/istes dominula (Christ). They are leave that waitress thinking you came all the colored like yellow jackets and they're a bit way to northern Wisconsin to visit a casino. longer than yellow jackets, but they are a gentler species that lives in smaller colonies. They make a small paper nest up in the vegetation coh.1m~ sometimes hanging from a leaf or stem or hanging from the roof of an otherwise vacant old birdhouse or an open outbuilding. These smaJI nests lack the outer wrapping of paper that real yellow jackets and bald-faced Polistes dominula (female), drawn by Al Spoo. Reproduced by permission of the artist. hornets use to protect their paper combs. Young queens of P. dominula often spend the winter in buildings and can be observed closely as they fly against Wisconsin Entomological Society Officers: windows in spring, trying to find an exit lbese wasps visit flowers for nectar, President: Kyle Johnson UW-Madison like yellow jackets, and they feed their 1630 Linden Drive developing young with other insects, again Madison, WI 53706 just as yellow jackets do. I find their [email protected] coloration and their proportions quite beautiful, and I'm glad you've noticed Vice-President: Patrick (PJ) Liesch OW-Madison them..,, 1630 Linden Drive, Room 246 Here we were, utter strangers, Madison, WI 53706 sharing the beauty and interest of our natural [email protected] environment. This is so important! It's not Secretary-Treasurer: Les Ferge religion or politics or sports or cooking or 7119 Hubbard A venue art or children or anything cultural but, Middleton, WI 53562-3231 rather, finding common ground on the [email protected] absolute foundation of any human society­ the natural environment on which we so Newsletter Editor: Jordan D. Marcbe II 5415 Lost Woods Court depend. Oregon, WI 53575 [email protected] 2 House Sparrow Nabs Common eyes clearly identified the dragonfly as an Green Darner adult, male Common Green Darner (Anax junius). did not witness the initial attack, By Dreux J Watermo/en I but the dragonfly was clearly injured yet still alive and struggling to get away from the A few years ago, I reported seeing a House bird's grasp of its anterior thorax. Several Sparrow (Passer domesticus), preying on an times the sparrow released the struggling Eastern Forktail Damselfly (/schnura dragonfly, hovered above it briefly as it vertica/is) (I)_ In that report, I noted that the attempted to take flight, and then struck its observation was not particularly unusual as 2 thorax in an impressive dive bomb. After most Ischnura damselflies are weak flyers< > four such strikes from the bird's beak, the and the House Sparrow can hover, thus dragonfly ceased struggling and remained increasing the likelihood of successful motionless. The bird quickly carried the attacks. I also summarized reported cases of darner a short distance away from other House Sparrow predation on other odanates. members of its flock and proceeded to These include the Hairy Dragonfly consume the head, thorax, and part of the (Brachytron pratense), Brilliant Emerald abdomen, leaving about a third of the (Somatochlora metallica), Blue-tailed posterior abdomen and wings behind after Damselfly (lschnura elegans), and Banded 3 4 5 about 6-7 minutes. That the wings remained Demoiselles ( Ca/opteryx splendens) < • • >. uneaten is consistent with previous In the early evening of July 4, 2013, I 1 5 observations <, > observed yet another dragonfly fall prey to a House Sparrow. The present observation is perhaps a bit more surprising than my earlier report in While visiting the same coffee shop in that Green Darners are strong flyers likely downtown Madiso~ I watched a small flock able to avoid most avian predation attempts. of House Sparrows foraging about the In fact, such predation events are probably shop's sidewalk patio. One sparrow held a quite rare. Dietary studies involving large dragonfly in its beak. Its large siz.e, thousands of birds indicate that odonates unmarked bright green thorax, dark purplish comprise only a trivial amount of food for dorsal stripe and blue lateral stripes on the 6 7 House Sparrows ( , ' •>. Nonetheless, I abdomen, and a "bull's eye" in front of its 3 remain curious to learn if others have rural habitats. Wilson Bulletin 98(1 ):137- observed similar interactions, particularly 144. during the nesting season when House 8. Kalmbach, E.R. 1940. Economic status Sparrows become more insectivorous in of the English house sparrow in the their feeding habits. United States. Technical Bulletin 711. U.S. Department of Agriculture, References: Washington, DC. 1. Watermolen, D.J. 2005. House sparrow: a damselfly predator. Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter The Wisconsin Entomological Society Newsletter is published three times per year. The newsletter is 32(2):5. provided to encourage and facilitate the exchange of 2. Westfall, M.J., Jr. and M.L. May. 1996. information by the membership, and to keep Damselflies ofNorth America. Scientific members informed of the activities of the Publishers, Gainesville, FL. organization. Members are encouraged to contribute 3. Attlee, H.G. 1949. House-sparrows items for inclusion in the newsletter. Please send all news items, notes, new or interesting insect records, feeding on dragonflies. British Birds seasonal summaries, and research reports or requests 42(3):8S. to the editor. 4. Hammond, N. 1997. House Sparrows, Chaffinch and Spotted Flycatchers 2014 dues notices were sent out in January. Please eating damselflies. British Birds note that the year through which dues are paid 90(4):36.8. appears on the newsletter's mailing label after your name. 5. Somme, S. 1933. Birds as enemies of dragonflies. Some observations. Norsk Membership Dues: Entomologisk Tidsskrift, Oslo 3(3):223- 224. Individual or family: SIO per year 6. Kennedy, C.H. 1950. The relation of Sustaining: SIS per year American dragonfly-eating birds to their Patron: S25 per year prey. Ecological Monographs 20(2):103- Please make checks payable to WES and send to: 142. Les Ferge, Treasurer, 7119 Hubbard Avenue, 7. Gavett, A.P. and J.S. Wakeley. 1986. Middleton, WI 53562-3231 . [email protected] Diets of House Sparrows in urban and Please report any address changes to the Treasurer. 4 Books and Websites Make Your Own Menagerie, by 0. Vailly, By Andrew Khitsun or Origami Masters: Bugs - How the Bug Wars Changed the Art of Origami, Insect Theater by H. Raffles, et al., is really by R. Land & M. Noguchi, or all of the something else: surreal photos of mostly above. Also, don't miss Big Bugs Too dead insects in dusty comers, cobwebs, and Lovely to Squish, by French painter B. dark back alleys of urban environments. The Durin. He was fascinated with beetles Theater of Insects by J. Whaley is less from childhood, and his first book, bizarre but also a worthy read ( except, you Beetles & Other Insects, was published don't read it-you look at it). If browsing in 1980 (I want to thank Jordan Marche those books gets you interested in insect for finding this book). The Cockroach photography, pick up Insect Photography: Papers: A Compendium of History and Art & Techniques by J. Bebbington, or Lore, by R. Schweid, is for hard-core How to Photograph Insects & Spiders by insect lovers (faint-hearted people need L. West et al., or Photographing not apply). Batterflia & Other Insects: Photographic Hiats & Tips by P. Hicks, or Close-Up on .bueca: A Pllotognpber's Guide by R. Thompson. The Stumpwork, Goldwork and Surface Embroidery Beetle Collection, by J. Nicolas, celebrates beetle-themed designs created by artisans skilled in those crafts. While on the subject, pick up Bead Bugs: Cute, Creepy, and Quirky Projects to Make with Beads, Wire, and Fun Found Objects by A Copperude, or Beaded Bugs: Make 30 Moths, Butterflies, Beedes, and Other Cute Critters by N.