My Kind of Fourth of July

While most folks enjoy fireworks spectacles and flag-waving on Independence Day here in the United States, I would rather turn on our backyard blacklight and see what comes to visit. The neighbors did have some surprisingly professional-looking explosions, albeit they are illegal here in the city of Colorado Springs. I did my best to tune-out the loud noise.

Ruddy-winged Dart, Euxoa mimallonis

The U.S. was founded by immigrants, and has prospered from ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity, though we seem to frown on "minorities" in our present political climate. Here under my ultraviolet light, I see plenty of biological diversity, a melting-pot of insects that makes the ecosystem run even more efficiently than capitalism fuels our economy. One cannot help but observe the similarities, though the niches in ecosystems are filled by a variety of species while niches in the economy are occupied by only one: Homo sapiens.

White miller caddisfly, Nectopsyche sp.

Nature does not recognize villains or criminals or classes or any other structure relevant to our human societies. Every species is equal, adapting as it is able to constantly-changing conditions of climate, habitat, and competition from other species. Yes, some immigrant insects do compete with native species for the same "job" in the ecosystem, that much is obvious.

Damsel bug, Nabis sp., with leafhopper prey

While some insects do come to the blacklight to prey on other insects, most coexist peacefully under the purple glow. Occasionally one will blunder into another, causing both animals to run erratically or fly abruptly, only to quickly settle again without armed conflict or undue protest. Still other insects make a brief appearance, flirting with my desire to take their picture. Sometimes I get the shot, often I do not.

Crambid moth, Pyrausta insequalis

Every color of the rainbow has arrived. White is among the rarest. There is green, red, yellow, orange, black, brown....There are plain, monochrome bugs, and those with patterns too intricate to imagine. The moths often lose their colors as the night wears on, the scales on their wings lost with each wingbeat, each collision with the abrasive netting protecting the blacklight, each collision with another insect. It does not hamper their flight in the least.

Ant-mimicking plant bug, Pilophorus sp.

This one night, our celebration of America's birthday, may also be an insect's final fling, its days as an adult all too brief, just long enough to find a mate and reproduce. Some moths flourish for only a week at most, sometimes even more briefly. They have spent the bulk of their lives as caterpillars, larvae that are feeding-and-growing machines. At the end of that worm-like stage they transform into the pupa. Apparently inert on the outside, the pupa is a frenzy of internal reorganization as cells are re-purposed, some genes are turned off, and other genes turned on. It is a microcosm of a rapidly-changing economy with employees re-trained, whole new industries born, with all the promise of positive change each would suggest.

Delphacid planthopper, Bostaera nasuta

Has my blacklight beacon derailed the destinies of these insects? Some will surely be diverted from their procreative goals, from their foraging missions if they feed as adults. I make a point of turning the light off before I, myself, turn in, to give the insects a chance to resume their lives without distraction, though in a city full of lights they may well end up concentrated at the neighbor's porch light, or a streetlight up the boulevard. It is a hazard of urban living for those insects that reside in cities.

Green lacewing, family Chrysopidae

At last the auditory noise has abated, and the attractiveness of the blacklight has reached a point of diminishing returns. I must sleep, and it will only be four or five hours until the sun peeks over the eastern horizon to put an end to the nocturnal adventures of these tiny arthropods. The summer days are long, the nights brief, and insects must make the most of that narrow window of darkness. The day shift will begin, and niches will transfer ownership accordingly. There is no timecard to punch, but there are no holidays, either, no middle management, just life, pulsing as it will.

Take a "Sidewalk Safari"

The Rock Island Trail, Colorado Springs, CO

Back in 1962, the Beach Boys took us on a "Surfin' Safari." I want to take you on a "sidewalk safari." Spring is the ideal time to do just that: look for insects and spiders and related creatures on sidewalks and bike paths and other such pedestrian-speed rights of way.

Woodlice are common on sidewalks

At this time of year, temperatures are still relatively cool, especially in the morning hours, so cold-blooded creatures are looking for places they can bask to rev up their internal engines. A concrete or asphalt surface also heats up faster than the soil, so simply laying out on such a substrate is going to warm you up a lot faster, too.

A "billbug," a type of weevil

You might think that your particular neighborhood would be a poor place to do this exercise, but I cannot tell you how many times I have found surprising specimens in even the most urban situations. When I lived and worked in Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1990s, I would routinely find underwing moths, sphinx moths, grasshoppers, even dragonflies on the sidewalk or on the exterior walls of buildings. I even found a Red Bat once. A Silver-haired Bat another time, and Big Brown Bats several times.

Ooooh, some other kind of weevil

The more suburban or rural, the more likely you are to encounter wildlife, of course, but it can be well worth it to traverse any avenue. Bike trails are perhaps best because you can go for miles and miles, and because they are often routed through forests or along the banks of rivers or streams. The wilder the habitat the better.

A basking female Green-striped Grasshopper soakin' up some rays

One of the unfortunate aspects of a sidewalk safari is that you inevitably come across dead creatures that have been stepped on, sometimes deliberately, or run over by bicyclists. The carnage that results from our high-impact locomotion is probably grossly underestimated, but it rarely seems to diminish insect abundance. Diversity may suffer a little more, though. It would be interesting to line a bike path or sidewalk with pitfall traps and see what drops in. It might make a great study for a graduate student (hint, hint).

A running crab spider, Thanatus sp.

Take along your magnifying glass. Substitute binoculars if you fancy birds or mammals more than you do six- and eight-legged organisms. Bring your camera or just use your phone. Wildflowers, also known as weeds in some regions, often line hard surface trails or sprout from the cracks between slabs of cement, or from seams in the asphalt.

Lots of true bugs out now, like this Small Milkweed Bug

Did I mention that walking is great exercise, too? It is a wonderful distraction from your worries and cares, a great way to commute if you live close enough to your workplace; and what better way to spend your lunch hour? Looking for wild things is also a great conversation-starter, with the police. I'm joking! Hopefully, anyway. Inquiring minds want to know what you are doing, mostly out of curiosity rather than suspicion. Now go, get out from behind your computer monitor already. I promise you will find something cool.

Hey, wait, you dropped something! Oops, too late....

House Flies

Happy “Fly Day Friday,” dear reader, and Happy Holidays, too. I hope you don’t have to share the leftovers with household pests, but I thought you might enjoy learning a little about one of the more common “guests” you could be entertaining at almost any time of year: The House Fly, Musca domestica, in the family Muscidae.

Naturally, house flies are most abundant during the warmer months, and you are unlikely to encounter them in the dead of winter unless you live in our southerly latitudes, and/or in a rural area. In fact, the House Fly is more common around farms, ranches, zoos, and stockyards than anywhere else. Why? A favorite food of House Fly larvae is horse manure.

Here in Colorado Springs, where your neighbor up the street might have a pony, we see more house flies than you might expect for an urban area. We don’t see them now, though, despite what some people may claim. The problem is one of mistaken identity. Several other flies are commonly mistaken for the House Fly.

House flies are not very large, measuring a mere 6-7 millimeters in body length. They are overall dull gray with beige or yellowish flanks (the sides of the abdomen). They have white faces with large, dark eyes. Those eyes converge and nearly meet at the top of the head in male house flies, while the eyes are farther separated in females.

House flies are smaller than most other flies they can be confused with. Many kinds of blow flies in the family Calliphoridae overwinter as adults and can be seen on sunny winter days basking on the south-facing exterior walls of buildings. Calliphorids are robust, and often metallic to some degree, especially on the abdomen.

Blow Fly

Flesh flies of the family Sarcophagidae sport bold, black stripes down the top of the thorax. They also have scarlet eyes and “tails,” the tip of the abdomen being red, most noticeably so in males. Both flesh flies and blow flies are usually more abundant in urban areas than house flies are.

Flesh Fly

Heleomyzid flies are about the same size as house flies, but appear more slender with longer, narrower wings. These “sun flies” do appear in late autumn and early spring, sometimes indoors. Note the row of setae (hair-like spines) on the leading edge of the wing that distinguishes heleomyzids from similar flies.

Heleomyzid Fly

House flies groom fastidiously, for keeping clean allows them to more quickly notice and evade the swatter. Watch one and be amazed at the gymnastic maneuvers it goes through to shine its wings and polish its eyes. The devious personality we assign to these pests is no doubt heightened when they rub their front feet together like a vintage movie villain wrings his hands while generating a fiendish plot.

Despite their personal hygiene, there is no question that house flies are mechanical vectors of many pathogens that cause illnesses as mild as diarrhea or as serious as typhoid fever. It should be noted that the House Fly has mostly been implicated in the transmission of diseases. Still, house flies don’t discriminate between something edible and something that has already been eaten and passed out the other end.

House flies pass through complete metamorphosis and can go from egg to adult in as little as two weeks time under optimal conditions. There can be ten or twelve generations annually in temperate climates. The female lays batches of 75-150 eggs in a three or four day period, depositing the ova in a food source. Horse manure may be a preferred food, but any decaying organic matter suffices for breeding these insects. A maggot molts only twice after hatching from the egg, the third molt resulting in the pupal stage. The pupa is encased in a capsule-like shell that is the last larval “skin.”

Proper sanitation is the best way to keep house flies at bay, but some people swear by the simple technique of hanging a clear Ziplock baggie, half-filled with water, on the outside of a screen door. Scientists have largely dismissed this trick as hogwash, but experiments haven’t established conclusive proof one way or the other (Mikkelson and Mikkelson, 2013).

House flies are found pretty much the world over, but apparently the species originated in the steppe regions of interior central Asia. Livestock traffic and other commerce no doubt spread the fly far and wide long ago.

Oh, back to the flyswatter. Wonder why you are seldom successful? Flies, like many insects, perceive motion much better than people. It is said that a House Fly would see a motion picture as a series of still images. Your best technique for nailing one of these pesky critters is to sl-o-o-o-wly lower your weapon to within a few inches of the target, then quickly slap it down….Yeah, good luck with that.

Sources: Berenbaum, May R. 1989. Ninety-nine Gnats, Nits, and Nibblers. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. 263 pp.
Sanchez-Arroyo, Hussein, and John L. Capinera. 2008. “Common Name: House Fly,” Featured Creatures, Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida
Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. 2013. ”Fly Bye,” Snopes.com.

The Emerald Ash Borer Invades Colorado

I am usually excited in the positive sense when insects make headlines, but there are exceptions. It was devastating to learn recently that the Emerald Ash Borer, Agrilus planipennis, has been detected here in Colorado. Why is this discovery such a big deal? It has to do in part with the customary response to this exotic invader in other locations where it has shown up.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture announced on Friday, September 27, 2013 that the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) had been discovered in Boulder County earlier in the month. While ash trees are apparently not native to Colorado, they are planted widely as part of the “urban forest” in many cities along the Front Range. Consequently, those trees are vulnerable to this invasive pest.

The reaction of many municipalities to the presence of EAB is the pre-emptive removal of the insect’s host trees. Visions of a wholesale slaughter are going through my mind right now. It is not pretty. It is costly, too, and leaves one less alternative for greenery and shade in what is a pretty bleak landscape on the fringe of the Great Plains. Shade is hard to come by, and there are few tree species that don’t have objectionable side effects. Cottonwoods shed copious amounts of cottony seeds in the spring. Locust trees grow quickly but their falling leaves get sucked into car air filters and find their way into every crack and crevice.

The thing that is really tragic is that the spread of the EAB is pretty much preventable. Various agencies and organizations have tried to get out the message about not moving firewood between states (even between counties), but the plea has either fallen on deaf ears, or not been broadcast loud enough. This is such an important message that it really warrants the Ad Council’s help in airing public service announcements on television and radio.

What is the history of this pest, you ask. According to EmeraldAshBorer.info, the Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in the United States near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. At least, that is when entomologists first recognized it. It could have been present prior to 2002. Authorities surmise that it probably arrived in solid wood packing material originating from its native Asia. In short order the EAB was also found in Ontario, Canada, Ohio, and northern Indiana (by 2004). More were detected in northern Illinois and Maryland in 2006, then western Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2007, followed by Missouri and Virginia in 2008. Since then it has also turned up in Minnesota, New York, Kentucky, Iowa, Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia, and now Colorado.

The life cycle of the beetle makes it difficult to quickly detect and almost impossible to control. The adult beetles typically emerge in mid-late May, with peak numbers in late June. Mated females begin laying eggs within two weeks of their emergence. The larvae hatch in about one to two weeks and begin boring into the inner bark and cambium layer of the host tree, disrupting the transportation of nutrients to the top of the tree. The larvae continue boring from late July to early October, overwintering in a chamber where they will pupate in the early spring. Sometimes the cycle is extended to two years.

The only symptoms of an EAB infestation outwardly visible are the gradual and subtle thinning of the tree’s canopy, and dying of branches in the uppermost reaches. Small trees can be killed by the beetle in one or two years, whereas larger trees may succumb in 3-4 years. The beetle probably selects stressed or otherwise already weakened trees as preferred hosts, but healthy trees can be attacked, too. The ongoing drought in the Front Range enhances the probability of the EAB becoming a widespread problem very quickly.

Please be on the lookout for the Emerald Ash Borer in your own state, province, or county, whether or not the species has already been detected there. Report your observations to your state department of agriculture, taking them specimens whenever possible. Thank you.

Lost and Found

This morning I was in the mailroom of my building on campus, making a cup of hot cocoa, when another gentleman entered and asked if lost and found was in there. I replied that it was, the box on the windowsill behind the copier, the sign obscured by the many items already piled inside. He dutifully added his own find, then reported that there was a cockroach living among the lost articles.

Naturally, I was intrigued by the prospect of the roach, and went over to investigate, fully expecting that it had long since fled. I figured it would probably be another brown-banded roach if I saw it at all.

Imagine my shock to find an enormous example of an American cockroach, Periplaneta Americana, nonchalantly exploring the terrain of corduroy and denim.

American roaches are anything but, and some speculate that they are the punishment for our collective sin of slavery, having come over from Africa on ships with human cargo. They are at home here mostly in hot, humid situations, conveniently provided by steam heat, sewers, and similar urban niches.

After snapping a few pictures of this one, I found my mind wandering to the Spyro Gyra instrumental “Lost and Found,” from their album Love & Other Obsessions. Not a bad tune to have in your head. Meanwhile, the roach was last seen wearing a scarf, pair of gloves, and a pretty nice corduroy jacket. Someone is going to miss those.

Indoor Insects of Autumn (part 2 of 4)

This is the second in a four-part series of entries addressing insects frequently seen indoors at this time of year when they seek shelter for hibernation during the colder months. This entry will introduce boxelder bugs in the genus Boisea.

At this time of year, people often encounter boxelder bugs in great numbers on trees, shrubs, or all too frequently on the exterior of their home. These insects go through simple or “incomplete” metamorphosis, and the nymphs are becoming adults just before cold temperatures set in. The winged adults are thus able to disperse to, and congregate in, sheltered niches insulated from the brutal winter weather.

There are two species of boxelder bugs in North America. East of the Rocky Mountains one finds the eastern boxelder bug, Boisea trivittata. West of the Continental Divide ranges the western boxelder bug, Boisea rubrolineata. Both species were formerly placed in the genus Leptocoris, and many older references used that name. They belong to the family Rhopalidae, collectively known as “scentless plant bugs,” owing to the usual lack of defensive scent glands like those possessed by other true bugs such as leaf-footed bugs (Coreidae) and stink bugs (Pentatomidae).

The bold red and gray color pattern of boxelder bugs suggests that they must have some form of defense against predators that they are advertising through those bright aposematic colors. Indeed, the eastern boxelder bug is known to produce compounds known as monoterpene hydrocarbons that have been shown to deter predation by green anole lizards (source at PubMed).

Boxelder bugs mostly constitute a cosmetic nuisance to homeowners, and they can be easily excluded from the interior of a residence. Make sure that the weatherstripping on doors reaches the floor, and mend any holes in the window screens. Do be careful of bringing the bugs in accidentally, as the stack of firewood out back makes a convenient cozy shelter for the hibernating masses, too.

Come next spring the boxelder bugs will disperse again to their favorite host plants. Despite their large numbers, they cause remarkably little damage as they feed on the seeds of boxelder, maple, and other trees. So, marvel at this spectacle of abundance and be tolerant. Maybe your neighbors will learn from your example as well.

More March Bugs

Working on the internet for your job means that occasionally the server crashes. That is what happened in the early afternoon of Wednesday, March 11. Resuscitation of the network was not going to happen any time soon, so we were sent home early. This turned out to be a good thing, as the leisurely walk home on this sunny afternoon afforded opportunities to see what other insects are in the neighborhood now.

Even a little water goes a long way in the desert. I found this little checkered skipper, genus Pyrgus refreshing itself at a curbside puddle from the discarded part of a swamp cooler.

The creosote bushes are still blooming full throttle, and the bees love it. I took a string of what I thought were eight or ten great shots of this female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, but only this one image was even remotely worthy of this blog! Interestingly, males of this species are entirely bright golden brown in color. They are not as common as the girls, though.

The creosotes also sport old galls, making it look like the branch sprouted a pom-pom. Go-o-o-o-o creosote! The abnormal growths are stimulated by the egg-laying activities of a tiny fly called a gall midge. The species in this case is Asphondylia auripila. The female’s larval offspring are thus sheltered and fed inside the profusion of tissue generated by the plant.

This is also the season for other young insects. The pallid-winged grasshopper, Trimerotropis pallidipennis, goes through “incomplete metamorphosis,” simply growing larger with each molt, finally attaining a full set of wings and reaching sexual maturity as an adult. One thing that remains constant, however, is the nearly perfect camouflage of this insect. Nymphs like this one are barely discernable among the pebbles and dry patches of soil.

Baby largid bugs (genus Largus) are absolutely everywhere. This little one was on the pad of a spineless ornamental prickly pear cactus. These nymphs sport a metallic blue-black wardrobe accented by a scarlet dot in the center of the back. I wish I could find such dynamic and fashionable apparel.