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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 38(4), 1984, 317-318
GENERAL NOTES
AN UNUSUAL OVIPOSITIONAL SITE FOR AMPHIPYRA TRAGOPOGINIS (L.) (NOCTUIDAE)
Egg clusters (4-12 eggs) of Amphipyra tragopoginis (L.) were found within the cavities of 30 helicoid cases of Apterona helix (Siebold) (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) (Fig. 1) during observations in Lenox, Massachusetts of the presence of a large aggregation of these garden bagworm larval cases attached to above ground substrates including: domiciles, wood fencing, grasses, weeds, shade trees, ornamentals, planted flowers and vegetables.
Although samples of the helicoid cases were collected from the above mentioned substrates, the only cases containing eggs were collected from untreated wood fencing.
These observations suggest that tiny crevices on tree trunks and branches or "artificial" above ground surfaces may be used by gravid A. tragopoginis females as oviposition sites. Two closely related species, Amphipyra pyramidoides (Guen.) and A. glabella (Morr.), oviposit in crevices on trees and twigs of their hosts (J. G. Franclemont, pers. comm.), indicating that members of this genus prefer similar oviposition sites.
It is not suggested that A. helix is an "obligate" in the life cycle of A. tragopoginis but that the cases by chance provide an appropriate stimulus for oviposition behavior by A. tragopoginis.
The identity of A. tragopoginis was confirmed by using adults obtained from larvae reared on artificial diet.
FlG. 1. SEM of egg cluster of Amphipyra tragopoginis (L.) (note arrow) within cavity of larval case of Apterona helix (Siebold). 33 x. Scale line = 1 mm.
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Journal of the LEPIDOPTERISTS, Society
D. Adamski, Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003. Present address: Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 38(4), 1984, 318-319
ACER NEGUNDO (BOXELDER) AS A FOOD PLANT FOR SYNANTHEDON ACERRUBRI (SESIIDAE)
On 30 June 1983 quite by accident I discovered a Synanthedon acerrubri (Engelhardt) ovipositing on a somewhat distressed Acer negundo (boxelder) (Aceraceae) in my yard in Liberty, Missouri. A total of 18 acerrubri were caught through the 16th of July 1983. At least one specimen was caught on all of the intervening days except the 8th and 15th, two days on which I did no collecting at all. Eight females and ten males were caught. Prior to this only seven males had been collected in Missouri, to the best of my knowledge. All of my specimens were caught on one of three A. negundo growing in my yard. They favored the most distressed tree. Other trees in the yard and neighborhood were checked for visitation. This included other members of the maple family, plus cherry, pear, elm, hackberry and cottonwood.
Initially, I tried to catch the specimens with a net on which I had pinned male sex attractant. No males seemed attracted to the bait at that time or when I subsequently pinned the attractant to my shirt during my collecting. Almost all of the specimens were caught with a small killing jar, the moths being taken directly off the trees.
Most were seen ovipositing or resting no more than a foot from the ground on the bark of the host tree. Only three were seen or caught at a height above 4 ft. All except one specimen were caught between 1430 and 1900 h. They appeared most commonly around 1730 h. None was seen mating. A number of pupal cases were found projecting from the trunk of the most distressed looking A. negundo and appeared similar to that pictured in Holland (1903, The moth book, Doubleday, Page & Co.) for Synanthedon acerni (Clemens). It would seem logical to assume that these were pupal cases of the S. acerrubri, but none was seen emerging.
This may not be the normal time of emergence since it was a very late year for many Lepidoptera species in Missouri. J. Richard Heitzman (pers. comm.), who collected the other recorded specimens in Missouri of which I am aware, captured all of them in his yard in Independence. He caught five male acerrubri nectaring at Asclepias syrica (purple milkweed, Asclepiaceae) between the 10th and 29th of June over a number of years, and two male specimens were collected while responding to a specific sex attractant at approximately 1145 h, 11 July 1982 and 9 July 1983. These latter dates correspond nicely with the dates that I collected the 18 specimens.
In 1984 a total of 63 acerrubri were caught at the two most distressed boxelder in my yard. All were caught between 1600 and 2020 h from 9 June to 13 July. Three males came to an attractant at a different location in the yard. They were caught while resting on leaves at this location (one at 1600 h on 2 July and two at 1820 h on 9 July). A total of 65 acerrubri (31 males and 34 females) were caught. One specimen was sighted but not caught on 24 July. Once again pupal cases (16) were seen projecting from the trunks of the A. negundo.
S. acerrubri occurs in the eastern United States and is known to feed on Acer rubrum (red maple) and A. saccharum (sugar maple), according to Engelhardt (1946, The North American clear-wing moths of the Family Aegeriidae, U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 190). A. negundo is apparently an unrecorded food plant for acerrubri. Since the growth of