Insects of the Prairie

7/29/2019 Insects of the Prairie

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Insect of the Prairie


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In Nebraska there are

60+ species of reptile and amphibians,95 species of mammals,80 species of fish,400 species of birds,1470 species of plants, and

Over 10,000 species of insects.

Prairies are home to thousands

of species of insects.

Many of the insects are speciallyadapted to living in the prairie.


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Why are insects important to prairie

ecosystems?

Insects help pollinate many prairie plants.

Insects consume living and dead plant material, manure, anddead animals all leading to increased nutrients in the soil.

This, then, helps prairie plants grow better.

Insects provide food for many prairie animals birds, bats,skunks, moles, mice, shrews, frogs, and snakes.


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Today we will talk about

Beetles

Butterflies

Dragonflies

Grasshoppers

Velvet Ant


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Leatherwing or Soldier BeetleFamily Cantharidae

One British species is bright red,reminding people of the red coats ofsoldiers, hence the common name. Asecondary common name isleatherwing, obtained from thetexture of the wing covers.

Larva consume grasshopper eggs,aphids, caterpillars and other softbodied insects. Adults are importantpredators of aphids. Theysupplement their diet with nectar and

pollen

Related to the firefly, but the is unable to produce light.


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Dung BeetlePhanaeus vindex

Dung Beetles play animportant role in recyclingnutrient in the ecosystem.

Phanaeus videx are

generally to 1 inch longand brightly metallic colored.

Adult male and females,working in pairs, dig burrows

in animal excrement whereeggs are deposited. Eggs hatch and larvae feed on the dung.

Adults feed on carrion.

Front legs are modified for digging.


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Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta

Nettles are common host plants,

however false nettles or hops canbe used.

This species emigrates north inthe spring, and there is some

evidence of a dispersed returnflight in the fall.

Habitat varies widely; can befound in moist deciduous forests

and open meadows.

Black wings with white spots on the outside of forewing. Orangeor red stripe through center of forewing extending to edge ofhindwing.


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Great Spangled FritillarySpeyeria cybele

Color is orange with many black andtan spotting. Colors can vary slightlyamong sexes.

Mate in J une or J uly, but females then

disappear, hiding under leaves or bark,only to reappear in late August andSeptember, when they lay their eggsnear violets. At this time the shorter-

lived males, which emerged a fewdays or weeks before females, arescarce.

Adults feed on nectar, caterpillars feed

on violets.


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Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

This species often feedsin groups seeking a widerange of plant nectars.

Habitats include broadleafforests, road sides, andmeadows.

General color is yellow with black stripes extending downwardfrom top of forewing. Edge of wings in black with yellow spots.Lower edge of hindwing has blue patches.

Wide range covering most of the United States from Alaska to

the Atlantic. Generally, smaller and paler in eastern states.


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Common Green DarnerAnax junius

A common dragonflythroughout the entire U.S.

Often found flying overmeadows; must have awater source near.

A large dragonfly withlengths ranging from 2

to 3 inches.

Males establish and continually defend territories along theshores of lakes and ponds. After mating, females fly singly,without the male attached, or in tandem with the male, to lay

their eggs in the stems and leaves of aquatic plants.


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Western MeadowhawkSympetrum occidentalis

Naiads feed on a widevariety of aquaticanimals: mosquitolarvae, aquatic fly larvae,shrimp, small fish andtadpoles. Adults eatalmost any flying insects:mosquitoes, flies, moths,mayflies, and flying ants.

A smaller dragonfly with a length on only 1 to 1 inches.

A common dragonfly in the western United States. Can befound in a wide variety of habitats provided water is near.


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Ebony J ewelwingCalopteryx maculata

Up to two inches long.

Males are larger and havea big black head, greenbody, and black wings.

Females also have blackwings, but they have alighter colored body. Theyalso have a white spot on

their wings.Can be found in a wide variety of habitats, but must have astream or pond near.

They eat large numbers of gnats, aphids, flies, and other

insects.


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Largeheaded GrasshopperPhoetaliotes nebrascensis

Because the majority of adults ofthe Largeheaded grasshopperdevelop short wings unsuited for

flying, this form of the speciescannot disperse or migrate veryfar. Although it can move to betterareas of green vegetation.

Prefers tall grasses; dominate species in many Midwest tallgrass prairies and a common species in mixed grass prairies.

Feeds almost exclusively on grasses including, little bluestem,

big bluestem, and Kentucky bluegrass.


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Velvet AntFamily Mutillidae

Not actually an ant but rather awasp.

Over 150 species exist in NorthAmerica.

Males have wings, but no stinger;Females have no wings, but have astinger.

Often encountered while walking onthe trails. Velvet ants are often thefirst insects out in the morning andthe last in at night. They seek shelterfrom mid-day heat under leaf litter.

Main food is nectar.
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Insects of the Prairie