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Post by exoticimports on Jan 25, 2022 4:58:59 GMT -8
New Species of the Genus Paranthrene HBN., 1819 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae, Sesiinae) from Eastern Canada, Handfield and Handfield, LepSoc Journal Dec 2021
Authors discover a wasp moth that mimics the bald faced hornet (i.e., it's white and black, not yellow and black)
Reading this gave me a "duh" moment.
Why did it never occur to me that such a mimic should exist? It's a great niche.
Why is the known range restricted to Quebec? I'd think such a mimic would be successful over a much broader range- in fact, more successful to the south.
The species is bracketed in size by two yellow-and-black mimics. Assuming the smaller one (pellucida) mimics the ubiquitous yellow jacket, what does the larger one (simulans) mimic? Is P. simulans just a "big mimic" (i.e., larger than the wasp it mimics) or does it mimic a larger hornet? If the latter, why? The sandhill hornet isn't grossly common in Quebec.
Back to the range, apparently it lives high in Red Oak (Quercus rubra), which has a range throughout the US NE and lower Quebec. In that it's not been found outside southern Quebec, is the species perhaps on the verge of dying off, a failed species, much like the Hemileuca in the same region?
Of course, we don't know much about this new species, so answers are conjecture. Insights?
Chuck
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jan 25, 2022 7:24:20 GMT -8
The distribution of Lepidoptera is mainly linked to larval foodplant. If the species is polyphagous (i.e. eats at least three different species of plant) it will probably have a much wider distribution compared to a species that is confined to a single species of plant. Of course the Lepidoptera species evolves with its host, and unless it is able to switch to a different host plant it is completely reliant on the plant for survival.
In the case of these Sessiids, it is quite possible that the distribution and frequency of the hornet models has changed over time. Perhaps bald face hornets were common wherever the Sessiid which mimics it originally evolved, but if it is restricted to a larval foodplant that now only lives in Quebec then the moth will only be found there too.
Adam.
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Post by exoticimports on Jan 26, 2022 7:53:21 GMT -8
Thanks Adam. That is a truism, and admittedly I'd forgotten the dependence. Good reminder to one who should remember this!
Chuck
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Post by bandrow on Jan 26, 2022 17:40:29 GMT -8
Greetings, Let me preface this by stating two things - I have not read the paper, and I'm not a lepidopterist, so it's likely I have no idea what I'm talking about. I went to BugGuide to see what Paranthrene looks like, and found this post: Paranthrene simulansSure looks like a bald-faced hornet to me! Not perfectly white, but the pattern is dang close to the wasp. This specimen is from northeastern Ohio - any chance this could be the new species? Cheers! Bandrow |
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 26, 2022 21:10:00 GMT -8
There are several species of Sesiid moths which mimic Vespid wasps (usually yellowjackets). They are quite remarkable in their likeness to these stinging insects which birds learn to recognize. So, why not a species which mimics a larger and more robust carnivore such as the Bald-faced hornet ? Various fly families are known to do the same for mimetic protection; even having evolved to mimic the very movements of the host (Hymenoptera) species. My case in point is pictured below and part of my collection. This Flower fly (Syrphidae)(Spilomyia fusca) is commonly known as the Bald-Faced Hornet Fly. It has a widespread distribution from both Canada and eastern North America. Records range from Minnesota across to Nova Scotia and as far south as Georgia. Parsnip and Goldenrod are at least 2 of its favorite pollination sites. It is the real deal when it comes to looking MOST like the Bald-faced hornet !  |
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evra
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Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Jan 27, 2022 14:51:57 GMT -8
Sesiids are interesting because they are generally very common, but you hardly ever see them without a pheromone lure. They are generally day flying and most don’t come to flowers. With a lure though, you can have hundreds and hundreds of males in a trap.
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Post by exoticimports on Jan 28, 2022 6:55:15 GMT -8
Which leads me to my next question, how to lure & trap them. I found a thread on iNaturalist with a link to a provider of various insect traps (but couldn't find one specific to Sesiidae) and dozen of phermone lures specific to different Sesiidae species (but have no idea which one is best to try.) Guidance?
Chuck
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Post by Paul K on Jan 28, 2022 9:38:09 GMT -8
Which leads me to my next question, how to lure & trap them. I found a thread on iNaturalist with a link to a provider of various insect traps (but couldn't find one specific to Sesiidae) and dozen of phermone lures specific to different Sesiidae species (but have no idea which one is best to try.) Guidance? Chuck Leroy has some experience with the pheromone traps, he even offered to send me the kit but that ended up with talk only. Of course he is no longer here but if you have his email, maybe he could be of some help. If anyone knows good source where and which to order please let us know. |
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evra
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Post by evra on Jan 28, 2022 10:21:13 GMT -8
There are a bunch of different lures for different species. Some are very specific and others are more general. I usually use the general ones, with the greater peachtree, lesser peachtree, and squash vine borer being the best. I get all kinds of different Sesiids in the West with those 3. They sell specific plastic green funnel traps for about $15 that you hang in a tree. I put the three lures in the top and a piece of No-Pest strip in the bottom and leave it out for days or even weeks in various habitats. Most Sesiids fly from about June to October. Check out Great Lakes IPM or AlphaScents which sell both the traps and the lures. These traps are generally sold to farmers growing fruit trees and they hang them in their orchards to monitor what’s going on.
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 28, 2022 11:25:12 GMT -8
Those sound like some excellent suggestions (evra) for places to purchase pheromone traps !
Those are very reasonably priced so I cannot imagine buying them from anyone else because you would certainly pay far more..
You really nailed it in stating that sesiid moths are seldom or rarely encountered outside of the use of pheromone traps. Absolutely true !
The only one that I have ever seen in my whole life is our common squash vine borer moth which frequents pumpkin/squash patches during the summertime.
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Post by bobw on Jan 28, 2022 11:53:59 GMT -8
I would imagine that the best person to advise on Sesiid lures is Vernon Brou, he catches thousands of them!
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Post by Paul K on Jan 28, 2022 12:02:07 GMT -8
I would imagine that the best person to advise on Sesiid lures is Vernon Brou, he catches thousands of them! Oh, yes indeed! I checked both websites that Evra suggested and couldn’t find anything related to Sasiidae. Both websites are poorly maintained as far as product searching. Maybe they have papered catalogs. |
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Post by exoticimports on Jan 28, 2022 13:18:45 GMT -8
I would imagine that the best person to advise on Sesiid lures is Vernon Brou, he catches thousands of them! Oh, yes indeed! I checked both websites that Evra suggested and couldn’t find anything related to Sasiidae. Both websites are poorly maintained as far as product searching. Maybe they have papered catalogs. On AlphaScents, you have to go to the search window. When you type "sesiid" it will suggest "sesiidae lure" pick that. If you do a search on "sesiid" the return is zero. |
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evra
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Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Jan 28, 2022 14:48:31 GMT -8
This is the trap I was referring to: www.alphascents.com/uni-trap-single-1.htmlThe lures look like pencil erasers and go inside a little basket in the top, and it twists open in the middle. I don’t think it’s specifically made for Sesiids. I would recommend hanging them clandestinely in a forest somewhere near the known host plant of whichever species you are targeting. Despite the fact that they are rarely encountered, the host plants for most species is known. Unfortunately the larvae are little non-descript white grubs that live inside galls on the plant, so rearing them isn’t easy. One other piece of advice is when you check your trap, the Sesiids are generally both dead and dried out, and are extremely brittle. I always take a small sealed container with me lined with damp tissue and dump the catch directly into it and put a layer of tissue over the top, so it’s like a miniature relaxer. Getting some hydration in them is key to preventing the legs and antennae from breaking off as you drive down back dirt roads. |
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Post by Paul K on Jan 28, 2022 16:07:25 GMT -8
This is the trap I was referring to: www.alphascents.com/uni-trap-single-1.htmlThe lures look like pencil erasers and go inside a little basket in the top, and it twists open in the middle. I don’t think it’s specifically made for Sesiids. I would recommend hanging them clandestinely in a forest somewhere near the known host plant of whichever species you are targeting. Despite the fact that they are rarely encountered, the host plants for most species is known. Unfortunately the larvae are little non-descript white grubs that live inside galls on the plant, so rearing them isn’t easy. One other piece of advice is when you check your trap, the Sesiids are generally both dead and dried out, and are extremely brittle. I always take a small sealed container with me lined with damp tissue and dump the catch directly into it and put a layer of tissue over the top, so it’s like a miniature relaxer. Getting some hydration in them is key to preventing the legs and antennae from breaking off as you drive down back dirt roads. Thank you Evra. And you place no-pest strip on the bottom of that container I suppose. Do you mix lures in one trap? |
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