Diario de bkis

During a migratory monarch butterfly count at Chiwaukee Prairie on Aug 29, 2020, our party encountered three Tenodera sinensis. Two were found on shrubs, and one was on prairie blazing star. All three mantids were observed for about an hour.

Chinese mantis 1, on a shrub (common buckthorn) adjacent to prairie blazing star and goldenrod, caught a monarch, a bumblebee and a syrphid fly. These insects, foraging on the blazing star and goldenrod flowers, were caught when they were about the same height from the ground as the mantis. Found in the area under the mantis were unidentified clear insect wings, parts of monarch wings and blue butterfly wings resembling those of an eastern tailed blue.

Chinese mantis 2 was also on a shrub; species of this shrub was not logged. The shrub was near false sunflower and prairie blazing star flowers. It was eating a grasshopper. Caught in the shrub branches and on the ground under the mantis were monarch wings, yellow sulphur butterfly wings, tiger swallowtail wings, small tan wings which might have been from a skipper, clear wings, and unidentified parts of insects.

Chinese mantis 3 was found on prairie blazing star and was observed catching a honeybee that landed on these flowers. After finishing its meal, the mantid caught a syrphid fly that came to these flowers. Monarch wings were found on the grasses adjacent to the blazing star.

Scudder’s short-winged grasshoppers were found at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co. WI during surveys conducted from 2017-2023. Habitat consisted of a degraded tallgrass prairie with more than 40 native forbs and grasses, invasive herbaceous plants and scattered, non-native shrubs. Woody plants in a nearby narrow hedgerow consisted of bur oak, red or black oak, black walnut, sugar maple, hazelnut, non-native honeysuckle, prickly ash, brambles, and Virginia creeper. Most of the herbaceous plants in the hedgerow were Virginia waterleaf, Solomon’s seal, Starry false Solomon’s seal, Solomon’s plume, Virginia bluebells, Canadian honewort and violets.

The following is a summary of sightings by date, numbers of grasshoppers seen, plants the grasshoppers were found on and comments. All grasshoppers were found on the tallgrass prairie; none were seen in the hedgerow.

Date, No. of Grasshoppers Seen, Plants Grasshoppers Were On, Comments

Sept. 1, 2017, 2, Common milkweed, m/f mating

Sept. 8, 2018, 1, Common milkweed leaf

Oct. 3, 2019, 1, Grasses,

Sept 19, 2020, 1, Bur oak leaf on the ground

Sept. 15, 2022, 1, Common milkweed leaf

Oct. 5, 2022, 1, Unidentified shrub leaf

Sept. 7, 2023, 1, Goldenrod leaf

Sept. 12, 2023, 2, Goldenrod flowers, appeared to be
eating pollen

Sept. 16, 2023, 1, Grasses

Oct. 15, 2023, 1, Oak leaf on the ground

Predation by European Mantis
On September 12, 2023, a European mantis on a goldenrod leaf was seen with Scudder’s short-winged grasshopper prey.

Pelegrina galathea, peppered jumping spiders, are often found from June through September on forbs and low shrubs at Barnes tallgrass prairie remnants in Racine County, WI. They share these remnants with Phidippus clarus, brilliant jumpers, which are often abundant from June through August. Phidippus princeps, grayish jumpers, are commonly seen from August through early October. Also present from July through September are Thomasidae, crab spiders and Dictyna sp. a small mesh weaver. Argiope aurantia, black and yellow garden spiders which were abundant in past years, now are rarely seen. There are a few Argiope trifasciata, banded garden spiders, on webs in the grassy areas. Lycosidae, wolf spiders, are commonly seen running over the grass.

Peppered jumpers were most often found where there were semi-open areas of flowering forbs, and at the edge of the hedge row, where one was seen on black cherry. They were found on plants from 22 to 40 inches above the ground.

The following is a summary of sightings by date, numbers of peppered jumping spiders seen and plants they were found on.

Date, No. of spiders seen, Plants they were found on, height above ground

Sept. 1, 2017, 1, Sweet black-eyed Susan flower

July 30, 2018, 1, common milkweed leaf, abt. 30” above ground
Aug. 18, 2018, 1, goldenrod stem, abt. 32” above ground
Sept. 8, 2018, 1, black cherry, P. serotina, branch abt. 40” above ground
Sept. 9, 2018, 1, Sweet black-eyed Susan flower, abt. 36” above ground

Sept. 16, 2019, 1, gray headed coneflower, flower 38” above ground

Sept. 2, 2020, 1, sweet black-eyed Susan flower, abt. 34” above ground

Aug. 10, 2021, 1, goldenrod leaf, abt. 30” above ground
Sept. 10, 2021, 1, Sweet black-eyed Susan petal, abt. 30” above ground
Sept. 13, 2021, 1, black eyed Susan flower, abt. 34” above ground
Sept. 15, 2021, 1, underside of coneflower head, abt. 34” above ground
Sept 15, 2021, 1, under Black-eyed Susan flower, abt. 30” above ground

July 28, 2022, 1, not logged
July 31, 2022, 1, goldenrod stem, abt. 24” above ground
Aug.16, 2022, 1, black-eyed Susan flower abt. 37” above ground
Aug. 22, 2022, 1, goldenrod leaf, abt. 27” above ground, with prey

June 7, 2023, 1, low growing shrub leaf abt. 25” above ground
July 1, 2023, 1, teasel, abt. 22” above ground

July 6, 2023, 1, aster leaf, abt. 29” above ground
July 8, 2023, 1, common buckthorn stem, abt. 24” above ground
July 11, 2023, 1, aster leaf
Aug 1, 2023, 1, goldenrod leaf, about 29” above ground
Aug 1, 2023, 1, goldenrod stem, running down
Aug. 31, 2023, 1, not logged

Sept. 1, 2023, 1, not logged

No predation of these spiders was observed. Peppered jumper prey consisted of small, unidentified flies; a leafhopper; ants; Allograpta obliqua, oblique streaktail; and unidentified Toxomerus, hover flies.

In the early morning of July 17, 2023, I was photographing brilliant jumpers at a Barnes tallgrass prairie remnant. I had seen 15 Phidippus clarus and gotten good pictures of 9 when I spotted a small brilliant jumper on a shrub leaf, about 28 inches from the ground. I froze when I saw this spider, and it froze when it saw me. After backing up and getting my vintage Olympus camera ready, I carefully approached my subject. This little jumper was wary, and kept moving, even while I was still. As I focused on this small spider, I noticed a larger brilliant jumper on a leaf which was about 6 inches below and a couple of inches behind the leaf my subject spider was on. The larger spider was moving back and forth, seemingly following the movements of the silhouette of the little jumper above.

Just as I thought I had a shot, the small Phidippus clarus jumped off the leaf, right onto the leaf below. I got a fuzzy picture of the large jumper catching him, then took about 30 pics of the larger spider with the small spider prey. It took less than half a minute from my missed shot of the small spider jumping, to the time the larger spider caught and carried it off.

I’ve attached a few of the better pictures. I wonder…if I hadn’t been there at this opportune moment, and startled the small spider, would it have stayed on the leaf above, or at least seen the larger P. clarus on the leaf below?

Carolina grasshoppers are large, broad-winged Caelifera with a high, sharp ridge on the pronotum. Here at Barnes Prairie, they are typically clay-colored, yellowish tan, light brown or grayish; brick red individuals are also sometimes seen. Their distinctive hind wings are black with a yellow border, which give a vague resemblance to a mourning cloak butterfly when in flight. They are strong, sometimes erratic, flyers. Prior to 1976, Carolina grasshoppers (then called Carolina locusts) were prevalent along roadsides, in old fields and by hedgerows, and in scattered remnant tallgrass prairies in southeastern Wisconsin. The populations of this common grasshopper appeared to be stable in my early surveys from 1976 through 2010. In 2012, populations began to decline; this has continued through 2023.

The following is a summary of sightings I made of this common grasshopper during my many trips to Barnes Prairie. In 1976, there were also numerous large orb weavers on the prairie: a few cross orb weavers (European cross orb weaver, European orb weaver), many yellow garden spiders (black and yellow argiope) and banded argiope. There was a significant decline in the populations of these spiders in 2011.

Below is a summary of my observations from various years, beginning in 1976 and ending in 2023. Month, Day and Comments have been left as they were written.

Year, No. of Carolina grasshoppers, Month, Day and Comments

1976, numerous, Sept. 4 along gravel at roadside, and in prairie.
Counted 5 in about eight feet.

1977, many, Aug. 27 hot and humid. Flying Carolina locusts from gravel
where I parked the car, and at almost every footstep I made
into this prairie remnant. Four were counted in European

orb weaver webs, one in a black and yellow argiope web.

1978, many, Sept. 2 A lot of Carolina locusts flying on roadside and
prairie. Several seen on road, also, were dead.

1980, numerous, Aug. 31 Flying grasshoppers numerous, some in orb weaver
webs. Saw one fly into a European cross orb weaver web.

1991, numerous, Sept. 1 cool, windy. Carolina locusts numerous, along with
a lot of other grasshoppers I could not ID.

1996, numerous, Aug. 24 hot. Out with daughter looking at spiders. Largest
prey seen in the numerous orb weaver webs (European
cross orb weaver and black and yellow argiope) were
grasshoppers. Six of 11 could be ID'd as Carolina locusts.
We flushed a lot of them while walking here; good news
for the spiders.

1998, many, Aug. 29 Many Carolina grasshoppers, flying alongside
gravel and in the prairie.

2006, numerous, Aug. 26 great weather for a survey, mid 70s. Numerous
Carolina locusts flying over gravel at roadside, and in
prairie; not counted but thought to be over 40 just at
roadside. Walked 300 feet before entering the prairie.
Numerous locusts in prairie remnant also, along with
monarchs (4) many small moths, not identified, buckeye
(3), and over a dozen cabbage whites.

2010, many, Aug. 28 Temp in 80s, fewer Carolina locusts seen than last
year. The dog is jumping up and occasionally catching
locusts at the gravel roadside. Estimate about 30
grasshoppers in about 200 feet by the gravel.

2012, many, Sept. 1 CL’s (Carolina locusts) flying into cars and hitting
me as I walked from gravel roadside into prairie remnant.
Many in the remnant also. Counted 18 in about 200 feet,
which was less than I’d seen in past years.

2015, few, Aug. 22, late afternoon. Not a lot of Carolina locusts, but
there are also some other grasshopper spp. here.

2017, 8, Late August. Few Carolina locusts, only counted eight. Only
one orb weaver, Eurasian cross, seen, but there are two
worn webs. Few species of other grasshoppers couldn’t get
IDs. Some bottle flies present, two pearl crescents, one
eastern tailed blue, three monarchs and three European
mantises. Many cabbage whites in nearby field.

2018, few, Aug. 24, afternoon, light rain has stopped. A few Carolina
locusts scattered along one mile stretch of grassy degraded
prairie.

2019, 6, Aug. 18 cloudy, afternoon, light rain earlier. CL’s (Carolina

locusts) scattered. Five counted flying or resting on grasses,

ground. Another being dismembered by a European mantis,
on buckthorn.

2021, 1, Sept. 1 One Carolina locust at weedy section of the prairie.

2022, 2, During four late July surveys, no CL’s seen. One CL (Carolina

grasshopper) on August 17, one on Aug. 24.

2023, 3, August 18, 26. Two Carolina locusts on the 18th, one on the
26th. During surveys in earlier August, none seen.

Carolina grasshoppers were not the only insects to decline in numbers over these years. Reductions in the numbers of many other insects have also occurred. Native orb-weaving spider populations here have also greatly declined.

Possible causes for the decrease in numbers of Carolina locusts:
Increase in the numbers of European mantis on this prairie remnant. The first mantis was seen here was in 2012. Three were found in August 2017. Eight were found in Late August of 2023, along an 800-foot stretch of the prairie. In 2017, adults and children were seen releasing mantises onto this prairie.

The climate has been changing here; we now have late, cold springs, drier summers, warmer and wetter falls and winters. Some winters have little snow.

Increase in the number of invasive shrubs, especially honeysuckle and buckthorn.

Changes in herbaceous vegetation; patches of invasive thistles and reed canary grass have greatly increased, and many prairie insects and spiders are not found in these areas.

The number of bald-faced hornets has not increased in this area, however; there are German yellowjacket hornets, flesh flies, tachinid flies and other predatory insects in the area. Population dynamics of these insects have not been recorded during the surveys.

Glyphosates have been used on nearby properties since the late 1970s. They are not used on the prairie, but may have drifted onto this area.

So far as I have been able to find out, there is no known use nearby of neonicotinoids.

Other unknown factors may also be at play here.