Planned Expedition for March 14, 2015 -- Overall Bioassay and Caterpillar studies
March 2, 2015
Research Plan:
I am following up on our initial visit to the Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Area with the request to continue the research on Hemileuca peigleri in Calhoun County. The initial trip helped us to identify which Oak was being used by the female moths for oviposition. It is our intention to continue this research and now to look into the natural history of the larval form of this moth now that the ova have hatched and the caterpillars are present in the environment.
Our initial trip raised many questions about the Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Area, some of which we answered others will require additional studies. In particular there are several ancillary opportunities during this follow-up visit.
We are proposing to make this trip on Saturday, March 14, 2015 – with a start time at about 10:00 AM. The participants will be instructed by me to meet at the main gate.
Proposed Expedition detail:
During this field trip we will be looking into several things. The first and most important is to observe the caterpillars in their natural habitat, extensive photo documentation will be taken and we will generally be interested in observing their feeding behavior, whether or not they are gregarious, and the various stages of growth. We are extremely interested in collecting individuals that show signs of having been parasitized. We will be watching for individuals that are noticeably lagging behind the other caterpillars in the vicinity in growth stage (instar), individuals that appear to be sickly, individuals who are showing clear signs of parasitoid activity – i.e. Parasitoid cocoons attached to the larvae, or any other noticeable indications that the Caterpillar has been parasitized. These individuals will be collected and reared to determine the nature of the parasitoids of Hemileuca peigleri in Calhoun County. Dr. Peigler has published a definitive work on the parasitoids of North American Saturnidae and his presence on this trip will enable us to have a good shot at determining what unique parasitoids may existing Calhoun County. This of course is a wonderful paper they can be written, and it is my hope that Dr. Peigler will co-author of the paper with us.
It is also my intention to photograph extensively the small Oak trees on the property and to document the impact of caterpillars have on the Oaks. We are still awaiting definitive identification of the Oak species and we may take if possible, additional samples of the Oaks particularly those on which we can locate remnant ova rings and acorns or catkins so as to assist us in pinning down the Oak identifications.
As we had discussed, we have started a Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Area project on iNaturalist. During this trip one of our observers will be tasked with photographing and data logging other species of wildlife (both flora and fauna) to add to that project.
I would also like to take some soil samples of both dominant land types that we observed on our last trip. The lower lying, moisture soils would seem to discourage the growth of the Oak seem particularly interesting and soil samples may assist us in understanding how this environment impacts the growth of the Oak species. Overall, this piece of land represents a unique opportunity and we believe should be studied extensively because it offers some wonderful habitat but should be documented.
We believe that our presence on the property will have a minor impact and of course we will gladly credit you and The Nature Conservancy for your generosity in the officially published papers related to this moth. If you should require a release of liability for this research would be happy to sign. Likewise if you or anyone in your organization happens to enjoy natural history and field trips of this nature of course you would be welcome to join us during our trip.
Confirmed Participants:
East Texas Natural History Collection:
Robert J. Nuelle, Jr. AICEZS– Research Associate ETNHC
Robert J. Nuelle, III – Research Associate ETNHC
Elizabeth M. Barraza – iNaturalist data logger for the ETNHC
University of the Incarnate Word – San Antonio Texas
Dr. Richard Peigler – Professor
Possible Participants:
East Texas Natural History Collection:
Dr. Will Godwin – Curator ETNHC
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Dr. Ben Hutchins - Invertebrate Biologist - Texas Parks and Wildlife
In conclusion, we sincerely appreciate your time to consider this request and stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. I can be reached by replying to this email, at bob.nuelle.jr@gmail.com .
Sincerely,
Robert J. Nuelle, Jr.
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