Harvey County Parks

1 week ago

Our office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 17 in honor of President's Day.
But no worries, we still have our Critter of the week for you.

CRITTER OF THE WEEK:
Dogbane Leaf Beetle
Chrysochus Auratus
The dogbane leaf beetle is a lovely, bright and shiny species of beetle that is sometimes overlooked because of its small size. They can be found throughout the state of Kansas and in most of the United States and in southern Canada. These insects feed on and spend much of their lives on the dogbane plant.
This beetle is a member of the insect subfamily Eumolpinae and is in the leaf beetle family chrysomelidae. They can be a blue-green color with golden or crimson hues, and even the legs and antennae seem to shine. They are iridescent and change colors if looked at from different angles. The dogbane beetle is oval, convex, and about 10mm long. They spend most of their time on or around the dogbane plant, which produces a toxin that is poisonous to humans and animals. This toxin does not bother the dogbane leaf beetle, and they feed on the leaves and roots of the plant. They have also been known to feed on milkweed plants.
Dogbane leaf beetles live in various habitats containing their preferred host plant. They can be seen in the late spring-time. Their lifespan is 6-8 weeks long and they live in small sporadic populations. After mating, female beetles will lay a few eggs, and attach these to the underside of a dogbane leaf in a cone of feces. After hatching in midsummer, the larvae chew through their enclosure and drop on the ground. Then they tunnel to the roots of the dogbane plant, which they eat. Larva feed and then pupation takes place in a chamber underground. Young beetles emerge the next spring. There is only one generation per year. ... See moreSee less

Harvey County Parks

2 weeks ago

Critter of the Week:
Catalpa Sphinx Moth
Ceratomia Catalpa
Identifying a host plant can be incredibly helpful when identifying different insect species. The Catalpa sphinx moth caterpillar is the only species of sphinx moth that feeds on catalpa tree leaves as a larva. Catalpa worms are a popular fishing bait, especially in the southern United States. Largemouth bass and catfish can be caught using these caterpillars. The caterpillar pictured here was found on a catalpa tree at the Harvey county Osage nature trails on July 14, 2019.
Like other type of sphinx moth caterpillars, this species has a “horn” near the end of its abdomen. Young caterpillars are mostly white with black spots, but as they age their coloration becomes more variable. Some may be mostly black and others mostly yellow. Most individuals are black with a yellow stripe on their side. This species different from other moth species because as a larva it feeds gregariously through later instar stages.
Catalpa sphinx are native to the eastern portion of the United States. They can be found wherever catalpa trees are found, and are more common in the eastern portion of Kansas. This species used to be found in Maine, but may be absent from the state now.
As an adult, these moths are large and mostly brown. On the forewing is a grey spot with a black border. The catalpa sphinx moth does not have yellow spots on its abdomen. Pupae overwinter in soil near the base of their host catalpa tree. Adult moths start to emerge in April and can usually be seen throughout October. After mating, females lay 100-1,000 eggs on the underside of catalpa tree leaves. There is only one generation in northern areas, but there can be as many as 5 generations in southern regions. These caterpillars can defoliate a catalpa tree. If the tree is healthy, its leaves will come back if it is defoliated early enough in the season. Catalpa sphinx moths are attacked by a number of natural enemies like wasps and fly parasitoids. ... See moreSee less