2001 INVERTEBRATES IN CAPTIVITY CONFERENCE

Paper Abstracts

BUTTERFLY POTPOURRI
Moderator: Nancy Greig, Houston Museum (TX)

Where, Oh Where have the Butterflies Gone? (short)
Gina Phillips, Utah’s Hogel Zoo, (UT)
Once upon a time there was a beautiful butterfly house. Like all butterfly houses there were problems with arthropod pests. Wanting a quick fix, a pesticide was used instead of IPM. Disaster followed, and butterflies died posthaste. Eventually the display appeared to be free of toxins, but the Ruler of the Zoo decided to try a new approach, displaying a komodo dragon, then koalas. "Where are the butterflies?" the people cried. At long last, the butterflies were returned to their rightful home and the people rejoiced. This paper will chronicle the rise, fall and the rebirth of our butterfly exhibit.

Butterflies in My Net (short)
Debra Hazelett, Butterflies Forever (OR)
A reflection on Butterflies Forever’s development and operation of a temporary mesh covered butterfly garden as a stepping-stone toward a permanent year-round facility. Starting with the factors that led us to the net and the choices a stand alone non-profit with a very limited budget made. What worked, what did not work. Things that we would do differently now that we have two and a half seasons of experience to reflect on and share. And of course, a little on our hopes for a future display.

Creative Ideas for Butterfly Displays
Andrea Schepmann, Cincinnati Parks and Krohn Conservatory (OH)
Krohn Conservatory staff is in their sixth year of displaying butterflies amidst beautiful floral settings. Limited budgets have forced staff to get creative and think "outside the box" to come up with new marketing approaches, design ideas, and sponsorship angles. This presentation is designed to share those ideas for the benefit of others who are planning a seasonal butterfly display.

Rearing Butterflies on Semi-Artificial Diets
Doug Taron, Chicago Academy of Sciences (IL)
One challenge in breeding butterflies is meeting the large larval demand for specific host plants. We have developed a series of semi-artificial diets for rearing large numbers of pupae. Diets must be accepted by the larvae, promote good larval development, and resist the growth of mold, which is highly toxic to caterpillars. Our most successful formulations modified a commercially available Heliothis diet. The diet was supplemented with macerated host plant leaves, other nutrients, and preservatives. Although some species have not adapted to artificial diet, several have shown comparable or superior development relative to that obtained on potted host plants.

Priming the Pump: Do butterflies require supplemental nectar?
Tomalei J. Vess, Duke University and the Museum of Life & Science (NC)
This study examines the variation in volume and quality of nectar produced in several common butterfly house plants. The goal is to quantify the need for additional sources of nectar. The type and nature of the supplemental source of nectar is also explored.

CONSERVING OUR LITTLE FRIENDS
Moderator: Harvey Fischer, The Natural World (CA)

The Roles of Butterfly Houses in Arthropod Conservation Programs
Alfredo A. Rios, University of Florida (Masters Student) (FL)
Butterfly Houses are known to promote conservation: 1) Providing an alternative income to third world farmers, generated from the purchased butterfly chrysalises and by 2) educating their visitors about the importance of arthropods and their habitats. Can their role in conservation go beyond these two activities? This paper will look at the potential that butterfly houses have to network and fund arthropod conservation projects. This objective will be accomplished by a survey of the Butterfly House Exhibitors’ viewpoints on this issue.

Web (of Life) Weavings - developments in conservation programmes for Invertebrates at London Zoo
Dave Clarke, Invertebrate Conservation Unit, London Zoo (United Kingdom)
The Invertebrate Conservation Unit at London Zoo moved to a new building as part of the Web of Life biodiversity exhibition in 1999. This facility has allowed ideal opportunities for interpretation to visitors, and vastly improved captive conditions for breeding of our animals, with implications for all of our ongoing invertebrate conservation efforts. Updates on the varied projects will be presented, including Seychelles arthropods, Mexican red-kneed spiders, New Zealand weta crickets, Polynesian tree snails and native British orthoptera.

The American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus): An Update on the Conservation and Recovery of This Species in New England.
Andrea J. Kozol, BUGMAN Educational Entoprises (MA), Michael Amaral, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ming Lee Prospero, University of Rhode Island (RI), and Christopher Raithel, Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife (RI)
The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus, was listed as a federally endangered species in 1989. At the time of listing, only two populations were known to be extant. One of these occurred in the eastern United States, on Block Island, Rhode Island. Results from field studies on this population as well as a summary of annual monitoring over the last 12 years will be presented. Utilizing beetles raised in captivity, two reintroductions have been conducted on the islands of Penikese and Nantucket, Massachusetts. An update on the methods and results of these recovery programs will be discussed.

A Tale of Two Cities: The Partnership between the sister communities of Durham, NC and San Ramon, Nicaragua
Thomas Hecker, Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, Museum of Life and Science (NC)
The partnership between sister communities Durham, NC and San Ramon, Nicaragua has been an effective way to help the developing country’s economy and conservation efforts. This paper highlights the museum’s involvement of how both communities mutually benefitted from their interaction, with emphasis on the economic and collecting opportunities. The two communities have also worked together to develop strategies for butterfly farming and fair prices for their products and services. Finally, the paper will specifically detail a case study in which the museum sent personnel to collect leaf-cutting ants and consult on butterfly farming, explaining how that was conducted and what benefits were produced.

CARING FOR OUR LITTLE FRIENDS
Moderator: Kathy Burkholder, Kathy’s Critters (CA)

Some Nutritional Concerns when Rearing Insects
Brent Karner, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (CA)
Details of nutrition are often overlooked and even ignored by those wishing to rear insects, yet a number of species are reared to supply the growing demand made by live insect exhibits and butterfly showhouses. Growing interest in the ability to rear insects in controlled settings has highlighted important consequences of limited attention to proper nutrition. This paper summarizes preliminary research investigating the use of artificial diets to rear tropical butterflies and highlights resulting research involving the importance of supplying appropriate nutrients to insects. Specifically, the effects of differing sterols in the diet of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) are discussed.

Innocent Assassins
Patrick Schlemmer, San Francisco Insect Zoo (CA)
Assassin bugs (Reduviidae) make up one of the largest families in the Order Hemiptera. While some are important vectors of disease, most play a beneficial role as insect predators. This paper will examine basic husbandry techniques of several assassin species. It will also provide an overview of their role in IPM and their medical importance as disease vectors.

Captive Rearing of Easter Lubber Grasshopper Romalea guttata
John V. Matuszek, Brookfield Zoo (IL) and Douglas Whiman, Illinois State University (IL)
The Easter Lubber Grasshopper Romalea guttata (Houttuyn) has been raised successfully in captivity by Dr. Douglas Whitman of the Department of Biological Sciences at Illinois State University at Normal, Illinois. Using Dr. Whitman’s information, staff at Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois have developed a breeding program. This paper reviews R. guttata natural history, gives a general description of both breeding protocols, and discusses the possible causes of the variation between the successful hatching ratio of each program over the last two years.

Angular-wing Katydids, Microcentrum rhombifolium, at Bug World (short)
Erin Sullivan, Woodland Park Zoo (WA)
Katydids in general are fascinating insects. Their ability to camouflage and to fill the air with sound is enough to make anyone take notice. For the last four years the Woodland Park Zoo has displayed the Angular-wing katydid, Microcentrum rhombifolium, in the Desert by Day section of Bug World. These insects have continuously amazed visitors with their leaf-like appearance and musical skills. Not only are these insects a great example of camouflage and sound production, they are easy to breed and can be on display all year long. This paper will discuss the natural history, husbandry and display of this species.

Individual Identification of Captive Tarantulas Using Celluloid Avian Leg Bands
Frederick N. Bohler III, Disney’s Animal Kingdom (FL)
Distinguishing individual tarantulas of the same species can be challenging with large collections. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom many tarantulas are used for various presentations. Celluloid avian leg bands are used as an alternative to bee paint or other marking methods to document reproduction and behavior. Banding the femurs of tarantulas allows for positive identification of individuals. Inter-specific behavioral responses are noted for four species: Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula [Aphonopelma seemanni], Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula [Brachypelma smithi], Brazilian Black Tarantula [Grammostola pulchra] and Brazilian Salmon-Pink Bird-Eater [Lasiodora parahybana]. Molting, setae or lyra damage and natural behavior disruption are also discussed.

Peruvian Spiny Lobster Katydid Biology and Culture
Randy Morgan and Karen Schmidt, Cincinnati Zoo Insectarium (OH)
The spiny lobster katydid, Panoplescelus specularis, is a giant flightless katydid native to lowland tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin. We summarize this amazing insect’s natural history and discuss Insectarium husbandry and captive rearing.

CONTROLLING OUR LITTLE FRIENDS
Moderator: Jane Stevens, St. Louis Zoo (MO)

Using Parasitic Hymenoptera to Control Peridomestic Cockroaches
Barry M. Pawson, PNE, Inc. (OH)
Peridomestic cockroaches are those cockroaches that live and breed in or near man-made structures. Conventional control tactics generally rely on pesticides to combat cockroach infestations. However, there is a viable alternative for cockroach control. There are several, small (1-3 mm), hymenopterous wasps that parasitize cockroach oothecae. Aprostocetus hagenowii attacks the egg cases of American, Smokybrown, Australian and Oriental cockroaches. Comperia merceti and Anastatus tenuipes attack the egg cases of Brownbanded cockroaches. An IPM program emphasizing parasite and cockroach biologies, monitoring techniques and release strategies is discussed.

The Year in Review: USDA Regulations and Changes That Impact the Exhibitry Industry.
Wayne Wehling, USDA APHIS PPQ (MD)
Many changes that effect the Arthropod exhibit industry are in various stages of development. This talk will discuss current and future changes. Time will be provided for listener input.

EXHIBITS AND SUCH
Moderator: Lynn Royce, Oregon State University (OR)

Live Invertebrates at Melbourne Museum
Alan Henderson, Melbourne Museum (Victoria)
Melbourne Museum has undergone a significant change with the inclusion of live exhibits into the galleries and visitor programs. The Live Exhibits Unit has been formed to service the requirements of these animals and to assist with the development of new displays. A wide variety of Australian invertebrates are being maintained, and some exotic species of tarantulas and scorpions. Research into the husbandry of Australian invertebrates is also being undertaken. Much of this valuable information is being used in the production of husbandry manuals in conjunction with the Australasian Regional Association for Zoological Parks and Aquaria.

A Home Of Our Own
Jane Stevens, St. Louis Zoo (MO)
The St. Louis Zoo opened the Monsanto Insectarium in May 2000 and it is a great success. What did we creatively modify from other existing invertebrate structures? Which of the twenty two exhibits has been successful and which has not? We have incorporated several ways to encourage contact with the public. Yes, we had to deal with the USDA regulations too. See our displays and animals in this preview of the newest invertebrate house in the midwest.

The New Spider Facility at the Memphis Zoo
Steve Reichling, Memphis Zoo (TN)
The first permanent zoo facility dedicated exclusively to spiders opened at the Memphis Zoo on 25 May 2001. Nineteen species representing a broad assortment of families are displayed, and dozens more are maintained off-exhibit for breeding and research. Spiders are displayed on kiosks, allowing visitors to observe them from any direction. Interactives and videos augment the displays and highlight facets of spider biology including courtship, sociality, predatory niches, defenses, and conservation issues. The exhibit highlights the importance and beauty of spiders in our world and is intended to lead arachnological studies to a more prominent position within zoo research endeavors.

The Bug Room - Pros and cons of a hands-on live gallery
Terry Thormin, Provincial Museum of Alberta (Alberta)
In 1992 the Bug Room opened in the Provincial Museum of Alberta. This was after experimenting for several years with short term live exhibits including a three month temporary exhibit the previous year. The result was an exhibit with cages out in the open and easy access for gallery interpreters so that things could be taken out and shown to the visitor and in some cases given to the visitor to handle. This approach has been very successful in several ways. It was very cost efficient, took up far less space than building cages into false walls, resulted in cages that are visible from all sides and thus often making it easier to find the animals, and the aspect of visitors handling the animals became a major draw. It also very quickly became apparent to the gallery interpreters that fears on some level of insects and other arthropods were very prevalent. In this respect the Bug Room has become known as the place parents can go to ensure that their children do not develop irrational fears. Downsides to this approach include the occasional problem with vandalism and the need to be constantly looking for and training new volunteers to interpret the gallery.

Beyond butterflies: Successfully Maintaining Dragonflies in Free-Flight Facilities
Ralph E. Charlton, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University (KS)
Dragonflies are fascinating creatures; master aerialists, resplendent in coloration and possessing many interesting behaviors. Not surprisingly, there exists a great desire to display them in butterfly houses, but maintaining them alongside butterflies has been problematic. I will report on the successful long-term (3 months) maintenance of a large, showy damselfly Calopteryx maculata, in a new butterfly house on the campus of Kansas State University. After providing an overview of dragonfly biology and behavior, I will discuss the challenges of exhibiting dragonflies and meeting their requirements, the potential for rearing/displaying dragonflies year-round, and some species that I consider suitable denizens of butterfly houses.

SHARING OUR LITTLE FRIENDS
Moderator: Barbara Reger, Creston Middle School (IN)

Keeping Our Message Moving: Strategies to Improve Our Effectiveness Through the Support of Teachers
Cassie Carter, California Science Center (CA)
Does our work have any lasting impact? Most science education occurs in formal classrooms, beginning with elementary school. Teachers —- the critical bridge between science and students — are the initial scientific authority for most children. Unfortunately, the majority of schoolteachers have little science background. They often rely on informal experiences, such as field trips and outreach visits, for science lessons. But it stops there with little of the introduction and follow-up so valuable to learning. This paper explores strategies to increase our impact by supporting teachers so they can prepare their students and carry on after us.

Roving Naturalist Introducing Brookfield Zoo Visitors to Invertebrates
André Copeland, Brookfield Zoo (IL)
Brookfield Zoo has displayed arthropods for some time but taking the critters out to the public, that was something very different. This paper will discuss our Roving Naturalist Program, from its inception as an idea in 1999, to a pilot program in the summer of 2000 and finally to its expansion involving more animals, staff and programming. Some cool critters we used included giant millipedes, lubber grasshoppers and giant Brazilian roaches. After a successful first season, we are continuing to expand the program and animals to educate our guests as to the roles arthropods play as foundations for our ecosystems.

Taking the "ICK" out of Insects
Jamie Sincage and Bryan Quick, Diseny’s Animal Kingdom (FL)
Insects have been persecuted as pests and seen as a threat for hundreds of years. With thousands of guests walking through the front gate daily, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has the perfect opportunity to educate and offer a close view of a variety of invertebrates to our guests. This paper will discuss the different venues our education and animal care staff use to educate the public.

Lice, My Wife, and Me: Our journey into the wonderful world of headlice
Robert J. Wolff, University South Carolina- Beaufort (SC) and Donna L. Wolff, M.C. Riley Elementary School (SC)
Headlice are a constant problem for schools and public institutions that continually leave everyone scratching their heads for solutions! Some notes on the basic biology, epidemiology, recognition, control, and using headlice for general education on insects and health will be presented. Data from many schools will be presented to show effective strategies of control.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS