Peoria Academy of Science

2012 meetings

Mark — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:20:49 +0000

This is our tentative schedule of meetings for the year. We invite anyone interested in entomology to participate in our meetings. The schedule may change over the year, so we encourage you to contact us or check the site for updates. For field trips, we often leave at 8 a.m. from the Lakeview Museum parking lot.

All meetings are held (or start) at Lakeview Museum (1125 W. Lake, Peoria, IL). Generally, we start at 9 a.m. (usually on the third Saturday of the month). There is no December meeting due to the proximity to the holidays.

January 21, 2012 – planning meeting
February 18, 2012 – Frank Hitchell collection (meet at Frank’s house at 9 a.m.)
March 24, 2012 – St. Louis Butterfly House field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
April 28, 2012 – Revis Ridge field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
May 19, 2012 – Rocky Glen field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
June 16, 2012 - Banner river walk field trip (leave at 9 a.m. from Lakeview)
July 21, 2012 – Jubilee night collecting field trip (meet at 8 p.m. at Jubilee State Park)
August 18, 2012 – Midewin Natural Tallgrass Prairie field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
September 15, 2012 - Jubilee picnic and night collecting (meet at 5 p.m. at Jubilee State Park)
October 20, 2012 – Singing Woods field trip (leave at 9 a.m. from Lakeview)
November 17, 2012 – fumigate Lakeview Museum insect collection

2011 Meetings

Mark — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 20:45:14 +0000

January 15, 2011 – planning meeting
February 19, 2011 – Rob Bell photo show
March 19, 2011 – Gordon Adams photo show
April 16, 2011 – Revis Ridge field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
May 21, 2011 – Funk’s Grove field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
June 18, 2011 - Bridget’s Woods field trip (leave at 9 a.m. from Lakeview)
July 9, 2011 – Audubon butterfly count contact Tracy Fox for more information)
August 20, 2011 – Mattheissen field trip (leave at 8 a.m. from Lakeview)
September 17, 2011 - Jubilee night collecting (meet at 5 p.m. at Jubilee State Park)
October 15, 2011 – Singing Woods field trip
November 19, 2011 – fumigate Lakeview Museum insect collection

Frank is also planning some night collecting field trips to Banner Marsh (call him if you are interested). These trips are highly dependent on the weather conditions at that time.

May 20 or 21
June 10 or 11
June 24 or 25
July 8 or 9
July 22 or 23
August 5 or 6
August 19 or 20
September 9 or 10

2010 Meetings

Mark — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:37:20 +0000

January 16, 2010 – organizational planning meeting
February 20, 2010 – forensic entomology program
March 20, 2010 – undecided program at this point
April17, 2010 – field trip to Horseshow Lake State Park (leave at 8 a.m.)
May 15, 2010 – field trip to Matthiessen State Park (leave at 8 a.m.)
June 19, 2010 – field trip to Sand Ridge State Park (leave at 9 a.m.)
July 10, 2010 – annual butterfly count (call Tracy Fox)
August 14, 2010 – field trip to Bridget’s Woods (leave at 9 a.m.)
September 18, 2010 – field trip to Jubilee State Park (night collecting) (meet at Jubilee State Park at 5 p.m.)
October 16, 2010 – Banner Marsh walk
November 20, 2010 – fumigate Lakeview Museum insect collection
No December meeting – Happy Holidays

Below is a possible list of the weekends we may have outings to Banner Marsh for night collecting/ observations. These depend on weather conditions – contact Frank Hitchell if you plan to participate.

May 21 or 22
June 11 or 12
June 25 or 26
July 10 or 11
July 23 or 24
August 6 or 7
August 20 or 21
September 10 or 11
September 24 or 25

Illinois Insect – Paper Wasp

Mark — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:10:02 +0000

This paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) was photographed by our member Gordon Adams. Paper wasps are members of the insect family Vespidae in the order Hymenoptera. Their nests consist of a horizontal comb of paper cells supported by a slender stalk. These wasps make paper by mixing bits of wood with their saliva.

Illinois Insect – Soldier Beetle

Mark — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:04:56 +0000

This photo of a soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) was taken by Gordon Adams. Soldier beetles are members of the beetle family Cantharidae and the adults are usually found on flowers.

Illinois Insect – Chinese Mantid

Mark — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:40:43 +0000

This photo of a Chinese Mantid (Tenodera aridifolia) was taken by Gordon Adams (a member of our group). There are roughly 2,300 described species of the insect order Mantodea. This particular species was introduced into the area near Philadelphia around 1900 and has become widely distributed.

Illinois Insect – Large Milkweed Bug

Mark — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:29:45 +0000

This photograph og a large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) was taken by our member Gordon Adams. Members of this family (Lygaeidae) of the insect order Heteroptera are commonly called seed bugs. As yu can see, they are conspiculously marked. Typically, such markings warn predators that the insect in not very tasty.

Illinois Insect – Great Spangled Fritillary

Mark — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:25:23 +0000

This Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) was photographed by our member Gordon Adams. This species is typically found in open areas or near the edge of forested areas. It can be common at times (depending on the climate conditions in a given year).

Illinois Insect – Giant Swallowtail

Mark — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:18:41 +0000

This Giant Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) was photographed by Gordon Adams (a member of our group). Butterflies of this species are the largest butterflies found in Illinois. They are typically encountered in woods and nearby open areas.

Illinois Insect – Regal Fritillary

Mark — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:13:51 +0000

This photograph of a Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) was taken by our member Gordon Adams. This butterfly species is typically found in prairie or other open environments (more often in sandy regions). This is a state enangered species. More information can be found in the book – Field Guide to Butterflies of Illinois by John Bouseman and James Sternburg (2001 – ISBN 1-882932-05-6).