I am following up on our visits to the Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Area with the request to continue the research on Hemileuca peigleri in Calhoun County. The initial trips have helped us to identify which Oak was being used by the female moths for oviposition. This oak is now identified as Quercus minima – Jason Singhurst (TPWD).

We have had two separate trips to collect ova rings and now we are looking to:
1) gather caterpillars to search for larval parasitoids
2) review the impact of the caterpillars on the property (especially the Oak ecosystems)
3) review the recently burned areas for evidence of how fires affect the ova rings.

The ova rings collected on out last visit hatched 2 days after returning so it is our belief that the larva are now present on the property, possibly in large numbers. We also intend to continue the broad scale nature data logging for our iNaturalist project.

We are proposing to make this trip on Saturday April 11, 2015 – with a start time at about 8:00 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 the definitive work on the parasitoids of North American Saturniidae and his presence on this trip will enable us to have a good shot at determining what unique parasitoids may exist in Calhoun County.This of course is a wonderful paper they can be written.

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 also interested in discovering what other caterpillars are feeding on the Oak trees. Dr. Peigler is supporting Dr. David L. Wagner on his latest caterpillar book and we are hoping to secure some other interesting caterpillars for him, such as Norape virgo, et al.

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

University of the Incarnate Word – San Antonio Texas
Dr. Richard Peigler – Professor - University of the Incarnate Word

In conclusion, we sincerely appreciate your time to consider this request and stand ready to answer any questions that you may have.