By Arthur V. Evans
The 342 acres of riparian woodlands and wetlands
hugging the upper shore of the James River at the VCU Rice Center in Charles
City County is the perfect place to stage events that blend science and
scientists with students, educators, and naturalists.
One such event was “A Night of Blacklights and Owls,”
held on June 27-28 organized by Anne Wright, Life Science Outreach Education
coordinator. The evening was designed as an “advanced field experience and
training” for the Riverine and Pocahontas Chapters of the Virginia Master
Naturalist program and included members of the Powhatan/Dutch Gap MAPS
(Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) Program. Forty-five people
took part in the evening’s festivities, which ran from Saturday at 7 p.m. to Sunday
at 9 a.m.
Entomologist and VCU Life Sciences Research Associate
Dr. Art Evans established seven black light stations to attract night-flying
insects to share with the group. The insects collected during the evening were
part of an effort to document the fauna at Rice and establish a permanent
reference and teaching collection for the center.
The highlight of the evening was finding a rarely
encountered turtle beetle, Chelonarium lecontei (Photo 2), the fourth
known to be collected in Virginia. The turtle beetle is the sole North American
species of the mostly tropical family Chelonariidae. It ranges from Virginia to
Florida, west to Oklahoma and Texas. Nothing is known of its larval stages, but
it is suspected that they occur in rotten wood, possibly in association with
ants. Adults are attracted to lights during the months of June and July, or are
found resting on vegetation, especially at night.
Master Bander and VCU Professor of Economics Dr.
Robert Reilly led regular owling forays into the woods, broadcasting the
recorded calls of both owls and distressed rodents to lure owls down from their
lofty perches so folks could get a better look. VCU’s Holly Houtz, Life
Sciences’ Lab and Outreach Education Specialist, and Mary Arginteanu and Julie
Kacmarcik of MAPS assisted Reilly in his efforts.
The owls were less than cooperative but for those
intrepid naturalists still up and about around 2 a.m. they were treated to some
fine barred owl action.
Judging by the excitement and positive comments
generated by all who attended the program along the James River, it appears
that there is demand in Central Virginia for outdoor science events such as
“Black lights and Owls.” Future programs are being developed at the VCU Rice
Center for both the Master Naturalists and the general public to participate
in.
