Lady Beetle Loan Needed from National Parks

[Michael A. Ivie]

Dear Entomology Curators and Collection Managers,

We are conducting a project looking at change in predator communities in
National Parks and Monuments in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, using the
genus Coccinella (Coleoptera: Coccinelliae).  We are in desperate need
of pre-1990 records for this genus from Yellowstone National Park, Grand
Teton National Park, and Glacier National Park, as well as Craters of
the Moon National Monument.

We would like to solicit you assistance with this project.  If you have
specimens of ANY of the following species from ANY National Park or
Monument in this area, we would like to borrow the specimens as soon as
possible.  A long series of a common species is every bit as useful as a
single specimen of a rare species.   Even one specimen is important to
us.  If you have undetermined ladybird beetles from these parks and
monuments, we will identify them for you.  All material will be
acknowledged in the resulting publication.

If you have material from other Western National Parks and Monuments, we
would appreciate receiving word of which parks, and what era, as well as
an approximate number of specimens, because we hope to be able to expand
our project next year.

Please send specimens to:

Dr. Michael A. Ivie, Curator
Department of Entomology
320 Leon Johnson Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

Material will be returned shortly after receipt.

Thank you,

Mike Ivie

List of taxa involved (numerous synonyms were used until relatively
recently, if in doubt, please send it):

Coccinella alta
Coccinella difficilis
Coccinella hieroglyphica
Coccinella novemnotata
Coccinella prolongata
Coccinella septempunctata
Coccinella trifasciata
Coccinella transversoguttata
Coccinella monticola