Insects of Dominant Shrub Communities at Pawnee and Comanche National Grasslands, Colorado

Abstract

Terrestrial insects associated with shrubs at Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado and Comanche National Grassland in southeastern Colorado were identified to family or genus with some taxa to species. Six species of grassland shrubs were sampled using a funnel-bucket method each month from June-September 2014 and 2015. Insect diversity and abundance differed between the grasslands. Chrysomelidae, Cicadellidae, Cleridae, Formicidae, Meloidae, and Miridae were abundant at Pawnee National Grassland, primarily from four-winged saltbush (Atriplex canescens) (Pursh.) Nutt). Acrididae, Aphididae, Chrysomelidae, Cleridae, Coccinellidae, Formicidae, Lygaeidae, Miridae, and Reduviidae collected from sandsage (Artemisia filifolia Torr.), four-winged saltbush, rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa (Pallas ex. Pursh), greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hook) Torr.), skunkbush (Rhus trilobata Nutt.), and one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma (Engelm.) were abundant at Comanche National Grassland.