The Port Huron Times Herald reports that Department of Natural Resources staff are looking for volunteers to help monitor and promote habitat for several rare species of insect at Algonac State Park near Port Huron.  Story excerpts:

“We are monitoring for some rare native insects at the park,” said Malvitz, who coordinates volunteer stewardship efforts for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at seven state parks in southeast Michigan. “In some cases we know that the insects have been there in the past, and we’re trying to verify if they are still there.”

In other cases, she said, the habitat is appropriate for certain species of insects, but those insects have not been documented at the park.

“We’re mostly making sure that the other management efforts we are doing in the park are not harming these specific, rare insect populations,” Malvitz said.

She said volunteers will be looking for two species of moths: The culver’s root borer moth and the blazing star borer moth.

Volunteers are wrapping up monitoring the park for the presence of the red-legged spittle bug. Spittle bugs hide within a small clot of froth that they produce.

All three species of insect are rare in Michigan and have been documented in St. Clair County.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080823/NEWS01/808230309/1002/rss

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