Biology Program

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Dr. Edwin C. Masteller

Professor Emeritus of Biology

Ph.D. Entomology, Iowa State University, 1967

M.A., Botany, University of South Dakota, 1961
B.A., Biology, University of Northern Iowa, 1958

Pages of Interest:

Pennsylvania Aquatic Insects and Other Invertebrates

Mayflies Return to Lake Erie!

Awards:

Excellence in Teaching, PSU Behrend, 1972
Excellence in Research, PSU Behrend, 1984
Fulbright-Hays Senior Research Fellowship, 1974-75
President Entomological Society of Pennsylvania, 1979
President of North American Benthological Society, 1986
 
 
Research Interests (Aquatic insects and other invertebrates):

Aquatic insect populations of lotic habitats from temperate and tropical rainforest latitudes have been studied through long-term collections.

Long-term emergence surveys were completed from 1977 through 1991 on Pennsylvania streams: Fourmile & Sixmile Creeks in Erie County, Hemlock Creek & Little Arnot Run in Warren County in Allegheny National Forest, and Lewis Run in Mckean County, in the Allegheny National Forest.

During 1990-92 emergence traps were operated on streams in El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. During 1993 and 1995 emergence collections were obtained from streams in Cochise County, AZ in the Chiricahua National Monument.

These collections provided the following numbers of species:

The first record of the Odonata, Argia lacrimans. was taken in Arizona. In Puerto Rico, 36 new species were recorded from the collections.

From these collections Stupkaiella mastelleri and Cernotina mastelleri were kindly dedicated to this collector by Ruediger Wagner and Oliver S. Flint Jr.

During 1989-91 Trichoptera were collected from the entire state of Pennsylvania supported by grants from the Wild Resources Fund of PA. Collections through 1996 and records from the literature have brought the total number of caddisflies in PA to 319 species. County records can be found at my web site. The Plecoptera were collected throughout PA during 1994-96, again supported by Wild Resources funding and, along with records from Jane Earl and the literature, provided a list of 136 species.
 

Recent Publications:

Masteller E.C. & E. Obert. 2000. Excitement along the shores of Lake Erie - Hexagenia - Echoes from the past. Great Lakes Research Review. 5(1):25-36.

Schloesser, D.W. & E.C. Masteller. 1999. Mortality of unionid bivalves (Mollusca) associated with dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) in Prsque Isle Bay, Lake Erie. Northeastern Naturalist. 6(4):341-352.

Wagner, R. & E.C. Masteller. 1996. New moth flies (Diptera:Psychodidae) and a key to species from Puerto Rico. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 98(3):450-464.

Masteller. E.C. 1996. New records of stoneflies (Plecoptera) with an annotated checklist of species for Pennsylvania. Great Lakes Entomologist. 29(3):107-120.

Grant, P. M., S. K. Burian, & E.C. Masteller. 1996. Emergence of mayflies from streams of Erie Co. PA. Pennsylvania Acad. Sci. 70(3):105-112.

McCreadie, J. W., P. H. Adler, & E.C. Masteller. 1994. Long-term emergence patterns of black flies (Diptera:Simuliidae) in northwestern Pennsylvania.  Hydrobiologia 288:39-46.

Masteller, E.C. 1993. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) of Presque Isle State Park, Erie county, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Acad. Sci. 67(3):137-140.

Masteller, E.C. 1993. Comparison of tropical and temperate emergence phenology of aquatic insects from Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania. Jr. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 66(2):192-199.

Masteller, E.C. & K. M. Buzby. 1993. Emergence phenology of Empididae, Ceratopogonidae, and Simuliidae (Diptera) from a tropical rainforest stream at El Verde, Puerto Rico. Jr. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 66(2):187-191.

Masteller, E.C., K. R. Maleski, & D. W. Schloesser. 1993. Unionid bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) of Presque Isle Bay, Erie, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Acad. Sci. 67(3):127-131.

Masteller, E.C. & O.S. Flint, Jr. 1992. The Trichoptera (caddisflies) of Pennsylvania: an annotated checklist. Pennsylvania Acad. Sci. 66(2):68-78.

Masteller, E.C. 1991. Adult Trichoptera phenology from long-term emergence collections of headwater streams.  Proc. Sixth International Symposium on Trichoptera.  pp. 217-229.
 

Interested persons can reach me for information at: e11@psu.edu
Phone: 814-898-6404