30-AUG-2011
Larch lappet moth (Tolype laricis), female, #7673
This beauty was sitting on the front wall of the Interpretive Centre. You never know what moths will turn up there, and over the years we've found quite a few species resting on these four walls, some of them new to our list.
30-AUG-2011
Green frog (Rana clamitans) in BYG Pond
Isn't this frog brilliantly emerald green on its head! This is one of at least 11 green frogs found in the BYG pond.
30-AUG-2011
FWG Interpretive Centre
After the rain shower, everything in front of the centre looked fresh and lush. This is looking south across the ravine, in the front of the centre.
30-AUG-2011
Fruit fly (Rhagoletis pomonella)
There were several of these tiny, tiny (a couple of mm in size) flies around the nannyberry shrubs today.
24-AUG-2011
Lemon drops (Bisporella citrina)
These tiny little sac fungi were found on top of an old post at the garden.
24-AUG-2011
Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)
This hornet was very busy scraping slivers of wood from this post at the garden. It will add to its nest, as the 'renovation' work is ongoing!
24-AUG-2011
Bee fly (Sparnopolius confusus)
There were a number of these little bee flies on the rudbeckia at FWG. They are true flies (Diptera), but because they look so much like bees, they've been given the common name of bee flies.
24-AUG-2011
Bee fly (Sparnopolius confusus)
A side view of this pretty little fly on the rudbekcia.
25-AUG-2011
Ragweed Leaf beetle (Zygogramma suturalis) on Beggarticks
There were ragweeds all around this beggartick plant. Perhaps the beetle was taking a rest! This is a native species, and has actually been exported to Russia for control of ragweed there. However, it appears that it is not doing a very effective job! It is, however, a very pretty beetle, and a new one for our FWG insect list.
18-AUG-2011
Spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)
Another of our little native lady beetles, eating the contents of an insect or arachnid case on the underside of a milkweed leaf.
18-AUG-2011
Spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)
This small (4-5mm) indigenous lady beetle is investigating an insect cocoon. I found another one of these beetles with its face inside another insect case, eating the contents!
19-AUG-2011
Monarch caterpillar on burdock
Yesterday I spent well over an hour checking a patch of milkweed for monarch butterfly eggs and caterpillars. I didn't find any eggs, but I found two caterpillars (very hopeful sign!), one about 2 days old, and this much bigger one. I went back today to see how it was doing only to discover it was no longer on the milkweed plant. I could see caterpillar frass on the leaves indicating it had been there. Looking around the immediate vicinity I was surprised to find it on a burdock leaf! I put it back on the milkweed, and went off looking for more caterpillars in the rest of the milkweed patch (found no more). When I got back about 45 min. later, this guy was back on the burdock.
18-AUG-2011
Wood duck, male
This guy is in eclipse plumage and feeling a bit vulnerable I think, so he is hiding out at the FWG where it is quiet and safe. Even without his gorgeous plumage, he is still a handsome duck!
17-AUG-2011
Red-eared slider
We haven't seen many turtles in the pond this year, so it was nice to see that at least one is still there. Although this is not native to our area (it is a species native to the southern US), it is often found in local waterways because people buy them as pets from pet stores and then, for whatever reason, let them go in ponds and streams. There is no way of telling if this is the same one that we have seen for several years at the pond, but if so, it means it has survived two winters. Normal cold winters often kill off this southern species, but lately our winters have been pretty mild so I guess it can survive them (if this is indeed the same one from the last few years).
12-AUG-2011
Hover fly (Helophilus)
This nicely patterned hover fly was photographed by Barry at the garden. This species can be found in spring and throughout the summer, and is, for a hover fly, quite large.
17-AUG-2011
Red-banded bumblebee (Bombus ternarius)
There seem to be a lot of these very attractive and distinctive bumblebees around this year.
17-AUG-2011
Bumblebee (Bombus)
Very pretty shot of this pollen laden bumblebee taken by Diane.
12-AUG-2011
Male Cabbage white (Pieris rapae) caught by ambush bug
Barry wondered why this cabbage white was so cooperative! Looking more closely he discovered why... it had been caught by the well-named Ambush bug. This buttterfly has one black dot, indicating it is a male.
17-AUG-2011
Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)
This is the European paper wasp. It is smaller than the native P. fuscatus, and has orange antennae. It is also more boldly patterned in yellow and black, like a yellowjacket, whereas the native paper wasp in this area is much darker overall.
17-AUG-2011
Sand wasp (Bicyrtes) on goldenrod
This very strikingly patterned wasp is quite common in the region,including at the FWG, from mid-summer onward. They seem to particularly like goldenrods for nectaring.
17-AUG-2011
Clouded sulphur on Monarda
There were several sulphurs in the BYG and more in the rest of the Fletcher garden, along with 2 eastern-tailed blues, a dozen or so cabbage whites, and two monarchs.
17-AUG-2011
Treehopper (Acutalis tartarea)
This tiny treehopper (about 4-5 mm) seems to appear at this time of year on the sunflowers in the Butterfly Meadow. It was a three treehopper day today, with this one, the Enchenopa, and a buffalo treehopper. Previously called A. brunnea.
17-AUG-2011
Monarch, female (Danaus plexippus) on red clover
I saw two monarchs today at the garden, but only one sat still long enough for me to see that it was a female. She was just south of the New Woods, in an area where the vegetation had been cut and new milkweeds were coming up. They were between 6-12 inches tall, and when I first saw her, she was flitting around them. I can't believe she didn't lay eggs on them! I searched for eggs on many plants but saw none. However, there are so many milkweeds that it needs a more concerted effort.
17-AUG-2011
Pennsylvania leatherwing (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) on tansy
These soldier beetles are very common right now. They seem to particularly like yellow coloured flowers such as goldenrods and tansy, perhaps because they blend in so well!
17-AUG-2011
DSV control
A work party spent one morning removing DSV from an area near the Interpretive Centre. This is the result of their work. The plants were bagged because the seed pods are ripening and beginning to disperse, therefore bagging them contains the spread.
17-AUG-2011
New England Aster
A few of these beautiful plants were beginning to flower, yet another sign of autumn's approach.
17-AUG-2011
Signs of autumn
Nannyberry fruit and leaves turning red.
17-AUG-2011
Treehopper (Enchenopa) laying eggs
I have always found these treehoppers on Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), but assume they use a variety of shrubs. They are cryptically coloured and shaped, making them hard to find. Today I decided to look for the egg masses instead and this worked as I found several adults near the egg masses, and this one in the process of laying eggs. They usually deposit 4 to 6 or more white clusters that look like little white blobs on the stems. The covering hardens and forms a protective cover, although I noticed that some seemed to have been opened.
17-AUG-2011
Wood ducks
Two males in eclipse plumage have been in the pond for at least a week. Also in the pond today were a couple of Black ducks.
12-AUG-2011
Hover fly (Eristalis sp.)
The back side of this hover fly abdomen looks like that of Eristalis dimidiata, but as I didn't see the fly, can't be sure. Nonetheless, it is a good photo to illustrate how much like a bee most Eristalis species of hover flies are!
12-AUG-2011
Vespid wasp
Barry took this fine shot of a wasp nectaring on goldenrod. It looks like this is one of the Vespid wasps, a family that includes yellowjackets, hornets, potter wasps, etc. and they can be difficult to ID unless you also see their face, but even then....!
12-AUG-2011
Crabronid wasp
These small wasps are pretty common around the garden. Crabronids are called digger wasps for the obvious reason that most of them nest in underground burrows.
12-AUG-2011
Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
We've had lots of black swallowtail caterpillars at the garden this year, and hope that they all survived so that they can turn into these beautiful butterflies!
12-AUG-2011
Black and yellow orb weaver (Argiope aurantia), female
Now is the time to look for these large female orb weavers. If you look closely, you may also find the tiny male hanging out nearby!
16-AUG-2011
Two caterpillars
These two were photographed on goldenrod. I have seen them elsewhere, and they look familiar, but I can't put a name to them. Perhaps Diane can help.
16-AUG-2011
Goldenrods in the Old Field habitat
The goldenrods were full of bumblebees, Bicyrtes (sand wasps), and a variety of other insects nectaring.
09-AUG-2011
Asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis), adult just emerged from pupal case
I've noticed several of these emergences of late, but this is the first one I was able to photograph. This was near the Interpretive Centre. Also seen close by was a larva of this species. Notice that the newly emerged adult has no spots and that the elytra looks almost translucent/
09-AUG-2011
Mating grasshoppers
While cutting back DSV, I noticed these mating grasshoppers and tried not to disturb them.
09-AUG-2011
Great black wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) on swamp milkweed
Lots of these guys around at the FWG these days. They are particularly attracted to this plant!
09-AUG-2011
Juvenile Green Heron
There were three juvenile herons in the pond, along with a male wood duck and a black duck. Still no sign of the female mallard with her young. Sad.
08-AUG-2011
Orb weaver (Argiope)
The first orb weaver I've seen this season. I think of them as heralds of late summer, because typically I begin to see them later in August and well into September.
08-AUG-2011
Monarch, male (Danaus plexippus)
I was delighted to see this male monarch in the Butterfly Meadow. WHile here he is resting on the raspberry plants, he also spent time nectaring on the nearby swamp milkweed.
08-AUG-2011
Twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella)
Saw at least four of these guys around the garden, as well as a couple of darners (flying too fast for any ID), and a female common pondhawk.
08-AUG-2011
Common pondhawk, female (Erythemis simplicicollis)
I was very happy to see this common pondhawk at the FWG, the first I've seen there this year. They have been very common at other locations, such as Petrie Island.
08-AUG-2011
White admiral (Limenitis arthemis) on grass-leaved goldenrod
I saw more butterfly species today than I have done at FWG for awhile:
Least skipper 1
Eastern tailed blue 1 male
Monarch 1 male
Common ringlet 5
Cabbage white 8
Clouded sulphur 3
Viceroy 1
White Admiral 1
08-AUG-2011
Sphex ichneumoneus
One of the two big digger wasps in the Sphecidae family that we see regularly at this time of year at FWG. This one on swamp milkweed.
08-AUG-2011
Autumn meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)
Seeing this little meadowhawk, one of the later season species, reminds us that summer is moving inexorably toward autumn.
05-AUG-2011
Bald faced hornet nest
These are impressive nests for the large black and white social wasps, the bald-faced hornet. This one is hanging low in a shrub and we've placed a sign nearby to advise people to not approach as these wasps, when around their nest site, are very protective.
02-AUG-2011
Locust borer (Megacyllene robinia) on Boneset
Another view, this time of the back, of this large and pretty long-horned beetle.
02-AUG-2011
Locust borer (Megacyllene robinia) on Boneset
Mid-summer is the time to find these lovely long-horned beetles as they nectar on flowers. They are similar in colour and pattern to many wasps, including yellowjackets, and this serves to deter predators. As the name suggests, this insect is a borer into locust trees.
02-AUG-2011
Black swallowtail caterpillars (Papilio polyxenes)
This caterpillar was one of three that Diane and I found at FWG today. It was obviously disturbed by something, perhaps us, because its scent gland (osmeterium) was pushed out. However, it soon retracted it into a "pouch" above its head.
02-AUG-2011
Stinkbug nymph, possibly one of the predatory stinkbugs
This very colourful and boldly marked stinkbug was in the flowers of Boneset. It may be one of the predatory stinkbugs, but nymphs are often hard to ID.
02-AUG-2011
Treehopper (Enchenopa latipes)
This very small, but very neat looking little treehopper was on a wild parsnip plant along with a myriad of insects.
02-AUG-2011
Buffalo treehopper (stictocephala )
This beautiful little bright green treehopper was on the stem of wild parsnip, along with the Campylenchia treehopper, at least three Black swallowtail caterpillars, lots of planthoppers, meadow spittlebugs, leafhoppers, etc. Indeed, the wild parsnip is a plant that attracts a huge variety of insects and is worth checking often.
02-AUG-2011
Leafhopper, possibly Aphrodes species
This tiny, tiny little leafhopper, an introduced species, is a new one for the FWG list. It has a distinctive pointed head.
02-AUG-2011
Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis)
Diane and I spent some time watching two of these lovely small Snowberry Clearwing moths, which were nectaring busily on swamp milkweed, along with the much bigger Hummingbird Clearwing moth. The Snowberry Clearwing is a new addition to our moth list.
02-AUG-2011
Snowberry Clearwing moth (Hemaris diffinis)
Another view of this pretty and very un-moth-like moth.