11-JUL-2013
Small carpenter bee (Ceratina sp.)
One of the many small bees that occur at FWG. It is metallic green like some of the sweat bees, but less brilliantly coloured and a somewhat different shape. Barry photographed this one on an ox-eye daisy.
11-JUL-2013
Checkered beetles (Trichodes nuttalli)
A brightly patterned beetle, here on queen anne's lace. These are common in the region, but not seen at the FWG that often, though they are more than likely just overlooked. You may also see these with yellow replacing the red.
11-JUL-2013
Asian ladybeetle larva (Harmonia axyridis)
This spiky little creature is the larval stage of the asian ladybeetle. It is a voracious predator of aphids.
11-JUL-2013
Giant ichneumonid wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus), female
Unfortunately, this spectacular big wasp was dead. I noticed it in the middle of the Bill Holland trail near the Butterfly Meadow. I show it here only because it is not often we get the opportunity to see this beauty. This is a female, as evidenced by the very long ovipositor, the long black whip-like extension. It looks like a big stinger but it is not. These wasps CANNOT sting. They use that ovipositor to bore into trees where they lay their eggs on the larvae of the Pigeon Horntail wasp (another big wasp). It is rare to see M. macrurus males, but they are considerably smaller.
I wondered how this wasp came to be dead on the trail, and speculated that perhaps someone saw it on a tree, or on vegetation, saw that long ovipositor, mistook it for a stinger and decided this harmless creature was extremely dangerous. But who really knows.
11-JUL-2013
Giant ichneumonid wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus), female
Another view of the wasp, this time on my palm to give a sense of size. Remember, that long ovipositor is not a stinger. These wasps are harmless and cannot sting.
11-JUL-2013
Galinsoga (Galinsoga parviflora)
Photographed near the red barn. This is a plant originally from Peru, but which grows widely in Europe after being introduced there. No doubt it is from there that it made its way to North America.
11-JUL-2013
Field penny-cress (Thlaspi arvense)
A member of the mustard family, and native to Europe, this plant is pretty common, noted more for its pretty seed pods than its rather insignificant flowers.
11-JUL-2013
Cobweb spider (Enoplognatha ovata), female
These small spiders are very common, but because of their size and their inclination to hide amongst vegetation (this one is on a walnut tree), they are infrequently noted. There is great variation in their pattern and colour and if you look at our spider gallery, you'll see that some have a vivid red set of stripes on its abdomen, and sometimes the abdomen is almost entirely red.
11-JUL-2013
Cobweb spider (Enoplognatha ovata), female
Another view of the cobweb spider in its characteristic upside down pose.
11-JUL-2013
New kiosk in Butterfly Meadow
Thanks to a team of our volunteers, this kiosk was erected in the Butterfly Meadow, as a place to display information about monarch butterflies and others. Right now we have only one poster in it, one depicting the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.
11-JUL-2013
Goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia), male
This tiny spider is the male goldenrod crab spider, a fraction of the size of the female. You can also tell it is a male by the clubbed palps.
11-JUL-2013
Weevil (Polydrusus sericeus)
These handsome green weevils seem to be especially abundant this year. I'm seeing them on a variety of trees. This is a non-native species from Europe, which arrived, accidentally, at the turn of the 20th century in New York and is now widespread/