10-JUN-2013
Buprestid beetle (agrilus cyanescens)
This pretty metallic blue beetle is in the Buprestidae, the metallic wood-boring beetles. It is in the same genus (Agrilus) as the notorious emerald ash borer, but is much smaller at about 7 mm. It is not a specialist the way the ash borer is, although it is said to really like honeysuckles. I wonder if it has ever been considered for biocontrol of tartarian honeysuckle! This too, like the emerald ash borer, is a non-native introduction. I hadn't seen these beetles at FWG before, but undoubtedly just missed them in the past. I think that, having seen dozens of them in other places, I was more attuned this year.
10-JUN-2013
Cattails cut and left on the water
Sure seems a sign of muskrat to me. This is the first time I've seen any evidence like this, of muskrat activity, though Sandy saw a muskrat at least 6 weeks ago now.
10-JUN-2013
Prince baskettail (Epicordulia princeps)
This odonate flew up almost from under my feet and landed down in the grass a few feet further on. Every year at about this time I seem to scare up one or two of these dragonflies as I walk along trails by the old field. These are one of the few odonates to be found flying at dusk and later. In fact, in 2009, when Diane and I were mothing at the FWG, one stayed on the sheet the entire time we were there (until midnight).
10-JUN-2013
Neogalerucella beetle and eggs
These are the leaf-eating beetles introduced over a decade ago, to control purple loosestrife. They have spread far and wide and it is not uncommon to find them in most areas where loosestrife grows. They are doing an amazing job, and most people have noticed the big reduction in purple loosestrife over time. There are still many places where the plants flower, and who knows if it will ever be eradicated, but it certainly seems to be under control. On the flip side, many insects, including many butterflies, nectar heavily on the beautiful purple flowers.
10-JUN-2013
Common whitetail (Plathemis lydia), female
I was just looking at the old split rail fence, south end of ash woods, thinking how perfect it was for insects to land on, when this common whitetail did! Followed soon after by a spider wasp, which didn't sit still long enough for a photo.
10-JUN-2013
Crab spider (Xysticus sp.)
It was a spidery sort of day at the garden, with many spiders noted. These little Xysticus crab spiders are smaller than the more common goldenrod crab spiders, but larger than most jumping spiders. I must have seen 4 or 5 of these. And of the next species, the oblong running crab spider, well, they were all over it seems. Jumping spiders were likewise very common, though hard to photograph, and were very noticeable on milkweed which they do seem to like hanging out on. Also saw a small wolf spider trundling along with her huge egg sac under her abdomen.
10-JUN-2013
Oblong running crab spider (Tibellus oblongus)
Relatively common around the FWG and very distinctive in appearance. They can be found all summer long, and the young overwinter.
10-JUN-2013
Jumping spider with moth
This little jumping spider was hanging onto the much larger moth, with a fierce determination. This spider may be Pelegrina proterva, but I'm not really sure. When I first saw them, I thought they were a tiny bit of bird scat on the leaf. Only when I looked closely did I realize what I was seeing. This alone gives a hint as to how small they were.
10-JUN-2013
Jumping spider's silk shelter
This shelter is constructed in the leaves of a mallow (Malva) plant. A jumping spider jumped out of this and vanished, so I didn't get a chance to see pattern or colour, other than to note it was dark!
04-JUN-2013
Eastern forktail, mature female (Ischnura verticalis)
The next photo shows the orange immature female. This one shows the mature female. She has her abdomen bent because the tiny wasp (Braconid, perhaps?) had landed too close for comfort.
10-JUN-2013
Eastern forktail, immature female (Ischnura verticalis)
Forktails and sedge sprites are tiny, the latter especially so, the former about the size of the bluets we see. This lovely orange beauty is the immature female of the species.
10-JUN-2013
Beetle in leafy shelter
This beetle was hiding in the curled over leaf of a red osier dogwood. I couldn't see it really well, but what I did see looked like a european soldier beetle.
