23-JUN-2014
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
This beautiful metallic green Buprestid beetle, is the reason why we have lost all our ash trees in the ash woods! This one is sitting on one of the downed trees piled up outside the woodlot. I saw around 8-10 adults flying around and landing on the trees, perhaps recently emerged adults. It was easy to see the distinctive D-shaped exit or emergence holes on the trees.
It is not the adults that cause the damage, but their larvae, who feed on the inner bark which kills the trees within a fairly short time. These non-native beetles have spread like wildfire in recent years, infecting just about every ash tree in the city. According to sources such as Bug Guide, this beetle from East Asia was accidentally introduced in the late 1990s in the Great Lakes region and has since spread rapidly. It was thought at first that our very cold winters would prevent the insect taking hold up here, but that has not been the case, sadly. WIthin the city of Ottawa, as elsewhere, one can see dead ash trees everywhere. They are being removed as quickly as possible, but so many ash were planted that it will take time. Replanting efforts will hopefully take place, but it will take many decades before the new trees achieve the size and canopy of the beautiful ash now being cut down.
23-JUN-2014
Herb robert (Geranium robertianum)
Growing amidst the destruction in the "ash" woods, where all the ash trees have been removed, were several patches of the native plant, herb robert (one of the cranesbill geraniums). This one was against the stump of a downed tree.
23-JUN-2014
Sunflower Maggot fly (Strauzia longipennis)
A beautiful little fruit fly closely associated with sunflowers and related plants, in the larval stage. This is a new species for our insect list at the garden.
23-JUN-2014
Sawfly larva (Caliroa obsoleta)
This tiny slug-like creature is the larva of a sawfly in the genus Caliroa. I found several on the underside of red oak leaves. Despite their common name of sawfly, these insects are not flies (Diptera), but rather members of the Hymenoptera (wasps, sawflies, bees, ants). The adults of this genus look like dark wasps. This is a new species for our insect list at the garden.
23-JUN-2014
Crocus geometer (Xanthotype sp.)
This is a pretty, bright yellow day-flying moth. I saw one in the Butterfly Meadow but couldn't photograph it as it kept ducking down behind vegetation. However, this one was shown to myself and Barry by Isabelle, who said it had been captured a few days ago and left in the centre. We photographed it and then released the poor thing.
23-JUN-2014
Common milkweed flower (Asclepias syriaca)
The milkweeds are starting to bloom now. Many insects are attracted to these plants, some to nectar, some to munch on the leaves or roots or stems, and one, the monarch butterfly, to lay its eggs. Milkweeds (of many species) are the only host plant for the monarch butterfly, and without them, they cannot lay their eggs, which naturally has a negative impact on the survival of the butterflies.
23-JUN-2014
Oblique-banded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana)
Found sitting on a thistle. Leafroller moths are so called because their larvae roll leaves around themselves. They are quite abundant and you'll see lots of rolled leaves on many different plant species.
23-JUN-2014
European skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
This is one of about 4 European skippers I saw at the garden. I was a bit surprised at how few there were, because the timothy grass, their larval host, is growing in quantity. A few days ago, I was at another site and saw, literally, thousands of these skippers, so I was expecting a few more at the garden. In some years, however, at FWG, we see only a few, while in others we can easily see 20 or 30 in a visit.
Other butterflies noted yesterday were long dash skipper, canadian tiger swallowtail, white admiral, common ringlet, and cabbage white.
18-JUN-2014
Sphinx moth caterpillar, possibly Hummingbird Sphinx (Hemaris thisbe), #7853
This gorgeous creature was found by Lesley and photographed by Diane. When I congratulated her on finding such a cool looking caterpillar, Lesley said "It was more a case of the caterpillar finding me because I looked down to see it on the back of my gardening glove!". It was found during the Wednesday evening work on the Butterfly Meadow.
16-JUN-2014
Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)
This mayfly species was clinging to the underside of a leaf just west of the pond. Mayflies, in the Order Ephemeroptera, can be seen in great abundance when they first emerge. The Order has many families, and I am unsure which one this mayfly fits into.
16-JUN-2014
Tortricid moth (Tortricidae)
This pretty little moth was nestled inside a leaf at the Butterfly Meadow.
16-JUN-2014
Dance fly (Rhamphomyia longicauda), female
These were in abundance and had perhaps just emerged as there were so many. Clouds of them flew up as I moved around the vegetation. The females in this species have the large feathery legs, while the males are quite different looking. All the ones I saw were females, so no doubt they were waiting for a male to arrive with a prey item as an offering and select one of them to mate with (the males apparently prefer the female who looks the largest).