09-SEP-2012
Monarch butterfly caterpillar
A rather late caterpillar. Let's hope it pupates and emerges in time to fly southward. It looks fairly big here, so I am guessing it probably pupated not long after Barry took this photo. It will take between 9-12 days to pupate, and then it will emerge as a beautiful butterfly. This is the generation, the last of the summer, that will head toward Mexico.
09-SEP-2012
Bee fly (probably Bombylius sp.)
Barry photographed this bee fly nectaring on rudbeckia. Its colouring allows it to blend in with the flower quite easily.
09-SEP-2012
Leaf miner work
The patterns created by the various leaf mining insects is quite remarkable. I've always been fascinated by them (and by the patterns in dead trees made by bark beetles). Barry took this lovely image.
09-SEP-2012
Blotch type work of a leaf miner insect
Another type of pattern made by a leaf-mining insect, more than likely a tiny micro moth of some sort. It appears that there is a very small larva in each of these blotches.
09-SEP-2012
Leaf miner work
Isn't this a beautiful pattern? Barry photographed this leaf, completely riddled by an leaf-mining insect. There are any number of insects who do this kind of thing, so it could be a leaf-mining moth, or a fly, less likely to be a beetle as the lines are too fine. At any rate, whatever insect made this pattern, it is beautiful.
09-SEP-2012
Locust borer (Megacyllene robinia)
Al took this terrific shot of a large locust borer. This species is closely associated with black locust trees, of which the FWG has many, growing in the Ravine.
07-SEP-2012
Darling underwing moth (Catocala cara), #8832.1
Thanks to Diane for identifying this large moth, photographed by Al. Catocala moths are in the Noctuidae family. This one is a new species for our FWG moth list!
07-SEP-2012
Great ash sphinx moth caterpillar (Sphinx chersis), #7802
Diane identified this moth as being quite probably the Great ash sphinx moth, in the Sphingidae (Sphinx moth) family. She did say it is best to see the side as well as the top to be 100% sure, but feels it is more than likely this species. Thanks to Al for photographing this species, new to the FWG, and to Diane for identification.
06-SEP-2012
Pollen drenched bee
This bee is so pollen covered that it is difficult to determine which species it might be, but perhaps a sweat bee (Halictid). Photo taken by Barry.
06-SEP-2012
Small milkweed bug (Lygaeus kalmii)
Barry photographed this bug on a milkweed seedpod which allows you to see how small this insect really is against the seeds which, as we know, are very small.
06-SEP-2012
Bee Wolf wasp (Philanthus)
A lovely shot by Barry, showing the shape and colours of this beautiful wasp. Despite the name of bee wolf, it is indeed a wasp, not a bee. The name comes from its habit of preying on bees (and sometimes other wasps) which it captures to provision its larder for its larvae.
06-SEP-2012
Autumn meadowhawk
One of the dragonflies we can continue to observe right through fall, sometimes even into November if the weather remains reasonably mild.