Merry Christmas

12-25
A quick survey of my neighborhood turned up a lone Hepatica in flower!
John

Hepatica

8-24

8-24
Today wild Cucumber - AKA Balsam Apples - have set fruit.
And Colorado Potato Bugs and their larvae infest Horse Nettles, close relatives of potatoes.
John

Wild Cucumber fruit

Colorado Potato bug

Colorado Potato bug larva

8-23

8-23
Along the West river Closed Gentians are in flower. Although these flowers never open, bumblebees force their way in and pollination is achieved.
The rayless flowers of Leafy-bracted Beggar-tick are also having their season.
And the blue berries of one of the dogwoods await the birds that will disperse their seeds.
John

Closed Gentian

Leafy-bracted Beggar-tick

Dogwood berries

8-22

8-22
Today Small White Asters, Fall Dandelions and Slender Gerardia were all in flower.
And a beaver that found my presence objectionable circled in quiet waters along the West River.
John

Small White Asters

Fall Dandelion

Slender Gerardia

Beaver in the West River

8-18

8-18
Today Whorled Asters decorate the woods and Hairy Willow Herb brightens swamps and wet meadows.
John

Whorled Aster

Hairy Willow Herb

8-17

8-17
Whorled Milkwort, a state listed rare species, is in flower. This is a plant of wet meadows.
And a moth called a Sooty-winged Chalcoela was on the wing last night. These moths invade paper wasp nests at night and consume wasp larvae and pupae. They then deposit their own larvae in the wasp brood cells. The wasps make no attempt to rid their nest of the parasitic moths.
John

Sooty-winged Chalcoela moth

Whorled Milkwort

8-16

8-16
Narrow-leaved Mountain Mint and Nodding Ladies Tresses are both in flower today.
Last night Parthenice Tiger moths were airborne.
John

Narrow-leaved Mountain Mint

Nodding Ladies Tresses

Parthenice Tiger moth

8-15

8-15
One of the chaffer beetles, Osmoderma scabra, lumbered laboriously across a road as I came by. Osmoderma species are called "odor of leather beetles" because of the scent males exude when hoping to attract females.
The remains of a largish crawfish was on the bank of the West River.
And an exotic looking but common plume gall adorned a riverside rush, Juncus canadense.
John

Osmoderma scabra beetle

Crawfish remains

Juncus gall

8-14

8-14
Today Buttonbush is flowering in wet places.
In dry places Pearly Everlasting and Hairy Bush Clover are having their day.
John

Buttonbush

Pearly Everlasting

Hairy Bush Clover

8-9

8-9
The extremely rare Three-bird Orchid, AKA Nodding Pogonia, is in flower.
Downy Rattlesnake Plantain - another member of the orchid family - is also in flower.
The minimalist flowering of Spikenard graces roadsides.
And Pale touch-me-not blankets wet areas.
John

Three-bird Orchid

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain leaves

Spikenard

Pale Touch-me-not

8-8

8-8
The plum-size fruits of Purple Trillium, AKA Wake Robin, hang heavy below fading leaves.
The nymphal husk of a Dogday Harvest Fly (Cicada) hangs on a Maple tree. On the next hot afternoon the drawn out sizzling mating call of the fly will sound from the treetops.
And a thorn-mimicking Locust Treehopper sat immobile while I took its picture. Host plant for this hopper is Black Locust. Ants often tend members of this species and feed on the honeydew they secrete.
John

Purple Trillium fruit

Dogday Harvest Fly (cicada )nymphal husk

Locust Treehopper

8-7

8-7
Sweet-scented Water Lilies are starting to unfold their pale petals.
Wild Marjoram has invaded our kitchen garden.
And a Milkweed Leaf Beetle rests on a milkweed leaf. These beetles nip the leaf veins and allow the toxic latex to drain before eating the leaf.
John

Water Lily

Wild Marjoram

Milkweed Leaf Beetle

8-6

8-6
A day flying Black and Yellow Lichen moth nectared on a Joe Pye Weed in our yard. These moths are close mimics of certain Net-winged beetles (Coloptera) which produce distasteful fluids from their leg joints if attacked.
Near the West River the Soldier Beetle called Pennsylvania Leatherwing fed on Throughwort. Soldier beetles secrete defensive chemicals from glands on the tip of their abdomen if they feel threatened.
John

Black and Yellow Lichen moth

Pennsylvania Leatherwing

8-5

8-5
Northern Green Orchis, a plant of wet woods and bogs, is in flower.
John

Northern Green Orchis

close up

8-4

8-4
Obedient Plant, AKA False Dragonhead, is blooming on the banks of the Connecticut River. It's hard to tell if any one Obedient Plant is truly wild or a garden escape. All I can say is that this one was a long way from any residence. Nearby both Pickerel Weed and Water Parsnip were in flower.
And one of the Longhorn Beetles, probably one called the Northeastern Borer posed while I took tis picture. Larvae of this species develop in dead and dying conifers.
John

Obedient Plant

Pickerel Weed

Water Parsnip

Northeastern Borer

8-3

8-3
The little lavender flowers of Hog Peanut twine through roadside ditches and grassy areas.
And last night a Streaked Tussock moth was drawn to my lights.
John

Hog Peanut

Streaked Tussock

8-2

8-2
The tiny yellow flowers of Creeping Spearwort sprinkle the riverside cobble.
Branched thorns make identification of Honey Locust easy. Honey Locust is a southern species planted here as an ornamental and occasionally escaping.
And a Viceroy butterfly nectared on Joe Pye Weed while I took its picture.
John

Creeping Spearwort

Honey Locust thorn

Viceroy butterfly

8-1

8-1
The pale yellow flowers of Prickly Lettuce lend a bit of color to waste places.
And an Ultronia Underwing moth - drab slatey gray when at rest - flashes its brilliance when in flight.
John

Prickly Lettuce

Ultronia Underwing at rest

Ultronia Underwing with wings open