The Power of Observation

From an earlier walk we found this perfectly camouflaged katydid perfectly blending in with the shadows.

 

Pottery Barn

 During the nesting season there are wasps that hail from the the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae who construct their nests from mud. They are known as Mud Daubers.

Most are long and slender and it is the female who builds the nest.  Unlike insect sociopaths such as yellow jacket hornets mud daubers leave you alone unless you really provoke them.  Stings are rare.

Mud daubers are parasitoids.  As they construct the nest they capture and paralyze another insect which is placed into a single cell of the nest.  They lay one egg with the paralyzed prey and seal it up the cavity.  When the egg hatches the wasp larvae consumes the soft parts of the prey insect, pupates with the remains and emerges from this gruesome insect breeding pottery barn as an adult. 

You can find these mud nests is the strangest of places.

Found this in the spray paint section of a shelf in the machine shed.....

 

What is it?

Too large to be a tick and not the correct anatomy.

Having previously sprayed my shoes and pants with Permethrin I found this critter on my ankle later-on.  It wasn't attached to my skin, but it had tiny little legs moving and what appeared to be antennae or pincers.  Larger than a sesame seed.

Google ID was not of much (definitive) help.  Insect nymph?  Bedbug?

 

Death To The Queen

This is my wasp trap.

A wasp trap designed to attract, trap and drown the queen of yellow-jacket wasp kingdom. 

Unlike honeybees (Apis mellifera), who over-winter as an entire colony containing thousands of individual bees, yellow jacket wasps do not over-winter in a colony.  It is only the mated yellow jacket queen who survives to establish a new colony of these nasty insects.  The queen hibernates in a protected location to emerge in the spring to start a new nest site.

Yellow jacket wasps are bastards.  This is why their taxonomy is Vespula vulgaris. 

As the spring temperatures warm-up enough for the queen to emerge from her long winter slumber trapping and slaying the yellow jacket queen is an exceedingly efficient means of putting the hurt on the bastard wasp population around your home.  For every queen trapped and killed in the spring there will be one to five thousand fewer bastard yellow jackets during the summer and into the fall.  

Lest there be no misunderstanding – I hate yellow jacket wasps.  They will sting you for absolutely no reason.

They are the sociopaths of the insect world.

Death to the queen.

Return of the Mantid

Meet Mantis religiosa – the Praying mantis or European mantis. Named for prominent front legs that fold together suggesting prayer – this is a fascinating member of the insect world. This specimen was just under a couple of inches in length sporting bright green coloration.  The size suggests that this is a male.

The life stages of this large insect include egg, nymph, and adult. Egg masses overwinter attached to twigs, hose bibs, deer stand ladders or anything else above the snowline. They hatch in late spring and the nymphs are dispersed by the wind or eat one another. Depending-upon the species, survivors grow larger as they molt 5-10 times before reaching the adult stage. After the final molt, the wings on most species appear, while some remain wingless. One generation matures by late summer or early autumn.

Praying mantises possess stereo vision (they see in 3D) and thanks to the placement of their eyes, they also have a wide field of vision. They’re also the only insect capable of turning their head from side to side without moving the rest of the body. This is an advantage when hunting - allowing for minimal movement when stalking prey.

This critter is a carnivore and dines-upon live food. As a gardener I suppose this presents an opportunity for helpful pest control but as prey generalists they also eat beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. Besides, their propensity for cannibalism keeps their numbers few and far between.

Around 90% of the predatory species of mantises participate in sexual cannibalism.  Adult males typically outnumber females at first, but their numbers may be fairly equivalent later in the adult stage.  This is possibly a consequence of females selectively chowing on the smaller males.  The female may begin feeding by biting off the male's head (as they do with regular prey).  If mating has commenced prior to the beheading the male's movements may become even more vigorous in its delivery of sperm.

In many cultures a mantid is a symbol of stillness. And as a consequence it is associated with meditation and calming of the mind.

 

Death To The Queen

I heard there was some sort of coronation on the other side of the pond this past weekend.  I don't pay much attention to other country's royalty as there's enough to handle here with the drama queens that inhabit my own country's political circles.  So I restrict my dealings with queens with this.

A wasp trap designed to attract, trap and drown the queen of yellow-jacket wasp kingdom. 

Unlike honeybees (Apis mellifera), who over-winter as an entire colony containing thousands of individual bees, yellow jacket wasps do not over-winter in a colony.  It is only the mated yellow jacket queen who survives to establish a new colony of these nasty insects.  The queen hibernates in a protected location to emerge in the spring to start a new nest site.

Yellow jacket wasps are bastards.  This is why their taxonomy is Vespula vulgaris. 

As the spring temperatures warm-up enough for the queen to emerge from her long winter slumber trapping and slaying the yellow jacket queen is an exceedingly efficient means of putting the hurt on the bastard wasp population around your home.  For every queen trapped and killed in the spring there will be one to five thousand fewer bastard yellow jackets during the summer and into the fall.  

Lest there be no misunderstanding – I hate yellow jacket wasps.  They will sting you for absolutely no reason.

They are the sociopaths of the insect world.

Death to the queen.

Mr. Twig

Meet Diapheromera femorata one of the coolest insects around these parts.  This is a bug that literally looks like a twig or a stick that can walk.   Consequently, it is commonly referred-to as a walking stick bug.  This insect is equipped with possibly the most efficient of natural camouflages on earth.   It and the - equally inconspicuous - leaf insect comprise the Phasmatodea order; of which there are approximately 3,000 species worldwide.   

The name Phasmatodea comes from the Greek term phasma, which means phantom or ghost – a direct reference to this camouflage.   A nocturnal feeder this camouflage keeps the walking stick hidden from predators during daylight hours.  Yet it isn’t their only line of defense. Different species also have thorny spines, or they’ll shed and sacrifice a leg if grabbed by a predator.  Some can even secrete a noxious and putrid-smelling fluid.

Walking sticks are herbivores that enjoy dining on the leaves of deciduous trees   With the exception of the southernmost states - where stick bugs are more prevalent - their populations are relatively low in the United States so damage to trees and plants is limited.  

This stick bug on my garage is 3 ½ inches in length so based-upon its size I have reason to believe that this is a Northern Walking Stick.  

You can learn much more about this cool insect by clicking on this link to the UW-Milwaukee Field Station. 

Prayerful Predator

Meet Mantis religiosa – the Praying mantis or European mantis. Named for prominent front legs that fold together suggesting prayer – this is a fascinating member of the insect world. This specimen was just over a couple of inches in length sporting bright green coloration.

The life stages of this large insect include egg, nymph, and adult. Egg masses overwinter attached to twigs, hose bibs, deer stand ladders or anything else above the snowline. They hatch in late spring and the nymphs are dispersed by the wind or eat one another. Depending-upon the species, survivors grow larger as they molt 5-10 times before reaching the adult stage. After the final molt, the wings on most species appear, while some remain wingless. One generation matures by late summer or early autumn.

Praying mantises possess stereo vision (they see in 3D) and thanks to the placement of their eyes, they also have a wide field of vision. They’re also the only insect capable of turning their head from side to side without moving the rest of the body. This is an advantage when hunting - allowing for minimal movement when stalking prey.

This critter is a carnivore and dines-upon live food. As a gardener I suppose this presents an opportunity for helpful pest control but as prey generalists they also eat beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. Besides, their propensity for cannibalism keeps their numbers few and far between.

The adult female praying mantis has a reputation for biting-off the head of the male eating him after or during mating. This coital cannibalism doesn’t happen all the time although research suggests that females who engage in this behavior produce more eggs than those who do not.  

In many cultures a mantid is a symbol of stillness. And as a consequence it is associated with meditation and calming of the mind.

Mothra

Meet Smerinthus cerisyi - the one-eyed sphinx moth.

It’s a common species in our neck of the woods.  The caterpillars are associated with certain fruit trees (like plum, pear, etc.) and other native trees like poplars and willows.

 

For certain I figured this critter for a sphinx moth but I couldn't figure out precisely which one from my field guides.  

 

 

Thanks Patrick (PJ) Liesch, UW-Madison Department of Entomology Insect Diagnostic Lab for the ID.

 

Dinner Neutralized

Paper wasps are vespid wasps. They construct nests that made of papery material made from woody plant fiber mixed with their saliva.  

Like this nest. 

This sucker is larger than a basket ball and I gave it a wide berth last summer as the occupants have a reputation of defending their nest from any and all threats – perceived or real – by aggressively stinging the invader. 

Meet Dolichovespula maculata – the Bald-faced hornet.  

uwm.edu

Also called the white-faced hornet, white-ass hornet, bull wasp and black jack.  This insect is technically not a hornet but is a yellow jacket wasp from the genus Vespa. 

It is perfectly safe to examine the nest now as the colony does not overwinter in it and never uses the same nest again. A fertilized queen is the lone survivor and she is holed-up beneath some leaf litter it in the bark of a tree. She’ll emerge when the weather moderates to establish a colony from scratch. 

As the danger has been neutralized it appears that the birds who overwinter here have been scavenging any dead eggs, larvae or insects from this nest. 

Yum!

Fall Flowers - Part 2

From our walk there continue to be opportunities to exercise an immersive experience in the natural world around me.  

Lygaeus Kalmii - the Small Eastern Milkweed Bug – is found throughout the US. This critter dines on milkweed but is immune to the toxic chemicals in the plant.  And just as with the monarch butterfly the regular diet of milkweed also endows this beetle with the same properties making it toxic to other predators. Who knew? 

Of course there are New England asters as far as they eye can see.

Nevertheless, some golds of autumn too. 

Stiff goldenrod .....

And ginormous patches of sneeze weed....

Don't Touch!

Meet Acronicta americana – the American Dagger Caterpillar. 

A native to North America these fuzzy yellow caterpillars with black 'eyelash' spikes grow to about 2” (50 mm) long. 

The American dagger moth caterpillar doesn't sting like a wasp. Those black hairs break off in the skin and the toxins they contain sting. The reaction that follows can cause hives, welts, or dermatitis.  

Handling this insect larva will mess you up with a really bad rash.

This is a good lesson for children to look it up before you pick it up.

Fall Flowers - Part 1

From our walk this morning there were ample opportunities to indulge my retirement vow of paying closer attention to the natural world around me.

Aster novae-angliae - commonly known as the New England Aster - has been blooming for about a month now.      

This native plant grows all-over around here in sun, shade and moist spots.  A late bloomer it really shows-off when autumn rolls-around.  We included it in our prairie seed mix decades-ago.

The coloring can range from white to blue although ours generally are pink to purple with variations of  blue in between.       

It's a terrific nectar plan and I've been busy photographing many of the bees and butterflies paying it a visit.  

Can you find the honey bee in the photo?

Death to the Queen

Yellow jacket wasps are bastards.  Which would explain their taxonomy - Vespula vulgaris. 

These nasty insects do not winter in a colony like honey bees.   Only an impregnated yellow jacket queen hibernates overwinter until the spring temperatures of April warm-up enough for the queen to emerge from her long winter slumber and seek a new nest site.    

Trapping the yellow jacket queen is an exceedingly efficient means of putting the hurt on the bastard wasp population around your home.  For every queen trapped and killed in the spring there will be one to five thousand fewer bastard yellow jackets during the summer and into the fall.  

Lest there be any misunderstanding – I hate yellow jacket wasps.    Every spring I trap and kill one or more of the queen bastards in my pheromone-baited trap.

Bastard insect sociopaths...

Working Class Insect

Ants are the ultimate metaphor for the working class.  Just like honey bees - ants function as parts of a whole. They cannot and do not survive as individuals - they survive as members of a group.  Ant society is a fascinating example of a superorganism.   

Ants enjoy a complicated social system complete with its own division of labor.  Workers gather food, maintain and defend the nest and tend eggs, larvae and pupae.  Members of the colony are generally all female. For a very short period prior to mating season they produce males.  The males perform no labor and following mating any that remain are banished from the colony or killed by the sisterhood.  

Nature is a cruel mother.  But I digress.      

A single anthill can range from less than an inch high to over ten feet in height.  This might possibly be the largest of anthills here at The Platz.  Weighing-in at a couple feet in height and more than five feet across - it is a whopper.        

Anthills are the by-product of thousands of busy ants excavating a tunnel network below the surface of the ground.  That mound is the result – as the excavation progresses the dirt is disposed above ground.  Judging from the size of this mound there has to be a vast tunnel complex beneath.          

The mound itself also contains a network of tunnels and chambers – locations for food storage, nurseries and dormitories for the workers.       

This mound was particularly bustling place as it was a warming spring day.  The colony had awakened from its overwinter slumber.  With the arrival of cold weather last year the colony closes the entrances to their tunnel network and goes deep underground and huddles protectively around the queen.  Like other critters the ants prepare for their hibernation by bulking-up in the fall with extra calories before they confine themselves in their bunker.  With the arrival of spring they’re back to work.        

I made an inquiry of the Insect Diagnostic Lab at the UW-Madison Department of Entomology for assistance in identifying these hard-working ants and to address the social structure of an ant colony.  Here is what I heard back:   

Given the size of the mound, it must be one of our species of field ants (Formica species).  This is a diverse genus with a bunch of species in the Great Lakes region.  Each species can vary in terms of the habitat it prefers, the size and structure of the nest/colony, and other factors.  Some species create "small" nests that might be the size of a dinner plate or larger.  Other species can create massive mounds many feet across.          

Ants are definitely fascinating though.  Some "primitive" types of ants have small colonies with little specialization within the nest.  Other ants species can have lots of specialization, including workers of different sizes for different tasks (soldiers for fighting and defending the colony, smaller workers for gathering resources, etc.).  In many ants, the queen (or queens) coordinate the function of the colony and lay eggs.  Workers (all females) do all the dangerous work of leaving the colony to gather resources.  Males typically don't do much, other than play a role in mating.                       

In the grand scheme of things, being "social" and having a colony is rare among insects.  Some types of bees and wasps display eusocial behaviour (most bees and wasps aren't social), ants also display social behaviour, and a few other isolated examples exist amongst the insects as well.

Ants are cool.  Who knew there was so much to know about this busy insect.  So do The Buddha proud.  Next time you're walking down the sidewalk - don't step on the ants.

 

Animal Factoid

I was reading something the other day about three magnificent raptors – the barn owl, osprey and peregrine falcon. 

These hunters are quite adaptable, capable of flying vast distances and are specialized hunters.  The peregrine falcon preys-upon small birds.  The osprey fetches fish from the lakes and river it calls its habitat and the secretive barn owl subsists almost exclusively on rodents.   

All three of these birds can be found throughout the world - a testament to their adaptability.  Nevertheless, a successfully adaptable as these birds are they are not to be found on the continent of Antarctica.  Evidence that there are limits on adaptability.

Coincidentally, you will find ants and dung beetles on every continent as well.  With the exception of Antarctica. 

Mr.Bumble

Meet Bombus fervidus - the Golden Northern Bumble Bee.  Or simply - bumble bee. 

It's a robust bee.  Only young, mated queens overwinter to emerge in early spring to establish a colony.  The female sports a mostly yellow thorax and abdominal segments 1 thru 4.  She is black on segments 5 thru 6.  The male is yellow thru segment 5 and black on segments 6 thru 7.  They're common around here feeding on flower nectar and honey manufactured in their colony.

They're all over the New England Aster - Aster novae-angliae.  This native plant grows all-over around here in sun, shade and moist spots.  A late  bloomer it really shows-off when autumn rolls-around.  The coloring can range from white to blue although ours generally are pink and variations of blue and violet.  It's a terrific nectar plant and I've been busy photographing many of the pollinators paying it a visit. 

click on images for a closer look

 

Mr. Bumble likes it in particular.  It's the last hurrah for the blooms around here.  And I haven't seen a monarch since the last one I reported-on.  Best to soak it in while I can.

Fleabag Hotel

Meanwhile in America this is trending on Twitter.


You cannot make shit-up that is funnier than this...

Doral was sued by a former guest - Eric Linder – who was allegedly bitten multiple times by bed bugs while staying in Trump’s property.  The Trump organization settled the case shortly after Trump’s inauguration.

Don't take my word for it.  Goggle this:  Trump National Doral Miami TripAdvisor bed bugs



Good Year For Monarchs

Someone told me last weekend that the monarch migration was close to starting.  That’s nonsense.  If you pay attention to the comings and goings of migrating butterflies the migration south typically begins in early to mid-September.  If the weather turns colder sooner around these parts the migration may advance in schedule.  In some locales that are warm year-round like Florida and California the monarch butter has evolved to living there year-round.  Besides, we still have caterpillars all over the place.  Just the other morning over coffee we counted eight of them within the breadth of one arm-span on the south side of the porch.  I figure these for the third generation of the original migrators.  There have got to be a bazillion of these out there.  It's been a banner year for the monarchs around here for sure.....

click on image to enlarge