Two caterpillars that I hadn’t seen before were introduced to me this past week. Both have odd names. One is named turbulent phosphila or two headed caterpillar (Phosphila turbulenta), the other is called monkey slug or hag moth caterpillar (phobetron epithelium). One day last week, Facilities Tech, Wayne was working in the brush below the boardwalk here at the Museum. I happened to be standing there when he emerged from the woods beneath the wooden walkway after completing his duties.Read more
Month: September 2016
Pied-billed Grebe
If we’re going to see a pied-billed grebe in our Wetlands it’s a safe bet it’ll be in late September or October. One of these small diving waterbirds dropped into the Wetlands yesterday (9/28). Pied-billed grebes are year round residents but I only see them here at the Museum between the end of September thru March. They’re fun to watch as they dive under the water for aquatic insects, fish, tadpoles, and the occasional crawfish. I’m not sure how long this one will stay with us,Read more
Boardwalk Barred Owl
It was a dark, overcast day. An hour or two before, I had heard the piercing calls of two or three blue jays hassling something near the first bend in the boardwalk as it descends into Explore the Wild. I was walking on the path above the boardwalk and gave a quick look in the raucous jays’ direction. Jays and other birds are known to mob perched hawks and owls. However, I didn’t see anything and moved on. An hour or two later, I wasRead more
More Fall Sightings
Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, and their larvae, will continue to be active into October and beyond. Here’s a few species I saw last week. I came across two species that I either hadn’t seen before or hadn’t previously witnessed perform a particular behavior. I’ve seen many datanas here in the outdoor areas of the Museum, but I don’t recall seeing an Angus’ datana (Datana angusii) before. If you don’t already know, datanas are caterpillars of small brown moths. I typically see either yellow-neckedRead more
Early Fall Sightings.
Out and about now, are a diverse group of fauna and flora. In no particular order, here’s some of the collection. Nettle is most often listed as the host plant for red admirals. The presence of nettle greatly increases your chances of seeing these colorful brush-footed butterflies. But, you may also see them at various locations during vernal and autumnal migrations. Not as noticeable and certainly not as well known as the monarch butterfly’s migrations, these butterflies do move northRead more
Spider Time
Its not until fall that most of us become aware of the spiders in our lives, specifically the orb weavers. Orb weavers erect those large circular webs between tree branches, overhead wires, fence posts, porch posts, across the path your walking on, and just about everywhere else you might happen to be during your daily travels about the landscape. If there’s suitable substrate, something to attach a web to, a spider will do it. The spiders have been doing their web building allRead more
Caterpillar Time
It’s that time of year again when caterpillars seem to be everywhere. Oh sure, caterpillars can be seen from spring till late fall, sometimes in huge numbers. How can you forget those cankerworms that dangled on silky threads from every tree branch by the thousands, no millions, last April. No, what I’m talking about is the huge variety of species that can be viewed at this time of year. Both moth and butterfly species have been busy all summer producing youngRead more