August 27, 2025
The Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 1 to 1.25 inches. There are between 60 to 80 species of Hairstreak butterflies in North America, north of Mexico. The Gray Hairstreak is one of the most common of those 60 to 80 species, and can be found throughout nearly all the continent. It can also be found in Central America, as well as South America.
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August 26, 2025
A Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) gathering pollen on a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida). These bees have a special place to collect pollen on the outside of their back legs called pollen baskets, or corbiculae.
Pollen will be gathered on their fuzzy bodies, then the bee will gather that pollen into these spoon-shaped depressions on their legs, the corbiculae, where it is stored for the trip back to feed the hive’s larvae.
Bees are amazing!
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August 25, 2025
Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum), native to eastern North America. A bush that grows to 10 – 12 feet tall and 6 – 10 feet wide. Its opposite leaves turn brown to red/purple in autumn.
Stems are red/brown in summer while in autumn, winter, and early spring those stems are red to purple/brown. Cream white flowers appear during May and June. Little flowers 3/8 wide that grow in clusters which turn to fruit, drupes, that are steel blue.
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August 24, 2025
Rudbeckia hirta is the scientific name. Common names can be mighty confusing. This flower has a long list of common names including, Black-eyed Susan, Yellow Coneflower, Gloriosa Daisy, Brown-eyed Susan, Yellow Ox-Eye Daisy, Bristly Coneflower, Common Black-Eyed Susan, Denver Daisy, Brown Betty, English Bull’s Eye, Poor-Land Daisy, and Golden Jerusalem. That’s why I try to always include the scientific name of anything that I’m posting about. No confusion with that.
Maryland, a very special state to me. And Rudbeckia hirta, Maryland state flower since 1918.
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August 23, 2025
What a great surprise to find a caterpillar of a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on some Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) yesterday. Quite a small caterpillar. It’s on the leaf of the Butterfly Weed, which is between 1/2 and 3/4 inch wide.
The Monarch has four phases in its life; egg, larva, pupa, and adult. This caterpillar is the larval stage. Developing from egg to adult in the warmth of summer happens in about 25 days.
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August 22, 2025
Orange Mint Moth (Pyrausta orphisalis), on Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens). A small moth with a wingspan of about 5/8 inch. It can be found on our continent of North America from Newfoundland, clear across Canada to British Columbia, and south in the United States to Florida and New Mexico.
The lifespan of an adult Orange Mint Moth is 7 to 9 days. During those few days they feed on flower nectar, mainly of plants of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Their larvae feed on plants in the mint family.
Great colors!
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August 21, 2025
So many common names. For these charming flowers I use the common name, Wild Ageratum. Its scientific name was recently changed to Conoclinium coelestinum.
These are herbaceous perennials that grow to between 1 and 2.5 feet tall. Leaves on the stems are opposite, and those stems are topped with flat-topped clusters of pink, lavender, and blue disk florets. The clusters are about 1 to 3 inches across. Bloom time is mid-summer to early autumn.
Native to eastern and southeastern US, these flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies, bees, skippers, and parasitic wasps.
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August 20, 2025
A neighbor that has a tree service was out yesterday taking care of some trees that had come down during a rain storm. The picture above shows an assemblage of undesirable Spotted Lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) on their very favorite, Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). This was pointed out to him, and he was asked if he would take down the tree along with the others.
I wish these creatures would just go away. There are few birds that will brave eating them. The Tree of Heaven that they love to eat gives them a bitter taste and can even be mildly toxic to predators. And the Lanternflys’ bright coloring is a warning to any likely predator that they should think twice.
Back to our neighbor, he seemed to take great pleasure in removing the Tree of Heaven. An action that was greatly appreciated.
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August 19, 2025
A remarkable insect resembling a Common Thread-waisted Wasp (Ammophila procera), but BIG! This is an insect that is difficult to find anything about, there’s very little out there. It doesn’t even have a common name.
Say, “Hello!” to Thyreodon atricolor. That’s its scientific name. It was quite active as I tried to get a picture. I didn’t have time to put something beside it for scale, but it really struck me that this is an insect that is quite large, perhaps 1.5 inches long. It has a black body, four black wings, and orange antennae.
The larval host of Thyreodon atricolor are caterpillars of Sphinx Moths. As adults it is believed they might feed on nectar, plant sap and honeydew. And perhaps decaying vegetable and animal matter.
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August 18, 2025
They’re just now beginning to bloom. Ragweed, yes a weed, but also responsible for the bothersome problem that many people suffer from – allergies in autumn. Depending on which source of information you choose, there are 40, 45, or 50 species of Ragweed native to North America. Four of those species are native to Virginia.
One of those species, above, is Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia). Which is prolific here on the mountain.
Another species native to Virginia is this one, Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida). And like Common Ragweed, seems to be everywhere up here.
The pollen of Ragweed is very light, and vast quantities are easily distributed by the wind, often spreading sneezes. Goldenrod (Solidago) is a plant that is also just beginning to bloom as I type this. Its pollen is heavy, and is spread by insect pollinators, since it’s too heavy to be spread by breezes.
Think about it, Ragweed and Goldenrod start blooming at about the same time. Ragweed pollen spreads with the breezes while Goldenrod pollen only spreads by insects carrying it here and there pollinating other Goldenrod flowers. One starts sneezing, and sneezing more. Those Ragweed flowers are green, and are hardly noticed at all, blending right in with all the other greens of summer. But Goldenrod flowers with their beautiful bright yellow flowers are noticed right away as the sneezing continues. And there you have why Goldenrod gets the blame, which it doesn’t deserve.
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