July 28, 2025
An Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). From tiny to very large, there have been many roaming this mountain, as I too, roam the mountain. And each one has unique designs on its carapace (its upper shell). This one is quite different than others because of its simplicity.
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July 27, 2025
This morning out in the heat pulling weeds. A distinctive caterpillar eating away at a Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota). A beautiful pattern and coloring. It’s a Black Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes).
Like this caterpillar, the larvae stages of Black Swallowtails feed on plants in the carrot family (ApiaceaeI) such as dill, parsley, fennel, carrots and Queen Anne’s Lace.
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July 26, 2025
False Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa juncta), found in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern areas of the United States, extending to New Jersey and Ohio. Not to be confused with a closely related insect, the Colorado Potato Beetle (Lepitinotarsa decemlineata) which is a serious pest. Notice in my image that the elytra, or wing covers, are black and white striped with a orange/brown band going down the middle between the black stripes. Both beetles are similar in color but the Colorado Potato Beetle does not have this centered orange/brown stripe.
The False Potato Beetle isn’t thought to be a particular pest. It uses the Carolina Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) most often as its host plant, and occasionally Ground Cherry (Physalis).
This beetle is 0.3 to 0.4 inches in length and .12 inches wide.
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July 25, 2025
American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana), the clean-up crew of the insect world. They hunt for dead animals, and they and their larvae consume dead flesh. They will also eat other insects that are eating “their” dead animals.
The vast majority of these adults are 1.2 inches in length, though there are some that vary from 1 to 1.75 inches.
This image, above, is the larva of American Carrion Beetle.
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July 24, 2025
Hoary Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) is in bloom up here, in many places along the road, as I climb the mountain, and in my garden. The word “hoary” in its common name is because of its unusual grayish white coloring.
This mint grows as a bushy plant 2 to 4 feet tall, with many square stems, one indication that it is in the mint (Lamiaceae) family.
Hoary Mountain Mint is popular with many pollinators, including butterflies, moths, honeybees, and some wasps. Like many other mint scented plants, deer and rabbits tend to avoid them, though both deer and rabbits will eat anything if they are hungry enough.
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July 23, 2025
A Horned Passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus) also known as the Patent-leather Beetle is a beetle that will grow to between 1.2″ and 1.7″. They’re most often found in rotting logs and stumps where they will eat the decaying wood. They seem to prefer oak and hickory.
They’re capable of flying but it appears they would rather walk than fly. I was fortunate to see this creature roaming about and not inside a tree or stump, since they are seldom seen like this. That is, unless they are seeking a mate or looking for another tree to help remove from the environment.
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July 22, 2025
This evening an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) was out enjoying the nectar of Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens). Going from this spike of flowers to that spike, then flying off to check out other species of blooms, but coming back to the mint every time.
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has a wingspan of 3 to 5.5 inches. A butterfly that doesn’t migrate. Adults live just 6 to 14 days, and during this short time they look for food, find a mate, and the female lays up to 250 eggs. She will lay those eggs on several different species of trees such as Tulip Poplar, Wild Cherry, Sweet-bay, Basswood, Ash, and Wafer Ash, selecting trees that are near nectar sources. She will lay a few eggs here and there over a wide area, not all in one spot.
Lovely to see the butterflies enjoying the flowers of summer.
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July 21, 2025
My Dad loved to use eloquent phrasing when he spoke. Seems to me that perhaps his most used word of this sort was “ubiquitous”. That word certainly applies to this non-native invasive pest, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). They are ubiquitous here.
Not a fly as its common name implies. These creatures are Planthoppers from Asia, arriving in the United States in 2014. They are in the order Hemiptera (true bugs), and are related to Cicadas, Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, Aphids, and other Leafhoppers. Insects in this order have mouthparts that are used for piercing and sucking into the inner bark of trees and smaller plants. This allows the Lanternfly to feed on the sugary sap of those plants.
Looking at the image above, it appears that this Spotted Lanternfly has reddish-orange eyes but these are not eyes, but something that is quite close to the two black eyes of the SLF.
Adult Spotted Lanternflies are about 1 inch long, and did I say, “They are ubiquitous”?
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July 20, 2025
The juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) are at the feeders now, providing great entertainment with their seemingly goofy actions.
This is a juvenile male. See those spots of dark feathering on his gorget? If you look closely, you’ll actually be able to see one teeny-tiny spot of red, as one of those scarlet iridescent feathers has already grown in.
I love having the these flying acrobats that weigh about one-tenth of an ounce around, if only for this season. The clowns of summer.
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July 19, 2025
A tiny moth in the Owlet Moth family (Noctuidae). The Common Spragueia (Spragueia leo), sipping some nectar at Apple Mint blossoms (Mentha suaveolens). Tiny? They are generally no bigger than 7/10 inch.
Like many moths, they are nocturnal, and attracted to artificial light sources. Some of the host plants that are depended on are Ragweed (Ambrosia), and Bindweed (Convolvulus).
I like the coloring of this creature. All dressed for Halloween.
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