Category: Caterpillars

Watching The Blueberry Crop

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Eastern Towhees are here in the mountains of central Virginia year round. Their diet is primarily insects, seeds and berries and during the summer they tend, of course, to eat more insects. True bugs, beetles, ants, caterpillars, moths, millipedes, spiders and snails are all on the menu. But there’s something special to me, which I share with them. Those blueberries. This fellow is watching over them. Watching how they are growing. Watching and waiting for them to ripen. Just like I am. I wholeheartedly enjoy sharing the blueberries with the birds. For me, the berries mean pies, pancakes, muffins. For them it means breakfast, lunch and dinner. Glad to share.

Falcate Orangetip

This afternoon the butterfly gods, or maybe it was the butterfly fairies, were taking care of me. I was out refiling the bird feeders when I spotted a small white butterfly nectaring at a Confederate Violet (Viola sororia priceana). Normally this butterfly, a Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea), flutters by occasionally but rarely do I see it stop to take in some nectar. When I first spotted it, my camera was not with me and I figured my chances were nonexistent that it would still be there when I got back with it. BUT much to my surprise the Orangetip was waiting for me and its chance to have a portrait created.

Orangetip caterpillars live on blooms, developing fruit and leaves of plants in the mustard family such as Rock Cress, Bitter Cress, Shepherd’s Purse and Toothwort. Adults nectar at Toothwort, Mustards, Violets and Spring Beauty.

In its name, the “orangetip” is obvious. The first portion of the name, “falcate” means bent like a scythe or sickle, as the crescent moon, and certain leaves; hooked; curved and tapering to a point. Now keep that in mind as you look at the outer edge of a forewing. See that very subtle hook?

It is the male that has the orange spot on the upper, or dorsal, side of its wings. The female is totally white and black. Both male and female have a black spot in the middle of their forewings. These butterflies vary in size from 1.3 to 1.75 inches. The female is usually the larger of the two sexes.

It’s one of the early butterflies. Spring is upon us!  

Spring Azure

Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon). With a wingspan of just 1 inch, it’s a tiny white butterfly that flutters through the woods as an adult beginning in mid-March but in that stage only lives a few days.

The larval host plant of the Spring Azure is Flowering Dogwood, Blueberry, Viburnum and there may be others.

The upper or dorsal side of the Spring Azure is a pretty blue which can be seen in flight, or if you’re very fortunate you might get a glimpse of the upper side of the wings as it lands and opens its wings. Most often though it has its wings closed trying to blend in with its surroundings as it attempts to send you the message, “You can’t see me!”

Bobcat

Certainly something that I would not have expected to find anywhere around my cabin. Something that doesn’t make itself known very often at all. But on rare occasions I get the thrill of my life, when a Bobcat (Lynx rufus) makes an appearance. These creatures are secretive in nature, solitary, territorial, and nocturnal, most often hunting at dawn and dusk. Their favorite meal is rabbit but they’ll hunt down squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes, skunks, muskrats, beavers, ground-nesting birds and even deer. They sleep during the day in multiple den areas which can be hollow trees, rock crevices or rock piles, caves, brush piles and even abandoned beaver lodges.

Adult Bobcats are about twice the size of a domestic cat. Weighing in at about 13 to 30 pounds, standing 18 to 24 inches high, and are 30-50 inches in length. In the wild they can live anywhere from 5 to 15 years. Their range is all of the continental United States, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, living in areas of dense vegetation.

I haven’t seen a Bobcat in a while but I’ve been watching and waiting. Maybe one day soon.

Io Moth Caterpillar Stings!

Io Moth Caterpillar (Automeris io), a beautiful creature that feeds on an extensive collection of plants including corn, roses, sassafras, willow, linden, elm, oak, locust, redbud, apple, beech, ash, currant, and clover. Quite the wide variety.

The young caterpillar is orange. As it grows it changes color, and as a mature caterpillar it is bright green with bright green spines. The spines have a very irritating venom that is delivered with the slightest touch. As is the case with many caterpillars, look but don’t touch.

Here for the Winter

Today is a delightful day. Not only snow falling several hours this morning that has continued into this afternoon which now coincides with what the weather folks are saying, “Snow this afternoon.” But also a diminutive bird that I only see in the winter, and for the most part only at the birdbath, has made himself known. I first caught sight of him preening in the apple tree, after taking a bath, in the snow.

Diminutive, indeed, smaller than a Chickadee. And that “Ruby Crown” is not always visible, though depending on which direction the little bird is looking, I can usually see it. It is only on the male of the species though. They are short distance migrants, moving from far northern North America as well as the western mountains to southern and southwestern United States and Mexico during October and April. Makes a day special when I get to see one.

Look But Don’t Touch!

Many caterpillars aren’t to safe to pick up. If you don’t know what the species is that you’re admiring, proceed with caution. These are four caterpillars that can cause a very itchy rash if you pick them up. To be safe, look but don’t touch. This one is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae). They’re native to the eastern half of North America.

A pretty one that I see frequently. The White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). Another caterpillar of eastern North America which can become a pest in Christmas tree farms. Oh NO.

And this beauty is a Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar (Halysidota tessellaris). Found in the eastern three-quarters of North America, excluding west of the Rockies.

And this wild and crazy looking creature is a Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). They’re found on Milkweed and Dogbane, from southern Canada south through Texas and Florida in North America.

More Snow!

This is the Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) between my studio and the wood shop, with 9 inches of snow dumped on it. Lovely isn’t it?! It’s a COLOR photo BTW, and this is what I refer to often — the black and white landscape of winter. I love it! This image was taken on Monday. And now, Thursday night, it is beginning to snow again. I’m ecstatic to say the least.