Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Hickory Tussock Moths (Lophocampa caryae) are native to northeastern North America down to North Carolina and a few even wander to Texas and down into Mexico. These photos are their larvae, their caterpillars.

Hickory Tussock Moths have just one generation per year. Eggs are laid in clusters of 100 or beyond, on the undersides of the leaves of their preferred trees, Hickory, Walnut, Pecan, and American Hornbeam but other trees are chosen as well. These young caterpillars feed together as a “crew” skeletonizing the leaves. To see these caterpillars at work is startling but usually they don’t do enough damage to permanently harm a tree.

The more mature caterpillars are around in late summer into autumn. They measure to about 1.75 inches and develop into solitary creatures.

Looking cute and cuddly, white with black (those black tufts are called “pencils”). But be wise. Don’t pick them up. Their little barbed hairs can cause irritation on your skin. Panda Bears of the insect world — don’t touch.

Yoga Tree

Twisting and stretching. In a sensuous way. Accented by Goldenrods (Solidago), Asters (Aster) and even some beautiful Blue-green Wood Stain Mushrooms, (Chlorociboria aeruginascens), in the dark cavity at the base of the tree.

You can read more about Blue-green Wood Stain Mushrooms in my blog post: brendaclem.com/turquoise-mushrooms!/.

Flowerpot Parasol

Flower pot Parasol (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii). I must always find out what it is, whether a plant or animal that I’ve encountered on a trail or, as in this case, something that mysteriously popped up alongside one of my orchids. That’s just how my brain works. I love a mystery and must get an answer. This answer has the perfect and most clever name. The Flower Pot Parasol.

My orchid lives outside during summers, and surely a local mushroom just popped in to take up residence. But after checking things out on the Internet that seems not to be the case.

I would never expect to find a mushroom growing with one of my potted plants, but here it is. And I’m told this particular one is the most common to show up in this way, in a pot, thanks to green houses and potting soil. Normally it grows in the wild in tropical and subtropical regions. Mystery solved and I’m feeling lucky to have a Flowerpot Parasol.

Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil

Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil (Desmodium nudiflorum). Nice color! Soft to intense pink blossoms with a unique shape that makes me think of Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Tick Trefoils are just beginning to bloom around my cabin.

The pea-like flowers are on stems that have no leaves and there, you’ve got the name Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil. In the United States it’s native to 34 states, and in much of eastern Canada.

The seeds of Tick Trefoils, called loments, have been known to me since childhood as hitchhikers. They stick all over hiking pants and animal’s fur. Spreading its population here and there.

Bees collect pollen from the flowers. The leaves are eaten by some skipper, butterfly, and moth caterpillars. And there’s that Crow T. Robot again.

Common Mullein

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. It’s a biennial that shows up in most of North America. In Canada, Common Mullein is found in all the southern provinces. In the US, it occurs in all the contiguous states and Alaska and Hawaii.

Seeds of Common Mullein remain viable for decades while each plant can produce anywhere from 180,000 to 240,000 seeds. Dispersal of the seeds requires the seed capsules which remain attached to the stem to be moved either by the wind or an animal. Most of the seeds remain very close to its parent plant.

The flowering spike of the Common Mullein which ranges in size from approximately 6 to 24 inches makes me think of corn on the cob. Each of the flowers when open is about 3/4 inch across. The flowers open randomly and stay open just one day. Though Common Mullein tries very hard to irritate me by showing up in my gardens, it’s not difficult to get rid of. Just put a shovel to the ground and let it know it’s not welcome. Very simple.

Indigo Lactarius

Mushrooms intrigue me, particularly the ones that emerge in surprising colors. This one certainly fills that stipulation. Indigo Lactarius (Lactarius indigo).

Mycorrhizal, or having a symbiotic relationship, with pines and oaks. Indigo Lactarius will grow in a large group or a small group, or alone in summer and fall.

Found in North America from the northeast to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, East Asia and in middle of my lane.

Echinacea

What a weekend. It’s been quite dry but I know to be careful what I wish for. Friday evening brought a storm with high winds, lightning and thunder happening nearly at the same time, and the rain. A decent amount of rain but it came down in just 10 or 15 minutes. Much too quickly. And a tree came down across the road. An important Spanish class and unable to get there. No power for 6 hours. Thank goodness for generators. Another storm came through on Saturday. A bit more rain. Wind, but it was gentle compared to Friday’s. Lightning and thunder that was gentle too, if that is possible. Just a tiny bit of rain today, Sunday, leaving me with Echinacea, or the common name of Purple Coneflower, sprinkled in rain drops. Look very closely, don’t miss the little details, rain drops and beauty.

Silver-spotted Skipper Revisited

With a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches the Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is the largest of the skippers. But being the largest of the skippers doesn’t make it LARGE compared to some moths and butterflies.

The Silver-spotted Skipper is certainly the skipper that I see most often as I check out the trails here on my mountain and enjoy my gardens. As my Dad would say, they seem to be ubiquitous! As adults they use their long tongues or proboscices to slurp up the nectar of blue, red, pink, and purple flowers, and minerals of mud, and even animal feces.

A Silver-spotted Skipper caterpillar.

The primary host plant of Silver-spotter Skippers is the Black Locust Tree. Others are plants in the legume (Fabaceae) family.

Impressive false orange eye spots!

The young caterpillar creates a “tent” folded in a leaf of its host plant where it spends days, venturing out at night to feed on leaves of the host plant. The host plant, often a Black Locust or Bush Clover, or False Indigo. Older caterpillars will move on to create a larger “tent” for themselves using more than one leaf.

Smooth False Foxglove

To some degree Smooth False Foxglove (Aureolaria laevigata) is a parasite, depending a bit on its host plant, the mighty Oak Tree. It can be referred to as a partial plant parasite, a semiparasite, or a hemiparasite. This means, it is not entirely dependent upon the roots of an Oak Tree for all its sustenance. This plant has chlorophyll and performs photosynthesis. It’s sort of a parasite. But not entirely.

This is in contrast to plants that are entirely parasitic – holoparasites. A holoparasite does not perform photosynthesis and depends exclusively on their host plant for nourishment. This native to eastern North America, Smooth False Foxglove uses roots called haustoria to connect to the roots of its host Oak Tree to absorb sugars and proteins. Along with its host Oak Tree, Smooth False Foxglove flourishes.