-
Elephant Mosquito
August 28, 2025 What an interesting creature. This is an Elephant Mosquito (Toxorhynchites rutilus). It is indeed a mosquito, in the family Culicidae, and in North America it is one of the largest known species of mosquito which explains, along with its curved proboscis, its common name. This species doesn’t drink our blood, instead adults…
-
Gray Hairstreak
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…
-
Pollen Baskets Or Corbiculae
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…
-
Silky Dogwood
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.…
-
Rudbeckia hirta
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…
-
Monarch Caterpillar
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,…
-
Orange Mint Moth
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…
-
Wild Ageratum Or Mist Flower
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…
-
Oodles of Spotted Lanternflies
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…
-
Thyreodon Atricolor
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…