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This Morning, A Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
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,…
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False Potato Beetle
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…
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American Carrion Beetle
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…
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A Mint In Bloom Up On The Mountain
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,…
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Tiger Swallowtail Enjoying The Mint
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…
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Ubiquitous
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…
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A Juvenile Male Hummingbird
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…
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A Common Spragueia
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…
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What Was That?
July 18, 2025 Zigging and zagging. Flying back and forth. A long, icy white body, with four interesting wings. It’s a male Common Whitetail Dragonfly (Plathemis lydia), with a body that is approximately 2 inches in length. The female is slightly smaller with a brown body. And those translucent wings? The females’ wings are similar…