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Cottontail
August 31, 2025 A small Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) this afternoon, showing no concern that I was around. Surprisingly little for this time of year, but not unusual since cottontails reproduce from spring through mid-September. So glad I happened upon it! _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign…
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A Sachem
August 30, 2025 A Sachem (Atalopedes campestris), one of the skippers. The host plants of Sachems are various grasses. Adults like this one, enjoy the nectar of a vast variety of flowers, including this Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). The Sachem is native to the southern US, Mexico, Central America and further south into Brazil. They’re…
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Oh What Color!
August 29, 2025 What joy to have these flowers blooming right now. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), a member of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae). Native to the southeastern part of Canada, south through the eastern and southwestern United States, on to Mexico as well as Central America, finally to northern Colombia. Such fun to find it…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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,…
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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…