Horned Passalus

July 23, 2025

A Horned Passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus) also known as the Patent-leather Beetle is a beetle that will grow to between 1.2″ and 1.7″. They’re most often found in rotting logs and stumps where they will eat the decaying wood. They seem to prefer oak and hickory.

They’re capable of flying but it appears they would rather walk than fly. I was fortunate to see this creature roaming about and not inside a tree or stump, since they are seldom seen like this. That is, unless they are seeking a mate or looking for another tree to help remove from the environment.

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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 of 3 to 5.5 inches. A butterfly that doesn’t migrate. Adults live just 6 to 14 days, and during this short time they look for food, find a mate, and the female lays up to 250 eggs. She will lay those eggs on several different species of trees such as Tulip Poplar, Wild Cherry, Sweet-bay, Basswood, Ash, and Wafer Ash, selecting trees that are near nectar sources. She will lay a few eggs here and there over a wide area, not all in one spot.

Lovely to see the butterflies enjoying the flowers of summer.

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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 are Planthoppers from Asia, arriving in the United States in 2014. They are in the order Hemiptera (true bugs), and are related to Cicadas, Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, Aphids, and other Leafhoppers. Insects in this order have mouthparts that are used for piercing and sucking into the inner bark of trees and smaller plants. This allows the Lanternfly to feed on the sugary sap of those plants.

Looking at the image above, it appears that this Spotted Lanternfly has reddish-orange eyes but these are not eyes, but something that is quite close to the two black eyes of the SLF.

Adult Spotted Lanternflies are about 1 inch long, and did I say, “They are ubiquitous”?

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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 scarlet iridescent feathers has already grown in.

I love having the these flying acrobats that weigh about one-tenth of an ounce around, if only for this season. The clowns of summer.

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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 on are Ragweed (Ambrosia), and Bindweed (Convolvulus).

I like the coloring of this creature. All dressed for Halloween.

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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 with a slightly different pattern.

They’re widespread in North America, in all 48 of the contiguous United States, parts of eastern Mexico, and also southern Canada. Living as adults, just a few weeks.

Often found near bodies of water, whether a trickle of a stream, a large pond or just a small vernal pool. These Dragonflies eat many different flying insects such as mosquitoes, midges, flies, moths, and butterflies, catching their prey mid-air.

To aid in catching those insects mid-air, Dragonflies can move each of their four wings individually giving them the ability to fly backwards, up and down, hover, and make sharp turns.

Hmmm. Sounds like a drone!

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Two Sleepy Orange Butterflies

July 17, 2025

Two Sleepy Orange butterflies (Abaeis nicippe) sitting on some rotting wood out along the road. They’re butterflies with a wingspan of 1.5 to 2 inches, though you will seldom see them with their wings open, unless they are flying. And quick fliers they are, staying close to the ground.

Their caterpillars prefer to feed on plants in the pea family (Fabaceae). As adults they seek out the nectar of a wide variety of flowers. Males in particular enjoy the practice of puddling, drinking from wet soil, or puddles, and animal droppings, to obtain the minerals and salts that can be found there.

Like many butterflies, they’re adding color to the summer landscape.

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Silvery Checkerspot On Apple Mint

July 16, 2025

Catching a bit of sunlight, a Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) enjoys the nectar of a flower popular with pollinators, Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens).

Despite my love of winter, I must admit, there are so many reasons to enjoy summer.

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Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp

July 15, 2025

The largest wasp species in Virginia, the Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp (Sphecius speciosus). Both males and females live about 2 months as adults. They eat tree sap and flower nectar. Males die, not long after mating.

The female continues with her duties, taking care of her young. She does this by hunting Cicadas, mainly Annual Cicadas (Neotibicen canicularis). She will sting each one to paralyze it, and takes it to her elaborate nest which she has tunneled into the ground. The nest reaches several feet underground, branching out into many cells.

She places these Cicadas in cells with an egg, and seals off each of the cells, which she has provisioned with paralyzed Cicadas, with one egg in each cell. The eggs will typically hatch in 2 to 3 days.

The hatched larvae feed on the Cicadas over the course of about 2 weeks. Eating until there is only the exoskeleton left. In preparation for winter the larvae will spin a cocoon, spending the winter in their cells.

Winter fades, spring arrives and soon summer occurs, at which time they will pupate and emerge as an adult Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp.

Despite their size, which makes them appear threatening, these Cicada Killers are beneficial insects to have around.

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Hummingbird At Scarlet Beebalm

July 14, 2025

Look closely at the upper right corner and you’ll see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) enjoying the nectar of a perfect flower for her, Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). Perfect because of its brilliant red color, funnel-shaped flowers, and abundant nectar production. Those Scarlet Beebalms, amid Orange Coneflowers (Rudbeckia fulgida).

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