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Green Stink Bug Revisited
Green Stink Bug (Chinavia hilaris) can be found in most of eastern North America. Both adults and nymphs can cause injury to fruits, including stone fruits, vegetables, and field crops. Nymph of Green Stink Bug (Chinavia hilaris). There are two things that I am thankful for regarding this Stink Bug. First, though I have seen…
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Clowns Of Summer
My summer entertainment. Many, many Ruby Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris). The clowns of summer. It would be extremely difficult to say how many Hummingbirds there are. They are too quick and fidgety. What you see here, an extremely brief moment in time, while they sit quietly. A blink of the eye and they are bouncing…
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Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar
Spotted just outside my cabin today. The caterpillar of a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). The larval host of this Swallowtail are plants in the genus Aristolochia. The leaves of these plants contain aristolochic acid, which is toxic to some animals, which protects the Pipevine Swallowtail. This is the adult Pipevine Swallowtail. They are protected by the…
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Beautiful Magenta
New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), native to the eastern United States. Just beginning to bloom in my woods now. Sometimes growing to 5 feet or a bit more. Those blooms, a gorgeous magenta. Pollinators are various species of butterflies and bees. This pollinator is a Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon). What a lovely color combination, the…
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Bees And Butterflies On Thyme
A lovely patch of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) that has been blooming for three or four weeks now. Bees and butterflies have been enjoying the flowers. The patch is quite abuzz. Quite the small butterfly, an Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas), enjoying the nectar of the flowers. Another butterfly, a bit larger than the Eastern Tailed…
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A Couple Fritillaries
A Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) enjoying the nectar of a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). And another Fritillary, a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) on another Purple Coneflower. The common name, Fritillary, comes from the Latin, fritillus: chessboard or dice box. ________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up…
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And Another Summer Visitor
This, a female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) taking care of her feathers. Hooded Warblers are summer residents here. Not a lot of them but enough to see and enjoy from time to time. These Warblers eat insects and other arthropods, so they have no interest in my feeders. That’s okay, I get to see them…
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Downy Leather-wing
If you find any of these in your garden, you are in luck. You’ve got help controlling pests. This is a Downy Leather-wing (Podabrus pruinosus), a species of Soldier Beetle in the family Cantharidae. Specifically how are they going to help you in the garden? They eat Aphids and Spider Mites. Good ones to have around. ________________________ If…
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A Moment Of Romance
I had read of such romantic events. Some call it courtship feeding. I was fortunate to witness this just a few days ago for the first time. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). The male is on the left, the female on the right. During courtship the male, in expressing affection, feeds the female. The male is…
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Back Again Today
Yesterday I was surprised and pleased to see a male Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) and I shared a couple pictures that I took, with you in last night’s post. Now today, again, a male Restart showed up to amaze me several times this afternoon. Here, just two of the images I was able to get. What…