Field Biology in Southeastern Ohio

In my last post I mentioned there was a bounty on caterpillars. I said that because there are just SO many out right now. So I took the 12 gauge and 22 to see what I could get. After shooting a bunch, I brought them home and spilled my "catch" out on the floor. This was all that was left. I decided it might be better to hunt them with a camera instead!

I went to an Oak dominated woods and found a dozen species along a single path. Besides oak and hickory, one should check the leaves on every type of plant. The clue is to find leaves that have been chewed on like this. The plant is Dogbane or Indian Hemp, Apocynum, a Milkweed relative. Right in the center I could see the possible suspect peeking through.

Upon lifting the leaves, I could see at least four fuzzy caterpillars.

This is Cycnia tenera, the Dogbane Tiger Moth. Sometimes it's referred to as the Delicate Cycnia. Most of the larvae I find are this dark gray, but this species may also be much lighter in color. A couple years ago I posted on Tiger Moths and other caterpillars. These are all recent shots, and include a number of new and different families.

The Pale or Banded Tiger Moth, Halysidota tessellaris. This is another species that is currently very abundant. You'll often see them on the ground, as they frequently fall from the trees above. This caterpillar ranges from white to yellow to brown. Two features I use to make sure what species it is, regardless of color. The orange marks in the head region are on most but not all forms.

More reliable are the mixture of black and white hair tufts. This yellow form I commonly see on twigs in the winter, stiff as a board. They are not frozen, but parasitized. I hope to do a post in the future on insect mummification.

This photo from Jim Vargo illustrates the adult. A pale yellow moth with two blue stripes on the thorax. The adults look identical to the Sycamore Tiger Moth. Genitalia dissections are required to separate them.

This is the larva of the Sycamore Tiger Moth, Halysidota harrisii. They have the same fuzzy hairs throughout, but the main tufts are orange instead of black.

While I've mentioned this before, redundancy is good. The previous Tiger moths are often referred to as Tussock Moths. I don't do that because THIS is a true tussock. Orgyia leucostigma is the White-marked Tussock Moth. Lymantriidae is the family. Tiger moths are Artiidae. The common names are interchanged because both have hairy tufts in the back and front. Tussocks differ in having a short batch of white stiff hairs midway down the body.

The Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar, Lochmaeus manteo. This is a type of Prominent Moth. Size wise, it's probably one instar away from being mature. In older forms, the four pairs of orange spots unite into one long brown/orange patch along the back.

Another member of the Prominent family is the Yellow-necked Caterpillar, Dantana ministra. The genus Datana is difficult to identify to species when looking at the moths, but the caterpillars are pretty distinct. They are all striped like this, but the number of stripes and their color distinguishes which species you have. This one is called Yellow-necked because of the orange-yellow spot behind the head.

Most caterpillars feed as individuals, but in the genus Datana, caterpillars stay together in groups. When disturbed by a predator, they all rear back like this into a defensive posture. They then spit up a ball of green liquid goo that predators choose to avoid.

Looking similar to the tiger moths, this is a Noctuid moth member. Acronicta americana, or the American Dagger Moth, is larger than the tigers. It's white to yellowish, and differs in appearance by having the long tufts of hairs in pairs along the body.

Always a favorite are the Giant Silkmoths. This is the Luna Moth, Actias luna. We've probably all seen the showy green moth with the long tails on the wings, but the caterpillar often goes unnoticed.

Luna Moth cats look similar to the Polyphemus. Notice the horizontal white line between the two rows of orange spots. On Polyphemus there are green/yellow lines running vertically connecting those rows of dots.

Another sub-group of Silkmoths are known as the Oakworms, many of which are black. This orange one is the Spiny Oakworm, Anisota stigma. The fuzzy tufts near the head on other caterpillars are replaced by ones that more closely resemble antennae. Those are not hairs along the body, but black spines.

A moth family with a single spine or "horn" are the Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths. This one belongs to the group called Hummingbird or Clearwing Moths. There are several common names for this species, but because the adult is primarily yellow and black, I call it the Bumble Bee Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis. The breathing pores or spiracles form a row of shiny black spots. The underside is completely black. The horn is solid black except for the yellow base. This species also wears a yellow pearl tiara above the head. It's a very common species.

Not as common, but by no means rare, is this hornworm found feeding on Pawpaw trees. Yes, it's called the Pawpaw Sphinx, Dolba hyloeus. There are several similar looking species that may also have a blue horn. The white streaks are bordered by a thin black line. Most importantly is the green head that contains no other facial markings.

Now what the heck? No it's not a caterpillar. It's a pair of albino Daddy-longlegs mating. That would be affirmative on the negative again. It is just a Thistle seed.

Oh, a whole bunch of thistle seeds? Not this time. Just showing you have to keep your eyes peeled at all times. Looks can deceive. This white caterpillar with the Martin Short hair is an early instar of the Puss caterpillar.

The mature caterpillar takes on a totally different look. This will hatch into an adult known as the Black-waved Flannel Moth, Lagoa crispata. Be careful, there are stinging spines under those soft hairs.

Here is another example of looking at everything very closely. Just a thin strip of yellow on these green leaves was enough to catch my attention.

Had I not been meticulous, I would have missed this ornate species wearing polka-dotted pajamas. This is our second representative of this family in Ohio. Norape ovina, is known as the White Flannel Moth. The adult is plain white, and can't hold a candle to the colorful larva.

I wonder if those ghostly fake eyes serve to deter predators. Closely related to the Flannels are the Slug Moth caterpillars, the Limacodids. Now anybody that follows my blog knows this is my favorite family of caterpillars. They have so many weird looks and shapes. They have no prolegs underneath, so they move at a snails pace. Those spines serve as protection. The Saddleback, Acharia stimulea, is the one most familiar to people. stimulea is right, those spines hurt!

No that's not a gall, or brown fungus on the leaf, but another slug caterpillar. Phobetron pithecium, the Hag Moth. Those appendages will vary in size and number.

I saw a miniature World War 1 tank actually moving on a leaf. No really!

Talk about strange shapes, this one may take the cake. The Skiff Moth, Prolimacodes badia. It's bad alright. The moth is very common, I see it everywhere, but I've been waiting a long time to photograph the caterpillar. The top and sides of this hump-backed species looks like a leaf beginning to decompose.

Creme de la creme. By far the showiest of all the slug caterpillars is Parasa indetermina. Like the above, I've waited forever to find this guy. The common name is the Stinging Rose Caterpillar. Named because it was found eating Rose, the food plant list for this species is quite long.

"Slug caterpillars look like Chinese Junks". I've heard that before, but I'll leave that up to you.

Back in September 2010, I posted a feature on plant galls here. I have come across a lot of others since then, and decided it's time for part 2. Some of these I pulled from other misc. posts, but the majority are new. I'm no authority on galls, and references are not easy to come by. I always welcome an expert to correct anything I post, but there aren't a lot of people who work on them.

These spotted little cherries look like the Banded Bullet Gall, created by Dryocosmus imbricariae, a tiny wasp. This was found on Black Oak, but they attack other species, especially Shingle Oak. Some of the common names in this post I simply made up because they often don't have one.

Here is another Bullet Gall on Bur Oak. A Disholcaspis wasp, probably quercusmamma.

Also found on Oak, I call this the Brain Gall. That sounds a little better than calling it the 'intestinal gut' gall. Again, created by a wasp, possibly the species Amphibolips coelebs.

These fuzzy clusters look like Flake Galls, created by a Cynipd Wasp from the genus Neuroterus.

This is one of a number of species I refer to as Spiny Hedgehog Galls. The yellow gum drop covered in red hairs makes this wasp Acraspis erinacei. Pictured are both new and old galls.

Similar to the green Oak Apple Gall, I call this the Spotted Apple Gall. It too is created by a parasitic wasp known as Loxaulus maculipennis.

Here's a gall that grows on the leaf stem of oak trees. Because they turn hard and brown like so many other galls, this one was a bit difficult. To me it looks like the Oak Petiole Gall, Andricus quercuspetiolicola, a parasitic wasp.

It's not everyday I come across a gall on Hickory that looks like a Woolybear caterpillar. Another species that was hard to narrow down. I could only find one source for an answer. I believe these are created by a Fly called the Hickory Midge Gall,Caryomyia purpurea.

I pictured these in the original gall post with spring time shots. Early in the season they are green and yellow. By late summer they have turned brown and rigid. These are from Aphid relatives known as Adelgids. They infest the rachis of Hickories.

These "hairy warts" were also pictured in the other post, but with only a few examples on the leaf. I wanted to show just how plentiful they can be on a single leaf. These are from Hackberry Psyllids, also relatives of Aphids and Adelgids. The species is Pachypsylla celtidismamma.

Hamamelistes spinosus, an appropriate latin named for the Spiny Witch-hazel Gall. These are created by Aphid colonies. If you don't look closely at them, you may mistake them for Witch-hazel fruit. Also don't be surprised if you see Ants walking all over them. They are looking to feed on any honeydew that may seep out from the aphids inside. I also discussed these in the original post, but pictured very old galls. These light colored ones are new.

This week I had students open one up. They found Ants on the inside feeding off the Aphids.

This is Green-headed Coneflower,Rudbeckia laciniata. It's a common species of moist woods edges.

What grabbed my attention about the flowers were the bulges at the top of several plants. These are insect galls created by a Midge Fly with a tongue twister of a latin name, Asphondylia rudbeckiaeconspicua.

Growing along riparian zones throughout the late summer is a wildflower known as Wingstem. Herbaceous plants are just as susceptible to galls as woody plants are. These are created by Gall Midge Flies from the genus Neolasioptera. N. verbesinae forms bulges on the main stem, while N. incisa forms galls on the side branchlets. John Plakidas provided the information on this group at Bugguide.

Still trying to figure this one out. These swellings on a Eupatorium, look similar to the ones on Ash leaves in the spring. Those are from a Midge Fly, and I suspect these are also. Those squiggly lines on the leaf surface are formed by leaf miner moths and flies, these being most likely a species of fly.

This looks like a cluster of Caesar stuffed eggs. Ya, well that's my imagination running wild again. It's another oak gall from Dryocosmus deciduus, a Gall Wasp.

These colorful little guys fit into one of two types. They look a bit like Pumpkin Galls. But because of the two toned color and the raised tops, I think they are Kernel Flower Galls produced by another wasp Callirhytis serricornis. Depending on your perspective, galls can look cute or just plain weird.

Cottonwood Petiole Gall. These are created by Aphids in the genus Pemphigus. Perhaps a more appropriate name would be the Poplar petiole gall, as they also occur on Aspen and other Poplar trees. This one is most likely P. populitransversus. If this gall had lines on it, it would be from a moth. If the gall was further up on the leaf, that would be another species of Aphid.

I will probably add more galls to this post as I find them. As a sidelight, this intrigued me. It is not a gall or a rust to my knowledge. I'm waiting on confirmation of this, but I wonder if it's not what is known as Powdery Mildew, a fungus.

Last Friday and Saturday brought some ugly rain. Sunday was nice but a little chilly. I went for a hike, and for the first time all season, there were no caterpillars to be found. I hate to hear people keep saying "I'm sorry, but summer is over". Fall does bring it's own unique features though.

There were caterpillars still out a couple weeks ago. As I stepped out of my office to look for a few, a student stopped me and asked if this was a lizard. He had never seen one in Ohio. Sure enough, it was a young fence lizard or Fence Swift. Temperatures had already begun to drop, so this guy spent all his time sunning openly on the heated rocks.

One of the caterpillars I found was Spilosoma virginica. This species is rusty orange colored, often with interspersed black hairs. It is better known as the Virginia Tiger Moth. The adult is one of the several "all white" tiger moths.

Later that night, my Entomology class was excited about setting up a light and sheet to attract insects. Well it figures, the night was cold, and very few insects came in. Sitting on an oak nearby was this sphinx moth larva. It is one of the 'eyed' sphingids. Their caterpillars all look similar. This one is the Blind-eyed Sphinx, Paonias excaecata.

Cream colored stripes reach down to the spiracles, with the last stripe at the horn being most predominant. The red spots near the prolegs vary in size and intensity. The head contains a green and white stripe, while the body is covered in white granules.

Fall brings a profusion of fruit, some of which is edible. One of my favorites is Blackhaw Viburnum, Viburnum prunifolium. It's not sweet and juicy, but more subtle. It has a thicker, mushier texture like that of raisins or prunes. Suck on the black ones, and spit out the seed. I think they are delicious.

When you hear people say "plant native", this is a good choice. Viburnums have showy flowers, and the fruits persist, making them a good winter bird food.

S.E. Ohio is known for its fall colors. Our Beech-Maple forests are currently turning, but our Oak woods are still green. Look on the forest edges for the best color right now, especially on the smaller species.

One of those is the Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida. Those red football fruits are not edible for us, but wildlife will grab them up.

American Hazelnut, Corylus americana, is turning orange-scarlet right now. Though a small shrub, they do add to the color variety.

Hazelnut is most easily identified by the caterpillar-like catkins hanging down.

Because the fruit grow in large heavy clusters, they usually have fallen to the ground by now. If you are lucky enough to still find them, they are edible. Hazel is used a lot to flavor coffee. It's the European Hazelnut, or what is known as a Filberts Nut that is sold in stores. Our native species will work just the same. Mammals are big consumers of these.

American Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens. While very showy, this one is poisonous to humans. Wildlife will seek it out. Bittersweet is not only a climbing vine, but a choker. It will kill young trees it grows on. Older trees with thicker bark are not as susceptible. The plant produces orange pumpkin like capsules that split open to reveal a bright red seed.

Another plant that has turned all red is the Winged Sumac, Rhus copallina. There are wing like growths between the leaflets, making this easy to identify. The second photo shows how glossy looking the leaves can get, leading to another common name, the Shining Sumac.

Perhaps the most brilliant looking plant right now is the Smooth Sumac, Rhus glabra. The rachis between the leaflets are smooth, containing no wings.

There are four red fruiting sumacs in Ohio, but Smooth Sumac is probably the best for making drinks. Collect the fruit heads and put them in a cheese cloth. Soak them in water, and you can make a pink lemonade.

A favorite among many is this peach-apricot flavored fruit known as Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana. Look in old fields for this species.

If you wish to indulge in eating these, make sure they are ripe!! If you see a wrinkled surface like this, and they are squeezable soft to the touch, they are ready. Hard unripe Persimmons will leave the most awful, dry, cotton mouth result on your tongue, and you'll wish you hadn't tried them!

Here's what happens after biting an unripe Persimmon!

Four legged animals love Persimmon, and it's an important quick energy source. This is fresh deer scat found under the trees. Technically it's known as Doodie!

Do you love that hickory smoked flavor? Well you get that from burning the wood, but the fruit is quite edible. If you like Walnuts, you'll probably like Hickory nuts. The thick husked fruits above can be found under Shagbark, Mockernut, and Kingnut. The thin husked fruits below are what's found on Pignut and Bitternut, Carya spp. People generally find the thick shelled species more desirable. Right now the squirrels are busy eating and hoarding them.

Another species in full fruit now is the Spicebush, Lindera benzoin. While I wouldn't eat the fruit right off the shrub, pioneers would dry the skins, chop it up like you would parsley, and use it as a spice substitute in the skillet.

When the leaves and fruit drop, Spicebush can be recognized by the BB or ball bearing buds. These buds, like the twigs, retain their aromatic oils year round. Crush them up and take a sniff. It may remind you a bit of Sassafras. They are in the same family, which also includes Camphor and Cinnamon.

Someone mention Sassafras? Sassafras my a** It's Halloween time, and that's a ghost if I ever saw one!

It's that time of year where I'm not out with the camera much. I often look through my photos in order to come up with a topic to post. I had put this together before I realized fellow blogger Andrew Gibson did an excellent post on the subject a couple years back at Natural Treasures of Ohio. Andy emphasized winter condition in his post, and I simply hope to expand on that.

There are six species of hickory in our region. Rather than memorizing them, there are three ways you can spilt them into different groups.

1) Are there 5 or commonly 7-9 leaflets?
2) Is the bark shaggy or tightly criss-crossed?
3) Is the fruit husk thick or thin?

We'll start with the two shaggy looking species. The more common one is the Shagbark Hickory, Carya ovata. It is found from bottomlands to ridgetops. The bark forms long shaggy or warped plates that separate from the trunk.

Because young Shagbarks do NOT have shaggy bark, it pays to look at other characters. The twigs are dark brown and dirty hairy. The buds are elongate or bullet shaped. The bottom scales are black to purple, and the upper scales are light colored.

Sometimes there may be seven leaflets, but Shagbark most often occurs with 5 leaflets. The name ovata comes from the terminal leaflet often being broader than other hickories. The fruit has thick husks, and is considered the most edible of all the hickories here in the north. In the south, another hickory has high commercial value, Carya illinoiensis, otherwise known as the Pecan.

Another thick husked fruit with compound leaves. At first glance, it looks just like the picture above.

Looking at the bark, it too seems to match Shagbark. This is Kingnut Hickory, Carya laciniosa. One thing to consider, 99 out of 100 times, this species will be restricted to wet bottomlands only. Beyond that you need to look closer at a few details.

Unlike Shagbark, Kingnut always shows 7-9 leaflets. Another common name for this species is Shellbark Hickory.

The buds are similar to Shag, dark below and light above, but pay attention to the new growth twigs. Shagbark is dark brown, dirty hairy. Kingnut twigs are tan, beige, flesh toned, or just call them light colored. Except in early spring, the twigs are hairless. The lenticles are often lined in orange.

While any hickory can retain its rachis stems, Kingnut is notorious for keeping them on throughout the winter. Another thing Kingnut does more so than any other hickory, it also holds the old bud scales. You can see them peeled back against the base of the twig.

Three other hickories have this tight look to the bark. Scissor shaped, criss-crossed, or X shaped. I have never met anyone who can reliably tell Mocker, Pig, and Bitter apart strictly by the bark alone. At certain ages there are subtle differences, but as they grow older, even those characters don't usually hold up. So it's important to look at the other parts of the tree.

Bitternut Hickory, Carya cordiformis, has 7-9 leaflets. By itself, that doesn't do much, since Mockernut has also 7.

The unique characteristic are the buds. Both terminal and lateral buds are a sulfur or mustard yellow. They are the only hickory in the north with these valvate or naked buds.

If you can't reach the branches to check buds, look on the ground for fruit. Bitternut fruit are oval rather than perfectly round. Like the Pignut, they are thin husked. Unlike Pignut, the fissures have raised ridges or wings. Most find the thin husked hickories not very tasty, hence the name Bitternut.

Regardless of which you may choose to crack open and eat, be aware they are susceptible to pests. Here is the grub of the Hickory Nut Weevil, Curculio caryae, chewing it's way out of the shell. These beetles spend the season eating the inside, then crawl out and bury themselves in the dirt till the following year before pupating into adults. They are related to the same Weevils that attack Plum, Chestnut, and Oak acorns.

Mockernut Hickory, Carya tomentosa. Another 7-9 leaved hickory with thick fruit. If these characters start to overlap, look for something that stands out as different.

Carya tomentosa refers to the hairy texture of the twig and leaf rachis. The more you look at these though, the more you can see something else that sticks out. The buds are shaped like the Taj Mahal or like a Hershey Kiss candy.

Besides the shape, the other thing to look for is that there are NO dark scales around the base of the bud. Early in the season they do have them, but they are deciduous and drop off come late summer and fall.

Our third tight barked species is Pignut Hickory, Carya glabra. Here in the north Pignut usually has 5 leaflets. In the south, it is more common to see them with 7. To remember both 5 leaved species, I think of what former colleague Ned Maxson used to tell students. When in the woods, look for "five shaggy pigs".

Pignut is the second thin husked, oval fruit. It does NOT have wings on it like the Bitternut. The shape often resembles a pig face and snoot.

Students sometimes call this a Shagbark, thinking they see two toned buds. Remember, on Shagbark the lower scales are dark, and upper portions light. On Pignut, one whole side of the bud may be dark.

Pignut twigs and buds are skinnier and smaller than the other hickories. To some, that's all relative. Their twigs are dark brown like Mockernut and Shagbark, but look again. The term glabra means smooth. There is no hair on the new growth portions. This is especially evident when shining in the sun.

That smooth appearance continues into the leaves. The rachis is also hairless on Pignut.

That brings us to out last hickory. Click on the photo if it's not large enough. Look at the bark. This one seems it can't decide on whether to call itself tight or shaggy. This is the least common species. Considered by some as just a Pignut variety, most texts elevate it to a valid species. It's known as SweetPignut, Carya ovalis.

Sweet Pig is said to have slightly larger and more stout twigs and buds. In my observations, this is true, but still a minute character. Sweet Pig almost always has seven leaflets instead of 5. Another common name is Red Hickory. The bases of the rachis are usually red, then brown further up. Since this photo was taken in November, I wouldn't use this as proof. One needs to check during the summer.

It is written that ovalis fruit splits all the way to both ends, and that glabra only splits half way. I've seen thousands of Pignuts, and I don't believe this is reliable.

An appropriate third common name applied to this species is the False Shagbark Hickory. The bark is tightly X shaped, but portions tend to start breaking away. Not in long shaggy strips, but just enough to catch your attention. It's the first thing I look for if I'm thinking Sweet Pignut.

Hickories do have habitat preferences, but by no means are they restricted to one site. Only Kingnut needs to keep its feet wet in bottomlands. All the others I have seen growing within a few feet of each other throughout our slopes and ridges.

The Sumacs of Ohio are comprised of five species in two genera. They are classified as shrubs, but several can obtain large sizes. All have compound leaves, and the majority have red fruit. Sumacs are not woodland species, but require open areas and edges in full sunlight.

The most common species in our area is the Smooth Sumac, Rhus glabra. The rachis is often reddish purple because it has a glaucous coating. There are a large number of leaflets on Smooth Sumac.

The underside of the leaflets are white, and the margins are serrate.

The fruit is bright red and grows erect. Besides soaking it for making lemonade, the dried berries or "drupes" can be added to salads for a hint of lemon also. The sap of sumacs is very sticky and used in varnish.

The new growth twigs of Smooth Sumac are 3-sided and fairly smooth to the touch. The buds protrude outward from the center of the leaf scar. These twigs are eaten by deer and rabbits in the winter.

Our second most common species is Winged Sumac, Rhus copallina. It has fewer leaflets than Smooth. They are green on both sides, and the margins are entire. The key feature are the leafy like growths or wings between the leaflets. The look of those leaves are not due to a flash, but are naturally this bright. The other common name is Shining Sumac.

Winged Sumac has yellowish white flowers during the summer. Come fall the fruit will be red, but much duller than Smooth Sumac. Another thing to notice, the fruit tend to hang rather than grow straight up.

Before long the fruit will start to droop, and turn a blackish red.

Compared to Smooth Sumac, the twigs will feel more round rather than angled. The twig is not smooth, but covered in an abundance of bumpy lenticles. The buds grow out from the top of the leaf scar.

Looking at these pictures, it would appear to be more of the Smooth Sumac. Well the leaves, twigs, and fruit ARE nearly identical, but with one major exception.

A closer look reveals that all parts of this plant are covered in velvety hairs. This is Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina. Though found state wide, I see more of it in northern Ohio. This is the largest of the sumacs. So large in fact, as a kid I was able to climb them like a tree.

A closeup of the fruit shows how thick the hairs can be. Each drupe looks like a miniature red Sea Urchin.

Nothing shows the fuzziness better than the twig. This was taken in early spring as the upper buds began to open up into leaves.

The sumac that people seem least familiar with is the smallest one known as Fragrant Sumac, Rhus aromatica. The latin name refers to the sweet spicy smell when you crush the leaves. When folks find this shrub for the first time, they usually back away.

There's good reason to be hesitant. The leaves are trifoliate, and resemble Poison Ivy!

Fear not. Once you see red fruit, you know you're safe. There may be a slight peach-fuzz on the fruit, but this species forms round clusters of drupes, not pyramid shaped like the others. It's widely scattered in the state, but if you live in a county with a major river system, you probably have it.

Last but not least is the species you need to watch out for. With leaves growing high above your head, you may bump into this without knowing it. Poison Sumac, Toxicodendron vernix.

The leaflets are fewer than Staghorn or Smooth. If anything, they look more like Winged Sumac, but without the wings. The leaflets tend to be broader than those three species, ending in a fine tip. I also notice the leaflets look further apart than other sumacs.

The key feature is the fruit. First, it turns from green to WHITE. That's one reason it's in the same genus as Poison Ivy. The other thing to look for is that the fruit droops downward, away from the plant. This plant causes the same rash as Poison Ivy, and depending on your skin, many people have more severe reactions to this than P.I. The most frequent areas for this are the entire N.E. portion of the state, but it will be found anywhere there is a swamp.

What a title for the holiday season, but I bet it got your attention. With finals being over, I can finally catch up on a few posts. These photos are not the greatest, but consider everything here is dead. It's a short post, but I'm fascinated with the subject matter.

This looks like a normal moth caterpillar, but upon approaching it, it appears 'frozen solid'. Braconid Wasps of the genus Aleiodes have attacked it. They feed on the internal portions of the host. Just before pupating they chew minute holes in the bottom of the caterpillar and emit a sticky glue like liquid that hardens and keeps the host firmly attached to the twig. Some Braconid and Ichneumon wasps form cocoons on the outside, but the mummy wasp Aleiodes pupates inside.

Like a scene from the movie Alien, they chew through the skin of the dorsal region and pop out as adult wasps.

Here are the wasps I hatched out from the caterpillar above. There are about 100 species in this group found in North America. Many are species specific to certain caterpillars, but I haven't delved into this far enough to give an exact species name.

This strange critter is a mummified Harvestmen. Torrubiella is an Entomophagous fungi, meaning it attacks Arachnids and Insects. Spiders and Daddy-longlegs are particularly susceptible because they are soft bodied. The hard exoskeleton of insects are more difficult to penetrate. Hemiptera, in particular the Homoptera group, leafhoppers, planthoppers, scale, etc., are known to get this fungus.

The spores land on the host and penetrate the body. Toxins are released that kill the animal, and then the fungus absorbs the bodies liquids. The fungus contains antibiotics which prevent other pathogens from invading the corpse. The mycelium spreads and then forms reproductive structures at the weaker points of the body, such as the leg joints of this harvestmen.

Another body invading fungus is Cordyceps. They are known to attack at least a dozen different orders of insects. This is a Carolina Leafroller, Camptonotus carolinensis, a katydid relative.

The dark spot at the base of the abdomen, and the long ovipositor verify this as a female leafroller. Cordyceps fungi may be more familiar to some with regards to ants. This is the same genus that affects the brains of certain ants, turning them into zombies. They climb to high points on vegetation, then the fungal spores spring out of their head. Infected ants are recognized by the colony, and individuals are removed so they won't cause the entire population to die.

I actually got to watch these fungal hyphae grow from a couple millimeters to over a half inch in length. They start white and turn black with age. They erupt from every joint or seam in the body, head, thorax, abdomen, and appendages. Most of these fungi are species specific, attacking only one type of insect.

Here is a sphinx moth, the Lettered Sphinx I believe, Deidamia inscriptum, mummified by another type of fungus. In this case it's Akanthomyces fungi, known to favor moths and beetles. The biology is similar to other insect attacking fungi. The white mycelium spreads both internally and externally. This fungus spares no part of the body, even sending out spores through the wing veins.

I'll finish the way I started, with a parasite. This shriveled up caterpillar, and the cocoon below, may be caused by Cotesia, a parasitic wasp. Unlike the earlier wasp I mentioned, these tend to bore out the sides and bottom of the body. They form a large wiggling mass beneath the caterpillar. Talk about the walking dead being zombiefied, the caterpillars brain is so messed up by this, it actually starts spinning a cocoon around the wasps themselves! The caterpillar provides protection for the very critters that end up killing it.

Side note: I found the biology of this amazing, BUT, this may be nothing more than the caterpillars OWN cocoon. Some moths and butterflies leave a shriveled up portion of their skins before pupating into a cocoon or chrysalis. I've had this specimen for a couple years, and nothing has hatched out of it. Next time I find one, I'll have to open it up and look inside.

Wild Grapes occur throughout Ohio and are quite common. These fruit are edible, though a bit tart for some. Wine can be made from our species, but it's not as desirable when compared to the more cultivated varieties.

Grape vines grow by means of tendrils. Curly structures that act like a little bull whip. When they reach another plant, they twine around it, tightening its hold, and pulling the plant upward.

With age the bark will become shredded or shaggy. They commonly hang from high up in trees. As kids, we called them Tarzan vines.

Here is a local vine measuring 8 inches in diameter. That's big for a grape!

When growing, some grape vines may look a little like old Virginia Creeper vines. Pathenocissus vines stay attached to the trunks of trees, while grapes grow freely. Although they are in the same family, Virginia Creeper fruits are poisonous. Little red stems warn you to stop and not eat them.

There are about 6 species of grapes in Ohio, three of which are more common in the Athens County area. Most grapes have broad round leaves like this, with three to five main veins radiating out in a palmate like pattern. This is Frost Grape, Vitis vulpina. Due to the latin name, it's also known as the Fox Grape. Common names of grapes are often used to describe other species.

Of the three grapes I'm covering, this species has the smallest or most uniform teeth around the margin of the leaf. The leaves are most often unlobed. If lobed at all, there will be three very shallow lobes. The fruit is plain blue, without any white coating. This is one of the tart species. After the first 'frost' in the fall, they become sweeter. Look for it in any disturbed site.

Vitis labrusca, the other fox grape, has leaves similar to this, and is found along Lake Erie and the southern most counties of Ohio. It's leaves are fuzzy underneath and coated with orange colored hairs. It's fruit are larger than these other species, and is often crossed with other wine producing grapes.

In contrast, Vitis riparia, the Riverbank Grape, has some of the largest, outward pointing teeth along the margin. Besides disturbed ground, look for it in lowlands or along water edges.

The leaf surface and petioles are hairless in the most common varieties. There may be some slight hair along the main veins underneath. The blue fruits are covered with a slight white coating.

Here is Frost Grape on the left, and Riverbank Grape in the back and center.

Vitis aestivalis, the Summer Grape is the other common species here. The leaves are usually lobed, and the texture of the leaf is hairy.

The fuzzy wooly feel is especially noticeable on the undersides. That's not a white glaucous coating, just a large amount of hairs. There is a variety of this species called Silverleaf Grape. It has a chalky coating underneath, but no hairs.

Summer Grape commonly shows these deeply lobed varieties. The bottom of the sinus is rounded. Other lobed grapes have a sharp curved sinus.

Vitis cinerea, the Winter Grape, is scattered around Ohio, but mostly found along the Ohio River counties. Its leaves and twigs are covered in gray hairs, but the leaves do not have these deep lobes, and the twigs are angled rather than round.

In the spring, leaves may look, and even feel similar to one another. It's best to let them mature before determining which species you have.

Homoptera insects, once considered their own order, have now been placed into the Hemiptera order. Many people just refer to all insects as bugs. Well this is the one order where they are correct. Hemiptera are known as the True Bugs. These brown and green Stink Bugs are examples. Many true bugs emit a defensive chemical when disturbed, hence the common name.

One of the characteristics of true bugs are the antennae. They are divided into 4 or 5 distinct segments. Look under the bark of fallen logs to find the black one. It's extremely flat, and yes, it's called a Flat Bug. The other, sitting high up on skinny legs, is a Stilt Bug.

Hemiptera means half-wing. The upper portion is thick and leathery, while the bottom part is thin and membranous. With many bugs, you can count the veins in the lower wing to determine which family it is in. The large number of veins here tell us this is a Coreidae, the Leaf-footed and Squash Bugs. One wing folds over the other, and forms an X like pattern.

Most Hemiptera are easily recognized because they are usually round or have broad bodies. Occasionally you'll find something that looks like a cross between a walking stick and mantid, such as a Water Measurer, Water Scorpion, or this skinny Assassin Bug.

The other character to look for on True Bugs are the mouthparts. The lips and mandibles typical of chewing insects, are elongated into a piercing beak. Many, like this Bee Assassin Bug, use them to catch prey. Others simply pierce plants to suck out juices. By the way, those beaks can penetrate skin, and it's not a pleasant experience.

True Bugs lay their eggs in batches, and upon hatching look like a bunch of empty barrels.

So back to my original title, the Homoptera insects. These are the plant feeders. Homo-ptera, meaning 'same wing', do not have a two part wing. They also hold their wings over their back in a tent like shape. All the other insects I've mentioned so far hold their wings flat against the back. Cicadas are part of the Homoptera group. Notice the antennae is a simple thin wire, not long with distinct segments. So why were they all put in the same order? I'm sure I can't answer that.

Wooly Aphids and Adelgids.

Spittlebugs, easily spotted by the froth of bubbles the immatures use to hide under. Whiteflies, Mealybugs, and Scale are also Homopterans.

Some of the smaller, and often overlooked members include the Tree-hoppers, Leaf-hoppers, Plant-hoppers, and even the hopper-hoppers. This orange Tree-hopper is Cyrtolobus, probably the species ovatus.

Other Tree-hoppers will have a raised ridge on their back like this Telamona species.

Still others will have that ridge form into an elongated point. This is the Two-marked Treehopper, Enchenopa binotata.

Many homoptera insects are sought out by ants, bees, and wasps. They like to feed on the extra sugar water excreted by these insects. Because of the quick energy boost they get, ants often herd or protect homopterans from predators. This Tree-hopper species is Vanduzea arquata.

Finally, leaf-hoppers and plant-hoppers. This is the Palm Leaf-hopper, Ormenaria rufifascia. A species found on Saw Palmetto in Florida.

The following are species commonly seen around Ohio. Candy-striped or Red-Banded Leafhopper, Graphocephala coccinea. They are often called "sharpshooters" because they don't just emit a drop of sugar water, they shoot it out in rapid pulses, like a little machine gun.

Citrus Plant-hopper, Metcalfa pruinosa.

Green Striped Leaf-hopper, Tylozygus geometricus.

Green Plant-hopper, Acanalonia conica.

Those woody plants that scratch and pierce our skin when hiking are often called some pretty colorful things by people. I will avoid such language, and describe exactly what they are running into. These "thorns" of Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata, are often referred to as branching spurs. This means they are not true thorns, just sharp twigs.

Wild Crabapple, Pyrus coronaria, is another plant with what we call "false thorns". If you feel a thorn that is bumpy, then it's just a pointed twig. Thorns will be smooth.

American Holly, Ilex opaca, is often described as having thorny leaves. They are not thorns, but spines along the leaf margin.

Another group of thorny plants are the Rubus. This is Raspberry. All of our plants around here have this white glaucous coating, so you don't even need to look at the thorns for identification.

Other piercing Rubus plants are the Blackberries. If you cut the twig and look at the cross section, they are star shaped. Blackberries have five sided twigs.

Blackberry and Raspberry are also plants that don't have true thorns. They are called prickles. So what is the difference? Generally speaking, prickles are just outward growths of the bark. True thorns are different tissue that grows out from under the bark. Spines are usually associated in some manner with leaves.

Who hasn't experienced some of the worst prickles of all. These curved fish hooks or shark fins belong to the notorious Multi-flora Rose, Rosa multiflora.

Our native roses can be just as detrimental. Swamp Rose for one, or in this example, the Climbing Rose, Rosa setigera. All portions may have tons of prickles. The problem with prickles versus thorns, is these have a bad habit of dislodging into your skin, ouch!

The Wild or Carolina Rose, Rosa carolina, is more of a minor annoyance than a major pain. Look for this Rose in dry upland woods. It only grows 1-3 feet tall. In the upper portions, the prickles are paired. In the lower parts they are thin and bristly. Most often they are colored white.

Greenbrier vines also have prickles rather than thorns. This is Sawbrier, Smilax rotundifolia. Sawbrier has square twigs and multicolored prickles that often look like candy corn. Sawbrier prickles are stiff and rigid and will pierce your clothes. This plant can climb on itself and form shrub like thickets. Avoid the "brier patch". (Brier can be spelled with an a as well as e).

A second species of Smilax is Glaucous Greenbrier, Smilax glauca. The twigs are round and more brownish green than Sawbrier. The prickles are more uniform in color, and more numerous at the bottom of the plant. The twigs may or may not have a white coating in winter.

Our third woody species is Bristly Greenbrier,Smilax tamnoides (hispida). It only takes a second to see the main character for identification. The upper portions of the plant may be completely thornless, but look on down to the base. I mentioned Glaucous may have the majority of its prickles at the bottom, and they may be all black, but they are all the same size. Bristly has black "needles" of all different sizes.

If you thought Bristly looked intimidating, this is even worse. These are actual thorns growing up the stem of Gooseberry or Currant. This was taken on a spring morning in Iowa. The forest understories are covered with Gooseberry out there. This is probably Prickly GooseberryRibes cynosbati. Gooseberry fruits are very edible. The fruit on this species is spiny, making harvesting a bit tricky.

In the past, people raising White Pine removed all Gooseberries from an area because it spreads a fungus rust that kills the trees. While there are always exceptions, those Ribes called Gooseberries usually have thorns, and those called Currants are thornless.

Looking at the stems of this plant, it is similar to Bristly Greenbrier. The leaves though look more like a Locust. Let's try Bristly Locust, Robinia hispida. The red thorns here are actually hairs, and they extend up even onto the flowers. There are sharp spines between the leaflets. Bristly Locust is a southern species often planted in Ohio as an ornamental.

Robinia pseudoacacia, the Black Locust, is the more common species in our area. The twigs are hairless, but each node contains short paired thorns. Again, technically they're spines.

Less frequently seen in our area is a Black Locust look-a-like. With short paired thorns and compound leaves, it may be overlooked. This is Northern Prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum americanum.

One way to separate it from Locust is to look between the leaflets. They have a spiny rachis.

Up close the buds are fuzzy and bright red. It's also called the Toothache Tree. Like aspirin, it is said if you cut a slice of the bark or thorns, it deadens pain in the mouth. Personally I'd use the bark, but I don't think I'd put a thorn in my mouth.

There are so many varieties in this group, the thorns can be long or short, straight or curved. Either way, these belong to the Hawthorn, Crataegus spp. I don't really try to figure out which are which. No matter what the keys say, many of these turn out to be genetically the same species.

These round red buds remind you what your finger tips will look like if you get jabbed by a Hawthorn.

Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii. Its bright red fruit make this an attractive ornamental, but is has escaped and become highly invasive. The leaves are small and spoon shaped. They grow out in clusters, though the plant is actually alternate. The long skinny projections are referred to as thorns, prickles, or spines. The literature is split on what to really call them. I lean towards spines.

To be sure you have a Barberry, take your knife and scrape the bark. The inner portions are a bright neon yellow.

A favorite of mine is Aralia spinosa. Sometimes called Hercule's Club, I much prefer the other common name, the Devil's Walking Stick. The thorns, which again are really prickles, often come out in a circular pattern, much like the Statue of Liberty Crown. In our area, look for it in the Hocking Hills region.

Elvis has left the building. So who is the current king? Without a doubt it has to be Honey Locust,Gleditsia triacanthos. Not only does it have thorns on the branches and trunk, but the thorns have thorns! They are multi-branching, and I have measured some 18 inches long. This is not something you want to get impaled upon.

I tell students to remember the latin name tri-acanthos by looking at the young thorns, they are branched into threes. They start out looking purple-red, and darken with age. I've also told students the thorns are toxic.

My choice of words may be misleading. They don't contain a liquid toxin or poison. The thorns may be covered in dirt or bacteria. These thorns are longer and more rigid than any of the other species mentioned. So when they pierce the skin, the wound is larger and deeper. It not only affects the skin, but can irritate the nerves. Major swelling can occur and last a week. Anti-inflammatories may be needed.

Honey Locust thorns have been used historically as sewing needles and fish hooks. The pea pods are sweet and edible when they first come out, not so later in the season. Black Locust pods on the other hand ARE poisonous. Don't eat those. At the risk of bursting your bubble again, Honey Locust thorns are not thorns at all, but spines.

When one thinks of Birches, or the Birch family Betulaceae, this is what usually comes to mind. Trees with white peeling bark. The family is more complex than that, and contains five different groups of plants or genera in our area. Most members have double serrate margins on the leaves. All produce catkins, but unlike their near relatives the Willows and Poplars, both male and female parts are on the same tree.

We might as well start with the genus the family is named after. Betula papyrifera, commonly known as White Birch. This is a species of the Northern Hardwood region. It's associated with Eastern Hemlock, White Cedar, White Pine, and Yellow Birch. White Birch is rare in Ohio, found only in a couple counties around Lake Erie. Birch bark is waterproof, and can be used to write on in place of paper. Sections were often cut and glued with balsam onto canoes. The other common names for this species is Canoe or Paper Birch.

All birches produce tightly packed fruit shaped like this. In time they will break apart into tiny winged nutlets. This species with the very elongated leaf tips is Gray Birch, Betula populifolia. Gray Birch can be found in several N.E. counties of Ohio.

Black Birch, Betula lenta, is also uncommon in Ohio, being scattered throughout the eastern part of the state. The leaves are narrowly egg shaped, and the double serrations are obvious. Because these leaves look identical to yellow birch, always check the bark.

Black Birch bark does NOT peel like other birches. It is dark in appearance, and often cracks open. They resemble young Cherry trees, and another common name is Cherry Birch.

Yellow Birch, Betula alleghaniensis. The range of Yellow Birch pretty much overlaps that of Black Birch in Ohio. Since the leaves look alike with these two, once again, check the bark.

Both Yellow and Black Birch have a shiny bark when young, but Yellow Birch will show more yellowish-green. With age, Yellow Birch will peel like a duck tail, or as if a wood planer had been run over the surface. Break the twig of either of these two species during the growing season, and you will smell a sweet wintergreen odor. Birch Beer has been made from these trees.

Here in southern Ohio, our most common species is River Birch, Betula nigra. Look for it it wet soils. You can see the older trees look very dark near the base, but upper portions and younger trees have an orange pink or salmon colored look as they peel.

Even trees only an inch in diameter begin to show the color and splitting of bark. River Birch leaves are like Yellow and Black, but with more distinct serrations, giving it a Christmas tree silhouette.

Notice the horizontal rows of white lenticles on the bark. This is typical of all the Birch family members, but this one is not a Birch. This is one of the Ironwoods. Because that name is used to describe two species, let's break them apart. This is a young Ostrya.

Ostrya virginiana, is also known as Hop-hornbeam. With age the bark appears to have been run through a paper shredder.

The common name comes from the clusters of fruit that resemble the Hops used to make beer. A click of the photo will show a close up of the fruit stalk. They contain detachable hairs that act like stinging nettle, so be careful when handling them.

Ostrya buds are round or torpedo shaped. The scales overlap in an alternate pattern. The bud scales also typically alternate between yellow and brown. Some populations may show all black buds.

Now look at the difference in these buds. Besides the color, the scales are stacked in rows. The bud itself is not round, but angled or pyramid shaped. This is the other ironwood species.

Carpinus caroliniana, known as Ironwood, Blue Beech, and American Hornbeam. No need for such common names, just look at the bark, very muscular. I much prefer the fourth common name, Musclewood. Both Carpinus and Ostrya have very hard wood. They were used for umbrella handles, canes, bows, wedges, and prying poles or early crowbars back in the day.

These and the following species all have their own genus because the fruit is different. Musclewood fruit contains a small seed subtended by a three pronged leafy bract. The fruit, bark, and buds are discussed here because the leaves look the same between the two Ironwoods.

The leaves on this species are much broader than all the previous trees. This is American Hazelnut, Corylus americana. Hazel is a shrub. New growth twigs show these gland tipped hairs. This is a good identification character, but they easily break off when handled.

The catkins on Betula, Carpinus, and Ostrya, are usually concentrated at the ends of the twigs, and often in threes. On Hazelnut, they can be located anywhere, and often occur in long rows. In fall and winter theses yellow catkins are tightly wrapped. They can be straight or curled like a caterpillar.

Come spring they soften up and become elongated. The catkins in this family are all male. They release their pollen, and the wind carries it to the female flower.

And here is what she looks like. Popping out of a bud scale is a magenta, spider like flower without petals.

Upon fertilization, a cluster of green fruit begin to grow, surrounded by leaf like bracts.

At maturity, you have our own version of a Filbert's Nut. These are just as edible, and are also sought after by wildlife.

It's the color purple, call Oprah. You don't come across purple buds very often, let alone those that are stalked. That brings us to the last members of the family, the Alders. We have two species here, the native Smooth or Common Alder, Alnus serrulata, and the introduced European Black Alder, Alnus glutinosa.

At the risk of repeating myself, Alders are in their own genus too because the fruits are different. They look like little pine cones. The fruit appears the same with both species. The leaves are widely egg shaped and end in a blunt tip.

Like the buds, the catkins are also purple. Buds, fruit, and catkins are similar between both species. Look to other characters to split them.

First, not all of the Black Alder leaves come to a point. Many of them have U shaped tips, like a bite had been chewed out of the top. Alders have nitrogen fixing bacteria on the roots, so Black is planted a lot in reclamation projects. It does not appear to be invasive.

Second, look at the bark. European Black Alder has not been with us for a long time. So I have never found much in any text that discusses the difference other than the leaves. What I have found is that Black Alder will grow straight and tall into a small tree. The bark stays black, and the horizontal lenticles remain visible.

Smooth Alder is a bushy plant growing as a shrub. With age the bark becomes gray and resembles Musclewood.

Try doing Ornithology classes in sub zero temperatures. Students hate it, but this week has been good. This is only the second time we've included the winter season as part of the class. Last year it was Evening Grosbeaks and Red-breasted Nuthatches. This week we have Purple Finches and Tree Sparrows. I wouldn't say these birds are really rare for down here, but they are uncommon, and worth taking note.

Tree Sparrows

Lake Snowden has been bitter cold this past week. One new bird, a Red-headed Woodpecker certainly made it worth the visit. We get all the other woodpeckers on a regular basis down here, but this one takes a special trip to find. Thanks to Tiffany Kieffer for the above photos. She took the woodpecker with a cell phone up against the back of her binoculars.

Thanks to Bob Placier, Lynn Holtzman, and Ron Cass for spreading the word around campus about the following species they found out front this afternoon. This is a group of Horned Larks.

Horned Larks are recognized by the yellow chin, a black medallion or "bling" around the neck, and a thick Sam Elliot/Vigo Mortensen mustache. You can always click on the photos for a better look.

Jim McCormac did a great post on these guys earlier this week at ohio birds and biodiversity. Not only are his pictures better, he had thousands of birds. We have less than 100. So by no means am I trying to copy Jim's post in any way, I merely want people of Athens County to know, these birds are down here too!!

Jim found cracked corn to be an attractant to the birds he observed. Here we use something different. Though unintentional, freshly spread horse manure brought the birds in.

Without a telephoto lens, I had to, (as usual) sneak up on the birds. While most searched for seeds in the manure, a few remained up on the snow and ice standing guard. Whenever I got too close, they would peep and all fly away.

The main reason I grabbed the camera was to find this brown bird. It's a Lapland Longspur, and it's also the first time I've seen one. Yeah, a lifer for me! These are in winter plumage and look sparrow like. Their facial markings are different, but I looked for the reddish brown or rufus colored bar on the wings. A few of the males were already showing that same color on the nape, or back of the neck.

While it's always great to mark another new bird onto the list, I'd rather watch their behavior. It was entertaining to see how several at a time would waddle through the snow like ducklings, form a semi-circular pattern, and then hunker down in the snow.

Can you pick out the third species from this group? Look on the right. About 50% of the birds today were made up of Snow Buntings. While they would feed with the other two species, after taking flight, they would roost in trees separate from the others. I couldn't get any on the ground, as they were even more wary of my approach. Their bright white undersides, and white wing patches make them easily distinguishable. They contain a lot of buff color on them now, but will turn a brilliant black and white come breeding season. All three of these species will breed far north of Ohio.

Ash Cave is one of the Hocking Hills State Parks located in Hocking County Ohio. It's known for its geological formations and a spectacular waterfall. The Hocking Hills contain glacial remnant forests usually found much further north. The gorge is full of towering Tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera, Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, American Beech, Fagus grandifolia, and Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum. The rim is blanketed with Hemlock trees, and the upper slopes are a mix of Oak and Hickory. I've recorded 70 species of woody plants and nearly 100 spring wildflowers at Ash Cave.

Black & White Warbler
While working at the park back in 1980, I noticed a high number of Northern Parula Warblers,Setophaga americana, and Black-throated Green Warblers, Dendroica virens. They weren't just passing through, but apparently nesting. These two species are few to absent in many of the other forest types in the surrounding counties, at least in the numbers found here. I wondered what other species might be present, so I decided to make a count of all the warblers found at Ash Cave.

Black-throated Green Warbler

Surveys were conducted in 1980 and again in 1981 between 7:00 and 9:00am. The route included the picnic area, gorge trail, rim trail, and part of the Buckeye trail behind the falls. Birds were recorded by both sight and song. Soon after the project I moved out of state, and never did anything with the data.

Canada Warbler

Years later I returned to the area and asked Pat Quackenbush, naturalist for Old Man's Cave and surrounding parks, if he would like to participate in repeating the surveys. I wanted to see if the diversity had changed over the 25 years. We gathered data using the same methods as before. With both of us busy with other projects, we hem-hawed on what to do with the results. Before we knew it, another 5 years had passed. So in 2013, we did it again. Now we can compare over a 30 year period.

Common Yellowthroat

19 species of warblers were recorded over the five survey years. The most frequently encountered species include, Black-throated Green, Parula, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-throated, Black & White, Hooded, and Worm-eating.

Those that were occasional or uncommon were Pine, Yellow, Blue-winged, Blackburnian, Cerulean, Canada, Kentucky, Common Yellowthroat, Prothonotary, American Redstart, and Tennessee.

Hooded Warbler

The three most common species were Black-throated Green, Parula, and Ovenbird,Seiurusaurocapillus. If we were to compare 1980-81 to 2005-06 & 2013, their numbers have declined by over 50%. The Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea, has gained a lot attention, showing the most rapid decline of all in North America. In 1980-81 there were 14 records. In 2005-06 we saw 2, and last year zero.

Kentucky Warbler

There were four birds in particular that showed the most drastic results. Yellow-throated Warbler,Dendroica dominica, and Kentucky Warbler, Oporornis formosus dropped by 93%. Worm-eating Warbler, Helmitheros vermivorus, by 90%, and Hooded Warbler, Wilsonia citrina, down by 85%. In S.E. Ohio, these are not rare warblers by any means, but at Ash Cave they are nearly non existent today.

Louisiana Waterthrush

Although I included a table at the end, the number of times we surveyed varied between the years, so comparing the total number of birds seen may be misleading. I think the best way to see the change is to average the number of birds per visit.

1980-81=16.7

2005-06=6.6

2013=4.7

Of the original 19 species from 1980-81, only 7 were recorded this past year.

Ovenbird

So what's happening? Succession of the old fields on either side of the picnic areas have made the habitat unsuitable for species like Prairie, Blue-winged, Yellow Warbler, etc. The hardwoods in the canopy can survive for several hundred years, and the Hemlocks easily twice that. So the vegetation through most of the park, including the understory, has changed little over the years.

Yellow Warbler

Why does the understory still have Ovenbirds and Waterthrushes, but not Worm-eating Warblers? If they forage throughout the woods, their behavior should not have been affected. Has there been too much soil compaction from off trail hiking? Perhaps visitation in the park has reached numbers that are uncomfortable for this species to nest on the ground here. The same could be asked of Hooded and Kentucky, which also prefer understory. Surveys often end up asking more questions than they answer.

Prothonotary Warbler

Other causes include the deforestation of tropical sites these birds overwinter in. The increased number of windmills, cell phone towers, and building collisions take their toll during migration. The change in land use in our country. Increased Cowbird parasitism is another factor. Pesticides, destruction of wetlands and riparian zones, climate change, and cats! (Don't get me started on that one). The list goes on and on. It's probably not one cause, but a combination of factors.

American Redstart

Pat and I are considering writing this up for publication.

All warbler photographs courtesy of Michael Williams.

Whenever I do a large post on a particular group of plants or animals, I always seem to start with a disclaimer. Not all of the skippers are illustrated here. I simply haven't seen all the species in Ohio. But in the interest of keeping my posts going, here are a few.

Lepidoptera are the Butterflies & Moths. There are those who like to add AND the Skippers. Like Hymenoptera, the bees, wasps, ants, and Sawflies. Sawflies are a type of wasp, but with fat bodies. Same goes for the Skippers. They are a "type" of butterfly, but have fatter bodies. They are extremely fast fliers, which means they have strong wing muscles. As any collector can tell you, pinning and spreading their wings is quite a challenge. Another difference is many species sit with their upper wings folded, and the hindwings open.

Also look at their antennae. Most don't end in a club. They are swollen, but then form a fine tip. These tips are often curved on many species. There are about 50 different Skippers in Ohio. Over 40 of them are known to breed here. The others are strays, having been recorded only once or twice in the state.

I have collected over 30 of them found in Ohio. My goal now is to photograph them. I could expand this post and illustrate mounted specimens, but as I have been fond of saying, a post that size could go on forever. This is the most difficult family of Butterflies to identify by photos, many of them you need to have 'in hand' to examine fine details. For now I will stick to live shots, but hope to add more on the subject at a later date.

One of our largest and most common species is the Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus. If all you see is the inside of the wings, it could be mistaken for the slightly smaller Golden-banded Skipper.

A quick look at the backside, and the silvery-white patch in the middle of the wing is unmistakable. This species is found statewide.

At the other end of the size spectrum is our smallest species, the Least Skipper, Ancyloxypha numitor. It has a longer body than other skippers. The wings are all orange on the outside, and darker orange inside. These are weak fliers when compared to other members of the family, so look for them in low vegetation near the ground.

The Least Skipper ranges all the way down to Florida, where this shot was taken. It's nectaring on Lippia flowers. In Florida there is a similar looking species called the Skipperling. That species has a broad white band across the back of the hindwing.

Some of the earliest skippers to come out in the spring are the Dusky Wings. These are medium sized skippers that are brown with mottled hindwings. That pretty much describes all of them, as they look quite alike.

One of the things I use to narrow down the species is thegray linebordered by black dots. That makes this either the Dreamy Dusky Wing, Erynnis icelus, or the Sleepy Dusky Wing, Erynnis brizo. Sleepy tends to be found more in dry oak woods, while Dreamy prefers Willows and Poplars and a wetter area. Dreamy usually has much larger gray patches on the forewings than you see here. To me this looks more like a Sleepy, but I have been told this photo is a Dreamy, so I defer to the experts.

Another group of similar looking species include Juvenal's, Horace's, and Mottled Dusky Wings. These can be recognized by the silvery white spots in the upper wings. The Mottled Dusky Wing, mostly found in southern Ohio, has large black'mottling' on the hindwings.

These are photos of Juvenal's Dusky Wing, Erynnis juvenalis. Notice the two light spots on the hindwing. If these are present on the back of the wing, it's Juvenal's, if absent, it's Horace's Dusky Wing. Also, Juvenal's flies only in the spring months. Horace's can be found all summer. Another thing these skippers have in common, the margin of the wing appears indented along the top. Dusky Wings commonly bask on the ground in open sunlight.

Wild Indigo Dusky Wing, Erynnis baptisiae. I found this species flying among the Blue and White False Indigos (Baptisia) on our prairie. I recognize this species by looking for the several large silvery white cells in the upper part of the forewing, followed by a couple tannish-brown rectangle cells below.

Historically, this species was restricted to fields and open prairies. The flower Crown Vetch, Coronilla varia, has been planted throughout the state, and has broadened the range of this butterfly. Crown Vetch is now the primary host for the caterpillars.

This is the Northern Cloudy Wing, Thorybes pylades. Sometimes mistaken for a Dusky Wing, they lack the mottling of that group. Essentially the wings are a chocolate brown. Look for two rows of 3-4 small white dots coming down from the wing margin. The center of the wing will contain one or two other silvery white spots. The markings are the same on the back. In the similar Southern Cloudy Wing, those little spots are large broad rectangles. Look for this flying along forest edges.

The Little Glassy Wing, Pompeius verna, is one of the smaller, rapid flying skippers. Dark like the Cloudy Wing, it has only one row of small spots coming down from the wing margin. The center spots of the Cloudy Wing are highly separated, in the Glassy Wing they are crowded together. The spots are somewhat translucent.

The backside shows the same spot arrangement, but the hindwing often hides them. The hindwing may or may not show faint spots. Look for the white spot behind the swollen portion of the antennae.

Common Sooty Wing, Pholisora catullus. This butterfly is all black. Look for the S shaped row of white spots. A few pin hole sized spots may also be present. On females, the spots are more obvious. The speckled white head may also aid in identification. These are found state wide in open fields.

Broken-dash Skippers. The top one is the Northern Broken-dash, Wallengrenia egeremet. South of Ohio is the Southern Broken-dash, W. otho. These are orangish-red butterflies when looking from behind. The hindwings have a semi-circular pattern of yellow spots. The forewings are edged in gray.

The inside usually has at least one large light colored rectangular spot. The arrow indicates where the common name comes from. There is a black line near the base of the hindwing. It appears busted in half, like a broken bat. Click on the photo for a closer look. This is a summer species found statewide.

The Sachem Skipper, Atalopedes campestris. Look for white squares randomly placed on the backside. The largest one, out near the edge of the forewing, is transparent. This is especially noticeable on these females. She also has a transparent spot on the inside, right behind a black dash. Both sexes have a black mark inside, but it is not broken like the previous species. In males, the black mark (or stigma) may be square, and half black, half gray. Look for these in open fields, as the caterpillars are grass feeders.

Here is another species I find difficult to identify when looking at the inside of the wings. It's the Peck's Skipper, Polites peckius. They too have a black dash inside the forewings. It is shaped like a skinny S, but not visible when they hold their wings like this.

I posted several of these because the underside is so distinct. Two semi-circular rows of yellow spots. The inside one narrow, the outside patch broad. It's one of the most common of our small skippers, having been found in every county.

Zabulon Skipper, Poanes zabulon. A very sexually dimorphic species. Male above, female below. The rusty colored female is recognized by the thin white streak at the top of the hindwing.

The male has one big round yellow patch interspersed with dark spots. This yellow patch fills up most of the hindwing.

Here is Sachem, Peck's, and Zabulon side by side. If you are specifically in the field to identify skippers, and it takes too long to sort through pages in a book, simply create your own field guide. Make plates of species you have identified and print them out. It can serve as a quick reference guide.

There is one skipper called the Whirlabout. That's what all of these do. When disturbed they whirl in a very erratic pattern. First they are flying in front of you, and suddenly they disappear. Don't worry, just turn around, they probably landed six feet behind you.

There will be no moth pictures in part 2. Hope that doesn't disappoint anyone, but like I said earlier, the field trips encompassed so much more natural history. For someone interested in multiple subject matter, like myself, this was a nice break from the night time mothing. A new species for my plant list was this Downy Wood Mint, Blephilia ciliata.

The beauty of mints are best appreciated when looking up close. Downy Wood Mint is similar to Hairy Wood Mint (hirsuta). On Downy, the petioles are shorter, and the hairs tend to hug the main stem. They spread out on Hairy Mint. Most importantly, the flowers of both are purple speckled, but are entirely purple on Downy, and white on Hairy.

Another new plant for me was this Waxy Meadow Rue, Thalictrum revolutum.

Meadow Rues as a group tend to be fairly tall species. Early Meadow Rue is a woodland species of the spring. Tall Meadow Rue is found on woods edges. I found Waxy on the edge of a slope. They all have divided leaves like this. Waxy has thicker, leathery or waxy feeling leaves. If you crush them, they smell like a skunk.

As a rule, Meadow Rues tend to have their flowers drooping down, with long protruding stamens. These flowers look more curly, like overcooked rice. Flowers on Waxy occur in both forms. This is because the species is dioecious.

Dogbane Leaf Beetle, Chrysochus auratus. A very common species, but always a favorite to photograph. It's usually found walking around on Dogbane or Indian Hemp. Being relatives of the Milkweeds, it also contains similar toxins. This beetle shows its bright colors as a warning to predators not to eat it.

Here is another insect that advertises a warning. Remember your traffic signals, red means stop! Its not that it's poisonous to eat, but it will spray a chemical out its butt at predators. This is the nymph of the big gray Wheel Bug Arilus cristatus.

We move from warning coloration to mimicry. It's not a bee, but a fly called the Drone Fly, Eristalis tenax.

Bees have four wings, flies only two. But when they sit like this, you can't be sure there isn't another pair folded up. Look at those giant eyes, that's usually a giveaway it is a fly. Click on the photo and look at the face. There is a little black knob, followed by a thin wire. That's typical fly antennae, totally different than bee or wasp antennae. So what does this introduced fly from Europe mimic? Why the European Honey Bee of course.

Drone Flies belong to a family known as Syrphids, more commonly referred to as Hover Flies. Unlike the one above, not all are necessarily mimics. This one with the army helmet look on the abdomen is Toxomerus geminatus.

I usually hike alone, so I have no reason to vocalize what I see. The nice thing about being with a crowd is every time someone saw something interesting, they would yell it out for everyone to see. Such was the case here. This very drab looking butterfly is something I probably would have ignored, assuming it was a worn Little Wood Satyr. But you know what they say about the word 'assume'.

Turns out it is the Carolina Satyr, Hermeuptychia sosybius. When you think of the Carolinas, think south. This species is found only in the southern counties of Ohio. It's smaller than the Little Wood Satyr, which is common statewide.

This is the Little Wood Satyr I posted last month. Satyrs usually sit with their wings folded like this. The Carolina sat with its wings open the entire time. For comparison, the back side of the Carolina has smaller spots than these, and fewer of them.

At the edge of the preserve was some private property, whose owners we happen to have met. They didn't mind us photographing things at all. That's good, because at that moment I saw this. Now I never pay attention to potted plants like Gardenias and such, but there was movement between the leaves that caught my attention.

This is the Eastern Fence Lizard or Fence Swift, Sceloporus undulatus. There aren't but a hand full of lizards in Ohio, and other than the Five-lined Skink, this is one of the more common ones. They tend to be found in hot open areas or dry upland oak woods. Andrew Gibson was just returning from his hike, so we got busy shooting.

Andy and I conferred on some plant identifications, and the following are some examples. This is Ruellia. For those interested in the taxonomy, there are 3 likely species. R. humilis has sessile leaves. These clearly have petioles, so it's not that. R. caroliniensis reaches its northern limit at the Ohio river. Andy has never confirmed its existence in Adams County. That leaves Ruellia strepens, the most common and likely candidate. Ruellia is often called Wild Petunia.

This is Climbing Milkweed, Matelea obliqua. While no longer on the threatened species list for Ohio, it is still quite rare. We all have our favorite phrases or favorite sayings, and this allowed me to repeat one of mine. (and no, it's not "do you come here often?") Instead it's-another new species for me!

While everyone was boarding the vans, Andy rushed to show me a neat little wet seep on a hillside. On it was this plant known as Sweet Flag, Acornus calamus. Most invading plants like this tend to establish in disturbed ground, restored wetlands, or wet ditches. Sweet Flag occurs in more "natural" settings. It's circumpolar, and has caused debate as to whether or not this is a truly native or introduced species. The other true native species, appropriately named americanus, occurs further north than here. This species of Sweet Flag has one main vein visible in the leaf center, where as americanus has several distinct veins.

Finally, for the Sedge lovers, Andy showed me this recently described new species, Carex viridistellata. I'll end the way I started, Mothapalooza was a huge success.

Two sure signs spring has arrived. The Forsythia bushes are blooming, and the Eastern Tent Caterpillars are starting their webs.

77 degrees and sunny. There's something I haven't said in a long time. Just 10 minutes from the house is my favorite spot for a jaunt. A place we locally call Log Cabin Hollow. These flowers are known as Bloodroot. During the past week I found lots of other things besides plants for a rather extensive upcoming post. So this is just a short tease.

Hepatica

Purple Cress

Fruit stalk of the Putty-root Orchid. You can see the leaf in the background. I did not know this species occurred here.

Yellow Buckeye leaves.

These little lemon drops belong to the Spicebush. The round BB buds, so prevalent during the winter, have burst into full bloom.

Newly emerged fruit of the American Elm. The fruit of Ulmus americana are narrow, and end in pincer like jaws. Ulmus rubra, the Red Elm, has broad round fruit that looks like a flying saucer.

It's that time of year when I take my Forest Entomology students out to dig through leaf litter, tree bark, and old fallen logs. I have posted on forest insect pests in the past, but today it's more about interesting critters we found that are not necessarily pests. Logs like this give obvious clues there has been a lot of activity here.

False Mealworm Beetle, Alobates pennsylvanica. These are members of the Tenebrionidae family, known as Darkling Beetles. Mealworms, commonly sold in pet stores as herp food belong to this family. The beetles are all black. The purple iridescence is simply reflected light. These beetles are found under bark where they search for other insects to feed on.

At first glance this looks like nothing more than one of those common Scarab beetles we lump into calling May Beetles. You know, the ones that crash into your screen door on warm summer nights. But you have to look closer. Why is this beetle scavenging under the bark of pine trees? Turns out it's the Pine Darkling Beetle, Uloma punctulata. The elytra have many "punctured" marks on the back.

Like the previous beetle, it too is a Tenebrionidae. This family is what I call the "dumping grounds" for beetles that don't seem to fit into any of the larger, more familiar groups. One clue for this beetle family is the 11segmented antennae.

Crawling among some nearby Daffodils were these black and red beetles. These are Red-necked False Blister Beetles, Asclera ruficollis. They are pollen feeders.

They are small elongate beetles with rather soft elytra. This species is recognized by the bumps on the red pronotum or thorax. Though not true Blister Beetles, they do emit a noxious fluid that can burn if you have an open cut.

Now there's a strange looking critter. Three pairs of legs tells us it's an insect for sure. I've heard these described as looking like an Armadillo. This is a Firefly larvae. Yes, a Lightning-bug.

Stretched out you can see the black and white antennae, head, and thoracic region. This Firefly belongs to the genus Pyractomena. Some larvae of certain species can produce the yellow glow we are all familiar with in the adults. These and Net-winged Beetle larvae (Lycidae) look nearly identical. I don't work with larvae, so I'll try to explain the difference the best I can.

You have to look underneath. To my understanding, if this was a Net-winged Beetle, those dark marks on both the middle and sides of the abdomen should go all the way down on all body segments. On this larva, the last abdominal segments are white. This is where the light producing organs are located. If there is a better way to separate them, I'm all ears.

This Trilobite looking insect is another Lightning-bug larva of the genus Photuris.

Nothing funnier than watching people pull over a piece of bark, then jump three feet! Common under tree bark is the Fishing Spider or Nursery-web Spider,Dolomedes tenebrosus.

From the menacing to the almost microscopic. This eight-legged creature is an Arachnid. Pseudoscorpions are minute predators that search through wood and soil for Springtails and other small insects to eat. Based on the body shape, the length of the pincers, and the bulging Popeye-arms behind them, this is probably a Wyochernes pseudoscorpion in the family Chernetidae. To go any further on identification, you have to examine them under a scope.

Here's one backing up into a defensive posture. That's a Dandelion leaf for a size perspective. Those bulges behind the claws do contain a venom, but they are harmless to us. The claws are technically referred to as pedipalps, simply modified mouthparts.

Garden Centipede, Lithobius forficatus. Centipedes are predators in the class Chilopoda.

Skinnier ones like this are known as Soil Centipedes. They are common under leaves and logs. They belong to a group known as Geophilus.

Millipedes are in the class Diplopoda. They have two pairs of legs per body segment. They are scavengers. This gray/black millipede has a pointy tooth at the end of the body. You can't see it in this picture, but that makes this an introduced European species known as Ophyiulus pilosus. Thanks Derek. I hope to spend some time this summer with Derek Hennen from the Normal Biology blog who works with both these classes. Hopefully I'll be able to put up a more detailed post on millipedes and centipedes one day.

While I was shooting plants this weekend, I also went digging under rocks and leaves for aquatic life. I didn't have to try hard to find this mated pair of Water Striders, Aquarius remigis, darting across the water surface.

Sitting under water is what looks like a meaningless bunch of sticks. This is actually a Caddisfly home, sewn together with silk. Sticks are commonly used in the family Limnephilidae, genus Pycnopsyche. I found several other families of these, and soon as I get a few more of them, I'll do a post on Trichoptera cases.

Lifting up rocks can produce a few surprises, that is if things don't jump off and swim away. This is an Ephemeroptera nymph, better known as a Mayfly. Look for the three tails, or caudal cerci. These Heptageniids are known as Flat-headed Mayflies.

Plecoptera insects are known as Stoneflies. They have three shields or plates on their back, and only two tails. (One was missing on this specimen). Most prefer fast moving, clean water streams with high dissolved oxygen content. Many are used in aquatic ecology as water quality indicators.

The mottled back of this critter sure helps him blend in. Only the yellow tail caught my eye. Of course if it's swimming, it's easy to spot.

Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea bislineata. So named for the two dark stripes along the side. The amount of yellow on the belly and back will vary. Next to the Red-backed, this is the most common species at this site.

Don't confuse these with snail eggs, many of which are white, but laid in rounded clusters. This flattened look is a batch of Two-lined Salamander eggs. When exploring streams, always remember to turn logs and rocks back to the position you found them.

By far the best part of the day was when this critter swam out from under a rock. Too large for a Dusky, this broad tailed species was noticeably pink at both ends. It has to be a Spring Salamander, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus. It has been a decade since I taught the class where we cover these, so it's been that long since I've seen one.

Larval forms lack the red color of adults, but the bright pink gills are a clue. I never collect these, even for class, they are too uncommon.

On adults, there is a yellow line from the nostril to the eye. This is absent in the immatures. There has always been a recorded population of them here, so it's good to see they are still around.

Before leaving the house I noticed this large Geometrid on my window. This is the Tulip-tree Beauty, Epimecis hortaria. This is one of our larger Inchworm moths.

Shooting from the top side shows the wavy markings typical of this species. I found it interesting to get a front and back view, but what did I learn from shooting both sides? My windows are filthy.

The diversity of Log Cabin Hollow keeps me going back for a wide variety of subject matter. I went to continue building pictures of aquatic insects, which I'll save for later. Along the creek were a pair of Harvester Butterflies, Feniseca tarquinius. Generally not a real abundant species, but here they are locally common. This butterfly is known for the caterpillars that feed not on plants, but aphids. A meat eating larva.

You can see the one on the left probing the log for nutrients. Their tongue, or proboscis is too short to penetrate down into flowers for nectar. The adults also feed on the sugar water wastes (or honeydew) from the same aphids the larvae consume. Speaking of wastes, you can see the droplet on the right specimen. Adults have liquid wastes, while caterpillars have a solid waste or frass.

Also along the stream was this bee seeking out mud for its nest. Looking like half Carpenter bee and half Bumble bee, the hairy face and legs make this a Mason Bee. Bees in the genus Osmia are related to Leaf-cutting Bees. They are sometimes called Orchard Bees because a number of them were introduced and released for their pollinating abilities.

Rusty hairs, yellow and blue spots on the side, and a white racing stripe down the back, describes our Eastern Tent Caterpillar. Currently feeding on Wild Cherry leaves, they soon will be leaving the trees to pupate somewhere away from the food plant.

In a recent post I mentioned finding an old fruit stalk of the Putty-root Orchid, Aplectrum hyemale. I headed out to Wahkeena to find it in flower. These maroon and gold petals were just starting to open. The big broad leaves, also shown in that same earlier post, pop up nearly 6 months ahead of the flower. Come blooming time, you may not find the leaves, as they tend to wilt before the flower comes up.

Here was a group of plants with the petals a little further open.

A closeup of the middle lip, typical of many orchids. It wasn't until I enlarged the picture did I notice an unknown miniature spider in the upper flower.

Always one of my favorite orchids, this is the Pink Lady's Slipper, or Moccasin Flower, Cypripediumacaule. Look for it in conifer forests with acidic soils. Unlike the Putty-root, this species has a pair of basal leaves present during blooming.

In order to perpetuate, these plants depend on a fungal association below ground, and Bumble Bees above ground for pollination. Some studies show that prescribed burning can increase the orchid population by allowing more sunlight to penetrate, and to decrease the competition on the forest floor.

Long-leaved Stitchwort, Stellaria longifolia, is a narrow leaved species of Chickweed. Unlike it's shorter relatives, it tends to grow a foot or two high.

Violet Wood Sorrel, Oxalis violacea. Found in a variety of habitats, it's quite common in upland forests and sites with limestone soils.

Sweet Cicely, Osmorhiza claytonii, just beginning to bloom. The flowers look a little chewed, but that's because each of the petals are notched.

Sweet Cicely and AniserootOsmorhiza longistylis, are similar. Check the stems, Sweet Cicely will be covered in hairs.

Aniseroot stems will be smooth. Both these species smell like licorice when scratched, but Aniseroot has the stronger odor, especially in the roots.

Spirea shrub in bloom. Ornamentals can add beauty to a landscape, and I have no problem with them, as long as they are non-invasive. This looks to be one of the many varieties of Bridal Wreath Spirea. That's a pollen feeding Scarab Beetle on the flowers.

The folks at Wahkeena Nature Preserve beat me to the post. I started this a long time ago, just finishing now. There is a reason for that, but I'll discuss it at the end of this. Some of the Rhododendrons are now in bloom, and I went to check them out while I could. This is commonly referred to as the Mountain Azalea, Rhododendron canescens I believe.

I used to find this in the panhandle of Florida. The native range is south of Ohio. For those who use the Newcomb flower book, there are three similar plants discussed on the page. All three are now considered the same species.

The red striped buds of the Flame Azalea, Rhododendron calendulaceum, were just popping out while I was there.

Early blooming flowers start as yellowish. Besides the color, the long protruding stamens add to the striking appearance.

In a very short time, all the flowers turn a brilliant orange. Flame Azalea is considered native to parts of southern Ohio, but it's rare to find them growing wild this far north.

"In your face Fonzie".

"Stick it in your ear Potsie". Happy Days are here again. Finals are over, and you'd think I'd be in the field everyday. I don't mean to be a downer, but all year people have asked me "What's wrong with your eyes?" I looked like I just got up, no matter the time of day. Some probably thought I was always stoned. HA!

All joking aside, I have been to Columbus a lot lately, and have been diagnosed with a very rare form of dysplasia in my eye. This is why I haven't been posting. Turns out pathology says it is metaplasia, less serious, and NO carcinoma cells present. Still, a little 'snip snip' here and a 'snip snip' there, that's how they work the day away in the merry old land of OSU. They got it all, so all is well again in the land of Oz.

My favorite phrase from a doctor, "we caught it early". Recovery is a pain, feels like ground glass in my eye. Considering there was no cancer, I'll be fine. Can't wait to start 'snapping' photos again, but it may be awhile.

I recently had the opportunity to get out in the field with Rick Gardner to survey the Carex Sedges of Wahkeena Nature Preserve. In a couple hours we found 33 species, and my brain turned to mush! I have 50 different ones photographed now, more than enough for a post. It seems like a lot, but that's not even one third of all the Ohio species. That sedge post will have to wait awhile. Not wait till I get more, but to figure out how to tell them all apart!!

On the way to Wahkeena, I wanted to stop and get some shots from a patch of Bristly Locust, Robiniahispida. Sometimes called Rose Acacia, it is native to the southern states. It looks similar to our Black Locust, R. pseudoacacia, but the flowers are pink, the twigs are covered in red hairs, and the plant is a shrub.

Bristly Locust is planted as an ornamental in Ohio. It has a tendency to spread rapidly in open areas, and could become invasive. One way to prevent that is to graft the branches to the root stock of Black Locust.

Arrowwood,Viburnum dentatum, one of the most common plants seen along the Wahkeena boardwalk.

A giant Ichneumon Wasp boring into the base of a Beech tree. As I tried to get closer, it immediately removed the ovipositor and flew away. I hate when I get only one shot. This is probably Megarhyssa greenei. M. macrurus looks identical to this species, except that one has more dark markings in the wings.

Also not sitting still for more than one shot was this red and black insect that at first looked like another Ichneumon Wasp. Turns out it is a giant Crane Fly, Ctenophora dorsalis. Even in this blurry picture, you can see it only has two wings. The red thorax is just one of many color forms for this species.

While hiking around I was able to put this black Click Beetle into someones hands, and watch it somersault right side up. Judging by the size, you'd think I could get a species name on this, but I've had no luck. The punctured elytra makes me think it survived a recent attack by something.

Moneywort, Lysimachia nummularia. Essentially it's a prostrate growing species of Loosestrife. It is non native, and was brought over for its medicinal properties. Look for it in wetlands.

Some unusual Red Maple leaves, Acer rubrum. White leaves can be caused by a number of things. Herbicide use can kill chlorophyl, but there has been no spraying here. Iron deficiency can result in leaves like this, but then why are all the others fine? Hard to say what caused it, but if they can't photosynthesize, they'll soon fall off.

The best find of the day was this dragonfly. I had never seen one in the wild. This is the Gray Petaltail, Tachopteryx thoreyi.

Petaltails are some of the oldest and most primitive of dragonflies. Its only other family relative is found on the west coast. While this was shot on the last day of May, most records in Ohio peak in June and July. So far they've only been located in about 25% of Ohio counties. They are large, and our only black and gray dragonfly. Look how it blends in with the tree bark. The eyes are widely separated in this species.

The Gray Petaltail, especially males, prefer openings in the canopy of mature forests. Here they can patrol a territory and seek out females. This species of dragonfly doesn't need rivers, streams, ponds, or lakes. It lays its eggs in mud or wet soils where springs and seeps can be found. If you wear light colored clothing, don't be surprised to see one land on you.

And what would a trip to Wahkeena be without adding another Orchid. Large Twayblade, Liparis liliifolia, is one of those orchids you can easily miss if you are walking too fast. The two broad basal leaves may be noticed before the flowers. The flower stems are bright purple, and the sepals are green. The thin purple threads are the side petals. The main wide lip can vary from brown to purple.

Kind of gives you that feel of the tropics doesn't it? That's to be expected when you are underneath the magnificent Magnolias of Lake Katherine. I joined Rick Gardner, Andrew Gibson, Steve McKee, Dave Minney, Jim Mason, and several others for an in depth tour of the preserve.

This is the Umbrella Magnolia, Magnolia tripetala. Notice how the leaves taper down to a fine point at the base.

The leaves of Big-leaf Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, come to a more abrupt end at the base. They are lobed or cordate at the bottom. They are also white underneath.

It was too late to catch either in bloom, but here's what you're missing. Big-leaf Magnolia can have showy flowers 8-12 inches wide. It's extremely rare in Ohio to find both species growing side by side.

I arrived before anyone else, but sitting next to the parking lot to greet me was this Banded Hairstreak, Satyrium calanus.

You wouldn't expect the group to stop and look at any ordinary clover, and ordinary it is not. This is Running Buffalo Clover, Trifolium stoloniferum. When you think of clover, you probably picture Red, White, Alsike, Sweet White, Sweet Yellow, and so on. These are alien species introduced for greening purposes, reclamation, soil enrichment, honey production, etc. Running Buffalo is native.

Being June, we've already missed the blooming time. I'm posting it anyway because it's a new species for me. The flower is white. If they are pink, you may have the even rarer Buffalo Clover, T. reflexum. Running Buffalo Clover is rare to endangered throughout its range. We are starting to find more and more of it in Ohio, but make no mistake, it's still rare. Studies show it may actually benefit from disturbed habitats. We certainly have plenty of that in Ohio. Look for it on the edge of clearings, on logging roads, and hiking trails.

Poke Milkweed, Asclepias exaltata. It may not be as showy as some of the other Milkweeds, but it stands tall in deciduous forests. So look for it in woodlands, not open fields. The large leaves are opposite and numerous along the plant, with an almost Pawpaw or Pokeweed look to them.

A terminal umbrella like cluster of flowers droop downward, (an umbel). This is a two colored species. The back reflexed petals are green, and the front hood petals are white.

Wild Onion, Allium canadense, another species that was past its peak blooming time.

Honewort, Cryptotaenia canadensis. This is a species of wet to mesic soil sites. The small white flowers may look a bit like Aniseroot or Sweet Cicely, but the leaflets are in threes. Honewort is a member of the Wild Carrot family. Things don't have to be big and showy like a Magnolia to catch my eye.

Speaking of small, there were plenty of invertebrates grabbing my attention as well. While traveling through a sedge swamp, this little inchworm called the 3-spotted Filip, Heterophleps triguttaria, was quite abundant.

Lots of moths were flying in the swamp. This is one of the Deltoid Noctuids. They are called that because of their triangular shape when at rest. This group of owlet moths also have large upturned palps on the face. I tell people to recognize the group by looking for the 'poodle outline' on the wings. Getting them to species is another story. This is Chytolita petrealis, the Stone-winged Owlet. Notice how distinct the lines and spots are. On a similar looking species, the Morbid Owlet, all the markings are faint.

None of these moths posed long enough for more than one shot. Hmm, I seem to say that a lot. You'll notice the same poodle outline in the wings. What's missing are the rows of dots. That makes this a close relative in the genus Zanclognatha. This moth is too worn for me to go further with a name. Still, like I said, I don't just go after the bright and showy. These brown moths are the ones that most people just ignore.

While this is common everywhere I go, you just don't see many purple damselfly species. Look for the Violet Dancer,Argia fumipennis, along any open water area.

I first saw this at Gallagher Fen last year, and here it is at Lake Katherine. This is the blue form female of the Blue-tipped Dancer,Argia tibialis. Most female damselflies are not this brightly colored.

I continue to shoot Harvestmen or Daddy Long-legs in hopes of putting names to them all. The more I learn, the more I realize you can't do them by photos. They require dissection, ugh! I don't mind that at all, just not sure I want to go that in depth. Here is a dead one being enveloped by fungi. I may have to go back and put this one on my zombie post.

While exploring some sandstone overhangs, I noticed a couple of these "liquid drops" hanging from a web. Not liquid at all, but a spider egg case suspended on a silk thread.

Searching the web to see who they belonged to, there was an Orchard Spider, Leucauge venusta. These white, green, and yellow spiders are common in most woodlands.

Thanks to those with a flashlight, or I never would have spotted this guy. Sitting on the sandstone conglomerate was this beetle. The thorax and elytra are covered in bumps, and it looks like a moving rock when it walks. This Tenebrionid is known as the Forked Fungus Beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus. It feeds on fungus and carries spores from one mushroom to another. The two horn like projections make this a male. These beetles may be brown or black.

Feeding on bracken fungi was this large showy beetle. Once again, the second I approached, off he went. The camera and I must be a bit intimidating. When you are hiking with a group that is on the move, you don't have time to sneak up and wait. Get it while you can, and catch up to the crowd. This is a Pleasing Fungus Beetle. There are two species with the same orange black pattern. Since there are no rows of small pin-point punctures on the wings, this is Megalodacne heros.

Finally, a critter that cooperated! This little micro is called an Ermine Moth, Yponomeuta multipunctella. The family is named for this genus, and multipunctella means 'many spots'. Look at the top of the moth (which is really the wing bottoms.) There are two rows of parallel black dots. Use this to separate it from other similar ermine moths. These also look like Ethmia moths. Those species have black streaksin their wings, not just dots. Ethmia moths hold their antennae down, Ermine moths hold their antennae up in the air.

Climbing through, and feeding on the False Nettle, Boehmeria cylindrica, was this brightly marked spiny caterpillar. False Nettle, as well as Stinging Nettle are the food plants for the Red Admiral Butterfly, Vanessa atalanta.

Always on the lookout for new galls, these fuzz balls on the back of a Grape leaf have me stumped. I think they are Phylloxera insects, aphid relatives. We'll see if I can get that confirmed.

After close to 5 hours of hiking, I was getting pretty wiped out. As we rested around the dam, insects started seeking us out. Pararchytas decisus is a type of Tachinid Fly. Tachinids can be recognized by the spiny pin cushion butt. These and several species of Flesh Flies will commonly land on you. Both groups are caterpillar parasites, so they won't bite like Deer Flies. They are slow moving upon landing, so you can just pick it up and move it off you if such things make you squeamish.

When you're hot it's not unusual for butterflies to land on your skin. Here is a Great Spangled Fritillary looking to suck a little salt from your sweat.

These small creeping plants growing among the true mosses are commonly called Spikemoss. They have scale like leaves, and produce spores. This one is Selaginella opoda, the Meadow Spikemoss. Considered fern allies, they are taxonomically closer to Lycopodium and Club Mosses.

There were some interesting ferns as well. A new one for me was Narrow-leaved Spleenwort, Diplazium pycnocarpon. This was down in the mesic to wet portions of the woods. For some reason it reminded me of a chain fern without the center wings or lobes. Up close it does resemble Christmas Fern. The pinna are entire, and lack the raised portion that Christmas fern has near the base.

Growing on the rock faces was another new one for me, the Mountain Spleenwort, Asplenium montanum. While there is a slight resemblance to Fragile Fern, the leaves of this species remind me of Parsley.

Growing alongside the Mountain Spleenworts were these young Lobed Spleenworts, Asplenium pinnatifidum. While I have illustrated this before in my fern posts, I learned something new about these two species.

When you get Mountain and Lobed growing together, this is often the result. This is Trudell's Spleenwort, Asplenium x trudelli, a hybrid between the previous two species. Believe me, had it not been pointed out to me, I would have never been able to tell.

When on a hike with Rick, you know darn well we will do sedges. Here is a taste of some of them. I mentioned in my last post that we did 33 at Wahkeena. Today we did, um, well... I lost count! I did pick up more new ones. Before summer is over I should have up at least three posts on sedges. That means I'll lock myself away for days on end trying to figure out how to describe them all. This picture shows some of the showier species. In my Carex world, showy simply means easier ones.

For those who can't wait and just have to know right now, here they are from left to right.
louisianica, grayii, lurida, intumescens, typhina, squarrosa, alubatescens, vesicaria, tuckermanii, crinita, debilis.

We just wrapped up another sold out Mothapalooza extravaganza. My vial caught the attention of one or two small beetles, but I didn't grab a single moth. As I mentioned last year, this is not a collecting event, but an interpretive one. With that in mind, I hope I contributed something to peoples understanding of moths. The average novice fan made it clear to me they were more interested in recognizing families or groups of moths by their size and wing shapes than memorizing species names. Still I would be remiss if I didn't list the names on these photographs.

I also took a minimum number of photographs, so this will be a short post. Above is the Wild CherryMoth,Apatelodes torrefacta. A common name I learned some 40 years ago, and I remain old school. Today it is better known as the Spotted Apatelodes.

Also like last year, nature walks included more than moths. Birds, wildflowers, ferns, dragonflies, damselflies, etc. etc. I was fortunate to lead three walks with Dave Horn, and I think we made a good team. This is the Double-striped Bluet, Enallagma basidens. It is common state wide, and the only bluet I know that has the black shoulder stripe cut in half by a thin blue streak. Click on the photo to see it.

The Flat-backed Yellow Millipede, Apheloria virginiensis. There were people on our hike that had never experienced the smell of this guy. Shake one up in your hand and sniff Maraschino cherry or almond odor.

A large yellow Stonefly peeks out from the forest leaves. Notice the three light sensing organs, or ocelli on its head.

Okay, let's look at some of the moths. This is the Clymene Tiger Moth, Haploa clymene. While the wings can be white, they are most often this pale yellow color. The outline of a submarine appears down the back. Most other Haploa moths have white hindwings. This species has two dark circles imbedded in a rich mustard yellow color.

Dark-banded Geometer, Ecliptopera atricolorata.

Four-spotted Inchworm, Trigrammia quadrinotaria. Inchworm moths are like butterflies, in the sense they have narrow bodies and broad wings. The family is Geometridae. Think geometry. Many have wings whose margins are angled, pointed, or scalloped, and so not always perfectly round.

Another Inchworm that had me fooled. Dave Wagner was scratching his head over this for the longest time. Turns out it is an unusual color form of the Straight-lined Plagodis, Plagodis phlogosaria. While there are records showing this green sheen, most of the time this moth is yellow with pink and purple marks. You just never know what you may find. Four other orders of insects even stopped by to check it out.

A Tussock Moth larva of the genus Dasychira. While the name tussock moth is often applied to the tiger moths, this caterpillar belongs to the "true" tussock family Lymantridae (or Erebidae of some authors.) Many are familiar with the white-marked tussock, and its punk spiked white hairs on the back. These black hair tufts belong to a different species, which one I am not certain.

One of the Datana Prominent Moths. Up close you can see the individual hairs sticking up on the thorax. The wing patterns resemble dead leaves. Sometimes they will wrap their wings around a brach and look like a broken twig.

A male Black-waved Flannel Moth, Megalopyge crispata. Formerly in the genus Lagoa, that name is out of date. Flannel Moths have raised crinkly scales that look like wool. They are related to the Slug Moths, and their caterpillars can sting.

Let's not leave out the micros. This is a Gelechid moth, most of which are brown and look alike. This distinctive pattern belongs to Dichomeris flavocostella, the Cream-bordered Dichomeris. It also has bright orange mouth palps that curve above the head.

When I first saw this I called it a Tortricid Leaf Roller. Good thing I looked again. I was wrong. Hey, there are only 13,000 moth species in North America, give me a break! This is a member of the Tineidae family. That is the family that contains those pesky Clothes Moths. It's called the White-banded Kearfottia, Kearfottia albifascella. Why not a leaf-roller? First I noticed the jagged line at the border of the black and white. More importantly is the white tuft of hairs sticking up from the ends of the wing. You can see it on the second pic. The yellow color in the first pic is due to camera flash.

What would a moth trip be without something big and showy. Coming into the light was this female IOMoth, Automeris io. The males have the yellow wings.

Silk Moths become pretty docile after landing. Here I nudged the wings in hopes she would open them up.

Whala! Voila! There it is. You are now being stared at. Let's here it for the moths!

Caterpillar Hunting

Plant Galls part 2

Autumn: Cool Temperatures and Color Changes

Hickories of Ohio

Sumacs of Ohio

Mummies and Zombies

Wild Grapes

Homoptera Insects

A Thorny Situation

Birch Family

It's COLD, but the birds are here

Warblers of Ash Cave State Park

Skipper Butterflies

Mothapalooza part 2. More Than Just Moths

SPRING! It's about bloomin' time

Springtime, I can DIG it.

More Spring Hiking

Hiking Wahkeena

Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve

Mothapalooza II