Being Ohio is in the Eastern Deciduous Forest, we don't have large amounts of natural pine stands like you see west, south, and north of us. Members of the pine family are Conifers or cone producers. Just because it has a cone doesn't make it a pine, as we'll see in a minute. Let's take a quick look at some of the other non-pines found in the Pinaceae family.

Eastern, Western, and Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga) have short flat needles that tend to grow on one side or the other of the twig. The leaves or needles are green on top and white striped below. The cones are small, no more than an inch.

Larch or Tamarack (Larix). In Ohio there is a native species, as well as planted European and Japanese types. This is one of the few conifers that is NOT evergreen. The flat leaves grow out in pinwheel circles or whorls. They turn orange in the fall, drop to the ground, and leave the tree looking bare. Native Larch can be found growing in bogs.


Douglas-Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii. This is a western U.S. species. Like the previous two, they also have flat needles, but grow spirally around the entire twig. The best way to identify it is by the three-pronged bracts that stick out between the cone scales. They resemble a mouse running back into his hole. Doug-Fir is hyphenated because the cone looks a bit like some of the true firs.


White and Blue Spruce, (Picea). Black and Red Spruce also occur in Eastern North America, but none of these species are native in Ohio. Norway Spruce is the most commonly planted. Spruce cones are more elongated and sausage like. Their needles also spiral around the twig, but upon feeling them they are sharply angled or square.


The True Firs, (Abies). There may be a few remnant populations of Balsam Fir in N.E. Ohio, but it is primarily a species found just north of us. The pictures are of White Fir, common in the Rockies. Fir trees have long flat needles. What makes them unique are the sucker discs at the bottom of each needle. Those circular pads even leave marks behind on bare twigs. The other thing that differentiates a fir tree is that instead of their cones hanging down, they grow UPRIGHT on top of the branches. Besides the two mentioned, there are at least another half dozen species along the Pacific coast.

Red Cedar, Juniper, White Cedar/Arbor Vitae, Cypress, Yew, Redwood, Sequoia, and Ginkgo are all related Gymnosperms, but belong to different families.


On to the pines. As you have just seen, a pine is not a pine just because it produces a cone. A pine tree (Pinus), is such because the needles are held together in bundles, clusters, or fascicles. Soft pines have needles in fives, the hard pines are in clusters of two or three.


White Pine, Pinus strobus. Perhaps the most commonly planted species in the state, or at least the most familiar. White Pine is native, especially in northern Ohio. It is our onlyfive needled species found in the state. The needles are medium in length, and are soft to the touch. All of our other pines are rigid or stiff feeling.

The bark on young White Pine is smooth and solid black, something you won't see on any of our other pines.

As White Pine gets old, the bark will crack and form narrow fissures. This is still unique, as all the other pines will have a squarish or platy look. It can be brownish like this, or retain its blackish color.

White Pine, like other soft pines, have elongated cones rather than the short fatter cones one is used to seeing. There is often white pitch on the cone scales.

All pines tend to send their new growth branches out at the same spot. White Pine, more than other species, tend to have almost perfect whorls, and yes you can age the tree by counting the whorls.

White Pine is often planted as a good natural wind break. In Michigan there are a few virgin stands still left whose trees have a 6-7 foot diameter. Some pines are important timber species and are often raised in solid stands. Some are good for lumber, and they grow very fast. The vast majority have very porous wood, making them best used as pulpwood, otherwise known as paper making. The pitch or sap is used in tar and turpentine. Ever notice when you burn pine it pops a lot? Those compounds are used to make gunpowder. Most telephone poles are a type of pine.

Another native species is Virginia Pine, Pinus virginiana. Compared to White Pine, Virginia has short needles held together in fascicles of two. Also notice the needles are twisted, not around each other, each individual needle twists. They are often a paler green than other species.

All pine cones have bumps on each scale. With Virginia, they are heavily armed, having very sharp pointed tips, more so than other species. Virginia cones tend to stay on the trees for long periods of time, so the tree may be often packed with them.


The bark is platy like other hard pines, but the more you look at it, the more it seems sickly. The brownish-orange plates are smaller than other species, and it often looks like they start to peel or shag away from the trunk. Further up the tree, they actually do flake off, even on the live branches.


Another common characteristic is that this tree has a problem with self pruning. It frequently retains its dead branches, which adds a lot of knots to the wood. Because of this, I often call it the "Scarlet Oak" of pines. With its short, often pale needles, combined with the peeling bark and the retention of dead branches, it has the appearance of looking unhealthy. An old name for it was Scrub Pine.

A third native species is Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida. This is a three needled pine whose needles are twisted and of medium length, 3-5 inches. Considering the ground was completely covered in Lycopodium, it's no wonder I couldn't find any green needles.


Pitch Pine is a dark barked tree. The plates almost have a Wild Cherry look to them. The bark on very large and old specimens can turn orange. Pitch is a fire adapted species that may show new needles sprouting around the base after a burn. Pitch, along with Virginia, are common on dry ridge tops, and can form solid stands in such environments.


Scotch Pine,Pinus sylvestris. There are a number of non-native species planted around the state. Scotch is one of the most popular. It's hard to believe this drab looking tree is the most common pine used as a Christmas tree, but this is what you see for sale around the holidays. They look quite nice when small, but their appearance changes with age. The bark has a typical brown plated look in the lower part, but notice how it changes as you go up.

The upper half of the trunk begins to peel and show an inner bright orange bark. You can see this from a long distance away.
The needles on Scotch are short and in twos. They are usually straight, but some varieties may show a slight twisting. At first, that description matches Virginia, but the bark is different.
The cones are small, also similar to Virginia, but lack the sharp scale tips of that species. The scales are raised into a point, but with blunt tips.

Red Pine, Pinus resinosa. This species is native to the Northern Hardwoods Forest. That includes the Great Lakes region and the New England states, but not Ohio. The easiest way to recognize this species is the bark. Look for a red-orange color from top to bottom.

Some people are red-green color blind, and can not see that feature of the trunk. Try feeling for the texture. Rub the bark, and it falls off in very thin plates, like layered paper or pieces of the mineral Mica.

Red Pine has needles in twos. They are straight and considered long, 5-6 inches.

The needles are fragile, and when bent, easily snap in half like raw spaghetti.

I usually don't use buds to identify pines, mostly because they look alike, or you simply don't need them. Red Pine is different in having a single large, reddish orange bud, that the needles tend to whorl around.

Because the needles tend to bundle around that large terminal bud, I can look up and see what appear to be a bunch of baby porcupines or Koosh Balls at the end of the branches. I think I'm the only one that ever uses that character, but when Red is planted with other species, the needle length, and that "clustered at the end of the branches" appearance helps.

Another frequently planted species from Europe is Austrian Pine, sometimes called Black Pine, Pinusnigra. Like Red Pine, it also has long straight needles in bundles of two. The needle tips are much sharper than other pines.

Unlike Red, when you try to break the needles, they simply bend, or even spring back into place. They have much stronger tissues than Red.

Also like Red, there is a large single terminal bud. The orangish scales on this species are covered with a white or silver look.

If you think the buds and needles look too similar between Austrian and Red, just check out the bark. It has gray colored plates.



Shortleaf Pine, Pinus echinata. This is a species from the southern states, though there are a few locations in southern Ohio where it is considered native. Shortleaf is one I find difficult to identify. The needles are in BOTH twos and threes, therefor I need to look at other characters. The needles are medium in length. It's called Shortleaf because in the south most other species have much longer needles.

The bark of Shortleaf is brown, and on some trees the plates often appear to be arranged in rows. I personally like to describe it as alligator bark. Shortleaf is one of several species referred to as southern yellow pine. You can find a number of introduced species on our state forests. Sometimes there will be Jack Pines from Michigan P. banksiana, or Loblolly Pine from the south, P. taeda. I am only illustrating those which I've seen to be more common.


A closeup look at the bark shows an important character, various round circles known as resin dots on the outside of the tree. You can see where the pitch has leaked out on some of them. All pines have resin canals inside. When beetles and other insects chew through the bark, the sap is exuded as a defense mechanism.

Shortleaf cones are egg shaped, and have large round plates. When young they are covered in sharp prickles, but I tend to see those disappear with age.

It is said that unlike the older branches, the new growth twigs are covered in a white or glaucous coating. This is true, but it's not unique to just this species. When identifying Shortleaf, or any other pine, it's a good idea to use a combination of characters.

Several people have asked me this summer when I'm going to do another moth night at Wahkeena or elsewhere. I have done a number of them over the last couple of years, and always enjoy helping people identify their moth photos. This time I wanted to have a private night for myself, and maybe catch up on some collecting. This is Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa. During the day they often look pinkish white. I took this as the sun went down, and I love how the purple color really shows.

Thanks to Tom Shisler for setting up a generator way back in the woods. With a full moon I knew it would not be productive out in the open. John Hickenbottom, naturalist at Lake Hope State Park spent the night as Tom's guest. John had never been on a moth walk. This is Orthosoma brunneum, the Brown Prionid Beetle. I'm always looking for more than just moths.

Back in the spring pools, this Long-tailed Salamander, Eurycea longicauda made an appearance late that night.

Tiger Spiketail, Cordulegaster erronea. Tom was doing a survey of dragonflies for a workshop with Bob Glotzhober the next day. Tigers are rare and endangered in Ohio. Unfortunately this one was on its last leg and didn't survive the day. The good news is Tom observed a half dozen different specimens on the area that day. They differ from other spiketails by the yellow rings around the abdomen. Yes I know the photo isn't great sitting on a piece of paper, but I had never seen one.

The Marbled Green, Leuconycta lepidula. I stick this in because there just aren't a lot of moths with green on them. I sometimes call it the lichen moth, but that common name is often applied to many other species.

This small moth looks like a type of owlet, but has jagged wing margins like an inchworm. It holds its abdomen curled like a slug moth, and does push-ups with its front legs like several other micro moth families. What is it? Tosale oviplagalis, the Dimorphic Tosale. It is in the Pyralid family. The dark patch across the wing is diagnostic, but I like the raised tuft of scales above that mark that resembles a little bird wing.

Figure Seven Moth, Drasteria (Synedoida) grandirena.

It is often pictured in field guides with the Catacola moths because it could be mistaken for an Underwing Moth. Underwings have red, yellow, orange or white stripes in their hind wings. The hindwing here reminds me of a carved Jack O' Lantern. I do well on Rorschach tests.

What in the world? I can't tell if that's a vase on a stand, or Mr. Waternoose from Monsters Inc. Yes that is a moth outline.

Something this strange could only belong to my favorite group, the Slug Moths.

From the side you can see it really is a moth, in this case the Saddleback Slug, Acharia stimulea. Those weird tufts are raised scales on the legs and abdomen.

We are all familiar with the Saddleback caterpillar, but because of the lack of color, the adult is often overlooked. It has the 3-4 white spots on the wing like many other slugs. The chocolate color is highlighted up close by silvery-purple frosting. Sometimes they sit with their legs up and look like a spider. This male appears dead, flat, and squished, but he is very much alive.

Nason's Slug, Natada nasoni.

Button Slug, Tortricidia pallida, one of the smallest Limacodid slugs.

Smaller Parasa Slug, Parasa chloris. The night after Wahkeena, I went to see Lisa Sells at her new residence outside Lancaster, and we set up a sheet. If you know Lisa, you are aware that her macro photography is second to none. So this is a collection of photos from both locations.

Skiff Moth, Prolimacodes badia, another slug species. Have you noticed a sudden change in the photographs? I hate taking pics against a sheet. The background is terrible, and the bright light always messes with my results. After moths have settled into a sheet for a time, you can often move them to a more natural background. I am learning patience!

After a few pictures, the Skiff dropped off the leaf. It took me a minute to relocate it. I'd say it shows some pretty nice camouflage while on the ground.

Cousins to the Slug Moths are the Flannel Moths. This is Norape ovina, the White Flannel Moth. It doesn't have to be multicolored to be interesting.

In an up close view, you can see the waves of raised crinkly scales on the wings. The outline of the moth is broken up by various sized tufts of hairs from head to tail.

"Oh, that's one of those gray inchworms that all look alike." Yep, I have been guilty of saying that many times. I need to work on these inside, from specimens or photos. They are too difficult in the field. I've also
said this before, but after 25 years down here, I rarely ever see a new moth. That's what happens when you ignore some of them, even the common ones. If my identification is correct, this WAS a new species for me.

Ectropis crepuscularia, the Small Engrailed. There are many color varieties of this species, including this melanic form. The fore wings do not have stripes, but look streaked. Stripes are more visible on the hind wings. The upper abdominal segment is encircled with black. The outer fore wings have a zig-zag white line. All of these similar Geometrids show 3-4 small black dots at the top of the wing.

Here's another one. The 3-4 spots are more visible on the wing edges than the previous species. Many specimens will show more distinct stripes, but this one looks drab and dirty, with sort of a marble cake design, and lots of finely shredded chocolate chip drops. Stripes on the hind wing reach to the edge of the abdomen. Similar species have a large white ring on the first abdominal segment, which this lacks. I'm going with the Porcelain Gray, Protoboarmia porcelaria.

Let's end this post with some of the showier species. The Imperial Moth, Eacles imperialis.

Spiny Oakworm, Anisota stigma. This is the only one of the oak worms that shows a distinct pink line in both wings.

Elm Sphinx, Ceratomia amyntor. The caterpillar is known as the Four-horned Sphinx.

There were a lot of Catalpa trees in the area. Hmmm, how about the Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae. People use the caterpillars for fish bait. These are often confused with the Waved Sphinx. The Waved is clearly marked with white, black, and gray lines. Catalpa Sphinx moths are brown and gray, with faded or indistinct wing markings. Essentially, even when fresh, they look like a worn out Waved.

This one came out very nice. Purple and orange make quite a combination. Small-eyed Sphinx, Paoniasmyops, is one of the five sphinx moths with eye spots. It may have the least interesting eye spots on the hind wing compared to the others, but that fore wing pattern is hard to argue with.

Royal Walnut Moth, Citheronia regalis. This huge female had nearly a six inch wingspan. It's also known as the Regal Moth, and the larva is the Hickory Horned Devil.


Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth, Lithacodes fasciola.  Now this is REAL macro photography! No it's not mine. Just wanted to show you the kind of stuff Lisa Sells has been working on.

Climbing Milkweed, Matelea obliqua. There are countless wildflowers that are classified as vines, but you only have a limited time to observe them in bloom. Let's look at woody plants instead, and check them out in winter condition where the climbing mechanisms are not obscured by the leaves.

Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia. The name is appropriate, as this vine creeps up tree trunks. Young plants attach to the bark by means of these round sucker pads. They adhere so strongly that if you pull them off, the bark often breaks away before the vine does. These aerial rootlets as they are often called, pop out about every second or third node, or where the bud and leaves occur.


As Virginia Creeper ages, those sucker discs are replaced by very thick aerial rootlets that look like mop hairs or dreadlocks. If this is the only part of the plant you look at, you may mistake it for Poison Ivy.

Virginia Creeper buds are orange and scaled. The leaf scars are circular, and deeply impressed like craters. We should compare it to Poison Ivy which often grows along side it.

Poison Ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, sends out its aerial rootlets throughout the plant, both above and below, regardless of the age of the vine. The hairs are much thinner when compared to Va. Creeper.

When in doubt, go right to the new growth twigs. The leaf scars are V shaped and not deeply impressed in the twig. The buds are also orangish or peach colored, but fuzzy and soft scaled, or what we call naked. Virginia Creeper grows tight against the tree trunk, as if it was scared of heights. Poison Ivy will send its branches outward, as if it was wanting to reach out and touch you.

It's hard to mistake the beautiful flowers of the Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans, but what do you look for when the flowers and leaves have dropped?


The light brown twigs are easy to spot against a darker background. More important is the arrangement of the rootlets. On Trumpet Creeper they are all concentrated in small batches that pop out periodically like a scrub brush along the twig.

Another group of climbing vines are the Wild Grapes, Vitis. The older bark on Grape becomes shreddy, and as kids we would swing on them in the woods, our so called Tarzan vines.

Grapes start growing by sending out tendrils. Many types of tendrils are essentially modified leaves. The ends are curly and wrap around twigs like a bull whip. This gives the grape vine support as it climbs higher. Some tendrils tighten their curls and help pull a plant upward.

Another group of plants with tendrils are the Greenbriers. These tendrils allow many of the species, including this Glaucous Greenbrier, Smilax glauca, to climb high into trees.

Sawbrier, Smilax rotundifolia, is less picky about where its tendrils land. They often attach to other Sawbriers, or even branches on the same plant. This results in shrub like thickets we often refer to as brier patches. (Sometimes briar is spelled with an a).

Canada Moonseed, Menispermum canadense. This dark vine looks like a skinny snake climbing a tree. They don't use aerial rootlets or tendrils. Their method of climbing is to simply wrap around a trunk.

Up close Moonseed has round leaf scars like Virginia Creeper. What's different is that knife cut, a small slit or notch located at the top of the leaf scar.

Another climbing vine that wraps around plants, (including itself), is one of the top five worst invasive species in Ohio, the Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica. When honeysuckles climb on themselves, they don't seem to damage each other.

Once they fixate on a steady growing tree, they begin to choke the life out of it. Here you can see the vine squeezing so hard it has become imbedded into the bark.


This results in the cambium layer being shut off, which can be fatal to small trees. You have probably seen people hiking with fancy curled walking sticks. Japanese Honeysuckle is one of the species responsible for those designs.

There has been another choking vine in our woods long before honeysuckle was a problem. Many of those walking sticks I mentioned were a result of this sprawling vine, American Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens.

In the winter, Bittersweet can be recognized by the buds. Like creeper and ivy, they too are colored orange. These are very small and pointy, as if the twig had goosebumps.

Nature has its checks and balances. As a native species, Bittersweet has limiting factors which prevent it from becoming too abundant, and therefor is not a threat to overall forest growth. Our real concern should be with Oriental Bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus. Yes, you guessed it, another exotic invasive. Our native species produces these orange capsules at the ends of the branches, while Oriental produces fruit ALL OVER the entire plant. American has broadly egg shaped leaves, while Oriental has round leaves.

Ah, the tangled webs we weave. Here a Raspberry tries to wiggle through a nearly impenetrable thicket of Grape, Virginia Creeper, Honeysuckle, and Bittersweet.

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. Turns out, there was a second web behind that belonged to the egg layer, not the Orchard Spider. Richard Bradley said it is indeed Theridiosoma gemmosum. Jim was right.

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!

I've posted on Dragonflies and Damselflies before, but they are always mixed with other subjects. I was going to include these in my next post, but that would make for far too large a read. Maybe come winter, when topics are slim, I'll put all the Odonata together. This is the Slaty Skimmer, Libellula incesta. The body is bluish-purple, and the head and eyes are dark.

This ragged torn up fellow is a Spangled Skimmer, Libellula cyanea. The body is similar in color to the Slaty, but the eyes and head on this one are blue. More importantly are the stigmas at the outer edge of the wings. Most species have a single colored stigma, but the Spangled has a bicolored stigma, half white, half black.

A female Widow Skimmer, Libellula luctuosa. The males differ from females by having white frosted marks next to those black patches. The females of both the Slaty and Spangled pictured above also have brown and yellow marks on the body, but lack the large black patches.

There are a number of Meadowhawks in Ohio. The males are red, the females are orange. Based on the black spots on the side, and the lack of other facial marks, this female is a Ruby Meadowhawk, Sympetrum rubicundulum.


I caught this guy just landing, before he could close his wings. This look makes you think it is a Spreadwing, but I knew better. It is a Skimming Bluet, Enallagma geminatum. Three things to look for. The blue shoulder stripe appears narrow and constricted in the middle. The second abdominal segment has a curved blue mark. Finally, the 8th and 9th abdominal segment are blue, but bordered on the side by black marks. This was a lifer species for me.

Slender Bluet, Enallagma traviatum. Like the previous species, this is a dark bodied Bluet. What's different on this one is the dark shoulder stripe on the side is almost non-existant. The 8th abdominal segment has a black arrowhead shape.

Double-striped Bluet, E. basidens. I just illustrated this species on my Mothapalooza post, but this specimen shows the narrow blue line in the middle of the black stripe even better.

Eastern Forktail male, Ischnura verticalis. Green Stripes on the thorax and two green dots behind the eyes. Sky blue markings on the end of the abdomen.

The sky blue or powdery look of the female Eastern Forktail. Also notice the two-toned eyes.

This one also has two-toned eyes, but it's orange. Another color form of the Eastern Forktail? Indeed

Spreadwing Damselflies (family Lestidae), almost always sit with their wings open. Look how long and skinny this body is, and how far past the wings it extends. This is the Slender Spreadwing,Lestes rectangularis. Most male Spreadwings have pale yellow on the side of the thorax, so you have to use other features.

Looking at the shape of the male genitalia is usually foolproof, and no dissection is required! Another clue on both these pictures is the white edge on the wing tips.



On the females, the blue or aqua thoracic stripes are replaced by green and bronze.

This one I wasn't so sure about. I think it is newly hatched. The pale spots at the end of the abdomen are not fully developed, and the wings are being held closed. Notice the body does not extend as far past the wings as the Slender Spreadwing. I think it is a female Elegant Spreadwing, L.inaequalis, but it looks just like a female Swamp Spreadwing. I sent this photo to Larry Rosche, and he agreed, but stressed telling those two females apart by photos alone is difficult.

Just like I started at Lake Katherine, the first thing I saw getting out of the car was a hairstreak butterfly.  This time it was a Striped Hairstreak, Satyrium liparops, one of the darker hairstreaks with more orange than blue on the hindwing. I do one of two things on this blog. Either intense taxonomic posts, or general nature hikes. This will be the latter. I'm working on the former. Those tend to be for a smaller audience, and take forever to develop. These shots come from Wahkeena in southern Ohio, Mill Creek Wildlife Area, and Vickers Preserve in Mahoning County.

Green Stink Bug, Chinavia hilaris. Species in this genus tend to show alternating black and yellow antennal segments. The thorax or pronotum behind the head is somewhat flat. In other Chinavia it looks more inflated. The white mark on the side is an egg, laid by a parasitic fly.

Quick quiz. Recognize this fruit? Pea pods in a semi-circular arrangement. It's Bird's-foot Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus.

Here it is in its more recognizable bloom.

Funny how some still call these giant mosquitos. This is a Crane Fly. The orange marked thorax, ringed yellow abdomen with a  brown stripe, puts this in the genus Nephrotoma. The sharp pointed tip on the abdomen tells us it is a female.

The body of this Crane Fly has a dark streak from top to bottom. The abdomen is paler, and the thorax is black striped. This is the Long-legged Dancer, Brachypremna dispellens. On the legs, the long tibia are white, and the femurs are black.

These guys also have a skinny neck, big eyes, and a long snout. In this position it appears helpless, or maybe hapless, like it flew into something and got stuck. These Crane Flies hang by four legs, and dangle the other two. Watching this guy try to land was a laugh. Every single time it flew, it would bounce back and forth for 30 seconds to a minute before fixating on a plant. Remember playing paddle-ball as a kid? You get the picture.


Not one to be swayed by grass species in flower, this purple was just too attractive to ignore. This is Timothy Grass, Phleum pratense in bloom.

This is how most of us probably see Timothy. Doesn't have the same effect now does it.



A cluster of round flowers dangle down from a grape vine. Judging by the leaves, this is probably Summer Grape, Vitis aestivalis.

Another cluster of round flowers, not hanging from a vine, but growing erect in a wetland. These belong to Bur-reed.


There are several species in Ohio. The fruit of these are golf ball size or larger. That makes this the Giant Bur-reed, Sparganium eurycarpum. On the other species, the fruit has longer spikes that resemble Bur-dock or Thistle heads. These remind me more of Sweetgum, and look like melted green Hershey Kiss candies. Either that or it's a Jabba the Hut convention.

Exploring wetlands with a macro limits what you can do. This Great Egret took off before I could sneak up, as if I thought I could.

A small Forget-Me-Not growing in a wetland? There are two nearly identical species. Both have the calyx with upward appressed hairs. Myosotis laxa has flowers up to 5 millimeters, while M scorpioides has flowers 5-9 mm. Funny, I carry a hand lens for such things, but never think to bring a ruler.

Also along the wetland was this legume with divided leaves and tendrils. I had to seek out the flowers.


Did I say the last plant was small? Gees these flowers were minute. It's Four-seeded or Slender Vetch, Viccia tetrasperma, and unfortunately like so many other plants at this location, it's non native.


A Dolichopodid or Long-legged Fly. A shorter bodied species, lacking the iridescent green torpedo body of most members.

A Narceus Millipede rolls up upon my approach. I must have a heavy walk! Good to see Derek Hennen again at Mothapalooza. He's up from Arkansas still surveying the Ohio species. Too bad our schedules didn't allow us any field time together.


I have been seeing tons of these little beetles everywhere. They appear to be Lightning-bugs or Fireflies, but not quite. Fireflies do not have visible heads. These closely resemble Plateros Net-winged Beetles and the first pic may actually be one. Net-wings have many striations down the back of the elytra. This mating pair only have three. That led me to Soldier Beetles, in particular Polemius laticornis. The raised bumps on the back of the thorax led me to the species. (Of course that includes the help of a great new beetle book by Howard Evans.) Not being a beetle person, I welcome corrections.

Here is a true Firefly for comparison. The head is hidden under the thorax.

A Least Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor, forages through the low vegetation. Always look near the ground for this slow flying butterfly.

Also hiding in the grass was this Tortricid moth known as the One-banded Leafroller, Sparganothis unifasciana. The red band forms a V shape on the back. Depending on how intense the other red marks are, you may even see a slight X. Check out the schnoz on this one.

Have you noticed with many of these plants and animals, the smaller they are, the more they attract my attention? Maybe it's a macro lens fetish. How about a macro lens addiction, ya, that sounds better.

I saw this little guy on a fern at Wahkeena. At first glance it looked like a Thyreocoridae. Those are known as Negro Bugs or Black Bugs. It wasn't till I enlarged the photo that I saw the X mark on the back like most True Bugs have. Thyreocordids lack that X, and look more like Shield Bugs. This is a related family known as Burrower Bugs (Cydnidae). This was another new species for me. It's called the White-margined Burrower, Sehirus cinctus.

No, these are not engorged maggots. They are beetle grubs. Leaf Beetles to be exact. Called the False Potato Beetle Leptinotarsa juncta, their name comes from the adults resemblance to the Colorado Potato Beetle. They're feeding on their host plant, Horse Nettle, Solanum carolinense.

It's easy to get the back side of these butterflies, but you have to be more patient to shoot them with wings open. It's an Eastern Tailed Blue, Cupido (Everes) comyntas. The tails make it easy to separate from the Summer Azure.

As an insect, I'd hate to get tangled in this mess. These are the seeds from the dreaded Canada Thistle, Cirsium arvense. It's easy to see how the wind spreads them to so many areas.

Carolina Rose, Rosa carolina, with its bristle like thorns and pink flowers, makes a nice resting area for this immature Orthoptera.


Climbing Rose, Rosa setigera, is much larger than Carolina, and also has larger thorns or prickles. The majority of the leaves are in threes.


As I mentioned earlier, when looking at tiny things, a closer look may be needed. When examining larger items, a second look is often necessary. I shot this thinking it was just another Climbing Rose. Yet the leaf shape and texture is all wrong. Besides it has 5-7 leaflets. I never come across non native roses with 5 petaled pink flowers. Up close, what appears to be double serrated leaves are actually glands along the margin. Could this be the Sweetbrier Rose, Rosa rubiginosa? I welcome comments from anyone who has experience with these.


Here is a new species of Treehopper I came across. It's called Publilia concava, and I've yet to find a common name. I'm going to call it the White-banded Treehopper. Notice the ant in the neighborhood.

It's not long before the ant notices it. It's common behavior for ants to protect treehoppers, aphids, scale, and other True Bugs.

Ants, wasps, and some bees derive sugar water that these bugs exude as a waste product after sucking plant sap. Here the ant positions itself over the treehopper and uses its antennae and mouthparts to tickle the bug and tell it someone's hungry.

Finally it heads towards the rear of the bug and sips a bit of 'Red Bull'.




As a sidelight to these hikes, I always keep a "mystery" folder of unknowns. I just got this one solved. Have you ever seen Buckeye leaves in the spring, (in this case Yellow Buckeye), suddenly wilt for no reason?

I have to check this kind of stuff out you understand. Turns out all these leaves had the same boring holes in the rachis. I took many of these home in hopes of hatching something. Nothing ever appeared, so I figured these were exit, not entrance holes. Thanks to Joe Boggs of OSU Extension for solving the mystery.

Turns out it is a moth caterpillar. Proteoteras aesculana, the Buckeye Borer. The adult is gray and black with green shading. With the wings at rest, there are 3 tufts of hairs visible down the back. It will attack maple, and is also known as the Maple Twig Borer. Photo courtesy of Jim Vargo.

Several people have asked me this summer when I'm going to do another moth night at Wahkeena or elsewhere. I have done a number of them over the last couple of years, and always enjoy helping people identify their moth photos. This time I wanted to have a private night for myself, and maybe catch up on some collecting. This is Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa. During the day they often look pinkish white. I took this as the sun went down, and I love how the purple color really shows.

Thanks to Tom Shisler for setting up a generator way back in the woods. With a full moon I knew it would not be productive out in the open. John Hickenbottom, naturalist at Lake Hope State Park spent the night as Tom's guest. John had never been on a moth walk. This is Orthosoma brunneum, the Brown Prionid Beetle. I'm always looking for more than just moths.

Back in the spring pools, this Long-tailed Salamander, Eurycea longicauda made an appearance late that night.

Tiger Spiketail, Cordulegaster erronea. Tom was doing a survey of dragonflies for a workshop with Bob Glotzhober the next day. Tigers are rare and endangered in Ohio. Unfortunately this one was on its last leg and didn't survive the day. The good news is Tom observed a half dozen different specimens on the area that day. They differ from other spiketails by the yellow rings around the abdomen. Yes I know the photo isn't great sitting on a piece of paper, but I had never seen one.

The Marbled Green, Leuconycta lepidula. I stick this in because there just aren't a lot of moths with green on them. I sometimes call it the lichen moth, but that common name is often applied to many other species.

This small moth looks like a type of owlet, but has jagged wing margins like an inchworm. It holds its abdomen curled like a slug moth, and does push-ups with its front legs like several other micro moth families. What is it? Tosale oviplagalis, the Dimorphic Tosale. It is in the Pyralid family. The dark patch across the wing is diagnostic, but I like the raised tuft of scales above that mark that resembles a little bird wing.

Figure Seven Moth, Drasteria (Synedoida) grandirena.

It is often pictured in field guides with the Catacola moths because it could be mistaken for an Underwing Moth. Underwings have red, yellow, orange or white stripes in their hind wings. The hindwing here reminds me of a carved Jack O' Lantern. I do well on Rorschach tests.

What in the world? I can't tell if that's a vase on a stand, or Mr. Waternoose from Monsters Inc. Yes that is a moth outline.

Something this strange could only belong to my favorite group, the Slug Moths.

From the side you can see it really is a moth, in this case the Saddleback Slug, Acharia stimulea. Those weird tufts are raised scales on the legs and abdomen.

We are all familiar with the Saddleback caterpillar, but because of the lack of color, the adult is often overlooked. It has the 3-4 white spots on the wing like many other slugs. The chocolate color is highlighted up close by silvery-purple frosting. Sometimes they sit with their legs up and look like a spider. This male appears dead, flat, and squished, but he is very much alive.

Nason's Slug, Natada nasoni.

Button Slug, Tortricidia pallida, one of the smallest Limacodid slugs.

Smaller Parasa Slug, Parasa chloris. The night after Wahkeena, I went to see Lisa Sells at her new residence outside Lancaster, and we set up a sheet. If you know Lisa, you are aware that her macro photography is second to none. So this is a collection of photos from both locations.

Skiff Moth, Prolimacodes badia, another slug species. Have you noticed a sudden change in the photographs? I hate taking pics against a sheet. The background is terrible, and the bright light always messes with my results. After moths have settled into a sheet for a time, you can often move them to a more natural background. I am learning patience!

After a few pictures, the Skiff dropped off the leaf. It took me a minute to relocate it. I'd say it shows some pretty nice camouflage while on the ground.

Cousins to the Slug Moths are the Flannel Moths. This is Norape ovina, the White Flannel Moth. It doesn't have to be multicolored to be interesting.

In an up close view, you can see the waves of raised crinkly scales on the wings. The outline of the moth is broken up by various sized tufts of hairs from head to tail.

"Oh, that's one of those gray inchworms that all look alike." Yep, I have been guilty of saying that many times. I need to work on these inside, from specimens or photos. They are too difficult in the field. I've also
said this before, but after 25 years down here, I rarely ever see a new moth. That's what happens when you ignore some of them, even the common ones. If my identification is correct, this WAS a new species for me.

Ectropis crepuscularia, the Small Engrailed. There are many color varieties of this species, including this melanic form. The fore wings do not have stripes, but look streaked. Stripes are more visible on the hind wings. The upper abdominal segment is encircled with black. The outer fore wings have a zig-zag white line. All of these similar Geometrids show 3-4 small black dots at the top of the wing.

Here's another one. The 3-4 spots are more visible on the wing edges than the previous species. Many specimens will show more distinct stripes, but this one looks drab and dirty, with sort of a marble cake design, and lots of finely shredded chocolate chip drops. Stripes on the hind wing reach to the edge of the abdomen. Similar species have a large white ring on the first abdominal segment, which this lacks. I'm going with the Porcelain Gray, Protoboarmia porcelaria.

Let's end this post with some of the showier species. The Imperial Moth, Eacles imperialis.

Spiny Oakworm, Anisota stigma. This is the only one of the oak worms that shows a distinct pink line in both wings.

Elm Sphinx, Ceratomia amyntor. The caterpillar is known as the Four-horned Sphinx.

There were a lot of Catalpa trees in the area. Hmmm, how about the Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae. People use the caterpillars for fish bait. These are often confused with the Waved Sphinx. The Waved is clearly marked with white, black, and gray lines. Catalpa Sphinx moths are brown and gray, with faded or indistinct wing markings. Essentially, even when fresh, they look like a worn out Waved.

This one came out very nice. Purple and orange make quite a combination. Small-eyed Sphinx, Paoniasmyops, is one of the five sphinx moths with eye spots. It may have the least interesting eye spots on the hind wing compared to the others, but that fore wing pattern is hard to argue with.

Royal Walnut Moth, Citheronia regalis. This huge female had nearly a six inch wingspan. It's also known as the Regal Moth, and the larva is the Hickory Horned Devil.


Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth, Lithacodes fasciola.  Now this is REAL macro photography! No it's not mine. Just wanted to show you the kind of stuff Lisa Sells has been working on.