Recent Travels: Butterflies and Moths

June 30, 2016 at 6:58 am (plant-eating insects)
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by Carl Strang

Though singing insects are my main research focus, I enjoy studying other critters as well. Here is a gallery of recently encountered butterflies and moths.

Not all travel has been out of county. Here is the first eastern comma I have found at St. James Farm Forest Preserve.

Not all travel has been out of county. Here is the first eastern comma I have found at St. James Farm Forest Preserve.

One day I encountered several hackberry emperors at SJF. Here is the usual underwing view they provide.

One day I encountered several hackberry emperors at SJF. Here is the usual underwing view they provide.

Another individual spread its wings in the sun.

Another individual spread its wings in the sun.

LeConte’s haploas are tiger moths that occur in the St. James Farm forests.

LeConte’s haploas are tiger moths that occur in the St. James Farm forests.

Here is another, providing a sense of this species’ variability.

Here is another, providing a sense of this species’ variability.

The UV light at Goose Pond brought in some moths. This one was familiar, a large lace border.

The UV light at Goose Pond brought in some moths. This one was familiar, a large lace border.

A few painted lichen moths also were drawn to the light. For some reason I was unable to get a sharp photo.

A few painted lichen moths also were drawn to the light. For some reason I was unable to get a sharp photo.

Despite much poring over of references, I was unable to identify this moth.

Despite much poring over of references, I was unable to identify this moth.

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Recent Travels: Places

June 27, 2016 at 4:44 pm (dragonflies and damselflies, invertebrates (other), reptiles and amphibians, singing insects)
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by Carl Strang

I have fallen behind on blog posts. The season is heating up, and I have kept busy doing various surveys in various places. Today’s start on catching up will focus on some scenes and miscellaneous photos taken along the way.

The Marquette Trail at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore passes beautiful marsh and sand savanna habitats.

The Marquette Trail at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore passes beautiful marsh and sand savanna habitats.

I found northern wood crickets singing along the trail. They bury themselves in leaf litter like this.

I found northern wood crickets singing along the trail. They bury themselves in leaf litter like this.

Another example of a wood cricket song site. I tried to get a look at one, but they choose deeply stacked litter areas with plenty of hidey holes and escape routes.

Another example of a wood cricket song site. I tried to get a look at one, but they choose deeply stacked litter areas with plenty of hidey holes and escape routes.

Painted turtles wandered the savanna seeking good places to lay their eggs.

Painted turtles wandered the savanna seeking good places to lay their eggs.

Another good sand area is Illinois Beach State Park. Here a trail goes through the zone behind the fore dunes.

Another good sand area is Illinois Beach State Park. Here a trail goes through the zone behind the fore dunes.

Farther back from the edge of Lake Michigan, black oak savanna lines the trail.

Farther back from the edge of Lake Michigan, black oak savanna lines the trail.

Though my main interest was singing insects, there were many four-spotted skimmers to enjoy at IBSP.

Though my main interest was singing insects, there were many four-spotted skimmers to enjoy at IBSP.

I also have spent some time in Kendall County. This plains clubtail was at Hoover Forest Preserve.

I also have spent some time in Kendall County. This plains clubtail was at Hoover Forest Preserve.

This year’s Indiana Academy of Sciences bioblitz was at Goose Pond in southern Indiana. I stopped on the way down for a walk at Turkey Run State Park. Ravines there provide many scenes like this.

This year’s Indiana Academy of Sciences bioblitz was at Goose Pond in southern Indiana. I stopped on the way down for a walk at Turkey Run State Park. Ravines there provide many scenes like this.

I didn’t end up taking any scenery shots at Goose Pond. As I was setting up the UV light, I found this mama spider crossing the road, her back covered with babies. All their eyes glittered like jewels in the headlamp.

I didn’t end up taking any scenery shots at Goose Pond. As I was setting up the UV light, I found this mama spider crossing the road, her back covered with babies. All their eyes glittered like jewels in the headlamp.

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SJF Gallery

June 10, 2016 at 6:27 am (birds, botany, dragonflies and damselflies, plant-eating insects)
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by Carl Strang

As recent posts have shown, I am transitioning into the singing insects field season. I will be spending less time at St. James Farm over the next four months, though I won’t be ignoring that preserve completely. So here is a collection of recent photos from St. James Farm Forest Preserve.

I was pleased to find that green dragons are scattered throughout the forest.

I was pleased to find that green dragons are scattered throughout the forest.

Both the smooth sweet cicely, shown here, and the hairy sweet cicely are among the late spring forest wildflowers at SJF.

Both the smooth sweet cicely, shown here, and the hairy sweet cicely are among the late spring forest wildflowers at SJF.

Wild hyacinths are savanna or woods border plants with only a brief blooming period.

Wild hyacinths are savanna or woods border plants with only a brief blooming period.

The somewhat weedy, open-growing common goat’s beard is a personal favorite.

The somewhat weedy, open-growing common goat’s beard is a personal favorite.

Earlier in the season I saw a female dot-tailed whiteface in one of the prairie plots. Here is a male on station at the catch-and-release fishing pond.

Earlier in the season I saw a female dot-tailed whiteface in one of the prairie plots. Here is a male on station at the catch-and-release fishing pond.

The grayish fan-foot, aka grayish Zanclognatha, has been abundant in the forest in recent days. The caterpillars live on fallen dead leaves.

The grayish fan-foot, aka grayish Zanclognatha, has been abundant in the forest in recent days. The caterpillars live on fallen dead leaves.

This eastern bluebird nestling looks ready to get out into the world.

This eastern bluebird nestling looks ready to get out into the world.

 

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No Shadow of a Shadow

June 8, 2016 at 6:15 am (singing insects)
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by Carl Strang

I didn’t find any periodical cicadas out in Addison or Wood Dale this year. That might seem like a strange statement, given that our local main emergence last happened in 2007, and the next is due in 2024.

A 2007 photo of representatives of DuPage County’s two species of 17-year periodical cicadas: Linnaeus’s on the left, Cassin’s on the right.

A 2007 photo of representatives of DuPage County’s two species of 17-year periodical cicadas: Linnaeus’s on the left, Cassin’s on the right.

I had reason to think I might find a few of these amazing critters here this year (they are peaking in Ohio in 2016, by the way). For several generations, now, starting in 1969, significant numbers of the cicadas have emerged 4 years early in the western suburbs of Chicago. This phenomenon, called a shadow brood, since has been found in a few other locations in eastern North America. It generally is thought to be a one-time deal, but the repetitive nature of this local shadow brood has me thinking there has been reproduction each time. Furthermore, the cicadas in the adjacent cities of Addison and Wood Dale appear entirely to have switched to the shadow timing. Residents reported them to be abundant in 2003. I found hardly any there in 2007.

The next shadow brood emergence therefore should happen in 2020. That assumes that there was indeed reproduction in 2003, or at least that local conditions again will result in some cicadas emerging at age 13 rather than 17. Those numbers are significant, as southern broods of related cicada species always are 13-year cicadas. Something caused a switch in some of our cicadas, in 1969 at least, bumping them onto the 13-year track. If they have been reproducing, then the subsequent shadow broods have resumed the 17-year life span. If you have followed this convoluted story, then you can guess why I thought I might find a few periodical cicadas this year. If the shadow brood indeed is all that exists now in Addison and Wood Dale, and something were to cause a few of them to make the 13-year jump now, 2016 is when they would have emerged. Perhaps a few did, but if so I did not hear any singing, nor did I see any shed nymphal exoskeletons, in this year’s tour of the two cities.

I will repeat my route each year, as I have done starting in 2014. A few cicadas out of the millions emerge a year or two early. I will be very surprised if there are any next year, but the anticipation will build as I look to a possible major emergence in Addison and Wood Dale in 2020.

 

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Memorial Weekend Miscellany

June 6, 2016 at 6:09 am (botany, dragonflies and damselflies, mammals)
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by Carl Strang

As Gary and I toured wild places around Culver over the weekend, we found more of interest than sulfur-winged grasshoppers.

Many wildflowers were blooming, including lance-leaved violets at the Winamac State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Many wildflowers were blooming, including lance-leaved violets at the Winamac State Fish and Wildlife Area.

A number of rapids clubtails worked the sandy power line corridor at Memorial Forest.

A number of rapids clubtails worked the sandy power line corridor at Memorial Forest.

One sad note was a road-killed otter.

I had heard that otters have returned to the Tippecanoe River. This one climbed a tributary to reach the Maxinkuckee Wetlands, and became a casualty.

I had heard that otters have returned to the Tippecanoe River. This one climbed a tributary to reach the Maxinkuckee Wetlands, and became a casualty.

No photo to show for it, but we were impressed by astronomical observations as well. While sampling the variety of Hoosier beers Gary had brought up from Indianapolis, we checked out Mars and Saturn through the spotting scope. Mars, as close as it ever gets to Earth, was a reddish disk. Much farther away, Saturn appeared as a cute little image with the rings nicely visible and separate from the planet’s main mass.

We closed the weekend by attending the local VFW Memorial Day ceremony, and visited the graves of our parents, who passed away two years ago. Then we went our separate ways home.

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Sulfur-winged Variations

June 3, 2016 at 6:34 am (singing insects)
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by Carl Strang

Memorial Day weekend brought a reunion with my brother, Gary, in our hometown of Culver, Indiana. Among the many reminiscences and activities were a few visits to places where I hoped to find early season singing grasshopper species. By the time I got home I had accumulated 5 county records for sulfur-winged grasshoppers.

This is the source of the name. I was careful in handling them, and released them all unharmed.

This is the source of the name. I was careful in handling them, and released them all unharmed.

Along the way I found color variations, between the genders and between locations.

Here is a typical female at Memorial Forest, Marshall County.

Here is a typical female at Memorial Forest, Marshall County.

Another female from the same population was yellower.

Another female from the same population was yellower.

On the whole, though, females were much less variable than males.

All the females had broad blue bands on their tibias.

All the females had broad blue bands on their tibias.

Males generally were darker than females and, as is typical in grasshoppers, were smaller.

At some sites, males had striking yellow edges on their forewings.

At some sites, males had striking yellow edges on their forewings.

From above, the pale streak resembles a piece of dead grass stem, and breaks up the general dark mass of the grasshopper’s outline.

From above, the pale streak resembles a piece of dead grass stem, and breaks up the general dark mass of the grasshopper’s outline.

Elsewhere males had little or no pale edging.

Elsewhere males had little or no pale edging.

Tibia color also was not consistent. This seems surprising, as the behavior of grasshoppers when they meet often includes a display of tibias.

Sometimes males showed the typical grasshopper pattern of matching female tibia colors, as in this individual from Newton County, Indiana.

Sometimes males showed the typical grasshopper pattern of matching female tibia colors, as in this individual from Newton County, Indiana.

Often, though, the lower tibias were completely black (Memorial Forest).

Often, though, the lower tibias were completely black (Memorial Forest).

There still is time to find sulfur-winged grasshoppers in more of the 22 counties of the region I am surveying, and I will be interested in seeing how these variations play out.

 

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St. James Farm is Humming

June 1, 2016 at 6:00 am (dragonflies and damselflies, insects (other), invertebrates (other), plant-eating insects)
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by Carl Strang

As the cold spells have become fewer and weaker, insects and other invertebrates increasingly have decorated the landscape at St. James Farm Forest Preserve. None decorate better than the butterflies.

A few American lady butterflies appeared early in May.

A few American lady butterflies appeared early in May.

The silver-spotted skipper attests to the presence of black locust trees on the preserve.

The silver-spotted skipper attests to the presence of black locust trees on the preserve.

Very early in the season I was seeing abundant grasshopper nymphs in the forest. I had a suspicion about them, which was confirmed as they matured.

The green-legged grasshopper is an early season forest species.

The green-legged grasshopper is an early season forest species.

Dragonflies increasingly appeared in the second half of May.

The most abundant dragonfly in recent days has been the common baskettail. Though they usually are seen on the wing, this one gave me a rare opportunity for a perched shot.

The most abundant dragonfly in recent days has been the common baskettail. Though they usually are seen on the wing, this one gave me a rare opportunity for a perched shot.

No baskettail this. It’s another early season species, a female dot-tailed whiteface.

No baskettail this. It’s another early season species, a female dot-tailed whiteface.

All these insects bring out the parasites and predators.

Epalpus signifer is a tachinid fly, a parasite of caterpillars.

Epalpus signifer is a tachinid fly, a parasite of caterpillars.

Morning dew highlights the abundant webs of bowl and doily spiders.

Morning dew highlights the abundant webs of bowl and doily spiders.

 

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