Good Gally, and a Wetland Walk!

Mossy Rose Gall and Rose Hips.

I learned a lot about Galls this weekend from Brandy on an LWI "Gall Walk" along the Howard Watson Trail! In the 17th century, galls were believed to cure a number of ailments. Hanging a Mossy Rose Gall around a patients neck was considered a cure for Whooping Cough! Some people carried galls in their pockets as a charm against rheumatism. They were even placed under pillows while sleeping to cure insomnia!

https://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/robins-pincushion-in-folk-medicine/

Goldenrod Bunch Gall - When a midge bites the terminal bud, the stem growth ceases, but the leaves continue to develop, creating the layered look in the above photo. Brandy explained that Galls are atypical plant growths created by the external stimuli of an insect. The insect "highjacks" the normal development of the host plant to provide food and shelter for its developing offspring.

Grape Filbert Gall - created by a Gall Midge

Rosette Gall on Willow, made by a midge: Galls can be made by midges, flies, wasps, beetles, moths and aphids. Each Gall is unique to the insect that created it. This species-specific nature allows scientists to identify the gall maker, without actually seeing the insect itself.

Goldenrod Ball Gall, cut open showing the larva of a fly: The mature larva will chew a tunnel to the epidermal layer of the gall without breaking through the exterior. The fly then pupates inside the gall, crawls up the pre-made tunnel and presses itself tight against the end layer. The adult has no mouth for cutting, so fills an air sac in its head (much like a balloon), allowing it to "burst" through the outer layer of the gall to escape!!

Many galls were also found at the Dow Wetlands on a recent morning walk. Gall creators are tiny and usually aren't seen, but we found many other kinds of insects at the wetlands. A well camouflaged Praying Mantis appears to be “praying” for a meal to come by.

Rain was threatening and this Milkweed Tussock Moth looked like it had already been through a storm.

I believe this is an Arcigera Flower Moth, resting on a leaf. We sometimes find this species in our Moth Trap.

The Blackberry Looper Moth is known as a looper because they move in an inchworm-like motion. They have a habit of curling up into a loop when disturbed which helps them blend into their surroundings.

https://www.greatlakesmoths.org/moth/blackberry-looper/

This Brown-lipped Snail seems to be prepared for the impending weather. It's muscular foot is supporting its shell under the canopy of a leaf.

A False Milkweed Bug (wearing black hat and vest) is tucked up beside another Brown-lipped Snail.

The Dow Wetlands was our third location for finding the incredibly cool, Crowned Slug Moth caterpillar in the past 2 weeks!

A Familiar Bluet rested at the edge of one of the ponds. We surprisingly saw no shore birds or herons that would be expected at the wetlands at this time of year.

Eastern Bumblebee - The yellow flowers on the Cup Plant provided a touch of sunshine on an otherwise gloomy morning.

 Cool Finds this Week!

The first American Snout I have seen in Lambton County in 3 years showed up in Canatara this week! It surprisingly stayed within 2 square metres and I was able to take many pictures. The common name comes from the long mouth parts that look like a "snout".

There is only one species of Snout in North America. This American Snout is attempting its best "leaf" imitation which would be more effective at the forest edge.

An Eastern Tailed Blue, soaking up the sun! Both males and females have a tiny, thread-like hair on the hind wing. With wings open, they are 16-26 mm across. The species overwinters as a mature caterpillar, often tucked inside a seed pod!

The ROM Field Guide to Butterflies of Ontario, Peter W. Hall et al. 2014

Male Monarch on Missouri Ironweed, an important source of nectar as he continues his southward migration!

Orange Sulphur on Goldenrod.

Common Green Darner, hiding in the meadow: It is a member of one of the most abundant dragonflies in North America. They are one of the first dragonflies to be seen in the spring and can still be found in late fall. Green Darners are skilled aerial predators, eating many types of flying insects, such as flies, gnats, moths, butterflies, mosquitoes and even smaller dragonflies.

https://entomology.umn.edu/common-green-darner

Meadowhawks in a mating wheel.

The Shadow Darner is most active in shaded areas; thus the name Shadow Darner! It is known to feed out in the open very late into the evening and even into darkness.

https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IIODO14190 (Dunkle 2000, Paulson 2009).

A Common Yellowthroat popped up high enough for me to see it. It spent most of the time searching for food at ground level.

An Osprey landed directly across the water from where I was standing. It likely nested at the "embedded turtle toy" structure that I posted about in July.

Can you see both Praying Mantis' that are mating? They are very well camouflaged, right in the middle of the photo. It is time for the females to lay eggs before the arrival of cold temperatures! The adults will not survive the winter.

I usually find at least one Brown-hooded Owlet caterpillar each year, but I just learned the name has changed....

Instead of the adult moth being called a Brown-hooded Owlet, it is now known as an Asteroid Shark! So perhaps sharks really can fly???

Dewy Spider Webs suspended in Common Teasel.

 Back to the Pinery!

Tuesday was calm with mild temperatures, making it a great day for a walk at Pinery Provincial Park. A mirror image of the land was reflected in the Old Ausable River Channel.

Red-eyed Vireo before it grabbed a berry and flew off.

Another Red-eyed vireo kept an eye on us as we walked along a boardwalk.

A White-throated Sparrow hopping in the underbrush is an indicator that fall migration is underway!

An American Woodcock quietly sauntered under the boardwalk, probing in the dirt with its 3 inch long beak looking for worms and insects. It was well hidden on the forest floor. We could tell where it was by the movement of the plants it bumped into, but eventually it walked through a tiny opening between plants.

After our caterpillar success last week, we wanted to check again for other life forms. The "blob" in the above photos is actually a caterpillar!! The "Monkey Slug Moth caterpillar" is the larval stage of the Hag Moth. Although it looks a bit like a hairy tarantula, the hairy appendages are not legs. The legs are on the underside of the body. 

https://www.mothidentification.com/hag.htm

Purple-crested Slug Moth

Red-crossed Button Slug Moth: Moths often get their species names based upon their appearance at the adult stage. However, Slug Moths are named based upon the appearance at the larval stage. There are still several Slug Moths we have yet to find, but those discoveries will not likely be made until next summer.

Plant life along the river edge.

Lily pads at the canoe launch, but no dragonflies could be seen.

A Red Squirrel gathered food for it's winter shelter high in the branches of a White Cedar Tree.

It took a few moments of staring before I realized the legs surrounded by 3 leaves belonged to a Nursery Web spider.

Turtle nest protectors help to reduce predation on the eggs, giving the baby turtles a better chance at survival. Weasels, raccoons, foxes and many other critters think turtle eggs are a delicacy! The nests are monitored to remove the covers at the first signs of hatching.

 So Many Pinery Caterpillars!!!

We headed to Pinery Provincial Park on September 5th with the purpose of photographing caterpillars. Three hours of turning over leaves along one trail uncovered a multitude of caterpillar beauties! It was such a treat to slow down and find these remarkable creatures, including 2 io Moth caterpillars. The bristles on the io moth are stinging spines which release an irritating venom if touched.

We spent almost an hour on a 50 metre stretch of trail because of the abundance of caterpillars. We could still see our car at this point! Many caterpillar species grow throughout the summer and by fall, the caterpillars are mature, larger, and therefore easier to see. The Blinded Sphinx Moth is perfectly camouflaged with the leaves! 

Our target caterpillars were members of the Slug Moth genus, which are some of the most interesting caterpillars shown in the field guides. Although we never found the most bedazzled species, we managed to find 3 other Slug Moth Species! They are less than 1 cm in length and were always found on the under side of leaves. The individuals in the above photos are Crowned Slug Moths. We nicknamed them "Spike 1 and Spike 2"!

 Elegant-tailed Slug Moth

According to iNaturalist, this beauty is a Spotted Apatelodes Moth. It is a member of the Silkworm Moths. Young caterpillars are white, but as they mature, the hairs turn yellow. It will overwinter as a pupa.

https://www.mothidentification.com/spotted-apatelodes.htm

The larva of the Drexel's Datana Moth is often seen in a backwards-bending pose. It is believed this pose looks threatening to potential predators, thus helping to protect it.

https://newsblog.drexel.edu/2013/07/22/drexels-moth-goes-full-circle/

When Orange-tipped Oakworm caterpillars are ready to pupate in late summer/early fall, they crawl to the ground and dig a tunnel a few inches deep. Pupae remain in the ground until the following summer when the emerging adults burrow back to the surface and begin to fly!

https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/files/e2654.pdf

When disturbed, Yellow Necked Caterpillar Moth larvae raise up both ends of their body, holding onto the plant with only their abdominal prolegs...another example of trying to make themselves look big and scary!

https://www.whatsthatbug.com/yellow-necked-caterpillar-all-you-need-to-know/

Isabella Tiger Moth, often known as the Wooly Bear!

Definite Tussock Moth

Fall Webworm Moth

Milkweed Tussock Moth

The American Dagger caterpillar is dark yellow when it hatches from the egg. As it grows, it turns pale green, then eventually white in the last stage before pupating.

https://butterflyhobbyist.com/dagger-moth-caterpillar/

We found 35 Eastern Giant Swallowtail caterpillars, mostly feeding on Prickly Ash! They were at varying stages of growth and will overwinter as a pupa.

4 Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars are in the photo!

Angus' Datana Moth 

Red-lined Panopoda Moth - It was crawling up the wall of a building!