Six-Legged Critters!

All insects have 6 legs, 3 body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), 1 or 2 pairs of wings and a pair of antennae. They come in all shapes and sizes. These are a few of my recent favourites.

Hologram Moth - found during backyard mothing!

Snowberry Clearwing - they don’t often rest, but I caught this one napping!

Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth) laying eggs. In years when their population cycles are high, the caterpillars can cause a lot of damage to tree leaves. They are a natural part of the ecosystem.

Mating Moths - possibly Early Fan-foots.

Caterpillars of the Great Spangled Fritillary prefer violets. Without violets, there would be no fritillaries. Adults will drink nectar from many native flowers such as mints, butterfly weed and Joe-pye-weed. Female Great Spangled Fritillaries seem to be able to find violets even after they have wilted. Some scientists who study the species believe it is possible for fritillaries to actually smell the roots of violets!

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/fritillary

Red-spotted Purple, the name makes more sense when the underwing is visible, as is evident in the lower photo.

Silvery Checkerspot - some of the dark squares contain a silvery colour!

I rarely get to see the upper wing of the Northern Pearly-Eye butterfly as they usually rest with closed wings. They prefer shaded, damp habitats such as wetlands, swampy woods, and coastal dunes. Unlike most butterflies, they mainly fly in cloudy weather and can even be spotted on rainy days. Adults feed primarily on decaying organic matter including tree sap, dung, and rotting fruit.

https://insectic.com/northern-pearly-eye-butterfly/

Bald-faced Hornets are among the largest wasps found in North America. Despite the name, they are not true hornets but belong to the yellowjacket subfamily. The bald-faced title comes from the white markings on the face and body which contrast sharply with the rest of the insect. They are well known for their impressive paper nests, aggressive defense behaviour and role in controlling pest insect populations.

https://waspworld.com/bald-faced-hornets-nesting-sting-pain-size-identification/

If you look closely, the pink, tongue-like proboscis of this Digger Bee species is slurping up water from the mud puddle!

Fraternal Potter Wasp drinking from a Figwort cup. Figwort plants produce "large" amounts of nectar in the cups making them popular with insects. Beneficial Wasps are attracted to the plants. These beneficial wasps will eat other insects that can be detrimental to gardens.

New instar for a Monarch caterpillar. The old skin shed is still attached to the caterpillar which has now grown to about 3 cm in length. True caterpillars only have  6 legs, all located on the thorax. Additional legs on the abdomen are called Prolegs. True legs are segmented and jointed, used for walking and gripping and have claws. Prolegs are fleshy with tiny hooks for gripping that aid in movement and help to cling to surfaces. Prolegs don't have claws and disappear during pupation.

https://meadowia.com/does-a-caterpillar-have-legs/

Widow Skimmer, resting in the meadow.

 Canatara’s “Resident” Red-tailed Hawk

The juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that has been living in Canatara Park for the past year or so is quite accustomed to being around people. It recently flew past me and landed in a tree, facing into the sun. I watched as it stayed on the knobby end of the branch and rotated its body 180 degrees, teetering on its feet until its back was to the sun!

It remained with wings outstretched for 2 full minutes. Birds can benefit from "sun bathing' as it helps with feather maintenance and parasite control. Sunlight can kill harmful bacteria and parasites that may be hiding in feathers. The warmth also makes it easier for birds to remove dirt and parasites when preening.

https://www.earthofbirds.com/why-do-birds-spread-their-wings-in-the-sun/

Before leaving the perch, the Red-tailed Hawk preened its warmed feathers as it continued to soak up the sun! The adult red tail feathers are starting to grow in. Juveniles don't get red feathers until the start of the second year.

The very next day, I saw the same Red-tailed Hawk. It hunted unsuccessfully for a squirrel and then took a rest, once again with wings outspread and back facing the sun! The squirrel on the tree trunk that it tried to catch is looking down at the hawk in the upper photo. 

Red-tailed Hawk populations have increased since the 1960's. This species can often be found sitting on fence posts watching and listening for nearby prey. Across North America and Europe, many hawk populations are rebounding after decades of decline due to pesticide use and habitat loss. The banning of DDT in the 1970's in many countries marked a turning point. Conservation efforts, habitat restoration, and regulated hunting also contributed to recovery. Protecting and restoring natural habitats such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands, provide essential resources for hawks. Healthy prey populations including rodents, birds and reptiles, provide a stable food source. The adaptable Red-tailed Hawk is thriving in both rural and urban environments. Long-term monitoring programs such as e-bird, track population changes over time. Raptor Rehabilitation Centers collect valuable data on injuries, illnesses, and mortality rates. Citizen Science initiatives help to engage the public in valuable data collection.

https://iere.org/are-hawk-populations-increasing/

Red-tailed Hawk, light morph - looking down at me!

 Night Life!

A friend invited us to the bush at the back of her farm to watch for moths. Two sheets were suspended in the trees with the appropriate lights shining on each sheet to attract the night life. 

Clymene Moth, at one with the leaves on the forest floor!

Clymene Moth on a nearby tree.

Deceptive Snout Moth

Fragile White Carpet Moth

Glossy Black Idia Moth

Green Leuconycta Moth

Macrame Moth, dining on bird guano

Basswood Leafroller Moth. (Leaf rolling happens at the larval stage.)

Skiff Moth

Moths weren't the only things we saw!

Northern Dog-day Cicada 

Punctured Tiger Beetle - we usually find these insects in sandy locations.

Spotted Orb Weaver - hoping to catch a moth!

Herrald Moth - attracted to fermented moth bait "painted" on a piece of wood.

One example of a moth night set up. Moths are attracted to both sides of the sheet.

When we don't want to stay up late, we can plug in our moth trap and check the moths in the morning. One night the trap was checked at 2:00 a.m. and we discovered an American Robin feasting on his private smorgasbord of moths that were flying to the light! 

 Canatara Critters!

Everyday is a new adventure when walking through the different habitats in Canatara Park!!

Monarch drinking nectar from Swamp Milkweed Flowers.

A Humpback Beewolf is patiently waiting for a thirsty Tiger Swallowtail to finish drinking at the "nectar fountain" so he can have a turn! 

A Great Blue Heron appears to be admiring his reflection but is likely just trying to catch some lunch!

Meadowhawk (sp) in a field of daisies.

Snowberry Clearwing moths fly and feed during the daytime. Adults feed from flower nectar by hovering in front of the flower the way a hummingbird does, rather than like a bee which lands directly on the flower. They drink nectar from blooms with open or deep flowers and pollinate many of them from the pollen that gets caught on their upper body.

https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/resources/encyclopedias/fauna/insects/hummingbird-clearwing-moth-sp.html

Mourning Cloak. This individual looks fresh, as if it recently exited its chrysalis. It will likely survive through next winter sheltered in a rotten log, emerging in early spring. They can live for 10 months in southern Ontario!

Primrose Moth, on Evening Primrose

Red-eared Slider laying eggs on a path. She will cover up the hole with mud and hope that predators don't find the eggs. Red-eared Sliders are an introduced species. They are sold in pet stores and when people don't want them any more, the turtles are often released in local waterways causing competition for food, shelter and space with our native turtle species.

Viceroy, backlit in the afternoon sun.

5 Cabbage White butterflies getting minerals from a muddy puddle.

Video: Cabbage Whites mudpuddling for nutrients!

American Mink hunt a variety of prey in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Since they are good swimmers, they dive and catch fish, and feed on muskrats, rabbits, frogs, chipmunks and snakes! I saw this mink exit the water. Because it stood still and stared at me, I assume I was likely standing where it had hoped to travel.

https://www.animalspot.net/american-mink.html

American Snout: The long "nose" isn't actually for smelling. The long protrusion is a heavily scaled mouth part that protects the butterfly's delicate proboscis. In addition, when hanging on a branch with wings closed, the "snout" mimics a leaf stalk, creating even better camouflage and protection!

https://animalia.bio/american-snout