A Mild December!

Winter Firefly! Although the larvae of all Fireflies are luminescent, not all species emit light as an adult. Winter Fireflies are in this category. They generally hide in the bark of trees through the winter but I found it crawling on a tree at Pinery Provincial Park on a recent sunny day.

Saturday's mild temperatures brought out lots of invertebrates in Canatara Park. When I watched this moth land on the ground in front of me, I started checking the sunny areas to see what else I could find.

This tiny larva was only 1 c.m. in length. It is in the Genus "Clemensia" or Lichen Moths, possible a "Little White Lichen Moth". I thought that was a very fitting name considering when I first noticed it I wasn't sure if it was an insect or a plant until it started moving up the tree bark!

As I walked along the trails, I checked the sunny side of trees and found a Woodlouse. He quickly crawled under a piece of bark and out of sight. It is a terrestrial crustacean similar to pill bugs or sow bugs.

I saw close to a dozen Lady Bird Beetles, all enjoying the sun!

Sticky tree resin glistening in the sun.