Wild Backyard!!

A few years ago, friends inspired me to remove a section of lawn and plant a native garden. I'm always amazed at the life that now comes to the yard!!

The first two photos are from the backyard garden of one of those friends. Annie has been closely watching her New Jersey Tea (Shrub) for Summer Azure caterpillars these past few years. (New Jersey Tea is the host plant for the caterpillar species.) This year, she struck gold! After watching ants on her shrub, she realized that they were standing on well camouflaged caterpillars! (top photo) Summer Azure caterpillars have a symbiotic relationship with ants. The caterpillars excrete honeydew for the ants. In exchange for this sweet treat, the ants protect the caterpillars from predators! The caterpillars have an interesting, flattish appearance at the edges.

Summer Azure, adult (23-29mm across)

Spending time in my own garden reveals lots of life in the summer months!

Peck's Skipper on Dense Blazing Star.

Western Honeybee on Purple Coneflower.

Tiny Grasshopper

Rhyssella nitida: (no common name given). Notice the very long ovipositor extending beyond the abdomen which is used for laying eggs!

Margined calligrapher on Dense Blazing Star

Redbud has been the choice plant species of Leaf-cutter bees in my yard this year. In past years, the leaf circles were cut from Sugar Maple Tree leaves. The cut leaf circles are used to protect the egg and eventual emerging larvae.

Leaf-cutter Bees gather pollen on the lower abdomen, instead of on the legs like most bees. 

A circular green leaf has capped the hole in a piece of wood. The leaf was placed at the hole's edge to keep the egg of the Leaf-cutter Bee safe and dry.

Monarch caterpillar tucked into the flower head of Swamp Milkweed.

Telamona excelsa - a species of Treehopper

Clearwing Moth sp.

Red-banded Leafhopper

Elm Spanworm Moth

 Dragonflies and Butterflies!

Look closely at the Blue Dasher, and you will see many red spots all along the underside. They are likely parasitic mites. It is unclear how much this affects the infested dragonfly, although it will certainly add weight, possibly making flight more difficult.

http://www.dragonfliesnva.com/My%20Documents/KevinPDF/pdf/dragons%20101/Parasites.pdf

Black Saddlebags! One of my favourite dragonflies, and it actually landed to have it's picture taken! Saddlebags perch more vertically than most skimmers. This positioning minimizes the amount of sun that hits the abdomen, avoiding overheating. Black Saddlebags are migrators that join Common Green Darners as they drift along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes in the spring and fall.

https://uwm.edu/field-station/bug-of-the-week/black-saddlebags-dragonfly-family-libellulidae/

Ruby Meadowhawk

Unlike other dragonfly species, male Widow Skimmers leave the female alone by herself as she lays her eggs; thus making her a "widow" in the process! Another reference to the name 'widow' suggests that the dark basal portion of the wings looks like a widow's black shawl.

https://www.lifeoncsgpond.com/widow-skimmer

A Slaty Skimmer rested in the cattails. Tiny leg hairs are visible which are used in flight like a net, to help catch prey.

Butterflies: Lots of colours and sizes at this time of year!

A Dukes Skipper landed on the sweaty hand of a friend recently. When a butterfly lands on you, it is attracted to your sweat which provides minerals and salt to supplement the nectar diet. The black proboscis is visible under the abdomen. While we watched, the butterfly released a drop of liquid from the abdomen, than appeared to lap it up. Perhaps the added liquid made it easier to access the salt.

https://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/nature-blog-network/why-do-butterflies-land-on-you-answered/

The Banded Hairstreak tends to be one of the more common Hairstreaks found in Southern Ontario, but numbers have been quite low in recent years. Most hairstreaks have a short, hair-like "tail" on their hindwing which may play a role in deterring predators or distracting them away from the butterfly's vital body parts.

https://www.worldsfacts.com/35-interesting-facts-about-hairstreak-butterfly/

Eastern-tailed Blue

The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly found in Canada!

Northern Broken-dash

Pearl Crescent

Question Mark - 2 white marks on the underwing form the "loose" shape of a question mark.

Appalachian Brown

Silver-spotted Skipper

 Early Summer Things

A young Coopers Hawk, getting much bigger by the end of June!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird mom sitting on her nest!

First view of the Hummingbird babies! Two tiny beaks are poking above the nest! One beak is closed, the other open slightly.

A white Earwig! After closer inspection and some quick research, this earwig had recently moulted and hadn’t acquired its brown/black colour yet.

Young Praying Mantis. They are much easier to spot in the fall when they have reached maximum length. This individual was about 2.5 cm in length.

Cabbage White Butterfly nectaring on Yellow Butterflyweed.

Common Checkered Skipper, male

Least Skippers, mating

Tawny Emperor

Tiny Monarch egg, 2 mm long.

Freshly hatched Monarch caterpillar, about 3 mm in length. It doesn't even have the diagnostic stripes yet!

We found an active Red-headed Woodpecker nest with 2 adults bringing food to the tree cavity! This species is Sarnia's "Official Bird!"

Viceroy: The Monarch Mimic!

 Critters in North and East Lambton!

It's always helpful when a species' name reflects its appearance! This dragonfly is a Dot-tailed Whiteface! (yellow dot on the abdomen (tail end) and a white face!)

Green Darner female laying eggs on plants under the water.

Video of Green Darner laying eggs.

Blue Dasher, male

Lilypad Clubtail

The exuviae (exoskeleton) of a dragonfly nymph is hanging on a plant in the centre of the photo. Dragonflies start their lives under water. After spending up to 4 years in the aquatic environment, they will crawl out of the water and shed their skin. Once the wings are dry, they will fly away, looking for food and eventually a mate.

Monarch butterfly on Common Milkweed.

Monarch caterpillar on Butterfly Milkweed, one of 11 larva we found!

Camouflage is an important defense in survival! A Mottled Sand Grasshopper blends in perfectly with its sandy surroundings!

One of my favourite butterflies, a Coral Hairstreak. I often see them on Orange Butterflyweed.

I noticed the striped legs matched the stripes in the antennae on the Coral Hairstreak. A friend then pointed out the leg stripes resemble Pippi Longstocking's, stockings!

Delaware Skipper getting minerals from the mud.

Tawny Emperor, warming in the morning sun.

Common Yellowthroat male. I'm sure there was a nest nearby which is usually on or near the ground and supported by sedges, grasses, reeds, cattails, or other low plants!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Yellowthroat/lifehistory