01-AUG-2014
Dogwood spittlebug (Clastoptera proteus)
Earlier in summer, dogwood shrubs, mostly red-osier dogwoods, are festooned with little white foamy globs. This is the "spittle" of the dogwood spittlebug nymph. Eventually the adults appear and can be seen quite commonly on dogwood shrubs. There are other species in this genus that look somewhat similar, such as the alder spittlebug, C. obtusa, not to be confused with another spittlebug called alder spittlebug (or more correctly, European alder spittlebug) in the genus Aphrophora.
01-AUG-2014
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
This rather battered and worn butterfly was nectaring on the abundant flowers of the wild clematis (clematis virginiana) in the front of the interpretive centre. I saw another one, not so worn, by the new woods. In July I found a caterpillar in some nettle leaves, and Diane also photographed an adult in July (both photos in the July blog). Red admirals are a migratory species, heading south in winter, and in spring coming north, sometimes as in 2012, in huge numbers.
01-AUG-2014
Green lacewing eggs (Chrysoperla sp.)
These tiny dot-sized eggs are suspended from nearly invisible filaments on the underside of an oak leaf. As you can tell, the eggs are being whipped around by the wind, which also made photographing these things nearly impossible. What you may be able to see if you look really closely, is a little aphid, slightly large than the eggs, clinging to one of the filaments above the egg on the right. As if going for a ride! Lacewing larvae eat aphids and the leaves have a good number of Myzocallis aphids for hungry larvae to eat. Thus, a sensible spot for the lacewing adult to lay her eggs.
01-AUG-2014
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
A native plant whose flowers attract lots of bees AND hummingbirds. This was taken in the old woods where the removal of many ash trees has opened up the site for a variety of other things to grow, including a huge stand of jewelweed.
01-AUG-2014
Leafhopper (Coelidia sp.)
These pretty green leafhoppers are abundant right now, as are their nymphs. Diane photographed several of the nymphs and they can be found in the July 2014 blog.