Throughout the summer you can find a variety of galls – the wool sower gall, the oak apple gall, the scrub oak gall and many others. Many galls, like the ones listed here, are found on oaks, which are common host plants for many gall-producing insects. But a few weeks ago, I noticed a gall on staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) for the first time. If I hadn’t been inspecting the undersides of the leaves closely, in search of a butterfly…
On a recent walk I led along the Agawam River Trail for the Wareham Land Trust, I noticed a small clustered group of 3 caterpillars on the underside of a greenbriar (Smilax sp.) leaf. While I normally don’t try to identify most caterpillars, which tend to be small, green and nondescript, these caterpillars were so striking, with their bold black and white markings and yellow undersides that I figured I’d give it a shot. It didn’t take long to pin…
This is a great time of year for nature observation in Massachusetts. Almost every day something new is happening: a new plant is flowering, some new insect has emerged or I’ve spotted a new bird, recently returned from its winter away. So these days, when I’m out and about, I try to keep my eyes pealed to spot these “happenings”. A few days ago, while poking around the woods in my backyard where I was checking on the blooming mayflower…
Although I’m sure many of you are waiting as eagerly for the first flower buds, returning migrant birds, and other signs of spring as I am, I do still appreciate some of the nature observations that are just plain easier in the winter. Galls are certainly one of them. With no leaves on trees and shrubs, any galls remaining on woody stems are easily visible. Galls come in a variety of unique shapes and sizes; I’ve written about a number…
When you think of nature in winter, you might think of snow, bare trees, and cold temperatures. If you’ve ever visited the Cape Cod Canal during the winter, you might think of eiders. Few people, however, would say “insects” as their first thought. While many insects are dormant through the winter, there are some who like to buck the trend. The winter firefly (Ellychnia corrusca) is one of these. They belong to the family Lampyridae, which includes fireflies and lightening…
Beech bark disease causes defects and mortality in American beech trees. In North America, this disease is tied to a combined effect of fungi and insect attackers. The introduced beech scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga, begins the cycle by feeding on the bark of a beech tree. Feeding activities of the scale insects create tiny wounds such that the tree becomes susceptible to two different species of Neonectria fungus: N. faginata and N. ditissima. Once the bark is wounded by the scale insect,…
On a recent walk at Mass Audubon’s Tidmarsh Sanctuary, I noticed something out of the ordinary attached to the stem of a shrub a little ways off the trail. It sort of resembled a brown dried leaf, but there was something just different enough about it that it caught my attention. Closer inspection revealed that it was a cocoon of some sort. I immediately had two conflicting thoughts: 1) I want to cut it open so I can see what’s…
I must admit, I was a little jealous to hear that the Brood X cicadas that everyone’s been talking about in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland would not extend as far north as Massachusetts. So I was surprised, and quite delighted, to discover this Magicicada (periodic cicadas) in my yard last week. Unlike some of the swarm-like photos coming out of NY/NJ, I found just a single female beside its exuvia – the cast-off outer outer skin of…
To me, spring is one of the most exciting times of year in nature. It seems that just about every day there’s a new flower blooming, a new tree leafing out, a new bird arriving back (or passing through) from its wintering area, or a newly emerged insect. With respect to insects, over the last couple weeks I had been noticing two fairly common and unique looking flies around my yard. Both had jet black bodies with noticeable red legs…
2020 has been hard for everyone. From canceled activities to isolation from friends and family, to record setting hurricane and fire seasons across the country. Despite all of this year’s COVID-, environmental- and political-craziness, there are still many things I am thankful for. In addition to the Thanksgiving toad I came across on my rainy walk this morning (see cover photo above), below are just ten of the nature-related things I’m grateful for this year. 1. Abundant and beautiful local…