tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163178732024-03-18T19:41:55.530-07:00The Web of LifeAll life in the planet is interwoven with all the other creatures in multiple ways. This is the web of life, we don't want it to unravel.Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-71913704134201062902021-08-10T13:50:00.000-07:002021-08-11T10:27:58.351-07:00Aphids, how many is too many?<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-8131" height="430" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20150331204716im_/http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_4089.5.28.08w-500x430.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="IMG_4089.5.28.08w" width="500" /></p></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Microsiphum</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">
aphids on rose bush</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></p><article class="post-8130 post type-post status-publish format-standard category-insects-2 entry" itemprop="blogPost" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/BlogPosting" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; padding: 0px;"><div class="entry-content" itemprop="text" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">I read somewhere (I wish I could find that reference now) that the aphid biomass in an acre of meadows can be equivalent to that of an elephant. Perhaps that is a gross exaggeration, but, even if it was comparable to the mass of a cow or a dog, that is a lot of aphids. Let us face the facts: aphids are here in our gardens in
substantial numbers, whether we see them or not. I am sure that I have eaten my share of them on leaves of lettuce, and you have done so too.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">Is that a bad thing? Probably not, as long as there are only a few per plant. They don’t cause serious damage and they form part of the food chain, nourishing numerous kinds of wildlife, small and large. Aphid populations can be kept in check by the combined action of all those eaters most of the time. It is a beautiful system when it works well, but sometimes it gets disrupted.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">Ecologists explain repeatedly that trouble often arises when pesticides wipe out not just the aphids, but their predators. Predator populations take longer to recover, allowing newly arrived aphids to explode in numbers before balance is reestablished.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">I have been looking for these aphid controls in my garden. There is a whole assortment. Usually ladybugs take most of the
credit, but others are just as effective or even more so, although less visible: parasitic wasps, flower flies and lacewings, among others. Some small birds, such as nuthatches and chickadees have been seen eating aphid eggs in winter.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-8132" height="405" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20150331204716im_/http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_0846.11.1.09w-500x405.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="IMG_0846.11.1.09w" width="500" /></p><p class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">Syrphid fly larva feeding on aphids</p><p class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">Syrphid flies, also called flower flies or hover flies interest me the most because they provide another important service in the garden: they are pollinators. The adult flies spend a lot of time hovering over flowers. They land on them to feed on pollen and nectar and to meet partners and mate. Their two common names refer to these behaviors. They look very much like bees, giving rise to amusing mistakes of which I have collected a few illustrations: a book named “Bees of the World”, a business card for a shop called “The Bees Knees” and an article on bees on the French newspaper, Le Figaro. In all these cases the image is not that of a bee but of an impersonator, a fly. If you know of any other examples, please let me know, so I can add them to my list.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">The larvae of some of them, those called Syrphini, feed on aphids. The females are very good at spotting incipient populations of aphids and laying their eggs nearby. When the maggots emerge from the eggs they go right to work and can dispose of dozens of aphids in the ten days or so that it takes to complete their growth.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">To learn more about their life cycle I collected some, kept them well supplied with aphids and saw them grow to full size, become pupae and finally emerge as adults. I took pictures and videos of the whole thing. The videos may be gross but
fascinating. A maggot blindly thrashes around until it finds an aphid, pierces its skin and proceeds to suck it dry, discarding the shriveled husk. The whole process takes only a few minutes. It resumes its search right away. No wonder they can be so good at controlling aphid populations!</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">Another form of trouble occurs when new species of aphids are introduced into an ecosystem. This doesn't happen intentionally, but aphids easily travel with their host plants and may be able to adapt to related plants found in their new home.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CyGmpph_z9MzKa-x0aPi8R0TocK5UUXsw_KGFV4pHv10FkOyLpT2RZQI6JeVk82ZMLreAsBjDrKSkug5Wo4guBuK_aXxMqRGgGhYeG35KFwJAaltfIJUHPX-HUJsewxlYD03/s692/IMG_1722.6.28.11c.oleander.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="692" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CyGmpph_z9MzKa-x0aPi8R0TocK5UUXsw_KGFV4pHv10FkOyLpT2RZQI6JeVk82ZMLreAsBjDrKSkug5Wo4guBuK_aXxMqRGgGhYeG35KFwJAaltfIJUHPX-HUJsewxlYD03/s320/IMG_1722.6.28.11c.oleander.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oleander aphids on milkweed</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">Such is the case of the oleander aphid. It has adapted to plants of the genus<i> Asclepias</i>, the milkweeds, and it can wreak havoc on them. It multiplies in large numbers, free from its habitual restrains. A few species parasitize of predate on oleander aphids, such as some parasitic wasps and lacewings and ladybugs, but all them together are not enough to keep the populations of oleander aphids under control.</p></div></article>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-45539215185224636782020-10-11T08:50:00.000-07:002020-10-11T08:51:25.108-07:00In Praise of Dead Old Trees<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">What to do with that
dead tree in your yard? In a forest even a dead tree has its place
providing homes and food to a variety of wildlife, what about the one
in your property? You could leave it standing instead of cutting it
down to the ground. You may have to remove some of the branches for
safety reasons and keep only the trunk and main branches. Of course
your neighbors and visitors may frown upon such untidiness. What can
you say to them? You may tell them that it is an abstract sculpture.
A dead tree isn't lacking in beauty but we are so obsessed with
tidiness and the manicured look that it takes a readjustment of our
esthetic vision to accept such a sight. Look at the architecture of
the branches, the subtle hues of the weathered wood, the contrast
between its stark lines and the exuberant greenery of the rest of
your yard and you will begin to notice that it adds an interesting
note to the whole.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In addition to its
esthetic value a dead tree can become a home to numerous valuable
pollinators, native bees that take advantage of the holes drilled by
beetle larvae; also a dead tree may be very beneficial to
woodpeckers, which may even prefer it to your live trees and leave
them alone. And remember that when you are leaving that dead tree in
your yard you are not really doing the pollinators and woodpeckers a
favor but allowing them to have what is legitimately theirs. This is
the way of Nature, all these creatures contribute to the ecological
balance.</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If you want to help
the native bees even further, you can drill a few holes in the dead
wood, they should be about the width of an ordinary pencil (they can
be a little wider or a little narrower, there are so many species of
bees that they come in several different sizes). The holes should be
about six to eight inches long, slightly slanted upwards to protect
them from the rain and they should face south or south east so the
sun warms them up in the morning. I hope that next spring you get a
few tenants in your bee condo. <br /></p>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-19342653883338788562017-03-05T15:05:00.001-08:002017-09-03T12:06:38.078-07:00Introduced Species Develop Unexpected Relationships<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OLSN9Sdiw2NHs-0nX1NOVSBsknwvy0qYbTxHeEj8aIKuz0ZsTwC7RnCY-_PrKgn6o0-hBe-PjSI0RfGO9tLSoLO97EP7NqBGHU64rlgE3oweXh0cepkdLOIGcvzDUgd2yYU5/s1600/atteva+aurea.+9+27%252C+2003.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OLSN9Sdiw2NHs-0nX1NOVSBsknwvy0qYbTxHeEj8aIKuz0ZsTwC7RnCY-_PrKgn6o0-hBe-PjSI0RfGO9tLSoLO97EP7NqBGHU64rlgE3oweXh0cepkdLOIGcvzDUgd2yYU5/s320/atteva+aurea.+9+27%252C+2003.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ailanthus webworm moth
(<i>Atteva aurea</i>)</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Somebody I know lamented that the
pretty ailanthus webworm moth (<i>Atteva aurea</i>), despite being
native, got the name of the tree of
heaven (<i>Ailanthus altissima</i>), a Chinese tree that, after being introduced as an ornamental, has become dreadfully invasive. The explanation of this state of
affairs makes perfect sense.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The ailanthus webworm moth's original
geographic range extended from Central America to southern Florida
where its larvae used to feed on several trees, related to the tree
of heaven. Probably it was known only by Lepidopterists, those who
study moths and butterflies, and not by the general public. When the
tree of heaven was introduced as an ornamental, the moth took a
liking to it and found it quite digestible. Now it was free to move
to other places, following this new host plant. With time it became
far more abundant and widespread than originally.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nowadays it is found throughout eastern and
central United States and Canada, wherever the tree of heaven is
grown. In fact, it cannot be regarded as a native species in such
areas, but an introduced one. Political boundaries are irrelevant.
What matters is the ecological distribution.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even more complex is the story of the<a href="http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Leptinotarsa_decemlineata/">Colorado potato beetle</a> (<i>Leptinotarsa decemlineata</i>) which is
neither from Colorado, nor a potato beetle. Originally this beetle
lived on Mexico and southern United States and fed on local plants
related to the potato.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRn7ca_F735JXd1dX-KDDH35Enll7t6ckBTXQNY4kjEUIuzh2PVpXxC-hhLN5T5hyUQKZ7kxLxpP7kLEPxVc4iNQz_HaaQHLcoZ2EoPNUUiTMaF2_Rx6enQDvrtT1mlXaU1Ev/s1600/Leptinotarsa.larva.8+6%252C+2009.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRn7ca_F735JXd1dX-KDDH35Enll7t6ckBTXQNY4kjEUIuzh2PVpXxC-hhLN5T5hyUQKZ7kxLxpP7kLEPxVc4iNQz_HaaQHLcoZ2EoPNUUiTMaF2_Rx6enQDvrtT1mlXaU1Ev/s320/Leptinotarsa.larva.8+6%252C+2009.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uQTFYbj8BLNHggAe4S6nuAo1uwkW-48frJUCGfSh8CyNKMPNKHEOq_lBItutofbrv5pKZWw4rjz8uTZsZhJAq28hCCv80hv_UnQv2jySOvuQV-wnWeCzSgf7JdQTTn1KeUPd/s1600/leptinotarsa.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uQTFYbj8BLNHggAe4S6nuAo1uwkW-48frJUCGfSh8CyNKMPNKHEOq_lBItutofbrv5pKZWw4rjz8uTZsZhJAq28hCCv80hv_UnQv2jySOvuQV-wnWeCzSgf7JdQTTn1KeUPd/s320/leptinotarsa.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Colorado potato beetle
(<i>Leptinotarsa decemlineata</i>)</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
larva and adult</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="es-ES">The adult beetle is
roundish with ten stripes along its body. This is what </span><span lang="es-ES"><i>decemlineata</i></span><span lang="es-ES">
refers to. The larva is also almost round, orange with black spots.
</span><span lang="en-US">The larvae feed on buffalo bur, so called
because its fruits are burs that cling to the fur of animals. The
plant uses this means of transportation to spread to other places. It turns out
that the beetle larvae can catch a free ride and also expand its territory
by this means. Buffalo bur is related to potatoes. They are both
members of the same genus, </span><span lang="en-US"><i>Solanum</i></span><span lang="en-US">.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv9jZ5NTR9KRKl4XabZGlNK005JaNZaxav_H1fPjXm9Tzyqen1V04cvK3w8zlcnWG9e00ZIILTZyNguaImSf34N6ljYnr_qnN4F5Tx1sBJdbEItNCxsfsxIXVb2dRFqBiFq6p/s1600/soro_002_lhp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv9jZ5NTR9KRKl4XabZGlNK005JaNZaxav_H1fPjXm9Tzyqen1V04cvK3w8zlcnWG9e00ZIILTZyNguaImSf34N6ljYnr_qnN4F5Tx1sBJdbEItNCxsfsxIXVb2dRFqBiFq6p/s320/soro_002_lhp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Buffalo bur (<i>Solanum
rostratum</i>)</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
© <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=soro_002_ahp.jpg">Patrick J. Alexander (USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database)</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="en-US">The potato beetle
started getting longer rides when cattle drives became common. This
is how it eventually arrived in Colorado and Nebraska. Buffalo bur
and a few other members of the </span><span lang="en-US"><i>Solanum</i></span><span lang="en-US">
genus were present there, so the beetle found enough food to make a
living. And then, one day, oh joy! Potato agriculture started in the
United States. Potatoes turned out to be a great food for these
beetles, and they were available in abundance. What a bonanza!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ACvNNtFDKE1Cg80uO6h81DM7h7tdIua5adQwQKsFbWbhu59DeILUxDHippDwl2_auVzjYs3Ht8Q1tvwPwZ5PfvMSfK9eFYF3LnqlFKv90UH0_eifPwFU_7C4GIcXRPIg58gM/s1600/IMG_7244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ACvNNtFDKE1Cg80uO6h81DM7h7tdIua5adQwQKsFbWbhu59DeILUxDHippDwl2_auVzjYs3Ht8Q1tvwPwZ5PfvMSfK9eFYF3LnqlFKv90UH0_eifPwFU_7C4GIcXRPIg58gM/s320/IMG_7244.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Flowers of potato plant
(<i>Solanum tuberosum</i>)</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is how a beetle that
had been hardly noticed until then became the exasperation of potato
growers and this is how it earned its common name. It never had one
before. Nowadays it has spread to most of North America and, not
content with that, it has managed to go to other continents wherever
potatoes are grown.<br />
<br />
<br />
"<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The presence of <i>aurea</i> in the eastern United States and Canada and its association with <i>Ailanthus altissima</i>
(Mill.) (Simaroubaceae) is an interesting subject to be
investigated. This plant is an ornamental introduced from Asia and now
considered one of the most serious weeds in the United States. It was
first planted near the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in
1784 (<i>W. Thomas,</i> pers. comm.) and from there it spread over the entire country. Once it reached southern Texas, where presumably <i>aurea</i>
was already present, the moth started to move north. By 1856 it had
reached Georgia, as indicated by the material described by Fitch
(1856: 486). Riley (1869: 151) found it common in Missouri, feeding
on ailanthus. These records indicate that this showy and common moth
was absent in the region before the introduction of ailanthus, and the
approximately 70-year gap between the introduction of the host, to
the first record of the moth by Fitch, is the time it took the plant
to move south and the moth to move north." </span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0085-56262009000300007">A review of the New World Atteva Walkermoths (Yponomeutidae, Attevinae)</a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2017</span></span></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-25056701763280071842017-02-06T13:43:00.002-08:002017-09-03T12:06:18.247-07:00Funny Larvae<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h8UN_btP5mo2UzEQrSwJHQY23XAv2WC6zOe6CsrAIW56tw_jhNikbdpUbJeEp8yGHHchMLs9-W7_CVW8T07KdqXupa41_KfnGh3xh4HznhgHb93cf3_UPdlgKLjyyVCg_t3v/s1600/bugguide.netnodeview1051842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h8UN_btP5mo2UzEQrSwJHQY23XAv2WC6zOe6CsrAIW56tw_jhNikbdpUbJeEp8yGHHchMLs9-W7_CVW8T07KdqXupa41_KfnGh3xh4HznhgHb93cf3_UPdlgKLjyyVCg_t3v/s320/bugguide.netnodeview1051842.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/1051842">Firefly larva</a></span> </span>© </span>Corey Kallstrom</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Who would think that insect larvae can
be interesting? They don't have much to offer when compared to their
adult counterparts. We can't help but notice adult insects. They fly,
they buzz; in fact they can make quite a racket during hot summer
nights. Some blink their little green lights over the meadows. Others
wear flamboyant colors that seem like works of art.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4U8kHR0NTYNDKIynGh3mFF7Zrl-piQbg3yYQda1H9uBmaCJ34-wpHoMDqvoiAf2seRoPuhswvbiSktaYiVnzGP0oixOgytOjqy0lVmFY413T8h_X2pSRUJHatxjXMtOjwlOZ/s1600/RRUHDHMHAH6HRRPHRR8L9Z2HBH0LBZSLBZMLAZ4LZR9HHRXLLRXLNZWHNZNHTH0LPZ5LEZSLBH2HBZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4U8kHR0NTYNDKIynGh3mFF7Zrl-piQbg3yYQda1H9uBmaCJ34-wpHoMDqvoiAf2seRoPuhswvbiSktaYiVnzGP0oixOgytOjqy0lVmFY413T8h_X2pSRUJHatxjXMtOjwlOZ/s320/RRUHDHMHAH6HRRPHRR8L9Z2HBH0LBZSLBZMLAZ4LZR9HHRXLLRXLNZWHNZNHTH0LPZ5LEZSLBH2HBZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/583680">Glowworm (<i>Phengodes</i> sp.)</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">© Ashley Bradford</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Larvae, on the other hand, at least
most of them, lead obscure, secluded lives, hiding in secret places.
They are rather colorless and shapeless worm-like things, with stubby
little legs or no legs at all, with tiny eyes or no eyes at all. None
of this is surprising. Larvae have only one function in life, eating
and growing bigger. They have nothing to do with the more exciting
things like sex. That is left for the adults. Well, larvae actually
have two functions. They possess strategies for fighting or evading
enemies. Despite such dull lives some insect larvae manage to be
quite interesting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lightning bug larvae have green lights
along their bodies. They look like little trains, and that is what we
call them in Argentina, trencitos. One wonders about the purpose of
these lights. Adults use theirs to attract members of the opposite
sex, but larvae have nothing to do with that. These lights must serve
another purpose. It turns out that lightning bugs are highly toxic and
bad tasting, so the lights are telling predators to stay away and avoid the unpleasantness.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18BEJisNdcoHlQ1rkjfq87H19LbZPk2Haujtb18Ot_KGG4fDM8ww7JQ0rOKrAgBboQc1a0hhoV-4OT7GLWySF8so45eCPj4CO5ECATtGPYsKrWxpqp7b5Hfa0xgKC9EUW-XAj/s1600/IMG_2372.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18BEJisNdcoHlQ1rkjfq87H19LbZPk2Haujtb18Ot_KGG4fDM8ww7JQ0rOKrAgBboQc1a0hhoV-4OT7GLWySF8so45eCPj4CO5ECATtGPYsKrWxpqp7b5Hfa0xgKC9EUW-XAj/s320/IMG_2372.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monarch caterpillar </span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">© <span lang="es-ES">Beatriz
Moisset</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some caterpillars use the same
strategy. The monarch butterfly caterpillar wears bright black, yellow and white colors arranged in a bold
pattern to advertise its toxicity obtained from feeding on milkweeds. Other caterpillars have a variant of this method. The
eastern swallowtail butterfly is large and colorful with a pattern of
black and yellow. The larvae change their appearance dramatically as
they age. The nearly fully grown caterpillar is bright greenish
yellow with <span lang="es-ES">two</span> large eyes on its head,
except that these are not real eyes but just look like them. It is
thought that this feature serves to deter predators that erroneously
assume that they are dealing with a larger and more powerful creature
at the sight of these large eyes. They have another feature for
defense against enemies. When threatened, they pop up two bright
antenna-like threads. These appendages emit a nasty smell that seems
to be effective in keeping other creatures away.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB-0iO0zSM1As2Ai39iwiLEcNFa5cOYvtbFjgzYT4NSGe2U11NOFfZ2qVp1EyDCH86pIlK_d-6xZ0vSVpTQ-yxWq_WMqz9KIsVhyDcld3ckZgKuBfE4-hAgOdEXQO-eNrLwH2/s1600/IMG_comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB-0iO0zSM1As2Ai39iwiLEcNFa5cOYvtbFjgzYT4NSGe2U11NOFfZ2qVp1EyDCH86pIlK_d-6xZ0vSVpTQ-yxWq_WMqz9KIsVhyDcld3ckZgKuBfE4-hAgOdEXQO-eNrLwH2/s400/IMG_comp.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="es-ES" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Eastern
swallowtail butterfly caterpillar.</span></div>
<div lang="es-ES" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Showing its
osmateria when threatened</span></div>
<div lang="es-ES" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some larvae feed on extremely poor
food, such as leaves or wood. It is rather remarkable that they
manage to extract nutrients out of them, especially the ones that
feed on wood. Most of what they eat goes through their digestive
system and comes out of the other end with little modification. A
partially rotten log may contain long tunnels filled with what looks
like sawdust. They are the holes made by beetle larvae as they grow
and advance in search of more food. The sawdust is their poop, which
takes the name of frass. Some caterpillars live inside a bunch of
leaves which they tie together and curl up so they can hide from
predators while they munch away. If you open one of these bundles you
find a large amount of frass surrounding the caterpillar.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO18fr0CzxThHlT5LhzngRhPqSJuCpVIFCKEs_t2eodyGSliW88l2Gq7Xbt6skzUGLU3pteOba1nBoMCJmbDslL970y3IDobiEAseyVELKz6ZRZ-tnIi2x65Fq07EkoHrmKXbp/s1600/IMG_4971.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO18fr0CzxThHlT5LhzngRhPqSJuCpVIFCKEs_t2eodyGSliW88l2Gq7Xbt6skzUGLU3pteOba1nBoMCJmbDslL970y3IDobiEAseyVELKz6ZRZ-tnIi2x65Fq07EkoHrmKXbp/s320/IMG_4971.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="es-ES">Caterpillar
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">and some of its refuse
or frass</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="es-ES">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK-D_KZv6mDliJO4zoHmPUx4H2KDUsOQTjWhpGompXcJTxPME6aVRm0r_dG2F6nQCAwQCT8skypfR-tJCYjIb051wmbzk4H_dPz22F-Yj5iv1KZ9rPFcUQtlSvBuzuZ51ewS_/s1600/IMG_7848.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK-D_KZv6mDliJO4zoHmPUx4H2KDUsOQTjWhpGompXcJTxPME6aVRm0r_dG2F6nQCAwQCT8skypfR-tJCYjIb051wmbzk4H_dPz22F-Yj5iv1KZ9rPFcUQtlSvBuzuZ51ewS_/s320/IMG_7848.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="es-ES">Larval
tunnels on wood </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">(</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="es-ES">possibly
a </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">beetle)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">filled
with frass</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="es-ES">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="es-ES"> </span></span>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the other end of the spectrum, there
are larvae whose mothers have provided with a rich, highly nutritious food.
Many wasps and bees do that. In the case of wasps, the food is
insects or spiders; bees, on the other hand, collect pollen and
nectar for their brood. These larvae live in splendid isolation
inside small compartments, called cells, built by their mothers. The
amount of food supplied is slightly larger than the future adult bee
or wasp. Almost all of it is converted into flesh and nothing is
wasted. At the end of the larval stage, only a
small pellet of fecal matter is produced. It gets the name of
meconium, comparable to the first bowel movement of a newborn baby.
The baby's meconium is the accumulated waste of a few months; so the
similarity is strong.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhI4RriMzSK5D0R5UK267v02SSneK3972rHI-bpz_iEiRWhaHNbJu2VQ24BnIG82rNWusOG195tzHKbPjbTTANkYxgD8t0FKy3CpVWPVqcfHtXQRdhtlcoQVL9a0wBuWVhUMt/s1600/IMG_7403.comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhI4RriMzSK5D0R5UK267v02SSneK3972rHI-bpz_iEiRWhaHNbJu2VQ24BnIG82rNWusOG195tzHKbPjbTTANkYxgD8t0FKy3CpVWPVqcfHtXQRdhtlcoQVL9a0wBuWVhUMt/s400/IMG_7403.comp.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Cell of
Crabronid wasp larva (<i>Trypoxylon
collinum</i>)</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span>
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Opened cell
reveals the fully grown larva and the pellet of meconium (left)</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">No remains of
the spiders that fed this larva</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A lot more can be said about larval
poop. A number of larvae use their own fecal matter to keep enemies
away. Some carry their own feces as an umbrella, others build a
little case. They hide inside it the way a snail hides inside its shell.
Some insect larvae don't use real poop, but it looks like it. A
whole group of caterpillars is called bird-dropping caterpillars.
Still others fling their waste as far away as possible so as not to
give away their position to possible enemies. I don't need to repeat
these stories as I have written about them in two articles that you
may find interesting: <a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2009/08/relaxed-pollinator.html">"The Poop Bug and the Golden Beetle</a>,"
2009 and <a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2012/05/poop-flinging-and-other-poop-strategies.html">"Poop Flinging and Other Poop Strategies,</a>" 2012.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFe5D9D2zEOr2ovC4Z5dMbPqhtlJCTUZHj6u3djUYmc17DWx3WEXZP4_bioGeMhlaEM5J3k7hIUordIwPM_4pk959BFQIph3VXe3bbrRkhot68gY_020rhX9zEC6lZ8dndidn/s1600/LH8RRH5RTZKRDZMRELYLDZ0RPLXRYZ3L9LIRPL3LOZKR2LLZUL3LUL0ROZ0RJZRZYZ3LOZLZCZMR9L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFe5D9D2zEOr2ovC4Z5dMbPqhtlJCTUZHj6u3djUYmc17DWx3WEXZP4_bioGeMhlaEM5J3k7hIUordIwPM_4pk959BFQIph3VXe3bbrRkhot68gY_020rhX9zEC6lZ8dndidn/s320/LH8RRH5RTZKRDZMRELYLDZ0RPLXRYZ3L9LIRPL3LOZKR2LLZUL3LUL0ROZ0RJZRZYZ3LOZLZCZMR9L.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Golden tortoise beetle
larva carrying its feces</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="es-ES">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span><span lang="es-ES"> </span></span>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdbgggdwySa7n97JjDs5ycXud0ZELHPBfK0ejTO5S-XA7O7comg0d6np3RatRyWiv6nzWAeMp69thlNwZ31WBUbYIvFjNgacJi4CtVNzVkh3YdBD4My38aP0j1JxlVQQEZ0ql/s1600/Clamisus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdbgggdwySa7n97JjDs5ycXud0ZELHPBfK0ejTO5S-XA7O7comg0d6np3RatRyWiv6nzWAeMp69thlNwZ31WBUbYIvFjNgacJi4CtVNzVkh3YdBD4My38aP0j1JxlVQQEZ0ql/s400/Clamisus.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Neochlamisus</i> beetle larva and its fecal case</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="es-ES">©
Beatriz Moisset</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="es-ES"> </span></span>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2017</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-18044986262017820482016-07-12T12:59:00.000-07:002017-09-03T12:07:35.204-07:00Pollinator Gardens do Double Duty <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhVhCTrq3CqsqV69l9YKF_PGd0HsqQkxO7LD5ZDy1l22Z82JvrQX4Niuf8qh9imI2f0vwxmPi1zzR59uzl9ZA_h0JmEzzozYmgYD9Ea0ErURYh8-A154xaHjDKM1Mpbkir1CH/s1600/IMG_7108.w%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhVhCTrq3CqsqV69l9YKF_PGd0HsqQkxO7LD5ZDy1l22Z82JvrQX4Niuf8qh9imI2f0vwxmPi1zzR59uzl9ZA_h0JmEzzozYmgYD9Ea0ErURYh8-A154xaHjDKM1Mpbkir1CH/s400/IMG_7108.w%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Syrphid flies. Pollinators and
biological controls. Their larvae feed on aphids<br />
© Beatriz
Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h1 class="western" style="margin-top: 0in;">
</h1>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More gardeners are learning about
pollinators and creating habitat for them. It warms my heart when I
see them selecting plants beneficial to pollinators, converting
portions of the lawn into flower plots, cutting down on pesticides,
and creating the right conditions for pollinators’ nests. Many
gardeners are learning to be grateful to pollinators for their
services. Some are familiarizing themselves with the most common
ones. This is a healthy trend.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07b8gmCzQCDVyJ0ucHjRn32YNhphSIPTEPAw5T6NkNMloBD3K8bkyG3DXqoJdGZC4woZQuD2QwAcqxGiPe8i7KTR7fqvx6x8pujVnocC2p_Eqde0iySE514cT1Zt6qR7kMKCq/s1600/IMG_8037.w-300x242%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07b8gmCzQCDVyJ0ucHjRn32YNhphSIPTEPAw5T6NkNMloBD3K8bkyG3DXqoJdGZC4woZQuD2QwAcqxGiPe8i7KTR7fqvx6x8pujVnocC2p_Eqde0iySE514cT1Zt6qR7kMKCq/s1600/IMG_8037.w-300x242%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Syrphid fly larva devouring aphids<br />
©
Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">An additional advantage of
pollinator gardens is that they serve another <a href="http://beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-healthy-garden-is-buggy-garden.html">useful function</a>. Many
other beneficial insects depend on pollinator gardens and, in turn,
gardens and farms profit from their presence. I am referring to
predators and parasites of plant-eating insects. Such beneficial
insects have earned the name of biological controls, or biocontrols
for short. Many biocontrols need nectar, or nectar and pollen, during
part of their life cycle. Some of them prefer to eat insects but can
survive on nectar and pollen in the absence of their prey. Thus they
are ready to spring to action when the unwanted pest arrives. Gardens
lacking on floral resources are not as well protected against pests.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1If4p_cetdX3mOncJSWxgQ3DSf0MZjJKyGwkiHa-HJSf9jsXbwg_xFyrdJkGUgS5DKpXLV0Fis5-CF405PIL2Jw13MDzNnhAF02kB1TxTki3BkR1_3_w0zmnFH8yLbPWicO59/s1600/oct.18.4.web_.trichopoda-300x218%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1If4p_cetdX3mOncJSWxgQ3DSf0MZjJKyGwkiHa-HJSf9jsXbwg_xFyrdJkGUgS5DKpXLV0Fis5-CF405PIL2Jw13MDzNnhAF02kB1TxTki3BkR1_3_w0zmnFH8yLbPWicO59/s1600/oct.18.4.web_.trichopoda-300x218%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Tachinid fly, <i>Trichopoda
pennipes</i>. Its larvae feed on insects<br />
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">The extra bonus of growing a
pollinator garden became apparent in <a href="http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tree_fruit/resources/wild_pollinators.pdf">studies done by Cornell University</a>. Apple growers could cut down pesticide treatments from
ten to two or three a year when they started growing plants for
pollinators.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2smB9H-pC_unfyt4L0QRZiPme9UUjJDS-5Cc-q-Mq4zkL_3AzYlKZaSeeA1k0stPynGFZyt8maVNSOcz_FKOWii-_sF0crJgeF-Ga9WMlVEN-MlWGZB-Jc_U0v9E-uYC4RZX/s1600/56231058w.Laphria-thoracica-300x262%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2smB9H-pC_unfyt4L0QRZiPme9UUjJDS-5Cc-q-Mq4zkL_3AzYlKZaSeeA1k0stPynGFZyt8maVNSOcz_FKOWii-_sF0crJgeF-Ga9WMlVEN-MlWGZB-Jc_U0v9E-uYC4RZX/s1600/56231058w.Laphria-thoracica-300x262%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Robber fly, <i>Laphria thoracica</i>,
a formidable hunter of insects<br />
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">It is a great thing that the needs
of pollinators and those of many biocontrols overlap. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160327022636/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/flower-flies-as-pollinators/">Syrphid flies</a>
illustrate this point. The adults are bee-like and hover over
flowers, earning them their common names, flower flies or hover
flies. They feed on nectar and pollen and manage to do some
pollination. Their larvae are little green maggots that feed
voraciously on aphids. They frequently escape notice. I have learned
to check aphid colonies and frequently I find some of these maggots
doing what they do best, getting rid of aphids.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4aHiQvoU50V9UXAb7BSr3Ms5yPC8IJgQyZUl8twJym9c5b8D4hVCGlJ71_Gx-6dE7uJmKai9LVUCfoEdvzh6e7KzN5_BFuO8XvSruf7ayTrx0d1Xiy-wl1ZKSo8M-T4IwEdx/s1600/IMG_8786.9.14.10w.Eupatorium.Ichneumonidae-300x245%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4aHiQvoU50V9UXAb7BSr3Ms5yPC8IJgQyZUl8twJym9c5b8D4hVCGlJ71_Gx-6dE7uJmKai9LVUCfoEdvzh6e7KzN5_BFuO8XvSruf7ayTrx0d1Xiy-wl1ZKSo8M-T4IwEdx/s1600/IMG_8786.9.14.10w.Eupatorium.Ichneumonidae-300x245%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
An ichneumonid parasitic wasp</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Its impressive appendix is an
ovipositor (egg laying organ), not a stinger</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So there is nothing to fear from this
wasp<br />
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_Xpj1osllg7r2GpmXXo99VsDCwwgVS8Tok5-5lrsHl0lI8D93NMAO_aAQ0MoQVaFxf12ZAdWWvkUwZaGB-NOzQmjDjZJktockbjLkI1GEfqWnKtp7Av0mcznjRzWwY3bZ1FP/s1600/IMG_7568.14.eumeninae.sunflower.w-300x266%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_Xpj1osllg7r2GpmXXo99VsDCwwgVS8Tok5-5lrsHl0lI8D93NMAO_aAQ0MoQVaFxf12ZAdWWvkUwZaGB-NOzQmjDjZJktockbjLkI1GEfqWnKtp7Av0mcznjRzWwY3bZ1FP/s1600/IMG_7568.14.eumeninae.sunflower.w-300x266%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the solitary predatory wasps,
potter wasp (Eumeninae)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
hunting a caterpillar hiding on the
flower head<br />
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Here are a few other examples of
biocontrols that prosper in pollinator gardens: <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160501191024/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/more-garden-friends-parasitic-flies/">Tachinid flies</a>, some
of which are hairy, robust and rather ugly, while others are elegant
and colorful. All lay their eggs on or in other insects and help
control many pests, even gypsy moths and Japanese beetles. Robber
flies are fast fliers and skillful at pouncing on unsuspecting
victims. Wasps are great garden helpers, both the<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160327085027/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/in-praise-of-wasps-ii-the-stingless-ones/"> parasitic ones</a>,
which lay eggs on other insects, and the <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160327081917/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/in-praise-of-wasps/">predatory ones</a>, which catch
prey to feed their babies. The adults feed primarily on nectar and
pollen. It is good to remember that parasitic wasps don’t sting and
that most predatory ones are not inclined to do so. In most cases
there is no need to fear these wonderful biocontrols. Assassin bugs
have front legs that resemble those of praying mantises and, like
them, use them to grasp their prey with a swift movement. Not all
stink bugs are plant pests; the predatory ones feed on the pests
themselves. The merits of <a href="http://beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/02/ladybugs-lady-beetles-or-ladybird.html">lady beetles</a> as eaters of aphids and other
soft bodied insects hardly need mentioning. Both larvae and adults
feed on these pests. The adults are also fond of nectar and pollen.
Other beetles worth mentioning are the soldier beetles, so called
because their colors and pattern resemble those of old army uniforms.
They are frequently seen visiting goldenrods.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKLgyYEfu1ujYjiRhyys6SzTMw-X47DgKAo2lWD-uh8GM8zUuARgX8F5CTzT_Ij6jmwVuTVsaVIQ8QKQu07QNjV4sgZjU9kiUxhe8ipVxNt21jAKJOSu03je04MdMGpkjdWku/s1600/IMG_4448.4.30.10Zelus.w-300x264%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKLgyYEfu1ujYjiRhyys6SzTMw-X47DgKAo2lWD-uh8GM8zUuARgX8F5CTzT_Ij6jmwVuTVsaVIQ8QKQu07QNjV4sgZjU9kiUxhe8ipVxNt21jAKJOSu03je04MdMGpkjdWku/s1600/IMG_4448.4.30.10Zelus.w-300x264%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Assassin bug, <i>Zelus luridus</i><br />
©
Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Among the plants that feed both
pollinators and biocontrols are many Asteraceae, such as coneflowers,
coreopsis, yarrow, and goldenrods. Other families include Apiaceae,
the carrot family, Lamiaceae, the mint family, Euphorbiaceae, the
spurge family, and Fabaceae, the pea family. The best information on
planting for pollinators by region is provided by the <a href="http://pollinator.org/guides.htm">Pollinator Partnership</a>. You can also find some information in <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160511052919/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/attracting-beneficial-insects-with-native-plants/">Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Plants</a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSx9Osmh2KhHWGkx5qGqsj0R8lgx3k9s24uJEazaFqoADSOhn2VJrIccA-bQdWKmwu21vq6yhJX-hYLyMYPUFhWR6PcREPBX7jGPVdZpP-6C6gY6YszRyyyv1P4vNVpVhYUXI/s1600/P6134673.w-300x192%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSx9Osmh2KhHWGkx5qGqsj0R8lgx3k9s24uJEazaFqoADSOhn2VJrIccA-bQdWKmwu21vq6yhJX-hYLyMYPUFhWR6PcREPBX7jGPVdZpP-6C6gY6YszRyyyv1P4vNVpVhYUXI/s1600/P6134673.w-300x192%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Soldier beetles, <i>Chauliognathus</i><br />
©
Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">In summary, your pollinator garden
does double duty, helping pollinators and also biological controls.
Perhaps we could say that it does triple duty, as many of the flowers
are beautiful and we get to enjoy them too. Happy plantings!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsnKx7f-wTpBPloJfu9SEyNmrXJvpQd00tmhUn8WlvruiN5Bfcrs5c9_LkPFc-KaMJ0eoYSTvLXxCsAsbDRAz99_L_ystITDVpMZ4f9VVisc8FoYYjCYTEkdUa0QRdb9INtEH/s1600/IMG_1750.6.28.11polished+ladyb.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsnKx7f-wTpBPloJfu9SEyNmrXJvpQd00tmhUn8WlvruiN5Bfcrs5c9_LkPFc-KaMJ0eoYSTvLXxCsAsbDRAz99_L_ystITDVpMZ4f9VVisc8FoYYjCYTEkdUa0QRdb9INtEH/s320/IMG_1750.6.28.11polished+ladyb.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
Polished lady beetle, <i>Cycloneda
munda</i><br />
© Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>References</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://nativeplants.msu.edu/uploads/files/E2973.pdf">Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants</a><br /><a href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/2012_AGEE_lr_sec.pdf">Pollinator Habitat Enhancement: Benefits to Other Ecosystem Services</a><br /><a href="http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/agriculture/pollinator-habitat-installation-guides/">Pollinator Habitat Installation Guides</a>. The Xerces Society<br /><a href="http://pollinator.org/guides.htm">Pollinator Partnership Planting Guides</a><br /><a href="http://www.pnva.org/files/files/PreservationofBeneficialIns.pdf">Preservation of Pollinators and Other Beneficial Insects</a><br /><a href="http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tree_fruit/resources/wild_pollinators.pdf">Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards</a><br /><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160511052919/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/attracting-beneficial-insects-with-native-plants/">Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Plants</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">© 2015, Beatriz Moisset. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">
First published in <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160422025123/http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/">Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens</a>. 4/7/15</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-27270544988393109522016-07-01T15:00:00.002-07:002017-09-03T12:37:36.180-07:00The Twin Brooks of Yesteryear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgES4mnUttdZwz7cYcuezFfJid_qoY1dCDCo0M84i_N9unjoh4Qsrrd-vjRCCwb7y-yq1Leoi3qMXGus-FFJwr2TE1BuOMuWJ1LYV2nox8lEZLJfaOENEFM4HrU2KPCB33chws3/s1600/P2270347.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgES4mnUttdZwz7cYcuezFfJid_qoY1dCDCo0M84i_N9unjoh4Qsrrd-vjRCCwb7y-yq1Leoi3qMXGus-FFJwr2TE1BuOMuWJ1LYV2nox8lEZLJfaOENEFM4HrU2KPCB33chws3/s320/P2270347.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two
small streams traverse our condominium and they give it its name,
Twin Brooks. They escape notice by most visitors because they are no
more than tiny rivulets that a young person, not me, could cross in a
single jump. Moreover, all the landscaping has done much to hide them
out of sight. Probably a good part of the water runs through
underground pipes. But Nature persists as best it can and a good
observer perhaps could imagine what the land looked like before all
the earth moving, paving and construction that could place in recent
times.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span>
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU6WoNKTT8nrPeAREj10uqALIkOg5_258Tp2iTtW9yGBrkksNHyTrX-WetdwNt1yVRR7Lop4Z6eQs_9HcoJCLYG1w8Mq8MbFNGSHmGo4M9mGPUy0llxRqnDaYkXjEa21FjmzN/s1600/IMG_4414.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU6WoNKTT8nrPeAREj10uqALIkOg5_258Tp2iTtW9yGBrkksNHyTrX-WetdwNt1yVRR7Lop4Z6eQs_9HcoJCLYG1w8Mq8MbFNGSHmGo4M9mGPUy0llxRqnDaYkXjEa21FjmzN/s320/IMG_4414.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Where
the two brooks meet, a small pond is present. Ducks and geese raise
their families there some years. An occasional blue heron visits the
pond and manages to make a meal of some little fish. Also, a muskrat
hangs around the edge of the water.</span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
wonder what the land was like a few thousand years ago before
Europeans arrived and populations grew and grew to what they are
nowadays. There were Native Americans then, tribes distributed across
the land. The ones living here were the Lenape (or Lenni-Lenapi).
Were some of them camped in the Twin Brooks site either temporarily
or generation after generation? Do I walk on their steps sometimes?</span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
search for information on the original residents of this land and
learn that the Lenape tribe covered part of Delaware, eastern
Pennsylvania, all of New Jersey and a southeastern part of New York
state. The region was known to them as “Lenapehoking,” which
meant land of the Lenape. These Native Americans had a matrilineal
system, that is children belonged to their mother's clan, from which
they gained their social status and identity. Male leadership was
passed through the maternal line and elder women could remove leaders
they didn't approve of. Not exactly equal rights but far better than
the condition of European women of those days.</span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So,
I try to imagine the Twin Brooks family or families that occupied
this area long before our condominium was built and long before I
moved here. Perhaps they built their wigwam at the spot where the two
streamlets met. Did they grow the Three Sisters –corn, beans and
squash– where we have a parking lot? Are there some broken clay
shards buried somewhere? Perhaps a little girl lost her doll exactly
under my bedroom, the doll her grandmother lovingly made using corn
husks and strings. I have no doubt they hunted deer and turkey
nearby. Rarely a lost deer wanders into our property, desperately
looking for better cover and finding only pavement, traffic and
frightening noises<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> </span></span></span>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJgsGy2h6MJMDirgvYDqZcoqE9cW0eh5m6FOjMM2ouEuBcdZCbGxPbUbk3R2C4283v2p74M1PiE77ZktGiKCAz4t2hKELf5zFRFGOI9DzEybQRlbR7YMs8AnWPxQMBLa5ylKa/s1600/IMG_1240.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJgsGy2h6MJMDirgvYDqZcoqE9cW0eh5m6FOjMM2ouEuBcdZCbGxPbUbk3R2C4283v2p74M1PiE77ZktGiKCAz4t2hKELf5zFRFGOI9DzEybQRlbR7YMs8AnWPxQMBLa5ylKa/s320/IMG_1240.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
must have gathered berries. Still some berry shrubs grow here and
there. Chestnuts must have been an important part of their winter
food. It is sad to think that practically no chestnut trees are left
because of a terrible blight accidentally introduced from overseas. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">European
colonists coveted the land when their population kept growing, so
they relocated the Lenape Indians a couple of centuries ago.
“Relocated” is just a wishy-washy way to say that the original
residents of the land were robbed of their rights, uprooted and sent
to an uncertain fate to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma. There, they
had to survive as best they could, making do with limited resources
and competing with other tribes already present in the area.</span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
wonder what we mean when we sing: “This land is my land.”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKI2wp9mV3gt-ZKiL1ZVtJGNw6cIQemKQyTyXYAzxO0BhwHdbUthfjp_CPd8ztadF2GkXig0uG9XbxhGtGpBua7HAUZYNFSNvAuvYiKxL6VtqpqMxGpw009dHj2ZM_WhUE_lAK/s1600/PA091183.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKI2wp9mV3gt-ZKiL1ZVtJGNw6cIQemKQyTyXYAzxO0BhwHdbUthfjp_CPd8ztadF2GkXig0uG9XbxhGtGpBua7HAUZYNFSNvAuvYiKxL6VtqpqMxGpw009dHj2ZM_WhUE_lAK/s320/PA091183.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2016</span></span></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-90931926321947801302015-03-12T15:32:00.001-07:002020-10-11T08:52:16.989-07:00Follow the Monarchs<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><a href="http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/monarch.html"><img alt="Monarch Butterfly Migration Map" src="http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/monarch/report_sightings_embed_160.gif" height="176" width="170" /></a></span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Follow the migration of the monarch butterfly
with the help of these maps provided by <a href="http://www.journeynorth.org/" target="_blank">Journey North</a>. Bear in mind that the
subspecies of monarch, <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_p_plexippus.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Danaus plexippus plexippus</i></a>, is the migratory one, the one we are familiar with in the United States and Canada. There are<a href="http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Andes%20-%20Danaus%20plexippus.htm" target="_blank"> 5 non-migratory subspecies</a> in the neotropical region - <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_plexippus_portoricensis.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">portoricensis</i></a>
in Puerto Rico; <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_plexippus_leucogyne.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leucogyne</i></a> on the
Virgin Islands; <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_plexippus_megalippe.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">megalippe</i></a> in Cuba, the Bahamas
and the Caymans; <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_plexippus_tobagi.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tobagi</i></a> on Tobago,
and <a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/danaus_plexippus_nigrippus.htm" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigrippus</i></a> in the Andes. We know next to nothing about<a href="http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/t/Danaus_plexippus_a.htm" target="_blank"> these subspecies</a> and
their conservation status. Some may be more endangered than “our” monarch. We
just don’t know. Some consider all the non-migratory monarchs as members of a single subspecies, <i>megalippe</i>. Still others think that there are<a href="http://www.gbif.org/species/5133088" target="_blank"> 8 subspecies</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The southern monarch,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus_erippus" target="_blank"> <i>Danaus erippus</i></a>, of southern South America is closely related and similar looking. It was considered a subspecies of <i>Danaus plexippus</i>, but now it is regarded as a separate species. It is also<a href="http://monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/presentations/Malcom.pdf" target="_blank"> migratory</a> to some extent. Very little is known about its migration. </span><br />
<br />
Learn more about the present status of the migratory monarch subspecies, <i>Danaus plexippus plexippus</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NatureServe-Xerces_monarchs_USFS-final.pdf" target="_blank">Conservation Status and Ecology of the Monarch Butterfly in the United States</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NatureServe-Xerces_monarchs_USFS-final.pdf" target="_blank"></a>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-33746704149302169162014-11-23T08:22:00.001-08:002015-05-09T15:42:59.964-07:00Food Chain in the Milkweed Patch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFEhCpjn_wagLECrpFC-e_ig_cbHu87hEHnv_lI-5IVdSSt4JFVb0bu8sLCZ4rpmi_o4Js-b6N3JKeYGjIc1sPZDLkEOgjGFWMbauVYyaCU83DSQ0mkTLYz8JGyu9DMcda5uq/s1600/IMG_0031.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFEhCpjn_wagLECrpFC-e_ig_cbHu87hEHnv_lI-5IVdSSt4JFVb0bu8sLCZ4rpmi_o4Js-b6N3JKeYGjIc1sPZDLkEOgjGFWMbauVYyaCU83DSQ0mkTLYz8JGyu9DMcda5uq/s1600/IMG_0031.w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common milkweed. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->The common milkweed teems with life. Numerous insects feed
on leaves, stems, and roots or sip nectar from their flowers. It is ironic that
a plant so well protected by powerful toxins and sticky sap behaves like a
magnet for a <a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2013/07/milkweeds-monarchs-and-more-milkweed.html">large assortment of creatures</a>. The best known dependent of the
common milkweed is the monarch butterfly, but there are many others that
deserve our interest. Many species have found ways to overcome the defenses of
this plant. They have developed resistance against the toxic cardenolides and
methods to avoid the milky sap.<br />
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The herbivores are in turn eaten by other insects or
spiders, which may fall prey to still other carnivores. It is worthwhile to
examine one of these so called food chains or food webs. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPMa190IldaHiRMe1zii_KQGXuE1s-s7YoAjg24N4ienyj8hvnLLhSLNi7X5JccDLjEmbsDqiHBp1GuDf_XXIghi3zx5FGWUuC7nDw8yPBS-Bhbbjl1sOmhvPtYs-9IPJjUeO/s1600/IMG_1722.6.28.11c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPMa190IldaHiRMe1zii_KQGXuE1s-s7YoAjg24N4ienyj8hvnLLhSLNi7X5JccDLjEmbsDqiHBp1GuDf_XXIghi3zx5FGWUuC7nDw8yPBS-Bhbbjl1sOmhvPtYs-9IPJjUeO/s1600/IMG_1722.6.28.11c.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oleander aphids on common milkweed. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->One milkweed feeder, the oleander aphid, has become incredibly
common in recent years. This bright yellow-orange aphid was accidentally
introduced in this country with oleander plants, widely used in ornamental
gardening. It established itself successfully and became adapted to milkweeds.
It multiplies in huge numbers near the end of the season. It can do so because
females reproduce parthenogenetically, that is without help from males.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cHhG_kKg6Df0Ay11LgzjFLsCgUrIou0IC6yUMXCwzRutzJdbeke7m0TJQMgMGKMT7IkqVqAHoBUifnUx6leN8KxZT9NgtWNeHFD4oHSvTgvIP0f8HieqbOrIFFPOVcOdJoFe/s1600/IMG_1729.6.28.11c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cHhG_kKg6Df0Ay11LgzjFLsCgUrIou0IC6yUMXCwzRutzJdbeke7m0TJQMgMGKMT7IkqVqAHoBUifnUx6leN8KxZT9NgtWNeHFD4oHSvTgvIP0f8HieqbOrIFFPOVcOdJoFe/s1600/IMG_1729.6.28.11c.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasitized or mummified aphids. One wasp left the corpse through a round hole. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->This aphid has few enemies. One of them is a tiny parasitic
wasp. The mother wasp lays one egg inside a growing aphid and the larva
completes its entire life cycle inside the unfortunate host. By the end of the
aphid's life, it becomes dark, rounded and dried up. We call that a mummy. The
fully grown wasp cuts out a round hole and emerges ready to start parasitizing
other members of the aphid colony. It isn't easy to see the wasps, but almost
every aphid colony has some of these mummified bodies. So you know that the
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasitic wasp. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->Lacewings, lady beetles and syrphid flies also feed on
aphids. Their stories are worth telling but we'll let them be for now.
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The food web does not end there. Not surprisingly, many
predators visit the milkweed patch in search of animal food. Parasitic wasps
seem to be a delicacy among some flies. I have found members of two different
families of predatory flies dining on the wasps.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robber fly <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(<i>Taracticus octopunctatus</i>)</span> feeding on a parasitic wasp. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->One is a member of the family of robber flies, Asilidae. The
name describes the members of this family well. They are seen pouncing
mercilessly on their prey. One of them is <i>Taracticus octopunctatus </i>(no common name), a slender, hunchbacked fly with large eyes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3ziXkfRzhDgtTLC8iqtXxcx3fFIARx0OQzcquy4JkN9wHQvVZJhOHxQjQGXPTBMKHNrK-cEQW1tTi4noCaHaqZknUEUctJecgypBNJ1j9qvHPuK4-f2c3EpoxU__ViPz1KqY/s1600/IMG_1724.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3ziXkfRzhDgtTLC8iqtXxcx3fFIARx0OQzcquy4JkN9wHQvVZJhOHxQjQGXPTBMKHNrK-cEQW1tTi4noCaHaqZknUEUctJecgypBNJ1j9qvHPuK4-f2c3EpoxU__ViPz1KqY/s1600/IMG_1724.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-legged fly feeding on a parasitic wasp. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->Another one is a longlegged fly, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Condylostylus</i>, a shiny metallic green fellow, with long skinny
legs. Parasitic wasps are part of its menu.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I marvel about this food preference. Evidently, these flies
look down on the most abundant food nearby, the aphids, and go for the far less
common parasites. Perhaps, the latter have less cardenolides than the aphids
and this is why the predatory flies prefer them as food.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longlegged fly caught by a spider. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">© Beatriz Moisset</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<![endif]-->A second layer of predation is added to the one just
described. A spider feeds on a longlegged fly. We can summarize this food chain
this way:
<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Milkweed<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>aphid<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>parasitic
wasp<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>predatory fly<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>spider</div>
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<![endif]-->Will a bird sweep by and eat the spider? Will it in turn
fall prey to a hawk or a snake? How many steps can be added to this food chain?
Common milkweed feeds many members of the wild life directly and indirectly.
The links of this food chain are numerous.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/73512350@N00/" target="_blank">More on milkweed dependents and visitors</a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2014</span></span> </div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-53366476100832347762014-11-03T07:44:00.000-08:002019-06-14T11:26:57.180-07:00Wasps, Motherhood and Ultrasound<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJzMT_WqMmShs3HT5iuSa5du_uLtLWJIxyjvzoWYvgOJP9BXUpcgyPqVxlUVnC1mzveY3jB5pkOpdTWqJl9Qf5FcMEhN4v1EoH_VZkqcuZSgdKWIq4Y4dalB7jHGTAd3It2ac/s1600/mom+wasp.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJzMT_WqMmShs3HT5iuSa5du_uLtLWJIxyjvzoWYvgOJP9BXUpcgyPqVxlUVnC1mzveY3jB5pkOpdTWqJl9Qf5FcMEhN4v1EoH_VZkqcuZSgdKWIq4Y4dalB7jHGTAd3It2ac/s1600/mom+wasp.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female <i>Pimpla</i> wasp locating a moth pupa. <span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2014 <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />
A slender wasp lands on a plant stem and starts gently
tapping it with the tips of her thread-like long antennae. Tap-tap-tap, she
goes up and down the stem. She may abandon her search and repeat the same
process on another plant, and another. When she finally finds what she is
looking for, the tapping becomes more pronounced and remains concentrated in a
single spot. A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pimpla </i>wasp is
delicately built, glossy black with bright orange legs. Its body ends in a
sword-like projection used for egg laying and called ovipositor. This is how we
know she is a female. Her methodical activity is a preparation for motherhood. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At a hospital an expectant mother is having a sonogram of
her fetus. The technician gets the equipment ready, applies gel to the mother's belly and runs a wand over it. The image of
the baby inside the womb emerges in the monitor. The invisible becomes visible
through the magic of ultrasound technology.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO8HCETT_o-MoLKKQXtQ2q9cCZ9g7T3celbFnyVijHp7OWv4694CayUSp0XJ841btiGD6WMWYB0z0Wb5z-Qf9cWP6mg0JyYPIFMQEryUIN9gZkYe9jPf7TnT7-nE4C8-DuS7G/s1600/2980815601flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO8HCETT_o-MoLKKQXtQ2q9cCZ9g7T3celbFnyVijHp7OWv4694CayUSp0XJ841btiGD6WMWYB0z0Wb5z-Qf9cWP6mg0JyYPIFMQEryUIN9gZkYe9jPf7TnT7-nE4C8-DuS7G/s1600/2980815601flickr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultrasound of a fetus. By <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pacres/2980815601/sizes/o/in/photolist-5xpsCr-antoZ-deTfo-5pcLdi-2VVve-8JRTDx-6dFDEC-6dBuWa-beWAYa-6hiXEU-AzUp4-4UZVkF-4VcpdZ-4V5acY-4UZV56-2gvAmT-8PwTFH-5DgTHS-3gziWQ-2s1Ryc-6dBuKa-vcxKi-6Wo7vy-6dFD1S-PMxuJ-5YZayc-6LMpuC-5fTY8b-PMxtN-8PzYkW-PN6LT-8nAGrY-uWREQ-539Gqj-PN6L2-PMxto-8PzYrN-cJBYs-5G2Yqf-6dBvg4-6JRLn8-dhoyH-6dBv6K-FeBJe-6RuEBE-cRtxJ-dBqYQ6-5rDukJ-8WEV1Q-9YKxjo-8nAGuG/">Pacres. Flickr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These two unrelated events have something in common. The
expectant wasp mother is also using ultrasound for the benefit of her progeny.
The amazing thing is that she and her ancestors have been using this technology
for millions of years. Even more amazing is that she carries all the needed
equipment in her tiny body. One big difference is that she is not observing her
unborn baby but locating the food her baby will need. Other wasps have an
easier time. They hunt for caterpillars, which are relatively easy to find
because they make noises when munching away. But a pupa remains perfectly still
and requires special equipment to be detected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ultrasound equipment used to see a fetus inside the
mother's womb consists of a machine that produces high-pitch vibrations, beyond human hearing, and a
sensor, called a transducer, that collects and interprets the sounds bounced back from the mother's
body, her placenta, and the little body curled up inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pimpla </i>wasp vibrates
her body in a special way, producing ultrasound waves which she transmits to
the plant surface through her antennae. She absorbs the bounced back ultrasound
through her legs where some tiny organs, called subgenual (below the knee) organs , collect information on
the shape, size and location of its quarry. An image develops in her minuscule
brain, an image similar to the ones we have all seen of unborn babies inside
the womb. Now she knows exactly where to lay her egg.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FFoyxOM3ZiT2SpVJjxYxHiLzPO6flBD5eGnDpZjceY3ptHL7uftF-hAIydy4OjTat1tnjIfGe8OXY08huxX1TMjHKv88WpjQ0EtAWmUt1DQFhKt0QqyhU8EPqVrYv9yLm_fc/s1600/IMG_1986.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FFoyxOM3ZiT2SpVJjxYxHiLzPO6flBD5eGnDpZjceY3ptHL7uftF-hAIydy4OjTat1tnjIfGe8OXY08huxX1TMjHKv88WpjQ0EtAWmUt1DQFhKt0QqyhU8EPqVrYv9yLm_fc/s1600/IMG_1986.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pimpla</i> wasp, female. <span style="font-size: x-small;">© 2014 <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She bends her abdomen and points the sharp ovipositor toward
the hiding moth pupa. She inserts an egg on it and leaves. Her mission
accomplished, she starts looking for other occult cocoons to lay more eggs on
them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We marvel about bats and dolphins using a similar process,
echolocation. It is remarkable that a tiny insect can also use a version of
this complicated technology.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US1997081365">AGRIS.</a> Vibrational sounding by the pupal
parasitoid <i>Pimpla turionellae</i></div>
<a href="http://www.isza.it/REDIA/2002/articoli/otten.pdf">REDIA</a>. The Subgenual Organ in <i>Pimpla turionellae</i> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2014</span></span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com4United States35.173808317999587 -76.6406259.6517738179995867 -117.949219 60.695842817999591 -35.332031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-64729427445849216912014-08-17T09:10:00.000-07:002017-09-03T12:09:42.343-07:00Ladybugs, Praying Mantis, and other So-called Beneficials. Are They?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEYpR5_xlmPZ2nIXh_GymZoJ9wDtrwmjsYvPocSCp3qLktgz7bVP61YBuqAGfpIRppZ0fYrTSR1MjIUDhdM8EFc9WWUd7B1S7N-I3jOxBQbefSJQBNkrZ5AkCqgyAK0yUOGmF/s1600/IMG_1750.6.28.11w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEYpR5_xlmPZ2nIXh_GymZoJ9wDtrwmjsYvPocSCp3qLktgz7bVP61YBuqAGfpIRppZ0fYrTSR1MjIUDhdM8EFc9WWUd7B1S7N-I3jOxBQbefSJQBNkrZ5AkCqgyAK0yUOGmF/s320/IMG_1750.6.28.11w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The native polished lady beetle, a good one</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I recently published an <a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/ladybugs-lady-beetles-or-ladybird-beetles-how-good-are-they/">article on ladybugs</a>, better called lady beetles, in Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. My purpose was to explain that not all lady beetles are beneficial. Unfortunately some are introduced species which disrupt the ecosystems, competing with and even killing some of the native ones.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61BWcNUs_kVuyB-SjGAeErGSqVGyV3gne5jIfppeYU7Pg7xidv_awbmnvsQSAzOdRTPOslwMGpKLK3a0neSnTwfu2tNGSDfc1I9HIEL5y0HyOUlrA39IsICBhBhrk9wRJDNb/s1600/P6305573.04.crop.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61BWcNUs_kVuyB-SjGAeErGSqVGyV3gne5jIfppeYU7Pg7xidv_awbmnvsQSAzOdRTPOslwMGpKLK3a0neSnTwfu2tNGSDfc1I9HIEL5y0HyOUlrA39IsICBhBhrk9wRJDNb/s320/P6305573.04.crop.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polished lady beetle larva (<i>Cycloneda munda</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In writing the article and later reading people's responses, a more serious problem caught my attention. Companies that sell lady beetles are causing more damage than good. Well-intentioned gardeners buy them without realizing the consequences of introducing non-native lady beetles or the pests that they carry.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkwbF8JeWPil21DFMsm9kiIc8IVenhi-Fvgv1mO41T6ErBN861MLJZfCsohIsXuke0qfqM0SLgDj2mzB7cj1O4GbOKaMxDcJBx86Gt7vmp0zXZGKpJdZRdQ_oIhlT3UQvXMa5/s1600/IMG_4229.6.15.09w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkwbF8JeWPil21DFMsm9kiIc8IVenhi-Fvgv1mO41T6ErBN861MLJZfCsohIsXuke0qfqM0SLgDj2mzB7cj1O4GbOKaMxDcJBx86Gt7vmp0zXZGKpJdZRdQ_oIhlT3UQvXMa5/s320/IMG_4229.6.15.09w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An invasion of Asian lady beetles. More trouble than they are worth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This led me to want to learn more about other bio-controls or biological pests controls being sold to unwary gardeners. I will be writing in the future about praying mantis and their commercialization. This seems to be a bigger problem than that of lady beetles. For now, just look at these pictures. More coming up later on.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86myc2QuxlK3wJlZeLnznmhjuS3OA6s79RwpIYcqGDP4kumKIQZDG9P14GvPvTkhW87-3IzltMVC9cctKgjDn0pq2xB3y1S_wyrrLbA6gcQznVJvS0gMkGm015KvbjeZWTbSV/s1600/IMG_1823.7.16.06w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86myc2QuxlK3wJlZeLnznmhjuS3OA6s79RwpIYcqGDP4kumKIQZDG9P14GvPvTkhW87-3IzltMVC9cctKgjDn0pq2xB3y1S_wyrrLbA6gcQznVJvS0gMkGm015KvbjeZWTbSV/s320/IMG_1823.7.16.06w.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/10098" title="Subspecies"><i>Tenodera sinensis sinensis</i> (Chinese Mantid)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/praying-mantises-which-are-the-good-ones/">Praying Mantises</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<br /><span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2013</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-4944538349997391482014-07-04T13:43:00.000-07:002015-12-06T15:53:24.163-08:00Hidden Life on a Pear Tree<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bradford</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> pear in bloom, attracting numerous
pollinators</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
© 2014 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Spring finally arrived, although a little later than usual. At
the end of April, the Bradford pear trees in
front of the Abington Library were in full bloom, white clouds against a
sapphire sky. Hordes of little bees eagerly visited the sweet flowers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Pollinators were not the only visitors to the trees.
Surprisingly, life was also present in places you wouldn't think to look at. A
cluster of bright yellow dots in a bark's crevice caught my eye just by chance.
Afterwards, I began to see many similar clusters, partially hidden by the
bark's irregularities. I knew them as lady beetle eggs, so I wasn't surprised
to see some adult lady beetles engaged in romance or in search of potential
nurseries for their babies.<br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lady beetle eggs</span></div>
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© 2014 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
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A solitary green aphid painstakingly climbed the tree trunk,
probably in search of tender shoots to feed on its juices. What was it doing so
far from its traditional food? Perhaps, it had fallen to the ground and,
obstinately, was engaged in the arduous voyage back to distant branch tips.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I puzzled at the lady beetles' choice of egg-laying sites. The
tree trunk may offer refuge for the eggs, but not food for the newborns. The tiny
larvae would have a long way to go to find nutritious aphids. Perhaps, just
like the lost aphid, they could manage the perilous trek successfully.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I visited the trees a week later. They were still blooming,
although slightly past their peak. I looked for the lady beetle eggs and found
many of the clusters still in place. Some had darkened, a sure sign that the
larvae inside would soon emerge, hungry for aphids. Others had become food for
unknown predators and were gone.<br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An incipient aphid colony</span></div>
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© 2014 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
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Once again, I wondered where they would find food and looked
at the new growth, the clusters of flowers which were already beginning to leaf
out. Aha! Just as I suspected, the green aphids were there, small colonies of
young and adults, wingless and even some winged ones. I would have never
noticed them if I hadn't suspected their presence because of the lady beetles.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Aphids have a way of multiplying at great speed. One female
can produce many babies in a mere week and the babies start reproducing in an
equally short time. The small colonies I observed would become huge by the time
the new leaves reached full size. They would be numerous enough to damage the
new growth. <br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Aphid in search of food</span></div>
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© 2014 Beatriz Moisset</div>
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Would something keep the aphids in check? The mentioned lady
beetles had their job cut out for them. But they would need lots of help and I
was pleased to see other aphid enemies. I caught a glimpse of a parasitic wasp.
These tiny wasps lay their eggs inside aphids and their larvae feed and kill
their hosts in the process. Another great helper became apparent later on, on
further observation. Some minute greenish grubs were thrashing about in the midst
of the aphid colony. A syrphid fly had chosen this place to lay her eggs. The recently
emerged blind and apparently helpless larvae were busy devouring their favorite
food, juicy aphids. They grow fast on this nutritious diet and soon
metamorphose into small flies, ready to lay more eggs.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Syrphid fly maggot feeding on aphids</span></div>
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© 2014 Beatriz Moisset</div>
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The accidental sight of the lady beetle eggs led me to the
related findings, aphids and their predators—an entire mini-ecosystem well
hidden in bark cracks and flower clusters of a pear tree. A month later, I
visited the trees again and found no traces of this entire food chain. The
stems appeared too tough for the aphids; the winged ones had moved
elsewhere. The lady beetles and other predators also took their leave in their
perennial search for nourishment.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150331204716/http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/aphids-how-many-is-too-many.html">Aphids in the web of life</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a></div>
<br />
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2014</span></span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-31592470610147426882014-03-18T11:03:00.001-07:002014-03-18T11:07:02.524-07:00You can help pollinators in your own garden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6D6UaI8XiVkE-dkonGIPZuqOp6pT4n3_JnJyCviKxHRQu3GFk0DlUPHnu7oKb96_dqlcYWJU1PR2NTHoZ4H3fgjykPRmE6lsPFcrSnNmVUrdGFuyX1RcAYPvEq6dXlgCIZ5c/s1600/p8070390-8-7-04-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6D6UaI8XiVkE-dkonGIPZuqOp6pT4n3_JnJyCviKxHRQu3GFk0DlUPHnu7oKb96_dqlcYWJU1PR2NTHoZ4H3fgjykPRmE6lsPFcrSnNmVUrdGFuyX1RcAYPvEq6dXlgCIZ5c/s1600/p8070390-8-7-04-w.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bumble bee on Helenium <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Plant
a pollinator garden. Turn some of your lawn into a wildflower meadow.
One major objection of gardeners, the fear of stings, doesn’t need to be
a serious concern. Most native bees are quite different in this respect
from honeybees and hornets; they hardly ever sting and if they do, it
is very mild. In fact there are some, such as the Andrenids, that are
incapable of doing so. Their stingers are too small to penetrate human
skin.<br />
<br />
Avoid pesticides or if you absolutely need to use them,
inform yourself carefully about the specific pesticides that kill only
the target species, rather than decimating many others unintentionally.
Furthermore, avoiding pesticides may not be as bad as it sounds since
nature has its own checks and balances and manages to keep most pests
under control without resorting to pesticides. There are some cases in
which use of pesticides backfires by destroying these checks and
balances. Avoid herbicides also; they can be bad for pollinators. They
either deprive them of food or poison them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXssBKLkkzZQYaZ_nloJS890mOogwPv4XDyWH0dYmLvTxvxN_rw3_qeSsTQhhydQ4oKcHBwVdzXb1H6LUIQ_TwCZKNWgjeTNYRdc0pfI2YEExbVTn2QQ8vj4x3tKa4Bzs_66T/s1600/37023349001w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXssBKLkkzZQYaZ_nloJS890mOogwPv4XDyWH0dYmLvTxvxN_rw3_qeSsTQhhydQ4oKcHBwVdzXb1H6LUIQ_TwCZKNWgjeTNYRdc0pfI2YEExbVTn2QQ8vj4x3tKa4Bzs_66T/s1600/37023349001w.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fritillary on butterfly milkweed <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Plant native flowers,
that is flowers that grow locally, not just native to the United States;
these are best for pollinators. Some bees may be able to adapt to
non-native plants, such as many fruit trees or some of the less fancy
cultivars. But native pollinators and native plants have become mutually
adapted through millions of years, so they make the perfect match in
most cases.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF93byRDZj-2gUFoa4Ey_9zEt4ssbxr1niORy223mADThqzhHj8GZDt8aLzwBkpQ16mK4IjhlW3Rr_GEnQyvbJznHla6fCg5mgq0zcqqYbTjydfOW0gaEPMG1W2RO5LMHePhWS/s1600/P4212077.apple.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF93byRDZj-2gUFoa4Ey_9zEt4ssbxr1niORy223mADThqzhHj8GZDt8aLzwBkpQ16mK4IjhlW3Rr_GEnQyvbJznHla6fCg5mgq0zcqqYbTjydfOW0gaEPMG1W2RO5LMHePhWS/s1600/P4212077.apple.w.JPG" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small bee on fruit tree blossom <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Grow a variety of flowers that bloom through the
seasons. This is good for native bees; fortunately this is also what
most gardeners aspire to have in their gardens. However highly selected
cultivars or those with doubled-flowers don’t take care of the needs of
pollinators. In general they have lost all the cues that pollinators
need, such as scent. In some cases, they have also lost the pollen or
nectar and so they don’t provide any food to bees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltgxoxnjWWfO0tER_OQQRBbKiqX7zeikYK7xEeK28_Fl8CtTte1nBe7N1GKbVWN4wMbKil31ppV0botrkfwEmdT9zysS_lFnwnW3tzz0fdw1O3Oky6ALUawxAtcl2XXyVTJfN/s1600/IMG_7758.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltgxoxnjWWfO0tER_OQQRBbKiqX7zeikYK7xEeK28_Fl8CtTte1nBe7N1GKbVWN4wMbKil31ppV0botrkfwEmdT9zysS_lFnwnW3tzz0fdw1O3Oky6ALUawxAtcl2XXyVTJfN/s1600/IMG_7758.w.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunflower and bee <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Plant the kind
of lawn that provides habitat beneficial to bees. A perfectly manicured,
pesticide saturated lawn is a desert to wildlife, including
pollinators. Reducing the size of the lawn would benefit native
pollinators. But it is also possible to have a lawn that is good for
bees while being esthetically pleasing. As mentioned before, stay away
from pesticides and herbicides as much as possible. Second, allow some
small wildflowers; the look of your lawn may change as a result but it
will continue to serve its purpose. Clover is great food for native
bees; it also fixes nitrogen cutting down the need for fertilizers.
Other small plants that benefit bees are ground speedwells (<i>Veronica</i>),
wood sorrel (<i>Oxalis acetosella</i>), smartweeds or knotweeds (<i>Polygonum</i>),
wild strawberries (<i>Fragaria</i>, several species), etc. Rather than calling
them weeds we should call them grass companions or pollinator food.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXf-wNSyt2rR0oZNS8TpTsrHWjpdvFIgoOkIYl-Ik99UagMOybtAlXToWAmCmPE7u4u12NZ50vfopgJOTy8LmCl_FEyhWhyphenhyphenbZgkwlMj7VzznuRheRbkNQiDckjjT7VfLuwRpo/s1600/IMG_6580.7.1.10w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXf-wNSyt2rR0oZNS8TpTsrHWjpdvFIgoOkIYl-Ik99UagMOybtAlXToWAmCmPE7u4u12NZ50vfopgJOTy8LmCl_FEyhWhyphenhyphenbZgkwlMj7VzznuRheRbkNQiDckjjT7VfLuwRpo/s1600/IMG_6580.7.1.10w.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nests of solitary bees <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Provide
housing for bees. A simple bare spot here and there (no mulch or grass,
just bare soil) may be enough for a few hard-working soil nesters. A
sand pile may be even better. It bears repeating: There is no real need
to worry about stings from solitary bees.<br />
<br />
Dead logs or snags can
supply housing for bees. You probably can’t have a dead tree on your
property, but it is possible to keep a stump or a standing log and use
it as an attractive planter; perhaps it will in turn provide housing for
some little bees. Drilling holes on an old post or even a tree trunk
would also make good nesting sites. They should be 3/32” to 3/8” in
diameter and at least 4” deep.<br />
<br />
Or you can make your own bee
houses. It is possible and relatively easy to build one by following
instructions posted in several websites. Or you can buy one; some
resources listed below. I have discovered that watching the comings and
goings of those busy mother bees can be as much fun as observing a bird
house. Once again, stings don’t seem to be a real problem; I have had my
face right in front of their houses and have even let them climb on my
finger without any consequences.<br />
<br />
Hollow tubes, just about the size
of drinking straws, can also be used as bee nests. Some of the
suppliers listed sell them. You can also tie up a bunch of hollow twigs,
such as elderberry, or paper drinking straws (plastic ones are no good)
together or pack them into a container such as a small milk or cream
carton and place them horizontally. They should be closed at one end
with the open end facing south or southeast. If you have trouble
figuring out where the south is, step outside sometime between 10 AM and
1 PM and face the sun. That is how you want to place the nests. (See
links below for instructions).<br />
<br />
You can let some of your ornamental
grasses stay all winter; they can be quite handsome and add variety to
your winter landscape while providing nesting to your friendly native
bees.<br />
<br />
Helping the native bees would benefit us because of their invaluable services to the environment and to our gardens.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31aPsx9yg697-2CE_vBNqE9St_s5f2Cd49HrTk97vPfRclZ7W0wp7fbrptd15JvXoHDASaZli4yUJdrm3UmS40o69IdYshKQT3uI5k27Fd8td6d4kAwRYD1_Tw477PoAinvuy/s1600/tshirt.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31aPsx9yg697-2CE_vBNqE9St_s5f2Cd49HrTk97vPfRclZ7W0wp7fbrptd15JvXoHDASaZli4yUJdrm3UmS40o69IdYshKQT3uI5k27Fd8td6d4kAwRYD1_Tw477PoAinvuy/s1600/tshirt.w.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollinators and their multiple benefits <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Resources</b><br />
Ross,
Edward S. (2003) Pollinator Conservation Handbook. The Xerces Society
and The Bee Works. Portland, Oregon ISBN 0-9744475-0-1. (Bee gardens,
bee houses, etc.)<br />
The Xerces Society Guide (2011). Attracting Native
Pollinators. Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60342-695-4 (Everything you
want to know about pollinators and their conservation)<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/" href="http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/">Urban Bee Gardens. Berkeley University</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/nest_factsheet1.pdf" href="http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/nest_factsheet1.pdf">Nests for Native Bees. The Xerces Society</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/beehouse.cfm" href="http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/beehouse.cfm">Bee houses. National Wildlife Federation.</a> (How to build a bee house)<br />
<br />
<b>Sellers of bee houses</b><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.knoxcellars.com/" href="http://www.knoxcellars.com/"> Knox Cellars.</a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.masonbeehomes.com/index.php" href="http://www.masonbeehomes.com/index.php"> Mason bee homes.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners
Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span class="unicode"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2014</span></span>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-48316334067199596492013-10-09T14:45:00.000-07:002013-12-23T17:19:38.403-08:00The Dancing Grasses<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSBtAoZ_Iqin-ADSauPU-vqWj3K0hoyN6hd8AR4atQpyPzNVqPQktbBp2-cif5_FwTdraHWio55wqk275AnI878L9Cd9K6JYr9GxQ6jIqYQoOnYFVptzghYftucbIH_plHRzt/s1600/IMG_2147meadows.10.10.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSBtAoZ_Iqin-ADSauPU-vqWj3K0hoyN6hd8AR4atQpyPzNVqPQktbBp2-cif5_FwTdraHWio55wqk275AnI878L9Cd9K6JYr9GxQ6jIqYQoOnYFVptzghYftucbIH_plHRzt/s320/IMG_2147meadows.10.10.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennypack meadows in the fall. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2009</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That autumn day, it was windy but sunny and pleasant in the
meadows of Pennypack. The fields looked more alluring than ever, dressed on
their ochres, tans and scarlets. The breeze played fantastic tricks on the assortment
of tall grasses planted in recent years to restore the meadows to their former
glory before farming and mowing had converted them into dull lawns.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yt3vZCGRdhx19l9aRvO7MrqwqmJTRxTADCVoDxFeuB4HJMZqdfKMRyClQtoc6Kr6NrLQ01Q3m6H3BAN-oeJqvmC0e3W8q4PqPU9JGpahVBauYvUXJe5HfYetDZg2ddDd_75O/s1600/IMG_0762.8.30.08.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yt3vZCGRdhx19l9aRvO7MrqwqmJTRxTADCVoDxFeuB4HJMZqdfKMRyClQtoc6Kr6NrLQ01Q3m6H3BAN-oeJqvmC0e3W8q4PqPU9JGpahVBauYvUXJe5HfYetDZg2ddDd_75O/s320/IMG_0762.8.30.08.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunlight puts a sparkle on the grasses. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2009</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Each gust of wind made the grasses dance, sometimes a slow
minuet, others a wild disco. We stood there mesmerized. No manicured meadow
could produce the glorious spectacle that we observed that day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is fall again. When the rain ceases, we will visit the
meadows and fill our hearts on their beauty and peace. Perhaps a swallow will
slice the sky in its way to South America.
Perhaps we'll hear the buzz of a late bumble bee before it retires to its
winter sleeping place. The dancing grasses are calling us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38m5NYW8ZIyRwXVsnsUnvAexMszO2O-xonEHjhh2xtdAWKiDQBGHk1LfCU6uOlq7t-XeRgwyJU0sCDEmBa8kYQJLovHNzYR8NnpHDQ13USXHDOi0RuSBI42OGTH06zizEoRpo/s1600/IMG_1174.12.07w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38m5NYW8ZIyRwXVsnsUnvAexMszO2O-xonEHjhh2xtdAWKiDQBGHk1LfCU6uOlq7t-XeRgwyJU0sCDEmBa8kYQJLovHNzYR8NnpHDQ13USXHDOi0RuSBI42OGTH06zizEoRpo/s320/IMG_1174.12.07w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wind sends the grasses dancing. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2009</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beginners-guide-to-pollinators-and-other-flower-visitors-beatriz-moisset/1115214111?ean=9781300824534">Beginners Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitor</a><br />
<br />
© Beatriz Moisset. 2013Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-23076276518341709292013-10-08T11:41:00.002-07:002014-02-06T17:53:08.373-08:00Goldenrods and their Dependent Fauna<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/29020063-wasp-web/" rel="attachment wp-att-6460" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6460" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/29020063.wasp_.web_-300x225.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-winged wasp on goldenrod</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Goldenrods are magnets for a wide variety of animal life. I am
talking about the six-legged and eight-legged fauna, insects and
spiders.<br />
<br />
I enjoy leading walks in the fall to observe all the bounty of tiny
wildlife buzzing, zipping along, and crawling and hiding in the
goldenrod patch. I call this program <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45284874@N00/sets/72157623364977617/">"The goldenrod zoo"</a>.
My favorites are the pollinators; but I also like to point out the
various kinds of galls and their amazing makers and residents.<br />
<br />
Goldenrods used to be regarded as weeds in North America; many people
still see them that way. Recently I heard a gardener, an organic
gardener at that, who wants to eliminate them from her property. This
made me think about the beneficial qualities of goldenrods, both to
wildlife in general and to gardens in particular. So I started a list.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_2258-3-09w/" rel="attachment wp-att-6461" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6461" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2258.3.09w-300x225.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldenrod round galls in winter. One of them has been opened by a chickadee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Round galls are produced in the stems of tall goldenrods by a species
of flies (the goldenrod fly). Gail Eichelberger described the fly’s
life cycle in <a href="http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/the-gall-of-that-goldenrod.html">"The Gall of That Goldenrod"</a>
in "Beautiful Wildllife Garden." She also mentioned how
the gall fly larvae can serve as food for chickadees and downy
woodpeckers during the winter months. I will simply add that you can
tell which of these two birds has opened each gall. Downies skillfully
chisel a clean hole, while chickadees are sloppier, and destroy a good
part of the gall to get to the prize.<br />
<br />
There are a few other types of galls, produced by moths or flies, many of these insects also provide food for birds.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_0600-10-26-09w/" rel="attachment wp-att-6470" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-6470" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_0600.10.26.09w-150x150.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweat bee <i>Agapostemon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_6470" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br />
<i></i></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_9948-9-3-07/" rel="attachment wp-att-6471" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-6471" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_9948.9.3.07-150x150.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweat bee <i>Augochloropsis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6471" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<i></i></div>
</div>
Let us take a look at the goldenrod flowers visitors. There are at
least 380 species that visit just one species, the Canada goldenrod (<i>Solidago Canadensis</i>).
Not all of them are pollinators and many visit other flowers besides
goldenrod. But they all benefit from these flowers’ nectar and pollen.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_7621-7-29-10w/" rel="attachment wp-att-6504" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-6504" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_7621.7.29.10w-150x150.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syrphid fly, a good aphid control</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_6504" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/4a187553-tachin-web/" rel="attachment wp-att-6492" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-6492" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4A187553.tachin.web_-150x150.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feather-legged fly, Tachinidae<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6493" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<br /></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_6492" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/4613-bug-web/" rel="attachment wp-att-6493" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-6493" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4613.bug_.web_-150x150.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf-footed bug. Notice the tachinid fly eggs on its head</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_6493" style="width: 160px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
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</div>
Here I am listing a few whose larvae feed on other insects, so they
provide an important ecosystem service as biological controls. The larvae of some Syrphid flies feed on aphids. Tachinid flies lay their eggs on other insects especially on stink bugs or related bugs which feed on plants.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_0527-10-26-09w/" rel="attachment wp-att-6525" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6525" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_0527.10.26.09w-300x292.jpg" height="292" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potter wasp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Wasps of many kinds are very abundant in the fall, so
perhaps they are the most common visitors of goldenrod flowers. They include
not just the more familiar and feared ones, hornets and yellow jackets, but
also many solitary ones, which are less likely to sting. All of them catch
insects or spiders to feed their larvae.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">There is one in particular that has become a favorite
of mine, the large and colorful blue-winged wasp, Scolia dubia. It is rather
hairy and heavy-bodied, unlike most wasps. Its wings are supposedly blue, as
the name suggests. But you need a little imagination, or the sunlight hitting
them just right; otherwise they look smoky. The body is very dark blue-black,
except for the last few segments of the abdomen which are reddish or orange with
two bright large yellow spots.</span><br />
<br />
The nice thing about this wasp is that its offspring feeds on the
larvae of June beetles. The females spend a good deal of time searching
the ground for beetle larvae and digging them out; this earns them their
other common name: digger wasp. When a female wasp finds a grub, it
paralyzes it. Then it digs a little deeper, builds a small chamber, and
lays an egg on its victim. Gruesome, yes, but effective.<br />
<br />
And here comes the best part: The blue-winged wasp has developed a
taste for Japanese beetles and treats them the same way as June beetles.
We all know that one of the most serious problems with introduced pests
such as this is that they have left most of their enemies behind in the
old country, so they can multiply unchecked. The USDA tried
unsuccessfully to introduce some relatives of this wasp as biocontrols
of the Japanese beetle. So it is wonderful to see that a native insect
has become an enemy of the invasive pest.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure/img_3544-9-17-11w/" rel="attachment wp-att-6455" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-6455" src="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_3544.9.17.11w-300x247.jpg" height="247" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-winged wasp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_6455" style="width: 310px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
Here’s to the blue-winged wasp and to the goldenrods that sustain it in the fall!<br />
<br />
First published in "<a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/">Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens</a>" as "G<a href="http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/goldenrod-a-weed-or-a-treasure">oldenrod, a Weed or a Treasure?</a>"<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beginners-guide-to-pollinators-and-other-flower-visitors-beatriz-moisset/1115214111?ean=9781300824534">Beginners Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
All photos by Beatriz Moisset. All rights reserved <br />
© Beatriz Moisset. 2013<br />
<br />
<br />Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-49868284690430683122013-08-09T06:34:00.004-07:002013-08-20T13:30:33.663-07:00Mile-a-Minute<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm-nSLQEGqJPdxLPHeYutD3YN31iqYdQUa0yXQ6A3TygKHxmQkUARS1f2zdlbJ45D8VLkrf-TPoPKrmoX-lvogAsdDA3lJrifjvx6tHvj-K2N9MKGtDGvpHdvSLHi3fGSFsKs/s1600/IMG_9337.8.7.13.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWm-nSLQEGqJPdxLPHeYutD3YN31iqYdQUa0yXQ6A3TygKHxmQkUARS1f2zdlbJ45D8VLkrf-TPoPKrmoX-lvogAsdDA3lJrifjvx6tHvj-K2N9MKGtDGvpHdvSLHi3fGSFsKs/s320/IMG_9337.8.7.13.w.JPG" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile-a-minute climbing up a tree <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">© </span>2013 Beatriz Moisset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my walks along some local trails, especially the Horsham
power line right-of-way trail, I often see a weedy vine called mile-a-minute.
The name is a humorous reference to its speedy growth. Exaggeration or not, it
can enshroud entire trees and shrubs to the point of killing them. Wherever it
goes, it changes the landscape. You can recognize it easily by its triangular
leaves and its thin stems armed with insidious minuscule barbs that cling to
your clothes or hands if you dare to come near, and by the thick mats of
vegetation on the ground or climbing up trees.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It arrived from East Asia in the 1930s, accidentally
introduced to York Pennsylvania along with horticultural stock.
From there, it started an inexorable march across Pennsylvania and nearby states. With the
help of birds that carry its seeds, it spreads to disturbed areas, such as power
line clearings and roadsides. Now, I know why it is so abundant along the
Horsham trail. Its seeds can also be carried by water, enabling it to spread
along rivers. Since its arrival, it has spread to surrounding states and shows no
signs of slowing down.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8qlt_f4zoZJDvUfTbhXl6AO1Ui5mN9r2_PiRdXrSeKr-69jLhFmaRZ9G1MNvl0d31BqxbKe0BrolqGSvSnbwbiePPZpfJ-AHij_Kf-jYnT8kqBWq62GjdDc2tnLfOIuT8bCn/s1600/IMG_9305.8.7.13.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8qlt_f4zoZJDvUfTbhXl6AO1Ui5mN9r2_PiRdXrSeKr-69jLhFmaRZ9G1MNvl0d31BqxbKe0BrolqGSvSnbwbiePPZpfJ-AHij_Kf-jYnT8kqBWq62GjdDc2tnLfOIuT8bCn/s320/IMG_9305.8.7.13.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the triangular leaves full of holes <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">© </span>2013 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like with many other invasives, the reason for its success
is that it left behind the natural enemies that kept it in check in its native
land. This is why I was surprised when I began to notice leaves full of holes.
Who is eating this invasive plant? Did a local insect develop a taste for this
unfamiliar food? Not so, it turns out that an ancient enemy of the vine, a
small weevil, has been intentionally brought from East
Asia.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-5a_sIL9PsTCizWPEMsuXJQ7Ti0Rz_K_WVSo_a6Q9XQbjhqKi1R1CqbEt2rXkbFWq2p9h0S8WO06qpxt8jFhP4CBwX-VW-NvcWgGac9E97znbV2pa9CdcjnMfmxP3rj5ha05/s1600/IMG_9133.8.13.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-5a_sIL9PsTCizWPEMsuXJQ7Ti0Rz_K_WVSo_a6Q9XQbjhqKi1R1CqbEt2rXkbFWq2p9h0S8WO06qpxt8jFhP4CBwX-VW-NvcWgGac9E97znbV2pa9CdcjnMfmxP3rj5ha05/s320/IMG_9133.8.13.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile-a-minute weevil at the tip of the vine <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">© </span>2013 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before bringing this beetle from overseas, horticulturists
needed to make sure that it would not start eating other plants, causing more
damage than benefits. The Forest Service launched a program of testing the
beetle, which they dubbed the mile-a-minute weevil of MAM weevil for short. In
2004, when researchers were confident enough of the results, they began introducing
batches of this beetle to several sites in New Jersey. The results were encouraging;
the beetle is reproducing well and it seems to have some impact on the plant.
In recent years the beetle has been released in many other sites in ten states.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRBvK_DVpOOfA66up9XYT4cbMcT_GknsXcfo8WCcVoM5NL3agRlhWBsq9nAgjdxT7IldmQ7lKYKhvKsOcr48qGJL-3JXdaV0O0q2s3YOohTuO6Wx-zRIeKfWZ7PWCxsC9rQS4/s1600/IMG_9297.fix.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRBvK_DVpOOfA66up9XYT4cbMcT_GknsXcfo8WCcVoM5NL3agRlhWBsq9nAgjdxT7IldmQ7lKYKhvKsOcr48qGJL-3JXdaV0O0q2s3YOohTuO6Wx-zRIeKfWZ7PWCxsC9rQS4/s320/IMG_9297.fix.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile-a-minute weevil (<i>Rhinoncomimus latipes</i>) <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">© </span>2013 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Armed with this knowledge, I started my search for the
mile-a-minute weevil in areas where I had seen leaf damage. It didn't take me
long to find it. I was surprised at how small it is, less than one eighth of an
inch, just a reddish grey dot. It chooses to eat only the tender leaves at the
tip of each stem. Almost every plant I looked at had some weevils. In one case
I found six of them in the same cluster of new leaves. They were busy mating
and I was happy to photograph them. Despite all the holes in the leaves, the
plants looked quite healthy. Perhaps, it would take a few more years for the
mile-a-minute weevil to multiply in numbers high enough to have an impact on
this weed. So, I congratulated the happy couples and let them go forth and
multiply.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27YiQS3jh_HnNaeyQ2G1UdJbSRxHEtqoebSLl93EQOndnmJKoIftQnwvlKSEwwvIX7q-i9jmKUo0wN6pz3YpdBOr1HTjCGmuheKbb5B2GgZe-FV_GYaDn_xWTECY9gl6HoBs4/s1600/IMG_9308.8.7.13.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27YiQS3jh_HnNaeyQ2G1UdJbSRxHEtqoebSLl93EQOndnmJKoIftQnwvlKSEwwvIX7q-i9jmKUo0wN6pz3YpdBOr1HTjCGmuheKbb5B2GgZe-FV_GYaDn_xWTECY9gl6HoBs4/s320/IMG_9308.8.7.13.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy beetles to the rescue <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">© </span>2013 Beatriz Moisset</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2013</span></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-70917155662662722842013-07-12T15:45:00.001-07:002017-09-03T10:38:20.952-07:00Milkweeds, Monarchs and More: The Milkweed Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMbj6fEG6zNgQf9dplKQiZhXzJTeIWFTBHX8OqNcNxL0IxDmwTQ8RP3VY1YXwAJoYsOB_eDHFcYCgJ_p0SKi8F971FmXpmNmz05wPVkgx-yn8cAyFK_gQck4mBMkPYP1V2xcK/s1600/IMG_0873.11.01.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFLlxq88AvKaI6qBUQ9JaQzm4udWzkA0ZXzEZ9cniEtrZUWkYBvxHsdFy4EDaeh8SGwl5vVDrN-wxogtW491DrzrfL4qwF73QhQc7-vYArqPhba5SDv1wzKWawpYFH6p7CKi2/s1600/IMG_9297.10.7.10w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFLlxq88AvKaI6qBUQ9JaQzm4udWzkA0ZXzEZ9cniEtrZUWkYBvxHsdFy4EDaeh8SGwl5vVDrN-wxogtW491DrzrfL4qwF73QhQc7-vYArqPhba5SDv1wzKWawpYFH6p7CKi2/s320/IMG_9297.10.7.10w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch butterfly, adult female. It nectars on a variety of flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pJQKgHRDcwn2Ch5D_-iGAWZ54Nqqa0RMpxI0BwllsGYIDmGCMKaidF89CuDuI75He8aDb9x5GbtvAH-OP1vQVBuHIK-fvBuxPXbJicCLZ7zUGfh7fnMQiOahslNv6JgL3-r7/s1600/59171675.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pJQKgHRDcwn2Ch5D_-iGAWZ54Nqqa0RMpxI0BwllsGYIDmGCMKaidF89CuDuI75He8aDb9x5GbtvAH-OP1vQVBuHIK-fvBuxPXbJicCLZ7zUGfh7fnMQiOahslNv6JgL3-r7/s320/59171675.w.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch caterpillar, It feeds only on milkweeds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Monarch butterflies capture our
hearts with their beauty and intrepid globe trotting. We have learned that the
caterpillars need milkweeds to grow into the magnificent winged creatures. As a
consequence, many gardeners gladly grow these plants in their yards and welcome
the arrival of the travelers. They eagerly follow the appearance of the tiny
caterpillars, their growth and final metamorphosis.<br />
<br />
This leads many to learn more about
these plants, their toxicity and the other visitors attracted by the
overpowering sweet aroma of the flowers. Some gardeners don’t see them as weeds
anymore but as nice additions to their butterfly gardens. Did you know that
there are more than <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ASCLE">100 species of milkweeds or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Asclepias</i></a> in North America?
Did you know that monarchs are not the only ones that depend on milkweeds? Many
other insects do. The whole story is infinitely more complex than just milkweed
plant/monarch butterfly. A <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45284874@N00/sets/72157594183734797/">patch of milkweed plants is a community</a> with many
herbivores taking advantage of it, followed by carnivores, not to mention
numerous pollinators.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Some of the members of this
community depend exclusively on milkweeds while others benefit from these
plants, but have other food choices. Pollinators and predators, fall in the
second category.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Let us take a look at those that
are dependent on milkweeds, those which need these plants to complete their
development from egg, through immature or larval stages to adulthood. Some eat
leaves; others go for stems, roots or seeds. Their tastes can be highly
selective, feeding on only one or at most two species of milkweeds. Others,
like the monarch butterfly, have broader tastes and accept most species of
milkweeds or even some related plants. It is the growing insects that are
dependent. The adults, in turn, may not need milkweeds, but they frequent these
plants to lay their eggs on them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Milkweeds have developed an
assortment of defenses, such as sticky latex, hairy leaves and powerful toxins,
against the cadre of hungry feeders. The eaters, in turn, have gradually found
ways to overcome every one of these barriers. Milkweeds respond by producing
more latex, hairier leaves, and stronger toxins. In this eternal arms race
nobody wins, but nobody loses either. Like a carefully choreographed ballet,
the equally matched enemies continue this dance of life and death affecting
each other and in turn influencing the other members of the community.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<br />
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Delicate cycnia (<i>Cycnia tenera</i>)</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Its caterpillars feed on milkweeds</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The best known, of course, is the
monarch butterfly. Let us not forget its close relatives, the queen and the
soldier butterflies. It is worth mentioning that a few other relatives live in
South America and Africa. They are all fairly
flexible and can resort to more than one species of milkweed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweed tussock moth caterpillar<br />
feeding on common milkweed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br />
Among the moths dependent on
milkweed, the delicate cycnia (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cycnia
tenera</i>), with a very appropriate name, relies only on common milkweed and
swamp milkweed. The milkweed tussock moth (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Euchaetes
egle</i>) has broader tastes and can live on several species of milkweed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red milkweed beetle (<i>Tetraopes tetrophthalmus</i>)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">feeds on common milkweed</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Moving on to other dependents we
find beetles. We are most familiar with the milkweed longhorned beetle, often
found on common milkweed. If we translate the scientific name of the most
familiar one, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tetraopes tetrophthalmus, </i>we
would call it the four-eyed four-eyes, although it is known as the red milkweed
beetle. The peculiar eyes of all the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tetraopes
</i>beetles are divided by the base of the antennae, hence the name. But it
gets more complicated because instead of just one species there are at least 14
related and similarly looking species of four-eyed milkweed beetles. Each
species sticks to only one or at most two species of milkweed. For instance,
the red milkweed beetle feeds only on common milkweed, the <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">red-femured milkweed borer</span> on showy milkweed,
and the <span class="bgpage-taxon-desc">blackened milkweed beetle</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> on swamp milkweed.</span></div>
<br />
The list goes on and on. It includes beetles of several families.
For the sake of briefness see images of a few of them.<br />
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMbj6fEG6zNgQf9dplKQiZhXzJTeIWFTBHX8OqNcNxL0IxDmwTQ8RP3VY1YXwAJoYsOB_eDHFcYCgJ_p0SKi8F971FmXpmNmz05wPVkgx-yn8cAyFK_gQck4mBMkPYP1V2xcK/s1600/IMG_0873.11.01.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMbj6fEG6zNgQf9dplKQiZhXzJTeIWFTBHX8OqNcNxL0IxDmwTQ8RP3VY1YXwAJoYsOB_eDHFcYCgJ_p0SKi8F971FmXpmNmz05wPVkgx-yn8cAyFK_gQck4mBMkPYP1V2xcK/s200/IMG_0873.11.01.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swamp milkweed beetle larva (<i>Labidomera clivicolis</i>)<br />
feeding on milkweed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogbane beetle. Larva feeds on dogbane or milkweed</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweed stem weevil (<i>Rhyssomatus lineaticollis</i>)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Larvae of several species feed on milkweeds</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LkQ4DCjPMOZv2TXbP37RZtd8V11FaHXnSwE-zPCBwDzsgUl_lCyAo-chK9TSRWSQLl8ritXYoamKypStrMvU_uk-AbJRbs3KsMFhnuACD-PtSnQ0Gvar-Ue0dkmefJNMfHb8/s1600/P6265341.04Lygaeus.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LkQ4DCjPMOZv2TXbP37RZtd8V11FaHXnSwE-zPCBwDzsgUl_lCyAo-chK9TSRWSQLl8ritXYoamKypStrMvU_uk-AbJRbs3KsMFhnuACD-PtSnQ0Gvar-Ue0dkmefJNMfHb8/s200/P6265341.04Lygaeus.w.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small milkweed bug (<i>Ligaeus kalmii</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihds96qRq87xc2lGI1ykBDBzYmUA5wX1-yLWGI1KfZ9FWrHxlwFMYz0Zs5sgY3ZFEi_kAeEyioNYF90MBoBq69Sy3FtuKwZ0Q4qZP5RLR_vA3MVwvyugr9o9BB84I02bk-1ujd/s1600/P9226622.04Oncopeltus.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihds96qRq87xc2lGI1ykBDBzYmUA5wX1-yLWGI1KfZ9FWrHxlwFMYz0Zs5sgY3ZFEi_kAeEyioNYF90MBoBq69Sy3FtuKwZ0Q4qZP5RLR_vA3MVwvyugr9o9BB84I02bk-1ujd/s200/P9226622.04Oncopeltus.w.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large milkweed bugs (<i>Oncopeltus fasciatus</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Let us take a look at the milkweed bugs. The most familiar ones are the
large milkweed bug (<i>Oncopeltus fasciatus</i>) and the small milkweed bug (<i>Lygaeus
kalmii</i>). Curiously, despite their names, they are not entirely dependent on
milkweed. They have been seen feeding on other plants, and even on other
insects, in the case of the small milkweed bug.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweed aphid (<i>Myzocallis asclepiadis</i>)<!--)[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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feeding on common milkweed</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Several kinds of aphids attack milkweeds. Two of them are dependent on
common milkweed. They are </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aphis
asclepiadis,</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Myzocallis
asclepiadis</i>; no common name for these either.<br />
<br />
All these and many more feed on milkweeds, some on only one species, others on several or many. <br />
<br />
When we nurture monarch butterflies
by planting milkweeds we are doing more than aiding the butterflies. We are
helping the entire milkweed community or series of communities. The members of
such communities or ecosystems <a href="http://pollinators.blogspot.com/2012/11/monarchs-and-their-enemies.html">interact with each other</a> and, in turn, with a
wide arrangement of other participants of this intricate play, such as
neighboring plants and soil organisms. By preserving the habitat of monarchs,
we are also preserving biodiversity. All species are important and we need to
respect these communities and learn more about them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large milkweed bugs (<i>Oncopeltus fasciatus</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>See also:</b><br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2014/11/food-chain-in-milkweed-patch.html">Food Chain in the Milkweed Patch</a><b><br /></b><br />
<b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">References</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.monarchjourney.com/milkweed.php">Milkweed Community</a><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://basrelief.org/Pages/mmm2nd.html">Milkweed Guide</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/03/what-is-native-what-is-not-when-does-it.html">What is native? What is not? When does it matter?</a></div>
<a href="http://pollinators.blogspot.com/2013/08/monarch-butterfly-case-of-mistaken.html">Monarch Butterfly, a Case of Mistaken Identity</a>
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2013</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-48079379591405348692013-05-08T17:58:00.000-07:002013-06-12T18:26:36.831-07:00Stinging Nettle. Food for Butterflies and Food for Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfphQ8CPcfQACVlTf0abfp3cZdsZpTCwGpFlrJxcuS1wEbGHgE8EVQe0Pap0Q_IpMN-dS1GcSdCs4Wb2p-o1Lqn6Aug6RGdbsutr_QlMsEWsjvIxA_lI6S3HCJK0MjCXi3kln4Q/s1600/IMG_8661.5.13.w.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfphQ8CPcfQACVlTf0abfp3cZdsZpTCwGpFlrJxcuS1wEbGHgE8EVQe0Pap0Q_IpMN-dS1GcSdCs4Wb2p-o1Lqn6Aug6RGdbsutr_QlMsEWsjvIxA_lI6S3HCJK0MjCXi3kln4Q/s320/IMG_8661.5.13.w.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I went for a walk yesterday morning, May 7, and noticed the
nettles growing fast and furiously. The tender leaves are an invitation to
gourmets who enjoy this healthy vegetable. I have never tasted it, but I think
it is time to do so. I tried collecting a few leaves, but soon found out the
sting was surprisingly powerful. I have picked up leaves in other occasions
with little consequence. I may have to go back wearing gloves.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found many recipes in the Internet.
<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/stinging-nettles-8-recipes-for-145582">Garlicky pesto</a> sounds promising. I will try that. <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/stinging-nettle-soup/">Stinging nettle soup</a> also
looks tempting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Early May is perhaps the best time to collect leaves. The
plants are already tall and vigorous and, when I collected them yesterday, they
seemed free from hungry visitors. However, I am surprised the next day when I
look at the leaves in their plastic bag. They are now crawling with tiny
aphids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year I found aphids eagerly
sucking juices from these plants on May 12. Close observation of the aphids under
a microscope led me to notice the impressive structure of the stinging hairs. Interspersed
among the regular hairs, considerably larger but still small enough to go
unnoticed by the bare eye, the stinging hairs look remarkably different. They are
shaped like hypodermic syringes and bursting with fluid, ready to pierce the
passerby's skin.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqG3a1kcEC-0q6g2VwVbr2GdHOw0f9CDxIrjEFOopGn3w_XLeHhmnsvAFGlbFbFWioaN7isHMdVKY9v-ExNmgfN46ZVcmr-pZRoEZ-Q6UriSmGMaHArMty2ToCA3wwC06S5ecgA/s1600/IMG_5424.5.13.12w.jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqG3a1kcEC-0q6g2VwVbr2GdHOw0f9CDxIrjEFOopGn3w_XLeHhmnsvAFGlbFbFWioaN7isHMdVKY9v-ExNmgfN46ZVcmr-pZRoEZ-Q6UriSmGMaHArMty2ToCA3wwC06S5ecgA/s320/IMG_5424.5.13.12w.jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aphid and stinging hairs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Insect activity grew significantly by June of last year. These
plants turned into a zoo of sorts. Aphids abounded on many plants. Large, fat
caterpillars were feeding on leaves. Some were hiding within neatly folded leaves
shaped as tents. Others had already turned into immobile, colorful chrysalides.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jobZ5VvgzKwc9FDNi1qPEN2NZ-0L6aV_oVs7BYxbi14OMQg79y4a4mFM1tj57VM0tJBnqFgDfNztg9KNVvfxd4NR9k1BaTYsu2SA1t2bCZgUg2uoepFVYJ-n1If1ACWBU-Y48w/s1600/IMG_6832.6.11.12w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jobZ5VvgzKwc9FDNi1qPEN2NZ-0L6aV_oVs7BYxbi14OMQg79y4a4mFM1tj57VM0tJBnqFgDfNztg9KNVvfxd4NR9k1BaTYsu2SA1t2bCZgUg2uoepFVYJ-n1If1ACWBU-Y48w/s320/IMG_6832.6.11.12w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red admiral caterpillar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdarafshBKD-zEbfNzDs_LZJhph_RMJZKp29xS9-Vo7T0pXDajIgg16qs0cwVE0L1uvnrpF-aQeicpbJJKM_9oEWPPT8XX25GdPjccvQ40hV4I8BgJqYW3Yj1UdgUreTVNdzsnQ/s1600/IMG_6841.6.11.12w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdarafshBKD-zEbfNzDs_LZJhph_RMJZKp29xS9-Vo7T0pXDajIgg16qs0cwVE0L1uvnrpF-aQeicpbJJKM_9oEWPPT8XX25GdPjccvQ40hV4I8BgJqYW3Yj1UdgUreTVNdzsnQ/s320/IMG_6841.6.11.12w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red admiral pupa or chrysalis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW60swl0nhVsQ3H483eprdl2KRJeMUrXrRWLc0YNUMFlk9yfmN9tkUKbCwTm3BBUK-cte5fxe4HI2OqkVOgM6AkW9JwmJ0GMiVrAsRG0rsnb3YKosPE1q_l8w7UnjrFQlg-4BF_g/s1600/57061962w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW60swl0nhVsQ3H483eprdl2KRJeMUrXrRWLc0YNUMFlk9yfmN9tkUKbCwTm3BBUK-cte5fxe4HI2OqkVOgM6AkW9JwmJ0GMiVrAsRG0rsnb3YKosPE1q_l8w7UnjrFQlg-4BF_g/s320/57061962w.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult red admiral </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was happy to learn that such caterpillars would turn into
the lovely admiral butterfly. Nettles can feed several other varieties of
caterpillars, the comma butterfly and the spectacular Io moth among them.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SeIaluwkAbePUA0PJR-nwklUf2Vd2Ua_Mm0GzVlFbwLN7Omjar1U2ZHf8eW-fZD4PJ8JiR3M_3cZ2Dioeu7MdOeBfQhaA2BRUALWwsGW3P8RANxuLqX4p3JsLlFGUESyGXhjVg/s1600/5A237786w.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SeIaluwkAbePUA0PJR-nwklUf2Vd2Ua_Mm0GzVlFbwLN7Omjar1U2ZHf8eW-fZD4PJ8JiR3M_3cZ2Dioeu7MdOeBfQhaA2BRUALWwsGW3P8RANxuLqX4p3JsLlFGUESyGXhjVg/s320/5A237786w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comma butterfly on winter attire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvfZW1D0n_lwsWqAbvPv1cgRr4y4aERvidf_mr98VPhIxqfVs3PkAhLByC3FGEWAdoaqhN2o1Xspqll3LJKpPR9GVlhqBGH2SlzeTJAGK1F3dQSPM62zHkPGxn02GsEHLnsNjxA/s1600/4807361596.A.Gould.flickr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvfZW1D0n_lwsWqAbvPv1cgRr4y4aERvidf_mr98VPhIxqfVs3PkAhLByC3FGEWAdoaqhN2o1Xspqll3LJKpPR9GVlhqBGH2SlzeTJAGK1F3dQSPM62zHkPGxn02GsEHLnsNjxA/s320/4807361596.A.Gould.flickr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Io moth<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anitagould/4807361596/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">©</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Anita Gould</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In summary, stinging nettles can enrich a diet and be a
worthy addition to a butterfly garden. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2013</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-38022778463098668512013-01-26T13:46:00.002-08:002013-04-16T10:31:53.075-07:00Plastics are not part of the web of life<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of garbage. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;">©</span><span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_VIEW_OF_GARBAGE2.jpg">Parvathisri. Wikicommons</a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></div>
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Let me repeat this: Plastics are not part of the web of
life. They do not truly recycle but downcycle. They inexorably accumulate
despite the best efforts at recycling because the circle cannot be completed,
so this cannot be called recycling. At best what we are doing is downcycling,
modifying used plastics into lower grade plastics that can be used once or at
most twice in some other form. After that, they reach the end of the line.<br />
<br />
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© DondeReciclo.org</div>
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The consequence is that plastics keep accumulating in the
landscape. Horrific examples abound: dead albatrosses with stomachs full of
plastic fragments; turtles and other wildlife chocked to death by plastic
rings; fish full of plastic. Worse yet, the smaller fragments are out of sight,
but not entirely out of the picture. Some may be inert but many others are
potential carcinogens and toxins. If they are eaten by animals, they become
part of the food chain. Are we eating our own plastic garbage? We probably are.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead albatross chick. <!--[if !mso]>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;">© <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albatross_chick_plastic.jpg%20">DuncanWright. Wikicommons</a></span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What to do? We may not be able to eliminate plastics
entirely. Some plastics are useful, even highly valuable and we don't have to
give all of them up. But we could start with the disposable, one-use only
plastics, such as grocery bags and water bottles. They represent the largest
bulk of plastic waste and there are easy ways to cut down on their consumption.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One-use bottles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two great books should be helpful if we commit ourselves to
the task of plastics: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Toxic-Story-Susan-Freinkel/dp/054715240X">"Plastics, a Toxic Love Story by Susan Freinkel</a>
gives abundant information on plastics, their history, uses and recycling.<a href="http://myplasticfreelife.com/">"Plastic-Free:How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too"</a> by Beth Terry is equally informative. It is also packed full of suggestions on how you can
reduce plastic usage. It also provides numerous useful links.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, I have been taking steps toward reducing
plastics. I take my reusable bags wherever I go, not just to grocery stores,
but also other stores. Sometimes the cashier of a book store or drug store
automatically reaches for a plastic bag, without noticing that I am holding my
bag in front of him or her. In such cases, I promptly stop them with a smile
and tell them: "We have to help the environment any way we can". I
say it loud enough that other people in the line can hear me. I used to be
embarrassed, but no more. I do my best to be cordial and to emphasize the word
"we".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When eating out, I carry my own container and bag. When the
waitress offers a doggy bag, I tell her I don't need one. I am not
surreptitious about it anymore. Once again I speak loudly about helping the
environment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biodegradable plastics. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR;">© <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bio-K_Abfallbeutel_Kompostbeutel_CG.jpg%20">Christian Gahle, nova-Institut GmbH</a></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still don't know what to do with all the grocery items
that come in plastic containers; although I am beginning to keep track of
"green" stores that make an effort to provide egg cartons rather than
Styrofoam ones, cardboard salad containers and similar items. But there is
still a long way to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What suggestions do you have<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2013</span></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-76007651004913132282012-11-24T15:40:00.000-08:002012-11-24T15:40:29.332-08:00Milkweed's last hooray. Part two<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAV-AzbUbyqrjmY5YrfG1PSqoseFsGl4RreCBNxjUWb4fGJTegNfcI7VeTWkWntVtOTpWjl-vGfj8V0wl-XDefYlaN07coDPj9fLd0sZ6MFk7cWUt9y7is30FTIu7MHtQaSz5/s1600/IMG_1430.11.10.09.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAV-AzbUbyqrjmY5YrfG1PSqoseFsGl4RreCBNxjUWb4fGJTegNfcI7VeTWkWntVtOTpWjl-vGfj8V0wl-XDefYlaN07coDPj9fLd0sZ6MFk7cWUt9y7is30FTIu7MHtQaSz5/s320/IMG_1430.11.10.09.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polished lady beetle (<i>Cycloneda munda</i>) on dying milkweed leaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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The milkweed food chain would be incomplete without
predators and parasitoids. Most of them are out of sight in November; but a few
are around feeding on whatever is available, mostly aphids.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvieR9VjIhKgw6P7JO-x5EHuQ9PUFPtpdKk6wK2PY1-Qsy0EPCPwSaaUN8C2RwjmVpM-Z0TmZCYyVU-SiB7JYpCuy0xOl9G3gTFl1_jWsYWUu34gHuwteiyHBIUSqVfFKoBPU/s1600/IMG_0833.11.01.09.H.axyridis.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvieR9VjIhKgw6P7JO-x5EHuQ9PUFPtpdKk6wK2PY1-Qsy0EPCPwSaaUN8C2RwjmVpM-Z0TmZCYyVU-SiB7JYpCuy0xOl9G3gTFl1_jWsYWUu34gHuwteiyHBIUSqVfFKoBPU/s200/IMG_0833.11.01.09.H.axyridis.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multicolored Asian lady beetle (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harmonia axyridis</i>) pupa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two species of ladybugs or lady beetles find abundant food
on the dying milkweeds. A shiny adult polished lady beetle (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cycloneda munda</i>) may be getting ready to
hibernate. A little farther a pupa of the multicolored Asian lady beetle (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harmonia axyridis</i>) stays still on a
leaf. It is rather infrequent to find one so exposed. This one is darker than
most pupae of this species, but as its name indicates, color variations abound.
In another month it would become an adult, out of its pupa. It would turn out
darker than most of its kind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LPIHgxV4z8GDRL3j8Y5I6INPKxCbFtj5pgtbmlGLKegroUr39Oa_KGcIrUTzeEHydfRholIuu_JV6xYgRuhCjFQ4eX4iSzupsBuTVe1arfz6eqj_E5o2vb_tFthxgpvGqXp_/s1600/IMG_1886.11.21.09w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LPIHgxV4z8GDRL3j8Y5I6INPKxCbFtj5pgtbmlGLKegroUr39Oa_KGcIrUTzeEHydfRholIuu_JV6xYgRuhCjFQ4eX4iSzupsBuTVe1arfz6eqj_E5o2vb_tFthxgpvGqXp_/s200/IMG_1886.11.21.09w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multicolored Asian lady beetle adult</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Another type of aphid eater is present in numbers and feeds
on the two species of aphids mentioned in the previous post. The larvae of
syrphid flies are blind and worm-like, lacking legs. Despite these disadvantages,
they have no trouble finding aphids to feed upon, provided that the mother was
careful enough to lay her eggs near a growing and prosperous colony of aphids.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdF04NEVCjuQNZPxvSocnak7O0U-Q5gK5BYFH15I4Prg_nqi20fhhbNDWyDZsagE9llt7_dgF1SlTvbTshcRgvQ-uoavZE4w8Oiw_vc4BjKcd3fYeGyeIbwiXcnjdjxNvi8xU4/s1600/IMG_0913.11.01.09w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdF04NEVCjuQNZPxvSocnak7O0U-Q5gK5BYFH15I4Prg_nqi20fhhbNDWyDZsagE9llt7_dgF1SlTvbTshcRgvQ-uoavZE4w8Oiw_vc4BjKcd3fYeGyeIbwiXcnjdjxNvi8xU4/s200/IMG_0913.11.01.09w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syrphid larva (<i>Eupeodes americanus</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8-k53VMHZux5hu-R_8AO37OpcPMS_YLN8IZeWOg9JNc0n40-kl-1d291eZbUdsQ6hewRyhNLTagZoLm8loTGiWPHSIBoe3sKiweJN_L_j43u21CF771TuWNtnKMQOEY4Upv_/s1600/IMG_0846.11.01.09.Myzo.syrph.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8-k53VMHZux5hu-R_8AO37OpcPMS_YLN8IZeWOg9JNc0n40-kl-1d291eZbUdsQ6hewRyhNLTagZoLm8loTGiWPHSIBoe3sKiweJN_L_j43u21CF771TuWNtnKMQOEY4Upv_/s200/IMG_0846.11.01.09.Myzo.syrph.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syrphid larva (<i>Eupeodes americanus</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It is impressive to see these maggots thrashing around until they find a plump
juicy aphid. They hold it with their strong mouth parts and proceed to suck all
the internal fluids until the prey is reduced to a deflated piece of skin. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tv1g91kavY&feature=plcp">You can see the front end of the larva acting as a pump</a>, expanding and contracting.
Oddly, the other aphids in the colony have no fear, no premonition of what is
in store for them. I have seen them approaching and then walking all over a
syrphid maggot in total indifference.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp95Ig9IbCD1aHi-LhQAAaVNwARs9QGO5_4lwoa72ZIqoVv1HyFR_IAW0RrrD84l_zK5LpV_b32BsVsLme5ZpPR9Yz5cYjjzH8n8EBere9IQpvC5QBDvUq8zcrRc9wO6nPzKG/s1600/IMG_1574.11.11.09.Eupeod.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp95Ig9IbCD1aHi-LhQAAaVNwARs9QGO5_4lwoa72ZIqoVv1HyFR_IAW0RrrD84l_zK5LpV_b32BsVsLme5ZpPR9Yz5cYjjzH8n8EBere9IQpvC5QBDvUq8zcrRc9wO6nPzKG/s320/IMG_1574.11.11.09.Eupeod.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></td><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syrphid larva (<i>Eupeodes americanus</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In a couple of weeks this will be all over. No more active
life in the milkweed patch; just a few flying seeds carried by their fluff. The
monarchs are long gone. All others remain in the area in hidden places safe
from the weather and from the occasional winter predator. They will all return
to their usual activities next year, when the milkweeds start sprouting new
shoots and providing nourishment to them.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2012/11/milkweeds-last-hooray.html">Milkweed's last hooray</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: xx-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-79498463442974261042012-11-20T13:47:00.001-08:002013-11-24T08:49:29.323-08:00Goats Put to Service at Pennypack<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSoLhcW_ZfyM0rFZcoOHj19yaeh3wt77FHCVv7iQXu7Uof9z884pPnDZNWq2dkrhFVm7Y0t2hT5OmHGgz4Y1GD-2oZAHRWmqiBi5P9Zq-Z6vc3AtHsFFFFsca44GeI10M5IQt/s1600/IMG_8399.11.12.12.Goats.W.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSoLhcW_ZfyM0rFZcoOHj19yaeh3wt77FHCVv7iQXu7Uof9z884pPnDZNWq2dkrhFVm7Y0t2hT5OmHGgz4Y1GD-2oZAHRWmqiBi5P9Zq-Z6vc3AtHsFFFFsca44GeI10M5IQt/s320/IMG_8399.11.12.12.Goats.W.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">If you go for a walk at Pennypack Ecological Restoration
Trust, you may run into some unusual workers recently enlisted to deal with
weeds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">My friend and I went there for a walk last Monday and came
upon four goats inside an enclosure made of electrified wires. These handsome
creatures were merrily munching away brambles, multiflora roses, and oh joy,
poison ivy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">Three young men wearing green shirts with the Pennypack logo were
putting the final touches on the signs alerting people about the electric
wires. We were full of questions for them and were pleased to see them eager to
talk.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">They told us that restoration programs have started using
goats to control invasive vegetation, particularly in the West, and also in Staten Island, New
York. Sometimes goats are more effective and more
economic than herbicides or weed-whacking. Thus, these fellows convinced the
director to start a goat program at Pennypack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">The four goats arrived last Easter and were put to work a
month later, after a period of acclimation. Until now they had been doing their
weeding job in secluded areas out of sight of visitors. This was their first
day in a more visible place by the main trail. It is the visitors' turn to get
habituated to the goats and to begin to appreciate their restoration services.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_N2VD8x-qutvCSiolVKThM7upU6reHWf33M10SACghIQzxhqHIsCLZeSn4s9d1EgREA6uBmpIcD93P1HYgsVp9tDgzfiIC4H8G6MbKdP7tS3GHki0KqeLT89k_2HBsKYcU-9-/s1600/IMG_8383.11.12.12.Goats.W.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_N2VD8x-qutvCSiolVKThM7upU6reHWf33M10SACghIQzxhqHIsCLZeSn4s9d1EgREA6uBmpIcD93P1HYgsVp9tDgzfiIC4H8G6MbKdP7tS3GHki0KqeLT89k_2HBsKYcU-9-/s320/IMG_8383.11.12.12.Goats.W.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before and after. November 12, 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9sJEH97FIpcEwXuvIrn4QTKtUkUpc2dg429Jn_zklBVPYP9RfsKkYA0s2xRXaOGZffux-osQrbtAw4I618iR2G07eJp08pleOADKTRnTgP5FKb28IhAm18tRvMFgnRpA841g/s1600/IMG_8434.11.16.12.Goats.W.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9sJEH97FIpcEwXuvIrn4QTKtUkUpc2dg429Jn_zklBVPYP9RfsKkYA0s2xRXaOGZffux-osQrbtAw4I618iR2G07eJp08pleOADKTRnTgP5FKb28IhAm18tRvMFgnRpA841g/s320/IMG_8434.11.16.12.Goats.W.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before and after. November 16, 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">Everyday, these eager workers are brought to a patch in need
of clearing and left there until dark. They may have to return to the same spot
the next day if they haven't finished the job. After that, they are gradually moved
to other patches. The goats spend the night in a roofed shelter safe from
coyotes. Did you know that there were coyotes in Pennypack? Now you do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">I returned four days later to inspect the progress. The
enclosure had been moved a short distance from that of the first day. The happy
animals seemed to never stop chomping away at brambles and vines. At first, it
wasn't easy to tell what they had accomplished; but after I found my bearings I
could see that, in fact, they had disposed of a significant amount of tangled
vegetation. They had also munched on the bark of some tree branches. They are
not to blame for being so indiscriminate. It is the human handlers'
responsibility to place them only where they can do no harm to valuable native
plants.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">The plan is to restore the goat-cleared areas by replanting
them with native plants. This method beats using herbicides. It also beats
using human workers, especially when poison ivy is abundant or when the mats of
vegetation are impenetrable. Bear in mind that goats may cause damage to
valuable plants if given the opportunity; so precautions are needed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">I will continue checking periodically on these four legged
employees of Pennypack.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhmlahIQ4VbjmXgWIOqQLJufr8IugzGE71FVRLuDyXuxJAZFfvPdCBSLfdiKiaEEb-RinjIlitqoauxpLp3ngONt2f3rIKQw_NeqvsigJ3goAuL6dHetnejl3LN26P-fXVlJu/s1600/IMG_8440.11.16.12.Goats.W.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhmlahIQ4VbjmXgWIOqQLJufr8IugzGE71FVRLuDyXuxJAZFfvPdCBSLfdiKiaEEb-RinjIlitqoauxpLp3ngONt2f3rIKQw_NeqvsigJ3goAuL6dHetnejl3LN26P-fXVlJu/s320/IMG_8440.11.16.12.Goats.W.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invasive vines waiting to be disposed of by goats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Beatriz Moisset.11/17/2012</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a></span></div>
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-37820107760393227792012-11-15T18:26:00.000-08:002013-04-12T10:37:16.433-07:00Milkweed's last hooray<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWBuV6HC28fuEya5jeXH23MQDoxppml1n11_MLPIbYV6bA5hQFllT1uQprq2QXWOhc2h9ehf3Lmpgyoe8VjbRCt_E4obpLYI5yteHeI7AKwnhr9_w1-C79i1xkljLg-lt_551/s1600/IMG_0817.11.01.09.Tricho.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWBuV6HC28fuEya5jeXH23MQDoxppml1n11_MLPIbYV6bA5hQFllT1uQprq2QXWOhc2h9ehf3Lmpgyoe8VjbRCt_E4obpLYI5yteHeI7AKwnhr9_w1-C79i1xkljLg-lt_551/s320/IMG_0817.11.01.09.Tricho.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Striped garden caterpillar, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trichordestra legitima</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is November. We are deep into autumn. Monarch butterflies
stopped feeding on milkweeds and are long gone from this area. Milkweeds are
wilting, dropping leaves, some covered with sooty mold, and others reduced to
dry stems and seed pods. Still they continue to nourish and shelter a number of
species that depend on them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A noctuid moth, the striped garden caterpillar moth (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trichordestra legitima</i>), spends the
winter as a pupa. An occasional caterpillar hangs around this late in the
season taking advantage of the last scraps of food. Unlike monarchs, it is not
choosy. This one happens to be feeding on common milkweed but others find nourishment
in an incredible assortment of plants, from asparagus to yarrow or tobacco.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQysOT_G7btOVh7mVymCiZlVWITm2LP97lDmqMRMsBLNxCknHwxDyz6jQarVP_vh4yZ69Oden2w33IefQuRRIoCJfoA98gbhnbma3tXYY4R_Coz662YhNttpQoWMbC1BT0FoT/s1600/IMG_0851.11.01.09w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQysOT_G7btOVh7mVymCiZlVWITm2LP97lDmqMRMsBLNxCknHwxDyz6jQarVP_vh4yZ69Oden2w33IefQuRRIoCJfoA98gbhnbma3tXYY4R_Coz662YhNttpQoWMbC1BT0FoT/s200/IMG_0851.11.01.09w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oleander aphid, <i>Aphis nerii</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aphids are busy sucking juices from the few remaining green stems
and leaves of milkweeds. Their colonies are usually considerably larger this
time of the year. The most frequent species on common milkweed is the oleander
aphid (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aphis nerii</i>), a bright
yellow-orange one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid5O_QoojAAidE6BCJeLObmS_bHCLp9_N5PDRL9bcEx2hbCNxVwb5SnOKBzWnljHCAP9pwDJts2LsCQjihNryOa1x3Z0sFH7a9PWW6m4S4XoCLjwHzXP3eZkC8qvB5Gyftzhf/s1600/IMG_0916.11.01.09.Myzoczllis.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid5O_QoojAAidE6BCJeLObmS_bHCLp9_N5PDRL9bcEx2hbCNxVwb5SnOKBzWnljHCAP9pwDJts2LsCQjihNryOa1x3Z0sFH7a9PWW6m4S4XoCLjwHzXP3eZkC8qvB5Gyftzhf/s200/IMG_0916.11.01.09.Myzoczllis.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> Myzocallis asclepiadis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Less common is the aphid called only by its scientific name, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Myzocallis
asclepiadis</i>, about the same size as the oleander aphid, almost translucent,
with dark dots and often seen sharing plants with its more colorful relative.<i> Myzocallis asclepiadis</i> specializes on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Asclepias</i>, as its name suggests. The
oleander aphid has broader tastes, living on other members of the dogbane
family (Apocinaceae), as well as occasionally some plants of the potato family.
This aphid is not native to this hemisphere, and, curiously, there are no males
in the North American populations, so they only reproduce parthenogenetically
or by virgin birth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMbj6fEG6zNgQf9dplKQiZhXzJTeIWFTBHX8OqNcNxL0IxDmwTQ8RP3VY1YXwAJoYsOB_eDHFcYCgJ_p0SKi8F971FmXpmNmz05wPVkgx-yn8cAyFK_gQck4mBMkPYP1V2xcK/s1600/IMG_0873.11.01.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMbj6fEG6zNgQf9dplKQiZhXzJTeIWFTBHX8OqNcNxL0IxDmwTQ8RP3VY1YXwAJoYsOB_eDHFcYCgJ_p0SKi8F971FmXpmNmz05wPVkgx-yn8cAyFK_gQck4mBMkPYP1V2xcK/s200/IMG_0873.11.01.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Labidomera clivicollis, </i>larva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba3IuQ5MwAonECWP_JMIqk7OgzGoPhnmxYLwyHdJRIWVE-_3flXezGsPGLxfMGT6q9y8Du6_pJeDIoj93WMt3upDFTc5NK4tTdgmNlqs9aVqg24TraeP2QEMX_vqI-Ofug3U9/s1600/IMG_1463.11.10.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiba3IuQ5MwAonECWP_JMIqk7OgzGoPhnmxYLwyHdJRIWVE-_3flXezGsPGLxfMGT6q9y8Du6_pJeDIoj93WMt3upDFTc5NK4tTdgmNlqs9aVqg24TraeP2QEMX_vqI-Ofug3U9/s200/IMG_1463.11.10.09.Labidomera.w.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labidomera clivicollis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A colorful beetle, the swamp milkweed leaf beetle (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Labidomera clivicollis</i>) is not as
selective as its name indicates and also feeds on common milkweed, as this larva
was doing. It is unusual to find a larva still feeding in November. There was an
adult nearby.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oh4_r8KW_50teLEyyvcwr8My4N-OtWU1F28CwxCxrPmaAc6_ZJ_4zuQv8zK5XvEYlgNzScbKXGBuMiTXtWXWLeLk_lSvXQiUzym4aBKQUeODRJOyHjKaAl1k4vhtr9j58jtt/s1600/PA187574.04.w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oh4_r8KW_50teLEyyvcwr8My4N-OtWU1F28CwxCxrPmaAc6_ZJ_4zuQv8zK5XvEYlgNzScbKXGBuMiTXtWXWLeLk_lSvXQiUzym4aBKQUeODRJOyHjKaAl1k4vhtr9j58jtt/s200/PA187574.04.w.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">large
milkweed bug, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oncopeltus fasciatus</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A common denizen of dry and dying milkweeds is the large
milkweed bug (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oncopeltus fasciatus</i>).
Both adults and juveniles (called nymphs) feed on seeds of this plant as well
as leaves. So it is not surprising to see them in large numbers in November.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Soon all these milkweed visitors will be gone, too. The one
that will remain will be the longhorned milkweed beetle <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tetraopes
tetrophthalmus</i>). </span> Its larvae will remain
buried underground feeding on roots and waiting for next spring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://polinizador.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/an-easy-guide-to-the-most-frequent-flower-visitors/">Beginners Guide to Pollinators and Other Flower Visitors</a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
</div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-52225433579190127432012-09-23T08:27:00.000-07:002012-10-06T14:50:15.124-07:00Invisible Bird Food in the Foliage<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC7Ru2OfWtlDq0h4X19lebrbHE7HLkEvyXXyI9A9DkRTwc-ohfgeD6Q0TYTjuGAWSruwfGyT2YVFNsNxfwdWtNpFMFjXbdW-GbwRr_QBcV_mND_mM18ZJq1_exyuAaItewq9K/s1600/IMG_8254.9.21.09.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC7Ru2OfWtlDq0h4X19lebrbHE7HLkEvyXXyI9A9DkRTwc-ohfgeD6Q0TYTjuGAWSruwfGyT2YVFNsNxfwdWtNpFMFjXbdW-GbwRr_QBcV_mND_mM18ZJq1_exyuAaItewq9K/s320/IMG_8254.9.21.09.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a gorgeous end of summer day, I visited the wildflower
garden of a local nature center with the intention to capture with my camera
some of the wildlife, flower visitors, in particular. Unfortunately, I
realized on arrival that I didn't feel well and needed to rest. So I stretched
out on a bench under a gazebo, using my handbag as a pillow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I rediscovered a simple truth: If you remain still and
silent, nature comes to you and shows you things that you would have missed
otherwise. A toad peeked from under the next bench, remaining in the moist
coolness and shadows. Birds sang, flew, and dove into the foliage to emerge again,
perhaps near me. A butterfly almost bumped onto my face.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, one of those confusing fall warblers, a Wilson warbler perhaps,
landed just ten feet from me. I am hopeless at identifying those drab olive and
yellow little fellows. It proceeded to browse delicately from a jewelweed. I
wondered what food it could find there. Some detective work was in order. I rested a
little longer and then I got up to investigate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1u8PVeDVTlXI4lWGbkclp6zHy2owEtb32AZzwiXyS5Vk8tIf8j8V6QJnGNe5isoM9KCllGbS_syx9D0Zqrk9elnbM6n345omdrhTAmZHW-LdBclkp9Mz_bLcIgqMI5a8UqFX/s1600/IMG_8056.9.21.12.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1u8PVeDVTlXI4lWGbkclp6zHy2owEtb32AZzwiXyS5Vk8tIf8j8V6QJnGNe5isoM9KCllGbS_syx9D0Zqrk9elnbM6n345omdrhTAmZHW-LdBclkp9Mz_bLcIgqMI5a8UqFX/s320/IMG_8056.9.21.12.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I saw some holes on the leaves. Insects had been feeding;
but they were long gone judging by the scar tissue around the wounds. Still the
possibility remained that a similar leaf feeder was present when the bird
landed. No way to know, though. Also, I couldn't guess whether the long-gone eater had been a caterpillar, sawfly or leaf
beetle larva. My detective skills are severely limited in this respect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3CnoUQZNUQcOvcqmT_pOtLQOoFM3gnZmExs5-yO95M4sLbfFXh9AhHDRhdiX115wBd6pUKp0YdxZyie03A_uM4dQuozTtdL_3KtVNHrvp2VN18EdhN6c51w8apMPcuhEx6xo/s1600/IMG_8060.9.21.12.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3CnoUQZNUQcOvcqmT_pOtLQOoFM3gnZmExs5-yO95M4sLbfFXh9AhHDRhdiX115wBd6pUKp0YdxZyie03A_uM4dQuozTtdL_3KtVNHrvp2VN18EdhN6c51w8apMPcuhEx6xo/s320/IMG_8060.9.21.12.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Further observation led me to the mummified body of an aphid,
not worthy of a bird's attention; but a clue nonetheless. Where there is one
aphid, almost invariably there are more. It didn't take me long to find
clusters of fat juicy green ones under the leaves of the jewelweed. I
would have never noticed the well hidden aphids if the bird had not brought
them to my attention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxqCau9uZBrEDV7uB6HVh9p89vKxWQduh6A4wdfiY2K5NvXtsecBfJUugknkk3RZFi6D4HSb6OzdhWmWv_UxWB4_XiunFiBSbCOPGZbTafXp0kZNADM7abEgnTjUuDShqii5Z/s1600/IMG_8065.9.21.12.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxqCau9uZBrEDV7uB6HVh9p89vKxWQduh6A4wdfiY2K5NvXtsecBfJUugknkk3RZFi6D4HSb6OzdhWmWv_UxWB4_XiunFiBSbCOPGZbTafXp0kZNADM7abEgnTjUuDShqii5Z/s320/IMG_8065.9.21.12.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although I cannot be sure, I suspect that this was the
morsel that the warbler was after. The insect life in the garden is rich and
mostly out of sight. It feeds the birds, more skilled than us at spotting this
nutritious resource. And thus, the web of life goes on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-fWb_oKa3DdOL6IX-7gvyR-VXba2CMsWvXDnLCiFYiRIm9-TyWsRt1W4gQhFEOCZha40J1PIENnpI7qK_kp6lc25yJboepDNE9FFBqYJrJZ0N8QuUMcmTt2_JAtlEfJKUAeS/s1600/IMG_6774.9.21.12.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-fWb_oKa3DdOL6IX-7gvyR-VXba2CMsWvXDnLCiFYiRIm9-TyWsRt1W4gQhFEOCZha40J1PIENnpI7qK_kp6lc25yJboepDNE9FFBqYJrJZ0N8QuUMcmTt2_JAtlEfJKUAeS/s320/IMG_6774.9.21.12.w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-88899546391881155162012-09-19T13:21:00.000-07:002015-01-15T14:03:02.184-08:00Turtles, Shorebirds, and Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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The sun rises above a Florida
beach. Dark creatures the size of sand dollars scurry across the sand toward
the water: baby turtles, born in the last few hours and rushing toward the
safety of the ocean. Many others have taken this road from nest to water line
through the night. Darkness provided relative protection from hungry predators.
These latecomers face a danger that grows by the minute.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hundreds of shorebirds have taken notice of the bounty and
even invited others with joyous screams. They skillfully dive, beaks and claws at
the ready, picking up one delicious morsel after another. Many of the newborns
fall prey to the hungry mob, but others pass through the gauntlet and reach the
safety of the waves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You tell me that you worry about the turtles and fear for
the survival of the species after reading that populations have been declining
steadily. So you chase the birds away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tell you that the turtles have been laying eggs on these
shores for eons. Birds have been helping themselves to the feast for just as
long. They have not driven the turtles to extinction, and they are not likely
to do so. They have succeeded in molding the turtle's physiology and behavior,
though. That is why most baby turtles emerge at night; that is why they make a
dash toward the water; that is why they are shaped the way they are. If
raccoons were more abundant than birds, turtles would respond to the nocturnal
predation and eventually most of them would emerge during the day rather than
at night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nature tends to keep things in balance. In its cruel
arithmetic, most babies are not supposed to live. To maintain the turtle
populations, all it takes is two hatchlings reaching adulthood and reproducing
for each egg-laying female. And each female lays hundreds of eggs not once but
many times in the course of her lifetime, most of them doomed to die without
reproducing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
No, I say, the most serious threat to sea turtles doesn't
come from predators. It comes from us, humans. Pollution, electric lights, heavy
beach traffic, both by foot and by vehicles, pets on the loose, fishing nets, human-caused
climate change . . . all these things combined put turtles and many other
creatures at risk of becoming extinct.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love the spunky baby turtle and its determination to
survive. I also love the graceful seabird that preys on the innocent little
turtle. I love all creatures and enjoy their beauty. But I love the web of life
even more. Its exquisite quality is hidden from ordinary sight. Understanding it
takes observation and careful thought. The marvelous intricacy of the web of
life connects all creatures and makes possible their existence. So, you and I
would do better to ignore the predatory birds. Instead, let us work together in
preventing or mitigating the ecological damage that all of us continue to
inflict on the planet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8yZg6AvdyazNTGpNTZ3rMFVkywoZhd5WXwA6djpL6wAKVrjQqtpIkztHBHU5eXBwBeOfR_qlTeju2itYkzpelsujL8-SnMeQPwq9EMPd7ghfZs0ou6fwE2rl3zJR05E8jDOK/s1600/TURTLE.06.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8yZg6AvdyazNTGpNTZ3rMFVkywoZhd5WXwA6djpL6wAKVrjQqtpIkztHBHU5eXBwBeOfR_qlTeju2itYkzpelsujL8-SnMeQPwq9EMPd7ghfZs0ou6fwE2rl3zJR05E8jDOK/s320/TURTLE.06.w.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beatriz Moisset. Oct.
2012</i></div>
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-69737576021548642302012-06-28T15:19:00.000-07:002014-03-18T11:21:20.858-07:00Don't Kill Your Friends<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPoPehe4LcXyBKk2VjHH1dPti5YFwGrUCKWhlCaSEgJHSyx_ou87kJuD-IJe2r4LMidkY2lpG9q16oPa96EIYv7TOd7QB5PPWuRlf2ABoKhyHYCUZobyWn9vNFuqbBXJaGHy_/s1600/P6305573.04w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPoPehe4LcXyBKk2VjHH1dPti5YFwGrUCKWhlCaSEgJHSyx_ou87kJuD-IJe2r4LMidkY2lpG9q16oPa96EIYv7TOd7QB5PPWuRlf2ABoKhyHYCUZobyWn9vNFuqbBXJaGHy_/s320/P6305573.04w.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larva of <i>Coleomegilla maculata</i>, pink spotted lady beetle <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Please, don't go about killing any bug in sight. Some of the ugly ones are your best friends. Take the little "alligator" shown here. If you look closely you will notice that it is devouring aphids.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61BWcNUs_kVuyB-SjGAeErGSqVGyV3gne5jIfppeYU7Pg7xidv_awbmnvsQSAzOdRTPOslwMGpKLK3a0neSnTwfu2tNGSDfc1I9HIEL5y0HyOUlrA39IsICBhBhrk9wRJDNb/s1600/P6305573.04.crop.w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61BWcNUs_kVuyB-SjGAeErGSqVGyV3gne5jIfppeYU7Pg7xidv_awbmnvsQSAzOdRTPOslwMGpKLK3a0neSnTwfu2tNGSDfc1I9HIEL5y0HyOUlrA39IsICBhBhrk9wRJDNb/s320/P6305573.04.crop.w.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same as above, notice the aphids being eaten <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The aphids escape notice at first sight. They are the ones that are sapping the juices from your plants and this little guy is going around vacuuming them as fast as it can.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroZGctdET9Fudpu4gzj7h07bxxD-KgDt4v-2anCvJkPEf_Fq3EjrWl_3PLldjWiArce0doY2SAMgkjTkm0uew8FyR5YqSAX8c-DDKnSEg0xhy2sgGC53Hg6nAiHcS2OnoRU-Y/s1600/4501.ladybug.2.web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroZGctdET9Fudpu4gzj7h07bxxD-KgDt4v-2anCvJkPEf_Fq3EjrWl_3PLldjWiArce0doY2SAMgkjTkm0uew8FyR5YqSAX8c-DDKnSEg0xhy2sgGC53Hg6nAiHcS2OnoRU-Y/s320/4501.ladybug.2.web.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult <i>Coleomegilla maculata</i> on spring beauty <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And here is the kicker, that ugly bug will turn into a ladybug when it is fully grown.And remember that it probably eats more aphids at this stage than when it is fully grown. So, if you think about it, maybe it isn't ugly after all. It is beginning to look rather pretty, don't you think?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76dwYUYxJnmsKUm-MdycVQsjdiRlmfId8HfbiwHY6hjVY0J7Dxpu_7_ewHG15OCsyYprSYcyLYgkhYikaHgsgb1BxsQlXxFrKK8z7ak_KPmSftyJKL2ZJv0gNkSNDQ7zJdAz-/s1600/P8155242.04w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76dwYUYxJnmsKUm-MdycVQsjdiRlmfId8HfbiwHY6hjVY0J7Dxpu_7_ewHG15OCsyYprSYcyLYgkhYikaHgsgb1BxsQlXxFrKK8z7ak_KPmSftyJKL2ZJv0gNkSNDQ7zJdAz-/s320/P8155242.04w.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polished lady beetle <span style="font-size: xx-small;">© <a href="http://bugguide.net/user/view/667" title="View user profile.">Beatriz Moisset</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of Articles</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16317873.post-16782995102273984732012-05-22T12:49:00.001-07:002012-10-08T18:32:22.257-07:00No Tree is an Island<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The small seed fell on the fertile soil. After a rest period it swelled and
burst out of its case. It lifted its head and began to grow, enjoying the
sunshine and the rain water that penetrated the ground and bathed its small
roots. After a number of years, it became a significant member of the forest,
as large as some of its companions. It had become a tree. And that is what we
will call it from now on: Tree.<br />
<br />
Tree follows an annual routine, each spring it covers itself with flowers, the
agents of a special contract with insect partners. It lures these partners with
the perfumed and brightly colored flowers. Tree provides them with nectar and
pollen and makes use of them to have its pollen carried to other members of its
species. The tiny partners are unaware of the pollination service they provide.
Tree uses them for its own purposes, to ensure the next generation and pays
them handsomely.<br />
<br />
Once the flowers are pollinated, fruits grow, with seeds inside that will
complete the process of starting another generation. When the seeds are ready,
Tree resorts to other kind of attractants to call a second set of partners. The
fruits ripen, become sweet and nutritious and their colors turn bright inviting
birds and maybe squirrels or other small creatures as well as larger ones. Tree
provides them with sugars and vitamins, to induce them to carry the seeds some
distance, so Tree's descendants can spread far and wide.<br />
<br />
Tree has relationships with many other members of the forest. Some are not
so friendly; they can even be costly. Tree resorts to other items in its
tool kit, including weapons and even hiring some allies of a different sort.
Multiple creatures feed on the leaves and other tissues of Tree. Most of the
time they don't cause serious damage because Tree uses its defenses to be
unpalatable, thus repelling a good number of them or limiting how much they can
eat. If things get out of hand Tree resorts to another defense: it calls
helpers, parasitic wasps, ready to lay their eggs on the damaging insects, thus
bringing down their populations and the damage that they might inflict on Tree
otherwise. If that defense isn't enough, Tree can count with the help of
several other enemies of its enemies, ladybugs, lacewings and a few others.
Tree doesn't know it, but even its enemies may provide it some benefits. Some of
them end up feeding the very birds that at other times take care of dispersing
Tree's seeds. So, it would be more appropriate to regard them as taxes, that
necessary evil, rather than enemies.<br />
<br />
Thus, Tree is intertwined to the life of the forest in multiple ways above
ground. It is time that we take a look below ground, where the web of life is just
as intricate or even more so.<br />
<br />
There are certain fungi, called mycorrhizae, that partner with Tree in an
intimate way. They are composed of very thin threads similar to rootlets but
thinner and far more abundant. They form an endless mesh wrapping around Tree's
roots and even penetrating them. They are not a threat but helpers. They
dramatically increase the reach of Tree's rootlets and they are far superior at
extracting water and essential minerals from the soil.<br />
<br />
They render some of
these to Tree which, in return, pays its partner with nutrients produced by its
leaves. Not satisfied with that, mycorrhizae reach out to other trees and
plants, providing similar services. The remarkable thing is that they have the
faculty of carrying nutrients from one plant to another when a particular one
is under stress and the others are doing well. Thus, the partnership goes well
beyond Tree to the entire community.<br />
<br />
Mycorrhizal interconnections don't stop there. They also interact with a
variety of soil bacteria. These bacteria, too, are very good at producing an
assortment of chemicals, some of them useful to the mycorrhizae and also to
Tree.<br />
<br />
When mycorrhizae want to reproduce, they form the familiar mushrooms often
seen on the forest floor. Other mycorrhizae produce truffles instead. Now, it
is time for another partner to enter the scene. The mushroom or truffle is
nutritious to many forest creatures, beetles, squirrels, flying squirrels. They
seek the mushroom or truffle's flesh, swallowing some spores along with it.
Later on, they pass the spores at some distance, where new mycorrhizae can grow
away from the parent and develop a relationship with other plants.<br />
<br />
Tree sheds its leaves every year. These would accumulate to the point of
smothering the soil if it wasn't for the work of other helpers. A wide array of
insects, fungi, bacteria, nematodes slowly chews away all this matter. It takes
them years to return all the nutrients to the soil but they accomplish this
task.<br />
<br />
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I probably left out many other partners of Tree. But this
could suffice for now. We can firmly conclude that no tree is an island. No
other creature is an island either, all joined together in the Web of Life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://pollinatingbee.blogspot.com/2010/02/list-of-articles.html">List of articles</a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="unicode" style="font-size: x-small;">© Beatriz Moisset. 2012</span></div>
Beatriz Moissethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05745938472052790104noreply@blogger.com0