13 August 2023
The birds are quiet now however the insects are busy.
When I photographed this butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) I zoomed in to take a look at the yellow spec at the again fringe of the flower cluster and located a tiny yellow crab spider clinging to the plant life. My bet is that he’s a member of the Thomisidae circle of relatives, mendacity in look ahead to one thing. However what?
On Monday, whilst strolling the 3 Rivers Heritage Path River reverse Herr’s Island, I realized a caterpillar at the broad aluminum railing. It jogged my memory of the hickory tussock moth except for that this one used to be blonde.
iNaturalist recognized it as a sycamore tussock moth (Halysidota harrisii). The railing used to be at once underneath his host plant, a sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis).
The caterpillar walked abruptly down the railing in a instantly line till Whoa! a noticed lanternfly pink nymph walked abruptly towards him. The caterpillar made a detour.
At Frick Park on 6 August we discovered numerous millipedes at the paved 9 Mile Run Path. iNaturalist says they’re greenhouse millipedes (Oxidus gracilis), regarded as local to Japan however presented world wide. They get their identify from being a pest in greenhouses.
And after all I used to be fooled the day prior to this by means of those mating orange and black insects, as fooled as they supposed me to be. They appeared like milkweed insects, however why have been they on a false sunflower?
I will have to have identified! Those are false milkweed insects (Lygaeus turcicus) who masquerade as a toxic species and whose host plant is the false sunflower. Learn extra about them and the insects they imitate right here.
(footage by means of Kate St. John)