Molt, snowfall don’t always coincide for snowshoe hares
A flash of white darts across the road into a brown thicket of leafless vegetation. The snowshoe hare typically blends into its surroundings but with…
Tag: Life Cycles
Can woolly bear caterpillars predict winter weather?
What will winter be like? Many look to the woolly (wooly) bear caterpillar for a prediction. The black and orangish-brown banded caterpillars may be the…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
Toad warts not contagious, just toxic
Movement in the garden soil caught my eye as I was preparing to plant seeds. Larger than the spiders, grasshoppers and other insects I had…
More exceptions than rules when distinguishing moths and butterflies
Black and yellow patterned wings with a small ‘tail’ flutter between flowers, an identifiable characteristic of the tiger swallowtail. Certain butterflies are easily identified by…
Killdeer protect eggs by faking injury
The loud piercing “kill-dee” or “dee-dee-dee” call of the aptly named killdeer alerts all to the presence of predators or a disturbance. The noisy vocal…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Crab spiders ambush prey
Stopping to smell a wildflower–particularly a yellow or white one–may bring you eye-to-eye with a crab spider. Perched motionless with legs outstretched like a miniature…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
Busy as a bee no understatement
From the moment they pupate into an adult until they die, honeybees are constantly working. Truthfully, it is the females who work constantly. Three types…
Crane flies look like big mosquitoes
Mosquito eaters, skeeter eaters and mosquito hawks are a few names for the gangly crane fly that looks like an over-sized mosquito. However, these names…
Red-winged blackbirds: Only males true to their name
A bird true to its name is the red-winged blackbird. The descriptive name of the red-winged blackbird only applies to the male though. The female…
Can woolly bear caterpillars predict winter weather?
What will winter be like? Many look to the woolly (wooly) bear caterpillar for a prediction. The black and orangish-brown banded caterpillars may be the…
Insects instigate abnormal growth on plants
Odd growths on plant leaves or stems ranging from tiny bumps to red, spiny growths to pinecone-like growths on willows are a unique plant/insect relationship.…
Toad warts not contagious, just toxic
Movement in the garden soil caught my eye as I was preparing to plant seeds. Larger than the spiders, grasshoppers and other insects I had…
More exceptions than rules when distinguishing moths and butterflies
Black and yellow patterned wings with a small ‘tail’ flutter between flowers, an identifiable characteristic of the tiger swallowtail. Certain butterflies are easily identified by…
Killdeer protect eggs by faking injury
The loud piercing “kill-dee” or “dee-dee-dee” call of the aptly named killdeer alerts all to the presence of predators or a disturbance. The noisy vocal…
Wandering painted turtles seeking place to lay eggs
Western painted turtles typically don’t wander far from their pond unless it is time to lay eggs. Finding two turtles on the West Side Road…
Crab spiders ambush prey
Stopping to smell a wildflower–particularly a yellow or white one–may bring you eye-to-eye with a crab spider. Perched motionless with legs outstretched like a miniature…
Conifers increase the odds with prolific pollen
You may have noticed a yellow dust on your car or around the edges of puddles recently. The visible yellow dust is only a fraction…
Busy as a bee no understatement
From the moment they pupate into an adult until they die, honeybees are constantly working. Truthfully, it is the females who work constantly. Three types…
Crane flies look like big mosquitoes
Mosquito eaters, skeeter eaters and mosquito hawks are a few names for the gangly crane fly that looks like an over-sized mosquito. However, these names…
Red-winged blackbirds: Only males true to their name
A bird true to its name is the red-winged blackbird. The descriptive name of the red-winged blackbird only applies to the male though. The female…