Ebony Jewelwing

These gorgeous damselflies are called the "ebony Jewelwing" (Calopteryx maculate). These are one of the most colorful of all the damselflies, as well as being larger than most of the damselflies we see in this area. The males have iridescent blue or green bodies and jet black wings. The females are a little duller in appearance and have two distinctive white tips on their wings. The first picture above is of a female, notice the little white tip on her wing. The second picture features the male. They reach lengths of up to 3 inches.
Like all damselflies they are predators and prey on other insects. Because of their smaller mouths they typically feed on small insects and small spiders. The larva of this species is aquatic, and they feed on aquatic insects. Look for them in timber edges, usually near a water source. Timber creeks are a great place to find them. These are fairly easy to approach providing you move slowly and quietly. They do not stay in any one place very long and flit about a lot. These are common throughout Missouri as well the Eastern 2/3 of the United States. Many creatures including frogs, birds and spiders will prey on these jewels. In their aquatic stage as nymphs they are preyed upon by turtles, fish and large dragonfly nymphs. Mating occurs in the summer, the male will grab the female behind the neck with his tail (end of his abdomen). After mating, the female will lay her eggs in the soft stems of aquatic plants. The eggs hatch into larvae called naiads. They live an entirely aquatic life until it is time for them to leave their watery bed, they will then crawl out of the water and grab hold of a stem and shed their exoskeleton. Once their wings dry out they will take flight for the first time.

sPiDeRs

Here are some unusual spiders that I have spotted this year. The first one is an orb weaver. It had captured some delectable little insect to dine on. The second one I have no idea of the species or even the genus. It was hiding on the backside of a blade of grass. It was very tiny at around 3/8 of an inch legs and all. It's coloring was very beautiful. I can't help but be a bit freaked out by these eight legged creatures, but even though I have many trepidations about them I am still fascinated by their life styles, shapes, sizes and coloring. I recognize spiders are hugely beneficial and I am grateful for their presence in my yard. I just want to make darn sure I know where they are before they know where I am. Want to see a completely hysterical woman, just let one of these things end up on me without my invitation!

More Pretty Flower Flies

These are some more images of flower flies and others that I have taken this spring. Their sizes and colors vary so much that they make for interesting subjects to photograph. Some, like the first one resemble yellowjackets. In fact when I first spotted this one I thought it was a wasp. It flew so quickly that the image quality is very poor, but I decided to share it anyway, simply because it is so pretty, and it is a great example of mimicry. The one on the white daisy-like flower has a visitor with it, a very tiny nymph, believed to be a lacewing nymph.

Silver-SpottedSkipper

These images are of the Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus). They are one of the most common skippers in Missouri. We see many of them this time of year along the timber edges as well as visiting flowers in my gardens. They grow to about 1.75 to 2.25 inches, making them the largest skipper in our area. Their coloring is not as spectacular as other butterflies, but they are certainly pretty in their own right. Their upperwings are drab brownish-black with orangish colored wing bars. Their underwings feature the white or silvery spots from which they get their name. Look for them at woodland edges, open fields, roadsides, gardens and near streams. Adults prefer nectar from flowers with hues of red, blue, pink or purple. May also be found at white or cream colored flowers. The host plant for the caterpillars varies to include Black Locust, Honey Locust, False Indigo, and many other woody legumes. You will find adults perched upside down on the underside of leaves and night or during the hottest parts of the day.

Unknown Tiger Beetle--Ted this one is for you.

While in Fillmore, MO today I decided to do some bug hunting with the camera. Joey spotted this pretty tiger beetle. I managed to get a few pictures of it before it disappeared. True to their nature they are difficult subjects. Very quick and flighty. Ted this is a shout out to you, do you know which one this is? I thought it was the Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle but there are no visible spots that I can see. It was roughly 1/2 inch long, bright iridescent green and blue legs.

Spittle Bugs

Spittle bugs are a common sight in the spring and summer, and may go unnoticed by many. I've had children ask me during nature hikes "who spit on the grass?" I am always happy to tell them it is an insect, a spittle bug to be exact. Most of the time it takes some convincing, so I will gently sift through the "spit" and show them a tiny insect nymph hiding inside. This fascinates the kids and I must say I find it quite fascinating myself. Without knowing that an insect had created such a clever hideout to grow in; one would never know and would absolutely assume as these children often do that someone had very bad manners and "spit" on the grass. The spittle bugs are from the Cercopidae family of insects in the order Homoptera which means same wing bugs. There 24,000 species of spittle bugs Worldwide, and 54 species are known in North America, but in Missouri there are four that are most commonly seen, two reside in pine or conifer trees and the other two typically are found in meadows or areas with tall grasses. The species Philaenus spumarius is one of the meadow spittle bugs whose juveniles or nymphs are a brown color with spots and known to feed mostly on alfalfa and clover. The species Lepyronia quadrangularis is the second, this species of the meadow spittle bugs. It can be identified by the two oblique bands across its back and its preference for feeding on grass. I believe the mass of spit pictured here is from the first one, spumarius. This species is the most common in the Midwest. These little wads of spit are all over near our garden and along the edges of our fields where the grasses tend to get very high and overgrown. The female lays eggs in late summer or early fall, usually in August or September that overwinter, in the spring. The eggs hatch and the young nymphs climb onto the grasses or conifers, and begin feeding, they will create this frothy mixture of spit from their nether regions. They pump their bodies to create the froth then use their back legs to cover themselves with it. It is believed that this foamy mixture keeps the nymph moist so that is does not dry out, it may also be a form of protection from potential predators, after all who wants to sift through spit to get to your meal? In large numbers these insects can cause significant damage to grass crops like alfalfa and clover. The young nymphs use their piercing sucking mouth parts to puncture plants and extract the juices. The plants will wilt and are often times stunted and this greatly reduces yields. The adults will also feed on these same plants that they grew up on, once the plants begin drying out and dying they will move to fresh plants in another area. The adults are not known to cause significant damage to alfalfa crops. Spittle Bugs feed on over 400 varieties of plants. As a young nymph they are a light green color, when they become adults they turn pale green or yellow, or some species will have bands of color on them. Other species, typically the ones who feed on conifers will be brown as adults. In some areas they are called "Froghoppers" from their ability to hop great distances for their small size and they somewhat resemble frogs. If you don't mind sifting through some sticky wet spit, look and see what is lurking inside.

Missouri Mosquito?

I can recall as a child when these large insects would show up in spring, my brothers and I were convinced they were the largest mosquitoes anyone ever had seen. Even their locally common name of "Mosquito Hawk" implied a mosquito to not be messed with, can you imagine the welt caused from that bite? To this day I know of people who believe them to be mosquitoes. So that gives me some comfort in letting me know I wasn't the only one who thought that. Now I know better, and realize these flying giants are nothing more than a harmless fly, "crane fly" to be exact. Although I do prefer another common name that these flies are known to be called and that is "GollyWhopper" how fun is that name? Crane flies are a common sight this time of year and throughout the early summer. There are so many different species I can't begin to tell one from another with any accuracy, and with over 14,000 species occurring Worldwide it's no wonder. They appear to be gangly, or all legs when one first sees them, their bodies are often impossibly thin and they often rest with their wings outstretched. Some tropical species are known to reach 5 inches across, now that is a big 'GollyWhopper". Most of them in Missouri are around 1 inch but I know I've seen some around here that are pushing the 2 inch mark. They are weak and poor fliers, when disturbed they rarely fly more than a few feet from where they orginally were. They are very delicate, and when captured it is common for a leg to fall off, sometimes even with the most careful of handling this can occur. They are completely harmless to humans. Many of their common names such as the one mentioned above of Mosquito Hawk as well as other names like Skeeter Eater, and Mosquito Eater hint that they may feast on summers most annoying pest, I'm sad to say it isn't so. They do not feed on mosquitoes. Good news is they won't feast on us either. The female crane fly carries eggs in her abdomen which will give her a swollen appearance, she also has an ovipositor that extends from the back of her abdomen which is often mistaken for a stinger. The sole purpose of this appendage is to deposit her eggs in a suitable sight for hatching, she doesn't have the ability to sting you with it. Some crane flies in the larval stage will feed on mosquito larva, and adults feed exclusively on nectar if they feed at all, which many species do not. Most crane fly larva feed on plant roots and can cause some damage to turf and grasses. The young larva have a set of their own interesting nick-names which include "leatherjackets", "leatherbacks", "leatherback bugs" or "leatherjacket slugs", supposedly this comes from the way that they move. Less than 2% of crane fly species have been studied so little is know about the life cycles of many species. Some are aquatic in the larval stage most others are not. These awkward looking, longlegged creatures are fascinating in their own right. We have thousands of them near our timber each evening, fluttering around in the vegetatation clinging to the leaves of plants with those longggg legs. I can see subtle differences between certain individuals which tells me there are many species present, but it is beyond my expertise to give them a name,beyond calling them crane fly. The birds feast on these insects in large numbers, so they become part of the food chain and are a staple for many insect eating birds. Take a walk near some timber I can almost guarantee you will see these guys. Can't go for a walk? Turn on the porch light, they are attracted to light and will be found there as well. Happy hunting, but leave the mosquito repellent at home.

Striped Cucumber Beetle

This is the Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum). They are found throughout the Eastern United States. These are a small beetle at around 1/4 of an inch in length and very beautifully marked. All over yellow with three black stripes on their elytra (wings), and a black head. They are common in agricultural areas and near gardens. The ones pictured here were near my in-laws garden, in Fillmore, MO. Mating takes place in spring, and the female will lay her eggs in the soil at the base of food plants, the eggs hatch and the young larva feed on the roots of plants. In the case of this beetle the food of preference is melons, cucumbers, squash and other vining plants. The adults will chew holes in the leaves from the underside and leave a "Window Pane" effect. This causes significant damage to the plant and can cause the leaves to wilt and turn brown, often killing the plant. In large numbers these beetles can be detrimental to a garden or agricultural crop of these plants. These beetles are also know to spread bacteria wilt to plants, it is spread through the wounds left b ehind from the beetle feeding. Pretty to look at but frightful in large numbers to the gardner who cherishes his melons.

Northern Green Striped Grasshopper

I believe this little grasshopper is the female "Northern Green Striped Grasshopper" Joey and I made a trip out to Happy Holler to look at the river which was flooded from recent heavy rains. We decided to take pizza with us and have a little picnic. After we were finished eating I explored the grasses and bushes nearby and found this little grasshopper trying pitifully to hop away. Some of her legs were missing and she seemed to be having some difficulty in navigating where she wanted to go. She tended to stay close to the ground under the grasses making it very difficult to capture a picture. I finally placed her on top of this clover bloom and managed to take a few photos before she once again disappeared in the grasses below. This species is quite common in our area. Males are marked very differently from the females. Males will be all brown, and blend in well with dirt and dried grasses. You will find them in moist habitats such as near rivers, where this one was. Also found in prairies, grasslands and grassy slopes. These are not considered a significant pest to agricultural crops as their numbers in any given area are usually not too high. They prefer to eat succulents but will also feed on a variety of low growing grasses. Mating occurs in late summer, with females depositing eggs that hatch late in the season, these young nymphs will overwinter. In the spring the nymphs become active again and begin feeding and finish their growth cycle. Typically these are the first grasshoppers seen in the spring.

Honey Bee Swarm

I've posted about Honey Bees before and they continue to be one of my favorite things to write about. They are fascinating in their lifestyles and habits. Yesterday my husband, Joey and I went to a farm in Fillmore, MO that his family owns. This farm is situated near the Nodaway River and is a favorite place for wildlife viewing. On this particular visit, Joey said he heard bees, and they were loud. After listening closely I too could hear them. We carefully made our way to where the sound was coming from, as we got closer they got louder. I was the first to spot the swarm of bees high in a tree top. It was a fairly large swarm, I estimated it at about 20,000 bees or so. The sound was deafening below the tree. It is unbelievable how loud they are, when we first heard them we were easily 100 yards from them, possibly closer to 150 yards. We could see scouts leaving the swarm a few at a time, and then return a few minutes later. I assume these were reporting to the group if a suitable location had been found to set up home.
Swarming is common behavior among bees. When a hive becomes too over-populated part of the hive will disperse and create new hives. This phenomena usually occurs in the spring. There is an old saying that goes:

A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay;

A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon;

A swarm of bees in July isn't worth a fly.

There is some truth to this, swarming in May will allow the bees time to stock pile honey reserves to survive the cold winter, in June their chances are still good, but in July it is pushing things. They may not be able to gather enough pollen and nectar to create their valuable life source. Swarms are usually not bothersome, and rarely aggressive. It is just a bit intimidating to witness. So many bees in a large concentration can scare a person who does not understand what is going on, or if you are allergic to bee stings it can be frightful thinking about all those bees descending on you at once. This will not happen, these bees are more intent on finding a suitable spot for a new hive, than they are in defending anything. Even though their queen is with them, they do not normally cause any problems to humans that may be nearby. When a swarms first sets out they generally will fly to the top of a tree or other vantage point. The cohesiveness of the swarm is from the pheromone the queen emits that the other bees are attracted to. Once a scout locates a good spot for the hive to set up home, he will transmit this information to the swarm by excitedly dancing on the perimeters of the cluster of bees. The scout who has the most excited story to tell is the one the swarm will follow to their new home. This will usually be inside a hollow tree, or possibly a nearby abandoned building such as a home, shed or barn. If for some reason the queen rejects the new site, the swarm will follow her to wherever she lands and the search will continue until the queen approves of the site. The phenomena of swarming bees is becoming a rarer sight over the years. The presence of a two different mites have greatly reduced the populations of wild bees, and fewer people are keeping bees than in previous years. So to actually witness something like this is a privilege indeed.