Leaf Cutter Bee

Leafcutter Bees (Megachile) are native pollinators in North America. There are numerous leafcutter bees that call Missouri home and it is often difficult to identify them to species. They are considered important pollinators from their swim-like habit of invading blooms. This effectively "picks" up the pollen and they carry it with them to the next flower. Leafcutter bees very much resemble honey bees in size, and even in color, although they are somewhat darker. They can and do sting, but this rarely occurs. Their sting is mild and rarely is anything more than annoying. Because of their mild temperament they are not prone to sting unless mishandled. Unlike Honey bees which have a colony to protect, leafcutter bees are solitary. This solitary lifestyle lends to an even temperament.

 Females will seek out suitable sites to construct their tunnels that they will use to create nesting cells. They typically use soft, rotted wood; pithy stemmed plants, like roses. Each tunnel may be up to 8 inches in length and contain numerous nesting cells.

These cells are constructed of leaves that are cut by the female. She will visit various plants like Green Ash, Roses, Virginia Creeper and lilacs and "cut" a 3/4 inch half-moon shaped piece of leaf and carry it back to the nesting tunnel. There she will form it into the nesting cell. She keeps adding leaves in a layered fashion until she is satisfied with the results. These cells often end up looking much like the rolled end of a cigar butt.

This cell pictured here was found attached to a Common Milkweed leaf. I had no idea what it was, only that it was very odd looking and perfectly formed. I submitted a picture to bugguide.net and they had no idea what it was either. I told them I would keep it and see what emerged out of it. About 2 months went by and I "remembered" I had this oddity. I checked on it and discovered that there was an exit hole in the tip of this cocoon. I looked all over in the critter keeper and there was not a single insect in there. What could have made this, and where did it go? Apparently this odd little cocoon was on Charley Eiseman's mind as well, as he sent me a comment via bugguide asking me what came out of it. I told him what happened....then offered to mail it to him so he could maybe dissect it and figure out what made it. After acquiring his address it was mailed off for him to hopefully solve the mystery. Here is his response:

I just received and examined this... it’s definitely a leafcutter bee nest cell. It was 22 mm long by 8 mm wide. The exit hole at one end was circular and about 3 mm wide. I took it apart and it was made mostly of oval leaf pieces, averaging 1 cm long, with several circular end pieces about 5 mm wide. No silk at all was used in its construction—I think the female must use her saliva to stick the leaf pieces together—except in the middle I found the remains of the thin, papery cocoon spun by the larva. How the bee escaped from your critter keeper is a mystery to me, as is the fact that you found this in the open, attached by silk to a leaf. There is some precedent for this sort of mystery:

It was so well constructed—so tightly packed—that it’s hard for me to imagine how it could have been constructed in the open, as opposed to in some snug tubular cavity like a wood boring or a hollow stem. Very mysterious. Thanks for sending it—this is the first chance I’ve had to examine one of these in person, though I pretty regularly come across leaves with the hole punches cut out by these bees. Charley Eiseman

I was delighted to know what created this, and to have been able to provide Charley with one of these nesting cells to tear apart and investigate. Insects really are marvels, when you look at the simple perfection of this cell, and then realize it was a mere insect that created it, it boggles the mind.

The female will provide each cell with a mixture of nectar and pollen, then lay an egg within the cell. She then seals up the end and moves onto the next cell. She will repeat this process up to 30 or 40 times. These eggs hatch and feed on the provisions provided by their mother. They will  pupate within this tidy little cell and emerge the following season. These bees rarely occur in significant enough numbers to cause damage to plants. In the rare occasions when they do, you may have to take measures to keep them from cutting the leaves on your prize roses. Pesticides applied to the leaves rarely deter these bees, so about the only solution is to cover the plant with a substance like cheesecloth. The good that these bees provide significantly outweighs any possible damage they may cause. They do not use homes or other human structures to excavate their brood tunnels. Although the aluminum tubed lawn chair in the first picture seemed to suit her purpose just fine. It was very difficult to capture an image of her as she entered the hole of this tube. They disappear out of sight before you can get the camera focused...they are very quick. I only manged the one blurry shot above.

There is one species M.rotundata that was imported from Europe to pollinate Alfalfa used for seed. They can do this much more efficiently than honey bees. Other leafcutter bees are primary pollinators of many other agricultural crops. These bees perform an important service to us as key pollinators. Many people lament the fact that the Honey bees are faced with challenges, namely CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder). I'm no expert, but I am not convinced that our economy and food supplies would be faced with disaster, should the honey bee decline in significant numbers. I thing our native bees could step up their game and do the job quite nicely. I have nothing against honey bees, so don't get me wrong here. In fact I hope to one day soon be raising them myself. I just hate that our native species are being ignored by so many people as a possible solution to a potential problem.

Attack of the Honey Bees

 A few years ago in September I visited Happy Holler Conservation Area and discovered a large number of bumble bees and honey bees all fighting over the use of the thistle blooms. There was very little else in bloom and it seemed they did not want to share the bounty. It was mostly the Honey bees acting as aggressor, whereas the bumble bees mostly ignored them.

The honey bees poked, prodded, bit and walked all over the much larger bumble bees all to no avail. It was as if those bumble bees knew that the honey bees could not...or would not hurt them. After all we all know that once a honey bee stings it dies, perhaps the bumble bee also knew this.

I had never seen this particular behavior before this time, and I have not seen it since. I've even made a point of going back to the exact same area each fall to document the insects there and what behavior is taking place. Much to my disappointment nothing as dramatic as this behavior has taken place that I am aware of.

It really goes to show that insects are always fascinating, incredibly unique and never, ever boring. I can't help but wonder if these little bees just never learned to share.

Walking Stick

Stick Bugs in the family Pseudophasmatidae (what a mouth full that is to say) are very common in Missouri, and in spite of this fact I had never been able to find one to photograph. Or when I did see one I did not have my camera with me. I was beginning to get quite frustrated at this situation and was bemoaning the fact to a friend of mine. Stating that I had not seen one all year, much less photographed one. Later that same day he taunted me with the news that he had found one on his car!!!! He photographed it and further tormented me. This simply was not fair.

Three days later I was out geocaching with my kids when I thought I saw a blade of grass move. I must have been hallucinating. Then it moved again....and there is was.....a lovely green walking stick. I could have cried I was so excited. I know that sounds silly to get so excited over such a mundane and common insect, but to me they are such unique, and odd creatures that I find them incredibly fascinating. I took numerous pictures of it before finally releasing it back to where I found it.

These insects are the subject of many myths, including the belief that they are the devil come to earth. In many parts of the Ozarks they are chopped in half because of this superstition. I can assure you there is no demonic connection between Satan and walking sticks. These are truly one of God's magnificent creations. Their camouflage is unsurpassed, and their ability to blend in with their environment borders on magic. One minute they are there, the next they are not....look closer.....ahhh there it is again.

My husbands grandfather used to tell him as a child that these insects were poisonous and would bite, making him very sick. My husband fully believed this little falsehood until I finally convinced him it simply was not true. These insects are only dangerous if you happen to be a leaf. They will not and can not bite humans....and even if they could they possess no venom. Perhaps somewhere in the World there is a species with this ability, but certainly not here in the United States.

A few years ago we took a vacation to the Ozarks and stayed in a lovely cabin in the Mark Twain National Forest. We were sitting outside soaking up the sun and enjoying just being in such a beautiful place when out of the corner of my eye I saw a movement. I looked again and there was a LARGE walking stick crawling its way up the leg of my husbands chair. This was too good to be true. I sat quietly not wanting to give anything away. I could'nt wait to see the show when this HUGE insect climbed onto my husbands leg. Knowing his long held belief that these were dangerous insects, this was going to be great. After about 5 minutes this little insect began tickling hubby's leg. He swatted absently at it, convinced it was a fly most likely. Once again, this stick bug tickled his leg, and in one fluid movement was crawling up the side of hubby's leg. He jumped straight up out of his chair, complete with stick bug attached to his leg. He shook his leg...to no avail, this little fellow was not letting go. I was laughing quite hard by now, thoroughly enjoying his situation. He started yelling at me to "Get it!!!" Get it off me!" I finally took pity on him and gently coaxed the poor stick bug onto my hand and placed it on a nearby tree. Hubby was not nearly as amused as I was. I only wished I would have had my camera with me. Fortunately I was forgiven for laughing at his plight.

There are several stick insect species in Missouri, and the largest is the Giant Walking Stick.These stick insects may reach lengths up to 7 inches. They are by far the most beautiful of all the stick insects in Missouri. With colors of yellow, green, reddish brown and pale flesh colored legs. The one pictured here we always called a Common Walking Stick. They can be green or brown and reach lengths up to 4 or 5 inches. This one was about 4 inches in length. Walking sticks are associated with woodlands and areas with trees where they can hide among the branches. Occasionally I have seen them attached to the sides of houses, garages and other buildings. On a recent trip to Truman State Park in Warsaw Missouri I found one clinging to the bath house. I captured it and gave it to the children in the campsite next to ours. They made a lovely home for it in a large container and fed it oak leaves. They were quite intrigued by their new pet. They ended up taking it home with them when they left the following day.

Once the females have mated they will lay eggs randomly, one at a time in the timber. The eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring. The baby walking sticks will be very tiny and begin feeding on leaves immediately. By summers end they will be full grown, once the first freeze hits they will die. There is only one generation per year here in NW Missouri.

 When warm weather returns next year, be on the lookout for these unique insects and....

 Forget your superstitions if you dare!

Yellow Jacket

Yellow Jackets in the genus Vespula are found east of the Great Plains and are very commonly seen in Missouri. They are often mistaken for Honey Bees because of their small size and similar coloration. Yellow Jackets aren't bees at all,but rather wasps and are more closely related to Hornets. Honey Bees have furry bodies, whereas Yellow Jackets are almost completely hairless. These are the little wasps that show up near garbage cans, picnic tables, at the ball game and anywhere else there are sweet treats to be found. They will often be crawling all over the rim of your pop can, or walking their way through your caramel covered apple as you sit outside to enjoy a nice fall day. These guys are typically much more aggressive than honey bees, and like honey bees it is only the females that sting, but the similarity ends there. These little wasps can sting repeatedly and will sting in large number if provoked or threatened. Like all stinging insects they use pheromones to communicate and once irritated they will send out an alarm via their pheromones. This chemical perfume alerts any other yellow jackets in the area and they are immmediately on the defensive, and will come to the aid of their sister wasp. The ones pictured here were photographed on my husbands uncles farm. The apples had fallen from the tree and fermented in the autumn sunshine. They were attracted to these apples like a drunken man to a bottle of wine. These little wasps were completely intoxicated. They were actually stumbling on the ground around the apples, and looked for all the world as if they were going to pass out. The addiction to this apple alcohol was so powerful they seemed unable to stop themselves from going back for more. This intoxicated state made them quite docile and I was able to coax them onto my finger where they proceeded to walk in very crooked lines. They seemed to have lost the ability to fly, or even to realize they could. Perhaps that was for the best......a bunch of drunkin wasp flying in all directions crashing into every available surface might have made for comedic entertainment, but I'm pretty sure not to healthy for the wasp.

When these wasps aren't invading our food and drinks; or getting drunk on apples they are busy foraging for nectar for themselves or insects to feed their sister larvae back in the nest. They will capture a likely looking insect and masticate the unfortunate victim, and feed the larvae the chewed up bits of bug.

In the fall young queens will leave the hive on their maiden flights. Any males in the area will pick up her scent and compete to mate with her. Once she is mated the male will die shortly thereafter. Each member of her colony will perish as the night time temperatures drop to freezing.

(Image of queen taken by Steve Scott)

The only Yellow Jackets that survive the winter will be the newly bred queens. They will seek sheltered areas under leaf litter, in hollow trees, in the cracks of foundations or behind the loose bark of trees. In the spring as the weather warms she will become active. She has one thing on her mind.....start a new colony. She will begin building a nest and laying eggs in the hexagon shaped cells. She will feed and care for her offspring until they reach maturity. These mature yellow jackets will then take over the care of the offspring of their queen-mother, as well as expanding the hive and keeping it clean and free of dead bodies. The hive will grow rapidly and be heavily populated with several hundred wasps. They will build these nests under hay bales in barns, in the ground, or anywhere else that seems protected and safe.

(Internet Image)

There is really no need to fear these insects, they are normally very docile while out foraging for food. They are only prone to attack if they perceive you as a threat, or if you happen to come to close to the hive. They will protect their hive, siblings and queen at all costs.

Tawny Emperor

In August we took a couple of friends who also enjoy insects and photography to our farm for a photo session. We spent several hours there looking for all manner of insects. In a low-water crossing between two fields we found this beautiful Tawny Emperor (Euptoieta claudia)
drinking water and gleaning minerals from the limestone rocks. She kept her wings spread in the warm sun and remained there for a very long time content to be a butterfly.

These butterflies look very similar to two other orange butterflies that calls Missouri home and that is the Variegated Fritillary and the Hackberry Emperor. In fact when I first spotted this specimen that is what I thought it was the variegated fritillary. Linda Williams, a butterfly expert, was able to give me a correct ID. This was a first for me, and now added to my life list of insects.

They are a beautiful orange with dark markings. Their wingspan is approximately 3 inches, so they aren't a large butterfly but spectacular anyway.

 Males will patrol for females by flying short distances, typically in dry, open areas. After mating, the females will lay her eggs on purslane, moonseed, may apple, violets, and stonecrop. Adults nectar at a wide variety of flowers including common milkweed, swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, peppermint and many others. They will overwinter in the caterpillar stage, they will change from green to brown when they enter into winter diapause. They will become active again when the temperatures warm in the spring and the leaves have begun to appear. They will eat and finish their growth cycle.

It makes me sad to think of winter being just around the corner and all these beautiful butteflies will be gone until spring. I shall have to be content to spend my own hibernation reading, writing and organizing the pictures from this summer.

Unknown Insect

A gentleman brought this insect into my office to be identified. He lives in St. Joseph, MO, I told him I had no idea what it is, but I would photograph it and do my best to figure it out. I have exhausted all my field guides and cannot figure this one out. So I am calling out to all my buggy friends....does anyone know WHAT this is.

The man said it was crawling on his wall in the bedroom. He has seen several more and his concern was bedbugs. I felt pretty certain it wasn't a bedbug, but exactly what it is unknown to me. It is VERY tiny....approximately 1/16th of an inch head to tip of abdomen.

I'm sure this man would appreciate any information he can get on this creature. Thanks in advance.

Belly view

Winter Reading

All too soon the beautiful colors of autumn will fade and winters chill will be upon us. I find that winter is the perfect time to catch up on all the reading I've neglected in the name of more interesting things to do. I literally have a stack as tall as I am...granted at 5'1" that isn't saying too much, but suffice it to say I will be reading all winter. A new blogging friend of mine Florine, found a link to 80 Best Books for Nature Lovers and suggested I share it with my readers. I visited the link and discovered many of the books there I have in my stack waiting on me. So if you are looking for some good, educational and entertaining reading to pass the time this winter please check it out. Perhaps you could even add a few to your "wish list" for Santa.

American Burying Beetle---A Species in Peril

American Burying Beetles (Nicrophorus americanus) in the order Coleoptera are large carrion beetles that are believed to have disappeared from Missouri. They occur in eight states right now with limited populations; including Rhode Island, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma. Ohio and Massachusetts have reintroduced populations that are being monitored. This is a far cry from the 35 States that they were reported to have originally been found.

They were listed on the Federally Endangered Species list in 1989, but as early as 1983 they were listed with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as a species in peril. There seems to be no clear-cut answer as to why they are disappearing from all but 10% of their original range. Most claim it is habitat loss, which may make some sense. They seem to prefer grasslands and open understory in Oak and Hickory forest. With much of this land being cleared for housing additions, strip malls and various other endeavors in the name of progress it stands to reason that this prime habitat needed by the beetles is rapidly disappearing. This clear cutting has also created more edge habitat, which animals like possums, fox and raccoons favor, which compete for the same carrion.  As all to often happens when the habitat disappears so too does the creature that calls it home. Some feel that the use of pesticides and insecticides may have played a part in the reduction in numbers. Although it is reported that these beetles began their decline before the widespread use of DDT. Some claim that the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon may even have played a part in the decline of this species as well. By 1923 it was already becoming apparent that these beetles were in trouble. They were already in severe decline East of the Appalachian Mountains. By the early 1960s this decline in numbers had extended to west of the Appalachians.  If  these animals cannot develop the ability to adapt they do not stand a chance unless measures are taken to correct the problem. Fortunately for these beetles there are many Naturalists, Biologists and Entomologists trying to develop the measures necessary to save this carrion beetle. Breeding programs have been implemented in many zoos across the Eastern United States, one of those zoos calls Missouri home, the St. Louis Zoo is making great strides in breeding these beetles in the hopes of eventually releasing them in select areas within the state. I recently made a trip to St. Louis with my husband and we were given a behind the scenes tour of the Insectarium at the Zoo and shown these magnificent beetles. I was able to hold one and photograph one. They are beautifully marked with shiny black bodies and orangish-red bands on their wings. Exclusive to this species of carrion beetle is an orange mark on their pronotum. On males this orange spot will be somewhat rectangular shaped, in females it is triangular shaped. These are large beetles that reach lengths up to 1 1/2 inches.

These beetles overwinter as adults by digging holes in the soil once the temperatures drop to 60 degrees. They will remain underground until the temperatures once again rise above 60F. Males will actively seek suitable carrion to attract a mate. Many beetles will be attracted to the same resource and "fights" may occur. The largest male and female typically "wins" the use of the carcass. They will move the carcass by crawling underneath and rotating their legs one over the other until they have the carcass moved to a site they deem suitable. They will then begin digging a hole to bury the carcass in. They prefer carrion in the form of birds and small rodents like chipmunks. They may dig a hole up to three feet deep. They will bury the animal and remove any non-edible parts such as feathers, feet and beaks. Those will be brought to the surface and left as a waste product. Then they will use an enzyme they possess to preserve the carcass, by inoculating the flesh to prevent it from decomposing too rapidly. They will then get down to the business of mating. Once bred, the female will lay her eggs in a small tunnel branching off the main burrow where the carcass is. The young larvae hatch in about three days. The parents exhibit remarkable parental  care tendencies. They create a noise with their abdomens that "calls" to the offspring to come feed. The larvae are attracted to the sound and crawl to their parents with begging their mouths agape waiting for their Carrion Hand-outs....think "baby bird". 

If the number of larvae is too large to be sustained on the size of carrion provided by the parents, they will be sacrificed and cannibalized by the parents. Within a week the young have completely consumed all but the bones of the carcass. At this time the parents will leave the larvae behind to pupate. Shortly after, the parents will die having lived approximately one year. It takes about 4 weeks for the young adult beetles to emerge from their pupa. They will overwinter and begin the cycle over the next spring. 

Key to their survival is finding the appropriate carcass; for this species it will be a bird or small to medium sized mammal. They must get this carcass buried as soon as possible before maggots and other insects take over the degradation of the carcass. Not to mention the risk of other predators finding the carcass and taking it away from the beetles and feeding on it. These beetles are nocturnal and accomplish in one night a feat that seems nearly impossible out of a creature so tiny. They must find the carcass, drag the carcass ( both working together in the same direction), find a suitable burial site, dig a hole, bury the carcass, remove the non-edible parts, mate, lay eggs and care for their offspring.

The goal of scientists is to reduce the threat of extinction by creating captive and wild populations. With an approximate 1,500 beetles left in the wild this is no small feat. Research and dedication to education will hopefully bring these incredible beetles back from the brink.

Laurel Sphinx Moths are found throughout Eastern North America. This one was photographed in August at work. It had been attracted to the mercury vapor light pointed out our flag. The next morning it was hanging from the Russian Sage. These are a modestly beautiful moth, certainly not extravagant in their coloring, or in their size, yet pretty just the same. They are sometimes called the Fawn Sphinx, which I assume comes from their fawn-like coloring. They are yellowish-brown in color, with dark margins on their forewings. There is also a bold white line on their forewings, and the hindwings are tan with a dark border. Their wingspan is up to 4 1/16 inches.

They can be found in woodland, yards and nurseries. They are often found around ornamental lilacs, which explains why I found a caterpillar of one of these moths hanging on my lilac bush. This particular moth was being used as a host to the brachonid wasps. Sphinx moth caterpillars are often chosen by these wasps as a host. Brachonid wasps are parasitoids, the females will use their ovipositor to lay eggs under the skin of the caterpillar. The eggs hatch and feed on the caterpillar from the inside. Once the caterpillar has been almost entirely devoured from within these tiny larvae will bore through the skin of the caterpillar and form capsule-like cocoons on the outside of the caterpillar. These tiny white, oval-shaped cocoons will remain on the caterpillar throughout its final days...within a week the wasps will hatch and shortly thereafter the caterpillar will die. It seems a horrific way to die, but it is a normal process in the life of the wasp and a means of biological control of the sphinx moths. 

The caterpillars of the laurel sphinx feed on lilac, privet, ash, fringe tree, and plants in the olive family. Adults will nectar at honeysuckle, and bouncing bet. They will be seen hovering over the blooms at dusk and late evening.

To say that these wasps are terrible is to say that the moths are good. In the case of these creatures neither is an apt description, they are merely doing what they do best, and that is survive by any means possible. In the case of the moth death is eminent, but the wasps will go on to carry out future generations. For me, as a naturalist and lover of all insects it was a rare and exciting glimpse into their lives.

Meadow Katydid

This beautiful katydid is the Woodland Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus nemoralis) and was photographed at the Confluence in St. Louis. There were several of them hopping along the trail. They are strikingly beautiful with color tones of rusty red, black and golden amber. The one pictured here is a female, shown by the ovipositor protruding from her abdomen. She will use this apparatus for laying eggs in the soil.