Soybean Stem Borer

This small longhorn beetle is the Soybean Stem Borer (Dectes texanus). They are found throughout the Central, Eastern and Southern United States and are a native species. They feed on wild legumes such as Cocklebur, wild sunflower and giant ragweed. In the 1920's many farmers throughout the country began planting soybeans which is an exotic plant in the legumes family. By the 1940's soybeans were fast becoming a staple crop for farmers. It didn't take long for these borers to latch on to this new food source and by the 1960's they were feeding on soybeans much to the frustration of the farmers who feared losing their crops to this little beasty. They also began feeding on cultivated sunflowers. It is estimated by one report I read that 10% of soybean crops can be lost to just one beetle (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1615232).That is a significant amount, especially if your field has hundreds of these beetles present. In the fall when the larva are ready to settle down for winter (diapause), they will girdle the lower stem of the soybean plant from the inside to make a chamber in which to overwinter. This severely weakens the plant and the slightest touch can break the stalk. Sunflowers are also used for this purpose, but the beetle has a more difficult time girdling larger sunflower stalks. In the wild these beetles are hugely beneficial in keeping invasive weeds in check. With the good also sometimes comes the bad, and in this case it is the harm caused to the agricultural field.

Painted Lady

This pretty butterfly is the Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui), they are sometimes referred to as the Thistle Butterfly or Cosmopolitan Butterfly. Thistle from it's preference of nectaring at these plants, and the fact that the caterpillar uses it as a host. Caterpillars will also be found on a variety (upwards of 100) of plants including hollyhock, mallow and many legumes. Painted Lady's are one of the most widespread butterflies being found almost Worldwide. This has earned them their other common name of Cosmopolitan Butterfly. They are relatively large with almost a 3 inch wingspan. Their coloring is spectacular, with orange and black and white spotting on the forewings, and a row of black spots on the hindwing they are truly a beautiful sight to behold.
Their mating habits vary somewhat depending upon where they are located in the United States. Out west males will typically perch on shrubs located on hillsides to wait for passing females. In the east (which includes Missouri) they will usually land on the ground and wait for receptive females to pass by. After mating, the females will seek their host plant and deposit eggs one at a time on the tops of leaves. The caterpillars will live inside silken nests and feed on the leaves. These butterflies can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including open fields, roadsides, backyard gardens, old dunes and prairies. Although one of the most commonly seen of all butterflies, I never tire of seeing them.

Bugs do more than pollinate

Pictured here is a fungus called a Stinkhorn. I'm unsure of the species. I am having difficulty locating a picture that matches mine. Most of the pictures I located have a green slime coated on the top portion of the spike. These did not have the slime so I am wondering if the slime had washed off in the early morning rain. Or perhaps it had been removed by the insects (flies). These crazy fungi often take people by surprise, often showing up unexpectedly. Some individuals are dismayed to have them in their gardens. It doesn't take much imagination to see how they look very much like a phallus. So several of these penis-shaped appendages sprouting up in your garden can make for entertaining and interesting conversations. Then there is the smell from whence they get their name. As these fungi mature they have a very raunchy smell that in some species can be overpowering. Some people are so offended by the off-putting smell that they go to great lengths to remove them from their gardens. One method used is boiled water mixed with bleach. Pour the hot liquid over the offending fungus on a daily basis until all signs of the mushrooms have disappeared. It is this smell that aides in the distribution of this crazy mushroom.
Flies and other insects are attracted to the smell, they crawl all over the slimey portion of the fungus. It is this slime that contains the spores. The flies pick the spores up on their feet and carry them to another location, where the spores will readily spread. Stinkhorns are noted as being prolific. Many have been brought over from other countries and seem to adapt very easily to their new environments. They are found in moist mulched areas, such as mulched flowers beds, or in timbered areas that have dead or decaying wood, also found near trees where a lot of beetle activity produces sawdust at the base of trees. They will also be found in lawns, meadows, open fields etc. They begin to appear in the mid to late summer months and will be around until fall. They are very common in the Eastern portion of the United States, less so west of the Rockies. This particular species was approximately 5 to 6 inches tall. The top 1/3 of the stalk was bright red and the base was white. From all accounts that I've read the "button" of the fungus is edible. It must be harvested in the early stages of the appearance of the stalk. As the stalk ages it will begin to stink and be unedible. I'm not sure I would want to try them, my bravery extends to morels but when it comes to other fungi I'm a bit less adventurous. Sickness or death by mushrooms doesn't sound too appealing. By late in the evening the flies were covering the entire stalks of these specimens and gave the appearance that it was black instead of red. These were a neat surprise to find in the flowerbed last night, fortunately no offensive odor was present. Nature never ceases to amaze me.

Flying Flowers

Today's weather is anything but perfect. It is hot, humid and cloudy. We have storms predicted for our area with a 30% chance. Most likely we will get hit with something with the way the sky looks and with the fact that walking out side is like trying to breath underwater. The butterflies sure seem to not mind. I'm amazed at how weather that seems to make us wilt will bring these gorgeous creatures out in droves. The coneflowers are blooming and have turned one flower bed into a coneflower bed, choking most everything else out. Some serious control will have to implemented next season if I want any other flowers to flourish. I couldn't resist sharing these photos of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Red Admiral. I know I've posted about each before, but these beauties were just to gorgeous to not share.

Wheel Bug--Natures Assassin

Wheel Bugs ( Arilus cristatus) are crazy looking bugs. As a nymph they look nothing like their adult counterpart. The young are shiny black with a bright red abdomen (or butt as was described to me the other day...LOL). As they grow and shed their exoskeletons they begin taking on that trademark gray color. Then as they near adulthood they begin getting that odd looking cog shaped "wheel" on their thorax. This bug cannot be mistaken for any other species. Wheel bug are the largest of all the assassin bugs in the United States, growing up to 2 inches in length. They are throughout most of the United States, Ontario, Canada, Guatemala and Mexico. Look for them in gardens, prairies, along roadsides, or anywhere other insects can be found in ready supply for them to prey upon. Mating takes place in the fall, and the male will guard the female to keep other males from moving in on "his" female. After mating, the female will lay clusters of 42 to 182 eggs on trees, bushes, or other vegetation. The eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. These newborn nymphs are tiny and vulnerable. They are susceptible to predation even by their own kind. They grow at a very slow rate and usually reach adult size by August in Missouri. The babies are master hunters and will feed on most any insects they can capture. The one pictured in the second photo had just dined on a caterpillar. He injected his piercing "beak" and sucked out the life fluids of the unfortunate caterpillar. These bugs can give a painful bite. It is reported to hurt worse than a hornet sting. I've never handled one, never willing to take the chance. I would say it is best to look but not touch in the case of this odd looking insect.

Metallic Sweat Bee

This pretty green bee is the Metallic Sweat Bee (Agapostemon spendens). These bees are somewhat large for a sweat bee at around 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length. Commonly found throughout all of North America, they are one of the most frequently seen bees of summer. They nectar from flowers and aid in pollinating various plants. The term "Sweat Bee" indicates that they are also attracted to human sweat. They will often land on our exposed body parts to lap up the salty sweat. It is then that stings generally occur. Every time I've been stung by one of these little guys it has been in the crease of my elbow or behind my knee. Apparently unaware that the bee is there I bend my arm or leg and POW! I get stung, and for their size they can give a pretty powerful sting. Fortunately the pain is short lived and causes no lasting effects (Unless of course you are allergic to bee stings, then that would be a different story). These bees burrow underground, colonies are generally small, but as with most colony insects there will be only one queen per hive. Unique among this species is that each colony contains different types of behavior, including bees that exhibit a social way of life that is typical of colony insects, but also present will be solitary specimens that lead a totally different life away from social instincts.
These bees are unmistakable in their appearance, the thorax is very vividly colored in green or dark orange and has a metallic sheen. The abdomen is banded with pale stripes and the wings are smoky to clear in color and have very dark veins. Look for them in gardens, meadows, roadsides, open fields, prairies, parks, etc. Typically anywhere flowers are present for them to be able to gather pollen or nectar.

Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly

These little dragonflies are so dainty and delicate looking. Called the Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera). Their name comes from the lovely amber color of their wings. These are very tiny dragonflies at about one inch. The male has solid colored wings (pictured) the female has darker patches on their wings. Often while perching these dragonflies will move their wings and abdomen up and down, making them look very wasp-like. So it isn't surprising that they are sometimes mistaken for wasps. They occur throughout the Eastern portion of the United States and are very common in Missouri. In fact, at the pond where this one was photographed there were a minimum of 30 fluttering about. Males of this species are very territorial and aggressively defend their territories from other males. Mating takes place in the form of a "mating wheel". Copulation may last from 3 seconds (giving new meaning to the term quicky) to as much as one hour. Very soon after mating the female will look for a suitable spot in nearby water to lay her eggs in bottom sediment. She may lay 1,000's of eggs. Eggs generally will hatch in about 1 to 8 weeks, depending upon the environment and the temperature. In some areas they may even overwinter in the egg stage. They are completely aquatic and live their life as a little water nymph. Once fully developed they will climb out of the water and hang onto a branch, stick or some other perch and shed their exoskeleton for the last time and the newly born adult will emerge. It takes some time for their wings to dry out completely before they are able to fly. Look for them near ponds, lakes and occassionally still streams. Like all dragonflies they are strictly meat eaters and feed on flying insects. they use their legs to "scoop" up unsuspecting insects. They bring the delectible morsal to their mouth and often times feed while in flight. Sometimes they will land and feed while perching. These are a very pretty dragonfly and should be easy to locate.

Hackberry Butterfly

Hackberry Butterflies (Asterocampa celtis) are very common throughout the Central Plains and the Eastern United States. They are not a large butterfly, measuring roughly 2 inches. Their coloring is somewhat cryptic with brownish-yellow wings with white spots near the tips of the forewings. There is a band of darker spots along the margin of the wings.
While at rest they blend in well with the bark of the trees they are commonly found on. This gives them protection from predation. The adults will sip sap from sapflows, suck fluids from carrion (pictured on deer head) and dung, as well as rotting fruit (pictured here on watermelon). The larval host plant is the Hackberry Tree as their name suggests. They are not known to cause any significant damage to the trees. Hackberry butterflies seem to be tolerant of humans and will often times land on your arm or clothing. I presume this is to lap up our salty sweat. After mating, females will lay their eggs either singly or in small clusters on the leaves of the host tree. These butterflies will sometimes overwinter in the egg stage and still others will overwinter in small groups as caterpillars within rolled leaves. In Missouri there are probably two generations per year. Very pretty butterfly in their subtleness.

Eight-Spotted Forester

This lovely caterpillar and moth is the Eight-Spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata). These are a very common day flying moth found throughout North America. The adult moth has approximately a 1 1/4 inch wingspan and are very beautifully marked. Their body is entirely black with tiny white spotting running down the middle that looks like a line from head to tail. Their wings are also black with 2 yellow spots on each forewing and 2 white spots on each hindwing. One striking feature they have are orange "socks" at the top of the first set of legs. They are commonly mistaken for butterflies, not only because of their habit of flying about during the daylight hours, but their antennae are even very butterfly-like. The caterpillar is bluish-white with orange stripes and black lines with black spots. The head is also orange with black spots. The caterpillar is as striking as the adult. They feed on grapevine, Virginia creeper, and in large numbers can be a pest. The adults sip nectar from various flowers. The caterpillar here was on a Virginia Creeper vine that covers our cellar shed and chicken coop. I've also seen them on a wild grape vine in our yard. So far I haven't noticed them on our domestic grapes. I spotted the first adult this year on Friday (picture 3), she was nectaring in our flower garden and sat very patiently for a picture. The second picture was taken last year on a morning glory vine. They are truly a wonderful little moth and take you by surprise with how colorful they are.

Independence Day

May each of you have a Safe and Happy 4th of July celebration.
As we Gather with family and friends may we remember the sacrifices of many so that we may celebrate.