Grassland Crayfish

Arthropods are one of the largest groups of animals within the animal kingdom, comprised of insects, spiders, and their kin, as well as all manner of sea life like shrimp, crabs and even lobsters. Recently, after one of the recent storms we have been experiencing here in Northwest Missouri, we noticed our granddaughters pool had blown away into the ditch along the highway. After retrieving it, a crayfish was discovered using it as a convenient hiding spot. After taking a few pictures, it was released into our garden pond to live another day. There are over 500 species of crayfish in the world and more than half live in North America. 

This particular crayfish is the grassland crayfish, or prairie crayfish as it is also known as. Crayfish in general go by many different names, including crawdads, mudbugs, and lawn lobsters. Grassland crayfish are somewhat common in Missouri and like their name suggests are found in open grasslands and prairies, however with the reduction of those available habitats, they often use temporary wetlands, or wet ditches (such as the one we found). Historically much of Missouri was made up of tall grass prairies. With the increased need of land in the agricultural industry, and the overall expansion of cities with exponential growth and development Missouri has lost more than 95% of its native prairies and grasslands. The remaining remnant prairies are predominantly owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, private landowners, as well as a few other conservation minded organizations. These remaining small prairies should be protected for many reasons, but chief among them to guarantee the survival of the plant and animal species that rely on them.

The grassland crayfish is an average sized crayfish reaching lengths up to three inches, and may be red, or reddish-brown with little to no spots or blotches. They resemble another crayfish that lives in our state called the devil crayfish, but unlike the grassland species, the devil crayfish will never be uniformly red. While these crayfish are considered somewhat common in Missouri, they are rarely encountered by humans because of their secretive nature and nocturnal habits. These crayfish dig burrows using their claws to excavate and their tail to carry the dirt to the surface and pile it around the opening in a chimney sort of fashion. During the heat of summer, they remain underground in these burrows, which may be more than six feet deep. During the evening hours they will come to the surface and seek food or mates. Decomposers by nature, these omnivores eat both animal and plant matter and are able to break down plants highly resistant to decay. 

Due to their impact on the environment, they are often thought of as ecosystem engineers. Crayfish come in three classifications. The primary burrowers, secondary burrowers, and tertiary burrowers. The primary excavators may burrow up to fifteen feet underground far away from water, secondary excavators dig burrows closer to water and may have tunnels that reach bodies of water, the tertiary species typically do not dig burrows, and instead reside within bodies of water hidden under debris or rocks. The burrows they dig allow nutrients to reach the roots of plants and create passages for rainwater to reach deeper into the earth. Many animals like the Northern crayfish frog, snakes and small mammals use the burrows created by these excavating crayfish as shelters. In the case of the crayfish frog, a species of conservation concern in our state, they rely heavily on the burrows created by the grassland crayfish. Like the crayfish, the crayfish frog inhabits prairies, and with the reduction of prairies and available burrows the crayfish frog struggles to survive. When we destroy one component of the environment, it nearly always has a trickle-down effect on everything in the food chain of that environment. Destroy the prairie, the crayfish has no place to burrow, no burrows will impact plants, and removes the sheltering areas the crayfish frog relies on, with the loss of the frog Missouri loses one of its most unique amphibians. It is vitally important that we conserve the remaining prairies and grasslands we have and continue to restore land back to its historical prairie state when possible

Crayfish are also considered important indicator species of water quality, because of their intolerance of polluted water sources. With the absence of crayfish in an area where they would typically be, scientists can begin studying the possible reasons for their absence. This allows for quicker intervention in potential environmental catastrophes. The opposite can be said as well, the presence of crayfish should indicate clean, healthy water.

Crayfish play an important role in the medical field. There is evidence that crayfish experience similar anxiety as humans. Scientific experiments have been conducted that showed crayfish exposed to stressful situations will have an increased anxious response and not behave in normal ways to existing environmental conditions. These crayfish were given an electrical shock and then placed in a cross shaped tank. Two arms of the cross were lit up brightly, and two arms were dark. Those crayfish that were shocked always went into the dark arms and avoided the light. When injected with a common antianxiety drug, used by humans today, the crayfish were seemingly calmer and bolder and would explore all arms of the tank. This knowledge has huge implications in the understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders in humans. Just one more reason to appreciate these little crustaceans.

Crayfish reach reproductive age between five and six years. Males will molt into their breeding form with larger claws, a longer body, sharper spines, and a tougher exoskeleton. Being larger and tougher helps them battle other males during mating season. Once mating season is over, however, they molt again, after which they resemble their pre-breeding form once more. 

Breeding rituals of crayfish tend to be an aggressive affair with much fighting between males. Dominate crayfish that win fights against other males will behave aggressively towards other crayfish and even towards their own reflections. Subordinate crayfish who lose fights avoid their reflections and walk backwards to keep an eye on other crayfish in a timid fashion. Those who fall into either category typically stay in that role. In other words, Winners remain winners and losers remain losers. It was once believed that crayfish in the dominant role released some sort of pheromone the female could smell and thus were able to better choose an appropriate mate. Now there is some indication based on laboratory studies that this isn’t the case. Instead, they participate in a primitive sort of eavesdropping. They are hidden on the sidelines, watching the fight and when the winner emerges, she will allow mating with that individual. In other words, she isn’t taking his word for it, she needs to see it for herself. After mating the female will carry the eggs attached to her swimming appendages. They will remain with her two to twenty weeks before hatching. As newly hatched crayfish they remain connected to their mother through a stalk-like appendage. After molting the stalk no longer keeps them attached to the mother, however she will still carry them with her for two weeks or more. These tiny crayfish babies are able to wander on their own, but often return to the safety of their mother for a period of time.

These often-overlooked arthropods are important members of the environments they occur in. They serve various roles from soil excavators, decomposers, indicator species, landlords to frogs and other wildlife, food for a wide variety of animals, including humans and medical specimens for scientific research that benefit human health. Sometimes the lowliest of creatures fill the most important roles. 

 

 

Prickly Pear Cactus

 

Missouri is home to many wild edibles, but one in particular stands out. The prickly pear cactus, paddle cactus, or devils tongue is a native cactus growing throughout out state. When we think of cactus, we typically think of dry, arid deserts, and with good reason as that is where most cactus grow. The prickly pear does seem to prefer arid, rocky glades in their native range; however, they have adapted well to seemingly any weather conditions and are found through much of the North America, south of Canada. The name prickly pear is in reference to the fruit the cactus produces in mid to late summer after the blooms have faded away. Some use the term to describe the plant itself, and it certainly is prickly. This cactus bites, as I have been bitten many times by mine. Tiny, clear spines are difficult to remove from skin!

 Prickly pear is in the genus Opuntia and was named after the ancient Greek city of Opus. It was said an edible plant grew there and could be propagated just by rooting its leaves. While prickly pear does not technically have leaves, the paddles containing the spines are modified stems of the plant. However, if you place a cacti pad on the ground, water it for a few weeks, it will root itself and start a new plant. They are exceedingly easy to grow. They will spread out about three feet or more and reach heights of around twelve to fifteen inches.  The pads will be blue-green or green and have ¼ to ½ inch spines covering them. The bright yellow flowers appear in mid-summer and once those blooms have died off, the reddish colored fruit appears. This fruit is often referred to as tuna, which comes from the Spanish or Haitian name for the plant. 

By The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia. - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Ludmiła Pilecka using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21213670

 

 

 

 

 

Prickly pear holds significant cultural importance to the Mexican people, so much so, that their flag contains an image of the prickly pear cactus with an eagle holding a snake. The significance of the image comes from an Aztec legend. During the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries the Aztec people governed most of the land we know of today as Mexico. One day an Aztec priest approached his people and told them that Huitzilopochtli, the God of sun and war spoke to him. He was instructed to tell his people they had to leave and set up a new capital city. To find this new location they were to travel until they spotted an eagle atop a prickly pear cactus devouring a snake. Eventually they came upon such a place and named it Tenochtitlan, which translates to “place of the prickly pear cactus.” This ancient city is now at the center of Mexico City. To honor this legend, the Mexican flag contains the imagery associated with the legend.

The pads of the cactus are called nopales, and are used in many remedies, including one for burns, much like using aloe vera for the same purpose. Drinks to treat hepatitis can be made from the juices of the pads as well as to help control diabetes. Raw pulp lowers the absorption rate of sugar in the blood, thus helping avoid insulin shock. Traditionally this plant has been used to treat inflammation, acid reflux and other digestive disorders, urinary tract infections, as well as skin conditions.

The diversity of this hardy cactus seems never-ending. The Aztecs used the juice as a form of adherent. They would soak the cactus pads overnight in water, and in the morning, they would be incredibly sticky. They would mix the sticky pads with mortar to create a strong glue-like substance that is still used in parts of Mexico today in construction.  Wheels overheating on your cart? Well, we have a solution for that too. Apply the juices of this cactus to the wheels and no more burning wheels. 

By Photogir - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89434822

 

To this day there are borders of prickly pear throughout Mexico to mark boundary lines for property. No need for manmade barbed wire when nature provides a suitable alternative. Not only have humans found they can protect their property borders with this gnarly plant-----animals also benefit from its protection. Birds, rodents, and other small creatures will burrow or nest under the safety of the cactus pads. After all, not many predators would want to tackle those sharp spines to gain a meal.

Probably my favorite use for prickly pear is in the culinary department. There is a plethora of dishes that can be made from the juices of the pad, as well as the fruit. Anything from salads, soups, wine, desserts, main dishes, breads, and candy are all options for creative cooks willing to try something nature provides. You will not only find yourself experiencing new and unique recipes but gain the potential health benefits from this vitamin and mineral packed plant. Happy harvesting but be mindful of the stickers (they bite).

 

 

Mayflies--Natures Bioindicators

 

So often we as humans complain about not having enough time in our lives to get everything done that we want to. Whether it is traveling to far off places, reading those books we meant to read or spending more quality time with family, there just never seems to be enough time to get it all accomplished. Now, imagine if you will, that you are a mayfly. Mayflies, also called shadflies or Canadian soldiers, are insects in the family Ephemiperidae, a Latin name which translates into “short-lived” an apt name for these insects. As a mayfly nymph, after a long underwater existence you will rise to the surface buoyed up by the air accumulated between your first and second layers of skin. Once at the surface you will shed your outer skin (subimago) and take a maiden flight to a nearby leaf, at this time you will shed your skin a second time which results in your final adult form. Then the urgency sets in; you are now on a mission to find a mate, and lay eggs; shortly thereafter you are destined to die…all in the span of less than 24 hours. Some species of mayflies, like the American sand burrowing mayfly, have mere minutes to accomplish this feat. This truly gives meaning to making the most of the time we are given. With more than 650 species of mayflies in North America there is no shortage of species to see. They are more common in the Eastern half of the United States, with only a few species calling the Western portion of the United States home.

The lifecycle of a mayfly begins underwater as a nymph with seven pairs of gills. They live in the bottom sediment of fast-moving streams, slow moving rivers, ponds, and lakes. The nymphs feed on sediment; diatoms and several species are even predatory and feed on other aquatic insects. The presence of mayfly nymphs indicates that a water source is clean, unpolluted, and highly oxygenated. As such they are bio-indicators for healthy watery habitats. This allows environmentalists, scientists, and fisheries biologists to correct potential problems in those environments before the damage is irreversible. The subimago are a favorite food of trout and are often used by fisherman as bait. Trout fishermen also use mayflies as a model for the flies that they tie for bait. Mayflies are the only group of insects to have this subimago stage into adulthood. As a subimago they do not fly well, cannot reproduce, and lack the coloring of the adult form that would attract a mate 

 

Time is of the essence, when you only live a day or two, or perhaps only mere minutes, like the aforementioned black-brown mayfly, there is no time to waste on frivolity. Soon after mating, the female will drop her eggs upstream in the water; the current will carry the eggs downstream and deposit them on the substrate in the bottom of the stream. If the eggs are laid in lakes or ponds, she will drop them willy-nilly on top the water, and the eggs sink to the bottom.

In some parts of the world the emergence of mayflies is a remarkable sight, they all seem to appear at once in a mass exodus. Mayflies are frequently encountered at pole lights and other places well-lit at night especially in the early part of summer. In some parts of the world, hatches are so large they attract tourists from all over the world to witness the phenomena that is the mayfly hatch. In 2014 a hatch of black-brown mayflies in Lacrosse, WI was so large it was imaged on weather radar. It rose 2500 feet into the air and resembled a significant rainstorm. In areas of large emergences such as this, they quickly amass large die offs that pile up on roadways and other areas in a slippery, slimy mess, even upon occasion causing accidents. Millions of mayflies rising up out of the water in one large swarm, landing on every available surface, may seem like a nuisance to many humans, but these little insects serve a major role in the lifecycle of other species. Mayflies are not only consumed by trout and other fish, but birds, frogs, toads, other insect eating creatures get in on the all-u-can-eat buffet of mayflies as well.

Although their large numbers can be intimidating, they are completely harmless to humans. They cannot bite; in fact, they do not have fully functioning mouth parts. However, they do have stomachs, although no food will ever pass through it. Instead, it is filled will air which allows it to fly into the air in a buoyant flight pattern. This lack of mouth parts means they do not feed. Their only reason for existence it would appear is to mate, reproduce, and to be sustenance to other creatures. I did find one resource during my research that claimed they eat fruits and flowers, but in my opinion, this would be fallacy. Most likely they are sipping liquid from the fruit or nectar from the flowers. I know of no mayfly that has the ability to eat, nor do they live long enough to worry about eating even if they could.

In 1909 a woman named Lillian Bland, from Ireland was intrigued by photographs she had seen of early planes. So impressed was she by the manmade flying machines she embarked on a mission to create her own. Out of this evolved the “Bland Mayfly” the first female created aero plane. The maiden flight, in 2010, was more of a glider, and the success of this unmanned machine prompted her to mount a 20-horsepower motor on her invention and take flight. She successfully flew this plane until the middle of 2011, when her father, worried for her safety, bribed her to stop flying in exchange for a car he would give her. It appears she gave up the life of flying in exchange for a safer four-wheel mode of transportation.

 

George Crabbe, author of the poem “the newspaper” written in 1785, compared the brief life of the mayfly to the brevity of the newspaper. He waxed poetically the following:

                “In shoals the hours their constant number bring

                Like insects waking to the advancing spring

              Which take their rise from grubs obscene that lie

In shallow pools, or thence ascend the sky.

Such are these base ephemeras; so born.

To die before the next revolving morn.”

 

As summer progresses be on the lookout for the newly emerged mayflies that may pay a visit to your porch lights at night. They are delicate, beautiful creatures, and worth taking a second glance at. Keep in mind however that the mayfly you see tonight will be long gone by tomorrow night, having already left behind her eggs and the chance for future generations.

House Flies--Natures Pesky Pest

Shoofly! Shoo! How many of us have said those words, or heard someone say them? They become part of our spring and summertime vocabulary as we try to keep pesky flies away from our food, drinks, and… well, US! It is a constant battle; that we are sure the flies are winning. House flies rank right up there with mosquitoes and ticks as being loathsome and unwanted. Where do they all come from and what good are they?

House flies (Musca domestica) are probably the most common fly encountered by humans. Even their genus name of domestica hints at their domesticated nature, and their association with humans, livestock and pets. In fact it has been reported that up to 90% of all flies encountered by humans will be the house fly. House flies are in the order Diptera, which means Two-Wings, and like all flies they only have one set of wings, or “two-wings.” All other winged insects have two sets of wings, or “four-wings.”

House flies are relatively small at approximately ¼ of an inch. They have gray bodies with four longitudinal stripes on their thorax (behind the head). Their bodies are covered with hair-like projections. Females are slightly larger than males. How do you tell a male from a female? Look at the eyes; the females have eyes that are wide set, whereas males will have eyes that practically meet in the middle, or touch each other.

Females are capable of laying up to 500 hundred eggs in their lifetime. These tiny white eggs will be laid on garbage or animal dung and usually hatch in less than 24 hours. It will take the maggots approximately 5 days to reach their full size, then they will drop to the ground and burrow into the soil. They will remain in this underground chamber to pupate and will emerge in a few days as fully grown adult flies. So we can easily see how we end up with so many flies…with each female producing hundreds of eggs, and those eggs going from maggot to adult in less than 1 ½ weeks, and then they are ready to mate in less than 3 days and start the cycle all over again. It has been estimated that if all the offspring of a single pair of house flies were to survive throughout one breeding season beginning in April and ending in August, they would have produced 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 progeny. Thankfully though, not all will live, many are consumed by other insects, birds, and frogs or are outwardly killed by humans. A typical adult house fly will live up to 25 days, but may live up to 2 months if suitable food can be found. They are particularly fond of sugars. According to a study conducted in Texas, breeding site suitability (in descending order), was horse manure, human excrement, cow manure, fermenting vegetable, and kitchen waste. However, another study found that structures containing swine, horse, sheep, cattle, and poultry varied in fly abundance, with swine facilities containing the most and poultry the least. Fruit and vegetable cull piles, partially incinerated garbage, and incompletely composted manure also are highly favored sites for breeding.

House flies have the potential to spread many diseases, including typhoid, cholera, dysentery, viral hepatitis, cocci, salmonella, and many other unsavory pathogens. These are spread to humans through indirect contact, meaning it is passed through their feces, vomit and from the hairs on their bodies. Think about where a fly hangs out….then he comes to join your family picnic and lands on your food. The fly will vomit, defecate or sometimes both right on Aunt Mabel’s potato salad. Then we consume Aunt Mabel’s potato salad and voila….we get sick! So the next time someone in your family yells Shoofly! Shoo! There is good reason for it……these little beasties should be kept away from food meant for human consumption. The transmission of diseases is more prevalent in areas where hygiene is poor. Washing and cooking raw vegetables controls the spread of these pathogens. When outside, keep food covered to deny the fly access. Remember, that fly has been crawling around on garbage and manure, then landing on your food….!

Controlling flies is a difficult endeavor that involves removing animal waste, garbage and other materials they find suitable for mating and laying eggs. Killing the adults will help, but remember one fly can produce 500 eggs, so if you do not remove the areas where eggs are laid, an infestation will occur. This is especially true near livestock farms.

When being asked where do they all come from, and what good are they; I point out their prolific lifestyle and their ability to produce numerous offspring. I try to find something good in all manner of creatures, including flies. They are instrumental in breaking down waste which aids in adding nutrients back in the soil. They are also a food source to numerous other creatures. So not all is bad where house flies are concerned, but it is still best to keep them at a distance.

Tumblebugs----Earths Manure Spreaders

Poop, Poop, everywhere Poop, much to the delight of the dung beetle or tumblebug as it is sometimes called, which consumes dung with as much enthusiasm as we show to an ice cream sundae. These beetles range in size from very small to quite large at over an inch in length, and all are incredibly robust looking. These are stout beetles and are unmistakable when spotted. They may be black, green, brown, or even iridescent in coloration. Males have a distinctive horn on their head, presumably to fight for the right to mate with available females.

These industrious beetles are in the family of beetles called scarabs. Many of us are familiar with the significance of the dung rolling scarab beetle in Egyptian historical culture. The activity of rolling dung was thought to be a symbol of Ra rolling the sun across the sky each day. Scarabs, especially the dung rolling variety are depicted in Egyptian culture often and for many reasons. In Gothland, Sweden’s largest island it was believed that if you encountered a dung beetle on its back and righted it, you would be purged of all sin. In African folklore it is told that butterfly and dung beetle were best friends. One day while resting in the shade, first man and first woman came by. They admired the butterfly but ignored the beetle. After declaring to the butterfly that he did not like being ignored, the butterfly encouraged the beetle to become the strongest beetle ever. The beetle worked hard to gain strength and once again first man and first woman came by. They witnessed the feats of strength the beetle exhibited by rolling his dung ball. They were so impressed that for the first time they ignored the butterfly it all its beauty. The beetle was so proud of his accomplishment that to this day he continues to roll dung. While this may be folklore, the strength of the dung beetle is in fact quite remarkable. Most can move ten times their weight, and one species in particular can move 1,141 times its own weight! That would be like an average sized man pulling six double decker buses full of people! 

Dung beetles come in three classifications. There are rollers, tunnelers and dwellers. Rollers are the ones we are all most familiar with and get the most attention. They use an extremely sensitive sense of smell to locate dung, remove a portion of the “cake,” and tamp it into a ball which they roll to another location to bury. Males are usually the ones moving the ball, while females either walk behind or hitch a ride on top of the ball, and just hang on for the ride.

Most of us have watched a video or two of these beetles racing across the landscape rolling their prized ball with them at what seems like remarkable speeds when moving something so cumbersome. They are not trying to set land speed records, these energetic movers are trying to protect their ball from lazy dung rollers who mean to steal their hard work. 

The tunnelers on the other hand dig a burrow right below the cake and bury it in place. The dwellers took the easy route and just live inside the cake. These beetles utilize the dung of herbivores and omnivores with the former be their preference. Plant material is difficult to digest in its entirety which means bits, and pieces are passed through the digestive track of large herbivores such as cattle or in Africa it is often elephants and rhinos. The indigestible bits are then deposited inside a nutrient rich pile of poo that dung beetles find quite tasty. This habit of eating leftover plant material out of fecal matter also gives them clout as seed dispersers. As they roll the prized dung ball across the landscape and bury it, seeds are transferred to new locations and often sprout into new plants. Because dung contains all the nutrients and moisture these beetles need, they do not seek other forms of food or water. However, there are some species of these beetles that prefer fungi and decaying fruit.

All three types use dung as a food source for their offspring. Eggs are laid within the fecal matter, and when the eggs hatch the larvae feed on the provided meal. In the case of those that bury the dung, often both parents stay with the offspring and guard them from potential predation. Once the larvae form pupas the parents eat much of what is left of the dung ball.

In our area they are most likely to occur in feed lots where cattle are kept or in pastures with horses or cows. But worldwide may be found in a wide variety of habitats including deserts, woodlands, savannas and grasslands.

These beetles are important components in the environment, and they play a significant role in breaking down organic matter (dung) and returning it back to the soil as a nutrient rich substance. They aerate the soil, compete for underground nesting sites with several different species of flies, as well as remove the availability of dung for the flies to feed on or lay eggs in at the surface (which greatly reduces the fly populations). Thus reducing the number of flies that pester your livestock, keeping them healthier. Their habits add nutrients back to the soil which helps prevent pasture fouling. Pasture grasses will yield better stands and provide more fodder for cattle and horses, thus reducing the amount of hay that needs to be purchased to supplement their diet. Not to mention an estimated 380 million dollars annually is saved in the cattle industry by these beetles and their dispersal of dung. The use of chemical control of flies in cattle lots has had a dramatic impact on populations of dung beetles. Many individuals are beginning to understand the detrimental result of this practice and have eliminated the use of such chemicals or have greatly reduced the amount used. Chemicals that kill flies often kill beetles and many other insects.

There are species that navigate using the milky way, still others that use moonlight to traverse their habitats. They occur on all continents except Antarctica. These unique beetles are beneficial by aiding in a healthier environment for all of us. They should be encouraged and marveled at, and never destroyed. If you want a chance to watch these beetles in action, they are more active in the late evening and nighttime hours. Grab a flashlight and head to the nearest pasture, scan the piles of dung and you may just get to see one of these beetles forming and burying their dung ball.

Inchworms

Who doesn’t have fond memories of childhood, capturing “bugs” such as ladybugs, roly-poly’s, or the intriguing inchworm? Harmless insects such as these have fascinated children for generations. I can remember capturing inchworms and letting them crawl over my hand or across my arm, fascinated by their movement. Legend has it that an inchworm crawling on you, is measuring you for your coffin. After 50 years, I can attest to the falsehood of this claim.  Inchworms get their name from their unique mobility. This creative movement is possible because of the absence of middle legs. Their legs instead are located at the front and rear of the caterpillar. They essentially clasp with the front legs and draw up the hind end then clasp with the hind legs, giving them a humpback appearance. Before reaching out again with those front legs to clasp onto something else, repeating their motility. This unique movement gives the impression they are measuring their journey; thus, the name “inchworm” was attributed to them.

The first inchworm found in Baltic amber was discovered in 2019 and was given the name Eogemeter. It was estimated to date back 44 million years ago! So, they have been around a very long time. Currently there are approximately 24,000 species of inchworms found Worldwide, 1400 of which live in North America, there is no shortage of these fascinating caterpillars. They belong to the family of moths called the Geometer moths. This name is derived from the Latin word geometra and translates loosely into “earth measurer.” Which is also a descriptive term for their unique movement. They may be green, gray or a shade of brown, with some species being nearly black. Some may have spots, or stripes, but all are masters of camouflage. These small, thin caterpillars resemble twigs and blend in well with their environment. When disturbed many species will bungie jump from their vantage point via a piece of silk string they release. This silk string will harden, allowing the caterpillar to climb back up to continue feeding once danger has passed. Some parasitic wasps, however, are aware of the trickery of these caterpillars. They can locate the silk line and either reel up a desperate caterpillar or maneuver themselves down the silken line to inject eggs inside the horrified inchworm…. which hatch into tiny wasp larvae that feed on the caterpillar from the inside out. Other insects, like yellow jackets and paper wasps paralyze the inchworm with special enzymes and masticate them, only to serve them up as a tasty meal for their offspring in a form of inchworm vomit.  With all the birds, and predatory insects out there that feed on these caterpillars I am certain they are kept busy reeling themselves down and climbing back up multiple times daily. Other species of inchworms will stand erect on their hindlegs completely motionless, giving the appearance of a small twig. These enterprising caterpillars manage to avoid being eaten by freezing in place. 

Inchworms, like all caterpillars, are herbivores and feed on a wide variety of plant material. There is an exception though. In Hawaii lives an inchworm that is carnivorous and feeds on insects and spiders. They have a specially adapted mouth and lightning-fast reflexes and can capture an insect in 0.1 seconds. These meat-eating inchworms are referred to as pugs. At this point, these are the only known predatory caterpillars living today.

 Inchworms are considered a social insect and will often gather in relatively large groups but will feed as loners away from their brethren. Inchworms are boom and bust insects. Meaning there are years of plenty and years of few. Their cycle is typically two to seven years of higher populations, then thirteen to eighteen years of low population. The last significant, damaging population explosion occurred in the 1970’s. These explosions in population can cause significant damage to fruit trees, and deciduous shade trees, which are their typical foods of choice. If higher populations remain for three years or more, the continued defoliation of trees may lead to extremely stressed trees that end up dying.

 Many people may know these caterpillars by their other common name ofcankerworm. There are two types of cankerworms, the spring and fall species.  The spring cankerworm spends the winter in the soil as a mature caterpillar until spring when they will form a cocoon and pupate into the adult form that will emerge in a few weeks. Typically, it will be early April through mid-May when the adults appear. Fall cankerworms emerge as adult moths in October after a hard freeze. The males appear first, followed by females a few days later. Mating takes place and females will lay eggs in clusters that overwinter and hatch the following spring. Adults die shortly after mating. They hatch in spring, usually to coincide with the budding of trees. In about four weeks they will drop to the ground and finish their lifecyle to the adult stage. Both spring and fall cankerworms typically begin feeding at the same time each spring, even though their lifecycles are a little different from each other. In years of excessive population numbers, control measures may be needed. Assess your trees and try to start any treatment when the caterpillars are in their earliest stages, older caterpillars are more difficult to impossible to control. In most cases, however, control is not needed, and natural predators will take care of the problem. If you do need to use chemicals, find those with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) as a key ingredient, it is the safest and has the most effect on the caterpillars.

 Historically other control measures were implemented which resulted in a whole other problematic issue. In the 1850’s immigrants from Europe found our country devoid of familiar wildlife. They drastically missed the birds they had lived with back home. It was also during this time that a huge outbreak of cankerworms appeared and were destroying the Linden trees in New York City. An enterprising individual by the name of Nicholas Pike, had a plan. He bought eight pairs of English sparrows, or house sparrows as they are more commonly referred to as. These birds were released in New York and did a fabulous job of eating the caterpillars causing all the havoc. It is believed those initial birds are the ancestors of all house sparrows living in the United States today. Others claim those initial sixteen birds did not reproduce and subsequent purposeful releases did the trick. Either way, this is a case of the cure, being arguably worse than the problem at hand.

Finding yourself in the middle of a plague of inchworms, often dangling in an unsightly manner like pendants on a string only to drop on your head, can be a bit annoying. Not to mention watching as they defoliate your orchard, leaving behind a barren