Reflections on Vernal Pools

reflections in a vernal pool showing spotted salamander eggs left, wood frog eggs top, and spotted salamander larva to the right. April 10, 2013 Photo Pamm Cooper

Vernal pools are seasonally fresh- water flooded depressions, usually filling with water in the spring as water tables rise in the spring. Although some depressions are filled in the fall, and may be referred to as “ autumnal pools “, the vernal pool in Connecticut contains water for about two months during the growing season. It typically has no outlet stream, and no fish populations are found in them. Most years, vernal pools dry out completely by late summer.

Vernal pools are rich breeding areas for many amphibians. Some of these amphibians need to complete at least part of their life cycle in the pools before reaching adulthood. Look for eggs of the various amphibians that will be born there starting in late March through early April. Among them are wood frogs, spotted salamanders, marbled salamanders and gray tree frogs, and to some extent spring peepers, American toads and red-spotted newts.

Spotted salamanders and wood frogs lay their eggs in vernal pools in the spring, and the nymphs need time to develop into air- breathing amphibians before the pools dry up. A droughty spring can mean disaster if the early stages of the amphibians still have gills and the pool dries up. This spring started off droughty, but recent rains may have helped prolong the length of water retention in Connecticut pools.

If you are adventurous, spend some time looking under logs and leaves in areas surrounding vernal pools, even after the pools have dried up. You may be rewarded with some good finds. On one recent log rolling venture, my sister and I uncovered many red- backed salamanders. The day after a rain you may find red- spotted newt efts and box turtles, especially near woodland vernal pools.

The red- spotted newt has a complicated life- cycle. It hatches from an egg laid in the spring under decaying leaves in a pond, then lives as a carnivorous larvae with a finned tail and gills, much like the spotted salamander. But the red-spot undergoes metamorphosis into an eft form later in the summer where it has lungs and lives outside the water for several years. Then it undergoes a second metamorphosis into its final adult form where it finishes its life in the water.

Eft stage of the red- spotted newt photo by Pamm Cooper may 13, 2013

Spotted salamanders on the other hand spend little of their time in the water. Eggs are laid in large clumps in vernal pools after adults migrate from burrows in the wood during winter rains. The aquatic form of this salamander can sometimes be mistaken for polliwogs by the casual observer. Their development into terrestrial forms depends upon the water temperature. The warmer it is, the faster these salamanders develop into the land- dwelling form. After they move to land, they are seldom seen as they are of a nocturnal habit, dwelling in hardwood forests and swamps. This salamander depends upon vernal pools or wetlands where no fish are found that would feed on the eggs and larvae.

Wood frogs are among the first breeding animals to arrive at the vernal pool. Listen for their loud quacking and shortly after look for their Wood frogs lay eggs prolifically in vernal pools. The egg masses of wood frogs are usually attached to vegetation near the surface of the water and may-cover the surface of the pool if wood frogs are in abundance. They can survive in pools that dry up by August as the tadpole stage typically is completed by mid- June to mid-July in Connecticut.

Egg string of the American Toad Picture taken April 20, 2013 by Pamm Cooper

There are many other things found in and around vernal pools that we can observe and appreciate. The next time you here incessant quacking in the woods in early spring, remember the wood frog. And think about all the drama about to unfold as the melting snow and rising water table provide the perfect environment for the unheralded amphibians of the woodlands.

Pamm Cooper

All pictures Copyrighted 2013 by Pamm Cooper

 

The Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Photo of Mourning Cloak basking in the sun to warm up. Photo by Pamm Cooper

One of the first butterflies seen in early spring in Connecticut is the Mourning Cloak butterfly. Nymphalis antiopa ( Linnaeus ) is one of the our most widespread butterfly species and is also one of the longest living as an adult. Any seen flying about in early spring spent the winter in a sheltered spot. On warm winter days with no snow cover I have seen one or two flying about in sunny, open woods.

This is a fairly large butterfly with a wingspan between 2 ½- 4 inches. The upper wings are a deep chocolate brown with a wide creamy yellow border along the outside margin. Just outside this border are a row of iridescent blue/ purple spots. The color of these spots can vary as the sun strikes them at different angles.

Males are very territorial, and they defend their area by chasing away, or at least attempting to do so, every perceived threat to it. I have actually had one land on my head, unaware of the fact until I heard a whirring sound and felt something lightly fluttering on my head. It was the male Mourning Cloak I had just seen flying up from the hiking trail just in front of me. It had doubled back and “ jumped” me from behind. It was actually pretty funny, especially since I could see the shadow of it drumming on my head. In such cases, it is often best to move on to another area for the sake of the butterfly.

The female lays her eggs in a cluster or ring on a twig or leaf. I have found newly hatched caterpillars in a large group still near the egg ring on a willow twig. Some of the larval host plants are native willows, Cottonwood, Hackberry, American Elm, poplar, and Gray birch. If you see a Mourning cloak landing on any of these host plants, check and see if perhaps it is a female looking for the correct plant on which to lay her eggs. The caterpillars are fairly easy to spot as they feed in groups, making a web as they go. Their bodies are black with tiny white spots, and they have diamond shaped red spots along their back. Their prologs are a matching red color, and they also have black spikes, which are harmless but fearsome- looking.

Mourning cloaks are found most often along woodland edges and watercourses, but I have found them on power lines also, especially where there are wetland areas with native willows. If you are hiking along a woodland trail, you may see take off just in front of you. If so, watch where it goes. It will often be a male who was perched or patrolling his territory, and many times it will return almost exactly to the same area. Even it seems to be flying quite a distance away, even deep into the woods, wait where you are, and you may be rewarded with a close- up view if you stand still, as it usually will return to its resting spot. You can have a little fun with this butterfly. I have held out my hand and had one actually land on it, checking me out to see if I was a threat. They may even try to obtain salts from your skin, as will other butterflies such as the Red Admiral.

obsessionwithbutterflies.com photo of chrysalis

Mourning Cloaks are attracted to sap flows, such as on cracks found on tree trunks, and also dung or rotting fruit. If there is a sap flow, they land above it and will walk down to it and then feed head downward. They will also obtain nectar from red maple and milkweed, but it is uncommon to see them doing so.

fcps.edu photo of Mourning Cloaks feeding on sap flows from yellow-bellied sapsucker damage.

One final word on this butterfly: they often make a loud click before flying away from a spot where they have been resting. The reason for this is unknown but remarkable..

Pamm Cooper

 

Eastern Bluebirds

“Gonna find me a bluebird, let him  sing me a song
‘Cause my heart’s been broken much too long.”

- Marvin Rainwater, Gonna Find Me a Bluebird Lyrics, 1955

I have worked at two golf courses, both in Hartford County, and on both properties and in the areas surrounding the courses, bluebirds are found in abundance. having large, open areas and woodland edges, undisturbed waste areas, abundant numbers of fruiting shrubs and trees, and sources of open water, the golf course is an ideal environment for many birds, including bluebirds. While they  seemed to disappear from New England as farmland and other large open areas were lost to development or reforestation, bluebirds have made a dramatic comeback in recent years. Virtually unseen at our golf course, in the 1990’s, we saw our first mating pair in 1995. Since that time, we have put up numerous bluebird specific nesting boxes, and if tree swallows, house sparrows, or flying squirrels don’t get to them first, the bluebirds are in at least half of them. We sometimes see as many as 30 birds at a time flocking together as they have successful broods year after year.

Above: photo of male and female bluebirds- credit FNAL Fermi Lab

Eastern bluebirds are very social, and often large groups of them are seen flying from tree to tree or from tree trunk to the ground as they hunt for insects and fruit. They are adept at clinging to the trunks of trees, often perching there until they spot an insect to eat on the ground nearby. If you see a bird fly to the trunk of a tree, check it out. It may be a nuthatch, but perhaps you will discover it is a bluebird. I have found that, where there is one, there is often at least one more nearby. In the fall they are often seen together eating berries together with groups of cedar waxwings on cedars, Virginia creeper, and black gums, which are all naturally occurring native plants on our golf course. As both species of bird are social in nature, they don’t seem to mind each other’s presence on the same food plants.

During the summer, almost 70% of their diet consists of insects. They were a welcome addition to orchards in the past as they consumed many pests of fruit trees. This is why they are often found in old, neglected orchards as the insects are more abubdant because control measures for these pests have been abandoned along with the orchards themselves. Eastern bluebirds also eat fruits, including those of fruit of blackberry, elderberry, honeysuckle, dogwood, raspberry, mountain ash, pokeweed, Bradford pear, wild grapes and many other plants. In the fall they find berries of black gum, buckthorn, Eastern red cedar, Virginia creeper, and other trees and shrubs. Many bluebirds remain all winter, surviving on American holly, inkberry, winterberry, sumac, and other berries that remain throughout the winter monthes. Power lines can be a good place to find bluebirds during any season, as many food sources are available year- round.

This year many people reported seeing them on their suet feeders for the first time, perhaps due to the blizzard in february that covered many of the smaller trees and shrubs that would have provided some food. Every year can bring different conditions that may be extremely difficult for birds to survive, or perhaps make it much easier if fruit is especially abundant. As a side note to that- this year acorns were practically unavailable for squirrels, oaks having produced little because of cold weather during the flowering period. So squirrels were reduced to eating crabapples in the fall, leaving few for the birds that normally would eat them toward the end of winter.

Above: photo of male bluebird perched on tree trunk.  Photo credit:www.biosurvey.ou.edu

Males bluebirds will select holes for nesting purposes that have been excavated by flickers, woodpeckers or chickadees, as well as properly constructed and mounted nest boxes. If your property has large open areas bordered by an area of woods with a rather open understory, place a bluebird house on a post or the remains of a broken tree trunk of a size similar to a fence post. Be sure the box is near the edge of the woods where it will get some sun during the day. Or place it out in the open, especially along fence lines in open fields. If possible, face the opening toward a perching spot, such as the next fencepost or a nearby tree with open, low branches. Avoid facing the hole toward the afternoon sun if the box is out in the open- face the hole to the north or east if possible. Also, keep the opening from facing prevailing winds. The ideal situation is to face the opening toward a tree or shrub that is within 100 feet of the box. This will provide the fledglings with a safe destination for their first flight. The first time I saw a nesting pair, they had selected a rotten trunk of a tree about 6 feet high and 5 inches in diameter about twenty feet inside the woods. The entrance hole was at least four inches in diameter.  So you can see that nesting preferences are not necessarily “  by the book”.

Bluebirds do not need a perching post under the nest box hole to enter or leave the box and may avoid nesting in boxes that have such perches. Leave the inside surface rough so birds will be able toget a grip to exit the house. Drill a few vent holes on the upper sides, and drain holes on the bottom. Insert a hardware wire support to keep the nest  about 1 ½- 2 inches off the bottom of the box. This may help keep blow fly larvae from crawling back on the nestling birds.

Photo above left: hiltonpond.org                               Photo above right: laspilitas.com

After the bluebirds have successfully fledged the first brood, clean out the old nest. The birds will build another if they have a second brood. If you forget, do not worry. I have actually opened a box in the early spring to clean it out only to find a female sitting on eggs in a second nest she had built on top of the old one. But is certainly best to keep the box clean. If other undesirable birds start to build their nests in the boxes, keep pulling the stuff out. We put three nest boxes within thirty yards of each other and get a family of tree swallows, one of house sparrows, and one of bluebirds every year. After cleaning them out, the birds select their nesting sites, and all are satisfied.

If you want to see bluebirds, check out the area along Horse Barn Hill Road where they usually can be found year- round. Another spot is the little cemetery on Bone Mill Road in Mansfield where they often perch on top of the old gravestones, especially from late March on through summer. Or just keep your ears tuned in for their distinctive ” wheedle wheedle ” as you are out and about. Happy hunting!

Pamm Cooper  UConn Home & Garden Education Center

 

Taking a Look at Tiger Beetles

Tiger beetles are among the many beetles I like to watch and I look forward to seeing them every year. They are easy to find once you know their habitats and the time of year they are out and about. These predatory beetles are fast on their feet and are also among the quickest of the beetles to take flight. Walking along open trails, you may see something fly off just ahead of where you were going and land not too far away. If you don’t get a good look at it, you may mistake it for a fly because both insects are quick to take off in  flight and because they are often found in the same habitat.

As of 1996, there were fourteen species of tiger beetles in Connecticut, seven of which are on the state’s protected list. They are members of the Carabidae family, which are the ground beetles. Like most ground beetles, the larval stage is spent in the ground and some tiger beetles take two years to complete their life cycle. Most tiger beetles are found in habitats featuring low or sparse vegetation and sandy soils. If you want to see adults in action, look for them on sunny days as most become inactive if clouds block the sun for any length of time.

To identify a beetle as a tiger beetle look for three things- bulging eyes, long legs and crisscrossed mandibles that are formidable in appearance. When standing still, they have a distinctive posture where the head is up, the rear is down, and the body is held high off the ground on stilt- like hairy legs. These insects are built for speed both on the ground and in the air.

Typical tiger beetle posture

A tiger beetle is predatory in both the adult and larval stage. The larva is an ambush predator, similar to the ant lion, which lies in wait beneath the ground. It lives in a vertical tube in the soil and you may see its head just inside the tube as it waits for prey to amble on by. When that happens, the larva pops out and grabs its victim with its powerful jaws and then pulls it into the burrow. Larvae can survive for weeks without food and are also able to survive temporary flooding.

Adults have powerful sickle- shaped overlapping jaws which they use for capturing prey such as ants, spiders and other arthropods. They can catch prey both on the ground and in the air. They are so fast when pursuing oblivious ants that I have sometimes seen them overrun them and have to do an about- face. Their vision appears acute, and while they perch, they will suddenly turn in the direction of any movement. This can make it very difficult to approach them if you are trying get a closer look. A tip is to crouch down, with the sun ahead of you so as not to cast a shadow that will trigger flight. Then move slowly toward the beetle. Tiger beetles are also preyed upon by dragonflies, robber flies, birds, and small vertebrates, so they are approachable to some extent.

Look for tiger beetles in open sunny areas that have low or sparse vegetation with scattered rocks and sandy soils. Some are found along woodland trails and forest edges. Once you have found a tiger beetle, you will probably be able to find it the next year. Note the time of year and the exact area you saw it. They are reliably found, if not in almost exactly the same spot, then within ten to twenty yards of it.  If disturbed, most tiger beetles will fly only a short distance away and may be found by simply walking ahead in the direction you saw it fly. The adult may sit and wait for some small insect to scurry by and then use its speed to run it down. Or it may run forward and stop repeatedly as it checks out any promising activity.

There are several species in Connecticut that are of special concern. One is the federally threatened and state endangered species Cicendela puritan, the Puritan tiger beetle. This beetle is found in two small areas in the country-  periodically flooded sandy beach habitats along the Connecticut River and similar areas along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The small area in Connecticut where this was found is now protected from human access both from the water and from land.

Tiger beetle Cicindela repanda on my thumb.

Cicindela rufiventris  is a species commonly found in dry upland rocky and eroded areas but can also be found in areas of sparse vegetation such a trails , power lines or forest clearings. I have found populations in several areas where stones have been brought in by the local governments or power companies to help stop erosion caused by both maintenance vehicles accessing the land and all-terrain vehicle activity that can cause greater damage of a more permanent nature. Whether the stones helped keep the ground from being destroyed or just allowed a better habitat for both larvae and adults to survive, rufiventris appear to be doing well in these areas. Look for adults in July and August.

possibly a C. rufiventris as the abdomen just showing below elytra is orange- red.

There is a small spit of tidal flooded land along the Connecticut River where the ferry comes in on the Glastonbury side where there is a large colony of Cicindela repanda can be found. These common beetles are very similar in appearance to the endangered Puritan tiger beetles. In August there are hundreds of them running along the water edges and among the rocks of this spit- the ground seems to come alive with their activity. When the tide is in, the area shrinks in size, and if you sit down on the sand, you will be surrounded by beetles rushing around. They even venture into shallow water to catch the flies that are abundant there. Take care not to step on any of these industrious, beautifully patterned creatures.

 Cicindela repanda August 2012 Glastonbury in sand at the ferry landing.

Ct. River ferry landing area in Glastonbury showing tiger beetle C. repanda habitat. Picture taken at low tide.

I have found the six- spotted tiger beetle, Cicindela sexguttata, year after year on the same power lines, along the same gravel roads and in the same areas  bordering woodland edges. I look for them in mid to late April during warm springs, but normal activity begins in early may. Adults are readily seen through July and sometimes into August. These beetles are bright metallic green and have three white spots on each elytra. They can be found perched on logs and rocks or bare soil either in the sun or shade. Their bright color will make them easy to spot if they have landed in any open area. A slow approach is in order if you want to get close enough to take a picture or just watch them for a while. If you lost sight of it, just walk on for a while, and if nothing appears, turn around and head back to where you first saw it. Often it will have circled around gone back near where it was before.

Six- spotted tiger beetle- Cicindela sexgutatta- found on a restaurant window in Cold Spring, New York June 28, 2011. The restaurant was surrounded by rocky cliffs and a large disturbed area bordering woods.

So next spring and summer if you are out and about hiking along nature trails, power lines or dirt roads, be alert to the possibility of tiger beetles being on the hunt nearby. And don’t forget to bring your camera! I would not have had the opportunity to take any of the pictures you see here if my camera had been left at home ( or in the car! ).

Pamm Cooper                                                      All Photos Copyright 2013 Pamm Cooper

 

Sticky Stuff On My Orchid

Phalaenopsis orchid in bud, photo by C. Quish

Happy Sap, C. Quish Photo

January is the month my couple of Phalaenopsis orchids send up a spike with flower buds on them. The buds usually open during the last weeks of the month. I discovered one orchid stem and buds looked a bit shiny. Upon closer inspections, I saw a droplet of an amber-colored thick liquid. The stuff was sticky! It appeared to be maple syrup. I gently washed it off under tepid water. The next day it was back. I checked for insect feeding that might have caused damage and weeping, or insect excrement. None. After watching for several days, more sticky stuff appeared, almost coating the buds. After a bit of internet hunting on University researched sites on orchids, I found nothing indicating this as a problem. An informal search of ‘Sticky Stuff on my Orchid’ returned several answers. It is normal for some varieties. They called it ‘Happy Sap’. If the orchid is happy with its environment, temperature and humidity, it will produce this high sugar sap emitted from the stem surrounding the buds to entice pollinating insects to visit the plant. Once the buds open into the flower containing the pollen, the insects will be present to land on the flower and ensure pollination. The orchid has developed this appetizer to the main meal of the flower, just enough sweet sap to entice the insects to hang around for the real show and nectar.

Another plant that emit sweet, sticky gel is the sundew, botanically named Drosera . These plants attract the insects to the sweet sap, which then get stuck in the sap on the leaf. The plant then eats the insect, absorbing the insects nutrients as it decomposes. These plants are carnivorous. Still another carnivorous plant is the Pitcher Plant which lures insects down its throat where it becomes trapped in a pool of gooey sap, never to make its way back out. I took a cold walk to the UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology’s greenhouse to snap a few pictures of plants with happy sap and enticing sweet liquid emitters. EEB greenhouses are open to the public and a great way to beat the winter cold. http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/visiting.html

-Carol Quish

Sundew, Carol Quish photo

Small Sundew, Carol Quish photo

Pitcher Plant, photo by C.Quish

Bench waiting for you to visit and enjoy the greenhouses. C.Quish photo

 

The Amazing Water Bear

Water bears, also known as tardigrades, are known for being almost indestructible on earth. These microscopic creatures can survive intense pressures, huge doses of radiation, extremes of hot and cold temperatures and years of being dried out. They can be found in moist environments throughout the world, in places as diverse as hot springs, under layers of ice, the Himalayas, ocean waters, on stone walls, and in soils.

Water Bear, University of North Texas

Tardigrades were discovered in1773 in Germany by J.A.E. Goeze, a zoologist and pastor, who said of them, “Strange is this little animal because of its exceptional and strange morphology and because it closely resembles a bear en miniature. That is the reason why I decided to call it little water bear. “They have their own phylum, Tardigrada, because they fit in with no other group of animals on the earth. The word tardgrada i comes from the Latin words tardus ( slow ) and gradu ( step ). The literal meaning is “slow- stepper ” and can be appreciated when watching them move about, somewhat akin to a lumbering bear.

Although soft and squishy, they are anything but softies when it comes to extreme environmental conditions. They can survive temperature extremes from – 328° F to + 303° f and pressure extremes from a vacuum to the high pressures in the deepest ocean trenches. They are able to survive radiation levels 1,000 times above that which would kill humans. Water bears can also survive the loss of 99% of the water content of their bodies.

These creatures have the ability to survive the most extreme conditions that would kill any other creatures, even 10 years without water. They may enter a state of cryptobiosis where metabolism is lowered to less than 0.01% of normal, and water content can drop to 1% of normal. A water bear is known as a “ tun “ while in this state of suspended animation, and can survive like this for ten or more years. Some water bears survived on a dessicated piece of moss in a museum for 120 years, becoming active after scientists added water to the moss. While in this dry state they are able to resist storage in liquid nitrogen, contact with mineral acids and organic solvents, radioactive radiation and boiling water. All it needs is a droplet of water and it is able to return to normal activity.

One scientist has compared the appearance of water bears to gummy bears due to their bright orange, green or red bodies and the similar texture of their bodies. A Tardigrada‘s body is barrel-shaped and has four pairs of stubby legs. Legs are without joints and the feet have four to eight claws apiece which enable it to move along and grasp the moss or lichens they are feeding on. Its exoskeleton contains chitin and is molted periodically throughout its life span, which normally ranges from 3- 30 months. Its tubular mouth has stylets which are used to pierce plant cells or the cells of other invertebrates on which it feeds. Often they are seen in postures that really do resemble those of bears, even as they swim through liquids.

To find water bears, look on moss or lichens, even on stone walls or bricks. If the material is dried up, moisten with spring water. Water bear, if present, usually become active within twenty minutes of adding water. Use a microscope and add a drop of the moistened material to a slide. Sometimes water bears are found in soils, so that is another place to look. They are small- 0.1- 1.5 mm. the largest being about the size of the three small dots found on a dime between the neck of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the date the coin was minted.

Kennesaw University

Scientists have reported finding water bears on mountain tops, in hot springs, under layers of solid ice and in the sediments of oceans. Many species can be found in the less extreme environs of ponds, meadows, lakes and back yards. Some have even been found on roofs. While most common in moist areas, they are able to stay active as long as they maintain just a thin film of water around their bodies.

Certain species of Tardegrada were found to be resistant to the effects of space when used in experiments by NASA. During the flight mission the tardigrades molted, and females laid eggs. Several of the eggs hatched with the newborns exhibiting normal morphology and behavior. Neither the microgravity nor the radiation found in space had any effect on the survival capability or the integrity of the DNA of active tardigrades.

The water bears ( or moss piglets as they are sometimes called ) are singular specimens in the world of Zoology. No other animals show such a profound ability to survive conditions that cover as wide a spectrum of environmental extremes, while remaining virtually unknown to most of the people living all around them.

Sources: NASA Science NASA News
Carleton College – Microbial Life Education Resources

Pamm Cooper

 

Memorial and Peace Gardens are Healing Places

When I am feeling distraught I seek solace outside, in nature or in the garden. Sometimes alone, sometimes with another, sometimes in a crowd. Nature has a calming effect on the troubled heart. Having a special place to go aids in the mindful process of healing and meditation.

Memorial Gardens and Peace Gardens were and are created to provide just such a place for folks to visit and reflect. Memorial Gardens are designed to honor a departed person or group of people. Peace Gardens are meant to foster peace between different peoples, groups or countries. “A symbol of hope for peace and renewal in our lives, our community, and the world.” (from The Garden of Peace in Boston Massachusetts).

During this darkest of Decembers, I offer you the opportunity to visit the places, click on the links, or just view the photos below.

Peace,

Carol Quish

http://gardenofpeacememorial.org/

Harkness Memorial Park

International Peace Garden, http://www.peacegarden.com/maps.htm
Latitude: 48° 59′ 57″

Olive and George Lee Memorial Garden, New Caanan, CT Credit Molly Shaker

Zion Memorial Garden, North Branford, CT

Indoor Peace Garden

 

Moths in My Kitchen!

Indian Meal Moth Adult,K.Gray Collection, ext.colostate.edu

Indian meal moth larva, tamu.edu

Every now and then a couple of moths make an appearance in my kitchen or dining room. Beyond being a minor nuisance, they are a signal I have eggs, larva and pupa in some food product nearby. These moths are called pantry pests, specifically, Indian Meal Moths. Their Latin name is Plodia interpunctella. They feed on and infest grain products such as flour, oatmeal, cornmeal and just about any cereal. They are also known to eat dried fruit, chocolate, herbs and seeds. Insects are usually brought into the home unnoticed in food products from the grocery store and might occasionally fly in from an outside food source. Some unusual hiding and egg laying places have been reported to the UConn Home and Garden Education Center. The crumb tray of the toaster, the intake vents of stand mixers, in the pot holder drawer feeding on crumbs, in stored seeds for the vegetable garden and in the bottom of the holiday nut bowl are all additional sites of egg laying. Dry pet food and bird seed can contain Indian Meal Moths.

The lifecycle of Indian Meal Moth has four stages. The adult female moth will lay 60 to 300 eggs in or near a food source. The egg hatches into a larva within 2 to 14 days, then begins feeding for a varying number of days, depending on temperature and humidity. They then pupate during which they develop into a moth, emerge to fly around our kitchens, mate and repeat the cycle. Moths sometimes lay eggs on textured ceilings and at the corners where the wall meets the ceiling and on the underside of the cabinet shelves.

Signs they larvae are present in dry-stored foods are webbing and frass clumping food bits together and hanging from the top or sides of containers. In the case of the toaster tray, all of the crumbs were not loose but matted together in one lump. Adults and larva can chew through cardboard and plastic bags. It is best to store even unopened packages in hard sided plastic or glass containers. That way, even if you bring the insects in from the grocery store, they will be contained in the hard container.

Control measures include vacuuming and cleaning cabinets, examining food for any insect presence and removing. Soap and water will kill all stages of life of these soft bodied insects. Pesticides are not needed and not recommended indoors, especially around food. Keep cabinets clean, wipe up spilled food promptly and good sanitation practices will eliminate any food sources for any moths you might have missed. Placing suspected infested food containers in the freezer will kill the insects. The insects are not vectors of any human disease and will not harmful if eaten, but a little gross!

-Carol Quish

 

Red Tailed Hawks

Red-tailed hawks, Buteo jamaicensis, are one of the most common and widespread hawks of North America They get their genus name from the Buteo genus of hawks which are known for their sturdy body and broad wings. Their species name comes from the island of Jamaica, where they were first studied scientifically. Besides North America, these hawks can be found in Central America and some Caribbean islands, including Cuba and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Red-Tailed Hawk Range, nationalgeographic.com

Red-tailed hawks get their familiar name from the rusty brown tail sported by the adult hawks. It is easy to identify an adult either from the air or when perched. The underbelly is white with a broad band of dark brown horizontal streaks across the middle. The beak is short and dark, while the legs, cere and feet are yellow. Generally, birds that are under two years old have bands of brown and white on the tail and develop the classic red tail in their third year.

RedTailedHawk, amherst.edu

Red-tails are most often found in open habitats such as roadsides, fields and power lines, which provide an excellent vantage for sighting prey. They are also frequently seen perching on light fixtures and telephone poles along roadways. They soar in slow circles as they climb skyward on thermal updrafts. You may see a bird suddenly stop or seem to hover from a great distance above the ground and then dive straight down to the ground to capture an unwitting animal.
If you hear some blue jays or crows yakking away, it might be because they have spotted a red-tail ( or a Great Horned Owl ) and are harassing it. This behavior is called “mobbing”.  The goal of mobbing birds is to drive the hawk away from either their young or from food sources both species are competing for. With blue jays, at least to me, it seems like they do it many times just for fun. Usually the hawks simply stay put until the crows tire of their efforts. Or the hawk may have enough and fly to another area. Only once have I ever seen a red-tail respond to mobbing birds by grabbing an unfortunate crow with its talons and dropping the body to the ground. The rest of the crows quickly dispersed and lived to see another day.
Red-tails are generalist and opportunistic feeders, taking whatever prey presents itself. Small mammals such as voles, mice, chipmunks and red squirrels are frequent targets. They will also prey upon other birds, gray squirrels, rabbits, and baby woodchucks. I have seen a juvenile red-tail try to prey on two very large carp that were trapped by debris in a swollen stream bed one spring. From its perch on a small alder situated on the stream bank just above the two fish, the young hawk would jump down upon the backs of the carp. Of course this caused the surprised fish to flop mightily about and the hawk became unsure of what to do. It would retreat back into the tree and try again. This went on for quite a while, and I don’t know if the hawk gave up or finally got its meal. The only reason I even got a chance to watch this drama was because two mallards were quacking up a storm, alarmed by of the presence of the hawk, and I went off a trail to see what the commotion was about.

Young red-tail ‘fishing’, photo by Pamm Cooper

One thing to note about buteos is that the female bird is noticeably larger that the male. Red –tail hawks mate for life and both parents are involved in feeding their young. Males feed their mate while she is sitting on the eggs, usually for 30- 32 days. Eggs hatch a few days apart, so all fledglings are not the same size. One may be considerably delayed leaving the nest while older siblings are already able to fly. Usually in the North East, two or possibly three eggs will be laid. Fledglings leave the nest after 40-46 days after hatching. They will fly after another two or three weeks and start catching their own food 6-7 weeks after that.

Eye-ridge of red-tail, paw.org
Hawks can see a mouse from a height of 100 feet and there is a bony ridge above the eyes that helps block the sun.

A good book about red-tailed hawks is: “ Red-Tails in Love: a Wildlife Drama in Central Park ” written by Marie Winn and published by Pantheon. This book is a true story about a pair of red-tailed hawks that nest on Fifth Avenue in New York City and the band of bird-watchers who become ardent followers of these two birds. It describes the hawk’s courtship, mating and struggle to survive in the big city environment and the ways in which their devoted fans try to help them.
For good information on northern birds, the University of Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Ornithologist’s Union, and the Academy of Natural sciences worked together on a comprehensive reference, “ The Birds of North America “. Cornell’s lab of Ornithology also has an excellent website that is well worth exploring.

-Pamm Cooper
Sources:
Pennsylvania State University
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Ohio State University

 

Woolly Beech Aphid and Cynipid Wasp Galls

Woolly beech aphids, udel.edu

Cynipid Wasp galls, uwex.edu

Two interesting samples came into the office this week. The first was a beech twig with white, fuzzy ‘stuff’ moving on it. The second was a round tan and maroon mottled one-inch round ball. Of course, the respective clients want to know the identity of  both ‘things’. Both clients spend ample time outdoors observing nature. They recognized something new, something that didn’t normally appear there. We are here to provide them with the answers.

After placing the beech twig under the microscope, it was pretty easy to see individual insects, aphids, waving their curled-up butt ends in the air. Covering the aphid’s back, was white thread like pieces of waxy filaments. The insects are Woolly Beech Aphids, Phyllaphis fagi. This aphid feeds on a single host species, beech. Aphids have a piercing/sucking mouth part they inject into the leaf tissue to suck up the plant juices. These aphids are  gregarious, tending to cling together on the undersides of the leaves. Even though they may be numerous in population, their damage does not cause much injury to the plant. The leaves will be falling within the next month and have done their job for the tree. Aphid feeding at this time of year will not stress the beech tree, therefore no control measures are needed. But aren’t they cool to watch?

woolly beech aphid, Hannah Nendick-Mason photo

Oak Gall

The next client’s object looked it should be fruit. Round and firm but fleshy with a spotted or marbled skin. I usually cut open fruits to examine their seeds to identify the family to which they belong. Apples have five seeds, stone fruits have single pits. After cutting through the center of this supposed fruit, I found no seed or pit but a hollow area containing more than ten tiny wiggling larvae. It was not a fruit. It was a gall; malformed plant tissue formed to encase and house the egg and subsequent larvae of a very small cynipid wasp. The larvae produce hormones that cause the leaf tissue to grow into the ball shape. The galls do not harm the tree but can be unsightly. Our gall was found on the ground, after it fell from the tree or leaf, probably an oak. Again, no control measures are needed as the galls are only cosmetic and not causing damage to the tree.

I am thankful to these observant nature watchers for sharing their oddities with me and the UConn Home and Garden Education Center.

-Carol Quish