Wildlife

Blue Dasher Dragonfly on Russian sage (Salvia yangii, formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia)

The Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a common North American species. Blue Dashers are aggressive predators that daily can eat up to ten percent of their body weight in flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. They are active from late spring through fall, peaking in summer.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

The Common Buckeye is one of the most recognizable butterflies in North America due to its distinctive wing patterns; its brown wings feature striking, multicolored eyespots—two on each hindwing and two on each forewing. These spots mimic the eyes of larger animals to deter predators.

It is commonly found in open, sunny areas like fields, gardens, and roadsides. Males are territorial and like to perch on bare earth or low-growing vegetation to wait for females. Females use frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) and clover (Trifolium species) as host plants, meaning it lays its eggs on it for its caterpillars to eat.

Praying Mantis perched on flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Worldwide there are about 2,000 types of mantids with most living in Asia and the tropics. Pictured is the European Mantis (mantis religiosa), the most common type found in North America most likely arriving with trade ships. All mantids have big eyes, triangular heads and three pairs of legs.

Note the white spots on the parsley leaves which are likely stippling damage caused by sucking insects like leafhoppers or thrips which frequently target garden herbs. Hence, the presence of the mantis which eat the insects.

Can You Spot the Praying Mantis Egg Sack?

Hiding in plain sight in the first image below is an egg sack called an ootheca (pronouned oh-uh–THEE-kuh); plural is oothecae (oh-uh-THEE-see). It is laid in the fall, is protected by its hard capsules and can contain 50-200 embryos which will hatch in the spring. Because it must survive the winter without the protection of parents it is well-camouflaged on the trunk of the maple tree. The second image shows a close-up of the ootheca.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse