Buzzing, flying, crawling summer insects and creatures are abundant currently all around the Center. It’s nearly impossible to walk through a prairie, or even just up the walkway to the Great Hall and not be captivated by the multitude of insects that are gathering pollen, moving from plant to plant. Disclaimer: I am not an entomologist, so some of the insects below are only identified to the family level, and not to the species.
Ermine moths on Swamp Milkweed.
Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes tharos. This butterfly is tiny with a wingspan of about 3/4inch.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus.
A Male Monarch, Danaus plexippus, resting on Mountain Mint.
Cabbage White, Pieris rapae. This is a non-native species that is widespread.
Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus.
Unidentified Moth.
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, Bombus affinis, is a federally endangered species.
The top bee is a Yellow Bumble Bee, Bombus fervidus, and is listed as imperiled in Wisconsin.
Two Spotted Bumblebee, Bombus bimaculatus.
Katydid.
Two-striped Grasshopper, Melanoplus bivittatus.
Wasps and Spiders. These creatures do not have the best reputation, but they are essential to our environment and the ecosystems in which they are a part of. They are intricately patterned, and can be really fascinating to observe…from a distance of course!
Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus. This was HUGE! At least two inches.
Paper Wasp.
Yellow Jacket.
Potter Wasp.
I’ve saved my favorite part of my walk in the woods for last. While this post is entitled “insects, up close and personal,” this last creature is not an insect, but an arachnid, called the Garden Spider. I observed this spider for about twenty minutes, and it was fascinating! Different insects would get caught in her web, beetles, grasshoppers, a dragonfly. She would drop down once they were entrapped, enclose them in silk, and then inject the insect with venom to finish killing it, if it was not already dead. The spider would then leave these enclosed insects in the web, saving them to eat later.
Garden Spider, Argiope aurantia, with a beetle as prey.
Grasshopper caught in the Garden Spider’s web, before it was enveloped in silk.
The same grasshopper once the spider wrapped it in silk.
Garden Spider, showing its zig zag design in its web, as well as its prey it is saving for later.
Visit this weekend, and soak up the rest of what summer has to offer.
