Some Interesting Insects

With over 85,000+ species in the United States, insects make up a huge portion of our biodiversity. Among these species, there are several that are easily observed by the casual naturalist, including the Monarch, a bumblebee, or a lady beetle. However, there is an entire world of insects right here with us that go undetected, either because the are small, nondescript, or rare. However, sometimes these unnoticed species are incredible beautiful, or perhaps they have an interesting story. Here are a few examples that I have found recently:

After seriously becoming interested in moths earlier this summer, I quickly learned about this small moth. This tiny species is an abundant denizen of the fern understory in the woods around my house, as well as a frequent visitor to my porch light. Named for the two rings visible on the basal areas of the forewings, the Hollow-spotted Blepharomastix (Blepharomastix ranalis), has one of the coolest genus names of any of the moths I've encountered so far.

The Imported Long-horned Weevil (Calomycterus setarius) is another insect that I frequently find on my porch. A small group of these guys can often be found blending into the wall. This beetle is only about 3mm long, so it can be difficult to find against wood or another tan or brown surface. This species is particularly interesting, as it can perform parthenogenetic reproduction, in which the female can produce offspring without fertilization by a male. This process allows this soybean pest to reproduce very rapidly.

Here's another non-native weevil. I caught this gorgeous Asiatic Oak Weevil (Cyrtepistomus castaneus) while sweeping branches of tall oaks. This species, like the previous species, can perform parthenogenesis, which allows it to spread rapidly after its introduction to this country.

Most people would hardly notice this insect-eaten White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) leaf, but to me, this particular piece of patterned foliage tells a story. Those whitish lines are the result of the larval from of Liriomyza eupatoriella, a leaf-miner fly. The fly larva eats the inside of the leaf between the upper and lower epidermal layers of the leaf, leaving these visible squiggly lines.

This Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) leaf also shows the characteristic squiggly lines of an insect larva. Unlike in the previous photo, this damage was caused by a caterpillar of the Ectoedemia nyssaefoliella moth.

While attempting to photograph an ant, I noticed a small, brown insect sitting next to me. As I took a closer look, I realized that the tiny insect was an extremely small grasshopper! At only 6mm, this nymphal Crested Pygmy Grasshopper (Nomotettix cristatus) is one of the smallest grasshoppers around. Due to its size and preference to stay low to the ground, this species is rarely detected. Unfortunately, this elusiveness also means that there is very little information published about this unique and fascinating species.

The final insect I'd like to share is a truly bizarre creature. When I first saw a group of these insects flying around a sweet birch tree, I thought they were little pieces of fluff from the nearby milkweed seed pods. This flying piece of lint is actually an aphid in the family Calaphidinae, the birch aphids. Keep an eye out for these unique critters the next time you pass through the forest.

I'd also like to mention a project I've been working on for a little bit. This project is a dichotomous key to the grass skippers of Pennsylvania. You can find the key here. After keying out to species, if you click on the species name, you will be directed to a page with more information about the species.

A Walk Through the Yard

I start my afternoon walk at the garden along the east side of the house. The building has shaded the flowers, but that does not deter the brightly-colored Great Spangled Fritillary from taking a sip of nectar out of the Purple Coneflower. After enjoying the sweet liquid, the fritillary gently flaps his way towards the sunny section of the yard and alights upon a Silver Maple leaf for a brief second before taking off into the shaded forest.


The next place I visit is the small pond along the southeastern edge of the yard. As I step towards the water, several tiny, teneral damselflies flutter out of the grass, and a handful of dragonflies take flight and head towards the open water. Along the pond's edge, I spot a female dragonfly dipping her eggs into the murky water--she hovers just above the surface and lightly taps the tip of her abdomens onto the water's surface. A male whitetail guards his mate and chases off any intruder that approaches, but the female Spangled Skimmer is not as lucky, for she is left to fend for herself.


Other dragonflies are ready to lay eggs as well. This pair of Calico Pennants sits silently at the edge of the pond. The brightly-colored wings stand out amongst the sedges making this couple easy to find. After a few minutes of rest, the male, holding the female by her neck, flies out over the pond looking for a suitable location for his mate to lay the now-fertilized eggs.


The buzzing and colorful dragonflies are not the only insects at the pond. I search through the various grasses, sedges, and spike-rushes growing along the border of the pond and discover more odonates in tandem. A pair of Sedge Sprites sits motionless at the tip of a blade of grass--almost invisible to the casual observer. The male's iridescence shines in the sunlight, while the duller colors of the female have a subtle beauty of their own.


I head away from the water's edge towards a blooming meadowsweet situated above the pond. The flowers are filled with various pollinating insects: bees, wasps, beetles, and ants. One particular flower longhorn, Strangalia luteicornis, slowly eats the whitish flowers as he moves across the inflorescence.


After watching the insects on the Spiraea, I make way across the road into the open field. In this particular section, flowers are few, so I hardly find any butterflies. However, many of the pond-dwelling dragons are out to feed. A young male Widow Skimmer gently flaps his way from perch to perch, occasionally swerving to capture a small fly to eat. This guy is sure to be at the pond before long in order to find a suitable mate.


While following the skimmer, I come across a another dragonfly, this one dressed in black and yellow. Wings held up in the air, the Halloween Pennant balances on the tip of a Timothy stalk as the breeze blows it around. This acrobat gives me quite the show, but does not let me approach. I must keep my distance, or he will flutter down to the next appealing perch.


I soon find myself at the center of a milkweed patch with butterflies in every direction. I hear Little Glassywings as they skip past my ears; I see the tell-tale yellow and black flashes of a tiger swallowtail flying through the grass. A small black and white Lepidopteran flutters in front of my face. It lands on a Common Milkweed flower allowing me to see his black wings marked with large, white spots. Count the dots. This is a stunning diurnal moth, the Eight-spotted Forester.


The moth is intriguing, but a glimpse of orange catches my attention. I follow this darting speck until he too lands on a milkweed flower. This small, orange butterfly has recently emerged as an adult and is now taking advantage of the copious amount of nectar available in this patch of milkweed. This Delaware Skipper is a gorgeous cousin of the paltry Little Glassywings and Northern Broken-Dashes that seem to be everywhere at the moment.


The cooperative Delaware gives me a great opportunity to photograph him, but he is soon scared off by a larger butterfly. When the newcomer finally settles on the milkweed flower head, I realize that it is a Baltimore Checkerspot. I found one at the same location just a day earlier; perhaps this is the same individual. The checkerspot's pattern of black with orange and white spots is enough to make anyone fall in love with the species. Add the gracefulness of its flight, and you have one of the most gorgeous butterflies around.


Before long, the checkerspot is on his way; he glides over the field and into the grass and brush on the other side of the meadow. Fully satisfied with the sight I just experienced, I begin the walk back to the house. But after only a few steps, I notice a group of butterflies gathered together on a milkweed flowerhead: hairstreaks. The two on the lower flowers are Banded Hairstreaks, the common woodland species that I found here the day before. Above those, a Gray Hairstreak sits facing east. The Gray is a very common butterfly of grassy meadows and open fields. Despite being common, this is the first time I witnessed this species this year. At the very top of the milkweed plant sits a third hairstreak species. This one is shaped differently than the previous two and has a unique pattern of red dots along the edge of the wing. I recognize this as a Coral Hairstreak. Although the Coral is known for its affinity to Butterfly Milkweed, it will gladly take nectar from any available source. This is only the second sighting of this species in the yard.


I hear a rumble of thunder, so I head towards the house, finishing my loop through the yard with a smile of satisfaction and amazement.

A Day of Butterflies

Today was all about butterflies. Early this morning, my family and I left for Fort Indiantown Gap (FIG), which is located in Lebanon County, PA. This site is an active military training location and is the only location in the eastern United States with a remaining population of the Regal Fritillary butterfly. Every year, the researchers from FIG lead butterfly tours that showcase the rare and beautiful fritillary. Here is a photo essay about my day at FIG as well as my butterfly findings in my yard this afternoon.

Soon after arriving at the first location for the Regal Fritillary, a few of the researchers caught a few butterflies to show the large group. They explained and showed the differences between the males and females, as well as the distinctions between the other fritillaries in the region: the Great Spangled and the Aphrodite. This is a female Regal.

A few of the butterfly watchers in the grassland at Fort Indiantown Gap. The grassland was originally created by military activity, allowing a perfect place for the Regal's larval foodplant, Arrowleaf Violet (Viola sagittata), to grow. Now, much of the Regal Fritillary habitat at Fort Indiantown Gap is maintained by controlled burns and mowing.

Although the Arrowleaf Violet is a necessary plant for the success of the Regal Fritillary, nectar plants such as this Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) are equally important. The adult butterflies cannot survive without nectar plants such as milkweeds and thistles.

Here is a male Regal Fritillary chasing a female. The butterfly on the right is the male, which can be determined by the row of orange spots on the hindwing. The female has a row of white spots (visible on the first photo).

Many of the Regals rarely landed, which made them difficult to photograph. This individual sat to nectar for a few seconds and allowed me to take photo.

The Regal Fritillary is the main attraction at FIG, but many other butterfly species (over 80) have also been recorded in the various habitats included within FIG. American Coppers, like the one pictured above, were fairly common along the paths in the grassland today.

Another fairly common species in the grassland is the Aphrodite Fritillary. This species resembles a small Regal Fritillary without the black on the hindwing.

One of my favorite butterflies of the trip was this Zebra Swallowtail that nectared on Butterfly Milkweed along the border between the grassland and the forest. The zebra-like bands of black and white, along with the red line and long "tails", make this an unmistakable butterfly of "southern" forests in the eastern United States.

As well as seeing good numbers of butterflies at FIG, we also saw quite a few dragonflies. This Halloween Pennant perched on this twig and occasionally flew off to catch small insects. Other dragonflies that we saw flying around the grasslands included Common Green Darner, Widow Skimmer, Twelve-spotted Skimmer, and Carolina Saddlebags.

After the trip to FIG, I did some more butterflying in the milkweed patch in the field across from my house. The first species I found was this Black Swallowtail nectaring on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). At first glance, this species looks similar to the Spicebush Swallowtail, but the complete orange spot-band identifies this as a Black.

The most abundant butterfly species in the patch was Little Glassywing. I did a quick count of these guys on the milkweed flowers and counted about 150 individuals.

At times, the Little Glassywing filled the flower heads of the Common Milkweed. Mixed in with the glassywings were other skippers such as Silver-spotted, Dun, and Delaware Skippers, and Northern Broken-Dash.

Northern Broken-Dashes have just started to emerge here in southern Monroe County. The glassywings are at their peak right now, but in a few weeks, they will be mostly replaced by this species.


Other common species like this Eastern Tailed-Blue visited the milkweed flowers too. This tiny, blue butterfly is sometimes difficult to photograph, but this individual sat still long enough for me to get a good photo.


Since I began butterflying a little over a year ago, I have looked for Banded Hairstreaks in the yard. Last year, I managed to find several less-common hairstreak species, but not the "common" Banded. Earlier in June, I saw reports on the PALepsOdes list of Banded Hairstreaks visiting Indian-hemp and Common Milkweed flowers, so I diligently checked every flower I came across hoping for one. After a week or two, the posts stopped, and I figured I had again missed the Banded Hairstreaks. Then, about two days ago, I looked out to a Common Milkweed along the side of the house and saw a hairstreak! I rushed out, and sure enough, it was a Banded. I was extremely excited to finally find one in the yard. Then today, when I went to check the milkweed patch and found over a dozen Banded Hairstreaks, I was amazed. Not only were the hairstreaks in abundance, they were also very cooperative and provided great photo opportunities.


At times, the hairstreaks shared the flowers with other butterflies.

While looking for hairstreaks, I noticed one that looked a little bit different than the Bandeds. This one was larger, grayer, and had a very different pattern on the wings. From a distance, I thought it was a Gray Hairstreak, a common hairstreak in this area. As I got closer, I noticed that the white lines on the wing formed an "M" and there was a distinctive white dot close to the base of the wing. These characteristics identify this individual as a White M Hairstreak, one of the uncommon hairstreaks on the property.

While meandering through the milkweeds, I glanced over to an area with thistles and noticed an unusual-looking dark butterfly flying low in the grass. I was unfamiliar with this particular flight pattern and coloration, so I went over to get a better look. When the butterfly finally landed and opened its wings, it was clear that my mystery butterfly was a Baltimore Checkerspot. This incredibly beautiful species is one that I had never seen before, and never expected to find in the yard. I spent several minutes just enjoying this wonderful butterfly and the amazing patterns of black, orange, and white on the wings.

The Baltimore Checkerspot has my vote for the most strikingly-colored butterfly in the region. When the wings are closed, the patterns become even more interesting and detailed. This butterfly was an awesome way to end an exciting and butterfly-filled day!


This patch of Common Milkweed has been incredibly productive for butterflies this year. Every year it gets bigger, providing more nectar for the butterflies mentioned above, as well as hosting numerous other insect species. I strongly encourage everyone who has a garden to plant some milkweed, for it will provide food for an incredible array of native insects. Nectar-eating adults of the skippers and hairstreaks will be attracted to the large clusters of flowers and the larval stages of Monarchs and Milkweed Tussock Moths will benefit from eating the leaves.

Some Neat Finds

While walking through the yard and woods on Sunday, I came across some neat things:

Just as I left the house, I noticed a small butterfly nectaring on the common milkweed along the driveway. At first, I took it for one of the ubiquitous Little Glassywings, but when I took a second look, I realized the shape was all wrong. Closer inspection revealed that it was a Banded Hairstreak, a small, woodland species that I had never seen in the yard before! The caterpillars of this species feed on the leaves of various oak and hickory species, both of which are common in the woods around the yard.

Along the edge of the woods, I came across this tiny American Toad crossing the path. This time of year, numerous toads and frogs can be found hopping through the woods as they leave the ponds and pools in which they were born.

In a meadow at the top of the property, I noticed an interesting insect sitting on a dried grass blade. This insect turned out to be this beautiful Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus).

As I continued along the path, I found a small yellow and black beetle sitting on a gray birch leaf. This little beetle is a Fourteen-spotted Lady Beetle (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata), one of the coolest looking "ladybugs" in my opinion.

As I reached the end of the property, I turned over a few rocks to look for salamanders, spiders, or whatever I could find. Under one of the larger rocks, I found this Northern Ringneck Snake. This is a fairly common species in the region, but one that is infrequently encountered because it hides under rocks and fallen logs.

Beetles

Beetles (order Coleoptera) are another group of insects that I am just beginning to learn. With over 350,000 described species in the world, beetles make up an incredibly large portion (about 40%) of the insect species on the planet. In North America alone, there are about 24,000 known species. This huge diversity creates an incredible identification challenge.

However, some beetles are relatively simple to identify and can tell us a lot about the environment in which they live. Here are a few examples of beetles I have found recently:

This first beetle belongs to one of the most well-recognized groups of beetles, although many people would not know it from a view like this, but rather from the bright yellow flashes it emits on warm summer nights. This beetle in the genus Photinus belongs to the family Lampyridae, the fireflies.

This Strangalia famelica belongs to a group of beetles known as Lepturinae, the flower longhorns. Members of this subfamily often have skinny bodies, long antennae, and (as the name suggests) they are often associated with flowers. Species in this group of beetles become extremely common as summer flowers begin blooming. I found this particular beetle on the flower of a swamp rose (Rosa palustris).

This guy is another flower longhorn. I found this Strangalepta abbreviata on a wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) that was filled with various beetles, bees, flies, and wasps.

This fuzzy beetle of the genus Trichiotinus is commonly found on flowers. Every year, I begin seeing these when the wild hydrangea starts blooming. In fact, I found this individual on a flower head of a wild hydrangea. It is thought that the appearance and flight of this genus mimic that of bees in the genus Bombus.

The Elderberry Borer (Desmocerus palliatus) is an uncommon beetle that is often found near (or in this case, on) its hostplant, American elder (Sambucus canadensis). Like the Strangalia and Strangalepta beetles, this beetle is another flower longhorn, but is much larger than those species.

Any avid gardener in the eastern half of the United States will immediately recognize this pest beetle as Popillia japonica, the invasive Japanese Beetle. This scarab beetle causes severe damage as it eats the leaves of anything it can find. The Japanese beetle is a true generalist, so it will eat the leaves, flowers, and fruits of many shrubs and perennials (native and non-native), but it seems to particularily enjoy plants in the rose family.

This gorgeous, metallic beetle is often confused with the previous species, but is shinier and more colorful. Unlike the Japanese Beetle, the Dogbane Beetle (Chrysochus auratus) is a native species that is found on plants in the dogbane family. I found this one on indian-hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) accompanied by a little syrphid fly (Toxomerus marginatus).

This final beetle was one of the more excitings finds of the day. While in the field during a late afternoon walk with the dog, my brother spotted a large beetle on a flower of timothy grass (Phleum pratense). The shape identified it as a large click beetle: Melanactes piceus to be specific.