Beaver Pond Trail, by the water
case bearer on TIlia
eclosed 27 JUN 2024
associated with https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/217911298
Super big witch’ butter!!!
High yellow!
Mating
This same individual in others life cycle stages:
Initial pupal stage: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105683694
Final pupal stage: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105684001
Adult: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/105684206
Plant: Orchid Dendrobium nobile fixed in palm tree (Arecaceae). Probably the caterpillar must have been feeding on the palm leaves and has gone into the pupa stage in the orchid.
In hickory (Carya sp.), observation here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/197801904.
visited flowers of indian shot, didn't get a picture
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/190580994
Edit Feb 21 2024:For those who think it's impossible to identify this to species from this drawing, here are the species in Heliconiinae found in this area:
Gulf fritilary: Note the white and orange striped body and cat eye spot.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/191146193
Variegated fritilary wings:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1091524
Great Spangled fritilary wings, which doesn't even come to this area, and has no cat eye spot, or stripes on the body:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14559253
Zebra longwing wings:
L. anthedon identified by head capsule shape.
on Calodendrum capense (Cape Chestnut)
Caterpillars in leaflet galls of Gleditsia aquatic. ~7 mm.
Host tree at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/194156209.
Is this ID correct? On Betula populifera.
Feeding on Aesculus pavia flavescens, it seems like they mostly keep to the underside of the leaves for what I guess is to avoid predation. They no longer exhibit the gregarious nature at this size, and they now eat the leaflet veins but leave the midrib.
Their previous observation can be found at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111733680
Saw from car
A kingfisher sitting on a telephone wire overlooking a marsh, seen mostly as a dark silowet against the bright blue sky, unmistakable :)
Many of these larvae have connected hickory leaves with silk. Larva encased in protective tube of silk and frass, hidden in leaf and stem clump. Reminds me of alder and sweet gale Acrobasis larval casing that I find in the Upper Peninsula.
Silk-fastened sand tubes on the stems of Prunus pumila in sand dunes.
Whereas similar sand tubes observed here last month by @tyler_miller appeared fresh and intact, the tubes observed today were in disrepair. Quite possibly the constructors have matured given that the flight dates for the species in the area span July 16-Aug 23 (n=5).
Scholtens (1996) noted:
Prionapteryx nebulifera Steph.-Cheboygan, Emmet: 4-25 July. This distinctive looking species flies in sandy areas including inland jack pine plains and on the lakeshore dunes. Balogh has reared this species from sand cherry (Prunus pumila), on which it forms sand tubes leading from the substrate to the leaves of the plant. Daecke (1905) described this species making sand tubes on huckleberry and sand myrtle in New Jersey. Larvae retreat into the tube when not feeding.
Stuck three leaves together
encased in silk in folded over leap of sweet bay
On Franklin Tree/
Franklinia alatamaha
Found roosting on Eucalyptus tree about 10 cms length.
CRG 1152
Berm out front of 16 Boscawen St, Point Chevalier, Auckland. On a Melaleuca citrina street tree. Live larvae inside leaf roll galls caused by Teuchothrips disjunctus.
Absolutely beautiful larva.
Feeding on arrow poison plant.
Images taken as part of an insect biodiversity survey of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in cooperation with NPS. Any insect handling, collection, or off-trail activity was under permit.
On Solidago.
These are the silk tubes the larvae weave in the sand. According to Powell there are several other inverts that weave silk tubes in sand, but the tubes of this moth are always attached to living vegetation, often early stabilizing plants like Ambrosia, but they are generalists that will feed on many dune plants, including Eriophyllum (shown here), lupines, coyotemints, etc.
inchworm over the eye
Inside a folded sassafras leaf.
Creekside Trail
Kilgore, TX
Stuck all over the walls of the former exercise yards.
Some kind of bagworm moth? Structure held onto a stick by silk thread.
Two leaves tied together, caterpillar in the middle. Amelanchier sp.
Found on black willow. "Decoy bundle" shown in second photo. Archippus or arthemis or archippus x arthemis or whatever other hybrid this genus feels like making I guess. :-)
Silken webbing and hemlock needles on a hemlock tree. At the forested edge of the Natchaug river.