Hiking Wahkeena

I recently had the opportunity to get out in the field with Rick Gardner to survey the Carex Sedges of Wahkeena Nature Preserve. In a couple hours we found 33 species, and my brain turned to mush! I have 50 different ones photographed now, more than enough for a post. It seems like a lot, but that's not even one third of all the Ohio species. That sedge post will have to wait awhile. Not wait till I get more, but to figure out how to tell them all apart!!

On the way to Wahkeena, I wanted to stop and get some shots from a patch of Bristly Locust, Robinia hispida. Sometimes called Rose Acacia, it is native to the southern states. It looks similar to our Black Locust, R. pseudoacacia, but the flowers are pink, the twigs are covered in red hairs, and the plant is a shrub.

Bristly Locust is planted as an ornamental in Ohio. It has a tendency to spread rapidly in open areas, and could become invasive. One way to prevent that is to graft the branches to the root stock of Black Locust.

Arrowwood, Viburnum dentatum, one of the most common plants seen along the Wahkeena boardwalk.

A giant Ichneumon Wasp boring into the base of a Beech tree. As I tried to get closer, it immediately removed the ovipositor and flew away. I hate when I get only one shot. This is probably Megarhyssa greenei. M. macrurus looks identical to this species, except that one has more dark markings in the wings.

Also not sitting still for more than one shot was this red and black insect that at first looked like another Ichneumon Wasp. Turns out it is a giant Crane Fly, Ctenophora dorsalis. Even in this blurry picture, you can see it only has two wings. The red thorax is just one of many color forms for this species.

While hiking around I was able to put this black Click Beetle into someones hands, and watch it somersault right side up. Judging by the size, you'd think I could get a species name on this, but I've had no luck. The punctured elytra makes me think it survived a recent attack by something.

Moneywort,  Lysimachia nummularia. Essentially it's a prostrate growing species of Loosestrife. It is non native, and was brought over for its medicinal properties. Look for it in wetlands.

Some unusual Red Maple leaves, Acer rubrum. White leaves can be caused by a number of things. Herbicide use can kill chlorophyl, but there has been no spraying here. Iron deficiency can result in leaves like this, but then why are all the others fine? Hard to say what caused it, but if they can't photosynthesize, they'll soon fall off.

The best find of the day was this dragonfly. I had never seen one in the wild. This is the Gray Petaltail, Tachopteryx thoreyi.

Petaltails are some of the oldest and most primitive of dragonflies. Its only other family relative is found on the west coast. While this was shot on the last day of May, most records in Ohio peak in June and July. So far they've only been located in about 25% of Ohio counties. They are large, and our only black and gray dragonfly. Look how it blends in with the tree bark. The eyes are widely separated in this species.

The Gray Petaltail, especially males, prefer openings in the canopy of mature forests. Here they can patrol a territory and seek out females. This species of dragonfly doesn't need rivers, streams, ponds, or lakes. It lays its eggs in mud or wet soils where springs and seeps can be found. If you wear light colored clothing, don't be surprised to see one land on you.

And what would a trip to Wahkeena be without adding another Orchid. Large Twayblade, Liparis liliifolia, is one of those orchids you can easily miss if you are walking too fast. The two broad basal leaves may be noticed before the flowers. The flower stems are bright purple, and the sepals are green. The thin purple threads are the side petals. The main wide lip can vary from brown to purple.

More Spring Hiking

Before leaving the house I noticed this large Geometrid on my window. This is the Tulip-tree Beauty, Epimecis hortaria. This is one of our larger Inchworm moths.

Shooting from the top side shows the wavy markings typical of this species. I found it interesting to get a front and back view, but what did I learn from shooting both sides? My windows are filthy.

The diversity of Log Cabin Hollow keeps me going back for a wide variety of subject matter. I went to continue building pictures of aquatic insects, which I'll save for later. Along the creek were a pair of Harvester Butterflies, Feniseca tarquinius. Generally not a real abundant species, but here they are locally common. This butterfly is known for the caterpillars that feed not on plants, but aphids. A meat eating larva.

You can see the one on the left probing the log for nutrients. Their tongue, or proboscis is too short to penetrate down into flowers for nectar. The adults also feed on the sugar water wastes (or honeydew) from the same aphids the larvae consume. Speaking of wastes, you can see the droplet on the right specimen.  Adults have liquid wastes, while caterpillars have a solid waste or frass.

Also along the stream was this bee seeking out mud for its nest. Looking like half Carpenter bee and half Bumble bee, the hairy face and legs make this a Mason Bee. Bees in the genus Osmia are related to Leaf-cutting Bees. They are sometimes called Orchard Bees because a number of them were introduced and released for their pollinating abilities.

Rusty hairs, yellow and blue spots on the side, and a white racing stripe down the back, describes our Eastern Tent Caterpillar. Currently feeding on Wild Cherry leaves, they soon will be leaving the trees to pupate somewhere away from the food plant.

In a recent post I mentioned finding an old fruit stalk of the Putty-root Orchid, Aplectrum hyemale. I headed out to Wahkeena to find it in flower. These maroon and gold petals were just starting to open. The big broad leaves, also shown in that same earlier post, pop up nearly 6 months ahead of the flower. Come blooming time, you may not find the leaves, as they tend to wilt before the flower comes up.

Here was a group of plants with the petals a little further open.

A closeup of the middle lip, typical of many orchids. It wasn't until I enlarged the picture did I notice an unknown miniature spider in the upper flower.

Always one of my favorite orchids, this is the Pink Lady's Slipper, or Moccasin Flower, Cypripedium acaule. Look for it in conifer forests with acidic soils. Unlike the Putty-root, this species has a pair of basal leaves present during blooming.

In order to perpetuate, these plants depend on a fungal association below ground, and Bumble Bees above ground for pollination. Some studies show that prescribed burning can increase the orchid population by allowing more sunlight to penetrate, and to decrease the competition on the forest floor.

Long-leaved Stitchwort, Stellaria longifolia, is a narrow leaved species of Chickweed. Unlike it's shorter relatives, it tends to grow a foot or two high.

Violet Wood Sorrel, Oxalis violacea. Found in a variety of habitats, it's quite common in upland forests and sites with limestone soils.

Sweet Cicely, Osmorhiza claytonii, just beginning to bloom. The flowers look a little chewed, but that's because each of the petals are notched.

Sweet Cicely and Aniseroot Osmorhiza longistylis, are similar. Check the stems, Sweet Cicely will be covered in hairs.

Aniseroot stems will be smooth. Both these species smell like licorice when scratched, but Aniseroot has the stronger odor, especially in the roots.

Spirea shrub in bloom. Ornamentals can add beauty to a landscape, and I have no problem with them, as long as they are non-invasive. This looks to be one of the many varieties of Bridal Wreath Spirea. That's a pollen feeding Scarab Beetle on the flowers.

The folks at Wahkeena Nature Preserve beat me to the post. I started this a long time ago, just finishing now. There is a reason for that, but I'll discuss it at the end of this. Some of the Rhododendrons are now in bloom, and I went to check them out while I could. This is commonly referred to as the Mountain Azalea, Rhododendron canescens I believe.

I used to find this in the panhandle of Florida. The native range is south of Ohio. For those who use the Newcomb flower book, there are three similar plants discussed on the page. All three are now considered the same species.

The red striped buds of the Flame Azalea, Rhododendron calendulaceum, were just popping out while I was there.

Early blooming flowers start as yellowish. Besides the color, the long protruding stamens add to the striking appearance.

In a very short time, all the flowers turn a brilliant orange. Flame Azalea is considered native to parts of southern Ohio, but it's rare to find them growing wild this far north.

"In your face Fonzie".

"Stick it in your ear Potsie". Happy Days are here again. Finals are over, and you'd think I'd be in the field everyday. I don't mean to be a downer, but all year people have asked me "What's wrong with your eyes?" I looked like I just got up, no matter the time of day. Some probably thought I was always stoned. HA!

All joking aside, I have been to Columbus a lot lately, and have been diagnosed with a very rare form of dysplasia in my eye. This is why I haven't been posting. Turns out pathology says it is metaplasia, less serious, and NO carcinoma cells present. Still, a little 'snip snip' here and a 'snip snip' there, that's how they work the day away in the merry old land of OSU. They got it all, so all is well again in the land of Oz.

My favorite phrase from a doctor, "we caught it early". Recovery is a pain, feels like ground glass in my eye. Considering there was no cancer, I'll be fine. Can't wait to start 'snapping' photos again, but it may be awhile.

Springtime, I can DIG it.

It's that time of year when I take my Forest Entomology students out to dig through leaf litter, tree bark, and old fallen logs. I have posted on forest insect pests in the past, but today it's more about interesting critters we found that are not necessarily pests. Logs like this give obvious clues there has been a lot of activity here.

False Mealworm Beetle, Alobates pennsylvanica. These are members of the Tenebrionidae family, known as Darkling Beetles. Mealworms, commonly sold in pet stores as herp food belong to this family. The beetles are all black. The purple iridescence is simply reflected light. These beetles are found under bark where they search for other insects to feed on.

At first glance this looks like nothing more than one of those common Scarab beetles we lump into calling May Beetles. You know, the ones that crash into your screen door on warm summer nights. But you have to look closer. Why is this beetle scavenging under the bark of pine trees? Turns out it's the Pine Darkling Beetle, Uloma punctulata. The elytra have many "punctured" marks on the back.

Like the previous beetle, it too is a Tenebrionidae. This family is what I call the "dumping grounds" for beetles that don't seem to fit into any of the larger, more familiar groups. One clue for this beetle family is the 11 segmented antennae.

Crawling among some nearby Daffodils were these black and red beetles. These are Red-necked False Blister Beetles, Asclera ruficollis. They are pollen feeders.

They are small elongate beetles with rather soft elytra. This species is recognized by the bumps on the red pronotum or thorax. Though not true Blister Beetles, they do emit a noxious fluid that can burn if you have an open cut.

Now there's a strange looking critter. Three pairs of legs tells us it's an insect for sure. I've heard these described as looking like an Armadillo. This is a Firefly larvae. Yes, a Lightning-bug.

Stretched out you can see the black and white antennae, head, and thoracic region. This Firefly belongs to the genus Pyractomena. Some larvae of certain species can produce the yellow glow we are all familiar with in the adults. These and Net-winged Beetle larvae (Lycidae) look nearly identical. I don't work with larvae, so I'll try to explain the difference the best I can.

You have to look underneath. To my understanding, if this was a Net-winged Beetle, those dark marks on both the middle and sides of the abdomen should go all the way down on all body segments. On this larva, the last abdominal segments are white. This is where the light producing organs are located. If there is a better way to separate them, I'm all ears.

This Trilobite looking insect is another Lightning-bug larva of the genus Photuris.

Nothing funnier than watching people pull over a piece of bark, then jump three feet! Common under tree bark is the Fishing Spider or Nursery-web Spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus.

From the menacing to the almost microscopic. This eight-legged creature is an Arachnid. Pseudoscorpions are minute predators that search through wood and soil for Springtails and other small insects to eat. Based on the body shape, the length of the pincers, and the bulging Popeye-arms behind them, this is probably a Wyochernes pseudoscorpion in the family Chernetidae. To go any further on identification, you have to examine them under a scope.

Here's one backing up into a defensive posture. That's a Dandelion leaf for a size perspective. Those bulges behind the claws do contain a venom, but they are harmless to us. The claws are technically referred to as pedipalps, simply modified mouthparts.

Garden Centipede, Lithobius forficatus. Centipedes are predators in the class Chilopoda.

Skinnier ones like this are known as Soil Centipedes. They are common under leaves and logs. They belong to a group known as Geophilus.

 

Millipedes are in the class Diplopoda. They have two pairs of legs per body segment. They are scavengers. This gray/black millipede has a pointy tooth at the end of the body. You can't see it in this picture, but that makes this an introduced European species known as Ophyiulus pilosus. Thanks Derek. I hope to spend some time this summer with Derek Hennen from the Normal Biology blog who works with both these classes. Hopefully I'll be able to put up a more detailed post on millipedes and centipedes one day.

While I was shooting plants this weekend, I also went digging under rocks and leaves for aquatic life. I didn't have to try hard to find this mated pair of Water Striders, Aquarius remigis, darting across the water surface.

Sitting under water is what looks like a meaningless bunch of sticks. This is actually a Caddisfly home, sewn together with silk. Sticks are commonly used in the family Limnephilidae, genus Pycnopsyche. I found several other families of these, and soon as I get a few more of them, I'll do a post on Trichoptera cases.

Lifting up rocks can produce a few surprises, that is if things don't jump off and swim away. This is an Ephemeroptera nymph, better known as a Mayfly. Look for the three tails, or caudal cerci. These Heptageniids are known as Flat-headed Mayflies.

Plecoptera insects are known as Stoneflies. They have three shields or plates on their back, and only two tails. (One was missing on this specimen). Most prefer fast moving, clean water streams with high dissolved oxygen content. Many are used in aquatic ecology as water quality indicators.

The mottled back of this critter sure helps him blend in. Only the yellow tail caught my eye. Of course if it's swimming, it's easy to spot.

Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea bislineata. So named for the two dark stripes along the side. The amount of yellow on the belly and back will vary. Next to the Red-backed, this is the most common species at this site.

Don't confuse these with snail eggs, many of which are white, but laid in rounded clusters. This flattened look is a batch of Two-lined Salamander eggs. When exploring streams, always remember to turn logs and rocks back to the position you found them.

By far the best part of the day was when this critter swam out from under a rock. Too large for a Dusky, this broad tailed species was noticeably pink at both ends. It has to be a Spring Salamander, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus. It has been a decade since I taught the class where we cover these, so it's been that long since I've seen one.

Larval forms lack the red color of adults, but the bright pink gills are a clue. I never collect these, even for class, they are too uncommon.

On adults, there is a yellow line from the nostril to the eye. This is absent in the immatures. There has always been a recorded population of them here, so it's good to see they are still around.