A Thorny Situation

Those woody plants that scratch and pierce our skin when hiking are often called some pretty colorful things by people. I will avoid such language, and describe exactly what they are running into. These "thorns" of Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata, are often referred to as branching spurs. This means they are not true thorns, just sharp twigs.

Wild Crabapple, Pyrus coronaria, is another plant with what we call "false thorns". If you feel a thorn that is bumpy, then it's just a pointed twig. Thorns will be smooth.

American Holly, Ilex opaca, is often described as having thorny leaves. They are not thorns, but spines along the leaf margin.

Another group of thorny plants are the Rubus. This is Raspberry. All of our plants around here have this white glaucous coating, so you don't even need to look at the thorns for identification.

Other piercing Rubus plants are the Blackberries. If you cut the twig and look at the cross section, they are star shaped. Blackberries have five sided twigs.

Blackberry and Raspberry are also plants that don't have true thorns. They are called prickles. So what is the difference? Generally speaking, prickles are just outward growths of the bark. True thorns are different tissue that grows out from under the bark. Spines are usually associated in some manner with leaves.

Who hasn't experienced some of the worst prickles of all. These curved fish hooks or shark fins belong to the notorious Multi-flora Rose, Rosa multiflora.

Our native roses can be just as detrimental. Swamp Rose for one, or in this example, the Climbing Rose, Rosa setigera. All portions may have tons of prickles. The problem with prickles versus thorns, is these have a bad habit of dislodging into your skin, ouch!

The Wild or Carolina Rose, Rosa carolina, is more of a minor annoyance than a major pain. Look for this Rose in dry upland woods. It only grows 1-3 feet tall. In the upper portions, the prickles are paired. In the lower parts they are thin and bristly. Most often they are colored white.

Greenbrier vines also have prickles rather than thorns. This is Sawbrier, Smilax rotundifolia. Sawbrier has square twigs and multicolored prickles that often look like candy corn. Sawbrier prickles are stiff and rigid and will pierce your clothes. This plant can climb on itself and form shrub like thickets. Avoid the "brier patch".  (Brier can be spelled with an a as well as e).

A second species of Smilax is Glaucous Greenbrier, Smilax glauca. The twigs are round and more brownish green than Sawbrier. The prickles are more uniform in color, and more numerous at the bottom of the plant. The twigs may or may not have a white coating in winter.

Our third woody species is Bristly Greenbrier, Smilax tamnoides (hispida). It only takes a second to see the main character for identification. The upper portions of the plant may be completely thornless, but look on down to the base. I mentioned Glaucous may have the majority of its prickles at the bottom, and they may be all black, but they are all the same size. Bristly has black "needles" of all different sizes.

If you thought Bristly looked intimidating, this is even worse. These are actual thorns growing up the stem of Gooseberry or Currant. This was taken on a spring morning in Iowa. The forest understories are covered with Gooseberry out there. This is probably Prickly Gooseberry Ribes cynosbati. Gooseberry fruits are very edible. The fruit on this species is spiny, making harvesting a bit tricky.

In the past, people raising White Pine removed all Gooseberries from an area because it spreads a fungus rust that kills the trees. While there are always exceptions, those Ribes called Gooseberries usually have thorns, and those called Currants are thornless.

Looking at the stems of this plant, it is similar to Bristly Greenbrier. The leaves though look more like a Locust. Let's try Bristly Locust, Robinia hispida. The red thorns here are actually hairs, and they extend up even onto the flowers. There are sharp spines between the leaflets. Bristly Locust is a southern species often planted in Ohio as an ornamental.

Robinia pseudoacacia, the Black Locust, is the more common species in our area. The twigs are hairless, but each node contains short paired thorns. Again, technically they're spines.

Less frequently seen in our area is a Black Locust look-a-like. With short paired thorns and compound leaves, it may be overlooked. This is Northern Prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum americanum.

One way to separate it from Locust is to look between the leaflets. They have a spiny rachis.

Up close the buds are fuzzy and bright red. It's also called the Toothache Tree. Like aspirin, it is said if you cut a slice of the bark or thorns, it deadens pain in the mouth. Personally I'd use the bark, but I don't think I'd put a thorn in my mouth.

There are so many varieties in this group, the thorns can be long or short, straight or curved. Either way, these belong to the Hawthorn, Crataegus spp. I don't really try to figure out which are which. No matter what the keys say, many of these turn out to be genetically the same species.

These round red buds remind you what your finger tips will look like if you get jabbed by a Hawthorn.

Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii. Its bright red fruit make this an attractive ornamental, but is has escaped and become highly invasive. The leaves are small and spoon shaped. They grow out in clusters, though the plant is actually alternate. The long skinny projections are referred to as thorns, prickles, or spines. The literature is split on what to really call them. I lean towards spines.

To be sure you have a Barberry, take your knife and scrape the bark. The inner portions are a bright neon yellow.

A favorite of mine is Aralia spinosa. Sometimes called Hercule's Club, I much prefer the other common name, the Devil's Walking Stick. The thorns, which again are really prickles, often come out in a circular pattern, much like the Statue of Liberty Crown. In our area, look for it in the Hocking Hills region.

Elvis has left the building. So who is the current king? Without a doubt it has to be Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos. Not only does it have thorns on the branches and trunk, but the thorns have thorns! They are multi-branching, and I have measured some 18 inches long. This is not something you want to get impaled upon.

I tell students to remember the latin name tri-acanthos by looking at the young thorns, they are branched into threes. They start out looking purple-red, and darken with age. I've also told students the thorns are toxic.

My choice of words may be misleading. They don't contain a liquid toxin or poison. The thorns may be covered in dirt or bacteria. These thorns are longer and more rigid than any of the other species mentioned. So when they pierce the skin, the wound is larger and deeper. It not only affects the skin, but can irritate the nerves. Major swelling can occur and last a week. Anti-inflammatories may be needed.

Honey Locust thorns have been used historically as sewing needles and fish hooks. The pea pods are sweet and edible when they first come out, not so later in the season. Black Locust pods on the other hand ARE poisonous. Don't eat those. At the risk of bursting your bubble again, Honey Locust thorns are not thorns at all, but spines.

Homoptera Insects

Homoptera insects, once considered their own order, have now been placed into the Hemiptera order. Many people just refer to all insects as bugs. Well this is the one order where they are correct. Hemiptera are known as the True Bugs. These brown and green Stink Bugs are examples. Many true bugs emit a defensive chemical when disturbed, hence the common name.

One of the characteristics of true bugs are the antennae. They are divided into 4 or 5 distinct segments. Look under the bark of fallen logs to find the black one. It's extremely flat, and yes, it's called a Flat Bug. The other, sitting high up on skinny legs, is a Stilt Bug.

Hemiptera means half-wing. The upper portion is thick and leathery, while the bottom part is thin and membranous. With many bugs, you can count the veins in the lower wing to determine which family it is in. The large number of veins here tell us this is a Coreidae, the Leaf-footed and Squash Bugs. One wing folds over the other, and forms an X like pattern.

Most Hemiptera are easily recognized because they are usually round or have broad bodies. Occasionally you'll find something that looks like a cross between a walking stick and mantid, such as a Water Measurer, Water Scorpion, or this skinny Assassin Bug.

The other character to look for on True Bugs are the mouthparts. The lips and mandibles typical of chewing insects, are elongated into a piercing beak. Many, like this Bee Assassin Bug, use them to catch prey. Others simply pierce plants to suck out juices. By the way, those beaks can penetrate skin, and it's not a pleasant experience.

True Bugs lay their eggs in batches, and upon hatching look like a bunch of empty barrels.

So back to my original title, the Homoptera insects. These are the plant feeders. Homo-ptera, meaning 'same wing', do not have a two part wing. They also hold their wings over their back in a tent like shape. All the other insects I've mentioned so far hold their wings flat against the back. Cicadas are part of the Homoptera group. Notice the antennae is a simple thin wire, not long with distinct segments. So why were they all put in the same order? I'm sure I can't answer that.

Wooly Aphids and Adelgids.

Spittlebugs, easily spotted by the froth of bubbles the immatures use to hide under. Whiteflies, Mealybugs, and Scale are also Homopterans.

Some of the smaller, and often overlooked members include the Tree-hoppers, Leaf-hoppers, Plant-hoppers, and even the hopper-hoppers. This orange Tree-hopper is Cyrtolobus, probably the species ovatus.

Other Tree-hoppers will have a raised ridge on their back like this Telamona species.

Still others will have that ridge form into an elongated point. This is the Two-marked Treehopper, Enchenopa binotata.

Many homoptera insects are sought out by ants, bees, and wasps. They like to feed on the extra sugar water excreted by these insects. Because of the quick energy boost they get, ants often herd or protect homopterans from predators. This Tree-hopper species is Vanduzea arquata.

Finally, leaf-hoppers and plant-hoppers. This is the Palm Leaf-hopper, Ormenaria rufifascia. A species found on Saw Palmetto in Florida.

The following are species commonly seen around Ohio. Candy-striped or Red-Banded Leafhopper, Graphocephala coccinea. They are often called "sharpshooters" because they don't just emit a drop of sugar water, they shoot it out in rapid pulses, like a little machine gun.

Citrus Plant-hopper, Metcalfa pruinosa.

Green Striped Leaf-hopper, Tylozygus geometricus.

Green Plant-hopper, Acanalonia conica.

Wild Grapes

Wild Grapes occur throughout Ohio and are quite common. These fruit are edible, though a bit tart for some. Wine can be made from our species, but it's not as desirable when compared to the more cultivated varieties.

Grape vines grow by means of tendrils. Curly structures that act like a little bull whip. When they reach another plant, they twine around it, tightening its hold, and pulling the plant upward.

With age the bark will become shredded or shaggy. They commonly hang from high up in trees. As kids, we called them Tarzan vines.

Here is a local vine measuring 8 inches in diameter. That's big for a grape!

When growing, some grape vines may look a little like old Virginia Creeper vines. Pathenocissus vines stay attached to the trunks of trees, while grapes grow freely. Although they are in the same family, Virginia Creeper fruits are poisonous. Little red stems warn you to stop and not eat them.

There are about 6 species of grapes in Ohio, three of which are more common in the Athens County area. Most grapes have broad round leaves like this, with three to five main veins radiating out in a palmate like pattern. This is Frost Grape, Vitis vulpina. Due to the latin name, it's also known as the Fox Grape. Common names of grapes are often used to describe other species.

Of the three grapes I'm covering, this species has the smallest or most uniform teeth around the margin of the leaf. The leaves are most often unlobed. If lobed at all, there will be three very shallow lobes. The fruit is plain blue, without any white coating. This is one of the tart species. After the first 'frost' in the fall, they become sweeter. Look for it in any disturbed site.

Vitis labrusca, the other fox grape, has leaves similar to this, and is found along Lake Erie and the southern most counties of Ohio. It's leaves are fuzzy underneath and coated with orange colored hairs. It's fruit are larger than these other species, and is often crossed with other wine producing grapes.

In contrast, Vitis riparia, the Riverbank Grape, has some of the largest, outward pointing teeth along the margin. Besides disturbed ground, look for it in lowlands or along water edges.

The leaf surface and petioles are hairless in the most common varieties. There may be some slight hair along the main veins underneath. The blue fruits are covered with a slight white coating.

Here is Frost Grape on the left, and Riverbank Grape in the back and center.

Vitis aestivalis, the Summer Grape is the other common species here. The leaves are usually lobed, and the texture of the leaf is hairy.

The fuzzy wooly feel is especially noticeable on the undersides. That's not a white glaucous coating, just a large amount of hairs. There is a variety of this species called Silverleaf Grape. It has a chalky coating underneath, but no hairs.

Summer Grape commonly shows these deeply lobed varieties. The bottom of the sinus is rounded. Other lobed grapes have a sharp curved sinus.

Vitis cinerea, the Winter Grape, is scattered around Ohio, but mostly found along the Ohio River counties. Its leaves and twigs are covered in gray hairs, but the leaves do not have these deep lobes, and the twigs are angled rather than round.

In the spring, leaves may look, and even feel similar to one another. It's best to let them mature before determining which species you have.

Mummies and Zombies

What a title for the holiday season, but I bet it got your attention. With finals being over, I can finally catch up on a few posts. These photos are not the greatest, but consider everything here is dead. It's a short post, but I'm fascinated with the subject matter.

This looks like a normal moth caterpillar, but upon approaching it, it appears 'frozen solid'. Braconid Wasps of the genus Aleiodes have attacked it. They feed on the internal portions of the host. Just before pupating they chew minute holes in the bottom of the caterpillar and emit a sticky glue like liquid that hardens and keeps the host firmly attached to the twig. Some Braconid and Ichneumon wasps form cocoons on the outside, but the mummy wasp Aleiodes pupates inside.

Like a scene from the movie Alien, they chew through the skin of the dorsal region and pop out as adult wasps.

Here are the wasps I hatched out from the caterpillar above. There are about 100 species in this group found in North America. Many are species specific to certain caterpillars, but I haven't delved into this far enough to give an exact species name.

This strange critter is a mummified Harvestmen. Torrubiella is an Entomophagous fungi, meaning it attacks Arachnids and Insects. Spiders and Daddy-longlegs are particularly susceptible because they are soft bodied. The hard exoskeleton of insects are more difficult to penetrate. Hemiptera, in particular the Homoptera group, leafhoppers, planthoppers, scale, etc., are known to get this fungus.

The spores land on the host and penetrate the body. Toxins are released that kill the animal, and then the fungus absorbs the bodies liquids. The fungus contains antibiotics which prevent other pathogens from invading the corpse. The mycelium spreads and then forms reproductive structures at the weaker points of the body, such as the leg joints of this harvestmen.

Another body invading fungus is Cordyceps. They are known to attack at least a dozen different orders of insects. This is a Carolina Leafroller, Camptonotus carolinensis, a katydid relative.

The dark spot at the base of the abdomen, and the long ovipositor verify this as a female leafroller. Cordyceps fungi may be more familiar to some with regards to ants. This is the same genus that affects the brains of certain ants, turning them into zombies. They climb to high points on vegetation, then the fungal spores spring out of their head. Infected ants are recognized by the colony, and individuals are removed so they won't cause the entire population to die.

I actually got to watch these fungal hyphae grow from a couple millimeters to over a half inch in length.  They start white and turn black with age. They erupt from every joint or seam in the body, head, thorax, abdomen, and appendages. Most of these fungi are species specific, attacking only one type of insect.

Here is a sphinx moth, the Lettered Sphinx I believe, Deidamia inscriptum, mummified by another type of fungus. In this case it's Akanthomyces fungi, known to favor moths and beetles. The biology is similar to other insect attacking fungi. The white mycelium spreads both internally and externally. This fungus spares no part of the body, even sending out spores through the wing veins.

I'll finish the way I started, with a parasite. This shriveled up caterpillar, and the cocoon below, may be caused by Cotesia, a parasitic wasp. Unlike the earlier wasp I mentioned, these tend to bore out the sides and bottom of the body. They form a large wiggling mass beneath the caterpillar. Talk about the walking dead being zombiefied, the caterpillars brain is so messed up by this, it actually starts spinning a cocoon around the wasps themselves! The caterpillar provides protection for the very critters that end up killing it.

Side note: I found the biology of this amazing, BUT, this may be nothing more than the caterpillars OWN cocoon. Some moths and butterflies leave a shriveled up portion of their skins before pupating into a cocoon or chrysalis. I've had this specimen for a couple years, and nothing has hatched out of it. Next time I find one, I'll have to open it up and look inside.