Grab Bag of August Leps

Butterfly and caterpillar pictures have been piling up on my SD card, waiting to be identified. I believe that the next three photos are of a Tawny Emperor (Astrocampa clyton). There doesn't seem to be too much of difference between this and the Hackberry Butterfly (Astrocampa celtis). Both are supposed to be common, with the Hackberry being more common. These guys seemed to lack the two basal spots in the discal cell, so I guess they are Tawny Emperors.

I guess this one is just a darker Tawny Emperor.


These butterflies were photographed in Clark County, Indiana along the Ohio River, near George Rogers Clark's cabin.

Another example of a food plant making caterpillar identification easy, this is a Catalpa Sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae) munching on a Catalpa in Jennings County, Indiana.


I see them everywhere, but I haven't gotten a chance to photograph Common Sulphurs (Colias philodice philodice) before. This butterfly was on a wingstem flower in Clark County, Indiana.


Northern Pearly Eyes (Enodia anthedon) were flitting through the floodplain woods in Clark County, Indiana. They kept disappearing before I could get a good look. This pair landed on a vine long enough to get a picture.




A Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) paused as it was passing through an emergent wetland in Sullivan County, Indiana.

American Snout (Libytheana carienta) on a Pokeweed inflorescence in Clark County, Indiana. This is the second one I have seen this summer. I love their 'nose'.


I think this is a Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), an introduced cutworm. I found him on a split on a tomato. Joy was happy she did not cut through the tomato and the caterpillar in one slice.


Another caterpillar from the garden, I think this is a Yellow Bear, aka Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica). These are exceedingly variable, from black, orange, yellow, beige, to white. I found him eating on our basil.


This little skipper landed on my finger and stayed there for a couple minutes while I was working in Clark County, Indiana. I have no idea what he is, but up close he was very cute.

Update (09/04/10)

Megan McCarty suggests that the skipper is a Northern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia egeremet).

For those of you who have made it this far, here is a caterpillar quiz. I haven't been able to figure out this caterpillar yet. He was on Wingstem in a floodplain in Sullivan County, Indiana. Any help would be appreciated.

Update (09/14/2010)

Janet Creamer of Indy Parks Nature Blog submitted the identity of Melanchra adjuncta, Hitched Arches. Looks pretty close on Bug Guide. Thanks, Janet!

Spiranthes romanzoffiana

I just figured out how to post to two different blogs. That will help with the terrible dilemma of whether to post to Ben and Joy or Get Your Botany On.

I had the preeminent botanist Scott Namestnik help me with the ID. It didn't seem like S. cernua to me, but I couldn't figure it out. The lip was more than 5.5 mm, and the pubescence of inflorescence was capitate. I kept missing the fiddle-shaped lip, not knowing quite what that looks like.







This orchid was growing along a dry trail border in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Thanks to Andrew Irwin for the 'action' shot.

August Caterpillars

I think I am learning the lesson to pay attention to the food plant. Makes sense.

This guy was munching on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) in the floodplain of the Lost River in Orange County (the OC). I believe it is a Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) caterpillar, whose head just looks dark in the photo. (Same caterpillar above and below.)

I love the spines and colors on this guy. All Polygonia overwinter as adults, which is pretty cool. Elm and Hackberry are their usual food plants, but hops and nettles are also frequently eaten.

Another from the Brushfoot family, I think this is a Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). Also from the Hoosier National Forest down in Orange County. An interesting fact from Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner is that no stage of this butterfly is able to withstand freezing. Each year this butterfly must recolonize its range.

The food plant helped me get straight to this caterpillar. These black caterpillars were munching away on Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia). The adult Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) looks a lot like a Pearl Crescent off-hand, so I'll have to be more careful in the future.

Wasn't too hard to identify this Danaus plexippus, next to a lot of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata).

Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris) that seems to have lost some setae, possibly in a scuffle with a predator. This caterpillar frequently sits out in the open, on the upper surface of the leaf, suggesting that they are unsuitable prey.

Kayaking on Horn Lake

While staying at the Wathens' cabin in Canada, one of our favorite things to do is kayak on Horn Lake. A family friend of the Wathens own a resort (Birch Crest) on Horn Lake, and they kindly let us use their kayaks. We love spending time on the lake, and we always have an amazing time.

Joy getting ready to go kayaking!

Ben, Andrew, and Joy paddling against waves. It was really winding that day.

Ben and Joy

A view of Horn Lake from Birch Crest's Dock.

Another view of the lake.

Rich and Andrew

Andrew and Rich paddling away.

Algonquin Provincial Park

After stopping by Ragged Falls, we spent the rest of the day at Algonquin Provincial Park. The park is enormous (2955 sq mi), just a little smaller than Yellowstone.


A group shot from the Hardwood Lookout Trail, looking out over Smoke Lake.

Next, we hiked the Beaver Pond trail. We got to cross several beaver meadows and see several beaver lodges and dams, and even one beaver.

The trail also had some nice topography. This is the same beaver meadow as the photo above, and looking in relatively the same direction, but from the ridge line. It is fun to imagine and look for all the wildlife that must use these areas.

While visiting the Nature Center, we heard about a resident Great Gray Owl that regularly hunts near Dizzy Lake on the Mizzy Lake Trail. I knew that if I could arrange it, I had to wait and see if I could see the owl.

After dropping me off at the trailhead, Andrew and Joy later joined me at the lake to wait with me. Very sadly, the owl never showed. Despite the deep disappointment, the consolation wasn't bad, getting to sit beside a bog/lake in solitude and watch night fall, plus the many other birds and plants that were there.

Joy and Andrew on the trail going back. It is hard to say how far the trail back in the dark was. I am sure it was less than a mile, but I am glad I had my headlamp in my back pack.

Ragged Falls

While in Canada, we made an excursion up the Oxtongue River to Ragged Falls. We started in Oxtongue Lake, just west of Algonquin Provincial Park.

Joy and I had a double kayak, while the rest of the group were in canoes.

Chris appreciating Andrew's paddling.

Joy was excited to see the falls.

I liked this picture of us, especially because you can see Sam and Rich bringing up the rear.

Ragged Falls is not a straight drop, but a series of cascades curving down the hillside.

I took the portage trail (leaving the kayak behind) to the top. You can barely make out my silhouette in the notch of the rocks. Andrew and Chris climbed the rocks to the top.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) was blooming all along the river, and was especially abundant in the sunny area near the falls.

Sam and Rich posing by the falls.

Some mammal pictures from our recent trip to Ontario

No bears, wolves, or porcupines on our Ontario trip, but we still got to enjoy ourselves. We visited Algonquin Provincial Park for a day and got to see beaver and a moose. There were beaver lodges all around Horn Lake (near the cabin), but at Algonquin we got to see a beaver up close attempting to fix his dam.

The sound of rushing water attracted the beaver. When he saw us nearby, he decided to wait for later. I am sad to say that someone else made the breach in the dam just to attract the beaver. Nothing permanently hurt, though.

Here a piney (red squirrel) tests a mushroom. He was not very shy, but he didn't seem to want anything from me, either.

The view from the nature center. I kept scanning the bogs and woods for moose. People were reporting them all over the park.

We found a 'small' moose along the road on the way back. He posed for a couple minutes before heading back into the woods.

More of a landscape view of the bog with the woods in the background.

Chipmunks remind me more and more of rats, and I appreciate them all the more for it.