mthew
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Mushroom Monday
Lots of rain, lots of mushrooms. Here’s one. This orange puff ball is Calvatia rubroflava. Under a pignut hickory, along with a few remains of others. And a little further away.
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Sharp-dressed Sharpshooter
At the beginning of the month, I spotted a nymph Broad-headed Sharpshooter. Since then, I have been looking, relatively diligently, at this same patch of mugwort in hope of seeing the adult form. And I must say, “Braod-headed” is bit utilitarian: Oncometopia orbona. This is why I leave the house.
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The Wanderer
A Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens. Also known as the Globe Skimmer or Globe Wanderer, and one of two “rain pool gliders.” Considered the most-widespread dragonfly in the world, this species also has one of the longest multi-generational migrations in the insect world. “Basically a tropical species” says Paulson; individuals may migrate up to four thousand…
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Sidewalks of New York
Just some things I’ver seen on the sidewalk recently. This Reddish-brown Stag Beetle wasn’t quite dead. This roach was definitely dead. But what kind of roach? This is not the usual house (German, American, etc.) species. Pigeon Tremex Horntail. I’ve never seen one in Brooklyn before. (And I’ve only seen one once before, in Texas.)…
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Wasps Cicadas Birds
Looks innocent enough. And, really, it is. These clumps of dirt? Wasp nests.I counted 26 in this patch. Cicada-killer Wasps. As I like to say, they’re not going to bother you much if you’re not a cicada. Sure, the boys can get territorial, but don’t they always? Check out this one eyeballing this nesting field……
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More Butterflies
Rare to see an Eastern Tailed-blue open like this. Male Monarch with bent wing. Very origami, but still eating. Quite a year for skippers. Spicebush Swallowtail with close-up field mark: the Federation of Planets blue-ish wedge between bottom two and the third inner orange spots. Compare with: The orange boulder wall of the Black Swallowtail.…
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Monarchy
More Monarch eggs! On common milkweed, in a couple of different spots in Green-Wood and Bush Terminal Park. I’ve yet to spot a caterpillar, but this poop is suggestive.
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Backyard and Beyond 