Goldenrod species – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

October 11, 2023

Photo of the Day

A Monarch butterfly takes a break from its southbound migration to energize on nectar from a goldenrod flower.

October 5, 2023March 30, 2024

Hymanoptera: A Look at Some Bees, Wasps, Hornets, and Ants

What’s all this buzz about bees? And what’s a hymanopteran? Well, let’s see.

Hymanoptera—our bees, wasps, hornets and ants—are generally considered to be our most evolved insects. Some form complex social colonies. Others lead solitary lives. Many are essential pollinators of flowering plants, including cultivars that provide food for people around the world. There are those with stingers for disabling prey and defending themselves and their nests. And then there are those without stingers. The predatory species are frequently regarded to be the most significant biological controls of the insects that might otherwise become destructive pests. The vast majority of the Hymanoptera show no aggression toward humans, a demeanor that is seldom reciprocated.

Late summer and early autumn is a critical time for the Hymanoptera. Most species are at their peak of abundance during this time of year, but many of the adult insects face certain death with the coming of freezing weather. Those that will perish are busy, either individually or as members of a colony, creating shelter and gathering food to nourish the larvae that will repopulate the environs with a new generation of adults next year. Without abundant sources of protein and carbohydrates, these efforts can quickly fail. Protein is stored for use by the larval insects upon hatching from their eggs. Because the eggs are typically deposited in a cell directly upon the cache of protein, the larvae can begin feeding and growing immediately. To provide energy for collecting protein and nesting materials, and in some cases excavating nest chambers, Hymanoptera seek out sources of carbohydrates. Species that remain active during cold weather must store up enough of a carbohydrate reserve to make it through the winter. Honey Bees make honey for this purpose. As you are about to see, members of this suborder rely predominately upon pollen or insect prey for protein, and upon nectar and/or honeydew for carbohydrates.

We’ve assembled here a collection of images and some short commentary describing nearly two dozen kinds of Hymanoptera found in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, the majority photographed as they busily collected provisions during recent weeks. Let’s see what some of these fascinating hymanopterans are up to…

SOLITARY WASPS

A Great Black Wasp on goldenrod (Solidago species). Like other solitary wasps, a female Great Black Wasp will sting and paralyze a host insect upon which she’ll deposit her eggs. After hatching, the larvae will begin consuming the host’s body as a source of protein. The parasitized insects are often katydids or grasshoppers.

A Great Black Wasp. — A Great Black Wasp feeding on nectar, a source of carbohydrates. Unlike social bees and wasps, solitary wasps are equipped with a stinger solely used for immobilizing prey, not defending a nest. They are therefore quite docile and pose little threat to humans.

A Great Black Wasp powdered with pollen. Hymanopterans that gather nectar and/or pollen are tremendously important pollinators of hundreds of species of plants.

Thread-waisted Wasp — A female Thread-waisted wasp (Ammophilia species, probably A. nigricans) drags a paralyzed caterpillar to her excavated nest where she’ll deposit an egg on the body. After hatching, the larval wasp will feed on the disabled caterpillar. The protein will enable the larvae to grow, pupate, and later emerge as an adult wasp.

The female Eastern Cicada Killer (Sphecius speciosus) excavates an underground nest with branch tunnels connecting a dozen chambers or more. As the common name suggests, the female wasp paralyzes a cicada, then makes a strenuous effort to fly and drag it back to the nest for placement in a cell. Each male wasp egg is deposited upon just one immobilized cicada, but a female egg is provided with a cache of several cicadas to provide adequate protein for growth to a larger size. Nest cells are sealed with soil, then the larvae hatch in just a couple of days. Within about two weeks, they have consumed the cicada protein and are fully grown. Wrapped in a cocoon, they spend the winter in the nest, then pupate in the spring before emerging as a new generation of adults.

The Black-and-yellow Mud Dauber (Sceliphron caementarium) builds a mud-ball nest within which it packs paralyzed spiders to function as a source of protein for its larvae.

Pipe Organ Mud Dauber Nest — The Pipe Organ Mud Dauber builds this elaborate nest in which their eggs and paralyzed spiders are deposited in cells sealed with mud partitions. After consuming the spiders, the larvae pupate, overwinter, then emerge from their cells as adults during the following spring. To escape the protection of the nest, the new generation of adults bore through the mud walls. Adult Pipe Organ Mud Daubers resemble the Great Black Wasp, but have a white or yellow distal segment on their rear legs resembling a pair of light-colored socks.

Scavenger Flies in Pipe Organ Mud Dauber Nest — A closeup of the previous image with the lengths of the nest tubes compressed to show four scavenger flies (Miltogramminae), possibly two species, that have invaded this Pipe Organ Mud Dauber nest. Scavenger flies are kleptoparasites that victimize various solitary bees and wasps, depositing larvae directly into the host species’ nest cells to consume the protein cache stored therein.

CUCKOO WASPS

SWEAT BEES

A Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum species). — A Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum species) collecting nectar and pollen on White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima).

An Augochlorine Green Sweat Bee (Augochlorini). — A female Augochlorine Green Sweat Bee (Augochlorini) collecting nectar on White Snakeroot. Notice the pollen “baskets” on the rear leg.

LEAFCUTTER AND MASON BEES

A Leafcutter Bee (Megachile species). Like Mason Bees, female Mason Bees deposit each of their eggs on a “pollen loaf” within an individual cell inside a preexisting tunnel-like cavity in wood, stone, or in the ground. Unlike Mason Bees, female Leafcutter Bees cut a circular piece of leaf to create each of the cells in their nest. After hatching, the larval bee feeds on the pollen loaf, pupates, then emerges from the shelter of the nest to start a new generation, usually during the following year.

A Leafcutter Bee (Megachile species). — A Leafcutter Bee (Megachile species) visiting Wild Bergamot. Female Leafcutter and Mason Bees lack pollen “baskets” on their rear legs but instead have pollen “brushes” on the underside of the abdomen to gather the protein they need to create a “pollen loaf” for each nest cell.

A Mason Bee (Osmia species) emerging from a nest cell in spring. — A Mason Bee (Osmia species) emerging from a nest in spring. Mason Bees create nesting cells within preexisting cavities in wood, stone, and other other supporting structures. Within the nest cavity, each egg is deposited atop a cache of pollen and nectar, a pollen loaf, then enclosed behind a partition of mud. The female Mason Bee will usually repeat this process until an entire cavity is filled with cells. During the following spring, a new generation of adult Mason Bees digs its way through the cell walls to emerge and repeat the process. These bees readily use paper straws or holes drilled in blocks of wood for nesting.

A mason bee nest box with holes drilled into blocks of wood.

Parasitized Mason Bee Nest — Mason Bees seal each cell and the outer end of their nest cavity with mud. These outer nest cells can been parasitized by a variety of wasps. Here, the outer cell of a Mason Bee nest has been victimized by a tiny chalcid wasp (looks like another one to the lower left). Several species of female chalcid wasps (native Monodontomerus species or non-native Pteromalus venustus) enlarge weak points in the outer partition of a mason bee nest, then sting and paralyze the larval bee inside before depositing their eggs. Within the cell. the wasp larvae consume the larval Mason Bee and the “pollen loaf” provided for its growth. These same parasitic wasps prey upon Leafcutter Bees as well.

BUMBLE BEES, CARPENTER BEES, HONEY BEES, AND DIGGER BEES

A Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) collecting nectar and pollen on goldenrod. Bumble bees are our sole native group of social bees. Their wax nests are built in a burrow or other shelter. The eggs are deposited in cells along with a supply of pollen for nourishing the larvae upon hatching. Honey is stored in “honey pots” within the nest. New queens are produced along with male bees during the late-summer and fall. Only the new generation of fertilized queens survive the winter to lay eggs and produce workers to construct a new nest.

A pair of Common Eastern Bumble Bees collecting nectar and becoming dusted with pollen. Their fuzzy coats and semi-warm-blooded metabolism allows them to be active in cooler weather than is tolerated by other bees.

A Common Eastern Bumble Bee pollinating a Great Rhododendron flower. — Flowering plants including the Great Rhododendron find success attracting pollinators to their reproductive blossoms by offering carbohydrate-rich nectar to insects like this Eastern Bumble Bee. The yellow spots on the flower’s upper petal help to guide visitors toward their sweet treat.

An Eastern Carpenter Bee feeding on goldenrod nectar. Compare the almost hairless abdomen to that of the bumble bees. Carpenter bees are semi-social insects. Females lay their eggs in cells within galleries bored into wood. These nests are completed with great precision, avoiding creation of any second entrance by mistakenly breaching the outer surface of the excavated wood. Each egg/larvae is provided with a supply of protein-rich pollen. Males often hover outside their mate’s nest to prevent competing males from entering the area.

A Honey Bee visiting goldenrod alongside Common Eastern Bumble Bees. — A worker Honey Bee, a female member of a sisterhood of foragers from a nearby hive, visits goldenrod alongside Common Eastern Bumble Bees. Honey Bees were brought to North America during the 1620s, the earliest years of the trans-Atlantic migration of European colonists, to pollinate cultivated plants and to provide a reliable source of honey and beeswax. Within the Honey Bee’s social structure, the queen of each hive lays the eggs to produce the female worker bees. Once each year, male drones are produced along with a new generation of queens.

Honey Bee Hive — In nature, Honey Bees build hives in tree cavities. Recently, this colony constructed a hive in a screech owl nest box at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. To provide protein for the hatching larvae, worker bees collect pollen and deposit it within the hexagonal cells of the vertically aligned beeswax combs. After an egg is deposited upon the pollen cache, each cell is sealed with more beeswax. Young females tend these nest combs before maturing and becoming foraging worker bees.

Bee Hive Display — In apiculture, Honey Bees are raised in man-made hives. This Pennsylvania Association of Beekeepers display gives visitors to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg a look at the inner workings of a live bee hive. Nectar collected by worker bees is turned into honey to provide the supply of carbohydrates needed to fuel the colony through the winter. Note the honeycombs on the glass.

A possible Small Carpenter Bee Ceratina species). — A possible Small Carpenter Bee (Ceratina species) visiting White Snakeroot. Small Carpenter Bees nest inside hollow stems and twigs. Some species are eusocial, with a queen’s daughters and sisters sharing responsibility for finding food and rearing the young. Females overwinter inside a one of the excavated stems and begin a new nest there in the spring.

A Digger Bee (possibly Melissodes species). — A Digger Bee (possibly Melissodes species) with “pollen baskets” full of pollen collected from nearby flowers. Digger Bees in the genus Melissodes are often known as the Long-horned Bees. These social insects excavate underground nests and many species practice communal living.

SCOLIID WASPS

The Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp (Scolia dubia), also known as the Blue-winged Scoliid Wasp, is most frequently observed feeding on nectar. Scoliid wasps are solitary nesters, though they may assemble into groups while visiting flowers. They often ignore the presence of humans and are seldom disturbed by their presence. Females seek out the burrowing grubs of beetles including the Green June Bug (Cotinis nitida) and possibly the Japanese Beetle. After stinging a grub to paralyze it, the wasp will deposit her egg on its body, then bury it. Upon hatching, the larval wasp will feed on the grub for nourishment as it grows.

June Bugs eating watermelon. — Don’t like having your watermelon overrun by Green June Bugs while you’re eating? Then you ought to go out of your way to be nice to the Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp.

The Double-banded Scoliid (Scolia bicincta) parasitizes beetle larvae as hosts for its larvae. For carbohydrates it relishes flower nectar.

PAPER WASPS

A Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus). Paper wasps prey upon numerous garden pests, particularly caterpillars, to collect protein. Though they are social insects equipped with stingers to subdue their victims and defend their nests, paper wasps are surprisingly docile.

The Northern Paper Wasp — A Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) feeding on nectar from a goldenrod flower.

A Northern Paper Wasp harvesting wood pulp from the side of a mason bee nest box at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. The pulp is chewed in the wasp’s saliva to create the paper used to construct the colony’s open-cell nest.

Guinea Paper Wasps (Polistes exclamans) at their nest. — Common Paper Wasps (Polistes exclamans), also known as Guinea Paper Wasps, at their open-cell nest. This and the nests of most other paper wasps are suspended on a filament or a pedicle. Many paper wasps can excrete an ant repellent on this section of the nest in an effort to prevent invasion. Like many other social hymenopterans, a defending wasp can secrete a pheromone venom during the stinging process to warn the colony of danger at the nest. In winter, Common Paper Wasps seek shelter in stumps and other locations to hibernate.

The European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula) is a non-native species which builds nests in man-made structures including bird houses. To collect protein, they prey on a wide selection of insects and other invertebrates. As such, European Paper Wasps are widespread and successful here in North America.

YELLOWJACKETS AND HORNETS

An Eastern Yellowjacket feeding on lanternfly honeydew. Eastern Yellowjackets derive much of their success from being generalists, collecting carbohydrates from nearly any sweet source, natural or man made. They are quite fond of ripe fruits, flower nectar, and sugary snacks and drinks, especially soda. Protein for nourishing their larvae is derived from the wide variety invertebrates upon which they prey and from carrion. These foods are chewed into a paste form in preparation for placement into the brood cells.

Robber Fly consuming an Eastern Yellowjacket — Yellowjackets may be moody and aggressive, but they do fall victim to a number of predators. A Robber Fly (Promachus species) has taken down and is devouring this Eastern Yellowjacket.

A Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) feeding on Spotted Lanternfly honeydew deposits — A Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) feeding on Spotted Lanternfly honeydew on a Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). In the absence of nectar-producing flowers, many bees, yellowjackets, and hornets have turned to the invasive lanternfly and Ailanthus combo to turn the sun’s energy into the carbohydrates they need. For protein, they prey upon spiders, flies, caterpillars, and a variety of other insects.

A Bald-faced Hornet collecting wood pulp from the surface of a weathered picnic table. — To create paper for nest construction, this Bald-faced Hornet is collecting wood pulp from the surface of a weathered picnic table. Away from the nest, these hornets demonstrate a calm, carefree demeanor and can be closely observed.

Bald-faced Hornet Nest — A Bald-faced Hornet nest in a pine tree. These hives are strictly temporary. Within the nest, a generation of drones (males) and new queens are produced late each year. These wasps leave the colony to mate. With the arrival of freezing weather, all inhabitants within the nest, including the old queen, perish, as do the drones that departed to breed. Only the new queens survive winter hibernation to propagate the next generation of wasps, starting with the workers needed to construct a fresh nest and reestablish the colony.

Bald-faced Hornets Peering from Nest — Did you ever get the feeling you’re being watched? Don’t go messing around with Bald-faced Hornet nests. The occupants therein, like other social bees, wasps, and hornets, are equipped with stingers and venom for defending their colony. This is an adaptation that has developed over time to assure the survival of populations of these insects. Think about it this way, a solitary wasp that loses a nest loses only their individual brood of offspring. There is minimal impact on the wider local population of such insects. Conversely, a social wasp or hornet that loses a nest loses an entire colony, possibly negating the benefits of their cooperative behavior and threatening the survival of the species. Insects that cooperate to build societies for survival can be more vulnerable to the catastrophic impacts of certain circumstances like disease, weather, and invasion of their colonies. Therefore, natural selection has provided them with contingencies for these dangers, for example, the instinct to construct protective shelters and the adaptation of stingers and venom for defense against intruders and would-be predators. Oh, and by the way, the Bald-faced Hornet can spray venom, often aiming for the eyes, so keep your distance.

European Hornets (Vespa crabro), an introduced species, are predatory on a variety of flying insects for protein. For carbohydrates they are attracted to sweets like this lanternfly honeydew on Tree-of-heaven.

European Hornets constructing a nest in a tree cavity. — European Hornets constructing a paper nest in a tree cavity.

POTTER WASPS

A Potter Wasp (Eumenes species, probably E. fraturnus) hovering near a European Paper Wasp. — A potter wasp (Eumenes species), probably a Fraternal Potter Wasp (E. fraternus), hovering near a European Paper Wasp on Partridge Pea. The female potter wasp builds a small mud nest resembling a tiny clay pot. One of her eggs is inserted and left hanging on a thin thread. Then a paralyzed caterpillar is deposited as a source of protein to nourish the larva upon hatching. Lastly, the pot is sealed with a lid made of wet mud. Upon maturing, the new generation of adult wasps perform a pottery breaking to emerge and take flight.

ANTS

We hope this brief but fascinating look at some of our more common bees, wasps, hornets, and ants has provided the reader with an appreciation for the complexity with which their food webs and ecology have developed over time. It should be no great mystery why bees and other insects, particularly native species, are becoming scarce or absent in areas of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed where the landscape is paved, hyper-cultivated, sprayed, mowed, and devoid of native vegetation, particularly nectar-producing plants. Late-summer and autumn can be an especially difficult time for hymanopterans seeking the sources of proteins and carbohydrates needed to complete preparations for next year’s generations of these valuable insects. An absence of these staples during this critical time of year quickly diminishes the diversity of species and begins to tear at the fabric of the food web. This degradation of a regional ecosystem can have unforeseen impacts that become increasingly widespread and in many cases permanent.

A farmland desert. — How can anyone be surprised by the absence of bees and other pollinators in farmland? Manicured and cultivated ground offers little in the way of year-round shelter and food sources for insects and other wildlife.

A savanna-like habitat. — This savanna-like habitat on a south-facing slope provides the abundance of nectar-producing, pollen-rich wildflowers needed to nourish a diverse population of insects including bees, wasps, hornets, and ants. Goldenrods, asters, and White Snakeroot are some of their late-season favorites.

Editor’s Note: No bees, wasp, hornets, or ants were harmed during this production. Neither was the editor swarmed, attacked, or stung. Remember, don’t panic, just observe.

SOURCES

Eaton, Eric R., and Kenn Kaufman. 2007. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York, NY.

(If you’re interested in insects, get this book!)

July 29, 2022May 20, 2024

Monarch an Endangered Species: What You Can Do Right Now

This month, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) added the Migratory Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) to its “Red List of Threatened Species”, classifying it as endangered. Perhaps there is no better time than the present to have a look at the virtues of replacing areas of mowed and manicured grass with a wildflower garden or meadow that provides essential breeding and feeding habitat for Monarchs and hundreds of other species of animals.

Monarch on Common Milkweed Flower Cluster — A recently arrived Monarch visits a cluster of fragrant Common Milkweed flowers in the garden at the susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. Milkweeds included among a wide variety of plants in a garden or meadow habitat can help local populations of Monarchs increase their numbers before the autumn flights to wintering grounds commence in the fall. Female Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed leaves, then, after hatching, the larvae (caterpillars) feed on them before pupating.

If you’re not quite sure about finally breaking the ties that bind you to the cult of lawn manicuring, then compare the attributes of a parcel maintained as mowed grass with those of a space planted as a wildflower garden or meadow. In our example we’ve mixed native warm season grasses with the wildflowers and thrown in a couple of Eastern Red Cedars to create a more authentic early successional habitat.

Comparison of Mowed Grass to Wildflower Meadow — * Particularly when native warm-season grasses are included (root depth 6′-8′)

Still not ready to take the leap. Think about this: once established, the wildflower planting can be maintained without the use of herbicides or insecticides. There’ll be no pesticide residues leaching into the soil or running off during downpours. Yes friends, it doesn’t matter whether you’re using a private well or a community system, a wildflower meadow is an asset to your water supply. Not only is it free of man-made chemicals, but it also provides stormwater retention to recharge the aquifer by holding precipitation on site and guiding it into the ground. Mowed grass on the other hand, particularly when situated on steep slopes or when the ground is frozen or dry, does little to stop or slow the sheet runoff that floods and pollutes streams during heavy rains.

What if I told you that for less than fifty bucks, you could start a wildflower garden covering 1,000 square feet of space? That’s a nice plot 25′ x 40′ or a strip 10′ wide and 100′ long along a driveway, field margin, roadside, property line, swale, or stream. All you need to do is cast seed evenly across bare soil in a sunny location and you’ll soon have a spectacular wildflower garden. Here at the susquehannawildllife.net headquarters we don’t have that much space, so we just cast the seed along the margins of the driveway and around established trees and shrubs. Look what we get for pennies a plant…

Here’s a closer look…

Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), a perennial.

Black-eyed Susan, a biennial or short-lived perennial.

Black-eyed Susan "Gloriosa Daisy" — “Gloriosa Daisy”, a variety of Black-eyed Susan, a biennial or short-lived perennial.

Purple Coneflower, an excellent perennial for pollinators. The ripe seeds provide food for American Goldfinches.

A short variety of Common Sunflower, an annual and a source of free bird seed.

All this and best of all, we never need to mow.

Around the garden, we’ve used a northeast wildflower mix from American Meadows. It’s a blend of annuals and perennials that’s easy to grow. On their website, you’ll find seeds for individual species as well as mixes and instructions for planting and maintaining your wildflower garden. They even have a mix specifically formulated for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Annuals in bloom — When planted in spring and early summer, annuals included in a wildflower mix will provide vibrant color during the first year. Many varieties will self-seed to supplement the display provided by biennials and perennials in subsequent years.

Wildflower Seed Mix — A northeast wildflower mix from American Meadows. There are no fillers. One pound of pure live seed easily plants 1,000 square feet.

Nothing does more to promote the spread and abundance of non-native plants, including invasive species, than repetitive mowing. One of the big advantages of planting a wildflower garden or meadow is the opportunity to promote the growth of a community of diverse native plants on your property. A single mowing is done only during the dormant season to reseed annuals and to maintain the meadow in an early successional stage—preventing reversion to forest.

For wildflower mixes containing native species, including ecotypes from locations in and near the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, nobody beats Ernst Conservation Seeds of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Their selection of grass and wildflower seed mixes could keep you planting new projects for a lifetime. They craft blends for specific regions, states, physiographic provinces, habitats, soils, and uses. Check out these examples of some of the scores of mixes offered at Ernst Conservation Seeds…

- - Pipeline Mixes
  - Pasture, Grazing, and Hay Mixes
  - Cover Crops
  - Pondside Mixes
  - Warm-season Grass Mixes
  - Retention Basin Mixes
  - Wildlife Mixes
  - Pollinator Mixes
  - Wetland Mixes
  - Floodplain and Riparian Buffer Mixes
  - Rain Garden Mixes
  - Steep Slope Mixes
  - Solar Farm Mixes
  - Strip Mine Reclamation Mixes

We’ve used their “Showy Northeast Native Wildflower and Grass Mix” on streambank renewal projects with great success. For Monarchs, we really recommend the “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Mix”. It includes many of the species pictured above plus “Fort Indiantown Gap” Little Bluestem, a warm-season grass native to Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and milkweeds (Asclepias), which are not included in their northeast native wildflower blends. More than a dozen of the flowers and grasses currently included in this mix are derived from Pennsylvania ecotypes, so you can expect them to thrive in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.

Swamp Milkweed, a perennial species, is included in the Ernst Seed “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Mix”. It is a favorite of female Monarchs seeking a location to deposit eggs.

Monarch Caterpillar feeding on Swamp Milkweed — A Monarch larva (caterpillar) feeding on Swamp Milkweed.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is included in the Ernst Seed “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Mix”. This perennial is also known as Butterfly Milkweed.

Tiger Swallowtails visiting Butterfly Weed — Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are among the dozens of species of pollinators that will visit Butterfly Weed.

In addition to the milkweeds, you’ll find these attractive plants included in Ernst Conservation Seed’s “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Mix”, as well as in some of their other blends.

The perennial Wild Bergamot, also known as Bee Balm, is an excellent pollinator plant, and the tubular flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds.

Oxeye is adorned with showy clusters of sunflower-like blooms in mid-summer. It is a perennial plant.

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), also known as Plains Tickseed, is a versatile annual that can survive occasional flooding as well as drought.

Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), a tall perennial, is spectacular during its long flowering season.

Monarch on goldenrod. — Goldenrods are a favorite nectar plant for migrating Monarchs in autumn. They seldom need to be sown into a wildflower garden; the seeds of local species usually arrive on the wind. They are included in the “Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Mix” from Ernst Conservation Seeds in low dose, just in case the wind doesn’t bring anything your way.

Is something missing from your seed mix? You can purchase individual species from the selections available at American Meadows and Ernst Conservation Seeds. Partridge Pea is a good native annual to add. It is a host plant for the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly and hummingbirds will often visit the flowers. It does really well in sandy soils.

Indiangrass in flower. — Indiangrass is a warm-season species that makes a great addition to any wildflower meadow mix. Its deep roots make it resistant to drought and ideal for preventing erosion.

Why not give the Monarchs and other wildlife living around you a little help? Plant a wildflower garden or meadow. It’s so easy, a child can do it.

Planting a riparian buffer with wildflowers and warm-season grasses — Volunteers sow a riparian buffer on a recontoured stream bank using wildflower and warm-season grass seed blended uniformly with sand. By casting the sand/seed mixture evenly over the planting site, participants can visually assure that seed has been distributed according to the space calculations.

Riparian Buffer of wildflowers — The same seeded site less than four months later.

Monarch Pupa — A Monarch pupa from which the adult butterfly will emerge.

August 7, 2017August 27, 2023

Fussy Eaters

She ate only toaster pastries…that’s it…nothing else. Every now and then, on special occasions, when a big dinner was served, she’d have a small helping of mashed potatoes, no gravy, just plain, thank you. She received all her nutrition from several meals a week of macaroni and cheese assembled from processed ingredients found in a cardboard box. It contains eight essential vitamins and minerals, don’t you know? You remember her, don’t you?

Adult female butterflies must lay their eggs where the hatched larvae will promptly find the precise food needed to fuel their growth. These caterpillars are fussy eaters, with some able to feed upon only one particular species or genus of plant to grow through the five stages, the instars, of larval life. The energy for their fifth molt into a pupa, known as a chrysalis, and metamorphosis into an adult butterfly requires mass consumption of the required plant matter. Their life cycle causes most butterflies to be very habitat specific. These splendid insects may visit the urban or suburban garden as adults to feed on nectar plants, however, successful reproduction relies upon environs which include suitable, thriving, pesticide-free host plants for the caterpillars. Their survival depends upon more than the vegetation surrounding the typical lawn will provide.

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus), a butterfly familiar in North America for its conspicuous autumn migrations to forests in Mexico, uses the milkweeds (Asclepias) almost exclusively as a host plant. Here at Conewago Falls, wetlands with Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and unsprayed clearings with Common Milkweed (A. syriaca) are essential to the successful reproduction of the species. Human disturbance, including liberal use of herbicides, and invasive plant species can diminish the biomass of the Monarch’s favored nourishment, thus reducing significantly the abundance of the migratory late-season generation.

Monarch caterpillar after a fourth molt. The fifth instar feeding on Swamp Milkweed.

A fifth molt begets the Monarch pupa, the chrysalis, from which the showy adult butterfly will emerge.

Adult Monarch feeding on Goldenrod *(Solidago)* nectar.

Butterflies are good indicators of the ecological health of a given environment. A diversity of butterfly species in a given area requires a wide array of mostly indigenous plants to provide food for reproduction. Let’s have a look at some of the species seen around Conewago Falls this week…