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Do you know your plants?
For my Leafminers of North America project, I periodically need help identifying hostplants I find in my travels. You can peruse photos of them at iNaturalist. Thanks!
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Monthly Archives: June 2014
Another Mystery Solved, Sort Of
At the beginning of this month, I reported having found these tied leaves on smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) plants in my backyard. On May 27, I had put three samples in jars on my desk to see what might emerge. On … Continue reading
Another Mystery Host Plant
Last week Owen Lonsdale gave me a first batch of identifications from the big box of agromyzid fly specimens I sent him a few months ago. Unfortunately, of the ten species represented, he was only able to put species names … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Agromyzidae, buttercup, buttercup family, fly, Iowa, leaf mine, new species, Phytomyza, Ranunculaceae, Ranunculus
3 Comments
Microhabitats
It was a nice surprise yesterday morning, when I stepped out into my front yard, to see the first wild turkeys since my neighbor shot the beautiful tom that was displaying there earlier this spring. And it was great to see … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Apidae, bee, bird, carpenter bee, Ceratina, nest, Oxalis, Oxalis violacea, Rhus, Rhus typhina, small carpenter bee, staghorn sumac, sumac, swallow, tree swallow, violet wood sorrel, wood sorrel
2 Comments
Mullein Weevils
As anticipated, Julia and I have been filling our front yard with fruit trees and a vegetable garden, and letting most of the remaining lawn grow into a meadow–not out of laziness but from a desire to turn this sterile mini-landscape into habitat … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged beetle, bird, bird sign, calico pennant, Caryophyllaceae, Celithemis, Celithemis elisa, cinquefoil, Coleoptera, Curculionidae, downy woodpecker, dragonfly, Libellulidae, mullein, Picidae, Picoides, Picoides pubescens, Potentilla, Potentilla simplex, Rhinusa tetra, Rosaceae, Scrophulariaceae, skimmer, Stellaria, Stellaria graminea, Verbascum thapsus, weevil, woodpecker
11 Comments
Monthly Mystery #19: Aster Leaf Tubes
As I mentioned here, I normally can’t be bothered with leafrollers, leaftiers, etc. Not so much because the thousands of leafminers (not to mention gallmakers) in North America are enough to keep me busy for a while as because what … Continue reading
Posted in Unsolved Mysteries
Tagged aster, goldenrod, Iowa, larva, leaftier, Loess Hills, moth, smooth aster, Solidago, Solidago altissima, Symphyotrichum, Symphyotrichum laeve, tall goldenrod, Tortricidae
2 Comments
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