Monthly Archives: July 2010

Plant-Insect Interaction: Hackberry nipplegall maker

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Every summer the hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis, Ulmaceae) in my yard becomes infested with hackberry nipplegall makers (Pachypsylla celtidismamma, Psyllidae).  Adult insects lay their eggs on new hackberry leaves in the spring.  The eggs hatch into nymphs, which start to … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Common chicory

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus, Asteraceae) exists throughout North America.  You can consider it a weed or a wildflower, depending on your perspective.  I think it’s rather attractive, but it tends to pop up in my yard where I’d prefer not … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Purslane leaf miner

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea, Portulacaceae), also known as little hogweed, is a common weed throughout North America.  I frequently remove it from my garden (where these photos were taken), and I see it everywhere on the family farm. The other … Continue reading →

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When dew is not dew

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Sometimes when you head outside in the morning, you can see drops of what appear to be dew on the leaves of some plants.  While dew commonly forms on plants as atmospheric water vapor condenses, what you see isn’t always … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Common mullein

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus, Scrophulariaceae) occurs throughout North America as a biennial invasive weed.  Up to one-third of the approximately 2-meter (about 6 feet) mature height is comprised of a cluster of flowers known as an inflorescence.  In late summer … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Sawfly larvae feeding on an elm

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

The interesting thing about these caterpillar-like larvae is that they don’t end up as butterflies or moths as adults, but rather as wasp-like argid sawflies in the order hymenoptera.

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Lessons From the Field #1: Snakes like warm rocks

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Last summer my wife and I went down to southern Ohio for a few days to, among other things, poke around for fossils.  Southern Ohio has a large number of exposures of fossil-bearing sedimentary rocks spanning almost 200 million years … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Creosote bush

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Jeremy Sell
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Cicada nymph molts into an adult

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

I found a cicada nymph (family Cicadidae) in my yard at dusk. Knowing it would soon molt into an adult, I brought it inside to capture it on video. After waiting about three hours, I recorded this clip. The entire … Continue reading →

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I love it when the animals come to me…

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Normally I have to hunt for the things I want to see, study, or photograph.  Some gray tree frogs have recently been making it easy for me.  At night they cling to my bathroom window, apparently seeking the insect prey … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Black bugs feeding on Queen Anne’s lace

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

These insects seem very particular to prairie ecosystems.  Perhaps they’re particular to Queen Anne’s Lace as a host plant, an invasive species that occurs abundantly in local fields, prairies, and along roadsides. During a survey last summer I found black … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Bumblebee on black-eyed Susan

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Jeremy Sell
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My Most-Despised Insect Family: The Tabanidae

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

Here’s a horse fly (family Tabanidae). It seems to have an injured wing. That’s because I smacked it. I hate these things (as would anyone, if they were ever bitten by one), plus it wouldn’t hold still for the photo. … Continue reading →

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Here We Go

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Jeremy Sell

This isn’t my first attempt at a blog. I think there are three factors that have dampened my previous efforts. First, whenever I read something I wrote six months ago, it makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because I would write … Continue reading →

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