Monthly Archives: June 2012

Random Insect: Margined leatherwing soldier beetle

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

The other day at Side Cut Metropark near Maumee, Ohio, I found this margined leatherwing soldier beetle (Coleoptera: Cantharidae: Chauliognathus marginatus) crawling around on a flower. Adults are often found on flowers because most eat nectar and pollen. The larvae, in contrast, … Continue reading →

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Insect Love: Narrow-winged damselflies

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Twice in the past week I’ve seen hordes of narrow-winged damselflies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) engaged in mating along nearby waterways. On Sunday there were many along Mill Lake at Waterloo State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan. Then yesterday I saw even … Continue reading →

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Entomophagy

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Ever since I was a kid I was never afraid to eat unusual things. I remember working in the fields on my parents’ farm and randomly shoving weed leaves in my mouth. Unsurprisingly I discovered most plants weren’t fit to … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Squawroot/American cancer-root

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

At first glance the organism above may resemble some type of fungus.  It’s actually a parasitic plant known as squawroot or American cancer-root (Conopholis americana, Orobanchaceae). Most plants are autotrophic and make their own food through the use of chlorophyll and … Continue reading →

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Curious White-tailed Deer

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, Cervidae) live throughout most of North America, and they’re definitely common here in southeast Michigan and in northwest Ohio. Every time my wife and I hike at Oak Openings Preserve Metropark west of Toledo, Ohio we see … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Imperial moth

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

When I left for work the other morning I noticed this big imperial moth (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Eacles imperialis) outside my door. It’s not unusual to see large saturniids on houses in the morning twilight. They’re often attracted to porch lights at … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Colorado potato beetle larvae feeding on potatoes

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While visiting my dad for Father’s Day, he mentioned he saw some Colorado potato beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Leptinotarsa decemlineata) feeding on his cultivated potato plants (Solanum tuberosum, Solanaceae). We headed out to look for some and found quite a few larvae. The plants had … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Common yarrow

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While on the Losee Lake Trail at Pinckney State Recreation Area in Michigan, I came across this common yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Asteraceae) in a forest opening. Widespread across the northern hemisphere, this plant is highly variable and is separated into at least a dozen subspecies. … Continue reading →

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Rabbits and Hares

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Recently I’ve photographed both eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus, Leporidae) and snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus, Leporidae).  On the surface both of these animals look rather similar: Despite the similarities, however, these animals feature a number of differences. First, rabbits and … Continue reading →

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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

A few weeks ago I spent half a day at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore east of Munising, Michigan. At over 71,000 acres, this long stretch of land on the south shore of Lake Superior harbors a wide variety of natural … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Deer fly

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While on the Losee Lake Trail at Pinckney State Recreation Area in Michigan, this deer fly (Diptera: Tabanidae: Chrysops sp.) landed on my arm.  Sensing the opportunity to get some cool photos, I pointed my camera at her just as she plunged her … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Fire on the mountain

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

I came across this plant on Matecumbe Key in Florida a couple of months ago. I hadn’t got around to identifying it, but while thumbing through a field guide the other day I accidentally stumbled across it. It seems most … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Harlequin blueflag

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While hiking the Losee Lake Trail at the Pinckney State Recreation Area here in Michigan, I found a lot of harlequin blueflag (Iris versicolor, Iridaceae) growing along the water. The large, showy flowers of this native plant were definite attention-getters: … Continue reading →

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Serenity is a Trumpeter Swan at Isle Royale National Park

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

On 05/26/2012, my second day at Isle Royale National Park, I woke up at dawn to look for wildlife.  In the morning twilight I recorded this video of a trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator, Anatidae) at Lane Cove. This big bird … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Sassafras

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Common throughout the eastern United States, sassafras (Sassafras albidum, Lauraceae) can be found in a variety of habitats. As a pioneer species (Immel 2001) these woody plants often thrive in disturbed areas along roads, fields, and forest openings. I often … Continue reading →

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Loons and Lake Superior

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Just before dusk I put my camera down on the rocky shore of Lane Cove at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. It recorded the mournful calls of common loons (Gavia immer, Gaviidae) and the waters of Lake Superior lapping on the … Continue reading →

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Isle Royale National Park: Day 4/Epilogue

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Continued from Isle Royale National Park: Day 3 Monday morning Jim and I were scheduled to leave Isle Royale on the seaplane at 11am. We woke up at the Rock Harbor campground, ate some breakfast, and packed our backpacks one … Continue reading →

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Isle Royale National Park: Day 3

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Continued from Isle Royale National Park: Day 2 Sunday morning was gloomy and rainy as we headed east from the Daisy Farm campground. We had spent the previous two days hiking in relatively good weather, and the heavy rain was … Continue reading →

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Isle Royale National Park: Day 2

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Continued from Isle Royale National Park: Day 1 On Saturday morning the rain had stopped, but the wind off of Lake Superior at Lane Cove was brisk. I put on an extra layer and headed down the rocky shore alone. … Continue reading →

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