Monthly Archives: August 2012

Plant-Insect Interaction: Shining flower beetles on a smooth oxeye

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Adult shining flower beetles (Coleoptera: Phalacridae) are tiny dark insects only about 1-3 mm in length. They would be hard to see if not for their tendency to congregate on brightly-colored asters like this smooth oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides, Asteraceae). They spend most … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Spotted cucumber beetle on a thistle

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Normally when I see spotted cucumber beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica undecimpunctata) they’re crawling all over various crop plants here in the fields of southeast Michigan. These insects are major pests of cucumbers, squash, melons, and other cucurbits as well as … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Common boneset

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

A couple of weeks ago I was hiking here in southeast Michigan and came across a lot of common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum, Asteraceae). These plants are most often found in moist and wet areas in eastern North America. I found … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Bees on purple loosestrife

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While out hiking at Pinckney State Recreation Area here in Michigan I came across a lot of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria, Lythraceae) in the wetlands.  I also came across a lot of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) feeding on the nectar of … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Spotted bee balm

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

A couple of weeks ago I came across this spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata, Lamiaceae) near the edge of the Great Marsh at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Also known as spotted (or dotted) horsemint, this plant prefers dry, sandy soil like that found at … Continue reading →

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Downy Woodpecker

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

The other day I was marveling at some tall pines at Pinckney State Recreation Area and noticed this downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens, Picidae) looking for insects in the pine bark: These birds bear a striking and almost indistinguishable resemblance to hairy woodpeckers (P. … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Hickory tussock moth larva

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

The other morning I hiked the Losee Lake Trail at Pinckney State Recreation Area near Chelsea, Michigan. One of my more interesting finds was this hickory tussock moth larva (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lophocampa caryae). Hickory tussock moths have an unusual geographic distribution in … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Common oblique syrphid feeding on a mullein foxglove

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

While visiting Side Cut Metropark near Maumee, Ohio last month, I came across this common oblique syrphid fly (Diptera: Syrphidae: Allograpta obliqua) visiting a mullein foxglove (Dasistoma macrophylla, Scrophulariaceae). Like other adult syrphid flies, common oblique syrphids often feed on nectar and … Continue reading →

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Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Last Saturday my wife and I visited Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, completing our collection of all four national lakeshores (the others being Pictured Rocks, Apostle Islands, and Sleeping Bear Dunes). Unlike the other three lakeshores, Indiana Dunes is in a … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Spotted joe pye weed

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Spotted joe pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum, Asteraceae) is found in wet areas primarily in the northern United States and southern Canada (Brandenburg 2010). A few weeks ago I came across this individual on the banks of the Presque Isle River at … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Robber fly

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

Looking somewhat like a mosquito on steroids, this robber fly (Diptera: Asilidae) was recently hanging out on the side of my house. These typically large, stocky flies are commonly found perched like this, waiting and watching for prey. They feed on a … Continue reading →

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Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Jeremy Sell

At nearly 60,000 acres, the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness is Michigan’s largest and perhaps most impressive state park. Located near the west end of the Upper Peninsula, it was created in 1945 to protect one of the largest remaining old-growth northern … Continue reading →

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