Category Archives: Nature

Arboretum: Beggarticks and its Pollinators

by sicloot Posted on September 12, 2013

Aside from the aphids, I spotted a number of other creatures in the Arboretum last week. An American bullfrog was spread out lazily in the marsh waters.

American bullfrog lounging in water
American bullfrog

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Arboretum: Woolly Alder Aphids

by sicloot Posted on September 6, 2013

I passed a European alder tree (Alnus glutinosa) on Willow Path at the Arnold Arboretum a couple days ago (accession 1399-73*B), and noticed that many of its branches were covered in a white fungus/mold-like substance. Upon closer inspection, the mold moved!

This was no mold. It was an infestation of woolly alder aphids (Prociphilus tessellatus).

European alder branch with a woolly aphid colony.
European alder branch with a woolly aphid colony.

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Arboretum: Summersweet Butterflies and Wasps

by sicloot Posted on August 23, 2013

On Tuesday, I walked from the Arboretum’s main gate to the shrub garden. I saw a couple of butterflies for the first time, among them a common sootywing (Pholisora catullus), a dark brown butterfly with white spots.

Common sootywing
Common sootywing

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Arboretum: Bussey Hill Trees and Insects

by sicloot Posted on August 19, 2013

Late last week, I went to the Explorers’ Garden on Bussey Hill on a pleasant, sunny day. A few butterflies passed me by but did not perch. The eastern kingbird below paused at a the top of a crabapple tree. In about a month, this kingbird will probably make its way to South America for the winter.

Eastern kingbird in a crabapple
Eastern kingbird

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Cape Ann Campsite Insects

by sicloot Posted on August 16, 2013

I’ve posted about the birds and sea creatures that we saw on our camping trip at the Cape Ann campsite. We also found a few bugs during our explorations.

The office on the campgrounds has a nice flower and vegetable garden a few feet away. We found a couple of Peck’s skippers (Polites peckius), which settled on a leaf after chasing each other.

A pair of Peck's skippers
Peck’s skippers

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Eastern White Pine vs Silver Maple

by sicloot Posted on August 14, 2013

Two of the fastest-growing native trees in the Northeast are duking it out on Paul Gore Street in Jamaica Plain. An eastern white pine and a silver maple arch over the street, meeting in the middle.

White Pine vs Silver Maple
Silver maple (left) and eastern white pine (right) over Paul Gore St

Update on June 2, 2016: The white pine has won the battle. The silver maple was cut down today. It had dropped some large limbs during recent storms and was probably deemed a public hazard. Still, it’s sad to see an urban giant go.

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Arboretum: Cup Plants and Caterpillars

by sicloot Posted on August 11, 2013

I found this white-dotted prominent caterpillar (Nadata gibbosa) crawling across Meadow Road yesterday. A green caterpillar with an opaque, lighter green face, it is covered with white dots. This one had two brown patches on it, perhaps some sort of infection?

white-dotted prominent caterpillar
white-dotted prominent caterpillar

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Western Conifer Seed Bug

by sicloot Posted on August 10, 2013

I opened my window yesterday evening and a bug came flying in. With the loud drone of its wings, I initially thought it was a wasp and backed away. But it turned out to be a western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis).

Western conifer seed bug
Western conifer seed bug

This bug started out in the West (hence its name), but has since spread to the eastern U.S. and even Europe. They love to find their way into homes in the spring and fall. Apparently this bug didn’t get the memo: it’s still summer!

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