Wings

You may not think insects are all that interesting. Sure you like plants and birds, but bugs? Who cares? If you like plants and birds, you better care- because bugs are a huge part of their life.

Pollinators have been big in the news the last couple of years, since Colony Collapse Disorder. Our government is concerned, because bees provide the pollination of all those food crops we rely upon. Go here to learn more about pollinators.

Tricolored Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius
Canada and Michigan have bumblebees which are a little different than the standard yellow and black job found in Ohio. These colorful cruisers had my attention from the onset, and I wasted plenty of other-wise good birding time trying to photograph them.

Tricoloreds, also commonly called Orange-belted Bumble bees, are three colors and this picture shows it well. I haven't run across much info about these cruisers, but I did note they spent a good bit of time in solitary efforts of digging tunnels or holes in the sand. If anyone has an explanation for that behavior, certainly we would all like to know. Please pass it on!

Chalk-fronted Corporal, Libellula (Ladona) julia

This dragonfly is a major rarity for Ohio, but they were as common as dandelions in the UP of Michigan. They hang out on the roads by the hundreds!

Four-Spotted Skimmer, Libellula quadrimaculata (quadri = four and maculata= spotted)

Seney National Wildlife Refuge was an excellent location for many species of dragon and damselflies, many not commonly found in Ohio. It was fantastic to see a whole new range of species!

Elfin Skimmer, Nanothemis bella in a mating "wheel" ( female curled below)

The smallest dragonfly in North America is found in Ohio, but it is rarer than hen's teeth. This mated pair is no bigger than a singular wing of the previous skimmer. Denizens of bogs and fens, Michigan has plenty of Elfin Skimmers, while Ohio has only a few known locations. The best place to look for them is at Cedar Bog.

If you like interesting insects- be sure to join us at the Bobolinks at Byers Woods festival this Saturday (June 25th.) Guy Denny will be leading a walk at 11:00 am to help us identify all the dragonflies and butterflies in the surrounding fields. Hope to see you there.

Dragonflies: big and small

Another thrill from the recent dragonfly meeting was my first opportunity to see a some of Ohio's most unique dragonflies- including the Tiger Spiketail.


Tiger Spiketail- photo by William Hull

These three inch giants may be large, but flying low over a stream in dimly lit woods makes it difficult to find and nearly impossible to photograph. Tiger Spiketails are a species of concern which require high-quality shallow streams with sandy bottoms.

Here's what a great "Tiger stakeout" looks like. We each choose a section of stream to watch, and called out any passing dragonflies. Greg Cornet got the bead on our quarry first, as I was in my usual day-dreaming mode when it first flew past me!

Female Tiger Spiketail Photo by Bill Hull http://www.mangoverde.com/

Females oviposit like a pogo-stick... dabbing eggs into the sand. If we had seen a female, she might have looked like this one loaned by Bill Hull for this post. Be sure to check out his web site for some amazing dragon photos and much more!

Cedar Bog near Urbana is the home of the other rarest dragonflies, listed as endangered in Ohio. The Elfin Skimmer is the smallest of our dragonflies; this beautiful blue male is just under an inch long.

The female is a wasp mimic, and would be easy to overlook as she perches along the dried vegetation inches off the boardwalk. Their flight period is mid-July, so you'll want to make a pilgrimage soon to see this little wonder.

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Cedar Bog also has loads of interesting flora as well, and will be one of the field trips for the Midwest Native Plant conference. Just click on the logo in the side panel of the blog to go to the registrations page. Hope to see you there!!!

Fabulous Fens

Nodding wild onion, Allium cernuum blooming at Prairie Rd. Fen

Thanks to the organizers of the Midwest Native Plant Conference for a fen-tastic weekend! Over 120 native plant enthusiasts gathered to learn more about the bountiful beauty we have in Ohio and wetland species were a highlight. We had a great time discussing the Soggy Bottom Boys, those wetland plants that can be used in your home landscape. It is amazing how adaptable some of these plants are to dry situations as well.

A grand finale of the weekend was our group's field trip to Cedar Bog. Now remember, Cedar Bog is not a bog, but rather a fen. Bogs "clog" (think of kettle -hole bogs- no water movement) while fens flow. Fens are know for cold underground seeps and alkaline conditions. Cedar Bog has some amazing marl flats- a rare habitat for rare plants and unusual creatures.

This federally listed Elfin Skimmer dragonfly is one of the rare creatures. Our group was lucky enough to have the fleet-footed Jim McCormac along to snag this prize specimen. Perhaps my 6th trip to the bog, this was the first time I was ever fortunate enough to see the extremely small and delicate male Elfin Skimmer. His blue coloration is a perfect match with my lucky blue Ohio Dragonfly Conference shirt from 2007!

It was wonderful to meet so many interesting people from across the midwest! Hope to see you again next year!