freeztar Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 You mean white Lupine? I'm not sure really because I've never been there, but my understanding is that the only lupine that grows (wild) in the Great Lakes region is this one:PLANTS Profile for Lupinus polyphyllus (bigleaf lupine) | USDA PLANTS White lupine seems to be a genetic variation of L. Angustifolia from what I can tell with a few searches. Overall it seems that blue is the dominant color for Lupinus.BTW, I discovered there is a very similar species, the Northern Blue (Lycaeides idas) that could be confused with the Karner and has the orange going up the outside of both wings. But the Northern Blue and Karner habitats are not known to overlap in Wisconsin, and there are no known Northern Blues in any of the counties surrounding Crex Meadows. Northern Blues and Karners have very different caterpillar host plants also. That begs the question....What caterpillar host plant does the Northern Blue require? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 I'm not sure really because I've never been there, but my understanding is that the only lupine that grows (wild) in the Great Lakes region is this one:PLANTS Profile for Lupinus polyphyllus (bigleaf lupine) | USDA PLANTS White lupine seems to be a genetic variation of L. Angustifolia from what I can tell with a few searches. Overall it seems that blue is the dominant color for Lupinus. Yes, thats the lupine, white or blue, but what did you mean by.. "I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity." That begs the question....What caterpillar host plant does the Northern Blue require? Habitat: Open pine forests where its host plant Dwarf Bilberry (Vaccinium caespitosum) occurs. The host plant is also a Wisconsin endangered species. wisconsinbutterflies.org | Northern Blue Seems the Northern Blue has a critically endangered status also: Species Detail | Butterflies and Moths of North America Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Yes, thats the lupine, white or blue, but what did you mean by.. "I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity." The pic you posted shows a white butterfly. The pic at wiki shows a blue butterfly. I'm curious if this genetic variation is random (like albino) or if it is selected for based on the host plants that the two varieties might use. It seems that from what you are saying, there is no selective advantage in the colors. In other words, it seems that the blue color of the butterfly would blend well with the blue lupine flowers, keeping it hidden from predators. The white variety would not share this camoflouge and might be presumed to prefer white flower plants instead. It was just speculation that appears to not hold any weight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 The pic you posted shows a white butterfly. The pic at wiki shows a blue butterfly. I'm curious if this genetic variation is random (like albino) or if it is selected for based on the host plants that the two varieties might use. It seems that from what you are saying, there is no selective advantage in the colors. Ah ha! The Karner Blue (Melissa Karner blue is another name for the same butterfly) is the white spotted color on the under side. The blue shows on its top side and I only got one semi-decent picture of the open wing (in flight). Females can be almost brown with orange spots on the lower wing. Males are blue on top, with just a white border and black line between the border and the blue. This page has an interesting photo essay on the karners (link to it on right side):Nature Conservancy Magazine: Spring 2007 - Rhapsody in Blue - Karner blue butterfly - butterflies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted August 8, 2008 Report Share Posted August 8, 2008 Aha... That was a good link. I love TNC. ;) I didn't realize they were so small... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Took another trip to crex meadows on the 19th. Butterfly numbers are falling, but once again, the meadows revealed something new or seldom seen. I had seen the phantom crane fly a few times in my life and found my first on the meadows. The picture quality isnt the best, as the camera had much difficulty spotting this thin critter and kept focusing on the background. I had to manually focus which is a problem area for me. These guys fly funny. Apparently their wide legs help them glide as their teeny wings beat furiously. When I first saw it, I thought it was a spider moving through the grass. More info on the phantom crane fly:eNature: FieldGuides: Species Detail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 This family of predators varies in size and color. Some look like bumble bees, some look like long legged flys and some look like these. The likely specie for this one is the Milbert's Proctacanthus - Proctacanthus milbertii but because I did not get a good shot of its tail, it could also fall under the Proctacanthus brevipennis specie. The wing length is also an identifying factor as is the flight time, but insect data is always improving so the person who ID'd this one would not commit to Milberts without mentioning brevipennis as a potential ID. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monomer Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I found this rather large ant (at least I think it's an ant) in my garden one day. I thought the other ants were kinda large, but this one was a little over an inch long. I was wondering if anyone has seen anything like it before and knows what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I found this rather large ant (at least I think it's an ant) in my garden one day. I thought the other ants were kinda large, but this one was a little over an inch long. I was wondering if anyone has seen anything like it before and knows what it is. [ATTACH]2447[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]2448[/ATTACH] Try under Army ant or Driver ant. The jaws and general body shape seem to fall under that type. Heres an Australian Ant ID page:http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/default.htm Ah, I think I found your ant: http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/myrmeciinae/myrmeciinae.htm Monomer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monomer Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Try under Army ant or Driver ant. The jaws and general body shape seem to fall under that type. Heres an Australian Ant ID page:Australian Ants Online Ah, I think I found your ant: Australian Ants Online - Myrmeciinae Yep, it appears to be a Myrmecia pyriformis, also known as a bull ant or bulldog ant. I found these pictures to confirm it: PCD0149-46 Myrmecia pyriformisMyrmecia pyriformis - Brown Bull Ant When I was a kid we called anything bigger than a common black house ant a "bull ant". Little did I know how big an actual bull ant was. Apparently the Myrmecia pyriformis can be quite aggressive and their sting is potentially lethal. If I'd known I wouldn't have gotten so close to it! I was just so fascinated to see an ant that big and I spent a few minutes taking as many photos as I could. Thanks Cedars! Turtle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted December 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 This last week (+/- a few days). I have been working on a Moth database. A huge undertaking! Came across quite a bit of trivia, but this one piece I just had to post: Ceratophaga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "All Ceratophaga larvae feed, uniquely among Lepidoptera, on solid keratin. Most species feed on the horns and hooves of dead ungulates but C. vicinella feeds exclusively on the shells of dead gopher tortoises." N.American specie entry: Ceratophaga vicinella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia May not be an answer to a question on Who wants to be a millionaire, but then again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Follow-up to Post 68 I have received two bugguide opinions on this spider. Seems to be a Geolycosa missouriensis but possibly wrighti. Both opinions lean towards missouriensis. There is a lack of wrighti images on the net. This guy was on the road when spotted. I laid on the ground for the side, front shots. Then I chased him/her off the road and took the quarter shot. I think some campers nearby had disturbed the spider with their tent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Happened on this scene whilst tending my garden today. I only last week ID'd Arctic Lupine when it came up in my wild-flower garden this year for the first time. While silly me has waited for the flowers to open, this bumblebee seems to know about having to open them one's self to get at the bits inside. Fascinating. YouTube - bumblebee on arctic lupine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoQk33p08hQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 Awesome vid capture Turtle! It's a beautiful lupine too. Anything with a palmate leaf is cool in my book. As far as bugs are concerned, I'm renewing my disdain for yellow jackets. They make picnics impossible (or very unpleasant). And of course, I've been stung upwards of 40 times so I'm just not too intimate with them. In late summer, foraging workers (nuisance scavengers) change their food preference from meats to ripe, decaying fruits or scavenge human garbage, sodas, picnics, etc., since larvae in the nest fail to meet requirements as a source of sugar. This is why yellowjackets are known largely as pests that are capable of ruining picnics.Yellow jacket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Nuisance scavenger"...I like that phrase. I only question the "late summer" part. Indeed that is when they are most voracious, but they can be pesky in the early summer as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 Awesome vid capture Turtle! It's a beautiful lupine too. Anything with a palmate leaf is cool in my book. ;) As far as bugs are concerned, I'm renewing my disdain for yellow jackets. They make picnics impossible (or very unpleasant). And of course, I've been stung upwards of 40 times so I'm just not too intimate with them. Yellow jacket - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Nuisance scavenger"...I like that phrase. I only question the "late summer" part. Indeed that is when they are most voracious, but they can be pesky in the early summer as well. Thanks. :) Chaos favors the prepared imagination Roger always says. :ud: Turns out the fields of Camas around Lechtenberg are full of Arctic Lupine as I learned when I went by there this week to check the water level. Learn something new every time I visit that place. :cat: I'm with you on the Yellow-jackets as they are one of the Hymenopteras whose sting I am highly allergic to. :eek: :eek2: When I moved in here a couple years back we had some cool looking flowers that drew the Yellow-jackets like crazy. I cut them all down and still pull up seedlings and I see few of the beasties now. Those Yellow-jacket traps widely available at department stores are well worth the money for either camping or around the house. ;) This fish-liver hanging out as bait sounds way cool too though! :doh: :hihi: Yellowjacket, HYG-2075-97...Traps (Homemade)Hang fish or liver suspended on a string one to two inches over a tub of water to which detergent has been added (wetting agent eliminates surface tension). Yellowjackets will try to fly away with pieces of fish or liver that are too heavy for them and will drown after falling into the water. It is not unusual to fill a dishpan with drowned yellowjackets in one afternoon during the peak season. Trapping large numbers often fails to reduce population to acceptable levels, but may be useful in small areas. Certain yellowjackets have been shown to fly from 300 to 1,000 yards from their nest in search of food. Traps (Commercial)There are several commercial non-toxic bait traps for yellowjacket wasp control. It is important to know that no trap is good at rapid knockdown of yellowjacket populations. For effective use at outdoor events, traps should be placed out two or more days prior to the event. Approximate trap costs are: Green Leaf Wasp EATER Trap - $7.99 to $9.99 Oak Stump Farm "Yellowjacket" Wasp Trap - $7.99 to $8.99 Consep Wasp Trap - $6.95 to $7.99 Yellow Jacket Inn - $4.99 Victor Flying Insect Trap - $2.95 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 Thanks for the link, I didn't know traps were so widely available. I like the hanging liver/soapy water idea. I prefer to kill things (or let them kill themselves) in ways that take advantage of their weakness(es). It reminds me of a raccoon trap that utilizes a hole in the ground with bait inside. Due to the diameter of the hole, it will allow an open hand to pass through but does not allow a clinched fist through. Hence, the greedy raccoon will sit there trying to pull its hand out until the trap maker comes along and puts it out of its misery. (I think it was "Where the Red Fern Grows") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stereologist Posted May 30, 2009 Report Share Posted May 30, 2009 I teach my kids to find eggs on leaves. We raise caterpillars every year. One of the amazing sights that my kids have seen many times is the caterpillar forming a chrysalis. We've seen the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis as often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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