Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 19 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Aug. 19, 2018 (Sunday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: David Christie maryspt@mac.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Debbie Batog got a few photos of the striking GALLIUM SPHINX [Sphinx du gaillet] moth, a.k.a. Bedstraw Hawk Moth, at her McKees Mills home recently nectaring on Geranium at 5:00 p.m. This year there would appear to be a very significant number of observations of this moth, which although not considered rare, is uncommonly seen. It acts like the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth [Sphinx colibri] in its behavior but is twice the size. It is much more common to see its unique, variable large caterpillar over the next month, with its red projecting horn at the end and ten yellow spots along the side of the body, but otherwise variable in colour. The Galium Sphinx Moth is similar to the White-lined Sphinx Moth [Sphinx à lignes blanches], which strays into New Brunswick from the south, but can readily be separated if able to observe them closely. I recently checked with Jim Edsall on the incidence of these two in New Brunswick and am quoting his response below:

“The Gallium Sphinx moth breeds here although the adults are not seen commonly, mostly visiting flowers. White lined Sphinx moth is a very rare migrant from the southern USA. It is a day flier that I saw once in Salisbury around 1990, not sure how many records there are in NB.”

** Wild mushrooms are starting to get temperature and moisture more to their liking in recent days. Bev Schneider forwards a photo of a portion of her find of one of folks’ favorite mushrooms, the CHANTERELLE [Chanterelle commune]. This mushroom tends to grow in conifer woods and once a patch is found it usually produces a crop at some time every season, when conditions become right. I don’t think efforts to grow this species commercially have been successful. One would probably have to grow the coniferous forest to get the crop!

** Brian Stone again sends a great round of nature observations from Perth, Ontario. At a nearby pond he found 3 GREEN HERONS [Héron vert] and heard a fourth, so potentially a family unit. Green Herons are starting to get more common in New Brunswick, with breeding records now. He is still seeing lots of butterflies, now up to three GIANT SWALLOWTAILS [Grand porte-queue], MONARCHS [Monarque], COMMON RINGLETS [Satyre fauve], CLOUDED SULPHURS [Coliade du trèfle] still in the groups at one spot, VICEROY, and EASTERN TAILED BLUES [Bleu porte-queue de l’Est]. His grandson also located a WALKINGSTICK bug [bâtonnet] for him. I’m not sure of the incidence of this species in New Brunswick.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton