NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 6, 2020 (Monday)
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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)
Gordon Rattray sent a photo of a suspected pupal case on June 27. He set
it aside and it emerged as a EYE-SPOTTED LADY-BEETLE on July 4. Photos are
attached of both stages, adult and pupal case.
Gordon also got a nice photo of a VIRGINIA CTENUCHA MOTH, one we can
expect to see a lot of over the next month, day-flying and often confused as a
butterfly.
Gordon also got a photo of the RED LILY-BEETLE, a beetle that is very
unwelcome to folks cultivating lilies, because they are serious lily
defoliators. The egg masses are bright orange.
He also got a nice photo of a PECK'S SKIPPER, showing the squarish
rectangular spots filling most of the hind wing as well as the FLOWER LONGHORN BEETLE, another of our colourful longhorn beetles.
** Richard Perron and Rhéal Vienneau came across a moth day-perched on
July 1 that they had never noticed before. It appears to be the SAW-WING MOTH
in the Euchlaena genus, but some species in this group do look similar.
** Aldo Dorio sends photos of the TRICOLORED BUMBLEBEE, one of our more
common bumble-bee species, enjoying SPREADING DOGBANE, a very popular,
abundantly loaded with nectar, plant in full bloom at the moment. A photo of
SELF-HEAL, also known as Heal-all, is included. Also an ATLANTIS FRITILLARY butterfly was flying and looks fresh.
** Brian Stone sends some photos he shares from Saturday. He again
visited the BALD EAGLE nest off Mapleton Road, to find a very well-developed
single eaglet.
He got a great photo of the weekend's full moon. Brown-eyed Susan was
blooming at its best,
He photographed several birds. They are apparently fledglings by their
rough, un-kempt plumage.
Check the attached video below of a HUMMINGBIRD-CLEARWING MOTH enjoying
the now blooming COMMON MILKWEED patch, off Gorge Road by the on-ramp to the highway
there. It is in full bloom.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/61m22f2c8tg02ie/%21%20Hummingbird%20Clearwing%20Moth.mp4?dl=0
** I noted a brightly coloured, orange and black 10 mm long bug in my
Common Milkweed on Sunday. IT turns out to be the EASTERN MILKWEED-BUG and is
brightly coloured to let predators know that it tastes bad because it apparently
feeds on the sap of the milkweed, not necessarily defoliating the plant, like
some other milkweed beetles do. A photo is attached that should make it
unmistakable.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
