Nature Moncton Nature News: September 28 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

September 28, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Shannon Inman got nice photographs of what is suspected to be the Nodding Ladies’-tresses orchids.

We have several species of this orchid in New Brunswick but the Nodding Ladies’- tresses is one of the more likely to be in flower this time of year.

Shannon also photographed one of the earthstar mushroom genera, of which we have several in New Brunswick. They are closely related to the puffball mushrooms that are much more commonly seen.

A group of the very small Bird’s Nest Mushrooms also caught the attention of Shannon’s camera. The ‘eggs’ in the ‘nest’ are spore-filled sacs that will spring out, bursting and spreading their spores.

**Maureen Girvan spotted and photographed a Western Conifer Seed Bug on Wednesday.

This bug is native to Western North America, but its range has now reached New Brunswick and is not problematic here yet. It has a habit of seeking out warmer areas, such as human homes, to overwinter. They do use a foul-smelling spray as a defense if disturbed but are otherwise not problematic to humans.

The swelling of the tibia (arrowed) is a clue to their identity.

Sterling Marsh, like others, is noting lots of bumblebees getting their late season fueling up from his yard blooming aster cultivars.

**Nelson Poirier came across several huge Fishing Spiders in an outbuilding in Rusagonis recently. (Suspecting Dolomedes tenebrosus).

These are large spiders, with females reaching a leg range of 50-90 mm. They are capable of biting humans but will normally run from people. In most cases, the bite is no more severe than a bee or wasp sting.

There are many caterpillars on the move at the moment. Nelson photographed a Yellow Striped Armyworm Caterpillar in the same area.

**Brian Stone walked some trails in Fundy National Park and also the short boardwalk in Alma at the park entrance on Tuesday. At the boardwalk, Brian was lucky to find a fresh-looking Milbert's Tortoiseshell Butterfly nectaring on the New York Asters alongside the walkway. It was the first example of this butterfly that Brian had ever seen, so he enthusiastically photographed it a few dozen times.

(Editor’s note: it is unusual to get 2 photographs of the Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Butterfly in consecutive days. There have been only two earlier photos submitted in a Nature News search. Milbert's Tortoiseshells inhabit deciduous and mixed forests near wet areas. They require Stinging Nettle for breeding. Adults feed on sap flows, fermenting fruit, dung, carrion, and rarely flower nectar, as did Brian’s specimen. This butterfly overwinters as adults concealed in loose bark or hollow logs, ready to boogie the first warm days of spring.)

Inside the park entrance, a group of Canada Geese were flying back and forth from McLaren Pond to the grassy field beside it in separate small groups.

Many caterpillars were trundling about on trails and in campgrounds, and Brian photographed the Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar and the Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar as they tried their best to move quickly when near people and open areas. Some Meadowhawk Dragonflies posed in the bright sunlight, and Brian tried his best to get decent photos of some of the Mushrooms and Fungi seen alongside the trails. One of the mushrooms was identified as the Destroying Angel Mushroom, which is deadly poisonous if consumed by humans, and an example of a Coral Mushroom was also identified. Others were identified by the editor.