Western Tree Cricket

Walking through the meadows of the arboretum, I am serenaded by tree crickets. I have been able to find two different kinds. I posted a video last fall (Tree Cricket Singing, 10/18/21) of what I believe is a snowy tree cricket. It has a melodic, pulsing chirp. I think the one I found this year is the western tree cricket. It has a continuous trill that has a crisp, ringing note. You can see from the video that they fan their wings forward and rub them together. The sound resonates quite far across the landscape for such a small, delicate creature.

The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Hershberger had this to say about the songs of insects: “Singing insects produce sounds in a variety of ways. Members of the order Orthoptera typically create sound by ‘stridulation,’ which is the rubbing of one body part against the other. Among crickets and katydids, the base of the forewings is specially modified for sound production. A sharp edge, or ‘scraper,’ at the base of one front wing is rubbed across a bumpy ridge, or ‘file,’ located at the base of the opposite wing.” In the section on tree crickets, they mention that “males of a number of species often sing from the underside of a curled leaf, from the edge of a leaf, or from a hole in a leaf, in order to reduce acoustic interference and thereby increase the intensity of their songs.”

Resource
Elliott, Lang, and Wil Hershberger. The Songs of Insects. Houghton Mifflin Co, 2007.

Yellowjackets in Full Force

The yellowjackets are out in full force in the warm, autumn sun. Lately, the moment I step out of my truck in the parking lot, one is there to greet me. They must be nearsighted because they always want to hover back and forth close to my face to see who I am. I’m not sure what this close encounter is all about, maybe they think an insect is stuck in my teeth from the drive out there. They usually investigate the front of my truck and remove insects from there. The other day when I was taking a photo, one landed in between my fingers and begin chewing on a small flake of dried skin. That said, yellowjackets only tend to be aggressive towards people if you get near their nest. They are part of a healthy ecosystem to keep the balance of nature. The adults feed on nectar, so presumably, they will be pollinators of flowers. The larvae feed on pre-chewed insects like the grasshopper in the photo. This helps to keep the insect populations in check.

In the late summer, males will mate with new queens. As autumn progresses towards winter and the cold weather sets in, all the yellowjackets die except for the mated females. These will overwinter in the soil or litter of vegetative matter on the ground like leaves.

Resource
Milne, Lorus Johnson, and Margery Milne. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf : distributed by Random House, 1980.

Dried Plants = Habitat

When plants die off for the year, they can take on a new life. The fibers of many plants are extremely sturdy and can remain durable for a long time. The stems can become fairly “woody” and are often hollow. For insects and spiders, these are places of refuge and homes for eggs or cocoons to be protected.

Creating a habitat around where you live is the best way to attract, observe, and support invertebrates. Native plants are the best ones to grow. After you have enjoyed watching them grow and flower, leave the dried plant stalks. I know this can be challenging for many people. It can appear messy, and they want to tidy their garden at the end of the season. If this is how you feel, maybe start by leaving a small section untouched on the periphery. I like these places because they attract birds. They are places for them to forage and can offer protection from predators.

If you don’t have an area around your house or apartment to be creative, I recommend joining and volunteering at your local arboretum like Mt. Pisgah. An abundance of beauty and mysteries are waiting to be experienced and explored.

Grasshopper Dreams

The other morning I came across this grasshopper snuggled in the top of this Queen Anne’s lace seed head. The air was cool, and the grasshopper seemed to be waiting for the day to warm up to become more active. Thus, I was able to get a photo without it hopping away. When it warmed up later that morning, I was seeing grasshoppers springing in every direction. The south meadow has been particularly active with them. It seems like a pretty good year for grasshoppers.

Seeing this grasshopper nestled in its flower roost got me wondering if insects sleep. I imagined that all life forms need rest. It makes sense that grasshoppers need to wind their springs. At the end of the day, It feels so good to lay your head down, especially under a blanket of stars cradled in the top of a flower.

Argiope Catching Grasshopper

As I take a step into the meadow, grasshoppers spring into the air and fly in every direction. They are well camouflaged, and they disappear back into the landscape as quickly as they appear. It is fascinating to realize that there are so many out there.

Another magical creature also calls the meadow home this time of year—the Argiope spider. I found one patiently waiting on its web as grasshoppers flitted past, and I knew that one would soon be caught in its web. As soon as I knelt for a closer look, one hopped into the web. It is always amazing to see how quickly the spider wraps its prey in silk.

Sorry, the video isn’t focusing on the spider in the beginning. It is hard to see what it is in focus because the screen on my phone is small and had a glare. I thought it was still worth posting.

Burnt Orange

There is a small grove of coastal redwoods at the arboretum. Underneath them, there is a small bench. I decided to sit on the bench to relax and let go of the busyness of the day. While sitting there, small branches occasionally fell out of the tree and landed on the bench. The vibrancy of the rich, burnt orange color of one of them caught my attention. While enjoying its color, I became fascinated by the shape and texture of the needles—narrow, pointed, and smooth. It was interesting to see the manner in which they were wrapped around a stem that must be underneath. It created such a beautiful pattern.

I put the small branch down on the bench. When I looked back at it a few minutes later, a small jumping spider had crawled up on it and was watching me. It was remarkable to see how its coloration matched the dead needles. I was reminded that there are so many wonders to behold in nature if I sit and take the time to slow down so that I can notice them.

Snowberry Still Blooming

With the end of August approaching, I am surprised to see that snowberry flowers are continuing to emerge. I looked back and found that I had taken photos of it flowering in May. I see many insects visiting the blooms, and I am reminded of how valuable this native plant is as a nectar source.

Bald-faced Hornet

Out at the end of this oak branch is a paper nest of the bald-faced hornet. The adult hornet is 5/8-3/4” long. They have black and white patterns on the face, thorax, abdomen, and first antennal segment. The wings are a smoky coloration.

The nest is constructed of wood pulp. I usually find a hornet on the posts of an old wooden fence along the river trail where they gather the top, soft layer of gray fibers. The nest is built in many layers of cells that are covered from the outside. In the end, the nest becomes this striated swirl of grays that is beautiful and sturdy.

The main entrance of the nest is placed at the bottom. This is easy to see in the second photo of the nest below. I just took this photo yesterday evening. This is the second attempt at building the nest. The first one was torn down. A serious word of caution. The adult hornets are very protective of the nest, and they will not hesitate to defend it if you get too close. They can sting repeatedly, and from my own experience, it is painful!

The diet of the adult consists of nectar, fruit juices, and perhaps eats other insects. The larva feed on insects that are pre-chewed by the adults.

In the late summer, the colony starts to produce males and young queens that will mate. The young mated females will overwinter in the soil or leaf litter—all of the other hornets will die off. The young queen will emerge next year to start a new colony.

At the bottom, there are a couple of photos of a bald-faced hornet on an oak limb that has these red nodules which I think are a type of gall. Maybe the hornets are attracted to these galls because the galls excrete plant juices that they can eat. I haven’t been able to find out more about it yet.

References
Milne, Lorus Johnson, and Margery Milne. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. Knopf: distributed by Random House, 1980.

Fly Larvae

Some flies stirred as I was walking down the path, and I looked over to see a dead snake. As I bent down to take a closer look, I saw that it was teeming with fly larvae inside its body. I was reminded of nature’s cycle of life. The purpose, strength, spirit, and medicine of so many unsung organisms that break down, transform, and recycle all of creation back into the stream of life are unbelievable.

River Jewelwing

This damselfly is truly a jewel with its iridescent blue body forged from stardust. The outer third of its wing is sooty—singed by the sun on its cosmic journey to earth. Its legs of wicker form a basket collecting and cradling our dreams. When we reawaken to our connection to nature, we will remember that we are all one.

Water Strider

The small, ephemeral stream that flows off the hillside next to the white oak pavilion is still softly trickling. As I follow the stream up the trail, there are places where the water is continuing to fill shallow pools.

In these pools, oval shadows ringed with light dance around the floor. Creating this celestial event are water striders! Where their feet contact the surface, it makes small dimples that are eclipsing the sun.

Miraculously, the surface tension of the water holds them up. They also have tiny hairs on their feet that trap air bubbles that help them stay buoyant and allow them to easily propel themselves along.

As distant images of the cosmos are streaming into our world from the James Webb telescope, these small pools remind me of the infinite universe contained within our planet earth.

Bleeding Heart Seed Pod

The bleeding hearts are forming their seed pods. The pods grow out of the corolla mouth and can be up to 2” long. The seeds are c-shaped, black, and have a pebbled, shiny surface. On one end is a white, oil-rich appendage known as an elaiosome, which is attractive to ants. They will collect the seed to eat the elaiosome and discard it, thus helping to disperse it.

There were 18 seeds in the pod I opened. I took them over to some ants and dropped the seeds in their path. They immediately investigated them, and within about 1 minute, all the seeds were carried off. It is amazing all the interesting ways seeds are spread.

As I looked at the seed more, the shape of it and the white elaiosome (rich in lipids and proteins) attached to the end reminded me of a small fortune cookie. I am sure the ants would agree that it was a fortuitous find.

Oak Treehopper Adults

The oak treehopper nymphs (see post on April 25) have been becoming adults over the past week or so. The diversity in form and color in the insect world is spectacular.

Blue Butterfly

A cool, quiet blue dye
delicately tints
the ephemeral life
that lives in all eternity
softening my eyes
and lightening the path
as I walk along
collecting memories.

Oak Treehoppers

Once I saw these amazing creatures congregating on the end of a small twig, I couldn’t remember why I originally walked over to this particular oak tree. I called my friend Don over to have a look, and he exclaimed, “They’re Oak Treehoppers!”

The nymphs of the oak treehopper look fairly ominous. They are boldly colored black, red, and white. In addition, they have spikes on the top of their body and red eyes. As they grow and develop, they will change colors and patterns. So, I’ll be going back to check on them regularly to see how they evolve and take some photos.

Next to the nymphs was an adult treehopper. I didn’t see this adult at first because she resembled a small tree bud. The adult treehoppers become well-camouflaged as they mature turning olive-brown with yellow dots. This is the female, and she will stay around to stand guard and protect her nymph colony as they grow.

Treehoppers drink the sap of the tree.

Caddisfly Larva

While looking in the small pools in the parking lot for frog eggs, I found a caddis fly larva. It was waddling around the pool searching for algae and other organic debris to eat. It makes the most beautiful, mobile home in the larval stage.

Depending on the environment, the larva gathers plant material, leaves, twigs, sand, small rock fragments, or other detritus, to build its temporary home. It cements it together with salivary silk forming a cylindrical tube. It lives inside this camouflaged, protective casing as it develops. When it is fully grown, it closes the tube ends and pupates inside. After this stage, it will cut open the case, rise to the surface of the water, undergo a final molt, and begin flying. As an adult, it usually only lives for a few weeks. During this time it focuses on reproduction. Most species do not eat as an adult, but a few species will visit flowers for nectar.

I have a photo of the adult somewhere in my album. When I find it, I will post it.

Rain Catcher

Spiders are amazing.

Pacific Ninebark Pithy Stems

Along the lily pond trail, the caretakers of the arboretum have trimmed back branches that grow into the pathway. I noticed that pretty much all the cut branches of the Pacific ninebark have small round holes in the center of the branch. I found a broken branch that showed a pithy center that I am sure is easy and delightful to bore out. As I looked further, I noticed that there were also holes in the cut branches of the snowberry bush and the Indian-plum.

I was reminded about something that I learned from the Xerces society. It is important to leave old flower stalks in your garden landscape. Many insects and spiders will seek refuge in the stalk’s hollow stem. They will also lay their eggs in the stems for protection through winter and hatch out in spring.

I also noticed that along some of the branches there were holes that I imagine were created by woodpeckers extracting whatever tasty morsels were inside.

Tree Crickets Mating

Over the last few days, I have observed the mating of tree crickets.

The male has translucent teardrop-shaped fore wings. The female has narrow fore wings that wrap closely around the back of her body.

I have mostly found the tree crickets on blackberry canes. Where I have found them mating, the female has laid her eggs in the cane. I see that she chews through the outer part of the stem and makes a small hole. I read that she puts excrement in the hole, lays her eggs and then coats them with a secretion. I broke part of the stem open at one of these egg-laying locations. Inside there were three slender, tubular eggs.

The Himalayan blackberries have excessively spread throughout the arboretum. It is a small consolation to know that tree crickets are using the blackberry canes as a place to lay their eggs for future generations.

I also found them mating and laying eggs on a small Oregon ash sapling, as you can see in the last two photos below.

Tree Cricket Singing

The melodious songs of tree crickets can be heard gently ringing through the air at the arboretum. The notes are crisp and refreshing. Its soothing rhythm flows softly across the landscape like a gentle stream. Its reverberant sound calms the spirit. It’s magical.