Caterpillar

I was taking a walk near the Kalamazoo River enjoying the early fall colors when this striking white caterpillar with black spots caught my eye.  I think it's a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae).  Many slow-moving insects are camouflaged to hide from predators.  This hairy caterpillar uses the opposite approach: its colors warn predators not to eat it.  The hairs are stinging spines that can deliver a dose of toxins.  This defensive mechanism can cause a skin rash for people, if they touch this little creature.

In a few weeks, this caterpillar will weave a cocoon.  After winter is over, it will emerge as a moth.

The Discover Life website has a useful tool for identifying caterpillars.

     

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are one of summer's most interesting insects.  I don't know much about them and I was surprised to see the number of different dragonfly species in Michigan.  I thought I'd do a quick internet ID on this one, but quickly got lost.  Even the beginner's guide to Dragonfly ID was intimidating.

I probably need to spend some more time reading about these airborne predators.  Mark Cassino's dragonfly photos and Mark O'Brien's blog on Michigan dragonflies and damselflies would be good places to start.

Photo by Maria Stull

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak butterflies (Nymphalis antiopa) are widely distributed in the United States and Canada.  They can be found further south, in Mexico and northern South America.  They are also found in parts of Europe.  Mourning Cloaks are one of Michigan's earliest butterflies since they can overwinter as an adult.  They can live up to 11 months, one of the longest butterfly lifespans.

Mourning Cloaks are a common woodland butterfly since they prefer to drink tree sap to flower nectar.  Their caterpillars eat leaves from a variety of trees and shrubs.  The caterpillars are spiny and cluster together for protection, twitching in unison to discourage predators. 

In England this species is called the Camberwell Beauty.

Red Admiral

Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) are a colorful butterfly that migrates from the south each Spring. They are widely distributed in the US, Canada, and Europe. Apparently they are returning earlier this Spring.  The Kalamazoo Nature Center seemed to be filled with them last week.

Praying Mantis

There are a number of species of praying mantises in Michigan, some native and some introduced. I don't really know them apart, but based on its size, I think this one may be a Chinese mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis). Praying Mantises are famous for cannibalism after sex, but that doesn't seem to be strictly true. This one blended well with the prairie grasses at WMU's Asylum Lake Preserve.

Wooly Bear

Wooly bear caterpillars (Pyrrharctia isabella) are an immature stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth. Superstition has it that the width of the colored bands can predict the severity of the coming winter (more black = colder winter). Not surprisingly, there is no scientific evidence to support this.

There is, however, interesting science on how these caterpillars survive the winter. Unlike the Monarchs that migrate to avoid Michigan's cold weather, or other species that overwinter as eggs, pupae, or adults, the wooly bear hibernates as a caterpillar, producing an internal antifreeze that keeps it from freezing solid.

I've seen a lot of these guys in Kalamazoo over the last few days.

Monarch butterfly

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is probably the best-known butterfly species found in Kalamazoo. Of course, it's a popular species across the US and has been named the official insect of seven states. The bright colors, while attractive to humans, warn predators of the monarch's bitterness. This protection comes from consuming milkweed. The Viceroy butterfly is protected by its similar coloring.

Michigan's Monarchs are currently migrating south where the will spend the winter in Central Mexico. A Western Michigan scientist's work on Monarch migration was featured in a National Geographic news story earlier this year. I'm impressed by the distances these small creatures can cover.

Swallowtail

Swallowtails are one of the most noticeable butterflies in the Kalamazoo area. They're relatively big, colorful, and they appear early in the season. I think this one is a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).

This list of butterflies in Michigan can be helpful and this list pairing native plants and butterflies looks interesting. Also interesting: Tiger Swallowtail Life Cycle

Spring bee

I'd been under the impression that bumble bees in Michigan overwintered, like honeybees, but only the queen bee hibernates. This makes it likely that the early spring bumblebees are all queens.

I think this one may be a Bombus impatiens but I could be wrong. According to MSU Extension, Michigan has over 15 species of bumblebees. This Bumblebee Identification tool and this Bumblebee ID chart can help distinguish the species.

Bumblebees and other native bees are important pollinators.

Butterflys in Grand Rapids

Each Spring, Meijer Gardens imports thousands of butterflies to their conservatory for their Butterflies are Blooming exhibit. It's an impressive display that attracts hundreds of visitors daily. The glass-walled conservatory is huge-- 5 stories high-- and packed with tropical plants, from orchids to full-grown palm trees. Thousands of brightly-colored butterflies fly through the foliage. The butterflies arrive as chrysalises and, if you are patient, you can watch some emerge from their cases.

I try to see the exhibit every year. The hot, humid greenhouse can be a shock coming from the cold outside air, so it's smart to dress in layers. It's a very popular event, so, even on weekdays, it's fairly crowded. While it's not an opportunity for solitary contemplation of nature, the spectacle is worth it.

Butterflies are Blooming: March 1 - April 30, 2013

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
1000 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
(616) 957-1580 | Toll-Free: 888-957-1580


Admission $12 adults, $6 children.

Cicadas

Cicadas are emerging from their years underground and are metamorphosing. We found this one on a tree in the yard this morning. They're singing as I write this.


The first photo shows the wrinkled wings as it first leaves its old exoskeleton.


The second photo, taken about an hour later shows its filled-out wings, with the empty shell of its nymph form left behind.


Michigan has 10 species of cicadas and I think this is one of the common Tibicen species, not the infrequent, but more famous, 17-year cicadas.