The Loved & Hated Parsley Worm, Otherwise Known As The Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

Side view of the parsley worm (Black Swallowtail Caterpillar) With the first frost on the horizon, I went out for my final parsley harvest of the season - and much to my visual delight, I found two of these beautiful caterpillars resting on the stems of the plants. Turns out they are actually the Black Swallowtail Butterfly in caterpillar form, appropriately called the Parsley Worm. The caterpillars I photographed here are in their last stages of growth, shortly before starting their 9 to 11 day chrysalis stage. Frequently found resting & munching on parsley, they also enjoy the leaves of carrots, dill, celery & parsnips. Signs of their presence include chunks of leaves missing along the edges. While just a few of these caterpillars pose no major threat to your herbs, many of them can simultaneously eat your plants down to their nubs. Take action when 25% of your plant is damaged. Range map of the Black Swallowtail & a picture in butterfly stage. Eliminating parsley worms can be done by using chemical pesticides or picking them off by hand. However, do not use chemicals if you plan on eating your herbs or vegetables. In these cases, you must remove them physically by hand. Keep in mind that when threatened, these Parsley Worms reveal a forked snake-like small tongue. Though the tongue itself is not harmful, this gland emits a foul odor so you may want to consider handling these insects using gloves. Close up view of the head & neck area. If these little critters are doing no major harm, get up and close and enjoy your time with the beautiful Parsley Worm.

The Eastern Carpenter Bee (Macro Photos + Education)

I started taking pictures of Bumblebees today when I realized these weren't bumblebees at all. Though these bees look similar to a Bumblebee from a distance (or with eyes blurred), this is in fact a Carpenter Bee -- more specifically the Eastern Carpenter Bee. As you see in the image below, the Carpenter Bee has a shiny abdomen while the Bumblebee is slightly wider with more fur. The Eastern Carpenter Bee Just one of over 500 species of Carpenter Bees in the world, the Eastern Carpenter Bee is the most common such bee in the Eastern United States. A very docile insect, stings are rare and accidental (such as stepping on one with bare feet). They're made even more remote since the males do not have a stinger, therefore unable to inflict wounds. While some insects are difficult to sex with human eyes, Eastern Carpenter Bee Males have a noticeable white cuticle area on their face, while the face of a female is completely black. Original image from Bugguide.net. Map by Mike Boone. Habits and characteristics While males only visit flowers to keep themselves fed (or wait for "willing" females), the females gather pollen and nectar from flowers to help build and maintain their nests. The Eastern Carpenter Bee is a clumsy flyer, often crashing into objects - only to harmlessly bounce off. This is most likely because of their "Jumbo-like" physical structure. They can, however, fly several miles from their nests daily. This has been a busy bee. Notice the pollen dust on its back. Similar but very different than Bumblebees Like Bumblebees, these bees are excellent and noteworthy pollinators. Unlike Bumblebees, Carpenter Bees reside year-round in nests bored into wooden structures - thus earning the name "carpenter." Though damage from Carpenter Bee's boring habits are not considered extensive (such as that occuring with Termites), it is enough to label them "pests" in many people's eyes. This is because more structural damage occurs when woodpeckers seek out larva from within these nests. Year-round nesting habits These bees are crafty woodcutters, however they do not ingest the wood - rather, the females use them to build walls inside their nest tunnels, where they lay their eggs and eventually overwinter. When the following Spring arrives, the male Eastern Carpenter emerges to look for a mate while the female spends much of its time enlarging its existing nest, or boring a new tunnel nearby. Often the same nest is used year-round for many years. Though they are neither considered a social or non-social insect, females do appear to form some long-standing bond with their sisters of daughters - frequently living in the same nest, or in one close by. Male Eastern Carpenter Bee taking off from flower. Final word If your home (or any other prized possession around your yard) is not made from wood, there is really no reason at all to hate or discourage these wonderful pollinators. The Eastern Carpenter Bee is not aggressive and cannot or usually won't sting, plus they encourage growth of any vegetation around your yard. Do you like or dislike Carpenter Bees? Got a story to tell? Let me know by leaving a comment below. P.S. Read this touching story about the Carpenter Bee and Her Mate

The Magnificent Monarch Butterfly

Here I go again - another installment of my 2011 butterfly series (also see my posts on the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Variegated Fritillary). Today, it's my photos and new-found knowledge of the Monarch Butterfly - hope you enjoy :) About the Monarch Butterfly With an easily recognizable black and orange wing pattern (3.5-4" wingspan), the monarch butterfly is perhaps the most well known of all North American butterflies. Though they feed on a variety of nectar plants, milkweed is the plant of choice for monarch butterflies. In fact, adult females lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves (which hatch in 3-12 days) and after birth, milkweed becomes the exclusive diet of the monarch caterpillars. A butterfly of distinction What makes the monarch butterfly distinct is that - similar to birds - it's the only butterfly to make lengthy migrations north & south annually. But, unlike birds, NO ONE monarch butterfly makes the complete trip. It takes 3 to 4 generations to complete the journey cycle. The first three generations live just 2 to 6 weeks each while making the trek northward. The last generation lives up to nine months, and are responsible for re-migrating to the same spot every year - south to Mexico, Texas or parts of Florida. Adapted from original Wikipedia Commons photo by authors Harald Süpfle & Wiz9999 The great unknown The big mystery to scientists is how the species returns to the SAME spots each Fall (to overwinter). It is believed that the flight patterns of monarch butterflies are either inherited, or the butterflies use other natural forms of navigation, such as the positioning of the sun. Top image is Monarch Butterfly in Caterpillar stage. Bottom two images are closeups of butterfly torso area. Love of flight While monarch butterflies travel extraordinary lengths - up to 3,000 miles to overwinter, they have also utilized their strong flying skills to fly elsewhere. In fact, they are one of the few insects capable of crossing the Atlantic ocean. In Bermuda, for example, they are becoming increasingly common as humans are more and more growing milkweed as an ornamental plant in their flower gardens. If wind conditions are just right, some years find the monarch butterflies as far away as Great Britain. These beautiful butterflies are extremely common and far from endangered. Staying alive Unlike many other butterflies, the monarch butterfly is toxic (due to its milkweed diet) and distasteful to birds and other mammals - helping preserve survival of the species. It's believed that the bright colors of both the caterpillar and the adult's wings serve as natural warning colors to predators. Final words Like all insects the Monarch has six legs, however it uses only four of its legs as it carries its two front legs against its body. Adult males will frequently gather in and around damp soil or wet gravel in an activity called 'mud-puddling.'

What To Do When Squash Bugs Attack Your Pumpkin Patch?

I am only growing one pumpkin plant this year, so it's imperative I take special care of it. Though it's been a little "slow out of the gate," it's shown good signs of life during the last week or so. Unfortunately that "life" is not just plant matter, but bugs ... big bugs ... I'm talking about the dreaded Squash Bug! In recent days I have seen & identified a few of these creatures, and today when I saw two sets of eggs - I had had enough. It's time for action. Though I'm 99% organic, the ONLY product I ever use is GardenTech's Sevin-5 Dust. I use this powder on rare occasions, like today (16-32 ounces seems to last me a year). According to the label, it's supposed to kill Squash Bugs (I'll post an addendum on this post later to let you know the results). Last evening I studied these bugs - as they relate to pumpkins - and am further devising a game plan to rid these monsters before they put a kibosh to my 2011 Halloween vegetation. So far about 80% of my plant is in good condition. Squash bug damage on a pumpkin plant leaf The most difficult garden pest? Many people consider the squash bug the most frustrating and difficult of all garden pests. For one, there appears to be no universal solution that works for everyone. Secondly, they overwinter extremely well and can return year after year (getting worse each growing season), making it sometimes impossible to ever successfully grow squash, pumpkins or other melons again. Like any pest that multiplies rapidly, early-season or early-plant-stage intervention appears to be the best defense against squash bug infestation & damage. Human versus Squash Bug Unfortunately, manual control may be your best & most effective remedy. Removing each bug by hand (one at a time) and crushing their eggs can help control your local squash bug population, but must be performed on a regular basis to be most effective. Since eggs take at least a week to hatch, egg detection can be performed once-a-week. Mulch and other debris must be kept to a minimum. Squash bugs love to hide, and removing any mulch or other garden debris left lying around keeps them from wanting to hang around. This "hiding" tendency amongst squash bugs can also be used to your advantage. Laying boards or wood around the base of your pumpkins makes a perfect overnight hangout for squash bugs. In the morning, flip the wood over, and you're likely to see many squash bugs huddled conveniently together, perfectly queued for mass extermination. Eggs (& Closeup) As Laid On Leaf Of a Pumpkin Plant The Bitter Truth - You May Need Chemical Intervention Organic methods of controlling the Squash Bug appear to be limited. Yes I found a few "folk remedies" by some wise old gardeners swearing upon their success, and Neem Oil seems to work for some. I did run across this website, which suggested the use of Diatomaceous earth/pyrethrins applications around the base of the plant (the website says it's allowable in Certified Organic vegetable production). If anyone else wants to try this, let me know of your results. If you're going to use insecticides, look for esfenvalerate, permethrin, or carbaryl as the main active ingredient and be sure to spray the under-side of the leaves, as this is where squash bugs do much of their damage. As I mentioned earlier in this article, I use Sevin-5 on rare occasions. Squash bugs are listed as one of 65+ bugs it's said to kill.

Timeout To Enjoy The Variegated Fritillary Butterfly

Well it seems like suddenly I've become a butterfly enthusiast and photographer. After all, last week I posted about my experiences with the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Truth is, blogging has made me keep my camera nearby & thus - much to my amazement - I seem to notice and enjoy things that I've overlooked in the past. I don't wake up and say "hey, I'm gonna go out & photograph butterflies today." Rather, they somehow just seem to find me. This week, another beautiful butterfly caught my eye. After researching I thought I'd stumbled upon the Great Spangled Fritillary (similar), but it turns out to actually be a Variegated Fritillary. While also residing in many parts of South America, this beautiful butterfly is primarily seen in the eastern 3/4 of the continental United States (with the exception of the extreme north-central & northeast). Caterpillar/Range Map The mid-sized & nomadic Variegated Fritillary Butterfly is a much lighter brown-orange than other Fritillaries, such as the Great Spangled Fritillary. They are low & swift flyers. Difficult to approach and easily scared, I considered it a privilege to capture this butterfly on camera (though it did take a lot more patience than my experience with the more relaxed Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly last week). Living from around April through October (slightly shorter life farther north), these Fritillaries usually have between 2-3 broods per year. These butterflies love open fields and meadows, sunny prairies & pastures, and can be seen along road edges and near landfills. They'll also frequent their favorite nectar food sources, including milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, thistles, alfalfa, butterflyweed, fleabane, common boneset, coneflowers, asters and more. Finally, Variegated Fritillaries are not a threatened species globally, but may be considered a minor pest to ornamental pansies and violets.

Famous Short Quotes & Sayings About Animals & Insects

J.Adamson "Since we humans have the better brain, isn't it our responsibility to protect our fellow creatures from, oddly enough, ourselves?" - Joy Adamson "Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come." - Chinese Proverb B.Fuller "There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly" - Buckminster Fuller   K.Lorenz "I have found the link between animal and civilized man; it is us." - Konrad Lorenz  "Rabbits have a habit of coming for breakfast and staying for lunch. Now there's one leaf instead of a bunch." - Gerry Krueger M.McClure "When a man does not admit that he is an animal, he is less than an animal. Not more but less." - Michael McClure   E.Dickinson "I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven." - Emily Dickinson "An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language." - Martin Buber W.Churchill "Odd things animals. All dogs look up to you. All cats look down to you. Only the pig looks at you as an equal." - Winston Churchill G.Eliot "Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms." - George Eliot  "There's nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way they can build & yet leave a landscape as it was before" - Robert Lynd I.Kant "He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings w/ men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals" - Immanuel Kant   N.Hawthorne "Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you" - Nathaniel Hawthorne "In nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a lovely butterfly. But with humans it is the other way around: a lovely butterfly turns into a repulsive caterpillar" - Chekhov

Up Close & Personal With the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

It's always good to have your camera nearby, and it's even better when it has a macro function (ability to take extreme clear closeup images). Though I've probably seen a million of these beautiful butterflies in my lifetime, for some reason I've never had an inclination to look at one of these at close range. Yesterday, for some odd reason, I became fixated on this eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. And I decided to start a little photo shoot. As usual, after taking my pictures, I went inside to "develop" (download & edit) my digital photographs and do research on this common, yet remarkably beautiful butterfly. All my life I had simply known & described this butterfly as large, colorful, and/or beautiful without ever knowing its name. With a little online research I come to find that it's called the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. "Eastern," because it's a native butterfly primarily found in the eastern United States (see range map below). "Tiger," because of the distinct tiger-like markings, especially found on the male. "Swallowtail," because their long "tail" on their hind wings is similar to that of swallows (birds). The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (known scientifically as papilio glaucus) is not considered to be a threatened species, due to its ability to live nearly everywhere that some foliage or forestation is present. This includes rural fields & woodlands, rivers & creeks, roadsides & gardens, and even in many urban locations. It's so popular that four states (South Carolina, George, Delaware & Alabama) have named this butterfly their official state butterfly. Virginia (my state) decided to go one step further, labeling it their official state insect. Known as powerful, quick & strong fliers, adults can frequently be seen above tree canopies. With their colorful appearance and wide wing span between 3 & 5 1/2 inches, they are hard to miss. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is diurnal (only active during the day). Though generally solitary, males are known to congregate in "puddling," where they huddle near each other around puddles, mud or damp rocks. These activities are believed to help them extract necessary amino acids & sodium ions beneficial for reproduction. Adults have a wide range of food sources, but prefer nectar from sturdy plants having pink or red flowers. But they also may feed on urine or dung from other insects or animals. To eat food, it uses a long & flexible tube-like proboscis tongue (as seen clearly in my picture below) to sip liquids. This proboscis can coil & uncoil as needed. The lifespan of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly extends from Spring through Fall, during which time they produce two or three broods (two in northern climates - where lifespan is slightly shorter, and three farther south). As with most butterflies, birds are their chief predator. In caterpillar stage, squirrels, raccoons & shrews (among others) may find them appetizing. Further research: Enchanted Learning Wikipedia