Some Smug Slug

Rolling over a log while on a trek with friends, revealed this critter. A huge Leopard Slug, Limax maximus. Since I didn't know a whole lot about Leopard slugs, I did a little sleuthing on the internet. Wow! There are some really cool things to learn about these slimy creatures. I found out Leopard Slugs are not native to the United States. They were introduced from Europe.

I knew they had a organ used for eating called a radula which is like a tongue with raised chitinous teeth. These teeth scrape up bits of vegetation and a thick saliva transports it to the esophagus.

Radula of snail/slug. Drawing from Wikipedia

Slugs breath through a special apparatus called a pneumostome. It is an opening on the right side of the slug where air enters into the slug's single lung. Slugs are placed in family groups based on the location of the pneumostome on the slug's body.

Slugs also have an amazing mating ritual. This could be right out of a sci-fi movie. It is fascinating and actually beautiful, in a weird sort of way. I really could not do it justice by describing it, so I will let the master, David Attenborough, describe it for you in this video clip from Life in the Undergrowth.

Goldenrod Ninjas

Goldenrods are blooming in abundance at our park. Their brilliant yellow flowers are irresistible to many insects, especially the butterflies.


Delicate and dainty, Pearl Crescents, Phyciodes tharos, were numerous, flittering about on Riddell's Goldenrod, Oligoneuron riddellii.


Common Buckeyes, Junonia coenia, were also enjoying the abundant nectar from the goldenrods. Usually flighty. this one let me sneak up fairly close for a shot before it took off.

When butterflies and other insects are slurping up nectar, they tend to not pay attention to potential dangers that lurk around them. This nearby plant looks fairly safe at first glance.

But the view from the other side tells a different story. Yep, a hungry Praying Mantis lies in wait for an insect to land. Scroll back up to the prior picture and see if you can spot its abdomen, which looks similar to a dead leaf.

The Stiff Goldenrod, Oligoneuron rigidum, in our butterfly garden also had hidden horrors. This gray, dead "leaf" is actually the abdomen of a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus. It flew away before I got a decent shot, but you can see a better photo at a previous post. This armored insect grasps its prey and inserts a huge needle-like stylet into the insect, fills it full of paralyzing enzymes that digest the prey's innards, then slurps it up like a yummy bug milkshake. Mmmm good!

But the Praying Mantis and Wheel Bug are not the masters of camouflage. There is one bug that truly rules the goldenrod patch. A goldenrod ninja lurks among the blossoms...

Looking like a dead flower head, the cropped picture reveals the stealthy predator. A Jagged Ambush Bug, Phymata pennsylvanica, is concealed from unsuspecting nectar seekers.

Checking another flower, the small brown patch on the right side of the flower is another Ambush Bug.

By tipping the flower, this angle shows the mini-ninja. But don't be fooled by its tiny size...

Here's one with a small bee which looks like the appropriate size meal for this critter. But wait, there's more. Just like the Wheel Bug, the Ambush Bug also has crippling enzymes in its arsenal of tricks. Faster than lightening, the Ambush bug will grab a bug with its thick front legs and zap it with powerful enzymes that immobilize much larger prey. And many times, they do it while mating! Talk about multi-tasking! This photo from BugGuide shows two little Ambush Bugs mating and dining on a huge BALD-FACED HORNET! Yikes!

Impressive skills, ninja warrior, very impressive!

Albino Hummingbird in Indiana

A pretty cool looking hummingbird has been seen in Vigo County, Indiana, near Terre Haute. It is a true albino Ruby-throated hummingbird, which means it does not have any pigment on the body. The feathers are completely white and the eye is red. I do not have any photos of the bird, but here are links to Marty Jones's photos and Jim Sullivan's photos. (There recently was another white hummingbird, a leucistic one, that showed up in St. Louisville, Ohio this month. You can read about it here at Jim McCormac's blog and he has a nice explanation of leucism vs. albinism.)

Albino hummingbirds, although very beautiful, sadly do not survive. There are a couple of reasons. Allen Chartier, a fairly well-known hummingbird bander from Michigan, had some interesting comments on IN-bird , the Indiana Birds listserv, about albino hummingbirds and their survival. A hummingbird researcher in Oklahoma has been tracking albino hummingbirds. Of the banded ones, there have been no returnees. There, of course, is the obvious predation factor. A bright white hummingbird will stand out like a sore thumb to most predators. But Allen gave another reason I did not realize. According to Allen "it has also been proposed that these albino hummingbirds might not complete their migration as flight feathers lacking pigment are not as strong as normally colored ones, and so might wear out much faster, possibly even before the bird reaches its wintering grounds. They cannot force themselves to molt these worn feathers, as molt is driven by hormonal changes triggered by changing day length."

Interesting information, Allen!

Awwww! Look at the Baby!

Today we were conducting a little pond exploration and found the cutest little baby turtle.

Not much bigger than a quarter, this little cutie will pack a punch when it gets a bit older. The common name is Stinkpot or Common Musk Turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, because when they are disturbed they tend to give off a scent similar to a skunk's "perfume". If you would like to see one that is a little bigger, you can check out a post I had earlier this summer.

LOL Catz...er...Caterpillars

I was thinking, which I do from time to time. Why is it that only the furry felines get to have all the fun with the horribly spelled captions? Geesh, they have an entire website devoted to them. I found this site where you can caption your photos easily. So, since I am in an incredibly silly mood, here are some caterpillars who cannot spell and do not know proper grammar... Enjoy!

I was super excited to see this caterpillar, a Monkey Slug, Phobetron pithecium and I had told John Howard my wish to see one. Sure enough, there was one just waiting for us to discover it. My photos were not so good, so this one is John's photo. It does look just like a mini-toupee`and supposedly it mimics the cast skin of a tarantula. It will become this moth that has strange furry legs.
This caterpillar amazed me. It looks just like the edge of a torn leaf. Such great camouflage. This is a Double-lined Prominent, Lochmaeus bilineata. It will become this moth, if it makes it to adulthood.

I have been wanting to see a Spiny Oak Slug caterpillar for some time now. So freaking cool! The crazy colors and all those spines. And, yes people, they do sting! Anyway the Spiny Oak Slug, Euclea delphinii, will become this moth decorated with cool patches of green.

One of my favorites...Giant Swallowtail or Orange Dog caterpillar, Papilio cresphontes. It will become one of the most beautiful butterflies out there. Yes, it is a bird poop mimic. But it also has a defense of a bright red osmeterium that the caterpillar will rear back and whip out at the predator's eyes. Looks almost like a snake's tongue. Check it out on a previous post.


All these caterpillars and many more were found last weekend after dark. Go outside and find some of these amazing critters!

18th Annual Bug Fest this Sunday! FREE Family Fun!

Come one, come all to Southeastway Park's 18th annual Bug Fest!!!! THE event of the season. Last year we had over 2,000 visitors to this event.

There are over 20 stations to visit with lots of things to do and see. One that will be here this year is the scorpions. (No, not the band The Scorpions, though that would be cool, too. :) Some of the scorpions floresce, giving off a eerie blue color, when viewed with UV light.

Bug Man Bill will be back with his extensive collection of insects from all over the world.

Try some edible insects at the Bug Cafe'. The chocolate ones are actually quite tasty. Then again, pretty much anything will taste good covered in chocolate. :)

For the brave ones, check out the Taratula Teacher, Barbara Reger. She brings an extensive collection of live tarantulas and some will be able to see what it feels like to hold one. Cool stuff!

Plus many more stations of fun! Make a buzzy bee hummer at the crafts station, learn about monarch migration, and stroll through our butterfly tent. Learn all about bed bugs, Emerald Ash Borer, and mosquitoes. Watch the Indianapolis Flycaster tie fishing flies, visit the Indy Parks Water Education Trailer, and see insects up close. Ask and entomologist questions, see bugs from the past at bygone bugs, and see how far you can spit a cricket! So much to do and see!

Bug Fest is at Southeastway Park, 5624 S. Carroll Rd, New Palestine, IN 46163. The event takes place Sunday 1-5 pm.

And a special thank you to all our volunteers. We could not do this without all your expertise and help. Thank you sooooo much!!!

I wouldn't want to be a caterpillar...

No siree! I would not want to be a caterpillar. Sure, it would be cool to become a moth or butterfly floating around effortlessly on a breeze, then stopping by a flower for a sweet drink of nectar. That is IF you make it to that stage in life. See, there are all kinds of beasties lurking out there, ready to do damage to a slow moving, soft-bodied caterpillar. Not only that, the seemingly demure plants even plot against them, emitting chemical scents to attract body guards in the form of braconid wasps. And believe me, this is NOT the way to go.

Enters the Pawpaw Sphinx, Dolba hyloeus . Pretty cool caterpillar, dressed in brilliant green with diagonal white racing stripes down its side. It was happily munching away on a Pawpaw leaf, Asimina triloba. The one above is a healthy caterpillar. It will turn into a pretty pepper-colored moth.

A few leaves over was this poor guy. What are all those little tic-tac-like objects, you may ask? They are cocoons. Unfortunately for this caterpillar, a braconid wasp of the species Cotesia congregata discovered it. It oviposited, or laid its eggs, inside the caterpillar by inserting its ovipositor or "stinger" into the caterpillar's flesh. You can view this happening to another species of caterpillar here. Sounds pretty bad? Oh, it gets even better...

When the wasp injects the eggs, it also injects polydnavirus particles. These keep the caterpillar's immune system from destroying the eggs and also affects the behavior and the development of the caterpillar. And what do you think happens when those little larval braconid wasps hatch? Oh, yes, they eat the caterpillar's innards while it is still alive. Munch, munch, munch,...urp. Live food for the baby wasps; curtains for the caterpillar. This is worse than any horror movie I can think of...

Next the larvae emerge and make silken cocoons on the back of the zombified caterpillar. They ride around on the caterpillar that, in turn, keeps them safe. The polydnavirus sometimes affects the behavior of the caterpillar, so it will thrash around if any predator comes near the developing cocoons.

Adult braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata.

Photo by Ted Kropiewnicki.

Note the size is only about 3 mm.

And here is a photo that I found on BugGuide, showing the wasps emerging from the cocoons. The top of the silken cocoon pops open and out comes an adult braconid wasp. What really goes on in the insect world is much crazier than any far-fetched science fiction movie. Truly amazing!