It was a nice 62 degrees this morning. However, yesterday it got down to 58. Really nice!
I hope y’all have been out to see the Snow-on-the-prairie this year. Indeed, it is having a good year! Also in this photo are Greeneyes, Little Bluestem and bit of ragweed.
A katydid was resting on the Snow-on-the-prairie!
This geometer moth must have been a little chilly this morning because it let me get fairly close. Update: This is the Dot-lined Angle (Psamatodes abydata).
As I walked along the fence in the afternoon, a female Common Whitetail was very cooperative! It was not chilly so it must have just wanted it photo taken LOL.
In fact, she let me get real close!
A little further down the fence, I spotted this. Sorta looks like a stray twig or a piece of grass. Upon, closer examination, I found it was a Grass-Veneer (Crambini) moth.
It also was cooperative!
Here an early instar Hagen’s Sphinx (Ceratomia hageni) was nestled in a Bois D’arc/ Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) leaf!
On the way back from the mailbox walk, I decided to bring this home for a closer look. It is the Flat-flower Gerardia (Agalinis homalantha)! Do you see the two yellow lines? Looks like a landing strip I think.
Using a long wave UV light, I checked to see if it would fluoresce. To my surprise, the anthers did! Not what I expected.
Next, I opened the flower wide. You can see the stamens are different lengths, two short and two long. This is called didynamous. In addition to that cool feature, it also is hemiparasitic.
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
4 Comments
Is that sphinx a new one for home? Very neat on UV.
Is that sphinx a new one for home? Very neat on UV.
Claire, It is not the first one I have found. First time was in Oct. 2019.
The landing strip is for the tiniest flyers. Cool
Every time I see one, I just have to think of a landing strip 🙂 , can’t help it.