The wonderful rain over the last few days was most welcome. Our total was 1.88″. Wow, we all needed it!
A dog stinkhorn popped up!
Puffballs too!
Looking for caterpillars on a thistle, I found a treehopper (Entylia carinata). There is only one species of this genus. However, the colors vary but the shape is a dead giveaway!
Often times, you can find ants that will attend to the Entylia carinata nymphs!
Seven chickadees will soon be fledging!
The Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia nuttallii) stem is most colorful!
And at the next plant to the side, the Black Swallowtail cat was munching away on another Prairie Parsley!
It is hard to resist seeing nature in action. Its osmeterium or orange horn is a defense that the caterpillar hopes will ward off a predator such as ants or spiders. There is supposed to be a foul odor to go with the horns, but my smeller is not that good. So many cool and mysterious critters now!
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
6 Comments
Stinkhorn sure is strange looking. Those chickadee parents sure worked hard to feed 7 babies. They deserve a medal. Such pretty babies.
Stinkhorn sure is strange looking. Those chickadee parents sure worked hard to feed 7 babies. They deserve a medal. Such pretty babies.
Stinkhorns are the coolest I think.
Super video of the osmerterium!
baby chickadees look READY!!
I can verify that the fluid the osmeterium produces is quite stinky!
Well, good for people to know. I guess not having a sensitive olfactory organ can be a blessing 😂