What kinds of stuff can you find in an open field? Here are a couple of things we found on Thursday.
First interesting find! A virus was probably responsible if you find a dead cat on a blade of grass like this. Baculoviruses are known to infect insects. The virus infects the larva. Then the virus takes command so that the larva climbs high to its death. So now the virus bursts out of the caterpillar. And the virus spreads easier by being higher up. Indeed, a pretty ingenious dispersal method, eh. These dead caterpillars are known as zombie caterpillars.
Second thing was a little bit of Splitbeard Bluestem. However, most of the grasses seeds have disbursed.
Next, the Goldeneye Lichens (Teloschistes exilis).
A second species of Goldeneye Lichen (Teloschistes chrysophthalmus). Comparing the two species, you can see that this one has tiny hairs on the outer edges of the fruiting bodies (orange disks). These hairs are called cilia. Other lichens on the branch are crustose and foliose lichens.
A pretty fresh green new plant popping out among the Cladonia lichens. No clue to its identity.
So an easy place to look for lichens and mosses in a field are the edges of slight drop-offs.
Turban Lichen (Cladonia peziziformis) is a common species that can be found on these edges.
Jeanne wetted a bit of the moss for a closer look.
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
One Comment
Your pics made me fall in love with lichens. Something i never paid much attention to before. Losing the night skies is just heartbreaking. When i was a kid i could see the milky way from almost everywhere. Now have to make special trips to see it and then it isnt as bright as I remember. Sad.
Your pics made me fall in love with lichens. Something i never paid much attention to before. Losing the night skies is just heartbreaking. When i was a kid i could see the milky way from almost everywhere. Now have to make special trips to see it and then it isnt as bright as I remember. Sad.