The Nature of Nature 2019

While walking along the trail of Brown’s Lake Bog, I came upon an exciting discovery. A large caterpillar lay on it’s back in the middle of the trail, curled up in a ball. At first, I feared it was dead, but upon closer inspection, I could see it  was moving slightly. Using a stick from the ground, I picked it up to move it from the path and examine it. This turned out to be the right choice as I later learned that this particular caterpillar protects itself from danger by “stinging” anything that touches it. The caterpillar was quite beautiful. It had a vibrant yellow fuzzy body with several black spikes protruding from its back. It was very large, about 2 inches in length and quite wide from it’s thick fuzz. It sat perfectly still on the end of the stick. After posing for a photo with the caterpillar, I returned it to its home, away from the path to prevent it from being trampled. Later, I looked up the caterpillar, excited to learn of my new discovery. It was the American Dagger Moth Caterpillar. They are found almost everywhere in America east of the Rocky Mountains

in wooded areas. They feed on many common types of trees such as oaks and maples and are often found on the ground in the forest. I was quite excited to find a creature I had never seen before and learn a bit about it.

I was walking on the path next to Stevenson, between Armington and the Douglass parking lot. My friend and I were on our way to her car. I had her cat (Brad) in a carrier, the thick strap resting painfully on my shoulder. I was in a bit of a hurry because of Brad, but I couldn’t help but notice the bright green caterpillar making its way across the damp grey concrete. I paused for a moment to take it in, especially surprised by its vibrant color, before I kept hurrying to the parking lot. I hoped with all my heart that no one would step on it, but knew I wasn’t qualified enough to safely relocate it. After all, the concrete was a part of its habitat, now. Though, unfortunately, this little guy doesn’t fit in nearly as well on concrete as he would on a jungle floor. After a little research, I found out that this was the Io Caterpillar, which later becomes the Io Moth, or Automeris io. As it turns out, if I picked it up to move it, I would have felt the equivalent of a bee sting. With the slightest touch, the Io Caterpillar releases venom from its stinging spines. I’m glad I let it continue its journey without intruding, for both of our sakes.

I was walking behind Bornhuetter Hall when I found some strange shaped leaves on the ground. I looked up to find the source: a tall deciduous tree whose leaves were just starting to change yellow.

Not being the best at plant identifica-tion, I decided that this would be good practice because the leaves are kind of uniquely shaped. So looking at a leaf guide I found that this was a Liriodendron tulipifera or a tulip tree.  So called because the shape of its bloom in spring and the shape and color of its leaves. According to the Ohio Department of National Resources: Division of Forestry, tulip trees are native to the Eastern United states and one of the fastest growing shade trees. They also serve as a drought indicator, dropping their interior leaves when the soil is too dry.

 

Sources:

Ohio Department of National Resources: Division of Forestry

http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/tuliptree

While the grounds outside my dorm are teeming with unknown organisms, I managed to locate a little stranger in the bathroom just down the hall in the form of a small black moth-like insect clinging to the wall next to the shower. It occurred to me as I brushed my teeth that I had seen these insects in every state I’d visited, but never learned their proper name. Determined to rectify this lapse, I rinsed out my mouth, snapped a blurry photo, and set to work.

I quickly discovered that these insects were not moths, but flies– drain flies, to be precise, of which there are over 2,600 described species according to Wikipedia. However, I was lucky enough to discover the exact species I was looking for fairly quickly. It would appear that my six-legged hallmate is of the species Psychoda alternata, one of the more common species of drain fly in America. Attached are my original photograph and a clearer shot of the same species I found online for comparison.

Before I came to Wooster, I only thought squirrels were brown or gray. I was intrigued when I first stepped foot on campus at the enormous population of black squirrels.Specifically, I remember walking to my classes everyday from Andrews dorm my freshman year, and watching dozens of them chase each other around like they were playing “tag”. After doing some research, I found that the squirrels are actually eastern gray squirrels with a genetic condition called “Melanism”. Melanism is the unusual darkening of body tissues caused by excessive production of melanin, especially as a form of color variation in animals. Animals that can share this condition are the black panther, wolves, leopards, and jaguars.

 

source: https://animalsake.com/facts-about-black-squirrels

 

I was walking from the gym and was in between Douglas and Stevenson when I saw a bumblebee. The poor little guy was actually walking along the sidewalk trying to fly but failing. It was only later that I found out that he needed sugar water, and he was tired. At the time I did not know this, so I watched him for a bit and continued my walk to my room. I knew he was a kind of bumblebee, but I did not know what species. His thorax was yellow, and his abdomen was black except for one yellow stripe. I knew these would be defining features. I googled bumblebees, and I found out that he was a Common Eastern Bumblebee. They are active from the months of May-November and have a queen bee as well as drones. Bumblebees are excellent pollinators because their hair traps pollen. Interestingly, the Common Eastern Bumblebee is such a good pollinator that they are being introduced in the western U.S. and overseas to pollinate crops. I find this program intriguing. Logically, it’s smart to bring in good pollinators to pollinate crops, but it would be too easy for Common Eastern Bumblebees to become an invasive species in those areas.

Sources:

The National Wildlife Federation

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Common-Eastern-Bumblebee

Bug Guide

https://bugguide.net/node/view/56797