What to See This Week

Prairies are fluttering with butterflies this week. Pictured here is a red-spotted purple, a common butterfly at The Arboretum. Red-spotted purples are mimics of pipevine swallowtails, a toxic butterfly with similar dark wings with iridescent blue patches. 

Nearby was this viceroy butterfly. Viceroys can be distinguished from monarchs by their size (viceroys are smaller) as well as the horizontal line crossing the viceroy’s hind wings that is not present in a monarch. Despite the similarity, viceroys are actually much more closely related to red-spotted purples than monarchs. They both belong to the same genus Limenitis and are nearly indistinguishable as caterpillars.

Goldenrod is starting to bloom, attracting goldenrod soldier beetles to feed on their pollen and nectar. This time of year, as more and more goldenrod begins to bloom, these fields of yellow flowers get wrongly blamed for seasonal allergies.

The actual culprit for allergies this time of year is ragweed. Pictured here is giant ragweed, a plant that can grow up to 15 feet in ideal conditions. It is in bloom currently and is wind pollinated instead of relying on insects, making it much more likely to trigger our allergies.

Grapevines can be seen growing all over the edges of trails at Dutch Fork Wetlands and the Red Barn Reserve. Grapevines can be weedy but these native vines have a lot of wildlife value, feeding tons of species of caterpillars and other insects.

This little dotted gray caterpillar was trying its best to resemble a twig out on the Visitors Center deck and it was succeeding! Many species of caterpillar make very impressive twig mimics and even extend themselves out straight to complete the look.

Some birds have a different look this time of year, especially blue jays and cardinals. When birds molt, typically feathers are replaced in a staggered way, but it is not uncommon to run into a cardinal or a blue jay like the one pictured that is completely bald due to the head fathers shedding simultaneously. While it may look strange, the bird is perfectly healthy and will have new feathers soon!

The Flowering Shrubs Collection has started to take on the scent of pawpaws in the air. Pawpaws are a small, native tree that produces greenish yellow fruits in the fall. They have a unique texture and a tropical taste. Most aren’t ripe yet but when they are they are soft like an avocado and often fall from the tree when ready.