I always love seeing the beauty of butterflies this time of year as they flit around from flower to flower! I love the vibrant orange of the Monarchs and Viceroys, the yellow of the Tiger Swallowtails, and the blue-ish spots of the Red-Spotted Purple. Colorful butterfly wings also have fascinating anatomy that helps them fly and function!
Wing Scales
Butterflies have 4 wings – two forewings and two hindwings that connect to the thorax. Under the microscope, we can clearly see that each butterfly wing is made of thousands of tiny scales made of chitin. The individual scales have their own color and make up a mosaic-like pattern of the wing.
Color is super important for butterflies – it’s not just for decoration! The orange and black of the Monarch butterfly signals to potential predators that they are toxic. This is called “Aposematic Coloration”. The Monarch caterpillar ingests the toxic milkweed plant and keeps those toxins in its body as it develops into an adult. Birds, reptiles, or other insects know to stay away if they want to stay healthy! The Viceroy butterfly also is orange and black, however it is using Mimicry. The Viceroy is not toxic, but would like predators to think that it is, and confuse it with the Monarch! A few butterflies use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings to avoid predation. Some others have eye spots on their wings that look like large eyes. This confuses and scares predators into thinking the butterfly is much larger or more dangerous than it is, so they may avoid those butterflies.
Solar Powered Flight
Another role of these tiny scales is thermoregulation. Butterflies are poikilotherms, meaning that they need to rely on external heat sources in order to warm their bodies. Humans warm their own bodies through metabolism and can stay warm even in cold conditions. The scales on a butterfly’s wings can absorb the heat and light of the sun, keeping them warm enough to fly. When it’s extremely hot out, the scales can also reflect light, keeping them cool.
Touching Butterfly Wings
We often hear not to touch butterfly wings, as this can damage them. While this is true, touching a wing will not mean immediate destruction of the butterfly. When a butterfly lands on you or if you touch one as you observe it, you may see several scales come off the wing. The butterfly can still fly and survive with tears, rips, or missing scales, so don’t worry if you accidentally bump it. Some butterflies, like swallowtails, have tail-like projections that distract predators and can be torn off without impacting their flight!
Problems start occurring when too much damage happens. Wings, as they are damaged, cannot be repaired, so being gentle is very important! If too many scales are lost, the butterfly loses a lot of its ability to thermoregulate properly. If the wings are torn too much, it impacts flight patterns and prevents them from escaping predators. It’s best to avoid touching their wings aggressively and simply watch them as they land on your finger or flower.
Butterfly Conservation
Do you love butterflies AND want to protect them? Check out my sustainable crafts for pollinators blog post, or snag some butterfly sticker merch! A portion of all proceeds benefit wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts. This ensures that animals, like the beautiful butterfly, thrive for years to come.
Starting in July or August, you might hear some loud screeching or buzzing from the treetops. Don’t be scared! The cicadas, endemic to North America, have emerged and the adults are trying to attract mates through their “beautiful” screaming.
What IS a Cicada?!
Featuring: Brood X’s large amber compound eyes and three ocelli (eye spots)
Cicadas are true bugs, meaning that they have three body parts, three pairs of legs, two antennae, compound eyes, and an exoskeleton. Cicadas actually are very well known for their shell, or exoskeleton! Have you ever seen a brown cicada shell clinging to tree bark, a fence post, or a wooden telephone pole? Those brown shells are the remnants of the young cicada, also called a nymph. The crack down the back of the shell is where the adult emerged from, ready to take flight into the trees in search of mates and for places in the bark to lay their eggs.
After the cicada eggs hatch, the nymph wiggles down to the ground and burrows into the soil in search of delicious fluids to drink. They have sucking mouthparts, so they will ingest liquids from plant roots. In the case of annual cicadas, nymphs emerge from the ground in the summer, climb a few feet up a tree or fence post, and crack open to reveal the adult. In the case of periodical cicadas, such as the Brood X Cicadas that emerged back in 2021, the nymphs emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years.
Incomplete Vs. Complete Metamorphosis
Unlike butterflies, but similarly to dragonflies, Cicadas undergo incomplete metamorphosis. This means that instead of having 4 distinct life stages, the cicadas and dragonflies only have 3. Many insects have the egg, larvae, pupae, and adult life stages, however cicadas do not pupate. They go straight from being the larvae (called nymph for those that undergo incomplete metamorphosis) to the adult stage. There are no chrysalis or cocoons for cicadas!
Sounds of Summer
Once they are adults, they start looking for mates. The males will screech from the tops of the trees in hopes of attracting a female! They have two plates that cover muscles and ribs on the underside of their abdomen. When the muscles expand and contract, air is allowed to flow through and the plates themselves move inward, creating a clicking sound, or the “Ree-er, ree-er, ree-er!!!” noise that we hear. Listen to the songs of cicadas, then head outside in the summer to see if you can identify the species of cicada just by the sound they produce! It’s much easier to hear them than to see them since they are often so high up.
While many might be concerned about cicadas damaging their trees, for the most part only very young or already stressed/sick trees will be overly damaged by cicadas. These otherwise harmless insects can be such a joy to observe in the summer and support many other wildlife populations, such as birds, larger insects (such as the Cicada Killer Wasp), and herps who can catch and feed on them. In order to conserve and protect their populations, try the following:
Turn off lights at night
Plant native trees such as oaks, maples, and willow trees for the adults to drink from
Plant native grasses and shrubs for the nymphs to drink from
Another way to protect them is through Cicada and other insect merch! A portion of all The Art of Ecology merch proceeds benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts. Share your love of these creatures and the ecosystems they thrive in through stickers, books, t-shirts, and more.
Flowers are such incredible organisms! I love the diversity of shape, color, and scents that can be found not just globally, but even regionally. But what is the point of a flower? Why care about flower morphology? Is it just something pretty that feeds pollinators nectar?
Pollination Purpose
Well, yes. Pollinators do love nectar – that sweet liquid that flowers house, however a flower’s purpose is to be attractive to their unique pollinator so that the pollinator visits, stays long enough to be coated in pollen grains that then get passed on to another flower of the same species. The pollen grains get transferred to the Pistil, or the female reproductive structure of a flower. The pollen travels down the tube-shaped structure through the pollen tube until it fertilizes the future seed in the ovary and ovules. The purpose of a flower is ultimately to help the plant pass on its genetics to future generations!
Below are some images taken with my portable microscope camera. These images feature the flower morphology of 6 spring plants.
Common VioletDandelionLesser CelandineSaucer MagnoliaNorway MapleGround Ivy
In order to be as efficient as possible, the plant knows what their pollinators are attracted to and produces pigments that are eye-catching or aromatic oils that are pungent for smell-focused creatures. If the pollinator can visit the flower as soon as possible after the flower blooms, then the chances of the pollen traveling to the next flower and fertilizing new seeds increases.
Some flowers, though, aren’t insect or bird pollinated. Others can be pollinated by wind. These plants may have flowers that look less exciting or vibrant than animal pollinated flowers. If they don’t need to use the energy to create stunning or pungent flowers, then why bother?! Wind pollinated flowers are often very small and inconspicuous. Humans are often allergic to these since the pollen is small enough to get caught on a breeze and travel up our noses.
Garden flowers are often manipulated versions of their natural counterparts. Horticulturalists have been able to breed certain species to lack reproductive structures in favor of extra petals. In fact, what’s happening is that those many reproductive structures have actually mutated into just looking like petals! Those extra petals are called “Petaloid-structures”.
In the double-blooming daylily image, you can even see how some of the extra “petals” end in what looks like a mutated anther! Fascinating, right?!
These cultivars are absolutely gorgeous, however provide very little resources to native pollinator species since those vital structures are absent. As an ecological gardener, I love having these beautiful flowers in my garden, however I limit exotics and double-blooming cultivars of native species to 30% or less of my garden plants. I heavily favor native plants that serve important ecosystem roles.
Next time you have the chance to observe a flower up close, see if you can identify their various anatomical structures! You will never look at a flower the same way again.
Do you love flowers and all things nature? Check out my merch to get more nature into your life! Subscribe to my Patreon for exclusive monthly coloring pages, nature-art projects, and sticker merch. A portion of all proceeds benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts.
Celebrate National Pollinator Month with some all-natural and sustainable crafts, designed specifically for native pollinators! Below are some ideas that can support butterfly populations, protect declining bee populations, and increase the amount of pollinator-friendly native plants found in your community.
This is part 4 of my “Eco-friendly” & sustainable art projects. Find more projects and sustainable activities below!
Did you know that butterflies drink more than nectar from flowers? Males also make gifts of minerals and salts to females, which the females use to enhance caterpillar egg development. The butterflies will “puddle”, or drink from water that pools on rocks, dirt trails, or sidewalks to collect these minerals. By making a butterfly puddler in your garden, you can encourage them to visit the flowers AND the puddler for their nutrients!
Methods:
Punch three evenly spaced holes in a plastic pot tray.
Use string or ribbon to tie knots towards the base of the tray, and then gather the three strings at the top and tie a knot around an O ring or hook for hanging.
Hang up on a tree, balcony edge space, or display stand outside near your garden space.
Add rotten fruit (the decomposition process releases more liquid and sugars, making drinking easier), small stones, and a bit of water. You do not want to have the water be burying anything, since butterflies will need a dry space to land and drink from.
Watch the butterflies come! You may need to clean the puddler to prevent mold and bacteria growth if you have added the rotten fruit. Fruit can include watermelon, apples, banana peels, oranges and more!
Native Plant Seed Balls
Many pollinators, such as our native bee populations, have been in decline due to a lack of habitat. By adding more native plants to our local ecosystems, we can help revitalize these populations!
Methods:
Mix clay, potting soil, and water together until the mixture can be rolled into a ball without crumbling or feeling wet/slimy. This is a messy process, so it’s best done outside or over a tarp!
Select your native seeds. Consider where you want the plants to grow and the light/soil/water that is in that area. Choose plants that will thrive in that area. Seed packets will provide you with all of the growth information. Some wonderful Eastern US native plants for bees include: Coneflower, Common Milkweed, Sunflowers, Golden Alexander, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, and Spotted Bee Balm.
Roll 3-5 seeds into your seed balls. Each seed ball should be ½” in diameter. Mix and match, or keep the seeds all the same!
Throw outside in the area of your choice! Each seed ball has it’s own little substrate packet, so they don’t need to be dug into the earth.
Keep in mind that some seeds need a winter’s cold weather to germinate, so you may not see any growth until future seasons, but it’s a fun project to do year round and watch the native plants come back to your community.
Similarly to seed balls, this seed paper can be used, then composted or planted to grow native plants! This paper is perfect for invitations, art projects, or as scrap paper that can be thrown out later (in the soil!).
Methods:
Gather LOTS of recycled paper, old cardboard or compressed paper egg cartons, old newspapers, old scrap paper, or old construction paper.
Rip the paper products to shreds, and place into a blender. The smaller the better!
Fill a blender ½ way with the torn paper and add water to the top line. Blend into a very fine pulp.
Pour the pulp into a large bowl and add a native plant seed packet into the bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a spoon.
Pour into a strainer or coffee filter to remove excess water. You can reuse the drained off water to water the garden!
Cover a large board (cutting boards work) with a towel and layer the pulp on the top of the towel. You can use a rolling pin to make the pulp as even as possible. Cover with another towel.
Set aside to dry, then when dry, cut or tear into shapes and use!
Looking for Pre-Made Nature Art? A portion of all proceeds from my shop benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts.
This migratory bird art challenge was created by Jen Goodhue on instagram for artists to join in, learning about the incredible migrations that birds found all over the world undertake, as well as some of the challenges that these birds face. So many artists participate in these art challenges, and getting to see what other artists create is a great way to see how people’s perspectives and creative outlets can spark conversations about biodiversity, habitat loss, and bird conservation.
Below are some of my #MigratoryMay illustrations, and some facts about the species that I got to learn about during this month.
Purple Martin (Progne subis)
This insectivorous bird migrates from Central South America and into the United States. They spend their breeding season (summer), in the eastern US, returning down south for the winter. They are unique, in that during migration, a scout will be sent out as soon as the weather warms up enough. These scouts fly alone, looking for adequate breeding and nesting sites. Once the scout moves in, the rest of the colony shows up later.
Ideally, this migratory bird enjoys making nests in dead trees, also called snags, however this type of habitat is becoming harder to come by as unsustainable development continues. By keeping dead trees as snags, as well as putting up Martin Houses, we can help increase viable habitat for these vibrant migratory birds.
Climate change has been pushing bird migrations all over the place and birds have had to adapt as quickly as possible. Migration is triggered by a lack of food, so if the weather is warm enough where the bird is and can provide adequate food resources over a long period of time, the bird doesn’t need to migrate, or may need to migrate even farther to find food that is in bloom or that has emerged.
We may notice that we start seeing less and less of certain species as they adapt. We may also start seeing new bird species migrating in, too! For example, the American Goldfinch has started reducing their migration distances. This means they are less common in southeastern Pennsylvania since they don’t need to travel as far south to find food. While this can be sad, we may start seeing new species that need to travel farther north, such as the Painted Bunting, as they search for their food too! Seeing these birds regularly may take years, as adapting to climate change takes time, but it could be a neat little perk.
This migratory bird eats seeds, so having feeders up and incorporating native sedges, pines, grasses, and dock into the garden may attract them if they ever show up this far north!
These migratory birds spend their breeding time in the tundra of Russia and May and June. Once a suitable site has been found, and the eggs hatch, the females leave the nest and start their migration south along the Pacific Coast of Russia into China and Bangladesh, utilizing the intertidal Yellow Sea as food sources and rest during their long migration. The male teaches the young fledglings to fly, then starts his migration south down the same route. A week or so later, the chicks gain confidence and strength, and start the same migration too!
Unfortunately, due to habitat loss in their stopover regions in the Yellow Sea, their population is in decline and has been listed as critically endangered. Here in North America, there is only one native spoonbill, the Roseate Spoonbill, who also relies on disappearing habitat. Instead of relying on the tundra and intertidal areas along the Yellow Sea, the Roseate Spoonbill relies on brackish marine marshes and Mangroves along southeastern United States. You can learn more about the importance of mangrove conservation, and how to positively impact our US mangroves HERE.
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
Similarly to many other migratory birds, these birds have to adapt to the warming climate. They typically rely on cones of native conifers in Canada and the US Pacific Northwest, such as pines, spruces, firs, and others. If the weather is too warm up north, they may have something called an Irruption.
Irruptions occur when food is scarce, so birds have a sudden boom in population density farther south. Evening Grosbeak irruptions occur naturally, however with the warming northern weather, have started occurring every two or three years. During these years, we may see them as far south as southern Pennsylvania! During non-irruption years, they may migrate only as far south as southern New York, or the very northernmost points of Pennsylvania near the Great Lakes region. This is provided the conifers in these regions are producing adequate food resources.
Support Bird Conservation through Stickers!
A portion of all The Art of Ecology merch proceeds benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts! By supporting The Art of Ecology, you can also make a difference in the health of these incredible birds! Become a patreon subscriber for monthly environmental education, sticker merch mailed directly to you, nature art video tutorials, and more.
Well, my 2nd semester of grad school has now passed, meaning that I am halfway through! This is a happy thought. The light at the end of the tunnel is drawing closer. Despite being excited to finish, I learned a lot and am excited to apply the knowledge to my work.
This semester, there was a trend that spanned across all of the courses I took (Environmental Education, Wildlife Education, and Environmental Issues), and that was that human behaviors have made such an impact on our ecosystems, and therefore, how we teach needs to address these human behaviors.
I led a foraging walk (also addressed the importance of using wildcrafting to increase inclusivity) at the 2023 PAEE Conference. This photo was taken by Fern Hill Nature Center. I was so happy to have several fellow Slippery Rock University undergrad & graduate students attend my session!
Perspectives & Ideologies
In both Wildlife and Environmental Education, I learned about human perspectives and ideologies towards the natural world. These perspectives (such as a moralistic, aesthetic, naturalistic, utilitarian, dominionistic, avoidance, etc…) help to drive WHY people engage with the natural world in the way that they do. For example, someone with a moralistic perspective on nature might be more inclined to participate in animal rights activism while someone with a more utilitarian perspective may prefer to engage with nature out of a primary concern for practical values. Being able to incorporate as many of these perspectives into my programs can help draw in a wider audience and be as inclusive in perspectives as possible.
Environmental Ideologies (such as human-based, ethics-based, or transformative) drive where people’s attention is focused on. For example, the human-based ideology of Conservationism states that natural resources are for human use, but we need to use them wisely. There are many people in the United States who would fall into this category of protecting natural resources for future generations to use. Addressing the root of why and what they care about specifically can also help to engage a wider audience.
Human Behavior & Impact on Nature
The Environmental Issues course focused on current trends and hot topics such as the “4 Mindless Horsemen of the Eco-Apocalypse”: Invasive Species, Habitat Destruction, Disease Spread, and Overexploitation. All four of these topics are spurred onwards rapidly by human action, whether it is intended or not. Throughout the course, we discussed how we, as educators, can use evidence-based conservation practices to inform decisions, and how interconnected these hot topics in conservation are with other disciplines, such as politics, sociology, and economics. By finding out how they are all connected, we can better understand motivations, which also helps to inform practices. Without understanding the social implications of the drivers of these hot topics, they cannot be fully addressed and solved.
Throughout this course, we worked on a Community Engaged Learning project, which had each student working with a community partner to create a systematic review to provide that community partner with evidence-based answers to their questions. I partnered with Tyler Arboretum to create a systematic review that helped to answer their question of, “How are similar organizations talking about plant conservation during public programs in ways that increase family attendance?” I analyzed already published articles to create the review so that the community partner could make data-driven decisions, rather than just hoping on chance and relying on what “maybe” worked in the past (anecdotal evidence).
Sample pages from my Visual Executive Summary (read the full document above)
Systematic Reviews & Evidence-Based Conservation
In the Environmental and green industry, there is a huge trend of making decisions because that’s what “we’ve always done”, or “so-and-so said it worked”, without actually analyzing data, traditional ecological knowledge, or considering scientific publication results. One example of this is often seen in mulching practices. Many (not all!) landscapers or homeowners will mulch directly around trees, piling the mulch high, which creates “mulch volcanoes”. This is just what is done because that’s how it’s always been done, yet scientific evidence states that this actually has the ability to suffocate trees, causing girdling roots, and trap in too much moisture around the bark which can lead to parasitic fungi and bacteria introduction. Mulching can be great, and healthy for young trees. Adding scientific data to our decision making process and education, we can take more positive actions for the environment.
There are two primary issues why more systematic reviews, or evidence-based conservation, isn’t routinely engaged with… First, this takes a LOT of time. This takes hours and hours! You search through scientific databases for related articles, analyze for relevancy, and then analyze the data to answer the question. Many organizations just don’t have this amount of time! And what does time equal? Money. Without proper funding, organizations don’t really want to spend precious resources on this type of project. Volunteers, graduate students, or interns could absolutely help out in this regard, however then we need to address the problem of compensating these folks for their time and effort, as well as finding enough of these people to tackle all of the questions out there!
Human Behaviors Can Lead to Positive Changes
Overall, biodiversity loss due to habitat loss, invasive species and disease introduction, and overexploitation occured primarily due to human actions. This may seem sad at first, however this means that human actions, when informed, can make a positive impact too! Increased evidence-based education about the role of biodiversity across disciplines can lead to a healthy, thriving planet – that’s my goal!
A portion of the proceeds from all of my work benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts. Below are some products I made using some of the illustrations I created for this semester of grad school! Support the conservation efforts and show off your love of nature through stickers.
When we combine artistic mediums with environmental science topics, we can increase our knowledge about the natural world, and how we act as stewards of the ecosystems around us. WHY art is so beneficial to increasing our understanding, regardless of subject or topic?
The Role of Art in Learning Styles
Art, or something made via creative process, engages various learning styles and intelligences. There are 4 primary learning styles; Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing (or working with words), and Kinesthetic (or “doing”). Someone who is a visual learner likes to utilize graphs, pictures, and their sense of sight. Auditory learners like to listen to instructions or stories in order to understand concepts. This can be through YouTube, listening to a lecture a podcast.
Learners who love words like to read instructions, or write things down to remember them. Finally, Kinesthetic learners would much rather attempt to learn as they go by taking action. A great example of the learning styles can be found in an example about IKEA furniture: A visual learner flips to the section of the instruction manual to follow diagrams. The auditory learner will go to the website and listen to the video tutorial as the build the piece. The reading/written learner will read each step by step instruction as they go. The kinesthetic learner will throw the rule book out and just build the piece by trial-and-error, learning about the various parts and tools by giving them a try. That being said, people usually don’t learn through just one style.
Many are multi-modal. Roughly 45% of females and 87% of males tend to learn through a variety of styles. I am a VK learner, or a Visual and Kinesthetic learner. Roughly 84% of young adults (this study examined undergraduate level students) have some amount of Kinesthetic learning desire. Why does this matter? The kinesthetic learner wants to create. Utilizing art while learning can enforce concepts. If the learner creates something as they are taught about environmental science, those concepts stick better! Looking at the fact that 84% of young adults enjoy learning through these action-based methods can indicate how important art and creativity can be to learning. In the education world, there is also something else to consider about how people learn best, aside from the VARK styles.
The Role of Art in Multiple Intelligences Theory
These intelligences dictate not just in what style do people learn best, how to people are taught best. These can be taught through any of the VARK styles. There are 8 primary intelligences: Musical, Naturalistic, Mathematical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Linguistic, Spatial, and Body. For example, my strengths are naturalistic, spatial, and body intelligences. I not only like to learn about the natural world, but I like to have information presented to me in a way that relates to the natural world (naturalistic intelligence), my visual surroundings (spatial intelligence), and gets me moving (body or kinesthetic – there’s that word again!, intelligence). Those who focus on musical intelligences though might like to create little songs to help them remember concepts. Interpersonal learners might want to engage in deep discussion with others to learn more about the concept.
Why do the Multiple Intelligences matter? Studies document the percentage of people that fall into the various intelligence categories. Roughly 40% of people in the study focus on Bodily or Kinesthetic learning and roughly 45% of people focus on interpersonal intelligences. 39% focus on musical intelligence. This shows that people really like movement, taking action, working and learning from others, and learning through melodies! This supports our desire to create as a form of learning. Art is movement-based. Dancing, singing, painting, drawing, or other artistic mediums help us learn, and communicating our expressions with others is a huge component of why artists might create!
How do we combine art with environmental science? The why is easy – combining art with ANY field of study can increase that person’s understanding of the topic! The HOW is more of a variable. Different artists or scientists use art in different ways. As many artistic mediums as there are out there, is what limits how the combination can occur.
Blending Art and Environmental Education
As an environmental educator, blending these two ideas is integral to getting my audience to learn about topics. From building terrariums to help participants learn and understand the various layers and interconnections of our ecosystems at large, to engaging with botanical illustration in order to observe and study plant morphology, or making foraged wild-edible cocktails to connect workshop participants with the role that these edible plants play in feeding wildlife, conserving soil, or how invasive species impact flora & fauna in an ecosystem – it’s all important! These workshop participants can go away from the workshop with a deeper level of understanding about the environmental concepts, as well as feel empowered by the fact that they made something to bring home and have the skills to repeat the project in different or similar ways on their own.
Never miss out on an upcoming event by subscribing to my e-blasts and checking out my calendar of events. A portion of the proceeds benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts.
Starting in late March-early April, you may notice a lot of nature centers or wildlife organizations start talking about “Herps”…. What?! Herps are the collective term for Reptiles + Amphibians. While they each have their own distinguishing characteristics, they are similar enough so that many scientists lump them together while studying or talking about them. The study of reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology, so that often just gets shortened to “herps”.
Reptiles and amphibians are both ectotherms (they get their internal body temperature from outside sources), may live in similar environments, and lay eggs. A primary difference is the presence of scales in reptiles.
Spring & Herps
The reason that we often talk about them in the spring (in eastern North America) is because they are starting to wake back up from their brumation period and are looking for breeding grounds or areas to lay their eggs. Herps will leave their small home ranges and travel great distances (some turtles will walk up to two miles) to find nesting sites. Starting in April, continuing through June, here in Pennsylvania, we see more herps crossing the road, especially at night. This often leads to human-wildlife conflicts, mostly in the form of roadkill. In fact, one study found that over the span of one month, 20,000 herps died as a result of vehicle traffic (93% amphibians and 7% reptiles)! This is tragic, but fortunately there are some ways to prevent that high mortality rate.
Ways to Prevent Herp Roadkill During Breeding Season
Managing the population is what they do best! Caring for snakes is caring for all species.
Many of the herp deaths come from roads that fragment their habitat. These roads are necessary for humans to travel, so this can be a difficult challenge to overcome! Connecting the fragmented habitats through tunnels under the roads, wildlife bridges overtop of roads, and wildlife fences along busy areas can all be great to reduce wildlife deaths, however that’s not something that individuals can just set up or create, and then there are concerns with the fact that many herps return to the same spot every year to lay their eggs. What would happen if they were suddenly cut off via wildlife fences?
Fortunately, there are ways that individuals can make a difference on herp populations during their breeding season. First, we can slow down and be conscientious of their movements, especially when driving at night. If you find an animal trying to cross, slow down to allow it to pass, or in the case of turtles, pull over if it’s safe and gently move them across the road (always to the side that they are heading towards). We can also put up little signs in hotspot or high herp traffic areas along roadways to increase other driver’s awareness. By planting native and increasing habitat in our own yards and communities, we can also reduce the distance that these species have to travel to find suitable nesting sites!
March Madness is a great time to take a look at rankings, tiers, and analyze favorites of objects (such as basketball sports teams). This month though, instead of examining sports, I will be looking at an analyzing moths (who doesn’t love good alliteration) as part of the #MarchMothMadness art challenge.
This art challenge was created by Sue Fields and Kate Hicks on instagram for artists to join in, learning about the incredible biodiversity of moth species found all over the world and to highlight the role that moths play in our ecosystems. So many artists participate in these art challenges, and getting to see what other artists create is a great way to see how people’s perspectives and creative outlets can spark conversations about biodiversity, habitat loss, and wildlife conservation.
Below are some of my March Moth Madness illustrations, and some facts about the species that I got to learn about during this month.
Comet Moth (Argema mittrei)
This moth won the all out March Moth Madness on social media (see below).
This moth, also called the Madagascar Moon Moth, is easily recognizable with its vibrant yellow color, eye spots, and long, fluttering tails. They are excellent examples of why it’s important for insects to have tails. These tails act as defense mechanisms. They confuse bats, who rely on echolocation to hunt, and if a bird or bat were to catch a tail, the tail can break off, leaving the rest of the moth intact and safe – living for another day with the hope of mating and laying eggs!
The adults can’t eat anymore, so they just reproduce after emerging from their cocoon. The males fly around in search of females, who often sit still under cover and wait. Since the males have to travel more, they have much longer tails than the females. The males also have much larger and more feathery antennae than the female, and these antennae help them to detect pheromones – letting them search for females easily!
Unfortunately, due to habitat loss (roughly 90% of Madagascar forests are negatively impacted), it is believed that their populations are decreasing. Protecting areas of biodiversity, such as islands, is so important!
Death’s Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos)
Named for the skull-shaped splotch on its back, one might think that it’s a creepy sort of moth at first. Really, these are gentle moths that utilize potato and other Solanum plants as food sources. In fact, it is often thought to be a scaredy-cat itself! When alarmed, the moth can produce a little grating scream to scare potential predators away. Similarly to how a saxophone reed vibrates to produce noise, the moth vibrates their proboscis to squeal.
Io Moth (Automeris io)
Unlike the Comet Moth, the Io is currently at low risk of population decline! One of the benefits of not living on an island is that movement to adapt to changing climates and habitats is much easier. These moths, similarly to the Comet moth as well, do not eat as adults, and their caterpillar host plants are rather commonplace in the United States. The adults lay their eggs on Hackberry, Redbuds, Pears, and Willow trees, as well as on blackberry canes. Many of these are commonly cultivated trees, and can be found even in urban and suburban residential areas, meaning that the impact of development and habitat fragmentation do not impact the moth population as much as it could in other regions.
Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae)
This vibrant moth is a prime example of why introducing new species for the sole reason of managing other introduced species is a bad idea. The Cinnabar moth was introduced to western United States as a way to manage the growing ragwort population. The caterpillars of the moth were supposed to eat away and balance the aggressive ragwort plant, however it is difficult to control where animals move and feed at. The caterpillars found that many other plants in its new habitat were much tastier, and started feeding aggressively on native plants. Now, the United States contends with the ragwort AND the Cinnabar moth! This moth has spread throughout much of the United States, but is still missing in some regions.
Despite its invasive nature, it is such a beautiful animal with its striking coloration (Pokemon nerds unite – we learned what Cinnabar meant at young ages as our characters traveled to Cinnabar Island, named after the reddish color). I would love to see it, but in its native habitat where it benefits the community. In the United Kingdom, it feeds on Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea – see the similarity in the scientific names of the food source and the moth?) and manages the populations of the plants without being destructive.
While this moth is native to North America, it is primarily found in the western portion where its host plants grow easily. The Sheep moth caterpillars are less generalist than the Io moth, so they need more specific host plants, which may not grow all over the incredibly diverse ecosystems found within the United States. They love mountainous plants, such as the Mountain lilac, Mountain mahogany, Bitter Cherry, Snowberry, and currants. While these plants can be cultivated in the eastern United States, the plants require more care and are less suited to the soil conditions, summer droughts, heat, and humidity. Without stable populations of host plants, the moths cannot survive.
In fact, this moth is so particular with it’s region that there are some subspecies. The subspecies illustrated here (with pink and not just yellow or pale-orange wings) is only found in northern California and southern Oregon.
Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
This moth won the bracket for Native North American Moths on social media (see below).
While other moths here have been named for their coloration, fuzzy appearance, or long, comet-like tails, this one was named after a character from Greek mythology. Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon and was a cyclops who had a giant eye in the middle of his forehead (he’s the cyclops that gets blinded by Odysseus). The large eye spots on this already large moth (its wingspan can be 6” wide) have earned its common name.
These are the most generalist species out of all of the moths listed here. They feed on over 50 plant species, many of which are very commonplace in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Even though habitat destruction may not be a leading threat, light pollution does impact them. These moths are attracted to lights, so at night, when they should be out mating, they are drawn to light sources, wasting their energy before they get a chance to mate and lay eggs. By turning off lights at night, we can make a positive impact on the beautiful Polyphemus moth and many other animals.
I asked my social media followers to rank these moths for March Moth Madness, ranking the Native Vs. Exotic Species. Take a look at who won out! Do you agree with this ranking? Which are your favorite moths here?
Go Mad for Moths!
Overall, what I learned from this is just how gorgeous and stunning moths can be! While some previously drawn moths (Rosy Maple, Hummingbird, and Luna moths) have been vibrant and colorful, I hadn’t really observed exotic moth species. The beauty that various species exhibit is breathtaking and really solidifies the importance of protecting all species.
The temperature is warming up and the days are longer. Spring migration is ramping up and I am starting to see more birds in the edge of the woodlot behind my apartment and I hear them singing early in the morning. Some of the most common birds that I see and hear are sparrows, those little brown birds with white streaking. While many look the same at first glance, there are so many different individual sparrow species that might visit your area – in fact there are over 40 different kinds!
Let’s examine how to tell some common sparrows apart in time for World Sparrow Day!
Sparrow Identification
The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking for field markings. These are marks in the coloration of their feathers such as stripes, streaking, spotting, and more. Another way to distinguish between the sparrows is by listening to their calls and observing where we find them (the habitats they prefer). Some of the common ones where I live (southeastern Pennsylvania) include the Song, White-throated, and House Sparrows.
Identifying the Song Sparrow
These sparrows, just like many others, are primarily brown, however where the brown markings are can help us figure out what little sparrow we’re looking at. Song Sparrows have white throats and chests with brown streaks down the top portion of the front and along the sides. They have a reddish-brown head, and a gray-ish brown stripe above their eye. Another key marking is that they have brown triangles on the sides of their throats.
As their name implies, they have beautiful and melodic songs. During the spring, the males often sing to attract mates, denote territory, and communicate with other birds.
This sparrow has a very easy-to-see field marking that really sets them apart from other sparrows – their yellow eyebrow! While some of these species have a more dingy yellow color than others of its kind, even the dingy yellows are clearly yellow and not a brown or tan. They have white chins (throats) and pale, creamy chests without the dark streaking that the Song Sparrows have, and a white or tan stripe down the center of their heads.
This particular White-throated sparrow is more tan than bright white, however you can still see the snow-white patch under the beak that gives this bird their name.
The breeding plumage and sexual dimorphism between the male and female House Sparrows can make identifying these birds quickly a challenge, however the males are easily identified as House Sparrows due to their striking coloration.
The males have gray caps with cinnamon-colored sides on their heads. There are blocks of black around their eyes, extending towards their beak and throat. Their beaks are dark browinish-black, however the females can look very different. Their chests are a grey color as well. During the breeding season the black that extends towards their throat will look more and more like a bib.
The females are more of a tan color with less contrast to their feathers. Instead of a cinnamon stripe on the sides of their heads, you can see a very slight tan stripe, although both the male and females have brown and black wing feathers. The female’s beaks are more of a golden yellow color rather than the black of the males.
While these sparrows might be commonplace, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t important or worth celebrating. These are important insectivores and seed-eaters who help to disperse seeds and keep insect populations in balance. I love seeing the Song Sparrows in my garden, flitting around, searching for grubs and other insects that when in an unchecked excess could damage the beautiful plants that I carefully grow.
Celebrate these adorable little birds with my “Birds of Pennsylvania” sticker set, which includes a sparrow and other species common to the Eastern United States.
You must be logged in to post a comment.