#norfolkwild

The Gypsy Moth Part 1: Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar) were accidentally introduced from Europe into Boston in 1868 and have since spread to Canada and across the Northern United States. This spread was accomplished because the young caterpillars disperse via "ballooning", holding a strand of silk out into the wind and being carried from place to place. They are a very noticeable presence in Southern Ontario forests. If you've ever had the experience of camping and hearing rain with a clear sky overhead and noticed tiny rectangular brown pellets on your picnic table, you've seen evidence of the vast numbers of Gypsy Moth caterpillars raining their poop down from the canopy of leaves. These pictures are of a caterpillar on the Lynn Valley Trail in June 2018, and if you swipe, the photo is of an empty pupal case found at my parent's farm in April 2018. Within that case, the caterpillar transformed into an adult and that's what we'll look at in the next two parts. . . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #lynnvalleytrail #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #simcoeontario #backyardwildlife #invasivespecies #introducedspecies #ontarioinvasivespecies #gypsymoth #lymantriadispar #gypsymothcaterpillar #lepidoptera #insectsofinstagram #insects_of_our_world #macrophotography #invert_macro #norfolkcountyontario #caterpillars #entomology (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8Gv3iHFM9/?igshid=1sfn8c1rr8fip

This week is #nationalpollinatorweek and to celebrate I'm going to be posting a different pollinator each day. I'm hoping to showcase some of the diversity of animals (note: I didn't say "insects") which perform the act of pollination for flowering plants. Pollination is basically the transport of pollen from one flower to another, and allows flowering plant species to reproduce. Today's Pollinator is a bee, the Ligated Furrow Bee (Halictus ligatus). This species has an incredibly large range, from the Arctic Circle to Northern South America. These bees make their nests in the ground, sometimes with multiple entrances. Remarkably among the social insects, Halictus workers all retain the ability to lay viable eggs, making each worker a potential queen of her own. In fact, if the queen dies, any worker can assume her position. Most other social bees have workers with undeveloped egg-laying abilities so that if the queen is lost, there can be no more workers produced in that colony. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #nationalpollinatorweek2020 #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #pollination #pollinators #socialinsects #halictus #halictusligatus #halictidae #socialbees #eusocial #beesofinstagram #bees🐝 #macrophotography #macromonday #macrophoto #macroinsect #invert_macro #insects_of_our_world (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBvEuXpgCd5/?igshid=11ny6ehxuaskt

Dark Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) in my parents' garden. Every Spring, mated queens of these native wasps emerge from diapause (essentially insect hibernation) and begin the task of constructing a new nest. The material they use is wood fibers mixed with their saliva to create a paperlike sibstance. Their nests are open umbrella shapes with a single stalk attached to the underside of a branch or rock or human structure. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #wasps #hymenoptera #macrowildlife #macrophotography #socialinsects #socialwasp #polistinae #polistes #polistesfuscatus #invert_macro #gardeninsects (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA24D-gAOWi/?igshid=w93t6bb92pn4

Fly consuming some sort of small insect on orange slices in our backyard, April 2018. I'm not sure of the species involved here, but I spotted this fly (Order Diptera) on the orange slices left out for attracting Orioles, and it was eating another tiny insect. You can see it's grasping the insect in the first photo and then has discarded the remains in the second. Not being able to narrow down to species isn't surprising because there are probably 1 000 000 species of Flies worldwide, many of which have been undescribed. Beetles have a reputation for being an incredibly diverse group of insects but Flies are likely just as diverse, according to Stephen Marshall (who, admittedly is an expert on Flies, but who has also published an incredible book on all Insects). . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #blognorfolk #flies #diptera #biology #insects_of_our_world #invert_macro #macrophotography #gardeninsects #gardenwildlife #predation https://www.instagram.com/p/B_R-OnqAlBD/?igshid=1qdq2dshvfpy4

Another of the finds in my pitfall traps: a millipede (there were several but this was my favourite picture of one). Millipedes make up the Class Diplopoda, distinct from Insects and Spiders. They're almost all detritivores (which means they feed on decaying matter), lumbering along slowly through the undergrowth and through the soil. Rarely seen (because of their subterranean habits) but a vital and numerous part of most ecosystems across the globe. #nature #ontario #simcoeontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #millipede #millipedesofinstagram #diplopoda #detritivore #arthropod #gardenwildlife #soilhealth #ecology #naturephotography #pitfalltrap (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4Sat8gv-C/?igshid=e7lhxfefrt1g

The Eggs Saga, Part 1: Female Wingless Geometrid Moth (possibly Spring Cankerworm Moth, Paleacrita vernata) laying eggs on a bridge railing on the Lynn Valley Trail, April 2018. There are many kinds of Geometrid moths with similar wingless females so it's difficult to say the species for certain. This individual was laying her cylindrical eggs around the chain link of the bridge railing. Many insects employ the strategy of laying lots of eggs with little protection besides numbers. We will see a couple hazards in the next 2 parts, stay tuned... #nature #ontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #insect #insects_of_our_world #naturephotography #macrophotography #geometridae #moth #lepidoptera #mothsofinstagram #winglessmoth #lynnvalleytrail #simcoeontario #invert_macro (at Lynn Valley Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-WuUTYAGeB/?igshid=1ntrzv06b66ze

Ground Crab Spider (Xysticus) with captured Ant prey. I spotted this tiny act of predation under a piece of mulch in my backyard in April 2018. Xysticus spiders are ambush hunters, planting themselves near busy arthropods and snatching one out with their long front pairs of legs and subduing the prey with its venom. #nature #ontario #simcoeontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #spidersofinstagram #spider #crabspider #xysticus #thomisidae #spiders #predator #predation #ant #antsofinstagram #macrophotography #invert_macro (at Simcoe, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-UGW4WAAAO/?igshid=1b6mrbelohrp9

Eastern Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata) in Norfolk County, April 2018. These bugs feed on Maple and Ash tree seeds, as well as leaves. They often form large groups and can do so safely because of their chemical defenses and smell, advertised by their bright red and black coloration. #nature #ontario #norfolkcounty #norfolkwild #boxelderbug #boiseatrivittata #heteroptera #truebugs #insects_of_our_world #macrophotography #insect (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-EtkH5AqsM/?igshid=1nhyvl43p1pgt