I saw a few of these distinctive, Hybodera genus longhorns at Mount Pisgah recently. The common name “Long-horned beetle” refers to the antennae that are usually longer than the insect’s body. The scientific family name, Cerambycidae, derives from a Greek myth. A shepherd named Cerambus insulted the Nymphs, who turned him into a wood-gnawing beetle with elongated horns.  Why would a small insect have such seemingly cumbersome antennae? It turns out, they’re kind of like a control panel. There are up to a dozen types of sensillae, or sense receptors, on them. Cerambycidae larvae grow up u ..read more

Bigleaf maples have small, yellow-green flowers with short stalks. The flowers grow in a cluster that hangs downward like a pendant as it develops. Interestingly, bigleaf maples have two mating types. As the flower clusters emerge and start blooming, the initial flowers that open on the first type of tree are female; on the second type, it is the males. As the cluster grows, the male flowers will begin to emerge on the female flower clusters, and the females will start to develop and open on the male flower clusters. Each tree contains both male and female flowers, making it monoecious. These ..read more

I don’t think I’ve written about click beetles on this blog, so it’s about time, because it’s a large insect family and I’ve seen at least a dozen different species at Mount Pisgah.  In fact, earlier this week on a 70 degree day, one flew into my arm, fell, and landed on the trail at my feet. I didn’t notice at the time that it was a click beetle. Usually, you can see their distinctive m-shaped “shoulders.” That’s where, on the underside, a mechanical pin-and-groove joint is located, which produces the sound that gives the beetle its name.   Yes, this centimeter-long insect has a bu ..read more

The black cottonwoods sustained considerable damage during the recent ice storm and thousands of limbs that broke off during the storm are lying on the ground along the river. It is heartbreaking to see all the damage, but there is one fortunate side to this story. Some of the trees that fell over still have some roots in the ground which supply enough nutrients to keep them growing. As spring arrived, these trees sent out the male and female flower catkins. This is a great opportunity to see the flowers up close which are normally out of reach on the tree where you can’t easily view them. Bla ..read more

There are so many interesting tidbits about mourning cloak butterflies that it’s hard to know where to start.  Nymphalis antiopa are stunning and distinctive, and they’re one of the longest-lived butterflies. They’re often the first to emerge in the spring and the last to be seen in the fall. Even so, and considering they’re found in nearly every U.S. state, March 2024 was the first time I’ve seen one at Mount Pisgah.  During the winter, they hibernate (in an aptly named hibernaculum) and in the summer, they aestivate, or take another dormancy break while it’s hot. The dou ..read more

Birds need to care for their feathers. They are important for such functions as flight, attracting mates, camouflage, regulating body temperature, and keeping dry. On warm, sunny days out at the Arboretum I will occasionally catch a Steller’s Jay or an American Robin performing an interesting behavior called sunning. This maintenance behavior isn’t completely understood but seems to be largely associated with removing parasites, such as lice, living on their skin and feathers. Studies have shown that exposing the feathers to direct sunlight can allow them to heat up enough to kill some of the ..read more

This time of year, you can find lots of interesting creatures in seasonal ponds and puddles, as well as under rocks in streams and rivers. This column looks at the larvae of a couple of different genera of mayfly.  Adult mayflies are short-lived, as commemorated by the root word for “ephemeral” in their scientific order: Ephemeroptera. Some nymphs, however, can live for several years underwater, growing through a series of molts. Most nymphs feed on algae and vegetation, though some are predators of smaller larvae and other micro-creatures.  Mayfly nymphs have up to seven pairs of le ..read more

The white-breasted nuthatch is one of my favorite birds, and its curious, carefree spirit is an essential part of the oak savanna habitat of the arboretum. I always look forward to hearing its vocalizations and watching it hop and skip around on a tree. It has an interesting behavior of moving headfirst down a tree as it forages. It will often pause and tilt its head back to have a glance at its surroundings. In David Sibley’s book What It Is Like to Be a Bird he says this about how nuthatches move around a tree: ”They do not use their tail for a brace when climbing—just their two f ..read more

I’m turning to the archives for this week’s episode, because Mount Pisgah remains closed following damage from last month’s ice storm. January and February can be a quiet time for most insects, but on sunny days, or when it’s over 50 degrees, you may come across a couple of types of Dirt-colored Seed Bug.  As a refresher: True bugs are an insect order whose members sport sucking mouthparts with built-in straws and a semi-translucent set of wings. Although Dirt-colored Seed Bugs are small in stature (1mm to 1.5cm), they are mighty in numbers. There are more than 420 genera and upwards of 2 ..read more

I was making a cup of tea the other day and the little square tag attached to the teabag had this quote on it by Lao Tzu: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” I agree, earthtime is slow. That said, I am often surprised every spring by flowers that have seemingly appeared overnight! So, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite plants early so you can tune in and watch as it starts to grow. The buds on the one in my backyard are already starting to open. Meet the red-flowering currant. This native shrub has vibrant, pink flower clusters for which the plant is named. The ..read more