Last Saturday night I did some mothing. Our adult daughter joined me for the caterpillar hunt using blacklight flashlights. I also set up a white sheet with both a reptile heat lamp (in lieu of a mercury vapor light) and a LED blacklight. All the identifications are based on iNaturalist submissions. Caterpillars In terms of…
Author: Randy Litchfield
Big Moths: Saturniids and Their Hosts
Four years ago, we were thrilled to find both Cecropia Moth and Polyphemus Moth caterpillars in our yard. Unfortunately, the Polyphemus caterpillar died from parasites (eaten from inside out) and we lost track of the Cecropia caterpillar before its final instar. Since then, I am always checking for these species of caterpillars to show again……
Catchfly Commons on Facebook
We are beginning to post items and tidbits smaller than blog entries on our Catchfly Commons Facebook page. To date, we have mainly used that page just to push out links to blog entries when they are published on our website. On Facebook, you will start seeing more photos of occasional finds in our gardens,…
Coneflowers, Asters and Goldenrods
A presentation at Cedar Bog Nature PreserveSaturday August 10 from 10 am to 11:30 am Cost $5.00 (Cedar Bog Association and Ohio History Connection members free) Event Facebook Post Our presentation will cover: Cedar Bog Nature Preserve980 Woodburn RoadUrbana, OH 43078 Photos by Randy Litchfield unless otherwise noted© Randy Litchfield, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
It’s Not All About Nectar
This summer we have frequently seen common wood-nymph butterflies in the landscape. Until I was able to get a positive identification, I wondered if they might be Carolina satyr butterflies (which turns out to be a wood-nymph cousin). Unfortunately, the frequent sightings have not yielded many photos because they are constantly moving (unless of course…
Thanks for a Great Day!!
Thanks to everyone who came out to our open garden yesterday. We had over 170 visitors! We so enjoyed meeting people and exchanging interests, insights, and experiences with native plants! Thanks to Columbus Wild Ones, North Central Ohio Pollinator Pathway, Delaware County Master Gardener Volunteers, Leaves for Wildlife, Natives in Harmony, and Scioto Gardens for…
Dazzling Night Lights: Fireflies
We are starting to see a good number of fireflies in the yard now. It is so enchanting to see the lights in the night flicker and dance! We also frequently see them during the day. Even without the lights, I feel a friendly vibe from their meandering. We like to think that their presence…
A Tangled Tale: Vines
There is a group of plants that is often neglected… vines. These plants can fulfill several functions in a landscape design as well as provide ecological function. There are a number of native vines that can be used in place of invasive or potentially invasive vine species. Vines need to be used wisely because even…
Time to Get Buzzing!
The emergence of spring wildflowers is getting a lot of attention now, but insects are getting active too. I’ve seen several butterflies and moths flitting around (unfortunately I was not able to get IDs). When we see spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), we also notice bees on them. Likely these are spring beauty mining bees (Andrena…
It’s Spring! Oh No… Weeds and Invasives!
Like everyone else, we’re excited about the coming of spring! Terri recently posted about the early shoots of perennials and the season of spring wildflowers emerging. Bluebirds and other birds are busy and spring peepers are raising their voices. Seeing everything greening up feels so good! Then we see them… weeds and invasive plants! Early…
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