Looks like the caterpillars weathered the early start to hurricane season with a little better luck than the cardinal pair. (see previous post.) Here’s a short image diary…
Another year, another scary disaster. The most recent non-pandemic driven excitement has been the cheerful presence of Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis, a day-flying hummingbird moth that more closely resembles an elongated bumble bee. This female spent most of an afternoon dipping in and out of the tangle of coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, and American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, finding suitable places to deposit her eggs. Larval host plants for the Snowberry Clearwing include other members of Lonicera (honeysuckle), Diervilla (bush honeysuckle), Symphoricarpos (snowberry,) and Apocynum (dogbane.)
Should be interesting in the next few weeks – a pair of cardinals is also constructing a nest here. Not sure how the timing will play out between the maturation of moth eggs and hatching of chicks, but Ms. Snowberry Clearwing might’ve just gifted some juicy caterpillars to hungry baby birds.
April has started with a show worthy of a standing ovation. It’s a flower show and a bestiary. After last spring’s dearth of wildlife, it’s reassuring to see so much diversity returning to the neighborhood.
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Essays, photos, and discussion about prairie ecology, restoration, and management
suburban biodiversity in southeastern north carolina
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suburban biodiversity in southeastern north carolina
A blog from the lab of Dr. Madhusudan Katti in CSU, Fresno
suburban biodiversity in southeastern north carolina