Fall Moments...

Well, it's gotten busy again. But, I can still post every now and then. This Oak is from out on Missouri Southern State University's lawn. It reminds me of the good times I've had there.

I thought I'd share a few seasonal links with you and bring up some topics for discussion.

The first link is the official times for the first frosts in Missouri. NOAA Climatology
It always amazes me that different trees start turning at different times. Right now, the maples are just turning a bit yellow and the sassafrases have some tinges of orange around these parts.

The second link is one that surprises me that it actually exists.
Missouri Conservationist Fall Guide
Is that not just plain awesome? There are definitely some great views to see in Missouri. This site ought to help you find the right one for you!

The third thought is that I've been thinking lately of getting a better bicycle and riding around the state sites some. One of my overall goals in life is to see every state park and trail. I also want to start getting a bit fitter and do my part in keeping the environment clean. A bike fits this well, and I was wondering if anyone else around these parts has had similar thoughts.

And, the fourth and final thought for this post is that I've seen a lot of tossed out trash lately alongside the roadways. People either seem to be getting sloppier or just lazy. I don't know which, but it bugs me.

Take care, folks!

Katydids at Night...

At night, when the moon is high and the summer breeze sweeps the land, one might hear a familiar sound. Sometimes it's loud and annoying, but mostly it's just another background noise adding to the atmosphere and excitement of being outdoors.

I took these pictures of two different Katydids singing their mating song. Well, singing isn't accurate. It's more like they are vibrating. These are located on the hind angles of the front wings. If you look carefully, you'll see the opening in the back of the first Katydid which allows the sound to focus in a straight line. While you're able to hear it in any direction, the sound is much more precise if you are just above it or just to the side. Oh, and as local lore has it, these little guys (and they are guys since only the males call out for their mates) are making sounds like Kat-ee-did. Thus, they are called Katydids.

They are also known as True Katydids.

Scientific name:
Pterophylla camellifolia

For something new, I decided to record the song they are producing and upload it to the Internet. This is an intermittent song, varying little in pitch or tempo. This was produced by the second Katydid pictured.
Katydid Sounding Out

I'm using a new file hosting site, and I've yet to test it thoroughly. (The last site I used just closed.) So, if you have problems downloading this .mp3 file, please let me know. I believe you have to set up a free account to download it, but I haven't seen anything bad yet. Any feedback would help. Thank you!

Red or Purple Deadnettle

Whichever name you choose to give this little plant, it's probably appropriate. This is a naturalized plant to Missouri. It is common throughout Europe and Asia, but it has made itself home here in the United States. Some people see this plant as an invasive species, because it will take over cultivated land quickly. Mostly it's seen just on the fringe edges of yards and fields where it isn't disturbed regularly.

Scientific name:
Lamium purpureum

P.S.
Thanks for the big welcome back, everybody! I'll try to keep up the pace as the semester progresses, but it all depends on what I have to do.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

Just minding its own business is this Black Swallowtail Caterpillar. This is the second stage of its development. He is resting in the sun waiting to turn into a beautiful butterfly after some time in his catalyst.

This butterfly is also the state butterfly of Oklahoma, and there are several related and similar species roaming the Ozarks and Missouri in general.

Scientific name:
Papilio polyxenes

Rose Pink

Light, airy, and pretty, the Rose Pink is common across the United States, and lives in wooded areas and alongside fields.

You might pass this by without a second thought. However, if you look at it closely, it is a complex flower in and of itself. It is thin, but it supports itself well, and the flowers are striking among the green.

Scientific name:
Sabatia angularis

Southern Green Stink Bug

Pew. This post stinks.
Today, I give you a shot of a fourth instar nymph of the Southern Green Stink Bug. From what I gather, an instar is a stage of development for these little guys. I found it on a wild cherry tree which had been toppled over during the ice storms.

Scientific name:
Nezara viridula

Correction:
In an earlier post, I misidentified a plant as Common Milkweed. The plant is commonly known as Purple Milkweed, but its true Scientific name is Asclepias purpurascens. I'll give a big thanks to the Anonymous poster who helped correct the mistake.

To comment on the mistake, this is an example of long-embedded misconceptions being overturned. Some time ago a teacher of mine cultivated Milkweed to raise Monarch Butterflies. Her Common Milkweed was very similar to the specimen shown in my pictures, which goes to show how color can throw off an identification. Usually, Purple Milkweed is darker in nature, and it has rougher leaves. But, sometimes it does not, as is this case. Common Milkweed can look similar in some circumstances where the plant has not fully developed. And, as a side note for its commonality, Purple Milkweed is widespread here in Missouri, but in other states, such as those in the Northeast, it is quite endangered. However, efforts to keep it thriving have been taken up by university programs.

Thank you again, and I hope this adds to the discussion.

Flooding...

This is the first set of pictures in a series I think I'm going to start about the weather. I'm mainly doing this because the weather is quite dramatic here in Missouri. Tornadoes, ice storms, droughts, and floods all make up just a fraction of the weather we see here in the good ol' Mo.

So, first up is flooding. This creek swelled more than 14 feet over its flood stage during this flood period in April. The deepest levels were estimated at 20 feet. The second picture shows the creek at its normal stage.

Flooding helps to keep debris down as well as to wash out eroding sandy shores which can pose dangerous in dry situations. Flooding also changes the banks and creek bed shapes. This just shows that flooding isn't always bad. Remember, turn around, don't drown!

Purple Milkweed

Hello again!

Yes, I'm back. And, I have plenty of pictures to put up this time 'round. Paperwork and other things kept me from paying attention to my blog, and I'm quite ready to get back at it.

Now, onto our first plant of the summer vacation. It's colloquially known as Purple Milkweed, and though this strongly varies from location to location, it comes in several different shades from light pink to dark purple and dark pink as we see here. The flowers are grouped in large, umbrella-shaped clusters on top of a taut stem. The leaves are alternate and come up quite large. It prefers sun to part shade and is seen in moist runoff lands. It's a great attractant to butterflies, as we once saw with Butterfly Weed, a happy relative. Be careful though, if you have this. Deer at this up a couple of days after I took this picture. The seeds, however, were spared, and hopefully I can spread them out.

Notice the way the flowers blossom out into five-pointed tubes. The ants help pollinate it just as well as the butterflies.

Scientific name:
Asclepias purpurascens L

*Edit Notice*
This post was edited on July 29, 2008 to correct a misidentification. The information as it is seen now is correct. Please review the comments.

Thank you,
Nate

Immature Paper Wasp

 

I remembered this picture after Marvin posted his a couple of weeks ago. This is an immature paper wasp, as can seen by its bright yellow head, eyes, and faint yellow markings on its abdomen. It's also munching up some aster flowers and nector, which will sustain it during its first winter. These little buggers aren't agressive, but I've accidentally grabbed a nest or two and received their wrath.

Scientific name:
Polistes annularis

Btw, I thank you all for taking my "break" in stride. Student teaching has been going well, but the weather prevents me from making definite plans for lessons. I'm helping teach English classes. When I'm certified, I'm hoping to teach some form of English and Journalism classes. Perhaps certified has two connotations there...

Deer Tracks in Snow

 

About a week ago, we had four inches of snow. During the night or early morning, some deer passed through this trail. This is probably a yearling or small doe as the track is carried from one foot up to the other without much lift. A larger buck has a shorter, stouter track unless the snow is quite deep. This also indicates the deer were walking swiftly as there is not much disturbance in the rest of the track's main shape.

Taking a Break....

I am writing to inform my loyal audience and friends that I am taking a break from my blog for awhile. This semester, I am student teaching. So, my responsibilities for the classroom are cutting into my blogging research time. However, I should be able to make Thursdays and Fridays. If you check back on those days, my blog will probably be updated.

Thanks for the patience!
Nate

Deer Track

 

This track was made in compact ground, and it looked several hours old. Since I took it in the evening, I believe the deer passed through sometime in the mid morning hours. You can tell this by the way the grass has sprung up around the track and the way the dirt has dried. This was probably a buck in a fast canter as the other tracks around it were just as deep and even more sprawled out.

Sachems

 

Mainly, I'm posting this because of the bleak day. These little gals make me happy. They are called Sachems, a type of Skipper moth in the family Hesperiidae. I know they are females because of the dark, greyish brown wings. Males have yellowish wings. They can stray up to Missouri, but they usually don't get much farther north. Every so often, you'll have an abundance of these little moths. Oh, and you'll recognize the Canadian Thistle below them.

Scientific name:
Atalopedes campestris

Ambush Bug

 

A great big thank you goes out to Marvin, who correctly identified this insect. Please visit his blog from the Arkansas Ozarks at the link on the left (Three Steps Foreward).

This is the first time I have ever encountered this insect, and I wasn't trying to be lazy in the last post; I really did not know what it was. The wonderful thing about blogging is the electronic community which comes to the aid of others. So, I'm quite grateful at understanding something I didn't know before.

With that said, this insect might look like a mantid, but it is not. It simply has the large forelegs and similar eyes. It is also a predator bug, which means it attacks other insects in an ambush-like way. According to what I've read, it can attack insects much larger than itself. It also loves to sit on Asters and other similar flowers with large, yellow cones, which is what we see here. It is characterized by the pale-green color and the large abdomen with brown spots on its backside.

Scientific name:
Phymata americana

When working with nature, it is a humbling thing to remember how ignorant one can be. However, it also empowers us to be curious, and forces us not to give up. Perhaps I gave up a little too soon, but I also have the fortunate experience of 20/20 hindsight in which I now understand another weakness in my nature observations. I was focusing on the mantis family only, not thinking that there could be a similar species out there. I also forgot to look into copycats or habitat-specific insects. Usually, I just take pictures and note where I found them, what time it was, and any unusual conditions. Since the winter has put a damper on a few of my outdoor activities, I am going to use the extra time to create a better nature journal. My first inclination is to become more meticulous in my work and just jot down everything. Then, I'll sort out the things which become cumbersome and rarely used. These will go into an "extra info" section of my texts. Hopefully, it'll also add to this blog.

Mystery Mantis

 

When I first saw this little nymph, I did a double take. It's obviously a mantis, but there was no egg sac, nor were there other nymphs around. I didn't even see a mother. The other puzzling part of this whole story is that I can't identify it based on the photos I took. It's either not known in Missouri, or it's just too young to identify. So, I'm throwing it up to my audience for help. If you know what it is, please post it in the comments. I'd appreciate it. I also have another pic that shows its back better, but this is the clearest overall pic of the nymph.

Thanks, and happy hunting!

Creeks...

 

Thousands of creeks run the landscape of Missouri. They are usually clear because of the limestone bottoms, which filter water and reflect just the right amount of light. This creek here, Clear Creek, runs through Pierce City. It is a cool, spring-fed creek. Waterways such as these are home to Missouri wildlife and not just fish. Beavers, Salamanders, Turkeys, Woodchucks, Deer, etc all have some reason to be near a creek, if only for water. The Missouri Department of Conservation sponsors water clean-up crews across the state. They pull tons of waste and garbage out of the streams each year. They are known as Stream Teams.

Yellow Garden Spider

 

Although it's known by several names, it is usually associated with gardens. The Yellow Garden Spider is active in the later summer and early fall in Missouri. Obviously, it's characterized by its black and yellow banding. It loves close-quartered plants, corners, and rises near more open areas. This is the spider that builds the zig-zag or X-shaped web known the world over. This is likely a female as it is more than an inch long. I caught this one in the act of binding up its prey.

Scientific name:
Argiope aurantia
Class:
Chelicerata

Shelf Mushroom

 

This is an example of a growing Shelf or Sulfer Mushroom. The name comes from the strong smell and taste of the mushroom. It tastes either like bitter chicken or smells like terrible sulfur. Supposedly it's edible, but I tend to avoid mushrooms, because I'm not an expert at identifying them.

This mushroom was growing on a rotting tree, and it is nearly all orange without its usual ringed edge. It will come back in full glory next year. Then, I think it will actually have a ring on it, making it more identifiable.

Scientific name:
Laetiporus sulphureus or
Laetiporus cincinnatus

The Passion's Not Dead...

It's only in remission. This is the fruit of the Passion Flower after it has withered up for the winter. The seed pod inside will spread come springtime when birds and other animals knock the fruit off of its vine. Then, the plant will find its way around and pop up again in the early summer. Notice the bulb stands out against the rest of the world. It is shiny and bright even in the dead of winter.

Common Blackberry... in the snow

Even in the coldest parts of winter, animals have a way to survive. They either store food or seek out plants that are still green or giving up fruit. In this case, a Common Blackberry is still green long after its fruits are gone. This plant probably survived the harsh cold snaps due to its sheltered life under trees, leaves, and other plants.

Notice the three coarse, compound leaves. They are not attached to one another as in other brambles or members of the Rubus genus. All brambles fall under the same family as roses, and you'll notice a slight rose smell as you get near them.

Scientific name:
Rubus fruticosus

A thank you...

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Victoria formally for asking me to help with her blog. She is the one who made me the most interested in "photoblogging." Before this blog, I did have several plain ol' blogs. I had also done a thesis on the blogging phenomenon. However, I had never really had any use for my own photoblog. But, she did. It is her hobby and a great relaxer after a stressful day. I admire that and hope to contribute in a respectful way.

This also prompts me to update my blog. I too have been busy these past few weeks and had to give into the needs of school, work, life, etc. My work on this blog will continue, and I hope you will give it a few lookovers yourself. It is more of a personal study of nature, so any comments will be appreciated.

Take care,
Nate
AKA Missouri_Wilderness

Ice Storm

Just under a year ago we had a heavy ice storm hit this area. But, it wasn't the last of the ice. Two weeks ago, ice hit again. And, though there wasn't much left to fall from the last storm, there was still quite a bit of damage.

This picture was taken in the woods near my home. The foreground tree is a hickory, and most of the background trees are walnuts, sassafrases, paw-paws, and Osage Oranges. All of these are tough plants and could withstand most of the force exerted by the ice. The problems come from large, older trees which either stand alone or along the edge of the woods. These trees branch much further out than the inner trees because of space. Inner trees tend to grow straight and have fewer branches to snap. Although there is some snapping, the trees usually survive. Woods and forests simply compound the problem by having many trees that drop maybe one or two branches each. This causes a fire hazard and is a good reason to look into prescribed burns and brush cleanups.