Carnivorous Encounters
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You walk through the savannah looking for the trumpets of pitcher plants that are poking through the grasses. You peer into each pitcher’s trumpet with the expectation of finding a pitcher plant caterpillar or moth (Exyra sp.) that lives in the trumpet of the pitcher plant.
More often, you only see caracasses of other insects that have fallen to the base of the trumpet. During love bug season, the trumpets can be filled to the brim! After a doomed insect slides down the slippery side of the trumpet, it cannot escape and dies. Its carcass is “digested” by the carnivorous plant.
This praying mantis was our reward for investigating the savannah. Perched atop the trumpet of a Yellow Pitcherplant (Sarracenia flava), she was waiting patiently for her next meal. The pitcher plant provided her a high vantage point to use her very keen eyesight to spot approaching prey. The praying mantis may spend hours perched motionless waiting for a chance to grab an unsuspecting insect between her powerful front legs.
The praying mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) is quite common from Virginia to Florida in the autumn. Look for this insect in the upper clusters of flowers, especially those in the aster family. The flowers attract butterflies and other insects that feed on the flowers’ nectar.
Georgia Trip to Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area and Indian Springs
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You can click on the thumbnail at left to view all the photos from the Georgia trip. Click on any of the images in the article to view a larger size.
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My wife Marcia and I have just returned from a weekend trip to Georgia which included visits to Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area and Indian Springs State Park. As President of the Hairstreak Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association, I organized this casual trip to see the Falcate Orangetip Butterfly. This species used to be seen in Florida along the Ochlockonee River, but has not been seen in recent years. Its demise in Florida may have been due to over-collection of the species. Each spring, we still look for the caterpillars and butterflies whenever we see stands of Cardamine, its host plant.
We passed stately historic homes and orchards of beautiful blooming peach trees as we traveled north of the town of Montezuma toward the Montezume Bluffs Natural Area on Friday afternoon. There is no sign announcing the Natural Area, only a sign for Crooks Landing.
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Almost immediately after stepping out of the vehicle near the boat landing, we saw several Falcate Orangetips flying along the trail. Several pairs were courting.
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That evening, Sonny P., Marcia, and I met Chris I., our host. He lives less than a mile from Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area and has “adopted” this site. His primary knowledge is botanical, but he also knows a lot about its natural history, geology, and fauna including the butterflies.
After eating dinner with Chris, he graciously took us to his home to see some of his plants in his landscape, many of which he has grown from seeds and cuttings. Of special interest to Marcia and me were Alabama Snow-wreath (Neviusia alabamensis), Alabama Croton (Croton alabamensis), Zizia (Zizia sp.), and Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) that were all blooming.
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Montezuma Bluffs Natural Bluffs
Joining us on Saturday at Montezuma Bluffs were Marty and Jim Q., and Cynthia and Eric S. Since it was too cool for the butterflies to be flying yet, we botanized until noon. We were very fortunate to have Chris lead us to all the neat spots of Montezuma Bluffs Natural Area that we would not have seen otherwise. During our hike, we saw several habitats including beech-magnolia slope forest, limestone bluffs, and the river floodplain along the Flint River.
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Group overlooking the ravine slope
We saw quite a few Relict Trilliums (Trillium reliquum), one of the other reasons Bill and I wanted to visit Montezuma Bluffs. We also saw a Relict Trillium with a yellow flower. The Relict Trillium, sometimes called Confederate Trillium, is a federally endangered species found mostly in Georgia, but also in a few counties of South Carolina and eastern Alabama. A relict species is a plant that has survived in isolation from an earlier time. In this case, it is a northern species that remained after the retreat of the glaciers.
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The limestone rocks in the area support many of the same species seen locally at Aspalaga Landing such as Round-lobed Liverleaf (Anemone nobilis). Also on the rocks was Alumroot (Heuchera americana), not found in Florida. The presence of many shells in the rocks also shows that Montezuma Bluffs was once covered by an ocean.
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The plants in the beech-magnolia slope forest were very familiar to us although some were different species or uncommon in Florida. Trees and shrubs we saw in addition to the predominate Beeches and Magnolias were Eastern Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), Two-wing Silverbell (Halesia diptera), Dogwood (Cornus florida), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) (not found in Florida), Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), and Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor).
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On the slope floor, we saw Heartleaf Ginger (Hexastylis arifolium), Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata) , violets (Viola spp.), Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasca var. atamasca), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Bedstraw (Galium sp.), Squawroot (Conopholis americana) , Grape Fern (Botrychium sp.), and Cutleaf Toothcup (Cardamine concatenata), the local host plant of the Falcate Orangetip.
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An unexpected botanical bonus was to see the Spotted Geranium (Geranium maculatum) in bloom. This is found in only one Florida County.
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Chris showed us one area that he has been tryiing to keep cleared of the invasive kudzu vines. The hard-earned reward was one slope densely covered by Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) and another slope almost entirely covered by Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata). Both of these species are uncommon in north Florida and to see them en masse was quite awesome.
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Elsewhere, we saw Golden Ragwort (Senecio aurea) and White Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrichium albidum), both uncommon in Florida.
After our hike, we concentrated on butterflies and we did see more Falcate Orangetips. We also looked at many of the Cutleaf Toothcups (Cardamine concatenata) in hopes of finding a Falcate Orangetip caterpillar. There was a brief flurry of excitement when Jim did find a caterpillar on the host plant, but it turned out to be a geometrid moth caterpillar.
Another good find was a tattered Mourning Cloak that was flitting around an oak tree. It liked to sit in the hanging Spanish Moss, but did land on the tree to be photographed.
Probably the best find of the trip (other than the Falcate Orangetips of course) was an Eastern Comma sighted by Eric. No photos for me, but still a joy to see one. Sonny has graciously shared his photo. Other species seen were Pearl Crescent and Lace-winged Roadside Skipper.
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During a final jaunt along a trail, Cynthia spotted an Eastern Hognose Snake, a great way to end the day’s trip.
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Indian Springs State Park
Everyone else returned home on Saturday, but Bill and I continued to Indian Springs State Park where we briefly crossed paths with Virginia C., another Chapter member, as she was leaving after having successfully found Falcate Orangetips also.
We saw the Falcate Orangetips in an open grassy area near the start of the nature trail late that evening. The next morning, we walked the nature trail, planning to see the butterflies on the way out.
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The nature trail winds through a beech-magnolia slope forest where we saw a species of Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) not found in Florida, the leaves of Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), blooming Cutleaf Toothcup (Cardamine concatenata), violets (Viola spp.), Bedstraw (Galium sp.), Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), Round-lobed Liverleaf (Anemone nobilis), and lots and lots of Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) just beginning to bud out. A botanical oddity on the trail was one double-flowered Rue Anemone, the first seen by Marcia and me.
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Double-flower form of Rue Anemone
It was still in the upper forties when we returned to the grassy area where we saw the butterflies the previous evening. We did see some typical plant species in the grassy area, but no butterflies: morels (Morchella sp.), field pansies (Viola bicolor), bluets and innocence (Houstonia spp.), Japanese Mazus (Mazus pumilus), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), and clovers (Trifolium spp.).
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While waiting for warmer temperatures, we took a gander at the springs and old CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) buildings. Indian Springs State Park is one of the oldest parks in the nation.
Homeward Bound
At 11:00 a.m., it still was only fifty degrees, a bit too cool to see any flying butterflies, so we decided to head homeward with another stop at Montezuma Bluffs to try to see the Comma (unsuccessful).
On the way home, we took a short stop at the Andersonville National Cemetery.
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Andersonville National Cemetery
We also saw our first huge stand of blooming Princesstrees (Paulownia tomentosa) along U. S. 19 north of Albany.
In Pursuit of the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle
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My wife Marcia and I were hiking at Torreya State Park near the Apalachicola River when I saw bright glints of green in bare patches of dirt on the trail. Upon closer examination, I saw that they were Six-spotted Tiger Beetles (Cicindela sexguttata).
As always, I had my camera with me and I set out to photograph this beautiful metallic green beetle. Unfortunately for me, the beetles had no interest in posing for a portrait. On my knees, I would follow a likely beetle, prepare to focus, and then, just as I would get ready to click the shutter, the uncooperative insect would spurt off on a short flight before landing again at a distance just out of range of the lens. I would faithfully follow the beetle to its new landing site to try again. Of course, every time I almost reached the landing zone, off would go the beetle on its next flight. The flights were interspersed with short sprints as it searched for its prey which includes small insects and spiders.
This predatory behavior is not photographer-friendly! The tiger beetles were oblivious to me during the next forty-five minutes as I pursued them on my knees before finally getting an acceptable photo.
I had just discovered one of the characeristics of this tiger beetle species: touch-and-go landings. If you’re not familiar with this term, it refers to pilots who must make a certain number of takeoffs and landings to keep qualified for flying. They do this by briefly touching wheels down on the runway in their final approach and landing, and without slowing down, immediately take off again to repeat the process multiple times.
It turns out that the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle looks for motion and runs at breakneck speed toward the prey. It runs so fast that it can’t see the prey until it stops again. If the prey is within reach, the beetle grabs it with its jaws. Otherwise, the beetle will repeat the “touch-and-go” procedure until it succeeds.
The Six-spotted Tiger Beetle is found in shaded hardwood forests. It is one of Florida’s twenty-nine species and subspecies. There are 223 species and subspecies in North America. If you are interested in identifying tiger beetles, there are several field guides available. If budget is a concern, I suggest the paperback A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada by David L. Pearson, C. Barry Knisley, and Charles J. Kazilek, 2006, Oxford University Press.
Lizard Wars!
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See the entire sequence of Lizard Wars!
It is not uncommon to see a male green anole asserting his territorial rights. You’ve probably seen a male displaying his brightest coloration, “puffing up” to look larger, and doing “push ups” Until this year, I had never seen two male anoles progress beyond these warning signs to actual combat.
This spring, my wife and I were walking through some woods when the trees were just beginning to bud out. As I was walking along, I saw a flash of bright green on a tree branch. Two male green anoles were circling the tree, each trying to get the best strategic position to fight. Then their jaws were locked on each other. The one lizard was actually biting down on the other lizard’s head and neck and it surely must have hurt the victim. The wrestling match continued for quite some time. When it appeared to me that actual harm might be occurring, I did try to separate the two, but after a few moments, they resumed their wrestling match. The fight was still ongoing when I left.
Rose Trees and Pinxterblooms
Springtime is always a wonderful time to visit your local botanical garden, park, or arboretum. While there may be an unending succession of blooming flowers in the spring, it is almost a ritual in some areas to visit the gardens when the azaleas are blooming. Possibly the most renowned azalea gardens are found on the plantations surrounding Charleston, South Carolina. After enjoying the azalea spectacle at Middleton Plantation, Magnolia Plantation, and Cypress Gardens, many of the crowds proceed to Summerville, a town just outside of Charleston, where my parents lived. For one or two weeks each year, this small town swells in size as thousands of people come from all over the United States to see the azaleas that grace the old houses and gardens of “Flower Town.”
Today azaleas figure prominently in the landscapes of gardens throughout the United States. A walkway in the Arboretum at the University of Washington in Seattle meanders through a breathtaking collection of red, pink, and white azaleas. Our National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., has a glorious hillside covered by azaleas. While the relentless heat of central and south Florida’s long hot summers precludes the inclusion of azaleas in most people’s yards, they are still a crowd-pleaser in many of Florida’s public gardens. Bok Tower, Cypress Gardens, and Maclay Gardens are just some of Florida’s gardens which have imposing plantings of azaleas.
It may be hard to visualize a landscape without the familiar azaleas, but, in fact, none of these azaleas are native to North America. They are cultivated hybrids of Old World species collected in the Himalayas, China, and Java. In the early eighteenth century, North American azaleas such as the Pink Azalea (Rhododendron clymenoides) and Mountain Flame Azalea (R. calendulasceum) were exported to Europe where Belgians and Britons crossed them with Oriental species. Due to the popularity of the azalea in Flanders, it became a Flemish symbol. By the 1820’s, azalea hybrids were sought by gardeners worldwide and were imported into the United States. Read more
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