Monthly Archives: August 2024

Ringless Honey Mushroom

Posted on by

01 Ringless Honey Mushroom_0514

This is an eye-catching organism that I saw while visiting Brecksville Reservation.

02 Ringless Honey Mushroom_0977

Ringless Honey Mushroom grows in clusters, often in large numbers, at the bases of trees, especially oaks. It is common in urban yards. Sometimes it looks like it’s growing right out of the ground, but it is actually growing from low stumps, roots, or other buried wood.

03 Ringless Honey Mushroom_0976

It is most commonly observed from September to November. It can be identified by its convex cap, which is then flattened, featuring a margin that is uplifted with age. The cap is yellow-brown to honey brown, and it lacks a ring on its stalk. There are at least 10 species of this fungus.

04 Ringless Honey Mushroom_0979

Ringless Honey Mushrooms exist most of the time as a network of cells (mycelium) penetrating the tissues of living trees, frequently killing their hosts by damaging the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. This particular species may be an exception, however, living on dead, not living, wood. When ready to reproduce, the mycelium forms mushrooms, which produce spores that are released to begin new mycelia elsewhere.

05 Ringless Honey Mushroom_0978

As the fruiting bodies (mushroom caps) begin to deteriorate, numerous insects swarm to them. The mushrooms provide food for a variety of small insects and other arthropods, which in turn become food for birds, salamanders, toads, and other animals.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Ghost Shrimp

Posted on by

1 ghost shrimp_2626

Ghost Shrimp are relatively small invertebrates, reaching a maximum size of only two inches. Their see-through bodies and frenetic food-searching behavior make them fun to watch.

2 ghost shrimp_2592

While the Ghost Shrimp’s body is transparent, an orange-to-yellow colored spot is often visible in the center of the tail. The body is segmented, and features ten sets of legs. The first four sets of legs have tiny claws that aid the shrimp in feeding.

3 ghost shrimp_2597

This crustacean is naturally found in freshwater ponds, lakes, and streams in the coastal plain of North America east of the Allegheny Mountains, from Florida to New Jersey. They are most abundant in dense beds of submerged vegetation. This creature is considered a keystone species based on the services it provides to its habitat.

4 Ghost Shrimp_0278

The diet of Ghost Shrimp is dominated by algae, though they are scavengers and consume a wide variety of tiny food items. It is nocturnal, remaining hidden among the vegetation by day, and emerging at night to feed. It is an important prey item for a number of birds and fish.

5 ghost shrimp_2623

They are common aquarium pet due to their unique appearance – they also known as Jumpers, Glass Shrimp, Grass Shrimp, Glass Prawns, Hardbacks, Daggerblades and Popcorn Shrimp.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Lady’s Smock

Posted on by

01 Lady's Smock_4167

While hiking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I noticed this small wildflower. It is a perennial herb native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and has become naturalized in North America as a result of cultivation.

02 Lady's Smock_4163

Its other common name, “Cuckoo Flower,” derives from the formation of the plant’s flowers at around the same time as the arrival each Spring of the first Cuckoo Birds in the British Isles.

03 Lady's Smock 101

In the United States it tends to be found in man-made or disturbed habitats, river or stream floodplains, forests, fields, swamps and wetlands. I usually see it growing in partial shade at the edges of meadows.

04 Lady's Smock_4169

In British folklore Lady’s Smock is said to be sacred to the fairies, and so it was considered unlucky if it was brought indoors. It was not included in May Day garlands for this reason.

05 Lady's Smock 099

This plant is also known as Meadow Bittercress, Mayflower and Milkmaids.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Killdeer

Posted on by

01 Killdeer_7048

A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. I often see them at Canalway Center in Ohio and recently came across babies at the edge of a public park.

02 Killdeer_2944

Killdeer have the characteristic large, round head, large eye, and short bill this is common to all plovers. They are especially slender and lanky, with a long, pointed tail and long wings.

03 Killdeer_1424

Widespread and conspicuous, the Killdeer calls its name as it flies over farmland and other open country like fields, airports, lawns, river banks, mudflats, and shores. It is often found on open ground, such as pastures, and large lawns located a great distance from water.

04 Killdeer_7052

Typically they run a few steps and then pause, then run again, pecking at the ground whenever they spot something edible. They feed on a wide variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, fly larvae, and many others; they also eats spiders, earthworms, centipedes, crayfish and snails.

05 Killdeer_2943

Killdeer nests are simple scrapes often placed on slight rises in their open habitats. Killdeer may make several scrapes not far away from each other before choosing one to lay in. This nest duplication may help to confuse predators.

06 Killdeer_1417

Although the Killdeer is frequently around human habitation, it is often shy, at first running away rather than flying. When a Killdeer stops to look at an intruder, it has a habit of bobbing up and down almost as if it had hiccupped. Killdeer are some of the best-known practitioners of the broken-wing display, an attempt to lure predators away from a nest by feigning injury.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Large Maple Spanworm Moth

Posted on by

01 Large Maple Spanworm Moth_0994

I’ve come across this cool creature only a few times – most recently one was attracted to our deck light one evening. This insect is of a decent size, with about a two-inch wingspan.

02 Large Maple Spanworm Moth_2142

While the adult is a Fall-flying, nocturnal leaf mimic, its caterpillar is cleverly disguised as a twig. The caterpillar does not limit its diet to maple; it’s also found on woody plants like birch, willow, tamarack, aspen, blueberry, cherry, and dogwood, and on herbaceous plants like soybeans, sweet-fern, and members of the geranium family.

03 caterpillar_1471

Most often seen in September, Large Maple Spanworms Moths are a sign that the days of Summer are numbered. They’re found around woodlots and swamps across southern Canada and the northern half of the United States. Adults are nocturnal, and may rest on the sides of buildings during the day.

04 Large Maple Spanworm Moth_1428

Belonging to a group known as Geometrid Moths, geometrid means “earth measurer,” and the caterpillars are fondly nicknamed “inchworms,” “loopers,” and “spanworms” because of their gait.

05 Large Maple Spanworm Moth_1425

This moth has a quite cool shape and color to it. It almost looks like a brown leaf, and often the edges of its wings are a little ragged-edged and wavy as well. It’s always neat to come across one!

Third Eye Herp
E-mail